The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.
And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the Lord.
Therefore thou hast forsaken thy people the house of Jacob, because they be replenished from the east, and are soothsayers like the Philistines, and they please themselves in the children of strangers.
Their land also is full of silver and gold, neither is there any end of their treasures; their land is also full of horses, neither is there any end of their chariots:
Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made:
And the mean man boweth down, and the great man humbleth himself: therefore forgive them not.
Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty.
The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.
For the day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low:
And upon all the cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan,
And upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills that are lifted up,
And upon every high tower, and upon every fenced wall,
And upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant pictures.
And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.
And the idols he shall utterly abolish.
And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.
In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats;
To go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.
Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?
Isaiah 2 offers a powerful glimpse into both the distant future and the immediate present of God's people. The chapter opens with a breathtaking vision of God's kingdom established on earth, then sharply contrasts this with a stark condemnation of Judah's idolatry and reliance on earthly power. Through Isaiah, God reveals His ultimate plan for the world while simultaneously calling His people to repentance. This chapter serves as a powerful reminder to seek God's kingdom first and to place our trust in Him alone. Keywords: Isaiah 2
The Mountain of the Lord Exalted (Isaiah 2:1-4)
Isaiah begins by identifying himself as the son of Amoz, setting the stage for the prophetic revelation he is about to share concerning Judah and Jerusalem (Isaiah 2:1). He unveils a glorious scene set "in the last days" (Isaiah 2:2), a time when the mountain of the Lord's house—Jerusalem—will be established as the highest of all mountains. This isn't necessarily a literal elevation, but rather signifies Jerusalem's supreme importance as the center of true worship and God's presence on earth. This passage mirrors Micah 4:1-3, emphasizing God's intention for both prophets to highlight the future glory of Israel.
People from all nations will stream to Jerusalem, seeking to learn God's ways. "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths" (Isaiah 2:3). The law will go out from Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. This vision depicts a time of universal peace and understanding, where the knowledge of God transforms international relations.
The Lord will judge between the nations and settle disputes, leading to a radical disarmament: "They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore" (Isaiah 2:4). This powerful image encapsulates the transformative power of God's reign, where conflict is replaced by cooperation and the tools of war are repurposed for peaceful productivity. This is a prophetic look ahead to the millennial reign of Christ, when God will restore righteous rule to the world, with Jerusalem as the headquarters of His one-thousand-year rule (Isaiah 2:3).
A Call to Walk in the Light (Isaiah 2:5-8)
Following this inspiring vision, Isaiah turns to the present reality of Israel, urging them, "O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord" (Isaiah 2:5). However, this call is tinged with lament, as Isaiah knows that the Israelites are far from walking in God's light.
He explains that God has forsaken His people because they are "full of things from the east and of fortune-tellers like the Philistines, and they strike bargains with the children of foreigners" (Isaiah 2:6). They have embraced pagan practices and sought security in foreign alliances rather than trusting in the Lord.
The land is filled with silver and gold, treasures and chariots, and horses (Isaiah 2:7). But it is also "full of idols" (Isaiah 2:8). The Israelites mistakenly believe that their wealth and prosperity are a result of their idol worship, further distancing themselves from the one true God. This was strong language telling Isaiah’s readers that in reality, it wasn’t God who had moved; they were the ones who had walked away from him by practicing idolatry. It must have stung to be told that in God’s sight, they weren’t any better than their arch enemies, the Philistines (Isaiah 2:6), because of their pagan practices.
The Day of the Lord and the Humbling of Pride (Isaiah 2:9-22)
Isaiah, filled with righteous indignation, cries out to the Lord, "Do not forgive them!" (Isaiah 2:9). He then proclaims the coming "day of the Lord" (Isaiah 2:12), a time of judgment when God will humble the proud and arrogant.
People will hide in caves and holes in the ground "from the terror of the Lord and from the splendor of his majesty" (Isaiah 2:10, 19, 21). On that day, the Lord alone will be exalted, and human pride will be brought low. It's no wonder Isaiah cried out, Do not forgive them! (Isaiah 2:9). Then in Isaiah 2:10-21, he delivered a message of judgment that looked beyond the coming devastation of Judah to the end-time judgment God will bring on the whole earth during the great tribulation. He said, Go into the rocks and hide in the dust from the terror of the LORD and from his majestic splendor (Isaiah 2:10; see also Isaiah 2:19, 21). This will not be finally fulfilled until God pours out his final judgments on an unbelieving world (see Revelation 6:15-17).
Isaiah lists the things in which people trust: "all the cedars of Lebanon, high and lifted up; and on all the oaks of Bashan; on all the high mountains, and on all the hills that are lifted up; on every high tower, and on every fortified wall; on all the ships of Tarshish, and on all beautiful craft" (Isaiah 2:13-16). These represent worldly power, wealth, and security, all of which will prove futile in the face of God's judgment.
The idols that the people have worshipped will be utterly abandoned: "In that day mankind will cast away their idols of silver and their idols of gold, which they made for themselves to worship, to the moles and to the bats" (Isaiah 2:20). Recognizing their worthlessness, people will discard these false gods in a desperate attempt to escape God's wrath.
The chapter concludes with a stark warning: "Stop regarding man in whose nostrils is breath, for of what account is he?" (Isaiah 2:22). Isaiah urges his listeners to abandon their reliance on human strength and worldly possessions, and to instead place their trust in the Lord alone.
This section thus illustrates how the Old Testament prophets wrote not just of things relatively near but also of things further away. It is doubtful that Isaiah even knew he was writing about the last days when Israel’s Messiah would return in glory. The prophet probably did not see the long valley between the two mountain peaks of Judah’s judgment and the judgments of the tribulation. He just faithfully recorded what the Holy Spirit inspired him to write. This section speaks of the humbling of all of mankind’s sinful pride, ending with this universal warning: Put no more trust in a mere human, who has only the breath in his nostrils. What is he really worth? (Isaiah 2:22).
The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.
And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the Lord.
Therefore thou hast forsaken thy people the house of Jacob, because they be replenished from the east, and are soothsayers like the Philistines, and they please themselves in the children of strangers.
Their land also is full of silver and gold, neither is there any end of their treasures; their land is also full of horses, neither is there any end of their chariots:
Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made:
And the mean man boweth down, and the great man humbleth himself: therefore forgive them not.
Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty.
The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.
For the day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low:
And upon all the cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan,
And upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills that are lifted up,
And upon every high tower, and upon every fenced wall,
And upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant pictures.
And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.
And the idols he shall utterly abolish.
And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.
In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats;
To go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.
Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?
Isaiah 2 offers a powerful glimpse into both the distant future and the immediate present of God's people. The chapter opens with a breathtaking vision of God's kingdom established on earth, then sharply contrasts this with a stark condemnation of Judah's idolatry and reliance on earthly power. Through Isaiah, God reveals His ultimate plan for the world while simultaneously calling His people to repentance. This chapter serves as a powerful reminder to seek God's kingdom first and to place our trust in Him alone. Keywords: Isaiah 2
The Mountain of the Lord Exalted (Isaiah 2:1-4)
Isaiah begins by identifying himself as the son of Amoz, setting the stage for the prophetic revelation he is about to share concerning Judah and Jerusalem (Isaiah 2:1). He unveils a glorious scene set "in the last days" (Isaiah 2:2), a time when the mountain of the Lord's house—Jerusalem—will be established as the highest of all mountains. This isn't necessarily a literal elevation, but rather signifies Jerusalem's supreme importance as the center of true worship and God's presence on earth. This passage mirrors Micah 4:1-3, emphasizing God's intention for both prophets to highlight the future glory of Israel.
People from all nations will stream to Jerusalem, seeking to learn God's ways. "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths" (Isaiah 2:3). The law will go out from Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. This vision depicts a time of universal peace and understanding, where the knowledge of God transforms international relations.
The Lord will judge between the nations and settle disputes, leading to a radical disarmament: "They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore" (Isaiah 2:4). This powerful image encapsulates the transformative power of God's reign, where conflict is replaced by cooperation and the tools of war are repurposed for peaceful productivity. This is a prophetic look ahead to the millennial reign of Christ, when God will restore righteous rule to the world, with Jerusalem as the headquarters of His one-thousand-year rule (Isaiah 2:3).
A Call to Walk in the Light (Isaiah 2:5-8)
Following this inspiring vision, Isaiah turns to the present reality of Israel, urging them, "O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord" (Isaiah 2:5). However, this call is tinged with lament, as Isaiah knows that the Israelites are far from walking in God's light.
He explains that God has forsaken His people because they are "full of things from the east and of fortune-tellers like the Philistines, and they strike bargains with the children of foreigners" (Isaiah 2:6). They have embraced pagan practices and sought security in foreign alliances rather than trusting in the Lord.
The land is filled with silver and gold, treasures and chariots, and horses (Isaiah 2:7). But it is also "full of idols" (Isaiah 2:8). The Israelites mistakenly believe that their wealth and prosperity are a result of their idol worship, further distancing themselves from the one true God. This was strong language telling Isaiah’s readers that in reality, it wasn’t God who had moved; they were the ones who had walked away from him by practicing idolatry. It must have stung to be told that in God’s sight, they weren’t any better than their arch enemies, the Philistines (Isaiah 2:6), because of their pagan practices.
The Day of the Lord and the Humbling of Pride (Isaiah 2:9-22)
Isaiah, filled with righteous indignation, cries out to the Lord, "Do not forgive them!" (Isaiah 2:9). He then proclaims the coming "day of the Lord" (Isaiah 2:12), a time of judgment when God will humble the proud and arrogant.
People will hide in caves and holes in the ground "from the terror of the Lord and from the splendor of his majesty" (Isaiah 2:10, 19, 21). On that day, the Lord alone will be exalted, and human pride will be brought low. It's no wonder Isaiah cried out, Do not forgive them! (Isaiah 2:9). Then in Isaiah 2:10-21, he delivered a message of judgment that looked beyond the coming devastation of Judah to the end-time judgment God will bring on the whole earth during the great tribulation. He said, Go into the rocks and hide in the dust from the terror of the LORD and from his majestic splendor (Isaiah 2:10; see also Isaiah 2:19, 21). This will not be finally fulfilled until God pours out his final judgments on an unbelieving world (see Revelation 6:15-17).
Isaiah lists the things in which people trust: "all the cedars of Lebanon, high and lifted up; and on all the oaks of Bashan; on all the high mountains, and on all the hills that are lifted up; on every high tower, and on every fortified wall; on all the ships of Tarshish, and on all beautiful craft" (Isaiah 2:13-16). These represent worldly power, wealth, and security, all of which will prove futile in the face of God's judgment.
The idols that the people have worshipped will be utterly abandoned: "In that day mankind will cast away their idols of silver and their idols of gold, which they made for themselves to worship, to the moles and to the bats" (Isaiah 2:20). Recognizing their worthlessness, people will discard these false gods in a desperate attempt to escape God's wrath.
The chapter concludes with a stark warning: "Stop regarding man in whose nostrils is breath, for of what account is he?" (Isaiah 2:22). Isaiah urges his listeners to abandon their reliance on human strength and worldly possessions, and to instead place their trust in the Lord alone.
This section thus illustrates how the Old Testament prophets wrote not just of things relatively near but also of things further away. It is doubtful that Isaiah even knew he was writing about the last days when Israel’s Messiah would return in glory. The prophet probably did not see the long valley between the two mountain peaks of Judah’s judgment and the judgments of the tribulation. He just faithfully recorded what the Holy Spirit inspired him to write. This section speaks of the humbling of all of mankind’s sinful pride, ending with this universal warning: Put no more trust in a mere human, who has only the breath in his nostrils. What is he really worth? (Isaiah 2:22).