The subject of peace has universal interest. There are international conferences in process working toward world peace. Why is there such an interest in world peace? It is because of the atrocity of war and the devastation it brings.
You may have seen the bumper sticker, “Visualize World Peace.” What Isaiah gives us here is totally different from visualizing peace. Isaiah has a vision of peace. This vision came from God nearly 3,000 years ago.
War is such a tragedy because it uses mans best to accomplish mans worst. War has no prejudices. It wreaks havoc on the uneducated and the educated. It brings ruin to young and old, male and female, backwards poor nations and advanced superpower nations.
If you have not experienced war fist hand you should talk to a person who has. Those who have served in a war probably understand best the tragedy of war. When they describe the war you will realize how dreadful and horrible it is.
In times of war children bury their parents and parents bury their children and wives lose their husbands. War is not like a sporting event that has a winner and a loser. War destroys lives, families and cities.
We need to see what Isaiah saw. This small passage records the vision of peace the prophet saw and foretold.
Isaiah 2:1-5
This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:
2 In the last days
the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established
as the highest of the mountains;
it will be exalted above the hills,
and all nations will stream to it.
3 Many peoples will come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,
to the temple of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways,
so that we may walk in his paths.”
The law will go out from Zion,
the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
4 He will judge between the nations
and will settle disputes for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore.
The passage is such an embodiment of a vision for world peace that the United Nations who has as one of their aims the achievement of world peace has an inscription from the passage engraved and a statue depiction based on the passage.
Verse 2 begins in the last days. It means here that it is in a future time. It also has with it in this context the expectation of a coming messiah. Isaiah would have been hoping for this messiah in his lifetime, but he had this vision and wrote this passage 800 years before Christ came and it will not be fully realized until the second coming of Christ.
Isaiah is not alone in his vision for world peace. The prophet Micah saw this same vision of world peace (Micah 4:1-4).
Isaiah sees the temple of God on the mountain of God occupying a central place. Where the temple stood in Jerusalem was not the highest mountain in the world of even in the vicinity of Jerusalem. But Isaiah sees this mountain raised up higher than any other hill or mountain. Here is the glory and majesty of God lifted up to be clearly revealed to all men everywhere.
All the nations will stream to the temple of God like rushing waters. The temple is raised up and also its function is different from what Isaiah would have known. It will not be to come and offer sacrifice. People will stream to the temple to receive the word of the Lord.
Everyone will desire to go to the Temple of God to learn the ways of God and walk in the paths of God. The results of God’s Word going out is peace.
When you preach and teach the Word of God taking the Living Word of God, Jesus Christ to all people, teaching the Bible therein is the power to change individual lives and society. To promote ultimate peace we proclaim Jesus Christ. The power of the gospel is to bring peace with God and ultimately a final lasting world peace.
Isaiah has a vision of complete and universal peace. Nation will not take up sword against nation. The prophet Joel made a proclamation to prepare for was (Joel 3:9-10).
Proclaim this among the nations: Prepare for war! Rouse the warriors!
Let all the fighting men draw near and attack.
10 Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears.
Let the weakling say, “I am strong!
In Isaiah’s vision of peace everything is reversed from the preparation for war found in the Joel passage. In times of war the cycle is made into a sword and the field is left to weeds and the harvest is left to waste. In Isaiah’s vision the instruments of war are beaten into farm implements. These weapons of war are made into instruments of harvest and bounty.
The statue “Christ the redeemer of the Andes” stands on the border between Argentina and Chile. The two countries were at war over their border and made peace. The statue to commemorate the peace was made from the bronze of the cannons used as instruments of war. What a glorious vision Isaiah has when this will happen on a global scale when there is reshaping weapons of war into tools for harvest.
Most of history has been filled with war. Only a small percentage of world history has seen time without war. The difficulty is moving from this vision of peace to the reality of world peace. The Baptist Faith and Message states well how this is done, The true remedy for the war spirit is the gospel of our Lord.
Here is the statement on Peace from the Baptist Faith and Message.
Peace and War
It is the duty of Christians to seek peace with all men on principles of righteousness. In accordance with the spirit and teachings of Christ they should do all in their power to put an end to war.
The true remedy for the war spirit is the gospel of our Lord. The supreme need of the
world is the acceptance of His teachings in all the affairs of men and nations, and the
practical application of His law of love. Christian people throughout the world should
pray for the reign of the Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 2:4; Matthew 5:9,38-48; 6:33; 26:52; Luke 22:36,38; Romans 12:18-19; 13:1-7; 14:19; Hebrews 12:14; James 4:1-2.
The invitation to this peace comes in verse 5. Come …. let us walk in the light of the LORD.
For peace to come it means that we must introduce people to the Prince of Peace. There is darkness leading to war and there needs to be the light of Jesus Christ. Isaiah saw this in his vision.
Preaching against war and writing war protest songs may have some limited effect, maybe. But when Jesus transforms lives they know the peace of God in their life. Christ has come as Isaiah saw and has instituted his plan of peace.
It is a future day when we will realize this peace in its totality as in Isaiah’s vision. It will be a time when men study war no more. No need for books then on military strategy. There will be only harvest and bounty and the goodness of God in this peace.
The invitation is there. Let us walk in the light of God.
Below is the statement from the Baptist Faith and Message
________________________________________________________________________
Peace and War
It is the duty of Christians to seek peace with all men on principles of righteousness. In accordance with the spirit and teachings of Christ they should do all in their power to put an end to war.
The true remedy for the war spirit is the gospel of our Lord. The supreme need of the world is the acceptance of His teachings in all the affairs of men and nations, and the practical application of His law of love. Christian people throughout the world should pray for the reign of the Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 2:4;
Matthew 5:9,38-48; 6:33; 26:52;
Luke 22:36,38;
Romans 12:18-19; 13:1-7; 14:19;
Hebrews 12:14;
James 4:1-2.
