Isaiah 2:4

He shall judge. Not all of the peoples of earth would be willing to obey “the word of the Lord from Jerusalem” (v. 3). Those who refused to submit to the authority of God, exercised through the Jews as His chosen people, would band together to secure by force of arms that which they were unwilling to gain by bringing their characters into harmony with the law of God (Jer. 25:32; Eze. 38:8-12; Joel 3:1, 12; Zech. 12:3). Upon reaching Jerusalem and laying siege to it, they would discover to their dismay that they had entered into conflict with the God of heaven (Jer. 25:31-33) and that He would judge (Joel 3:9-17) and destroy them there (Isa. 34:1-8; 60:12; 63:1-6; 66:15-18). When the heathen had assembled themselves in the vicinity of the valley of Jehoshaphat (Joel 3:2, 12), located immediately to the east of Jerusalem, God would “sit to judge all the heathen round about” (Joel 3:12). The word Yehoshaphat (Jehoshaphat) means literally, “Jehovah will judge.”

Rebuke many people. “All the people of the earth” are “gathered together against” Jerusalem (Zech. 12:3), but God will “defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem” (Zech. 12:8) and “destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem” (Zech. 12:9). The events here described were never fulfilled to literal Israel owing to the failure of the nation to comply with the mission committed to them. As pointed out by John the revelator, however (Rev. 20:7-15), this prophecy will have a degree of fulfillment when, at the close of the millennium, Satan deceives “the nations ... of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle” (v. 8) and to compass “the camp of the saints about” (v. 9). The wicked “stand before God” and are “judged out of those things which were written in the books” (vs. 11, 12), “every man according to their works” (v. 13). The nations of earth will all “know” that the Lord is God (Eze. 38:23). Compare Zech. 12:4; Rev. 19:19-21.

Plowshares. Heb. ’ittim, agricultural instruments of some type, probably “plowshares,” or “mattocks.” In Akkadian the word means “plough beams.” The contrast is clear — weapons of war are transformed into instalments of peace. When the foes of Israel have been vanquished, those who remain (see Zech. 14:16) will turn their weapons of war back into instruments of peace. This was God’s plan, which never came true for literal Israel.

Nation shall not. When the foes of Israel have been annihilated the nations that remain all voluntarily submit to Israel’s leadership. From the walls of Jerusalem “the dove of peace” goes “forth to all nations” (DA 577). Jerusalem is “safely inhabited” (Zech. 14:11). “No strangers pass through her any more” (Joel 3:17, 18). The city is true to its name, a “possession of peace,” or “foundation of peace.” Again, God’s original plan for Israel failed of fulfillment because of apostasy.

Learn war any more. Compare Hosea 2:18; Ps. 46:9. Those who believe that a literal return of the Jews to Palestine presages their restoration to the covenant status of OT times have interpreted Isa. 2:1-4 and its parallel passage in Micah (ch. 4:1-3) as a prediction of millennial peace, with the Jews ruling the earth and converting it to God. Such an interpretation is, of course, without any scriptural basis (see pp. 25, 37). In an attempt to disprove this unscriptural teaching some have proposed to explain these verses of Isaiah as referring to a counterfeit religious revival. This suggestion should be examined by comparing the passage in Isaiah with similar passages throughout the OT.

As set forth in pp. 25-38, the Scriptures consistently apply the picture here presented to the situation that would have prevailed had Israel been faithful to God, that is, to the ingathering of the Gentiles. But literal Israel’s unfaithfulness made the realization of this objective impossible. Accordingly, fulfillment would be to spiritual Israel in the final proclamation of the gospel to the nations of earth (Rev. 14:9-11; 18:1-4; see pp. 35, 36).

In CT 454, 455, a portion of the parallel passage in Micah 4:1-3 is quoted, together with Isa. 54:11-14 and Jer. 31:33, 34, as one of many “practical lessons in the word of God, lessons that Christ would have teachers and parents present to the children in the school and in the home,” and as one of the passages of Scripture that “contain great encouragement” and “are a treasure house of precious pearls” (CT 456). If Isa. 2:1-4 and Micah 4:1-3 constitute a practical lesson of “great encouragement” for God’s people today, they would hardly seem to be descriptive of a counterfeit religious revival. However, it is when the words of Isaiah and Micah are considered in the setting and context of comparable OT passages that their import comes into sharp focus. Note the following:

1. Isaiah specifically states that the message of vs. 2-5 concerns “Judah and Jerusalem” (Isa. 2:1; cf. Micah 4:2), God’s chosen people. Throughout the OT “Judah and Jerusalem” are always God’s people, imperfect and defective though they be, and God recognizes them as such (see Num. 23:21). Those whom God does not recognize as His people are never spoken of as “Judah and Jerusalem.” He never addresses Babylon or Egypt or Edom as “Judah and Jerusalem.” Notice also the appeal to the “house of Jacob” in v. 5. The glorious prospect of the results of faithfulness to God should have proved a strong incentive to Israel to “walk in the light of the Lord” (see CT 455, 456).

2. Emphasis is sometimes placed upon the words “many people shall go and say” (v. 3) as evidence that what they say is in opposition to what the Lord has said. It should be noted, however, that what the “people” are here reported as saying is fully in harmony with the will of God as revealed elsewhere in His Word, and would be most appropriate on the lips of those who sincerely love the Lord. Furthermore, the very same thoughts, often in identical words, are placed on the lips of Gentile converts to Judaism throughout the OT. Compare, for instance, Zech. 8:21-23: “Let us go speedily to pray before the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts. . . . Many people and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord. Thus saith the Lord of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.” Here, the “people” of the “nations” say the very same thing as in Isa. 2:3, and God confirms their saying as representative of the ingathering of the nations to Israel. It would be difficult to construe the words of Isa. 2:2-4 to represent a false revival and those of Zech. 8:21-23 to represent a true revival. See also Deut. 4:6, 7; Isa. 45:14; 49:6, 12, 18, 22; 55:5; 56:6-8; 61:3-11; Jer. 3:17; 16:19; Zech. 2:11; 14:16; Mal. 3:12.

3. The words of Isa. 2:2 are the word of the Lord, not the word of “many people” (v. 3). It is God Himself who affirms in v. 2 the truth that “all nations” will “flow” to “the mountain of the Lord’s house.” To represent as a false religious revival what God calls for, is to deny that God knew whereof He was speaking. In v. 2 God says that “all nations” will “flow” to “the mountain of the Lord’s house,” and in v. 3 “many people” say, “Let us go up to the mountain of the Lord.” They are obviously in harmony with God rather than opposed to Him.

4. If the words the people speak in v. 3 represent a false religious revival, it would seem that similar expressions throughout the OT should be similarly understood.

5. To equate the words of Isa. 2:3 with the “peace and safety” cry of 1 Thess. 5:3 is to overlook the import of such OT passages as Ps. 46:9; Hosea 2:18. The added promise of Micah 4:4, spoken by the mouth of the Lord, together with the context (vs. 5-8), makes clear that these words refer to the eternal peace of the Messianic kingdom (see Isa. 32:15-18).

That there will be a great counterfeit religious revival in the last days is clearly set forth by Inspiration. But that Isaiah is not here speaking of such a revival seems to be indicated by the following evidence regarding that false revival.

Christ predicted that the message of the ministers of the false religious revival would be of such a nature that “if it were possible, they” would “deceive the very elect” (Matt. 24:23-27). “So closely will the counterfeit resemble the true,” we are told, “that it will be impossible to distinguish between them except by the Holy Scriptures” (GC 593). When that time comes, only a genuine love for the truth and the most diligent heed to directions given through the Bible and the Spirit of prophecy will protect us against the delusions of the enemy, the seducing spirits, and the doctrines of devils (Hosea 4:6; 2 Thess. 2:9-12, 6T401; 8T 298; TM 475).

Except for those who know and love the truth, the whole world will be led astray by these delusions (see Rev. 13:13-15; GC 562). As the nominal Christian churches unite, popular religious leaders will see in this union a grand movement to evangelize the world; in fact, they specifically teach that all the world will be converted (GC 588, 589; EW 261; cf. 282). This counterfeit revival immediately precedes the proclamation of God’s last great message of mercy and warning, set forth in Rev. 18:1-4, and is an endeavor to prevent men from accepting that message (GC 464). This is the “peace and safety” cry, by means of which Satan would lull men into a false sense of security, one from which they will not awake until it is too late (1 Thess. 5:1-5; cf. Jer. 6:14; 8:11; EW 282; PP 104; GC 562; COL 411; 5T 715). In this great false religious movement all who have a form of godliness but deny the power thereof will unite (2 Tim. 3:1,5).

Inasmuch as the counterfeit revival will closely resemble the true, Bible descriptions of the true will naturally, in a measure, be descriptive also of the false. Thus in such passages of Scripture as Rev. 14:6-11; 18:1-4; and others, which Inspiration clearly points out as descriptive of the true revival of godliness that will constitute the closing work of the gospel, it is possible, no doubt, to find points that Satan will endeavor to counterfeit. It is fitting and proper that we should study all that Inspiration has revealed concerning these things in an earnest endeavor to be prepared for the great crisis that lies ahead of the church.

In meeting the false claims and defective exegesis of Zionism and other movements that confuse and misapply OT prophecy by placing a fanciful interpretation upon it, “we should never allow ourselves to employ arguments that are not wholly sound. . . . We should present sound arguments, that will not only silence our opponents, but will bear the closest and most searching scrutiny” (5T 708). Concerning the counterfeit religious revival, Inspiration has provided a wealth of information, and in dealing with that important subject we can rely on the various passages of Scripture that clearly foretell such a movement.