Isaías 2

Isaías 2:1-4

Henry: Defenders Study Bible. Online. World Publishing) Charles Ryrie echoes Morris writing that "As in Mic 4:1-5, a description of the Millennial Kingdom. God's government (mountain) will be established over all the kingdoms of this world; Gentiles (nations) and Jews (peoples) will do the will of God; justice and peace will reign. (The Ryrie Study Bible: New American Standard Translation: 1995. Moody Publishers) The Reformation Study Bible - The prophet spoke of the temple mount as a metaphor for the Lord’s kingdom that will be exalted above all other kingdoms (cf. 11:9; 65:25; 66:20). Mount Zion and the temple on it were symbols of heaven and the heavenly sanctuary (Heb. 9:24). These earthly representations have passed away (Heb. 8:13); through the priesthood of the ascended Lord, the church comes directly to the heavenly reality (Heb. 12:22–24). (Isa 2-2 - Reformation Study Bible) Ed comment - This note is included to remind you to be an Acts 17:11 Berean -- Has the "earthly representation" of the Temple Mount "passed away?" Clearly it has not, but if you do not accept a literal rebuilt millennial temple, you have to spiritualize the passage. This passage makes absolutely no mention about the church. Be very cautious when reading commentaries that insert the church in place of Israel. It is tragic when respected resources replace the passages clearly written to Israel as now applying to the Church! See Rise of Allegorical Interpretation See replacement theology / supersessionism?" All the nations will stream to it - Nations in the OT almost always is a synonym for the Gentiles (but always check the context) and here Isaiah states that even the Gentiles (all of the Gentile nations) will come to Jerusalem where presumably they will worship the Holy One of Israel. The stream "flows" the opposite direction in Jeremiah… I will punish Bel in Babylon, And I will make what he has swallowed come out of his mouth; And the nations will no longer stream to him. Even the wall of Babylon has fallen down! (Je 51:44). The ESV Study Bible has an picturesque comment on the nations streaming to Temple Mount writing that "by miraculous magnetism, a river of humanity will flow uphill to worship the One true God (cp Jn 12:32)." (ESV Online Study Bible Crossway) CAVEATS ON COMMENTS ON ISAIAH IN "OLDER" COMMENTARIES Matthew Henry is an example of a godly commentator who for the most part fails to take the promises to Israel as literal and therefore ends up with an interpretation that completely ignores the covenant keeping God's faithfulness to His promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. In place of Israel, Henry substitutes the church. As we have discussed in these notes the church is neither mentioned nor prophesied in the Old Testament for in Ephesians Paul writes… that by revelation (apokalupsis [word study] = an exposing to full view that which was hidden) there was made known to me the mystery (musterion [word study] = a truth heretofore unknown to men and knowable only by supernatural revelation from God), as I wrote before in brief. And by referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men (Ed: And this would include "other generations" and "sons of men" such as the prophet Isaiah!) as it has now (the first century AD) been revealed (verb apokalupto - that which was previously hidden had the veil removed) to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body (Ed: The body = Jews + Gentiles = The church), and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God's grace which was given to me according to the working of His power. (Eph 3:1, 2, 3-note, Ep 3:4, 5-note, Ep 3:6, 7-note) Keeping this background in mind, Matthew Henry comments… Now the prophet here foretells, the setting up of the Christian church, and the planting of the Christian religion, in the world (Ed: That Henry's interpretation is not accurate is made clear by Paul's teaching in Eph 3:1-7). Christianity shall then be the mountain of the Lord's house (Temple Mount was literal when Isaiah recorded this prophecy and is a literal place in our own time. It will be a literal place when Messiah returns and reigns from this sacred mountain!); where that is professed God will grant his presence, receive his people's homage, and grant instruction and blessing, as he did of old in the temple of Mount Zion. (Ed: Can you see how confusing this statement is? Henry substitutes a literal "profession" ["where that is professed"] for the literal place! God's presence, etc, is then explained as a spiritual presence rather than a literal [and spiritual] presence.) The gospel church, incorporated by Christ's charter, shall then be the rendezvous of all the spiritual seed of Abraham (Ed: To mistake Isaiah's prophecy as speaking of the NT Church can only lead to further misinterpretation as we see in Henry's comments that follow). Now it is here promised, I. That Christianity shall be openly preached and professed; it shall be prepared (so the margin reads it) in the top of the mountains, in the view and hearing of all. Hence Christ's disciples are compared to a city on a hill, which cannot be hid, Matthew 5:14 (Ed: This is a true statement by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount but it does not relate specifically to Isaiah's prophecy!)… 2. That it (Ed: Henry is still referring to the Church) shall be firmly fixed and rooted; it shall be established on the top of the everlasting mountains, built upon a rock, so that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it (Ed: This is an allusion to Jesus' announcement of the Church [Mt 16:18], which represents the first revelation of the church in Scripture. However, even Jesus did not further explain the nature of the church, but left that job for Paul to complete), unless they could pluck up mountains by the roots. The point of highlighting Matthew Henry's comments is to caution the reader to be very careful and discerning (Maintaining an Acts 17:11 "Berean" mindset) when utilizing the "older commentaries" (especially those written prior to 1900 including those by Adam Clarke, Matthew Henry, John Gill, Albert