Isaiah 2

A Vision of Isaiah of The Future of Judah and Jerusalem

In this section, Isaiah describes a time in the future (“a day belonging to the Lord of Armies”) when God will judge the nations for their rebellion and idolatry and a time when the people of Israel will find peace under His rule (“the last days”). 

A Place of Peace

Vs. 1-2 - The vision that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem: In the last days

the mountain of the Lord’s house will be established

The glorious future of Israel presented here is in striking contrast to the condition of the nation in Isaiah’s day described in chapter 1. An almost identical prophecy appears in Micah 4:1-3. Perhaps Isaiah quoted Micah here, or Micah quoted Isaiah, or both of them quoted another prophet.          - Thomas Constable

Vs. 4 - They will beat their swords into plows and their spears into pruning knives.

Isaiah prophesied often of a coming day of peace when God’s people would have no more need for weapons.  God Himself would rule and bring an end to humanity’s unquenchable thirst for power. 

God’s people always looked for the day when Jerusalem would be the religious center of the world, where people of all nations would go to be taught the ways of God. In that day, there would be no more war, but contentment and prosperity.         - Don Fleming

A Period of Judgment

Foreign Alliances

Vs. 5-6 - House of Jacob, come and let’s walk in the Lord’s light. For you have abandoned your people…They are in league with foreigners.

This emphasis is a major one in Isaiah 1-39, and the prophet introduced it at this point. Many in his day-and this is still true today-preferred to trust in strong people, especially nations, rather than in the Lord.           - Thomas Constable

Israel and Judah were under constant threat of attack from surrounding nations during this time.  A prominent theme of Isaiah’s prophecy is a call for God’s people to seek refuge and protection from Him rather than making alliances with foreign nations.  

Proud And Lofty

Vs. 11-12 - The pride of mankind will be humbled, and human loftiness will be brought low; the Lord alone will be exalted on that day. For a day belonging to the Lord of Armies is coming against all that is proud and lofty

The final section of Isaiah 2 is a poem describing the nature of divine judgment. Throughout this section (Isaiah 2:6 to Isaiah 4:1) and many others in the Book of Isaiah, there is an interesting interplay between the judgment which the Lord will inflict on the nation by the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities and the judgment which will come on Israel and the whole world in the ’last days.’       - John A. Martin, "Isaiah"

The prophet’s poem described a future judgment when God would humble the mighty, help the lowly, and when “the Lord alone will be exalted” (17).