The Wise Man Built His House Upon the Growing Rock.
In Daniel 2 we read of a stone coming down to earth and growing into a mountain that fills the whole the earth. In Isaiah 2 we read of that same mountain:
"Now it will come about that in the last days, the mountain of the house of the LORD will be established as the chief of the mountains, and will be raised above the hills; and all the nations will stream to it. And many peoples will come and say, 'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us concerning His ways, and that we may walk in His paths.'" (vs. 2-3)
Just as many people see the coming stone in Daniel 2 as a future event that will take place during a restored Roman Empire, they also see this passage in Isaiah as referring to a future time "in the last days" when Jesus establishes his kingdom on earth, sitting and ruling on the throne of David in Jerusalem. What exactly does the mountain of God represent? And when are the last days? This article seeks to tackle these issues. (For more on Daniel 2, see Thy Kingdom Come or Thy Kingdom Came?)
When we read of something that will take place in the "last days", does this mean it is a future event at the end of time? Certainly this vision was in the future from Isaiah's perspective, but what about from ours? It is important to note that several key figures in the Bible recognized that they were living in the last days. Peter mentions that Jesus appeared on earth in "these last times" (I Peter 1:20). Similarly, when Peter quoted Joel on the day of Pentecost - "and it shall be in the last days..." - he indicated that the prophecy was being fulfilled in their midst. The author of Hebrews says God revealed his Son "in these last days" (Hebrews 1:2). John asserted that the rise of anti-christian people was proof that he was living in the "last hour" (I John 2:18).
So, if the "last days" does not refer to the end of time, what does it refer to? Peter and John lived during a time when the Old Covenant was coming to a halt and Jesus was ushering in the New Covenant. They lived in the "last days" of the the Old Covenant. Hebrews 8:13 describes the Old Covenant as "growing old" and "ready to disappear." While the New Covenant was established at Christ's death, the remnants of the Old Covenant were still looming large after Christ's death, particularly the practice of temple sacrifices. The temple was the symbol of God's covenant with Israel and His presence among them. However, the symbol would soon be obliterated in 70AD when Jerusalem was devastated by Roman armies. When Jesus predicted the destruction of the temple in Matthew 24:2, his disciples rightly recognized that such a significant event marked the "end of the age." While the destruction of the temple in 70AD signified the finality of one building plan, it affirmed a new building plan.
In I Chronicles 17:11-12 God promises David that "I will set up one of your descendants after you, who shall be of your sons; and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build for Me a house, and I will establish his throne forever." While this prophecy was partially fulfilled when David's son Solomon built the temple in Jerusalem, it is fully fulfilled in Jesus. Acts 2:30-31 reveal that Jesus is the promised descendant of David who became King of the Kingdom. Just as David's son Solomon built a temple - a house for God to dwell in Israel - the focus of Jesus' Kingdom is to build a temple. However, Jesus is not interested in building a temple of stone. God does not want to fill one solitary location with His presence. Jesus is building a living temple, a body of believers in whom His presence dwells. Jesus said "upon this rock I will build My church." (Matthew 16:18) Jesus is the rock upon which the church is built. Jesus is the rock that came from heaven to crush the statue of Daniel 2. Paul referred to Jesus as the "foundation" upon which the church is being built (I Corinthians 3:11). Peter referred to Jesus as the "living stone" and the "cornerstone" (I Peter 2:4-6). Peter also said "you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."
Look again at the prophecy in Isaiah 2: "the mountain of the house of the LORD will be established as the chief of the mountains, and will be raised above the hills." The mountain of the Lord is intimately tied with the house of the Lord. The mountain of the Lord is Jesus Himself and His Kingdom reign. The house of the Lord is the church which is built upon the rock. It is with this understanding that we can discern the rest of the prophecy: "And many peoples will come and say, 'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us concerning His ways, and that we may walk in His paths.'" Jesus' death and ascension marked the beginning of a new building plan--one that was not focused solely on one specific nation, but would incorporate every nation. In Ephesians 2:11-22 Paul explains that Jesus merged believing Jews and Gentiles into one new man. Together they form "God's household, having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together is growing into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit." The mission of the Kingdom is to build a house. It took a vision of beasts on a sheet in order for the early Jewish church to realize this Kingdom mission. Peter said in Acts 10:34, 35: "I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right, is welcome to Him." Isaiah said many peoples will come. Peter said we are "coming to Him as to a living stone." People from every nation will come to the house of God.
The prophecy in Isaiah also states "For the law will go forth from Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem." (Isaiah 2:3) People who teach a futurist view of the Kingdom point to Isaiah's references to Zion and Jerusalem as proof that this future Kingdom will be centered around national Israel, with Jesus reigning and judging the affairs of men from David's physical throne. However, Hebrews 12:18-24 say "For you have not come to a mountain that may be touched...but you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the first-born who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant."
Hebrews makes it clear that the mountain of the Kingdom is not a physical mountain that can be touched. The city of the Kingdom is not the Jerusalem we see in the Middle East. The mountain and the city are spiritual in nature--heavenly. Hebrews 11:9-10 says that even though Abraham was living in the promised land (Israel), the soil was yet foreign to him because the true promised land was a city whose architect and builder is God, not a city made by man. John saw a vision of "the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, 'Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them." (Revelation 21:2-3). The new Jerusalem is symbolic of God's ultimate Kingdom building plan--the church. "'Come here, I shall show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.' And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God." (Revelation 21:9-11) Jesus does not wed a physical floating city. Jesus weds the church--his chosen people. Jesus called his followers a "city set on a hill" (Matthew 5:14).
The purpose of the Kingdom is to build a house. In Revelation 21 the building is depicted as more than a single house, but as a city. This city is filled with the glory of God. Verse 22 says there is no temple in this city, because the presence of God within it makes the entire city one large dwelling place for God. The city itself is in the shape of a perfect cube--the same shape as the Most Holy Place in Solomon's temple. The city is glowing with light "for the glory of God has illumined it," and the nations are drawn to its light (vs. 23-24). Jesus called his followers "the light of the world" (Matthew 5:14).
Just as the mountain of Daniel 2 grew to fill the whole earth, Jesus fills the earth through his church. The church is "His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all." We are the temple, the house in which God's presence dwells. As people become regenerated members of his church, the kingdom expands and the mountain grows.
In Daniel 2 we read of a stone coming down to earth and growing into a mountain that fills the whole the earth. In Isaiah 2 we read of that same mountain:
"Now it will come about that in the last days, the mountain of the house of the LORD will be established as the chief of the mountains, and will be raised above the hills; and all the nations will stream to it. And many peoples will come and say, 'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us concerning His ways, and that we may walk in His paths.'" (vs. 2-3)
Just as many people see the coming stone in Daniel 2 as a future event that will take place during a restored Roman Empire, they also see this passage in Isaiah as referring to a future time "in the last days" when Jesus establishes his kingdom on earth, sitting and ruling on the throne of David in Jerusalem. What exactly does the mountain of God represent? And when are the last days? This article seeks to tackle these issues. (For more on Daniel 2, see Thy Kingdom Come or Thy Kingdom Came?)
When we read of something that will take place in the "last days", does this mean it is a future event at the end of time? Certainly this vision was in the future from Isaiah's perspective, but what about from ours? It is important to note that several key figures in the Bible recognized that they were living in the last days. Peter mentions that Jesus appeared on earth in "these last times" (I Peter 1:20). Similarly, when Peter quoted Joel on the day of Pentecost - "and it shall be in the last days..." - he indicated that the prophecy was being fulfilled in their midst. The author of Hebrews says God revealed his Son "in these last days" (Hebrews 1:2). John asserted that the rise of anti-christian people was proof that he was living in the "last hour" (I John 2:18).
So, if the "last days" does not refer to the end of time, what does it refer to? Peter and John lived during a time when the Old Covenant was coming to a halt and Jesus was ushering in the New Covenant. They lived in the "last days" of the the Old Covenant. Hebrews 8:13 describes the Old Covenant as "growing old" and "ready to disappear." While the New Covenant was established at Christ's death, the remnants of the Old Covenant were still looming large after Christ's death, particularly the practice of temple sacrifices. The temple was the symbol of God's covenant with Israel and His presence among them. However, the symbol would soon be obliterated in 70AD when Jerusalem was devastated by Roman armies. When Jesus predicted the destruction of the temple in Matthew 24:2, his disciples rightly recognized that such a significant event marked the "end of the age." While the destruction of the temple in 70AD signified the finality of one building plan, it affirmed a new building plan.
In I Chronicles 17:11-12 God promises David that "I will set up one of your descendants after you, who shall be of your sons; and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build for Me a house, and I will establish his throne forever." While this prophecy was partially fulfilled when David's son Solomon built the temple in Jerusalem, it is fully fulfilled in Jesus. Acts 2:30-31 reveal that Jesus is the promised descendant of David who became King of the Kingdom. Just as David's son Solomon built a temple - a house for God to dwell in Israel - the focus of Jesus' Kingdom is to build a temple. However, Jesus is not interested in building a temple of stone. God does not want to fill one solitary location with His presence. Jesus is building a living temple, a body of believers in whom His presence dwells. Jesus said "upon this rock I will build My church." (Matthew 16:18) Jesus is the rock upon which the church is built. Jesus is the rock that came from heaven to crush the statue of Daniel 2. Paul referred to Jesus as the "foundation" upon which the church is being built (I Corinthians 3:11). Peter referred to Jesus as the "living stone" and the "cornerstone" (I Peter 2:4-6). Peter also said "you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."
Look again at the prophecy in Isaiah 2: "the mountain of the house of the LORD will be established as the chief of the mountains, and will be raised above the hills." The mountain of the Lord is intimately tied with the house of the Lord. The mountain of the Lord is Jesus Himself and His Kingdom reign. The house of the Lord is the church which is built upon the rock. It is with this understanding that we can discern the rest of the prophecy: "And many peoples will come and say, 'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us concerning His ways, and that we may walk in His paths.'" Jesus' death and ascension marked the beginning of a new building plan--one that was not focused solely on one specific nation, but would incorporate every nation. In Ephesians 2:11-22 Paul explains that Jesus merged believing Jews and Gentiles into one new man. Together they form "God's household, having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together is growing into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit." The mission of the Kingdom is to build a house. It took a vision of beasts on a sheet in order for the early Jewish church to realize this Kingdom mission. Peter said in Acts 10:34, 35: "I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right, is welcome to Him." Isaiah said many peoples will come. Peter said we are "coming to Him as to a living stone." People from every nation will come to the house of God.
The prophecy in Isaiah also states "For the law will go forth from Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem." (Isaiah 2:3) People who teach a futurist view of the Kingdom point to Isaiah's references to Zion and Jerusalem as proof that this future Kingdom will be centered around national Israel, with Jesus reigning and judging the affairs of men from David's physical throne. However, Hebrews 12:18-24 say "For you have not come to a mountain that may be touched...but you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the first-born who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant."
Hebrews makes it clear that the mountain of the Kingdom is not a physical mountain that can be touched. The city of the Kingdom is not the Jerusalem we see in the Middle East. The mountain and the city are spiritual in nature--heavenly. Hebrews 11:9-10 says that even though Abraham was living in the promised land (Israel), the soil was yet foreign to him because the true promised land was a city whose architect and builder is God, not a city made by man. John saw a vision of "the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, 'Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them." (Revelation 21:2-3). The new Jerusalem is symbolic of God's ultimate Kingdom building plan--the church. "'Come here, I shall show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.' And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God." (Revelation 21:9-11) Jesus does not wed a physical floating city. Jesus weds the church--his chosen people. Jesus called his followers a "city set on a hill" (Matthew 5:14).
The purpose of the Kingdom is to build a house. In Revelation 21 the building is depicted as more than a single house, but as a city. This city is filled with the glory of God. Verse 22 says there is no temple in this city, because the presence of God within it makes the entire city one large dwelling place for God. The city itself is in the shape of a perfect cube--the same shape as the Most Holy Place in Solomon's temple. The city is glowing with light "for the glory of God has illumined it," and the nations are drawn to its light (vs. 23-24). Jesus called his followers "the light of the world" (Matthew 5:14).
Just as the mountain of Daniel 2 grew to fill the whole earth, Jesus fills the earth through his church. The church is "His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all." We are the temple, the house in which God's presence dwells. As people become regenerated members of his church, the kingdom expands and the mountain grows.
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