ISAIAH 1:21-2:22: “The Lord Will Judge Judea, And Establish His Kingdom There In The Last Days”

Jim Bomkamp

1. INTRO

1.1. In our last study we began the looking at the book of Isaiah

1.1.1. We looked at the introduction to the book looking at it’s importance, authorship, Isaiah’s calling to the prophetic office, time of the writing of the book, Isaiah’s death, and then the themes of the book

1.1.2. Then, we looked at the first sixteen verses of the book as Isaiah prophesied against complacent religion

1.1.2.1.It was in the year that Uzziah died that Isaiah was called it it was a time when the nation had losts its zeal for the Lord and was looking to man for it’s help

1.2. In our study today we are going to see how that Isaiah tells us of the coming judgment of Judea and those of Jerusalem

1.2.1. God will discipline them and remove their idolatry from them

1.2.2. God will then establish a remnant of the faithful in the land

1.2.3. God will eventually establish His kingdom over the earth and rule sovereignly and with a kingdom of peace from Jerusalem

2. VS 1:21-23 - “21 How the faithful city has become a harlot, She who was full of justice! Righteousness once lodged in her, But now murderers. 22 Your silver has become dross, Your drink diluted with water. 23 Your rulers are rebels, And companions of thieves; Everyone loves a bribe, And chases after rewards. They do not defend the orphan, Nor does the widow’s plea come before them.” - Isaiah tells us about the sinful state of the people of the city of Jerusalem

2.1. Isaiah tells us that the ‘faithful city has become a harlot’.

2.1.1. In the Old Testament the Lord called the people of Israel to be joined to Him, to be His people, to be as if they were ‘married’ to him. This was a covenant relationship which the Israelites made with the Lord, just as marriage for humans is a covenant relationship. The Lord promised to be faithful to them and to bless them in every way if they would just remain faithful to Him and not have any other gods or idols in their lives. The Israelites for their part of the covenant promised that they would follow the Lord and be faithful and obedient to Him. However, they were constantly going after other gods and putting up their idols all across their land, and thus we see the Old Testament prophets constantly decrying that the Israelites were unfaithful lovers of God who were committing spiritual adultery.

2.1.2. Here we see that Jerusalem which once was full of those who were faithful to the Lord and the covenant which they had made with the Lord, is now a city which Isaiah describes as being a ‘harlot’.

2.1.2.1.Jerusalem is a ‘harlot’ because the people have not even gone after one other god, they had gone after lots of the gods of the nations around them.

2.2. Isaiah tells us that once, before Jerusalem had gone after all of the other gods, that she ‘was full of justice’ and that ‘righteousness once lodged in her’.

2.2.1. It is such a sad thing when a nation who once was committed to the Lord turns away from Him.

2.3. Isaiah tells us that now Jerusalem is filled with ‘murderers’, however I believe he may be speaking in a symbolic way about how the people who were taking such advantage of the poor, weak, and helpless were now making commerce of them. They were actually murdering them in a spiritual sense, driving them away from the only source of spiritual life and vitality that they could ever have.

2.4. Silver is a precious metal, and at one time the people in Jerusalem committed works of righteousness which were as pure and valuable in God’s sight as silver is in our day. However, now those works do not shine at all, the silver has tarnished.

2.4.1. Silver when it tarnishes first just sort of dulls in color, and eventually unless the tarnish is removed it will turn to black.

2.5. The water of life which flowed in the hearts of the people as they served the Lord with all of their hearts is now diluted to the point that the people do not have any more spiritual life in them than the heathen nations around them.

2.6. In verse 23, Isaiah tells us about the corruption of the leaders and officials in Judea. They are inwardly rebels against the Lord and the have thieves for their companions. In other words, they are in rebellion against the Lord’s will as revealed in the scriptures and they are stealing from the people when they should be giving to them and helping them.

2.6.1. Isaiah tells us also that the officials routinely take bribes so that justice is delved out to the highest bidder.

2.6.2. Isaiah tells us that the leaders actually chase after those who will ‘grease their palms’ so to speak.

2.6.3. Worst of all the leaders do not defend the widows and see that orphans are cared for. Rather, they make merchandise of these who them should be helping.

3. VS 1:24-27 - “24 Therefore the Lord God of hosts, The Mighty One of Israel declares, “Ah, I will be relieved of My adversaries, And avenge Myself on My foes. 25 “I will also turn My hand against you, And will smelt away your dross as with lye, And will remove all your alloy. 26 “Then I will restore your judges as at the first, And your counselors as at the beginning; After that you will be called the city of righteousness, A faithful city.” 27 Zion will be redeemed with justice, And her repentant ones with righteousness.” - Isaiah tells the nation of Israel what the Lord will do with Jerusalem and Judea, He Himself will remove their dross as with lye and purify them Himself

3.1. Isaiah tells us that the Lord says the He will remove His adversaries and avenge Himself on His foes.

3.2. Isaiah tells us that when it comes to the Lord’s people, that instead of destroying them for good, He will instead restore them in real righteousness. The Lord is committed to chastening every son who comes to Him. Just as a parent disciplines his child, so the Lord disciplines His children through the fiery trials that He sends among them.

3.3. As we saw in the first study of this book, whenever Isaiah tells us that the Lord is going to judge His people, He also gives the people the option to repent and be saved from judgment, and he also tells us that the Lord is eventually going to restore to Himself a faithful remnant. Here we see that as a result of the sin of the city of Jerusalem that the Lord is going to discipline His people with a view to His restoration of them to Himself.

3.3.1. The Lord takes no joy in the death or judgment of the wicked, for it is His desire and will that all be saved and come to repentence. For instance, in Ezekiel 33:11 we see this principle stated, “11 “Say to them, ‘As I live!’ declares the Lord God, ‘I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why then will you die, O house of Israel?’”

3.4. When the Lord eventually restores Jerusalem, we see that they will again have righteous judges, their counselors will point and lead people to the Lord, and the city will be called ‘the city of righteousness, a faithful city’.

3.5. The restoration of the city and nation was fulfilled only partially with what the Lord did under Ezra and Nehemiah, after the Babylonian Captivity, however the real and complete fulfillment of the prophesy will occur during the Millenial Reign of Christ and the new heavens and earth.

3.6. Isaiah tells us in verse 27 that ‘Zion will be redeemed with justice’, and this is to me very intriguing. Every government that has ever existed on the earth has to have a system of justice in order to exist, otherwise anarchy will reign and thugs will use force to steal, kill, rape, you name it. Justice is what people get when they have to pay for a crime committed by serving in prison or jail, paying fines of restitution, and even having their own lives taken. The Lord promises that Jerusalem will be redeemed with justice because He is a God of justice, and because of the sins of mankind there has be justice executed upon the people. The justice with which mankind is to be redeemed is the justice that was executed upon the Son of God upon the cross of Calvary where He died for the sins of mankind. Christ took the full fury of the wrath of God for all of the sins which mankind has ever committed. As a result of this sacrifice of Himself the sins of mankind can be atoned for, and thus Zion can be redeemed.

3.7. Isaiah tells us that it is the ‘repentant’ ones who will be restored. God will always save a faithful remnant, and just being born in Israel does not make anyone to automatically be one of God’s people. Each person must become one of God’s people by making a covenant of faithfulness to the Lord.

3.8. Isaiah tells us that the repentant ones will be redeemed with ‘righteousness’.

3.8.1. In order for a person to come into relationship with the Lord it requires that the person be righteousness, however since none of us are righteous in and of ourselves, it is the righteousness of Christ which must be imputed to us in order for us to be redeemed.

4. VS 1:28 - “28 But transgressors and sinners will be crushed together, And those who forsake the Lord shall come to an end.” - Isaiah tells us the end of those who are transgressors of God’s law

4.1. The transgressors and sinners are those who continue on in rebellion and never come to that place where they repent and turn their lives over to the Lord. Isaiah tells us that they shall be ‘crushed together’.

4.2. Eventually, all of those who insist upon rebelling against the Lord will be given over by the Lord to His judgment. Though the Lord would rather the wicked repent, if they continue on in sin He will eventually destroy them.

5. VS 1:29-30 - “29 Surely, you will be ashamed of the oaks which you have desired, And you will be embarrassed at the gardens which you have chosen. 30 For you will be like an oak whose leaf fades away, Or as a garden that has no water.” - Isaiah tells the people that they will be ashamed of the oaks which they have desired and the gardens they have chosen

5.1. In Ezekiel 6:13 we read that it under every green tree the people of Israel went and offered sacrifices and burned incense to other gods, “13 “Then you will know that I am the Lord, when their slain are among their idols around their altars, on every high hill, on all the tops of the mountains, under every green tree, and under every leafy oak—the places where they offered soothing aroma to all their idols.”

5.1.1. Hosea tells us in Hosea 4:13 the same thing as Ezekiel, “13 They offer sacrifices on the tops of the mountainsAnd burn incense on the hills, Under oak, poplar, and terebinth, Because their shade is pleasant. Therefore your daughters play the harlot, And your brides commit adultery.”

5.1.2. Isaiah tells us in Isaiah 65:3 that the people offered sacrifices in gardens, “3 A people who continually provoke Me to My face, Offering sacrifices in gardens and burning incense on bricks.”

5.2. Because the people have offered the sacrifices to other gods under the oak trees and in the gardens, Isaiah tells them that the Lord will cause it to happen to them that they will become like the oak tree whose leaf fades away or a garden that has not been watered.

6. VS 1:31 - “31 And the strong man will become tinder, His work also a spark. Thus they shall both burn together, And there will be none to quench them.” - Isaiah tells us that the strong man will burn as will his work

6.1. It was the strong who were oppressing the weak in Judea, the rich who were oppressing the poor, the orphans, the widows, etc., therefore the strong will themselves be judged.

6.2. The judgment of the strong will be fierce and unquenchable.

7. VS 2:1-2 - “1 The word which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. 2 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.” - Isaiah tells us that in the last dayst that Jerusalem, the mountain of the Lord, will be raised up above the hills and all nations will stream to it

7.1. In the scriptures of the Bible we see that mountains are sometimes used symbolically to refer to nations or governments.

7.2. Likewise, Jerusalem is often referred to as a mountain or the mountain of the Lord

7.2.1. Jerusalem is literally higher in elevation than all of the adjacent land in Judea.

7.3. The Lord says though here that He is going to elevate Jerusalem up above the hills.

7.3.1. The hills probably refers to the other nations of the world.

7.3.2. The Lord could cause the earth to literally be pushed up even higher in Jerusalem when Jesus comes to the earth to reign for a thousand years.

7.4. As I mentioned at the outset, Isaiah always spoke of Jerusalem as being the place where God is to establish His kingdom, and that it is to be the center of the world for all of eternity.

7.4.1. In the first verse of this book we saw that Isaiah told us that his vision had to do with Judea and Jerusalem.

7.5. We read from Zech. 14:16-18 that during the Millenial Reign of Christ we read in the scriptures that all of the nations will come to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices and that the nations that do not offer sacrifices there will have no rain fall on them, “16 Then it will come about that any who are left of all the nations that went against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Booths.17 And it will be that whichever of the families of the earth does not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, there will be no rain on them.18 And if the family of Egypt does not go up or enter, then no rain will fall on them; it will be the plague with which the Lord smites the nations who do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Booths.”

7.6. Micah who was a contemporary of Isaiah also wrote in Micah 4:1-3 about Jerusalem being the center of God’s kingdom in the future, “1 And it will come about in the last days That the mountain of the house of the Lord Will be established as the chief of the mountains. It will be raised above the hills, And the peoples will stream to it. 2 And many nations will come and say, “Come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord And to the house of the God of Jacob, That He may teach us about His ways And that we may walk in His paths.” For from Zion will go forth the law, Even the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 3 And He will judge between many peoples And render decisions for mighty, distant nations. Then they will hammer their swords into plowshares And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation will not lift up sword against nation, And never again will they train for war.”

8. VS 2:3-4 - “3 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.” For the law will go forth from Zion, And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 4 And He will judge between the nations, And will render decisions for many peoples; And they will hammer their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, And never again will they learn war.” - Isaiah tells us about all of the nations coming to Jerusalem to learn of the ways of the Lord

8.1. During Christ’s Millenial Reign and as Jerusalem is at the center of all of the activity of the earth, the nations will come to Jerusalem to see King Jesus and to learn of His ways.

8.2. Isaiah tells us here that Jesus will be judging between the nations and rendering decisions for many peoples, so the nations will bring their civil matters before Him at that time.

8.3. To say that all over the earth that the people will ‘hammer their swords into plowshears and their spears into pruning hooks’ is not to be taken literally but rather just to say that the people will pursue peace and the activities of peace time and not even consider preparing or arming for war.

8.4. Peace will reign during Christ’s Millenial Reign from Jerusalem.

8.5. In Zechariah 8:20-22 we read that during this Millennial Reign of Christ that the nations will come to Jerusalem and to the Lord in order to gain His favor, “20 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘It will yet be that peoples will come, even the inhabitants of many cities.21 ‘And the inhabitants of one will go to another saying, “Let us go at once to entreat the favor of the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts; I will also go.”22 ‘So many peoples and mighty nations will come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the Lord.’”

8.6. Hosiah in Hosiah 2:18 wrote about the Lord establishing peace over the earth when He sets up His kingdom, “18 “In that day I will also make a covenant for them With the beasts of the field, The birds of the sky, And the creeping things of the ground. And I will abolish the bow, the sword, and war from the land, And will make them lie down in safety.”

9. VS 2:5-9 - “5 Come, house of Jacob, and let us walk in the light of the Lord. 6 For Thou hast abandoned Thy people, the house of Jacob, Because they are filled with influences from the east, And they are soothsayers like the Philistines, And they strike bargains with the children of foreigners. 7 Their land has also been filled with silver and gold, And there is no end to their treasures; Their land has also been filled with horses, And there is no end to their chariots. 8 Their land has also been filled with idols; They worship the work of their hands, That which their fingers have made. 9 So the common man has been humbled, And the man of importance has been abased, But do not forgive them.” - Isaiah urges the nation of Israel to walk in the light of the Lord

9.1. The people of Israel had turned away from the Lord and their heritage as a nation under God, and they were now filled with the influences of the heathen nations from the east.

9.2. Isaiah tells us that the Israelites are now no different than the ‘soothsayers’ of the Philistines.

9.3. Isaiah tells us that the nation of Israel had entered into bargans or treaties with other nations and that they had accumulated horses to use for defense, which was condemned by the Lord back in the days of kings David and Solomon.

9.4. Instead of placing their hope in the Lord and Him alone as they were supposed to do, instead the people have multiplied horses and chariots for their armies.

9.5. Isaiah tells us that the land of Judea is full of the idols of the nations, the works of men’s hands.

9.6. All of this has come about and as a result caused the ‘common man’ to be humbled and the man of importance to be abased.

9.6.1. God had been judging the nation of Israel because of their sins. We saw in chapter 1 that their cities were on fire as were their fields, all at the hands of their enemies.

9.6.2. Isaiah reminds us again that the Lord’s hand is upon the nation to chasten her and remove the idolatry from her midst.

9.7. The people will not repent, so Isaiah tells the Lord not to ‘forgive them’ for their sins and rebellion against Him.

10. VS 2:10-11 - “10 Enter the rock and hide in the dust From the terror of the Lord and from the splendor of His majesty. 11 The proud look of man will be abased, And the loftiness of man will be humbled, And the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.” - Isaiah tells the people to enter ‘the rock’ and hide in the dust from the terror of the Lord that is about to be unleashed on Israel

10.1. The Lord has promised that He will judge His people therefore, Isaiah tells them that the best thing that they could do is to prepare to find a place to hide out from the destruction and devastation that is going to come about from the Lord.

10.2. Isaiah tells us that when the Lord acts to judge His people that He will also reveal the ‘splendor of His majesty’.

10.3. Pride and the ‘proud look’, as well as the ‘loftiness of man’ will be humbled on the day that the Lord judges His people.

10.3.1. The Lord Himself is the only one who will be exalted and lifted up on that day.

11. VS 2:12-17 - “12 For the Lord of hosts will have a day of reckoning Against everyone who is proud and lofty, And against everyone who is lifted up, That he may be abased. 13 And it will be against all the cedars of Lebanon that are lofty and lifted up, Against all the oaks of Bashan, 14 Against all the lofty mountains, Against all the hills that are lifted up, 15 Against every high tower, Against every fortified wall, 16 Against all the ships of Tarshish, And against all the beautiful craft. 17 And the pride of man will be humbled, And the loftiness of men will be abased, And the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.” - Isaiah tells the people that the Lord is going to bring about a day of reckoning against everyone who is proud, lofty, and lifted up

11.1. The judgment that is coming against the nation will cause the proud to be abased.

11.1.1. The ‘cedars of Lebanon’ refers to the people of the land of Lebanon. These people will be abased on the day that the Lord judges His people.

11.1.2. The ‘oaks of Bashan’ refers to those who think they are strong (described as oaks) and live in the area of ‘Bashan’. These people will be abased on the day that the Lord judges His people.

11.1.3. In fact, all of the ‘lofty mountains’, ‘hills’, and ‘high towers’ (all refer to proud people groups) who exalt themselves over the Lord will be humbled on the day of the Lord.

11.1.4. The ships of Tarshish refers to the commerce of those who are from Tarsus (thus the ships which are built in Tarsus).

11.1.5. It is just the ‘pride of man’ and ‘loftiness of men’ in general which is going to be judged on the day of the Lord when He judges His people.

11.2. Isaiah tells that when the Lord works to abase the proud all across the world that it is the Lord and He alone who will be exalted when this happens.

12. VS 2:18-21 - “18 But the idols will completely vanish. 19 And men will go into caves of the rocks, And into holes of the ground Before the terror of the Lord, And before the splendor of His majesty, When He arises to make the earth tremble. 20 In that day men will cast away to the moles and the bats Their idols of silver and their idols of gold, Which they made for themselves to worship, 21 In order to go into the caverns of the rocks and the clefts of the cliffs, Before the terror of the Lord and the splendor of His majesty, When He arises to make the earth tremble.” - Isaiah tells us that on the day that the Lord judges the nation that ‘idols will completely vanish’ and men will hide themselves from the terror of the Lord

12.1. After the Lord’s judging of the nation of Israel with their Babylonian captivity, He finally completely got rid of the pagan idolatry which they were always falling into.

12.2. The judgment mentioned here is more than that which happened after the Babylonian captivity of the people, this judgment (of which the Babylonian captivity was the initial partial fulfillment) will occur during the seven year Tribulation of the book of Revelation.

12.2.1. During the seven year Tribulation the Lord indeed will ‘make the earth tremble’.

12.2.1.1.In Heb. 12:26 we read that the earth will indeed be shaken by the Lord when He arises to judge the nations during the seven year Tribulation, “26 And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven.””

12.2.1.2.See also Haggai 2:6.

12.2.2. During the seven year Tribulation men will seek to hide themselves from the face of the Lord who is judging the earth.

12.2.2.1.In Rev. 6:15-17 we read about this happening as the Lord begins to have the plagues poured out upon the earth during the seven year Tribulation, “15 And the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains;16 and they *said to the mountains and to the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb;17 for the great day of their wrath has come; and who is able to stand?””

13. VS 2:22 - “22 Stop regarding man, whose breath of life is in his nostrils; For why should he be esteemed?” - Isaiah tells the people of Israel to not worry about or regard man

13.1. What Isaiah would like the people to do is to not fear man but rather to fear God, or as Jesus said in Matthew 10:28, “28 “And do not fear those who kill the body, but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”

13.2. God is the One who should be esteemed or lifted up and glorified, for He is so far above man and His thoughts and ways than our thoughts and ways.

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