Swords Into Plowshares – Isaiah 2:1-4

Shane Claiborne is a Christian activist who advocates against abortion and the death penalty, and leads a community and non-profit called The Simple Way. He seizes on the vision of Isaiah of God’s people beating their swords into plowshares and has done some actual transforming of weapons into tools (see a short video). Isaiah’s vision is indeed a beautiful one.

The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations shall flow to it, and many peoples shall 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 his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. (Isaiah 2:1-4 ESV)

The prophets of Yahweh establish a calendar of God’s activities.  Here Isaiah refers to the latter days.  This typically refers to the time at the end of the ages when God restores His kingdom. This kingdom was lost in the garden of Eden when Adam sinned by eating the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. But God predicted He would bring it back to earth through the seed of the woman (Genesis 3:15).  In other words, His rule will once again be revered and earth submissive to His authority as we were intended to be all along.

Isaiah reveals that Jerusalem will be at the forefront of that kingdom.  The mountain of the house of Yahweh is the mountain Jerusalem is built on that houses the temple.  It will be the highest mountain in those days, not literally but figuratively, so that it will be the authority all nations look to.  People from every nation will come to Israel and Jerusalem specifically as the place where they learn about Yahweh.

And Yahweh’s decree will come out of Jerusalem because Yahweh Himself will be ruling from that place, judging the nations.  A king would normally have disputes within his nation brought to him for adjudication, but Yahweh will have disputes from all nations brought to Him, because He is the Lord of all.

As a result peace will rule the world.  No one will need swords or spears because there will be no more war.  They will be able to convert the metal in these weapons into farming implements.  Safety and security will reign forever, as God intended it to originally before sin entered the world.

Jesus does not remove this expectation about Israel being the chief among the nations.  But he does identify himself as the one who will be on the throne. Does this prophecy give hope? It is certainly the long view of things, following on the heels of a message of judgment from Isaiah. It is somewhat like the promise of the rainbow that God will never destroy the earth by a flood again. Israel can know that her future is guaranteed, no matter how dire the coming judgment may be.

Discussion Questions

1. What has been your evaluation of the current nation of Israel?
2. How much does your concept of the future kingdom of God include a unique role for Israel?
3. How does it feel that the nations of the earth will come to Israel to learn from the Son of God, and that his rule will be centered there?
4. How does your heart react to the prospect of the kingdom and the absence of war ever again?
5. Do you find any comfort or hope in the prospect that God’s kingdom is coming?