Isaiah 2:1

The Bible says in Isaiah 2:1-5, “The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the LORD.”

The Word of God says in Isaiah 2:2, “And it shall come to pass in the last days…” Of course, the phrase “it shall come to pass,” is speaking of the future. The Word of God can tell us about the future because God knows all things. He knows the end from the beginning. As we study these things about the future that God has shown us, we need to remember that God has shown us some things about the future, but He has not shown us all things about the future. When we study the doctrine of last things (eschatology), we need to make sure that we only teach what the Word of God says and not add our own opinions. Some things we are not going to find out about until the hereafter.

In Isaiah 2:2 we are told when the Lord will do these great future events for the children of Israel: “in the last days.” This phrase, “in the last days,” is an important expression to become familiar with in order to understand Bible prophecy. Let’s look at some examples where this phrase is used in the Bible. It is used for the first time in the book of Genesis. Jacob was nearing his time to die, and God gave him a view of some future events. The Bible says in Genesis 49:1, “And Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.” One of the future events that Jacob revealed was that the Messiah would come through the tribe of Judah.

The Bible says in Acts 2:17, “And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.” This prophecy was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost in the first century, and is a prophecy that was first given in the book of Joel in the Old Testament. It is also very revealing to see exactly what Joel said. It is written in Joel 2:28-32, “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come. And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.” We already know that when Joel foretold of the Spirit being poured out onto all flesh in Joel 2:28, that this was fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost in the first century. But we also know that when Joel foretold of the sun being turned into “darkness” and the moon into “blood,” that this event has not yet taken place. In other words Joel had spoken of two separate events that were to ultimately take place in the future and which are now at least 2,000 years apart in fulfillment of each another. The outpouring of the Spirit took place on the day of Pentecost in the book of Acts. But the sun being turned to darkness and the moon into blood has not yet taken place. The fact that one part of Joel’s prophecy has already been fulfilled, and the other part is still to be fulfilled demonstrates to us that the “last days” is actually referring to a rather long period of time and not just a few days. The word “days” here means “a period of time.”

This truth that “the last days” is a period of 2,000 years or more is also revealed in New Testament teachings. For example, it says in Hebrews 1:2 that God, “Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds.” It says in First Peter 1:20 that Christ, “Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.” This verse also shows us that the phrase “the last time” or “the last times” is synonymous with “the last days.” See also Daniel 8:19 that says, “And he said, Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation: for at the time appointed the end shall be.” First John 2:18 makes it very clear that this period of time called “the last time” had already started in the first century. The Bible says in First John 2:18, “Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.”

In other words in different periods of time in the history of the human race, God has had different arrangements with man. For example, the arrangement that God had with Adam and Eve while they were in the Garden of Eden was different than the arrangement that God had with them after they left the Garden of Eden. Some people call these arrangements “dispensations.” Also, the arrangement changed during the time of Noah after the flood. And then the arrangement changed again with Abraham, and then with Moses when the law was given. The last arrangement that God has established with mankind is called “the last days” or “the last time.” This great period of time called the “last days” started in the first century with the coming of Christ, and the “last days” will end at the Second coming of Christ. So in our reading of the scriptures we notice that the term “the last days” covers a long period of time.

Another detail to notice about each of these periods of time or arrangements in which God dealt in specific ways with man is that each period of time has its own unique circumstances. The Bible tells us some of the circumstances of “the last days” in which we are now living. For example, it says in Second Peter 3:3, “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts.” It says in Second Timothy 3:1, “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.” And it says in Jude 1:17-21, “But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”

Jesus gave perhaps the greatest description of the last days in Matthew 24:1-44. It says, “And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together. Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.”

When Jesus told the disciples that the buildings of the temple would be “thrown down,” they knew that He was talking about the last days. They also knew that Jesus was talking about the very last part of the last days because they asked Jesus about the signs of the “end of the world.” In this verse the word that is translated “world,” means “age.” The disciples were not asking about the physical earth. The “age” is the ordered arrangement of things as we see them. This “ordered arrangement” in which we live, this “age” will come to an end one day. The disciples asked a very typical question: “when.” Everyone wants to know “when,” but Jesus would not give an answer to that question. The only answer that Jesus would give to that question is found in Matthew 24:36, “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” Jesus also said in Matthew 24:42, “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.” And Jesus said in Matthew 24:44, “Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” In other words Christ’s return to end this age is imminent. It can happen at any time. First Thessalonians 4:16-18 makes this clear. There are no signs required for the rapture. But there are signs for the return of Christ which will take place seven years after His appearing in the air at the rapture.

In Matthew chapter 24 Jesus gave us the characteristics of this age up until the time of His coming, and then He gave us some signs of His second coming. These signs will take place just before His second coming. Do not get the characteristics of the last days, mixed up with the signs. Some of the characteristics of this age are: false Christs and false prophets, wars and rumors of wars, famines and pestilences and earthquakes in many places, and persecutions. Jesus also said that in this age believers will be hated. These characteristics of the last days have been taking place since the time of Christ. These are not signs of the last days: these are characteristics of the last days.

The first sign that will take place relatively shortly before the coming of Christ is as follows: the abomination of desolation. This occurs when the altar in the Jewish temple is desecrated. Of course, this event cannot take place without a temple. This truth makes for some interesting conjecture about the temple. For example, when will the temple be built? Of course, it has to be built before the abomination of desolation can occur. But since Christ can appear at any time to rapture the believers up to be with Him, the temple might not be built until after the rapture.

Concerning another sign that will announce the return of Christ to the earth, Jesus said, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” There will be tremendous celestial events that will announce the return of Christ. It is interesting to remember that there was the star that announced the birth of Christ at His first coming to the earth, and next there will be these extraordinary events in the heavens that will announce His second return to the earth: “the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.”

Notice that Jesus said that the signs in the heavens would occur “Immediately after the tribulation of those days.” Jesus spoke of the “tribulation.” The tribulation is a time of great sorrow and trouble such as the world has never seen. It lasts for seven years and it takes place just after the rapture and before the Second Coming of Christ. The abomination of desolation that Jesus mentioned in Matthew chapter 24 takes place in the middle of the tribulation, at the 3 ½ year mark. Many details of the tribulation are given in the book of Revelation. For example, it says in Revelation 6:12-17, “And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” The tribulation probably serves at least two purposes. It is God’s judgment on the earth for all of the terrible sins committed by those who reject Him. The tribulation is also one more opportunity given to mankind to wake up and to see their need of a Savior. Once the tribulation of those days has ended, the Messiah will come to the earth just as the Word of God has always said that He would. It says in Revelation 19:11-16, “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

If you have not yet turned to the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation and for forgiveness, you need to do so before it is too late. These are “the last days.”

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