A Day of Splendor for Christ’s Kingdom
Living in Light of the Last Judgment Series
By Pastor Matt Black
19
February 2006
Lord's Day evening
Isaiah 2
Introduction: Open your Bibles to the book of Isaiah chapter 2. We know that one day that we shall all appear before Christ’s seat where He sits as Judge. What are you living for? You ought to be living for the day when you will stand before Christ’s throne and tribunal. I want to read all the relevant passages regarding the Last Judgment. There has been much confusion caused on this doctrine of Scripture. I want to take you through what Christ, Matthew, Paul, Peter, and John all said about the Great Day of the Lord—the Last Day—the Day of Judgment, and then we will make some observations before we go through the text of Isaiah 2. For our purposes we will be looking only at the New Testament references for the Last Judgment.
First we come to Matthew 16.
Matthew 16:27
For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.
Matthew 25:31-34, 41
When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:… 41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
2 Peter 3:10
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall
be burned up.
Romans 2:5
But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; 6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds: 7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: 8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, 9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; 10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:
Romans 14:10
But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. 12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
2 Corinthians 5:10-11
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad [EVIL]. 11 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.
John Gill, the man who occupied Spurgeon’s pulpit before Spurgeon came along, says of the above verse:
“we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; who is appointed Judge of the whole earth, who is every way qualified for it, being God omnipotent and omniscient; and when he comes a second time will sit upon his great white throne, a symbol of purity and integrity, and will enter on this work, and finish it with the strictest justice and equity: and before him "we must all appear"; all the saints as well as others, ministers and people, persons of all ranks and conditions, of every nation, age, and [gender]; there will be no avoiding this judgment, all "must appear", or "be made manifest"; they will be set in open view, before angels and men; their persons, characters, and actions, even the most secret will be:”
He goes on to say that every one will receive “according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad; the reward of good works will be of grace, and not of merit: good works will be considered at the last judgment, not as causes of eternal life and happiness, to which the saints will be adjudged; but will be produced in open court as fruits of grace, and as evidences of the truth of faith, which will justify the Judge in proceeding according to what he himself, as [the] Saviour, has said, he that believeth shall be saved, he that believeth not shall be damned. The reward of bad works will be in strict and just proportion, according to the nature and demerit of them.”
The great Evangelist George Whitefield said of this verse:
“The devil will say to the [unregenerate], Come, I will take you away; and then they shall stand trembling before the judgment-seat of Christ. They shall appear before him to see him once, and hear him pronounce that irrevocable sentence, ‘Depart from me ye cursed.”
Paul says in Philippians 3
Philippians 3:10
And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
2 Thessalonians 1:6-10
Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; 7 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; 10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed)
in that day.
And then of course, John tells us of this last and final judgment.
Revelation 20:11-15
11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
So now, let me make some general observations.
1. The scope is General. It includes all people. The Last Judgment will be a General Judgment. That is saints and the lost will stand together before the Tribunal of Christ. On that day, Christ will divide the sheep from the goats. As Jesus says in Matthew 25:32 “before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another.”
2. The timing of the Judgment Day will be at Christ’s Second coming. “When he shall come to be glorified in his saints… when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels” “For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels” So Christ Judges the world when He comes with his saints and angels “in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God”
3. The teaching of these verses is extremely important. How are believers judged? They are judged in Christ! Look at several verses as to how we should approach Judgment Day:
John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
Matthew 25:21, 34 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
John 5:28-29 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, 29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
Romans 2:6, 10 [Christ] Who will render to every man according to his deeds: 10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:
1 Corinthians 4:5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.
2 Thessalonians 1:7-10 And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; 10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.
2 Timothy 4:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
2 Peter 3:12-14 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. 14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
We have nothing to fear, but everything to look forward to in the Day of the Lord. We will be given reward, and our bad will be dealt with in Christ. The Christian’s sins were judged at the Cross!
With that in mind, let us begin our study into Isaiah 2. It is this day, the Day of Christ that we see is a Day of splendor for Christ’s Kingdom.
I. The Prophecy of Christ’s Kingdom.
1 The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. The word (Davar) was something that was so vivid, Isaiah didn’t simply hear it, but he SAW it! Those looking toward the splendor of Christ’s kingdom are alive to the Word of God! It is something we SEE!
Psalms 19:8
The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.
II. The Timing of Christ’s Kingdom.
2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, When are the last days? The last days began during the time of Christ. This phrase is used throughout the Old Testament to refer to the times of the Messiah.
Acts 2:17 (quote from Joel): And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh
Hebrews 1:2 [God] Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son
I 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.
Matthew Henry said that “wherever the last days are mentioned, the days of the Messiah are intended”
Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
The time of the Gospel, the Messiah, the time when Christ would rule the nations through His word was at hand. This is said by John the Baptist
Mark 1:14 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.
III. The Establishment of the Lord’s Kingdom.
that the mountain of the LORD’S house Literally the “mountain of the Lord’s Temple” This is referring to the place where God dwells. Isaiah is using language to remind the people of God’s authority. Heaven is God’s throne. When the Lord spoke to the Israelites, He spoke to them from Mount Sinai to Moses and made the Old Covenant with the people. Now the mountain of the Lord’s house is in our hearts. He dwells in us. That is exactly what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 6:16.
2 Corinthians 6:16 Ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
shall be established in the top [HEAD] of the mountains, “top of the mountains” in a place visible to all. It shall be published far and wide. To the point where it is “exalted above the hills;” This actually speaks of Christ. Christ is the Head of the church. He is higher than all authorities.
Ephesians 1:22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
Ephesians 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
Colossians 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
It is established in the days of Messiah, and it continues until after the Lord creates new heavens and the new earth, and forevermore!! We shall have an eternal Sabbath in Christ.
IV. We also see the Inhabitants of the Lord’s Kingdom.
and all nations shall flow[upward] unto it.
A. First we see the Entrance of the Inhabitants. We do not see it in our English translation, but the idea here is that the flow UPWARD!! Even in this picture we see grace. We see something impossible—many in this day and age have flowed upward—they’ve abandoned their idolatry and come to Christ!!
B. Then we see the Essence of the Inhabitants. Who are these people?
Here the Temple, referring to the Body of Christ, the church, is the place where God dwells. Again we see the same verse
2 Corinthians 6:16 Ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
Isaiah further tells us what he means in Isaiah 66:22-23
For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain. 23 And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD.
All nations come.
Revelation 5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
3 And many people—We get a glimpse of these people in Revelation 7
Revelation 7:9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;
V. Then we see the Activity of the Lord’s Kingdom.
A. Exhortation. shall go and say,[exhort] The people of Christ exhort one another!
B. Evangelism. Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; Here we are ever reminded of grace. It is called the house of Jacob. There was nothing in Jacob to love, but God loved him. Adam was actually the first to receive the Gospel (Gen 3:15 I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Protoevangelium)
C. Education. and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths:
Hebrews 8:11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.
1 John 2:27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
D. Submission for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
VI. Then we see the Sovereign of the Kingdom. No one fights against him!
Revelation 19:15 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.
He judges through His Word and Spirit.
4 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.
No one fights against Him! We have been reconciled. We are no longer enemies! Look at us all here today. Without Christ we would war against each other, but as we cling to him, we all have come to peace with Jesus Christ and therefore nation does not lift up sword against nation! We no longer learn war brethren. As children of God, Christ has called us to peace—reconciliation with Him and with each other!
Conclusion:
5 O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the LORD.
We have seen that the prophet Isaiah looked forward and saw Christ’s Kingdom. This is the Kingdom of the church that we all experience today. These prophecies are fulfilled here and now. Let us walk in this light! Let us walk O house of Jacob—Temple of the Living God! You people who have been called by Christ’s name—let us walk in the light of the Lord!!
Galatians 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
With God’s help, this we shall do!
Closing Hymn: Jesus Shall Reign