Advent 1: H.O.P.E On A Mountain

Isaiah 2:1-5

This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:
In the last days the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established
as chief among the mountains;
it will be raised above the hills,
and all nations will stream to it.

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.
He will teach us his ways,
so that we may walk in his paths.”
The law will go out from Zion,
the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
He will judge between the nations
and will settle disputes for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore. Come, O house of Jacob,
let us walk in the light of the LORD.

H.O.P.E

When we think about the coming of the Lord during Advent One,  or this week when we light the HOPE Candle on our Advent wreaths,  there are so many things that will occur in God's good time that it is thoroughly amazing regarding the hope God is promising!  In our scripture of promise today, just looking at what God says is coming is more than overjoying to this old man's heart, especially for this one who has seen so much of the horrors of war!

Once and for all God's Temple will be completed on the earth in Jerusalem, and it will never ever be destroyed again. This Temple was deeded by God HIMSELF to HIS own people, the Jewish people, and God will be sure this will ... well ... surely happen. I know Palestinians claim this as their own; however, there is nothing archaeologically or historically that justifies such a belief.  Mecca is their "Holy Place."  And though they conquered Jerusalem at one time, and placed the Mosque of Omar on top of the Temple Mount as a part of one of their Jihads, mark my words, no Caliphate will ever prevent this from happening. God promised this Holy Eternal and Sacred Temple to HIS people, the Jews, and to all of us who are grafted into the vine of God's people. He promised it first to the Jew, and then God promised it to we who are now adopted as children of Abraham, through faith in Jesus,  who is The Messiah. So, just as Israel became a nation against insurmountable odds, just as God promised, God will also make this happen.

The Day Of Invitation:     

Why is this so important?  You can find the answer to this question in the prophetic message of God's Word above:  The day is coming when ALL the nations will stream to this place. It will be a day of invitation and the invitation will be, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.”  Something beautiful is going to happen: People are going to be hungry to "go up to the mountain of the Lord."  And they are hungry so that the greatest Rabbi, even Jesus, will once again teach them; however and yet,  this time the multitudes will be  hungry, not just for physical bread, but for the bread of life which is God's Word. Not only will people be taught and learn, but the marvelous thing is that people will actually walk in God's ways!

The Supreme Jurist In Action

This time will be a time when God, The Truly Most Supreme Judge of The Most Supreme Court of the Universe, will judge all the nations. No tyrant, terrorist or traumatizing evil one will terrifyingly  rule with a totalitarian hand over any land ever again!  For God will "settle all the disputes!"  God will judge using God's very own law. People will no longer be able to ignore God's law or break it because God promises regarding these glorious liberating limits that,  "The law will go out" from that place. "The Word of The Lord" will proceed "from Jerusalem," which is indeed God's Holy City. HE will make the world great again!

One Of My Favorite Promises and Hope.

They will beat their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war anymore.

Because of these glorious promises of H.O.P.E, something marvelous occurs: Yes, because of people accepting the invitation to come and learn from the Great Teacher, because people, once and for all, listened, learned and applied what The Great Teacher taught, because God judged the nations, settled all the disputes, sent His Law and Word out to be internalized into the hearts of women and men throughout the earth, now one of the greatest miracles of all times occurs. Humanity "studies war no more!"

Weapons Fall Silent & Are Transformed

Weapons of war will no longer be needed: Nations will not ever again war with other nations.  Enemies will be NO MORE! All of the mighty war machines of the nations will now be silent. The blood that flowed up to the horses bridles during Armageddon will never again be shed! The bloody acts of war will no longer be.  All the cyber attacks, bombing raids, drone attacks, chemical/biological warfare, will cease. I.E.Ds will E-N-D! M-16s, M-4s, Glocks, Machine guns, Authentic Assault Rifles, RPGs and other weapons of war will never ever be needed again. None of the fighters, F35s F15s F16s nor Migs will ever be needed again. Nuclear Missiles will never ever be launched in training nor in war.  The war making equipment, which caused so much bloodshed, bodily mutilation and invisible wounds will no longer be needed.  It will not be wasted, however.  It will be transformed! It will be repurposed from war weaponry to Agribusiness life producing tools. For while it did serve it's purpose, God will now have another purpose for it.

As one who served in the United States Military for years, I believed in what I did, and I am proud to have worn the uniform of this great war machine; however, I Hold  On to these Promises Eternal. I cling to what God is promising to you and HE is promising to me.  During this first week of Advent, Advent ONE, this gives me H.O.P.E.

God Bless You

SoJourner