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| Photo by Jim Tracy |
1 But in the last days it will happen, that the mountain of I AM's house will be the most important of all mountains, and people will swarm into it.
“The Last Days” here are referring to the last days of the Old Covenant, the time from the return from Babylon to the time of Christ.
2 And many nations will come, and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the I Am, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths:” for instruction will go out of Zion, and the word of the I Am from Jerusalem.
We are told in Acts 2 that there were people from all over the Roman Empire (the known world) worshiping in Jerusalem. This was the fulfillment of this scripture.
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3 And He will mediate between many nations, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they will beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: one nation will not lift up a sword against another nation, neither will they need to learn war any more.
The last hundred years of the life of the nation Israel, she was under the Great Pax Romana, the Roman Peace. This may have been the greatest time of peace in history; a time when a man needed a plow much more than he needed a sword.
4 But everyone will sit under his own vine and under his own fig tree; and no one will make them afraid, because the mouth of the I AM of Heavens Armies has declared it.
The people lived on, worked and owned their own land in the time of the Roman Peace. As long as the taxes were paid and no one rebelled, Rome pretty much left every nation alone to take care of themselves, protecting them from each other. This time of great Peace set the stage for the ideal conditions to spread the Gospel.
5 All people will follow after the name of his own god, and we will follow after the name of the I AM our God for ever and ever.
The Romans (during the Great Peace) allowed everyone to keep their own religion and the Jews (at least the common man) worshiped the True God. The Pharisees worshiped Self.
6 "In that day," says the I AM, "I will gather those who limp, and those in exile, and those who have suffered."
7 And I will make her that limped a remnant, and her that was an exile into a strong nation: and the I Am will reign over them in mount Zion from then on, even for ever.
The remnant that repopulated Judah were the poorest of the land; the diseased and handicapped. But they won’t be the poor when they are the ones representing God to the world. It will be during this time of peace when God will set up His kingdom, (ushered into being at Calvary), that will reign over the earth forever.
8 And You, O tower of the flock, the fortress of the daughter of Zion, to you will it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem.
9 Now why dost thou cry out aloud? Is there no king in thee? Is thy counselor perished? For pangs have taken thee as a woman in travail.
“Yes, you are in pain, but they are productive pains.”
10 Be in pain, and labor to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail: for now shalt thou go forth out of the city, and thou shalt dwell in the field, and thou shalt go even to Babylon; there shalt thou be delivered; there the LORD shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies.
“You, descendants of Jacob, will have the pain of going into captivity and then rebuilding your country, but that experience will birth a new nation guided by God.”
11 Now also many nations are gathered against thee, that say, “Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion.”
12 But they know not the thoughts of the LORD, neither understand they His counsel: for He shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor.
“The people conquering you don’t really understand what is going on. I am just punishing you, not destroying you.”
13 Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion: for I will make thine horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass: and thou shalt beat in pieces many people: and I will consecrate their gain unto the LORD, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth.
God will make them strong again.
The last hundred years of the life of the nation Israel, she was under the Great Pax Romana, the Roman Peace. This may have been the greatest time of peace in history; a time when a man needed a plow much more than he needed a sword.
4 But everyone will sit under his own vine and under his own fig tree; and no one will make them afraid, because the mouth of the I AM of Heavens Armies has declared it.
The people lived on, worked and owned their own land in the time of the Roman Peace. As long as the taxes were paid and no one rebelled, Rome pretty much left every nation alone to take care of themselves, protecting them from each other. This time of great Peace set the stage for the ideal conditions to spread the Gospel.
5 All people will follow after the name of his own god, and we will follow after the name of the I AM our God for ever and ever.
The Romans (during the Great Peace) allowed everyone to keep their own religion and the Jews (at least the common man) worshiped the True God. The Pharisees worshiped Self.
6 "In that day," says the I AM, "I will gather those who limp, and those in exile, and those who have suffered."
7 And I will make her that limped a remnant, and her that was an exile into a strong nation: and the I Am will reign over them in mount Zion from then on, even for ever.
The remnant that repopulated Judah were the poorest of the land; the diseased and handicapped. But they won’t be the poor when they are the ones representing God to the world. It will be during this time of peace when God will set up His kingdom, (ushered into being at Calvary), that will reign over the earth forever.
8 And You, O tower of the flock, the fortress of the daughter of Zion, to you will it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem.
9 Now why dost thou cry out aloud? Is there no king in thee? Is thy counselor perished? For pangs have taken thee as a woman in travail.
“Yes, you are in pain, but they are productive pains.”
10 Be in pain, and labor to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail: for now shalt thou go forth out of the city, and thou shalt dwell in the field, and thou shalt go even to Babylon; there shalt thou be delivered; there the LORD shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies.
“You, descendants of Jacob, will have the pain of going into captivity and then rebuilding your country, but that experience will birth a new nation guided by God.”
11 Now also many nations are gathered against thee, that say, “Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion.”
12 But they know not the thoughts of the LORD, neither understand they His counsel: for He shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor.
“The people conquering you don’t really understand what is going on. I am just punishing you, not destroying you.”
13 Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion: for I will make thine horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass: and thou shalt beat in pieces many people: and I will consecrate their gain unto the LORD, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth.
God will make them strong again.