March 29th, 2026: Waiting on God's Peace | Isaiah 2:2-4, Acts 17:26-28

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. (Matthew 24: 4-8).

In reading the introductory verse, you might think it odd that our topic today is peace.  Wickedness, violence, wars, perversions, and trouble surround us.  Yet,  this is nothing new.  As Solomon records many years ago: All things have I seen in the days of my vanity: there is a just man that perisheth in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man that prolongeth his life in his wickedness. (Ecclesiastes 7:15).   Such wickedness is clearly seen.  It is and has been present since the fall in the Garden.  

As you read the lesson today, think of the peace that is available to us and the promise of the kingdom of peace to come.  Do you have peace with God?  Have you met the Prince of Peace? Did you know that scripture teaches of a future kingdom that transcends the absence of war, bringing with it peace on a whole new level?  We live in a fallen and cursed world; however, we have been given the knowledge of better things to come.  We have the promise of true and lasting peace with God and with people and with the nations around us.  

Isaiah 2: 2-4

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.

Isaiah heard it from God.  As a prophet during the reign of four kings in Judah, Isaiah saw fear and uncertainty countless times.  He saw the Assyrians attempt but fail, through God’s intervention,  to take the southern kingdom. Wars and rumors of wars were not at all unfamiliar.  Isaiah prophesied the eventual overthrow of the southern kingdom nearly 150 years before it actually happened. The measure of a true prophet was whether or not what they said came to pass. Not only was Isaiah’s prophecy about an overthrow true, but it also happened exactly as Isaiah had prophesied.  The southern Kingdom of Judah was in captivity to the Babylonians for 70 years.  Alongside the prophecy of destruction, Isaiah shared another prophecy. A prophecy about a kingdom that brought hope and peace back to the captive nation. 

In scripture, a mountain has particular significance.  It is the high place where the heavens and the earth meet and where God’s wisdom and presence can be found.  There are many stories centered around a mountain, for example, Abraham was asked to sacrifice Isaac on Mt Moriah, Moses received the law on Mt Sinai, and Jesus taught from the Mount of Olives.  These are just a few of the 570 times mountains are named and used in the Bible. 

In Isaiah’s prophecy, there is a future kingdom where the mountain will be the real estate for the house of the Lord. All people and nations will see and travel to this mountain to hear about the wisdom and righteousness of God.  From this mountain, the word of the Lord and judgments among the peoples of the nations will occur. There are many things that we don’t know about this particular prophecy, but what we do know is that God’s house is exalted.  Many will go to this mountain to hear his wisdom and follow his statutes. God is the author of the laws.  God will judge the kingdoms of the earth. There will be chastisements and a return to God’s ways.  In this kingdom, peace will reign.  

  Daniel spoke of a future Kingdom when interpreting a dream for the King of Babylon. His prophecy spoke of turmoil as the Kingdom of God would take over and stand forever.

And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure. (Daniel 2:43-45).

Many of the Old Testament prophets spoke of this heavenly kingdom to come on earth.  Isaiah goes on to say: Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. (Isaiah 9:7). The end result of God’s Kingdom will be peace. 

The Jewish leaders of Jesus’ day were looking for this king and kingdom. They were waiting for the deliverer to remove them from the bondage of Rome.  The first coming of Jesus began the spiritual kingdom- a new covenant.  The angel Gabriel announced this kingdom to Mary, the mother of Jesus: And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. (Luke 1: 30-33).  Announced as a forever kingdom, one that will reunite all of the house of Jacob. Jesus himself spoke of this kingdom  And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel. (Luke 22: 29-30).

The physical earthly kingdom did not take place at His first coming. A spiritual kingdom began.  Do you have spiritual and internal peace that transcends our understanding and is built on faith in Jesus?  You can have that peace.  Just ask. 

Most Christians referred to the heavenly kingdom on earth as the millennial kingdom.  A time for a thousand years when the descendant of David, King Jesus, will rule and reign with a rod of iron on the earth. Revelation chapter 20 contains several references to the thousand-year reign, for example: Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. (Revelation 20:6).

This relationship of the first resurrection is the faith and belief in Jesus as the Son of God. The plan of salvation, the payment for our sins. Proven true by the resurrection of Jesus -  defeating death and the grave. Reigning with Jesus, when there is no satan to contend with, no wars to live through, or no wickedness surrounding us!  We will have peace with other nations as the earth learns of God and removes our weapons of war.  Living in the righteous rule of a just God!  What a glorious time of peace that will be!  By accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior now, there is no need to fear in this future kingdom!

Acts 17: 26-28

And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

We are of one blood, one family, all the descendants of Adam through Noah.  We were scattered at Babel into languages and people groups. We are welcomed and encouraged to seek the Lord and to know the peace that He alone offers. Seek the Lord; He is your creator. As Paul reminds those reading, even the pagan Athenian poets and philosophers realized that there is a power greater than themselves. In him we live, move, and have our being. It is a quote from one of their poetic writings.  It is quoted as confirmation that every person has a measure of understanding that there is more than just chance to human existence. There is not a multitude of Gods to worship - there is only one true God. The whole of scripture is a unified story of that one true God. That God sent His son to take on the penalty of sin. True peace internal, relational with others, and relational with God comes through HIm.  With the right relationships comes peace.  Those who trust Him and believe now have the added reward of peace in the kingdom and eternity to come.

Thank you for studying with us! God bless!