World Transformation

WORLD TRANSFORMATION

For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. Isaiah 11:9

Isaiah 11 is one of the hallmark chapters of this chief of all prophets. It speaks of the fulfillment of Christ’s mission at His second coming. It pictures the final answer to Christ’s prayer: “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” It presents three glorious Truths about the Kingdom of God yet to come.

First, the ideal king has already come and will come again, a second and last time (11:1-5). This King, Jesus Christ, is the prophesied “son of David,” “the shoot from the stump of Jesse.” And He is also the anointed One; the One full of the Holy Spirit. He possesses what the Church has traditionally called “the seven-fold gift of the Spirit.” In other words, he possesses the fullness of the Spirit. (Seven is a symbolic number of God’s complete work.) His is the Spirit (1) of the Lord, (2) of wisdom, (3) of understanding, (4) of counsel, (5) of might, (6) of knowledge, and (7) of the fear of the Lord. The medieval Church saw these as “the gifts of the Holy Spirit bestowed at the believer’s confirmation:”

Q. Which are the effects of Confirmation?

A. The effects of Confirmation are an increase of sanctifying grace, the strengthening of our faith, and the gifts of the Holy Ghost.

Q. Which are the gifts of the Holy Ghost?

A. The gifts of the Holy Ghost are Wisdom, Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Knowledge, Piety, and Fear of the Lord.¹⁴

We understand them better as a symbolic picture of the fullness of God’s anointing, through the Spirit, on Christ’s life. This is what every people, nation and Kingdom desire: a king anointed with all the gifts and graces a leader needs. Jesus has them all.

Second, this ideal king brings with Him a perfect Kingdom (11:6-9). The imagery here is so marvelous that it arrests the soul and mind in visions of an almost surreal world. This world knows no conflict or animosity: wolves nap with lambs, bears and cattle graze together and infant toddlers play with venomous serpents like our kids play with puppies. Nothing hurts or destroys in this City of God. Even better is this truth: the entire creation possesses a fullness of the knowledge of the Lord. Eden is restored. “It is the picture of the whole creation put back into joint.”¹⁵ This is what the poet John Milton called “Paradise Regained.”

Third, this ideal king conquers all the nations in the warfare of His Gospel mission (11:10-16). Isaiah speaks of a “signal” being raised up––a banner, an ensign, a battle flag emblazoned with God’s coat of arms. His weapons in this warfare are His words: “He shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked” (v. 4). His Gospel will divide and conquer. First, it will gather and save His chosen people (depicted here as Israel). Second, it will judge and condemn the unbeliev-ers––“the nations”––who war against Christ and the true knowledge of God. This victorious King builds a “highway” (one of Isaiah’s favorite images of eschatological restoration). This highway leads people homeward to the Kingdom of God and to the “city of the great King” (Psalm 48). That highway is the Gospel way of salvation.

What a glorious picture! What a powerful promise of things to come! Recently, as I returned from lunch with a staff member, he said to me, “Mike, it seems that every day I discover some new thing about the depth and devastation of mankind’s fall into sin.” I reminded him that such will be the glory of the City of God: Each day we will say to Jesus, “Lord, I never imagined your world and our lives could be so wonderful!” And Christ will answer us, “This is how my Father, the Spirit and I always intended it to be. This is our life. This is how the three Persons of the Godhead have always lived. This is what I meant by the Kingdom of God!” And this is why the last words of Jesus in the Bible are so wonderful: “Behold, I am making all things new” (Revelation 21:5).

PRAYING FOR THE PCA

CEP: Pray for regional conferences that are being held around the country to equip and encourage those who work in children’s ministry.

CC: Pray for our in-hall, live-in staff of Resident Directors and Resident Assistants as they care for our students throughout the year.

MNA: Pray for all of our staff, for growth in God leading volunteers and additional staff into the vision for what God is doing in all MNA ministries. Thank God for the significant additions of new ministries for MNA in both church planting and outreach ministries over the past few years.

PCAF: Pray that God will allow the PCAF to serve more PCA churches and their members.

RH: Pray for Al Bennett, Ministry Director, as he completes preparations for summer camps, including counselor training and speakers, musician and director-communications for the 18 separate camps to be held this summer.