The Prophet's Dream

The Prophet Isaiah Dreams of the Kingdom of God

15 Whereas you have been forsaken and hated,
with no one passing through,
I will make you majestic forever,
a joy from age to age.
16 You shall suck the milk of nations,
you shall suck the breasts of kings;
and you shall know that I, the Lord, am your Savior
and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.
17 Instead of bronze I will bring gold,
instead of iron I will bring silver;
instead of wood, bronze,
instead of stones, iron.
I will appoint Peace as your overseer
and Righteousness as your taskmaster.
18 Violence shall no more be heard in your land,
devastation or destruction within your borders;
you shall call your walls Salvation,
and your gates Praise.
God the Glory of Zion
19 The sun shall no longer be
your light by day,
nor for brightness shall the moon
give light to you by night;
but the Lord will be your everlasting light,
and your God will be your glory.
20 Your sun shall no more go down,
or your moon withdraw itself;
for the Lord will be your everlasting light,
and your days of mourning shall be ended.
21 Your people shall all be righteous;
they shall possess the land forever. (Isaiah 60:15-21)

Isaiah 60 and 61 are filled with poetic and symbolic images of the restoration of Israel. It is from prophets like Isaiah that gave Jews hope in the kingdom of God. The writings of the prophets gave them hope in a Messiah to come, whom God would anoint with His Spirit, to lead Israel into a prosperous and peaceful future. The kingdom of God is marked by God's blessing. The people of God will know peace. They will experience justice, which I like to define as right relationships in every aspect of human community. They will enjoy plenty and watch their children prosper. The kingdom of God is marked by righteous behavior. Indeed the people of God will hunger and thirst for God's right ways. (Matthew 5:6) The Lord will bless His people with life and health and wholeness. It's what the Hebrews came to call shalom.

Shalom is an over all sense of well being in every aspect. The Harper Collins Bible Dictionary defines shalom as "the term for peace, wholeness, well-being. It describes the ideal human state, both individual and communal, the ultimate gift from God."

One of my favorite quotes from the film Air Force One was uttered by the actor Harrison Ford, who portrayed the president of the United States. The fictional character said, "Peace is not simply the absence of conflict. It is the presence of justice."

Peace is the presence of justice. If justice is right relationships, then peace is a product of right relationships. God acted in Jesus Christ to reconcile Himself to the world. We are invited to do our part to reconcile with God. Through Jesus Christ, disciples are made right with God. Through grace we are empowered to live righteous lives. (See Philippians 2:13) 

Through a right relationship with God we are being restored to God's holy image, which we know in Jesus Christ. As the righteousness of Jesus Christ fills our hearts, we begin to share in His righteousness. We begin to treat others according to God's right ways. We develop right relationships with others. Our right ways and redeemed relationships have far reaching effects throughout our communities. Just society blesses the world, because hearts are governed by love for God and people. Justice flows like a might river, because our hearts have hungered for righteousness and God has given it.

I will appoint Peace as your overseer
and Righteousness as your taskmaster.
Violence shall no more be heard in your land,
devastation or destruction within your borders; (Isaiah 60:17b-18a)

Justice, peace, and righteousness yield an absence of violence. Community is released to pursue more profitable endeavors than war and scuffles. Prosperity returns to those who live according to God's righteousness and seek right relationships. The business owner cares for the least in His company. He makes sure there are fair wages and equity.

Did you hear about the president of Kentucky State University? He gave $90,000 of his salary to the lowest paid employees of the university. (See http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/university-president-takes-90-000-pay-cut-gives-money-staff-n225406)

Health returns to the people who enjoy peace within and peace in society. Renewal and the stuff of life fills the nation which seeks to love God and love others.

The church is an expression of the kingdom of God. Disciples work toward perfection in loving God and loving all people. The grace of the Lord does the perfecting work in us and our relationships with God and each other is made right according the love and righteousness of our Lord and Savior, Jesus. 

When Jesus began His ministry He quoted the prophet Isaiah's dream of the kingdom of God.

He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

20 And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:17b-21)

Jesus' kingdom building ministry included three things: teaching, healing and liberation. Jesus taught people hope through the good news that God's reign had come with His arrival. The proclamation that the kingdom of God is near was accompanied with acts of divine power. The sick were healed. The hungry were fed, which leads to good health. And those who were held captive to oppressive forces, spiritual or political, were set free. The hopeful Jews who followed Jesus found themselves free of the burdensome religious requirements of the Pharisees. The demon-possessed were liberated. The greedy tax collector was released to serve a new master. No longer did he serve a greed for wealth, but a passion for the Lord and His people.

Jesus proclaimed that the kingdom of God had come. He preached the gospel and people were given hope. The lame walked, the deaf heard, and the blind began to see. The captives to oppressive spirits, thoughts, individuals and systems were set free. 

The transformation of the world comes through the spiritually anointed body of Christ. The same Jesus who proclaimed the kingdom in Judea in the first century, reigns over His earthly body, the church. When the church obeys the leading of their Sovereign Lord, the world will be impacted by justice work, healing mercies, and the hope inspiring words of the gospel. The church transform the world with hope, heath and holiness. By holiness I mean sharing in the nature of God who is love. In the end the kingdom of God is the kingdom of love. When love rules the heart, your world will become better and brighter.

May the Prophet's dream continue to be fulfilled until every soul is free, and every body is whole, and all humanity is enjoying shalom. Amen