The Chief Mountain Today

We truly live in a “global world” today. It’s not just our little neighborhood, our city, nor even our own nation. Whereas the world of the New Testament times was the “Roman world”, the world of today is actually the whole of planet earth. Our global world is ever expanding in its technology, communication as well as its population. It is estimated that the world’s population is currently 6.7 billion people. It is amazing to note that in 1955, the world’s population was approximately 2.5 billion people. That means that the world’s population has more than doubled in just fifty short years.

Thinking about the explosion in the world’s population reminds me of the continual advance of the kingdom of God in the earth. For example, some estimates are that about 22,000 people are born again each day in China! That means that multiple millions are coming to Christ each year in China, and it is now estimated that the church in China has reached beyond the 100 million mark. That is astounding! In 1900, Africa was approximately 4% Christian, but by 1990, Africa’s Christianity had grown to 40% of the population. In both the continent of Africa and in the sub-continent of India, it is estimated that between 15,000 and 20,000 people surrender theirs lives to Christ on a daily basis! The encouragement continues when one takes time to read about the remarkable things taking place right across other parts of Eastern Europe, South America, and Central America. And no doubt, God continues to “reawaken” and “revive” His church throughout Western Europe and North America. Who knows? There could be some 60,000 or more people who are born again in one day across the earth. In all of this, some would approximate that the church has now reached somewhere between the one and two billion mark on earth. This is incredible to think about!

Hearing such wonderful news recalls to mind what Isaiah prophesied:

“Now it will come about that in the last days the mountain of the house of the LORD will be established as the chief of the mountains, and will be raised above the hills; and all the nations will stream to it.” (2:2)

It might be good to take a moment to address the question of when is the “last days?” In Acts 2, after the Holy Spirit was poured out, some were mocking what they saw, claiming that the people were drunk. But Peter took his stand and declared:

“For these men are not drunk, as you suppose…but this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel: ‘And it shall be in the last days,’ God says, ‘that I will pour forth of My Spirit on all mankind’” (Acts 2:14-17).

Peter was proclaiming that Joel’s prophecy was being fulfilled right in front of their eyes, or better yet, in their hearing. Thus, if the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy had begun at Pentecost in Acts 2, then all generations since the initial pouring out of the Holy Spirit have been a part of the “last days”.

We did not enter the last days 100 years ago, 50 years ago, nor 10 years ago. The last days are not a seven-year period before Christ returns. We entered into the last days when the Spirit was poured forth, and thus, we have been in the last days for the past 1,977 years (or so) – the whole Messianic Age in which the Messiah would reign (Matthew 28:18; Ephesians 1:18-23). And we will continue to be in the last days until Christ returns to fully establish His kingdom.

Next, it would be good to insert a note to help understand biblical prophecy. One thing we will need to remember about the poetic prophecy of Scripture is that it is not always fulfilled at one specific moment in history. Most understand that prophecy carries the aspect of double fulfillment, meaning that the specific prophecy will be fulfilled twice. At some point the prophecy will be initially fulfilled, but there is also a greater fulfillment that will take place sometime in the future.

For example, in Isaiah 7:14 we read, “Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.” This prophecy was initially fulfilled through the birth of Maher-shalal-hash-baz in Isaiah 8:1-10. He was the first son given as a sign to king Ahaz that God was with the people of Judah and not with Israel or Syria. God was Immanuel. Yet this prophecy was to be fulfilled in a greater way through the birth of Jesus Christ (see Matthew 1:18-25).

But prophecy also has the aspect of what we can call cumulative fulfillment. This speaks of prophecy being fulfilled cumulatively, or increasingly, throughout history.

So, when we come to Isaiah’s prophecy in 2:2, it would be good to keep this principle of cumulative fulfillment in mind. Thus, we find that what Isaiah prophesied has been, is being fulfilled, and will continue to be fulfilled throughout this present Messianic age until Christ comes back. God is remaining true to His word! He is remaining true to His promises! The rule of God is expanding on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). Jesus is reigning on earth in our generation greater than the generation before. And in my children’s and grandchildren’s generations, I know Jesus’ reign will be manifest in an even greater capacity. I do not specifically embrace an overly positive eschatology that says everything must and will become Christian before Christ returns, for Jesus makes it clear that there will continue to be unrighteous people living until the end of the age comes (Matthew 13:24-30; 36-43). But, I must keep a positive outlook concerning the reign of Christ, for I believe the Word makes it clear that Jesus reigns and that reign will continue to increase in the earth. And one day, when He returns, it will fill the earth as the waters cover the sea (Habakkuk 2:14).

Even in the midst of tragedy, trial and tribulation on earth, we as God’s people should not forget who is reigning as King. There will never be a day when Jesus is not reigning on earth, and I know His reign is increasing more and more as the years pass. Oh yes, there is much more to come; there is much more that God wants to accomplish on earth. But reading Isaiah’s words does remind us that, yes, in “the last days the mountain of the house of the LORD will be established as the chief of the mountains”.

Therefore, a healthy view the church should hold concerning “last things” is that “there will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace” (Isaiah 9:7). I am glad that Jesus is extending His government, all that His “mountain” might become the chief in all of the earth. Let us be encouraged, and let us not forget to continue to proclaim the gospel of the kingdom and to pray that His kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.