Plowshares and Pruninghooks (Isaiah 2:4)

2022-06-30

Within the last century or so, war has become indescribably gruesome. The weapons of war have become so sophisticated and have allowed for much carnage. But there will be a day when that will change:

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 2:4)

When will that day come? When “out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem” (Isaiah 2:3). Jesus Christ will establish that righteous government and end all such conflict. Micah says almost the exactly the same thing in Micah 4:2-3. There will be a time when the weapons of war will rest and be repurposed for something else altogether.

This is wonderful news. However, before those days, the exact opposite will occur:

Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up: Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong. (Joel 3:9-10)

Again, we read, “And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon” (Revelation 16:16).

It gets worse before the Lord returns to make it right.