St Matthew 24: 36-44 – The necessity for watchfulness

Isaiah wrote these verses about 740 BC, a time when spirits were low in Judah: Assyrian armies were bent on conquest, and many people doubted God’s power to preserve the dynasty of David in accordance with his promise; others believed themselves to be invincible in the face of the enemies.

Because chapter 1 begins with similar words, it appears that this and the next few chapters originally formed a separate document. the ideas in vv. 2-4 are also found in Micah 4. In the future (“in days to come”, v.2) God will launch a new era in which he will dwell on earth (“house”), at Jerusalem. His presence above all others on earth symbolizes his sovereignty. (Jerusalem began on the eastern hill or “mountain”. By Isaiah’s time it has expanded on to part of the western hill. “Zion”, v.3, was originally the name of the southern slope of the eastern hill, the site of the first settlement. The name was later used for the whole city.)

The prophet foretells a time when all peoples will make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem (“let us go up”, v.3) to worship God – to learn the way of living revealed by God The city will be the source of “instruction” in ethical living. In chapter 30, Isaiah tells us that in his time Judah rejected God’s message, but in this future time all peoples will accept it. (The Hebrew word for “instruction” is torah which is also the name of the first five books of the Bible. the Law.) In this future time, god will settle disputes among nations (“judge”, v.4) and between people (“arbitrate”). It will be an age of peace and plenty: warfare being a thing of the past, agriculture (“plowshares”, “pruning hooks”) will prosper. (Conquering armies lived off the land and farmers were needed for military service.) In v. 5, Isaiah exhorts the people to adopt God’s ways now.

© 1996-2025 Chris Haslam

Prayer of the Week

Almighty God; give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness and put on the armour of light, now in this mortal life, in which your Son Jesus Christ came among us in great humility, that on the lst day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.