The effect upon all the nations of the earth is a large part of the background of the picture.  Through Israel’s advancement under the new order, every other nation is to come back to God.  The outpouring of the Spirit upon Israel is to be followed by an outpouring upon all flesh.  There are the two outpourings of God’s Spirit in these old prophetic pages.  This will be followed by a universal, voluntary coming to Israel for religious instruction.  She becomes the teacher of the nations regarding God, until by and by the whole earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the only God.  Her influence upon them for good will be as the heavy fertilizing eastern dews and the life-giving showers are to vegetation.

But further yet, Israel is to be the only medium of God’s blessing upon the nations—­the only channel.  Those refusing her leadership will, for lack of vital sap, die of dry rot.  The wondrous blessing enjoyed by this central nation, the unhingeing of dungeon doors, the opening of blind eyes, the mellowing of all the hard conditions of life, the reign of simple, full justice to all, is to be shared with all the nations.  Israel’s peace with all nations is to become a universal peace between and among all nations.

But there’s still more.  There are to follow certain radical changes in the realm of nature.  Splendid rivers of water are to flow through Jerusalem, necessitating changes in the formation of the land there.  The fortress capital of the Jews strongly entrenched among the Judean hills is to become, as the world’s metropolis, a mighty city, with rivers to float the earth’s commerce.  The light of the sun and moon will be greatly increased, and yet this greatly intensified light will become at Jerusalem a shadow cast by the greater light of the presence of God.  A devout Hebrew would associate this back with the light of the Presence-cloud in the Arabian barrens.  While the devout Christian will likely, quickly think forward from that to the light that was one time as the sun, and, again, above the sun’s brightness.  Naturally, with this comes a renewed fertility of the earth’s soil, and the removal of the curse upon vegetation.  Before the healing light and heat the poisonous growth, the blight of drought and of untempered heat disappear.  There is to be a new earth and above it a new heaven.

To complete the picture, the animal creation is to undergo changes as radical as these.  Beasts dangerous because of ferocity and because of treachery and poisonous qualities will be wholly changed.  Meat-eating beasts will change their habit of diet, and eat grain and herbs.  There will be a mutual cessation of cruelty to animals by man and of danger to man from animals, for all violence will have ceased.

And then the climax is capped by repeated assurances that this marvellous kingdom will be as extensive as the earth and absolutely unending.

The whole thing, be it keenly noticed, is simply a return to the original condition.  In the Eden garden was the presence of God, a masterful man in the likeness of God, with full dominion over all creation.  There was full accord in all nature, and perfect fellowship between man and nature.