What does Isaiah say about nations in the Millennium?

So shall he sprinkle many nations;
the kings shall shut their mouths at him:
for that which had not been told them shall they see;
and that which they had not heard shall they consider.
(Isaiah 52:15)

This is a very interesting scripture. The Joseph Smith Translation of this scripture changes the word “sprinkle” to “gather”, so the line becomes “So shall he gather many nations”. Now, on the surface, this scripture seems to talk about the gathering of Israel, and we tend to think that the rest of the verse with it says that kings will be surprised to hear about it this gathering. However, something tells me there is something else. Kings have been given sets of scriptures and they’ve been visited by general authorities and they haven’t heard anything so shocking and inconceivable in these days that they have been rendered absolutely speechless.

In W. Cleon Skousen’s book, Isaiah Speaks to Modern Times, he pointed out that this prophecy was fulfilled in the past when the United States was set up as a free nation. Before then, kings had not considered the idea that they might not have a divine right of kingship or that the people had a right to change a tyrannical government. That was indeed an astounding and revolutionary idea back then. (W. Cleon Skousen, Isaiah Speaks to Modern Times, Salt Lake City: Ensign Publishing, 1984, 653-654.)

I suspect there is even more to come at the Millennium. I think that the news that kings and presidents are going to hear will be something they never thought about before, something that has even huger implications for them than the right of the people to change their government. It would be nothing less than the right of God to abolish nations. I think this scripture is talking about how in the millennium Christ will make a full end of all nations. He will gather all nations in one. There will be no United States, no Canada, no Mexico, no separate countries in North or South America or Europe or Asia or Africa. The whole earth will all be unified as one nation ruled by Christ. (He’s the king of the whole earth, so the whole earth becomes His nation.) No borders or walls, no passports, no visas, no immigration laws, no illegal aliens, no export or import taxes, no tariffs.

This is something that kings and rulers of countries have never thought about. They haven’t thought about what will happen when Christ comes to rule over the earth and what that will mean for their positions. When Christ says the country of England no longer exists as a political entity, that means that Parliament and the Royalty and the courts have been abolished too. When Christ says that the United States has been done away as a political entity, then that means the Supreme Court, Congress, the Presidency, and all the state government offices have all ceased to exist too. Every government will be abolished and Christ will take control himself, erasing borders, and divisions across the globe. “But, verily I say unto you that in time ye shall have no king nor ruler, for I will be your king and watch over you” (Doctrine & Covenants 38:21). The rulers will be told they are no longer in charge and they will become ordinary citizens. They will shut their mouths, because they will realize there is nothing they can say to change it.

The laws are going to be very different, but they will be perfectly familiar to those of us who have kept the commandments. “Wherefore, hear my voice and follow me, and you shall be a free people, and ye shall have no laws but my laws when I come, for I am your lawgiver, and what can stay my hand?” (Doctrine & Covenants 38:22, emphasis added)