More from Isaiah Chapter 24 (Isaiah 24:1-23)

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 8/29/2013 10:29 AM

My Worship Time                                                                              Focus:  More from Isa. 24.

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Isaiah 24:1-23

            Message of the verses:  I promised to quote from the John MacArthur Study Bible on Isaiah 24, and in many cases in the OT there is not a note from this study Bible on each verse, but in this case there is a note from almost each verse, to which I will quote so that we all can better understand this prophetic chapter in Isaiah’s book.  The version of this Study Bible is the NASB-95.

            “24:1-27:3 These four chapters give praise to God for His future victory over all enemies and the final deliverance of Israel in the Day of the Lord.  The judgments in this chapter (24) look forward to the tribulation as described in Rev. 6ff.

“1 Behold, the LORD lays the earth waste, devastates it, distorts its surface and scatters its inhabitants.”  “Waste…distorts…scatters.  The prophet generalized and broadened the destruction about which he had written more specifically in chapters 13-23.  The Lord is to deal with the whole earth more severely than He did at the tower of Babel or through the Noahic Flood.”

“2 And the people will be like the priest, the servant like his master, the maid like her mistress, the buyer like the seller, the lender like the borrower, the creditor like the debtor.”  “People… priest…creditor…debtor.  Neither rank, wealth, nor power were able to deliver from God’s judgment.”

“3 The earth will be completely laid waste and completely despoiled, for the LORD has spoken this word.”  The Lord has spoken.  Isaiah used this expression or a comparable one 9 other times to emphasize the certainty of his predictions (1:20; 21:17; 22:25; 37:22; 38:15; 40:5; and 58:14).”

“4 The earth mourns and withers, the world fades and withers, the exalted of the people of the earth fade away.”  “Exalted of the people.  The prophet again called attention to pride as the reason for God’s judgment (cf. 23:9).”

“5 The earth is also polluted by its inhabitants, for they transgressed laws, violated statutes, broke the everlasting covenant.”  Everlasting covenant:  Likely, this referred to the Abrahamic Covenant, frequently referred to as ‘everlasting’ (CF. Gen. 17:7, 13, 19; 1Ch. 16:15, 17; Pss. 105:8, 10; 111:5, 9), which contained devotion to God’s moral law and salvation by faith in Him.”

“6 Therefore, a curse devours the earth, and those who live in it are held guilty. Therefore, the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men are left.”  Few men are left:  This Gentile remnant differed from that of Israel.  Presumably they will join in support of Israel when the Messiah returns.”

“7 The new wine mourns, The vine decays, All the merry-hearted sigh. 8 The gaiety of tambourines ceases, The noise of revelers stops, The gaiety of the harp ceases. 9 They do not drink wine with song; Strong drink is bitter to those who drink it.”  “24:7-9 merry-hearted sigh.  The future Day of Judgment will terminate all merriment derived from natural sources.  Cf. Rev. 18:22).”

“10 The city of chaos is broken down; Every house is shut up so that none may enter.”  24:10 shaking of an olive tree.  The same figure spoke of leanness in the judgment against Ephraim in 17:6.”

“14 They raise their voices, they shout for joy; They cry out from the west concerning the majesty of the LORD.”  “24:14 raise their voices…shout. The songs of the godly remnant (cf. v. 6), celebrating God’s righteous judgment, replace the drunken music (cf. v. 9).”

“15 Therefore glorify the LORD in the east, The name of the LORD, the God of Israel, In the coastlands of the sea.”  “24:15 glorify the LORD.  This call summoned all people worldwide to attribute to the Lord what was due Him.”

“16 From the ends of the earth we hear songs, "Glory to the Righteous One," But I say, "Woe to me! Woe to me! Alas for me! The treacherous deal treacherously, And the treacherous deal very treacherously.’”  “24:16 Glory to the Righteous One.  This refers to God.  But I.  Isaiah could not yet join in the celebration of God’s glory because he pondered the grief and corruption in the world before that final celebration of God’s vicory.”

“17 Terror and pit and snare Confront you, O inhabitant of the earth. 18 Then it will be that he who flees the report of disaster will fall into the pit, And he who climbs out of the pit will be caught in the snare; For the windows above are opened, and the foundations of the earth shake.”  “14:17, 18 pit…snare.  The figure of an animal caught in a trap set by humans frequently symbolized the principle that life is a series of inescapable traps.”  “24:18 windows above.  In Noah’s day, God judged with a flood (Gen. 7:11).  He will judge again from heaven, but not with a flood.  Cf. Rev. 6:13, 14, *:13; 1k6:1-21).  Foundations of the earth.  Unparalleled earthquakes will mark the future visitation during and after the fulfillment of Daniel’s 70-week prophecy.

“20 The earth reels to and fro like a drunkard And it totters like a shack, For its transgression is heavy upon it, And it will fall, never to rise again.”  “24:20 drunkard…shack.  Two more comparisons picture the ultimate collapse of the presumably strong and dependable planet earth: a staggering drunkard and a flimsy lean –to shack.

“21 So it will happen in that day, That the LORD will punish the host of heaven on high, And the kings of the earth on earth.”  “24:21 the host of heaven on high…kings.  In climactic phase of the Day of the Lord, He will strike against rebelling forces, both angelic (Eph. 6:12) and human.

“22 They will be gathered together Like prisoners in the dungeon, And will be confined in prison; And after many days they will be punished.”  “24:22 confined in prison.  The NT teaches more about the imprisonment of fallen angels before their final assignment to the lake of fire (2Pe. 2:4; Jude 6; Rev. 9:2, 3, 11; 11:7; 17:8; 20:1-10).  It does the same regarding unbelieving humans (Lk. 16:19-31; Rev. 20:11-15).” 

“23 Then the moon will be abashed and the sun ashamed, For the LORD of hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, And His glory will be before His elders.”  “24:23 moon…abashed…sun ashamed.  In the eternal state after Christ’s millennial reign, the glory of God and of the Lamb will replace the sun and moon as sources of light (Rev. 21:23).  Reign…in Jerusalem.  In Rev. 11:15-17; 19:6, 16 (cf. Lk. 1:31-33), John confirmed this clear prophecy of Messiah’s future earthly reign in Jerusalem.”

8/29/2013 11:19 AM