Isaiah 24:14-23

” Chapter 24 begins the long apocalyptic vision of the Day of the Lord, which continues until chapter 27. It seems impossible to give it any certain historical background, and it was probably intended to be an ideal description of the last great judgment which will engulf the whole world. The horizon is very black except for the bright gleam of light that appears in verse 23, and which leads on to the burst of praise in chapter 25, just as chapter 12 follows chapter 11.” Search the Scriptures p.293

Ultimately there is going to be a new heaven and earth (2 Pet.3:11-13; Rev.21:1). There the ”LORD Almighty will reign (Is.24:23) in the new Jerusalem (Rev.21:2-5) In this holy city the light of God Himself will be so bright that the sun and moon will not be needed (Rev.21:22-24); they will be ”abashed” and ”ashamed” in the light of God Himself (Is.24:23). God’s reign on this new ”Mount Zion’’ will be glorious, as Isaiah had earlier prophesied (2:2-4). But before that there are terrible times to come for the whole earth. A chapter which began with a message of judgment for all people in the world (1-3), concludes with similar words for ”the powers in the heavens” (21; see Eph.6:11, 12).”That’s when GOD will call on the carpet rebel powers in the skies and Rebel kings on earth. They’ll be rounded up like prisoners in a jail, Corralled and locked up in a jail, and then sentenced and put to hard labour.” The Message.

There is hope however, for a remnant will be saved (14 – 16), and they will come from ”the ends of the earth” (16; see Mark 13:26, 27). In (16) Isaiah says ”I waste away”. He is speaking as a representative of this godly few who will be spared. They too will suffer before the end. But the ungodly ”people of the earth” will not escape God’s judgment (17, 18). ”Terror and pits and booby traps are everywhere, whoever you are.” The Message

In (18-20) Isaiah describes the ‘shaking apart’ of the earth. Not only will the earth’s inhabitants be ”burned up” (6), but the earth itself will be destroyed (2 Peter 3:7, 10; Rev.6:12-14).

Although we cannot fully grasp how all of this will be worked out, it is obvious that serious times lie ahead for the world before the glorious return and reign of Jesus over all the earth, and in the new universe to come. It will be hard on believers in the run up to the end, but it will be utterly devastating for those who do not have true faith. Judgment must come because of sin (5, 6: sin leads to a ”Therefore”. It has consequences. See also 20)

As believers we have to face the truth about sin and what it is going to lead to. But we do not need to be pessimists; we can be optimists. Let us keep our eyes focused on Jesus and all that is to come when He reigns. Someone summed up the book of Revelation like this: ”Things are going to get a lot worse before they get a lot better; then things are going to get a lot better after they have got a lot worse!”

We do well to maintain this balanced vision.

Prayer: Thank you Lord for giving us a map by which to navigate the future. Help us to always follow you as our ‘Captain’, and we trust you to get us safely home.