Isa 24:1-4 | KingComments | STEP | The previous chapters give an account of the acts of God with the individual nations north, east, and south of Israel. This chapter describes God’s judgment on western nations, including Israel, at “the end of the age” ( ). It is the time when He, to Whom “authority has been given … in heaven and on earth” ( ), will return to purify His kingdom ( ), after which He will establish His kingdom on earth. The individual nations in Isaiah 13-23 show the different states in which the world as alienated from God has manifested itself. This happens under the influence of and guided by spiritual powers of wickedness in the heavenly places. Thus Babylon represents the (Christian) religious system of corruption and oppression over the whole earth. The people of God are thereby imprisoned. 2. In Assyria we see the (islamic?) enmity against God’s people. 3. Philistia is the constant enemy not outside, but in the land. They stand for professing Christianity. 4. Moab stands for human proudness and pride. 5. Damascus is the enemy of God’s people, but united with the apostate part of this people against the faithful part. 6. In Dumah or Edom we see the self-confidence of man, his independence, who from that position mocks God’s people and deals with them. 7. Jerusalem stands for lip confession. 8. Tyre stands for the glory of the world. 9. Egypt is the world that boasts of its wisdom, but whose wisdom has been lost. From all these enemies God’s people will be delivered, as well as from all that is on earth and also from the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places and kings of the earth. But first the prophetic earth will be purified. By ‘prophetic earth’ is meant that part of the earth which is mentioned in the prophecies. The prophetic earth is the part of the earth that is most responsible toward God because there the light of the gospel has shone longest and brightest. In our time, however, it is becoming increasingly clear how this gospel is being rejected especially there ( ). It is the part of the earth that the Lord calls His (earthly) kingdom ( ), in which wheat and tares grow up together. We recognize the Christian western world in this. This earthly kingdom is purified: all stumbling blocks are removed and the tares are gathered up and burned with fire (cf. ). In this way the prophetic earth will be purified in this chapter and room will be made for the establishment of God’s kingdom. All hostile powers will undergo Divine repayment on the day of the LORD as announced in this chapter. Much of it is reminiscent of the judgments in the book of Revelation. That is why the section of Isaiah 24-27 is also called ‘the Revelation in miniature’ or ‘the Apocalypse of Isaiah’. There is also a clear connection with Jeremiah 4, where these judgments are also described ( ). The explanation of this section depends on the translation of the Hebrew word eretz . It can be translated by ‘land’, i.e. the land of Israel. It can also be translated by ‘earth’. In the second case it is about the judgment on the earth. Because Matthew 24 ( ) connects this part with the deluge, we choose as to the explanation for the translation by ‘earth’. The parallel between ‘earth’ and ‘world’ in of this chapter supports this choice. However, we must bear in mind that this is the prophetic earth in contrast to the prophetic sea of the nations. We have to think of the prophetic earth in relation to those who did not accept the love of the truth, i.e. the western, (ex-)Christian world, especially Europe. By the prophetic sea of nations we mean nations that have no connection with God, but turn against Him and His people. Everything that characterizes the world will in the end time experience the judgment that is foretold in the opening verses of this chapter. Here the LORD does not use human instruments, but executes the judgment Himself (cf. ; ) and by His angels (cf. ). Everything is distorted ( ). We go back, as it were, to the beginning of creation, that the earth is formless and void ( ). The world again becomes waste and empty, now through the judgment of God. Because of this, just as in the beginning, a new heaven and a new earth can be created by Him ( ). That is the realm of peace. It is “the hour of testing, that [hour] which is about to come upon the whole world” ( ). What happened at the deluge ( ) will happen again when the LORD judges the earth. People will not find support together to resist or endure God’s judgments. Everyone will be alone in his misery. All earthlings will be judged. There will be no distinction in spiritual or social status ( ; ), all layers of the population will be affected. The earth will be stripped of all its beauty. A mourning clothing, as it were, will be laid over it ( ). That this judgment will surely affect the whole earth is confirmed with the words “the LORD has spoken this word”.

‏ Isaiah 24:1-4

Introduction

The previous chapters give an account of the acts of God with the individual nations north, east, and south of Israel. This chapter describes God’s judgment on western nations, including Israel, at “the end of the age” (Mt 24:3). It is the time when He, to Whom “authority has been given … in heaven and on earth” (Mt 28:18), will return to purify His kingdom (Mt 13:41), after which He will establish His kingdom on earth.

The individual nations in Isaiah 13-23 show the different states in which the world as alienated from God has manifested itself. This happens under the influence of and guided by spiritual powers of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Thus Babylon represents the (Christian) religious system of corruption and oppression over the whole earth. The people of God are thereby imprisoned.

2. In Assyria we see the (islamic?) enmity against God’s people.

3. Philistia is the constant enemy not outside, but in the land. They stand for professing Christianity.

4. Moab stands for human proudness and pride.

5. Damascus is the enemy of God’s people, but united with the apostate part of this people against the faithful part.

6. In Dumah or Edom we see the self-confidence of man, his independence, who from that position mocks God’s people and deals with them.

7. Jerusalem stands for lip confession.

8. Tyre stands for the glory of the world.

9. Egypt is the world that boasts of its wisdom, but whose wisdom has been lost.

From all these enemies God’s people will be delivered, as well as from all that is on earth and also from the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places and kings of the earth. But first the prophetic earth will be purified. By ‘prophetic earth’ is meant that part of the earth which is mentioned in the prophecies. The prophetic earth is the part of the earth that is most responsible toward God because there the light of the gospel has shone longest and brightest. In our time, however, it is becoming increasingly clear how this gospel is being rejected especially there (2Thes 2:10). It is the part of the earth that the Lord calls His (earthly) kingdom (Mt 13:41), in which wheat and tares grow up together.

We recognize the Christian western world in this. This earthly kingdom is purified: all stumbling blocks are removed and the tares are gathered up and burned with fire (cf. Mt 13:40-41). In this way the prophetic earth will be purified in this chapter and room will be made for the establishment of God’s kingdom. All hostile powers will undergo Divine repayment on the day of the LORD as announced in this chapter.

Much of it is reminiscent of the judgments in the book of Revelation. That is why the section of Isaiah 24-27 is also called ‘the Revelation in miniature’ or ‘the Apocalypse of Isaiah’. There is also a clear connection with Jeremiah 4, where these judgments are also described (Jer 4:23-31).

Judgment Affects the Whole Earth

The explanation of this section depends on the translation of the Hebrew word eretz. It can be translated by ‘land’, i.e. the land of Israel. It can also be translated by ‘earth’. In the second case it is about the judgment on the earth. Because Matthew 24 (Mt 24:38-41) connects this part with the deluge, we choose as to the explanation for the translation by ‘earth’. The parallel between ‘earth’ and ‘world’ in Isa 24:4 of this chapter supports this choice.

However, we must bear in mind that this is the prophetic earth in contrast to the prophetic sea of the nations. We have to think of the prophetic earth in relation to those who did not accept the love of the truth, i.e. the western, (ex-)Christian world, especially Europe. By the prophetic sea of nations we mean nations that have no connection with God, but turn against Him and His people.

Everything that characterizes the world will in the end time experience the judgment that is foretold in the opening verses of this chapter. Here the LORD does not use human instruments, but executes the judgment Himself (cf. Isa 13:9-12; Jude 1:14-15) and by His angels (cf. Mt 13:41 ; 49). Everything is distorted (Isa 24:1).

We go back, as it were, to the beginning of creation, that the earth is formless and void (Gen 1:2). The world again becomes waste and empty, now through the judgment of God. Because of this, just as in the beginning, a new heaven and a new earth can be created by Him (Isa 65:17). That is the realm of peace.

It is “the hour of testing, that [hour] which is about to come upon the whole world” (Rev 3:10). What happened at the deluge (Gen 6:7 ; 17) will happen again when the LORD judges the earth. People will not find support together to resist or endure God’s judgments. Everyone will be alone in his misery.

All earthlings will be judged. There will be no distinction in spiritual or social status (Isa 24:2; Rom 2:11), all layers of the population will be affected. The earth will be stripped of all its beauty. A mourning clothing, as it were, will be laid over it (Isa 24:3). That this judgment will surely affect the whole earth is confirmed with the words “the LORD has spoken this word”.

The Cause of Judgment

Then what is already true for faith becomes visible, namely “that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together” (Isa 24:4; Rom 8:22). Also the people, and among them especially the exalted ones, will lose all their glory.

There is talk of “earth” and “world”. ‘Earth’ usually refers to the area where God’s government becomes visible. That area is also called the ‘prophetic earth’ because that is what the prophecies refer to. With ‘world’ the same area is meant here, but as the area where man reveals himself in his state of alienation from God.

In Isa 24:5 is the reason for the judgments. Man is the cause of it (Rom 8:20). God has subjected His creation to general laws and statutes that count as an eternal covenant between Him and His creation (Gen 9:8-10 ; 16). Man can never ignore and change them with impunity (Dan 7:23-26). Above all, this applies to Israel, God’s people, whom He has made clear in a peculiar way how to receive His blessing. But Israel has transgressed His law and broken His covenant (Jer 11:10; Deu 31:16 ; 20).

Man is more concerned about soil and air pollution than about the much more tragic and profound pollution of his own morality. The latter pollution is at least as widespread and serious as it was in the eighth century BC, in the days of Isaiah. God’s general institutions for the co-existence of people are being broken down one by one (cf. Dan 7:23-25). The judgments of which being “burned” is a picture (Rev 19:20 ; Rev 21:8), which follow all this forsaking of the LORD and His ordinances, will thin out the population of the earth (Isa 24:6; cf. Mt 24:22).