Page 51 - Isaiah Student Worktext

I saw this quote in my Bible’s study notes: ‘Prophecy is not so that we can pinpoint dates, but to
stimulate us to obedience so that we will know that God is in control’.

Jesus told us Himself that no one knows the day or the hour, not even Himself as the Son of God. Only
God knows. I can almost imagine those in Heaven, the angels, the redeemed and even Jesus looking at
God, watching and waiting to see when He’ll give the signal.

Isaiah 24 is a very complex chapter, and it covers the destruction of the whole earth.

Like so many other prophecies there are contemporary fulfillments of at least some of the passages, but
the ultimate fulfillment is the end.

I keep coming across this phrase: the judgments that have come in the past and that will come in the
future are ‘dress rehearsals’ for the ultimate judgment.

V. 1-3 The earth will become a wasteland. Its surface will be distorted. We see in other scripture that
the destruction will be by fire 2 Peter 3: 7 Fire of that intensity would ‘distort’ the surface.

V. 1 says the earth will be empty and then says that the inhabitants will be ‘scattered’. The word used
for ‘scattered’ here is the same word used in Genesis 11: 9, after the Tower of Babel, when people were
sent to different destinations throughout the earth. It can also mean that the inhabitants will be
scattered to their eternity.

This destruction will be for all people: priest, servant or master, creditor or debtor. All the inhabitants
will meet the same fate. And verse 3 confirms that the land shall be entirely emptied and utterly
plundered.

V. 4-6 We’re back to having inhabitants again, and this is indication of the contemporary fulfillment of
the prophecy. All the ‘destructions’ until the last one are partial, local. And where those destructions
occur will mourn and languish. The ‘haughty’ arrogant people will be particularly struck.

Why? In all cases because they have defiled the earth transgressed the law, broken the covenant. As a
result, the ‘curse’ of sin will devour the earth. The inhabitants will be ‘burned’, although there will be
‘few men left’. This again is the contemporary fulfillment…always a remnant.

V. 7-9 As we have seen, people are always seeking to escape God’s judgments by immersing themselves
in pleasure. Belshazzar was feasting in Daniel 5.

Here, we see that the wine fails, the tambourine ceases. Strong drink becomes bitter to those who drink
it.

V. 10-12 The city of confusion is broken down and all joy is darkened. The gate of the city is stricken
with destruction. All the things that man has run to will not protect them.

V. 13 When God comes for the ‘harvest’ it will be like the shaking of an olive tree, like the gleaning of
the grapes. Both of these are illustrations that there will be few left, because this is after the initial
harvest.

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