Apocalyptic Isaiah 24

Isaiah 24:1 "Behold, The LORD maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof."

This chapter refers to the known world of the day but also has far reaching implications. Again, there are teachers of prophecy who can do a better job with this than I. The known world to Israel was, of course, the immediate area of Jerusalem, the priesthood, the kings and the promised land that they were loosing.

v2 "And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him."

No escape, is the term that comes to my mind. The Jews were not suppose to charge their brethren usury but they could charge other nations. Both were under this judgment. All this seems very severe so we have to remember that Israel had turned their back on God and worshipped idols. Israel was a nation founded by God and increased by God to be a separate people and a worshipper of one God. They had left their purpose.

v5 "The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof, because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant."

That verse tells us the justification behind this judgment. All this after the LORD begged for his people to "come let us reason together". All this after warning after warning.

But this passage also refers to a future time just prior to the LORD's reign in Zion and Jerusalem.

I Thessalonians 1:10 "And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come."

There is no escape of these events except through Jesus Christ, the Messiah of Israel and our salvation.

In the next chapter, we are told of the return to God that will take place as a result of these events.

It is truly a dreadful passage followed by this great and wonderful promise.

v23 "Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously."