Chapters 24 to 27 of Isaiah are known as “The Little Apocalypse of Judgment and Restoration.” The latter part gives praise to Adonai for His future victory over all enemies and the final deliverance of Israel.
Chapter 24 deals with Adonai’s judgment of the world. This mirrors the Tribulation as described in Revelation chapter 6.
An outline of Isaiah chapter 24.
Verses 1 – 6 describe the devastation of the earth because of man’s sin.
Verses 7 – 13 describe the end of revelry in the city of Jerusalem.
Verses 14 – 16 find Isaiah giving glory to Adonai whilst he also grieves over the fate of the earth. We hear a preserved remnant singing the praises of Adonai for his saving grace.
Verses 17 – 20 describes the hopelessness of flight for the whole earth is shaken.
Verses 21 – 23 has Isaiah’s vision of Adonai reigning on mount Zion and ruling over the cosmos.
Chapter 24 verse 1.
“Behold, the Lord makes the earth empty and makes it waste, distorts its surface and scatters abroad its inhabitants.”
In this verse the whole earth is in view. The prophet generalises and broadens the destruction which he had written about 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.
The vastness of the desolation is conveyed in terms like “empty” and “waste”, with its surface distorted by earthquakes.
That the inhabitants are scattered has echoes of the Tower of Babel, but this is on a much grander scale.
Chapter 24 verse 2.
“And it shall be; as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with the master; as with the maid, so with the mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the creditor, so with the debtor.”
In verses 2 and 3, Isaiah seems to narrow his focus on how these events will effect Israel in particular.
Essentially, all classes of people will be effected by Adonai’s judgment; the destruction is cataclysmic and nothing (neither rank nor wealth) can deliver from Adonai’s judgment. All will suffer for their wickedness.
Hosea 4:9.
“And it shall be like people, like priest. So I will punish them for their ways, and reward them for their deeds.”
Ezekiel 7:12, 13.
“The time has come, the day draws near. Let not the buyer rejoice, not the seller mourn. For wrath is on their whole multitude. For the seller shall not return to what has been sold, though he may still be alive; for the vision concerns the whole multitude, and it shall not turn back; no one will strengthen himself who lives in iniquity.”
Chapter 24 verse 3.
“The land shall be entirely emptied and utterly plundered, for the Lord has spoken this word.”
The reference to “the land” suggests that Isaiah, not unnaturally, is thinking about Israel. The thought of its destruction fills him with horror.
But he recognizes that these horrors are inevitable, “the Lord has spoken”. He uses this expression or an equivalent on nine occasions, to emphasise the certainly of his predictions.
Chapter 24 verse 4.
“The earth mourns and fades away, the world languishes and fades away; the haughty people of the earth languish.”
To “languish” is to suffer deprivation, hardship or neglect. Isaiah has returned his thoughts to the entire earth. It is going to mourn and wither; the entire earth is the theatre for judgment.
The reference to “haughty people” calls attention to the pride of people as a reason for Adonai’s judgment.
Isaiah 23:9.
“The Lord of hosts has purposed it, to bring to dishonour the pride of all glory, to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth.”
Proverbs 16:5.
“Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; though they join forces, none will go unpunished.”
Isaiah 25:11.
“… He will bring down their pride together with the trickery of their hands.”
Chapter 24 verse 5.
“The earth is also defiled under its inhabitants, because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinances, broken the everlasting covenant.”
As well as in the land, the whole earth is defiled by man’s sin and lawlessness.
The “everlasting covenant” could simply refer to the implicit covenant covering all people who should be obedient to Adonai’s will. Or perhaps the Noahic covenant as in Genesis 9:16 (Genesis 9:6 “Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed…”)
Deuteronomy 29:18.
“… so that there may not be a man or a woman or family or tribe, whose heart turns away today from the Lord our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations, and that there may not be among you a root bearing bitterness or wormwood …”
In verse 5, the usual language concerning a breach of covenant is here applied generally to the wicked nations. Their actions recognize offences against the conscience of men; the innate sense of right and wrong given to all mankind but which we violate.
Numbers 35:33, “… blood defiles the land…”
Chapter 24:6.
“Therefore the curse has devoured the earth, and those who dwell in it are desolate. Therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men are left.”
The people are “desolate” i.e., they are suffering the punishment for their guilt. They are scorched and perish under the curse of Adonai’s wrath until few people are left.
Isaiah 9:19.
“Through the wrath of the Lord of hosts the land is burned up. And the people shall be the fuel for the fire; no man shall spare his brother.”
We can compare this with the fourth bowl judgment of Revelation 16:8,9.
The “few men” who are left will be a Gentile remnant who will join with Israel when Messiah returns.
Chapter 24:7 – 9.
“The new wine fails, the vine languishes, all the merry-hearted sigh. The mirth of the tambourine ceases, the noise of the jubilant ends, the joy of the harp ceases. They shall not drink wine with a song; strong drink is bitter to those who drink it.”
The future days of judgment will end all merriment (compare this to Revelation 18:22, referring to Babylon.)
Isaiah 5:12.
“The harp and the strings, the tambourine and flute, and wine are in their feasts. But they do not regard the work of the Lord, nor consider the operation of His hands.”
Jeremiah 7:33.
“The corpses of this people will be food for the birds of the heaven and the beasts of the earth. And no one will frighten them away. Then I will cause to cease from the cities of Judah and from the streets of Jerusalem the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride. For the land shall be desolate.”
Chapter 24:10 – 12.
“The city of confusion is broken down; every house is shut up, so that none can go in. There is a cry for wine in the streets, all joy is darkened. The mirth of the land is gone. In the city desolation is left, and the gate is stricken with destruction.”
Jerusalem has become a city of emptiness, distress, confusion and misery. Houses which should have provided security and comfort from outside harm are shup up and are inaccessible.
But this is not just the situation in Jerusalem; all urban civilizations are affected.
Chapter 24: 13.
“When it shall be thus in the midst of the land among the people, it shall be like the shaking of an olive tree, like the gleaning of grapes when the vintage is done.”
There will be total devastation in the land, as in the whole earth.
We see the same imagery in the proclamation against Ephraim.
Isaiah 17:6.
“Yet gleaning grapes will be left it, like the shaking of an olive tree, two or three olives at the top of the uppermost bough, four or five in its most fruitful branches” says the Lord God of Israel.”
Only a few will survive; a small amount of fruit.
Isaiah 27:12.
“And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord will thresh, from the channel of the River to the Brook of Egypt; and you will be gathered one by one, 0 you children of Israel.”
Isaiah 24: 14.
“They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing; for the majesty of the Lord they shall cry aloud from the sea.”
Those who have survived the Tribulation around the Mediterranean (those who love Adonai’s law and have suffered for righteousness) sing out. These are the songs of the Gentile remnant praising Adonai for His saving grace.
Isaiah 24:15.
“Therefore glorify the Lord in the dawning light, the name of the Lord God of Israel in the coastlands of the sea.”
The imagery suggests the east (“in the dawning light”) and the west (“the coastlands of the sea”). Together they suggest that from east to west, everyone should give the Lord the praise that is due Him. The call (“glorify the Lord”) summons all the people worldwide to attribute to the Lord what He has done.
Malachi 1:11.
“For from the rising of the sun, even to its going down, My name shall be great among the Gentiles; in every place incense shall be offered to My name and a pure offering; for My name shall be great among the nations, Says the Lord of hosts.”
Chapter 24 verse 16.
“From the ends of the earth we have heard songs: “Glory to the righteous!” But I said, “I am ruined, ruined! Woe to me! The treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously, indeed the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously “.
The prophet bemoans the horrors of the Great Tribulation. It will be a time of treachery from which escape will be impossible. He cannot join in the celebration of Adonai’s glory because he sees the grief and corruption in the world before the final celebration of Adonai’s victory.
Isaiah 33:1.
“Woe to you who plunder though you have not been plundered; and you who deal treacherously, though they have not dealt treacherously with you! When you cease plundering, you will be plundered; when you make an end of dealing treacherously, they will deal treacherously with you.”
There was similar distress for Daniel over what he saw in his vision.
Daniel 7:28.
“This is the end of the account. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts greatly troubled me, and my countenance changed: But I kept the matter in my heart.”
Chapter 24 verse 17.
“Fear and the pit and the snare are upon you, O inhabitant of the earth.”
Terror is upon all the inhabitants of the earth. The images of “the pit” and “the snare” allude to an animal caught in a trap. This sort of image is frequently used in scripture to symbolise whose lives are a series of inescapable traps.
Amos 5:19.
“It will be as though a man fled from a lion and a bear met him! Or as though he went into the house, leaned his hand on the wall and a serpent bit him.”
Chapter 24 verse 18.
“And it shall be that he who flees from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit, and he who comes up from the midst of the pit shall be caught in the snare; for the windows from on high are open , and the foundations of the earth are shaken.”
Here we have the message of the inescapability of the tribulation repeated. The phrase “the windows from on high”, recalls the flood in Noah’s time (Genesis 7: 11). The term for “window” means an “opening”.
Judgment, this time, will not be with a flood, but an unparallelled earthquake will mark Adonai’s visitation.
Psalm 18:7.
“Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of the hills also quaked and were shaken, because He was angry.”
Isaiah 2:19.
“They shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, from the terror of the Lord and the glory of His majesty, when He arises to shake the earth mightily.”
Matthew 24:7.
“For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.
Chapter 24 verses 19 and 20.
“The earth is violently broken, the earth is split open, the earth is shaken exceedingly. The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall totter like a hut; its transgressions shall be heavy upon it, and it will fall and not rise again.”
These verses depict the earth in a state of utter desolation because of the judgment of Adonai through the Tribulation. Earthquakes have thoroughly broken the earth.
Revelation 16:18.
“And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings, and there was a great earthquake as has not occurred since men were on the earth.”
The earth will career around like a drunkard. This state is also compared to a flimsy hut being blown about in a storm.
Chapter 24 verse 21.
“It shall come to pass in that day the Lord will punish on high the host of exalted ones, and on the earth the kings of the earth.”
Both celestial beings and earthly rulers are in view here and will receive the punishment of Adonai. The “host of exalted ones” are Satan and the fallen angels. In the final stages of “the Day of the Lord”, Adonai will strike against both angelic and earthly rulers.
Psalm 76:12.
“He shall cut off the spirit of princes; He is awesome to the kings of the earth.”
1 Corinthians 15:25.
“For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet.”
Revelation 20:1 – 3.
“Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the keys to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him… “
Chapter 24 verse 22.
“They will be gathered together as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and will be shut up in the prison; after many days they will be punished.”
Prisoners referred to here are of course, “the host of exalted ones” and “the kings of the earth”. The latter will have served as “puppet” rulers for the dragon and will receive judgment at the second coming of Messiah.
Jude 6.
“And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day…”
Revelation 20:13 – 15.
“… Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”
Chapter 24 verse 23.
“Then the moon will be disgraced and the sun ashamed; for the Lord of hosts will reign on Mount Zion in Jerusalem and before his elders, gloriously.”
In the eternal state, after Messiah’s millennial rule, the glory of Adonai and His Messiah will replace the sun and the moon as the source of light. The glory of this light will surpass that of the sun and moon; making them look rather pathetic.
Isaiah 60: 19.
“The sun shall no longer be your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you; but the Lord will be to you an everlasting light, and your God your glory.”
Revelation 21:23,24.
“The city (the new Jerusalem) had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The lamb is the light. And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honour into it.”