Isaiah 24:1-23--Judgment on the Whole Earth

Isaiah 24
English Standard Version

Judgment on the Whole Earth
24 Behold, the LORD will empty the earth and make it desolate,
    and he will twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants.
2 And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest;
    as with the slave, 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 creditor, so with the debtor.
3 The earth shall be utterly empty and utterly plundered;
    for the LORD has spoken this word.

4 The earth mourns and withers;
    the world languishes and withers;
    the highest people of the earth languish.
5 The earth lies defiled
    under its inhabitants;
for they have transgressed the laws,
    violated the statutes,
    broken the everlasting covenant.
6 Therefore a curse devours the earth,
    and its inhabitants suffer for their guilt;
therefore the inhabitants of the earth are scorched,
    and few men are left.
7 The wine mourns,
    the vine languishes,
    all the merry-hearted sigh.
8 The mirth of the tambourines is stilled,
    the noise of the jubilant has ceased,
    the mirth of the lyre is stilled.
9 No more do they drink wine with singing;
    strong drink is bitter to those who drink it.
10 The wasted city is broken down;
    every house is shut up so that none can enter.
11 There is an outcry in the streets for lack of wine;
    all joy has grown dark;
    the gladness of the earth is banished.
12 Desolation is left in the city;
    the gates are battered into ruins.
13 For thus it shall be in the midst of the earth
    among the nations,
as when an olive tree is beaten,
    as at the gleaning when the grape harvest is done.

14 They lift up their voices, they sing for joy;
    over the majesty of the LORD they shout from the west.
15 Therefore in the east give glory to the LORD;
    in the coastlands of the sea, give glory to the name of the LORD, the God of Israel.
16 From the ends of the earth we hear songs of praise,
    of glory to the Righteous One.
But I say, “I waste away,
    I waste away. Woe is me!
For the traitors have betrayed,
    with betrayal the traitors have betrayed.”

17 Terror and the pit and the snare
    are upon you, O inhabitant of the earth!
18 He who flees at the sound of the terror
    shall fall into the pit,
and he who climbs out of the pit
    shall be caught in the snare.
For the windows of heaven are opened,
    and the foundations of the earth tremble.
19 The earth is utterly broken,
    the earth is split apart,
    the earth is violently shaken.
20 The earth staggers like a drunken man;
    it sways like a hut;
its transgression lies heavy upon it,
    and it falls, and will not rise again.

​21 On that day the LORD will punish
    the host of heaven, in heaven,
    and the kings of the earth, on the earth.
22 They will be gathered together
    as prisoners in a pit;
they will be shut up in a prison,
    and after many days they will be punished.
23 Then the moon will be confounded
    and the sun ashamed,
for the LORD of hosts reigns
    on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem,
and his glory will be before his elders.

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Lest any of us become proud that our nation or people group is not among those that were listed for judgment or think that because we live in a different time and place that we don't have to think about the wrath of God, the LORD had Isaiah include this passage to let us know that a date has been fixed by Him, but unknown to anyone else that the whole world (everyone who does not belong to the LORD) will be judged.  Why do I make that distinction that may not seem abundantly clear in the text?  Because we know from the rest of Scripture that Jesus already took the judgment upon Himself for those who belong to Him.  The judgment we deserve was taken by Him.  That is part of the meaning of His saying, "It is finished" on the cross as it was a phrase used not only of when a debt had been paid but when victory had been accomplished and when a prisoner had served their full term and was released.  No single word or phrase in English can quite sum up everything He said in that one final word.

The kingdoms of this world (the physical kingdoms) will be the ones running for their lives and trying to hide from the Day of the Lord when His Day comes.  There will be no more need for caste systems or to honor the clergy or humiliate the slaves.  None of this will matter anymore when that Day comes, and everyone is equally pitiful before God and faces the fullness of His wrath.  The Word of the LORD will accomplish this and because He has spoken it, it is sure to happen.

The curse of sin has defiled the entire earth and all of creation.  Even the physical kingdom of Israel (symbolized by the olive tree and the grape vine) will not be spared from this day of wrath that is to come.  Only after destruction or purification (again, it's unclear exactly which) will the New Heavens and the New Earth come, and the curse of sin will be broken.

As in the Old Testament with the nation of Israel the choir of the people of God will be the vanguard announcing that the Lord is coming to make war with the nations and that His victory is secure.  We will sing HIs praises as He secures the victory and forever more for all eternity for, He is the one worthy of all glory and honor and praise (contrast this with the proud nations who are judged who puff themselves up, are glory thieves, and demand others give them praise and worship they don't deserve).  There will be no place far enough away or deep enough or dark enough to hide from His coming wrath.  This day of wrath for the world is a day of salvation for His people though--saved from the curse of sin and from the enemies of God.  There will be no more sin, death, disease or fear of any such thing that is a consequence of sin.

Those living in rebellion against God are afraid of this day, but those of us who have repented, trusted in the finished work of Jesus and submitted ourselves to His Lordship now and forevermore have nothing to fear and this assured victory is a reason for celebration and rejoicing.  Even though the familiar things of this world will be destroyed, we know that there is something even better in store for us.

Not even the fallen angels (the demon) will escape judgment on that Day.  All of creation will be subject to the judgment of the one who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  He will reign from Mount Zion that is Jerusalem, and His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom without boundaries from space or time.