Isaiah 24 Devotional
by Pastor Lawrence

           Chapters 24-27 are often referred to as Isaiah’s ‘little apocalypse’ for their distinctly eschatological orientation looking forward to the end times (similar to chs. 65 and 66).  After revealing his burden or oracle concerning God’s judgment upon individual nations in the previous section, these chapters look toward God’s final judgment on earth.  Isaiah begins in v.1 with the word “behold” to transition to this consummate view of the last days. 

           In the first three verses, Isaiah describes God’s judgment upon the world as sort of a de-creation, a returning to Genesis 1:2 where the earth was without form and void, when there was no order but all was chaos.  This devolution would come as a result of something like the flood in Genesis 9 and something like the Tower of Babel in Genesis 11.  The earth is pictured as a wasteland as a result of a judgment from heaven in which the “windows of heaven are opened” and the foundations of the earth tremble in v.18.  This is language taken directly from the original account of the flood but now speaks of scorching rather than drowning.  Then, too, Isaiah begins to speak of a wasted city in opposition to God and how God “scatters” its inhabitants in vv.1,12.  This is language taken directly from the original account of the Tower of Babel where all the proud people come under the judgment of God.    

           Additionally, Isaiah continues to reference the original curse of the earth in Genesis 3 with the earth mourning, withering and languishing but with intensified language.  Why are all these things happening?  Isaiah says it is because the earth is “defiled” under its inhabitants by their transgressions in breaking the everlasting covenant.  This too is language taken from Genesis 9 after the flood when God made an eternal covenant with Noah and all creation not to destroy the earth again by a flood.  But it may imply God’s original covenant with Adam in the Garden and of the consequences if man broke his covenant with God.  In other words, the final word on these everlasting covenants is finally spoken by God for He has been more than patient with man’s wickedness.    

           In vv.7-13 Isaiah transitions from the desolate earth to the desolate city, the city of Tohu, the city of chaos and emptiness, the city that embodies all the wicked cities in the world that hearken back to the Tower of Babel.  Finally the inhabitants of this proud and wicked city in opposition to God are silenced.  Finally their wine runs out, their vine languishes, and their lustful songs are stopped.  Then, in vv.14-16 a new song is heard.  The song of the remnant singing praise to the majesty and glory of the Righteous One.  This is not merely the remnant of Israel or of Judah, but the remnant from every nation, those who have come out of the wicked city of chaos who have not sung their lusty songs.  Shouting from the west and singing from the east and from the ends of the earth, even to the islands of the sea, all these voices join in praise to the Lord, the God of Israel, the great Savior and Judge.    

           After this very brief glimpse of glory, Isaiah continues with his vision of judgment in the second part of v.16ff.  Unlike in Isaiah 6 where the prophet expresses his own woe on himself and his people in light of the holiness of God, he now expresses the woe of all the earth who do not know the salvation of the Lord.  In vv.17-18 Isaiah describes something out of a scene of a horror movie.  If a man runs from one terror, he then falls into pit.  If he manages to climb out of the pit, he gets caught in a snare until the windows of heaven open up and rain down fire and brimstone.      

           Then, in vv.21ff, Isaiah describes not only God’s judgment upon the wickedness of men, but also the wickedness of the fallen angels in the heavenly realms.  Both of these groups will be gathered into a prison or a pit in order to be punished by the wrath of God.  Only then, after all this devastation is brought against heaven and earth is there another brief glimpse of glory in v.23 when the sun and the moon are confounded by the glory of the Lord as it is revealed before the elders of Israel.  This is language taken from Exodus 24:9-11 when the elders of Israel went up Mt. Sinai with Moses caught a glimpse of the glory of the Lord on the mountain from afar.  But now Isaiah sees a fuller revelation of the Lord in His glory surrounded by the elders of Israel.  But it is the apostle John who sees it most clearly in Revelation 11:15-17 and 19:4 leading God’s people, the remnant in an eternal song of praise to the Righteous One.