In today’s reading of Isaiah 23-28 there was some really great insights. I wish the one who structured the reading plan had placed chapter 28 with chapter 29-33 as it is the first of six woes and fits better within that context and structure. Due to that I won’t be addressing chapter 28 at this time…not that I always address all the chapters, but I at least wanted y’all to know I don’t think it is with the right group in our reading plan J
I really appreciated chapters 24-26 but I want to focus primarily on chapter 24
These chapters are dealing with the final and eternal judgment and cleansing of the world. When all things are made right and order is restored!
On those final days all things will be equal. Myself as a pastor will have no advantage over the laymember (24:2a), the CEO will be equal to the janitor, the rich will be equal to the poor. The devastation of the judgment will affect all classes of society—not one of them will be spared by position or wealth, religion or nationality. This is the first aspect of the judgment.
The second aspect of the judgment is that the whole earth mourns because the “everlasting covenant” has been broken. What is the “everlasting covenant” According to some it is the Sabbath according to others it is the full Gospel as was presented by EJ Waggoner and AT Jones in 1888
(The links may show us it can be both/and rather than either/or)?
The third aspect of the judgment is that we see there will be a believing remnant. This is seen in Isaiah 24:14-16a
We also see in judgment there will be punishment of the host of heaven (24:21a), which host? I believe the angels that followed Lucifer in his rebellion (Revelation 12:4) but not only the angels that followed Lucifer in his rebellion but the governments on this earth that then followed Satan and those same angels in transgression at the end of time (24:21b).
Then I want to say a word quickly about chapter 25 verses 1-9
O Lord, You are my God.
I will exalt You,
I will praise Your name,
For You have done wonderful things;
Your counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.
2 For You have made a city a ruin,
A fortified city a ruin,
A palace of foreigners to be a city no more;
It will never be rebuilt.
3 Therefore the strong people will glorify You;
The city of the terrible nations will fear You.
4 For You have been a strength to the poor,
A strength to the needy in his distress,
A refuge from the storm,
A shade from the heat;
For the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.
5 You will reduce the noise of aliens,
As heat in a dry place;
As heat in the shadow of a cloud,
The song of the terrible ones will be diminished.
6 And in this mountain
The Lord of hosts will make for all people
A feast of choice pieces,
A feast of wines on the lees,
Of fat things full of marrow,
Of well-refined wines on the lees.
7 And He will destroy on this mountain
The surface of the covering cast over all people,
And the veil that is spread over all nations.
8 He will swallow up death forever,
And the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces;
The rebuke of His people
He will take away from all the earth;
For the Lord has spoken.
9 And it will be said in that day:
“Behold, this is our God;
We have waited for Him, and He will save us.
This is the Lord;
We have waited for Him;
We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.”
While many in our the Christian world speak negatively of the judgment, Biblically people looked forward to it, they longed for it, they had hope in the judgment.
It is not because they were callous and longing to see people destroyed. I believe it is because the people that long for the judgment are those that have a true grasp of the true depravity of sin and the destruction there of.
“And it will be said in that day:
“Behold, this is our God;
We have waited for Him, and He will save us.
This is the Lord;
We have waited for Him;
We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.”” Isaiah 25:9
God’s people don’t want the destruction of the wicked they want the destruction of sin. Even they have had to suffer through the effects of sin. Think of our reading yesterday, Job, oh how he longed for the judgment, because the judgment meant the end of suffering for humanity both the righteous and the unrighteous. Judgment is not the punishment of the wicked—well it is—but this is not the ultimate purpose, it is not God saying, “Didn’t I warn you the wages of sin is death? You got what you deserved.” No I believe the judgment is ultimately an end to all sin which means and end to all suffering, for both wicked and righteous. In other words the judgment is ultimately an act of mercy, when the suffering becomes so great and God finally says “enough, my children both those who see Me as their true parent and those that don’t have endured this world long enough” and He allows sin to take its natural course…eternal death. The righteous are suffering but they are suffering with hope, “We have waited for Him, and He will save us.” The wicked are suffering but they are suffering without hope. The judgment will end all suffering and give both groups what they ultimately chose…
I hope that string of thoughts made sense. Let me know your thoughts.
Tomorrow’s Reading: Matthew 11-13