Isaiah 24

CHAPTER 24THEME: Comingthe Great TribulationThis brings us to a new section, although the theme is still judgment. Chapter 23 concluded the judgment against the nations. We have seen God’s judgment snowballing from nation to nation, and now it comes down to the final judgment that is coming upon the earth, which our Lord Jesus Christ labeled the Great Tribulation period. Both F. Delitzsch and F. C. Jennings consider this section thoroughly eschatological; that is, it refers to the final judgment from God which will come upon the whole world. In contrast to the judgments upon the nations in chapters 13-23 which have largely been fulfilled, this final judgment is entirely future.

Isaiah 24:1

WORLDWIDE JUDGMENT FROM GOD"Earth" in this verse is the Hebrew word erets and could mean either the land of Israel or the whole world. The whole world conforms better to the context in this chapter. Actually, the judgment could be said to be twofold, referring not only to the land of Israel, but to the entire world.

Isaiah 24:6

God promised Noah that He would never destroy the earth again with a flood. Note here that the judgment is fire"burned." 2Pe_3:6-7 says, “Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.”

Isaiah 24:13

PRESERVATION OF THE SAINTSIn verses Isa_24:13-15 we see that the saints are preserved through the Great Tribulation period. The remnant will be small, and they will lift up their voices to glorify God. Now in the time of testing, during the Tribulation, they will be able to glorify the Lord, “even the name of the LORD God of Israel.” So there is to be a remnant at that time, which will be of Israel, and also out to the very “isles of the sea,” which will include the whole earth, of course.

Isaiah 24:16

UNIVERSAL AND UNPARALLELED SUFFERING"My leanness, my leanness"when the prophet sees the awful character of the destruction of the Great Tribulation, he cries out, as Dr. Jennings translates it, “My misery, my misery.” It is going to be a terrible time. Our Lord described this period of time in just as striking language when He said, “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened” (Mat_24:21-22).

Isaiah 24:17

This verse states that there are three dangers that will be upon the inhabitants of the earth in that day.

1. “Fear"there is no freedom from fear here. From the time of the Atlantic Truce, drawn up by Winston Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt, politicians have talked about bringing freedom from fear to the world. How about it? Is the world free from fear today? Mobs are marching. Dissatisfaction and fear are everywhere. And fear will be multiplied during the Tribulation.
2. “Pit"is danger of death. Hanging over the world today is the threat of the atom bomb, and it spells frightful death to the population of the world. God says He won’t let the population be destroyed. The Lord Jesus said, “Except those days be shortened, no flesh would be able to survive,” but He is going to shorten those days.
3. “Snare"is deception. What the Lord Jesus Christ said as He began the Olivet discourse fits right into the Great Tribulation period. In Mat_24:4 the Lord said, “…Take heed that no man deceive you.” It will be a time when people will believe that they are entering into the Millennium. We get the impression today that some of the great world leaders think they are going to bring in the Millennium. Well, they are going to bring in nothing but the Great Tribulation Period, and the Antichrist will take over. The world will think they are entering the Millennium, when in fact they are entering the Tribulation. One of the things that will characterize the Antichrist is deception. He will be a deceiver. After all, that is what his papa, the Devil is. How many people there are who are being deceived today! They are deceived about life. How many people are even thinking about eternity? Not many. Most people think only of the here and now. Science is now rejecting the creation accountthey don’t want it.

This is a great day of deception. You can be deceived by science; you can be deceived by politicians; you can be deceived by the news media; you can be deceived by the military; and you can be deceived by all of the malcontents who are protesting today. The only help available is the Lord Jesus Christ. Turn to Him. He has been made unto us wisdom, and He is the only hope. During the Tribulation people will be deceived; the Antichrist will be able to look at the world and privately say, “Suckers!” And that’s what they will be.

The Devil has said that about the hunan race for a long time, and that is what we are unless we turn to Christ.

Isaiah 24:18

Those who don’t go down into the pit of death will be snared. The Book of Revelation says that one fourth of the population is going to be taken out at one time in a great judgment, and at another time one third of the population will die.

Isaiah 24:22

TRIBULATION SAINTS ARE RAISED FROM THE DEADThis is a marvelous passage of Scripture that speaks of resurrection. They shall go down into death; then they will be raised from the dead. I believe the meaning of this is that the Tribulation saints will have part in the first resurrection. They will be raised from the dead (see Rev_20:4). The Great Tribulation will end with the coming of the King (see Rev_19:11-16).

Isaiah 24:23

“The moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed"even nature is going to respond to the King when He comes to rule. Christ Jesus is the only One who can end this period known as the Great Tribulation.