Lesson #23

ISAIAH 24
Lesson #23
A TIME OF EXTREME DESTRUCTION

• MEMORY VERSE: PSALMS 18:3 OR PSALMS 34:6

• WE HAVE COME TO THE END OF THE SECTION OF “BURDENS” IN ISAIAH.
• AS WE LOOK BACK AT THE TEN BURDENS, WE SEE THAT THEY REPRESENT CERTAIN ASPECTS OF THE WORLD IN WHICH WE LIVE.
• #1. BABYLON REPRESENTS FALSE RELIGION AND IDOLATRY
• #2. PHILISTIA (PALESTINA) REPRESENTS APOSTATE CHRISTIANITY.
• #3. MOAB REPRESENTS “FORMAL RELIGION” WITH NO GODLY POWER.
• #4. SYRIA (DAMASCUS) REPRESENTS COMPROMISE WITH THE WORLD.
• #5. EGYPT REPRESENTS WORLDLINESS.
• #6. MEDIA/ PERSIA REPRESENTS LUXURY.
• #7. EDOM REPRESENTS THE FLESH NATURE.
• #8. ARABIA REPRESENTS WAR AND VIOLENCE.
• #9. VALLEY OF VISION (JERUSALEM) REPRESENTS POLITICS.
• #10. TYRE REPRESENTS WORLD COMMERCIALISM AND BIG BUSINESS.

• BEGINNING IN ISA 24, WE START A NEW SECTION OF PROPHECY. THE THEME IS STILL JUDGMENT, BUT NOT RELATED TO SPECIFIC NATIONS. INSTEAD THE JUDGMENT HAS SPREAD FROM NATION TO NATION TO THE WHOLE WORLD.
• IN THE SECTION OF “BURDEN” JUDGMENTS, WE EXAMINED THE CASE OF DOUBLE FULFILLMENT WITH EACH PROPHECY. THIS SECTION HAS NO SUCH FULFILLMENT IN HISTORY. IT IS ALL FUTURE.
• IF BIBLE PROPHECY IS SUPPOSED TO HAVE A DOUBLE FULFILLMENT, HOW DO WE EXPLAIN THIS?
• THESE PROPHECIES ARE GENERAL PROPHECIES NOT CONTAINING SPECIFIC DETAILS REGARDING SPECIFIC NATIONS. THEREFORE, ALL THE BURDEN PROPHECIES BEFORE THIS SECTION WOULD BE CONSIDERED THE FIRST FULFILLMENT.
• IN OTHER WORDS, DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF THESE NEW PROPHECIES HAVE BEEN FULFILLED PARTIALLY ON A VERY LIMITED GEOGRAPHICAL BASIS AT SOME POINT IN TIME PAST.

• READ ISA 24:1-23 JUDGMENT ON THE WHOLE EARTH
• IN VERSE 1 IT SAYS THAT THE EARTH IS EMPTY.
• OBVIOUSLY THIS HAS NEVER BEEN FULFILLED IN TIME PAST. HOWEVER, THE HEBREW WORD “erets” CAN MEAN EITHER ISRAEL OR THE WHOLE EARTH. IN FACT THIS WORD IS USED 16 TIMES IN THIS CHAPTER AND IS TRANSLATED EITHER “LAND”, “EARTH”, OR “WORLD” IN THE KING JAMES.
• IF THAT IS THE CASE, THEN WE COULD SAY THAT THE FIRST FULFILLMENT WAS WHEN THE JEWS WERE TAKEN INTO THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY HAVING BEEN REMOVED FROM THE LAND OF ISRAEL. HOWEVER, THE CONTEXT OF THE CHAPTER BETTER DESCRIBES THE DISTANT FUTURE FULFILLMENT.
• REFERENCES IN THIS CHAPTER TO “THE CITY” DO NOT REFER TO ANY SPECIFIC CITY BUT CITIES IN GENERAL. (10, 12)
• TO WHAT PERIOD OF TIME DOES THIS CHAPTER REFER? HOW DO WE KNOW?
• THIS CHAPTER PROBABLY REFERS TO THE END OF THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON AND THE BEGINNING OF THE MILLENNIUM KINGDOM OF CHRIST ON EARTH. WE KNOW BY SPECIFIC DETAILS THAT DESCRIBE THE TIME.
• THIS IS A TIME WHEN “FEW MEN ARE LEFT” ON EARTH (6) AFTER THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON WHEN THERE WILL BE GREAT DESTRUCTION THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. (6)
• THIS IS A TIME WHEN GOD WILL JUDGE THE NATIONS IN THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON. (21)

• READ 2PET 3:6-7,10
• GOD PROMISED NOAH THAT HE WOULD NEVER DESTROY THE WHOLE WORLD AGAIN BY FLOOD. HE HAS KEPT THAT PROMISE. HOWEVER HE WILL DESTROY THE WHOLE WORLD AGAIN, NOT BY FLOOD, BUT BY FIRE. WHY FIRE?
• FIRE IS CONSIDERED A PURIFYING AGENT THAT PURGES OUT THE DROSS FROM GOLD. FIRE WILL CLEANSE THE EARTH OF EVERYTHING THAT DEFILES MAN, CREATION, AND GOD’S KINGDOM.
• THE FIRE COMES AFTER THE MILLENNIAL REIGN OF CHRIST WHO REIGNS FOR 1,000 YEARS.
• WHAT DO YOU LEARN ABOUT THE REMNANT IN ISA 24:13-15?
• THEY WILL WORSHIP AND PRAISE JESUS CHRIST.
• “THE SHAKING OF THE OLIVE TREE” (13)
• THE SYMBOL OF THE OLIVE TREE REFERS TO ISRAEL. THE SHAKING IS THE PRESSURE PUT ON THE JEWS DURING THE TRIBULATION TO DRIVE THEM TO CHRIST AT THE SECOND COMING.
• REMEMBER ONE OF THE BASIC PURPOSES OF THE TRIBULATION IS TO BRING ISRAEL TO ITS KNEES SO THAT THEY WOULD RECOGNIZE AND ACCEPT CHRIST AT THE SECOND COMING.
• THEREFORE PART OF THE REMNANT IN THE TRIBULATION IS THE 144,000 JEWS.
• “THE GLEANING OF GRAPES” (13)
• FROM EVERY “ISLE OF THE SEA” (15) WILL BE A REMNANT OF GENTILE BELIEVERS COME OUT OF THE GREAT TRIBULATION. (15) (REV 7:9)
• IN OTHER WORDS, THE GLEANED GRAPES IS A SMALL AMOUNT OF THE HARVEST, BUT WILL GROW TO BE A GREAT MULTITUDE THROUGHOUT THE WORLD BY THE TIME THE TRIBULATION ENDS AND CHRIST COMES AT THE SECOND COMING.
• THE UNIVERSAL SUFFERING OF THE GREAT TRIBULATION:
• “MY LEANNESS, MY LEANNESS” (16)
• WHILE THERE IS MUCH TO PRAISE GOD FOR DURING THE TRIBULATION BECAUSE OF MANY PEOPLE TURNING TO CHRIST, GOD CRIES OVER THE TERRIBLE DESTRUCTION AND SUFFERING BROUGHT UPON THE WORLD BY THE ANTI-CHRIST. (MAT 24:21-22)
• THEN WHY WILL GOD ALLOW THIS TERRIBLE PERIOD OF TIME IN THE FUTURE?
• BECAUSE MANKIND HAS DEFILED THE WORLD WITH SINS. IN OTHER WORDS, WITHOUT CHRIST, THE HUMAN CONDITION IS WITHOUT HOPE. (5)
• GEN 3:17-19 THE CURSE ON THE LAND
• ROM 8:20-22 THE EARTH WAITS FOR THE CLEANSING.
• NUM 35:33 SINS OF ISRAEL POLLUTED THE PROMISE LAND.
• AN IMPORTANT SPIRITUAL TRUTH:
• SIN DEFILES NOT ONLY THE PERSON OR PERSONS INVOLVED BUT IS LIKE A ROTTEN APPLE THAT SPREADS TO OTHER PEOPLE, AND ALSO HAS AN EFFECT ON THE LAND, NATURE, AND HEAVEN.
• THEREFORE, THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS ISOLATED SIN AMONG CONSENTING ADULTS.
• THE THREE TRIBULATION DANGERS: (17)
• FEAR
• THE PIT
• THE GREAT DANGER OF DEATH FROM A MULTITUDE OF SOURCES:
• FAMINE, PLAGUE, WAR, DISEASE, PERSECUTION, SATANIC ATTACK, WILD BEASTS, ETC.
• REVELATION SAYS AT ONE POINT DURING THE TRIBULATION THAT 1/4 OF THE WORLD’S POPULATION DIES, AND AT ANOTHER POINT IN THE TRIBULATION 1/3 OF THE REMAINDER OF THE WORLD’S POPULATION DIES, THIS ALL IN A SEVEN YEAR PERIOD.
• THE SNARE
• DECEPTION BY THE ANTI-CHRIST AND THE FALSE PROPHET TO GAIN THE SOULS OF MEN:
• THE DECEPTION THAT ENCOURAGES PEOPLE TO ELECT THE ANTI-CHRIST AS A WORLD LEADER.
• THE DECEPTION THAT THE ANTI-CHRIST IS THE MESSIAH.
• THE DECEPTION THAT LEADS PEOPLE TO WORSHIP HIM AS GOD.
• THE DECEPTION THAT ENCOURAGES PEOPLE TO TAKE THE MARK OF THE BEAST…666.
• THE DECEPTION THAT ENCOURAGES PEOPLE TO FIGHT FOR THE ANTI-CHRIST AND AGAINST JESUS CHRIST AT THE SECOND COMING.
• THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON (19-21)
• GOD BEGINS TO JUDGE THE NATIONS BY BRINGING THEM TO THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON.
• THESE TWO VERSES MAY REFER TO ATOMIC WARFARE.
• EVEN THE DEMONIC SPIRITUAL POWERS AND AUTHORITIES WILL NOT ESCAPE.
• “THE HOST OF THE HIGH ONES ” (21) REFERS TO SATAN AND HIS DEMON POWERS.
• “AND THEY SHALL BE GATHERED TOGETHER…” (22)
• WHO ARE THE “THEY”?
• THE “THEY” IS UNCLEAR. THEREFORE, THE INTERPRETATION DEPENDS ON WHOSE INTERPRETATION YOU READ.
• IF THIS REFERS TO THE DEAD BELIEVERS KILLED BY THE ANTI-CHRIST DURING THE TRIBULATION, THEY WAIT UNTIL THE TRIBULATION ENDS, AND THEN THEY WILL BE RAISED FROM THE DEAD AND RESURRECTED TO A NEW BODY AT THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST.
• IF THIS REFERS TO DEAD UNBELIEVERS KILLED DURING THE TRIBULATION, THEY WILL WAIT UNTIL THE MILLENNIAL REIGN OF CHRIST IS OVER. THEN THEY WILL BE RESURRECTED TO STAND BEFORE THE GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT OF GOD.
• BECAUSE OF THE CONTEXT OF VERSE 23, INTERPRETATION #1 SEEMS TO BEST FIT THE TIME SEQUENCE FOLLOWING VERSE 23 WHILE INTERPRETATION #2 BEST FITS THE CONTEXT PRECEDING VERSE 23..
• VERSE 23 SEEMS TO REFER TO THE DARKENING OF THE SUN, AND THE MOON TURNING TO BLOOD WHICH OCCURS AT THE SECOND COMING, AND BEFORE THE MILLENNIAL REIGN OF CHRIST ON EARTH.

• APPLICATION:
• WHAT CAN WE POSSIBLY LEARN FROM THIS VERY NEGATIVE CHAPTER THAT IS POSITIVE FOR US IN OUR DAY?
• WE SEE THE JOY OF THE SAVED REMNANT. THEY HAVE THE JOY OF THE LORD NO MATTER WHAT AWFUL THINGS ARE GOING ON AROUND THEM. (7-9,11)
• WE SEE THE SAVED REMNANT CONTINUALLY PRAISING GOD, EVEN WHEN GOD ALLOWS SO MUCH DESTRUCTION. (15)
• WE SEE THAT THE SAVED REMNANT HAS AN ATTITUDE THAT UNDERSTANDS WHAT GOD IS DOING THROUGH ALL OF THIS DESTRUCTION. THEY HAVE AN ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE. (16)
• IN VERSE 16, THE WORD “RIGHTEOUS” REFERS TO THE “RIGHTEOUS ONE” REFERRING TO JESUS CHRIST.
• IN OTHER WORDS, THEY KNOW THAT THESE THINGS MUST COME TO PASS BEFORE CHRIST CAN COME.
• PROPHESY MUST BE FULFILLED.
• THE WICKED MUST BE PUNISHED.
• EVIL MEN AND NATIONS MUST REAP WHAT THEY SOW FOR GOD TO FULFILL HIS JUSTICE.
• SIN AND SATAN MUST RUN THEIR COURSE SO THAT MAN WILL BE GIVEN A CHOICE.

• APPLICATION OF ISA 24
• EXAMINE YOUR OWN LIFE. DO NEGATIVE THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN THE WORLD AND ON THE NEWS TEND TO DEPLETE YOUR JOY?
• WHEN YOU SEE NON-BELIEVERS PROSPER IN THIS WORLD, DOES THAT TEND TO MAKE YOU WONDER IF ALL THIS CHRISTIANITY IS WORTH IT?
• IF YOUR ANSWER TO THESE TWO QUESTIONS IS “YES”, YOU NEED TO DEVELOP A MORE ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE OF LIFE. HOW DO YOU DO THAT?
• MORE STUDY IN THE WORD OF GOD GIVES YOU A FULLER PICTURE OF GOD’S ETERNAL PLAN. MORE FOCUS ON THE NEEDS OF OTHERS AND DOING CHRIST’S WILL TO MEET THOSE NEEDS TAKES THE FOCUS OFF OF YOUR OWN SITUATION.
• A CLOSER RELATIONSHIP TO CHRIST GIVES YOU ASSURANCE OF YOUR POSITION IN CHRIST AND HIS PERFECT PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE.
• PRAY AND DETERMINE TO DEVELOP AN ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE.
• PREPARATION FOR ISA 25 -27
• READ ISA 25-27 ABOUT THE MILLENNIAL REIGN OF CHRIST ON EARTH
• THIS SECTION OF ISAIAH IS A SONG WITH 3 STANZAS. THE MILLENNIUM IS EXPLAINED BY USING WORD PICTURES.
• WRITE ONE CENTRAL TRUTH FOR EACH SECTION:
• ISA 25:1-3 THE RUINED CITY
• ISA 25:4-5 THE REFUGE
• ISA 25:6-12 THE FEAST
• ISA 26:1-6 THE STRONG CITY
• ISA 26:7-11 THE LEVEL PATH
• ISA 26:12-18 THE WOMAN IN CHILDBIRTH
• ISA 26:19-21 THE LIFE-GIVING DEW
• ISA 27:1 THE CONQUERED BEAST
• ISA 27:2-11 THE FRUITFUL VINEYARD
• ISA 27:12-13 THE HOLY FEAST OF JOY
• MEMORY VERSE: ISAIAH 25:1