Isa 24:3

Isa 24:3  The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the LORD hath spoken this word.  Isaiah 24 is a controversial chapter. Commentators were split on who the prophet was addressing to. The chapter begins with these words: “Behold, the LORD will empty the earth and make it desolate, and he will twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants” (v.1). Some said the “earth” here refers to the whole world. Some said it refers to the land known to the prophet at that time, namely Palestine, Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon. Others said it refers to the land of Judah. Brother Homer Hailey in his commentary thinks it refers to the whole earth. I prefer to believe the earth here refers to the land of Judah. As I read the chapter over and over again, I’m convinced it refers to the judgment on Jerusalem. These words are often used every time when a prophet prophesied about the destruction of Jerusalem and they are found in this chapter – desolate (v.1), scatter its inhabitants (v.1), “as with the people, so with the priest” (v.2; see Hosea 4:9), “The earth shall be utterly empty and utterly plundered” (v.3), “they have transgressed the laws, violated the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant” (v.5), “The wasted city is broken down” (v.10), “Desolation is left in the city; the gates are battered into ruins” (v.12), and “the LORD of hosts reigns on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem” (v.23). The only city in the world that God was concerned and loved was Jerusalem. Jerusalem was destroyed by the Babylonians, its inhabitants scattered, the city laid waste, and the gates broken down (Nehemiah 1:3). In the destruction of the whole earth, there will be no scattering of people. The Jews were the only people who had transgressed the Law of God and broken the everlasting covenant. God did not have any other covenant with anyone else then. Yet, indeed, one day the whole earth will be destroyed. Isaiah’s prophecy on the state of Jerusalem when it was overrun by the Babylonians will be the same when the earth shall be destroyed when Christ comes again: “The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the LORD hath spoken this word” (v.3). When Christ comes again, the earth will be utterly emptied and spoiled: “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10). The Lord’s second coming is certain. His coming will mark the end of the world. The apostle Peter mentioned a group of people he called “scoffers” (2 Peter 3:3). Those scoffers were men who were immoral and who mocked at those who trusted in God. Scoffers still exist today! Such men come with their mockery, saying: “Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation” (2 Peter 3:4). They are saying: “Many generations have passed away. Christians who had lived in expectation of the Lord’s coming are in their graves. Where is the Lord’s coming and the end of the world you are preaching about?”                                                           Many, even Christians, live on the notion that things will continue as they have always been. Few think about the end of the world. They make long term plans. They never plan for the Lord’s second coming and how to prepare for it. They live on the false premise that they have a long life ahead of them. They go about in the same way day after day; the daily prayers, the daily life, are ordered according to rule. What happen to their faith? They become lukewarm. Just as the apostle Peter deemed it necessary to remind, exhort, and warn the readers of his days, we need constant reminders too (Hebrews 3:15). Brethren, the earth will pass away. Are you ready?