Isaiah 24:1 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Behold, the Lord will empty the earth and make it desolate, and he will twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants.

NIV: See, the Lord is going to lay waste the earth and devastate it; he will ruin its face and scatter its inhabitants—

NASB: Behold, the Lord lays the earth waste, devastates it, twists its surface, and scatters its inhabitants.

CSB: Look, the Lord is stripping the earth bare and making it desolate. He will twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants:

NLT: Look! The Lord is about to destroy the earth and make it a vast wasteland. He devastates the surface of the earth and scatters the people.

KJV: Behold, the Lord maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof.

NKJV: Behold, the Lord makes the earth empty and makes it waste, Distorts its surface And scatters abroad its inhabitants.

Chapters 13–23 of Isaiah contained a series of prophecies about the Lord's judgment against various nations. Those judgments were mostly brought about through the Assyrian war machine. They conquered one nation after another, especially those who dared to rebel against them.

Now Isaiah prophecies about a judgment that will impact the entire world at once. Scholars have sometimes referred to chapters 24—27 as the "Apocalypse of Isaiah." The section certainly seems to be set in the end times. In this passage, the Lord judges the world before bringing all the nations under the rule of the Messiah from His throne in Jerusalem.

The chapter begins by declaring that the Lord will one day "empty the earth," or lay it to waste, and make it a wasteland. God will destroy the face of the earth and scatter the people who remain. The root word for "scatter" in Hebrew is puwts. This is the same word used for the dispersal of the earth's population from the tower of Babel (Genesis 11:9). The suggestion here is of mass migrations as people flee from disaster.

Isaiah 24:1–13 describes the Lord's judgment of all humanity during the end times. This destruction comes in response to human sinfulness. God will bring a calamity on earth that will tear the people from their homes. All will suffer equally. Everything will wither, and the few survivors will be scorched. Music, wine, and joy will end: what's left of civilization will be like the olives missed by workers at harvest.

Isaiah describes terrible judgment the Lord will bring on the earth during the final days. The Lord will twist the surface of the earth, scattering the people. All will suffer equally regardless of status, and the earth will be fully emptied. Everything will wither and languish. The Lord will do this because of human sinfulness against Him. Few will survive, and there will be no wine, music, or gladness. The only exception to this will be the singing of those who praise the Lord. Massive earthquakes will destroy the earth, and the Lord will lock up all who stood against Him before beginning His reign as king.

Chapter 24 follows the oracles of Isaiah against the nations in chapters 13–23. However, this prophecy is against the entire earth. Here, we find the description of the judgment of the Lord on all humanity during the last days. God will destroy the world in response to human sinfulness. He will ruin the face of the earth, causing people to scatter. Few will survive. Wine, music, and gladness will disappear. Earthquakes will destroy the earth. The Lord will gather the powers from heaven and earth and lock them up together before beginning His reign on earth.

Isaiah is among the most important prophetic books in the entire Bible. The first segment details God's impending judgment against ancient peoples for sin and idolatry (Isaiah 1—35). The second part of Isaiah briefly explains a failed assault on Jerusalem during the rule of Hezekiah (Isaiah 36—39). The final chapters predict Israel's rescue from Babylonian captivity (Isaiah 40—48), the promised Messiah (Isaiah 49—57), and the final glory of Jerusalem and God's people (Isaiah 58—66).

Accessed 12/21/2024 1:22:35 PM