Isaiah 24:14 - Printer Friendly

ESV: They lift up their voices, they sing for joy; over the majesty of the LORD they shout from the west.

NIV: They raise their voices, they shout for joy; from the west they acclaim the LORD's majesty.

NASB: They raise their voices, they shout for joy; They cry out from the west concerning the majesty of the Lord.

CSB: They raise their voices, they sing out; they proclaim in the west the majesty of the Lord.

NLT: But all who are left shout and sing for joy. Those in the west praise the Lord’s majesty.

KJV: They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the LORD, they shall cry aloud from the sea.

NKJV: They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing; For the majesty of the Lord They shall cry aloud from the sea.

The change of tone from the prior verse (Isaiah 24:13) is shocking. Isaiah has been describing the wretched sadness and gloom of survivors on earth as they languish in their torment. They live out their days without protection, resources, or happiness: cowering behind locked doors in the ruins of civilization (Isaiah 24:6–11).

Then, suddenly, another group calls out, in celebration. Whoever they are, they shout from the west in praise of the majesty of the Lord. After all that has happened, some on earth are not waiting for wine to join in song together. The gladness has not been banished from this pocket of people. These have come to faith in the Lord even in this time of judgment and now praise Him for His justice in ridding the world of sin.

The contrast between those who live in the light of the Lord (John 8:12) and those who live under the gloom of their own stubborn sinfulness could not be more obvious.

Isaiah 24:14–16 proves that even during an end-times global catastrophe, God can still reach people with the gospel. While most of surviving humanity is huddled in misery, some sing praise to the Lord. Isaiah, however, grieves that his own generation is spiritually traitorous.

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 5/6/2024 8:51:52 PM