After the prophecies of chapters 13-20 and 21-23, now the "local" prophecies become global -- the devastation promised to nearby ancient Near East (ANE) kingdoms is extended to all the earth. And even to Heaven itself! The next four chapters, chapters 24 to 27, mix endtime prophecy with praise songs. Some have called these four chapters "The Isaiah Apocalypse" (Grogan, p. 149.)
Isaiah 24:1-2, Devastation for all
See, the LORD is going to lay waste the earth
and devastate it;
he will ruin its face
and scatter its inhabitants—
it will be the same
for priest as for people,
for the master as for his servant,
for the mistress as for her servant,
for seller as for buyer,
for borrower as for lender,
for debtor as for creditor.
The "scattering" will be for all people, rich and poor, priest and supplicant, master and servant.
Isaiah 24:3-5, Earth and its people
The earth will be completely laid waste
and totally plundered.
The LORD has spoken this word.
The earth dries up and withers,
the world languishes and withers,
the heavens languish with the earth.
The earth is defiled by its people;
they have disobeyed the laws,
violated the statutes
and broken the everlasting covenant.
Because of their abandonment of God, all the earth suffers. The abandonment is described in terms of a covenant, possibly the Mosaic Covenant or maybe earlier covenants with Abraham, Noah or Adam. (This passage is universal, extending far beyond the Jews, so it is likely that Isaiah is referring to ancient expectations for all of mankind.)
Isaiah 24:6-12, Curse
Therefore a curse consumes the earth;
its people must bear their guilt.
Therefore earth’s inhabitants are burned up,
and very few are left.
The new wine dries up and the vine withers;
all the merrymakers groan.
The joyful timbrels are stilled,
the noise of the revelers has stopped,
the joyful harp is silent.
No longer do they drink wine with a song;
the beer is bitter to its drinkers.
The ruined city lies desolate;
the entrance to every house is barred.
In the streets they cry out for wine;
all joy turns to gloom,
all joyful sounds are banished from the earth.
The city is left in ruins,
its gate is battered to pieces.
A curse, echoing Genesis 3, covers the earth. The people lament; the few that are left no longer have luxuries like beer or wine; the city is desolate and empty. Even the vines wither.
Isaiah 24:13-14, Gleaning
So will it be on the earth
and among the nations,
as when an olive tree is beaten,
or as when gleanings are left after the grape harvest.
They raise their voices, they shout for joy;
from the west they acclaim the LORD’s majesty.
Once again there is a hint of a remnant, of seeds or grapes left after gleaning. These "gleanings" rejoice in YHWH's work
Isaiah 24:15-16, Ends of the earth
Therefore in the east give glory to the LORD;
exalt the name of the LORD, the God of Israel,
in the islands of the sea.
From the ends of the earth we hear singing:
“Glory to the Righteous One.”
But I said, “I waste away, I waste away!
Woe to me!
The treacherous betray!
With treachery the treacherous betray!”
The "islands of the sea" and the "ends of the earth" surely extend beyond the Jewish nation to the Gentiles, to all people.
Isaiah alternates between exalting, praising God for His work across all the earth -- and lamenting on the destruction. As Grogan points out, the New Testament book of Revelation has a similar pattern, with worship amidst apocalyptic statements.
Isaiah 24:17-18a, Terror
Terror and pit and snare await you,
people of the earth.
Whoever flees at the sound of terror
will fall into a pit;
whoever climbs out of the pit
will be caught in a snare.
The destruction will be a terror for those facing God's judgment.
Isaiah 24:18b-20, Earth shaken
The floodgates of the heavens are opened,
the foundations of the earth shake.
The earth is broken up,
the earth is split asunder,
the earth is violently shaken.
The earth reels like a drunkard,
it sways like a hut in the wind;
so heavy upon it is the guilt of its rebellion
that it falls—never to rise again.
The entire earth is shaken, reeling like a drunkard, paying for the guilt of human rebellion. In the New Testament, Jesus has a short teaching (see Mark 13 or Matthew 24) on the endtimes that includes a statement about famines and earthquakes (eg. Mark 13:8.)
Isaiah 24:21-22, Powers on earth and in heaven
In that day the LORD will punish
the powers in the heavens above
and the kings on the earth below.
They will be herded together
like prisoners bound in a dungeon;
they will be shut up in prison
and be punished after many days.
Not just the mere kings are mentioned here! The "powers in heaven" (presumably some angelic beings?) are also going to be punished!
Isaiah 24:23, Moon and sun ashamed
The moon will be dismayed,
the sun ashamed;
for the LORD Almighty will reign
on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem,
and before its elders—with great glory.
Even the moon and sun, the dramatic rulers of the sky, will be "ashamed", as YHWH reigns in Jerusalem, for their royal display will be overshadowed by their creator.
Motyer (p. 124) says that the Hebrew word translated moon, lebanah, means literally "white." Similarly, chammah, the Hebrew word for sun, is literally "heat". These are common poetic terms for the moon and sun.
Some Random Thoughts
The Old Testament focuses almost exclusively on a physical, earthly life and its renewal. There is no concept of human souls living "in Heaven", above the clouds (maybe playing harps and looking down on us?) Even when there are hints of an afterlife, the afterlife is a physical resurrection, in a new and renewed Jerusalem. This viewpoint continues into the New Testament; see especially Revelation 21-22.
Here in Isaiah, even when "the heavens" are mentioned, it is presumably the home of supernatural powers, not humans or disembodied souls.
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