ISAIAH 242008 Teaching by Jerry B Simmons

Teaching Transcript: Isaiah 24

You are listening to FerventWord, an online Bible study ministry with teachings and tools to help you grow deeper in your relationship with God. The following message was taught by Jerry Simmons in 2008. We've been looking at chapters 12 through 23, dealing with the judgment of the surrounding nations of Israel.

Babylon, well actually first Assyria was coming and God was using Assyria to judge many of the nations and deal with the sin and the rebellion against God.

And then after them, Babylon is going to come and God is going to use Babylon to deal with many nations, including the nation of Judah, where Jerusalem was. And so we saw a lot of that. Even after that, God was going to judge Babylon and for their rebellion. And so Isaiah has been dealing with all of these judgments on the surrounding nations and really more the immediate time. As far as Isaiah was concerned, they these things were going to be fulfilled a

lot of them in the next 100, 200, 300 years after Isaiah's lifetime. And now as we move into chapter 24 and we look a little bit forward, he's going to be dealing with some events that are still yet future even for us. He's going to be looking at more of the end times and talking about and dealing with those things. And so with that in mind, let's look at Isaiah chapter 24 and read together verses 1 through 3.

Isaiah chapter 24, verse 1 says,

As with the buyer, so with the seller. As with the lender, so with the borrower. As with the creditor, so with the debtor. The land shall be entirely emptied and utterly plundered, for the Lord has spoken this word.

Here as we begin Isaiah chapter 24, the focus, as I said, is not something that's going to be fulfilled immediately in Isaiah's lifetime or thereafter, but it's something that we are still yet looking forward to, and that is the end time scenario. He's dealing specifically with the tribulation period that will come upon the earth. It's that seven year period of God's judgment, God pouring out His

His wrath upon the earth, dealing with the earth and the inhabitants of the earth and the rebellion against God.

As I often share with you, if we do not understand God's judgment, we don't understand man's rebellion. Judgment is always as a result of man's rebellion against God, man's refusal to listen to God, to be obedient to God, and to surrender to God. We've been seeing individual nations that have refused to surrender, that have been rebellious, that have ignored God. But

But there will come a time in the future where the entire earth will be in that state of rebellion. And God will have to deal with the inhabitants of the earth. It will be a worldwide judgment. Not just a nation here, a nation there, some people here, or a localized judgment. But it's going to impact the entire face of the earth. Now, for us as the church,

We have some good news regarding the tribulation. And that is that God has not appointed us to wrath. And so as a church, as we look at these things, as believers in Jesus Christ, we can look at these things and rest assured that we're going to be out of here. God wants to deliver us. 1 Thessalonians 5.8 tells us, or 5.9 rather, one of those, 5.8, 5.9, look them both up and read them and you'll be blessed. But...

tells us that we're not appointed to wrath. God desires to deliver us. The rapture of the church is going to take place before, but once the church is out of the way, there's going to be this seven years like the world has never seen before. Now,

Just to keep in perspective what's going on here, the Antichrist is going to be raised up during that seven-year period, at the beginning of that seven-year period. He's going to make a covenant with Israel. He's going to bring kind of a pseudo-peace, but there's still going to be war, but there's going to be peace in some parts in the covenant that he makes. And

For three and a half years, everybody's going to think he's great, he's going to be the savior of the world, but then in the middle of that three and a half years, he breaks his covenant with Israel, and then things were already bad, but things will get much, much worse during that last three and a half years of the tribulation period. Also could be referred to as the great tribulation, that last three and a half years of the seven year tribulation.

At the end of that seven-year tribulation is the battle of Armageddon, when God will gather all the nations, all the armies of the earth together in this one place, Armageddon, and they're going to battle each other, but before they get a chance to, Jesus Christ returns. It's the second coming of Jesus Christ, when he comes and actually touches Armageddon.

He comes and actually lives and inhabits and sets up his kingdom here on the face of the earth. And then following that, his second coming, there will be a thousand years that Jesus Christ rules and reigns on the face of the earth. It's the millennial period where Jesus Christ will literally be here on the earth in Jerusalem ruling and reigning. And we will rule and reign with him as believers in Jesus Christ.

So that's the end times scenario that we're looking at. That's the picture, a basic outline of what is going to take place. Isaiah will be speaking here specifically about that tribulation period and then kind of going on and making a little bit of reference to the millennium, although he'll go in more detail in later chapters of Isaiah. But in chapter 24, verse 1, he starts out.

Saying, the Lord makes the earth empty and makes it waste. This seven year period, this judgment that comes upon the earth is going to be devastating. The earth is going to be laid waste.

It says that he will distort its surface. The face of the earth will be changed, will be dramatically altered. It will be impacted. The inhabitants will be scattered abroad. There's going to be a calamity. There's going to be devastation.

If you don't believe me, pick up Revelation, start in chapter 6, and read on through chapter 19, and see all of the different things, the devastations and effects, and all of the judgments that will be poured out upon the face of the earth. There's going to be worse things than what we've seen thus far. It's going to be worse than the world has ever seen.

It's really unimaginable when you get down to looking at the different judgments and things. It's hard to picture. But Isaiah wants it to be clear. God is speaking through him and he wants you to know this is not going to be some people are going to be affected and others are going to escape. He goes on in verse 2 to make sure that we know that it's everybody that will be impacted.

He lists all kinds of different people as with the people. So with the priest, this is not a judgment that is just upon the people, but the priest will be judged as well. This is not a judgment that will just be with the servants, but the masters will be feeling the effects as well. It's not just with the maids, but it's also with her mistress. It's not just with the buyer, but it's also with the seller.

You know, we have a buyer's market and then we have a seller's market and there's devastating effects that happen to one or the other, but this is going to happen to everyone. Whether you're buying, whether you're selling, whether you're a servant, whether you're a master, whether you're rich, whether you're poor, it's going to impact every single person. Whether you're a lender or a borrower, a debtor or a creditor, there's not going to be any exceptions. The whole world...

Revelation chapter 6 verses 15 through 17 also goes into detail about this. Giving a similar list. It will be kings. It will be mighty men. It will be poor men. It will be men of authority. Men who are working. Homeless men. Everybody will be affected by this calamity that is coming upon the face of the earth.

He says in verse 3 that the land shall be entirely emptied and utterly plundered for the Lord has spoken this word. The land will be entirely emptied. All flesh is going to be affected, impacted, feeling the judgment, experiencing the judgment of God during this time. And he ends it in verse 3 there saying, the Lord has spoken this word.

Now, if there's anything that we have learned or that we know about God's spoken word is that it will come to pass. It's interesting that we're here in chapter 24. We've just been studying in chapters 12 through 23, all of these different nations where God pronounced judgment for the majority of them.

We can look. We can show you in history, detailed, exactly taking place the way that God said it would happen. The judgment being afflicted, being poured out upon them exactly the way that God had said. When God speaks, it will come to pass. And so the judgment that is being foreseen here, proclaimed here, is going to happen. The Lord has spoken it. He will accomplish it. It will come to pass.

And that is why as Christians, we need to be ready. There's none of us that can think, well, I'll escape, or I won't be affected by this, or this won't impact me. I have this going on and this over here, and I'll be able to, you know, I've got my survival skills, and I'll just go up to the mountains, and I can live off the land, and I won't be affected. No, everybody on the whole face of the earth is going to be impacted in the tribulation period.

It's going to be devastating. The water sources, the water supply is going to be rocked. It's not going to be any water. The trees and grass, vegetation as we know it, it's going to be destroyed. There's going to be earthquakes like we've never seen before. There's going to be hailstones described as like the size of a Volkswagen by John Corson.

Can you imagine? I mean, how do you dodge? What do you do? How do you run from that? It's going to be completely devastating and everyone will be affected and impacted. Let's go on in verse 4.

The earth mourns and fades away. The world languishes and fades away. The haughty people of the earth languish. The earth is also defiled under its inhabitants because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore, the curse has devoured the earth and those who dwell in it are desolate. Therefore, the inhabitants of the earth are burned and few men are left."

The earth is mourning. The world is languishing. Why is all of this devastation coming? Why this tribulation? Why this outpouring of God's wrath? Isn't He a God of love? What's going on? Why is this happening to the earth?

We see it right there in verse 5. The earth is also defiled under its inhabitants. Why? Because they have transgressed the laws, they have changed the ordinance, they have broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore, verse 6, the curse has devoured the earth. Again, if we do not understand God's judgment, it is because we do not understand man's rebellion. Our hearts are deceitfully wicked.

We're contrary to God and we, by our sinful nature, defile the earth. Now that's an interesting phrase, an interesting way to put it, that the earth is also defiled under its inhabitants. I'd like to take you to a portion of scripture. Keep your thumb here, but let's turn to Leviticus chapter 18. Leviticus chapter 18, God is delivering to his people...

Many different laws, many different rules and guidelines for them to live by and abide by. In chapter 18, he's dealing specifically with sexual immorality, but it's also in the middle of all kinds of other ceremonies and things that God is proclaiming for them. And he's basically preparing them that when they go into the promised land, that they do not get involved with the surrounding nations, but that they drive them out.

And he explains why here in Leviticus chapter 18. Look at me. Look at me. No, look with me. Look at your Bible. In verse 24, he says, do not defile yourself with any of these things. For by all these, by all these, the nations are defiled, which I am casting out before you.

Verse 25, for the land is defiled. Therefore, I visit the punishment of its iniquity upon it and the land vomits out its inhabitants.

So here what God is saying is, look, these nations that are before you, these nations that are driving out before you, they are defiled. They have defiled the land because of their iniquity, because of their sin, because of their rebellion. And as a result of that, the punishment of its iniquity is being visited upon it. The land is vomiting out the inhabitants because of their sin.

The idea, the picture that God is painting here is that our sin and man's rebellion against God, it doesn't just affect us, but it affects the world. It affects the earth. It affects the land. And any land that is involved in iniquity, that it does not deal with sin, the land will vomit out those inhabitants. The people of a nation that is in rebellion to God are in a dangerous place.

Because God will deal with that nation. The land will vomit out the inhabitants because the land is defiled by the sin of the people. He goes on in verse 26 to tell them, hey, therefore, you keep my commandments. Don't be involved in these things. Keep what I'm giving to you. Verse 28, lest the land vomit you out also when you defile it as it vomited out the nations that were before you.

specifically dealing with sexual immorality, but also dealing with all kinds of sin, God says, look, the land is vomiting them out. So you keep what I'm telling you. You do the things that I've laid out before you so that the land does not do the same to you. Because of your rebellion, you will be vomited out.

And what did we see happen? We saw that in the previous chapters. God had to deal with Israel. He had to deal with Judah because they did not keep his commands. But instead, they rebelled against him and they were vomited out of the land. God graciously allowed them to come back, but the land vomited them out. They experienced the judgment of God as a result of the rebellion. In the same way, the tribulation period happened.

The earth is defiled. The sin has affected the entire earth. The inhabitants of the earth have transgressed the laws. They've broken God's commands. They've disregarded what he has said. Therefore, the curse has devoured the earth. The curse of sin, the effects of sin have devoured the entire earth. And so the earth is defiled.

and is going to vomit out its inhabitants. The judgment is going to come. He says, therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men are left. There in verse 6, back in Isaiah 24. Few men are left. Hardly anybody is going to survive. It's going to be more devastating than we can imagine. You thought the tsunamis were bad? You thought the earthquakes were bad?

You thought the spread of disease is bad, the AIDS epidemic. You thought those things were bad. That's not even able to be compared to what is going to take place in the tribulation. The judgment is going to be completely devastating.

Let's go on. Verse 7 through 12. It says, The new wine fails. The vine languishes. All the merry-hearted sigh. The mirth of the tambourine ceases. The noise of the jubilant ends. The joy of the harp ceases. They shall not drink wine with a song. Strong drink is bitter to those who drink it. The city of confusion is broken down. Every house is shut up so that none may go in.

There is a cry for wine in the streets. All joy is darkened. The mirth of the land is gone. In the city, desolation is left, and the gate is stricken with destruction. Here Isaiah paints a picture of a world in which there is no more joy.

You know, we face trials and tribulations. We face difficult times. This world has seen its share of wars and things that are just impossible for us really to understand. And yet, at the same time in this world, there's joy. There's happiness. There's rejoicing. There's singing of songs. There's parties. There's joy. But in this time, all the merry-hearted sigh. Sigh.

There's no more joy left. Can you imagine living in a world where there is no joy? Where there's nothing to rejoice over? This is the extent of the devastation. You know, sometimes when we go through hard times, people say, "Well, at least you have your health." That's not going to be the case in the Tribulation. Every person will be affected, impacted, as a result of the judgment that is being poured out. There won't be singing and dancing and rejoicing and drinking.

The cities will be destroyed, broken down. The houses will be shut up, meaning, hey, I'm just staying inside my house. Don't anybody come bother me. You're not invited over. Closed invitation. You're not allowed in. I don't want to see you. I don't want to see anybody.

There's a cry for wine in the streets. All the joy is darkened. They're looking for joy, looking for something to rejoice, looking for wine to deaden the pain, looking for something to give them a high, looking for something to satisfy them, but they will not find it. In the city, he says in verse 12, desolation is left. The gate is stricken with destruction. It's just going to be widespread desolation.

No joy. No reason for happiness. No reason to rejoice. Verse 13. Verse 13.

Therefore, glorify the Lord in the dawning light, the name of the Lord God of Israel in the coastlands of the sea. Here what it seems that Isaiah is referring to is a remnant of believers that will be left. Although the devastation will be worldwide, although every person will be afflicted and affected by the judgment of God, we have a God of grace.

And there will still be opportunity for those who do not take the mark to believe in Jesus Christ and receive salvation. And it's those people who will enter into the millennial period. Those who survive the devastating effects of the tribulation, refuse to take the mark of the beast. They will enter in and they will populate the millennial period for the next thousand years. Those will be the people who repopulate the earth in that time.

And so there will be those inhabitants, but there are going to be few. He describes it in verse 12 as like when you've got the shaking of an olive tree. After the vintage, when the vintage is done, after they've harvested everything and there's just barely anything left on the vine, barely anything left on the tree. That is what the world will be like. The population of the world will be like. There will be very few. It will be like the shaking of an olive tree.

But it says here in verse 14, they shall lift up their voice. They shall sing for the majesty of the Lord. They shall cry aloud from the sea. These believers who enter into the millennial period will rejoice at the majesty of God. They'll sing of his majesty. They'll cry aloud. Now, picture this. Put yourself in their situation. Put yourself in their shoes. They're enduring this time. They know the truth. They've

been born again after the rapture has taken place. They've seen these years of devastation. They have the Bible in front of them. They know what's coming next. All they've got to do is endure. All they've got to do is persevere. All they've got to do is get through. And then comes the kingdom of the Messiah. The thousand year reign of Christ. Now,

As they're anticipating that, as each day is agony, as there's no joy there, but now when that time comes, imagine the song that would burst forth. That song of excitement that finally is taking place. Jesus has returned. He's come back. He's established his kingdom. We're going to live the next thousand years under the reign of Christ. He'll renew the earth. He'll establish righteousness. There's going to be joy and peace.

What an incredible song this will be for those who enter into the millennial period. Therefore glorify the Lord in the dawning light. The name of the Lord God of Israel in the coastlands of the sea. It's going to be heard all over. Although there's only a few left, it's going to sound like a mighty host because of the sound of their rejoicing. The sound of their song. Let's go on. Verses 16 through 18. He says, From the ends of the earth we have heard songs. Glory to the righteous.

But I said, I am ruined, ruined. Woe to me. The treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously. Indeed, the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously.

Fear and the pit and the snare are upon you, O inhabitant of the earth. And it shall be that he who flees from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit. And he who comes up from the midst of the pit shall be caught in the snare. For the windows from on high are open and the foundations of the earth are shaken. Isaiah is describing still this song. He says, From the ends of the earth we've heard it. Glory to the righteous.

We've heard this song, we've heard this rejoicing, but now it seems he turns to himself and says, but woe is me. Now, he's either speaking for himself, looking at his own situation and the downfall of the nation of Judah and the judgment that is going to come, or he's speaking as one of the inhabitants who are going to receive judgment at the time that Jesus returns. They've heard the excitement of those who are believers seeing the return of Jesus Christ.

And at the same time, those who do not believe, those who have taken the mark, they know it's also judgment day for them. Fear and the pit and the snare are upon you, O inhabitant of the earth. Three things, the fear, the pit, and the snare. I don't think it's so important to analyze what each of these is and what each of these means, but here's the point of what Isaiah is saying. No one will escape.

Those who escape the fear, those who run from the fear, those who try to get away will fall into the pit. Those who climb out of the pit, they'll be caught in the snare. There's no one who will escape this judgment. Jesus said in Matthew 24, 21 that it's going to be the greatest tribulation that this world has ever seen. It's going to be devastating. No one will escape. You can't sneak by God's judgment.

It's going to be fulfilled. He said it. The Lord has spoken this word. It will come to pass. There will be no escape. He ends verse 18 saying, The foundations of the earth are shaken.

That leads us right into verse 19. The earth is violently broken. The earth is split open. The earth is shaken exceedingly. The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard and shall totter like a hut. Its transgression shall be heavy upon it and it will fall and not rise again. Here's the climax really of this judgment. The earth is falling apart literally and

The foundations of the earth are shaken. What we experienced in earthquakes, those aren't the foundations of the earth being shaken. Those are... The word just escaped, ran right out my ear. I'm sure one of you caught it. The plates. That's just the plates shifting together. A little bit of friction. What Jesse said. It's just a little bit of friction. But in this time, the foundations of the earth are shaken.

The earth is violently broken, split open. Everything is going to be leveled. The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard. It's going to, what's often described as wobble. You know, like you spin a top and it goes pretty good until it starts to wind down and then it starts to go until it finally falls over. That's the picture that we have of the earth. It's going to be winding down. The earth is going to wobble. Can you imagine that?

Suddenly the earth is 20 feet below you because it just kind of did a wobble. It's going to be devastating. Notice again in verse 20, its transgression shall be heavy upon it and it will fall and not rise again. When man fell, when Adam partook of the forbidden fruit, the earth was affected by the curse just as you and I were. The Bible talks about creation groaning. Creation can't wait for the second coming.

Can't wait for Jesus to come and for creation to be restored. Sin has an effect on creation. Its transgression will be heavy upon it. The effects of sin, the devastation and corruption of sin is what is causing these effects upon the earth. And so the land is vomiting them out because they refused to obey God. Let's finish it off. Verses 21 through 23. It shall come to pass in that day that

Here at the climax of the tribulation period.

Jesus Christ returns. And it will come to pass on that day that when Jesus returns, he will judge, he will punish the exalted ones, the host of exalted ones. Speaking about what Paul is talking about in Ephesians chapter 6 verse 12. The spiritual host of evil in the heavenly places. When Jesus returns, he's going to deal with the demonic powers.

Revelation chapter 20 tells us that he's going to bind Satan. He's going to put him in the abyss and he's going to be kept bound there for a thousand years during that millennial period that he reigns. He's going to punish the host of exalted ones. And on earth, he's going to gather the kings of the earth together. We read about that in Matthew chapter 25, separating the sheep from the goats. Those who believe in God...

Those who do not. Those who received the mark and those who did not. They'll be gathered together and then after many days they will be punished. Why after many days? Well, because there will be the thousand year reign of Christ. And after the thousand year reign of Christ, eternal judgment will take place. And all who are not written in the book of life will be cast into the lake of fire. He says, then the moon will be disgraced and the sun ashamed for the Lord of hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem.

Jesus, when He comes back, is going to establish His kingdom for a thousand years. He's going to set it up. It's going to be glorious. Far more glorious than the sun and the moon. And He's going to rule and reign for a thousand years. Revelation chapter 20 tells us that His saints will rule and reign with Him. For those who are believers in Jesus Christ, we can look forward to these things knowing that

God's going to take us out of here. The rapture of the church is going to take place. Paul explains it in chapters 4 and 5 of 1 Thessalonians. Also, 1 Corinthians chapter 15. He's not appointed us to wrath. We're not all going to sleep, but we all will be changed. We'll be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we'll be ever with the Lord. We have exciting things to look forward to as believers in Jesus Christ. But the devastation that's coming upon this world is going to be...

Far, far worse than we can imagine. And so, what do we do? Let's close this evening. Turn with me to 2 Peter 3. 2 Peter 3, it's towards the end of the Bible. Right before 1, 2, 3 John. Of course, it's right after 1 Peter. 2 Peter 3. Look at verse 10 with me. Verse 10 says, But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night.

Verse 11. Verse 11.

Looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by him in peace, without spot and blameless.

And he goes on, sharing a couple more things, ending with verse 18, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Here's the point, guys. Peter says, look around. All of it's going to be burned up. The elements are going to melt with a fervent heat. God's going to let go of the universe. There's going to be a new heavens and a new earth.

Since you know this, since you know this tribulation is coming, since you know the earth is going to experience this devastation, what should we do? What kind of people should we be? He says, we ought to live in holiness and we ought to be looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God. As believers in Jesus Christ, we need to be holy. We know we're not perfect. We know we fall short. How can we be holy? By the grace of Jesus Christ.

By living and walking in relationship with Him. By faith, believing in Him. Because it's by faith that we are justified. It's by faith that we become the righteousness of God in Him. It's by faith in Jesus Christ. We need to walk. We need to live. And holiness, not playing around with sin any longer. Not toying with different areas of our lives and our hearts. Not allowing those footholds to have a place within our lives anymore.

But not with our strength, not with our determination. It's by faith in Jesus Christ, by walking with Him, and by allowing the Holy Spirit to do the work that He wants to do with us. He wants to clean house. He wants to complete the work that He began in us. And it doesn't happen overnight. It happens as daily we spend time with Jesus Christ. As daily we walk with Him. As daily we put our faith and trust in Him. And He conforms us to the image of His Son.

We become more like Jesus as we walk with Him. What kind of manner of persons ought we to be? He says, in holy conduct. Holiness and hastening, Peter says. Looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God. How do we hasten the coming of the day of God? The idea here is we're going to be anticipating, anxiously awaiting, having our eyes focused on that day when He comes. One way that we can hasten the coming of God is by sharing the Gospel.

There's the time of the Gentiles, the fullness of the Gentiles, the time when that last person will get saved. God's not slack concerning his promises as some men count slackness. Second Peter 3, 9, just a few moments or a few verses earlier. Instead, he's patient, not wanting that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Why isn't the tribulation happening right now? Because there's people that need to know the gospel.

There's people that God is waiting for that they would repent. And maybe that's you this evening. Maybe you need to repent. Maybe you need to get right with God. Or maybe you as a believer in Jesus Christ need to share the gospel because there's people around you that need to repent. Live in holiness and hasten the day. Let God use you to share His word, His message with the lost and dying world. Amen? Let's pray. Heavenly Father,

As we consider and ponder these things in our hearts, God, we know that we're not holy. But Lord, I thank you that you are holy. And yet even though you're holy and we are not, you have humbled yourself to reach down to touch our lives and minister to us and have relationship with us. So God, right now we believe that you sent your son to die for us. We put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ. And God, we ask that you would transform us

Renew our minds. Teach us, Lord, to walk in holiness. Set us free from the bondage to sin and death. God, deliver us from evil. Lord, I pray that you would help us to walk in relationship with you, to not be satisfied and compromise, to not dabble or play with sin. But Lord, help us by your Holy Spirit to overcome, by your blood, by your word.

by your power and your strength that work in us as we walk in relationship with you. And God, I pray that you would help us to hasten the day. God, forgive us for getting caught up and bound up in the things of this life where these things are all going to burn. May we not have a firm grasp on this world, but a light touch and a firm grasp upon eternity as we look forward to, as the fullness of our hope

as upon the grace that will be revealed at your coming. God, teach us to look for you. And as we do, give us opportunities to share your word. Lord, there's an urgency with the message that you've given to us. There's an urgency that goes along with the gospel because your judgment, the results of sin upon this world, Lord, they're drawing close. And people need to know you. They need to repent.

So God, use us to share your love, your message, your deliverance with the people that you've placed in our lives. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. We pray you have been blessed by this Bible teaching. The power of God to change a life is found in the daily reading of his word. Visit ferventword.com to find more teachings and Bible study resources.