Isaiah 24

“On that day the Lord will punish the host of heaven, in heaven, and kings of the earth, on the earth.  They will be gathered together as prisoners in a pit; they will be shut up in a prison, and after many days they will be punished.  The moon will be confounded and the sun ashamed, for the Lord of hosts reigns on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and his glory will be before his elders.” Isaiah 24:21-23 (ESV)

One thing is clear: No one should be complacent about the future.  Isaiah, in his youth, may well have heard Amos preach.  Both share certain themes, and in this chapter, certain verses are identical. (compare Isaiah 24:17-18 with Amos 5:19) Amos warned the Northern Israelites about complacency, saying:

“Woe to you who long for the day of the Lord!  Why do you long for the day of the Lord?  That day will be darkness, not light.” Amos 5:18 (NIV)

History is moving toward its inevitable goal: The Day of the Lord.  For those who are in fellowship with God, this is a matter of supreme joy.

“They raise their voices, they sing out; they proclaim to the west the majesty of the Lord.  Therefore, in the east honor the Lord!  In the islands of the west honor the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel.  From the ends of the earth we hear songs: The Splendor of the Righteous One.  But I said, ‘I waste away!  I waste away!  Woe is me!’  The treacherous act treacherously; the treacherous deal very treacherously.”  Isaiah 24:14-16 (HCSB)

For those who are not in fellowship with the Lord, the Day of the Lord is, indeed, a day of darkness.  According to Isaiah’s words in today’s chapter, it will be a day of judgment that:

1) is final (Luke 16:26).

2) includes Satan and his angels (1 Corinthians 6:2-3; 2 Peter 2:4).

3) takes place after a period of imprisonment (Revelation 20:1-3).

4) concludes in sheer glory (Revelation 21:22-24; Isaiah 60:19-20).

The big question on all of our minds should, perhaps, be, “How will I survive that Day?”

There is a way.  Salvation is offered exclusively through Messiah, Jesus, and it is freely offered to all who would accept it.

“For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send His Son into the world that He might condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.  Anyone who believes in Him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the One and Only Son of God.”  John 3:16-18 (HCSB)