End time chapter?

[Gail]

I can see an end time scenario in Isaiah 24. Anyone else?

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

yes...  

what do you make of verse 21 (the underlined segment)?

 In that day the Lord will punish
    the powers in the heavens above
    and the kings on the earth below.

 

What powers are in the heavens that will be punished???

 

[LifeHiscost]

Something like this.

 

 

and the earth will wear out like a piece of clothing. The people of the earth will die like flies, but my salvation lasts forever. My righteous rule will never end! 7“Listen to me, you who know right from wrong, you who cherish my law in your hearts. Do not be afraid of people’s scorn, nor fear their insults. 8For the moth will devour them as it devours clothing. The worm will eat at them as it eats wool. But my righteousness will last forever. My salvation will continue from generation to generation.”.... Isaiah 51   There's promise there after the discomfort, As Noah went through the flood, there is a happy ending for those who cling to the promises of God. God is Love!~Jesus saves!

[Aliensanctuary]

The Day of the Lord is a recurring theme in both OT and NT prophecies. I think SDA's call it the Second Coming of Christ.

[Gail]

10 hours ago, rudywoofs (Pam) said:

yes...  

what do you make of verse 21 (the underlined segment)?

 In that day the Lord will punish
    the powers in the heavens above
    and the kings on the earth below.

 

What powers are in the heavens that will be punished???

 

Perhaps Satan, who is also referre to as the prince of the power of the air (Eph.2:2)

Or those referred to in Eph. 6:12

[Gail]

In a lot of the apocalyptic verses it seems that there is stuff going on in the sky as well as on the ground

[8thdaypriest]

Some see the destruction happening only to "the land" (limited destruction), and others see it happening to "the earth" (worldwide destruction). 

The problem comes because the word translated as "earth" is also translated as "land". 

Every passage, where it says "the earth" will be laid waste, they read it as "the land". 

When the sixth trumpet sounds 1/3 of mankind are killed by four angels bound for the great river Euphrates.   Now THAT one really does seem to apply only to the Middle East. 

Those who see a limited destruction, believe that many "nations" will survive the last plagues.  They believe that surviving Jews (living in other nations) (along with Christians) will travel to Jerusalem to rebuild the nation of Israel, which will then rule the world, under Jesus Christ returned.

They don't really explain how all of the resurrected believers fit into this scenario. 

When I read the description of the 7 last plagues in Revelation chapter 16, it's difficult to confine that destruction to the Middle East. 

1st plague:   God "pours out his bowl upon the earth"  and a "loathsome sore" comes upon every man who has the mark of the Beast .  Well - who takes "the mark"?  Answer:  Everyone whose name is not (at that time) written in the Book of Life.  Seems worldwide to me. 

2nd plague:  everything in "the sea" dies.  Problem:  Is "the sea" just the "sea of Galilee"?  Or is "the sea" the ocean?  Limited destruction OR worldwide destruction?

3rd plague:  same problem with "the rivers and springs of water".  Is this limited to the Middle East, or is this worldwide?

4th plague:  "the sun" scorches men with fire.  Now this one seems worldwide, unless of course there is a regional hole in the ozone, allowing "the sun" to scorch only a limited area.

5th bowl:  "the throne of the Beast AND his kingdom became full of darkness".  OK - the "throne of the Beast" will be at Jerusalem, but the kingdom of the Beast will be worldwide, because the Beast is given authority "over every tribe, tongue, and nation".  So this one IS worldwide.  And note these people still have the sores of plague #1.

6th plague:  Once again - seems regional

7th plague:  the greatest earthquake ever known.  "The cities of the nations" fall.  So this one seems worldwide.  Every island "fled away" and "the mountains were not found" and great hail fell upon mankind.  This one really seems like an asteroid hit.  Like the one that wiped out the dinosaurs.  The hit causes the earthquake - with the power of about 12+ on the Richter Scale.  Literally NOTHING would be left alive.

[Gail]

V.13 (NET) says, "This is what will happen throughout the earth, among the nations. It will be like when they beat an olive tree, and just a few olives are left at the end of the harvest."

That is some vivid imagery! 

I don't know why pastors don't connect this chapter with the others ie- Matthew 24

[Gail]

In 24:21,22 it seems to enlighten Revelation where the angel with the chain comes. 

[LifeHiscost]

It's always good to make mention that when the plagues fell on the Egyptians at the time of deliverence under Moses, only the first three touched the servants of the Lord.

4For God did not spare even the angels who sinned. He threw them into hell,^a in gloomy pits of darkness,^b where they are being held until the day of judgment. 5And God did not spare the ancient world—except for Noah and the seven others in his family. Noah warned the world of God’s righteous judgment. So God protected Noah when he destroyed the world of ungodly people with a vast flood. 6Later, God condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and turned them into heaps of ashes. He made them an example of what will happen to ungodly people. 7But God also rescued Lot out of Sodom because he was a righteous man who was sick of the shameful immorality of the wicked people around him. 8Yes, Lot was a righteous man who was tormented in his soul by the wickedness he saw and heard day after day. 9So you see, the Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials, even while keeping the wicked under punishment until the day of final judgment. 10He is especially hard on those who follow their own twisted sexual desire, and who despise authority....2 Peter 2

God is Love!~Jesus saves! 

[Gail]

Which version is that, LHC?

[Gail]

To add to your comment, Isaiah 25:4,5 extols God as a protector of the poor and needy

[LifeHiscost]

1 minute ago, Gail said:

Which version is that, LHC?

New Living Translation.

God is Love!~Jesus saves!  

[Gail]

For v.1, in making the earth empty and waste, some scholars believe that this relates to a bottle of water being turned upside down and its contents poured out with its accompanying sound. Interesting! Just picture that

However, others picture something more violent, as in Jeremiah 19:7:

Quote

Jeremiah 19:7 I will pour out and nullify the counsel plans of the men of Judah and Jerusalem in this place, and I will make their people fall by the sword before their enemies and by the hand of those who seek their lives; and I will give their dead bodies as food for the birds of the air and for the beasts of the earth. AMP

 

[Gail]

Also, the mention in verse 2 that there will be no class distinctions. This disaster touches everyone. There is a state of anarchy and the inhabitants are scattered (v.1)

[Gail]

V.5: Isaiah 24:5 The people of the earth have ·ruined defiled it, because they ·do not follow have violated/transgressed ·God’s teachings the laws/instruction; L Torah or obey ·God’s laws statutes; regulations or keep ·their agreement with God that was to last forever the eternal covenant/treaty. EXPANDED

Some versions have "polluted," or I have see, "profaned," in place of defiled. I would not be surprised if this was a physical sense as well as a religious or moral sense. As the inhabitants suffer under a curse of disobedience, so also the curse that the earth itself has endured as a result of Adam's fall may also come to completion.

[JoeMo]

7 hours ago, Gail said:

V.13 (NET) says, "This is what will happen throughout the earth, among the nations. It will be like when they beat an olive tree, and just a few olives are left at the end of the harvest."

V.6 (NIV) "Therefore a curse consumes the earth;  its people must bear their guilt.  Therefore earth’s inhabitants are burned up, and very few are left."

This seems to indicate that there is a remnant of humanity left on the earth after the 7 plagues and the second coming.  How many are "just a few", or "very few"?  Just for discussion's sake, let's say it's 0.1%.  That would still be over 7 million people, based on today's population.

 

[Gail]

Let's remember that God's judgments are always in favour of His faithful ones.

This chapter is so rich that I will reproduce it here:

Quote

Isaiah 24:1-23, NKJV

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

And it shall be: As with the people, so with the priest; As with the servant, so with his master; As with the maid, so with her mistress; 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.

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 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.

When it shall be thus in the midst of the land among the people, It shall be like the shaking of an olive tree, Like the gleaning of grapes when the vintage is done.

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

Therefore glorify the Lord in the dawning light, The name of the Lord God of Israel in the coastlands of the sea.

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.

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.

It shall come to pass in that day That the Lord will punish on high the host of exalted ones, And on the earth the kings of the earth.

They will be gathered together, As prisoners are gathered in the pit, And will be shut up in the prison; After many days they will be punished.

Then the moon will be disgraced And the sun ashamed; For the Lord of hosts will reign On Mount Zion and in Jerusalem And before His elders, gloriously. 

 

[Gail]

It is interesting about those looking to drink wine; they cannot use it at this time either to party or to forget their sorrows.

v.9- they shall not drink it with a song

ibid- strong drink is bitter to those who drink it

v.11- there is a cry for wine in the streets, all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone

[Gail]

Vv 14-16a records the praise of those who are left (God's judgments are in favour of His people), but from v16b interjects Isaiah's horror of the state of the land that brought down the visitation of retribution

[Gail]

On September 10, 2016 at 5:29 PM, JoeMo said:

V.6 (NIV) "Therefore a curse consumes the earth;  its people must bear their guilt.  Therefore earth’s inhabitants are burned up, and very few are left."

This seems to indicate that there is a remnant of humanity left on the earth after the 7 plagues and the second coming.  How many are "just a few", or "very few"?  Just for discussion's sake, let's say it's 0.1%.  That would still be over 7 million people, based on today's population.

 

I think it could very well be the traditional view, too, that very few are left AT the appearance of Jesus in the clouds.

I am imagining God's faithful having gone through a traumatic time, also, only they have e blessed hope of Christ's appearing. They will be protected, I believe, but they may have no idea if their turn to die before Jesus comes will be soon.