Isaiah 24:1-20

Isaiah 24:1-20

[1] Behold, the LORD  maketh the earth  empty,  and maketh it waste,  and turneth  it upside down,  and scattereth abroad  the inhabitants  [2] 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,  as with the taker of usury,  so  with the giver of usury  to him. [3] The land  shall be utterly  and utterly  for the LORD  hath spoken  this word.  [4] The earth  mourneth  and fadeth away,  the world  languisheth  and fadeth away,  the haughty  people  of the earth  do languish.  [5] The earth  also is defiled  under the inhabitants  thereof; because they have transgressed  the laws,  changed  the ordinance,  broken  the everlasting  covenant.  [6] Therefore hath the curse  devoured  the earth,  and they that dwell  therein are desolate:  therefore the inhabitants  of the earth  are burned,  and few  men  left.  [7] The new wine  mourneth,  the vine  languisheth,  all the merryhearted  do sigh.  [8] The mirth  of tabrets  ceaseth,  the noise  of them that rejoice  endeth,  the joy  of the harp  ceaseth.  [9] They shall not drink  wine  with a song;  strong drink  shall be bitter  to them that drink  [10] The city  of confusion  is broken down:  every house  is shut up,  that no man may come in.  [11] There is a crying  for wine  in the streets;  all joy  is darkened,  the mirth  of the land  is gone.  [12] In the city  is left  desolation,  and the gate  is smitten  with destruction.  [13] When thus it shall be in the midst  of the land  among  the people,  there shall be as the shaking  of an olive tree,  and as the gleaning grapes  when the vintage  is done.  [14] They shall lift up  their voice,  they shall sing  for the majesty  they shall cry aloud  from the sea.  [15] Wherefore glorify  ye the LORD  in the fires,  even the name  of the LORD  God  of Israel  in the isles  of the sea.  [16] From the uttermost part  of the earth  have we heard  songs,  even glory  to the righteous.  But I said,  My leanness,  woe  unto me! the treacherous dealers  have dealt very  treacherously.  [17] Fear,  and the pit,  and the snare,  are upon thee, O inhabitant  of the earth.  [18] And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth  from the noise  of the fear  shall fall  into the pit;  and he that cometh up  out of the midst  of the pit  shall be taken  in the snare:  for the windows  from on high  are open,  and the foundations  of the earth  do shake.  [19] The earth  is utterly  the earth  is clean  the earth  is moved  [20] The earth  shall reel  like a drunkard,  and shall be removed  like a cottage;  and the transgression  thereof shall be heavy  upon it; and it shall fall,  and not rise  again. 

What does Isaiah 24:1-20 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Isaiah revealed that the Lord"s people are at the center of His plans for the world (cf. Isaiah 14:2; Isaiah 21:10). He will preserve them even though He will judge sinful humanity. It is believers who will be living on the earth during the Lord"s devastation of this planet that are in view (Tribulation saints), not Christians living before the Tribulation who will be taken to heaven in the Rapture before the Tribulation begins. This passage contains many connections with the Flood narrative ( Genesis 6-9). Essentially, what God did in Noah"s day-i.e, the preservation of the righteous-He will do in the future Tribulation (cf. Mark 13).