The Earth Is Devastated
Study note
Isaiah shifts from speaking about individual nations to describing a worldwide judgment. Everyone is affected equally, from priests to common people, from buyers to sellers. The reason for this devastation is that the people have broken God's laws and violated his everlasting covenant. The joy and celebration that once filled the land have come to an end. Even the wine and music are gone.
1 Look out! The Lord is about to empty the earth and make it a wasteland. He will twist its surface and scatter everyone living on it. Behold, the LORD maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof.
2 All will face the same fate. Priest and common person alike. Servant and boss. Maid and mistress. Buyer and seller. Lender and one who borrows. The one who charges fees and the one who pays them. 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 taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him.
3 The earth will be completely emptied out and totally ruined. The Lord has spoken, and this is what he said. The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the LORD hath spoken this word.
4 The earth dries up and wilts. The whole world fades away. The proudest people on earth grow weak. The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish.
5 The earth has been polluted by the people living on it. They have ignored God's laws, broken his rules, and violated the covenant that was supposed to last forever. The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.
6 Because of this, a curse is eating up the earth. The people living on it must answer for what they have done. The inhabitants of the earth are being burned up, and only a handful are left. 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 dries up, the grapevines wilt, and all the people who used to be happy now groan in misery. The new wine mourneth, the vine languisheth, all the merryhearted do sigh.
8 The happy sound of tambourines has stopped. The noise of celebration has gone quiet. The cheerful harp has fallen silent. The mirth of tabrets ceaseth, the noise of them that rejoice endeth, the joy of the harp ceaseth.
9 Nobody sings over their drinks anymore. Even the strongest drinks taste bitter to those who consume them. They shall not drink wine with a song; strong drink shall be bitter to them that drink it.
10 The ruined city lies in pieces. Every house is boarded up so nobody can get in. The city of confusion is broken down: every house is shut up, that no man may come in.
11 People cry in the streets because there is no more wine. All happiness has turned to gloom. Every trace of joy has disappeared from the land. There is a crying for wine in the streets; all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone.
12 The city is left as a pile of rubble. Its gates have been smashed apart. In the city is left desolation, and the gate is smitten with destruction.
Songs of Praise from the Survivors
Study note
Even after the judgment, a small group of faithful people survive, like the few olives left after an olive tree is shaken or the last grapes after a harvest. These survivors lift their voices to praise God's majesty. Their songs come from the farthest parts of the earth. But Isaiah himself feels deep sorrow because treacherous people continue to act with betrayal.
13 This is how it will be across the earth. It will be like a few olives left on a shaken tree. It will be like the last grapes left after harvest is done. 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 The survivors will lift up their voices and shout with joy. From the west, they will praise the Lord's greatness. They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the LORD, they shall cry aloud from the sea.
15 So give glory to the Lord in the east! Honor the name of the Lord, the God of Israel, in the distant islands of the sea. 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 ends of the earth we hear singing: 'Honor to the Righteous One!' But I cry, 'I am wasting away! I am wasting away! This is terrible!' People keep betraying each other. The treachery goes on and on. From the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs, even glory to the righteous. But I said, My leanness, my leanness, woe unto me! the treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously; yea, the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously.
No Escape from God's Judgment
Study note
Using vivid word pictures, Isaiah describes how there is no escape from God's judgment. If someone runs from one danger, they fall into another. The language echoes the great flood of Noah's day, with the windows of heaven opening and the earth's foundations shaking. The earth itself staggers like a person who has had too much to drink.
17 Terror, pits, and traps are waiting for you, people of the earth. Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth.
18 Whoever runs away from the sound of terror will fall into a pit. Whoever crawls out of the pit will be caught in a trap. The sky will split open above, and the ground will shake below. 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 cracking apart. The earth is splitting open. The earth is being shaken to pieces. The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly.
20 The earth staggers around like a drunk person and sways back and forth like a little shack in the wind. The weight of its sin is so heavy it collapses and will not get up again. The earth shall reel to and fro 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.
The Lord Reigns in Glory
Study note
In the final scene, God punishes both the powerful spiritual forces in heaven and the kings on earth. They are gathered like prisoners and locked away. After many days, they will be called to account. The chapter closes with a stunning picture: the Lord of Heaven's Armies will reign on Mount Zion in Jerusalem with such glory that even the sun and moon will seem dim by comparison.
21 When that day comes, the Lord will judge the powerful forces in the heavens above. He will also judge the kings of the earth below. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth.
22 They will be rounded up and thrown into a dungeon like prisoners. They will be locked up, and after many days they will face their punishment. And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited.
23 Then the moon will feel embarrassed and the sun will feel ashamed. The Lord who rules over all will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem. His glory will shine so bright that even his elders will see it. Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.