Isaiah 34:1-17
Q.1. What was the pronouncement that God made against the nations? What prophetic doom did Isaiah see? How catastrophic will be that time? Why did he refer to Edom and Bozrah? – (Isa.34:1-7 c.f. Rev.16:15-21)
Isaiah had given a message of hope to Israel, when foreshadowing the establishment of Christ’s reign upon earth. In this chapter, he described the final judgment of all the nations who had persecuted the Covenant nation – For the Lord’s indignation is against all the nations, and His wrath against all their armies; He has utterly destroyed them, He has given them over to slaughter (Isa.34:2). It will be utterly catastrophic – the mountains will be drenched with their blood … the sword of the Lord is filled with blood … (Isa.34:3, 6). Why the reference to Edom and Bozrah? God made Edom and Bozrah (one of its cities) an example of His divine wrath. The Edomites (Greek: Idumeans) were sworn enemies of God’s people. This animosity began with Esau, and intensified when he married Ishmaelite women in order to spite his father, Isaac (c.f. Gen.25:34; 28:8-9; 36:1; Num.20:14-21). This doubtlessly increased the antipathy of both Ishmael and Esau to the chosen nation. The Herod’s were Idumeans who opposed Christ and the apostles (c.f. Mt.2:16, 19-22; Lk.13:31-32; Acts 12:1-2). The descriptions here foretold the destruction known as the Battle of Armageddon (c.f. Isa.63:1-6; Rev.16:15-21).
Q.2. How do we reconcile this devastation with God’s grace? Will anyone and anything escape God’s judgment? How does God ensure that His Truth is not maligned? – (Isa.34:8-17 c.f. Isa.63:1-6; Rev.19:11-19)
The Scripture presents a God Who has given us freewill. Throughout the Bible, there is a demarcation made between the righteous and the ungodly. God’s wrath against rebellious sinners magnifies the goodness and grace of God (c.f. Rom.9:21-26). Moreover, those who oppose God and His servants must be recompensed, or God would not be just (c.f. 2 Thes.1:6-10). In the closing book of the Bible we see the comprehensive nature of God’s Great White Throne judgment – 12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it and death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds (Rev.20:12-13). The only ones exempted from this judgment are described earlier – 4 Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years (Rev.20:4-6). Isaiah further drew attention to the miraculous nature of God’s revelation. God’s Truth cannot be easily maligned. It was written by some forty authors, over one thousand five hundred years, in different generations. Because God’s Word comes from God, it has pleased God to repeat His Truth in couplets, in order to underscore its veracity – Seek from the book of the Lord and read: not one of these will be missing; none will lack its mate. For His mouth has commanded, and His Spirit has gathered them (Isa.34:16). In other words, doctrine is presented in different books more than once. At the close of this chapter, Isaiah predicted that a day is coming when God’s people will possess the land forever – He has cast the lot for them, and His hand has divided it to them by line. They shall possess it forever; from generation to generation they will dwell in it (Isa.34:17 c.f. Acts 17:26).