Isaiah 24-27

What’s Happening?

Isaiah prophesies that God, like an impartial king, will judge all humanity. Whether slaves or masters, buyers or merchants, lenders or debtors, each will be judged by the laws of his eternal Kingdom, and he will purge evil from the world (Isaiah 24:2-3). In his examination, God finds that humans have broken his laws, polluted the earth, and violated one another (Isaiah 24:5). So God sentences humanity and hands them over to the evil and desolation they have wreaked on the earth until only a few survivors remain (Isaiah 24:1, 3-6). In a vision, Isaiah sees this judgment as a great drought, withering every vineyard on earth. Without wine to lift their spirits, the world is devoid of songs and drowned in sorrow (Isaiah 24:7-9). Riots break out in cities, and in the chaos, everything is burned to the ground (Isaiah 24:10-13). Some attempt to escape, but those who flee the city starve in the wilderness they polluted (Isaiah 24:17-20). Under God’s impartial rule, humans are handed over to their evil and slowly destroy themselves (Isaiah 24:21-23).

However, destruction is not the purpose of God’s judgment. That’s why, in Isaiah’s vision, from the rubble of proud empires, those who have trusted God and obeyed his laws begin to sing (Isaiah 24:14-16). Now that evil has been purified from the world, they can inherit the earth. Through his kingly judgment, God has brought low oppressive empires, disarmed violent warlords, and created a safe world for the poor, needy, and dispossessed (Isaiah 25:1-5, 10-12; 26:5-6). After years of drought and riots, God can bless his people and host a miraculous feast of fatty foods and delicious wine in his new Kingdom (Isaiah 25:6). In God’s Kingdom, there are no more tears. In God’s Kingdom, death is swallowed by life. In God’s kingdom there is no evil left to judge, and all guilt is but a fading memory. (Isaiah 25:6-9). God’s Kingdom is so safe that every fortified gate is swung open. And the innocent scattered throughout the world leave their old countries behind and pledge allegiance to the God of Israel (Isaiah 26:1-9).

However, Isaiah knows this Kingdom has not come yet, and his homeland is full of evil and needs purification. So Isaiah begs God to quickly save the faithful few by removing Judah’s leaders and purifying their evil from within Judah quickly (Isaiah 26:10-15). Like a pregnant woman giving birth to a stillborn child, God’s people scream and writhe for deliverance, but her efforts only produce death (Isaiah 26:16-18). Judah can’t save herself. However, Isaiah knows that God, their eternal King, can raise the dead (Isaiah 26:19-27:1). God wants to purify evil from Judah through judgment and exile and then give the land to those who will obey and trust him (Isaiah 27:2-6). However, Isaiah also knows that for Judah’s guilt and evil to be removed, Judah will effectively be destroyed (Isaiah 27:7-8). However, those who trust their God and patiently await resurrection from their national death will inherit God’s eternal Kingdom (Isaiah 27:9-13).

Where is the Gospel?

God is still an impartial King, and humanity has not changed much. Since Isaiah wrote his prophecy, humanity has continued to break the laws of God’s eternal Kingdom, pollute the earth, and violate one another. Isaiah has warned us justice is coming. God has sentenced humanity and handed us over to the evil and desolation we have wreaked on the earth (Romans 1:24-32). Turn on the news, and you can watch the riots. No evil and pride will escape God’s perfect justice. We cannot save ourselves. Our only hope in a world that is filled with evil is to trust that God is the King who can purify evil from our world, raise his people from the ruins, and bring them into his eternal Kingdom.

This is why God sent us Jesus. Jesus came to purify the world, raise his people, and bring us into God’s Kingdom. When Judah’s wicked leaders were carried into exile, they carried away Judah’s evil and purified God’s people. Similarly, when King Jesus was carried outside of his capital, Jerusalem, and killed, he carried away the evil of his people. He purified his citizens (1 Peter 2:24). Isaiah also prophesied that from the ruins of evil Judah, God would resurrect their nation on behalf of the faithful. So God raised the faithful Jesus from the dead. Now all who faithfully trust and obey him can be joined to his resurrection life and enter the eternal Kingdom he is building (Galatians 2:20). And right now, Jesus is preparing a great eternal feast for his people (Revelation 19:6-9). The Kingdom that swallows death and grants eternal life has come (1 Corinthians 15:54-55). So trust him! Jesus has purified you, he will resurrect you, and a feast is waiting for you.

See for Yourself

I pray that the Holy Spirit will open your eyes to see the God who will destroy death. And may you see Jesus as the one who has secured our resurrection.