Isaiah34
This passage is a continuation of prophecy that comes from the tension of conflict between Assyria and Israel. As we have spoken about so often in these last few chapters, it seems as if God is speaking through Isaiah about not only the moment Israel was experiencing but also some distant future. Through the development of the Gospel seen in the New Testament, we are clearly able to see the future church and our connection to this broader story. This chapter specifically will draw our eyes into a future judgement that will be the climax of history.
V. 1 God is bringing us above the conflict at hand and giving us a perspective of a much larger battle at hand.
V. 2 We are given the reason for this conflict: the nations have enraged the Lord and he has given them over to death. This can be seen both in the destruction of evil in the immediate context, but should be seen in this specific chapter as a shadow of the destruction of all evil that is to come.
Vv. 2-4 We are given a horrifying description of the fate of all the nations. It is important to note that this truly is all nations; that there is none who are counted as completely righteous. This is important for the church to remember as we often see the church align itself to the nation in which it exists rather than to a Kingdom of God that supersedes national borders.
V. 4 Even the host of heaven rot, meaning opposition to the Lord in heaven and earth will be destroyed and given over to death.
V. 5 We are introduced to Edom. Edom is the nation of people who are descendent from Esau and longtime enemies of Israel and Judah. This passage is not meant to point them out for destruction necessarily, but to use them as the symbolic nemesis to God’s righteousness.
Vv. 5-15 We see the plan of destruction that the Lord aims to lay out from his place of righteous vengeance. He will make those evil nations into a hellish wasteland that will only be inhabited by those creatures and weeds that remind us of darkness and death.
Vv. 16-17 The Word of the Lord has been spoken and not one thing that has been said will go without conclusion. The lot of destruction and darkness has been cast and those ensnared will be unable to escape their fate.
Here are some concluding thoughts:
Wrath and Hell: This passage centers itself on the coming judgement of the Lord and the final judgement of all creation. In its immediate context, it provided hope for Israel that those nations who were persecuting them would be destroyed and also would draw Israel close to the Lord in hope of their own salvation. But, this passage is a continuation of prophecies that have drawn the reader into a future that includes the church in which we exist today. The wrath that is to be poured out on all peoples and all nations includes our world today. We are given a glimpse into the land that will be hell, a real place that will be possessed. It is described as an awful place that is full of darkness, confusion, and of course a separation from the Lord. It is given such a description both to show the place as broken and not a place that could be given any sort of glorification, but also so that by it’s depravity the salvation that is to be described in chapter 35 is more beautiful and worthy of praise.
Kingdom of God: We are reminded again that the believer, though we each reside in our own nation, should never be swept up in the idolatry that is blind patriotism. God is going to hold every nation accountable for the sins they have committed. In America, we often call ourselves a Christian Nation and we also believe our founding principles are Christian. Regardless of the truth of these statements, the United States of America is not equivalent to the Kingdom of God which exists on earth. The Kingdom does not require a license or a passport. It does not place borders or hold to a specific language. The Kingdom of God needs to be our stronghold and the one true King is the one in whom we need to place our hope. Salvation will not come from a president or government policy, but a radical movement of the Spirit through the lives of people in our communities. Pray towards that end.
The Coming of Christ: This is really the direction in which the passage is pointing us to. Because of the grace our Lord provides, he is not going to judge the world without providing a sure opportunity for salvation. The Law was given that people may be perfect through it’s ordinances, but ultimately no man could ever measure up to this extensive code of rules. We needed a Savior. So Christ, with the humility of the Spirit, stepped down from his place on high that he might live a perfect life and by doing so become a perfect sacrifice for man. He paid the debt for our sins that we may not be under the curse of condemnation but instead be freed from the bondage of the wrath that is to come. By his coming, he set into motion a course to a final judgement where people will be separated, not by the worth of the life they live, but by the worth of the one they cling to. Those who accept and take on Christ will be granted salvation and those who deny him will be given what they desire; life eternally separated from God.