Season 6, Podcast 89, Isaiah 34:1-17, “The Signs of the Times.”

Season 6, Podcast 89, Isaiah 34:1-17, “The Signs of the Times.”

Chapter 34 is a typical pattern in Isaiah. For example, it is divided into two parts. Part One deals with the signs of the times in which Isaiah describes the destruction of the world prior to the Second Coming of Christ. That comprises verses 1-15. Part Two deals with the redemption of those who keep the commandments of God. Not only will their lives be spared, the earth shall eventually become their eternal inheritance.  The pattern of Isaiah is often this: scattering and gathering, destruction and restoration, war and peace, famine and plenty, Satan and Christ, chaos and order, cursing and blessing, sin and repentance. He delights in antithetical parallelism. 

Isaiah is noted for his juxtaposition of opposites. That is why I persist in saying Isaiah brings a message of hope. He emphasizes his message that we may avoid the sorrows of the wicked if we repent and come unto Christ. 

It is fruitless to consider the words of Isaiah without also consulting the words of John the Revelator in the Book of Revelation. Though their poetic expressions may differ, they saw the same thing: the Second Coming of Christ and the Millennium. Together they form a complete picture. It is a heavy one, but amidst the despair, there is always hope for the righteous, and both want us to come to Christ. John sums it up beautifully in Revelation 22:

Revelation 22:17

And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

Isaiah addresses his prophecy to all the world. We tend to localize prophets and say, Isaiah was a Jew. His prophecies were to the Jews or to Christians. It is true that Isaiah was a Jew. It is true that Christians accept the words of Isaiah as the words of God; however, Isaiah, as with all true prophets, speaks to all the children of God. He is the prophet of our day as much as he was the prophet of ancient days. For example, Christians and Jews may claim him, but they don’t own him. His words are universal and speak to Christian and non-Christian, Jew and gentile, old and young, ancient and modern. When a prophet speaks, he speaks to the world.

God is God of the whole world, and there is no other God beside him. That brings up another issue. Prayer. We are all children of God, and God is no respecter of persons. Does God answer the sincere prayers of those who do not know him and worship other gods? The answer is, ‘Yes, he does!’ He is not only a God of Justice, but also a God of Mercy. No one is held accountable for laws they do not have. We are responsible only for that which we know and understand. All who are too young to be accountable for their sins, who die in their infancy, are saved regardless of what religion or culture they were born into. That is how comprehensive the Law of Mercy is. God’s judgment is just, or he would cease to be God. Those who worship an arbitrary God do not know God.

Isaiah 34:1

Come near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye people: let the earth hear, and all that is therein; the world, and all things that come forth of it.

Another characteristic of prophets is that they often speak as if the prophecy has already come to pass, when indeed it hasn’t. In fact, the implication is that calamities may be averted if the people repent. For example, Isaiah prophesied of the Babylonian captivity scores of years before it happened. The prophecies alluded to in Chapter 34 will not occur for nearly 3000 years. 

Isaiah 34:2

For the indignation of the Lord is upon all nations, and his fury upon all their armies: he hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered them to the slaughter.

This will ot occur until endtime.