Isaiah 23:1

The Burden of Tyre

Howl, ye ships of Tarshish, for it is laid waste, so that there is no house, no entering in, from the land of Hittim or Cyprus; it is revealed to them. Be still, ye inhabitants of the isle, thou whom the merchants of Sidon, that pass over the sea, have replenished. By great waters, the seed of Syhor, the harvest of the river, is her revenue, and she is the mart of the nations. Be thou ashamed, O Sidon, for the sea hath spoken, even the strength of the sea, saying, "I travail not, nor bring forth children, neither do I nourish up young men, nor bring up virgins." As at the report concerning Egypt, so shall they be sorely pained at the report of Tyre. Pass ye over to Tarshish; howl, ye inhabitant of the isle.

Let's pray. Father, as we look into this passage before us tonight regarding the judgment, the burden upon the city of Tyre, I pray that you would teach and instruct us. Lord, give us insight into our day. As you were speaking 2,700 to 2,800 years ago to the people of Tyre, and to the people of Judah and Jerusalem, would you speak to us today as well? Help us to see how you move and how you work in the world.

As we consider these things, may we take them to heart. Stir us to be those who are passionate about seeing your word declared in the day in which we are living, just as Isaiah was 2,800 years ago. God, we ask that you would have free reign tonight to guide us through your word and teach us all things. We pray in Jesus' name, and all God's people agreed, saying, Amen.

You can be seated.

As Isaiah is finishing up the burdens upon the nations here in Isaiah chapter 23, we come to the final burden, the last judgment, and it is directed at the Phoenician city of Tyre, which is in modern-day Lebanon. You can actually go and visit the ruins of the ancient city of Tyre there in Lebanon. It is right near the northern portion of the nation of Israel, right there on the Mediterranean Sea. God is speaking a judgment upon a nation that was called in antiquity the Babylon of the Sea.

Tyre was considered Babylon's twin city and was known for its commercial center. It was the commercial center of the ancient world. If we put it in modern terms, Tyre was the Nasdaq of its time; it was akin to Wall Street. The stock exchange was there, but it wasn't known for its military might or for how it made conquests and traveled around the world. Instead, it was renowned for its great wealth, being the place where all the merchants would come to dock their ships and sell their various wares.

We read of grain coming up from Syhor in verse 3. The merchant ships of Tarshish, likely coming from modern-day Spain, would arrive in that area. They dealt in iron, tin, lead, and silver, bringing all kinds of different minerals. This little city of Tyre was well-known in antiquity as the place to exchange goods and conduct trade within its walls. It was located on the Mediterranean Sea, harboring merchant ships from Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, and even Italy, all the way to Spain. Thus, we see Tyre as a place of great wealth, not known for its military strength but for its merchandise.

In the picture that Isaiah sees, the ships of Tarshish are on their way to Tyre and stop at the island of Cyprus, the last stop before reaching the ports of Tyre. A report is given to the merchants as they dock their ships in Cyprus, informing them that the city of Tyre has been destroyed. Cyprus was just 150 miles northwest of Tyre, so all the merchants would stop there on their way to the city. When the merchants learn of what has happened to Tyre, they mourn and lament.

In verse 1, it says, "Howl ye ships of Tarshish, for it is laid waste so that there is no house, no entering in." There is nowhere for them to go, nowhere to take all their stock and wares. In verse 2, it continues, "Be still, ye inhabitants of the isle." The Cypriots are told to mourn in silence. The merchants will no longer come to Sidon and Tyre; they will no longer visit that area to replenish their coasts.

He speaks about the seed of Syhor in verse 3. The harvest of the river is her revenue. Syhor was a key city in Egypt, located in the eastern part of the Nile River Delta. It was known for its grain and the fertile land. All of that grain would be harvested in Egypt and then shipped from there up to Tyre. From Tyre, it would be sold and distributed to other parts of the ancient world.

In verse 4, he goes on to say, "Be ashamed, O Sidon." Sidon was the city just to the north of Tyre; it was the sister city of Tyre on the Mediterranean Sea, in modern-day Lebanon. In reality, we see in verse 12 that the city of Sidon was the mother of Tyre. The merchants of Sidon came down and founded the city of Tyre because it was a perfect harbor, an ideal place for them to dock their ships.

As we read through the first six verses of Isaiah chapter 23, we see all of these merchant nations and cities lamenting the destruction of Tyre. Egypt is sorely pained, as we read in verse 5, because of the report about the destruction of this city. As a result of the destruction of Tyre, there is an economic collapse. It is similar to what happened when the World Trade Center was destroyed in 2001; we saw the economic collapse that affected the entire world. It didn't just impact the United States; it affected the whole world. The stock market in Brussels, the stock market in Japan, and every stock market around the globe was affected when the World Trade Center fell.

Similarly, a couple of years ago, we witnessed the collapse of the stock market in October 2008, which also affected all the other world markets. The same sort of thing happened with Tyre's destruction, impacting everyone. When it occurs, we read in verse 6, "Pass ye over to Tarshish, howl ye inhabitants of the isle, or ye inhabitants of the coastland." The people of Tyre are told by God to flee, or they are seen as fleeing the city on their way to Tarshish, trying to escape the destruction that is coming.

Isaiah continues in verse 7, asking, "Is this your joyous city, whose antiquity is of ancient days?"

Her own feet shall carry her afar off to sojourn. Who has taken this counsel against Tyre, the crowning city, whose merchants are princes, whose traffickers are the honorable of the earth? The Lord of hosts has purposed it, to stain the pride of all glory and to bring into contempt all the honorable of the earth.

The question is asked in verse 7, "Is this your joyous city?" Tyre was a city of exaltation, a city of ecstasy, a city of delight. Because it was a very wealthy region, with all the money that came there and the traders that docked their ships in its ports, it was a city that was given over to licentiousness. It embraced a mindset of "eat, drink, and be merry." Yet, the question is posed: "This is your city, your joyous city?" All the joy would be removed when destruction came.

The joyous city, whose antiquity is of ancient days, is mentioned by the prophet in verse 7. The city of Tyre had been around for many years by the time it would ultimately be destroyed. In fact, it never saw any invasion until the fulfillment of the prophecy that Isaiah is now speaking of. According to the prophecies of Herodotus, the city of Tyre was founded around 2750 B.C. So, it was a very ancient city. When Isaiah was writing these things, around 700 B.C., it had already been established for almost 2,000 years. It was one of the first cities in ancient times to venture out into the Mediterranean and begin to plant colonies throughout various coastal cities and regions.

In verse 8, the question is raised again: "Who has taken this counsel against Tyre, the crowning city, whose merchants are princes, whose traffickers are the honorable of the earth?" Who would take counsel to destroy this city, the city that is the crowning city? The merchants of Tyre were known throughout the world at that time. They were looked up to, akin to princes of other cities, like royalty. In our day, names like J.P. Morgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, and Wells Fargo come to mind. There was a time when these big financial institutions in New York City were known and respected throughout the world.

Now, today that's not exactly the case, but there was a time when the city of Tyre was highly regarded. They probably had certain merchants from that place who were well known. The text states that their merchants are like princes; they are honorable of the earth. Who would ever consider destroying this city? All of the people of Tyre were like royalty in the ancient world. Because the economies of many nations were so intertwined with Tyre, no one would want to destroy it. In destroying Tyre, one might be destroying their own economy. So, who would take counsel to destroy them? The answer is given to us in verse 9: the Lord of hosts has purposed it. The Lord of hosts was the one who planned their judgment.

But why? Why would God judge them? The answer is also found in verse 9. The Lord of hosts has purposed it to stain the pride of all glory and to bring into contempt the honorable of the earth. God is now seen judging the pride, haughtiness, and arrogance of the city of Tyre. Because of their wealth, they had made themselves a great name throughout the world. As a result, they looked upon their position as if they had achieved it through their own strength and power. Therefore, God says, "I’m going to judge your pride." The very purpose of God would be to dissolve their pride and to lay low their glory.

We see once again a call to get out of Dodge, so to speak, in verse 10. "Pass through thy land as a river, O daughter of Tarshish. There is no more strength." Essentially, God says to the people in Tyre, "Get out as quickly as you can, because judgment is going to come."

It’s interesting to note that in the previous verses, it states in verse 7, "Is this the joyous city whose antiquity is of ancient days? Her own feet shall carry her far off to sojourn." The idea there is that the people of Tyre would not be taken captive by a nation and led into captivity by Assyria or Babylon, but that they would flee themselves when this judgment would come upon them. We see the same thing happening in these verses here in verse 10: "Pass through thy land as a river, O daughter of Tarshish. There is no more strength." There is nothing to rely upon.

The walls are going to be devastated, so get out of Dodge. He stretched out His hand, verse 11, over the sea. He shook the kingdoms. The Lord has given a commandment against the merchant city to destroy its strongholds. He said, "Thou shalt no more rejoice, O thou oppressed virgin daughter of Sidon. Arise, pass over to Cyprus. There also shalt thou have no rest."

The Lord has given a command to destroy the city and to judge them. God stretches out His own hand over the city of Tyre to remove their wickedness and pride. This judgment would move like a great shaking through all the nations and other kingdoms. As God judges Tyre, the other nations would feel the repercussions of that judgment because they too were interconnected with Tyre through their trading of goods. Therefore, God was going to destroy the strongholds of Tyre. He says that they would no more rejoice; there would be no more ecstasy, delight, or joy in the city when God would come and bring judgment.

He speaks about Tyre, calling it the virgin daughter of Sidon. As I mentioned before, Sidon, the city to the north of Tyre, was the one that planted or founded the city of Tyre. Thus, Tyre was called the daughter of Sidon. However, here it is referred to as the virgin daughter of Sidon, implying that her walls had never been penetrated, sacked, or destroyed. But now, God was going to destroy her.

Interestingly, over the time that they had been founded, from 2750 until the time that Isaiah was speaking this prophecy around 700 BC, they had never been destroyed or ruined. However, after Isaiah speaks this prophecy, three judgments would come one after another upon the city of Tyre. In 700 BC, the Assyrian king Sennacherib would come and lay siege to the city. He would not destroy it, but he would put them under tribute and cause them to be under his control. For the next 70 years, they would remain under the control of Assyria until about 630 BC. Then, in 572 BC, Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, would come and destroy the first part of the city of Tyre.

You see, Tyre had two sections. One was the coastal portion of the city, and then about a half mile off the coast was a small island that was the isle portion of the city of Tyre. In 572 BC, Nebuchadnezzar came and laid siege to the city of Tyre. For 13 years, he besieged the city. Finally, when Nebuchadnezzar was able to break through the walls and enter the city, he found that there were very few people remaining. During that 13-year siege, all the inhabitants had traveled out to the island that was a half mile off the shore, where they had set up Tyre, the isle portion of the city. Nebuchadnezzar was a little upset about that. Lacking a navy, he eventually left.

The city flourished for another few hundred years until 332 BC, when Alexander the Great came and laid siege to Tyre as well. However, he also did not have a navy. The city was still an island a half mile off the shore. Alexander the Great gathered up all the stones from the broken-down inland city and built a causeway out to the island city. He destroyed the island city and took it over completely. Tyre had a great history of never being invaded until the time that God spoke this prophecy through Isaiah. One after another, over the next few hundred years, they were destroyed completely.

"You will no more rejoice, although oppressed virgin daughter of Sidon. Arise, pass over to Cyprus. There you shall have no rest." God tells them to flee, to get out of the city and go to Tarshish. He urges them to rise up and leave the city for Cyprus, but they would still find no rest as they fled. They would not be taken captive by Assyria, nor by Babylon, or even by Alexander the Great, but they would flee from their precious stronghold, their beloved city.

In verse 13, Isaiah says, "Behold the land of the Chaldeans. This people was not until Assyria founded it. For them that dwell in the wilderness, they set up the towers thereof, they raised up the places thereof, and he brought it to ruin." God calls the people of Tyre to consider the Babylonians. They too were great merchants and had a magnificent ancient city.

The first founder of the city of Babylon was Nimrod, all the way back in Genesis chapter 11. However, the Assyrians brought Babylon to ruin. They came in and destroyed Babylon, and they were the ones who ultimately built it back up before it became a great empire.

God basically says to the people of Tyre, "Consider that ancient city of Babylon. The Assyrians destroyed them. You are nothing in comparison to that great city, Babylon. You too are going to be destroyed." Even though the people of Tyre had great arrogance and were filled with pride, believing that nothing would ever touch them, God declared otherwise. Their mindset was that tomorrow would be like today and much more abundant. God says, "No, that's not going to be the case. Even though you've been safe and secure for 2,000 years, judgment is going to come. It's going to be swift, and it will be complete."

In verse 14, God says to Isaiah, "Howl, ye ships of Tarshish, for your strength is laid waste." The merchants from Tarshish, probably in the southern portion of Spain, were known for their silver. Jeremiah tells us in Jeremiah chapter 10, verse 9, that they were known for their iron, tin, and lead. Ezekiel also mentions this in Ezekiel 27, verse 12. The place where they sold all of these materials was in the city of Tyre. When Tyre would be destroyed, Tarshish would be without a stock market and without a place to bring their wares. Thus, it says, "Howl, cry, mourn, you merchant ships of Tarshish, because your strength is laid waste."

Continuing on to verse 15, it states, "And it shall come to pass in that day that Tyre shall be forgotten for 70 years, according to the days of one king. After the end of 70 years, shall Tyre sing as a harlot. Take a harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten. Make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered."

It shall come to pass, after the end of 70 years, that the Lord will visit Tyre, and she shall turn to her hire and shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth. There are several different views about this prophecy given in verses 15 through 17 regarding the 70 years. Some believe that the 70 years Isaiah speaks of refers to a specific period of time.

Assyria put the people of Tyre under tribute from 700 B.C. to 630 B.C. During that period, they were really not allowed to trade any longer; they were restricted from conducting their trade. After that time, they flourished until 572 B.C., when God allowed them to be destroyed at the hands of the Babylonians. You may remember that the children of Israel from the land of Judah went into captivity in Babylon for how many years? Seventy years as well. Some Bible teachers and commentators believe that the seventy years of Babylonian captivity also applies to the people of Tyre, as Isaiah is speaking of here.

Regardless of the interpretation, God is essentially saying that Tyre will be forgotten for a period of time. After those seventy years, Tyre will return to her harlotry, seeking after merchants once again and singing songs to allure them. It shall come to pass after the end of seventy years that the Lord will visit Tyre, and she shall return to her hire and commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth.

Verse 18 is rather interesting. It states that her merchandise and her hire shall be holiness to the Lord, and it shall not be treasured nor laid up, for her merchandise shall be for those who dwell before the Lord to eat sufficiently and for durable clothing. God says that after Tyre returns from her seventy years of being forgotten, her merchandise will be sold, and all of that will be received and given to the Lord.

There are several different views on verse 18. Some believe it speaks about how Tyre, after the children of Israel returned from Babylon, helped them with materials to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. Tyre, located in Lebanon, was one of the key cities that provided materials for this purpose. Others argue that this verse refers to the time when the early church began. Acts chapter 21 tells us that...

There was a flourishing church with disciples in the city of Tyre by the time that Paul was returning to Jerusalem after his third missionary journey. Some people say that verse 18 is speaking about that early church ministry in Acts chapter 21. Others think it refers to a future time during the millennial reign of Christ when the people of Tyre will be giving offerings to the Lord in Jerusalem. I don't really know which view is the best; I think that perhaps any one of them is pretty good.

Whatever the case, God says here that ultimately, the people of Tyre will be given as an offering to the Lord as He judges them. This is in line with what we've been seeing in the book of Isaiah over and over again. The purpose of God's punishment is purification, and always a remnant shall return. Even in this wicked city of Tyre, God brings forth a remnant.

There is an interesting story in the Gospels, specifically in the Gospel of Mark. A Syrophoenician woman comes to Jesus, asking Him to heal her daughter. As she pleads for help, Jesus and His disciples do not pay any attention to her. She begins to beg Jesus' disciples to intervene, and they come to Jesus, saying, "Would you do something? Tell her to leave. Get her away from us."

Jesus then speaks to her, saying, "I was not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." The woman replies, "Even the dogs eat the scraps off the master's table." Jesus, beholding her faith, says to her, "Go your way. Your request is granted." Her daughter was made whole. This Syrophoenician woman was from the region of Phoenicia, likely from either the city of Tyre or the city of Sidon, which is an interesting consideration during the Gospel of Jesus as well.

In Isaiah chapter 23, we see God's last judgment spoken upon the nations as He addresses the people of Tyre. He says, "Your pride, your arrogance, your haughtiness has come up before me, and I will destroy you." Even though they feel secure after 2,000 years of never being destroyed or invaded, their security is a false security. There are those today who live under a false sense of security.

A sense of security in their pride leads many to believe that because they have been good people and performed good works, everything will be okay when they stand before God. This is a false sense of security. Those walls will not protect you when the wrath of the Lord comes. There is only one place to turn for refuge, and we see over and over again in the Scriptures that Jesus is our refuge. We must turn to Him.

Continuing on into Isaiah chapter 24, we read in verse 1, "Behold, the Lord makes the earth empty. He makes it waste, and He turns it upside down and scatters abroad the inhabitants thereof." It shall be as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with the 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. The land shall be utterly emptied and utterly spoiled, for the Lord has spoken this word.

In chapter 24, verse 1, we see God's attention turn not to a specific nation, but to the whole earth. A judgment is declared upon the entire world. The Lord makes the earth empty. He makes it waste. He is going to turn it upside down. Who is the one moving for judgment? God. Who is He moving judgment upon? The entire earth.

In verse 2, He speaks to every single individual. He says this judgment is going to come upon the people and the priest; the priest will not be exempt. It is going to come upon the master and the slave; the master will not be exempt. It will come upon the maid and the mistress, upon the buyer and the seller. No one shall escape this judgment that is coming in Isaiah chapter 24. The land is going to be completely emptied and utterly spoiled because God has spoken this word against the world.

Why? Look at verse 4. "The earth mourns and fades away. The world languishes and fades away. The haughty people of the earth do languish." Would you underline the words, "the haughty people of the earth do languish"? We see now again the pride of humanity is in focus. As God is going to bring judgment upon the whole earth and no one is going to escape, the pride, the haughtiness, and the arrogance of man are under the judgment and wrath of God. The wrath of God.

Will be revealed from heaven against all unrighteousness and ungodliness. Romans chapter 1 tells us, and continues on in verse 5, that the earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinances, and broken the everlasting covenant. God is going to judge the whole earth one day because of their arrogance, pride, and man's sin. The earth has been defiled, and we know that to be the case even going back to the book of Genesis.

The very next verse, verse 6, says, "Therefore has the curse devoured the earth." What curse? The curse that all of creation is under because of sin. Through one man's sin entered the world, and death through sin, and death spread to all men for all sinned. But death is not only for man; all of creation, as Romans chapter 8 tells us, groans because of sin, because of the curse from Genesis chapter 3. The earth has been defiled because of man and because of sin.

What is it that we've done? Well, those three things are told in verse 5. Number one, man has transgressed the law. Man has transgressed the law. He has deliberately stepped over the line that God has laid out for us. Just as Adam did there in the Garden of Eden, God told him, "You shall not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil." Adam knew exactly what the law was, and he deliberately broke it.

You see, a transgression is different from a trespass. Perhaps you have been out walking around on some of the trails in San Diego County before and found yourself on someone's private property. You've trespassed. You didn't do it intentionally; maybe it wasn't knowingly, but you've broken the law. You've stepped foot on their private property.

A transgression, however, is to clearly see the line, to know that you are not to cross it, and to deliberately make a decision of the will to transgress and go over the boundary. God says, "I've laid out my law, and you have transgressed my laws." But not only that, you've changed the ordinances. The word "ordinance" in the original Hebrew is the word "Torah." The first five books of the Bible are referred to as the Torah, the law, the ordinances of God. Not only does man transgress God's law,

Furthermore, he changes it. He makes it fit his own life. He calls evil good and good evil. He puts light for darkness and darkness for light. He puts bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. As a result, man has changed the ordinances, the law of God, and he has broken the everlasting covenant. Because of man's pride, transgression, and sin, God says, "I'm going to bring judgment upon the whole earth."

From Isaiah chapter 13 to Isaiah chapter 23, we see minor fulfillments of the Day of the Lord. We get to see pictures of God's judgment upon the earth, things that have already been fulfilled. Every single one of those prophecies, for the most part, from Isaiah chapter 13 through 23, has been fulfilled. Thousands of years ago, we can look back in history and see that Babylon has been destroyed, Tyre has been destroyed, and the Philistines were laid waste. The people of Moab have been destroyed, as well as the Arabians. All these different nations mentioned in Isaiah chapters 13 through 23 have faced destruction.

When we look at the book of Isaiah, we can see that they have been destroyed by the hand of God. Even though God used earthly instruments to bring about their destruction, it was still God's intervention that brought their collapse and demise. Isaiah chapters 13 through 23 give us these snapshots of God's judgment. Then, Isaiah 24 brings us the full picture: God is going to, in like manner, judge the entire world because of their sin, transgression, and pride.

Therefore, the curse, as stated in verse 6, has devoured the earth, and those who dwell therein are desolate. The inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men are left. God's judgment comes, and it is all-consuming. When His judgment comes, what is the result upon the earth? Look at verse 7. The new wine mourns, the vine languishes, and the merry-hearted sigh. The mirth of tabrets ceases, the noise of those who rejoice ends, and the joy of the harp ceases. They shall not drink wine with a song; strong drink shall be bitter to those who drink it.

The city of confusion is broken down. Every house is shut up so that no man may come in. There is a crying for wine in the streets. All joy is darkened, and the mirth of the land is gone. In the city, desolation is left.

At the gate is smitten, and the gate is smitten with destruction. In verses 7 through 12, we see that when God's judgment comes, all joy, all gladness, and all merry-heartedness are removed. All that is left is bitterness, confusion, desolation, and destruction when the judgment of God comes upon this earth. This is similar to what we read in Revelation 6-19, which speaks of that great and terrible time we call the tribulation and the result or the end of it, which is the day of the Lord.

In the midst of this, we read in verse 13, "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 of grapes when the vintage is done." They shall lift up their voice and sing for the majesty of the Lord, and they shall cry aloud from the sea. Therefore, glorify the Lord in the fires, even the name of the Lord God of Israel and the isles of the sea.

In the midst of this great desolation and judgment, there seems to be a group of the righteous, even though they are very few in number. When we read in verse 13 that it is like the shaking of an olive tree or the gleaning of grapes when the vintage is done, the idea is that when you go to harvest the olive tree, you shake the branches, and all the ripe olives fall off. You gather all those olives up, but the remaining olives left on the tree are just a few. Similarly, after the vineyard workers have harvested all the grapes, there are only sparse amounts left here and there.

Thus, in verses 13 through 15, the idea is that there is a small remnant of the righteous that remain in the midst of this judgment that comes upon the earth. There are just a very few who lift up their voices and sing of the majesty of the Lord, crying aloud from the sea. However, the judgment continues. In verse 16, we read, "From the uttermost part of the earth we have heard songs, even glory to the righteous." But I said, "My leanness, my leanness, woe unto me! The treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously. Yes, the treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously." Fear, the pit, and the snare are upon you, O inhabitants of the earth. Isaiah, as he sees a vision of this judgment coming upon the whole earth, is filled with despair.

He says it's as if fear, the pit, and the snare come upon the earth, affecting all the inhabitants. It shall come to pass that he who flees from the noise of fear shall fall into the pit, and he who comes 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.

When we read in verses 17 and 18 that fear, the pit, and the snare come upon the inhabitants of the earth, and that those who flee from fear will fall into a pit, while those who get out of the pit will be taken in the snare, I've talked about this before. What it means is that the judgment of God will be inescapable when He begins to pour out His wrath upon the earth.

Amos the prophet, when he sees a very similar vision surrounding the day of the Lord in Amos chapter 5, says in verse 18, "Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord! To what end is it for you? The day of the Lord is darkness and not light, as if a man did flee from a lion and a bear met him, or went into a house and laid his hand against the wall and a serpent bit him." Shall not the day of the Lord be darkness and not light, even very dark and with no brightness in it?

Once again, fear, the pit, and the snare are present. He who flees from fear will fall into the pit, and he who gets out of the pit will be taken in the snare. He cannot escape. The day of the Lord is like a man running from a lion, and just when he gets away from the lion, the bear gets him. Just when he's able to escape the clutches of the bear, he gets into a house, puts his hand upon the wall, and the serpent strikes and bites him.

The day of the Lord, the wrath of God, will be inescapable when He begins to pour out His wrath because today is the day of salvation. If man does not want to see the wrath of God, then he must turn to Christ now while there's time. When Jesus returns, He is coming as a lion, riding on a white horse with a sword in His hand, ready to do battle. There will be many who will be afraid and many who will flee when He comes, but they will be taken by the wrath of the Lord, as we see in this passage here in Isaiah chapter 24.

Why will they be taken? Why will it be inescapable? Well, the end of verse 18 tells us there in Isaiah 24.

For the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake. When we read that the windows from on high are open, the idea is that God has opened up the heavens, and He is coming down to bring the wrath of the Lord. When He does, the earth will shake. The earth is utterly broken down; it is clean dissolved. The earth is moved exceedingly. The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard and shall be removed like a cottage. The transgression, therefore, shall fall heavy upon it, and it shall fall and not rise again. Because of the sin of man, the earth will fall under the judgment and wrath of God.

The windows from on high will be open, and it shall come to pass in that day, verse 21, that the Lord shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high. Those that are haughty, those that are arrogant, those that are proud—He shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high and the kings of the earth upon the earth. They shall be gathered together as prisoners are gathered in the pit and shall be shut up in the prison. After many days, they shall be visited.

The picture here is that God is going to come down from heaven, and He is going to gather all the wicked of the earth. None will escape when He gathers them, and the picture is that He will imprison them. He will lock them up for the day of their trial. We read that after many days, they are going to be visited; their trial will take place.

We see the very same sort of thing taking place in the book of Revelation. Turn in your Bibles to the last book of the Bible, Revelation. You can turn there like you're an authority on Scripture. Revelation chapter 20, verse 1. There, John the Apostle says, "And I saw an angel come down from heaven having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand." He laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the devil and Satan, and bound him a thousand years. And he cast him into the bottomless pit. Notice that.

And he shut him up and set a seal upon him that he should deceive the nations no more until the thousand years should be fulfilled. After that, he must be loosed for a little season.

John continues, "I saw the thrones and they that sat on them, and judgment was given unto them. I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus and for the word of God, and who had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, nor had received his mark upon their foreheads or their hands. They lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years."

We see the dragon, the false prophet, bound for a thousand years, but then we see those ruling and reigning with Christ for a thousand years. However, verse 5 states, "The rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished." The rest of those who had died, those gathered up in Isaiah chapter 24, did not live again until the thousand years were finished.

This is the first resurrection. He continues, "Blessed and holy is he that has part in the first resurrection; on such, the second death has no power." Those who died and would not live again for the next thousand years are brought back up at the end of chapter 21.

Turning one chapter later to 21, verse 22—no, wrong verse. Hold on. Still in chapter 20. I got ahead of myself; I'm a little excited. We read later on in chapter 20. It says in verse 7, "And when the thousand years expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, the number of them which is as the sand of the sea."

They went up on the breadth of the earth and compassed the camp of the saints about the beloved city. Fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. The devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented.

Day and night, forever and ever. I saw a great white throne and Him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and heaven fled away, and there was found no place for them. I saw the dead, both small and great, stand before God. The books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. The dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works. The sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them. They were judged, every man according to their works, and death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. Whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into a lake that burns with fire.

In Isaiah chapter 24, we see the same events taking place. The day of the Lord gathers all the wicked of the earth together as prisoners are gathered, and they are placed into a pit. They are placed into Sheol and wait there for a time until many days are fulfilled. After that, they are visited and brought back up to stand before God at that great white throne judgment. There, He will judge them according to their works, and they will be cast into the lake that burns with fire, the second death.

Keeping your finger in Revelation, because we will return there shortly, back in Isaiah chapter 24, after that takes place, we read in verse 23 that 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.

So, after the wicked of the earth are judged and cast into the lake that burns with fire, we read that the moon shall be confounded and the sun ashamed when the Lord of hosts reigns. What does that mean?

Returning to Revelation chapter 21, which is where I was mistakenly going a moment ago, we look at verse 22. John says, "And I saw no temple therein, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it." The city had no need for the sun, neither for the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God did lighten upon it, and the Lamb was the light thereof.

So, after this judgment...

That takes place at the White Throne Judgment, and the wicked are thrown into the lake that burns with fire. Jesus is ruling and reigning here upon the earth, and the sun and the moon are diminished because He is so bright. There's no need for them any longer, just like we see in Isaiah chapter 24, verse 23.

The outline is given to us in the Book of Revelation. All chapters 1 through 22 provide the same outline that Isaiah chapter 24 gives us: there is coming a day when the windows of heaven are going to be opened, and God's wrath is going to be poured out upon a Christ-rejecting and sinful world. The earth is going to reel to and fro; the foundations of the earth are going to shake. The earth is going to stagger like a drunkard, and it will fall because of the weight of sin that is upon it. All the wicked that die there, or all the wicked that are gathered together, will be bound up for a thousand years, awaiting the day of their trial, awaiting the day of their judgment.

The Bible says a lot about this great and terrible day of the Lord, a day when God will reach into the realm of humanity to judge the world, with the wrath of God being poured out. What will that day look like? Well, in Isaiah chapter 63, Isaiah sees a vision of that day coming when he says in verse 1, "Who is this that comes from Edom with dyed garments of Basra? This that is glorious in his apparel, traveling in the greatness of his strength?" Isaiah is seen in Jerusalem looking to the east, and he sees a man coming out of the east, out of Edom, out of Basra. He is clothed in glorious clothing and is traveling in the greatness of his strength. Isaiah asks, "Who is this man?"

The man speaks back to him and says, "I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save." Who speaks in righteousness and is mighty to save? Isaiah saw Jesus. Isaiah asks him another question in Isaiah 63, verse 2: "Why are you red in your clothing and your garments like he that treads out the winepress? Why are you covered in red like you've been treading out the winepress?"

Well, Jesus speaks to him in verse 3 and answers the question: "I have trodden the winepress alone, and of the people there was none with me; for I will tread them down in my anger and trample them in my fury, and their blood."

Shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my clothing, for the day of vengeance is in my heart and the year of my redeemed has come. Isaiah is in Jerusalem, and he sees Jesus coming from the east. The Bible tells us in Zechariah that Jesus is going to descend from heaven, and He is going to set down on the Mount of Olives, which is east of Jerusalem, east of the Temple Mount. Jesus is going to approach, and Isaiah sees Him covered in blood. He asks, "What have you been doing?" Jesus replies, "I've been trampling the winepress."

What winepress? Well, Joel chapter 3, verse 9 says, "Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; call to the peoples of the nations of the world. Prepare for war! Wake up the mighty men! Let all the men of war draw near; let them come up. Beat their plowshares into swords and their pruning hooks into spears. Let the weak say, 'I am strong.'" The prophet Joel says to call all the heathen of the world to war.

In verse 11, he says, "Assemble yourselves and come, all ye heathen; gather yourselves together round about. Cause your mighty ones to come down, O Lord, and let the heathen be wakened and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat, for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about," says the Lord. "Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, get ye down, for the press is full and the vats overflow, for their wickedness is great. Multitudes in the valley of decision, the day of the Lord in the valley of decision."

The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw from their shining. The Lord shall roar out of Zion and utter His voice from Jerusalem, and the heavens and the earth shall shake, just like we saw in Isaiah 24, the shaking of the heavens and the earth. But the Lord will be the hope of His people and the strength of His children, Israel.

There in Joel chapter 3, we see the wicked of the earth gathered like grapes from a vine, and they are cast into the winepress of the wrath of God. We see it in Isaiah chapter 63, Isaiah chapter 24, and Joel chapter 3. Turn in your Bibles to Revelation chapter 14. Revelation 14 again speaks about the day of the Lord. The apostle John, in Revelation 14, verse 14, says, "And I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and upon the cloud sat one like unto..."

The Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown and in His hand a sharp sickle, is a powerful image. Now, who do you think John saw seated upon a cloud with a golden crown on His head? Remember what the angels said to Jesus' disciples in Acts chapter 1: "Why do you stand here gazing up into heaven? Do you not know that this same Jesus, who ascended into heaven, will in like manner return in the clouds?"

Here, John sees Jesus seated upon a cloud with a crown on His head and a sickle in His hand. In verse 15, it says another angel came out of the temple, which is in heaven, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud. Imagine the picture with me: there is Jesus seated on a cloud with a crown on His head and a sickle in His hand, and an angel comes from the presence of God the Father in the temple in heaven, saying, "Thrust in the sickle and reap, for the time has come for you to reap the harvest of the earth; its harvest is ripe."

He that sat on the cloud thrust in the sickle, and the earth was reaped. There, Jesus is gathering His own from the earth. But then, in verse 17, it says another angel came out of the temple, which is in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle in his hand. Not only does Jesus have a sharp sickle with which He harvests His own from the earth, but now an angel comes with a sharp sickle as well.

Then a third angel, in verse 18, came out from the altar, which had power over fire. He cried with a loud voice to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, "Thrust in the sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe." The angel thrust in his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, casting them into the great winepress of the wrath of God. The winepress was trodden outside the city, and the blood came out of the winepress even to the horse's bridle, the space of a thousand six hundred furlongs.

Who trampled the winepress of the wrath of God? Isaiah chapter 63 tells us that Jesus trampled it alone. Now, flip just a few chapters over from Revelation 14 to Revelation 19. In Revelation 19, verse 11, John says, "And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True." Who is that riding upon the white horse? Jesus, and in righteousness.

He does judge and make war. His eyes were a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns. He had a name written that no man knew but he himself. He was clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is called the Word of God. The armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth goes a sharp sword with which he shall smite the nations, and he shall rule them with a rod of iron. He treads the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of Almighty God. On his vesture, on his robe, and on his thigh, a name is written: King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried with a loud voice to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, saying, "Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God, that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses, and them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, small and great."

One last passage before we finish up: Jesus' words in Matthew chapter 24. Turn there with me if you would. Isaiah 24, Isaiah 63, Joel chapter 3, Revelation chapter 14, and Revelation chapter 19 all speak of this great and terrible day of the Lord.

In Matthew chapter 24, the very same thing Jesus said to his disciples is recorded. In verse 2, as he is looking at the temple, he says, "Do you see not all these things? Truly, I say unto you, there shall not be one stone left upon another that shall not be thrown down."

As he sat on the Mount of Olives, his disciples came to him privately, saying, "Tell us, when shall these things be, and what shall be the sign of your coming and of the end of the world?"

Jesus answered them and said, "Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and shall deceive many. You shall hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you be not troubled; these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There shall be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in diverse places. All these things are the beginnings of sorrows. Then they shall deliver you up to be afflicted and shall kill you, and you shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. Then shall many be offended."

And shall betray one another and shall hate one another. Many false prophets shall arise and deceive many. Because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall grow cold. But he that endures to the end shall be saved. This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come.

Now, He gives them the sign. Remember, they asked Him, "What shall be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?" Here’s the sign: Verse 15 states, "When you therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place, whoso reads, let him understand."

Then let him which is in Judea flee unto the mountains. Let them which are on the housetop not come down nor take anything out of the house. Neither let them which be in the field return back and take his clothes. Woe unto them that are with child and to them that give suck in those days! But pray that your flight be not in winter, neither on the Sabbath day. For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, nor ever shall be.

Except those days should be shortened—this means the length of time, not the 24-hour period of the day—there should no flesh be saved. For the elect's sake, those days shall be shortened. Then, if any man shall say unto you, "Lo, here is the Christ" or "There," believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets and shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch that if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore, if they shall say unto you, "Behold, he is in the desert," do not go forth; or "Behold, he is in the secret chambers," believe it not. For as the lightning comes out of the east and shines even unto the west, so shall the coming of the Son of Man be. This means that when He comes in His second coming, it’s not going to be secret; everybody will see it.

For wheresoever the carcass is, there the birds will be gathered together. Immediately after—notice this, verse 29—immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light. Joel chapter 3 talked about that as well. The stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

Then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven, and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn. They shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Remember what did John see in Revelation chapter 14? He saw Jesus seated upon...

A cloud with a crown on His head and a sickle in His hand shall send His angels with the great sound of the trumpet. They shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Remember, He thrust in the sickle and gathered the earth.

Now, learn the parable of the fig tree. When its branches are yet tender and it puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So likewise, when you shall see these things, know that it is near, even at the door. Truly, I say unto you, this generation shall not pass till these things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words will not pass away.

The day of the Lord will come, as Paul says, "the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night." It will come as a thief in the night upon those who aren't ready, upon those who are wicked. They will be gathered together to the valley of Jehoshaphat, the valley of decision, the winepress of the wrath of God. Ultimately, their wicked souls will be bound up for a thousand years, awaiting the day of judgment when God will cast them, bound, into the lake that burns with fire.

That day will come just as the judgment upon Tyre came in 572 BC at the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, or in 332 BC at the hand of Alexander, or just as the judgment of Babylon came in 536 BC at the hand of Cyrus, king of Persia. It is similar to the destruction of Assyria in 701 BC when they surrounded Jerusalem and 185,000 of them were killed in one night. In the same way that God destroyed those armies and nations thousands of years ago, He will come again to bring wrath upon this earth.

There is only one way to not be found under the wrath of God. Paul says in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, verse 9, that God has not appointed us, the church, those who are in Christ, to wrath but to obtain salvation in Jesus Christ. The wrath of God is a fearful thing. Amos said, "Woe to those who desire the day of the Lord." No one desires the day of the Lord, but being that it is a fearful thing, it should cause us to flee to Christ for refuge.

We have a great message to bring to this world, and yes, there are some people who think we're nuts when we talk about it.

The end of the world will come, and people may be afraid of it, and rightly so, because no one desires the day of the Lord. However, we have a message of hope in Jesus Christ. Amen. We have a message of refuge and salvation in Him, and may we be bold to proclaim it. Those on this earth who are currently abiding under His judgment and wrath will flee to Him for refuge and find that He is a sure and steadfast rock of salvation. Amen.

Let's stand and pray together. Father, Your word is so full. I love the way that Your word connects one passage to another because You, by Your Spirit, are the one who inspired and stirred holy men to write these things. All Scripture is given by inspiration of You, Father, and it is useful.

Lord, would You teach us to use it? Help us to be those who study to show ourselves approved unto You, that we may rightly divide Your word of truth. God, I pray that You would give us boldness and a passion to share Your word with those who are still in darkness, that they would find refuge in You as we have as well.

We thank You, Lord, that You have saved us and that You have not appointed us to wrath. Help us in these last days that we are living in to stand strong, proclaiming the truth of Your word. Lord, we pray, come quickly. We look forward to the day that we will be with You. We praise You in Jesus' name. Amen. Thank You.