Isaiah 34:1

Come near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye people: let the earth hear, and all that is therein... 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. Their slain also shall be cast out, and their stink shall come up out of their carcases... and all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll. (Isaiah 34:1–4)

When God puts the whole earth on notice, He does it to drive us toward refuge in Christ.

God Is Serious About His Word

Isaiah 34 and 35 return once again to the theme of the day of the Lord—the Lord's coming judgment, and also that time of redemption. Chapter 34 focuses on the day of wrath; chapter 35 on the day of restoration and reward. As we go through these chapters, notice that the word shall is used 56 times. That matters, because these things will most certainly come to pass. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform it. God has chosen to exalt His word above His name, and He will bring to pass what He has prophetically proclaimed.

It's been said that more than a third of the Bible is prophetic. The great Bible scholar John Walvoord calculated that there are a thousand prophecies in Scripture, and that about half have been fulfilled. So much still remains, but God is at work and He will fulfill His word. Jesus told His disciples that not one jot or tittle will pass until all is fulfilled—not even the smallest mark of God's word will fall by the wayside. Because God is serious about His word, we ought to be serious about it too, studying to show ourselves approved, rightly dividing His word of truth.

A Call to Hear and Hearken

Through the prophet, God calls the nations to attention. He puts the earth on notice in verse 1: "Come near." He calls the nations to hear—and not only hear, but hearken, to let His word stir them to action. The day of the Lord's wrath will come. As Peter tells us, there will be scoffers in the last days saying, "Where is the sign of His coming?" But the Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness; He is long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish.

Scoffers say the church has spoken of the Lord's return for nearly twenty centuries, so obviously He is not coming—things continue just as they were. But God says, do not be deceived into a false sense of security. Some think, "I'll have time to get my life right later." God says, no—you need to return now, you need to repent.

God's Prophetic Plan Is Not a Secret

There's been a popular bestseller about "the secret," and people are always hunting for hidden codes and numerologies in Scripture. But God's word is not a secret. Repeatedly in the New Testament He says through His apostles, "Do not be ignorant." Amos chapter 3 declares that surely the Lord God will do nothing without revealing His secret to His servants the prophets. In Isaiah 42:9 He says, "Before they spring forth I tell you of them." And in Isaiah 45:19, "I have not spoken in secret... I the Lord speak righteousness." There is more than enough revealed for us to hearken to and act upon.

Why God Reveals His Plan

First, that man would know God's power. In Isaiah 44:6 God declares there is no God beside Him. When we reach Isaiah 40 through 46, God exposes the foolishness of idolatry, contrasting His working power with the lifeless gods of this world to which men devote their time, their treasure, and even their children—gods that can do nothing.

Second, that man would turn to Him in repentance. There is incentive in the prophetic word to turn to God today. Knowing the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night upon those who are not watchful should stir us to repent. Isaiah 45:22 says, "Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth." God is long-suffering, not willing that any should perish.

Third, that man would draw near to God in holiness. In 2 Peter 3, after describing how the heavens will pass away with a great noise and the elements melt with fervent heat, Peter asks: "Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness?" Paul says the same in Romans 13: "Knowing the time... it is high time to awake out of sleep." Let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the Lord Jesus Christ, making no provision for the flesh. God's prophetic plans are not revealed for sensational excitement, but so that man would see, know, understand, and act.

The Indignation of the Lord Upon All Nations

Verse 2 declares that the indignation of the Lord is upon all nations, His fury upon all their armies. Some have imagined they would be exempt, but God's wrath will come upon all nations. There is only one way to escape it: we must be found in Christ.

Consider the cities of refuge in God's law. God ordained six of them—three east and three west of the Jordan—so that the manslayer who killed unintentionally could flee for safety from the avenger of blood. If the elders judged it was truly manslaughter, he could live safely in the city; but if he left, his blood was on his own head. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 10 that all these things were written for our instruction. Christ is our city of refuge. Man is guilty, whether he realizes it or not, of taking the life of the Son of God; and there is a Kinsman Redeemer who will pour out wrath on those not found in the refuge. All outside of Christ stand under the wrath of God, which Romans 1:18 says is revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness.

The armies of man will gather against the Lord (Joel 3), but God will have them in derision (Psalm 2) and utterly destroy them. The slain will not even be gathered for burial—their carcasses will decay where they fell, and the beasts and birds will feast upon them. It is not a pretty picture, and it is not meant to be. It puts us in the place of recognizing that God is serious about His law and will execute wrath upon the ungodly. Some say this isn't fair, but God will be just in His wrath, and everyone who witnesses it will say yes and amen.

The Heavens Rolled as a Scroll

Verse 4 says the heavens shall be dissolved and the stars withdraw. This corresponds to 2 Peter 3:10: "the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat." There is a great global warming coming—not what Al Gore frets over, but the day when the heavens melt with fervent heat. God destroyed the earth once with a flood and promised never again, sealing it with the rainbow. But He will come one day with fiery vengeance.

I once saw a program on the Discovery Channel claiming the earth has billions of years left until our sun goes supernova and destroys everything—about four billion years out—which is why men seek other planets to populate. I would say it is much sooner than that. The day of the Lord will not come on a calculated four-billion-year timeline; it will come suddenly as a thief in the night. When they say "peace and safety," then sudden destruction comes.

Revelation 6:12 shows the same scene: the sun became black as sackcloth, the moon as blood, the stars fell to earth as a fig tree casts her untimely figs—exactly as Isaiah 34 describes—and the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together. That language is poetic, but it doesn't sound good for man on the earth when that day comes. When the heaven is unrolled like a scroll, it speaks of the Lord opening the heavens and coming down. Later in Isaiah the prophet cries, "Rend the heavens and come down."

The Sword of the Lord Upon Edom and Bozrah

In verse 5, God says, "My sword shall be bathed in heaven: behold, it shall come down upon Idumea." The Lord is preparing for the day of His wrath; His sword will come down for judgment. Idumea is another name for Edom—the land of the descendants of Esau, brother of Jacob. Edom found no place for repentance, though he sought it with tears, and the Edomites became enemies of God's people. Here they stand as an illustration of the nations God will judge. And it reveals that God is not a respecter of persons: though Edom was related to Israel, He will still judge them for their wickedness.

It is also my opinion that Edom and Bozrah will be the very location where God's wrath is focused during the millennial reign of Christ. When Jesus returns, Zechariah 14 tells us He will set foot on the Mount of Olives and establish His kingdom for a thousand years. During that period the wicked will be judged in this place of burning, the smoke ascending the whole thousand years, and at the end they will be cast into the lake of fire.

Why locate it there? Isaiah 63:1 mentions Edom and Bozrah again: "Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah?" Isaiah stands in Jerusalem and sees One approaching from the east, glorious in apparel but stained, "travelling in the greatness of his strength." The figure answers, "I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save"—the Messiah. Asked why His garments are red like one treading the winepress, Jesus answers, "I have trodden the winepress alone... for the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come."

So Isaiah sees a future event: the Lord coming down the Mount of Olives from the direction of Edom and Bozrah, His clothes stained in blood. And in Isaiah 34:8 we read, "For it is the day of the LORD'S vengeance, and the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion"—the very same words as Isaiah 63:4. Both passages, both mentioning Edom and Bozrah, speak of the same event. The winepress of the wrath of God is most likely in that region east of Israel, where the smoke will ascend throughout the millennial reign.

The Day of the Lord Across the Scriptures

The day of the Lord is mentioned 29 times in the Bible, always in reference to vengeance, wrath, darkness, and despair. Amos chapter 5 says, "Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD!" No one looks forward to that day. It is only understood as we trace it through many passages.

Joel 3 calls the nations to prepare for war, to beat their plowshares into swords, and gather to the valley of Jehoshaphat where God will sit to judge all the nations. "Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe... Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near." The sun and moon are darkened, the stars withdraw, the heavens and earth shake—but the Lord will be the hope of His people, and Jerusalem shall be holy.

Zechariah 14 says God will gather all nations against Jerusalem; the city will be taken and divided. Then the Lord shall go forth to fight against those nations, and His feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives—the very mountain from which He ascended in Acts 1—which shall cleave in two. It will be a day of darkness, "not clear, nor dark."

Revelation 14 shows One like the Son of Man on a white cloud, a golden crown on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand. Jesus first reaps the harvest of the earth—the gathering of God's people. Then an angel gathers the clusters of the vine and casts them into the great winepress of the wrath of God, trodden outside the city, the blood flowing to the horses' bridles for 1,600 furlongs. Revelation 19 shows Him on a white horse, His vesture dipped in blood, His name the Word of God, the armies of heaven following—that's us—and out of His mouth the sharp sword to smite the nations, His name King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Isaiah 34, Isaiah 63, Joel 3, Zechariah 14, Revelation 14 and 19 all describe the same day.

Matthew 24 and the End

After Jesus pronounced eight woes upon the scribes and Pharisees and left the temple, His disciples tried to soften the blow by admiring the buildings. Jesus answered that not one stone would be left upon another—fulfilled in 70 A.D. when Titus brought the legions of Rome into the city. On the Mount of Olives they asked privately, "When shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?" They assumed the temple's destruction meant the end of the world; to a faithful Jew it nearly would.

Jesus warned of false christs, wars, famines, pestilences, and earthquakes, then said, "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come." He spoke of the abomination of desolation and great tribulation, adding, "Whoso readeth, let him understand"—for God wants us to understand, not to be ignorant. He warned that if any say He is in the desert or secret chambers, believe it not. (The Watchtower Society claimed Jesus returned invisibly in 1913; I would declare them false prophets.) "For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be"—every eye will see it.

Then immediately after the tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, the moon shall not give light, and the stars shall fall—the same picture as Joel 3, Revelation 6, and Isaiah 34. The sign of the Son of Man appears in heaven, He comes in the clouds with power and great glory, and His angels gather the elect from the four winds. All of these passages point to the same event: the day of the Lord's vengeance.

The Day of Vengeance and the Year of Recompense

Notice the difference in time periods in Isaiah 34:8—the day of the Lord's vengeance, but the year of recompense for the cause of Zion. In Matthew 24 Jesus said that unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; for the elect's sake they are shortened. The time of God's wrath is but a blip on the calendar; the time of His reward is far longer and greater. How thankful we can be that God's wrath is brief. The psalmist asked whether God will remain angry forever—no, only for a moment. The Lord's reward extends into eternity.

The reward begins to be seen in Revelation 20, where the souls of those beheaded for their witness live and reign with Christ a thousand years. "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power." And in Revelation 21 we see the full reward: a new heaven and a new earth, the holy city New Jerusalem descending, and the great refrain repeated three times—"the tabernacle of God is with men." The inheritance of the saints is not heaven; the inheritance of the saints is God Himself. Wrath upon the unrighteous; reward for the righteous.

A Place of Burning Forever

Returning to Isaiah 34:9, the streams of Edom shall be turned into pitch and the dust into brimstone; the land shall become burning pitch, unquenched night nor day, the smoke ascending forever. This matches Revelation 14:9–11: those who worship the beast shall drink the wine of the wrath of God and be tormented with fire and brimstone, "and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever." Unlike Sodom and Gomorrah, which burned in a single day and are not still burning, this judgment's smoke ascends into heaven forever.

Isaiah continues that the land will be inhabited only by beasts—the cormorant, the bittern, the owl, the raven, thorns and brambles, dragons and vultures gathered every one with her mate. (Note that in Revelation 19 an angel calls all the birds of the air to feed on the flesh of the slain.) "Seek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read: no one of these shall fail." God has surveyed and deeded that land to these beasts forever. "My mouth it hath commanded, and his spirit it hath gathered them." The word of the Lord will surely come to pass.

Chapter 35: The Reward and the Restoration

Now we move from wrath to reward. "The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose." Edom becomes a burning place for the wicked, but the cursed wilderness finds great restoration, rejoicing with joy and singing. Paul says in Romans 8 that the whole creation groans and travails together, awaiting the manifestation of the sons of God. The earth groans tonight under the curse, looking for this great restoration. Isaiah 55:12 says the mountains and hills shall break forth into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands—it sounds like something from a Tolkien novel, but Scripture says creation will rejoice.

The glory of Lebanon, Carmel, and Sharon—the beautiful places—will be given to the desert, and the desert will become more fruitful and beautiful than they ever were. If you think Hawaii is nice, God's restoration will be far superior.

Strengthen the Weak Hands

The application comes in verse 3: "Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance... he will come and save you." When we consider what God will do, the weak, the feeble, and the fearful should be filled with strength and joy. If these prophecies fill you with great fear, it may indicate you are not right with the Lord, for prophecy should instill expectation, not terror. As Warren Wiersbe said, "The future is your friend when Jesus is your Savior."

When Isaiah spoke these words, his land was being ravaged by the Assyrians under Sennacherib, city after city falling, the beautiful land turned into a bleak desert as Assyria cut down the trees for their siege works. The discouraged remnant in Jerusalem needed this vision. Solomon said, "Hope deferred maketh the heart sick" (Proverbs 13:12). Habakkuk was told, "The vision is yet for an appointed time... though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come." When we grow downcast over the condition of our world and our nation, asking, "Can it get any worse?"—it can, and probably will—God says, do not fix your eyes on this world. He has a great restoration coming.

The author of Hebrews quotes verse 3 in chapter 12, in the context of God's chastening. Do not despise the chastening of the Lord, for He chastens whom He loves to bring about the peaceable fruit of righteousness. Israel was being punished for the purpose of purification, and on the other side of the punishment stood purification and a great promise.

Signs of the Messiah's Reign

Verse 5 continues: "Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped... then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert." These are the signs of the reign of the Messiah—the very things Jesus pointed to in Matthew 11. When John the Baptist, imprisoned and distraught, sent disciples asking, "Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?" Jesus answered by quoting this passage: the blind see, the lame walk, the deaf hear, and blessed is he who is not offended in Me. When Jesus walked the earth, these miracles signaled the Messiah's presence. When He returns to reign, we will see such miraculous restoration once again.

The Highway of Holiness

Verse 8 speaks of a highway called "The way of holiness," on which the unclean shall not pass. A highway in Hebrew was an elevated, well-tended road—the good path, the safe path. In Isaiah's day the highways had become dangerous, places of Assyrian ambush (Isaiah 33:8). But in the great restoration there will be a highway of holiness with restricted access. As one commentator said, the highway isn't for everyone; it has a toll booth, but you cannot make it by paying your own way—you are allowed on only if you are cleansed by the work of the Messiah.

"The wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein." You won't need a GPS; like those long, straight desert roads through Nevada or Arizona stretching to the horizon, even a fool can find his way. No lion will be there—our adversary who, 1 Peter 5:8 says, prowls like a roaring lion—nor any ravenous beast. And sorrow and sighing shall flee away, recalling Revelation 21:4: "God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."

What you know today will not be the case when the Lord comes to restore. The day of vengeance will come like a thief in the night, but the year of recompense for the cause of Zion lies beyond it. With that word we should be strengthened. Strengthen the feeble knees, lift the hands that hang down, and rejoice—your God comes. He will return.

Closing Prayer

Father, we thank You for that promise. Although we may see trials and difficulty and persecution, we have the more sure word of prophecy. And though there be scoffers who say, "Where is the sign of His coming?" we are reminded that even their scoffing reminds us, Lord, that You will come again. So the Spirit and the bride say come. Even so, Lord Jesus, come quickly. But until You come, Lord, strengthen us by Your Spirit to be those who shine brightly in a dark place. For we ask it in Jesus' name. Amen.