Isaiah 34:1

Come near, you nations, to hear and hearken. Let all the earth hear, and all that is therein, the world and all the things that come forth from it. For the indignation of the Lord is upon all nations, and His fury upon all their armies. He has utterly destroyed them; He has delivered them to the slaughter. Their slain also shall be cast out, and their stink shall come up out of their carcasses. The mountains shall be melted with their blood, and all the hosts of heaven shall be dissolved. The heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll, and all their hosts shall fall down, as the leaf falls off the vine and as the falling fig from the fig tree.

Father, as we take time to look into Your Word tonight, I pray that You would continue to instruct and teach us, Lord. Give us application from this passage that deals with Your coming and that day of vengeance, that day of recompense, Lord. We pray that You would keep us in that place, constantly recognizing our need for Your grace, but also recognizing that we are to be those who carry Your Word of truth, Your good news of grace, to those who don't know.

As Amos said, "Woe to those who desire the day of the Lord." None of us here are looking forward to the day of Your wrath, but we are thankful that You have not appointed us to wrath. Those who have obtained salvation by grace through faith are not appointed to wrath, but we also know that Your wrath will come upon all ungodliness and unrighteousness of those who suppress Your truth. We know that there are many in our day who would be numbered among that group.

You, Lord, are not willing that any would perish, but that all would come to repentance. Would You stir us to have that same desire? And, Lord, may that desire be worked out in our lives as we actively share Your good news with those who have not received You. Stir us up to be evangelists, we ask in Jesus' name. And all God's people agreed, saying, Amen.

You can be seated. Isaiah chapter 34 and 35.

The theme of the day of the Lord and the Lord's coming judgment returns once again. This theme encompasses not only the Lord's coming judgment but also the time of redemption. Chapter 34 focuses on that day of wrath, while chapter 35 addresses the day of restoration and reward.

It's important to recognize, as we go through these two chapters, that the word "shall" is used 56 times. This is significant because these things will most certainly come to pass. The Lord shall bring His word to pass. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform it. God has chosen to exalt His word above His name. He is serious about His word, and He will bring to fruition the things that He has prophetically proclaimed in His word.

When studying the scriptures, it has been said that more than a third of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, is prophetic. John Walvoord, a great Bible scholar, calculated that there are a thousand prophecies mentioned in the Bible, speaking of things that are yet to come, and about half of those have been fulfilled. Therefore, a lot remains prophetically that has not yet been fulfilled. 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. This means that not even the smallest mark of God's word will fall by the wayside. He will accomplish what He said He would do.

God is serious about His word, and therefore we ought to be serious about it as well. Amen? We ought to be those who study to show ourselves approved, as workmen and workwomen who are not ashamed, rightly dividing His word of truth.

As we look at this passage, God calls through the prophet for the nations of the world to come to attention. He puts the earth on notice in verse 1. As the day of the Lord's wrath is directed to the nations, notice it there in verse 1: "Come near." He calls to all the nations and says, "Listen, you come near. I have something to share with you. Come near to hear." He wants us to listen up.

But not only to hear, He wants us to hearken to His word. To hearken literally means to listen and allow His word to stir us to action. He says, "Listen, or hear and hearken, ye people. Let all the earth hear and all that is therein, the world and all things that come forth from it." World, listen up. The day of the Lord's wrath is going to come.

Even as the Apostle Peter tells us in his letters, there will be scoffers in the last days who say, "Where is the sign of His coming?" But that day will come. Peter reminds us that a day with the Lord is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as a day. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness (1 Peter 3:9). He is long-suffering towards us, not willing that any should perish.

There will be scoffers who say, "Well, the church has been saying for 2,000 years that the Lord is going to return." The Apostle Paul spoke about the imminent return of the Lord, as did the Apostle Peter. Many of the early church fathers looked forward to the coming of the Lord, and yet they have been dead for nearly 20 centuries. The church continues to speak about the coming of the Lord, so there are scoffers who rise up and say, "Well, obviously He is not coming. Things have continued just as they were since the beginning."

But God says, "Don't be deceived. Don't be duped into that false sense of security that the day of wrath will not come." There are people who think, "Well, I'll have time to get my life right, but right now, I'm just going to continue in my way." God says, "No, you need to return. You need to repent."

Here, Isaiah says, "Listen up and act according to what the Lord has said." You see, God's prophetic plan is not a secret. There has been a big bestseller recently about "The Secret," and many people are always trying to find secret things in the Scriptures. They look for new numerologies and coded languages in the Bible. But God's Word is not a secret. He desires that we would know, understand, and act upon the things He has said.

Repeatedly in the New Testament, God, speaking through His apostles, says, "Do not be ignorant." He does not want us to be unknowing. His prophetic plan is not a secret; He does not hide His work from man. He has made the vision plain and desires that we would not be unaware of these things.

I have noted the Scripture a number of times in Amos 3, where the prophet Amos says, "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but He reveals His secret unto His servants, the prophets." God does not work without first revealing to His people in a prophetic utterance what He is going to do. We will see in a number of weeks, when we get to Isaiah 42:9, that it says, "Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare. Before they spring forth, I tell you of them."

God says, "Before these new things come to pass, I'm going to tell you what is going to happen." In chapter 45 of Isaiah, verse 19, He states, "I have not spoken in secret." Isaiah 45:19 continues, "I have not spoken in secret in a dark place of the earth. I said not unto the seed of Jacob, 'Seek ye me in vain.' I, the Lord, speak righteousness. I declare things that are right."

People are constantly searching for hidden things in the Word, secret things in the Scriptures. However, there is enough that has been revealed that we ought to hearken to. We ought to listen and act according to what the Lord has said.

Now, why has God revealed His prophetic plan? What reason has He given in the Scriptures for showing us these things? Well, it is so that we would hear and heed His call, His Word. God has revealed to us what He is going to do so that man would know of God's power. In Isaiah chapter 44, verse 6, we read, "Are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? Yea, there is no God. I know not any."

God says there, "Listen, I've revealed these things to you to show that I am God and that I am powerful—more powerful than any of these idols that you bow down to." When we get to Isaiah chapter 40 in a few weeks, Isaiah 40 through 46 reveals the foolishness of idolatry. There, God contrasts His working power with the gods of this world that man bows down to.

He shows that these gods, to whom you devote yourselves—giving of your time, your treasure, and yourselves constantly—are powerless. You have even devoted your children to them, sacrificing your children to these false gods, and yet they can do nothing. But God reveals His power through His prophetic Word.

God has a prophetic plan, and He has revealed it for the purpose of demonstrating His power. Additionally, God has a prophetic plan and has revealed it so that man would turn to the Lord in repentance. One of the reasons that God has revealed to us what He is going to do is so that man would turn to Him.

You see, there is incentive in the prophetic word of the day of the Lord to turn to God today. Knowing that the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, as the Scriptures say, upon those who are not watchful, upon those who are not following after the Lord, and upon those who have been given over to drunkenness, idolatry, and adultery, it should stir us to repent.

Isaiah 45, verse 22, as God is uttering all of these coming destructions, says unto the people, "Look unto me and be saved, all ye ends of the earth. For I am God, and there is none else." I already referenced the verse in 2 Peter chapter 3, verse 9, that God is not slack concerning His promises. Some men count slackness, but He is long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance.

The prophetic outline of what God is going to do should be something that stirs us to repent and turn to Him. God has revealed His prophetic plan so that man would know God's power, so that man would turn to God in repentance, and so that man would draw near to God in holiness. God has revealed to us what He is going to do before He does it so that we would turn to Him in holiness.

Turn in your Bibles to that second epistle of Peter, 2 Peter chapter 3, for just a moment. There, near the end of your Bibles, 2 Peter chapter 3, verse 8, notice what Peter says: "But beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years is one day." The Lord is not slack concerning His promises. Some men count slackness, but He is long-suffering to us, not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance.

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat. The earth also, and the works that are therein, shall be burned up.

Now notice this, verse 11, the application of these things: "Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in all holy conversation or conduct and godliness?" Looking for the hastening of the coming of the day of God.

Wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with a fervent heat. Notice what Peter says there. God has revealed that He is going to come with vengeance and wrath one day so that we would draw near to God in holiness. Seeing that these things are going to come to pass, let us draw near to God and walk in holy conduct and godliness.

Notice also what Paul said in Romans chapter 13. You're in 2 Peter; turn to the left, Romans chapter 13, verse 11. Paul says there, "And that knowing the time, that now it is high time, that we awake out of our sleep. For our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. Let us walk honestly as in the day, not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envy, but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lust thereof."

So notice Peter tells us that we are to draw near to the Lord in holiness and godliness. Paul here also tells us, knowing that these things are going to come to pass, and understanding that there is a prophetic plan that God has in place, we ought to cast off the works of darkness. We ought to make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lust. We ought to walk in holiness.

God's prophetic plans are not revealed merely for sensational excitement. They are not revealed so that we can be all excited or maybe freaked out about the possibilities of what might happen. He has very clearly revealed what He is going to do. He reveals His work before He works so that man would see, that man would know, that man would understand, and that man would act. These things are not written frivolously, and they are not written with no purpose. The purpose is that man would see, that he would know, that he would understand, and that he would act.

And God will make good on His prophetic word. Therefore, we ought to be those that are drawing near to Him, looking for His glorious appearing. Isaiah continues in verse 2. He says, "For the indignation of the Lord..."

Isaiah 34:2 states, "The indignation of the Lord is upon all nations and His fury upon all their armies. He has utterly destroyed them. He has delivered them to the slaughter. Their slain also shall be cast out, and their stink shall come up out of their carcasses. The mountains shall be melted with their blood, and all the hosts of heaven shall be dissolved. The heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll, and all their hosts shall fall down as a leaf falls off the vine and as a falling fig from the fig tree."

The indignation of the Lord is upon all nations. This is an important truth for us to recognize, as there have been those who, at certain times, felt that we would be exempt. We, as a people, will not experience the indignation of God. However, God's wrath will come upon all nations. There is only one way to escape the coming wrath of God: we must be found in Christ.

We have talked before about the cities of refuge that God ordained in His law. It was ordained by the Lord that the children of Israel would have a place for the manslayer to flee to if he had killed someone unintentionally. We understand the concept of manslaughter. If you happen to get in a car accident and someone dies as a result, it was an accident; you didn't do it intentionally. Therefore, it is considered manslaughter. We have certain rules regarding manslaughter versus first-degree murder, and we understand that.

In the Old Testament, such was the case as well. Prior to God's law, if you killed someone, you would be put to death. The slayer of blood would come and kill you, whether it was intentional or not. But God instituted that there would be a city of refuge for His people. There were six of them established in the nation of Israel: three on the east side of the Jordan River and three on the west side. They were positioned in such a way that they were a day's journey from just about anywhere in the nation.

If you unintentionally killed someone, you would flee to the city of refuge as fast as you could. There, the leaders, the elders of that city would hear your case. If it was determined that it was unintentional, that it was manslaughter, then you would be able to abide in the city of refuge, and you would be safe from the slayer of blood. However, if you left the city of refuge, your blood was upon your own head, and you could be put to death for taking that life. God made that provision for a reason.

The Apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians 10, verse 11, tells us that all of the Old Testament was written for our instruction and our admonition upon whom the end of the age has come. Those things were written as a foreshadowing; they were written as an instructive teaching for you and me.

When we get to the New Testament, we find that we can find refuge in Christ. He is our city of refuge, if you will. Man is guilty, whether he realizes it or not. He is guilty of taking the life of the Son of God. We have all unintentionally, because of our sin, killed the Son of God. He has a next of kin; he has a kinsman redeemer who will pour out wrath upon those who are not found in the city of refuge. Any of those who are outside of Christ will be under the wrath of God.

The wrath of God will be revealed, as Romans 1, verse 18 says, upon all ungodliness and upon all unrighteousness. Here in this passage, we find the very same truth given to us in Isaiah 34, verse 2. The indignation of the Lord is upon all nations. We saw this previously in Isaiah chapter 24, where the entire chapter dealt with the coming day of God's wrath. The armies of man will be gathered together against the Lord, as Joel chapter 3 tells us. But God will have them in derision; He is going to confuse them, as Psalm 2 tells us. He will utterly destroy them, as revealed in Isaiah 34, verse 2.

The wicked, the slain, will not even be gathered together for burial, as we see in this passage. When they are slain there, they will be left as an abomination; they will decay where they fell. It is revealed in the other apocalyptic passages of the Bible that the beasts of the world and the birds of the air will come and feast upon the flesh of those who are dead in that great battle.

It's not a pretty picture, and it's not intended to be. It is meant to put us in that place of recognition that God is serious about His law. He is serious about His word, and He will execute wrath upon the ungodly. Some people may say that it just doesn't seem fair, but God will be just in His wrath. Everyone who stands as a witness to the wrath of God will say yes and amen when His wrath is poured out. We are told here in this passage, in verse 3, that the mountains will melt with the blood.

In another translation, it is rendered that the blood is going to drench the mountains. We also read in verse 4 of this passage that the heavens shall be dissolved and that the stars are going to withdraw from their place. Yes, the hosts of the heavens shall fall. I think this could also be interpreted in what we see in 2 Peter 3, verse 10, which states, "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with a fervent heat. The earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up."

Yes, there is a great global warming coming. It's not what Al Gore has been concerned about and preaching against, but there is a great day of global warming that is going to come when the heavens will melt with fervent heat and all the elements are going to burn up. God destroyed the population of the earth once with a flood. He will never do that again. He promised and made a covenant with man, the Noahic covenant, the sign of that covenant being the rainbow. He will never again flood the earth to destroy it, but He will come one day with fiery wrath and vengeance upon this earth. It will pass away.

I found it interesting a few weeks ago when I was watching the Discovery Channel, which is always dangerous but interesting at times. They had a show discussing how the earth has been here for billions of years and will probably be here for another few billion years. However, because of everything we are observing in our universe, we know that science tells us there is coming a day when this earth is going to be destroyed by our sun, as it will go supernova and destroy everything. That is probably about four billion years out, so you probably won't be here; you'll be okay. But that day is coming, which is why there is so much effort to find other planets that we can populate and move to, because this one, in about four billion years, is going to be destroyed.

I would say that it's probably much sooner than that, and it is going to happen, as the Scriptures declare here, in this great fervent heat. The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night. It's not going to be something that they calculate out four billion years down the road; it's going to happen suddenly. It will occur when they say "peace and safety," then sudden destruction will come upon them, as labor pains upon a woman who is with child. In which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise.

The elements shall melt with a fervent heat. That day is coming, and the only place to find refuge from that coming day of wrath is in Christ. The heavens will be dissolved; they will be rolled away, as it says in verse four.

Interestingly, we see very similar words used in a correlating passage in Revelation chapter six. Turn to the last book of your Bibles, Revelation chapter six, verse 12. There, the apostle John, speaking about the sixth seal being opened, says, "And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and lo, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became as dark as sackcloth, and the moon became as blood."

We have talked about these symbols before. The sun being darkened and the moon being turned to blood is a prophetic landmark of the day of the Lord. The stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casts her untimely figs, exactly what we see in Isaiah chapter 34, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. The heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together, and every mountain and island were moved out of their place.

This poetic language, when it says that the heaven is going to depart like a scroll, is difficult to interpret, but it doesn't sound good. It does not appear to be a good thing for man who is here upon the earth when that day comes. Why? Well, when the heaven is unrolled like a scroll, it seems to be speaking of the Lord returning. He opens the heavens and comes down.

We will see in another passage in the scripture here in Isaiah, where the prophet even says, "God, rend the heavens and come down." There is coming a day when the heaven is going to be open, and God is going to return from His place, from His throne.

When He does, look at what we read in Isaiah chapter 34, verse 5: "For my sword shall be bathed in heaven. Behold, it shall come down upon Idumea, and upon all the people of my curse to judgment." The sword of the Lord is filled with blood; it is made fat with the fatness and with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of kidneys of rams. For the Lord has a sacrifice in Basra and a great slaughter in the land of Idumea.

The King James Version says "unicorns," which is probably not a good translation. The wild bulls shall come down with them, and the bullocks with the bulls. Their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust made fat with fatness. God says, "My sword shall be bathed in heaven." This means God is preparing for the coming day of wrath. The Lord is preparing for the day when He will return with wrath. His sword in heaven, as we are told in verse 5, shall come down, and it shall come down for judgment. The end of verse 5 states that the sword of the Lord shall come down from heaven with judgment.

In verses 5 and 6, we read about Idumea and Basra. Idumea is another name for Edom, which was the land inhabited by the Edomites, or the descendants of Esau. God says, "I am going to come down from heaven, and when I come down, I will come with a sword, ready for judgment. I will come down to the place of Idumea." Idumea refers to the Edomites, while Basra is one of the key cities of that region, one of the capital cities.

Edom is closely related to the children of Israel. Esau was the brother of Jacob. Therefore, the descendants of Esau, the Edomites, are enemies of God, as spoken of in this passage. In the New Testament, we read that they are enemies of God because of their wickedness and because they turned against the people of God and the Lord. Esau found no place for repentance, although he sought it diligently with tears. They are used in this passage as an illustration of the nations of the world, and God is going to judge them, making them the focus of His judgment here.

This reveals something interesting: God is not a respecter of persons. Even though Esau was related to the children of Israel, God will still judge them because of their wickedness. His judgment and wrath will not be spared upon His enemies.

Additionally, it is my opinion that as we read about Edom and Basra in this passage, this is not just an illustration of God's wrath upon the nations. I believe that Edom and Basra will be the location where God's wrath upon the unrighteous will be focused during the millennial reign of Christ. As we look at the prophetic timeline of what is going to happen, we see this unfolding.

We're looking for and expecting the coming day of the Lord, when the Lord will return to judge the wicked of this world, and His wrath will be poured out. When Jesus returns, we're told in Zechariah chapter 14 that He will set foot on the Mount of Olives and establish His kingdom here upon the earth for a thousand years. During that period, the unrighteous, the wicked, will be judged in a place of burning, and the smoke will ascend from that place for the entire thousand years, the thousand-year reign of Christ. At the end of that reign, all those who were cast into that pit will ultimately be cast into the lake that burns with fire.

I believe that when you study the prophetic passages of Scripture as they relate to this coming day, the place where the wicked will be judged will be east of the land of Israel, east of Jerusalem, in what was once ancient Edom, in the land of Basra. Why do we think that? We see Edom and Basra mentioned here. Turn with me just a few chapters to the right to Isaiah 63, and notice what we read in that passage.

Isaiah 63, verse 1: The prophet says, "Who is this that comes from Edom, with dyed garments from Basra?" So there's Edom and Basra mentioned again, the only other time in the book of Isaiah. Here's the picture: Isaiah sees an individual coming from Edom, coming from the east, because at this point, Isaiah is in Jerusalem. He sees this man approaching from the east, coming from Edom, and he has garments that are dyed, coming from Basra.

Isaiah asks, "Who is this man?" The man answers him, saying, "This that is glorious in His apparel, traveling in the greatness of His strength." Isaiah is asking, "Who is this man who's traveling in the greatness of His strength?" The man answers, "I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save."

Now, I know that we've looked at this before, so we recognize that the one who speaks in righteousness, mighty to save, is Jesus, the Messiah. Isaiah is standing in Jerusalem, and he sees Jesus approaching him from Edom, from Basra, wearing glorious clothes, but His clothes are stained, they're dyed. The prophet then asks him in verse 2,

Wherefore, or why, are you red in your apparel, and your garments like him who treads the winepress? The prophet says, "You're in these beautiful clothes, but it looks like you've been treading in the winepress." Why would you wear these beautiful clothes in the winepress, and why are your clothes all stained?

Jesus answers him in verse 3 and says, "I have trodden the winepress alone, and of the people there was none with me. For I will tread them in my anger, and trample them in my fury, and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments. I will stain all my clothing." Why? Verse 4 states, "For the day of vengeance is in my heart. The day of vengeance is in my heart, and the year of my redeemed has come."

I looked, and there was none to help; I wondered that there was none to uphold. Therefore, my own arm brought salvation unto me, and my fury it upheld me. I will tread them down, or tread down the people in my anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth.

Isaiah chapter 63 speaks of the day of the Lord's vengeance. On that day, we see the Lord coming from the east. We know from other prophetic passages, such as Zechariah chapter 14, that when Jesus returns, He will come to the Mount of Olives, which is east of the city of Jerusalem. He will enter into the city of Jerusalem through the east gate, right into the Temple Mount precinct.

Imagine, if you would, that Isaiah the prophet is seeing a yet future event taking place. He is standing there, probably at the Temple Mount, and he sees Jesus approaching from the east, coming down the Mount of Olives, coming from the direction of Edom, from Basra. His clothes are all stained in blood. When asked why he is stained like this, Jesus responds, "I have trampled them in my fury. The day of vengeance is in my heart. The year of my redeemed has come."

The day of the Lord's vengeance is mentioned in Isaiah 63 and again in Isaiah chapter 34. Look at verse 8. Keep your finger in Isaiah 63. Verse 8 of Isaiah 34 states, "For it is the day of the Lord's vengeance, and the year of recompense for the controversy of Zion." For the cause of Zion, we might read in another translation.

In Isaiah chapter 63, verse 4, we see that the day of vengeance is in my heart, and the year of my redeemed has come. In Isaiah 34, verse 8, we see the day of the Lord's vengeance, the year of His recompense for the cause of Zion has come. Both of these passages speak about the exact same thing, with Edom and Basra mentioned in both. Therefore, I believe that where the Lord will judge the wicked...

And where His wrath will be poured out upon them, the winepress of the wrath of God, I believe that it's most likely in that region of Edom, east of Israel, across the Jordan River. It is in that place that the smoke of the Lord's wrath will ascend throughout the entire period called the millennial reign of Christ. But it is the day of the vengeance of our God.

Now, we've talked a lot about the day of vengeance as we've been going through the book of Isaiah, the day of the Lord. The day of the Lord is mentioned 29 times in the Bible, and it is always in reference to a day of vengeance, wrath, darkness, and despair. It is not a good day. Amos chapter 5 tells us, "Woe to those who desire the day of the Lord." It is a day of darkness. No one is looking forward to that day when the Lord judges the world.

But what exactly is the day? It is really only understood when you begin to look at it in the context of many different passages in the Bible. We've already studied Isaiah chapter 24. We see it again here in Isaiah chapter 34 and in the first six verses of Isaiah chapter 63.

Now, turn in your Bibles to the book of Joel. You're in Isaiah, so keep your finger in Isaiah 34 and turn to the right to the book of Joel, chapter 3. In Joel chapter 3, verse 9, the prophet says, "Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles, the nations." They are the focus of God's judgment in Isaiah 34, verse 1, the nations.

So he says, "Proclaim this among the nations. 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 that I am strong. Assemble yourselves and come, all ye heathen. Gather yourselves together round about. Cause your mighty ones to come down, O Lord."

The prophet says, "Listen, nations, get ready for war. Because the mighty ones with the Lord, He is going to return to fight with you. Let the heathen be wakened and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat. For there will I sit to judge all the nations round about."

Then we read, "Put ye in the sickle for the harvest is ripe; get ye down for the press is full. The winepress is full; the vats overflow for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision. The day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision."

And the sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars will withdraw from their shining. The hosts of heaven are going to fall, as stated in Revelation chapter 6. The Lord also shall roar out of Zion. So, the Lord is going to depart from Zion and utter His voice from Jerusalem. The heavens and the earth shall shake, and there was a great earthquake when the sixth seal was opened in Revelation chapter 6.

But the Lord will be the hope of His people. God is coming for judgment against the nations, but He is also the hope of His people and the strength of the children of Israel. You shall know that I am the Lord dwelling in Zion, My holy mountain. Then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall be no strangers passing through her anymore. After the day of judgment that we read of in Joel chapter 3, we see a restoration of Jerusalem, the recompense of the cause of Zion, as mentioned in Isaiah chapter 34 and Isaiah chapter 63. Here, we see the restoration of Zion and the restoration of Jerusalem.

Now, turn from Joel chapter 3 to the right and go to Zechariah chapter 14. Zechariah is just before Malachi, which is the last book of the Old Testament. In Zechariah 14, verse 1, it says, "Behold, the day of the Lord comes, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee." For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem. The nations are gathering themselves against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken. The houses will be rifled, the women ravished, and half the city shall go forth into captivity. We see a divided Jerusalem, which is interesting. The residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.

Then shall the Lord go forth to fight against those nations. Joel chapter 3 begins by stating that God is going to come and judge those who divide Jerusalem. In Zechariah 14, we see the division of Jerusalem, and God is going to come and fight with them in the battle of that day. His feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives. Remember, that is the very same mountain that Jesus ascended from into heaven after His first coming in Acts chapter 1. He is going to return to the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east. The Mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley. Half of the mountain shall be removed toward the north.

And half of it toward the south. You shall flee to the valley of the mountains, for the valley of the mountain shall reach to Ezel. Here we see the day of the Lord coming. It shall come to pass. In that day, verse 6 says that light shall be neither clear nor dark. A day of darkness is coming when the Lord will return to judge.

We see this also spoken of in the New Testament, in Revelation chapter 14. Again, back to the last book of the Bible, Revelation 14, verse 14. The apostle John says, "And I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and upon the cloud sat one that was like the Son of Man, having on his head a golden crown and in his hand a sharp sickle." Who do you think that is? Jesus. John sees Jesus coming in the clouds, with a crown on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand.

Now, another angel came out of the temple that is in heaven, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud. Imagine the picture: there's Jesus on the cloud, a crown on his head and a sickle in his hand. An angel comes out of the temple, from the presence of God the Father, and says to Jesus, "Thrust in your sickle and reap, for the time has come for you to reap. The harvest of the earth is ripe." And he that sat on the cloud, Jesus, thrust in his sickle, and the earth was reaped. This is the gathering of God's people.

In verse 17, another angel came out of the temple, which is in heaven, also having a sharp sickle. Now, another individual comes with a sharp sickle. A third angel comes out from the altar, having power over fire, and he cried with a loud voice to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, "Thrust in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine." Notice the difference: Jesus gathered the harvest, while this angel gathers the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe.

The angel thrust in the sickle of the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and it was cast into the great winepress of the wrath of God. The winepress was trodden outside the city, and the blood came out of the winepress up to the horse's bridle by the space of a thousand six hundred furlongs. Outside the city, where? In the valley of Jehoshaphat. When Jesus returns to bring judgment, we see another picture of this in Revelation chapter 19.

Just four verses, four chapters to the right: Revelation chapter 19, verse 11. John says, "Who's that?" Jesus. His eyes were a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name that was written that no man knew but He Himself. He was clothed with a vesture, a robe that was dipped in blood, and His name is called the Word of God.

The armies which were in heaven followed with Him. That's us. Praise the Lord! They were upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, the same sword that we read in Isaiah 34, bathed in heaven and prepared for wrath. The sword came from His mouth, and with it, He should smite the nations. He should rule them with a rod of iron and treads the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of Almighty God. On His robe, His vesture, and on His thigh, a name was written: King of Kings and Lord of Lords. This is the same exact thing that we see in Isaiah 63, Isaiah 34, Joel 3, and Zechariah 14.

Now, turn to Matthew chapter 24. Jesus' disciples had just heard Him give perhaps one of the hardest and heaviest sermons He had ever delivered. Eight times, He says to the religious ruling class in Jerusalem, "Woe to you, you scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites!" After this, Jesus leaves the temple, and His disciples come to Him, trying to soften the blow a little bit. They point out the beautiful buildings, saying, "Yeah, we know the religious system is corrupt, but the buildings are nice, right?" What a wrong focus.

Jesus said unto them in Matthew 24, verse 2, "Do you not see all these things? Truly I say unto you, there shall not be left one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down." As Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives, His disciples came unto Him privately. He said to them, "Listen, you see this place? It's all going to be destroyed." Then He departed, went up the Mount of Olives, and sat down. I imagine that Jesus was sitting somewhere about halfway up the Mount of Olives.

Looking over the Temple Mount, if you go to Jerusalem with us next year, you'll have an opportunity to go to the very same place and look upon the Temple Mount. As Jesus sat down, His disciples came to Him. They were probably a little dazed because He had just told them that the central focus of Judaism was going to be destroyed. They 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?"

You see, they misunderstood. They thought that when the Temple was destroyed, that would be the end of the world. We recognize that this is not the case. To a faithful Jew, the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple would have signified the end of the world. But it wasn't. The Temple was destroyed; not one stone was left upon another in 70 AD, when, in August of that year, Titus, the Roman general, brought the legions of Rome into the city and destroyed it.

But Jesus said unto them in verse 4, "Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in My name, saying that I am the Christ, and they shall deceive many. And you shall hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you be not troubled, for these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nations shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there shall be famines and pestilences, and earthquakes in diverse places. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you, and you shall be hated of all nations for My name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall arise, and they shall deceive many. Because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that endures unto the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come."

Underline those words if they're not already in verse 14: "Then shall the end come." When therefore you shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place, whoso reads, let him understand. You see, Jesus tells us these things beforehand so that we would know and understand. God doesn't want us to be ignorant.

Then let him which is in Judea flee to the mountains. Let those that are on the housetop not come down or take anything out of the house. Neither let those that are in the field return back to take his clothes. Woe unto them that be with child in those days or give suck. But pray that your flight be not in winter, neither on the Sabbath day. For then shall great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world to this time, nor ever shall be. And except those days be shortened, there should no flesh be saved. But for the elect's sake, those days shall be shortened.

And then, if any man shall say unto you, "Lo, here is Christ,"...

Believe it or not, there shall arise false Christs and false prophets. They shall show great signs and wonders, so much so that if it were possible, they would 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 if they say, "Behold, he is in the secret chambers," do not believe it. The Watchtower Society said that Jesus returned and is in secret chambers back in 1913, so I would declare them false prophets.

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. When He returns, every eye is going to see it. Remember John in Revelation 14 saw on a cloud the one with the crown and in His hand the sickle. For wheresoever the carcass is, there the birds will be gathered together.

Now, immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light. The stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven shall be shaken. Joel chapter 3, Revelation chapter 6, and Isaiah 34 present the same exact picture, speaking about the same exact thing. Then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. What sign? Jesus coming in the clouds with the crown upon His head and the sickle in His hand. Then shall the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. He shall send His angels with the great sound of the trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Remember, Jesus comes and gathers His elect with the sickle in Revelation 14, and then judgment is going to come. All these things point to the very same event: the day of the Lord's vengeance. But not only the day of the Lord's vengeance; we also read in Isaiah chapter 34, verse 8, about the year of the recompense of the controversy of Zion. Notice the difference in the time period that is given; it's very important. We read of the day of the Lord's vengeance, and we read of the year of the Lord's recompense.

We just saw in Matthew chapter 24 that unless those days be shortened, there should no flesh be saved. But for the elect's sake, those days shall be shortened. What this reveals to us is that the time of God's wrath is but a blip on the calendar, whereas the time of God's reward, the year of recompense or the year of reward, is much longer and much greater than the time of God's wrath. How many of you are thankful tonight that God's wrath is but a short time? He does not remain angry forever. The psalmist asked several times in the Psalms.

Lord, will You remain angry forever? No, it's just for a moment. For a moment, the wrath of the Lord will come. The time of the Lord's reward will be much longer than the time of God's wrath. The time of God's wrath will be very short, but the Lord's reward will extend on into eternity. The reward will begin to be seen in Revelation chapter 20.

Revelation chapter 19 is the day of wrath. Remember when Jesus comes on a white horse, with all of His saints following Him on horses as well? His robe is covered in blood, and He has a name that is written on His thigh: King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Revelation chapter 20 begins to speak about the reward that is given to the righteous.

In Revelation 20, verse 4, John says, "And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them. And I saw the souls of those that were beheaded for their witness of Jesus and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years." So, we see the beginning of the reward of the righteous.

Then, down in verse 6, it says, "Blessed and holy is he that has part in the first resurrection. On such, the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years." There are the beginnings of the reward of righteousness, but it's not just for one thousand years.

When we get to Revelation chapter 21, we have now moved into the full reward of the righteous. In Revelation 21, verse 1, John says, "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away, and there was no more sea." And I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

I heard a great voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them and be their God." Three times we see that God is with His people because the inheritance of the saints is not heaven; the inheritance of the saints is God.

Here, God returns to be with His people, and He rewards His people openly at that time. You can read on your own later the remainder of Revelation chapters 21 and 22. Hopefully, it will stir you to excitement about the recompense of God's people.

The reward of the righteous and the wrath upon the unrighteous are significant themes in Scripture. Let's return to Isaiah chapter 34, verse 9. There, Isaiah writes, "And the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into brimstone. And the land thereof shall become a burning pitch. It shall not be quenched night nor day. The smoke thereof shall go up forever, from generation to generation. It shall lie waste; none shall pass through it forever."

This passage speaks about Edom, Idumea, and Basra, taking us back to that place of judgment. Isaiah refers to the day of the Lord's vengeance and the year of recompense. He describes how God will judge the unrighteous, stating that the streams of that land will be turned into pitch, like tar or oil, and the dust into brimstone. There will be a burning, and the streams of Edom will become a fiery torment for eternity. It will not be quenched night or day; it will be a place of eternal judgment and the wrath of the Lord. Those streams will no longer provide refreshing joy; instead, they will be a source of torment forever.

We see the same concept in Revelation chapter 14. Let me read it to you briefly. If you're taking notes, note Revelation 14, verse 9. "And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, 'If any man worship the beast and his image and receive his mark on his forehead or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into a cup of his indignation. And he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends up forever and ever, and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receives the mark of his name.'"

Thus, we see that the place of burning and torment in Edom and Basra will have smoke that ascends into heaven for eternity. The torment shall not cease. We find very similar language used regarding Sodom and Gomorrah when God destroyed those cities. However, that destruction was swift; it happened quickly. The fire consumed them.

The brimstone upon Sodom and Gomorrah represents the judgment of God, as described in Genesis chapter 19. This event seems to be just a one-day occurrence; it is not still burning today. However, the judgment that is to come from the Lord at the end will be significant. The smoke will ascend into heaven like a furnace.

Returning to verse 11 of Isaiah chapter 34, we read that the Qumrans and the Bitturn shall possess that land. The owl and the raven shall dwell therein, and God shall stretch out upon it the line of confusion and the stones of emptiness. This indicates that God is going to bring chaos and confusion upon that land, the land of Edom. It will be inhabited only by beasts. They shall call the nobles thereof to the kingdom, but none shall be there, and all her princes shall be nothing. The land will be vacant of man; it will just be a place of destruction. The nobles and princes will no longer remain in that land. Total destruction is evident, and the judgment is complete.

Thorns shall come up in her places, along with nettles and brambles in her fortresses. It shall be an inhabitation of dragons and a court for owls. The wild beasts of the desert shall meet there, and the wild beasts of the island. The wild goat shall cry to his fellow, and the screech owl shall rest there, finding a place of rest. There shall be a great owl that makes her nest, lays, hatches, and gathers under her shadow. Vultures shall also be gathered, each with her mate.

It is interesting that we read about all these birds gathered there because, in Revelation chapter 19, it states that an angel calls all the fowls of the air together to this place of judgment, where they will feed upon the flesh of those who were abiding under the wrath of God. Verse 16 says, "Seek ye out of the book of the Lord and read. None, not one of these shall fail; none shall want her mate. For my mouth hath commanded it, and his spirit hath gathered them."

God has cast the lot for them and divided it unto them by line. They shall possess it forever; from generation to generation, they shall dwell therein. God has surveyed that land, divided it, and deeded it to these beasts forever. The only thing that will abide there during this time of God's wrath is all these beasts. The word of the Lord will come to pass, as God says, "I have uttered it. I have said it."

My mouth has spoken it. It will come to pass. Chapter 34 shows us the wrath of God. Now we see God's reward and God's recompense in Chapter 35.

Verse 1 states, "The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice even with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord and the excellency of our God."

Edom is going to become a burning place for the wicked, but the wilderness of the land, all that has been under the curse, is going to find a great restoration. It's going to rejoice; it's going to blossom abundantly, as the scripture says. The land itself, the trees, the hills, will rejoice with great joy.

It's interesting that the Apostle Paul, in Romans Chapter 8, Verse 22, says that the whole of this fallen creation groans in expectation of the manifestation of the sons of God. We know that the whole of creation groans and travails in pain together until now. Paul says it's all groaning, although you can't really hear it. The earth, because of the curse and because of sin, groans tonight and looks forward to this great restoration when God returns to restore.

Isaiah 55, Verse 12, speaks about the hills and the trees rejoicing. It says, "For you shall go out with joy and be led forth with peace, and the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands." It sounds like something from a Tolkien novel, but the scriptures say that creation will rejoice.

Lebanon, Carmel, and Sharon—these three places in the scripture—were fruitful and beautiful places in the land. Yet, the desert, as Isaiah says, God speaking through the prophets, will become more fruitful and more beautiful than those pieces of the land that were beautiful at that time. Imagine, we might say today, if you think Hawaii is nice, God's restoration will be far superior to that. God will restore the fallen, cursed ground.

Notice the application of this. In Verse 3 of Chapter 35, Isaiah says, "Strengthen ye the weak hands and confirm the feeble knees. Say unto them that are fearful of heart, 'Be strong, fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with recompense.'"

And he will come and save you. The prophecy of God's coming wrath and judgment is found in chapter 34. Then, in chapter 35, we see the prophetic utterance of the coming reward. The application of this is that we should be strengthened by these things. Those who are weak, feeble, or fearful ought to be filled with strength and joy when they consider what God is going to do.

If these prophetic things cause great fear in you, it may be an indication that you're not right with the Lord and that you don't know Him. The prophecies of the Scriptures, for the believer, should not instill fear; they should instill expectation of what God is going to bring and what God is going to do. Warren Wiersbe said, "The future is your friend when Jesus is your Savior." How true that is! We shouldn't be worried about these things.

When Isaiah was speaking these things, the land he dwelt in was being ravished by the Assyrians. The land was being utterly consumed by the Assyrian army, and the people of Judah and Jerusalem were greatly distressed. City after city was falling to Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, and they were convinced that their whole land was going to be overrun. Their land, which once had been beautiful, had now been turned into a bleak desert, almost as if a great fire had gone through it. Wherever Assyria went, they cut down all the trees and used them for their siege works against the cities.

But Isaiah sees this great vision of the restoration and reward that God is ultimately going to bring. This restoration, this reward, this salvation is a great encouragement to those who are discouraged—the discouraged remnant that was there in Jerusalem. This should have been something that uplifted them. Solomon said in Proverbs chapter 13, verse 12, "Hope deferred makes the heart sick." But God here gives a vision to the prophet Isaiah of what is going to come to pass.

I think of the word of Habakkuk in Habakkuk chapter 2. God says to him in verse 3, "For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but in the end, it will speak. Though it tarry, wait for it, because it surely will come." So here, Isaiah is seeing the present circumstances of destruction everywhere he looks, but God says, "This is what's coming after that." And though it tarries, we must wait for it. We can become so downcast when we look at the condition.

Of our world, as Habakkuk did, we look at our own nation and the nations around us. We think, "Man, can it get any worse?" Yes, it can, and it probably will. We feel so burdened and overcome by what we see. But God says, "Listen, don't get focused on this world. God has a great restoration that He's going to bring."

The author of the Book of Hebrews quotes in verse 3, "Strengthen the weak hands and the feeble knees," in Hebrews chapter 12. The context of that passage, when the author references Isaiah chapter 35, speaks about the chastening of the Lord. He says, "Do not despise the chastening of the Lord, because the Lord chastens those whom He loves." He chastens them to bring about the peaceable fruit of righteousness. Knowing that, we should be strengthened.

You see, the children of Israel were being punished for the purpose of purification. But on the other side of that punishment was purification and a great promise from the Lord. Isaiah continues in verse 5, saying, "Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. The lame man shall leap as a heart, and the tongue of the dumb sing. For in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. The parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty springs of water. The habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass and reeds and rushes."

These beautiful promises in verses 5 through 7 are the signs of the reign of the Messiah, the signs of the coming of the Messiah. These are the very things that Jesus spoke to the disciples of John the Baptist in Matthew chapter 11. John the Baptist was in prison, and he was despairing and distraught because he thought Jesus was going to come, cast off the Roman Empire, and reform the nation of Israel, just like every Jew in his day.

So, John sent two of his disciples to Jesus, and they asked, "Are you the one, or should we seek another?" Jesus, quoting this passage, replied, "Go tell John, the blind see, the lame are strengthened, the dead are raised, and blessed is he who is not offended with me."

All of those things were signs of the coming reign of the Messiah. When Jesus was here on earth two thousand years ago, that is what was happening. The eyes of the blind were being opened, the tongue of the mute was being loosed, and the ears of the deaf were being opened. God was doing an awesome, miraculous work because it is the sign of the Messiah's presence. And here, we see the Messiah's presence.

Spoken of again is the return of Jesus. The Lord will be here upon the earth, and during that time of the millennial reign of Christ, we will see great miraculous restoration.

In verse 8, we read, "And a highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called the way of holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it, but it shall be for those, the wayfaring men. Though fools, they shall not err therein. No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereupon. It shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there, and the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away."

Here, the prophet speaks about the highway of holiness. A highway, in Hebrew, literally refers to an elevated road. We don't really think much of highways in our day, but 2,800 years ago, roads were not that good. The highways in the land of Israel were the good paths; those were where you could walk easily. They were the ones that were tended and taken care of.

When Isaiah was writing this, the highways in Israel were a dangerous place. The Assyrians had made the highways a place where you would basically get killed. If you were walking along the highways, you would be taken captive by the Assyrians, as we saw in Isaiah chapter 33, verse 8. But God says that when He brings about this great restoration, there will be a highway of holiness. Holiness means that the unclean will not be able to pass over it.

The highway of holiness has restricted access. One commentator said that the highway isn't for everyone; it has a toll booth. However, you cannot make it on this highway by paying your own way. You are only allowed on this highway if you are cleansed by the great work of the Messiah. Thus, the highway of holiness is set before the people, the righteous, and though you may be a fool, you will not go astray.

What that means is you won't need a GPS to find the way. The highway of holiness is like those roads you find when traveling through Nevada, Arizona, or New Mexico. You come over the hill and see that long, straight road extending into the horizon. You certainly don't need a Garmin Nuvi to navigate on those roads, do you? Even a fool can find his way on those sorts of highways.

He also tells us that the lion will not be there. First Peter chapter 5, verse 8 tells us that our enemy, the adversary, goes about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. On that highway of holiness, in that great restored land, there will be no such threat.

There will be no enemy to come against the people. No ravenous beast. He also says that sighing will flee away. Sorrow is going to be taken away. This reminds us of what we read in the last book of the Bible, in Revelation chapter 21, verse 4. It says, "And God shall wipe away all the tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain. The former things are passed away."

What you know today will not be what is; it will not be the case any longer 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 is beyond that. With that word, we should be strengthened—strengthened the feeble knees and the hands that hang down. Rejoice! Your God comes; He will return. Amen.

Let's stand and pray. Father, we thank You for that promise. Although we may see trials, 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?" Lord, we're reminded that even that scoffing reminds us 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. Thank you.