1. Who was going to be “safe” when the Lord issued this time of judgment on the earth?
No one was safe. Everyone was in trouble: “(1) Behold, the LORD maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof. (2) And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his 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. (3) The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the LORD hath spoken this word. (4) The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish” (Isaiah 24:1-4).
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The Chaldeans, as an exaggerated statement, fit here as they destroyed the earth (Jeremiah 51:24-25).
Turned upside down (Psalms 146:9).
Even when desolation occurred, that did not always mean there were not remnants of people (Isaiah 1:7-9).
Scattered shows this is not an entire destruction (cf. Jeremiah 50:17).
From the top to the bottom of society (Lamentations 5:12-17 and Ezekiel 7:11-15).
Remember, Isaiah’s work of hardening hearts was until the land was desolate (Isaiah 6:9-12).
The earth mourns (Isaiah 33:8-9) is the equivalent of saying the land mourns (Hosea 4:1-6).
We know the world was not ending from this prophesy for some simple reasons.
We’re still here.
These prophesies were fulfilled before the New Testament took full effect, thus they are not for the future (Matthew 5:17-18).
The end of the world will leave no mourning, scattering, a remnant, etc. (Matthew 24:35-36 and II Peter 3:10-14).
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2. What caused the earth to be defiled and brought to a point of judgment with only a few men left?
Disobedience to God’s law: “(5) The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. (6) Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left” (Isaiah 24:5-6).
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Being defiled (Leviticus 18:6-25, Isaiah 59:1-3, Ezekiel 22:3-4, Daniel 1:5-8, and Mark 7:18-23) and transgression of God’s laws (Joshua 1:18, Psalms 107:8-11, Ezekiel 20:13, and Daniel 9:10-14).
Fire in judgment (Psalms 106:14-18, Isaiah 1:7, and Isaiah 47:11-14).
Few left (Deuteronomy 28:58-62).
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3. Were people going to keep drinking and partying during this time of judgment?
No: “(7) The new wine mourneth, the vine languisheth, all the merryhearted do sigh. (8) The mirth of tabrets ceaseth, the noise of them that rejoice endeth, the joy of the harp ceaseth. (9) They shall not drink wine with a song; strong drink shall be bitter to them that drink it. (10) The city of confusion is broken down: every house is shut up, that no man may come in. (11) There is a crying for wine in the streets; all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone. (12) In the city is left desolation, and the gate is smitten with destruction” (Isaiah 24:7-12).
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God is the ultimate party crasher (Jeremiah 7:34, Jeremiah 25:10, Amos 6:5-7, Amos 8:10, Hosea 2:11, and Matthew 24:38-39).
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4. Would there be some who would praise God during this time of judgment?
Yes, like it was a season of harvest: “(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 grapes when the vintage is done. (14) They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the LORD, they shall cry aloud from the sea. (15) Wherefore glorify ye the LORD in the fires, even the name of the LORD God of Israel in the isles of the sea” (Isaiah 24:13-15).
Psalms 48:11, Psalms 58:10, Psalms 68:1-3, and Psalms 97:1-8.
5. What did Isaiah say in his leanness?
“(16) From the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs, even glory to the righteous. But I said, My leanness, my leanness, woe unto me! the treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously; yea, the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously. (17) Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth” (Isaiah 24:16-17).
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Leanness indicates suffering that Isaiah was going through (Isaiah 17:4).
There were treacherous people among Israel (Hosea 6:7).
Like was said of Moab, fear, pit, and snare was on the earth (Jeremiah 48:43-44).
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6. What happened to those who fled from the noise of the fear?
They fell into the pit: “And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that cometh 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” (Isaiah 24:18).
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They could not run from God’s wrath seeing that He can literally rain fury from Heaven (Genesis 19:24 and Joshua 10:10-11).
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7. What condition was the earth in at this time of judgment?
Bad shape: “(19) The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly. (20) The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again” (Isaiah 24:19-20).
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Isaiah 34:1-10.
The earth reeling like a drunkard is not about the actual planet as it is said to also “fall and not rise again” (cf. Isaiah 29:7-10).
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8. What happened to the rulers of the earth at this judgment time?
Captured and judged: “(21) And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth. (22) And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited” (Isaiah 24:21-22).
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God is the judge of these high ones and rulers (Psalms 76:7-12).
They were to become prisoners (Psalms 149:6-9).
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9. Where was God reigning at this time of judgment?
Mount Zion, in Jerusalem: “Then 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” (Isaiah 24:23).
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Similar language appears in other scenes of judgments on nations (Isaiah 13:10 and Ezekiel 32:2-8).
When God reigned in Zion that meant good things for Israel (Isaiah 52:7; cf. Psalms 14:7).
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