Bible Lessons

From: Messages of God's Love: 1933

Isaiah 34

THE day of judgment has a large and important place in the Word of God. There may be difficulty in putting together in the precise order in which they will occur, the various events which the prophetic Scriptures reveal in connection with the coming of the Lord Jesus to the world, soon to take place, but every true saint knows that God has promised to judge the world and its inhabitants.

This is, in our own times, an unpopular subject for discussion; the modernists will have none of it. But the Holy Spirit has given ample testimony in both Old and New Testaments, that the day of God’s bearing with man’s wickedness will end in judgment, both of living and dead.

Isaiah 34 begins with a call to the nations and peoples (or races of mankind) to hear and hearken to a promise that concerns themselves. They have heard of the love of God, but have not received the gift of God, and shall therefore know the wrath of God. He has never promised that everyone shall be saved. He has said indeed that all those who receive not the love of the truth that they might be saved, who have not believed the truth, but have found pleasure in unrighteousness, shall be judged (2 Thess. 2).

The wrath of Jehovah is therefore rightly against all the nations, and His fury against all their armies (verse 2). The language used in this chapter is clearly figurative in part, but there is no mistaking what it means: fearful and unsparing vengeance on those enemies of God who are here in view.

Edom, the ancient home of the descendants of Esau lying south and southeast of the land God gave to Israel, is the scene of the action here depicted, and the desolation of Edom is to be complete, as not only this chapter, but Ezek. 35 and the prophecy of Obadiah show.

God has graciously made known much through His Word regarding the state of the world when the Lord Jesus will appear, accompanied by His heavenly saints and angels; He has shown what must and shall be done to cleanse the world—the scene of Christ’s kingdom—of all things that offend, and to fit a people for Himself, among which Israel, reborn, will be the center of blessing and privilege.

It is plain that some time must elapse during which enemies will be dealt with, and a work of God will go on, —among Jews and the lost ten tribes especially. It is well known that in Scripture a definite period is set for the time just before the Lord’s appearing; this is variously called “a time and times and a half time” (Dan. 7:25²⁵And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. (Daniel 7:25), N. Tr.); one-half week (a week being reckoned as 7 years, not 7 days) (Dan. 9:27²⁷And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. (Daniel 9:27)); 42 months (Rev. 11:2²But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months. (Revelation 11:2)), and 1260 days (Rev. 11:3³And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. (Revelation 11:3)). In the closing verses of Daniel’s prophecy, however, two other periods are named without explanation—1,290 days, and 1,335 days,

“Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand, three hundred and thirty-five days” (Dan. 12:12¹²Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days. (Daniel 12:12)) seems to indicate that by that time all open enemies will have been judged, and the people and land of Israel, at least, be cleansed and at rest.

The scene pictured in Isa. 34, (with which compare Isa. 63:1-6¹Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. ²Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat? ³I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. ⁴For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come. ⁵And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me. ⁶And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth. (Isaiah 63:1‑6)) is the destruction of the armies associated with the Assyrian or king of the north. Previous to this, the head and the armies of the Roman empire, and the Antichrist will have been judged (Dan. 7:11¹¹I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame. (Daniel 7:11) and 26; Rev. 19:19-21¹⁹And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. ²⁰And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. ²¹And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh. (Revelation 19:19‑21)), and the Assyrian likewise in his turn (Isa. 14:24, 25; 30:30-33²⁴The Lord of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand: ²⁵That I will break the Assyrian in my land, and upon my mountains tread him under foot: then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden depart from off their shoulders. (Isaiah 14:24‑25)
³⁰And the Lord shall cause his glorious voice to be heard, and shall show the lighting down of his arm, with the indignation of his anger, and with the flame of a devouring fire, with scattering, and tempest, and hailstones. ³¹For through the voice of the Lord shall the Assyrian be beaten down, which smote with a rod. ³²And in every place where the grounded staff shall pass, which the Lord shall lay upon him, it shall be with tabrets and harps: and in battles of shaking will he fight with it. ³³For Tophet is ordained of old; yea, for the king it is prepared; he hath made it deep and large: the pile thereof is fire and much wood; the breath of the Lord, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it. (Isaiah 30:30‑33); Joel 2:20²⁰But I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savor shall come up, because he hath done great things. (Joel 2:20)).

Apart from these acts of righteous vengeance, a singular work will have been going on among the Jews (Zech. 12:10- 13:9¹⁰And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. ¹¹In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon. ¹²And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart; ¹³The family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart; ¹⁴All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart. ¹In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness. ²And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered: and also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land. ³And it shall come to pass, that when any shall yet prophesy, then his father and his mother that begat him shall say unto him, Thou shalt not live; for thou speakest lies in the name of the Lord: and his father and his mother that begat him shall thrust him through when he prophesieth. ⁴And it shall come to pass in that day, that the prophets shall be ashamed every one of his vision, when he hath prophesied; neither shall they wear a rough garment to deceive: ⁵But he shall say, I am no prophet, I am an husbandman; for man taught me to keep cattle from my youth. ⁶And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends. ⁷Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones. ⁸And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. ⁹And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God. (Zechariah 12:10‑13:9)), the first result of which will be mourning and deep confession such as Psalms 51 and 88 and other passages give; the lost ten tribes of Israel will be recovered and brought, after passing under God’s chastening rod, to their places in the land once theirs (Ezek. 20:33-44³³As I live, saith the Lord God, surely with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out, will I rule over you: ³⁴And I will bring you out from the people, and will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out. ³⁵And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face. ³⁶Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord God. ³⁷And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant: ³⁸And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me: I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and ye shall know that I am the Lord. ³⁹As for you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lord God; Go ye, serve ye every one his idols, and hereafter also, if ye will not hearken unto me: but pollute ye my holy name no more with your gifts, and with your idols. ⁴⁰For in mine holy mountain, in the mountain of the height of Israel, saith the Lord God, there shall all the house of Israel, all of them in the land, serve me: there will I accept them, and there will I require your offerings, and the firstfruits of your oblations, with all your holy things. ⁴¹I will accept you with your sweet savor, when I bring you out from the people, and gather you out of the countries wherein ye have been scattered; and I will be sanctified in you before the heathen. ⁴²And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall bring you into the land of Israel, into the country for the which I lifted up mine hand to give it to your fathers. ⁴³And there shall ye remember your ways, and all your doings, wherein ye have been defiled; and ye shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that ye have committed. ⁴⁴And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have wrought with you for my name's sake, not according to your wicked ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, O ye house of Israel, saith the Lord God. (Ezekiel 20:33‑44); Matt. 24:31³¹And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. (Matthew 24:31)). Then Psa. 107 will be fulfilled.

Edom, singled out above other nations for judgment in chapter 34 and other scriptures, will be confederate with other neighbors of Israel in the attack planned and executed by the Assyrian (Psa. 83). The complete destruction of Edom will be God’s answer to their undying hatred to the people of God (Ezek. 35:5⁵Because thou hast had a perpetual hatred, and hast shed the blood of the children of Israel by the force of the sword in the time of their calamity, in the time that their iniquity had an end: (Ezekiel 35:5)). The unbelieving Jews will die under the Lord’s dealings, directly, as well as during the invasion by the Assyrian who will be an executor of divine judgments before he is himself judged.

ML 10/22/1933

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