Isaiah 24 · The Lantern

God’s Judgment on the Earth

See, the LORD is emptying the earth and laying it waste; and he twists its face and scatters its inhabitants.

And it will be — as with the people, so with the priest; as with the slave, so with his master; as with the maidservant, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the creditor, so with the one who owes him.

Nor indeed is there any distinction between the state of the people and that of the priesthood: but it seems to me to be a simple fulfillment of the ancient curse, "As with the people, so with the priest." Nor again are the great and eminent men affected otherwise than the majority; no, they are openly at war with the priest, and the piety of the people is an aid to their power…

What is written has surely been fulfilled in us: And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest. For the priest does not differ from the people when by no merit of his own does he transcend the common conduct.

567. Second, the universality of destruction as to those punished, making equal those who differ in rank: as with the people, so with the priest; in condition: as with the servant so with his master; in possession of things: as with the buyer, so with the seller: the small and great are there, and the servant is free from his master (Job 3:19).

The earth will be utterly emptied and utterly plundered — for the LORD has spoken this word.

The earth mourns, it withers; the world languishes, it withers; the height of the people of the earth languishes.

And the earth lies polluted beneath its inhabitants, for they have passed over instructions, overstepped a statute, broken an everlasting covenant.

Therefore a curse has devoured the earth, and those dwelling in it bear their guilt; therefore the inhabitants of the earth have been scorched, and few humans are left.

After he rebukes those of the circumcision who have trespassed the law of the covenant of God and warns them with what he has written, he prophesies that only a small number of them will be saved. These few are those whom the apostle calls "the remnant according to the election of grace."

(Verse 6.) Because they have transgressed the law, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore the curse devours the earth, and those who dwell in it are held guilty. Therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men are left. LXX: Because they have transgressed the law, changed the ordinances, broken the everlasting covenant.

569. Second, he threatens a fourfold punishment because of this fault: first, a divine curse: a curse: the land has mourned by reason of cursing (Jer 23:10); second, divine desertion: they shall sin, as if the Lord has abandoned them: for this cause, God delivered them up to shameful affections (Rom 1:26); he that is filthy, let him be filthy still (Rev 22:11); third, they shal…

The new wine mourns, the vine languishes; all the glad of heart groan.

The rejoicing of tambourines has ceased, the uproar of the exulting has ended, the rejoicing of the lyre has ceased.

They do not drink wine with a song; strong drink is bitter to those who drink it.

The town of emptiness is broken; every house is shut against entering.

There is an outcry over the wine in the streets; all gladness has grown dark, the rejoicing of the land has gone into exile.

Horror is left in the town, and the gate is battered to ruin.

For so it will be in the midst of the earth, among the peoples — as at the beating of an olive tree, as at the gleanings when the vintage is finished.

They lift up their voice, they sing for joy; at the majesty of the LORD they cry aloud from the sea.

Therefore in the regions of light give glory to the LORD; in the coastlands of the sea, to the name of the LORD, the God of Israel.

"Therefore, the glory of the Lord is in the islands of the sea." That pertains obviously to the church, which is located in the midst of the godless nations as if an island in the sea. It is in that island that the glory of the Lord shines.

"And God remembered Babylon the great, who came into his sight." This designates the confused multitude of all the lost. "That he might give it to drink from the wine of his wrath." The retribution of due punishment to be returned to the wicked is here recorded.

574. Second, he introduces praise in the present: therefore. And first, he places the precept, glorify the Lord in instruction, that is, in teaching others; another translation has: in praises: glorify the Lord as much as ever you can, for he will yet far exceed (Sir 43:30).

From the edge of the earth we have heard songs: “Splendor to the Righteous One!” But I said: Wasting to me, wasting to me, woe to me! The traitors have betrayed; with treachery the traitors have betrayed.

(Verse 16) From the ends of the earth we have heard praises, the glory of the Just One. And I said: My secret to me, my secret to me. Alas for me! LXX: From others we have heard wonders of the earth: the hope of the just, and they say + my mystery to me **.

"The Spirit of the Lord filled the world." But that will be done with the broken horns of sinners. The horns of the righteous one are said to be exalted, concerning which Isaiah prophesied: "From the ends of the earth we heard praises announcing the glory of the righteous one." The church is understood to have seven horns, as does every world in which the sevenfold grace of the…

Second, he designates the fulfillment of the precept: from the ends of the earth we have heard praises, the glory of the just one, that is, Christ, below: behold the Lord has made it to be heard in the ends of the earth (Isa 62:11).

Terror and pit and trap are upon you, inhabitant of the earth.

And it will be that the one fleeing from the sound of the terror will fall into the pit, and the one coming up out of the midst of the pit will be caught in the trap. For the windows on high have been opened, and the foundations of the earth have shaken.

The earth is utterly broken, the earth is utterly split apart, the earth is utterly shaken.

The earth reels and reels like a drunkard, and sways like a hut; and its transgression lies heavy upon it, and it falls and does not rise again.

And it will be, in that day, that the LORD will attend to the host of the height on high, and to the kings of the ground on the ground.

And they will be gathered, a gathering of prisoners in a pit, and shut up in a prison; and after many days they will be attended to.

And the white moon will be humiliated and the burning sun ashamed, for the LORD of hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before his elders — glory.

He [Isaiah] was pricked by the thorn of sin; you are decked with the flowers of virtue. "The moon shall be ashamed, and the sun confounded, when the Lord shall punish the host of heaven on high." This is explained by another passage.

The stars on the day of judgment will be seen obscurely, not because of a gradual waning of their own light but due to the overwhelming brilliance of the true light, who is the supreme Judge coming in majesty, and the light of the Father and the holy angels.

580. Third, the glory of him who punishes, and first, of the judge: and the moon shall blush, that is, its splendor shall be thought nothing in comparison to the splendor of the body of Christ: the sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood: before the great and dreadful day of the Lord doth come (Joel 2:31); or, the worshippers of the sun and moon.

Isaiah24

God’s Judgment on the Earth