ISAIAH 34 LESSON 24: GOD’S WARNS THE WHOLE EARTH OF THE WRATH TO COME
MAIN IDEA Isaiah 34:1—35:10 focuses prophetically of the future outpouring of God’s wrath on the evil nations of the world and the earth. This outpouring depicts the worldwide carnage of the Tribulation (Rev. 6-19). See figure below.1
SUMMARY
A. GOD SUMMONS THE NATIONS TO LISTEN (34:1) 34:1. God is patient but at some point, his wrath toward rebellious sinful idolatrous nations will be outpoured. Isaiah gives adequate warning of this to the nations. See also Romans 2:5.
B. GOD’S WRATH IS ON ALL NATIONS AND THEIR ARMIES (34:2-4) 34:2-3 God’s wrath on evil nations is based on three reasons:2
• Reason #1: God is sovereign over the nations and rules them for his purposes (Psalm 22:28)
• Reason #2: God will tolerate sin up to a point, but then he will bring judgment (cf. Gen. 15:16).
• Reason #3: The wickedness of the nations includes idolatry, murder (including children), adultery, sexual immorality, stealing, lying, arrogance, bribery, extortion, oppression of the poor and more. See Romans 1:28-32.
1 John Walvoord, The Prophecy Knowledge Handbook, Victor Books, 1990, p. 385.
2 John Piper, Desiring God,
Mike Taylor [ www.TaylorNotes.Info ] 34:4 "All the stars in the sky will be dissolved and the heavens rolled up like a scroll.” This is prophetically describing the future Tribulation in Revelation 6:14.
C. EDOM REPRESENTS GOD’S HUMAN ENEMIES (34:5-15) 34:5, 8-9. The Lord’s anger will be demonstrated in “the Day of the Lord” when Christ returns and destroys enemy nations (Isa. 24:21)—including Edom at the Battle of Armageddon (Zech.14:1-5).3 34:9. Edom had encroached on Israel’s land. The Promised Land (Gen. 15:18) was assigned by God to the nation of Israel. 34:11-15. The desolation and depopulation of Edom (Idumea) is symbolic of God’s judgment on the entire evil Gentile world.
D. GOD’S SCROLL IS WRITTEN AND EVERY LINE WILL BE FULFILLED (34:16-17) 34:16-17. This remarkable statement tells us that Isaiah understood that his words were the words of the LORD. It also tells us that Isaiah meant that his prophecy should be understood literally - poetically, but literally. It also means that Isaiah clearly challenged doubters to "look it up" once the prophecy was fulfilled. After Edom has become a wasteland, men will take out the scroll and verify that Isaiah's predictions came true.4
E. ISAIAH 34 PREPARES US FOR THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST
•Isaiah’s prophecy of Jesus’ 2nd Coming •Isaiah 34:4 701 BC
•Jesus’ prophecy of his 2nd Coming •Matthew 24:3, 29-31 AD 30
•John’s prophecy of Jesus’ 2nd Coming •Revelation 6:14 AD 90
•Jesus' 2nd Coming •Revelation 19:11-21 Future
3 Charles R. Swindoll and Roy B. Zuck; Understanding Christian Theology, Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, 2003. P. 1330.
4 David Guzik, The Indignation of the Lord Against All Nations,
Mike Taylor [ www.TaylorNotes.Info ]