Isaías 34

Isaías 34

Johnson: And so here in the chapters that have preceded chapters 28 through 33 of the Prophecy of Isaiah have been woes upon the nation and upon the nations, and now these woes upon the nation and the nations that Isaiah knew merge into this grand apocalyptic finale of the end of all things, and so the prophet’s view point moves from the present and the background of his own time on to the end of the age and the second advent and kingdom of God. In other words, just as in the earlier section, Messiah and the lineaments of His personal character form the promise section, so in the latter part it is the coming of the Messiah to the earth that is designed to stir the hearts of Isaiah’s readers. Oswalt: The text focuses on what God will do, not on why God will act in this way. God’s actions should not be interpreted as uncontrollable emotional outbursts of inappropriate rage, but as the natural response of a holy God to sin. By these acts he will justly punish wicked people and establish his righteous dominion over the world by removing the ungodly. (See Isaiah 1-39: An Exegetical and Theological Exposition) The LORD'S indignation (qesep) is against all the nations - Indignation in the Septuagint is thumos the same Greek word used in Rev 14:10+ (also Rev 14:19+, Rev 15:1+, Rev 15:7+, Rev 16:1+, Rev 16:19+) to describe earth dwellers (Rev 14:9+) who will "drink of the wine of the wrath (thumos) of God which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger (orge - translates "wrath" in next clause)." This clearly speaks of divine justice to be meted out in the Day of the LORD, especially during the horrible time of the great tribulation when the "Seven Bowl Judgments" of God will be poured out on the God-hating earth dwellers (not just those who live on the earth but specifically that subset that is intractably, irrevocably opposed to the rule of God in their lives, who take the mark of the Beast, the Antichrist, and worship him). The Septuagint translates against twice with the preposition "epi-" which means upon, which gives us a vivid picture of God's wrath as if it is being poured out UPON the godless anti-Semitic nations of the world. God has called out a warning to the nations. He’s going to warn them of the judgment that is coming. Judgment doesn’t come without a warning. The question isn’t really whether you’ve been warned or not, the question is whether you will pay attention to it or not. As Zephaniah says “Therefore wait for Me,” declares the LORD, “For the day (the day of the LORD) when I rise up as a witness. Indeed, My decision is to gather nations, to assemble kingdoms, to pour out on them My indignation, all My burning anger; for all the earth will be devoured By the fire of My zeal. (Zephaniah 3:8+) And His wrath (chemah; Lxx =orge - settled displeasure that one day reaches the limit) against all their armies - Note this is a global prophecy. When will this indignation and wrath be poured out on the world? In the latter part of the Great Tribulation, the last of the last days of this present evil age (Gal 1:4+), in the time referred to frequently in Scripture as the Day of the LORD. God's wrath against the armies is elaborated upon by John in Revelation 16 which describes with the pouring out of the Sixth Bowl of God's judgment and the gathering of the armies at Har-Magedon (Armageddon)... The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates; and its water was dried up, so that the way would be prepared for the kings from the east. 13 And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs; 14 for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty. 15 (NOW A "BLESSED" INTERLUDE) (“Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes, so that he will not walk about naked and men will not see his shame.”) 16 And they gathered them together to the place which in Hebrew is called Har-Magedon (north of Jerusalem). (Rev 16:12-16+) Comment - Note that no actual battle is described at Har-Magedon ("Armageddon"). This is the gathering of the armies of the world. It is the staging grounds, much like England was the staging area in preparation for invading Nazi occupied France. See discussion of the proposed sequences of events that begin with the gathering at Har-Magedon. God's prophet Joel also describes the preparation of the armies for the final global conflict in this present age... Proclaim (bold red = commands) this among the nations (cf Isaiah 34:1): Prepare a war; rouse the mighty men! Let all the soldiers draw near, let them come up! 10 Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears; Let the weak say, “I am a mighty man.” 11 Hasten and come, all you surrounding nations, And gather yourselves there (cf "gathered" in Rev 16:16+). Bring down, O LORD, Your mighty ones (WHAT IS THIS A PRAYER FOR? IN CONTEXT THIS IS A CRY TO GOD TO SEND DIVINE WARRIORS. COMPARE THE ONE "MIGHTY TO SAVE" Isa 63:1+). 12 Let the nations (KJV - "heathen") be aroused and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat, For (Why?) there I (YAHWEH) will sit to judge all the surrounding nations. 13 Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, tread, for the wine press is full; The vats overflow, for their wickedness is great (cf Rev 14:17-20+). 14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For (WHY IS IT A VALLEY OF DECISION?) the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. (Joel 3:9-14+) Comment - Note that this prophecy is not of a battle at Har-Magedon but in the valley of Jehoshaphat just outside the city of Jerusalem (Joel 3). Charles Feinberg noted that, although the nations gathered in the valley of Jehoshaphat "in the white heat of wrath against Israel," it is there that "they will meet the blessed King of Israel, their Protector through the ages, and their Champion in their darkest and blackest hour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will sit ready to judge once and for all the accumulated sins of the nations against Israel" (Charles Lee Feinberg, Joel, Amos, Obadiah [New York: ABMJ, 1948], 35). Through His prophet Zechariah, Jehovah describes this gathering of all the nations of the world... For I will gather (NOTE AGAIN WHO IS IN CONTROL EVEN TO THE VERY END!) all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be captured, the houses plundered, the women ravished and half of the city exiled, but the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city. 3 Then (WHEN?) the LORD will go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fights on a day of battle. (Zechariah 14:2-3+) Comment: Zechariah gives us a detail of these end time events not seen in Isaiah, Joel or Revelation and that detail is that at first the battle looks bad for the nation of Israel (and Jerusalem), but just when it looks like all is lost, Messiah will go forth and fight against those nations (see description of this battle below in Revelation 19:11-21+). The Campaign of Armageddon culminates in the return of the Lord Jesus Christ to defeat the armies of the world which are arrayed against Him... And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. 13 He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. 15 From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. 16 And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.” 17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in midheaven (CONTRAST GOOD NEWS MADE AVAILABLE IN MIDHEAVEN - Rev 14:6-7+), “Come, assemble for the great supper of God, 18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great.” 19 And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. 20 And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. 21 And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh. (Revelation 19:11-21+) Indignation (anger)(07110) qesep is a masculine noun meaning wrath. "The verb qāṣap is used to give pointed expression to the relationship between two or more persons, one or both of which can be said to feel anger (ʾap), have wrath (ḥēmâ), indignation (kaʿas), or express anger." (TWOT) "The word refers to anger aroused by someone's failure to do a duty. For example, a wife in Persia who showed contempt for her husband by not doing her duties would arouse his wrath (Esther. 1:18). This word usually refers to God's wrath aroused by people failing to do their duties (Deut. 29:28; Ps. 38:1; Isa. 34:2). In some cases, this wrath was directed against sinful Gentile nations (Isa. 34:2; Zech. 1:15; cf. Ro 1:18). In Israel's case, this duty was expressed in the Law of Moses (2 Chr. 19:10; Zech. 7:12; cf. Ro 4:15). Atonement performed by priests turned away God's wrath when laws were broken (Num. 16:46; 1 Chr. 27:24; 2 Chr. 29:8)." (Complete Word Study Dictionary – Old Testament) Wrath (anger, fury, venom, hot-tempered) (02534)(chemah from yacham = to be hot, Delitzsch says it is related to an Arabic word hamiy = to glow) is a noun which can refer to physical heat, but more often is used figuratively to convey the picture of inner, emotional "heat" which rises and is fanned to varying degrees. And thus chemah can mean hot displeasure, indignation, anger, wrath, and even poison (figuratively speaking). This type of anger is anger at its fever pitch so to speak. The point is that God is "hot" (righteously angry) against all the nations for their treatment of His people Israel, as summed up in Isa 34:8 which explains His day of vengeance and recompense is for the cause of Zion. Anti-Semitism (podcast) may have it's day in the sun (so to speak), but in the day of the Son, Anti-Semitism will be fully, perfectly avenged and recompensed. THOUGHT - Hatred of the Jews is no small matter! If you harbor Anti-Semitism (latent or overt), then you should quickly confess it and repent and receive the forgiveness of the Lord. He has utterly destroyed (charam) them, He has given them over to slaughter - He will dedicate them to destruction, which is the sense of charam. Notice the use of the past tense and not the future tense, which, in this context, is clearly a PROLEPTIC usage. In other words, so certain is the destruction of the armies of the nations of the world by Messiah (Rev 19:19-21+), that Isaiah speaks of this prophecy as if it has already fulfilled. THOUGHT - God's Word is a sure Word whether it be prophecy or promise and is sure to be fulfilled in His perfect timing! Therefore it behooves God's children (Jn 1:12+) to daily read (and eat) His Word (Mt 4:4+, cf Jer 15:16+), so that you might continually grow in respect to salvation (progressive sanctification), not becoming a smarter sinner but growing daily more and more like the Savior (see 1Pe 2:2+). In his book the Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren wrote that "The greatest tragedy is not death, but life without purpose." That is not exactly correct. The greatest tragedy is to fail to realize the impending judgment on every person who has never run by grace through faith into the cleft in the Rock, the Messiah. To miss that purpose is to miss one's purpose eternally! Isaiah's graphic picture in Isaiah 34 is calculated to arrest every reader's attention (especially the lost), so that they might not have to face the Judge of all mankind without being covered by the blood of the Lamb! But these graphic descriptions should also arrest the attention of every genuine believer for as Peter wrote... Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what sort of people ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements will melt with intense heat! 13 But according to His promise we are looking for (THOUGHT: WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR SHOULD RADICALLY IMPACT WHAT/WHO YOU ARE LIVING FOR! IS THAT TRUE IN YOUR LIFE BELOVED CHILD OF GOD?) new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. 14 Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless, (2 Peter 3:11-13+, 2 Peter 3:14+) He has utterly destroyed them - The Hebrew verb (charam) speaks of complete and utter destruction. One is reminded of the Stone (Messiah) returning in Nebuchadnezzar's dream and utterly destroying the glorious statue representing all the anti-God kingdoms of this fallen world. Da 2:34-35+ “You continued looking until a stone (Messiah) was cut out without hands, and it struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and crushed them. 35 “Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were crushed all at the same time and became like chaff from the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away so that not a trace of them was found. But the stone (Messiah) that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth (Messianic Kingdom). Thompson on utterly destroy "means God has made a contract with Himself to totally, utterly and completely destroy the nations of the world. He has a sacred, consecrated plan that He will devote Himself to and that plan is the total and complete destruction of the nations." Utterly destroyed (destroyed completely)(02763)(charam) mean to destroy, to doom, to devote or dedicate something. This word is most commonly associated with the Israelites destroying the Canaanites upon their entry into the Promised Land (Dt 7:2; Josh 11:20). Charam also describes the great wrath of the Antichrist who will "destroy and annihilate (charam) many." (Da 11:44+) Moody Bible Commentary - The term translated utterly destroyed is used in several places throughout the OT to refer to the “ban,” or the setting aside of something or someone for total destruction (Nu 21:2–3; Dt 2:34; 3:6; Josh 6:18, 21; 11:11–12, 20). The use in Isa 34:2 underscores the severity of God’s punishment of the nations. He has given them over to slaughter - The word “slaughter” (tabach) is one that means God is going to target the nations for capital punishment, which means He is going to literally kill, slay and execute the people. The Septuagint translates has given with the vivid Greek verb paradidomi which means to to give one over to someone, especially to give over to the power of another. Paradidomi is the verb used by Jesus Himself prophesying that "the Son of Man is to be handed over (paradidomi) for crucifixion.” (Mt 26:2) That was the ultimate "slaughter" of the Lamb of God. In the present context the word slaughter is in a sense personified as the "one" to whom the nations of the world would be given over (given over to the power of slaughter). The picture is that there is no escape from this "person" referred to as slaughter! This will be an unprecedented slaughter, the "blood bath" of the ages for as John describes in the final battle in the Campaign of Armageddon (AT THE CLOSE OF THE Great Tribulation) "the wine press was trodden outside the city (JERUSALEM), and blood came out from the wine press, up to the horses' bridles, for a distance of two hundred miles." (Rev 14:20+) Arnold Fruchtenbaum comments on a distance of 200 miles - The blood stretches for 1,600 furlongs, which is approximately two hundred miles. The two hundred miles may refer to the entire area from the Valley of Armageddon to Bozrah, which is about two hundred miles. Another possible explanation is that it refers to the round trip distance between Jerusalem and Bozrah (see map below). The fighting will begin in Jerusalem and move to Bozrah (100 miles), and with the Second Coming, will return back from Bozrah to the Valley of Jehoshaphat (another 100 miles). But the best explanation is based on Jeremiah 49:20-22 . . . In the context (see Jer. 49:13-14), this passage is dealing with the Campaign of Armageddon. The massive blood-letting that begins at Bozrah begins moving south down the Arabah until it empties in the Red Sea at the present-day cities of Eilat and Akaba. The distance from there to Jerusalem is about two hundred miles. The preceding quote is from "THE CAMPAIGN OF ARMAGEDDON INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND INFORMATION I. THE FIRST STAGE: THE ASSEMBLING OF THE ALLIES OF THE ANTICHRIST II. THE SECOND STAGE: THE DESTRUCTION OF BABYLON III. THE THIRD STAGE: THE FALL OF JERUSALEM IV. THE FOURTH STAGE: THE ARMIES OF THE ANTICHRIST AT BOZRAH V. THE FIFTH STAGE: THE NATIONAL REGENERATION OF ISRAEL A. The National Confession of Israel B. The Plea of Israel VI. THE SIXTH STAGE: THE SECOND COMING OF THE MESSIAH A. Isaiah 34:1–7 B. Isaiah 63:1–6 C. Habakkuk 3:3 D. Micah 2:12–13 E. Judges 5:4–5 VII. THE SEVENTH STAGE: THE BATTLE FROM BOZRAH TO THE VALLEY OF JEHOSHAPHAT VIII. THE EIGHTH STAGE: THE VICTORY ASCENT UP THE MOUNT OF OLIVES D G Barnhouse - Armageddon is in the north of Palestine [Rev. 16:14-16], the valley of Jehoshaphat is in the south. Bozrah is named by Isaiah as the place where the Lord treads the winepress [Isa. 63:1-6-note]. And the distance between the farthest points of this “front” is 1600 furlongs. Walter Scott - What is signified is a vast destruction of human life over a circumscribed area. Certainly what is stated of the vast slaughter is beyond anything ever known. Tony