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Isaiah, Chapter 24
[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. [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. [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. |
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What is the Lord emptying the earth of in this prophecy?
From the verses that follow, it appears that He is emptying the earth of the Church (priesthood authority, etc.). This occurred during the period of time referred to as the Apostasy. What inhabitants will be scattered abroad?
Most likely the various tribes of the House of Israel which were scattered throughout the earth. Who will be affected by this condition?
According to verse 2, everybody will be affected, regardless of their station in life. What is being prophesied in verse 4?
The word “languish” means “to stay in an unpleasant or difficult situation for a long time.” So, verse 4 is saying that the world and all of its proud people will remain in this condition of apostasy for a long time (approximately 1,260 years). Why would the Apostasy come about?
Verse 5 is a key verse which lists the reasons for the Apostasy. Specifically, the people were transgressing the laws of God, changing His ordinances (baptism, communion, feet washing, etc.), resulting in the breaking of the everlasting covenant. What is the everlasting covenant?
God originally made a covenant with Abraham that He would be a God unto His descendants and that they would look to Him as God and follow His commandments. In order to demonstrate their participation in the covenant, the men were required to be circumcised. After Jesus came, He became the everlasting covenant and He stated the agreement in Matthew 28:19-20, that His followers were expected to teach His commandments to everyone and that He would then be with them always. When the people stopped teaching the commandments of Jesus, His authority ceased to be with them (thus the Apostasy). Covenant with Abraham: “And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God. And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.” (Genesis 17:7-9) Everlasting Covenant: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Matthew 28:19-20) “Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant.” (Hebrews 13:20) What are verses 7-12 describing?
The time of the Apostasy when there will be a lack of the Gospel of Jesus Christ (the “new wine”) on the earth and a slowing down of the influences of Jesus Christ (“the vine”). These verses describe a condition of sadness, confusion and desolation (extreme emptiness, loneliness, and despair). Note that the same period of time is also referred to as the “dark ages.” “And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish. But new wine must be put into new bottles; and both are preserved.” (Luke 5:37-38) “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” (John 15:5) This series of articles on the Book of Isaiah is an outgrowth of a series of lessons presented at a branch level and is being offered as a study tool for all readers. The interpretations offered are not intended to represent an official position of The Church of Jesus Christ, however they have been reviewed by members of the ministry and can be considered a reliable supplement to any reader’s study of the Book of Isaiah.
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