Study Notes

Isaiah 32-35

Review

Although the people in Isaiah's day didn't want to hear the Word of God, the Lord knew that someday they would repent. On that day, at the end of the Great Tribulation, Jesus will return to establish His kingdom on the earth. Tonight, as we pick up with Isaiah chapter 32, we hear more about that kingdom...

32:1-8 A Righteous Reign

Isaiah brings to mind the day when Jesus will reign as king of the earth. His reign will be righteous. Those He puts in charge will rule justly. Unlike today, when we often discover that we're dealing with an official who is looking for a bribe or working against us, in the Millennium, there will be no corrupt leaders - each one will be reliable. Righteousness and justice will be the standard.

In that day, truth will be evident. Nobody will be able to pull the wool over people's eyes, like the con artists of today.

32:9-14 The Complacent Women

Isaiah calls out in prophecy to the women of Jerusalem in his day. These women had become complacent - arrogant, careless, feeling safe. But just about a year from then, disaster would come upon them - it was certain. He tells them that they should recognize this and repent, humbling themselves before God.

32:15-20 The Spirit Poured Out

Isaiah had said that the land of Israel would suffer many things for many years. Even today, it is in turmoil, with worse things yet to come. But one day, the Spirit will be poured out upon the Jews, and the land of Israel will change radically. That event will begin a time of wonderful peace for them.

It really irritates me when I hear charismatic teachers talking about how we are living in the days when the Spirit is being poured out across the world. They quote the words of God in the book of Joel:

Joel 2:28-29 “It will come about after this that I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on the male and female servants I will pour out My Spirit in those days."

"We're living in those days!" they proclaim. But it is evident they haven't read the book of Joel. Or Isaiah. Or Ezekiel. Or Zechariah. Because every time this pouring out of the Spirit is spoken of, either the time frame is given, or we are instructed to look at Israel as the indicator.

In Joel, we are told, "It will come about AFTER THIS..." After the Gog/Magog attempt, after the demonic swarm of locusts. This outpouring will occurring during the Great Tribulation. Zechariah tells us it will be on the last day of the Great Tribulation:

Zech. 12:9-11 “And in that day I will set about to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn. In that day there will be great mourning in Jerusalem, like the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the plain of Megiddo."

Notice also that this pouring out is "on the house of David," not the church. Ezekiel's prophecy quotes God as saying,

Ezek. 39:27-29 “When I bring them back from the peoples and gather them from the lands of their enemies, then I shall be sanctified through them in the sight of the many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD their God because I made them go into exile among the nations, and then gathered them again to their own land; and I will leave none of them there any longer. I will not hide My face from them any longer, for I will have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel,” declares the Lord GOD."

And so this is a wonderful promise, but a wonderful promise for a certain time to a certain people: the Jews at the end of the Great Tribulation. It is then that God will pour out His Spirit upon them, and Israel will be a peaceful habitation.

33:1-16 The Lord Will Bring Justice

Isaiah focuses more on the day the Lord returns. Woe to the destroyer, for on that day, he will be dealt with. John saw this future event:

Rev. 20:1-3 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him...

The Lord's return will be a day when the nations who have gathered together to fight against Him will be put in their place as well:

Rev. 19:15 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.

The Consuming Fire

When this God rules on the earth, the unrighteous will ask, "Who can live with this God Who is a consuming fire?" The answer is, "anyone who walks righteously, speaks with sincerity, who rejects unjust gain, and who shuts his eyes from looking upon evil." That sort of person welcomes the fact that our God is a consuming fire. That sort of person isn't destroyed by it, but purified by it.

33:17-24 The King In Jerusalem

Verse 18 sometimes throws people into confusion. Why would you meditate on terror? Well, "meditate" might be better translated "muse" or "ponder." During the days of Messianic rule, people will think back on the times of terror. They will look around and say, "Where have all the bad times gone?" Jerusalem will be undisturbed, because Jesus Christ will be king. Sickness and sin will be unheard of.

34:1-17 Destiny Of Earth And Heaven

Now Isaiah gives a warning to the nations of the earth: those who are against the Lord will suffer. He reminds them that God will one day be destroying all of heaven and earth, so who are they to think they will escape?

Their judgment is called...

Is. 34:8 ...a day of vengeance, a year of recompense for the cause of Zion.

Ultimately, the nations will be judged for one thing: how they treated God's people, the Jews.

It also seems from reading this passage that there are parts of the Millennial earth that will not be inhabited by man - only wild beasts.

35:1-2 The Arabah Will Blossom

The land will be incredibly fertile during the days of the Lord's reign on earth. Even the Arabah - the huge rift that runs from the south end of the Dead Sea all the way down to the Gulf of Aqabah (AWK-ah-bah) - will blossom.

31:3-10 Encouragement For The Exhausted

There are people who are completely wiped out in the world today. People whose relationships haven't worked out, or whose financial situation is dire, or whose health isn't good. They feel feeble and exhausted, and wonder how much longer this will all go on. The encouragement today is this: the Lord is coming back. If you are a child of His, He is going to rescue you out of this wicked world. The day is coming when you will be strengthened, restored, and healthy. When you won't be lacking anything anymore. Where you won't have to watch your back anymore.

What else can we say to that except the words of the apostle John?

Rev. 22:20 ...Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

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