What Does the Bible Say About . . . .
JUDGMENT & THE DAY OF THE LORD
INTRODUCTION
"Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." (Rev 20:11-15).
It is an inseparable doctrine of Christianity that the individuals of this world will someday have to account to God for every deed that they have ever done. Nothing is hidden from God's sight. Only those who have been forgiven and redeemed through the blood of Jesus Christ and have proven their repentance to be genuine through obedience to His commands will be saved in that great day.
The teachings of the Judgment, and of retribution and reward, runs counter to everything that Satan stands for. Through the teachings of evolution, reincarnation, or an immediate departure to heaven, hell or purgatory upon death, the concept of the Judgment has become meaningless to millions. In this rather lengthy, but fast paced Scripture compilation, we will be looking at the concepts of the Judgment, justice, mercy, vengeance and retribution and the events surrounding the great day of the Lord. Especially note the active role played by God in rendering judgment, as opposed to the passive view espoused by some. Additionally, we will look in a somewhat limited fashion at God's requirements for justice in our earthly judicial system. The books of life, record and remembrance all come into play at the Judgment so references to these have been included as well.
I hope that you will find this study as fascinating and informative as I did, as we look together at what the Bible has to say about, Judgment and the Day of the Lord. One final note of caution before you begin. Since this subject is potentially discouraging, you should have a good understanding of God's mercy and salvation, before you undertake this study. I recommend studying the Scripture compilation on Repentance, Forgiveness and Salvation before this one.
Parentheses ( ) enclose the various suffixes used.
| avenge book of life book(s) court(s) darkening of the sun, moon & stars day of the LORD day of his wrath his reward judge(d, s, ing) judgment seat judgment(s) justice merciful mercy my reward |
nation(s) pay back trouble punish retribution scroll(s) sky (rolls up as scroll) testif(ied, ies, y, ying) testimony testing(s) that day vengeance winepress witness(es) world wrath [day of] |
Only verses that were deemed as relevant to the subject were kept.
God tells Abraham about the upcoming judgment He will pour out on Sodom and Gomorrah
Gen. 18:16 When the men got up to leave, they looked down toward Sodom, and Abraham walked along with them to see them on their way.
17Then the LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? 18Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. 19For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him."20
Then the LORD said, "The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous 21that I will go down and see if what they have done is as bad as the outcry that has reached me. If not, I will know." 22The men turned away and went toward Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the LORD.23
Then Abraham approached him and said: "Will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it? 25Far be it from you to do such a thing --to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?"26
The LORD said, "If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake." 27Then Abraham spoke up again: "Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, though I am nothing but dust and ashes, 28what if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city because of five people?" "If I find forty-five there," he said, "I will not destroy it." 29Once again he spoke to him, "What if only forty are found there?" He said, "For the sake of forty, I will not do it." 30Then he said, "May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak. What if only thirty can be found there?" He answered, "I will not do it if I find thirty there." 31Abraham said, "Now that I have been so bold as to speak to the Lord, what if only twenty can be found there?" He said, "For the sake of twenty, I will not destroy it." 32Then he said, "May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?" He answered, "For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it." 33When the LORD had finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham returned home.Sodom and Gomorrah destroyed by fire
Gen. 19:1 The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city. When he saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground.
2"My lords," he said, "please turn aside to your servant's house. You can wash your feet and spend the night and then go on your way early in the morning." "No," they answered, "we will spend the night in the square." 3But he insisted so strongly that they did go with him and entered his house. He prepared a meal for them, baking bread without yeast, and they ate.4
Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom --both young and old --surrounded the house. 5They called to Lot, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them." 6Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him 7and said, "No, my friends. Don't do this wicked thing. 8Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them. But don't do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof." 9"Get out of our way," they replied. And they said, "This fellow came here as an alien, and now he wants to play the judge! We'll treat you worse than them." They kept bringing pressure on Lot and moved forward to break down the door. 10But the men inside reached out and pulled Lot back into the house and shut the door. 11Then they struck the men who were at the door of the house, young and old, with blindness so that they could not find the door.12
The two men said to Lot, "Do you have anyone else here --sons-in-law, sons or daughters, or anyone else in the city who belongs to you? Get them out of here, 13because we are going to destroy this place. The outcry to the LORD against its people is so great that he has sent us to destroy it." 14So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were pledged to marry his daughters. He said, "Hurry and get out of this place, because the LORD is about to destroy the city!" But his sons-in-law thought he was joking. 15With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, "Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished." 16When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the LORD was merciful to them. 17As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, "Flee for your lives! Don't look back, and don't stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!" 18But Lot said to them, "No, my lords, please! 19Your servant has found favor in your eyes, and you have shown great kindness to me in sparing my life. But I can't flee to the mountains; this disaster will overtake me, and I'll die. 20Look, here is a town near enough to run to, and it is small. Let me flee to it --it is very small, isn't it? Then my life will be spared." 21He said to him, "Very well, I will grant this request too; I will not overthrow the town you speak of. 22But flee there quickly, because I cannot do anything until you reach it." (That is why the town was called Zoar. ) [Zoar means small]23
By the time Lot reached Zoar, the sun had risen over the land. 24Then the LORD rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah --from the LORD out of the heavens. 25Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, including all those living in the cities --and also the vegetation in the land. 26But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.27
Early the next morning Abraham got up and returned to the place where he had stood before the LORD. 28He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah, toward all the land of the plain, and he saw dense smoke rising from the land, like smoke from a furnace. 29So when God destroyed the cities of the plain, he remembered Abraham, and he brought Lot out of the catastrophe that overthrew the cities where Lot had lived.Commentary: The parallelism between the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and that to take place at the end of time is astounding. Note several items that will be confirmed as you study further.
1) The general condition of the cities (world) was so bad that very few were saved.
2) The worldly people thought the coming destruction was a joke.
3) The acceptance and practice of homosexuality and other perverse sexual practices was widespread and abominable to God. Since men were created in God's image, this form of sexual activity is especially detestable in God's sight. See compilation on "Homosexuality, Adultery and other Sexual Sins" for more on this.
4) God's agents warned His people to flee from the cities and to the country for safety. The large cities are especially wicked and doomed to destruction.
5) Judgment was executed by fire and burning sulfur.
God's Perfect Law, the Ten Commandments, is the standard by which individuals will be judged
Exod. 20:1 And God spoke all these words:
2"I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.The Law was written by the finger of God
Exod. 31:14 "`Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you. Anyone who desecrates it must be put to death; whoever does any work on that day must be cut off from his people.
15For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day must be put to death. 16The Israelites are to observe the Sabbath, celebrating it for the generations to come as a lasting covenant. 17It will be a sign between me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he abstained from work and rested.'" 18When the LORD finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two tablets of the Testimony, the tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God.Commentary: These two tablets of stone inscribed by the finger of God were the only items ever actually written by Him and given to Man. This truly shows the importance of the Law, the Ten Commandments that He gave to Man. Jesus said in Luke 16:17, "It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the least stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law."
It is interesting that the name used for the Ten Commandments is the Testimony, for it will stand as a witness and testify for or against us at the judgment.
Exod. 32:14 Then the LORD relented and did not bring on his people the disaster he had threatened.
15Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands. They were inscribed on both sides, front and back. 16The tablets were the work of God; the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets.Exod. 32:31 So Moses went back to the LORD and said, "Oh, what a great sin these people have committed! They have made themselves gods of gold.
32But now, please forgive their sin --but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written." 33The LORD replied to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against me I will blot out of my book. 34Now go, lead the people to the place I spoke of, and my angel will go before you. However, when the time comes for me to punish, I will punish them for their sin."Exod. 33:18 Then Moses said, "Now show me your glory."
19And the LORD said, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.Exod. 34:28 Moses was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights without eating bread or drinking water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant --the Ten Commandments.
29When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD.Lev. 5:1 "`If a person sins because he does not speak up when he hears a public charge to testify regarding something he has seen or learned about, he will be held responsible."
Lev. 19:14 "`Do not curse the deaf or put a stumbling block in front of the blind, but fear your God. I am the LORD.
15"`Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly. 16"`Do not go about spreading slander among your people. "`Do not do anything that endangers your neighbor's life. I am the LORD.Deut. 4:30 When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, then in later days you will return to the LORD your God and obey him.
31For the LORD your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your forefathers, which he confirmed to them by oath.Deut. 8:18 But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.
19If you ever forget the LORD your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed. 20Like the nations the LORD destroyed before you, so you will be destroyed for not obeying the LORD your God.Deut. 16:18 Appoint judges and officials for each of your tribes in every town the LORD your God is giving you, and they shall judge the people fairly.
19Do not pervert justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous. 20Follow justice and justice alone, so that you may live and possess the land the LORD your God is giving you.The testimony of two or three witnesses is needed to condemn one to death
Deut. 17:6 On the testimony of two or three witnesses a man shall be put to death, but no one shall be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.
7The hands of the witnesses must be the first in putting him to death, and then the hands of all the people. You must purge the evil from among you. 8If cases come before your courts that are too difficult for you to judge --whether bloodshed, lawsuits or assaults --take them to the place the LORD your God will choose.Deut. 19:15 One witness is not enough to convict a man accused of any crime or offense he may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.
16If a malicious witness takes the stand to accuse a man of a crime, 17the two men involved in the dispute must stand in the presence of the LORD before the priests and the judges who are in office at the time. 18The judges must make a thorough investigation, and if the witness proves to be a liar, giving false testimony against his brother, 19then do to him as he intended to do to his brother. You must purge the evil from among you. 20The rest of the people will hear of this and be afraid, and never again will such an evil thing be done among you.Deut. 30:19 This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live
20and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.The Book of the Law was to remain as a witness against God's people
Deut. 31:24 After Moses finished writing in a book the words of this law from beginning to end,
25he gave this command to the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD: 26"Take this Book of the Law and place it beside the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God. There it will remain as a witness against you. 27For I know how rebellious and stiff-necked you are. If you have been rebellious against the LORD while I am still alive and with you, how much more will you rebel after I die! 28Assemble before me all the elders of your tribes and all your officials, so that I can speak these words in their hearing and call heaven and earth to testify against them.It is mine to avenge; I will repay, says the Lord
Deut. 32:35 It is mine to avenge; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; their day of disaster is near and their doom rushes upon them."
36The LORD will judge his people and have compassion on his servants when he sees their strength is gone and no one is left, slave or free.Deut. 32:40 I lift my hand to heaven and declare: As surely as I live forever,
41when I sharpen my flashing sword and my hand grasps it in judgment, I will take vengeance on my adversaries and repay those who hate me. 42I will make my arrows drunk with blood, while my sword devours flesh: the blood of the slain and the captives, the heads of the enemy leaders." 43Rejoice, O nations, with his people, for he will avenge the blood of his servants; he will take vengeance on his enemies and make atonement for his land and people.Josh. 24:19 Joshua said to the people, "You are not able to serve the LORD. He is a holy God; he is a jealous God. He will not forgive your rebellion and your sins.
20If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, he will turn and bring disaster on you and make an end of you, after he has been good to you." 21But the people said to Joshua, "No! We will serve the LORD." 22Then Joshua said, "You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the LORD." "Yes, we are witnesses," they replied. 23"Now then," said Joshua, "throw away the foreign gods that are among you and yield your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel." 24And the people said to Joshua, "We will serve the LORD our God and obey him." 25On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people, and there at Shechem he drew up for them decrees and laws. 26And Joshua recorded these things in the Book of the Law of God. Then he took a large stone and set it up there under the oak near the holy place of the LORD. 27"See!" he said to all the people. "This stone will be a witness against us. It has heard all the words the LORD has said to us. It will be a witness against you if you are untrue to your God." 28Then Joshua sent the people away, each to his own inheritance.Judg. 11:27 I have not wronged you, but you are doing me wrong by waging war against me. Let the LORD, the Judge, decide the dispute this day between the Israelites and the Ammonites."
28The king of Ammon, however, paid no attention to the message Jephthah sent him.The Lord will judge the ends of the earth
1Sam. 2:9 He will guard the feet of his saints, but the wicked will be silenced in darkness. "It is not by strength that one prevails;
10those who oppose the LORD will be shattered. He will thunder against them from heaven; the LORD will judge the ends of the earth. "He will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed."1Sam. 12:3 Here I stand. Testify against me in the presence of the LORD and his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe to make me shut my eyes? If I have done any of these, I will make it right."
4"You have not cheated or oppressed us," they replied. "You have not taken anything from anyone's hand." 5Samuel said to them, "The LORD is witness against you, and also his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything in my hand." "He is witness," they said.The Lord looks at the heart, not the appearance
1Sam. 16:6 When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, "Surely the LORD's anointed stands here before the LORD."
7But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."1Sam. 24:11 [Then David said to King Saul] See, my father, look at this piece of your robe in my hand! I cut off the corner of your robe but did not kill you. Now understand and recognize that I am not guilty of wrongdoing or rebellion. I have not wronged you, but you are hunting me down to take my life.
12May the LORD judge between you and me. And may the LORD avenge the wrongs you have done to me, but my hand will not touch you. 13As the old saying goes, `From evildoers come evil deeds,' so my hand will not touch you. 14"Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog? A flea? 15May the LORD be our judge and decide between us. May he consider my cause and uphold it; may he vindicate me by delivering me from your hand." 16When David finished saying this, Saul asked, "Is that your voice, David my son?" And he wept aloud.1Chr. 16:32 Let the sea resound, and all that is in it; let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them!
33Then the trees of the forest will sing, they will sing for joy before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth. 34Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.1Chr. 28:9 "And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.
2Chr. 19:6 He told them, "Consider carefully what you do, because you are not judging for man but for the LORD, who is with you whenever you give a verdict.
7Now let the fear of the LORD be upon you. Judge carefully, for with the LORD our God there is no injustice or partiality or bribery."Job 9:28 [Job cried] I still dread all my sufferings, for I know you will not hold me innocent.
29Since I am already found guilty, why should I struggle in vain? 30Even if I washed myself with soap and my hands with washing soda, 31you would plunge me into a slime pit so that even my clothes would detest me. 32"He is not a man like me that I might answer him, that we might confront each other in court. 33If only there were someone to arbitrate between us, to lay his hand upon us both, 34someone to remove God's rod from me, so that his terror would frighten me no more. 35Then I would speak up without fear of him, but as it now stands with me, I cannot.Our witness, advocate and intercessor, is in heaven
Job 16:18 "O earth, do not cover my blood; may my cry never be laid to rest!
19Even now my witness is in heaven; my advocate is on high. 20My intercessor is my friend as my eyes pour out tears to God; 21on behalf of a man he pleads with God as a man pleads for his friend.Job 37:22 Out of the north he comes in golden splendor; God comes in awesome majesty.
23The Almighty is beyond our reach and exalted in power; in his justice and great righteousness, he does not oppress.Ps. 1:1 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.
2But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. 3He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. 4Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. 5Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. 6For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.Ps. 7:6 Arise, O LORD, in your anger; rise up against the rage of my enemies. Awake, my God; decree justice.
7Let the assembled peoples gather around you. Rule over them from on high; 8let the LORD judge the peoples. Judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness, according to my integrity, O Most High. 9O righteous God, who searches minds and hearts, bring to an end the violence of the wicked and make the righteous secure. 10My shield is God Most High, who saves the upright in heart. 11God is a righteous judge, a God who expresses his wrath every day. 12If he does not relent, he will sharpen his sword; he will bend and string his bow.The Lord's throne is established for judgment; he will govern with justice
Ps. 9:6 Endless ruin has overtaken the enemy, you have uprooted their cities; even the memory of them has perished.
7The LORD reigns forever; he has established his throne for judgment. 8He will judge the world in righteousness; he will govern the peoples with justice. 9The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.Ps. 9:15 The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug; their feet are caught in the net they have hidden.
16The LORD is known by his justice; the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands. Higgaion. Selah 17The wicked return to the grave, all the nations that forget God. 18But the needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish. 19Arise, O LORD, let not man triumph; let the nations be judged in your presence. 20Strike them with terror, O LORD; let the nations know they are but men. SelahPs. 11:4 The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD is on his heavenly throne. He observes the sons of men; his eyes examine them.
5The LORD examines the righteous, but the wicked and those who love violence his soul hates. 6On the wicked he will rain fiery coals and burning sulfur; a scorching wind will be their lot. 7For the LORD is righteous, he loves justice; upright men will see his face.Remember not the sins of my youth - remember me by your love
Ps. 25:4 Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths;
5guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. 6Remember, O LORD, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old. 7Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you are good, O LORD.Ps. 30:7 O LORD, when you favored me, you made my mountain stand firm; but when you hid your face, I was dismayed.
8To you, O LORD, I called; to the Lord I cried for mercy: 9"What gain is there in my destruction, in my going down into the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your faithfulness? 10Hear, O LORD, and be merciful to me; O LORD, be my help."Ps. 36:5 Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.
6Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the great deep. O LORD, you preserve both man and beast. 7How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings.Ps. 37:5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this:
6He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. 7Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.Ps. 45:5 Let your sharp arrows pierce the hearts of the king's enemies; let the nations fall beneath your feet.
6Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. 7You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.Ps. 47:7 For God is the King of all the earth; sing to him a psalm of praise.
8God reigns over the nations; God is seated on his holy throne. 9The nobles of the nations assemble as the people of the God of Abraham, for the kings of the earth belong to God; he is greatly exalted.Our God comes to judge his people
Ps. 50:3 Our God comes and will not be silent; a fire devours before him, and around him a tempest rages.
4He summons the heavens above, and the earth, that he may judge his people: 5"Gather to me my consecrated ones, who made a covenant with me by sacrifice." 6And the heavens proclaim his righteousness, for God himself is judge. Selah 7"Hear, O my people, and I will speak, O Israel, and I will testify against you: I am God, your God. 8I do not rebuke you for your sacrifices or your burnt offerings, which are ever before me.Ps. 51:0 For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.
1Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. 2Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.Ps. 57:1 Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.
2I cry out to God Most High, to God, who fulfills [his purpose] for me.Ps. 69:24 Pour out your wrath on them; let your fierce anger overtake them.
25May their place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in their tents. 26For they persecute those you wound and talk about the pain of those you hurt. 27Charge them with crime upon crime; do not let them share in your salvation. 28May they be blotted out of the book of life and not be listed with the righteous. 29I am in pain and distress; may your salvation, O God, protect me. 30I will praise God's name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.Ps. 76:7 You alone are to be feared. Who can stand before you when you are angry?
8From heaven you pronounced judgment, and the land feared and was quiet-- 9when you, O God, rose up to judge, to save all the afflicted of the land. Selah 10Surely your wrath against men brings you praise, and the survivors of your wrath are restrained.Ps. 82:0 A psalm of Asaph.
1God presides in the great assembly; he gives judgment among the "gods": 2"How long will you defend the unjust and show partiality to the wicked? SelahPs. 82:7 But you will die like mere men; you will fall like every other ruler."
8Rise up, O God, judge the earth, for all the nations are your inheritance.Ps. 89:14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you.
15Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O LORD.Ps. 94:1 O LORD, the God who avenges, O God who avenges, shine forth.
2Rise up, O Judge of the earth; pay back to the proud what they deserve. 3How long will the wicked, O LORD, how long will the wicked be jubilant?Ps. 94:14 For the LORD will not reject his people; he will never forsake his inheritance.
15Judgment will again be founded on righteousness, and all the upright in heart will follow it. 16Who will rise up for me against the wicked? Who will take a stand for me against evildoers?Ps. 96:9 Worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness; tremble before him, all the earth.
10Say among the nations, "The LORD reigns." The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity. 11Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it; 12let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy; 13they will sing before the LORD, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his truth.Ps. 97:1 The LORD reigns, let the earth be glad; let the distant shores rejoice.
2Clouds and thick darkness surround him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.The Lord will judge the world in righteousness
Ps. 98:8 Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy;
9let them sing before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity.Ps. 99:4 The King is mighty, he loves justice-- you have established equity; in Jacob you have done what is just and right.
5Exalt the LORD our God and worship at his footstool; he is holy.Ps. 110:4 The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind: "You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek."
5The Lord is at your right hand; he will crush kings on the day of his wrath. 6He will judge the nations, heaping up the dead and crushing the rulers of the whole earth.Ps. 139:14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
15My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, 16your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.Ps. 143:1 O LORD, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief.
2Do not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you.Ps. 149:6 May the praise of God be in their mouths and a double-edged sword in their hands,
7to inflict vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples, 8to bind their kings with fetters, their nobles with shackles of iron.Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath
Prov. 11:3 The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.
4Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death. 5The righteousness of the blameless makes a straight way for them, but the wicked are brought down by their own wickedness.Prov. 22:22 Do not exploit the poor because they are poor and do not crush the needy in court,
23for the LORD will take up their case and will plunder those who plunder them.Prov. 28:13 He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.
14Blessed is the man who always fears the LORD, but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble.Eccl. 3:16 And I saw something else under the sun: In the place of judgment --wickedness was there, in the place of justice --wickedness was there.
17I thought in my heart, "God will bring to judgment both the righteous and the wicked, for there will be a time for every activity, a time for every deed."Eccl. 11:8 However many years a man may live, let him enjoy them all. But let him remember the days of darkness, for they will be many. Everything to come is meaningless.
9Be happy, young man, while you are young, and let your heart give you joy in the days of your youth. Follow the ways of your heart and whatever your eyes see, but know that for all these things God will bring you to judgment.God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing
Eccl. 12:13 Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole [duty] of man.
14For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.Isa. 1:23 Your rulers are rebels, companions of thieves; they all love bribes and chase after gifts. They do not defend the cause of the fatherless; the widow's case does not come before them.
24Therefore the Lord, the LORD Almighty, the Mighty One of Israel, declares: "Ah, I will get relief from my foes and avenge myself on my enemies. 25I will turn my hand against you; I will thoroughly purge away your dross and remove all your impurities.Isa. 2:3 Many peoples will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths." The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
4He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. 5Come, O house of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the LORD.Isa. 3:13 The LORD takes his place in court; he rises to judge the people.
14The LORD enters into judgment against the elders and leaders of his people: "It is you who have ruined my vineyard; the plunder from the poor is in your houses. 15What do you mean by crushing my people and grinding the faces of the poor?" declares the Lord, the LORD Almighty.Isa. 4:3 Those who are left in Zion, who remain in Jerusalem, will be called holy, all who are recorded among the living in Jerusalem.
4The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of Zion; he will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of fire.Isa. 8:19 When men tell you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?
20To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn.Isa. 9:6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.God will not judge by what he sees or hears, but with righteousness
Isa. 11:2 The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him-- the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD--
3and he will delight in the fear of the LORD. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; 4but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.The day of the Lord is near, it will come like destruction
Isa. 13:5 They come from faraway lands, from the ends of the heavens-- the LORD and the weapons of his wrath-- to destroy the whole country.
6Wail, for the day of the LORD is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty. 7Because of this, all hands will go limp, every man's heart will melt. 8Terror will seize them, pain and anguish will grip them; they will writhe like a woman in labor. They will look aghast at each other, their faces aflame. 9See, the day of the LORD is coming --a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger-- to make the land desolate and destroy the sinners within it. 10The stars of heaven and their constellations will not show their light. The rising sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light. 11I will punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their sins. I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty and will humble the pride of the ruthless.Introduction: The next rather lengthy, but fascinating section is taken from the heart of Isaiah, from Chapter 24 to 35. In it, God prophecies the destruction of the world and the execution of His judgment against the wicked. In some ways, this section is the most graphic description of the great day of the Lord in the Bible. At times, God directs His eyes to His people, the Israelites of ancient times, but most passages, we will recognize, as yet haven't been fulfilled. In order to understand the parallelism in the following passages, recognize that Israel represents spiritual Israel as well, the remnant who remain true to God and stand firm during the last days. Edom, the nation that descended from Esau, represents the wicked. As it is written, "I have loved Jacob, but Esau I have hated" Mal. 3:2, 3.
The Lord is going to completely lay waste the earth because of its wickedness
Isa. 24:1 See, the LORD is going to lay waste the earth and devastate it; he will ruin its face and scatter its inhabitants--
2it will be the same for priest as for people, for master as for servant, for mistress as for maid, for seller as for buyer, for borrower as for lender, for debtor as for creditor. 3The earth will be completely laid waste and totally plundered. The LORD has spoken this word.4
The earth dries up and withers, the world languishes and withers, the exalted of the earth languish. 5The earth is defiled by its people; they have disobeyed the laws, violated the statutes and broken the everlasting covenant. 6Therefore a curse consumes the earth; its people must bear their guilt. Therefore earth's inhabitants are burned up, and very few are left. 7The new wine dries up and the vine withers; all the merrymakers groan. 8The gaiety of the tambourines is stilled, the noise of the revelers has stopped, the joyful harp is silent. 9No longer do they drink wine with a song; the beer is bitter to its drinkers. 10The ruined city lies desolate; the entrance to every house is barred. 11In the streets they cry out for wine; all joy turns to gloom, all gaiety is banished from the earth. 12The city is left in ruins, its gate is battered to pieces. 13So will it be on the earth and among the nations, as when an olive tree is beaten, or as when gleanings are left after the grape harvest. 14They raise their voices, they shout for joy; from the west they acclaim the LORD's majesty. 15Therefore in the east give glory to the LORD; exalt the name of the LORD, the God of Israel, in the islands of the sea. 16From the ends of the earth we hear singing: "Glory to the Righteous One."But I said, "I waste away, I waste away! Woe to me! The treacherous betray! With treachery the treacherous betray!"
17Terror and pit and snare await you, O people of the earth. 18Whoever flees at the sound of terror will fall into a pit; whoever climbs out of the pit will be caught in a snare.The floodgates of the heavens are opened, the foundations of the earth shake.
19The earth is broken up, the earth is split asunder, the earth is thoroughly shaken. 20The earth reels like a drunkard, it sways like a hut in the wind; so heavy upon it is the guilt of its rebellion that it falls --never to rise again.21
In that day the LORD will punish the powers in the heavens above and the kings on the earth below. 22They will be herded together like prisoners bound in a dungeon; they will be shut up in prison and be punished after many days. 23The moon will be abashed, the sun ashamed; for the LORD Almighty will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before its elders, gloriously.The banquet of the Lord; death removed forever
Isa. 25:1 O LORD, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for in perfect faithfulness you have done marvelous things, things planned long ago.
2You have made the city a heap of rubble, the fortified town a ruin, the foreigners' stronghold a city no more; it will never be rebuilt. 3Therefore strong peoples will honor you; cities of ruthless nations will revere you. 4You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat. For the breath of the ruthless is like a storm driving against a wall 5and like the heat of the desert. You silence the uproar of foreigners; as heat is reduced by the shadow of a cloud, so the song of the ruthless is stilled.6
On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine-- the best of meats and the finest of wines. 7On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; 8he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken.9
In that day they will say, "Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the LORD, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation." 10The hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain; but Moab will be trampled under him as straw is trampled down in the manure. 11They will spread out their hands in it, as a swimmer spreads out his hands to swim. God will bring down their pride despite the cleverness of their hands. 12He will bring down your high fortified walls and lay them low; he will bring them down to the ground, to the very dust.Isa. 26:1 In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city; God makes salvation its walls and ramparts.
2Open the gates that the righteous nation may enter, the nation that keeps faith. 3You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. 4Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal. 5He humbles those who dwell on high, he lays the lofty city low; he levels it to the ground and casts it down to the dust. 6Feet trample it down-- the feet of the oppressed, the footsteps of the poor.7
The path of the righteous is level; O upright One, you make the way of the righteous smooth. 8Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts. 9My soul yearns for you in the night; in the morning my spirit longs for you. When your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness. 10Though grace is shown to the wicked, they do not learn righteousness; even in a land of uprightness they go on doing evil and regard not the majesty of the LORD. 11O LORD, your hand is lifted high, but they do not see it. Let them see your zeal for your people and be put to shame; let the fire reserved for your enemies consume them.12
LORD, you establish peace for us; all that we have accomplished you have done for us. 13O LORD, our God, other lords besides you have ruled over us, but your name alone do we honor. 14They are now dead, they live no more; those departed spirits do not rise. You punished them and brought them to ruin; you wiped out all memory of them. 15You have enlarged the nation, O LORD; you have enlarged the nation. You have gained glory for yourself; you have extended all the borders of the land. 16LORD, they came to you in their distress; when you disciplined them, they could barely whisper a prayer. 17As a woman with child and about to give birth writhes and cries out in her pain, so were we in your presence, O LORD. 18We were with child, we writhed in pain, but we gave birth to wind. We have not brought salvation to the earth; we have not given birth to people of the world. 19But your dead will live; their bodies will rise. You who dwell in the dust, wake up and shout for joy. Your dew is like the dew of the morning; the earth will give birth to her dead.20
Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut the doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until his wrath has passed by. 21See, the LORD is coming out of his dwelling to punish the people of the earth for their sins. The earth will disclose the blood shed upon her; she will conceal her slain no longer.Commentary: Note that God's people are present at the time His wrath is poured out as He tells them to "Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut the doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until his wrath has passed by."
The Lord will destroy Leviathan, the dragon-like monster of the deep (a symbol of Satan)
Isa. 27:1 In that day, the LORD will punish with his sword, his fierce, great and powerful sword, Leviathan the gliding serpent, Leviathan the coiling serpent; he will slay the monster of the sea.
2In that day-- "Sing about a fruitful vineyard: 3I, the LORD, watch over it; I water it continually. I guard it day and night so that no one may harm it. 4I am not angry. If only there were briers and thorns confronting me! I would march against them in battle; I would set them all on fire. 5Or else let them come to me for refuge; let them make peace with me, yes, let them make peace with me."Isa. 28:5 In that day the LORD Almighty will be a glorious crown, a beautiful wreath for the remnant of his people.
6He will be a spirit of justice to him who sits in judgment, a source of strength to those who turn back the battle at the gate.The Lord will rise to do His strange work, His alien task
Isa. 28:14 Therefore hear the word of the LORD, you scoffers who rule this people in Jerusalem.
15You boast, "We have entered into a covenant with death, with the grave we have made an agreement. When an overwhelming scourge sweeps by, it cannot touch us, for we have made a lie our refuge and falsehood our hiding place." 16So this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed. 17I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plumb line; hail will sweep away your refuge, the lie, and water will overflow your hiding place. 18Your covenant with death will be annulled; your agreement with the grave will not stand. When the overwhelming scourge sweeps by, you will be beaten down by it. 19As often as it comes it will carry you away; morning after morning, by day and by night, it will sweep through." The understanding of this message will bring sheer terror. 20The bed is too short to stretch out on, the blanket too narrow to wrap around you. 21The LORD will rise up as he did at Mount Perazim, he will rouse himself as in the Valley of Gibeon-- to do his work, his strange work, and perform his task, his alien task. 22Now stop your mocking, or your chains will become heavier; the Lord, the LORD Almighty, has told me of the destruction decreed against the whole land.Isa. 29:5 But your many enemies will become like fine dust, the ruthless hordes like blown chaff. Suddenly, in an instant,
6the LORD Almighty will come with thunder and earthquake and great noise, with windstorm and tempest and flames of a devouring fire. 7Then the hordes of all the nations that fight against Ariel, that attack her and her fortress and besiege her, will be as it is with a dream, with a vision in the night-- 8as when a hungry man dreams that he is eating, but he awakens, and his hunger remains; as when a thirsty man dreams that he is drinking, but he awakens faint, with his thirst unquenched. So will it be with the hordes of all the nations that fight against Mount Zion.9
Be stunned and amazed, blind yourselves and be sightless; be drunk, but not from wine, stagger, but not from beer. 10The LORD has brought over you a deep sleep: He has sealed your eyes (the prophets); he has covered your heads (the seers).11
For you this whole vision is nothing but words sealed in a scroll. And if you give the scroll to someone who can read, and say to him, "Read this, please," he will answer, "I can't; it is sealed." 12Or if you give the scroll to someone who cannot read, and say, "Read this, please," he will answer, "I don't know how to read."13
The Lord says: "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men. 14Therefore once more I will astound these people with wonder upon wonder; the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish." 15Woe to those who go to great depths to hide their plans from the LORD, who do their work in darkness and think, "Who sees us? Who will know?" 16You turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay! Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, "He did not make me"? Can the pot say of the potter, "He knows nothing"?17
In a very short time, will not Lebanon be turned into a fertile field and the fertile field seem like a forest? 18In that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll, and out of gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see. 19Once more the humble will rejoice in the LORD; the needy will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. 20The ruthless will vanish, the mockers will disappear, and all who have an eye for evil will be cut down-- 21those who with a word make a man out to be guilty, who ensnare the defender in court and with false testimony deprive the innocent of justice.22
Therefore this is what the LORD, who redeemed Abraham, says to the house of Jacob: "No longer will Jacob be ashamed; no longer will their faces grow pale. 23When they see among them their children, the work of my hands, they will keep my name holy; they will acknowledge the holiness of the Holy One of Jacob, and will stand in awe of the God of Israel. 24Those who are wayward in spirit will gain understanding; those who complain will accept instruction."Woe to the obstinate who refuse to listen to God
Isa. 30:8 Go now, write it on a tablet for them, inscribe it on a scroll, that for the days to come it may be an everlasting witness.
9These are rebellious people, deceitful children, children unwilling to listen to the LORD's instruction. 10They say to the seers, "See no more visions!" and to the prophets, "Give us no more visions of what is right! Tell us pleasant things, prophesy illusions. 11Leave this way, get off this path, and stop confronting us with the Holy One of Israel!"12
Therefore, this is what the Holy One of Israel says: "Because you have rejected this message, relied on oppression and depended on deceit, 13this sin will become for you like a high wall, cracked and bulging, that collapses suddenly, in an instant. 14It will break in pieces like pottery, shattered so mercilessly that among its pieces not a fragment will be found for taking coals from a hearth or scooping water out of a cistern."15
This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: "In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it. 16You said, `No, we will flee on horses.' Therefore you will flee! You said, `We will ride off on swift horses.' Therefore your pursuers will be swift! 17A thousand will flee at the threat of one; at the threat of five you will all flee away, till you are left like a flagstaff on a mountaintop, like a banner on a hill." 18Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!19
O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer you. 20Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, your teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. 21Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it." 22Then you will defile your idols overlaid with silver and your images covered with gold; you will throw them away like a menstrual cloth and say to them, "Away with you!"In the day of slaughter, the sun will be seven times brighter
23
He will also send you rain for the seed you sow in the ground, and the food that comes from the land will be rich and plentiful. In that day your cattle will graze in broad meadows. 24The oxen and donkeys that work the soil will eat fodder and mash, spread out with fork and shovel. 25In the day of great slaughter, when the towers fall, streams of water will flow on every high mountain and every lofty hill. 26The moon will shine like the sun, and the sunlight will be seven times brighter, like the light of seven full days, when the LORD binds up the bruises of his people and heals the wounds he inflicted.27
See, the Name of the LORD comes from afar, with burning anger and dense clouds of smoke; his lips are full of wrath, and his tongue is a consuming fire. 28His breath is like a rushing torrent, rising up to the neck. He shakes the nations in the sieve of destruction; he places in the jaws of the peoples a bit that leads them astray. 29And you will sing as on the night you celebrate a holy festival; your hearts will rejoice as when people go up with flutes to the mountain of the LORD, to the Rock of Israel. 30The LORD will cause men to hear his majestic voice and will make them see his arm coming down with raging anger and consuming fire, with cloudburst, thunderstorm and hail. 31The voice of the LORD will shatter Assyria; with his scepter he will strike them down. 32Every stroke the LORD lays on them with his punishing rod will be to the music of tambourines and harps, as he fights them in battle with the blows of his arm. 33Topheth has long been prepared; it has been made ready for the king. Its fire pit has been made deep and wide, with an abundance of fire and wood; the breath of the LORD, like a stream of burning sulfur, sets it ablaze.Who can dwell with consuming fire? He who walks righteously!
Isa. 33:1 Woe to you, O destroyer, you who have not been destroyed! Woe to you, O traitor, you who have not been betrayed! When you stop destroying, you will be destroyed; when you stop betraying, you will be betrayed.
2
O LORD, be gracious to us; we long for you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress. 3At the thunder of your voice, the peoples flee; when you rise up, the nations scatter. 4Your plunder, O nations, is harvested as by young locusts; like a swarm of locusts men pounce on it.5
The LORD is exalted, for he dwells on high; he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness. 6He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure.7
Look, their brave men cry aloud in the streets; the envoys of peace weep bitterly. 8The highways are deserted, no travelers are on the roads. The treaty is broken, its witnesses are despised, no one is respected. 9The land mourns and wastes away, Lebanon is ashamed and withers; Sharon is like the Arabah, and Bashan and Carmel drop their leaves.10
"Now will I arise," says the LORD. "Now will I be exalted; now will I be lifted up. 11You conceive chaff, you give birth to straw; your breath is a fire that consumes you. 12The peoples will be burned as if to lime; like cut thornbushes they will be set ablaze."13
You who are far away, hear what I have done; you who are near, acknowledge my power! 14The sinners in Zion are terrified; trembling grips the godless: "Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire? Who of us can dwell with everlasting burning?" 15He who walks righteously and speaks what is right, who rejects gain from extortion and keeps his hand from accepting bribes, who stops his ears against plots of murder and shuts his eyes against contemplating evil-- 16this is the man who will dwell on the heights, whose refuge will be the mountain fortress. His bread will be supplied, and water will not fail him. 17Your eyes will see the king in his beauty and view a land that stretches afar. 18In your thoughts you will ponder the former terror: "Where is that chief officer? Where is the one who took the revenue? Where is the officer in charge of the towers?" 19You will see those arrogant people no more, those people of an obscure speech, with their strange, incomprehensible tongue.20
Look upon Zion, the city of our festivals; your eyes will see Jerusalem, a peaceful abode, a tent that will not be moved; its stakes will never be pulled up, nor any of its ropes broken. 21There the LORD will be our Mighty One. It will be like a place of broad rivers and streams. No galley with oars will ride them, no mighty ship will sail them. 22For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; it is he who will save us.23
Your rigging hangs loose: The mast is not held secure, the sail is not spread. Then an abundance of spoils will be divided and even the lame will carry off plunder. 24No one living in Zion will say, "I am ill"; and the sins of those who dwell there will be forgiven.The stars of the heavens will be dissolved and the sky rolled up like a scroll
Isa. 34:1 Come near, you nations, and listen; pay attention, you peoples! Let the earth hear, and all that is in it, the world, and all that comes out of it!
2The LORD is angry with all nations; his wrath is upon all their armies. He will totally destroy them, he will give them over to slaughter. 3Their slain will be thrown out, their dead bodies will send up a stench; the mountains will be soaked with their blood. 4All the stars of the heavens will be dissolved and the sky rolled up like a scroll; all the starry host will fall like withered leaves from the vine, like shriveled figs from the fig tree.5
My sword has drunk its fill in the heavens; see, it descends in judgment on Edom, the people I have totally destroyed. 6The sword of the LORD is bathed in blood, it is covered with fat-- the blood of lambs and goats, fat from the kidneys of rams. For the LORD has a sacrifice in Bozrah and a great slaughter in Edom. 7And the wild oxen will fall with them, the bull calves and the great bulls. Their land will be drenched with blood, and the dust will be soaked with fat.8
For the LORD has a day of vengeance, a year of retribution, to uphold Zion's cause. 9Edom's streams will be turned into pitch, her dust into burning sulfur; her land will become blazing pitch! 10It will not be quenched night and day; its smoke will rise forever. From generation to generation it will lie desolate; no one will ever pass through it again. 11The desert owl and screech owl will possess it; the great owl and the raven will nest there. God will stretch out over Edom the measuring line of chaos and the plumb line of desolation. 12Her nobles will have nothing there to be called a kingdom, all her princes will vanish away. 13Thorns will overrun her citadels, nettles and brambles her strongholds. She will become a haunt for jackals, a home for owls. 14Desert creatures will meet with hyenas, and wild goats will bleat to each other; there the night creatures will also repose and find for themselves places of rest. 15The owl will nest there and lay eggs, she will hatch them, and care for her young under the shadow of her wings; there also the falcons will gather, each with its mate.16
Look in the scroll of the LORD and read: None of these will be missing, not one will lack her mate. For it is his mouth that has given the order, and his Spirit will gather them together. 17He allots their portions; his hand distributes them by measure. They will possess it forever and dwell there from generation to generation.Isa. 35:1 The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus,
2it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God.3
Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; 4say to those with fearful hearts, "Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you." 5Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. 6Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. 7The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow.8
And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness. The unclean will not journey on it; it will be for those who walk in that Way; wicked fools will not go about on it. 9No lion will be there, nor will any ferocious beast get up on it; they will not be found there. But only the redeemed will walk there, 10and the ransomed of the LORD will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.The Lord will bring our reward with him
Isa. 40:9 You who bring good tidings to Zion, go up on a high mountain. You who bring good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up, do not be afraid; say to the towns of Judah, "Here is your God!"
10See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power, and his arm rules for him. See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him. 11He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young.Isa. 41:1 "Be silent before me, you islands! Let the nations renew their strength! Let them come forward and speak; let us meet together at the place of judgment.
2"Who has stirred up one from the east, calling him in righteousness to his service? He hands nations over to him and subdues kings before him. He turns them to dust with his sword, to windblown chaff with his bow.Isa. 43:9 All the nations gather together and the peoples assemble. Which of them foretold this and proclaimed to us the former things? Let them bring in their witnesses to prove they were right, so that others may hear and say, "It is true."
10"You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me. 11I, even I, am the LORD, and apart from me there is no savior. 12I have revealed and saved and proclaimed-- I, and not some foreign god among you. You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "that I am God. 13Yes, and from ancient days I am he. No one can deliver out of my hand. When I act, who can reverse it?"Isa. 49:3 He said to me, "You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will display my splendor."
4But I said, "I have labored to no purpose; I have spent my strength in vain and for nothing. Yet what is due me is in the LORD's hand, and my reward is with my God."Seek the Lord while he may be found - Turn from wickedness that he might have mercy
Isa. 55:6 Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near.
7Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. 8"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD.Isa. 56:1 This is what the LORD says: "Maintain justice and do what is right, for my salvation is close at hand and my righteousness will soon be revealed.
2Blessed is the man who does this, the man who holds it fast, who keeps the Sabbath without desecrating it, and keeps his hand from doing any evil."Isa. 59:12 For our offenses are many in your sight, and our sins testify against us. Our offenses are ever with us, and we acknowledge our iniquities:
13rebellion and treachery against the LORD, turning our backs on our God, fomenting oppression and revolt, uttering lies our hearts have conceived. 14So justice is driven back, and righteousness stands at a distance; truth has stumbled in the streets, honesty cannot enter. 15Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey. The LORD looked and was displeased that there was no justice. 16He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so his own arm worked salvation for him, and his own righteousness sustained him. 17He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head; he put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak. 18According to what they have done, so will he repay wrath to his enemies and retribution to his foes; he will repay the islands their due. 19From the west, men will fear the name of the LORD, and from the rising of the sun, they will revere his glory. For he will come like a pent-up flood that the breath of the LORD drives along. 20"The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their sins," declares the LORD. 21"As for me, this is my covenant with them," says the LORD. "My Spirit, who is on you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will not depart from your mouth, or from the mouths of your children, or from the mouths of their descendants from this time on and forever," says the LORD.Isa. 60:1 "Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.
2See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you. 3Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn. 4"Lift up your eyes and look about you: All assemble and come to you; your sons come from afar, and your daughters are carried on the arm. 5Then you will look and be radiant, your heart will throb and swell with joy; the wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you the riches of the nations will come.Proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of his vengeance
Isa. 61:1 The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,
2to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, 3and provide for those who grieve in Zion-- to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.Isa. 62:10 Pass through, pass through the gates! Prepare the way for the people. Build up, build up the highway! Remove the stones. Raise a banner for the nations.
11The LORD has made proclamation to the ends of the earth: "Say to the Daughter of Zion, `See, your Savior comes! See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him.'" 12They will be called the Holy People, the Redeemed of the LORD; and you will be called Sought After, the City No Longer Deserted.Isa. 63:1 Who is this coming from Edom, from Bozrah, with his garments stained crimson? Who is this, robed in splendor, striding forward in the greatness of his strength? "It is I, speaking in righteousness, mighty to save."
2Why are your garments red, like those of one treading the winepress? 3"I have trodden the winepress alone; from the nations no one was with me. I trampled them in my anger and trod them down in my wrath; their blood spattered my garments, and I stained all my clothing. 4For the day of vengeance was in my heart, and the year of my redemption has come. 5I looked, but there was no one to help, I was appalled that no one gave support; so my own arm worked salvation for me, and my own wrath sustained me.With fire and sword will God execute judgment
Isa. 66:15 See, the LORD is coming with fire, and his chariots are like a whirlwind; he will bring down his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire.
16For with fire and with his sword the LORD will execute judgment upon all men, and many will be those slain by the LORD. 17"Those who consecrate and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following the one in the midst of those who eat the flesh of pigs and rats and other abominable things --they will meet their end together," declares the LORD.Jer. 9:23 This is what the LORD says: "Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches,
24but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight," declares the LORD. 25"The days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will punish all who are circumcised only in the flesh-- 26Egypt, Judah, Edom, Ammon, Moab and all who live in the desert in distant places. For all these nations are really uncircumcised, and even the whole house of Israel is uncircumcised in heart."Jer. 10:23 I know, O LORD, that a man's life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps.
24Correct me, LORD, but only with justice-- not in your anger, lest you reduce me to nothing. 25Pour out your wrath on the nations that do not acknowledge you, on the peoples who do not call on your name. For they have devoured Jacob; they have devoured him completely and destroyed his homeland.Jer. 11:20 But, O LORD Almighty, you who judge righteously and test the heart and mind, let me see your vengeance upon them, for to you I have committed my cause.
God will bring charges against all nations
Jer. 25:30 "Now prophesy all these words against them and say to them: "`The LORD will roar from on high; he will thunder from his holy dwelling and roar mightily against his land. He will shout like those who tread the grapes, shout against all who live on the earth.
31The tumult will resound to the ends of the earth, for the LORD will bring charges against the nations; he will bring judgment on all mankind and put the wicked to the sword,'" declares the LORD. 32This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Look! Disaster is spreading from nation to nation; a mighty storm is rising from the ends of the earth." 33At that time those slain by the LORD will be everywhere --from one end of the earth to the other. They will not be mourned or gathered up or buried, but will be like refuse lying on the ground.Jer. 46:9 Charge, O horses! Drive furiously, O charioteers! March on, O warriors-- men of Cush and Put who carry shields, men of Lydia who draw the bow.
10But that day belongs to the Lord, the LORD Almighty-- a day of vengeance, for vengeance on his foes. The sword will devour till it is satisfied, till it has quenched its thirst with blood. For the Lord, the LORD Almighty, will offer sacrifice in the land of the north by the River Euphrates.Judgment against ancient Babylon
Jer. 50:14 "Take up your positions around Babylon, all you who draw the bow. Shoot at her! Spare no arrows, for she has sinned against the LORD.
15Shout against her on every side! She surrenders, her towers fall, her walls are torn down. Since this is the vengeance of the LORD, take vengeance on her; do to her as she has done to others. 16Cut off from Babylon the sower, and the reaper with his sickle at harvest. Because of the sword of the oppressor let everyone return to his own people, let everyone flee to his own land.Jer. 50:27 Kill all her young bulls; let them go down to the slaughter! Woe to them! For their day has come, the time for them to be punished.
28Listen to the fugitives and refugees from Babylon declaring in Zion how the LORD our God has taken vengeance, vengeance for his temple. 29"Summon archers against Babylon, all those who draw the bow. Encamp all around her; let no one escape. Repay her for her deeds; do to her as she has done. For she has defied the LORD, the Holy One of Israel.Jer. 51:5 For Israel and Judah have not been forsaken by their God, the LORD