1
Behold, the LORD will lay waste the earth
and will destroy it;
he will overturn its surface,
and scatter its inhabitants.
2
And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest;
as with the servant, so with his master;
as with the maidservant, so with her mistress;
as with the buyer, so with the seller;
as with the lender, so with the borrower;
as with the debtor, so with the creditor.
3
The earth shall be laid waste utterly,
and plundered completely,
for the LORD has spoken this word.
4
The earth mourns and withers;
yes, the world languishes and withers;
heaven and earth languish together.
5
The earth is defiled by its inhabitants,
for they have transgressed the laws, changed the statutes,
and broken the everlasting covenant.
6
Therefore a curse devours the earth,
and its inhabitants are held guilty;
therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned up,
and few people are left.
7
The new wine mourns,
the vine languishes,
and all who were glad of heart groan.
8
The joy of tambourines has ceased,
the noise of the jubilant has ended,
and the joy of the harp has ceased.
9
No more do they drink wine with singing;
strong drink is bitter to those who drink it.
10
The ruined city lies broken down;
every house is shut up, so that none may enter.
11
There is an outcry in the streets for lack of wine;
all joy has departed,
the gladness of the earth is gone.
12
Desolation remains in the city,
and the gate is battered down and ruined.
13
For so it shall be on the earth,
among the nations,
as when an olive tree is beaten,
as at the gleaning when the grape harvest is over.
14
They lift up their voice, they shout for joy;
over the majesty of the LORD they cry out from the west:
15
“Therefore glorify the LORD in the east lands,
the name of the LORD, the God of Israel, in the coastlands of the sea!”
16
From the ends of the earth we hear songs of praise:
“Glory to the Righteous One!”
But I said:
“Woe is me! Woe is me! I am wasting away!
For the treacherous deal treacherously,
yes, treachery they practice again and again!”
17
O inhabitants of the earth, terror and pit and snare are upon you!
18
And it shall be that he who flees at the sound of terror shall fall into the pit,
and he who climbs out of the pit shall be caught in the snare.
For the windows of heaven are opened,
and the foundations of the earth shake.
19
The earth is utterly broken,
the earth is split apart,
the earth is violently shaken.
20
The earth is utterly shaken like a drunkard
and sways like a hut blown by the wind;
the guilt of its rebellion weighs heavily upon it,
it falls and will not rise again.
21
So on that day the LORD will punish
the host of heaven in the heavens
and the kings of the earth on the earth.
22
They will be gathered together,
as prisoners are gathered in a pit;
they will be shut up in prison
and after many days they will be punished.
23
The full moon will be ashamed,
and the blazing sun will be put to shame,
for the LORD of hosts will reign
on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem,
and before the elders of his people
he will show his glory.
🌍⚖️🌪️ Summary of Isaiah 24 – Judgment on the Whole Earth: The Day of the LORD That Shakes the World
Isaiah 24 is known as the beginning of “Isaiah’s Apocalypse” — prophetic chapters that describe universal judgment. Unlike prophecies against a particular nation, here Isaiah foretells that the whole earth will be shaken because of humanity’s sin. Joy will turn to ruin, cities will become desolate, and only a few will be saved. Yet in the midst of wrath, there is also praise from the faithful remnant. This is a picture of the Day of the LORD, awe-inspiring and calling for global repentance.
📌 1. The LORD Empties the Earth (verses 1–3)
“The LORD will empty the earth and make it desolate…”
- Whether rich or poor, people or priests — all will be affected
- The LORD will turn over and break the structures of the world; nothing is hidden
🎯 The judgment of God is just and complete; nothing escapes it.
📌 2. The Joy of the World Disappears (verses 4–13)
“The wine is gone, the song has ended… the city is a ruin…”
- Even creation mourns, because humanity has broken the law, departed from the statutes, and rejected the everlasting covenant (verse 5)
- The great cities become silent and ruined
- Like an olive tree shaken — only a few fruits remain (verse 13)
🎯 This world cannot endure under the weight of collective sin.
📌 3. The Sound of Praise in the Midst of Judgment (verses 14–16)
“They lifted up their voices, shouting from the west… from the ends of the earth we hear a song: Glory to the Righteous One!”
- In the midst of global ruin, there is a people who glorify the Lord
- They praise from many parts of the earth — the surviving remnant
- Yet the prophet also laments: “Woe is me! Destruction upon destruction is happening!”
🎯 The Lord always leaves a faithful people, even in the darkest times.
📌 4. The Earth and the Heavens Are Shaken Too (verses 17–23)
“The earth is shattered… it sways like a drunkard…”
- The earth is physically shaken, like a cosmic end-time upheaval
- Even the powers in the heavens (angels and evil rulers) will be judged (verse 21)
- In the end the Lord will reign from Zion and Jerusalem, and His glory will be revealed
🎯 Not only the earth — even the spiritual realm is subject to the judgment of God.
📖 Main Teaching
- Sin is not only a personal matter — the world’s collective sin brings global ruin
- Nothing escapes the judgment of God: people, leaders, even creation
- Worldly joy is fleeting — only what is rooted in righteousness endures
- In the midst of God’s wrath, there is a remnant that praises Him
- The Lord will restore and reign from His holy place
✨ Spiritual Meaning (New Testament)
“All creation has been groaning together… waiting for deliverance.”
“I will shake not only the earth, but the heavens also…”
“The day of the Lamb’s wrath has come… who can stand?”
“The sun will be darkened… the powers of the heavens will be shaken… the Son of Man will come in glory.”
🎯 Isaiah 24 points to the final judgment — and Jesus is the only refuge from the wrath to come.
🕊️ “The earth is badly ruined, utterly destroyed…” – Isaiah 24:19
🕊️ “They raise their voices, they shout from the west…” – Isaiah 24:14
🕊️ “The LORD of hosts will reign on Mount Zion…” – Isaiah 24:23
