Isa 24. 1-23 is another prophecy about judgment coming upon the whole world in the birth-pains, with Israel being the center point. This concept will carry through to the end of Isa 27. What is being described in Isa 24 is a global catastrophe and a shaking of the whole earth. There is no mention of any historical events by the Assyrians, Babylonians or Persians in this chapter. Like Joel, Isaiah overlooks the immediate distresses and looks beyond to the end times. No nation is specifically mentioned so we will not speculate.
v 1…Behold, Yehovah lays the earth waste, devastates it, distorts its surface, and scatters its inhabitants (depopulates it, making it desolate, the unbelieving world-Rev 11.18).
v 2…And the people will be like the priest, the servant like his master, the maid like her mistress , the buyer like the seller, the lender like the borrower, the creditor like the debtor (all will share the same fate).
v 3…The earth (with the center being Israel) will be completely laid waste (made empty) and completely despoiled, for Yehovah has spoken this word (so it will happen).
v 4…The earth mourns and withers (like a flower), the world fades and withers, the exalted of the people of the earth fade away (most prominent will be in despair).
v 5…The earth is also polluted (defiled) by its inhabitants, for they transgressed laws (Torah); violated statutes (chukim), broke the everlasting covenant (the Torah does not just apply to Jews, but to all people as it applies).
v 6…Therefore, a curse devours the earth (Deut 28.15-68; Gen 3.17), and those who live in it are held guilty. Therefore, the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men are left (by God’s wrath).
v 7…The new wine mourns (joy has turned to mourning-Psa 104.15), the vine decays, all the merry-hearted sigh (no one is left to cultivate the land).
v 8…The gaiety of the tambourines ceases (they were used to accompany songs), the noise of revelers stops, the gaiety of the harp ceases.
v 9…They do not drink wine with song (as in times of peace); strong drink is bitter to those who drink it (because there is no joy).
v 10… The city of desolation (Hebrew “tohu”) is broken down (any major city in the world); every house is shut up so that none may enter (the ruins block the way in).
v 11…There is an outcry in the streets concerning the wine, all joy turns to gloom. The gaiety of the earth is banished.
v 12…Desolation (Hebrew “tohu”) is left in the city (any major city), and the gate is battered to ruins (destroyed).
v 13…For thus it will be in the midst of the earth among the peoples (as described in v 1-12), as the shaking of an olive tree, as the gleanings when the harvest is over (after a tree is shaken and the olives fall to the ground, only a few are left over on the branches, a “remnant”).
v 14…They (the remnant, the righteous) raise their voices, they shout for joy (for being delivered from the general destruction of the birth-pains), they cry out from the sea concerning the majesty of Yehovah.
v 15…Therefore, glorify Yehovah in the east, the name of Yehovah, the God of Israel in the coastlands of the sea (foreign nations, very remote included).
v 16…From the ends of the earth we hear songs, “Glory to the Righteous One (Messiah), but I say, “Woe to me! Woe to me! Alas for me (he describes his leanness)! The treacherous deal treacherously, and the treacherous deal very treacherously (he sees faithlessness everywhere).
v 17…Terror (“pachad”) and pit (“pachat”) and snare (“pach”- a word play in Hebrew here) confront you, O inhabitant of the earth (a variety of judgments await the people of the earth during the birth-pains).
v 18…Then it will be the one who flees the report of the disaster will fall into the pit (ruin), and he who climbs out out of the pit will be caught in a snare (if one escapes trouble they will fall into another); for the windows from on high are opened (Yehovah’s wrath from heaven), and the foundations of the earth shake (possible earthquakes-Matt 24.7; Mark 13.8; Luke 21.11, or it could allude to nuclear war as Russia destroys the USA, etc-Isa 13.13).
v 19…The earth is broken asunder, the earth is split through, the earth is shaken violently.
v 20…The earth reels to and fro like a drunkard, and it totters like a shack (swings back and forth), for its transgression is heavy upon it (caused the punishment to come), and it will fall, never to rise again (in its present form, total destruction-Rev 20.11; 2 Pet 3.10-13. The earth has a 365 day year right now, but we know it will go to a 360 day year like before because the birth-pains are 2520 days long, with 30 day months. Again, these catastrophes may be describing what happens when Russia destroys the USA with nuclear weapons about seven days after the Natzal, or about Tishri 8, at the beginning of the day of the Lord. Europe will be in a panic and calls an emergency meeting and ten nations attend. The False Messiah will be in that meeting and he has a plan to save Europe, but they must give him total authority to act. They will, and he signs a military treaty with Israel two days later, on Tishri 10 or Yom Kippur, beginning the 2520 days of the birth-pains. The birth-pains will end seven years later on Yom Kippur when Yeshua returns to Jerusalem-Matt 24.29-31).
v 21…So it will happen in that day (the Day of the Lord when Messiah comes) that Yehovah will punish the host (armies) of heaven on high (Ha Satan and the angelic hosts that seduced the nations-Dan 10.18-21; Eph 6.12; Col 1.16; 2 Pet 2.4; Jude 4), and the kings of the earth on the earth (the False Messiah and rulers-Ezek 32.17-32; Rev 20.1-3).
v 22…And they will be gathered together like prisoners in the dungeon, and will be confined in prison (on Yom Kippur when Yeshua returns; in Sheol); and after many days (993 days later at least) they will be punished (at the Great White Throne judgment after the Day of the Lord, or the last one thousand year period is over-Rev 20.11-15).
v 23…Then the moon will be abashed and the sun ashamed (eclipsed when compared to the glory of Yehovah-Mal 4.2; Isa 30.26; Rev 21.23), for the Lord of hosts (Yehovah Tzavaot or the armies) will reign on Mount Zion in Jerusalem (Isa 2.2-4; Mic 4.1-5), and his glory (kivod, radiance) will be before his elders (as seen in Rev 4.4; they reign with him and reflect his glory).
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