Isaiah Chapter 24
Isaiah 24, The Character of the Judgment of the LORD
Isaiah 24 gathers the judgments of the preceding chapters into a larger, worldwide scene. The earlier burdens dealt with specific nations, Moab, Syria, Israel, Ethiopia, Egypt, Babylon, Edom, Arabia, Jerusalem, and Tyre. Now Isaiah widens the lens and shows the character of the Lord’s judgment upon the whole earth. This chapter reaches beyond any single historical invasion and points ultimately to the time of the Great Tribulation, the final period of divine judgment before the visible return of Jesus Christ and His glorious reign from Mount Zion and Jerusalem.
Isaiah 24:1-3
Isaiah 24:1-3, KJV, “Behold, the LORD maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad inhabitants thereof. And it shall be, as with people, so with priest; as with servant, so with his master; as with maid, so with her mistress; as with buyer, so with seller; as with lender, so with borrower; as with taker of usury, so with giver of usury to him. The land shall utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the LORD hath spoken this word.”
Isaiah begins with the command, “Behold.” The reader is called to look carefully at the scene of divine judgment. This is not a small local discipline. The language is universal, “the earth,” “the inhabitants thereof,” and “the land shall be utterly emptied.” The Lord is not presented as a passive observer of human history. He is the One who makes the earth empty, makes it waste, turns it upside down, and scatters its inhabitants.
This does not mean the earth will be absolutely empty of every human being. Rather, Isaiah uses prophetic language to describe devastating worldwide judgment. The earth will be so deeply affected that whole regions will appear emptied, wasted, and overturned. This reaches its fullest fulfillment in the Great Tribulation, when the judgments of God fall upon a rebellious world before the second coming of Christ.
Matthew 24:21-22, KJV, “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since beginning of world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should shortened, there should no flesh saved: but for elect's sake those days shall shortened.”
Matthew 24:29-30, KJV, “Immediately after tribulation of those days shall sun darkened, and moon shall not give her light, and stars shall fall from heaven, and powers of heavens shall shaken: And then shall appear sign of Son of man in heaven: and then shall all tribes of earth mourn, and they shall see Son of man coming in clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”
The Great Tribulation will be unlike any other period in human history. It will be global, severe, supernatural, and immediately connected to the return of Christ. Isaiah 24 fits this prophetic framework because it describes judgment that touches the whole earth, not merely one nation.
Verse 2 emphasizes that no social class is exempt. “As with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower.” Priests, masters, mistresses, sellers, lenders, and creditors cannot escape because of position. Servants, maids, buyers, borrowers, and debtors cannot escape because of low status. The judgment of the Lord ignores the class protections men often rely upon.
This is important in understanding the universal scope of the Tribulation judgments. During that period, earthly rank will not protect anyone from divine wrath. Wealth will not buy exemption. Religious office will not provide immunity. Political power will not shield a man. Poverty will not make a man invisible. The Lord’s judgment reaches every layer of society.
This also supports the pretribulation understanding that the church is removed before the hour of worldwide testing. If the judgments of the Great Tribulation are universal in scope, and if no class of earth dwellers is exempt from them, then the Lord’s promise to keep His church from that hour is best understood as removal before that period begins.
Revelation 3:10, KJV, “Because thou hast kept word of my patience, I also will keep thee from hour of temptation, which shall come upon all world, to try them that dwell upon earth.”
The church is not appointed to wrath. The Great Tribulation is not merely human persecution, it is the outpouring of divine judgment upon the earth.
1 Thessalonians 5:9, KJV, “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Isaiah 24:3 closes the section with certainty, “for the LORD hath spoken this word.” That settles the matter. The judgment is not speculation. It rests on the spoken word of the Lord.
Isaiah 24:4-6
Isaiah 24:4-6, KJV, “The earth mourneth and fadeth away, world languisheth and fadeth away, haughty people of earth do languish. The earth also is defiled under inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed laws, changed ordinance, broken everlasting covenant. Therefore hath curse devoured earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore inhabitants of earth are burned, and few men left.”
The earth mourns because mankind has defiled it. Isaiah says, “The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof.” This is not a pagan view of the earth as divine. Scripture never teaches that creation is God. God is separate from His creation, sovereign over it, and eternally greater than it. The earth is affected by judgment because man, who was placed as steward over creation, has polluted it through sin.
Romans 8:22, KJV, “For we know that whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.”
Creation groans under the curse. The problem is not that God hates the earth. The problem is that man’s rebellion has corrupted the world in which he lives. The most important kind of environmental responsibility is not political theater or worship of creation. It is repentance before the Creator, obedience to His Word, and recognition that sin brings disorder into everything man touches.
Isaiah gives three reasons for judgment. First, “they have transgressed the laws.” To transgress means to step across a boundary God has established. God has moral boundaries. Man does not have the right to redefine them. Sin is not merely a mistake, weakness, or social construction. Sin is rebellion against the law of God.
1 John 3:4, KJV, “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also law: for sin is transgression of law.”
Modern man loves boundaryless living. He celebrates rebellion, redefines morality, mocks restraint, and calls evil good. But God’s boundaries remain. A society may vote against them, advertise against them, educate against them, and entertain itself against them, but the Lord’s law is not overturned by human arrogance.
Second, Isaiah says they have “changed the ordinance.” The word has the idea of instruction, law, or authoritative direction. Man changes God’s ordinance when he edits divine truth to suit human preference. This happens when men soften sin, twist Scripture, replace doctrine with psychology, redefine marriage, corrupt justice, excuse perversion, and preach a gospel that does not demand repentance and faith.
Isaiah 5:20, KJV, “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet bitter!”
When a civilization calls evil good and good evil, it is not becoming enlightened. It is becoming ripe for judgment.
Third, they have “broken the everlasting covenant.” The phrase can be understood broadly because Scripture uses the language of everlasting covenant in several ways. God made an everlasting covenant with Noah after the flood. God made an everlasting covenant with Abraham and his seed. God spoke of everlasting covenant realities in connection with Israel, David, and the New Covenant.
Genesis 9:16, KJV, “And bow shall in cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that upon earth.”
Genesis 17:7, KJV, “And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for everlasting covenant, to God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.”
2 Samuel 23:5, KJV, “Although my house not so with God; yet he hath made with me everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this all my salvation, and all desire, although he make it not to grow.”
Jeremiah 32:40, KJV, “And I will make everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me.”
Hebrews 13:20, KJV, “Now God of peace, that brought again from dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of sheep, through blood of everlasting covenant.”
Man’s basic rebellion is covenant rebellion. God reveals Himself, establishes His moral order, declares His promises, and provides His way of salvation, yet man turns away and tries to construct his own order without God.
Therefore, “the curse hath devoured the earth.” The curse is not arbitrary. It is the consequence of rebellion. Isaiah says the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men are left. This matches the severity of Revelation’s judgments.
Revelation 9:15-16, KJV, “And four angels were loosed, which were prepared for hour, and day, and month, and year, for to slay third part of men. And number of army of horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard number of them.”
Revelation 9:20-21, KJV, “And rest of men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.”
The tragedy is not only that men are judged. The deeper tragedy is that many still refuse to repent. Isaiah 24 and Revelation show the same hard truth, rebellion brings judgment, and hardened men often cling to rebellion even under judgment.
Isaiah 24:7-13
Isaiah 24:7-13, KJV, “The new wine mourneth, vine languisheth, all merryhearted do sigh. Mirth of tabrets ceaseth, noise of them that rejoice endeth, joy of harp ceaseth. They shall not drink wine with song; strong drink shall bitter to them that drink it. City of confusion broken down: every house shut up, that no man may come in. There is crying for wine in streets; all joy darkened, mirth of land is gone. In city is left desolation, and gate is smitten with destruction. When thus shall be in midst of land among people, there shall be as shaking of olive tree, and as gleaning grapes when vintage done.”
The scene now turns to the collapse of worldly joy. “The new wine mourneth, the vine languisheth, all the merryhearted do sigh.” Wine, music, feasting, and celebration represent earthly pleasure. In normal times, men distract themselves from spiritual reality through entertainment, indulgence, food, drink, parties, and noise. But under the judgment of God, the party ends.
Isaiah says, “The mirth of tabrets ceaseth, the noise of them that rejoice endeth, the joy of the harp ceaseth.” The music stops. The laughter dies. The entertainment culture loses its power. This is a sobering picture because men often use pleasure to avoid thinking about God, death, sin, and judgment. But the Great Tribulation will strip away the illusion that life can continue as usual.
Jesus described the world’s condition before judgment with similar language.
Matthew 24:37-39, KJV, “But as days of Noe were, so shall also coming of Son of man be. For as in days that were before flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until day that Noe entered into ark, And knew not until flood came, and took them all away; so shall also coming of Son of man be.”
Before judgment, people live as if nothing will interrupt their routine. They eat, drink, marry, plan, and carry on with ordinary life while ignoring God. But when judgment falls, the false comfort of normalcy is shattered.
Isaiah says, “strong drink shall be bitter to them that drink it.” What once seemed pleasurable becomes bitter. Sin always does this eventually. It promises sweetness and delivers bitterness. It offers escape and produces bondage. It offers joy and ends in sorrow.
The “city of confusion” is broken down. This may represent the world system in its disorder, rebellion, and moral chaos. Every house is shut up. There is crying in the streets. Joy is darkened. The mirth of the land is gone. The gate is smitten with destruction. Gates represented order, commerce, judgment, security, and civic life. When the gate is destroyed, society itself is broken.
The imagery of the olive tree and vineyard shows how complete the devastation will be. After the olive tree is shaken, only a few olives remain. After the grape harvest is finished, only a few gleanings remain. The judgment leaves the land stripped.
This fits the broader Tribulation judgments described in Revelation.
Revelation 8:7-13, KJV, “The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon earth: and third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass burnt up. And second angel sounded, and as it were great mountain burning with fire was cast into sea: and third part of sea became blood; And third part of creatures which were in sea, and had life, died; and third part of ships were destroyed. And third angel sounded, and there fell great star from heaven, burning as it were lamp, and it fell upon third part of rivers, and upon fountains of waters; And name of star called Wormwood: and third part of waters became wormwood; and many men died of waters, because they were made bitter. And fourth angel sounded, and third part of sun was smitten, and third part of moon, and third part of stars; so as third part of them was darkened, and day shone not for third part of it, and night likewise. And I beheld, and heard angel flying through midst of heaven, saying with loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to inhabiters of earth by reason of other voices of trumpet of three angels, which are yet to sound!”
Isaiah’s language is poetic and prophetic. Revelation gives more detailed sequence. Together they show that the Lord’s judgment will affect nature, society, commerce, joy, and human security.
Isaiah 24:14-16
Isaiah 24:14-16, KJV, “They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for majesty of LORD, they shall cry aloud from sea. Wherefore glorify ye LORD in fires, even name of LORD God of Israel in isles of sea. From uttermost part of earth have we heard songs, even glory to righteous. But I said, My leanness, my leanness, woe unto me! treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously; yea, treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously.”
Even in the midst of judgment, there is praise. “They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the LORD.” This shows that God will have witnesses even during the Great Tribulation. The church will have been removed before the hour of testing, but many will come to faith during the Tribulation through the witness God provides, including the sealed servants of Israel, the two witnesses, angelic proclamation, and the testimony of those who believe.
Revelation 7:9-14, KJV, “After this I beheld, and, lo, great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before throne, and before Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon throne, and unto Lamb. And all angels stood round about throne, and about elders and four beasts, and fell before throne on their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, unto our God for ever ever. Amen. And one of elders answered, saying unto me, What these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in blood of Lamb.”
This great multitude comes out of the Great Tribulation. They praise God because salvation belongs to Him and to the Lamb. Isaiah 24 anticipates this principle, even as judgment falls, God’s redeemed will glorify Him.
The praise comes from the sea, from the fires or regions of light, from the isles of the sea, and from the uttermost part of the earth. This shows worldwide testimony. The Lord’s glory will not be limited to one corner of the earth. His majesty will be confessed among the nations.
The song is “glory to the righteous.” This points to the Lord as the righteous One. God is righteous in salvation, and He is righteous in judgment. Men often complain about judgment because they do not understand holiness. But the saints will recognize that God’s judgments are true and just.
Revelation 16:5-7, KJV, “And I heard angel of waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus. For they have shed blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they worthy. And I heard another out of altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.”
Isaiah then says, “My leanness, my leanness, woe unto me!” Even while hearing songs of glory, he is overcome by the treachery of men. The phrase “treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously” is repeated and intensified. Sin is not merely weakness. It is betrayal against God. The earth is filled with covenant breakers, liars, idolaters, oppressors, and rebels. Isaiah feels the weight of it.
This balance is important. The prophet can rejoice in God’s glory and still grieve over human wickedness. Biblical faith does not make a man numb. It gives him clarity. He can praise God for His righteousness while mourning the treachery that makes judgment necessary.
Isaiah 24:17-18
Isaiah 24:17-18, KJV, “Fear, and pit, and snare, upon thee, O inhabitant of earth. And it shall come to pass, that he who fleeth from noise of fear shall fall into pit; and he that cometh up out of midst of pit shall be taken in snare: for windows from on high are open, and foundations of earth do shake.”
The focus now turns to the inescapable character of judgment. Isaiah addresses the “inhabitant of the earth.” This phrase connects strongly with Revelation, where those who dwell upon the earth are repeatedly described as the objects of judgment and as those aligned with the world system.
Revelation 13:8, KJV, “And all that dwell upon earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in book of life of Lamb slain from foundation of world.”
Revelation 13:6, KJV, “And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme name, and tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.”
Revelation distinguishes between those who dwell upon the earth and those who dwell in heaven. The issue is not merely physical location. It is spiritual identity. The earth dweller belongs to the rebellious world system. The believer’s position is in Christ.
Ephesians 2:6, KJV, “And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.”
Isaiah says, “Fear, and pit, and snare” are upon the inhabitant of the earth. The judgment is inescapable. If a man runs from fear, he falls into the pit. If he climbs out of the pit, he is caught in the snare. The picture is of a hunted animal unable to escape. God’s judgment has no gaps. There is no loophole, no hiding place, no clever evasion, no elite exemption.
The only way to escape the judgment of God is for that judgment to be satisfied. That happened only at the cross of Jesus Christ. Christ bore wrath for sinners. Those who are in Him are not condemned. Those outside Him remain exposed.
Romans 8:1, KJV, “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after flesh, but after Spirit.”
John 3:36, KJV, “He that believeth on Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not Son shall not see life; but wrath of God abideth on him.”
Isaiah says, “the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake.” This recalls the flood language of Genesis, where the windows of heaven were opened. In Noah’s day, divine judgment came from above and below. Here again, judgment comes from above, and the earth itself shakes beneath men.
Genesis 7:11, KJV, “In six hundredth year of Noah's life, in second month, seventeenth day of month, same day were all fountains of great deep broken up, and windows of heaven were opened.”
The point is clear. When God judges, man cannot manage the event. He cannot negotiate with the sky, stabilize the foundations, or outrun the snare. He must either be in Christ or face judgment.
Isaiah 24:19-20
Isaiah 24:19-20, KJV, “The earth is utterly broken down, earth is clean dissolved, earth is moved exceedingly. The earth shall reel to and fro like drunkard, and shall removed like cottage; and transgression thereof shall heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.”
Isaiah now describes the intensity of judgment upon the earth itself. The repetition is forceful, “The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly.” This is not ordinary political upheaval. It is cosmic and geological disturbance. The created order is shaken under the weight of divine wrath.
The earth reels “to and fro like a drunkard.” This is a picture of instability, staggering, and loss of balance. What men assumed was firm becomes unstable. The earth is removed “like a cottage,” meaning like a temporary hut or fragile shelter that can be shaken and moved. Man’s world is not as stable as he imagines.
Isaiah gives the moral reason, “the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it.” Sin has weight. Transgression burdens the earth. Men treat sin lightly, but God does not. The accumulated rebellion of humanity presses upon creation until judgment falls.
Revelation describes similar earth shaking judgments.
Revelation 6:12-14, KJV, “And I beheld when he had opened sixth seal, and, lo, there was great earthquake; and sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and moon became as blood; And stars of heaven fell unto earth, even as fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of mighty wind. And heaven departed as scroll when it rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.”
Revelation 16:18-20, KJV, “And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon earth, so mighty earthquake, and so great. And great city was divided into three parts, and cities of nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her cup of wine of fierceness of his wrath. And every island fled away, and mountains were not found.”
These passages show that Isaiah’s language is not exaggeration without substance. The Great Tribulation will include unprecedented shaking of the earth. Mountains, islands, cities, and the heavens themselves are affected. God will demonstrate that the world belongs to Him, not to the rebels who occupy it.
The phrase “it shall fall, and not rise again” refers to the present wicked world order under judgment. The fallen rebellious system will not recover as before. God will bring it down in preparation for the reign of Christ.
Isaiah 24:21-23
Isaiah 24:21-23, KJV, “And it shall come to pass in that day, that LORD shall punish host of high ones that on high, and kings of earth upon earth. And they shall gathered together, as prisoners gathered in pit, and shall shut up in prison, and after many days shall they visited. Then moon shall confounded, and sun ashamed, when LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.”
Isaiah now shows that the judgment reaches both heavenly and earthly powers. “The LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth.” This likely includes more than human rulers. The “host of the high ones” points to spiritual powers, rebellious angelic beings, and the unseen realm of wicked authority. The kings of the earth represent visible political power. God judges both.
This fits the biblical teaching that spiritual powers stand behind much of the world’s rebellion.
Ephesians 6:12, KJV, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
The Great Tribulation and the return of Christ will not merely settle human politics. They will also bring judgment upon the demonic and angelic rebellion that has influenced the nations.
Revelation 20:1-3, KJV, “And I saw angel come down from heaven, having key of bottomless pit and great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on dragon, that old serpent, which Devil, and Satan, and bound him thousand years, And cast him into bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set seal upon him, that he should deceive nations no more, till thousand years should fulfilled: and after that he must loosed little season.”
The kings of the earth will also be gathered like prisoners in a pit. Earthly rank will mean nothing before the Lord. Kings, presidents, dictators, global elites, military rulers, and economic powers will not be able to hide behind titles. They will be shut up for judgment.
Revelation 19:19-21, KJV, “And I saw beast, and kings of earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on horse, and against his army. And beast was taken, and with him false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received mark of beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into lake of fire burning with brimstone. And remnant were slain with sword of him that sat upon horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all fowls were filled with their flesh.”
The final rebellion of the kings of the earth will be crushed by Christ. No earthly ruler will survive His judgment by power, wealth, legal maneuvering, or military force.
Verse 23 says, “Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed.” This is poetic and prophetic language showing the surpassing glory of the Lord. The brightest lights in creation are humbled before His glory. The moon and sun, which rule the night and day, are nothing compared to the radiance of the Lord’s reign.
The chapter ends with the great hope, “when the LORD of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.” Judgment is not the final purpose. The final purpose is the glorious reign of the Lord. In a premillennial framework, this points to the kingdom reign of Christ on the earth, centered in Mount Zion and Jerusalem.
Luke 1:32-33, KJV, “He shall great, and shall called Son of Highest: and Lord God shall give unto him throne of his father David: And he shall reign over house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall no end.”
Revelation 20:4, KJV, “And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw souls of them that were beheaded for witness of Jesus, and for word of God, and which had not worshipped beast, neither image, neither had received mark upon foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ thousand years.”
The Lord will reign. Not symbolically only. Not merely in the private hearts of believers. He will reign gloriously, publicly, and victoriously. Mount Zion and Jerusalem are specifically named because God’s covenant promises to Israel will be fulfilled. The nations will be judged, the rebellious powers will be punished, the world system will fall, and the Messiah will reign.
Zechariah 14:9, KJV, “And LORD shall king over all earth: in that day shall there one LORD, and his name one.”
Isaiah 24 therefore moves from worldwide devastation to kingdom glory. The Lord empties the earth, judges every class of man, exposes transgression, removes false joy, preserves praise among His redeemed, traps the earth dwellers in inescapable judgment, shakes creation, punishes heavenly and earthly rebels, and then reigns gloriously from Zion.
