INTRODUCTION TO ISAIAH 24 This chapter contains a prophecy of calamities that should come upon the whole world, and the inhabitants of it, for their sins; of the preservation of a remnant; of the visitation of the kings of the earth; and of the appearance of Christ in his glory and majesty. The mis... [ Continue Reading ]
BEHOLD, THE LORD MAKETH THE EARTH EMPTY,.... Some, by the "earth", only understand the land of Israel or Judea, and interpret the prophecy of the captivity of the ten tribes by Shalmaneser, as Kimchi, and other Jewish writers; and others, of the destruction of the Jews by Nebuchadnezzar; but some ta... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT SHALL BE, AS WITH THE PEOPLE, SO WITH THE PRIEST,.... Or, "prince" p; no order or rank of men will fare better than another; their dignity, in things civil or ecclesiastical, will not secure them from ruin; it will be no better with princes and priests than the common people; they shall all a... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LAND SHALL BE UTTERLY EMPTIED, AND UTTERLY SPOILED,.... Entirely emptied of its inhabitants, and wholly spoiled of its riches and substance; this is repeated, and with greater strength, to confirm what is before said, and which receives a greater confirmation by what follows: FOR THE LORD HATH... [ Continue Reading ]
THE EARTH MOURNETH, [AND] FADETH AWAY,.... It mourns, because of its inhabitants being destroyed; and it fades away, because stripped of its wealth and riches: so the kings of the earth, and merchants of it are represented as weeping and mourning at the destruction of Rome, because of its judgments,... [ Continue Reading ]
THE EARTH ALSO IS DEFILED UNDER THE INHABITANTS OF IT,.... Or, "and the earth"; or, "for the earth is defiled" q; and so it is a reason why it is emptied and spoiled, because polluted and corrupted with the fornication of the whore of Rome, with her idolatries and superstitions, with which the inhab... [ Continue Reading ]
THEREFORE HATH THE CURSE DEVOURED THE EARTH,.... The inhabitants of it, and the fruits upon it, alluding to the earth being cursed for the sin of man, when it brought forth briers and thorns; this may denote the seven vials of God's wrath poured upon the earth, or the antichristian states. Some, by... [ Continue Reading ]
THE NEW WINE MOURNETH,.... For want men to drink it, or because spilled by the enemy; or the inhabitants of the land mourn for want of it, not having their vintages as usual: THE VINE LANGUISHETH; or is sickly, and so barren and unfruitful, does not bring forth its clusters of grapes as it used to... [ Continue Reading ]
THE MIRTH OF TABRETS CEASETH,.... Or of drums, and such like musical instruments, used at junketings and jovial feasts. So when Babylon is fallen, the voice of harpers and musicians, and of pipers and trumpeters, shall be heard no more therein, Revelation 18:22: THE NOISE OF THEM THAT REJOICE ENDET... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY SHALL NOT DRINK WINE WITH A SONG,.... They that have wine to drink shall not drink it with that pleasure they have heretofore done; nor shall their drinking be attended with merry songs, such as are sung by drunkards, who, while they are quaffing, are chanting to the sound of the viol, or other... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CITY OF CONFUSION IS BROKEN DOWN,.... Or "of vanity", as the Vulgate Latin version; or of "emptiness" or "desolation"; the word is "tohu", used in Genesis 1:2 this is to be understood not of Bethel, where one of Jeroboam's calves was, called Bethaven, or "the house of vanity"; nor Samaria, the c... [ Continue Reading ]
[THERE] IS A CRYING FOR WINE IN THE STREETS,.... Not to them that have it, to come and sell it, as Kimchi; but for want of it: there shall be a howling and lamentation in the streets of Rome, during the siege of it, when there will be a famine of bread and of wine, as in Revelation 18:8 by those who... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE CITY IS LEFT DESOLATION,.... And nothing else, palaces, houses, and temples burnt, and inhabitants destroyed; none but devils, foul spirits, and hateful and unclean birds, inhabiting it, Revelation 18:2: AND THE GATE IS SMITTEN WITH DESTRUCTION; or "gates", the singular for the plural; none... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN THUS IT SHALL BE IN THE MIDST OF THE LAND AMONG THE PEOPLE,.... When the above judgments shall be executed, the city of Rome shall be destroyed, and the vials of God's wrath are poured but on all the antichristian states, on all the followers of the beast, throughout the whole Romish jurisdicti... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY SHALL LIFT UP THEIR VOICE, THEY SHALL SING,.... That is, as the Septuagint version adds, "they that are left upon the earth;'' these shall lift up their voice, in singing the praises of God, for his judgments on Babylon, and avenging the blood of his saints; and for their deliverance and salv... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEREFORE GLORIFY YE THE LORD, IN THE FIRES,.... These are the words of the remnant, now triumphing and singing, calling upon others also to glorify the Lord in the fires of affliction and tribulation, in which they had lately been, and had themselves done: or, "in the valleys" u; in low estates and... [ Continue Reading ]
FROM THE UTTERMOST PART OF THE EARTH HAVE WE HEARD SONGS,.... Of praise and thanksgivings, on account of the judgments of God on antichrist; for the glorious appearance of Christ's kingdom; for the spread of his Gospel throughout the world; for the conversion of the Jews, and the bringing in of the... [ Continue Reading ]
FEAR, AND THE PIT, AND THE SNARE, [ARE] UPON THEE, O INHABITANT OF THE EARTH. This is to be understood not of the land of Judea only, and the inhabitants of it, but of all the earth; Kimchi interprets it of the nations of the world, particularly the Greeks and Turks; but the whole world, and the inh... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS, [THAT] HE WHO FLEETH FROM THE NOISE OF THE FEAR,.... From the fearful noise that will be made, the voices and thunderings heard in the heavens above, the sea and waves roaring below; or from wars, and rumours of wars, and terrible armies approaching and pursuing, Luke 21:2... [ Continue Reading ]
THE EARTH IS UTTERLY BROKEN DOWN,.... Still alluding to the deluge, when the earth broke in upon the waters under it, if Mr. Burnet's theory of the earth can be supported: THE EARTH IS CLEAN DISSOLVED; it will be an entire dissolution, nothing shall remain; all these things, as Peter says, the heav... [ Continue Reading ]
THE EARTH SHALL REEL TO AND FRO LIKE A DRUNKARD,.... When it shall be moved and agitated to and fro, and dissolved; or this may be meant of the inhabitants, who shall be at their wits' end, and in the utmost confusion, not knowing what to do, nor where to go, having no more thought, nor sense, nor c... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS IN THAT DAY,.... Not at the precise exact time the earth shall be dissolved, but previous to it, within that dispensation that is called the last day: [THAT] THE LORD SHALL PUNISH THE HOST OF THE HIGH ONES [THAT ARE] ON HIGH; which is not to be understood of the darkening... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY SHALL BE GATHERED TOGETHER,.... First to the battle of the great day of God Almighty at Armageddon, Revelation 16:14 and there being overcome and taken, they shall be gathered together [AS] PRISONERS ARE GATHERED IN THE PIT, AND SHALL BE SHUT UP IN THE PRISON; in the prison or the grave, a... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THE MOON SHALL BE CONFOUNDED, AND THE SUN ASHAMED,.... Either literally understood; and the meaning is, that they shall be darkened, their light being eclipsed by the superior light of Christ, the sun of righteousness; see Matthew 24:29 the New Jerusalem church state, which is referred to, will... [ Continue Reading ]