Make it the earth empty, and make it the waste, and turn it upside down, and scatter it abroad the inhabitants thereof, and it shall be 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, as with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him.
The land shall be utterly emptied and utterly spoiled, for the Lord hath spoken this word. The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, haughty people of the earth do languish.
The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof, because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.
Therefore hath the cursed devour the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate. Therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.
The new wine mourneth, the vine languisheth, all the merry-hearted do sigh.
The mirth of tabernacles ceaseth, the noise of them that rejoice endeth, the joy of the harp ceaseth.
They shall not drink wine with a song, the strong drink shall be bitter to them that drink it.
The city of confusion is broken down, every house is shut up, that no man may come in.
There is a crying for wine in the streets, all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone.
The city is left desolation, and the gate is smitten with destruction.
When thus it shall be in the midst of the land among the people, there shall be as the shaking of an olive tree,
and as the gleaming grapes when the vintage is done.
They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the Lord, they shall cry aloud from the sea.
Wherefore glorify ye the Lord in the fires, even the name of the Lord God of Israel in the isles of the sea.
For the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs, even glory to the righteous.
But I said, my leanness, my leanness, warn to me, the treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously.
Yet the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously.
Fear and the pit and the snare are upon the earth, o inhabitant of the earth.
It shall come to pass that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit.
And he cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare.
For the windows from on high are open and the foundation of the earth do shake.
The earth is utterly broken down. The earth is clean dissolved.
The earth is moved exceedingly. The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard.
And shall be removed like a cottage. And the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it.
And it shall fall and not rise again.
It shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall punish the hosts of the high ones that are on high.
And the kings of the earth upon the earth.
They shall be gathered together as prisoners are gathered in the pit.
And shall be shut up in the prison. And after many days shall they be visited.
Then the moon shall be confounded and the sun ashamed.
When the Lord of hosts shall reign in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem and before his ancients gloriously.
Let us pray. Thank you heavenly Father for your precious word, dear God.
We thank you for this wonderful church you've given us.
We thank you for the pastor. Please bless him as he preaches your word.
In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Amen.
Okay, we're continuing this evening with our Bible study in the book of Isaiah.
And tonight we're in chapter 24.
Now if you remember from last week, chapter 23 essentially covers the destruction of Tyre and Sidon.
And what's important about that is that essentially we've just been talking about the judgment and destruction of nations since chapter 14.
Ever since chapter 14, Isaiah, he's just been preaching against all these nations about the judgment that's going to come upon them.
God's wrath is going to be upon them.
And he's very specific about the particular nations that he's going to be dealing with.
And all these nations were essentially judged at one point in Isaiah's immediate future.
But we know that a lot of the judgments that he was bringing upon them were foreshadowing a bigger judgment that was going to come upon the world.
And in fact, in chapter 24, this particular chapter is highlighting the fact that God is going to judge all of the world.
So now he's not necessarily talking to a specific nation.
He's basically saying he's going to punish the entire world.
Because although many nations are guilty of sinning against the Lord, abominable things, things of that nature,
and maybe there are some nations that are worse than others, at the end of the day, everyone's guilty before God.
And the world is deserving and merits major punishment.
And so that's what chapter 24 is essentially focusing on there.
Now, I do want to mention this is that when you read chapter 24,
there is a very obvious parallel to the wrath of God that's highlighted in the book of Revelation.
And if you know anything about the timeline of Daniel's 70th week,
highlighting that seven-year period that the book of Revelation talks about,
three and a half years of those seven years is dedicated to God pouring out his wrath upon the earth.
So the first three and a half years is the tribulation,
but the last three and a half years is God's wrath.
And this is typically characterized by the seven trumpets and seven vials of God's wrath,
ultimately leading to the three woes, essentially God destroying the world.
And let me just mention here that during that time, believers will not be there.
Now, obviously there's going to be converts during that time that are getting saved,
but people who are saved at this moment up until that point will not be there.
So that the wrath that's being poured out in the book of Revelation during the latter end of those three and a half years,
you know, that's it's multipurpose.
One is obviously God is punishing the world.
He's destroying the world is punishing them.
But it's also to bring people to repentance, right?
To get people right with God, to get people to get saved.
And it's during that time that you have the hundred and forty four thousand being a witness unto all nations.
You also have the two witnesses that are supernaturally witnessing during that time.
And so a lot of people are getting saved, but the vast majority of people are just being judged rigorously during that time.
And so chapters twenty four is essentially talking about the judgment that's going to come upon that world during that time.
And so we're going to look at that this evening. Now look at verse number one.
We're going to start off with God's wrath on earth and the fact that God is no respecter of persons.
He says in verse number one, Behold, the Lord makeeth the earth empty and make it that waste and turneth it upside down and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof.
And it shall be 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, as with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him.
Verse three, The land shall be utterly emptied and utterly spoiled for the Lord hath spoken this word.
Now, what is the purpose of these first couple of verses here, kind of highlighting these groups of people and their counterparts?
Well, the emphasis here is that essentially what God is saying is that everyone's getting judged.
Regardless of your status in society, how much money you have, or how poor you are, according to the Bible, God says, "You're all getting it."
He's basically saying that it doesn't matter how lofty a position you have, whether you're a priest, which is a lofty spiritual position,
a master, you're a boss, you're a buyer, a lender, that's not going to protect you from God's wrath.
So having a crazy amount of money or possessions or fame in this world, being a celebrity in this world,
having a lot of followers on social media, being able to reach the masses,
doesn't mean anything in the eyes of God if you're not saved.
And in fact, the Bible says that that which is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the eyes of God.
And so that's why it's important for us to realize that who cares who's famous in the eyes of the world,
it's more important to be famous in the eyes of God, right?
It's more important to be honored by the Lord and have the Lord look upon you with favor,
to bless you with favor, to know you and to exalt you rather than the world doing that, okay?
And so he's saying here that that's not going to matter.
And it's very much similar to what we see in the book of Revelation.
Go to Revelation chapter 6, if you would, and hold your place there in Isaiah 24.
Go to the book of Revelation chapter 6, and we're going to bounce back and forth from Isaiah 2, Revelation.
So make sure you put a piece of paper or a pen there.
And so the first thing I want you to notice is the fact that God has no respect for people.
He's not going to look at the rich of this world and say, well, you know, you were a philanthropist.
And so I guess I'll let you slide or something like that.
Or, yeah, you gave majorly to charity.
Or, yeah, you're some important person in the eyes of the world.
He's basically saying he's no respecter of people.
He's not going to show a variable-ness.
He's not going to show favor to people just because they have a lofty position.
But in like manner, though, he's not going to show any favor to the poor either.
Because he's saying, you know, with the buyer as with the lender, the master, and the servant,
he's basically saying, "I'm going to judge the entire spectrum of humanity
regardless of your financial status in this world."
You say, "Why would he judge the poor?"
Well, because at the end of the day, you know, what God esteems as being important
is a person who has believed on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation.
And so if you have a person that's poor in this world, is needy in this world,
you know, obviously God has allowed that in that person's life in order to humble them
and bring them to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
But if a person remains poor and just rejects the gospel, rejects that message,
well, you know what? They don't have God's favor just because they're poor.
And obviously it's hard for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God,
but it could be also hard for a poor person if they don't allow that poverty
to bring them to a place of humility to the foot of the cross so they can be saved.
Okay. Because, you know, a poor person can still be covetous.
A poor person can still be prideful and arrogant and covetous
and still not believe on the Lord for salvation, be dependent upon the Lord to be saved.
And so what God is saying here is that, you know, a financial status will not matter in the end.
It never matters in the eyes of God, but especially in the end times,
everyone gets the judgment of God, especially if they have not believed on the Lord.
And so whether you're lowly, you have a high position, you will be judged.
Look at Revelation chapter six. It's very similar to what we see here.
Now, let me explain something about Revelation six.
Revelation six is where you find the six seals, right?
And this is still essentially leading up to or in that everyone's mourning,
wailing because of the second coming of Christ, regardless of who they are in this world.
The bondmen, freemen, mighty men, great men, rich men, chief captains, master, servant, lender, borrower.
You know, all these people are essentially going to get judged.
And the principle that we can learn there is the fact that God is no respecter of people.
It doesn't matter what the world esteems as being right.
It doesn't matter what the world esteems as being a good person.
It doesn't matter what the world esteems as being just, you know, a godly person at that.
You know, what does God think of that individual, right?
And so he is covering the entire spectrum.
They're stated there in Revelation 6.
Go back to Isaiah 24, Isaiah chapter 24, and look at verse number 4 of Isaiah 24.
We're going to see the cause of God's judgment.
So he's saying, I'm going to judge you all.
You're all going to be desolate.
You're all going to be scattered.
I'm going to cover the whole spectrum of humanity.
Everyone's going to get it.
You know, at this point, rich and poor, they're going to kind of meet together.
But here's the thing, though, hand joined in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished.
That's what the Bible says, right?
But let's look at the cause of the judgment of God.
It says in verse number four, "The earth mourneth and fadeth away.
The world languisheth and fadeth away.
The haughty people of the earth do languish.
The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof,
because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant."
So we see here that the Bible is telling us that the earth is in lamentation.
It languishes because of the inhabitants of the world.
What makes this world so bad?
People. People make this world really bad.
And he specifically says that these individuals are guilty of these particular things.
Three things.
The fact that they've transgressed the laws, it says.
Because it says at the latter end of verse 5, "because they have transgressed the laws."
Now what is that referring to?
Well, it's referring to the fact that the world is just filled with sinners.
Because sin is the transgression of the law.
And so it doesn't matter what policies are passed or what laws are passed.
As long as sinners live there, they're always going to mess it up.
You can make the United States of America a utopia if you wanted to.
Or think that you can make it a utopia.
Have laws to make it a utopia.
Have everything just, the conditions perfect, they're going to screw it up.
Why? Because sinners mess everything up.
And in fact, Adam and Eve were in a perfect place in paradise and they messed it up.
So it's kind of showing you that people will always just transgress the laws of God.
And the reason this world is messed up is because of sinners.
The Bible tells us you don't have to turn there in Romans chapter 2 verse 11.
Now, this is a good verse to show someone when they say,
"What about the kid in the jungle or whatever?
What about the kid in the cave in the Congo or someone who's just never heard the name of Jesus?
They never heard about the Bible. They never heard this."
Well, then they will perish without the law. Next question.
That's what the Bible says.
A person who has the law will be judged by the law,
and the person who does not have the law will perish without law, the Bible says.
It goes on to say, "For not the hears of the word are just before God,
but the doers of the law shall be justified.
For when the Gentiles which have not the law do by nature the things contained in the law,
these having not the law are a law unto themselves."
So obviously there's people out there, and quite frankly, that jungle person doesn't exist.
That doesn't have the internet, doesn't have the Bible, blah, blah, blah.
It may have existed a long time ago, but in 2024 that's not a real thing.
You can go to the most remote area, or even go to the worst third world country, they have the internet.
And if you have the internet, you have access to the Bible, you have access to the truth.
You say, "Well, how do you know?"
Well, there's like millions of videos out there of Indians in India and all the stuff that they do.
They're uploading that stuff, right?
And that's like a third world country right there.
And you're telling me they don't have access to the Bible? Of course they do. Everyone does.
But let's just hypothetically say that people in India or in Southeast Asia, the 1040 window,
let's say they don't have the law, they don't have the Bible.
Well, the Bible tells us that they do by nature the things contained in the law.
Meaning that they know that certain things are right and wrong because they have the law of God written in their hearts.
They're a law unto themselves.
And so this is essentially showing us that the world has transgressed the laws of God.
This is why the world is being judged.
It goes on to say in Romans chapter 3 verse 19,
"Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law,
that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God."
And so God is judging the world.
He's going to judge the world because the world is guilty of transgressing, sinning against the laws of God.
And it's time to pay.
But not only that, he says also that he's judging them not just because they transgress the law,
because it says that they change the ordinance.
Okay?
There's another way of saying this is they have altered or changed the commandment, the ordinance.
Now, what is this referring to?
Well, I believe it's just referring to the fact that unrighteous men have turned the grace of God into lasciviousness.
They turned the truth of God into a lie.
When the ordinances of God were given to them, they perverted, they corrupted.
And this is very much a real thing, right?
Where people will take what God says and twist it to mean something perverse or something that's unbiblical.
They look at what God says and they will hold the truth in unrighteousness.
What is that?
That's changing the ordinance.
The Bible says in Jeremiah 23 verse 31, "Behold, I am against the prophets, saith the Lord, that use their tongues and say, 'He saith.'"
Now, this is happening today where you look through social media and you scroll and you just find a plethora myriad of false prophets
teaching a lot of false doctrine, saying that they heard this from God or even if they didn't,
they'll teach you something that they claim is from the Bible but is completely unbiblical.
They say, "He saith," and God's like, "I never spoke to you."
What is that? That's changing the ordinance.
That's changing the truth of God into a lie.
This can mean one of two things, and I believe it's mainly referring to the fact that mankind has just changed the ordinances of God.
They've misconstrued it, they've corrupted it, they've twisted it, they've wrested the Scriptures.
But it could also mean, because we're dealing with end times, that this is referring to the Antichrist.
Let me read this from Daniel chapter 7 in verse 25.
It says, "And he," referring to the Antichrist, "shall speak great words against the Most High."
What does that refer to? It's referring to the fact that he's going to blaspheme God
by going into the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God, right?
So he's going to speak great words against the Most High.
And it says, "And shall wear out the saints of the Most High."
Now, what does that refer to? It's referring to the fact that in the end times, in Revelation 13,
that he's going to make war with the saints and overcome them, okay?
And then it goes on to say, "And think to change times and laws.
They shall be given into his hand until a time and times and a dividing of times three and a half years."
So what Isaiah 24 could be talking about is the fact that the Antichrist will seek to alter, change laws and times, okay?
And obviously that is going to be something that takes place in the end times because like it or not,
I know people don't like to come to this conclusion here, but in the end times,
we are going to be public enemy number one and it's going to be legal to kill Christians.
Like it's going to be a thing. Trending number one on X, trending number one on YouTube is
Christians being put to death because they're the scum of the earth, they're public enemy number one.
That will be a thing one day, okay? You know, and why? Because the laws will be changed.
The Antichrist will change the laws, he will change the ordinances to favor his New World Order
and to make war with the saints of God, okay? So why is he judging the world?
Because of the fact that they've transgressed the laws, but also because of the fact that they've changed the ordinances.
And then he says it's also because they've broken the everlasting covenant, okay?
Now, there's two ways to interpret this, and quite frankly, it could be both, okay?
The first interpretation that it's referring to is the fact that Israel literally broke the everlasting covenant.
Because God made a covenant with Israel, right? In the end times, or I'm sorry, in the Old Testament, he made a covenant with them.
Now, if you talk to dispensationalists, and people who worship Jews, and these star Remfan Christians out there who worship Israel,
they still think that covenant is still instituted, it's still in place, and that God still considers them to be God's chosen people because they have this everlasting covenant.
But the reason they say that is because they don't read the Bible. It's pretty obvious that that's not the case.
And even if you want to believe that the Jews are God's chosen people or that God still has a plan for them in the end times,
it's nonsensical and foolish to say that they didn't break that covenant.
Because let me read to you from Hebrews chapter 8 verse 7, it says, "For if that first covenant had been faultless,
then should no place have been sought for the second." So the mere fact that we're in a second covenant, a new covenant, is proof that the old covenant is no longer instituted.
Why? Because he found it wasn't faultless, the Bible says. And you say, "Well, whose fault was it?" Well, obviously it wasn't God's fault.
He's not a covenant breaker, right? It says in verse number 8, "For finding fault with them." Who's the them? Israel, Jews.
"He saith, 'Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, with the house of Judah,
not according to the covenant I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt,
because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord."
Now, isn't that interesting that God says, "I don't regard you anymore," because they didn't continue the covenant.
The covenant was conditional, and the main condition is that they had to believe on the Lord.
They obviously forfeited that multiple times when they started worshiping Baal, Ashtaroth, all these false gods.
Well, at that point, you have essentially made the covenant null and void unto yourself,
not because God is not faithful, but because you broke that covenant.
And the Bible says that he doesn't regard you anymore.
Regard what? He doesn't regard you as his people anymore.
That's why in the New Testament, he says that he will call them my people, which were not a people.
Because now there is a new covenant established with people who are believers in Jesus Christ.
And now they take on, they inherit the title of being God's chosen people.
And so when the Bible says that they've broken that everlasting covenant in its most literal sense,
it's referring to Israel breaking that everlasting covenant by worshiping false gods
and forsaking the God of the Bible, right?
But because we're also in this layered interpretation of end times,
and because we're talking about the wrath of God, this is essentially highlighting the wrath of God,
a way that people can also break the everlasting covenant, so to speak, in the New Testament,
is by taking the mark of the beast.
Now, here's the thing is that, you know, this doesn't mean they lose their salvation,
it just means that the covenant is no longer available to them, okay?
Now, you're in Revelation, go to chapter 14, if you would, Revelation chapter 14,
and that is a way of breaking the everlasting covenant,
is essentially by making salvation no longer available to you, okay?
Because salvation is available to all, but let's just be honest, when we look at the Bible,
we see that the Bible clearly teaches that there are certain individuals in this world,
not a large population, but certain individuals in this world
that actually forfeit their right to be saved even in this world.
I mean, out of the words, out of the own mouth of Jesus,
he said they have never forgiveness, neither in this world nor in the world to come.
And the world to come for anybody who doesn't have forgiveness is hell.
So he's saying that people aren't forgiven of their sins in hell,
and every Christian would agree with that. No one would fight that.
But he says that they don't even have forgiveness in this world,
meaning while they're alive, they don't have forgiveness.
And let me just say, when it says they have not forgiveness,
it's referring to the plenary of forgiveness when you believe on Jesus Christ.
So when you trust Jesus Christ as your savior,
you receive forgiveness of past, present, and future sins,
but that is no longer available to you if you break that everlasting covenant
by becoming a reprobate, okay?
And a surefire way to make yourself a reprobate in the end times
is by taking the mark of the beast according to the Bible.
And let me just clarify, no believer can take the mark of the beast.
It's impossible to, because the prerequisite to take the mark of the beast
is that you have to worship the Antichrist.
Well, anybody who's saved cannot worship the Antichrist.
It's impossible to, because you have the Spirit of God dwelling within you.
The Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God, the Bible says.
And to essentially worship a false God is to call Christ a curse.
And no man speaking by the Spirit calleth Christ a curse.
You say, well, what about those people in the end times who are just really hungry
and they need housing or something and they're believers.
I think people misunderstand the purpose of the Mark of the Beast.
And any Christian in the end times who thinks that they're going to get food
if they could just lie to the Antichrist is an idiot.
Why? Because the Mark of the Beast is literally there not to feed you,
not to give you an EBT card.
It's literally to find out if you're a Christian or not and then kill you.
So who are the first ones to go?
Well, the people who basically are hungry and they think they can get away with lying to the Antichrist.
And obviously you say, "Well, how are they going to know if they're believers or not or if they're lying?"
Well, obviously there's technology that's even being developed today
that can essentially create images even from your dreams.
It's not 100% dialed in, but they're moving towards that.
And I'm not saying that's going to be the way that they do it,
but if the Bible's talking about the fact that they're going to know somehow,
then that technology will be available one day.
And we shouldn't doubt that because the technology that we have today,
we couldn't have dreamed of having 50 years ago.
And so look at Revelation 14 verse 9, it says,
"The third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice,
'If any man worship the beast and his image,
and receive his mark in his forehead or in his hand,
the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God,
which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation.
And he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone
in the presence of the Holy Angels and in the presence of the Lamb.
Doesn't sound like they're being destroyed from the presence of God, right?
Oh hell, it's just a separation from God.
Well, it says they're in the presence of the Lamb while they're being destroyed.
It says in the smoke of their torment, ascendeth up forever and ever.
There goes your soul sleep, or annihilationism,
and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image,
and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
And so in its most literal sense, when it says that they broke the everlasting covenant,
you can apply that to Israel, because that is true.
But if we were to apply that to anti-Christ's prophecy,
the wrath of God, those three and a half years,
there is something that people can do to break the everlasting covenant,
and that is receive the mark of the beast, because they worship the anti-Christ.
At which point, they can no longer be saved, the wrath of God is going to come upon them,
they cannot escape the wrath of God, they're toast, they're done.
And a good way to explain this would be what the Bible says, that they're twice dead, plucked up by the roots.
And so this is the reason why God is judging the earth.
He's saying for these things, they transgress the laws, they have changed the ordinances,
and they've broken the everlasting covenant.
Go back to Isaiah, hold your place there in Revelation.
Isaiah 24 and verse number 6, what are the results of God's judgment upon the earth?
Well, it says here in verse 6, "Therefore hath the cursed devoured the earth,
and they that dwell therein are desolate.
Therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left."
So one of the results is that just a lot of people are going to die.
Now when you read about the wrath of God that's being poured on the world,
technically obviously it would start towards the latter end of Revelation 6
because it's the day of the Lord.
But the trumpets and the vials, or should we say just the trumpets first,
are highlighted in Revelation 8.
So you go to Revelation 8 and on,
that's where you have the trumpets of God being sounded,
where God is judging the world.
And one of the first judgments that comes upon the world is fire.
God burns a lot of the world, and it's not just marine life that is dying,
people are dying too.
And it says, "Therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned."
And in fact, in Revelation 9, when you read about the 200 million horsemen, for example,
which I don't believe is symbolic at all, by the way,
because when you read about the horsemen, they have heads of lions,
obviously they have a body of a horse, but they have tails of serpents,
and they essentially kill people by fire and brimstone and by asphyxiation,
and their tails bite.
So these 200 million horsemen, and it's just like, "I think it's symbolic."
What do you think it's symbolic of though?
What can possibly that be symbolic of?
You know, I just don't, you know, what will God pull out in the end time?
I think it's just a little, you know, the locusts are not symbolic.
These are actual creatures that he brings up, and it's found in the same chapter.
You say, "Why? You know, are you seeing these creatures exist right now?"
Yeah, of course. You know, God's just kind of saving them for the end times.
And, you know, he's pulling out all the stops in the end times, you know,
pulling out the locusts, and obviously the locusts aren't killing people,
but they're tormenting men for five months,
to the point where people who receive the sting of these scorpions
would wish themselves to die and they can't.
And I think what that's referring to is the fact that these scorpions
have some sort of debilitating venom where when they're bitten,
they're just kind of just stuck there, they can't move.
And if you're in a household and everyone's bit, no one can help each other.
You're just there, you're in pain, you're just, you know,
and then when you finally get to move again,
it's just like the scorpion comes and bites you again.
But after that, that wonderful little, you know, era there of the scorpions,
then you have these 200 million horsemen that are coming out
and they're killing a third of the population by fire, by brimstone.
So you got to picture this, 200 million of these monsters
is just a terrifying sight if you think about it.
And, you know, they're running through the streets.
If I could just paint this picture, I've seen enough Hollywood movies.
So if I wasn't a pastor, I'd probably be a director of some sorts.
But, you know, they're kind of running through the streets.
And their main objective is to pretty much kill as many people as possible
until they reach that one-third goal.
And, you know, if these beasts are just kind of--
and they're like, "Well, I'll just hide in my car," you know?
Yeah, but what if they just break through the window and just asphyxiate you?
Or, you know, you barricade yourself inside your home.
They can just break through the windows and just, you know, breathe out brimstone
and just suffocate you in your household.
And this is what happens.
A third of the people die because of this.
I mean, what do you think the media is going to say?
You know, what story are they going to come up with to try to hide what took place there?
You say, what happens to them after that?
I don't know. Maybe they just go back to wherever they came from.
I don't know.
But here's the point, though, is that when all that happens
and a third of the population is dead, the Bible says that the people still don't repent
of their sorceries, of their fornication.
You say, well, if something like that happened today, for sure people will repent.
I don't know, man.
I mean, that's a super cosmic supernatural occurrence.
You know, and you would think, I mean, people got right with God when Leviathan came out
of the ocean.
But somehow, for some reason, in the end times, people are still getting it right.
But I'll tell you why.
It's because they're reprobate.
Many of them have been marked, they have the mark of the beast, they're reprobate, so therefore
they cannot repent.
But the point that I'm making here in correlation to what we're reading in Isaiah 24 is that
the Bible tells us that God is going to devour the earth.
He's destroying it, he's making it desolate, he's burning it, which is the beginning of
God's trumpets, and few men are left.
It reminds me of what it says in Isaiah 13 where he states, "I will make a man more precious
than fine gold," meaning he's going to make a man scarce in the earth.
Now not all the population are going to die because some unsafe people are going to make
it into the millennial reign.
But in general, a lot of people are dying to the point where few men are left.
Look at verse seven, "The new wine mourneth, the vine languisheth, all the merry hearted
do sigh, the mirth of Tabrath ceaseth, the noise of them that rejoice endeth, the joy
of the harp ceaseth, they shall not drink wine with a song, strong drink shall be bitter
to them that drink it."
And you know, this is essentially indicative of the fact that when Christ comes, all the
earth shall wail because of him, they shall mourn.
And you know, Jesus Christ talked about this in the Gospels where people will be, you know,
drinking and eating, marrying and giving in marriage, and then judgment comes, right?
So they are going to have, you know, they're going to be merry-hearted and drinking wine
and there's going to be tablets, but all that is just going to cease when Jesus Christ returns.
Look at verse 10.
It goes on to say, "The city of confusion is broken down.
Every house is shut up, that no man may come in."
Now, what is this referring to?
The city of confusion.
Well, I'm going to give you my interpretation of what I believe this is referring to and
I believe I'm right about this, especially if you compare it to end times prophecy.
I believe the city of confusion is referring to Jerusalem.
I believe that's what it's referring to.
And the reason I say that is because confusion in the Bible is often associated with perversion.
It is confusion, the Bible says, right, in the book of Leviticus when talking about acts
of perversion, sodomy, bestiality, things of that nature.
Well, Revelation states that Jerusalem is spiritual, Sodom in Egypt.
So it's very well, you know, it could be very well labeled as the city of confusion.
I mean, it's the city of confusion right now, a lot of fags in Israel.
And so it is spiritual Sodom right now, and it is a city of confusion.
So that's one thing for sure that that's could essentially tell us that that's what it's
referring to.
But again, if we were to compare it to end times prophecy, it would also make sense because
it's set.
It states there that the city of confusion is broken down and every house is shut up
that no man may come in.
I go to revelation chapter 11, if you would revelation chapter 11.
So that would actually fit the overall narrative of end times prophecy, because if you know
anything about what happens to Jerusalem during that time, they are compassed about with great
armies during this time, where people are essentially forbidden to kind of walk about
or shut in.
Okay.
Like a revelation 11 verse one, and there was given me a read like into a rod.
And the angel stood saying, rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and then that
worship therein.
But the court, which is without the temple, leave out and measure it not for it is given
unto the Gentiles and the holy city shall they tread under foot 40 and two months and
I will give power unto my two witnesses and they shall prophesy 1200 and three score days
clothed in sackcloth.
So based upon the numbers here, it's telling us that Jerusalem is going to be surrounded
with armies for 40 and two months, which equals three and a half years.
And that would actually begin at the abomination a little bit before the abomination of desolation
thereafter.
And so when we compare that, go to Luke 21 if you would, hold your place there in Revelation,
put all kinds of pens everywhere, put one in Isaiah, put one in Revelation, go to Luke
21.
So the city of confusion, what I believe to be Jerusalem, is broken down during this time.
And one of the reasons why is because that's when the abomination of desolation is set
up.
And these Jews who were advocates of the Antichrist, the majority of them, will not be happy with
the fact that he's calling himself God, because at the end of the day, they don't really want
God.
They want a political figure to push their ideologies so they can rule the world or continue
to rule the world, should I say.
But the Antichrist is actually just using them.
And he is a Jew as well.
I believe him to be a Jew.
Pretty obvious.
Look at Luke 21 verse 20, it says, "And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies,
then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.
Then let them which are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let them which are in the midst
of it depart out, and let not them that are in the countries enter therein, too.
For these be the days of vengeance that all things which are written may be fulfilled,
but woe unto them that are with child, and to them that get sucked in those days.
For there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people."
So there's a lot of war activity taking place in Jerusalem during that time, which is why
it's being made desolate, the doors are shut, it's not necessarily a habitable place for
people who are there.
So what God is saying is that any believer who's in Jerusalem during that time is like,
you got to take off as soon as you can.
As soon as you see the abomination of desolation, it's time to roll out.
Take pictures for your last stories and your last posts, and it's time to go.
Because based upon Isaiah 24, no one's going to be allowed in or out.
It says in verse 24, "And they," referring to those in Jerusalem, "shall fall by the
edge of the sword and shall be led away captive into all nations.
And Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be
fulfilled."
Now, what's funny about verse 24, this is just a side note here, is the fact that Jews
have always been scattered around the world for the rejection of Jesus Christ.
And ironically, in the end times, they're going to be scattered by the antichrist because
it says that they should be led away captive into all nations, okay?
So it's just like, yeah, we're back in the land.
And then the antichrist comes like, oh, man, now they're like heading back out again, okay?
So yes, the curse is even to come upon them unto the uttermost is true, even in the end
times.
He said, why so?
Well, because of the fact that, you know, the antichrist is not going to allow a people
group to tell him what to do.
It's only those who are advocates of what he's doing.
And if Jews get in the way, then they get it too.
And this is why the Bible calls it the days of vengeance, because God is going to allow
the antichrist to do this in order for him to execute vengeance upon the Jews for what
they've done.
Okay.
Simply put, go back to Isaiah, if you would.
So the city of confusion is Jerusalem.
It's broken down.
Every house is shut up.
No man may come in.
Look at verse 11.
There is a crying for wine in the streets.
All joy is dark and the mirth of the land is gone.
In the city is left desolation and the gate is smitten with destruction.
It says in verse 13, when thus it shall be in the midst of the land among the people
there shall be a as the shaking of an olive tree and as the gleaning grapes when the vintage
is done.
He's basically saying that he's just a lot of destruction is coming upon the land.
Things are made desolate.
Verse 14, they shall lift up their voice.
They shall sing for the majesty of the Lord.
They shall cry out loud from the sea.
Wherefore glorify ye the Lord in the fires.
Even the name of the Lord God of Israel in the isles of the sea.
From the utmost part of the heaven have we heard songs, even glory to the righteous.
But I said, My leanest, my leanest, woe unto me, the treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously.
Yea, the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously.
So we refer to follow the same pattern of end times prophecy.
What is this referring to?
Well, if you know what's going on during this time, as far as the Jerusalem being compassed
for 40 and two months, which is three and a half years, we also actually have at the
rapture, the 144,000 coming down.
Now, you're in Revelation, go to chapter 14 again, because it's interesting that in
Isaiah 24 it talks about the fact that they will sing for the majesty of the Lord and
they shall glorify the Lord in the fires, right?
Even the name of the Lord God of Israel in the isles of the sea.
So it talks about the song of the righteous.
And look what Revelation 14 verse 1 says, "And I looked and lo, a lamb stood on the
Mount Zion and with him 144,000, having his father's name written in their foreheads."
Now, the first thing I want you to notice here is the 144,000 start off in heaven in
Mount Zion.
Contrary to the common narrative of dispensationalists, there's 144,000 Jews that were saved during
the tribulation or something, you know, 144,000 virgin Jews that get saved or whatever during
the tribulation.
That's not the biblical narrative.
The biblical narrative is that they actually start off in heaven.
So the conclusion that we can come to is that these 144,000, aside from the fact that they're
not just Jews, they're of pretty much every tribe, save one, is the fact that these men
came from thousands of years ago, okay?
Because they're already in heaven and they essentially come down as the believers are
coming up.
It says in verse two, "And I heard a voice from heaven as the voice of many waters and
as the voice of a great thunder, and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps,
and they sung as it were a new song before the throne and before the four beasts and
the elders, and no man could learn that song but the 144,000 which were redeemed from the
earth."
So this is an exclusive song that's being sung by the 144,000 during this time.
Verse four says, "These are they which were not defiled with women, for they are virgins.
These are they which followed the Lamb with its reverie.
These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.
And in their mouth was found no guile, for they are without fault before the throne of
God."
And that's a description to simply say that these were a special forces type of group.
These are obviously men that, you know, they foregoed a lot of, you know, they went without
a lot of pleasures of this world in order to be counted worthy to come back thousands
of years later to be used in the end times to preach the gospel to every creature.
But the point that I'm making there is the fact that they have a particular song that
they're singing that only they know.
And that is parallel to what we see in Isaiah 24.
Go to chapter 15, if you would, chapter 15 of Revelation and look at verse 1.
It says here, "And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels having the
seven last plagues, for in them is filled up the wrath of God.
And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire, and then them had gotten the victory
over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name,
stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.
And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the lamb, saying,
Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty, just and true are thy ways, thou
King of saints."
So we see there the singing again of the righteous.
And the point that I'm making there is the fact that during the fire, during the judgment,
there's still a remnant there that are singing unto the Lord, right?
And the practical application that we get from that is that whatever trial our nation
suffers, whatever difficulty our world goes through or whatever difficulty you're going
through, whatever fire our nation or our world goes through, we should be that remnant that
still sings praises unto God, right?
Showing forth the praises of him who had called us out of darkness into his marvelous light.
And singing is something that we do as an act of worship, but it's also something that
we do to kind of get our spirits back up, right?
To be a witness unto the nations, to show that we have faith in God, that he is our
God and our redeemer, he'll bring us through.
And so it's important for us to sing.
That's why it's important.
Hey, when we're singing in church, let's sing.
Amen.
Sing it out.
You know, belt it out.
Use your diaphragm.
You know, that's how you sing your worldly songs?
I mean, come on.
That's how you be doing your Taylor Swift in your car and stuff.
That's how you do, who else is famous out there?
You guys are catching on.
You know, instead of singing worldly songs to heal yourself, why don't you speak to
yourself in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs so you can make a melody in your heart
unto the Lord, okay?
And so it's important for, just like, and he's like, in the fire they're going to be
singing this.
You know, the world's not a really pleasant place during this time.
And the 144,000 are like, wow, this sucks, you know, it's like, everything's just being
destroyed.
This looks different.
It's all these, still all these blue-haired liberals, you know, just like, people got
blue hair in the future, you know?
You know, there's fire, there's destruction, the waters have been turned into blood.
They're not necessarily here on vacation, okay?
You know, this is a very, it's just a horrible world at this particular time when the 144,000
can come, but yet they're still singing praises unto God's the song of the righteous, okay?
And so God, part of God's nature is to sing and you know, he's instilled that within us,
okay?
And so sing on your way to church, sing while you're in church, sing in the shower, sing
praises unto God.
And it's important to do that, amen?
Look at verse 17.
Verse 17 says, "Fear and the pit and the snare are upon the old inhabitants of the earth."
He says, "And it shall come to pass that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall
fall into the pit."
In other words, you can run, but you can't hide.
There's like nowhere to like hide during this time of God's wrath.
You know, they, you could, I know people are going to find these libertarians during that
time.
They'll be like, don't worry.
I made a bunker in the middle of nowhere.
You know, we can flee from the noise, but then they're going to end up falling into
a pit.
It's a very hospitable world during this time.
And he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare.
So it's like, he falls into a pit and the guy is just like barely getting out.
He's like, yeah, sucker.
But now he's going to suffer the same judgment that this guy was fleeing from.
They're just switching spaces, you know?
It's like, no matter where you run, you're just going to find God's judgment.
Left to the right in the pit, you know, you can leave the city and go into the woods,
but they're there too.
God's judgment is there.
It's like the woods are being their own fire during that time, okay?
He says, "And he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare.
For the windows from on high are open and the foundations of the earth do shake."
Now, it's nice when the windows of heaven are open because God's pouring out his blessing
because you tied.
This window you don't want open.
There's no blessings being poured out here.
He's opening up these windows to pour fire and brimstone upon the world, okay?
The earth is utterly broken down.
The earth is clean, dissolved.
The earth is moved exceedingly.
The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard and shall be removed like a cottage.
And the transgression of the earth shall be heavy upon it, it shall fall and not rise
again.
Now, this is parallel to what we see in Revelation 11 because the Bible talks about great earthquakes
taking place during this time, okay?
A lot of cosmic activity taking place during the three and a half years, but one of the
major things is a great earthquake that actually were a 10th part of Jerusalem falls, okay?
Let me read it to you.
Revelation 11.13 says, "In the same hour there was a great earthquake and the 10th part of
the city fell and in the earthquake were slain of men 7,000 and the remnant were frightened
and gave glory to the God of heaven."
Now, I was kind of chuckled when I read that because what it's saying is that in Jerusalem,
you know, there's saved people there, some, there's this huge earthquake where a tenth
part of the city falls, 7,000 of people die, and then the saved people are just like, "Oh
man, glory to God," because they're basically praising God for the fact that they weren't
the ones who died.
So, you know, everything falls like right here and it's just like, "I just missed it."
So, they're giving glory to God because of the fact that, you know, God is doing this
and they're scared, they're frightened because of this earthquake.
Look at verse 21 of Isaiah 24, "And it shall come to pass in that day," now this is very
interesting, I'm going to finish off with this, "that the Lord shall punish the host
of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth.
And they shall be gathered together as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut
up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited."
Okay?
Now, what it's literally referring to is the fact that obviously there are leaders during
this time that are going to be judged, and God's abasing them.
But again, we're also giving a parallel to what's taking place in the end times.
And if you've been following, you see that it's very chronological, right, of everything
that's taking place, the wrath of God.
Well, what happens after God's wrath is poured out, those seven years are completed, Daniel
17 of the week comes to a conclusion, it's the battle of Armageddon, and then Satan is
essentially cast into the bottomless pit, okay?
And it says there that the Lord shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high
and the kings of the earth upon the earth.
That happens in Revelation 19 and in Revelation 20.
But it also says that they shall be gathered as prisoners are gathered in the pit and shall
be shut up in the prison and after many days shall they be visited.
Now, one of two interpretations of this when it comes to end times, and I've given kind
of my thoughts on this in previous sermons that when Babylon falls, it becomes a desolation,
right?
It becomes inhabited by every foul spirit according to Revelation 18.
And what that means is that, you know, just as the demon that came out of the maniac of
Gadara went into the swine, right?
They possessed the swine when like man or what God is telling us in the book of Isaiah
as well as Revelation 18 is that when Babylon is made desolate, no man is able to inhabit
thereof.
So a lot of these demons, these on high principalities inhabit every creature, doleful creature during
that particular time.
Okay.
As it says in Revelation 18 too, and he carried, he cried mightily with a strong voice saying
Babylon the greatest fallen is fallen has become the habitation of devils and of every
foul spirit in a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
And when you compare that to, uh, to Isaiah, it actually says every unclean creature.
Okay.
And so that's what's taking place.
But how long are they there for?
I'm not exactly sure.
We don't know if they're there until the end of the millennial reign where they're released
or they might be there for a small period of time.
And then they joined Satan in the bottomless pit in revelation chapter 20, which would
make sense.
Wyatt says that as prisoners are gathered in the pit and shall be shut up in the prison
and after many days, thousand years, they shall be visited.
Okay.
So what happens after the thousand years, Satan is released from that bottomless pit.
He's allowed to go and deceive the nations.
Once again, he gathers all these idiots who think they can, you know, fight against God.
It's called the battle of Gog and Magog.
And basically God is just using it as an opportunity to destroy the remainder of the wicked of
this world.
And then you have the great white throne judgment.
Okay.
Now, I believe that is what it's referring to because of the next verse in verse 23,
it says, then the moon shall be confounded and the son of shame.
When the Lord of hosts shall reign in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem and before his ancients
gloriously.
What is that talking about?
The millennial rain.
So what takes place previous to the millennial rain is the binding of Satan into the bottomless
pit.
Before that you have the destruction of the Antichrist and the false prophet at the Battle
of Armageddon.
And so we see there that chapter 24 is basically telling us that God is going to judge all
of the world but you see the parallels there that he's drawing to the book of Revelation.
So what can I learn from this?
Well this is what you can learn.
Number one, thank God that you're saved, amen.
Because the closest we'll ever get to this in End Times is the Bible.
The closest we'll ever get to any of that is our imagination or the preaching that I'm
giving to you where I'm trying to illustrate what it's going to look like because we're
not going to see that.
Now this is another good reason why we should try to get people saved, amen.
Many people say it's possible to spare them from the uncoming judgment that God's going
to bring upon this world.
And lastly what we can learn from this is that God is just and He's not going to forget
the evils that this world has committed over thousands of years and it's going to climax.
They're treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath to pour it upon this world and God's
going to judge it.
So that's pretty much it.
Let's pray.
Father, we thank you so much for Isaiah chapter 24 and the great lessons that we've learned
here, the parallels that we see with the book of Revelation, Lord.
And we're thankful, Lord, that you have saved us from the wrath to come.
It's not to say we're not going to experience tribulation.
We know that we are persecution and difficulties and trials, but Lord, as far as the wrath
is concerned, we're spared from that eternally.
And we're thankful for that, Lord.
And even so, Lord, come, I pray that you'd bless us as we go on our way, help us to think
upon these things, and to soften our hearts so that we can go out and preach the gospel
and get people saved and spare them from that judgment to come.
And Lord, may we honor and glorify you and help us as the 144,000 in the end times to
sing in the fire.
When we're going through it, when we're going through hard times, Lord, and maybe the environment
is not just right, may we sing praises unto you.
We love you and we thank you.
May we sing in Jesus' name, amen.