"The Day Of
The Lord's Vengeance"
Isaiah 34:8
Isaiah 34 is a heavy, heavy message from
God's throne, which his prophet was obliged to deliver to the nations of the
world. The message was not one of mercy, love, and grace, but of vengeance, wrath,
and judgment. The chapter opens with a call to all nations and people to hear
the word of God's indignation upon all nations. The chapter has three distinct
divisions.
First, God announces his ultimate and
final judgment of the whole world (vv.1-7).
God will judge all the
world in righteousness. But he reserves the greatest severity of his wrath for
those who, like Esau, have willfully despised his grace, choosing instead their
own ways (Deut. 29:18-27). The most dangerous thing in this world that a person
can do is hear the gospel, be convinced of its truth, and willfully despise and
reject it (Prov.
Secondly, the details of God's judgment
are described by numerous metaphors (vv. 8-15). I will leave it to the
theologians to argue about whether these words are to be taken literally or
symbolically. But the message of these verses is clear - God's judgment will be
universal and complete! This present heaven and earth shall pass away, like
Thirdly, Isaiah appeals to all men to read
the Book of God and know the certainty of his judgment (vv. 16-17). As God
fulfilled his word to
Don Fortner