Sermon #56 Series: Isaiah

Title: When Judgment Day Comes

Text: Isaiah 24:1-23

Subject: The Destruction Of the World and the Security

Of God’s Elect

Date: Sunday Evening - October 7, 1990

Tape #

Introduction:

Is the build up of military forces in the Middle East an indication that Armageddon is about to begin? Is Saddam Hussien the antichrist? Will all the military muscle of the world that is now flexed against Iraq suddenly turn against Israel?

These are questions that people are asking, and preachers are scrambling to answer all around the world. Everybody, in the secular world and the religious world both, has the fearful apprehension that this may be the beginning of the end. Perhaps it is. I really do not know. But I do know this, the concern and the interests of the world is misplaced.

· The Secular World is concerned about oil, a failing economy and political unrest.

· The Religious World is concerned about their “prophetic signs,” the nation of Israel and their “dispensational time tables.”

Those things really do not greatly concern me. God will feed, clothe, shelter and protect his people, if the whole framework of the world’s economic and political stability falls apart tomorrow. God does not depend upon the events of the world. He rules the events of the world! And all the prophecy experts in the world have proved themselves to be fools a thousand times over. God has spoken plainly - No man knows when Christ will come again and when time shall be no more - No man knows, or has any basis upon which to predict, the time when God will destroy this world - (Matt. 24:36; 25:13).

I do not pretend to have answers to all the questions men and women are asking about the events of the day. But here are three things about which you can be absolutely sure.

1. There is a day appointed when God will judge this world.

2. When that day comes there will only be two issues of concern

· Your Sin!

· God’s Son!

3. And God has told us exactly what he will do when judgment day comes.

That is the title of my message tonight - When Judgment Day Comes. I will be preaching to you from Isaiah 24:1-23.

Divisions: When Judgment Day Comes…

1. The Earth Shall Be Destroyed (vv. 1-12).

2. God’s Saints Will Rejoice and Give Him Praise (vv. 13-15).

3. There Will Be A Time Of Great Spiritual Leanness (v. 16).

4. Unbelieving Men and Women Will Be Terrified, Gathered Into the Pit, and Punished Forever (vv. 17-22).

5. The Lord Jesus Christ Shall Reign Gloriously (v. 23).

I. When judgment day comes THE EARTH SHALL BE DESTROYED (vv. 1-12).

· God destroyed the earth once by a flood.

· God shall destroy this present world by fire in the last day (II Pet. 3:11-12).

· God is in the process of destroying this world right now!

A. God will make this earth once again to be without form and void (v. 1).

B. In the day of judgment, earthly distinctions of rank, state and wealth will be meaningless (vv. 2-3).

C. This earth must be destroyed because it has been defiled by man (v. 5).

Man’s sin is here described in three ways:

1. “They have transgressed the laws!” - God’s broken law demands justice!

2. “They have changed the ordinance!”

a. They have changed the ordinances of God into

sacraments.

b. They have changed the ordinance, the Word of God, to

suit the itching ears of men.

· God says, “It is not of him that willeth.” Man says, “It is of him that willeth.”

· God says, “Salvation is of the Lord.” Man says, “Salvation is of man.”

· God says, “Christ shall not fail.” Man says, “He might.”

· God says, “They shall never perish.” Man says, “They might.”

· God says, “They that are in the flesh cannot please God.” Man says, “You know God is pleased with our good works.”

· God says, “You are not under the law.” Man says, “We are yet under the law.”

· God says, “It is finished.” Man says, “There is something more to do.”

3. “They have broken the everlasting covenant.”

Note: Strictly speaking, man could never break the everlasting covenant of grace, because it was not made with man. The covenant of grace was made by God with his Son. And Christ has fulfilled it for us - But men break it in the sense that they cast it aside, despising it, and seek to be saved upon the footing of their own works.

D. “Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth” - (vv. 6-12).

Blessed by God, there is a remnant, according to the election of grace that shall be saved. They are chosen by God. They are redeemed by Christ. They shall be called and kept by the Spirit. But, by comparison, there are only “a few men left.”

1. All the joys of this earth are temporary and shall soon cease (vv. 7-9).

2. The religions of the world, Babylon, “the city of confusion,” shall be broken down (v. 10).

3. Rioting is found in the streets, because nothing in the world brings them joy, peace and satisfaction (v. 11).

4. The wealth and riches of the earth shall be consumed away (v. 12).

Note: These things are but the beginning of sorrows, the

forerunners of destruction, God’s warnings of

judgment!

Note: God began destroying the earth as soon as man

began to sin - (Read v. 1 again!).

II. When judgment day comes, GOD’S SAINTS WILL REJOICE AND GIVE HIM PRAISE (vv. 13-15).

The prophet told us in verse 6 that there are “a few men left.” Here he describes those “few men,” God’s elect remnant.

A. When God judges the earth He will gather His elect to Himself - (v. 13; Matt. 3:12; I Thess. 4:13-18; II Thess. 1:8-10).

· God’s providential judgments are but the shaking of the olive tree, by which he gleans his harvest.

· When he has gathered his harvest, he will cut down the tree!

B. God’s people will rejoice and praise Him throughout the earth at all times (vv. 14-15).

We will praise the name of the Lord our God and glorify him because of his Majesty as God -

1. In Saving Such Worthless Sinners.

2. In His Providential Judgments upon the Earth.

3. In the Final Overthrow of His Enemies (Rev. 18:20-19:2).

III. Just before judgment day comes, THERE WILL BE A TIME OF GREAT SPIRITUAL LEANNESS (v. 16).

A. “From the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs, even glory to the righteous.”

· The Righteous God.

· The Righteous Savior.

· The Righteous People - Made Righteous by Grace.

B. “But I said, My leanness! My leanness, woe unto me!’

1. Some say, Isaiah here refers to His Personal Leanness of Soul.

2. Some say, he is talking about The Leanness of His People, Israel.

3. I think his primary reference is prophetic, referring to The Terrible Spiritual Leanness That Would Engulf The Earth In These Last Days, Because of Treacherous, Deceitful False Prophets - (Amos 8:11-12; II Thess. 2:1-16).

IV. When judgment day comes, UNBELIEVING MEN AND WOMEN WILL BE TERRIFIED, GATHERED INTO THE PIT AND PUNISHED FOREVER (vv. 17-22).

V. When judgment day comes, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST SHALL REIGN GLORIOUSLY FOREVER (v. 23).

A. Christ will reign in Zion, the New Jerusalem, over all the earth forever.

B. Christ will reign before His Ancients - His Elect.

C. Christ will reign Gloriously.

· In His Glory as God.

· In His Glory as the God-man Mediator.

· In the Glorious Praise of His Saints.

Application: When Judgment Day Comes - How will you stand before God?

1. Will you stand in Christ complete?

2. Will you stand alone?