Judgment is Coming

In the last few weeks panic broke out in Hawaii. Someone sounded the alarm that ballistic missiles were inbound. People called relatives all over the world to tell them goodbye. Turns out that the alarm was false, and there was no immediate danger.

Ez 33. The watchman has a job to sound the alarm, and if that warning is ignored, that is on the one who ignores. But if the watchman fails to sound the alarm, that is on the watchman.

We have to keep sounding the warning. It is not a false alarm. Jesus died to save sinners. You are a sinner in need of a Savior. God will judge you and me and the whole earth one day. For those who have given their lives to Christ, there will be heaven, and God’s eternal presence. For those who have not given their lives to Christ, there will be Hell, away from the presence of the Lord.

2 Peter 3:3–9 HCSB

First, be aware of this: Scoffers will come in the last days to scoff, living according to their own desires, saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? Ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they have been since the beginning of creation.” They willfully ignore this: Long ago the heavens and the earth were brought about from water and through water by the word of God. Through these waters the world of that time perished when it was flooded. But by the same word, the present heavens and earth are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. Dear friends, don’t let this one thing escape you: With the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The Lord does not delay His promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance.

The Burdensome messages Isaiah gave to Judah and the Nations that surrounded her, now segues into a panoramic view of God’s final judgment and glory on the Earth

Earth 16 times in 23 verses.

Pictured in the next 4 chapters is God’s final judgment on the earth, as well as the blessings that will come when the Kingdom comes.

Many writers refer to these chapters as “Isaiah’s Apocalypse.” I believe these verses point us to the Tribulation period that is soon to come on the earth.

God’s Judgment will not discriminate.

Isaiah 24:1–3 HCSB

Look, the Lord is stripping the earth bare and making it desolate. He will twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants: people and priest alike, servant and master, female servant and mistress, buyer and seller, lender and borrower, creditor and debtor. The earth will be stripped completely bare and will be totally plundered, for the Lord has spoken this message.

God’s Judgment will be comprehensive.

Isaiah 24:4–13 HCSB

The earth mourns and withers; the world wastes away and withers; the exalted people of the earth waste away. The earth is polluted by its inhabitants, for they have transgressed teachings, overstepped decrees, and broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore a curse has consumed the earth, and its inhabitants have become guilty; the earth’s inhabitants have been burned, and only a few survive. The new wine mourns; the vine withers. All the carousers now groan. The joyful tambourines have ceased. The noise of the jubilant has stopped. The joyful lyre has ceased. They no longer sing and drink wine; beer is bitter to those who drink it. The city of chaos is shattered; every house is closed to entry. In the streets they cry for wine. All joy grows dark; earth’s rejoicing goes into exile. Only desolation remains in the city; its gate has collapsed in ruins. For this is how it will be on earth among the nations: like a harvested olive tree, like a gleaning after a grape harvest.

This judgment is result of the choices that the people of the earth have made. (Verse 5) This is not talking about trash, smog, noise, or carbon. This is talking about moral polution… sin polution, as the rest of the verse points out.

Romans 1 reminds us that God has given us a law that is written on our human conscience’s and that people willfully suppress the truth in unrighteousness.

This judgment results in the end of partying and carrying on (verses 8-9). There is nothing wrong with a good, wholesome celebration. That is not what is references here. Here, we see and end to all of the celebration that elevates sin, or makes light of it, or that accompanies the immoral worldview of a culture hell-bent on dismissing and or defying God.

This judgment results in scarcity. (verse 13) there is nothing left.

God’s Judgment Comes because He is God

Isaiah 24:18–23 HCSB

Whoever flees at the sound of panic will fall into a pit, and whoever escapes from the pit will be caught in a trap. For the windows are opened from heaven, and the foundations of the earth are shaken. The earth is completely devastated; the earth is split open; the earth is violently shaken. The earth staggers like a drunkard and sways like a hut. Earth’s rebellion weighs it down, and it falls, never to rise again. On that day the Lord will punish the host of heaven above and kings of the earth below. They will be gathered together like prisoners in a pit. They will be confined to a dungeon; after many days they will be punished. The moon will be put to shame and the sun disgraced, because the Lord of Hosts will reign as king on Mount Zion in Jerusalem, and He will display His glory in the presence of His elders.

In language that reminds us of Noah’s flood in Genesis and the judgments of Revelation, God is seen a putting an end to the rebellion of those who live on the earth. those who live in opposition to God.

Verse 21

Isaiah 24:21 HCSB

On that day the Lord will punish the host of heaven above and kings of the earth below.

and verse 23

Isaiah 24:23 HCSB

The moon will be put to shame and the sun disgraced, because the Lord of Hosts will reign as king on Mount Zion in Jerusalem, and He will display His glory in the presence of His elders.

make it clear, God is in charge here. They judgment and the devastation come FROM HIM. TO UNREPENTANT SINNERS.

Two take aways:

IT is not a popular message, but it is necessary for me to sound the alarm. IF you have never made Jesus your Savior and Lord, you are among those that will be judged for their sin. You should turn from your sin and turn to Jesus today!

IT is not a serious message, but it needs to be. IF you know Jesus, you are called to sound the alarm. To lovingly point people to a Savior, and urgently remind them that judgment is coming.