Reading for May 19th

The terror of the day of the Lord and the ensuing reign of blessedness. In 24.1-27.13: Chapters 24-27 contain no clear indications of their time of orgin and therefore are difficult to relate to known events. They contrast a time of fearful judgment upon the city of chaos (24.10) with a new era of blessedness, a spectacular feast on the mountain of God (25.6-10). These chapters may have been a separate prophetic book, but clear references to earlier themes and pronouncements most notably the "New Son of the Vibeyard" (27.2-6; compare 5.1-7), make it more likely that they are sequel to the prophecies against foreign cities and nations in chs. 13-23. The great empire will be overtaken by a fearful day of God's jugment, followed by a time of peace and justice. The evocative word pictures of doom and isaster, intermixed with hymns of praise and promise of a new age of great peace and blessedness, life human history into the realm of a great spiritual "super-history" in which evil is overthrown and the faithful are vindicated. Read Isaiah 24.1-23. In 24.1-23: The day of terror forthe city of chaos. This remarkable picture of a tortured and pain-wracked earth views the sufferings of its inhabitants (v.17-10) as a consequence of the curse-ridden stae of the earth itself (v. 6). The very order of the world, disturbed and in turmoil, can only be put right by divine punishment of evil in a new era of divine rule (vv. 22-23). Despair for the earth cobines with trust that ultimately God will prevail, which explains the praise to God in vv. 14-16. Judgment, as proof of divine justice, is itself a necessary part of God's created order. The city of chaos (v. 10) is a symbolic city, like Bunyan's Vanity Fair in Pilgrim's progress. Even though the host of heaven rebels against God (v. 21), tis prophet believes that God will prevail. Comments or Questions..