The Lord Reigns as the Earth Is Shaken
God shakes the earth but establishes his glorious reign.
Isaiah 24:16b-23 (BSB)
16 From the ends of the earth we hear singing: “Glory to the Righteous One.” But I said, “I am wasting away! I am wasting away! Woe is me.” The treacherous betray; the treacherous deal in treachery.
17 Terror and pit and snare await you, O dweller of the earth.
18 Whoever flees the sound of panic will fall into the pit, and whoever climbs from the pit will be caught in the snare. For the windows of heaven are open, and the foundations of the earth are shaken.
19 The earth is utterly broken apart, the earth is split open, the earth is shaken violently.
20 The earth staggers like a drunkard and sways like a shack. Earth’s rebellion weighs it down, and it falls, never to rise again.
21 In that day the LORD will punish the host of heaven above and the kings of the earth below.
22 They will be gathered together like prisoners in a pit. They will be confined to a dungeon and punished after many days.
23 The moon will be confounded and the sun will be ashamed; for the LORD of Hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before His elders with great glory.
What is the big idea of Isaiah 24:16b-23?
God shakes the earth but establishes his glorious reign.
How does Isaiah 24:16b-23 point to Christ?
Isaiah 24:16b-23 points to final judgment and the LORD’s victorious reign. The gospel reveals Christ as the exalted King who defeats hostile powers and reigns in glory.
Authorial Intent
To describe escalating global judgment culminating in the LORD’s exalted reign over Mount Zion.
Historical Context
Isaiah uses vivid imagery to portray the instability of the earth and the collapse of human power structures.
Chapter: Isaiah 24
The Whole Earth Laid Waste, the Everlasting Covenant Broken, and the LORD Reigning on Mount Zion
Isaiah 24 declares that the LORD will judge the whole earth for covenant-breaking and defilement, shake every false security, silence rebellious joy, preserve praise from the ends of the earth, and reign gloriously on Mount Zion.