The Lord’s Vengeance Is. 34:1-17 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO

In the year of recompenses [Is 34:8], the Lord takes vengeance on all the nations, on the heavens and on the land of Idumea.  When the Lord returns to the earth he will pour out his indignation upon all nations [Is 34:1-3], the host of heaven will be dissolved and the heavens will be rolled together as a scroll [Is 34:4], Idumea will be slaughtered and turned into hell on earth [Is 34:5-10] and it will be occupied for ever by unclean fowls [Is 34:11-15].  All of this is recorded in the Bible and will come to pass just the way you are reading it here [Is 34:16-17].

Isaiah addresses this prophecy on the Lord’s vengeance to the whole world and everything that is in it, Is 34:1.   The Song of Moses and the gospel are also world-wide, Deut 32:1, Rom 10:18.  This prophecy, therefore, has universal application.  Everybody in the world needs to pay attention to what is being said here.  We will study this prophecy just the way it is laid out in this chapter.

The Lord’s vengeance on the nations – Is 34:2-3 – the Lord’s indignation is poured out on all the nations that are against Jerusalem.  The Lord gathers them together in Zeph 3:8 and the devil gathers them together in Rev 16:13-14.  It is there that the Lord destroys them, Zech 12:9, 14:12-14.  The antichrist and these armies will be slaughtered and their blood will soak and melt the mountains, Ezek 32:2-6, 39:17-20.

The Lord’s vengeance on the host of heaven – Is 34:4 – the host of heaven will be dissolved and the heavens will be rolled like a scroll, Rev 6:12-14, Matt 24:29, which to the Lord is about like changing clothes, Ps 102:25-26.  The host that falls down refers to the devil and his fallen angels, Is 14:12, Rev 12:4, 7.  The heavens, therefore, are changed because the devil and his angels had been there.

The Lord’s vengeance on Idumea – Is 34:5-15 – the sword of the Lord falls upon Idumea because it is cursed [Is 34:5, Gen 12:3].  The land of Idumea is in Edom and so is Bozrah.  During the Tribulation, the inhabitants of this land rejoice at the desolation of Israel, they kill Jews that are running from the antichrist on the way to Selah Petra and they capture others and turn them over to the antichrist [Ezek 35:15, Oba 1, 10-14]. So, the Lord slaughters them like the sacrifice of animals when he returns [Is 63:1-4, Rev 14:20].

The unicorns in Is 34:7 are real.  They are with the Lord in heaven now, Ps 22:21.  These are the “horses” that we will be riding with the Lord when he returns, Num 24:8 and Deut 33:17.  The “controversy of Zion” in Is 34:8 is over who owns Jerusalem.  As we know, it belongs to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Ps 105:8-11.  They will fight over this until Jesus comes.

The pitch, brimstone and burning pitch in Is 34:9-10 are a reference to hell on earth.  The Lord lights the place on fire when he returns in flaming fire [2 Thes 1:7-9] and all those who have the mark of the beast and other sinners who are judged in the millennium will be thrown in there forever [Rev 14:9-11, Is 66:24, Mk 9:43-48].

Idumea becomes like Mystery Babylon after her fall [Rev 18:2].  Idumea becomes the habitation of unclean birds [Lev 11:13-17], dragons [Mic 1:8], wild beasts, and satyrs [Is 13:21].  Her nobles and princes will all be gone and their palaces and fortresses will all be overgrown with thorns, nettles and brambles.

Conclusion: Is 34:16-17 – the Lord commanded these things to happen and they will happen just the way you see them here.  He recorded it in his Book so there can be no doubt about it.  Anytime the world tries to anticipate the outcome of future events, they always get them wrong.  They get the weather wrong, the outcome of sporting events wrong, the outcome of wars wrong, the outcome of policies wrong, etc.  They are always wrong and yet they cease not to speculate on the outcome of everything.  Well, there is no speculation in this prophecy.  It will unfold just like you read it here.  The unclean fowls will find their mates in Idumea and they will possess the exact area that God has divided to them.  Nothing but nothing will ever change this!!