Comments on Isaiah 24

     Chapters 24 to 27 are linked topically and are titled
something like "The Apocalypse of Isaiah" or "The Redemption of
Israel" by just about every commentator out there.  The cause of
this is a clear set of symbols consistently employed between these
chapters.  These symbols can be found elsewhere in Isaiah as well
as the other Prophets, but the theme experiences an abrupt start
with chapter 24 and stop with chapter 27.  The overall theme
presents an extreme set of dichotomies: the utter destruction of
the wicked, and the redemption of Israel.  Both of which occur on
the Day of the Lord.

     It should be noted that the chapters leading up to this point
have focussed primarily on wars being the method of punishing the
wicked.  While the Lord is portrayed as the one who is controlling
the scene, He is also somewhat aloof from it as the king of Assyria
goes well beyond what the Lord intends him to do and the Lord does
not intervene.  But, in these next chapters the Lord is portrayed
as personally involved in the destruction of the wicked (cf. 27:1)
and the method of their destruction is primarily through natural
disasters of one type or another.  The ravages of war are barely
even hinted at, and when they are the Lord is presented as the One
personally fighting them (cf. 25:10-12, 27:1) .  Thus, we have
something of a lead in to the great and Final Day of the Lord as
detailed by Joel.  Wars are to throw the earth into a general
uproar and the wicked will destroy the wicked, but not until the
Day of the Lord will all of the wicked nations of the earth be
utterly annihilated.  And, He will do it personally, cf. D&C 133:50
-51.

     On the eschatological application of these chapters Kaiser
states:

     The possibility of the destruction of a real city having
     formed the background to v. 8-12 can only arise if one
     overlooks the future sense of the verbs in the perfect
     tense which stand at the beginning of every sentence. 
     Once this is perceived, no reason remains for regarding
     it is an independent song, originally sung on the
     occasion of the destruction of a city.  The whole passage
     is pure prophecy, concerned with the fact of the coming
     world-wide catastrophe and its effects. (p. 181)

v1-3  A rather distressing presentation of desolation and 
destruction.  The face of the earth is to be stripped bare, twisted, 
and torn asunder (cp. D&C 49:23, D&C 88:87).  All people regardless 
of their station in society will be affected by this utter 
destruction.  This statement by Isaiah indicates the destruction 
detailed here will not be destruction meted out by men such that 
some can buy or bribe or connive their way out of warfare or social 
strife.  This destruction will be by the Lord and He is no respecter 
of persons.

v3 employs the first set of a series of Hebrew emphatics. 
Repetition of the terms "bare" and "plundered" twice in Hebrew
establishes an emphatic, equivalent to the English "more" or
"very".  A triple repeat in Hebrew is the superlative equivalent to
the English "most".  Isaiah uses these emphatics to drive home the
scene of absolute desolation.

v4-13 establishes the reason for the destruction highlighted in v. 
1-3 is the wickedness of the people.  They have defiled the earth 
by breaking the Lord's commandments and the Lord will visit them 
with destruction as a result.

v4  Compare Hosea 4:1-3 where Hosea states that when the wicked are
upon the face of the earth it becomes unproductive.  This is a
common covenant curse as the land is the Lord's and why should He
bless the inhabitants of the land with bounty when they violate His
laws?

v5  The JPS footnote indicates they would interpret this passage as 
referring to Genesis 9:4-6.  This may appear self-serving for the 
Jews to dodge the possible interpretation that this is referring to 
the Law of Moses, but cross reference with v. 18 supports their 
interpretation.  It should be noted the various pronouncements and 
woes announced in this chapter are not addressed to only Israel, 
they are addressed to all inhabitants on the face of the earth.  
As such, the Lord would be unjustified in imposing the Law of Moses 
on those that had not accepted it.  But, the covenant imposed on 
Noah and his offspring applies to all people as all are his 
descendants (note that Gen. 9:16 describes it as an eternal 
covenant, see also 54:9 where the Noachide covenant is invoked).  
Numbers 35:33 indicates that the pollution of the land is brought 
about by blood-guilt (i.e. murder) and that blood-guilt requires 
the blood of the polluter.  See also Jer. 3:2 where adultery is 
considered blood-guilt and Jer. 3:9 where idolatry is considered 
blood-guilt.

     Joseph Smith interpreted this passage to apply to the Gentiles
in general as the gospel had been made available to them under the
New and Everlasting Covenant and they have largely rejected it
(TPJS p. 15).  Also compare D&C 1:15 and Mormon 8:31.  As the
conditions of punishment are regulated under some covenant, then
the more covenants you are under the more you have at risk as well
as to gain.  Thus, Smith's interpretation above applied to a more
specific audience of Gentiles that have already been exposed to the
gospel is perfectly valid, as is the Jews being held responsible
for the Law of Moses.  But, the only all-inclusive covenant is that
imposed under the Lord's promise to Noah so this must remain the
primary interpretation.

v6  The violation of the Lord's laws results in His curse.  The
Lord does not act with caprice.

v7-9  The formerly riotous drunkards are forced to mourn the loss
of their elitist lifestyle as famine spreads (cp. 5:9-13).  Verse
9 may also indicate the drinking of intoxicants for escapism rather
than for fun.  Confer Judg. 9:13 for the link between wine and joy
in the semitic mind.  Compare Lam. 5:15, Joel 1:5, 10, 13 and 
Haggai 1:11 for similar statements.

v8  Compare Rev. 18:22.

v10-12  With this massive depopulation, the towns and various 
other constructs of man will fall into disrepair as there is none 
to inhabit them.  The battered gate from v. 12 would seem to 
imply that warfare is to be part of this punishment but given no 
statement whatsoever of any kind warfare and the context of urban 
decay due to neglect I would have to assume that this battering 
is by the wind and elements of decay.

v11a  The outcry for wine is a desperate one given there being 
none available.

v13  Isaiah compares the harvesting of olives to the destruction of
the wicked.  Who the object is in the symbol of a harvest is
context specific.  We see scriptural references to the harvest as
a harvest of good in Exod. 23:16, Matt. 9:37, Alma 17:13, D&C 4:4
and a harvest of the bad in Jer. 51:33, Joel 3:13, Matt. 24:40,
Rev. 14:15-20.  In this case the harvest is of the wicked and the
few olives left in the top of the tree are the ones that the
harvesters cannot get to.  These few remaining in the tree are the
righteous remnant.  They are also compared to the gleanings, the
few grapes left on the vines, after the vintage is gathered. 
Compare 17:6.

v14-16 present the survivors of v. 13 as singing praises to the
Lord (cp. chapter 12).  

v14c has the survivors shouting "from the sea".  Isaiah is invoking
the parting of the Red Sea Exodus imagery (cp. 51:10) in
conjunction with the theme from 19:23-24, 27:13 and 60:5 (cf. 35:8,
40:3-4, 49:11 by way of 9:11, 11:15, 43:16, 51:10, 63:11).

v15b "the coastlands (KJV:islands) of the sea", this is where
scattered Israel is, cp. 11:11, 41:1, 42:4, 51:5, 1 Ne. 22:4, 2 Ne. 
10:20-22.

v16 presents the righteous remnant as singing a song with two
refrains.  The first refrain glorifies the righteous who are
redeemed by the Lord and the second probably scorns them that have
been destroyed (note the JPS footnote emendation for the later half
of the verse).  Some commentators present the second refrain as the
original statement of the surviving remnant while the destruction
was going on, which is then turned to rejoicing after the
destruction is past (this interpretation would require no
emendation of the text).  Kaiser presents the interpretation that
the second refrain is directed at Isaiah's king of Assyria/king of
Babylon character via cross reference with 21:2 and 33:1.  All of
these seem plausible, and the Hebrew is too uncertain to 
definitively say which it is.

v17-20 (the JPS has v. 17-18 separate from v. 19-20, but I would
lump them together) portray the absolutely hopeless case of the
wicked on the Day of the Lord.  Those who attempt to flee rather
than repent will fall into a pit.  And if they are not mortally
injured by the fall, they will just be caught in some equally
lethal trap.  The imagery of Noah's flood is invoked (cp. v. 18e
with Gen 7:11) thus conjuring up the image of complete destruction
of the wicked (cf. Gen. 6:17).  As the Lord has promised Noah He 
will never again flood the earth with water, some figurative 
"flood" will come to destroy the wicked in this case (see comments
on 8:8).  So, the Lord will use massive earthquakes and other
natural disasters as described in v. 18f-20 rather than a literal
flood of water.  Same intention, different technique.

v19  Again note the use of emphatic repetition to indicate the
severity of the destruction.

v21-22  The punishment dealt out to the wicked on the earth will be
accompanied by the post-mortal wicked being cast into spirit prison 
as well.  The Second Advent of Jesus Christ will bring about the
general second phase of the First Resurrection.  Those not
participating in the First Resurrection will be cast down and bound
up along with the adversary and his minions to suffer until the
Second Resurrection at the end of the Millennium.  Thus, the hosts
of heaven referred to in v. 21b are those who will participate in
the Second Resurrection (i.e. them that were wicked while on the
earth).  The Interprester's Bible (IB) states this chapter presents 
a cleansing of the earth so thorough it reaches to former 
inhabitants, and these verses support that interpretation.  See 
also 34:3-5 for a similar statement.

v23  As the Lord will make a personal appearance on this decisive
day, His presence will be such that it will overwhelm the very sun
and moon.  His brightness and glory will put the brightness and
glory of these other celestial bodies to shame (cf. D&C 133:49). 
I do not know if I would interpret this too literally, but the
presence of various angelic beings has been compared to a
countenance of lightning and so forth.  So, it could very well be
literal, but I would tend to see it more as an authority statement
in that all of Creation will be deferring to Him at that point. 
Whether or not He emits more photons than the sun is not relevant
to Isaiah's message; the power, might, majesty and glory of the
Lord is relevant.  Along the lines of a more literal 
interpretation, Isaiah could very well have something like Zech.
14:6-7 in mind.

v23e Compare Exod. 24:9.