Contributor: Isekhua Evborokhai

INTRODUCTION
After spending a dozen chapters judging the nations of his day, the prophet Isaiah sees into the future and he beholds God’s judgement in the world’s final days. Isaiah chapters 24-27 are breath-taking chapters that parallel the events we find in the book of Revelations chapters 6 – 19. They also foresee the time the Bible refers to as the “Day of the Lord”. Today, as it were, is the day of man, man is having his way, getting his say. But the day of the Lord is coming when the Lord will have the final say in all human affairs. It will begin with the rapture of the church and the return of Jesus to rescue the Jews, the restoration of God’s Kingdom and ultimately, the reign of our Lord Jesus Christ. Today’s study looks at two chapters of praise of the Almighty God!

I. CHAPTER 25 Verses 1-12

• Praising God For The Wonderful Things He’s Done (Verses 1-3)

In Isaiah 24, the prophet spoke of the judgment that was to come upon the world, especially in the Great Tribulation. During that time, those who have come to trust in the LORD will praise Him, even in the midst of His righteous judgment. Here in these verses, the prophet makes a decision to praise God (I will). Worship is never to be just a feeling, even if it is an intense feeling. We are to worship God with a decision. For the wonderful things He has done, for His counsels of old, faithfulness and truth and for His righteous judgment. (Vs. 2) The people of the LORD see His work and glorify Him. This is the first of two effects of the judgment of God. Second, the city of the terrible nations will fear You. The unrighteous fear God when they see His righteous judgment.

• Praising God for His Goodness to the Weak. (Verses 4-5)

God is worthy of our praise because He brings strength to the poor and needy. He is a refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat: This is a wonderful reason to praise God, and even the strangers (aliens) are blessed by His goodness. God will even quiet the song of the terrible ones.

• Praising God for What He Will Do - A Glorious Feast For God’s People (Verse 6)

In several places, the Bible speaks of what is sometimes called the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. Rev. 19:9 says, blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb! According to Isaiah 25:6, we might say that this great feast takes place on earth, not in heaven. For God’s people, this will be the “victory banquet” or the “awards banquet” when the final battle is over. What a feast that will be!

• The Destruction of Evil. (Verses 7-8)

The picture is that there is a veil that is spread over all nations that keeps them from seeing God, loving God, and obeying God. In this glorious day, the LORD will destroy that veil. In 2 Corinthians 3:15, the Apostle Paul speaks of Israel being blinded by a veil: But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. In Isaiah’s day, it was apparent that the nations were veiled, and in Paul’s day, it was apparent that Israel was veiled. But when people return to God, the veil is taken away (2 Corinthians 3:16).
The LORD will also destroy death in that day. Death was introduced by Adam’s rebellion (Genesis 2:16-17) and will one day be completely eliminated by God. 1 Corinthians 15:54. And He will wipe away tears from all faces: This is how glorious the tender mercy of God is. It isn’t just that He takes away the things that made us sad, or even that He gives us a handkerchief to dry our eyes. Instead, He will gently and lovingly wipe away tears from all faces and the rebuke of His people He will take away from all the earth

• The Testimony of God’s People. (Verses 9-12)

We will proclaim, unashamed and unafraid (Luke 12:8) “Behold, this is our God. We have waited for Him, and He will save us. We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.
The LORD will settle His hand of favour, power, and glory on Mount Zion (That is you and I today). After the Great Tribulation, when Jesus Christ reigns from Jerusalem, the whole creation will know that the hand of the LORD does rest on this mountain. Moab shall be trampled down: In that day, Jesus will rule the nations with all authority and righteousness (Psalm 2:8-12). God will reach out (As a swimmer reaches out to swim) and bring low every proud, rebelling heart. Those who oppose His rule He will bring to the ground, down to the dust.

II. CHAPTER 26 Verses 1-21
Chapter 26 is a song of praise to the Lord. If chapter 25 was the verse of the song, this chapter would be the chorus. Revelation 21: 2 says: “I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.”

• The Strength of God’s City (Verses 1-2)

The context from these verses point to the day of the Messiah’s ultimate triumph, the day when the Messiah reigns over Israel, and over all the world. In that day, there will be a lot of joyful singing, such as this song that will be sung in the land of Judah. “Our city is strong! We are surrounded by the walls of his salvation!”
Since cities came into being after the fall of man in Genesis 3, mankind has never known a truly godly city, the City of God on earth. In that day, all will know the strength and glory of the city of God. Surrounded by the walls of His salvation!
Open the gates, that the righteous nation which keeps the truth may enter it: The city of God, with all its strength and salvation, is only for the righteous, and those who keep the truth. (Revelation 21:22-27).

• The Lord is Our Source of Strength and Peace. (Verses 3-4)

In Hebrew, the term perfect peace is actually shalom shalom. “You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You”.
To be kept in this perfect peace is a matter of our mind not so much a matter of our spirits, souls or our hearts. We are to love the LORD our God with all of our mind (Matthew 22:37). We are transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2). We can have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16, Philippians 2:5). We are not to set our mind on earthly things (Philippians 3:19), but to set our mind on things above (Colossians 3:2). The Christian life is not an unthinking life of just doing, or experiencing, but it is also about thinking, and where we set our mind is essential in our walk before the LORD.
It is not only having perfect peace, but being kept in perfect peace. So it is possible for someone to have “seasonal” or “temporary” perfect peace because they have not been kept there. It is also possible to be kept in peace, but peace that is not perfect peace, (John 14:27). But there is a perfect peace that the LORD will keep us in.
“Whose mind is stayed on You Because he trusts in You”: This is the place of perfect peace and the source of it. When we keep our minds stayed – settled upon, established upon – the Lord Himself, then we can be kept in this perfect peace. (Proverbs 3:5)

• The Destiny of the City of Man. (Verses 5-6)

The city of man, represents the world system that is all about power and prestige, built on the backs of the weak and the poor. But when God brings the city of man down to the dust, He will turn all that around, and the feet of the poor shall tread it down.

• The Upright Vs The Wicked (Verses 7-11)

7 But for good men the path is not uphill and rough! God does not give them a rough and treacherous path, but smooths the road before them. 8 O Lord, we love to do your will! Our hearts’ desire is to glorify your name. 9 All night long I search for you; earnestly I seek for God; for only when you come in judgment on the earth to punish it will people turn away from wickedness and do what is right. 10 Your kindness to the wicked doesn’t make them good; they keep on doing wrong and take no notice of your majesty. 11 They do not listen when you threaten; they will not look to see your upraised fist. Show them how much you love your people. Perhaps then they will be ashamed! Yes, let them be burned up by the fire reserved for your enemies. TLB

• The Prayer of a Humble Heart. (Verses 12-19)

2 Chronicles 7:14 says: “if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
The humble heart repents of past idolatry, and rejoices in the present freedom in the Lord. The humble heart knows the futility of working apart from the direction and blessing of God. The humble heart knows the LORD is responsible for increase and blessing. The humble heart relies on the Lord in times of distress and futility. The humble heart looks unto the Lord for the promise of resurrection.

CONCLUSION: Refuge from the Coming Judgment. (Verses 20-21)
This call for refuge, away from the devastation that would happen could be in reference to the deliverance of the Jewish people from the fury of the Antichrist described in Revelation 12:6 and 12:13-16. But it is more likely that it speaks of the refuge, the safety, the security of you and I when we will be caught up together with the Lord in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17) and escape the horrific indignation of the Lord that He pours out upon the world in the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21-22, Revelation 9:15-21), which will immediately precede the second coming of Jesus Christ (Matthew 24:29-30).

Parts of this study was culled from The Enduring Word Bible Commentary by David Guzik