Isaiah 24

ScriptureIsaiah 24:23The moon will be dismayed,the sun ashamed;for the Lord Almighty will reignon Mount Zion and in Jerusalem,and before its elders—with great glory.Observation - What does it say?Isaiah prophesied about the Lord’s second coming, a time when anything previously exalted will be humbled and God will take center stage for all the earth to behold his glory. I love The Voice Translation of this verse:A shadow of shame will settle over the full moon and bright sun,and their brilliance will begin to fade;for the Eternal, Commander of heavenly armies,Will rule from His chosen place on earth—Mount Zion in Jerusalem,and His glory will shine out with brilliance for the elders to see.Understanding - What does it mean?We know that Jesus is coming back to judge the earth, that the wicked will be condemned and those who have believed in Jesus will be rewarded. On that day we will literally see God in all his glory. Take a moment to think about that.Have you ever accidentally made eye contact with the sun? It’s hard to imagine something brighter and more shocking to the eyes. But, I began to imagine verse 23 unfolding this morning. It's as if the sun and moon, after shining brilliantly and being praised and marveled at by the people of the earth for millennia, will lower their chins dejected and ashamed as they are out-shined by the glory of their Creator. And, you and I will join all the earth in watching it happen!Paul reminds the believers in Philippi not to lose sight of that day, but to eagerly await our Savior’s coming.Philippians 3:20-21²⁰ But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹ who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body.Life ApplicationDon’t lose sight of the day God will come again.God, I confess that I often get so caught up in life at the moment and the day-to-day tasks at hand that I think little of heaven and eternity with you. Please change that about me. Remind us that we are citizens of heaven and are merely passing through this earth. Fill our hearts with a greater sense of longing for that day and may we live in a constant state of eagerly awaiting our Savior’s second coming. Amen.