Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Isaiah
Book: Isaiah
Chapter: 34
Overview:
God's vengeance against the enemies of his
Church.
(1-8) Their
Desolation.
(9-17)
1-8 Here is a
Prophecy of the
Wars of the Lord, all which are
both righteous and successful. All nations are concerned. And as
they have all had the benefit of his patience,
So all must
expect to feel his resentment. The description of bloodshed
suggests tremendous ideas of the Divine judgments. Idumea here
denotes the nations at
Enmity with the
Church; also the kingdom
of
Antichrist. Our thoughts cannot reach the horrors of that
awful season, to those found opposing the
Church of
Christ.
There is a time fixed in the Divine counsels for the deliverance
of the
Church, and the
Destruction of her enemies. We must
patiently wait till then, and
Judge nothing before the time.
Through
Christ,
Mercy is exercised to every believer,
consistently with
Justice, and his name is glorified.
9-17 Those who aim to ruin the
Church, can never do that, but
will ruin themselves. What dismal changes
Sin can make! It turns
a fruitful land into barrenness, a crowded
City into a
Wilderness. Let us compare all we discover in the
Book of the
Lord, with the dealings of
Providence around us, that we may be
more diligent in seeking the
Kingdom of God and his
Righteousness. What the mouth of the
Lord has commanded, his
Spirit will perform. And let us observe how the evidences of the
Truth continually increase, as one
Prophecy after another is
fulfilled, until these awful scenes bring in more happy days. As
Israel was a figure of the
Christian Church,
So the Edomites,
their
Bitter enemies, represent the enemies of the kingdom of
Christ.
God's
Jerusalem may be laid in ruins for a time, but the
enemies of the
Church shall be desolate for ever.