God’s Promise To The Righteous of The Earth, To Those Who Truly Believe In The Lord And Follow Him.

Only the righteous will be delivered from the tyranny of those who persecute God’s people. 

Who are the righteous? 

They are the people who believe and follow the Lord and walk uprightly before Him. 

¹⁵I will tell you who can live here: All who are honest and fair, who reject making a profit by fraud, who hold back their hands from taking bribes, who refuse to listen to those who plot murder, who shut their eyes to all enticement to do wrong. ¹⁶Such as these shall dwell on high. The rocks of the mountains will be their fortress of safety; food will be supplied to them, and they will have all the water they need.

¹⁷Your eyes will see the King in his beauty and the highlands of heaven far away. ¹⁸Your mind will think back to this time of terror when the Assyrian officers outside your walls are counting your towers and estimating how much they will get from your fallen city. ¹⁹But soon they will all be gone. These fierce, violent people with a strange, jabbering language you can’t understand will disappear.

²⁰Instead you will see Jerusalem at peace, a place where God is worshiped, a city quiet and unmoved. ²¹The glorious Lord will be to us as a wide river of protection, and no enemy can cross. ²²For the Lord is our Judge, our Lawgiver, and our King; he will care for us and save us. ²³The enemies’ sails hang loose on broken masts with useless tackle. Their treasure will be divided by the people of God; even the lame will win their share. ²⁴The people of Israel will no longer say, “We are sick and helpless,” for the Lord will forgive them their sins and bless them.^[1] (Isaiah 33:15–24) 

God gave a strong promise to the righteous of the earth, to those who truly believe in the Lord and follow Him: He will deliver them from the violent oppressors and betrayers of earth. A glorious day of salvation is coming for God’s people, a day when the Messiah will set up His kingdom on earth and rule in righteousness. Isaiah painted a graphic picture of what life will be like in the Messiah’s kingdom. Although some of what he described could possibly apply to the Jews after the withdrawal of the Assyrian forces, most of his description could not apply to life in a corruptible world. Thus, Isaiah is definitely describing the future kingdom of the Messiah. 

The citizens of the kingdom will be the righteous of this earth (v. 15). Only the righteous will be delivered from the tyranny of those who persecute God’s people. Who are the righteous? Isaiah leaves no doubt about their identity. They are the people who believe and follow the Lord and walk uprightly before Him. They obey God’s commandments, His Holy Word. Specifically, the righteous …

• speak the truth, never lying to or deceiving people
• do not seek gain through oppression or extortion and do not accept bribes
• refuse to listen to or take part in plots of murder or any other evil act that would harm people
• shut their eyes to all the seductions and enticements to do evil 
• God will greatly bless people who truly believe in the Lord, who walk righteously day by day and seek to follow the commandments of God. Isaiah spelled out very specific blessings. These blessings describe what life will be like when Christ returns to establish God’s kingdom on earth. 

1) The righteous will dwell on high with the Lord Himself (v. 16). “On high” means the place where God lives, the place of His residence or dwelling. Once Christ returns to earth, righteous believers will live with Him forever. They will never again be separated from Him. This is one of God’s great promises to righteous believers: 

V  “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (Jn. 14:1–3).

V  “For our conversation [citizenship] is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself” (Ph. 3:20–21).

V  “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you” (1 Pe. 1:3–4).

V  “And there shall in no wise enter into it [New Jerusalem] anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, nor maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life” (Re. 21:27). 

2) The righteous will be secure and well-fed, lacking nothing (v. 16). All necessities of life will be met with an inexhaustible supply of provisions to meet every need. Furthermore, the Messiah’s kingdom will be a refuge providing perfect security, a place far more secure than a mountain fortress. This is God’s wonderful promise to righteous believers: 

V  “But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you” (Mt. 6:33).

V  “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Ph. 4:13).

V  “For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us, therefore, come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (He. 4:15–16).

V  “The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower” (Ps. 18:2).

V  “As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth even forever” (Ps. 125:2).

V  “Oh, how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men! Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues. Blessed be the Lord: for he hath showed me his marvellous kindness in a strong city” (Ps. 31:19–21). 

3) The righteous will see the King, the Lord, in all His glory and splendor. They will live with Him as He rules over all the land that stretches across the face of the earth (v. 17; also see v. 22; Mt. 5:8). Righteous believers could have no greater privilege than to see the Lord face-to-face and to be allowed to live with, worship, and serve Him. This is one of the great promises God gives the righteous: 

V  “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God” (Mt. 5:8).

V  “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure” (1 Jn. 3:2–3).

V  “As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness” (Ps. 17:15).

V  “Thine eyes shall see the king in his beauty: they shall behold the land that is very far off” (Is. 33:17).

V  “Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world” (Jn. 17:24).

V  “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known” (1 Co. 13:12).

V  “And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it [New Jerusalem]; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face, and his name shall be in their foreheads” (Re. 22:3–4).

V  “And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven” (Ac. 1:10–11).

V  “According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Ph. 1:20–21).

V  “For the Lord, himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words” (1 Th. 4:16–18). 

4) The righteous will be forever free from the terror of oppressors and destroyers (vv. 18–19). Universal peace will sweep the earth because of the government of the Messiah. The righteous will remember the terror of evil military officers and political leaders, but those evil, arrogant people will no longer be present to oppress them. Note that Isaiah contrasted the terror of the Assyrian siege with the universal peace that will exist in the Messiah’s kingdom. In His kingdom, officers will no longer plot to attack the towers of the city or estimate how much wealth they can plunder after they conquer it. No longer will foreign invaders speak in a strange, unknown language. The Lord will remove all evil oppressors from the earth, and there will finally be universal peace. 

V  “He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire” (Ps. 46:9).

V  “And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore” (Is. 2:4).

V  “Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this” (Is. 9:7).

V  “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea” (Is. 11:9).

V  “But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree, and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it” (Mi. 4:4).

V  “And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth” (Zec. 9:10). 

5) The righteous will worship in Jerusalem, which will be a secure, quiet, and peaceful place (vv. 20–21). Jerusalem will be a center of worship, not a center of terrorist attacks or war. It will never again know trouble or unrest. During the Messiah’s reign, peace will blanket the city like a tent whose stakes cannot be pulled up nor any of its ropes cut or moved. The Lord Himself, the Mighty One, will rule over the city, and He will be like a wide river that protects the city from all enemies (v. 21). Peace and protection are two of the great promises the Lord gives to righteous believers. 

V  “But there shall not a hair of your head perish” (Lu. 21:18).

V  “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (Jn. 14:27).

V  “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (Jn. 16:33).

V  “Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet” (1 Co. 15:24–25).

V  “Be careful for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Ph. 4:6–7).

V  “As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth even forever” (Ps. 125:2). 

6) The Lord will govern the righteous, for He is our Judge, Lawgiver, and King (v. 22). It is He and He alone who will save us. As our Judge, the Lord will accept us into His kingdom if we have truly trusted Him and lived righteous lives. As our Lawgiver, the Lord expects us to obey His holy commandments and live under His government. As our King, He expects us to serve Him by working diligently and making the greatest contribution we can to His kingdom. Note that all the functions of government are covered in this threefold title of the Lord: the judicial, the legislative, and the executive.¹ 

7) The righteous will be brought through the storm of life despite almost sinking (v. 23). Life is so fragile that it is like a sailboat caught in a severe storm—its riggings hanging loose, its masts insecure, and its sail not yet spread—ready to sink at any moment. But the Lord will save the righteous from the storms of life and usher them into His wonderful kingdom. 

V  “And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise” (Lu. 23:43).

V  “If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour” (Jn. 12:26).

V  “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (Jn. 14:2–3).

V  “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Th. 4:16–17).

V  “And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen” (2 Ti. 4:18).

V  “Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory” (Ps. 73:24). 

8) The righteous will receive the spoils—the wealth and possessions—of their enemies (v. 23). Just as the Jews recovered all the plunder the Assyrian army left behind when the soldiers fled, so believers will inherit all the riches of both heaven and earth. This is the wonderful promise of the Lord. 

V  “But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal” (Mt. 6:20).

V  “Whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours” (1 Co. 3:22).

V  “By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward” (He. 11:24–26).

V  “Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?” (Js. 2:5).

V  “I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see” (Re. 3:18).

V  “I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners. I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the Lord; and I will heal him” (Is. 57:18–19).

V  “Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward” (Is. 58:8).

V  “Behold, I will bring it health and cure, and I will cure them, and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth” (Je. 33:6). 

9) The righteous will never again be sick or unhealthy (v. 24). The Lord will do away with all disease and sickness when He establishes His kingdom on earth. No longer will the righteous shed tears due to sickness and disease. 

V  “For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes” (Re. 7:17).

V  “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away” (Re. 21:4).

V  “He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it” (Is. 25:8).

V  “Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away” (Is. 51:11).

V  “Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended” (Is. 60:20).

V  “And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed” (Is. 65:19–20).

V  “Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the Lord, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock and of the herd: and their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more at all” (Je. 31:12). 

10) The righteous will be forgiven all their sins in the Messiah’s kingdom. All the citizens of His kingdom will be cleansed from every evil thought that has crossed their minds and from every sinful act they have ever committed. They will be counted righteous and accepted by the Lord. 

V  “And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (Lu. 24:46–47).

V  “Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins” (Ac. 13:38).

V  “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him” (Ac. 5:30–32).

V  “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit [in the righteousness of Christ]” (Ro. 8:1).

V  “In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace” (Ep. 1:7).

V  “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 Jn. 1:9).

V  “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon” (Is. 55:7).

V  “And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more” (Je. 31:34).

V  “And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me” (Je. 33:8).

V  “It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the evil which I purpose to do unto them; that they may return every man from his evil way; that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin” (Je. 36:3).

V  “In those days, and in that time, saith the Lord, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found: for I will pardon them whom I reserve” (Je. 50:20).^[2]

---

^[1] Taylor, Kenneth Nathaniel. 1997. The Living Bible, Paraphrased. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House.

¹ The New Scofield Reference Bible. Edited by C.I. Scofield. (New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1967), Isaiah 33:22.

^[2] Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 2005. Isaiah (Chapters 1–35). Vol. I. The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible. Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 

https://my.bible.com/bible/116/ISA.33.nlt

God’s judgment is sure. It is definitely coming. Nothing can stop His hand of judgment from falling upon earth. His day of judgment is fixed, already determined and set.

 A Strong Warning to the Destroyer: A Message to All Who Commit Acts of Violence

Isaiah 33:1–24 TLB 

¹Woe to you, Assyrians,^a who have destroyed everything around you but have never felt destruction for yourselves. You expect others to respect their promises to you, while you betray them! Now you, too, will be betrayed and destroyed.

²But to us, O Lord, be merciful, for we have waited for you. Be our strength each day and our salvation in the time of trouble. ³The enemy runs at the sound of your voice. When you stand up, the nations flee. ⁴Just as locusts strip the fields and vines, so Jerusalem will strip the fallen army of Assyria!^b

⁵The Lord is very great and lives in heaven. He will make Jerusalem the home of justice and goodness and righteousness. ⁶An abundance of salvation is stored up for Judah in a safe place, along with wisdom and knowledge and reverence for God.

⁷But now your ambassadors weep in bitter disappointment, for Assyria has refused their cry for peace. ⁸Your roads lie in ruins; travelers detour on back roads. The Assyrians have broken their peace pact^c and care nothing for the promises they made in the presence of witnesses—they have no respect for anyone. ⁹All the land of Israel is in trouble; Lebanon has been destroyed; Sharon has become a wilderness; Bashan and Carmel are plundered.

¹⁰But the Lord says: I will stand up and show my power and might. ¹¹You Assyrians will gain nothing by all your efforts. Your own breath will turn to fire and kill you. ¹²Your armies will be burned to lime, like thorns cut down and tossed in the fire. ¹³Listen to what I have done, O nations far away! And you that are near, acknowledge my might!

¹⁴The sinners among my people shake with fear. “Which one of us,” they cry, “can live here in the presence of this all-consuming, everlasting fire?” ¹⁵I will tell you who can live here: All who are honest and fair, who reject making profit by fraud, who hold back their hands from taking bribes, who refuse to listen to those who plot murder, who shut their eyes to all enticement to do wrong. ¹⁶Such as these shall dwell on high. The rocks of the mountains will be their fortress of safety; food will be supplied to them, and they will have all the water they need.

¹⁷Your eyes will see the King in his beauty and the highlands of heaven far away. ¹⁸Your mind will think back to this time of terror when the Assyrian officers outside your walls are counting your towers and estimating how much they will get from your fallen city. ¹⁹But soon they will all be gone. These fierce, violent people with a strange, jabbering language you can’t understand will disappear.

²⁰Instead you will see Jerusalem at peace, a place where God is worshiped, a city quiet and unmoved. ²¹The glorious Lord will be to us as a wide river of protection, and no enemy can cross. ²²For the Lord is our Judge, our Lawgiver and our King; he will care for us and save us. ²³The enemies’ sails hang loose on broken masts with useless tackle. Their treasure will be divided by the people of God; even the lame will win their share. ²⁴The people of Israel will no longer say, “We are sick and helpless,” for the Lord will forgive them their sins and bless them.^[1] 

A Strong Warning to the Destroyer: A Message to All Who Commit Acts of Violence 

(33:1–24) Introduction: the earth is full of violent people, people who use extreme force to impose their wills and desires on others. Violence is always destructive, hurting people or property and causing pain. Violence attacks people, assaulting, abusing, or coercing them. Violence is malicious and cruel, an act of unrestrained, brutal behavior. And violence often results in serious injury or death. 

This present Scripture is a strong warning to those who destroy and commit acts of violence. God’s hand of judgment will without question fall upon them. The particular destroyer being addressed in this Scripture was Assyria, the nation that was ruled by King Sennacherib. Seeking to build a world empire, the Assyrians had invaded nation after nation, subjecting them under the rule of Assyrian domination. The Assyrians were a cruel, brutal, savage, and vicious people with a reputation for violence and bloodshed. Using them as an example, the Lord describes the terrifying judgment that is to fall upon all the destroyers and the violent of earth. This is, Woe—A Strong Warning to the Destroyer: A Message to All Who Commit Acts of Violence, 33:1–24.

The surety of God’s judgment on the violent oppressors and betrayers of this earth (vv. 1–14). 

God pronounces a strong warning—a woe—to those who deal treacherously with other people and nations, who are violent, and who betray God’s people. God’s judgment is sure to fall on all who commit acts of cruelty and brutality, assaulting and attacking others. His judgment will fall also on all who betray His people. This is the clear teaching of this Scripture:^[2] 

a. The pronouncement of God’s Word is unquestionable. Destroyers and betrayers will reap exactly what they sow: they will be destroyed and betrayed. Who is the particular adversary to whom this woe is directed? Assyria. But keep in mind that Assyria represents all the evil, cruel nations, and peoples of the earth. So the warning is directed equally to all who commit acts of violence and betrayal. 

When the Assyrian ruler Sennacherib invaded Judah, King Hezekiah paid a huge ransom to buy off the Assyrians and secure peace with them. Sennacherib accepted the ransom and withdrew his forces, but only temporarily. He later betrayed Hezekiah, broke the peace agreement, and invaded Judah again. He destroyed all the cities and laid siege to Jerusalem (2 K. 18:13–37). This cruel tyrant betrayed those who had trusted his promise of peace, and for that he would suffer the retribution of God. 

Sennacherib would reap exactly what he had sown. Isaiah announced that he would be betrayed and suffer a violent death. And he did. Soon after Sennacherib withdrew his army and returned to Nineveh, two of his own sons betrayed and assassinated him (Is. 37:37–38). The violent king who had betrayed and slaughtered so many reaped exactly what he had sown. 

b. When Assyria launched its invasion of Judah, a small number of righteous believers began to cry out to the Lord for help (vv. 2–6). As the Assyrian army marched across Judah, conquering city after city, the situation looked more and more hopeless. Although Isaiah and the rest of the righteous continued to pray for deliverance, the Assyrian army marched right up to the gates of Jerusalem and set up a siege around the city that prevented anyone from escaping. The capital was doomed, and the Assyrians would treat its citizens just as brutally as they had the citizens of the other cities. They would either slaughter them or deport them to some foreign nation. 

Despite the hopelessness of the situation, the true believers continued to seek the Lord for deliverance from their distress. Knowing that they were guilty of sin and undeserving of God’s mercy, they nevertheless asked the Lord to shower His grace—His undeserved favor—upon them. They needed special strength to bear up under the daily strain and terror of the threatening Assyrians: thus day after day they asked the Lord to be their strength and their salvation.

Isaiah listed three reasons why the small remnant of righteous believers should seek the Lord: 

1) The remnant of righteous believers should pray because of the Lord’s power (v. 3). As the Lord God of the universe, He has the power to scatter any army who opposes Him or His people. All He has to do is speak, and the thunder of His voice will cause the enemy to flee for their lives. God’s omnipotent power is far greater than the power of any man or nation. No matter how powerful a nation’s military may be, the Lord can plunder, or strip it of its power as quickly as a swarm of locusts can strip a nation’s crops. And that was exactly what happened to the Assyrian army when it besieged Jerusalem. The Lord Himself struck them. Thousands of them died; the rest retreated in panic and returned home. As the soldiers fled in terror from the hand of God’s judgment, they abandoned all the wealth they had plundered. As a result, the surviving Jews swarmed down upon the Assyrian camp and recovered the wealth for themselves (2 K. 19:14–37; Is. 37:14–38). 

2) The remnant of righteous believers should pray because of the Lord’s exaltation (vv. 5–6). The Lord is exalted in the splendor of His glory and majesty, in the blazing light of His holiness. He is exalted far beyond what humans can imagine, higher than any creatures in any world or dimension of being. He lives in the spiritual world of heaven itself. Because of who He is, the day is coming when He will rule as Lord of the earth. 

First, the Lord will establish His throne in Zion, the New Jerusalem, and He will rule on earth with justice and righteousness. Oppression, discrimination, greed, immorality—all acts of lawlessness and violence—will be erased throughout the world. Only the righteous will live on earth, and they will live in a world governed by God’s laws. The Lord’s justice and righteousness will reign on earth, for He is the exalted Lord of the universe. 

Second, in that day the Lord Himself will be the stability of His people, the foundation upon which they stand. He Himself will be their salvation and security, wisdom and knowledge day by day. No longer will people lack understanding or be indecisive. No longer will they be ignorant of how they should live or of what steps they should take. They will be filled with the wisdom of God Himself and will know how to live and exactly what to do when problems confront them. 

3) The remnant of righteous believers should pray because of the source of God’s blessings: the fear of the Lord (v. 6^b). When people truly seek the Lord in prayer, they demonstrate a fear of the Lord. The word fear means reverence, a deep-seated trust that acknowledges the Lord as the only living and true God who can answer prayer. When people truly fear the Lord, they possess a wonderful treasure, for the fear of the Lord assures them of the presence of God Himself. When God is present with His people, He blesses them and guides their every step. Thus prayer was the key to the Jews’ deliverance from the Assyrian threat. 

c. Seeing into the future made Isaiah’s heart heavy, for he saw the grim devastation the Assyrians would cause. Remember that God was allowing the Assyrian invasion because of the Jews’ terrible sins and unbelief. Their peace treaty with Egypt crumbled, for it was an alliance with unbelievers (30:1–14). Isaiah says that Judah’s soldiers and envoys would weep openly as the nation’s cities fell. No doubt the diplomats who had carried on negotiations with the Assyrian ambassadors would be among the weeping envoys mentioned here (36:2–22). 

d. Once the Assyrians launched their invasion of Judah, the highways would be deserted. Because of the danger, the people would be too afraid to travel. When Egypt broke the treaty with Judah, the people would despise their leaders for bringing this destruction upon them. The cruel Assyrians had no regard for human life and would slaughter thousands. Furthermore, they would deliberately ravage the land (v. 9). Once the Assyrian war machine struck, no matter where people looked, they would see only the sad, tragic spectacle of devastation. No longer would Lebanon be a land of beautiful mountains and forests, or Sharon a fertile land, or the fields of Bashan and Carmel fruitful. The Assyrian army would utterly devastate all these lands. 

e. But the day of atrocities would come to an end, for the Lord Himself would execute judgment on the Assyrians (vv. 10–12). The violent destroyer and betrayer will be destroyed (see v. 1). Although Assyria had dreams of grandeur and plans for world conquest, their dreams and plans were nothing more than chaff. When the Lord rose against them, He would consume their dreams and plans as quickly as fire consumes straw. He would set the cruel Assyrians ablaze. Note this fact: God’s judgment would be like an intense fire that would burn them until there was nothing left but lime, or dust, and it would burn them as quickly as if He were burning cut, dried thornbushes. God’s judgment upon the Assyrian army was just as Isaiah predicted, thorough and quick. During one night’s time, probably within a few minutes, the angel of the Lord appeared in the Assyrian camp surrounding Jerusalem and slew 185,000 soldiers. When the surviving soldiers arose the next morning and saw all the dead bodies lying around, they fled for their lives, bewildered and terrified (37:36–37). 

God’s judgment is to teach a lesson (vv. 13–14), one that all people—both far and near—must heed. Throughout history the Lord’s judgment has fallen upon the Assyrians, the Jews, and other nations of the world for a very specific purpose: so they would acknowledge His power. The Lord is the Creator and Sovereign of the universe; therefore, all must acknowledge Him as the Lord God, the only living and true God. Even the sinners in Zion—the hypocrites who profess the Lord but live wickedly—must tremble in fear before Him. The Lord is a consuming fire (Is. 10:17; He. 12:29); no person can stand in the presence of His blazing holiness. Therefore, God’s presence and His coming judgment should terrify all hypocrites. 

Thought 1. God’s judgment is sure. It is definitely coming. Nothing can stop His hand of judgment from falling upon earth. His day of judgment is fixed, already determined and set. When that day and hour come, Christ will rend the skies above and strike this earth in judgment. Every one of us will face the wrath of God, and the Lord will be unwavering in executing judgment against us unless we have accepted His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and been forgiven our sins.

 

V  “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.… Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels” (Mt. 25:31–33, 41).

V  “And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh” (Lu. 21:25–28).

V  “And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Th. 1:7–8).

V  “The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished” (2 Pe. 2:9).

V  “But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up” (2 Pe. 3:7–10).

V  “And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him” (Jude 1:14–15).

V  “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen” (Re. 1:7).^[3] 

---

^a 33:1  Assyrians, implied.

^b 33:4  fallen army of Assyria, see 2 Kings 19:35.

^c 33:8  peace pact, see 2 Kings 18:14-17.

^[1] Taylor, Kenneth Nathaniel. 1997. The Living Bible, Paraphrased. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House.

vv. verses

^[2] Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 2005. Isaiah (Chapters 1–35). Vol. I. The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible. Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide.

^[3] Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 2005. Isaiah (Chapters 1–35). Vol. I. The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible. Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide. 

https://my.bible.com/bible/116/ISA.33.nlt

Pictures 1, 3, 4, & 5 courtesy of Steve Side