Conclusion of "The Senseless One"

Isaiah's prophecy continues:  "You women who are at ease, rise up, listen to my voice! You careless daughters, give ear to my saying!   Within a year and some days you careless ones will be agitated, because the grape picking will have come to an end but no fruit gathering will come in.  Tremble, you women  who are at ease! Be agitated, you careless ones!" (Isaiah 32:9-11a)  The attitude of these women may remind us of those today who claim to serve God but who are not zealous in his service.  Such ones are found in the religions of "Babylon the Great, the mother of the harlots."  (Revelation 17:5)  For example, member of Christendom's religions are very much as Isaiah describes these "women." They are "at ease," complacent as to the judgment and agitation that will soon engulf them.

The calls goes forth, then, to false religion:  "Undress and make yourselves naked, and gird sackcloth upon the loins.  Beat yourselves upon the breasts in lamentation over the desirable fields, over the fruit-bearing vine.  Upon the ground of my people merely thorns, spiny bushes come up, for they are upon all the houses of exultation, yes, the highly elated town."  (Isaiah 32:11b-13)  The expression "Undress and make yourselves naked"  does not appear to mean total disrobing.  The ancient custom was to wear an outer garment over and undergarment.  The outer garment was often a means of identification.  (2 Kings 10:22, 23; Revelation 7:13, 14)  The prophecy is thus commanding members of false religion to remove their outer garments-their pretended identity as servants of God-and to put on instead garments of sackcloth, symbols of mourning over their imminent judgment.  (Revelation 17:16)  No godly fruitfulness is to be found among the religious organizations of Christendom, which claim to be God's  "highly elated town," or among the rest of the members of the world empire of false religion.  Their domain of operation brings forth  "merely thorns, spiny bushes" of neglect and abandonment.

This picture of gloom extends to all parts of apostate "Jerusalem":  The dwelling tower itself has been forsaken,  the very hubbub of the city has been abandoned; Ophel and the watchtower themselves have become bare fields, for time indefinite the exultation of  zebras, the pasture of droves."  (Isaiah 32:14) Yes, even Ophel is included. Ophel is an elevated part of Jerusalem that provides a strong defensive position.  to say that Ophel becomes a bare field bepeaks complete desolation for the city. Isaiah's words show that apostate  "Jerusalem"-Christendom-is not watchful of doing God's will.  It is barren spiritually, far removed from truth and justice-beastlike in the extreme.

Next time: A Glorious Contrast!

From the Book Isaiah's Prophecy Light for all Mankind, 2000