In his prophetic writings about both the near- and long-term events for Israel and the coming of its Messiah, Jesus Christ, Isaiah also prophesies about the impact on the world at the time of Christ’s return, an era sometimes referred to as the “Day of the Lord”:
17 The loftiness of man shall be bowed down,
And the haughtiness of men shall be brought low;
The Lord alone will be exalted in that day,
18 But the idols He shall utterly abolish.
19 They shall go into the holes of the rocks,
And into the caves of the earth,
From the terror of the Lord
And the glory of His majesty,
When He arises to shake the earth mightily. Isaiah 2:17-19 (NKJV)
It is hard to imagine people in work attire, starting out a day like any other on their way to the office, shop, or a business trip, only to find themselves later seeking out caves to hide in, shaking in fear due to the sudden presence of a returned God, their loving Creator.
We might be able to visualize people seeking cover if a war were to break out, or some other terrible event were to happen. But in this case, Isaiah is simply describing the scene at the appearance of Jesus Christ, who has promised to return, bringing in an era of peace and justice for all peoples and nations.
Why would one hide when Jesus finally arrives on the scene, after being away for so long? I believe it is similar to when we misbehaved as children, and hid when our parent or guardian returned home in the evening. In Isaiah’s case, the fundamental cause for hiding is fear arising from a stubborn lack of faith. Having shown little or no regard for God and His Christ, this lack of faith was reflected in many peoples’ attitudes, actions, and behavior. When Jesus appears, He will shine a great light of truth on all of our hearts and motives.
When describing the coming last days, Jesus wondered aloud to His disciples whether any faith would be found at all when He returns to rule the nations.
8 …when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” Luke 18:8 (NKJV)
Isaiah, and the other prophets of his day, described peoples’ behavior in Judah in their time, and, by extension, what it will be like globally on the day of Christ’s return:
- The rich will crush the poor and use their plunder to build magnificent houses and line up properties house to house and field to field.
- They will drink intoxicating drink from day into the night.
- They will justify the wicked and take away justice from the righteous for a bribe.
- They will call evil good, darkness light, and the bitter sweet, for their own gain.
- They will worship idols of gold and silver.
- They will be haughty and prideful, adorned with finery, pomp, and glory.
- They will scheme to commit fraud, robbery, and even murder.
- They will indulge in sexual immorality, fornication, and adultery.
- They will not regard the works of the Lord, consider the operation of His hands, or call upon His name – they will exhibit no faith.
God is patient with us, but His patience will not last forever. Through His prophets, God has promised to shake the earth to get our attention before the return of Jesus Christ.
This will not be the first time this has happened. The book of Hebrews reminds us that God shook the earth at Mount Sinai, when God met with Moses and the people He had recently brought out of slavery in Egypt. And the writer of Hebrews reminds us of Isaiah’s prophecy that God will shake both earth and heaven in the end times:
26 whose voice then shook the earth; but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven.” Hebrews 12:26 (NKJV)
Walking before God in a way that pleases Him is not about being perfect. Not a single one of us has been able to go through life without ever turning away from God and towards some type of sin – only Christ was able to do that. The sin that tempts me may be totally different from the one that tempts you, but Romans 3:23 tells us that we have all failed along these lines. The good news is that we do not have to wait until Christ’s return to humble ourselves before our Creator and to seek His forgiveness for all of our sins and shortcomings. God has made a provision for us – the death of Jesus Christ on the cross as a substitute for our sin, and His resurrection from the dead to give us new life. He is a sure foundation for all who place their faith in Him to be raised up, not to quiver in fear, at His return.
4 … just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. Romans 6:4 (NKJV)
The Book of Revelation and later prophets like Daniel and Ezekiel will give more information about the coming end time events. But for now, we know that some kind of shaking will take place on earth, and will even be felt in heaven, when Christ returns to set up His Millennium kingdom in Jerusalem. All the earth will be greatly impacted by His presence.
Reflection
There is no reason to fear Christ’s return. He is reaching out to us today to offer complete cleansing and forgiveness for any and all lack of faithful behavior that we have shown.
Lord, help me to live for today, to enjoy You and the many blessings You have provided. Thank You for forgiving all of my sins which I now confess to You, and help me to forgive others around me who have hurt me. Grant me the faith I need to enjoy Your peace and serenity in the midst of life’s many struggles and trials. We take complete refuge in You. We ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.
Have a beautiful day walking in the Lord’s peace and serenity today.
Daily Meditations from the Genealogy of Jesus 