Isaiah 2:20
In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats; In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats;
In that day is the day of the Lord, the day of final judgment and vengeance when He arises in majesty to shake the earth terribly, punish the wicked and destroy sinners out of it. In that day all human pride and loftiness is brought low and humbled, and the Lord alone is exalted. The idols are utterly abolished as worthless, and in terror before His glory men throw their idols of silver and gold, made for themselves to worship, to the moles and bats in holes, while they themselves flee into holes of rocks and caves and clefts to hide from His presence. Those idols of silver and gold expose earthly wealth and prized treasure, which is then shown to be powerless and is abandoned, and wealth hoarded for self proves worthless and unable to save. Money selfishly kept instead of used to save souls and do God's work will suddenly lose its value and be cast away as a burden, to the anguish of those who too late learn it was entrusted to them and they must flee from sin and cease from man and look to God before it is too late.
The Day of Reckoning
In that day is the day of the Lord, the day of God's vengeance and final judgment that comes as destruction from the Almighty. In that day every one that is proud and lofty and lifted up is visited, the lofty looks of man are humbled and human loftiness and haughtiness are bowed down and made low, and the Lord alone is exalted. He ariseth in majesty to shake terribly the earth. In that arising He punishes the wicked and the earth for its iniquity, brings desolation, and destroys sinners.
The idols He shall utterly abolish as worthless, and a man shall cast his idols of silver and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats, to creatures of holes. This casting away is done in terror before the fear of the Lord and for the glory of His majesty. At the same time men unprepared to meet their Lord in peace, with faint hearts and consternation, go into the holes of the rocks and into the caves and caverns of the earth and dust and into the clefts of the rocks and tops of the ragged rocks and cliffs to hide from His presence.
It is a certain prophecy of what is coming upon the world, with the great day nigh at hand even at the door. It is linked with the upheaval of the time of trouble when the sea casts stones onto the land and the mountains shake and throw out rocks. It belongs to terrifying scenes when God exercises His power and rises to shake the earth. That shaking includes increasing war and bloodshed and confusion of nations seeking to outdo each other for possession. At that time the great buildings built story after story in cities will be thrown down by the turning and overturning of God's power, when one word from the Lord and one touch of His mighty power will make those massive structures fall, bringing destruction whose fearfulness cannot be imagined.
In that judgment the wicked, terrified by the revealed glory of Christ, try in vain to hide in the earth's caverns from His presence and from the face of God and the Lamb as He punishes the earth for its iniquity. Their flight follows their recognition that the crucified Jesus is the Son of God and the true Messiah. This applies to great and proud people who have made the world their god and to those who have rejected God, who then cast away their silver and gold idols as useless. While God rises to punish the wicked He stands in protection of His people and shields them from harm, and His voice brings gladness to His scattered people fleeing the oppressor. The setting is when sin has become full and abhorrent to Him, which calls for close connection with God to discern deceptive schemes.
Hoarded Wealth Proved Worthless
The silver and gold idols expose worldly treasure and the objects men prize, earthly wealth and splendor shown to be powerless when the Lord rises to shake the earth. In that great judgment day they are abandoned and cast away to the moles and bats when the things of this world are brought down, while heavenly things endure forever. The rich will weep over the miseries coming upon them when that discarding comes.
Hoarded wealth laid up for self will then be worthless, unable to be claimed as one's own, and unable to save. Those who have spent their lives laying up earthly wealth will face that day in fear, seeking refuge when the Lord rises in majesty to shake the earth. In the day of trouble silver and gold hoarded for oneself will be useless and cast away.
Money selfishly retained and treasured instead of being used to save souls and to do God's work when opportunity offered will lose its value and be cast away with the idols like them when eternal realities become clear. What was withheld will soon depreciate suddenly, becoming a burden rather than a means of good. Its casting away marks the anguish of those who realize too late that their possessions were entrusted to them by God, that they were accountable for how they used them, and that riches cannot save them from the miseries coming upon the rich.
The verse is to be read and understood before it is too late and used in warning transgressors how to avoid the judgments, for it is certain prophecy of what is coming upon the world with the great day of the Lord at hand even at the door. That warning is given while the warfare between good and evil increases in intensity preparing for the last great battle, and it reaches even those who have had great light yet have chosen unbelief until they cannot tell light from darkness, amid increasing war and bloodshed and confusion of nations seeking to outdo each other for possession. It commands ceasing from man whose breath is in his nostrils, looking not to men but to God, and earnestly studying and obeying God's Word with heart and soul. The Lord will work for all who walk in obedience with uncorrupted loyalty as a separate and holy people lifted as a banner to show forth His praises, and the scene of His arising to shake the earth calls for urgent flight from sin before that day.