Isaiah 2:21, commentary and pictures

Isaiah 2:21 pictures unprepared people fleeing in terror into clefts and holes of the rocks, caves and caverns of the earth, and tops of ragged rocks and jagged peaks when the Lord arises to shake the earth terribly. Their flight is driven by fear of the Lord and the glory and splendor of His majesty, as the wicked try in vain to hide from His glorious presence. It belongs to the day of the Lord of hosts for vengeance and judgment, when human pride and loftiness are humbled and brought low, idols of silver and gold are cast to the moles and bats, and the Lord alone is exalted. Its shaking will be fulfilled when Christ comes suddenly with power and great glory to punish the wicked for iniquity and for rejecting His law and atonement. Its fulfillment is certain and near, even at the door, so the verse is to be studied and told now to warn transgressors to flee from the wrath to come by turning to God with all the heart in repentance and faith in Jesus Christ while He may be found.

Hiding from God's Majesty

The picture is of men fleeing into the clefts of the rocks and the holes of the rocks, into caves and caverns of the earth, and into the tops of ragged rocks and jagged crags and peaks when the Lord arises to shake terribly the earth. The flight is driven by fear of the Lord and by the glory of His majesty and the splendor of His greatness. It shows the terror and consternation of those unprepared to meet their Lord in peace, as the wicked try in vain to hide from His glorious presence.

This belongs to the day of the Lord of hosts, the day of God's vengeance and judgment. In that day the lofty looks of man are humbled, human loftiness and haughtiness are bowed down and brought low, every proud and lofty one and all that is high and lifted up is brought low, and the Lord alone is exalted. Then idols are utterly abolished as men cast away the silver and gold gods they made for worship, throwing them to the moles and to the bats. Hoarded wealth and possessions cannot then protect or profit anyone.

The shaking is a physical convulsion at God's intervention and the revelation of His majesty. Mountains tremble and shake, rocks are moved from their places, ragged rocks are cast out, and earth and sea convulse.

Shaking at Christ's Coming

The verse foretells God's future intervention to punish the wicked for their iniquity and to judge those who have rejected His law and atonement, fulfilled when Christ comes suddenly with power and great glory and at His return. What it outlines will certainly come to pass and is divinely certain, for God will be true to His Word. He will not always keep silence though sentence against evil is not speedily executed so that sinners grow bold in evil, but will suddenly destroy the often-reproved hardened neck without remedy. He will soon arise in majesty to shake terribly the earth because the developments of sin have become full, deep, and abhorrent to Him.

Its fulfillment is near, at hand even at the door, and close at hand. It will come as an awful surprise upon the inhabitants of the world, after which there will be no time to prepare to meet Him. It belongs to an approaching time of disasters and widespread loss of life, when the end is near and probation is closing. Its approach is marked by constantly increasing intensity in the warfare between good and evil preparing for the last great battle, with increasing war and bloodshed and confusion of nations seeking to outreach one another for possession.

The terrible shaking will include scenes whose fearfulness cannot be imagined. By one word from the Lord, by one touch of His mighty power, massive structures and tall city buildings going up story after story will be turned and overturned and thrown down, causing unimaginable fear. The verse does not identify New York as a particular target or predict a tidal wave there. At that time God will stand up for His people and protect them from harm, so that those driven into hiding by oppression will rejoice when they hear God's voice. While they are delivered, the proud and those who have made the world their god, those who had great light yet chose unbelief until they cannot tell light from darkness of error, and those who rejected and condemned Him will be overcome with terror and will try in vain to hide, and will recognize Him as the Son of God and face the just doom they had pronounced on the unfaithful husbandmen.

Warning to Flee Wrath

The rock-cleft flight when the Lord arises to shake the earth terribly is to be read and understood now, studied carefully, and told to people now. The great day of the Lord of hosts is at hand, even at the door, with divine certainty of what is coming upon the world after silver and gold idols are cast to moles and bats and human loftiness is bowed down. Transgressors are to be warned beforehand how to avoid the judgments before they fall, so they can flee from the wrath to come and turn to God with all the heart.

That warning makes urgent the call to flee from sin and to hasten and flee for life. Those dwelling in sin are to lay hold on the hope set before them in the gospel, through repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ, seeking God while He may be found. Preparation is now, because the living and reigning Lord will soon rise in majesty, the shaking is close at hand as an awful surprise in an approaching time of disasters and widespread loss of life when the end is near and probation is closing, and after Christ comes suddenly with power and great glory there will be no time to prepare to meet Him.

Its nearness demands terrible earnestness now, for ministers and lay members to awake from sleep and work as those on the borders of the eternal world. A special message must be borne that pierces spiritual darkness and convicts and converts souls. Far less labor is to go to those who know the truth and far more to those without God and without hope, with no moment for criticism and accusation but for kneeling prayer and for putting God's words and plans above human words and plans, for though sentence against evil is not speedily executed so sinners grow bold, God will not always keep silence but will be true to His Word.

God-given probationary time is not to be trifled with, but every opportunity is to be used to become qualified physically, mentally and morally to stand in the army of the Lord under the banner of Jesus Christ as His entrusted sentinels. The call is to look not to men but to God, to cease from man whose breath is in his nostrils, and to obey Him with heart and soul by making His Word earnest study. Those who walk in obedience with uncorrupted loyalty are to lift up the banner as a separate and holy people formed to show forth His praises and call attention to the hand that sustains the world, not to be extinguished. Those who devote their lives to worldly wealth while neglecting people in need will find that treasure worthless on the great judgment day, when makers of silver and gold idols cast them away and hide in rocky clefts from the Lord's majesty as He shakes the earth.