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Behold, the LORD makes the earth empty and makes it waste, distorts its surface and scatters abroad its inhabitants. And it shall be: as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the creditor, so with the debtor. The land shall be entirely emptied and utterly plundered, for the LORD has spoken this word. The earth mourns and fades away, the world languishes and fades away; the haughty people of the earth languish. The earth is also defiled under its inhabitants, because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore the curse has devoured the earth, and those who dwell in it are desolate. Therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men are left. The new wine fails, the vine languishes, all the merry-hearted sigh. The mirth of the tambourine ceases, the noise of the jubilant ends, the joy of the harp ceases. They shall not drink wine with a song; strong drink is bitter to those who drink it. The city of confusion is broken down; every house is shut up, so that none may go in. There is a cry for wine in the streets, all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone. In the city desolation is left, and the gate is stricken with destruction. When it shall be thus in the midst of the land among the people, it shall be like the shaking of an olive tree, Like the gleaning of grapes when the vintage is done. (Isa. [[24:1-13|bible.23.24.1-23.24.13]] cf. Mal. [[4:1|bible.39.4.1]]) [emphasis added]
The conditions experienced by those beneath the bowl judgments is uniform. Position and status will be no refuge from desolate conditions. Although "burned" in these passages may refer to God's consuming wrath,1 given the context of the time of the end, it may also refer to the effects of the great heat upon agriculture: "The new wine fails, the vine languishes." they blasphemed the name of God . . . and they did not repentAnd he said, "Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. "Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand. (Dan. [[12:9-10|bible.27.12.9-27.12.10]]) [emphasis added]
A similar theme is expressed to John by an angel at the end of this book. "He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still" (Rev. [[22:11|bible.87.22.11]]+). God's judgments will not result in repentance for these: "Though you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain, yet his foolishness will not depart from him" (Pr. [[27:22|bible.20.27.22]]).Notes
1 Merrill F. Unger, Unger's Commentary on the Old Testament (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2002), Isa. 24:6.
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