Isaiah 34:4. "All the host of Heaven shall rot away, and the skies roll up like a scroll. All their host shall fall, as leaves fall from the vine, like leaves falling from the fig tree."

The language in this verse is very evocative of the "end times" that Jesus spoke of to his disciples ("the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken" Matthew 24:29) and that Revelation describes ("and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale; the sky vanished like a scroll that is rolled up" Revelation 6:13-14). Isaiah is saying that the stars will fall from the heavens, and the skies roll up like a scroll. This is not a tragic event that the world will "get through" and go on the same as before, this is a drastic, world-altering change that Isaiah is describing.

What has prompted this prophecy? Corruption of God's people, who have "deeply revolted" (Isaiah 31:6) and the rise of the "destroyer" (Isaiah 33:1). Things are bad, the nations surrounding God's people are threatening, and His people have allowed themselves to become corrupted and are are looking to other earthly powers for help (Isaiah 31:1), they have forgotten their God and are not living in His ways. They are "rebellious children" (Isaiah 30:1-2). (I find it interesting that the fall of the host of the heavens which Isaiah and Jesus mean to be the stars can also be read as a description of the fall of the angels. Lucifer and his host fell from heaven for being "rebellious children." This, too, was a one-time, all-of-history changing event.)

If we are wise, we will read this prophecy with an eye towards the "signs of our times" ("You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times." Matthew 16:3). Are we angering God so much, even within the Church, that "the Lord is enraged against the all the nations, and furious against all their host" (Isaiah 34:2)? Are we getting to the point where another world-changing chastisement is on the horizon? I would argue that it certainly appears that way. In fact, the world just went through the COVID debacle. Whether it was a super-deadly virus that would have killed countless more had we not taken the steps we did, or it was not deadlier than an average virus but was used by the powerful to consolidate their power, it was, either way, a world-changing event that even saw the Church denying the Body of Christ to the flock!

But fear not! The answer in such times is always the same - "Return." "In returning and rest you shall be saved ... the Lord waits to be gracious to you." (Isaiah 30:15-18). This does not mean the chastisements willnot happen, but it does mean that the Lord will give us strength to get through them, bringing us to the other side, which will be more wonderful than we can imagine!