Isaiah was one of the last prophets to offer an opportunity to Israel as a nation to repent and avoid the approaching national calamity; he revealed the truth about the person, work, and kingdom of the coming Messiah and was appointed by God to speak to the inevitable judgment on the southern kingdom of Judah. He emphasises that God had to provide salvation because no one could save themself or any other person, and it was the sin-issue that troubled Isaiah – idolatry with its illicit sex and child sacrifice and all the other sins included , the people were involved with the externals of their religion but had no real heart for the Lord their God .
Isaiah records an apparent dialogue between himself and God, in which the following statement is found: “I have trodden the winepressalone; from the nations no one was with me. I trampled them in my anger and trod them down in my wrath; their blood spattered my garments, and I stained all my clothing. For the day of vengeance was in my heart, and the year of my redemption has come.” . Here we see two certainties: God’s day of vengeance is predicted and preparation for this day has already begun. Our Lord Jesus spoke to this fulfillment and it is recorded that He read the account of Isaiah on a Sabbath day in a synagogue “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” ; note that Luke’s account ends at “the year of the Lord’s favour”. The “day of vengeance” is an event that was to follow the work of God’s Servant after His first appearance. God’s Servant, our Lord Jesus Christ, had a specific mission to accomplish during His first advent.
God’s Day of Favour – Salvation commenced when God’s Servant was revealed to the world and Christ’s mission was first and foremost that of revealing the glory of God His Father . What is the glory of God? Moses, after he requested God to show him His glory, records: And he [God] passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.” . How did Christ reveal God’s glory? By the life He lived, the things He did, and the words He spoke. . He came to His own people as had been promised, but they would not accept Him, thus totally rejecting God’s love and mercy and His redemption for them . God’s message and gift of salvation was then offered to all other people after the Jews rejected God’s Servant. But mankind throughout the years have systematically put God completely out of their lives. Evil is rampant as all people to a great extent have rejected God’s offer of salvation. As the Jewish nation suffered because of their rejection of God’s provision, so all mankind will face God’s wrathfor their sin and rebellion. “….. God ……..now….commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead.”. God’s day of Redemption continues, and Job in his day, penned the question that all people ask – even to the present day: “Indeed…… how can a mortal be righteous before God?” . Job speaks to his innocence and voices his complaints, and although you may wish to dispute with God as Job tried to do, you have no basis, because God’s wisdom is profound, and He knows what you have been, what you are, and what you will be. He is perfect in knowledge (all knowing) and wisdom. And there is no argument that you can offer to Him in your defence. Even if you could summon Him to a judicial trial He would not give you a hearing. You may consider yourself blameless, but you are not blameless before a Holy God. He will not consider you innocent. . How then can a mortal be righteous before a Holy God? Job gives us the answer: “If only there were someone to arbitrate between us, to lay his hand upon us both, someone to remove God’s rod from me, so that his terror would frighten me no more. Then I would speak up without fear of him, but as it now stands with me, I cannot.” ; at that time there was no mediator for Job or anyone else and that is the reason why Christ came to this world to give Himself a sacrifice for our sin <see 1 Tim.2:5; “This is the verdict: men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.” Jn.1:12-13 3:7, 14-19>.
God’s Day of Vengeance “Who is this coming from Edom, from Bozrah…” ; Edom – symbolizes a world that hates God’s people; Bozrah– an important city of Edom (NIV Study Bible). A world that hates God and His people and because of this hatred God will one day have to begin His judgement upon this world . What will this day of vengeance be like? “Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.” ; in that day the Church will be been taken out of the world and the Holy Spirit removed from this earthly scene – and all the hosts of hell will be let loose with nothing to hold them back! , and it is certain that the externalsof our religion may fool our fellowmen – but not God! . God’s day of wrath is sure and God does not wish anyone to perish in the coming judgment, but if there is no repentance – no sincere turning to God, there is no escaping God’s day of vengeance – except by trusting in Christ for salvation .
WHAT WILL BE YOUR RESPONSE? Our Lord Jesus in conversation with His disciples spoke of the Day of Judgment to come, and the fact that as none would believe Noah’s warning in his day so it will be on the day of GOD’S VENGEANCE; “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.” . Is it possible that you could face God’s day of vengeance? If you do not wish this to be so, then your response must be repentance! You need to turn from your sinful way of life and accept God’s salvation. Those who have already done so have a unique responsibility; believers in Christ need to be sincerely thankful to God for His abundant salvation, and share this “good news” with unsaved relatives and friends. All unsaved people need to know that a “day of accountability to God” is a surety – for scripture declares that “we will all stand before the judgment seat of God” to give account to Him for the life we have lived .
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