[Isaiah 34:1] COME NEAR, YE NATIONS, TO HEAR; AND HEARKEN, YE PEOPLE: LET THE EARTH HEAR, AND ALL THAT IS THEREIN; THE WORLD, AND ALL THINGS THAT COME FORTH OF IT.
All the peoples of the earth are called upon to listen and pay heed.
[Isaiah 34:2] FOR THE INDIGNATION OF THE LORD IS UPON ALL NATIONS, AND HIS FURY UPON ALL THEIR ARMIES: HE HATH UTTERLY DESTROYED THEM, HE HATH DELIVERED THEM TO THE SLAUGHTER.
God is angry with all the peoples but upon some more than others.
[Isaiah 34:3] THEIR SLAIN ALSO SHALL BE CAST OUT, AND THEIR STINK SHALL COME UP OUT OF THEIR CARCASES, AND THE MOUNTAINS SHALL BE MELTED WITH THEIR BLOOD.
[Isaiah 34:4] AND ALL THE HOST OF HEAVEN SHALL BE DISSOLVED, AND THE HEAVENS SHALL BE ROLLED TOGETHER AS A SCROLL: AND ALL THEIR HOST SHALL FALL DOWN, AS THE LEAF FALLETH OFF FROM THE VINE, AND AS A FALLING FIG FROM THE FIG TREE.
This verse has manifold interpreations all of which are pertinent:
There will be changes in the heavens as Isaiah has previously announced. Cosmic disturbances will parallel and influence the earthly ones.
The heavens have astrological and physical influence on the earth but the Laws of Natural Causes they represent will be confounded and reversed.
The heavens also represent the angelical hosts. There will be changes of spiritual nature above that will reflect themselves in the self-awareness of people below.
[Isaiah 34:5] FOR MY SWORD SHALL BE BATHED IN HEAVEN: BEHOLD, IT SHALL COME DOWN UPON IDUMEA, AND UPON THE PEOPLE OF MY CURSE, TO JUDGMENT.
Idumea = Edom.
[Isaiah 34:6] THE SWORD OF THE LORD IS FILLED WITH BLOOD, IT IS MADE FAT WITH FATNESS, AND WITH THE BLOOD OF LAMBS AND GOATS, WITH THE FAT OF THE KIDNEYS OF RAMS: FOR THE LORD HATH A SACRIFICE IN BOZRAH, AND A GREAT SLAUGHTER IN THE LAND OF IDUMEA.
Bozra was a major city of Edom. In Jewish tradition Bozra was once identified with Byzantium (Constantinople) due to a similarity of name and the world task once fulfilled by Byzantium that controlled the eastern section of the Roman Empire.
[Isaiah 34:7] AND THE UNICORNS SHALL COME DOWN WITH THEM, AND THE BULLOCKS WITH THE BULLS; AND THEIR LAND SHALL BE SOAKED WITH BLOOD, AND THEIR DUST MADE FAT WITH FATNESS.
The great warriors who were invincible will be slaughtered like bulls takemn to a slaughtering house.
[Isaiah 34:8] FOR IT IS THE DAY OF THE LORD'S VENGEANCE, AND THE YEAR OF RECOMPENCES FOR THE CONTROVERSY OF ZION.
God will take revenge for the persecutions of “Zion” meaning of the Jewish people.
[Isaiah 34:9] AND THE STREAMS THEREOF SHALL BE TURNED INTO PITCH, AND THE DUST THEREOF INTO BRIMSTONE, AND THE LAND THEREOF SHALL BECOME BURNING PITCH.
This can have a naturalistic explanation or it could reflect some outcome of nuclear related disaster.
[Isaiah 34:10] IT SHALL NOT BE QUENCHED NIGHT NOR DAY; THE SMOKE THEREOF SHALL GO UP FOR EVER: FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION IT SHALL LIE WASTE; NONE SHALL PASS THROUGH IT FOR EVER AND EVER.
[Isaiah 34:11] BUT THE CORMORANT AND THE BITTERN SHALL POSSESS IT; THE OWL ALSO AND THE RAVEN SHALL DWELL IN IT: AND HE SHALL STRETCH OUT UPON IT THE LINE OF CONFUSION, AND THE STONES OF EMPTINESS.
[Isaiah 34:12] THEY SHALL CALL THE NOBLES THEREOF TO THE KINGDOM, BUT NONE SHALL BE THERE, AND ALL HER PRINCES SHALL BE NOTHING.
It will be like a kigdom of ghosts and emptiness.
[Isaiah 34:13] AND THORNS SHALL COME UP IN HER PALACES, NETTLES AND BRAMBLES IN THE FORTRESSES THEREOF: AND IT SHALL BE AN HABITATION OF DRAGONS, AND A COURT FOR OWLS.
The word translated as “DRAGONS” is “tanim” in Hebrew usually taken to mean jackals or hyenas.
[Isaiah 34:14] THE WILD BEASTS OF THE DESERT SHALL ALSO MEET WITH THE WILD BEASTS OF THE ISLAND, AND THE SATYR SHALL CRY TO HIS FELLOW; THE SCREECH OWL ALSO SHALL REST THERE, AND FIND FOR HERSELF A PLACE OF REST.
DESERT is “Midbar” also meaning wilderness.
“THE WILD BEASTS OF THE ISLAND” in Hebrrew this is all one word “Ee-im” . This word can mean “Islands” but Amos Chocham (Daat Mikra) says that in this case it means “wild cats”.
“THE SATYR” in Hebrew is “Sair” literally “hairy one”. The word can denote a wild goat or a demon.
[Isaiah 34:15] THERE SHALL THE GREAT OWL MAKE HER NEST, AND LAY, AND HATCH, AND GATHER UNDER HER SHADOW: THERE SHALL THE VULTURES ALSO BE GATHERED, EVERY ONE WITH HER MATE.
[Isaiah 34:16] SEEK YE OUT OF THE BOOK OF THE LORD, AND READ: NO ONE OF THESE SHALL FAIL, NONE SHALL WANT HER MATE: FOR MY MOUTH IT HATH COMMANDED, AND HIS SPIRIT IT HATH GATHERED THEM.
Everything is written. Everything will come to pass. A lot of things we will not understand until after they occur and even then only partially so.
[Isaiah 34:17] AND HE HATH CAST THE LOT FOR THEM, AND HIS HAND HATH DIVIDED IT UNTO THEM BY LINE: THEY SHALL POSSESS IT FOR EVER, FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION SHALL THEY DWELL THEREIN.
Wild beasts, ghosts, demons, but no people. The effects of nuclear disaster could leave vast sections of the earth uninhabitable for al ong timeand in some cases for ever.
A BritAm website