SPECIAL TOPIC: THE TWO "CITIES" IN ISAIAH
A. Isaiah 24-27 is a literary unit positioned at the conclusion of a series of judgment oracles against the surrounding nations found in Isaiah 13-23. Judgment is not the last word! The God of grace and mercy has an eternal, inclusive, redemptive plan (see SPECIAL TOPIC: YHWH'S ETERNAL REDEMPTIVE PLAN)!
B. This entire section is a play on two cities.
1. the cities formed by the fallen human children of Cain, who try to meet their needs completely in their own resources (i.e., Genesis 4:10-11).
2. the city of Zion, where God dwells (i.e., above the wings of the two Cherubim over the ark of the covenant in the holiest inner shrine of the temple in Jerusalem) and where His faithful followers (Jew and Gentile) come to Him and worship Him (cf. Isa. 2:2-4; 19:18-25; Heb. 11:10; 12:22; 13:14; Rev. 21:1-2).
C. Cities represent people groups/nations.
| Human Cities | God's City |
| Isa. 1:7,8, burned Judean cities | Isa. 1:26, the city of righteousness, a faithful city |
| Isa. 1:21, the faithful city has become a harlot
Isa. 6:11, Judean cities devastated Isa. 14:17,21, all cities devastated Isa. 14:31 cities of Philistia Isa. 17:1-3,9, cities of Syria ruined |
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| Isa. 19:2, cities of Egypt destroy each other | Isa. 19:18-22, Egyptian cities worship God
Isa. 19:23-25, all Egypt and Assyria included in God's people |
| Isa. 22:2,9, the exultant city, Jerusalem falls
Isa. 23, Tyre destroyed Isa. 24:1-25:5, universal destruction of cities |
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| Isa. 25:10-12, Moab and her palace, fortified | Isa. 25:6-9, banquet on God's mountain (i.e., cities trampled Jerusalem) |
| Isa. 26:5, the unassailable city, probably Moab | Isa. 26:1, a strong city, Jerusalem, restored |
| Isa. 27:10, fortified cities fall
Isa. 29:1, "Ariel" (Jerusalem) Isa. 33:2,19, the jubilant city (Jerusalem) |
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| Isa. 45:13, My city (cf. Isa. 44:23) | |
| Isa. 48:2, the holy city, but in name only | |
| Isa. 52:1-6, the holy city
Isa. 60:14, the city of the Lord Isa. 62:12, a city not forsaken |
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| Isa. 66:6, a voice of uproar from the city, a voice from the temple |
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