Changes To Come In the Last Days

Isaiah 3:16-4:6

“Moreover the LORD saith, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet:  Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the LORD will discover their secret parts.

In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, and their cauls, and their round tires like the moon, The chains, and the bracelets, and the mufflers, The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the tablets, and the earrings, The rings, and nose jewels, The changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the crisping pins, The glasses, and the fine linen, and the hoods, and the veils.  And it shall come to pass, that instead of sweet smell there shall be stink; and instead of a girdle a rent; and instead of well set hair baldness; and instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth; and burning instead of beauty.” (Isaiah 3:13-24)

The young women of Judah and Jerusalem took great pride in how they appeared.  They cultivated a sexy walk and seductive poses, with lots of sparkling or tinkling jewelry to draw attention.   They had to have the newest and most fashionable clothing.   They were not concerned with their relationship with the Lord, but only in getting people’s attention. 

To destroy their pride God would send rashes on their head to detract from their beauty and reveal problems they tried to hide.   In addition he would cause them to lose the fancy jewelry and force them to wear unfashionable clothing.  They wouldn’t even be able to obtain the perfumes and deodorants they were accustomed to, and the clothing they got would be of the cheapest materials and fit badly, with torn places.   Instead of being finely made up, their faces would be sunburned and dried out, and they wouldn’t be able to get their hair done.  It might even fall out do to scalp infections. 

“Thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy mighty in the war.  And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she being desolate shall sit upon the ground.  And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach.” (Isaiah 3:25-4:1)

So many of the men will be killed as a result of crime and wars that the entire nation will be in sorrow.  Instead of picking which guys they want the young women will be competing for the few that survive.  The moral climate will change completely and to dispel any suspicion of lesbian practices or other sexual sin, as many as seven women will try to get one man to claim them as his wife, offering to support themselves if he will. 

“In that day shall the branch of the LORD be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel.  And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem: When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning.” (Isaiah 4:2-4)

Christ will set up his millennial kingdom and rule here on earth for a thousand years as we saw in Revelation 20:4.  During that time the crops and fruit will bear bountifully for those who have survived the attacks on the Jews.  Those Jews who survive will be holy to God after he has punished and destroyed those who have refused to obey God and killed his people. 

“And the LORD will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defence.   And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain.” (Isaiah 4:5-6)

Like he did when he led Israel out of Egypt, God will display his leadership by putting a pillar of cloud and smoke over Jerusalem during the day and a pillar of fire by night to show where he wants them and to provide protection.   There will be protection even from the sun so they can focus on the Lord rather than being distracted by the heat.