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 harlotIsa. 6:11, Judean cities devastatedIsa. 14:17,21, all cities devastatedIsa. 14:31 cities of PhilistiaIsa. 17:1-3,9, cities of Syria ruined
Isa. 19:2, cities of Egypt destroy each other	Isa. 19:18-22, Egyptian cities worship GodIsa. 19:23-25, all Egypt and Assyria included in God’s people
Isa. 22:2,9, the exultant city, Jerusalem fallsIsa. 23, Tyre destroyedIsa. 24:1-25:5, universal destruction of cities
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 fallIsa. 29:1, “Ariel” (Jerusalem)Isa. 33:2,19, the jubilant city (Jerusalem)
	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 cityIsa. 60:14, the city of the LordIsa. 62:12, a city not forsaken
	Isa. 66:6, a voice of uproar from the city, a voice from the temple