Isaiah
24:22
22 And they shall be gathered together ['acaph], as prisoners ['acciyr] are
gathered ['acephah] in the pit [bowr], and shall be shut up [cagar] in the prison [macger], and after many [rob] days [yowm] shall they be
visited [paqad]. KJV-Interlinear
22 They will be gathered together as
prisoners in a pit; they will be shut up in a prison, and after many days they
will be punished. ESV
Christ deals
with the condemned. But probably not as
you think. This is the most terrifying
predicament in which anyone can find themselves. To be collected without mercy and tossed without
recourse, into prison. But not alone,
but in mass with many others.
In ancient
times, when enemy combatants were captured, they were chained together and
tossed into a pit or a dungeon, or a prison as it were, in extreme conditions,
with little food or clothing and certainly no comfort.
Captives were
typically insolent, disruptive, and full of anger and hate and attitude. The whole experience of the dungeon and
chains and such, was to soften their disposition and bring about a humility into
their nature.
Some would
soften and want to repent, while others would remain hardened and obstinate toward
their captors.
And so we have
more than the symbolism of the captives and their conditions, it will be an
extreme situation for those who have rejected Christ.
We have in other
studies, seen that Satan initially rejected Christ and was followed by all of
the angels in that rejection. Two-thirds
of the angels repented, while the remainder remained in their stubborn
rejection of Christ.
Satan wanted the
throne to the north, which is the seat of power at the right hand of the
Father. That seat was reserved for
Christ.
And so Satan and
all of His fallen angels will be placed in the Abyss, while humans who reject Christ
will be imprisoned in Torments. And this
is important, in that Satans influence is overpowering, but while in prison in
Torments, all of the Satanic influence will be removed and separated away from
those people who will occupy that prison cell, as it were. This separation will
give everyone time to think without undue influence.
Since the time
of Cain, or the death of the very first unbeliever, all unbelievers have been
in Torments, a compartment in the underworld, and there awaiting their final
judgment.
Some have been
there for a very long time. And of
course, at the end of history some will spend a very short time there. Perhaps some need more time to think about their
errors, while others need a very short time to come to their senses.
Now the
important part of this verse is the word, visited, ‘paqad.’
After many days,
is the duration, of the captivity. And
after that time has expired, then there is a visit.
The word for
visit has two meanings.
In ancient
times, prisoners were forced to wait in extreme conditions before their
punishment is carried out, or that visit could bring a review or aiding or
numbering as in evaluations for either punishment or mercy and grace to those
who have had a change of heart.
Therefore, note
the separation of the captives into their respective groups, namely the fallen
angels in one place and unbelieving humanity in another.
They are
imprisoned and that is a promise and a guarantee for all who defy Christ.
They will remain
in their respective prison for a period of time. For those who are incarcerated at the Second
Advent, that period will be no less than one-thousand years, or the duration of
the Millennium.
They will all
receive a visit, or an evaluation or a review, and then the final promise, they
will all receive a sentence of some sort, and as is implied here, some may have
a change of heart, believe in Christ and as we know, since God is merciful,
that may be their last and only way out of the Lake of Fire.
And since Satan
and his fallen band, have had many millennia to live and fail, then any given
person, should have an opportunity to see the real evil of their ways, namely a
period of time spent in Torments, so that they can have a chance at rethinking their
rebelliousness.
The Bible indicates
that many will remain in their rejection, and they will remain stubborn all the
way into the Lake of Fire, but there is always the possibility, right up to and
until the actual commission to the Lake of Fire, that some or all will have at
least one last opportunity to repent.
Otherwise there would
be no reason for placing anyone in a temporary holding area for punishment and
then again more punishment if there was no chance of reprieve.
Rejecting Christ
is the absolute worst thing that anyone can do.
Many a criminal has gone into prison and become even more hardened, to
their own detriment.
