SPECIAL TOPIC: THE TWO CITIES

SPECIAL TOPIC: THE TWO "CITIES" OF ISAIAH

A. Isaiah chapters 24-27 are 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!

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 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 people (Jew and Gentile) come to Him and worship Him (cf. 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
1:7,8, burned Judean cities	1:26, the city of righteousness, a faithful city
1:21, the faithful city has become a harlot 6:11, Judean cities devastated 14:17,21, all cities devastated 14:31 cities of Philistia 17:1-3,9, cities of Syria ruined
19:2, cities of Egypt destroy each other	19:18-22, Egyptian cities worship God 19:23-25, all Egypt and Assyria included in God's people
22:2,9, the exultant city, Jerusalem falls 23, Tyre destroyed 24:1-25:5, universal destruction of cities
25:10-12, Moab and her palace, fortified	25:6-9, banquet on God's mountain (i.e., cities trampled Jerusalem)
26:5, the unassailable city, probably Moab	26:1, a strong city, Jerusalem, restored
27:10, fortified cities fall 29:1, "Ariel" (Jerusalem) 33:2,19, the jubilant city (Jerusalem)
	45:13, My city (cf. 44:23)
48:2, the holy city, but in name only
	52:1-6, the holy city 60:14, the city of the Lord 62:12, a city not forsaken
66:6, a voice of uproar from the city, a voice from the temple