Movatterモバイル変換

Isaiah 1:7
Your countryis desolate, your citiesare burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, andit is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.

2 Kings 25:9
And he burnt the house of the LORD, and the king's house, and all the houses of Jerusalem, and every greatman's house burnt he with fire.

2 Chronicles 36:19-21
And they burnt the house of God, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof…

Zion has become a wasteland
Zion, often synonymous with Jerusalem, holds significant spiritual and historical importance as the city of David and the location of the Temple. The term "wasteland" conveys a sense of barrenness and ruin, highlighting the severity of the judgment that has fallen upon it. This desolation fulfills the prophetic warnings given by prophets like Jeremiah and Ezekiel, who spoke of the impending destruction due to the people's unfaithfulness. Zion's transformation into a wasteland also foreshadows the need for spiritual renewal and restoration, pointing to the future hope of redemption and the coming of the Messiah, as seen in prophecies likeIsaiah 40:1-5.

and Jerusalem a desolation.
Jerusalem, the heart of Jewish worship and identity, being described as a "desolation" underscores the complete and utter ruin that has befallen the city. This devastation is a direct result of the people's disobedience and idolatry, as warned by prophets such as Isaiah and Jeremiah. The historical context of the Babylonian exile is crucial here, as it marks a period of profound loss and reflection for the Jewish people. Despite this, the desolation of Jerusalem also sets the stage for the promise of restoration and the coming of a new covenant, as prophesied inJeremiah 31:31-34. This future hope is ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who brings spiritual restoration and establishes a new Jerusalem, as depicted inRevelation 21:1-4.

Isaiah pictures all the covenant-marked towns of Judah—places where God’s name was honored through sacrifices and festivals—now emptied and overgrown.

•Isaiah 1:7-8 affirms, “Your land is desolate… Daughter Zion is left like a shelter in a vineyard.”

•Jeremiah 9:11 echoes, “I will make Jerusalem a heap of rubble, a haunt of jackals, and the cities of Judah a desolation.”

Taken literally, the devastation followed the Babylonian invasion (2 Kings 25:1-21). Spiritually, it reminds us that sin hollows out what was once set apart for God. When worship is replaced by rebellion, even places once called “holy” can become barren.

“Zion” points to the Temple mount—the very heart of Israel’s worship. To call it a wasteland shows the depth of loss:

•Lamentations 5:18: “Mount Zion lies desolate, foxes prowl over it.”

•Micah 3:12 had warned, “Zion will be plowed like a field.”

•Psalm 74:7 grieves, “They have burned Your sanctuary to the ground.”

God keeps His word both in blessing and in judgment. For believers, Zion’s ruin is a sober reminder that God’s presence cannot be presumed upon; He disciplines His people so that relationship may one day be restored (Hebrews 12:5-11).

The prophet narrows from the region to the city walls and streets themselves. Jerusalem, once “the joy of all the earth” (Psalm 48:2), now sits abandoned:

•2 Kings 25:9-10 recounts Nebuchadnezzar burning the Temple and every major building.

•Lamentations 1:1 mourns, “How lonely lies the city, once so full of people!”

•Nehemiah 1:3 later reports that its walls were “broken down and its gates burned with fire.”

Historically, this desolation happened in 586 BC. Prophetically, it also foreshadows future sieges (Luke 21:20). Yet each time, God preserves a remnant (Isaiah 10:20-22) and promises eventual renewal (Isaiah 62:1-5). Desolation is never His last word.

Isaiah 64:10 is a lament that takes the reader from the outlying “holy cities,” through the Temple mount, into the heart of Jerusalem—each layer stripped of life because covenant unfaithfulness invited righteous judgment. The verse speaks literally of Babylon’s destruction, and it speaks timelessly: holiness cannot coexist with willful sin, and even cherished places can be emptied when God’s people turn away. Yet embedded in the lament is hope; the same Lord who allowed the ruin also pledges restoration to all who return to Him.