Topical Encyclopedia
Devastation, in the biblical context, refers to the severe destruction or desolation that can occur as a result of divine judgment, warfare, or natural calamities. The Bible frequently uses the concept of devastation to illustrate the consequences of sin, the power of God, and the transient nature of earthly kingdoms.
Divine Judgment and DevastationThroughout the Scriptures, devastation is often depicted as a direct result of divine judgment against nations and peoples who have turned away from God. The prophets frequently warned of impending devastation as a consequence of idolatry, injustice, and moral decay. For instance, in the book of Isaiah, the prophet speaks of the desolation that will come upon the land due to the people's rebellion against God: "Your land is desolate, your cities are burned with fire; foreigners devour your fields before you, a desolation demolished by strangers" (
Isaiah 1:7).
The book of Jeremiah also contains vivid descriptions of devastation as a result of God's judgment. Jeremiah prophesies the destruction of Jerusalem and the surrounding regions due to the people's persistent disobedience: "I looked at the earth, and it was formless and void; I looked to the heavens, and they had no light. I looked at the mountains, and behold, they were quaking; all the hills were swaying. I looked, and no man was left; all the birds of the air had fled. I looked, and the fruitful land was a desert. All its cities were torn down before the LORD, before His fierce anger" (
Jeremiah 4:23-26).
Warfare and DevastationThe Bible also records instances of devastation resulting from warfare. The conquest of Canaan by the Israelites involved the destruction of cities and the displacement of peoples as part of God's plan to establish His chosen nation in the Promised Land. The book of Joshua recounts the fall of Jericho, where the city was utterly destroyed: "They devoted the city to the LORD and destroyed with the sword every living thing in it—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep, and donkeys" (
Joshua 6:21).
Similarly, the Babylonian conquest of Judah led to the devastation of Jerusalem and the destruction of Solomon's Temple. This event marked a significant moment in Israel's history, as it was seen as a fulfillment of prophetic warnings and a call to repentance and restoration.
Natural Calamities and DevastationIn addition to divine judgment and warfare, the Bible acknowledges natural calamities as sources of devastation. The book of Joel describes a locust plague that devastates the land, serving as both a literal and symbolic warning of the coming "day of the LORD": "What the devouring locust has left, the swarming locust has eaten; what the swarming locust has left, the young locust has eaten; and what the young locust has left, the destroying locust has eaten" (
Joel 1:4).
Hope Amidst DevastationWhile devastation is often portrayed as a consequence of sin and rebellion, the Bible also offers hope and restoration. The prophets frequently speak of a future time when God will restore what has been destroyed and bring healing to the land. In Isaiah, God promises to comfort His people and rebuild the ruins: "They will rebuild the ancient ruins; they will restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations" (
Isaiah 61:4).
The theme of restoration is ultimately fulfilled in the person and work of Jesus Christ, who brings spiritual renewal and the promise of a new creation where devastation will be no more.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
1. (
n.) The act of devastating, or the state of being devastated; a laying waste.
2. (n.) Waste of the goods of the deceased by an executor or administrator.
Greek
2050. eremosis -- a making desolate... desolate. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: eremosis Phonetic Spelling:
(er-ay'-mo-sis) Short Definition: desolation,
devastation Definition: a
...Strong's Hebrew
7612. sheth -- perhapsdevastation... 7611, 7612. sheth. 7613 . perhaps
devastation. Transliteration: sheth
Phonetic Spelling: (shayth) Short Definition:
devastation.
...8077. shemamah --devastation, waste
... shemamah or shimamah. 8078 .devastation, waste. Transliteration: shemamah or
shimamah Phonetic Spelling: (shem-aw-maw') Short Definition: desolation....
7724b. shoah --devastation, ruin, waste
shoah or shoah. 7724a, 7724b. shoah or shoah. 7725 .devastation, ruin, waste.
Transliteration: shoah or shoah Short Definition: destruction....
7701. shod -- violence, havoc,devastation, ruin
... 7700, 7701. shod or shod. 7702 . violence, havoc,devastation, ruin.
Transliteration: shod or shod Phonetic Spelling: (shode) Short Definition: destruction...
4923. meshammah --devastation, waste, horror
... 4922, 4923. meshammah. 4924 .devastation, waste, horror. Transliteration:
meshammah Phonetic Spelling: (mesh-am-maw') Short Definition: waste....
7722. sho -- perhaps a ravage
... Or (feminine) showtah {sho-aw'}; or shoah {sho-aw'}; from an unused root meaning
to rush over; a tempest; by implication,devastation -- desolate(-ion), destroy...
Library
Of theDevastation of the World and Change of the Empires.
... The Divine Institutes. Book VII. Of a Happy Life. Chap. XV."Of theDevastation
of the World and Change of the Empires. It is contained...
Of theDevastation of the World, and Its Prophetic Omens.
... CHAP. XVI."OF THEDEVASTATION of the World, and Its Prophetic Omens. But, test any
one should think this incredible, I will show how it will come to pass....
How King Caedwalla, King of the Gewissae, Having Slain Ethelwalch...
... BOOK IV CHAP. XV. How King Caedwalla, king of the Gewissae, having slain Ethelwalch,
wasted that Province with cruel slaughter anddevastation. [685 AD]....
Of the Times of Christ's Birth and Passion, and of Jerusalem's...
... into of the predicted and future nativity of the Christ, and of His passion, and
of the extermination of the city of Jerusalem, that is, itsdevastation....
Of the Discipline of the Church, and Its Principal Use in Censures...
... abolished, or who impede the restoration of it, whether they do this of design or
through thoughtlessness, certainly aim at the completedevastation of the...
Introduction and Overview
... In Chapter 20 we have a dramatic climax to the book in the overthrow and death of
Edwin at the battle of Hatfield in 633 AD; thedevastation of Northumbria by...
On the Government of God
... Gaul,devastation of, 106, 178, 204; southern, conditions in, 5. Geffcken, J., 233....
Spain, defeat of Romans in, 202, 205;devastation of, 106, 178, 197....
The divine institutes
... Chap. XV.--Of theDevastation of the World and Change of the Empires. CHAP.
XVI.--OF THEDEVASTATION of the World, and Its Prophetic Omens. Chap....
Melanchthon -- the Safety of the virtuous
... part of those with whom we are closely connected, banishment, abuse, desertion,
miserable children, public and domestic strife, wars, murder, anddevastation....
Debate on the Proposed Invasion of Greece.
... no road to honor but by war, and Mardonius found that his only hope of rising to
distinction was by conducting a vast torrent of militarydevastation over some...
Thesaurus
Devastation (17 Occurrences)... Multi-Version Concordance
Devastation (17 Occurrences).
... Proverbs 21:7 The
devastation of the wicked sweepeth them away, because they refuse to do what is right.
...Ravage (9 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (v.) To lay waste by force; to desolate by violence;
to commit havoc ordevastation upon; to spoil; to plunder; to consume....
Destruction (734 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary. 1. (n.) The act of destroying; a tearing down; a bringing
to naught; subversion; demolition; ruin; slaying;devastation....
Havoc (7 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (n.) Wide and general destruction;devastation;
waste. 2. (vt) To devastate; to destroy; to lay waste....
Warfare (18 Occurrences)
... by the sacred historians (1 Samuel 4:6; 1 Samuel 14:19 2 Kings 7:6). In the figurative
language of the prophets the terrors and horrors anddevastation of war...
Joel (22 Occurrences)
... Yet there is an advance; for, whereas in 1:2-12 the attention is fixed on the
devastation, in 2:1-11 it is the devastator, the locust, that is particularly...
War (529 Occurrences)
... by the sacred historians (1 Samuel 4:6; 1 Samuel 14:19 2 Kings 7:6). In the figurative
language of the prophets the terrors and horrors anddevastation of war...
Waste (668 Occurrences)
... 10. (n.) The act of wasting, or the state of being wasted; a squandering; needless
destruction; useless consumption or expenditure;devastation; loss without...
Forest (67 Occurrences)
... 11:2, "inaccessible forest, " or RV "strong forest") is probably a figurative allusion
to Jerusalem, or the verse may simply point to thedevastation of the...
Devastations (1 Occurrence)
Resources
What are the seven seals of Revelation? | GotQuestions.orgIs Joel 1:4 referring to literal locusts? When was this prophecy fulfilled? | GotQuestions.orgWhat does it mean that “no weapon formed against you shall prosper” (Isaiah 54:17)? | GotQuestions.orgDevastation: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.comBible Concordance •
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