Isaiah 3:16-4:6

“The Lord will wash away the filth of the women of Zion; He will cleanse the bloodstains from Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of fire.” (Isaiah 4:4, NIV)

Isaiah prophesied that God was not happy with the women of Jerusalem. They were haughty with outstretched necks and flirtatious eyes. Judgment was coming when their husbands would die by the sword, and they would be taken captive by the Babylonians. They would lose all their fine clothing, jewelry and perfume and lament and mourn. Because men would be so rare, seven women would take hold of one man. They would support themselves if only he would take away their shame.

Isaiah then fast-forwarded to the distant future.

“In that day the Branch of the LORD shall be beautiful and glorious; and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and appealing for those of Israel who have escaped.” (Isaiah 4:2, NKJV)

The Branch of the LORD is Jesus Christ who will return at the end of the Great Tribulation to purge Israel of sin. Those who survive the worldwide cataclysms and the Antichrist will be called holy. The Lord will cleanse away the filth of the women of Jerusalem and remove the guilt of bloodshed from the city. He will do this by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of fire. Israel will be purified through the fire of the Tribulation and prepared for the millennial kingdom.

To a lesser degree, God sometimes puts us through the fire to purge us of sin. We easily go our own way. Sin deceives us into thinking that we are getting away with it. But because God loves us, He won’t let us go. He allows trials to come into our lives to refine us. He speaks to us through our pains. He burns away the dross. This happens, not because God doesn’t love us, but because He does love us and wants to prepare us for His eternal kingdom.

Are you in the fiery trial? Don’t despair, for God is refining you. Weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning (Psalm 30:5).