Isaiah 34:8

8 For {Yahweh has a day of vengeance}, a year of retribution for the strife of Zion.

Isaiah 34:8 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 34:8

For [it is] the day of the Lord's vengeance
The time which he has appointed to take vengeance on antichrist, his 1260 days, or years; being up, in which he is to reign; these being expired, the time is come for the Lord to avenge the blood of his saints; see ( Revelation 18:20 ) ( 19:2 ) : [and] the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion;
the church of God, which has been for many ages abused and injured by the antichristian powers, for which the Lord will have a controversy with them; he will appear in favour of his people, and plead the cause of Zion, and recompense their enemies for all the injuries they have done them; then they that have led into captivity shall go into captivity, and they that have killed with the sword shall be killed with it, ( Revelation 13:10 ) this will be a time of double recompence; and therefore perhaps the word is used in the plural number; it will be the time of rewarding antichrist as he has rewarded others; and it will be the time of the dead, that they shall be judged, and rewards given to God's servants the prophets, ( Revelation 18:6 ) ( 11:18 ) . The Targum is,

``the year of recompence, to take vengeance of judgment for the injury of Zion.''

Isaiah 34:8 In-Context

6 {Yahweh has a sword}; it is full [of] blood. It is covered with fat, with [the] blood of lambs and goats, with [the] fat of [the] kidneys of rams, for {Yahweh has a sacrifice} in Bozrah and a great slaughter in the land of Edom.

7 And wild oxen shall go down with them, and steers with strong bulls. And their land shall be drenched with blood, and their soil shall be fattened with fat.

8 For {Yahweh has a day of vengeance}, a year of retribution for the strife of Zion.

9 And its streams shall be changed to pitch and its soil to sulfur, and its land shall become like burning pitch.

10 Night and day it shall not be quenched; its smoke shall go up forever. From generation to generation it shall be in ruins; forever and ever there will be no one who passes through her.

Footnotes

• [a] Literally "a day of vengeance for Yahweh"