As I write, Asian financial markets are easing from a night of financial turmoil in the US, although the Shanghai is still taking a beating.

The Dow Jones dropped 1000 points last night and closed down 588 which is the 8^th biggest daily drop in the history of the Dow. It was also the first time that the Dow has ever fallen by more than 500 points on two consecutive days.

The Shanghai index had its biggest drop since the Financial Crisis, the Australian markets lost $70 billion yesterday and Europe also dropped at a record speed not seen since the GFC in 2008.

A big question hangs over the heads of world governments and experts alike – How bad can this correction get?  No doubt the next few days will tell.

However, what we have seen over the last few days, is a mere sneeze in global financial markets compared to the financial cataclysm which will hit around or after the return of Christ.

Isaiah gives us some insight;

The buyer will be like the seller,
the lender like the borrower,
the creditor like the debtor.

~Isa 24

This quote is one of many verses in Isaiah 24 which describes the state of the world after the return of Christ, and before He is enthroned in Zion. Its a state of affairs where the value of currency has become worthless, where the global economy and financial system have been destroyed.

Think of what that entails;

• Collapse of equities, bonds & FX markets
• Collapse of commercial and central banks
• Collapse of government
• Collapse of local & national economies
• Collapse of small and large business

The message of Isa 24 is that that time will come. When, we ask?

There seems to be a precursor, a preface if you like to Isa 24, and that preface can be found in the Olivet prophecy.

There are at least four parallels between the Olivet prophecy and Isa 24 which begs the question, did Christ have Isa 24 in mind when he spoke to his disciples?

	Luke 21	Mat 24	Isa 24
The Shaking of the Earth	v11 – earthquakes in various places	v7 – earthquakes in various places	v19 – The earth is exceedingly shaken, violently broken, split open, reels to and fro.
Signs in the Moon and Sun	v11 – signs from heaven	v29 – the Sun will be darkened and the Moon will not give its light	v23 – The Moon is disgraced, and the Sun ashamed.
The Gleaning of Fruit	v30 – when they are already budding	v32 – Parable of the fig tree – when the branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves	v13 – It shall be like the shaking of an olive tree, the gleaning of the grapes.
Mirth & Drunkenness	v3 – Take care that your heart be not weighed down by carousing, drunkenness, cares of this life	v38 – Eating and drinking and giving in marriage – until the coming of the son of man	v7-9 – Merry hearted sigh, the mirth of the tambourine ceases. The noise of the jubilant ends, the joy of the heart ceaseth. They shall not drink wine with a song, strong drink is bitter to those who drink it.

Note that Christ alludes to aspects of Isa 24 in the future tense, whereas Isaiah speaks of these parallels in the present tense because Isaiah was speaking as he envisioned it.

But its not until we come back to Luke 17 that we find Christ expanding more on what the world would be like prior to its destruction. We find that the world will be generally prosperous;

And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.

Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.

 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.

If we compare these phrases with Isa 24 they are a remarkable contrast;

Prosperity in Luke 17	Destruction in Isaiah 24
v28 – “Eating and Drinking”	v9 – “Strong drink is bitter to those who drink it”
v28 – “Buying and Selling”	v2 – “As with the buyer so with the seller”
v28 – “Planting and Building”	v7 – “The vine languisheth”

Luke 17 warns of general prosperity in the last days before His return. Isaiah 24 describes the devastation that has been brought upon the global economy after the return of Christ.

Lets not forget our Lords message to those living in prosperity in the last days:

Take care that your heart be not weighed down by carousing, drunkenness, cares of this life.