Before the Lord’s day of vengeance and wrath;
Isaiah 64:1-2 Why, Lord, do you not tear asunder the heavens and come down, so that the mountains might shake and fires blaze, so as to make water boil? Then Your Name would be known to your adversaries and the nations would tremble before You.
This is our present situation, asking the Lord to sort out the world’s mess. Note how the CME the Lord will use on that Day, will cause earthquakes, fires and will make any open area of water boil.
After the Lord’s Day of vengeance and wrath;
Isaiah 64:3 You surprised us with awesome things! The mountains shook when You appeared.
Most people will be surprised and shocked by this terrifying Day of fire judgement and earthquakes. This will be the unexpected event, referred to as ‘coming like a thief’.
Isaiah 64:4-9 Never has ear heard, nor eye seen any other god who acts for those who wait for Him. The Lord welcomes those who rejoice to do right and are mindful of His Laws. But, because we continued to sin, He was angry. How then, can we be saved? All of us are unclean, like filthy rags. Our iniquities carry us away like the wind. No one calls to You or strives to hold fast to You, for You have hidden Yourself from us and left us in the grip of our sins. Isaiah 8:17, Ezekiel 39:21-24
Yet, Lord, You are our Father, we are the clay, You are the Potter. All of us are Your handiwork. Do not be angry beyond measure, Lord, do not remember iniquity forever. Look upon us, we pray, for we are Your people.
Isaiah 64:10-11 Your holy cities are ruined, all of Zion is a desolation. Jerusalem, Your sanctuary, has been burned by fire, all that we treasured has been destroyed. Ezekiel 33:27-29, Zephaniah 1:4-6
This is the result of the great and terrible Day of the Lord’s vengeance and wrath, well before and quite different from the Day of the glorious Return of Jesus. The burning and destruction of Jerusalem, particularly, has happened twice before, but is prophesied to happen three times, as in Ezekiel 21:1-17.
Isaiah 64:12 After all this, will You keep silent and punish us beyond measure?
2 Chronicles 6:36-39 Should Your people sin against You, (and who is free from sin?) and should You in Your anger, give them over to enemies, who exile them to lands far and near, then if they have a change of heart and turn to You, saying: We have sinned and then, in the land of their exile, they pray wholeheartedly to their God, looking toward the Land which You gave to their forefathers, then from heaven – hear their supplications and maintain their cause. Forgive Your people their sins against You, let Your priests be clothed with salvation and Your loyal servants rejoice in prosperity.
Ref: REB. Some verses abridged
The Prophetic Word 