Isaiah 25:3 “Therefore shall the strong people glorify thee, the city of the terrible nations shall fear thee. 4 For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall. 5 Thou shalt bring down the noise of strangers, as the heat in a dry place; even the heat with the shadow of a cloud: the branch of the terrible ones shall be brought low.”
Isaiah tells us that, not just a few “nations”, but a whole “city of … nations” are against the House Of God; that is, there are many evil and powerful nations in this world that hold God, His Church, His Word, and His people as their enemy; and there are times when they band together against the Lord. Yet, collectively, they “shall fear” the “Lord of host” when He reveals His Almighty Power to them. During the period of the kings, Israel “smote all the cities round about Gerar; for the fear of the LORD came upon them: and they spoiled all the cities; for there was exceeding much spoil in them” (II Chronicles 14:14) and “the fear of the LORD fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were round about Judah, so that they made no war against Jehoshaphat” (II Chronicles 17:10). It is the same today, there are many “terrible nations” that hate the Lord and His people, and they seek any opportunity to destroy the faithful Children of God. Yet, we can take great comfort in knowing that in a time and manner pleasing to God; they will be made to greatly tremble and “shall fear” the Lord. Paul makes it vividly clear that there is a great contrast between “the terrible nations” and the faithful Children of God: “For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries.” (I Corinthians 16:9). It is amazingly wonderful how our Lord opens “a great door” for Church prosperity, even in the very face of “many adversaries”, the “the terrible nations”. Even in very trying times, we have every reason to “Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things.” (Joel 2:21)!