John Calvin Commentary Isaiah 24:23

"Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed; for Jehovah of hosts will reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem; and before his elders shall be glory." — Isaiah 24:23 (ASV)

The moon shall be confounded. Many commentators think that the Prophet grows even angrier with the Jews, even saying that the sun, moon, and stars are ashamed of their unbelief, and that not only humans, but speechless creatures, will detest them; but this appears to be far from the Prophet's meaning and design.

I have no doubt that he continues to offer the consolation he alluded to in the previous verse: "When the Lord visits His people and cleanses the Church from its defilement, He will establish a kingdom so illustrious that it will darken the sun and stars by its brightness." This way of speaking is often used by the prophets, and we have seen it before.

Therefore, since God will establish your kingdom on Mount Zion, its splendor in the restoration of the people will be so great that those things which dazzle human eyes will be dark in comparison to it. To express this, he has mentioned those objects that surpass all others in brightness.

When the Lord of hosts shall reign in Mount Zion. Some think that the word reign denotes God’s vengeance, but this is inaccurate. For although the Lord is said to reign when He acts as a Judge, the complex phrase "the reign of God in Mount Zion" always denotes mercy and salvation. He speaks of the restoration of the Church, and therefore it follows that these things are fulfilled only in Christ.

And before his elders glory. By expressly mentioning the "elders," he employs a figure of speech frequently used in Scripture, where the chief part of the Church represents its whole body. Yet it is not without a special purpose that he uses the term "elders" to denote not only the priests but also other governors who preside over discipline and morals, and by whose moderation and prudence others ought to be guided.

Under their name, he includes the whole nation, not only because they represent the whole body and because the common people are, in a sense, covered by their prominent standing, but also so that believers may cherish hope for future restoration. Otherwise, it would be of little or no use for a scattered multitude to be left like a mutilated body or a confused mass.

He used the phrase "and before his elders" for good reason, so that the Jews might know that the power of God would be visibly and strikingly displayed—not that it can be perceived by the bodily senses, but by faith. He reigns in such a way that we feel He is present with us; and if we did not understand this, it would offer us no consolation.

Glory. Instead of "glory," some read "gloriously," and others, "glorious." I prefer to take it simply as a substantive, though there is little difference in the meaning. He shows how great the splendor and glory of God will be when the kingdom of Christ is established, because all that is brilliant must be obscured, and the glory of Christ alone must hold a high and prominent place. Therefore, it follows that God receives His just rights and the honor due to Him only when all creatures are placed in subjection, and He alone shines before our eyes.