The earth’s chaotic condition during its formation from cosmic matter is repeated at the end of the world as its inhabitants’ corruption leads to the dissolution of the earth’s elements into a disorganized state. Throughout the Book of Isaiah thus appear the chaos motifs of dust, waters, hail, mud, mist, darkness, clouds, smoke, wind, fire, chaff, etc. All represent God’s reducing the world’s wicked inhabitants and their institutions to nothing, or to non-entities.
Isaiah 26:5He has put down the elite inhabitants
of the exalted city
by casting it to the ground,
laying it even with the dust.
Isaiah 29:5Suddenly, in an instant,
your crowds of evildoers shall become as fine dust,
your violent mobs like flying chaff.
Isaiah 5:24As a blazing fire consumes stubble,
and as dry weeds wane before the flame,
so shall their roots decay away
and their blossoms fly up like dust.
Isaiah 14:31From the North shall come [pillars of] smoke,
and no place he has designated shall evade it.
Isaiah 28:17A hail shall sweep away your false refuge
and waters flood the hiding place.
Isaiah 57:13A wind shall carry all of them off;
a vapor shall take them away.