ישעיהו, פרק כ״ד, פסוק ו׳

The devastation that strikes the world is not a random natural disaster. Instead, it is the direct result of human wrongdoing, bringing a severe consequence of fire, desolation, and a drastic loss of life upon the earth and its inhabitants.

The ruin begins with a curse. The primary approach among commentators [רש״י, מצודת דוד, רד״ק] explains that this refers to the sin of false oaths, where taking God's name in vain brings global punishment. Others suggest that the curse stems directly from the cries of the oppressed and robbed, whose suffering brings a curse upon their abusers [שד״ל]. A third perspective links this to the explicit curses outlined in the Torah, which take effect when its laws are broken [מלבי״ם]. Ultimately, it is through this very curse that the destruction arrives [אבן עזרא], consuming the earth and leaving it entirely corrupted, ruined, and burned [מצודת ציון, מלבי״ם].

As a result of this devastation, the people living on the earth face a grim reality. Some commentators explain that the inhabitants themselves are made desolate and ruined [מצודת ציון, רד״ק, שד״ל]. Others understand their fate as a matter of guilt, noting that the people bear the ultimate blame and punishment for bringing such ruin upon the world through their sins [מלבי״ם, שטיינזלץ]. Following the burning of the earth, the people suffer a similar physical fate. There is general agreement that they face extreme dryness, thirst, and heat. Just as the land is completely consumed by fire, the inhabitants are scorched and shriveled by the intense conditions [רש״י, רד״ק, אבן עזרא, אברבנאל, שד״ל].

The end of this destructive process leaves a deeply altered world. Following the wars and plagues, the global population will be drastically reduced, leaving only a very small number of survivors [מצודת דוד, אברבנאל, שטיינזלץ]. Furthermore, the nature of this survival hints that the few remaining individuals will specifically be the simple, common people [מלבי״ם].