"A prophecy against Babylon that Isaiah son of Amoz saw: Raise a banner on a bare hilltop, shout to them; beckon to them to enter the gates of the nobles. I have commanded those I have prepared for battle; I have summoned My warriors to carry out My wrath---those who rejoice in My triumph." (Isaiah 13:1-3) These are the words of the Lord, spoken by Isaiah, so the use of the personal pronoun "My" is a reference to the Lord and I have capitalized it as such.
I do not think that the Lord issued this prophecy as a warning to Babylon but that He intended it as a comforting promise to the people of Judah. The citizens of Babylon would have been unlikely to listen to a message preached against them, though some might have repented. But primarily the Lord wanted His people to know that although He intended to use Babylon to discipline them for their sins, He would then turn His attention to judging that wicked enemy nation.
The Lord's discipline upon His children lasts only as long as it needs to last. The severity of it never goes beyond what is necessary. The Lord had a plan in place to release the citizens of Judah from captivity in Babylon and He announced it ahead of time---long before Babylon appeared capable of conquering any great nation, long before Judah fell to Babylon, long before anyone was carried off captive to Babylon---so the people would have His words to comfort them during their years of hardship.
The Lord continues: "Listen, a noise on the mountains, like that of a great multitude! Listen, an uproar among the kingdoms, like nations massing together! The Lord Almighty is mustering an army for war. They come from faraway lands, from the ends of the heavens---the Lord and the weapons of His wrath---to destroy the whole country." (Isaiah 13:4-5) At this time, so far in advance of the war happening, the people cannot with their ears hear this enormous and powerful army mustering for battle but the Lord speaks of this event as if it is happening at that very moment. Indeed, anything the Lord says is going to happen is as good as done; therefore, I think the Lord literally hears the army He's going to call together. I think He views this event as if it is already in progress.
The Lord makes it clear that the judgment of Babylon is His doing. Kings and presidents and dictators may think they are the ones in charge, but it has always been the Lord who determines their fate. Average citizens may think they are ordering their lives under their own volition, but it has always been the Lord who is in control of all things. He will put it into the heart of the conqueror to come against the Neo-Babylonian Empire and He will give the conqueror the military might to accomplish the fall of that empire. That is why He refers to the weapons used in the war as "the weapons of His wrath" because everything is His and everything is under His control.
It is a facet of human nature to want to be in control of our own lives and of events taking place around us. It provides us with a sense of comfort (false comfort) when we feel like we have things under control. But the truth is that only the Lord is in control of anything. Instead of feeling alarmed by the knowledge that the things of this world are not truly under our control, we can be comforted by accepting that they are under the control of the One who is perfect, holy, and righteous. We can be comforted by the assurance that they are under the control of the One who created us and who loves us so much that He was willing to do anything it took to offer salvation to us. In His hands we are safe. We may not always understand why He allows certain things to happen but we can be certain that there is a purpose for everything He allows to happen and that someday we will see that His plan was perfect.
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