The Book Of Isaiah. Day 73, A Prophecy Against Damascus And Israel, Part Three

The section we are studying is titled "A Prophecy Against Damascus And Israel" in the version of the Old Testament that I use. The prophecy has regarded Israel moreso than Damascus (or Aram, of which Damascus was the capital). The Assyrian Empire will cause the fall of both nations but, as we've already been told here in Chapter 17, a day is coming when the people of Israel will turn back to the Lord. And a day is coming when the Lord will judge the enemies of Israel. 

The Arameans have been idolaters for ages; the Israelites only for a few hundred years. But the Lord is going to allow the same enemy to invade and conquer Israel as well as Aram because: "You have forgotten God your Savior; you have not remembered the Rock, your fortress. Therefore, though you set out the finest plants and plant imported vines, though on the day you set them out, you make them grow, and on the morning when you plant them, you bring them to bud, yet the harvest will be as nothing in the day of disease and incurable pain." (Isaiah 17:10-11)

The invader will tread underfoot the crops in the fields and the grapes on the vines. In some cases they may even have set grain fields on fire, which was a common tactic of enemy armies. Even if those things didn't happen, drought or disease would come and destroy the harvests, for the Lord warned the people before giving them the promised land that He would withhold rain and cause crops to fail if they did not remain faithful to Him. He said they would plant much but harvest little. He said He would send locusts and worms to eat much of what was produced and that He would cause diseases to strike the vineyards. (You can find a comprehensive list of the curses for disobedience in Deuteronomy 28.)

Disasters are going to abound because sin has abounded for centuries without any widescale repentance taking place in spite of all He has said and done in an effort to get them to acknowledge their wickedness. He is going to bring on the land the curses outlined in Deuteronomy 28. But all is not lost! He will judge the heathen nations that plunder Israel and, after the descendants of Jacob have responded appropriately to the discipline He has administered, His people Israel will cast aside all their idols and turn back to the one and only God.

Chapter 17 ends with the Lord promising through the prophet Isaiah that all the nations---past, present, and future---who have hated and attacked and persecuted the tribes of Israel will be judged. "Woe to the many nations that rage---they rage like the raging sea! Woe to the peoples who roar---they roar like the roaring of great waters! Although the peoples roar like the roar of surging waters, when He rebukes them they flee far away, driven before the wind like chaff on the hills, like tumbleweed before a gale. In the evening, sudden terror! Before the morning, they are gone! This is the portion of those who loot us, the lot of those who plunder us." (Isaiah 17:12-14) Those heathen nations that plagued the descendants of Jacob on the pages of the Bible---where are they today? Where is the Assyrian Empire? Where is the Babylonian Empire? Where is the Roman Empire? They have been blown away like chaff; they are no more, just as the Lord said. 

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 72, A Prophecy Against Damascus And Israel, Part Two

A common enemy---Assyria---will cause the fall of the northern kingdom of Israel and the fall of the kingdom of Aram (referred to as Damascus in Chapter 17, since Damascus was its capital city). A common enemy will cause the fall of both nations but a common fate won't befall both nations; the Israelites will turn back to the Lord. As we studied in yesterday's text, a day is coming when they will "turn their eyes to the Holy One of Israel", but the same is not said of the idolatrous Arameans.

A time is coming, after the Lord has disciplined them, when the people of Israel will no longer cry out to their idols or bow at their pagan altars but will "look to their Maker", as the Lord said in yesterday's text, and they will place all their trust in Him for security rather than in their armies, their alliances, or their fortified cities. 

When the Lord brought the Israelites into the promised land, they took fortified cities from the tribes of Canaan and used them for themselves. But when the Assyrians flood into the land, they will lose or abandon these cities because they cannot hold onto them. This fulfills the warning the Lord gave them before He ever brought them into the land. He said if they turned from Him to idolatry, He would remove them from the land just as He removed the tribes of Canaan from the land. This seems to be what Isaiah is predicting in the next verse: "In that day their strong cities, which they left because of the Israelites, will be like places abandoned to thickets and undergrowth. And all will be desolation." (Isaiah 17:9) The cities abandoned by the tribes of Canaan will be abandoned once again.

This is going to happen because the Israelites have become like those who inhabited the land before them. "You have forgotten God your Savior; you have not remembered the Rock, your fortress." (Isaiah 17:10a) It's true that their hearts will turn back to the Lord in time, for we never hear of the descendants of Jacob being idolaters after the Lord disciplines Israel with Assyria and after He disciplines Judah with Babylon, but the discipline must come because they are not going to turn back to Him otherwise. 

It is far better for us to heed the warnings of the Lord and to correct our ways before we reach the point where it will take discipline to turn us around. The Lord has sent a number of prophets to Israel and Judah already, urging the people to change their ways. He will continue to send them prophets up until the day He has no choice but to take corrective action. Neither the northern kingdom of Israel nor the southern kingdom of Judah had to be conquered; the people could have repented and turned back to the Lord and then He could have poured out blessings rather than allowing them to be defeated by their enemies. But just as our earthly parents sometimes had to take corrective measures to get us back on the right track, the Lord is taking these measures out of love. The people are destroying themselves spiritually and He doesn't want that to happen. Hardship must come because their hearts are so hard. It will take troubled times to soften their hearts. 

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 71, A Prophecy Against Damascus and Israel, Part One

In the book of Isaiah the Lord has predicted disasters for the kingdoms of Israel and Judah but He does not intend to allow them to be utterly destroyed, in contrast to many of the predictions against Israel's and Judah's neighbors. We have already studied prophecies against the enemies of the Lord's people, such as Assyria, Babylon, Philistia, and Moab. Now we move on to a prophecy against ancient Aram, which is modern-day Syria. This prophecy also includes words of judgment against the descendants of Jacob but their judgment includes words of hope.

"A prophecy against Damascus: 'See, Damascus will no longer be a city but will become a heap of ruins. The cities of Aroer will be deserted and left to flocks, which will lie down, with no one to make them afraid. The fortified city will disappear from Ephraim, and royal power from Damascus; the remnant of Aram will be like the glory of the Israelites,' declares the Lord Almighty." (Isaiah 17:1-3)

Damascus was the capital city of Aram and was one of the most beautiful and prosperous cities on earth in Isaiah's time but it would be largely destroyed by the Assyrian army. There is a city of Damascus in our day but the ancient city of Damascus fell to Assyria and underwent a great deal of destruction, as did the northern kingdom of Israel, which is why "Ephraim" (often used interchangeably with the name "Israel") is used in the verses above. The same enemy would cause the fall of both Aram and Israel. The reference to "Aroer" is less clear since there was more than one area of the Transjordan called by that name, but what we do know is that the Assyrian Empire conquered a number of nations and tribes when it was at the zenith of its power. Whichever Aroer is meant here, we can safely conclude that its population was idolatrous as were the people of Aram and as were the majority of the people of Israel at that time. 

The Lord continues with the theme of the coming calamity upon Israel. Here He uses the name "Jacob" interchangeably with "Israel", which is something we often see in the Bible. "In that day the glory of Jacob will fade; the fat of his body will waste away. It will be as when reapers harvest the standing grain, gathering the grain in their arms---as when someone gleans heads of grain in the Valley of Rephaim." (Isaiah 17:4-5) This sounds like utter and irredeemable destruction but it's not, as we will see below.

"Yet some gleanings will remain, as when an olive tree is beaten, leaving two or three olives in the topmost branches, four or five in the fruitful boughs,' declares the Lord, the God of Israel." (Isaiah 17:6) Earlier in the Old Testament we found the Lord instructing the people of Jacob not to harvest every single thing from every tree and bush. We found Him telling them not to glean every stalk of grain that fell in the field during harvest. Those remnants were to be left for the poor. In this same manner, the Lord is not going to allow Assyria to eradicate the descendants of Jacob. A remnant will be preserved and that remnant will no longer turn to idols.

"In that day people will look to their Maker and turn their eyes to the Holy One of Israel. They will not look to the altars, the work of their hands, and they will have no regard for the Asherah poles and the incense altars their fingers have made." (Isaiah 17:7-8) The discipline is harsh because the sin has been so grievous: the people forgot their Maker. They turned from Him to idols. It will take great calamity to turn them back to Him but turn they will.

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 70, Moab Crushed, Part Five

We are concluding Chapter 16 and Isaiah's prophecy against Moab today. Chapter 17 will contain a prophecy against Damascus, which means it is about the nation of Aram (known as Syria in modern times).

In our last study session the Moabites were urged to seek the favor of Judah's king and to seek the favor of Judah's God. But this did not happen, for they would not repent. Therefore Isaiah says, "We have heard of Moab's pride---how great is her arrogance!---of her conceit, her pride and her insolence, but her boasts are empty." (Isaiah 16:6) Moab's pride stands in her way. She thinks she does not need God. 

Because she has rejected Him and has long been an enemy of the children of God, judgment is coming. "Therefore the Moabites wail; they wail together for Moab. Lament and grieve for the raisin cakes of Kir Hareseth. The fields of Heshbon wither, the vines of Sibmah also. The rulers of the nations have trampled down the choicest vines, which once reached Jazer and spread toward the desert. Their shoots spread out and went as far as the sea. So I weep, as Jazer weeps, for the vines of Sibmah. Heshbon and Elealah, I drench you with tears!" (Isaiah 16:7-9a) 

The "rulers of the nations" is likely a reference to the way the Assyrians would subjugate Moab and to the way the Babylonians would conquer Moab and take most of its people captive, thereby making an end of Moab as a separate and distinct group of people. The horses and chariots of these armies trampled the fields and vineyards. Drought may have been sent as a judgment too.

The Lord does not take pleasure in raining down judgment upon anyone. I think it's both His voice and Isaiah's voice that says above, "I weep". The Lord and the prophet would both have preferred to see the people of Moab repenting of their idolatry, repenting of all their other wickedness, and turning to the Lord for salvation.

A very somber and mournful spirit is over the remainder of this chapter. "The shouts of joy over your ripened fruit and over your harvests have been stilled. Joy and gladness are taken away from the orchards; no one sings or shouts in the vineyards; no one treads out wine at the presses, for I have put an end to the shouting. My heart laments for Moab like a harp, my inmost being for Kir Hareseth. When Moab appears at her high place, she only wears herself out; when she goes to her shrine to pray, it is to no avail." (Isaiah 16:9b-12)

For centuries the Moabites gave thanks to their pagan gods for harvests. They celebrated in many ungodly ways, with drunken feasts where much immorality took place. While it was customary in many nations---including Israel and Judah---to celebrate the harvests, nations who did not recognize God as Lord celebrated the harvests in unseemly ways. After judgment falls upon Moab, no one there will be harvesting anything. Rather than turning to the Lord in repentance, they will continue to cry out to their false gods who had never been responsible for their bounty in the first place and who cannot (and never could!) do anything to help them.

Isaiah finishes delivering his prophecy with an assurance that it is as good as done. Indeed, anything spoken by the Lord is as good as done. The Lord would prefer to see the Moabites repent but He knows they won't; this is why He can confidently assert that these dreadful things will take place. This is why the Lord's prophet Isaiah can confidently assert that Moab's fall is near at hand. "This is the word that the Lord has already spoken concerning Moab. But now the Lord says: 'Within three years, as a servant bound by contract would count them, Moab's splendor and all her many people will be despised, and her survivors will be very few and feeble." (Isaiah 16:13-14)

The Moabites have had centuries in which to repent and turn back to the God of their forefather Lot, who was the nephew of Abraham. It's not as if they didn't know enough about the Lord to trust in Him for salvation. The Lord is going to give them three more years in which to take His words to heart and repent. They will not do it but they will not be able to accuse Him at the judgment throne of never having given them one last opportunity to repent. Any such accusations will have no foundation at all. The Lord does not want to judge anyone but He must because He is holy. Any judgment He hands down will be completely fair and righteous. 

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 69, Moab Crushed, Part Four

The nation of Moab is being urged to turn back to the Lord and to appeal to Judah's king for help, bringing him tribute and asking for refuge from their enemy, Assyria. The king currently on the throne is Hezekiah but this next passage is believed by many scholars to be a reference to both King Hezekiah and to the Messiah.

"The oppressor will come to an end, and destruction will cease; the aggressor will vanish from the land. In love a throne will be established; in faithfulness a man will sit on it---one from the house of David---one who in judging seeks justice and speeds the cause of righteousness." (Isaiah 16:4b-5)

In Isaiah's day the oppressor was the Assyrian Empire. The northern kingdom of Israel would fall to Assyria and the Assyrians would repeatedly raid the land of Judah and would seek to cause the fall of Jerusalem itself, only the Lord will not allow Jerusalem to fall to the enemy. If the Moabites had brought to King Hezekiah the tribute as they were assessed by King David and by succeeding kings, and if they had asked Hezekiah for mercy and refuge, Hezekiah would have accepted their gift and would have granted them asylum. This would have spared the refugeeing Moabites from the Assyrian army since the Lord is going to miraculously spare Jerusalem from the Assyrian army. In time the Assyrians would cease to be a threat at all: "the aggressor" would vanish, overthrown by a newer and more powerful empire. 

When King Hezekiah ascended to the throne upon the death of his father Ahaz, he got rid of his father's idols and reestablished the proper religious practices in the land. He had a heart for the Lord and wanted to do what was right in the eyes of the Lord, so we find Isaiah crediting him with faithfulness and justice. Because Hezekiah strove to do what was right, the Lord established his throne for many years and protected Jerusalem from the invader.

In a much broader sense our text above refers to the King of kings whose throne will be established forever. Like Hezekiah, He will be of the house (the lineage) of David. He will be faithful always. His judgments will be righteous. "The aggressor"---all those who have ever hated the Lord's people---will be seen and heard no more; war will cease to exist and all those who have placed their trust in the Lord will live in peace under His rule forever and ever. 

If the Moabites had turned to King Hezekiah for help, they could have been spared from the wrath of the Assyrians. And if they had turned to the Lord for help, they would have been spared from the wrath of the Lord who is going to judge them for their idolatry and for their other wicked modes of living. But they don't do either of these things and in the remainder of Chapter 16 we will find Isaiah's words painting a picture of woe for the nation of Moab.

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 68, Moab Crushed, Part Three

Chapter 16 continues the message of judgment against the nation of Moab.

The Moabites are urged to do this: "Send lambs as tribute to the ruler of the land, from Sela, across the desert, to the mount of Daughter Zion." (Isaiah 16:1) The "mount of Daughter Zion" is Jerusalem and "the ruler of the land" is Judah's king, who at this time in the book of Isaiah is Hezekiah. 

In 2 Samuel 8, when David subdued the Moabites, he commanded them to pay tribute to him. The kings of Moab continued paying tribute until after the kingdom of Israel had split in two. But King Mesha of Moab rebelled during the reign of King Joram of Israel, after Joram's father Ahab died, and 2 Kings 3 tells us that the tribute King Mesha was supposed to pay was 100,000 lambs and the wool of 100,000 rams. So it appears that Isaiah, by inspiration of the Lord, is encouraging the current king of Moab to resume paying tribute to the king.

If the Moabites submit themselves to the king of Judah, they are in a sense submitting themselves to the Lord. Hezekiah, as we learned from our study of the kings, is a God-fearing king who did away with his father's idols and made great religious reforms in the nation. If the king of Moab or an envoy from him goes up to Jerusalem with the tribute lambs, it will be as if they are saying to the king (and by extension, to the Lord), "We are in your hands." If they had relented of their hatred of the descendants of Jacob, their judgment would have been delayed. If they had repented of their rejection of the Lord, their judgment would have been forestalled altogether.

But since they will not submit themselves to the Lord or to the spiritually upright King Hezekiah, bad times are coming. "Like fluttering birds pushed from the nest, so are the women of Moab at the fords of the Arnon." (Isaiah 16:2) We learned in Chapter 15 that Moab will be attacked and invaded by the Assyrian army. We learned that many will flee the land of Moab, seeking asylum elsewhere. I think this seeking of refuge is what Isaiah is referring to when he talks about the women being pushed from the nest like birds. 

The fleeing Moabites will ask their neighboring tribes and nations to harbor them from the enemy. "'Make up your mind,' Moab says. 'Render a decision. Make your shadow like night---at high noon. Hide the fugitives, do not betray the refugees. Let the Moabite fugitives stay with you; be their shelter from the destroyer.'" (Isaiah 16:3-4a)

It is believed by a number of scholars that the nation where Moab is being urged to seek refuge is Judah. If the Moabite king will send the tribute lambs to King Hezekiah of Judah, and if his people will repent of the wrongs they've done to Judah, and if they will ask him for asylum, he will grant it. We know from the books of the Bible which we've previously studied that the Moabites would have been safe in Jerusalem because the Lord is going to supernaturally protect Jerusalem from the invading Assyrians. The kingdom of Judah will not fall to the Assyrian Empire, as the kingdom of Israel will. Judah will survive an additional 130 years after the fall of Israel. 

I think the scholars who hold the view that the Moabites should ask Hezekiah for mercy and shelter are on the right track, for in our next study session we will find Isaiah talking about the king of Judah. This next passage may also be a twofold message: one having to do with the current king and one having to do with the eternal King.

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 67, Moab Crushed, Part Two

We look at the second half of Chapter 15 that deals with the Lord's judgment upon Israel's enemy, Moab.

In our study of the first half of this chapter we found Isaiah foretelling a time of distress for the Moabites. We know now, from history, that they were invaded by and then subjugated by the Assyrian Empire and then later, when the Neo-Babylonian Empire rose to great power and conquered Assyria, the Babylonians thoroughly conquered Moab as well, at which point they ceased to be known as a separate and distinct people. 

It was customary for many ancient conquerors to deport all but the poorest citizens from a region they conquered; Babylon was no exception to this practice. Anyone who escaped invasion and capture fled to other lands where they eventually integrated into other societies. The land of Moab was later resettled by the Nabateans, who were conquered after the Roman Empire came to power and the land was annexed for Rome. There is no distinct group in the world today known as the Moabites and there is no nation known as the land of Moab, just as Isaiah foretold.

Although the Moabites had long wished to see an end made of the descendants of Jacob and although they coveted the land of the tribes of Israel, Isaiah is saddened by what is going to happen to them. I believe what Isaiah says next is coming not only from his own heart but from the Lord's heart: "My heart cries out over Moab; her fugitives flee as far as Zoar, as far as Eglath Shelishiyah. They go up the hill to Luhith, weeping as they go; on the road to Horonaim they lament their destruction." (Isaiah 15:5) 

The Lord must judge sin because He is righteous but that does not mean He enjoys having to judge sin. Just as a good parent prefers his child to be obedient rather than having to correct deliberately wayward behavior, the Lord wants people to be obedient rather than having to judge people's willful disobedience. Like any good parent, the Lord would rather be able to reward than to discipline. As the Apostle Peter stated, the Lord doesn't want anyone to perish but wants everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9b)

Verse 5 of our current chapter describes the horror and grief of those who will flee from their invaders. But escaping from the enemy doesn't mean they are escaping from judgment. They still won't repent even in the face of the calamities that have befallen them. They still won't renounce their false gods and repent of their wickedness. That is why they will be met with trouble after trouble. To quote the Lord's own words from later in the book of Isaiah: "'There is no peace,' says my God, 'for the wicked.'" (Isaiah 57:21) 

The Moabites who escape battle or capture will be met with other problems. "The waters of Nimrim are dried up and the grass is withered; the vegetation is gone and nothing green is left. So the wealth they have acquired and stored up they carry away over the Ravine of the Poplars. Their outcry echoes along the border of Moab; their wailing reaches as far as Eglaim, their lamentation as far as Beer Elim. The waters of Dimon are full of blood but I will bring still more upon Dimon---a lion upon the fugitives of Moab and upon those who remain in the land." (Isaiah 15:6-9) 

The Lord has much more to say about Moab when we move on to Chapter 16 but we must keep in mind that He confronts people with sin because He wants to save them from sin. He's issuing a warning about what will happen to Moab if the people don't turn away from their wickedness. What He wants is for them to repent but at the same time He knows that all or most of them will not. The Moabites were related to the Israelites through Abraham's nephew Lot and because of that relationship the Lord instructed the Israelites not to attack the Moabites or try to take any of their land. Yet the Moabites didn't treat the Israelites with this same respect; they wanted to see the Israelites destroyed. The Lord's heart broke at the thought of having to judge Moab for its people's idolatry, its people's sexual immorality, its people's lawlessness, and its people's hatred of the Jews. But He had to judge them because He would not be a righteous and holy God if He turned a blind eye to sin. He would not be a God worthy of worship if He did not stand up for those who are His and punish those who do His children wrong.

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 66, Moab Crushed, Part One

In Chapter 15 we are continuing the theme that was established in Chapter 14: the downfall of the nations that were the ancient enemies of the descendants of Jacob. Isaiah has already foretold the fall of Assyria, Babylon, and Philistia. Today and tomorrow we will be looking at his prophecy against Moab.

The Moabites were related to the Israelites through Abraham's nephew Lot. Lot had two sons: Moab and Ben-Ammi. Lot's two sons were the fathers of the Moabites and the Ammonites. But their close relationship to Abraham doesn't mean that they wanted to be friendly with the Israelites. The Moabites and Ammonites forsook the God of Abraham and became idolaters instead. They harbored enmity against God and enmity against the tribes of Israel. 

When we studied the book of Numbers we learned that, in an attempt to get God to turn His back on the tribes of Israel, the Moabites hatched a plot to entice the men of Israel to commit idolatry and sexual immorality with the women of Moab and Midian. Also in the book of Numbers, we found King Balak of Moab hiring the prophet Balaam to curse the people of Israel for him. Balaam (who had strayed from his faith and who was willing to turn against his own people for money) tried to fulfill this commission but was unable to do anything but bless Israel. 

In the book of Judges, King Eglon of Moab allied himself with the Ammonites and Amalekites to come out in battle against Israel, gaining enough control in the land of Israel to force Israel to pay him tribute for eighteen years. These are just a few examples of how time and time again the Moabites troubled the people of Israel, lusting for the land the Lord granted to Israel, hating the people of Israel and hating Israel's God. But a day of judgment is coming for Moab, just as it is coming for Assyria and Babylon.

"A prophecy against Moab: Ar in Moab is ruined, destroyed in a night! Kir in Moab is ruined, destroyed in a night! Dibon goes up to its temple, to its high places to weep; Moab wails over Nebo and Medeba." (Isaiah 15:1-2a) Much of the territory that will be mentioned in our chapter was originally part of Israel when the Israelites first entered Canaan and began taking over the land, but over time the Moabites took these regions from Israel. One or more of the kings of Assyria will take these regions from Moab. An exact date for these happenings is not known and it is not known whether "destroyed in a night" is intended to be taken literally or whether it means it happened very quickly. I wouldn't be surprised if the walls of Ar and Kir actually were breached in only one night, though invasion and siege might have lasted for some time before. 

What follows next is a picture of great distress, grief, and shame. "Every head is shaved and every beard cut off. In the streets they wear sackcloth; on the roofs and in the public squares they all wail, prostrate with weeping. Heshbon and Elealah cry out, their voices heard all the way to Jahaz. Therefore the armed men of Moab cry out, and their hearts are faint." (Isaiah 15:2b-4) 

The wailing and the sackcloth indicate their grief and horror at what has happened. Having every head and beard shaved may be something the enemy has done. It was common for conquerors to humiliate the conquered in this fashion. However, it may be that the Moabite men did this to themselves as an expression of grief. This was not typically a custom of Israelite males, for to have one's beard shaved was considered a humiliation. If you have time, you can visit 2 Samuel 10 for an example of this when King Hanun of the Ammonites ordered the heads and beards of David's envoys shaved halfway off. Scripture tells us that the men were humiliated, which was King Hanun's intent, and to spare them further humiliation David had them housed in privacy in Jericho until the hair grew back so they would not have to return home and be seen with half their heads and faces shaved. But we don't know whether it was customary for Moabite males to shave their own hair off as a sign of distress or whether the Assyrians shaved them in order to humiliate them.

Why will the Moabites undergo defeat and humiliation? Because they scorned the one and only God and because they persecuted God's people Israel. Nothing good can come from rejecting the Lord. Nothing good can come from hating people who love the Lord. In our next study session we will look at more of the things that the Moabites have brought upon themselves by their sin and idolatry.

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 65, Philistia Crushed

The segment we are currently studying deals with the defeat of those who were the ancient enemies of the descendants of Jacob. Isaiah has already foretold the fall of Assyria and Babylon. Now he moves on to the nation of Philistia.

You'll recall from our studies of the earlier books of the Bible that the Philistines sorely plagued the nation of Israel during the time of the Judges and during the reign of King Saul. During the time of David he won major victories against the Philistines and, during his reign and that of his son Solomon, Israel was too powerful for Philistia to defeat. 

But during the reign of David's grandson, King Rehoboam, Israel was no longer a united kingdom. The ten northern tribes split away from the two southern tribes, appointed a king other than Rehoboam over themselves, and retained the name of Israel whereas the two southern tribes (Judah and Benjamin) became known as the kingdom of Judah with Rehoboam (of the tribe of Judah) reigning over them. Since that time both nations have enjoyed periods of prosperity and periods of upheaval but Israel, during the time of Isaiah, is rapidly on the decline because of the idolatry of its citizens and it will soon be conquered by the Assyrian Empire. Judah also fears it will be conquered by Assyria. But Judah won't fall until approximately 130 years later to the Neo-Babylonian Empire because a spiritual revival will take place during the reign of King Hezekiah, son of Ahaz.

The Philistines may view the decline of the northern and southern kingdoms as a good time to attack, especially when King Ahaz of Judah dies. They made a number of attacks during his reign but are likely planning a bigger and better one upon his death. Enemy kings often considered attacking whenever there was a change in the leadership of another nation, supposing that the incoming king might be weak or might not have enough support behind him to mount a successful defense. Isaiah relays the Lords message of doom for Philistia: "This prophecy came in the year King Ahaz died: 'Do not rejoice, all you Philistines, that the rod that struck you is broken; from the root of that snake will spring up a viper, its fruit will be a venomous, darting serpent. The poorest of the poor will find pasture, and the needy will lie down in safety. But your root I will destroy by famine; it will slay your survivors.'" (Isaiah 14:28-30) 

The words of verses 28-30 were primarily intended to encourage the people of Judah, I believe, for it's unlikely that the Philistines would have listened to a message from one of the Lord's prophets. We don't even know whether they heard of the message but we can be certain that the people of Judah heard of it and that it must have made many of them take heart. 

The Philistines had troubled King Ahaz and his father before him but were not successful in conquering Judah. Ahaz's father was able to push back against them quite successfully and, although the Philistines did a better job at taking territories from Ahaz, they didn't win a decisive war against him. They were planning to make another attack upon the death of Ahaz which is why the Lord warned them about rejoicing that "the rod that struck you is broken", which is a reference to the death of Ahaz. Also I believe it's a reference to the royal line of Judah and to King David himself, who defeated them as no other king ever did. From a root of Ahaz will spring up one whom the Lord will be with in a powerful way: Ahaz's successor, Hezekiah, who will eschew the idolatry of his father and will worship the Lord only, making numerous religious reforms in Judah. The Lord will protect the people of Judah for a long time to come, in contrast to how He will deal with the exceedingly wicked and idolatrous Philistines.

To the fortified cities of Philistia, and perhaps to its capital city in particular, the Lord says: "Wail, you gate! Howl, you city! Melt away, all you Philistines! A cloud of smoke comes from the north, and there is not a straggler in its ranks. What answer shall be given to the envoys of that nation? 'The Lord has established Zion, and in her His afflicted people will find refuge.'" (Isaiah 14:31-32) 

The reference to "envoys" is interpreted by many scholars to mean that the Philistines approached Judah about allying with them against Assyria. Later in our study of the book of Isaiah we will find the king of Babylon sending envoys to King Hezekiah of Judah seeking to make just such an alliance with him. But nowhere in the book of Isaiah will we find the prophet encouraging any king of Judah to trust in anyone except the Lord. Therefore, the answer of any king approached with an invitation to make an alliance is to be: "The Lord has established Zion, and in her His afflicted people will find refuge." Refuge is not to be found in an alliance with any nation---especially considering that all the other nations of Isaiah's day were idolatrous nations. The Lord strictly instructed the children of Israel, before bringing them into the promised land, to place their trust in Him alone. It's no use for them to seek refuge from any other nation, for He will crush Assyria, Babylon, Philistia, and others---as we will see as we move on through the book.

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 64, Assyria Crushed

Our current segment of the book of Isaiah deals with the Lord judging the enemies of Israel and of Judah. For the past several days we've been studying what the Lord said about the doom of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. Today He reminds His people of something He has said before: a day is coming when the enemy they currently fear most (Assyria) will be no more.

We already know from our study of the kings that the Assyrian Empire caused the fall of the northern kingdom of Israel, carrying away most of its people captive rather than destroying all the people, so the Lord did preserve the majority of them although it was in foreign lands. And we know that the Assyrian soldiers made repeated attacks on the nation of Judah and attempted to lay siege to Jerusalem. But the Lord miraculously prevented this from happening. Time and time again Judah was plagued by the Assyrians but did not fall to them. 

The Lord will judge Assyria for the cruelties she perpetrated against the citizens of Israel and Judah. In addition, the Lord will judge the Neo-Babylonian Empire (as we've been studying) for her cruelties against the people of Judah. The Lord is going to speak out against the Philistines as well, later on in our chapter, for the Philistines were ancient enemies of His people.

Let's begin today's text: "The Lord Almighty has sworn, 'Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will happen. I will crush the Assyrian in My land; on My mountains I will trample him down. His yoke will be taken from My people, and his burden removed from their shoulders.'" (Isaiah 14:24-25) 

I believe the verses above have two applications. The overall application is that the Lord intends to make an end of Assyria as an empire. The more immediate application is that He will take a stand against Assyria "in My land" and "on My mountains" which is a reference to the Assyrian army's attempt to cause the fall of Jerusalem. The Lord miraculously saved Jerusalem by striking down 185,000 Assyrian soldiers, who were encamped outside of Jerusalem, in the middle of the night, leaving them dead. This was an enormous setback for the king of Assyria who was obliged to retreat to his own land, where he planned to regroup and make a future attempt against Jerusalem. But just as the Lord already predicted in the book of Isaiah, the king would be struck down in his own land before he could make a further attempt; two of King Sennacherib's sons assassinated him while he prayed in the temple of his heathen gods.

We will conclude today's study with these final verses that regard Assyria in Chapter 14. "This is the plan determined for the whole world; this is the hand stretched out over all nations. For the Lord Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart Him? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?" (Isaiah 14:26-27)

The Lord will judge every nation that has ever attacked, oppressed, or persecuted His people. In the Bible we find Him pronouncing judgment against the ancient enemies of His people but we also know that He has judged more modern nations and regimes that have attempted to wipe out the descendants of Jacob. He will continue to defend the Jewish people, keeping His promise to Abraham that: "I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you." (Genesis 12:3a) 

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 63, The Doom Of The King Of Babylon, Part Five

Long before the Neo-Babylonian Empire became powerful enough to overthrow Judah, the Lord foretold the downfall of Babylon. We have been studying the prophecies against Babylon and against its kings.

We have looked at the prideful and arrogant attitudes of the kings of Babylon who sought to conquer the entire world as they knew it. But that would not come to pass, for the Lord says: "Prepare a place to slaughter his children for the sins of their ancestors; they are not to rise to inherit the land and cover the earth with their cities." (Isaiah 14:21) 

The reference to "children" may be associated with the death of King Belshazzar on the night that the army of the Medes took the capital city of Babylon. We know from the book of Daniel that Belshazzar was killed that same night and it's probably safe to assume that all of his male relatives were put to the sword since that was a common ancient practice when overthrowing a king. This was done to prevent the conquered people from banding together behind a man closely related to their deposed king and causing an uprising to place their man on the throne. 

The location of Babylon was the location of the first organized rebellion against God when its ancient people banded together to build a tower they believed could reach heaven. When we studied the book of Genesis we discussed some possible motives for why they attempted such a feat, with one motive being that they didn't believe the Lord's promise never to flood the earth again. In addition, seeking to gain entrance to heaven by their own means is similar to "salvation by works", which is not a Biblical principle. On top of that, seeking to gain entrance to heaven on their own displays a great deal of pride and arrogance and it reveals a disregard for what the Lord said was the way to gain salvation: by faith.

Because Babylon had so long been the seat of rebellion and of idolatry, the Lord said in our verses above that He will punish the children of Babylon for "the sins of their ancestors". It's not that He intends to punish anyone who is innocent; all the generations of the people of Babylon were idolatrous and sinful. And it's important to note that the use of the word "children" can also mean "descendants" rather than literal children, although I am sure there were casualties of people of all ages when the Medo-Persian Empire overthrew the Neo-Babylonian Empire. There are always casualties of people of all ages in any war. Perhaps it might comfort us a little to think that anyone underage who perished was saved from becoming a lifelong idolater as an adult and that they were therefore allowed entrance into heaven because they were not of legal age where their breaking of God's laws would be counted against them.

About the Babylonians the Lord said: "'I will rise up against them,' declares the Lord Almighty. 'I will wipe out Babylon's name and survivors, her offspring and descendants,' declares the Lord. 'I will turn her into a place for owls and into swampland; I will sweep her with the broom of destruction,' declares the Lord Almighty." (Isaiah 14:22-23) There is no doubt that the Lord did just that. The once-mighty nation of Babylon still lies in ruins today. Nothing that the Lord has said will fail to come to pass. His word never failed in the past. His word won't fail in the future. His word (and His precious promises to those who have placed their trust in Him) is true today and for always.

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 62, The Doom Of The King Of Babylon, Part Four

We are studying a twofold prophecy regarding Babylon. This prophecy is about the literal kingdom of Babylon that existed in ancient times and it is about the "Babylon"---the sinful conditions on earth---in the end times.

We've been discussing Isaiah's vision of the doom of Babylon's king. As we've noted, some scholars believe a particular king was in mind (perhaps Nebuchadnezzar but more likely Belshazzar) whereas other scholars believe the vision regards all the kings of Babylon combined because they had in common such things as overweening pride, grandiose plans to conquer the world, paganism, and no respect for the God of Israel. Another thing we've talked about is the belief of many scholars that the reference to a "king" is also a reference to the leader known in the end times as the Antichrist as well as a reference to Satan himself who is the spirit behind all wickedness---including the wickedness of the kings of Babylon and the Antichrist.

Yesterday we looked at a series of statements that are commonly known as the "I will" statements. These statements depicted an attitude of wanting one's own will rather than God's will. They painted the portrait of a king (or kings) who thought they were better than all other men and as good as or better than God. While it's true that the Antichrist and Satan himself will both be judged and cast into a place of eternal imprisonment and separation from all that is good and holy, the king of Babylon will meet his doom as well, and I believe that the narrative of today's text primarily regards an ancient king of Babylon.

"But you are brought down to the realm of the dead, to the depths of the pit. Those who see you stare at you, they ponder your fate: 'Is this the man who shook the earth and made kingdoms tremble, the man who made the world a wilderness, who overthrew its cities and would not let his captives go home?'" (Isaiah 14:15-17) The Neo-Babylonian Empire was the most powerful empire on earth in its heydey. It conquered and subjugated a number of other nations and tribes. But like all the other kings of old who thought they would conquer the entire world, the kings of Babylon are no more. The empire of Babylon is no more. Now the conqueror has been conquered. Now the captor is a captive. His wealth and power did not save him from death or from the grave or from an eternity separated from the Lord.

"All the kings of the nations lie in state, each in his own tomb. But you are cast out of your tomb like a rejected branch; you are covered with the slain, with those pierced by the sword, those who descend to the stones of the pit. Like a corpse trampled underfoot, you will not join them in burial, for you have destroyed your land and have killed your people." (Isaiah 14:18-20a) The final king of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, Belshazzar, was killed on the night he held a drunken feast in honor of his gods. The army of the Medes was even then breaching the walls and the book of Daniel tells us that Belshazzar lost his life that very night. He was likely killed along with many others ("those pierced by the sword" as Isaiah phrases it) while attempting to fend off the soldiers invading the capital city. It is believed that his body was piled up in a heap with all the other corpses after the fighting ended. Daniel tells us that on the night Belshazzar was killed, Darius the Mede took over Belshazzar's throne. Darius' men must have moved in and occupied the city and they would have needed to remove the corpses of the dead from the city. 

This would line up with Isaiah saying "you are cast out of your tomb" and "you are covered with the slain". Belshazzar was never interred in a tomb. We may not know where the tombs of previous kings of Babylon were located but no doubt they were buried with a great deal of pomp and mourning in ornate caskets within the finest tombs mankind knew how to fashion in those days. But not Belshazzar, for there was no one to hold a grand burial ceremony for him. He was cast out along with all the other dead somewhere outside the city.

A sad fate awaits all who think they are as good as or better than the Lord. Nothing beautiful comes from living in opposition to the Lord. The fate of Belshazzar (the fate of his earthly body and the fate of his eternal soul) serves as an illustration of the futility of living a life without the Lord in it.

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 61, The Doom Of The King Of Babylon, Part Three

The prophecies contained in Chapter 14 regarding the doom of an evil king are believed to refer to a wicked king of ancient Babylon, to a wicked leader of the end times, and to the most wicked creature of all: Satan himself. 

We previously discussed our inability to pinpoint which king of Babylon Isaiah had in mind when he spoke of the doom of the Neo-Babylonian Empire and its king, though I personally lean toward it being Belshazzar. Belshazzar threw a drunken banquet in Daniel 5 and imbibed alcohol from the goblets stolen from the Lord's temple at Jerusalem. Belshazzar and his guests drank toasts to their false gods from these goblets, thereby blaspheming the Lord, causing the Lord to tell Belshazzar (through the prophet Daniel) that his kingdom was coming to an immediate end. While Belshazzar drunkenly toasted his heathen gods, the soldiers of the Medo-Persian Empire were breaking through the walls and Belshazzar was slain on that same night and his throne was taken over by Darius the Mede. 

We don't know the identity of the wicked leader of the end times (often referred to as the Antichrist) either. But we know he will overflow with pride and grandiose ambitions and will think himself better than everyone else. He will think he can do a better job of running the government than anyone else on earth. He will think he can do a better job of running life on earth than God Himself. The Apostle Paul said of this man: "He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God." (2 Thessalonians 2:4) 

This man will want to be worshiped. He regards himself with awe and reverence and expects everyone else to do the same. I don't think he will have the understanding that he is merely a puppet in the hands of Satan who wants to be worshiped in place of God; this man will think that he is pulling all the strings. 

The devil has always wanted to be worshiped. If Satan cannot persuade people to worship him openly, he will settle for enticing them to worship the man who does his will. Our text we will study today clearly displays the attitude of Satan who wants to be worshiped in place of God. Many kings throughout history have claimed to be a god on earth and have insisted on being addressed as deities. The one to whom Paul refers as "the man of lawlessness" will do the same but will go many steps further by setting himself up (or the image of himself referenced in the book of Revelation) in the rebuilt temple of the end times. He will then forbid the worship of anyone or anything other than himself. The penalty for refusing to worship him is execution. (Revelation 13 deals with this subject in more detail.) 

The series of "I will" statements from Isaiah 14 reveals what has been in Satan's heart all along. It reveals what has been in the heart of many leaders throughout time who insisted on being regarded as gods. It reveals what will be in the heart of the man Satan will use for his purposes in the last days. "You said in your heart, 'I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High." (Isaiah 14:13-14)

Ever since the Lord announced His intention to make a great nation out of the descendants of Abraham and to bring the Redeemer from his descendants, Satan has wanted to wipe out the nation of Israel. He was unable to do so or to prevent the advent of Christ. The devil knows that the Lord intends to preserve the nation of Israel and to place His Son on David's throne at Jerusalem to reign over the earth forever, so Satan wants there to be no Israel and no one seated on a throne except himself. He has prompted the leaders of other nations to do his bidding in regard to trying to wipe Israel off the map but the Lord has prevented all of these men from making an end of the descendants of Abraham. The Antichrist will hate and will persecute Abraham's descendants more than anyone ever has before him, and he will try to set up his throne in Israel where it has been foretold that the Messiah will set up His eternal throne. But again the Lord will thwart all his plans. Everything the Lord has planned will come true and there isn't anyone or anything capable of standing in His way. The devil is not the Lord's equal; he is a created being like all the other angels. He cannot overthrow the Lord's purposes no matter how hard he tries. He will attempt to wipe out the Lord's people Israel and he will attempt to place his own man on the throne of the world but as always the Lord will have the last word.

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 60, The Doom Of The King Of Babylon, Part Two

In Chapter 14 Isaiah prophesies the end of the Neo-Babylonian Empire and the doom of its king (or kings). This is a twofold prophecy because it also involves the doom of a world leader of the end times. The attitude of the literal king of Babylon, a powerful leader of the end times (the Antichrist), and Satan himself is the same. Today we will be looking at only one verse because it is a very complicated verse and it seems to be a reference to the devil more so than to anyone else.

"How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations!" (Isaiah 14:12) In yesterday's study we found the powerful king of Babylon entering the realm of the dead to become just like all the other unbelieving dead. The pagan kings whose nations he had plundered mocked him, saying, "Now you have become just like us!" I believe verse 12 is a reference to how the king of Babylon (or all of its kings during its heydey) spoiled other nations, believing he would conquer the entire world, but all his plans came to naught because no one's power or wealth can save him from death. No one's power or wealth can save him from eternal separation from the Lord after death. Only being saved through faith in the Lord can anyone look forward to an eternity of peace and joy in the presence of the Lord.

But I also agree with all the Bible scholars who believe that verse 12 is primarily a reference to Satan himself and to how he rebelled against the Lord. In English we find the title of this entity rendered as "morning star, son of the dawn". In the original text the phrase was "light bearer", which was translated into Latin as "lux ferre", which became commonly rendered as "Lucifer". This is where the legend originated that the name given to Satan by God was Lucifer. There is, however, no proof that Satan's proper name ever was Lucifer and this one verse from the book of Isaiah is the only time that the title of "light bearer" is ever attributed to the devil. I am sure that when the Lord created him he was as beautiful as any of the other angels and I am sure he was given a job to do like all the other angels. If verse 12 is indeed a reference to Satan then it appears as if his job was to shine the light in some fashion, likely for human beings since the Bible says that all of the angels were created to minister to human beings. (Hebrews 1:14)

Isaiah 14 is the only place in the Scriptures where Satan is referred to by any sort of positive term. "Light bearer" must have been his original purpose given by God but he rejected that purpose. He did not want to serve man. He did not want to serve God either. Rather than retaining a beautiful job title such as "light bearer", he chose instead to do dark deeds for which he gained the name of "Satan", which means "accuser" or "adversary". He preferred to make himself the enemy of mankind and to accuse mankind of misdeeds to a holy God, in hopes that a holy God would destroy humans from the face of the earth and consign them to hell. We will learn, when we reach the book of Revelation, that until the end times Satan will still have access to the throne room of God. He will still be coming before Him accusing us of things we have done---and perhaps things we have not done, since he is a liar. But in Revelation he is cast out of the presence of God forever, and it will be said then that the one who has accused the people of the Lord "day and night" has been "hurled down". (Revelation 12:10) 

Isaiah foretells this hurling down in our verse today when he says, "You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations!" When Satan is cast out of heaven in Revelation, he is cast down to the earth where he will make as much havoc as he can during the time known as the Great Tribulation, after which he will be judged by the Lord and cast into the lake of fire for eternity.

A great deal of prophetic end times information is contained in our current chapter and it's going to take us several days to talk about all of it. In our next session we will look at a series of statements---popularly known as the "I will" statements---made by Satan in his pride.

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 59, The Doom Of The King Of Babylon, Part One

This next segment of Scripture is another example in the book of Isaiah of prophecy that is both for the near future and for the far future. It regards the literal nation of Babylon of ancient times---or rather, it's king or kings---and it regards the leader of the corrupt world system of the end times---otherwise known as the Antichrist.

In Isaiah's day the nation of Babylon was not yet capable of overthrowing the Assyrian Empire, which was the empire the people of Judah and Israel most feared. Indeed, the Assyrian Empire did cause the fall of the northern kingdom of Israel. But Babylon will soon be on the rise and become the greatest world power on earth. Babylon will overthrow Assyria in a little over a century, then later causing the fall of Judah about 130 years after Isaiah prophesied the fall of Judah.

The verses we will be studying over the next several days are speaking of the king (or all the kings combined together) of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. Later on we will get into how these verses apply to the "man of sin" of the end times as well. But meanwhile I want to note that scholars are in disagreement over which king of the literal nation of Babylon is intended by these verses or whether these verses describe the attitude of all the kings of the Neo-Babylonian Empire---that Isaiah foresaw them all as "one king" because they all had the same type of pride, the same enormous ego, and the same grand world-conquering ambitions. Some scholars believe Isaiah is speaking of King Nebuchadnezzar, who was the king of Babylon when Babylon caused the fall of Jerusalem and Judah and took the majority of the people captive. 

Others believe the final king of Babylon, Belshazzar, is the one Isaiah foresaw, for Nebuchadnezzar appears (in the book of Daniel) to have repented of his overweening pride and to have acknowledged the God of Israel. Whether or not Nebuchadnezzar placed all of his faith in the Lord and renounced all his pagan gods is up for debate; the Bible does not make it clear whether or not this was the case. But the book of Daniel does seem to indicate that Nebuchadnezzar underwent a major attitude adjustment. The book of Daniel also indicates that Belshazzar was wicked to the end. On the very night the walls of the capital city of Babylon were about to be breached by the enemy army, Belshazzar was throwing a wild and drunken party during which he deliberately scorned the God of Israel by calling for the vessels taken from the temple at Jerusalem to be brought to the party where he and his top officials drank from them and toasted their own heathen gods. 

Isaiah foresees the defeat of a king, and although we don't know which king he had in mind, we know that his prediction came true. Babylon did fall and it exists no more in our day, just as Isaiah has already predicted in our Bible study. Belshazzar was killed on the night the city walls were breached and I think it's quite likely that Belshazzar is the man Isaiah foresaw. But whoever it was, the verses of Chapter 14 clearly show us that no matter how much a person achieves in this life, those things will be of no use to a person once he is dead. Only a relationship with the Lord matters once a person has passed out of this life. Isaiah begins sharing his vision of the death of the king.

"The realm of the dead below is all astir to meet you at your coming; it rouses the spirits of the departed to greet you---all those who were leaders in the world; it makes them rise from their thrones---all those who were kings over the nations. They will all respond, they will say to you, 'You also have become weak, as we are; you have become like us.' All your pomp has been brought down to the grave, along with the noise of the harps; maggots are spread out beneath you, and worms cover you." (Isaiah 14:9-11) 

This is a graphic description of the king becoming "worm food", to use a modern expression. But it's accurate because no matter how wealthy and powerful a person is, he cannot keep himself alive forever. Death and decay come to the rich and the poor alike, to the powerful and to the weak alike.

The kings who preceded him in death and who are taunting him may be the pagan kings whose nations were conquered by Babylon. Or they may represent all the kings of all the ages who thought their power and glory would protect them from death, or would protect them from being forgotten in death,  or would secure for them a godlike status at death. But now the mighty king who has boasted in himself has become just like they are. His fate is the same as theirs. Because this description of their afterlife is so gloomy, we know that none of these kings were men of God. They aren't resting in peace, awaiting the day when they will be resurrected in glorious eternal bodies to live in the presence of the Lord forever. No, these kings are experiencing an eternity of defeat. They are experiencing an eternity without any hope of their circumstances turning around. 

Although we are ending today's study on a depressing note, we must keep in mind that the fate of these unbelieving kings is not our fate. If we have placed our trust in the Lord for salvation, an extremely different---and gloriously superior---eternity awaits us. As the author of Psalm 49 said when contrasting the fate of the wicked with the fate of believers: "This is the fate of those who trust in themselves, and of their followers, who approve their sayings. They are like sheep and are destined to die; death will be their shepherd (but the upright will prevail over them in the morning). Their forms will decay in the grave, far from their princely mansions. But the Lord will redeem me from the realm of the dead; He will surely take me to Himself." (Psalm 49:13-15) 

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 58, Chosen Israel, Part Two

The Lord has been talking about judgments against Israel, Judah, and the Gentile nations of Isaiah's era. But His judgment against His people is not for the purpose of permanently destroying them as a sovereign nation, as is His purpose for bringing down nations such as the Assyrian Empire and the Neo-Babylonian Empire. He has not cast the descendants of Jacob away from Him. He will restore them.

When we studied verse 1 in our last study session we found the Lord assuring the people that a return to the land will occur. We talked about how the remnant of their captive people were allowed, in ancient times, to return to the land if they so desired. We also talked about how, in 1948, the prophecy of Israel again becoming a sovereign nation in the world came true and that the Lord used a number of Gentile nations to help this to come about. 

This next segment likely deals with fulfillment of prophecy in ancient times (when the Lord destroyed Babylon with the Medo-Persian army), and with fulfillment of prophecy when Israel was assisted by other nations in establishing a sovereign government of her own in 1948, and with fulfillment of prophecy in the future when Israel will have no enemies anywhere in the world. "Nations will take them and bring them to their own place. And Israel will take possession of the nations and make them male and female servants in the Lord's land. They will make captives of their captors and rule over their oppressors." (Isaiah 14:2)

Many times since the Lord chose the descendants of Jacob as His special people, other nations and tribes have attempted to wipe these people off the face of the earth. Jacob's descendants have been attacked numerous times, conquered several times, taken captive and deported several times, and persecuted in many ways by a number of different peoples. The Lord has so far defeated every plot every plot to remove them entirely from the earth and He will continue to defeat all such plots. A day is coming when Jerusalem will not only be the capital of Israel but will be the capital of the entire world. The Messiah will reign from Jerusalem and when He reigns over the world forever there will be no more war and bloodshed. Israel will never need to fear an enemy attack again.

This next passage appears to deal primarily with the overthrow of ancient Babylon but many scholars believe it also deals with the "Babylon" of the end times: the corrupt world system during the brief reign of the Antichrist in the last days. "On the day the Lord gives you relief from your suffering and turmoil and from the harsh labor forced on you, you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon: 'How the oppressor has come to an end! How his fury has ended! The Lord has broken the rod of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers, which in anger struck down peoples with unceasing blows, and in fury subdued nations with relentless aggression.'" (Isaiah 14:3-6) These verses certainly describe the literal nation of Babylon which subdued nations and tribes and treated them harshly. These verses unquestionably describe the fall of literal Babylon, about which the Lord said earlier in the book of Isaiah that it would become nothing but a rubble of ruins never to be rebuilt. 

But the remainder of this segment goes beyond what happened at the fall of ancient Babylon and its gradual decay into nothingness. There are things mentioned in the next verses that have not yet come to pass---things that appear to be references to end time events and then the Messiah's eternal reign of peace. We will discuss those verses and the prophecies contained therein in our next study session. Time does not permit us to do a really in-depth study of them in conjunction with the verses we've looked at today.

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 57, Chosen Israel, Part One

The book of Isaiah contains some dire prophecies against Israel and Judah as well as against other nations of that day. But it also contains some beautiful promises. Hardships are going to come upon the people of Israel and Judah but blessings are going to come upon them too. The Lord has not rejected them. He is disciplining them for a season but He is not casting them away.

"The Lord will have compassion on Jacob; once again He will choose Israel and will settle them in their own land. Foreigners will join them and unite with the descendants of Jacob." (Isaiah 14:1) When the Assyrian Empire conquered the northern kingdom of Israel and carried most of the people captive to foreign lands and resettled Israel with other captives, it must have appeared to human reasoning as if all was lost. Likewise, when the same things happened to the kingdom of Judah at the hands of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, to human eyes it must have looked as if all was lost. But the Lord has already announced His intention to judge both Assyria and Babylon; when that happens the descendants of those who were carried away captive will be allowed to return. Not all of them will choose to return but remnants of every tribe will have the opportunity to do so.

They will be helped by the Gentile nations, which is why the Lord says, "Foreigners will join them." They were helped in antiquity by the Gentiles; for example, Cyrus the Great of Persia gave all the captives of Babylon permission to return to their native lands and rebuild. He did not worship the God of Israel but he believed in religious freedom and he viewed himself as a liberator to all those who had been forcibly removed from their own lands and prevented from practicing their own religions in Babylon. Cyrus did recognize the God of Israel as a god and believed he had been chosen by God (which indeed he was, as we'll be told later) to set the descendants of Jacob free.

Not only were the descendants of Jacob helped by the Gentiles in the distant past, they were helped by the Gentiles in the more recent past, such as when many Gentile nations recognized and supported Israel as a sovereign nation in 1948 and helped to establish Israel again. I believe this next segment has already been fulfilled in several stages and that only one stage remains in our time. "Nations will take them and bring them to their own place." (Isaiah 14:2a) When the Gentiles of ancient times allowed the descendants of Jacob to return and rebuild, that was a partial fulfillment of verse 2a. When Gentile nations recognized Israel as a sovereign nation in 1948, that was a partial fulfillment of verse 2a. The book of Revelation indicates that the largest ingathering of the descendants of Jacob will occur when the Messiah reigns from David's throne in Jerusalem, so that part of verse 2a is still in the future.

I personally don't believe the end times are very far in the future now. Technically, we've been in the last days ever since the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to the Father in heaven, but the last last days will soon come to pass, in my opinion. No prophecy of the Bible remains to be fulfilled in regard to the rapture of the church, when Jesus will call His bride out of the world. That could occur at any moment. And when it does, the last last days will be upon the earth. Those of us who have placed our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ are to be looking for Him, not anxiously casting about us for signs that the Great Tribulation is about to begin, and those who have not yet turned to Jesus for salvation still have time to do so and need to do so. It won't be impossible to be saved during the Great Tribulation, as we'll see when we arrive at the book of Revelation, but that is a time period no one has to endure or should want to endure. It will be far better to already belong to Christ prior to that time than to be on the earth during the darkest days the world has ever experienced.

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 56, A Prophecy Against Babylon, Part Five

Today we will be concluding our look at the prophecy contained in Chapter 13. It is a twofold prophecy regarding the actual nation of Babylon in ancient times and regarding the corrupt world system of the end times. As we study the remaining verses we will find the narrative shifting away from end times prophecy to focus again on the literal Babylon of the Bible.

The Lord foretells the fall of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. At the time He speaks the words of this prophecy, Assyria is the major world power striking fear in the hearts of the people of Israel and Judah. Assyria will conquer Israel but the Lord will miraculously prevent Jerusalem from falling to the Assyrian army, thus preserving the nation of Judah for approximately 130 years longer than the northern kingdom of Israel. Babylon, which is not powerful enough in Isaiah's day to conquer Assyria, will cause the fall of Assyria and the fall of Judah. But the Lord will judge Babylon for its people's sins as well, and He names a nation in today's study that must have seemed inconsequential to the people of Isaiah's time. 

Of the fall of Babylon the Lord says: "Like a hunted gazelle, like sheep without a shepherd, they will all return to their own people, they will flee to their native land. Whoever is captured will be thrust through; all who are caught will fall by the sword. Their infants will be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses will be looted and their wives violated." (Isaiah 13:14-16) 

These verses are graphically violent but they are accurate in describing the habits of invading armies---both in ancient times and in modern times. The things described here still happen in some places of our world today when enemy soldiers flood into a territory that they want to take for themselves. And we must keep in mind that the Babylonians perpetrated such atrocities themselves when they invaded other nations. In addition, they often used siege as a method to cause city leaders to surrender to them, and siege always resulted in numerous deaths by starvation and especially deaths of the very young and very old. The Babylonians will be given a taste of their own medicine, so to speak, when an invading army treats them the way they treated the peoples they previously invaded.

Babylon didn't fall in a single day like Sodom and Gomorrah, although the Bible predicted that Babylon would be as utterly destroyed as those sinful cities. Babylon's decline happened in stages but the Lord's words still came true: Babylon ceased to exist and nothing but ruins are left of it. He did not say that He would rain down fire and brimstone to destroy it in a single day; He simply said that it would cease to exist and never be rebuilt. 

Now He names the very nation (the Medo-Persian Empire) that will attack and take over Babylon. This is but the beginning of Babylon's decline and eventually it will end up deserted as it is today. "See, I will stir against them the Medes, who do not care for silver and have no delight in gold. Their bows will strike down the young men; they will have no mercy on infants, nor will they look with compassion on children. Babylon, the jewel of kingdoms, the pride and glory of the Babylonians, will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah. She will never be inhabited or lived in through all generations; there no nomads will pitch their tents, there no shepherds will rest their flocks. But desert creatures will lie there, jackals will fill their houses; there the owls will dwell, and there the wild goats will leap about. Hyenas will inhabit her strongholds, jackals her luxurious palaces. Her time is at hand, and her days will not be prolonged." (Isaiah 13:17-22)

Where is the ancient nation of Babylon today? It is no more, just as the Lord predicted. All these things came true exactly as He said they would. In the book of Isaiah we've found Him predicting the fall of Israel to Assyria; this happened. We found Him predicting the fall of Judah to Babylon; this happened. We found Him predicting the fall of Babylon to the Medo-Persian Empire; this happened. Everything else He's ever predicted, which is yet to come, will happen. His words are completely dependable in every way.

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 55, A Prophecy Against Babylon, Part Four

Today we are continuing our look at Chapter 13 which involves a prophecy against the literal nation of Babylon of ancient times and a prophecy against the sinful world system, symbolized as "Babylon", of the end times.

The Lord says: "I will punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their sins. I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty and will humble the pride of the ruthless. I will make people scarcer than pure gold, more rare than the gold of Ophir." (Isaiah 13:11-12) Babylon was the nation that conquered Judah and the Babylonians treated the people of Judah more harshly than necessary. The Lord will punish them for any and all atrocities committed against His people. In this same way, He will punish those who take part in the spiritually corrupt world system of the end times because, as we discussed yesterday, those people will be more wicked and heartless than anyone who has ever lived before them. 

The Lord will shake the entire creation so that only that which is good will remain and so that what is His very best will come. "Therefore I will make the heavens tremble; and the earth will shake from its place at the wrath of the Lord Almighty, in the day of His burning anger." (Isaiah 13:13) The Lord spoke similar words to the prophet Haggai: "This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,' says the Lord Almighty." (Haggai 2:6-7) 

The Lord will shake loose the hold that wicked people have upon this earth and He will shake loose the hold that sin and Satan have upon this earth. He will end the access that the fallen angels currently still have to His throne room in heaven, which is something we will talk about when we arrive at Revelation. When He shakes the earth and the heavens He will send "what is desired by nations"---the Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah---to reign over the world in righteousness forever. 

The Lord of lords and King of kings is what is "desired by nations"---desired by every human heart--- because God created man to desire a relationship with Him. Even those who reject Him desire a relationship with Him, though they do not know it, and their rejection of Him causes them to try to fill the emptiness in their souls with other things. This is why so many who reject the Lord fall into various addictions and end up doing harm to themselves and to those around them. They are denying who they were created to be and they are denying the One who created them.

The author of Hebrews spoke of our passage from Isaiah 13 and stated that the Lord would shake loose all the bad and preserve all the good: "Now He has promised, 'Once more I will shake not only the earth but the heavens.' The words 'once more' indicate the removing of what can be shaken---that is, created things---so that what cannot be shaken may remain." (Hebrews 26b-27) The reference to having shaken things up before is a reference to the way His voice shook the earth at Mount Sinai when He gave the law to the people. In the end times He will shake the earth and the heavens; doing away with everything that is temporary and establishing only what is eternal. 

Once He has done that, this prophecy about the Messiah's eternal kingdom on earth will come true: "Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life." (Revelation 21:27) There will be no sin and no sinners on earth. Satan and the angels who followed him in his rebellion will be in their eternal place of punishment. No temptations will befall the children of God. There will be no sickness, no death, no heartbreak. Isn't this what the human heart desires most of all, to forever be with and behold the face of our God and to live in a state of peace and joy forever? Isn't this the culmination of all things the Lord planned since before He created the universe? Isn't this the glorious destiny He wanted for mankind? We can have it! We can have it forever by placing all our hope and trust in the Lamb of God.

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 54, A Prophecy Against Babylon, Part Three

The Lord has been predicting judgment for Babylon: for the literal Babylon of ancient times and for the spiritual/political/economic "Babylon" of the end times. We will get far deeper into the use of the word "Babylon" for the conditions of the world in the end times when we arrive at the book of Revelation, but the use of this word symbolizes rebellion against God and it symbolizes false religions, greed and materialism, and a general lack of concern for one's fellow man.

The Apostle Paul spoke of the end times "Babylon" like this: "There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God---having a form of godliness but denying its power." (2 Timothy 3:1-5a)

There have been people in every era of time who have had the attitudes listed above by the Apostle Paul, but these attitudes will abound more and more in the last days. We can already see this happening. I'm fifty-four years old and I have never before seen such a lack of regard for others as I'm seeing in today's world. This will only grow worse as time goes on. We need not be amazed or alarmed by it because the Lord has foretold it and, as children of God, a different fate is in store for us than that which is in store for the wicked.

Because wickedness will abound as never before, the Lord's wrath will be poured out in the last days. Isaiah foretells: "See, the day of the Lord is coming---a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger---to make the land desolate and destroy the sinners within it." (Isaiah 13:9) The "day of the Lord" is a day only the wicked ("sinners"---those who have rejected the Lord and His precepts) need to fear.

Next Isaiah predicts the dreadful signs and wonders that will appear in the heavens and on the earth in those days. "The stars of heaven and their constellations will not show their light. The rising sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light." (Isaiah 13:10) I believe verse 10 is to be taken literally. I believe literal darkness will fall upon the earth because the people preferred darkness to light and the Lord is going to give them darkness. Just as the Lord caused a deep darkness to fall over Egypt in the days preceding the exodus, in the end times He's going to cause a deep darkness, only on a much larger scale.

In my opinion, He will bring this about by allowing a large asteroid to strike the earth which will, in turn, cause the skies to be darkened by debris for quite some time. The Apostle John describes a large object striking the earth in the book of Revelation and an enormous asteroid, such as may have occurred in the distant past that wiped out the dinosaurs, would cause huge dust clouds to be thrown up into the atmosphere. It would cause violent earthquakes and eruptions of volcanoes. In ancient history when large volcanoes have erupted there was so much ash in the atmosphere that the skies appeared darkened for quite some time afterward and at night the ash caused the moon to look as red as blood. I believe that's what's being described here in the book of Isaiah and in the book of Revelation and in other passages of Scripture. 

We can count on the words of Isaiah's prophecy to come true. The Lord Jesus quoted from the book of Isaiah, saying, "Immediately after the distress of those days, 'The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.'" (Matthew 24:29) The Apostle John was given a vision of the end times that included the very things the prophet Isaiah and the Lord Jesus Christ predicted: "I watched as He opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as figs drop from a fig tree when shaken in a strong wind. The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place." (Revelation 6:12-14) 

There are very strong and compelling reasons for believing that those who have placed their faith in the Lord Jesus will have been removed from the earth before these things take place, and we will discuss those reasons when we arrive at the book of Revelation, so we need to keep in mind that this is a prophecy of judgment against the wicked. Just as Isaiah's prophecy was about ancient Babylon in all of its wickedness, his prophecy and the words of other prophets and of the Lord Jesus are also about the wickedness of the "Babylon" of the end times. The Lord would not refer to His children as "Babylon" or pronounce judgment against them; therefore, we must conclude that these woes will fall only upon those who have rejected Him---and in rejecting Him, have rejected His mercy.

The Book Of Isaiah. Day 53, A Prophecy Against Babylon, Part Two

When Isaiah makes his prophecy against the kingdom of Babylon, that kingdom is not yet a powerful enough player on the world screen to subdue other great nations, such as Assyria and Judah. But in time the Lord will use Babylon to chastise the nation of Judah for its people's idolatry and wickedness. The Lord will also, in time, subdue Babylon with the Medo-Persian Empire. These events are still far in the future in the day Isaiah predicts them but when these things have come to pass the people will remember what Isaiah said. They will know that his words must have been the words of the Lord Himself, for the words have come true exactly as predicted.

This prophecy is twofold. It predicts judgment against the literal kingdom of Babylon and it predicts judgment against figurative Babylon: a corrupt world system. In the Bible, after the rise and fall of Babylon, we will sometimes find the word "Babylon" used to symbolize man's organized rebellion against God. It was in the region of Babylon that the first organized rebellion against God took place at the tower of Babel. The political and spiritual condition of the world in the end times will be referred to as Babylon in the book of Revelation because in the book of Revelation we find man's final organized rebellion against God taking place. 

In our text today we see references to "the day of the Lord". That expression is generally used in the Scriptures to indicate the final judgment at the end of days and this appears to be the way the expression is being used here in Chapter 13.

"Wait, for the day of the Lord is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty. Because of this, all hands will go limp, every heart will melt with fear. Terror will seize them, pain and anguish will grip them; they will writhe like a woman in labor. They will look aghast at each other, their faces aflame." (Isaiah 13:6-8) I am sure the reactions described above were actually experienced by the Babylonians when the Babylonian Empire fell to the enemy the Lord raised up against them. They shook with fear and their faces were red with shame (the Lord phrases it as "their faces aflame") because they had not believed their nation could be conquered. When we arrive at the book of Daniel we will learn that the king of Babylon and his entire court and many guests were holding a drunken feast of debauchery while their city's very walls were being broken into by the enemy. They trusted in their gods to protect them from the Medo-Persian Empire and, to their shame, their gods did not come through for them. They couldn't come through for them because they were nonexistent gods.

The reactions described above will occur in the end times as well. We will be looking at some further prophecies from other books of the Bible regarding that time as we continue on through our study of Chapter 13. The Lord Jesus Himself quoted from Chapter 13 when describing the terrible times at the end of days. But something we have to keep in mind is that the time of judgment is for the wicked, not for the children of God. We do not have to shake with fear. A very different future is in store for those of us who have placed our trust in the Lord.

In our next study session we will take a look at how Jesus used text from Isaiah 13 to warn the wicked about what is in store for them in the judgment.