Day 205: Isaiah 13-15

(The previous post covered the last of the six chapters from Isaiah that were recorded during Ahaz's reign. These chapters focused on Christ during the Millennium. The rest of the chapters from Isaiah occurred during Hezekiah's reign.)

Isaiah 13
¹ The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see.

(The burden (a weighty or mournful prophecy) of Babylon…)

² Set ye up an ensign upon the bare mountain, lift up the voice unto them, wave the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles.
³ I have commanded my consecrated ones, yea, I have called my mighty men for mine anger, even my proudly exulting ones.

(The meaning of verse 3 could be read as "...yea, I have called my mighty men that execute My anger..."

Although Isaiah began this chapter speaking about the judgment that would come against Babylon by the Medes and the Persians, the description quickly alluded to God's dealings with the Antichrist. These verses focused on the end of the Tribulation when Christ, accompanied by angels and saints, defeats the Antichrist at Armageddon with the two-edged sword that proceeds from His Mouth.)

⁴ The noise of a multitude in the mountains, as of a great people! the noise of a tumult of the kingdoms of the nations gathered together! Jehovah of hosts is mustering the host for the battle.

(To the Old Testament reader, this verse showed God would personally lead an army at Armageddon in the physical Day of the Lord.)

⁵ They come from a far country, from the uttermost part of heaven, even Jehovah, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land.

(This showed the army was a heavenly army that was personally led by God.)

⁶ Wail ye; for the day of Jehovah is at hand; as destruction from the Almighty shall it come.
⁷ Therefore shall all hands be feeble, and every heart of man shall melt:
⁸ and they shall be dismayed; pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman in travail: they shall look in amazement one at another; their faces shall be faces of flame.

(A description of the effects of judgment associated with the physical day of Jehovah, also known as the "Day of the Lord."

There were two "days of the Lord/Jehovah":
-One was a spiritual day that will occur at the end of our current dispensation (6th) with the Rapture of the Church.
-The second "day of Jehovah" was a physical day that will occur at the end of the dispensation of the Law (5th), which is at the end of the Tribulation and the beginning of the Millennium.)

⁹ Behold, the day of Jehovah cometh, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger; to make the land a desolation, and to destroy the sinners thereof out of it.

(Sinners and the land will be destroyed during this judgment that ends the Tribulation.)

¹⁰ For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light; the sun shall be darkened in its going forth, and the moon shall not cause its light to shine.

(These descriptions were concerning the battle of Armageddon. See Ezekiel 32:7-8; Joel 2:2,31; 3:15; Amos 8:9; Matthew 24:29-30.)

¹¹ And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity: and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.

(The proud would cease and be brought low.)

¹² I will make a man more rare than fine gold, even a man than the pure gold of Ophir.

(Males will be a rarity at the end of the Tribulation and going into the Millennium. Isaiah 4:1 stated that seven women will "take hold" of one man.)

¹³ Therefore I will make the heavens to tremble, and the earth shall be shaken out of its place, in the wrath of Jehovah of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.
¹⁴ And it shall come to pass, that as the chased roe, and as sheep that no man gathereth, they shall turn every man to his own people, and shall flee every man to his own land.

(A "chased roe" was a gazelle which had the following characteristics: timid, easily startled, and fast. A "sheep that no man gathereth" was a sheep without a shepherd, without a pastor.)

¹⁵ Every one that is found shall be thrust through; and every one that is taken shall fall by the sword.

(This referred to the wicked that will be destroyed. Notice, everyone of them will be killed. Was this also true when the Medes and Persians took over Babylon?...or was there at least one left alive?)

¹⁶ Their infants also shall be dashed in pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be rifled, and their wives ravished.
¹⁷ Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, who shall not regard silver, and as for gold, they shall not delight in it.

(Whether the narrative also included their current time in verse 16, it was clear the prophecy began to specifically speak about the Medes in verse 17. The Medes were used against Babylon.)

¹⁸ And their bows shall dash the young men in pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eye shall not spare children.
¹⁹ And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldeans' pride, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.

(Verse 19 was open for interpretation. If Babylon was not overthrown as completely as Sodom and Gomorrah, this event would still be in front of us.)

²⁰ It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation: neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there; neither shall shepherds make their flocks to lie down there.

(However, today the site where Babylon was is a mound and is not that much different than the site on which Sodom and Gomorrah existed.)

²¹ But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and ostriches shall dwell there, and wild goats shall dance there.
²² And wolves shall cry in their castles, and jackals in the pleasant palaces: and her time is near to come, and her days shall not be prolonged.

(The final desolation of Babylon. This chapter covered the complete desolation of Babylon, both past and future. The next chapter focused on Israel's restoration during the Millennium.)




Isaiah 14
¹ For Jehovah will have compassion on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land: and the sojourner shall join himself with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob.

(God will restore Israel during the Millennium. The Abrahamic Covenant was everlasting (Genesis 17:7). Strangers will be joined with Israel.)

² And the peoples shall take them, and bring them to their place; and the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of Jehovah for servants and for handmaids: and they shall take them captive whose captives they were; and they shall rule over their oppressors.
³ And it shall come to pass in the day that Jehovah shall give thee rest from thy sorrow, and from thy trouble, and from the hard service wherein thou wast made to serve,

(The Millennium will be a time of rest, a Sabbath.)

⁴ that thou shalt take up this parable against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased!
⁵ Jehovah hath broken the staff of the wicked, the sceptre of the rulers;
⁶ that smote the peoples in wrath with a continual stroke, that ruled the nations in anger, with a persecution that none restrained.

(The Antichrist, the staff of the wicked, will be destroyed.)

⁷ The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet: they break forth into singing.
⁸ Yea, the fir-trees rejoice at thee, and the cedars of Lebanon, saying, Since thou art laid low, no hewer is come up against us.

(More description of the Millennial rest.)

⁹ Sheol from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming; it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations.
¹⁰ All they shall answer and say unto thee, Art thou also become weak as we? art thou become like unto us?
¹¹ Thy pomp is brought down to Sheol, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and worms cover thee.
¹² How art thou fallen from heaven, O day-star, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, that didst lay low the nations!

(Lucifer fell from heaven. Lucifer meant "light bearer; day star, morning star." Lucifer was Satan's name before he was judged.)

¹³ And thou saidst in thy heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; and I will sit upon the mount of congregation, in the uttermost parts of the north;
¹⁴ I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.

(Satan's five "I wills":
1) ascend into heaven
2) exalt my throne above the stars of God
3) sit on the mount of the congregation
4) ascend above the heights of the clouds
5) be like the Most High.

In this verse, "like" meant "of the same quality." Ultimately, Lucifer wanted to actually be God. Lucifer stated his will about these five areas.)

¹⁵ Yet thou shalt be brought down to Sheol, to the uttermost parts of the pit.

(Satan will be brought down to hell, to the uttermost (extreme) parts of the pit.)

¹⁶ They that see thee shall gaze at thee, they shall consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms;
¹⁷ that made the world as a wilderness, and overthrew the cities thereof; that let not loose his prisoners to their home?

(People will see Satan in hell and ask themselves if he was the one who caused all the wickedness on earth. These verses were looking to the future and came after we got background about Lucifer's past.)

¹⁸ All the kings of the nations, all of them, sleep in glory, every one in his own house.
¹⁹ But thou art cast forth away from thy sepulchre like an abominable branch, clothed with the slain, that are thrust through with the sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a dead body trodden under foot.

(Satan will be cast away like an abominable branch.)

²⁰ Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land, thou hast slain thy people; the seed of evil-doers shall not be named for ever.

(Verses 21-23: a prophecy of the literal desolation of Babylon.)

²¹ Prepare ye slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers, that they rise not up, and possess the earth, and fill the face of the world with cities.
²² And I will rise up against them, saith Jehovah of hosts, and cut off from Babylon name and remnant, and son and son's son, saith Jehovah.
²³ I will also make it a possession for the porcupine, and pools of water: and I will sweep it with the besom of destruction, saith Jehovah of hosts.

(The word besom meant "broom.")

(Verses 24-27: God's destruction of the Antichrist.)

²⁴ Jehovah of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely, as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand:
²⁵ that I will break the Assyrian in my land, and upon my mountains tread him under foot: then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden depart from off their shoulder.
²⁶ This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth; and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations.
²⁷ For Jehovah of hosts hath purposed, and who shall annul it? and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?

(The following prophecy occurred during the reign of Hezekiah.)

²⁸ In the year that king Ahaz died was this burden.
²⁹ Rejoice not, O Philistia, all of thee, because the rod that smote thee is broken; for out of the serpent's root shall come forth an adder, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent.

(Philistia meant "land of sojourners.")

³⁰ And the first-born of the poor shall feed, and the needy shall lie down in safety; and I will kill thy root with famine, and thy remnant shall be slain.

(The remnant that would be slain would be led by Hezekiah.)

³¹ Howl, O gate; cry, O city; thou art melted away, O Philistia, all of thee; for there cometh a smoke out of the north, and there is no straggler in his ranks.
³² What then shall one answer the messengers of the nation? That Jehovah hath founded Zion, and in her shall the afflicted of his people take refuge.

(This was a complicated chapter that covered Lucifer's past, Lucifer's future, and the literal destruction of Babylon and Philistia.)




Isaiah 15
¹ The burden of Moab. For in a night Ar of Moab is laid waste, and brought to nought; for in a night Kir of Moab is laid waste, and brought to nought.

(The burden (a weighty or mournful prophecy) of Moab. Moab was from Lot.)

² They are gone up to Bayith, and to Dibon, to the high places, to weep: Moab waileth over Nebo, and over Medeba; on all their heads is baldness, every beard is cut off.

(Moab (and its specific cities) were made desolate by the Assyrians in the fourth year of Hezekiah's reign. The rest of this chapter consisted of lamentation for Moab…)

³ In their streets they gird themselves with sackcloth; on their housetops, and in their broad places, every one waileth, weeping abundantly.
⁴ And Heshbon crieth out, and Elealeh; their voice is heard even unto Jahaz: therefore the armed men of Moab cry aloud; his soul trembleth within him.

(The people of Moab mourned and wept aloud for the desolation of their land and their people.)

⁵ My heart crieth out for Moab; her nobles flee unto Zoar, to Eglath-shelishi-yah: for by the ascent of Luhith with weeping they go up; for in the way of Horonaim they raise up a cry of destruction.

(Although Moab was a constant source of affliction against the Israelites, Isaiah still felt compassion for Moab.)

⁶ For the waters of Nimrim shall be desolate; for the grass is withered away, the tender grass faileth, there is no green thing.

(The reason Isaiah felt compassion: Moab was without fruit, without growth.)

⁷ Therefore the abundance they have gotten, and that which they have laid up, shall they carry away over the brook of the willows.
⁸ For the cry is gone round about the borders of Moab; the wailing thereof unto Eglaim, and the wailing thereof unto Beer-elim.
⁹ For the waters of Dimon are full of blood; for I will bring yet more upon Dimon, a lion upon them of Moab that escape, and upon the remnant of the land.

(This post covered Lucifer's past, Lucifer's future, the literal destruction of Babylon and Philistia, and Moab's immediate future that has already occurred. The next chapter addressed Moab's future during the Tribulation...)

Day 206