By Eugene Garner

ISAIAH - CHAPTER 13

PROPHECIES AGAINST FOREIGN, HOSTILE
NATIONS, (Isa. 13:1-23:18)

AN ORACLE CONCERNING BABYLON (13:1-14:23)

    An "oracle" (a burden orally expressed) involved a revelation given to a prophet of God which was, in turn, to be uttered to men. The following series of oracles were designed, not only as a warning of judgment upon hostile nations, but also as a means of encouragement for Judah.
    "Babylon", in the Old Testament, is always "Babel" - bearing indisputable evidence of its deep roots in the "city of confusion", (Gen. 11:1-9). More than a city, or kingdom (though it is both, at various times), it symbolizes a highly organized world-system (religious, political and commercial) which is diametrically opposed to God's order for man and the universe, incessantly antagonistic to the Most High; vainly proud of her accomplishments and brilliantly daring in her innovations of evil; there is, nevertheless, abundant evidence that the hand of divine restraint has been a constant check on her recklessness. And a close analysis, of the extensive ramifications of her workings, will reveal confusion, division and antagonism among her various branches. Her end is destruction. And with her all who have stopped their ears against divine warnings and pleadings to pursue the lusts aroused by her alluring deceptiveness.

   The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see. Lift ye up a banner upon the high mountain, exalt the voice unto them, shake the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles. I have commanded my sanctified ones, I have also called my mighty ones, for mine anger, even them that rejoice in my highness. The noise of a multitude in the mountains like as of a great people; a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together; the LORD of hosts mustereth the host of the battle. They come from a far country, from the end of heaven, even the LORD, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land. Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty. Therefore shall all hands be faint, end every man's heart shall melt: And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames. Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. 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. I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir. Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.
   And it shall be as the chased roe, and as a sheep that no man taketh up: they shall every man turn to his own people, and flee every one into his own land. Every one that is found shall be thrust through; and every one that is joined unto them shall fall by the sword. Their children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives ravished.

    1. In verses 1-2 there is the command of the Lord for His servants to raise a banner as a rallying signal for His troops (5:26; Jer. 50:2; 51:25); they are to be urged onward, by voice and hand, toward the gates of Babylon, (10:32; 19:16; 45:1-3; Jer. 51:58).
    2. The Lord commands His sanctified ones; His strong and proudly-exultant warriors are summoned to execute His fierce anger upon Babylon, (comp. Joel 3:11).
    3. In a passage with obvious eschatological or end time implications, the prophet declares what he has seen and heard, (vs. 4-8).
      a. An uproar of multitudes upon the mountains! (5:30; 17:12; Joel 3:14). A tumult of gathering kingdoms!
      b. From distant lands, even from the ends of heaven, the Lord is mustering His battle-host, (5:26; 7:18).
      c. They are instruments of His indignation, to destroy the whole land, (42:13; 10:5; 24:1; 34:2).
    4. The "Day of the Lord" is viewed as "at hand" - a day of destruction which comes from the Almighty, (vs. 6; 10:3; 24:21-23 34:2; Jer. 10:15; Ezek. 30:3; Amos 5:18).
      a. The hands of human ingenuity will dangle helplessly at one's sides, (Ezek. 7:17).
      b. Once courageous hearts will melt with fear, (vs. 7; comp. 19:1; Lev. 26:36-37).
      c. Dismayed, seized by pain and agony; they will writhe as women in the travail of child-birth - each one standing aghast at the terror of his dearest friend, (vs. 8; comp. 66:4; Ezek. 21:7; Dan. 5:6; Mic. 7:16-17; Nahum 2:10; Heb. 10:27).
    5. Again "the Day of the Lord" is pictured as coming, "cruel, with wrath and fierce anger", for the desolation of the land and the destruction of sinners out of it, (vs. 9; 34:1-8; Joel 2:31; 3:15; Matt. 24:29; Mk. 13:24; Lk. 21:35).
    6. The stars, constellations, sun and moon will refuse their light-increasing the wretchedness of the wicked, (vs. 10; 5:30; Joel 2:10).
    7. Manifesting His presence for the punishment of the wicked (vs. 11; 3:11; 14:5; 26:21), the Lord will cause the arrogancy of presumptuous sinners to cease, (Isa. 2:11; Psa. 12:3-4; 23:9; Prov. 8:13) - humbling the pride of oppressive tyrants (comp. 25:10-11; 29:5, 20; 49:25-26), and illustrating the fact that "the way of transgressors is hard", (Prov. 13:15).
    8. The extent of this threatened slaughter, and extremely diminished population, is expressed by a powerful comparison, (vs. 12; 4:1; 6:11-12; I Kings 9:28; Psa. 45:9).
    9. The judgment of the Lord, in the heat of His fierce anger, is likened to the shaking of both of the heavens and the earth (vs. 13-14; 2:19; 24:1; Jer. 10:10; Hag. 2:6-7), which results in the flight of non-Babylonians to their own lands and people, (comp. 17:13; 33:3).
      a. It should be noted that "heavens" is sometimes used, symbolically, to designate the height of political glory - the leaders of human government, (Jer. 4:23-25; Ezek. 32:7; Isa. 34:4-5).
      b. And "earth" sometimes denotes the multitude of people by whose strength "the heavens" are supported, (Rev. 12:16; Gen. 6:11; etc.).
      c. An "earthquake", in its figurative usage, is suggestive of civil revolution, (Joel 2:10).
    10. The purposed destruction of Babylon is to be complete - without pity or respect of persons, (vs. 15-16; 14:19; Jer. 50:25-27; 51:3-4).

   Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, which shall not regard silver; and as for gold, they shall not delight in it. Their bows also shall dash the young men to pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb: their eye shall not spare children. And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generations: neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there: neither shall the shepherds make their fold there. But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there: and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and owls shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there. And the wild beasts of the islands shall cry in their desolate houses, and dragons in their pleasant palaces: and her time is near to come, and her days shall not be prolonged.

    1. God specifically declares His purpose to stir up the Medes against Babylon - a people who are indifferent toward silver and gold, (vs. 17; 21:2; Jer. 51:11, 28; Dan. 5:28, 31).
    2. Their chief delight appears to be in bloodshed - without regard to age, sex, or station in life, (comp. 2 Chron. 36:17; Ezek. 9:5-6, 10).
    3. The destruction of Babylon is likened unto that of Sodom and Gomorrah; it is to be perpetual, (vs. 19b; Gen. 19:24-25; Deut. 29:23).
      a. It will be uninhabited' "from generation to generation", (14:23; Jer. 51:37-43).
      b. The Arabian, and the shepherd with his sheep, will refuse to spend a single night there.
      c. It will, rather, become a dwelling-place for wild beasts, (vs. 20-22a; comp. 34:11-15).
    4. Isaiah declares that the time of Babylon's destruction is near - nor will her judgment be delayed, (vs. 22).

ISAIAH - CHAPTER 14

DIVINE MERCY TOWARD JACOB

   For the LORD will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land: and the strangers shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob. And the people shall take them, and bring them to their place: and the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of the LORD for servants and handmaids: and they shall take them captives, whose captives they were; and they shall rule over their oppressors.

    1. Self-will and rebellion, on the part of His own, have prompted God to use Gentile powers in the necessary chastisement and discipline or His erring people.

    2. The arrogancy and cruelty of these Gentile instruments of His wrath will bring His judgment upon them - after He has accomplished His purpose upon Israel.

    3. In His judgment on her oppressors, the Lord is manifesting His covenant-faithfulness ("hesed", mercy) toward the nation that has broken His covenant; He is faithful!

    4. By His own choice He will restore Israel to her own land - the land of Promise - where, disciplined to the obedience of faith, she will be an instrument of blessing to the Gentiles over whom she will have triumphed, (49:22-23; 61:5-7).

    5. This indicates that, restored to the position of covenant-fellowship (from which the nation was cut off, through the disobedience of unbelief), Israel will fulfill (during the millennium) the role of ministering to the Gentiles - the work that her ancient father's refused.
      a. Israel will be the chief nation on earth during the millennium, (Ezek. 36:24-28; Zech. 10:6; Mic. 4:6-8; 7:15-20; Zeph. 3:14-20; Isa. 61:8-11; Zech. 8:23; Isa. 49:22-23; 66:12; 60:11-12; Zech. 14:12-19).
      b. However, the nation of Israel will be ruled over by the twelve apostles of Christ, (Lk. 22:28-30).

   And it shall comes to pass in the day that the LORD shall give thee rest from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve, That thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased! The LORD bath broken the staff of the wicked, and the sceptre of the rulers. He who smote the people in wrath with a continual stroke, he that ruled the nations in anger, is persecuted, and none hlndereth. The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet: they break forth into singing; Yea, the fir trees rejoice at thee, and the cedars of Lebanon, saying, Since thou art laid down, no feller is come up against us. Hell 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. All they shall speak and say unto thee, Art thou also become weak as we? art thou become like unto us? Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee.

    1. When Israel is given rest from her troubles (through divine redemption and restoration), she will rejoice over the destruction of Babylon with a note of triumph.
      a. "How has the oppressor ceased!"
      b. "His insolent rage has been silenced!"
    2. It is the Lord Himself who has broken "staff and sceptre" (representative of kingly state, or rule: cf. Jer. 48:17, 29; 2 Kings 18:21; Isa. 9:4) of him who raged, without restraint, against the nations; he is now recompensed by divine vengeance, (vs. 5-6).
    3. The whole earth enjoys rest and quietness, except for the spontaneous song of joy - the fir trees and cedars of Lebanon rejoicing in the overthrow of him who made havoc of their forests, (vs. 7-8).
    4. Sheol (the place of the dead) is pictured as being excited by the coming of the king of Babylon - its inhabitants aroused and astounded at his violent end; he is now as one of the kings of the earth whom he had overthrown.
    5. The taunt of Israel is taken up again in verse 11.
      a. His pomp, and the noise of his instruments of music, are brought down to Sheol, (5:14; Ezek. 28:13; cf. Dan. 3:5).
      b. The luxurious cushions and pillows on which he once lay have been exchanged for a bed of worms; maggots are now his covering instead of the gorgeous rugs under which he once rested, (51:8; 66:24; Mk. 9:43-48).

   How art thou fallen from heaven, 0 Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hadst said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High, Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners? All the kings of the nations, even all of them, lie in glory, every one in His own house. But thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch, and as the raiment of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a carcass trodden under test. Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land, and slain thy people: the seed of evildoers shall never be renowned.

    1. Inquiry is made as to why Lucifer (whose name means "day star"), son of the morning, has been cut down, (vs. 12).
      a. Though the words are addressed to the fallen king of Babylon, it is evident that its ultimate thrust is at Satan himself, by whom the king was manipulated into rebellion against the Most High.
      b. It should be understood that this is a prophecy, though the moral fall is of great historical significance, and reveals the origin and originator of sin.
      c. The ultimate casting down of Satan awaits fulfillment - since he presently has access to the very presence of God as the "accusor of the brethren", (Job 2:1-8; Rev. 12:9-12; Lk. 10:18; Jude 6).
    2. Sin had its origin in the heart of the "shining one" who, in proud rebellion and arrogant willfulness, declared his independence and announced his ambitious goal of self-exaltation, (vs. 13-14; comp. Ezek. 28:11-19).
      a. "I WILL ASCEND INTO HEAVEN!" (Ezek. 28:2).
      b. "I WILL exalt my throne above the stars of God!" (Dan. 5:22; 8:10; cf. 2 Thess. 2:4).
      c. "I WILL sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north!"
      d. "I WILL ascend above the heights of the clouds!"
      e. "I WILL be like the Most High!"
(It was this same willful selfish rebellion against the divine order and authority that Satan was able to implant in the hearts of mother Eve (Gen. 3), and the king of Babylon.)
    3. The end of Satanic rebellion (vs. 15) will be "sheol" - the bottomless pit, (Ezek. 28:8; Cf. Rev. 20:13); and, ultimately, the lake of fire, (Rev. 20:10).
    4. Men will be amazed at the fall of the kingdom of Babylon, as they contrast the proud arrogancy of his reign with the shame and disgrace of His fall, (vs. 16-17; Ezek. 28:18-19).
    5. Though most of earth's kings are given an honorable burial, the carcass of the king of Babylon, who has been the destruction of his own land and people, will be cast out and trodden under foot, (vs. 18-20).

   Vs. 21-23: Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers; that they do not rise, nor possess the land, nor fill the face of the world with cities. For I will rise up against them, saith the Lord of hosts, and cut oft from Babylon the name, and remnant, and son, and nephew, saith the Lord. I will also make it a possession for the bittern, and pools of water and I will sweep it with the besom of destruction, saith the Lord of hosts.

    1. His dynasty will perish with him - his offspring slaughtered, (vs. 21-22).
    2. And the Lord will sweep Babylon with "the broom of destruction" - making it the possession of porcupines, (vs. 23).