The Oracle Concerning Assyria
14: 24-27

The oracle concerning Assyria DIG: Where was Assyrian defeated? What qualities of God are stressed here? How does God’s planning and counsel stand against the whole world? Can anyone change His plans?

REFLECT: In view of this, how should Judah respond to God? How should the whole world? How then do you? What promises has God made to you that you can count on? Can anyone thwart those promises?

Here the previous taunt song is applied to Judah’s immediate enemy, Assyria. Isaiah deals very briefly with Assyria, because he already dealt with it extensively in the Book of Immanuel (7:1 to 12:6). These verses serve as a transition from the general and symbolic to the specific and literal. The Assyrian power, symbolized by Babylon, represents the power and glory of this world against ADONAI who has promised to redeem His people. The superiority of the LORD to Babylon has been shown. But what about Assyria? Do these truths apply to the literal as well as the symbolic? The answer is a reverberating yes!

ADONAI-Tzva’ot has sworn, “Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will stand (14:24). When YHVH makes an oath, and swears by Himself as He does here, He does so because He can swear by nothing higher (Hebrews 6:13). It points to the fact that whatever He pronounces is certain to come to pass and cannot be undone. He often swears by Himself as a confirmation of the oath He makes (Isaiah 62:8; Jeremiah 51:14; Amos 4:2). And just to confirm what He has just said, God reemphasizes: Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will stand (14:24b).

In the near historical future, God declares that He will crush the Assyrian army. I will crush the Assyrian in My Land; on My mountains I will trample him down (14:25a). The Assyria that He will crush will not be in the land of Assyria, but outside the walls of Jerusalem (to see link click Gw – Then the Angel of the LORD Put To Death a Hundred and Eighty Five Thousand Men in the Assyrian Camp). The instrument in God’s hand is in accordance with 10:5: woe to the Assyrian, the rod of my anger, in whose hand is the club of my wrath. The rod of God’s anger will be wielded by the Angel of the LORD. God’s yoke will be taken from His people, and His burden removed from their shoulders (14:25b). The result of the breaking of the Assyrian is that the yoke will be removed from the shoulders of God’s people.

This is the plan determined for the whole world; this is the hand stretched over all nations (14:26). These last two verses serve as a summary to the Oracle Concerning Babylon (13:1 to 14:23). The statement of the purpose is that ADONAI has a plan determined for the whole world. But God’s plan determined for the whole world will begin with Assyria. God’s hand is stretched out over all the nations and is ready to strike, but the nation He will strike first, is Assyria.

For the LORD of heaven’s angelic armies has purposed, and who can thwart Him (41:13, Psalm 33:6-11; Proverbs 19:21)? His hand is stretched out and who can turn it back (14:27)? Here God shows the impossibility of reversing His decision. This is God’s purpose; who can cancel it? Who can turn it back? The rhetorical answer is no one. ADONAI is in complete control!

I Will Cut Off from Babylon Her Name
14: 20b-23

I will cut off from Babylon her name DIG: If God is love, why is Babylon destroyed and no one spared (see the Day of the Lord 13:6-16)? What does this say about God’s justice?

REFLECT: What does it mean to you that ADONAI has absolute power over all who would try to exercise or usurp His authority? Where does that challenge you? How does it encourage and strengthen you?

The final judgment is aimed at the destruction of the antichrist’s name and family. This is called the cherem judgment of God. Cherem means devoted to destruction. When Achan stole the things devoted to destruction from Jericho, he became devoted to destruction. As a result, Joshua, together with all Isra’el, took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the robe, the gold wedge, his sons, and daughters, his cattle, donkeys and sheep, his tent and all that he had, to the Valley of Achor. Then all Isra’el stoned him, and after they had stoned the rest, they burned them (Joshua 7:24-25b). At the end of the fourth stanza the cherem judgment of God is seen in the destruction of the antichrist’s family, his followers and his capital city. Nothing will remain.

First is the destruction of the antichrist’s family. The offspring of the wicked will never be mentioned again. Prepare for the slaughter of his sons for the sins of their forefathers; they are not to rise to inherit the land so they cannot cover the earth with their cities (14:20b-21). Here the reversed lament reaches the climax of parody. Instead of wishing that the antichrist’s name will endure after him and that his children will bring honor to his name through their own long and productive lives, the singer of this poem wishes just the opposite. They will be slaughtered so that no one will remember that he ever existed.

Second is the destruction of the people of Babylon as Isaiah has previously described (13:2-22). No one is spared. Their bows will strike down the young men; they will have no mercy on infants nor will they look with compassion on children (13:18). Here Isaiah prophesies: I will rise up against them, declares the LORD of heaven’s angelic armies (CJB), “I will cut off from Babylon her name and survivors, her offspring and descendants,” declares ADONAI (14:22).

Third, we see the destruction of Babylon (to see link click Dk – Babylon, the Jewel of Kingdoms, will be Overthrown). It will become a swampland, habitable only by demons. I will turn her into a place for owls and into swampland; I will sweep her with the broom of destruction, ADONAI-Tzva’ot (14:23). During the Messianic Kingdom, the world reverts back to the way it was in the Garden of Eden before the fall because Satan is in the Abyss. But there are two exceptions, Babylon and Edom. For a thousand years they will be continual burning wastelands. Satan will be in the Abyss and the demons will live in Babylon and Edom.

This is how pride always ends. It takes you further than you wanted to go and costs you more than you wanted to pay. Wanting to leave his mark of the world by brute force, everything he worked for, even his memory, is destroyed by death. In contrast, Isaiah points us to the fact that those who put their pride aside and choose to become bondservants (Second Corinthians 4:5; Ephesians 6:5-6 NKJ) of ADONAI are those who will live forever in His memory (11:10-16, 25:6-8, 26:19, 27:13, 40:27-31, 54:7-8).

Those Who See You Stare and Ponder Your Fate
14: 16-20a

Those who see you stare and ponder your fate DIG: What is the contrast between the antichrist’s early power and his final condition? Unable to have his power endure, what is his final judgment? Where will he die? What is the paradox about him not letting his captives go home? Why will he not be buried?

REFLECT: When people look at you, what do they see? How does this section speak to you regarding earthly belongings? Earthly power and prestige? How can your outlook change? Where does it start? How will your friends, co-workers and family view you when you’re gone? Does that change how you live now?

The final scene of the poem returns to the earth where it began. Here the antichrist suffers the ultimate disgrace; his body is left to rot out in the open without an honorable burial. There is a sense of wonder among the onlookers. They are awestruck at the thought that someone so powerful could come to such a dreadful fate. Much like the people of ancient times, those in the end times will believe that if the body was not properly buried, the soul was condemned to roam the earth looking for a home. The Jews didn’t believe it because the sages taught that the lack of a proper burial was a disgrace. This was demonstrated by the risk the people of Jabesh-gilead took in order to recover and bury the bodies of Sha’ul and Jonathan (First Samuel 31:11-13; Second Samuel 2:4-7).

In the beginning of the fourth stanza the scene is no longer in hell. Isaiah has dealt with the soul of the antichrist and now he deals with his body. In between he talked about Satan; this is once again an example of double reference, that is one person or event in one verse or section followed by a second person or event in another verse or section, blended together in such a way that they form one picture. There is astonishment again, but this time the astonishment comes from the people of the earth as they view the body of the antichrist. Those who see you stare at you, they ponder your fate, saying: Is this the man who shook the earth and made kingdoms tremble (14:16). They find it hard to believe he was the same one who had made everyone tremble in fear.

Isaiah emphasizes the fact that he does not have a proper burial. Lesser kings than he, have a place to be buried, but not the antichrist. While he has prepared a tomb for himself, he will not lie in it. The place where he lies is in the field of battle. He will be cast out and his body will be exposed and covered with the dead bodies of his soldiers, or clothed with the slain, who were pierced by the sharp sword that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD at the Second Coming (Revelation 19:15). To clear the battlefield, they make a hole and throw stones on the top of it, without taking the trouble to shovel in the earth. But the antichrist is left lying there, like a corpse trampled underfoot. They do not even think him worthy of being thrown into a hole with the rest of the corpses. Evil cannot, and will not, be in control forever.

On the one hand, Isaiah does not explain why the body remains unburied. But we have several other passages in Scripture to explain this. It starts with the fact that he is the first casualty of Christ’s Second Coming, before any of his soldiers are killed (2 Thess 2:8). When the antichrist is killed, his soul enters into hell (14:9-11), but he does not remain there very long. Before the Messianic Kingdom is established he is cast alive into the lake of burning sulfur. He and the false prophet are the only ones in the lake of burning sulfur for the entire thousand years of the Messianic Kingdom (Revelation 19:20). Therefore, the reason the body of the antichrist remains unburied, according to Isaiah’s prophecy, is that soon after he is killed and his soul enters into hell, he is resurrected and cast alive into the lake of burning sulfur (see my commentary on Revelation, to see link click Fm – Satan Will Be Released from His Prison and Will Go Out to Deceive the Nations).

The people of the earth questioned themselves, already knowing the answer. They asked: Is this the man who made the whole world a desert, who overthrew its cities and would not let his captives go home (14:17)? He not only made the earth his home, he made it his toy. He would yawn and repercussions could be felt in the furthest regions of the earth. People lived in terror of displeasing him. But what the beast (Revelation 13:4-10) failed to recognize is that the LORD is sovereign over the kingdoms of men, and He gives them to anyone He wishes (Dani’el 4:25).

The antichrist’s capacity to oppress and destroy people became his undoing. It actually became a source of pride for him (14:6). However, the tables will be turned on him. Normally all the kings of the nations lie in state, each in his own tomb. But the Beast will be cast out of his own tomb like a rejected branch. He will lie in the Valley of Jehoshaphat (Joel 3:2 and 14; Revelation 19:17-21); covered with the slain, with those pierced by the sword, those who descend to the stones of the pit (14:18-19a). At that time, he who would not let his captives go home will have no house to go to himself.

He, who had exiled millions of people and would not let them go home, now is himself homeless. But he was homeless in a much more profound sense. He will not have a tomb like the lesser kings he himself had killed. Like a corpse trampled underfoot, he will not join them in burial, for he will have destroyed the Jewish homeland and killed millions of Jewish people (19:19b-20a).

A psalm of David (Psalm 37) and a psalm of Asaph (Psalm 73) speak to the problem of focusing on the prosperity of the wicked in the midst of our suffering. David instructs us not to worry because of evil men who do wrong. For the wicked plot against the righteous and gnash their teeth at them; but ADONAI laughs at the wicked, for He knows their day is coming (Psalm 37:1, 12-13). While acknowledging that God is good to Isra’el and to those who are pure in heart, he readily admits that part of him envied the wicked when he saw their prosperity. It seemed to him that they had no struggles in life, being free from the burdens common to us all. They wear pride as their necklace and don’t seem any worse for it. Sometimes Asaph thought, sometimes we think, “Where was the LORD anyway?” When he tried to understand why, it was oppressive to him. His perspective changed, however, when he entered the sanctuary of God. When he stopped looking to man and started looking to God, things changed for him. Then he gained some perspective because he understood the final destiny of the wicked like the antichrist (Psalm 73:3, 6 and 17).

All of us can learn a good lesson from Asaph. We all get discouraged at times. This should not surprise us, for Jesus said: In this world you will have trouble (John 16:33). We are all human and we are not going to be perfect in this regard, but we need to stop looking to men and women when we get disheartened. The Ruach Ha’Kodesh encourages us to come near to God, with the promise that He will come near to you (James 4:8a).

How You Have Fallen from Heaven, O Morning Star
14: 12-15

How you have fallen from heaven, O Mourning Star DIG: What is Satan’s primary motivation? How does his destiny compare with his ambition? What does this tell you about pride that asserts itself against God? Will the Adversary be king of hell, or just its number one prisoner? Why?

REFLECT: Lucifer chose to rebel against YHVH. When he was hurled to the earth, sin entered the world. What have the consequences of sin been in your life? As a result, how much do you appreciate the free offer of the forgiveness of your sins? Does that affect how you treat others?

The scene now shifts from the underworld to heaven and exposes the foolishness of human pride. The pride refuses to back off from any rival, even ADONAI Himself, insisting that it is in charge of its own destiny. Isaiah drives home the point that we are not God, and we cannot make the LORD in our image. It was foolishness before the creation of the world, it was foolishness in the days of Isaiah, and it is still foolishness today.

In the third of four stanzas, Isaiah points us to the pride of the devil. When we think of human pride, we think first of the will. It is the human will that reverses the words of Jesus in Mark 14:36, and says: Not Your will but Mine be done! For what is human pride except an attempt to set ourselves up in the place of God in our world? Notice the five recurrences of the pronoun I in these verses. Pride is to place my will and myself at the center of creation. This is what the old Serpent has brought to mankind. Shelley’s sonnet Ozymandias, beautifully sums up Isaiah’s comments on pride. It was allegedly written while looking at the fallen statue of the great Egyptian Pharaoh Ramses in the Nubian Desert. The final lines read, “My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look on my works, ye Mighty and despair! Nothing besides (me) remains. Round the decay of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare, the lone and level sands stretch far away.”

This poem not only reflects the destructive nature of pride but also its essential silliness. How can humans who die think they can play God? How mere mortals think they can give their petty activities eternal worth when they will one day leave all of their achievements behind to succumb to inevitable decay and destruction is amazing. You can’t take it with you. Death is the great leveler – the curse of the arrogant and the hope of the oppressed. When we read the fate of Satan himself, we can see where pride, apart from Christ, leads.⁴⁹

After describing the fall of the antichrist into hell itself, Isaiah now turns to the person who controlled the antichrist and also the one who is head of those demons in goat form. This is an example of double reference, which refers to one person or event, in this case the antichrist (13:3-13), followed by a second person, here the fall of Satan (14:12-15), blended together in such a way that they form a complete picture.

How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations (14:12). It is very important to understand that God has revealed Himself progressively, and not all at once. Here Isaiah starts to describe Satan’s rebellion against ADONAI in heaven.

When we get to the end of the Bible, the Holy Spirit gives us more detail. There we see Satan being hurled to the earth. The great dragon was hurled down – that ancient serpent called the devil or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his (demons) angels with him (see the commentary on Revelation, to see link click Di – There was War in Heaven, and Satan was Hurled Down to the Earth). The Hebrew translation of morning star, son of the dawn is literally, day star, son of the morning. The morning star under the name of Istar was worshipped by the Babylonians, and Nebuchadnezzar’s days of power and glory are well represented by their comparison with the shining star. The brilliance of a star in the early dawn vanishes when the sun rises. Satan, because of his great power and abilities, thought himself to be equal with God Himself. This is clearly seen in his temptation of Christ in the desert (Matthew 4:1-11). His great pride would be his undoing.

The reasons for his fall are seen in the declaration of the five I wills that Satan said in his heart. First: I will ascend into heaven; he wished to have a higher position than he already had. Secondly: I will raise my throne above the stars of God; he wished to take Michael’s position of being the archangel. Thirdly: I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain (14:13). These are expressions that Isaiah will use later in reference to Christ’s millennial reign over Isra’el. The implication is that Satan, knowing God’s future program for the Jews, wished to be the messianic ruler over Isra’el by himself. Fourthly: I will ascend above the tops of the clouds. Whenever the word cloud is used symbolically, it is a symbol of God’s Sh’khinah glory and that is the Sh’khinah that he wished for himself. Fifthly: I will make myself like the Most High (14:14). He wished to become the possessor of heaven and earth. These are not unlike the claims the antichrist will make in Dani’el 7:25, 11:36 and Revelation 13:6. All this has taken place in the past, but the next verse takes place in the future.

But you are brought down to the grave, to the depths of the pit (14:15). Isaiah looks to the future and sees that the Adversary will be brought down to sh’ol, or the grave, to the uttermost depths of the pit. We know from Revelation 20:1-6 that he spends the Millennial Kingdom, the thousand years, in the Abyss before being set free for a short time. Then he will be thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur where he will be tormented day and night for ever and ever (see the commentary on Revelation Fm – Satan Will Be Released From His Prison and Will Go Out and Deceive the Nations).

Death mocks every person’s claim to be God. This truth is based on the teaching of Genesis (see the commentary on Genesis Ba – The Woman Saw the Fruit of the Tree and Ate It). The forbidden fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was offered to Adam and Eve as being able to make them like God. Instead, it brought them the ultimate proof of their humanness. It brought death (Genesis 3:5 and 22).

All Your Pomp Has Been Brought Down to the Grave
14: 9-11

All your pomp has been brought down to the grave DIG: How different is this picture from the one where the antichrist ruled the earth? Is ADONAI a respecter of persons? Or as far as salvation is concerned, does He give equal opportunity to all (John 3:16)? Basically, the question becomes, “Is God fair?”

REFLECT: What is the pomp and noise of your harps that distracts you from living for that which is really important? How, exactly, did YHVH humble the king of Babylon to fulfill this prophecy? Why should you rejoice in the fall of the king of Babylon? Do you think the LORD rejoices in this? Why?

In the second of four stanzas, the soul of the king of Babylon enters into sh’ol. With an unquestionable feel for contrast, Isaiah moves us from the earth to the underworld. He shows us that the same event that brought rest and peace on the earth above (14:4-8), brought agitation and disorder to the world below. The antichrist is indeed the author of confusion, and causes chaos wherever he goes. The source of the agitation is the discovery on the part of the dead that the dreadful king who had ordered the death of many of them is, in fact, no different than they are. Although his glory had made him seem immortal, he must also succumb to corruption and decay.

The grave is pictured as a great throne room where the leaders and kings of the earth go when they die. The antichrist is envisioned as having died and is being met by the spirits of the departed, or the kings already in the grave. Amazed at the fate of this glorious king, whose splendor surpassed theirs, they were all astir. The antichrist thought he would rule the world, but he will merely be the first casualty of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ (Second Thessalonians 2:8).

Then there is a sudden surprise. When he dies, his soul enters sh’ol and sh’ol is stirred. The grave 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 (14:9a). The word for the dead (KJV) or spirits of the departed (NIV) means shades. In Hebrew, it literally means the powerless ones, the thin and shadowy personalities of the dead. Because death had destroyed the body and soul, the soul itself was but a half-life. The Jews believed that the realm of the unrighteous, unlike the righteous being at Abraham’s side (Luke 16:19-31), was a dusty, shadowy place where a dim reflection of the person lived on in inactivity (Job 7:9, 17:16, 26:6; Psalm 6:5, 31:17, 88:11-12, 115:17). Men and women still exist in hell but they are reduced to mere shadows. They have no more reality than that.

As the antichrist enters into the regions of hell everything stirs up. It makes them rise from their thrones all those who were kings over the nations (14:9b). When the mighty king appears, they suddenly rise up from their thrones as if to pay their respects, which one might expect if this was a normal lament. But instead of paying homage, they mock him by reminding him that the grave is the great equalizer.

They will all respond, they will declare: You also have become weak, as we are; you have become like us (14:10)? Did he also come here? He of all people? This startles even those who were kings on earth. They were surprised and astonished. Have you become just like us? They are shocked to learn that even this man is mortal. They continue their mocking by saying: All your pomp has been brought down to the grave, along with the noise of your harps; maggots are spread out beneath you and worms cover you (14:11). Isaiah describes his fate by declaring that maggots are spread out beneath you and worms cover you. His pride was nothing more than pretty trappings on a rotting corpse. The kings of the earth came out of the shadows to mock the antichrist, only to sink back into the darkness.

The TaNaKh looks forward and the B’rit Chadashah looks back. Therefore, the TaNaKh awaits Yeshua Messiah to meet the need for the resurrection of the body. Both unbelievers (see the commentary on Revelation, to see link click Fn – The Second Resurrection), and believers (see the commentary on Revelation Ff – The First Resurrection) will be resurrected. This demonstrates the progressive nature of the teachings of the Bible.

How wonderful that those who believe in Yeshua as their Lord and Savior will find that the grave has no hold on them, for someday we will be away from the body and at home with the Lord (2 Cor 5:8; Phil 1:21).

The LORD Has Broken the Rod of the Wicked
14: 4-8

The LORD has broken the Rod of the wicked DIG: What takes place in each of the four stanzas of this taunt song? Who rejoices? How is the antichrist described? What was his rule like? What happens now that his rule is ended? How will nature be affected? What will the entire world do? Why?

REFLECT: Is there any time in which you have experienced pride going before the fall? From your own experience, what is the relationship between pride in yourself and cruelty towards others? Why do you think that is so? What is the difference in purpose between the fear of the LORD (Proverbs 1:7) and the fear the antichrist stirred in others? How can you help others see the difference?

In the first of four stanzas, everything on the earth, both human beings and all of creation, break into song at the news of the antichrist’s death. He insisted on having his way at all costs. But now he is thrown down to the grave once and for all. You will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon (14:4a). In the context of this taunt-song, the king of Babylon can be none other than the antichrist, the one who will come to power during the Great Tribulation. Babylon will be the capital city of his earthly empire (see the commentary on Revelation, to see link click Em – Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great! She Has Become a Home for Demons).

How the oppressor has come to an end (14:4b)! He had mastered the technique of ruling through terror. The thought of being delivered from such terror will be almost beyond belief. The joy will be unspeakable. There is One more powerful than he, Jesus said: In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world (John 16:33b). We believe in a God who is an overcomer, and because He overcame death and the world, we can also. The audacity of such faith is amazing. Yet that is exactly what Isaiah preached: The God of tiny Judah is the LORD of all the universe and before Him every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God (Phil 2:10-11).

The LORD has broken the rod of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers. The kingdom and the city of Babylon will be destroyed at the end of the Great Tribulation. The one whose fury would end is the oppressor who had struck down peoples and subdued nations with relentless aggression (14:5-6). His rod and scepter are broken so he cannot rule any longer. As a result of the king of Babylon’s fall, there is a song of joy around the world. His death would bring rest, peace not only to people but also to nature. All the lands are at rest and peace; they break into singing (14:7). The Rabbi Sha’ul tells us that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth for the return of Messiah and the reversal of the curse (Gen 3:17-19). All of creation will be able to breathe a sigh of relief when the antichrist dies. It will seem like it is too good to be true!

Isaiah reinforces the point of this stanza with imagery, as is often the case, with tree imagery. Not only people, but also the trees rejoice at the death of the antichrist. Even the pine trees and the cedars of Lebanon exult over you and say, “Now that you have been laid low, no woodsman comes to cut us down” (14:8). The great cedar trees of Lebanon saying they were safe pictures that rest symbolically. No longer would they be in danger of being cut down.

The Fall of the King of Babylon
14: 4-23

This is one of the finest Hebrew poems in the Bible. It is a taunt-song, rejoicing over the downfall of the king of Babylon, the antichrist. The song itself is bracketed by opening (14:1-2) and closing statements (14:22-23) that put the song in proper context. It is divided into four stanzas of almost equal length. Each one describes a different scene. The first (14:4-8) shows the breaking of the antichrist’s rod. The second (14:9-11) tells of the soul of the antichrist in sh’ol. The third stanza (14:12-15) describes how the Adversary has fallen from heaven. Finally, (14:16-23) we return to earth and Isaiah deals with the final disgrace of his arrogant pride: the denial of a decent burial and the destruction of his descendants. The power of the poem lies in its mockery of the lament form. Here all the elements are turned around. This song for the dead is a song of joy – not grief. How terrible he was. How wonderful it is that he has been thrown out of heaven. Whenever evil is defeated and righteousness is victorious, there is cause for joy!

This is a song about pride and self will. In our own day, who could better represent the “king of Babylon” than the two great murderers Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden? Each in his own way expected to leave behind him an empire that would rule the world. And because of his enormous pride, each one believed in his absolute right to destroy anyone who would get in his way. Each one was willing to reduce not only the world, but also his own kingdom (14:20) to destruction, if necessary, to achieve his goals. How the oppressed of the world breathed a sigh of relief when each of these monsters died. Their sin was pride and pride kills as Isaiah describes here. It kills those who cross its will and finally it kills itself as it plunges down in a deadly spiral where, in the end, it exists for itself.⁴⁸

Thus, what does this have to do with you and me? Because of our fallen nature, each one of us has this tendency. So when we say, “I will live only for myself,” we should not be surprised to find ourselves going down that path to destruction. The only cure is surrendering our will to Yeshua Messiah. Yet not as I will, but as You will (see my commentary on The Life of Christ, to see link click Lb – The Garden of Gethsemane).

The LORD will have Compassion on Jacob
14: 1-3

The LORD will have compassion on Jacob DIG: What is the positive side and real purpose of this judgment? What is the basis for God acting on Israel’s behalf (see 40:1-2)? On the Gentiles behalf? Is this the near historical Babylon or the far eschatological Babylon? When will the Gentiles return Isra’el to the Land and serve as menservants and maidservants? Are you surprised by any of the Gentile nations that survive the Great Tribulation and enter the Messianic Kingdom? What does that tell us about ADONAI?

REFLECT: What encourages you about the restoration of Isra’el? What does this prove about the trustworthiness of God? What does His faithfulness to Jacob have to do with you? Is ADONAI will not abandon Isra’el despite her sins, what does that have to say about your eternal security? Does eternal life mean eternal life? How do you feel about the Arab states turning to Yeshua Messiah? Why?

Isaiah teaches us that the time of Babylon’s final destruction is also the time of Isra’el’s final restoration. He says: For the LORD will have compassion on Jacob; once again He will choose Isra’el and will settle them in their own Land (14:1a). The prophet’s vision is not limited to Judah alone. No, ADONAI will remember His entire people, as the parallel use of Jacob and Isra’el indicates. For the purpose of Isra’el’s restoration, Babylon must be destroyed. But while God will reject Babylon, He will choose Isra’el and make good His promises to the house of Jacob because He is the Promise Keeper. A sub-theme here is that Isra’el will possess the Gentiles. Isaiah says three things. First, Aliens, or the Gentiles will join them and unite with the house of Jacob (14:1b). Secondly, the choosing will bring Isra’el back to her own soil again. The nations, or the Gentiles, will help to bring the Jews back to their own place, or Land (14:2a). Thirdly, the Gentiles will serve the Jews as menservants and maidservants in the LORD’s Land (14:2b). The obvious question is when does this happen?

Israel’s role will be reversed; rather than Isra’el being exiled as captives to other nations, other nations will serve Isra’el. They will make captives of their captors and rule over their oppressors (14:2c). This never happened in Isaiah’s lifetime, in Jeremiah’s lifetime, or the lifetime of any of the prophets. The only place where this reversal of fortunes could possible happen is in the far eschatological future, where the tables will be turned. A united Isra’el will not be dependent upon the Gentiles, the Gentiles will be dependent upon Isra’el (2:3, 60:1-3, 61:5-7). When viewed from the context of all eternity, the pride of the Gentiles will be only passing. The Sh’khinah glory of Isra’el’s God, however, is eternal (to see link click Ay – A Cloud of Smoke by Day and a Glow of Fire by Night). Marduk, Ba’al and Chemosh are long dead and gone, but God lives on. In like manner, the kingdoms of Assyria and Babylon have long since been gone, but the people of Isra’el live on.

Thus, Isaiah connects the far eschatological fall of Babylon with the final restoration of Israel, which is the message of Chapters 40 through 66 in a nutshell. Here Isaiah reminds his readers, both in his time and in future times, that any punishment that may come to God’s chosen people (65:5) did not mean abandonment. He would choose Isra’el again. So, it is with the Church. God’s purposes for it remain unchanged. But how the Church experiences the LORD in any generation will depend on the obedience of that generation of believers. This much is certain: whatever bondage the Church will fall into, God will choose His Bride once again (see the commentary on Revelation Fg – Blessed Are Those who are Invited to the Wedding Feast of the Lamb).

On the day of the LORD, He will give Isra’el relief from suffering and turmoil and cruel bondage (14:3). The analogy with the Exodus is very clear throughout these verses. As God choose Isra’el before (Deuteronomy 4:37, 7:6-7; Psalm 135:4), He will choose her again (see Kg – The Second Coming of Jesus Christ to Bozrah). God will give relief from the pain and suffering of slavery. Those who formally bowed down will stand over the fallen king of Babylon, once so mighty. While believers need to seek reconciliation with their enemies, we need not be sad when those who oppose ADONAI, deny His Son, and destroy His people, are overthrown.

Therefore, while on the one hand the Gentile nations will be subject to Jesus Christ; on the other hand, they will also receive His justice (42:1). At that time, in a special way, He will become the light to the Gentiles (49:5-7). Those who are rightly related to the King will be able to worship at His Temple where the Sh’khinah glory will be seen by all (56:1-8). However, the lost souls of the unfaithful will be clearly visible throughout the Millennial Kingdom (65:20). As a result, for a thousand years God’s grace to the faithful and His judgment to the lost will be clearly seen (66:18-24).

Another important part of this reversal that the Bible deals with, as far the Gentiles in the Millennial Kingdom is concerned, are the Arab states. The most important charge against them was their hatred of Isra’el. This hatred that characterized the descendants of Esau and Ishmael can be traced back as early as Numbers 20:14-21, all the way through the prophets until today. Psalm 83:1-8 summarizes their hateful attitude.

The place of the Arab states will be determined by a history of anti-Semitism and how closely they are related to Isra’el by blood. Peace will come between Isra’el and the various Arab states during the Millennial Kingdom, but it will come in one of three forms: conversion, occupation or destruction.

Peace will come between Isra’el and Lebanon by means of occupation (Ezeki’el 47:13 to 48:29). Lebanon was always part of the Promised Land, but it was the part that Isra’el never possessed. However, during the Kingdom, there will not be a country called Lebanon because it will be part of Millennial Isra’el.

As for Mo’ab, or present-day central Jordan, it, too, will suffer destruction, but it will not be total (Jeremiah 48:1-46). Those who survive will repent and a faithful remnant will live during the Kingdom (see Du – The Oracle Concerning Mo’ab). Therefore, peace will come between Mo’ab and Isra’el by means of a partial destruction that will lead to a national regeneration of Mo’ab. As a result of the grace of ADONAI, there will be a saved nation called Mo’ab during the Millennial Kingdom.

Ammon, or modern northern Jordan, will also suffer partial destruction and become a possession of Isra’el (Jeremiah 49:1-2). But their destruction will not be total. A believing remnant will survive and believe that Jesus is the Messiah (Jeremiah 49:6). Consequently, peace will come between Isra’el and northern Jordan by the means of a partial destruction, followed by their conversion. Because of the mercy of the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob, there will be a saved nation in the Kingdom called Ammon.

Consequently, peace will come between Isra’el and the three parts of modern Jordan by means of destruction, but not all to the same degree. Edom, in southern Jordan, will suffer complete destruction by the people of Isra’el (Ezeki’el 25:12-14), and there will be no nation called Edom in the Millennial Kingdom (see Gi – Edom’s Streams Will Be Turned into Pitch). Founded by the descendants of Jacob’s twin brother Esau, it is especially condemned for their hatred of Israel (Jeremiah 49:7-13; Ezeki’el 35:1-9; Obadiah 5-21). Edom’s sin against Isra’el is the greatest because she betrayed her family. Both Mo’ab, or central modern Jordan, and Ammon, or northern modern Jordan, will suffer partial destruction but a believing remnant will survive in both countries. There will be a nation of Mo’ab and a nation of Ammon in the Millennial Kingdom. Both of these nations are descendants of Lot, the nephew of Abraham, and therefore, are distantly related by blood.

Peace will come between Isra’el and Egypt initially by means of destruction. Because of Egypt’s ancient hated of Isra’el, they will initially suffer the same fate as Edom and be desolate for the first forty years of the Millennial Kingdom (Ezeki’el 29:1-16). But after that, they will be regathered and a national regeneration of Egypt will take place. Therefore, peace will eventually come between Isra’el and Egypt by means of conversion (Ef – The LORD Will Make Himself Known to the Egyptians).

Ancient Assyria, is today encompasses northern Iraq, another ruthless enemy of Isra’el. But peace will come between Iraq and Isra’el by means of conversion (see Eg – Blessed Be Egypt, Assyria and Isra’el). There will be economic, religious and political unity because they all worship the same God.

Like Edom, Babylon will become a desolate spot during the entire Millennial Kingdom (see Dk – Babylon, the Jewel of Kingdoms, will be Overthrown). While Egypt’s desolation will be limited to forty years, because of Babylon’s unique violence against Isra’el, her desolation will last for a thousand years. Throughout the Millennial Kingdom, while the entire earth will be beautiful and fruitful, Edom and Babylon will be places of continual burning, where the owl dwells (see the commentary on Jeremiah Ad – The Owl as a Symbol of Judgment). Smoke will rise and be visible for the entire thousand-year period. While Satan will be confined to the Abyss, his demons will be imprisoned in Edom and Babylon during the entire Millennial Kingdom period.

Babylon, the Jewel of Kingdoms,
Will be Overthrow
13: 17-22

Babylon, the Jewel of Kingdoms, will be overthrown DIG: How will the Day of the LORD be both a time of rejoicing and a time of sorrow and despair? Is God fair in these results? Why? What will Babylon be like during the thousand years of the messianic Kingdom? What are the six results of the Day of the LORD?

REFLECT: The Babylon of the end times will reflect wealth, refined culture, and political power. What twentieth century culture holds these values as the most important ones? How have you seen these values blind people to the reality of God’s values such as truth, justice, and love? How are you experiencing the tension between this dual set of values today? What helps you to keep God’s values first in your life?

Babylon will be the capital city of the antichrist during the Great Tribulation (see my commentary on Revelation, to see link click Em – Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great). Her invasion would be unrelenting and the holy invaders (13:3) would have no need for her money. Isaiah lists six results of the Day of the LORD.

The first result deals with the leader of the confederacy. See, I will stir up against them the Medes, who do not care for silver and have no delight in gold (13:17). Although Gentile nations and armies are gathered from all over the world, they will have a leader. The leader is the Medes, what’s now Iran, part of southern Russia and Afghanistan (Jeremiah 50:41; 51:11, 27-28).

The second result is the destruction of the population. Their blows will strike down the young men; they will have no mercy on infants nor will they look with compassion on children (13:18). This city will be under the cherem judgment of God, meaning everything in it must be destroyed. Achan learned that lesson the hard way (Joshua 7:1-26). During the Great Tribulation men and women will have plenty of opportunities to accept Messiah as Lord, but they will steadfastly refuse. As a result, all those in Babylon will have chosen their own death sentence (see my commentary on Revelation Ex – The Eight Stage Campaign of Armageddon). This will not be cruelty, it will be holy justice. If the One True God cannot punish evil, then there is no justice.

The third result is the ultimate picture of destruction of the city itself. Babylon, the jewel of kingdoms, the glory of the Babylonians’ pride, will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah (13:19). Because of their pride, ADONAI will overthrow them. Just as God overthrew the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:24-25), so He will overthrow the wicked city of Babylon. There were none left in Sodom and Gomorrah, and there will be none left in Babylon.

The fourth result reinforces why this has to be far eschatological Babylon, because this Babylon will never be inhabited or lived in through all generations; no Arab will pitch his tent there, no shepherd will rest his flocks there (13:20). Translating this verse in Hebrew, it could be put this way: She will not be inhabited for a long time and she will not be lived in for generation after generation (see my commentary on Revelation Er – Babylon Will Never Be Found Again).

This could not be the near historical Babylon because after the Medo-Persian takeover in 539 BC there was very little change in the city. When Babylon fell by the hand of Cyrus, Babylon was not destroyed. It was taken without any resistance. Only King Belshazzar was killed and that was by an execution, not in battle (Dani’el 5:30). Babylon continued to exist up until about 500 AD or so. Then it became a ghost town. Babylon has been rebuilt today. Therefore, it never suffered the kind of destruction the prophets demanded. It also mentions that the Arabs will not pitch their tents there. But the Arabs do pitch their tents there today in what was ancient Babylon. Arabs do graze, or rest, their flocks there. The fact is, Babylon has grown over the past 100 years and now houses over 250,000 people. Therefore, this verse has never been fulfilled. This verse describes the non-inhabitants, but the next two verses describe who will live there.

The fifth result mentions who will inhabit Babylon. But desert creatures will lie there, jackals will fill her houses; there the owls will dwell (see the commentary on Jeremiah Ad – The Owl as a Symbol of Judgment), and there the wild goats will leap about. Hyenas will howl in her strongholds, jackals in her luxurious palaces. Her time is at hand, and her days will not be prolonged (13:21-22). Wild goats will inhabit it. The Hebrew word means demons in goat form. Goats were used as a form of demon worship in places like Leviticus 17:7 where it says: They must no longer offer any of their sacrifices to the goat idols to whom they prostitute themselves. Jeremiah says the same thing. So desert creatures and hyenas will live there, and there the owl will dwell. It will never be inhabited or lived in from generation to generation. As God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah along with their neighboring towns, declares the LORD. So no one will live there; no man will dwell in it (Jeremiah 50:39-40).

These desert creatures, the wild goats, the jackals, owls and hyenas are not literal animals. There is something uncanny about these creatures. In regards to the fall of Babylon, Jeremiah tells us that no one will live in it; both men and animals will flee away (Jeremiah 50:3). After the fall of Babylon, it becomes a home for demons and a haunt for every evil spirit, a haunt for every unclean and detestable bird. But the emphasis is on demons in goat form (see Gi – Edom’s Streams Will Be Turned into Pitch). The only two places that will never be inhabited again by human beings during the thousand-year Messianic Kingdom and Eternal State (see my commentary on Revelation Fq – The Eternal State) will be Babylon and Edom (34:13b-15).

The sixth result is that when God begins His last judgment on Babylon there will be no delay in its execution. Her time is at hand, and her days will not be prolonged (13:22). Once again, it is the pride of humanity that provokes this disaster. They will not bend the knee to Yeshua Messiah, they will not confess that Jesus Christ is Lord (Philippians 2:10-11). They will have chosen their own destruction. This will not be cruelty, it will be holy justice. If God cannot punish evil, then there is no justice.

Mankind will have waited a long time for this wonderful day. David would cry out: How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide Your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me (Psalm 13:1-2)? In the far eschatological future, the Tribulation martyrs (see my commentary on Revelation Cp – The Fifth Seal: The Tribulation Martyrs Under the Altar) will call out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood” (Revelation 6:10)? Here, ADONAI allows Isaiah to see that dreadful and wonderful Day. Where will you be?

Wail, for the Day of the LORD is Near
13: 6-16

Wail, for the Day of the LORD is near DIG: What is meant by the Day of the LORD (13:6,9; also 2:11, 17 and 20), and what will it be like for Babylon? For whom is it a cruel day? For whom is it a wonderful day? What poetic and cosmic images in verses 6 to 16 graphically communicate its power to you? What should the Jews have learned about God from this prophecy against such a powerful nation?

REFLECT: What does the Day of the LORD have to do with you? Is it something to be feared, or to look forward to? Why? Who do you know that will be wailing at the Lord’s return? Who do you know that will be rejoicing? Are you praying for those who are lost? What are you doing in preparation for this Day?

Wail, for the day of the LORD is near (13:6a). Here Isaiah deals with the issue of the day of the LORD, which refers to the time of the LORD’s judgment on the wicked world and the deliverance of His people during the Great Tribulation. It will come like destruction from Shaddai, the Almighty (136b). Here we see the terror of the LORD as He announces its approach. Again, Isaiah is using his knowledge of Hebrew for alliteration. The translation (to bring out the sounds of the alliteration) in Hebrew is “the destruction of the destroyer.”

The immediate result of the attack of ADONAI and His holy ones (13:3) will be complete helplessness on the part of the proud. Isaiah lists seven results of the destruction: (1) all hands will go limp, or their courage will fail (see Jeremiah 6:24), (2) every man’s heart will melt, (3) terror will seize them, (4) pain and anguish will grip them, (5) God’s judgment will cause people to be in extreme distress, they will writhe like a woman in labor, (6) they will look aghast at each other, and (7) their faces will be aflame from total disbelief (13:7-8). Human greatness will be reduced to nothing. Their nerve will leave them, and their weapons will fall from their limp hands. They will stare at each other in disbelief, because they will recognize that everything they trusted in was worthless to them as they stand defenseless before God’s piercing gaze.

In the next three verses Isaiah deals with the destruction of humanity. 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 (13:9). ADONAI, expressing His anger (13:3 and 13) against sin, will destroy sinners and punish the world for its evil and its proud attitude toward God. The three purposes of the Great Tribulation are: first, to make an end to wickedness and wicked ones (13:9 and 24:19-20), secondly, to bring about a worldwide revival (Revelation 7:1-17 and Matthew 24:14), and thirdly, to break the power of the holy people (Dani’el 12:7b and Ezekiel 20:34-38). The first of the three is emphasized here.

Isaiah deals with blackouts that will be a characteristic of the Great Tribulation. 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 (13:10). There are five blackouts mentioned in the Bible in the last days. The first one comes just before the Great Tribulation in Joel 2:31. The second one comes in the first quarter of that Day of God’s judgment in Revelation 6:12. The third one comes in the second quarter in Revelation 9:2. The fourth one comes in the second half of the Great Tribulation in Revelation 16:10-11, and the fifth one comes right after the Great Tribulation in Matthew 24:29. Here Isaiah merely summarizes that the Day of the LORD is characterized by blackouts.

Once again we see that the purpose is to punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their sins. The sin of pride is identified as the cause of God’s wrath. ADONAI said: I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty and will humble the pride of the ruthless (13:11). It is ironic that man expects to take advantage of others without being taken advantage of by others (33:1). In the Day of the LORD the results will be opposite of what pride expects. A case in point would be the pride of Hitler’s thousand-year Reich that ended in complete destruction about ten years after he proclaimed it. Instead of the earth being full of the glory of man, mankind will be hard to find.

I will make man scarcer than pure gold, rarer than the gold of Ophir (13:12). The result is that men and women become more and more scarce because so many are destroyed in the course of God’s judgments in the Great Tribulation. The survivors will be so few that they will be rarer even than the rare precious metal (fine gold).

Isaiah deals with the destruction of Babylon in the Day of the LORD. There is interplay between the destruction caused by ADONAI and the devastation caused in the midst of the chaos of that Day. The magnitude of the destruction is seen. Therefore, I will make the heavens tremble; and the earth will shake from its place at the wrath of the LORD of heavens angelic armies (CJB) in the day of His burning anger (13:13). Altogether, four results follow. ADONAI causes the first two and the last two perpetrated by men in the midst of anarchy, their sin unhindered.

First, we see the flight of all foreigners from the city to where they came from (Jeremiah 51:9). Like a hunted gazelle, like sheep without a shepherd, each will flee to his native land (13:14). The people attacked would be utterly powerless to stop the invasion. They would be like gazelle and sheep, defenseless creatures that are easy prey for hunters. Although Isaiah doesn’t emphasize this point here, he and other prophets tell us that any Jews in Babylon will also get out of the city before its destruction (Isaiah 48:20; Jeremiah 50:8 and 28; 51:6 and 45; Zechariah 2:6-7; and Revelation 18:4).

The second result is the violent death of Babylonians themselves. There will be no escape. Whoever is captured will be thrust through by God’s holy ones. All who are caught fleeing from the city will fall by the sword (13:15). Truly, the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23a). Even their infants will be dashed to pieces before their eyes (13:16a). Thirdly, with their sin unchecked in the chaos of that day, houses will be looted by the Babylonians themselves, their fury turned inward. And fourthly, their lust unleashed, they would rape each other’s wives in the resulting anarchy (13:16b).

To many, the dashing of infants, does not seem to be anything that God would have a part in. But we need to remember that coming into the land of Canaan, Joshua was instructed by God to kill every one of God’s enemies (see the commentary on the Life of David, to see link click Af – The Problem of Holy War in the TaNaKh). Little Amalekites grow up to be big Amalekites. Saul was ordered to do the same thing in First Samuel 15: 1-3. He failed to obey ADONAI with tragic results for both the nation and himself. When God decrees a total destruction of a people, a cherem judgment (Joshua 6:21) that includes everyone – men, women, young and old, cattle, sheep and donkeys. Achin learned that lesson the hard way in Joshua 7. But some would respond, “Are we not to love one another, even our enemies (Luke 6:27)? And is this not because God is love? Can God be both loving and warlike?” A solution to this problem is required which will enable us to understand the meaning of the conception of God the Warrior.

“Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, ‘Are you for us or our enemies?’ ‘Neither, He replied, ‘but as commander of ADONAI’s army, I have now come.’ Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, ‘What message does my Lord have for His servant?’ The commander of the LORD’s army replied, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy.’ And Joshua did so (Joshua 5:13-15).” Who was that warrior? It was a theophany, or a pre-incarnate appearance of the Second Person of the Trinity, Jesus Christ. Who is the King of Glory? ADONAI, strong and mighty, the LORD, mighty in battle (Psalm 24:8). Once again we are told that God is a warrior, and when He returns to the earth a second time, with justice He judges and makes war (Revelation 19:11b), out of His mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. . . He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of ADONAI, God of heaven’s armies (Revelation 19:15).

Two points can be made. First, war appears to be an ever-present reality of historical experience, both ancient and modern. If God is King, the ultimate Ruler of human history, it is to be expected that He will stand in some kind of relationship to war. We perceive, though not always clearly, that war is a form of evil human activity in which YHVH participates actively for the purposes of both redemption and judgment; in this participation, God is a Warrior.⁴⁷ Secondly, we must be reminded that this is a time of judgment. One of the purposes of the Great Tribulation is to make an end to wickedness and wicked ones (13:9 and 24:19-20). All the opportunities for repentance have passed. Untold millions will have accepted Christ during the Great Tribulation and been martyred (Revelation 6:9). The ones who are left have chosen to be there. Men gnawed their tongues in agony and cursed the God of heaven, but they refused to repent of what they had done (Revelation 16:10-11). The results of the Day of the Lord will be clear.

I Have Commanded My Holy Ones
13: 1-5

I have commanded My holy ones DIG: Is this the near historical Babylon or far exegetical Babylon? How can we tell who these holy ones are? Where are they coming from? What is their purpose?

REFLECT: Isaiah tells us that God will gather His holy ones, His set apart ones to carry out His wrath. How do you feel about being set apart for the holy purposes of the LORD? Is that exciting to you, or scary. Why? Are you set apart today? What is the evidence of that? If you were put on trial for being a believer, would there be enough evidence to convict you? Why or why not?

This is an introductory section and is ascribed to Isaiah son of Amoz, who is allowed to look down the halls of history to witness the destruction of Babylon the Great. The King James uses the phrase the burden of Babylon. The word burden is a Hebrew word that means to lift or carry a heavy weight, or a heavy message. The word carries within it the meaning of an oracle, or vision (13:1). In this entire segment of Chapters 13 through 23, Isaiah uses the word oracle frequently (14:28; 15:1; 17:1; 19:1; 21:1; 11, 13; 22:1; 23:1). God has some heavy messages and visions against these nations. Oracle is Isaiah’s key word in this segment of the book.

Babylon deserved the wrath of Ha’Shem, for that city had long been a rallying point against the Holy One of Isra’el. From the very beginning it had been characterized by rebellion against the LORD (see the commentary on Genesis, to see link click Dm – Let Us Build a City and Make a Name for Ourselves). Over the centuries, as various dynasties ruled over that city, it was always viewed as a place that hated the God of Isra’el.

The oracle begins with a call to arms. Isaiah returns to symbol he uses frequently, a banner on a barren hilltop where it can be seen by all around (5:26, 11:10 and 12, 18:3, 49:22 and 66:10). Rise a banner on a bare hilltop, shout to them; beckon to them to enter the gates of the nobles (13:2). Gates are the symbol of defense. When the enemy enters the gates, the city has fallen. The banner is used here for gathering military troops and this army will be called to defeat the proud nobles (Proverbs 3:34).

There is a three-fold summons. First, raise the banner. Second, shout out a military command, and third, beckon to them, in the sense of directing the army the way it should go. This international army will move toward Babylon. The purpose for the three-fold summons was that they could enter the city gates as conquerors. The name, the gates of the nobles, is suggestive of the name of Babylon, which is derived from Babel, or gate of god. The traditional Hebrew understanding of the name is confusion (Genesis 11:9). The three-fold summons is followed by a three-fold command in the next verse.

But this is not just any army. ADONAI, speaking through His prophet, declares: I have commanded My holy ones; I have summoned My warriors to carry out My wrath – those who rejoice in My triumph (13:3). This command concerns God’s holy ones, God’s warriors, and those who rejoice in His triumph. The implication is that those who are gathering against the city of Babylon are God’s people who are set apart for His use. We know from Matthew 25:31-46 that during the Great Tribulation Gentiles will fall into two camps, the goats (anti-Semites) and the sheep (pro-Semites). What we have here is the sheep Gentiles gathering and destroying the capital city of the antichrist. This is the second of eight stages of the Campaign of Armageddon (see the commentary on Revelation Ej – They Will Make War Against the Lamb, But the Lamb Will Overcome Them).

Lastly, we have the answer to the call in words that convey the sense of gathering doom, Isaiah begs us to listen to a noise on the mountains, like that of a great multitude! Listen, an uproar among the kingdoms, like nations massing together. The LORD of heavens armies is mustering an army for war (13:4). Because it is a gathering from many nations, it is an international call. This army will be a great multitude, like an amassing of entire nations. The commander of the LORD’s army (Numbers 21:4; Joshua 5:15), none other than Yeshua Messiah, is the One who is preparing that future holy army for battle.

They come from faraway lands, from the ends of the heavens – the LORD and the weapons of His wrath – to destroy the whole country (13:5). That army will come from all over the earth, even as far as the ends of the heavens, the place where the earth and sky meet at the horizon. The purpose of the gathered army will be to destroy the whole country, or the entire land of Babylon. ADONAI is the Master of history. How foolish it is to put one’s trust a man like the antichrist, rather than the LORD of heaven’s angelic armies (CJB).

The Fall of the City of Babylon
13: 1-22

The fall of the city of Babylon REFLECT: How is the destruction of Babylon connected with the judgment God will bring upon the whole earth (see Revelation 6:12-13; 18:2)? Why should we have a light touch of the things of this world? What does this passage teach us about where we should place our trust?

Satan chose Babylon, the second most-mentioned city in the Bible, from which to launch his ancient evil attack on mankind (Genesis 11:1-9). There he lied to humanity about ADONAI, creation, sin, salvation, moral values, culture, and eternity. His primary objective was to get people to worship and serve him. It is there that he introduced idolatrous religions, both polytheistic and naturalistic, based on the theory of evolution. These false religious systems are the source of all idolatry in the world today. Satan sought to get man to fulfill his hunger for YHVH through idols that could be seen and touched. Through these religions, Satan taught that humanity, not the LORD, is “the measure of all things” – man is the center of the universe. Therefore, anything people want is okay. There are no rights and wrongs, nor a here-after.⁴⁵

As a result, Babylon deserves the wrath of Ha’Shem for it had long been a center for the enemies of the LORD. Over the centuries, as various dynasties ruled over that city, it was viewed as a place of hatred against the God of Isra’el. Even in the Great Tribulation, it will be a center of hatred toward YHVH (Revelation Chapters 17 and 18).

It is all too easy to get blown away by the glory of this world. We see the glamour of the movie stars; we see the power that wealth gives; we see aircraft carriers and intercontinental ballistic missiles, and we think, “Ah, there is reality.” But that is not where glory resides. Isaiah heard the seraphim correctly when they sang: The whole earth is full of His glory (6:3b). With the atomic weapons of today, New York City could vanish in a day. Babylon will be destroyed in one hour during the Great Tribulation (see the commentary on Revelation, to see link click Ep – Woe! Woe, O Great City, In One Hour She Has Been Brought to Ruin). So what will survive the wreck of all human accomplishments? Nothing!

Once again, Christ’s words come to mind. Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them to practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock (Matthew 7:24). If we put our trust in ADONAI and give our lives to finding out His nature and purposes, nations may rise and fall, but we will stand (Second Peter 1:10-11).⁴⁶

An Oracle Concerning Babylon
13:1 to 14:23

An oracle concerning Babylon DIG: Since this is the Babylon of the Great Tribulation, what does this city symbolize that is timeless and bigger than itself? What characterizes this Babylon (13:11, 19; 14:13-14)? What should the Judeans have learned about God from this prophecy against such a powerful nation?

REFLECT: Where in our culture, and in your life, do you see the attitudes typified by Babylon? What do you learn about Ha’Shem’s response to these attitudes from this prophecy? Does this change your actions?

The first nation that he deals with, and the one he spends the most time on is Babylon. When we look at the entire book of Isaiah and his oracles against Babylon, sometimes he deals with the near historical Babylon of his own day (21:1-10), the one that was rising in power and would not reach its zenith for another hundred years. But sometimes he deals with the far eschatological Babylon of the end times, because the city of Babylon is to be rebuilt and become the capital of the antichrist. The Babylon that Isaiah writes about in 13:1 to 14:23 is the Babylon of the Great Tribulation.

How can we determine this? What criteria do we use in our interpretation? The most important criteria is the context. There are three rules of interpreting the Bible: context, context, and context. Therefore, what clues, what verses, in this section set the context? In 13:6 it says: Wail, for the Day of the LORD is near. In 13:9 we read: See, the day of the LORD is coming. In 13:13 Isaiah writes: Therefore I will make the heavens tremble; and the earth will shake from its place at the wrath of ADONAI-Tzva’ot, in the day of His burning anger. We have to ask ourselves, did these things happen about a hundred years after Isaiah had died, or in the last days during the Great Tribulation? The Day of the LORD clearly sets the context as the Great Tribulation.

But there is more evidence. In 13:19 God tells us through the prophet Isaiah that Babylon will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah. And the very next verses, 13:20 through 22 describe a Babylon that will never be inhabited or lived in through all generations. This can only mean that Babylon will be destroyed at the end of the Great Tribulation and uninhabited during the thousand-year Millennial Kingdom. How can we say that? We can say that because the Medes and the Persians inhabited Babylon after its destruction. In fact, Babylon is inhabited today! But that is just in Chapter 13. There is another verse in Chapter 14 that helps us set the context as well. In 14:2 Isaiah tells us that the house of Isra’el will possess the Gentile nations as menservants and maidservants in the LORD’s land. They will make captives of their captors and rule over their oppressors. During the height of Solomon’s reign, Isra’el was a very powerful country, as powerful as any in the world at that time. But they never possessed the Gentile nations. Therefore, the context, especially the Day of the LORD, is clearly the Babylon of the Great Tribulation.

Other prophets that had messages against Babylon would include Lamentations 2:14; Jeremiah Chapters 50 and 51; and Nahum 1:1. Besides these two chapters that we will take a look at, Isaiah prophesies against Babylon in Isaiah 21:1-10 (there he deals with the Babylon of his own day); 43:14-15 (the Babylonians become fugitives); 46:1-2 (the gods of Babylon are judged); 47:1-15 (judgment against Babylonian occultism), and 48:15 and 20 (judgment on Babylon). Jeremiah also prophesies against Babylon in Chapters 50 and 51 (the totality of Babylon’s destruction). In Zechariah 5:5-11 the rebuilt Babylon will become the economic capital of the world. The remaining references are in the book of Revelation. In 14:8 and 16:19 there is rejoicing over the fall of Babylon. In 17:1-18 the fall of religious Babylon is seen, whereas, in 18:1-24 the fall of political and economic Babylon is seen (see the commentary on Revelation, to see link click El – The Fall of Commercial and Political Babylon). But these and other prophecies require the rebuilding of the city of Babylon to become the capital city of the antichrist. So there are many prophecies against Babylon, but the context determines which Babylon the author is talking about.

Our wise God has everything in control and will fulfill all His promises at the perfect time. Nothing that the LORD has ever promised will go unnoticed nor unfulfilled. We serve a wonder working YHVH who can be totally trusted to fulfill every promise!

The Oracles Against the Nations
13:1 to 23:18

The oracles against the nations DIG: Who is the intended audience of these prophecies? Why might God lead Isaiah to pronounce judgment upon all these nations if only Judah, and not the nations themselves, would have heard them? What does this say about Judah’s tendency to trust in alliances with lesser nations for protection? Why is ADONAI not merely just one more god, added to all the others?

Isaiah now turns his attention away from his own people and begins to deal with nine surrounding sinful Gentile nations or cities around Judah. These messages were probably not written for them to read. The messages were probably to be read by God’s people to show that He would judge the southern kingdom of Judah’s enemies. As in the other oracles, the historical situation, the impending Assyrian advance throughout the whole region, serves as a backdrop for the prophecies. The Hebrew word for oracle is related to a Hebrew verb meaning to lift up or carry and is possibly to be understood as either lifting up one’s voice or carrying a burden. Such an oracle often contains a message of doom.

Furthermore, the section continues with the treatment of pride that appears in the first chapters of the book. It is the arrogance of the nations that will finally bring them down (13:11 and 19; 14:11; 16:6; 23:9). Because they have exalted themselves in the face of ADONAI, creating gods in their image (2:6-22; 17:7-11), they will not endure.⁴⁴ But he deals with those nations as they come in contact with Judah, moving westward from Babylon to Tyre, and the effect they have on the Jewish nation.

There is one central theme in Chapters 1 through 39, the trustworthiness of God. If Judah places her trust anywhere but ADONAI, she will be destroyed. Both Chapters 7-12 and 36-39 make this same point. Ahaz trusted in Assyria and guaranteed destruction. Hezekiah trusted in the LORD, and Assyria was destroyed. Between those two extremes we see the oracles to the nations. God’s message of doom to the nations demands our attention just as much today as it did then. We must either trust in God, or the nations. ADONAI, through His prophet Isaiah, makes this case forcefully.

There are two series of oracles. The first series, from 13:1 to 20:6, is marked by great optimism. Even the world’s super powers are subject the ADONAI and His word is full of promise. The second series of oracles, 21:1 to 23:18, is very different. Even though the content of each oracle makes its subject clear, each oracle has an air of mystery, even foreboding. There is, in fact, an all-encompassing sense of doom and darkness.

In Chapters 13 to 35 Isaiah seeks to answer these questions: Can God deliver Isra’el from those who would harm her? Can He be trusted? Or is He just one more god, added to all the others? But here in the Oracles to the Nations, the specific question that begs for an answer is this, “Is God Lord over All the nations?”

God Is My Salvation,
I Will Trust and Not Be Afraid
11:11 to 12:6

God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid DIG: Once before, God saved His people by the Exodus. How will this happen a second time? How might 11:11-12 relate to the imagery of 11:6-9? To the promise of 19:24-25? How certain will all of this be (see 9:7)? Why? How does this song of God’s deliverance from Assyria compare with the way Isra’el celebrated God’s deliverance from Egypt (see Exodus 15:2ff)? How deeply does Isra’el respond to the LORD’s salvation here? What is the real deliverance, for which Isra’el is only an example, that God has in view here? What is the ultimate reason for Isra’el’s joy?

REFLECT: The root that was planted into the ground in 11:1-2 eventually becomes a banner on a high mountain and is the center of Gentile attention. Does 11:12 compare at all with John 12:32? Why? How well does your joy match your walk and your talk for God? When have you most keenly felt God’s anger? God’s goodness? Which are you sensing now?

Many passages in the Bible speak of Isra’el’s regathering in belief at the end of the Tribulation, in conjunction with Christ’s Second Coming and in preparation for the beginning of the Millennium. These references are not being fulfilled by the modern state of Isra’el. Some of them include Deut 4:29-31; 30:1-10; Isaiah 27:12-13, 43:5-7; Jer 16:14-15; 31:7-10; Ezeki’el 11:14-18; Amos 9:14-15; Zechariah 10:8-12 and Matthew 24:31.

The fact that the last fifty years have seen a worldwide regathering and reestablishment of the nation of Isra’el, which is now poised in the very setting required for the revealing of the Antichrist and the start of the Tribulation, is God’s grand indicator that all the other areas of world development are prophetically significant. Dr. Walvoord, past president of Dallas Theological Seminary, says, “Of the many peculiar phenomena which characterize the present generation, few events can claim equal impact as far as biblical prophecy is concerned with that of the return of Isra’el to their Land. It constitutes a preparation for the end of the age, the setting for the coming of the LORD for His Church made up of Jewish and Gentile believers, and the fulfillment of Isra’el’s prophetic destiny.” Isra’el, God’s super sign of the end times, is a clear indicator that time is growing shorter with each passing hour. With what we have already seen, we can be assured that God is now preparing the world for the final events leading up to Isra’el’s national regeneration.⁴⁰ There are four things we need to understand about reclaiming the remnant.

First, in that day the LORD will reach out His hand a second time to reclaim the remnant that is left of this people from the four corners of the earth: from Lower Egypt, Upper Egypt, and from Cush to the south; Assyria, Elam and Babylonia from the east; Hamath from the north and the islands of the sea from the west (11:11). This final restoration under the Messiah will be a second worldwide regathering. If this is the second regathering, when was the first? It could not merely be the return from Babylon because that was hardly a regathering from the four corners of the earth. Other prophets spoke of the first worldwide regathering, which was a regathering in unbelief in preparation for judgment (Eze 20:33-38; 22:17-22; and Zeph 2:1-2).

The present nation of Isra’el is the fulfillment of the first regathering in unbelief in preparation for the judgment of the Great Tribulation. But that worldwide regathering is to be followed by a second one, because Isra’el will collapse in the middle of the Great Tribulation and there will be another dispersion. That will be followed by this second worldwide reclaiming in faith, in preparation for the blessings of the Millennial Kingdom. And that is the final regathering of the remnant that Isaiah is talking about here. He will raise a banner for the Gentile nations and gather the exiles of Isra’el; He will assemble the scattered people of Judah from the four corners of the earth (11:12). Furthermore, the reason for the assembling of the Gentile nations in 11:10 is that they are to aid in the reclaiming of the remnant into the Land and the destruction of Babylon (13:1-5). The fact that both Isra’el and Judah are mentioned is significant. Jews will be gathered from the whole earth. There are no “lost tribes.” All those of faith will be redeemed.

Secondly, Ephraim’s jealousy will vanish, and Judah’s enemies will be cut off; Ephraim will not be jealous of Judah, nor Judah hostile toward Ephraim (11:13). There will be a restoration of unity between the northern kingdom of Ephraim, or Isra’el, and the southern kingdom of Judah (Ezeki’el 37:15-23). The question is, what is meant by Ephraim’s jealousy of Judah? Why was she jealous of Judah? Look at Psalm 78:9-11. It tells us that the men of Ephraim, though armed with bows, turned back on the day of battle; they did not keep God’s covenant and refused to live by His commandments. They forgot what He had done and the wonders He had shown them. Not only was Ephraim not willing to help out the other tribes in time of danger (some examples of this are in the book of Judges), but they also tended to fall away from following the LORD. As a result, in Psalm 78:67-69, we read that God rejected the tents of Joseph (meaning Ephraim and Manasseh his sons), He did not choose the tribe of Ephraim; but He chose the tribe of Judah, on Mount Zion, which He loved. He built His sanctuary like the heights, like the earth that He established forever.

Therefore, when God finally decided to establish a place for His Temple He chose Judah over Ephraim. Ephraim had their chance first because Shiloh, where the Tabernacle was originally established, was in their tribal territory. But because of Ephraim’s actions during the period of time when the Tabernacle was in Shiloh, God ultimately decided to build a permanent dwelling: He chose Jerusalem, on Mount Zion, and Judah over Ephraim. As a result, there has been jealousy ever since. In fact when the split of the kingdom came, the very reason why Jeroboam set up the two golden calves was to keep the people of the northern Kingdom from worshiping God in the Temple in Jerusalem (1 Kings 12:25-33). But Isaiah tells us that during the messianic Kingdom this jealousy will cease and there will be a restoration of peace between the two Jewish kingdoms.

They will swoop down on the slopes of Philistia to the west; together they will plunder the people to the east. They will lay hands on Edom and Moab, and the Ammonites will be subject to them (11:14). The theme of the Messianic Kingdom continues. It was King David who conquered Philistia (Second Samuel 5:17-25), and the east: (Second Samuel 10:6), Edom (Second Samuel 8:14), Moab (Second Samuel 8:2-13), and the Ammonites (Second Samuel 10-12). Because there will be no war in the Messianic Kingdom, a literal interpretation here is not possible. As a result, this must be a metaphor of a conquering hero. When the King of kings comes again, Isaiah envisions the spreading of His Kingdom. The force to which these nations fall will be the Prince of Peace and His gospel. The two regathered nations will assist in the worldwide expansion.

Thirdly, when Isra’el returns to her Land at the beginning of the Millennium, God will provide the way for her. The LORD will dry up the gulf of the Egyptian sea; 
with a scorching wind he will sweep his hand over the Euphrates River. He will break it up into seven streams so that men can cross over in sandals (11:15). The reclaiming of the remnant will be accompanied by miracles. As he does frequently, Isaiah recalls the exodus. As at the exodus from Egypt (Exodus 14:21-22), a highway will be prepared for the returning exiles. The Gulf of the Egyptian Sea is now known as the Gulf of Suez. The Euphrates River is broken up into seven smaller streams so that it is much easier to cross. This will allow Jews in Egypt and in the Mesopotamian area to return much more easily.

Fourthly, there will be a highway for the remnant of his people that is left from Assyria, as there was for Isra’el when they came up from Egypt (11:16). Finally, the remnant will return. The concept of the reclaiming of the remnant being a greater Passover than the previous one, like a new exodus, is brought out in Jeremiah 16:14-15 and 23:7-8. What is the first thing the Jews did after they crossed over the Red Sea out of Egypt? They sang hymns (see the commentary on Exodus, to see link click Ck – Then Moses and the Israelites Sang This Song and Cl – Then Miriam the Prophetess Took a Tambourine in Her Hand). So the future remnant of Isra’el will sing a song of salvation and trust.

God is the One who initiates salvation. There was nothing Isra’el did to earn God’s grace toward them. If there is to be reconciliation, it will have to come from God. Trust in God, faith in God, or belief in God does not produce reconciliation but is a response to the reconciliation announced. When God Himself has satisfied His own justice and invites us to trust Him, what else can we say? I will trust and not be afraid.

Scripture points to the fact that our response normally is expressed in song. No other form of human expression so captures the whole human psyche as does singing. Furthermore, there is a continuity in the songs of Zion that flows from the shores of the Sea of Reeds to the glassy sea around which all the saints will gather: You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because You were slain, and with Your blood You purchased men and women for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom of priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth (Rev 5:9-10).⁴¹

Throughout Chapters 7 to 11 there is the recurring appeal to the house of David and to Judah to put aside their fears of the nations around them and to focus their primary attention upon God, who is Master of the nations and who is utterly trustworthy. That trustworthiness is underlined by the promise that, although their refusal to trust will (result) in defeat and despair, it will not result in the complete destruction of Isra’el as a people.⁴² The two stanzas in this chapter are each introduced by the words: In that day you will say. This refers to the time of deliverance when the nation is regathered and the Messiah reigns.

The first stanza in 12:1-3 looks back on God’s judgments and resulting salvation. The central focus of these verses is upon God. That is what Isaiah has been appealing for. Whenever Isra’el focuses primarily on her needs, she ends up in trouble and God becomes merely the means to that end. This attitude is a sure prescription for spiritual disaster. The source of the praise is the fact that God’s anger has been turned away. The former enemy has become a source of comfort. But how can this be? The comfort of God comes only after the sin and wickedness have been punished. Where will the atoning sacrifice come from? You will draw water from the wells of salvation. The answer will not come until Chapters 40 to 55, but is introduced here and forces us to begin to think about it. The phrase God is my salvation is Isaiah’s name. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ (Romans 8:9b). Liberation is found in God or it is not found at all. Isaiah has been trying to get his people to understand that. Now he foresees a day when they will finally grasp this truth.

I will trust and not be afraid, is what Isaiah was trying to get Ahaz to say in 7:2-9. In fact, Ahaz could not say it. Overcome by her fear of Ephraim and Syria, Judah could not believe that God was with her. As a result, she put her trust in an alliance with her ultimate enemy, Assyria. How can God get Judah to trust in Him? To believe in Him? To put their faith in Him? Those who can leap across the chasm of fear to trust will find what they have in the LORD. He is their strength, He is their song, and He will become their salvation. Should we not trust a God who would give (up) His Son for us? Only fear, fear that God will not keep His word, fear of giving up control, can keep us from trusting.⁴³ To draw water from the wells of salvation pictures living according to God’s principles and thus participating with joy in the blessing He will provide.

The second stanza in 12:4-6 tells us that the remnant will thank the LORD and call on each other to let the world know what God has done for Judah (7:1-9:7) and Isra’el (9:8-11:16). Each verse starts with a command. In 12:4 it is: Give thanks to the LORD. This verse has many parallels in the Psalms. Psalm 105:1 and 148:13 are almost identical. The remnant will thank the LORD and will call on each other to let the world know what God has done for Judah and Isra’el. God’s name, His revealed character, is to be exalted, or vindicated, before the world so that people everywhere will see that He fulfills His promises. In 12:5 the people will sing to ADONAI because of His glorious deeds. In 12:6 they will shout aloud and sing for joy. The remnant will also remind themselves of the greatness of God. It is hardly a coincidence that the final verse of this section closes with the phrase K’dosh Yisra’el, the Holy One of Isra’el. This phrase occurs 29 times in the Bible. Of these, 26 times are in Isaiah: 13 in Chapters 1-39 and 13 in Chapters 40-60. The remaining 3 occurrences are in the Psalms (Psalm 71:22, 78:41 and 89:19). Because of the holy nature of God there is hope, hope for Isaiah, and hope for everyone. Therefore, in spite of all the hardships ahead for both Isaiah and the nation the prophet could believe in, and look forward to, a day when His restored people would be able to shout aloud and sing for joy.

ADONAI, You alone are holy. Awesome God, creator of Your people Isra’el, You are worthy of our worship and praise.

At the beginning of the Book of Immanuel, the question was posed: Is God Sovereign over all the nations? Can God deliver from Assyria? Can He be trusted? Or is He just one more god, added to all the others? Ruach ha-Kodesh has answered that question through His prophet with a resounding, YES. ADONAI, who is Master of the nations, is utterly trustworthy.

The Wolf Will Live with the Lamb
11: 6-10

The wolf will live with the lamb DIG: These verses portray a very peaceful kingdom. What types of people or situations may Isaiah have in mind here (see 19:23-25)? What does this scene tell you about human relationships under the rule of this King? About the cause and extent of His reign? When and where did this Root of Jesse come from (see 11:1-5)? Who exactly are these nations? What is the difference between the sheep Gentiles and the goat Gentiles? What is a banner?

REFLECT: What will it be like to experience complete safety because of a world based upon God’s teaching and ways? What Good News can you bring to others who do not yet know the LORD? This picture of the Messiah’s reign is both deeply personal and widely social. What would a new society specifically look like under the Messiah’s reign?

Many passages in the TaNaKh speak of a yet future time of true peace and prosperity for the righteous followers of God under the benevolent physical rule of Yeshua Messiah on earth. Zechariah 14:9 says: ADONAI will be king over all the earth; in that day ADONAI will be the only One, and His name the only One (also see 65:17-25). The reason such tranquility is possible is that all the earth will be full of the knowledge of ADONAI (Isaiah 11:9, Jeremiah 31:34; Habakkuk 2:14). This means more than people knowing intellectually about God. The idea is that people everywhere will live according to God’s principles and His Word. With a classic set of images, Isaiah pictures the kind of safety and security that will be seen in the Messianic Kingdom. The most helpless and innocent will be comfortable with those who used to be the most voracious and violent.

Isaiah described the righteous Kingdom that Messiah will set up. All animals will revert to the way they were before the fall. The curse on the earth will be lifted (Genesis 3:15), therefore, peace and harmony will be present. Animals, which are now carnivorous, will become vegetarian in the millennial Kingdom. Wild animals will be present, but will again be tame and harmless to domesticated animals and humans. The wolf, leopard, lion, and bear are mentioned as examples of wild animals that will dwell safely with farm animals like the lamb, goat, calf, cow, and ox. Old hostilities and fears are reconciled and put to rest. The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together, and a little child, not a strutting monarch, will lead them (11:6). The salvation of the world will depend on innocence, simplicity and faith rather than sophistication, cynicism, and violence.

Natures are transformed. The Ruach ha-Kodesh makes this point when He says that the cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together and the lion will eat straw like the ox (11:7). They all eat the same food. Meat eaters will become herbivores. The young are mentioned, showing that the change will become inherited.

The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put his hand into the viper’s nest (11:8). There is something about a child playing around the den of poisonous snakes can almost be felt physically. You almost want to snatch the child away from danger. In what more effective way could a writer communicate that death itself would be conquered in the Millennial Kingdom (Hosea 13:14; First Corinthians 15:55).

This is a summary and an explanation of 11:6-8. They will neither harm nor destroy on all My holy mountain. In 2:2 the LORD’s mountain was the gathering-point for all the earth; now all the earth is ADONAI’s mountain, entirely transformed to His holiness. For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD (Jeremiah 31:34, Habakkuk 2:14) as the waters cover the sea (11:9).

This knowledge goes beyond “knowing about” Him. According to First Samuel 3:7, the young Samuel, for all his religious training and the “knowledge” it must have brought (First Samuel 2:11, 18, 21, 26) did not yet know the LORD, for knowledge implies a personal, intimate relationship with a Person. At Mount Sinai, God said to His covenant people: Then I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God. They will know that I am the LORD their God, who brought them out of Egypt so that I might dwell among them. I am ADONAI their God (Exodus 29:45-46).

The animals that are now natural enemies will lie down with each other, and a little child will lead them. The child and the snake will get along. Here we have two of the oldest enemies, the snake and man, getting along with one another. Isaiah says a similar thing later when he says: The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but dust will be the serpent’s food (65:25a). The reason for all this is the reign of the Messiah. The expression holy mountain refers to the mountain that will be in the center of the kingdom, in reference to the Messianic Kingdom in which Christ will rule over the entire world.

Here Isaiah deals with Messiah’s relationship with the Gentile nations during the Messianic Kingdom (see the commentary on Revelation Fk – Gentiles in the Messianic Kingdom). He will be the center of Gentile attraction: In that day, the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the Gentile nations. They will rally to Him and His place of rest, the messianic Temple, will be glorious (11:10).

The term banner refers to a high pole, with waving banners, usually erected on a very high hill to serve as an assembling point for people. As far as biblical history is concerned, the banner was used for four different reasons: first, for the purpose of communicating information (Jeremiah 50:2), secondly, for the gathering of military troops (Isaiah 13:2, 18:3 and Jeremiah 4:21), thirdly, for the gathering of fugitives (Jeremiah 4:6), and fourthly, for the gathering of people or peoples (11:10; 5:26; 49:22; 62:10). Isaiah will have a lot more to say about the Messianic program later in his book.

In that day, the day of Immanuel’s reign, the Root, or Shoresh, of Jesse, or Yeshua Messiah will serve as a banner for the peoples, which are the Gentile nations. The Root of Jesse emphasizes His First Coming. Elsewhere the Messiah is called the Root of David (Revelation 5:5 and 22:16), which emphasizes His Second Coming. The Root that was planted into the ground in 11:1-2 eventually becomes a banner on a high mountain and is the center of Gentile attention. What we have here is the fulfillment of Genesis 49:10, where the obedience of the Gentile nations will be His. When the plural, nations, is used it is always a reference to Gentile nations.

Just as the roots of a tree provide stability, nourishment, and a firm foundation for growth, our Messiah, the Root of David, provides all this and more in our lives.

The Gentiles will be judged at the end of the Great Tribulation and the results of that judgment are given in Matthew. The Judge, the judgment and those judged are identified in Matthew 25:31-33. When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His throne as the Judge in heavenly glory. All the Gentiles still living on the earth will be gathered before Him for judgment, and He will separate the people from one another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats based on their treatment of the Jewish people during the Great Tribulation. He will put the pro-Jewish, the sheep, on His right and anti-Jewish, the goats, on His left (see the commentary on Revelation Fc – The Sheep and the Goats).

Matthew 25:34-40 concerns the pro-Jewish sheep. They will provide help to the Jews during the Great Tribulation, at a time when it will be extremely dangerous to do so. Those Jews who will have to flee into the wilderness without anything with them will often be provided with food, clothing and shelter by the sheep Gentiles. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison for not taking the mark of the beast and you came to visit me. Because of these acts of kindness, they will be allowed to enter the Messianic Kingdom. Then the King will say to those on His right, “Come, you who are blessed by My Father; take your inheritance, the Kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.” It will be the sheep Gentiles who will play a part in the destruction of Babylon (13:1-5). They will reach the 1,335^th day (see the commentary on Revelation, to see link click Ey – The Seventy Five Day Interval), and will be the ones who will populate the Gentile nations during the thousand-year reign of Christ.

As far as the anti-Jewish goats, Matthew 25:41-45 states that all who aid the antichrist in the Jewish destruction will be killed and sent to hell. Then He will say to those on His left, “Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me. They will fail to reach the 1,335^th day and, as a result, will lose out on the blessings of the Messianic Kingdom.

The basis of judgment will not be salvation or lack of it, but being pro-Jewish or anti-Jewish. Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life (Matthew 25:46). The goats will go to the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11-15), whereas the sheep will inherit eternal life. So is their eternal destiny based upon works? Not at all. The Bible is clear the salvation equals faith plus nothing. Salvation is totally apart from works. During the Great Tribulation the Jews will become a dividing line between those who are believers and those who are not. Only the believers will dare to violate the rules of the antichrist and aid the Jews. As James would say they will show their faith by their works (James 2:14-26 NKJ). But the unbelievers will prove their unbelief by their anti-Jewish acts.

The sheep Gentiles, who survive the judgment of the Gentiles at the end of the Great Tribulation, are the ones who will enter and populate the Gentile nations during the Messianic Kingdom. Because of their faith and help to the Jewish people, they will be able to participate in the blessings of the Kingdom. However, the children born into the Millennial Kingdom will inherit a sin nature from their parents and will need to accept Yeshua as Messiah to be saved. They will have a hundred years to become believers or they will die (Isaiah 65:20). Thus, there will be death in the Kingdom. But if they do accept Christ, they will live throughout the Kingdom and never die. Therefore, death will be greatly reduced in the Millennial Kingdom because it will be for unbelievers only.

Isra’el will have a special place in the Messianic Kingdom because of God’s Covenant with Abraham (Genesis 15:18-21, 17:7-8, 22:17-18), the LORD’s Covenant with David (Second Samuel 7:16), and the New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34). But the Gentiles will also benefit from the Kingdom. ADONAI had also promised Abraham that through Isra’el, all the Gentile nations of the world would be blessed. He said: I will bless those who bless you and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you (Genesis 12:3).

A Shoot Will Come Up from the Stump of Jesse
11: 1-5

A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse DIG: Whereas the mighty tree of Assyria was destroyed in 10:33-34, what will happen to the stump of Jesse? How is this Branch different from that mentioned in 4:2? What does it mean that the Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him (see Second Kings 2:15)? What knowledge, ability, or motivation do you see here? What will this reign be like (compare with 9:6-7; contrast with 1:17-23 and 5:12-23)?

REFLECT: The New Covenant interprets the Branch as Jesus Christ (Romans 15:12 and Revelation 5:5). What stories, teaching, or sayings about Jesus come to mind as you consider the qualities described in this section? Which aspect of the Holy Spirit has particularly made a difference in your life? How would you like to grow under the Lordship of Messiah?

The Messianic Hope that began to be expressed in 7:14, and was intensified in 8:23 to 9:6, is now clearly seen. Christ is not only promised, but is seen as ruling. Instead of the cowardly house of David, or the arrogant and oppressive Assyrian empire, we see a King who will protect the weak and lowly. This segment brings to a close the judgment of Assyria that began in 10:5. This entire section makes the point that although Isra’el would be totally subdued, and Judah nearly so because of their lack of trust in ADONAI, destruction was not God’s final word. Assyria would also be judged, and out of that judgment a remnant of the twelve tribes of Jacob would return to the Land. But as 9:1-6 suggested and 11:1-9 will confirm, that such a return could only come under the protection of a descendant of David.

The contrast between 11:1 and 10:34 is that while the Assyrian forest is cut down forever, a shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Assyrian slaughter would leave nothing but a field of stumps. The same would be true of God’s people (6:11-13). Both Assyria and Jacob were under the judgment of the LORD. But there was a difference. When Assyria was finally cut down in 609 BC by the combined forces of Babylon, Media and Persia, nothing ever came from those stumps again. But that was not true of Jacob. From one helpless shoot (53:1-2) would come the restoration of the nation, the end of war (9:5), and the establishment of that which the world has always desired but never attained, namely, genuine security.

Why would Isaiah use Jesse rather than David? When you think of David, you think of a king. When you think of Jesse, you think of the common man. He was a shepherd in a small village in Bethlehem. Through Isaiah, ADONAI makes the point that only when the glorious house of David is reduced to what it was in Jesse’s day, nothing but a cut down stump, would the Messiah appear.

Isaiah had prophesied: A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from His roots, Tzemach Tzadik, a righteous Branch will bear fruit (Isaiah 11:1). As Arnold Fruchtenbaum points out, Isaiah prophesied that the shoot, or the Messiah, would appear only when the house of David had been reduced down to where it was, not in David’s day, but in his father Jesse’s day. That is why Isaiah mentions Jesse rather than David. He pictures the great house of David as a mighty tree that had been reduced to a mere stump (6:13). But while it appeared to be nothing but a dead stump, there was a secret vitality within it. Suddenly a shoot will begin to grow and produce life. The point that the Ruach ha-Kodesh made through Isaiah was that when the house of David had been reduced to poverty again, to what it was in Jesse’s day, and then the Messiah would appear. From Joseph and Mary’s economic status it was clear that Jesus came when the house of David had been reduced once again to poverty.

Olive trees go through a season when they appear dead. But even after several years of seeming lifelessness, a branch will sprout because the roots are still alive. According to God’s perfect plan, at His plan, at His appointed time, Messiah, the Righteous Branch appeared, bringing new life.

At that point, the Levitic dynasty had lost its power and glory. A similar picture is given in Amos. In that day I will restore David’s fallen tent. I will repair its broken places, restore its ruins, and build it as it used to be (Amos 9:11). This Branch will not stop budding from its lowly beginning, but will continue to grow. From humble beginnings a power will begin to develop into great heights, and a shoot ultimately becomes a tree. A state of humiliation will be followed by a state of exaltation, glorification, and perfection. In 53:2 Isaiah brings out the same point. The Messiah will have lowly beginnings. He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. This is the same picture as in Amos 9:11; the Messiah comes on the scene when the once mighty house of David is reduced to a stump.

But his lowly beginnings give way to glory, and the Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him (11:2). There is a close association of the Ruach ha-Kodesh with the messianic promise. The seven attributes of the Holy Spirit are given. This is what it means elsewhere that He receives the fullness of the Spirit. This is a picture of a menorah with its seven branches (Revelation 4:5). The middle stem is what he calls the Spirit of the LORD. Then he will use the word Spirit three more times after that, and each time two attributes are given: first, the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, second, the Spirit of counsel and of power, and thirdly, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD. In Revelation 3:1 and 5:6 we are told that the Messianic Person has the fullness of the Holy Spirit. In John 3:34-35 it says that this Person receives the Spirit without limit. This is because Christ alone will have the fullness of the Spirit. Everyone else receives the Spirit with limits; some greater than others, which is why people have different gifts and different numbers of spiritual gifts (every believer has at least one spiritual gift). But in the case of Christ, He is given the Spirit without limit.

The qualities of His messianic reign are then revealed (11:3-4). He is characterized by the fear of the LORD and He has delight (literally His smelling of satisfaction) in it (11:3), just as we should have. To fear God is to respond to Him in awe, trust, obedience, and worship. Messiah would seek to do what God the Father wanted Him to do. This contrasted with the religious leaders in Isaiah’s day that sought only to please themselves. As world ruler, Messiah will judge the world from the Temple in Jerusalem (to see link click Db – The Nine Missing Articles in Messiah’s Coming Temple). But He will not be like an ordinary judge who judges by what he sees or hears. He will judge on the basis of righteousness. With the rod of His mouth, with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked (Second Thessalonians 2:8).

Lastly, His character is displayed (11:5). Righteousness will be His belt and faithfulness the sash around His waist. Paul would later take this verse and use it when describing the armor of God. He said we should stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist (Eph 6:14). Paul was not describing a Roman soldier, because there were no Roman soldiers when Isaiah wrote these words. All the armor mentioned in Ephesians 6 is either a direct quote or a paraphrase from the TaNaKh. His point is that we should resist Satan with Scripture as Christ did in the wilderness (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Bj – Jesus is Tempted in the Wilderness).

The Nine Missing Articles in Messiah’s Coming Temple
11: 1-10

The coming Messianic Kingdom will be totally different from anything that this world has yet experienced. According to Dani’el 2, it will be a time of culmination – to bring all things into conformity with the will of ADONAI. Consequently, it should not surprise us that certain changes will be necessary in order to accomplish this. The prophet Zechariah writes of some of these changes that will occur in connection with the worship of God in the messianic Kingdom (Zechariah 8:19). It will also bring about certain changes in the land of Isra’el (Zechariah 4:4; Ezekiel 47:1-10). Therefore, changes in the structure of the Temple should not come as a total surprise to us. It is exciting to discover that every one of these changes is a result of the messianic and prophetic fulfillment that we find in Jesus Christ; the picture will be gone and the reality will have come. So the millennial Temple will be missing nine items that were essential in the second Temple before its destruction by the Romans:

1. The dividing wall of partition will be missing, because Jewish and Gentile believers are united into one Body (Ephesians 2:14).

2. The bronze basin will be missing because of the washing of regeneration (Titus 3:5), which believers receive through faith in Yeshua; ceremonial cleansing will be unnecessary when Messiah returns (see the commentary on Exodus, to see link click Fh – The Bronze Basin in the Tabernacle: Christ Our Cleanser). However, it is interesting that the bronze altar will be present because sacrifices will be offered on it at that time (Isaiah 56:7b; Ezeki’el 44:11, 45:13-25 and 46:2). The millennial sacrificial system will not be a reinstitution of the sacrificial system seen in the TaNaKh that merely covered sin (Hebrews 10:4). It will be a totally new system that will contain some things old and some things new, instituted with an entirely different physical and visual picture.

While the writer to the Hebrews teaches us that Christ’s death on the cross was the final sacrifice for sin (Hebrews 10), sacrifices in the Kingdom will serve a different purpose. They will serve as a physical and visual picture of what Jesus did (see Jd – Yet It was the LORD’s Will to Crush Him and Cause Him to Suffer).

The Church has been commanded to keep the Lord’s Supper as a physical and visual picture of what Christ did on the cross (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Kk – The Third Cup of Redemption). And ADONAI intends to provide a physical and visual picture of what Messiah accomplished on the cross for Isra’el in the messianic Kingdom. For Isra’el, however, it will be a sacrificial system instead of communion with bread and wine. The purpose of the sacrificial system will have the same purpose as communion. It will be a memorial: Do this in remembrance of Me (Luke 22:19b).

3. The court of the women will be missing, because there is neither male nor female in the Kingdom of the One True God (Galatians 3:27-28).

4. The golden menorah will be missing, because Jesus, the light of the world (Isaiah 9:2, 49:2; Ezeki’el 43:1-5; John 1:4, 8:12), will take its place (see the commentary on Exodus Fn – The Menorah in the Sanctuary: Christ, the Light of the World).

5. The bread of the Presence will be missing, because Christ, the bread of life (John 6:35; Ezeki’el 34:23) will feed the people and be their Shepherd (see the commentary on Exodus Fo – The Bread of the Presence in the Sanctuary: Christ, the Bread of Life).

6. The altar of incense will be missing, because as the incense served to illustrate the prayers of His people and were something like a sweet perfume to God, it will be unnecessary since Christ Himself will be present in Zion (Zechariah 8:20-21, 23; Ezeki’el 48:35), and available to hear the petitions of His people (see the commentary on Exodus Fp – The Altar of Incense in the Sanctuary: Christ, Our Advocate with the Father).

7. The inner veil that separated the Most Holy Place from the rest of the Sanctuary will be missing, because our Savior will be present in Jerusalem. Once a year the high priest was allowed to pass through the inner veil on the Day of Atonement to sprinkle the blood on the mercy seat for the sins of the people. He was their representative. When Messiah died, the curtain of the Temple in Jerusalem was torn in two from top to bottom (Matthew 27:51a), because every believer then had personal access to ADONAI. But when the messianic Temple comes, Yeshua Himself will fulfill the prophetic significance (see the commentary on Exodus Fq – The Inner Veil of the Sanctuary: That is Christ, His Body).

8. and 9. The ark of the Covenant (see the commentary on Exodus Fr – The Ark of the Covenant in the Most Holy Place: Christ at the Throne of Grace), and the mercy seat (see my commentary on Exodus Fs – The Mercy Seat in the Most Holy Place: Christ at the Throne of Grace) will be missing, because the Lord Himself will be present there (Jeremiah 3:16-17; Ezeki’el 43:5-7). Jesus Christ, the Righteous One, shall sit upon His throne as King in Ezeki’el’s Messianic Temple.

Not only are there nine items missing from Messiah’s Temple, but another extremely significant change also occurs. This change has to do with the bronze altar that will stand in the inner court (see the commentary on Exodus Fa – Build an Altar of Acacia Wood Overlaid with Bronze). Every previous bronze altar in Isra’el’s Temple history was approached from the south, apparently by a ramp. Yet, Ezeki’el specifically states that the steps of the messianic bronze altar shall face the east (Ezeki’el 43:17). The direction, and means by which one approaches the bronze altar, will be changed! Instead of using a ramp from the south, the bronze altar in the Kingdom will be approached from the east.

There is a specific reason why the Israelites were never allowed to approach the bronze altar of sacrifice from the east. The pagans approached their altars from the east to worship the sun. God wanted a clear distinction between pagan worship and the worship that He accepted from His people.

During the Messianic Kingdom, many things will be different. Idolatry will not be a problem as it was for ancient Isra’el. Also, since Jesus Himself will have His throne in the Temple it will be most appropriate for those officiating at the bronze altar to be facing Him in the Temple. Those offering a sacrifice will approach the bronze altar from the east side, moving in the direction of the Lord who will be sitting in His Temple on His throne.³⁹

The Dispensations of God

One of the most important things in understanding the Bible is rightly dividing the word of truth (Second Timothy 2:15 NJK). There are a number of ways we can divide the Bible to understand the different parts of the whole. One of the ways is by the dispensations contained in God’s Word. To understand what a dispensation is, we need to take a look at two Greek words. The first word is oikumenei from which we get our English word ecumenical. It means to manage, to regulate, to administer, or to plan. The second word is aion and it means age. It emphasizes the time element of the dispensation. So the term dispensation refers to a specific way by which God administers His program, His will, His rule, and His authority. Each dispensation is an age, because each dispensation covers a period of time. Dispensations are periods of time in which YHVH governs in a different way than He did previously.

There are seven dispensations described in the Bible: (1) the Dispensation of Innocence (Genesis 1:28 to 3:8); (2) the Dispensation of Conscience (Genesis 3:9 to 8:14), (3) the Dispensation of Civil Government (Genesis 8:15 to 11:32), (4) the Dispensation of Promise (Genesis 12:1 to Exodus 18:27), (5) the Dispensation of the Torah (Exodus 19:1 to Acts 1:26), (6) the Dispensation of Grace (Acts 2:1 to Revelation 19:21), and (7) the Dispensation of the Messianic or Millennial Kingdom (Revelation 20:1-10). The name Messianic Kingdom emphasizes the fact that God will return to the earth and reign as the Messiah, and the name Millennial Kingdom emphasizes that it will last for a Millennium or a thousand years. Different aspects of the Messianic Kingdom are discussed in other books of the Bible, especially the TaNaKh, one of those being Isaiah.

The key person in the dispensation of the Messianic Kingdom will be Jesus Christ, because Messiah Himself will be providing direct new revelation (2:2-4). This new revelation will be the basis of this new dispensation.

Mankind’s responsibility will be to the B’rit Chadashah, which was the same as in the sixth dispensation. This means accepting the gift of righteousness, which God offers to all mankind, through faith in Yeshua Messiah. But, in addition, obedience to the King and the new commands He will issue will be added. Therefore, in the dispensation of the Messianic Kingdom there will be something old and something new.

The test during that period will be for each one born in the Kingdom to personally receive and accept the King as his or her personal Lord, not in place of the gospel but with the aide of the gospel. To accept the gospel means that one believes that Jesus died for his or her sins, was buried, and rose again (First Corinthians 15:3b-4).

There will also be a failure during the Messianic Kingdom. At the end of the Millennium men and women will fail to recognize Satan’s deception as he leads a rebellion against God and His authority. So many will be deceived, that in number, they will be like the sand on the seashore (Revelation 20:8b). They will be so bold as to try to invade Isra’el and Tziyon.

The judgment will be the total destruction of all these invading armies from around the world by fire out of heaven (Revelation 20:9).

The grace of God will be displayed during the dispensation of the Messianic Kingdom in three major ways. First, there will be the fulfillment of all the prophecies of the TaNaKh (see the commentary on The Life of Christ, to see link click Mu – 354 Prophecies Fulfilled in Jesus Christ). Every prophecy that has remained unfulfilled will find its fulfillment during the Messianic Kingdom. Secondly, it will be a period of prosperity for everyone. Thirdly, there will be immortality for the saved, in that believers will not die. Only unbelievers in the Kingdom will die if they do not accept Christ by the time they are one hundred years old (65:20).

This is the seventh and final dispensation. When it ends, history will move from time to eternity, as it enters the Eternal State (Revelation 21:1 to 22:5).

The Reign of Immanuel
11:1 to 12:6

The Assyrian Empire would fall, but another empire will arise. This section is about the Messianic Kingdom. The final segment of the Book of Immanuel is a development of 9:7. There are three lines of messianic development; a messianic person (to see link click Dc – A Shoot Will Come Up From The House of Jesse), a messianic program (see Dd – The Wolf Will Live With The Lamb), and a messianic people (see De – God Is My Salvation, I Will Trust and Not Be Afraid). Besides contrasting God’s Kingdom with the Assyrian kingdom, Isaiah also contrasts it with the sinful actions of Judah in his day. The sages teach that the prophecy belongs to the reign of Ahaz or, according to others, to the latter days of Isaiah’s life, thus, stealing the future hope of a literal return and reign of Yeshua Messiah from Jerusalem. Rabbi Sha’ul was right when he wrote: The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God (Second Corinthians 4:4). Before we proceed, it is important to understand where the Messianic Kingdom fits into the dispensations of God.