They Will Be Herded Together Like Prisoners
24: 21-23

They will be herded together like prisoners DIG: Whom does YHVH judge in that day? Why are they herded together like prisoners? What is the ultimate purpose of this judgment? Why, in spite of all the destruction foreseen here, is this really good news? How does your answer relate to 11:10?

REFLECT: What do you learn about ADONAI from considering His past judgments (such as Noah’s Flood, or the fall of specific nations)? In comparison, what do you learn when you consider God’s future glory, which will eclipse even the sun and the moon? Where will Yeshua be? Where will you be?

In that day, at the end of the Great Tribulation, two groups will be judged. First, the LORD will punish the powers in the heavens above, and secondly, the kings on the earth below (24:21). We see a judgment of wicked angels above the earth and wicked men below on the earth. Both are confined in some manner, like prisoners in a prison. The dungeon (pit in the KJV) is for humanity. Tartarus, which was a term used by the Greeks to designate the place where the most wicked spirits were sent to be punished (see the commentary on Genesis, to see link click Cb – But Noah Found Grace in the Eyes of the LORD), or the abyss (Luke 8:33 and Revelation 9:1), is for the fallen angels.

They will be herded together like cattle, or prisoners bound in a dungeon; they will be shut up in prison and be punished after many days (24:22). Their punishment refers to the judgment after the thousand years of the Messianic Kingdom, when all the unrighteous will have to stand before Yeshua who is the Judge (John 5:21-27; Acts 10:42; Phil 2:9-11), and be held accountable for all their evil deeds and lack of faith in Him (see the commentary on Revelation Fo – The Great White Throne Judgment). It will be a glorious day for believers and a horrible day for those judged.

Once again, here the structure of Revelation is like the Little Apocalypse of Isaiah. After the thousand-year Messianic Kingdom (Revelation 20:1-6), and the Great White Throne Judgment, the Eternal State is ushered in (see the commentary on Revelation Fq – The Eternal State). At that time, the moon will be abashed, the sun ashamed; for the LORD of heaven’s angelic armies (CJB) will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem and before its elders, gloriously (24:23). The light of the moon and sun will be decreased in the New Jerusalem because of the brilliance of the Sh’khinah glory, the very presence of God (see the commentary on Revelation Fv – Nothing Impure Will Enter the New Jerusalem). The evil powers in the heavens and on the earth will be vanquished, imprisoned, and punished and God will reign supreme on Mount Zion.

Terror and Pit and Snare Await You,
O People of the Earth
24: 16b-20

Terror and pit and snare await you, o people of the earth DIG: These verses return to the theme of judgment. What is the point of the dilemma that Isaiah presents here? Who is wasting away? Under whose treachery? How would you feel if you were under such persecution? What is happening here? When has something like this happened before? What effect does that have on you and those you love?

REFLECT: When have you tried getting “out of the frying pan” only to find yourself “in the fire?” What did you learn about yourself in that situation? Did that experience drive you toward God, or away from Him? 

In contrast with the future joyful song of glory to the God of Isra’el, the distress of Isaiah’s own day caused him to pronounce woe on himself. He declared: Woe to me! All around him were treacherous, unfaithful people on whom judgment would fall in the near historical future in 687 BC by Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians. The phrase the floodgates of the heavens are opened, and the foundations of the earth shake, has similar language to the passages concerning the Noahic Flood (Genesis 7:11 and 8:2). This is why we should take the everlasting covenant of 24:5 to be the Noahic Covenant because of the context of the Noahic judgment. The judgment in the days of Noah and the judgment at the end of the Great Tribulation are different, because one is by water and one is by fire, but the totality of destruction around the world is similar.

But, I say, I’m wasting away, I am wasting away! Woe to me! It is as if Isaiah is saying, “I understand what is going to happen in the future, but what happens now?” Dani’el was similarly affected when he saw his visions into the future (Dani’el 7:28, 8:27). Fortunately for Isaiah, he had seen the ultimate victory at the end of the Great Tribulation; but unfortunately, he had also seen what would lead up to it. All he could see around him was treachery. The next five Hebrew words all come from the same root, bgd, which contains the idea of plunder through deceit. Traitors betray! Oh, how the traitors betray (24:16b CJB). Because of the people’s treachery and their other sins, his people would suffer.

But then his focus changes. He projects the destruction of Jerusalem in the days of Jeremiah into the far eschatological future. Again, with a pounding mantra, Isaiah drives home the fate of those who put their trust in the world (First John 2:15-17). As if he could talk to them in the last days, he declared: Terror and pit and snare await you, O people of the earth. There is no reliability in the people of the earth, only treachery. As a result, they would know only terror, the terror of knowing that life is a series of traps from which there is no final escape. Here in a series of images, a strong, dependable earth is broken apart, staggering, and finally collapsing under the weight of its own sin. The earth will not be able to endure the treachery toward each other or toward ADONAI. Whoever flees at the sound of terror will fall into a pit; whoever climbs out of the pit will be caught in a snare (24:17-18). They would fall into a pit used to capture animals or be caught by snare or trap. When they try to escape this future danger, they will be overcome by another disaster, the worldwide judgment of God. Here we see the imagery of the frail hut of the watchman in a vineyard, which sways in the wind under the weight of its transgressions. Moral bankruptcy will bring about its collapse (Amos 5:2).

At the end of the Great Tribulation we finally see the end of wickedness, which is the first of the three purposes of the Seventieth Week of Dani’el (see the commentary on Revelation, to see link click Ch – The Beginning of the Great Tribulation). During the Great Tribulation, the floodgates of the heavens are opened, the foundations of the earth are broken up, the earth is split asunder and the earth is thoroughly shaken (24:18b-19). Notice the Oriental style of repetition for the purpose of emphasis. It literally means: Broken, broken is the earth; shattered, shattered is the earth; shaken, shaken is the earth. In three Hebrew couplets of three words each repetition of sound, word and idea is used to make the thought triply emphatic. John makes a comparable point using similar imagery in Revelation 12-15.

Two more images of insecurity are used, the drunkard (Psalm 107:27; Isaiah 29:9), and the hut (1:8). The earth reels like a drunkard, it sways like a hut in the wind; so heavy upon it is the guilt of its rebellion that it falls – never to rise again (24:20). Like the drunkard staggering from bar to bar, or the temporary lean-to of twigs and leaves being blown apart by a strong wind, the destiny of the earth is clear: collapse. Who could believe what a drunk says, or trust a lean-to for protection? Obviously, no one! The first purpose, then, of the Great Tribulation is to make an end to wickedness and wicked ones. The imagery is one of a drunken man reeling. It is not a very pretty sight, but judgment for sin rarely is.

From the Ends of the Earth We Hear Singing:
Glory to the Righteous One
24: 14-16a

From the ends of the earth we hear singing: glory to the righteous one DIG: Who are the 144,000? Who are they that are rejoicing here? How does their song of glory differ from the sounds of silence in 24:8? How do you account for this flip-side judgment (see 14:4, 16:5, 17:7-8, 18:7, 19:23-25 and 23:18)?

REFLECT: Both joy and sorrow will be the experience of the godly remnant that survives this judgment. When you see or hear about current disaster striking those who deserve it, what do you feel? Can you remember when you were first saved? How did you feel? How grateful were you? Do you still love the LORD as much as you did then? Has your love for Him deepened? Or have you left your first love (see the commentary on Revelation, to see link click Az – The Church at Ephesus)? Can you personally praise ADONAI when everything around you is falling apart?

As stated previously, the structure of the book of Revelation is based upon Isaiah 24:1 to 27:13. In Revelation Chapter 6, John spells out a series of judgments against humanity, known as the Seal judgments (see the commentary on Revelation, to see link click Ck – The Seven Seals of the Lamb). In Revelation Chapter 7, John breaks away from judgment. Then in Revelation Chapters 8 and 9 he continues with another series of judgments known as Trumpet judgments (see the commentary on Revelation Cu – The Seven Trumpets). Between the Seal judgments and the Trumpet judgments there is the worldwide preaching of the 144,000 Jews and all those saved by their ministry (see the commentary on Revelation Cr – Then I Heard the Number of Those who Were Sealed, 144,000 from all the Tribes of Isra’el). The structure there is the structure here. In the midst of judgment passages, there is a small segment where a glorification of God’s name is made by the 144,000 and those Jews and Gentiles saved by their preaching. The sages teach that these are only Israelites. Thus, we are told here that in spite of the pollution of the earth by humanity that brings about the judgments, there is a small believing remnant who is glorifying God’s name and majesty.

Those who survive the catastrophe will from the distant parts of the earth offer hymns and praises to the God of Isra’el. They will lift their voices, singing for joy; shouting from the west, literally from the [Mediterranean] Sea, to honor ADONAI (24:14 CJB). The word they, the believing remnant, is emphasized in the Hebrew. The Adversary had spiritually blinded them. Paul reminds us that 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). As a result of the preaching of the 144,000, these new believers will experience the spiritual scales being removed from their eyes and will then sing to the LORD. Despite the obvious danger of being beheaded by the antichrist (Rev 20:4), they nevertheless sing to God out of sheer joy.

So in the east, literally, in the lights, they will sing out in honor of ADONAI; from as far away as the islands of the sea they will honor the name ADONAI, the God of Isra’el (24:15 CJB). The content of their song will be the glory of His name. It will not be His name that will be so glorious, but who He is as Creator, Judge, Redeemer and LORD. They were snatched from the fire and saved. And they were so grateful that they broke out in song. The celebration reaches its climax in the phrase the ends, literally the wing, of the earth (Philippians 2:9-11). Everywhere, in the west, the east, the islands of the sea, and from the ends of the earth, they proclaim the same song: Glory to God, the Righteous One (24:16a). Unlike those in Isaiah’s day who viewed the Assyrian advance as cruel and unfair, the believers during the Great Tribulation will view the earth’s devastation as a righteous act by a righteous and Holy God.

A Curse Consumes the Earth
24: 1-13

A curse consumes the earth DIG: What is the scope of the judgment in 24:1-6? Who gets hit? Who is left? What is the reason for this total devastation that is to come? From God’s point of view, what everlasting covenant did the people break? What subsequent curse have the people brought on themselves? How has this been illustrated by some of the specific judgments (see 14:12-14, 16:6, 17:10, 22:11)? In 24:7-13, what will be the impact of this future judgment on the rural and urban sector? What images does this bring to you? If you have ever walked through a “ghost town” like this, how did you feel?

REFLECT: How does this prospect of universal judgment strike you: (a) An archaic view of a Messianic Jew? (b) Vindictive action on God’s part? (c) Source of hope and joy conveyed by God’s control? (d) A day to be feared by all, regardless of social or religious distinction? How would your view of that day change if you were a powerful, corrupt king? If you were a victim of his oppressive rule?

See, in the far eschatological future, the LORD is going to lay waste the earth and devastate it; He will ruin its face and scatter its inhabitants (24:1). The word see, or behold, used with the active participle indicates the future, with a sense of expectancy. The source of this worldwide judgment is clearly God Himself. The results are devastating. Isaiah tells us that the judgment of the earth (mentioned sixteen times in this chapter) is going to be universal. It will obliterate all class distinction. This is one of the central themes of Isaiah: human pride and ADONAI cannot coexist. He mentions six pairs (the number six for mankind) of opposites. The first three represent the social classes; the last three represent the economic classes. None will fare any better or any worse in the earth’s dying breath than will those who have nothing. It will be the same for the priest as for people, for master as for servant, for mistress as for maid, for seller as for buyer, for borrower as for lender, for debtor as for creditor (24:2).

The earth will be completely laid waste and totally plundered (Revelation Chapters 6, 8-9, 15-16). The effects on the earth will be shocking. The Hebrew tends to be much stronger because of repetition of the main noun. If I were to give a more literal translation, it would be: There will be an emptying, the earth will be emptied; spoiling, the earth will be spoiled. And because God Himself has spoken the word, judgment is certain. Although this is a frequent phrase in Isaiah, its importance cannot be overemphasized. He believed that the LORD had communicated His truth and His will clearly. Therefore, the prophet could make completely dogmatic statements that rested on the sole support that ADONAI has spoken this word (24:3).

The earth dries up and withers, the world languishes and withers, the exalted of the earth languish (24:4). The word for world here means the inhabited earth. There are two Hebrew words for world. One means the world in general and the other means the inhabited world. It is the inhabited world that is affected because the judgment is against humanity. Even the so-called important people suffer. No one will be spared from this judgment in the far eschatological future.

The reason such devastation will come is that the people, up over their heads in sin, will have defiled the earth; they have disobeyed God’s commandments, and violated the statutes (24:5a). In creating the world, ADONAI said it was very good (Genesis 1:31). But because of their sin, people had defiled the good earth, by disobeying God’s commandments and violating His statutes. Hatred pollutes, as does dishonesty. Both of these, just as too many phosphates or too much sewage, make it impossible for us to live. This is because there are spiritual truths that are just as unwavering as the physical ones. And like the physical laws if violated: we do not break them, they break us. As a result, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23) are not merely nice little goals for us to get along in this life, they are necessities if humanity is going to continue on living.

By thus polluting, they broke His everlasting covenant. What is this everlasting covenant? The three most important aspects of biblical interpretation are context, context, and context. In the context here is Isaiah 24:18b, which says: The floodgates of the heavens are opened, the foundations of the world shake. Genesis 7:11 says: the floodgates of the heavens were opened. And Genesis 8:2 says: Now the springs of the deep and floodgates of the heavens had been closed. So, we should take this covenant to be the Noahic Covenant (Genesis 9:11), because there are illusions to the Noahic judgment. Through all four of these chapters there is a tremendous amount of the use of alliteration in the Hebrew text, because Isaiah is a master of Hebrew (God works through the human instrument, yet communicating everything He wants communicated).

Because people will have defiled the earth by their sins, judgment will come. Therefore, a curse consumes the earth; its people must bear the consequences of their guilt. Therefore, earth’s inhabitants will be burned up like a desert. Here we see a judgment of fire (Second Peter 3:10-12). The result of this fiery judgment is that very few will be left (24:6). Once the restraining effect of the Church is gone after the Rapture (to see link click Eu – The Rapture and the Great Tribulation), rampant sin will pollute the environment to the point that it cannot maintain, but begins to destroy life (13:11-12).

The next seven verses should be seen as a unit because of the recurring theme of wine and the harvest (24:7-13). Normally, the grape harvest was a time of joy and laughter. When the grapes were in, the last of the hard summer work was finished, spirits were high and the wine flowed. If the harvest was poor, however, the mood was somber at best. During the first half of the Great Tribulation, there will be great jubilation because those pesky believers will not be around anymore. There will be no restraints. But because people will have defiled the earth by their sins, the verdict will come in the form of seal, trumpet and bowl judgments (see my commentary on the book of Revelation).

All sources of joy and gladness will be cut off. First, their wine is taken away. The new wine will dry up and the vine withers; all the merrymakers will groan. There will be no wine from these grapes. Instead of vulgar jokes and rowdy laughter, there will only be groans and sighs. Secondly, their music is taken away. The gaiety of the tambourines will be stilled, the noise of the revelers will have stopped, and the joyful harp will be silent. When the judgments of ADONAI come upon the earth all artificial partying will melt away. Those who depended upon their own sources of joy will have none. And thirdly, only bitterness remains. No longer do they drink wine with a song; the beer will be bitter to its drinkers (24:7-9). What drinking is there without gladness? Its only purpose is to forget the present, and the experience is a bitter one.

Then Isaiah offers an example of a ruined city, where sadness and desolation prevail everywhere. He uses the definite article, meaning that there is a specific city involved. The Little Apocalypse of Isaiah is really a tale of two cities – the New Jerusalem and Babylon, which will be the political/economic capital of the antichrist during the Great Tribulation. Isaiah looks into the far eschatological future and sees that Babylon, the ruined city, lies desolate and the entrance to every house is barred (24:10). Instead of a jubilant city, alive with music, its streets full of laughing crowds going from house to house, all will be empty with their doors locked tight so that no one could enter. The word desolate is used in Genesis 1:2 means chaos. The context points to this city being Babylon but the rabbis teach that this city is Jerusalem.

Isaiah describes Babylon as being a city where the streets cry out for wine. The city that was used to rivers of wine will only experience thirst. When the LORD pours out His wrath on an unbelieving world in the Great Tribulation, all joy will turn to darkness and all gaiety will be banished from the earth (24:11). As a result, the city will be left in ruins (13:20-22), and its gate is battered to pieces (24:12). Babylon will lay desolate.

God’s prophet declares that what is true of this one city, will be true of the entire earth. Little will be left, as after the harvesting of olives or grapes. The phrase, “So will it be” signals a concluding statement to this part of the poem. Up until this point prophetic perfects have been used to indicate the certainty of the judgment to come. But now imperfect tenses appear to emphasize the fact that these events still lie in the future.

The world will look like an olive orchard or a vineyard after the harvest. So, will it be in the earth and among the nations, as when an olive tree is beaten, or as when gleanings are left after the grape harvest (24:13). When the olives are gathered in the East, a practice that is still around today, the branches are beaten with sticks. It was mercifully ordered that the Israelites should give the trees but one beating, leaving for the poor gleaners all the fruit that did not by this means drop off.⁸³ The Hebrews were directed not to pick their grapes closely, but to leave a few for the poor. Gideon refers to this merciful provision when he says: Aren’t the gleanings of Ephraim’s grapes better than the full grape harvest of Abiezer? (Judges 8:2).⁸⁴ As only a few clusters of grapes or a hand full of olives, so will it be for the world. Despite the worldwide judgment during the Great Tribulation, a small believing remnant of believers will be left. Suddenly, in the midst of this massive judgment, they glorify God’s name.

The Rapture and the Great Tribulation
24: 1-23

The rapture and the Great Tribulation REFLECT: Where does the word “Rapture” come from? How can you make sure you are not left behind? What are the three main purposes of the Great Tribulation? What are your thoughts on the Great Tribulation for you personally? Do you dread it or look forward to it? Why?

When the Bible uses the term mystery (First Corinthians 15:51), it does not use it in the traditional sense of the word. It does not mean, “Is there life on Pluto? No one will really ever know; it’s a mystery!” No, when the Bible uses the term mystery, it means something that was once hidden, but now is revealed and made known (Romans 16:25b-26a). For example, the Church was a mystery to the righteous of the TaNaKh. And because the Church was a mystery, the Rapture was also a mystery to them. The Rapture refers to that event where Jesus Christ snatches the Church out of this world. For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with God’s shofar (CJB), and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore, encourage each other with these words (First  Thessalonians 4:16-18). The Greek word haroazo is a very forceful word. It means taken by the collar and snatched away violently, and is translated caught up. The Latin equivalent is the word raptus, and is where we get the English transliteration rapture.⁸² Therefore, at the Rapture, both Gentile and Jewish believers will be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air. When the restraining influence of the Holy Spirit on the world is gone, the Great Tribulation will begin suddenly without any notice because the Day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape (First Thess 5:2-3).

The blessings and judgments prophesied for specific nations in Chapters 13 to 23, forms the backdrop for the Lord’s final judgment of the entire world during the Great Tribulation. There are three main purposes during that time: first, to make an end of wickedness and wicked ones (13:9, 24:19-20); secondly, to bring about a worldwide revival (see the commentary on Revelation, to see link click Cs – God Will Wipe Away Every Tear From Their Eyes); and thirdly, to break the stubbornness of the Jewish nation (Dani’el 11-12; Ezeki’el 20:34-38). In the TaNaKh the most common name for the Great Tribulation is the Day of the Lord. But there are a number of other names, or designations for this time period, found in both Covenants.

Names for the Great Tribulation

The most common name for the Great Tribulation found in various passages in the TaNaKh is the Day of the Lord. In every passage of the Scriptures that the term the Day of the Lord is found it is always, without exception, a reference to the Great Tribulation period. Even though this is the most common name for this period in the TaNaKh, it has many names and it is also found in various passages of the B’rit Chadashah. These names are found in the New International Version.

Names used for the Great Tribulation in the TaNaKh:

• A Time of Trouble for Jacob (Jeremiah 30:7)
• The Seventieth Week of Daniel (Dani’el 9:27)
• The LORD’s Strange Work (Isaiah 28:21)
• The LORD’s Alien Task (Isaiah 28:21)
• The Day of Isra’el’s Disaster (Deuteronomy 32:35; Obadiah 12-14)
• The Distress or Tribulation (Deuteronomy 4:30)
• The Overwhelming Scourge (Isaiah 28:15, 18)
• The Day of Vengeance (Isaiah 34:8, 35:4, 61:2)
• The Year of Retribution (Isaiah 34:8)
• The Time of Distress (Daniel 12:1; Zephaniah 1:15)
• The Day of Wrath (Zephaniah 1:15)
• The Day of Trouble and Ruin (Zephaniah 1:15)
• The Day of Darkness (Zephaniah 1:15; Amos 5:18 and 20; Joel 2:2)
• The Day of Gloominess (Zephaniah 1:15; Joel 2:2)
• The Day of Clouds (Zephaniah 1:15; Joel 2:2)
• The Day of Blackness (Zephaniah 1:15; Joel 2:2)
• The Day of the Trumpet (Zephaniah 1:16)
• The Day of the Battle Cry (Zephaniah 1:16)
• The Day of the LORD Almighty (Isaiah 2:12-21)

Names used for the Great Tribulation in the B’rit Chadashah:

• The Day of the Lord (First Thessalonians 5:2)
• The Wrath of God (Revelation 15:1 and 7; 14:10 and 19; 16:1)
• The Hour of Trial (Revelation 3:10)
• The Great Day of the Wrath of the Lamb of God (Revelation 6:16-17)
• The Coming Wrath (First Thessalonians 1:10)
• The Wrath (First Thessalonians 5:9; Revelation 11:18)
• The Great Tribulation or Distress (Matthew 24:21; Revelation 7:14)
• The Distress or Tribulation (Matthew 24:29)
• The Hour of Judgment (Revelation 14:7)

The Little Apocalypse of Isaiah
24:1 to 27:13

The little apocalypse of Isaiah DIG: How is Isaiah’s Little Apocalypse similar to the book of Revelation? Which of the prophecies in these chapters, which are of global scope, have yet to be fulfilled?

The word apocalypse is the Greek name for the book of Revelation. Because much of what is found in the Revelation is found in these four chapters, it is named The Little Apocalypse of Isaiah. It describes the earth’s devastation and people’s intense suffering during the coming Tribulation and the blessings to follow in the Messianic Kingdom. Like a finale, these chapters can be read by themselves, but their greatest contribution is within the context of the whole book of Isaiah.

In addition to the content, the very structure of these four chapters is also the structure of the Book of Revelation. Another way of saying that is that the book of Revelation is an expansion of these four chapters in the book of Isaiah. These four chapters are divided into four segments: first, The Great Tribulation in Chapter 24; secondly, The Song of Praise in Chapter 25; thirdly, The Song of Salvation in Chapter 26: 1-19; and fourthly, The Redemption of Isra’el in Chapter 26:20 to 27:13. The overriding theme of the segment is the triumph of God, not only over His enemies but also for His people.

In Chapters 13 to 35 Isaiah sought 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 Little Apocalypse of Isaiah, the question that is specifically answered is this, “Does God merely react to the nations, or is He sovereign over all the world?”

Her Earnings will be Set Apart for the LORD
23: 15-18

Her earnings will be set apart for the LORD DIG: Babylon, the symbol of strength and prestige in the East, was beaten by Assyria in 710 BC and again in 689 BC. What effect would recalling the destruction of both Babylon in the East and Tyre in the West have on Judah as they faced the Assyrian advance? What would they associate with the 70 years? In what sense will the LORD deal with Tyre? What will happen as a result of Tyre’s restoration? How does this compare with what Isaiah said about Egypt and Assyria?

REFLECT: ADONAI is a God of second chances. Read Jonah 3:9-10. As a result of reading the Oracles Against the Nations in Chapters 13 to 23, could any of the nations mentioned by Isaiah have repented and been spared as Nineveh had been? Why or why not? How has God restored you, or things in your life that you thought were gone forever? Was He glorified in it? Why or why not?

After describing the destruction of Tyre, Isaiah now describes its restoration for a season. There is now a change in genre. Up to now he has written in Hebrew poetry, but now he begins writing in Hebrew prose. As in the oracle against Egypt (19:1-25), Isaiah adds a postscript to Tyre’s announcement of destruction (23:1-14). It is an addendum of Judah’s submission to ADONAI. His word is crystal clear. She was not to envy Tyre for her great wealth. Ultimately, everything Tyre owned will be returned to God and enjoyed by His people (2:2-3, 45:14, 49:22, 60:9-11). This section is a fitting summary to the Oracles Against the Nations in Chapters 13 to 23. Judah need not, in fact must not, prostitute herself to the Gentile nations. Instead, she should be true to her Husband, the King of nations. If she will only obey His word, she will find that the nations, in fact, will come to her.

At that time, Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years, the span of a king’s life. After Babylon destroyed Tyre, it was in ruins for seventy years, just as Judah was to be in ruins for seventy years. And during Babylon’s supremacy, for those seventy years, Tyre will be insignificant. But at the end of these seventy years . . . Tyre once again would become a leader of sea trade. Like a prostitute who had been forgotten, she returned to ply her trade singing the song of the prostitute (23:15). The prostitute is an apt symbol of Tyre, where everything she does is for money.

Take up a harp, walk through the city, O prostitute forgotten! Play the harp well, sing many a song, so that you will be remembered (23:16). But then Isaiah says that Tyre will rise again like an old prostitute forced to return to her trade because of hunger, singing to attract her lovers. She will prostitute herself in the sense that she will sell her merchandise to whoever will pay for it. After seventy years, Tyre will again play the part of the prostitute in world trade. She will again regain the supremacy she had before her destruction. And much of this merchandise will be corrupting.

In a figurative way, the music of Tyre will have an effect. After a dormant period she will realize something of her former importance as a trading city of the world. At the end of seventy years, ADONAI will deal with Tyre. She will return to her hire as a prostitute and will ply her trade with all the kingdoms on the face of the earth (23:17). Although she will once again be a prostitute, this time the profits from her trading would somehow benefit those who feared God. There was a new Tyre in the mind of God. Yet her profit and her earnings will be set apart for the LORD (23:18a). To be set apart means to be holy. This was the very word engraved on a plate of pure gold worn by the high priest (see the commentary on Exodus, to see link click Gc – Make a Plate and Engrave On It: Holy to the LORD). A new spirit replaces the old mercenary one, not horded, but given freely. There would be a new harmony between Tyre and Zion for a season. But the island city of unprecedented wealth is gone and there is no mention of the nation of Tyre in the Messianic Kingdom.

The fact that her earnings will be set apart for the LORD seems to go against teaching of the Torah where it says: You must not bring the earnings of a female prostitute . . . into the house of ADONAI . . . because the LORD your God detests it (Deut 23:18). A prostitute’s earnings could not be given as an offering in the Temple. It is important to remember, however, that prostitution is symbolic of Tyre’s business practice of doing anything for money, and that there is nothing inherently immoral about trade or business.

Her earnings will not be stored up or hoarded. Her profits will be for the benefit of those who live before ADONAI, for abundant food and fine clothes (23:18b). Who are those who live before God? They were the Levites in the Temple of the LORD. Both Tyre and Judah (because they both came under the same domination of Babylonia), arise again after seventy years. Tyre arises to rebuild her trade and Judah arises to rebuild her Temple. At that point, they come together and some of the merchandise (not all) of Tyre becomes holy, or set apart for the LORD. Ezra 3:7 tells us that, Then (the Jews) gave money to the masons and carpenters, and gave food and drink and oil to the people of Sidon and Tyre, so that they would bring cedar logs by sea from Lebanon to Joppa, as authorized by Cyrus the King of Persia. The ships of Tyre will bring the cedars of Lebanon to the port of Joppa to be used to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem. So it was during the period when Zerubbabel came back from the Babylonian captivity that Tyre, for a season, was used by God to rebuild His Temple (see the commentary on Ezra-Nehemiah Ar –The Start of Rebuilding the Temple).

So it is to God that His people should look, not to the nations, for ultimately the Gentiles must look to Him as well. Moreover, all the wealth, which Gentile nations have amassed with such difficulty and effort must eventually be His to reallocate as He pleases. So in the final analysis, if the glory of the nations is nothing (Chapters 13-14), if the scheming of the nations is nothing (Chapters 14 and 18), if the wisdom of the nations is nothing (Chapters 18-19), if the vision of the nation is nothing (Chapters 21-22), and if the wealth of the nations is nothing (Chapter 23), then the questions is: Why trust the nations? The answer is clear. There is no reason to trust the nations.⁸¹

Wail, You Ships of Tarshish;
Your Fortress is Destroyed
23: 1-14

Wail, you ships of Tarshish, your fortress is destroyed DIG: Tyre was the main city of Phoenicia, a prosperous trading country on the Mediterranean Sea. What role did Tyre play in the economy of the surrounding nations? What was the city like before the events of this prophecy? The ships of Tarshish were capable of sailing to the ends of the known world. What message was given to their sailors as they were returning home? Who does Isaiah credit with planning the downfall of Tyre, the kingmaker? How is God’s control over the kings and nations evident here? How much of Tyre is left today? Why is that?

REFLECT: If Babylon represented the height of the world’s culture, and Tyre an apex of its wealth, how would you use Isaiah’s message to challenge people dedicated to power and money? Does this mean power and wealth in themselves are wrong? Why or why not? How does this message serve as an ongoing warning to believers in every age? To your Messianic synagogue, or church, in particular? To you in particular?

With this pronouncement Isaiah concludes his judgments upon the nations surrounding Judah. It is a fitting conclusion. As Babylon, the great city in the east, opened the section, so Tyre, the great city in the west, closes it. This whole section is written in Hebrew poetry.

The near historical prophecy against Tyre took place in several stages over 370 years (to see link click Eq – The Timeline for Tyre). In the first stage, though Sargon II (721 to 705 BC) and Sennacherib (704 to 681 BC) fought against Judah over a period of fourteen years, they did not capture Judah; but Sennacherib defeated 46 of her fortified cities and laid siege to Jerusalem before being turned away by an Angel of ADONAI (see Gw – Then An Angel of ADONAI Put To Death a Hundred and Eighty Five Thousand Men in the Assyrian Camp). In the second stage, Nebuchadnezzar captured and destroyed Tyre after thirteen years, although ADONAI would eventually restore her 70 years later. In the third and last stage, the final destruction of Tyre would be left to the Son of Thunder, Alexander III of Macedon (Alexander the Great).

Alexander the Great accomplished the destruction of Tyre in 332 BC. During his campaign in Canaan he requested supplies from Tyre. When they refused to assist him, his army took the rubble that was left from the ancient city of Tyre, threw it into the sea to build a half-mile causeway, marched out to the island fortress, and defeated the city with the assistance of the navies of surrounding nations. The inhabitants paid dearly for trying Alexander’s patience. It is said that he crucified two thousand of the leaders and sold thirty thousand into slavery. Alexander did in seven months what the Assyrian king Shalmaneser IV could not do in five years, or the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar did in thirteen years. Because it was time for God’s judgment, the city came crashing down. Nothing is left today.

We can learn a great deal from other prophets who prophesied against Tyre. Amos 1:9-10 tells us that Tyre had sold whole communities of Jewish captives to Edom, disregarding a treaty of brotherhood. During the reigns of David and Solomon, Tyre exercised a great influence on the commercial, political, and even religious life of Isra’el. Hiram, king of Tyre, was a devoted friend of David (Second Samuel 5:11), who helped Solomon and him in their building of the Temple (First Kings 5:1-12; First Chronicles 14:1; Second Chronicles 2:3 and 11). But in later years, they drifted apart. Unmindful of the history of friendly relations between herself and Isra’el, she had sold Jews as slaves to the Greeks and Edomites (Joel 3:4-8; Amos 1:9-10). In addition, no king of Isra’el or Judah had ever made war upon Tyre. Arrogant people do not think of others; they merely make decisions based on what is best for themselves, and Tyre was arrogant and ungrateful.

Zechariah 9:3 tells us that Tyre had built herself a stronghold; she has heaped up silver like dust, and gold like the dirt of the streets. The Phoenicians loved money. And the more money they made, the more money they wanted. To those who love money, things become more important than people. They become self-centered and egotistical. The love of money can really destroy us.

Ezeki’el 26:1 to 28:19 treats Tyre more fully than did any other prophet, and the space given to the prophecies against Tyre indicate the importance of the subject from God’s viewpoint (see the commentary on Jeremiah Gl – The Sin and Judgment of Tyre and Tzidon). There are two important aspects from Ezeki’el’s prophecy that help us to understand God’s judgment against Tyre. First, was the fact that she rejoiced over the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC when she fell to the Babylonians. Tyre looked at Judah’s calamity as a chance to become even wealthier. Judah’s ruin would mean free passage of Tyre’s caravans and greater opportunity in trade. Taxes were doubtless levied by the Jews on caravans and when Judah was strong and had subjugated Edom, she controlled the caravan routes to the Red Sea, thus hindering the Phoenician traders from gaining all the profit they hoped for. So first and foremost, Tyre was motivated by commercial greed. But her sin was that she rejoiced at the calamity of God’s people.

Secondly, the other sin of Tyre was their pride. Every business, state or nation rots from the head down. In this case, the sin of Tyre was modeled by the sin of their king. In short, the king of Tyre had an ego problem. According to Phoenician history, which is confirmed by Josephus, the king at this time was Ithobal II. Riches and power so fed his pride that he claimed that he was a god and assumed he was invincible. When he claimed to be a god, he was displaying the same spirit as the one who promised Adam and Eve that they could be as God (Genesis 3:5; Isaiah 14:13-14; Second Thessalonians 2:4). Kings of Tyre believed they were descended from the gods, but here was an added emphasis of this king’s intolerable pride and self-sufficiency. The seat of God referred to was Tyre itself that the king considered a divine dwelling place. One suggestion says it was an empty throne in the temple of the god Melkarth at Tyre, which the king thought to have claimed. According to the writer Sanchuniathon, Tyre was called the “Holy Island.”⁷⁹

This is an example of double reference, which refers to one person or event, in this case Satan (14:12-15), followed by a second person, here Ithobal II, king of Tyre (Ezeki’el 28:1-19), blended together in such a way that they form a complete picture. In other words, Ezeki’el was not saying that the king of Tyre was Satan or that Satan was the king of Tyre. What he was saying was that he saw the work and activity of Satan being emulated in so many ways by the king of Tyre. When Jesus rebuked Peter in Matthew 16:21-23, He did not mean that somehow Peter had become Satan himself. He was indicating that the motivation behind Peter’s opposition to His going to the cross was from Satan. This appears to be a similar situation.

An oracle concerning Tyre. Wail, O ships of Tarshish (First Kings 10:22, 22:48; Psalm 48;7; Isaiah 2:16; 60:9; Ezeki’el 27:25; Jonah 1:3)! For Tyre is destroyed and left without house or harbor. From the land of Cyprus word has come to them (23:1). Tarshish was the city that was originally colonized by the Phoenicians. The ships of Tarshish learn of Tyre’s destruction while their ships are anchored at Cyprus. There was actually more than one Tarshish; one was on the African coast, south along the route of the Red Sea. A second Tarshish was on the southern coast of Spain. A third Tarshish was all the way up on the British coast. And now there is new evidence that there was a fourth Tarshish on the North African coast. It is believed that Tarshish was originally Carthage. It seems that when Tarshish established these colonies, they gave them all the same name (like McDonalds) because it was Phoenicia’s private colony.

Mourn, you people of the island and you merchants of Sidon, whom the seafarers have enriched (23:2). Sidon was one of the oldest and most important Phoenician city. The Phoenicians greatly benefited by the goods they received in international trade, and in turn, Phoenician trade enriched those other countries, like the island of Cyprus. On the great waters came the grain of the Shihor, a branch of the Nile River (Joshua 13:3; First Chronicles 13:5; Jeremiah 2:18); for the harvest of the Nile was the revenue of Tyre and she became the marketplace of the nations, an exciting and cosmopolitan city (23:3). Grain from Egypt was one of the most important products transported through the Phoenician trading centers of Tyre and Sidon.

Except the wealth of Tyre and Sidon did not come from their own efforts. It came by trading with the nations around the Mediterranean Sea. Be ashamed, O Sidon, and you, O fortress of the sea, for the sea has spoken, “I have neither been in labor nor given birth; I have neither reared sons or brought up daughters” (23:4). Therefore, the sea, personified, could say that Tyre had not gone through the birth experience. She had brought forth quick wealth without going through the pain. But the downfall of Tyre was not only bad news for Phoenicia, it was also bad news for the places where she traded, like Egypt.

When word comes to Egypt, they will be in anguish at the report from Tyre (23:5). For all of her history Egypt had a commercial alliance with Phoenician cities. The bulk of this trade was by sea. As soon as Tyre fell, all sea connections north of her would be cut off and Egypt’s commerce would dry up. The fall of Tyre is not only a loss for Egypt, but it was also Egypt’s pain because Tyre was the key city blocking an invasion from the north against Egypt. Once Tyre fell, it meant that the Assyrians would be coming after Egypt next.

Word spread around the Mediterranean, with the lament being carried as far as Tarshish itself. Then came the evacuation of refugees. Cross over to Tarshish; wail, you people of the island (23:6). In a stunning reversal of fortunes, they traveled in their loss, like they once traveled to make a profit. The citizens of Tyre that had established many colonies were then seeking refuge in Tarshish. A part of the lament was the question, “Could this have actually happened to Tyre?” That city of revelry, always on the move, had ceased to exist.

Is this your city of revelry, the old, old city, whose feet have taken her to settle in far off places (23:7)? Then we see a taunt against Tyre. Today we call Isaiah’s day ancient history. Yet, from Isaiah’s point of view Tyre, which was already 240 years old at the time of his prophecy, was already ancient history even though it would not be destroyed until much later. Tyre was strong enough to withstand Alexander the Great for seven years. So from Isaiah’s standpoint Tyre would not ultimately be destroyed for another 365 years!

It is difficult to accept change. We hold on to the old and the familiar. But no matter how much we try, we are in the midst of endless change. Only God endures. Everything that is not of God is wood, hay, and straw (First Cor 3:10-15) and will be burned up on the Day of Judgment. We need to keep a very light touch on the things of this world.

Tyre’s reversal of fortune is not accidental. It had been ordained and devised by God. His purposes are being worked out in human affairs. The question could be asked: Who planned this against Tyre, the bestower of crowns, whose merchants are princes, whose traders are renowned in the earth (23:8)? Tyre’s destruction was not in order that Isra’el might dominate, as the pagan view might suggest (36:13-20). More accurately, God’s purpose is to show the foolishness of human pride (2:11 and 37:26). Another question comes to mind, “Why did He plan it?” ADONAI answers through His prophet: To bring low the pride of all glory and to humble all who are renowned on the earth (23:9b). God is not opposed to people being lifted up. God lifted up Moses and David. What He opposes is that pride which seeks to not rely on God, but to rely on self. So, the LORD opposes it at every turn, because pride prevents men and women from having a relationship with Him.

Throughout the entire Mediterranean region – from Tarshish in the northwest to the Nile River in the southeast, and to Cyprus in the northeast – people would mourn and weep for the destruction of Tyre. Till your land along the Nile, O Daughter of Tarshish, for you no longer have a harbor (23:10).

It is at God’s command that Tyre falls. He has stretched out His hand over the sea and made its kingdoms tremble (23:11a). The sea, which seemed to be the Phoenicians’ domain, in fact belongs to Ha’Shem. He controls the nations around it. He has given an order concerning Phoenicia that her fortresses be destroyed (23:11b). Because of this, Isaiah was able to declare that God would restore His people from the apparent hopelessness of exile. It is He who orders the universe, not the Gentile nations (11:10-12, 48:14-16).

ADONAI said: No more of your reveling, O Virgin Daughter of Sidon, now crushed (23:12). There would be no escape for the Phoenicians. Although the realization of these things was to be hundreds of years in the future, they seemed already completed in Isaiah’s mind. When the prophet looked at Tyre, he didn’t see a rich, exciting young woman to be envied by those countries around her. Instead, he saw a used-up old lady picking over her ruins. This is the long perspective that believers need to have as we look at this world of ours. As a result of Tyre’s fall, her colonies now became independent. To the Phoenicians it seemed like they “owned the sea” because of all their financial success. But in fact, it belonged to God. In addition, He, not they, controlled the nations surrounding their island fortress. Tyre ultimately fell because of the unshakable purpose of God. As a result, Sidon was also affected because of it.⁸⁰

Look at the land of the Babylonians, this people that is now of no account! The Assyrians have made it a place for desert creatures; they raised up their siege towers, they stripped its fortresses bare and turned it into a ruin (23:13). Keep in mind that Babylon was an empire twice. The first Babylonian Empire was in the days of Abraham, or shortly thereafter, and the Assyrians destroyed it. Then the Assyrians became an empire, but the Babylonians again rose to power and destroyed the Assyrians. One hundred and fifteen years later, which meant that Tyre would then be vulnerable to attack by the Babylonians. So that was the second Babylonian Empire. The LORD would restore Tyre after seventy years, but their final destruction would be left to Alexander the Great.

Wail, you ships of Tarshish; your fortress is destroyed (23:14). The oracle concerning Tyre ends on the same note that it began (23:1a). Zechariah tells us: But the LORD will take away her possessions and destroy her power on the sea, and she will be consumed with fire (Zech 9:4). All her wealth had been thrown into the sea. The implication of all this is clear. Since ADONAI had completed all of this, why should Judah seek refuge in Tyre? It would not make any sense! The LORD is the only refuge. He rules the nations; He is our only Hope. You who live in the shelter of Elyon, the Most High, who spend your nights in the shadow of Shaddai, the Almighty, who say to ADONAI, “My refuge! My fortress! My God, in whom I trust” – He will rescue you from the trap of the hunter and from the plague of calamities; He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you will find refuge; His truth is a shield and protection (Ps 91:1-2).

Today there is nothing of any significance on the ancient site of Tyre. The American archaeologist Edward Robinson found forty or fifty marble columns beneath the water along the shores of Tyre. There is no mention of Tyre as a nation in the Millennial Kingdom. Believing in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob could save individual Phoenicians, but the nation could not be saved. Salvation is personal, not corporate (Ezeki’el 18:1-29). Every individual person living in Tyre could not be condemned any more than every individual Israelite could be saved.

Through Ezeki’el, ADONAI is saying that pride is a destroying sin. It destroyed the glories given to Lucifer when he was yet anointed as a guardian cherub (Ezeki’el 28:14). Did it not also destroy Ithobal II and Tyre? Is there not a warning here for us also?

The Oracle Concerning Edom (Dumah)
21: 11-12

The oracle concerning Edom or Dumah DIG: Dumah, invaded by the Assyrians when they came against Babylon, was an oasis on a major trade route to Seir and an ally of Babylon. In calling to the watchman regarding theses events, what are the Edomites really asking? What’s behind their question? And Isaiah’s puzzling answer? Are there some individual Edomites who have become believers today?

REFLECT: What can the nation of Edom teach you today? How do you feel about God’s promise to Abram? Are you a blessing or a curse to Isra’el and her people? How do you feel about Edom’s ultimate destination? Is that fair? Is that mean? Are the consequences of God’s Word that real? Where does rebellion against God lead?

An oracle concerning Dumah (21:11a). Isaiah plays games with words again. He takes the first “ah” sound in the Hebrew and transposes it to the end so that Edom is switched to Dumah. He does this because he wants to drive home the meaning of Dumah. Edom means red but Dumah means, silence. And this name change from Edom to Dumah is symbolic of Edom’s future fate. Edom is to suffer the death of silence.

The Edomites are the descendants of Esau (see the commentary on Genesis, to see link click In – The Written Account of the Generations of Esau). Although the Edomites were closely related in blood and language to the Israelites, they refused a request by Moses for the Israelites to pass through their territory on their way north (Numbers 20:14-21). Many times, they were at war with the neighboring kings of Isra’el and Judah (Second Kings 8:20; Second Chronicles 28:17). Over the centuries they have opposed the people of God. Long ago ADONAI declared an unchangeable law of the world. He said to Abram: I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse (Genesis 12:3a). The working out of this principle is seen in the nation of Edom.

The word Dumah, or silence, is a different kind of silence than some other Hebrew words that Isaiah could have used. This one means a deep, utter silence. It is a death like silence, a death-like sleep, or a death-like darkness. Look at some Psalms. Let me not be put to shame, O LORD, for I have cried out to you; but let the wicked be put to shame and lie dumah (silent) in the grave (Psalm 31:17). Unless the LORD had given me help, I would soon have dwelt in the dumah (silence) of death (Psalm 94:17). The NKJV does not have of death because it is a word for word translation, but the NIV does have it because it is a thought for thought translation. It is not the dead who praise the LORD, those who go down to dumah (silence) (Psalm 115:17).

Next, we have a common example of something that will happen elsewhere in the Prophets where suddenly, out of nowhere, a little cryptic prophecy is given. It doesn’t seem to say much at all. They are usually limited to one to five verses. This one is limited to two verses (21:11b-12). If it were apart from other passages of Scripture it would be impossible to understand it. If this were all we had, we would never be able to figure this out. But we can glean a lot from other verses to discover its meaning.

There is a sudden call to the Watchman from Mount Seir (say-ear), which is the key mountain range in Edom. In fact, Seir is an alternative name for Edom, because the mountains of Seir were given as a possession to Esau and his descendants (Joshua 24:4). This is where the Edomites settled, in what today is southern Jordan. The question is asked twice: Watchmen, what is left of the night? Watchman, what is left of the night (21:11b)? In Hebrew, the word for night has two forms, a long form and a short form. In these two questions, the first one is the long form, and the second one is the short form. The point is to heighten anxiety and give a sense of urgency and haste. The appeal is, “What part of the night is it?” “How much of the night has passed?” “How much more must be endured before the light of the morning comes?”

Then the watchman replies. Up to this point, the original text has all been written in Hebrew, but now when the watchman answers, it switches to Aramaic. The watchman replies: Morning is coming. The word, is coming, is a perfect word for certainty. But also the night (21:12a) there will be no relief for Edom, and no consolation. While the morning was coming, it is certain that another night would follow. There will be no change; it will still be dark for Edom as a nation. For Edom it is night, total destruction. No one will be left.

But if you would ask, then ask. And come back (turn) yet again (21:12b). The word come back or turn (shuv) means turn in the sense of conversion. The only possible relief for individual Edomites is to turn to the Messiah and to come back after repenting, because there is no possible relief for Edom as a nation. These two verses also serve as a prelude to the far eschatological Edom (see Gi – Edom’s Streams Will Be Turned into Pitch). Other passages that deal with the far eschatological Edom are Jeremiah 49:7-22; Ezeki’el 25:12-14, 35:1-15; Amos 1:11-12; Obadiah 1-21; Malachi 1:2-5.

Edom is going to play the central role in the campaign of Armageddon. Edom will be the place where the final remnant of Isra’el is hiding out during the second half of the Great Tribulation. And also, Edom is the location of the Second Coming of Christ (see Kg – The Second Coming of Jesus Christ to Bozrah). The Jews will not be hiding in Edom because of Edom’s love for them. On the contrary, Edom will do what it can to turn the Jews over to the antichrist and the armies of the world that are trying to destroy Isra’el for the final time. Initially, Messiah first returns to save all of Isra’el (Romans 11:26; Malachi Zechariah 12:7-14; Amos 9:11-12; Jeremiah 31:31-32). After, Christ and the Jews leave Edom it becomes the second burning wasteland of the Millennium. Babylon is one (see Dr – I Will Cut Off from Babylon Her Name) and Edom is the other. So, while the entire world is enjoying the thousand-year millennial reign Yeshua Messiah, these two spots remain a burning wasteland. This will be the death of silence. The oracles concerning Babylon and Edom answer the question, “Where does rebellion against God lead?” The answer is that they both become the home of demons during the entire Millennial Kingdom.

The Timeline for Tyre

Without a timeline, the chronology of events for Tyre is somewhat difficult to understand. Therefore, I have included this timeline for clarification.

• In the days of Abraham, the Babylonians overrun Tyre.
• Therefore, Tyre moves its city from the mainland to a half mile off shore.
• During Isaiah’s day, Assyria was a dominant world power and would conquer the northern kingdom of Isra’el and come very close to conquering the southern kingdom of Judah. Sargon II (721 to 705 BC) and Sennacherib (704 to 681 BC), kings of Assyria, tried for fourteen years to conquer Tyre, but were unsuccessful. Tyre is said by Josephus to have been founded 240 years before Solomon built his Temple in Jerusalem (Antiquities, VIII. iii. I). Its antiquity is also attested to by the classical historians, Herodotus and Strabo.
• During Jeremiah’s day, 115 years later, Babylon had defeated the Assyrians to become the dominant world power. King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon captured and destroyed Tyre after 13 years.
• Babylon, being the dominant world power, destroyed both Tyre and Judah, sending both into exile for 70 years.
• After 70 years, God restores both Tyre and Judah. Tyre arises to rebuild her trade and Judah arises to rebuild her Temple. During this time ADONAI allows the ships of Tyre to bring the cedars of Lebanon to the port of Joppa to be used to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem. At that point, the LORD allows some of the merchandise of Tyre to become holy, or set apart for ADONAI.
• In 332 BC, or about 370 years after Isaiah’s prophecy, Alexander the Great accomplishes the devastation of Tyre forever.

The Oracle Concerning Tyre
23: 1-18

The oracle concerning Tyre REFLECT: Chapters 13 through 23 reflect upon the foolishness of Judah depending upon alliances with the other nations rather than upon God to protect her from Assyria. What do you see as one implication of that loyalty principle for your life today? To what or to whom have you looked to fill that God-shaped void of insecurity in your life?

Whereas Babylon’s love was for glory and military power, Tyre’s love was for money and the luxury and influence it would buy. As the playwright said, “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend” – and Tyre would have echoed that sentiment. The strange thing about money is that there is never enough. No matter how much we get, we always seem to want more. It is difficult to separate the money from what we think it can buy. How big a house is big enough? How many cars are enough? How many television sets? How much clothing? And how much do we need for a “comfortable” retirement? The idea of moderation has gone out of fashion. What are we looking for? Comfort? Pleasure? Security? These are the things people have been looking for since the beginning of time. And what will give these things to us? Money. Lots and lots of money. In other words, we are little different from Tyre.

We must remember that the money is the LORD’s, not ours. There is the fatal error. We keep thinking how generous we are when we tithe generously to ADONAI. If we are to learn the lesson of Tyre, we must learn to let go of our wealth and relearn the reality of trusting God. Like them, we need to learn that actually we are working for God, and that all our money is set apart for the LORD (23:18).⁷⁷

Tyre was the wealthy capital of Phoenicia. Tyre’s pre-eminence in world trade was due to her geographical situation, with two excellent harbors, one on the mainland, and the other on the offshore island which gave the city its name Tyre, meaning rock. A causeway, built in the tenth century BC by Hiram I, connected the two and this effectively doubled the trading potential of the city. At the same time, when danger threatened, it made it possible to retreat into the island stronghold, which thus became a treasure-chest, warehouse, and impregnable fortress of the Tyrians. As a commercial center, Tyre was famous for her glassware and for her dyed materials, using the purple dye made from the local shellfish. . . Tyre regarded herself as all-powerful, superhuman and virtually eternal; she possessed wealth and wisdom above all other cities, and this led to the incredible arrogance for which Tyre was notorious.⁷⁸

A few centuries before Alexander the Great arrived on the scene, the Babylonians had conquered Tyre. As a result, they moved their city from the mainland to an island a half mile offshore. Although small, the island was seemingly impenetrable. The new Tyre was built on a fortified rock, having a 150-foot wall around the entire island (to see link click Eq – The Timeline for Tyre). Because of their offshore location and the unsurpassed Phoenician navy to defend them, the people, and the king of Tyre believed they were invincible.

Eliakim: the Faithful Steward
22: 20-25

Eliakim was the faithful steward DIG: Eliakim had replaced Shebna as steward at least by the time of the Assyrian invasion of 701 BC (see 36:3). How was he like a peg in a firm place? How do his qualities contrast with those of Shebna? In spite of his good leadership, what will ultimately happen? Why?

REFLECT: Do you see any of Eliakim’s qualities in yourself right now? In what way(s) are you far from being the kind of person that Eliakim was? How can you be more like Eliakim? What qualities make a great leader (see the commentary on Ezra-Nehamiah, to see link click Bt – The Third Return)?

Our attention now shifts to Eliakim, who replaced Shebna. But where Shebna only thought about himself, Eliakim was truly a father to the people of Judah. He was trustworthy and dependable. He was involved in the negotiations with Sennacherib (Second Kings 18:18, 26, 37; Isaiah 36:3, 11, 22 and 37:2). He would also be a respected leader and faithful administrator who would make wise decisions (22:22). But even he would not be able to save the nation single-handedly. Ultimately, the accumulated weight of sin would pull the nation down. Several generations later the Babylonians would destroy Jerusalem in 586 BC (see Em – A Day of Terror in the Valley of Vision). The blindness of the nation was such that a one man would not be sufficient to turn her from her path of destruction.

In that day I will summon My servant, Eliakim son of Hilkiah (22:20). The title of My servant, has great significance in the book of Isaiah. It is first applied to Isaiah in 20:3, then to Isra’el in Chapters 40 to 55, as well as to the unnamed Suffering Servant, and finally, it is applied to Isra’el again in Chapters 65 and 66. Although the term obviously contains a sense of obligation, it goes further than that and expresses privilege. Privilege not implying superiority, but in the sense of it being a privilege to be a servant. Yeshua would say: For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (Mk 10:46).

Eliakim would wear the badges of honor and authority. I will clothe him with your robe and fasten your sash around him and hand your authority over to him. He will be a father to those who live in Jerusalem and to the house of Judah (22:21). The king’s officers wore distinguishing liveries to mark their respective offices and ranks. The robe is said to have been a long garment made of linen cloth. In the Orient, this was the symbol of power being transferred from one to his successor.

And Isaiah says that Shebna’s successor, Eliakim, will prove to be faithful and points out Eliakim’s authority. He has the power of the keys. And I will place on his shoulders the key to the house of David (22:22a). Oriental keys being unusually large, a long and heavy object, it is often a matter of convenience to carry them on the shoulder. As the possession of a key may be taken as evidence of property or of trust, the key became an emblem of wealth or authority. This idea is expressed beautifully in 9:6, where it is said of the Messiah: For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be upon his shoulders.⁷⁴

What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open (22:22b). To hold the keys is to have the authority, because he had total supervision of the royal chambers. The one who held the keys was the one who would decide who could, and who could not, be able to see the king. Through this near historical period, Eliakim would hold the keys to the House of David. Christ gave Peter the keys to the Kingdom (see my commentary on The Life of Christ Fx – On This Rock I Will Build My Church). But who holds those keys now? Revelation 3:7 tells us that Jesus does. These are the words of Him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What He opens no one can shut, and what He shuts no on can open.

Lastly, we see Eliakim’s glory and Shebna’s demise. I will drive him like a peg into a firm place; he will be a seat of honor for the house of his father (22:23). Eliakim will be like a peg driven into a firm place, and upon this peg the house of Eliakim will hang its glory. The reference here is not to the tent pins, which are driven into the ground for the purpose of fastening the tent cords, but to wooden pins, or pegs which are put into the wall for the purpose of holding clothing and various household utensils. When these pins are driven into the plastering of a house they are very insecure, and most of the time fall out. To fasten them into a firm place they must be built into the wall as the house is built. They are then firm, and being large, help to strengthen the walls and at the same time afford useful support for anything hung on them.⁷⁵ A beautiful reference to these house-pegs is made in Ezra 9:8, where it speaks of God’s grace which had given the people a firm place in His sanctuary.

All the glory of his family will hang on him: it’s offspring and offshoots – all its lesser vessels, from the bowls to the jars (22:24). Eliakim was so dependable that even the insignificant, not just the influential, could entrust themselves to him. In that light, we should measure ourselves against him and ask whether even the lesser vessels in our lives can depend on us, or whether we, like Shebna, are too busy building our own reputations.

Even though Eliakim and Hezekiah were God-fearing men, the cancer of those like Shebna would eat away at the moral fabric of the nation of Judah. There were not enough Eliakims. When that day comes, the peg fastened firmly in place will give way; it will be cut down and fall, and the weight that was on it will be cut off. For ADONAI has spoken (22:25 CJB). And 115 years later, in that day when God’s patience would run out, He would send King Nebuchadnezzar and his army to destroy Jerusalem. So here, Isaiah warns that eventually even this peg would give way and fall from the weight of spiritual corruption. The nation would be sent off into exile (see the commentary on Jeremiah Gu – Seventy Years of Imperial Babylonian Rule). I am sure Isaiah was saddened and horrified by what he saw and prophesied. But he was a faithful servant.

What does it mean to be an Eliakim rather than a Shebna? Above everything else, it means we have gotten ourselves off our hands. That’s the difference between a David and a Sha’ul, or a Jesus and a Judas. The second person in each of these pairs was always looking out for himself. He was worried about his image, about what other people thought of him, about how he was going to supply his own need, and about how people would remember him. These were the last things the first person in each pair worried about.

I am convinced that these are the kinds of things Jesus had in mind when he said we must become like little children to enter the kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 18:3-4). There are a number of things about children that are not heavenly. They are ignorant and naïve, they can be petty and selfish; and if you are a parent, you know they are not innocent. But, by and large, they lack self-consciousness. It does not occur to them to worry about how they are appearing to others. Status means nothing to them. But how quickly that changes when they grow up. We become absorbed not with the reality but with the image. We are consumed with a need for approval and position, and all too often with the approval of the wrong people and the positions that are worthless. That was Shebna. In his sermon, “The Weight of Glory,” C. S. Lewis says that it matters little what we think of God, but it matters for all eternity what God thinks of us.

That is the kind of person we see in Eliakim. Like Christ, he will care more for the welfare of others then he does for his own. And like Messiah, his greatest joy will be to make it possible for people to enter the throne room of the King. He will be seeking God’s grace so that he can be responsible, reliable, and true in the cesspool of court intrigue. He will be concerned for the needs of others above his own to the extent that he will shoulder loads that are really too heavy to carry. But he will carry them, not because he constantly needs to prove to himself that he is indispensable or that he is really somebody, but because he does not want others to have to bear those loads.

This is the opportunity Yeshua offers each of us. We may choose to be Shebna or Eliakim. We may focus on the temporal (earthly) or the heavenly (eternal). If we focus on the temporal, we and all our works will perish with it. If we choose the eternal, then none of our temporal works will ever be lost (Romans 8:13).⁷⁶ He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep, to keep what he cannot loose. This is truly Good News.

Shebna: the Unfaithful Steward
22: 15-19

Shebna, the unfaithful steward DIG: In light of impending national disaster, what is Shebna the steward, preoccupied with? How will God deal with such egocentric leadership? Do you know someone like Shebna who should be fired? What is the common thread of all bad leadership (see the commentary on Ezra-Nehamiah, to see link click Ch – The Completion of the Walls Despite Opposition)?

REFLECT: What leadership positions in the home, work, church, or community do you have? When, if ever, have you acted like a Shebna in that position? What was missing in your life? Did you recover? How so? What turned things around? If God spoke to you as He spoke to him, how would you react?

This prophecy about Shebna and Eliakim flashes back to the time in which Isaiah is living. He was the prophet of God to King Hezekiah in 701 BC when Sennacherib, the Assyrian king, laid siege to the city of Jerusalem. Just as the nation had blinded itself in the face of death, choosing revelry instead of repentance, so Shebna, a privileged official of the state, betrayed his position by enriching himself at the expense of Judah. He thought he was “a big shot.” When he should have been acting in the interests of his people, formulating far-reaching policies that included God’s word, he instead only thought of the immediate future and how it affected him. As a result, with scathing words, God tosses him aside like a filthy rag and gave his position to Eliakim. Both Shebna and Eliakim are mentioned in Chapters 36 and 37 of Isaiah. One was faithful while the other was not.

Isaiah is given a commission to prophesy against Shebna. This is what Adonai, ELOHIM of heaven’s angelic armies (CJB), says: Go, say to this steward, to Shebna, who is in charge of the palace (22:15). This is the only prophecy of Isaiah against an individual. Why? Shebna encouraged self-security and the forgetting of God. Shebna’s position, as the one over the house, was quite unique. It was the highest possible position in the kingdom, below the king himself. You could say he was the king’s “right hand man,” and as such, he had much influence on the king and his policies. And by that office, he encouraged self-reliance, the lack of preparation of the city, and a forgetting of God. He was too busy building a memorial for himself.

What are you doing here and who gave you permission to cut out a grave for yourself here (22:16a)? In fact, he was far more concerned with his own future because he built himself a lofty resting place, or grave. Notice the repetition of the word here, indicating Isaiah’s belief that Shebna should be buried elsewhere. It is likely that the tomb was being built on the hillside across the Kidron Valley east of Jerusalem, where the village of Silwan is now located. These resting places were commonly hewn out of solid rock, mostly above ground and frequently on the sides of mountains. Many of these ancient sepulchers are still seen today. When he died, he thought that he would be well remembered because of the kind of grave in which he hoped to lay.

The Hebrew text actually changes here from second to third person for emphasis. He hews out his grave on the height! He cuts out a dwelling for himself in the rock (22:16b)? These words may have been addressed to a surrounding crowd. It is as if Shebna himself had come out from Jerusalem in a lavishly equipped chariot (22:18) to survey the work on his memorial. He may have felt especially pleased with himself until challenged by Isaiah. This kind of confrontation was typical of the prophets. When they were least wanted, in moments of fear, pride or self-sufficiency, it was then that they appeared (Isaiah 7:3-9; 1 Samuel 13:10-14; 2 Samuel 12:1-12; First Kings 13:1-6, 18:16-18).

Instead of being buried in his lovely memorial, fit for a great man, Shebna will be tossed away like a filthy rag. Beware, the LORD is about to take firm hold of you and hurl you away, O you mighty man (22:17). But Isaiah says that he will never be able to use it. And it is not because he will live forever. He will roll you up tightly like a ball and throw you into a large country, or broad land. Literally, the broad of two hands (Genesis 34:21; Judges 18:10) would seem to imply to Assyria with its broad plains.

There you will die (22:18a). In many different ways the Bible tells us that true honor and glory only come to us as gifts from the LORD. That which we grasp for ourselves, like manna kept overnight (Exodus 16:20), will only decay and end up stinking.

And there your splendid chariots will remain (22:18b). The splendid chariot that Shebna drove out from Jerusalem will one day belong to someone else. So it is with all our possessions. We cannot keep them. If they outlast us, they will belong to others. Why don’t we labor for that which will endure forever (First Corinthians 9:24-27)? Why not live as though we can never die? And if you are a believer in Yeshua Messiah you cannot (Matthew 19:16-30; Luke 12:13-21)! In fact, Isaiah tells us that the pursuit for our own glory will most likely disgrace us. Our example for this is Shebna, who, by his misplaced priorities, actually disgraced his king.

You disgrace your master’s house (22:18c). He would not being buried in Jerusalem with dignity and honor (22:16), but in a foreign country, going into exile and dying in disgrace and ignominy (Jeremiah 22:26). As a result, he would never lie in his lofty resting place that he had built for himself. And the reason? He had misused his position. He was a snapshot of what was wrong with the nation of Judah; it was a growing cancer that would eventually send her into captivity 115 years later.

I will depose you from your office, and you will be ousted from your position (22:19). But Shebna’s demise was to be played out in stages. First, he will be demoted. Only a few years later we see this demotion because Shebna is only a scribe (36:3, 37:2). He is no longer the one over the house. He was laboring for what did not really matter, and as a result, his only real memorial is the one of disgrace found here in Isaiah. We can go down that road too unless we make the kind of total self-renunciation where in the end we care for nothing but the approval of God.⁷³ He is the only One we need to please (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Jx – The Parable of the Bags of Gold). In reality, we only have an audience of One.

A Day of Terror in the Valley of Vision
22: 1-14

A day of terror in the valley of vision DIG: What will happen to Jerusalem? How would you describe the quality of leadership Jerusalem had? How would the people respond to the threat of enemy attack? What is wrong with such stockpiling for war? With danger all around them, why did they have an “eat-drink-and-be-merry” attitude (22:9-13)? What does such revelry show about their trust in God? Their hope for the future? Their inner character? Why are they no different than the people of Babylon (see 21:5)? How would their attitudes and actions be different if they had responded as God desired? Compare 22:13 with Ecclesiastes 8:15. In what ways do these passages differ?

REFLECT: What evil regimes in our society seem ripe for judgment today? Would you weep over their callousness as Isaiah did in 22:4? Or would you inwardly cheer that they finally “got what was coming to them”? Why? Consider the popular music, movies, and politicians and how they react to threats like nuclear war, political instability, and an uncertain future. Where do you see the revelry reflected in those signs of the times? Consider your own response to such stressful issues. Are you any less cynical? Less apathetic? Are you more prayerful? Or proactive?

It is said that revelries and parties marked the last nights of Berlin in April of 1945. The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra played Wagner’s The Twilight of the Gods. There was a general air of: Let’s eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. The inflated promises of National Socialism to bring the millennium – the thousand-year Reich – had disappeared in dust and ashes. The Russian army was on the Oder River, just a few miles to the east, and to the west, German soldiers were surrendering in the thousands to the victorious Allies. The war was lost. But instead of national repentance or even reflection, there was only an attempt to forget in waves of artificially-induced giddiness.

From one point of view, such a response is not surprising. What was there to repent of? The Kaiser’s army in World War I had at least made a pretense of trusting in God, as their uniform belt buckles had stamped on them “Gott Mit Uns” or God With Us. Hitler’s armies made no such pretense. They had abandoned ADONAI who Nietzsche had accused of turning men into old women, and had tried to revive the harsh gods of Norse and Germanic legend. But their real god was simply the god of power. Now cruel fate had turned against them, and the fickle god of power had gone off to fawn on their enemies. What’s to repent of?

For starters, there were an estimated fifty million people dead, including six million Jews. The culture and spirit of Europe lay in ruins, with the spirit, in particular. hard-pressed ever to recover. Germany, the land of Luther, had, like Judah many centuries before it, become a Valley of Vision, where a glorious past of spiritual insight had been forfeited and the claims to see true reality were in fact a mockery.⁷⁰ In a near historical prophecy, Isaiah prophesied about the coming destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians 115 years later (see the commentary on Jeremiah, to see link click Gb – The Destruction of Solomon’s Temple on Tisha B’Av in 586 BC). He is distraught over what he sees and weeps bitterly.

An Oracle concerning the Valley of Vision (22:1a). The Valley of Vision is Jerusalem. Jerusalem itself sits on top of a mountain. But all around Jerusalem there are mountains surrounding it, so it gives the appearance of a valley. It is called the Valley of Vision because it is where Isaiah received his prophecies.

What troubles you now, that you have all gone up on the roofs (22:1b). The condition of Jerusalem is fear. Suddenly fear strikes the City as the call goes out of the coming danger. The people run to the rooftops to see the approaching army that is coming to destroy the City. This is the Oriental city in commotion. The flat roofs were used not only for promenading (Second Samuel 11:2), but also as places of general gathering in times of excitement, just as we gather in the streets. From the roofs the inhabitants were accustomed to look down into the streets or far off on the roads. This could not be done from the windows, as these seldom opened onto the street. The prophet represents the entire people assembled on the tops of their houses. Whether for mere curiosity, or to assail the invaders, or to indulge in idolatrous worship, these gatherings on the housetops give a striking illustration of Oriental customs.⁷¹

O town full of commotion, O city of tumult and revelry (22:2a)? It is the Babylonian army. Notice the contrast. One day they were full of commotion, a tumultuous city of joy. Now, suddenly, they are filled with fear as they look across the walls of Jerusalem at the approaching army. Your slain were not killed by the sword, nor did they die in battle (22:2b). When Jerusalem begins to fall, the people will not even have the honor of falling on their swords in the heat of battle (First Samuel 31:1-13). No, the dead do not die by the sword, from the glory of battle, but from hunger (2 Kings 25:3; Jer 52:6; Lam 1:19 and Isaiah 49, 2:19, 4:4-5).

All your leaders have fled together; they have been captured without using a bow. All you who were caught were taken prisoner together, having fled while the enemy was still far away (22:3). Those who do succeed in fleeing the city only fall captive to the Babylonian army waiting for them. The Jewish rulers, including the king, are not only weak, but they are the first to run (Second Kings 25:4-5 and Jeremiah 52:7-8).

Therefore, I said: Turn away from me; let me weep bitterly. Do not try to console me over the destruction of my people (22:4). Jerusalem abandons herself to mirth and revelry while the prophet, who knows the future, is plunged into deep sorrow and gloom. Isaiah gives himself up totally to weeping. The Hebrew word here means to be thoroughly exhausted from bitter weeping. The reason is the imminent destruction of his people, and he refuses to be comforted. In Chapters 40 to 66 of his book there will be nothing but comfort, but for now there is nothing but bitterness.

Adonai, ELOHIM of heaven’s armies (CJB), has a day of tumult and trampling and terror in the Valley of Vision, a day of battering down walls and of crying out to the mountains (22:5). The name Adonai means lord, master or owner. Jerusalem was being destroyed, and the people inside the walls could do nothing about it. They realized that the enemy advancing to the very walls of Jerusalem was a day of judgment brought on by God Himself. The attack was not by accident; it had come because of the people’s disobedience. In the city, the people were terrified as they saw the enemy camped outside waiting for an opportunity to attack.

Elam takes up the quiver, with her charioteers and horses; Kir uncovers the shield (22:6). The armies come from the areas of Elam and Kir. This is the area of Mesopotamia, from which Babylon had risen.

Your choicest valleys are full of chariots, and horsemen are posted at the city gates; the defenses of Judah are stripped away (22:7-8a). The valleys around Jerusalem were choked with the armies of the enemy, and she staggered on the brink of destruction. Horsemen were posted at the city gates so that no one from inside could escape safely, or to press the attack if the city gates were breached. Jerusalem was helpless.

You would think that in such a precarious position the nation would turn back to God and repent. Obviously, the city could not save itself. But at the very moment when a people of vision should have been looking to God for protection and deliverance, they were depending on their own strength. Judah had been blinded from the coming danger. They were so self-assured they made no preparations for any lengthy siege. Now that the armies have arrived, they try to make quick preparations, but it was too little, too late.

King Hezekiah had turned to prayer 115 years earlier when King Sennacherib had his Assyrian armies at the gates of Jerusalem (37:14-20). But here, King Zedekiah now faced with the same situation turns from relying on God to relying on self. This was exactly the kind of leadership that got him in trouble to begin with. Now with his back literally to the wall, he tried to fortify the city in many of the ways that Kind David and King Hezekiah had done previously. And you looked in that day to the weapons in the Palace of the Forest (22:8b). He looked to the weapons in the Palace of the Forest instead of to God. This was the royal armory built by King Solomon (First Kings 7:2-6, 10:17-21). But there were not enough weapons.

You saw that the City of David had many breaches in its defenses; you stored up water in the Lower Pool (22:9). When he saw that the City of David had many breaches in it, he collected water in the Lower Pool and worked hard repairing all the broken sections of the wall (Second Chronicles 32:4-5). You counted the buildings in Jerusalem and tore down houses to strengthen the wall (22:10). He demolished private houses that had to be torn down in order to strengthen the wall. Not only did the wall have many breaches in it, but also the lower pools had not been supplied with enough water. The Old Pool or the Pool of Salome, which had been leaking, had only recently been repaired and it was too late to have it filled. You built a reservoir between the two walls, for the water of the Old Pool (22:11a). But not being able to fill the Pool of Salome was not the root cause of Judah’s problem.

But Judah’s real problem was that she did not look to the One who made it, or have regard for the One who planned it long ago (22:11b). The real failure of Judah was not to trust God for protection. We have the same choice today. Is it prudent to have dental insurance, life insurance, health insurance, and car insurance? Of course it is, but it cannot replace our ultimate security in the LORD. In Messiah, we are truly in good hands. Jesus said: no one can snatch them out of My Father’s hands, the Father and I are One (John 10:29).

Adonai, ELOHIM of heaven’s armies, called you on that day to weep and to wail, to tear out your hair and put on sackcloth (22:12). When the people saw the enemy they should have repented, realizing they were helpless before the Babylonian army. Pulling out their hair (Ezra 9:3; Nehemiah 13:25) and wearing sackcloth were signs of mourning. To make the head bald, or to shave or pluck the beard was a sign of mourning among the Hebrews and many other nations.⁷²

But see, there is joy and revelry, slaughtering of cattle and killing of sheep, eating of meat and drinking of wine! But instead of mourning they lived it up in revelry, banqueting, and drinking wine in the face of their impending death. They said: Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die (22:13)! The Hebrew use of the infinitives to eat and drink implies continuous and excessive indulgence in revelries and orgies. The sentence may have been the slogan of the reckless revelers who would enjoy themselves while they could, for life was short and death might come at any moment. It may also be the prophet’s scornful thrust hinting at their impending doom.

In rabbinical writings this is the source of teachings on the second death in Second Chronicles 36:15-16 where the writer gives the reason for the Babylonian captivity. The writer says that God kept sending prophets like Isaiah, but that the people kept rejecting and mocking them until the wrath of ADONAI was aroused against His people and there was no remedy.

Finally, God revealed Judah’s judgment for failing to heed His call to repentance: Till your dying day this sin will not be atoned for, says Adonai, ELOHIM of heaven’s armies (CJB). Their sin would not be atoned for until they died (22:14).

An Oracle Concerning Jerusalem
22: 1-25

In the Oracles to the Nations, Isaiah now turns to his own people. But what is an oracle against Jerusalem doing in a collection of oracles against the nations? The reason that the Ruach Ha’Kodesh inspired Isaiah to include certain nations and exclude others was for the purpose of object lessons, similar to the Letters to the Seven Churches (see the commentary on the book of Revelation, to see link click Ay – Write, Therefore, What Is Now). There, yes, each church had a lesson to learn, but the reason that the Holy Spirit inspired John to write to them was primarily for our benefit. Twenty centuries of believers have benefited from the lessons learned there. So it is with the Oracles to the Nations. They are grouped according to their similarity for our benefit.

Babylon and Edom answer the question, “Where does rebellion against the LORD lead?”

The oracle against Philistia describes the personal cost of trying to destroy Isra’el, the apple of His eye (Deuteronomy 32:10).

Moab is a picture of what happens when we place our hope in our accomplishments instead of ADONAI.

Damascus and Samaria answer the question, “What happens if I forget about God?”

Cush, Egypt, and Arabia teach us what happens when we cut the LORD out of the picture and take the steering wheel of our lives into our own hands.

The oracle against Tyre reminds us that human pride and the love of money can really hurt us.

And finally, the prophecy against Jerusalem, or Judah, reminds us not to despise the LORD’s discipline and not to resent His rebuke (Proverbs 3:11-12). Like the lessons from the letters to the seven churches in Revelation 1:4 to 3:22, these are lessons for the ages. God help us learn them well.

There are two time periods in this section separated by 115 years. They are not in chronological order. First, in 22:15 to 25, Isaiah describes the time when Hezekiah was king. In 701 BC Sennacherib, the Assyrian king, all but destroyed Judah. He conquered forty-six of Judah’s fortified cities, but because of the prayer of Hezekiah (37:14-20), God spared Yerushalayim. He did not destroy her, but He did discipline her. In this section Shebna is an example of the neglect and abuse of the leadership of Jerusalem, whereas Eliakim is an example of a godly man and the believing remnant. Did she learn her lesson? No, she despised ADONAI’s discipline, and resented His rebuke. Therefore, secondly, in 22:1 to 14 Isaiah describes the destruction of the Holy City of Yerushalayim and the Temple in 587 BC by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylonia. As Isaiah sees the coming destruction of his own city and people, he is filled with grief.

The Oracle Concerning Arabia
21: 13-17

The oracle concerning Arabia DIG: What are the Arabian cities of Dedan and Tema told to do? Which fugitives (or refugees) are they to care for? What does the future hold for Arabia or Kedar? How do you think these three prophecies against Babylon, Edom, and Arabia affect Judah’s sense of hope as they consider the Assyrian threat? Why do you think God had Isaiah reveal these things to Judah?

REFLECT: Do you sometimes feel like collateral damage in this life? Dedan got caught in the crossfire of something beyond her control? Where did Dedan go for help? What happened to those who lived in Tema? Why? What happens when you take control of the steering wheel of your life? What is the alternative?

The Assyrian threat is the background of this oracle. The Dedanites were a tribe from southern Arabia. Tema (Jeremiah 25:23) was a well-known oasis in northwestern Arabia, and Kedar (42:11) was in northern Arabia. This oracle discusses the difficult times the people of Arabia would soon experience at the hands of the Assyrians. Isaiah uses play on words here. The meaning of the root letters for Arabia and evening are the same three Hebrew letters. Only the vowel patterns change. The night that Edom is to suffer, that night of Edom, will creep into Arabia as well. Only in Arabia it will be more in the sense of evening rather than the night.

An oracle concerning Arabia (21:13a). The NKJ, which is a word for word translation, reads: The burden against Arabia. The NIV, which is a thought for thought translation, reads: An oracle concerning Arabia. Muslims translate the Bible to read the burden upon Arabia. They teach that those who believe in the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob (see the commentary on The Life of Christ, to see link click Ja – Whose Wife Will She Be at the Resurrection) are trying to destroy them; thus, it is the responsibility of all Muslims to spread their belief that Allah is the only god and his messenger is Muhammad, throughout the world (see my comments on 21:7).

Isaiah focuses on two key cities. In the Dispensation of Torah, Arabia was never a unified kingdom as it is today in Saudi Arabia. Rather, until recently, Arabia was comprised of various tribes. Here Isaiah focuses on two key tribes. The first one is the tribe of Dedan, or the Dedanites. Dedan is probably identified with the modern al-Ula, which is about ninety miles southeast of the second tribe of Tema.

This near historical prophecy for Arabia came true. In 715 Sargon II wrote that he had defeated a number of Arabian tribes and had deported them to Samaria. In 703 Arabs joined Merodach-Baladan (39:1) in rebellion against Assyria and were crushed by Sennacherib. The tribe of Dedan had settled just east of Edom. Their origin is mentioned in Genesis 10:7 and 25:3. Because of their proximity to Edom they are often referred to together in the Prophets (Jeremiah 49:8 and Ezeki’el 25:23). But here, the Dedanites are viewed as fleeing from war and having to hide. Although their main economy was based upon the caravan routes, they suddenly found they needed to camp in the thickets of Arabia off the beaten path (21:13b).

Bring water for the thirsty, you who live in Tema, bring food for the fugitives (21:14). Tema is about two hundred miles southeast of Dumah on the incense trade route. The word for fugitives occurs in 16:2-3 of the Moabites fleeing from danger. The Dedanites could not even go into the city to buy food. The tribe of Tema needed to feed them. Suddenly, this highly independent, self-sufficient Dedan tribe needed to depend upon other tribes for food and water. Tema was in northwest Arabia (Job 6:19 and Jeremiah 25:23). They could have fled to Jerusalem but the Arabian tribes sought to be self-sufficient.

They flee from the sword, literally from before swords, from the drawn sword, swords, from the bent bow and from the heat of battle (21:15). The reason why the Dedanites must hide is because they were caught up in the reality of war. The word swords suggests being caught between two opposing forces. They were collateral damage. So inner Arabia became a haven for those fleeing from the warfare that would engulf the more fertile lands around the edges of the desert. Where could they find help?

Then Isaiah turned his attention to a second Arabian tribe, that of Kedar (Genesis 25:13). The glory of Kedar was her merchant trade and control over certain caravan routes is mentioned elsewhere in Isaiah 42:11, 60:7 and Ezeki’el 27:21. Kedar was a very wealthy, strong tribe. They lived in tents, but they were quite elaborate tents. They looked ugly from the outside, but they were quite beautiful on the inside. The tribe of Kedar was known for its tents (Psalm 120:5).

The mode of traveling in a caravan is peculiar. They travel four camels abreast, which are all tied one after another, like in teams. The whole body is called a caravan, which is divided into several companies, each of which has its own name and could include thousands of camels. The camels have bells about their necks, which, with the singing of the camel drivers, who travel on foot, make pleasant music. Though there is great confusion at the setting out of a caravan, its different companies and divisions soon settle down into a condition of order.⁶⁹

Then Isaiah prophesies. This is what the LORD says to me: Within one year, as a servant bound by contract would count it, all the pomp of Kedar will come to an end (21:16). In other words, Kedar will fall within one year. This was assured because ADONAI, the God of Isra’el had spoken. The boldness of this statement is lost on us today. What does ADONAI have to do with Babylon or Edom or Arabia? They had their own gods. But Isaiah dares to say it is his God alone who holds the nations in His hand. Do you believe that today? Is it true that the Word of God alone shapes the destiny of the nations? Apart from the sovereignty of God is there any hope for mankind that seems intent on destroying itself?

The survivors of the bowmen, the warriors of Kedar will be few, because they would experience a great defeat (21:17a). When judgment hits, her population will decrease (Jeremiah 49: 28-33). The survivors will become fugitives, running for their lives from the sword. For Arabia, this will be evening. Notice the contrast with the Edomites. For Edom it is night, total destruction. No one was left. But for Arabia, it is evening, because a remnant will survive into the Millennial Kingdom. This was the far eschatological prophecy for Arabia. The oracle would be fulfilled, for ADONAI, the God of Isra’el, had spoken (21:17b).

The suffering Dedanites, and their helpers of Tema, tried to control their plight with their own resources, and the results speak for themselves. Like Edom and Egypt, Arabia teaches us what happens when we cut the LORD out of the picture and take the steering wheel of our lives into our own hands. The bottom line is this: Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6).

The Oracle Concerning Babylon
21: 1-10

The oracle concerning Babylon DIG: In Isaiah’s day, Babylon sought allies among the other nations, including Judah (see Chapter 39), to help her resist Assyria. Why is that a faulty, even fatal hope? How does this dire vision affect Isaiah? Why is he so upset? What does this show you about him? Compare Isaiah 21:5 to Dani’el 5:1-30. What were the leaders of Babylon doing the very night of their final overthrow? What does that say about the people of Judah? If Judah hoped that Babylon might protect them from Assyria, how would she react to the news that Babylon has fallen?

REFLECT: What Babylon are you betting on to shelter you from the uncertainties of life? Knowing that such temporal security will be swept away, like Babylon, how do you feel? What can you do to fulfill that God-shaped void of insecurity? When was the last time you were betrayed? How did it feel? What could you have done differently? How does God enter into the equation?

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 to ADONAI, and His word is full of promises. The second series of oracles that starts here at 21:1 and ends at 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 around each one.

One of the classic examples of the failure of a web of deceptive alliances in our time is the story of Russia and Germany during World War II. One of Hitler’s greatest fears growing out of World War I was of a “two-front” war. So, in order to secure his eastern flank while campaigning in the west, he negotiated what must surely be one of the most cynical alliances of all time. Knowing that he would one day attack Russia (already having said so in his book, Mein Kampf), he still got Russia to agree to a nonaggression pact. For his part, Stalin was frightened of the rapidly growing German war machine and congratulated himself for having effectively stopped it at his borders.

Both of these pirates had built their empires on lies and looting, and now they were announcing their “mutual understanding and trust.” It is amazing that Stalin could not see what sort of person Hitler was after all the promises he had broken from Czechoslovakia onward, but perhaps the Russian tyrant thought he saw a kindred spirit in Hitler. It may also be true that Stalin was afraid of his remaining generals (after the purges of 1937-1938) amassing power within the country if he permitted a great buildup with the pact.

In any case, once Hitler felt the west was secure, he turned to gobble up the great wheat field of Byelorussia and the Ukraine, sure that a cowed Stalin would hide behind the Ural Mountains and sue for peace. But if Stalin misread Hitler, Hitler also misread Stalin. Hitler did not know that he had kicked a bulldog. The former Orthodox priest had pursued his goals of absolute power for twenty years with incredible tenacity and stubbornness, and those traits would serve him well in “The Great Patriotic War.” Both men thought they had put something over on their neighbor that would be to their own advantage. But in the end, both countries were devastated.

This section is not referring to the fall of Babylon to the Medo-Persian Empire in 539 BC. The end of the Babylonian Captivity was something that Isra’el would rejoice in. Then the Israelites would look forward to the return to their homeland. This fall of Babylon, however, was terrifying and something to be feared. In 722 BC a Chaldean prince from the Persian Gulf region named Merodach-Baladan (39:1) had revolted against Assyria, captured Babylon, and was crowned king of Babylon. Hezekiah, king of Judah, and other members of his royal court felt that Merodach-Baladan would be able to break the strength of the Assyrian Empire (to see link click Ha – The King of Babylon Sent Hezekiah a Gift). But Isaiah warned them that would not happen (see Go – Hezekiah and the Assyrians).

In this near historical prophecy, Isaiah pictures an invasion from the Desert by the Sea, or from Babylon by the Persian Gulf, as being like an approaching desert storm (21:1a). The invader was probably Merodach-Baladan who arose suddenly from the desert regions to revolt against Assyria. The present oracle is probably God’s attempt to discourage Judah from joining Babylon in an alliance against Assyria. It plays the same role in relation to Merodach-Baladan and Babylon as 19:1-15 does in relation to an Egyptian alliance.⁶⁵ Why should Judah trust Babylon when Babylon herself was doomed?

Like whirlwinds sweeping through the southland, an invader comes from the desert, from a land of terror (21:1b). The whirlwinds sweeping through the southland refer to hot winds that move from the east, out of a land of drought and death, where no one lives or even travels (Jeremiah 2:6). These storms come with deadly suddenness and force (Job 1:19, 37:9; Jeremiah 4:11, 13:24; Hosea 13:15; Zechariah 9:14).

God gave Isaiah a vision about the Babylonian uprising against the Assyrian empire. A dire vision had been shown to him, and he didn’t like what he saw. Just because he prophesied about doom and bloodshed didn’t mean he delighted in it. The same sensitivity that made Isaiah aware of what the LORD was saying to him also made him empathize with the human tragedy that he saw coming (21:a). This is why Jeremiah is called the weeping prophet (Lamentations 1:16).

Elam and Media were allies of Babylon in the 700s, Isaiah heard the battle cry for Elam, to attack, and Media (north of Elam) to lay siege! Merodach-Baladan and Babylon were encouraging their allies to join her in the attack on Assyria. But it was to no avail. Sennacherib launched a campaign against Elam in 694 BC and ravaged the land. In that sense the traitor betrays (33:1), and the looter takes loot. Nevertheless, the Babylonian invader Merodach-Baladan thought he could bring to an end all the groaning caused by the traitor, the Assyrian Empire (21:2). She had caused most of the nations in the area to groan under the devastation caused by her conquests. Evidently, Merodach-Baladan thought he could stop the Assyrian advance and liberate the entire Mesopotamia region.

The prophet then contrasted his feelings with those around him. At this my body is wracked with pain, pangs seize me, like those of a woman in labor; I am staggered by what I hear, I am bewildered by what I see (21:3). The prophecy he was about to utter had specific effects upon Isaiah himself. First, his body is wracked with pain. The Hebrew word here means contortions, induced by cramps. Secondly, pangs seize him, like a woman in labor, a simile often used by the prophets (Isa 26:17; Jer 4:31, 6:24, 22:23, 30:6, 48:41, 50:43; Micah 4:9-10). Thirdly, he is staggered by what he was hearing. He could hardly stand up. Fourthly, he was bewildered by what he was seeing in Jerusalem. The people around him were living their lives as if nothing was going to happen (21:5a), totally unaware of the impending danger. Possibly Isaiah had in mind the feasting that would occur when king Hezekiah received Merodach-Baladan and his envoys from Babylon (39:1-8).

Isaiah declared: My heart falters, fear makes me tremble; the twilight I longed for has become a horror to me (21:4). Fifthly, his heart falters, in other words, he suffered irregular heartbeats. Sixthly, he is so fearful, that he shook. And finally, the twilight, which would normally be a relief to someone having a nightmare, only brought more horror. While Merodach-Baladan lived in a fantasy world thinking that Babylon could actually defeat Assyria, Isaiah saw the reality. Not only were the Judeans unsuspecting of the dangers ahead, neither were the Babylonians themselves.

The Babylonians, rather than living life as usual, should have been preparing for battle with the Assyrians. Isaiah said of the Babylonians, “They set the tables, they spread the rugs, they eat, and they drink!” Instead, their military leaders should have been saying: Get up, you officers, and oil the shields (21:5). To oil the shields was the first step in the preparation for combat. And they would anoint the shield with oil, because swords, spears, and arrows would more easily glance off. Shields were made of bull-hide, of two or more thicknesses, stretched over a frame of wood, and sometimes strengthened with metallic rims, and ornamented in various places by pieces of metal. An occasional rubbing with oil was necessary to prevent the leather from becoming dry and cracked, and to keep the metallic portions from rust. This was especially necessary in getting ready for battle, hence, to oil the shields was equivalent to a preparation for war. When shields were not in use, they were kept in cases, or covers, probably made of leather, to preserve them from dust. To “uncover the shields” would be equivalent to a preparation for battle, and is an expression having the same meaning as oil the shield. Also see Habakkuk 3:9.⁶⁶ At the very last minute the Babylonians realized that they were in danger, but it was too late. Like the Titanic, they were about to go down.

God told Isaiah to have someone be on the lookout for the battle between Babylon and Assyria. This is what ADONAI says to me: Go, post a lookout and have him report what he sees (21:6). God sent a lookout, or watchman, to his post and Babylon to its doom. Once appointed, he is told to report what he saw.

When he sees a military caravan of chariots with teams of horses, riders on donkeys or riders on camels, let him be alert, fully alert (21:7). This was what he was supposed to be looking for.

The lookout was to be alert, fully alert. Even strong walls and double gates would not of themselves secure a city from the enemy. Men were therefore employed to watch day and night on the top of the walls, especially by the gates and this is what Isaiah saw. A figure of a lookout and his work is beautifully seen also in Ezekiel 32: 2, 6-7, and Habakkuk 2:1.⁶⁷

It is insightful how Muslims corrupt this same verse for their own uses. They teach that the Bible reads an oracle upon Arabia, instead of the correct translation, an oracle concerning (NIV) or against (NKJ) Arabia in 21:13. Clearly, Satan is the father of lies and there is no truth in him (John 8:44). Muslim doctrine states that Isaiah wrote these verses after he saw a vision of a chariot of donkeys and a chariot of camels, which once again is not how the text reads. The verse reads, When the watchman sees chariots with teams of horses, riders on donkeys or riders on camels, let him be alert. They teach, however, that the chariot of donkeys turned out to be Yeshua who entered Jerusalem on a donkey. They even quote Matthew 21:5 and John 12:14 to substantiate their misinterpretation of this Scripture. Then they ask, “Who then was the chariot of camels?” They say it could be no other than Muhammad who came about six hundred years after the birth of the Messiah, who they believe is a prophet of Allah. Therefore, they ask all mankind to accept Muhammad as “the Seal of the Prophets,” or the last of the Prophets. This is an amazing corruption of this text and shows to what extent that 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).

But the lookout grew impatient when he neither saw nor heard anything. And then he shouted, literally, called out like a lion, “How much longer do I need to keep on looking?” Day after day, my lord (another way of saying sir, responding respectfully to Isaiah, the one who appointed him in 21:6) I stand on the watchtower; every night I stay at my post (21:8). When the answer finally came, the watchman saw what he was told to look for, he blurted out: Look, here it is, here comes a manned chariot with a pair of horses (21:9a). This verse gives us some insight into the demands of a prophet. He was determined to declare only what he saw, his character was unquestioned, and he was disciplined enough to wait until he was certain of his message. The Assyrian military procession (21:7) was returning victorious. That signified that Babylon had fallen and the gods of Babylon had been judged.

And Isaiah gave back the answer to him when he said: Babylon has fallen, has fallen. The repetition of the verb adds to the impact of the statement. All the images of her gods lie shattered on the ground (21:9b). The prophets emphasize that when God judges the gods of Babylon, He will punish them (Jeremiah 51:47 and 52). In 46:1-2 we learn that Nebo was the son of Bel Marduk and these two most important gods of the Babylonian pantheon are now seen to be stooped low as if they were in carts to be carried away. Bel bows down, Nebo stoops low. The expressions, bows down and stoops low, evidently refer to the downfall of these idols, and of the system of idolatry of which they were the symbols. So utterly helpless are Nebo and Bel, that they cannot deliver themselves from captivity, and so worthless that they are counted only as burdensome images that are carried about by beasts of burden.⁶⁸

Isaiah says that they are burdensome, a burden for the weary. Furthermore, he tells us that they were unable to rescue the burden. These gods could not deliver Babylon from the invasion of Sennacherib. Now, they themselves go off into captivity, the property of the Assyrian king. It is important to see here that the gods of Babylon were gods that needed to be carried. That is his main point.

The emotional impact of this message on the people of Judah, who were hoping for Babylon’s revolt against Assyria, was devastating. They had hoped that the alliance king Hezekiah had made with Babylon would break the Assyrian domination. But it was not to be. So, the people of Judah felt crushed emotionally, like a grain of wheat on the threshing floor (21:10a).

Isaiah reiterated that his message was from God. He was only telling what he had heard from the LORD of heaven’s angelic armies (CJB), the God of Isra’el (21:10). Judah should not rely on the Babylonians to save them. This man from the Desert by the Sea, Merodach-Baladan, would not be successful. They should not hitch their wagon to him.

The Oracle Concerning Egypt and Ethiopia
20: 1-6

The oracle concerning Egypt and Ethiopia DIG: Sargon II destroyed Ashdod, a city in revolt against Assyria, in 711 BC. What object lesson was that meant to teach Judah? Nudity was culturally unacceptable: What was Isaiah likely wearing? How would that plus his message, take on new meaning when Assyria triumphs over Ashdod? How was Isra’el unequally yoked with Egypt and Ethiopia?

REFLECT: Do you learn better through lectures or object lessons? What object lesson has God provided for you that has contributed to your trusting God more? What is the “Assyria” that seems unstoppable in your life? What “Egypt” are you tempted to rely upon for help? What would it mean, instead, for you to trust God in that tempting situation? Are you unequally yoked in any way with the world?

This passage concludes Isaiah’s oracle against Egypt and summarizes God’s message not to trust in her. Egypt was under judgment so reliance on her was useless. Nevertheless, there were some in Judah who wanted to form an alliance with Egypt and Cush, or Ethiopia. As an example, God allows the Assyrian king Sargon II to capture the Philistine city of Ashdod in 711 BC. The king of Ashdod, Yamani, fled to Egypt to seek asylum. But the Egyptians, faced with an Assyrian army on its borders, completely capitulated and meekly handed over a bound Yamani to the Assyrians. This is the backdrop in Isaiah, prompted by the Ruach Ha’Kodesh, drew a line in the desert sand. The truth was that Egypt was just as subject to defeat as any other nation, and any reliance on her would be just as foolish as it had been for Ashdod and Yamani.

This oracle in Isaiah Chapters 19 and 20 highlights the conflict between two world views: the biblical one and the world view. The temptation for the Jews of Isaiah’s day to embrace the world was just as strong as it is for us today. The fears are the same. But John cuts to the heart of the issue when, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he wrote: Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world – the cravings of the sinful man, the lust of his eyes, and the boasting of what he has and does – comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever (First John 2:15-17). Today, the threat to the universal Church is tolerance. The world believes in syncretism, or that all paths lead to God. The motto of the world is, “All is one.” But it was a lie at the Tower of Babel (see the commentary on Genesis, to see link click Dl – The Tower of Babel) it was a lie in Isaiah’s lifetime, and it is a lie today. The world believes that we are all brothers and sisters. That is also a lie. There are only two families in this life. You are either in the family of God or the family of Satan. And if you aren’t in one, you’re in the other. That’s what the Bible teaches.

Judah could not be protected from the world by embracing the world any more than we can today. Isaiah’s remedy is our remedy. The Bible commands us to love God and do not be yoked with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial (or false gods)? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the Temple of God and idols? For we are the Temple of the living God. As ADONAI has said: I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people. Therefore, come out from them and be separate, says the LORD (2 Corinthians 6:14-17).

In the year that the supreme commander, sent by Sargon king of Assyria, came to Ashdod and attacked and captured it (20:1). The year that the supreme commander went to Ashdod and captured it was during the reign of Sargon II (Second Kings 18:17). We know his reign lasted from 721 BC to 705 BC. The fall of Ashdod took place in 711 BC. It was necessary for Ashdod to be taken, because it stood in the way of the Assyrian invasion of both Egypt and Ethiopia. So with this one verse the fulfillment of three earlier prophecies begins.

It is in that year, 711 BC, that Isaiah is commanded to perform a symbolic act. At that time, the LORD through Isaiah son of Amoz, He said to him, “Take off the sackcloth from your body and the sandals from your feet. And he did so, going around stripped and barefoot” (20:2). Being a prophet was not always an ideal situation. Sometimes you had to do some strange things. Jeremiah and Ezeki’el were asked to do some weird things as well. Here Isaiah is acting out the fate of captives, who were frequently stripped and led into captivity. For three years Isaiah did not wear his outer garment of sackcloth, an inner tunic, or sandals. He only wore a loincloth. It would be the equivalent of walking around in your underwear for three years. For most people this behavior would not be easy to undertake. But once Isaiah knew God’s will, he was committed to it. It is the same for us. God probably will not ask you to walk around for three years in your underwear, but He does ask for your obedience to His Word and His will. Indeed, He may ask you to do something that is just as distasteful as walking around in his underwear was to Isaiah.

Then the LORD said: Just as my servant Isaiah has gone stripped and barefoot for three years, as a sign and warning against Egypt and Cush, so the king of Assyria will lead away stripped and barefoot the Egyptian captives and Cushite exiles, young and old, with buttocks bared – to Egypt’s shame (20:3-4). The beginnings of the near historical prophecies of Chapters 18 and 19 are about to be fulfilled. Isaiah, acting as a mouthpiece for the LORD, said that the way that he was stripped would be a sign and warning against Egypt and Cush (Ethiopia). The concept of a sign and warning is very biblical (Isaiah 8:18; Deuteronomy 13:1-2, 28:46, 29:3, 34:11; Psalms 135:9; Jeremiah 32:20-21). Prior to the Exodus, the signs in Egypt proved that the Hebrews’ God was superior to any Egyptian god. Also, Jesus’ resurrection was evidence that He was indeed who He said He was, the Redeemer and Savior of mankind (Matthew 12:40). So here Isaiah’s actions do not guarantee that Egypt will go into captivity, but they are part of the evidence that Egypt is not trustworthy and ADONAI is.

The Egyptians would be taken captive and the Ethiopians sent into exile, naked and disgraced (Isaiah 3:17; Ezeki’el 16:37, 23:10 and 29). At first it seems odd that a revolt by Ashdod should provoke a prediction of Egyptian (and Ethiopian, since the Ethiopian dynasty ruled Egypt) captivity. Furthermore, such captivity did not occur until the reign of Esarhaddon in 671, some forty years later. However, further reflection shows that his emphasis was not so strange. In fact, it dealt with the real issue. For Ashdod’s fate was not the most important thing with which Judah should concern herself. The real issue was the fate of Egypt, the agitator of rebellion. So, Isaiah concerns himself with the cause of the rebellion, not the symptom. Not only will Egypt’s lackeys go into exile, Isaiah says, but so will Egypt herself. Mighty Egypt, rich in culture and glory, will be carried off in shame.⁶³

Those who trusted in Cush and boasted in Egypt will be afraid and put to shame. In that day the people who live on this coast will say: See what has happened to those we relied on, those we fled to for help and deliverance from the king of Assyria! How then can we escape (20:5-6)? Those in Judah, who thought an alliance with Egypt and Ethiopia would help her, would eventually be afraid and ashamed. People would realize that if Egypt and Cush had fallen to Assyria, then they had no chance of escape. As Ashdod had looked to Egypt and been betrayed, so would they. She had not been strong enough to save Ashdod. She had not even been strong enough to defy Assyria’s demand for Yamani. All this pointed to the harsh truth that whatever Assyria wanted she would get. Why then, Isaiah would ask, would Judah want to trust Egypt? It could only end in shame as it did for Yamani. Why look to the fading glory of Egypt when she could look to the glory of God.⁶⁴ Why do we sometimes look to the fading glory of mere humans, when we could look to the glory of ADONAI?

Blessed Be Egypt, Assyria and Isra’el
19: 23-25

Blessed be Egypt, Assyria and Isra’el DIG: What does the highway motif indicate about the restored fellowship between Egypt, Assyria, and Isra’el (also see 11:16 and 40:3-4)? How would Isaiah’s fellow Jews feel about the Assyrians? What effect would hearing 19:25 have on them? What does that show about God’s attitude toward other nations?

REFLECTION: Egypt and Assyria represent all the nations (see 2:2-4 and Revelation 7:9-11). What then do these verses imply about God’s relationship to the world? Therefore, how will you pray for the world?

In that day once again points to the far eschatological future in the Millennial Kingdom. In a remarkable statement Isaiah sees the end of the ancient hostility between Assyria and Egypt. No more will Isra’el be merely a pawn between these warring powers. Now she will take her place beside them to fulfill the ancient promise: and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you (see the commentary on Genesis, to see link click Dt – I Will Bless Those Who Bless You and Whoever Curses You I Will Curse). Nor will God’s blessing be for her alone. It will be impartially given out to all nations.⁶⁰

Here Isaiah deals with the union of three previous enemies: Isra’el, Egypt and Assyria. Assyria today is Iraq and a small portion of Syria. Iraq covers a huge area, which includes ancient Babylonia and Assyria. Modern Syria extends further out, which includes parts of ancient Assyria. There will be three types of unions: an economic union, a religious union, and a blessing aspect to the union.

The economic union: Isaiah speaks of a highway out of Egypt to Assyria. In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will go to Egypt and the Egyptians to Assyria (19:23a). A highway is a favorite metaphor in Isaiah for the removal of alienation and separation (11:16, 33:8, 35:8, 40:3, 49:11, 62:10). In the rough and hilly country of Isra’el, this could be easily understood. Isaiah’s message was clear. Do not make a highway, or an alliance, with Egypt to escape from Assyria. Isaiah emphasizes that Judah’s only hope, and in reality Egypt’s only hope, is in ADONAI.

What was unquestionably the most important highway in the ancient world is sometimes referred to as the Great Trunk Road; it passed from Egypt to Babylonia and to frontiers beyond and vitally linked each part of the Fertile Crescent in all periods. This highway began at Memphis, near the base of the Nile delta, and passed the Egyptian towns of Ra and Sile before arriving at Gaza. Gaza was an important Egyptian provincial capital, and it sometimes served as a launching pad for Egyptian campaigns through Palestine and Syria. This southern-most sector of the highway was of paramount importance to Egyptian security; it was the way of Horus in Egyptian literature. In the Bible this segment of the road was known as the way to the land of the Philistines’ (Exodus 13:17).⁶¹ Since 1948 the Great Trunk Road has been cut off from both the Egyptian border on the south and the Syrian border on the north. But when this union is established, the “way of Horus” will be reopened and once again there will be a highway between these three nations.

The religious union: There will also be a religious union, because they will worship the same God. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together (19:23b). People in these two nations, bitter enemies in Isaiah’s day, will worship together.

The blessing aspect to the union: In that day Isra’el will be the third nation, along with Egypt and Assyria, which will be a blessing on the earth. ADONAI-Tzva’ot will bless them, saying: Blessed be Egypt My people, Assyria My handiwork, and Israel My inheritance (19:24-25). The titles My people, My handiwork, and My inheritance always belonged to Isra’el (Second Samuel 3:18; Isaiah 29:22; Psalm 28:9). But during the Messianic Kingdom, they will be shared.

In a remarkable statement, Isaiah applies terms previously restricted to Isra’el to both Egypt and Assyria. He calls Egypt, My people (10:24, 43:6-7; Hosea 1:10, 2:23; Jeremiah 11:4) and Assyria, My handiwork (Isaiah 60:21 and 64:8; Psalms 119:73 and 138:8). It is true that the favorite term, My inheritance, is reserved for Isra’el (Deuteronomy 32:9), but the claim that this term gives a slightly special standing to Isra’el is an argument from silence. In fact, Assyria, Egypt and the rest of the earth will also be the recipients of blessing in that day, the Millennium.

Compare this passage with Ezeki’el 29:13-16. Combining what Isaiah has to say, and what Ezeki’el has to say, we see that at the end of the Tribulation Egypt undergoes a national conversion. Yet, because of their previous history of continuous hatred against Isra’el, during the first forty years of the Millennial Kingdom, the Egyptians will be dispersed among the peoples of the earth. Egypt will be deserted during this time. Then after forty years there will be a regathering of all the Egyptians. But Egypt will never again be a kingdom ruling over other nations.

The underlying point in this section is that if Isra’el trusts in Egypt to protect her instead of God, she will be prostituting her ministry to Egypt. Instead, she is to be the vehicle whereby those very nations can turn to her God and become partners with her in service to Him and enjoy His blessings.⁶²

The LORD Will Make Himself Known
to the Egyptians
19: 16-22

The LORD will make Himself known to the Egyptians DIG: Isaiah anticipates a tremendous change in Egypt. How and why will Egypt’s sense of superiority over Judah change? Compare Isaiah 19:19-20 with Exodus 3:7-10. What does this tell you about the judgments of ADONAI? How much does God love the Egyptians (see the commentary on Genesis, to see link click Ej – Hagar and the Angel of the LORD)?

REFLECT: In 19:16-22, Egypt moves from (a) fearing God, to (b) calling upon Him for help, to (c) joyfully worshiping Him. How far along are you on that a-b-c highway? What most excites you about what it will be like when the promises of these verses are fulfilled? How will the altar in the heart of Egypt, in turn, alter your heart of hearts? What “pagan Assyrian” in your life do you presently disdain, much as a Jew in Isaiah’s day would? What could you do about changing your heart in this area?

The second half of Chapter 19 moves from poetry to prose, and from the judgment of Egypt to her redemption (see the commentary on Exodus Bz – Redemption). Isaiah now begins with a three-stage progression that will lead to Egypt’s national conversion. From this stage on, Isaiah uses the phrase, in that day, to indicate the far eschatological future for Egypt. The first statement is a transitional one from the previous section.

In the first stage we see Egypt’s fear of Judah. In that day, the Egyptians will no longer be warriors standing tall in battle. They will be like women in the midst of war, who know themselves defenseless, cowering in fear before their victor. They will shudder with fear at the uplifted hand that the LORD of heaven’s angelic armies raises against them (19:16). The emphasis here is on Egypt’s fear and trembling. The cause of that fear is ADONAI-Tzva’ot. As Isra’el had been a source of horror to the Egyptians hundreds of years earlier (Exodus 10:7; 12:33), Y’hudah will now be also. And the reason will be the same in both cases. It was not because she would pose any military threat. Rather, it is because of the way that ADONAI will make His power visible to the world.

In contrast with Isaiah’s day when Judah was thinking about turning to Egypt for help, a time will come when Egypt will recognize Judah as the dominant force in the world. Their fear is so great that when Isra’el of the far eschatological future is mentioned, they begin to shudder. What is the cause of Egypt’s terror? It is that God, who abides in the land of Judah, will bring terror to the Egyptians; everyone to whom Judah is mentioned will be terrified, because of what the LORD of heaven’s armies is planning against them (19:17). But why is it necessary to bring terror? Because those who have not experienced the results of their sin are very likely to deny that they have any sin. But those who are crushed by their sin will look for a way out. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation (Second Corinthians 7:10). They will be looking for a Redeemer, and that is what Isaiah is promising.

Once again, the phrase, in that day, is used placing this prophecy in the far eschatological future. In the second stage, Isaiah begins to speak of an Egypt turning to ADONAI, presumably as a result of the outworking of God’s plan upon them. How often do people whose comfortable world has come crashing down around them turn to YHVH in desperation and find, almost to their surprise, that He had been waiting to receive them? So, Isaiah pictures Egypt turning to God.⁵⁸

In that day five cities in Egypt will speak in Hebrew, the language (literally the lip) of Canaan, and swear allegiance to the LORD of heaven’s angelic armies (19:18a). At first glance, this seems like an odd statement. Five cities out of 30,000 is hardly a large percentage. But YHVH uses the figure of five cities to convey the radical nature of the turn. To think of even one city adopting the language of the “sand-dwellers,” the Semites, whom the Egyptians held in contempt, would be astonishing. But for five to do so would truly be amazing. So, Isaiah says that Egypt’s turn to God will be so complete that some cities will go so far as to adopt even the language of Judah.⁵⁹ One of these cities will be Heres, or Heliopolis (Ezeki’el 30:17), called the City of the Sun (19:18b NLT). It was one of the major cities in the south end of Egypt’s delta, and was dedicated to worshiping the Egyptian sun god Ra. Such a significant change, to worshiping ADONAI instead of Ra, will prove to the world and to Isra’el that Egypt is dedicated to the LORD. What a day that will be!

In that day is used again for the third time, pointing to the far eschatological future. The third stage is the national regeneration of Egypt. An altar will be built to the LORD along with a monument at Egypt’s border (19:19). The altar is for sacrifice, and Egypt submits to ADONAI by means of sacrifice (Zechariah 14:16-19 and Malachi 1:11). The monument (pillar in the KJV) is for a memorial. The purpose of the monument will be a sign and a witness that the land of Egypt, the former enemy of Isra’el, had received Messiah Yeshua. At the end of the Great Tribulation they will cry out to the LORD because of their oppressors, and He will forgive them of their sins. Not only that, He will also send them a Savior and defender who will rescue them (19:20). For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). And after living in the Messianic Kingdom for forty years they will be gathered back to Egypt, which will have been deserted the entire time (Ezekiel 29:13-16). At that time, the world will plainly see that Egypt is worshiping the God of Isra’el. So, ADONAI will make Himself known to the Egyptians, and in that day they will acknowledge Him. They will worship with sacrifices and grain offerings. They will make vows to the LORD and keep them (19:21).

Next is the summary of Egypt’s salvation. The language here is similar to that of the Exodus (Exodus 7:5, 9:28; 14:4). The LORD will strike Egypt with a plague. He will strike them and heal them. They will turn to Him and He will respond to their pleas (19:22). They will be struck with a plague as in the Exodus, but this time they will turn to ADONAI. Egypt will be in the same position as Isra’el, in the sense that, when the Egyptians ask God for help, He will give it to them. This message was seemingly unbelievable to the people of Judah during Isaiah’s day. But the Bible says it will occur. In that day, at that time, there is going to be a national regeneration of Egypt. But they are not the only ones.