Within the confines of Isaiah chapters 13 through 23 over a dozen nations (some small, others huge) are told of their not-so-bright futures! Individually, just as well say miraculously … impending judgment is pronounced!

And Isaiah 14 (our Bible Text for the third day now) fits into that context.

Today I’d like to show you how this amazing chapter ends. With two nations being selected by the Prophet, their dark prospects revealed. These two are “Assyria” and “Palestina.”

And surprisingly, the largest nation discussed (“Assyria”) is only the focus (the target) of Isaiah’s pen for 4 verses! While, for example “Babylon” deserved 45 verses!

Even extremely small “Palestina” (perhaps the land of the Philistines) gets 5 verses of wrath!

Truly God’s Saying in Isaiah 55:8-9 applies here: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Wow!

Now to our Text …

Assyria first. “The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand: that I will break the Assyrian in my land, and upon my mountains tread him under foot: then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden depart from off their shoulders. This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth: and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations. For the LORD of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?” Isaiah 14:24-27

God is going to bring Assyria “down!”

Godless (well, she had tons of gods and goddesses, but rejected the one true God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) Assyria!

(I love that opening clause where God says, “What I even think … comes to pass!” In the King James Bible: “The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass.” The Ultimate Power of God’s Thoughts!

In this light, let’s stop a second and thank God for Jeremiah 29:11 … “For I know the THOUGHTS that I THINK toward you, saith the LORD, THOUGHTS of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

Glory to God!

This “breaking” of Assyria literally occurred during the days of King Hezekiah, that night the angel of the Lord massacred 185,000 enemy (Assyrian) soldiers, all poised to attack Jerusalem! (Read Isaiah 37:36.)

Here … as Assyria is demeaned, God is simultaneously exalted.

Assyria must decrease; God must increase!  (I word it exactly this way in honor of John 3:30, where John the Baptist says of himself, concerning Jesus: “He must increase, but I must decrease.”)

Next comes “Palestina,” only a little sliver of land, of a nation. “In the year that king Ahaz died was this burden. Rejoice not thou, whole Palestina, because the rod of him that smote thee is broken: for out of the serpent’s root shall come forth a cockatrice, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent. And the firstborn of the poor shall feed, and the needy shall lie down in safety: and I will kill thy root with famine, and he shall slay thy remnant. Howl, O gate; cry, O city; thou, whole Palestina, art dissolved: for there shall come from the north a smoke, and none shall be alone in his appointed times. What shall one then answer the messengers of the nation? That the LORD hath founded Zion, and the poor of his people shall trust in it.” Isaiah 14:28-32

History now tells us that Assyria (prior to her destruction) fulfilled the role of Palestina’s aggressor! (Essentially the land of the Biblical “Philistines.”) One Assyrian King after another attacked and sacked that land, virtually decimating its population. Tiglath-Pileser then Sargon then Sennacherib! (This proves that Isaiah is not a slave to “chronological order!” A number of his prophecies are “out of sequence.” But right on target theologically, spiritually!

And just as I commented on the opening Sentence of the Assyria Judgment, let me do so in regard to the Palestina Judgment. Read it again please: “In the year that king Ahaz died was this burden. Rejoice not thou, whole Palestina …”

This reminds me of Isaiah 6:1 … “In the year that king Uzziah died I (Isaiah) saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple.” 

When Uzziah (a good King) died … the Lord was apparent, God’s very Glory!

When Ahaz (a wicked King) died … Judgment was apparent, doom for the Philistines! 

I find that pleasingly ironic!

Nine little verse at the end of Isaiah chapter 14 … and doom for two nations of the earth!

What a great God we serve!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

Truly … “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.” Proverbs 21:1

Equally so … “For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another.” Psalm 75:6-7

Amen!

 

Our short Text for today (from Isaiah chapter 14) occurs in the midst of a longer Paragraph describing (predicting) the fall of the nation of Babylon, precisely the downfall of her king. (Maybe even the fall of the whole Babylonian, anti-God, system! And the eventual fall of all her kings/leaders!)

But verses 12-15 go further (I think) than any mere human being!

Listen to Isaiah preach: “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.” Isaiah 14:12-15

Know this please. My interpretation of this Pericope leans heavily on the King James Version of Scripture. A number of the newer translations do not even name “Lucifer” in their renditions of the Paragraph! (I make no apologies for my hermeneutic which follows!)

I believe the wicked king of Babylon (whomever he may have been at any given time or whomever he will be at any future time) is a type or symbol of the devil/Satan himself!

And it would have been contextually easy for Isaiah (for the Holy Spirit really) to segue from a literal man (one this extremely wicked) to the Man of Wickedness, to Satan. And I suspect that’s what has happened in our Scripture this morning.

Clearly … according to my fundamental upbringing anyway … this four-verse Swath is a reference to the “Wicked one,” to the arch enemy of Jesus, to that “roaring lion” whom Peter calls our “adversary.” 

And this whole little Unit (Isaiah 14:12-15) sounds just like him, too!

Once more … “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God. I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.”

The devil (who was once an angel, a powerful one) many years ago fomented rebellion in his heart, hatred toward God Almighty!

This obstinacy is revealed (exposited) in the five “I will” statements of the Text. An attempted “coup” against God! (A “coup” is the sudden, violent overthrow of an existing government.)

“I will ascend into heaven.”

“I will exalt my throne above the stars of God.”

“I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north.”

“I will ascend above the heights of the clouds.”

“I will be like the most High.”

Detect any envy here, jealousy?

“My throne?” (Jesus, while on earth, did call the Devil the “prince of this world” three times. See John 12:31 and John 14:30 and John 16:11.)

But “Lucifer” has fallen!

He has been overruled by our great God in Heaven!

This name “Lucifer” (meaning “light bearer”) is, we old-fashioned folks still believe, another name for the devil. (Paul in 2 Corinthians 11:14 … “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.” Sounds right to me. “Angel of light” being synonymous to “Lucifer.”)

God expelled him from Heaven!

Ejected him.

This well may be what Jesus had in mind in Luke 10:18 … “And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.”

But look again at our Text.

Just what is the coming-some-day “end” of the Devil? “Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.” Eternal damnation, punishment, reprobation!

Wow!

I know I’ve not given a detailed exposition of the Passage at hand. But in broad strokes I pray the general outline has been delineated.

Bottom line … we are on the winning side!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

I thought late last night that the Text for today’s Lesson was a “sure thing.” (But now that “sure thing” will not be discussed until tomorrow, the Lord willing!) That’s because I have been “stunned” (maybe “thrilled” is a better word) by the initial paragraph of Isaiah 14. 

Talk about the “tables being turned!”

Talk about “poetic justice.”

Talk about the wicked “reaping what they have sown!”

Read with me today’s Bible Passage: “For the LORD will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land: and the strangers shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob. And the people shall take them, and bring them to their place: and the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of the LORD for servants and handmaids: and they shall take them captives, whose captives they were; and they shall rule over their oppressors. And it shall come to pass in the day that the LORD shall give thee rest from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve.” Isaiah 14:1-3

Up front let me say that this Paragraph is Millennial!

Not history, but (as these words are being written) yet future.

Still we believe they will occur, exactly as promised, and in a literal manner at that!

Verse 1 … “For the LORD will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land: and the strangers shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob.” This Piece is obviously addressed to ALL ISRAEL (including the ten so-called “lost tribes) … “Jacob” (who was of the Tribe of Judah, the Southern Kingdom) and “Israel” (the larger Northern Kingdom)! Reunited again! God is going to turn from Disciplinarian/Judge to Bestower of Grace/Father to His people! (Yes, this occurs in the Millennium, for sure.) “Their own land” means what we often call the “Holy Land,” the “Promised Land.” (Notice God is the real estate Broker here! The verb “will set” is in Hebrew “yanach,” meaning “to cause to rest!”) Then … for “strangers” here, read “foreigners,” (or “aliens”) meaning the (former) enemies of Israel. Old adversaries who have now had a change of heart! Who want “to join” (from the root for “Levi”) Israel … thus “cleaving” (being “glued”) to the Jewish State! (Anti-Semitism becoming very “Pro-Semitism!”) 

Wow!

Verse 2 … “And the people (plural in Hebrew, ‘peoples,’ meaning the gentiles) shall take them (the Israelites), and bring them to their place: and the house of Israel shall possess (have as an inheritance) them in the land of the LORD for servants and handmaids: and they shall take them captives, whose captives they were; and they shall rule over their oppressors.” Looks to me like the very people who wanted Israel cast out of her Land … are now trying to resettle Israel in that Land! THEN COMES THE “REVERSAL” OF TODAY’S LESSON TITLE … “and the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of the LORD for servants and handmaids: and they shall take them captives, whose captives they were; and they shall rule (meaning ‘to have dominion’) over their oppressors (taskmasters).” Yes, the once captive Jews now govern their former tormentors! (Using the same verbs once employed to reveal Israel’s oppression by the Egyptians and Assyrians and Babylonians, etc.)

Wow!

Verse 3 … even more reversal … “And it shall come to pass in the day that the LORD shall give thee rest from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve,” (No more sorrow, no more fear, no more hard bondage! Sound familiar? Revelation 21:4 is coming to mind. “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”) And here is the Lord as “Rest Giver” once again! “Give rest” is “nuach” in Hebrew, the very root of the Bible name “Noah!” Peace instead of war! Perpetual victory instead of elongated defeat!

What a Promise!

Isaiah has (nearly covertly) placed this opening thought at the head of his 14th chapter that elsewhere describes the downfall of the King of Babylon. In essence the downfall of all wicked dominion! And in particular (I think, along with a handful of other conservation Bible teachers) the downfall of the Devil (Satan) himself!

Be sure and study with us tomorrow!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

Today’s Lesson (when compared to tomorrow’s Text, tomorrow’s Study) is almost like eating the “icing” before eating the “cake!” Though I remind you, both are delicious!

 

After a here-to-come short opening observation, I shall confine all my additional remarks to the last four verses of our Text, our Chapter, Isaiah 13:19-22.

But first I remind you … much Bible prophecy has a “double” fulfillment! Both a “local” (and “sooner”) occurrence is often being predicted … followed (not “sooner,” but “later” and at times “much later”) by a “national” or “international” realization!

Even Isaiah chapter 7 with its glorious prediction of the Virgin Birth of Jesus (an indeed Singular Happening) seems to have such undertones.

The Second Coming of Jesus fits this pattern, too! The Rapture being “sooner” and the Revelation (Jesus’ actually coming back to planet earth, touching the ground, the Mount of Olives) being “later!” We believe, seven years later!

I’ve said all that to say this … the destruction of Babylon (the depiction of which begins here in Isaiah chapter 13) also had a more immediate fulfillment (Babylon was overrun by the Assyrians and then later by the Medes and Persians, that all being history now) … but her judgment yet awaits a more complete fulfillment … outlined in Revelation chapters 17 and 18. (Babylon being a type of world religion and commerce in rebellion against Almighty God! This basic idea goes all the way back to the Tower of Babel in Genesis chapter 11.)

Systemic Babylon is becoming stronger every day! (Think United Nations! Think European Union! Think United Arab Republic! Think of the coming Antichrist! And I almost wanted to say: think the United States Senate!) But she (Babylon) will fall some day … under the judging Hand of God our Saviour! (John 5:22 … “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son.” Jesus said/taught us that!)

Wow!

Now … to those last four verses: “19 And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees’ excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. 20 It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation: neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there; neither shall the shepherds make their fold there. 21 But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and owls shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there. 22 And the wild beasts of the islands shall cry in their desolate houses, and dragons in their pleasant palaces: and her time is near to come, and her days shall not be prolonged.” Isaiah 13:19-22

Three quick points …

1. God seems to have a “paradigm” (a “pattern” a “standard”) for ultimate rebellion and wickedness and depravity. And judgment! “And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees’ excellency, shall be as when God overthrew SODOM and GOMORRAH.” Yes, those twin cities infamous for their perversion, egregious sinning! (At times God even calls his people, both Israel and/or Judah, such names!) Throughout the Old Testament. Come to think of it, Jesus did this in the New Testament as well!

2. Once God is through with Babylon, she is merely a shell of her former self! (Isaiah 700 years before the Birth of Jesus is predicting/prophesying an event which has not yet occurred) The Lord will decimate that wicked place! “It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation: neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there; neither shall the shepherds make their fold there.” Amazing! But the “animals” of the desert will enjoy prowling and lurking there! “But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and owls shall dwell there, and satyrs (perhaps some type of goat) shall dance there.” One Preacher says/writes that all that will be heard in formerly noisy Babylon will be “hoots and howls!” God’s Wrath will have finally and totally fallen! What a catchy, quotable phrase, “hoots and howls!” 

3. Then last of all … “and her time is near to come, and her days shall not be prolonged.” Isaiah (as well as other Bible Prophets) often uses the expression “in that day” as he tries to “date” his prophecies. But no longer will he employ that term concerning Babylon! Sounds too “distant!” It’s rather, “near to come,” her downfall! (Do remember: “One day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” 2 Peter 3:8) I grew up hearing these words concerning impending judgment, punishment: “Their day will come!”

Indeed!

God always keeps His Word!

Chapter after chapter of the Bible is dedicated to our Topic at hand … the destruction of Babylon! And in our next Lesson … Isaiah 14 … we shall see even more clearly why this is the case.

Join us Monday morning!

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

I know that so-called “current scholarship” believes that there is more than one writer (author) involved in the composition of what we call the “Book of Isaiah.”

Thirty years ago the “liberals” told us there were two men named “Isaiah” represented in these 66 chapters! Nowadays they are saying three “Isaiah” authors! (Maybe I am old-fashioned, but still looks to me like one man, he being miraculously inspired by the Holy Spirit of God to pen his Messages, his Corpus.)

One reason these “modernists” believe in the multiple authorship of Isaiah is the “disorganization” they see in the whole Composition. No overall thematic structure, they claim. But they are WRONG! There is beautiful order in Isaiah’s Prophecy. (I’d like to remind them of one of God’s instructions to the Church at Corinth … “Let all things be done decently and in order.” He is a coherent God!)

For example, Isaiah chapters 13-23 form a beautiful Unit! (Today we take our first look at chapter 13 of that Group.) These comprise Isaiah’s Sermons to the “Nations” of the world.

Jeremiah has a Section like this in his massive Prophecy, in chapters 46-51. So does Ezekiel, in his chapters numbered 25-32. (Even little Amos follows this trend, chapters 1 and 2.)

One “proof” that Isaiah 13-23 are a purposeful Group is the recurrence of the word “burden” therein, “massa” in Hebrew. It means a “load,” something “heavy.” But it is at times translated in the King James Version “song” or “prophecy,” in our parlance a “sermon!”

Anyway, in Isaiah 13-23 you’ll find “massa” (“burden”) used 12 times! (In Isaiah 13:1, 14:25 and 28. Then again in Isaiah 15:1 and 17:1, 19:1, then in 21:1 and 11 and 13. Add Isaiah 22:1 and 25. The “string” ending in Isaiah 23:1.)

Wow!

A lot of “burdens!”

A lot of preaching!

Now to settle into Isaiah 13 for a few minutes.

It is a “burden” (prophecy) against Babylon, one of the foremost (enemy) nations of Scripture. Here’s verse 1 … “The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see.”

The noun “Babylon” means “confusion.” But one scholar went further with that, teaching that it (at a deeper level) means “gateway to the gods!” Either way, “bad news.”

Remember the “Tower of Babel?” Mankind trying to build (work) his way to God, pure human effort in reaching the heavens! Heathenism!

(It is somewhat surprising, if not downright ironic, that Isaiah begins with a Sermon against “Babylon,” while the greatest power of his earlier days was Assyria! Again, we defer to the Holy Spirit’s omniscient Guidance of Isaiah’s prolific pen!)

Isaiah chapter 13 has a total of 22 verses. In them God is gathering an army to destroy Babylon! Read with me verses 3-6  now … “I (the Lord) have commanded my sanctified ones, I have also called my mighty ones for mine anger, even them that rejoice in my highness. The noise of a multitude in the mountains, like as of a great people; a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together: the LORD of hosts mustereth (to appoint, to gather, to number) the host (army) of the battle. They come from a far country (terrestrial), from the end of heaven (celestial), even the LORD, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land (of Babylon). Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.” Talk about our great God being omnipotent, sovereign, “in control!”

I really think, although Babylon was destroyed by avenging armies (historically) … this Catastrophe Isaiah is depicting is yet future! Tribulational! Revelation 17 and 18 like, I mean. Read verses 10 and 11 … “For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. (Sounds like both Jesus’ Olivet Discourse and John’s Description of the Tribulation.) And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.” 

Wow!

Then Isaiah reverts to that now historical destruction of the Babylon of his time. (But it was yet future when this Prophet wrote these Lines!) “Behold, I will stir up the Medes (who were subsumed into the Persians)against them, which shall not regard silver; and as for gold, they shall not delight in it. Their bows also shall dash the young men to pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eye shall not spare children. And BABYLON, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees’ excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.” But there is more … “It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation: neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there; neither shall the shepherds make their fold there. But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and owls shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there. And the wild beasts of the islands shall cry in their desolate houses, and dragons in their pleasant palaces: and her time is near to come, and her days shall not be prolonged.” Verses 17-22, wherein God even names the conqueror of Babylon (the Medes/the Persians)! And she (Babylon, currently Iraq) is desolate to this day!

Isaiah 13, a major chapter, when it comes to Bible prophecy.

Remember, Babylon epitomizes the unrestrained “evil” of this reprobate world … particularly in these “last days” of the dispensation.

Let’s spend another day, invest some more time, in Isaiah 13, the Lord willing.

Join me again tomorrow morning.

I have another pertinent thought burning in my heart.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

I would recommend, especially in this “Sermons against the Nations” Section of Isaiah, that you read the chapter under discussion a time or two. This might help familiarize us with the overall Scope of the Section. I mean to those of you who have time.