PART TWO: GOD IS SOVEREIGN OVER ALL NATIONS (13-27) In this section the prophet will bring burdens (oracles) of judgment against ten individual nations including Judah. Two prophecies will relate particularly to Babylon. It is a common practice of most of the so-called major prophets to bring prophecies concerning various nations together in a group (Jer. 46-51; Eze. 25-32). The liberal commentators have a hard time with these chapters because they will not believe that Isaiah could see into Babylon's future. "One's faith in miracles (or prophecies, c.d.) depends on whether he spells his god with a capital "G" (Clarence McCartney). The book itself claims to be the vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, and Peter adds, that "no prophecy ever came by the will of man..." (2 Pet. 1:21). Our study proceeds in confidence that Isaiah is the author and seer of this book, speaking as he was moved by the Holy Spirit!
I. BABYLON, THE HEIR OF SYRIA, WILL FALL TO THE MEDES (13:1-14:32)
A. Destruction Is Coming Against Babylon (13:1-22)
1. The prediction of judgment (13:1-5)
(1) The word burden literally means "a load." It carries the meaning of a heavy pronouncement of doom from Jehovah. The word is applied to nine of the ten nations mentioned in this section (excluding Ethiopia).
(2) Jehovah issues three commands: 1, set up a flag to rally round; 2, cry out, so that it can be heard afar off; and 3, wave the hand in a beckoning motion. Those summoned in this manner are to enter into the gates of the cities ruled by nobles (probably Babylon).
(3) Jehovah will call out an army (the Medes) to do His bidding against Babylon.
(4) The army is mustered as if many nations were coming to war against one.
(5) This group will be whipped into a conquering force by the Lord. Mighty Babylon will be brought low by these forces.
2. The day of Babylon's destruction will be "the Day of the Lord" (13:6-16)
(6) While "the day of the Lord" can be a day of deliverance for the righteous, it is a day of judgment for the unrighteous. Isaiah's prophecy looks ahead to a time when Nebuchadnezzar would brag of his city and nation as if he were a god himself (Dan. 4:30).
(7,8) The Babylonians will be utterly amazed and totally overwhelmed. They will be helpless and heartsick and unable to cope with their predicament.
(9) Isaiah describes the day as: a day of destruction, desolation, and doom. If this prophecy foreshadows the ultimate judgment of the world, that is not its main thrust.The impact is against Babylon and the end of the Babylonian world.
(10) Their world will be dark, despair will rage among them (as in such passages as: Joel 2:10; 3:15,16; Jer. 4:24-28; Eze. 30:3,18; Mt. 24:29).
(11,12) Babylon was the prototype of cruel, ruthless, prideful, and godless imperialism seen more recently in Nazi Germany, Imperial Japan, and Communist Russia and China. Isaiah's prophecy reaches beyond Babylon to all nations that would pattern themselves after her. When these tyrants are cast down, the men who follow them will be as scarce as pure gold.
(13,14) The day of Jehovah will be the end of Babylon. It will cease to exist as a country, its inhabitants will be scattered and left on their own.
(15,16) Anyone left in Babylon will be killed. Their babies will be killed, their houses will be plundered, and their women will be raped.
3. The Lord's instrument will be the Medes (13:17-22)
(17) This verse leaves no doubt as to who will destroy Babylon - the Medes. Cyrus united the Medes and thhe Persians around 549 B.C., defeating Babylon some ten years later. The Medes would not be stopped by bribes or promise of gain, as their motivation came from power and revenge, not money.
(18) The ruthless cruelty and heartless spirit that the Babylonians had previously displayed, would now visit them in the guise of the Medes.
(19) Under Hammurabi, the Babylonian Empire flourished, the city itself was the pride of the Empire, if not the world. The glory deteriorated until the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II, who restored the city. Isaiah prophesies that the deterioration will continue until the city is as Sodom and Gomorrah. Babylon was not completely destroyed until the time of Xerxes, king of the Medo-Persian Empire. By the year 60 B.C., it was totally deserted.
(20) Once deserted, it will never be inhabited again. Even the wildest of the nomadic Arabs will refuse to bring their flocks there.
(21,22) The city will remain desolate. Wild creatures will inhabit the once proud city. In less than 200 years from the point in time that Isaiah spoke this prophecy, Babylon would be no more ­ forever! (Jer. 50:39) [TOP OF THIS PAGE]
B. Israel Will Be Restored When Babylon Falls, (14:1-23)
1. God's covenant people will be delivered and restored (14:1-3)
(1) The tyrant here is the king of Babylon, yet it is not one specific king, but a personification of all of the kings of Babylon that will persecute Judah. The restoration of Israel will follow the destruction of Babylon. But this will not be the old Israel, but a new Israel that will include Gentiles as well as Jews. It is interesting to note that many foreigners did become proselytes after the exiles returned (Est. 8:17; Acts 2:9-11; Acts 17:4;17), however, the prophecy ultimately concerns spiritual Israel.
(2) The decree to return the Jews to their land was issued by Cyrus, and later kings of Persia assisted in the return and the rebuilding of the temple (Ezra 1,6; Neh. 2). The second part of this verse was never fulfilled literally, but it was fulfilled figuratively and spiritually (2 Cor. 10:5).
(3) A verse of assurance and hope for the Israel of Isaiah's time, that the Israel of the future will find a place and time of rest (see Isa. 12:1).
2. They will sing this proverb (song) of triumph over the king of Babylon (14:4-23)
(4) The king of Babylon represents " a kind of symbol of the forces hostile to God and His people" (Leupold). The people will rejoice at the fall of the oppressor. Babylon was called the golden city by the translators because it extracted gold from its enemies and hoarded it within the city.
(5) The future Israel of Isaiah's prophecy also rejoices because the symbols of the power of Babylon will be cast down (staff and sceptre) by the power of Jehovah.
(6) The Babylonians were powerful and cruel, but their power would be broken (Hab. 1:5-17).
(7,8) Israel will not be the only nation to rest after the fall of Babylon, the whole world will be at rest for a time. Even the forests will rejoice because their destruction at the hands of the Babylonian kings will cease.
(9) While the earth will rest, the world of the unseen spirits of the dead (Sheol) will become greatly agitated at the prospect of its new inhabitant - the tyrant. The great kings already there will greet him on his arrival.
(10) These inhabitants of Sheol will be surprised to see the tyrant, thinking him to be stronger than they were. But versus God, no power is strong. All who reject God and terrorize man with the sword will find their place in Sheol (Eze. 32:17-31).
(11) Babylon is silent and her musical instruments of entertainment are also silent. The tyrant will exchange his kingly attire for a cloak of worms and maggots!
(12) Many have interpreted this passage as a reference to Satan's fall and ejection from heaven with his angels. The true translation of the word Lucifer is more accurately Day-Star. The reference here is not to Satan, but to the tyrant in question ­ the Babylonian monarchy. The Day-Star will be brought down as if an actual star would fall from the heavens to the earth.
(13) Now the prophet looks into the heart of the tyrant and sees the internal pride and arrogant intentions that have caused his downfall. In his heart he boasted that he would: 1, ascend into heaven; 2, exalt the (his) throne above the stars; 3, sit upon the mount of the congregation ( a reference to the mountain of the Babylonian gods, not Zion);
(14) 4, ascend above the clouds; and 5, make himself like the Most High. He would be in subjection to neither man nor even God Himself.
(15) So much for the tyrant's ambitions, now for reality. He will not realize the heights of the clouds, but instead fall into the depths of the pit (Sheol).
(16,17) When the living look upon the body of the fallen tyrant (note: he is styled as a man, not Satan), they will wonder how he ever came to rule the world. In their ambitions at world domination, the Babylonian kings had made a wilderness of the earth, overthrown cities, and transferred their prisoners of war from their native homelands. Yet, upon their defeat they were as any dead man or defeated nation.
(18,19) The tyrant will not even be allowed to rest in his own sepulcher like most fallen kings, but he would end up like the very ones he had slain - cast down, slain, and trodden under foot.
(20) He would not have a proper resting place because he did not deserve one. His ambitions had caused his own people to suffer and had destroyed the resources of his own country. While war might boost a nation and its economy in the short run; in the long run war brings loss of money, resources, and lives.
(21) The call now goes out to the Medes: prepare the slaughter for the children of the tyrant because of his sins.
(22) The world power which Nebuchadnezzar began and his son Nabopolassar continued, would end at the hands of Cyrus (539 B.C.), during the reign of his son's son (KJV- nephew) Belshazzar.
(23) Now the prophet reasserts Jehovah's curse (13:21,22): "I will sweep it away with the broom (besom) of destruction." This is the way of Jehovah. When a nation is unfit to continue, God removes that nation (Rev. 18; 19:20).
C. The Doom Of Babylon Is As Sure As That Which God Purposed Against Assyria (14:24-32)
1. The Lord's purposes shall be carried out (14:24-27)
(24-27) Assyria had yet to be destroyed and Isaiah was already prophesying the doom of her successor. God would break Assyria, tread her underfoot, and remove her yoke from the neck of Israel. His defeat of Assyria would be a sign that he would also defeat Babylon (Jer. 50:17-46). God's will can neither be annulled nor turned aside, it will always prevail.
2. Philistia has no cause for rejoicing (14:28-32) - Through the years, Philistia had been a constant thorn in the side of Israel. From the days of Abraham until the days of Isaiah they had continually brought conflict to the Lord's people. Finally, Hezekiah gained total victory over the Philistines (2 Ki. 18:7,8) and the later prophets showed them under God's judgment (Jer. 25:15-17, 20; 47; Zeph. 2:5; Eze. 25:15; Zech. 9:6).
(28) This oracle came to Isaiah in the year that Ahaz died (715 B.C.).
(29) Who are these powers that will systematically destroy Philistia? Much speculation has been done on this subject by the various commentators. A possible interpretation might show the Assyrians as the rod, the Babylonians as the adder, and some unspecified nation as the flying serpent that will complete the destruction (Hailey).
(30,31) The poor and needy will be spared, but the root and remnant will starve. The cities of Philistia will be destroyed in a manner that includes fire. Whether this fire is the cities in flame or the campfires of the invaders is unclear.
(32) No matter what happens to the heathen nations - and they will meet destruction - spiritual Zion will survive. [TOP OF THIS CHAPTER][TOP OF THIS PAGE]