These are the original teaching notes from this passage.
- Rod of Jesse…
- From the ruins of the nation of Israel and Judah [decimated by Assyria]
- There would rise a new leader – a ROD from the branch of Jesse [the Messiah]
- The Spirit of the Lord will rest [permanently] upon Him…
- And he will JUDGE the poor in RIGHTEOUSNESS – and slay the WICKED!
- Millennial Kingdom…
- His reign will be called the MILLENNIAL Kingdom – Revelation 20:1-4
- It will be marked by a time of unprecedented PEACE on earth…
- The LION will lay down with the LAMB – there will be NO fighting or war…
- Because the KNOWLEDGE of the Lord will cover the earth like the waters of the SEA!
- Rebirth of Israel…
- In that DAY – God will bring His people home in a SECOND Exodus…
- They will come from the FOUR corners of the earth back to Israel [May 1948]
- No longer as a DIVIDED kingdom – they will be UNITED again…
- Seeing that has ALREADY begun – we should PRAISE the Lord…
- And DECLARE His deed among the people – because He is coming SOON!
- 1st – Next Kingdom… vs. 1-8
- 1st – The Burden… vs. 1
- Warning…
- The burden against Babylon which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw!
- The book of Isaiah opens up with the word VISION [חָזוֹן] – Isaiah 1:1
- Because the Lord let the prophet SEE things that were going to happen…
- But having SEEN the plan of God – and the FUTURE of Judah and Israel…
- He was given the BURDEN [מַשָּׂא] – a heavy weight or load – to share what he SAW…
- This is the FIRST of TEN burdens that Isaiah is given – Isaiah 13-23
- Also: Moab – Syria – Egypt – Babylon [again] – Edom – Arabia – Jerusalem – and Tyre…
- Having to tell others what God had shown him – was NOT going to be easy!
- When John saw the VISION of the book of REVELATION…
- He was told it would be sweet to his mouth – but bitter to his stomach – Revelation 10:10
- Knowing the truth – what will happen in the future – is a BLESSING and a CURSE…
- On the one hand it is amazing to read the Word and SEE what is coming…
- It brings the events of this crazy world around us into focus [sweet to the mouth]
- But at the same time we also realize the TERROR that awaits those who reject Jesus…
- Not just the tribulation that is coming – but eternal separation in the end [it is bitter]
- But it is our BURDEN to go and WARN the world!
- Babylon…
- This FIRST burden is against the nation of Babylon…
- What is amazing is that they were NOT yet a world power…
- Isaiah is writing this while ASSYRIA is still the major empire [720-710 B.C.]
- Babylon would go on to REBEL against ASSYRIA in 703 B.C.
- And they would NOT become a world power for another HUNDRED years…
- Yet here God NOT only foretells their RISE to power – but also the FALL!
- When Nebuchadnezzar became ARROGANT because of the power of BABYLON…
- The Lord warned him in a dream – God gave it all to him – He could take it all away…
- And after the KING went MAD for seven years – he had this to say about the LORD!
- Daniel 4:35 – “[God] does according to His will in… heaven – and [on] the earth.”
- The LORD is SOVEREIGN over all – every KINGDOM on earth…
- Which looking at the craziness of the world around us – is a VERY encouraging truth…
- It means that NO one – NO leader – NO nation can do anything apart from the will of God!
- 2nd – Judgement of God… 2-8
- God is calling… vs. 2
- Lift up a banner on the high mountain. Raise your voice to them.
- Wave your hand that they may enter the gates of the nobles!
- God commanded [imperative] Isaiah to go [figuratively] to a HIGH mountain [easily seen]
- From there he was to RAISE up a banner [נֵס]
- And – he was to WAVE [hiphil] his hand – get their attention…
- So that an INVADING army might come through the doors of the palaces of Babylon!
- Diverse army… vs. 3-4
- I have commanded My sanctified ones.
- I have also called My mighty ones for My anger – those who rejoice in My exaltation.
- The noise of a multitude in the mountains – like that of many people!
- A tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together!
- The LORD of hosts musters the army for battle!
- God sent out His COMMAND [piel] – to His CONSECRATED ones [קָדַשׁ]
- Because of His ANGER – He called for His MIGHTY ones…
- Their NOISE could be heard echoing through the mountains…
- It sounded like a HUGE number of people coming…
- Kingdoms and nations were gathered [niphal] by the Lord of Heavens armies [צְבָאוֹת]
- Gathered for one purpose – to go to WAR with Babylon!
- The Medo-Persian empire would NOT one nation…
- They came from 127 regions – that gathered together under one banner – Esther 1:1
- ONE large army of between 50-100 thousand soldiers!
- Distant Land… vs. 5
- They come from a far country from the end of heaven.
- The LORD and His weapons of indignation to destroy the whole land!
- This ARMY would come from a FAR away land [אֶרֶץ] – from the END of the HEAVENS [שָׁמַיִם]
- To be the TOOL [vessel] of the WRATH of God against the whole [כָּל] land of Babylon!
- The Medo-Persian empire eventually stretched from Greece in the west to India in the east…
- So from one END of the known earth to the other [to the horizon]!
- Be afraid… vs. 6-7
- Wail for the day of the LORD is at hand. It will come as destruction from the Almighty.
- Therefore all hands will be limp – every mans heart will melt.
- And they will be afraid. Pangs and sorrows will take hold of them.
- They will be in pain as a woman in childbirth.
- They will be amazed at one another. Their faces will be like flames!
- CRY out [hiphil] in despair [imperative] – because the DAY of the Lord is close…
- When DESTRUCTION will come from the ALMIGHTY [שַׁדַּי]
- ALMIGHTY [שַׁדַּי] – noun form of the verb to DEVASTATE [שָׁדַד]
- Therefore – EVERY [כָּל] hand will drop and EVERY [כָּל] heart will melt [niphal]
- They will be [niphal] TERRIFIED – pain and sorrow will GRIP them…
- Like [כַּ] a woman who goes into CHILDBIRTH [knows it is coming – but not when]
- When DESTRUCTION comes they will just look at each other STUNNED [תָּמַהּ]
- As the FLAMES burning around them reflect on their faces!
- Cyrus conquered the city of Babylon in a single night…
- He diverted the Euphrates river that ran through the city so it ran DRY – Isaiah 44:27
- Allowing them to pass under the gates unopposed…
- They killed the King of Babylon [Belshazzar] – Daniel 5:30
- It all happened to quickly that it took days for some to find they city had fallen!
- The DETAILS in this BURDEN are amazing…
- Not only did Isaiah detail the rise of Babylon [100 years later]
- But he also laid out the Medo-Persian army who would conquer them [200 years later]
- Even going on to name their King – CYRUS – Isaiah 45:1
- So that after he conquered Babylon – Daniel came to him…
- And so impressed him with the prophecies of Isaiah – he asked what God wanted…
- To which Isaiah had also written – Cyrus was the rebuild the TEMPLE!
- Isaiah 44:28 – “Who says of Cyrus… he shall perform all My pleasure. Saying to Jerusalem: you shall be built. And to the temple: Your foundation shall be laid!”
- 1st – The Burden… vs. 1
- 2nd – Day of the Lord… vs. 9-16
- 1st – Bad day… vs. 9-11
- Fierce anger… vs. 9-10
- Behold the day of the LORD comes – cruel with both wrath and fierce anger.
- To lay the land desolate – and He will destroy its sinners from it.
- For the stars of heaven and their constellations will not give their light.
- The sun will be darkened in its going forth and the moon will not cause its light to shine!
- LOOK [הִנֵּה] – the DAY of the Lord has COME [perfect]
- It is a CRUEL day – because it brings His overflowing fierce WRATH [אָף]
- He will DESOLATE Babylon [הָאָרֶץ] – and destroy the SINNERS [חַטָּאֶי]
- FOR [כִּי] – in that DAY the STARS – SUN and MOON will NOT [לֹא] shine [אוֹר]!
- This might well have a DUAL fulfillment…
- It spoke of the DAY when Babylon fell to Medo-Persia [539 B.C.]
- But it might also look forward to the DAY when Jesus returns!
- Matthew 24:29 – “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened – and the moon will not give its light. The stars will fall from heaven and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.”
- The POWERS [δύναμις] of HEAVEN are overthrown…
- Fits with the scene in heaven where God casts out the DRAGON [satan] – Revelation 12:9
- And when he falls – a THIRD of the STARS [his angels] fall with him
- Because the Day of the Lord is about God tearing down EVIL powers!
- Punished… vs. 11
- I will punish the world for its evil – and the wicked for their iniquity.
- I will halt the arrogance of the proud – and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible!
- God will [prophetic perfect] VISIT [פָּקַד] this EVIL [רָעָה] world [not just Babylon]
- He will come looking for those who are WICKED [רָשָׁע] because of their SIN [עָוֹן]
- The arrogance of the PROUD – and the confidence of the MIGHTY…
- And He will cause them to STOP [שָׁבַת] – and be [hiphil] HUMBLE [שָׁפֵל]!
- The FIRST time God came down to this EVIL world – He came to DIE to save it…
- But SECOND time God comes He will do so to RULE over it – Revelation 19:16
- 2nd – Desolation… vs. 12-16
- Shaken up… vs. 12-13
- I will make a mortal more rare than fine gold. A man more than the golden wedge of Ophir.
- Therefore I will shake the heavens and the earth will move out of her place.
- In the wrath of the LORD of hosts and in the day of His fierce anger!
- In that DAY – when the LORD comes to JUDGE…
- It will change the PRIORITIES people have in life…
- A man [אֱנוֹשׁ] – from the root meaning weak [אָנַשׁ] – will be as rare as GOLD…
- A man [אָדָם] – will be more rare than PURE [Ophir] GOLD [many will die]
- Because [עַל־כֵּן] – the Lord will SHAKE [hiphil] the heavens and earth…
- In the DAY when the LORD of heavens armies [צְבָאוֹת] – brings His fierce WRATH!
- Matthew 16:26 – “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”
- People are CONSUMED by the pursuit of MONEY today…
- But a day is coming when God is going to SHAKE things up…
- No one will be comparing bank accounts at the Great White Throne…
- Standing before the JUDGEMENT – it will NOT matter how much GOLD we had in this life!
- Run away… vs. 14-16
- It shall be as the hunted gazelle and as a sheep that no man takes up.
- Every man will turn to his own people – and everyone will flee to his own land.
- Everyone who is found will be thrust through – [all] who are captured will fall by the sword.
- Their children also will be dashed to pieces before their eyes.
- Their houses will be plundered and their wives ravished!
- In that day people will want to RUN away…
- Like [כִּ] a dear that is being [hophal] HUNTED…
- Or like a sheep that has NO [אִין] shepherd to protect it…
- Everyone will try and run to their own PEOPLE – to their own LAND…
- Because ANYONE [כָּל] who stays will be KILLED [niphal]
- EVERYONE [כָּל] who is captured will DIE by the sword…
- Their INFANTS will be thrown [piel] upon the rocks [רָטַשׁ]
- And their WIVES will be [niphal] raped [שָׁכַב]!
- When Israel came into the Land – Joshua was to kill everyone – Deuteronomy 2:34
- Causing many to ask how a God of love could command genocide – I John 4:8
- Some even go so far as to suggest the God of the OT [wrath] is not the God of the NT [love]
- What is often overlooked is the FOUR hundred years God gave Canaan to repent!
- Genesis 15:16 – “[After four hundred years] they shall return here – for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”
- God is very GRACIOUS and PATIENT – wanting us to repent – II Peter 3:9
- But there comes a point when we run out of time…
- And on the DAY when the judgement comes – there is nowhere to RUN!
- Revelation 20:11 – “[They] fled from his presence – but they found no place to hide.”
- 1st – Bad day… vs. 9-11
- 3rd – Fall of Babylon … vs. 17-22
- 1st – Rise of Medes… vs. 17-18
- No bribes… vs. 17
- Behold I will stir up the Medes against them.
- Who will not regard silver – and as for gold they will not delight in it!
- God would cause [hiphil] – the MEDES [מָדַי] to come against Babylon…
- Amazing that Isaiah here calls them by NAME…
- And they would NOT accept SILVER of GOLD as a bribe…
- The ONLY thing that would satisfy them – was the FALL of Babylon!
- No pity… vs. 18
- Also their bows will dash the young men to pieces.
- And they will have no pity on the fruit of the womb. Their eye will not spare children!
- They would use the BOWS to dash to pieces [רָטַשׁ] the army of Babylon…
- And they would NOT have MERCY [piel] on babies…
- They would NOT show PITY to their children!
- The Medo-Persian empire was renowned for their ARCHERY skills…
- They were masters of the powerful composite recurve bow…
- They would train from daily from childhood with bows and horses…
- And they had a reputation of being particularly BRUTAL…
- They would massacre indiscriminately [even women and children]
- 2nd – Empty… vs. 19-21
- Sodom and Gomorrah… vs. 19
- Babylon – the glory of kingdoms – the beauty of the Chaldeans pride.
- Will be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah!
- [Sequential] – it will be [prophetic perfect] that the city of Babylon…
- The beauty and pride of the Chaldean people – will be like [כְּ] Sodom and Gomorrah!
- When God destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah with BRIMSTONE – Genesis 19:24
- It caused such COMPLETE devastation – there was NOTHING left…
- Taking what was once a green and fertile valley – Genesis 13:10
- And turning into a DESOLATE wasteland to this very day!
- Never inhabited… vs. 20-21
- It will never be inhabited – nor will it be settled from generation to generation.
- Nor will the Arabian pitch tents there – nor will the shepherds make their sheepfolds there.
- But wild beasts of the desert will lie there – and their houses will be full of owls.
- Ostriches will dwell there – and wild goats will caper there.
- The hyenas will howl in their citadels – and jackals in their pleasant palaces!
- Once the city of Babylon fell – it would remain EMPTY…
- No one would live there again – from generation to generation…
- Even the Bedouins [Arabs] would NOT [לֹא] pitch their tents…
- And shepherds would NOT [לֹא] bring their flocks into the city…
- Instead it would be filled with WILD animals: owls – hyenas – and goats…
- It is worth noting the word JACKAL [תַּנִּין] – can also be translated as DRAGON!
- This did NOT happen right away – it was gradual…
- When the city fell in Cyrus in 539 B.C. – it was still an important city…
- It continued to be inhabited during the Greek and Roman periods…
- But sometime during the Byzantine empire – the city fell into obscurity [7th century]
- It was then it became a desolate mount – full of wild animals…
- And has NEVER been rebuilt or populated again!
- The level of detail here has become a point of contention to LIBERAL scholars…
- Those who do NOT believe in PROPHECY – doubt the Bible is written by God…
- They try and question Isaiah as the author [deutero Isaiah]
- Claiming the portions of the book were written AFTER the events occurred…
- Yet the Jews have always connected the book to the prophet Isaiah…
- And New Testament writers all refer to Isaiah as the author…
- Most importantly – Jesus attributes the work to Isaiah…
- Which tells us that although Isaiah wrote it – it was inspired by God – II Timothy 3:16
- 3rd – No more time… 22
- Her time is near to come – and her days will not be prolonged!
- The time of the DESTRUCTION of Babylon was NEAR…
- And God was NOT going to PROLONG [niphal] her JUDGMENT!
- Having proven the BURDEN is from the Lord…
- And that the warning and judgement of the day of the Lord is true…
- We are left with this powerful word – the time is coming SOON…
- God will NOT delay much longer – today is the day to REPENT!
- 1st – Rise of Medes… vs. 17-18