Isa 33:13 | KingComments | STEP | The prayer of Hezekiah and the prayer of the faithful remnant in the future will be answered. The betrayal of the king of Assyria is reason for the LORD to intervene in the coming verses, also in the future. The time has come when the LORD will “arise” and “be exalted” and “be lifted up” ( ; cf. ). These are three descriptions that He is about to act. While speaking He performs and assures in a threefold manner that He “now” – three times in this verse! – will intervene. The Hebrew word for now, attah , sounds enormously powerful, almost explosive. Sound and meaning belong together here in an impressive way. He will arise from His throne to judge His enemies. He, that is the Lord Jesus, will show Himself in His fullness, in all His majesty. Then the nullity of everything Assyria has planned will become apparent. What they carry with them, their plans, turn out to be nothing more than “chaff” and “stubble”, food for the fire of God’s judgment ( ). By His breath, the LORD will set the chaff and the stubble on fire. Not only their plans will come to nothing, but they themselves also will be judged as a result of what they had planned. They will fall into the pit they themselves have dug for others ( ). The judgment on the Assyrians symbolizes the judgment on all peoples ( ). The peoples that “are far away”, that are not actually gathered with Assyria, are the heathen peoples that are left after the worldwide judgments on the day of God’s anger ( ). They are told to hear what He has done. Those “who are near”, Judah, are called upon to acknowledge the might of the LORD.

‏ Isaiah 33:13

The LORD Arises

The prayer of Hezekiah and the prayer of the faithful remnant in the future will be answered. The betrayal of the king of Assyria is reason for the LORD to intervene in the coming verses, also in the future. The time has come when the LORD will “arise” and “be exalted” and “be lifted up” (Isa 33:10; cf. Isa 52:13). These are three descriptions that He is about to act.

While speaking He performs and assures in a threefold manner that He “now” – three times in this verse! – will intervene. The Hebrew word for now, attah, sounds enormously powerful, almost explosive. Sound and meaning belong together here in an impressive way. He will arise from His throne to judge His enemies. He, that is the Lord Jesus, will show Himself in His fullness, in all His majesty.

Then the nullity of everything Assyria has planned will become apparent. What they carry with them, their plans, turn out to be nothing more than “chaff” and “stubble”, food for the fire of God’s judgment (Isa 33:11). By His breath, the LORD will set the chaff and the stubble on fire. Not only their plans will come to nothing, but they themselves also will be judged as a result of what they had planned. They will fall into the pit they themselves have dug for others (Pro 26:27).

The judgment on the Assyrians symbolizes the judgment on all peoples (Isa 33:12). The peoples that “are far away”, that are not actually gathered with Assyria, are the heathen peoples that are left after the worldwide judgments on the day of God’s anger (Isa 33:13). They are told to hear what He has done. Those “who are near”, Judah, are called upon to acknowledge the might of the LORD.