Isa 13:1 | KingComments | STEP | Overview main part 1.2 – Isaiah 13-27 God and the nations The second part of the first main part (Isaiah 1-35) contains Isaiah 13-27 and can be divided as follows: 1. Prophecy about Babylon (Isaiah 13:1-14:23) 2. Prophecy about Assyria (Isaiah 14:24-14:27) 3. Prophecy about Philistia (Isaiah 14:28-32) 4. Prophecy about Moab (Isaiah 15:1-16:14) 5. Prophecy about Damascus and Ephraim (Isaiah 17:1-14) 6. Prophecy about Cush (Isaiah 18:1-7) 7. Prophecy about Egypt (Isaiah 19:1-25) 8. Prophecy about Egypt and Cush (Isaiah 20:1-6) 9. Prophecy about Babylon (Isaiah 21:1-10) 10. Prophecy about Edom (Isaiah 21:11-12) 11. Prophecy about Arabia (Isaiah 21:13-17) 12. Prophecy about Jerusalem (Isaiah 22:1-25) 13. Prophecy about Tyre (Isaiah 23:1-18) 14. The (prophetic) earth is judged (Isaiah 24:1-23) 15. Psalms and predictions of judgment and deliverance (Isaiah 25:1-12) 16. Praise, prayer and prophecy (Isaiah 26:1-21) 17. The restoration of Israel (Isaiah 27:1-13) Introduction on Isaiah 13 In Isaiah 1-12 the hand of the LORD is stretched out against His people ( ), but in the part of Isaiah 13-23 the hand of the LORD is stretched out “against all the nations” ( ). The part of Isaiah 13-23 contains the ’oracles concerning’ or the ‘burdens of’ the nations in the near east. The word “oracle” or “burden” appears here frequently and makes it clear that these chapters form one whole. “Burden” means that the word as judgment from God, which first “falls” on Israel ( ), now also falls on all the nations as a heavy weight. These chapters are the answer to the call: “Make known His deeds among the peoples” ( ). Before the nations can praise the LORD ( ), they must first be cleansed by the judgment of God, just like the people of Israel. The next part, Isaiah 24-27, concerns the whole earth. There is a danger that we skip these chapters if we read the book of Isaiah because we believe there is little spiritual gain for us in it. But all Scripture is inspired by God and useful to us ( ). The nations that surround Israel are seen in their relations with Israel. The burdens of these peoples connect the events coming in the days of Isaiah with the end of time. They are a fitting sequel to the great subject of the Messianic prophecies in Isaiah 7-12. Therein it is predicted that the authority of the Messiah will be exercised over all kingdoms of the world. They also contain comforting messages for the ultimate blessing and glory of Israel. In accordance with this, the downfall of the heathen powers is foretold. One power after the other falls down, so that there will be room for the establishment of the realm of peace. Once again, it must be remembered that many oracles about a power have a meaning that goes beyond the imminent judgment on that power. That is, that much in the description of the downfall of a power is also – and sometimes only – fulfilled in the end time and especially at the end of ‘the great tribulation’. In this book this period is called “the indignation” (of the LORD) ( ). Isaiah 13-14 are the introduction to this period, while at the end of Isaiah 27 there is a brief reference to the realm of peace. The part of Isaiah 14:28-27:13 is a description of events in the world from the last days of the great tribulation until the beginning of the millennial realm of peace. Israel is also mentioned again, but then as part of the world. The nations that successively are judged are judged because of their idolatry and their attitude toward Israel. The reason they are mentioned, while many other nations are not mentioned, is the way in which they have behaved toward God’s people in the past and that they have attacked them. God’s people are “the apple of His eye” ( ). So whoever touches His people hits the LORD in His heart. The two other great prophets, Jeremiah and Ezekiel, also prophesy of this judgment on the surrounding nations (Jeremiah 46-51; Ezekiel 25-32). Isaiah and Jeremiah speak in their prophecies about the nations mainly about the destruction of Babylon, although they also speak about other nations, while Ezekiel speaks mainly about God’s judgment on Egypt. After the judgment on Judah and Jerusalem that has been before us in the previous chapters, Isaiah 7-12, now, in Isaiah 13-27, comes the judgment on the nations of the world. As an introduction to this, God begins with the judgment on Babylon (Isaiah 13-14). It begins with “the oracle concerning Babylon” or “the burden of Babylon” ( ), for Babylon will destroy the world domination of Assyria and succeed it. What Isaiah has seen is called “burden” because it is a word from God that is imposed upon the prophet as a burden ( ). Most prophecies in the following chapters begin with this word “oracle” or “burden”. Again, “Isaiah” is called by name. The fact that he has ‘seen’ this burden emphasizes that it is real prophecy, which was spoken before the fall of Babylon, because in the time of Ahaz, when Isaiah writes this, Babylon is far from being a world power. It also makes clear that with Isaiah 13 a new part begins. When Scripture speaks of Babylon, it can refer to both the city and the country. Babylon is the same as Babel. Babylon is the Greek name and Babel the Hebrew name. The reader must then see whether this means the city or the country. The first kingdom mentioned in Scripture is that of Babel. It is founded by a man who is a tyrant, a man of violence, and a hunter, i.e. a blood-spilling man ( ). In Babylon, the primordial society of mankind after the deluge is together in unity. When the whole earth still uses the same language and the same words, man in Babylon wants to build a tower that reaches to heaven in order to increase his power on earth. God prevents this and at Babel scatters mankind abroad over the face of the whole earth by the confusion of language ( ). Because of this mankind is divided over the five continents. The overthrow of the power of Assyria is described in the book of Nahum. There we read of the fall of Nineveh, the capital of Assyria. At the moment Isaiah utters this prophecy, there is not much to be seen of Babylon as a world power. That Isaiah can start with Babylon as the first nation is only because he sees prophetically the rise of Babylon and also the rise of the next empires. Babylon is the power that will judge Judah because Judah lives in idolatry and rebellion against the LORD. Babylon is also the power that in the end time will make a covenant with the apostate Israel under the antichrist. The description of the capture of Babylon shows that it happens very violently, unlike the capture of Babylon a century and a half later, in 539 BC, by the Medes and the Persians, which happens almost silently. This is because the emphasis here is on the destruction of the prophetic Babylon in the future, namely that of the first beast, with the ten horns, the leader of the restored Roman Empire, the united states of (ex-Christian) Europe ( ). By the way, Assyria is a type of the future king of the North, the leader of the (northeastern) Arab islamic (Shiite?) alliance, supported by Gog and Magog (Russia). Remarkably, Psalm 83 also mentions an alliance consisting of ten countries ( ). Finally, we find the king of the South – not mentioned here, but in Daniel 11 ( ) – by which we can understand an alliance of (southern) Arab islamic (Sunni?) peoples. They will be the first to attack Israel, followed by the king of the North. If the king of the North has destroyed Israel and especially Jerusalem, he will then attack and overpower the king of the South. Then he will return to Israel because of the coming of the army of the beast (Europe) and be destroyed by Christ ( ).

‏ Isaiah 13:1

Introduction

Overview main part 1.2 – Isaiah 13-27

God and the nations

The second part of the first main part (Isaiah 1-35) contains Isaiah 13-27 and can be divided as follows:

1. Prophecy about Babylon (Isaiah 13:1-14:23)

2. Prophecy about Assyria (Isaiah 14:24-14:27)

3. Prophecy about Philistia (Isaiah 14:28-32)

4. Prophecy about Moab (Isaiah 15:1-16:14)

5. Prophecy about Damascus and Ephraim (Isaiah 17:1-14)

6. Prophecy about Cush (Isaiah 18:1-7)

7. Prophecy about Egypt (Isaiah 19:1-25)

8. Prophecy about Egypt and Cush (Isaiah 20:1-6)

9. Prophecy about Babylon (Isaiah 21:1-10)

10. Prophecy about Edom (Isaiah 21:11-12)

11. Prophecy about Arabia (Isaiah 21:13-17)

12. Prophecy about Jerusalem (Isaiah 22:1-25)

13. Prophecy about Tyre (Isaiah 23:1-18)

14. The (prophetic) earth is judged (Isaiah 24:1-23)

15. Psalms and predictions of judgment and deliverance (Isaiah 25:1-12)

16. Praise, prayer and prophecy (Isaiah 26:1-21)

17. The restoration of Israel (Isaiah 27:1-13)

Introduction on Isaiah 13

In Isaiah 1-12 the hand of the LORD is stretched out against His people (Isa 5:26), but in the part of Isaiah 13-23 the hand of the LORD is stretched out “against all the nations” (Isa 14:26). The part of Isaiah 13-23 contains the ’oracles concerning’ or the ‘burdens of’ the nations in the near east. The word “oracle” or “burden” appears here frequently and makes it clear that these chapters form one whole. “Burden” means that the word as judgment from God, which first “falls” on Israel (Isa 9:8), now also falls on all the nations as a heavy weight.

These chapters are the answer to the call: “Make known His deeds among the peoples” (Isa 12:4b). Before the nations can praise the LORD (Isa 12:4a), they must first be cleansed by the judgment of God, just like the people of Israel. The next part, Isaiah 24-27, concerns the whole earth.

There is a danger that we skip these chapters if we read the book of Isaiah because we believe there is little spiritual gain for us in it. But all Scripture is inspired by God and useful to us (2Tim 3:16). The nations that surround Israel are seen in their relations with Israel. The burdens of these peoples connect the events coming in the days of Isaiah with the end of time.

They are a fitting sequel to the great subject of the Messianic prophecies in Isaiah 7-12. Therein it is predicted that the authority of the Messiah will be exercised over all kingdoms of the world. They also contain comforting messages for the ultimate blessing and glory of Israel. In accordance with this, the downfall of the heathen powers is foretold. One power after the other falls down, so that there will be room for the establishment of the realm of peace.

Once again, it must be remembered that many oracles about a power have a meaning that goes beyond the imminent judgment on that power. That is, that much in the description of the downfall of a power is also – and sometimes only – fulfilled in the end time and especially at the end of ‘the great tribulation’. In this book this period is called “the indignation” (of the LORD) (Isa 10:5 ; 25 ; Isa 26:20).

Isaiah 13-14 are the introduction to this period, while at the end of Isaiah 27 there is a brief reference to the realm of peace. The part of Isaiah 14:28-27:13 is a description of events in the world from the last days of the great tribulation until the beginning of the millennial realm of peace. Israel is also mentioned again, but then as part of the world.

The nations that successively are judged are judged because of their idolatry and their attitude toward Israel. The reason they are mentioned, while many other nations are not mentioned, is the way in which they have behaved toward God’s people in the past and that they have attacked them. God’s people are “the apple of His eye” (Zec 2:8). So whoever touches His people hits the LORD in His heart.

The two other great prophets, Jeremiah and Ezekiel, also prophesy of this judgment on the surrounding nations (Jeremiah 46-51; Ezekiel 25-32). Isaiah and Jeremiah speak in their prophecies about the nations mainly about the destruction of Babylon, although they also speak about other nations, while Ezekiel speaks mainly about God’s judgment on Egypt.

Prophecy About Babylon

After the judgment on Judah and Jerusalem that has been before us in the previous chapters, Isaiah 7-12, now, in Isaiah 13-27, comes the judgment on the nations of the world. As an introduction to this, God begins with the judgment on Babylon (Isaiah 13-14). It begins with “the oracle concerning Babylon” or “the burden of Babylon” (Isa 13:1), for Babylon will destroy the world domination of Assyria and succeed it.

What Isaiah has seen is called “burden” because it is a word from God that is imposed upon the prophet as a burden (Jer 23:33-40). Most prophecies in the following chapters begin with this word “oracle” or “burden”. Again, “Isaiah” is called by name. The fact that he has ‘seen’ this burden emphasizes that it is real prophecy, which was spoken before the fall of Babylon, because in the time of Ahaz, when Isaiah writes this, Babylon is far from being a world power. It also makes clear that with Isaiah 13 a new part begins.

When Scripture speaks of Babylon, it can refer to both the city and the country. Babylon is the same as Babel. Babylon is the Greek name and Babel the Hebrew name. The reader must then see whether this means the city or the country. The first kingdom mentioned in Scripture is that of Babel. It is founded by a man who is a tyrant, a man of violence, and a hunter, i.e. a blood-spilling man (Gen 10:8-10).

In Babylon, the primordial society of mankind after the deluge is together in unity. When the whole earth still uses the same language and the same words, man in Babylon wants to build a tower that reaches to heaven in order to increase his power on earth. God prevents this and at Babel scatters mankind abroad over the face of the whole earth by the confusion of language (Gen 11:1-9). Because of this mankind is divided over the five continents.

The overthrow of the power of Assyria is described in the book of Nahum. There we read of the fall of Nineveh, the capital of Assyria. At the moment Isaiah utters this prophecy, there is not much to be seen of Babylon as a world power. That Isaiah can start with Babylon as the first nation is only because he sees prophetically the rise of Babylon and also the rise of the next empires. Babylon is the power that will judge Judah because Judah lives in idolatry and rebellion against the LORD. Babylon is also the power that in the end time will make a covenant with the apostate Israel under the antichrist.

The description of the capture of Babylon shows that it happens very violently, unlike the capture of Babylon a century and a half later, in 539 BC, by the Medes and the Persians, which happens almost silently. This is because the emphasis here is on the destruction of the prophetic Babylon in the future, namely that of the first beast, with the ten horns, the leader of the restored Roman Empire, the united states of (ex-Christian) Europe (Rev 13:1-10).

By the way, Assyria is a type of the future king of the North, the leader of the (northeastern) Arab islamic (Shiite?) alliance, supported by Gog and Magog (Russia). Remarkably, Psalm 83 also mentions an alliance consisting of ten countries (Psa 83:5-8).

Finally, we find the king of the South – not mentioned here, but in Daniel 11 (Dan 11:40) – by which we can understand an alliance of (southern) Arab islamic (Sunni?) peoples. They will be the first to attack Israel, followed by the king of the North. If the king of the North has destroyed Israel and especially Jerusalem, he will then attack and overpower the king of the South. Then he will return to Israel because of the coming of the army of the beast (Europe) and be destroyed by Christ (Dan 11:41-45).