Isa 17:12-13 | KingComments | STEP | These verses indicate the end time again. “The uproar of many peoples” is presented as “the roaring of the seas” ( ; cf. ; ). “The rumbling of nations” is presented as “the rumbling of mighty waters”. Here we see how God uses His control over nature to portray His control over history. This is about the “uproar of many peoples” who will fight against Israel, but fundamentally “take counsel together against the LORD and against His Anointed” ( ). The nullity of all those hostile powers appears when He “rebukes” them ( ). Then they flee far away as “chaff” that is “chased … in the mountains before the wind” and as “whirling dust before a gale”. When He rises, they disappear. “At evening time”, at the end of a day of advance, there is horror when the LORD appears and defeats the enemy once and for all ( ). “Before the morning” dawns of the day on which the enemy wants to attack, “they are no more”. Through a sudden intervention of the LORD the enemy has come to his end ( ). Both in the days of Hezekiah and in the end time, his dream of the dawn of a glorious morning will fade away. Earlier it is mainly about Assyria itself ( ); here ( ) it is about the alliance of many peoples led by North Arab and islamic (possibly shiite) countries, with behind them the power of Russia (Gog and Magog). It is about the Assyrian armies and their allies plundering and robbing Judah, “us”. Prophetically, we find this event in the book of Daniel ( ). When Jerusalem is surrounded by the nations, night threatens to fall over the city. But then the salvation of the LORD will come and “it will come about that at evening time there will be light” ( ). The night will not fall over the city; the threatening darkness will flee from before Him Whose feet will stand on the Mount of Olives. Then it will always be light, because the “sun of righteousness” has appeared ( ). This is how it happened in the life of their ancestor Jacob, after he had his time of ‘great tribulation’: “Now the sun rose upon him just as he crossed over Penuel” ( ).

‏ Isaiah 17:12-13

The Fate of the Plunderers

These verses indicate the end time again. “The uproar of many peoples” is presented as “the roaring of the seas” (Isa 17:12; cf. Isa 57:20; Rev 17:15). “The rumbling of nations” is presented as “the rumbling of mighty waters”. Here we see how God uses His control over nature to portray His control over history. This is about the “uproar of many peoples” who will fight against Israel, but fundamentally “take counsel together against the LORD and against His Anointed” (Psa 2:1-2).

The nullity of all those hostile powers appears when He “rebukes” them (Isa 17:13). Then they flee far away as “chaff” that is “chased … in the mountains before the wind” and as “whirling dust before a gale”. When He rises, they disappear.

“At evening time”, at the end of a day of advance, there is horror when the LORD appears and defeats the enemy once and for all (Isa 17:14). “Before the morning” dawns of the day on which the enemy wants to attack, “they are no more”. Through a sudden intervention of the LORD the enemy has come to his end (Isa 37:36-38). Both in the days of Hezekiah and in the end time, his dream of the dawn of a glorious morning will fade away.

Earlier it is mainly about Assyria itself (Isa 14:22-24); here (Isa 17:12-14) it is about the alliance of many peoples led by North Arab and islamic (possibly shiite) countries, with behind them the power of Russia (Gog and Magog). It is about the Assyrian armies and their allies plundering and robbing Judah, “us”. Prophetically, we find this event in the book of Daniel (Dan 11:45a).

When Jerusalem is surrounded by the nations, night threatens to fall over the city. But then the salvation of the LORD will come and “it will come about that at evening time there will be light” (Zec 14:7). The night will not fall over the city; the threatening darkness will flee from before Him Whose feet will stand on the Mount of Olives. Then it will always be light, because the “sun of righteousness” has appeared (Mal 4:2). This is how it happened in the life of their ancestor Jacob, after he had his time of ‘great tribulation’: “Now the sun rose upon him just as he crossed over Penuel” (Gen 32:31).