Isa 21:2 | KingComments | STEP | Destruction : So far, Isaiah 14-20, we have seen the indirect judgments of the LORD through His instrument the Assyrians. These judgments are called a “destruction” that is “determined” ( ). The Assyrians, or king of the North, attack Israel and then go on to the south, to Egypt. Harvest: In the chapters that follow now, Isaiah 21-24, we will read about the direct judgments of Christ after His appearance. We then get judgments that distinguish between believers who are spared and the wicked who are not spared, but taken away by judgment. This is the opposite of what happens when the believers are raptured, because then the believers are taken away and the unbelievers are left behind. It is as it were the bringing in of the harvest ( ; ). Then the chaff is separated from the wheat. By the way, even with the ten plagues of Egypt, we first find the judgments where Israel also suffers from, and later the judgments where Israel is spared. The harvest begins with judgment, through Christ, on Babylon, the army of the beast ( ), and ends with the judgment on the living ( ), whereby also as it were the chaff is separated from the wheat. There are three burdens in this chapter. They concern Babylon ( ), Edom ( ) and Arabia ( ). We will see that in the future, Babylon will be equal to the restored Roman Empire or the united states of Europe, perhaps with other Western allies. Babylon (Rome, Europe) will make an alliance with the antichrist, the coming false king of Israel. Babylon, Europe, will come to the aid of the then defeated land of Israel and will come to Israel with his army. The king of the North will then return to Israel. The battle can begin. But then the Lord Jesus appears! “The wilderness of the sea” ( ) we must locate in the south of Iraq. It is Babylon that lies in the Gulf area (cf. ). We read that John stands on the sand of the sea ( ). Here we can see that Babylon is connected with Revelation 13 and especially the beast of the sea, which is the restored Roman Empire in the future. Babylon lies by the sea, but it will soon be conquered and destroyed by the Medes and become a wilderness. Also spiritually, the beautiful, rich Babylon is a barren wilderness ( ) and the nations are depicted as the great waters, the restless sea ( ). It is clearly a prophecy, because at that moment Assyria is still the mighty world empire. There is not much of Babylon to be seen yet. It is precisely the essence of the prophecy that God describes future events in it, none of which can yet be discovered in the present. The same goes for the conquest of Babylon by the Medes and Persians. Elam, that is the southwest of Persia, together with Media ( ), marches violently and quickly against Babylon ( ). Thus the LORD will give His people relief from the yoke of Babylon and make “an end of all the groaning”. It also has a meaning for the end time. While the king of the North is engaged in battle in Egypt ( ), finally the mighty army of the restored Roman Empire comes to the north of Israel. The army of the king of the North then returns to Israel. Then the time has come for Christ to appear and personally judge this empire, which is typologically portrayed by Babylon ( ). What King Cyrus, the king of the Medo-Persian empire, – called “His anointed” by the LORD ( ) – has done with Babylon in the past, will happen through Christ (= Anointed) in the future. In Isaiah 40-45, Cyrus is a type of Christ.

‏ Isaiah 21:2

Introduction

Destruction: So far, Isaiah 14-20, we have seen the indirect judgments of the LORD through His instrument the Assyrians. These judgments are called a “destruction” that is “determined” (Isa 10:22). The Assyrians, or king of the North, attack Israel and then go on to the south, to Egypt.

Harvest: In the chapters that follow now, Isaiah 21-24, we will read about the direct judgments of Christ after His appearance. We then get judgments that distinguish between believers who are spared and the wicked who are not spared, but taken away by judgment. This is the opposite of what happens when the believers are raptured, because then the believers are taken away and the unbelievers are left behind.

It is as it were the bringing in of the harvest (Mt 13:36-43; Rev 14:14-16). Then the chaff is separated from the wheat. By the way, even with the ten plagues of Egypt, we first find the judgments where Israel also suffers from, and later the judgments where Israel is spared. The harvest begins with judgment, through Christ, on Babylon, the army of the beast (Rev 19:11-21), and ends with the judgment on the living (Mt 25:31-46), whereby also as it were the chaff is separated from the wheat.

There are three burdens in this chapter. They concern Babylon (Isa 21:1-10), Edom (Isa 21:11-12) and Arabia (Isa 21:13-17). We will see that in the future, Babylon will be equal to the restored Roman Empire or the united states of Europe, perhaps with other Western allies. Babylon (Rome, Europe) will make an alliance with the antichrist, the coming false king of Israel. Babylon, Europe, will come to the aid of the then defeated land of Israel and will come to Israel with his army. The king of the North will then return to Israel. The battle can begin. But then the Lord Jesus appears!

Burden of the Wilderness of the Sea (Babylon)

“The wilderness of the sea” (Isa 21:1) we must locate in the south of Iraq. It is Babylon that lies in the Gulf area (cf. Jer 51:13a ; 42). We read that John stands on the sand of the sea (Rev 12:17). Here we can see that Babylon is connected with Revelation 13 and especially the beast of the sea, which is the restored Roman Empire in the future. Babylon lies by the sea, but it will soon be conquered and destroyed by the Medes and become a wilderness. Also spiritually, the beautiful, rich Babylon is a barren wilderness (Rev 17:3) and the nations are depicted as the great waters, the restless sea (Rev 17:1 ; 15).

It is clearly a prophecy, because at that moment Assyria is still the mighty world empire. There is not much of Babylon to be seen yet. It is precisely the essence of the prophecy that God describes future events in it, none of which can yet be discovered in the present.

The same goes for the conquest of Babylon by the Medes and Persians. Elam, that is the southwest of Persia, together with Media (Isa 21:2), marches violently and quickly against Babylon (Dan 5:28-30). Thus the LORD will give His people relief from the yoke of Babylon and make “an end of all the groaning”.

It also has a meaning for the end time. While the king of the North is engaged in battle in Egypt (Dan 11:40-44), finally the mighty army of the restored Roman Empire comes to the north of Israel. The army of the king of the North then returns to Israel. Then the time has come for Christ to appear and personally judge this empire, which is typologically portrayed by Babylon (Dan 11:45). What King Cyrus, the king of the Medo-Persian empire, – called “His anointed” by the LORD (Isa 45:1) – has done with Babylon in the past, will happen through Christ (= Anointed) in the future. In Isaiah 40-45, Cyrus is a type of Christ.