Isaiah 27:1
The Great Opponent Killed
This chapter can be divided into three parts (Isa 27:1; 2-11; 12-13), each beginning with “in that day”, which is the day the LORD comes to purify the earth of evil by judgment. In Isa 27:1 the judgment of God on the world reaches its climax and according to its content belongs to the judgment announced in Isaiah 26 (Isa 26:21). It may be that in Isa 27:1 there are three monsters; it may also be a three-headed monster (cf. Psa 74:13-14). Two of the monsters are called “Leviathan” (Job 41:1-34). The first one is called “the fleeing serpent”. This is Assyria. The Tigris, the river in northern Iraq, is a fast flowing river. Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, is located on the Tigris. The second one is called “the twisted serpent”. The Euphrates is the twisting river in southern Iraq, where the capital Babylon is located. The third monster, “the dragon”, is “in the sea”. This is Egypt (cf. Isa 51:9). The sea is usually a picture of the nations, but here possibly also an indication of the Nile. It is the world powers that play a significant role in the history and prophecies of Israel. In the serpent and the dragon, we can also see the evil power behind the scenes, that one “great dragon …, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan” (Rev 12:9a). God will definitely deal with this power and his demonic companions.
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