Isa 37:36-37 | KingComments | STEP | After the comprehensive answer to the prayer of Hezekiah, the Angel of the LORD kills 185,000 men the next night ( ; ). This judgment must have been carried out silently by the LORD. Only when it becomes morning do the survivors see the drama of the night and its extent. The sight of this enormous number of corpses must have been awe-inspiring. After this immense loss, Sennacherib is forced to withdraw and settle in Nineveh ( ). This great blow also has a prophetic meaning. The Angel of the LORD is the Lord Jesus. He executes the judgment here. He will do the same in the end time with the king of the North and other hostile powers ( ). It is mentioned without fuss. From the way the king of Assyria comes to his end, a loud message goes out. Those who ignore God in spite of the many proofs he has received of His existence, find their end in the area he worships instead of God. The fool seeks salvation in the temple of his self-conceived and self-made god ( ). While he worships that dead god in that temple, at the same place the vengeance of the living God strikes him by means of the sword with which his sons kill him. An idol is completely powerless even in its own temple. Not only the Assyrian army, but also its king falls prey to the judgment of the living God.

‏ Isaiah 37:36-37

The Enemies Killed

After the comprehensive answer to the prayer of Hezekiah, the Angel of the LORD kills 185,000 men the next night (Isa 37:36; Isa 31:8a). This judgment must have been carried out silently by the LORD. Only when it becomes morning do the survivors see the drama of the night and its extent. The sight of this enormous number of corpses must have been awe-inspiring. After this immense loss, Sennacherib is forced to withdraw and settle in Nineveh (Isa 37:37).

This great blow also has a prophetic meaning. The Angel of the LORD is the Lord Jesus. He executes the judgment here. He will do the same in the end time with the king of the North and other hostile powers (Rev 19:19-21). It is mentioned without fuss.

From the way the king of Assyria comes to his end, a loud message goes out. Those who ignore God in spite of the many proofs he has received of His existence, find their end in the area he worships instead of God. The fool seeks salvation in the temple of his self-conceived and self-made god (Isa 37:38). While he worships that dead god in that temple, at the same place the vengeance of the living God strikes him by means of the sword with which his sons kill him. An idol is completely powerless even in its own temple. Not only the Assyrian army, but also its king falls prey to the judgment of the living God.