Isaiah Chapter 13

A PROPHECY OF THE FATE OF BABYLON

 

How did you do in history in high school? Did you enjoy it? Did you get good grades? Or did you find it boring? I always enjoyed history and do well remembering the dates of historical events. Betty, on the other hand, did find high school history boring and nothing but a bunch of dates of wars and names of battles that seemed totally irrelevant. Yet, today, we both realize that history is very relevant because it is a drama far more interesting than any movie.

As we look closely at the next few chapters of Isaiah you may wonder, “What does all that ancient history about nations, many of which no longer exist, have to do with me in here-and-now USA? It is true perhaps that the specific events and dates are not all that important to you, like the names and dates of battles and wars, but what is important in these chapters is what we learn about God and how He deals with people. We will see over and over again that God is sovereign (He’s in charge), that He punishes disobedience, that He loves His own people, those who love and trust Him, and is merciful and gracious to them. We will see that God takes note of the injustices done to the people by governmental leaders and that He delights in bringing about deliverance for the poor and oppressed.

The book of Isaiah is interpreted differently by many scholars. Some see these prophecies as referring to the near future and applying to the major world powers of the day such as Assyria, Babylon, and Medo-Persia. Other scholars see the prophecies as applying to the more distant future and focusing on those things that will occur in the final days, the Tribulation, and the Millennium.[fn] Some suggest the prophecies (predictions) apply to both near and long-term events. The near term events being what is called a “type” in theological terms, or a sampling of what will also occur in the end times.

I will give you a personal evaluation of what this interpreter sees, not only in Isaiah, but in other Bible prophecies as well. The Bible is without a doubt the most remarkable literary work ever assembled. I am not an expert on literary styles and techniques but I can tell you this: I understand how to do exegesis, that is to give an explanation or critical interpretation of a text, such as the Bible. However, the Bible is such a marvelous literary work that it can give us a passage which can be correctly interpreted in more than just one way. A human being is not capable of writing like this using all the prose, poetry, prophesy, miracles, and complete inventory of literary styles and techniques, and to incorporate such writing over a period of 1,500 years. It is simply impossible for a single human to have done this and it would be equally impossible for groups of people to coordinate it over a period of 1,500 years. This book was dictated to men and women by the Holy Spirit of God in absolute perfection and there isn’t a person in the world that can refute that. And if you think there is, you can bring them on.

So when we interpret the book of Isaiah, we will most often focus on the long-term effects of the prophecies because those are the effects that will most directly effect us. But remember,  the prophecies were given in this way so that people could believe the long term implications of the prophecy by seeing the short-term implications actually happen not too long after the prophecy was stated.

Let me try to give you an example of this. If I were to predict that the Chicago Cubs were going to win the World Series the next three years in a row, and then not win for two years, but then would come back and win five more world series in a row, you would probably think I had lost my mind. But if the Cubs did win the World Series for 3 years in a row, the chances are you would believe my ability to predict the five year win streak Predicting that the Cubs would win three consecutive World Series in succession would seem absolutely impossible. But if such a miracle, such a prediction came true, you would  very likely accept my prediction of five more successive wins. That is exactly what we see happening in much of the prophecy of the Bible.

Let us now go back and take a closer look at each of these verses.

Isaiah 13:1 NRSV:
1 The oracle concerning Babylon that Isaiah son of Amoz saw.

The passage in 13:1-14:27 shows that Isaiah’s writing about events before they happened was possible. Isaiah looks into the future, predicting the destruction he saw would come upon Babylon as a result of the Medo-Persian invasion. It may at first seem strange that Babylon appears in these visions because it was an insignificant power in Isaiah’s day, completely overshadowed by Assyria. But Isaiah was empowered to look forward to the time when Assyria and Babylon would be combined into one great nation, of which the city of Babylon would be the capital.

The nation of Babylon was the power destined to carry out the judgments of God against Judah because of Judah’s rebellion and idolatry. It becomes evident that behind the actual rulers of these countries is a dominating satanic influence. This prophecy has a double fulfillment. What that means is that the destruction of Babylon by Cyrus and Darius of Medo-Persia in 539 BC is what was described earlier as a “type” in biblical writing. The destruction of Babylon in 539 BC represented a similar destruction of the world government that will exist when Christ returns again.

In eloquent and dramatic language Isaiah pictures the final downfall of anyone and everyone who oppress the people of God.

This section is an oracle, sometimes translated “burden,”  as it comes from the verb meaning “to be lifted or carried.” It refers to the actual words of a god communicated through a priest, priestess, or prophet. It was a weighty or burdensome kind of message to deliver. It is a common term in the prophetic writings Isaiah’s oracle concerns Babylon. Babylon deserved God’s wrath, for that city had long been a rallying point of anti-God activity. From its very beginning (Genesis. 11:1-9) it had been characterized by rebellion against God. Over the centuries, as various dynasties ruled over that city, it was viewed as a place of hatred against the God of Israel. Even in the Tribulation, just before the return of Christ, it will be a center of hatred against God (Revelation 17-18).

Then God forms His army in Isaiah 13:2-5 NRSV:

2 On a bare hill raise a signal, cry aloud to them; wave the hand for them to enter the gates of the nobles.
3 I myself have commanded my consecrated ones, have summoned my warriors, my proudly exulting ones, to execute my anger.
4 Listen, a tumult on the mountains as of a great multitude! Listen, an uproar of kingdoms, of nations gathering together! The Lord of hosts is mustering an army for battle.
5 They come from a distant land, from the end of the heavens, the Lord and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole earth.

The army referred to in these verses is clearly God’s because He said He summoned His warriors to carry out His wrath against Babylon; that is, they would do His bidding. This army was a great multitude, like an amassing of entire nations. Coming for war they would assemble from faraway lands, from the ends of the heavens. This is not a specific geographical description as much as a way of saying that His great army would include soldiers from many places. Though Isaiah was writing about the military strife in his day, a similar mustering of vast armies will occur just before the millennial kingdom begins after Christ’s return (Revelation 16:12-16).

Isaiah 13:6-13 NRSV:
6 Wail, for the day of the Lord is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty!
7 Therefore all hands will be feeble, and every human heart will melt,
8 and they will be dismayed. Pangs and agony will seize them; they will be  in anguish like a woman in labor. They will look aghast at one another; their faces will be aflame.
9 See, the day of the Lord comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger, to make the earth a desolation, and to destroy its sinners from it.
10 For the stars of the heavens and their constellations will not give their light; the sun will be dark at its rising, and the moon will not shed its light.
11 I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will put an end to the pride of the arrogant, and lay low the insolence of tyrants.
12 I will make mortals more rare than fine gold, and humans than the gold of Ophir.
13 Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken out of its place, at the wrath of the Lord of hosts in the day of his fierce anger.

The day of the Lord refers to the time of the Lord’s judgment on the wicked world and/or the deliverance of His people. A judgment which will come on the whole world just before God establishes His millennial kingdom on the earth. This judgment from the Almighty will cause people to be in extreme distress, in pain like a woman’s labor pains. The day of the Lord, expressing His anger against sin, will destroy sinners and punish the world for its evil and its proud attitude toward God. The statements in 13:10 about the heavenly bodies (stars. ...sun ...moon) no longer functioning may figuratively describe the total turnaround of the political structure of the Near East as well. The same would be true of the heavens trembling and the earth shaking, figures of speech suggesting all-encompassing destruction. Again, all of this is the equivalent to the final judgment to come on the world. Because so many will die in battle, people will be scarcer than the rare and valuable gold of Ophir, a town probably located on the southwestern coast of Arabia (Job 22:24; 28:16)

Isaiah 13:14-18 NRSV:
14 Like a hunted gazelle, or like sheep with no one to gather them, all will turn to their own people, and all will flee to their own lands.
15 Whoever is found will be thrust through, and whoever is caught will fall by the sword.
16 Their infants will be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses will be plundered, and their wives ravished.
17 See, I am stirring up the Medes against them, who have no regard for silver and do not delight in gold.
18 Their bows will slaughter the young men; they will have no mercy on the fruit of the womb; their eyes will not pity children.

The fall of Babylon to the Medes was merely a short-term glimpse of the ultimate fall of the world government in the end times. In the day of the Lord, described in verses 6-13, the army formed by God would attack unrelentingly. The people attacked would be utterly powerless to stop the invasion. They would be like antelope and sheep, defenseless creatures that are easy prey for hunters. There will be nothing they can do but to attempt to flee back to wherever they came from. But for those who were caught, terrible things would happen, including death by the sword, infanticide, plundering, and rape. The destruction would be unrelenting in that the invaders could not be bought off with money and they will have no mercy on babies or children.

Isaiah 13:19-22:
19 And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the splendor and pride of the Chileans (the name given to Nebuchadnezzar‘s subjects)[fn], will be like Sodom and Gomorrah when God overthrew them.
20 It will never be inhabited or lived in for all generations; Arabs will not pitch their tents there, shepherds will not make their flocks lie down there.
21 But wild animals will lie down there, and its houses will be full of howling creatures; there ostriches will live, and there goat-demons will dance.
22 Hyenas will cry in its towers, and jackals in the pleasant palaces; its time is close at hand, and its days will not be prolonged.

The recipient of this destruction is compared to Babylon and represents the splendor of the world government established in the end times which is referred to as Babylon. Because of her pride (verse 11) and godless idolatry, Babylon would be overthrown by God. Just as God overthrew the wicked cities of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis. 19:24-25), so He would overthrow the wicked world government of Anti-Christ. Isaiah’s description of the devastation of Babylon, no inhabitants for generations and no tents or flocks, but instead jackals... owls... wild goats, and hyenas is typical of the way ancient Near Eastern cultures described the desolate condition of demolished cities

One day, in one form or another, Babylon will again appear on the world scene. But then I think it will be more than just a city. It will be symbolic of the one-world government that will be in power just before Christ returns. Christ will then destroy the one-world government just like the Medes and Persians destroyed Babylon.

 

 

 

 

 

Isaiah

John

Romans

1 Peter


© Ron Teed - Used by permission. All rights Reserved.