Isaiah 13-17

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• Today you will read the ORIGIN OF SATAN
• Don’t get OVERWHELMED.  ISAIAH IS HARD TO UNDERSTAND

Chapters 13-23 are oracles against the nations.   The message was given to Israel ABOUT the fall of the surrounding nations. Today we will read 13-17.

• Babylon
• Assyria
• Philistia
• Moab
• Damascus
  

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Then

• Cush
• Egypt
• Edom
• Arabia

Babylon- These prophecies are both a short-term fulfillment and a long-term fullfillment.  Basically, we are looking at a news show with a split-screen (Like Fox News or CNN)

Babylon is the up and coming “superpower” as a nation (one view-current in OT)  However, Babylon is also symbolic of all evil, pride, oppression, or power that exalts itself against the Lord.  ( second view-Revelation 18).  This is a prophecy that we will see mixed both near and far prophecies.

Isaiah 13

(far prophecy)

⁹ See, the day of the Lord is coming
    —a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger—
to make the land desolate
    and destroy the sinners within it.

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(Near prophecy)

Babylon, the jewel of kingdoms,
    the pride and glory of the Babylonians,
will be overthrown by God
    like Sodom and Gomorrah.

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Chapter 14

Always look for Hope.  God is compassionate for “His People” (us)  There is a return of His people

The Lord will have compassion on Jacob;
    once again he will choose Israel
    and will settle them in their own land.
Foreigners will join them
    and unite with the descendants of Jacob.

(Foreigners will join….that is referring to Gentiles…you and I are included in His Mercy!)

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So if Jesus is the King of Kings.  Who is the King of Babylon??

HUGE double reference.  As we see the historical context of the fall of the Babylonian King “near reference”.  The King of Evil is Satan himself when we look at the “far” prophecy.

ARE YOU READY FOR IT!!!! THIS IS THE HISTORY OF SATAN- “Morning Star” translation is Lucifer!

¹² How you have fallen from heaven,
morning star, son of the dawn!
You have been cast down to the earth,
you who once laid low the nations!
¹³ You said in your heart,
“I will ascend to the heavens;
I will raise my throne
above the stars of God;
I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,
on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon.
¹⁴ I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.”
¹⁵ But you are brought down to the realm of the dead,
to the depths of the pit.

Only Scripture interprets scripture: so where can we cross-reference this? Glad you asked:

Ezekiel 28:14.  The “near” reference is the King of Tyre.  The “far” reference is the destruction of Satan.

‘You were the seal of perfection, (Lucifer as an angel)

    full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
¹³ You were in Eden,
    the garden of God;
every precious stone adorned you:
    carnelian, chrysolite and emerald,
    topaz, onyx and jasper,
    lapis lazuli, turquoise and beryl.
Your settings and mountings were made of gold;
    on the day you were created they were prepared.
¹⁴ You were anointed as a guardian cherub,
    for so I ordained you.
You were on the holy mount of God;
    you walked among the fiery stones.
¹⁵ You were blameless in your ways
    from the day you were created
    till wickedness was found in you.
¹⁶ Through your widespread trade
    you were filled with violence,
    and you sinned.
So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of God,
    and I expelled you, guardian cherub,
    from among the fiery stones.
¹⁷ Your heart became proud
    on account of your beauty,
and you corrupted your wisdom
    because of your splendor.
So I threw you to the earth;
    I made a spectacle of you before kings.
¹⁸ By your many sins and dishonest trade
    you have desecrated your sanctuaries.
So I made a fire come out from you,
    and it consumed you,
and I reduced you to ashes on the ground
    in the sight of all who were watching.
¹⁹ All the nations who knew you
    are appalled at you;
you have come to a horrible end
    and will be no more.’”

(His end will be at the last battle in Revelation)

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Ch 15-16  Moab.  Who are the Moabites?  

The Moabites were a tribe descended from Moab, the son of Lot, born of an incestuous relationship with his oldest daughter (Genesis 19). From Zoar, on the southeastern border of the Dead Sea, they gradually spread over the region on the east of Jordan.  They have been a thorn in the Hebrews side ever since.

In short, an enemy will come from the North and free the refugees and push them towards Edom and around towards Judah.  To take the refugees or not to take the refugees…that is the question???

Yes- why you ask?  Think of Ruth…she was a Moab (and I like her).  She gave birth to the line of David (and I like him half the time)….So they bring lambs as a tribute (how symbolic)…and a VERY cool double prophecy…

The oppressor will come to an end,
    and destruction will cease;
    the aggressor will vanish from the land.
⁵ In love a throne will be established;
    in faithfulness a man will sit on it—
    one from the house  of David—
one who in judging seeks justice
    and speeds the cause of righteousness.

Well, the answer is NO-Their tribute was with empty hearts.  They were prideful and continued to worship false gods…So God’s verdict for Moab is:

But now the Lord says: “Within three years, as a servant bound by contract would count them, Moab’s splendor and all her many people will be despised, and her survivors will be very few and feeble.”

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I TOLD YOU I STRUGGLE WITH ISAIAH!  THIS IS HARD.  BUT, my goal is to understand 1% more than I did last time.  So let’s keep moving forward!

Try reading this one.  When you see “In that Day” look for the double prophecy.  Historical and Future.  You can do it.  BUT the one thing I want to point out is the beauty of Repentance.  Regardless if you view it as the falling of Damascas or the final battle in Revelation…People are Saved!

⁷ In that day people will look to their Maker
    and turn their eyes to the Holy One of Israel.
⁸ They will not look to the altars,
    the work of their hands,
and they will have no regard for the Asherah poles
    and the incense altars their fingers have made.