Isaiah 13-14
Chapter 13: The End of the World
The burden against Babylon.
(‘Burden’ = an important message causing sorrow.) An army comes against
Bablyon. A day of the Lord is promised – great slaughter shall occur, and humans
will be more rare than gold. The Medes will be stirred up against Babylon.
Babylon will be laid waste, and populated only by wild beasts.
“For the stars of heaven and the
constellation thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in
his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.” (Isaiah 13:10)
“There for I [God] will shake the
heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place… shall be as when God
overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.” (Isaiah 13:13&19)
Chapter 14: Lucifer is Cast Out!
Israel will be settled in its own
land, and rule over strangers. The whole earth will rejoice at the fall of the
king of Babylon. The pomp of Babylon shall come to nothing, and be received in
hell.
“How art thou fallen from heaven,
O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the
ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will
ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars
of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. They that
see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying,
Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; That made
the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened
not the house of his prisoners?” (Isaiah 14:12-17)
The fall is a punishment for
aspiring to be like the Most High. The nations will be amazed at the complete
reversal of fortune. Unlike other kings who sleep in glory, the king of Babylon
will be cast out of his grave. Assyria and Philistia will also be crushed.
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