Isaiah 17-37
Introduction
Isaiah is one of the major prophetic books, and many consider it a “mini-Bible” of its own. Though chapter/verse markings were not part of the early copies, it happens that the 1st 39 chapters are more about judgment just as the Old Testament’s 39 books are, while the last 27 chapters are more about consolation just as the New Testament’s 27 books are. Isaiah literally means, “The Lord is Salvation”, which summarizes the book. Isaiah’s focus was on Jerusalem and Judah, and his message was that they would be overrun by Gentiles for their sins. But though God’s judgment had to be harsh, he would never abandon the people of Israel forever. He deals with Israel as a nation, not necessarily as individuals, and the prophecies are not necessarily in chronological order. Please refer to these resources as well: this commentary, the NETS Bible, and this LXX Interlinear.
Isaiah 17
Damascus, the capital of Syria, is one of the oldest continuously-inhabited cities in the world, going back to at least 3000 BC. But the prophecy centers more on Israel than Damascus, which is only addressed in the first three verses. The area will only be good for grazing animals, rather than for people to live. So as devastated as Damascus is today, people still live there, and it’s still considered a city. Some commentaries take it as having been fulfilled around 732 BC, but the LXX uses the word “forever”, and if that’s the correct rendering, this has not been fulfilled on that account either. For more on the future view see this article. But I disagree with the commentary that this is a hodge-podge of Isaiah’s prophecies, and that the course of events is less important than the problems they’re meant to address.
All commentaries seem to take verse 3 onward as fulfilled in the past, yet there would be a few survivors in Syria, though none are mentioned for Damascus. Jacob and Ephraim, representing the northern kingdom of Israel and its capital Samaria, are described as being “skin and bones”. This referred to its ruling class being deported to Assyria, leaving only the poor to work the land, as was the custom in ancient times when a nation was conquered. It was the mix of survivors from Israel and Assyria who became the despised Samaritans of Jesus’ day. Here’s a quote from the Damascus article linked earlier, which destroys the “lost tribes” theory:
A quick reading of 2 Chronicles 11:16 shows that all the faithful from the 10 northern tribes moved south at the time of the civil war that divided the nation after King Solomon’s death 150 years earlier. From then on, all 12 tribes were represented in the Southern Kingdom of Judah, so the 10 tribes from the North weren’t totally lost. The Lord has always preserved a believing remnant from all the Tribes of Israel.
Verse 7 then shifts to a more distant future (”in that day” or “at that time”), when people (not just Israelites) give up their idols and false gods to turn to the God of Israel. Verse 9 gives the reason as “because of the Israelites”, who at the time of the Assyrian conquest were as decimated as anyone else, so this can’t refer to that former time.
Verse ten says that the people had forgotten God, so their plans all come to nothing. God himself would destroy the Assyrian army, as we’ll see in ch. 37. But the distant future fulfillment can’t be easily dismissed, since Assyria was only one nation, while verse 12 speaks of many, and since those lands still persist in rebellion against God and hostility toward Israel. Some take verse 14 as applying to the destruction of Damascus, but this is in the context of the “many nations”. Anti-Israeli sentiment has been growing louder in the last few decades, which makes perfect sense as preparation for this prophecy’s final fulfillment.
Isaiah 18
Now who is the nation being described here? The various commentaries agree that we can’t be precise, but the impression I get from them and also the Greek translation is that it refers to the people of Cush/Ethiopia at the southern end of the Red Sea, and those living along the Nile river. It was common for small, lightweight, papyrus boats to be used in waters too narrow or shallow for normal ships, and Nubians, who live in Sudan on the western side of the Red Sea, can be described as “tall and smooth-skinned”.
But the text and the commentaries are somewhat confusing, since it seems that both the messengers and the tall people are the same, yet one is to bring the message to the other. Were they to bring the message to themselves? And does verse 3 mean only the world as Israel knew it, or the whole world as we understand it? Also consider that after God waits, a trumpet is blown, and in verse 7 tribute is brought to Mount Zion. This has not happened, so it refers to the Millennium.
Isaiah 19
Now God’s attention turns toward Egypt, whose history was filled with upheaval and whose existence depended entirely on the Nile River. By taking advantage of their disunity and attacking the river, God would show them how little power they actually had.
The prophecy in verse 16 looks to the distant future (”in that day” or “at that time”), when Judah will be feared and the Egyptians will bring them tribute and speak the Hebrew language. Also, per verse 19, the Egyptians will build an altar/temple in their land, as well as a pillar at their border honoring the God of Israel. Once again, if this were all an allegory about eternal bliss, there would be no designations of nations or borders, nor any need for a highway between Egypt and Assyria. God specifies his blessing on Israel, Egypt, and Assyria because they will be literal, physical nations during the Millennium.
Isaiah 20-22
Then there is a brief prophecy with a more immediate fulfillment in Isaiah’s day, regarding the fact that Assyria would conquer and humiliate Egypt and Cush. This was a clear object lesson to Israel about either fearing or trusting Egypt, as stated in verse 6.
Then in ch. 21 it’s back to Babylon, “the desert by the sea”. Like the historical hot desert winds from the Negev, God’s judgment would devastate the land. Here again, the land to be devastated cannot be an allegory of judgment, since the desert wind is the symbol of literal, physical judgment from God against a literal, phyisical land. The reason for the judgment is specific to those people, for all their deception and destruction of others.
Verse 9 is quoted in Rev. 14:8 and 18:2, and though Babylon has fallen before, one final fall still remains. The lesson once again is that Israel should never trust in powerful nations instead of God. Verses 11-12 seem strange and cryptic, but according to commentators they refer to the people of Edom asking the prophet how long their punishment was to last. The reply was that they would get relief, but only for a brief time, and then they could ask again.
Now in verse 13 we see a judgment against Arabia, and it’s short, blunt, and given a time. In one year it would be reduced to a handful of warriors, and there’s no stopping it.
Ch. 22 is against Jerusalem and Judah, the southern kingdom. Though at the time of the prophecy they were happy and content, this “valley of vision” had no vision at all for what was coming. Nebuchadnezzar and his allies would soon lay seige to the city and defeat it by starvation. The people had forgotten and abandoned God because of their self-reliance, so their celebration was foolhardy, to the point of that familiar phrase in verse 13, “Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die!”
An individual named Shebna is singled out for doom for his arrogance, and another named Eliakim would be Shebna’s replacement. Both of these people will be mentioned again in chapters 36-37, so this fulfillment takes place after that. Notice in verse 22 a phrase quoted in Rev. 3:7-8 for the Congregation at Philadelphia; it means that Jesus holds the ultimate position which for now would be held by Eliakim, the steward who protects the house. And unlike overconfident Jerusalem, this faithful Congregation would be kept safe from the calamities to come. Even so, verse 25 says that Eliakim would falter at the end.
Isaiah 23-24
Now we turn to the prophecy against Tyre, a major seaport on the Mediterranean Sea west of Damascus. While Babylon had become powerful on land by conquest, Tyre became powerful on the sea by peaceful trade, though it too had corrupted God’s people. And like Babylon, Tyre is also compared to a harlot. So the earlier phrase about Babylon being “in the desert by the sea” may refer to its connection here with Tyre, and together they symbolzed the entire world from east to west. The lament of seafaring people matches up with the fall of Babylon in Rev. 18:17-20.
Tarshish (”refinery”) is believed to have been in what is modern Spain, but “ships of Tarshish” was the term for the largest ships of the day, so Tyre’s downfall would impact all major shipping in the region. Verse 10 calls Tarshish “daughter”, and it’s believed that the “mother” was the sea itself. So we could connect Tarshish and Babylon again on this account, since we’ll see the name “daughter Babylon” in ch. 47, which has even more descriptions quoted in Revelation. The same name appears also in Ps. 137:8, Jeremiah 50:42 and 51:33, and Zech. 2:7.
In verse 11 we see Sidon, also called a “virgin daughter”, another city whose prosperity depended on sea trade. All the people who would flee the devastation would find no rest or refuge. But in verse 15 it gives the duration for Tyre’s demise: seventy years, which as it says in the text was the average lifespan of a king. Then to rebuild its former glory, Tyre would advertise itself like a prostitute. But, surprisingly, it would use its profits to serve God. Clearly a gap of time is indicated here, between the selfishness of motive for the wealth and its eventual use for service in God’s temple. Like Egypt, Tyre will also give tribute to Jerusalem during the Millennium. One wonders how the allegorical interpretation would explain these other nations.
In ch. 24 the prophecy turns to the world as a whole and continues through ch. 27. The commentary shows that it takes the form of a chiastic message centering on Mount Zion, and it shows a sequence from the Tribulation, to the 2nd Coming, to the Millennium, and then to eternity. God stands poised to strike the world with suffering and destruction, with no preference given for anyone’s social status. And the reason is given in verse 5: People have defiled the earth and must be repaid for their guilt. The phrase “the inhabitants of the earth” is seen in Rev. chs. 6-17 to describe unbelievers, but then in verse 14 the few survivors shout praises to God.
Then it’s back to the lament of the wicked, and in verse 20 we see a curious statement: The earth will stagger like a drunkard and sway like a hut in a windstorm. These analogies just don’t fit modern cosmology. Verses 21-22 show that this is the time when even wicked supernatural beings will be thrown into a pit and only released to be punished after a long time. This is what 2 Peter 2:4, Jude 6, and many passages in Revelation refer to. Verse 23 matches up with the cosmic disturbances of many other passages, such as Joel 2:30-32, Rev. 6:12-17, and Rev. 21:23.
Isaiah 25-26
Now we approach the centerpiece of the prophecy, the return of the Messiah at the end of the Tribulation. The banquet mentioned in verse 6 is referenced in Rev. 19:9 as the “wedding supper of the Lamb”, which happens at the beginning of the Millennium, though Death won’t be eliminated till the end of that time per Rev. 20:14 and 21:4. The description of celebration continues into 26:1, focusing on the people of the land of Judah.
But what about verse 13-14, which seem to say that the wicked will never rise again? Look carefully, and you’ll notice that it leaves out the crucial part about when and where their spirits don’t rise. We can’t read into it that their spirits were destroyed, because it doesn’t say that. Instead, the context speaks of the masters who had oppressed God’s people not rising again in this world. In contrast, verse 19 says that the godly will rise in this life, since it mentions their formerly dead bodies coming back to life, but certainly in immortal form. This is what happens when all the righteous dead awaken, not from “soul sleep” but from “body sleep”. The passage could also be referring to nations rather than individuals, though individuals seem more in view here.
But what of the curious statement in verses 20-21? While on its own it could refer to the Rapture of the Church, in context it clearly points to Israel. Rev. 12 depicts a woman representative of Israel, and in verse 14 there she’s taken to a place of safety for the final 3-1/2 years of the Tribulation, during which time Judea will be overrun. This is also what Jesus referred to in Mat. 24:15.
Isaiah 27-28
Ch. 27 begins with “at that time”, which is further support for this being the future Tribulation. But what is Leviathan the sea monster doing here, which was seen first in Job and also the Psalms? Though the commentary calls the creature “a Caananite myth”, from the passages in Job it seems to have been a real creature, very much like what we’re told about ancient dragons. Here of course, it’s being used as a symbol of fearsome nations and/or the spiritual entities behind them.
Then after more descriptions of the restoration of Israel in the Millennium, verse 12 speaks of their being gathered from all over the world at the sound of a trumpet, to worship God in Jerusalem. The trumpet seems to be a reference to the Feast of Trumpets or Day of Atonement, which is fulfilled in this ingathering of Israel rather than the Rapture of the Church. Unlike Israel’s many enemies over the centuries, Israel itself will survive and reach the ideal level of prosperity and blessing promised so long ago.
Chapters 28-35 were given during the reign of King Hezekiah, when Judah was tempted to trust in Egypt. The leaders are being foolish to do so, and there will be dire consequences. But in the end, when only a remant exists, the people will be restored and blessed. The frequent reference to drunkenness describes the leaders’ stupor and lack of vision.
Verse 10 is a likely reference used in 2 Thes. 2:11 regarding the “strong delusion” God will send to those who hate truth, only next time it will be to the unbelieving world, whereas here it’s to Judah’s leadership. Though the foolish mock, and though they boast of making a pact with death and the grave in a pathetic attempt to cheat them both, God will not be denied his judgment on them. This passage is (or should be) very familiar to Christians, and along with Psalm 118:22 it is quoted in passages such as Mat. 21:42 as a Messianic prophecy. The rest of the chapter describes the principle that though judgment comes for a time, it will fit the crime, and then God will restore Israel and establish it firmly.
Isaiah 29-32
Judah thought it could go on performing religious rites while also living in rebellion in every other way, but God despises such hypocrisy. Christians, pay attention! In verse 9 we see again that God will harden the hearts of those who have persisted too long in rebellion, so they get the full measure of consequences for their sin. Then in verse 16 we see what was quoted in Rom. 9:20, about the clay pot presuming to tell the potter he has no skill. This is the essense of the anti-Christian attitude; the degree of arrogance it takes to judge our Creator is extreme. Yet only God can turn a desert into an orchard and make the deaf hear.
Now in ch. 30 the prophecy gives more specific details about Judah choosing Egypt as an untrustworthy substitute for God. Verse 10 could be said of many Christians today: “Don’t tell us what we need to hear, tell us what we want to hear.” We see this as well in 2 Tim. 4:3. Yet in spite of Judah’s folly and punishment, God promises not to allow them to be completely wiped out forever, and again the Millennial Kingdom is described.
Ch. 31 returns to describing the demise of those who look to Egypt for help and protection, but again God promises to keep a remnant preserved.
Ch. 32 goes back to the ideal life that will characterize the Millennium, then back to a lament about disasters to come within a year of the prophecy, then back to the Millennium.
Isaiah 33-35
Now the text turns from Judah to its destroyers, who will see not only their own destruction but the restoration of their former victims. Ch. 34 is where God calls out to the rest of the world, to warn them about defying the one true God. Verse 4 is quoted in Rev. 6:12-14, which is the literal, physical fulfillment of the symbolism here describing the fate of the ungodly nations.
Verse 5 turns to focus on Edom on the southern border of Judah, which scripture sometimes uses to represent all the enemies of Israel. But though the details of destruction are certainly symbolic, they are just as certainly literal and physical, as also were Sodom and Gomorrah. Since the description starting in verse 9 has not yet happened, it must refer to the duration of the Millennium. Though earth will be restored after the Tribulation, there will be reminders of the past, and ch. 35 gives more descriptions of the Millennium.
Isaiah 36-37
Here the text looks back at when the Assyrian king invaded Judah during the reign of Hezekiah. The names Eliakim and Shebna should sound familiar from ch. 22, and they are sent to speak to Sennacherib’s envoys, who offer a pleasant life in another land if the people will surrender peacefully. But they also mock Israel’s God and tell them their king is misleading them. And notice that the envoys claim (but not truthfully, as we see in verse 20) that Israel’s own God had sent them there. But though they presumed this meant they were guaranteed victory, it was really a test of Hezekiah’s faith in and loyalty to God.
But Hezekiah’s officials took the ultimatum to him, and after expressing deep grief and anguish, we see in ch. 37 that Hezekiah went to the Temple to ask God’s help. Then he had a message sent to Isaiah to find out God’s answer. Isaiah’s answer in verse 5 was that God would whisper in Sennacherib’s ear and cause him to chase a false rumor back to his home country, where he would be murdered. After another round of taunts, in verse 21 Isaiah gives God’s retort to Sennacherib and taunts him back, including the ominous phrase in verse 28, “I know where you live!” Then we see a phrase that will be repeated in Ezekiel 38:4 concerning a different situation, about God putting hooks and bridals on a nation to make it go where he chooses.
Verse 30 turns to focus on the blessings Judah will enjoy a couple of seasons from then. Not a shot will be fired in Jerusalem, because God himself would drive away the invaders, as happened in verse 36. The Angel of the Lord (a possible preincarnation of Jesus) cut down 185,000 troops during the night, and when the survivors woke up, they took off back to their homeland. But Sennacharib was murdered by his own sons as he worshiped his god.