ISAIAH LESSON 16

 
     We will begin this lesson in Isaiah 13:1 "The burden of Babylon,
which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see."

     This is a very strange statement. "Burden", here, was translated
from the word massa, which means tribute, utterance, or spoken doom.
It can, also, mean prophecy. We do know that Babylon carried the
inhabitants of Jerusalem captive in the 8th year of the reign of
Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuchadnezzar made his uncle Mattaniah king, and
changed his name to Zedekiah about this same time. All of this
occurred about 14 generations before the birth of Jesus.  Matthew 1:17
"So all the generations from Abraham to David [are] fourteen
generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon [are]
fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto
Christ [are] fourteen generations."  We know that Isaiah received this
prophecy in some sort of vision, because the verse above uses the word
"see".  Notice, again, the mention of Amoz as the father of Isaiah.
The main thrust of this, however, is judgement against Babylon. I
cannot say whether this is literal Babylon, or the Babylonian
influence in societies today.

     Isaiah 13:2 "Lift ye up a banner upon the high mountain, exalt
the voice unto them, shake the hand, that they may go into the gates
of the nobles."

     The lifting of the ensign would be similar to our raising of our
flag. The high mountain is mentioned, because it would be easier to
see it. They are calling out with their voices to call the army to
fight against Babylon. "Shake the hand" must mean that they were
waving their hands back and forth to get their attention.

     Isaiah 13:3 "I have commanded my sanctified ones, I have also
called my mighty ones for mine anger, [even] them that rejoice in my
highness."

     I, in the verse above, is speaking of God. "Sanctified",
possibly, means holy ones, or those set aside for God's purpose. We
know in this that God is in control of all nations in the end. He is
calling those to battle on the side of the Lord to bring judgement
against Babylon.  Those who "rejoice in His highness" are those who
reverence and lift up God. They have made Him Lord of their lives.

     Isaiah 13:4 "The noise of a multitude in the mountains, like as
of a great people; a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations
gathered together: the LORD of hosts mustereth the host of the
battle."

     "The noise of the multitude" is from the large army that comes to
fight against Babylon. The army coming is a strong army of men who are
strengthened by the Lord. The great people, just means a large number
of people. Nations lets us know there will be more than one nation.
The Lord of hosts has called this battle in judgement against Babylon.
     Isaiah 13:5 "They come from a far country, from the end of
heaven, [even] the LORD, and the weapons of his indignation, to
destroy the whole land."

     The "indignation", spoken of here, is God's fury. My own opinion
of this is that the Lord is taking vengeance on Babylon for the
terrible things they had done to God's people. He has given them ample
time to repent and come to Him, and they have not. I believe this to
be speaking of the time of the end, spoken of in the 24th chapter of
Matthew. The countries of the world will come against Israel and God's
people at that time.  God will punish Babylon and all their evil
neighbors, when they are defeated. There are many Babylons in the
sense of what they believe. Notice, why God comes against them in the
following Scripture. Romans 1:18 "For the wrath of God is revealed
from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who
hold the truth in unrighteousness;" Babylon, and those with ideas
similar to Babylon, will come to destroy and will be destroyed
themselves. The wrath of God comes because of disobedience to His
Word. Ephesians 5:6 "Let no man deceive you with vain words: for
because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of
disobedience."  "From the end of heaven"  means many of the countries
come from the other side of the world.

     Isaiah 13:6  "Howl ye; for the day of the LORD [is] at hand; it
shall come as a destruction from the Almighty."

     You see, this destruction does not come from the devil. This
destruction comes, because the judgement of God has come. Joel 1:15
"Alas for the day! for the day of the LORD [is] at hand, and as a
destruction from the Almighty shall it come."  The word "Almighty" in
the verse above, is showing the power of the Lord to do whatever He
wishes. In this case, it is punishment after He has passed judgement.
"Howl" is a strong expression of sorrow. Acts 2:20 "The sun shall be
turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and
notable day of the Lord come:"

     Isaiah 13:7 "Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man's
heart shall melt:"

     Luke 21:26 "Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking
after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of
heaven shall be shaken."  These two Scriptures seem to be speaking of
the same thing. Man can fight against another man, but there is no way
to win against the wrath of God.

     Isaiah 13:8 "And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall
take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth:
they shall be amazed one at another; their faces [shall be as]
flames."

     The pain comes suddenly and unexpected {similar to a woman at
childbirth}. Whether the face being as a flame means that their blood
pressure has risen from the suddeness of their troubles, or whether
this is speaking of a time when they will be burned by the sun, is
hard to say. Either way, it has to do with the judgement of God on
these wicked people.

     Isaiah 13:9 "Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with
wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy
the sinners thereof out of it."

     The reason we know this is not just speaking of the evil Babylon,
is the fact that just the sinners are destroyed. It appears there are
others here, who are not sinners. This is a much wider scope than just
physical Babylon. Romans 13:4 "For he is the minister of God to thee
for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth
not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to
[execute] wrath upon him that doeth evil."

     Isaiah 13:10 "For the stars of heaven and the constellations
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."

     The following Scriptures are speaking of a time when the sun and
moon and stars will not give light to the earth. Matthew 24:29
"Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be
darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall
fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:" Mark
13:24  "But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be
darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,"  The Scriptures we
just gave are speaking of something that happens at the time of the
great tribulation upon the earth at the second coming of Christ.  This
could be caused by a natural happening, or this could occur when oil
well smoke covers the atmosphere.

     Isaiah 13:11 "And I will punish the world for [their] evil, and
the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the
proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible."

     The word "world", here, means the globe. It can, also, mean the
inhabitants of the globe. We can easily see, this is speaking of more
than just physical Babylon. This is a global judgement of God on all
people who have chosen to disobey Him. It includes those who have not
accepted Jesus as their Saviour. This is a warning to all evil people
in every country in the world.

     Isaiah 13:12 "I will make a man more precious than fine gold;
even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir."

     Fine gold has been tried in the fire. It has undergone
purification by fire. Gold of Ophir was pure gold.

     Isaiah 13:13 "Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth
shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and
in the day of his fierce anger."

     We read in an earlier verse from Matthew chapter 24 verse 29 how
the heavens and the earth will be shaken just after the days of
tribulation. If we follow that to the 30th verse, we will see when
this happens.  Matthew 24:30 "And then shall appear the sign of the
Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth
mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of
heaven with power and great glory."  This is just before the second
coming of Christ.

     Isaiah 13:14 "And it shall be as the chased roe, and as a sheep
that no man taketh up: they shall every man turn to his own people,
and flee every one into his own land."

     When the Christians are removed from the earth, great fear will
overtake those remaining here, and they will run for safety. Matthew
24:31 "And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet,
and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one
end of heaven to the other."  The true sheep will be caught up in this
catching away of the church. Notice, it says, as a sheep. The ones
left are not the Lord's sheep. Some of them may be professing to be
sheep, but that is just in outward appearance.

     Isaiah 13:15 "Every one that is found shall be thrust through;
and every one that is joined [unto them] shall fall by the sword."

     This very thing did happen when they were overthrown, but the
message is two-fold. It will happen again at the end of the age.

     Isaiah 13:16 "Their children also shall be dashed to pieces
before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives
ravished."

     This has been true in wars of the past. Children are seldom
spared in a vicious war. The captor does not want to be bothered with
them. The wives were sexually assaulted and then killed.

     Isaiah 13:17 "Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them,
which shall not regard silver; and [as for] gold, they shall not
delight in it."

     God established gold and silver as worth in the book of Genesis.
Mankind has done away with the money God established and put out
worthless paper notes. Anyone, or any nation, who disregards standards
the Lord established is in for a great deal of trouble.  It is just in
recent years that the United States went off the gold and silver
standard. Just the fact that gold means the purity of God, and silver
means redemption, should tell us something. God will not bless those
who tear down His standards and make their own standards. This can be
speaking of modern Iran, among other countries. Iran certainly was
stirred up against the United States about the time we went off the
gold and silver standard.

     Isaiah 13:18 "[Their] bows also shall dash the young men to
pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their
eye shall not spare children."

     This is speaking of evil people who do not regard children's
lives as anything. The Medes and the Persians were skilled in warfare
using bows and arrows, and they were known for their disregard for
human life.

     Isaiah 13:19  "And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of
the Chaldees' excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and
Gomorrah."

     In the physical sense, Babylon took a punishment in the recent
war with the world against them. Much life was lost from the bombing
on Iraq. Sodom and Gomorrah were totally destroyed by God for their
evil habits of homosexuality. Babylon had been a great city and had
great kings as the world views things. God has a different view. God
sees the evil of the heart. This is speaking of the literal city, but
is, also, speaking of all evil cities as well. God will not always
overlook sin. There is a day of reckoning.

     Isaiah 13:20 "It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be
dwelt in from generation to generation: neither shall the Arabian
pitch tent there; neither shall the shepherds make their fold there."

     Where Sodom and Gomorrah stood, there is nothing but desolation.
Physical Babylon did not keep its greatness either. It is a wasteland,
as well. Spiritual Babylon will be the same. God will destroy, where
perversion and unnatural life styles prevail. The Arabians believe
harm will come to them at this sight, and they will not inhabit
Babylon anymore.

     Isaiah 13:21 "But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and
their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and owls shall dwell
there, and satyrs shall dance there."

     This just speaks of the total desolation that comes upon this
place from the judgement of God. These are animals and fowls repulsive
to man.

     Isaiah 13:22 "And the wild beasts of the islands shall cry in
their desolate houses, and dragons in [their] pleasant palaces: and
her time [is] near to come, and her days shall not be prolonged."

     Animals sometimes have a sense of impending danger. The fall of
physical Babylon was nearly 200 years after this was prophesied. The
fall of spiritual Babylon is coming soon.










                          Isaiah 16 Questions


1.  In verse 1, what does "burden" mean?
2.  When did Babylon take Jerusalem captive?
3.  Who did Nebuchadnezzar make king?
4.  What was the new name he gave him?
5.  How many generations are there from the carrying away into Babylon
    to Christ?
6.  What can we relate the lifting of the ensign to?
7.  Who is "I" speaking of, in verse 3?
8.  What does "sanctified" mean?
9.  What are they being called to battle for?
10. Who are those who "rejoice in His highness"?
11. What is "the noise of the multitude" in verse 4?
12. The "indignation", in verse 5, is what?
13. Why is God taking vengeance on Babylon?
14. Quote Romans chapter 1 verse 18.
15. Quote Ephesians chapter 5 verse 6.
16. Who does this destruction come from?
17. What does "Almighty" in verse 6 show us?
18. Howl is a strong expression of __________.
19. Quote Acts chapter 2 verse 20.
20. What New Testament Scripture is saying the same thing as Isaiah
    chapter 13 verse 7?
21. What makes their pain similar to a woman's pain in childbirth?
22. Quote Romans chapter 13 verse 4.
23. After what special time, does there come a time when the sun will
    not give light?
24. "World", in verse 11, means what?
25. I will make a man more precious than _______.
26. I will shake the heavens, and the _________ shall move out of her
    place.
27. Matthew chapter 24 verse 30 says the sign of the Son of man is in
    the _______.
28. What will be the calling of the Christians?
29. Quote Isaiah chapter 13 verse 17.
30. What is the spiritual meaning of silver?
31. When did physical Babylon take punishment recently?
32. Why were Sodom and Gomorrah destroyed by God?
33. Why have the Arabians not resettled Babylon?