Isaiah 13:1-3
Chapter 13 is the first of five Oracles against the nations. The first Oracle concerns the Babylonian empire. There are many prophecies concerning Babylon; the rise, fall and destruction. As Isaiah wrote this, God had not yet used them to judge Judah, so the destruction of Babylon had not yet happened! This oracle is against them and it was a sure prophecy, as true then as it would be when it came about. When that day came, Babylon would fall at the hand of Cyrus without a battle. This is all written 100 years before Babylon ever rose to power, yet he writes of its destruction. (Babylon is also sometimes seen as a typology, read Isaiah 13&14, Jeremiah 50&51; and Revelation 17 & 19.)
The banner is set around which this great army would gather for God's purpose. They were the 'sanctified ones' in the sense that they were set apart for God's use. God is mad and calling his warriors to carry out his wrath.
Isaiah 13:4-5
Isaiah sees a time when the nations would amass a great multitude. This would be the gathering of kingdoms to come against Babylon at the direction of the Lord. We know that Babylon fell to the Medes and the Persians.
Isaiah 13:6-8
The day of the Lord is looking forward to the future when the Messiah will intervene on behalf of His people. He will come with a great army on that day against the gathering of nations of the world, a type of Babylon. There will be wailing as destruction comes from the Almighty.
The day of the Lord will bring a fear that will incapacitate men. People will lose heart and they will stand in awe of what is happening and what they see. Their hands will be limp at their side as they are stunned with the reality of God's judgment. They will come to a sudden realization that God is real and that Jesus Christ really did come. That realization will cause sorrow and pain. Their 'face will be like flames' is a provocative thought, especially as a far prophecy. Some see this as the agony of truth in the realization and embarrassment that they've made all the wrong choices.
Isaiah 13:9-16
Those who oppose God will be destroyed on the Day of the Lord. In our eyes it will appear cruel but God is just in His actions. The day of the Lord is always accompanied by darkness. The stars, sun & moon will not give off light. Some prophecy buffs believe this may be because of nuclear winter. It could be a supernatural darkness that parallels the spiritual darkness of the world. God will punish the world for its evil. Man will be scarcer than gold. The punishment will be on the whole world, not just Babylon. In the end times prophecy Babylon is a type of the world. Some have described the bible as a tail of two cities: Jerusalem and Babylon.
Another sign of the 'day of the Lord' is the shaking of the heavens and earth. In an effort to figure out what this means, some say the earth will be knocked off it's axis. This will cause a the great upheaval of all of nature. We don't know exactly how this will play out but we know at the appearance of the Lord there is a pattern of shaking; of the heavens trembling and the earth shaking from its place. Men will run in fear, not knowing where to go. They will be hunted, women raped and children tortured.
Isaiah 13:17-22
The modern day Medes would be like the Kurds in Northern Iraq. The Medes would rise up against Babylon. When they came against Babylon, they wouldn't care about gold and silver. They wanted something more, the power and prestige of having overthrown the great Babylon. Babylon is the jewel of the Babylonians. It will be overthrown by God and no one will live there. It will be as if it were destroyed like Sodom and Gomorrah; which had fire rained on it from heaven.
Babylon would then never be inhabited again. It will be desolate. Some commentaries say that it is desolate now; it is covered with sand and basically uninhabited but it was never physically destroyed. Chuck Misler and others believe that Babylon will rise again to a world center and be utterly & physically destroyed in the end times.
In its ruins, it will be the home of the wild beasts, ows, ostriches and wild goats. The laugh of the hyenas will echo the great citadels; the military towers and defenses. The howl of the Jackals will inhabit the pleasant places of the royal residence. The time is set, the days numbered and they were near.
As we consider that Babylon is also a type of the world system, we know it's days are also set. There is an end that is coming. It may seem far and not to be worried about, but the bible is clear that is nearer every day. It will come suddenly and surprise many. This world will pass away in judgment. A new heaven and new earth is just on the horizon.
©2018 Doug Ford
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