Isaiah Chapter 13
See also: Isaiah 14; Jeremiah 50, 51; Revelation 17, 18, Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21. THIS IS THE CONTEXTIsaiah 13:1
The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did
see.
- The focus shifts to a new empire
- (Babylon) Babel was founded by Nimrod in Genesis
- Jesus had three mentions of Babylon in His lineage
- Peter wrote to the church there
- A total of 265 verses speak of Babylon, Genesis to Revelation
- Assyria is mentioned only 128 times, and not in the New Testament at all
- Babylon is located in Iraq, sixty plus miles south of Baghdad
- There are two Babylons: the city and the System of religion, Mystery Babylon
- Called the city of man, as opposed to the city of God (Jerusalem)
- At the time of this writing, Babylon was not a major empire yet, at all
- Saddam Hussein tried to rebuild it
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- Nebuchadnezzar had a 165 by 143 foot throne room
- Was a fourteen miles square-sided city
- Walls of brick, 56 miles long, 300 feet high, 25 feet thick
- with another wall 75 feet behind the first wall, and the wall extended 35 feet below the ground
- It had eight massive gates that led to the inner city, plus 100 more brass gates
- It had 250 towers that were each 450 feet high
- It was surrounded by a deep, wide moat, encircling the entire city
- The Euphrates River flowed through the middle of Babylon.
- It took ferry boats, with a half mile long bridge, having drawbridges which could be closed at night
- The "Hanging Gardens of Babylon" are considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, watered by an elaborate pumping system
- The streets of Babylon were paved with stone slabs, each being 3 feet square
- The great Tower (Ziggurat) was in the city, and it had fifty three temples, including the "Great Temple of Marduk."
- Babylon had 180 altars to Ishtar (today Easter)
- Golden image of Baal and the Golden Table (both weighing over 50,000 lbs of solid gold.)
- It had two massive golden lions, and a solid gold human figure, eighteen 18 feet high
- Nebuchadnezzar's palace itself was once deemed to be the most magnificent building ever erected on earth.
- The RELIGIOUS SYSTEM of Mystery Babylon, founded by Nimrod, was condemned by God, continues throughout history to today, will continue into the future and will be destroyed pleasurably by God in the book of Revelation, chapters 17-18
- The city and system symbolize pride, arrogance, rebellion, sin, fornication, idolatry, debauchery, blood, corruption
- The fulfillment of the destruction of the CITY (not the religious system yet) was accomplished in 539 B.C. by Cyrus the Mede/Persian, who led the Persian army into victory over Belshazzar king of Babylon (Daniel 5) by first conquering the area outside of the city, thus controlling the canals of the Euphrates, then subsequently diverting the Euphrates River during a Feast. Nothing remains today of Babylon except a series of widely scattered mounds to study.
Matthew 1:11-12, 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.
And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon: And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel;1 Peter 5:13
The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you; and so doth Marcus my son.Isaiah 13:2-3
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. I have commanded my sanctified ones, I have also called my mighty ones for mine anger, even them that rejoice in my highness.- God sovereignly orchestrates details in history, including all kingdoms and empires of man
- These are the World Empires:
- Egyptian
- Assyrian
- Babylonian
- Medo-Persian/Persian
- Greek
- Roman (First)
- Roman (Second)
- The eternal one at the end (the Stone), destroying all others, is the Kingdom of Jesus Christ
Daniel 2:32
This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth. 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.- This is not at all just the Medes and the Persians
- This is not the fall to them, and not fulfilled completely yet
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.- "From the end of Heaven: spiritual beings, a host.
And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.Isaiah 13:6
Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.- This is obviously in the Great Tribulation
- Isaiah is the first book to specifically call out by name the "Day of the LORD"
- It is referred to by name in some twenty nine verses throughout Scripture
Alas for the day! for the day of the LORD is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come.THE DAY OF THE LORD
- Wrath and vengeance, great and terrible
- Nearby at all times
- Universal to all lost, all kingdoms, all heathen
- Total destruction and consumption
- Recompense for Israel
- The moon reddened, the sun darkened, the heavens shaken
- Certain, unstoppable, not with silver, not with gold
- Humility to the proud, arrogant, lofty-headed, high-minded ones
- With with cruel wrath, fierce anger
For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low: Isaiah 13:6
Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty. 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. Isaiah 34:8
For it is the day of the LORD'S vengeance, and the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion. Jeremiah 46:10
For this is the day of the Lord GOD of hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may avenge him of his adversaries: and the sword shall devour, and it shall be satiate and made drunk with their blood: for the Lord GOD of hosts hath a sacrifice in the north country by the river Euphrates. Lamentations 2:22
Thou hast called as in a solemn day my terrors round about, so that in the day of the LORD'S anger none escaped nor remained: those that I have swaddled and brought up hath mine enemy consumed. Ezekiel 13:5
Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battle in the day of the LORD. Ezekiel 30:3
For the day is near, even the day of the LORD is near, a cloudy day; it shall be the time of the heathen. 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. Joel 2:1
Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; Joel 2:11
And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it? Joel 2:31
The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come. Joel 3:14
Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. Amos 5:18
Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light. Amos 5:20
Shall not the day of the LORD be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it? Obadiah 1:15
For the day of the LORD is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head. Zephaniah 1:7
Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord GOD: for the day of the LORD is at hand: for the LORD hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath bid his guests. Zephaniah 1:8
And it shall come to pass in the day of the LORD'S sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, and the king's children, and all such as are clothed with strange apparel. Zephaniah 1:14
The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. Zephaniah 1:18
Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land. Zephaniah 2:2
Before the decree bring forth, before the day pass as the chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD come upon you, before the day of the LORD'S anger come upon you. Zephaniah 2:3
Seek ye the LORD, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the LORD'S anger. Zechariah 14:1
Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. Malachi 4:5
Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: 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: 1 Corinthians 5:5
To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. 2 Corinthians 1:14
As also ye have acknowledged us in part, that we are your rejoicing, even as ye also are ours in the day of the Lord Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:2
For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 2 Peter 3:10
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Isaiah 13:7
Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man's heart shall melt:- This is spoken of in the Olivet Discourse
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. 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.- One thing about labor is that, once started, it cannot be stopped
All these are the beginning of sorrows.Mark 13:7
Isaiah 13:9
And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet.
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.- Sin, defeated at the Cross, has still been allowed to fester in mankind
- The enemy, defeated and unarmed at the Cross, is still allowed today to act upon mankind, deceiving, lying, murdering, more and more daily
- That is only temporal, current, and not future
- The effect is the restoration to Eden, started in the Millennium, completed in the re-Creation
- This has never been fulfilled; therefore, it cannot be the Medes, PErsians destroying Babylon
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.Isaiah 13:10 and verse 13
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....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.- This is not the defeat of Babylon by the Medes
SUN DARKENED, MOON RED, HEAVENS SHAKEN
Ezekiel 32:7
And when I shall put thee out, I will cover the heaven, and make the stars thereof dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give her light.Joel 2:31
Matthew 24:29
The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.
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,Luke 21:25
Revelation 6:14
And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;
And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. 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 World: Evil, wicked, iniquity, pride, arrogance, haughtiness. THE STATE OF MANKIND
- again, this is not fulfilled, so it cannot be the Medes and Persians destroying Babylon
The quality of being haughty; pride mingled with some degree of contempt for others; arrogance. Isaiah 2:11
The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day. Isaiah 2:17
And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day. Isaiah 16:6
We have heard of the pride of Moab; he is very proud: even of his haughtiness, and his pride, and his wrath: but his lies shall not be so. Jeremiah 48:29
We have heard the pride of Moab, (he is exceeding proud) his loftiness, and his arrogancy, and his pride, and the haughtiness of his heart. Isaiah 13:12
I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.- Man is precious to God, as evidenced by the Gospel
- This speaks of the rarity of man, his very near extinction, which has never happened, and was not possible until the twentieth century with weapons of mass destruction (NOT TO MENTION GOD'S WRATH!)
- Man was never really precious to man, because of the Fall
- God intends to restore mankind's value, dignity, respect for his fellow man, back to mankind
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.- Mankind will scatter and hide when the LORD's day arrives
And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: 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. Isaiah 13:16
Their children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives ravished. 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.- THIS this was fulfilled
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 like Islam today, and was the Medes then
And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees' excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.- It is certain that Babylon was the pride of the empire in its day, in all her glory, but in God's plan, that can change overnight, as it did
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.- It has never been rebuilt, even after Saddam Hussein tried to and failed.
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.- Owls are very prominent in the occult and the cult of Lucifer, and will be part of Mystery Babylon in Revelation
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.- This could refer to the ultimate destruction of Mystery Babylon, since the islands are mentioned
