Is there a prophesied time of regathering the descendants of Israel? Will the whole world rejoice? Let’s look at Isaiah 27.
Is this creature a suspected, rarely seen sea monster hiding in unexplored depths, or does it symbolize that fallen angel, the slanderer?
On that day, Leviathan, the sea monster, will squirm and try to escape, but the Lord will kill him with a cruel, sharp sword. (Isa 27:1 CEV)
Is Israel this pleasant vineyard that will become fruitful and fill the whole world?
In that day, “A pleasant vineyard, sing of it! I, the Lord, am its keeper; every moment I water it. Lest anyone punish it, I keep it night and day; I have no wrath. Would that I had thorns and briers to battle! I would march against them, I would burn them up together. Or let them lay hold of my protection, let them make peace with me, let them make peace with me.” In days to come Jacob shall take root, Israel shall blossom and put forth shoots and fill the whole world with fruit. (Isa 27:2-6 ESV)
Was God’s punishment always meant to purge sins that only cause self-harm?
Did the Lord strike Israel as He struck the one who struck Israel? Was he killed like those killed by Him? You disputed with her by banishing and driving her away. He removed her with His severe storm on the day of the east wind. Therefore Jacob’s iniquity will be purged in this way, and the result of the removal of his sin will be this: when he makes all the altar stones like crushed bits of chalk, no Asherah poles or incense altars will remain standing. For the fortified city will be deserted, pastures abandoned and forsaken like a wilderness. Calves will graze there, and there they will spread out and strip its branches. When its branches dry out, they will be broken off. Women will come and make fires with them, for they are not a people with understanding. Therefore their Maker will not have compassion on them, and their Creator will not be gracious to them. (Isa 27:7-11 HCSB)
After a time of punishment, will God eventually gather the lost descendants of Israel, scattered tribes that DNA proves still exist across the Middle East? Does the Trumpet picture the return of Christ?
At that time, the Lord will winnow grain from the Euphrates River channel to the Wadi of Egypt, and you will be gathered in one by one, O people of Israel. Furthermore, at that time, a great trumpet will be sounded, and those who were perishing in the land of Assyria and those who had been expelled to the land of Egypt will come and worship the Lord on his holy mountain at Jerusalem. (Isa 27:12-13 ISV)
Whether or not such a sea creature exists, is there symbolism here?
And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil [slanderer], and Satan [adversary], which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. (Rev 12:9 KJV)
Did salvation come to the Gentiles, to make Israel jealous? When they repent, how much more joyful will that be?
Now if their transgression is riches for the world and their failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fullness be! (Rom 11:12 LSB)
Is there a prophesied time of regathering the descendants of Israel? Will the whole world rejoice? You decide!
Victory Song (Isaiah 26)
When a nation finally becomes faithful to God, what blessings await? Are we faithful? Let’s look at Isaiah 26.
Will Judah become a law-abiding, faithful nation, able to sing a song of victory, a song of salvation?
The time is coming when the people of Judah will sing this song: “Our city is protected. The Lord is our fortress, and he gives us victory. Open the city gates for a law-abiding nation that is faithful to God. (Isa 26:1-2 ESV)
What happens to the mind that trusts in God? Who is an everlasting rock?
You will keep the mind that is dependent on You in perfect peace, for it is trusting in You. Trust in the Lord forever, because in Yah, the Lord, is an everlasting rock! (Isa 26:3-4 HCSB)
What will the oppressed and needy do to the arrogant city that was filled with pride?
For he has made drunk the inhabitants of the height, the lofty city. He lays it low to the ground casting it down to the dust, by the feet of the oppressed who trample it, by the footsteps of the needy.” (Isa 26:5-6 ISV)
What does a person, headed in the right direction, seek at night and early in the morning?
The way of the just is uprightness: thou, most upright, dost weigh the path of the just. Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O Lord, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee. With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. (Isa 26:7-9 KJV)
Do the wicked stay stubborn even when they are shown grace?
Though the wicked is shown favor, He does not learn righteousness; He deals unjustly in the land of uprightness, And does not perceive the majesty of Yahweh. O Yahweh, Your hand is raised up high, yet they do not behold it. They behold Your zeal for the people and are put to shame; Indeed, fire will devour Your adversaries. (Isa 26:10-11 LSB)
Has any oppressive foreign power brought the nation peace? Have all those empires died? Who increased the nation?
Lord, You will establish peace for us, Since You have also performed for us all our works. Lord, our God, other masters besides You have ruled us; But through You alone we confess Your name. The dead will not live, the departed spirits will not rise; Therefore You have punished and destroyed them, And You have eliminated all remembrance of them. You have increased the nation, Lord, You have increased the nation, You are glorified; You have extended all the borders of the land. (Isa 26:12-15 NASB)
In pain like a woman in labor, can human efforts alone bring us salvation?
Lord, they came to you in their distress; when you disciplined them, they could barely whisper a prayer. As a pregnant woman about to give birth writhes and cries out in her pain, so were we in your presence, Lord. We were with child, we writhed in labor, but we gave birth to wind. We have not brought salvation to the earth, and the people of the world have not come to life. (Isa 26:16-18 NIV)
Who alone can cause the dead to arise from the bowels of the earth?
Your dead shall live; Together with my dead body they shall arise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in dust; For your dew is like the dew of herbs, And the earth shall cast out the dead. (Isa 26:19 NKJV)
Can we just go home, lock our doors and hide safely protected by God?
Go home, my people, and lock your doors! Hide yourselves for a little while until the Lord’s anger has passed. Look! The Lord is coming from heaven to punish the people of the earth for their sins. The earth will no longer hide those who have been killed. They will be brought out for all to see. (Isa 26:20-21 NLT)
Who is the rock upon whose words we can build by listening and doing?
Everyone therefore who hears these words of mine and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock. (Mat 7:24 WEB)
Was Christ also involved in Israel’s history, bringing them safely out of Egypt?
and all drank the same spiritual drink. They drank from a spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ. (1 Cor 10:4 CEB)
When a nation finally becomes faithful to God, what blessings await? Are we faithful? You decide!
Will Judah become a law-abiding, faithful nation, able to sing a song of victory, a song of salvation?
The time is coming when the people of Judah will sing this song: “Our city is protected. The Lord is our fortress, and he gives us victory. Open the city gates for a law-abiding nation that is faithful to God. (Isa 26:1-2 ESV)
What happens to the mind that trusts in God? Who is an everlasting rock?
You will keep the mind that is dependent on You in perfect peace, for it is trusting in You. Trust in the Lord forever, because in Yah, the Lord, is an everlasting rock! (Isa 26:3-4 HCSB)
What will the oppressed and needy do to the arrogant city that was filled with pride?
For he has made drunk the inhabitants of the height, the lofty city. He lays it low to the ground casting it down to the dust, by the feet of the oppressed who trample it, by the footsteps of the needy.” (Isa 26:5-6 ISV)
What does a person, headed in the right direction, seek at night and early in the morning?
The way of the just is uprightness: thou, most upright, dost weigh the path of the just. Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O Lord, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee. With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. (Isa 26:7-9 KJV)
Do the wicked stay stubborn even when they are shown grace?
Though the wicked is shown favor, He does not learn righteousness; He deals unjustly in the land of uprightness, And does not perceive the majesty of Yahweh. O Yahweh, Your hand is raised up high, yet they do not behold it. They behold Your zeal for the people and are put to shame; Indeed, fire will devour Your adversaries. (Isa 26:10-11 LSB)
Has any oppressive foreign power brought the nation peace? Have all those empires died? Who increased the nation?
Lord, You will establish peace for us, Since You have also performed for us all our works. Lord, our God, other masters besides You have ruled us; But through You alone we confess Your name. The dead will not live, the departed spirits will not rise; Therefore You have punished and destroyed them, And You have eliminated all remembrance of them. You have increased the nation, Lord, You have increased the nation, You are glorified; You have extended all the borders of the land. (Isa 26:12-15 NASB)
In pain like a woman in labor, can human efforts alone bring us salvation?
Lord, they came to you in their distress; when you disciplined them, they could barely whisper a prayer. As a pregnant woman about to give birth writhes and cries out in her pain, so were we in your presence, Lord. We were with child, we writhed in labor, but we gave birth to wind. We have not brought salvation to the earth, and the people of the world have not come to life. (Isa 26:16-18 NIV)
Who alone can cause the dead to arise from the bowels of the earth?
Your dead shall live; Together with my dead body they shall arise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in dust; For your dew is like the dew of herbs, And the earth shall cast out the dead. (Isa 26:19 NKJV)
Can we just go home, lock our doors and hide safely protected by God?
Go home, my people, and lock your doors! Hide yourselves for a little while until the Lord’s anger has passed. Look! The Lord is coming from heaven to punish the people of the earth for their sins. The earth will no longer hide those who have been killed. They will be brought out for all to see. (Isa 26:20-21 NLT)
Who is the rock upon whose words we can build by listening and doing?
Everyone therefore who hears these words of mine and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock. (Mat 7:24 WEB)
Was Christ also involved in Israel’s history, bringing them safely out of Egypt?
and all drank the same spiritual drink. They drank from a spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ. (1 Cor 10:4 CEB)
When a nation finally becomes faithful to God, what blessings await? Are we faithful? You decide!
Joy in Tribulation (Isaiah 25)
Do we have faith in God and His final plan, giving us joy in the midst of tribulation? Let’s begin in Isaiah 25.
Does God give us reason for joy even in the worst times of our lives?
O Yahweh [Lord], You are my God; I will exalt You, I will give thanks to Your name; For You have worked wonders, Counsels formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness. (Isa 25:1 LSB)
Is God fair, punishing nations justly for their atrocities? Will they repent and revere Him?
For You have turned a city into a heap, A fortified city into a ruin; A palace of strangers is no longer a city, It will never be rebuilt. Therefore a strong people will glorify You; Cities of ruthless nations will revere You. (Isa 25:2-3 NASB)
Does God care for the poor and needy in an uncaring and ruthless world?
You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in their distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat. For the breath of the ruthless is like a storm driving against a wall and like the heat of the desert. You silence the uproar of foreigners; as heat is reduced by the shadow of a cloud, so the song of the ruthless is stilled. (Isa 25:4-5 NIV)
In Mount Zion, the spiritual center of God’s kingdom, what will He do for all people, all nations?
And in this mountain The Lord of hosts will make for all people A feast of choice pieces, A feast of wines on the lees, Of fat things full of marrow, Of well-refined wines on the lees. And He will destroy on this mountain The surface of the covering cast over all people, And the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death forever, And the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces; The rebuke of His people He will take away from all the earth; For the Lord has spoken. (Isa 25:6-8 NKJV)
Is this salvation that God brings to all the people just a rescue in this life or eternal?
In that day the people will proclaim, “This is our God! We trusted in him, and he saved us! This is the Lord, in whom we trusted. Let us rejoice in the salvation he brings!” (Isa 25:9 NLT)
Will God rule from Mount Zion and reach out to the nations? Will proud nations, symbolized by Moab, be humbled?
For Yahweh’s hand will rest in this mountain. Moab will be trodden down in his place, even like straw is trodden down in the water of the dunghill. He will spread out his hands in the middle of it, like one who swims spreads out hands to swim, but his pride will be humbled together with the craft of his hands. He has brought the high fortress of your walls down, laid low, and brought to the ground, even to the dust. (Isa 25:10-12 WEB)
Does such praise in the midst of tribulation reveal faith in the final outcome?
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more. There will be no mourning, crying, or pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. (Rev 21:4 CEB)
Do we have faith in God and His final plan, giving us joy in the midst of tribulation? You decide!
Does God give us reason for joy even in the worst times of our lives?
O Yahweh [Lord], You are my God; I will exalt You, I will give thanks to Your name; For You have worked wonders, Counsels formed long ago, with perfect faithfulness. (Isa 25:1 LSB)
Is God fair, punishing nations justly for their atrocities? Will they repent and revere Him?
For You have turned a city into a heap, A fortified city into a ruin; A palace of strangers is no longer a city, It will never be rebuilt. Therefore a strong people will glorify You; Cities of ruthless nations will revere You. (Isa 25:2-3 NASB)
Does God care for the poor and needy in an uncaring and ruthless world?
You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in their distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat. For the breath of the ruthless is like a storm driving against a wall and like the heat of the desert. You silence the uproar of foreigners; as heat is reduced by the shadow of a cloud, so the song of the ruthless is stilled. (Isa 25:4-5 NIV)
In Mount Zion, the spiritual center of God’s kingdom, what will He do for all people, all nations?
And in this mountain The Lord of hosts will make for all people A feast of choice pieces, A feast of wines on the lees, Of fat things full of marrow, Of well-refined wines on the lees. And He will destroy on this mountain The surface of the covering cast over all people, And the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death forever, And the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces; The rebuke of His people He will take away from all the earth; For the Lord has spoken. (Isa 25:6-8 NKJV)
Is this salvation that God brings to all the people just a rescue in this life or eternal?
In that day the people will proclaim, “This is our God! We trusted in him, and he saved us! This is the Lord, in whom we trusted. Let us rejoice in the salvation he brings!” (Isa 25:9 NLT)
Will God rule from Mount Zion and reach out to the nations? Will proud nations, symbolized by Moab, be humbled?
For Yahweh’s hand will rest in this mountain. Moab will be trodden down in his place, even like straw is trodden down in the water of the dunghill. He will spread out his hands in the middle of it, like one who swims spreads out hands to swim, but his pride will be humbled together with the craft of his hands. He has brought the high fortress of your walls down, laid low, and brought to the ground, even to the dust. (Isa 25:10-12 WEB)
Does such praise in the midst of tribulation reveal faith in the final outcome?
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more. There will be no mourning, crying, or pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. (Rev 21:4 CEB)
Do we have faith in God and His final plan, giving us joy in the midst of tribulation? You decide!
Great Tribulation (Isaiah 24)
Will the whole earth one day be shaken in judgment? Will we stay faithful to God? Let’s look at Isaiah 24.
After mentioning several specific nations, did God now expand his judgment to the whole earth?
Look! The Lord is about to destroy the earth and make it a vast wasteland. He devastates the surface of the earth and scatters the people. Priests and laypeople, servants and masters, maids and mistresses, buyers and sellers, lenders and borrowers, bankers and debtors—none will be spared. The earth will be completely emptied and looted. The Lord has spoken! (Isa 24:1-3 NLT)
Is our world polluted under its inhabitants? Does God punish humanity for its sins?
The earth mourns and fades away. The world languishes and fades away. The lofty people of the earth languish. The earth also is polluted under its inhabitants, because they have transgressed the laws, violated the statutes, and broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore the curse has devoured the earth, and those who dwell therein are found guilty. Therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men are left. (Isa 24:4-6 WEB)
What fails in the world when God begins withdrawing His blessings?
The wine dries up; the vine withers; all the merry-hearted groan. The joyous tambourines have ceased; the roar of partiers has stopped; the joyous harp has ceased. No one drinks wine or sings; beer is bitter to its drinkers. The town is in chaos, broken; every house is shut, without entrance. There is a cry for wine in the streets. All joy has reached its dusk; happiness is exiled from the earth. Ruin remains in the city, and the gate is battered to wreckage. It will be like this in the central part of the land and among the peoples, like an olive tree that has been shaken, like remains from the grape harvest. (Isa 24:7-13 CEB)
Does a remnant from all over the world praise the Lord? Who is trustworthy?
People in the west shout; they joyfully praise the majesty of the Lord. And so, everyone in the east and those on the islands should praise the Lord, the God of Israel. From all over the world songs of praise are heard for the God of justice. But I feel awful, terribly miserable. Can anyone be trusted? So many are treacherous! (Isa 24:14-16 CEV)
Is the earth utterly broken and violently shaken under the weight of its sins?
Terror and the pit and the snare are upon you, O inhabitant of the earth! He who flees at the sound of the terror shall fall into the pit, and he who climbs out of the pit shall be caught in the snare. For the windows of heaven are opened, and the foundations of the earth tremble. The earth is utterly broken, the earth is split apart, the earth is violently shaken. The earth staggers like a drunken man; it sways like a hut; its transgression lies heavy upon it, and it falls, and will not rise again. (Isa 24:17-20 ESV)
What will happen to heaven and earth on that day when the Lord of Hosts will reign as king on Mount Zion?
On that day the Lord will punish the host of heaven above and kings of the earth below. They will be gathered together like prisoners in a pit. They will be confined to a dungeon; after many days they will be punished. The moon will be put to shame and the sun disgraced, because the Lord of Hosts will reign as king on Mount Zion in Jerusalem, and He will display His glory in the presence of His elders. (Isa 24:21-23 HCSB)
Will God once more shake heaven and earth together?
At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also heaven.” (Heb 12:26 ISV)
Could this be pointing to a time just before the return of Jesus Christ?
For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. (Mat 24:21-22 KJV)
Will the whole earth one day be shaken in judgment? Will we stay faithful to God? You decide!
After mentioning several specific nations, did God now expand his judgment to the whole earth?
Look! The Lord is about to destroy the earth and make it a vast wasteland. He devastates the surface of the earth and scatters the people. Priests and laypeople, servants and masters, maids and mistresses, buyers and sellers, lenders and borrowers, bankers and debtors—none will be spared. The earth will be completely emptied and looted. The Lord has spoken! (Isa 24:1-3 NLT)
Is our world polluted under its inhabitants? Does God punish humanity for its sins?
The earth mourns and fades away. The world languishes and fades away. The lofty people of the earth languish. The earth also is polluted under its inhabitants, because they have transgressed the laws, violated the statutes, and broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore the curse has devoured the earth, and those who dwell therein are found guilty. Therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men are left. (Isa 24:4-6 WEB)
What fails in the world when God begins withdrawing His blessings?
The wine dries up; the vine withers; all the merry-hearted groan. The joyous tambourines have ceased; the roar of partiers has stopped; the joyous harp has ceased. No one drinks wine or sings; beer is bitter to its drinkers. The town is in chaos, broken; every house is shut, without entrance. There is a cry for wine in the streets. All joy has reached its dusk; happiness is exiled from the earth. Ruin remains in the city, and the gate is battered to wreckage. It will be like this in the central part of the land and among the peoples, like an olive tree that has been shaken, like remains from the grape harvest. (Isa 24:7-13 CEB)
Does a remnant from all over the world praise the Lord? Who is trustworthy?
People in the west shout; they joyfully praise the majesty of the Lord. And so, everyone in the east and those on the islands should praise the Lord, the God of Israel. From all over the world songs of praise are heard for the God of justice. But I feel awful, terribly miserable. Can anyone be trusted? So many are treacherous! (Isa 24:14-16 CEV)
Is the earth utterly broken and violently shaken under the weight of its sins?
Terror and the pit and the snare are upon you, O inhabitant of the earth! He who flees at the sound of the terror shall fall into the pit, and he who climbs out of the pit shall be caught in the snare. For the windows of heaven are opened, and the foundations of the earth tremble. The earth is utterly broken, the earth is split apart, the earth is violently shaken. The earth staggers like a drunken man; it sways like a hut; its transgression lies heavy upon it, and it falls, and will not rise again. (Isa 24:17-20 ESV)
What will happen to heaven and earth on that day when the Lord of Hosts will reign as king on Mount Zion?
On that day the Lord will punish the host of heaven above and kings of the earth below. They will be gathered together like prisoners in a pit. They will be confined to a dungeon; after many days they will be punished. The moon will be put to shame and the sun disgraced, because the Lord of Hosts will reign as king on Mount Zion in Jerusalem, and He will display His glory in the presence of His elders. (Isa 24:21-23 HCSB)
Will God once more shake heaven and earth together?
At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also heaven.” (Heb 12:26 ISV)
Could this be pointing to a time just before the return of Jesus Christ?
For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. (Mat 24:21-22 KJV)
Will the whole earth one day be shaken in judgment? Will we stay faithful to God? You decide!
National Pride (Isaiah 23)
Is a nation’s wealth quickly gone if God so decides? Can God humble a proud nation and lead it to repentance? Let’s begin in Isaiah 23.
Does Isaiah prophesy the destruction of the Phoenician cities of Tyre and Sidon, along the south coast of today’s Lebanon?
A message concerning Tyre. “Wail, you ships of Tarshish, for Tyre is destroyed and is without house or harbor! From the land of Cyprus [Kittim] it was revealed to them. “Be silent, you inhabitants of the coast, you merchants of Sidon, whose messengers crossed over the sea, and were on mighty waters. Her revenue was the grain of Shihor, the harvest of the Nile; and she became the marketplace of nations. (Isa 23:1-3 ISV)
Would Egypt suffer loss of trade from these two now condemned cities?
Be thou ashamed, O Zidon: for the sea hath spoken, even the strength of the sea, saying, I travail not, nor bring forth children, neither do I nourish up young men, nor bring up virgins. As at the report concerning Egypt, so shall they be sorely pained at the report of Tyre. Pass ye over to Tarshish; howl, ye inhabitants of the isle. Is this your joyous city, whose antiquity is of ancient days? her own feet shall carry her afar off to sojourn. (Isa 23:4-7 KJV)
Who is responsible for this punishment of Tyre? Tarshish is a Mediterranean power variously speculated to be headquartered in Spain, Sardinia, Tunis or southern Turkey.
Who has counseled this against Tyre, the bestower of crowns, Whose merchants were princes, whose traders were the honored of the earth? Yahweh of hosts has counseled it, to defile the pride of all beauty, To make contemptuous all the honored of the earth. Overflow your land like the Nile, O daughter of Tarshish; There is no more restraint. He has stretched His hand out over the sea; He has made the kingdoms tremble; Yahweh has given a command concerning Canaan to demolish its strong defenses. (Isa 23:8-11 LSB)
Will God destroy their strongholds like Assyria caused Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans, to exist no more?
He has said, “You shall not be jubilant anymore, you crushed virgin daughter of Sidon. Arise, pass over to Cyprus; even there you will find no rest.” Behold, the land of the Chaldeans—this is the people that did not exist; Assyria allocated it for desert creatures—they erected their siege towers, they stripped its palaces, they made it a ruin. Wail, you ships of Tarshish, For your stronghold is destroyed. (Isa 23:12-14 NASB)
Is this a prophecy of Tyre being diminished during the 70 year Babylonian era? Would her material wealth eventually be dedicated to God?
At that time Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years, the span of a king’s life. But at the end of these seventy years, it will happen to Tyre as in the song of the prostitute: “Take up a harp, walk through the city, you forgotten prostitute; play the harp well, sing many a song, so that you will be remembered.” At the end of seventy years, the Lord will deal with Tyre. She will return to her lucrative prostitution and will ply her trade with all the kingdoms on the face of the earth. Yet her profit and her earnings will be set apart for the Lord; they will not be stored up or hoarded. Her profits will go to those who live before the Lord, for abundant food and fine clothes. (Isa 23:15-18 NIV)
Is love of neighbor different from national pride? What does God do with the proud?
But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6 NKJV)
Is a nation’s wealth quickly gone if God so decides? Can God humble a proud nation and lead it to repentance? You decide!
Does Isaiah prophesy the destruction of the Phoenician cities of Tyre and Sidon, along the south coast of today’s Lebanon?
A message concerning Tyre. “Wail, you ships of Tarshish, for Tyre is destroyed and is without house or harbor! From the land of Cyprus [Kittim] it was revealed to them. “Be silent, you inhabitants of the coast, you merchants of Sidon, whose messengers crossed over the sea, and were on mighty waters. Her revenue was the grain of Shihor, the harvest of the Nile; and she became the marketplace of nations. (Isa 23:1-3 ISV)
Would Egypt suffer loss of trade from these two now condemned cities?
Be thou ashamed, O Zidon: for the sea hath spoken, even the strength of the sea, saying, I travail not, nor bring forth children, neither do I nourish up young men, nor bring up virgins. As at the report concerning Egypt, so shall they be sorely pained at the report of Tyre. Pass ye over to Tarshish; howl, ye inhabitants of the isle. Is this your joyous city, whose antiquity is of ancient days? her own feet shall carry her afar off to sojourn. (Isa 23:4-7 KJV)
Who is responsible for this punishment of Tyre? Tarshish is a Mediterranean power variously speculated to be headquartered in Spain, Sardinia, Tunis or southern Turkey.
Who has counseled this against Tyre, the bestower of crowns, Whose merchants were princes, whose traders were the honored of the earth? Yahweh of hosts has counseled it, to defile the pride of all beauty, To make contemptuous all the honored of the earth. Overflow your land like the Nile, O daughter of Tarshish; There is no more restraint. He has stretched His hand out over the sea; He has made the kingdoms tremble; Yahweh has given a command concerning Canaan to demolish its strong defenses. (Isa 23:8-11 LSB)
Will God destroy their strongholds like Assyria caused Babylon, the land of the Chaldeans, to exist no more?
He has said, “You shall not be jubilant anymore, you crushed virgin daughter of Sidon. Arise, pass over to Cyprus; even there you will find no rest.” Behold, the land of the Chaldeans—this is the people that did not exist; Assyria allocated it for desert creatures—they erected their siege towers, they stripped its palaces, they made it a ruin. Wail, you ships of Tarshish, For your stronghold is destroyed. (Isa 23:12-14 NASB)
Is this a prophecy of Tyre being diminished during the 70 year Babylonian era? Would her material wealth eventually be dedicated to God?
At that time Tyre will be forgotten for seventy years, the span of a king’s life. But at the end of these seventy years, it will happen to Tyre as in the song of the prostitute: “Take up a harp, walk through the city, you forgotten prostitute; play the harp well, sing many a song, so that you will be remembered.” At the end of seventy years, the Lord will deal with Tyre. She will return to her lucrative prostitution and will ply her trade with all the kingdoms on the face of the earth. Yet her profit and her earnings will be set apart for the Lord; they will not be stored up or hoarded. Her profits will go to those who live before the Lord, for abundant food and fine clothes. (Isa 23:15-18 NIV)
Is love of neighbor different from national pride? What does God do with the proud?
But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” (James 4:6 NKJV)
Is a nation’s wealth quickly gone if God so decides? Can God humble a proud nation and lead it to repentance? You decide!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)