Would Israel be restored and would foreigners join them? Is God impressed by national pride or national repentance? Let’s look at Isaiah 14.
After divine punishment for their sins, would Israel experience a great reversal?
When the Lord has compassion on Jacob and again chooses Israel, and settles them on their own land, then strangers will join them and attach themselves to the house of Jacob. The peoples will take them along and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will make them their own possession in the land of the Lord as male and female servants; and they will take their captors captive and will rule over their oppressors. (Isa 14:1-2 NASB)
Will Babylonian oppression end and people finally be at rest and at peace?
On the day the Lord gives you relief from your suffering and turmoil and from the harsh labor forced on you, you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon: How the oppressor has come to an end! How his fury has ended! The Lord has broken the rod of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers, which in anger struck down peoples with unceasing blows, and in fury subdued nations with relentless aggression. All the lands are at rest and at peace; they break into singing. Even the junipers and the cedars of Lebanon gloat over you and say, “Now that you have been laid low, no one comes to cut us down.” (Isa 14:3-8 NIV)
Are the departed spirits of the dead excited and stirred up to meet the Lord at His coming?
Hell [Sheol, the place of the dead] from beneath is excited about you, To meet you at your coming; It stirs up the dead for you, All the chief ones of the earth; It has raised up from their thrones All the kings of the nations. They all shall speak and say to you: ‘Have you also become as weak as we? Have you become like us? Your pomp is brought down to Sheol, And the sound of your stringed instruments; The maggot is spread under you, And worms cover you.’ (Isa 14:9-11 NKJV)
Is the king of Babylon symbolic of a once bright and shining angel, who fell from heaven, who because of his delusional ambitions, became the devil?
How you are fallen from heaven, O shining star [Helel, Lucifer], son of the morning! You have been thrown down to the earth, you who destroyed the nations of the world. For you said to yourself, ‘I will ascend to heaven and set my throne above God’s stars. I will preside on the mountain of the gods far away in the north. I will climb to the highest heavens and be like the Most High.’ Instead, you will be brought down to the place of the dead, down to its lowest depths. Everyone there will stare at you and ask, ‘Can this be the one who shook the earth and made the kingdoms of the world tremble? Is this the one who destroyed the world and made it into a wasteland? Is this the king who demolished the world’s greatest cities and had no mercy on his prisoners?’ (Isa 14:12-17 NLT)
Does the fate of the king of Babylon picture the fate of all abominable national leaders who lead their country to ruin?
All the kings of the nations sleep in glory, everyone in his own house. But you are cast away from your tomb like an abominable branch, clothed with the slain who are thrust through with the sword, who go down to the stones of the pit; like a dead body trodden under foot. You will not join them in burial, because you have destroyed your land. You have killed your people. The offspring of evildoers will not be named forever. (Isa 14:18-20 WEB)
Will Babylon be in ruin and the political progeny of such a corrupt city also be cut off?
Prepare a place to slaughter his sons for the guilt of their father. Don’t let them arise to take over the earth or fill the world with cities. I will arise against them, says the Lord of heavenly forces. I will cut off Babylon’s renown and remnant, offshoot and offspring. I will make it the home of herons, a swampland. I will sweep it away with the broom of destruction, says the Lord of heavenly forces. (Isa 14:21-23 CEB)
Will the Assyrians before the Babylonians also be wiped out?
The Lord All-Powerful has made this promise: Everything I have planned will happen just as I said. I will wipe out every Assyrian in my country, and I will crush those on my mountains. I will free my people from slavery to the Assyrians. I have planned this for the whole world, and my mighty arm controls every nation. I, the Lord All-Powerful, have made these plans. No one can stop me now! (Isa 14:24-27 CEV)
Should the Philistines not rejoice too much over Assyria’s defeat, because their own destruction is coming?
In the year that King Ahaz died came this oracle: Rejoice not, O Philistia, all of you, that the rod that struck you is broken, for from the serpent's root will come forth an adder, and its fruit will be a flying fiery serpent. And the firstborn of the poor will graze, and the needy lie down in safety; but I will kill your root with famine, and your remnant it will slay. Wail, O gate; cry out, O city; melt in fear, O Philistia, all of you! For smoke comes out of the north, and there is no straggler in his ranks. What will one answer the messengers of the nation? “The Lord has founded Zion, and in her the afflicted of his people find refuge.” (Isa 14:28-32 ESV)
How important is national humility to God as opposed to national pride?
But He gives greater grace. Therefore He says: God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. (James 4:6 HCSB)
Would Israel be restored and would foreigners join them? Is God impressed by national pride or national repentance? You decide!
