Jan's Bible NotesISAIAH
Chapter 11
1 THEN - a time word. In the future.
1-5 Who is the “He” in this section? What predictions are made about the Messiah here? It's interesting that in the light of the symbolic use of tall trees, the Messiah is represented as what? Shoot, stem, branch (and later, in the New Testament, the true vine, John 15). Isn't it amazing that we find the over 40 authors of the books of the Bible using the same consistent symbolism, even though they wrote over a period of 1500 years? This is evidence that the Bible could not have been authored by mere men.
2 Do you see the Trinity in this verse? The Spirit = the Holy Spirit. Of the Lord = the Father. Him = the Son.
6-9 Has anything like this ever happened? No, so it must be still future. (According to this verse, we cannot be in the kingdom now, even though many say we are. Those who believe that all prophecy has already been fulfilled must explain this passage.) What will be different in this future time? Animals will not be carnivorous (like in the Garden of Eden, when they ate only plants; compare Gen. 9:1-7, how things changed after the flood). Wild animals will not hurt or be afraid of humans. This will be on the earth; this is not in heaven. Part of the curse of sin will be removed from the earth, but not all; death will not be abolished until the end of the Millenium. The dog-eat-dog code of the animal kingdom is a reminder of whose sin?
10-11 Time clue as to when: in that day. Could this be referring to a time that is NOT the end time? This has never happened, nor will it until that time. Is it describing the Tribulation or the Millenium? "That day," "in that day," "the day of the Lord," includes both, we are seeing.
11 Some teach that God is through with Israel because they were disobedient. But we have been reading that He punished them at that time; then a remnant returned to the land. Here we read that “in that day” (which we have seen includes the Tribulation and Millenium) a SECOND TIME God will recover a remnant of Israel. Where will He recover them from? Islands/isles/coastlands refers to the lands of the Gentile nations. Compare Mt. 12:21 to Is. 42:4; Mt. 13:1, Rev. 17:15, Rev. 13:1.
12-13 Again, the remnant will be gathered from all the earth, the Gentile nations. Israel AND Judah, reunited; no lost tribes here, as some teach.
15 God will dry up the Gulf of Suez, the Red Sea; the Euphrates River will be changed into 7 streams or canals (shallow). Also referred to in Rev. 16:12.
Chapter 12
1 "On that day" has a similar meaning to "in that day" we see; it is talking about the same period of time as the preceding chapter. NOW God’s anger HAS turned away, compare to 9:12,17,21.
2-3 Saved Israel in the millenial kingdom.
4 In that day. This will be the state of the remnant referred to in Is. 11.
Chapter 13
1 Burden, oracle, prophecy, utterance (especially of doom): a weighty, burdensome message to deliver. About what? Isaiah "saw"; sounds like a vision, in which he also hears the Lord speaking. Because God sometimes spoke to people in the Old Testament days through visions, does that mean we should also expect visions? We see a few visions mentioned in the Gospels and in Acts; the prophecies of Revelation were given through a vision. We do not read in the Epistles--the directions for the church--about having or expecting to have visions. Why is this? God used visions at certain times to impart information from and about Himself; how does He do that now? What do we have that contains everything God needs us to know? In the past God spoke through visions, revelations, dreams, and prophets; now we have God's complete written Word, His complete revelation in Jesus Christ, Heb. 1:1-2. Study the Epistles to find how God deals with the church.
What do we already know about Babylon? World empire, anti-God, Babel the beginning of man’s organized rebellion against God. Babylon in Revelation will again be the object of God’s judgment, whether it refers to a literal city to be rebuilt, or whether it refers symbolically to man’s organized rebellion.
3-5 This could be God’s own army, His angels; or, comparing to what we just read about how God uses other nations to execute His judgments, it could be other nations, as in 4-5. Does "consecrated ones" mean angels? Consecrated means set apart; He may be speaking of unbelievers that He has set apart to do His will by executing His anger on Israel.
6,9 The day of the Lord. Judgment is going to fall on Babylon at that time, but this also pictures a greater judgment to come in the future against Babylon. The Bible frequently uses this type of two-tiered prophecy.
7-13 What will conditions be like during the Great Tribulation? How will people react? Similar to descriptions in Revelation of the Great Tribulation.
10 Compare Rev. 8:12.
11 This especially sounds like a reference to the final judgment. Did this happen at the destruction of Jerusalem? This is one of the purposes of the day of wrath.
12 A large percentage of people on earth will be killed during the Great Tribulation. Compare Rev. 9:18.
3,9,13 This is the time of God’s anger, His wrath. Does the pouring out of His wrath, the day of wrath, refer to the seven years of tribulation or the lake of fire? See Rev. 6:17. This means the church will be removed BEFORE the Tribulation; see I Thes. 5:9 & Eph. 5:6. Even though the church is not mentioned in the Old Testament, understanding the Old Testament sheds much light on what the New Testament has to say about the church.
17 The city of Babylon was attacked by the Assyrians some time before the Babylonian empire fell. Here, the Medes attack the Assyrians, those who are attacking Babylon. What country is Assyria today? Look on a Bible map. Are unbelievers under God's control? The more we understand God's sovereignty, the more we will trust God, and the less we will by gripped by fear and anxiety.
19-22 The city was destroyed, but was later rebuilt. Some time later, the empire of Babylon was destroyed.
We are quite familiar with one leader of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar; Daniel served under him. Timewise, was that before or after Isaiah?
Chapter 14
1-4 What time is this referring to, 1? The immediate context: when Israel returns to their land, after the Babylonian captivity. The future context: when Israel is in their land in fulfillment of the promises about the kingdom. Who is this about, 4? The king at that time; we will see that he pictures or is a "type" of someone else, a more powerful "king."
4b The oppressor has ceased; so will this person rule forever?
4-21 Goes on to rejoice (maybe even gloat) over this fact; 9, his descent to Sheol, the place of the dead, and 12-15, his arrogance.
12 Has any king of Babylon actually fallen from heaven? So who is this talking about? Who was in heaven but has fallen from heaven? We see how God's message about this king uses him as a "type" of someone else, starting out talking about the literal person, then changing the language to indicate that now someone else is actually being referred to. We find this literary device used in other places in the Bible. Compare Ez. 28:2, in which the prince of Tyre is described, and pictures or is a "type" of Satan. 28:12 changes the picture to the KING of Tyre, and we can tell that some of the things said here could not be said of any human. Read 12-17.
KJV says "Lucifer, son of the morning." Lucifer(Strong's): the morning star, bright shining. This is the only place the name Lucifer is used, although some of the modern translations do not use the word. Compare Luke 10:18 and Rev. 12:7-9.
13-14 The 5 “I will's”. Satan desires to be like God, even to usurp Him. 14b, compare Gen. 3:5, what he tempted the first humans to desire; don't many false teachers still make this promise? Don't people continue to fall for it? Why? Compare II Thes. 2:4, describing the Antichrist.
4-7 are only completely fulfilled in the millenial kingdom; the Lord has triumphed over evil at the end of the Tribulation. What has happened to Satan? Rev. 20:1-3. And because we see this is describing a time which CAN ONLY be the Millenium, since Satan is out of the picture, we see that verse 1 tells us something specific about God’s plan for Israel. God is NOT finished with Israel, as many claim. Many claim that the church is spiritual Israel or God’s greater Israel or the new Israel. This view can only be justified if the words of the Bible are spiritualized or allegorized to change their obvious meaning. Let the Bible say what it says.
8 Again trees are used to picture what?
24, 27 What do we learn about God from these verses? He has plans, for nations, for the whole earth, and all His plans will happen JUST as He has planned them. CAN God's plans be thwarted? Even if we disobey or make bad choices? Even if evil rulers are in control? God’s sovereignty extends over ALL. And each of us as individuals will be fitting into that plan, even if we don’t realize it or see it. How does this make you feel about things in your life that you don't like or understand?
28-29 Don’t get too excited because your oppressor has been broken--several more oppressors will follow him. Philistia is the land that will later be called Palestina, then Palestine.
Chapter 15
We won’t spend much time on these judgments against various nations but will try to pick out a few points that are relevant to us.
A prophecy against Moab, an important land at that time, an enemy of Israel. What was the origin of the people of Moab? Gen. 19:29-38. Balaam was hired by Balak, king of Moab, to curse Israel. Ruth was a Moabitess. Today there is no nation of Moab.
This detailed prophecy has been literally fulfilled. Literally fulfilled prophecy is an important reason why we believe in the literal interpretation which sees future prophecy as also to be literally fulfilled, even if right now we can’t see exactly how that could be.
Chapter 16
4-5 Has the end of 4 ever happened yet? When will it happen? Who is spoken of prophetically in 5? What two roles of the Messiah are mentioned? What are some of His attributes? The Bible also tells us that these are attributes of God. The Messiah is to be divine (God).
6 What was Moab’s sin? So often this is the sin God judges. How can we apply this knowledge to our own lives?
12-14 Within 3 years Moab was destroyed by Assyria. Whatever God says, WILL happen, just as He says. Should this knowledge increase our trust in God's Word, and in His power?
Chapter 17
Damascus was the capital city of Aram, the land of the Syrians, just north and east of Israel.
4,7,9 Several references to “in that day,” the time of judgment, often with application to the future judgment yet to come. The short term judgment pictures the future judgment. Again we notice that "in that day" refers to a time period including both judgment and blessing--the Great Tribulation and the millenial kingdom.
4-6,11 Harvest, the reaper, gleanings. The Bible often uses harvest to picture judgment. Although some gospel songs and some preachers refer to harvest as winning souls for Jesus, this is not the primary meaning of harvest in the Bible. Compare Mt. 13:24-43.
6 Many killed but a few will be left.
10-11 What is the reason given for God's judgment? They made their plans for the future without including God in their plans. What then happened to their plans? How can we apply this to our lives? Psalm 127:1, James 4:13-16.
Chapter 18
1 Cush included parts of Egypt, Ethiopia, and Sudan.
2,7 What were these people like?
3 Will God's judgment be done in a corner, hidden from view?
5 How are God's actions described here? Does God ever prune in our lives? What is the purpose of God's pruning for the Christian, John 15:2? What is God likened to in John 15:1?
Chapter 19
Egypt has been an important part of Scripture. It still exists as a nation, and will in the future.
1 What particular sin is mentioned about Egypt?
1-15 Many specifics in this section that were literally fulfilled.
2-4 After the Pharoahs, Egypt disintegrated into city-states. God says He will incite them against each other and will confound their strategy so that they resort to divination (which the Bible forbids and condemns); is God making people sin? Is such an idea consistent with what the Bible teaches about God's character? Then what IS this saying? Does God ever force anyone to do anything? Does He force people to sin? Does He stop people from sinning if they choose to sin? The Bible teaches that we have free will; it also teaches that God is control of everything that happens. God does not cause people to sin, but He works through sinful people to do what they choose to do, and those actions, although wrong, fit into His Big Picture and were known to Him from the beginning. We have free will AND God is sovereign over ALL THINGS. Our brains cannot truly grasp this because we are finite humans, our minds tainted by the Fall, yet we are trying to understand an infinite perfect God. It is arrogant and audacious to say that just because WE cannot understand something, it can't be so.
5-10 The Nile delta filled with sediment; or, a drought, the drying up of the Nile. It no longer supported once-flourishing industries, like fishing, manufacturing, growing papyrus (reeds and rushes; 7, bulrushes, is paper reeds in KJV).
11-14 The wisdom of man was folly, 11; also, the close intermarriage among Pharoahs produced mental misfits. 12, do the Egyptian wise men have any understanding of the true and living God or of His purposes? Compare Prov. 2:6.
16-on "In that day." None of the rest of this chapter seems to have been fulfilled in the past, which also leads us to believe it is speaking of the Tribulation and Millenium. What are God's plans for Egypt in the future? Has this happened yet? What is said about Egypt, Assyria and Israel? Has this happened yet?
Israel may have been tempted to look to Egypt for help against the coming Assyrian invasion, instead of trusting God, but God was going to judge Egypt too. In the Bible, Egypt is a "type" of "the world." The children of Israel came out of Egypt to follow the Lord, first in the wilderness of disobedience and grumbling, often thinking longingly of what they left back in Egypt, and finally into Canaan, the promised land, the place of rest and victory. What things of the world do we sometimes trust in? What does God think about that? Might God have to do some pruning in our lives when we do that?
Chapter 20
Did Isaiah go buck-naked? Does this really seem logical? "Naked" can mean stripped of the outer garment, not fully clothed. Everyone wore an undergarment; sackcloth was the outer garment. Some even make the ridiculous claim that nudity was sanctioned in the Bible because of this incident and a couple of other uses of the term "naked."
This was an object lesson of how God would use Assyria to lead Egypt and Cush away--not fully clothed, barefooted, and in shame. Israel should not look to THEM for help against Assyria. Maybe at this point, Israel thought Egypt looked like a likely source of help, but Israel did not know the future; God is telling them the future so they will have even more reason to look to Him alone.
We might put our trust in our insurance policies or investments; do we know that the economy or the stock market will be what we expect when we need it? We might trust in our own physical and mental abilities; do we know that those abilities will always be intact? We might trust in another person; do we know that our family or friends will always be there for us, will never turn on us, will never let us down? What other sources of false security can you think of?
Copyright 2006 Jan Young