Isaiah Summary chapters 11 to 20
Isaiah Prophecies: The Messiah son of David will come. Judah and Israel will be ingathered. Crossing the Bosporus. Europe, Edom, and Babylon will be punished. Judah and Ephraim will unite and expel the Palestinians. Moab subdued; Lucifer son of the Morning
Isaiah
chapters 11 to 20
Brit-Am
Summary
A Biblical Commentary Courtesy of
Brit-Am
The Brit-Am Summary of Isaiah
Part Two
chapters 11 to 20
Below is presented an overall impression of the Book of Isaiah (chapter 11 to 20) from a Brit-Am point of view.
For more details see our
Brit-Am Commentary to the Book of Isaiah
http://britam.org/isaiah/isaiah.html
and our other writings.
The future Messiah will be descended from Jesse the father of David (11:1).
He shall be Divinely Inspired and have outstanding personal qualities including especially the fear of the Almighty (11:2-3).
His ability to judge matters will verge on the supernatural (11:4).
In the Messianic Era there will be peace and the strong shall not victimize the weak (11:6-8).
The entire world will have an awareness of God (11:9).
All peoples of the earth will wish to be ruled by the Messiah son of David (11:10).
The exiles of Israel will be brought back from Assyria, Mitsraim (Egypt or Russia?), Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath, and the Isles (misleadingly translated in the KJ as "coastlands") of the Sea (11:11).
The "Outcast" Ten Tribes and the Dispersed of Judah will be gathered from all over the earth (11:12). The extremism of Ephraim will depart and the jealousy of Ephraim by others will end:
The expression translated as "THE JEALOUSY OF EPHRAIM" (11:13) in Hebrew is "Kinath Ephraim" which means both his own extremism and the jealousy against him of others.
The Persecutors and harassers of Judah will be cut off. Ephraim will no longer be jealous of Judah and Judah will cease to perturb and compete with (Hebrew: "Tsor" translated as "vex") Ephraim. This indicates that right up to the very end some fiction will remain between Judah and Ephraim (11:13). Ephraim and Judah together will transfer the Palestinians by airflight to some place in the west. They shall plunder people of the east; put their hand on Edom and Moab (in the west?) and bring Ammon into subjection (11:14).
The Sea of Mitsraim (? Egypt, Bosphorus?) will split into seven dry channels allowing the Israelites from the Ten Tribes who remain after the Exile of Assyria to pass through (11:15-16).
The Jewish Sages had a tradition that the Lost Ten Tribes crossed the Bosporus
into Europe and that they would return by the same path.
See
Zechariah 10:11
There will also be a special pathway from Assyria for the remnant of Israel to return (11:16).
We will praise God in that Day. He is our salvation and fountain of joy (12:1-3). Israel should sanctify the God of Israel (who exists amongst us 12:6) in the midst of the world (12:4-6).
Isaiah begins to prophecy against Babylon (13:1). God will destroy Babylon and bring enemies against her from a far land (13:5). The effects of destruction may be occasioned by nuclear or bio-chemical effects (13:8). Changes will take place in the heavenly constellations (13:10, 13). The whole world will feel the effects and suffer (13:11). Due to disasters people will seek to be with their own kind and return to their places of origin (13:14). [Historically Babylon was a world capital and contained contingents of numerous nations who had been brought to it as captives or had come there for other reasons]. The children of Babylon will be killed, the women ravished (13:16). The uncivilized Medes will kill Babylonians without regard to age or sex (13:17-18).
[Craig White and others identify the Medes with Ukrainians and others from the former "Soviet Sphere". There is an overlap between Germany, Edom, and Babylon. In WWII the Soviet Armies raped most of the women in the conquered areas of Germany.]
Babylon will be destroyed completely, for ever and ever. Even wandering Arabs, used to desert conditions and waste places, will not want to pitch their tent there (13:19). It will be a domain of wild beasts (13:21-22).
God will have mercy on the Ten Tribes and Judah and bring them back to their land. Foreigners will join themselves to Israel and inherit with them (14:1). In some cases the foreigners will be accepted as equals and in other cases they will accept the status of servants (14:2). Peoples who had taken Israelites as captives will be treated as captives and will serve Israelites (14:2). Israel will be comforted from its bondage in Babylon (14:3-4). The whole world will be relieved since they all suffered from Babylonian oppression (14:5-11).
Babylon is likened unto the Morning Star ("Hillel ben Shachar" literally "Shining son of the Morning") high up in the heavens which is brought down to the depths. This is translated in the King James as "LUCIFER, SON OF THE MORNING" (14:12). "Lucifer" was an angel who rebelled against God (14:12-15?) and was cast out of heaven becoming the Satan. This interpretation appears to be of Jewish origin and is referred to in some Jewish sources BUT it was later emphasized by Christianity and has become associated with Christian Doctrine. Whoever "Hillel ben Shachar" (Lucifer) represents Isaiah continues and applies his figuration as representing a real historical personage who headed a might Empire (will a new Hitler arise? Someone more terrible than Hitler, Stalin, and Mao together?) who upset kingdoms (14:16), made the world a wilderness, destroying cities and creating "Gulags" of slave labor (14:17). While other national leaders have peace in the grave "Lucifer" (the new Greater Stalin-Hitler enhanced clone) will be expelled from his tomb like the mythical figure "Netser", translated as "branch" (14:19). He (whoever "he" is) will have murdered his own people. The descendants of Babylon will be destroyed (14:2-22). Assyria will be destroyed in the Land of God and trodden down on His hillsides. The yoke of Assyria will be removed (14:25). All of this has been decided by the Almighty to befall all the nations of the earth. It will come to pass (14:26-27).
Isaiah prophesies against the Philistines meaning probably the present-day Palestinians (14:29) who will meet disaster (14:30-31).
Zionism is a God-ordained doctrine for the sake of the oppressed of His people (14:32).
Moab will be punished and its cities meet with disaster (15:1-9).
Moab will request help from Judah (16:1-3) and from the Ruler of Judah sitting upon the throne of David with judgment and righteousness (16:5).
Judah will be of the opinion that Moab does not deserve assistance (16:6) but some help will be given though Moab will still be sorely stricken (16:7). Part of Moab will be exiled over the sea (16:8). Only a small remnant of Moab will remain (16:14).
Damascus will be destroyed (17:1). Damascus of Aram (translated as "Syria") had allied itself with Ephraim and both would come to an ending (17:3). Jacob would be weakened (17:4). Jacob appears to be equated in this case with Ephraim (17:5). Nearly all of Northern Israel will be exiled (17:6).
[Prophecy flits back and forth in its time sequences according to the subject matter].
There will come a day when men will worship God and abandon their idolatry and the worship of their own abilities and achievements (17:7-8). Many nations causing a tumult together, such as the UN, will be rebuked by the Almighty (17:12-13). Those who wish to disturb and rob us will be unsettled (17:14).
Isaiah 18 has been interpreted as applying to the UK and to the USA both of whom have helped Judah return to the Land:
"Brit-Am Now"-605
#1. New Source: Did Isaiah 18 Predict British Restorationism? by Gregorio Billikopf Encina
"Brit-Am Now"-608
#2. Jack Flaws: Isaiah 18
Isaiah speaks of a wing-shaded land beyond the rivers of Cush (18:1). This has several possible applications including Africa as well as the Anglo-Saxons who emerged from Central Asia which was also once known as "Cush".
The explanation of Gregorio Billikopf Encina based on earlier Commentators says Isaiah 18 is referring to Britain and by extension North America. This now seems to us to be the most correct explanation though the other solutions also have something to them.
Scripture can often have more than one correct application.
Isaiah chapter 19 begins with a condemnation of Mitsrayim which usually means "Egypt" but can also be applied to other entities. The Mitsrim ("Egyptians") will fight each other. Mitsrayim is divided into several kingdoms that will war against each other (19:2). In the past we tentatively identified "Mitsraim" in some Prophetic contexts as Russia or nations of the former USSR.
The Land of Judah will be a terror unto Mitsrayim (19:7). A solution accepting the usual equation of Mitsrayim=Egypt should also be considered. Eventually five cities in the Land of Mitsrayim will be populated by speakers of the language of Canaan (Hebrew) and belong to Israel (19:18). The people of Mitsrayim will repent and worship the God of Israel who will heal them (19:22). There will be a highway connecting Mitsrayim and Assyria and both shall join with Israel (19:23-24).
Isaiah 20 uses events that were to take place in the time of Isaiah or shortly afterwards as a prototype for the future.
See
Questions on Prophecy
Q 2. What Are Prototypical Prophecies?
Mitsrayim ("Egypt") and Cush ("Ethiopia") will suffer under Assyria. The Island (Britain?) will seek a place to flee due to fear of Assyria (20:6).
In WW11 it is said that Britain had contingency plans in case of invasion and defeat to transport a portion of the population to Canada and continue from there.
See also:
Brit-Am Commentary to the Book of ISAIAH
Biblical Proofs
http://www.britam.org/Proof/ProofsIntro.html