The Mystery of Ephraim

The Scriptures are often shrouded in cryptic languages; as usual a prophecy of Isaiah will start with the house of Judah and Jerusalem then spread to the house of Israel and soon it includes many prophecies concerning other nations surrounding the region. Our challenge is to decrypt them, especially as it relates to the latter days, our days.

Isaiah 13

¹ The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw: — a prophecy concerning Babylon, described as the burden of Babylon, the sentence of judgement revealed by special inspiration of the Lord, which Isaiah the son of Amoz prophesied.

² “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. — lift ye up a banner upon the high mountain, raising the standard of battle upon a deforested peak, where it may be visible from all sides, exalt the voice unto them, calling in urgent invitation, shake the hand, in a beckoning gesture, that they may go into the gates of the nobles, summoned to celebrate a victorious battle, a war against the enemies which would result in a glorious triumph.

³ I have commanded My sanctified ones; I have also called My mighty ones for Mine anger, even them that rejoice in My highness.” — God has commanded his sanctified ones; meaning Cyrus, Darius and the officers of their armies, with the common soldiers, who were furnished with might and strength to do his will, to which they were called in his providence:

— Yehovah Himself summoning these warriors consecrated to His work; he have also called his mighty ones for his anger, the heroes who should carry out the purposes to execute His judgement, even them that rejoice in his highness, boasting of the victory won in His might.

⁴ The noise of a multitude in the mountains, 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. — the noise of a multitude in the mountains of Media and Persia, like as of a great people, a turmoil as when masses of people, great armies, congregate; a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together, an exceptionally large and powerful host;

— the Lord of hosts, the Commander-in-chief of all heavenly forces, mustereth the host of the battle, ready to carry out His plan of punishment when the army under Cyrus was marching towards Babylon.

⁵ 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. — they come from a far country, from the end of heaven, from the ends of the earth; the furthermost parts of it, as Persia and Media were: from beyond the horizon, where the earth appears to be hounded by the sky;

— even the Lord, and the weapons of His indignation, to destroy the whole land, literally, “to overturn the whole earth” for the entire world, then known, would feel the ravages of the war of destruction determined upon by the Lord of hosts, Yehovah. The prophet now turns directly to the nations, the whole land of Chaldea, with Babylon in the lead; the Targum says, “to destroy all the wicked of the earth.”

⁶ Howl ye, for the day of the Lord is at hand! It shall come as a destruction from the Almighty. — Howl ye, in consternation and terror; these words are an address to the Babylonians, for the day of the Lord, or the Lord’s Day, is at hand when He intends to carry out His judgement; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty, all the enemies being included in his punishment suddenly, swiftly and irresistibly; and all opposition being useless from the start.

⁷ Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man’s heart shall melt. — therefore shall all hands be faint, hanging down limp and without strength, and every man’s heart shall melt, like water, like wax before the fire; be dispirited and lose all their valour and courage have neither power nor heart to resist their enemies, and of an utter lack of courage, of complete hopelessness.

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. — and they shall be afraid, troubled, dismayed, frightened, terrified in bewilderment; pangs, convulsions and pains in the bowels shall take hold of them, their terror showing in convulsive movements; 

— they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth, Joel 2:6; they shall be amazed one at another, staring with all evidences of extreme terror, their faces shall be as flames, alternately reddening and blanching as their fear drives the blood back and forth in the body.

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. — behold, the day of the Lord cometh, the day of His vengeance, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, consuming with its heat, to lay the land of the Chaldean desolate; and He shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it, for the Lord here has the whole earth in mind.

¹⁰ 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. — for the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light, the figure of utter darkness pointing to the severity of the punishment; 

— the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, ceasing to shine as soon as it rises, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine so that it would be very uncomfortable; day and night, neither sun, moon nor stars appearing. All this, as in Joel 3:4 and Amos 5:8, indicates that all hope would be vain.

¹¹ “And I will punish the world for their evil and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogance of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. — and God will punish the world for their evil and the wicked for their iniquity; and he will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, so that the voice of boasting is no longer heard, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible, putting down the tyrants and stopping their violence.

¹² I will make a man more precious than fine gold, even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir. — the scarcity of men in Babylon through the slaughter as God made a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir, in this manner would the Lord visit the world with His anger, to punish and annihilate it in the extremity of His wrath.

¹³ 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. — therefore God will shake the heavens, namely for the purpose of punishing the earth and making men scarce on it, and the earth shall remove out of her place, being crowded aside, as it were, by the immensity of God’s indignation;

— in the wrath of the Lord of hosts and In the day of His fierce anger. He is going to shake the earth out of her place, of course literally, which would mean a hundred times the waves of Fukushima over!

¹⁴ 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. — and Babylon and its inhabitants shall be as the chased roe, the timid gazelle, which is so easily startled, and as a sheep that no man taketh up, like a panic-stricken flock which simply cannot be brought together again;

— they shall every man turn to his own people and flee every one into his own land, that is, the great mass of strangers gathered in the great world market, first with Babylonia, then the house of Israel and the house of Judah would, at the Lord’s shakings, the tribes scatter in all directions, every one anxious to reach the protection of his own country;

— Q. could “every man every one into his own land” also mean that the house of Israel, the ten-tribes headed by the United States, finally realised their land is in the Promised Land in Palestine; and flee to reclaim, first, with the “West Bank” then the others? Especially what could have happened after Ezekiel 20:45 to 21:5?

Ezekiel 20:45 Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
⁴⁶ “Son of man, set thy face toward the South, and drop thy word toward the South, and prophesy against the forest of the Southland.
⁴⁷ And say to the forest of the South: ‘Hear the word of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee and every dry tree. The flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the South to the North shall be burned therein.
⁴⁸ And all flesh shall see that I, the Lord, have kindled it; it shall not be quenched.’”
⁴⁹ Then said I, “Ah, Lord God! They say of me, ‘Doth he not speak parables?’”
Ezekiel 21:1 And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
² “Son of man, set thy face toward Jerusalem, and drop thy word toward the holy places, and prophesy against the land of Israel;
³ and say to the land of Israel, ‘Thus saith the Lord: Behold, I am against thee, and will draw forth My Sword out of his sheath and will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked.
⁴ Seeing then that I will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked, therefore shall My Sword go forth out of his sheath against all flesh from the South to the North,
⁵ that all flesh may know that I, the Lord, have drawn forth My Sword out of his sheath. It shall not return any more.’

¹⁵ Every one that is found shall be thrust through; and every one that is joined unto them shall fall by the sword. — everyone that is found, not having sought safety in flight, shall be thrust through, and every one that is joined unto them, rather, intercepted in flight, shall fall by the sword, for it is a general slaughter which will come upon the mixed population of the United States.

¹⁶ Their children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be despoiled and their wives ravished. — their children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes, their parents witnessing their murder; their houses shall be spoiled, everything plundered, and their wives ravished, for war ever brutalizes men, in many cases placing them below the level of beasts.

¹⁷ “Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, who shall not regard silver; and as for gold, they shall not delight in it. — behold, God will stir up the Medes against them, the Medo-Persians being the world power which conquered Babylon;

— which shall not regard silver; and as for gold, they shall not delight in it, that is, it would be impossible to bribe them, to buy them off, and thus save the city whose destruction was firmly determined upon by the Lord; also the original Medo-Persians had pleasure by their spoiling of the houses of the Babylonians, but these don’t have any pleasures, hence it is another scenario; Q. Could this be a latter day prophecy of the United States?

¹⁸ 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. — their bows also shall dash the young men to pieces, a very vivid description of the effect which would attend the wholesale slaughter; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb, not sparing even the unborn children, II Kings 8:12; II Kings 15:16; Hosea 14:1; Amos 1:13; their eye shall not spare children, for the enemies would be devoid of all pity.

¹⁹ And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldeans’ excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah. — and Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, an ornament of beauty in the midst of conquered nations, the beauty of the Chaldees’ excellency, to which they all pointed with pride as the greatest capital of the world, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, utterly destroyed, an eternal wilderness.

²⁰ 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 shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation; neither shall the Arabians, the Bedouin nomads, pitch tent there; neither shall the shepherds make their fold there, total desolation should reign there forever.

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. — but wild beasts of the desert shall lie there, making their dens in the midst of the ruins; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures, the howling jackals probably being meant; and owls shall dwell there, rather, ostriches, and satyrs, or wild goats, thought to be possessed of demons, shall dance there.

²² 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.” — and the wild beasts of the islands, probably hyenas, shall cry in their desolate houses, in the ruined palaces of the city, and dragons in their pleasant palaces.

Isaiah 14

¹ For the Lord will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel and set them in their own land; and the strangers shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob. — for the Lord will have mercy on the house of Jacob, it is His plan for His people to lead the way for the Kingdom of God; which caused Him to bring the judgement of punishment and destruction by the rod of Babylon, then the Romans;

— but will yet choose Israel in accordance with His plan of redemption and set them in their own land, the Promised Land; His elect being called a peculiar people; and the strangers from the nations, people who are not members of Israel according to the flesh, shall be joined with them, into a kingdom of saints, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob, to be reckoned members of God’s people.

² And the people shall take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of the Lord for servants and handmaids; and they shall take them captive whose captives they were, and they shall rule over their oppressors. — and the people that take them and bring them to their place, that is, the Chaldeans, will them play a reverse role;

— that is, the Jews that dwelt in Babylon shall rule over their oppressors, the Chaldeans, the nations; and similarily, the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of the Lord that have given to them, the former enemies of the children of Israel surrounding the region will be glad to serve Him in this manner.

³ And it shall come to pass in the day that the Lord shall give thee rest from thy sorrow and from thy fear and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve, — and it shall come to pass in the day that the Lord shall give thee rest from thy sorrow from captivity and from thy fear of worse evils, most cruel usage, and death itself, under the terror of which they lived: and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve;

⁴ that thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say: “How hath the oppressor ceased! The golden city ceased! — that thou shalt take up this proverb, a song of triumph, against the king of Babylon and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased! literally, “Ended is the driving despot, ended the exacting” (of gold), or “the oppression” for the greatest burden which Babylon laid upon the people under her dominion was that of a tribute, a tribute of gold.

⁵ The Lord hath broken the staff of the wicked and the scepter of the rulers. — the Lord hath broken the staff of the wicked and the scepter of its rulers, since it was used only for authority; the “staff” and “sceptre” are emblems of power and government and “breaking” them signifies the utter destruction and cessation of authority and dominion.

⁶ He who smote the people in wrath with a continual stroke, he that ruled the nations in anger, is persecuted, and none hindereth. — the king of Babylon smote the people in wrath with a continual stroke, namely, the scepter of the tyrant, he that ruled the nations in anger, is persecuted, and none hindereth, that is, none of the neighbouring kings and nations, either tributary to him, or in alliance with him, give him the least help or assistance.

⁷ The whole earth is at rest and is quiet; they break forth into singing. — the whole earth is at rest and is quiet, now that the enemy is overthrown, the peace of God’s kingdom being pictured; they break forth into singing song of praise, the believers praising the Lord for His deliverance.

⁸ Yea, the fir trees rejoice at thee, and the cedars of Lebanon, saying, ‘Since thou art laid down, no hewer has come up against us.’ — yea, the fir-trees, or cypresses, rejoice at thee, at the tyrant’s misfortune, and the cedars of Lebanon, for their wood had been exported and furnish for building houses; saying, Since thou art laid down, Babylon having fallen, no feller is come up against us, to strip the mountainsides of their forests.

⁹ Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming; it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations. — hell or the “grave” from beneath is moved for thee, to meet thee at thy coming; it stirreth up the dead for thee, the specters or giants inhabiting hell, even all the chief ones, literally, “the leaders” of the earth, as many as are in the dominion of darkness; 

— it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations; all these dwellers are pictured as astonished and excited at the prospect of seeing the kings of Babylon or the Pharaohs of Egypt, feeble and powerless, coming out from their place of abode.

¹⁰ All they shall speak and say unto thee: ‘Art thou also become weak as we? Art thou become like unto us?’ — all they shall speak and say unto thee, the kings of Babylon or the Pharaohs of Egypt, not in contempt and mockery but in honest astonishment, Art thou also become weak as we, void of all strength? Art thou become like unto us?

¹¹ Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols; the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee. — thy pomp is brought down to the grave, all Babylon’s and Egypt’s earthly glory and majesty destroyed, and the noise of thy viols, the sound of the harps which accompanied his feasts of merrymaking on earth; 

— the worm, the flesh-eating maggot, is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee, the most repulsive creatures, symbols of decay, taking the place of the precious Babylonian carpets, tapestries, and coverings to which the king had been accustomed here on earth.

¹² “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, who didst weaken the nations! — How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! literally, “O day-star, son of the dawn,” the reference is to be understood of the fall of Satan, and the apostate angels, comparing him to the high and influential position occupied by the Babylonian ruler. How art thou cut down to the ground, like a giant tree which has been felled, which didst weaken the nations, in conquering and subduing them;

— Lucifer = “light-bearer” however, renders from the Hebrew [hêlēl H1966]; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High.’ Isaiah 14:14

¹³ For thou hast said in thine heart, ‘I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north. — for only Lucifer, not even Nebuchadnezzar, could have said in his heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God, the residences of the spirits of God; 

— I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the North, this being said according to the hint of the Heavenly Throne where the Lord God is, on the North side of the earth, in the far North.

¹⁴ I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High.’ — I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, considered the chariots and thrones of the ancient deities; I will be like the Most High, many of the emperors of old regarding themselves as the sons or the offspring of God and laying claim to divine honors;

— the Targum says, “I will be higher than them all.’

¹⁵ Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. — yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit, his reception in the place of everlasting destruction.

¹⁶ They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee and consider thee, saying, ‘Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms, — the dead that see thee, after the great downfall which has been so graphically pictured, shall narrowly look upon thee and consider thee, musing upon the terrible fate which struck their former companion or acquaintance, saying, Is this the king or Caesar that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms, as the great Babylonian or Roman empires often did;

¹⁷ that made the world as a wilderness and destroyed the cities thereof, that opened not the house of his prisoners?’ — by destroying the inhabitants of it, that made the world as a wilderness and destroyed the cities thereof; and by laying waste cities, towns; that opened not the house of his prisoners, showing no pity by dismissing them to their prisons.

¹⁸ All the kings of the nations, even all of them, lie in glory, every one in his own house. — every king of the nations who lie in wait for glory; their bodies, properly prepared for burial, lying in state in the tombs of their ancestors.

¹⁹ But thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch, and as the raiment of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the stones of the pit, as a carcass trodden under feet. — but thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch, where it lies and rots like a worthless twig or parasite, which hinders the growth of the tree.

²⁰ Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land and slain thy people. The seed of evildoers shall never be renowned. — thou shalt not be joined with them in burial, his punishment reaching even beyond his death, because thou hast destroyed thy land and slain thy people, making it the instrument of his tyrannical lust of conquest; the seed of evil-doers shall never be renowned, his race becoming extinct as godless and cursed.

²¹ Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers, that they do not rise, nor possess the land, nor fill the face of the world with cities.” — prepare slaughter for their children for the iniquity of their fathers, on whose account a dynasty shall be destroyed, that they do not rise, nor possess the land, nor fill the face of the world with cities, preventing them from establishing their dominion and regaining their former power.

²² “For I will rise up against them,” saith the Lord of hosts, “and cut off from Babylon the name and remnant, and son and grandson,” saith the Lord. — for the Lord of hosts will rise against them, against the children of the Babylonish monarch; and cut off from them their name and remnant, all the descendants that are left; any son or nephew.

²³ “I will also make it a possession for the bittern, and pools of water; and I will sweep it with the besom of destruction,” saith the Lord of hosts. — God will also make it, the site of Babylon, a possession for the bittern, or an animal something like the porcupine which inhabits the wastes of the Euphrates Valley, and pools of water, swamps resulting from the annual overflow of the river.

²⁴ The Lord of hosts hath sworn, saying, “Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass, and as I have purposed, so shall it stand; — the Lord of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as He had disposed or planned, so shall it come to pass, and so shall it stand.

²⁵ that I will break the Assyrian in My land, and upon My mountains tread him under foot. Then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden depart from off their shoulders.” — God will break the Assyrian in his land, overthrowing his power within the boundaries of Judah, particularly the mountains which were round about Jerusalem; and upon his mountains tread him under foot;

— then shall his yoke depart from off them, namely, the inhabitants of Judah, and his burden depart from off their shoulders, so that the design of the invader could not be accomplished.

²⁶ This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth, and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations. — this is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth; the Targum says, “all the inhabitants of the earth” in the counsel of the Lord, in whose hand is the government of the whole earth; and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations, and every decree of the Lord has significance “on all kingdoms” that is, for all men.

²⁷ For the Lord of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? And His hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back? — if the Lord of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? And if his hand is stretched out, who shall turn it back? 

²⁸ In the year that King Ahaz died was this burden: — in about 727 BC the year that King Ahaz died, was this burden, this sentence of judgement upon the Philistines, who just at this time prepared to regain their ancient power:

²⁹ “Rejoice not thou, whole Philistia, because the rod of him that smote thee is broken; for out of the serpent’s root shall come forth an adder, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent. — rejoice thou not, whole Palestina, that is, Philistia, because the rod of him that smote thee is broken, the Philistines being of the opinion that the alliance of Syria and the Northern Kingdom, as a consequence of which Ahaz and Judah had become vassals of Assyria, II Kings 16:5-9, had resulted in breaking the power of Judah, which had only just before that been asserted by Uzziah, II Chronicles 26:6; 

— for out of the serpent’s root shall come forth a cockatrice, that is, an adder, a still more poisonous serpent, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent, the reference probably being to Hezekiah, who promptly smote the Philistines and definitely brought about their destruction, II Kings 18:8.

³⁰ And the firstborn of the poor shall feed, and the needy shall lie down in safety; and I will kill thy root with famine, and he shall slay thy remnant. — and the first-born of the poor shall feed, and the needy shall lie down in safety, that is, the inhabitants of Judah would enjoy peace and safety under the reign of God over Philistia; but God will kill thy root with famine, thus eradicating the Philistines as a people, and he shall slay thy remnant, thereby carrying out his punishment upon the ancient enemies of Judah.

³¹ Howl, O gate! Cry, O city! Thou, whole Philistia art dissolved! For there shall come from the north a smoke, and none shall be alone in his appointed times.” — Howl, O gate! the strong fortifications of the Philistine cities being meant. Cry, O city! Ashdod and Gaza having retained much of their ancient glory. Thou, whole Palestina, art dissolved, melting away to nothing; 

— for there shall come from the North a smoke, namely, the Assyrian hordes with their ruthless devastations, and none shall be alone in his appointed times, literally, “and none is by himself in his armies,” the Assyrian soldiers knowing neither weariness nor insubordination, but all filled with that one idea the lust of conquest.

³² What shall one then answer the messengers of the nation? “That the Lord hath founded Zion, and the poor of His people shall trust in it.” — what shall one answer the messengers of the nation? What answer do the messengers of the nation bring? What report did the ambassadors of various nations make when they returned to their own land after viewing the results of God’s punishment of Philistia and His protection of Judah? That the Lord hath founded Zion, and the poor of His people shall trust in it, the troubled refugees being safe within its walls. In this way the Lord protects those who believe in Him against all enemies, He Himself being their Refuge and Strength.

~ by Joel Huan on February 26, 2022.

Posted in Isaiah