Isaiah 14

Remember the context of Isaiah 13, where God encourages the captive Jews who are in Babylon. He tells them that Babylon is going to be conquered by the Medo-Persians.

Isaiah 13:17–20 (NIV)

See, I will stir up against them the Medes, who do not care for silver and have no delight in gold. Their bows will strike down the young men; they will have no mercy on infants, nor will they look with compassion on children. Babylon, the jewel of kingdoms, the pride and glory of the Babylonians, will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah. She will never be inhabited or lived in through all generations; there no nomads will pitch their tents, there no shepherds will rest their flocks.

And that’s eventually what happened during a time of famine and civil unrest - the Medo-Persians under Cyrus II - after conquering the rest of the Babylonian empire - marched on Babylon and took it without a fight in 539 B.C. The Babylon EMPIRE was no more.

The final conquering of Babylon was over 150 years after this was written.

Do you THINK that God might know the future?

But what about the BABYLONIAN CITY’S final demise?

The Persians were eventually defeated by Alexander the great.

He embarked on a rebuilding the city was it was cut short when he died in 323 B.C.

Over time, the city declined and became a ghost-town by AD 200. [1]

Then I told you about a video from Joel Kramer - who went to Iraq - where ancient Babylon is. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtUNHjDmGOY&t=91s)

VIDEO: Check this out! [5 min]

Isaiah 13:21–22 (NIV)

But desert creatures will lie there, jackals will fill her houses; there the owls will dwell, and there the wild goats will leap about. Hyenas will inhabit her strongholds, jackals her luxurious palaces. Her time is at hand, and her days will not be prolonged.

VIDEO: Check this out! [6 min]

Isaiah 14:1–11 (NIV)

The Lord will have compassion on Jacob; once again he will choose Israel and will settle them in their own land. Foreigners will join them and unite with the descendants of Jacob. Nations will take them and bring them to their own place. And Israel will take possession of the nations and make them male and female servants in the Lord’s land.

They will make captives of their captors and rule over their oppressors. 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.” The realm of the dead below is all astir to meet you at your coming; it rouses the spirits of the departed to greet you— all those who were leaders in the world; it makes them rise from their thrones— all those who were kings over the nations. They will all respond, they will say to you, “You also have become weak, as we are; you have become like us.” All your pomp has been brought down to the grave, along with the noise of your harps; maggots are spread out beneath you and worms cover you.

Who is this talking about? The EMPIRE of BABYLON is NO MORE!

And then we come to this often quoted, but rarely understood passage.

Isaiah 14:12 (NIV)

How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations!

Now…let’s look at the KJV in comparison:

Isaiah 14:12 (KJV)

How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

Lucifer…WHO is THAT? Satan? NOPE!

The KJV translators borrowed this term - Lucifer - from the Latin Vulgate.

Lucifer is Latin for "morning star” or “day star” - likely referring to Venus (which looks like a bright star). They didn’t translate the Latin term into English! * Note: This is the ONLY place in the KJV Bible that uses ‘Lucifer’.

I was taught that this is referring to the fall of Satan from heaven. And it’s easy to say that, when we don’t consider the context. As you hear the language, you might see whey.

Isaiah 14:13–15 (NIV)

You said in your heart, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” But you are brought down to the realm of the dead, to the depths of the pit.

2 NOTES

This passage is never quoted by the New Testament writers to refer to Satan.

But, we must remember the context. Who has Isaiah been referring to so far? The EMPIRE of BABYLON

Listen how the text continues

Isaiah 14:16–27 (NIV)

Those who see you stare at you, they ponder your fate: “Is this the man who shook the earth and made kingdoms tremble, the man who made the world a wilderness, who overthrew its cities and would not let his captives go home?” All the kings of the nations lie in state, each in his own tomb. But you are cast out of your tomb like a rejected branch; you are covered with the slain, with those pierced by the sword, those who descend to the stones of the pit. Like a corpse trampled underfoot, you will not join them in burial, for you have destroyed your land and killed your people. Let the offspring of the wicked never be mentioned again. Prepare a place to slaughter his children for the sins of their ancestors; they are not to rise to inherit the land and cover the earth with their cities. “I will rise up against them,” declares the Lord Almighty. “I will wipe out Babylon’s name and survivors, her offspring and descendants,” declares the Lord. “I will turn her into a place for owls and into swampland; I will sweep her with the broom of destruction,” declares the Lord Almighty. The Lord Almighty has sworn, “Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will happen. I will crush the Assyrian in my land; on my mountains I will trample him down. His yoke will be taken from my people, and his burden removed from their shoulders.” This is the plan determined for the whole world; this is the hand stretched out over all nations. For the Lord Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?

And lastly, we are reminded WHEN the prophecy is being voiced - over 150 years before the conquering of Babylon! The year King Ahaz died is around 715 B.C.

Isaiah 14:28–32 (NIV)

This prophecy came in the year King Ahaz died: Do not rejoice, all you Philistines, that the rod that struck you is broken; from the root of that snake will spring up a viper, its fruit will be a darting, venomous serpent. The poorest of the poor will find pasture, and the needy will lie down in safety. But your root I will destroy by famine; it will slay your survivors. Wail, you gate! Howl, you city! Melt away, all you Philistines! A cloud of smoke comes from the north, and there is not a straggler in its ranks. What answer shall be given to the envoys of that nation? “The Lord has established Zion, and in her his afflicted people will find refuge.”

The people of Israel are to trust in God, not ally with an enemy like the Phillistines to conquer Assyria. Assyria - the cloud of smoke…from the north - will kick their tail.

WHEN ALL THE SMOKE BLOWS OVER...

Yahweh has established Zion (Jerusalem) - they will be protected during this time, and ultimately, after being taken captive to Babylon - will be taken back to…Zion.

LIFE LESSONS?

God disciplines His people, but He also has compassion on His people - He WANTS to forgive you and bring you back.

We can trust God at His word. What He says will happen…WILL HAPPEN.

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Daniel C. Browning Jr., “Babylon,” ed. Chad Brand et al., Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2003), 159.