Preparing for Deliverance
Reflection on Isaiah 13
Isaiah 13-24 are all prophecies or announcements of God’s coming judgement against sin. Nations including Jerusalem are listed by chapter and each judgment is described in detail for each, concluding with chapter 24 that describes the judgement of the whole earth.
Read - Isaiah 13:1-16
Isaiah announces God's judgment against Babylon. This judgement includes:
A large army from distant lands that will attack Babylon, and if they knew how severe that judgement will be, Babylon would have already begun to wail for mercy.
An attack that will be so terrifying that it will melt hearts with fear, and it will only become more and more painful with each passing moment like a woman in childbirth.
Creation being thrown off with the stars no longer giving light at night (complete darkness).
An Earthquake that sends everyone running for their life.
Read - Isaiah 13:17-22
The army of God’s judgment will be merciless. They will:
Fight at no cost since their only desire is blood
Attack innocent woman, children, and even infants
Leave the land completely desolate
Will not delay and are already coming soon.
Who is Babylon?
Some say that this prophecy was already fulfilled as far as we understand it according to the Assyrian attack on Babylon in 689 BCE, yet Revelation 17-18 gives Isaiah’s prophecy new meaning as it states that Babylon will be rebuilt, revived, and finally judged by God in the great tribulation.
Most people assume that Isaiah 13 is referring to the Babylon that was conquered by Judah under King Nebuchadnezzar, but that was a later kingdom (sometimes referred to as Neo-Babylon). And for obvious reasons neither is Revelation 17-18 referring to that historical Babylon.
So it is safe to understand that the Babylon mentioned here in Isaiah 13 and other places in scripture do not only refer to historical Babylon, but also to the Mystery Babylon that the book of Revelation gives us advanced knowledge of.
Like Isaiah 11 and other parts of scripture, here Isaiah 13 shows us that like an onion has many layers, so God’s promises are partially being unfolded from the day of Creation one layer at a time, even God’s promises of judgement.
Regardless of which ‘Babylon’ Isaiah 13 was actually originally directed to, it is important for the Church today to understand what the name Babylon (confusion) represented to Israel in Isaiah’s day. Because the nation of Babylon worshiped false gods so boldly, Babylon literally and figuratively came to represent everything that was arrogant, evil, and offensive to God. And in this, Babylon’s judgment is symbolic of the judgement against all sin, which we will arrive at in more detail in Chapter 24 of Isaiah.
Questions for reflection:
What things in your life are similar to the problems that God had with Babylon? (Gen. 11:1-9)
What steps are you taking to remove Babylonian ways from your own mind and lifestyle?
How do you make sense of God’s wrath toward his enemies, while Jesus also teaches us to pray for our enemies?
You are welcomed to pray this prayer with me: