Monday, February 11, 2013

Isaiah 9:5


Copyright Ó 2013 J. Neely
Isaiah 9:5

5 For every battle [ca'own] of the warrior [ca'an] is with confused noise, [ra`ash] and garments [simlah] rolled [galal] in blood; [dam] but this shall be with burning [sarephah] and fuel [ma'akoleth] of fire. ['esh] KJV-Interlinear

5 For every boot of the booted warrior in the battle tumult, And cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire. NASB


Isaiah saw the invasion coming in his day, but he also saw a more terrible invasion coming in the final days of history.

Although history has several examples of battles and invasions where the enemy came with great confidence and then were defeated, there is only one instance where this prophecy will be fulfilled in every detail and to the letter without exception.

Every battle, ‘ca own,’ is a reference to the boot or footwear of the soldier.  Therefore, every boot, or every soldier will advance with confidence and the certainty of his victory.

Confused noise or tumult, ‘ra ash,’ is a reference to the sound of advancing armies.

Garments rolled in blood, is a phrase that describes the nature of battle. It is deadly, up close and personal, and extremely messy.

And so it will be.  In those final days of history, at the end of the Tribulation, the enemies of God, of truth, of Israel, and of all believers in general, will be marching to the sound of their equipment, with confidence and purpose, and the certainty of their victory.

But this shall be, is a phrase that simply states that this must be, this will be.  And what will be, just as certain as the enemy’s confidence, will be the defeat of all of Gods enemies.

So there are two certainties here.  First there will be an invasion.  It is going to happen.  And second, that invasion will fail.  But this failure will not be a temporary failure, such that another enemy can come along on another day.  This failure will be the last and final failure.

Burning and fuel for fire, carries the connotation of the booty obtained after the battle is over.

The enemy boots, clothing, implements of battle, will all be forfeit and become the possessions of the victors.

This burning is the final burning, the final collection of all enemy possessions, including the enemy soldiers themselves.

In great heaps, the fires after the battle will burn for a long period of time.

Recall that the Battle of Armageddon will be horrific. That battlefield will extend for hundreds of miles and will be completely covered with the dead of the enemy.  Blood will flow as high as the horses bridle.  That means millions, upon millions, upon millions of the dead.

It will take more than a few days to clean it all up, and use up the supplies and equipment.  It will take years, and people will even need the help of animal scavengers in the cleanup process.