Isaiah 18:7

Copyright Ó 2014 J. Neely

Isaiah 18:7ues

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org

7 In that time [`eth] shall the present [shay] be brought [yabal] unto the LORD [Yahovah] of hosts [tsaba'] of a people [`am] scattered [mashak] and peeled [mowrat], and from a people [`am] terrible [yare'] from their beginning hitherto [halaah]; a nation [gowy] meted out [qav-qav] and trodden under foot [mabuwcah], whose land ['erets] the rivers [nahar] have spoiled [baza'], to the place [maqowm] of the name [shem] of the LORD [Yahovah] of hosts [tsaba'], the mount [har] Zion [Tsiyown].  KJV-Interlinear

7 At that time a gift of homage will be brought to the Lord of hosts From a people tall and smooth, Even from a people feared far and wide, A powerful and oppressive nation, Whose land the rivers divide —  To the place of the name of the Lord of hosts, even Mount Zion.  NASB

This chapter begins with the identification of land beyond Ethiopia, a land where the rivers divide, and in Isaiah’s day that is a reference to Africa.  And now, in that time, is a reference to the final days of history, after the greatest judgment of them all, when evil is destroyed and the predatory animals of the world are all gathered together to the great feast, as the dead of humanity are scattered everywhere.

But not all of Africa is evil, as there will be a remnant of survivors, delivered by Christ at the Second Advent, who had lived in the great lands divided by rivers, beyond Ethiopia, namely Africa, during the devastating and evil years of the Tribulation.

And they will come out of their hiding or from wherever they had been living, despite the massive destruction of Africa, and they will go to Jerusalem, where Jesus Christ will set up His capital for the 1000 year kingdom of God here on the earth.

But this reference is not stated as Jerusalem, per se, but as mount Zion.

For Zion is the symbol of Gods dwelling place, which is truth, which is given to us in the form of the scriptures or bible doctrine.  And that is where the remnant is heading, being guided by doctrine which they knew, because the had learned it at some time during those seven years of the Tribulation.

Remember that when the Tribulation begins, there will be only unbelievers on the earth.  All believers will have been initially removed at the Rapture, and then the Tribulation will begin.  So, anyone who believes after the Rapture, will have done so, during the move horrendous time in all of human history.  Learning doctrine in those years will be extremely difficult and anyone trying to be good Christians will have tremendous obstacles to overcome, including but not limited to, crime, gangs, war, famine, government regulations against them, unemployment, starvation, being extremely poor, and probably worst of all, the constant temptation of compromising their new beliefs, which they did not know or have before, in order to survive life.

And as should be obvious, most believers will not be able to stand up against the pressures of life and they will die.  Heaven will fill up fast with the innumerable numbers of Christian martyrs.

But there will be some, even from the remotest of places on the earth, who will believe, who will hold fast to their Christian beliefs, who will learn when learning is near impossible, and they will travel to Jerusalem, because of the doctrine in their souls.  They will be mature believers.

Isaiah 18:6

Copyright Ó 2014 J. Neely

Isaiah 18:6ues

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6 They shall be left [`azab] together [yachad] unto the fowls [`ayit] of the mountains [har], and to the beasts [bahemah] of the earth ['erets]: and the fowls [`ayit] shall summer [quwts] upon them, and all the beasts [bahemah] of the earth ['erets] shall winter [charaph.] upon them.  KJV-Interlinear

6 They will be left together for mountain birds of prey, And for the beasts of the earth; And the birds of prey will spend the summer feeding on them, And all the beasts of the earth will spend harvest time on them.  NASB

The symbolism of the imagery of mans plans and Gods authority, is ended and the reality is now stated.  In those final days of history, the plans of man will be interrupted and Gods will, will seize hold of the final events of history.

The powers that be, their armies and their grand schemes, will all come to a sudden end. 

The armies will be destroyed in their tracks and they will lay prostrate scattered across the region, unburied and now food for the beasts and birds, not just for a few weeks, but for many months through all the seasons of the year.

And of course we know that the remnant of people will not be enough to bury the dead, but they will have the help of scavenger animals for removing the rot and stench from the face of the earth.  This great feast of the scavengers will continue for a long time, through summer and winter.

Where there once was the pride of certain victory for arrogant armies, now is food rotting in the fields.  Their plans were corrupt and now their bodies fulfill that corruption.

Do not for a moment begin to think that this principle does not also apply to you.  For anyone who does not obey Gods mandate for living in fellowship, for pursuing a daily study, for living the spiritual life as God has designed it, not you, then your end will be no better than the arrogant armies of the future.

We all like to read about things that are future, but we all need to realize that these future events will happen only because the vast majority of people today will put themselves in that position because they have and will reject Gods mandates.  That is something that you should not be a part of either directly through your own rejection or pretense, or indirectly through your indifference and apathy.

Isaiah 18:5

Copyright Ó 2014 J. Neely

Isaiah 18:5ues

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5 For afore [paniym] the harvest [qatsiyr], when the bud [perach] is perfect [tamam], and the sour grape [bocer] is ripening [gamal] in the flower [nitstsah], he shall both cut off [karath] the sprigs [zalzal] with pruning hooks [mazmerah], and take away [cuwr] and cut down [tazaz] the branches [natiyshah].  KJV-Interlinear

5 For before the harvest, as soon as the bud blossoms  And the flower becomes a ripening grape, Then He will cut off the sprigs with pruning knives And remove and cut away the spreading branches.  NASB

Using the imagery of a harvest that is not quite ready, but is getting close to the time of harvest, God can step in at any time and intervene and interrupt the plans of man.

The bud and the flower are indications of a fruit that is beginning to form but still needs some time in order to come to a complete harvest ready state.

When humanity was building the Tower of Babel, God allowed the construction to continue for a time, but then intervened with language confusion in order to bring the whole project to a stop, and to otherwise scatter the people in order to promote their freedom from the slavery of the project. 

The project of the tower being the symbolism of human effort to rise up to Gods level by means of mans energy, in total disregard for the promised savior, who would complete the work of salvation and thus bring man to God by means of Gods work.

Throughout history man has formed nations and empires with one purpose which was to promote themselves by means of subduing or destroying others, all of which was driven by evil.

But in every case, God intervened and destroyed the predator empire, thus extending the promise of freedom so that man could have yet another chance to pursue God and Christ and doctrine and gain the ultimate freedom and liberty and prosperity that has been intended by God from the start.

But of course history repeats itself as evil man does not learn from the mistakes and corruption of prior generations, believing that somehow this next time the new leaders will succeed with even better ideas where others have failed.  Never once believing or realizing that failure is based on the negative attitude toward Christ, not mans better ideas.

Any ideas that reject Christ and truth, have but one destiny, which is failure.  None of mans plans will ever succeed.

And right up to the bitter end of history, humanity will pursue idea after idea, plan after plan, regulation and law after regulation and law, and the end result will be the near extinction of the human race.  That is the result of mans plans.

And so that we all have some semblance of hope and confidence, here is Gods promise that no plans of man, no nations, no empires will ever succeed, as God possesses the right and power and ability and sovereignty and authority over all things, and will terminate any and all of mans plans at the proper time, so that freedom and truth can be restored.

Granted mans plans can span across several generations, but then evil plans are only promoted and perpetuated because people promote and perpetuate them.

Nevertheless, even when there is very little on the side of truth in this world, remember that God does not rely on human means.  The battle is the Lords.

Isaiah 18:4

Copyright Ó 2014 J. Neely

Isaiah 18:4ues

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4 For so [koh] the LORD [Yahovah] said ['amar] unto me, I will take my rest [shaqat], and I will consider [nabat] in my dwelling place [makown] like a clear [tsach] heat [chom] upon herbs ['owr], and like a cloud [`ab] of dew [tal] in the heat [chom] of harvest [qatsiyr].  KJV-Interlinear

4 For thus the Lord has told me, "I will look from My dwelling place quietly Like dazzling heat in the sunshine, Like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest."  NASB

While the plans of man hustle and bustle through life, there are things that occur regardless of human plans or activities or anything else in history.  The dazzling heat and the cloud of dew are simple references to the activity of life in its normal sense. 

When the sun is shining, the heat is there.  When the harvest time is in the fall the morning dew or fog is there.  These things simply occur and they always occur regardless of what you are or are not doing in life.

The plans of man and nations run their course, and God sits back at ease on His throne and waits with extreme patience, because God knows the end of mans plans and God knows the end of all history, before, during and after.  So God is at peace and resting at ease, while man hustles and plans and connives and deceives and pursues.

And this is a reference to the nations of history and especially the nations at the end of history.

And while man has his own agenda, which serves only a few with the intent of destroying others, God waits patiently while man plays out his moves, and then God strikes the final blow that puts an end to the evil of this world.

So, if you are negative toward God and Christ and doctrine, and are pursuing your own agenda in life, do not be surprised that nothing happens immediately to put a stop to your plans.  God is patient.

Life will ruin its course.  Nations will rise and fall.  Generations will come a go.

God has a plan not only for each individual, but for all of human history in its entirety, and regardless of what man does or when man does it, Gods plan advances right along without so much as a skip of a heartbeat.

In case you have not noticed, no matter what your plans are, or what the plans of nations are, the sun rises and sets on schedule, the seasons come and go on schedule, the winds and weather patterns circle the world with regularity, the tides rise and fall with consistency, the rivers and streams flow uninterrupted, and of course, God sits in His heaven in perfect peace, watching and waiting for your plans to play themselves out.

But then, sooner or later, God will act, and when that happens, you certainly do not want to be on the wrong side of His plans. You have every opportunity to be on the right side of life, through doctrine.

Isaiah 18:3

Copyright Ó 2014 J. Neely

Isaiah 18:3ues

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org

3 All ye inhabitants [yashab] of the world [tebel], and dwellers [shakan] on the earth ['erets], see [ra'ah] ye, when he lifteth up [nasa'] an ensign [nec] on the mountains [har]; and when he bloweth [taqa`] a trumpet [showphar], hear [shama`] ye.  KJV-Interlinear

3 All you inhabitants of the world and dwellers on earth, As soon as a standard is raised on the mountains, you will see it, And as soon as the trumpet is blown, you will hear it.  NASB

The single biggest source of confusion comes when people try to apply prophecies that belong to the Old Testament, to our current dispensation.  And the dispensation which ours interrupted was the Age of Israel, which in Daniels seventy weeks prophecy, was interrupted by our dispensation at their sixty-ninth week, leaving them with still one more week of years (seven years) to complete their dispensation.  That last week is the tribulation.

And these prophecies belong to the Age of Israel, or to its concluding seven years, and not to our dispensation.

Our dispensation has no applicable prophecies from the Old Testament, none, as our dispensation was a hidden era that was not revealed until Jesus revealed it.  Our dispensation is one of historical trends and preparation and positioning of many things, for those final, end of days, years, known as and Tribulation.

When the Tribulation begins, many things will be in place, such as the nation of Israel, increased knowledge, increased populations, increased earthquakes, major powers to the north, south, east and west, phenomenal apostasy and so forth.

So, the standard on the mountain and the trumpet blowing has nothing to do with our dispensation, nothing to do with the Rapture, nothing to do with our current days whatsoever.

What they do reveal is symbolically placing the entire world on notice, with such public activities of all nations, that no one can possibly miss it, or not know that it is something that is far beyond normal.

The ensign on the mountains, refers to the activities of the world, being so public and in full view of all, that everyone will see that these things are not natural but from God.

The trumpet blowing, is likewise the symbolism of a phenomenally public notice, that everyone will hear of it and see it.

When the Rapture occurs, all believers will be removed from the world, leaving only unbelievers alive on planet earth.  Simultaneously with that event, all restraint on evil will be removed for the next seven years, such that crime and evil of all sorts will run rampant.  Wars will erupt, government regulation will increase rapidly, storms, famine, reduced production, starvation and such will drive people to extreme measures.  The death rate for the first half of the Tribulation (three-and-a-half years), will see half of the population of the entire world dead.

Literally everyone remaining alive will be affected in some way.

So the public notice that something is very wrong in the world, will be well known by all.

And, in the last half of the Tribulation, those last three-and-a-half years, things will only get worse and worse until Armageddon.  The only thing that will save humanity from total extinction, will be the Second Advent of Christ.

And so here we know that those people will also know, why all of this is happening to them.  But of course we have also studied that most of those folks will ignore the signs and run straight into their own oblivion.

Isaiah 18:2

Copyright Ó 2014 J. Neely

Isaiah 18:2ues

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2 That sendeth [shalach] ambassadors [tsiyr] by the sea [yam], even in vessels [kaliy] of bulrushes [gome'] upon [paniym] the waters [mayim], saying, Go [yalak], ye swift [qal] messengers [mal'ak], to a nation [gowy] scattered [mashak] and peeled [mowrat], to a people [`am] terrible [yare'] from their beginning hitherto [halaah]; a nation [gowy] meted out [qav-qav] and trodden down [mabuwcah], whose land ['erets] the rivers [nahar] have spoiled [baza']!  KJV-Interlinear

2 Which sends envoys by the sea,  Even in papyrus vessels on the surface of the waters. Go, swift messengers, to a nation tall and smooth, To a people feared far and wide, A powerful and oppressive nation Whose land the rivers divide.  NASB

Even though Africa is made up of many nations, here in our passage the continent of Africa being referred to as the lands beyond the rivers of Ethiopia, is being collectively referred to as a nation, or group, or collective of peoples that have very similar attributes.  Those common attributes being their penchant for evil. This has nothing to do with color or culture or race or any other human attribute.  Evil is the common thread that, in this case, binds them all together as a single group of people.

And this verse describes the activities of the many peoples of Africa, from the perspective of this prophecy.

They are a busy and active group.  Ambassadors by the sea is a reference to the huge international trading or commerce activity. 

In vessels of bulrushes, refers to light ships, barges, even carts or in our current day would refer to trucks which transport cargo and goods of all types.  But back in those days, the ocean and rivers were the predominant means of transportation around the through the continent.

And the message they are commanded is to ‘Go.’

And since there is a means of swift transportation and swift communication, today we have television, internet, phones and such, whereas back then they had messengers who traveled by boat, but were still able to get to even the far reaches of the continent and even beyond that, in a generally quick manner even by their standards.

So, in the end days of history there will still be a means of swift communication and travel, despite the many disasters and obstacles that will exist that one would think would hinder such activity.

And if such communication does exist, then messages and warnings of Gods wrath and the many things that will be happening in the world in that future time, are also able to be delivered or communicated.  Which again means that people have no excuse for not knowing what is going on in the world.

To the people or many peoples, that are scattered, or stretched out across a wide and diverse region.  Which implies that these many distant regions are nearly simultaneously accessable, or at least easily accessible by whatever means of travel or communication is used.

Peeled, is a reference to a stubborn people that have been peeled or made independent, but in a perverse manner.  They are separated from truth and stubborn in their beliefs, and therefore wicked.

Terrible, ‘yare,’ refers to a people that you would be afraid of, a people to fear, who are untrustworthy, and therefore a degenerate and unscrupulous people.

From their beginning, refers to the fundamental nature inherent within their character.  They are a lying and brutal and contemptuous people and have been all of their lives.

Meted out, ‘qav-qav,’ means to be fastened or stubborn.

Trodden down, ‘mabuwcah,’ means to trample underfoot, to loath.

This is a people that has taken and never given back.  They have no concern for others, but only care for themselves.

The land the rivers have spoiled, refers to the seasonal restoration of the land that comes from the natural flooding and restoration of the land from silt and soil that the rivers bring.

Even nature has a greater respect for the land, than do the people who use the land.

This principle has a broader application than just the abuse of the land, but applies to the abuse of all of life in general.  Commerce and activity are more important than the abuse of people.

And as the world in those latter days, will be full of human suffering, most folks will be thinking more of their secular priorities, than human compassion, and certainly not thinking of God or anything that deals with the ‘end of days’ period in which they will be living.  Somehow that concept just won’t seem to apply.

Isaiah 18:1

Copyright Ó 2014 J. Neely

Isaiah 18:1ues

http://www.dailybiblestudy.org

1 Woe [howy] to the land ['erets] shadowing [tsalatsal] with wings [kanaph], which is beyond [`eber] the rivers [nahar] of Ethiopia [Kuwsh]:  KJV-Interlinear

1 Alas, oh land of whirring wings Which lies beyond the rivers of Cush,  NASB

The land of the shadowing, ‘tsalatsal,’ which means a double shadowing, or a shadow from one side and as well as a shadow from the other side, is a reference to the lands beyond Ethiopia or all of Africa where the sun casts a shadow in opposite directions depending on which side of the equator you are standing.

With wings, refers to the sails of the many ships that come and go from the distant lands in trade.

Beyond the rivers of Ethiopia, refers to the many rivers that run through or begin within Ethiopia or have their origins throughout the continent of Africa, that flow down into Ethiopia.  And in Isaiah’s day, everything beyond Egypt was typically referred to as Cush, ‘Kuwsh,’ which is another reference to Africa.

And so the warning is extended to far beyond the borders of Judah.

Even though you are not in the neighborhood of Judah or Israel or the God of Israel, namely Jesus Christ, you are still going to be held accountable for any and all activity that places mans energy first and above that of God.