Isaiah 13-14

Bible study with Terry Gray


Isaiah 13-14 are predictive prophecy.


When Isaiah wrote this prophecy, the world power was Assyria. Isaiah wrote predictive events about Babylon, a power that didn't rise until 85 years after his death. Isaiah also wrote about Media Persia, a power that also didn't even exist during his life time. The Medo-Persians were just a small group of nomads at the time! The Medes and the Persians would judge Babylon. Media Persia didn't overtake Babylon until 160 years after Isaiah's death.


In other words, Isaiah spoke about nations coming to power, situations, peoples, etc., that didn't exist during his time! Furthermore, these prophecies were accurately fulfilled to the letter! This astonishingly illustrates the awesomeness of God and that Isaiah wrote down these prophecies with the guidance of the Holy Spirit!


There are 2500+ prophecies in the Bible. About 2000 have been fulfilled to the letter. The remaining 500+ will be fulfilled as time goes on. Since the probability of each prophecy happening by chance is less than 1 in 10; and since each prophecy is an independent event, the probability of them all being fulfilled without error by chance is 1 in 10 to the 2000th power. There is no better proof that this is the Book that God wrote than the PERFECT fulfillment of prophecies!


Isaiah 13
God will raise an army against the great city of Babylon and defeat it.


Isaiah 13:17-18
The Medes will come in. The Medes were not even an entity when this prophecy was given. Yet, hundreds of years later, this was fulfilled (Daniel 5). Darius the Mede killed Belshazzar.


Isaiah 13:19-22
Babylon will be totally wiped. It will become a ghost town. Those 14 mile-walls that once stood is now completely destroyed.


The Persians didn't complete tear down Babylon, and Babylonians still had a few great moments under Persian rule. Alexander the Great of the Grecian empire then conquered Persia, and Babylon slowly declined to today, where it has indeed become a ghost town.


The above scenarios are short-term fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecies.


The long-term fulfillment (Babylon judged as Sodom and Gomorrah, moon and stars no longer giving their lights, the Earth being shaken out of place, etc.) have yet to be fulfilled. The revived Babylon will be judged in the end of Tribulation. This Babylon will be destroyed in one hour in one day. Now, this sounds like Babylon being judged as Sodom and Gomorrah.


2 Peter 3
The wicked empires of man will all be destroyed.


So, why would we be obsessed with anything of this world when it would all be destroyed?


Isaiah 14:1
Despite Israel's inadequacies, God will still chooses Israel.


Isaiah 14:4-23
A song taunting Babylon


Hell will be welcoming people of Babylon (Isaiah 14:9). The hardest fall into hell is probably for those who have the most in this world. Well, no one would be able to use his/her money to pay for the best room in Sheol...


Isaiah 14:12-15
This passage describes the fall of Satan and his pride. Satan is the power behind the king of Babylon.


God created angels (Nehemiah 9:6; Psalm 148:2, 5; Colossians 1:16-17). 


Speculation: Satan found out humans are to rule over one day and didn't like the plan. He therefore took 1/3 of the angels with him and rebelled against God.


Take-home:


1. Everything of this world will be leveled. There is nothing from this world that would stand the righteous judgment of God. So, let us keep our eyes on things that will last--God and His promises.


2. Satan currently rules this world. However, he will ultimately be destroyed.