Isaiah 33
I. (1-39) Condemnation
A. Chapters 1-12 - Prophecies against Judah
B. Chapters 13-23 - Prophecies against the Nations
C. Chapters 24-27 - Prophecies of the Day of the Lord
D. Chapters 28-35 - Prophecies of Judgment and Blessing
1. \\#28:1-29\\ Ephraim’s Future
2. \\#29:1-24\\ Jerusalem’s Future
3. \\#30:1-33\\ Israel’s Future
4. \\#31:1-9\\ Egypt and Judah’s Present
5. \\#32:1-20\\ Israel’s Future
6. \\#33:1-24\\ A Message from God - \\#1-9\\ has Isaiah speaking
God’s message but beginning in \\#10-13\\, God Himself will
speak to emphasize His message. Several verses in this section,
like so many others, seem to speak both to the Assyrian invasion
and the end times. While the historical defeat of the Assyrians
could probably be stretched to cover ALL of these verses, I have
a continued sense that they are also describing a yet future
event. This feeling is given greater weight when the next two
chapters, which are clearly end time, are considered.
6. \\#Is 33:1-24\\
A. \\#1-5\\ Summary of Battle and Victory
1. \\#1\\ "Woe to thee that spoilest"
a. God pronounces judgment against the nations that have attacked
Israel when Israel did not provoke them.
b. "when thou shalt cease to spoil" - When they finish their
attacks, they themselves shall be spoiled. Historically, this
prophecy was a warning to Assyria whose kingdom was defeated by
Babylon in 760 BC.
(http://www.allempires.com/empires/assyria/assyria1.htm)
c. While this passage has a specific application, it is true of any
and all who will move against Israel.
2. \\#2\\ Israel’s Prayer - Israel asks the Lord to be gracious to them
and to be their "arm" or strength.
a. This prayer takes on an endtime flavor as Israel has seldom
sought the Lord to be their strength. Commentators repeatedly
speak of this verse as an endtime prayer of Israel seeking their
Messiah.
b. Even so, some Jews did seek the Lord as God has always had a
remnant.
3. \\#3\\ "At the noise of the tumult the people fled… the nations
were scattered"
a. This too sounds endtime.
b. A "tumult" suggests a battle. The Assyrians were not defeated
in a fray but by the hand of the Lord.
c. "the nations" - Implies more than a single nation, i.e. Assyria.
d. "at the lifting up of thyself" - The image is of God rising to
defend Israel. This is another picture which fits an endtime
fulfillment.
e. But there were many battles within Israel with Assyria and the
Lord did "rise up" to defeat the Assyrians, so we must consider
this fulfilled.
4. \\#4\\ "And your spoil shall be gathered" - The spoil of the
spoilers will be gathered by Israel.
a. The grammatical structure of this verse leaves two possible
interpretations with the caterpillar and locusts.
b. The interpretation could have the insects being gathered as food
or them gathering food.
c. Many nations do gather and eat bugs.
5. \\#5\\ Regardless, the defeat of these nations which came to spoil
Israel has and will cause God to be "exalted."
a. "he hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness" - Another
verse which seems to have a endtime fulfillment.
b. "he dwelleth on high" - Denotes a commanding position for the
Lord.
c. Historically, these verses may find fulfillment in the revivals
which took place in Judah after Israel’s captivity.
d. However, at this point, I believe a more literal fulfillment must
lie ahead. The further into this chapter we read, the more
evidence I see that this section has an endtime fulfillment.
B. \\#6-12\\ Another View (with more details)
1. \\#6\\ This verse lists three treasures which are to help Israel in
their difficult days.
a. "wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times" -
This gift has had and will have an application in all of
Israel’s desperate days, including today.
b. "strength of salvation" - Unfortunately, this gift will only be
Israel’s during the last half of the tribulation.
c. "the fear of the Lord" - As much as Israel is fearful of their
enemies, they were to always have a greater fear, that is the
fear of what the Lord could do for them. Like the second gift,
this treasure is not presently theirs.
2. \\#7\\ Although some verses in this section refer to God’s
deliverance of Israel, some also refer to the Jew’s oppression. I
think this section is dual-reference in nature. Here their "valiant
ones" and their "ambassadors of peace" are weeping for there is no
peace for this nation.
a. How many times has this happened to this small nation, who has
no history of aggressiveness but is constantly in battle?
b. And yet, the future holds a time when no peace maker can deliver
them.
3. \\#8\\ The country of Israel is envisioned by wasted and deserted
highways. This is due to the danger. People are afraid to travel.
While no doubt true during the Assyrian campaign, it will be more
true in the future.
4. \\#8\\ More telling is the description of a covenant and a covenant-
breaker.
a. "he hath broken the covenant" - The "he" is not named but what he
did is. He made a covenant with the people of God and then
broke it.
(1) Historically, Assyria took gifts from Israel and made a
covenant with them but which they did not honor. And not
only Assyria, many nations have failed to live up to their
promises to Israel.
2Kings 18:14 And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria to Lachish,
saying, I have offended; return from me: that which thou puttest on me will I
bear. And the king of Assyria appointed unto Hezekiah king of Judah three
hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.
15 And Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the
LORD, and in the treasures of the king’s house.
16 At that time did Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of the temple of
the LORD, and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and
gave it to the king of Assyria.
(2) All such occurrences will be small in comparison to the
covenant breaker called the anti-Christ.
b. "he hath despised the cities" - As this text seems so certainly
to be describing the anti-Christ, it would appear that the
future monarch would want not only to conquer Israel but to
leave it in ruins.
c. "he regardeth no man" - As the Assyrian king did what he desired,
so will the future anti-Christ.
5. \\#9\\ As a result of the treatment of Israel, the world mourns.
This refers to the massive destruction left in the wake of the
Assyrian invasion, but will also be true in the future.
6. \\#10\\ Then God rises to defend! From this point, God speaks in
the first person to emphasize that He Himself comes to the aid of
His people. Again, God did rise up to deliver Israel from Assyria
but He will arise yet again in an even more personal and dynamic
way.
7. \\#11\\ God declares that the plans of Israel’s enemies shall fail.
This is true of all of Israel’s attackers.
8. \\#12\\ And the enemies themselves shall be destroyed.
C. \\#13-24\\ The aftermath of God’s Deliverances (God is still speaking
through verse 13.) The further into this chapter we go, the harder it
is to see a historical fulfillment.
1. \\#13\\ God calls upon all who survive to see and acknowledge His
power. As the world should have taken note of God’s might after
what happened to Assyria, so they will be called to do so after
what happens to the anti-Christ.
2. \\#14\\ The sinners and hypocrites within Zion (the ruling name of
Israel) are fearful for judgment always begins at the house of God.
1Peter 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God:
and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the
gospel of God?
3. \\#15-17\\ While the wicked shall fear, the righteous shall be
rewarded.
a. \\#15-16\\ But those who are right in character will "dwell
on high"; that is, they shall have a place of authority.
b. \\#17\\ "Thine eyes shall…" - The righteous shall behold their
lovely King.
c. \\#17\\ "they shall behold the land that is very far off" - This
could be a reference to the Jews seeing and possessing the land
of Israel which has seemed so distant for so long.
4. \\#18-19\\ Bad memories are past
a. \\#18\\ Their hearts will think on the terrors past.
b. \\#18\\ The scribe is the person who recorded the inventory
of things taken in conquest.
c. \\#18\\ The receiver is the person who weighted the value of
things captures.
d. \\#18\\ The one who counted the towers would be the one who
estimated the strength of the enemy army.
e. These officers probably relate to the Assyrian army, but they are
all gone now for the Assyrians have been destroyed.
f. \\#19\\ Neither will there be a "fierce people" or a people of
speech which they could not understand.
5. \\#20-24\\ Jerusalem After God’s Deliverance
a. \\#20\\ Jerusalem will be a city of solemnities (feasts).
b. \\#20\\ It will be a quiet place to inhabit.
c. \\#20\\ It will be a permanent dwelling with one even one stake
pulled up or cord broken.
d. \\#21\\ The Lord will be there present like the waters of broad
rivers.
(1) Most believe that the reference to a galley with oars
means a war ship will not come near Israel for God is their
defense.
(2) I believe it better suits the text to say that God’s
presence, pictured by the rivers of waters, is so strong
that no rowed or sailing ship would enter into it and
survive.
(3) \\#23\\ This verse carries on with the analogy. Because of
the greatness of God’s presence, no mast could be anchored
well enough to travel the river of God’s presence.
e. \\#22\\ The Lord will be Israel’s Judge, Law-giver, and King.
f. \\#24\\ There will be no sickness in this Jerusalem because the
people will have been forgiven of their sin.
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