'Haughtiness I Shall Abase'

Judah becomes involved with Babylon during Isaiah's lifetime. King Hezekiah falls seriously ill and then recovers. Ambassadors from Babylon come to congratulate him on his recovery, likely with the secret purpose of enlisting  Hezekiah as an ally in their war against Assyria.  Unwisely, King Hezekiah shows them all his treasures. As a result, Isaiah tells Hezekiah that after the king's death, all that wealth will be carried off to Babylon.  (Isaiah 39:1-7)  This is fulfilled  in 607  B.C.E. when Jerusalem is destroyed and the nation is taken into exile.  However, God's chosen people will not stay in Babylon forever.  Jehovah foretells how he will open the way for their return home.  He begins:  "Upon a mountain of bare rocks raise up a signal, you men. Lift up the voice to them, wave the hand, that they may come into the entrances of the nobles."  (Isaiah 13:2) The "signal" is a rising world power that will dislodge Babylon from its place of eminence.  It will be raised "upon a mountain of bare rocks" -in plain view from a great distance.  Summoned to assault Babylon, that  new world power will force its way through "the entrances of the nobles,"  the gates of that great city, and will conquer it.

Jehovah now says:  "I myself have issued the command to my sanctified ones.  I have also called my mighty ones for expressing anger, my eminently exalted ones.  Listen! A crowd in the mountains, something like  a numerous people!  Listen! The uproar of kingdoms, of nations gathered together! Jehovah of armies is mustering the army of war."  (Isaiah 13:3, 4)  Who are these "sanctified ones" appointed to bring down haughty Babylon? They are combined national armies, "nations gathered together."  They descend against Babylon from a distant mountainous region. "They are coming from the land far away, from the extremity of the heavens."  (Isaiah 13:5)  In what sense are they sanctified?  Certainly not in the sense of being holy.  They are pagan armies with no interest in serving  Jehovah.  However, in the Hebrew Scriptures, "sanctified" means "set apart for use by God."  Jehovah can sanctify the armies of the nations and use their selfish ambitions in order to express his anger.  He used Assyrian in this way. He will use Babylon similarly.  (Isaiah 10:5; Jeremiah 25:9)  And he will use other nations to punish Babylon. 

Babylon is not yet the dominant world power. Yet, issuing a proclamation through Isaiah, Jehovah looks  to the time when she will occupy that position, and he foretells her fall.  He says:  "Howl, you people, for the day of Jehovah is near!   As a despoiling from the Almighty it will come."  (Isaiah 13:6)  Yes, Babylon's boasting will be replaced by grief-filled howling.  Why? Because of "the day of Jehovah," the day when Jehovah executes judgment against her.

How, though, will it be possible for Babylon to be despoiled?  When Jehovah's time for this comes, the city will appear to be secure.  Invading  armies will first have to deal with the natural defenses provide by the Euphrates River, which runs through the center of the city and is tapped  to fill a protective moat and  to supply the city with drinking water.  Then there will be Babylon's massive double walls, which are seemingly impregnable.  Moreover, the city will be well stocked with food.  The book Daily Bible Illustrations says  that Nabonidus-the last king of Babylon-"had taken immense pains to store the town with provisions and it was reckoned  to contain enough [food] to sustain the inhabitants for twenty years."

Next time: Conclusion of 'Haughtiness I Shall Abase'

From the Book Isaiah's Prophecy Light for all Mankind, 2000