Scriptures/The Bible/The Old Testament/Isaiah/21
Isaiah 21 at churchofjesuschrist.org
1 The burden of the desert of the sea. As whirlwinds in the south pass through; so it cometh from the desert, from a terrible land.
2 A grievous vision is declared unto me; the treacherous dealer dealeth treacherously, and the spoiler spoileth. Go up, O Elam: besiege, O Media; all the sighing thereof have I made to cease.
- the treacherous dealer ... and the spoiler: Commentators have identified these as a single threatening entity identified either as Babylon or an Assyro-Chaldæan power.[1] If this prophecy has a modern fulfillment, then it sounds like a loosely define aggressive and destructive force originating from the general region of Syria and Jordan, or Iraq, (sounds like ISIS to me) will be principally abated by Iran.
- While Iran did oppose ISIS, the evidence does not suggest that they were even a principal opponent, so it would seem that either more was going on there than is evident, or this prophecy does not apply to these modern events. Perhaps an unexpected ISIS resurgence is in the future? See: Isaiah 24:16
3 Therefore are my loins filled with pain: pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman that travaileth: I was bowed down at the hearing of it; I was dismayed at the seeing of it.
4 My heart panted, fearfulness affrighted me: the night of my pleasure hath he turned into fear unto me.
5 Prepare the table, watch in the watchtower, eat, drink: arise, ye princes, and anoint the shield.
6 For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth.
7 And he saw a chariot with a couple of horsemen, a chariot of asses, and a chariot of camels; and he hearkened diligently with much heed:
- Commentators universally describe that this is a Persian force.[2]
- If we take that identification at face value, then this sounds like Media and Elam attacking the "treacherous dealer", as before mentioned.
- I'm inclined to wonder if the various animals might represent three different groups. Taking this to be Persia does feel pretty consistent with the overall narrative of this chapter.
8 And he cried, A lion: My lord, I stand continually upon the watchtower in the daytime, and I am set in my ward whole nights:
- he cried, A lion: Commentaries indicate that a better reading would be "he cried like a lion".[3]
9 And, behold, here cometh a chariot of men, with a couple of horsemen. And he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground.
10 O my threshing, and the corn of my floor: that which I have heard of the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have I declared unto you.
11 ¶ The burden of Dumah. He calleth to me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?
12 The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will inquire, inquire ye: return, come.
13 ¶ The burden upon Arabia. In the forest in Arabia shall ye lodge, O ye travelling companies of Dedanim.
14 The inhabitants of the land of Tema brought water to him that was thirsty, they prevented with their bread him that fled.
15 For they fled from the swords, from the drawn sword, and from the bent bow, and from the grievousness of war.
16 For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Within a year, according to the years of an hireling, and all the glory of Kedar shall fail:
17 And the residue of the number of archers, the mighty men of the children of Kedar, shall be diminished: for the Lord God of Israel hath spoken it.