Lesson #38

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RETURN TO LIST OF LESSONS

ISAIAH 47 AND 48
Lesson #38
UNMASKING BABYLON

• MEMORY VERSE: ISAIAH 48:16

• THIS IS THE THIRD TIME THE FALL OF BABYLON HAS BEEN PROPHESIED BY ISAIAH.
• CHAPTERS 13-14, AND 21). WHY IS BABYLON SO IMPORTANT SO AS TO TAKE UP SO MUCH OF SCRIPTURE AND GOD’S NOTICE? THAT QUESTION IS ANSWERED IN THIS LESSON.

• READ ISA 47:1 “COME DOWN, BABYLON!”
  • GOD’S CALL IS THAT BABYLON BE BROUGHT LOW, DIMINISHED IN IMPORTANCE. WHY?
  • BABYLON WAS THE ANCIENT SEAT OF IDOLATRY FROM WHICH THE REST OF THE WORLD LEARNED THIS HEATHEN PRACTICE.
    • IT BEGAN WITH NIMROD IN GENESIS 10:8-10
    • NIMROD WAS THE FIRST RULER OF BABYLON. THE BIBLE SAYS HE WAS A MIGHTY “HUNTER”. THE WORD HUNTER MEANS “REBEL (AGAINST GOD) “. . HIS FATHER WAS A MAN NAMED “CUSH”, WHICH MEANS “CONFUSION”..
    • CUSH DIED AND HIS WIFE, SEMIRAMIS, STARTED ASTROLOGY AND IDOL WORSHIP. SHE IDOLIZED HER SON, SO THEY MARRIED. NIMROD’S SPIRITUAL NAME WAS BAAL (OR BEL) WHICH BECAME BAAL WORSHIP IN THE OLD TESTAMENT, AND LATER OSIRIS IN EGYPT. SEMIRAMIS’ SPIRITUAL NAME WAS ASHTORETH, DIANA, VENUS, AND TODAY IN THE NEW AGE SHE IS CALLED GAIA. NIMROD AND SEMIRAMIS HAD A MIRACULOUSLY CONCEIVED SON, CALLED TAMMUZ. HE WAS CONSIDERED TO BE A SAVIOR OF HIS PEOPLE. TAMMUZ MEANS, “TRUE SON”. AFTER BEING KILLED BY A WILD BEAST, SEMIRAMIS MIRACULOUSLY BROUGHT HIM BACK TO LIFE IN THE SPRING. THEREFORE, HE IS THE GOD OF VEGETATION AND NEW LIFE. THE SIGN OF THE CROSS WAS A SYMBOL OF TAMMUZ’S LIFE-GIVING POWER.
    • NIMROD WAS KILLED BY A RELATIVE, TYPHON. HE WAS CUT INTO 14 PIECES AND SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THE KINGDOM. SEMIRAMIS GATHERED ALL THE PIECES EXCEPT ONE, HIS MALE ORGAN. SHE MADE AN ARTIFICIAL ONE AND WORSHIPED IT. THIS IS THE SOURCE OF FERTILITY WORSHIP. NIMROD BECAME THE GOD OSIRIS OF THE UNDERWORLD AND THE GOD OF THE SUN IN EGYPT.
  • BABYLON PERFECTED IDOL WORSHIP AND FROM THERE IT SPREAD TO THE REST OF THE WORLD. GENESIS 11 IS THE STORY OF THE TOWER OF BABEL UNDER NIMROD AND GOD’S JUDGMENT.
  • DESPITE THE FALL OF THE BABYLONIAN POLITICAL KINGDOM, THE IDOLATROUS RELIGIOUS SYSTEM HAS EXISTED DOWN THROUGH HISTORY SUBTLELY CHANGING NAMES FROM ONE GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION TO ANOTHER AND FROM ONE GENERATION TO ANOTHER.
    • IN OTHER WORDS THE SAME GODS ARE WITH US TODAY BUT KNOWN BY DIFFERENT NAMES. WE NO LONGER SEE THE PRACTICE OF BAAL WORSHIP TODAY, BUT IN EGYPT WE STILL SEE THE WORSHIP OF OSIRIS. IN THE NEW AGE RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD TODAY WE SEE THE WORSHIP OF “MOTHER EARTH” OR “GAIA”.
  • NOT ONLY DOES THE “SPIRITUAL BABYLON” EXIST TODAY, BUT IT HAS SPREAD TO CHRISTIANITY. IN THE LAST DAYS IT BECOMES AN APOSTATE CHRISTIANITY THAT ALREADY EXISTS TODAY.
    • BECAUSE OF THE PERVASIVENESS OF THIS IDOLATROUS SYSTEM PROMPTED BY SATAN, GOD PRONOUNCES JUDGMENT UPON IT. THE FINAL DEFINITIVE JUDGMENT DOES NOT OCCUR UNTIL THE END OF THE TRIBULATION PERIOD WHEN CHRIST COMES BACK THE SECOND TIME.
      • REVELATION 17 AND 18 TELL US ABOUT THE FINAL FALL OF THIS UNGODLY SYSTEM.
    • REMEMBER THAT ISRAEL’S SIN THAT MOST CONCERNED GOD DURING ISAIAH’S PERIOD OF HISTORY WAS IDOLATRY.

• READ ISA 47:2-5 “THE VIRGIN DAUGHTER OF BABYLON”
  • “THE VIRGIN DAUGHTER” (1) =
    • THE BABYLONIAN EMPIRE OF ISAIAH’S DAY IS CALLED THE “VIRGIN DAUGHTER”. SHE IS CALLED THAT BECAUSE THE FALL OF THE BABYLONIAN EMPIRE TO THE MEDO-PERSIAN EMPIRE IS THE FIRST DEFEAT FOR THIS KINGDOM. SHE HAS NOT PREVIOUSLY KNOWN THE RAPE AND HUMILIATION OF FOREIGN CONQUEST. NOTICE THAT IN REV 17:5 SHE IS NO LONGER CALLED “VIRGIN” BUT INSTEAD SHE IS CALLED THE “MOTHER OF HARLOTS”.
  • “UNCOVER THY LOCKS, MAKE BARE THE LEG, UNCOVER THE THIGH…” (2)
    • THE VIRGIN DAUGHTER SECRETLY SEDUCES THE WORLD DOWN THROUGH HISTORY UNTIL SHE BECOMES THE “MOTHER OF HARLOTS”.
  • “THY NAKEDNESS SHALL BE UNCOVERED” (3)
    • HOW CAN NAKEDNESS BE UNCOVERED? IF YOU ARE NAKED YOU ARE ALREADY UNCOVERED. WHAT IS MEANT HERE IS THAT EVENTUALLY HER DECEPTIVE HARLOT WAYS WILL EVENTUALLY BE REVEALED TO BE THE IDOLATROUS RELIGION BEGUN AT THE TOWER OF BABEL.
    • WHO IS IT THAT REVEALS THE TRUE NATURE OF BABYLONIAN IDOLATRY?
      • ACCORDING TO ISA 47:4, IT IS JESUS CHRIST. THE SAME TITLES USED FOR CHRIST PREVIOUSLY IN ISAIAH ARE USED IN CHAPTER 47.

• READ ISA 47:6 GOD’S “POLLUTED INHERITANCE”
  • ISRAEL IS GOD’S POLLUTED INHERITANCE BECAUSE SHE FELL FOR BABYLONIAN IDOLATRY. HOWEVER, IT TELLS US THAT GOD PERMITTED HER TO BE DECEIVED.
    • GOD’S PERMISSIVE WILL GIVES US OVER TO OUR OWN DETERMINED DESIRES.

• READ ISA 47:7-15 BABYLON’S DESTRUCTION IN A DAY
  • REMEMBER THE LAW OF DOUBLE FULFILLMENT FOR BIBLE PROPHECY.
    • FIRST FULFILLMENT:
      • THE FALL OF THE BABYLONIAN EMPIRE TO THE MEDO-PERSIANS IN ONE DAY IN THE BOOK OF DANIEL. (DAN 5).
    • SECOND FULFILLMENT:
      • THE FALL OF APOSTATE CHRISTIANITY CALLED “MYSTERY BABYLON” IN REV 17.
  • BOTH FULFILLMENTS INDICATE THAT DESTRUCTION OCCURS WITHIN ONE DAY’S TIME. (REV 18:8)

• DISCUSSION:

WHAT CHARACTERISTICS OF BABYLON DO YOU SEE IN THIS CHAPTER?

• READ ISA 48:1-22 THE LAST CALL TO THE HOUSE OF JACOB
  • THE WHOLE HOUSE OF ISRAEL IS CALLED BACK TO GOD ONE MORE TIME.
    • WE SEE THE LONGSUFFERING MERCY OF GOD HERE. HE DOES NOT CUT OFF AND TOTALLY DESTROY HIS PEOPLE. (9)
      • THIS MESSAGE IS NOT JUST FOR JUDAH, THE SOUTHERN KINGDOM, BUT ALL JEWS COMING OUT OF THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY AND RETURN ING TO THEIR OWN LAND.
        • THESE PEOPLE ARE CALLED “THE CHILDREN OF GOD”, BUT IT IS IN NAME ONLY. (1)
          • IN OTHER WORDS, GOD SAYS THEY DON’T LIVE IT.
  • WHAT WERE HIS PEOPLE LIKE? (4)
    • OBSTINATE, STIFF NECKED, WITH A BROW OF BRASS.
      • THEY WERE REBELLIOUS. THEY RESISTED GOD’S GUIDANCE. EVERYTHING GOD TOLD THEM ROLLED OFF LIKE POLISHED BRASS.
  • HOW DID GOD FIGHT AGAINST THE IDOLS? (5)
    • 100% FULFILLED PROPHECY DECLARES THAT GOD IS THE ONE TRUE GOD. THEY WOULD KNOW IT WAS GOD DOING THESE THINGS AND NOT IDOLS IF THEY HAD ONLY LISTENED.
    • GOD’S REFINING PROCESS (CHASTISEMENT) PROVES THAT HE LOVES HIS PEOPLE. (10)
      • WHO IS THIS ONE TRUE GOD? (16)
        • THE HOLY TRINITY IS REFERRED TO VERSE 16.
          • “…I HAVE NOT SPOKEN IN SECRET…” = GOD, THE FATHER.
          • ” …THE LORD GOD…” = JESUS CHRIST WHO IS GOD, THE SON.
          • “….HIS SPIRIT…” = GOD, THE HOLY SPIRIT.
        • NAMES OF CHRIST: (12,17)
          • I AM (EXO 3:14 JOH 8:58)
          • THE FIRST AND THE LAST (REV 1:8)
          • THE LORD
          • THY REDEEMER
          • THE HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL
          • THE LORD THY GOD
  • WHY DID ISRAEL NOT FIND PEACE IN ALL THEIR HISTORY? (22)
    • IF THEY HAD BEEN FAITHFUL TO GOD, HE WOULD HAVE BLESSED THEM.
      • UNDER THE MOSAIC COVENANT, SALVATION WAS THE RESULT OF FAITH, BUT BLESSING WAS THE RESULT OF OBEDIENCE. (18-19)
    • BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT FAITHFUL TO GOD, HE COULD NOT BLESS THEM. THEY REAPED THE REWARD OF THE WICKED.

HOMEWORK
ISAIAH 49
This is a self-study. Please do not send homework lessons to the teacher forcorrection.

• APPLICATION OF ISA 47 AND 48
  • IN ISA 48:1 GOD SAID THAT HIS PEOPLE WERE “HIS PEOPLE” IN NAME ONLY. THEY DIDN’T LIVE IT IN TRUTH AND RIGHTEOUSNESS.
    • THE NAME “CHRISTIAN” MEANS “LITTLE CHRIST”. DO YOU LIVE IT IN TRUTH AND RIGHTEOUSNESS, OR ARE YOU LIKE THE ISRAELITES, IN NAME ONLY?
• PREPARATION FOR ISA 49
  • THIS IS “SERVANT SONG #2”
    • REMEMBER THAT “SERVANT SONG #1” WAS IN ISA 42.
  • READ ISA 49:1-21
    • WHO DO YOU THINK IS DOING THE SPEAKING IN THIS PASSAGE? (1)

• WHAT DOES THIS SECTION REVEAL TO YOU ABOUT JESUS CHRIST?

• READ ISA 49:22-26 THE FUTURE ROLE OF GENTILE NATIONS
  • WHAT PERIOD OF TIME DOES THIS SECTION COVER?

• WHO ARE THE “LOST” CHILDREN IN VERSE 20?

• WHO ARE THE “OTHER” CHILDREN IN VERSE 20?

• WHAT WILL BE THE FUTURE ROLE OF GENTILE NATIONS?

• MEMORY VERSE: PSALM 50:1