Lesson #20

ISAIAH 21:1-10
Lesson #20
THE BURDEN OF THE DESERT OF THE SEA

• MEMORY VERSE: 1THESSALONIANS 5:6

• READ ISA 21:1-10 THE BURDEN OF MEDIA (MEDES)
• THIS BURDEN IS SPECIFICALLY CALLED “THE BURDEN OF THE DESERT OF THE SEA” (1)
• “THE DESERT OF THE SEA” IS A STRANGE PHRASE WHICH REFERS TO THE CITY OF BABYLON. (SEE VS. 9) THERE ARE SEVERAL WORD PICTURES SUGGESTED BY THIS PHRASE:
• BABYLON WAS A DESERT CITY WITH CANALS AND WATERWAYS.
• THE SAND DUNES OF THE DESERT APPEAR AS WAVES OF THE SEA SHIFTING AND MOVING IN THE WIND.
• BABYLON WAS THE HEART OF IDOLATRY AND FALSE RELIGION. IT, THEREFORE, APPEARED LIKE A MIRAGE OF TRUTH IN A SPIRITUAL DESERT.
• WE HAVE PREVIOUSLY STUDIED THE “BURDEN” OF BABYLON IN ISAIAH CHAPTER 13. THE BURDEN IN CHAPTER 13 REFERRED TO THE SPIRITUAL NATURE OF BABYLON AS THE SEAT OF IDOLATRY, FALSE RELIGION, AND SATANIC ACTIVITY. CHAPTER 21 REFERS TO A POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC BABYLON (BABYLON THE GREAT – REV 18).
• WHY ARE THERE 2 BURDENS REGARDING BABYLON?
• PERSONALLY I BELIEVE IT IS BECAUSE OF THE SECOND FULFILLMENT.
• IN REVELATION 17 AND 18 THERE ARE TWO BABYLONS MENTIONED:
• REV 17 IS THE WORLD FALSE RELIGION CALLED “MYSTERY BABYLON”
• REV 18 IS THE POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC BABYLON CALLED “BABYLON THE GREAT” THAT IS HEADED BY THE ANTI-CHRIST.
• THERE ARE 2 PICTURES OF BABYLON IN REVELATION, THEREFORE, WE SEE 2 PICTURES OF BABYLON IN ISAIAH.
• YOUR NOTES TITLE THIS BURDEN AS THE BURDEN OF MEDIA TO SEPARATE IT FROM THE OTHER BURDEN OF BABYLON.
• THE “TREACHEROUS DEALER AND THE SPOILER” IN VERSE 2 IS MEDIA AND PERSIA. IT IS A DUAL KINGDOM. THE MEDES WERE THE WARRIORS (THE SPOILERS) AND THE PERSIANS WERE THE ARISTOCRATIC RULERS (THE TREACHEROUS DEALERS).
• BOTH OF THESE NATIONS ARE ALSO REFERRED TO BY NAME IN VERSE 2.
• “ELAM” REFERS TO PERSIA WHICH WAS JUST SOUTH EAST OF BABYLON AND THE BABYLONIAN EMPIRE. (TODAY PART OF IRAN).
• “MEDIA” WAS THE LAND OF THE MEDES JUST NORTHEAST OF BABYLON AND THE BABYLONIAN EMPIRE. (TODAY THEY ARE KURDS IN EASTERN TURKEY AND NORTHERN IRAQ.)
• THE FIRST FULFILLMENT:
• READ DANIEL 5:1-9; 18-31
• WHAT VERSE IN ISA 21:1-10 PARALLELS THE STORY IN DANIEL?

• WHAT NATION IS BEING CRUSHED BY THE COMING OF THE MEDES AND THE PERSIANS?
• BABYLON
• THE HISTORIC ACCOUNT IN DANIEL IS A FASCINATING STORY. THE BABYLONIANS HAD A STRONG KINGDOM. THEY TOTALLY OVERRAN THE ASSYRIAN EMPIRE AND JUDAH, THE SOUTHERN KINGDOM. THE CAPITAL CITY OF BABYLON WAS STRONG AND IMPREGNABLE. BECAUSE OF THAT THE PEOPLE BECAME COMPLACENT. DANIEL PREDICTED THAT THE CITY WOULD FALL IN ONE NIGHT, IN FACT, THAT VERY NIGHT. THE MEDO-PERSIAN ARMY WAITED OUTSIDE THE CITY WALLS. THE BABYLONIANS KNEW THEY WERE THERE BUT THEY WERE NOT WORRIED. THE FALL OF THE CITY OCCURRED BECAUSE THE MEDES HAD DAMNED THE EUPHRATES RIVER FURTHER UPSTREAM. THAT RIVER FLOWED THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THE CITY OF BABYLON UNDER THE CITY WALLS. WHEN THE RIVER DRIED UP, THE MEDO-PERSIAN ARMY EASILY SLIPPED UNDER THE CITY WALLS IN THE DARK OF NIGHT AND CAUGHT EVERYONE OFF GUARD. 539 BC.
• GOD ENDED THIS UNGODLY KINGDOM NOT ONLY FOR HAVING TAKEN THE JEWS CAPTIVE, BUT FOR USING THE GOLDEN TEMPLE VESSELS TO HAVE A DRUNKEN ORGY. THE WATCHMAN ON THE WALLS DISCOVERS, TOO LATE, THAT THE MEDO-PERSIAN ARMY IS INSIDE THE CITY.
• (ISA 21:8-9) HE RUNS TO KING BELSHAZZAR AND TELLS HIM THAT BABYLON IS FALLEN. THE BABYLONIAN KING, BELSHAZZAR, WAS KILLED THAT VERY NIGHT.
• ISAIAH 21 IS WRITTEN ABOUT 200 YEARS BEFORE IT HAPPENED.

• NOTICE ISA 21:10 “OH MY THRESHING…”
• THIS IS A PICTURE OF HARVEST. HARVEST IN PROPHECY ALWAYS REFERS TO JUDGMENT. (MAT 13:24-30)
• THIS IS GOD CRYING BECAUSE THE JEWS HAVE BEEN TRODDEN DOWN LIKE THRESHED GRAIN BOTH FROM THE NATION OF ASSYRIA AND THE NATION OF BABYLON.

• THE SECOND FULFILLMENT:
• THE SECOND FULFILLMENT OCCURS IN THE TRIBULATION PERIOD.
• THE ANTI-CHRIST AND THE FALSE PROPHET COORDINATE AND RALLY THE WORLD TO SUPPORT THEM AND THEIR AGENDA OF A WORLD PEACE. THE FALSE PROPHET COORDINATES THE RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD INTO ONE FALSE RELIGION (MYSTERY BABYLON – REV 17) WHILE THE ANTI-CHRIST COORDINATES POLITICS AND ECONOMICS INTO A GLOBAL ONE-WORLD GOVERNMENT (BABYLON THE GREAT – REV 18) . WHEN THESE TWO MEN FEEL THEIR SYSTEM IS STRONG ENOUGH THEY DESTROY THEIR HEADQUARTERS IN ROME AT THE MIDDLE OF THE TRIBULATION. (REV 17-18) THE RELIGIOUS HEADQUARTERS IS MOVED TO THE CITY OF BABYLON, AND THE GOVERNMENTAL HEADQUARTERS IS MOVED TO JERUSALEM TO COORDINATE BOTH UNDER THE WORSHIP OF THE ANTI-CHRIST AS THE WORLD’S MESSIAH.
• NOTICE THE SIMILARITY OF WORDING IN ISA 21:9 AND REV 18:2. “BABYLON IS FALLEN”.
• CHRIST DESTROYS BOTH THE ECONOMIC/GOVERNMENTAL SYSTEM AND THE RELIGIOUS SYSTEM AT HIS SECOND COMING WHEN HE THROWS BOTH THE ANTI-CHRIST AND THE FALSE PROPHET IN THE LAKE OF FIRE. (REV 19:20)

• READ ISA 21:11-12 THE BURDEN OF EDOM (DUMAH)
• WHO WERE THE EDOMITES? (GEN 15:24-25,30)
• SEIR = THE CENTRAL DISTRICT OF THE NATION OF EDOM.
• THE WORD “SEIR” MEANS = ROUGH AND HAIRY, OR IT CAN ALSO MEAN = STORMS. BOTH MEANINGS ARE JUST LIKE THEIR ANCESTOR, ESAU. (GEN 25:25; 36:8)
• THIS LAND IS RAVAGED BY WIND STORMS.

• DUMAH = DUMAH IS A SYMBOLIC WORD. IT IS “EDOM” WITH
• THE “E” REMOVED. THE HEBREW WORD IS “adom“. ISAIAH REMOVED THE “a“. ISAIAH USES THIS BECAUSE IT IS A PLAY ON WORDS. THE WORD “DUMAH” MEANS = SILENCE OR DUMBNESS. IN OTHER WORDS, EDOM WILL BE NO MORE. IT’S LAND WILL BE SILENT. OF COURSE, TODAY THERE IS NO NATION CALLED EDOM.
• THE NATION OF JORDAN OCCUPIES ITS TERRITORY.

• THE FIRST FULFILLMENT:
• THIS IS A VERY SHORT BURDEN WITH NO SPECIFIC DETAILS. . THE PICTURE IS THAT OF A WATCHMAN WATCHING FOR THE ASSYRIAN ENEMY TO COME AND DISRUPT THEIR TRADE ROUTES. THAT WAS EDOM’S PRIMARY CONCERN AT THAT TIME. GOD, THE WATCHMAN, SAYS THAT NIGHT AND MORNING ARE COMING. THE PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW HOW LONG THE NIGHT WILL LAST.
• WHAT DO YOU THINK 21:12 MEANS?
• THE SECOND FULFILLMENT:
• BECAUSE THIS BURDEN IS SO GENERAL WITHOUT SPECIFIC DETAILS, THE SECOND FULFILLMENT REFERS TO THE GENERAL ASPECT OF DARKNESS AND JUDGMENT IN THE TRIBULATION PERIOD AND THE BLESSINGS OF LIGHT AND GLORY IN THE MILLENNIUM.

• READ ISA 21:13-17 THE BURDEN OF ARABIA (TODAY SAUDI ARABIA)
• IDENTIFICATION OF NAMES:
• TEMA = ONE OF ISHMAEL’S SON WHOSE DESCENDANTS SETTLED A PLACE IN ARABIA MID-WAY BETWEEN DAMASCUS, SYRIA AND THE CITY OF MECCA.
• KEDAR = HE WAS ISHMAEL’S SECOND SON. HIS FAMILY AND DESCENDANTS SETTLED IN KUWAIT.
• DEDANIM (DEDAN) = A LOW AREA OF LAND BETWEEN THE CITY, SELA, AND THE DEAD SEA. FOREIGN MERCHANT TRADERS TRAVERSED THE TRADE ROUTES THROUGH THIS AREA. THERE WAS ALSO A CITY OF DEDAN WHICH WAS THE ANCIENT CAPITAL OF ARABIA.
• ARABIA = THIS WORD IN THE HEBREW IS A PLAY ON WORDS…A COMMON PRACTICE IN PROPHECY TO EMPHASIZE A MESSAGE OR TO GIVE THE MESSAGE MULTIPLE FACETS.
• BY CHANGING THE VOWEL POINTS IN HEBREW (REMEMBER HEBREW DID NOT HAVE ANY WRITTEN VOWELS) THE MEANING IS CHANGED FROM ARABIA TO = EVENING.
• THEREFORE, THE MESSAGE IS THAT, “IT IS LATER THAN YOU THINK!”
• ARABIA WAS THE LAND OF THE ISHMAELITES. REMEMBER ABRAHAM AND SARAH’S FIRST SON WAS ISHMAEL. HE WAS NOT THE SON TO RECEIVE GOD’S PROMISE. THE “PROMISE” WAS GIVEN TO ISAAC, SARAH’S SON BY ABRAHAM. GOD GAVE THE LAND OF ARABIA TO HAGAR’S SON, ISHMAEL.
• TODAY THE “TRUE” ARABS ARE THE ISHMAELITES LIVING IN SAUDI-ARABIA, KUWAIT, AND JORDAN.
• OTHER PEOPLES WE CALL ARABS TODAY ARE NOT DESCENDANTS OF ISHMAEL.
• THE FIRST FULFILLMENT:
• THE FOREIGN TRADERS OF DEDAN WERE FORCED OFF THEIR TRADE ROUTES BY THE INVADING ASSYRIAN ARMY. THESE TRADERS SOUGHT REFUGE IN TEMA.
• “WITHIN A YEAR” = IN 716 SARGON OF ASSYRIA INVADED.
• THE LEADING TRIBES OF ARABIA WERE LOCATED IN KEDAR (KUWAIT). THEY WOULD NOT ESCAPE THE ASSYRIAN EMPIRE.
• ARABIA WAS FAMOUS FOR ITS CAMEL-RIDING ARCHERS WHO WERE NO MATCH FOR THE ASSYRIANS. (21:17)
• THE SECOND FULFILLMENT:
• ARABIA’S UNENVOLVEMENT IN THE GREAT RUSSIAN WAR IS MENTIONED IN EZE 38 AND 39. (EZE 38:13) THEREFORE, THE SECOND FULFILLMENT WILL PROBABLY OCCUR AT THAT TIME AS THEY STAND BY AND WATCH RUSSIA ATTACK ISRAEL AND DO NOTHING TO STOP IT. THE MIDDLE EAST WAR SPREADS TO OTHER NATIONS AS THE ANTI-CHRIST TAKES CONTROL TO BRING PEACE.

• APPLICATION:
• WITH BABYLON FALLING IN ONE NIGHT TO THE MEDES AND PERSIANS BECAUSE THEY DID NOT WATCH FOR THE ENEMY, WITH THE WATCHMAN IN EDOM ASKING HOW LONG THE NIGHT WOULD LAST, WITH THE ARABS STANDING BY IN THE SECOND FULFILLMENT AND DOING NOTHING TO STOP THE THREAT OF THE RUSSIAN WAR…IT SEEMS THAT THE MESSAGE WE CAN DERIVE FROM THIS CHAPTER IS WATCHFULNESS. THERE ARE NEW TESTAMENT REFERENCES THAT TELL THE BELIEVER IN JESUS CHRIST TO WATCH. SOME OF THESE REFERENCES INCLUDE: MAT 24:42-43 MAT 25:13 1COR 16:13 2TIM 4:5 1PET 4:7 REV 3:3
• WHAT DO YOU THINK WE ARE SUPPOSED TO WATCH FOR?

• APPLICATION OF ISA 21
• IN WHAT AREAS OF YOUR LIFE HAVE YOU NOT BEEN WATCHING?
• WHAT SPECIFIC CHANGES DOES GOD WANT YOU TO MAKE?
• PREPARATION FOR ISA 22
• READ ISA 22:1-14 THE BURDEN OF THE VALLEY OF VISION (JERUSALEM)
• ALL THE OTHER BURDENS REFER TO HISTORIC NEIGHBORS AND ENEMIES OF JUDAH. WHY DO YOU THINK THERE IS A BURDEN FOR JERUSALEM?
• WHAT ONE MAJOR REASON DOES ISAIAH GIVE FOR JUDAH’S FUTURE FALL INTO THE BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY?
• READ ISA 22:15-25 SHEBNA AND ELIAKIM
• SHEBNA MEANS ” YOUTHFULNESS” = SECOND IN COMMAND TO KING HEZEKIAH. HE WAS STEWARD OVER THE KING’S TREASURY.
• ELIAKIM MEANS = “GOD WILL RAISE UP”. HE WAS SHEBNA’S REPLACEMENT.
• VERSE 25 SAYS “IN THAT DAY” WHICH POINTS THE PASSAGE TO A DISTANT FUTURE.
• WHO IN THE FUTURE IS PICTURED BY THESE TWO HISTORIC MEN, SHEBNA AND ELIAKIM? (REV 3:7)
• MEMORY VERSE: LUKE 16:10