Isaiah 21:1-12 (Babylon is Fallen)
Heretofore, with such frequent shifts amidst prophetic utterances, with the eyes of watchmen beholding diverse forms of divine judgment approaching in the night, one might be tempted to wonder how long the hour of darkness will last and how many adversaries spawn? Like a womb of evil beasts, the darkness brings forth adversary after adversary! Beginning in Isaiah 15:1 and following the most comprehensive revelation of Babylon to date in Isaiah 13-14, the plight of nighttime is the prophetic theme of Isaiah’s prophecies chapter by chapter hereunto. Culminating here, in Isaiah 21, we read the words: “Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth” (Isa. 21:6), and, “Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?” (Isa. 21:11).
The LORD points toward the hope of dawn! The Lord directs all eyes to the sunrise on the horizon! Indeed, in that the LORD beckons the attention of hurting readers to a hopeful announcement, “The morning cometh…” (Isa. 21:12), but also a woeful one, “and also the night” (Isa. 21:12). Why? Without direct inferences being provided in the text like those in Isaiah 21:2 & Isaiah 21:9, unlearned readers would feel this to be meaningless repetitions. In speaking of Elam and Media, in Isaiah 21:2, and in speaking of Babylon’s fallen estate, in Isaiah 21:9, the message is decipherable. Hereby, we can discern the sequence of prophecies pertaining to the night and the morning.
In Isaiah 21:1-10, the demise of historical Babylon is being foretold by the same means already foretold in Isaiah 13:17, all of which is the same message echoed in later prophecies by the prophet Jeremiah (Jer. 51:11, 27-28). The prophets are beholding God’s judgment of Babylon through the Medes. The voice of divine omnipotence beckons the Medes into action in Isaiah 21:2, saying, “GO UP”, and, “BESIEGE”, and seeing that the Lord of hosts does hereby commission them to battle they will be invincible in the war. As always, the terrestrial armies under divine command will not turn aside for anyone - even as a “LION” (Isa. 21:8) - until the task is done. The message delivered, and dramatically announced, is that “BABYLON IS FALLEN, IS FALLEN”, and that “all the graven images of her gods” are broken upon the ground (Isa. 21:9)! At the fall of historical Babylon, the torturous night of cruelty is illuminated by the dawning of a new era of hope and happiness. Ah, but any historian will dogmatically affirm how idolatry did indeed survive historical Babylon’s fall at the invasion of the Medes! So, what meaneth the text?
My reader, “The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will enquire, enquire ye: return, come” (Isa. 21:12). In other words, the fall of historical Babylon did effectively end the pastime nighttime of divine judgment upon the backslidden Church and the associated heathen nations (Isaiah 13-21; Ezek. 25-32, 35, 38-39; Jer. 25, 27, 46-51), and the interim period will effectively be a new day, but at the coming of future Babylon another night will be ushered in upon the world. Thus, at the coming of historical Babylon it was nightfall, and at the fall of historical Babylon it was morning time, but at the coming of future Babylon it will be nightfall once again! Right? Evidently, amidst the purely historical details of one prophetic utterance (Isa. 21:1-12), a sudden shift to futurity takes place in Isaiah 21:9, and thus the unfulfilled details of the prophecy shall be fulfilled at the fall of future Babylon (“and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground” – Isa. 21:9). Isaiah foresaw this shocking moment in the aftermath of the 2nd Advent War in Isaiah 2:18-20 & Isaiah 31:7. Remember? Likewise, Jeremiah heralded the same pronouncement as Isaiah 21:9, saying, “BABYLON is suddenly FALLEN and destroyed” (Jer. 51:8).
The fruition of these words requires a second nightfall that will expire in the invasion of a far greater army than what could be mustered by the Medes in the ancient time. In other words, a far more dreadful LION will arise (comparatively to the feeble armies of the Medes) and it will advance upon future Babylon with unstoppable force! In summation of this climactic moment, observe the following:
“The Lion hath roared, who will not fear?” – Amos 3:8
“He shall roar like a Lion: when He shall roar, then the children shall tremble…” – Hos. 11:10
In this future scenario, lo and behold: the unruly inhabitants of the earth will at last be humbled and give up their anarchy against the Kingdom of Heaven when, in one moment, in a single demonstration, the signs of divine might and kingly power are multiplied beyond imagination! I mean, a sudden demonstration of unbridled divine power so shockingly explosive that all the jaw-dropping splendor displayed in the first 6 Vials is comparable to a Lion hiding in the covert. Yes, my reader! The unprecedented revelation of kingly majesty on Earth’s Skyline that left Babylon unafraid and undaunted is, in actuality, a display so modest and bridled that it can be rightly called the hiding of God’s power. Little does Babylon know that there’s a Lionlike power poised to break-forth into action, crouching in hiding! In other words, the enthroned King of Heaven – seated amidst the assembly of immortals on Earth’s Skyline – is poised to suddenly break-forth as a Lion forsaking his covert (Jer. 25:38)! Then, upon beholding it, the lions of the earth will forsake their territorial dominance and flee away from the Lion of Heaven as He roars upon them from on high (Jer. 49:19, 50:44; Isa. 21:8-9, 31:4-5)! In other words, the amassed armies of Babylon that terrorized the earth unto total domination will flee away from the Lamb of God in a craze of suicidal mania for the fear of the sight of their eyes and the hearing of their ears! Soberly consider it, my reader! What unearthly sight and sound could amount to this reaction by Babylon the Great? Plainly spoken, Jesus Christ shall utter His voice!
“The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved: He uttered His voice, the earth melted.” – Psalm 46:6 (Fire)
“The LORD shall go forth as a Mighty Man, He shall stir up jealousy like a Man of War: He shall Cry, yea, Roar; He shall prevail against his enemies.” – Isa. 42:13
“The LORD shall Roar from on high, and Utter His Voice from His holy habitation; He shall mightily Roar upon His habitation; He shall give a Shout, as they that tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth.” – Jer. 25:30
“The LORD also shall Roar out of Zion, and Utter His Voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall Shake…” – Joel 3:15-16 (Gathering for War – 9-14)
“And the LORD shall cause His glorious Voice to be heard, and shall shew the lighting down of His arm, with the indignation of His anger, and with the flame of a Devouring Fire, with scattering, and tempest, and hailstones.” – Isa. 30:30
Audibly, at the roaring of this Lion – “Babylon is fallen” (Jer. 50:46, Isa. 21:8-9, Jer. 51:8, Rev. 14:8, 18:2). Literally, according to what was written in Hebrews 12:25-29, the sound of the voice of the LORD will shake both heaven and earth (Joel 3:15-16)! By the sheer volume of the divine utterance the heavens will burst into flames and rapidly dissolve (2 Pet. 3:7-12, Isa. 51:6 [Isa. 50:9]) while the stars of heaven fall to the earth (Rev. 6:12-14, Isa. 34:4, Joel 3:15) and the sun and the moon are darkened by the fallout (Rev. 6:12, Isa. 13:10, Joel 3:15) to wit, the saying shall be fulfilled, “Heaven…shall pass away” (Lk. 21:33)! By the sheer volume of the divine utterance the earth will shake exceedingly as by a world-ending earthquake (Rev. 16:18-19, Ezek. 38:19-20) insomuch that the earth will reel to and fro like a drunkard (Isa. 24:19-20, Ezek. 38:20) to wit, the sayings shall be fulfilled, “every island fled away, and the mountains were not found” (Rev. 16:20, Isa. 54:10, Rev. 6:14), and, “earth shall pass away” (Lk. 21:33; Isa. 24:1-12, 19-20, Jer. 4:23-28)! (For more information, see “The Shaking (7th Vial)”)
Hereby, at the FALL of the Empire of Babylon in the future, the dawning of a new morning will awaken the world into the luster of unforeseen happiness! Yea, even a world without idolatry! At the conclusion of the Worldwide Battle (Rev. 19:11-16) as of Day 1,290, which marks the FALL of Babylon, a new day will dawn. To say the least, and I mean the least, breathless vessels of idolatry will be broken to pieces and ground to dust for the whole duration of the Millennial Reign of Christ (Rev. 20; Isa. 2:18-20, 21:9, 31:7). Indicating the fruition of a burden that transcends history, lo, the ancient announcement recorded in Isaiah 21:9 & Jeremiah 51:8 comes to life in Revelation 14:8 & Revelation 18:2 for the last time! Thus (let the reader understand), what was written of old will be fully performed in the soon-to-be future, to wit, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen” (Rev. 14:8), and again, “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen” (Rev. 18:2), just as the Book of Revelation bears witness. Thus, and thus, marks the morning of a happy daytime in the Millennial Reign of Christ to the glory of God the Father.