Isaiah 30

Isaiah started out in this chapter by describing a general problem of rebellious creatures, whether Satan or humans: who execute a plan but not Mine and make alliance, but not of My Spirit (v. 1a-c). This was a problem that existed in the days of Isaiah after 716 BCE that some of Judah sought refuge in Egypt without consulting God or Isaiah (v. 2a-c). The princes (v. 4a) that sought refuge in Egypt cannot be Hezekiah’s sons since Hezekiah was only 25 years old and his son would not be old enough to go to Egypt. Also, the Israelites went into captivity in 723 BCE and thus there will be no princes who can seek refuge in Egypt. This is a trend accusation that every time they have troubles, they wish Egypt to solve it. But, the word can also mean chiefs. Zoan is seen by the Targum as Tanis. In the near future of Isaiah, Tirhaka would be the 30^th ruler of the Cushite Empire of Egypt and he ruled between 690-664 BCE. He came to the protection of Judah against Sennacherib in 689 BCE during the second invasion of Sennacherib against Jerusalem. In verse 5 Isaiah got back to the general consequence that if people do things without consulting God they will be in trouble. Between vv. 6-7, Isaiah is still on this issue of depending on Egypt for the future but is listing the zoology of the region: lions, viper, flying serpent which is a reference to the Fall of Eve account in which Satan chose the flying serpent to approach her; donkeys; camels. Egypt’s help is empty and God called her Rahab, from the Egyptian word: r3 which is the sungod’s name in Egypt plus the verb h3b for plough, invade, raided, driven, understanding why God allocates the meaning of Rahab as “who has been exterminated” (v. 7c). Isaiah is on the topic of what God is doing and will do in future. What men of his day or Satan in previous time did in the rebellion in Heaven is tied into God’s reactions. So Isaiah wishes to keep records of misdemeanors of Judah carefully and thus explains the scribal practices of his day for witness collections: tablet and scroll writings (v. 8). Their attitude in general is the same as Lucifer, “rebellious, false sons, sons who refuse to listen to the instruction of the Lord” (v. 9). Isaiah explains how in his day the people spiral down God’s influence or unscrew God from the engines of their  existence: seers should not see visions (v. 10a); prophets should not prophesy what is right (v. 10b); they should just speak pleasant words (v. 10c); prophesy illusions (v. 10d); they should get out of the way and aside from the path (v. 11a); they do not want to hear about the Holy One of Israel (v. 11b). There is a general rejection of the Revelation of God, Torah or Word of God (v. 12b) “since you have rejected this Word”. When one does not trust in the Lord the one is automatically relying on the master of oppression and iniquity and the result is instability (v. 13). The collapse comes suddenly in an instant (v. 13c). The end of the wicked is the same as Satan: falling down, smashed, shattered (v. 14). This is the problem. Isaiah also presents the solution: “In repentance and rest you shall be saved” (v. 15b). Actually, it is repentance and Sabbath-keeping because from Niniveh in 650 BCE comes an Assyrian Dictionary which is bilingual, K4397 which gives the meaning of Sabbath as “day of rest of the heart” and the word for rest is the same as the one used by Isaiah sixty-six years earlier. “In quietness and trust is your strength” (v. 15c). The problem is that they were not willing. “But your were not willing” (v. 15d). An evil will is God’s biggest problem in the universe. It is the heart of the origin of evil. Isaiah cites the people of his day’s trust in their own ability: they will flee with horses when the enemy comes (v. 16) but God says those that pursue will be swift (v.16d). Isaiah explains God’s character that He longs to be gracious to them and He waits on high to have compassion on them. He blesses those who long for Him (v. 18). Then Isaiah outlined the Utopia that is waiting for those who take refuge in God and built their trust on Him (vv. 19-26). Isaiah saw the Little Time of Trouble in the Eschaton before the Second Coming of the Lord and he could see the remnant or “people in Zion” or future inhabitants of heavenly Jerusalem not weeping any longer (v. 19). For God will hear their cry. Their bread and water was few in oppression but their eyes will see the Teacher Jesus coming again (v. 20) “your Teacher will no longer hide Himself, but your eyes will behold your Teacher”. In those times of the Little Time of Trouble preceding the Big Time of Trouble, they will be navigated by God saying: “This is the way, walk in it” (v. 21). This remarkable Three Angels Message also highlighted by Revelation 14:6-12 indicate a return to the Commandments of God because each one will forsake their private idols in their lives (v. 22) in keeping with the requirements of the Law of God. Then, at that Reformation of their lives, the remnant will receive the Latter Rain “He will give rain for the seed which you will sow in the ground of evangelism and the results will be “rich and plenteous” (v. 23). Food and water for the remnant will be in abundance by the Lord (v. 24-25). Interestingly this precedes the Great Time of Trouble since the verse ends saying “on the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall”. What great slaughter? The Day of the Lord. This will be the Second Coming of the Lord when He will heal all bruises and the bodies of the remnant takes on immortality in the Resurrection at the Second Coming (v. 26). The Lord will be the sun of Righteousness seven times brighter than the sun. For the sun itself to be seven times brighter or extreme global warming will be exterminating to people but that is not in mind here. It is not the usual word for sun here. The word is not shemesh but ḥammah. There is an Assyrian word from Isaiah’s day ḫimêtu

that means butter, so butter-light will be seven times brighter. The light of the sun with friendly Divine Light at His appearance that will not affect righteous and saved humans. As healing God is at the Second Coming for the remnant, Isaiah opens the panel for the condition of the evil at that day (vv. 27-33). “The name of the Lord comes from a remote/from a far place” (v. 27a). Christ the Warrior Messiah comes from His abode in Heaven to earth at the Hell event after the millennium. Fire is associated with this event by Isaiah a number of times: “like a consuming fire” (v. 27d); “the flame of a consuming fire” (v. 30c); “He has made it deep . . .a pyre of fire” (v. 33c-d); “sets it afire” (v. 33e). The Warrior Messiah Christ is portrayed in these verses from 27 to 33 and Christ does not fight with weapons and military hardware. His lips (v. 27c); His tongue (v. 27d); His breath (v. 28a); His voice (v. 30a); His descending arm (v. 30b); “at the voice of the Lord” (v. 31); “the breath of the Lord” (v. 33e). While the evil are “shaken” and ruined (v. 28) the remnant is portrayed by Isaiah in safety “you will have songs” and “gladness of heart” “to go to the mountain of the Lord, to the Rock of Israel” (v. 29). The Mountain of the Lord is His dwelling place in heavenly Zion and Christ is the Rock of all Ages as Daniel 2 at the end portrays and not like the Targum had it to be the Temple Mound in earthly Jerusalem. At the voice of the Lord “Assyria will be terrified” (v. 31). The people living in the geo-political area of earthly Assyria with evil intentions and machinations, will be terrified that day. The Lord’s battle is with music it seems, “with tambourines and lyres” (v. 32c) probably by the remnant in Zion rejoicing in the victory of their Hero Christ in the final Battle of the extermination of all evil. Isaiah ended with a focus on the project of strengthening that the Lord prepared “for from yesterday is ordained a help/assistance” (v. 33a). The word Topheth is not Gehinnom or Hell as the Targum has it but the Assyrian word tappûtu commonly used in Sennacherib’s times which means help or assistance. The good news Isaiah has from the Lord here is that the Warrior Messiah’s role and functions as Savior, Priest and King is ordained from yesterday. The Trinity has prepared the role of the fighting King of Kings as a Warrior Messiah, not as an afterthought. This King of Kings has made the Hell event “deep and large” and “a pyre of fire with plenty of wood” and finally at that extermination Day of the Lord, says Isaiah “the breath of the Lord like a torrent of brimstone, sets it afire” (v. 33c-e). Portrayed for us by Isaiah is the Final punishment Engine of the Lord, the Executive Judgment and the truth of the matter is, it is the same power that Created the world: He spoke, and it was. He will speak, and it will be not. Sookyoung Kim in her Warrior Messiah dissertation from Andrews University, came to this same conclusion.

Dear God

Grant that we will be resurrected anew at the Second Coming by Your spoken Word. Heal us also. Let us also rejoice on the Mountain of the Lord, heavenly Mount Zion, to witness with music and songs, the Warrior Messiah, erasing evil to make space for a total new creation. Amen.

Koot van Wyk, (DLitt et Phil; ThD) Kyungpook National University, Department of Liberal Education, Sangju, South Korea; conjoint lecturer of Avondale College, Australia