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Isaiah 20:1 - 20:6
Back in Isaiah Chapter 19 we learned much about historical Egypt, and how God's People
like to create their own alliances with other nations when they need help, instead of
relying upon our Father Jehovah. Probably the most shocking revelation from that previous
Chapter of Isaiah is that in God's future Kingdom, Israel shall be "...the third
with Egypt and with Assyria..." (Isa.19:24). In essence, God reveals in the last
part of Isaiah 19 that we...all... are His children; and that He has and will use other
nations, such as Assyria, to chastise His People when they get out of line and fall away
to another in false worship.
These 'burdens' here within Isaiah just about cover all
peoples and nations upon the earth. These messages form a type of geographic circle, with
Jerusalem at the center. Many no doubt once thought these 'burdens' were upon a specific
people who stand against Israel only. No, these 'burdens' include all nations and peoples,
for all the earth is under God's Plan. And again, it's our own fault for suffering these
'burdens'; we do it to ourselves when we turn away from our Heavenly Father.
These next two Chapters of Isaiah 20 and 21 continue the
coming of the historical Assyrian. And as you know by now, that historical role is also a
type for Satan's future role as king of Babylon of our near future, the Babylon harlot
system over all the earth (Revelation 13; 17;18). Therefore, we'll find some more symbols
here which apply to the future great tribulation by false messiah (antichrist).
Let's continue our study in this great Book of Isaiah, as
we ask a Word of Wisdom in Christ Jesus' Blessed Name, Amen.
Isa
20:1 In the year that Tartan came unto Ashdod, (when Sargon the king of
Assyria sent him,) and fought against Ashdod, and took it;
This 'Tartan' is a title for a general or army chief. It's a position, not
necessarily a proper name (Strong's no. 8661; BDB definition). This 'Tartan' went
up against Ashdod, a Philistine city about 3 miles off the coast of the
Mediterranean Sea (Great Sea) southwest of Jerusalem, midway between Gaza and Joppa. This
attack of Tartan upon Ashdod took place around 716 B.C., a time close to
when the 'house of Israel' was taken captivity to Assyria by the Assyrian (see also 2
Kings 18).
Isa
20:2 At the same time spake the LORD by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying,
"Go and loose the sackcloth from off thy loins, and put off thy shoe from thy
foot." And he did so, walking naked and barefoot.
God
begins His prophecy through His prophet Isaiah to another portion of His People. This act
our Father is telling Isaiah to do is a symbol that Isaiah was a prophet from God, and
that he was bearing His Message. Isaiah was not totally naked, but wearing a girdle
probably similar to how Elijah and John the Baptist were adorned. (See 2 Kings 1 with
Elijah, Matthew 3:4 with John, 1 Sam. 19:21-24; 2 Sam.6:13-23 with David [Yes! David was
also one of God's prophets]; Jer.13).
Isa
20:3 And the LORD said, "Like as My servant Isaiah hath walked naked and
barefoot three years for a sign and wonder upon Egypt and
upon Ethiopia;
4 So shall the king of Assyria lead away the
Egyptians prisoners, and the Ethiopians captives, young and old, naked and barefoot,
even with their buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt.
So
God had Isaiah walk naked and barefoot for three years as a symbol for the
shame of His people in Ashdod, and their need for humility before our Father. If you'll
remember from Isaiah 19 about Egypt and Assyria being a third with the future eternal
Israel, then God is sending His prophet Isaiah to give these of His children warning also
for today.
Ethiopia and Egypt had an alliance going also. King
Tirhakah of Ethiopia is mentioned in 2 Kings 19:9 as going to war against the king of
Assyria during this time. This alliance between Ethiopia and Egypt against the Assyrian
didn't work. They forgot our Heavenly Father didn't they?
Mark this period of 'three years'
in your mind, for we're going to relate all this to the future tribulation period by
antichrist.
Isa
20:5 And they shall be afraid and ashamed of
Ethiopia their expectation, and of Egypt their glory.
20:6 And the inhabitant of this isle shall say in that day,
'Behold, such is our expectation, whither we flee for help to be delivered from
the king of Assyria: and how shall we escape?'"
So
who is this 'inhabitant of this isle' God sent this Message to? Historically,
some of the 'house of Judah' took wives from Ashdod returning to Jerusalem from
the Babylon captivity (Nehemiah 13:23). During the Macabean period Judas and Jonathan of
the tribe Judah took Ashdod (named Azotus), and tore down the false idol
worship there (1 Macc.5:68).1 As written in Acts 8:40 Phillip preached
The Gospel of Christ there from Gaza to Caesarea. So this Message historically was to a
'remnant' there at Ashdod, most likely a remnant of the 'house of Judah'
returning from the historical Babylon captivity (see also Jer.25:20). But the Message is
to all those of that land also, to both believers on Christ and non-believers alike.
Recall in Isaiah 19 that Egypt had turned to false
worship, making our Father angry? What was their guilt?:
Isa
19:3 And the spirit of Egypt shall fail in the midst thereof; and I will
destroy the counsel thereof: and they shall seek to the idols, and
to the charmers, and to them that have familiar spirits,
and to the wizards.
4 And the Egyptians will I give over into the hand of a cruel
lord; and a fierce king shall rule over them, saith the Lord, the LORD
of hosts.
If
you've been with me through this study of Isaiah, then you should recall how Lucifer, i.e.
'antichrist', and his future role of king of Babylon, is all a repeat of these events
here. Our Father gave us this specific Message of the various nations upon this earth who
fall away from Him, to Satan as a false messiah. They put their trust not in Jehovah, but
upon themselves, and upon false prophets; specifically upon Satan's workers of iniquity,
those who have 'familiar spirits', to the 'charmers', to the 'wizards',
which all lead to serving 'idols'. And the great tribulation period of 'three
years', a symbol for the "forty and two months" of Rev.13:5, is all about these
type of evils influencing people's minds to become 'apostate' away from Jehovah and His
Son Jesus Christ.
So what about those of the Western Christian Nations? Does
this apply to us also? Isaiah 18 with those 'beyond the rivers of Ethiopia',
i.e., the 'house of Israel', reveals the answer to be yes. It shouldn't be difficult to
see today with all the abominations pushed within certain organizational Church 'systems
of men' today (not all of them). Some of those 'systems' also seek to stay 'neutral' in
The Word, disregarding such prophetic teaching as this in Isaiah and of God's prophets,
essentially shunning the teaching of all of God's Word, passing 'hot air' falsehoods to
try and justify why they won't teach It. You'll hear excuses such as The Old Testament
being "done away with" or that It is "dead history", etc. It's also
that attitude of man making up his 'own' set of religious code and law, throwing God's Law
out in the process, which is turning many of God's People away from Him to worship another
(antichrist).
I won't cover the subject of God's Law here, but know that
not all of the Law given to us by God through Moses is "done away with" today.
The blood ordinances and religious 'dogma' was fulfilled; Christ 'became' those things, as
they were but 'shadows' to point to His coming as Savior, offering a Perfect Sacrifice to
end all sacrifices for all time (Hebrews 10). Even as John would say in The New Testament,
"Whosoever comitteth sin transgresseth the law: for sin
is the transgression of the law." (1 John 3:4). John would also make
plain that we all still sin with, "If we say that we have not sinned, we
make Him a liar, and His word is not in us." (1 John 1:8; also see the Galatians study.) There is much more to God's Law than 'ritual'.
Strange how many of our Church leaders are ignorant of how
the 'workers of iniquity' operate in secret at the higher levels within organizations. And
that can happen within the Church denominational organization also. If one sticks to God's
Word, then their false fruit shouldn't
be that difficult to reveal, and then one can trace
them to the higher seats of control, where the Kenite hides; seats of those who listen to
the 'charmers', 'familiar spirits', 'wizards', etc.
So who's the 'head' of your Church, Christ Jesus, or man?
Study God's Word to know the difference.
In
the next Isaiah Chapter 21, we'll begin the burden of historical destruction of ancient
Babylon and how it relates to the Book of Revelation, and our time today.
Peace to you in Christ
Jesus,
Dave Ramey.
Footnotes:
1 The
Apocrypha, translated by Edgar J. Goodspeed. (Vintage Books, New York, 1989), 1
Maccabees 5:68, p.397.
All references to
"Strong's nos." are from Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, PC Study Bible,
Biblesoft, 1993-1996.
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