Season 6, Podcast 74, Isaiah 21:1-17, “Watchman on the Tower.”

Season 6, Podcast 74, Isaiah 21:1-17, “Watchman on the Tower.”

The fall of Babylon has become a recurring theme in Isaiah. It is profoundly reinforced in Daniel, and finally pronounced by John the Revelator. The fall of Babylon is compared to the sudden destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. 

Historians tell us that at the height of its glory, Babylon controlled about 770,000 square miles, yet like Sodom and Gomorrah, it fell in one day under the cleverness of the Persians. Sodom and Gomorrah fell because of moral corruption. The prophet Daniel made it clear that Babylon also fell because of moral corruption.  That is one of the prevailing themes of Isaiah. Not only did Babylon fall, but Isaiah mentions that many smaller states in the surrounding countryside also fell. 

Isaiah laments the fall of Babylon.

Isaiah 21:104

The burden of the desert of the sea. As whirlwinds in the south pass through; so it cometh from the desert, from a terrible land. A grievous vision is declared unto me; the treacherous dealer dealeth treacherously, and the spoiler spoileth. Go up, O Elam: besiege, O Media; all the sighing thereof have I made to cease. Therefore are my loins filled with pain: pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman that travaileth: I was bowed down at the hearing of it; I was dismayed at the seeing of it. My heart panted, fearfulness affrighted me: the night of my pleasure hath he turned into fear unto me.

The fall of Babylon occurred in 539 BC during what is referred to as the Babylonian captivity. Babylon conquered Jerusalem, killing many Jews, and bringing many of their best into the Babylonian empire, including Daniel. It was Cyrus the Great who allowed the Jews in 538 BC to return to Jerusalem and rebuilt the temple. 

2 Chronicles 36:22-23

Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the Lord God of heaven given me; and he hath charged me to build him an house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? The Lord his God be with him, and let him go up.

There is tremendous irony in scriptures. Isaiah’s prophecy occurs about 150 years before Babylon fell, yet Isaiah calls upon Babylon to be watchful. 

4 LINDA

Isaiah 21:5-8

Prepare the table, watch in the watchtower, eat, drink: arise, ye princes, and anoint the shield. For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth. And he saw a chariot with a couple of horsemen, a chariot of asses, and a chariot of camels; and he hearkened diligently with much heed: And he cried, A lion: My lord, I stand continually upon the watchtower in the daytime, and I am set in my ward whole nights:

Isaiah knows that the gluttonous King Belshazzar, son of Nebuchadnezzar, is not going to heed his warning. Why does he give it? He gives the warning because something greater is going on than the Persians and Medes conquering Babylon, the ancient empire. Babylon symbolizes a much broader event than the fall of a nation. Babylon symbolizes the fall of the world. Isaiah’s warning is to us. 

Isaiah 21:9

And, behold, here cometh a chariot of men, with a couple of horsemen. And he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground.

Isaiah has already prepared us for the fall of Babylon in chapters 13 and 14. It is very clear that Isaiah has a much broader picture in mind. For example, examine the following random verses from Isaiah 13.