Isaiah 31
I. (1-39) Condemnation
A. Chapters 1-12 - Prophecies against Judah
B. Chapters 13-23 - Prophecies against the Nations
C. Chapters 24-27 - Prophecies of the Day of the Lord
D. Chapters 28-35 - Prophecies of Judgment and Blessing
1. \\#28:1-29\\ Ephraim’s Future
2. \\#29:1-24\\ Jerusalem’s Future
3. \\#30:1-33\\ Israel’s Future
4. \\#31:1-9\\ Egypt and Judah’s Present
4. \\#31:1-9\\ Egypt and Judah’s Present - This chapter continue the judgment
to come upon Egypt and Judah for making a treaty together instead of
turning to the Lord \\#Is 20:4-5, 30:1-7\\.
a. \\#1-3\\ God will judge Egypt and Judah.
(1) \\#1\\ "Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help" - Judah had
turned to Egypt, Ethiopia, and other nations for help when they
should have turned to the Lord.
(2) \\#2\\ But the Lord "is wise, and will bring evil" against both the
"evildoers (Judah), and against the held of them (Egypt)."
(3) \\#3\\ "…both…shall fail together."
b. \\#4-5\\ God will defend Judah.
(1) \\#4\\ Something has changed. Instead of God being bring Judah
down, here God says He will defend it. This sharp change originally
caused me to conclude we had moved into a different time period,
i.e. end time. However, there is nothing in the text which
compels this interpretation. Personally, I would believe it to
be at least dual-reference in nature.
(2) \\#4\\ For the Lord is like a lion who is not afraid of many
shepherds. The Lord will not turn back from the many nations who
come against Judah, but He will "fight for mount Zion and the hill
thereof."
(3) \\#5\\ God’s presence over Jerusalem will be like a host of "birds
flying." He will both defend and deliver it.
c. \\#6-9\\ God encourages Israel to turn to Him.
(1) \\#6\\ God wants Israel to return to the One from whom they have
revolted.
(2) \\#7-9\\ A Prophecy of Israel’s Repentance
(a) This entire chapter could have been fulfilled in the Assyrian
invasion. \\#1-3\\ could be describing what would happen to
the northern kingdom while \\#4-9\\ describe what happened
when Assyria attacked the southern kingdom. The reason I have
a hard time accepting it is because they were so ravished;
however, the will be even more ravished in the end time.
(b) This passage, more than any other, comes close to giving the
term "the Assyrian" an endtime flavor.
(c) \\See 2006Notes on "Isaiah 10:1"\\, verse 5.
(d) \\#7\\ One day, "every man shall case away his idols." I have
often used this phrase to point to the tribulation and
millennial, but in this context, the people are Israeli.
Today’s Israel does not worship physical idols.
(e) \\#8\\ Then "shall the Assyrian fall with the sword." The
time reference connects the Assyrian’s fall to the Jews casting
away their false idols. This time connection is what gives
some the notion that the Assyrian is a reference to the anti-
christ.
(f) However the Assyrian conquest could be counted as the time when
Israel cast away their false gods. They did not truly turn to
the Lord at that time but at least by the Babylonian conquest,
Israel had learned not to trust false gods.
(g) \\#8\\ The description of the Assyrian’s defeat describes both
the Assyria’s fall at Jerusalem and the anti-Christ being
defeated by Jesus. Both defeats will be without aid of a
human army.
(h) \\#9\\ Yet this part of the verse does not seem end time. It
describes "the Assyrian" returning to his "strong hold" in fear.
After Assyria is defeated at Jerusalem, the general Rabshakeh
does return to Assyria; but the anti-Christ will be cast into
the Lake of Fire.
(i) \\#9\\ As a result of what the Lord did to the Assyrian army,
others did fear the Lord "whose fire is in Zion, and his
furnace in Jerusalem."
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