Isaiah 14 Commentary

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ISAIAH ("Jehovah is Salvation")
JEHOVAH'S Judgment & Character (Isaiah 1-39)				JEHOVAH'S Comfort & Redemption (Isaiah 40-66)
Uzziah Jotham Ahaz Isaiah 1-12	Isaiah 13-27	Isaiah 28-35	Hezekiah's Salvation & Blessing Isaiah 36-39	True God Isaiah 40-48	Suffering Messiah Isaiah 49-57	Reigning Lord Isaiah 58-66
Prophecies Regarding Judah & Jerusalem Is 1:1-12:6	Prophecies Against the Nations	Warnings & Promises	Historical Section	Redemption Promised: Israel's Deliverance	Redemption Provided: Israel's Deliverer	Redemption Realized: Israel's Glorious Future
Prophetic			Historic	Messianic
Holiness, Righteousness & Justice of Jehovah				Grace, Compassion & Glory of Jehovah
God's Government "A throne" Isaiah 6:1				God's Grace "A Lamb" Isaiah 53:7
Time 740-680BC
See Introduction to Isaiah by Dr John MacArthur: Title, Author, Date, Background, Setting, Historical, Theological Themes, Interpretive Challenges, Outline by Chapter/Verse. Excellent overview. From Grace To You ministries - same intro as in MacArthur Study Bible)

Isaiah 14:1 When the LORD will have compassion on Jacob and again choose Israel, and settle them in their own land, then strangers will join them and attach themselves to the house of Jacob.

• the Lord: Isa 40:1,2 44:21,22 54:7,8 Lev 26:40-45 De 4:29-31 Ne 1:8,9 Ps 98:3 102:13 136:10-24 143:12 Jer 50:4-6,17-20,33 Jer 51:4-6,34-37 Lu 1:54,72-74 
• choose: Isa 27:6 Zec 1:17 2:12 
• settle: De 30:3-5 Jer 24:6,7 29:14 30:18-22 31:8-12 32:37-41 Eze 36:24-28 39:25-29 
• strangers: Isa 19:24,25 49:16-23 56:6-8 60:3-5 66:20 Ru 1:14-18 Es 8:17 Jer 12:15,16 Zec 2:11 Zech 8:22-23 Mal 1:11 Lu 2:32 Ac 15:14-17 Eph 2:12-19 

ISAIAH 14 OUTLINE

Isaiah 14:1-3 PROMISES TO ISRAEL
Isaiah 14:4-21 TAUNT AGAINST "THE KING" OF BABYLON
Isaiah 14:22-27 TAUNT AGAINST BABYLON, THE CITY

Related Passages: 

Deuteronomy 30:1-5+  “So it shall be when all of these things have come upon you, the blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call them to mind in all nations where the LORD your God has banished you, 2 and you return to the LORD your God and obey Him with all your heart and soul according to all that I command you today, you and your sons,then the LORD your God will restore you from captivity, and have compassion on you, and will gather you again from all the peoples where the LORD your God has scattered you. 4 “If your outcasts are at the ends of the earth, from there the LORD your God will gather you, and from there He will bring you back. 5 “The LORD your God will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it; and He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers. 

A DESCRIPTION OF 
ISRAEL IN THEIR LAND

Note that Isaiah 14 is a continuation of "the oracle concerning Babylon" described in Isaiah 13:1-23. Recall that an oracle is the Hebrew noun massa' which  means burden and was used in prophets to indicate a divine message of judgment, a "heavy load" because it announces the certainty of heavy divine judgments (Isa 13:1, 15:1,  17:1, 19:1, Hab 1:1,  Nahum 1:1, Zec 12:1, Mal 1:1). Now imagine if you will that there is no chapter break (because there was not in the original manuscripts -- the chapter breaks were added as described below), and what you can discern is a progression in the narrative. Why do I say that? Read the preceding passages in Isaiah 13:19-23 and what you see is the utter, complete and final destruction of BABYLON. When will this prophecy be fulfilled? Has this prophecy been fulfilled? And the answer is a resounding "NO," it has not been fulfilled, but it will be fulfilled when the 7th Bowl (the final  bowl = "It is Done!" - Rev 16:17+) is poured out on the rebuilt city of Babylon (Rev 16:19+ - IT HAS TO BE REBUILT IN ORDER TO FULFILL Isa 13:19-22), a truth which the Spirit expands on in Revelation 17+ and Revelation 18+, two chapters that follow the 7th Bowl Judgment (17-18 are not chronological but are added to explain how God remembered Babylon as described in Rev 16:19+ - watch the question/answer session I recorded on the Identity of Babylon Part 1). The upshot is that Isaiah 13:19-23+ coincide with the return of Christ (Rev 19:11-21+, 2Th 2:8+) to defeat the Antichrist (who himself along with 10 kings has just burned Babylon, Rev 17:16-17). The defeat of Babylon and the Antichrist ushers in the Kingdom of Christ (chronologically following Revelation 16:19 and Rev 19:19-20), the so-called Millennial Reign of Christ described in Revelation 20:4-6+ (Rev 5:10+). Also coinciding with the defeat of Babylon and the Antichrist at the Lord's return is the conversion of 1/3 of the nation of Israel (see Zech 12:10-14+, Zech 13:1+, Zech 13:8-9+, Da 12:1b+, Jer 30:7b+, Ro 11:26+). It is this remnant of Israel which moves into the Millennial Kingdom and as Isaiah 14:1 says will "settle them in their own land." (READ THAT POSSESSIVE PRONOUN "OWN" AGAIN - GOD GAVE THE LAND TO THE NATION OF ISRAEL -- NOT THE CHURCH -- AS AN IMMUTABLE PROMISE AND HE HAS NEVER RENEGED!) 

The chapter divisions commonly used today were developed by Stephen Langton, an Archbishop of Canterbury. Langton put the modern chapter divisions into place in around A.D. 1227. The Wycliffe English Bible of 1382 was the first Bible to use this chapter pattern. Since the Wycliffe Bible, nearly all Bible translations have followed Langton’s chapter divisions. (Gotquestions.org)

When the LORD will have compassion on Jacob and again choose Israel, and settle them in their own land - As described above, Isaiah 14:1-3 is a description of what happens to the saved (rescued, delivered) remnant of Israel after experiencing the dread 70th week of Daniel, the time of the Great Tribulation (Mt 24:15, 21+), the time of Jacob's Distress/Trouble (Jer 30:7+), the time of great distress (Da 12:1b+), all of which describe the time during which many Jews will be refined, purged and purified (Da 11:35+, Da 12:10+, Zech 13:9+). What time does this describe following Israel's "purification"? It introduces the Millennial Kingdom. 

The picture in Isa 14:1–23 is that of a mighty monarch whose pride brought him to destruction. This is what happened to Belshazzar when the Medes captured Babylon in 539 B.C. (Da 5:30, 31), but that was only a partial fulfillment because defeated Babylon was not utterly, completely destroyed like Sodom and Gomorrah (Isa 13:19+). That sudden and complete destruction of the city of Babylon awaits a future fulfillment on the destruction of a rebuilt Babylon as described in the introductory comments above. 

Then strangers will join them and attach themselves to the house of Jacob - When is then in context? Clearly this introduces the Millennial Kingdom. Zechariah alludes to this same time writing that "many peoples and mighty nations will come to seek the LORD of hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favor of the LORD.’ “Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘In those days ten men from all the nations will grasp the garment of a Jew, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”’” (Zechariah 8:22-23)

Isaiah 14:2 The peoples will take them along and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them as an inheritance in the land of the LORD as male servants and female servants; and they will take their captors captive and will rule over their oppressors.  

• the house: Isa 18:7 60:9-12 61:5 Ezra 2:65 Ro 15:27 2Co 8:4,5 Ga 5:13 
• and they: Ps 68:18 2Co 10:5 Eph 4:8 
• take their captors captive: Heb. that had taken them captives, they shall rule over. Isa 60:14 Jer 30:16 Da 7:18,25-27 Zec 14:2,3 Rev 3:9 11:11-18 Rev 18:20-24 

A "ROLE REVERSAL"
CAPTORS CAPTURED

The peoples will take them along and bring them to their place - Who is the peoples? This refers to the Gentiles (those who are saved out of the Great Tribulation and enter in the glorious Millennial Kingdom.) They will escort "them," the saved Jews. Note the phrase "their place." There is now no arguing about who owns the land of Israel as we see almost daily on the news from the Middle East! In the Millennial Kingdom, the Promised Land will be their place! 

and the house of Israel (the saved remnant) will possess them as an inheritance in the land of the LORD as male servants and female servants - The NLT says "and those who come to live in their land will serve them." 

And they will take their captors captive and will rule over their oppressors - Israel will rule over those who once ruled over them, a description that can only reasonably be ascribed to the time of the Millennium, after the total and final destruction of Babylon (Rev 16:19). 

Isaiah 14:3 And it will be in the day when the LORD gives you rest from your pain and turmoil and harsh service in which you have been enslaved,

• Isa 12:1 32:18 De 28:48,65-68 Ezra 9:8,9 Jer 30:10 46:27,28 50:34 Eze 28:24 Zec 8:2,8 Rev 18:20 19:1-3 

YAHWEH'S PROMISE OF REST 
TO ISRAEL IN THE FUTURE

And it will be in the day when the LORD gives you rest from your pain and turmoil and harsh service in which you have been enslaved This has to be the MILLENIUM...the Jews will look back on Babylon and take up a taunt against the King of Babylon. your pain and turmoil and harsh service surely alludes to the varied manifestations of anti-semitism over the centuries, from holocausts, to pogroms, to "Christian" (these were not genuine believers!) crusades. See Dr Reagan's review of their pain and turmoil and harsh service in his video The Evils of Replacement Theology.

Rest (lay, leave, place/put, set/settle, deposit)(05117) nuach/nuah  Root = absence of movement/being settled in a particular place with overtones of finality. It means to rest or pause and as noted from the many ways it is translated (see list of words below), nuach has many uses in the OT. Nuach essentially conveys a basic sense of absence of movement and of being settled in a particular place with overtones of finality. The first use in Ge 2:15 describes how God "put" Adam in the Garden. The next use describes a physical setting down of something (Ge 8:4, cp 2Sa 21:10, Ex 10:14, Josh 3:13).

Isaiah 14:4 that you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon, and say, “How the oppressor has ceased, And how fury has ceased!  

• taunt taunting speech, Jer 24:9 Eze 5:15 Hab 2:6 
• How: Isa 14:6,17 47:5 49:26 51:23 Jer 25:9-14 27:6,7 50:22,23 Jer 51:20-24,34,35 Da 7:19-25 Hab 1:2-10 2:6-12,17 Rev 13:15-17 16:5,6 17:6 18:5-8,20 
• how fury has ceased Isa 13:19 45:2,3 2Ch 36:18 La 4:1 Da 2:38 Rev 18:16 

ISRAEL'S TAUNT 
AGAINST BABYLON

that you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon - When do they take up the taunt? The nearest time reference is it will be in the day when the LORD gives you rest. So presumably this will be Israel's song of triumph in the Millennium. 

What the Bible Teaches - Since vv. 1-3 describe Israel's ultimate restoration to the land, the words, "And it shall come to pass in the day", place the fulfilment of the prophecy firmly in the future. Whilst Belshazzar, the king of Babylon, died at the hands of Darius the Mede (Dan 5:30-31), the requirements of this prophecy are not fully satisfied by the demise of a past king, and must therefore envisage the downfall of a future king....The language here hardly fits Belshazzar. The identity of the "king of Babylon" is withheld, but in view of the fact that vv. 1-3 describe Israel's millennial joy, it can be concluded that this is a future "king of Babylon". If the past "king of Babylon" was the founding father of the "times of the Gentiles", with complete dominion, then the last "king of Babylon" will emerge at the end of the "times of the Gentiles", and also have worldwide dominion. The "the king of Babylon" in 14:4, and the "beast" of Revelation 13:1-10 are one and the same person. Both terms are used of a great enemy of God's people, and they evidently refer to the same individual. (What the Bible Teaches - What the Bible Teaches – Song of Solomon and Isaiah) 

E J Young's interpretation seems highly unlikely - "this king is not an individual, historic person, but rather the Babylonian dynasty conceived as an ideal person",

and say, “How the oppressor has ceased, And how fury has ceased! - The fact that Jewish oppression and fury against Israel has ceased has to speak of the Millennium because anti-Semitism will not cease until that time! 

Isaiah 14:5 “The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked, The scepter of rulers  

• Isa 14:29 9:4 10:5 Ps 125:3 Jer 48:15-17 

GOD IS SOVEREIGN
OVER EARTHLY SOVEREIGNS

The LORD has broken the staff of the wicked, The scepter of rulers - Yahweh rules over both the wicked and the rulers (many of whom presumably are also wicked). 

Isaiah 14:6 Which used to strike the peoples in fury with unceasing strokes, Which subdued the nations in anger with unrestrained persecution.  

• Which used to strike : Isa 33:1 47:6 2Ch 36:17 Jer 25:9 Da 7:19-21 Jas 2:13 
• with unrestrained persecution: Isa 13:14-18 21:1-10 47:1-15 Jer 25:26 50:31 Rev 17:16,17 18:8-10 
• and none: Isa 46:10,11 Job 9:13 Pr 21:30 Da 4:35 

THE TYRANNY OF 
EVIL RULERS

Which used to strike the peoples in fury with unceasing strokes, Which subdued the nations in anger with unrestrained persecution

Isaiah 14:7 “The whole earth is at rest and is quiet; They break forth into shouts of joy.  

• they: Isa 49:13 Ps 96:11-13 98:7-9 126:1-3 Pr 11:10 Jer 51:48 Rev 18:20 Rev 19:1-6 

Related Passages: 

Revelation 18:20   “Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you saints and apostles and prophets, because God has pronounced judgment for you against her.” 

Revelation 19:1-3 After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God; 2 BECAUSE HIS JUDGMENTS ARE TRUE AND RIGHTEOUS; for He has judged the great harlot (BABYLON) who was corrupting the earth with her immorality, and HE HAS AVENGED THE BLOOD OF HIS BOND-SERVANTS ON HER.” 3 And a second time they said, “Hallelujah! HER (BABYLON'S) SMOKE RISES UP FOREVER AND EVER.”

A DESCRIPTION OF THE 
MESSIANIC KINGDOM

The whole earth is at rest and is quiet - Where and who? The entire world at rest and quiet! There has never been a year since Isaiah's time that the whole earth was at rest. This prophecy will not be fulfilled until the return of Christ when Babylon and all it stands for is destroyed. So this is a prophecy of the future when Messiah is reigning in the Millennium. Babylon has been finally and fully destroyed. Her wicked influence on the world is finished forever.

They break forth into shouts of joy - Who are they? This would be the saints, saints in Heaven as shown above in the Related Passages and likely the saints on earth, those saved Jews and Gentiles who have survived the Great Tribulation and entered the Messianic Kingdom (cf the Judgment of the Sheep and Goats). 

Isaiah 14:8 “Even the cypress trees rejoice over you, and the cedars of Lebanon, saying, ‘Since you were laid low, no tree cutter comes up against us.’  

• Isa 55:12,13 Eze 31:16 Zec 11:2 

Related Passages: 

Isaiah 55:12; 13  “For you will go out with joy And be led forth with peace; The mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you, And all the trees of the field will clap their hands. 13 “Instead of the thorn bush the cypress will come up, And instead of the nettle the myrtle will come up, And it will be a memorial to the LORD, For an everlasting sign which will not be cut off.”

EVEN TREES
WILL REJOICE

Even the cypress trees rejoice over you, and the cedars of Lebanon, saying, ‘Since you were laid low, no tree cutter comes up against us.’  - The trees and cedars could be both literal and figurative. Who is you...laid low? In context this refers to the king of Babylon. 

Isaiah 14:9 “Sheol from beneath is excited over you to meet you when you come; It arouses for you the spirits of the dead, all the leaders of the earth; It raises all the kings of the nations from their thrones.  

• Sheol from: Pr 15:24 
• It arouses for you: Eze 32:21-32 
• all the leaders of the earth Jer 50:8 

EVEN SHEOL IS 
EXCITED

Sheol from beneath is excited over you to meet you when you come; It arouses for you the spirits of the dead, all the leaders of the earth; It raises all the kings of the nations from their thrones - When will the king of Babylon come to Sheol? Clearly this will occur when he dies. The dead king of Babylon will be welcomed into Sheol by the already dead kings of other nations. As an aside, if this is a literal welcoming party, it implies that there is consciousness in Sheol. 

Isaiah 14:10 “They will all respond and say to you, ‘Even you have been made weak as we, You have become like us.  

• You have become like us: Ps 49:6-14,20 Ps 82:6,7 Eccl 2:16 Lu 16:20-23 

OTHER KINGS AFFIRM
KING OF BABYLON'S FRAIL END

They will all respond and say to you, ‘Even you have been made weak as we, You have become like us - Even the mighty king of Babylon was but a man, a man created by God and was not immune to the effect of sin which brings death to all men, whether great or small. Death plays no favorites. Even the great cannot escape their fate! 

Isaiah 14:11 ‘Your pomp and the music of your harps Have been brought down to Sheol; Maggots are spread out as your bed beneath you And worms are your covering.’ 

• pomp: Isa 21:4,5 22:2 Job 21:11-15 Eze 26:13 32:19,20 Da 5:1-4,25-30 Am 6:3-7 Rev 18:11-19 
• the worm: Isa 66:24 Job 17:13,14 24:19,20 Mk 9:43-48 

THE PARTY'S
OVER! 

Your pomp and the music of your harps Have been brought down to Sheol - The times of pomp and celebration with music have come to an end with the death of the king of Babylon. 

THOUGHT - This verse could be said of most of the fallen, sin loving, God hating world under the control of Satan. One day the music stops and the party is over! Are you really ready to meet your Maker? Have you placed your faith in Jesus Christ, the only One Who can save you from eternal death where your worm does not die. 

Maggots are spread out as your bed beneath you And worms are your covering - The decaying body of the king would be the home of maggots and worms. 

Isaiah 14:12 “How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations!  

• How you have fallen from heaven: Isa 13:10 34:4 Eze 28:13-17 Lu 10:18 2Pe 2:4 Rev 12:7-10 
• O star of the morning, son of the dawn Lucifer  or, day-star, 2Pe 1:19 Rev 2:28 22:16 
• You who have weakened the nations Isa 14:4-6 Jer 50:23 51:20-24 

 A SHIFT OF FOCUS
TO LUCIFER'S FALL

How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! - Note the shift from Sheol to Heaven! The taunt shifts to what many consider to be a description of the origin of Satan and his rebellion and fall to the earth to wreak havoc. He was once a "rock star" (so to speak) as star of the morning. But in rebellion his starlight went out (so to speak) and he because the prince of darkness and we see his initial attack was on the nations of the earth. 

You have been cut down to the earth - This refers to Satan's rebellion against God's sovereign rule. When Satan rebelled, he took 1/3 of the angelic hosts with him. Rev 12:4 says "And his tail swept away a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth." (See commentary below).

You who have weakened the nations! - Satan the master architect of rebellion tears down nations rather than building them up. 

John MacArthur - Jesus' use of v. 12 to describe Satan's fall (Lk 10:18; cf. Rev 12:8-10) has led many to see more than a reference to the king of Babylon. Just as the Lord addressed Satan in His words to the serpent (Ge 3:14, 15), this inspired dirge speaks to the king of Babylon and to the devil who energized him. See Eze 28:12-17 for similar language to the king of Tyre and Satan behind him. (The MacArthur Study Bible)

Gotquestions - The King James Version and the New King James Version have “Lucifer” in Isaiah 14:12, but other translations have “morning star” (NIV), “Day Star” (ESV), or “shining one” (NET). Is the term meant as a proper name, or simply as a metaphor for the king’s greatness? Scholars are divided on the issue. Clearly, the primary interpretation of Isaiah 14 is that of a prophecy against the human king of Babylon. However, the poetic descriptions of his grandeur, his sin, and his fate are so extravagant as to cause many scholars to consider a secondary interpretation, viz., a reference to Satan....We believe the best way to look at Isaiah 14 is as a dual condemnation: the human king of Babylon and the spiritual force behind him are both facing God’s judgment for their pride and wickedness. The human king had occupied a glorious throne in this world—he was a “star” among rulers—and the spiritual entity had occupied a glorious position in the heavenlies—a true “Lucifer,” or “star of the morning.”  Is Lucifer Satan? Does the fall of Lucifer describe Satan

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Revelation 12:4 Commentary - "his (SATAN'S) tail drew - Drew is “To drag, pull, draw...in catching fish,” “as moving someone or something along by force.” He exhibited considerable influence over the stars with his tail. He was key in their rebellion. This is not his final casting out, but his original fall in sin and corruption of a portion of the heavenly host (Isa. 14:12; Eze. 28:14). This occurred early in God’s created order, prior to the temptation of Eve in the Garden of Eden (Ge 3:1-5). a third of the stars of heaven - Stars refer to the angels (messengers or leaders) of the churches (Rev. 1:20+). They also refer to angels (Job 38:7; Rev. 9:1+; (4). Here, they refer to angels which followed the dragon in his rejection of God and fall into sin (Isa. 14:12; Eze. 28:15). They are “his angels” (Rev. 12:7, 9+). Since there is an innumerable host of angels one-third of such a vast number is countless. Those angels which remained in heaven are God’s elect (1Ti. 5:21). threw them to the earth - Fallen angels (demons) were on the earth well in advance of Christ’s advent (Ge 6:2-4; 1KI. 22:22-23; 2Chr. 18:21-22). See commentary on Revelation 9:1.

Isaiah 14:13 “But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north.  

• But you said in your heart: Isa 47:7-10 Eze 27:3 28:2 29:3 Da 4:30,31 Zep 2:15 Rev 18:7-8 
• I will ascend: Eze 28:9,12-16 Da 8:10-12 
• the mount: Isa 2:2 Ps 48:2 

THREE MORE PRETENTIOUS
"I WILL'S"

But you said in your heart - This surely must be figuratively for Satan is a spirit. And to think such an evil creation would even have a figurative heart is difficult to conceive. But the point is axiomatic that the heart of our problems is the problem in our heart. 

‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north - Three I will's emanating from Satan's jealous heart. One thinks of Genesis 3:5 where he deceived Eve telling her "you will be like God." If "I" is the God, then there is really no accountability, no fear of reprisals. Note that the middle letter of pride is "I"! Furthermore "I" is the middle letter of sIn, which is not only Satan's problem but the root problem of every soul ever born (except One, the sinless Messiah, Who came to bear the sin and receives God's holy wrath on our sin. You have believed in Him for your salvation haven't you?) 

Morris - The "stars" here are evidently angels (compare Job 38:7). Although Lucifer had a throne as God's "anointed cherub" (Ezekiel 28:14), he aspired to reign over all God's holy angels, all of whom have been created to serve God and to become ministers to those who would be "heirs of salvation" (Hebrews 1:14).

Ryrie - Five phrases beginning with I will detail Satan's sin. He wished to occupy heaven, the abode of God Himself. To exalt his throne above the stars of God may refer to his desire to rule all the angelic creatures, or it may simply be another way to indicate his self-exaltation. north, in heathen literature, indicated the abode of the gods; thus Satan was ambitious to govern the universe as the council (assembly) of Babylonian gods supposedly did. He wanted the glory that belonged to God alone (on clouds, see 19:1; Ex. 16:10) and his entire goal was to be like the Most High (Heb., Elyon; see note on Gen. 14:18). 

Isaiah 14:14 ‘I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’  

• ascend: Isa 37:23,24 
• I will be: Isa 47:8 Ge 3:5 2Th 2:4 

Related Passages:

2 Thessalonians 2:3-4+   Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.

SATAN BOASTS HE
WILL ASCEND AND BE LIKE GOD

‘I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ - Make no mistake about it -- Satan seeks to replace God in the heights and in our hearts! 

Morris - Lucifer desired not only to rule over the angels but to be like God Himself, no doubt ultimately aspiring to displace God. This absurd ambition on the part of a created being--thinking himself capable of defeating His own Creator--can only be rationally understood if Satan did not really believe God had created him. That is, since his earliest awareness would be in the watery cosmos of the primeval deep (Genesis 1:2), and his only knowledge that he had been created was God's word, he could have chosen to doubt God's word and to believe instead that both he and God had somehow "evolved" out of the primeval waters. This, in fact, is exactly what is implied in the cosmogonies of the Sumerians, Egyptians, and other ancient nations. Thus, Satan (or Lucifer) was the first "evolutionist," and the root of all subsequent sin is in doubting God's revealed word concerning His creation.

Isaiah 14:15 “Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, To the recesses of the pit.  

• Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol Isa 14:3-11 Eze 28:8,9 Mt 11:23 Ac 12:22,23 Rev 19:20 
• To the recesses of the pit. Eze 32:23 

SATAN'S DOOM
IS SURE

Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, To the recesses of the pit - We see Satan bound in the abyss in Rev 20:2-3 and when he is released after 1000 years, he will be quickly defeated and "thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever." (Rev 20:10+)

Morris - Because of his rebellion, Satan was expelled from his exalted position in the angelic host (Isaiah 14:12; Luke 10:18; Ezekiel 28:17) and will eventually be cast into the bottomless pit of Hades and finally into the eternal lake of fire (Revelation 20:2,3,10). However, he evidently persuaded a third of the angels to follow him (Revelation 12:3-9). They must also have chosen to believe either in their own evolution or that Lucifer had created them. Ever since they have served as his demonic hierarchy, ever seeking to deceive men and lead them away from God.

Isaiah 14:16 “Those who see you will gaze at you, They will ponder over you, saying, ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble, Who shook kingdoms,  

• Those who see you will gaze at you: Ps 58:10,11 64:9 
• Is this the man who made the earth tremble: Isa 14:4,5 Ps 52:7 Jer 50:23 51:20-23 

THE CONSCIOUS
IN SHEOL SEE SATAN

Those who see you will gaze at you, They will ponder over you, saying, ‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble, Who shook kingdoms,  Speaks of consciousness in Sheol (cp Lk 16:19ff)

Morris - Here Isaiah's vision, which had focused upon Satan in Isaiah 14:12-15, returns to the human king of Babylon (who had been possessed by Satan) and his reception by the other dead kings as they greet him in hell (Sheol, the great pit at the center of the earth).

Isaiah 14:17 Who made the world like a wilderness And overthrew its cities, Who did not allow his prisoners to go home?’  

• made: Isa 13:19-22 64:10 Eze 6:14 Joe 2:3 Zep 2:13,14 
• Who did not allow his prisoners to go home, Isa 45:13 58:6 2Ch 28:8-15 Ezr 1:2-4 

SATAN IS
A DESTROYER

Who made the world like a wilderness And overthrew its cities - The fact that it speaks of world would make this seem to describe more than a regional king of Babylon.

Who did not allow his prisoners to go home? - Satan's lies, deceptions and falsehoods ensnare the minds and hearts of men. Paul describes this is 2Ti 2:25-26 instructing Timothy as to how to deal with those caught in Satan's web writing that he is to speak "with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will."

Jesus described His ability to free those held captive by Satan declaring "THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE OPPRESSED." (Luke 4:18). 

Isaiah 14:18 “All the kings of the nations lie in glory, Each in his own tomb.  

• all of (KJV): Isa 22:16 2Ch 24:16,25 Ec 6:3 Eze 32:18-32 
• house (KJV): Job 30:23 Ec 12:5 

All the kings of the nations lie in glory, Each in his own tomb.  

Isaiah 14:19 “But you have been cast out of your tomb Like a rejected branch, Clothed with the slain who are pierced with a sword, Who go down to the stones of the pit Like a trampled corpse.  

• 1Ki 21:19,24 2Ki 9:25,34-36 Jer 8:1,2 16:6 22:19 
• go (KJV): Jer 41:7,9 Eze 32:23 

But you have been cast out of your tomb Like a rejected branch, Clothed with the slain who are pierced with a sword, Who go down to the stones of the pit Like a trampled corpse.  

Isaiah 14:20 “You will not be united with them in burial, Because you have ruined your country, You have slain your people. May the offspring of evildoers not be mentioned forever.  

• the seed (KJV): Isa 13:15-19 Job 18:16,19 Ps 21:10 37:28 109:13 137:8,9 

You will not be united with them in burial, Because you have ruined your country, You have slain your people. May the offspring of evildoers not be mentioned forever.  

Isaiah 14:21 “Prepare for his sons a place of slaughter Because of the iniquity of their fathers. They must not arise and take possession of the earth And fill the face of the world with cities.”  

• slaughter (KJV): Ex 20:5 Lev 26:39 Mt 23:35 
• do not (KJV): Isa 27:6 Hab 2:8-12 

“Prepare for his sons a place of slaughter Because of the iniquity of their fathers. They must not arise and take possession of the earth And fill the face of the world with cities.”  

Isaiah 14:22 “I will rise up against them,” declares the LORD of hosts, “and will cut off from Babylon name and survivors, offspring and posterity,” declares the LORD.

• I will: Isa 13:5 21:9 43:14 47:9-14 Jer 50:26,27,29-35 Jer 51:3,4,56,57 
• the name: Job 18:16-19 Pr 10:7 Jer 51:62-64 
• survivors, offspring and posterity: 1Ki 14:10 

A PROPHECY AGAINST
BABYLON

I will rise up against them,” declares the LORD of hosts, “and will cut off from Babylon name and survivors, offspring and posterity,” declares the LORD - Isa 14:22-27 is against Babylon. Earlier the taunt was against the king of Babylon (Isa 14:4-21). 

Isaiah 14:23 “I will also make it a possession for the hedgehog and swamps of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction,” declares the LORD of hosts.

• make: Isa 13:21,22 34:11-15 Jer 50:39,40 51:42,43 Zep 2:14 Rev 14:8 Rev 18:2,21-23 
• I will sweep: 1Ki 14:10 2Ki 21:13 Jer 51:25,26 

Related Passages:

Revelation 18:21 Then a strong angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “So will Babylon, the great city, be thrown down with violence, and will not be found any longer. 

BABYLON'S COMPLETE
DESTRUCTION

“I will also make it a possession for the hedgehog and swamps of water, and I will sweep it with the broom of destruction,” declares the LORD of hosts. This speaks of annihilation...complete and total sweeping away of Babylon (Isa 14:22). Destruction depicted by the Hebrew shamad always expresses complete “destruction” or “annihilation," with is usually brought on by a sudden catastrophe such as warfare or a mass killing.

Isaiah 14:24 The LORD of hosts has sworn saying, “Surely, just as I have intended so it has happened, and just as I have planned so it will stand,

• The LORD of hosts has sworn Ex 17:16 Ps 110:4 Jer 44:26 Am 8:7 Heb 4:3 6:16-18 
• Surely, just as I have intended so it has happened: Isa 46:10,11 Job 23:13 Ps 33:10 92:5 Pr 19:21 21:30 Jer 23:20 Jer 29:11 La 3:37 Mt 11:25 Ac 4:28 Eph 1:9 

GOD SAID IT
SO IT SHALL BE

The LORD of hosts has sworn saying, “Surely, just as I have intended so it has happened, and just as I have planned so it will stand, God Himself has taken an OATH & swears that these events will happen exactly as God has intended & will turn out exactly as He has planned. God's sovereign purposes regarding Assyria and Babylon will be carried out.

The fulfillment of the prophecy in Isa 14:24-27 regarding the destruction of Assyria is recorded in (Isa 37:21-38).  Let those that make themselves a yoke and a burden to God's people, see what they are to expect. Let those that are the called according to God's purpose, comfort themselves, that whatever God has purposed, it shall stand. The Lord of hosts has purposed to break the Assyrian's yoke. His hand is stretched out to execute this purpose & who has power to turn it back? By such dispensations of providence, the Almighty shows in the most convincing manner, that sin is detestable in His sight. 

Sometimes in Isaiah a divine statement is underlined in some particularly emphatic way (Isa 5:9; 9:7; 37:32), and so it is here. The name of God (Lord of hosts) used here (Isa 1:9) and the statement of his settled purpose (Isa 5:19) combine to assure us that the Assyrian cannot survive. If such a mighty God has designed to crush him, he is doomed indeed. As if to reinforce this certainty still more, God speaks of "my land" and "my mountains" ("my people" is a free translation of the personal pronoun that the RSV simply renders "them").

Is there a pattern to history? Is anyone in charge? British historian Edward Gibbon called history “little more than the register of crimes, follies, and misfortunes of mankind.”  But the American missionary leader Arthur T. Pierson said that “history is His story.” The Prophet Isaiah would stand with Pierson, for these eleven chapters are certainly evidence that God is at work in the nations of the world. In these chapters, the prophet reveals God’s plan not only for Judah but also for ten Gentile nations.  President James Garfield called history “the unrolled scroll of prophecy,” and Isaiah unrolls the scroll for us to read.  Paul made the same declaration to the Greek philosophers in Athens: “and He made from one, every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times, and the boundaries of their habitation,” [Acts 17:26].  Indeed, “history is His story.”

Isaiah 14:25 to break Assyria in My land, and I will trample him on My mountains. Then his yoke will be removed from them and his burden removed from their shoulder.

• I will (KJV): Isa 9:4 10:16-19,32-34 17:12-14 30:30-33 31:8,9 37:36-38 Eze 39:4 
• then (KJV): Isa 14:5 10:24-27 Na 1:13 

to break Assyria in My land, and I will trample him on My mountains. Then his yoke will be removed from them and his burden removed from their shoulder. Babylon will be used by God to break the yoke of Assyria.

Isaiah 14:26 “This is the plan devised against the whole earth; and this is the hand that is stretched out against all the nations.

• Isa 5:25 Zep 3:6-8 

This is the plan devised against the whole earth; and this is the hand that is stretched out against all the nations God is sovereign over human history (v26). All nations will have to submit to his judgment. This principle will be seen in relation to other nations--both small and great--in the oracles that follow. God is not like a man who makes plans and finds he has no power to put them into effect. Perfect wisdom and absolute power find their unity in God.

Morris - The prophecy in its ultimate fulfillment applies not just to Israel, but to "all the nations," when Christ returns. History is indeed "His Story" & He is actively at work in His world (Ps50:12) carrying out His purposes. No opposition can defeat God's plans (Nu 11:23 Job 42:2 Je 32:17 Ge 18:14 Mk 10:27 Lu 1:37). No people or nation is automatically excluded from His plan. 

Isaiah 14:27 “For the LORD of hosts has planned, and who can frustrate it? And as for His stretched-out hand, who can turn it back?”  

• the Lord (KJV): Isa 23:9 43:13 46:11 Job 40:8 Jer 4:28 51:59 Ro 8:28,31 
• his (KJV): Isa 9:12 2Ch 20:6 Job 9:12 23:13 Ps 33:11 Pr 19:21 21:30 Da 4:31-35 

THERE IS NO STRENGTH THAT
CAN HOLD BACK GOD'S HAND

For the LORD of hosts has planned, and who can frustrate it? - Frustrate means to make void, annul, thwart change His plans. This is clearly a rhetorical question -- answer = No one! God is the Sovereign Ruler over all, doing AS He pleases, ONLY as He pleases and ALWAYS as He pleases.

And as for His stretched-out hand, who can turn it back  The SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD is: (1) NOT A POPULAR DOCTRINE & you don't hear many sermons on this teaching which is tragic as the other aspects of this truth discussed below reveal the freedom a right understanding of this truth brings. (2) HUMBLING DOCTRINE -- Sovereignty reminds us that God is God and we are not. sovereignty puts us in the place where we feel free to say nothing about the way God runs the universe. (3) EXALTING DOCTRINE because it gives us a very big God. Many years ago J. B. Phillips wrote the classic book Your God Is Too Small. That's a case where the title told the whole story. Many of us have a problem because our God is too small. But if you ever understand that God is sovereign over the entire universe, you'll never have a small God again. (4) MYSTERIOUS DOCTRINE because it brings us face to face with the problem of evil and free will. If God is sovereign, why is there evil in the universe? If man has free will, how can God be sovereign? Christians have debated these questions for centuries. Suffice it to say that God is sovereign and you are truly responsible for all the choices you make. Often we won't understand how they work together, but they do. (5) CLARIFYING DOCTRINE --teaches us that there is no such thing as luck, chance, fate or coincidence. You can have God or chance, but you can't have both. When a cowboy applied for health insurance, the agent routinely asked if he had had any accidents during the previous year. The cowboy replied, "No. But I was bitten by a rattlesnake, and a horse kicked me in the ribs. That laid me up for a while." The agent said, "Weren't those accidents?" "No," replied the cowboy, "They did it on purpose." The cowboy realized that there are no such things as "accidents." Do you believe that some things CATCH GOD BY SURPRISE? In the words of a good friend, "God is too sovereign to be LUCKY." (6) AN EMPOWERING DOCTRINE. If you believe God is sovereign, no mere human can intimidate you. You'll respect authority but you won't cringe before it. What gave David the courage to go down into the Elah Valley and face that giant Goliath? He said, "I come to you in the name of the God of Israel, the Lord of hosts?" David had a God so big that Goliath was like a midget to him.

Isaiah 14:28 In the year that King Ahaz died this oracle came:

• Isa 6:1 2Ki 16:20 2Ch 28:27 

In the year that King Ahaz died this oracle came

Believer's Study Bible - 715 B.C. According to Ge10:14, the Philistines were a descendents of Ham (Cush ==> Nimrod) (1 Chr. 1:12). Sometime during the second millennium B.C., they came to Canaan from Caphtor (Crete) in the Aegean Sea and settled along the southwestern coast, below the territory of Judea. The land which they inhabited was called Philistia (peleshet, Heb.) from which the name "Palestine" is derived. The Philistines were rejoicing over troubles in Assyria, as the situation provided relief for them. Yet, God tells Isaiah to announce that their doom is still certain.

Isaiah 14:29 “Do not rejoice, O Philistia, all of you, Because the rod that struck you is broken; For from the serpent’s root a viper will come out, And its fruit will be a flying serpent.  

• Rejoice (KJV): Pr 24:17 Eze 26:2 35:15 Ho 9:1 Ob 1:12 Mic 7:8 Zep 3:11 
• whole (KJV): Jos 13:3 1Sa 6:17,18 
• because (KJV): 2Ch 26:6 28:18 
• for (KJV): 2Ki 18:8 
• cockatrice (KJV): or, adder, Isa 11:8 
• a fiery (KJV): Isa 30:6 

Do not rejoice, O Philistia, all of you, Because the rod that struck you is broken; For from the serpent’s root a viper will come out, And its fruit will be a flying serpent.

Isaiah 14:30 “Those who are most helpless will eat, And the needy will lie down in security; I will destroy your root with famine, And it will kill off your survivors.  

• the firstborn (KJV): Job 18:13 
• the poor (KJV): Isa 5:17 7:21,22 30:23,24 33:16 37:30 65:13,14 
• and I (KJV): Jer 47:1-7 Eze 25:15-17 Joe 3:4-8 Am 1:6-8 Zep 2:4-7 Zec 9:5-7 

Those who are most helpless will eat, And the needy will lie down in security; I will destroy your root with famine, And it will kill off your survivors.  

Isaiah 14:31 “Wail, O gate; cry, O city; Melt away, O Philistia, all of you; For smoke comes from the north, And there is no straggler in his ranks.  

• Howl (KJV): Isa 13:6 16:7 
• for (KJV): Isa 20:1 Jer 1:14 25:16-20 

Wail, O gate; cry, O city; Melt away, O Philistia, all of you; For smoke comes from the north, And there is no straggler in his ranks

Isaiah 14:32 “How then will one answer the messengers of the nation? That the LORD has founded Zion, And the afflicted of His people will seek refuge in it.”

• shall one (KJV): Isa 39:1 2Sa 8:10 2Ki 20:12-19 
• the Lord (KJV): Isa 12:6 37:32 Ps 87:1,5 102:16,28 132:13,14 Mt 16:18 
• and the (KJV): Isa 11:4 25:4 Zep 3:12 Zec 11:7,11 Jas 2:5 
• trust in it (KJV): or, betake themselves unto it, Pr 18:10 Mt 24:15,16 Heb 12:22 

How then will one answer the messengers of the nation? That the LORD has founded Zion, And the afflicted of His people will seek refuge in it