Title: Severe Apocalypse / Isaiah 21:1-10
The prophet Isaiah saw the fall of Babylon as apocalyptic. The reason the apocalypse in the text is called a harsh apocalypse is because its content is cruel. As a warning about the “seaside wilderness,” the beach refers to the Euphrates River and the wilderness refers to Babylon.
1. The first prophet to hear the news
The prophet Isaiah was the first to hear that the Persian army was rushing in like a whirlwind. The prophet Isaiah heard the sound of the enemy rushing in as fast as a whirlwind of Negev.
The man of God hears what no one else hears. Today we need to hear the voice of God. If you don't listen, you don't have faith. If you do not hear, you cannot discern the truth. The Lord has said to us, “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” There are many unfortunate people in the world who cannot hear at all because of their spiritual deafness.
The Prophet knew through the sound of the wind that he would be killed by the enemies who came like a tornado. Today we must listen to the sound of history. We must listen to the still small voice of God. When you hear it, do not pretend not to hear it, nor do you hear it wrongly.
2. The Prophet Who Sees the Severe Apocalypse
The prophet Isaiah not only heard the right voice, he saw the truth. The deceiver refers to Babylon, which had the greatest number of lies and hypocrisy at that time. Babylon is synonymous with the deceiver.
The rise and fall of a nation is in God's hands. God, who has sovereignty, can cause wars and decide whether to win or lose.
Once you have clearly heard and seen the future situation, the next step is all too easy. We should not be envious of the prophet who saw the future, but we should be thankful that we can see a God who has transcended the world of time. Those who see God can see history.
“I have put an end to all his groanings” (verse 2). This means that all people who were oppressed by Babylon because of the fall of Babylon will be given freedom and liberation. The prophet Isaiah proclaims these words with certainty because he has heard and seen them. This is faith. Faith is the substance of things hoped for. A servant of God who had faith was convinced of these things he had heard and seen.
God's people must always be able to see the invisible hand of God behind whatever event they encounter. And we must be able to fear God and repent humbly. We have already seen them. That is why we have freedom, hope, and gratitude.
3. The Prophet's Posture
Just as Isaiah showed meekness when Moab fell, the prophet who saw Babylon suffered God's wrath and saw it had sympathy for them. So I felt back pain, and I felt so much pain about the pain of Babylon that I could neither see nor hear (verse 3).
“Do not rejoice when your enemy stumbles, and do not rejoice in your heart when he stumbles” (Proverbs 24:17). Rejoicing when the enemy stumbles is what those who do not know God do. The truth is, we too have sinned worse than the falling Babylon, but we were only saved by God's grace. To mourn for an enemy when they fall is the attitude of heart that God's people should have.
The fact that the suffering suffered by the prophet Isaiah was like that of a woman about to give birth suggests how great the suffering Babylon will be.
“The dawn of hope has been turned into trembling” (v. 4). This means rest time, such as the night desired by a person who has been working all day. But the night of hope turned into trembling, which means that I trembled in fear all night.
The prophet Isaiah was not afraid of that day because he had seen and heard what God would do, but rather feared God. The greater the fear of God, the greater the right worship toward God.
4. Isaiah fulfilled his mission as a watchman
Verse 5 prophesied that Belshazzar, the last king of Babylon, would be killed by the enemy at a banquet. Isaiah saw his enemies as a watchman. Therefore, I urge you to repent quickly. Believers in Jesus must not only be saved by themselves, but also be watchmen for others.
And the person who saw it should tell it quickly That's what the prophet Isaiah did, and that's what we should do. The prophet Isaiah warns Babylon to be armed and ready for war. Many people in the world judge only by what they see and do not know what they cannot see. But the watchman can see, and the seer must speak quickly. If the watchman does not perform his duties, the nation will perish.
Like the prophet Isaiah, we must see what others cannot see, hear what others cannot hear, and love even our enemies so that we can hear the voice of God from them. Therefore, they must fulfill the mission of the saints so that they can return before God, be saved and find refuge in the arms of Christ Jesus.