(Isa 20:1 KJV) In the year that Tartan came unto Ashdod (when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him,) and fought against Ashdod, and took it;
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.
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.
5 And they shall be afraid and ashamed of Ethiopia their expectation, and of Egypt their glory.
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?
Isaiah was not literally nude but did not have his outer robes or garments that distinguished him as a prophet or a man of God. This is probably similar to how David was dressed when he danced before the Lord. He simply laid aside his royal clothing and dressed as an ordinary person to worship the Lord. (My own observation here taking into account biblical times and customs. They did not go around naked as we understand it)
This was a sign to those who watched him and a warning of what was to come. The nation of Assyria was going to led into captivity people naked and barefoot. They was to be stripped of possessions, apparel and anything valuable. All through history when people are led into captivity they do not take with them their possessions and they lose all civil rights. This is done to break their spirit and weaken them so that they can't fight back. It humiliates them.
Here the Egyptians would lose all dignity and rights. They were to be led away captive by the Assyrians. This prophecy is already passed and did literally happen. In Isaiah 37 we see that the angel of the Lord was sent to deliver from the Assyrians. God was then and is now the only true help.
(Isa 21:1 KJV) 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.
This next prophecy in Isaiah is also fulfilled. This prophecy concerns the destruction of Babylon by the Medes. Even though God used Babylon to punish Judah for their rebellion against Him, He later brings destruction to Babylon.
2 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.
3 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.
4 My heart panted, fearfulness affrighted me: the night of my pleasure hath he turned into fear unto me.
5 Prepare the table, watch in the watchtower, eat, drink: arise, ye princes, and anoint the shield.
This prophecy distresses Isaiah. He felt like a woman giving birth to a baby in labor. Isaiah literally felt the impact of these prophecies in his own body. He was not shallow and indifferent at all but actually felt the sufferings of the people that he was prophesying against. He is not pictured as a "holier than thou," "See I told you so, " type. A true person of compassion will desire to see repentance and restoration rather than destruction. They have to preach warning, judgment and foretell of destruction but they should not desire to see it come to pass but rather desire that people change, repent and avert judgment.
(Isa 21:6 KJV) For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth.
7 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:
8 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:
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.
This is about the destruction of Babylon years before Babylon even defeated the kingdom of Judah. This literally took place. I know there is also a Babylon in the latter days that is to be upon the earth. I don't know if it is a place that exists now and has the same spirit and idolatry. Perhaps it may be a literal rebuilding of Babylon in the same vicinity (which is modern Iraq). Who knows? There is a latter day prophecy concerning Babylon, which shall arise and be judged by the Lord also. I will note that Iraq is an enemy to Israel, which makes it a candidate to be a latter day part of prophecy that concerns Israel's enemies. The only way they could fulfill the prophecy though is to turn away from Islamic religion and turn to idolatry. This could happen (and this is only my speculation) if another country that is full of sin and wickedness would happen to join with Iraq and sort of take over. Both societies would then begin to mingle and intermarry and bring forth an evil adulterous and idolatrous society. If then that society would be anti-Semitic and anti-Christian to the point of actual persecution then they could fulfill the role of the Babylon that the bible pictures as a woman riding the beast in Revelation. This is just my own speculation here and should be considered just that and not the word of God.
This prophecy here depicts immediate fulfillment of Isaiah's day, which did literally happen.
10 O my threshing, and the corn of my floor: that which I have heard of the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have I declared unto you.
11 The burden of Dumah. He calleth to me out of Seir, Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?
12 The watchman said, The morning cometh, and also the night: if ye will inquire, inquire ye: return, come.
13 The burden upon Arabia. In the forest in Arabia shall ye lodge, O ye travelling companies of Dedanim.
This prophecy deals with Arabia. This country we know still exists today. Dedanim is the descendants of Abraham from his son Dedan which he had by his wife Keturah after the death of Sarah.
(Isa 21:14 KJV) The inhabitants of the land of Tema brought water to him that was thirsty, they prevented with their bread him that fled.
Tema are the descendants of Abraham by his son Ishmael.
(Isa 21:15 KJV) For they fled from the swords, from the drawn sword, and from the bent bow, and from the grievousness of war.
These prophecies also have been literally fulfilled.
16 For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Within a year, according to the years of an hireling, and all the glory of Kedar shall fail:
17 And the residue of the number of archers, the mighty men of the children of Kedar, shall be diminished: for the LORD God of Israel hath spoken it.
Kedar is another descendant of Abraham through Ishmael. I notice that most of Israel's enemies are the other children of Abraham. They are actually relatives. Isaac and Ishmael had to be divided. One going one way and the other going another. Ishmael according to the bible became a nation of 12 princes. God increased Ishmael because he was the son of Abraham. Isaac the natural son of Sarah was the one that God chose to be the one to bless the whole world. Through the seed of Isaac came forth Jesus Christ, which was to be the savior and God in the flesh.
It is interesting to note that most of the children of Abraham through his other wives are now of the Islamic religion. The children of Israel are mostly Jewish. Neither one is Christian even though the promised Messiah came through the seed of Abraham too. The ones that accepted Christ are not the natural seed of Abraham but were the Gentiles. Gentiles through Jesus Christ become adopted into the seed of Abraham by faith in Jesus.
It is so important to walk in love and compassion toward these in other religions. If we show hate and prejudice then we bring reproach upon the name of Christ and Christianity. We also bring reproach upon His name if we allow sin to prevail into our lives after claiming Christianity. Some Islamic countries already call the United States the great Satan. I hope they don't attribute the sin in the U. S. with Christianity but they might. Many nations that claimed Christianity have done things so unchristian that it is a miracle that anyone has accepted Christianity. Jesus desires that we be the exact opposite to being full of bigotry, prejudice, and hate. This does not mean that we are to accept sin just to get along. We can make a stand against sin without hating the one who sins. A good comparison is our own children. We correct them when they do wrong and do not accept their wrongdoing but we still love them. So true love of God does not accept sin.
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