Isaiah 14:21, commentary and pictures

The verse foretells the overthrow and destruction of Babylon, commanding slaughter for her children for their fathers' iniquity to cut off her power and future so they do not rise to continue it, possess the land, or spread through the world with cities. The prophecy rises from the earthly king of Babylon to Lucifer, the day-star who inspired Babylon in all her wickedness and whose greatness in that ancient monarchy was his effort to establish his dominion on earth, and applied spiritually Babylon is the false religious system through which his spirit and rule continue. The verse belongs to the description of the king of Babylon entering Sheol, the dark abode in the nether parts of the earth where the dead are silent, asleep, and without knowledge, work, or wisdom. The stirring of the dead kings to meet him with obeisance and taunt is figurative personification and not a literal sitting, rising, and speaking in Sheol, like Pharaoh comforted among the slain in Ezekiel 32 and Rachel weeping in Jeremiah 31. Those who held it teach the verse is a proverb against the Papal king of Mystery Babylon after that power was laid down in 1798, cutting off its offspring so that oppressing power never rises again to rule the earth and spread over it.

Prophecy of Babylon's Fall

Isaiah 14:21 belongs to the first part of Isaiah, chapters 1 to 39, given as a distinct prophecy at its own time and occasion during Isaiah's active work among rulers and people as God's messenger to the nation and afterward gathered with others into one collection, so its place in the book does not necessarily follow the chronological order of the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. It stands within the predictions concerning Babylon, Palestina, and Moab in Isaiah 13 to 16, specifically the prophecies against Babylon in Isaiah 13 and 14. It foretells the overthrow and destruction of Babylon, spoken before the city reached its height and before its fall. Babylon's decline, desolation, and historical downfall fulfilled the prophecy.

The judgment orders slaughter for Babylon's children for the iniquity of their fathers in order to cut off its power and future. They are not to rise to continue it, nor to possess the land, nor to spread through the world with cities. The proud power opposing God will thus be brought to an end before cities can cover the earth.

The verse is a proverb against the Papal king of Mystery Babylon, connected with God choosing Israel again the second time and giving rest from sorrow, fear, and hard bondage wherein they were made to serve. After the Lord broke the staff of the wicked and the sceptre of the rulers, when the oppressor ceased and the golden city ceased and that power was laid down in 1798, the whole earth is at rest and quiet. God's people rejoice like the fir trees and cedars of Lebanon that no feller has come up against them since. The offspring are cut off so that oppressing power never stands up again to rule the earth and spread itself over it, and God's people are not delivered over again into the hand of another oppressor to be trodden under foot.

Lucifer Behind Babylon

The passage stands within Isaiah's prophecy concerning Babylon and its highest king, Lucifer, pointing to refuge from Babylon's doom. That prophecy of Babylon in Isaiah 13 and 14 rises from the earthly king of Babylon to Lucifer, the day-star and son of the morning, who inspired Babylon in all her wickedness. Lucifer was originally the light bearer who by rebellion became Satan the adversary. He was the invisible king of Babylon because its earthly rulers served him, and the greatness of that ancient monarchy was the outward expression of his effort to establish his dominion on this earth and defeat God's plan to save the world.

Spiritually understood, Babylon is a false religious system proceeding from Satan, and the verse identifies Satan as the ruler behind Babylon whose spirit and rule continue through it. The proud power opposing God will be brought to an end, so that its children will not rise to continue it, nor possess the land, nor spread cities across the world. Applied to Satan's city-building ambition, God will destroy him before cities can cover the earth.

Sheol and Unconscious Dead

Isaiah 14:9-21 portrays the king of Babylon going down among the dead and entering Sheol. Sheol there is the unseen realm of the departed, distinguished from the bodily grave. It is pictured as an underworld in which distinctions of rank remain, so that kings sit on thrones, yet no clear separation is made between different places for the righteous and the wicked.

The command for slaughter of his children for the iniquity of their fathers belongs to that same prophecy of overthrow, cutting off his line so they do not rise, possess the land, or fill it with cities. Within it the stirring of the dead, their rising from thrones to meet the fallen king with feigned obeisance, and their taunting speech are figurative personification of the unconscious dead as if alive and active. They do not literally sit on thrones, rise, speak, and mock in Sheol.

Sheol itself is the dark abode in the nether parts of the earth, a place of silence, secrecy, sleep, rest, and darkness. There the dead are asleep and at rest, without knowledge, work, device, wisdom, or praise, so their pictured speaking proves nothing about consciousness after death. The conversation is figurative like Pharaoh being comforted among the slain with their swords under their heads in Ezekiel 32, and like Rachel weeping for her children long after her death in Jeremiah 31.