Isaiah 14:22, commentary and pictures

The Lord of hosts Himself rises up in judgment to destroy Babylon completely, wiping out its name and descendants and line down to son and son's son and leaving no remnant behind. The word stands in the ode of triumph against Babylon, which begins with its earthly king and rises to Lucifer the day-star, the highest king who inspires all her wickedness. Lucifer, once the light-bearer but become Satan the adversary by rebellion, was the invisible and real king of Babylon, with its earthly rulers serving under him, so ruler and system are identified with him. Spoken before Babylon reached its height when its defenses seemed to make it secure, the doom was fulfilled with precision in its capture and progressive desolation until its walls enclosed wild beasts and even its site was unknown. When Christ has blotted out His people's sins and cleansed the heavenly sanctuary, all iniquities are laid upon the head of Azazel, and Satan the originator of sin is bound and shut up in the wasted earth for a thousand years.

Context and Wording

Isaiah 14:22 stands in the first division of Isaiah, chapters 1 to 39, which is made up of single distinct prophecies given at different times and on different occasions during Isaiah's active public work as God's messenger to rulers and people, afterward gathered into one collection. Its place in that collection does not fix its date by the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, since several chapters are transposed and stand out of chronological order.

The verse belongs to the prophecies against Babylon in Isaiah 13 and 14, a poetic passage announcing judgment against Babylon and declaring its doom. It is part of an ode of triumph over Babylon's overthrow. The prophecy starts with the earthly king of Babylon and rises to Lucifer, the day-star, son of the morning, its highest king who inspires Babylon in all her wickedness.

The Lord of hosts Himself rises up against them in judgment to destroy Babylon completely. That utter overthrow comes in spite of her power and glory as head of gold and great tree ruling wherever men dwell. To cut off from Babylon the name and remnant and son and nephew, or son's son, means to wipe out its name and descendants and line, leaving no remnant. It expresses the completeness of its destruction and utter doom down to complete desolation, as the glory of kingdoms and beauty of the Chaldees' excellency is brought low.

The rising is joined to making Babylon a possession for the bittern or porcupine and wild birds and pools of water and sweeping it with the besom of destruction. This is the purpose purposed upon the whole earth with His hand stretched out upon all nations, which none can disannul or turn back. The surrounding passage describes the king of Babylon descending into sheol, or hades, beneath the earth in the nether parts of the earth, the dark abode in the interior of the earth where the dead are. The inhabitants of hades there are identified as the dead, not living souls.

The dead are stirred to meet him, and the conquered kings he had destroyed rise from thrones with feigned obeisance to taunt him, saying Art thou also become weak as we, while those that see him say Is this the man that made the earth to tremble. This rising and speaking and mocking is figurative personification, not literal consciousness, thrones, or conversation among the dead. It is figurative just as Pharaoh comforted among the slain with swords under their heads and Rachel weeping for her children long after death are figurative, portraying Babylon's overthrow and the humiliation of its king.

Predicted and Fulfilled Fall

Isaiah 14:22 foretells the destruction and overthrow of Babylon. It is part of the prophecy announcing Babylon's downfall, in which the Lord declares that He will rise against Babylon and wipe out its name and descendants, leaving no remnant. It belongs to the prophecy of chapters 13 and 14 concerning Babylon and Lucifer as its highest king, declaring Babylon's doom and God's refuge from that doom. The prediction was spoken before Babylon reached its height and lay entirely beyond human sagacity, when its defenses and provisions seemed to make it secure.

Every feature of Babylon's present desolate aspect is delineated in the verse with precision. Its prophecies of destruction were fulfilled in the city's capture and later desolation. After its destruction attempts to restore it failed and its glory steadily declined. By the fourth century its walls enclosed wild beasts, and its name and surviving community disappeared from history until even its site was unknown.

The verse means the utter overthrow of Babylon in spite of her power and glory as head of gold and great tree ruling wherever men dwell. It fulfills Daniel's word to Nebuchadnezzar that after him another kingdom shall arise.

Satan and Final Application

Lucifer was originally the light bearer but became Satan the adversary by rebellion and fall, and he was the invisible and real king of Babylon, with its earthly rulers serving under him. The reference to Babylon therefore applies to the power ruled by Satan as well as to earthly rulers, and ruler and system are identified with Satan. The greatness of ancient Babylon was the outward expression of the god of this world's effort to establish his dominion on this planet and defeat God's plan to save the world. The beginning of this rebellion and conflict was before the creation of the world, when at the laying of the earth's foundations Lucifer joined the morning stars in praising God. The Son's exaltation and creative work then stirred his envy and desire to destroy Christ's kingdom.

The king of Babylon cut off is the papal king of Mystery Babylon in God's second choosing of Israel and giving rest from sorrow and fear and hard bondage wherein they were made to serve. The cutting off means the oppressor has ceased and the golden city has ceased, the Lord having broken the staff of the wicked and the sceptre of the rulers. He who smote the people with a continual stroke and ruled the nations in anger is laid down and persecuted with none hindering. Since that overthrow in 1798 no feller has come up against God's people, figured as the rejoicing fir-trees and cedars of Lebanon, and they have not been delivered over into the hand of another oppressor. The whole earth is at rest and quiet.

The rising up to cut off from Babylon the name and remnant and son and nephew, to make it a possession for the bittern and pools of water and to sweep it with the besom of destruction, is the purpose purposed upon the whole earth and the hand stretched out upon all the nations, which the Lord of hosts has purposed and none can disannul or turn back. It proves that in the day of the Lord, beginning at the second coming, the whole earth is laid desolate and left without inhabitant, with all the righteous taken away and all the wicked slain. This is the condition of the earth during the Millennium. The rising against Satan and those with him means that when Christ as High Priest has blotted out His people's sins in all ages and cleansed the heavenly sanctuary, all iniquities are laid upon the head of Azazel, Satan the originator of sin. Satan is then bound and cast into the wasted and desolate earth and shut up with a seal for a thousand years, thus bearing all iniquities unto a land not inhabited.