Isaiah 28
FROM chapters 28 to 35 we learn the details of what is to happen to the Jews in their own land in the last days. We have had before us a general outline in earlier chapters of Isaiah, and the Psalms have told much of the last days as we found in reading them. What sovereign favor of our God, to tell His children what so deeply interests those whose hopes are heavenly, and so directly concerns those not yet children of His, who are to be delivered from Satan’s power to be His earthly people!
“Ephraim” and “Judah” are the names frequently found in the prophetic scriptures of the Old Testament, designating the ten tribes which revolted after Solomon’s death; and the two tribes which continued to own the son of David as king. “Ephraim,” or the ten tribes, occupied the northern part of the Holy Land, and “Judah” the southern portion. ‘Ephraim” has for many centuries been gone from sight, and we judge from various scriptures that the ten tribes will not reappear and he brought back to Israel’s land until after the invasion spoken of in chapter 28.
It is, we believe, the Jews that will by occupying the northern part of the land that are referred to in verse 1 as the drunkards of Ephraim. Of course, there may be today, among the Jews, as in the Lord’s time on earth, some of other tribes than the two of Judah (Luke 2:3636And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; (Luke 2:36)).
The language of the first verse is not to be understood literally; it speaks of the state of the people as full of pride, pleasure seeking, stupefied like drunkards, so that they do not know what they should, nor heed the warnings of coming trouble; they will be deaf to God and His Word, sunk in infidelity and idolatry.
Against this people will come a mighty and strong one as a storm of hail and a destroying tempest; as a storm of mighty waters overflowing, he shall cast down to the earth, and the crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim shall be trodden under foot; the fading flower of his (Ephraim’s) glorious adornment shall he like an early fig, seized by the finder and eaten in a moment.
This overwhelming invader is the Assyrian or king of the north who occupies the Holy Spirit so much in the prophetic scriptures. We have found him referred to already several times in Isaiah.
The Jewish rulers at Jerusalem, relying on their league with the imperial head at Rome, and thoroughly in Satan’s power, will be confident that the northern power, independent of the Roman Empire, will not touch them. As Rev. 13:22And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. (Revelation 13:2) discloses that the devil will give the head of the western empire his power and his throne and great authority, these scornful rulers may well say (verse 15).
“We have made a covenant with death, and with hell (rather Sheol) are we at agreement; when the overflowing; scorge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us, for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves.”
Daniel 11 shows (verses 40-43) that the Assyrian, or as there called, the king of the north, will be the chief, but not the only power which will attack Palestine’s wilful king (the Antichrist). The first a i11 be the king of the south (Egypt), but he evidently withdraws when the king of the north comes down from Asia Minor, bringing the armies of other countries with him (Psa. 83; see Psa. 79 also).
Isa. 5:20-3020Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! 21Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! 22Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink: 23Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him! 24Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust: because they have cast away the law of the Lord of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. 25Therefore is the anger of the Lord kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them: and the hills did tremble, and their carcases were torn in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. 26And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth: and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly: 27None shall be weary nor stumble among them; none shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken: 28Whose arrows are sharp, and all their bows bent, their horses' hoofs shall be counted like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind: 29Their roaring shall be like a lion, they shall roar like young lions: yea, they shall roar, and lay hold of the prey, and shall carry it away safe, and none shall deliver it. 30And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea: and if one look unto the land, behold darkness and sorrow, and the light is darkened in the heavens thereof. (Isaiah 5:20‑30) gives the manner of the coming of the Assyrian, and chapter D2:1-14 with Zech. 14:1, 21Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. 2For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. (Zechariah 14:1‑2) tells what will be the state of Jerusalem when besieged by him. To this we must add, after the promise in verse 10 of our chapter, the solemn words of verses 17-22, though we believe that in part this will be fulfilled at the Lord’s appearing, which will shortly follow the Assyrian’s attack on Jerusalem here described.
In verses 24 to 28 the people are besought to give heed to the warning of judgment; men do not plow, or sow always; they reap, and in reaping they employ different methods for differing grains; so the longsuffering-God will reap, presently; He will not always leave man to do his own wicked will, unrestrained. (See Matt. chapters 24 and 25; Rev. 14 and 19.)
ML 09/17/1933