Isaiah 22 verses 1-14.
THE valley of vision is Jerusalem, and the scenes portrayed in verses 2 to 11 (although partial fulfilment of the prophecy is recorded in 2 Kings 25 and 2 Chronicles 32) belong to days which are yet to come.
We may turn with profit to several scriptures from which the time and occasion of and participants in the siege of Jerusalem here spoken of will be readily seen.
We have already noticed (in chapter 18) the return in unbelief of many Jews to the land of their fathers. They will set up their old religious observances under the protection of the head of the Roman Empire, but having a king of their own whom Scripture calls the false prophet and the Antichrist (see Revelation 13; Daniel 11: ,36-39 and 9:27). A covenant is made with the head of the Roman Empire yet to be revived, for the period of seven years, during which the Jews are to be allowed to carry on their sacrifices as when they were in their land in olden times; notwithstanding this covenant, the sacrifices will be stopped in the middle of the period, and idolatry be set up instead.
Because of the protection of abominations (God’s term for idolatry) there shall be a desolator—this is the true reading of Daniel 9:27—and this desolator is the Assyrian of the last days, called in Daniel the king of the North.
The apostate Jews will think they will be safe from that “overflowing scourge” because of the covenant protection of the western powers (see Isaiah 28:14-19). But they will not be, for God will use the Assyrian to punish them. Evidently the great power of the Roman Empire will be moving toward Palestine with its chief, when the Assyrian with an immense army comprising the forces of Asia and northeastern Europe descends upon Israel’s land from the north (Daniel 11:40-45; Isaiah 5:26-30; 8:7-10; 10:5-7 and 24-34), besieges and captures Jerusalem, taking half of the city captive (Zechariah 14:1,2).
It is this siege and capture that is represented in Isaiah 22. Pursuing the subject further, it appears that the head of the Roman Empire and his great army shortly after this reach the vicinity of Jerusalem where the false prophet-king of Judah is. Then, while the Assyrian is gone down to Egypt on an expedition of conquest, the Lord descends from heaven (see Revelation 19:11-21, and 2 Thessalonians 1:7-2:10), and overwhelms His enemies then in the land.
When the Assyrian shortly afterwards returns, he will meet a power he had not expected (Isaiah 10:12-19; 14:24, 25). He will come to the same end as the head of the Roman Empire and the false prophet-king, being sent direct to the lake of fire, —hell (Isaiah 30:27-33).
After that, along with other judgments on the living (see Matthew 25:31-46 and Isaiah 1:24-31) the Lord will establish the thousand years’ reign of peace and righteousness, wherein sin will be held in restraint and war and blood shed be unknown, the devil being shut up (Revelation 20:1-6; Isaiah 11:1-12:6).
Returning to our chapter, verses 12 to 14 show the spirit so prevalent in the world today, —heedless of approaching doom, unrepentant; “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” God is treated with contempt, and His Word rejected. More solemn then, will be the judgment, when it comes, as it certainly will. How escape it, if so great salvation is neglected?
ML 07/30/1933