Zechariah 2:8-9 and Isaiah 13

Regarding Babylon

The Temptation of Jesus

Mat 4:1-4 KJV  Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.  (2)  And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.  (3)  And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.  (4)  But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

Remember the Lord Your God

Deu 8:1-3 KJV  All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers.  (2)  And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.  (3)  And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.

Mat 4:5-7 KJV  Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,  (6)  And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.  (7)  Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

My Refuge and My Fortress

Psa 91:1-16 KJV  He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.  (2)  I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.  (3)  Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.  (4)  He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.  (5)  Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;  (6)  Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.  (7)  A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.  (8)  Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.  (9)  Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;  (10)  There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.  (11)  For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.  (12)  They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.  (13)  Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.  (14)  Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.  (15)  He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.  (16)  With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

Psa 91:10-12 KJV  There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.  (11)  For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.  (12)  They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

Deu 6:13-19 KJV  Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.  (14)  Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you;  (15)  (For the LORD thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the LORD thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth.  (16)  Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God, as ye tempted him in Massah.  (17)  Ye shall diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and his testimonies, and his statutes, which he hath commanded thee.  (18)  And thou shalt do that which is right and good in the sight of the LORD: that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest go in and possess the good land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers,  (19)  To cast out all thine enemies from before thee, as the LORD hath spoken.

Mat 4:8-11 KJV  Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;  (9)  And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.  (10)  Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.  (11)  Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

The Great Commission

Mat 28:16-20 KJV  Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.  (17)  And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.  (18)  And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.  (19)  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:  (20)  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Godlessness in the Last Days

2Ti 3:1-7 KJV  This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.  (2)  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,  (3)  Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,  (4)  Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;  (5)  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.  (6)  For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,  (7)  Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Jesus Rejected at Nazareth

Luk 4:16-21 KJV  And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.  (17)  And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,  (18)  The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,  (19)  To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.  (20)  And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.  (21)  And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

Isa 61:1-2 KJV  The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;  (2)  To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

Notice something interesting here? Don’t worry it’s one of those things we have explored on different occasions. Jesus stops short of one thing in fulfillment of Isaiah’s passage He read. Let’s just put it in writing for our purposes today. 

and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

With that thought in mind let’s look at our passage concerning

A Vision of a Man with a Measuring Line

Zec 2:1-13 KJV  I lifted up mine eyes again, and looked, and behold a man with a measuring line in his hand.  (2)  Then said I, Whither goest thou? And he said unto me, To measure Jerusalem, to see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof.  (3)  And, behold, the angel that talked with me went forth, and another angel went out to meet him,  (4)  And said unto him, Run, speak to this young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as towns without walls for the multitude of men and cattle therein:  (5)  For I, saith the LORD, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her.  (6)  Ho, ho, come forth, and flee from the land of the north, saith the LORD: for I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heaven, saith the LORD.  (7)  Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon.  (8)  For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.  (9)  For, behold, I will shake mine hand upon them, and they shall be a spoil to their servants: and ye shall know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me.  (10)  Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the LORD.  (11)  And many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and shall be my people: and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me unto thee.  (12)  And the LORD shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again.  (13)  Be silent, O all flesh, before the LORD: for he is raised up out of his holy habitation.

Zec 2:8-9 KJV  For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that touchethH5060 you toucheth the apple of his eye.  (9)  For, behold, I will shake mine hand upon them, and they shall be a spoilH7998 to their servants: and ye shall know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me.

H5060
נָגַע
nâga‛
naw-gah'
A primitive root; properly to touch, that is, lay the hand upon (for any purpose; euphemistically, to lie with a woman); by implication to reach (figuratively to arrive, acquire); violently, to strike (punish, defeat, destroy, etc.): - beat, (X be able to) bring (down), cast, come (nigh), draw near (nigh), get up, happen, join, near, plague, reach (up), smite, strike, touch.

Total KJV occurrences: 150

Are some of you old enough to remember "reach out and touch someone"? Well God describes how He is going to touch the world at some point. However our more immediate concerns for this journey dealing with the Babylonian kingdom. 

Zec 2:9 KJV  For, behold, I will shakeH7998 mine hand upon them, and they shall be a spoilH5130 to their servants: and ye shall know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me.

H7998
שָׁלָל
shâlâl
shaw-lawl'
From H7997; booty: - prey, spoil.

Total KJV occurrences: 73

H5130
נוּף
nûph
noof
A primitive root; to quiver (that is, vibrate up and down, or rock to and fro); used in a great variety of applications (including sprinkling, beckoning, rubbing, bastinadoing, sawing, waving, etc.): - lift up, move, offer, perfume, send, shake, sift, strike, wave.
Total KJV occurrences: 37

The Great Commission

Mat 28:16-20 KJV  Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.  (17)  And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.  (18)  And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.  (19)  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:  (20)  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Zec 2:8-9 KJV  For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nationsH1471 which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.  (9)  For, behold, I will shake mine hand upon them, and they shall be a spoil to their servants: and ye shall know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me.

H1471
גֹּי    גּוֹי
gôy    gôy
go'ee, go'-ee
Apparently from the same root as H1465 (in the sense of massing); a foreign nation; hence a Gentile; also (figuratively) a troop of animals, or a flight of locusts: - Gentile, heathen, nation, people.

Total KJV occurrences: 559

We were exploring in our journey of verse 8 that God would be dealing basically with the entire world at this point in prophecy. All of the nations and empires that dealt with the children of God in the sense of the nation of Israel are what we are exploring. However oddly enough we will also discover these are many of the nations causing or suffering from problems today. This of course is no accident. If nothing else people should look at all this and understand there is a sovereign Lord. 

It’s simple to see that the nations the Lord is referring to are those nations and empires we have detailed in different journeys. They are not all by any means. However at the end as we are always looking forward to there are certain things the world must accept. At this point in the grand scheme of things the Lord has it out for the entire planet. The Jews have literally been scattered all across the earth. Remember the UN as a collective voice does not recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. They “speak for the world” more or less would be their statement. After the glory of the deliverance some say in 1948 as the world officially recognized the Jewish home land. 

At least at the moment the US has decided Jerusalem does belong to Israel. As long as there are terrorists operating in the Gaza strip and other locations in the area no one should be dealing with them(Palestinians). John Kerry seems to like embracing bad guys. You know the guy that looked chewed and spit out the day he thanked Iran for their treatment of our sailors who were illegally taken captive by them. They are currently in the process of reforming the Persian empire. We cannot rule out the fact that they for now any way are fulfilling the prophetic rise and fall described in Revelation 17. 

The Great Prostitute and the Beast

Rev 17:1-8 KJV  And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters:  (2)  With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.  (3)  So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.  (4)  And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:  (5)  And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.  (6)  And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.  (7)  And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.  (8)  The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

The journeys we are starting today encompass the book of Isaiah and what it tells us about Zechariah 2:8-9. There are at least 3 prophets we can mention that will be involved in these studies. They are Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. We will no doubt be looking at some old ground covered in the book of Daniel. 

We will start with Isaiah 13 which begins a lengthy list of nations called out by God. They will all be journeys meant to be examples for us in explaining the words of Zechariah 2:8-9

Christ Came to Fulfill the Law

Mat 5:17-20 KJV  Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.  (18)  For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.  (19)  Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.  (20)  For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

Zec 2:8-9 KJV  For thus saith the LORD of hosts; After the glory hath he sent me unto the nations which spoiled you: for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.  (9)  For, behold, I will shake mine hand upon them, and they shall be a spoil to their servants: and ye shall know that the LORD of hosts hath sent me.

The Judgment of Babylon

Isa 13:1-22 KJV  The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see.  (2)  Lift ye up a banner upon the high mountain, exalt the voice unto them, shake the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles.  (3)  I have commanded my sanctified ones, I have also called my mighty ones for mine anger, even them that rejoice in my highness.  (4)  The noise of a multitude in the mountains, like as of a great people; a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together: the LORD of hosts mustereth the host of the battle.  (5)  They come from a far country, from the end of heaven, even the LORD, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land.  (6)  Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.  (7)  Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man's heart shall melt:  (8)  And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.  (9)  Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.  (10)  For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.  (11)  And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.  (12)  I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.  (13)  Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.  (14)  And it shall be as the chased roe, and as a sheep that no man taketh up: they shall every man turn to his own people, and flee every one into his own land.  (15)  Every one that is found shall be thrust through; and every one that is joined unto them shall fall by the sword.  (16)  Their children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives ravished.  (17)  Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, which shall not regard silver; and as for gold, they shall not delight in it.  (18)  Their bows also shall dash the young men to pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eye shall not spare children.  (19)  And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees' excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.  (20)  It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation: neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there; neither shall the shepherds make their fold there.  (21)  But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and owls shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there.  (22)  And the wild beasts of the islands shall cry in their desolate houses, and dragons in their pleasant palaces: and her time is near to come, and her days shall not be prolonged.

Things that tell us this is as much about an end time destruction as the historical destruction suffered at the hands of the Media Persian empire. 

How about words such as the burden of Babylon

Isa 13:1 KJV  The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see.

The Fall of Babylon

Rev 18:1-3 KJV  And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.  (2)  And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.  (3)  For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.

Isa 13:4 KJV  The noise of a multitude in the mountains, like as of a great people; a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together: the LORD of hosts mustereth the host of the battle.

The Marriage Supper of the Lamb

Rev 19:6-10 KJV  And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.  (7)  Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.  (8)  And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.  (9)  And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.  (10)  And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

Mat 22:1-14 KJV  And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said,  (2)  The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,  (3)  And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.  (4)  Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.  (5)  But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:  (6)  And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.  (7)  But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.  (8)  Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.  (9)  Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.  (10)  So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.  (11)  And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:  (12)  And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.  (13)  Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  (14)  For many are called, but few are chosen.

We hear phrases such as day of the LORD. 

Isa 13:6 KJV  Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.

Isa 13:9 KJV  Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.

Isa 61:1-3 KJV  The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;  (2)  To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;  (3)  To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

Jesus Foretells Destruction of Jerusalem

Luk 21:20-24 KJV  And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.  (21)  Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto.  (22)  For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.  (23)  But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people.  (24)  And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

Words like birth pangs and travail which make us think of Jesus’ words in the signs of the end of the age. 

Isa 13:8-10 KJV  And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.  (9)  Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.  (10)  For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.

Your Sorrow Will Turn into Joy

Joh 16:16-24 KJV  A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father.  (17)  Then said some of his disciples among themselves, What is this that he saith unto us, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me: and, Because I go to the Father?  (18)  They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? we cannot tell what he saith.  (19)  Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and said unto them, Do ye enquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me?  (20)  Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.  (21)  A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world.  (22)  And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.  (23)  And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.  (24)  Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.

Jesus tells us the exact same thing the signs of the end of the age. 

Isa 13:11-12 KJV  And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.  (12)  I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.

Satan Thrown Down to Earth

Rev 12:7-12 KJV  And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,  (8)  And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.  (9)  And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.  (10)  And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.  (11)  And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.  (12)  Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

The prophecy states that the world will be punished. 

Isa 13:13-15 KJV  Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.  (14)  And it shall be as the chased roe, and as a sheep that no man taketh up: they shall every man turn to his own people, and flee every one into his own land.  (15)  Every one that is found shall be thrust through; and every one that is joined unto them shall fall by the sword.

We have often commented about the dual quality relationship Isaiah has with Bible prophecy. As his prophecy concerning Babylon plays out we realize there is no way that the destruction at the hands of the Medes and Persians is the final one. We know this because again as we will discover with enough time the likeness of this destruction will be that of Sodom and Gomorrah’s. This is repeated in a series of prophecies given by Jeremiah. However it does look as though the same types of alliances that helped overthrow Babylon from within are already at work now. 

The Coming of the Son of Man

Mat 24:29-31 KJV  Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:  (30)  And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.  (31)  And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

Isa 13:16 KJV  Their children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives ravished.

How Shall We Sing the Lord's Song?

Psa 137:1-9 KJV  By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.  (2)  We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.  (3)  For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.  (4)  How shall we sing the LORD'S song in a strange land?  (5)  If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cunning.  (6)  If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.  (7)  Remember, O LORD, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem; who said, Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof.  (8)  O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us.  (9)  Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones.

Isa 13:17-18 KJV  Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, which shall not regard silver; and as for gold, they shall not delight in it.  (18)  Their bows also shall dash the young men to pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eye shall not spare children.

We explored earlier in our Daniel journeys how the Media Persian empire was prophesied to rise and overtake the Babylonians. 

Dan 2:39 KJV  And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over
all the earth.

Dan 7:5 KJV  And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh.

Dan 8:1-3 KJV  In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar a vision appeared unto me, even unto me Daniel, after that which appeared unto me at the first.  (2)  And I saw in a vision; and it came to pass, when I saw, that I was at Shushan in the palace, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in a vision, and I was by the river of Ulai.  (3)  Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last.

However as we mentioned earlier also there is a difference to the type of destruction being witnessed to here. The destruction described by Isaiah as well as a couple of others likened to the desolation of Sodom and Gomorrah. This is a permanent type of spiritual destruction as opposed to what we saw with the first rise of the Media Persian empire. They simply ruled from ancient Babylon there certainly was no type of destruction being described here. 

Isa 13:19 KJV And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees' excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.

Isa 13:20-22 KJV  It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation: neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there; neither shall the shepherds make their fold there.  (21)  But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and owls shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there.  (22)  And the wild beasts of the islands shall cry in their desolate houses, and dragons in their pleasant palaces: and her time is near to come, and her days shall not be prolonged.

The Fall of Babylon

Rev 18:1-24 KJV  And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.  (2)  And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.  (3)  For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.  (4)  And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.  (5)  For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.  (6)  Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double.  (7)  How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.  (8)  Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.  (9)  And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,  (10)  Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.  (11)  And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:  (12)  The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble,  (13)  And

cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.  (14)  And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.  (15)  The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,  (16)  And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!  (17)  For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,  (18)  And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!  (19)  And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.  (20)  Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.  (21)  And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.  (22)  And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee;  (23)  And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.  (24)  And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.

The New Heaven and the New Earth

Rev 21:1-8 KJV  And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.  (2)  And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.  (3)  And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.  (4)  And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.  (5)  And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.  (6)  And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.  (7)  He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.  (8)  But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Luk 21:28 KJV  And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

As always thanks for sharing a word
God Bless