13:1 The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see.
[1] {burden] A "burden," Heb. massa= a heavy, weighty thing, is a message, or oracle concerning Babylon, Assyria, jerusalem, etc. It is "heavy" because the wrath of God is in it, and grievous for the prophet to declare.
[2] {Babylon} The city, Babylon is not in view here, as the immediate context shows. It is important to note the significance of the name when used symbolically. "Babylon" is the Greek form: invariably in the O.T. Hebrew the word is simply Babel, the meaning of which is confusion, and in this sense the word is used symbolically. (1) In the prophets, when the actual city is not meant, the reference is to the "confusion" into which the whole social order of the world has fallen under Gentile world-domination. (See "Times of the Gentiles," # Lu 21:24 Re 16:14 # Isa 13:4 gives the divine view of the welter of warring Gentile powers. The divine order is given in Isa. 11. Israel in her own land, the centre of the divine government of the world and channel of the divine blessing; and the Gentiles blessed in association with Israel. Anything else is, politically, mere "babel." (2) In # Re 14:8-1 16:19 the Gentile world-system is in view in connection with Armageddon # Re 16:14 19:21 while in Re 17. the reference is to apostate Christianity, destroyed by the nations # Re 17:16 headed up under the beast # Da 7:8 Re 19:20 and false prophet. In Isaiah the political Babylon is in view, literally as to the then existing city, and symbolically as to the times of the gentiles. In the Revelation both the symbolical-political and symbolical-religious Babylon are in view, for there both are alike under the tyranny of the Beast. Religious Babylon is destroyed by political Babylon # Re 17:16 political babylon by the appearing of the Lord # Re 19:19-21 That babylon the city is not to be rebuilt is clear from # Isa 13:19-22 Jer 51:24-26,62-64 By political Babylon is meant the Gentile world-system. (See "World," # Joh 7:7 Re 13:8 It may be added that, in Scripture symbolism, Egypt stands for the world as such; Babylon for the world of corrupt power and corrupted religion; Nineveh for the pride, the haughty glory of the world.
13:2 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.
13:3 I have commanded my sanctified ones, I have also called my mighty ones for mine anger, [even] them that rejoice in my highness.
13:4 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.
13:5 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.
13:6 Howl ye; for the day of the LORD [is] at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.
13:7 Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man's heart shall melt:
13:8 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.
13:9 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.
13:10 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.
13:11 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.
13:12 I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.
13:13 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.
13:14 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.
13:15 Every one that is found shall be thrust through; and every one that is joined [unto them] shall fall by the sword.
13:16 Their children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives ravished.
13:17 Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, which shall not regard silver; and [as for] gold, they shall not delight in it.
13:18 [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.
13:19 And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the chaldees' excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.
[1] {And Babylon} Verses 12-16 look forward to the apocalyptic judgments (Re 6.-13.). Verses 17-22 have a near and far view. They predict the destruction of the literal babylon then existing; with the further statement that, once destroyed, Babylon should never be rebuilt (cf) # Jer 51:61-
64 All of this has been literally fulfilled. But the placeof this prediction in a great prophetic strain looks forward to the destruction of both politico-Babylon and ecclesio- babylon in the time of the Beast shows that the destruction of the actual Babylon typifies the greater destruction yet to come upon the mystical Babylons. Cf. ¯ See Note "Isa 13:1"
13:20 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.
13:21 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.
13:22 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.
