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Isaiah 22 1 The burden of the valley of vision. What aileth thee now, that thou art wholly gone up to the housetops?
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Isaiah 22 1The burden of the valley of vision. What aileth thee now, that thou art wholly gone up to the housetops? The “valley of vision” title is curious because the passage seems to be mostly about things to take place 100 years or so later. Meanwhile, that term is also found in Ezekiel 37:1-2, a vision of a valley full of bones; Joel 3:2; 12-16, a vision of a “valley of decision”; Rev. 16:15 –17, a vision of the valley of Armageddon. And the “housetops” part of the vision is also in Matt. 24:14-22, which is also a reference to an end-times battle. So I am not convinced that this prophecy is strictly about events shortly after Isaiah’s time.
Isaiah 22 • 2Thou that art full of stirs, a tumultuous city, joyous city: thy slain men are not slain with the sword, nor dead in battle. • This seems to speak of a time when Jerusalem (or Israel) is going about life eating, drinking (as it was in the days of Noah and Lot – again, Matthew 24 language); • And that their men died not as soldiers, but as unprepared victims (“at such a time as ye think not”; “when they cry Peace and Safety!”) • So, yes, we have 586 BC destruction by Nebuchadnezzar; but more… • We also seem to be reading about some end-times scenarios.
Isaiah 22 • 3All thy rulers are fled together, they are bound by the archers: all that are found in thee are bound together, which have fled from far. • 4Therefore said I, Look away from me; I will weep bitterly, labour not to comfort me, because of the spoiling of the daughter of my people. • It looks like this refers to 586 BC when the wimpy kind Zedekiah tries to run away but is caught, near Jericho, and bound. Then he was taken to Babylon and had his eyes put out (Jer 39:1-9; II Kings 25:5-7). • V 4 seems to be God turning away because He can’t stand the sight of His holy city and His chosen people being decimated. Although He knew it would turn out this way, He hadn’t intended it.
Isaiah 22 • 5For it is a day of trouble, and of treading down, and of perplexity by the Lord GOD of hosts in the valley of vision, breaking down the walls, and of crying to the mountains. • V 5 seems to, yes, refer to 586 BC; but notice the terminology: • “day of trouble”: Zeph. 1:11-18 – notice the end-times imagery (thick darkness, distress, desolation, gloom, even a trumpet) • “treading down”: Daniel 8:13; Luke 21:24; Isaiah 63:1-6 – more end-times imagery (this time, using a very specific terminology of an oppressive or vengeful “stomping) • “perplexity”: Micah 7:4; Luke 21:25 – more end-times imagery (here using the idea of people having been caught by surprise, and being full of dread and worry) • “crying to the mountains”: Hosea 10:8; Luke 23:30; Rev. 6:16 (how specific can you get?) SO THIS IS PROBABLY END-TIME TOO!
Isaiah 22 • 6And Elam bare the quiver with chariots of men and horsemen, and Kir uncovered the shield. • Mysterious passage. Elam is present-day Iran (Persia back then). • We have seen “quiver” refer to missiles (arrows) in Jeremiah 50-51; • Kir is one of the cities destroyed in the night in Moab; • The “shield” certainly refers to the time Hezekiah showed his armor-house to the enemy (see v. 8). • It also could refer to the fact that Iran’s missile intended for Israel fell short because of Israel’s (or God’s) “shield”.
Isaiah 22 7And it shall come to pass, that thy choicest valleys shall be full of chariots, and the horsemen shall set themselves in array at the gate. Again, Jerusalem and the Kidron Valley and the Valley of Hinnom: Jesus said the city would be “compassed about” – that was in 586 BC on the 9th of Av, again in 70 AD on the 9th of Av; and again in the end-times battle over Jerusalem (probably on the 9th of Av). 8And he discovered the covering of Judah, and thou didst look in that day to the armour of the house of the forest. This was when King Hezekiah foolishly let the enemy in to see all the treasures and armaments of Israel.
Isaiah 22 9Ye have seen also the breaches of the city of David, that they are many: and ye gathered together the waters of the lower pool. 10And ye have numbered the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses have ye broken down to fortify the wall. When walls are being battered, and gaps are being filled with whatever debris that can be found, you know that you’re in big trouble! Also, Hezekiah had famously dug underground cisterns and had diverted spring water so that the inhabitants of Jerusalem could get water even under siege.
Isaiah 22 13And behold joy and gladness, slaying oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine: let us eat and drink; for to morrow we shall die. 14And it was revealed in mine ears by the LORD of hosts, Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die, saith the Lord GOD of hosts. The words of people who have reached the point of despair; but instead of crying out to God, they go for a last little bit of pleasure. God says, “Yep; you’re gonna die, alright!”
Isaiah 22 15Thus saith the Lord GOD of hosts, Go, get thee unto this treasurer, even unto Shebna, which is over the house, and say, 16What hast thou here? and whom hast thou here, that thou hast hewed thee out a sepulchre here, as he that heweth him out a sepulchre on high, and that graveth an habitation for himself in a rock? Here, God has a specific message to a specific guy, “Shebna”. He was a scribe and kept the books for King Hezekiah. He probably was an Egyptian, who seems to have had little loyalty (except to himself). He was having a tomb carved out for himself, like he was some kind of bigshot. God fired him. It’s kind of amusing.
Isaiah 22 The tomb Shebna was making for himself has been found (1870) It says: This is [the sepulcher of...]Shebn-yahu who is over the house. There is no silver and gold here but [his bones] and the bones of his slave-wife with him. Cursed be the man who will open this.
