Isaiah 21:1

The burden of the desert of the sea. As whirlwinds in the south pass through, so it comes from the desert, from a terrible land. A grievous vision is declared unto me. The treacherous dealer deals treacherously, and the spoiler spoils. Go up, O Elam. Besiege, O Media. All the sighing thereof have I made to cease. Therefore, my loins are filled with pain. Pangs have taken hold of me as the pangs of a woman that travails. I was bowed down at the hearing of it. I was dismayed at the seeing of it. My heart panted; fearfulness affrighted me. The night of my pleasure has he turned into fear unto me.

Let's pray. Lord, as we consider this heavy burden spoken and the burdens that will follow, I pray, Lord, that you would continue to speak to us as you did to the prophet Isaiah. Lord, that you would give us similar visions, similar words from you by your Spirit. Lord, that you would kindle within each of our hearts an expectancy of your return and a boldness to declare the truth of what your Word has to say. So God, would you teach us by your Spirit tonight? Guide us in all truth, we ask. In Jesus' name, all God's people agreed, saying, Amen. You can be seated.

As we continue with the burdens of the book of Isaiah, it is important to remember where we are in this book. The first twelve chapters of Isaiah deal with God's judgment spoken to His own people, primarily to the southern kingdom of the nation of Israel. After the reign of Solomon, the third king of Israel, the nation was split by a civil war into two different nations: the northern ten tribes and the southern two tribes. It was during this time in Isaiah's ministry that God was moving for judgment against the northern ten tribes at the hands of the Assyrians. We saw that in Isaiah chapter 10. As God was moving against the northern ten tribes, He would continue to move the Assyrians down into the nation of Judah.

The southern tribes were judged for their sin, and Isaiah was speaking prophetically to the people of Judah, calling them to repentance as God was preparing to punish them for their wrongdoing. The first twelve chapters of the Book of Isaiah deal with God's prophetic announcement of punishment upon the whole nation of Israel, but primarily focus on the southern tribes of Judah and Benjamin.

At Isaiah chapter 13, there is a sharp turn as God begins to direct His prophetic punishment against the nations that surrounded the children of Israel. He speaks prophetically against Babylon, Assyria, Edom, the Philistines, and the Moabites. As we go down the list, we can see the different nations that He judges.

When we come to chapter 21, we see God speaking a burdensome judgment upon what is referred to as the desert of the sea. From this passage, we can tell that God is speaking to the Babylonians. In verse 2, He identifies who He will use to judge them: the Elamites and the people of Media, or the Medo-Persian Empire. We know that the Medo-Persian Empire, led by Cyrus the Great in 539 BC, would be the nation that would overcome and overrun the city of Babylon, which was led by King Belshazzar. You can read about that in Daniel chapter 5 if you would like to look more fully at the destruction upon the people there in Babylon.

We also know that this is indeed Babylon from verse 9 of chapter 21, which states, "Behold, here comes a chariot of men with a couple of horsemen." The response is, "Babylon has fallen, has fallen, and all the graven images of her gods has He broken to the ground." Thus, God's prophetic judgment is once again directed at Babylon in chapter 21.

I say "once again" because back in chapters 13 and 14, we saw God speaking prophetically of a judgment against the Babylonians. This judgment partially came to pass in 539 BC when the city of Babylon, that great city, was overrun by the Medo-Persians. The city itself would not be destroyed for another couple of hundred years, but the Medo-Persians did overtake the Babylonian Empire in 539 BC.

We also know that there is yet a coming judgment that will come upon Babylon. We see this because it is mentioned in the Book of Revelation, which is still yet unfulfilled. Here at Calvary Chapel, we hold a futurist view of prophecy, meaning that we believe the Book of Revelation is still to be fulfilled.

Revelation chapter 18 talks about the fall of Babylon. Babylon, oh Babylon, has fallen, has fallen. Babylon the Great has fallen. There has been much discussion among Bible teachers and scholars for many years as to whether the Babylon spoken of in Revelation is an actual physical city or if it is just referring to a spiritual empire.

You see, as we have already considered in Isaiah chapter 14, there is a spiritual king, a wicked entity that oversees that Babylonian system, and his name is Lucifer. God is ultimately going to judge Lucifer. We see him cast and bound into the lake that burns with fire at the very end. Let me say, every single one of us should be looking forward to that day. Amen? We are awaiting the day when the enemy, our adversary, the devil, will be cast and bound into the lake that burns with fire.

There is ongoing discussion among Bible teachers and scholars about whether the Babylon mentioned in Revelation will be an actual physical city. I believe it very possibly could be. We could see, even in the near future, the uprising of Babylon once again as a great empire, a great city. Much of the wealth of the twenty wealthiest nations in the world today is going to that region of the world known today as Iraq, which was called Babylon thousands of years ago. Significant money is being invested in that region to rebuild its foundations and to restore it as a great nation. It is very possible that we will see Babylon become, once again, a significant entity on the world stage, but ultimately it will be judged.

More than that, it is the spiritual entity, that wicked spirit behind Babylon, that God will ultimately judge. As I have said before, it is important to recognize that every physical battle taking place in the physical realm is a manifestation of a spiritual battle occurring behind the scenes. This is what the book of Isaiah opens our eyes to.

As we have been studying through this book, we have seen that many of the things we perceive as natural or physical occurrences are actually manifestations of spiritual events happening behind the scenes. For example, even as the Assyrian army was raised up in Isaiah chapter 10 to destroy the Syrians and the northern ten tribes, we see that it was not due to their strength, wisdom, or the impressive chariots they built.

It was because God had given them strength to overcome these enemies as a judgment from His hand. The physical conquering of the Assyrians under King Tiglath-Pileser, Sennacherib, and Sargon was really at the hand of the Lord. Once again, the physical skirmishes happening around us are an indication of a spiritual battle going on behind the scenes.

God speaks of this burden against Babylon. Babylon is seen in the Scriptures both as a spiritual foe of God's work and as a physical foe against God's people. We know that the children of Israel would be taken captive by the Babylonians under the leadership of Nebuchadnezzar in 586 BC. They would spend 70 years as captives before the Medo-Persians came and set them free by Cyrus the king. Babylon is seen many times in the Scriptures as an enemy against God's people, and we see God coming to judge them.

You would think that Isaiah, being a man of the nation of Israel, would be excited about a vision of the destruction of the Babylonians. Imagine having a great enemy whose whole goal and ambition was to destroy you. If, in the night, God gave you a vision of them being destroyed by His wrath, you might think that would stir up within you a bit of anticipation and excitement. Perhaps Isaiah thought that would be the case as he saw the judgments upon the Moabites and the Assyrians. Maybe he was even anticipating God showing him a vision of the judgment upon the Babylonians.

Yet, when he saw it, it came to him as a grievous vision, a heavy vision. He says in verse two, "A grievous vision is declared unto me. The treacherous dealer deals treacherously, and the spoiler spoils. Go up, O Elam; besiege, O Media; all the sign thereof I have made to cease." Isaiah sees this destruction brought upon the Babylonians, and it is a heavy, heavy vision. He notes that the treacherous dealer deals treacherously. The Medo-Persians were going to come up and spoil the nation of Babylon and deal with them treacherously. This treacherous dealing of the Medo-Persians upon the Babylonians was a response to the wicked treacherous dealing of the Babylonians themselves.

In a sense, it was like you get what you pay for. Here, they are being judged because of their wickedness. We will see, when we get to Isaiah chapter 33, verse one, God speaking in similar words where He says, "Woe to thee that spoils, and thou art not spoiled; and dealest treacherously, and they dealt not treacherously with thee. When thou shalt cease to spoil, thou shalt be spoiled; and when thou shalt make an end of dealing treacherously, they shall deal treacherously with thee." The Babylonians were going to receive the very same judgment that they had meted out. Just as Jesus would say in the Gospels, "Judge not, that you be not judged; for with what judgment you judge, it shall be measured back to you."

The Babylonians had been a wicked nation in their dealings with other nations, and God said, "I’m going to deal with you in the same way." Here, God is speaking this prophecy through Isaiah, giving him a vision of a grievous thing that is going to come upon the Babylonians. This would be literally fulfilled in 539 BC at the hands of Cyrus, king of Persia. God says here, "All the sighing I have made to cease." Babylon and their conquests would make many nations sigh, groan, and moan as they overran these nations. But God says, "I have made an end of the groaning of all those that you have caused to groan. I’m going to remove you, Babylon, and destroy you."

When Isaiah sees this vision of the destruction of a nation that he considered to be his enemy, Babylon, notice what he says in verse 3: "Therefore, my loins are filled with pain; pangs have taken hold of me as the pangs of a woman that travails. I was bowed down at the hearing of it; I was dismayed at the seeing of it. My heart panted; fearfulness affrighted me. The night of my pleasure has He turned into fear unto me."

There are at least two good interpretations of these words in verses 3 and 4 in Isaiah chapter 21. When Isaiah sees the vision of the destruction of Babylon, it is very possible that he himself is the one who is moved with pain and fear. He sees the measure of the wrath of God that is going to be poured out upon Babylon, and at the sight of God's awesome judgment, Isaiah is moved with fear and bowed down with pain.

But this could also be interpreted as the response of the people of Babylon when judgment comes upon them. They themselves are the ones who are bowed down with fear, and their loins are filled with pain as the wrath of God begins to come upon them. Notice that Isaiah says the night of pleasure has turned to fear.

Again, as I mentioned, Babylon was an enemy of the nation of Israel, and Isaiah is now seeing a vision of their destruction. You would think that the destruction of their enemy would bring him anticipation and excitement. However, the night that he thought would be a pleasing sight is now filled with fear for him.

We can interpret this in two ways. Either Isaiah is thinking that he would be pleased to see the sight of the destruction of Babylon, but now, when he actually sees the wrath of God being poured out upon them, he is no longer excited about it; he is moved with fear. The other possible interpretation is that the Babylonians, when they were destroyed, were in the midst of a party.

Turn in your Bibles to Daniel chapter 5. We will read about the destruction of the Babylonians there. We are told in the histories of Herodotus that Babylon was a great and awesome city. Now, we are not entirely sure if his description of Babylon is correct because some of what he says is quite phenomenal. Herodotus, the great Greek historian, tells us that the city of Babylon had 56 miles of walls surrounding it. That is impressive to consider.

Many have come in and wondered if what he said was really the case. But 56 miles of walls is significant. You might say, "Well, that's a pretty long wall." He also tells us that the walls were 320 feet tall. Again, some critics of Herodotus have questioned this claim. He states that the walls were not only 320 feet tall but also 80 feet wide, and that you could ride four chariots along the tops of the walls of Babylon. If that is the case, if that is really how large Babylon was, it was indeed an awesome city.

Historians tell us that the city of Babylon expanded over 14 square miles. If you were a Babylonian living within the walls of the city, it would have been a remarkable place.

If you lived in the city of Babylon some 2,700 years ago, you might feel very safe, wouldn't you? You would be in a very strong city, a high-walled city. However, there came a point in Babylon's history, in 586 BC, when the Medo-Persians came against them in battle. The Medo-Persians were not as grand or as big as Babylon. The king of Babylon, Belshazzar, felt confident, thinking, "What are they going to do to us? We're strong. Nobody can come against us."

With walls that were 320 feet tall and over 250 towers placed along those walls, which were 80 feet thick, he believed that no one could stand against them. When the Medo-Persians laid siege to the city of Babylon, Belshazzar and his people felt safe. As a sign of their confidence, Belshazzar threw a great party, which is described in Daniel chapter 5.

In Daniel chapter 5, verse 1, it says, "So imagine the picture, if you would." The city of Babylon was strong, and the Medo-Persian army had come to lay siege to it. Belshazzar, in a sense, was flicking his nose at them, saying, "You can't get in here. You can't beat us. We're going to have a party in your face." He gathered together a thousand of his lords, his key leaders, and they had a big drunken party.

This was not just a one-day event; as you study the scriptures, you see that it was a party that lasted for several days. In the midst of this celebration, Belshazzar recalled how his great-grandfather, Nebuchadnezzar, had sacked Jerusalem and taken beautiful golden and silver bowls, cups, plates, and various instruments from the temple there. He suggested they use those items for their party, and so they gathered all this stuff together to continue their festivities.

Look at verse 5 of Daniel chapter 5. In the same hour, there came forth the fingers as of a man's hand and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall in the king's palace. The king saw the part of the hand that wrote. There is King Belshazzar in his palace in Babylon, secure and safe, having a party in the face of the Medo-Persian army. While they were getting drunk together, using the instruments that were dedicated to God's use only, he saw the handwriting on the wall. A hand appeared out of nowhere, a hand like a man's hand, and it wrote on the wall.

When King Belshazzar saw this, verse 6 tells us that the king's countenance was changed. This means his facial expression changed, and his thoughts troubled him so that the joints of his loins were loosed and his bowels were loosed. You can use your imagination about what that means. It says, in the King James Version, that his knees smote one against another. When Belshazzar, this proud, arrogant king who felt that his city was safe and secure, saw the handwriting on the wall, his knees knocked together. His countenance changed; he probably went pale, and his bowels were loosed. He couldn't figure out what this was all about. It obviously startled him, scared him, and bothered him.

He called all his counselors together, all his wise men, and said, "You've got to tell me what this is all about." None of them could figure it out. Then his mother came in and said, "You know, your grandfather Nebuchadnezzar had a man who could tell him dreams. His name is Daniel. He's still in your palace. Maybe he could come and explain this to us."

In verse 13 of Daniel chapter 5, it says that Daniel was brought in before the king. The king spoke and said unto Daniel, "Are you Daniel, one of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king, my father, brought out of jewelry? I have heard of you, that the spirit of the gods is in you and that the light of understanding and excellent wisdom is found in you. Now the wise men and the astrologers have been brought before me to read this writing and make known unto me the interpretation thereof, but they could not show the interpretation of the thing. I have heard that you can make interpretations and dissolve disputes or doubts. Now, if you can read the writing and make known unto me the interpretation thereof, you shall be clothed with scarlet and have a chain of gold about your neck."

And thou shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom. You're going to have a third of my kingdom if you can do this. Daniel answered and said before the king, "Let thy gifts be to thyself. I don't need any payment from you, and give thy rewards to another. Yet I will read the writing unto the king and make known to him the interpretations thereof."

O king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar, thy father, a kingdom and majesty and glory and honor. For the majesty that He gave him, all people, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whom he would, he slew; and whom he would, he kept alive. He set up whom he would and put down whom he would. When his heart was lifted up and his mind hearkened in his pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him. He was driven from the sons of men, and his heart was made like the beasts. His dwelling was with the wild donkeys, and they fed him with grass like oxen. His body was wet with the dew of heaven until he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men and that He appoints over it whomsoever He will.

So Daniel gives Belshazzar a little history lesson. He says, "Listen, your grandfather, King Nebuchadnezzar, was a great king. He saw great exploits and really made Babylon what it was. He was lifted up in his pride, and so God brought him low. For a period of about seven years, Nebuchadnezzar was brought so low that he went around outside under the stars, under the sky. He grew his hair long and was like a wild beast out there. His nails grew long until God was exalted over him. God removed him from his proud and arrogant position to show him who was really boss."

And you, his son, O Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you know all these things. You have lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven. You have brought the vessels of the house before you, and now your lords, your wives, and your concubines have drunk wine in them. You have praised the gods of silver and gold, brass and iron, wood and stone, which see not, hear not, nor know not. The God in whose hand thy breath is and whose are all thy ways, you have not glorified.

He says, "Listen, you need to learn the lesson that your grandfather Nebuchadnezzar learned: that God is to be honored."

And you haven't done that. You've bowed down to false gods. Then there was the part of this hand sent from Him, and this writing was written. This is the writing that was written: "Many, many, tekel, upharsin." This is the interpretation of the thing: "Many, God has numbered thy kingdom and finished it. Tekel, thou art weighed in the balances and found wanting. Perez, thy kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and the Persians."

Then Belshazzar commanded, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. Notice the story there. Daniel says to him, "Listen, you've been weighed in the balances and found wanting. God's going to remove the kingdom from your hand and give it to the Medo-Persian Empire tonight."

Belshazzar responded, "Well, that's great. Why don't we put a coat of scarlet upon him and a gold chain around him?" He didn't even receive the message from the Lord and repent as the Lord was calling him to do.

Look at verse 30: "That night was Belshazzar, the king of the Chaldeans, slain, and Darius the Mede took the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old."

What Belshazzar did not know was that while he was having this drunken party, using the vessels from the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem for his celebration, he was thumbing his nose at the Medo-Persian army outside the gates, beyond the thick walls of Babylon. The king of the Medo-Persian army had used his forces to divert the Euphrates River, which flowed right underneath the walls of the city of Babylon. They had diverted the river upstream, causing the water level to drop so that the army, as Herodotus tells us, could walk in knee-high water underneath the walls of Babylon.

At the very moment that Belshazzar saw the handwriting on the wall, the Medo-Persians were already entering the city of Babylon and taking over. The city was so large that many of the people of Babylon did not even realize for several days that they had been overtaken. But that night, Belshazzar was killed, and the city was overrun. God here speaks a prophecy of that very thing.

As we see in verse 3 of Isaiah chapter 22, "Therefore are my loins filled with pain," just like Belshazzar when he saw the handwriting on the wall. "Pangs have overtaken me as the pains of a woman that travails. I was bowed down at the hearing thereof. I was dismayed at the seeing thereof. My heart panted. Fearfulness affrighted me. The night of my pleasure has he turned unto fear unto me."

You see, it was a night of Belshazzar's pleasure. He had a big party to please himself and all his thousand lords. Yet that night of his pleasure had been turned to fear for him. Notice verse 5: "Prepare the table." Remember, they prepared the table for the party together that night. "Prepare the table. Watch in the watchtower." We have watchmen in the watchtowers. It's okay; we'll be fine. Just prepare the table. "Eat and drink. Arise ye princes. Anoint the shield."

In Babylon, they were at ease when the armies of the Medo-Persians came in. They were crying, "Peace, peace." But there was no peace, was there? At the very time they felt peaceful, safe, and secure, the enemy came in and destroyed them with the hand of God's judgment. This is exactly what we see even in the New Testament as well. God speaks this to you and me in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, verse 3. There, God, through the Apostle Paul, says, "For when they say, 'Peace and safety,' then sudden destruction comes upon them as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape."

You see, the day of the Lord is going to come like a thief in the night. The day of the Lord came like a thief in the night for Belshazzar and the kingdom of Babylon in 586 B.C. It came from the hand of the Lord, prophesied more than 100 years before by Isaiah in Isaiah chapter 22, exactly as it would happen. God said, "The day of the Lord is going to come." And there in Babylon, they said, "Peace and safety." But then sudden destruction came upon them.

Jesus said the very same thing. Turn in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 24. We'll pick it up in verse 37. Actually, we'll start in verse 36. There, Jesus is speaking to his disciples about his return and the coming judgment that will occur at his return.

He says, "But of that day and hour knows no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so shall also it be as the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days that were before the flood, they were eating and drinking and marrying and giving in marriage until the day that Noah entered into the ark. And knew not until the flood came and took them away. So shall also the coming of the Son of Man be."

The day of the Lord, when Jesus comes to judge this world, will see people eating and drinking, marrying, and giving in marriage. It will just be business as usual. Right up until the day that the Lord comes, people will be saying, "Peace, peace," but there will be no peace. Sudden destruction will come upon them. The very same words are given to us in Luke chapter 17.

Let me read this to you in verse 26. It says, "And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it also be in the days of the Son of Man. They did eat and they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all." Likewise, also, as in the days of Lot—remember the story of Lot there in Sodom and Gomorrah? They did eat and they drank, they bought and they sold, they planted and they built. But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained down fire and brimstone from heaven to destroy them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed.

Eating, drinking, marrying, giving in marriage, buying and selling—just business as usual. We're safe, at ease. Everything's okay. There's a great three-word verse in Luke chapter 17, verse 32. Perhaps you can make it your memory verse tonight. It simply says, "Remember Lot's wife." A reminder to you and me, to this whole world, that there is coming a day of judgment—the day of the Lord, as we see spoken upon Babylon in Isaiah 22.

Well, what then should be our reaction? What should be our response to the fact that this day of the Lord is going to come? Look at Isaiah chapter 22, verse 6. For thus has the Lord said unto me, "Go and set a watchman and let him declare what he sees."

God's counsel to Babylon in the face of the coming judgment, specifically the day of the Lord at the hands of the Medo-Persians in 586 BC, was to go and set a watchman. They were not ready for the judgment that came upon them. They were at ease and living under a false sense of security.

The word spoken by Isaiah to the Babylonians in the face of this coming judgment is the very same word that God speaks to you and me in Matthew chapter 24. Just after Jesus spoke about the day of the Lord coming quickly, or upon those who are at ease and not watchful, He says in verse 42, "Watch therefore, for you know not the hour that your Lord does come." He continues, "But know this, that if the good man of the house had known what watch the thief would come, he would have watched and would not have suffered his house to be broken up." Therefore, in verse 44, He instructs, "You also be ready, for in such an hour as you think not, the Son of Man comes."

In Matthew chapter 25, verse 13, Jesus again says, "Watch therefore, for you know not neither the day nor the hour when the Son of Man comes." The Apostle Paul, in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, verse 6, states, "Therefore, let us not sleep as do others, but let us watch and be sober." The Apostle Peter, in 1 Peter chapter 4, verse 7, writes, "But the end of all things is at hand. Be therefore sober and watch unto prayer." The Apostle John, in the book of Revelation, specifically Revelation 16:15, records the words of Jesus: "Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watches and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame."

The Babylonians were not ready; they were not watching when destruction came upon them. They were complacent and felt that they were safe. They believed that everything was okay within the walls of Babylon.

How many people today have erected walls around their lives and think that they are safe? They may feel secure in their own religiosity or perhaps in their denial that there even is a God. There are so many atheists in our nation today who think, "Well, there is no God, so clearly He will not come with wrath." This mindset is akin to the ostrich sticking its head in the sand. It represents a false sense of security and is foolishness. The fool has said in his heart that there is no God. This is not a term of derision; it is a sobering reality.

That's not an insult from God; it's a statement of fact. It's foolishness to stand there and say, "No, there is no God." It's like the Babylonians saying, "We're perfectly fine. Who are these Medo-Persians? Who do they think they are? They're nothing." Yet, while they were even thinking that, the river was being diverted, and the level of the river was going down as the Medo-Persian army came like a thief in the night.

The lack of circumspection and vigilance on the part of the Babylonians led to their destruction. Their lack of vigilance or understanding about their enemy had nothing to do with ignorance. They could see the enemy around their city; they could see the Medo-Persians coming and amassing against them. However, their lack of vigilance came more from their unworried, apathetic self-security. They figured they were okay and that everything would be just fine. Yet, it wasn't.

Isaiah continues speaking about this judgment in Isaiah chapter 21, verse 7. He said in verse 6, "Set a watchman and let him declare what he sees." The watchman declares what he sees in verse 7. He saw a chariot with a couple of horsemen, a pair of donkeys, and a pair of camels. He hearkened diligently with much heed and cried, "A lion, my lord! I stand continually upon the watchtower in the daytime, and I am set in my ward the whole night. Behold, here comes a chariot of men, a couple of horsemen."

He answered and said, "Babylon is fallen, is fallen, and all the graven images of her gods he has broken to the ground." When we read in verse 7 about the horses, the donkeys, and the camels, this seems to be a reference to the Medo-Persian army as it was coming against the people in Babylon. Many commentators point out that the Persians often used donkeys and camels in their warfare and conquests.

In the King James Version, it says, "A chariot of horsemen, a chariot of donkeys, and a chariot of camels." However, the word "chariot" in the original language is somewhat difficult to translate; it could just mean a troop or a body of riders. Thus, we see this army coming on horses, donkeys, and camels. It is as if the watchman that Isaiah has set is in the watchtower over the city of Babylon.

And he sees the army coming, and it's an army clearly of Medes and Persians riding on camels, riding on donkeys, and riding on horses. This was the indication of the judgment that was to come. Babylon the Great is fallen, is fallen.

Now, I believe that when we read in verse 8 or verse 9 that Babylon is fallen, is fallen, it connects us with the judgment upon that great Babylon mentioned in Revelation 18. Let me just read to you from Revelation 18, verses 1 and 2. John says God will destroy Babylon the Great. Revelation 18 will come to pass just as Isaiah 21 came to pass at the hand of the Medo-Persians in 586 B.C.

You see, the judgment upon Babylon some 2,500, 2,600 years ago was a foreshadowing of the great judgment that God is going to bring upon the whole earth at the time that He destroys Babylon the Great in Revelation, what we commonly call Armageddon. God will destroy; He will pour out His wrath. May we be like the watchman who is ready. God calls to this world and says, "You must be ready because the day of wrath, the day of judgment is coming."

The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night upon those who say, "Oh, peace and safety. Everything's okay." Everything is not okay. As people look around the world today, they've built up high and long walls to protect themselves with their false theologies and their foolish doctrines—doctrines of demons, in fact. But all of those things will come crumbling down when the Lord comes like a thief in the night.

In verse 10, Isaiah continues, "Oh, my threshing, the corn of my floor, that which I have heard of the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have I declared unto you." I believe that many of the prophets in the Old Testament did not fully comprehend what it was that they saw and heard. You read the Book of Ezekiel, and you can clearly see that many times the son of man, Ezekiel, is mentioned there in the Book of Ezekiel.

He doesn't fully comprehend what it is that he's seeing, but he was a faithful witness. God told him to write the things that he saw and that he heard. He saw some strange things in Ezekiel chapter 1. If you can get past Ezekiel chapter 1, you're doing pretty good. He sees this wheel within a wheel, cherubim, and all these crazy things. But he was simply a faithful witness.

The Apostle John was also a faithful witness in Revelation chapter 1. Jesus told him in verse 11, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last. What thou seest, write in a book." Then you read the next 22 chapters of the book of Revelation, and there are some pretty interesting things that John saw. I guarantee you that when John saw them, he didn't know quite how to explain them. But he was a faithful witness. He wrote the things that he saw.

Jesus continued in verse 19 of Revelation chapter 1, saying, "Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things that shall be hereafter." John was a faithful witness, not just in the book of Revelation, but also in 1 John chapter 1, verse 3. There, John says, "That which we have seen and heard, we declare unto you."

That's what God has called you and me to do as well: to be faithful witnesses. I stand here before you tonight as one who does not have all the prophecies of the Bible figured out—far from it. I can only stand here as a faithful witness declaring the things that we see in the Scriptures. We are called to do the same, even though the rest of this world may look at us and say, "That's crazy."

I was with a gentleman several weeks ago, talking with him about the things of the Lord. He looked at me with an inquisitive face and asked, "Are you telling me you believe in the end of the world?" I said, "Yes, I do. The Bible talks about it ending with a fervent fire." He then asked, "Well, what exactly does that mean?" I replied, "I don't know every in and out of it, but I read what the Scripture says, and I want to be a faithful witness—just like Isaiah, just like Ezekiel, just like John."

May we be, in our generation, faithful witnesses of the things that we see and hear as we study the Word of God. The burden, the judgment upon Babylon, ends there in verse 10 of Isaiah 21. He picks up another judgment in verse 11. If the first ten verses were obscure and interesting, verses 11 and 12 are even that much more so.

It has been said that these are perhaps the most difficult two verses in all the book of Isaiah. Since the book of Isaiah is one of the most challenging books of the Bible, these two verses may be the most difficult verses in the entire Bible.

He says, "The burden of Duma. He calls to me out of Seer. Watchman, what of the night?" The watchman replies, "The morning comes and also the night. If you will inquire, inquire; return and come." What is going on? As the watchman is called to from Duma, he hears, "The burden of Duma." He calls to me out of Seer.

There has been much discussion about what Duma is. Interestingly, the word Duma, translated directly from a Hebrew word, means the same thing as our English word "dumb." It signifies silence. Thus, the burden of this nation, this people, this group called Duma, is one of silence.

We are given a little more indication about where this place is when we read in the second portion of verse 11, "He calls to me out of Seer." Seer was a mountainous region in the nation of Edom. The people of Edom, or the Edomites, descended from Esau. Here, we have someone calling out of Edom, calling out of Seer to the watchman. Isaiah is pictured as the watchman in this scenario.

He is called and asked, "Watchman, what of the night? What of the night?" The imagery is that the watchman is upon the wall at nighttime, waiting for the morning. He is watching throughout the watches of the night. Someone calls to him from Seer, asking if the night is almost over. The watchman responds, "The morning is coming, but also the night."

The common understanding of this passage is that Isaiah is the watchman, and someone is calling to him from Edom, inquiring if this night is almost over. The night symbolizes the judgment by the Assyrians. Is this Assyrian invasion almost at an end?

And Isaiah says, yes, the morning is coming, but don't get too happy too quickly. The night will come again. The invasion of the Assyrians would soon be over, but the destruction at the hand of the Babylonians would be much more severe and would come also.

In these two verses, a very good application for you and me is that judgment will come upon this earth. It will be severe and complete, and there will be no escaping the judgment that God will bring upon the wicked of this world. Romans chapter one tells us that the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of those who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. There is coming a day when God's full and complete wrath will be poured out upon this earth.

Now, people say, "Where is the sign of His coming? How come He's taken so long?" The world just gets worse and worse every day. Every minute of the day, it seems like the world grows more wicked. How come He has not come yet? Well, thankfully, our God is a long-suffering and patient God. Amen. How many of you tonight are thankful that Jesus did not return five years ago because you would not have been ready? Many of you.

We are not to misunderstand the long-suffering and patience of God. He's not refusing to come; He's just waiting. God is not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance, as we read in Peter's second letter.

So, the morning comes, but also the night. If you will inquire, inquire. He continues on in verse 13, "The burden upon Arabia. In the forest of Arabia shall you lodge, O traveling companies of Dedan. The inhabitants of the land of Tima brought water to him that is thirsty, and they prevented with their bread him that fled. For they fled from the swords, from the drawn sword, from the bent bow, from the grievousness of war. For thus has the Lord said unto me, within a year, according to the year of a hireling, all the glory of Kedar shall fail. The residue of the number of the children of the children shall be diminished, for the Lord God of Israel has spoken it."

These last several verses of chapter 21, from verse 13 through 17, speak of a judgment upon the Arabians.

A judgment that would come to pass very quickly is described in verse 16. The Lord has said unto me, "Within a year, according to the year of a hireling, the glory of Kedar will fail." One of their key capital cities will be destroyed. A hireling, if contracted to work for a year, would count the year exactly. Thus, within the exact counting of the year, this destruction will come upon the Arabians.

This destruction is pictured as the Arabians are fleeing as refugees from the coming judgment at the hand of the Assyrians. The text notes that the Arabians are traveling in companies, fleeing this destruction. In verse 14, it states that the inhabitants of the land of Tima brought them provisions, including bread and water. It is believed that Tima corresponds to our modern nation of Yemen, or at least one of the cities in Yemen.

If you look at a map later on, you will see that Arabia is north of Yemen. The imagery depicts the Assyrians coming down from the north to destroy the Arabians, who are not even standing up to fight. The outstretched arm and the drawn sword against them compel them to flee. They decide to leave and escape to the south, towards Yemen and Tima, where they are taken care of by the provisions from the Tima nights.

Chapter 21 of Isaiah reveals judgments that were literally fulfilled thousands of years ago upon the Babylonians, the Edomites, and also the Arabians. However, these judgments foreshadow the coming judgment that God will bring upon the whole world, as we will see in a few weeks when we reach chapter 24. Chapter 24 looks forward to that great judgment, a judgment that will be inescapable for those present when the Lord comes to judge. They will not be able to flee from this complete judgment.

Isaiah states in Isaiah 24, verse 17, "Fear and the pit and the snare are come upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth. It shall come to pass that he who flees from the noise of fear shall fall into the pit, and he that comes out of the midst of the pit shall be taken by the snare; for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake."

When the Lord comes to judge this world, as He came suddenly upon the Babylonians, His judgment will be inescapable. Fear, the pit, and the snare will be present. They will flee because they are afraid of the wrath of God. But as they flee, they will fall into a pit. If they survive the pit and manage to get out, they will be taken in the snare. There will be no escape.

Amos, the prophet, says exactly the same thing in Amos chapter five, verses 19 through 20. He states that it would be as if you fled from a lion and a bear caught you. You flee from the bear, and as soon as you get into the house, you put your hand against the wall, and a serpent bites you. The wrath of God will be inescapable. Therefore, there is only one place that you and I can turn. Hebrews chapter seven tells us that we flee for refuge in Christ. We sang it tonight: in Christ alone. He is the only place of refuge. He is our refuge and our strength, our ever-present help in time of trouble.

Our announcement to this world today, my announcement here to all of you tonight, is that if you have not done it yet, flee for refuge to Christ. Do it now. Look up; your redemption draws nigh, as the Scriptures say. There is coming a day of judgment. Yes, the Lord has tarried. He has waited for 2,000 years, and He may wait for another 10, another hundred, or who knows how long He tarries. Though He tarries, it does not mean that He delays and refuses to come. He is giving opportunity for man to turn and find refuge in Christ. Let this day be the day of salvation. Amen.

Let's stand and pray together. Father, I do thank You for Your Word. As Amos said, surely the Lord God does nothing unless He reveals His secret to His servants, the prophets. A lion has roared; who can but fear? The Lord has spoken; who can but prophesy? Lord, help us to be bold and to speak forth Your Word.

To declare it clearly and plainly, these wicked days in which we're living will have many who say that it is foolishness. Lord, we know that it is the fool who refuses to turn to You.

So, God, would You give us, by Your Spirit tonight, boldness? As we continue to learn Your Word and be equipped, give us boldness to share the truth of it. The reality is that You will come again. When You come, it will be for the day of the Lord, and the wrath of God will be poured out upon all unrighteousness and ungodliness.

Thank You, Father, that You have given us refuge in Your side. We praise You for setting a hedge of protection around us, and we have found You to be our sure and steadfast foundation and rock. We look forward to Your coming, and so we say, Lord Jesus, come quickly. Amen.