Palestine

Isaiah 14:21-32

“Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers; that they do not rise, nor possess the land, nor fill the face of the world with cities.  For I will rise up against them, saith the LORD of hosts, and cut off from Babylon the name, and remnant, and son, and nephew, saith the LORD.  I will also make it a possession for the bittern, and pools of water: and I will sweep it with the besom of destruction, saith the LORD of hosts.” (Isaiah 14:21-23)

During the Tribulation, Babylon will be the seat of the religion worshipping the Antichrist, imposing that religion on the people of the world and executing any who do not worship the beast.  God states that he will never allow total domination of the world by these forces.  He will utterly destroy Babylon, their capitol, leaving no trace, either of the name, the people or their relatives.  The city will be a swamp land occupied by waterfowl and swept clean of ruins or reminders of the past. 

Revelation 18: 21-23 describes the destruction of Babylon.  “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.   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; 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.”  All trace will be completely eradicated in that day.

“The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand: That I will break the Assyrian in my land, and upon my mountains tread him under foot: then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden depart from off their shoulders.  This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth: and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations.  For the LORD of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back? ” Isaiah 14:24-27)

These statements by God are going to happen.  Assyria will be destroyed after fulfilling God’s purpose in bringing judgment on Israel, leaving Assyria with no power over God’s people.  This is God’s plan and it cannot be changed by anyone.   The Assyrians would be defeated by the Chaldeans about a hundred years later and the Babylonians would take control.  The prophecies against Babylon are just as sure as the prophecies against Assyria.  They will just take longer to happen.

“In the year that king Ahaz died was this burden. “ (Isaiah 14:28)

This prophecy came to Isaiah during Ahaz’s last year as king of Judah.  By that time, the Assyrians had conquered Israel and raided Judah, but had been unable to take it.  When Ahaz died, his son Hezekiah would lead Judah back to serving God in a mighty way. 

“Rejoice not thou, whole Palestina, because the rod of him that smote thee is broken: for out of the serpent's root shall come forth a cockatrice, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent.” (Isaiah 14:29)

The Assyrians regularly relocated the people in the lands they conquered, placing other groups in their homeland to disrupt any nationalistic tendencies.  They relocated the Jews, replacing them with a mixture of other groups and calling the old land of Israel Palestina after the Philistines who had occupied the Mediterranean coast.   While the Jews called them Samaritans, others called the mixed people Palestinians.    God warns them not to celebrate when the Assyrians fall because ultimately, a far worse system will arise out of the roots of the Assyrian and Babylonian system. 

“And the firstborn of the poor shall feed, and the needy shall lie down in safety: and I will kill thy root with famine, and he shall slay thy remnant.  Howl, O gate; cry, O city; thou, whole Palestina, art dissolved: for there shall come from the north a smoke, and none shall be alone in his appointed times.” (Isaiah 14:30-31)

When that time comes. God will protect the poor and needy of his people, causing the descendants of the Palestinians to die of starvation.  The survivors will be killed during the battle of Armageddon.   The entire Palestinian region will be dissolved, once again becoming part of Israel.   

“What shall one then answer the messengers of the nation? That the LORD hath founded Zion, and the poor of his people shall trust in it.” (Isaiah 14:32)

God has established the Nation of Israel as his chosen people and there is nothing that will ever change that.  Israel just needs to learn to trust him to care for them.