The Wrath to Befall the City of Babylon - Essay Sample

Introduction

According to Isaiah 14, the Lord was unhappy with and condemned the sinful behaviors associated with the house of Israel and made a prophecy that the wickedness would be finally judged based on the considerable evils of its evils. It is, however, important to note that these judgments were to be accomplished by other nations. Israel was known to be wicked however her neighbors were worse off hence could not be destroyed leaving the other sinful ones. The king of Babylon and the land on which he ruled, based on the great wickedness, would face severe judgment and the king. Willems (10) argued that the evil deeds and the subsequent judgment have a great connection to the case of Lucifer who is known to have once lived in heaven with God but fell because of pride. The oracle in question is an aspect adopted directly in the Revelation chapter 12 which emphasize on an Angel who had a great authority but fell from heaven, and this is related to the fallen Babylonian. This paper explains the oracle against the King of Babylon and its connection with the interpretation regarding the fall of Lucifer.

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Isaiah 14 speaks of how Israel starts with the Lord having compassion on Jacob and choosing Israel and putting them in their land. Then the Lord gives you rest from your pain and turmoil and all the things that you are enslaved too. The Lord brakes up the wicked which includes the nations in anger so that the whole earth is at rest and is quiet and at peace. Because of the sins of our father the Lord cut off posterity from the offspring and destruction will be swept like a broom. Isaiah 14:13-14 both talks about how Babylonia's self-praised themselves as self-sufficient and above the laws of God. They blasphemously proclaimed themselves as the highest being. Some of the self-praise and blasphemous quotes by Babylonia's are ascending to heaven, raising the throne above the stars and the other sitting on the outer most heights of the holy mountain, and another one by going above the clouds. The primary goal is to make yourself like the Highest. Such self-praise of Babylonia's people kings caused God to anger. In Isaiah 14:22-23, the destruction of wicked and those who placed themselves above others will be put to rest. Babylon evils was to incur harsh punished from God and wiped in the face of the earth with all its descendants,' remnants and prosperity. Nothing stands to exist after God's wrath, apart from destruction. A nation so prosperous will remain ruins and useless as it will be cursed. From Isaiah 14:21-23 God who shows mercy to the Israelites is the same God who destroys Babylonia's for their sins.

The oracle against the king of Babylon

The wrath to befall the city of Babylon was long coming as it is indicated in Isaiah 13. God though angered by the ways of the kings and people of Babylon. He sends His prophet Isaiah to warn the Babylonians and more so pleads with them to seek forgiveness. First, in Isaiah 13 warning through Gods prophets are recorded. Therefore, preparation and pleading for Babylonians repentance start in chapter 13. Isaiah 13: 2, Isaiah raises a banner on a bare hilltop shout to them; beckon to them to enter the gates of the nobles.

Chapter 14 of the book of Isaiah presents the voice of the Lord which sends a message of warming to the wicked. The Lord was using Isaiah who introduced prophetic words to the people and stated judgment would come to the wicked now that God was not pleased with their deeds. God used his true prophet to warn the people of Babylon lead by their King to repent with following a definite timetable so that they would be forgiven. Isaiah added to them that that would be the only way through which they would be forgiven otherwise the judgment would not favor those (Willems 10).

The king of Babylon being influenced by a great pride refused to obey the commands of the lord and the implication of this, according to the prophecy of Isaiah was that the land would face the graphic destruction of Babylon, destruction of its nobility, as well as the universal wickedness of the people. According to Simpson (133), God considered Babylon individually as the nations which would bring severe destruction to Juda and God is not pleased with the situation, gathered all His forces to ensure that the land of Babylon is brought to ruin. The call was answered after 130 years when the saints joined the lord to overthrow the power in the area of Babylon.

The lord did this as a step towards the elimination and punishment to the wicked people and wickedness in general. Isaiah made a related prophecy by stating that it would be difficult someday to find righteous people on earth. The king of Babylon was the point of reference since his pride made him refuses to obey and serve the Lord and appeared to be ready to compete with the authority of God (Simpson 136). In spite of the warnings that the world with its wickedness would one day be shaken could not change the individuals with the spirit of evil to turn to the Lord. From the book of Isaiah pride of those in power is highly condemned. The pride that made the rules of Babylon and Assyrian arrogant to the laws of God and evil will be leveled to nothing during destruction. The kings proud will be left to lay down with maggots. Pride will be the cause of the leaders' downfall, and the city used by this leaders for a similar purpose destroyed Simpson (120).

Isaiah prophesied that one day the high mountains above Babylon would descend on it and o bliterate it. Concerning this prophecy and the popularity of the land at the moment, the days of Babylon were numbered would soon come to a tragic end. It is essential too that the prophecy was fulfilled when Babylon began to receive significant curses. This came to pass when the land of Babylon was under the rule of Nebuchadnezzar when the land instead remained as ruins and appeared like a desert. It was no longer the famous Babylon which had the power to rule over Syria and took over the control of the world. This was the end of the power of Babylon since the judgment issued to them was dependent on their wickedness.

Salvation for Babylonians would only be achieved if they just agreed to accept Gods ways, do away with oppression and atone for their sins and the kings are to lead in this process as their arrogance was outspoken. Nebuchadnezzar is an excellent example of a king in Babylon who felt proud and in control over Babylon forgetting it was God in control and only under his guidance was his leadership possible. He is humbled for failing to acknowledge God as almighty and most high. He goes insane for seven years until he recognized God as most high. The Babylon's who lost their faith and thought themselves and in control was about to lose their titles and wealth as destruction fall on them and their descendants unless they repented and acknowledged God as most high (Daniel Chapter 4).

The fall of Lucifer from Heaven

It is believed that Lucifer was one of the Angels that God valued most but had to be dropped from heaven to earth concerning his wickedness. The belief is based on the interpretation of the oracle of the King of Babylon. It implies that it is all about sinfulness that does not please God and this is usually the primary cause of the fall of man. Isaiah considers Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon to have the spirit of Lucifer and taken to be the same person (Mathews 38). Lucifer is considered a Satan and therefore feels that should fight against the Lord. He believes that he has as much power as the lord has, consequently, he had no reason to bow to the lord. As a result, he showed competition to God and was therefore dropped as a way of showing him that he did not belong to the kingdom of God.

This is related to the case of the King of Babylon that is Nebuchadnezzar who was made to go through great suffering from seven years for having disobeyed God. Being clear that the king of Babylon was punished because of trying to compete, God, Himself, the claim is used to interpret the case of Lucifer who was dropped by God. This is the basis for the belief that Lucifer could have been one of the most valued angels, but the punishments would have been the disobedience to God; trying to be a god on his own.

Isaiah 14:1-23 as Adapted in Revelation 12:7- 9

Isaiah 14:1-23 is adapted in Revelation 12 since John is trying to speak of a similar incident; the fall of Babylon which is represented as the fall of the dragon. Angell (580) argued that John provides that a dragon is seen to be falling from Heaven after it is defeated in a battle with angels. The dragon is defined as the devil and his angels who are cast out of Gods kingdom. The fall of the dragon is the same fall about to be marked by the fall of the Babylonians who are filled with pride and arrogance to acknowledge God power. The dragon in this context can be seen to as the literal Babylon which disobeyed the lord and accomplished all the missions which meant fighting the kingdom of God. The nation and its leaders were fighting God indirectly. Therefore massive destruction was a way of bringing them down.

Conclusion

The chapters reveal that God will ultimately bring those who fight against kingdom to destruction. This is evident considering the case of the King of Babylon who received one of the most significant punishments for having tried to compete with God. The case of Rome, as provided in the book of Revelation also shows the destruction having killed the agents of the Lord. This implies that God is always above everyone and wants every human being to remember this. Babylon is considered in the Bible as a sign of wickedness, and which may one day face similar forms of destruction.

Works Cited

Angell, Stephen W. "Children Of Lucifer: The Origins Of Modern Religious Satanism. By Ruben Van Luijk". Journal Of The American Academy Of Religion, vol 86, no. 2, 2017, pp. 577-580. Oxford University Press (OUP), :10.1093/jaarel/lfx073. Accessed 27 Oct 2018.

Mathews, R.A. "Reaching To God: King Nebuchadnezzar's Plight Teaches Us To Realize What We Have, Or Lose It." Pensacola New Journal, 2018, https://www.pnj.com/story/life/2018/04/25/reaching-god-king-nebuchadnezzars-plight-teaches-us-realize-what-we-have-lose/548166002/. Accessed 27 Oct 2018.

Simpson, David. "Putting Terror Into The Fear Of God: The King James Bible." Critical Quarterly, vol 59, no. 1, 2017, pp. 123-136. Wiley, :10.1111/criq.12324.

Willems, Kurt. "THE ROMAN EMPIRE DURING THE TIME OF JESUS (BACKGROUND OF LUKE'S GOSPEL)." Theology Of Curator, 2017, https://theologycurator.com/roman-empire-during-time-jesus/. Accessed 27 Oct 2018.