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Scripture Reading: Isa. 46; Isa. 47; Isa. 48; John 6:38; Matt. 3:17; Isa. 45:3-4
In this message we will consider chapters forty-six through forty-eight. In these chapters Christ as the Servant of Jehovah is typified by Cyrus to release Jehovah's captives of the beloved Israel from Babylon.
According to 46:1-2 and 5-7, the idols of Babylon are powerless and useless and cannot be compared to Jehovah. Furthermore, the idols are a burden for Israel to carry in their coming captivity. Concerning this, 46:1 and 2 say, "Bel has bowed down; Nebo stoops;/Their idols are on beasts and cattle;/The things which you carry are a burden,/A load for a weary beast./They stoop and have bowed down together; / They are not able to escape the burden; / But they themselves have gone into captivity." Bel was one of the gods of the Babylonians, supposed by some to be the Babylonian name of Baal.
Instead of helping the people of Israel, the idols were a burden to them, for the people had to carry them. When Israel was captured by the Babylonians, God's people still would not give up their idols and had to carry them from the good land to Babylon. In these verses, Isaiah, speaking somewhat in a mocking way, seemed to be saying, "You people of Israel have made idols for yourselves, but they will not do anything for you. One day you will be captured, and you will have to carry your idols with you as a burden into captivity."
Anything that replaces God or occupies the position of God is an idol as a burden to the worshipper. Today's human society encourages people to make idols. A person, education, or a high position with a company can all become idols to us. Eventually, every idol will not help us but instead will become a burden that we must carry.
Only Jehovah is God, and only He is able to save. Regarding this, 46:9 says, "Remember the former things of old,/That I am God and there is no one else;/I am God and there is no one like Me." Only after they were captives in Babylon did the people of Israel realize that only Jehovah is God. This captivity proved to them that all the idols are powerless, useless, and unable to do anything, and that only Jehovah, the God whom their forefathers worshipped, is the genuine God. He alone is able to save.
In verse 11 we are told that Jehovah is the One "who calls for a bird of prey from the east,/And from a distant land a man to be His counselor./Indeed, I have spoken; surely I will bring it to pass./I have purposed; surely I will do it." This man as a bird of prey from a distant land was Cyrus (typifying Christ) to be Jehovah's counselor (to carry out Jehovah's counsel — John 6:38). Cyrus was the "bird of prey" called by God to subdue the nations.
Chapter forty-six also reveals Jehovah's love toward hardhearted Israel (vv. 3-4). No matter how bad the people of Israel were, God still loved them. Verses 12 and 13 say, "Listen to Me, O hardhearted ones,/Who are far from righteousness./I will bring My righteousness near — it is not far off;/And My salvation will not delay;/And I will give salvation in Zion,/And to Israel My glory."
In 47:1-6 we have Jehovah's judgment on Babylon for the sake of Israel. Verse 4 is the prophet's declaration: "Our Redeemer, Jehovah of hosts is His name,/The Holy One of Israel." According to verse 8, Babylon, a lover of pleasure, says in her heart, "I am, and there is no one besides me;/I will not dwell as a widow,/And I will not know loss of children." But verse 9 says that two things will come upon Babylon suddenly, in one day: loss of children and widowhood. This will come upon her in spite of the multitude of her sorceries and the great power of her spells. Verse 14 and 15 go on to say, "Behold, they are like stubble;/Fire consumes them;/They cannot deliver themselves/From the power of the flame;/There is no coal for warming themselves,/Nor the light of a fire to sit before./So will those with whom you have labored be to you,/Those who have traded with you from your youth;/Each one will wander off in his own direction;/There will be no one to save you." All this is to make Babylon nothing and to cause nothing to be profitable to her.
In chapter forty-eight the prophet Isaiah uses certain extraordinary words to describe Israel. Israel makes mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth or in righteousness (v. 1). Verse 4 says that Israel is obstinate, and verse 8 indicates that Jehovah knew that Israel would deal treacherously. In verse 5 Jehovah says, "Therefore I declared them to you long ago; / Before things came to pass I let you hear; / Lest you should say, My idol has done them, / And my graven image and my molten image commanded them."
Chapter forty-eight also reveals Jehovah's wise consideration in dealing with Israel. When He dealt with Israel, He exercised His wisdom. In verses 9 through 11 Jehovah says, "For My name's sake I will defer My anger,/And for the sake of My praise restrain it from you,/In order not to cut you off./Behold, I have refined you but not like silver;/I have tried you in the furnace of affliction./For My own sake, yes, for My own sake, I will do it,/For how can My name be profaned?/And I will not give My glory to another."
Another matter revealed in this chapter is Jehovah's love for Cyrus and His using him to do His pleasure, that is, to subdue Babylon and release the captives of Israel.
In verses 12 and 13 Jehovah makes a declaration concerning Himself. He says, "I am He; I am the First,/I am also the Last./Indeed, My hand laid the foundation of the earth,/And My right hand spread out the heavens;/When I call to them,/They stand together."
Verses 14 and 15 continue, "Assemble all of yourselves together and hear!/Who among them has declared these things?/Jehovah loves him; he will do His pleasure/On Babylon, and His arm will be upon the Chaldeans./I, even I, have spoken; indeed, I have called him;/I have brought him, and his way will prosper." The him in these verses refers to Cyrus in 44:28 and 45:1, typifying Christ as the Servant of Jehovah (Matt. 3:17). Cyrus will do Jehovah's pleasure on Babylon, which symbolizes the Roman Catholic Church. It was a matter of love for God to use a Gentile king to subdue Babylon and to release the captives of Israel.
Isaiah 48:16b says, "Now the Lord Jehovah/Has sent me and His Spirit." Here me refers to the prophet Isaiah, typifying Christ.
In chapter forty-eight we also have a word about Jehovah's leading of Israel to come out of Babylon. As we have pointed out, Babylon symbolizes the Roman Catholic Church. Verses 20 and 21 say, "Come out from Babylon;/Flee from the Chaldeans;/With a voice of singing declare;/Let them hear this, / Send it out unto the end of the earth;/Say, Jehovah has redeemed/His servant Jacob./And they did not thirst/When He led them through the dry places;/He caused water to flow/From the rock for them;/And He split the rock,/And the waters gushed out." Verse 22 concludes the chapter by saying that there is no peace for the wicked. Here the word wicked probably refers to the Babylonians.
In the Bible, Babylon denotes not only a nation but also a religion. Thus, in Revelation 17 and 18 we have Babylon in two aspects: the religious aspect, signifying the Roman Catholic Church, and the material, physical aspect, signifying the city of Rome, the capital of Antichrist's kingdom.
According to history, Rome took over Israel politically and militarily in approximately 40 B.C. In the eyes of God, Rome was the real Babylon, frustrating God from accomplishing His economy. It was Rome that put Christ on the cross. However, in His resurrection Christ overcame that frustration, and the church was produced. By the third century the church had become quite prevailing in the resurrection power. Then in the fourth century Constantine the Great took advantage of the dissension that existed among the church leaders at that time, and in A.D. 325 he presided over the Council of Nicaea. That council issued the Nicene Creed, which is used by Catholicism and many of the leading denominations. What was done by Constantine the Great opened the way for the formation of Romanism, which is a mingling of politics and religion. Romanism is therefore the product of the invasion of religion by politics and of the "marriage" of religion to politics in a sinful way. Eventually, the Roman Church became a harlot (Rev. 17:5), the Roman Catholic Church. By A.D. 590 the papal system was fully established, and Babylon was completely formed and consummated in both the political and religious aspects.
When Israel came out of Babylon at the time of Ezra, they came out of political Babylon but not out of religious Babylon, for at that time there was no religious Babylon. Israel's captivity in Babylon typifies the captivity of today's Christians in the Babylonian religion. Religiously speaking, most Christians are captives in Babylon. In the Babylonian religion, the most striking thing is the worship of idols. This is especially true in Catholicism. Today, for us to be God's people, we need to come out of Babylon in its two aspects.
