CONDEMNATION OF ENEMIES OPPONENTS OF THE TRUTH The two chapters 34 and 35 represent one prophecy. The first Chapter presents a negative side, as God calls for all nations to gather together to witness a collective condemnation for the opponents of the Truth, and the oppressive to the people of God, represented particularly by Edom. The Edomites became happy for what befell the people of God on the hands of Assyria. Besides carrying out a wave of robberies, they captured whoever escaped to sell to the enemy, and lastly brought their sheep to graze in the cities and fields of Judah, that became desolate. Thus they became worthy of the wrath of God. As for the next chapter, it includes a positive side, concerning setting the people, and restoring them to the mercy of God. Chapter 34 reveals the divine wrath that would befall the enemy of the true Church; and accordingly the blessings that would befall the Church itself. 1. A collective call 1-4. 2. Desolation of Edom 5-15. 3. A confirmation that all these prophecies will be realized 16-17. 1. A COLLECTIVE CALL The prophet presents a collective call to all nations of the world to listen; to behold, and to pay attention, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken. He proclaims God’s condemnation on the nations that are consistent on committing evil, hoping that they would return to keeping God’s commandments, after having, for so long stretched His ropes of patience. The prophet gets back to confirm that this battle is not meant for humans, but is between God and His angels on the one side, and the devil and his angels on the other; saying, “All the host of heaven shall be dissolved.” (Is. 34: 4) “The spiritual hosts of wickedness” (Ephesians 6: 12; Revelation 12: 7, 9; 20: 1 - 8) What does he mean by saying, “All the hosts of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heaven shall be rolled up like a scroll; all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falls from the vine, and as fruit falling from a fig tree” (Is. 34: 4)? a. Certain millennium’s Exegetes see in that a reference to an abolishment of the old heaven, in order that, in the millennium, a new heaven and a new earth would be established1. b. St. Augustine believes that the “sky, rolled up like a scroll,” is the Holy Scripture, saying, [The two Testaments are called ‘heavens.’ I apprehend and understand the Holy Scripture, written by Your ministers, through the work of the Holy Spirit2.] It is as though, one of God’s chastisements to the wicked, persistent on their evil, is their deprivation of the ability to enjoy the “starry host of heaven,” that is the power of the Holy Bible. It becomes for them a closed book, whose mysteries they would not be able to apprehend in their lives, or would be to them, as leaves falling “from the vine, and as fruit falling from a fig tree” As far as the children of God, on the other hand, the Holy Spirit would open 1 Cf. Ironside: The Prophet Isaiah, ch 34. 2 On Ps. 8. up their minds, hearts, and all their energies, to apprehend the power of the word, working in their depths, as well as in their behavior. Origen says, [The Holy Scriptures are written through the Holy Spirit of God. They have meanings, that do not appear at first glance, meanings that are not apprehended by many; as these written (words), are actually forms of certain mysteries and theologies. That is why, there is a common view in the Church, that the whole issue is truly spiritual; and that the spiritual meaning included in the Law, is not apprehended by all, except by those who are granted the grace of the Holy Spirit, as far as wisdom and prudence are concerned3.] c. We can say that earth and heaven are symbols of man’s body and soul; the wicked lose holiness and safety of their bodies and souls; their bodies becoming like mighty mountains, yet, “soaked with blood” (Is. 34: 3); having an outer appearance of strength, and probably also, of beauty and splendor, while actually, they are like “dead bodies that send up a stench;” their souls become like heavens that lost all its energies (hosts), that are closed like a sealed book, having the appearance of courage, and probably of strong personality, but if one gets in close contact with them, he would find them, souls broken down by despair, and corrupted by inner sadness, beside by a feeling of isolation and deprivation. That is an image of the wicked, having an outer appearance of strength, yet carrying all weaknesses in his depths; and as expressed by the Psalmist: “Do not fret because of evildoers, nor be envious of the workers of iniquity; for they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.” (Psalm 37: 1, 2) 2. DESOLATION OF EDOM The custom at that time was to cover swords with fat, so that they do not need to be cleaned after every time they are used. Fat would keep blood from sticking to them. As to the symbolic sword of the Lord, it would be covered with heavenly wrath, “My sword shall be bathed in heaven.” (Is. 34: 5) God’s wrath upon Edom was like the knife of a priest slaying a helpless sacrifice, “For the Lord has a sacrifice in Bozrah (the capital) and a great slaughter in the land of Edom” (Is. 34: 6); not sacrifices for reconciliation, but divinely cursed burnt offerings for judgment (Is. 34: 5). That sword went through all: the wild oxen (fierce warriors) as well as bull calves and great bulls (the commons); it is a collective judgment, as all have taken part in evildoing. “Their land will be soaked with blood, and their dust will be saturated with fatness.” (Is. 34: 7) As the name ‘Edom’ means both ‘dust’ and ‘blood,’ so their shed blood would mix with dust. They lived like dust, loving the earthly things, so they perished in their blood. God does all that for the sake of His Zion, His beloved people, hated by Edom. He finally confirms the utter desolation of Edom (Is. 34: 9-15): “Its streams will be turned into pitch and its dust into brimstone; its land shall become burning pitch! It shall not be quenched night and day; its smoke shall ascend forever, from generation to generation it shall lie waste.” (Is. 34: 9, 10) Its furnace will need no fuel from outside, as its streams will turn into pitch, and its dust into burning sulfur. Its land becomes a consuming fire that will not be quenched night and day. Its dark smoke will rise forever with terrible stench. Its desolation will continue from generation to generation. It will turn, from a place for humans into a dwelling place for beasts and birds of prey (Is. 34: 10, 11, 13, 14). 3 De Principiis, Pref. 8. Instead of construction, God “shall stretch out over it the line of confusion and the stones of emptiness.” (Is. 34: 11) Leaders will be lost, neither elite nor rulers. In place of fruits, it will produce thorns; “Thorns shall come up in its palaces, nettles and brambles in its fortresses” (Is. 34: 13), a sign of desolation and lack of use. “There the arrow snake shall make her nest and lay eggs, and hatch and gather them under her shadow.” (Is. 34: 15) The arrow snake is one of the most vicious kinds of snakes, despite its small size. In other versions, as this description applies more to a bird than to a snake, some scholars see in it a poetic reference to the dwelling of vicious evil spirits in souls, opponent to God there also the hawks be gather (Is. 34: 15), these are terrifying vultures. Edom therefore, refers to the soul that denies faith and opposes Truth; to fall under divine wrath, and to turn into a furnace for itself, with nobody to quench its inner fire, or to give rest or comfort; to become desolate, thus loses its sensibility. Becomes a dwelling place for unclean thoughts and deviated emotions; to lose its reason; to turn into a playground for demons; and to make its life dry and fruitless like thorns. Loses its beauty and safety, also turns to permanent darkness without day or light (Is. 34: 13) 3. A CONFIRMATION THAT ALL THESE PROPHECIES WILL BE REALIZED “Search from the book of the Lord, and read: Not one of these shall fail.” (Is. 34: 16) Here, he does not mean the book of life, or that of judgment (Ezekiel 32; Psalm 56: 8; 69: 28; Daniel 7: 10; Malachi 3: 16; Revelation 3: 5; 20: 12; 21: 27), but he means the prophecies he proclaimed concerning the desolation of Edom4. Although it is very rare, for the prophet to issue an order, yet here he does, saying, “Search... and read,” as all that, at that time, seemed unreasonable and impossible to happen. Yet that prophecy has been partly realized through the desolation of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, and is still being realized every day, as far as the opponents of Truth are concerned; until it would be completely consummated on the ultimate advent of the Lord, when the devil and his hosts will perish. 4 Bultema, ch 34
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