DRAFT: A Chiastic Reconfiguration Of Isaiah 10-12

Kuruvilla Thomas
Bangalore
Published on 26 January 2024 *

Fig. 1

Introduction

This study treats Isaiah 10:5-12:6 as a cryptochiasmus in order to arrive at a coherent reconfiguration of the text ( see definition of cryptochiasmus in [1] ). If you wish to skip the technicalities of a chiastic parse, you may read starting from Section 4 of the Discussion section, which has the reconfigured text.

This prophecy predicts Sennacherib's aborted siege on Jerusalem and provides significant details on the nature of the coming Messiah and on his reign. We propose that Isaiah made this prophecy shortly before Sennacherib's assault on Judea (c. 701BC).

Discussion

1. Presuppositions

We base our parse of Isaiah 10:5-12:6 on the assumption that it refers to 3 periods:

1. Sennacherib launches a campaign against Jerusalem but is forced to withdraw (c. 701 BC).
2. The First Jewish–Roman War (66AD–73AD). The Roman army destroys Judea and Jerusalem.
3. The Start of Christ's Millennial Reign on Earth (circa 2027AD).

2. Parsing the chiasmus

We will use the NIV Bible for this parse.

Parsing this chiasmus involves dividing portions of the text into three categories as above. We will call the period of Sennacherib's Siege of Jerusalem Period 1, the Roman destruction of Judea Period 2 and Christ's Millennial Reign Period 3.

Categorizing Isaiah 10:5-12:6

Ch 10 Vs 5-20 belong to Period 1. The Assyrian king will be humbled. Verse 20 may seem to belong to Period 3, but we believe it is regarding those of Northern Tribes who remained in Israel after the majority were taken into exile (see commentary below).

Ch 10 Vs 21-22a belong to Period 3. The Northern tribes will return to their God.

Ch 10 Vs 22b-23 appears to belong to Period 2. The First Jewish-Roman war and the sacking of Jerusalem. The passage predicts an annihilation of Israelites, something that only happens in this Period. One of the reasons we believe this short passage is about the First Jewish–Roman War is that we expect to see it in all cryptochiasmi.

Ch 10 Vs 24-27 belongs to Period 3. At the start of the Millennial Reign, the "Assyrians" of the time, the Beast army, will be defeated.

Ch 10 Vs 28-34 belongs to Period 1. The Assyrian attack on Judah and their aborted siege on Jerusalem.

Ch 11 - Ch 12 Vs 3 belongs to Period 3. The Start of the Millennial Reign of Christ and his Messiah.

Ch 12 Vs 4-6 appears to belong to Period 1. The Israelites praise God's goodness to them, and proclaim His greatness to the world. This passage could be regarding Period 3 as well, but a Period 1 section is required at this location to complete the cryptochiasmus.

Original text

We color-code the chiastic units of the original text (NIV) below for easy visual identification using: red for Period 1, blue for Period 2 and green for Period 3. We have retranslated parts of the text.

Isaiah 10 5 “Woe to the Assyrian, the rod of my anger, in whose hand is the club of my wrath! 6 I send him against a sinful [a] nation, I dispatch him against a people who anger me, to seize loot and snatch plunder, and to trample them down like mud in the streets. 7 But this is not what he intends, this is not what he has in mind; his purpose is to destroy, to put an end to many nations. 8 ‘Are not my commanders all kings?’ he says. 9 ‘Has not Kalno fared like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad, and Samaria like Damascus? 10 As my hand seized the kingdoms of the idols, kingdoms whose images excelled those of Jerusalem and Samaria— 11 shall I not deal with Jerusalem and her images as I dealt with Samaria and her idols?’”
12 When the Lord has finished all his work against Mount Zion and Jerusalem, he will say, “I will punish the king of Assyria for the willful pride of his heart and the haughty look in his eyes. 13 For he says:
“‘By the strength of my hand I have done this, and by my wisdom, because I have understanding. I removed the boundaries of nations, I plundered their treasures; like a mighty one I subdued their kings. 14 As one reaches into a nest, so my hand reached for the wealth of the nations; as people gather abandoned eggs, so I gathered all the countries; not one flapped a wing, or opened its mouth to chirp.’”
15 Does the ax raise itself above the person who swings it, or the saw boast against the one who uses it? As if a rod were to wield the person who lifts it up, or a club brandish the one who is not wood!
16 Therefore, the Lord, the Lord Almighty, will send a wasting disease upon his sturdy warriors; under his pomp a fire will be kindled like a blazing flame. 17 The Light of Israel will become a fire, their Holy One a flame; in a single day it will burn and consume his thorns and his briers. 18 The splendor of his forests and fertile fields it will completely destroy, as when a sick person wastes away. 19 And the remaining trees of his forests will be so few that a child could write them down.
20 In that day the remnant of Israel, the survivors of Jacob, will no longer rely on him who struck them down but will truly rely on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.
21 A remnant will return, a remnant of Jacob will return to the Mighty God. 22a Though your people be like the sand by the sea, Israel, only a remnant will return.
22b Destruction has been decreed, overflowing with righteousness.[b] 23 It will completely end, as decreed. The Lord God of hosts will execute it throughout the land. [c]
24 Therefore this is what the Lord, the Lord Almighty, says:
“My people who live in Zion, do not be afraid of the Assyrians, who attack [d] you with a rod and lift up a club against you, as Egypt did. 25 Very soon my anger against you will end and my wrath will be directed to their destruction.”
26 The Lord Almighty will lash them with a whip, as when he struck down Midian at the rock of Oreb; he will raise his staff, as he did above the sea by Egypt's path. [e] 27 In that day their burden will be lifted from your shoulders, their yoke from your neck; the yoke will be broken before the Anointed One [f].
28 They enter Aiath; they pass through Migron; they store supplies at Mikmash. 29 They go over the pass, and say, “We will camp overnight at Geba.” Ramah trembles; Gibeah of Saul flees. 30 Cry out, Daughter Gallim! Listen, Laishah! Poor Anathoth! 31 Madmenah is in flight; the people of Gebim take cover. 32 This day they will halt at Nob; they will shake their fist at the mount of Daughter Zion, at the hill of Jerusalem.
33 See, the Lord, the Lord Almighty, will lop off the boughs with great power. The lofty trees will be felled, the tall ones will be brought low. 34 He will cut down the forest thickets with an ax; Lebanon will fall before the Mighty One.

Retranslation notes for Isaiah 10
[a] vs 6 "sinful" instead of "godless". ( Based on the LXX.)
[b] vs 22 "overflowing with righteousness" instead of "overwhelming and righteous".
[c] vs 23 "It will completely end, as decreed. The Lord God of hosts will execute it throughout the land" instead of "The Lord, the LORD Almighty, will carry out the destruction decreed upon the whole land".
[d] vs 24 "attack" instead of "strike".
[e] vs 26 "he will raise his staff, as he did above the sea by Egypt's path" instead of "and he will raise his staff over the waters, as he did in Egypt".
[f] vs 27 "before the Anointed One" instead of "because you have grown so fat".


Isaiah 11 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. 2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord— 3 and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.
He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears;
4 but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. 5 Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist.
6 The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. 7 The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. 8 The infant will play near the cobra’s den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest. 9 None will harm or destroy on all my holy mountain, for the land [a] will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.
10 In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious. 11 In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the surviving remnant of his people from Assyria, from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt, from Cush, from Elam, from Babylonia, from Hamath and from the islands of the Mediterranean.
12 He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel; he will assemble the scattered people of Judah from the four quarters of the earth. 13 Ephraim’s jealousy will vanish, and Judah's hostility will be cut off [b]; Ephraim will not be jealous of Judah, nor Judah hostile toward Ephraim. 14 They will swoop down on the slopes of Philistia to the west; together they will plunder the people to the east. They will subdue Edom and Moab, and the Ammonites will be subject to them. 15 The Lord will dry up the gulf of the Egyptian sea; with a scorching wind he will sweep his hand over the Euphrates River. He will break it up into seven streams so that anyone can cross over in sandals. 16 There will be a highway for the remnant of his people that is left from Assyria, as there was for Israel when they came up from Egypt.

Retranslation notes for Isaiah 11
[a] vs 9 "None will harm or destroy on all my holy mountain, for the land" instead of "They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth".
[b] vs 13 "Judah's hostility will be cut off" instead of "Judah’s enemies will be destroyed". (From the NRSV.)


Isaiah 12 In that day you will say:
“I will praise you, Lord. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me. 2 Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.” 3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.
4 In that day you will say:
“Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. 5 Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world. 6 Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.”

3. Building the reconfigured text

From this parse, it appears that Isaiah 10:5-12:6 form a cryptochiasmus as below:

A1   Ch 10 Vs 5-20 Period 1. Sennacherib will be humbled
  B1   Ch 10 Vs 21-22a Period 3. The Northern tribes return to their God
    X   Ch 10 Vs 22b-23 Period 2. Judah's destruction during the First Jewish-Roman war
  B2   Ch 10 Vs 24-27 Period 3. The "Assyrians" will be crushed at the start of Christ's reign
A2   Ch 10 Vs 28-34 Period 1. Assyria's unsuccessful attack on Jerusalem

We now reconstruct the passages in the right order based on the chiastic structure above and based on the ordering rules of a cryptochiasmus [1].

We usually lead with the pivot point but for this reconstruction we will add the central pivot point 'X' at the end, so that we get another chiasmus with the rest of the prophecy (the rules of cryptochiasmi [1] allow this). The corresponding subunits (For example; subunit A1 corresponds to A2) are placed contiguously to form units (For example, A1,A2 is a unit ) so that we get a list of such units.

The sequence selected for rearrangement is:

[A1,A2]  [B1,B2]  X        (1)

We have the following sequence when we include the rest of the prophecy:
[A1,A2] - Period 1
[B1,B2] - Period 3
X         - Period 2
Ch 11 - Ch 12 Vs 3 - Period 3. The Start of the Millennial Reign
Ch 12 Vs 4-6 - Period 1. Praise for God's goodness to Judah

We still have text for the Periods in a non-contiguous form. We can treat this as a doubly applied cryptochiasmus as below.

M1   [A1,A2] - Period 1
  N1   [B1,B2] - Period 3
   XX   X           - Period 2
  N2   Ch 11 - Ch 12 Vs 3 - Period 3
M2   Ch 12 Vs 4-6 - Period 1

The sequence selected for rearrangement is:
XX  [M1,M2]  [N1,N2]        (2)


Translating this sequence (2) into the subunits of the first chiasmus, we get:

[X]  [[A1,A2], Ch 12 Vs 4-6]   [[B1,B2], Ch 11 - Ch 12 Vs 3]        (3)

Further translating (3) into verse numbers, we get:

[Ch 10 Vs 22b-23]  [[Ch 10 Vs 5-20,Ch 10 Vs 28-34], Ch 12 Vs 4-6]   [[Ch 10 Vs 21-22a,Ch 10 Vs 24-27], Ch 11 - Ch 12 Vs 3]        (4)

We arrive at the reconfigured passage in the next section by rearranging the verses so they are in sequence (4).

4. Isaiah 10:5-12:6 Reconfigured

The First Jewish–Roman War (66AD–73AD) (Ch 10 Vs 22b-23)



Sennacherib's Siege of Jerusalem (circa 701BC) (Ch 10 Vs 5-20, Ch 10 Vs 28-34, Ch 12 Vs 4-6)

Chiasmus 1: Sennacherib will be punished for his pride


Chiasmus 2: Sennacherib's army is destroyed at Jerusalem



The Start of Christ's Millennial Reign on Earth (circa 2027AD) (Ch 10 Vs 21-22a, Ch 10 Vs 24-27, Ch 11 - Ch 12 Vs 3)

Chiasmus 1: Israel is restored and Satan's Beast Empire is defeated


Chiasmus 2: Justice and Peace prevail during the Messiah's reign


Chiasmus 3: The Israelites gather from around the world to form a powerful nation

5. A Commentary on the Reconfigured Text

5.1 The First Jewish–Roman War (66AD–73AD) (Ch 10 Vs 22b-23)

This Period is structured as a chiasmus. The pivot, X [10:23a], indicates that the Old Covenant will be terminated in this Period. The subunits, A1 [10:22b] and A2 [10:23b], indicate that God will destroy the Judahites and their land.

Subunit A1: God devastates the Judahites and their land (10:22b)

Chapter 10 22b Destruction has been decreed, overflowing with righteousness.

God had decreed that the Judahites who rejected Christ would be destroyed by 73AD. This punishment was just and well deserved ("overflowing with righteousness"), for these Judahites were a wicked people (Matt. 23). The language used here is similar to that in Daniel 9:26&27, which we have shown, in our reconstruction of the "70 weeks of Daniel" [2], to be regarding the Roman destruction of Judah.

Pivot X: The Old Covenant is terminated (10:23a)

Chapter 10 23a It will completely end, as decreed.

God decreed that the Old Covenant between God and the Israelites will be terminated at the fall of Jerusalem in 70AD. A New Covenant between God and all mankind was established when Christ died of the cross in 30AD. So this complete termination of the Old Covenant, within one generation of Jesus' death (Matt. 24:34), was necessary to avoid the confusion that comes from two extant covenants.

Subunit A2: God devastates the Judahites and their land (10:23b)

Chapter 10 23b The Lord God of hosts will execute it throughout the land

This passage continues from 10:22b in the corresponding Subunit A1 above. God destroys all of Judea and kills all the wicked people remaining in it through the Romans. The covenant between God and Titus gave the Roman leader a free hand in devastating Judah and Jerusalem for 7 years [2]. ( Paul paraphrases from the LXX rendering of 10:23 in Romans 9:28 to indicate that not all Israelites will be saved.)

5.2 Sennacherib's Siege of Jerusalem (circa 701BC) (Ch 10 Vs 5-20, Ch 10 Vs 28-34, Ch 12 Vs 4-6)

This Period is structured as a series of 2 chiasmi.

Chiasmus 1: Sennacherib will be punished for his pride

The passage below in 10:5-15 is structured as a chiasmus. The pivot, X [10:12], predicts that Sennacherib will be punished. The subunits, A1 [10:5-11] and A2 [10:13-15], are regarding the pride of the Assyrian emperor.

Subunit A1: Sennacherib's pride (10:5-11)

Chapter 10 5 “Woe to the Assyrian, the rod of my anger, in whose hand is the club of my wrath! 6 I send him against a sinful nation, I dispatch him against a people who anger me, to seize loot and snatch plunder, and to trample them down like mud in the streets. 7a But this is not what he intends, this is not what he has in mind;

God sent the Assyrian king Sennacherib as an instrument of His judgement ("rod of my anger", "club of my wrath") against a "sinful nation", but the king did not fully obey God's instructions. We believe the "sinful nation" is Babylon. Before Sennacherib's assault on Judea, he had conquered Babylon, but did not immediately destroy the land, as God had commanded him. ( Babylon proved to be a thorn in Sennacherib's side during a large portion of his reign, so he was compelled to destroy it much later, in another assault in 689BC.)

Chapter 10 7b his purpose is to destroy, to put an end to many nations.

Sennacherib drew up his own plans - plans that far exceeded his remit - for campaigns against several other nations. He decided to punish the rebellions of Levantine nations, including that of Judea.

Chapter 10 8 ‘Are not my commanders all kings?’ he says. 9 ‘Has not Kalno fared like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad, and Samaria like Damascus? 10 As my hand seized the kingdoms of the idols, kingdoms whose images excelled those of Jerusalem and Samaria— 11 shall I not deal with Jerusalem and her images as I dealt with Samaria and her idols?’”

Sennacherib boasts that the powerful Assyrians have conquered many nations and turned their kings into satraps ("Are not my commanders all kings?"). The Assyrians have subdued mighty cities such as Kalno, Carchemish, Hamath, Arpad and Damascus (cities in the region of the Levant that came under Assyrian control between 740-721BC); they have also defeated Samaria, the land of the Northern tribes and taken the people captive (2 Kings 18:9-12). Sennacherib is confident that since Assyria has defeated these powerful heathen kingdoms that worship many ornate idols, and exiled Samaria, which came under same God as Jerusalem, he can easily conquer Jerusalem, whose God dwells in a relatively simple temple (2 Kings 19:12).

Pivot X: Sennacherib will be punished for his pride (10:12)

Chapter 10 12 When the Lord has finished all his work against Mount Zion and Jerusalem, he will say, “I will punish the king of Assyria for the willful pride of his heart and the haughty look in his eyes.

God planned to punish the king of Assyria for his pride (Isaiah 37:36-38) after He had used the king to accomplish His plans on Judah and Jerusalem (Isaiah 36,37).

Subunit A2: Sennacherib's pride (10:13-15)

Chapter 10 13 For he says: “‘By the strength of my hand I have done this, and by my wisdom, because I have understanding. I removed the boundaries of nations, I plundered their treasures; like a mighty one I subdued their kings. 14 As one reaches into a nest, so my hand reached for the wealth of the nations; as people gather abandoned eggs, so I gathered all the countries; not one flapped a wing, or opened its mouth to chirp.’”

The Assyrian king believed that all his conquests came about through his own might. Through the simile of vs 14, he conveys the effortlessness with which he plundered nations - as easy as taking abandoned eggs.

Chapter 10 15 Does the ax raise itself above the person who swings it, or the saw boast against the one who uses it? As if a rod were to wield the person who lifts it up, or a club brandish the one who is not wood!

The Assyrian king was an instrument (axe, saw, rod, club) in God's hands, and so he should not have thought himself greater than the user of that instrument, the God of Jerusalem (see also Isaiah 36:18-20). ( God is the speaker of this passage.)

Chiasmus 2: Sennacherib's army is destroyed at Jerusalem

The passage below in 10:16-20,28-34,12:4-6 is structured as a chiasmus. The pivot, X [10:28-32], details Sennacherib's journey to Jerusalem. The subunits, A1 [10:16-20] and A2 [10:33-34,12:4-6], are regarding the destruction of the Assyrian army at Jerusalem and the aftermath.

Subunit A1: The destruction of the Assyrian army and the aftermath (10:16-20)

Chapter 10 16 Therefore, the Lord, the Lord Almighty, will send a wasting disease upon his sturdy warriors; under his pomp a fire will be kindled like a blazing flame. 17 The Light of Israel will become a fire, their Holy One a flame; in a single day it will burn and consume his thorns and his briers. 18 The splendor of his forests and fertile fields it will completely destroy, as when a sick person wastes away. 19 And the remaining trees of his forests will be so few that a child could write them down.

When the Assyrian army camped outside Jerusalem in preparation for an attack, an angel (most likely Michael, the "Light of Israel"/"Holy One", their guardian angel - Dan. 12:1) killed 185,000 of its soldiers with a disease ("burn" with "fire" represents this massacre) (see Isaiah 37:36). Sennacherib's army was so diminished from the slaughter that it was like a fertile land stripped of most of its trees and plants, the army shrank like a sick person who was wasting away. Sennacherib was forced to withdraw to his capital; he never did fully recover from this loss (Isaiah 37:37,38).

Chapter 10 20 In that day the remnant of Israel, the survivors of Jacob, will no longer rely on him who struck them down but will truly rely on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.

A small population of the Northern Tribes ("Israel"/"Jacob") had remained in Samaria, even after Shalmaneser and Sargon II defeated Samaria and took the people into exile in Assyria c. 725-720 (2 Kings 17:1-25). After Jerusalem was miraculously delivered from the mighty Sennacherib, many from these Northern Tribes turned away from worshipping the god of the Assyrians ("him who struck them down") and back to their God (see 2 Chron. 32:22-23, cf. 2 Chron. 30,31).

Pivot X: Sennacherib's journey to Jerusalem (10:28-32)

Chapter 10 28 They enter Aiath; they pass through Migron; they store supplies at Mikmash. 29 They go over the pass, and say, “We will camp overnight at Geba.” Ramah trembles; Gibeah of Saul flees. 30 Cry out, Daughter Gallim! Listen, Laishah! Poor Anathoth! 31 Madmenah is in flight; the people of Gebim take cover. 32 This day they will halt at Nob; they will shake their fist at the mount of Daughter Zion, at the hill of Jerusalem.

Isaiah creates a beautiful poetic effect when he enumerates the cities in the path of the Assyrian king and his army as they make their way from the northern border of Judea towards Jerusalem, terrorising the Judahites on the way. One can sense the dread in the people of Jerusalem at these reports of this mighty army rapidly approaching their city. At Nob, within view of Jerusalem, the Assyrians pitch their tents; they shake their fist at Jerusalem to intimidate the residents, as they prepare to take the city.

Subunit A2: The destruction of the Assyrian army and the aftermath (10:33-34,12:4-6)

Chapter 10 33 See, the Lord, the Lord Almighty, will lop off the boughs with great power. The lofty trees will be felled, the tall ones will be brought low. 34 He will cut down the forest thickets with an ax; Lebanon will fall before the Mighty One.

The Assyrian army ("forest thickets", "Lebanon" - see also Ezekiel 31:3) did not take Jerusalem, because most of its soldiers ("boughs", "lofty trees", "tall ones") were killed by an angel of God ("Mighty One") at night as they camped outside the city (2 Chron. 32:21). ( This passage in 10:33-34 restates the passage on the Assyrian defeat in 10:16-19 in the corresponding subunit A1.)

Chapter 12 4 In that day you will say:
“Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. 5 Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world. 6 Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.”

The people of Jerusalem praise God for a miraculous deliverance from one of the most powerful armies on earth (see also 2 Chron. 32:21-23). The Judahites publish God's good deeds and testify of His greatness throughout the world.

5.3 The Start of Christ's Millennial Reign on Earth (circa 2027AD) (Ch 10 Vs 21-22a, Ch 10 Vs 24-27, Ch 11 - Ch 12 Vs 3)

This Period is structured as a series of 3 chiasmi.

Chiasmus 1: Israel is restored and Satan's Beast Empire is defeated

The passage below in 10:21-22a, 24-27 is structured as a chiasmus. The pivot, X [10:24-26], predicts that God will miraculously defeat Satan's Beast army at the start of the Millennial Reign. The subunits, A1 [10:21-22a] and A2 [10:27], are regarding the restoration of Israel through the coming Messiah.

Subunit A1: Israel is restored through the Messiah (10:21-22a)

Chapter 10 21 A remnant will return, a remnant of Jacob will return to the Mighty God. 22a Though your people be like the sand by the sea, Israel, only a remnant will return.

When the Northern Tribes ("Jacob") had rejected God in ancient times, they had also rejected the guardian angel appointed for them by God, Archangel Michael ("mighty god") (see Dan. 12:1). But shortly before the Millennial Reign, a fraction ("remnant") of the descendants of the Northern Tribes will once again heed the words of Archangel Michael in his human incarnation as the coming Messiah, and turn back to their God. ( Paul quotes from the LXX version of vs 22a in Romans 9:27 to indicate that not all Israelites will be saved.)

Note that the coming Messiah, the Archangel Michael, is here referred to by his title "mighty god" (as in Isaiah 9:6), to indicate that he is a powerful angel (the word "god" may refer to an angel - see Psalm 82:6). Note also that at the start of Christ's Millennial Reign, the people of the Northern Tribes will make up a significant percentage of the population of the earth ("like the sand by the sea").

Pivot X: God defeats Satan's Beast army (10:24-26)

Chapter 10 24 Therefore this is what the Lord, the Lord Almighty, says:
“My people who live in Zion, do not be afraid of the Assyrians, who attack you with a rod and lift up a club against you, as Egypt did. 25 Very soon my anger against you will end and my wrath will be directed to their destruction.”
26 The Lord Almighty will lash them with a whip, as when he struck down Midian at the rock of Oreb; he will raise his staff, as he did above the sea by Egypt's path.

The Israelites are not to fear Satan's Beast army (the "Assyrians") when it comes to attack Israel ("attack you with a rod..."), as the ancient Egyptian army did (Exodus 14:5-9). For God will supernaturally defeat and destroy this Beast army (see the Gog and Magog war of Ezekiel 39, Rev 19:11-21), just as He defeated the Midianites at the time of Gideon (Judges 7) and the Egyptian army at the Red Sea (Exodus 14). Until this Period, God had punished the Israelites for the sins of their forefathers, but now that their time of punishment is over, His wrath will be redirected to Satan's empire.

We believe "Assyria" is Satan's Beast empire in this Period. As we have showed in our analysis of passages in Revelation 17 [4] (see also appendix in [3]), Satan has, over the centuries, ruled the world through a series of powerful empires: Assyria, Neo-Babylon, Greece, Rome etc.. Because ancient Assyria was Satan's capital at the time of the prophecy, the "Assyria" of this Period is Satan's enforcing empire around the time of the start of the Millennial Reign - the 7-headed Beast Empire (see Rev 13, 17 [4]).

Subunit A2: Israel is restored through the Messiah (10:27)

Chapter 10 27 In that day their burden will be lifted from your shoulders, their yoke from your neck; the yoke will be broken before the Anointed One.

Israel will break the Beast empire's ("Assyrian's") control over them ("yoke") through their leader, the Messiah, the Anointed One (see also Isaiah 9:4-6, see "anointed one" in Dan 9:24,25 [2]).

Chiasmus 2: Justice and Peace prevail during the Messiah's reign

The passage below in 11:1-9 is structured as a chiasmus. The pivot, X [11:4b-5], indicates that the Messiah will punish the wicked of the earth. The subunits, A1 [11:1-4a] and A2 [11:6-9], indicate that the Messiah's reign over the earth will be a time of justice and peace.

Subunit A1: The Messiah's Reign is a time of Justice and Peace (11:1-4a)

Chapter 11 1 A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.

The coming Messiah of the Millennial Reign will be a descendant of David, like Christ. The line of Jesse and David, that had slipped into obscurity for millennia, is like a dormant tree stump, and the coming Messiah is a shoot that grows out of this seemingly dead stump to reign and flourish on David's throne in the New Jerusalem (see also Rev. 5:5, Jer 23:5...).

Chapter 11 2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord— 3a and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.

The coming Messiah will reign on earth for God and Christ (Rev. 3:21), and so an angel of God ("Spirit of the Lord") will pass on instructions from Christ to the Messiah (see also Isaiah 9:6,7) ( similarly Christ had a messenger angel from God, the Holy Spirit, when he was on earth - see John 3:34, Acts 10:38).

Through the angel, Christ will send the Messiah 3 categories of instruction:

• Wisdom and understanding: Advice on intellectual matters
• Counsel and might: Practical aid for ruling the world, both in the form of advice and physical assistance
• The knowledge of God and the fear of God: Spiritual knowledge and a reverence for God

All these qualities are crucial for a great world leader, but this last attribute, the reverence ("fear") of the Lord, is foundational to all the others (Psalm 111:10), and the Messiah will have it in abundance ("he will delight in the fear of the Lord").

Chapter 11 3b He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; 4a but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth.

The Messiah will not be swayed by outward appearance ("what he sees with his eyes"), worldly status or false reputation ("what he hears with his ears") but will rule with integrity, so that all, even the poor and the powerless, are treated justly and fairly.

Pivot X: The Messiah punishes the wicked of the earth (11:4b-5)

Chapter 11 4b He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. 5 Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist.

The coming Messiah will punish and destroy the wicked powers of the earth by revealing the truth about them ("rod of his mouth", "breath of his lips") (Rev. 19:15). He will fight evil by ruling with righteousness and faithfulness to God (Rev. 19:11). Note that the belt/sash in vs 5 are part of a soldiers attire and indicate that the verse is regarding adversarial work (as in Ephesians 6:13,14).

Subunit A2: The Messiah's Reign is a time of Justice and Peace (11:6-9)

Chapter 11 6 The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. 7 The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. 8 The infant will play near the cobra’s den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.

The Messiah's reign will be a time of world peace. In prophecy, beasts of various kinds are often used to represent nations controlled by Satan or his fallen angels (see Daniel 7 for example); so the animals of this passage represent the nations outside the New Israel that are controlled by fallen angels. A nation under God is represented by a human (see Dan. 7:4), and so the infant / young child represents that young nation under God, the New Israel of Millennial Reign. Therefore this passage predicts that, with world leadership in the hands of the coming Messiah, the Prince of Peace, all nations strong and weak, will live in peace and security. The New Israel will lead all nations of the world ("a little child will lead them") and even take control of their internal affairs when necessary ("put its hand into the viper’s nest") (see Micah 5:5,6).

Chapter 11 9 None will harm or destroy on all my holy mountain, for the land will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.

While it maintains peace in the rest of the world, the New Israel ("holy mountain") itself will be a land of peace and harmony, because it will be a nation of priests (Exodus 19:6) - all its citizens will have a deep knowledge about God and will walk in His ways.

Chiasmus 3: The Israelites gather from around the world to form a powerful nation

The passage below in 11:10-12:3 is structured as a chiasmus. The pivot, X [11:13-15], indicates that the united Israel will reign supreme. The subunits, A1 [11:10-12] and A2 [11:16-12:3], predict that the Israelites will gather from around the world and praise God.

Subunit A1: The Israelites gather from around the world (11:10-12)

This Subunit A1 is itself arranged as a chiasmus. The pivot [11:11] indicates that God will gather His people from around the world, and the subunits [11:10] and [11:12] predict that the coming of the Messiah will be a signal for the Israelites to gather into the New Israel.

Chapter 11 10 In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious.

The coming of the Messiah (the shoot from the "Root of Jesse" - see 11:1 above) to power will be a signal ("stand as a banner") for the Israelites around the world to assemble ("nations", in this verse, refers to the Israelites living in other countries) (see also Zech. 10:8-10). The New Israel, the new home into which the Messiah gathers them (their "resting place"), will be a glorious nation (see also Jeremiah 31:12).

Chapter 11 11 In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the surviving remnant of his people from Assyria, from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt, from Cush, from Elam, from Babylonia, from Hamath and from the islands of the Mediterranean.

God will gather the remnant (those surviving the purge of Jer. 30:7) of the people of Israel for a second time (the first gathering was that of the Judahites from Babylon) from the various places around the world to which they have been scattered (see also Ezek. 37:11-12,14,21-22,25). Isaiah enumerates places in the four cardinal directions from ancient Israel to indicate that the people of Israel have been spread around the world: to the north (Assyria at the time of this prophecy, Hamath in Syria), west (Lower Egypt, 'isles' or nations of the Mediterranean), south (Upper Egypt, Cush/Ethiopia) and to the east (Babylonia, Elam in Persia). ( Note that "Assyria", in this passage, refers to ancient Assyria and specifies a direction, but "Assyria" in 10:24 and 11:16 represent Satan's Beast Empire of this Period.)

Chapter 11 12 He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel; he will assemble the scattered people of Judah from the four quarters of the earth.

The coming of the Messiah to power will be a signal ("a banner") for all the Israelites from around the world to assemble into the New Israel (see also Hosea 3:5). The Messiah will gather both the Northern Tribes ("Israel") and the Southern Tribes ("Judah"). ( As in 11:10, "nations" refers to the Israelites living in other countries.)

Pivot X: The united Israel reigns supreme (11:13-15)

Chapter 11 13 Ephraim’s jealousy will vanish, and Judah's hostility will be cut off; Ephraim will not be jealous of Judah, nor Judah hostile toward Ephraim.

The Northern Tribes ("Ephraim") and Judah will forget their past differences and form a united nation under Christ. When the two peoples had separated under Rehoboam, Ephraim had been jealous of Judah's position of spiritual and political leadership (see, for ex, 2 Sam. 19:40-43) and Judah became hostile towards Ephraim for seceding (see 1 Kings 12:21).

Chapter 11 14 They will swoop down on the slopes of Philistia to the west; together they will plunder the people to the east. They will subdue Edom and Moab, and the Ammonites will be subject to them.

The Israelites will subdue hostile nations around the world and control them (see also Isaiah 14:2). The sometimes hostile nations to the east (Ammon, Moab, Edom) and to the west (Philistia) of Israel at the time of the prophecy represent nations around the world that are hostile to Israel at the start of the Millennial Reign.

Chapter 11 15 The Lord will dry up the gulf of the Egyptian sea; with a scorching wind he will sweep his hand over the Euphrates River. He will break it up into seven streams so that anyone can cross over in sandals.

The Lord will enfeeble Satan's empire, so that God's nation, the New Israel, will reign over the world.

The drying up of the primary river of a nation represents the weakening of that nation (see similar metaphor in Rev 16:12, Zech. 10:11). The dry Nile ("gulf/tongue of the Egyptian sea") represents a weakened "Egypt", where "Egypt" is the Western Empire in this Period (the 6th "king" of Rev 17:10, see our parse of Isaiah 18 [5]). The dry "Euphrates" represents a weakened "Assyria", where "Assyria" is the 7-headed Beast Empire (Rev 17:9). The mighty 7-nation Beast ("Euphrates") will be divided into its 7 constituent nations (7 weak "streams"). The "crossing in sandals" is mentioned only to emphasize the weakness of these 7 individual nations ("streams") - it does not represent any physical crossing of the river.

Two of Satan's empires are mentioned here: the Western Empire (primarily the USA and other Western European nations); and the 7-nation Beast Empire (Rev 13,17). But since the Western Empire forms a significant part of the Beast Empire, they are used synonymously in this passage to represent Satan's enforcing power; so this verse has a parallel design.

Subunit A2: The Israelites gather from around the world (11:16-12:3)

Chapter 11 16 There will be a highway for the remnant of his people that is left from Assyria, as there was for Israel when they came up from Egypt.

All impediments to the Israelite diaspora's return to the New Israel will be removed, so that their final return is smooth as on a highway (see also Isaiah 49:11). The Israelites will be able to easily leave the nations controlled by Satan's Beast Empire ("Assyria"), just as their forefathers had left their oppressors, ancient Egypt (Exodus 12:31-33).

Chapter 12 1 In that day you will say:
“I will praise you, Lord. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me. 2 Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.” 3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.

The Israelites praise their God, as He has forgiven them and gathered them into the safety of their own nation. They acknowledge that it was God who saved them from Satan's forces, so they will worship and trust the God of Israel (see also Exodus 15:2). The Israelites will be a joyful people, flourishing in the enduring safety of God's protection ("draw water from the wells of salvation").

Conclusion

With this chiastic reconstruction of the text, we have shown that the passage contains three interwoven prophecies. Sennacherib's miraculous defeat in Period 1 appears to be a type of the Beast's defeat at the start of Christ's Millennial Reign in Period 3.

References

[1] A Definition of Cryptochiasmus
[2] A Chiastic Reconfiguration Of "The 70 Weeks Of Daniel"
[3] A Chiastic Reconfiguration Of Daniel 8
[4] A Chiastic Reconfiguration Of Revelation 4-22 Part 2:
[5] A Chiastic Reconfiguration Of Isaiah 18





* First version published on 21 January 2020.