[ This continuing with the anti-Babylon theme from chapter 13. Isaiah presents an image of Babylon as "glory of kingdoms" (13:19), tells us of its corrupt, arrogant rulers (13:11) and informs us that it is to be utterly annihilated (13:20), he now addresses the fate of the ruling elite. He also fleshes out his definition of Babylon and comments on what will happen to the remaining nations after Babylon's fall. ] 1  FOR the Lord will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land; and the strangers shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob. [ The gathering of Israel in this verse logically follows the destruction of Babylon at the end of the preceding chapter. JST Isa 13:22 And the wild beasts of the islands shall cry in their desolate houses, and dragons in their pleasant palaces: and her time is near to come, and her days shall not be prolonged. For I will destroy her speedily; yea, for I will be merciful unto my people, but the wicked shall perish, and 2 Ne 23:22 create a bridge. In 539 BC, Persia defeated Babylon and allowed the Jews, who had been deported by Babylon, to return home. v1-3 form an open parenthesis which is closed by v. 32. The subject is the redemption of Israel and the intervening text portrays the destruction of the wicked king of Babylon. ]

2 And the people [ Those who came from the far ends of heaven - The ten tribes, city of Enoch, the people of Melchidezek. ] shall take them [ The righteous that survived the purge. ] and bring them to their place; yea, from far unto the ends of the earth; and they shall return to their lands of promise. And the house of Israel shall possess them, and the land of the Lord shall be for servants and handmaids; [ The handmaids and servants of God. ] and they shall take them captives unto whom they were captives; and they shall rule over their oppressors. [ Historically, these verses were fulfilled when Cyrus the Great of Persia issued an order allowing all captive peoples in Babylon to return to their place of origin …Jews returned in 538 B.C. and started to rebuild Jerusalem and Judea.…[and] eventually …rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, the city itself, and the temple. Later, under the Maccabees (167-70 B.C.), the Jews enjoyed autonomy and prosperity, being so successful that they began to proselyte other people in the area and to grow in numbers. Indeed, the body of Jews grew into the millions by the time of Christ; while Babylon became desolate, Judea flourished …these verses can also find two fulfillments in the latter days. First, they may refer to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose missionary work spreads to all nations and prepares for the peaceful conditions under which the Savior will establish his kingdom at the time of his second coming. Second, these verses may refer to the modern-day return of the Jews to the Holy Land and their building of the modern state of Israel. However, the full blessings of these verses will not be realized until the second coming of Christ, when the Jews will accept him as their Savior. Overall the suggestion made here is that while the wicked are to be destroyed, the righteous remnant of Israel will be spared and gathered together. The 2 Nephi 24:1-2 rendering adds some text emphasizing the speed with which Babylon will be destroyed, that all of scattered Israel will be gathered, and them that are not wicked are the Lord's people. Also, in v. 2 the identity of the "servants and handmaids" changes from those captivated by Israel to Israel itself being the servants of the Lord and therefore being blessed by Him. Thus, them that serve the Lord are they that will inherit the promised land. The general meaning of the KJV rendition is preserved, but the BofM account adds a little. ]

3 And it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall give thee rest, [ Rest unto the Lord. Elder Bruce R. McConkie taught: “The rest of the Lord, where mortals are concerned, is to gain a perfect knowledge of the divinity of the great latter-day work. [President Joseph F. Smith said,] ‘It means entering into the knowledge and love of God, having faith in his purpose and in his plan, to such an extent that we know we are right, and that we are not hunting for something else; we are not disturbed by every wind of doctrine, or by the cunning and craftiness of men who lie in wait to deceive.’ It is ‘rest from the religious turmoil of the world; from the cry that is going forth, here and there—lo, here is Christ; lo, there is Christ.’ (Gospel Doctrine, 5th ed., pp. 58, 125–126.) The rest of the Lord, in eternity, is to inherit eternal life, to gain the fulness of the Lord’s glory (D. & C. 84:24.)” (Mormon Doctrine, 2nd ed. [1966], 633). ] from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve. [ The oppressive nature of these taskmasters. Note that this passage has wide application as it identifies "taskmasters" and "tyrants" who oppress. All merciless leaders will cease from the earth, both great and small, at the Day of the Lord as Theocracy is imposed. ]

4 And it shall come to pass in that day, that thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, [ The antichrist, is now called more than the King of Assyria, he is now called the King of Babylon. When one typically thinks of Babylon the image of wealth and opulence springs to mind. But, Isaiah's intent here is to present Babylon more as an antithesis to Zion than as simply a political kingdom corrupted by wealth. Isaiah presents Babylon as idolatrous (21:9), self-exalted (47:1-10), engaging in astrology and divination (47:9-13) and defiled (48:20, 52:11). Doing so, Isaiah creates a spiritual dichotomy of the sanctified Zion and the apostate Babylon where the members of these nations are defined not by arbitrary political boundaries but by their individual behavior. And this king of Babylon fits into that Babylonian mold as one who would supplant God in favor of himself. If Isaiah's king of Assyria sacks Babylon, then he himself becomes the king of Babylon. In Revelation, John presents Babylon (the apostate whore) as riding upon a beast (the false messiah) which later turns on and destroys her. This symbolism presents two nations accounted as being together, but later one destroys the other and is ultimately destroyed by the Lord. This follows the imagery employed here in Isaiah to a degree as Babylon is presented as different from Assyria then later equated with it. Note that in the previous chapter's comments I argue that "Babylon" there was more specifically referencing arm of flesh politics, a rather sanitized definition compared to the one for this chapter. The rationale for this is that in the last chapter the only specific sins referenced were pride and haughtiness which were associated with being a tyrant. But in this chapter the image of Satan is invoked and the king of Babylon is portrayed as self- exalting himself to the position of a god. This kind of language goes well beyond implying that the king, the epitome of Babylon, is just a selfish and conniving ruler. Thus, I incorporated the other negative connotations applied to Babylon by Isaiah and filled out the definition. I think the references in this chapter to Zion that formed a parenthesis around the description of the king also pushed for a more complete antithesis between the two. ] and say: How hath the oppressor ceased, the golden city ceased! [ Verse 4-21 records a song of scorn railing against the deposed king of Babylon. Determining who this song applies to is a rather tricky business. The recipient is the "king of Babylon", but nowhere else in the book of Isaiah is this character referenced. The king of Assyria is referenced frequently by Isaiah. And, in the immediately preceding chapter Isaiah equates Babylon with despotic, monarchical governments so perhaps it is a general reference to despots. Isaiah also uses some imagery that invokes the character of Satan. I suspect that Isaiah's intent is to reference all of the above possibilities. By doing so Isaiah is grouping these self-seeking individuals together with their father, the original murderer (John 8:44). The single greatest example of despotism in human history is Satan. The single greatest example in the book of Isaiah is the king of Assyria. But, by no means are these the only examples of merciless, self-seeking rulers. Thus, by naming the character ambiguously Isaiah makes its application is broader (compare 19:11-15 where the political leaders of Egypt are ridiculed in a like manner). ]

5 The Lord hath broken the staff of the wicked, the scepters [ A rod or staff which represented authority. ] of the rulers.

6  He [ The antichrist. ] who smote the people in wrath with a continual stroke, [ He never would let up, he was focused on his getting it all. ] he that ruled the nations in anger, is persecuted, and none hindereth. [ No one can stop it now, the Lord has taken over and the antichrist has lost all of his power, he is finished. ]

7  The whole earth is at rest, [ At the end of all of the battles, all of the destruction the world will begin a new. ] and is quiet; they break forth into singing.

8 Yea, the fir-trees rejoice at thee, [ The fall of the antichrist. ] and also the cedars of Lebanon, saying: Since thou art laid down no feller is come up against us. [ The verse recalls other scriptures in which God’s creations (the trees, forest, mountains, earth, and heavens) “break forth into singing” when the Lord redeems Jacob (44:23), comforts his people, and has mercy on the afflicted (49:13; D&C 128:22). The trees, representative of people (Judg. 9:15; Ezek. 31:8; Hosea 14:8; Zech. 11:2), now rejoice and sing because Satan has been cast down to hell. …the king of Babylon had cut down some of the trees, or murdered the people. Thus the king was seeking to become like God, who has authority to end life. We recall also that Jehovah is the great forester identified in 10:33–34, and hence the king of Babylon attempts to imitate God’s ability to cut down nations and peoples. Yet, as J. Alec Motyer observes, “With exact justice the arrogant woodsman [the king of Babylon] has ‘had the chop!’”12 Satan, similarly, attempts to make people suffer the second death. Imagery of trees as people is again invoked (compare 2:13, 10:15). Note that in contrast to the 2:13 reference to trees, these trees are not identified as "lofty", "tall", or "stately" (symbols of pride). Thus, the proud trees among Israel have been felled. ]

9 Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming; it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations.

10 All they shall speak and say unto thee: Art thou also become weak as we? Art thou become like unto us?

11 Thy pomp is brought down to the grave; the noise of thy viols is not heard; the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee.

[ Verses 12-21 Isaiah Compares the Fall of the King of Babylon to Lucifer’s Fall from Heaven v4-8 During the Millennium the earth rests as Satan is bound.
v9-11 Satan restricted to spirit world during the Millennium as are the spirits that do not participate in the First Resurrection.
v12-14 The War and Heaven and ultimate expulsion of Satan from the presence of God reviewed.
v15-17 Satan being cast into the pit of eternal torment after the end of the Millennium.
v18-21 While those who followed Satan in mortality participate in the Second Resurrection and receive some glory, Satan receives neither. ] 12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! Art thou cut down to the ground, which did weaken the nations!

13 For thou hast said in thy heart: I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, [ Or "mount of assembly", council of the gods. "Zaphon", legendary abode of Babylonian gods. ] in the sides of the north;

14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High.

15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

16 They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and shall consider thee, and shall say: Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms? [ When all the children of God see Lucifer as he is consigned to his ultimate fate, they will squint at him with disgust and amazement and wonder aloud: Is this the person who caused such incredible physical and spiritual devastation in the world? this spiteful, pathetic figure of misery and degradation? While the king of Babylon shakes the earth and makes realms tremble v16, the Lord of Hosts will shake the heavens and make earth tremble (compare 13:13). Intended by Isaiah to be derogatory as the king of Babylon dreams of supplanting God, yet he is considerably weaker than God. ]

17 And made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof, and opened not the house of his prisoners?

18 All the kings of the nations, yea, all of them, lie in glory, every one of them in his own house.

19  But thou art cast out of thy grave [ Or left unburied after death which is a classical covenant curse that denotes not only shame and dishonor in general but also suggests that not enough of your camp survive the battle so as to be able to bury the dead. ] like an abominable branch, and the remnant of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the stones of the pit; as a carcass trodden under feet.

20 Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land and slain thy people; the seed of evil-doers shall never be renowned.

21 Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquities of their fathers, that they do not rise, nor possess the land, nor fill the face of the world with cities. [ Given the symbolic nature of this chapter, Isaiah is probably referring to figurative "fathers" and "sons" who are related by their behavior rather than lineage.The children of evildoers will perish because they heeded their wicked fathers’ sayings. that they do not rise, nor possess the land, nor fill the face of the world with cities. The righteous will possess the lands of promise (14:1–2) and build cities of Zion for the pure in heart. The wicked, however, will not be blessed to inherit such cities of Zion. ]

22 For I will rise up against them, [ Satan and the antichrist. ] saith the Lord of Hosts [ What exactly does “host” mean? The phrase “Lord of Hosts” is the same as the “Lord of Sabaoth.” “The Lord of Sabaoth was a title of Jehovah; the hosts were the armies of Israel (1 Sam. 17:45), but also included the angelic armies of heaven” (Bible Dictionary, “Sabaoth,” ] , and cut off from Babylon the name, and remnant, and son, and nephew, saith the Lord. [ Suggesting that the destruction being done is the will of the Lord. ]

23 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.

[ Verses 24-27 A sudden change in characters occurs and Assyria is specifically identified. This strophe is a brief summary of chapter 10 where Assyria is judged and condemned (compare 10:26- 34). This change in characters without any real change in subject indicates that the Assyria addressed in the preceding chapters is to be likened to the Babylon of this chapter (as well as equating the king of Babylon with the king of Assyria). Especially note v. 26 when it states the Lord's plans will be upon "all the earth" and "all nations", further indicating that the chapter is to be interpreted typologically. ] 24 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—

25 That I will bring the Assyrian [ The Assyrian is the name that Isaiah gave to the Anti-Christ. ] in my land, [ America. ] and upon my mountains [ Indicates the land of Israel (compare 11:9 and Exod. 15:17). ] tread him under foot; [ The antichrist is allowed to do his work in America for a period. ] then [ After that period. ] shall his yoke depart from off them, [ The burden placed upon the righteous in America will be lifted as the ten tribes will drive the antichrist from America. ] and his burden depart from off their shoulders. [ The antichrist will be given several years to rule in America and the the Lord will thrown him out. During that time few will prove faithful, but those who do prove faithful will await glorious blessings. Such that the day that the remnant of Jacob returns the yoke of oppression will be lifted from their sholdiers, the saints will be free. ]

26  This is the purpose [ To allow the antichrist to purge the earth, and to prove the faithful. ] that is purposed upon the whole earth; [ First in America and then to the entire earth. ] and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all nations.

27 For the Lord of Hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul? [ If this is Gods purpose then who can stop it? ] And his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?

[ Verses 28-32 Zion will be built up as all other nations fall powerless. Even after the great and terrible Day of the Lord some unrepentant nations will persist, but they will be dealt with (cp. ch. 34, 59, Zech 14:16-19). By way of review: Historically the Philistines and Israel were mortal enemies locked in combat during the rulership of kings Saul and David. The Philistines were a foreign nation that emigrated into the provinces of Israel. An idolatrous lot, their uncircumcised condition rendered them ritually unclean in the eyes of Israel. After defeat at the hands of David, the Philistines were later subjugated by Assyria as a body of traders and craftsmen but were later annihilated by Babylon. Also notable of the Philistines was their skill at producing iron which gave them a keen military edge over their enemies, most notably Israel. The Philistines also captured the Ark of the Covenant from Israel during one of their campaigns and the Ark was so bothersome to them because of subsequent plagues they returned it gratis. so, by using the Philistines and contrasting it with Zion in v. 32, Isaiah sets them up as a symbol of uncircumcised heathens that rely on arm of the flesh tactics to usurp land and overpower their enemies but are ultimately annihilated. Thus, Philistia here represents heathens external to Babylon/Assyria that survive the Day of the Lord but still persist in their idolatrous ways. The result is that the Lord will dispose of them by famine (compare Zech. 14:16-19, although the JPS translation emends "famine" to "venom") and by "a stout one from the north". To determine who these various snakes are let us review the emended version of the JPS translation: a Rejoice not, all Philistia, b Because the staff of him that beat you is broken. c For from the stock of a snake there sprouts an asp, d A flying seraph branches out from it. e It shall kill your offspring with its venom, f And it shall slay the very last of you. g Howl, O gate; cry out, O city; h Quake, all Philistia! i For a stout one is coming from the north j And there is no straggler in his ranks. k And what will he answer the messengers of any nation? l That Zion has been established by the Lord: m In it, the needy of His people shall find shelter. n The poor shall graze in his pasture o And the destitute lie down securely. Equating the broken staff from line b with the snake from line c we determine them to be the king of Babylon as v. 5 uses this phrase and indicates that it is referencing the king of Babylon by context. In this chapter, as well as others, Assyria is portrayed as the destroyer of Babylon, we may equate the asp in line c with the king of Assyria. The equating of Babylon and Assyria is again achieved through connection of the rhetorical term "staff" as well as the similarity of the snake/asp terms applied (9:4 uses similar wording as line b to this describing the overthrow of Assyria, and calls Assyria a staff and rod in 10:5,15,24 [the term "staff" is used of the Lord punishing Assyria in 10:26, 30:32 but it seems unlikely that this staff being referenced would ever be called "broken"]). Unfortunately, Isaiah uses "seraph" to represent both a literal biting poisonous snake (30:6) and angels (6:2). In the case of the angels, the title "seraph" denotes a particularly sanctified or "burning" state. But, in lines e-j we are informed that this seraph is to destroy them so they should be weeping rather than rejoicing at the demise of the king of Babylon. This destroyer is then equated with a "stout one from the north". A similar phrase appears in 41:25 and has obvious reference the Jesus Christ himself (as established by cross reference with (41:2-4 and 42:1-4, 42:13). The fiery flying serpent/seraph is also a blatant type of Christ (Num. 21:9). While it seems odd that Isaiah would use the image of a serpentine lineage, when the context of the shifts in political power are considered it is more tenable. Also, as the term "seraph" denotes a sanctified state it differentiates itself from the two ordinary snakes. This interpretation also follows several other scriptural references that state the Lord Himself will wage war on His enemies at the Last Day. (lines k-o above) tell of the restoration of Zion. I would interpret the "he" in line k to be referring to the "one from the north" or the Lord, so it is Him speaking in lines l-o. But, the JPS obviously wouldn't connect this character with the Second Coming so they did not capitalize the "H" in "he". ] 28 In the year that king Ahaz died was this burden.

29  Rejoice not thou, whole Palestina, [ Palestine will not be able to rejoice however. As the antichrist is driven from America he will go make war in Palestine. It was from the sons of Abram that the antichrist suffered his defeat in America, all was good until the ten tribes returned. so he will swear out a vengeance upon the remaining tribes of Abraham that are left. The Muslims(who were the king of the south) and the tribe of Judah. (Dan 11:40-45) ] 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.

30 And the first-born of the poor shall feed, and the needy shall lie down in safety; and I will kill thy root [ The flying serpent. ] with famine, and he [ The antichrist. ] shall slay thy remnant. [ The Jews in Israel. ]

31 Howl, O gate; cry, O city; thou, whole Palestina, [ The enemies of Israel. ] art dissolved; for there shall come from the north a smoke, [ The Remnant of Jacob that burns the wicked with fire. ] and none shall be alone in his appointed times.

32 What shall then answer the messengers of the nations? That the Lord hath founded Zion, and the poor of his people shall trust in it.