No. 18. >> Is Chapter 14 speaking about the devil or am I missing the point of Isaiah's poetry? >>DR. R. REED LESSING: Isaiah Chapter 14 introduces us to how the ancient Near East celebrated the death of Sargon II, who died on the battlefield in 705 BC. This would be a good point in our class on Isaiah to talk a little bit more precisely concerning the Assyrian empire that interfaces throughout much of the first 39 chapters of the book of Isaiah. The entire prophecy of Nahum, delivered some time before Nineveh's downfall as we've discussed in 612 BC, gives a picture of Assyria. And specifically their capital of Nineveh. Nahum 3 Verse 1 calls this a city of bloodshed. Nahum says that Nineveh is full of lies, dead bodies without. And a city that is like a shapely harlot out to seduce and destroy all the nations. That's Nahum 3:1 through 4. What has become of that lion's den? Nahum 2:12 asks sarcastically. A city of crime utterly treacherous, full of violence, where killing never stops. 3 Verse 1. The book of Nahum ends with these ominous words: All who hear the news of you clap hands over you for upon whom has not come your unceasing evil. Nahum 3 Verse 19. One scholar discusses Assyrian war strategies in her article entitled: Grisly Assyrian Record of Torture and Death. She observes, quote: Assyrian national history as it has been preserved for us in inscriptions and pictures consists almost solely of military campaigns and battle. It is as gory and blood curdling a history as we know. One example is from the chronicles of Ashur-nasir-pal II, who lived in the Ninth Century BC. Quote: In strife and conflict I besieged and conquered the city. I felled 3,000 of their fighting men with the sword. I captured many troops alive. I cut off some of their arms and hands. I cut off others their noses, ears and extremities. I gauged out the eyes of many troops. I hung their heads on trees around the city. Ashur-nasir-pal II relates this post battlement punishment of a rebel city and his empire. Quote: I felled with the sword 800 of their combat troops. I burned 3,000 captives from them. I did not leave on them alive as hostage. I captured alive ***Hulaeh, their city ruler, and draped his skin over the wall of the city. The Old Testament describes Assyria as idolatrous and full of pride. Isaiah's vehement imaginary conveys the awful power of Assyrian forces, specifically in Chapter 5 Verses 25 through 30. Within the first 39 chapters of Isaiah, Assyria is featured as among other things a sworm of killer bees that Yahweh whistles for from across the river. Isaiah 7 Verse 18. The razor that Yahweh uses to shave the nations genitalia and expose their shame to the world. Isaiah 7 Verse 40 (sic). The rod of Yahweh's wrath that we have already discussed in Isaiah 10 Verse 5. The force that devours the surrounding countryside leaving Jerusalem like a tottering pathetic hut. Isaiah 1 Verse 8. Assyrians can be typically found striding throughout. Isaiah's 1 Chapters 1 through 39. Hands on their hips plaguing Judean kings with taunts like: I will give you 2,000 horses if you are able to set riders on them. Isaiah 36 Verse 8. And proclaiming to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, even in the Hebrew language that they are destined, quote: To eat their own dung and drink their own urine. Isaiah 36 Verse 12. The Assyrians are the ones who invented the idea of deporting entire populations to distant lands. II Kings 15 Verse 29 and 17 Verse 6. But are remembered most for their inhuman warfare as depicted in this battle ***drederick of Ashur-nasir-pal II from the Ninth Century BC. I stormed the mountain peaks and took them. In the midst of the mighty mountains, I slaughtered them. With their blood I died the mountain red like wool. With the rest of them I darkened the gulleys and precipices of the mountains. I carried off their spoil and their possessions. The heads of their warriors I cut off and I formed them into a pillar over against their city. Their young men and their maidens I burned in the fire. I built a pillar over against the city gates and I filleted all of the chief men who revolted. And I covered the pillar with their skins. Some I walled up within the pillar. Some I impaled on the pillar with stakes. And others I bound on stakes roundabout the pillar. Among Israel's enemies in the Eighth Century BC to quote from I Timothy 1 Verse 15: Assyria truly was the chief of sinners. So when we look at Isaiah Chapter 14 and the great joy and celebration over the death of Sargon II, we can begin to enter into this world ever so slightly and appreciate the sheer hatred people had for Assyria. Let's look now specifically at this text in Isaiah Chapter 14. Verses 3 and 4 indicate that in 705 BC Sargon II had achieved a pinnacle of world dominance that none of his predecessors had known. He even styled himself in Assyrian annals as, quote: Lord of the universe. This pride fits the description of this king in Isaiah 14:3 through 27. But Sargon fits the description in another way. He suffered a fate unknown among Assyrian kings. He was killed on the battlefield. Mystery surrounds the event. But it is plain that it was viewed by the Assyrians as ultimate disgrace. Hence, in contrast to most other Assyrian kings, his son Sennacherib does not even identify who his father was. The death of Sargon on a battlefield in Anatolia or modern day Turkey. And the impossibility of burying him in a royal grave caused great joy throughout the ancient Near East. Verses 4 through 6 talk about the staff as a symbol of Sargon's power. And here is a symbol of his conquering nature, which is attested, also, in the claims of Assyrian kings. Verses 7 and 8 in Isaiah 14 discuss the idea that much of the ancient Near East became peaceful with the demise of Sargon II. The boast of the conquerors replaced with the song of the redeemed. The Assyrian tyrants holding dominion over many people do the opposite of taking care of the earth. Instead, they boast of their ability to destroy the earth, in particular the cypress and Lebanon cedar trees. Therefore, nature in Isaiah 14:7 and 8 also rejoices at the downfall of this king. Verses 9 through 11 in Isaiah 14 describe the reaction of the people over the death of Sargon II. Verses 9 through 11 share the reaction of those in sheol or hell. Here the kings who went before Sargon II rise from their thrones, Isaiah says, to welcome the new arrival and remarked his sameness to them. He's so used to pageantry, it is coming pomp and harp and circumstance. But instead, Isaiah says: He receives the welcome as do all who go to sheol, maggots and worms. Elsewhere in the Bible the worm is indicative of the Lord's judgement. And a vicious consumer of human remains. Isaiah 66:12, Mark 9:45 through 48. But here is where we get to the gist of answering your question. Verses 12 through 15 contains an ancient Middle Eastern myth about a war going on in the heavens. But none of these myths contain a person challenging God. This particular depiction does not correspond to any one myth. But instead, is an image that Isaiah has constructed upon the myths of neighboring nations. Some of the church fathers have linked this passage with Luke 10 Verse 18 where the 72 come back from their successful mission and ministry. And Jesus says: Don't rejoice that the demons are subject to you. But rejoice because your names are written in heaven. And then Jesus says: I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. Jesus is probably alluding to this section in Isaiah Chapter 14. Certainly much of Revelation Chapter 12 where Michael and his angels fight the dragon Revelation 12. And the dragon is cast to the earth. And there he is filled with fury as he goes after the woman and the offspring of the woman. Those who hold to the commandments of God and the testimony of Jesus. So so much of Revelation 12 has as its background this section in Isaiah 14:12 through 15. Anyway, the Reformers, including Luther, also agreed that this is the New Testament connection. The day star that is portrayed in this section of Isaiah is most likely a reference to Venus. The aspiration of the king is similar to the nation at Babel in Genesis 11:1 through 9. The Hebrew word for north indicates that this is a place in Canaanite mythology where the gods live. So Isaiah uses this myth of this it day star saying that: I will become like God and sit on the mount of assembly. And he uses that to mock and satirize Sargon II. Sargon thought he was so high and mighty that he could be a day star that sits on the mountain of God. But yet, as opposed to being as high as he could go in his death on the battlefield, Sargon goes to sheol, as low as he can go. So does this refer to the devil or not? Well, in one way of speaking, it doesn't in any way, shape or form. This is Isaiah's use of an ancient Near Eastern myth to satirize an Assyrian king. But having said that on one level, the historical level, we could say that not only Satan but all people, all nations, all governments who try and place themselves to be like God will have a similar judgement. They think they can go as high as they want. But they will end up going as low as sheol. So Jesus and John in the New Testament take this idea. And use it in a way to help us understand Satanic pride. But more so Satanic judgement.