Isaiah chapter 2:6-11
The Day of the LORD is the subject of the following verses, so this a future prophecy describing both modern Israel and the Diaspora Israelites of all twelve tribes, not just Judah (Jews), because the verses are addressed to Jacob, not just Judah, who was only one of Jacob’s sons. Be alert for this difference and take note of which prophecies are spoken to whom.
6 For You have forsaken Your people, the house of Jacob,
Because they are filled with eastern ways;
They [are] soothsayers like the Philistines,
And they are pleased with the children of foreigners.
Let’s parse this a little:
Eastern ways = Babylon magicians and Hindu mystics (yoga)
Soothsayers = sorcery, New Age
Pleased with = making covenants with foreigners
7 Their land is also full of silver and gold,
And there is no end to their treasures;
Their land is also full of horses,
And there is no end to their chariots.
Looks like Israel will have had no trouble getting themselves on the gold standard!
Chariots refer to vehicles, and horses are becoming a big big business in the Middle East. I always wondered how the verses about horses during the Tribulation would come true, but here it is!
8 Their land is also full of idols;
They worship the work of their own hands,
That which their own fingers have made.
We can only guess what people who witness the Rapture are going to believe religion-wise, but there are many references to gold and silver idols during the Tribulation. I wonder if this means the prototype mark will be more like the Apple watch, something worn but decorated as jewelry, like a totem or talisman.
9 People bow down,
And each man humbles himself;
Therefore do not forgive them.
Everyone, humble or great, will bow before their idols. It's kind of hard to imagine people going back to genuflecting or salaaming, but I wonder if it means that they submit their lives to what their Apple watch tells them to do; in other words, they yield their will to the collective, and allow artificial intelligence to order their actions and lives. We've seen enough people, many of ourselves among them, at least at first, unquestioningly don the masks and present arms for jabs, so I can certainly envision the slavish obedience to an entity that has been created to "save" them from the solar instability that threatens the world.
Note that it is Isaiah telling the Lord: Do not forgive them! He really gets worked up as he observes all the sinning that the house of Jacob is getting into. It helps to use a translation that puts quotations around what the Lord says and what the prophet or psalmist says, though a careful reading will yield this information.
Also, this is not just about Judah during the Tribulation, because v.6 references the house of Jacob, meaning all 12 tribes. At some point the descendants of the missing ten tribes (9.5, really) are going to be identified, probably by DNA. Will this happen before or after the Rapture? 🤷♀️
Next, we get into the nitty gritty of the physical environment of the Tribulation, and the solutions that humans have come up with to deal with it:
10 Enter into the rock, and hide in the dust,
From the terror of the LORD
And the glory of His majesty.
Isaiah tightens the zoom again. Verse 10 is an answer to v.9, that sinful men will be brought low and mankind humbled. Verse 10 summarizes the remainder of the vision of the Day of the Lord. It's going to be all about hiding underground in terror, as Jesus approaches in majesty from on high.
The tunnels and hiding places in the rocks and hills are mentioned many times. It will be the only place safe from the solar storms and impending micronova. Elon's Boring Company is even now drilling some these tunnels, and many other tunnels and bunkers are already in existence.
11 The lofty looks of man shall be humbled
The haughtiness of men shall be bowed down
And the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.
Verse 11 is echoed in other places, like Isaiah 45:23 (That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear) as also appears in Paul's letter to the Romans (14:11). Finally, all pride will be blown away and people, whether they worship God or hate Him, will have to confess that He is the Creator, the One God, that Jesus is His Son, and bow before Him.
These verses complete the first backstory part, or what I call the first zoom. Isaiah is looking through a time telescope, in a way—first he zooms out to see the big picture, then he zooms in one degree, and describes that; then he zooms in a little more, and ends with a homily, but I can imagine him screaming at the people in the vision by the end of the chapter, utterly horrified at how complacently his people have surrendered their will to obey a human being as though he were a god.
Keep verse 5 (from the previous study) in mind; it's the end of the initial summary, and because the Holy Spirit is beautifully organized and balanced, He will use one of those literary devices that I mentioned previously, like a restatement, a parallel, or a contrast at the end of the chapter. Always be on the lookout for the corollary, or mirror, of the theme.
Next up: Isaiah chapter 2:12-22
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