| Ariel is about to experience a blood bath. They will be encircled with an army from Assyria—the enemy will build forts and blockade the city. It will be a swarm of invaders that encamp Jerusalem but they will be scattered like chaff. Their voice will be like a ghost of the past and they will lie buried in the ground. All of the above will happen suddenly. Assyria will come with an appetite for war and will vanish like a dream. When this happens it will befuddle your wits—you will be bamboozled and amazed. Read 2 Kings 32 where all these events happened. But Israel’s eyes were closed and their ears were muffled—the events that were to happen were like a sealed book to them. When God brings the events to fruition they will be astonished and amazed. God will turn Lebanon into a fruitful forest again. The blind will see God’s plans—the humbled and poor rejoice—the tyrant (Sennacherib) will vanish—scoffers cease—evil doers will be killed. All the above and more are waiting for your understanding in the commentary section. |
1Woe to Ariel, to Ariel, the city where David dwelt! add ye year to year; let them kill sacrifices.
A woe is pronounced against the city where David dwelt. This city was better known as Jerusalem. A city where a cycle of festivals and pilgrims visit year by year.
CROSS REFERENCE SCRIPTURES
THAT MAKE THE CASE:
2Sa 5:9 So David dwelt in the fort, and called it the city of David. And David built round about from Millo and inward.
Hos 5:6 They shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek the LORD; but they shall not find him; he hath withdrawn himself from them.
2Yet I will distress Ariel, and there shall be heaviness and sorrow: and it shall be unto me as Ariel.
God is going to bring heavy judgment upon “Ariel.” “Ariel” means an altar covered with blood.
CROSS REFERENCE SCRIPTURES
THAT ILLUMINATE THE TEXT:
Isa 10:12-16 Wherefore it shall come to pass, that when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria, and the glory of his high looks. For he saith, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom; for I am prudent: and I have removed the bounds of the people, and have robbed their treasures, and I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man: And my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the people: and as one gathereth eggs that are left, have I gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or peeped. Shall the axe boast itself against him that heweth therewith? or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? as if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood. Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of hosts, send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory he shall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire. Read: Eze 24:1-7,21
3And I will camp against thee round about, and will lay siege against thee with a mount, and I will raise forts against thee.
They will be encircled with an armed camp, a ring of outposts and siege works and a blockade. The enemy will build forts around the city to destroy it.
CROSS REFERENCE SCRIPTURES
THAT INDORSE THE TEXT:
2Ki 18:17 And the king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rabsaris and Rabshakeh from Lachish to king Hezekiah with a great host against Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. And when they were come up, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is in the highway of the fuller’s field. Read: 2Ki 19:32; 2Ki 24:11-12; 2Ki 25:1-4; Eze 21:22
4And thou shalt be brought down, and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust.
A swarm of invaders will come upon you and they will be scattered like chaff in the wind. Their voice will be like a ghost of the past and they will lie buried in the ground.
CROSS REFERENCE SCRIPTURES
THAT LEND EVIDENCE TO THE TEXT:
Psa 76:5-6 The stouthearted are spoiled, they have slept their sleep: and none of the men of might have found their hands. At thy rebuke, O God of Jacob, both the chariot and horse are cast into a dead sleep.
Isa 3:8 For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen: because their tongue and their doings are against the LORD, to provoke the eyes of his glory. Read: Isa 2:20-21
5Moreover the multitude of thy strangers shall be like small dust, and the multitude of the terrible ones shall be as chaff that passeth away: yea, it shall be at an instant suddenly.
The multitude of their enemies will be like dust in number and they will come suddenly.
CROSS REFERENCE SCRIPTURES
THAT DEMONSTRATE THE TEXT:
Isa 17:13 The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind.
Psa 76:5-6 The stouthearted are spoiled, they have slept their sleep: and none of the men of might have found their hands. At thy rebuke, O God of Jacob, both the chariot and horse are cast into a dead sleep.
6Thou shalt be visited of the LORD of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with storm and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire.
They will get an unpleasant visit from the Lord of hosts. It will come like a raging storm and devouring fire.
CROSS REFERENCE SCRIPTURES
THAT AUTHENTICATE THE TEXT:
Isa 30:30 And the LORD shall cause his glorious voice to be heard, and shall shew the lighting down of his arm, with the indignation of his anger, and with the flame of a devouring fire, with scattering, and tempest, and hailstones.
7And the multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel, even all that fight against her and her munition, and that distress her, shall be as a dream of a night vision.
Those who besiege her—all the baggage-trains—the entrenchments shall fade like a dream and vanish like a vision.
CROSS REFERENCE SCRIPTURES THAT
ESTABLISH THE CERTAINTY OF THE TEXT:
Isa 37:36 Then the angel of the LORD went forth, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred and fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.
Isa 41:11-12 Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish. Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.
8It shall even be as when an hungry man dreameth, and, behold, he eateth; but he awaketh, and his soul is empty: or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh; but he awaketh, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite: so shall the multitude of all the nations be, that fight against mount Zion.
They will come with an appetite for war but will leave without a conquest.
CROSS REFERENCE SCRIPTURES FOR
OVERWHELMING PROOF OF THE TEXT:
2Ki 19:35-37 And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the LORD went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses. So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh. And it came to pass, as he was worshipping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword: and they escaped into the land of Armenia. And Esarhaddon his son reigned in his stead.
9Stay yourselves, and wonder; cry ye out, and cry: they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink.
It will fuddle your wits—you will be bamboozled and amazed—you won’t believe it.
CROSS REFERENCE SCRIPTURES
THAT ATTEST TO THE TEXT:
Hab 1:5 Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvellously: for I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you.
Isa 19:14 The LORD hath mingled a perverse spirit in the midst thereof: and they have caused Egypt to err in every work thereof, as a drunken man staggereth in his vomit.
Isa 51:21-23 Therefore hear now this, thou afflicted, and drunken, but not with wine: Thus saith thy Lord the LORD, and thy God that pleadeth the cause of his people, Behold, I have taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling, even the dregs of the cup of my fury; thou shalt no more drink it again: But I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee; which have said to thy soul, Bow down, that we may go over: and thou hast laid thy body as the ground, and as the street, to them that went over.
10For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered.
The Lord poured out a spirit of lethargy and closed their eyes and muffled their ears to the events ahead.
CROSS REFERENCE SCRIPTURES
THAT ARE CONCLUSIVE AND FINAL:
1Sa 26:12 So David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul’s bolster; and they gat them away, and no man saw it, nor knew it, neither awaked: for they were all asleep; because a deep sleep from the LORD was fallen upon them.
Psa 69:23 Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not; and make their loins continually to shake.
Isa 44:18 They have not known nor understood: for he hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see; and their hearts, that they cannot understand.
Eze 14:9 And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the LORD have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.
2Th 2:9-11 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
11And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed:
The events to come was like giving a book to the illiterate and asking them to read it.
CROSS REFERENCE SCRIPTURES
THAT RATIFY THE TEXT:
Isa 8:16 Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.
Dan 12:9-10 And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand. Read: Mat 11:25; Mat 13:11; Mat 16:17
12And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned.
The events to come was like giving a book to the illiterate and asking them to read.
CROSS REFERENCE SCRIPTURES
THAT BEAR OUT THE TEXT:
Isa 29:18 And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness.
Jer 5:4 Therefore I said, Surely these are poor; they are foolish: for they know not the way of the LORD, nor the judgment of their God. Read: Hos 4:6; Joh 7:15-17
13Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:
This people honored God with lip service but their heart and minds were far removed from him. Their fear and reverence was routine observance of human precepts and commandments of men.
CROSS REFERENCE SCRIPTURES
THAT BEAR OUT THE TEXT:
Isa 48:1-2 Hear ye this, O house of Jacob, which are called by the name of Israel, and are come forth out of the waters of Judah, which swear by the name of the LORD, and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth, nor in righteousness. For they call themselves of the holy city, and stay themselves upon the God of Israel; The LORD of hosts is his name. Read: Jer 3:10; Eze 33:31; Mar 7:6-7
14Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.
God is going to deal with them in such a way that it will astonish them and leave them in amazement. Even wise and clever men will have their wisdom eclipsed.
CROSS REFERENCE SCRIPTURES
THAT SPEAK VOLUMES ABOUT THE TEXT:
Hab 1:5 Behold ye among the heathen, and regard, and wonder marvellously: for I will work a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though it be told you. Read: Isa 19:11-14
15Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?
Some tried to hide their secret plans and works from the Lord thinking that they were hidden from his view.
CROSS REFERENCE SCRIPTURES
THAT SHED LIGHT ON THE TEXT:
Psa 139:1-2 O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Read; Eze 8:12; Rev 2:23
16Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter’s clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?
How stupid can they be? Can clay talk back to the potter and say, “you never made me?” Clever evolutionists are walking in the same path.
CROSS REFERENCE SCRIPTURES
THAT VERIFY THE TEXT:
Act 17:6 And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also; Read: Jer 18:1-10
17Is it not yet a very little while, and Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest?
Very soon Lebanon will turn into a forest—a lush fertile forest.
CROSS REFERENCE SCRIPTURES THAT GIVE COUNTEREVIDENCE TO THE TEXT:
Isa 35:1–2 The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God. Read: Isa 41:19; Isa 55:13
18And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness.
Out of the gloom and darkness of captivity the blind will see my plans.
CROSS REFERENCE SCRIPTURES
THAT CONFIRM THE TEXT:
Isa 42:16-18 And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them. They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say to the molten images, Ye are our gods. Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may see. Read: Deu 29:4; Mat 13:14-16
19The meek also shall increase their joy in the LORD, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.
Those who have been humbled will obtain fresh joy and the poor shall rejoice and exult the Holy One of Israel.
CROSS REFERENCE SCRIPTURES
THAT GIVE AUTHORITIVE DATA
TO THE TEXT:
Psa 37:11 But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
Isa 66:2 For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.
20For the terrible one is brought to nought, and the scorner is consumed, and all that watch for iniquity are cut off:
The ruthless bully tyrant will vanish—scoffers will cease—and evil doers will be killed.
CROSS REFERENCE SCRIPTURES
THAT CARRY WEIGHT REGARDING THE TEXT:
Isa 25:4-5 For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall. Thou shalt bring down the noise of strangers, as the heat in a dry place; even the heat with the shadow of a cloud: the branch of the terrible ones shall be brought low. Read: Isa 28:14; Mic 2:1
21That make a man an offender for a word, and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate, and turn aside the just for a thing of nought.
These folks made a man an offender by a mere word. (Political right speech). They laid a trap to destroy good men by mere legal quibble. All these shall be exterminated.
CROSS REFERENCE SCRIPTURES
THAT MAKE THE CASE:
Luk 11:54 Laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something out of his mouth, that they might accuse him.
Jer 18:18 Then said they, Come, and let us devise devices against Jeremiah; for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us smite him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words. Read: Eze 13:19
22Therefore thus saith the LORD, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob, Jacob shall not now be ashamed, neither shall his face now wax pale.
This message is from the God of Jacob. Jacob will not be ashamed nor does his face grow pale from disappointment.
CROSS REFERENCE SCRIPTURES
THAT ILLUMINATE THE TEXT:
Isa 41:8-10 But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend. Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away. Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Read: Isa 45:17
23But when he seeth his children, the work of mine hands, in the midst of him, they shall sanctify my name, and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall fear the God of Israel.
When they see God’s deliverance from captivity they will stand in awe and reverence the God of Israel. Israel will experience a surging birth rate and a booming economy.
CROSS REFERENCE SCRIPTURES
THAT INDORSE THE TEXT:
Isa 43:21 This people have I formed for myself; they shall shew forth my praise.
Lev 10:3 Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the LORD spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace.
24They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine.
The hard-headed obstinate—fault finders and murmurs’, whose minds are confused will gain understanding and receive instruction.
CROSS REFERENCE SCRIPTURES
THAT LEND EVIDENCE TO THE TEXT:
1Ti 1:13-15 Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. Read: Isa 28:7; Luk 15:17-19
