Isaiah 17

Isaiah 17:1,”The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away
from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.”
Research by a competent Brother in the Lord some years past revealed that the
city of Damascus has never been destroyed, unlike Jerusalem. Therefore, this
Scripture is prophetic and that destruction is still future.
Damascus is destroyed by the hand of Israel, and is instantly a ruinous heap.
Verse 2- “The cities of Aroer forsaken: they shall be for flocks, which shall
lie down, and none shall make them afraid.”
Aroer is in Israel’s territory as declared in Jos. 12:1,2; 13:7-9, and it is located on
the east side of the river Jordan, sitting on the bank of the river Arnon.
This is among the property that the tribes of Reuben, Gad and the half tribe of
Manasseh inherited while Moses yet lived. Here in this prophecy, the (suburb?)
cities of Aroer are forsaken of people and have become places for flocks to lie
down.
Verse 3- “The fortress also shall cease from Ephraim….” Fortress (H4013)
means a fortified city, but figuratively it means a defender. If it refers to a city,
which one? If it is figurative, in large measure the United States has been a
defender to Israel, if only in promise.
Verse 3 continues, “...and the kingdom from Damascus,” (which refers to the
central government of Syria, which is in Damascus.) “...and the remnant of
Syria: they shall be as the glory of the children of Israel, saith the LORD
of hosts.” What is Israel’s glory at this time? It is not collectively in Jehovah,
but in themselves, their might, their accomplishments. Thus the glory of the
remnant of Syria will likewise be in themselves.
Verse 4- “And in that day (the same general time frame as that of the
destruction of Damascus) it shall come to pass, that the glory of Jacob shall
be made thin (their own self esteem about their abilities will be eroded), and
the fatness of his flesh shall wax lean (indicating scarcity of food). And it
shall be as when the harvestman gathers the corn, and reaps the ears
with his arm (when the harvest is gathered in the arm and not by large
machinery, the harvest quantity is very small): and it shall be as he that
gathers ears in the valley of Rephaim. Yet gleaning grapes shall be left
in it, as (similar to) the shaking of an olive tree: two or three berries in the
top of the uppermost bough, four or five in the outmost fruitful branches
thereof, saith the LORD God of Israel.” (The gleanings were left by the
harvestmen for the stranger, the orphan, and the widow, Deut. 24:21. Similarity
is made to an olive tree under the same setting of gleaning wherein only a few
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olives were left at the top and a few more on the outside branches. In both
illustrations, the fruit that remains is ripe, mature. The fruits of any nation are its
people. Jesus said, "I am the vine, ye are the branches." By extension then, the
vine (grape) and the tree (olive) represent the nation of Israel. Therefore, when
the text says, "Yet gleaning grapes shall be left in it," and "two or three berries in
the top of the uppermost bough," we see this to mean a few mature leaders (the
top of the uppermost bough) are left along with several perripheral important
assistants (four or five in the fruitful branches). This does not mean, however,
that the peoples of Israel at large have been decimated. Rather, this illustration
relates instead to the next verses.
Verse 7- "At that day shall a man, (and one in utmost particularity!) look to
his Maker, and his eyes shall have respect to the Holy One of Israel." This
man is Benymin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of the nation of Israel, who will be
accompanied by a few associates, cabinet level, and lower assistants, all of whom
are mature, ripe as regards ability.
Verse 8- "And he (Netanyahu) shall not look to the altars, the work of his
hands (accomplishments), neither shall respect that which his fingers
(associates) have made, either the groves, or the images (indicative of idol
worship, made by the hands of men, often of a secular nature)."
Verse 9- In that day shall his strong cities be as a forsaken bough, and an
uppermost branch which they left because of the children of Israel: and
there shall be desolation." Under Netanyahu's leadership, strong cities of their
own promised land, currently occupied by Gentiles, shall "be as a forsaken
bough..." which they, the peoples of those cities, "left because of the children of
Israel." Note clearly that this verse informs us who caused Damascus to cease to
be a city!! It also informs us who destroys the other cities as well.
In Jer. 49:23-27 we read, “Concerning Damascus: Hamath is confounded,
and Arpad: for they have heard evil tidings: they are fainthearted; there
is sorrow on the sea; it cannot be quiet. Damascus is waxed feeble, and
turns herself to flee, and fear has seized on her: anguish and sorrows
have taken her, as a woman in travail. (Damascus is waxed...as a woman in
travail” clearly tells us Israel will be kind enough to give advance warning to
Damascus of the launching of the “arrow that flies by day,” the missile with the
warhead.) How is the city of praise not left, the city of my joy! Therefore
her young men shall fall in her streets, and all the men of war shall be
cut off in that day, saith the LORD of hosts. And I will kindle a fire in the
wall of Damascus, and it shall consume the palaces of Ben-hadad.” Above
where it says, “how is the city of praise not left,” it did not say “ruined,” or
some other word that denotes partial destruction. “Not left” quite well means
“not there” or “gone,” as in nuclear destruction was the cause. Nuclear
destruction seems to apply also to the phrase, “all the men of war shall be cut
off in that day.”
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Isa. 17:10 says they, the people of Israel as a whole, had forgotten the God of
their salvation. The balance of verse 10, and all of 11 speaks metaphorically of
Israel’s idolatry: though they plant and set out slips with an alien god, yet their
harvest will be empty, albeit in a day of grief and pain. (RSV) From somewhat
another perspective, has not Israel planted “pleasant plants,” edible food; and
have they not “set them with strange slips,” technological advances in science for
variety, shape, abundance, etc.; have they not reduced the time for growth and
harvest? However, all this has been done aside from their God, as though all this
had been their accomplishments alone, and consequently, though the harvest
may be a heap, it will surely be accompanied by a time of grief and desperate
sorrow.
Verse 12- “Woe to the multitude of many people, which make a noise like
the noise of the seas; and to the rushing of nations, that make a rushing
like the rushing of mighty waters!” Verse 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.” Verse 14- “And
behold at eveningtide trouble; before the morning he is not. This is the
portion of them that spoil us, and the lot of them that rob us.”
Clearly these three verses describe the same scenario that is portrayed in Ezek.
38,39. Note the similarities: multitude of many people (Ezek 38: 9- “Thou
shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people
with thee.”) God shall rebuke them (Ezek. 38:21, “And I will call for a sword
against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord God.” Vs 22- “And I will
plead against him….” 39:1- “Thus saith the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against thee,
O Gog….”) Them that spoil us (Ezek. 38:10,12- “...and thou shalt think an evil
thought...to take a spoil…,” which in measure, they will do, Zec 14:1,2.
It will be of interest to most to learn that in 2 Kgs, 14:28 Jeroboam recovered
Hamath and Damascus, to Judah, for Israel. One does not recover something
that was not theirs in the first place. Therefore, Damascus really belongs to
Israel, though it has been in the possession of Syria for a long time. Possession
by Syria means nothing, however, when according to God it belongs to His
people, Ezek. 47:13-18.
Copyright © G. Kuehmichel, March 08, 2018. Minor revisions May 3, 13, 2020. All rights reserved.
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