From Isaiah 23:15, God has given us a clue
of how old Antichrist is when he sits in God's temple,
claiming that he is God, and sings like a harlot.
Antichrist shall be 70 years old when he rebels against
God.
Today I want to talk about the background
and timing of Isaiah 23. The round about cities listed
in Isaiah 23 are the Mediterranean cities where AC
controls after he revives the Roman Empire. They are the
inhabitants of the isle, the merchants of Zidon, the
seed of Sihor which is a river in Egypt, Tarshish. All
these are round about cities in Mediterranean sea where
AC controls.
In verse 4, God directly nicknames AC as
the "sea".
4 Be thou ashamed, O Zidon: for the sea
hath spoken, even the strength of the sea, saying, I
travail not, nor bring forth children, neither do I
nourish up young men, nor bring up virgins.
"For the sea has spoken, I travail not,
nor bring forth children, neither do I nourish up young
man, nor bring up virgins"
This is the same sin we find from the
foolish shepherd in Zechariah 11:15-17.
Zechariah 11:16 For, lo, I will raise up a
shepherd in the land, which shall not visit those that
be cut off, neither shall seek the young one, nor heal
that that is broken, nor feed that that standeth still:
but he shall eat the flesh of the fat, and tear their
claws in pieces.
"Neither shall seek the young one, nor
heal that that is broken, nor feed that that stands
still, but he shall eat the flesh of the fat, and tear
their claws in pieces" is the same sin as "I travail
not, nor bring forth children, neither do I nourish up
young man, nor bring up virgins"
"Bring up virgins" is our Christians'
daily job and duty. God sees a faithful servant and
follower of Him and Jesus as a virgin. The more virgins
we bring to God and Jesus, God shall be delightful of
the work we've done. But the sea is opposed to bringing
up virgins. It speaks of AC /the sea as a runaway
religious leader.
Let's go back to the timing of Isaiah 23.
As we can see, the sea is in trouble. His round about
cities in Mediterranean sea are in war with an outside
force. There are signs of rout in many cities.
1 The burden of Tyre. Howl, ye ships of
Tarshish; for it is laid waste, so that there is no
house, no entering in:
2 Be still, ye inhabitants of the isle;
thou whom the merchants of Zidon, that pass over the
sea, have replenished.
5 As at the report concerning Egypt, so
shall they be sorely pained at the report of Tyre."
From Daniel 11:41-43, we learn that after
AC trespass Israel, he shall invade Egypt and Ethiopia.
This is a mid-trib event. At the climax of this war,
Ethiopia shall send a swift messenger to China for help
(Isaiah 18:1-3). China shall finally get involved in
this conflict, and together with Russia and many kings
from the east, send their armies to middle east,
to engage AC and his western allies. This is world war
three. God recompenses AC and his nations for what they
did to Israel and Egypt. This is why they be sorely
pained at the report of Tyre, after they saw the report
concerning Egypt. Having said this, the background and
timing of judgment upon Tyre is in the second half of
tribulation, right after AC trespass Israel and invades
Egypt and Ethiopia. AC and his Roman Empire is facing a
war with the Kings of the east.
We can continue our reading and see how
God judges Tyre the crowing city and his round about
cities in Mediterranean sea.
8 Who hath taken this counsel against
Tyre, the crowning city, whose merchants are princes,
whose traffickers are the honourable of the earth?
9 The LORD of hosts hath purposed it, to
stain the pride of all glory, and to bring into contempt
all the honourable of the earth.
10 Pass through thy land as a river, O
daughter of Tarshish: there is no more strength.
11 He stretched out his hand over the sea,
he shook the kingdoms: the LORD hath given a commandment
against the merchant city, to destroy the strong holds
thereof.
12 And he said, Thou shalt no more
rejoice, O thou oppressed virgin, daughter of Zidon:
arise, pass over to Chittim; there also shalt thou have
no rest.
13 Behold the land of the Chaldeans; this
people was not, till the Assyrian founded it for them
that dwell in the wilderness: they set up the towers
thereof, they raised up the palaces thereof; and he
brought it to ruin. (This is parallel to Zechariah
5:5-11 when AC/Tyre moves to Babylon, build a house
there, and sets there as his own base. God shall bring
the city Babylon to ruin.)
14 Howl, ye ships of Tarshish: for your
strength is laid waste.
Consider why will God judge Tyre and his
round about cities in Mediterranean sea, we find the
reason in verse 15 and 16.
15 And it shall come to pass in that day,
that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, according to
the days of one king: after the end of seventy years
shall Tyre sing as an harlot.
16 Take an harp, go about the city, thou
harlot that hast been forgotten; make sweet melody, sing
many songs, that thou mayest be remembered.
God judges Tyre and his revived Roman
Empire because when Tyre turns 70 years old, he sings as
a harlot by opposing God, and commits fornication with
all kingdoms on earth. But good news is God shall visit
Tyre after he turns 70 years old, and turns his
merchandise and his hire into holiness to God.
17 And it shall come to pass after the end
of seventy years, that the LORD will visit Tyre, and she
shall turn to her hire, and shall commit fornication
with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the
earth. 18 And her merchandise and her hire shall be
holiness to the LORD: it shall not be treasured nor laid
up; for her merchandise shall be for them that dwell
before the LORD, to eat sufficiently, and for durable
clothing.
My summary. The timing of Isaiah 23 points
to the second half of tribulation, after Tyre defiles
the third temple in mid-trib by singing as a harlot
inside the temple. At that time he is 70 years old. God
shall remember his sin.
Ray