Isaiah 14:12-23
12 "How you are fallen from heaven,
O Lucifer, son of the morning!
How you are cut down to the ground,
You who weakened the nations!
13 For you have said in your heart:
I will ascend into heaven,
I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;
I will also sit on the mount of the congregation
On the farthest sides of the north;
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,
I will be like the Most High.'
15 Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol,
To the lowest depths of the Pit.
16 "Those who see you will gaze at you,
And consider you, saying:
'Is this the man who made the earth tremble,
Who shook kingdoms,
17 Who made the world as a wilderness
And destroyed its cities,
Who did not open the house of his prisoners?'
18 "All the kings of the nations,
All of them, sleep in glory,
Everyone in his own house;
19 But you are cast out of your grave
Like an abominable branch,
Like the garment of those who are slain,
Thrust through with a sword,
Who go down to the stones of the pit,
Like a corpse trodden underfoot.
20 You will not be joined with them in burial,
Because you have destroyed your land
And slain your people.
The brood of evildoers shall never be named.
21 Prepare slaughter for his children
Because of the iniquity of their fathers,
Lest they rise up and possess the land,
And fill the face of the world with cities."
22 "For I will rise up against them," says the LORD of hosts,
"And cut off from Babylon the name and remnant,
And offspring and posterity," says the LORD.
23 "I will also make it a possession for the porcupine,
And marshes of muddy water;
I will sweep it with the broom of destruction," says the LORD of hosts.
The fall and destruction of Babylon is a prophetic picture of Satan’s demise as well as the earthly kingdom at the time of Isaiah’s message from the LORD. The aspirations of the earthly ruler of Babylon to rise against God in rebellion and in blasphemy call himself God as His equal while destroying the nations are all driven by the Angel of dark light who once burned brightly in God’s creation in heaven. Yes, the earthly king followed his master and became like him instead of God, just as the cult of the Mormons does by their blasphemy of rising to become gods themselves and rule worlds as if replacing the one true God with their dark lies acting as light (2 Corinthians 11:14-15). Such arrogance in pride to assume to ascend to God’s level and then take over as Him! The earthly kings as in Babylon who follow this fallen Angel of light will all meet the same end in the lake burning with the unending fire of everlasting death (Revelation 20:10, 15), while we who are in Christ find everlasting life in humility and subservience to the only wise King (1 Timothy 1:17). In that Day all will gaze at the dragon of old (Revelation 12:9) who is cast down for good and wonder at how he had deceived so many with fear and trembling and destruction, and how he aspired arrogantly to assume he could become God and replace Him, just as the king of Babylon did on earth in a microcosmic way in comparison! Other rulers have died and sleep in glory as verse 18 says, but the type of the Adversary here is cast out of the grave, most likely meaning he will not rest in peace but suffer forever with no respite. The earthly king destroyed and killed and so his children, those following him, will also be taken down and go to the place of eternal unrest with him. This is true both for the king of Babylon and Lucifer. Just as the LORD promised to cut off the name and remnant of that earthly kingdom so will He cut off the followers of destruction and their posterity in the lake of fire we call Hell (Revelation 12:10, 15). There is nothing left of the kingdom of Babylon where life is found, and there will likewise only be the dead in spirit who will inhabit that place of everlasting destruction (2 Thessalonians 1:9) with the deceiver of all mankind and destroyer of God’s good creation (Genesis 3:4, 13, 2 Corinthians 11:3). This is the forewarning and lessons from the fall and destruction of Babylon and Satan. May we all hear the gospel and escape God’s wrath which we all deserve by trusting His work in Jesus Christ alone for deliverance from this certain fate and serve God alone by the trusting and humble obedient worship of our lives (Romans 12:1-2) and not in pride or arrogance to assume we can rule instead of Him. Amen and amen!
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