Isaiah 18 and the United States
by
Philip du Nard
If you do a Bing internet search using the terms "Isaiah 18" and "United States" as I have done, it will reveal that there are any number of web articles discussing Isaiah chapter 18 as it relates to the United States in Bible prophecy. This connection is not generally widely discussed among students of prophecy but it is apparent that the teaching that Isaiah 18 is referring to the United States is not new and has been around awhile.
The web articles seem to fall into one of three main groups. There are those that dismiss the thought of there being a connection as a notion that has been read into the Scriptures by those who are desperate to find the United States in Bible prophecy. They may say it just refers to Ethiopia or some land back in Bible times. Probably most seminary professors would fail to see the United States as being a fulfillment of this scripture. That would be enough to convince some people that there is nothing to it. Of course, there is a caveat here since the Lord said some things had been hidden from the "wise and the prudent."
The articles which find a fulfillment in the United States seem to fall into two remaining groups: Those that think it spells destruction to the United States and those that think it bodes well instead.
If you read what I have written elsewhere on this site, you will already know that independently of Isaiah 18, I believe the United States is a nation of prophetic destiny as an Israel nation populated mainly by descendants of the tribes of Israel that were scattered in ancient times. So I fall into that third group. Others, I think, have done a fairly good job of making the case for this scripture referring to the U.S. though they obviously haven't convinced everyone. I enter this discussion not to simply repeat what others have set forth but to call attention to an aspect of this that seems to have gone unnoticed.
But first, the question may arise, why bother? And what should our motivation be? There is so much confusion and disagreement among born again believers and sometimes even bitter contention over Bible prophecy that some have determined that the spiritually mature means of rising above it all is to ignore it all. I think that is wrong and entirely at odds with the apostle Peter's exhortation that we would do well to take heed to the "more sure word of prophecy" II Peter 1:19. We need to rightly divide the word of truth in our minds, not ignore it. So my motivation for taking this issue up is to continue in Christ's word and thereby be judged a disciple indeed. Surely, the Holy Spirit's intention as our Comforter is that studying a scripture such as this would be a blessing and a source of joy and encouragement to the believer as many have found it rather than a piece of dry literature. If studying this prophecy causes the daystar to arise in our hearts as is supposed to happen according to Peter then that seems to be a worthy enough objective. Disagreement among believers notwithstanding, it is going to take more light and understanding from the Word of God in the trying days ahead, not less. If you take the position that you know all you need to know from the Scriptures as long as you are saved, this is a foolish position to take and is like the foolish virgins who went forth to meet the bridegroom without any oil in their lamps. As I've said elsewhere, Peter and the other disciples didn't lose their salvation when they essentially blew it at the time of the Lord's passion but they behaved so miserably because they didn't understand what it was all about. Bible prophecy was transpiring before their eyes and they didn't know Bible prophecy. But beforehand, Peter was sure he could stand up to the pressure. While none of us has perfect understanding of these things, it ought to be our intention to get understanding and act accordingly.
With that said, the context of Isaiah 18, that is, the preceding chapters, sets forth the prophetic destiny of Babylon, Moab and Damascus. Chapter 19 deals with Egypt. They start out with the phrase, "The burden of Babylon," "the burden of Moab," etc. The last part of chapter 17 predicts "woe" to "the multitude of many people." Chapter 18, the subject of our study, starts with the phrase, "Woe to the land shadowing with wings". It is noteworthy that this land is not named whereas Babylon, Moab, Damascus and Egypt are named when the Scripture sets forth their destiny. If chapter 18 were simply about Ethiopia as some have suggested, from our limited perspective, it might have made more sense for the Holy Spirit to have simply said "Woe to Ethiopia" and not leave us in the dark. The fact that the land and people are not specifically named herein is a clue that it is a prophetic reference to a nation not yet in existence. This should not seem so strange to the seminary professor and professional theologian as it apparently seems. Afterall, it is understood that the more familiar Messianic prophecies are sandwiched between messages for the prophet's own time. In any case, by not naming the land, the Holy Spirit is encouraging us to chew on this a bit. And why should Bible students be reproached for doing just that? Does not the inspired Word exhort us to seek understanding "as for hid treasures" with a blessing to follow? Proverbs 2:3-5.
My contribution to this discussion is that whether or not this is a reference to the United States, I think the people referred to in this particular land do have a Biblical name.
The land "shadowing with wings" in Isaiah 18 is said to be "beyond the rivers of Ethiopia" v.1. Verse 2 speaks of "a nation scattered and peeled, to a people terrible from their beginning hitherto; a nation meted out and trodden down, whose land the rivers have spoiled." This same phraseology is used in verse 7 where it says, "In that time shall the present be brought unto the Lord of hosts of a people scattered and peeled..." So apparently this people honors God in some respect.
What we should do is compare scripture with scripture and see whether or not God has indeed designed the Bible to be its own interpreter. If we turn to the book of Zephaniah, it speaks of judgment to come on various peoples as does Isaiah. In Zephaniah 3:8, God says, Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the Lord, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.
This sounds pretty severe and is but it is not without purpose. Verse 9 continues, "For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one consent." So, apparently, there is not complete destruction. According to Strong's Concordance, the Hebrew word translated as "pure" can have various meanings: "clarify, select...brighten, pure(ify)," etc. Years ago, Pastor C.O. Stadsklev suggested this was a prophetic reference to the phenomenon we have observed in our own time of English becoming a universal language. All of this is leading up to the part that is of relevance in having some understanding of Isaiah 18.
Verse 10 states, "From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, even the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring mine offering." It seems that God gave the prophet Zephaniah a glimpse of the same people as He did Isaiah. Isaiah and Zephaniah both speak of a land and people beyond the rivers of Ethiopia. Isaiah says they will bring a present to the Lord. God says to Zephaniah they will bring mine offering.. There are two different Hebrew words that mean essentially the same thing. It seems apparent that they are referring to the same people. Isaiah speaks of "a nation scattered and peeled, a people terrible from their beginning hitherto, a nation meted out and trodden down, whose land the rivers have spoiled." Zephaniah calls them "my suppliants:" Suppliants are people who pray to the Lord. So they must be a praying people. He also calls them "the daughter of my dispersed." So this is the Biblical name for the people in Isaiah 18. This serves to identify the people and nation described in Isaiah 18 as an Israel nation that came into being as the result of Israel's dispersion in centuries past. I do not think God would refer to the Ethiopians or Cushites in Biblical times or later times as being the "daughter of my dispersed". They were not and are not Israelites. Neither were the Ethiopians or Nubians of antiquity peoples who generally knew and prayed to the Lord. So comparing scripture with scripture ought to lay to rest the notion that Isaiah 18 is referring to some heathen nation in the vicinity of Israel before Israel's dispersion.
With that in mind, what is the crux of the message to this people? What sort of woe would we expect to come to an Israel land in contrast to the heathen world? A prophecy given in Jeremiah 30:7 which, according to v.24 we are told to consider in the "latter days," says, "Alas (the same Hebrew word translated as "woe" in Isaiah 18), for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble, but he shall be saved out of it." The United States is in trouble spiritually, morally, economically, socially, and in other ways and this will increase. But it will not result in destruction but deliverance instead.
It's worth noting that some have pointed out that the Hebrew word translated as "woe" is, according to Strong's Concordance, alternatively translated as "Ho" which is a greeting or exclamation which does not necessarily denote distress. And that may be the proper use here. But we can't be absolutely certain. In either case, there will be what is called the time of Jacob's trouble.
In reading Isaiah 18, there would actually seem to be three entities mentioned that require identification. But they probably are all different descriptions of a single entity. It reads like the land shadowing with wings (the first entity) sends ambassadors or messengers to a nation scattered and peeled, to a people terrible from their beginning hitherto... (the second entity), which, in turn, brings a present to the mount of Zion (the third entity). This can be confusing.
It's a little more involved to show that the third entity is the same as the first two mentioned but with respect to the first two being the same, I suggest that the way to read this is "Woe to the land shadowing with wings..., woe to a nation scattered and peeled, woe to a people terrible from their beginning hitherto... These are a list of characteristics of the same land and people to which woe is to come. But because a part of the first description in the list includes the phrase that "sendeth ambassadors by the sea, saying Go ye swift messengers," and this is immediately followed by "to a nation scattered and peeled," one might be tempted to thing that ambassadors are sent to a nation scattered and peeled from the land shadowing with wings rather than woe coming to a nation scattered and peeled. I think the phrase, "Go ye swift messengers", is the end of the first set of characteristics, and "a nation scattered and peeled" is the beginning of the second set of characteristics of the same land that sends messengers whereever. The chapter is about one land and people, not two. It hardly makes sense that the Holy Spirit would inspire the prophet to devote two verses to some mystery land that isn't mentioned anywhere else in Scripture and then devote the rest of the context to some other land and people altogether.
So, starting at the beginning of the chapter, what we have is "Woe (the time of Jacob's trouble) to the land shadowing with wings ( either a reference to the age of air travel or our national symbol, the eagle ), which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia ( that is, the Nile river; so we must look in a generally westward direction from ancient Israel. No nation in Africa or elsewhere fits the other characteristics listed ), That sendeth ambassadors by the sea in vessels of bulrushes upon the waters ( a nation separated from other nations by the oceans that no longer uses sailing ships but "bulrushes upon the the waters", that is propellers to push the ships forward), saying, Go ye swift messengers ( modern travel for our military and diplomats is indeed swift compared to ancient times and the United States is particularly well known for projecting its power far from its shores), to a nation scattered and peeled ( that is, woe to a nation scattered and peeled, (or as Strong's Concordance points out, the word the translators translated as scattered has many applications. It means to draw out, or stretch out or extend. It can therefore mean tall. "Tall and clean-shaven" is a legitimate translation), to a people terrible from their beginning hitherto (a nation to be feared would not be a weak nation relative to other nations so it must be strong militarily), a nation meted out and trodden down, whose land the rivers have spoiled ( so while it's beyond the Nile river, it's probably not talking about the Sahara desert; rather it's a land that was measured out or surveyed, perhaps a reference to the township system, and trodden down, perhaps a reference to the pioneers and those that followed them, and a land divided by great rivers and all of their many tributaries such as the Mississippi, Missouri, and Ohio, etc.)
Verse 3 continues, "All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, see ye, when he lifteth up an ensign on the mountains; and when he bloweth a trumpet, hear ye." In other words, when this nation raises its flag and decides to go to war, this is something that would impact the whole world. Our skeptical brethren will insist this has nothing to do with the U.S. but it nevertheless remains true that in the last century, the United States was victorious in two world wars and subsequently has projected its power and influence around the globe. The inhabitants of the world have good reason to take notice when the U.S. lifts its flag and blows its war trumpet.
Verses 4-6 reads, "For so the Lord said unto me, I will take my rest, and I will consider in my dwelling place like a clear heat upon herbs, and like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest: For afore the harvest, when the bud is perfect, and the sour grape is ripening in the flower, he shall both cut off the sprigs with pruning hooks, and take away and cut down the branches. They shall be left together unto the fowls of the mountains, and to the beasts of the earth: and the fowls shall summer upon them, and all the beasts of the earth shall winter upon them."
Once again, it will help us to understand this if we compare it with other scriptures. This is the same teaching that the Lord Jesus Christ presented in Matthew 13 in the parable of the wheat and the tares. In that parable, the Lord said the harvest was the end of the world v.39. The servants of the householder in the parable were instructed to let tares or weeds grow along with the wheat until the time of harvest. This waiting until the harvest is probably the same time period described in verse 4 of Isaiah 18 wherein the Lord says, "I will take my rest." Then the reapers, that is, the angels, as the Lord explains, would remove the tares. A sprig, which is the word used in Isaiah is not quite the same thing as a tare in gardening terms but it is similar in that it is often appropriate to remove it. So at some point during or after the time of trouble that our nation passes through, those things or persons that "offend and do iniquity" will be removed.
In summary, this chapter in Isaiah speaks of the deliverance and cleansing of the United States. This is praiseworthy.