[Isaiah 29:1] WOE TO ARIEL, TO ARIEL, THE CITY WHERE DAVID DWELT! ADD YE YEAR TO YEAR; LET THEM KILL SACRIFICES.
“ARIEL” means “lion [ari] of God[el]”. It is used here as a name for Jerusalem.
Possible explanations for the name “Ariel” by Amos Chacham:
The altar in the Temple is termed “Ha-ariel” (Ezekiel 43;15 in Hebrew) meaning “the lion of God” because it eats up sacrifices like a lion or because the Sanctuary had architectural features reminiscent of a lion’s body. Alternately the Temple Mount was originally called “Har-El” meaning Mountain of God and later the name was slightly changed to suggest a lion.
The whole of Jerusalem was therefore named “Ariel” after the Altar in the Temple or the Temple itself.
2. Jerusalem was called Ariel since it was in Judah whose symbol was a lion (Genesis 49;9).
“Ariel” may be derived from the Akkadian “Yero-el” meaning “God will be seen”. Abraham called the Temple Mount “God will make Himself be seen” (Genesis 22;14). Akkadian was the language of Ancient Mesopotamia (Assyria and Babylon) but it was also spoken in parts of the Land of Israel.
An inscription from Moab meantions King David having conquered lands in Moab and setting up some kind of monument (Possibly the statue of a lion) called an “Ariel” – and representing David?
[Isaiah 29:2] YET I WILL DISTRESS ARIEL, AND THERE SHALL BE HEAVINESS AND SORROW: AND IT SHALL BE UNTO ME AS ARIEL.
[Isaiah 29:3] AND I WILL CAMP AGAINST THEE ROUND ABOUT, AND WILL LAY SIEGE AGAINST THEE WITH A MOUNT, AND I WILL RAISE FORTS AGAINST THEE.
[Isaiah 29:4] AND 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.
[Isaiah 29:5] MOREOVER 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.
Jerusalem is beseiged by a great multitude but its beseigers suddenly are “blown away”.
[Isaiah 29:6] THOU 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.
[Isaiah 29:7] AND 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.
All the peoples of the earth will attack Jerusalem and all of them will suddenly disappear.
[Isaiah 29:8] IT 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.
It will be like a bad dream caused by physical discomfort. Often our external troubles reflect an internal spiritual malaise. Correct ourselves on a spiritual level and it may be that physically and materially our lot is bettered.
[Isaiah 29:9] STAY YOURSELVES, AND WONDER; CRY YE OUT, AND CRY: THEY ARE DRUNKEN, BUT NOT WITH WINE; THEY STAGGER, BUT NOT WITH STRONG DRINK.
[Isaiah 29:10] FOR 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 PROPHETS AND YOUR RULERS” are as if sleeping and not seeing the obvious.
[Isaiah 29:11] AND 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:
[Isaiah 29:12] AND THE BOOK IS DELIVERED TO HIM THAT IS NOT LEARNED, SAYING, READ THIS, I PRAY THEE: AND HE SAITH, I AM NOT LEARNED.
[Isaiah 29:13] WHEREFORE 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:
[Isaiah 29:14] THEREFORE, 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.
“A MARVELLOUS WORK”
Until now a siege of Jerusalem has been described followed by miraculous deliverance. Isaiah in chapters 36 and 37 goes on to describe the Assyrian King Sennacherib beseiging Jerusalem which is saved due to Divine Intervention. This chapter too could be referring to the same incident. The King Hezekiah and part of the people were relying on assistance from Egypt . This was against the wish of God and the message of the Prophet. That is why some criticism is directed towards the people of Jerusalem. They lacked a true fear of the Almighty. There are however details of the salvation here that were not fufilled in the salvation from Sennacherib. The Prophecy therefore is directed to the future and uses the case of Sennacherib as a prototype for descriptive purposes. The Sages said that Sennacherib ahd his forces was a type of the future “Gog and Magog”. King Hezekiah was a forerunner of the future Messiah and in other circumstances could have been the Messiah. Messiah means “Annoited Saviour”. The Prophecy in its fullness will be fulfilled in the Latter Days. Some say that the troubles of Gog and Magog (Ezekiel 38) will continue for two or three years.
Isaiah 29 part 2
[Isaiah 29:15] WOE 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?
God sees everything but we all at some time or other prefer to pretend to ourselves that He does not.
[Isaiah 29:16] SURELY 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?
Sometimes when things do not go as we wished or when temptation is strong we thing to oourselves that God did not make us really to obey His laws.
[Isaiah 29:17] IS 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.
Lebanon was a place of forest. Fruitful fieled = “Carmel” in Hebrew. Things will be reversed.
[Isaiah 29:18] AND 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.
Figurative (as well as literal). People will, repent. Those who made themselves as if to be blind and not read Scripture and deaf and not hear teaching will return and rectify themselves.
[Isaiah 29:19] THE MEEK ALSO SHALL INCREASE THEIR JOY IN THE LORD, AND THE POOR AMONG MEN SHALL REJOICE IN THE HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL.
[Isaiah 29:20] FOR THE TERRIBLE ONE IS BROUGHT TO NOUGHT, AND THE SCORNER IS CONSUMED, AND ALL THAT WATCH FOR INIQUITY ARE CUT OFF:
“THE TERRIBLE ONE” = “aritz” = tyrant.
Nowadays those who deny the truth of Scripture have taken over. They have not proven anything but they act as if they had. Academics who believe in Scripture and say it would have trouble finding employment in certain areas. Believers are discriminated against. People who believe in God and the Bible are sometimes made to feel embarrassed before educators and other people of authority and influence.
[Isaiah 29:21] THAT 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.
Those who cause others to sin and disgrace they who do good will be no more. They will either repent or perish.
[Isaiah 29:22] THEREFORE 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.
THE HOUSE OF JACOB = “Yank”, Union Jack?
[Isaiah 29:23] BUT 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.
The Children of Israel will return to worship the God of their forefathers.
[Isaiah 29:24] THEY ALSO THAT ERRED IN SPIRIT SHALL COME TO UNDERSTANDING, AND THEY THAT MURMURED SHALL LEARN DOCTRINE.
Chapter Thirty
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