1 The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see.
What is a burden? The word burden occurs frequently in biblical prophecy, particularly in the books of Isaiah and Jeremiah. I have found it to be foreshadowing a prophecy of destruction or ill events. I believe this word is used because bad news must be such a burden on a prophet, and they probably mourn the unbelief of others.
Joseph Smith along with a few others was told to "preach nothing but repentance unto this generation." (D&C 19:21, Mosiah 18:20) Wouldn't repentance be a burden to preach?
Therefore, we have a prophecy about the destruction of Babylon.
What is Babylon? Where is Babylon? What does Babylon represent today?
In Isaiah's day, Babylon was both a large city and an empire that was quite large. It was full of idolatry, whoredomes, riches, luxuries (for the time), along with entertainment and commerce. Do we not see these same things among us? It could be said that whoredoms, riches, and luxuries are idols. Do you put anything between you and God?
Therefore, Babylon is an idea, it's the concept of seeking the things of this world. In other words, any location or group of people that seek the world before God can be called Babylon, or a part of Babylon. Do most cities (if not all) fit this description?
Revelation 18 speaks of the same topic:
2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.
4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
Please note that the merchants are made rich with Babylon. Why are they made rich? Could it have something to do with idolatry and/or materialism? John also prophesies the destruction of Babylon well after the Babylonian empire was destroyed which means it must exist today.
That sure sounds like the end of the world as we know it. And I'm not one for doom and gloom, but the first verse already went there. let's move on.
2 Lift ye up a banner upon the high mountain, exalt the voice unto them, shake the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles.
3 I have commanded my sanctified ones, I have also called my mighty ones, for mine anger is not upon them that rejoice in my highness.
These verses represent an exodus in the last days just before the burden of Babylon comes to fruition. If His anger isn't upon those that rejoice in Him, whom is it upon? Have you been sanctified? Do you rejoice in Him? Is rejoicing different than believing in or praising him?
Can you rejoice in His highness without a "hope for a better world"? (Ether 12:4) does this mean that those of us that don't have the sure knowledge will of necessity go through the destruction of Babylon?
I do want to point out that it's very likely that the phrase "shake the hand" denotes a servant beckoning for those prepared few to come and establish Zion in the tops of the mountains.
4 The noise of the multitude in the mountains like as of a great people, a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together, the Lord of Hosts mustereth the hosts of the battle.
Here we have some parallelism that lets mountains represent kingdoms. The shear volume of the multitude that will destroy Babylon will be immense. What nation has the largest standing military? We'll come back to that later.
Who gathers this large force? What does that say about who is in control of the situation?
5 They come from a far country, from the end of heaven, yea, the Lord, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land.
The destruction comes from an external source rather than from within. Who will do the destroying? What people will fight the war?
6 Howl ye, for the day of the Lord is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.
7 Therefore shall all hands be faint, every man’s heart shall melt;
8 And they shall be afraid; pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.
9 Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate; and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
These verses describe how bad things will be. Those unprepared will experience fear to a degree that they await the death of a damned soul.
People may proclaim things such as "how could this happen?!" While the righteous will be as Mormon wondering how the people could have fallen. (See Mormon 9?)
What is the meaning of "their faces shall be as flames?" We express emotions with our faces, and flames often represent fierce anger or indignation. Does this foreshadow the angry mobs that will riot when they no longer have food? Once the shock subsides, anger will set in upon those who haven't truly rejoiced in the Lord.
10 For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light; the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.
This verse could be taken literally to mean some sort of nuclear winter or cloud cover for an extended period of time. Another level could represent spiritual darkness that covers the land, that the Spirit of the Lord has been/will be removed, along with feeling forsaken by Christ and Heavenly Father.
There could also be a connection to 1 Corinthians 15: 39-41, but I'm not exactly sure how.
11 And I will punish the world for evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay down the haughtiness of the terrible.
It will be due to wickedness that darkness will cover the earth, and there will come a time when the people are ripe for destruction. This will occur along with the abomination of desolation.
We can also see the truth that those who choose to be proud shall fall (on a side note, what are those parades called that are in support of homosexual behaviour?) If we choose to lift ourselves up to be equal with God or above Him through means of the world (I.e. Knowledge, technology, riches etc...), we will only be thrust down. Take Lucifer for example, that's exactly what he did and now where is he?
Lifting oneself up in pride is different than awaking, arising, believing, repenting, getting baptised and so on. As one does these things with full purpose of heart, that one will move away from the desires of the world. They will become a new creature in Christ. (2 Corinthians 2:17) this isn't necessarily perfection, and maybe someday I'll compare the two.
12 I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.
Why is it "a" man. What kind of man is this? Is this the average guy that does not seek the Lord? The righteous men will be fewer after the destruction. This leads me to believe that some of those that love the Lord will not be called out to Zion before the destruction, but will remain. This will be for a wise purpose in God. From my reading of the scriptures, I can see that the Lord lets the wicked kill the wicked, but Wo unto the wicked that slay the righteous. I can also imagine that those righteous that remain and those slain are called for that purpose.
13 Therefore, I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the Lord of Hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.
What does it mean to shake the heavens? The image of shaking a snow globe comes to mind. Will the shaking heavens only be due to the movement of the earth, or something more? Will the earth move at the same time the heavens are shaken?
When will He accomplish this? In His wrath. It appears that the wrath is an event, but a separate event, other than the day of the Lord.
The rest of this chapter is full of imagery, which gives us a clue as to how wicked the world will be. They won't even value a newborn baby. This is pretty horrifying stuff. Below is the rest of the chapter.
14 And it shall be as the chased roe, and as a sheep that no man taketh up; and they shall every man turn to his own people, and flee every one into his own land.
15 Every one that is proud shall be thrust through; yea, and every one that is joined to the wicked shall fall by the sword.
16 Their children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled and their wives ravished.
17 Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, which shall not regard silver and gold, nor shall they delight in it.
18 Their bows shall also dash the young men to pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eyes shall not spare children.
19 And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees’ excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.
20 It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation: neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there; neither shall the shepherds make their fold there.
21 But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and owls shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there.
22 And the wild beasts of the islands shall cry in their desolate houses, and dragons in their pleasant palaces; and her time is near to come, and her day shall not be prolonged. For I will destroy her speedily; yea, for I will be merciful unto my people, but the wicked shall perish.
With all of this tragedy, there is hope. He will be merciful to His people. Let's turn our hearts to Jesus Christ and ask him to root out our shortcomings, and our weaknesses; that we may be called His people.
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