This prophecy follows the prophecy in chapter 28 by over twenty years. The people still rejected the Word that Isaiah preached. Now Assyria was ruled by Sennacherib. The empire was in rebellion against him and so he firstly decided to deal with Babylon and Egypt. Within Judah, Hezekiah was in complete control. See 2 Kings 18:5. He was the greatest king because of his faith in God. Hezekiah was under pressure by some Egyptians to form an alliance with Egypt but Isaiah’s preaching persuaded him to do otherwise.

1. The solemn admonition of the prophet Isaiah against Ariel (vs. 1-4)

We are in the temple area listening to Isaiah’s sermon. “Ariel” is a term for the city of Jerusalem. The word means either the “hearth of God” or “the lion of Judah”. It was in Jerusalem that the sacrifices were offered. Isaiah says there will be a siege in verse 3. God is announcing through the prophet that He is going to encamp around Jerusalem in judgment. This is a reference to the coming siege in 701 BC by Sennacherib.

God is going to bring Jerusalem so low that it will mutter and mumble like the indistinct sounds that a medium makes. See Isaiah 8:19. The Mormons use Isaiah 29:4 to try and prove their use of the Book of Mormon. This is because Joseph Smith supposedly found the books in the ground.

2. The sudden exaltation of Ariel (vs. 5-8)

There is set to be a great siege against the city of Jerusalem when it suddenly is delivered. The Assyrians had almost taken Jerusalem in 701 BC when God suddenly smote 185,000 of the Assyrians. See 2 Kings 19:35. Verse 8 is the background of the deliverance of Hezekiah from the Assyrians. However, Isaiah also looks to the future siege by the Antichrist when God will suddenly and miraculously deliver Jerusalem with the Second Coming of Christ.

3. The sentence of deep sleep (vs. 9-12)

Isaiah realises that his words fall upon deaf ears. It is as if they were in a daze. They do not pay attention to God’s message. The explanation is that God has poured upon them the spirit of deep sleep. This is God’s judgment upon them – judicial blindness. The book mentioned in verse 12 is probably Isaiah’s book.

4. The source of the deep sleep (vs. 13-14)

Instead of bothering with the Word of God they had made all sorts of traditions. There was just formalism in what they did and nothing from the heart. It is better to be hot for the Lord than warm (vs. 13). God is going to take the wisdom they don’t use properly and make it stupidity (verse 14). Paul uses this text in 1 Corinthians 1:19.

5. The perversity of faithless politicians (vs. 15-16)

This Egyptian party is condemned by Isaiah. They are trying to make an alliance in secret and many of the people would not want this. The doctrine of the Egyptians denied the omniscience and omnipotence of God.

6. The metamorphosis of the Messianic age (vs. 17-21)

In this verse Isaiah points out that the time is coming when God is going to overthrow this situation and bring in the Messianic age and then the blind will see and the deaf will hear. God will bring this about through the coming Messiah.

7. The pinnacle of the divine programme (vs. 22-24)

The people shall be responsive “in that day” to the Word of God. See verse 18.

Categories: Isaiah