An Alphabetical Analysis
Volume 9 - Prophetic Truth - Page 99 of 223
INDEX
shall not rise from the evil that I
will bring upon her' (Jer. 51:63,64).
The modern state of Iraq corresponds with ancient Chaldea.  It is an
independent state, whose first monarch was king Feisal, elected in 1921.  By
a treaty concluded in 1922, Britain agreed to terminate its mandatory
responsibilities when Iraq gained admission to the League of Nations.  One of
the countries, therefore, of great importance in prophecy is the land of
Mesopotamia.  Every development there should be watched, for each is a
further step towards the end.
The Burden of Palestine (Isa. 14:28 -32).
Immediately preceding these verses, the prophet writes:
'I will break the Assyrian in My land, and upon My mountains tread him
under foot' (Isa. 14:25).
Babylon and Jerusalem are the two great cities of prophecy, and
Palestine necessarily comes into view.  The 'burden' is dated, 'In the year
that king Ahaz died'.  The record of the life of Ahaz is found in 2
Chronicles 28, where we read that, because of his idolatry, Judah was
delivered into the hands of Syria and Israel.  Ahaz robbed the house of the
Lord, and shut the doors of the temple, and ruined not only himself but his
people.
Palestine is warned not to rejoice because 'the rod of him that smote
thee is broken' (i.e. at the failure of the king of Judah) 'for out of the
serpent's root shall come forth a cockatrice'.  This looks forward to the
time of the end, when the troubles of Palestine that are now gathering
strength shall reach their climax.
The Lord's answer to the vexed question now agitating Palestine is:
'The Lord hath founded Zion, and the poor of His people shall trust in it' or
'betake themselves unto it' (margin), (Isa. 14:32).
Both in Psalm 60 (verses 6 -8) and in Psalm 108 (verses 7 -9) the final
triumph of Judah over Philistia is assured.
Present -day movements in Palestine are likened to the appearance of
leaves on the fig tree: 'Ye know that summer is nigh'.  Every movement in
Palestine is of great interest to the child of God, for the people of Israel
and their land are keys to prophetic interpretation.
For our present purpose we must pass over Moab and Damascus without
comment, except to suggest that the exhortation: 'Let Mine outcasts dwell
with thee, Moab' (Isa. 16:4) may have reference to the days when those in
Judæa shall flee to the mountains (Matt. 24:16).
With regard to the 'woe' pronounced in chapter 18, we cannot agree with
the commentators that Ethiopia is addressed.  The people addressed are
'beyond the river of Ethiopia' and accustomed to send ambassadors by 'sea'.
The LXX speaks of this land as 'the land of winged ships'.  Messengers are
sent 'to a nation scattered and peeled' (Isa. 18:2).  Govett translates the
passage: 'To a nation dragged away and plucked'.  These words are a wonderful
epitome of Israel's experiences, and the words that follow: 'A people