terrible from their beginning hitherto' well describe the early history of

the same people.

The association of 'ensign' and 'trumpet' (Isa. 18:3) seems

irresistibly to point to Israel's ingathering, and the 'rest' of verse 4

might well signify a long period of 'the silence of God'.  The time is the

time of 'harvest' (18:5); and 'a present' shall be brought to the Lord of

hosts, of that scattered and peeled people.  This seems to be a prophecy of

the restoration of Israel by the help of a nation 'beyond the river of

Ethiopia'.  Ethiopia is certainly to have a place at the time of the end, but

Ethiopia is not the subject of Isaiah 18.

The word 'Woe' is translated 'Ho' in Isaiah 55:1: 'Ho, every one that

thirsteth', and should be so translated in Isaiah 18:1.

The civil strife indicated in Isaiah 19:2 is referred to by the Lord in

Matthew 24 where He speaks of the beginning of sorrows being ushered in by

'kingdom rising against kingdom':

'And I will set the Egyptians against the Egyptians: and they shall

fight every one against his brother, and every one against his

neighbour; city against city, and kingdom against kingdom' (Isa. 19:2).

This civil war will be followed by their conquest by a foreign power.

'A cruel lord and a fierce king' is to rule over them.  This must be the

'king of fierce countenance' of Daniel 8:23, who shall have control of the

'precious things of Egypt' (Dan. 11:43).  It is surely significant that the

only other passage in the Authorized Version where qasheh is translated

'cruel' refers to the 'cruel bondage' suffered by Israel in Egypt (Exod.

6:9).  A terrible drought is foretold, a calamity that will threaten the very

existence of Egypt.  He who smites Egypt, however, will heal it:

'And the Lord shall smite Egypt: He shall smite and heal it: and they

shall return even to the Lord, and He shall be intreated of them, and

shall heal them' (Isa. 19:22).

This healing of Egypt is one of the astonishing features of the time of

the end:

'In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria,

even a blessing in the midst of the land: whom the Lord of hosts shall

bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt My People, and Assyria the work of My

hands, and Israel Mine inheritance' (Isa. 19:24,25).

See articles entitled Babylon8; and Egypt8 for a fuller treatment of

Isaiah 19.

The concluding 'burdens' of Isaiah's prophecy concern:

of

the Desert of the Sea' (Isa. 21:1 -10).

of

Dumah' (Isa. 21:11 -12).

of

Arabia' (Isa. 21:13 -17).

of

the Valley of Vision' (Isa. 22:1 -14).

of

Tyre' (Isa. 23:1 -18).