melt". In the Burden of Babylon (Isa. 13:) we have a similar consequence: "every

man's heart shall melt" (Isa. 13: 7). These words are followed by a reminiscence of

Matt. 24::

Psa. 68:, which we have already considered so far as the reference to Egypt in

verse thirty-one is concerned, speaks of the Lord riding upon the heavens of heavens

which were of old (33) and at His arising depicts the enemies of the Lord melting as

wax before the fire, and perishing at the presence of God. This link of Isa. 13: with

Matt. 24: is emphasized by a similar link in Isa. 19: 2, for the fighting of every one

against his brother, "city against city, and kingdom against kingdom" is very nearly

quoted by the Saviour in Matt. 24: 7 and 8 where the use of nation against nation and

kingdom against kingdom is said to be "the beginning of sorrows, or birth pangs" and

where the same Greek word odin is used of birth pangs both in Isa. 13: 8 in the LXX,

and in the Greek of Matt. 24: 8.

The reference to idols, charmers, familiar spirits and wizards in Isa. 19: 3 finds a

counterpart in the Book of the Revelation where these evils reach their zenith. In

verse sixteen fear will come upon Egypt "because of the shaking of the hand of the Lord

of hosts which He shaketh over it"; and a variety of words are employed to speak of the

day when God will shake the heavens and the earth and will shake all nations (Hag. 2: 6,

7, 21).  Matt. 24: 7 speaks also of "famines and earthquakes", and Isa. 19: 5-10

shows the effect upon the whole economy of Egypt at the drying up of their river "and

everything sown by the brooks shall wither, be driven away (as stubble because dried up,

Isa. 41: 2) and be no more". At verse sixteen, a series of references commencing with

prophetic term "In that day" opens a new vista.

Here are six prophetic items. The central reference declaring that "there shall be an

altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at the border thereof to the

Lord". The word translated "altar" is the Hebrew mizbeach "a place of sacrifice". It is

the same word that is used of the altar built by Noah, by Abraham and by Moses

(Gen. 8: 20; 22: 9 and Exod. 17: 15). It is the same word used of the altar of the

tabernacle (Exod. 27: 1) and the altar of the temple (I Kings 8: 22). The word occurs

eight times in Isaiah, every reference being to an altar in the Scriptural sense of the word.

We have rather laboured this point, because of the fantastic and misleading suggestion

made by some, that the altar of Isa. 19: 19 refers to the Great Pyramid at Gizeh. There

is also to be a "pillar" at the frontier. We read in Exod. 24: 4 that Moses built an

"altar" and erected "twelve pillars" according to the number of the children of Israel. The

same word is used of the pillar set up by Jacob at Bethel (Gen. 28: 18 and 31: 45).