Gilbert House Fellowship #491: Isaiah 13

GIANTS AND WATCHERS will execute God’s judgment on the prophesied Day of the Lord.

Isaiah 13 is, on the surface, a prophecy of judgment on Babylon. But there are clues in this chapter that there’s more to this prophecy than meets the eye. First, the Hebrew verb translated “consecrated” (as in “consecrated ones,” Isaiah 13:3) is based on the same root behind the words “holy one/s” in Daniel 4:13 and 17, used in parallel with “Watcher/s” in those verses.

Given that the Septuagint translates Hebrew gibborim (“mighty men”) as “giants,” it’s possible that the “consecrated ones” of Isaiah 13:3 are Watchers—a powerful class of angel often tasked with carrying out God’s will (as in Daniel 4).

As a whole, Isaiah 13 is an “already but not yet” prophecy of the destruction of Babylon. The “already” took place roughly 150 years after Isaiah wrote this prophecy when Cyrus the great captured the city the night of Belshazzar’s drunken feast. The future fulfillment comes on the Day of the Lord, which we believe takes place at the end of the seven year Great Tribulation.

In addition, there are hints of the supernatural fulfillment of the “not yet” part of the prophecy. Isaiah 13:20–22 foretells a day when Babylon is utterly destroyed, becoming a haunt of supernatural creatures. That’s not apparent in most English translations, but digging into the Hebrew and Greek reveals more of Isaiah’s original vision: Babylon inhabited forever by demons, sirens, satyrs, and dragons.

Question of the week: What do we think about the Noahide laws?

Sharon’s niece, Sarah Sachleben, has been battling stage 4 bowel cancer and the medical bills are piling up. If you are led to help, please go to GilbertHouse.org/hopeforsarah.

Derek’s new book War of the Watchers Book One: From Baal to Balfour is now available at Amazon in paperback (https://www.amazon.com/War-Watchers-Book-Baal-Balfour/dp/1948014998?&linkCode=ll2&tag=peeringintoda-20&linkId=a330264a003c55880365ee0b24b7e14c&language=en_US&gaOptInStatus=true&ref_=as_li_ss_tl) and as a Kindle e-book! (https://www.amazon.com/War-Watchers-Book-Baal-Balfour-ebook/dp/B0HBN3VG71?&linkCode=ll2&tag=peeringintoda-20&linkId=e105942b522e45b8ac3082da9d99efdd&language=en_US&gaOptInStatus=true&ref_=as_li_ss_tl) It’s also a part of a special offer at the SkyWatchTV store: Get War of the Watchers, Derek’s previous book The Second Coming of Saturn, and a 13-part teaching DVD based on The Second Coming of Saturn for your donation of just $45! (https://www.skywatchtvstore.com/products/derek-gilbert-war-of-the-watchers-special-offer?variant=43251471122545)

If you are looking for a text of the Book of 1 Enoch to follow our monthly study, you can try these sources:

• Parallel translations by R. H. Charles (1917) and Richard Laurence (1821) (www.qbible.com/enoch/1.html)

• Modern English translation by George W. E. Nickelsburg and James VanderKam (https://amzn.to/4dpdZbi) (link to book at Amazon)

• Book of 1 Enoch - Standard English Version by Dr. Jay Winter (https://bit.ly/enoch-sev) (link opens free PDF)