(Through the Bible) Isaiah 16-20 — Chuck Smith

Isaiah 16 and Moab's Coming Judgment

Let's turn to Isaiah chapter 16 as we continue our study through the prophecy of Isaiah now in these next few chapters that we are covering here in Isaiah behind the scenes Assyria is arising as a strong powerful military force.

Assyria with its capital city of Nineveh is becoming extremely powerful and beginning to develop a tremendous army that will soon be on a campaign of subjugating the world and so the prophet Isaiah begins to address himself to some of the various countries round about to Moab to Syria to Ephraim and all because these nations Egypt Ethiopia are to be in conflict and in battle with the Assyrians and so behind these next chapters you have to see the clouds of war rising from Assyria as they are going to soon begin their sweep down into this area of the world and Isaiah is addressing now the nation's concerning the destruction that is sure to come during this Assyrian invasion and the first nation that he addresses himself to is the nation of Moab which is the present-day Jordan it lies on the east of the Jordan River from Mount Gilead actually on south to Mount Seir so send ye the lamb to the ruler of the land from Silla now Silla is the word rock and from it the word Petra and the city of Petra which happens to be in the area of Moab.

To the wilderness and to the mount of the daughter of Zion for it shall be that as a wandering bird cast out of the nest so the daughters of Moab shall be at the fords of Arnon. Take counsel execute judgment make thy shadow as the night in the midst of the noonday hide the outcast betray them not that wondereth let mine outcast dwell with thee Moab.

Be thou a covert to them from the face of the spoiler for the extortioner is at the end and the spoiler ceases and the oppressors are consumed out of the land and in mercy shall the throne be established and he shall sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David judging and seeking judgment and hasting righteousness and then he begins his lament over Moab because of their great pride.

Now as we mentioned earlier as we were studying the prophecies of Isaiah there's a unique characteristic in well it isn't unique because it is in many of the prophets where they will be talking about a situation that is close at hand but there seems to be a dual fulfillment of the prophecy and it reaches on out to another era and it spans into another time and so there is often what we call the near fulfillment and the far fulfillment of this prophecy.

Now many Bible scholars in the far fulfillment of this prophecy as God is commanding Moab to meet the wandering bird that is cast out of the nest at the Fords of Arnon and to hide the outcast and betray them not that wonders and let the outcast dwell with thee Moab.

Daniel's Seventy Weeks and the Future Tribulation

There are many Bible scholars who see this in its fulfillment as yet to come when in the midst of the seven-year period that God has yet to reckon to the nation Israel. For in Daniel the ninth chapter the angel said unto Daniel there are seventy-sevens determined upon the nation Israel to finish the transgressions to make an end of sin to make reconciliation for iniquity and to bring in everlasting righteousness and to seal up the prophecies and to anoint the Most Holy One.

Now no one understand from the time the command goes forth to restore and rebuild Jerusalem to the coming of the Messiah the Prince will be seven sevens and sixty-two sevens and the walls will be built again in trouble as times but the Messiah will be cut off without receiving the kingdom and the people will end up by being dispersed.

Now Daniel said the prince of the people that shall come will make a covenant with Israel for this seventieth week or for this last week this last period of seven years but in the midst of the seven years he will break the covenant and set up an abomination which causes desolation.

Now the disciples came to Jesus one day and they said Lord what will be the sign of your coming in the end of the age and Jesus began to tell them the signs that they should watch for the things that would be transpiring in the earth which would be a warning to them that they were approaching the end of the age and as Jesus is talking to them about the various signs he does speak to them talking again to the Jews when you see the abomination of desolation that was spoken of by Daniel the Prophet standing in the holy place then flee to the wilderness and if you happen to be on the roof of your house don't even bother grabbing a coat as you're going through just get out of there as quickly as you can and if you are out in the field working don't even return to your house but get down to the wilderness just as quickly as possible.

So the Lord is warning them that the sign of the abomination of desolation they said now he that has wisdom that understand because he said there is going to be a time of great tribulation such as the world has never seen before or will ever see again.

Revelation 12 and Israel's Final Seven Years

Now we are told in the book of Revelation chapter 12 that John saw these various characters are this various symbolism. He saw a woman clothed with the moon and the stars 12 stars in the moon and she was travailing ready to bring forth the child.

He saw this great dragon that was seeking to devour the child as soon as it was born and he speaks of how the woman brought forth the child which was caught on up into heaven to his throne. And so the dragon sought to make war against the remnant of the woman's seed.

But God gave to her the wings of an eagle to bear her to the wilderness place where she is to be nourished for three and a half years. From a prophetic standpoint what this is all talking about is that God has one more seven years cycle to fulfill in the history of the nation of Israel.

The 69 seven-year cycles were fulfilled from the time of the commandment to restore rebuild Jerusalem to the coming of Jesus Christ. The 69 seven-year cycles were fulfilled actually to the day. For in March 14 445 BC Artaxerxes gave the commandment to Nehemiah to restore and rebuild Jerusalem and a hundred and seventy three thousand eight hundred eighty days later 483 years on the Babylonian calendar of 360 days to the year Jesus on April the 632 AD made his triumphant entry into Jerusalem fulfilled right on the letter but the angel said there are 77.

Now Jesus in being cut off the Messiah will be cut off. Jesus was cut off but in being cut off. In his being cut off he made through his death upon the cross he made reconciliation for iniquity. He made an end of our sins.

But he did not set up the everlasting kingdom was nor was the most holy place anointed nor were the prophecies all fulfilled. So a part of those prophecies are yet remaining and they will take place at the end of the 70th seven-year cycle.

The Rapture and the Revelation of the Man of Sin

So there is one missing seven-year cycle that Jesus when he was talking his disciples declared that it was a yet future thing when the church is taken out of the earth. It will then immediately give rise to the Antichrist sometime after the church is removed.

I believe that it will pretty much coincide with the removal of the church. For that which hinder shall hinder until it is taken out of the way and then shall that man of sin be revealed the son of perdition who comes forth with all kinds of lies and deceit.

And Gaia. In Revelation chapter 4 you see the church taken up into heaven. And they I saw a door open in heaven. The first voice was as of a trumpet saying come up here there I'll show you things which will be after the church things.

And immediately I was caught away by the spirit into heaven. And there I saw the throne of God and the type of rainbow about the throne of God the 24 lesser thrones of the elders and the cherubim as they were worshiping God.

And the elders as they joined in the worship falling on their faces and casting their crowns in the glassy sea declaring the worthiness of God to receive the praise in the worship. And then in chapter 5 he saw the scroll with seven seals in the right hand of him that was sitting upon the throne heard the angel say who's worthy to take this scroll and loose the seals.

The title deed to the earth. Who's worthy to take this title deed to reclaim the earth that they have redemption has come. Who is worthy. And John began to sob because no man was worthy in heaven and earth under the sea to take the scroll or even to look thereon.

And the other said don't we John behold the lion of the tribe of Judah hath prevailed to take the scroll and loose the seals. And John saw turned and he saw him as a lamb that had been slaughtered. And he saw him as he stepped forth and took the scroll out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.

And immediately the 24 elders took little golden bowls that were full of incense odors. The prayers of the Saints offered them before God. And they sang a new song saying thou art worthy to take the scroll and loose the seals thereof.

For thou was slain and you have redeemed us by your blood out of all of the nation's tribes kindred tongues and people. And you have made us unto our God kings and priests. And we shall reign with you upon the earth.

The song of the Redeemed Church in heaven. Only the Redeemed Church can sing that song. That is not the song of Israel. It's out of all of the families of the people on the earth. That is not the song of angels.

It's only the song of the Redeemed Church. Thou was slain and has redeemed us by thy blood. Angels can't sing that song but they can sing the chorus. And so they join in a hundred million strong plus millions of millions as they sing.

Worthy is the lamb to receive glory and power and might and dominion and glory and thrones and so forth. But we sing the verse. And so we get into chapter 6. And he opened the first seal and the angel said come and I saw.

The Antichrist's Covenant with Israel

And a white horse with his writer came forth conquering and to conquer the Antichrist. The revelation of the Antichrist. It immediately follows the glorious acclamation of the worthiness of Christ to take this scroll and loose the seals.

So the introduction of the Antichrist upon the earth and one of the first orders of business of the Antichrist as he is putting together the earth once again that has been ravaged by war when Russia invades the Middle East.

So now he's starting to put the pieces together because Russia has been soundly and thoroughly defeated in her invasion of the Middle East he starts to put the pieces together again. And the first thing he does is make a covenant with the nation of Israel.

Now the Bible doesn't say that the covenant includes the rebuilding of the temple but that is my own personal feeling and opinion. I have it's very strong that this covenant that he makes with the nation Israel includes their giving to them the privilege of the rebuilding of their temple.

And when they rebuild their temple they will not build it on the site of the Mosque of Omar or that which is commonly called the Mosque of Omar which in reality is the Dome of the Rock Mosque. I believe that they'll leave the Dome of the Rock Mosque intact.

I believe that they will build the wall on the north side of the Dome of the Rock Mosque and in that large area of some 15 acres or so they will make provision for the Jews to build their temple which many of their scientists now believe is above the site of Solomon's Temple.

Just last June one of the archaeologists and scientists in Israel came out with a very interesting article that was published in the Jerusalem Post in which he declared and gave his findings for believing that the Temple of Solomon actually was north of the Dome of the Rock Mosque which if they can prove and all which they are seeking to do it will be a tremendous kind of a boon for those Jews that are wanting to rebuild their temple because it means they can build it without having a holy war all the Muslims of the world marching against them because it would be very easy just to put a wall.

And there is a verse in Ezekiel that talks about putting a wall along to separate. And in the 11th chapter of the book of Revelation where the Lord gave unto John a ruler and said now go measure the new temple and the courts he said don't measure the outer court because it's been given to the heathen and the Dome of the Rock Mosque stands in what would have been the outer court of Solomon's Temple if Solomon's Temple was there on the north side so he'll make a covenant with the nation Israel.

The Abomination of Desolation and Israel's Flight

But in the midst of the seven year period after three and a half years he will come to Jerusalem. And according to what Paul tells us in second Thessalonians and Jesus spoke about in Matthew 24 he will and Daniel spoke about in chapter 9 he will stand in the rebuilt temple and declare himself to be God.

And he will demand that they worship him as God. Now according to the scriptures according to Jesus this is the sign for the Jews to flee out of Jerusalem. Get out of there as quickly as you can because the Antichrist the man of sin is going to now demand that the Jews worship him as God and though they had initially hailed him as the Messiah at this point they're going to realize that they were mistaken and deceived by this man.

And Jesus said get out of there as quickly as you can don't bother taking anything with you. And according to Revelation God will give to them wings of an eagle to bear them to a wilderness place where they will be nourished for three and a half years.

And the Antichrist will send out an army after them. But the earth will open up and swallow his army. And so we begin to see the the prophetic scene take place. Now where are they going to the wilderness.

And where will they be fleeing. Here's where this prophecy of Isaiah begins to unfold. Send ye the lamb to the ruler of the land from Petra to the wilderness unto the mount of the daughter of Zion. For it shall be that as a wandering bird cast out of the nest.

So the daughters of Moab shall be at the Fords of Arnon. Take counsel execute judgment. Make thy shadow as the night in the midst of the noonday. Hide the outcast. Betray them not that wondereth. Let mine outcast God's as mine outcast dwell with thee Moab.

Be thou a covering to them from the face of the spoiler or from the Antichrist. For the extortioner the Antichrist is at an end. The spoiler ceases and the oppressors are consumed out of the land. And what will happen.

And in mercy shall the throne be established. And he that is Jesus shall sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David judging and seeking judgment and hastening righteousness. Now one further note should be made about this before we move on.

And that is the day that the Antichrist comes or the man of sin the son of perdition the beast or many of one of the many names that the scripture gives to him. The spoiler the extortioner the day that he comes and stands in the rebuilt temple and declares that he is God in the midst of the seven-year period.

The day that that takes place it will be from that day 1290 days until Jesus comes again with his church to set up his kingdom upon the earth. So we're moving down towards these final sequence of events.

We are reading constantly of Russia's threat to move into the Middle East because of her own oil needs. And that will be the event that will more or less trigger these final sequence of events. For as Russia moves in God will solely defeat Russia to give rise to the ten nations of Europe out of which will arise this man of sin who will make a covenant with the nation of Israel for seven years.

But in the midst of the seven-year period he'll break the covenant by coming into the temple declaring that he is God demanding that he is worshiped as God stopping the daily sacrifices and prayers. And 1290 days later Jesus coming again with the church to establish God's kingdom on the earth.

So at this point the Jews are to flee to the wilderness. God is telling more open up your arms receive them cover them keep them safe from the extortion and from the spoiler and all and hide them. Don't betray them until this time of indignation is overpassed time of great tribulation.

So and and of course until the king comes to sit upon the throne of David and to establish it in righteousness. Now he turns to Moab at the immediate condition. Moab has been filled with pride. She is very proud filled with haughtiness and his pride and his wrath.

Now notice pride very proud haughtiness. These words in the Hebrew are all a little different but they come from the same base or root word. It is like using the word boast boastfulness boasting and the bolster and so forth.

It's the same root word in the Hebrew as it speaks of the great pride of Moab. Therefore shall Moab howl for Moab everyone that everyone shall howl for the foundations of Kirheresheth shall mourn. Surely they are stricken.

And so it tells about how that this tremendous the vineyards for which Moab was famous were going to be trampled under the soldiers that were to come there. They would no longer be trampling. The people would no longer be trampling the grapes in the wine presses.

Moab's Pride and the Cry in the Winepresses

Now there was a cry that the people used to you know sort of as they would stomp the grapes in the wine presses they would cry hey dad hey dad hey dad with every you know hey dad hey dad hey dad as they were stepping down the grapes and crushing them.

And so the prophet is saying this cry hey dad will no longer be heard in the wine presses but it will be heard by the marching of the soldiers that are trampling down the vineyards. They'll be coming marching to the hey dad hey dad hey dad hey dad.

And it will be a not a sign of rejoicing not a shout of rejoicing but a sound of the conquering armies of the Assyrians who shall destroy the the marvelous vineyards of Moab. And in verses 13 and 14 he declares that this judgment against Moab will actually come within a three-year span of time.

And within three years Assyria conquered over Moab and as the result Moab will become though she was very proud and all shall become very small and feeble. Now he turns his prophecy against Damascus which of course was the capital of Syria.

Damascus, Ephraim, and Assyria's Destruction

Now Syria and the northern kingdom of Israel had confederated together to stand against Assyria as Assyria became a very definite threat. Syria knew that she could not stand against Assyria alone. So she sought to confederate with Ephraim and Manasseh the major tribes of the northern kingdom.

And they were hoping by a confederation to stop the Assyrian invasion. And so he prophesies first against Damascus but then he begins to weave in also Ephraim and Manasseh declaring that even through their confederation they will not be able to withstand the Assyrian invasion that they were going to all of them fall at the hands of the Assyrians so the burden of Damascus behold it is taken away from being a city.

It is going to be a ruinous heap. The Assyrians are going to just smash down Damascus. The cities of Arar are forsaken. And in these places where the cities once existed they will now be hurting their their flocks of sheep and it'll be so desolate from people that the sheep won't even be bothered by people.

The sheep will be grazing. In which in what was once the cities of Syria the fortress also shall cease from Ephraim coming down now to the northern kingdom of Israel and the kingdom from Damascus and the remnant of Syria they shall be as the glory of the children of Israel say of the Lord of hosts.

And in that day it shall come to pass that the glory of Jacob shall be made thin and the fatness of his flesh a wax theme then lean. And it shall be as when the harvest man gathers the corn and reach the ears in his arm and it shall be as he that gathers the years in the valleys of yet gleaning grapes shall be left in it and the shaking of an olive tree two or three berries at the top.

In other words God is declaring that the inhabitants are going to be destroyed. It will be like the gleaning of an olive tree. There will just be a few berries in the top will be just a few grapes left on the vine.

But it's like the Assyrians have come through and harvested and wiped out the majority of people and just a few people remain. The Assyrians were extremely cruel people according to the record of history.

There were many cities which when we're surrounded by the Assyrian army and it was obvious that there was no chance of escape much like Masada. The entire populace of the city would commit suicide rather than to be captured by the Assyrians.

Because they treated their captives so cruelly they would pull out their tongues they would gouge out their eyes. They would commit all kinds of atrocities against the captives. And so people were extremely fearful of Assyria and would oftentimes entire cities you'd have a mass suicide rather than be being taken captive by these Assyrians.

Jonah, Nineveh, and God's Mercy

That is why Jonah did not want to go to Nineveh to declare the judgment of God because he was afraid that the Ninevites might repent and God wouldn't wipe them out. And so he had no intention of going when God said go to Nineveh and warn them my judgment's coming.

Jonah took off the other way because he wanted God to wipe Nineveh out and he was afraid if he went and preached they might repent and God would. He knew God was gracious and merciful and God might relent and not wipe them out.

So that's why Jonah took off the other. He was a true patriot. He wanted Assyria the Ninevites to be wiped out. In fact you remember that Jonah was sitting out there pouting after the whole thing. God said what's matter.

You have any right to be upset. You bet your life. I have a right to be upset. This is exactly what I thought was going to happen. I knew you were merciful and gracious. I know that they might repent and that you would forgive them.

Now you have a wipe them out. Oh he was mad. And it's interesting what God said. The reason why I didn't wipe them out is because there are 120 ,000 little children in that city that are so small that they don't even know their right hand from their left hand.

God's mercy upon the children and for the children's sake spared the city. But we'll get to the story of Jonah later. But that's it gives you here. You know the whole thing is fitting together a Syria is getting ready to move against Moab getting ready to move against Syria and against the northern kingdom of Israel.

And they are all going to fall. The northern kingdom of Israel is going to be left. Just a few people just like a few berries in the top of the olive tree just a few grapes in a vineyard that has already been harvested just the gleanings.

At that day shall a man look to his maker and his eyes shall have respect to the Holy One of Israel. Those that remain will be turning to God. He will not look to the altars that they have created the worship of Bell and the groves and so forth that they have made the false worship for which God's judgment came against them.

In that day shall his strong cities be as a forsaken bow. And the uppermost branch which they left because the children of Israel they shall be desolate. There shall be desolation because you have forgotten the God of your salvation.

You've not been mindful of the rock of your strength. Therefore you shall plant the pleasant plants and shall set them with strange slips. In the day shall thou make thy plant to grow and in the morning but thou shall make thy seed to flourish.

But the harvest shall be a heap in the day of grief and desperate sorrow. So because they had forgotten God they had turned away from him and were worshiping that these other gods. The reason why God has allowed this judgment using Assyria as his tool of judgment to destroy Syria and the northern kingdom of Israel with its capital of Samaria.

The Lord's Judgment on Assyria

But yet though Assyria is used as the tool of God's judgment God turns his word against Assyria woe to the multitude of many people which make a noise like the noise of the sea. In other words in the noise of their armies coming in just like a roar of the sea and to the rushing of nations that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters.

The nation shall rush like the rushing of many waters. But God shall rebuke them and they shall flee far off and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind and like the rolling thing before the whirlwind and behold it even tide trouble.

And before the morning he is not gotta wipe them out. In the evening they'll be there but in the morning they'll not be there. Now here is a hint at the destruction of the Assyrians. The Assyrians did come.

They did conquer the northern kingdom of Israel. They did conquer Moab. They did even go down and conquer Ashdod and on down into Egypt and Ethiopia. But they did not conquer Judah. Now here in Judah as the Assyrians were coming in all and Hezekiah was king and Isaiah was his counselor.

He was saying hey don't worry about it. They're not going to. They're not going to conquer us. Don't be afraid. God is going to stand for us now. Don't worry about it. You're not gonna have to fight this battle.

This is the Lord's battle. He's gonna stand up and fight for us and all. And Isaiah was telling him hey you don't have to worry about this. God's gonna take care of things. Of course Hezekiah was busy building the tunnel from the spring of Gihon over the pool of Siloam to bring the water into the city so that they would have water in the city when the Assyrians invaded and and cut the city off and all.

But yet all the while Isaiah was encouraging the king to trust in the Lord that God would deliver. And the Assyrians brought their invading army against Jerusalem and they were making all of their threats.

The Rabaksha said to the men where is the God of the Sumerians. Where is the God of the Syrians. Where they got a gypsum you know we wipe them all out. Don't let Hezekiah lead you into a false trust of your God saying our God will deliver what God is able to deliver from the hand of the Assyrians and all.

And blaspheming God. And Isaiah said just watch this now. God's gonna take care of him. Don't worry about it Hezekiah. Hezekiah took the letter and he spread it out before the Lord and he wept. He said God look what they're saying.

Look what they're doing. You know. And an angel of the Lord went through the camp of the Assyrians and in one night he wiped out a hundred and eighty-five thousand of their frontline troops. When the is when the Israelis awoke in the morning and looked over the wall to see their enemy they were nothing but corpses on the ground in a night in the morning they'll not be there and of course the Lord will get out into a little bit further where actually there are so many corpse that the birds and the beast feed on them for a long time.

You can imagine what a feast that would be for vultures hundred eighty-five thousand carcasses to feed on in the evening time trouble and before the morning it's gone. They are not. This is the portion of them that spoil us and a lot of those that rob us.

This is God's judgment against Assyria. Now in chapter 18 there are those that see the United States in chapter 18 but it is rather far-fetched and I am sorry that my mind can't stretch that far. I cannot see the United States in chapter 18 woe to the land shadowing with wings.

And they point out that on the top of the American flag there's an eagle with wings so shadowing with wings which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia. And of course we are beyond the rivers of Ethiopia that send ambassadors by the sea and vessels.

And of course the only way our ambassadors could travel to the other lands prior to the aircraft and so forth were by boats but it does say vessels of bull rushes and I don't know of any ambassador that ever went out in a reed boat made of bull rushes and pitched with tar.

Now as I say people can see and and and I can't but people do see the United States in this what it is basically dealing with is Ethiopia itself which was making which had sent ambassadors to Jerusalem to the king to make a confederacy with them against Assyria.

In other words Assyria was conquering and these Ethiopian ambassadors big tall dark-skinned handsome men were there trying to get Judah to join with them in a confederacy to withstand this invasion from Assyria and Isaiah was counseling against the confederacy not to make a covenant with them for God was going to watch over them and take care of them and don't get involved in a in a treaty mutual defense pact with these Ethiopians so woe to the land God is pronouncing the woe that is going to come upon Ethiopia that sends the ambassadors by the sea.

They came in these boats down the Nile River from Ethiopia and the boats of bulrushes were light so that when they get to the rapids and all they could carry them and then put them in. And they came from Ethiopia in these boats of bulrushes to Israel or to Judah the southern kingdom and sought then to make this covenant saying go ye swift messengers to a nation that is scattered and peeled to a people that is awesome from their beginning either to a nation that is meted out and trotted down whose land the rivers have cut through all the inhabitants of the world and the dwellers upon the earth.

See ye when he lifts up a sign upon the mountains and when he blows a trumpet hear ye. For so the Lord said unto me I will take my rest and I will consider in my dwelling place like a clear heat upon the herbs and like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest.

For before the harvest when the bud is perfect in the sour grape is ripening in the flower he shall both cut off the sprigs and the pruning hooks and take away and cut down the branches. So Isaiah is saying we don't need to make a covenant with these people God is going to take care of them.

He's going to cut them down before they're able to really fully develop. And so here is the prediction of a serious destruction by God. They shall be left together unto the fowls of the mountains and the beasts of the earth.

And the fowls of shall summer upon them and all of the beast of the earth so winter upon them. In other words the the vultures will eat the carcasses during the summertime. But there are so many by the time winter has come even the animals the coyotes and all will be eating the bones of them even through the wintertime.

In that time shall the present be brought to the Lord of hosts of the people scattered and peeled them from the people awesome from their beginning hitherto a nation meted out and trodden underfoot whose land the rivers have cut through to the place of the name of the Lord of hosts the Mount Zion.

So the prediction of is a serious destruction by the hand of God and no need to join hands with the Ethiopians in a mutual defense pact because God is our defense and God will take care of us. Now he turns to Egypt the burden of Egypt behold the Lord right of the upon a swift cloud and shall come into Egypt.

Egypt's Judgment and the Aswan Dam

And the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence and in the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it. And I will set the Egyptians against the Egyptians. So God is speaking here of a civil war and they shall fight everyone against his brother and everyone against his neighbor the city against city in the kingdom against kingdom.

There's going to be civil turmoil and war within Egypt and the spirit of Egypt's up fail in the midst thereof and I will destroy the council thereof. And they shall seek to the idols and to the charmers and to them that have familiar spirits into the wizards.

And the Egyptians will I give over into the hand of a cruel Lord. A fierce king shall rule over them sayeth the Lord the Lord of hosts. And then he begins to make some very interesting predictions. The water shall fail from the sea and the river shall be wasted and dried up and they shall turn the rivers far away.

The word there is translated in one of the new versions. And they shall damn the river far away. And the brooks of defense shall be emptied and dried up in the reeds and the flags shall wither and the paper reads by the brooks by the mouth of the brooks and everything sewn by the brooks shall wither and be driven away and be no more.

The fishers also shall mourn and all they that cast their hook into the brook shall lament and they that spread their nets upon the water shall languish. Moreover they that work in fine flax and they that have weaved the network shall be confounded and they shall be broken in the purposes thereof.

All that make the schluses and ponds for fish. Surely the princes of zone are fools and the council of the wise counselors of pharaoh is become brutish. How say you. And the pharaoh. I am the son of the wise and the son of ancient kings.

Now here's a prediction that the river shall be damned far away. The Aswan Dam surely answers to this prediction. As early as 1970 they began to discover some of the ecological problems that were created by the building of the Aswan Dam in a report made to the Congress and has become a part of the congressional record number S 3448 in a ecology report the first thing that they drew the attention to was the smog in Los Angeles as a college a disaster.