19 Sep Prophecy of Isaiah 19

Hello Friends,
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The oracle of Isaiah 19 is an end of the age prophecy that declares God’s judgment against Egypt, but concludes with the redemption of His Egyptian remnant at His second coming and millennial reign! The question is, “Are we witnessing the beginning of Isaiah 19’s fulfillment?” Before we discover the answer to this imperative question, let us understand the full context of where Isaiah 19 is located in the Book of Isaiah.

Isaiah 19 is linked in a series of oracles by the prophet Isaiah. From Isaiah 13 to Isaiah 23, he prophesies about the Lord’s future judgment against the following nations; Babylon, Assyria, Philistia (Gaza), Moab (Jordan), Ethiopia (Sudan), Egypt, Edom (Jordan/Arabia), Arabia, Jerusalem, Shebna, Tyre (Lebanon), and Israel. In Isaiah 24, he prophesies about the Seven-Year Tribulation period on the entire earth, and this chapter concludes with Messiah’s second coming (Isaiah 24:21-23). Isaiah 25 & 26 praises God Almighty for His salvation and confirms Messiah’s second coming, as well. In the following chapter, Isaiah 27 confirms the restoration of Israel at Messiah’s second coming and millennial reign.

Below is the chronological timetable and sequence of events of Isaiah 13-27:

• Isaiah 13 through Isaiah 23 – Oracles of judgment on Satan, the Antichrist, and the nations discussed above
• Isaiah 24 – Judgment on the earth during the Seven-Year Tribulation
• End of Isaiah 24, 25, and 26 – The fulfillment of God’s judgment and praise for the Lord’s salvation and Messiah’s second coming
• Isaiah 27 – The restoration of Israel at Messiah’s second coming and millennial reign

Additionally, the context of Isaiah’s prophecies (Isaiah 13-23) are clearly describing the Day of the Lord (Second Coming), because he repeatedly writes, “in that day, in that day.” “In that day” is an eschatological term for the Day of the Lord, the Second Coming of Messiah. Isaiah 19, along with the other oracles of judgment in this section, will be completely fulfilled during the time of Messiah’s second coming (Day of the Lord). Now, with this knowledge, let us begin discovering the oracle of Isaiah 19.

THE ORACLE OF ISAIAH 19

Isaiah 19:1, “The burden against Egypt. Behold, the Lord rides on a swift cloud, and will come into Egypt; The idols of Egypt will totter at His presence, and the heart of Egypt will melt in its midst.”

Isaiah begins the oracle by declaring judgment upon Egypt. He also sets the timetable of the prophecy as he proclaims, “the Lord rides on a swift cloud, and will come into Egypt,” which refers to Messiah’s second coming.

Matthew 24:30, “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”

Daniel 7:13, “I was watching in the night visions, and behold, One like the Son of Man, coming with the clouds of heaven!”

Revelation 1:7, “Behold, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.”

At Messiah’s second coming, He will return with His armies (Revelation 19:11-16) from the clouds of heaven with great power and glory, judging the nations, which includes Egypt (Matthew 25:31-46). Isaiah declares that the “heart of Egypt will melt in it midst and the idols will totter at His presence,” just as all nations and tribes of the earth will mourn at the Lion of Judah’s day of vengeance (Matthew 24:30). As Isaiah continues, he prophesies about the chaos and anarchy of a civil war that will occur at the end of the age in Egypt.

Isaiah 19:2-3, “I will set Egyptians against Egyptians; Everyone will fight against his brother, and everyone against his neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom. The spirit of Egypt will fail in its midst; I will destroy their counsel, and they will consult the idols and the charmers, the mediums and the sorcerers.”

At the end of the age, Isaiah prophesies that the Egyptians will be divided against one another, and a civil war will result from this division. In 2013, during the Arab Spring, Egypt had two major revolutions of its government that concluded with the dethroning of the Muslim Brotherhood in May of 2013. There is approximately 85 million Arabs in Egypt, and an estimated 30-35 million of them protested and revolted during these two revolutions, confirming the beginning of Isaiah 19, which will only dramatically increase towards its’ final fulfillment at the end of the age. Again, to be clear, this is the very beginning of the fulfillment. As of today, the division remains strong among the Egyptians, who are separated in three major groups; Radical Muslims, Moderate Muslims, and Christians. The Egyptian Christians make up an estimated 10-12% of the Egyptian population (8-10 million).

As Isaiah continues, he confirms what he prophesied in the beginning of the oracle. He writes, “they will consult the idols, charmers, mediums, and sorcerers,” which is one of the reasons that the Lord judges the Egyptians (Idolatry, Sorcery-Exodus 20). Remember, the beginning of Isaiah’s prophecy proclaims, “He rides on a swift cloud and the idols of Egypt will totter at His presence, and the heart of Egypt will melt in its midst” (Isaiah 19:1).

Isaiah continues:

Isaiah 19:4, “And the Egyptians I will give into the hand of a cruel master, and a fierce king will rule over them,” says the Lord, the Lord of hosts.”

During the time of Jacob’s trouble, which is the seven-year tribulation period, Isaiah prophesies that a cruel master and fierce king will rule over Egypt. He is referring to the Antichrist, who will conquer Egypt (one of the ten kings of the Antichrist kingdom) during the seven-year tribulation period, the last seven years of the age before Messiah’s second coming and millennial reign.

Daniel 11:42-43, “He (Antichrist) shall stretch out his hand against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape. He shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt.”

The Lord God also will allow an ecological crisis to occur in Egypt during that time, as well, which will result in a catastrophic economic depression.

Isaiah 19:5-10,15, “The waters will fail from the sea, and the river will be wasted and dried up. The rivers will turn foul; The brooks of defense will be emptied and dried up; The reeds and rushes will wither. The papyrus reeds by the River, by the mouth of the River, and everything sown by the River, will wither, be driven away, and be no more. The fishermen also will mourn; All those will lament who cast hooks into the River, and they will languish who spread nets on the waters. Moreover those who work in fine flax and those who weave fine fabric will be ashamed; And its foundations will be broken. All who make wages will be troubled of soul. Neither will there be any work for Egypt, which the head or tail, palm branch or bulrush, may do.”

The Nile River is the major resource for economic survival (fish, agriculture, etc.) for approximately 85 million people throughout the land of Egypt. Isaiah prophesies that “the waters will fail the sea, and the river will be wasted and dried up, turning foul.” Is this plague beginning to occur in Egypt as well as the “civil war?”

In God’s supreme and sovereign wisdom, He preordained the Nile River to flood the Egyptian banks every year to create a rich soil that would fertilize the agriculture of the land. Nevertheless, in the 1960’s-70’s, the Aswan Dam was built by the Egyptians so that Lake Nassar would fill up with water and be used for Egypt’s resources. Consequently, instead of Lake Nassar filling up with water, the lake filled up with mud! Assuredly, the wisdom of the world is foolishness to God (1 Corinthians 3:19). Experts have estimated that the Aswan Dam has caused the Nile River to drop 20-25 % below its normal level, validating the Aswan Dam as an ecological failure. Furthermore, to make the water crisis worse in Egypt, the Saudi Arabian Peninsula is running out of water. The Saudis are currently buying up property at the Nile Basin in Ethiopia to supply their water needs. We can have confidence that this ecological disaster will continue as Isaiah prophesied.

Now that we have explored Isaiah’s prophecy about the Nile River, what about the failure of the sea?

Revelation 16:3-4, “Then the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it became blood as of a dead man; and every living creature in the sea died. Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood.” (Also see Revelation 8)

Remember, Isaiah 19 is an end of the age prophecy before Messiah’s second coming. Also, the judgments in the book of Revelation, including Revelation 16, occurs in the great tribulation before Messiah’s second coming and millennial reign, as well. Without question, we are witnessing the very beginning of Isaiah 19’s fulfillment.

Isaiah 19:16-17, “In that day Egypt will be like women, and will be afraid and fear because of the waving of the hand of the Lord of hosts, which He waves over it. And the land of Judah will be a terror to Egypt; everyone who makes mention of it will be afraid in himself, because of the counsel of the Lord of hosts which He has determined against it.”

“In that day,” which is Messiah’s second coming, the Egyptians, as well as the entire world (Matthew 24:30), will mourn and be afraid because of the Lord’s day of vengeance (Isaiah 61:2). He will “wave” His wrath of judgment over Egypt, which He has determined, and the land of Judah (Israel) will be a terror to Egypt during the millennial reign (1,000 Years). The prophet Joel describes a similar scene, as well.

Joel 3:19-21, “Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom a desolate wilderness, because of violence against the people of Judah, for they have shed innocent blood in their land. But Judah shall abide forever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation. For I will acquit them of the guilt of bloodshed, whom I had not acquitted; For the Lord dwells in Zion.”

After Messiah’s second coming and into His millennial reign, the apocalyptic effects of the Lord’s judgment will leave Egypt desolate. Remember, the Antichrist conquers Egypt (Daniel 11:42) and the people will follow him, except for the Egyptian remnant of Messiah. So, the Antichrist and his armies, including Egypt (one of the ten kings), will come to fight against the children of Israel in the battle for the holy city of Jerusalem (Daniel 11:29-45). As the Antichrist and his armies surround Jerusalem during the great tribulation, Messiah will fight for His people and deliver Israel at His second coming (Joel 3:2, Zechariah 14). The prophet Zechariah confirms Messiah’s victory for Israel and also describes how Jerusalem and Judah (Israel) will become a cup of drunkenness and a heavy stone for the Antichrist and his armies, referring to the dominance of Messiah’s second coming and millennial kingdom on David’s everlasting throne in Jerusalem (Zion)!

Zechariah 12:2-9, “Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it. In that day,” says the Lord, “I will strike every horse with confusion, and its rider with madness; I will open My eyes on the house of Judah, and will strike every horse of the peoples with blindness. And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, ‘The inhabitants of Jerusalem are my strength in the Lord of hosts, their God.’ In that day I will make the governors of Judah like a firepan in the woodpile, and like a fiery torch in the sheaves; they shall devour all the surrounding peoples on the right hand and on the left, but Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place—Jerusalem. The Lord will save the tents of Judah first, so that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem shall not become greater than that of Judah. In that day the Lord will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; the one who is feeble among them in that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, like the Angel of the Lord (Messiah) before them. It shall be in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.” Amen! (Also see Isaiah 2 & Isaiah 9:6-7)

THE REVIVAL OF THE EGYPTIAN REMNANT

Isaiah 19:19-20, “In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the Lord at its border. And it will be for a sign and for a witness to the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt; for they will cry to the Lord because of the oppressors, and He will send them a Savior and a Mighty One, and He will deliver them.”

At the pinnacle of the Antichrist’s persecution of the Egyptians during the great tribulation, the remnant of Egypt will cry out to the Almighty, and He will send His Messiah, the Mighty One, the King of kings and Lord of lords, Jesus, to deliver the remnant who has called upon His name! It is very important to understand that although the Lord pours out His wrath and judgment upon Egypt, and frankly the whole world (Revelation chapter 6-19), He will always have a remnant in all nations, including Egypt. Hallelujah!

Revelation 5:9-10, “And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; For You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.” (Millennial Reign)

Isaiah continues:

Isaiah 19:21-22, “Then the Lord will be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians will know the Lord in that day, and will make sacrifice and offering; yes, they will make a vow to the Lord and perform it. And the Lord will strike Egypt, He will strike and heal it; they will return to the Lord, and He will be entreated by them and heal them.”

Once the Almighty sends the Lion of Judah, Messiah Jesus to the Egyptians at His second coming (in that day), then the Egyptians will worship the Lord and make sacrifices, offerings, and vows to the Lord. We can relate the sacrifices to communion, as it does not replace what Messiah did on the cross, but is a remembrance of His sacrifice for all of mankind (you and me)! (Please see Hebrews 10:1-10). Just as we discussed earlier, the Lord will judge and strike Egypt, and then He will heal the land and the Egyptians. Amen!

Isaiah 19:23-25, “In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian will come into Egypt and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians will serve with the Assyrians. In that day Israel will be one of three with Egypt and Assyria—a blessing in the midst of the land, whom the Lord of hosts shall bless, saying, “Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance.”

Isaiah concludes his prophecy with words of encouragement, hope, and love from the Lord God Almighty! He proclaims that at Messiah’s second coming and millennial reign (in that day), there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, telling us that the Egyptians and the Assyrians will unite and become “one.” Although Egypt and Assyria have been two of the chief oppressors of Israel, they will unite and both will serve the King of Israel, Jesus, during the Millennial Reign (1,000 years), as He rules the nations with a rod of iron (Psalm 2:9, Revelation 2:27). The Lord will bless Egypt, Assyria, and Israel, saying, “blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria of My hands, and Israel My inheritance.”

In conclusion, from the beginning of time and until Messiah’s second coming and millennial reign, Egypt has been and always will be a significant and important region to the Almighty. From Joseph’s rise to power and the children of Israel’s incredible story in Egypt (Genesis 37-50), to God’s plagues and miracles in the Exodus from Egypt (Book of Exodus), unto the Almighty calling His Son out of Egypt (Matthew 2), Egypt will continue to play an imperative role during the end of the age, the great tribulation, Messiah’s second coming, and His millennial reign. Although God will judge Egypt and allow them to be persecuted by the son of perdition, the Antichrist, God will protect His Egyptian remnant and destroy all evil at His second coming. I pray you will join us in prayer for the remnant in Egypt, and may God bless and protect them until His second coming and millennial reign. In the name of Jesus the Messiah, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Amen, Amen, and Amen!

Please take a couple of minutes to watch the passion of the believers in Egypt. In some places, there is an estimated 70-80,000 people gathered at one location to worship Messiah! ​