Most of the burdens of Isaiah are prophecies concerning God's judgments on the nations, but the burden of the Valley of Vision has to do with Israel, and especially Jerusalem. Four chapters earlier there had been another prophecy concerning Israel, the earlier part, it would seem, having been fulfilled in our days, with the return to the land of Palestine of the Israelis as a distinct nation. God's government will yet over-take those who have returned, even as it is written, "He shall both cut off the sprigs with pruning hooks, and take away and cut down the branches" (Isa. 18:5). But the last verse shows the people restored to the land by the Lord in His goodness.
The opening verses of Isaiah 22 foretell God's judgment on Jerusalem, a city that had been characterized by activity, excitement and joy. Now there is anxiety. those who have escaped death are upon the housetops, witnessing the awful carnage and sorrow.
The rulers, who had fled from the city, had been captured and bound, and those who had sought refuge in the city from other parts are also found in bonds.
No doubt there has been a partial fulfilment of this prophecy already, perhaps more than one, but the complete fulfilment appears to await the last days. It may be that this is another view of what is given in Zechariah 14:2, "and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled … and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city."
The prophet, in whom is seen the spirit of the godly remnant of Israel, weeps bitterly and refuses to be comforted, because of the trouble that has overtaken the nation. If the nation do not understand that it is the Lord's judgment, the remnant do, and acknowledge it. The enemy breaks down the walls, but instead of crying to God for His help, there is crying to the mountains. The mountains may speak in a typical way of the great nations, from whom Israel will seek help.
Elam, which is Persia, and Kir, which may be Assyria or Moab, are numbered among the combatants in this conflict. Isa. 22:7 clearly shows the prophetic character of the passage, for it says, "And it shall come to pass, that thy choicest valleys shall be full of chariots and the horsemen shall set themselves in array at the gate." This is very much on the line of the Scripture already referred to in Zechariah 14, "For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle."
Instead of seeking the aid of the Lord in the time of trouble, Israel seeks "the armour of the house of the forest," relying on natural resources for deliverance. Different devices were resorted to for defence of the city; they "gathered together the waters of the lower pool," evidently to keep the enemy out; and they broke down the houses of the city to "fortify the wall" (Isa. 22:8-10). There was abundance of energy, for they "made also a ditch between the two walls for the water of the old pool," but the one thing they should have done they did not do, for the prophet said, "but ye have not looked unto the Maker thereof, neither had respect unto Him that fashioned it long ago" (Isa. 22:11).
The Lord was not indifferent to Israel's plight, for He called "to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth." Jehovah desired that His people should feel the gravity of their departure from Him, and return to Him in true sorrow and repentance. This, no doubt, was the state of Israel, many a time in the past, and it will be so again just before the final judgment falls upon the guilty city.
We see the heart of the natural man exposed in Israel, for they hid their eyes from the gravity of their state, and gave themselves up to feasting and merriment, saying, "let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we shall die" (Isa. 22:13). It was utter disregard for the pleadings of their God, and reckless abandonment to the pleasures of the world with death before them. Having thus refused to listen to God, is it any wonder that He should say, "Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die, saith the Lord God of hosts" (Isa. 22:14). The language of Zechariah regarding this is, "And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein" (Zech. 13:8). God will not be unmindful of the faithful remnant when He comes upon the ungodly in judgment.
The introduction of Shebna here is evidently to portray the character of those in leading positions in Israel who, without any thought of God, care only for themselves. Shebna was actually one of king Hezekiah's chief ministers, but his conduct was objectionable to God, being in marked contrast to what a servant of Jehovah should be. Instead of caring for the interests of the Lord among His people, he had the glory of his own name before him.
Not content with making a name for himself while in this life, he had hewn "him out a sepulchre on high" as one that "graves an habitation for himself in a rock" (verse 16). Shebna desired present glory, and a name with posterity, for the glory of the God of Israel had no place in his thoughts or ways, and he dimly foreshadowed the antichrist, who will indeed seek his own glory, and even use his position in Israel, to which he has exalted himself, to sit down in the temple of God, "showing himself that he is God" (2 Thess. 2:4).
God's word to Shebna was a solemn one, "Behold, the Lord will carry thee away with a mighty captivity, and will surely cover thee. He will surely violently turn and toss thee like a ball into a large country; there shalt thou die; and there the chariots of thy glory shall be the shame of thy lord's house. And I will drive thee from thy station, and from thy state shall he pull thee down" (Isa. 22:17-19). Although there is no record of what happened to Shebna, we can depend upon it that all was carried out to the letter.
There can be little doubt that this prophecy has in mind a man who will fill a higher place in Israel than Shebna, and his judgment will be even more violent and devastating, for it is written concerning him, "whose coming is after the working of Satan," and "whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming" (2 Thess. 2:8-9). Again, of this person, the antichrist, and his companion the beast, the head of the revived Roman empire, it is written, "These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone" (Rev. 19:20). This latter Shebna will indeed be tossed violently into a large place, and he will be covered there in a mighty captivity.
God's judgment on the pride and arrogance of Shebna would make way for a true servant of Jehovah, even as it is written, "And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah: and I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand: and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah" (Isa. 22:20-21). It is to be remarked that while Shebna is spoken of as being "over the house" in Isaiah 22:15, in Isaiah 36:3, 22, and Isaiah 37:2, Eliakim is presented as "over the house," and Shebna is mentioned after him as "the scribe." So that during the reign of Hezekiah, Eliakim was exalted. and Shebna was falling from his very high position.
Who can doubt that Eliakim is here a type of our Lord Jesus Christ, the One who shall be seen as "exalted, and extolled, and very high," after antichrist has been cast into the lake of fire? The robe and the girdle that truly belonged to God's Christ had been assumed by antichrist, the man of sin, the false king; but on his expulsion, and judgment, the true King will take up the robe and the girdle that are His by right, and He will be "over the house," as He is even now. "Son over God's house," and in that day "He shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah."
What is written in Isa. 22:22 has very evidently Christ in view, even as it is written of the Son of God in Revelation 3:7, "He that is holy, He that is true, He that has the key of David …" As having the key of the house of David, we see the Lord Jesus in control of all pertaining to Israel, the government of all belonging to Him as Israel's King resting on His shoulder. Having the key of David would rather refer to the Lord's present authority at God's right hand, the place from which He controls all, though not publicly, for the good of His people. Whether in regard to the present, or the coming day, the Lord Jesus has all authority and power to open or close doors as He wills.
The Spirit of God surely passes beyond what was true of the faithful Eliakim when He writes, "And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place; and he shall be for a glorious throne to his father's house" (Isa. 22:23). Who but Christ could answer properly to this description? Christ is the only One upon whom anything for God can rest securely, the only One who, in Himself, is thoroughly reliable; He is "the True". The sure place may contemplate Christ in resurrection, the Spirit of God presenting Him first of all in the place He will occupy in glory before viewing Him entering into death.
It is as risen from the dead, and returned from His Father's throne to this world, that Christ will be for a glorious throne to Israel. And it will be in that day "they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father's house, the offspring and the issue, all vessels of small quantity, from the vessels of cups, even to all the vessels of flagons" (Isa. 22:24). All the earthly glory that belonged to Jesus as Son of David, that which was refused to Him when He came the first time, will be gladly accorded Him in the day of His glory.
Everything and everyone in Israel will rely on Him in the day of His glory, and all will be sure of His interest in them, from the least to the greatest. It will surely rejoice the hearts of His people to see Him bearing the glory; but they will also see that the One who condescends to bear the glory of the throne of Israel is no other than the One who has the glory of the Father, the glory of the holy angels, and the glory of the Son of Man (Luke 9:26).
In vision, the prophet now turns to the rejection and death of Him who is the Nail in the sure place, even as he turns abruptly from the glory to the sufferings, and from the sufferings to the glory in Isaiah 52:13-15, and Isaiah 53:10. Christ was "removed" from the place that was truly His, He was "cut down," yea, "cut off" in the midst of His days; and all Israel's glory departed with Him, not to be seen again till His return.
The Lord said in John 6:39, "And this is the will of Him that has sent me, that of all that He has given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up in the last day." All that fell with the nail in the sure place will indeed be raised up again, He will raise it up when He comes forth in triumph and glory. Nothing will be lost of all that the Father has given Him, whether heavenly or earthly.
Wm. C. Reid.
Once on Calvary dishonoured,
Mocked by all the powers of hell;
On the holy Mount exalted
Hail, O King of Israel!
Set in majesty on Zion,
Every land shall hear Thy fame,
Thine the kingdom, Judah's Lion!
Every tribe shall praise Thy Name!