Isaiah 21:13-17 (Arabia)

Harmoniously, the concluding prophecies of Isaiah 21 strike the same melody as those we have observed heretofore, and most recently in Isaiah 19-20. Isaiah’s prophesying in Isaiah 21 began in the declaration of history (Isa. 21:1-10) and then suddenly shifted to futurity (Isa. 21:9-12), only then to shift back into history – at last, and as a conclusion to Isaiah 21, the Spirit of Prophecy directs Isaiah to declare that which will happen first (Isa. 21:13-17)! Giving sufficient clarity amidst the complexity (to prevent any misunderstanding), “the burden upon Arabia” is explicitly calendared to come to pass “within a year” (Isa. 21:13, 16). Herein, Arabia is foretold to fall a prey to the Assyrians alongside all other contemporaries who were made to know “the grievousness of war” (Isa. 21:15). This is God’s judgment upon Arabia through Assyria.