An Oracle Concerning Cush

An Oracle Concerning Cush

Woe to the land shadowing with wings, which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia: Isa. 18:1

shadowing with wings... The 20th prophecy in Isaiah (Isa. 18:1-7, unfulfilled). Next, Isa. 19:1.

The 20th Prophecy in Isaiah

Six Predictions—Unfulfilled:

1. Woe to the land shadowing with wings, beyond the rivers of Ethiopia (Isa. 18:1).

2. God will lift up a banner among the nations and they are commanded to see it (Isa. 18:3).

3. He will blow a trumpet among the nations and they are commanded to hear it.

4. The Lord will take His rest and consider in His dwelling place, and the crops will not be harvested (Isa. 18:4-5).

5. The crops will be left to the fowl and wild animals to feed on during the summer and winter (Isa. 18:6).

6. In that time—the time of the fulfillment of this woe—a present shall be brought from this land to Mount Zion to the Lord of hosts (Isa. 18:7).

Six Proofs This Land Is Ethiopia

1. "Shadowing with wings" (Isa. 18:1). The Hebrew: for shadowing is tselatsal, translated elsewhere "locust" (Deut. 28:42); "cymbals" (2Sa. 6:5; Psm. 150:5); and "spears" (Job. 41:7). The Hebrew: for "wings" is kanaph, edge; extremity; wing; flap; pinnacle; overspreading. The term literally means whirring of wings, but to what it refers is not clear.

2. "Which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia" (Isa. 18:1). To make this chapter a prophecy of the United States on the assumption that the wings refer to the eagle, the country’s emblem, is to fall into the error of inventing foolish and fantastic theories to suit the imagination. The land referred to is definitely beyond, over against, or on the other side of the rivers of Ethiopia, which clearly identifies it as Ethiopia and the Egyptian Sudan. Regarding wings, it is known that Ethiopia is one of the homes of the dreaded tsetse fly. As to rivers it is located between the White Nile and the Blue Nile. See Zeph. 3:10.

3. "That sendeth ambassadors by the sea, even in vessels of bulrushes" (Isa. 18:2). This further locates the country in the vicinity of the Nile. The word "sea" in Scripture is used of various bodies of water, including the Nile (Isa. 19:5) and the Euphrates (Jer. 51:36). That the Nile is referred to is clear from the fact that bulrushes or papyrus plants grew only on this river, and it was common for bulrush boats to be seen on it (Isa. 18:2; Exo. 2:3; cp. Eze. 30:9). Sometime bundles of the plant were bound together making a raft; sometimes the leaves were plaited basket-fashion and coated with tar (Exo. 2:3).

4. "A nation scattered and peeled" (Isa. 18:2, Isa. 18:7). The Hebrew for scattered is mashak, to stretch out; to prolong; to develop; to be tall. Peeled is from the Hebrew: mowrat, to make smooth, bright or furbished (1Ki. 7:45; Eze. 21:10-11). This could read "tall and smooth," or "tall and bronzed."

5. A people terrible from their beginning (Isa. 18:2, 18:7), a nation meted out and trodden down (underfoot)"—or, more correctly translated, "a nation terrible in all its history as stretching lines over others, marking them out for destruction" (Isa. 18:2, 18:7). This is the only idea in harmony with the other statements of this nation. The Berkeley reads: "a people dreaded near and far, that conquers and treads down"; Moffatt: "A terror far and near, a sturdy race of conquerors"; Fenton: "a terrible race in its past and its future, a disciplined dominant people"; Young: "Unto a people fearful from its beginning and onwards, a nation meting out by line, and treading down"; Rotherham: "Unto a people terrible from their beginning and onwards,—a nation most mighty and subduing."

6. "Whose land the rivers have spoiled" (Isa. 18:2, 18:7); that is, whose lands the rivers have washed away. This is particularly true of Ethiopia, the Egyptian Sudan and regions above the cataracts of the Nile. Branches of the Nile continually wash away the banks and deposit the dirt on the lands of the lower Egypt.

The Hebrew: howy is translated woe 36 times (Isa. 5:8, 5:11, 5:18, 5:20, 5:21, 5:22; 10:1; 17:12; 28:1; 29:1, 29:15; 30:1; 31:1; 33:1; 45:9-10), but ho only 4 times (Ruth 4:1; Isa. 55:1; Zec. 2:6). Woe is used here of a judgment, not just calling attention to something. It is one of many woes pronounced upon various nations in this section (Isaiah 13:1-23:18).

That sendeth ambassadors by the sea, even in vessels of bulrushes upon the waters, saying, Go, ye swift messengers, to a nation scattered and peeled, to a people terrible from their beginning hitherto; a nation meted out and trodden down, whose land the rivers have spoiled! Isa. 18:2

ambassadors... Apparently the Cushites sent envoys in swift-moving papyrus boats (cf. Job. 9:26) to suggest that Israel form an alliance with them against the Assyrians.

ye swift messengers... Here God commanded these ambassadors to return home to their own people instead of going to another nation.

to a nation... None of these details could possibly describe the United States, as some would interpret Isa. 18:1-7. In fact, not one passage in Scripture mentions the United States in particular. This passage describes Ethiopia (we saw earlier Six Proofs that This Land Is Ethiopia) and to force another meaning into it is unscriptural.

All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, see ye, when he lifteth up an ensign on the mountains; and when he bloweth a trumpet, hear ye. Isa. 18:3

All ye inhabitants... Two things all men are commanded to do:

1. See when God lifts up the banner on the mountains (Isa. 11:10 see below).

2. Hear when He blows a trumpet.

The ensign refers to a standard or a banner around which the nations shall rally. The Messiah Himself will be the rallying point of all nations. To Him they will come and in Him they will put their trust (Isa. 11:10, 11:12; 30:17; 31:9; cp. Isa. 49:22; 59:19; 62:10).

and dwellers... The prophet exhorted the Cushites to go back home and not try to form an alliance because the Lord would defeat the enemy at the proper time. The Cushites represented all the people of the world who desired to see the Assyrians fall. But the Lord promised through Isaiah that when the time would come to fight the Assyrians they would know it and would see the enemy fall.

he lifted up... He—God will lift up a banner. The only one He predicts to lift up is the Messiah Himself as the rallying point of all nations, which identifies this passage as yet unfulfilled (Isa. 11:10). Many will not rally to Christ but will first oppose Him, being led by Antichrist (Zec. 14:1-21; Rev. 16:13-16; 19:11-21).

He bloweth... He—God will blow a trumpet at the second coming of Christ (Joe. 2:1; Zec. 9:14).

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 herbs, and like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest. Isa. 18:4

Future Defeat of Ethiopia

For so the Lord... God has made clear His purpose to punish the Ethiopians described in Isa. 18:1-2, 18:7. These people will be making plans against God and Israel, and will be mobilized with other nations under Antichrist to fight in the battle of Armageddon. The Ethiopians will be at his steps (Dan. 11:40-45). It is revealed here that they will all be defeated, and the manner in which it will be done is shown. God will sit calmly while these preparations are being made—as the sun shines on the earth while the crops are growing, and the dew gently falls in the heat of harvest (Isa. 18:4)

For afore the harvest, when the bud is perfect, and the sour grape is ripening in the flower, he shall both cut off the sprigs with pruning hooks, and take away and cut down the branches. Isa 18:5

For afore the... But before their plans are completed, He will suddenly interfere and destroy them like one appearing before the harvest is ripe and cutting it down (Isa. 18:5). God comforts Judah here by showing that when the nations are gathered to destroy them He will undertake for them and destroy their enemies (Isa. 18:4-5).

cut off the sprigs... God will destroy the Ethiopians and other nations under Antichrist, as one would cut off sprigs with the pruning hook and take away the branches before they bear a crop.

They shall be left together unto the fowls of the mountains, and to the beasts of the earth: and the fowls shall summer upon them, and all the beasts of the earth shall winter upon them. Isa. 18:6

They shall be left... The nations destroyed at Armageddon will make meat for the fowls and beasts of the field to eat for many months (Eze. 39:1-24; Luke 17:31-37; Rev. 19:17, 19:21).

all the beasts... The bones of these enemies will remain unburied for months, and the fowls of the air and beasts of the field will feed upon them (Isa. 18:6).

All this proves a latter-day fulfillment, for at no time in history has this literally been fulfilled. Such is not only definitely predicted here for the future, but in many other prophecies it states that at Armageddon the Jews will be delivered from the Gentiles, including the Ethiopians, and that the many slain on the battlefield will make meat for the fowl and wild animals for seven months and longer (Isa. 18:4-6; Eze. 39:1-24; Dan. 11:40-45; Mat. 24:28-31; Luke 17:31-37; Rev. 19:11-21).

In that time shall the present be brought unto the LORD of hosts of a people scattered and peeled, and from a people terrible from their beginning hitherto; a nation meted out and trodden under foot, whose land the rivers have spoiled, to the place of the name of the LORD of hosts, the mount Zion. Isa. 18:7

In that time... After the Assyrian defeat, the Lord would cause the people of Cush (cf. Isa. 18:1-2) to take gifts to the Lord at Mount Zion, where His name dwelt (see Deut. 12:5). Whether this occurred after the fall of Assyria is not known. Possibly Isaiah was speaking of the millennial kingdom when peoples from around the world will worship the Lord (cf. Zec. 14:16) because of His gracious acts.

The present be brought... When Antichrist’s armies are destroyed and the Millennium begins following Armageddon, the Ethiopians will submit to God and bring a present to the Lord of hosts who will then be in Mount Zion and Jerusalem establishing the kingdom of David over Israel and all other nations (Isa. 9:6-7; Zec. 14:1-21; Luke 1:32-33; Rev. 11-15; Rev. 20:1-10).