temple themes in isaiah 18-20

8/8/2019 Temple Themes in Isaiah 18-20

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William J. Hamblin

Continuing the oracles against the

nations, the next three chapters of Isaiah

focus on Egypt. To understand these chapters

one must remember that Egypt had beenconquered by the Nubians (Egypt south of

Aswan and northern Sudan), and was thus

ruled by a foreign, though Egyptianized

dynasty from 760-656 BCE. Thus, in these

chapters Isaiah conflates Egyptians and what

the KJV calls Ethiopians; the Hebrew term

for these people is Cush (k ūš ). In his mixed

references to Egyptians and Ethiopians, Isaiahrefers to the Egyptian state ruled by Nubian/

Kushite pharaohs.

Broadly speaking, the Egyptian

oracles are similar in theme to those against

the other nations: Prophecies of disaster are

interspersed with glimmers of hope. Yahweh

again raises his war-banner (nes) (18:3) to

gather armies against Egypt. Their idols andgods cannot save them (19:1-3) from

impending devastation, civil war, natural

disasters, drought and famine. In the end, the

Assyrians will conquer Egypt (20:4; as they

did from 674-666 BCE). The Egyptians are

Temple Themes in Isaiah 18-20 1 Monday, October 4, 2010

Hamblin of Jerusalem http://hamblinofjerusalem.blogspot.com/

OUTLINE:

Oracles Against the Nations

ISAIAH 18Oracle against Egypt

ISAIAH 19

Temples to Yahweh in

Egypt

ISAIAH 20

Isaiah’s sign of the

impending enslavement of Egypt to Assyria.

Temple Themes in Isaiah 18-20

William J. Hamblin

http://hamblinofjerusalem.blogspot.com/





mocked for seeking prophecies and guidance

from their gods and idols, and for divination

and necromancy to forestall their doom

(19:1-3). In contrast to the true oracles of

Yahweh, these false oracles can only bring

them “a spirit of confusion” (19:14).

On the other hand, there is a hopeful

prophetic vision for Egypt’s future as well.

“At that time gifts will be brought to Yahweh

of the Armies [from Egypt] ... to the place of

the name of the Yahweh of Armies on Mount

Zion” (18:7). The “place of the name of

Yahweh” (hDwh◊y MEv MwøqVm, meqōm š em

yahwāh), a technical epithet for the temple.1

This meqōm is on Mount

Zion (18:7), which in

Isaiah is generally

another epithet for the

temple.2

But the

relationship between

Egypt and Yahweh will

become much more than

merely occasional tribute

sent to the temple.

According to Isaiah,

Yahweh will become the

god of Egypt (19:18-25,

ESV).

18 In that day there will be five cities in

the land of Egypt that speak the language of

Canaan and swear allegiance to the LORD

of hosts. One of these will be called the Cityof the Sun.3

19 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. 20 It

will be a sign and a witness to the LORD of

hosts in the land of Egypt. When they [the

Egyptians] cry to the LORD because of



1

Ex 20:24, Dt 12:5, 12:11, 12:21, 14:23, 16:2, 16:6, 16:11, 26:2; 1 Kg 5:5, 8:20, 8:29, 8:43; 2Chr 6:20, 6:26, Neh 1:9, Jer 7:14.

2 Mount Zion is the Temple Mount, not Jerusalem as a whole as can be seen in Isa 10:32 and

24:23

3 Probably Heliopolis; its ruins can still be seen in the northeastern suburbs of Cairo. It

contained the great temple to the supreme Egyptian sun-god Ammon-Re; thus Isaiah is here

saying Yahweh will be worshipped in place of the Egyptian high-god.






oppressors, he will send them a savior and

defender, and deliver them. 21 And the

LORD will make himself known to the

Egyptians, and the Egyptians will know the

LORD in that day and worship with

sacrifice and offering, and they will makevows to the LORD and perform them. 22

And the LORD will strike Egypt, striking

and healing, and they will return to the

LORD, and he will listen to their pleas for

mercy and heal them.

23 In that day there will be a highway

from Egypt to Assyria, and Assyria will

come into Egypt, and Egypt into Assyria,

and the Egyptians will worship with the

Assyrians.24 In that day Israel will be the third

with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the

midst of the earth, 25 whom the LORD of

hosts has blessed, saying, “Blessed be

Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of

my hands, and Israel my inheritance.”

This fascinating passage describes the

establishment of Israelite temples in Egypt.An altar to Yahweh will exist in the center of

Egypt, and a pillar on its border, thereby

defining all the land of Egypt as sacred to

Yahweh. Some see this as an allusion to the

Jewish temple at Leontopolis which was built

around 170 BCE. The pillar (hDbE…xAm

maṣṣebah) at the border may be an allusion to

the Jewish temple built at Elephantine Islandon the southern border of Egypt around 525

BCE. It is interesting in this regard that,

though the Patriarchs and Moses erected








pillar-shrines,4 such pillars are frequently

condemned and ordered destroyed as apostate

forms of worship.5 This positive allusion is

the only mention of a maṣṣebah in Isaiah,

although, conversely Hezekiah is said to have

destroyed the maṣṣebah-pillars in Israel (2

Kgs 18:4). On the other hand, Christian

theologians in the fourth to the seventh

centuries saw the establishment of Byzantine

Christianity as the official state religion of

Egypt as fulfilling this prophecy, where the

Eucharist--the bloodless sacrifice--was

offered on altars throughout Egypt, from the

center to the border. Coptic Christians in

Egypt today claim to be the fulfillment of

Isaiah’s prophecy.

Furthermore, Yahweh’s altar and pillar

in Egypt are not merely for worship by

expatriate Israelites. The Egyptians, too, will

“know the LORD in that day and worship”

him in standard Israelite temple rituals of

“sacrifice and offering ... and vows” (19:21).

The plagues of he Exodus, reiterated in part in

Isaiah 18-19, will be reversed as Yahweh

heals Egypt (19:22). Not only that, but the

Assyrians and Egyptians, and shall be united

with Israel in brotherhood, all three

proclaimed equally as the beloved people of

God (19:23-25). Peace and righteousness will

come only when all is united in worship at the

temple of Yahweh, the God of all.



4 Gen 28:18, 22; Ex 24:4.

5 Lev 26:1, Dt 16:22; 2 Kgs 23:14; Hos 10:2; Mic 5:13.




temple themes in isaiah 18-20

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