Isaiah 18:1–3, In the chapter heading in some Christian Bibles, Isaiah chapter 18 is titled “Ethiopia.” Is this an accurate chapter heading?
Isaiah 18:1 refers to “the land … which is beyond [on the other side of] the rivers of Ethiopia.” The traditional view among many biblical commentators (both from Christian and Jewish sources) is that this prophecy is referring to the area of modern Ethiopia, which is just south of Egypt. It is believed that the river mentioned in this passage is the Nile with its tributaries, while the ships are a reference to boats that regularly ply those waters, and the whirring wings refer to either locusts or to tsetse flies, which are abundant in that region. These same commentators offer various views on how this prophecy of Isaiah was fulfilled in ancient times. In these commentaries, no explanation was given of the meaning of the word sea in verse two and how that relates to Ethiopia, or how Ethiopia was a nation that was feared far and wide (verse 2). Perhaps another interpretation could be offered that would better fit the descriptions of the land and its people given in this prophecy.
It would be presumptuous to base our entire premise that America is in Bible prophecy on this passage alone, but united with other similar passages that speak clearly of end-time Ephraim, perhaps Isaiah 18:1–3 should be considered in this context. This is all the more plausible when we consider the fact that the scholarly views that this prophecy pertains only to ancient Ethiopia are from before the twentieth century when America was not yet a world power, and airplanes were yet to be invented. Also consider the fact that as rabbinic Jewish scholars do not know who end-time Ephraim is, so Christian scholars do not know who Ephraim is either. Neither group relates Ephraim to “Gentile” Christianity.
Now with some of these things in mind, let us take another look at Isaiah 18:1–3 and see how several well-known Bible translations render these passages.
Verse 1, This verse literally refers to “a land buzzing/whirring with wings” beyond Cush (Ethiopia, Africa), or to “clamorous wings” (ASET), or to “whirring wings” (NAS). Could this be a reference to the modern airplane and the role of aircraft in end-times America? Which nation on earth has more aircraft than America? Where was the airplane invented? What nation is the world’s leader in the aero-space industry and technology? Where can one not go in America without hearing aircraft overhead? What nation of people fly more than any other people?
Verse 2, This country sends ambassadors by sea, is a nation which has been feared from its beginning, is feared far and wide (KJV and NAS), is a powerful and oppressive nation (NAS) whose land is full of rivers meaning there are many mountains and lakes as well—it’s a well-watered land, and it is a land where people speak a strange language. English is a very recently developed language! Additionally, America has been a mighty nation from its founding. It twice defeated the mighty British empire in the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. America is also a land of many large and small rivers flowing out of numerous mountain ranges.
(This article is excerpted from a much larger teaching I have published entitled, “Is America In End-Times Bible Prophecy?” You can read this article at http://www.hoshanarabbah.org/pdfs/america.pdf.)
The KJV really garbles this verse but a person could relegate the”papyrus boats” of verse 2 to the distant past. Yet papyrus boats were noted for being fast, capable of extended stays in the water, and oceanic travel, as Thor Heyerdahl proved. They are still houseboats in parts of the world. Sounds like maybe a destroyer.
‘Whirring wings” = Helicopters.
‘Whose land the rivers divide” = The great Mississippi River with the Missouri flowing into it from the north divides the continent of the US – actually splits it – unlike other countries who have rivers dividing them, but not quite almost in half or as completely north to south, as is with the US.
“A people tall and smooth” = Hello Madison Ave. and the abundance of milk and calcium!
“To a people feared far and wide” = Ask any mid-easterner how they feel about the US after it invaded Iraq who had nothing to do with 9/11 – and the beginning of the domino effect. We gave the Germans and Japanese a run for their money, too, during WW2.
Aug. 3, A.D. 2024
I teach that the word “terrible” from its beginning hitherto of course means strong. Look at Psalm 47 verse two, God is a terrible God. It means strong not bad as our modern day definition.
Beyond the rivers of Ethiopia. Too many versions have titles such as Ethiopia. That is why it is not good to place titles when the author does not know what he is talking about. Leave the scripture alone.
Shadowed by wings. Think heraldry, the coats of arms of countries. The wings are the country’s national emblem, the eagle.
Hear ye the world, what country when the leader speaks does the world listen? The U.S.A.
The first word is ‘WOE.” Something bad is to occur. Other versions besides the KJV say “ah” or “ahh.” WHAT? That is not a word. Woe means something bad. Branches cut down, cut to size. Look at the rainbow colors on the White House. Same sex marriages, abortion even after birth. The perversions of this nation are an abomination to God. Think of Ezekiel 38 and 39 when God through Man’s missiles will rain destruction on the “isles.” Think Revelation when at first one fourth of man is destroyed and later another third, that makes one half of mankind dead. Think the great tribulation in Matthew 24 when no flesh will be saved except for the elect then the death will stop.
Read Zec. 14 vs.12, invading armies to Jerusalem will have their flesh, eyes and tongues burned on their bodies while they stand on their feet. That is the neuron bomb my friends invented in 1958 in the good old U.S.A.
Back to Isaiah 18, versions that state that the nation is a conquering nation are not true. The U.S.A. did not colonize for the sake of expanding their land. Exception of course is how we took the land and enslaved the indigenous population. We did not do what the British and French did and that was to try and conquer nations all across the globe.
Zec. five describes plainly an intercontinental ballistic missile flying from the Earth through the heavens to burn ( hydrogen blasts ) even the stone in houses. It flies like a stork, not an eagle or dove, but a long necked and beaked bird that would resemble a flying missile. A talent lead ( LEAD, FOR PROTECING AGAINGST RADIATION ) on a container, not a basket. The word woman is really the word fire. Think about how in the U.S.A. we slaughter the uses of words such as your & you’re, to & too, lighting, lightening, and lightning. So for the want of a simple dot the word in Greek woman is used instead of fire.
No why most Catholic priests do not discuss these subjects? because the Bible they used is so twisted and changed that the original meaning is lost and the current chapters and verses do not make any sense so the priests do not even understand them themselves.
I can go on but I need to stop. I hope that I have made a point.
One of the points is to stick to the good old fashioned King James version. The new versions that are supposed to make it clearer to understand simply make the word of God not understandable. The so called youth Bibles are a bunch of messed up gobble dee gook.
A good reason that so many people have given up on reading scripture and Christianity itself.
May God himself bless all of you and continue to let the Holy Spirit guide you in your searching the scriptures.
Respectfully,
Jim Cook, Professor of astronomy
semi emeritus.
Loma Linda, Calif.
( Not seventh day Adv. 🙂 )
Thank you for your comments Prof! Blessings.