Isaiah Chapter 17 Star Chart: Clockwise from "when the harvestman gathereth the corn (golden grain), and reapeth the ears with his arm" (17:5) (gold sun grain in Gemini's lap) to when "a man ... shall not look to the altars, the work of his hands" (17:7-8) (Sagittarius has a white moon blindfold on so can't see Ara) is 180° months or 15 years from 733 B.C. till 718 B.C. Sagittarius with a blindfold next to Ara is in contrast to King Ahaz who saw a pagan altar in Damascus and had it copied for Jerusalem (2 Ki. 16:10). "Yet gleaning grapes shall be left in it (a yellow one and a white one), as the shaking of an olive tree, two or three berries (a yellow one and a white one) in the top of the uppermost bough (green Milky Way bough), four or five in the outmost (red radius line) fruitful branches thereof, saith the Lord God of Israel" (17:6).

The conquest of Damascus by Tiglath-Pileser III (733-732 BC) is his response to the coalition of Rezin of Damascus and Pekah of Israel against Ahaz of Judah. Rezin and Pekah tried to capture Jerusalem, but they failed (about 735-734 BC). Tiglath-Pileser III came to the aid of Ahaz of Judah, by destroying the power of Damascus, by besieging the city, forcing king Rezin to surrender, as well as by conquering the whole region once under the control of Damascus. Rezin of Damascus died during the siege (II Kings 16:9). Tiglath-pileser carried away the people of Damascus to Kir, in the fourth year of Ahaz (2 Ki 16:9) which was 732 B.C. Damascus was taken away from being a city. It was, however, afterward rebuilt (Isa. 17:2), and prophesied against in Jeremiah 49:23 and Zechariah 9:1. Tiglath-Pileser also invaded Israel (2 Ki. 15:29). Then from 721 to 718 B.C., Shalmaneser and Sargon II beseiged Samaria three years in the reign of Hoshea (2 Ki.17:3-5). "In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and Habor by the river of Gozan, in the cities of the Medes" (2 Ki.17:6). This invasion terminated the Kingdom of Israel and 27,280 Israelites were led captive (see Sargon's Assyrian inscription). But Sargon didn't remove the entire nation of Israelites (see 2 Ki. 18:9-12; 2 Chr.30-31 & 34; cp. Hos.1:4 with 1:6).


The Burden of Damascus


17:1 The burden of Damascus. Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap (Milky Way hump).

This was fulfilled by Tiglath-pileser’s taking Damascus (732 B.C.), and carrying the people captives to Kir, (2 Kings 16:9,) and overrunning great part of the kingdom of Israel, and carrying a great number of the Israelites also captives to Assyria: and still more fully in regard to Israel, by the conquest of the kingdom, and the captivity of the people, effected a few years after by Shalmaneser (see 2 Kings 17:3)

Tiglath-pileser had carried away the people of Damascus to Kir, in the fourth year of Ahaz (2Ki 16:9); but in Hezekiah's reign a further overthrow is foretold (Jer. 49:23; Zech. 9:1). Also, Shalmaneser carried away Israel from Samaria to Assyria (2Ki 17:6; 18:10, 11) in the sixth year of Hezekiah of Judah (the ninth year of Hoshea of Israel). This prophecy was, doubtless, given previously in the first years of Hezekiah when the foreign nations came into nearer collision with Judah, owing to the threatening aspect of Assyria.

2 The cities of Aroer are forsaken (black Zodiac): they shall be for (white Milky Way) flocks, which shall lie down, and none shall make them afraid.

These cities of Aroer were possessed by the Reubenites and Gadites, whom Tiglath - pilneser carried into captivity, 1Chron 5:26. These he mentions here, as he does Ephraim in the next verse, because they were confederate with Syria against Judah. Afraid - because the land shall be desolate, and destitute of men who might disturb them.

3 The fortress also shall cease from Ephraim, and the kingdom from Damascus, and the remnant of Syria: they shall be as the glory of the children of Israel, saith the Lord of hosts.

4 And in that day it shall come to pass, that the (solar) glory of Jacob (Gemini) shall be made (red radius line) thin, and the (lunar) fatness of his flesh (Sagittarius) shall wax (red radius line) lean.

5 And it shall be as when the harvestman gathereth the corn (golden grain), and reapeth the ears with his arm; and it shall be as he that gathereth ears in the valley of Rephaim (Gemini holding bushel basket of grain).

6 Yet gleaning grapes shall be left in it (a yellow one and a white one), as the shaking of an olive tree, two or three berries in the top of the uppermost bough (green Milky Way bough), four or five in the outmost (red radius line) fruitful branches thereof, saith the Lord God of Israel (a yellow one and a white one -- and the planets).

7 At that day shall a man look to his Maker, and his (solar and lunar) eyes shall have respect to the Holy One of Israel (718 B.C.).

8 And he shall not look to the altars, the work of his hands (Sagittarius has a white blindfold on so can't see Ara), neither shall respect that which his fingers have made, either the groves (Green Milky Way), or the images (solar or lunar or Constellations).

9 In that day shall his strong cities be as a (red radius line) forsaken bough, and an uppermost branch, which they left because of the children of Israel: and there shall be desolation. ("in that day thy cities shall be forsaken, in like manner as the Amorites and Hivites left them [cities], from the face of the children of Israel'')

or "Thy cities shall be forsaken, as when the Hivites and Amorites forsook them, because of the children of Israel." God had inflicted the same judgment upon the Canaanites, and for the same sins of which they were guilty: and therefore as they committed the same abominations, the land would spew them out as it spewed out the nations which were before them as Moses said.

10 Because thou hast forgotten the God of thy salvation, and hast not been mindful of the rock of thy strength, therefore shalt thou plant pleasant plants (green Milky Way), and shalt set it with (red radius line) strange slips:

The word 'slips' means the "cuttings" of the vine that are set in the ground to grow; or the shoot or sucker that is taken off and "set out," or put in the earth to take root and grow, as is often done by farmers and gardeners. The word 'strange' here means "foreign," those which are procured from a distance, and which are, therefore, esteemed valuable; plants selected with care.

11 In the day shalt thou make thy (red radius line) plant to grow, and in the morning shalt thou make thy seed to flourish: but the harvest shall be a (Milky Way) heap in the day of grief and of desperate sorrow.

12 Woe to the multitude of many people, which make a noise like the noise of the seas; and to the rushing of nations, that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters!

13 The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters (Gemini Milky Way lineup of people): but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing (white and yellow sagebrush rolling down the Milky Way hump) before the whirlwind (rotating stars).

14 And behold at eveningtide trouble; and before the morning he is not. This is the portion of them that spoil us, and the lot of them that rob us.


Next Lesson: A Sennacherib Sour Grape Cut Off With Scorpion-Sistrum Pruning Hooks | Back to Home | Email Us