Isaiah 5:26-30: Fulfilled in the End Times?

Isaiah 5 is a chapter that many assume has been completely fulfilled. Consequently, you don’t see many articles connecting Isaiah 5 with the end times. After much study, I believe that Isaiah 5:26-30 likely has end time implications, and I will explain why in this article.

Isaiah 5:1-25

I believe the first 24 verses of Isaiah 5 are relevant to the past and relate to the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom of Judah (both are mentioned in verse 5:7). Although Isaiah 5:25 relates to a past judgment of the people of Israel, it is a particularly noteworthy verse because it mentions that the Lord’s (His) “hand is stretched out still”:

“Therefore is the anger of the LORD kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them: and the hills did tremble, and their carcases were torn in the midst of the streets. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.” (Isaiah 5:25)

Isaiah 5:26-30

The phrase “His hand is stretched out still” is noteworthy because it means that there is an additional judgment beyond the one mentioned in verse 25 ordained. Isaiah 5:26-30 highlights this additional judgment:

“(26) And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth: and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly: (27) None shall be weary nor stumble among them; none shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken: (28) Whose arrows are sharp, and all their bows bent, their horses’ hoofs shall be counted like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind: (29) Their roaring shall be like a lion, they shall roar like young lions: yea, they shall roar, and lay hold of the prey, and shall carry it away safe, and none shall deliver it. (30) And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea: and if one look unto the land, behold darkness and sorrow, and the light is darkened in the heavens thereof. (Isaiah 5:26-30)

One possible fulfillment of Isaiah 5:26-30 is the attack by the Babylonians and their allies. A fulfillment of Isaiah 5:26-30 by the hand of the Babylonians and their allies is a possibility since Babylon appears to have been “far” enough away to be described as “far” in the Bible. For example, Hezekiah lumps Babylon together with a “far country” in Isaiah 39:3:

“(2) And Hezekiah was glad of them, and shewed them the house of his precious things, the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and all the house of his armour, and all that was found in his treasures: there was nothing in his house, nor in all his dominion, that Hezekiah shewed them not. (3) Then came Isaiah the prophet unto king Hezekiah, and said unto him, What said these men? and from whence came they unto thee? And Hezekiah said, They are come from a far country unto me, even from Babylon. (Isaiah 39:2-3)

Another possible fulfillment of Isaiah 5:26-30 is the attack by the Romans and their allies. Deuteronomy 28:48-68 mentions that a nation will come “from the end of the earth” to attack the people of Israel. Bible commentators like Albert Barnes and John Gill believe this refers to the Romans. Here are some verses from that passage:

“(48) Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the LORD shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed thee. (49) The LORD shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flieth; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand; (50) A nation of fierce countenance, which shall not regard the person of the old, nor shew favour to the young: (51) And he shall eat the fruit of thy cattle, and the fruit of thy land, until thou be destroyed: which also shall not leave thee either corn, wine, or oil, or the increase of thy kine, or flocks of thy sheep, until he have destroyed thee. (52) And he shall besiege thee in all thy gates, until thy high and fenced walls come down, wherein thou trustedst, throughout all thy land: and he shall besiege thee in all thy gates throughout all thy land, which the LORD thy God hath given thee. (53) And thou shalt eat the fruit of thine own body, the flesh of thy sons and of thy daughters, which the LORD thy God hath given thee, in the siege, and in the straitness, wherewith thine enemies shall distress thee:…(63) And it shall come to pass, that as the LORD rejoiced over you to do you good, and to multiply you; so the LORD will rejoice over you to destroy you, and to bring you to nought; and ye shall be plucked from off the land whither thou goest to possess it. (64) And the LORD shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone.” (Deuteronomy 28:48-53, 63-64)

End Time Fulfillment

Many Bible commentators conclude that the judgment of Isaiah 5:26-30 was fulfilled by the Babylonians or by the Romans. In contrast, I believe Isaiah 5:26-30 likely sees its ultimate fulfillment during the end times.

Isaiah 5 and Joel 2

One reason why I believe Isaiah 5:26-30 likely sees its ultimate fulfillment during the end times is that the passage mirrors Joel 2:3-10, which is definitely a passage which will see its fulfillment in the end times (the Day of the Lord is mentioned in Joel 2:1). The parallels between the passages are highlighted in the table below:

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• Horses
• Organized
• Darkness
• No Escape

Isaiah 5:26-30: (26) And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth: and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly: (27) None shall be weary nor stumble among them; none shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken: (28) Whose arrows are sharp, and all their bows bent, their horses’ hoofs shall be counted like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind: (29) Their roaring shall be like a lion, they shall roar like young lions: yea, they shall roar, and lay hold of the prey, and shall carry it away safe, and none shall deliver it. (30) And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea: and if one look unto the land, behold darkness and sorrow, and the light is darkened in the heavens thereof.

Joel 2:3-10: (3) A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them. (4) The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run. (5) Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array. (6) Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness. (7) They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks: (8) Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk every one in his path: and when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded. (9) They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief. (10) The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining:

In that Day

Another reason why I believe Isaiah 5:26-30 likely sees its ultimate fulfillment during the end times is that verse 5:30 includes the words “in that day”, which is a phrase that often alludes to the Day of the Lord:

“And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea: and if one look unto the land, behold darkness and sorrow, and the light is darkened in the heavens thereof.” (Isaiah 5:30)

Isaiah 5 & Isaiah 13

A third reason why I believe that Isaiah 5:26-30 likely sees its ultimate fulfillment during the end times is that Isaiah 5:26-30’s details about the attackers brought by the Lord are similar to the details concerning the Lord’s army in Isaiah 13, an end time chapter. Isaiah 13 mentions an army brought by the Lord, which He too lifts up a banner (the Hebrew for “banner” in Isaiah 13:2 is the same word used to denote “ensign” in Isaiah 5:26), He too summons, and brings from the end of heaven. The parallels between Isaiah 5:26-30 and Isaiah 13 are highlighted in the table below:

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• Gather the Nations
• Ends of the Earth

Isaiah 5:26:“And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth: and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly:”

Isaiah 13:1-6:“(1) The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz did see. (2) Lift ye up a banner upon the high mountain, exalt the voice unto them, shake the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles. (3) I have commanded my sanctified ones, I have also called my mighty ones for mine anger, even them that rejoice in my highness. (4) The noise of a multitude in the mountains, like as of a great people; a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together: the LORD of hosts mustereth the host of the battle. (5) They come from a far country, from the end of heaven, even the LORD, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land. (6) Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.”

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Conclusion

If Isaiah 5:26-30 sees its ultimate fulfillment during the end times, it may relate to the end time siege of Jerusalem described in chapters like Ezekiel 7, Zechariah 12:2, and Jeremiah 4.

Feel free to write in the comments section if you have any thoughts about this or any other topic. If you would like to learn about the timing of the end time siege of Jerusalem, click this link for my article about the topic: When Jerusalem Will Be Attacked During the End Times?