The onslaught of the Medes and Persians against Babylon, leading to its destruction, is recorded in Jeremiah: Sharpen your arrows, fill your quivers. The Lord has stirred the spirit of the kings of Midian to bring destruction upon Babylon, for this is the vengeance of the Lord against His sanctuary. Proclaim a banner over the walls of Babylon, reinforce its guards, position watchmen, prepare; the Lord has resolved to fulfill all He has declared against Babylon’s inhabitants. Furthermore, Proclaim a banner across the land, sound the trumpet among the nations, dedicate nations to it, convey it to the kings of Ararat, Minya, and Askenes, number Tapsar against it, and prepare the armies of Midian, alongside all her rulers, throughout her dominion. The earth will tremble and be perplexed, for the Lord’s counsel will be against Babylon to render its land desolate, uninhabited. As whirlwinds arise from the southwest, so too does this come forth from the wasteland, from the land of fear. A vision of terrifying matters has been revealed to me; the outcry of the frightened inhabitants of Babylon echoes as they hear of the advancing armies of Midian and Elam from the wilderness. An analogy is drawn: just as a great tempest arrives with the south-west wind, so too shall this devastation come from the tormenting desert of which horror itself is personified. What can strike greater dread than impending captivity? The treacherous are unfaithful, and the destroyer brings ruin. According to Hebrew phrasing, this may be articulated as: you who kill, continue to kill; and you who devastate, carry on your destruction; means that the prophetic words are directly addressing Elam and Midian, compelling them to vigorously pursue their mission against the formidable metropolis. Although the third-person rendering suggests a broader implication—whoever is unfaithful acts treacherously and the lawless commits lawlessness—contextually links to Babylon’s acknowledgment of a formidable vision conveyed to it. Go up, Elam, besiege, O Midian: I have brought an end to its lamentation. Fear not, say the Persians and Midianites, even amidst the might of Babylon’s multitude; be not dismayed by its once-great power, for I have silenced all its groaning and its oppressive yoke, so that none shall suffer under Babylon’s once mighty hand, or so that Babylon will endure calamities rendering it incapable of groaning at all.
From this, my innermost being was overwhelmed with grief; anguish gripped me, akin to that of a woman in labor. I faltered upon hearing this; I trembled at the sight. My heart grew faint, engulfed in terrifying darkness. Babylon, my beloved, has become a wonder to me. The prophets grow dim due to their many faces shifting. Thus, the words of Isaiah are introduced, lamenting Babylon with prophetic foresight, for such great calamities await it that the one reporting them, lost in horror, cannot speak; witnessing the bloodshed of many, and moved by deep compassion—being a man speaking of men—grieves as profoundly as a mother in labor. Confusion and trembling overcome him, and he collapses, blinded by shadows without knowing how to respond. Instead of saying, Babylon, my beloved, the Hebrew reads neseph esci—interpreted as dark or gloomy, indicating the city’s pride and extreme arrogance that rose skyward.
Prepare the table, spread the coverings—eat, drink. Arise, O princes, anoint your shields! Isaiah unmistakably conveys that Babylon was overtaken during a feast, urging them into battle: Babylon, my beloved, astonishes me. Prepare the table; from the watchtower, observe those eating and drinking; arise, O princes, wield your shields. This message can be understood in two ways: you, Midianites and Elamites, are urged to prepare for warfare; when combat begins, may you not falter; having dined, arise, take up arms, and conquer Babylon. The instruction to look from the watchtower suggests careful observation of impending events. It could be perceived as directed to Babylon to set a feast for Belshazzar, son of Elmerodach, grandson of Nebuchadnezzar, and see what transpires after this feast when he serves wine in the sacred vessels to harlots and concubines. The princes reclining with the king (referring to the Medians and Persians) are called to arise and strike the king. Further details of this can be found in the book of Daniel.
The Weighty Message of the Coastal Wilderness. As whirlwinds emanate from the southwest, they arise from the desert, from the land of dread. A formidable vision has reached me: the unfaithful act with treachery, and the destroyer perpetrates devastation. Go forth, Elam, and lay siege, O Midian; I have brought an end to their sorrows. My insides were filled with deep anguish; dread seized me as a woman in travail. A vision of the coastal wilderness was revealed to me. As a storm travels across the wilderness, emerging from the desert, from the land of fear, a dire vision has been presented: the apostate staggers, and the lawless one embraces lawlessness. The Elamites and Persian envoys advance against me: now I shall humble yet find solace; thus, my insides will be weary, and anguish will grip me like one in labor. Historically, we have outlined this understanding; let us now explore its higher allegorical significance. The vision or burden concerns the sea of this era, revealing to the prophet the multitude of temptations permeating this world. The sea is equated with the world, as reflected in the psalm: Those who descend into the sea on ships, engaging in business in vast waters, have witnessed the works of the Lord and His wonders in the depths (Psalms 106:23-24). Those doing the Lord’s work in this temporal realm echo the prophet’s cry, ‘I have entered the depths of the sea’ (Psalm 68:3), and have experienced His wonders while freed from trials and afflictions. They express their awareness of a daunting vision. But this tempest springs from that wilderness where the Lord underwent temptation (Matt. 4) and where Israel endured the serpent's bites and the scorpions' stings. It arrives and subsequently dissipates; and the persevering will understand that only the apostate contends and the lawless man behaves unlawfully. Therefore, if we are troubled by the waves of the sea and if a fierce storm assails us, it must be due to our own failings, as we were themselves once apostates and lawless individuals preceding the storm. The phrase, ‘The Elamites and the ambassadors of the Persians advance against me,’ signifies: Elamites denote those who despise, and Persians suggest those who allure. Let the spiteful approach; I shall grieve, and my lament shall be my solace. Yet my soul shall experience sorrow, and pain shall encircle me as in childbirth, so that I may conceive anew and give birth through reverence for God, manifesting His spirit of salvation upon the earth. It is rightly acknowledged concerning the Hebrew text that whirlwinds and tumult arise from the wilderness and that dreadful domain where God is absent; all things are earthly, and every unbeliever abides in their disbelief, while every desolator brings ruin. Thus, the prophet bravely speaks to his adversaries: Arise, Elam, besiege, O Midian; I have ceased all the sorrow within the coastal wilderness, the dread land, and the profound visions that were proclaimed. For my innermost being, in a spirit of repentance, has not been filled with ease as before but with grief, so that I can no longer say, ‘My loins are filled with shame’ (Psalm 37:8). I was overtaken by anguish and suffering, akin to the pains of labor. The Vulgate and Hebrew texts present considerable variations at this juncture; we have thus succinctly clarified both to avoid even the slightest opportunity for the accusers to find fault. I faltered upon hearing; I was troubled upon seeing; my heart grew weary, overcast by terrible darkness: my beloved Babylon has become wonderous in its fate. Set the table, keep watch from the tower over those partaking; arise, O princes, ready your shields. According to the LXX: I have acted iniquitously, for fear of hearing, hurry, lest I should witness; my heart wanders: iniquity has overshadowed me; my soul is in trepidation. Prepare the table and keep watch; eat, drink; arise, O princes, ready your shields. The prophet reproaches himself, or more accurately, reveals the fault of others, who, adhering strictly to the letter, overlook the life-giving spirit; he confesses having faltered by neglecting to perceive the law spiritually, endeavoring to avoid the mysteries of God, and failing to echo David’s plea, Open my eyes, that I may comprehend the wonders of Thy law (Psalms 118:18). Thus, his heart strays, ensnared by Jewish superstition, where he does not dwell in divine love, but rather remains in fear, succumbing to the spirit of bondage rather than the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father (Romans 8). Hence, he is bid to partake of spiritual sustenance and to share this nourishment with all who emulate his example so that, forsaking past errors, those grounded in the letter may arise, become princely in spirit, affirming as the prophet did, ‘Lord, as with a grace-filled weapon, You have crowned us (Psalm 5:13).
THEOSIS