On September 11th, 2001 two towers fell. Did Bible prophecy predict that?
Bible Prophecy is a challenging subject as it is. We shouldn’t be making it more difficult by taking verses or passages out of context. The practice of many prophecy novices has been to start with an agenda or ‘pet doctrinal position,’ and find verses that support that position. That is not a sound principle for good Bible study or the study of eschatology (End Times). The biblical text was originally written by inspired authors. The Spirit of God inspired the authors to write the text which, in turn, became the Bible that through the ages inspired and instructed believers.
Believers, young and old, need to know they can trust the scriptures. If the text is open to a wide array of opinions and speculations, then the Bible can be interpreted in any way that the novice interpreter desires. That was never the intention of the biblical text.
Hermeneutics:
Hermeneutics is the philosophy and methodology of text interpretation, especially the interpretation of biblical texts, wisdom literature, and philosophical texts.
This is not an article on hermeneutics. But I will discuss some important questions regarding some outlandish ways some people interpret the Bible and then lead many people’s way off course as to how the Bible should be understood.
A child can read many parts of the Bible and understand it. And of course, there are many portions in which that same child would be challenged to understand anything he or she read. Adults who approach the Word of God will find a similar experience. But, and this is very important, God intends for the simple-minded or the gifted intellect to read the scriptures and understand it.
So what’s the point?
Within the field of Bible prophecy, we often find many teachers deal with the text with very bizarre means of interpretation. Sometimes they claim God gave them special insight into the text. Others claim to know about secret numbering codes that help the learned reader understand what the simpleton can’t. There are those who speak of visions in the night or even an appearance of Jesus on their toast in the morning.
That last line is funny but it’s not a joking matter. It really happened, that a person claimed an image of Jesus appeared on his toast and claimed God had a message for the world.
These kinds of weird interpretation skills, if you want to call them that, don’t fit the biblical model. And the non-believers look at committed Christians and assume we’re all crazy. We need to use sound principles of interpretation and teach others how to do the same.
2 Peter 1:20
Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things.
2 Peter 1:21
For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
These two verses in 2 Peter make it clear that the Spirit of God guided the original writers. The Bible is a collective whole. It’s a big-picture story of God’s plan for mankind. The writers didn’t come up with their own views of the world. God guided the words even though they were unique to each person at the time. Their personalities come out in their writing but still, the message is universal and consistent with the big-picture message.
As Bible prophecy students, or teachers we can’t break away from that mold and start constructing things that don’t exist. This portion of Isaiah provides a great opportunity to explore this truth.
The last part of chapter thirty of Isaiah’s book was used as proof that God predicted the tragedy on September eleventh, 2001. It’s very easy to see why that’s not the case. Let’s explore the chapter as usual. I’ll take it one verse at a time and comment on the original author’s words.
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Isaiah 30:19 Bible Prophecy predicts peace will come to Jerusalem.
“For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will be very gracious unto you at the voice of your cry. When he shall hear it, he will answer you.”
There is a lot of bad news in this chapter. It’s not a pretty picture once we get to the end, but there is some good we should focus on. Jerusalem, which today is the center of great turmoil, will one day sit quiet and peaceful. The death and chaos that we often see in the news will come to a peaceful end which the Bible does predict. God will be gracious to those who trust in him through all the difficulties that life presents.
Isaiah 30:20 From Bible Prophecy we learn adversity sometimes comes from the Lord.
“And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet shall not your teachers be removed into a corner any longer. But your eyes shall see your teachers.”
Adversity comes to everyone. The religious, agnostic, or atheists are no different in this regard. A truth that many people struggle with is mentioned in this verse. God often will bring “the bread of adversity,” or “the water of affliction.” The reason is God’s to know, and ours to find out why. He has a perfect future in mind for us. We just want a trouble-free existence. We can’t have both.
Isaiah 30:21 The prophets often Heard the voice of God
“And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, This is the way, you walk in it, when you turn to the right hand, and when you turn to the left.”
This verse is the ideal model for a mature believer. The Spirit of God resides in the believer. If we are walking closely with the Lord we can sense God’s direction as though a voice was speaking to us, giving guidance. An unbeliever will wrongly claim that borders on being crazy. But that comes from a lack of understanding about the relationship with God that is possible. I’ve never heard any voices, but I do receive convictions in my heart. Those convictions are usually based on specific things I’ve read in the Bible.
Isaiah 30:22 Bible Prophecy warns about idols.
“You shall defile also the covering of your graven image of silver, and the ornament of your molten images of gold, you shall cast them away as a menstruous cloth, you shall say unto it, get away.”
Idolatry was a regular problem for many cultures thousands of years ago. It still exists in many forms today but it’s changed and morphed into different forms as new religions and cultures have developed. The nation of Israel fell into this sin often. Many of their times of affliction were the result of that. This verse graphically describes how filthy sin is. It needs to be thrown out.
Isaiah 30:23 Bible Prophecy predicts God’s blessings
“Then shall he give the rain for your seed, that you shall sow the ground with it. And bread of the increase of the earth, and it shall be fat and plentiful. In that day shall your cattle feed in large pastures.”
If we throw away our idolatry and sins God promises many blessings. The rains will arrive at the proper time. The seeds will grow in the rich soil and produce abundance. Or we can keep on with our sinful ways. That is a simple prophecy, which can be understood by anyone. If you keep driving down a road with a cliff at the end, you will crash. You will be blessed with life if you stop driving toward the cliff.
Isaiah 30:24 Bible Prophecy even includes animals
“The oxen likewise and the young donkeys that work the ground shall eat clean provender, which has been winnowed with the shovel and with the fan.”
God intended that humans would care for and nurture the earth. When Adam and Eve fell, they took all of us down with them. Even the animals suffer from our failure. In this verse, Isaiah tells about a future in which the animals who are used to turn the soil will enjoy great food too. Everyone wins in that scenario. Prophecy gets the bad rap about being all bad news, but it’s really about the great news, with a few unfortunate bad spells before then.
Isaiah 30:25 Did Bible Prophecy predict the Sept. 11th twin towers fall?
“And there shall be upon every high mountain, and upon every high hill, rivers and streams of waters in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall.”
This is the verse! You found it! This is proof that the Bible predicted the twin tower tragedy. Or not.
When Isaiah wrote this chapter, the word tower had a specific meaning. It was almost exclusively used in reference to a lookout tower. For thousands of years, everyone knew what the prophet meant. During times of war, watchtowers were often set on fire and destroyed by invading armies. It happened when the Assyrians, Babylonians, and Romans attacked Israel, and again when European castles were sacked by barbarians. It makes a very intriguing story to say this obscure verse was a reference to the 9/11 terror event. But it’s simply not true. Isaiah was using normal language that referred to towers that would fall when under attack by an opposing military force.
No airplanes are required.
Isaiah 30:26 What is Bible Prophecy saying about the Sun and Moon?
“Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the Lord binds up the breach of his people, and heals the stroke of their wound.”
I did some research before I started this article. I looked for articles around that time of the 9/11 terror event. Some of them were stupidly crazy in their interpretations. Whenever the sun and moon are part of a prophecy passage, people go off the rails in assuming lots of things. It’s common to hear about the sun scorching humans who walk outside. Scorched human and animal carcasses will lay on the ground for a few moments until they turn to dust and float into the intense heat.
There is an interpretation of this verse that is much easier to understand and accept. A brighter day awaits us when God fixes the things we messed up. The sun and moon will light the day and night like never before when all the sin of humanity is finally dealt with. I believe that fits more closely with the intent of the verse rather than scorched bodies melting into ash.
Isaiah 30:27 The prophets predict the coming wrath of God
“Behold, the name of the Lord comes from far, burning with his anger, and the burden thereof is heavy. His lips are full of indignation, and his tongue as a devouring fire.”
But of course, there is bad news. The Lord won’t strike out in a fit of rage, but he will express his anger at the unbelievers. We are all given plenty of opportunities to respond to his love and grace. This picture of the Lord when he comes in wrath is alarming. The sweet and gentle Jesus will be deadly serious when he comes back to finish up the business his Father has given him to accomplish. Clean-up will be a bit _ h!
He will be fire-breathing mad according to this verse.
Isaiah 30:28 Bible Prophecy tells us every nation is included.
“And his breath, as an overflowing stream, shall reach to the midst of the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of vanity. And there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people, causing them to err.”
There’s more bad news in this verse for those who are on the wrong side of destiny. Many who follow that path will appear to go in ways they can’t control. As though a bit was in the “jaws of the people.” Sin is very controlling to those who give themselves over to it. It’s like a drug we try and can’t break away from once we are in too far.
Isaiah 30:29 Bible Prophecy isn’t just gloom and doom. Joyful songs will sound.
“You shall have a song, as in the night when a holy solemnity is kept, and gladness of heart. As when one goes with a pipe to come into the mountain of the Lord, to the Mighty One of Israel.”
Some will sing and rejoice when the appointed time arrives. The Mighty One of Israel will come back in victorious fashion for those who are eagerly looking for him.
Isaiah 30:30 From Bible Prophecy we learn the world will hear the Voice of God
“And the Lord shall cause his glorious voice to be heard, and shall show the lighting down of his arm, with the indignation of his anger, and with the flame of a devouring fire, with scattering, and tempest, and hailstones.”
We will hear the voice of God and see his strong arm strike out at his foes. Many will challenge God in a futile attempt to prevent him from judging the world. They will fail. There is a devouring fire for them. We see that in this verse.
Isaiah 30:31 The Prophets predicted an attack from The Assyrian.
“For through the voice of the Lord shall the Assyrian be beaten down, which smote with a rod.”
This verse and several others like it require further study. The Assyrians did attack northern Israel about A.D. 700. This Assyrian is different. I believe an Assyrian leader will take a prominent role among those who surround Israel in the last days. Some suggest this is the Antichrist, but I’m not ready to say that definitively. After further study, I expect that I will come to a firmer conclusion on this subject. I believe there are good reasons to interpret that the Antichrist will arise from the region of ancient Assyria.
Isaiah 30:32 Bible Prophecy foreshadows a final battle involving the Lord.
“And in every place where the grounded staff shall pass, which the Lord shall lay upon him, it shall be with tabrets and harps. And in battles of shaking will he fight with it.”
This verse is not politically correct. The proper interpretation seems to indicate that people will rejoice when the enemies are defeated. No one should rejoice at the death or demise of another, but it is a natural human feeling. If you were near death at the hands of a madman and a police officer shot him dead, you might feel like rejoicing. That is the emotion expressed here.
Isaiah 30:33 Yes, Bible Prophecy does predict the dreaded ‘fire and brimstone.’
“For Tophet is ordained of old. Yes, for the king it is prepared. He has made it deep and large. The pile thereof is fire and much wood. The breath of the Lord, like a stream of brimstone, does kindle it.”
This is a piece of final bad news for the ones who lead the rebellion against God in the last days. The dreaded fire and brimstone are waiting for a “King” who led the rebellion. I think there is a good reason to believe the king mentioned here is also the ‘Assyrian’ in verse 31.
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