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| 1 In those days, was Hezekiah sick, unto death,–and Isaiah son of Amoz, the prophet, came unto him, and said unto him–Thus, saith Yahweh Set in order thy house, for, about to die, thou, art, and shalt not recover. |
In those days – Somewhere in the period of Hezekiah's prosperity and consequent pride. R2382:6
731 BC, 125 years before the removal of the crown from Zedekiah (606 BC); corresponding to the date of the French Revolution, 1789 AD, from which Christendom recovered, though it must have seemed to be a "sickness unto death"; which was 125 years before 1914, when Gentile crowns are removed. R3574:1, 2*
Was Hezeklah sick – Penalty for his failure to render unto the Lord according to his blessings. R2382:6
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| 2 Then he turned his face unto the wall,–and prayed unto Yahweh, saying:
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And prayed – Isa. 38:9-22 records in poetic form Hevious prayer. R2382:6
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| 3 I beseech thee, O Yahweh, remember, I pray thee, how I have walked before thee, in truth, and with a whole heart, and, that which is good in thine eyes, have I done! And Hezekiah wept aloud. |
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| 4 And it came to pass that Isaiah, had not gone out into the middle court, when the word of Yahweh came unto him, saying: |
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| 5 Return, and thou shalt say unto Hezekiah the leader of my people–Thus, saith Yahweh, God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears,–Behold me! about to heal thee, On the third day, shalt thou go up unto the house of Yahweh; |
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| 6 And I will add unto thy days, fifteen years, and, out of the hand of the king of Assyria, will I deliver thee, and this city,–and will throw a covering over this city, for my own sake, and for the sake of David my servant. |
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| 7 And Isaiah said–Take ye a cake of figs. So they took and laid it upon the boil, and he recovered, |
And Isaiah said – Isaiah did not pray with Hezekiah, nor suggest prayer, but was surprised when sent back to inform Hezekiah that he would recover. R2028:6
A lump of figs – A poultice. Many who believe in faith healing today would object to a fig poultice or any other human instrumentality being used. R2029:1
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| 8 Now Hezekiah had said unto Isaiah, What sign is there, that Yahweh will heal me,–and that I shall go up on the third day, to the house of Yahweh? |
Shall be the sign – The Lord's people of the New Creation should avoid putting the Lord to tests and signs. He desires his people to walk by faith and not by sight. R3589:1
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| 9 And Isaiah said,–This unto thee, is the sign from Yahweh, that Yahweh will do the thing which he hath spoken, The shadow hath gone forward ten steps, shall it return ten steps? |
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| 10 And Hezekiah said–It is, a light thing, for the shadow, to decline ten steps,–Nay, but let the shadow go back ten steps. |
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| 11 And Isaiah the prophet cried unto Yahweh, and he caused the shadow on the steps by which it had gone down on the steps of Ahaz to go back, ten steps. |
Brought the shadow – Probably by means of conditions in the upper atmosphere causing two parhelia or mock suns. R2383:1, * R3589:2; Q770:4
Ten degrees backward – Professor Garbet declares that he knew of an afternoon when, on sundials in Southern England, there occurred exactly the same wonder. R2383:1, R3589:4; Q770:4
Perhaps symbolically representing the ten years from the French Revolution to the beginning of the Time of the End. R3574:3*
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| 12 At that time, Berodach-baladan son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present, unto Hezekiah,–for he had heard that Hezekiah had been sick. |
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| 13 And Hezekiah hearkened unto them, and shewed them all his house of precious things–the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and his armoury, and all that was found among his treasures,–there was, nothing, that Hezekiah shewed them not, in his house or in all his dominion. |
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| 14 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, From a land far off, came they–from Babylon. |
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| 15 And he said–What have they seen in thy house? Then said Hezekiah–All that is in my house, have they seen, there was, nothing, that I shewed them not, among my treasures. |
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| 16 Then said Isaiah unto Hezekiah,–Hear thou the word of Yahweh: |
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| 17 Lo! days are coming, when all that is in thine house, and that thy fathers have treasured up, unto this day, shall be carried into Babylon,–nothing shall be left, saith Yahweh; |
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| 18 and, of thy sons who shall issue from thee, whom thou shalt beget, shall they take away,–and they shall become eunuchs, in the palace of the king of Babylon. |
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| 19 And Hezekiah said unto Isaiah–Good, is the word of Yahweh, which thou hast spoken. And he said–Is it not, that, peace and stability, there shall be in my days? |
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| 20 Now, the rest of the story of Hezekiah, and all his might, and how he made a pool and an aqueduct, and brought water into the city, are, they, not written in the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah? |
Brought water – This seems to shadow forth the founding of the various Bible Societies at the beginning of the last century. R3574:3*
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| 21 So Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and, Manasseh his son, reigned, in his stead. |
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