The Judgment of the Nations and of the World (Chs. 13-27). 

        Here, too, we have two sections organically connected. The oracles of doom on Israel and Judah could well raise the question whether God confines His judicial activities to His own people. To that, chs. 13-23 give an answer, for in them we see God’s judgments on most of the peoples known to Isaiah, so these are really prophecies about other nations for Israel’s learning, rather than prophecies for the nations’ good. But that in turn leads to another question, viz., was God’s activity among the nations exceptional? This is answered by the apocalyptic and eschatological chs. 24-27. Here God’s final judgment is seen to involve not merely Israel and the surrounding nations, but the whole world.

        It is most instructive to note the difference in language between the two sections. In the former we have clear-cut pictures of the surrounding countries; in the latter we seem to be moving in a fog in which we see figures moving dimly until the sun of God arises in all its glory.

        The former section begins with Babylon, the city of world power, and ends with Tyre, the city of world commerce, while a second prophecy against Babylon forms the centre. It is now clear why 22:1-14, a prophecy about Jerusalem, is in this section, but as Shebna was virtually Foreign Secretary, 22:15-25 is entirely in place here.