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THE ISLES / ISLANDS
OF PROPHECY

-their prophetic meanings-

 

The isles/islands of Bible prophecy represent the Gentile nations that serve as harbors of safety/ports in the storm for the dispersed Hebrews.   The first mentioning of these islands is found in the listing of the lineage of the sons of Noah in Genesis 10:1-5.

Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood.
The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras.
And the sons of Gomer; Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah.
And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.
By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.

 

THE PURPOSES FOR THE ISLANDS

Some Isles were very severe in their treatment of Israel while God put in the hearts of some to treat them with favor.  Prophetically, the "Islands" function as a tool to keep a remnant of Abraham's seed alive until God finally fulfills His promise to His friend Abraham concerning his posterity. 

Some key verses for interpreting the meaning of "island."

Isaiah 34:14
The wild beasts [hypocritical leaders of Israel acting like Gentile leaders] of the desert* shall also meet with the wild beasts [ungodly Gentile leader’s] of the island, and the satyr* shall cry to his fellow; the screech owl* also shall rest there, and find for herself a place of rest.

Isaiah 13:22
And the wild beasts of the islands shall cry in their desolate houses, and dragons* in their pleasant palaces: and her [spiritual Babylon the Great] time is near to come, and her days shall not be prolonged.

Isaiah 41:1
Keep silence before me, O islands; and let the people [the Hebrews] renew their strength: let them come near; then let them speak: let us come near together to judgment.

*Easton's Bible Dictionary

desert…This word is the symbol of the Jewish church when they had forsaken God (Isa. 40:3).  {Nations destitute of the knowledge of God are called a "wilderness" (32:15, _midbar_). It is a symbol of temptation, solitude, and persecution (Isa. 27:10, _midbar_; 33:9, _arabah_).  Also, see Isa 35:1.}

Satyr*: hairy one. Mentioned in Greek mythology as a creature composed of a man and a goat, supposed to inhabit wild and desolate regions. The Hebrew word is rendered also "goat" (Lev. 4:24) and "devil", i.e., an idol in the form of a goat (17:7; 2 Chr. 11:15). When it is said (Isa. 13:21; cf. 34:14) "the satyrs shall dance there," the meaning is that the place referred to shall become a desolate waste...

(*We don’t know if the Hebrews adopted the Greek’s mythological characters such as satyr and dragon or if the Greeks copied and caricaturized the creatures that represented the devil and the hypocrites in the Hebrew nation, but regardless of which came first, we do know that the representation was of God for Jesus brought forward in his teaching the concept of men having the nature of a goat and the Holy Spirit had John used the word "dragon" to refer to the devil in his Book of Revelation [Mt. 25:32-33; Rev.Rev. 12:9].)

Easton's Bible Dictionary

*OWL: (A carnivorous bird)
Unclean
Le 11:16,17; De 14:16

It is found frequenting the ruins of Egypt and also of the Holy Land. "Its cry is a loud, prolonged, and very powerful hoot. I know nothing which more vividly brought to my mind the sense of desolation and loneliness than the re-echoing hoot of two or three of these great owls as I stood at midnight among the ruined temples of Baalbek" (Tristram)...

 

The last three mentionings of the isles/islands are found in the book of Revelation. 

 

FOR A FUN LEARNING EXPERIENCE:

  1. Go to the Bible Treasure Chest on our home page and left click.
  2. Left click on the "Blue Letter Bible" icon.
  3. Under "Search word" type in any of the terms mentioned above.
  4. Click "Word Search."
  5. Go to passages that contain each key verse and apply the prophetic meaning for the terms.
  6. Take advantage of the "Choose commentary, then click" button.
    (For the prophetic islands use the words "island, islands, isle, isles.)

 

(If you want to share your understanding of these terms with us, or if you have any question about them, Email us at .)

 

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