“Do Not Rejoice, O Philistia”
AMONG ancient writings the Bible stands out as a book of prophecy. Hundreds upon hundreds of events were foretold, and the fulfillments can be confirmed by the facts of history.
One of these prophecies was directed against Philistia in the year that Judean King Ahaz died. The prophet Isaiah was divinely inspired to declare: “Do not rejoice, O Philistia, any one of you, just because the staff of the one striking you has been broken. For out of the root of the serpent there will come forth a poisonous snake, and its fruit will be a flying fiery snake.”—Isa. 14:28, 29.
During the reign of King Ahaz the power of Judah had been weakened considerably. In but one day the armies of the opposing ten-tribe kingdom of Israel killed 120,000 warriors in the kingdom of Judah. The Edomites invaded Judah from the southeast and carried off captives. And the Philistines raided western cities and towns in Judah. (2 Chron. 28:5, 6, 17, 18) Finally, to protect himself against the threat of Israel and Syria, Ahaz appealed to Assyria for help. Eventually this brought, not relief, but “distress” under the heavy Assyrian yoke. (2 Chron. 28:16, 20) As far as the Philistines were concerned, the kingdom of Judah was no danger to them as it had been in the past. The “staff” that had been striking them was broken.
Things had been far different when Uzziah, the grandfather of Ahaz, ruled as king. The Bible reports: “He proceeded to go out and fight against the Philistines and break through the wall of Gath and the wall of Jabneh and the wall of Ashdod, after which he built cities in Ashdod territory and among the Philistines. And the true God continued to help him against the Philistines and against the Arabians that were dwelling in Gurbaal and the Meunim. And the Ammonites began to give tribute to Uzziah. Eventually his fame went even as far as Egypt, for he displayed strength to an extraordinary degree.”—2 Chron. 26:6-8.
Due to gross disregard for God’s commands, Ahaz, on the other hand, experienced reverses. Now, with the death of Ahaz and a new, inexperienced king’s coming to the throne, the Philistines were not to rejoice, thinking that they could make further inroads on the kingdom of Judah. There was going to be a change. King Uzziah, by gaining victories over the Philistines, had been like a serpent. But the Philistines were to face a more deadly foe in one springing from the “root” of Uzziah. This one would be like a “poisonous snake,” a “flying fiery snake.” A “flying fiery snake” would be rapid in darting and lightninglike in striking and would produce a burning effect through the venom injected into a victim. In fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy, the “flying fiery snake” proved to be Hezekiah, the great-grandson of Uzziah. The Bible tells us: “It was he that struck down the Philistines clear to Gaza and also its territories.”—2 Ki. 18:8.
The annals of Assyrian King Sennacherib reveal that the Philistines submitted to Hezekiah. Regarding what happened to Padi, king of the Philistine city of Ekron, these annals state that ‘the officials, the patricians and the common people of Ekron had thrown Padi, their king, into fetters’ and “had handed him over to Hezekiah, the Jew,” who “held him in prison.”
In view of such developments during the reign of Hezekiah, the prophetic command for the Philistines not to rejoice was most appropriate. What they experienced at the hands of Hezekiah was truly like the injury that a “flying fiery snake” can produce upon its victims. The prophecy at Isaiah 14:29 was unmistakably fulfilled.