What is the truth on Isaiah ישעיהו 14

First here let me quote the early verse before the more significant parts arrive. Here is Isaiah/ Yeshayahu 14:1-8

14 The Lord will have compassion on Jacob;
    once again he will choose Israel
    and will settle them in their own land.
Foreigners will join them
    and unite with the descendants of Jacob.
² Nations will take them
    and bring them to their own place.
And Israel will take possession of the nations
    and make them male and female servants in the Lord’s land.
They will make captives of their captors
    and rule over their oppressors.

³ On the day the Lord gives you relief from your suffering and turmoil and from the harsh labor forced on you, ⁴ you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon:

How the oppressor has come to an end!
    How his fury  has ended!
⁵ The Lord has broken the rod of the wicked,
    the scepter of the rulers,
⁶ which in anger struck down peoples
    with unceasing blows,
and in fury subdued nations
    with relentless aggression.
⁷ All the lands are at rest and at peace;
    they break into singing.
⁸ Even the junipers and the cedars of Lebanon
    gloat over you and say,
“Now that you have been laid low,
    no one comes to cut us down.

This is a mocking rebuke of the King of Bavel/Babylon or also the Kasdim or Chaldeans ( in simple term modern day southern Iraq). It is true as so many say that this connects to Revelation 12 and a war in heaven? How about we look at Revelation 12 also then!

⁷ “Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. ⁸ But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. ⁹ The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.”

No question that Revelation 12 speaks of war in heaven and demonic leader being cast down but does this connect to Isaiah.

(The word She’ol שְׁא֗וֹל has varying meanings from the simply the grave, to a neutral abode of dead spirits to a hellish place of retribution. This word’s meaning is very complex so I left it as she’ol and did not translate, for it’s translation is very broad and abstract)

Here is verse 9

שְׁא֗וֹל מִתַּ֛חַת רָֽגְזָ֥ה לְךָ֖ לִקְרַ֣את בּוֹאֶ֑ךָ עוֹרֵ֨ר לְךָ֚ רְפָאִים֙ כָּל־עַתּ֣וּדֵי אָ֔רֶץ הֵקִים֙ מִכִּֽסְאוֹתָ֔ם כֹּ֖ל מַלְכֵ֥י גוֹיִֽם:

The She’ol from beneath quaked for you to meet you at your arrival. It arouses for you the giants and all of strong ones of the earth. It establishes from their thrones all the Kings of their Nations.

10.

כֻּלָּ֣ם יַֽעֲנ֔וּ וְיֹֽאמְר֖וּ אֵלֶ֑יךָ גַּם־אַתָּ֛ה חֻלֵּ֥יתָ כָמ֖וֹנוּ אֵלֵ֥ינוּ נִמְשָֽׁלְתָּ:

“All of then responded and they said to you: also you too have become weak, like us you have been made like.”

Still this is clearly the taunt of the King Chaldea.

11.

הוּרַ֥ד שְׁא֛וֹל גְאוֹנֶ֖ךָ הֶמְיַ֣ת נְבָלֶ֑יךָ תַּחְתֶּ֙יךָ֙ יֻצַּ֣ע רִמָּ֔ה וּמְכַסֶּ֖יךָ תּֽוֹלֵעָֽה:

“Descended to the She’ol is your pride, the sound of your harps under you and maggots have spread out and worms cover you.”

This here is getting more esoteric and hinting at a deeper meaning while still mocking the King.

12.

אֵ֛יךְ נָפַ֥לְתָּ מִשָּׁמַ֖יִם הֵילֵ֣ל בֶּן־שָּׁ֑חַר נִגְדַּ֣עְתָּ לָאָ֔רֶץ חוֹלֵ֖שׁ עַל־גּוֹיִֽם:

“How are you fallen from the heavens O shinning one (planet Venus) Son of the dawn, you have been cut down to earth the weakener of Nations.”

This sounds more like a hint at a divine being falling and not simply a warning to a King to repent or be cast down!

13.

וְאַתָּ֞ה אָמַ֚רְתָּ בִּלְבָֽבְךָ֙ הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם אֶֽעֱלֶ֔ה מִמַּ֥עַל לְכֽוֹכְבֵי־אֵ֖ל אָרִ֣ים כִּסְאִ֑י וְאֵשֵׁ֥ב בְּהַר־מוֹעֵ֖ד בְּיַרְכְּתֵ֥י צָפֽוֹן:

“And you have said in your heart, to the heavens I will ascend, above the stars (and) God I will raise my throne. And I will sit on the mount of the assembly, in the farthest end of the north.”

This here is still sounding a bit more like a divine being but the reference to the far north keeps the King of Chaldea in play.

14.

אֶֽעֱלֶ֖ה עַל־בָּ֣מֳתֵי עָ֑ב אֶדַּמֶּ֖ה לְעֶלְיֽוֹן

I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will liken myself to the Most High (God).

Same idea!

15.

אַ֧ךְ אֶל־שְׁא֛וֹל תּוּרַ֖ד אֶל־יַרְכְּתֵי־בֽוֹר

But to She’ol you will descend, to the far ends of the pit.

This is relevant both to a rebellious divine being and haughty King.

16.

רֹאֶ֙יךָ֙ אֵלֶ֣יךָ יַשְׁגִּ֔יחוּ אֵלֶ֖יךָ יִתְבּוֹנָ֑נוּ הֲזֶ֚ה הָאִישׁ֙ מַרְגִּ֣יז הָאָ֔רֶץ מַרְעִ֖ישׁ מַמְלָכֽוֹת:

You will be looked upon and they will gaze at you (and stare). They will wonder (contemplate) is this the man man that made the earth quake shocking the Kingdoms!

This also can both be a divine being and an earthly King. We have now gone far enough into Isaiah 14 for our analysis. This sequence of scripture has often been linked to the rebellion of an angel named Luficer who became the Prince of Demons. It this the case? Lets look first at what is not true.

1.No person or persons human or otherwise is ever named Lucifer, Lucifer does not exist. Am I saying there is no Prince of demons? Of course not, but he’s not Lucifer. Latin translates poorly from Hebrew so this sequence here “Shinning one star of the dawn” הֵילֵ֣ל בֶּן־שָּׁ֑חַר was translated into Latin as Lucifer which means light bearer or bringer of the light. Lucifer is not a existing being.

2. Pride obviously seems to be the sin in discussion but no where here is the phrase “It is greater to reign in hell than be a servant in heaven”. This is not in the Bible this was from “Paradise Lost” by John Milton a 17th century British novel on Christian theology based on scripture with it’s own added conclusions but did not follow scripture absolutely, a good book yes but not a full substitute for the Bible! We do not know what actually provoked the angels to rebel other than pride as a likely answer.

3. The Bible never states any name for the Prince of demons, for instance beezlebub simply means Lord of fly’s because fly’s like dung. In other words Lord of all that is low and disgusting, so beezlebub is an adjective and not a proper noun (notice I did not capitalize it).

4. The Bible never says anywhere either in Isaiah or Rev.12 that Lucifer or any angel was the most beautiful angel.

So what is true?

1. Although no war in heaven is spoken of it seems obvious that there was an angel who sinned in pride and this likely does connect with Revelation 12. or Luke 10:18. There is no evidence that his beauty had to have been the source of pride but pride is clearly the sin.

Luke 10:18

¹⁸ “He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.”

2. The haughty divine being is in the deeper meaning and the main story is a taunting rebuke of the King of Babylon or Chaldea. It does not say anything though about Satan falling from heaven like lighting though.

3. In other parts of scripture there was a war in heaven where a angel and his Coconspirators were fought by Michael and were cast down like lightning.

Do different level of Biblical interpretation exist, Yes.

Peshat פשט simple or plain literal meaning.

Remez רמז hint, clue (going deeper)

Drash דרש seeking, looking for a deeper interpretation.

Sod סוד Secret, the arcane or esoteric.

The rebuke of the king of Chaldea is the peshat and an angel who become to proud is in one of those deeper meanings. Seeing satan here is in the drash, the seeking interpretation.

What is the final takeaway here?

The planet Venus is the brightest in the sky until the morning break where sun take final dominance. So in the peshat the King of Babylon or Chaldea was glorious for a time and his pride soured to the heavens like Venus until another greater king like the sun conquered him. Satan too in his temporary prideful rebellion was like Venus until God like the sun turned him to darkness.