Isaiah chapter 33, like the last chapter, doesn't really specify a time frame, but seems to be end times prophecy, chiefly because verse 21 talks about Zion being "a place of broad rivers and streams" which it certainly isn't today, or ever has been in the past. This suggests a miraculous change in geography, which is end times stuff. The SAB has very few notes, but there were a few things that I found interesting in my reading. Verse four's "And your spoil shall be gathered like the gathering of the caterpiller" intrigued me, and I looked into it. The Hebrew word here for "caterpiller" appears six times, and the KJV always translates it the same, but looking at other translations, it seems it's not 100% clear what this word means. The thing that is clear is that it always refers to an insect that is very destructive, and many versions of the Bible often translate it "young locust". Whatever is going on here is either similar to or literally a plague of locusts.
Anyway, this chapter largely about God ruling on Mount Zion while his enemies are destroyed and his followers are exalted. Verses 12 and 14 in particular talk about God's enemies being burned up, and the SAB marks them for cruelty; this is a punishment for wrongdoing, however, and since the sin is not specified, it's hard for anyone to say if the punishment fits the crime or not. Verses 21 and 23 talk about how even though there will be "broad rivers and streams", no ships of war will approach Zion, and anyone who tries to attack in that manner will fail and be spoiled.
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Okay, so you're not sure if it's cruel to burn people to death. It depends on the crime they are being punished for, you say.
Last Thursday a man was executed by nitrogen hypoxia. And now people are discussing whether or not that punishment was cruel. What if the state of Alabama had decided to burn Kenneth Smith to death. Would there be anyone (even in Alabama) who would think that punishment was acceptable? Would you?
But if God punishes people by burning them to death, then you figure the punishment must have fit the crime - and it's just fine with you.
What crime should be punished by burning people alive? Blasphemy? Working on Saturday? Having sex with your wife and her mother?
Ugh, the nitrogen hypoxia thing was horrible; I've been following it for months, writing emails and signing petitions. In the end it was worse than I imagined.
Burning people to death is pretty cruel, and while I won't deny that it's in the Bible, I suspect that it's figurative language here, trying to invoke the idea of enemies being completely destroyed.
What do I feel is a crime worth punishment by burning? I don't know; maybe rape, probably murder if torture was involved. But as I said in my post on my other blog, I'm personally aganst the death penalty. However, that's for fallible human institutions; if God believes someone should die, I trust God's judgment. Do you think that's strange?
Yes, I think that is strange.
The purpose of burning someone to death is to maximize suffering, while modern methods of execution intend to minimize it. (Or at least they claim to do so. Often, as in the Alabama hypoxia case, they don't.)
Burning people to death was one of God's favorite methods of punishment, and the God of the New Testament plans to burn most people forever after they die.
I am not surprised that you are personally opposed to burning people to death. Because you are a much better person than the God that you claim to worship.
What the Bible says about burning people to death
Do you want me to respond to the points on that page here in the comments? Seems like it ought to have a post. There's actually a lot to be said in response to all of that, and while for some reason you don't have a link in the SAB to my post on Joshua chapter seven I should really address all of these verses rather than do it piecemeal. Would you prefer I take a moment for a special post on burning people to death, or maybe I should address the wider topic of capital punishment? (Wait, I did that; but is it a very good post?) Anyway, what would you suggest I do to respond to your comment?
It seems to me that you have already responded to the question.
You believe in a God that commands people to do evil things and often does evil things himself - and is proud of it.
Oh, you should know by now that it's never that simple with me...
They shall be burnt with fire (various, burning)
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