Chapter 39

     In chapters 36-38 we see Jerusalem miraculously spared from
Assyria and the repentance of Hezekiah, the formerly rebellious
king of Judah.  With that we see the ushering in of a peaceful era
for them at Jerusalem as a result of governance under a righteous
king.  With Hezekiah's recovery comes a royal ambassador's visit
from Babylon and a prophecy from Isaiah that uses that visit as a
foreshadowing of things to come.  Isaiah announces to Hezekiah that
although he will see peace for the rest of his reign, the time will
come that the king of Babylon will sack Jerusalem and will pillage
all of the wealth of Judah that the recent ambassadors have
recently witnessed.  As thorough as their recent peace-time tour of
Jerusalem will be how thorough it will be ransacked by the future
Babylon.

     The underlying implication by Isaiah is while the sack of
Jerusalem by Assyria was prevented by Hezekiah's repentance, the
sack of Jerusalem by the king of Babylon will not be prevented
because Hezekiah's descendants at that time will not repent as he
did.  This prophecy was fulfilled under King Jehoiakim's rule, and
his treatment of the Lord's prophets is infamous.  This comparison
between Hezekiah and Jehoiakim emphasizes the importance of
righteous leadership among the Lord's people as the entire nation
is affected by a single person's actions (which just happens to be
a major theme of the Book of Mormon, what a surprise).

     Also note that this prophecy would make Isaiah's reference to
the king of Babylon in chapter 14 non-anachronistic given he knew
about him by revelation.

     This forthcoming sack of Jerusalem by Babylon becomes and
important theme in the upcoming block of chapters 40-47.