During the time when Isaiah prophesied in Judah, the Assyrian Empire was the dominant power in the region. Assyria conquered the northern kingdom of Israel in 722 BC, and the southern kingdom of Judah contemplated aligning with Egypt against the Assyrians.
Egypt at that point was led by Cushite rulers. Would the new Cush-dominated Egypt be able to oppose Assyria successfully? Should Judah make an alliance with them?
In Isaiah 18-20, Isaiah gives negative answers to these questions. Assyria would defeat Egypt and Cush (Isa 19:4; 20:3-6), and the God of Israel was the one ultimately in charge of the situation (Isa 18). There would come a time when Egypt and Assyria, along with Israel, would worship him (19:16-25).
At various times through history people have pointed to possible fulfillments of parts of this remarkable prophecy. Those who built the Jewish temple at Leontopolis in the second century BC believed they were carrying out Isa 19:19.
Later Athanasius of Alexandria felt he saw the prophecy being fulfilled as Christianity spread through Egypt (See Geoffrey Gorgan's commentary on Isaiah in the EBC series).
The prophecy is to be fulfilled "in that day," a phrase repeated six times in Isaiah 19. This would indicate that the ultimate fulfillment of the prophecy is eschatological.
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