Idols of Prosperity

“Their land is full of silver and gold and there is no end to their wealth; their land is full of horses and there is no end to their chariots. Their land is full of idols: they adore the works of their hands, things their own fingers have made” (Isaiah 2:7–8).

“All who manufacture idols are deranged; the things they cherish profit nothing. Those who promote them are themselves sightless and mindless, to their own dismay. Who would fashion a god or cast an idol that cannot benefit them? Their whole society is confused; their fabricators are mere mortals. Were they all to assemble and take their stand [before me], they would at once cringe in fear” (Isaiah 44:9–11).

“Those who trust in idols and esteem their images as gods shall retreat in utter confusion. O you deaf, listen; O you blind, look and see! Who is blind but my own servant, or so deaf as the messenger I have sent? Who is blind like those I have commissioned, as uncomprehending as the servant of Jehovah—seeing much but not giving heed, with open ears hearing nothing?” (Isaiah 42:17–20).

“When Jehovah enters Egypt [read ‘America’] riding on swift clouds, the idols of Egypt will rock at his presence and the Egyptians’ hearts melt within them. I will stir up the Egyptians against the Egyptians; they will fight brother against brother and neighbor against neighbor, city against city and state against state. Egypt’s spirit shall be drained from within; I will frustrate their plans, and they will resort to the idols and to spiritists, to mediums and witchcraft” (Isaiah 19:1–3).

“Return to him from whom you have contrived to go far astray, O children of Israel. For in that day every one of you will despise your idolatrous silver and gold by which your hands have incurred guilt” (Isaiah 31:6–7).

“You will discard as unclean your graven idols plated with silver, your cast idols gilded in gold; you will eject them as a menstruous woman [her impurity] and say, Away with you!” (Isaiah 30:22).

“In that day men will throw away to the moles and to the bats their idols of silver and gods of gold which they have made for themselves to adore. Men will go into crevices in the rocks and fissures in the cliffs, from the awesome presence of Jehovah and from the brightness of his glory, when he arises and strikes terror on earth” (Isaiah 2:20–21).

“By this shall Jacob’s iniquity be expiated, as a result of this his sins removed: when he makes like crushed chalkstone all altar stones, leaving no idols of prosperity and shining images standing” (Isaiah 27:9).

“In that day men will have regard to their Maker, and their eyes look to the Holy One of Israel, and regard not the altars, the works of their hands, nor look to things their fingers have made—the idols of prosperity and the shining images” (Isaiah 17:7–8).

“She has fallen; Babylon has fallen. All her idol gods he has razed to the ground” (Isaiah 21:9).