18, 19. (a) To what may “the army of the height” refer, and how are these gathered “in the dungeon”? (b) Likely, how will “the army of the height” be given attention “after an abundance of days”? (c) How does Jehovah give attention to “the kings of the ground”?

¹⁸ Isaiah’s prophecy now takes on a greater scope, pointing to the final outworking of Jehovah’s purpose: “It must occur in that day that Jehovah will turn his attention upon the army of the height in the height, and upon the kings of the ground upon the ground. And they will certainly be gathered with a gathering as of prisoners into the pit, and be shut up in the dungeon; and after an abundance of days they will be given attention.

¹⁹ “The army of the height” may refer to the demonic “world rulers of this darkness, . . . the wicked spirit forces in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12) These have had a powerful influence on the world powers. (Daniel 10:13, 20; 1 John 5:19) Their goal is to turn people away from Jehovah and his pure worship. How well they succeed in seducing Israel to follow the corrupt practices of the nations that surround them and thus merit God’s divine judgment! But Satan and his demons must answer to God when he finally turns his attention to them and to the rulers on earth, “the kings of the ground upon the ground,” whom they have influenced to turn against God and to transgress his laws. (Revelation 16:13, 14) Speaking symbolically, Isaiah says that they will be gathered and “shut up in the dungeon.” “After an abundance of days,” perhaps when Satan and his demons (but not “the kings of the ground upon the ground”) are temporarily released at the end of the Thousand Year Reign of Jesus Christ, God will bring upon them the final punishment they deserve.​—Revelation 20:3, 7-10.