[tryon1ja]

I do not usually get into discussions on religion. God knows that he has given far greater wisdom and knowledge to others than he has to me. But, I think your wisdom here is all wet when it comes to all Philistia being long gone when King Ahaz died in 715 BC. The Philistines did not disappear until about the time of the Maccabees, 2nd. century BC. Although they occupied the southwestern plains of Palestine and David did subdue them (2 Sm 5, 17-25), they became practically independent under the separated kingdom and may have been the Philistia referenced in Isaiah 14:28

Both the Assyrians and the Philistines were probably of Semitic origin, descendants of Asshur, one of the sons of Shem (Gn 10:22). Assyria was not destroyed until about 605 BC.
Isaiah 14:29 speaks of a rod which is believed to be an Assyrian oppressor whose identity is uncertain.

I think that Isaiah speaks of these people just as it says.

[hlmencken3]

...the Philistines were probably of Semitic origin...

That contradicts everything I've heard. Conventional wisdom is that they were a non-Semitic people from Crete or elsewhere in the Mediterranean.

Do you have a source? (I'm just curious; I don't really have an opinion).

[American in Israel]

The area of Gaza, which is the subject of this prophecy as to its destruction was annexed by Kind David. That is over 200 years before Isaiah was born.

I am not as learned as many, but I am not trying to be learned, I am trying to be practical. That is the whole point of this way of looking at prophecy.

The Jews were so learned that they knew everything about the Messiah before He came. They were so learned, that they did not recognize the time when it came because it did not fit their learning.

Let us not do the same here.