Isaiah Introduction Part 3 Meet The Prophecy Various Passages T he book of Isaiah is fastening for a number of reasons. This is why I ve wanted to spend some time teaching it. Consider the following, taken from Dr. McGee s introduction to the work. The prophecy of Isaiah is strikingly similar to the organization of the entire Bible. This similarity can be seen in the following comparison: BIBLE 66 Books 66 Chapters ISAIAH 39 Books Old Testament 39 Chapters Law, Government of God 27 Books New Testament 27 Chapters Grace, Salvation of God There are sixty-six direct quotations from Isaiah in the New Testament. (Some have found eight-five quotations and allusions to Isaiah in the New Testament.) Twenty of the twenty-seven books of the New Testament have direct quotations. Isaiah is woven into the New Testament as a brightly colored thread is woven into a beautiful pattern. Isaiah is discernible and conspicuous in the New Testament. Isaiah is chiseled into the rock of the New Testament with the power tool of the Holy Spirit. Isaiah is often used to enforce and enlarge upon the New Testament passages that speak of Christ. 1 III The Prophecy The Book of Isaiah A. The Author B. Historical Background C. Themes D. Outlines E. Unfulfilled Prophecies Over the last couple of weeks we have looked at the topics of the Old Testament prophets and the critical attacks against the unity of the book, and by extension the veracity of scripture as a whole. (As I previously noted the back lessons are available at www.- cfdevotionals.org. Once there follow the Bible Study link.) This morning we will introduce the book itself. As usual we will consider the background of the work as well as its primary themes. But first let s start by looking at Isaiah himself. 1 McGee, J. Vernon, Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee, Vol. 3, Isaiah, Thomas Nelson Inc., Nashville, TN 1982, p. 185.
I The Prophecy, A. The Author: I don t intend to go into a lot of detail here, primarily because there isn t a whole lot know about Isaiah. We will fill in more details as they arise in the general study. First of all, Isaiah s name means: Yahweh is Salvation. And just as this is Isaiah s name, it is also the primary message of the work as a whole. So, other than what we read in Chapter 1, verse 1 and a few verses elsewhere, most of what is know is speculative and based on assumptions drawn from the text. Here are a few of these assumptions. Some believe Isaiah came from the upper strata of society because of his apparent familiarity with the Kings Ahaz and Hezekiah. (see chapters 7 and 37). But another way of explaining this might be his being an historiographer at the Judean court during Jotham s reign and he penned accounts of the reigns of Uzziah and Hezekiah. This text also demonstrates the high level of his education in order to serve in this function. The other events of Uzziah s reign, from beginning to end, are recorded by the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz The other events of Hezekiah s reign and his acts of devotion are written in the vision of the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. (2 Chronicles 26:22, 32:32). In Isaiah 7:3 and 8:3, we learn Isaiah was married and had two sons, Shear-Jashub, meaning A remnant shall return, and Maher-shalal-hash-baz, probably means quick to plunder, swift to the spoil 2 These are prophetic names, which we shall explore when we get to chapters 7 and 8. 8:3 also tells us that his wife was called a prophetess. This could mean either she was being identified as a wife of a prophet, or she had a prophetic gift herself. This is a case where the context provides no clarity. Beyond this we know Isaiah was bald, patriotic, and demonstrated tenderness and sympathy not only towards his own people, but the peoples of other nations as well. While he expresses indignation on a number of occasions, it is balanced by a spirit of reverence and spirituality. B. Historical Background: Isaiah served the Lord during the reign of four kings (see 1:1). And speaking of Kings, let s take a look at both the Kings of Judah and their contemporaries in Israel (all dates are B.C. and are approximate because there is some disagreement among scholars as to the specific dating of these reigns.: 3 Kings of Judah 1. Uzziah 790-740 good, long and successful 2. Jotham 750-731 good, co-regent of Uzziah 3. Ahaz 735-715 very wicked 4. Hezekiah 715-686 - good Kings of Israel 1. Jeroboam II 793-753 long, prosperous, idolatrous 2. Zechariah 753-752 Assassinated by Shallum 3. Shallum 752 Assassinated by Menahem 2 Grogan, Geoffrey W., The Expositor s Bible Commentary, Isaiah, Zondervan Interactive Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1990 3 Walton, John H., Chronological Charts of the Old Testaments, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1979 ) 16 (
5. Manasseh 695-642 very wicked 4. Menahem 752-742 Extremely brutal 5. Pekahiah 742-740 Assassinated by Pekah 6. Pekah 752-732 Captivity of Northern Israel 7. Hoshea 732-722 Samaria Falls (721), End of Northern Kingdom While Isaiah was a prophet called to Judea, it is worth examining what was going on simultaneously in Israel. The Assyrian Background: Egypt was no longer the dominant power within the biblical world. Now it was Assyria. About 150 years prior to Isaiah s day, around 840 BC the nation Israel, under the leadership of Jahu, started paying tribute to the Assyrian government which was expanding its empire. In Approximately 734 BC, while Isaiah was still a young man, the northern part of Israel was carried away into captivity by the Assyrians. 13 years later, in 721 BC, Samaria fell and the remainder of the nation was carried away. Next, the Assyrians came into Judah and destroyed forty-six walled cities taking twenty-thousand captives. Finally, when Isaiah was an old man, the Assyrians were stopped at the walls of Jerusalem by an Angel of God. Holly stated: Thus, Isaiah s whole life was spend under the shadow of threatening Assyrian power and he himself witnessed the ruin of his entire nation at their hands, except only Jerusalem. Remember the kingdom had already been divided for about 200 years after a civil war between the sons of the deceased Solomon. And in this context we find the reoccurring sin of both Israel and Judah, idolatry! In conclusion, Isaiah s ministry covered a number of historical periods which can be broken down as follows: His call in 738, (Chapter 6). The Syro-Ephraimitic War, 734-733, (7:1-8:18, 17:1-6) The Siege of Samaria, 724-722, (9:8-10:4. 5:24-30) The Siege of Ashdod, 711, (Chapter 20). The invasion of Sennacherib, 701, (Chapters 36-39) 4 C. Themes: These themes were developed from Buksbazen s 5 work on Isaiah. 1. Indictment of the nation s sinful condition reflected in religious and moral decay. 2. This unfaithfulness to God brings about God s chastisement through foreign invasion and captivity, The Day of the Lord. 4 Leupold, H. C., Exposition of Isaiah, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1971, p. 18 5 Buksbazen, Victor, The Prophet Isaiah, In Two Volumes, The Spearhead Press, Collingswood, NJ, 1971, p. 77. ) 17 (
3. These nations used to judge Israel will in turn be judged. Some have found this concept unfair. If God uses nation A to punish Israel, how can He turn around and punish them? It is not that hard to understand. God takes nations that are already aggressive towards others in general and Israel/Judah specifically. Then He takes the hedge of protection off of Israel/Judah, allowing their enemies to come in for His own purposes. But in turn He chooses to judge these nations for their sin, which they were already predisposed to. God doesn t take some nation who is minding its own business and forces them to attack the Hebrew people, then punishing them for what they didn t want to do. 4. God s judgment is backed by His eternal love and the gracious purpose for Israel s restoration. 5. Israel s national survival and regeneration will come through a holy seed the faithful remnant. There have been more than one faithful remnants in scripture. There has always been a faithful remnant of Israel. From the time of Christ on the faithful remnant of Israel would be Hebrew Christians, those who are of Israel, but still followers of the Messiah. We know that as Christendom has grown that believers are often a remnant within the church as well. Churches committed to a sound understanding of scripture seem to be a small segment of Christianity today. But the principle is that God always has followers who are true to Him, whether we are talking about amongst the Hebrew peoples, or within the church in this world. 6. The Messiah and His kingdom. A branch of the stem of Jesse, divinely ordained. a. 1 st part, king-ruler. b. 2 nd part, suffering servant. 7. Eschatological and apocalyptical prophecies concerning the ultimate triumph of the kingdom of God. D. Outlines: I want to give you two outlines here. The first is a simple and general one, taken from Dr. McGee s outline. I Judgment (Poetic form) Chapters 1-35 Revelation of the sovereign on the Throne II Historic Interlude (Prose) Chapters 36-39 III Salvation (Poetic) Chapters 40-66 6 Revelation of the Savior in the Place of Suffering (There is a threefold division marked by the concluding thought in each division, There is no peace to the wicked. ) 6 McGee, p. 185. ) 18 (
This more extended outline is from Grogan s work. 7 I Oracles Concerning Judah and Jerusalem (1:1-12:6) A. God s Charge Against His People (1:1-31) B. The Exaltation of God s House and the Extension of His Dominion (2:1-5) C. The Day of the Lord (2:6-22) D. God s Judgment on Jerusalem and Judah (3:1-4:1) E. Zion s Glorious Future (4:2-6) F. The Parable of the Vineyard (5:1-7) G. Condemnation of Judah s Sins (5:8-30) H. The Vision and Call of the Holy One (6:1-13) I. The Sign of Shear-Jashub (7:1-9) J. The Sign of Immanuel (7:10-25) K. The Sign of Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz (8:1-10) L. Isaiah and His Children as Signs and Wonders (8:11-18) M. The Light and the Child (8:19-9:7) N. The Judgment of Ephraim (9:8-10:4) O. The Judgment of Assyria (10:5-19) P. The Deliverance of the Lord s Remnant (10:20-34) Q. The Davidic King and His Benign Reign (11:19) R. The Nation and the Nations (11:10-16) S. A Song of Joyous Praise (12:16) II God and the Nations (13:12-23:18) A. Prophecy Against Babylon (13:1-14:23) B. Prophecy Against Assyria (14:24-27) C. Prophecy Against Philistia (14:28-32) D. Prophecy Against Moab (15:1-16:14) E. Prophecy Against Damascus (and Ephraim) (17:1-14) F. Prophecy Against Cush (18:1-7) G. Prophecy Against Egypt (19:1-25) H. Prophecy Against Egypt and Cush (20:1-6) I. Prophecy Against Babylon (21:1-10) J. Prophecy Against Edom (21:11-12) K. Prophecy Against Arabia (21:13-17) L. Prophecy Against Jerusalem (22:1-25) M. Prophecy Against Tyre (23:1-18) III God and the Whole World (24:1-27:13) A. The Judgment of the World (24:1-23) B. Psalms and Predictions of Judgment and Salvation (25:1-12) C. Praise, Prayer, and Prophecy (26:1-21) D. The Restoration of Israel (27:1-13) IV God and His People (28:1-33:24) A. Woe to Samaria (28:1-29) B. Woe to Ariel (29:1-24) C. Woe to the Rebellious Children (30:1-33) D. Woe to Those Who Seek Help From Egypt (31:1-9) E. God s Kingdom and the Triumph of Righteousness (32:1-20) F. Woe to the Destroyer (33:1-24) 7 Grogan ) 19 (
V God s Purposes of Judgment and Salvation (34:1-35:10) A. Judgment on the World and Edom (34:1-17) B. Blessing for God s People (35:1-10) VI Isaiah and Hezekiah, Assyria and Babylon (36:1-39:8) A. The Deliverance of Jerusalem From Sennacherib (36:1-37:38) B. Hezekiah s Illness (38:1-22) C. Envoys From and Exile to Babylonia (39:1-8) VII The Sole Sovereignty and Sure Promises of the Lord (40:1-48:22) A. Good News for Jerusalem (40:1-11) B. God the Incomparable (40:12-31) C. God the Lord of History for His People (41:1-29) D. The Lord s Servant the Perfect and the Defective (42:1-25) E. Grace Abounding and Despised (43:1-28) F. Israel s Great God and the Folly of Idolatry (44:1-23) G. God s Actions Through Cyrus for Jerusalem (44:24-45:25) H. Babylon s Ineffectual Idols and the Lord Almighty (46:1-13) I. The Fall of Proud Babylon (47:1-15) J. Israel s Stubbornness and God s Purpose of Grace (48:1-22) VIII The Gospel of the Servant of the Lord (49:1-57:21) A. The Lord s Servant and the Restoration of Israel (49:1-26) B. Israel s Sin and the Servant s Obedience (50:1-11) C. Listen! Awake! Depart! (51:1-52:12) D. The Man of Sorrows and His Vindication (52:13-53:12) E. God s Glorious Future for Jerusalem (54:1-17) F. The Generosity, Urgency, and Effectiveness of God s Word of Grace (55:1-13) G. Salvation Extended to the Disadvantaged (56:1-8) H. God s Message to the Wicked (56:9-57:21) IX God as Judge and Savior (58:1-66:24) A. The True Fast (58:1-14) B. Sin, Sorrow, and Salvation (59:1-21) C. The Future Glory of Zion (60:1-22) D. The Year of the Lord s Favor (61:1-11) E. Assured Prayer for Zion s Future (62:1-12) F. The Lord the Avenger (63:1-6) G. A Psalm of Praise and Lamentation (63:7-64:12) H. The Great Final Issues (65:1-66:24) A. The Lord s Servant and the Restoration of Israel (49:1-26) B. Israel s Sin and the Servant s Obedience (50:1-11) C. Listen! Awake! Depart! (51:1-52:12) D. The Man of Sorrows and His Vindication (52:13-53:12) E. God s Glorious Future for Jerusalem (54:1-17) F. The Generosity, Urgency, and Effectiveness of God s Word of Grace (55:1-13) G. Salvation Extended to the Disadvantaged (56:1-8) H. God s Message to the Wicked (56:9-57:21) You might want to use this outline in your studies. I will be giving individual outlines of each section as we go through the work. ) 20 (
E. Unfulfilled Prophecies: Isaiah is a book of hope. It foretold of the coming of the suffering Messiah, mankind s hope. But all the prophecies in the book have not yet been fulfilled. Here is a short list of unfulfilled prophecies we will consider as we go through this study. The Day of the Lord Blessings upon a restored Israel Restoration of Israel to Palestine The most one can say about the current Israeli population in the Land is that it may be a foreshadowing of the true return yet to come. Or, it might be the beginning of that return since the people are back in unbelief. Restoration of Palestine itself Jerusalem as capital of the earth Blessings upon the remnant Blessings upon the nations Blessings to the entire creation Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind. As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before me, declares the LORD, so will your name and descendants endure (Isaiah 65:17, 66:22). Even so, come Lord Jesus! ) 21 (
Isaiah Introduction Part 3 Meet The Prophecy Various Passages III The Prophecy The Book of Isaiah A. The Author B. Historical Background C. Themes D. Outlines E. Unfulfilled Prophecies I The Prophecy, A. The Author: (2 Chronicles 26:22, 32:32; Isaiah 7:3, 8:3) B. Historical Background: Kings of Judah 1. Uzziah 790-740 good, long and successful 2. Jotham 750-731 good, co-regent of Uzziah 3. Ahaz 735-715 very wicked 4. Hezekiah 715-686 - good 5. Manasseh 695-642 very wicked Kings of Israel 1. Jeroboam II 793-753 long, prosperous, idolatrous 2. Zechariah 753-752 Assassinated by Shallum 3. Shallum 752 Assassinated by Menahem 4. Menahem 752-742 Extremely brutal 5. Pekahiah 742-740 Assassinated by Pekah 6. Pekah 752-732 Captivity of Northern Israel 7. Hoshea 732-722 Samaria Falls (721), End of Northern Kingdom Isaiah s ministry covered a number of historical periods: His call in 738 BC, (Chapter 6). The Syro- Ephraimitic War, 734-733, (7:1-8:18, 17:1-6)
The Siege of Samaria, 724-722, (9:8-10:4. 5:24-30) The Siege of Ashdod, 711, (Chapter 20). The invasion of Sennacherib, 701, (Chapters 36-39) C. Themes: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. D. Outlines: I want to give you two outlines here. The first is a simple and general one, taken from Dr. McGee s outline. I II III E. Unfulfilled Prophecies: (Isaiah 65:17, 66:22)