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by Jim Haeffele
Who was
Isaiah the prophet?
Was his
message only historical, or is it a message for today?
Does God
reveal through Isaiah what will occur in this end-time age?
Isaiah is
widely regarded as one of the greatest prophets of the Bible.
His name
means “YHWH (the LORD) is salvation.”
He lived
in Jerusalem and the prophecies God gave him were directed toward Israel, Judah
and other nations.
Jewish
tradition says he was of royal descent, and he may have been a cousin to King
Uzziah. This may have given him access to the kings of Judah in Jerusalem.
The
biblical account in chapter 1, verse 1 of the book he authored says
he received visions from God during the reigns of four kings of Judah — Uzziah,
Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah.
The time
covered is from the end of King Uzziah’s reign (Isaiah 6:1) to the Assyrian King Sennacherib’s siege of Jerusalem.
It was at
least a 40-year ministry during the last half of the eighth century B.C.
Isaiah
was married to a prophetess (Isaiah
8:3).
They had
two sons whose names had prophetic meanings. They were Shear-Jashub (Isaiah 7:3, meaning “a remnant shall return”) and
Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz (Isaiah 8:1-4, meaning “speed the spoil, hasten the booty”).
Isaiah
and his family would be for “signs and wonders in Israel” (Isaiah 8:18).
His prophecies are
still “signs and wonders” for us today.
Jewish
tradition says he was killed by being sawn in two by King Manasseh, the son of
King Hezekiah. This seems to be alluded to in Hebrews 11:37.
While we
have very little information about Isaiah’s life, his inspired writings and
prophecies have been preserved for generations in the Bible and are most
important for us today.
Isaiah as
a writer
Isaiah’s
style of writing reveals a well-educated background.
The International Standard Bible
Encyclopedia states, “For versatility of expression and
brilliance of imagery Isaiah had no superior, not even a rival. His style marks
the climax of Hebrew literary art” (“Isaiah,”
vol. II, p. 885).
The style of writing of epigrams, metaphors, interrogation, dialogue,
hyperbole and parables “characterize[s] Isaiah’s book as the great
masterpiece of Hebrew literature” (ibid.).
Many of
the prophecies in Isaiah begin with the historical conditions and prophecies
for his day and then move forward to a far greater fulfillment prior to the
return of Jesus Christ.
This is
the dualism seen in many of the prophecies of the Bible.
The first
(historical) fulfillment is lesser in scope and is followed by the greater
future fulfillment at the end of this present age.
The
dualism in Isaiah usually pertains to the prophecies about Jesus Christ,
Israel, Judah or other nations.
Two
exceptions would be the prophecies of the coming Day of the Lord and the
Kingdom of God. These prophecies are singular and point to only one
fulfillment.
There are
four major themes of prophecy found in the book of Isaiah, and we will consider
them in the remainder of this article.
Jesus
Christ, the most important theme
Almost
one-third of the chapters of the book of Isaiah contain prophecies about Jesus
Christ, addressing both His first and second comings.
Isaiah
provides more prophecy of the second coming of Christ than any other Old Testament prophet.
The
following are some prophecies about Christ in both His first and second
comings:
· “He shall judge between the nations” (Isaiah 2:4).
· He was to be the “Branch of the Lord” (Isaiah 4:2; Isaiah 11:1).
· He would be born of a virgin and be called “Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14; Isaiah 8:8, 10).
· He would be a “stone of stumbling and a rock of offense” (Isaiah 8:14).
· An eternal “government will be upon His shoulder” and
He would be called the “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6-7).
· The Holy Spirit would “rest
upon Him” (Isaiah 11:2).
· He would be “a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure
foundation” (Isaiah 28:16).
Christ is
directly spoken of in more than half of the chapters between Isaiah 40 and
Isaiah 61.
Undoubtedly,
the most important chapter pertaining to mankind’s salvation is Isaiah 53. This
prophecy explains how much He would suffer during His sacrifice for man’s sins.
Within
this section, a description of His first coming begins in Isaiah 52:14,
which says, “His visage [appearance] was marred more than any man.”
Isaiah 53:2-5 explains that His earthly physical appearance would
not stand out, He was “despised and rejected,” and “by
His stripes [wounds] we are healed” of our sicknesses.
This
pivotal chapter tells us that He would come to give His life as a sacrifice for
our sins.
The Passover lamb
symbolized this merciful act (Isaiah
53:7; Exodus 12:5; 1 Corinthians 5:7).
Statements of His death are then repeated: “For He was cut off
from the land of the living” (Isaiah
53:8).
“And they
made His grave with the wicked” (verse
9).
He was
an “offering for sin” (verse
10) and He “poured out His soul unto
death” (verse 12).
Through
the book of Isaiah, God revealed that Jesus would come to earth first as a
human to deal with sin and then again in His glorified state after being
resurrected from the grave to establish the Kingdom of God (see also Hebrews 9:28).
Not
understanding the dualism of Christ’s coming, many Jews rejected Him during His
first coming as a human because He did not fulfill the prophecies of ruling
over the earth and establishing an eternal government that are to occur during
His second coming (Isaiah 9:6-7; Isaiah 40:10).
Interestingly,
God also revealed through Isaiah how Christ would be able to come back to life
after being crucified.
The
prophet wrote, “Your dead shall live; together with my dead body they
shall arise” (Isaiah 26:19).
Also,
prior to Isaiah’s time, King David had prophesied of Christ’s death and
resurrection (Psalm 16:10).
Warnings
and assurances to Israel and Judah
In terms
of content, the largest single subject in the book of Isaiah is warnings to
Israel and Judah both for Isaiah’s age and for us today.
The first
11 chapters describe many social, moral and religious sins that are similar to
the sins that the modern descendants of Israel and Judah are presently
committing.
For an
explanation of who these people are today, see the “12 Tribes of Israel”
section of this website.
The
dualism of the historical setting as a prophecy for the end of the age is
apparent in chapter 11, which says, “The LORD shall set His hand again
the second time” to bring them back from captivity (verse 11).
The
timing of this restoration is during and after Christ’s second coming (verses 4-10).
The
warnings to Israel and Judah of their national sins continue throughout
chapters 41 to 49. The difference is that in these chapters God gives them
encouragement that He will eventually redeem them.
Here are
some examples:
· “You are My servant, I have chosen you” (Isaiah 41:8-9; Isaiah 49:3).
· “I will not remember your sins” (Isaiah 43:25).
· “Even I will carry, and will deliver you” (Isaiah 46:4).
· The Lord is “the Redeemer of Israel” (Isaiah 49:7; Isaiah 44:22).
In
chapters 56 to 59 God continues to give correction and warning to Israel and
Judah for their sins.
In these
chapters Israel and Judah are chastised for their hypocrisy in how they worship
God.
There are
two chapters in particular that touch on this religious hypocrisy. They are
Isaiah 56, which focuses on keeping the Sabbath, and Isaiah 58, which deals
with fasting for the wrong reasons and, again, keeping God’s Sabbath.
The
prophecies to Israel and Judah in the book of Isaiah end on a future
encouraging note with God’s eventual deliverance and mercy in the coming
Kingdom of God (Isaiah 61:3-9; Isaiah 63:7-9, 14).
The Day
of the Lord
Prophecies
about the coming Day of the Lord can be
found in the writings of many of the Old Testament prophets, and Isaiah is no
exception.
This
subject is covered from chapters 2 to 66. Unlike the dualism of the prophecies
to Israel and Judah, most prophecies about the Day of the Lord are for an event
yet to come.
These
foretell a time of awesome and frightening events leading to the return of
Christ. Many people think of it as “the end of the world,” although
it is really just the end of this present evil age.
Isaiah
explains that the Day of the Lord will last for one year (Isaiah 34:8; Isaiah 61:2; Isaiah 63:4).
The
principle of a day for a year in prophecy also applies to the Day of the
Lord (Numbers 14:34; Ezekiel 4:6).
It is the
year of the “Lord’s vengeance” or God’s wrath (Revelation 6:17).
In the
earlier chapters on this subject (2, 13
and 24), Isaiah describes the effects of God’s
wrath on this world.
Men will
hide in caves in terror (Isaiah 2:19-21), the earth will be shaken and possibly moved from its orbit (Isaiah 13:13), and the earth will become almost empty and
a total waste (Isaiah 24:1, 3, 6).
Isaiah
also speaks of the Day of the Lord as a time of war (Isaiah 31:8-9). These events are also described in the
seven trumpets of Revelation 8-9.
God
further reveals through Isaiah that the “daughter of Babylon” will
be destroyed in the Day of the Lord (Isaiah
47:1, 5, 7, 9).
These
verses are almost identical to those of Revelation 18:7-8, 17-19, 21.
This Babylon is the final
end-time government and its religious system that will be destroyed at Christ’s
return.
The time
of God’s wrath will come to an end when “the great trumpet will be
blown” (Isaiah 27:13) and
Jesus Christ will return to the earth (Revelation
11:15).
While the
Day of the Lord often focuses on the wrath of God (the punishment that will
come upon the disobedient for one year before Christ returns), this term is
also used in a broader way by John in Revelation 1:10 to describe all the
events — including the wrath of God, the Millennium and events thereafter —
that will occur after Christ’s return.
Virtually
every Old Testament prophet who warned of God’s judgment on the Day of the Lord
also spoke of restored peace and prosperity that will follow the judgment.
For
further explanation of this latter meaning, see the article “What Is the Day of the Lord?”
The
Kingdom of God
The last
major theme addressed in Isaiah is the Kingdom of God that Jesus Christ will usher
in with His return.
The
term “kingdom” is not used in Isaiah, but this future age is
described in many of the chapters from the beginning to the end of Isaiah.
The
following are some of the prophecies about this coming Kingdom:
· The Lord will set up His kingdom over all nations, teach man His ways
and judge between the nations (Isaiah
2:2-4).
· The “Branch” will establish Jerusalem and those who
dwell there as holy (Isaiah 4:2-6).
· “The government will be upon His shoulder.” He will be called “Prince of Peace” and “of
the increase of His government there will be no end” (Isaiah 9:6-7).
· All animals will live at peace with man and one another, and “the
earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD” (Isaiah 11:6-9).
· The Lord will resettle Israel in their land (Isaiah 14:1-2).
· The deaf shall hear, the blind shall see, and Jacob’s descendants
will “hallow” the Lord’s name (Isaiah 29:18, 22-24).
· A king and princes will rule in quiet and peaceful habitations (Isaiah 32:1, 15-18).
· “The desert shall … blossom as the rose,” the infirmed will be restored, and “waters shall burst
forth in the wilderness” (Isaiah
35:1-10).
There are
numerous prophecies about the Kingdom of God throughout chapters 44 to 66. It
is a very important theme in this book.
Everything
written is leading up to the peaceful eternal government of God and, finally,
to “new heavens and a new earth” (Isaiah 65:17).
Other
subjects in Isaiah
Aside
from the four major themes, there are a few other important subjects covered in
the book of Isaiah. These include:
· Prophecies of judgment coming against numerous nations (Isaiah 13-24).
· Lucifer’s attempt to overthrow God (Isaiah
14:12-14).
· Sennacherib’s invasion of Judah, his defeat and death, and the
extension of Hezekiah’s life (Isaiah
36-39).
· Chapters that speak of those who serve and obey God (Isaiah 25-26, 54, 61-62).
Isaiah’s
relevance
The
prophecies of Isaiah are relevant in all generations, but they primarily point
to the end of the age when Jesus Christ will return and set up the Kingdom of
God.
The
warnings of the Day of the Lord and warnings to Israel and Judah are relevant
for us today.
If we
will heed these warnings from God, then we can be assured of the promises of
mercy and salvation through
Jesus Christ that are explained in the book of Isaiah.
To begin
changing your life so you can be part of God’s coming Kingdom, see the “Change” section on this website.
Jim Haeffele is a church pastor in
the Church of God, a Worldwide Association. He currently pastors congregations
in Fort Myers, Miami and West Palm Beach, Florida. He has served in the
ministry of the Church of God for over 46 years. During those years he and his
wife, Lois, have served congregations from Portland, Oregon, where he grew up,
to Utah, Ohio, North Carolina, and now Florida.
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Isaiah the
prophet predicted the time of peace when people will beat swords into
plowshares.
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