SESSION 7B: ISAIAH

QUIZ

Question: What is one thing in common between Joshua, Isaiah and Hosea?

Answer: Their names can all be translated “The Lord Saves.”

1. SOME THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ISAIAH

– It is the 2nd largest book after Psalms.

– 19 books of Isaiah are discovered in the Qumran Caves.

– There are more than 400 quotations from Isaiah in the New Testament.

– It is the centerpiece of the Prophetic Literature.

1. SOME THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ISAIAH

a. Someone said that Isaiah is like a miniature BibleBible.

i. The first 3939 chapters are filled with judgment upon immoral and idolatrous people.

ii. In contrast, the final 2727 chapters declare a message of hope.

a. Isaiah has always been considered the greatest of the literary prophets.

i. He is often known also as the “ShakespeareShakespeare of the prophets.”ii. And because of his incredibly clear and detailed messianic prophecies he was also called:

1. The evangelistevangelist of the Old Testament or

2. The “evangelicalevangelical prophet.”

1. SOME THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ISAIAH

1. SOME THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ISAIAH

a. Isaiah was prophet par excellence of the classical era of prophecy.

a. Isaiah is often respected as the “St PaulSt Paul of the Old Testament.”

a. The Person of Isaiah

i. His Name1. The name Isaiah

means, ““Yahweh Yahweh is Salvationis Salvation”” or or ““Yahweh saves.Yahweh saves.””

2. BACKGROUND & DATE

2. BACKGROUND & DATE

i. His Family1. Isaiah the son of AmozAmoz.

2. According to Jewish tradition, Amoz’s was a brother of King Amaziah of Judah (796-767 BC). This would make Isaiah a cousin to King Uzziah and therefore a person of royal descent.

3. As with Hosea, Isaiah’s family life was bound up with his prophetic ministry.

3. SURVEY OF THE BOOK

a. The general arrangement of the book of Isaiah appears to be chronologicalchronological as all the dates mentioned occur in historical sequence

3. SURVEY OF THE BOOK

b. The book can also be an anthology of Isaiah’s oracles, collected by the prophet himself and perhaps some of his close disciples (cf. 8:16; 50:4; 54:13).

c. The “gospel according to Isaiah” has three major sections:i. Prophecies of condemnation (1-35): JUDGMENTUDGMENT

ii. Historical parenthesis (36-39)

iii. Prophecies of comfort (40-66): REDEMPTIONEDEMPTION

FOCUS PROPHECIES OF CONDEMNATIONHISTORICAL PARENTHES

ISPROPHECIES OF COMFORT

REFERENCE 1:1 13:1 24:1 28:1 36:1 40:1 49:158:1-66:24

DIVISION

PROPHECIES AGAINST

PROPHECIES OFHEZEKIAH’S SALVATION, SICKNESS,

AND SIN

ISRAEL’S DELIVERA

NCE

ISRAEL’S

DELIVERER

ISRAEL’S

GLORIOUS

FUTURE

JUDAH

THE NATIO

NS

THE DAY OF

THE LORD

JUDGMENT &

BLESSING

MESSIANIC

STYLE PROPHETICPROPHETIC HISTORICHISTORIC MESSIANICMESSIANIC

TOPIC JUDGMENTJUDGMENT TRANSITIONTRANSITION HOPEHOPE

LOCATION JUDAH-ISRAEL

TIME 740-680 BC

4gi. Basis of hope: the sovereignty and majesty of God (40-48).

1. Of the 216216 verses in these 9 chapters, 115115 speak of God’s greatness and power.

2. God’s newest miracle is to employ a pagan for redemption: Naming of CyrusCyrus as deliverer (41:2a, 25; 43:14; 44:24-28; 45:1-5; 13; 46:11; 48:14-15).

2. THE KEY PEOPLE AND THEME IN ISAIAH

a. God: “The Holy One of Israel” (1:3-4)

b. Israel

c. Jerusalem

d. Assyria

e. Babylon

2. THE KEY PEOPLE AND THEME IN ISAIAH

f. Isaiah: An Example of the Obedient Israel

g. Cyrus: The Political Earthly yet Pagan Savior

i. A foreshadow of the real Servant whose portrait (52:13-53:12) is a striking contrast to Cyrus.

h. The Messiah

i. The Final Restoration: The Day of Redemption (2:2-4).

j. Universalism