Book of Isaiah
The Book of Isaiah (written between 739 and 475 B.C.) is the most prophetic book in history, the second-longest (66 chapters) in the Bible (behind Psalms) and the longest with a single author, and the most widely read and quoted. Its authenticity was confirmed by the spectacular discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947 near the Dead Sea in the Middle East. Notwithstanding "liberal theology" which claims that Isaiah never spoke about the coming of the Messiah, it contains numerous prophetic references to Him, and is cited most often in connection with Jesus.[1] This was written during a period of immense disobedience against God, and is typically viewed in two or three parts.[2] Isaiah was the first of the four Major Prophets in the Old Testament, and in the Hebrew Bible Isaiah was the first of the Latter Prophets. The Book of Isaiah has 37,036 words,[3] which means it is one of the longer books in the Bible but shorter than most novels.
The Book of Isaiah is helpful for healing, for overcoming addiction, and for conquering anxiety. For example, Isaiah 58:8 states: "Then shall your light break forth like the dawn / and your healing shall spring up speedily."[4] Isaiah 53 is prophecy of the suffering by Jesus to atone for our sins.
Isaiah 9:6 is its most famous prophecy:
| “ | For to us a child is born,
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” |
The translation of the original Hebrew as "government" and "Peace" above might be improved today, due to liberal connotations of these English words, to be "full authority" and "healing". The Hebrew word translated as "Peace" above is "שָׁלֽוֹם׃" (šā·lō·wm, which occurs 110 times), and it is sometimes translated in other verses as "good health," "well", or "safety".[5]
Isaiah 7:14 is the prophecy of the conception and birth of Jesus. The Book of Isaiah also contains important verses against government tyranny. Isaiah 33:22 is the key Bible verse about separation of powers: “For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our final judge; He will save us.” Each Gospel mentions the Book of Isaiah several times; the only other books of the New Testament to reference it are the Acts of the Apostles and Paul's Letter to the Romans.
The Book of Isaiah also confirms the existence of the world to fulfill the Lord's word:
| “ | Thus says the LORD:
Just as from the heaven
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The Book of Isaiah is part of the Old Testament dating to the eighth century BC. It is organized into two sections of prophetic discourse (1-33 and 34-66) divided by a historical record. The most remarkable feature of the book is its prophetic utterances about the “servant of the Lord”. Classical Jewish sources (e.g., Rashi) consider the servant to be the Jewish nation taken as a collective, while Christian scholars tend to identify the servant as Jesus Christ.
The end of Isaiah 52 and Isaiah 53, the "suffering servant" section, is considered to be one of the most forthright references to Jesus found in the Old Testament. It is quoted more frequently in the New Testament than any other Old Testament passage and is often referred to as the "Gospel in the OT".[7]
Another popular verse is 40:31 ("But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.") This verse is commonly used as the basis for Christian schools which use the eagle as their mascot.
Embrace of Logic
The Book of Isaiah embraces logic expressly in Isaiah 1:18:
Come now, and let us reason together," Says the LORD, "Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool. Isaiah 1:18 (NASB)
and again in Isaiah 43:26:
Put Me in remembrance, let us argue our case together; State your cause, that you may be proved right. Isaiah 43:26 (NASB)
See also
External links
References
- ↑ https://reasonsforhopejesus.com/old-testament-book-jesus-quote-often/
- ↑ The three parts are chapters 1-39; chapters 40-66; and chapters 56-66. [1]
- ↑ https://holyword.church/miscellaneous-resources/how-many-words-in-each-book-of-the-bible/
- ↑ ESV.
- ↑ https://biblehub.com/hebrew/shalom_7965.htm
- ↑ Is 55:10-11 (NAB).
- ↑ The NIV Study Bible, Zondervan Corporation, 1985, Pg. 1094
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