3.1 Isaiah
The last year of King Uzziah's reign over Judah was 740 BC, the year in which God sovereignly called Isaiah's call to prophetic ministry in Judah as described in Isaiah 6:1-13:
1 Isaiah 6:1
1 In the year that king Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up; and his train filled the temple.
At that time, Israel was divided into the Northern Kingdom, whose capital was Samaria, and the Southern Kingdom of Judah, whose capital was Jerusalem. The second part of verse 1 up to verse 4 provides a beautiful picture of God's holy appearance and introduction to Isaiah:
3 Isaiah 6:2-4
2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each one had six wings. With two he covered his face. With two he covered his feet. With two he flew.
3 One called to another, and said, "Holy, holy, holy, is Yahweh of Armies! The whole earth is full of his glory!"
4 The foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke.
In verses 5-7, Isaiah felt unclean in God's presence, for which God remedied the situation by taking away Isaiah's iniquity and sin:
3 Isaiah 6:5-7
5 Then I said, "Woe is me! For I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell among a people of unclean lips: for my eyes have seen the King, Yahweh of Armies!"
6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar.
7 He touched my mouth with it, and said, "Behold, this has touched your lips; and your iniquity is taken away, and your sin forgiven."
In verses 8-13, God called Isaiah and made him His prophetic mouthpiece to the kings of Judah, even though God knew that they would reject the word of the Lord:
6 Isaiah 6:8-13
8 I heard the Lord's voice, saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Then I said, "Here I am. Send me!"
9 He said, "Go, and tell this people, 'You hear indeed, but don't understand. You see indeed, but don't perceive.'
10 Make the heart of this people fat. Make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and turn again, and be healed."
11 Then I said, "Lord, how long?" He answered, "Until cities are waste without inhabitant, houses without man, the land becomes utterly waste,
12 and Yahweh has removed men far away, and the forsaken places are many within the land.
13 If there is a tenth left in it, that also will in turn be consumed, as a terebinth, and as an oak, whose stump remains when they are cut down; so the holy seed is its stock."
The book of Isaiah continued during the Northern Kingdom's captivity and Samaria's fall at the hands of the Assyrians in 722. It also spans the exile of Judah into Babylon in 586 BC and possibly to the return from exile 40 years later.
Isaiah 9:6-7 foretold the coming of Jesus some 700 years before he was born:
2 Isaiah 9:6-7
6 For a child is born to us. A son is given to us; and the government will be on his shoulders. His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, on David's throne, and on his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from that time on, even forever. The zeal of Yahweh of Armies will perform this.
In addition to being called the Prince of Peace, Jesus also has characteristics of the Everlasting Father and the Wonderful Counselor (the Holy Spirit). The name of the Son carries power and authority. Jesus, as the Son of God, has inherited a name higher than any other. Jesus is the Prince of Peace in the New Covenant.
Isaiah chapter 40 was believed to have been written 150 years after chapter 39. As a result, some attribute it to an unknown author. Chapter 40 is the beginning of restoration scriptures in the book of Isaiah, which point to the return from exile and the coming Messiah. For example, Isaiah 40 begins with words of comfort for those in exile in verses 1-2. Israel could not rescue herself, so Isaiah's prophetic words provided hope and encouragement:
2 Isaiah 40:1-2
1 "Comfort, comfort my people," says your God.
2 "Speak comfortably to Jerusalem; and call out to her that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received of Yahweh's hand double for all her sins."
However, verses 3-5 jump ahead 400 years to the coming of John the Baptist:
3 Isaiah 40:3-5
3 The voice of one who calls out, "Prepare the way of Yahweh in the wilderness! Make a level highway in the desert for our God.
4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low. The uneven shall be made level, and the rough places a plain.
5 Yahweh's glory shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of Yahweh has spoken it."
In Isaiah 42:1-7, we read of the Lord's servant who would be given as a covenant for the people. God's new covenant would be inaugurated through Jesus, the Prince of Peace, in whom God has put His Spirit:
7 Isaiah 42:1-7
1 "Behold, my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights: I have put my Spirit on him. He will bring justice to the nations.
2 He will not shout, nor raise his voice, nor cause it to be heard in the street.
3 He won't break a bruised reed. He won't quench a dimly burning wick. He will faithfully bring justice.
4 He will not fail nor be discouraged, until he has set justice in the earth and the islands wait for his law."
5 God Yahweh, he who created the heavens and stretched them out, he who spread out the earth and that which comes out of it, he who gives breath to its people and spirit to those who walk in it, says:
6 "I, Yahweh, have called you in righteousness. I will hold your hand. I will keep you, and make you a covenant for the people, as a light for the nations,
7 to open the blind eyes, to bring the prisoners out of the dungeon, and those who sit in darkness out of the prison.
In Isaiah 44:3, we also see a leap into the future when the Holy Spirit will be poured out:
1 Isaiah 44:3
3 For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, and streams on the dry ground. I will pour my Spirit on your descendants, and my blessing on your offspring:
In Isaiah 52:7, we read that the gospel (the good news) will be proclaimed:
1 Isaiah 52:7
7 How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, "Your God reigns!"
In chapter 53 of Isaiah, we are introduced to the Suffering Servant. It describes how through Jesus, the New Covenant would begin because of the removal of sin and making peace with God:
12 Isaiah 53:1-12
1 Who has believed our message? To whom has Yahweh's arm been revealed?
2 For he grew up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. He has no good looks or majesty. When we see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of suffering and acquainted with disease. He was despised as one from whom men hide their face; and we didn't respect him.
4 Surely he has borne our sickness and carried our suffering; yet we considered him plagued, struck by God, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought our peace was on him; and by his wounds we are healed.
6 All we like sheep have gone astray. Everyone has turned to his own way; and Yahweh has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed, yet when he was afflicted he didn't open his mouth. As a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and as a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he didn't open his mouth.
8 He was taken away by oppression and judgment. As for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living and stricken for the disobedience of my people?
9 They made his grave with the wicked, and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it pleased Yahweh to bruise him. He has caused him to suffer. When you make his soul an offering for sin, he will see his offspring. He will prolong his days and Yahweh's pleasure will prosper in his hand.
11 After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light and be satisfied. My righteous servant will justify many by the knowledge of himself; and he will bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will give him a portion with the great. He will divide the plunder with the strong; because he poured out his soul to death and was counted with the transgressors; yet he bore the sins of many and made intercession for the transgressors.
The chastisement that Jesus suffered leads to our peace. His days were prolonged because he rose from the dead and is alive forevermore.
God's Covenant of Peace was formally introduced in Isaiah 54:9-10. God compared it to His promise to Noah. The New Covenant of Peace will never be removed:
2 Isaiah 54:9-10
9 "For this is like the waters of Noah to me; for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah will no more go over the earth, so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you, nor rebuke you.
10 For the mountains may depart, and the hills be removed; but my loving kindness will not depart from you, and my covenant of peace will not be removed," says Yahweh who has mercy on you.
The everlasting nature of the New Covenant is accentuated in Isaiah 59:21:
1 Isaiah 59:21
21 "As for me, this is my covenant with them," says Yahweh. "My Spirit who is on you, and my words which I have put in your mouth shall not depart out of your mouth, nor out of the mouth of your offspring, nor out of the mouth of your offspring's offspring," says Yahweh, "from now on and forever."
Isaiah 65:17-19 describes the creation of the New Heavens and a New Earth in the New Covenant. It refers to the New Jerusalem, which will be a source of joy and gladness:
3 Isaiah 65:17-19
17 "For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former things will not be remembered, nor come into mind.
18 But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for, behold, I create Jerusalem to be a delight, and her people a joy.
19 I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and delight in my people; and the voice of weeping and the voice of crying will be heard in her no more.