The Prophet Isaiah
The first 39 chapters of Isaiah take place during the time of the events of the second half of the book of 2nd Kings.
The book of Isaiah is not presented in chronological order.
The book opens with the words:
“The vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah son of Amoz saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.”
The book of Isaiah can be divided into different sections according to different theories of authorship…
1st Isaiah – Isaiah 1:1–39:8 (pre-exilic)
2nd Isaiah – Isaiah 40:1–66:24 (exilic)
1st Isaiah – Isaiah 1:1–39:8 (pre-exilic)
2nd Isaiah– Isaiah 40:1–55:13 (exilic)
3rd Isaiah – Isaiah 56:1–66:24 (post-exilic)
Judah’s Rebellion (1:1–5:30)
A Rebellious Nation (1:2-31)
God’s covenant people have rebelled against him.
The Mountain of the LORD (2:1-5)
God plans to redeem his people living on his holy mountain of Zion (Jerusalem) and through them to spread his Law to all the nations of the world.
There will be no more wars.
The Day of the LORD (2:6-22)
A day of judgment, terror, and destruction.
“People will flee to caves in the rocks
and to holes in the ground
from the fearful presence
of the Lord
and the splendor of his
majesty,
when he rises to shake the earth.”
Judgment on Jerusalem and Judah (3:1–4:1)
God is going to “cut off” the leaders of his people who have abused their positions of authority.
God is going to judge the women of Judah who trusted in their beauty and jewelry.
The Branch of the LORD (4:2-6)
A “branch” will arise from the line of David, and he will serve as God’s instrument to bring in God’s kingdom on earth.
The Song of the Vineyard (5:1-7)
God’s people are a vineyard.
God took good care of his vineyard.
His vineyard produced sour grapes.
Despite God’s care, Judah insisted on following a destructive path.
Woes and Judgments (5:8-30)
Woe to those who selfishly increase their estates at the expense of others!
God will make their estates worthless.
Woe to those who live only to get drunk!
They will be too drunk to understand the destruction surrounding them.
Woe to those who put God to the test!
They mistake God’s patience for lack of power to judge.
Woe to those who call good evil and evil good!
They do so only to justify themselves.
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes!
God will humble them.
Woe to those who take away the rights of the defenseless!
God will call another nation to consume them and carry them away.
Isaiah’s Commission (6:1-13)
“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the LORD, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple.”
“‘Woe to me!’ I cried. ‘I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.’”
“Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar.”
“With it he touched my mouth and said, ‘See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.’”
“Then I heard the voice of the LORD saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’”
“And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’”
Judah, Israel, and Assyria (7:1–12:6)
The Sign of Immanuel (7:1-17)
These events take place during the Assyrian threat over the nation of Judah during the reign of King Ahaz, the father of Hezekiah.
The kings of Israel and Aram wanted Judah to join them in battle against Assyria.
Ahaz refused and the armies of Israel and Aram surrounded Jerusalem.
Isaiah offered a sign to Ahaz that God would protect Jerusalem.
Ahaz had already planned on siding with the Assyrians, so he refused the sign.
Isaiah condemned his lack of faith and offered the sign anyway.
“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. He will be eating curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, for before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste.”
Immanuel means “God with us.”
In the New Testament, Jesus was referred as “Immanuel” because he was “born of a virgin” and was also “God with us.”
Assyria, the LORD’s Instrument (7:18-25)
Ahaz chose to trust in Assyria instead of God.
The Assyrians conquered and destroyed Aram and Israel.
Isaiah warned the people about Assyria’s incredible power.
The land would experience devastation, and fertile areas would become desolate.
Isaiah and His Children as Signs (8:1-18)
Isaiah had two sons.
His second-born son was named “Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz,” which means “Quickly to the plunder!”
He would serve as a sign to the people in that before the time would come when he was old enough to say “mommy or daddy” the Assyrians would have put an end to the threat of Israel and Aram by rushing quickly to plunder them.
Isaiah’s first-born son was named Shear-Jashub, which means “a remnant shall return.”
Later, Shear-Jashub was to be a sign to the people that even though Jerusalem would be destroyed in the future, God would bring a faithful remnant of his people back from exile to the land He had given them.
The LORD’s Anger Against Israel (9:8–10:4)
Israel “hardened herself” to God’s judgments.
God’s Judgment on Assyria (10:5-19)
God used Assyria as an instrument of punishment against his people.
The Assyrians never realized the role they played in God’s plan, and instead became proud and arrogant.
“Does the ax raise itself above the person who swings it, or the saw boast against the one who uses it?”
God promised to judge Assyria as well.
The Remnant of Israel (10:20-34)
“In that day the remnant of Israel,
Judgment on Jerusalem and Judah (3:1–4:1)
God is going to “cut off” the leaders of his people who have abused their positions of authority.
God is going to judge the women of Judah who trusted in their beauty and jewelry.
The Branch of the LORD (4:2-6)
A “branch” will arise from the line of David, and he will serve as God’s instrument to bring in God’s kingdom on earth.
The Song of the Vineyard (5:1-7)God’s people are a vineyard.
God took good care of his vineyard.
His vineyard produced sour grapes.
Despite God’s care, Judah insisted on following a destructive path.
Woes and Judgments (5:8-30)
Woe to those who selfishly increase their estates at the expense of others!
God will make their estates worthless.
Woe to those who live only to get drunk!
They will be too drunk to understand the destruction surrounding them.
Woe to those who put God to the test!
They mistake God’s patience for lack of power to judge.
Woe to those who call good evil and evil good!
They do so only to justify themselves.
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes!
God will humble them.
Woe to those who take away the rights of the defenseless!
God will call another nation to consume them and carry them away.
Isaiah’s Commission (6:1-13)
“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the LORD, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple.”
“‘Woe to me!’ I cried. ‘I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.’”
“Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar.”
“With it he touched my mouth and said, ‘See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.’”
“Then I heard the voice of the LORD saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’”
“And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’”
Judah, Israel, and Assyria (7:1–12:6)
The Sign of Immanuel (7:1-17)
These events take place during the Assyrian threat over the nation of Judah during the reign of King Ahaz, the father of Hezekiah.
The kings of Israel and Aram wanted Judah to join them in battle against Assyria.
Ahaz refused and the armies of Israel and Aram surrounded Jerusalem.
Isaiah offered a sign to Ahaz that God would protect Jerusalem.
Ahaz had already planned on siding with the Assyrians, so he refused the sign.
Isaiah condemned his lack of faith and offered the sign anyway.
“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. He will be eating curds and honey when he knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, for before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste.”
Immanuel means “God with us.”
In the New Testament, Jesus was referred as “Immanuel” because he was “born of a virgin” and was also “God with us.”
Assyria, the LORD’s Instrument (7:18-25)
Ahaz chose to trust in Assyria instead of God.
The Assyrians conquered and destroyed Aram and Israel.
Isaiah warned the people about Assyria’s incredible power.
The land would experience devastation, and fertile areas would become desolate.
Isaiah and His Children as Signs (8:1-18)
Isaiah had two sons.
His second-born son was named “Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz,” which means “Quickly to the plunder!”
He would serve as a sign to the people in that before the time would come when he was old enough to say “mommy or daddy” the Assyrians would have put an end to the threat of Israel and Aram by rushing quickly to plunder them.
Isaiah’s first-born son was named Shear-Jashub, which means “a remnant shall return.”
Later, Shear-Jashub was to be a sign to the people that even though Jerusalem would be destroyed in the future, God would bring a faithful remnant of his people back from exile to the land He had given them.
The LORD’s Anger Against Israel (9:8–10:4)
Israel “hardened herself” to God’s judgments.
God’s Judgment on Assyria (10:5-19)
God used Assyria as an instrument of punishment against his people.
The Assyrians never realized the role they played in God’s plan, and instead became proud and arrogant.
“Does the ax raise itself above the person who swings it, or the saw boast against the one who uses it?”
God promised to judge Assyria as well.
The Remnant of Israel (10:20-34)
“In that day the remnant of Israel,
the survivors of Jacob,
will no longer rely on him
who struck them down
but will truly rely on the Lord,
the Holy One of Israel.
A remnant will return, a remnant of
Jacob
will return to the Mighty God.
Though your people be like
the sand by the sea, Israel,
only a remnant will return.”
“Shear-Jashub” = “A remnant shall return.”
The Branch From Jesse (11:1-16)
Isaiah described a “branch” who would come up from the line of Jesse, David’s father.
“A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
“Shear-Jashub” = “A remnant shall return.”
The Branch From Jesse (11:1-16)
Isaiah described a “branch” who would come up from the line of Jesse, David’s father.
“A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;
from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.
The Spirit of the Lord
will rest on him—
the Spirit of wisdom and of
understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and of
might,
the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—
and he will delight in
the fear of the Lord.”
This Messiah (“anointed one”) would be empowered by the Spirit of the LORD to lead the nations.
“He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
This Messiah (“anointed one”) would be empowered by the Spirit of the LORD to lead the nations.
“He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,
or decide by what he hears with his ears;
but with righteousness he
will judge the needy,
with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the
earth.”
He would bring peace to all people, and even the animals themselves would no longer destroy each other.
“The wolf will live with the lamb,
He would bring peace to all people, and even the animals themselves would no longer destroy each other.
“The wolf will live with the lamb,
the leopard will lie down with the goat,
the calf and the lion and the yearling
together;
and a little child will lead them.
The cow will feed with the bear,
their young will lie down
together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
The infant will play near the cobra’s den,
and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s
nest.
They will neither harm nor destroy
on all my holy mountain,
for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord
as the waters cover the sea.”
Songs of Praise (12:1-6)
“I will praise you, Lord.
Songs of Praise (12:1-6)
“I will praise you, Lord.
Although you were angry with me,
your anger has turned away
and you have comforted me.”
“Give
praise to the Lord, proclaim his name;
make known among the nations what he has
done,
and proclaim that his name is exalted.”
Universal Judgment and Universal Salvation (13:1–27:13)
A Prophecy Against Babylon (13:1–14:27)
God will use the Medes to judge Babylon.
Babylon’s destruction will be like that of Sodom and Gomorrah.
God will also destroy Assyria with Babylon.
Babylon’s ruler had made godlike claims, but God would humble him.
“How
you have fallen from
heaven,
Universal Judgment and Universal Salvation (13:1–27:13)
A Prophecy Against Babylon (13:1–14:27)
God will use the Medes to judge Babylon.
Babylon’s destruction will be like that of Sodom and Gomorrah.
God will also destroy Assyria with Babylon.
Babylon’s ruler had made godlike claims, but God would humble him.
“How
you have fallen from
heaven,
morning star, son of the dawn!
You have been cast down to the earth,
you who once laid low the nations!
You said in your
heart,
‘I
will ascend to the
heavens;
I will raise my throne
above the stars of God;
I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,
on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon.
I will ascend above the
tops of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.’
But you are brought down
to the realm of the dead,
to the depths of the pit.”
Christians have often reinterpreted this as a description of Satan’s fall from heaven.
A Prophecy Against the Philistines (14:28-32)
The Philistines rejoiced when King Ahaz died, thinking they could now shake off Judah’s domination, but Isaiah assures them that God will still protect His people.
Isaiah warned Hezekiah not to join the Philistines and Egyptians in their rebellion against Assyria.
A Prophecy Against Moab (15:1–16:14)
Within three years, God will greatly reduce Moab’s status.
Both Assyrian kings Sargon II and Sennacherib claimed victories over Moab.
A Prophecy Against Damascus (17:1-14)
God will level Damascus of the Arameans.
God will also judge Israel who allied themselves with the Arameans.
A Prophecy Against Cush (18:1-7)
God will humble Cush.
The Cushites will one day bring gifts to Zion.
A Prophecy Against Egypt (19:1-25)
God will judge Egypt and her idols.
“So the Lord will make himself known to the Egyptians, and in that day they will acknowledge the Lord.”
“In that day Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing on the earth. The Lord Almighty will bless them, saying, ‘Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance.’”
A Prophecy Against Egypt and Cush (20:1-6)
God told Isaiah to remove his clothes and his sandals and walk around naked and barefoot, preaching to the people in this way for three whole years.
Just as Isaiah walks around “with buttocks bared” so will Egypt and Cush be led away “with buttocks bared” by the Assyrians.
God will turn the tables on Egypt, and make them slaves instead of slave-masters.
God will dry up the source of the Nile, devastating the nations of Egypt and Cush.
A Prophecy Against Babylon, Edom, and Arabia (21:1-17)
Elam and Media will work together to bring Babylon down.
Judgment will sweep away Edom and Arabia within a year.
A Prophecy About Jerusalem (22:1-25)
Isaiah then declared the day of Jerusalem’s judgment.
The people had lived there in security for many years, and had come to believe God would protect them forever, no matter how they lived.
Isaiah presented two pictures of leadership – Shebna and Eliakim.
Shebna used his office for dishonest gain and God would bring him to nothing.
Eliakim would serve his people as a father, but he was, unfortunately, one of only a very few examples of quality leadership in his generation.
A Prophecy Against Tyre (23:1-18)
Tyre had used its strategic location on the coast to accumulate great riches.
God would cause them to be destroyed because of their great pride.
Isaiah’s Apocalypse (24:1–27:13)
The LORD’s Devastation of the Earth (24:1-23)
“The
floodgates of the
heavens are opened,
Christians have often reinterpreted this as a description of Satan’s fall from heaven.
A Prophecy Against the Philistines (14:28-32)
The Philistines rejoiced when King Ahaz died, thinking they could now shake off Judah’s domination, but Isaiah assures them that God will still protect His people.
Isaiah warned Hezekiah not to join the Philistines and Egyptians in their rebellion against Assyria.
A Prophecy Against Moab (15:1–16:14)
Within three years, God will greatly reduce Moab’s status.
Both Assyrian kings Sargon II and Sennacherib claimed victories over Moab.
A Prophecy Against Damascus (17:1-14)
God will level Damascus of the Arameans.
God will also judge Israel who allied themselves with the Arameans.
A Prophecy Against Cush (18:1-7)
God will humble Cush.
The Cushites will one day bring gifts to Zion.
A Prophecy Against Egypt (19:1-25)
God will judge Egypt and her idols.
“So the Lord will make himself known to the Egyptians, and in that day they will acknowledge the Lord.”
“In that day Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing on the earth. The Lord Almighty will bless them, saying, ‘Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance.’”
A Prophecy Against Egypt and Cush (20:1-6)God told Isaiah to remove his clothes and his sandals and walk around naked and barefoot, preaching to the people in this way for three whole years.
Just as Isaiah walks around “with buttocks bared” so will Egypt and Cush be led away “with buttocks bared” by the Assyrians.
God will turn the tables on Egypt, and make them slaves instead of slave-masters.
God will dry up the source of the Nile, devastating the nations of Egypt and Cush.
A Prophecy Against Babylon, Edom, and Arabia (21:1-17)
Elam and Media will work together to bring Babylon down.
Judgment will sweep away Edom and Arabia within a year.
A Prophecy About Jerusalem (22:1-25)
Isaiah then declared the day of Jerusalem’s judgment.
The people had lived there in security for many years, and had come to believe God would protect them forever, no matter how they lived.
Isaiah presented two pictures of leadership – Shebna and Eliakim.
Shebna used his office for dishonest gain and God would bring him to nothing.
Eliakim would serve his people as a father, but he was, unfortunately, one of only a very few examples of quality leadership in his generation.
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| The Destruction of Tyre |
A Prophecy Against Tyre (23:1-18)
Tyre had used its strategic location on the coast to accumulate great riches.
God would cause them to be destroyed because of their great pride.
Isaiah’s Apocalypse (24:1–27:13)
The LORD’s Devastation of the Earth (24:1-23)
the foundations of the earth shake.
The earth is broken
up,
the earth is split
asunder,
the earth is violently shaken.
The earth reels like a
drunkard,
it sways like a hut in the wind;
so heavy upon it is the guilt of its
rebellion
that it falls—never to rise again.”
“In that day the Lord will punish
“In that day the Lord will punish
the powers in the heavens
above
and the kings on the earth below.
They will be herded
together
like prisoners bound in a dungeon;
they will be shut up in prison
and be punished after many days.
The moon will be
dismayed,
the sun ashamed;
for the Lord Almighty will reign
on Mount Zion and in
Jerusalem,
and before its elders—with great glory.”
Praise to the LORD (25:1-12)
“On
this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare
Praise to the LORD (25:1-12)
“On
this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare
a feast of rich food for all peoples,
a banquet of aged wine—
the best of meats and the finest of wines.
On this mountain he will destroy
the shroud that enfolds all peoples,
the sheet that covers all nations;
he will swallow up death forever.
The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the
tears
from all faces;
he will remove his people’s disgrace
from all the earth.
The Lord has spoken.”
A Song of Praise (26:1-21)
“Lord, they came to you in their distress;
A Song of Praise (26:1-21)
“Lord, they came to you in their distress;
when you disciplined
them,
they could barely whisper a prayer.
As a pregnant woman about to give
birth
writhes and cries out in her
pain,
so were we in your presence, Lord.
We were with child, we writhed in
labor,
but we gave birth to wind.
We have not brought salvation to the earth,
and the people of the world have not come to life.”
“But your dead will live, Lord;
“But your dead will live, Lord;
their bodies will rise—
let those who dwell in the dust
wake up and shout for joy—
your dew is like the dew of the morning;
the earth will give birth to her dead.”
Deliverance of Israel (27:1-13)
“In that day,
Deliverance of Israel (27:1-13)
“In that day,
the
Lord will punish with his
sword—
his fierce, great and powerful sword—
Leviathan the gliding serpent,
Leviathan the coiling serpent;
he will slay the monster of the sea.”
“In days to come Jacob will take root,
“In days to come Jacob will take root,
Israel will bud and
blossom
and fill all the world with fruit.”
Six Woe Oracles (28:1–33:24)
Woe against Ephraim (28:1-29)
The name Ephraim here represents the northern kingdom of Israel.
Isaiah denounced Ephraim’s pride and arrogance.
God vowed to bring justice and righteousness to the land through his “tested cornerstone.”
Woe against Ariel (29:1-24)
The name Ariel here represents the city of Jerusalem.
“Ariel” seems to mean “hearth of God.”
The people of Jerusalem spoke as if they knew God, but they had hardened their hearts from following Him.
Woe to the Obstinate Children (30:1-33)
“They say to the seers,
Six Woe Oracles (28:1–33:24)
Woe against Ephraim (28:1-29)
The name Ephraim here represents the northern kingdom of Israel.
Isaiah denounced Ephraim’s pride and arrogance.
God vowed to bring justice and righteousness to the land through his “tested cornerstone.”
Woe against Ariel (29:1-24)
The name Ariel here represents the city of Jerusalem.
“Ariel” seems to mean “hearth of God.”
The people of Jerusalem spoke as if they knew God, but they had hardened their hearts from following Him.
Woe to the Obstinate Children (30:1-33)
“They say to the seers,
‘See
no more visions!’
and to the prophets,
‘Give
us no more visions of
what is right!
Tell us pleasant things,
prophesy illusions.
Leave this
way,
get off this path,
and stop confronting us
with the Holy One of Israel!’”
Woe to Those Who Rely on Egypt (31:1–32:8)
Isaiah condemned Judah’s attempt at foreign alliances.
These foreign treaties often included formally recognizing the other nation’s gods.
Also, Egypt had developed a reputation of promising its allies assistance and then failing to provide it.
The LORD would one day raise up a righteous king whose coming would renew society.
Other leaders would follow his example and bring blessing to all the land
Woe to the Women of Jerusalem (32:9-20)
They are complacent women, thinking they stand secure.
Your merriment will be turned to mourning when this place is destroyed.
This place will become a wasteland forever until the Spirit is poured on us from on high.
Woe to the Destroyer (33:1-24)
The LORD is a consuming fire who will destroy the destroyer and betray the betrayer.
Zion’s Deliverance (34:1–39:8)
Judgment Against the Nations (34:1-17)
“Come near, you nations, and listen;
Woe to Those Who Rely on Egypt (31:1–32:8)
Isaiah condemned Judah’s attempt at foreign alliances.
These foreign treaties often included formally recognizing the other nation’s gods.
Also, Egypt had developed a reputation of promising its allies assistance and then failing to provide it.
The LORD would one day raise up a righteous king whose coming would renew society.
Other leaders would follow his example and bring blessing to all the land
Woe to the Women of Jerusalem (32:9-20)
They are complacent women, thinking they stand secure.
Your merriment will be turned to mourning when this place is destroyed.
This place will become a wasteland forever until the Spirit is poured on us from on high.
Woe to the Destroyer (33:1-24)
The LORD is a consuming fire who will destroy the destroyer and betray the betrayer.
Zion’s Deliverance (34:1–39:8)
Judgment Against the Nations (34:1-17)
“Come near, you nations, and listen;
pay attention, you peoples!
Let the earth hear, and all that is in it,
the world, and all that comes out of it!
The Lord
is angry with all nations;
his wrath is on all their armies.
He will totally destroy
them,
he will give them over to slaughter.
Their slain will be thrown
out,
their dead bodies will
stink;
the mountains will be soaked with their blood.
All the stars in the sky
will be dissolved
and the heavens rolled up like a scroll;
all the starry host will fall
like withered leaves from the
vine,
like shriveled figs from the fig tree.”
Joy of the Redeemed (35:1-10)
“Then will the eyes of the blind be opened
Joy of the Redeemed (35:1-10)
“Then will the eyes of the blind be opened
and the ears of the deaf unstopped.
Then will the lame leap like a deer,
and the mute tongue shout for joy.
Water will gush forth in the wilderness
and streams in the desert.
The burning sand will become a pool,
the thirsty ground bubbling springs.
In the haunts where jackals once lay,
grass and reeds and papyrus will grow.
And a highway will be
there;
it will be called the Way of
Holiness;
it will be for those who walk on that Way.”
“Gladness and joy will overtake them,
“Gladness and joy will overtake them,
and sorrow and sighing will flee away.”
Isaiah chapters 36-39
These chapters are the same as 2nd Kings 18:17–20:21.
This section retells almost verbatim the stories of Isaiah’s interaction with King Hezekiah.
Isaiah chapters 36-39
These chapters are the same as 2nd Kings 18:17–20:21.
This section retells almost verbatim the stories of Isaiah’s interaction with King Hezekiah.
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