Category: <span>Commentary</span>

While positioning the exact temporal reference of Isaiah 40-66 is difficult, the theological vision these chapters establish is easily discerned. Here God further showed His jealousy for Israel’s trust, employing polemics to arouse Judah to grasp both His superiority over the idols of the nations and His plan of redemption. Isaiah announced the Lord’s call for Israel to be His servant while they awaited the true Servant of the Lord—the One who would rule over them as the Messiah. While the prophecies of the latter portion of Isaiah had an initial situation in mind, many of the individual predictions are substantive for the storyline of Scripture.

(1) The Lord would send one to prepare the way for His Servant. In Isa 40:3-5, the prophet spoke of one who would prepare the way for the Lord. The Gospel writers spoke in concert that Isaiah was foretelling John the Baptist (Matt 3:3//Mark 1:3//Luke 3:4-6//John 1:23). The framework of John’s messages expressed Isaiah’s topographical references. Valleys, mountains, uneven ground, and rough places would all change, Isaiah said (Isa 40:4). John called his listeners to repent of self-centered religion, to share, resist opportunities for extortion, and go the extra mile (Luke 3:10-14).

(2) The Lord’s Servant would establish justice by performing acts of mercy. In Isa 42:1-4, Isaiah prophesied that the coming Servant of the Lord would be filled with the Spirit and establish justice. In the near term, Cyrus King of Persia was the Lord’s instrument, releasing the captives and allowing them to return and rebuild Jerusalem (Isa 44:24-28; Ezra 1:1-4). But the prophet’s description of the Lord’s Servant goes beyond Cyrus. Matthew saw in Jesus’ ministry in Galilee the kinds of activities that Isaiah wrote about in Isa 42:1-4. Large crowds followed Jesus and Jesus’ merciful acts to the lame, diseased, and tormented among them (Matt 12:15-21) were the fulfillment of Isaiah’s statement that the Lord’s Servant would mercifully right the wrongs plaguing humanity.

(3) The Lord’s Servant would lead a unified people. Both Peter and Paul understood some of Isaiah’s phrases as a basis for calling believers to pursue fellowship in the church. Paul used Isa 45:23 (“Every knee will bow to Me, every tongue will swear allegiance.”) to describe Jesus Christ’s ultimate glory—which resulted from His humble incarnation and crucifixion (Phil 2:10-11). Paul’s injunction to the Philippians was that each should “look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others” (Phil 2:4)—as Christ did in coming to earth and suffering and dying—after which He was exalted to receive the homage Isaiah predicted. Peter quoted Isa 40:6b-8 (“All humanity is grass, and all its goodness is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flowers fade when the breath of the LORD blows on them; indeed, the people are grass. The grass withers, the flowers fade, but the word of our God remains forever.”) to justify the enduring power of the word of God unto regeneration (1 Pet 1:23-25). In Peter’s mind, Isaiah’s phrase was not merely a matter of doctrinal recitation but was the basis for his command for believers to love one another with devotion and purity (1 Pet 1:22).

(4) The Lord would redeem His people by destroying their opponents—quickly. The Lord had chosen Babylon as an instrument to discipline His people and promised to execute justice against them (Isaiah 47-48). Babylon was a lover of luxury, Isaiah said, thinking herself secure. But the Babylonians would suddenly be destroyed, like the one enduring the loss of children and spouse in the same day (Isa 47:8-9). John took up Isaiah’s portrayal of the downfall of Babylon writing that Babylon’s supposed self-security was paper-thin. In a single day, the Lord would destroy fortified Babylon (Rev 18:7-8).

Much of the first thirty-nine chapters of the book of Isaiah are a contrast between two of Judah’s Kings: Ahaz (Isaiah 7-14; 2 Kings 16; 2 Chronicles 28) and Hezekiah (Isaiah 13-39; 2 Kings 18-20; 2 Chronicles 29-32). Isaiah exhorted the former to trust in the Lord and ask for a sign of deliverance from the Assyrian King, Tiglath-pileser (Isa 7:10-19; 2 Kgs 16:1-14). Ahaz rejected Isaiah’s message—and because he chose not to stand firm in his faith, he did not stand at all. Since the day of Ahaz’s disastrous decision, Isaiah had exhorted Judah to avoid any alliance with a foreign power and instead cast all of their expectations on the Lord—who alone could deliver them from the Assyrian siege. The drama of the narrative is thick; what would Hezekiah do?

King Sennacherib sent the Rabshakeh to intimidate Hezekiah in the by-then-surrounded city of Jerusalem (Isaiah 36). The Rabshakeh warned Hezekiah of trusting in Egypt and tried to persuade him against trusting in the Lord. The Assyrian leader was a man of political skill; why not just surrender to the Assyrian forces, he suggested, according to God’s will (Isa 36:8-10)? He taunted the people of Jerusalem, bidding them to do anything but trust the Lord—since no other god had been able to deliver its people from the mighty Assyrian forces (Isa 36:13-20).

“When King Hezekiah heard their report,” Isaiah noted, “he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and went to the house of the LORD” (Isa 37:1). Hezekiah sent an envoy to Isaiah, informing the prophet of the Rabshakeh’s boasts and asking him to intercede for the survival of the remnant. Judah’s king was a political leader with few political options left to his disposal; if Jerusalem were to be delivered, it would be by the grace of the Lord alone. Isaiah replied to the king with the word of the Lord, “Don’t be afraid because of the words you have heard, which the king of Assyria’s attendants have blasphemed Me with. Look! I am putting a spirit in him and he will hear a rumor and return to his own land, where I will cause him to fall by the sword” (Isa 37:6-7).

And it came about just as Isaiah prophesied. In light of a sudden threat from the king of Egypt, Sennacherib had to adjust his military strategy and pull back from Jerusalem (Isa 37:8-9a). Sennacherib did in fact go back the way he came (Isa 37:29, 34), after he saw 185,000 of the Assyrian warriors fallen from the angel of the Lord (Isa 37:36-37). While Hezekiah continued to trust in the Lord when he was terminally ill—and received a sign that his life would be prolonged fifteen years (Isaiah 38; 2 Kgs 20:1-11; 2 Chron 32:24-26)—he showed contempt for his God by allowing the Babylonian envoy to investigate the treasures of his house (Isaiah 39; 2 Kgs 20:12-19).

In Isaiah 10-35, the prophet urged Judah and her leaders to rely wholly on the Lord during the crisis in the north. The Lord’s answer to Hezekiah’s prayer (Isa 37:21-35) provides a point of synthesis for Isaiah 1-39 and proves informative for the storyline of Scripture. The Lord’s motive for rescuing Judah was that He had a plan to redeem a people for His glory. “This is the LORD’s declaration,” Isaiah proclaimed, “I will defend this city and rescue it, because of Me and because of My servant David” (Isa 37:35). But this deliverance was temporary. Because of Hezekiah’s folly before the envoy from Babylon and Judah’s continual idolatrous practices, within two generations Nebuchadnezzar marched into Jerusalem and destroyed the city (2 Kgs 25:1-21; 2 Chron 36:15-21). Hezekiah and Jerusalem would be rescued from Assyria, but not from the Lord. As the prophet had predicted, the Lord would raise up a nation to discipline His people for their idolatrous ways (Isa 29:1-10). In the flow of redemptive history, it becomes clear that the ultimate significance of the city of David rests upon David’s greater son, Jesus Christ. In Christ, Jerusalem has an eternal significance. The author of Hebrews described Jerusalem as the heavenly abode where the followers of Jesus assemble with Him and the angels in a festive gathering (Heb 12:22-24). There, John wrote, God’s people will be in the Lord’s presence forever (Revelation 21).

In Isaiah 29-30, the prophet chided the leaders of the day for not hastening to the Lord’s invitation for deliverance from Assyria. In Isaiah 32-35, Isaiah presented the Lord as the true King of His people. The prophet hoped to convince Judah that while Ahaz had led them to trust in anyone but God, only as they relied upon the Lord would they enjoy righteousness and justice in the land. Isaiah elicited Judah’s trust in the Lord by presenting His plan to send a deliverer to rescue them.

Isaiah prophesied that a messianic figure would come and reign in righteousness (Isa 32:1-8). Isaiah predicted the edifying results of the Messiah’s reign: “Then the eyes of those who see will not be closed, and the ears of those who hear will listen. The reckless mind will gain knowledge, and the stammering tongue will speak clearly and fluently” (Isa 32:3-4). Isaiah portrayed Judah as helpless without the Messiah’s aid (Isa 33:1-16). Isaiah’s words here were prompted by Sennacherib’s initial invasion toward Jerusalem, when Hezekiah gave the Assyrian king all the silver in the Lord’s temple (2 Kgs 18:13-18). In distress, Isaiah cried, “LORD, be gracious to us! We wait for You. Be our strength every morning, and our salvation in time of trouble. The peoples flee at the thunderous noise; the nations scatter when You rise in Your majesty” (Isa 33:2-3). The Lord would indeed rise up and exalt Himself over the Assyrian king. The people dwelling in Jerusalem were thus exhorted to reform their lives in righteousness that they may dwell there and not be destroyed by the Lord, even if they escaped Sennacherib’s advance (Isa 33:14-16). The Messiah would one day rule over a city characterized by peace (Isa 33:17-24).

Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah’s coming would be consistent with judgment on the nations, especially Edom (Isaiah 34). Edom would be set apart as a representative target of God’s wrath “for its hostility against Zion” (Isa 34:8; Genesis 25; Numbers 20). The Spirit of God would gather wild animals in the place where Edomites once appointed their king (Isa 34:8-17). However, the ransomed of the Lord would return to Zion (Isaiah 35). Isaiah prophesied that gladness, joy, splendor, strength, sight, singing, and rain would come upon that which was parched, mute, blind, weak, destroyed, weeping, and mourning—because “God’s retribution is coming; He will save you” (Isa 35:4).

Isaiah’s sermon to the people of Jerusalem—perhaps surrounded by the forces of the Assyrian king Sennacherib—provided the initial setting for multiple messianic prophecies, a springboard for the storyline of Scripture. Many in Jesus’ day, however, misunderstood some of the specifics of Isaiah’s oracles. They questioned if Jesus was in fact the Messiah. While Jesus had accomplished some of the things Isaiah prophesied, Israel was still subject to Roman rule. Would not the Messiah execute judgment on the nations, as well as deliver the blind, mute, and lame? This was the question on the mind of John the Baptist when he was imprisoned by Herod Antipas. The Gentiles in the northern region of Galilee were enjoying the inauguration of the Messiah’s rule—as evidenced by the fact that the blind were made to see, the lame were made to walk, those with skin disease were healed, the deaf were able to hear, the dead were raised, and the poor were told the good news. At this time, the great John the Baptist was held captive by Israel’s enemy, Herod Antipas. “Isn’t the Messiah to come with blessing and vengeance?” he thought.

John’s paradigm, like that of many in his day, was highly influenced by Isaiah’s prophecy: “Say to the faint-hearted: ‘Be strong; do not fear! Here is your God; vengeance is coming. God’s retribution is coming; He will save you.’ Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then the lame will leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute will sing for joy” (Isa 35:4-6a). When John thus sent messengers to Jesus to ask if He was in fact the Messiah (Matt 11:1-3//Luke 7:18-20), Jesus spoke not only of the miraculous blessings that He had bestowed on the needy but also affirmed John’s place in the redemptive-historical plan of God. By emphasizing that John was in fact the forerunner, Jesus affirmed that He was in fact the Messiah.

The thrust of Isaiah 28-31 is that Judah should trust in the Lord alone during the Assyrian threat. Isaiah described God’s sovereignty over the nations in hopes that Judah would cast herself at the Lord’s feet and receive grace to endure advances first by Tigleth-pileser (2 Kgs 16:7-9), then Shalmaneser V (2 Kings 17-18), and finally Sennacherib (2 Kings 18-19). Isaiah’s sharp tone in Isaiah 28-31 may have been prompted by King Ahaz’s earlier alliance with Tigleth-pileser (Isaiah 7). In the day of crisis, would Judah run to a neighbor, like Egypt—whom Isaiah had predicted would be destroyed (Isaiah 20)—or would they take refuge in the Lord (Isaiah 26)?

Several New Testament authors saw in the prophet’s oracles phrases that could be used to persuade their audience(s) to trust in the fuller demonstration of God’s faithfulness, Jesus Christ. Thus, Isaiah 28-31 has significance for the storyline of Scripture.

(1) In Isa 28:14-22 the prophet confronted Judah, perhaps specifically Ahaz, for making a pact with Death rather than relying on the Lord for deliverance. All the while, the Lord promised, “Look, I have laid a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; the one who believes will be unshakable” (Isa 28:16). The authors of the New Testament understood Jesus Christ to represent the stone of Isa 28:16 (see Ps 118:22). Paul saw in Isaiah’s phrase a description of Israel in his own day; they too failed to rely upon the Lord’s offer of righteousness by faith in Christ. Concerning Israel, Paul wrote, “They stumbled over the stumbling stone. As it is written, ‘Look! I am putting a stone in Zion to stumble over, and a rock to trip over, yet the one who believes on Him will not be put to shame’” (Rom 9:33). Peter on the other hand understood Isaiah’s prophecy of the faithfulness of God to be a means of encouragement for the Gentile believers in his audience. Peter wrote, “Coming to Him, a living stone—rejected by men but chosen and valuable to God—you yourselves, as living stones, are being built into a spiritual house for a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Pet 2:4-5).

(2) In Isa 29:13, the prophet warned the people of their hypocrisy. They went through the motions of temple service while considering surrendering to the Assyrians or seeking an alliance with Egypt. Jesus saw in the words of the prophet an apt description of the hypocritical Jewish leadership of His own day, those who put their traditions—like giving extra to the temple instead of using their surplus to take care of their aging parents—above God’s word or submission to His lordship. Like Isaiah’s audience, Jesus’ opponents honored God with their lips but their hearts were far from God (Matt 15:8-9//Mark 7:6-7).

(3) In Isa 29:14, Isaiah said that the Lord would confound the wisdom of the wise in Judah, those who thought it best to make a pact with Assyria or Egypt to preserve their national identity. Paul saw in Isaiah’s statement a warning for the Corinthians—who themselves were guilty of seeking significance and security in worldly alliances rather than the foolish message of the cross. Paul wrote, “To those who are perishing the message of the cross is foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is God’s power. For it is written, ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and I will set aside the understanding of the experts’” (1 Cor 1:18-19).

(4) In Isa 29:16, the prophet rebuked those who questioned God’s faithfulness to His people. Many in Judah thought they were smarter than God, able to inform the Lord that it would be a better plan to surrender to Assyria or make a pact with Egypt than be defeated by Assyria. They regarded themselves as the potter and God as the clay. Paul saw in Israel’s rebellious attitude a picture of those who questioned God’s faithfulness to national Israel. Some wondered why so many Jews were rejecting the Messiah with the result that the church was dominated by Gentiles. Paul answered their quandary by setting forth the sovereignty of God to call whom He would. To the haughty interlocutor who asked, “Why then does He still find fault? For who can resist His will?” Paul replied, “Will what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’ Or has the potter no right over His clay, to make from the same lump one piece of pottery for honor and another for dishonor?” (Rom 9:19-21).

Isaiah wanted his audience to understand that God is exalted over the nations. Isaiah prophesied that God would execute destruction on the present world structure in favor of a new, God-centered government on earth. Isaiah’s words of destruction and subsequent restoration provided Judah with a theological vision for enduring the Assyrian threat. Specifically, the question in Isa 27:7 (“Did the LORD strike Israel as He struck the one who struck Israel? Was he killed like those killed by Him?”) proves helpful in the broader interpretation of Isaiah 24-27. This question may have been intended to foster hope among Isaiah’s audience. While the Lord had extended His wrath over Israel, and Judah would eventually experience the same, He yet promised them a future. Their opponents, however, were given no such hope.

Isaiah’s prophecies concerning God’s victory and the salvation of His people provided comfort and encouragement to the remnant during the reigns of Ahaz (2 Kings 16; 2 Chronicles 28) and Hezekiah (2 Kings 18-20; 2 Chronicles 29-32). In the storyline of Scripture, the New Testament writers understood Isaiah’s description of hope to have implications for their day as well. For instance, the vineyard metaphor in Isa 5:1-7 informs and parallels Jesus’ Parable of the Vineyard Owner (Matt 21:33-43//Mk 12:1-12//Luke 20:9-19)—in which Israel was pictured as fruitless and worthy of condemnation. When Isaiah employed the metaphor again in Isa 27:2-13, he concluded with words of hope. “On that day,” Isaiah said, “a great trumpet will be blown, and those lost in the land of Assyria will come, as well as those dispersed in the land of Egypt; and they will worship the LORD at Jerusalem on the holy mountain” (Isa 27:13).

While on the surface Isaiah’s emphasis on hope may prove surprising to the reader, it coheres more closely with the general tone of Isaiah 24-27 than would another picture of barrenness. Here the prophet detailed the destruction of Israel’s enemies, and the restoration and praise that would follow for God’s people. The themes of redemption and triumph in Isaiah 24-27 provide a framework for the apostle John’s concluding vision in Revelation.

(1) In Isa 25:6-10, the prophet used the metaphor of a great banquet to describe the restoration of an international remnant. Isaiah said, “The LORD of Hosts will prepare a feast for all the peoples on this mountain…He will destroy death forever. The Lord GOD will wipe away the tears from every face and remove His people’s disgrace from the whole earth, for the LORD has spoken” (Isa 25:6, 8). This scene may have provided the background for John’s visions in Revelation 19-21. John’s description of the Marriage Feast of the Lamb (Rev 19:6-8) employs imagery from Isa 25:6-10. Further, John’s vision of the New Jerusalem—where God would dwell with His people, wiping away tears and death and pain (Rev 21:3-4)—rests squarely on Isaiah’s prophecy.

(2) In Isa 24:17-23, the prophet described the destruction that would come upon the wicked, “the host of heaven above and kings of the earth below” (Isa 24:21), and announced that the remnant would enjoy the glorious presence of the Lord. This schema was repeated in Revelation 19-21, where John witnessed that the destruction of those who opposed the people of the Messiah preceded the unending fellowship the redeemed would enjoy with God. Using imagery from Isa 24:23, John wrote, “I did not see a sanctuary in it [the New Jerusalem], because the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its sanctuary. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, because God’s glory illuminates it, and its lamp is the Lamb” (Rev 21:22-23).

Isaiah’s pronouncements of judgement in Isaiah 13-23 underscore God’s jealousy for the trust of His people. God yearns for them to expect that He will deliver, even to the degree that they forsake all others and trust in Him alone. In the midst of international threats, Israel and Judah were tempted to make an alliance with the surrounding nations. Isaiah’s speeches were intended to persuade Israel and Judah to rely upon only their God for deliverance. Isaiah’s speeches also censured the nations from boasting over the vineyard of the Lord—since the nations invading Israel and Judah were merely instruments of the Lord’s wrath against His people. In the storyline of Scripture, Isaiah’s oracles in Isaiah 13-23 form a schema for understanding judgment and redemption.

(1) John’s description of the destruction of Babylon reflected Isaiah’s prophecies of Babylon’s demise. Isaiah prophesied that Babylon would be swept away, destroyed by the Medes (Isa 13:17-22). The king of Babylon would be thrown down (Isa 14:3-22), Isaiah said. He exhorted his listeners to take note of the day when Babylon would be destroyed (Isa 21:1-10; Jeremiah 50-51) and flee the temptation to trust in any but the Lord of Hosts. John understood the words of Isaiah to have implications for the consummation of the ages. In Revelation 17-19, John recorded his vision of the destruction of Babylon, concluding with the description of Christ’s victorious return. Then those who boasted over God’s people would finally be destroyed (Rev 19:17-21) and a new creation would be established (Revelation 21-22).

(2) Jesus too saw in Isaiah’s prophecy an apt description of the kind of events that would take place before His return. During His passion week in Jerusalem, one of His disciples was exiting the temple with Him and commented to Jesus about the massive stones used to build such an impressive structure (Mark 13:1//Matt 24:1//Luke 21:5). When Jesus replied that the temple would be destroyed, some of His disciples asked Jesus for specifics of when the temple would be destroyed and what circumstances would incite such a cataclysm (Mark 13:4//Matt 24:3//Luke 21:7). Jesus urged His disciples to beware of whom they trusted. Many false prophets would arise, Jesus said, offering security during the coming tribulation. Jesus then turned to the words of Isa 13:10 where the prophet said, “The stars of the sky and its constellations will not give their light. The sun will be dark when it rises, and the moon will not shine.” These alterations in the natural phenomena (Mark 13:24//Matt 24:29//Luke 21:26) are not an end in themselves, Jesus said. These would reveal the coming of the Son of Man in His power and dominion. Jesus described the day of the Son of Man not only in terms of judgement but also in terms of redemption, when the angels would be sent out to gather the elect from around the world (Mark 13:27//Matt 24:31).

Much of Isaiah’s prophecy is a contrast of two of Judah’s kings, Ahaz and his son Hezekiah. Both faced external threats, Ahaz from Aram, Israel, and Assyria (2 Kings 16; 2 Chronicles 28) and Hezekiah, likewise, from Assyria. The Lord, through Isaiah, invited both leaders to trust Him for their deliverance. Ahaz sought security in his enemy, who “attacked him and took many captives to Damascus” (2 Chron 28:5). Isaiah predicted that Assyria would in fact destroy Judah, with only a remnant surviving in the land. In the storyline of Scripture, Isaiah’s prophecies in Isaiah 7-12 establish a frame for understanding the Messiah.

(1) The Messiah would be born of a virgin. To King Ahaz, the prophet said, “The Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive, have a son, and name him Immanuel” (Isa 7:14)—a prediction that was fulfilled in the birth of Christ (Matt 1:23; Luke 1:31).

(2) The Messiah would have divine character and righteousness would characterize His rule. Isaiah announced not only the destruction of Judah—with the salvation of only a remnant, but also a time when the Lord’s favor would be extended directly to the Gentiles (Isa 9:1-3). Matthew said this was fulfilled in Jesus’ early Galilean ministry (Matt 4:15-16). During which time Jesus preached, “Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near!” (Matt 4:17). Isaiah predicted that the virgin’s child would grow to become a great ruler, saying, “The government will be on His shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. The dominion will be vast and its prosperity will never end.  He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom” (Isa 9:6-7a). The angel Gabriel quoted this prophecy to comfort Mary in her role as the one who would give birth to the Messiah (Luke 1:32-33). Luke notes that as an adolescent, Jesus “grew up and became strong, filled with wisdom, and God’s grace was on Him” (Luke 2:40), resembling Isaiah’s prophecy of the Messiah: “The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him—a Spirit of wisdom and understanding, a Spirit of counsel and strength, a Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD” (Isa 11:2). Isaiah announced that Jesus’ latter ministry would be characterized by righteous judgment: “He will judge the poor righteously and execute justice for the oppressed of the land. He will strike the land with discipline from His mouth, and He will kill the wicked with a command from His lips” (Isa 11:4). This schema is reflected in John’s description of the return of Christ in Rev 19:15, “From His mouth came a sharp sword, so that with it He might strike the nations. He will shepherd them with an iron scepter. He will also trample the winepress of the fierce anger of God, the Almighty.”

(3) The Messiah would identify fully with His people, a group that would include Gentiles. While Ahaz and many of the nobility in Judah aligned themselves with Assyria, Isaiah and his companions, who together composed a faithful remnant, resolved to trust only in the Lord. The prophet confessed, “I will wait for the LORD, who is hiding His face from the house of Jacob. I will wait for Him. Here I am with the children the LORD has given me to be signs and wonders in Israel from the LORD of Hosts who dwells on Mount Zion” (Isa 8:16-18). The author of Hebrews saw in Isaiah’s companionship with his children (the prophets under his care) an illustration of Christ’s identification with humanity; together they formed a faithful remnant that endured suffering and rejection and victory (Heb 2:1-13). Isaiah prophesied, “No one will harm or destroy on My entire holy mountain, for the land will be as full of the knowledge of the LORD as the sea is filled with water. On that day, the root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples. The nations will seek Him, and His resting place will be glorious” (Isa 11:9-10). The apostle Paul saw in Isaiah’s words justification for Jews to accept the Gentile believers among them (Rom 15:12).

Isaiah’s ministry began during the prosperous reign of King Uzziah (2 Kings 15; 2 Chronicles 26). At that time the Lord blessed Judah. The borders were expanded, and the people enjoyed affluence on the home front. Yet, their wealth led to greed and their status to pride. The prophet helped Judah picture their situation by prophesying that they were in fact an abandoned vineyard that would experience a series of woes if they did not turn from their haughty ways (Isaiah 5). To affirm his authenticity as a prophet, Isaiah described the Lord’s call on his life and the difficulties that would characterize his ministry (Isaiah 6).

Throughout the Old Testament, Israel is pictured as a vine (Ps 80:8-19; Jer 2:21; Ezekiel 17). For His vineyard, Isaiah argued, the Lord had done all that was necessary to receive a harvest of good fruit, “but it yielded worthless grapes” (Isa 5:2). The Lord thus had every right to remove its hedge and allow the vineyard to be trampled: “For the vineyard of the LORD of Hosts is the house of Israel, and the people of Judah, the plant He delighted in. He looked for justice but saw injustice, for righteousness, but heard cries of wretchedness” (Isa 5:7). Their unfruitfulness was characterized by a love of wealth (Isa 5:8-23). Because of these greedy pursuits, the Lord would call foreign nations against His people (Isa 5:24-30). Israel and Judah would be carried into captivity with no one to rescue.

To justify the boldness of his prophecy, the prophet recounted the Lord’s call on his life (Isaiah 6). The Lord called Isaiah in the year that King Uzziah died—when the king was yet marked by a serious skin disease he had received for unlawfully entering the Lord’s sanctuary to burn incense (2 Kgs 15:5-6; 2 Chron 26:16-23). Isaiah was thus called at a time when Judah was flourishing but nonetheless aware that the Lord would judge the offenses of His people. Isaiah saw the Lord as perfectly holy—the One whose glory was over all the earth; thus, no one calling out for His aid, or spurning His mercy, would go unnoticed (Isa 6:3; Rev 4:8). In the presence of the Holy One, Isaiah confessed his uncleanness and finitude, which could only be cleansed by the Lord’s resources (Isa 6:5-7). Isaiah, cleansed of wickedness and forgiven of sin, wished for God’s people also to know the mercy of the Lord. But Isaiah was told that his audience was beyond hope (Isa 6:11-12).

When the Lord called Isaiah to prophetic ministry, the Lord told Isaiah that he would be rejected by many who would hear him. In the storyline of Scripture, the ministry of Isaiah prefigured that of Jesus and Paul.

(1) Jesus and John interpreted the rejection of Jesus in light of Judah’s rejection of Isaiah. Isaiah’s messages confirmed God’s judgement upon those who rejected God’s word. Jesus saw in Isaiah’s situation an instance that set the stage for His own ministry and provided justification for His use of parables. When Jesus’ disciples asked about His frequent use of parables (Matt 13:10//Mark 4:10//Luke 8:9), Jesus replied by quoting from Isa 6:9-10. The Lord had instructed Isaiah to continue preaching to people so that their hardened hearts would continue to be hard, their blind eyes would continue to be blind—lest they hear, understand, and be healed by the Lord. Jesus taught in parables to ensure that those who had been given the ability to hear would understand and respond while those who had rejected Him would simply go on in ignorance, just like the majority in Judah during the ministry of Isaiah. John likewise interpreted the Jews’ rejection of Jesus as a reflection of Judah’s rejection of Isaiah, quoting Isa 6:10 in John 12:40.

(2) When the Jews in Rome rejected Paul’s message of the gospel, Paul interpreted the situation in light of Judah’s rejection of Isaiah. When Paul finally arrived in Rome to stand trial before Caesar, he was allowed to meet with the Jews of the city. When Paul expounded the Law of Moses and the Prophets, the Jews were divided about Paul’s preaching (Acts 28:23-25a). Paul said, “The Holy Spirit correctly spoke through the prophet Isaiah to your forefathers” (Acts 28:26) and quoted Isa 6:9-10.

(3) John’s vision of the heavenly throne room included imagery that matched Isaiah’s vision of God’s throne in heaven. In Isaiah 6, the prophet was allowed to see God’s throne and the angelic figures that worshipped Him. They cried out “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Hosts; His glory covers the earth” (Isa 6:3). John saw God’s throne surrounded by four living creatures who cry out continually, “Holy, holy, holy, Lord god, the Almighty, who was, who is, and who is coming” (Rev 4:8).

Much of the book of Isaiah is a prophetic response to the historical situation in Judah during the reigns of Uzziah (2 Kings 15; 2 Chronicles 26), Ahaz (2 Kings 16; 2 Chronicles 28), and Hezekiah (2 Kings 18-20; 2 Chronicles 29-32). Isaiah had the difficult task of calling Judah (whom he often refers to with the generic Israel) to seek the Lord as he and they watched Shalmanessar, king of Assyria, besiege the northern kingdom (2 Kings 17). Isaiah beckoned Judah to trust in the LORD for deliverance during the mounting international threats not only from Assyria but also Egypt and the rising Babylonian forces. Israel was being overtaken because of their rampant idolatry (2 Kgs 17:7-23) and in Judah, Isaiah found the same. As a people, Israel and Judah had failed in their obligations to the One who had delivered them from Egypt (Exodus 12-15; 20:1-17).

Isaiah began his prophecy by indicting Judah for their unfaithfulness to the Lord (Isaiah 1). While Judah viewed herself as a beautiful people, Isaiah presented them with a divine mirror. Isaiah said, “Wash yourselves. Cleanse yourselves. Remove your evil deeds from My sight. Stop doing evil. Learn to do what is good. Seek justice. Correct the oppressor. Defend the rights of the fatherless. Plead the widow’s case” (Isa 1:16-17). Nonetheless, Isaiah promised the mercy of God to those who would seek Him, saying, “‘Come, let us discuss this,’ says the LORD. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are as red as crimson, they will be like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land. But if you refuse and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword’” (Isa 1:18-20).

In Isaiah 2-4, the prophet declared that God would glorify Himself by disciplining and then restoring His people. In Isaiah’s vision, Jerusalem had the potential to become a place where the word of the Lord flowed freely. However, at the moment, Isaiah saw human pride, rampant idolatry, and little fear of the Lord (Isa 2:12-22). Judah’s opulence was displayed by the attire of the daughters of Jerusalem, whose future would be far from their present pursuits. Isaiah declared to them, “Instead of perfume there will be a stench; instead of a belt, a rope; instead of beautifully styled hair, baldness; instead of fine clothes, sackcloth; instead of beauty, branding” (Isa 3:24). War would so ravage the city that women would be left begging for a husband (Isa 4:1). Despite all this tragedy, Isaiah saw a day of future glory for Jerusalem. Once the Lord had “washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleansed the bloodguilt from the heart of Jerusalem by a spirit of judgment and a spirit of burning” (Isa 4:4), then those who remained in Jerusalem would be called holy and the whole city would be destined to live (Isa 4:3).

In the New Testament, Paul and John employed Isaiah’s declarations that God is sovereign to save His people and condemn those who forsake Him to worship idols.

(1) In Rom 9:29, Paul quoted Isa 1:9 to explain God’s sure salvation of a remnant of Jews. Paul saw in Isaiah’s prophecy a brick for the wall of defense he was building in order to justify God’s present calling of the Gentiles—a matter that dominates the latter half of the Epistle to the Romans. During Paul’s ministry more Gentiles than Jews were giving allegiance to the Messiah—a fact that contributes in no small way to the drama of the storyline of Scripture. Some Gentiles thus boasted over the minority Jewish populace among them in the church. This may have been the situation in Rome, prompting Paul to describe God’s historical plan for the partial, temporary, hardening of the Jews—during which time many Gentiles would be grafted in to the hope of Israel. In Romans, Paul explained that while there were not many Jews coming to faith, the Lord had reserved a remnant of Jews who would believe, a remnant that resembled in some ways the remnant Isaiah predicted. Concerning this remnant of Jewish Christians, in Rom 9:29 Paul quoted Isa 1:9, saying, “If the Lord of Hosts had not left us a seed, we would have become like Sodom, and we would have been made like Gomorrah.” Isaiah announced judgment and hope upon Judah; those who trusted in the word of the Lord would be delivered. Paul echoed the prophet, but his message humbled Gentiles too; in Christ, no grounds for boasting could be found.

(2) In Rev 6:15, John alluded to Isa 2:10, 19-21 when he wrote that when the sixth seal was broken, people hid in caves to escape God’s wrath. Isaiah prophesied that the Day of the Lord would be awful for the proud and all who would not humble themselves before Israel’s God. They would try to hide in rocks and crevices, any small passage where they might think themselves safe from God’s judgement (Isa 2:10, 19-21). When the plagues came upon the earth at the breaking of the sixth seal in Rev 6:12-14, John saw even the mighty leaders of the earth crawl into caves and beg for rocks to fall on them that they would escape God’s wrath (Rev 6:15-17).