Blessed be the name of our Lord Jesus Christ! Welcome once again to our ongoing series on the books of the Bible. By God’s grace, we’ve already explored several books, and today we take another step forward as we turn to the Book of Isaiah.
Before we proceed, it is important to emphasize that this is only a summary not an exhaustive study. Every believer is strongly encouraged to read the full Book of Isaiah both before and after engaging with this summary. Furthermore, if you haven’t yet gone through the earlier parts of this series, we recommend starting there to gain a fuller understanding of the entire biblical narrative.
If you need access to previous studies, you can visit the website at www.wingulamashahidi.org or contact us directly via the numbers listed at the end of the teaching.
The Book of Isaiah was written by the prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz. The book consists of 66 chapters, paralleling the 66 books of the entire Bible.
Unlike other prophetic books such as Hosea, Zechariah, Haggai, Obadiah, Jonah, Habakkuk, and Malachi which often focus on specific historical events, judgments on certain nations, or isolated prophetic periods Isaiah’s message is vast, covering nearly every major prophetic theme.
The Book of Isaiah includes prophecies about:
Isaiah’s prophecies were not delivered in a single day, month, or year. Rather, they span approximately 58 years (739 BC – 681 BC). These visions were given at different times throughout his life, making the book a compilation of revelations over decades. This explains why the content may appear to jump between topics some visions concern the Messiah, others concern Babylon, and still others speak of the end times.
Isaiah was the son of Amoz. While we know little about Amoz himself, it’s evident he was a person of standing. The name “Isaiah” means “The Lord is Salvation.” Isaiah began receiving prophetic visions in the year that King Uzziah died (Isaiah 6:1). He is considered one of the earliest major prophets, predating Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel.
He married a prophetess, as commanded by the Lord, and they had children whose names served as prophetic signs (Isaiah 8:3).
Throughout Scripture, God often uses the personal lives of His prophets as living symbols of His message to the people. For example:
Similarly, Isaiah was commanded to walk naked and barefoot for three years as a sign against Egypt and Cush:
Isaiah 20:2–4 (ESV): “At that time the Lord spoke by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, ‘Go, and loose the sackcloth from your waist and take off your sandals from your feet,’ and he did so, walking naked and barefoot. Then the Lord said, ‘As my servant Isaiah has walked naked and barefoot for three years as a sign and a portent against Egypt and Cush, so shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptian captives and the Cushite exiles, both the young and the old, naked and barefoot, with buttocks uncovered, the nakedness of Egypt.'”
Tradition holds that Isaiah died a martyr’s death, being sawn in two, as referenced in Hebrews 11:37.
Isaiah’s prophecies can be categorized into five major sections:
Isaiah lived about 150 years before the Babylonian captivity. During his ministry, both Judah and Israel had fallen into deep spiritual rebellion. God used Isaiah to warn them of coming judgment and urge them to repent yet they did not.
Isaiah 22:4–5 (ESV): “Therefore I said: ‘Look away from me; let me weep bitter tears. Do not labor to comfort me concerning the destruction of the daughter of my people.’ For the Lord God of hosts has a day of tumult and trampling and confusion in the valley of vision, a battering down of walls and a shouting to the mountains.”
Even as Isaiah warned of destruction, he also prophesied hope and restoration. He foretold the rise of Cyrus (Koresh), the Persian king who would release the Jews and allow them to return and rebuild Jerusalem.
Isaiah 44:28 (ESV): “Who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd, and he shall fulfill all my purpose’; saying of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be built,’ and of the temple, ‘Your foundation shall be laid.’”
Also see: Isaiah 45:1–2
Isaiah is perhaps the most Messianic book in the Old Testament.
He prophesied:
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14
“For to us a child is born… and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6
Isaiah 53:5 (ESV): “But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.”
This chapter alone is so vivid that it’s sometimes referred to as the “Fifth Gospel.” It prophetically outlines the crucifixion of Christ hundreds of years before it occurred.
Isaiah devotes significant portions to pronouncing judgment against foreign nations surrounding Israel. These include:
These judgments show that God is sovereign over all nations, not just Israel. Even though some nations were used as tools of discipline, they too were held accountable for their wickedness.
Isaiah 14:5–6 (ESV): “The Lord has broken the staff of the wicked, the scepter of rulers, that struck the peoples in wrath with unceasing blows…”
Isaiah saw far beyond his own era even to the end of the world, the Day of the Lord, and the coming Millennial Reign of Christ.
Isaiah 24:1–6 (ESV): “Behold, the Lord will empty the earth and make it desolate… The earth lies defiled under its inhabitants; for they have transgressed the laws, violated the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant…”
Isaiah 65:17–25 (ESV): “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered… The wolf and the lamb shall graze together; the lion shall eat straw like the ox… They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain,” says the Lord.”
The Book of Isaiah
teaches us that:
We are living in the last days. Once the rapture of the Church occurs, the world will enter into the period of great tribulation God’s judgment upon a rebellious world. Only those who have been washed in the blood of the Lamb the true saints will escape and inherit the new heaven and new earth.
2 Peter 3:10 (ESV): “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar…”
Where will you stand on that day?
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Prisca Yohana, known by her artist name "binti wa Mungu" born 24th december, 2000 in Dar es salaam Tanzania. Gospel artist with a deep passion for worship and spreading the message of God’s love through music.
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