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ISAIAH

Introduction

Chapter 1, verse 1

Its name comes from the Hebrew yesh-Oh-yaw '-hoo that, like "Joshua", translates as "Javê", "Javê 's salvation", or even "saving Javê". He was the son of Amoz (strongman), of which little is known, but some think it was the "man of God" mentioned in 2 Chronicles 25:7-8.

Rabbinic tradition holds that Amoz was the brother of King Amaziah of Judah, of the Royal House of Judah and Tamar, and cousin of King Uzziah, successor of Amaziah. This parentage would explain its easy access to the King (Isaiah 7:3) and intimacy with the priest (Isaiah 8:2).

At the end of the reign of Uzziah, approximately in the year 756 Bc, God chose Isaiah to transmit several prophecies about events that take place throughout the ages, many of whom already effectuated and others are still being awaited.

There were three periods during which he exercised this Ministry, and their prophecies were recorded in his book:

• In the year that King Uzziah died, and during the reign of Jotham.
• During the reign of Ahaz.
• During fifteen years of the reign of Hezekiah.

After this, in the tradition of the Jews that Isaiah lived until the beginning of the reign of Manasseh, whereupon it was sawn in half (Hebrews 11:37).

In the year that King Uzziah died, Isaiah, apparently during the worship in the temple, he received his call to the prophetic Ministry (Isaiah 6:1-13). Heard with enthusiasm of note, and accepted the charge, though he knew from the beginning that the warnings and exhortations it included (Isaiah 6:9-13) would be fruitless. Having been created in Jerusalem, he was well equipped to be the nation's political and religious Advisor, but the experience more thanks to the preparation of his important work, was the vision of the majestic God and three times Saint who saw in the Temple in the year King Uzziah's death. There is no good reason to doubt this initial vision, which some consider that came after years of experience in preaching and was intended to increase your spirituality. His entire book is a vision that God gave you for the information of their people through the ages, being your "horizon", both political and spiritual, practically unlimited. Isaiah has been called the "Prophet of Israel".

As Amos in Israel, Isaiah was called in Judah by theLord of hosts, the mighty one of Israel"(what we know as being God, the Son) to declare that the longsuffering of God must come to an end. Their prophecies can be classified in several ways, but for the purposes of our study we will adopt the following schema:

• Prophecies about the Nations of Judah and Israel and some Gentile, especially Assyria:
• Prophecies about Judah and Israel (Isaiah 1-12).
• Prophecies against the Nations of the Gentiles (Isaiah 13-23).
• The judgments and releases and misfortunes (Isaiah 24-33).
• The future of the Nations of the Gentiles and Israel (Isaiah 34 and 35).
• Prophecies related to the reign of Hezekiah:
• The invasion of Assyria and the help and deliverance of Hezekiah (Isaiah 36 and 37).
• The Chaldeans and the Sin and the illness of Hezekiah (Isaiah 38 and 39).
• Messianic prophecies, mainly related to the remnant of Israel:
• About Israel and the Gentiles and the divine Liberation (Isaiah 40-48).
• The Servant, their sufferings and glory (Isaiah 49-57).
• The godly and the ungodly in Israel and the contrast between its forms and actions (Isaiah 58-66).

The book has been the subject of much criticism by modernists in recent times. One of the principles underlying this kind of criticism is the denial of the predictive element in the book. The only conclusion resulting from these assumptions, if the predictive element is denied, is to undo the integrity of the book and claim that the composition of certain parts come from different authors. That conclusion belittles the person of the Holy Spirit, through whom the book is "blown by God".

Thus, the various assumptions of the exponents of these theories tended only to confirm the faith of those who maintain the vision of the unity of the whole book as being the work of a human author writing what is given by inspiration of God (2 Peter 1:21).

R David Jones

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1 The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

Isaiah chapter 1, verse 1