Near the end of the northern kingdom of Israel, Isaiah is called by God to be the prophet in Jerusalem for the southern kingdom of Judah. Though it would be almost 200 years before the southern kingdom completely falls to Babylon, Isaiah prophesied concerning the fall of Jerusalem. But, he -also- has Gods salvation plan scattered throughout his writings. In chapter 6 of his writings, he sees the Lord high and lifted up. Yet, he foretells the coming invasion by the Assyrians. And in the midst of this prophecy of doom, he writes: So the Lord Himself will give you a sign that is easy to see: A young woman, who is still a virgin, will give birth to a son. She will give Him the name Immanuel. He will eat milk and honey when He knows enough to have nothing to do with wrong-doing and chooses good. For before the boy knows to turn away from what is bad and choose good.... And as he continues with the foreshadowing of Gods deliverance, Isaiah speaks more about the coming Prince of Peace: The people who walk in darkness will see a Great Light. The Light will shine on those living in the land of dark shadows. For to us, a Child will be born. To us, a Son will be given. And the rule of the nations will be on His shoulders. His name will be called Wonderful, Teacher, Powerful God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to His rule and His peace, upon the throne of David and over his nation. He will build it to last and keep it strong with what is right and fair and good from that time and forever. The work of the Lord of All will do this. Also -though most of Isaiahs prophecies were concerning the fall of Judah and Jerusalem, he had many prophecies addressing the end times, as well. But, in all of these proclamations Isaiah always lifts up the Lord God and His Deliverer. In Isaiah 53, he writes: For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground. He hath no form nor comeliness, and when we shall see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected of men, a Man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. And we hid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised, and we esteemed Him not. Surely He hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not his mouth; He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter; and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He openeth not His mouth. Clearly, Isaiah wrote concerning the coming of our Redeeming Savior, Jesus Christ. And when Jesus rises in a local synagogue to read, He turns to Isaiah 61, and says: The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord hath anointed Me to preach good tidings unto the meek. He hath sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound, To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn, To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified. When Jesus completes the passage, He says: Today, this Scripture is fulfilled ! The Lamb of God from the root of Jesse had come, just as Isaiah had detailed many hundreds of years prior.
Posted on: Wed, 26 Mar 2014 10:40:01 +0000
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