Winter programme 2002/3 in preparation:
Studies in Isaiah
Advance Information
The Division and Scope of Isaiah
The book is an organic
whole which proves that it can never be the piecemeal work of a number of men
who assumed the name of Isaiah, much debated among Bible scholars today. In one
camp are those who generally belief and insist the entire book being written by
the prophet Isaiah, the son of
Amoz, who ministered in the southern
kingdom of Judah for 40 years from about 740-700 B.C. But other scholars are
just as insistent that the entire work was not written by the prophet only.
They agree that chapters 1 to 39 of the book belong to Isaiah, but they refer
to chapters 40-66 as “Second Isaiah,” insisting that it was written by an
unknown author after the ministry of the famous prophet Isaiah.
Those who assign
chapters 40 to 66 to a “Second Isaiah” point out that the two major sections of
the book seem to be set in different times. The first 39 chapters clearly
belong to the eighth century B.C., a confused period in the history of
As we already know,
there are two great sections first of all. The one, chapters 1 – 35, contains
the early prophecies. Chapter 40 – 66 the later prophecies. Between these two
portions is a historical parenthesis contained in chapters 36 – 39. In the early prophecies judgments are
announced upon
In the early
prophesies the Assyrian invasion as it took place is announced, giving at the
same time a prophetic forecast of a future invasion from the north in the time
of the end. In the later prophecies the Assyrian is no longer mentioned. The
Babylonian captivity announced in the thirty-ninth chapter is seen by the
prophet as past and he predicts the return and beyond that return of the
remnant from the greater dispersion and the final glory of the kingdom with the
coming of the King.
We shall now give the
scope and division of Isaiah’s book.
Part One: Prophecies of Condemnation ( 1: 1 –
35: 10)
I. |
Prophecies Against |
1:1-12:6 |
II. |
Prophesies Against Other Nations |
13: 1-23:18 |
III. |
Prophesies of the
Day of the Lord |
24: 1-27:13 |
IV. |
Prophesies of
Judgment and Blessing |
28:1-35:10 |
Part Two: Historical Material (36: 1 – 39: 8)
I. |
Hezekiah’s Liberation from Assyria |
36: 1-37:38 |
II. |
Hezekiah’s Deliverance from Sickness |
38: 1-22 |
III. |
Hezekiah’s Sin |
39: 1-8 |
Part Three: Prophecies of Consolation (40:1 – 66: 24)
I. |
Prophecies of Israel’s Liberation |
40:1-48:22 |
II. |
Prophecy of Israel’s Deliverer |
49:1-57:21 |
III. |
Prophecies of
Israel’s Glorious Future |
58: 1-66:24 |
Parallels between Isaiah chapters 1-39 and chapters 40-66
1: 2 |
66: 24 |
1: 5-6 |
53: 4-5 |
|
40: 30 |
6: 1 |
52: 13 |
6: 11-12 |
62: 4 |
|
53: 2 |
11: 6-9 |
65: 25 |
|
49: 22 |
12: 6 |
54: 1 |
35: 10 |
51: 11 |
Great Prophetic Themes of Isaiah Still
Unfulfilled |
||
The
Day of the Lord Some 45 times Isaiah
uses the term ‘in that day’ to describe this period of apocalyptic judgment
2: 10-22; 4:01; 13: 09-13; 24: 01-23; 32: 01-20; 63: 01-06 |
Jerusalem
as capital of the earth 1: 26; 2: 03; 4: 02-06; 12: 06; 24: 23; 26: 01; 40: 02; 52: 01-12;
60: 01-22; 62: 01-07 |
|
Blessing upon restored Israel 2: 01-05; 4: 02-06; 9: 07; 11: 04-16; 12: 01-06; 14: 01-03; 25:
01-12; 32: 15-20; 35: 01-10; 52: 01-12; 59: 20-21; 60: 01-12; 61: 03-62; 65:
17-66: 24 |
Blessing upon the remnant 12: 01-06; 25: 01-12; 26: 01-19; 33: 24; 35: 10; 43: 25; 44: 22; 46:
13; 54: 06-10; 61: 06; 62: 12; 66: 08 |
|
Restoration
of Israel to Palestine 11: 10-12; 14:
01-02; 27: 12-13; 35: 10; 43: 05-06; 49: 10-12; 66: 20 |
Blessing upon the nations |
|
Restoration of 30: 23-26; 35: 01-10; 49: 19; 60: 13; 61: 04; 62: 04-05; 65: 21-25 |
Blessing
to entire creation Isaiah had a
fleeting glimpse beyond the Kingdom Age to the new heaven and earth of the
eternal state (65: 17; 66: 22). But like John in Revelation (Rev 21-22) he
saw a blended view of millennial and eternal conditions (compare 11: 06-08
with 65: 25; 66: 22) |
|
Recommended
The History and Religion of
And Old Testament
Studies –
To be continued Winter 2002/3
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