Overview Part One chs. 1 to 20
Contents:
1. Introduction
2. Part 1 chapters 1 to 10.
3. Part 2 chapters 11 to 20
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1. Introduction
Isaiah was the son of Amoz, who was the brother of King Amaziah of Judah. (Talmud tractate Megillah 15a). Amaziah was the uncle of Isaiah and father of King Uzziah who was thus the cousin of Isaiah. Isaiah therefore belonged to the Tribe of Judah and was a descendant of King David.
Isaiah. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaiah
The first verse of the Book of Isaiah states that Isaiah prophesied during the reigns of Uzziah (or Azariah), Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, the kings of Judah (Isaiah 1:1). Uzziah's reign was 52 years in the middle of the 8th century BCE, and Isaiah must have begun his ministry a few years before Uzziah's death, probably in the 740s BCE. Isaiah lived until the fourteenth year of Hezekiah's reign (who died 698 BCE), and may have been contemporary for some years with Manasseh. Thus Isaiah may have prophesied for as long as 64 years.
Isaiah lived through the Exile of the Northern Kingdom of the Ten Tribes ca. 730-720 BCE.
Isaiah also saw the invasion of Judah and the siege of Jerusalem by Sennacherib in ca. 701 BCE.
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See Also:
Isaiah Summarized
http://hebrewnations.com/articles/bible/isaiah/isaiah-summarized.html
For a verse by verse Commentary see:
http://britam.org/isaiah/isaiah.html
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Isaiah moves from one subject to another and back again. He describes the situation of Judah and sometimes also of Israel in his own times, and also in the End Times before the Final Redemption, and then again in the Messianic Era. From the context we may understand which stage is being referred to though on occasion analogies are made from one stage to another.
Below we present an overall impression of the Book of Isaiah from a Brit-Am perspective.
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2. Part 1 chapters 1 to 10.
Isaiah begins his prophecy (1:1) from the viewpoint of Judah and Jerusalem. The People of Israel are Children of the Almighty but they do not act like it. They are a sinful nation (1:4). They are physically and ecologically suffering for their sins (1:7).
Righteous rulers (judges) and counselors will come forth and show us the way to redemption (1:26-27).
In the End Days the Temple will be rebuilt and all the Peoples of the World will come up to Jerusalem for instruction (2:2-4).
Isaiah addresses the Ten Tribes:
The House of Jacob is called upon to go in the way of the Almighty (2:5). Until now the House of Jacob (USA Yanks and Union Jack) have denied their Israelite origins and brotherhood with Judah ("REJECTED THY PEOPLE") [See "Wake Up, O Joseph!"] and followed pagan foreign practices. Eastern Religions are fashionable (2:6). The House of Jacob is immensely wealthy and full of automobile-chariots (2:7). Their culture is materialistic and emphasizes the acquisition of wealth in an idolatrous way (2:8) at the expense of human dignity (2:9). They will try to take refuge in underground shelters from the wrath of God (2:10).
When people run and hide under the earth they will discard their idolatry and acknowledge that only the God of Israel is true (2:18-21).
Women and children will have ruled over the People of God because of their sins. This is a punishment (3:12).
Oppression of the poor, and deliberate sexual provocation by women will bring disaster upon Zion (3:15-15) including severe physical afflictions that leave ugly symptoms and cause physical repulsion in others (3:17-24). The term "Zion" may sometiems refer to Joseph.
Those who survive in Zion and Jerusalem will be sanctified and upraised by the Almighty (4:2-3). We will be rehabilitated (4:4). A supernatural Cloud by day and a Fire by night will appear over the physical area of Mount Zion (4:5).
Because of their offences the People of the Almighty are sent into Exile due to their own lack of knowledge. Hunger will strike them both in the physical and spiritual sense (5:13). The best families will perish (5:14). At this stage God will be exalted (5:16).
[It is a recurring theme in Isaiah that from the depths of despair will emerge salvation and everything be turned over again from bad to good].
It was destined that the people would hear but deny or fail to comprehend until it will be too late and the whole land shall be desolate (6:11).
Only a tenth will remain and they too will undergo severe tribulation (6:13).
History:
Isaiah describes how the non-Israelite heathen King of Aram ("Syria") and the King of the northern entity of "Israel" (the Ten Tribes) attempted to conquer Jerusalem the capital of Judah but they could not (7:1). I
Isaiah predicted that ALL the Ten Tribes were to be exiled as already prophesied by the Prophet Amos (Isaiah 7:8-9, 20-25). The attack of Assyria was to be like an overflowing flood that would also involve a good portion of Judah (8:8). Even so, despite the antagonism of foreign nations God will be with Judah (8:10). We are warned against belief in "Conspiracy" Theories (8:12). We must fear God only (8:13). God judges both Houses of Israel (8:14). God dwells on Mount Zion (8:18). Do not go to spiritualists, witch doctors, and the like (8:19-21).
There will be no gloom for Israel at the Time of Redemption. In Former Times (do not look for strict time sequences in Prophecy) they were exiled beginning with the Lands of Zebulon and Naphtali, after that even more severely by Way of the Sea, Across the Jordan, the Highlands of the Nations (9:11). In their place of Darkness and Exile the Ten Tribes will suddenly achieve freedom (9:2). They will multiply greatly and throw off the yoke of their oppressor (9:3-4).
The Israelites will be mighty warriors (9:5) under a great leader who will from Childhood be destined to lead with Divine Inspiration (9:6). His rule of justice and righteousness will last forever. He will sit on the Throne of David (9:7).
Israel will have been as numerous as the sands of the sea but only a remnant will survive a decreed destruction (10:22). [The exact Chronological sequences need to be discussed elsewhere.]
For a lengthier summary see:
Isaiah Summarized 1-10
http://hebrewnations.com/articles/bible/isaiah/isaiah-summarized/isaiah-summarized-1-10.html
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3. Part 2 chapters 11 to 20.
Subjects: Isaiah Prophecies: The Messiah son of David will come. Judah and Israel will be ingathered. Crossing the Bosporus. Europe, Edom, and Babylon will be punished. Judah and Ephraim will unite and expel the Palestinians. Moab subdued; Lucifer son of the Morning
The future Messiah will be descended from Jesse the father of David (11:1). He shall be Divinely Inspired and have outstanding personal qualities including especially the fear of the Almighty (11:2-3).
In the Messianic Era there will be peace and the strong shall not victimize the weak (11:6-8).
The entire world will have an awareness of God (11:9). All peoples of the earth will wish to be ruled by the Messiah son of David (11:10).
The exiles of Israel will be brought back from their places of exile including the Isles (misleadingly translated in the KJ as "coastlands") of the Sea (11:11).
The "Outcast" Ten Tribes and the Dispersed of Judah will be gathered from all over the earth (11:12). The extremism of Ephraim will depart and the jealousy of Ephraim by others will end:
The expression translated as "THE JEALOUSY OF EPHRAIM" (11:13) in Hebrew is "Kinath Ephraim" which means both his own extremism and the jealousy against him of others.
The Persecutors and harassers of Judah will be cut off. Ephraim will no longer be jealous of Judah and Judah will cease to perturb and compete with (Hebrew: "tsor" translated as "vex") Ephraim. This indicates that right up to the very end some fiction will remain between Judah and Ephraim (11:13). Ephraim and Judah together will transfer the Palestinians by airflight to some place in the west. They shall plunder people of the east; put their hand on Edom and Moab (in the west?) and bring Ammon into subjection (11:14). The Sea of Mitsraim (Egypt? the Bosphorus?) will split into seven dry channels allowing the Israelites from the Ten Tribes who remain after the Exile of Assyria to pass through (11:15-16).
The Jewish Sages had a tradition that the Lost Ten Tribes crossed the Bosporus into Europe and that they would return by the same path.
See Zechariah 10:11.
There will also be a special pathway from Assyria for the remnant of Israel to return (11:16).
We will praise God in that Day. He is our salvation and fountain of joy (12:1-3). Israel should sanctify the God of Israel (who exists amongst us 12:6) in the midst of the world (12:4-6).
Isaiah begins to prophecy against Babylon (13:1). God will destroy Babylon and bring enemies against her from a far land (13:5). The effects of destruction may be occasioned by nuclear or bio-chemical effects (13:8). Changes will take place in the heavenly constellations (13:10, 13). The whole world will feel the effects and suffer (13:11). Due to disasters people will seek to be with their own kind and return to their places of origin (13:14).
Babylon will be destroyed completely, for ever and ever (13:19-22).
God will have mercy on the Ten Tribes and Judah and bring them back to their land. Foreigners will join themselves to Israel and inherit with them (14:1). In some cases the foreigners will be accepted as equals and in other cases they will accept the status of servants (14:2). Peoples who had taken Israelites as captives will be treated as captives and will serve Israelites (14:2). Israel will be comforted from its bondage in Babylon (14:3-4). The whole world will be relieved since they all suffered from Babylonian oppression (14:5-11).
Babylon is likened unto the Morning Star ("Hillel ben Shachar" literally "Shining son of the Morning") high up in the heavens which is brought down to the depths. This is translated in the King James as "LUCIFER, SON OF THE MORNING" (14:12). "Lucifer" was an angel who rebelled against God (14:12-15?) and was cast out of heaven becoming the Satan. The descendants of Babylon will be destroyed (14:2-22). Assyria will be destroyed in the Land of God and trodden down on His hillsides. The yoke of Assyria will be removed (14:25). All of this has been decided by the Almighty to befall all the nations of the earth. It will come to pass (14:26-27).
Isaiah prophesies against the Philistines meaning probably the present-day Palestinians (14:29) who will meet disaster (14:30-31).
Zionism is a God-ordained doctrine for the sake of the oppressed of His people (14:32).
Nearly all of Northern Israel will have been exiled (17:6).
[Prophecy flits back and forth in its time sequences according to the subject matter].
Many nations causing a tumult together, such as the UN, will be rebuked by the Almighty (17:12-13). Those who wish to disturb and rob us will be unsettled (17:14).
Isaiah chapter 19 begins with a condemnation of Mitsrayim which usually means "Egypt" but can also be applied to other entities, perhaps also Russia or nations of the former USSR. Eventually five cities in the Land of Mitsrayim will be populated by speakers of the language of Canaan (Hebrew) and belong to Israel (19:18). The people of Mitsrayim will repent and worship the God of Israel who will heal them (19:22). There will be a highway connecting Mitsrayim and Assyria and both shall join with Israel (19:23-24).
Isaiah 20 uses events that were to take place in the time of Isaiah or shortly afterwards as a prototype for the future.
See
Questions on Prophecy
Q 2. What Are Prototypical Prophecies?
http://www.britam.org/Questions/QuesProphecy.html#Prototypical
The Island (Britain?) will seek a place to flee due to fear of Assyria (20:6).
In WW2 it is said that Britain had contingency plans in case of invasion and defeat to transport a portion of the population to Canada and continue from there.
For a lengthier summary see:
Isaiah Summarized 11-20
http://hebrewnations.com/articles/bible/isaiah/isaiah-summarized/isaiah-summary-11-20.html
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