A SURVEY OF THE BOOK OF ISAIAH<\/center><\/p>\n
AS ALL STUDENTS know, the Book of Isaiah naturally falls into two principal sections: the first part, chapter 1-39; the second half, chapters 40-66. This division is recognized by all students. Properly speaking, a discussion of this second half of the book should have been given prior to the exposition of chapter 40, which installment appeared in the last issue. I deferred the present discussion however until reaching chapter 41 because in it we find the first data which has led so many scholars to dissect the book and to tear it to pieces. In modern times, since rationalistic criticism has become dominant in the theological world, the Book of Isaiah is no longer considered the work of a single author–that is, by many scholars. Its unity has been called in question and proof has been sought far and wide to substantiate the thesis.<\/p>\n
When the rationalistic critics began the dissection of the book, they attributed generally the first thirty-nine chapters to Isaiah, the son of Amoz, whose ministry fell in the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. To the Great Unknown Prophet of the Exile they ascribed chapters 40-66. They did not attempt to name this great poet, author, and prophet. As criticism advanced, the rationalists continued their vivisection of the book and have come to the position that there were three different authors of the last twenty-seven chapters of Isaiah. Of course, according to their analysis, certain editors or redactors took the genuine work of Isaiah and the writings of these three unknown prophets of later dates and edited them, welding them together into the single unit as they appear in our Bible. Just as there are different strata of earth–one superimposed upon the other–so there are, according to the critics, different strata in the Book of Isaiah, each coming from a different periods, and out of various circumstances. Are these gentlemen correct in their analysis of the material before them?<\/p>\n
In order to answer the question just asked, one must take a general survey of the entire book. After doing this, one should look at the special data to which attention is called as proof for a composite document. After this one should take a cursory view of the last twenty-seven chapters of the book. When one has accomplished all of this, one can arrive at but one conclusion; namely, that there is no justification for dividing the Book of Isaiah among different authors who lived at various times.<\/p>\n
\nA Survey of The Book of Isaiah<\/p>\n
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Chapter 1 is an indictment of the Jewish nation by the Prophet Isaiah. The first verse tells us that his labors fell in the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. Roughly speaking, his ministry was in the latter half of the eighth century before the Christian Era. In this first chapter is found the theme that is discussed so very completely in the latter half of the book (Isa. 1:26,27). The second division consists of chapters 2-4. Here the prophet began his sermon by giving us a marvelous picture of Jerusalem after it has been purged from all sins and is re-created the joy of the whole earth. In it we see King Messiah reigning as Sovereign of the entire world. The sermon concludes with a like description of the great millennial Jerusalem and earth. The material intervening–2:5-4:1–tells of the terrific judgments of the great day of Jehovah, the great Tribulation Period, during which Jerusalem will be purged from all her sins and the Jewish people converted to their Messiah.<\/p>\n In chapter 5 we read Isaiah’s sermon on the vineyard of Jehovah. The dominant note of this message is that of judgment because of sin and the final purging of all evil from the people of Israel, when God permits all nations to gather against Jerusalem to battle in the day of the Lord.<\/p>\n In chapter 6 appears the call of Isaiah to his prophetic ministry. In preparation for this call, the prophet was granted a vision of the great millennial Temple in which our Lord will be worshipped during the Kingdom Age. Thus this brilliant ray of the glorious hope of Israel’s future is set forth in the beginning of this marvelous call of the prophet to his ministry.<\/p>\n Another indisputable fact strengthens the conclusions thus far drawn. An examination of the calls of various prophets shows that in the circumstances connected with said calls are reflected the dominant characteristics of the ministry of each prophet. For instance, in the Lord’s calling Jeremiah to His service, He spoke to him saying, „I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to pluck up and break down and to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant“ (Jer. 1:10). This statement, together with all the utterances which the Lord made to him at that time, reflects the situation with which the prophet would be confronted during his entire ministry. Speaking in ecclesiastical terms, one would say that Jeremiah was to be a spiritual iconoclast–he was to pronounce judgments and woes upon, not only the Jewish people, but also upon all nations. An examination of his entire book shows that practically all of his messages–chapters 30-33 are exceptions–were but an expansion of this thought. A glance at the call and commission of Ezekiel shows the same thing. If one will carefully examine Ezekiel, chapters 1-3, one will see that the prophet was to be a messenger announcing „lamentation, and mourning and woes.“ While Ezekiel did sound some joyous notes, as for example in chapters 40-48, the general trend of his preaching was that of woe and calamity. His discourses were therefore largely found in their embryonic form in his call and commission. The same principle holds true with reference to Isaiah’s call. An examination of chapter 6 shows that the prophet was given a vision of our Lord in His millennial splendor, reigning over the earth when the glory of God shall encircle the earth as the waters cover the sea. At the same time the Lord revealed to him that he would encounter great difficulties in the opposition offered by the godless ones of the nation. A careful examination of Isaiah, as we have already seen, reveals the fact that in the preaching of this prophet there were unfolded constantly the glories of Messiah’s future reign. At the same time there were somber notes sounded by him. Thus when the Book of Isaiah is studied in its entirety, one sees unfolded before his vision the very thoughts that were contained in the call. These facts being true, one sees that the Book of Isaiah is simply the unfolding of the message of the call and is therefore a perfect literary unit.<\/p>\n Isaiah’s call occurred in the year that King Uzziah died. Thus the first sermons found in the book were preached before his official call to his ministry.<\/p>\n The next section of the Book of Isaiah is known as „The Book of Immanuel“ and covers 7:1-12:6 inclusive. In this section King Messiah looms very largely on the horizon. The portion comprising 7:1-9:7 was probably written in the beginning of the reign of Ahaz. The section, chapters 9:8-12:6, was probably spoken in the first part of Hezekiah’s reign–after the sixth year when Samaria fell. In this „Book of Immanuel“ there crops out in almost every chapter the glorious hope of Messiah’s appearance upon earth, of the establishment of His reign of righteousness here, and of the glory of the Lord which will at that time encircle the earth as the waters cover the sea. In other words, in this section of the book the prophet now and again speaks of the glory of the future of Jerusalem and the Jewish people as he does in the latter half of the book.<\/p>\n Isaiah, chapters 13-23 constitutes „The Book of the Burdens of the Nations.“ This begins with an oracle against Babylon and concludes with one against Tyre. Throughout this portion of the record, some of which was written in the year that King Ahaz died (14:28), shines forth brilliantly the hope of Jerusalem’s great future under King Messiah. For instance, see 14:1,2; 16:5; 17:7; 18:7; and 19:23-26.<\/p>\n The next section of the book, consisting of chapters 24-27, is „The Little Apocalypse of Isaiah,“ which deals with the world situation in the end time. In this portion we see a world city which dominates the life of the peoples of earth. When this „Little Apocalypse“ is read in the light of related passages, one comes to the conclusion that this world city is none other than Babylon, rebuilt in fulfillment of such predictions as are contained in Isaiah, chapters 13 and 14, and Jeremiah, chapters 50 and 51. On the other hand, we see in the song which will be sung in the land of Judah in the Tribulation (26:1-19) a reference to the great millennial city of Jerusalem. The Jews of Palestine, during the Tribulation, will learn about this marvelous city which Abraham by faith saw and will likewise by faith rejoice in anticipation of its being established upon the earth. Throughout this section of the Book of Isaiah we see that the prophet was carried to the loftiest heights and sang of the glories of Israel’s future as is done in the latter half of Isaiah.<\/p>\n Throughout the next section of the Book of Isaiah, chapters 28-35, which were spoken probably in the first part of Hezekiah’s reign before the critical fourteenth year of that monarch, we constantly see pictures of the millennial glory of the Messiah. In every sermon of this section, with an exception or two, the prophet began to discuss the local situation of his day or of that of the immediate future and then hastened toward the end of this age to sing of the glories yet to come.<\/p>\n In the last section of the first half of Isaiah, chapters 36-39, appears the historical record of the events of the fourteenth year of Hezekiah. The material appearing here is largely historical. There is, however, gleaming through all this record of the past, a ray of hope expressed, although Hezekiah realized that he could not enjoy, in his own lifetime, seeing Messiah appear in all of His glory (38:11).<\/p>\n Beginning with chapter 40 and running to the end of the book, we read of the glorious vision of Jerusalem and of Israel’s future. In all his sermons Isaiah invariably spoke of the future glories. These factors we shall see a little later in this discussion.<\/p>\n There are thus unity and oneness in evidence throughout the Book of Isaiah. Naturally, after the prophet had discussed, pro and con, the world situation of his day and also that of his immediate future, he took up the discussion of the events of the end of the age as we have already seen–matters of judgment and of glory–even in the first half of his book. He, in this section, had thoroughly disposed of the matters pertaining to the dark side of the picture and at the same time had painted in the most brilliant colors the future of Messiah’s reign. Naturally, therefore, in the latter half of his book, he rose to exalted heights reached by few other prophets, in describing the glories of Messiah and His reign. If I should speak in terms of a musical number and the organ upon which it is played, I would say that from the very beginning of the composition throughout the first half there are interspersed measures of the most glorious harmonies concerning Israel’s great future. In the second half these frequent measures, setting forth the glories of Messiah, swell into a vast „Hallelujah Chorus.“ The prophet-poet here pulled out all the stops of his organ and sent forth the mightiest volume of melody concerning Messiah and His marvelous kingdom that has ever come down through the corridors of time to the present day. The Book of Isaiah therefore may be thought of as an oratorio, the masterpiece of a musical genius. Messiah and His redemptive work, not only for Israel but for the whole world, are indeed the overtones, even in those sections that deal with material matters of the past. Whereas they are the harmony of the measures interspersed here and there in the first half, they become the melody and the harmony of the rhapsodies of Zion redeemed of the second half.<\/p>\n In view of the unity of Isaiah, which we have just seen, why do the critics dissect the book and apportion it out to various imaginary authors? Is it that they are blinded to the facts that are patent to it and are lying on the very surface of the book itself, and that proclaim the unity of the book?<\/p>\n The answers to these questions lie in several directions. The critics‘ reason for being unable to see these glorious truths primarily is attributable to their disbelief in miracles and the fact of the inspiration of the Scriptures. The theory which one holds regarding inspiration will determine absolutely and definitely one’s interpretation of the Oracles of God. If one rejects the scriptural teaching of the absolute, infallible, and inerrant inspiration of the sacred writers, the Book has a certain message for him. Its value has been reduced from one hundred per cent to possibly five per cent, more or less. If a person, however, holds to a loose theory of inspiration, believing that the authors of the Scriptures enjoyed even a heightened degree of poetical inspiration–as is all too prevalently believed–the Scriptures still have very little value to him. On the other hand, if one has a heart conviction, which is based upon unimpeachable historical evidence, that the prophets of God were absolutely, inerrantly, and infallibly inspired as they transmitted to us their revelations from God, the message has the highest possible value and is accorded the place of absolute and unquestioned authority from God.<\/p>\n Those, however, who do not hesitate in their thinking and teaching to dissect the Book of Isaiah and to apportion it to imaginary authors and redactors do so upon the assumption that the book is practically of human origin, written by men of their own day, who were limited by the meager knowledge of the time. Thus these men feel that they are qualified to dissect the book, to reconstruct the entire historical situation, and to tell us what the original authors meant. This process and manner of dealing with the Sacred Word is no better illustrated than in the case of the Book of Isaiah. Whenever it is thus treated, the beauty of the book is destroyed, the picture is blurred to almost the vanishing point, the power of the message is reduced to a minimum, and the message itself is distorted, modified, and changed to the point of being unrecognizable. These are some of the fatal results of the destruction of the unity of the book and its dissection, which are brought about by the disbelief in the absolute and infallible inspiration of Isaiah, the author.<\/p>\n A second reason, akin to the one just discussed, is that Cyrus is mentioned by name in 44:28 and is undoubtedly referred to in 41:2 and 25 and that the work which he would accomplish in restoring Israel from Babylonian captivity to the homeland is described in 44:28-45:7, 11-13. The rationalistic critics, rejecting the idea of inspiration, declare that Isaiah could not have written these sections in which Cyrus and his work appear; because, according to their theory, no man could see that far into the future. They therefore speak frequently of the „Great Unknown Prophet of the Exile.“ By this indefinite imaginary person they mean to tell us that some prophet lived in Israel at the time when Cyrus stepped forth upon the international scene and began the conquest of the then-known world. We are told by these gentlemen that the established policy of Cyrus was to restore deported peoples and to send along with them their gods to their ancestral homes. When this great unknown prophet saw with his own eyes and heard with his own ears what Cyrus was doing, he proceeded to write these prophecies. These conclusions he reached by natural reasoning and not by the infallible inspiration of the Spirit of God.<\/p>\n In reply to this position let me say that we can take, for instance, the prophecies of Isaiah concerning the nations (chapters 13-23), especially those regarding Egypt, Moab, and Tyre, then visit those lands and see with our own eyes what has come to pass and how the fulfillment has been accomplished literally. When we realize these things and recognize the fact that the Prophet Isaiah could look into the future–for centuries–and describe accurately the conditions that would prevail in certain countries, we can see how he could look forward approximately two hundred years and foretell the existence of Cyrus and his being used of God to send the captives back to their own land after the period of the Exile. According to I Kings 13:2 God, through one of His servants, foretold the birth of King Josiah approximately three hundred and fifty years. In view of these facts there is no need for our rejecting the plain surface meaning of these predictions and forcing upon them unnatural connotations which are not justified by a single particle of evidence.<\/p>\n Akin to the line of thought just presented is the further assertion by the critics that the outlook of the second half of Isaiah is that of the return of the captives from exile. In answer to this position I readily admit that in chapters 41,44, and 45 the return from Babylonian captivity is clearly presented. But to say that the<\/i> outlook of these chapters is the restoration from Babylon is to distort the record, to ignore facts, and to force upon them an unnatural meaning. For instance, in the first place where Cyrus is alluded to (41), the prophet in the first seven verses foretells the restoration of Israel to her land from the Babylonian captivity. But in verses 8-16 he leaps forward to the final regathering of Israel from her world-wide dispersion and her ultimate restoration to the land. In verses 17-20 the great miracles which will attend the final regathering of Israel and the lifting of the curse from the earth are discussed. Then the prophet, speaking in this message of the restoration from Babylon and then leaping to the final regathering and restoration of Israel in the end time, was following the „law of double reference,“ which is employed throughout the prophetic word. This same law is brought into play both in the oracles concerning Cyrus and the return from Babylonian captivity and the blending of it with the final restoration of Israel as seen in chapters 44 and 45. In view of these facts it is incorrect to say that the outlook of the second half of Isaiah is different from that of the first part. As we have seen in our cursory survey of the entire book, the prophet often dealt with present conditions, then moved out into the future a little way, described conditions which he saw would develop, and finally blended these predictions with prophecies that are to be fulfilled in the end time.<\/p>\n The matter of a progressive unfolding of the future is characteristic of all portions of the Book of Isaiah. It is therefore incorrect to say that the outlook of the second portion is different from that of the first half.<\/p>\n The critics, having dissected the book and having constructed a false outlook for the second half of the book, attempt to bolster their false thesis by asserting that the doctrines are different, that the general conception in the two sections vary, and that the diction and style of the two sections indicate positively different authors. A careful and critical study of the entire book dispels this hypothesis as purely imaginary and contrary to the facts. When all the data is studied carefully, by one who is not biased by a theory but who wants truth and nothing but the truth, all of the supposed incongruities, inconsistencies, varieties, and differences vanish into thin air.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n HAVING looked briefly at the hypothesis concerning the supposed authors of the Book of Isaiah and having in the briefest way called attention to facts which contradict the theory, we are now in a position to approach the second half of Isaiah more particularly in order to prepare ourselves for this further study of the book.<\/p>\n As is well known to all scholars, the second half of Isaiah falls into three divisions, each consisting of nine chapters: (1) chapters 40-48; (2) chapters 49-57; (3) chapters 58-66. The first sections ends with the statement, „There is no peace, saith Jehovah, to the wicked“ (48:22). The second portion ends with the same refrain (57:21); and the third division ends with the picture of a miniature hell (66:24).<\/p>\n The first section of this second half contains seven sermons: <\/span><\/p>\n 1. Jewish evangelization commanded (chap. 40); As has already been noted, in this section the prophet looked forward to the return of the exiles from Babylon to their own home under the decree to be issued by Cyrus, which restoration foreshadowed, in dim outline at least, the final and complete restoration of Israel in the end time. Thus the return of the captive exiles to their homeland figures largely in the picture presented in chapters 41-45; but in chapters 46-48 the prophet foresees Babylon rebuilt and recognized as the mistress of the kingdoms of the world (47:5), which is to suffer the fate expressed in these words: „But these two things shall come to thee in a moment in one day, the loss of children, and widowhood; in their full measure shall they come upon thee, in the multitude of thy sorceries, and the great abundance of thine enchantments“ (47:9). Hence the call goes forth for the Jews who will be living in Babylon at that time to go forth from her and not perish in her destruction (48:20).<\/p>\n The second section of the latter half of Isaiah–chapters 49-57–breaks up into six messages:<\/span><\/p>\n 1. Messiah’s glorious return and reign in Jerusalem (chap. 49); In this second section of the latter half of the Book of Isaiah, the restoration from the Babylonian captivity has disappeared. The prophet is looking out into a different future and foretells the glories of Messiah. For instance, in chapter 49 he assumes the first coming of Messiah as an accomplished fact and devotes his attention to the events connected with His second advent. He devotes much time to the thought that God will never forget His promises to Zion, but will fulfill them literally at the correct time. In chapter 50 we see a life-size portrait of King Messiah at His first coming. Our prophet portrays Him during His personal ministry when He was in the shadow of the cross (vss. 4-9); but in the beginning of the chapter (vss. 1-3) he looks beyond Messiah’s earthly ministry and sees the Jewish people in rejection. In chapters 51 and 52 is found the final call to Israel to accept her Messiah. In that matchless passage–52:13-54:12–we see the sufferings of Messiah as we observe them nowhere else in prophecy–unless it be in Psalm 22:1-21. Next, Zion, glorified, the joy of the whole earth, is presented in chapter 54.<\/p>\n Chapters 55-57 constitute one single sermon and must be studied as a unit. That these chapters are addressed to Israel of the end time becomes immediately apparent to one when one reads 56:1: „Thus saith Jehovah, Keep ye justice, and do righteousness; for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed.“ The coming near of the salvation of God and the revealing of His righteousness are terms that refer to the second coming of Messiah when He does make bare His holy arm and reveal His delivering power and grace to His Chosen People, Israel. This interpretation is confirmed by the message of 57:1, 2 which tells us that at that time the righteous and godly men perish from the earth and are taken away from „the evil to come.“ As we approach the end of the age the number of truly good and righteous men decline at a very rapid rate. From these facts and others it is abundantly clear that this sermon (constituting chapters 55-57) is one message addressed to the last generation of Israel scattered among the nations.<\/p>\n The third and last general division of the Book of Isaiah consists of chapters 58-66. This section likewise falls into six messages.<\/span><\/p>\n 1. A call to Israel to lay aside formalism in worship and to accept Messiah, her light, who will come and make Jerusalem the capital of the world (chaps. 58-60); \n The three chapters, 58-60, give us a picture of the spiritual and moral conditions existing in Israel in the very end of this age. The prophet being carried forward to that time, condemns the practices that will be the order of the day in Israel at this future period. He sees that the conditions in the nation will be deplorable and pleads for the people to accept their Lord and Messiah. This sermon concludes in chapter 60 with a prediction of King Messiah’s personal return, the regathering of Israel, and the re-building of Jerusalem.<\/p>\n An outline of Messiah’s redemptive career is set forth in most graphic terms in Isaiah, chapter 61. This passage should be studied in the light of Luke 4:16-30. In Isaiah 62:1-63:6 we hear the clarion call for the people of God today to evangelize Israel in order to prepare the way for the return of King Messiah. The second version of Israel’s penitential confession–the original of which is found in 53:1-9 is given. These two passages should be studied in connection with each other. In the year 1944-plus (for we do not know the exact year) Israel will make this penitential confession and plead for Messiah to come. In Isaiah, chapter 65 we have clearly set forth the Christian Dispensation during which the Gentiles are coming to God while Israel is being rejected; the Tribulation Period, which will endure for seven years; and the great millennial reign of our Lord. This final section concludes with chapter 66, which also gives the Tribulation Period, Messiah’s glorious return, the final regathering of Israel, and a picture of a miniature hell which will be in existence during the Millennium.<\/p>\n As one studies carefully these nineteen sermons, which compose the second half of Isaiah, examining those outbursts of eloquence and ecstasy interspersed throughout the first half of the book, one comes to the conclusion that there is no evidence justifying the dissection of the book. One who is familiar with the realm of ideas of the first half will find himself in the same atmosphere in the second half of the book. The only difference between the two halves is that, whereas there are predictions, threatenings, and judgments declared against the wicked and sinful–together with flashes of the coming splendor of Messiah scattered throughout the first half, the second half of the book is devoted entirely to the rhapsodies of Zion redeemed.<\/p>\n As we proceed to the exposition of this, one of the rich portions of the Word of God, let us study carefully, yes, microscopically–every sentence, giving attention to each word, its function in the sentence, and each sentence in its context. In other words, let us follow the Golden Rule of Interpretation which is: „When the plain sense of Scripture makes common sense, seek no other sense; therefore, take every word at its primary, ordinary, usual, literal meaning unless the facts of the immediate context, studied in the light of related passages and axiomatic and fundamental truths, indicate clearly otherwise.“ If we do this, we shall have a clearer insight into the Word of God and shall have our souls enriched by this study. The oftener we can study the second section of Isaiah in our private devotions, the richer will the message become. \n \n A CHALLENGE TO IDOLATERS AND IDOLS \nIN ORDER THAT the present article might become the more luminous, the reader should turn back to the February issue of the Monthly<\/i> and re-read the entire article of this series. By his so doing, he will see more clearly the force of the message constituting Isaiah, chapter 41.<\/p>\n This sermon divides into two principal divisions: A challenge to idolaters (vss. 1-20); and, a challenge to idols (vss. 21-29).<\/p>\n In verse 1 of this chapter the prophet summons the nations to come together in a mighty concourse with himself to consider the question of idolatry and the ability of the idols to make known things regarding the past history of the nations and to foretell future events connected with them. He wants the peoples of earth to put their wits together and to make out their case for idolatry. Hence he insists that no one hinder their making the case as strong as possible. This summons to such an international convention for the discussion of the question reminds one of the contest which Elijah had with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel as recorded in I Kings, chapter 18.<\/p>\n In his dramatic manner the prophet did not wait for the assembly to take place, but presented the case for the Almighty. He did this by asking the following questions: „Who hath raised up one from the east, whom he calleth in righteousness to his foot?“ Isaiah looked out into the future and saw some great conqueror coming from the east whom, he declared, God had raised up for the carrying out of His plans and purposes. Moreover, he asserted that it is Jehovah, the God of Israel, who „giveth nations before him, and maketh him rule over kings.“ In fact, He subjects the nations before this conqueror „as the dust to his sword, as the driven stubble to his bow.“ Thus we see this victor in his whirlwind conquest as he subdues various nations under his mighty power. In his campaign he pursues his victims and passes by safely over roads and ways over which he had never gone before. According to military tactics today, the general staff of an army knows the terrain over which it expects its armies to march and where they will make their stand. Not so with this conqueror. He invades new territory without any map, chart, or advance information from an intelligence service. Nevertheless, he is successful in all his attempts.<\/p>\n Why is this leader so very successful and meets neither rebuffs nor setbacks? The answer to this question is found in the query and the answer thereto given in verse 4: „Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I, Jehovah, the first, and with the last, I am he.“ The solution to the whole problem is that the Eternal God who sees and knows all things from the beginning, and who has a plan and purpose which runs through the centuries is the one who, with His unseen hand, is guiding the onward march of this great eastern conqueror. According to this verse God planned and charted the course of history and the movement of the nations from the beginning. The beginning of what? The beginning of creation, for there could be no beginning of eternity in the past. This statement is in accord with others here and there in the Scriptures that attribute to the Almighty a planning and a purposing regarding the course of history before the creation of the universe, which part of eternity is called „the beginning.“<\/p>\n The Almighty existed throughout all eternity of the past–prior to the creation of the world–and was „the first.“ Moreover, He marches steadily forward throughout that part of eternity known as „time“ and will be here in all the plenitude of His power when the material heavens and earth, which are now, pass out of existence.<\/p>\n According to this passage, then, the nations with their armies, in their great conquests and movements back and forth, are simply carrying out the prearranged plan and purposes of the Almighty. While we recognize this truth, let us remember always that man is a free moral agent and that the Lord never coerces anyone’s will, but permits him to exercise his own free choices (cf. Isa. 10:5-12).<\/p>\n Let us keep in mind that Isaiah, in his challenge to the idol-worshipers, simply foretells, in this prophecy, that God is going to raise up one from the east whom He will prosper and cause to carry out His prearranged will. But at this point of time, he does not give us the name of this future conqueror. He does this, however, in another discourse–uttered later on–as we shall see in our study of chapter 45 of this book.<\/p>\n In verses 5-7 the prophet sees the consternation that is caused by the rapid and triumphal advance of this conqueror, as he goes from victory to victory, subduing the nations in the path of his onward march. In their mad frenzy and in a vain effort to stem the onrushing tide of foreign aggression, the nations feverishly order the manufacture of more idols of wood and stone in order that these created gods might deliver them from the impending danger. Thus the prophet sees the carpenter and the goldsmith–and others–engaged in the manufacture of more idols, encouraging one another concerning the excellency of his craftsmanship in bringing these gods into existence.<\/p>\n To us who have the light of the Word of God and the illumination of the Spirit in regenerated hearts, idols are nothing but the creation of man’s hands. At the same time, however, we know from Psalm 106:34-38 that idolatry is backed by demonism. At the same time we know, that the actual idols which the nations worship are naught and are impotent. For a fine description of them see Psalm 135:15-18.<\/p>\n When we read this prediction concerning this one whom God, according to Isaiah, raises up from the east and leads on in his triumphal conquest, we do not see the purpose which the Almighty has in view in doing this. In the sermon consisting of Isaiah 44:24-45:25 we learn that His purpose in raising up this one, who is none other than Cyrus, the Medo-Persian king, was that he might restore Israel from captivity in Babylon after He will have accomplished His plan in sending them into exile. Concerning the full details of this matter, we shall learn when we reach the discussion of this latter sermon.<\/p>\n In Isaiah 41:8-20 the prophet is carried forward to the end of this age and sees God regathering Israel from her international dispersion and restoring her to her own land. This method of describing the restoration from Babylon and then blending it with the future world-wide regathering of Israel is common to all the prophets. In their speaking thus, they were following what is known among Bible students as the „law of double reference.“ Like the stereoptican which gives the dissolving effect in blending one picture into another, the prophets often blended descriptions of events similar in nature but removed from each other by long intervals. Hence the description of the work of Cyrus in restoring Israel after the Babylonian captivity fades into the prophecy of God’s regathering Israel to her land in the end time.<\/p>\n In verses 8 and 9 we have this statement: „But thou, Israel, my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend, 9 thou whom I have taken hold of from the ends of the earth, and called from the corners thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant, I have chosen thee and not cast thee away …“ We here meet the expression, „Israel, my servant,“ for the first time in Isaiah. It has three connotations, which are to be learned from the facts of each context in which it appears. In this one the circumstances show that the prophet was speaking of Israel, scattered among the nations, that is to be gathered back into the land of Palestine and restored to fellowship with God. This is the faithful remnant of Israel of the end time, but in 42:1-4 we have another servant passage. An examination of the quotation in the light of the longer context here shows that this one is none other than the Messiah of Israel; but in 44:18-22 we have the word servant used in its broadest signification. Here, according to the facts of the context, it signifies the entire nation of Israel. In view of this threefold usage of our term, we must examine the facts of each context to determine its particular meaning in a given case.<\/p>\n That the servant of Isaiah 41:8 is the faithful remnant is seen from the fact that she is „taken hold of from the ends of the earth, and called from the corners thereof …“ To these the Lord gives the assurance that they should not fear because He is with them and will give all necessary assistance to them in order that they might survive the ordeals through which they are passing. By some this passage has been referred to as embracing the entire nation of Israel, but this interpretation cannot be correct because these who are thus designated as the servant are those whom God regathers and restores to the land of the fathers, and whom He assists, protecting them from all harm.<\/p>\n We should note that God promises assistance with „the right hand of my righteousness.“ This expression shows that all which is done in connection with their restoration is in accordance with the principles of God’s righteousness. According to verses 11 and 12 all those that are incensed against Israel–the anti-Semites and the persecutors of the Jews–are to be put to shame and confounded. They shall, according to this promise, be brought to nothing and shall perish. After the judgments of that time shall have spent their force, the persecuted remnant of Israel will look for her enemies, but they will not be found, because they will have been blotted from the face of the globe. They will in reality be brought to naught.<\/p>\n In assuring her of this aid, the Lord reiterates the fact that He is Israel’s God. He revealed Himself to the nation as He has done to no other people. Throughout the Prophets God speaks of Himself as the God of Israel. Realizing the impotency of the faithful remnant of the end time, the Lord speaks of it as „thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel.“ Although they will be as helpless before their enemies as a worm under the foot of a man, the Lord guarantees that He will help them. He being their „Redeemer … the Holy One of Israel.“ Although they will have no strength of their own nor any ability to stand against their enemies, the Lord will make them into „a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth.“ Being thus strengthened, they will „thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff.“ That is, they will, by divine strength and assistance, be able to be victorious in their conquest against their enemies. In the ancient East, as at present, the threshing of the grain was done with a threshing instrument. After this operation the wheat was separated from the chaff by the wind that blows the chaff away. Thus God says that He will do with this faithful remnant in His protecting it and destroying its enemies. The Lord therefore calls upon Israel to rejoice in this fact and to glory in the Holy One of Israel.<\/p>\n In verses 17-20 Isaiah makes known to us the awful conditions that will exist at the time of the great Tribulation when Israel is to be delivered. From other passages we know that there will be great droughts that will cause famines during that time of unparalleled distress.<\/p>\n There will be a scarcity of water as well as food. But to „the poor and needy“ who seek water but do not find any because of these judgments, the Lord will give drink miraculously. He therefore assures them that He will answer them and will not forsake them. According to verse 18 He will „open rivers on the bare heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys.“ There will appear in the wilderness „a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.“<\/p>\n Following this miracle of providing water for the earth, the Lord will place in the wilderness „the cedar, the acacia, and the myrtle, and the oil-tree.“ He will „set in the desert the fir-tree, the pine, and the box tree together.“ In other words, the prophet is here speaking of God’s lifting the curse from the earth and restoring Edenic conditions everywhere.<\/p>\n When this is done, saved Israel, as well as the peoples of earth, will realize that the Lord is the one who performs this miracle and that it is an act of creation by His own omnipotent hand.<\/p>\n \nII. A CHALLENGE TO IDOLS (vss. 21-20)<\/p>\n <\/center><\/p>\n After having spoken directly to the idolaters and having challenged them to reveal the future as he does, Isaiah then addresses the idols, as we see in verses 21-29. That he is, in this section, speaking to them is evident from the statement in verse 23: „Declare the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods: yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and behold it together.“<\/p>\n To these dumb idols he throws out the challenge that they produce their cause. Isaiah is not doing this upon his own responsibility; he is speaking as the ambassador of Jehovah, the Self-Existent and Eternal One. Although Jehovah is the Almighty, He declares in this connection that He is „the King of Jacob.“ At various times in the exposition of Isaiah, I have had occasion to call attention to the fact that the word Jehovah<\/i> has a fourfold significance, which is based upon the correct translation of Deuteronomy 6:4: „Hear, O Israel, Jehovah our Gods is Jehovah a Unity.“ In certain passages the word, Jehovah, refers to the Trinity; in others, to Jehovah the Father; in still others, to Jehovah the Son; and in other connections, to Jehovah the Holy Spirit. The facts of each context must be studied carefully in order to determine which of the four meanings this word has in a given case. The facts, however, are not always sufficiently clear to lead us to a dogmatic position in identifying the one meant. In this case, however, the term seems to refer to Jehovah the Son since He, as we learn from many other passages, is the King of Israel who will reign in Zion (Zeph. 3:14-17).<\/p>\n This King of Jacob calls upon the idols to bring their strong reasons which prove their existence and their demand for the worship of men. Then He asks them to bring forth and to declare future things–what shall happen; also He urges them to declare the former things–things that have been in the past, that have been foretold, and that will develop into things in the future. This line of thought is demanded by the words, „Declare ye the former things, what they are, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them.“ Life is a series of causes and effects. The roots of our present civilization lie far back into the dim distant past. Isaiah recognizes this fact and therefore calls upon the gods to reproduce the records concerning past events and to show the developments of history in order that they might understand the things that are to come. All events are moving along lines which converge toward the final consummation of all things.<\/p>\n If these idols are unable thus to meet this challenge, the prophet calls upon them to show things to come: „Declare the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods …“ Of course they could not utter prophecies, being nothing but stocks and stones. But we do know from other passages that demons do have the ability to tell some things in the future. They can see certain things in a limited and partial manner. This fact has been demonstrated time and time again. But for them to utter crystal-clear oracles, which can prove their knowledge of the future, is an impossibility with them. In regard to consulting spirits and resorting to the occult world, let me say that God has uttered the fiercest possible denunciation against such things.<\/p>\n According to verse 24 the prophet declares concerning idols, „Ye are of nothing, and your work is of nought; an abomination is he that chooseth you.“<\/p>\n Still addressing the gods, the prophet declares, for the Almighty, saying, „I have raised up one from the north, and he is come; from the rising of the sun one that calleth upon my name: and he shall come upon rulers as upon mortar, and as the potter treadeth clay.“ This verse undoubtedly refers to the same one of whom the prophet speaks in verse 2, but whom he does not in this sermon call by name. As stated above, Isaiah gives his name in a later sermon which begins with chapter 44, verse 25. From it we learn that this one from the east was none other than Cyrus. Neither the idols nor the idolaters could tell the name of this conqueror. But Isaiah, by the knowledge of God, foretells his name by more than a hundred years.<\/p>\n This passage speaks of this conqueror as coming from the east. Persia was due east of Palestine; yet his approach to Palestine was from the north because in going from the east ancient armies had to march north-westward up through Mesopotamia and then down in a southwesterly direction via Damascus into Palestine. The armies therefore were represented as coming from the east and at the same time coming from the north. This bit of information concerning the situation harmonizes these seeming contradictions.<\/p>\n In verse 26 the prophet declares that there were none of the idols which foretold that there would be such a conqueror coming from the east. To emphasize this thought he declared, „Yea, there is none that declareth, yea, there is none that showeth, yea, there is none that heareth your words.“<\/p>\n In verse 27 the prophet sees one coming from the east to Zion, making an announcement of glad tidings to her. Here are his words: „I am the<\/i> first that saith<\/i> unto Zion, Behold, behold them; and I will give to Jerusalem one that bringeth good tidings.“ The words, „Behold them,“ refer to the returning exiles. The prophet sees the exiles leaving Babylon, trudging the weary way back to the land of their fathers. Isaiah therefore was the first official spokesman that foretold the return in this dramatic way of the exiles from Babylon.<\/p>\n The prophet concludes his sermon by saying that when he looks around there was no one who would take counsel; there was no one of the idols who could answer, nor were there any of the idolaters who would answer a word. Finally, he declares, in the closing statement, „Behold, all of them, their works are vanity and<\/i> nought; their molten images are wind and confusion.“ Idol-worshipers are blinded by the god of this world. They cannot see the truth in regard to the existence of the Almighty, nor the facts regarding the messages of God’s prophets.<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n \n\n
\n2. A challenge to idolaters and idols (chap. 41);
\n3. Messiah’s redemptive career (42:1- 43:13);
\n4. Israel’s future deliverance and establishment in the favor of God (43:14-44:5);
\n5. The folly of idolatry (44:6-23);
\n6: Israel’s restoration from Babylon and its foreshadowing her final restoration (44:24-45:25);
\n7. The final overthrow of Babylon, the world-city, by Messiah at His second coming (chapters. 46-48).<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
\n2. A portrait of Messiah, the Servant of Jehovah (chap. 50);
\n3. A triple call to Israel to give heed to the message and a dual call to her to arise and accept Messiah (51:1-52:12) ;
\n4. The suffering Servant of Jehovah (52:13-54:12);
\n5. Zion glorified in the Millennial Kingdom (chap. 54);
\n6. A clarion call to Israel of the end time to accept her Messiah (chaps. 55-57).<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n
\n2. Another picture of Messiah’s redemptive career (chap. 61);
\n3. A call to evangelize Israel (chap. 62:1-63:6);
\n4. A second version of Israel’s penitential confession (chap. 63:7-64:12);
\n5. The Christian Dispensation, the Tribulation Period and the Millennium (chap. 65);
\n6. The Tribulation, Messiah’s glorious coming, and Israel’s final restoration (chap. 66). <\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
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\nChapter 41<\/center><\/p>\n
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