Isaiah - Introduction

In the third part of the book (Chapters 40–66), Isaiah prophesies about the redemption of God’s people and about a servant who would fulfill God’s ultimate plan to redeem mankind. Depending on the context, this “servant” represents either Israel (the chosen people), or the faithful remnant of Israel (those who returned from exile), or the Messiah King who one day would come and atone for Israel’s sins. Thus the prophecies of Isaiah (and other Old Testament prophets) can be understood on more than one level. On the first level, the prophecies are rooted in Old Testament history; when Isaiah speaks about the nation of Israel and about the city of Jerusalem, he is speaking of historical people and places. But at the same time, these historical realities point forward to new realities yet to come. In particular, Isaiah’s prophecies point forward to the coming of a MESSIAH, a suffering servant (Isaiah Chapter 53), who would redeem not only the JEWS but all people on earth who put their FAITH in Him. That suffering servant is none other than Jesus Christ.²

As we begin the study of the prophetic books, it is important to keep in mind what PROPHECY actually is. Prophecy is not simply a prediction about the future; it is a statement which communicates God’s truth to people. Prophetic statements can deal with past, present, and future events. The essential feature of prophecy is this: it is a word inspired directly by God to meet some special need of His people—whether that need be for warning, guidance or consolation.

The prophets (like all the biblical writers) were ordinary human beings through whom God spoke. They were not infallible themselves, but the words they spoke (or wrote) under God’s inspiration were indeed infallible.³ For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21).

The prophets did not lose their own personalities when God called upon them to speak; they communicated God’s message using their own individual gifts and experiences. The prophets were distinct from the priests and Levites, whose ministry was ongoing. Instead, the prophets were sent forth at times of crisis; their ministry was extraordinary, not ordinary. Yet they were not independent of the LAW; they always spoke in accordance with God’s earlier written revelation. Indeed, God’s Spirit never leads anyone to oppose God’s word. The Law, the prophets, and the HOLY SPIRIT all speak to us with one voice—the voice of a gracious God, who is ever ready to communicate with His people.