Isaías 1
Leon Morris · Citado em PreceptAustin
Isaías 1:1
Morris writes that Isaiah… is considered the greatest of Old Testament prophets. His book contains the most significant and greatest number of Messianic prophecies. It falls naturally into two divisions, chapters 1-39 and chapters 40-66. Liberals have long argued that the two divisions were written by two different authors (Ed note: This refers to the rise of so called "higher criticism" [see note on the approach one takes to interpretation] in the late 1800's spurred the debate about who wrote Isaiah.). The only real evidence for this idea is the fact that certain explicit prophecies in the second division (Isaiah 45:1, 2, 3, 4), were fulfilled long after the "first" Isaiah died. Liberals do not believe in predictive prophecy. The New Testament, however, including Christ Himself, quotes from both divisions, attributing all such quotes to "Isaiah the prophet" (Mt 3:3; 12:17,18; Luke 3:4; Jn 12:38, 39, 40, 41; Acts 8:28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34; Ro 10:16,20). Jesus says that Isaiah wrote the prophecy in both Isaiah 6:9,10 (quoted in Mt 13:14,15) and Isaiah 53:4 (quoted in Mt 8:17), as well as other quotes from both divisions… The real reason… for the "two Isaiahs" ("Deutero-Isaiah") notion is that the second division contains many remarkable prophecies that were later fulfilled--for example, the naming of the Persian emperor Cyrus a century and a half in advance (Isaiah 45:1, 2, 3, 4). Skeptical theologians are unwilling to believe that God can supernaturally reveal the future to His divinely called and prepared prophets, and so most assume that the last part of Isaiah was written by an unknown writer living among the exiles in Babylon after Cyrus had conquered the city. (Borrow The Defender's Study Bible) Deuteronomy 18:18 gives us an excellent Biblical definition of a prophet… 'I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. Easton's writes that the word prophet is the Hebrew word nabi which is from a root meaning "to bubble forth, as from a fountain," hence "to utter", (cp. Ps 45:1). This Hebrew word is the first and the most generally used for a prophet. In the time of Samuel another word, ro'eh, "seer", began to be used (1Sa 9:9). It occurs seven times in reference to Samuel. Afterwards another word, hozeh, "seer" (2Sa 24:11), was employed. In 1Chr 29:29 all these three words are used: "Samuel the seer (ro'eh), Nathan the prophet (nabi'), Gad the seer" (hozeh). In Josh 13:22 Balaam is called (Heb.) a kosem "diviner," a word used only of a false prophet. So important is prophecy in God's Word that it occupies about one third of the whole Bible. Prophecy is God's revelation of His Plans to His children. Sir Winston Churchill was asked to give the qualifications a person needed to succeed in politics to which he replied It is the ability to foretell what is going to happen tomorrow, next week, next month, and next year. And to have the ability afterwards to explain why it didn’t happen. God’s genuine prophets unlike politicians were always correct and did not have to explain away their mistakes. Moses records that… When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him. (Dt 18:22) Isaiah alludes to the test of authenticity writing… To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn. (Is 8:20) Wil Pounds in his summary The Prophets: Holy Men of God writes that… A prophet is a man who speaks to men on behalf of God the message he has received from God. Prophecy is the declaration and illustration of the principles of the divine government, whether in the past, present, or the future. Prophets were God’s specially called and inspired messengers. They were "holy men of God who spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit" (2Peter 1:21-note). The prophets are called by various names including: "Man of God," "Servant of Jehovah (LORD)," "Messenger of Jehovah," "Interpreter," "Sentinel," "The Man of the Spirit." The Holy Spirit breathing into the mind of the prophet so illumined his spirit and pervaded his thoughts, that while nothing as a person was taken away, yet everything that was necessary to enable him to declare divine truth in all its fullness was bestowed on him. Their inspiration consisted in the fullness of the influence of the Holy Spirit enabling them to accomplish their work. His job was to call the people back to God and to the truth of God. It involved warning them of the consequences of their actions and a call to repentance (aka a "forth teller"). At times it was a message of God's plan for the future of His Kingdom (aka a "fore teller"). They were men through whom God spoke His message of love for sinners, and warned them of the consequences of their sins. The heart of their message was God's promise of eternal redemption through the coming of Jesus Christ the Messiah. The test of the prophet was practical and simple. "When the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that the Lord has truly sent him" (Jeremiah 28:9). The term ("FALSE PROPHET") does not occur in the Old Testament. It is found on the lips of Jesus (Mt 7:15-23; Mk.13:21, 22, 23; Jer 14:13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18; 28; 1Ki 22:5-28) (ED CORRECTION - WHILE THE TERM "FALSE PROPHET" IS NOT FOUND IN THE ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS OF THE OT, THE GREEK WORD "PSEUDOPROPHETES" IS FOUND IN THE SEPTUAGINT IN Zech. 13:2; Jer. 6:13; Jer. 33:7; Jer. 33:8; Jer. 33:11; Jer. 33:16; Jer. 34:9; Jer. 35:1; Jer. 36:1; Jer. 36:8) Things that are most highly valued are most subject to counterfeiting. True prophecy has in it no contradictions. It must always agree in genuine way with what is already known about Yahweh. Satan is the counterfeiter. Characteristics of the Prophets 1. They were sent from God. These men claimed to be speaking from God and for God. "Thus says the Lord" was a clear emphasis of their preaching. The content of their message is proof that they were inspired of the Lord. 2. Their message was related to history. It grew out of some historic situation in which they lived. The prophets were messengers of their times. The message can only be understood by seeing it in its original setting. You have to become a student of history to understand Old Testament prophecy. 3. God's revelation is progressive. Each message builds upon other revealed truth from God. 4. Prophecy is not always predictive. It is a mistake to think that Old Testament prophecy was always predictive or foretelling of the future. There were times when the prophet spoke only to his own generation without any special reference to the future. He called his generation to repentance or to a social change within the nation or political changes. They warned the nation and its leaders of wrongs that needed to be corrected. They were primarily messengers of God, whether they spoke of the past, the present, or the future. 5. There were absolute predictions of the future. These predictions reveal God's purposes of grace to men. They are dependent upon the sovereign purpose of God, and they are certain of fulfillment. A good example is Genesis 3:15, which is not dependent upon, man, but solely upon God. Galatians 4:4, 5 shows its fulfillment. 6. There were conditional predictions, which directly bear upon men’s responsibility for a proper human response to secure fulfillment. A good example is Jonah's prediction that Nineveh would be destroyed in forty days. 7. Correct interpretation of prophecy includes the recognition of both literal and figurative language freely intermingled. Genesis 3:15 is a figurative way of picturing the conflict between Christ and Satan. 8. All prophecy is centered in Christ. It is a testimony of Jesus Christ. He is at the center of prophecy because He is the central theme of all the Scriptures. No one, or anything can share that center stage with Him. Bring every prophecy to Christ in order to see it in its true light. 9. Interpret Old Testament prophecy in the light of the New Testament. We find the key to the interpretation of Old Testament prophecy by examining how New Testament writers interpreted the prophets. The explanation of the Old Testament in the New Testament is the very point from which alone all explanation that listens to the voice of the divine wisdom must set out. This way we understand the sense of the Holy Scriptures as understood by inspired men themselves, and are furnished with the true key to knowledge. We discover from the New Testament writers the correct principles of interpreting the Old Testament prophecies. Probably we should see much more in the prophetic messages than we at first observed. 10. The interpretation of prophecy should generally be in the literal and natural meaning of the words. Seek the plain teaching of the passage. The fulfillment of predictions made by the prophets is to be thought of as literal and not allegorical. Many predictions may be given to us in figurative language, and we may or may not understand them, but when the day comes for fulfillment it is to be thought of as literal. (Source) Harry Ironside has some interesting introductory thoughts on the book of Isaiah… ISAIAH'S "wild measure" has ever been a portion of GOD's Holy Word in which spiritually minded believers have found much to exercise their hearts and lead out their souls in glad anticipation of the coming day when Immanuel (God with us), of whom this prophet speaks, will take His great power and reign. Longer than any other prophetic book, it contains the fullest Messianic predictions to be found in the Old Testament, testifying in no uncertain way to "the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow." Of late, like all other books of the Bible, it has suffered much at the hands of unbelieving and haughty critics, who have done their best to undermine the faith of the simple in the integrity and unity of the Bible, but all that is settled for those who have faith by the Lord Jesus. When here on earth He placed the seal or His divine approval upon it in its entirety. And from this book the apostles drew again and again in their ministry after the ascension of the Saviour, all by the direct guidance of the Holy Spirit, giving it a place of unquestionable authority as the very word of the Lord. Isaiah himself was a man of wealth, rank, and learning, if we may give any credence to Jewish tradition respecting him. He is supposed to be the one referred to in Hebrews 11:37, who was "sawn asunder" by the enraged rejecters of his prophetic ministry. If this be so, it occurred at the close of a long and honored life, for his public service extended over at least half a century. As he tells us in the opening verse, he prophesied "in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah." In all likelihood he did not appear in the prophetic office until the last year of Uzziah's long reign (Isaiah 6:1). Chapter six records his divine commission, and it is questionable if he had uttered the burdens of the previous chapters ere the vision there portrayed, which took place "in the year that King Uzziah died": that is, not necessarily after he died but in the same year as that solemn event. We know he continued to give forth the word of the Lord later than the fourteenth year of Hezekiah's reign, for it was then that he was commissioned to make known to the stricken monarch that fifteen years were to be added to his life. He was, therefore, contemporary with Hosea throughout, and possibly with Amos for a very brief season, though it is more likely the herdsman-prophet had passed off the scene before Isaiah began to make known the mind of GOD. Micah also held the prophetic office during the reigns of the last three kings mentioned. So Isaiah would be the chief among a goodly little company, who had the secret of the Lord (Ps 25:14-note) in a day when formalism and hypocrisy largely prevailed. That there was but one Isaiah, not two, is evident from the testimony given by the inspired writer of the Gospel of Luke. He tells us that on the occasion of the Lord's first public visit to the synagogue at Nazareth, "there was delivered unto Him the book of the prophet Esaias," (not of "the great unknown"), and from it He preached His gospel of deliverance to the captives and the acceptable year of the Lord. The glorious predictions of Isaiah 61:1,2 the Lord cited as inspired Scripture and written by Isaiah, not as the writing of an unknown poet of the Maccabean or a later period. The book as it stands bears every evidence of being preserved in its divinely arranged order. It is only unbelieving ignorance coupled with amazing egotism, that could lead any to think to rearrange and dissect it in the manner of modern critics, of which George Adam Smith's "Isaiah" in the Expositor's Bible series is the most commonly known specimen. It is a virtual denial of inspiration and a biased attempt to destroy the true prophetic character of the Messianic portions of this magnificent "golden prophecy." Unbelief finds difficulties where faith bows with adoring reverence. As I write not for skeptics, but for those who truly know Christ Whose sufferings and glories Isaiah foretold, I shall pay but slight attention to the objections of those unbelieving, natural men, albeit distinguished in the world of letters and in the Christless religious circles of the day. Many professing Christians pay little or no attention to the prophetic word, but in neglecting that which formed so large a part of the Holy Scriptures, they wrong their own souls and dishonor Him who gave His Word for our edification and comfort. The real value of prophecy is that it occupies us with a Person, not merely with events. That Person is our Lord Jesus Christ Who came once to suffer and is coming again to reign. Of both these advents Isaiah treats, and that In a way more plain and full than do any of the other Old Testament seers. Prophecy… Foretelling of future events Forth-telling of the mind of God for the moment It should be borne in mind, however, that prophecy is not simply the foretelling of future events, but is rather the forth-telling of the mind of GOD for the moment. When both the priesthood and the monarchy had failed completely in Israel and Judah, God continued to minister to His people through the prophets. These were men to whom special insight was given into holy things, and who were sent of GOD to call an erring people to repentance. It was their responsibility to put before the people not only the coming glories into which they were to enter in Messiah's day, but also to impress upon them the necessity of preparing the way of the Lord by turning from sin to righteousness, and from their idolatrous vanities to the living GOD who had so wonderfully manifested His power on their behalf throughout Israel's history. (Ironside, Harry A: Expository Notes on the Prophet Isaiah) A SIMPLE OUTLINE OF ISAIAH (I) Isaiah 1-35 Prophetic: Israel and Gentile nations, especially Assyria (II) Isaiah 36-39 Historic: Reign of Hezekiah (III) Isaiah 40-66 Messianic: Especially re deliverance of a remnant in Israel Warren Wiersbe (Borrow Bible Exposition Commentary - Old Testament) offers the following simple outline… I. Condemnation—(Isaiah 1-39) 1. Sermons against Judah and Israel—(Isaiah 1-12) 2. Burdens of Judgment against the Gentiles—(Isaiah 13-23) 3. Songs about Future Glory—(Isaiah 24-27) 4. Woes of Coming Judgment from Assyria—(Isaiah 28-35) 5. Historical Interlude—(Isaiah 36-39) a. Hezekiah delivered from Assyria—(Isaiah 36-37) b. Hezekiah deceived by Babylon—(Isaiah 37-38) II. Consolation—(Isaiah 40-66) 1. God’s Greatness—(Isaiah 40-48) (The Father vs. idols) 2. God’s Grace—(Isaiah 49-57) (The Son, God’s Servant) 3. God’s Glory—(Isaiah 58-66) (The Spirit and the kingdom) Charles H
Isaías 1:1
Morris - In the Old Testament, vision is often synonymous with "divine revelation," amounting to a claim by the prophet that the account that follows is supernaturally inspired. (Defenders Study Bible) Nelson's Bible Dictionary - In the Bible, people who had visions were filled with a special consciousness of God. The most noteworthy examples in the Old Testament of recipients of visions are Ezekiel (cp Ezek 1:1-25; 26, 27, 28) and Daniel (Da 7:15, 28, 8:15, 17, 19). Visions in the New Testament are most prominent in the Gospel of Luke (Lk 1:22, 24, 22, 23), the Book of Acts (Acts 7:31, Paul - Acts 26:19 compare with Acts 9:3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15; Cornelius - Acts 10:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, Peter - Acts 10:10, 11, 12, 13, 17, 19, 20, 11:5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10; Paul - Acts 16:9, 10, 11, 12 18:8, 9, 10, 11), and the Book of Revelation. The purpose of visions was to give guidance and direction to God’s servants and to foretell the future. Daniel’s vision, for example, told of the coming of the Messiah (Da 8:1, 17). (Youngblood, R. F., Bruce, F. F., Harrison, R. K., & Thomas Nelson Publishers. Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Dictionary) Chazon - 34 uses in the OT - Notice that there are no uses of chazon prior to first Samuel and not surprisingly most of the uses are in the prophetic books. 1 Samuel 3:1 Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the LORD before Eli. And word from the LORD was rare in those days, visions were infrequent. 1 Chronicles 17:15 According to all these words and according to all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David. 2 Chronicles 32:32 Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah and his deeds of devotion, behold, they are written in the vision of Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. Psalm 89:19 Once You spoke in vision to Your godly ones, And said, "I have given help to one who is mighty; I have exalted one chosen from the people. Proverbs 29:18 Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained, But happy is he who keeps the law. Isaiah 1:1 The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz concerning Judah and Jerusalem, which he saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah. Isaiah 29:7 And the multitude of all the nations who wage war against Ariel, Even all who wage war against her and her stronghold, and who distress her, Will be like a dream, a vision of the night. Jeremiah 14:14 Then the LORD said to me, "The prophets are prophesying falsehood in My name. I have neither sent them nor commanded them nor spoken to them; they are prophesying to you a false vision, divination, futility and the deception of their own minds. Jeremiah 23:16 Thus says the LORD of hosts, "Do not listen to the words of the prophets who are prophesying to you. They are leading you into futility; They speak a vision of their own imagination, Not from the mouth of the LORD. Lamentations 2:9 Her gates have sunk into the ground, He has destroyed and broken her bars. Her king and her princes are among the nations; The law is no more. Also, her prophets find No vision from the LORD. Ezekiel 7:13 'Indeed, the seller will not regain what he sold as long as they both live; for the vision regarding all their multitude will not be averted, nor will any of them maintain his life by his iniquity. 26 'Disaster will come upon disaster and rumor will be added to rumor; then they will seek a vision from a prophet, but the law will be lost from the priest and counsel from the elders. Ezekiel 12:22 "Son of man, what is this proverb you people have concerning the land of Israel, saying, 'The days are long and every vision fails '? 23 "Therefore say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "I will make this proverb cease so that they will no longer use it as a proverb in Israel." But tell them, "The days draw near as well as the fulfillment of every vision. 24 "For there will no longer be any false vision or flattering divination within the house of Israel. 27 "Son of man, behold, the house of Israel is saying, 'The vision that he sees is for many years from now, and he prophesies of times far off.' Ezekiel 13:16 along with the prophets of Israel who prophesy to Jerusalem, and who see visions of peace for her when there is no peace,' declares the Lord GOD. Daniel 1:17 As for these four youths, God gave them knowledge and intelligence in every branch of literature and wisdom; Daniel even understood all kinds of visions and dreams. Daniel 8:1 In the third year of the reign of Belshazzar the king a vision appeared to me, Daniel, subsequent to the one which appeared to me previously. 2 I looked in the vision, and while I was looking I was in the citadel of Susa, which is in the province of Elam; and I looked in the vision and I myself was beside the Ulai Canal. 13 Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to that particular one who was speaking, "How long will the vision about the regular sacrifice apply, while the transgression causes horror, so as to allow both the holy place and the host to be trampled?" 15 When I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I sought to understand it; and behold, standing before me was one who looked like a man. 17 So he came near to where I was standing, and when he came I was frightened and fell on my face; but he said to me, "Son of man, understand that the vision pertains to the time of the end." 26 "The vision of the evenings and mornings Which has been told is true; But keep the vision secret, For it pertains to many days in the future." Daniel 9:21 while I was still speaking in prayer, then the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision previously, came to me in my extreme weariness about the time of the evening offering. 24 "Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place. Daniel 10:14 "Now I have come to give you an understanding of what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision pertains to the days yet future." Daniel 11:14 "Now in those times many will rise up against the king of the South; the violent ones among your people will also lift themselves up in order to fulfill the vision, but they will fall down. Hosea 12:10 I have also spoken to the prophets, And I gave numerous visions, And through the prophets I gave parables. Obadiah 1:1 The vision of Obadiah. Thus says the Lord GOD concerning Edom-- We have heard a report from the LORD, And an envoy has been sent among the nations saying, "Arise and let us go against her for battle "-- Micah 3:6-note Therefore (because of their sin) it will be night for you-- without vision, And darkness for you-- without divination. The sun will go down on the prophets, And the day will become dark over them. Nahum 1:1 The oracle of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite. Habakkuk 2:2-note Then the LORD answered me and said, "Record the vision And inscribe it on tablets, That the one who reads it may run. 3 "For the vision is yet for the appointed time; It hastens toward the goal and it will not fail. Though it tarries, wait for it; For it will certainly come, it will not delay. The word prophet in its various forms, appears over 600 times in the Scriptures, with two-thirds of the uses being in the OT. This prevalence gives some sense of the importance of study of the prophetic books like Isaiah . There are 17 books of prophecy in the OT written by 16 different prophets (assuming that Jeremiah wrote Lamentations). As alluded to earlier, contrary to the common assumption by many saints, the primary task of the OT prophet was not to foretell events but to forthtell the will of God as He revealed it to them (cp 2Ki 17:13, 14, 2Chr 24:18, 19, 20, 21, 36:15, 16). In Exodus Jehovah specifies that Aaron would serve as Moses' prophet and thus would be his mouthpiece or authorized spokesman… Then the LORD said to Moses, "See, I make you as God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet (nabiy see all OT uses by book). (Ex 7:1+) The writer of Hebrews although not using the actual word vision nevertheless does allude to this divine means of communication in his introductory remarks… God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways (Ed Note: Including visions), in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. (He 1:1, 2-note)