IsaiahIsaiah means "the salvation of the Lord"

Mr. PerrottiTheology 1 – Chapter 5

Prophets Part 3

The Political Background to the Life and Ministry of Isaiah

• Isaiah was born during the reign of the good king Uzziah and was called to be a prophet in the last few years of king Uzziah’s life.

• After him his son Jothan came to the throne. He walked in the ways of his father, and under him the people continued to worship the Lord.

• He too was a very good king!• The time was approximately 740 -700 BC.

Jothan dies and Ahaz reigns!

• Following Jothan, there arose Ahaz, whose whole reign was one account of disaster and destruction.

• He allowed Judah to once again fall from God and worship False idols.

• Ahaz gave himself over to the overthrow of the ordained order of worship, broke the commandments in almost every detail, destroyed the temple worship and finally closed the doors of the house of God.

Ahaz verses Isaiah

• Ahaz conspired to obliterate the memory of the service of the Lord of all Israel, the Redeemer and the Holy One.

• Isaiah came forth and publicly scolded the king for his extravagances in religious things, his worship of false gods and how he turned away from God!

• And the author, Isaiah, who is called the Prince of Prophets, shines above all the other writers and prophets of Scripture

"Shakespeare of the Bible."

• He was educated, distinguished, and privileged, yet remained a deeply spiritual man.

• He was committed to obedience over the long haul of his 55-60 year ministry as a prophet of God.

• Isaiah's calling as a prophet was primarily to the nation of Judah (the southern kingdom) and to Jerusalem, urging the people to repent from their sins and return to God

For Isaiah it was too little too Late!

• Even with the help of King Hezekiah, Isaiah could not stop to destruction of the North and the eventual exile of the south during the time of Jeremiah.

• As we know, the Assyrians conquered the North and in 587BC the south was sent into exile by the Babylonians!

Isaiah the man

• The name, Isaiah, means 'Jehovah saves!• His role was ever that of inspiring and

challenging the drooping spirits of the men of Judah at times when hope seemed dead.

• Isaiah enjoyed immediate and regular entrance to the royal house, he was close to many of the Kings and had great influence.

The Man (cont.)

• He was married and he himself called his wife 'the prophetess‘

• He had two children• His aim was ever definite - the establishment

of the worship of the Lord in virtue and truth amongst the chosen race.

• Like all the other Prophets – He failed!

His Message

• Isaiah's prophecy, the longest of all the Old Testament prophecies divides first of all quite naturally into two parts– Because of this split, critics during the last century have

seen fit to decide that two separate authors are responsible for the prophecy

– and that the second one was written some hundred years after the first one.

– There is no real proof, but the writings are so different and refer to different times in Israel's history, there is no real argument!

Not just Two parts –but 9 sections!

• 1)Chapters 1-12 Prophecies centered on Judah and Jerusalem

• 2)Prophecies against foreign and hostile nations

• 3) Isaiah's Judgment Day: Judgments of Jehovah against the World's Sin (Chapters 28 to 33)

• 4)Prophecies concerning the relation of Judah and Jerusalem to Egypt and Assyria

Isaiah’s Prophecies (cont.)

• 9) The Triumph and the Universal Dominion of Jehovah (Chapters 58-66) – Refers to God as the redeemer (first Messianic

prophet)– Isaiah has been described as the evangelical

(intense)prophet– “The Lord Jesus Christ bore our sins on the tree so

that we might be reconciled to God.”

Foretold the Coming of Jesus!

• What is meant by “Messianic Prophet”• “He also foretold the coming of the Messiah

and the salvation of the Lord.”• Many of his early prophesies predicted events

that occurred in Isaiah's near future• They also foretold the events of the distant

future (such as the coming of the Messiah).• Even some events still to come in the last days

(such as the second coming of Christ).

In summary, the message of Isaiah is that salvation comes from God—not man. God alone is Savior, Ruler and King.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2C1fFVry4Vo.com

THE MINOR PROPHETMicah

• Micah was a contemporary of Isaiah • Some have even speculated that he might

have been a student of the prophet Isaiah • Micah, however, was a rustic prophet with a

rural ministry while city-bred Isaiah devoted his prophetic efforts to the population and court of Jerusalem

Micah the Man and Prophet

• The name Micah which means "Who is like unto the Lord?" or “Who is like God”.

• Micah was a man of the country• We conclude that his family was of humble origin• Micah the prophet lived about 2750 years ago, in

about 750 BC, during the time of Isaiah• Micah spoke of how Israel and Judah would be

punished for hypocritical worship, injustice and immorality.

• He also spoke of redemption.

Micah the Man and Prophet

• He too was a messianic prophet• He told of a redeemer, Messiah and predicted

many events that occurred in the life of Christ.• He also foretold, in detail, the destruction and

plowing of Jerusalem, which took place about 1900 years ago, in 135 AD.

• Micah 3:11-12 - states“Zion would be "plowed like a field"

His connection to the Gospels!

• His prophecy that the Messiah would be born in the town of Bethlehem is recalled in the Book of Matthew

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRehpekLjfc.com