Isaiah Lesson 1

OUTLINE FOR ISAIAH – THE LITTLE BIBLE

KEY VERSE: Isaiah 9:6 “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”

THEME: JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH. Isaiah strikes at the root of the nation’s trouble – “apostasy.” His divine commission was to warn of coming destruction and great tribulation, and then, he was to prophesy of the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ, concerning His birth, suffering, death, and coming reign on earth.

DATE: Isaiah lived in the Kingdom of Judah during the reign of Uzziah around 740 B.C. (Isaiah 6:1). His ministry continued through the reign of Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, and possibly Manasseh, and covers between fifty and sixty years.

WRITER: Isaiah (Jehovah Saves) There is really very little known about Isaiah. God seems to have hidden him. He was a man of the city. He was born in the city, raised in the city, labored in the city, and really loved the city of Jerusalem. Tradition says his father was Amos, brother of Amaziah, the king. Amaziah was the father of Uzziah, the king. He was cultured and refined. He moved in the highest circles of government. He knew the priesthood intimately. He saw much degeneration. He dressed in a loin cloth for three years and dressed like a slave most of the time. He was married to “the prophetess,” and had two sons, Shear-Jashub (“remnant shall return”), and Maher-Shalohas-Baz (“hastening to the prey – speeding to the spoils”.) Tradition says that he was “sawn asunder” (in half). He was a poetic genius, an artist with words, a master of language, and an orator to be sure. Isaiah was called The prince of Prophets, The Messianic Prophet, The Evangelical Prophet, and The Universal Prophet.

WRITTEN: Isaiah is the first of seventeen prophetic books of the Old Testament. The first five books, Isaiah through Daniel, are called “Major Prophets”. The last twelve books are “Minor Prophets”. The book of Isaiah is written as a parallel to the entire Bible. The Bible has sixty-six books; Isaiah has sixty-six chapters.

The Old Testament has thirty-nine books; Isaiah has thirty-nine chapters. The New Testament has twenty-seven books; Isaiah’s last section has twenty-seven chapters. Old Testament covers the history and sin of Israel. Isaiah 1-39 covers the history and sin of Israel. New Testament describes the person and ministry of Christ. Isaiah 49-66 describes the person and ministry of Christ. New Testament begins with the ministry of John the Baptist. Isaiah 40 (second section) begins by predicting the ministry of John the Baptist.

THE BOOK: Number in the Bible: 23rd of 66 books of the Bible. Number of chapters: 66. Number of verses: 1,296. Number in order of writing: 1st of 17 books of prophecy.

PURPOSE: To prophesy Israel’s captivity, repentance, and restoration, and to prophesy the glories of the Messianic age.

DIVISIONS: 1. Accusations against Judah and Israel. Chapters 1-12. 2. Prophecies concerning foreign nations, Chapters 12-35. 3. History of Hezekiah, Chapters 36-39. 4. Coming restoration prophesied, Chapters 39-48. 5. Messiah promised Chapters 49-66.

FACTS: 1. Assyria dominated the world during this time. 2. Jerusalem was a strong fortress along the trade route through which Assyria and Egypt passed. 3. Isaiah prophesied the fall of the Northern kingdom of Assyria. 4. He also prophesied the fall of Judah by Babylon. 5. The book of Isaiah is quoted directly or indirectly 190 times in the New Testament. 6. Isaiah is generally regarded as one of the six greatest books of the Bible (the others being Romans, John, Psalms, Genesis, and Revelation. 7. A copy of Isaiah was among the famous Dead Sea Scrolls discovered in 1947. 8. Isaiah was the greatest of the Old Testament prophets. 9. His literary abilities surpass Shakespeare’s, Milton’s, and Homer’s. 10. Isaiah prophesied during the reign of five kings of Judah: Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, and Manasseh. 11. The only book that gives more Revised 11-14-2023 Copyright © 2016 Isaiah – page 2 material about Christ is Psalms. 12. We believe Isaiah wrote other books which have not been preserved… The Life of Uzziah (II Chronicles 26:22), and a book of kings of Israel and Judah (II Chronicles 32:32.

OUTLINE: I. Israel: God’s Faithless Servant (Chapters 1-35) A. Her sins are listed (chapters 1,3,5) B. Her future is predicted (Chapters 2,4,9,11,12,25-35) C. Her great prophet’s vision (Chapter 6). D. Her wicked king’s unbelief (Chapter 7). E. Her enemies judged (Chapters 13-25) 1. Babylon (Chapters 13, 14, 21). 2. Assyria (Chapters 14:24-27) 3. Philistia (Chapter 14:28-32) 4. Moab (Chapters 15-16) 5. Damascus (Chapter 17). 6. Ethiopia (Chapter 18). 7. Egypt (Chapters 19-20) 8. Edom (34:5-15). 9. Arabia (21:13-17) 10. Tyre (23). 11. The entire world (24-25). II. Hezekiah: God’s frightened servant (Chapters 36-39). A. Hezekiah and the king of Assyria (36-37). B. Hezekiah and the king of heaven. (38). C. Hezekiah and the king of Babylon. III. Christ: God’s faithful servant. (Chapters 40-66). A. The deliverance (40-48) 1. God and the idols (40-46). 2. God and the nations (47-48). B. The deliverer: The salvation of Jehovah (49-57). C. The delivered: The glory of Jehovah (58-66)

MISCELLANEOUS: The prophecies of Isaiah fall into three categories: 1. Prophecies were fulfilled during his lifetime. 2. Prophecies fulfilled after his lifetime. 3. Prophecies yet to be fulfilled: A. The tribulation period. B. The Battle of Armageddon. C. The millennium. The various personalities listed in the book: Isaiah, Ahaz, Lucifer, Shebna (22:15-25), Eliakim (36:3), Rabshakeh (36:2), Sennacherib (37:21), Hezekiah (38:1), Mero-dach-bal-adan (39:1), John the Baptist (40:3- 5), Cyrus (44:28; 45:1).

CHRIST IN ISAIAH: 1. His incarnation (7:14,15; 9:6). 2. His youth in Nazareth (11:1-2;53:2;7:15). 3. His relation with the Father (42:1; 50:4-5). 4. His miracles (35:5-6). 5. His message (61:1-2). 6. His specific ministry to Gentiles (9:1-2). 7. His gracious ministry to all (42:2-3). 8. His suffering and death (50:6; 52:14; 53:1-10). 9. His resurrection, ascension, and exaltation (52:13; 53:10-12). 10. His millennial reign (9:7; 42:4-7; 59:16-21; 11:3-5; 49:1-12; 32:1; 33:22).

-Dr. Tom Wallace

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