Scripture Reading: Isa. 1:1; 2:1, 2:2-5; 13:1; 15:1; 43:3; 49:6, 49:26; 9:1-7, 9:6; 7:14; 4:2; 53:2-3, 53:7-12; 42:1-4; 52:13; 40:10; 64:1; 12:2-3; 11:6-9; 35:1-10; 30:26; 65:17
The book of Isaiah is the first of the books of the prophets. Isaiah's ministry, which began in 760 B.C., lasted more than sixty years. He served four generations of kings. History tells us that he was martyred in a very cruel way by being sawn in two (Heb. 11:37). He was utterly faithful.
Isaiah's prophecy has a spiritual essence, and the essence is this: The Christ processed for the divine purposes being the centrality and the universality of the great wheel of the move of the Divine Trinity for the divine dispensing of Himself into His elect. Although the term great wheel cannot be found in Isaiah, this book does in fact speak of the great wheel of the move of the Divine Trinity. Each of the books of prophecy unveils a part of God's universal move. Whereas Ezekiel uses the word wheel to describe God's universal move on earth for the fulfillment of His eternal economy (Ezek. 1:15), Isaiah takes the lead to prophesy concerning God's move.
The book of Isaiah is full of the aspects of God's eternal economy. This book shows us how God, for the fulfillment of His eternal economy, has chosen a people, Israel, to be His elect and His beloved. Around Israel are the Gentile nations. In a sense, Israel has been chosen by God, and the nations have been set aside by Him. Nevertheless, in His move God cannot neglect the nations. Therefore, both Israel, God's chosen and beloved people, and the nations are very much involved in Isaiah's prophecy.
It is not easy for us to know any book of the Bible. In the New Testament, the most difficult book to enter into and to understand is Ephesians. In the Old Testament, the most difficult book to enter into and to understand is Isaiah. As a book concerning God's economy, Isaiah has its appearance, contents, and depths. Furthermore, this book involves God's dealing with many nations for a definite purpose. Thus, it is hard for us to enter into this book.
The book of Isaiah, which has sixty-six chapters, is a representative of the Bible, which has sixty-six books. In these messages on the book of Isaiah, we will not cover this book chapter by chapter and verse by verse, for this would lead us into a "forest." We will cover Isaiah in the way of a life-study, not for knowledge or theology but for life.
The best way to study Isaiah is to learn the secret and mysterious points of this book. Many of these secret points are related to Christ. Every aspect of what Christ is and of what He has done, is doing, and will do involves a secret. Some of these secrets are in Isaiah 7:14 and 9:6; others are in chapter fifty-three. In this book, there are secrets even concerning Babylon. When we get into all the secret and mysterious points in Isaiah, the whole book is open to us.
The book of Isaiah, in its content concerning God's eternal economy in Christ, is the leading book among all the books of the prophets. This book is the vision which Isaiah saw (1:1), the word which Isaiah saw (2:1), and the burden which Isaiah saw (13:1; 15:1). The vision, word, and burden in Isaiah are concerned with God's eternal economy in Christ, which is thoroughly covered in this book.
The subject of the book of Isaiah is the salvation of Jehovah through the incarnated, crucified, resurrected, ascended, and coming Christ. This is not merely God's salvation; it is the salvation of Jehovah, that is, the salvation of the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. This is full salvation, entire salvation.
The content of Isaiah is this: God's dealing in love with His beloved Israel and His righteous judgment upon the nations bring in Christ, the Savior (43:3; 49:26), who is God (9:6) incarnated to be a man (7:14), possessing both the divine and human natures (4:2), living on this earth (53:2-3; 42:1-4), crucified (53:7-10a,12), resurrected (53:10b-11), ascended (52:13), and coming (40:10; 64:1) to meet the need of God's chosen people and the nations (9:1-7; 49:6) in God's all-inclusive salvation (12:2-3), that the restoration of all things (2:2-5; 11:6-9; 35:1-10; 30:26) may be brought in, which will consummate in the new heaven and new earth for eternity (65:17). Hence, the content of Isaiah covers God's entire economy of the New Testament, from the incarnation to the new heaven and new earth, with the Old Testament background of God's dealing with Israel and His judgment upon the nations.
The central thought of Isaiah is: Christ is God incarnated in humanity to be the Savior of man, that all the God-created universe, which is fallen, might be restored and consummate in the new heaven and new earth for eternity. This book, like the New Testament, covers from beginning to end all the things God has ordained according to His economy. The beginning is the incarnation, and the end is the new heaven and new earth. The New Testament begins with Christ's incarnation and birth and ends with the new heaven and new earth. Since Isaiah covers the same matters, we see once again that the book of Isaiah is the representative of the entire Bible, especially of the New Testament.
The book of Isaiah has five sections.
The first section, covering the first twelve chapters, is the salvation of Jehovah to His beloved people and to the nations.
The second section covers chapters thirteen through twenty-three. This section is concerned with the judgment of Jehovah upon the nations unveiling Satan's oneness with the nations, showing Jehovah's sovereign rule over the nations, benefiting Jehovah's beloved Israel, and providing the wonderful Christ as the Savior to meet the need of the beloved Israel and the judged nations. This section reveals that the action of God in His economy first will benefit Israel and then will bring in the wonderful Christ to meet the need of every situation. By accomplishing God's economy, Christ will meet God's need, and in His salvation He will meet man's need. We should keep these points in mind as we read Isaiah.
Chapters twenty-four through thirty-five reveal that Jehovah's dealing with His beloved Israel issues in Israel's revival and return to God and ushers in Christ with the restoration of all things.
In the fourth section (chs. 36—39) we have an example (King Hezekiah) of seeking after Jehovah and trusting in Him.
The last section (chs. 40—66) concerns the Servant of Jehovah and the salvation brought in by Him to Israel and the nations, with the restoration of all things, consummating in the new heaven and new earth.
