A summary of the book of Isaiah as recorded in ‘The Bible Brief’ Bible summary book
Without doubt Isaiah can be regarded as one of the Giants amongst the Major prophets of the Bible. As such this simple outline of the book of Isaiah in no way covers his ministry – nor is it intended to do so!
To get a true feeling for Isaiah and his ministry amongst the Israelites I would recommend one source – The Bible 🙂
That said – here is a brief summary of the book of Isaiah as extracted from the book ( with full permission) ‘The Bible Brief’‘.
When: Isaiah Time Period
700 – 680 B.C.
Who: Main Character
Isaiah the Prophet (Ch.1:1)
People & Places In Isaiah:
Isaiah; Hezekiah; Cyrus
Judah; Jerusalem; Israel; Moab; Philistia; Assyria; Babylon
Notable Passages in Isaiah:
“Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord,
“Though your sins are as scarlet, They will be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They will be like wool. (Ch.1:18)
For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders; (Ch.9:6)
But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. (Ch.53:5)
The Messianic Link In Isaiah:
The Messiah is typified in the ‘Suffering Servant’ passages.
He is born of a virgin (Ch.7:14)
He would be God and man. (Ch.9:6)
Messiah would heal the sick. (Ch.35:5-6)
He would be rejected by the Jews. (Ch.49:7)
He would be whipped and scourged. (Ch.50:6)
Messiah would be the perfect sacrifice. (Ch.53)
Isaiah Summary:
- Isaiah the Prophets is called by God to preach repentance to the Israelites
- The Israelites are a ‘stubborn people’ and refuse to repent
- Isaiah preaches the coming of a future Messiah who will be called Emanuel
- Ultimately God’s people will be restored after a period of Judgement
Isaiah the Prophet spoke mainly to the people of Judah and the message was mostly to ‘repent’ and turn from their wicked ways that the Lord might bless them yet again. God has tried to reason with them, but they are a ‘stubborn people’ Isaiah gets his commission in chapter 6 when God asks whom he will send; and Isaiah volunteers (Ch.6:8).
Isaiah is particularly concerned or focused on the coming of the Messiah, a savior who will also be a ‘light unto the nations’ (Ch.42:6).
Throughout this book, Isaiah rages against hypocrisy and the double-dealings of those who would claim to be ‘religious’ and God-fearing; warning that the Judgment of God is about to descend upon them with a ‘consuming fire’ (Ch.30:30,33) unless they repent from their ways.
Notes & Quotes:
It’s fair to say I think that the Prophet Isaiah is one of the ‘giants’ amongst the Bible Prophets. In today’s world he would probably have his own TV show! In fact even in his own day, he was a man widely recognized as being a force to be reckoned with and a definite ‘conduit’ between man and his Creator; when he spoke, people listened.
One of the main themes throughout this book apart from repentance, is the prophecies concerning the coming Messiah. From his lowly birth (Chs.7,9) to the fact that he would suffer an ignominious death on a cross (Ch.53), thus making himself the perfect sacrifice for mankind’s sins; it is all written in graphic detail throughout the book of Isaiah.