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Great Messianic Reading in Isaiah 9 thru 12
Great Messianic Reading in Isaiah 9 thru 12
John wrote concerning Isaiah: "These things Isaiah said because he saw His glory, and he spoke of Him" (John 12:41).
The difficulty in reading Isaiah is simply that he jumps from his time and the threats of neighboring nations to the better times that would come under the Messiah. Chapter one begins the book with announcement of punishment and then transitions to 'the last days' and the glorious time of the Messiah when the mountain of the Lord's house would be exalted and all nations would be drawn to the house of the Lord.
The last half of chapter two and chapter three return to the dark days of punishment only to be followed with the promise of chapter 4. Chapter five returns to explain the reason for God punishing Israel and is followed with the glorious scene of Isaiah's vision of the LORD.
As you start chapter 7, Isaiah announces that God will NOT use Syria / Israel to punish Judah and offers to provide any sign that Ahaz would request. Upon the refusal of Ahaz to ask for one, God promises a child to be born (cp. Matt. 1:23). Then Isaiah continues announcing the dark days to come upon Judah, continuing thru the end of chapter 8.
These dark days would be followed with the light of the Messiah. Such would come in the North (Naphtali and Zebulon), just as the destruction had come from the North. The NT connects this with the fact that Jesus lived and preached in Galilee (Matt 4:16; Luke 1:79;). Isaiah goes on to speak of this coming King: his great character and his successful kingdom.
"For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this" (Isaiah 9:6–7). THEN, again returns to the days of punishment upon Israel (9:8ff).
Isaiah turns to God's use of Assyria and the punishment to follow the Assyrian. God indeed used Assyria and destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel in 722, but then it was itself destroyed as God raised up Babylon (chapter 44-45). Isaiah then speaks of the salvation to come to the remnant of God's people. While such at first appears to happen with the return from the Babylonian captivity in 536, Paul attaches this to the small portion of Jews that turned and followed Jesus the Christ (Rom. 9:27-28).
God would cut down 'the tree of David', leaving only the 'stump of Jesse', but out of this stump would arise the righteous branch. His great wisdom and righteousness would cause his reign to prosper and would produce great peace within his kingdom.
Under Jesus, we are told that believers would have tribulation in the world but would find peace in Him. Under Him, the ancient enemies of the Jews and the gentiles would become reconciled and live in peace with each other (see Eph. 2). Such is again tied to the remnant that would be restored unto God.
With this announcement of the rise and success of the Messiah's kingdom, Isaiah shows that these people would break forth in praise unto the LORD (Isa. 12).
While keeping all of this jumping around straight is difficult, let the NT quotation and application of the various passages guide you. Truly, Isaiah spoke of Jesus, let us rejoice in our great savior.
Hugh DeLong
