Why the Book of Isaiah is important:

The following is a preliminary draft.

The prophet Isaiah prophesied of the future disaster of the southern kingdom of Judah because of their many sins, as well as predicting the fate of foreign nations surrounding Israel.  He advocated reliance upon God instead of making alliances with other nations.

He advocated the establishment of a rule of justice and righteousness, and he prophesied about the eventual restoration of Israel, the extension of God's justice upon other nations, a new age of prosperity, and the future coming of the servant of the Lord who would bring an era of great peace and happiness to the people of Israel.

The purpose of the book was to call Judah back to faithfulness and to declare the coming Messiah.  God called and commissioned His prophet to declare condemnation to Judah and Israel, but ultimately great hope.

Chapters 1-6 Isaiah decried the sins of both the northern and southern kingdoms and pronounced severe punishment to come upon them and all neighboring nations around them. He said, wash yourselves. Make yourselves clean. Remove the evil of your deeds and cease to do evil.

In Isaiah's first vision, he saw the holiness and majesty of God, the corruption of those around him, the certainty of judgment on the wicked, the blessing on those whose lives were approved by God, and the salvation of a remnant that would become part of a new Israel.

He pressed for righteousness in every sphere of life and he endeavored to make religious worship, commerce, and politics pure and acceptable to God.

Chapters 7-12 Isaiah foretold of God's coming judgments on the kings of Israel and the nation of Israel. Through the wrath of the Lord of hosts the land would be darkened. He also proclaimed great hope of a coming Savior, saying: The Lord Himself will give you a sign. Behold, a virgin will be with child and will bear a son and she will call His name Immanuel.

Chapters 13-23 Isaiah prophesied against foreign nations including the overthrow of Sennacherib and disasters to overtake Babylon, Damascus, Egypt, Moab, and Idumea.

Chapters 24-27 describe God's judgment of the world and the eventual triumph of God's people.

Chapters 30-32 describe Judah's relation to Egypt and Assyria.

Chapters 33-39 describe a great deliverance of Jerusalem.

Chapters 40-55 Isaiah prophesied of the return and restoration of Israel after the exile from Babylon. He repeatedly proclaimed of God: There is no God beside me. He also foretold of a coming Messiah who would bring new life through His death:

He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth. Like a lamb that is led to slaughter and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, He did not open His mouth.

Chapters 56-66 Isaiah foretold of the restoration of Zion and a future Messianic Kingdom. He described a future new heavens and earth that would be a great reward for all who would trust and obey God. He proclaimed hope for the afflicted and judgment for evil, saying: Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered nor come to mind.

View an index of Old Testament books