BIBLE SURVEY - ISAIAH

"All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all." Isaiah 53:6
 
The Bible in a Nutshell
Isaiah is a mini-Bible in structure. Like the Bible, Isaiah has 66 chapters in two main sections. 39 chapters in the first section (like the Old Testament) and 27 in the second section (like the New Testament). The message of the first 39 chapters of Isaiah summarizes the message of the Old Testament. The message of the last 27 chapters of Isaiah summarizes the message of the New Testament.
 
Dealing with Sin
The Old Testament opens with God's case against man because of his sin. Isaiah opens the same way. "Come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Isaiah 1:18
 
The Coming King
The first section closes with a prophecy of the coming King of righteousness and the Redemption of Israel, just as the prophets close the Old Testament with predictions of His coming Kingdom. "But to you who fear My Name, the Son of righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings…" Malachi 4:2
 
Prepare the Way
Isaiah is a Messianic Book. The second part of Isaiah, starting with chapter 40, begins with "Comfort, yes, comfort, My people! Says Your God… the voice of one crying in the wilderness; prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted and every mountain and hill brought low; the crooked places shall be made straight and the rough places smooth; the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together…" Isaiah 40:1-5. These are the very words used by John the Baptist at the beginning of the New Testament (Matthew 3:1-3).

Read More