Isaiah’s Call• Isaiah’s call is a first person account of a

vision from God (Leclerc 166). • It happened in the year King Uzziah died,

742 BC, the earliest datable event in the book (Leclerc 166).

• While he was in the temple, he had a vision where a seraphim touched his lips with ash from the altar. (Zucker 70).

• Isaiah is first doubtful of his own abilities, but accepts willingly and enthusiastically despite knowing that his warnings will likely go unheeded (BibleEncyclopedia.org)

“In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him were seraphs, each

with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying” (Isaiah 6: 1-2).

Isaiah’s Mission• His mission was similar to that of other prophets: to preach against the wrongs of society

and because of this his messages “shaped prophetic vision”. (JewishVirtualLibrary.org)

• During his time the people were losing faith in God’s power to protect them from the Assyrians and replacing that faith in alliances with foreign nations, so he was instructed to tell them to have faith (JewishVirtualLibrary.org)

• In Isaiah 6, God says the people had grown unfaithful and “calloused” and needed to be reminded of their wrongs and warned, yet God knew many would still not listen (Isaiah6)

• “He said, "Go and tell this people:        " 'Be ever hearing, but never understanding;        be ever seeing, but never perceiving” (Isaiah 6: 9).

A Brief Overview of Isaiah’s Message•Most Universal (JewishVirtualLibrary.org)•Most referenced in the New Testament

and in modern studies (JewishVirtualLibrary.org)

•4 main messages (Leclerc181-184)•General Message: The people will be

punished for their sins, but there will be hope for the future.

Isaiah’s Message 1: Social Justice

•Justice is only achieved when people work together as a whole. “The scope of justice is not limited to legal concerns or economic oppression or social neglect […], It is all these things, the legal , economic , social and moral life of individuals, classes of individuals and society as a whole all fall within Isaiah’s understanding of justice“ (Leclerc 181).

•During Isaiah’s time the poor were oppressed by the wealthy classes. Yet Isaiah is believed to have been born into a wealthy family. (JewishVirtualLibrary.org)

•Isaiah shows willingness to condemn his own class and advocate and assist the oppressed poor, setting an example of his dedication.

“Seek justice,        encourage the oppressed.       Defend the

cause of the fatherless, 

       plead the case of the

widow” (Isaiah 1: 17).

•Isaiah was also sent to remind the people that God was and is their one true ruler. The people of Isaiah’s time

were beginning to be controlled by foreign nations. (Leclerc 182)

•The people had also put the power of their nations into the kings, who were, by Isaiah’s time, beginning to fail them (JewishVirtualLibrary.org)

•Connection: Isaiah’s message mirrors Samuel’s message in that

they both proclaim that the people of Israel, or in Isaiah’s case, Judah, were

straying from God’s leadership.

“O LORD, our God, other lords besides you have ruled over

us,        but your name alone do we honor”

(Isaiah 26: 13).

Since the People were beginning to lose faith in God and began putting it into other nations, one of Isaiah’s main messages was a renewal of

faith in God (Leclerc 182).

Isaiah was the most political prophet in that he spoke against

specific political moves made by the kings. “Every earthly attempt to alter the course of events was foredoomed, since the mighty

Assyria was no more than a “rod” in God’s hands with which to punish

the sins of Jerusalem” (JewishVirtualLibrary.org).

Isaiah spoke specifically against King Hezekiah’s alliance with Egypt, which he made as a result of lack of

trust in the Lord’s saving power. (JewishVirtualLibrary.org)

“If you do not stand firm in your faith, 

       you will not stand at all.” (Isaiah 7: 7)

Isaiah is often considered the “Fifth Gospel -> the message contains many messianic prophecies (Leclerc 167).

While his message is similar to the other prophets, Isaiah’s is unique in that it gives a positive view of the future (Zucker 67).

When judgment comes -> something will be left (Leclerc167).

“The people will be punished for wrongdoing, but in the end, a remnant shall be saved and Jerusalem shall stand. Further, teaches Isaiah, the future will eventually be peaceful” (Zucker 67).

"Be strong, do not fear;        your God will come, 

       he will come with vengeance; 

       with divine retribution        he will come to save

you.“ (Isaiah 35: 4)

“Isaiah.” Bible Encyclopedia Online. Web. 02 February2010.<http://www.bibleencyclopedia.com/isaiah.htm>.

“Isaiah.” Jewish Virtual Library. Web. 03 February 2010.<http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/ Isaiah>.

“Isaiah, Prophet of Zion.” Leclerc, Thomas L. Intro to the Prophets. Mahwah: Paulist Press, 2007.162-85. Print.

“Isaiah: Verses 1-39 New International Version.”Bible Gateway. Web. 17 February 2010. <http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%201- 39&version=NIV>.

Zucker, David. Israel’s Prophets. Mahwah: Paulist Press, 1994. 65-9. Print.

First Isaiah

BiographyBiography “The name Isaiah means ‘Jehovah saves’ or ‘Jehovah

is salvation.’” (BibleCentre.org)

Was called to be a prophet in 742 B.C. (Britannica Online)

Isaiah lived before Christ was born. (BibleCentre.org)

His father’s name was Amoz. He was married and had two sons. (BibleCentre,org)

He saw himself as “a teacher of the Torah.” (Web.Archive)

BiographyBiography His family was believed to be of

some higher rank like aristocrats.(Biblos)

He was allegedly a court preacher and lived in Jerusalem. (Biblos)

Isaiah had a vision from God that lead him to becoming a prophet. (Britannica Online)

Lived to be very old, and was a messenger of God for 70 years. (BibleCentre.org)

Historical ContextHistorical Context Uzziah, Ahaz, and Hezekiah

were all kings during the time of Isaiah. (Web.Archive)

King Uzziah was a good king and worshipped God, but he didn’t stop others from worshipping other Gods. (BibleCentre.org)

At the time, Assyria was starting to expand. (Britannica Online).

Historical ContextHistorical Context Isaiah’s vision from God lead him to

warn the people that if they didn’t change their ways they would be punished. (Britannica Online)

Assyria became a threat to Judah, and when King Hezekiah joined an anti-Assyrian group lead Assyria to invade. (Web. Archive)

Isaiah tried to prevent this, but the king wouldn’t listen, which eventually lead to Judah’s low point in time. (Web. Archive)

Work CitedWork Cited “Isaiah.” Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Web. 3 February

2010. http://www.search.eb.com/eb/article-9042859

“Isaiah.” Web. Archive. Web. 4 February 2010. http://web.archive.org/web/20080502064613/http://www.hope.edu/bandstra/RTOT/CH10/CH10_TC.HTM

“Isaiah.” Biblos. Web. 28 January 2010. http://www.bibleencyclopedia.com/Isaiah.htm

“The Prophet Isaiah.” Biblecentre.org. Web. 29 January 2010. http://biblecentre.org/commentaries/acg_27_isaiah.htm

The International Student Bible For Catholics. Thomas Nelson Inc. 1999. Washington D.C. Print.

Symbolism in Symbolism in Language and VisionsLanguage and Visions

“A Shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.” (Isaiah 11:1)

• In this verse from Isaiah the prophet speaks of a stump that will come from the blood line of Jesse (David’s father).

• This stump will be the Messiah (Jesus Christ). (Clifford 286)• The Messiah (Jesus) will be born from the lineage of King David.

“The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him-the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,the Spirit of counsel and of power,the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD” (Isaiah 11:2)

• With the Holy Spirit dwelling within the savior, the Messiah will be blessed with both wisdom and power to lead his people as a king.

“but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.” (Isaiah 11:4)

• The Messiah with judge everyone and through his judgment will come a new kingdom, a kingdom that will last forever.

• The king will not judge his people by “human standards” but instead on divine justice.

“When you spread out your hands in prayer,I will hide my eyes from you;even if you offer many prayers,I will not listen.Your hands are full of blood;”

• In this passage the hands that are full of blood symbolize the sins of the people. The Israelites have turned their backs on God for so long that He has stopped answering their prayers. Now that the Lord has stopped answering prayers their hands are dripping with sins that have not been forgiven. (web.archive.org)

“The mighty man will become tinderand his work a spark;both will burn together,with no one to quench the fire.” (Isaiah 1:31)

• Isaiah is speaking of the destruction of Israel in the passage, the use of fire symbolizes both the burning of cities and the cleansing of sins after the destruction.

• Although Isaiah’s symbolism for the most part is focused on blood and destruction it does also incorporate messianic prophecies and the garden of God. - Isaiah speaks of the “garden of God” and “divine mountain.” This language was used by the prophet because of strong cultic traditions of that time period. (Cemsko)

• Isaiah titles God as “Lord of Hosts” this title shows ownership over humans at such a level that it can only be divine. - Isaiah portrays God as a kingly figure ruling over his earthly kingdom from a throne on the top of Mount Zion, where He lives forever.

Work Cited• Cemsko, Anthony R. Introduction to the Old Testament: A Liberation Perspective.

Print.• Clifford, Richard J. "The Major Prophets, Baruch, adn Lamentations." The Catholic

Study Bible. 280-95. Print.• "First Isaiah of Jerusalem." Web. 3 Feb. 2010.

<http://web.archive.org/web/20080502064613/http:/www.hope.edu/bandstra/RTOT/CH10_TC.HTM>.