One of several layered holistic literary structures of the Book of Isaiah—one based on Egyptian narrative patterns—divides the book into Trouble at Home (Isaiah 1–39), Exile Abroad (Isaiah 40–54), and Happy Homecoming (Isaiah 55–66). These three different historical settings, rather than being grounds for multiple authors of the Book of Isaiah, demonstrate its literary integrity and show it to be the work of a single author, a prophet–poet who saw to the end of time. Coinciding with this literary division, Israel appears as a national entity in Isaiah 1–39, as a universal entity in Isaiah 40–54, and as an entity comprised of certain individuals in Isaiah 55–66.
It is a national Israel—Israel still in its homeland—that finds itself in trouble for breaking the terms of God’s covenant. Israel’s exile abroad occurs as a consequence of its apostasy. However, all is not lost. Dispersion among and assimilation into the nations of the world has the effect of refining God’s people and renewing their cognizance of Israel’s spiritual heritage. Additionally, it provides a chance for the nations of the world to enter into God’s covenant together with Israel’s natural lineages. In the end, those who return and reconstitute a new nation of Israel called Zion consist of righteous individuals who come out of all nations, kindreds, and peoples.
See more here and here
Study more in-depth
Excerpt - Apocalyptic Commentary of the Book of Isaiah by Avraham Gileadi, Ph.D.
1:3 The ox knows its owner, the ass its master’s stall, but Israel does not know; my people are insensible.
Israel . . . my people. We learn from Isaiah’s multi-layered literary structures that Isaiah speaks on two distinct levels simultaneously, and that the “Israel” he addresses, therefore, is primarily two: (1) those who were Jehovah’s covenant people anciently; and (2) those who are Jehovah’s covenant people in the end-time. Accordingly, Isaiah’s linear structures enable us to read his prophecy as relating to Israel’s past, while his synchronous structures enable us to read it as relating to the end-time. In that end-time context, names such as “Israel” designate those who have covenanted with Israel’s God.
The ox . . . the ass. Whereas the ox is a ritually clean animal—because it divides the hoof and chews the cud (Leviticus 11:3)—the ass is not. Such dual imagery of beasts at times appears in Isaiah’s writings to represent (1) Israel’s natural or ethnic lineages; and (2) the nations of the Gentiles, or those lineages of Israel that assimilated into the Gentiles after its exile from the Promised Land. In an allegorical but not a contextual sense, therefore, this implies that Jehovah acknowledges a covenant relationship with both Israel’s ethnic lineages and those lineages that assimilated into the Gentiles.
The ox knows . . . Israel does not know. The verb “to know” (yad‘a) is a theological term that expresses an intact covenant relationship—as when Adam “knew” his wife Eve and she conceived and bore a son (Genesis 4:1). Israel’s “not knowing,” on the other hand, implies that Jehovah’s people have broken the covenant with their God or voided their relationship with him (cf. Matthew 7:23). Although righteous individuals among them may come to know Jehovah personally—as he manifests himself to those who love him—in this case most appear unwilling to do what it takes (cf. Matthew 25:12).
My people are insensible. As the negative reflexive verb “insensible” (lo’ hitbonan) (also “undiscerning” or “uncomprehending”) parallels “not knowing” Jehovah—his people’s owner and master—and “not knowing” the stall or institution he provides to feed his people, it connotes a disintegration of their covenant relationship with him and ignorance of spiritual truths. Says Paul, “The things of God no man knows but the Spirit of God” (1 Corinthians 2:11). Unless one obtains the Spirit of God that comes with keeping the law of his covenant, it is impossible to know God or to comprehend his truth.
See more here and here
Buy the book
Israel . . . my people. We learn from Isaiah’s multi-layered literary structures that Isaiah speaks on two distinct levels simultaneously, and that the “Israel” he addresses, therefore, is primarily two: (1) those who were Jehovah’s covenant people anciently; and (2) those who are Jehovah’s covenant people in the end-time. Accordingly, Isaiah’s linear structures enable us to read his prophecy as relating to Israel’s past, while his synchronous structures enable us to read it as relating to the end-time. In that end-time context, names such as “Israel” designate those who have covenanted with Israel’s God.
The ox . . . the ass. Whereas the ox is a ritually clean animal—because it divides the hoof and chews the cud (Leviticus 11:3)—the ass is not. Such dual imagery of beasts at times appears in Isaiah’s writings to represent (1) Israel’s natural or ethnic lineages; and (2) the nations of the Gentiles, or those lineages of Israel that assimilated into the Gentiles after its exile from the Promised Land. In an allegorical but not a contextual sense, therefore, this implies that Jehovah acknowledges a covenant relationship with both Israel’s ethnic lineages and those lineages that assimilated into the Gentiles.
The ox knows . . . Israel does not know. The verb “to know” (yad‘a) is a theological term that expresses an intact covenant relationship—as when Adam “knew” his wife Eve and she conceived and bore a son (Genesis 4:1). Israel’s “not knowing,” on the other hand, implies that Jehovah’s people have broken the covenant with their God or voided their relationship with him (cf. Matthew 7:23). Although righteous individuals among them may come to know Jehovah personally—as he manifests himself to those who love him—in this case most appear unwilling to do what it takes (cf. Matthew 25:12).
My people are insensible. As the negative reflexive verb “insensible” (lo’ hitbonan) (also “undiscerning” or “uncomprehending”) parallels “not knowing” Jehovah—his people’s owner and master—and “not knowing” the stall or institution he provides to feed his people, it connotes a disintegration of their covenant relationship with him and ignorance of spiritual truths. Says Paul, “The things of God no man knows but the Spirit of God” (1 Corinthians 2:11). Unless one obtains the Spirit of God that comes with keeping the law of his covenant, it is impossible to know God or to comprehend his truth.
Buy the book
Key Words for Isaiah Believers
Word Links: Repeated terms, intentionally embedded in a text, that connect ideas and contexts and elucidate their message and meaning.
The King of Assyria/Babylon—An Antichrist
Isaiah’s version of an end-time Antichrist is the king of Assyria/Babylon, whom Isaiah portrays as a composite of types. That is, he combines several precedents of ancient tyrannical rulers to project a single end-time one—an all-time archtyrant. Setting a precedent for world conquerors from the North are the kings of Assyria (Isaiah 10:5–14; 37:18, 21–27). To that type, Isaiah adds the “king of Babylon,” perhaps the same world conqueror from the North but one who styles himself as a demi-god and exemplifies Babylon’s idolatrous ideology (Isaiah 14:3–21; 47:1–8). Because of the loyalty of God’s righteous people, however, the archtyrant perishes in the end.
Thus, Isaiah predicts that in that day those who survive destruction will rejoice: “How the tyrant has met his end and tyranny ceased! Jehovah has broken the staff of the wicked, the rod of those who ruled—him who with unerring blows struck down the nations in anger, who subdued peoples in his wrath by relentless oppression. Now the whole earth is at rest and at peace; there is jubilant celebration!” (Isaiah 14:4–7); “Those who catch sight of you stare at you, wondering, ‘Is this the man who made the earth shake and kingdoms quake, who turned the world into a wilderness, demolishing its cities, permitting not his captives to return home?’” (Isaiah 14:16–17).
See more here and here
Study more in-depth
Thus, Isaiah predicts that in that day those who survive destruction will rejoice: “How the tyrant has met his end and tyranny ceased! Jehovah has broken the staff of the wicked, the rod of those who ruled—him who with unerring blows struck down the nations in anger, who subdued peoples in his wrath by relentless oppression. Now the whole earth is at rest and at peace; there is jubilant celebration!” (Isaiah 14:4–7); “Those who catch sight of you stare at you, wondering, ‘Is this the man who made the earth shake and kingdoms quake, who turned the world into a wilderness, demolishing its cities, permitting not his captives to return home?’” (Isaiah 14:16–17).
See more here and here
Study more in-depth
Excerpt - Apocalyptic Commentary of the Book of Isaiah by Avraham Gileadi, Ph.D.
62:10–11 Pass on, go through gates; prepare the way for the people! Excavate, pave a highway cleared of stones; raise the ensign to the nations! Jehovah has made proclamation to the end of the earth: Tell the Daughter of Zion, See, your Salvation comes, his reward with him, his work preceding him.
As Jehovah’s raising his ensign to the nations takes effect and those who repent return in the new exodus to Zion (Isaiah 11:10–12, 15–16; 18:3; 49:22), Jehovah comes to dwell there (Isaiah 12:1–6; 40:10–11; 59:20). The servant’s “work”—of preparing the way of holiness among them (Isaiah 35:8–10; 40:3–5; 49:11–12)—leads to Jehovah’s “rewarding” them at his coming (Isaiah 35:4; 40:10; 61:8). Those who fail to repent, on the other hand—common “stones” that clutter the ground (Isaiah 5:2; 45:9; 57:14)—are cut off from being Jehovah’s people (Isaiah 48:18–19; 50:10–11; 65:11–12).
Parallel depictions of “the Daughter of Zion” and “the end of the earth” signify that at the time Jehovah raises up his servant or “ensign to the nations” to announce his coming and to gather his people (Isaiah 11:10–12; 49:22; 52:7) many are scattered to the ends of the earth. Jehovah’s descent phase of atoning for humanity’s transgressions—(1) on the model of a vassal who answers for the disloyalties of his people to the emperor; and (2) in the pattern of an animal’s sacrifice for sin (Isaiah 43:12, 25; 44:22; 53:4–10)—now bears fruit as he comes as the personification of salvation in his ascent phase.
62:12 They shall be called the holy people, the redeemed of Jehovah; and you shall be known as in demand, a city never deserted.
Parallelism of “the redeemed of Jehovah” and “the holy people” shows that the redemption of Jehovah’s people isn’t complete until they emulate his holiness. Only then does the Holy One of Israel, their Redeemer (Isaiah 41:14; 47:4; 48:17; 54:5), bring to fruition his redemptive work among them. To that end, the covenants he made with them from the beginning—the Sinai, Davidic, and Abrahamic Covenants—provide successive vehicles through which his people and individuals may attain greater degrees of holiness and ascend to higher spiritual categories (Isaiah 4:2–3; 24:16; 52:1–2, 13; 60:14).
See more here and here
Buy the book
As Jehovah’s raising his ensign to the nations takes effect and those who repent return in the new exodus to Zion (Isaiah 11:10–12, 15–16; 18:3; 49:22), Jehovah comes to dwell there (Isaiah 12:1–6; 40:10–11; 59:20). The servant’s “work”—of preparing the way of holiness among them (Isaiah 35:8–10; 40:3–5; 49:11–12)—leads to Jehovah’s “rewarding” them at his coming (Isaiah 35:4; 40:10; 61:8). Those who fail to repent, on the other hand—common “stones” that clutter the ground (Isaiah 5:2; 45:9; 57:14)—are cut off from being Jehovah’s people (Isaiah 48:18–19; 50:10–11; 65:11–12).
Parallel depictions of “the Daughter of Zion” and “the end of the earth” signify that at the time Jehovah raises up his servant or “ensign to the nations” to announce his coming and to gather his people (Isaiah 11:10–12; 49:22; 52:7) many are scattered to the ends of the earth. Jehovah’s descent phase of atoning for humanity’s transgressions—(1) on the model of a vassal who answers for the disloyalties of his people to the emperor; and (2) in the pattern of an animal’s sacrifice for sin (Isaiah 43:12, 25; 44:22; 53:4–10)—now bears fruit as he comes as the personification of salvation in his ascent phase.
62:12 They shall be called the holy people, the redeemed of Jehovah; and you shall be known as in demand, a city never deserted.
Parallelism of “the redeemed of Jehovah” and “the holy people” shows that the redemption of Jehovah’s people isn’t complete until they emulate his holiness. Only then does the Holy One of Israel, their Redeemer (Isaiah 41:14; 47:4; 48:17; 54:5), bring to fruition his redemptive work among them. To that end, the covenants he made with them from the beginning—the Sinai, Davidic, and Abrahamic Covenants—provide successive vehicles through which his people and individuals may attain greater degrees of holiness and ascend to higher spiritual categories (Isaiah 4:2–3; 24:16; 52:1–2, 13; 60:14).
See more here and here
Buy the book
Key Words for Isaiah Believers
Earth: The place where humanity lives presently that is destined to experience two transformations, the first paradisiacal, the second celestial.
The Terms “Servant” and “Son” Mean Vassal
Much of our understanding of covenant relationships with God comes from ancient Near Eastern parallels of covenants between emperors and vassal kings. Under the terms of those covenants, a “servant” or “son” identifies a “vassal” to an emperor. As the prophets use this model to define God’s covenants with Israel and with Israel’s kings, we can learn much about how God’s covenants work by comparing them with their ancient Near Eastern counterparts. When the disloyal Jewish King Ahaz, for example, seeks to establish a covenant relationship with the Assyrian emperor Tiglath Pileser, he calls himself the emperor’s “servant” and “son” (2 Kings 16:7).
Although the terms “servant” and “son” both mean “vassal,” an emphasis on the term “son” suggests that a covenant relationship has become unconditional. In other words, after a vassal proves exceedingly loyal to an emperor, the emperor legally adopts him as his own “son.” The vassal’s privileges under the covenant then become “everlasting.” In that light, the goal of covenant keeping with Israel’s God is to prove loyal under all conditions with which he may test his “servant.” Only then does the covenant—whether with his people as a nation or with individuals—become unconditional. Only then do its blessings and privileges become “everlasting.”
See more here and here
Study more in-depth
Although the terms “servant” and “son” both mean “vassal,” an emphasis on the term “son” suggests that a covenant relationship has become unconditional. In other words, after a vassal proves exceedingly loyal to an emperor, the emperor legally adopts him as his own “son.” The vassal’s privileges under the covenant then become “everlasting.” In that light, the goal of covenant keeping with Israel’s God is to prove loyal under all conditions with which he may test his “servant.” Only then does the covenant—whether with his people as a nation or with individuals—become unconditional. Only then do its blessings and privileges become “everlasting.”
See more here and here
Study more in-depth
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)