Who is the Prophet Isaiah - Research Paper Example

? Table of Contents Introduction 3 The Prophet’s Life 5 The Book of Isaiah – Composition and Structure 7 The Prophet’s Vision 10 The First Isaiah 11 The Second Isaiah 15 Messianic Signs 18 Conclusion 20 Bibliography 21 Introduction As Bullock points out, the long reigns of Jeroboam II (793-753 B.C.) and Uzziah (792-740 B.C.) in Israel and Judah respectively, along with the half-century long Assyrian weakness, had brought about a period of prosperity and relative peace for both nations1. Within a year of the death of Jeroboam II, however, the Jehu dynasty in the Northern Kingdom of Israel had come to an end and times of insecurity set in2. Despite the greater sense of stability due to the Davidic dynasty in Judah, the spiritual and social problems that shook both Judah and Israel, including the deep socioeconomic divide, seemed pretty much identical3. As though to multiply the Israelite woes, Tiglath-pileser III, who had gained the throne of Assyria, turned his attention westwards soon after stabilizing his rule in the East4. Consequently, the Northern Kingdom sank into an abject vassalage to the Assyrian empire5, and in 722 B.C., Tiglath-pileser’s successor, Sargon II, put an end to its existence capturing the capital city Samaria. Insofar as the Hebrew prophets, as witnesses of God’s vital concerns6, had generally spoken to the people and elites in times of crisis, whether spiritual, moral or political7, their guidance was badly needed by that time. Thus, the Assyrian menace, first posed by Tiglath-pileser III and then by his successors, Shalmaneser V, Sargon II and Sennacherib, was addressed, to a degree or another, by the prophets Amos, Hosea, Isaiah and Micah, while the prophecy of Isaiah particularly reflected the Assyrian invasions of Syria-Palestine8. The moral and religious decay, which according to the prophets constituted the circumstances that led to the end of Israel – the Northern Kingdom – and had grave implications for Judah9, necessitated a source of authority, outside the complacent monarchy and priesthood, that would steer the nation “through the narrow straits of political uncertainty and moral inexactitude”10. This purpose of this paper is to convincingly reconstruct prophet Isaiah’s life and ministry, as found in the Old Testament; as well as to highlight the historical circumstances and divine inspiration that called forth his visions and prophecies. The Prophet’s Life Prophet Isaiah is thought to have lived in Jerusalem throughout most of the second half of the eight century B.C., namely 765-69511. The biographical details about the prophet are found especially in the Book of Isaiah, chapters 6-8, 20, and 36-39, while the historical – political, social and religious – circumstances of his time are thoroughly presented within 2 Kings 15-2012. However, the opening chapter of the Book of Isaiah provides some general information, namely the prophet’s name, the name of his father as well as the historical time13. The prophet’s name, “Yesha’yahu”, means “Yahweh saves” or “helps” and thus, according to Sawyer, enshrines two elements of immense theological significance – ‘yahu’, which stands for the name of Israel’s God, Yahweh, and ‘yesha’, which appears not only in the names of Joshua, Elisha, Hosea and Jesus (Yeshua), but also in the triumphant cry ‘Hosanna’ (save)1415. As for the name of Isaiah’s father, Amoz, due to the similarity between Latin and Greek forms of this name and that of prophet Amos, the latter had been initially mistaken for the father of Isaiah16. Among those, who believed the prophet-shepherd of Tekoa17 to be the father of Isaiah, was St Clement of Alexandria; however, as early as the antiquity there had been voices against that opinion, e.g. St Augustine (354-430 A.D.)18, St Jerome (342-420 A.D.)19, etc. Virtually nothing is known about prophet Isaiah’s ancestry; nevertheless, certain passages from the Book of Isaiah hint at the possibility of notable origin2021. As Souvay points out, a Jewish tradition recorded in the Talmud (Megillah 10b) believed that Isaiah’s father and king Amaziah of Judah (798-769 B.C.) were brothers2223. According to Souvay, Isaiah is thought to have been a citizen of Jerusalem as well as about twenty years of age when he began his ministry, although definite data concerning the exact time of the prophet’s birth is lacking24. Chapters seven and eight of the Book of Isaiah provide evidence that the prophet married a woman styled “prophetess” and had two sons – Maher-shalal-hash-baz (The spoil speeds, the pray hastens) and Shear-jashub (A remnant shell return)25. According to Sawyer, nothing in the book indicates when Isaiah died; however, a Jewish work from the second century A.D., titled ‘The Martyrdom of Isaiah’, assumes that the prophet was put to death under the son of Hezekiah – Manasseh (698-642 B.C.)26. The Book of Isaiah – Composition and Structure Kitchen specifies that the practice to keep accurate records of Hebrew prophets’ words has originated in the necessity for their transmission down through time27. Insofar as “Lord God does nothing, without revealing His secret to His servants the prophets”28, and people’s memory is not that reliable in regard to preserving credible evidence of prophets’ words, it was really important to be kept a permanent record that would be witness to a prophecy’s fulfillment, as well as to refute any false claims29. As a general rule, the act of writing down and gathering the oracles of a prophet had been performed either by the prophet himself or by his disciples late in his life, or after his death30. Thus, the Book of Isaiah contains not only the vision of a prophet, “which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah”31, i.e. in the eight century B.C., but also sayings that, being in the real sense within the prophet’s vision, deal with sixth-century B.C. events, namely Israel’s restoration from the exile3233. According to Sawyer, both parts constitute the “astonishingly virile Isaianic tradition”34, which concentrates the hopes of the Jewish nation on Jerusalem and the House of David, and lays the foundations of the beliefs in Messiah35. Souvay specifies the structure of the canonical book of Isaiah as follows – the first collection (chapters 1-35), which is called “the first Isaiah”, includes oracles and prophecies concerning Judah and Israel, foreign nations, apocalyptic visions, as well as discourses on the relations between Judah and Assyria, and the future of Edom and Israel; while the second collection – chapters 40-65 – styled “the Deutero (or second) Isaiah”, deals with Israel’s restoration from the Exile36. According to Souvay, there is a stretch of historical narrative between the two parts and certain disagreement about the way the prophecies are arranged – whether in chronological or logical order, or a mixture of the two37. Oswalt points out that, prior to the mid-1970s, the scholarly community has widely agreed on three major divisions of the Book of Isaiah, which relate to three different time periods38. According to this opinion, the first division is related to the period between 739 and 700 B.C. and includes chapters 1-39; the second embraces chapters 40-55 and relates to sixth century B.C., namely 545-535, while the third division – chapters 56-66 – is related to the period between 520-500 B.C.39. Following the publication of Childs’s “Introduction to the Old Testament as Scripture” in 1979, the issue of the compositional unity of the book received another interpretation; while Childs argued that the theological unity of the composition has been strengthened at the expense of the historical authenticity40, other scholars are rather skeptical of the basis for this suggestion41. Nevertheless, Childs’s observations are thought to have opened the door for a large number of studies on the issue and, at present, the idea of several independent parts of the book of Isaiah is in eclipse42. Brueggemann, for example, states that the ‘second’ Isaiah, in theological terms, seems “organically derived” from the ‘first’ Isaiah43, while Rendtorff virtually rules out the possibility of an independent existence of the third section of the book44. According to Oswalt, the various parts of the present book, from chapter 1 to chapter 66, are considered to reflect each other, i.e. the later chapters have been written in the light of the former ones while the former chapters in the book appear thematically familiar with the later ones45. Furthermore, the suggestion that the central themes, introduced in the first section of the book of Isaiah, have undergone the necessary development within the next ones seems correct and well sustained46. The Prophet’s Vision As Sawyer points out, the book of Isaiah itself is a “vision”, which goes beyond the immediate historical circumstances; thus, the prophet is thought to have addressed his words not only to the citizens of eighth-century B.C. Jerusalem, but also to the sixth-century Babylonian exiles47 and the next generations. Not surprisingly therefore, according to Sawyer, Isaiah has been known in the earlier Church as “more an evangelist than a prophet”, who has played a unique role in each context – from the times of “Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah”48 to the advent of Christian cult and beyond49. St Jerome, for example, states that the prophet should be considered “an evangelist… because he describes all the mysteries of Christ and the Church so clearly that you would think he is composing a history of what has already happened rather than prophesying about what is to come”50. The First Isaiah Inasmuch as prophet Isaiah’s earthly world comprised the land stretching from Egypt to Assyria and Babylon, and included Israel and their immediate neighbors such as Edom, Moab, and Aram51, the first group of oracles understandably bears on Israel, Judah, the Syro-Ephraimite War, and the Assyrian crisis of the late eighth century B.C. Thus, the first group of oracles, which deal with the Assyrian period when all fortified cities of Judah were taken by Sennacherib and Jerusalem survived by the skin of its teeth, set the scene for rest of the book, or the whole vision, of the prophet – as Sawyer points out, a scene of desolation, disease and despair, in which all hopes are pinned on the city of Jerusalem52. The court-like scene where Israel is accused before God, which is considered a very common rhetorical device in the prophetic literature53, is introduced with the call to “Hear the word of the Lord”54, which, in turn, indicates that what follows is the divine proclamation55; and both heaven and earth are summoned to be witnesses to the charges against Israel56. This approach is believed not only to emphasize the justice of God, but also to provide an opportunity for arguments and appeals; additionally, it introduces another dimension of Isaiah’s visualized map of the universe, namely the heavenly one57. The prophetic denunciation of the people – “Ah, sinful nation, people laden with iniquity, offspring who do evil, children who deal corruptly, who have forsaken the Lord”58, is followed by a vivid picture of almost total destruction – “Your country lies desolate, your cities are burned with fire; in your very presence aliens devour your land”59. Assyria denotes the rod of God’s wrath and the devastation caused by Sennacherib’s invasion stands for God’s punishment on a sinful nation60. As matter of fact, as specified by Sawyer, addressing the evildoers themselves, the prophet had been concerned with the city leaders and notables rather than the ordinary people, which is evident form the reference to “rulers”, “princes”, “judges”, “counselors” and “the nobility”; while the victims were the orphans and the widows61. Thus, the affluence and inequity appeared closely related in eighth-century Jerusalem, and the accumulated wealth seemed to be used for financing foreign soothsayers and idols, drunkenness and perversion of justice62. All these sins and inequities, along with the concomitant arrogance of those in power, became the main focus of Isaiah’s opening prophecy. The gruesome pictures of a hideous, untreated disease63 and a land destroyed by the enemy invasion64 illustrate the dire consequences of the sin, as well as the divine judgment upon those who commit sins; and the 701 B.C. catastrophe is interpreted as punishment on Jerusalem and Judah65. The reference to Sodom and Gomorrah and Genesis 18-19 – “Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom! Listen to the teaching of our God, you people of Gomorrah!”66 – is obviously used to emphasize the enormity of the committed crimes, as well as the fate of the city of Jerusalem, pretty much similar to “the cities of the plain”67. In marked contrast, chapter 37 depicts another situation – having mocked the Living God, Sennacherib suffered a severe blow that “struck down one hundred and eighty-five thousand in the camp of the Assyrians”68 and was “ignominiously’ murdered by his own sons while he was praying to his pagan deity6970. Accordingly, the city of Jerusalem is to be saved by Lord God “for my own sake and for the sake of my servant David”71, and “the surviving remnant of the house of Judah” is promised to “again take root downward, and bear fruit upward”72. Sawyer states that this contrast inter alia is indicative of the way things had really been in 701 B.C. and the way they came to be interpreted later on, under the influence of the national aspirations73. There is certain similarity between Amos and other eighth-century B.C. prophets, and Isaiah, regarding the emphasis on ethical demands, most notably addressing the gap between the acts of worship and the daily life74. The Second Isaiah According to Oswalt, the “servanthood” of God’s people via whom the God’s will for human salvation is revealed to the world, appears the central theme that runs through the book of Isaiah75. While Israel’s inability to trust God prevented them from being what He intends, God has repeatedly demonstrated His supreme trustworthiness throughout the history76. Additionally, all other supports, especially those grounded in other nations or human pride, proved to be a failure, while God is indeed to be trusted: which was clearly signaled by Jerusalem’s narrow escape from the Assyrian conquest and consequent ravages77. On the other hand, Hezekiah’s failure to declare the victory of God to the Babylonians78 demonstrated Judah’s inability to exercise that faith, which, in turn, precipitated the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians79. Thus, the fundamental point addressed by the second Isaiah, namely chapters 40-55, is the possibility of restoration, which is called into question by two factors – the ability of God to restore and His intention to restore80. The Babylonian exile, more than anything else is considered to have raised questions about the character of God81, and Isaiah’s answer to these questions is his genuine and passionate pursuit of the preservation of the community from cynicism and despair, as well as an adamant conviction that life and Israel’s destiny are guided by a true, loving God who sticks firmly to a universal plan of justice82. Thus, answering the questions about God’s character, the second part of the book of Isaiah not only begins with a call to comfort the Lord’s people83, but also continues with a number of assertions – “But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine”84. As Quinn-Miscall points out, most of the speeches in chapters 40-66 are comparatively long and coherent, and many of them sound like the one part of an ongoing conversation and argument85. Once again, a court-like scene is being used, evident in the calls to assemble for a debate or a trial – “Let all the nations gather together, and let the peoples assemble”86, as well as in the declarations that the idols are unable to answer87. “Set forth your case, says the Lord; bring your proofs, says the King of Jacob. Let them bring them, and tell us what is to happen”88 – while the debate is partly with foreign nations and their idols, according to Quinn-Miscall, it’s a backdrop to the main debate with Israel because they are in despair and doubt God’s ability to save them89. Therefore, to counter this despair, God, and the prophet as well, reassert the divine power which is obvious in God’s creation of the world, and even in the foreign king, Cyrus, who appeared the human manifestation of the divine power; just as Assyria (Sennacherib) was the first human manifestation that swept through the land but stopped at Jerusalem’s walls. Babylon (Cyrus), in turn, came next and left the city in ruins – “He (Cyrus) is my shepherd, and he shall carry pout all my purpose”90; so amid the talk of hope and divine redemption, there are echoes of the first Isaiah and their message that human evil and sin, Israel’s in particular, had brought about the disaster91. The themes of choice and decision that determine the people’s division into Lord’s servants and wicked are central in chapters 56-66; the former may include groups of people who are normally excluded from the traditional society, like the foreigners and eunuchs, while the latter include many in Israel92. The demarcation line, however, is set by Lord himself – “Maintain justice, and do what is right, for soon my salvation will come, and my deliverance be revealed”93. Isaiah closes with mixed images of brilliance, abundance and joy94, restoration of Jerusalem and returning prisoners95, as well as with divine wrath and pleas for mercy, a clear distinction between those with and those against the Lord96. Messianic Signs Chapter 7 accounts for one of openly messianic texts in the book of Isaiah – “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the virgin is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel”97 – which bears on the New Testament and the birth of Jesus. Perhaps the strongest messianic message is found in chapter nine – “For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace”98. As Sawyer points out, however, the last prophecy in Isaiah 1-12 goes beyond the hope that actual king will bring justice and peace to Judah and passes to a transcendent, messianic dream, “in which the exiles will return from the ends of the earth, Israel will be united and all enemies of God’s people will be destroyed”99. Since the world to which this prophecy had been addressed appears much different from the world of ancient Israel, the prophecy is believed to have come from the Second Temple period (515 B.C.), down to the New Testament period, and the Roman rule100. Thus, “the root of Jesse” refers to the roots of the Davidic family line, which “shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious”101. Thus, chapter 11:10 appears an early suggestion that the Messianic Age is approaching; on the other hand, the phrase “on that day” introduces the second feature of the Messianic Age, namely the exiles’ return102. Conclusion Being regarded as one of the most influential prophets in the Old Testament, Isaiah is also considered more an evangelist than a prophet, especially by the early Church, while his book was being called “the Fifth Gospel”103. St Jerome, St Augustine, Isidore of Seville (560-636), as well as the influential thirteenth-century exegete, Hugh of St Cher, all describe Isaiah in similar terms104. According to an eighteenth-century family Bible, Isaiah is introduced as “an Evangelical Prophet because he speaks more clearly of Christ and His Church than any of the others and describes the glories of the Gospel Dispensation in language so elevated that nothing can exceed it”105. Finally, according to Johnson (cited in Sawyer), Isaiah is not only “the most remarkable of the prophets”, but also “by far the greatest writer in the Old Testament”106. Bibliography Bullock, C. Hassell. An Introduction to the Old Testament Prophetic Books. Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 1986, 2007. Brevard S. Childs. Introduction to the Old Testament as Scripture. Philadelphia: Augsburg Fortress Publishers, 1979. Brueggemann, Walter. “Unity and Dynamic in the Isaiah Tradition”. Journal for the Study of the Old Testament, 9 (June 1984): 89-107 Hanson, Paul D. Interpretation: Isaiah 40-66. Louisville, Kentucky: John Knox Press, 1995. Kitchen, K.A. On the Reliability of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2003. Quinn-Miscall, Peter D. Reading Isaiah: Poetry and Vision. Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press, 2001. Oswalt, John N. The Book of Isaiah: Chapters 40-66. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1998. Sawyer, John F.A. The Daily Study Bible Series: Isaiah, Vol.I. Edinburgh: The Saint Andrew Press and Louisville, Kentucky: John Knox Press, 1984. Sawyer, John F.A. The Fifth Gospel: Isaiah in the History of Christianity. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1996. Souvay, Charles. “Isaias”, in The Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol. 8. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910, accessed 25 June 2013, http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08179b.htm Read More