Isaiah

Isaiah is probably the longest serving prophet in the history of Judah before the captivity, having ministered during the reigns of four kings—Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah. He is often regarded as 'the Shakespeare of the prophets' and his writings as 'the Mount Everest of Hebrew prophecy'.

The organization of the book of Isaiah is also interesting: its 66 chapters correspond to the 66 books of the English Bible. The first 39 chapters focus on the righteousness of a holy and just God who exercises judgment on the immorality and idolatry of Judah and her surrounding nations. The last 27 chapters bring forth a message of hope through the prophecies of a Messiah in His sufferings and sovereign reign.

Like his name which means 'salvation is of the LORD', the book reveals the depth of man's need to be saved from sin and its consequences, and reassures us that God has provisioned the means by which He will do just that. Left to his own, man is indeed helpless and hopeless, and only the sovereign Lord who rules human history, the Holy One of Israel, is the only Savior of sinful, fallen mankind.

Isaiah was ultimately martyred for his unpopular ministry and message (Hebrews 11:37), but his clarion call to erring Judah to repent and embrace God's mercy and grace still rings loud and clear for us today:

55:6-7
Seek the LORD while he may be found, call upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

 OUTLINE OF ISAIAH

1. Reprimands (1:1-35:10)
a. Against Judah (1:1-12:6)
Judgment | Day of the LORD | Parable
Commission of Isaiah
Destruction of Israel | Assyria by God
b. Against the Nations (13:1-23:18)
Babylon | Assyria | Philistia | Moab
Damascus and Samaria | Ethiopia | Egypt
Dumah | Arabia | Jerusalem | Tyre
c. The Day of the LORD (24:1-27:13)
Kingdom Tribulations and Triumphs
d. Woes and Beholds (28:1-35:10)
Woes to Ephraim | Ariel | Egyptian Alliance
Behold the Coming King
Woes to Assyria | Sundry Nations
Behold the Coming Kingdom
2. Recollections (36:1-39:8)
a. Hezekiah's Salvation (36:1-38:22)
Assyria's Invasion | Sickness of Death
b. Hezekiah's Sin (39:1-8)
3. Reassurance (40:1-66:24)
a. Israel's Deliverance (40:1-48:22)
Comfort of Deliverance
God's Character | Greatness | Servant
Israel's Restoration through Cyrus
Babylon's Destruction
b. Israel's Deliverer (49:1-57:21)
Messiah's Mission | Obedience | Atonement
Promise | Invitation | Rebuke
c. Israel's Dependable Future (58:1-66:24)
Restoration of True Worship | Kingdom Glory
Messiah's Advent | Jerusalem's Future
God's Vengeance | The Remnant
The Consummation of History