Isaiah | 700 Years of Prophecy: From Cyrus to Jesus

How does the prophecy of Cyrus in Isaiah relate to history?
What is the historical context of Isaiah's prophecies?
How does understanding the prophets enhance our reading of the Bible?

The podcast "God's Whole Story" begins its exploration of the book of Isaiah, one of the largest and most significant prophetic books in the Bible. The hosts introduce the episode with a note of continuity, acknowledging a brief hiatus due to personal life events but reaffirming their commitment to providing insightful content through their journey through Scripture. 

The main focus shifts to the book of Isaiah, where the hosts discuss the importance of understanding the historical context of the prophets, particularly the division of the Israelite kingdom into Israel and Judah, and the various enemies like Assyria and Babylon mentioned in the text. This context is crucial for interpreting the prophecies accurately. 

Delving into the specifics of Isaiah, the hosts explore themes like judgment, restoration, and messianic prophecies. They emphasize the dual nature of some prophecies, such as the Immanuel prophecy, which had immediate significance in Isaiah's time but also pointed towards the future birth of Jesus. This discussion helps listeners grasp the layered messages within prophetic texts. 

A highlight of the episode is the prophecy about Cyrus, named explicitly in Isaiah centuries before his rule, illustrating a profound example of God's foreknowledge. The hosts connect this prophecy with archaeological findings like the Cyrus Cylinder, providing a tangible link between biblical prophecy and historical fact, enhancing the credibility and fascination of biblical studies. 

Finally, the episode touches on the messianic prophecies in Isaiah, particularly those in chapters 7, 9, 52, and 53, which vividly describe the life, suffering, and mission of Jesus Christ. This not only serves as an educational segment but also as an uplifting message around the time of Christmas, linking ancient prophecy to Christian theology. The hosts conclude by setting the stage for future episodes on other prophetic books, promising continued deep dives into biblical narratives with insights on God's character and plan.

#IsaiahProphecies #MessianicProphecy #BiblicalProphecy #OldTestament #BookOfIsaiah #BibleStudy #ChristianPodcast #ProphetsOfTheBible #JesusInIsaiah #ScriptureExploration #FaithJourney #TheologicalInsights #DivineForeknowledge #Bibli

Transcript

 GWS-Isaiah

GWS-Isaiah

[00:00:00] Hey everybody, welcome to God's Whole Story. This year, we are doing a journey through Scripture, book by book. Each week, you will get a deeper dive into one of the books of Scripture so that you can see God's whole story. If you like the content you're receiving, we would love to have you partner with us.

Look in the show notes for a way that you can support us financially so we can continue to provide this content for you. Hope you enjoy this episode. Hey everybody, we are going to talk about Isaiah this week. Definitely a huge book. One of the, the prophets, uh, the greatest prophets. Uh, but before we do that, uh, we have an even more exciting, uh, piece of information.

Chelsea's back with us. Hello, I'm back. Chelsea is here. We have, we have proof of life.

There's been lots of rumors floating around. I mean, the internet's been buzzing with rumors, Chelsea. Yeah, I've [00:01:00] noticed. Wait, what are you guys noticing?

And I'm sure some of you guys have noticed that we have, uh, missed a week or two here. They're releasing a little bit. So we actually just thought we'd take a moment and just give you a quick little update on our lives and kind of, uh, what's going on. And we are doing this, uh, kind of on our own time.

We're not doing this as a part of a job. Uh, so every once in a while, life creeps up and some things don't get Out as fast as we hope they will, but we still are committed to this and want to see it happen. So, hey, Chelsea, just give us a little snapshot of what you've been up to lately. Yeah, I mean, I started a new job, which is taking up the bulk of my Time.

I'm teaching sixth graders, English and Bible and social studies, uh, um, at a Christian school locally, and it's been really awesome. Love it. [00:02:00] And it's, uh, also very time consuming being a new teacher. So, uh, it's a great life update, but also it's been, you know, it's been a difficult transition, but for the most part, I definitely feel like, uh, it was a step to obedience for me.

But figuring out the whole balance of working and all these different things with a new job is, has been difficult, but I'm here. We're all alive. My family has been eating semi healthy meals. Hey, there you go. But Ryan's, I think Ryan's news is probably the most joyous out of all three of us. Right? Uh, sometimes, sometimes it doesn't feel joyous.

Yeah. Yeah. So we had a baby in September, uh, our fifth. I tell people that we, um, very over optimistically expected that it would not be much of an adjustment. Like, well, we already have four, how bad can five [00:03:00] be? And, uh, the answer is pretty bad actually. It can in fact be a stressful transition actually. Uh, it's actually not, I mean, it's not, it's not awful.

It's just, uh, this baby is. As all babies are unique and, uh, we're figuring it out. So it's now just a sheer volume game. There's just so many of them. And so few of us, you're outnumbered by a lot. You, yeah. By hands. Like you don't have enough hands. Yeah. So does this change anything as far as like, do you have a favorite now?

For sure? No, no, no. None of them are my favorite because it's just always like us versus them. So we just have to, we just have to, uh, persevere till the end. You could have said all of them are my favorite, but you said No, I'm going straight up. None. I have no favorites. He doesn't want anything on record.

All I need to do is, uh, just stay on Jenny's team [00:04:00] and you know, we'll win eventually. That's the most important thing. We'll win this out eventually. Yeah. So, yeah, no, it's actually, it's actually been great. So I'm. I'm joking, but that's fine. But hey, that can throw rhythms off. Um, I mean, you and Jenny do you and Jenny do your own podcast and, uh, well instantly we, we also have not been, we also have not been doing that, so there's been quite a few adjustments and unfortunately podcasts was one of the first ones to go down that that can happen.

So, and I, I've been traveling quite a bit. I've had my busiest travel season in. Really probably forever. I made five. Five trips out West this quarter and two trips to Europe. So I was on the go quite a bit. And so there was a few times we wanted to record and the time zones just didn't really work. Uh, so, but here [00:05:00] we are.

We have found a way. Hey, this has the most exciting life out of all of us. This is like traveling the world. Yeah. How many, how many times did you go to Europe this, this, uh, this past three months, Chelsea? Vicariously. Twice.

Hey, but I am not the resident expert on sixth graders anymore. So no, I'm not either. So if you find one, let me know. You have now put in the most hours with them. That's true. It can be a little scary sometimes. Really sweet. But I have, I need a dictionary of, um, gen alpha slang because half the time I have no idea what's going on.

I'm like, stop saying whatever that word is and talk real English, please. I support this. Thanks. So who knows, uh, Chelsea might be, uh, dropping in a little Gen Alpha slang into the discussion here about Isaiah. Can you, can you give us an example just for our own entertainment? Okay, well sometimes [00:06:00] they do have to, like, use it to tell them to stop doing it.

No! I told a kid to say, I was like, stop mewing and get to work. Do you know what mewing is? Then kids go like this. What I just did was go like, I, you put your finger up to your mouth, like you're shushing somebody and then you slide your finger down your jawline. It's really mean, actually. It says, stop talking and work on your jawline.

I think, uh, I think I quit being a youth pastor, so I'd never have to think about any of that ever again. I think, I think it was actually part of my formal decision. Oh gosh. And then they are really into calling each other alphas. Which is so funny because they're 12, and I'm like, you can't actually be an alpha until you can drive a car.

So, none of you are. Stop. Oh my gosh. So we now have a nonverbal signal to each other as we are on a video chat, but only recording the audio for release here, that if one of us gets a little long winded, Chelsea's just going [00:07:00] to bust out the little, the little y'all swipe symbol. It's, yeah, it's, it's, it's not great.

I don't know. If I can just get them to talk in a way that is appropriate for them to like move into middle school than high school, that's my main goal. I like it. There we go. Who knew the things you were going to get on this episode of God's Whole Story? Who knew? Yes. Some bonus content for you. There we go.

Well, hey, we are, uh, in Isaiah right now. That's a, uh, definitely one of the biggest books of the Bible. Uh, and it's our first prophet. So, what, what would be some, some advice that we could give to our listeners about how you want to approach the prophets as a different genre, different style of literature than [00:08:00] maybe some of the other ones?

Any, what would be some of our, Um, what do you guys think? Well,

there's lots of different themes throughout the prophets. So, yeah. Um, as we're moving, as we're moving into these books, Isaiah, just being the first of quite a few, um, you're looking at different themes and Isaiah covers a couple of different ones. A lot of times the prophets, uh, for the most part are speaking from God to the people.

It's God's message to the people, but then there are, of course, other parts that we'll get into that, um, also point ahead. Way ahead sometimes. So there's some things to look at in that, in those different aspects. I think, uh, the, the historical context of the prophets is, I guess, not required to be able to read it.

Obviously it's not required because you can just read it, but, uh, you're, you're [00:09:00] going to be missing out if you don't. Just get a little bit of background on what's going on, because, um, we are in a divided kingdom, um, which is probably the first thing to know, uh, that Israel has been split into 10 tribes in the north and two tribes in the south ish.

Uh, so we have the kingdom of Israel in the north and the kingdom of Judah in the south, and then we'll have different prophets speaking to different. Kingdoms. Um, and then also we have, um, lots of new enemies to be concerned about. So we have, uh, Assyria, we have Babylon, we have Persia. Um, there's, there's going to be a lot of different groups of people that are being brought in to judge God's people.

So, uh, I think it is important to just take, you know, like, especially if you want to do a, a real authentic dive into the prophets, just try to understand a little bit of the history behind each one so that you can keep an eye on what's going on. Yeah, I would definitely agree with those. [00:10:00] Um, I think, uh, I remember probably one of the better books out there that's, uh, not too long of a read, but just gives you a little bit of introduction to each style of literature and scripture is how to read the Bible for all it's worth by Fee and Stewart and their section on the prophets is really good.

Um, and one of the things that, uh, they encourage is when you're looking for, like, fulfillments, when you're trying to say, like, okay, so here's a prophecy, when was that actually fulfilled? Um, because sometimes, like, prophecies of judgment could be, like, It looks like they could happen many times or prophecies of blessing.

Like, uh, and one of the things that they actually did was knowing the historical background is important because then the, the adequate fulfillment or the most adequate film. It is kind of the nearest possible fulfillment that if you've got a portion about judgment, and it's in a certain time period.

Well, [00:11:00] what is the kind of next adequate? Fulfillment of judgment for that particular nation, if it's not if there's not a ton of specifics. So, if we're looking to Syria in that period of time, like, whenever Syria did things to Israel, that's probably the best fulfillment one after that would be Babylon and so on and so forth.

Because sometimes what we see is, then you also get into this idea of, like, trying to see multiple fulfillments. And, um, because it could seem like judgment happens again and again and again and again. So what actually is the actual prophecy about and fee and Stewart would encourage that. It's the, the closest adequate 1 that that fits that bill.

Doesn't mean that other historical events couldn't look similar, but we wouldn't necessarily say that was the fulfillment. Because many times what especially contemporary readers will do is we will try to read the prophets and look at it through a 21st century lens. [00:12:00] And the majority of things that really except for second coming and final judgment kind of stuff have been fulfilled already.

And so we we don't want to be scouring the newspapers trying to figure out how it fits into Isaiah. Um, because obviously when that was spoken, when the people heard it, they would have had no idea of the 21st century kind of modern politics or modern geopolitical events. So, that was just something that's always stood out to me, um, because sometimes when you, when you hear some strange things come out of the prophets, it's usually because, uh, people are trying to contemporize things, uh, and that's, that's just not using good biblical interpretation principles.

So, yeah, and I've, I've found often when that happens, when things are taken either out of its historical context and modernized in that way. So that it's like, oh, it has meaning for [00:13:00] this thing. That's happening today. It's actually not, it's not even as encouraging as it is to read the Bible and it's in historical context.

It's like, this is like scripture. Scripture is way more encouraging and meaningful when it's looking back on what God has done. And saying, okay, and he can do it again in this way. It doesn't have to like, be like, It doesn't have to line up with our historical events for it to still have meaning. In fact, I think it has more meaning when you're looking at it in a historical lens.

It's good. It does show us what God values. It does show us his character. Like, hey, if God cared about these, the poor or he cared about, um, you know, injustice before. Well, he still cares about that today. It just doesn't have to mean that that versus. Is talking about today. Um, it just means that, well, if God cared about it back then he still cares about it today.

Yeah. Yeah. And there's lots of, there's so much [00:14:00] encouraging stuff in the prophets. When you look at it through the lens of God cares for people who are oppressed, hurting and guys, just and righteous. Um, if we are believers and followers of Jesus, that is Hopeful for us, we get to trust in God's good judgment and righteousness.

I think I would add to that, that like when you're, when obviously we are fans of reading the whole Bible, um, but as you read through the prophets, you will find that God's character is wildly. Consistent, like he is gracious and loving and compassionate. However, he does hold people to account when it's necessary.

And one of the things that, that was really interesting to me about the prophets, uh, I guess, I guess some of the prophets and some of the narrative around it is that sometimes people can get really offended, uh, that God judged, for example, the Canaanites, um, in, you know, the, In the Joshua narrative or, you know, judge the people in the land, [00:15:00] um, as the Israelites were coming into the promised land, what's interesting about God and what the prophets show about his consistency is God is holding his own people, uh, to the same standard and bringing the same kinds of judgment against his own people, uh, for their rebellion.

And so when you read, um, you know, kind of the beginning of the old Testament, that can be kind of difficult for people to digest kind of that, Exodus narrative, the Joshua narrative. Um, it is interesting then to read the prophets on top of it and see that God is holding his own people to the same standard.

And he's not some kind of crazy, uh, hypocritical, bloodthirsty God. Really. The only people that believe that are people that are trying to, um, mislead you or convince you that you shouldn't be following God. Uh, it's, it's pretty hard to read the Bible. Come away thinking that God is against people. Um, if you've actually read it and you, you put it into practice and believe it.

Yeah. And [00:16:00] also all throughout the prophets, God disciplining his people, he always ends it with, but I love you and you're going to come back someday. Like we're going to, I'm going to restore you. Um, so. Even he's consistent in his judgment and righteousness. He's consistent in keeping his promises as well.

Yeah, I think it's good that you brought up that the, uh, the prophets go hand in hand with the, the law, the narrative portion of the Old Testament. Um, because really one of the best descriptions of what prophets are is their, their God's covenant. Officers they are the enforcers or the reminders of the covenant.

And so when, when we see blessings in the prophets, they look like the covenant blessings. Listen to Deuteronomy when we see judgment, they are described in terms of the covenant curses. And so this was not like new information for for Israel. This was, you [00:17:00] know, they were being held to the covenant that they agreed to back at Sinai.

And was renewed multiple times. And so like these, the Old Testament is one unit. It goes hand in hand, uh, the law and then the prophets. And so I think it's good to keep those things in mind because even then, um, yeah, so many times people read the prophets, like we're, we're like ready for God to kind of wipe out the disobedience Israelites before he actually does.

He, he is merciful for hundreds of years. Before they actually do go to exile, um, but because we see them breaking the coven again and again and again and again. And so that is. That's also kind of a good perspective to keep.

So, yeah, with specifically with Isaiah, we, um, Isaiah is prophesying to Judah to the Southern Kingdom. [00:18:00] Um, there are, there are some prophets, there are specifically a couple prophets that are directed to the Northern Kingdom. Uh, that would be Amos and Hosea, but the, the rest of the prophets are speaking to the Southern Kingdom.

Uh, but Northern Kingdom is still around and the world empire of the day, uh, when he begins prophesying here is Assyria. So, yeah. Um, and, and so some of the judgment that is being talked about, um, would be if it's directed towards Israel, it's, it's the judgment of Assyria towards them. But then even during this time, uh, Assyria does take 46 cities from Judah during this time.

Uh, right in the middle of this book, there is a historical narrative with King Hezekiah Uh, when a Syria comes up to Jerusalem, and it seems like they're going to take Jerusalem and, uh, Judah is miraculously delivered and given more time that is talked about in Kings. That's an Isaiah. Uh, we see that narrative a few places.

So that's a little bit of the setting, [00:19:00] uh, here. And then some of the longer range prophecies, uh, do deal with, uh, prophecies of Babylon coming, which is the nation that comes after Syria. We've got even a very specific prophecy about Cyrus. Uh, Cyrus was one of the leaders of the Persian and Media Kingdom, which came even after, uh, Babylon.

That prophecy is 170 years in advance, which is pretty wild. Um, and then Isaiah has a ton of messianic prophecies, prophecies about Christ, which are 700 years. In the future. Um, so this is, this is a pretty amazing book. Just when you think about you've got prophecies as short as 2 years and you've got prophecies 700 years out in this book.

Um, and that's, that's pretty wild. Yeah. I mean, that has caused some speculation through through church history on, you know, was all of [00:20:00] it written at the same time. Some of it related to the language, others related to just even. Could God foretell the future that accurately that far in advance? Um, I would say all three of us do say, yes, God could do that because he's done that numerous times.

Um, but yeah, there's, Isaiah is a pretty remarkable book. Uh, when, when you look at that, just kind of in its historical content, but then it is pointing, uh, you know, so far into the future with kings and kingdoms and then ultimately, uh, to Jesus. Thanks. So yeah, that's just kind of a, a, a broad little overview.

Um, tradition does have that Isaiah died during the reign of King Manasseh. Um, so Manasseh was Hezekiah's son. So after kind of the historical interactions with Hezekiah that are listed in this book, uh, King Manasseh came after him. He was considered one of the most evil kings. [00:21:00] In Judah, um, and during his reign, uh, tradition has that Isaiah was sawn into, uh, I don't know exactly if that was how exactly they did that, but, uh, being sawn into does not sound, uh, nice in any way, shape or form.

Do you think it was like a magic trick gone bad? Or do you think it was like. intentional. How did I know you were going to say that? I don't know. I just feel like maybe Manasseh was like, I need a volunteer. Does anybody want to, Isaiah was like, I'll do it. You don't, you don't, some things have not changed as you can see.

All right. Well, I was just curious. Manasseh said I need a volunteer. That's terrible. Oh man. Isaiah's not going to be happy when he sees you someday in heaven. That was a jerk and bad taste, Ryan. Okay. So the Cyrus piece I think is incredible. I don't know if you were looking to dive into that any further, Chris.

Yeah, [00:22:00] go for it. Um, but we are talking specifically about Isaiah 44 ish to 45 ish. And it, it is a place in Isaiah where God is talking about restoring the people and how God is going to raise up his chosen. What's scandalous about this is that his chosen is not one of his people. His chosen is. This Pagan King, Cyrus, who's called out by name, and he's called out by name.

Several times. I want to say like three or four times, probably. Um, if you look at 44 verse 28, who says of Cyrus, he is my shepherd and he shall fulfill all my purpose. Again, remember this is a pagan King. This is somebody who does not know God. Uh, and then Isaiah is calling him out again by name. What?

Like 150 to 200 years before he was even known of or reigning. Um, it is one of the more incredible miracles of the Bible, uh, that I think gets almost no press. Like when I, when I found out about this, it was like, [00:23:00] what, how is this possible? And the, the Cyrus piece, I mean, yes, obviously it's, it's backed by the Bible itself.

Um, it's backed by the historical traditions around. What people believed about Isaiah, what people know about, uh, King Cyrus and his declarations. It's also backed up by archeology, um, where the, the Cyrus cylinder, I believe was discovered. There it is. The Cyrus cylinder was discovered in 1879 in the British.

It's now in the British museum. Um, but it actually has a lot of specifics of Cyrus's reign and this proclamation that he made was a really big deal. So not only is Isaiah proclaiming these things. Hundreds of years before there even is a guy named Cyrus. Um, it's also one of the things in the Bible that's backed very well, um, by historical context and archeology.

So I think it's very cool. Josephus has a story of Cyrus reading about, reading Isaiah. And being eager to perform what was written about him. He's like, wait, that's me. I think, I think [00:24:00] this is about me.

So just, just in case our listeners might not be too clear on what we're talking about. So, uh, eventually Israel does go into exile in Babylon. They're there 70 years. And then Daniel speaks about this, uh, and that when the 70 years are up, Cyrus issues a decree to let. Israel, let God's people go back to the land.

And so that is, he is a Persian king in the Persian media empire at the time. Uh, that's kind of the big role that he plays in history is that after exile, after they were kind of, you know, In a pagan land for 70 years, Cyrus, let them go. And, and so many prophecies of restoration. So many prophecies of you will return to the land one day, uh, after the seven years is up are tied to that event of Cyrus letting them go.

So it's a hugely significant event in the [00:25:00] Jewish history. Uh, but yeah, here is a guy called out by name 150 to 200 years. Before it actually happened. Um, which obviously some people that don't believe in the supernatural with what you know, would try to explain this away. Um, but I think that is just when we have a God that knows the future.

Uh, he can do things like this. Uh, he predicts the Messiah who's coming, which, you know, that's just a mere 700 years in advance. So, for Cyrus to be 150 years, that's, that's, you know, That's not not very difficult. I do wonder, though, if everybody was naming their kids Cyrus, just wondering if, like, maybe they would be the one or, you know, every time that there was a Cyrus around, like, Oh, could this be?

Could this be the one? Um, but yeah, so that was clearly fulfilled by, you know, Historical evidence, King Cyrus, letting the Jews go. So like, that's how we are able to interpret prophecy [00:26:00] is okay. So what is the closest adequate fulfillment, uh, that allows us to see what this was about? Um, there might be other people throughout history that it's like, Oh, they sound like that.

Okay. But we can't say that that's necessarily about them because it was clearly about Cyrus. So yeah, that's a, it's an amazing passage, um, pointing towards Cyrus. Uh, and then how many, how many times do we see messianic passages in this book? How many times do we see, uh, they're often called the servant passages.

Uh, which in this book, Israel in the first half is really referred to as God's servant that God used Israel. He, he, they were his people, uh, but they're kind of a, a shadow of what he's ultimately moving towards, uh, in the servant passages, especially in the second half of the book. Um, although there are a few earlier, they, there's so many [00:27:00] pictures of who Jesus is and really.

I think Isaiah, more than any other book, gives some details for the people to, that already knew a Messiah was coming, to kind of start to think more what this would be like. Uh, or have a few more details. Um, there's, there's the Emmanuel passage in, in chapter seven, which means God with us. There's a passage in chapter nine about a child will be born.

Uh, so even this idea of Messiah coming as a child, um, and then towards the end of the book, especially in 52 and 53, there's a lot of, uh, prophecies about the suffering and death of Jesus. Um, any of those, uh, Messianic passages stand out to you guys that you you want to look at a little bit Oh, I mean the one that sticks out to me the most Is just one of my favorite passages, especially this time of year when this episode comes out.

We'll just celebrate christmas but [00:28:00] isaiah 53 um I mean just talking about Who jesus will be and who he ended up being it's incredible to see the rejection. That was prophesied and the rejection that happened. And it's heartbreaking and it's understandable because we're human and our minds are so warped by sin.

Um, but yeah, it's just a, it's such a perfect picture of who Jesus was and his death and all that. Although he represented, but Isaiah 53 is one of my favorites. It is, uh, go ahead, Ryan. It's really, I mean, if you're not familiar with Isaiah 53, or if you're vaguely familiar with Isaiah 53, um, it's definitely worth opening up the Bible and actually reading the chapter, um, I don't, I don't do it when you hear us talking about it or, or shortly after you finish this episode or something.

I mean, it's just incredible how many things Jesus [00:29:00] clearly fulfilled, uh, from the passage. And it, it does read like just like one, one thing after another that again would have just been prophecy. Like the people would have heard it and thought like, wow, that'll be really interesting to see. Um, or maybe they would have heard it and been really skeptical.

But when you know, um, what the life of Jesus was like, and you read Isaiah 53, um, how could you not connect that this passage is about Jesus, and Jesus has fulfilled every single one of these promises? It's, it's just incredible. Yeah, even some of those, uh, verses we're referring to, uh, those are some of the ones you would be familiar with that just from, you know, Knowing a bit of the gospel.

He was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. Upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace. And with his wounds we are healed. I mean just. Basic gospel message that when we talk about what Jesus did and how he [00:30:00] came for sin, how he suffered for that and died, it is, it is not just recorded in narratives in scripture as far as historical accounts.

This is predicted 700 years before it actually happens, which is just, I mean, that just makes smoke come out my ears. Like that's just them. Like. I can't wrap my my brain around that because it's just too big for me to understand other than just to to worship a god that could could do that. Um, so, so amazing.

And that's just that's just one. Uh, Isaiah is loaded with messianic prophecies. Um, I think. Would you, would you say there's more here in Isaiah than probably any other, any other book? I guess it's probably safe to say, um, I don't have a list in front of me, but I think it's safe to say that there's a lot there.

Isaiah, I think Psalms is the most quoted Old Testament book in the Gospels, and then [00:31:00] Isaiah, I think. Okay. Do not go. Yeah. So, I mean, there is, uh, there is definitely a lot here. So we're getting kind of, uh, Psalms would be David's looking forward and being inspired by God in here. Uh, we're having the Holy Spirit move on what what's considered one of the greatest prophets, uh, Isaiah, not just because he wrote.

60 some chapters, but, uh, because, like, he saw these kind of things, uh, and gave the people this hope before they went into exile, uh, and then for hundreds of years after until Jesus finally came on the scene. Uh, it's pretty wild. Is there another passage that you guys, besides Isaiah 53? I know you mentioned a couple.

The Immanuel one always kind of, like, trips me up a little bit because it happens. in Isaiah's time and also points ahead. So I find that one actually kind of hard to interpret and understand. [00:32:00] That is cool. Referring to chapter seven. Thank you. Sorry. I'm just like throwing things out there. Thank you for your.

That's, uh, yeah. There's, there's basically a prediction that, uh, there's going to be a baby born in the time of Isaiah and, but that is, that baby is almost a type of what will come in Jesus. And so, uh, I mean, that's a prophecy that includes the virgin birth. It includes, uh, his name shall be Emmanuel, which that is definitely backed up by the Gospels.

We, we see God with us, uh, coming and, uh, but it is a little bit of one of those, like, there is actually something happening in time and space, uh, when Isaiah does this, that there is a baby born that is kind of a foreshadowing Uh, is that how would you, you would describe that, right? It's, I mean, the, the first time I remember reading that passage actually, and being very confused.

[00:33:00] Um, and I actually just assumed like, Oh, this is a really cool passage about Jesus. And then I read a commentary that was like, Oh, this is about Isaiah's son. And I was like, what, how could that possibly be true? Um, so it, it is, it's a, yeah, I think you are on track, Chris. Like it, it's a dual meaning prophecy.

Um, that would. Go a little bit against the, um, the, the nearest occurring fulfillment, uh, that, that would be kind of a unique situation where the nearest occurring fulfillment was actually Isaiah's own son, uh, that was a testament that what he was prophesying was true. Um, but then there would be a secondary fulfillment.

And I think there's, there's a couple of different instances of that. Um, throughout these prophecies, actually. Yeah, I've heard it sometimes called it like, uh, these, these would be called types where you've got a, a person, a place, a, a events in the here and now that has significance to the people that are walking there, but it [00:34:00] also points towards something different and, and people kind of, People wouldn't call types double fulfillments, but they would call them like kind of their own little thing because they they're only kind of things that really happened surrounding Jesus is if I'm again, I'm going back on several years worth of memory here.

But, um, I think that's kind of a more of a layman's definition of type, uh, but you, there is definitely something there was a, a. Child that actually happened here, uh, but there was a message. There was a, a, a glimpse of something that was far greater. That was, uh, being shown, um, during this time. And even, you know, some of the amazing details of Christ's birth, like the virgin birth are included in that, which is pretty wild.

So, yeah, some good stuff here, uh, it's pretty hard to overview a [00:35:00] 60 some chapter book in just a couple minutes. That's very true. Um, I will say that Isaiah really ends on a downer. Have you guys read the last verse of Isaiah? He wasn't trying to sell any sequels. Remind me, I can't remember what the last one is, so remind me.

Um, Isaiah 66, 24. And they shall go out and look on the dead bodies of the men who have rebelled against me, for their worm shall not die, their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh. So we've got some hopeful Christ centered passages, and then we have passages like that.

Which is pretty much a great representation of the prophets. There you go. Although a few verses right before that, we are talking about new heavens and new earth. So yeah, like, they really know how to ride the roller coaster of emotions. The end always has a bit of a dual dual perspective that you've got the glory days for those believers.

And you've got the not so great importance of the flesh for everyone else. [00:36:00] Picture of judgment there. That is interesting. And like, I mean, the prophets, the prophets, it's going to be interesting to go through the prophets because there's some crazy stuff in there. We're going to get into apocalyptic literature a little bit and like, and some prophets doing some weird things.

So, can't wait. Yeah. Good times. There is, there is, there's definitely pictures of blessing. There's some really amazing portrayals of the character of God, but there, there's a whole lot of judgment. Because that's the message that was being given to hopefully bring repentance. Uh, we have to remember that this was always designed to bring people to repentance.

Yeah. So, well, hey, there we go. That's our, uh, our first attempt at a prophetic book. We will be covering. Covering a number of them in the coming weeks and months. Um, so thanks for sticking with us again. Uh, if we miss an episode or two, uh, just because life happens, uh, we will, [00:37:00] we'll keep doing this and Hey, Chelsea, it is so great to have you back.

Um, hopefully we can hear from you a few more episodes in the near future. Yes, hopefully. All right. Thanks everybody. We will see you later. Bye bye.