5:18, 19 The third woe was against those who defied the Lord and ridiculed His prophet.
5:19 Let Him make speed. The taunting unbelievers said, “Where is the judgment of which you have spoken, Isaiah? Bring it on. We will believe it when we see it.” This challenge for God to hasten His judgment represented their disbelief that the Holy One of Israel would judge the people. See Isaiah’s response in the naming of his son: “Speed the spoil, Hasten the Booty” (8:1; cf. 5:26).
5:20 evil good, and good evil. The fourth woe condemned the reversal of morality which dominated the nation. They utterly confused all moral distinctions.
5:21 wise in their own eyes. The object of the fifth woe was the people’s arrogance. “Pride goes before destruction…” (Prov. 16:18).
5:22, 23 justify the wicked. The sixth woe pointed to the unjust sentences passed by drunken and bribed judges.
5:24–30 The conclusion of the discourse announced God’s action in sending a mighty army against Judah to conquer and leave the land in darkness and distress.
5:26 nations from afar. Principal among the nations God would bring against Israel were: 1) Assyria, which conquered the northern kingdom in 722 B.C., and 2) Babylon, which completed its invasion of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. and destroyed the temple.
5:30 darkness. God’s wrath against the people was to eliminate light (8:22; 42:7), but His promised deliverance of the remnant will ultimately turn that darkness into light at the coming of the Messiah (9:2; 42:16; 58:10; 60:2).
Isaiah 6
6:1–5 In preparation for calling Isaiah to be the prophet who would proclaim the coming judgment, God gave him a vision of His majestic holiness so overwhelming that it devastated him and made him realize his own sinfulness.
6:1 King Uzziah died. After 52 years of reigning, leprosy caused the death of Uzziah in 739 B.C. (cf. 2 Chr. 26:16–23). Isaiah began his prophetic ministry that year. He received the prophecies of the first 5 chapters after his call, but at 6:1 he returns to authenticate what he has already written by describing how he was called. I saw. The prophet became unconscious of the outside world and with his inner eye saw what God revealed to him. This experience recalls the experience of John’s prophetic vision in Rev. 4:1–11. high and lifted up. The throne was greatly elevated, emphasizing the Most High God. train. This refers to the hem or fringe of the Lord’s glorious robe that filled the temple. temple. Though Isaiah may have been at the earthly temple, this describes a vision which transcends the earthly. The throne of God is in the heavenly temple (Rev. 4:1–6; 5:1–7; 11:19; 15:5–8).
6:2 seraphim. The seraphim are an order of angelic creatures who bear a similarity to the 4 living creatures of Rev. 4:6, which in turn resemble the cherubim of Ezek. 10:1ff. six wings. Two wings covered the faces of the seraphim because they dared not gaze directly at God’s glory. Two covered their feet, acknowledging their lowliness even though engaged in divine service. With two they flew in serving the One on the throne. Thus, 4 wings related to worship, emphasizing the priority of praise.
6:3 one cried to another. The seraphs were speaking to each other in antiphonal praise. Holy, holy, holy. The primary thrust of the 3-fold repetition of God’s holiness (called the trihagion) is to emphasize God’s separateness from and independence of His fallen creation, though it implies secondarily that God is 3 Persons. See Rev. 4:8, where the 4 living creatures utter the trihagion. full of His glory. The earth is the worldwide display of His immeasurable glory, perfections, and attributes as seen in creation (see Rom. 1:20). Fallen man has nevertheless refused to glorify Him as God (Rom. 1:23).
Is. 6:3
Isaiah Fulfilled at Christ’s First Advent
Reference: 7:14
Fulfilled Literally: The virgin birth of Christ (Matt. 1:23)
Reference: 8:14, 15
Fulfilled Typically: A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense (Rom. 9:33; 1 Pet. 2:8)
Reference: 8:17
Fulfilled Typically: Christ’s hope and trust in God (Heb. 2:13a)
Reference: 8:18
Fulfilled Typically: The Son of God and the sons of God (Heb. 2:13b)
Reference: 9:1, 2
Fulfilled Typically: The arrival of Jesus in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali (Matt. 4:12-16)
Reference: 9:6a
Fulfilled Literally: The birth of Immanuel (Matt. 1:23; Luke 1:31-33; 2:7, 11)
Reference: 11:1
Fulfilled Literally: Revival of the Davidic dynasty (Matt. 1:6, 16; Acts 13:23; Rev. 5:5; 22:16)
Reference: 12:3
Fulfilled Typically: Water from the wells of salvation (John 4:10, 14)
Reference: 25:8
Fulfilled Typically: The swallowing up of death (1 Cor. 15:54)
Reference: 28:11
Fulfilled Typically: The gift of tongues as an authenticating sign of God’s messengers (1 Cor. 14:21, 22)
Reference: 28:16
Fulfilled Literally: Incarnation of Jesus Christ (Matt. 21:42)
Reference: 29:18; 35:5
Fulfilled Typically: Jesus’ healing of the physically deaf and blind (Matt. 11:5)
Reference: 40:3-5
Fulfilled Literally: Preaching of John the Baptist (Matt. 3:3; Mark 1:3; Luke 3:4-6; John 1:23)
Reference: 42:1a, 2, 3
Fulfilled Literally: Christ at His baptism (Matt. 3:16, 17) and transfiguration (Matt. 17:5) and His general demeanor throughout His first advent
Reference: 42:6
Fulfilled Typically: Christ extended the benefits of the New Covenant to the church (Heb. 8:6, 10-12)
Reference: 42:7
Fulfilled Typically: Jesus healed physical blindness and provided liberty for the spiritual captives (Matt. 11:5; Luke 4:18)
Reference: 42:7
Fulfilled Typically: Jesus removed spiritual darkness at His first coming (Matt. 4:16)
Reference: 50:6
Fulfilled Literally: Jesus beaten and spat upon (Matt. 26:67; 27:26, 30; Mark 14:65; 15:19; Luke 22:63; John 18:22)
Reference: 50:7
Fulfilled Literally: Jesus resolutely setting His face to go to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51)
Reference: 53:1
Fulfilled Literally: Israel failed to recognize her Messiah (John 12:38)
Reference: 53:4
Fulfilled Typically: Jesus healed sick people as a symbol of His bearing of sin (Matt. 8:16, 17)
Reference: 53:7, 8
Fulfilled Literally: Philip identifies Jesus as the one about whom the prophet wrote (Acts 8:32, 33)
Reference: 53:7
Fulfilled Literally: Jesus remained silent at all phases of His trial (Matt. 26:63; 27:12-14; Mark 14:61; 15:5; Luke 23:9; John 19:9; 1 Pet. 2:23)
Reference: 53:7
Fulfilled Literally: Jesus was the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29; 1 Pet. 1:18, 19; Rev. 5:6)
Reference: 53:9
Fulfilled Literally: Jesus was completely innocent of all charges against Him (1 Pet. 2:22)
Reference: 53:11
Fulfilled Literally: Jesus saw the need to be crucified between two criminals (Luke 22:37)
Reference: 54:13
Fulfilled Typically: Jesus saw those who came to Him at His first advent as taught by God (John 6:45)
Reference: 55:3
Fulfilled Literally: Christ’s resurrection was prerequisite to His some day occupying David’s throne on earth (Acts 13:34)
Reference: 61:1, 2a
Fulfilled Typically: Jesus saw His first-advent ministry as a spiritual counterpart of His second-advent deliverance of Israel (Luke 4:18, 19)
Reference: 62:11
Fulfilled Literally: Jesus fulfilled the call to the daughter of Zion in His triumphal entry (Matt. 21:5)
6:4 shaken…smoke. The shaking and smoke symbolize God’s holiness as it relates to His wrath and judgment (cf. Ex. 19:16–20; Rev. 15:8).
6:5 unclean lips. If the lips are unclean, so is the heart. This vision of God’s holiness vividly reminded the prophet of his own u
nworthiness which deserved judgment. Job (Job 42:6) and Peter (Luke 5:8) came to the same realization about themselves when confronted with the presence of the Lord (cf. Ezek. 1:28—2:7; Rev. 1:17).
6:6–13 Isaiah’s vision has made him painfully aware of his sin and has broken him (cf. 66:2, 5); in this way God has prepared him for his cleansing and his commission.
6:6 coal…altar. The hot coal taken from the altar of incense in heaven (cf. Rev. 8:3–5) is emblematic of God’s purifying work. Repentance is painful.
6:7 taken away…purged. Spiritual cleansing for special service to the Lord, not salvation, is in view.
6:8 Us. This plural pronoun does not prove the doctrine of the Trinity, but does strongly imply it (see Gen. 1:26). Here am I! Send me. This response evidenced the humble readiness of complete trust. Though profoundly aware of his sin, he was available.
6:9, 10 do not understand…do not perceive. Isaiah’s message was to be God’s instrument for hiding the truth from an unreceptive people. Centuries later, Jesus’ parables were to do the same (Matt. 13:14, 15; Mark 4:12; Luke 8:10; cf. 29:9, 10; 42:18; 43:8; Deut. 29:4; John 12:40; Acts 28:26, 27; Rom. 11:8).
6:11, 12 how long? Because of such rejection from his people, the prophet asked how long he should preach this message of divine judgment. God replied that it must continue until the cities are desolate (v. 11) and the people have gone into exile (v. 12).
6:13 a tenth…will return. Though most will reject God, the tenth, also called “stumps” and “holy seed,” represents the faithful remnant in Israel who will be the nucleus who hear and believe.
Isaiah 7
7:1, 2 An unsuccessful invasion of Judah by Syria and Israel (i.e., the northern 10 tribes) led to a continued presence of King Tiglath-Pileser’s Assyrian forces in Israel. Shortly after Ahaz assumed the throne (ca. 735 B.C.), this threat to Judah’s security brought great fear to the king and the people of Judah. See 2 Chr. 28:5–8, 17–19.
7:2 house of David. This expression refers to the Davidic dynasty, personified in the current king, Ahaz.
7:3 Shear-Jashub. The name means “a remnant shall return.” The presence of Isaiah’s son is an object lesson of God’s faithfulness to believers among the people.
7:4 do not fear. Isaiah’s message to Ahaz is one of reassurance. The two invading kings will not prevail.
7:8 Ephraim will be broken. This tribe represented all the northern 10 tribes. The prophet predicted the coming demise because of idolatry (cf. Hos. 4:17). In 65 years they would cease to be a people, first through the captivity of most of them in 722 B.C. (2 Kin. 17:6) and then with the importation of foreign settlers into the land in ca. 670 B.C. (2 Kin. 17:24; 2 Chr. 33:11; Ezra 4:2).
7:9 not believe…not be established. The choice belonged to Ahaz. He could trust the Lord’s word or fall into the enemy’s hands or, even worse, experience a final heart-hardening (6:9, 10).
7:11 a sign. To encourage his faith, the Lord offered Ahaz a sign, but Ahaz feigned humility in refusing the sign (v. 10).
7:13 house of David. Upon hearing Ahaz’s refusal, the prophet broadened his audience beyond Ahaz (see v. 2) to include the whole faithless house of David. The nation was guilty of wearying God (1:14).
7:14 sign. Since Ahaz refused to choose a sign (vv. 11, 12), the Lord chose His own sign, whose implementation would occur far beyond Ahaz’s lifetime. the virgin. This prophecy reached forward to the virgin birth of the Messiah, as the NT notes (Matt. 1:23). The Heb. word refers to an unmarried woman and means “virgin” (Gen. 24:43; Prov 30:19; Song 1:3; 6:8), so the birth of Isaiah’s own son (8:3) could not have fully satisified the prophecy. Cf. Gen. 3:15. Immanuel. The title, applied to Jesus in Matt. 1:23, means “God with us.”
7:15 Curds and honey. Curds result from coagulated milk, something like cottage cheese. This diet indicated the scarcity of provisions which characterized the period after foreign invaders had decimated the land.
7:16 refuse the evil. Before the promised son of Isaiah was old enough to make moral choices, the kings of Syria and Ephraim were to meet their doom at the hands of the Assyrians.
7:17 bring the king of Assyria upon you. Not only did the Lord use the Assyrians to judge the northern kingdom, He also used them to invade Ahaz’s domain of Judah. This coming of the Assyrian king was the beginning of the end for the nation and eventually led to her captivity in Babylon.
7:18–25 The desolation prophesied in this section began in the days of Ahaz and reached its climax when the Babylonians conquered Judah. Its results continue to the time when the Messiah will return to deliver Israel and establish His kingdom on earth.
7:18 fly…bee. Egypt was full of flies, and Assyria was a country noted for beekeeping. These insects represented the armies from the powerful countries which the Lord would summon to overrun Judah and take the people into exile.
7:19 desolate valleys…clefts of the rocks. Not even inaccessible areas of the land were free from the invading armies.
7:20 hired razor. The Assyrians were the Lord’s hired blade to shave and disgrace the entire body of Judah (cf. 1:6).
7:21, 22 young cow and two sheep. The foreign invasion would cause a change from an agricultural economy to a pastoral one. Not enough men would remain in the land to farm. It was to be a time of great poverty.
7:23–25 briers and thorns. The presence of these uncultivated growths was a sign of desolation, as in 5:6.
Isaiah 8
8:1 large scroll. Isaiah was to prepare a large placard for public display. Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz. Maher-Shalal told the Assyrian invaders to “speed to the spoil,” with no doubt as to who was to win the battle. Hash-Baz invited them to “hasten the booty,” i.e., to reap the benefits of the conquered land quickly (5:26). That placard reiterated, from another perspective, the prophecies just concluded in 7:18–25.
8:2 faithful witnesses. After the prophecy’s fulfillment, the respected leaders Uriah and Zechariah verified to the people that Isaiah had spoken it on a given date before the Assyrian invasion. This verification accredited the Lord’s word and upheld His honor (Deut. 18:21, 22; Jer. 28:9).
8:3 prophetess. Isaiah’s wife was called a prophetess because the son to whom she gave birth was prophetic of the Assyrian conquest.
8:4 before the child. The time before the plunder of Syria and the northern kingdom of Israel began was very short. The Assyrians initiated their invasion before Isaiah’s child learned to talk. That prophetic limit resembled the one set in 7:16, but there the prophecy was more far-reaching. Fulfillment of the closer prophecy verified the one relating to the distant future.
8:6 these people. Lit. “this people” (the Heb. is sing.). These were the people of Judah (cf. 6:9), but perhaps secondarily the whole nation of Israel. Ahaz had called on Assyria for help rather than relying on the Lord. waters of Shiloah. This was the stream from the Gihon Spring outside Jerusalem’s city wall flowing to the Pool of Siloam inside the city which supplied the city’s water (see 7:3). It symbolized the city’s dependence on the Lord and His defense of the city, if they were to survive. First, the northern 10 tribes refused that dependence; later, King Ahaz of Judah in the S did the same.
8:7 waters of the River. In place of the waters of Shiloah, the waters of the River Euphrates were to overflow its banks and flood all the way to and including Judah. In other words, the King of Assyria was to sweep through the Land with his devastating destruction. Though outwardly Ahaz’s submission to the Assyrians brought peace to Judah (2 Kin. 16:7–18), Isaiah saw the reality that David’s throne was merely a hollow sham.
8:8 O Immanuel. Because of the Assyrian onslaught, the land of Immanuel (7:14) was to be stripped of all its earthly glory. What a pity that He who owns and will someday possess the land must see it in such a devastated condition!
8:9 be broken in pieces. Lest Assyria and other foreign powers think they conquered in their own strength, the prophet reminded them that they were only instruments for the Lord’s use and would eventually come to not
hing.
8:10 God is with us. The Heb. is Immanuel. The name of the virgin’s child (7:14) guaranteed the eventual triumph of the faithful remnant of Israel.
8:11 with a strong hand. God inspired Isaiah with compelling power to speak a message that by its nature distanced him from the people he ministered to.
8:12 conspiracy. Many in Israel considered Isaiah, Jeremiah, and other prophets to be servants of the enemy when they advocated a policy of nonreliance on foreign powers and complete dependence on the Lord alone (see Jer. 37:13–15).
8:14 sanctuary…stone of stumbling. Isaiah found encouragement in the Lord as his holy place of protection from his accusers. The NT applies this verse to corporate Israel in her ongoing rejection of Jesus as Messiah (Luke 2:34; Rom. 9:32, 33; 1 Pet. 2:8). both the houses of Israel. They will be collapsed until the return of the Messiah to the earth restores them.
8:15 many…shall stumble. Another prediction anticipated the stumbling of Israel, which included her rejection of her Messiah at His first advent (Luke 20:18; Rom. 9:32; cf. 28:16).
8:16 my disciples. These were God’s faithful remnant, and hence disciples of Isaiah in a secondary sense. They had the responsibility of maintaining written records of his prophecies so that they could become public after the prophesied Assyrian invasion (see 8:2).
8:17 wait on…hope. The speaker is Isaiah whose disposition was to await the Lord’s deliverance, the national salvation promised to the faithful remnant (40:31; 49:23). See note on Heb. 2:13.
8:18 I and the children. In their historical setting, the words refer to Isaiah and his two sons, whose names had prophetic significance (i.e., as “signs and wonders”). See note on Heb. 2:13.
8:19 seek the dead. People of Isaiah’s day were using spiritualists to communicate with the dead as King Saul did through the medium at En Dor (1 Sam. 28:8–19). The law strictly forbade such consultations (Lev. 19:26; Deut. 18:10, 11).
8:20 law…testimony. See 8:16. Light came through the prophecies of God’s spokesman, Isaiah.
The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV Page 333