Articles
Person Of The Week: Isaiah
The prophet Isaiah was active during the last years of the northern nation of Israel. Some of his work can be read about in II Kings and II Chronicles, but his most important contribution was the Old Testament book of prophecy that bears his name.
Isaiah often is referred to as the “Messianic prophet” because his writings contain so many references to the coming Savior. Passages like 7:14 (“the virgin shall conceive”); 9:6-7 (“For unto us a Child is born”); 11:1-10 (“There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse”); 52:13-53:12 (the famous servant passage that highlights the sin-sacrifice) are clear anticipations of the life of Jesus Christ.
Jesus sheds light on Isaiah’s prophecies when He reads from them in the synagogue in Nazareth and says, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21). When John the Baptist began his preaching, Matthew records, “For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah” (Matt. 3:3). Matthew also acknowledges that Is. 42:1-4 is fulfilled in the work of Jesus among the multitudes (Matt. 12:17-21).
Many similar New Testament citations of Isaiah could be given, but these are sufficient to establish that a man who lived over 700 years before Jesus Christ could not have known so much about Him unless he was inspired by God.
