Isaiah’s Holy Highway From A Christian Viewpoint

December 17, 2025 — jwwealand

Isaiah 35:1-10 & 40:1-14

The glorious Lord of Israel who had sent his people into captivity, would also be their leader back into the hills of Judah. Isaiah’s words were fulfilled when the Jews went home, but more meaning was couched in these words. When John the Immersionist appeared in the wilderness preparing the way for Jesus, God declared that in him too the words of Isaiah were fulfilled. See Matthew 3:3 & Mark 1:2-3

Why do you think John the immersionist did his preaching in the countryside, and his baptizing in a river?

In Isaiah 35:1-2, what do you think the returning Jews out of captivity and into Judah, would expect to see from the promising phrases “Glory of the Lord, the excellency of our God” ?

When Jesus proclaimed in John 14:6, he was the way, the truth and the life, do you believe he had Isaiah’s prophecy in mind?

Do you think this had any bearing on the way new Christians in the first generation of the church used the phrase “The Way”? See Acts 9:2, 19:23, 24:14,22)

Who did Isaiah foretell would reign in righteousness? (Isa. 32:1-4)

What New Testament passage comes closest to showing Jesus recognized his kingship in the presence of a government official? See John 18:35-38

To whom did God tell Isaiah to speak words of comfort to?

To whom were the words of the messenger of Isa. 40:3 applied in the New Testament?

How would the Lord show his people that they were being warned of punishment, while at the same time being offered hope? See 1st Peter 1:22-25. Comp. Isaiah 40:6-11.

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A Christian Perspective on Isaiah

December 9, 2025 — jwwealand

Isaiah’s prophecies spoke both to Israel (northern kingdom) and Judah (southern kingdom), but the core difference is in context: prophecies against Israel often focused on its imminent fall to Assyria (which happened in 722 BC), while prophecies against Judah were more detailed, covering both Assyrian threats and the later (587 B.C.) Babylonian exile. He mixed condemnation for idolatry and injustice with strong messages of a coming Messiah and future restoration, as Judah was God’s covenant people with a Davidic promise (Isa. 37:30-35) Judah’s prophecies carry the weight of the Davidic covenant and messianic hope (Isa. 9:7) He also directed “burdens” of judgment against at least ten Gentile nations like Babylon, Moab, Assyria, Philistia, and Egypt. Judah was threatened with destruction by Assyria and Egypt, but was spared for over a century, because of God’s mercy. However, because of Judah’s lack of repentance, they later fell to Babylon between 597-587 BC. Isaiah proclaimed a message of repentance from sin and hopeful expectation of God’s Christ. Isaiah focuses on the salvation that will come through the Messiah. 

The Messiah will one day rule in justice and righteousness, Isa. 9:7 & 32:1, The reign of the Messiah will bring peace and safety to Israel, Isa. 11:6-9. Through the Messiah, Israel will be a light to all the nations, Isa. 42:6 & 55:4-5. The Messiah’s kingdom on earth (Isaiah chapters 65-66) is the goal toward which all of the book of Isaiah points. It is during the reign of the Messiah that God’s righteousness will be fully revealed to the world. No one really knows the precise date Isaiah was written but it probably was authored inside the dates of 739 and 681 B.C, a period of 58 years. Jesus was born 6 centuries later, so when we consider the precise details of how Jesus fulfills Isaiah’s messianic prophecies, it should amaze us, we will look at these in future discussions from the New Testament, being written in the 1st century A.D. 

Jesus is kind of like Isaiah, in that his harshest pronouncements of judgment are towards hypocritical religious leaders, Isa. 3:1-15. Isaiah means: The Lord Is My Salvation. Jesus means: Yahweh Saves. They were both judgmental in the same way, they had a “righteous judgment” which had a spiritual and godly perspective, their judgment was not based on appearances, Jn. 7:24, 8:15-18 & Mat. 7:1-2. Do you know believers that take on a leadership role as a Christian on Sunday, and yet live a publicly sinful life during the rest of the week? Jesus did, and yet he loved them, taught them repentance and died for them, because he was Immanuel. See Isa. 7:14 & Mat. 1:23. God is now with Christians, spiritual Israel, not physical Israel, Romans 2:26-29 & Philippians 3:3. If God is with us, we should have no hesitation in demanding repentance from hypocritical religious leaders today. God has not changed, Jesus is the same, Hebrews 13:8.

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