Epaggelia

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.