ISAIAH CHAPTER 40

TABLE OF CONTENTS

OBSERVATION STAGE

The purpose of the observation stage is to maintain focus on the text at hand within the normative rules of language, context and logic which limits the observer to the content offered by the book of Isaiah. This will serve to avoid going on unnecessary tangents elsewhere; and more importantly, it will provide the framework for a proper and objective comparison with passages located elsewhere in Scripture.

Remember that something elsewhere may be true, but in the text at hand it may not be in view.

I) [Isa 40:1-5]:

The previous chapter declared that Judah was to undergo Babylonian conquest causing her destruction and captivity under the rule of Babylon as a result of her unfaithfulness:

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...............................[OR GO TO ISA 40:1-2]

AT THE TIME OF HEZEKIAH'S RECOVERY FROM TERMINAL ILLNESS AND THE RECENT DEFEAT OF THE ASSYRIANS AT THE GATES OF JERUSALEM; MERODACH-BALADAN, KING OF BABYLON, SENT AN ENVOY WITH LETTERS AND A PRESENT TO HEZEKIAH WITH THE INTENT TO FORM AN ALLIANCE WITH HIM AGAINST ASSYRIAN RULE. WHEREUPON HEZEKIAH SHOWED THEM ALL OF HIS TREASURES AND ARMORY - EVERYTHING. WHEN ISAIAH DISCOVERED WHAT HEZEKIAH HAD DONE, HE CONVEYED TO THE KING THE WORDS OF THE LORD THAT ALL THE WEALTH ACCUMULATED BY HEZEKIAH AND PREVIOUS KINGS WOULD BE CARRIED OFF AS A RESULT OF THEIR UNFAITHFULNESS. EVEN SOME OF HEZEKIAH'S SONS WOULD BE CASTRATED TO SERVE AS EUNUCHS IN THE PALACE OF BABYLON. IN A WHOLLY SELF-CENTERED MANNER - ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THIS WOULD NOT COME WITHIN HIS OWN LIFESPAN, HEZEKIAH CALLOUSLY RESPONDED, "THE WORD OF THE LORD WHICH YOU HAVE SPOKEN IS GOOD! AT LEAST THERE WILL BE PEACE AND TRUTH IN MY DAYS!"

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A) THE LORD COMMANDED HIS PROPHETS EMPHATICALLY TO COMFORT HIS PEOPLE - TO SPEAK TO THE HEART OF THE PEOPLE OF JERUSALEM, WHO AT THE TIME WERE CAPTIVE IN BABYLON AND JERUSALEM HAD NOT YET BEEN REBUILT. THE PROPHETS WERE COMMANDED TO CRY OUT TO ISRAEL THAT HER WARFARE HAD ENDED - THAT HER CAPTIVITY HAD COME TO A CLOSE, THAT HER INIQUITY HAD BEEN PARDONED - HAVING RECEIVED DOUBLE PUNISHMENT FROM THE LORD FOR ALL OF HER SINS

B) IN VIEW OF THE IMMINENT RETURN IN ANCIENT TIMES OF ISRAEL FROM BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY TO A JERUSALEM WHICH WOULD BE REBUILT, A VOICE OF A PROPHET CRIED OUT TO THE PEOPLE OF JERUSALEM TELLING THEM IN A FIGURATIVE / SPIRITUAL SENSE, NOT A LITERAL SENSE, THAT IN THE WILDERNESS THEY WERE ALL TO PREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD IN THE SENSE OF MAKING THE WAY OF THE LORD RIGHTEOUS; AND IN THE SAME SENSE, MAKE A STRAIGHT HIGHWAY FOR OUR GOD IN THE DESERT, AND LIKEWISE HAVE EVERY VALLEY LIFTED UP, EVERY MOUNTAIN AND HILL LEVELED, AND UNEVEN GROUND BECOME SMOOTH AND ROUGH PLACES A PLAIN, I.E., SO THAT THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL WOULD BE CHARACTERIZED AS HAVING THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD THUS HAVING REMOVED THE SPIRITUAL HINDRANCES WITHIN THEMSELVES TO THE COMING OF THE LORD AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS SO THAT ALL MANKIND WOULD SEE THE GLORY OF THE LORD WHEN HE COMES TO RULE OVER HIS EVERLASTING KINGDOM OF HEAVEN ON THE EARTH, AS DECLARED BY THE PROPHET TO BE TRUE, FOR ISAIAH DECLARED THAT THE MOUTH OF THE LORD HAD SPOKEN IT TO HIM. SO THE TIME OF THE LORD'S RULE WOULD BEGIN WHEN EACH ONE OF NATIONAL ISRAEL, TO WHOM THE MESSAGE OF THE PROPHET CRYING OUT WAS EXCLUSIVELY DIRECTED, RESPONDED TO IT EVIDENTLY VIA A MOMENT OF FAITH ALONE IN THE COMING LORD ALONE TO DELIVER ONE FROM ONE'S SINS SUCH THAT EACH ONE WOULD BE PROVIDED WITH THE GIFT OF GOD'S PERFECT RIGHTEOUSNESS WITHIN ONESELF UNTO ETERNAL LIFE AND BY THAT PREPARE THE WAY OF THE LORD TO COME TO RULE OVER HIS EVERLASTING KINGDOM OF HEAVEN ON THE EARTH THROUGH HIS PEOPLE ISRAEL. NOTICE THAT THIS REPENTANCE CANNOT MEAN DOING GODLY WORKS IN ORDER TO RECEIVE REMISSION (FORGIVENESS) OF SINS IN ORDER TO ENTER THE KINGDOM OF GOD, AS SOME CONTEND; BECAUSE DOING GODLY WORKS CANNOT ERASE SINFUL DEEDS. NOR CAN REPENTANCE MEAN TO TURN FROM SIN IN THE SENSE OF NOT COMMITTING SINS ANY MORE; FOR THAT IS A TASK WHICH IS NOT POSSIBLE GIVEN THE SINFUL NATURE OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL. ISAIAH INDICATED PREVIOUSLY THAT THIS OUTCOME WAS TO BEGIN WITH A CHILD BORN SUPERNATURALLY OF AN ISRAELITE MAIDEN / VIRGIN - A SON AND CHILD OF ISRAEL, WHO WOULD BE DECLARED WONDERFUL, COUNSELOR, MIGHTY GOD, EVERLASTING FATHER, PRINCE OF PEACE WHO WOULD COME TO ESTABLISH HIS EVERLASTING KINGDOM OF HEAVEN RULE OVER THE WORLD UPON THE THRONE OF DAVID FROM JERUSALEM THROUGH HIS PEOPLE, ISRAEL AS BOTH GOD AND MAN

1) [Compare Isa 7:14-16]:

2) [Compare Isa 9:6-7]:

3) [Compare Isa 6:3 NKJV]:

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ISAIAH REQUESTED TO KING AHAZ TO NAME ANY MIRACULOUS SIGN IN CREATION FOR THE LORD TO PERFORM TO AUTHENTICATE THAT GOD WOULD NEVER LET ARAM AND EPHRIAM CONQUER JUDAH. THE OFFER WAS ARROGANTLY REJECTED BY THE UNFAITHFUL AHAZ. THEREFORE, THE LORD HIMSELF GAVE A SIGN TO BEHOLD BEYOND AHAZ'S LIFETIME AND IN THE DISTANT FUTURE: THE MAIDEN / VIRGIN - THE PREGNANT ONE - GIVING BIRTH TO A SON, WHOM SHE WOULD CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL - MEANING GOD IS WITH US. AND GROWING UP AS A YOUNG, CHILD HE WOULD EAT CURDS AND HONEY, (INFANT FOOD); AND BEFORE HE KNEW TO REFUSE THE EVIL AND CHOOSE TO DO GOOD, THE KINGDOMS THAT JUDAH DREADED WOULD BE FORSAKEN BY BOTH HER KINGS AND DESTROYED

FOR A FUTURE GENERATION, THE GLOOM AND DISTRESS UPON ISRAEL WOULD BE NO MORE - AS WHEN AT FIRST THE LORD TREATED WITH CONTEMPT THE LANDS OF ZEBULUN AND NAPHTALI, AND AFTERWARD MORE HEAVILY OPPRESSED THEM THROUGH ASSYRIAN INVASION. THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL WHO IN PAST GENERATIONS WALKED IN DARKNESS WOULD SEE A GREAT LIGHT FROM THE LORD SHINING UPON THEM. THE NATION WOULD BE MULTIPLIED AND THE LORD WOULD INCREASE THEIR JOY - LIKE THE REJOICING AT HARVEST TIME OR WHEN MEN DIVIDE THE SPOILS. IN THE MANNER THAT THE LORD SUPERNATURALLY PROVIDED VICTORY FOR GIDEON AND ISRAEL OVER THE MIDIANITES, SO THERE WOULD BE AN END TO OPPRESSION AND WAR: FOR UNTO ISRAEL A CHILD WOULD BE BORN. TO HIS PEOPLE ISRAEL THE LORD WOULD GIVE A SON - HIS SON. THE GOVERNMENT WOULD BE UPON HIS SHOULDER; AND HIS NAME WOULD BE CALLED WONDERFUL, COUNSELOR, MIGHTY GOD, EVERLASTING FATHER, PRINCE OF PEACE. AND OF THE INCREASE OF HIS GOVERNMENT AND PEACE THERE WOULD BE NO END. HE WOULD RULE HIS KINGDOM AND THE WORLD FROM THE THRONE OF DAVID - ESTABLISHING JUDGMENT AND JUSTICE FOREVER. ALL OF THIS WOULD BE ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH THE ZEAL OF THE LORD OF HOSTS

[Compare Isa 10:24-27]:

[Compare Isa 7:14]:

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