Book Of Isaiah, A Miniature Bible

by Chuck Ness

If you ever want to study a book of the Bible that will give you great insight from a prophetic point of view, may I suggest you study the Book of Isaiah. Isaiah wrote what many have called the miniature Bible in the Bible. Like all Scripture, Isaiah is inspired by God. However, Isaiah is unique in it's arrangement. Something I believe was divinely inspired to be so.

Consider the following. How many books does the Bible have? Sixty-six. How many chapters does Isaiah have? Sixty-six. How many books are there in the Old Testament? Thirty-nine, and twenty-seven in the New Testament. The of Isaiah divides exactly in the same way.

The first half of Isaiah comprises of Thirty-nine chapters. Interestingly, like beginning of the New Testament, chapter 40 of Isaiah starts with the coming of the Messiah's forerunner, the "one crying in the desert". Thus the remaining Twenty-seven chapters constitute the second half of Isaiah.

The first Thirty-nine chapters shows man's worship is vain and the people are wicked as idolatry is rampant. We learn of the need for restoration with God, as it explains the judgment of God towards a sinful people. Chapter 39 warns of the coming captivity of Judah by Babylon, and this is where the similarity to the Old Testament in Isaiah ends.  

Continuing along this thought, chapters 39 to 40 could be looked at as the silent years. The time when God is not recorded to have spoken through any prophets. It's not until The Angel of The Lord appears to Zacharias, that the New Testament begins with the history of John the Baptist as he came to announce the coming of the Messiah. Isaiah chapter 40 jumps right into prophesying the coming of John the Baptist:

The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
"Prepare the way of the LORD;
Make straight in the desert
A highway for our God. " (Isaiah 40:3)

John the Baptist uses this verse when responding to the question by the Priests, if he is Elijah. Thus fulfilling Isaiah's prophesy. The New Testament has begun, which is chapter 40 of Isaiah. Later in chapter 53 is a description of Christ, His persecution, and His sacrifice. The description of which is so accurate you would think Isaiah was present when it happened. His description is even more accurate than the one written by the Lord's most beloved Disciple, John.

When you get to the end of the book you will find that chapter 66 speaks of the new heavens and the new earth that God is creating, which should remind you of the promises at the end of the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ.

Now imagine if you will, that you are a Jewish Priest and the year is 500 B.C.. Let's say you have in your hands the scrolls handed down from before the Babylonian captivity, and among these scrolls is Isaiah's writings. Imagine the most important prophecies handed down from God to man, are yours for the reading some 500 years before John the baptist was born.

Sadly, the Priests of the time were clueless as to the importance of Isaiah's writings, where he explained why the world had such horrid problems. What they especially misunderstood was the inspiring solution God had planned for the Jews and mankind. Something Isaiah foretold more clearly than any other Prophet of the Old Testament. Yet, as they continually did, they refused to heed the lessons, and instead continued in their ignorance of what God was warning them about. Thus the reason they never even recognized Him when He walked among them.

Well, you have these writings all in a convenient collection, we call the Bible. You don't need to only read the miniature Bible by Isaiah to know what's coming, you have all the letters written by Paul, Luke, Mark and the disciples who walked with the Lord. I hope this will peak your curiosity so that you will seriously consider a study of the book many have called the miniature Bible, written by the man Saint Jerome called, "The Fifth Evangelist."

Christ tells us that He will return like a thief in the night. Could tonight be the time when He returns to bring you home? Are you ready?

I pray that those who have ears to hear will hear His voice and call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen