Isaiah, The 5th Evangelist

by Chuck Ness

I would like to broaden your understanding of the book Jesus read from while in the synagogue of His home town, Luke_4:16-30 so that you may better appreciate the book written by the Fifth Evangelist.

Isaiah is the most often quoted prophet in the New Testament, yet his book can be as obscure as it is interesting. Even many Christians will admit they know very little about the book and what it has to offer for their walk with Christ. Other than being familiar with a few famous passages that foretold the advent of Christ Isa_9:6 and his suffering Isa_53:1-12, most people don’t know that there are prophecies that coincide with the book of Revelations. Isa_13:1-13, Isa_14:1-22. Unfortunately, because of their unfamiliarity they miss out on the true gift Isaiah has to offer.

The first time we learn of God's plan of salvation for mankind was after Adam and Eve sinned in the garden.

"And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel." Gen_3:15

The last mention of His plan for our salvation is in the book of Revelations,

He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming quickly."Amen. Come, Lord Jesus".
Rev_22:20

A promise that may be truly said to every person in every age, Jesus the Judge is at the door. In Isaiah, you will find God's plan for the salvation of mankind, His judgment for the world, and those who would refuse his gift. Isa_13:6-13 Within this book we also learn of Christ's birth Isa_9:6, His death Isa_53:8, and not only of His resurrection, Isa_53:10 but about the essential role of the Resurrection.

Isaiah also tells us what will happen to the false gods by declaring, 

"They are dead, they will not live; They are deceased, they will not rise.
Therefore You have punished and destroyed them, And made all their memory to perish.
Isaiah 26:14

Isaiah goes on to tell us about the vital link between the resurrection of the Messiah and that of all humankind. He testifies about Jehovah's promises for the resurrection of the dead,

“Your dead shall live; together with my dead body they shall arise.
Awake and sing, you who dwell in dust; for your dew is like the dew of herbs,
and the earth shall cast out the dead.” 26:19.

The first time the Lord spoke of a savior for mankind was at the very dawning of the gospel day. No sooner was the poisonous wound inflicted upon mankind, and the remedy was provided and revealed. The Lord had planed from the beginning, that the one who was first deceived, the woman, would be the one through whom the guilt of the world would fall. Since sin is handed down through the man, the sin nature of man was not handed down to the Messiah. Thus, Jesus was the unblemished Lamb whom the LORD accepted as the perfect sin offering from the very moment the World was spoken into existence,

All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been
written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.
Rev 13:8

Isaiah described what would happen to Christ for our salvation in such a way that one would think he had a front row seat at Golgotha. Not even John, the most beloved and only Apostle to witness His crucifixion, wrote as detailed an account as Isaiah did. No, Isaiah the Prophet was not present, instead he received a first hand account from the very One who would suffer on that cross. When you look at the way Isaiah spoke of future events, as if they were in his past, it's easy to see why he is often referred to as either the Fifth Evangelist or the first Apostle of Christ.

Isaiah's first reference to the Messiah is not a prophecy of His birth but a prophecy that the Jews would reject Him Isa_6:9-10. When you look at the traditions of the ancient writers you find that very seldom is the birth, or the childhood, of a famous person mentioned. The Jews were exceptions in that they often mentioned the day of birth, but it was a man's accomplishments as an adult that gave the scribes a reason to write about him or his childhood.

While Isaiah foretells many aspects of what the Messiah's life would entail, such as His birth Isa_7:14, His ministry Isa_9:1-2, and His many miracles Isa_35:5-6, it is the Lords rejection by the Jews that Isaiah mentions first. Without the Jews rejection of Christ the gentiles would not have been saved, thus it only makes sense that this would be the first prophecy Isaiah mentions. Just as they rejected GOD Himself, and the prophets he sent, they would also reject the very One they looked forward to for their salvation. Isaiah was also one of the many prophets rejected, and ultimately murdered, by those he was sent to by the LORD. Christ even alluded to the rejections and murder in his parable of the absent landowner. Matt 21:33-44

Isaiah came bearing a plan, given by God, for the restoration of the remnant of Israel who would truly return to Him. This plan also included the redemption for all. Through Isaiah's writings, the Jewish Scribes and Religious leaders should have known that their GOD was also sending the Messiah to save the hated gentiles. It is because of prophecies like these from Isaiah, that Paul was able to present such a compelling case to Jews throughout the Roman Empire.

"For the Gentiles shall seek Him, and
His resting place shall be glorious.”
Isa_11:10

"I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, that
you should be My salvation to the ends of the earth.”
Isa_49:6

Even though they had the writings of the prophets to prove Christ was their Messiah, the Jews would be the first to persecute the Christians. Before they even crucified HIM, they were already expelling his believers from the sanctuaries John_9:28-34. Isaiah also conveys to us the compassion the Lord has for His chosen people and His desire for their redemption. Isa_65:19, Isa_65:24.

What an amazing prophecy! Long before I was born God knew I would be knee deep in transgressions against Him, and even before I called on His name he came to my rescue. When God destroyed the world by water, Noah and his family needed an Ark designed by God Himself to survive the Flood. As Christians, we realize that we also need a type of an Ark and for us that Ark is Christ Jesus.

Through Isaiah, God gives us the blueprints for that Ark. Unlike the Ark that saved Noah and his family, the Ark we Christians depend upon needed no construction, because this Ark is a Member of the Holy Trinity, and is GOD Himself Who came down too dwell in the flesh to become the perfect sacrifice.

It is this Ark that was promised from the day Adam and Eve ate from the "Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil". Gen_3:1-7 Isaiah wrote about this some 760 years before the birth of Christ. Throughout the Bible we have evidence of the LORD's promises, and all we need to do is have faith in those promises, just as we have faith in the promise Jesus gave Nicodemus.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that
whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
Jhn_3:16

For those who are skeptical about the timing of these prophecies, the evidence we have is backed up by many overwhelming facts as to the Historicity of the Scriptures. When the “Dead Sea Scrolls” were discovered, it was learned that the current translation of Isaiah has not changed through the years, other than a few nondescript grammatical errors. The best proof of God fulfilling His promises are the more than 100 prophecies of Isaiah which Jesus fulfilled. Along with hundreds of other Old Testament prophecies fulfilled by Jesus, I believe it takes an act of mental ignorance to ignore the prophetic evidence of God's faithfulness to follow through on His promises.

As for me, I have no reason to doubt the future fulfillment of the Lord's remaining promises. Like a miniature Bible, the book of Isaiah can lead you to many truths about God and His plans for mankind. By studying Isaiah and his many prophecies, you will better understand how it represents the Eternal as opposed to the temporal. The when, where, who, and how are just temporal, but the Eternal is what is promised and that is where my hope lies. 

Studying books like Isaiah's, always brings my heart closer to my Creator. Which is something we should all desire. It helped strengthen my faith through the grace of God which has allowed me to be washed by the Blood of the Lamb. My parched soul has been renewed by the life giving water flowing from the Rock that follows me through this desert of sin we call the World. My salvation was paid for when He was lifted onto the cross like a snake in the desert, and I am assured of eternal life because of His Resurrection. While I anxiously await His return so that I may enjoy an eternal rest in His Glory, I invite you to join me today by accepting Christ Jesus as your Lord and Savior.

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

Isaiah, The 5th Evangelist