"Only Life Changes"

Question:
How is the Prophet Isaiah summoned to begin his work?
Answer:
Isaiah, Hebrew Yeshaʿyahu (“God Is Salvation”), (flourished 8th century BCE,) The earliest recorded event in Isaiah’s life is his call to prophecy as now found in the sixth chapter of the Book of Isaiah; this occurred about 742 BCE. The vision (probably in the Jerusalem Temple) that made Isaiah a prophet is described in a first-person narrative. (A throne high and lifted up” 6:1) According to this account he “saw” God and was overwhelmed by his contact with the divine glory and holiness. (“I am a man of unclean lips. and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips. 6:5) He became agonizingly aware of God’s need for a messenger to the people of Israel, and, despite his own sense of inadequacy. ( Receives assurance of pardon. Your guilt is taken away, and sins forgiven.” 6:7) Isaiah offered himself for God’s service: “Here am I! Send me.” He was commissioned to give voice to the divine word. It was no light promise; he was to condemn his own people and watch the nation crumble and perish. As Isaiah tells it, he was only too aware that, coming with such a message, he would experience bitter opposition, willful disbelief, and ridicule, to withstand which he would have to be inwardly fortified. (All this came to him in the form of a vision and ended as a sudden, firm, and lifelong resolve. 6:8)

Question:

At what points has the text of Isaiah been corrected by reference to the Isaiah scroll, which was among the first of the finds in the Dead Sea Caves?

Answer:
A thousand years older than any copies of Isaiah that had hitherto been known, this has necessitated minor correction at thirteen points: 3:24 (Insertion of the word “Shame”); 14:4 (“Insolent fury” replaces “Golden City”); 14:30 (“I” replaces “He”); 15:9 (“Dibon” twice replaces “Dimon”); 21:8 (“he who saw” replaces a Lion”); 23:2 (“your messengers passed over the sea” replaces “who passed over the sea, they replenished you”); 33:8 (“witnesses” replaces “cities”); 45:2 (“the mountains” replaces “the swellings”); 45:8 (“that salvation may sprout forth” replaces “that they may bring forth salvation”); 49:24 (“tyrant” replaces “righteous man”); 51:19 (“who will comfort you?” replaces “how may I comfort you?”); 56:12 (“us” replaces “Me”); 60:19 (addition of “by night”). In each case the corruption had resulted from a copy list’s error in the days when all books had to be written out by hand. In each case, the corrected text makes better sense than the version previously known.

Question:
What theological differences are there between 1 Isaiah and 2 Isaiah?
Answer:
Examples of the doctrinal differences they mention are that “Second Isaiah” does not mention the Messianic King or faithful remnant of Israel, but instead emphasizes the suffering Servant. Another is that God’s rule and uniqueness was also more emphasized in “Second Isaiah”.
1 Isaiah emphasizes the holiness of God {Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts 6:3}
2 Isaiah stresses His everlastingness: “Who has performed and done this, calling the generations from the beginning? I, The Lord, the first, and with the last; I AM HE!” {41:4}
1 Isaiah pictures the coming of the Messianic King: And the government will be on His shoulder, and His name will be called “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace'” {9:6}
2 Isaiah revolves about the idea of the Suffering Servant: He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and aquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we esteemed Him not” {53:3}.
The author of 1 Isaiah was himself called to be a prophet{“Whom shall I send? “Send me” 6:8}
In 2 Isaiah it is the community of Israel that is called to be a prophet “To the nations” {42:1}, whose function it is to establish “Justice on the earth” {42:4} and be “a light to the nations” {42:6; 49:6}.

Question:
What linguistic arguments are there for believing that the work of more than one man in Isaiah is bound up in this role?
Answer:
The style of 1 Isaiah has been described as “Condensed, lapidary, and plastic,” while that of 2 Isaiah is referred to as “gentle” and “Joy,” 1 Isaiah engages “Force” and “Glory,” 2 Isaiah relies upon “Persuasion” and “Sadness.” This difference in style can be observed even in translation. In addition, 2 Isaiah has a special vocabulary, with a considerable number of frequently recurring words not found at all in 1 Isaiah. Among these are “to choose” {41:8; 43:10; 44:2;} and “My chosen” {43:20; 45:4; 65:9,15,22} “PRAISE” {42:8,10,12; 43:21; 48:9; 60:18; 61:3,11; 62:7,9; 63:7; 64:11}”Shoot” or Spring up like grass” {44:4; 55:10;61:11 (twice); 45:8; 58:8; 42:9; 43:19} “Break forth into singing” {44:23; 49:13; 52:9; 54:1; 55:12} “Favor” in the sense of “Good will” or “Acceptance” {49:8; 56:7; 58:5; 60:10; 61:2}.

Question:
What are the historical reasons for believing that not all parts of Isaiah’s book date from the same era?
Answer:
Another widely held view is that parts of the first half of the book (chapters 1–39) originated with the historical prophet, interspersed with prose commentaries written in the time of King Josiah 100 years later, and that the remainder of the book dates from immediately before and immediately after the end of the exile in Babylon, almost two centuries after the time of the historical prophet, and perhaps these later chapters represent the work of an ongoing school of prophets who prophesied in accordance with his prophecies. The book of Isaiah provides us with the most comprehensive prophetic picture of Jesus Christ in the entire Old Testament. It includes the full scope of His life: the announcement of His coming (Isaiah 40:3–5), His virgin birth (7:14), His proclamation of the good news (61:1), His sacrificial death (52:13–53:12), and His return to claim His own. Who knew?

Question:
What is the date of 2nd Isaiah?
Answer:
Isaiah received his call “in the year that King Uzziah died” (742 B.C.), and his latest recorded activity is dated in 701 B.C. Only chapters 1–39, however, can be assigned to this period. Chapters 40–66 are much later in origin and therefore known as Deutero-Isaiah (Second Isaiah). Second Isaiah (40-55) probably dates to the Babylonian exile (ca 545 B.C.E.). (549-537B.C.)

Question:
What title is given to the second part of the book of Isaiah?
Answer:
Deutero-Isaiah, or 2nd book of Isaiah, has come to be the conventional designation for Chapters 40-66. Some scholars discern further refinements, confining 2nd book of Isaiah to Chapters 40-48, with Chapters 49-55 regarded as a post-exilic appendix, and Chapter 56-66, sometimes called Trito-Isaiah, or 3rd Isaiah, as belonging to the age of Ezra and Nehemiah.

Question:
What reasons in the book of Isaiah itself for speaking of a school of prophets under the leadership of Isaiah?
Answer:
Isaiah 8:16 says, “Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.” According to some commentaries, this verse is spoken by God the Father and refers to the word of God, especially the doctrine of the Messiah. The expressions “bind up” and “seal” are understood prophetically, meaning that the doctrine shall be bound up and sealed. This can be interpreted as meaning that the doctrine will be secure and preserved among Isaiah’s disciples, but also kept secret and hidden from others until its fulfillment.

Question:
What reasons are there for concluding that the work of more than one man is contained in the present book of Isaiah?
Answer:
There are different theories and approaches to the question of the authorship of the book of Isaiah. Some scholars believe that the book contains the work of one prophet, Isaiah ben Amoz, who lived in the 8th century BCE and prophesied about the events of his time and the future. Others argue that the book is a composite of different authors who wrote in different historical periods and contexts, reflecting the changing circumstances of Judah and Israel. The most common division is into three sections: Proto-Isaiah (chapters 1-39), Deutero-Isaiah (chapters 40-55), and Trito-Isaiah (chapters 56-66), each attributed to a different author or group of authors.

Some of the reasons for concluding that the book of Isaiah has more than one author are:

The historical discrepancies between the first and second parts of the book of Isaiah.

The first part (chapters 1-39) deals with the Assyrian threat and the fall of Samaria in the 8th century BCE, while the second part (chapters 40-55) addresses the Babylonian exile and the rise of Cyrus the Great in the 6th century BCE. The third part (chapters 56-66) seems to reflect the situation after the return from exile in the 5th century BCE. It is unlikely that one prophet could have foreseen such distant events with such accuracy and detail.

The linguistic and stylistic differences between the sections of the book of Isaiah.

The vocabulary, grammar, syntax, and literary devices used in each section vary significantly, suggesting different authors or schools of thought. For example, Deutero-Isaiah uses more Aramaic words and expressions than Proto-Isaiah, indicating a later date of composition.

The theological and ideological shifts between the sections of the book of Isaiah.

The first part (chapters 1-39) emphasizes God’s judgment on Judah and Israel for their sins and idolatry, while the second part (chapters 40-55) focuses on God’s comfort and salvation for his suffering people. The third part (chapters 56-66) deals with the challenges and hopes of the restored community in Jerusalem. The concept of God also changes from a national deity to a universal sovereign, and the role of the Messiah becomes more prominent in Deutero-Isaiah.

Question:
When did Isaiah live?
Answer:
About 700 years before the birth of Jesus Christ. Isaiah was born in the 8th century BC in Jerusalem, Israel. Isaiahs prophetic years spanned between 740 and 700 B.C., based upon the kings reigning during the time he prophesied. The best we can put in a nutshell is he died sometime in the sixth century B.C.