"Only Life Changes"

Question:

What phrases from Isaiah have provided modern literary titles?

Answer:
(Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin)
It reads in Isaiah 40:1-11 KJV> Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. The voice of him that cried in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. The voice said, Cry. And he said, what shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field: The grass withered, the flower faded: because the spirit of the Lord blow upon it: surely the people is grass. The grass withered; the flower Faded: but the word of our God shall stand for ever. O Zion, that brings good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that brings good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.

(The Second Coming by W.B. Yeats)
It reads in Isaiah 64:1 KJV> Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence,

(The FireNext Time by James Baldwin)
It reads in Isaiah 66:15 KJV> which says “For behold, the LORD will come with fire, His chariots are like a whirlwind, to execute His anger with fury and His rebuke with flames of fire.”

The Waste Land by T.S. Eliot
It reads in Isaiah 35:1-2 KJV> The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the excellency of our God.
“Rivers in the desert”
It reads in Isaiah 43:20 KJV> The beast of the field shall honor me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen.
“The valley of vision”
It reads in Isaiah 22:5 KJV> For it is a day of trouble, and of treading down, and of perplexity by the Lord God of hosts in the valley of vision, breaking down the walls, and of crying to the mountains.
“Awake and Sing”
It reads in Isaiah 26:19 KJV>Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.

Question:
What classical expressions has Isaiah given to our speech?
Answer:
It reads in Isaiah 1:18 NIV> “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.
It reads in Isaiah 3:1 NIV > See now, the Lord, the Lord Almighty, is about to take from Jerusalem and Judah both supply and support: all supplies of food and all supplies of water,
It reads in Isaiah 32:20 NIV> How blessed you will be, sowing your seed by every stream, and letting your cattle and donkeys range free.
It reads in Isaiah 52:7 NIV> How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!”

Question:
How did Isaiah meet his death?
Answer:

The time and manner of Isaiah’s death are not specified in either the Bible or other primary sources. ( It reads in Hebrews 11:36-38 NIV> Found this: Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted, and mistreated, the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.) Tradition claims Isaiah met his death at the hands of King Manasseh (695–642 B.C.), who feared for his throne. Some maintain that Isaiah died by being cut in two with a wooden saw. Other reports claim Isaiah died when he hid from Manasseh in a tree in Silwan, and then he was sawn in half.

Question:
“What power is attributed to God’s word?
Answer:
The main reason is The Word of God. Stay in the Word of Truth whoever you are and wherever you are. The Word will flourish as you see it fulfilled day to day in your life and through eternity. There is nothing but success and victory awaiting you.
It reads in Isaiah 55:10 KJV> For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
It reads in Isaiah 40:8 KJV> The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand forever.
It reads in Isaiah 59:21 KJV> As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and forever.

Question;
What future does 2 Isaiah envision for Israel?
Answer:
{FYI: Second Isaiah is a term that refers to chapters 40-55 of the book of Isaiah in the Old Testament. These chapters are believed to be written by an unknown prophet during the Babylonian Exile of the Jews in the sixth century BCE. Second Isaiah expresses hope and faith in God’s redemption of Israel and his plan to become the God of all nations. Second Isaiah is also known as Deutero-Isaiah and is considered one of history’s greatest religious thinkers. The translation and interpretation of Second Isaiah may use new material from the Dead Sea Scrolls. Deutero-Isaiah is a name given to the section of the Book of Isaiah that consists of chapter 40. Some scholars believe that this section was written by a different author than the preceding and following chapters, based on differences in style, language, and historical context. According to this theory, Deutero-Isaiah was a prophet who lived during the Babylonian captivity and proclaimed Yahweh as the universal God and the hope of the exiles. Others reject this theory and maintain that Isaiah was a single author who wrote the whole book.}
It reads in Isaiah 46:13 KJV> I bring near my righteousness; it shall not be far off, and my salvation shall not tarry: and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel my glory.
It reads in Isaiah 65:17-19 KJV> For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind. But be ye glad and rejoice forever in that which I create: for, behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying.
It reads in Isaiah 60:2 KJV> For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.

Question:
What future does 2 Isaiah envision for humanity?
Answer:
It reads in Isaiah 51:4-5 NIV>
“Listen to me, my people; hear me, my nation: Instruction will go out from me; my justice will become a light to the nations. My righteousness draws near speedily, my salvation is on the way, and my arm will bring justice to the nations. The islands will look to me and wait in hope for my arm.
It reads in Isaiah 51:6-8 NIV> Lift up your eyes to the heavens, look at the earth beneath; the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies. But my salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail. “Hear me, you who know what is right, you people who have taken my instruction to heart: Do not fear the reproach of mere mortals or be terrified by their insults. For the moth will eat them up like a garment; the worm will devour them like wool. But my righteousness will last forever, my salvation through all generations.”
It reads in Isaiah 56:1 NIV> This is what the Lord says: “Maintain justice and do what is right, for my salvation is close at hand and my righteousness will soon be revealed.
It reads in Isaiah 56:6 NIV> And foreigners who bind themselves to the Lord to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord, and to be his servants, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant.
It reads in Isaiah 59:19 NIV> From the west, people will fear the name of the Lord, and from the rising of the sun, they will revere his glory. For he will come like a pent-up flood that the breath of the Lord drives along.

Question:
What opportunity for repentance is offered to the people of God?
Answer:
God offers everyone the opportunity to repent and live life spiritually in union with Him. Repentance begins with God’s calling, and He gives us the opportunity and an open door to return to Him when we have strayed from a righteous path. Suppose God does not execute His wrath and justice immediately against a person. In that case, He allows that person an opportunity to continue to live longer so that grace can work in his life and lead him to repentance. Repentance is a call to absolute surrender to the will and purposes of God.
It reads in Isaiah 65:1 KJV> I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name.
It reads in Isaiah 55:1 KJV> Ho, everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
It reads in Isaiah 55:6-7 KJV> Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

Question:
How does 2 Isaiah bid his people to make ready for return, from exile?
Answer:
It reads in Isaiah 40:3 NIV> A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
It reads in Isaiah 41:10 NIV> So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
It reads in Isaiah 52:12 NIV> But you will not leave in haste or go in flight; for the Lord will go before you, the God of Israel will be your rear guard.

Question:
What passages reveal 2 Isaiah’s interpretation of history?
Answer:
Now, in the second part of the text, God addresses Cyrus directly and uses Cyrus as the instrument of his purpose. Cyrus had very little interest in Israel as a nation and very little knowledge of Israel’s God. (Isaiah 45:1-7 NIV> This is what the Lord says to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I take hold of to subdue nations before him and to strip kings of their armor, to open doors before him so that gates will not be shut: I will go before you and will level the mountains. I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. I will give you hidden treasures, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name. For the sake of Jacob my servant, of Israel my chosen, I summon you by name and bestow on you a title of honor, though you do not acknowledge me. I am the Lord, and there is no other; apart from me, there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting people may know there is none besides me. I am the Lord, and there is no other. I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things. ), commissioning the Persian ruler to destroy the bars of Babylon’s prison and set Israel free (along with the captives from other nations). Cyrus, however, will not merely be a pawn on God’s world chessboard: God calls Cyrus by name, desiring that even Cyrus will come to know that God is the Lord. Later, when Cyrus issues the edict to free the Judean captives, he does in fact call upon the name of the Lord as his authority for this action. {Scribe who helped establish Jewish practices in Jerusalem after the exile}. (Ezra 1:1-4 NIV> In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the Lord spoken by Jeremiah, the Lord moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and also to put it in writing: “This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: “‘The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Any of his people among you may go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the Lord, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem, and may their God be with them. And in any locality where survivors may now be living, the people are to provide them with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem.’”)