Flight ISA01 - Part A

21 times Isaiah is quoted in the New Testament. He is called the messianic prophet. He is the only prophet in Scripture to specifically predict the Messiah will be born of a virgin is referred to as the messianic prophet. He specifically predicted the coming of Jesus as the Messiah. Today on connect with Skip Heitzig Skip shares reviewing insight from Isaiah's prophecies about your future and your relationship with Jesus and at the end of today's program Skip and his wife Linda share why it's vital for you to study prophecy when you look at the predictions like in the prophet Isaiah, where you have an event predicted and then he and other prophets add multiple contingencies to that layer upon layer gives evidence to supernatural origin of the Bible. Be sure to stay tuned after today's message to hear the full conversation. Now we want to tell you about a resource that shows you have the truth of Jesus resurrection transforms your life.

The aftermath of 2020 has left many of us wrestling with questions about the future and wondering what's next here Skip I think that's a question by the way that people ask anytime there is a catastrophe any kind of catastrophic event causes people to ask the question, what's next. There's a car accident that happens while what's next I'm going to be able to walk after this disease strikes someone. What's next my going to be sure somebody we love dies, we ask what's next. My going to be able to go on. We want to help you live with confidence no matter what the future holds. I sending you a powerful collection of Easter weekend messages from skip. I think on the hope of the resurrection. Anything is possible if the one who said he's going to die and rise again, died and rose again. That means all of the promises Jesus ever made our possible and can come true.

That's why it's called a living hope the morning that changed everything with skip. I think it's a DVD collection of six life-changing Easter messages and it's our thanks for your gift of $35 or more today to help connect more people to the living hope of Jesus Christ to get online securely visit connectwithskip.com/offer port call 800-922-1888 the book of Isaiah skip.

I took starts today step turn in your Bibles to the book of Isaiah or they should be out front say that with me. She how he/she owl is how you say his name. He wasn't born in Rochester, New York, or in the California or New Mexico. He was born in Israel and so his original pronunciation was he/she owl and that he/she owl a.k.a. Anglicized Isaiah was a prophet during four kings actually five that Velasco may have actually killed them.

According to tradition, but Isaiah is like the prophets prophet is like him is like the most influential of the prophet. You know sometimes God calls people to obscure ministries. Other times he calls him to very influential ministries and Isaiah were following the latter category. He really had entrance into the palace. Some Jewish traditions hold that he was actually part of the royal family. If not, at least an aristocratic family in Jerusalem so well known well-connected probably is pockets well lined originally but he got a call from God in his life you'll see that call in chapter 6. As we begin. And again this is a survey of half of the book, the Bible has how many books and 66 books in the Bible or the New Testament, the book of Isaiah has. Interestingly, 66, chapter. If you look at the Bible. The Old Testament has 39 books. The New Testament has 27 books. If you look at the book of Isaiah. Once again, it's fascinating that of the 66 chapters. The first 39 chapters are markedly different from the second part of the book the last 27. In fact the style is completely different. The subject is completely different.

The focus is completely different first part is mostly condemnation. The second part is mostly salvation as the Old Testament as a theme of God's sovereignty God's majesty, God's work through the nations, but condemning the world apart from the good news of salvation introduced in the New Testament so there are similarities between the book of Isaiah and the Bible itself.

Now I don't think that's necessarily well let me put it this way. We got chapters and verses in the year 1227 so Isaiah. It was in writing. Chapter 1 verse one just writing and that it wasn't until 1227 that Stephen Langton, the then Archbishop of Canterbury decided to make it easy and I put numbers for chapters and verses, but it is interesting how they coincide. 66 chapter 66 books of the Bible.

The first part is chapter 1 through 39 and these are prophecies of condemnation, which is call it that prophecies of God and not all of the material is condemning material there's some lighter moments and some highlights but generally there prophecies of condemnation judgment is broke name strong pronouncements are made from God through the prophet Isaiah, then chapters 30 through 66. That second part of the book are prophecies of consolation.

It's a different style altogether. So prominently in the first section of Isaiah chapter 1 through 39 it's government and law. Those are the kind of the grand themes government and law both God's government and legal government, government and law. The second part of the book grace and love will see it you'll see it when we go through it. Now Isaiah the prophet happens to be the most frequently quoted Old Testament book prophet quoted from the Old Testament in the New Testament. It's very obvious that the New Testament authors new the prophecies of Isaiah, especially in reference to the Messiah is interesting. The John the Baptist the cousin of Jesus who came and announced the Messiah when he first comes on the scene. He quotes out of the book of Isaiah, a voice of one crying in the wilderness. He says make straight the way of the Lord right out of the book of Isaiah chapter 40 Jesus quoted from the book of Isaiah when he started his ministry. He went to Nazareth member when he went into the synagogue and he was the speaker who walked up to the podium.

He opened up the scroll to Isaiah chapter 61 and he began the spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor, and he worked his way to the prophecy close the scroll and he said today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing. I am here to fulfill what Isaiah predicted. According Isaiah chapter 6121 times Isaiah is quoted in the New Testament. He is called the messianic prophet. He is the only prophet in Scripture to specifically predict the Messiah will be born of a virgin.

There are other allusions to it, but the specific reference comes out of Isaiah chapter 7 that the woman of the virgin will conceive the Lord will give you a sign of virgin will conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Emmanuelle Matthew says, which is translated God is the messianic prophecy that specifically mentions the virgin birth. Also, Isaiah is the only prophet that calls Satan, Lucifer. We understand one of his names because of the prophecy of Isaiah. Now he's not the only one to speak about Satan. There are two Old Testament prophets that speak about Lucifer, Satan the devil and give a little more description one is Isaiah. The other is Ezekiel, but in Isaiah chapter 14 we get the name Lucifer.

How are you fallen from heaven, oh Lucifer, son of the morning all you did weaken the nations your cut down to the ground for you said in your heart, I will ascend above the throne of God. I will rise up to the stars of God. I will be like the most high, so his name is given in the book of Isaiah. Now, Isaiah E she owl is a Hebrew word that means salvation is of the Lord or so. The salvation of the Lord for salvation of God.

Now that's an interesting name because the word salvation shows up 31 times in the 66 chapters of Isaiah. Okay now we haven't even started verse one yet and we have 39 chapters to go.

I know again 30,000 feet, so hold on some people. Dr. Collins was mentioning that Isaiah was written by Isaiah.

He said that and I agree with them but not everybody would agree with. There are some scholars who are of the more liberal persuasion and scholarship. They do not regard any miraculous occurrences in the Scripture.

They don't believe that God orchestrated the writing of the text so they have come up with an interesting theory called the utero Isaiah theory that there wasn't one Isaiah, one author, but to authors. The chapters 1 through 39 was written by Isaiah. But chapters 4266 was written around 530 BC around after the captivity, and by either a student of Isaiah, or just by somebody else. So they come up with the two author or dual role. Isaiah theory not there's another theory called the Trego TRITO Isaiah. That's that. The last 11 chapters were penned by yet another author so these crazy things get spine and people get fascinated by them in the kitchen. She can buy them in the college professor says that they come and ask us what I've heard. This mineral all weirded out in their faith.

All you have to do is look at the New Testament authors who were Jewish were closer to the time they were uttered or penned, then we are so you have John, who quotes both sections of Isaiah. The first part and the second part what they were called to grow. Isaiah written by somebody other than Isaiah and when he quotes the first part and what he quotes the second part, he says, as was spoken by Isaiah the prophet. Even Jesus himself quotes out of the second part of Isaiah, saying that it was Isaiah who said it, so that's good enough for me. The authors of the Scripture Jewish in their orientation much closer to the events that happened than we are.

It wasn't really until the last century the people started dating, disputing the idea of Isaiah writing so those are the theories of the authorship of Isaiah you see that Isaiah ministered during the reign of four Kings. That's verse one of chapter 14 Kings are mentioned.

Actually, there is another king that is not mentioned where Isaiah ended his ministry during this king, and that is one of the most wicked men in all of the Bible called King Manasseh not bring him up because tradition says that Isaiah died by King Manasseh, murdering him in the tradition is they took the prophet Isaiah took a hollowed out log put Isaiah in that hollowed out log in a very uncomfortable position then took a huge saw and saw the log in half, cutting him into. Thus, the tradition I'm bringing that up because in the New Testament book of Hebrews and that Hall of Fame of faith under that section.

It says, who through faith subdued kingdoms work righteousness obtain promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire escape the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of aliens not from outer space, but foreigners women received their dead raised to life again and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others at trial of markings.

Inscriptions, yes of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned again literally not the other way. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, the writer of Hebrews is sawn into they were tempted slain by the sword. They wanted about in sheepskins and goat skins, etc. it's believed that the author of Hebrews was alluding to that tradition and thus, perhaps because if he is referring to Isaiah the fact was Manasseh who killed them by sawing him into something else. I got to in 1946. A great discovery was made just south of the Dead Sea in the zone. Rocky Sandy Hills in the ancient Essene community that called the Dead Sea Scrolls the scroll of Isaiah itself was found 24 feet long single huge scroll. What we had in the Dead Sea Scrolls when we discovered that when they discovered that night I was around 1946 but when they discovered that a 1946. Now what they had in their hands not only Isaiah but all these other Old Testament books. We had an Old Testament manuscript 1100 years older than the earliest manuscript we had until that date. You follow me up until that date, the oldest Old Testament manuscript in existence was called the Ben Asher codex.

I discovered in Egypt, which is the basis for what we call the Masoretic text which Old Testament is based off of the Masoretic text so the Masoretic text is around 895 A.D. that's the oldest text we had now invited the Dead Sea Scrolls scholarship has a text of the Old Testament 1100 years earlier. Okay, stop right there. There must be lots of mistakes and discrepancies. If you have something 1100 years earlier than that. Let's see what really saddens and see how how different it is with that passage of time you would expect an enormous difference when they examined the scroll of Isaiah. The only thing they discovered was the absence of mistakes.

Only nine Hebrew letters were different.

Just variant spellings is all nine letters difference from the Ben Asher codex Masoretic text in the Dead Sea Scrolls 1100 usually shows you the meticulous nature of the copying and re-copying of the scribes in their discipline. Amazing one to bring that up. I get stoked at that stuff okay support one yet we get the book of Isaiah, we gotta get to this. Okay so the first part first 39 chapters all about condemnation of probe proclamations of judgment. Announcements of judgment on Judah on surrounding nations on Babylon on Assyria and on Israel as well as Israel and Judah together and then there's a little interesting section and just give me the prelude to her for going tonight.

There's this little intermission that is four chapters long chapters 24 through 27, which I disconnect what your appetite with now and I'll splendid as we get to one of the notable features of all prophecy and it's seen in Isaiah the rocker to be able to really uncover this we have done it past is the near far fulfillment. Are you familiar with that. So the prophets picture this way that they were bifocals. I'm doing that because I have to do that. I have a progressive lens. They call it's progressive and that you know is a sort of. You can see up close within as you go work your way up to the top of the lens you can see at a distance and I find that I need that or I need the contacts I have in my head right now one to focus on a close one to focus at a distance. That's how the prophets often wrote. They were with one part of their meaning part of their vision. They were focusing up close on something that would happen in the very near future. Given the circumstances around them. At the time and at the same time, like a variable focal length on a camera they could zoom out to the future. So in one breath. They might say something's going to happen in a few years and it did, but then that becomes a template of a greater fulfillment and it's obvious by the context that is a far-reaching, sometimes worldwide, etc. so there's a near far fulfillment. The prophets did this a lot. It's one of the particular aspects of Hebrew prophets so Isaiah chapter 1 verse one we begin with the denunciation against Judah. You know what I mean when I say Judah you know what I mean when I say Israel once again, let me give you the delineation. Judah is the name, not just the tribe but now when I say it in Isaiah. I'm speaking about the southern kingdom of two tribes. Judah and Benjamin. When I say Israel.

I don't mean all the 12 tribes. I mean, 10 tribes that are up north. The rest of the 12 tribes of two and 10. Israel is the 10 tribes of Judah are the two southern front. Judah is the southern kingdom. Isaiah is a prophet to the southern kingdom. Those two tribes. And this is a denunciation of Judah for their failure to trust God verse one, the vision of the Seattle or Isaiah the son of Moses not the son of Amos Amos was a prophet.

By the way he was a prophet concurrent to Isaiah.

He was a contemporary of Isaiah. He's preaching to the northern kingdom is not around, Moses, somebody different.

We don't know anything about him other than his name. So Isaiah was the son of almost which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of use. I have Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah describes in his Kings of Judah. Why is that important tells us how long this dudes ministry was 50 years in the pulpit, Isaiah preached for about 50 years.

He influenced the nation for 50 years.

I know I've only made it through one verse there with me.

You are hoping that I would do it in three weeks instead of two. You might get your wish. When you think of a prophet you think of them foretelling the future right that's only part of prophecy. The other part of prophecy is worth telling. Speaking forth at at the circumstance at the time of need. The nation was going through. It would be a message of God speaking forth to the nation about what they were going through Isaiah isn't just foretelling the future, but he is worth telling their failure. Their failure to obey God's gift message from the series the Bible from 30,000 feet. Let's go to the studio's gift as they share whites vital for you to study prophecy today picking Series the Bible from 30,000. Sorry now that Isaiah the person. Isaiah is one of the most notable prophets in the Bible and in this book we read a lot about apathy about the Messiah, Jesus Christ Skip let's talk about why studying prophecy is so vital for me. Yeah boy Isaiah had a lot to say Disney 66 chapters biggest book longest book in the Bible and a lot of it is prophetic prophecy is simply history written in advance. It is part of one of the characteristics of God. God is omniscient. He knows everything.

Thus, he knows the end from the beginning and he can predict it when we study prophecy.

It's good for us because it strengthens our faith. A Jesus told his disciples. I'm telling you these things in advance when they come to pass. You may believe.

So we believe stronger when we see the fulfillment of prophecy and when you look at the predictions like in the prophet Isaiah, where you have an event predicted and then he and other prophets add multiple contingencies to that layer upon layer gives evidence to supernatural origin of the Bible, other books don't have that the Quran does not have predictive prophecy. The Bhagavad-Gita's do not have predicted prophecy the writings of Buddha do not have them, so predictive prophecy is one of God's calling cards that strengthens you think he is getting mine and we have this conversation refreshed you spiritually itself.

Please consider helping teachers apply for financing to encourage you and countless others just visit connexus.com/donate.com/donate or you can call hundred 9218 8892 thank you today and tomorrow Skip Heitzig shares about the hope God gave to the Israelites are difficult times and how you can have hope. Today yours truly Skip presentation of connection communications changing through ever-changing time