Isaiah

He saw the Lord high and lifted up, and said, "Here am I; send me."

Old and New Testament · 8th century BC · Isaiah, 2 Kings, Matthew, Luke, Acts · Also known as Esaias, Son of Amoz

About Isaiah

Isaiah son of Amoz prophesied in Jerusalem through the reigns of four kings of Judah. In the year King Uzziah died he saw a vision of the Lord on a throne, with seraphim crying, "Holy, holy, holy," and answered God’s call: "Here am I; send me." He warned kings against trusting in alliances instead of God, stood with Hezekiah when Assyria besieged Jerusalem, and spoke of a child called Immanuel, a coming king, comfort for exiles, and a servant "wounded for our transgressions." The New Testament quotes Isaiah more than almost any other prophet.

Isaiah is one of the longest books of prophecy. Many scholars think chapters 40–66, which address exiles in Babylon, come from Isaiah’s later followers; others hold that it is all Isaiah’s. Christians have long read its servant and child passages as pointing to Jesus, as the Gospels do.

The story

Holy, holy, holy

"In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple." Seraphim cried, "Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory." Isaiah said, "Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips."

Isaiah 6:1-5

Here am I; send me

A seraph touched Isaiah’s lips with a live coal from the altar: "thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged." Then he heard the Lord: "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me."

Isaiah 6:6-8

Unto us a child is born

Isaiah gave King Ahaz a sign: "Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." And he spoke of a coming ruler: "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given… and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."

Isaiah 7:14; 9:6-7

Comfort ye my people

"Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God." "They that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."

Isaiah 40:1; 40:31

Wounded for our transgressions

Isaiah described a servant of the LORD who would suffer: "he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." In Acts, Philip explains this passage to an Ethiopian official as being about Jesus.

Isaiah 53:3-6; Acts 8:32-35

Key moments

Sees the Lord in the temple: "Holy, holy, holy." (Isaiah 6:3)
"Here am I; send me": Answers God’s call. (Isaiah 6:8)
The sign of Immanuel: To King Ahaz. (Isaiah 7:14)
Stands with Hezekiah: Against Assyria. (Isaiah 37:21)
The suffering servant: "Wounded for our transgressions." (Isaiah 53:5)

Questions about Isaiah

In meetBible these answers are given in Isaiah’s voice. They are written by hand and checked against Scripture.

What did you see in your vision?

"I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple." Above him stood seraphim, each with six wings, crying, "Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory." The house filled with smoke. My response was, "Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips… for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts."

Did you write about Jesus?

I spoke of a child called Immanuel, a son whose "name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God," and a servant "wounded for our transgressions." I never name Jesus. The Gospel writers quote these words as fulfilled in him: Matthew applies the Immanuel sign to his birth, and in Nazareth Jesus read from my scroll and said, "This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears." Jewish readers understand these passages differently.

Why did you say "Woe is me"?

Seeing God’s holiness, I saw myself: "I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips." Then a seraph touched my mouth with a live coal from the altar: "thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged." Only after being cleansed did I hear the call and answer, "Here am I; send me."

Connected people

Hezekiah: King he counselled
Jesus: Read Isaiah’s scroll
Philip: Explained Isaiah 53
John the Baptist: "The voice of one crying in the wilderness"
Uzziah: King who died in the year of his vision

Read it yourself

Start with Isaiah 6; 9; 40; 53.

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