Intro to Isaiah 40-66 and Haggai

Hey folks,

Sorry I'm getting this to you late in the evening...haven't really had the computer on much today (which was nice!)

Hope this is helpful as we enter the next week of reading. This week will be days 16-22 - when we finish with Isaiah we are half-way through this commitment. Rachel and I have already seen some amazing things happen that we believe are directly related to this period of reading and prayer. My continued prayer is that we will see miracles...that we will see transformation occur.

May God continue to bless you through the reading of his Word.

Bret

2nd Isaiah (chapters 40-55)

Most likely, this section of Isaiah was written by a latter day disciple of Isaiah, who is anonymous except we refer to him as “Deutero- Isaiah” to distinguish him from the 8th century Isaiah of Jerusalem.

The prophets had warned Judah to have faith in God or else destruction would come. Micah seemed convinced that exile was unavoidable. He was right. King Jehoiakim revolted against Nebuchadrezzer some time around 602, and it took the Babylonians some time to respond to this rebellion. But by 598, apparently Nebuchadrezzer surrounded the city of Jerusalem. During this time Jehoiakim died and his son Jehoiachin took the throne, reigning for only 3 months (597).

He gave in to Nebuchadrezzer and was taken to Babylon along with the cream of Judean society, including Ezekiel, Daniel, and the friends mentioned in Daniel 1–5. Nebuchadrezzer set another son of Josiah on the throne, Zedekiah. Zedekiah reigned for 11 years and witnessed the end of the nation of Judah and the destruction of Jerusalem.

The question is finally settled with the capture of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 586 BC. Nebuchadrezzer fulfills the harsh prophecies that Judah had been warned of and the exile begins.

However Nebuchadrezzar died in 562 and his empire began to crumble. In 555, Nabonidus ascended to the throne and shortly thereafter, he went into the Arabian desert to contemplate the moon god, Sin. In his absence he leaves his son, Belshazzar as regent in his place.

Meanwhile the Persian Empire is on its own conquering warpath (remember the movie 300?) and the Babylonians actually welcome Cyrus and the Persian army as liberators. Persia takes Babylon without a fight. Cyrus was benevolent and actually allowed most conquered peoples to return to their own homelands. But, for whatever reason most Jews did not come home from Babylon, beginning the diaspora (dispersion).

As you read, look for these themes:
- Yahweh is the Holy One of Israel and has no rivals
- There will be new acts of redemption
- All the nations will benefit from Judah’s restoration: Judah will be a light to the nations.
- The Suffering Servant: 42, 49, 50, 52:13–53.
- Impact of II Isaiah on the New Testament.

Haggai

Haggai is written around the same time as 3rd Isaiah, during the return of the Israelites from captivity to Jerusalem.

Haggai has only two messages: 1) you are languishing in Judah with poor harvests because you have rebuilt your own houses but not the house of God. 2) The people responded with vigor and rebuilt the temple. Haggai then proclaimed that Zerubbabel, the governor, was the Davidic messiah.

3rd Isaiah (chapters 56-66)

Many scholars suggest that the book of Isaiah should be divided into 3 parts, as we have seen. The third part many feel is neither Isaianic nor part of Deutero-Isaiah, but an addition by a post-exile writer or writers not long after the return from Babylon. This writer carries on Isaiah’s motif of the Holy One of Israel, but seems not to have the messianic emphasis of Isaiah of Jerusalem and Deutero-Isaiah (or Haggai).

One of the main points of 3rd Isaiah is to show how Israel is to be a light to the nations in the period of restoration, but that the nations will be subservient to Israel and be, like the Gibeonites, drawers of water and hewers of wood.

Timeline of Important Old Testament Dates

1200-1000: the period of the Judges and beginnings of the monarchy.
1000 ±: David’s reign.
950 ±: the temple is built.
922 ±: the division of the kingdom (Israel in North, Judah in South).
735: the Syro-Ephraimite war (Isaiah).
732: the first exile of North Israel under Tiglath-Pileser III (Isaiah, Hosea).
722: the exile of North Israel to Assyria under Shalmaneser V.
701: the invasion of Judah by Sennacherib of Assyria (Micah, Isaiah).
622: the reform of Josiah (Jeremiah).
612: the destruction of Nineveh by the coalition of Medes, Babylonians, and Scythians (Nahum).
609: Josiah dies in battle against Necho of Egypt.
605: the battle of Carchemish (Egypt and Assyria against Babylon and the Medes) (Habakkuk).
597: the first exile of Judah under Nebuchadnezzar (Jeremiah, Ezekiel).
586: the second exile of Judah to Babylon (Jeremiah, Ezekiel).
539: the edict of Cyrus and the first return under Sheshbazzar.
520: the temple is rebuilt in earnest (Haggai, Zechariah, Chronicles, Zerubbabel).
515: the temple is completed.
ca. 450: Ezra’s mission to Palestine.
ca. 445ff: Nehemiah’s mission to Palestine.
ca. 400: Malachi’s prophecies and the “end” of Old Testament writings.