There are many books of the bible that I love, but two stand out as my favourites, one in the Old Testament and the other in the New Testament. The Gospel of John fascinates and inspires me, and the book of Isaiah, from my earliest Christian years, has been a ‘place’ where I often ‘hear’ the Holy Spirit speaking to me.

The book of Isaiah is a unique work in several ways. It has 66 chapters, as the bible has 66 books. What is more, it is divided into two sections. The first 39 books reflect the themes of the Old Testament, and the second 27 correspond to the New Testament.

The Thematic Correlations

The correlations go deeper in that the first part of the book focuses on national identity, covenant rebellion, and judgment. The second part of the book has a strong emphasis on hope, redemption, and salvation. The first verses of Chapter 40 read, “Comfort, comfort my people,” says your God.  “Speak tenderly to Jerusalem. Tell her that her sad days are gone and that her sins are pardoned. Yes, the Lord has punished her in full for all her sins.” NLT

Unsurprisingly, it is impossible to pair each chapter in Isaiah to each chapter in the bible. However, the first books of both the Old and New Testaments do tie together in significant ways. For instance, both Genesis and Isaiah Chapter One begin with a form of cosmic courtroom scene. Then, Isaiah 1:2 invokes heaven and earth to witness Israel’s rebellion, echoing something of the great rebellion portrayed in Genesis. Then, Matthew 3:1-3 connects with Isaiah 40:3 with: ‘In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”  This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'”

There is also a connection between Isaiah 43:10-12 and John 20:30-31:

Isaiah – “You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me, no god was formed, nor will there be one after me. I, even I, am the Lord, and apart from me there is no saviour. I have revealed and saved and proclaimed.”

John – ‘Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.’

There is one last correlation I want to point out – it has to do with how the book of Isaiah and the last book of the bible (The book of Revelation) end.  Isaiah concludes with “As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before me,” declares the Lord,” so will your name and descendants endure. From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come and bow down before me,” says the Lord.’ The book of Revelation expands on this in Chapter 21.

The Shrine of the Book

During my third trip to Jerusalem, I visited a building on the Israel Museum campus called The Shrine of the Book. It was built in 1965 to house the Dead Sea Scrolls discovered in Qumran in the year of my birth, 1947. Its centrepiece is a replica of the Great Isaiah Scroll, dating back to about 150 years before Christ. The actual scroll, housed in the vault, is over a thousand years older than the next oldest complete Hebrew Bible manuscripts. Moreover, its text is nearly identical to the modern version of Isaiah, offering evidence for the accuracy of biblical transmission over the centuries.

The book of Isaiah is, in my opinion, the jewel of the Old Testament and is quoted or alluded to 85 times in the New Testament. From the Gospels to Revelation, Isaiah’s voice echoes through time and impacts us powerfully over 2,200 years after it was penned.

How this series will continue

I started by saying that Isaiah has been a source of personal inspiration, comfort and direction for me over the years. I know I am not alone, so I will not be focusing on the passages and verses that have become familiar and treasured for so many. Instead, I will pick up on lesser-known passages or familiar ones that contain insights that some may not have discovered.
An exercise for you
I have always found it more meaningful and exciting to discover things in scripture rather than have someone else point them out. So, I invite you to read through the book of Isaiah (or listen to an audio version if you prefer). This will be much more satisfying for you if, instead of reading passively, you form some questions beforehand and then look for the answers as you progress through the book. Here is a suggestion:

Until we interact again in this blog, God be with you and bless you with insight into who he truly is.