Isaiah, book of

Written by Isaiah around 740–681 BC. The book of Isaiah is the first of the major books of prophecy in the Old Testament. Besides Isaiah’s remarkable prophetic poems, the book of Isaiah also has sections about the history of Judah and surrounding nations. Chapters 36–37 tell how King Sennacherib of Assyria threatened to overrun Jerusalem. When Hezekiah received Sennacherib’s threatening letter, he took it to the temple, spread it before the Lord, and prayed for deliverance. God answered and destroyed the Assyrian army.

Isaiah was a prophet of great imagination and skill as a writer. He used colorful word pictures to describe the sins of his people. He showed God as the great, holy Creator of the universe—one who has great power and knowledge but also loves His people deeply. Isaiah warned the people that God was more interested in right living than in animal sacrifices. Probably the most well-known chapter is Isaiah 53, where the picture of a suffering Savior describes the life and ministry of Jesus with stunning accuracy. Isaiah also prophesied the upcoming birth of the Savior, which took place seven hundred years later. The importance of the book of Isaiah is shown in the fact that Jesus began His public ministry in Nazareth by reading from Isaiah 61.