Background: Isaiah means "Yahweh is Salvation,ö or alternatively ôSalvation of Jehovah" or "Jehovah Saves." It is believed that Isaiah was born around 760 B.C., and his ministry covered a period of more than forty years. He was born into an influential, upper class family. He influenced the foreign policy of the nation as the royal chaplain to the king. He may have spent his entire life in Jerusalem.á The Book of Isaiah is viewed as one of the most important books of the Old Testament.
While little is known of the personal life of the prophet Isaiah, he is considered to be one of GodÆs most gifted prophets. Isaiah began preaching during the Assyrian crisis at about the time Assyria defeated and destroyed the northern kingdom and was threatening to invade the southern kingdom. The book of Isaiah includes a collection of prophecies, with the common theme being a message of salvation. The northern kingdom of Israel had been overrun, and the people were in captivity. The kingdom of Judah was in the grip of idolatry and sin. The kingdom of Assyria had dominated the Fertile Crescent and posed a major threat. At the same time, the kingdom of Babylon was gaining power and would soon replace Assyria as the dominant threat in the region. According to Ruth Meyers writing in Christian Century, while John the Baptist emphasized harsh judgment, Isaiah offers a different picture of the Messiah. Isaiah writes that the new king greater even than the beloved king David. With the spirit of the Lord resting upon him, this king will reign with righteousness and justice. Isaiah's prophecy lists gifts of the Spirit that will be bestowed on the king who descends from Jesse: wisdom, understanding, counsel, might, knowledge, the fear of the Lord (Meyers, 2001, 16).
Prophets such as Isaiah were truly unique. They communicated with God. Sometimes, the prophetsÆ spirits entered heaven and learned of GodÆs plans, were touched by the spirit of God...