Third Isaiah

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Third Isaiah

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Third Isaiah

• Isaiah 56-66 has long been considered the work of
  a third author
• This author has been labeled Trito Isaiah, or
  Third Isaiah

• We do not know the name of this author, but he
  seems to have been a follower of second Isaiah
• Was written between 538-516 BCE

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Research on Third Isaiah

• The idea of a third author or Trito Isaiah was
  first proposed by Bernhard Duhm in 1892
• Many believe Third Isaiah was written in
  Jerusalem just before the arrival of Ezra and
  Nehemiah

• Many scholars accept that 56-66 is dependant on
  40-55
• The two sections share many of the same concerns

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Three Authors ?

• Duhm
• in the 1200s Rabbi Ibn Ezra believed that 40-66
  was later than 1-39
• Duhm believed that chapters 1-39 are comprised of
  judgement oracles written during time of Isaiah

• Chapters 40-55 are mainly words of comfort
• While 56-66 are made up of words of rebuke for
  those who have returned from exile

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Three Authors ?

• First Isaiah (1-39) written during time of Isaiah
  of Jerusalem
• Second Isaiah (40-55) written during the exile
• Third Isaiah written after the exile

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Dating of Third Isaiah

• There is a lament over the destruction of
  Jerusalem and a prediction of rebuilding the
  ancient ruins (6318, 649-10)

• The dating of Third Isaiah is made difficult by
  two factors
• 1) This material refers to no historical event
• 2) it does not name historical individuals

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Dating of Third Isaiah

• This indicates that much time may have passed
  since the Babylonian campaign of 586 BCE.

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Third Isaiah

• Prof. Paul Hanson of Harvard has proposed a
  theory that two groups of people were present
  among those returning from exile
• The Temple Party
• The Visionary Group

• Third Isaiah

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Problems addressed

• Issues of rebuilding the Temple
• Some of the themes of 1 and 2 Isaiah are included
  in 3rd Isaiah especially the idea of a time of
  trial followed by a time of prosperity(1)

• The relationship of those returning from exile to
  those who did not leave
• The difference between what was the real life
  experience of the people and the promises made by
  the prophets

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Concerns of Third Isaiah

• Restoration of Jerusalem (4918,22 604,),
  admission of proselytes (581-8 445)

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What does Third Isaiah have to say?

• Contains the oracles of one of second Isaiahs
  disciples
• Addressed to those living in Jerusalem in
  post-exilic period - trying to reestablish their
  lives

• The author tried to encourage those who had
  returned from captivity to rebuild lives
• Structure of Third Isaiah

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What does Third Isaiah have to say?

• A major theme of Trito Isaiah is salvation for
  all people
• ch 56 begins this by promising salvation for all
  those previously excluded
• chapters 61-66 speak of the Day of the Lord

• Chapter 61 begins The Spirit of the Lord is upon
  me
• This brings to mind the theme of the Suffering
  Servant from 2nd Isaiah

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Third Isaiah - What is he telling us ?

• The Suffering Servant of 2nd Isaiah seems to show
  the Messiah to be just that - suffering
• Third Isaiah shows a different aspect of the
  expected Messiah

• The Messiah of Third Isaiah is more of a warrior
  - He is coming to judge
• 612 -He proclaims The day of vengeance of God
• In ch. 63 He is covered in blood and will judge
  Israel

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So, where do we go from here ?

• Isaiah with two angels

• As it seems that a main theme of third Isaiah is
  salvation, that will be the focus of the
  remainder of the presentation - the New Jerusalem
  to be effected by the Messiah

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Ch 63- 64

• 641-2 awaiting Gods kingdom
• 5-7 confess unworthiness
• 11 will the punishment continue
• what will God do
• What will His response to the people be ?

• 637 Praise for Gods kingdom-
• 10 confession of sins
• 15-16 hope for mercy
• 17-19 prayer to be restored spite of past sins
• return, rend the heavens and come down, quaking
  mountains

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How it will begin

• Ch 65-66 seem to be written as a unit. They
  parallel each other closely

• Isaiah Swords into Plowshares

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Parallels ch. 65-66

• 651-10 661 ff
• 6512 664
• 6517 6622
• 6518 ff 6610 ff
• 6520-25 6612-14

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CH 65

• verses 8-12 - Not all will be destroyed since
  there are some Holy people present - Judgment
  will be delayed for now.
• See Matthew 1324-30 - parable of wheat and tares

• In CH. 65 -the wicked are addressed
• They are addressed who refused to answer when God
  called and offered unworthy worship (vv 3-7)

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Chapter 65

• The faithful servants will be given a new name
• See 622 -You shall be called by a new name
• This can be seen as indicative of a new state of
  happiness (Rev 217)

• 13-16 - The Servants of the Lord who have been
  faithful will be abundantly blessed
• Those who have not been faithful will be cursed

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Chapter 65

• 17-25 - Creation of a New Heaven and New Earth
• There is a distinction drawn between the Old
  creation and the new.
• Old creation was spoiled - the New will set all
  things right

• This distinction can be see in looking at 2nd
  Isaiah
• See 4318-19

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Chapter 65

• Verse 20No more shall there be in itan infant
  that lives but a few days,or an old person who
  does not live out a lifetimefor one who dies at
  a hundred years will be considered a youth,and
  one who falls short of a hundred will be
  considered accursed.

• Jerusalem will still be part of the New Jerusalem
  (see rev 211-2)
• A long life will be restored, just as in the
  first creation

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Chapter 65 24-25

• The wolf and the lamb shall feed together,the
  lion shall eat straw like the oxbut the
  serpent--its food shall be dust!
• This goes back to 1st Isaiah (116-9) in a
  description of the harmony of the coming age of
  the Messiah

• There will be a close relationship now - The
  people will call and God will hear, even before
  they call
• In the New creation, nature will come together
  also

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Chapter 66

• 6512 When I called you did not answer
• 664 When I called no one answered
• There is a different message for faithful and
  unfaithful

• While ch 65 is addressed to the unfaithful, 66 is
  addressed to those who believe and tremble at
  His word (665)

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Chapter 66

• V 19 - follows by promising a sign
• The faithful will be gathered - Gods enemies
  will lie dead outside of the New Jerusalem
• See Rev 211

• 18-24 - the universal worship of God is brought
  about
• I am coming to gather all nations and tongues -
  and they shall come and see my glory

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Ch. 65-66 genre

• God is angry about unfaithfulness
• God will come and destroy sinners- God will come
  in a fire, like a whirlwind to judge
• God is coming - and this will be final

• This material has some of the characteristics of
  the Day of Yahweh
• The servant of 65-66 is more of a warrior -
  coming in vengeance

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Day of the Lord

• In this section we see a number of references
  used in Revelation - as we learned earlier
  Apocylyptic literature is based on the Day of the
  Lord Genre

• While the term Day of the Lord is not
  specifically used it is clear God is coming to
  judge and gather the faithful into the New
  Creation

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Genre Apocalyptic

• Apocalyptic images of Isaiah
• God as a warrior (5916-17, 631-6)
• He will battle the forces of evil
• the cosmos will be transformed (6517-18)
• Heaven and earth are to be recreated and
  suffering eliminated

• Some authors believe that the roots of
  apocalyptic writing are found in Isaiah 65-66
• previously it had been thought that this type of
  literature originated in about 200 BCE

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GenreApocalyptic

• It is also thought that apocalyptic literature
  surfaced during times of difficulty.

• This would make sense in Isaiah 56-66 as the
  people were returning from exile and relations
  were tense in the community.

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Isaiahs vision of Heaven
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Trito Isaiah in early Christianity

• Thus, Jesus could then be referred to as the
  anointed one see Acts 427, 1038)He is also
  called the righteous one in Acts 752, 1 John
  21 (see Isa 531)

• The servant passages of Isaiah give clues as to
  the identity of Jesus
• In Mark Jesus begins his public career with
  reading of Isa. 611-3

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Third Isaiah in early Christianity

• In the Gospels, Jesus description of a disciple,
  closely resembles this teaching
• The Beatitudes (Matt.53-12, Lk. 620-26) use the
  same theme of reversal as Isa 6513-15

• The anticipation of Jesus return in Matt. 243, 1
  Cor 1523, 2 Thess 28, parallels the material in
  Third Isaiah (5919-20, 601, 6211, 631)
• The entry into Jerusalem can also be seen in 6211

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Third Isaiah in early Christianity

• The Gospels tell us of Jesus twofold mission
  first to the Jews, then the gentiles same as in
  Isa.496 and the Servant of the Lord

• Apocalyptic themes are also paralleled
• The idea of a transformation of nature, a new
  heaven and new Earth as seen in Revelation 21,
  are all seen in the third section of Isaiah (Day
  of the Lord)

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Third Isaiah in early Christianity

• In Matthew 2414 Jesus speaks of the need to
  proclaim the Gospel to all nations
• This is necessary for salvation

• Perhaps the most important contribution of Third
  Isaiah
• See Isa 561-8, 6618-19,21

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Bibliography
Isaiah, available on the web at
http//georgeplasterer.tripod.com/BIISAIAH.html Jo
nes, D.R. Isaiah 56-66, and Joel. LondonSCM
Press LTD, 1964. Leupold, H.C. Exposition of
IsaiahVolume II, Chapters 40-66 Grand
RapidsBaker Book House (1971) Miller, John, W.
Meet The prophets A Beginners Guide to the Books
of the Biblical Prophets New YorkPaulist Press
(1987) Polan, Gregory, J. Salvation in the Midst
of Struggle. TBT 23(1985) 91-94
http//www.trinity.toronto.edu/Divinity/Reference/
Isaiah2.ppt
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Graphics/ Images taken from

• http//www.textweek.com/art/isaiah.htm
• http//www.biblical-art.com/biblicalsubject.asp?id
  _biblicalsubject1052pagenum1