Many regard Isaiah’s prophecy as a sealed book. Who does it address, only people in the past? A key to this mystery exists in the linear and synchronous structures that govern the Book of Isaiah. These enable us to read it as a prophecy about the past but also as a prediction of the future. The Book of Isaiah, in other words, serves a twofold purpose. Without taking anything away from what happened in the past, it uses the past as an allegory of the future. In that case, persons and nations of Isaiah’s day typify ones who perform similar roles at the end of the world. The names of past persons and nations function as codenames for their endtime counterparts.
The importance of understanding Isaiah’s message increases daily as world events line up like planets for the fulfillment of his prophecy. Under the codename “Egypt”—the great superpower of Isaiah’s day—America is predicted to suffer spiritual decline, political ineptitude, economic collapse, internal anarchy, and invasion by a foreign military world power from the North—a latter-day “Assyria.” On the other hand, a community of covenanters in “Egypt” will turn back to Jehovah, who will send them a savior and deliver them. In the end, at the commencement of the millennial age, America will again become “my people”—a covenant people of God (Isaiah 19).
I really like this. Short and to the point regarding how to look at Isaiah as it applies to what is happening in America today.
I think I’ll spend a little time re-reading Isaiah this weekend! Thanks.
“internal anarchy”, if only!
I really like your four keys to understanding Isaiah as found in your book, “The Book of Isaiah: A New Translation with interpretive keys from the Book of Mormon.”
1 Spirit of Prophecy (see 2 Nephi 25:4)
2 Letter of Prophecy (see 2 Nephi 25:5)
3 Searching (see 3 Nephi 23:1)
4 Types (see 3 Nephi 23:2)
The good news is that a second King David is coming.
I re-read Isaiah 19, substituting “America” and “American” for “Egypt” and “Egyptian.” The result is rather startling. It sounds all too familiar. Very interesting. Thanks for posting this.
Re-read it again and substitute “Russia” with “Assyria” and you’ll have even a more complete picture.
Dr. Gileadi didn’t plug his website, so I’ll do it for him. I just ran into it today and must say, his exegesis of Isaiah is excellent. He’s got audio recordings in which he walks through each chapter verse by verse giving his thoughts and analysis on each. I find I agree with his interpretations more than not. A very thought provoking analysis.
Just click on the “Analytical Audio Commentary of Isaiah” link to get the audio for each chapter.
isaiahexplained dotcom