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ISAIAH.
#2.
The unity of Isaiah demonstrated.
pp. 86 - 90
We believe we can safely assume that none of our readers will wish for a lengthy
disquisition on the so-called "assured results of the Higher Criticism", nor will they feel
that the space at our disposal has been used to profit by filling it with "arguments" for
and against the modernist theory of two or more "Isaiahs". When we can turn to no less
than ten passages in the N.T. that quote Isaiah by name as the author of the so-called
"former" portion (1:-39:), and eleven passages in the N.T. that just as emphatically
quote him by name as the author of the so-called "latter" portion (40:-66:), and when we
also discover that six different speakers are responsible for these statements--namely, the
Lord Himself, Matthew, Luke, John, John the Baptist, and Paul--then, for the believer,
the matter is at an end. These twenty-one reference to Isaiah by name are not, of course,
the total number of references to his prophecy. Isaiah is quoted 85 times in the N.T.,
from 61 separate passages (some are repeated by more than one writer), and there are
only seven books out of the twenty-seven that form the N.T. canon that are without a
reference to his prophecy. Twenty-three of these citations are from Isa. 1:-39:, and
thirty-eight from Isa. 40:-66: The unity of authorship is further demonstrated by the
occurrence of certain words in both portions, which, according to the so-called critics, are
to be found in one portion only. A selection of these will be found in the Companion
Bible (Appendix No.79), but a much more exhaustive list is given in the commentary,
referred to in our first article, by T. R. Birks.
Turning from the question of the authorship of the prophecy to matters far more
helpful, it is important at the outset that we should bear in mind the two great sections of
the book--namely, Chapters 1:--35: and Chapters 40:-66:
The Relation of Isa. 35:, to the Latter Portion of the Prophecy.
The former portion of Isaiah ends with chapter 35:, but this closing chapter is so
woven into the fabric of the latter portion that neither can be looked upon as complete
without the other.
Isaiah 35:
Isaiah 40:-66:
1. "The wilderness and the solitary place
"The glory of Lebanon" (60: 13).
shall be glad for them; and the desert shall
"Sharon" (65: 10).
rejoice, and blossom as the rose. It shall
"They shall come and see My glory" (66: 18
blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with
"He hath no form nor comeliness"--hadar,
joy and singing; the glory of Lebanon shall
the same word as "excellency" (53: 2).
be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel
and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the
Lord and the excellency of our God" (1, 2).