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Scofield Reference Notes (1917) THE PROPHETICAL BOOKS and Introduction to
Isaiah
Prophets were men raised up of God in times of declension and apostasy in
Israel. They were primarily revivalists and patriots, speaking on behalf
of God to the heart and conscience of the nation. The prophetic messages
have a twofold character: first, that which was local and for the
prophet's time; secondly, that which was predictive of the divine purpose
in future. Often the prediction springs immediately from the local
circumstances (e.g. Is 7.1-11 with vs. 12-14).
It is necessary to keep this Israelitish character of the prophet in
mind. Usually his predictive, equally with his local and immediate
ministry, is not didactic and abstract, but has in view the covenant
people, their sin and failure, and their glorious future. The Gentile is
mentioned as used for the chastisement of Israel, as judged therefore,
but also as sharing the grace that is yet to be shown toward Israel. The
Church, corporately, is not in the vision of the O.T. prophet (Ep 3.1-6).
The future blessing of Israel as a nation rests upon the Palestinian
Covenant of restoration and conversion (Deu 30.1-9, refs.), and the
Davidic Covenant of the Kingship of the Messiah, David's Son (2Sa 7.8-17,
refs.), and this gives to predictive prophecy its Messianic character.
The exaltation of Israel is secured in the kingdom, and the kingdom takes
its power to bless from the Person of the King, David's Son, but also
"Immanuel."
But as the King is also Son of Abraham (Mat 1.1), the promised Redeemer,
and as redemption is only through the sacrifice of Christ, so messianic
prophecy of necessity presents Christ in a twofold character--a suffering
Messiah (e.g. Isa. 53.), and a reigning Messiah (e.g. Isa. 11.). This
duality, suffering and glory, weakness and power, involved a mystery
which perplexed the prophets (1Pe 1.10-12; Lu 24.26.27).
The solution of that mystery lies, as the New Testament makes clear, in
the two advents--the first advent to redemption through suffering; the
second advent to the kingdom glory, when the national promises to Israel
will be fulfilled (Mat 1.21-23; Lu 2.28-35; 24.46-48, with Lu 1.31-33,
68-75; Mat 2.2,6; 19.27,28 Acts 2.30-32; 15.14-16). The prophets indeed
describe the advent in two forms which could not be contemporaneous (e.g.
Zech 9.9; contra, 14.1-9), but to them it was not revealed that between
the advent to suffering, and the advent to glory, would be accomplished
certain "mysteries of the kingdom" (mat 13.11-16), not that, consequent
upon Messiah's rejection, the new Testament Church would be called out.
These were, to them, "mysteries hid in God" (Ep 3.1-10).
Speaking broadly, then, predictive prophecy is occupied with the
fulfilment of the Palestinian and Davidic Covenants; the Abrahamic
Covenant having also its place.
Gentile powers are mentioned as connected with Israel, but prophecy, save
in Daniel, Obadiah, Jonah, and Nahum, is not occupied with Gentile
world-history. Daniel, as will be see, has a distinctive character.
The predictions of the restoration from the Babylonian captivity at the
end of seventy years, must be distinguished from those of the restoration
from the present world-wide dispersion. The context is always clear.
The Palestinian Covenant (Deu 28.1-30.9) is the mould of predictive
prophecy in its larger sense--national disobedience, world-wide
dispersion, repentance, the return of the Lord, the regathering of Israel
and establishment of the kingdom, the conversion and blessing of Israel,
and the judgment of Israel's oppressors.
The true division of the prophets is into pre-exilic, viz., in Judah:
Isaiah, Jeremiah (extending into the exile), Joel, Obadiah, Micah, Nahum,
Habakkuk, Zephaniah. In Israel: Hosea, Amos, and Jonah. Exilic, Ezekiel
and Daniel, both of Judah, but prophesying to the whole nation.
Post-exilic, all of Judah: Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. The division
into major and minor prophetic writings, based upon the mere bulk of the
books, is unhistoric and non-chronological.
The keys which unlock the meaning of prophecy are: the two advents of
Messiah, the advent to suffer (Ge 3.15; Ac 1.9), and the advent to reign
(Deu 30.3; Ac 1.9-11); the doctrine of the Remnant (Isa 10.20, refs), the
doctrine of the day of the Lord (Is 2.10-22; Re 19.11-21), and the
doctrine of the Kingdom (O.T., Gen 1.26-28; Zech 12.8, note; N.T., Lu
1.31-33; 1Co 15.28, note). The pivotal chapters, taking prophecy as a
whole, are, Deut. 28., 29., 30.; Psa 2.; Dan. 2.,7.
The whole scope of prophecy must be taken into account in determining the
meaning of any particular passage (2Pe 1.20). Hence the importance of
first mastering the great themes above indicated, which, in this edition
of the Scriptures, may readily be done by tracing through the body of the
prophetic writings the subjects mentioned in the preceding paragraph.
The detail of the "time of the end," upon which all prophecy converges,
will be more clearly understood if to those subjects the student adds the
Beast (Da 7.8; Re 19.20), and Armageddon (Re 16.14; 19.17, note).
Chronological Order of the Prophets (According to Ussher)
I. Prophets Before the Exile
(1) To Nineveh
Jonah, 862 B.C.
(2) To the 10 tribes "Israel"
Amos, 787 B.C.
Hosea, 785-725 B.C.
Obadiah, 887 B.C.
Joel, 800 B.C.
(3) To Judah
Isaiah, 760-698 B.C.
Micah, 750-710 B.C.
Nahum, 713 B.C.
Habakkuk, 626 B.C.
Zephaniah, 630 B.C.
II. Prophets During the Exile
Ezekiel, 595-574 B.C.
Daniel, 607-534 B.C.
III. Prophets After the Exile
Haggai, 520 B.C.
Zechariah, 520-518 B.C.
Malachi, 397 B.C.
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Book Introductions (The Book of the Prophet Isaiah)
Isaiah is justly accounted the chief of the writing prophets. He has the
more comprehensive testimony and is distinctively the prophet of
redemption. Nowhere else in the Scriptures written under the law have we
so clear a view of grace. The New Testament Church does not appear (Ep
3.3-10), but Messiah in His Person and sufferings, and the blessing of the
Gentiles through Him, are in full vision.
Apart from his testimony to his own time, which includes warnings of coming
judgments upon the great nations of that day, the predictive messages of
Isaiah cover seven great themes: I. Israel in exile and divine judgment
upon Israel's oppressors. II. The return from Babylon. III. The
manifestation of Messiah in humiliation (e.g. Chap. 53.). IV. The
blessing of the Gentiles. V. The manifestation of Messiah in judgment
("the day of vengeance of our God"). VI. The reign of David's righteous
Branch in the kingdom-age. VII. The new heavens and the new earth.
Isaiah is in two chief divisions: I. looking toward the captivities,
1.1-39.8 Key verses, 1.1,2. II. Looking beyond the captivities,
40.1-66.24. Key verses, 40.1,2. These chief divisions fall into
subdivisions, as indicated in the text.
The events recorded in Isaiah cover a period of 62 years (Ussher).
25614
[1] {Hear, O heavens}
The chapter, down to verse 23, states the case of Jehovah against Judah.
Chastening, according to Deut. 28., 29., had been visited upon Israel in
the land (vs. 5-8), and now the time of expulsion from the land is near.
But just here Jehovah renews the promise of the Palestinian Covenant of
future restoration and exaltation
# Isa 1:26,27 2:1-4
25638
[1] {thy judges}
Under the kingdom the ancient method of administering the theocratic
government over \\Israel\\ is to be restored. Cf.
# Jud 2:18 Mt 19:28
25645
[2] {that the \\mountain\\}
A mountain, in Scripture symbolism, means a kingdom
# Da 2:35 Re 13:1 17:9-11