For 700 years BC, a boy was born in the royal family. They called him Isaiah. God’s children were raised in fear of God’s people.
In the time of King Ozia, Isaiah had a vision. In which the Seraphim sang the glory of the Lord in the heavenly temple. Isaiah trembled, thinking himself too sinful to see the Lord. Seraphim took a piece of coal out of the fire and laid it with the mouth of Isaiah, taking away iniquities and purifying sins.
The Lord asked who would go to the Jewish people to prophesy, and Isaiah said that God should send him. For 60 years the saint prophesied and called upon the people of Israel to repent. He promised forgiveness for those who turn to God and punish those who turn away.
In his book, Isaiah made many predictions: about the Babylonian captivity, about the destruction of the temple, about the return from captivity. But his main prophecies are connected with the birth and suffering of the Messiah the Savior.
The apostles and their followers saw in Christ the embodiment of all the prophecies of Isaiah. His book is widely quoted in the New Testament: 60 direct quotes and 40 references.
The political situation in those years was very unstable. Both the Egyptians and the Assyrians came to the small kingdoms of Israel. Israel gradually lost territory. Until there was only Judea, the island of faith. In this dark time, the prophet proclaims that the Messiah is coming. During the reign of Ezekiah, Isaiah became the king’s advisor. Under his leadership, reforms are being carried out in Judea, during which idols are destroyed, prayers are stopped at “heights” and Jehovah is revered.
Alas, soon the tsar replaced spiritual research with political games and got into a war with Assyria. As a result, Jerusalem was besieged and the king had to buy off gold and territories, and Ezekiah himself became seriously ill. He had no heir. Fearing dissension after his death, the king was very sad. Isaiah prayed to the Lord and through his prayer the Lord
He gave the king 15 years of life and promised that Jerusalem would not be captured. After 10 years, the Assyrians tried to retake Jerusalem. Isaiah told the king through his disciples that he would not doubt that the city would stand. That’s what happened. The Assyrians were unable to capture the city because an angel of the Lord had struck them, killing 185,000 Assyrians overnight.
The Bible says nothing about the end of the prophet’s life, but early Christian sources claim that he died as a martyr during the reign of Manasseh. According to legend, Isaiah died without making a sound, because “his mouth spoke to the Holy Spirit.”
Memorial Day
22 May
The Holy Land Charitable Foundation
Lives of Saints
