photo #7781694

Here are some of the stronger references to Christ in Isaiah . . . Isaiah 4:2: “In that day shall the branch of the LORD be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel.” The “branch” in the verse is Christ. See Isaiah 11:1, Jeremiah 23:5, Zechariah 3:8 and 6:12 for confirmation. Actually, the word “branch” is used in four different contexts for describing Christ in the Old Testament, each one corresponding to His portrayal in each of the four gospels. In Matthew, Christ is portrayed as the King, in Mark He is God’s faithful servant, in Luke He is the son of man, and He’s the Son of God in John, the book that promotes His deity. The breakdown is as follows: Matthew – King – Jeremiah 23:5Mark – Servant – Zechariah 3:8Luke – Son of Man - Zechariah 6:12John – Son of God – Isaiah 4:2; 11:1 Isaiah 7:14: “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” The verse is a reference to the Virgin Birth of Christ, according to Matthew 1:23. Isaiah 8:14-15: “And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.” The passage refers to Christ, according to I Peter 2:8 and Romans 9:32. Jesus was supposed to have been Israel’s chief cornerstone, but they rejected Him. Therefore, He is presently a stumblingstone for Israel while a cornerstone for the church (Psa. 118:22; Acts 4:11; I Pet. 2:7). Isaiah 9:6-7: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.” This is the standard Christmas passage, and it is loaded with references to Christ the “son” that is given (John 3:16). Notice how the Holy Spirit delights in calling Jesus “the everlasting Father” and the “mighty God.” See John 16:13-14 and John 10:30. Isaiah 22:22-25: “And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place; and he shall be for a glorious throne to his father's house. And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father's house, the offspring and the issue, all vessels of small quantity, from the vessels of cups, even to all the vessels of flagons. In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall the nail that is fastened in the sure place be removed, and be cut down, and fall; and the burden that was upon it shall be cut off: for the LORD hath spoken it.” The prophetic reference is to Christ the “son of David” Who will sit on David’s “throne” even after having been “cut down” and “cut off” (Isa. 53:8). Making a spiritual application, Jesus quotes verse twenty-two when addressing the church at Philadelphia in Revelation 3:7: “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth.” Isaiah 25:8-9: “He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it. And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” Paul quotes part of verse eight in I Corinthians 15:54 when speaking of the resurrection, and John quotes some more of it in Revelation 21:4. Verse nine refers to Israel rejoicing over her salvation in Christ that she had neglected for so long. Isaiah 27:13: “And it shall come to pass in that day, that the great trumpet shall be blown, and they shall come which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the LORD in the holy mount at Jerusalem.” This is the prophetic fulfillment of the Feast of Trumphets which re-gathers Jews to Israel in preparation for the Second Coming of Christ (Lev. 23:24; Mat. 24:31). Isaiah 32:1-2: “Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment. And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.” The “king” is obviously Jesus, while the “princes” are believers that reign with Him (II Tim. 2:11-13; Rev. 20:4-6). The phrase “rock in a weary land” is the chorus text for the popular hymn by Ira Sankey. Isaiah 40:2: “Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD'S hand double for all her sins.” Her warfare certainly is not accomplished yet. The prophecy concerns the Second Coming of Christ and the establishment of His Millennial Kingdom. Isaiah 42:18-20: “Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may see. Who is blind, but my servant? or deaf, as my messenger that I sent? who is blind as he that is perfect, and blind as the LORD'S servant? Seeing many things, but thou observest not; opening the ears, but he heareth not.” So Christ opened the eyes of the blind and the ears of the deaf, both physically and spiritually, yet He will be both blind and deaf to the influence of men when He sits in judgment of this world. Hence, the expression “justice is blind.” Isaiah 43:11: “I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.” Then “the LORD” of the Old Testament must be Jesus Christ “the saviour” of Titus 2:13. Isaiah 49:1-6: “And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.” The “light to the Gentiles” is Christ (Acts 13:47; Luke 2:32). Isaiah 52:7: “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!” Paul quotes the verse in reference to the gospel of Christ in Romans 10:15. Isaiah 52:13-15: “Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high. As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men: So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.” Here we have Christ the “servant” of Isaiah 42 being further revealed as a sin-bearer. He shall be “exalted and extolled,” but not before first performing His atoning work on the cross when “his visage was so marred.” His sprinkling of many nations refers to His blood atonement (Heb. 12:24; I Pet. 1:2). The kings shutting their mouths have mostly to do with the Second Coming and even the White Throne Judgment (Rom. 3:19). Isaiah 53: The whole chapter is on the crucifixion of Christ, which is confirmed by Phillip in Acts 8:32-35. Verse one is quoted by Paul in Romans 10:16, and Peter makes reference to verse five in I Peter 2:24. Verse twelve is referenced in Mark 15:28. But the whole chapter is filled with obvious crucifixion references, especially verses three through seven. The deepest verse in the chapter is verse ten where the Father makes Christ’s soul “an offering for sin.” Most authors, including this one, lack the nerve to fully expound on the statement. If you want to try your hand, you might start with Psalm 16:10, II Corinthians 5:21, Galatians 3:13, and Matthew 27:46. Isaiah 60:1-3: “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.” Some of this can apply to the Christ’s earthly ministry and even the day of Pentecost (“his glory shall be seen upon thee” – Acts 2), but, as we’ve seen before, any references to the Lord rising is a Second Coming reference. Isaiah 61:1-3: “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.” Jesus quotes from this passage in Luke 4:18 and applies it to Himself. Up until the middle of verse two, the passage refers to Jesus’ earthly ministry, but from “the day of vengeance” onward it points to the Second Coming and Millennial Kingdom.