The end of the ministry of the prophet Isaiah, according to tradition, falls on the time of the impious king Manasseh (696-641). During the reign of this king, who flooded Jerusalem and all Judah with the blood of the righteous and prophets, the prophet Isaiah was sawed with a saw when he tried to hide from his persecutors in a hollow tree. In the Epistle to the Hebrews, the Apostle Paul enumerates the ancient righteous and says that some of them were sawn up (Hebrews 11:37). Presumably, we are talking about the prophet Isaiah.

26.2. The Question of the Unity of the Book

In modern Western biblical studies, the opinion is firmly established that the Book of the Prophet Isaiah does not represent a single whole. As early as the sixteenth century, it was suggested that the book consisted of two parts, chapters 1 to 39 and chapters 40 to 66, the first of which was written by the first Isaiah, and the second by another prophet who came to be known as "Deutero-Isaiah." Biblical studies did not stand still, and in this second part they also found differences: it was also divided in half, assuming that the last 10 chapters were written by a certain third Isaiah. It is rather difficult to judge how valid this is: when reading all these works, it is clear that the main argument in favor of the division is the same disbelief that some details of the future can be revealed to the prophets. The main argument in favor of the fact that from the 40th chapter onwards that ancient Isaiah could no longer write is the presence of a prophecy about King Cyrus of Persia, who will crush Babylon and set the captives free (Isaiah 43:14). Since, according to the arguments of "common sense", no one could have known this beforehand, it follows that this part of the book was written already in the time of Cyrus. It is claimed that the third part of the book generally shows a different situation, clearly after the return from captivity, and, most likely, it was written by some other prophet. And then the editors put it all together in one book. Moreover, in order to make their work easier, experts decided that even the first part of the book was written not by the prophet himself, but by his disciples, who messed up a lot in the process. A detailed analysis and refutation of these views is available in the works of Professor P. A. Yungerov and other Russian theologians.

In terms of his scale, Isaiah is a prophet truly epic, no one can compare with him; And if there is any difference in these parts, then remembering how many years he has been in his ministry, we can assume that a person's style changes over the years. Especially if the circumstances of life have changed. St. Cyril of Alexandria explained the differences in the manner of presentation in different parts of the book precisely by this. This may also be due to the different nature of prophecies, especially since, unlike oral speech, the style of written speech depends to a very large extent on the author's intentions.

It is fundamental for us that Christ refers to those sections that are assimilated by "Deutero-Isaiah" (Isaiah 42:1-7; Matt. 12:18-21) and "Third Isaiah" (Isaiah 61:1; Luke 4:18) as the words of the prophet Isaiah, without adding any numbers to his name. The book was accepted by the Church as divinely inspired, and the Fathers interpreted it precisely in the order in which it is presented. So we may well follow their example.

26.3. Rebuke

The very first verses of the book quite clearly proclaim its main theme – Israel's presence in the Covenant, in unity with God, or, on the contrary, its apostasy from this Covenant and from this unity.

"Hear, O heavens, and hearken, O earth, for the Lord speaketh" (Isaiah 1:2). The sermon is addressed to the entire universe. Like Moses: "Hearken, O heaven, I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth" (Deuteronomy 32:1).

"Alas, a sinful people, a people burdened with iniquity... What else shall you be beaten, you who continue your obstinacy? The whole head is full of sores, and the whole heart is withered. From the sole of his foot to the crown of his head he has no healthy place: sores, spots, festering wounds, uncleansed and not bandaged, and not softened with oil" (Isaiah 1:4-6). What harsh words does the Lord say, how to bring you to reason, people who do not want to repent, people who do not want to abandon their iniquities? And now the land is desolate, the land is plundered, the land is plundered, "if the Lord of hosts had not left us a small remnant, we would have been like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah" (Isaiah 1:9). In Sodom and Gomorrah there was no pious remnant, and they perished.

The religious life of Judea was built around the temple and the altar. We remember how detailed and how detailed the requirements for rituals, sacrifices and feasts are described in the Pentateuch, how carefully everything must be fulfilled, and suddenly through the prophet Isaiah the Lord declares: "Why do I need the multitude of your sacrifices?<... >I am full of ram burnt offerings... and I do not want the blood of bulls, or lambs, or goats. When you come to appear before me, who requires you to trample down my courts? Bear no more vain gifts: incense is an abomination to me; New moons and Sabbaths, festive gatherings I cannot endure: iniquity and feasting... My soul hates your feasts: they are a burden to me; It is hard for me to bear them" (Isaiah 1:11-14). This is what the Lord says about those feasts which He Himself established and Himself commanded to be observed. Why? "And when you multiply your supplications, I do not hear: your hands are full of blood. Wash yourselves, cleanse yourselves; remove your evil deeds from my eyes; stop doing evil; learn to do good, seek righteousness, save the oppressed, defend the fatherless, intercede for the widow" (Isaiah 1:15-17), that is, this service must bear some fruit. These words echo the prophecies of the Book of the Prophet Amos (Amos 5:22-24).

Answering the question about the main commandment of the Law, Christ added: "On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets" (Matt. 22:39-40). Without the second, there is no first: if you say that you love God and hate your brother, then you are a liar (cf. 1 John 4:20). We have seen confirmation of this both in the Law and in the minor prophets. This idea is also revealed here: "Then, that is, when you learn to do good, come and judge, says the Lord. Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red as crimson, they shall be as white as wool. If you will and obey, you will eat the good things of the earth; but if you deny and persist, the sword will devour you: for the mouth of the Lord speaks" (Isaiah 1:18-20). Here ends the first Lenten paremia from the Prophet Isaiah. On the first day of Great Lent, this, of course, sounds especially convincing and edifying.

And then the prophet Isaiah says: "How the faithful capital full of justice has become a harlot!" (Isaiah 1:21). Here again we encounter images of which we have already had the opportunity to speak. The relationship between man and God is described not so much in legal terms as in terms of the relationship between husband and wife, and this kind of expression is constantly encountered in the text of the Book of the Prophet Isaiah. Although the accusatory and comforting prophecies in the book alternate all the time, its first part (chapters 1-40) is devoted primarily to the punishment and proclamation of the wrath of God. The Lord rebukes the inhabitants of Jerusalem: the faithful capital, full of justice, has become a harlot. Why did she become a harlot? Because she does not keep faithfulness to God, Who called her and loved her and Whom she herself promised to love. Now murderers dwell in it, "Thy silver has become dross, thy wine is spoiled by water; thy princes are transgressors of the law, and accomplices of thieves; they all love gifts and chase after bribes; the orphans do not defend, and the widow's work does not reach them" (Isaiah 1:22-23). And this is the reason for the judgment that is proclaimed over Israel and Judah. But along with the judgment it is also promised that the judgment will not be the final destruction of the people, but will be something like a furnace in which all the dross, all the lead that spoils silver, all impurities will be separated and purified.

26.4. Prophecy of the Church

Along with the judgment, the prophet constantly announces the triumph of righteousness, which will come after judgment and punishment. And here the prophet Isaiah speaks of the exaltation of the mountain of the Lord: "And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be set at the head of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it. And many nations will go and say, 'Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob' (Isaiah 2:2-3). The mountain of the house of the Lord should be understood as the Church of Christ, which will be exalted and into which all nations will be drawn [see 12, part 2, p. 79]. The theme of God's calling of all nations and the worship of all godly people in the temple of God permeates the Book of the Prophet Isaiah from the first to the last page. It is no accident that at the very beginning of the book the prophet turns to heaven and earth, thereby showing that God is not only the God of Israel or, even less so, the God of individual faithful Israelites, but the God of heaven and earth. This means that the Lord is the God of all nations, and His providential actions extend to absolutely all people. And therefore, when some nations, Assyrians or Babylonians, come and crush the Israelites, this does not mean that they suddenly appeared from the realm of the universe, to which God's Providence does not extend, and invaded the land that belongs to God. All these actions also take place with the permission or direct command of God. In accordance with this, it is also shown that all the nations are not the future slaves of the Israelites, but all these nations are God's, although at that moment they are still far from Him, and that the Lord cares for them also, in order to give them salvation, which is being done in the midst of Jerusalem on Mount Zion: "For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord out of Jerusalem. And He shall judge the nations, and rebuke many nations" (Isaiah 2:3-4).