Isaiah : Interpretation

Isaiah : Interpretation (14)

This is the beginning of the first of the three books that were compiled to form the Bible's book of Isaiah.
First or Proto-Isaiah was written in the eigth century BCE, two hundred years before the other two books (Deutero-Isaiah and Trito-Isaiah) were written. 1:1
"Lucifer, son of the morning."
This is the only verse in the bible that mentions Lucifer. Although most Christians consider Lucifer to be Satan (the devil), there is little biblical justification for doing so. In this verse "Lucifer" refers to the king of Babylon (Nebuchadrezzar?) and Lucifer (the light bearer) is also called the "son of the morning" or morning star. The only other person that is referred to in that way is Jesus (Rev 22:16). Does this mean that Lucifer is Jesus? 14:12
Is it OK to drink alcohol? 5:11, 22, 28:1, 7
"I cannot; for it is sealed." Joseph Smith used verses 11 and 12 to "prove" to Martin Harris that the Book of Mormon was prophesied by Isaiah. Martin Harris brought a sheet of Joseph Smith's "reformed Egyptian" characters to the linguistic scholar Charles Anthon at Columbia College. When he asked Harris to see the golden plates themselves, he was told that that was forbidden -- to which Anthon replied, "I cannot read a sealed book." 29:11
"I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder." God will perform a "marvelous work and a wonder" by destroying wisdom and understanding. The Mormons believe the "marvelous work and a wonder" is the Book of Mormon. 29:14
"The screech owl also shall rest there." The screech owl is translated "Lilith" in many translations of this verse. Lilith appears in some Jewish folklore as Adam's first wife. Others say she was a sexual night-demon who steals babies. 34:14
"Your sons ... shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon."Since in the book of Daniel, Daniel and his companions were of royal descent and were under the authority of the prince of the eunuchs (Daniel ), this would seem to indicate that they were eunuchs. 39:7
"The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. " The authors of the Synoptic Gospels claim that these words refer to John the Baptist. (Matthew , Mark , Luke -6) And in the Gospel of John, John the Baptist makes the claim himself. (John ) But there's nothing in the verse itself that would support such an interpretation. 40:3
"Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus"
"Anointed one" means Messiah. So was king Cyrus the Messiah?
David Koresh (born Vernon Howell) chose his name after the two men in the Bible who are called Messiah (or anointed one) in the Bible: David and Cyrus. (The name "Koresh" is a transliteration of the Hebrew name Cyrus.) 45:1
"My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure."
Unlike the god of the process theologians, the God of Isaiah is in full control of his creation; he has pre-ordained everything. 46:10-11
"Does the bible condemn astrology? 47:13-14
The suffering servant of Isaiah 53 is often claimed by Christian apologists to refer to Jesus. But seems to refer to the nation of Israel, not to a person who had not yet been born. 53:3-12
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD."
Believers use these verses to justify everything cruel, nasty, and absurd in the Bible. Why did God kill 42 children for making fun of a prophet's bald head? What was God thinking when he inspired Ezekiel 23:20? And what about that talking donkey in Numbers 22? Well God's ways are not our ways. 55:8-9
Does God approve of slavery? 58:6

Isaiah : Interpretation (14)

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