Other Fulfillments

Isaiah's prophetic task foreshadowed the work that the Messiah, Jesus Christ, would do some 800 years later.  Isaiah 8:18; 16:1, 2; Luke 4:16-21; Hebrews 2:13, 14) Although greater than Isaiah, Jesus was just as willing to be sent by his heavenly Father, saying: "Look! I am come to do your will." -Hebrews 10:5-9; Psalm 40:6-8.

Like Isaiah, Jesus faithfully carried out  his assigned work and met with the same reaction.  The Jews in Jesus' day were no more willing to accept the message than were those to whom the prophet Isaiah preached.  (Isaiah 1:4)  The use of illustrations  was feature of Jesus' ministry.  This prompted his disciples to ask: "Why is it you speak to them by use of illustrations?"  Jesus replied: "To you it is granted to understand the sacred secrets of the kingdom of  the heavens, but to those people it is not granted.  This is why I speak to them by the use of illustrations, because, looking, they look in vain, and hearing, they hear in vain, neither do they get the sense of it; and toward them the prophecy of Isaiah is having fulfillment, which says,  'by hearing, you will hear  but by no means get the sense of it; and, looking, you will look  but by no means see.  For the heart of this people has grown unreceptive, and with their ears they have heard without response, and they have shut their eyes; that they  might never see with their eyes  and hear with their ears and get the sense of it with their hearts and turn back, and I heal them.' " -Matthew 13:10, 11, 13-15; Mark 4:10-12; Luke 8:9, 10. 

In quoting from Isaiah, Jesus was showing that the prophecy had a fulfillment in his day.  the people as a whole had a heart attitude like that of the Jews in Isaiah's day.  They made themselves blind and deaf to  his message and likewise met with destruction.  (Matthew 23:35-38; 24:1, 2)  This occurred when the Roman forces under General Titus came against Jerusalem in 70 C.E. and demolished the city and its temple. Yet, some had listened to Jesus and had become his disciples.  Jesus pronounced these "happy."  (Matthew 13:16-23, 51) He had informed them that when they saw "Jerusalem surrounded by encamped armies," they should "begin fleeing to the mountains."  (Luke 21:20-22)  Thus the "holy seed" that had exercised faith and that had been formed into a spiritual nation, "the Israel of God," was saved. -Galatians 6:16.

About 60 C.E., the apostle Paul found himself under house arrest in Rome.  There he arranged a meeting with "the principal men of the Jews" as well as others and gave them a "thorough witness concerning the kingdom of God."  When many would not accept his message, Paul explained that this was in fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy.  (Acts 28:17-27; Isaiah 6:9, 10) So Jesus' disciples carried out a commission comparable to that of Isaiah. 

Similarly, Jehovah's Witnesses today discern  that Jehovah God is in his holy temple.  (Malachi  3:1) Like Isaiah, they say:  "Here I am! Send me." Zealously, they sound the warning message about the approaching end of this wicked system of things.  But, as Jesus indicated, relatively few people open their eyes and ears to see and hear and be saved.  (Matthew 7:13, 14) Happy, indeed are those  who incline their hearts to listen and "get healing for themselves"! -Isaiah 6:8, 10.

Next time: Trust in Jehovah in the Face of Adversity, Chapter Nine

From the Book Isaiah's Prophecy Light for all Mankind, 2000