Editing Book of Isaiah (section)

=== Christianity ===
[[File:Schnorr von Carolsfeld Bibel in Bildern 1860 139.png|thumb|right|The Vision of Isaiah is depicted in this 1860 woodcut by [[Julius Schnorr von Karolsfeld]].]]
The earliest Christians, building on the messianic interpretation of Enoch, interpreted Isaiah 52:13–53:12, the fourth of the songs, as a prophecy of the death and exaltation of [[Jesus]], a role which Jesus himself accepted according to Luke 4:17–21.{{sfn|Barker|2003|pp = 534–35}} The Book of Isaiah has been immensely influential in the formation of Christianity, from the devotion to the [[Mary (mother of Jesus)|Virgin Mary]] to anti-Jewish polemic, medieval passion iconography, and modern [[Christian feminism]] and [[liberation theology]]. The regard in which Isaiah was held was so high that the book was frequently called "the Fifth Gospel": the prophet who spoke more clearly of Christ and the Church than any others.{{sfn|Sawyer|1996|pp=1–2}} Its influence extends beyond the Church and Christianity to English literature and to Western culture in general, from the libretto of [[Handel's Messiah|Handel's ''Messiah'']] to a host of such everyday phrases as "swords into ploughshares" and "voice in the wilderness".{{sfn|Sawyer|1996|pp =1–2}}

Isaiah provides 27 of the 37 quotations from the prophets in the [[Pauline epistles]], and takes pride of place in the Gospels and in [[Acts of the Apostles]].{{sfn|Sawyer| 1996| p= 22}} [[Isaiah 7:14]], where the prophet is assuring king [[Ahaz]] that God will save Judah from the invading armies of Israel and Syria, forms the basis for [[Matthew 1:23]]'s doctrine of the [[Virgin birth of Jesus|virgin birth]],{{sfn|Sweeney|1996|p= 161}} while Isaiah 40:3–5's image of the [[Babylonian Exile|exiled]] Israel led by God and proceeding home to Jerusalem on a newly constructed road through the wilderness was taken up by all four Gospels and applied to [[John the Baptist]] and Jesus.{{sfn|Brueggemann| 2003| p= 174}}  Isaiah 43: 18-19 Has become popular in modern-day Christianity, especially among Christian groups.  This passage was meant to comfort and inspire a displaced and downtrodden people. God, speaking through Isaiah, reminds the [[Israelites]] of His faithfulness. He calls them to remember His past deliverance—such as the [[The Exodus|exodus from Egypt]]—but not to remain stuck in it. Instead, He promises a new act of [[Salvation in Christianity|salvation]], one even greater than before.<ref>{{Cite web |title=FAITH |url=https://www.ryanabramson.net/faith-of-ryan-abramson |access-date=2025-01-22 |website=Ryan Abramson Net |language=en}}</ref>  “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.  "See, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it. I am making a way in the wilderness. and streams in the wasteland."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bible Gateway passage: Isaiah 43:18-19 - New International Version |url=https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah%2043:18-19&version=NIV |access-date=2025-01-22 |website=Bible Gateway |language=en}}</ref>  Experts point to Chapter 53 and its discussion of a suffering servant as a striking prediction of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, the messiah predicted by Isaiah.<ref>{{Cite book |last=MacArthur |first=John |title=The Gospel according to God: Rediscovering the Most Remarkable Chapter in the Old Testament |publisher=Crossway |year=2018 |isbn=978-1433549571}}</ref>

Isaiah seems always to have had a prominent place in Hebrew Bible use, and it is probable that Jesus himself was deeply influenced by Isaiah.{{sfn|Sawyer|1996|p=23}} Thus many of the Isaiah passages that are familiar to Christians gained their popularity not directly from Isaiah but from the use of them by Jesus and the early Christian authors – this is especially true of the [[Book of Revelation]], which depends heavily on Isaiah for its language and imagery.{{sfn|Sawyer|1996|p=25}}