In the previous message we pointed out that the book of Isaiah may be divided into two sections. The first section is composed of the first thirty-nine chapters, and the second section is composed of the final twenty-seven chapters. Chapter forty, the first chapter in the second section, shows us Christ as Jehovah the Savior. Chapters forty-one through sixty-six reveal Christ as the Servant of Jehovah. As the Servant of Jehovah, He is typified by three persons—Cyrus, Isaiah, and Israel. In the book of Isaiah, Cyrus is presented in a very good and positive sense. God said that He chose Cyrus, loved Cyrus, and appointed Cyrus to carry out His commission. In Isaiah, Cyrus typifies Christ. Isaiah, the prophet of Jehovah, also typifies Christ as the Servant of Jehovah. Israel as the corporate servant of Jehovah also typifies Christ. Christ is the totality of Israel. In this message we want to see the revelation of the all-inclusive Christ in Isaiah 40, where Christ is revealed as Jehovah the Savior, as the glad tidings.
The book of Isaiah is not easy to understand. Chapter forty may be considered as the most difficult chapter in this book. Isaiah wrote this chapter in a marvelous way with a definite prophecy concerning John the Baptist. Chapters forty through sixty-six, altogether twenty-seven chapters, may be considered as one word from Jehovah to His chastised, chosen people, Israel. This word is a word of comfort. In the first thirty-five chapters, Isaiah did not have a good feeling about Israel. He rebuked, condemned, and exposed Israel to the uttermost. Jeremiah is even stronger than Isaiah in this respect. He points out repeatedly how evil Israel is. The first thirty-five chapters of Isaiah are full of his rebuking of Israel. Chapters thirty-six through thirty-nine are an interval concerning one person—Hezekiah. After this short history of four chapters, Isaiah's tone altogether changes. There is no more rebuking or condemnation. Instead there is Jehovah's word of comfort to Israel, and the beginning of the word of Jehovah is the glad tidings. Isaiah says in 40:9, "Here is your God!" As long as God is here, the glad tidings are here.
The New Testament shows that God came to man as Jesus, the incarnated One. God Himself was incarnated (John 1:1, 14). That was His coming to man. Genesis 18 records how God came to Abraham. He came with two angels to visit Abraham. He and these angels all were in the form of men when they came to Abraham, but Jesus came in a different way. He came in the way of incarnation, the way of entering into man and becoming a man to directly participate in man's humanity, partaking of man's blood and flesh. For His coming there was the need of a forerunner to usher in the incarnated God to His people. This forerunner was John the Baptist. The New Testament opens with John's ushering, recommendation, and introduction of the incarnated God.