The Story-Line of Christian Prophetic Rhetorolect LESSON 4: ISAIAH AS A RESOURCE FOR JOHN THE BAPTIST AND THE BIRTH OF JESUS

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The Story-Line of Christian Prophetic
RhetorolectLESSON 4 ISAIAH AS A RESOURCE FOR
JOHN THE BAPTIST AND THE BIRTH OF JESUS

• The Christian prophetic story-line continues
  beyond Abraham, Moses, Samuel, and Nathan to
  Isaiah.
• The book of Isaiah is perhaps the most
  frequently recited Hebrew Bible book in the New
  Testament. (If so, the Psalms are a close
  second).
• Verses in Isaiah function as resources for many
  events in the Christian story.
• This lesson will explore the use of Isaiah in
  Christian prophetic rhetorolect for the
  beginnings of the story of Jesus, namely John
  the Baptist and the birth of Jesus.
• Lesson 5 will explore the use of Isaiah for the
  adult life of Jesus.

• Click for a voice crying out in Isaiah.

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Hebrew Bible Resource
A VOICE CRIES OUT IN ISAIAH

• Isaiah tells Israel that a voice cries out,
  preparing the way for Israel to return from exile
  in Babylon through the wilderness to Jerusalem.
• Click for the voice crying out to Israel.

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Hebrew Bible Resource
A VOICE CRIES OUT IN ISAIAH

• Isaiah 403 The voice of one who calls out,
• Prepare the way of Adonai in the wilderness!
  Make a level highway in the desert for our God.
• Click for Christian prophetic rhetorolect about
  the voice.

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• CHRISTIAN PROPHETIC RHETOROLECT, PUNCTUATING
  ISAIAH 403 SO THE VOICE ITSELF IS IN THE
  WILDERNESS, INTERPRETS THE VERSE AS PREDICTING
  THE COMING OF JOHN THE BAPTIST BEFORE JESUS

• Click for next slide.

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• GOSPEL OF MATTHEW PRESENTS
• THE VOICE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST
• PARALLEL WITH THE VOICE OF ISAIAH

• Click for next slide.

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Christian Prophetic Rhetorolect GOSPEL OF
MATTHEW PRESENTS THE VOICE OF JOHN THE BAPTIST
PARALLEL WITH THE VOICE OF ISAIAH

• Matthew 31 In those days, John the Baptizer
  came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea,
  saying,
• 32 Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at
  hand!
• 33 For this is he who was spoken of by Isaiah
  the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in
  the wilderness, make ready the way of the Lord.
  Make his paths straight.
• (read Matthew 31-12)
• Click for an angel in Exodus and a messenger in
  Malachi.

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Hebrew Bible Resource
AN ANGEL IN EXODUS AND A MESSENGER IN
MALACHI

• In the book of Exodus in the Hebrew Bible, an
  angel goes before Moses, leading the people of
  Israel through the wilderness toward the land of
  Canaan.
• The prophetic book of Malachi in the Hebrew
  Bible revises the Exodus verse to refer to a
  messenger who prepares the way for the Lord God
  to come to the Jerusalem temple on the day of
  his coming.
• Click for an angel and messenger in Exodus and
  Malachi.

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Hebrew Bible Resource THE ANGEL IN EXODUS
2320AND THE MESSENGER IN MALACHI 31

• Exodus 2320 Behold, I send an angel before you,
  to keep you by the way, and to bring you into the
  place which I have prepared. (read Exodus
  2320-33)
• Malachi 31 Behold, I send my messenger, and he
  will prepare the way before me and the Lord,
  whom you seek, will suddenly come to his temple
  and the messenger of the covenant, whom you
  desire, behold, he comes! says Adonai of Armies.
  (read Malachi 31-12)
• Click for the blending of these verses with
  Isaiah 403 in Mark 1.

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• CHRISTIAN PROPHETIC RHETOROLECT
• IN THE GOSPEL OF MARK
• BLENDS THE ANGEL IN EXODUS 2320
• AND THE MESSENGER IN MALACHI 31
• WITH THE VOICE IN ISAIAH 403,
• REFERRING TO THE BLEND OF VERSES AS
• WRITTEN IN THE PROPHET ISAIAH

• Click for next slide.

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Christian Prophetic Rhetorolect READ THE BLEND
OF EXODUS 2320, MALACHI 31, AND ISAIAH 403
IN GOSPEL OF MARK

• Mark 12-4 As it is written in Isaiah the
  prophet,
• Behold, I send my messenger before your face who
  will prepare you way before you. (Exodus 2320
  Malachi 31)
• 13 The voice of one crying in the wilderness,
  Make ready the way of the Lord! Make his paths
  straight! (Isaiah 403)
• 14 John came baptizing in the wilderness and
  preaching the baptism of repentance for
  forgiveness of sins.
• (read Mark 11-8)
• Click for the voice in the Gospel of Luke.

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• CHRISTIAN PROPHETIC RHETOROLECT
• IN THE GOSPEL OF LUKE RECITES ISAIAH 403-5
• IN RELATION TO JOHN THE BAPTIST

• Click for next slide.

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Christian Prophetic Rhetorolect THE VOICE OF
ISAIAH 40 in Luke 3

• Luke 32 During the high priesthood of Annas and
  Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of
  Zechariah in the wilderness.
• 33 He came into all the region around the
  Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for
  remission of sins.
• 34 As it is written in the book of the words of
  Isaiah the prophet, The voice of one crying out
  in the wilderness, Make ready the way of the
  Lord. Make his paths straight.
• 35 Every valley will be filled. Every mountain
  and hill will be brought low. The crooked will
  become straight, and the rough ways smooth. 36
  All flesh will see salvation.
• (read Isaiah 403-5 Luke 31-18)
• Click for the voice in the Gospel of John.

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• CHRISTIAN PROPHETIC RHETOROLECT
• IN THE GOSPEL OF JOHN
• PRESENTS JOHN THE BAPTIST
• RECITING ISAIAH 403
• TO INTERPRET HIS IDENTITY AS THE VOICE

• Click for next slide.

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Christian Prophetic Rhetorolect JOHN THE
BAPTIST INTERPRETS HIMSELF AS THE VOICE IN THE
GOSPEL OF JOHN

• John 122 They said therefore to him, Who are
  you? Give us an answer to take back to those who
  sent us. What do you say about yourself?
• 123 He said, I am the voice of one crying in
  the wilderness, Make straight the way of the
  Lord, as Isaiah the prophet said.
• (read John 119-28)
• Click for Isaiah as a Hebrew Bible resource for
  Jesus birth.

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Hebrew Bible Resource

• Isaiah 7 speaks of a young woman bearing a son
  before Israels exile to Babylonia.
• Click to read about the birth of a son to a
  young woman in Israel.

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Hebrew Bible Resource
A YOUNG WOMAN SHALL BEAR A SON

• Isaiah 710 Adonai spoke again to Ahaz, saying,
• 711 Ask a sign of Adonai your God ask it
  either in the depth, or in the height above.
• 712 But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will
  I tempt Adonai.
• 713 He said, Listen now, house of David. Is it
  not enough for you to try the patience of men,
  that you will try the patience of my God also?
• 714 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a
  sign. Behold, the young woman will conceive, and
  bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
• Click for continuation of the birth of a son.

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Hebrew Bible Resource
A YOUNG WOMAN SHALL BEAR A SON cont.

• Isaiah 715 He shall eat butter and honey when he
  knows to refuse the evil, and choose the good.
• 716 For before the child knows to refuse the
  evil, and choose the good, the land whose two
  kings you abhor shall be forsaken.
• 717 Adonai will bring on you, on your people,
  and on your fathers house, days that have not
  come, from the day that Ephraim departed from
  Judah even the king of Assyria.
• (read Isaiah 7)
• Click to read Christian prophetic rhetorolect
  that uses Isaiah 7 as a resource.

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• CHRISTIAN PROPHETIC RHETOROLECT IN THE GOSPEL OF
  MATTHEW USES
• THE GREEK SEPTUAGINT VERSION OF ISAIAH 7
• TO INTERPRET THE YOUNG WOMAN AS A VIRGIN

• Click for next slide.

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Christian Prophetic Rhetorolect AN ANGEL TELLS
JOSEPH THAT THE VIRGIN SHALL CONCEIVE AND BEAR A
SON

• Matthew 120 But when he thought about these
  things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to
  him in a dream, saying, Joseph, son of David,
  dont be afraid to take to yourself Mary, your
  wife, for that which is conceived in her is of
  the Holy Spirit.
• 121 She shall bring forth a son. You shall call
  his name Jesus, for it is he who shall save his
  people from their sins.
• 122 Now all this has happened, that it might be
  fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through
  the prophet, saying,
• 123 Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and
  shall bring forth a son. They shall call his name
  Immanuel which is, being interpreted, God is
  with us.
• (Isaiah 714 Matthew 118-25)
• Click for Isaiah 7 as a resource for Christian
  prophetic rhetorolect in the Gospel of Luke.

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Christian Prophetic Rhetorolect AN ANGEL TELLS
MARY THAT SHE, THOUGH A VIRGIN, WILL CONCEIVE AND
BEAR A SON

• Luke 130 The angel said to her, Dont be
  afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
• 131 Behold, you will conceive in your womb, and
  bring forth a son, and will call his name
  Jesus.
• 132 He will be great, and will be called the Son
  of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the
  throne of his father, David,
• 133 and he will reign over the house of Jacob
  forever. There will be no end to his Kingdom.
• Click for continuation of Isaiah 7 as a resource
  for Christian prophetic rhetorolect in the Gospel
  of Luke.

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Christian Prophetic Rhetorolect AN ANGEL TELLS
MARY THAT SHE, THOUGH A VIRGIN, WILL CONCEIVE AND
BEAR A SON

• Luke 134 Mary said to the angel, How can this
  be, since I am a virgin?
• 135 The angel said to her, The Holy Spirit will
  come upon you, and the power of the Most High
  will overshadow you
• therefore the child to be born will be holy he
  will be called Son of God.
• (read Luke 126-38)
• Click for Isaiah 7 as a resource for Christian
  prophetic rhetorolect in the Gospel of Luke.

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Good Work!

• In this lesson you have learned that Christian
  prophetic rhetorolect punctuates Isaiah 403 so
  the voice itself is in the wilderness and thus
  interprets the verse as predicting the coming of
  John the Baptist before Jesus.
• The Gospel of Matthew presents the voice of John
  the Baptist in parallel with the voice of Isaiah.
• The Gospel of Mark blends the angel in Exodus
  2320 and the messenger in Malachi 31 with the
  voice in Isaiah 403, referring to the blend of
  verses as written in the prophet Isaiah.
• The Gospel of Luke recites Isaiah 403-5 in
  relation to John the Baptist.
• Click to continue the summary.

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Excellent!

• The Gospel of John presents John the Baptist
  himself reciting Isaiah 403 to identify himself
  as the voice.
• Christian prophetic rhetorolect in the Gospel of
  Matthew uses the Greek Septuagint version of
  Isaiah 7 to interpret the young woman as a
  virgin.
• In the Gospel of Luke, the angel tells Mary she
  will conceive and bear a son, even though she is
  a virgin.
• Click to continue the summary.

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Congratulations!!!!

THIS WAS THE FOURTH LESSON on the Christian
Prophetic Story-Line. Every good wish as you
continue with Lesson 5, which continues with
words of the prophet Isaiah as a resource for
Jesus adult activity.