The One Sure Hope

The Book of the prophet Isaiah is a great book. Reading it thoughtfully and prayerfully can be the basis for a fresh encounter with God. Isaiah is a big book. It has 66 chapters and covers a period from about 740 BC to at least 539 BC, and perhaps beyond. It embraces some of Israel’s most challenging moments: the advance of Assyria and the demise of the northern kingdom of Israel; the exile in Babylon of those who remained in Judah, and the appearance of Cyrus the Persian who defeated the Babylonians and returned willing exiles to their homeland.