Ezekiel
As a combination prophet and priest who lived in the thick of the exile, and whose allegorically vivid words not only resemble how earlier prophets expressed themselves, but also have a priestly authority to them (Boadt et al. 338, 339), Ezekiel is credited for writing one of the most detailed accounts of the exile. His oracles alone are lengthy and abundantly filled with warnings about pagan influences and a whole host of sins, including bribery, theft, and rampant violence (Boadt et al. 344).
Ezekiel’s overall message, as with many other prophets, is a mix of condemnation and hope. He shows the sheer disobedience among the Israelites, yet calls on them to remember the covenant God made with them, to return to honoring the Sabbath and the Temple, and to live a life of pure sanctity (Ganzel 1035). However, in contrast with other prophets, who held Israelites collectively responsible for their sins, Ezekiel puts the onus more on the individual (Boadt et al. 344, 345). Still, he gives hope for a future restoration that will be independent of the people’s repentance and instead made possible through God’s grace (Sommer 1036).
Second Isaiah
Second Isaiah (Chapters 40 to 55) is a dramatic departure from the doom and gloom featured in most other prophetic books. In fact, this entire section is also referred to as the “Book of Consolation”, as its entire purpose is to give hope to Israel, that God would eventually end the exile and rein in a time of renewal and restoration (Boadt et al. 366). Unlike Ezekiel, Second Isaiah puts responsibility on all of Israel — though, in this case, because Second Isaiah’s message is exclusively about hope and restoration, the takeaway is that God will save all of Israel; and that despite the punishments he delivered via the exile, He is ultimately merciful and forgiving (Boadt et al. 372, 373). Lastly, Second Isaiah, also called Deutero-Isaiah, emphasizes the post-exilic God as the one and only deity who rules all creation, and that only He can bring redemption (Sommer 765).
Third Isaiah
Book-ended as Chapters 55 through 66, Third Isaiah returns to the condemnation and hope model that other Latter Prophets use to drive the point home about Israel continually embracing idolatry and not keeping to covenant. Written sometime after the exile and when many of the Israelites had returned to their homeland, Third Isaiah gives a litany of condemnation and hope. However, rather than firing a barrage of condemnations and then giving reasons for hope, Third Isaiah pairs up condemnation and hope, throughout all chapters, to show a one-to-one relationship between a particular sin / shortcoming and the hope that will resolve the sin (Boadt et al. 388, 389).
Finally, and as with First and Second Isaiah, Third Isaiah reinforces God’s love for Israel, and that He will bring about its restoration and glory. What’s more, this restoration will not only be for Israelites, but for *all* people (Boadt et al. 389).
Works Cited
Boadt, Lawrence, et al. Reading the Old Testament : An Introduction. New York, Paulist Press, 2012.
Berlin, Adele., and Brettler Marc Zvi, editors; Sommer, Benjamin D., and Ganzel, Tova, consulting editors. The Jewish Study Bible : Jewish Publication Society Tanakh Translation. Oxford ; New York :Oxford University Press, 2014.less