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DRAFT: A Chiastic Reconfiguration Of Isaiah 1

Kuruvilla Thomas
Bangalore
Published on 25 May 2024 *




Isaiah 1 Timeline
Fig. 1


Introduction

This study treats Isaiah 1 as a cryptochiasmus in order to arrive at a coherent reconfiguration of the text ( see definition of cryptochiasmus in [1] ). If you wish to skip the technicalities of a chiastic parse, you may read starting from Section 4 of the Discussion section, which has the reconfigured text.

In this opening chapter, Isaiah makes the important prediction of the coming of a New Covenant, one that Christ brought into effect through his death. Isaiah also predicts the restoration of Israel to a righteous people of God at the start of the Millennial Reign.



Discussion

1. Presuppositions

We base our parse of Isaiah 1 on the assumption that it refers to 3 periods:

  1. Christ introduces a New Covenant through His Ministry and Death (26AD-30AD).
  2. The First Half of (66-70AD) of the First Jewish–Roman War (66AD–73AD) (66AD–73AD).
  3. Israel is Restored at the Start of Christ's Millennial Reign (circa 2027AD).

2. Parsing the chiasmus

We will use the NIV Bible for this parse.

Parsing this chiasmus involves dividing portions of the text into three categories as above. We will call the time of Christ's Death Period 1, the Destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD Period 2 and the start of Christ's Millennial Reign Period 3.


Categorizing Isaiah 1

vs 2-3 belong to Period 3. God has hidden His face from the Northern Tribes until the start of the Millennial Reign.

vs 4-5 belong to Period 1. The Judahites are stubbornly evil and rebellious. ( While the Israelites of Period 3 may worship other gods, they cannot be called wicked or rebellious. They are spiritually blinded because of the waywardness of their forefathers.)

vs 6-10 belong to Period 2. The Romans destroy Judea and lay siege to Jerusalem. Verses 6 and 10 could belong to Period 1 or Period 2, but they are placed in this Period so that we get proper regular chiasmi within the Periods.

vs 11-23 belong to Period 1. God signals the end of the Old Covenant and instructs the Judahites on righteous behaviour. God introduces a New Covenant, as the Judahites did not follow the Old Covenant in the right spirit.

vs 24-31 belongs to Period 3. Israel is purged and restored to a being a nation under God.


Original text

We color-code the chiastic units of the original text below for easy visual identification using: red for Period 1, blue for Period 2 and green for Period 3. We have retranslated parts of the text.


Isaiah 1 2 Hear me, you heavens! Listen, earth! For the Lord has spoken: “I reared children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against me. 3 The ox knows its master, the donkey its owner’s manger, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.”
4 Woe to the sinful nation, a people whose guilt is great, a brood of evildoers, children given to corruption! They have forsaken the Lord; they have spurned the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him.
5 Why do you continue to earn punishment? [a] Why do you persist in rebellion? Your whole head is injured, your whole heart afflicted.

6 From the sole of your foot to the top of your head there is no soundness— only wounds and welts and open sores, not cleansed or bandaged or soothed with olive oil.
7 Your country is desolate, your cities burned with fire; your fields are being stripped by foreigners right before you, laid waste as when overthrown by strangers. 8 Daughter Zion is left—like a shelter in a vineyard, like a hut in a cucumber field—a city besieged. [b] 9 Unless the Lord Almighty had left us some survivors, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah. 10 Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom; listen to the instruction of our God, you people of Gomorrah!

11 “The multitude of your sacrifices— what are they to me?” says the Lord. “I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. 12 Surely you come to appear before me, but who requires this of you, [c] this trampling of my courts? 13 Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me. New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations— I cannot bear your worthless assemblies. 14 Your New Moon feasts and your appointed festivals I hate with all my being. They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them. 15 When you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes from you; even when you offer many prayers, I am not listening.
Your hands are full of blood!
16 Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong. 17 Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.
18 “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. 19 If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land; 20 but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.
21 See how the faithful city has become a prostitute! She once was full of justice; righteousness used to dwell in her— but now murderers! 22 Your silver has become dross, your choice wine is diluted with water. 23 Your rulers are rebels, partners with thieves; they all love bribes and chase after gifts. They do not defend the cause of the fatherless; the widow’s case does not come before them.

24 Therefore the Lord, the Lord Almighty, the Mighty One of Israel, declares: “Woe! I will rid myself of my adversaries [d] and avenge myself on my enemies. 25 I will turn my hand against you; I will thoroughly purge away your dross and remove all your impurities. 26 I will restore your leaders as in days of old, your rulers as at the beginning. Afterward you will be called the City of Righteousness, the Faithful City.”
27 Zion will be delivered with judgement [e], her converts [f] with righteousness. 28 But rebels and sinners will both be broken, and those who forsake the Lord will perish.
29 “You will be ashamed because of the sacred oaks in which you have delighted; you will be disgraced because of the gardens that you have chosen. 30 You will be like an oak with fading leaves, like a garden without water. 31 The mighty one [g] will become tinder and his work a spark; both will burn together, with no one to quench the fire.”


Retranslation notes for Isaiah 1:
[a] vs 5 "Why do you continue to earn punishment?" instead of "Why should you be beaten anymore?".
[b] vs 8 "Daughter Zion is left—like a shelter in a vineyard, like a hut in a cucumber field—a city besieged" instead of "Daughter Zion is left like a shelter in a vineyard, like a hut in a cucumber field, like a city under siege". Changed the punctuation; a city cannot be compared to a city, Jerusalem is literally besieged.
[c] vs 12 "Surely you come to appear before me, but who requires this of you" instead of "When you come to appear before me, who has asked this of you".
[d] vs 24 "Woe! I will rid myself of my adversaries" instead of "Ah! I will vent my wrath on my foes".
[e] vs 27 "judgement" instead of "justice".
[f] vs 27 "converts" instead of "penitent ones".
[g] vs 31 "mighty one" instead of "mighty man".


3. Building the reconfigured text


From this parse, it appears that Isaiah 1 forms a cryptochiasmus as below:

A1   vs 2-3 Period 3. The Northern Tribes don't know their God
  B1   vs 4-5 Period 1. The Judahites are rebellious
    X   vs 6-10 Period 2. Jerusalem is besieged and destroyed
  B2   vs 11-23 Period 1. A New Covenant is introduced
A2   vs 24-31 Period 3. Israel is purged, its Northern Tribes redeemed


We now reconstruct the passages in the right order based on the chiastic structure above and based on the ordering rules of a cryptochiasmus [1].

We lead with central pivot point 'X'. The corresponding subunits (For example; subunit A1 corresponds to A2) are placed contiguously to form units (For example, A1,A2 is a unit ) so that we get a list of such units.


The sequence selected for rearrangement is:

X  [A1,A2]  [B1,B2]        (1)

Translating (1) into verse numbers, we get:

vs 6-10  [vs 2-3, vs 24-31]   [vs 4-5, vs 11-23]        (2)

We arrive at the reconfigured passage in the next section by rearranging the verses so they are in sequence (2).



4. Isaiah 1 Reconfigured

The First Half of (66-70AD) of the First Jewish–Roman War (66AD–73AD) (vs 6-10)

6 From the sole of your foot to the top of your head there is no soundness— only wounds and welts and open sores, not cleansed or bandaged or soothed with olive oil. 7 Your country is desolate, your cities burned with fire; your fields are being stripped by foreigners right before you, laid waste as when overthrown by strangers.
8 Daughter Zion is left—like a shelter in a vineyard, like a hut in a cucumber field—a city besieged.
9 Unless the Lord Almighty had left us some survivors, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah. 10 Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom; listen to the instruction of our God, you people of Gomorrah!


Israel is Restored at the Start of Christ's Millennial Reign (circa 2027AD) (vs 2-3, vs 24-31)

2 Hear me, you heavens! Listen, earth! For the Lord has spoken: “I reared children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against me. 3 The ox knows its master, the donkey its owner’s manger, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.”
24 Therefore the Lord, the Lord Almighty, the Mighty One of Israel, declares: “Woe! I will rid myself of my adversaries and avenge myself on my enemies. 25 I will turn my hand against you; I will thoroughly purge away your dross and remove all your impurities.
26 I will restore your leaders as in days of old, your rulers as at the beginning. Afterward you will be called the City of Righteousness, the Faithful City.”
27 Zion will be delivered with judgement, her converts with righteousness. 28 But rebels and sinners will both be broken, and those who forsake the Lord will perish.
29 “You will be ashamed because of the sacred oaks in which you have delighted; you will be disgraced because of the gardens that you have chosen. 30 You will be like an oak with fading leaves, like a garden without water. 31 The mighty one will become tinder and his work a spark; both will burn together, with no one to quench the fire.”


Christ introduces a New Covenant through His Ministry and Death (26AD-30AD) (vs 4-5, vs 11-23)

4 Woe to the sinful nation, a people whose guilt is great, a brood of evildoers, children given to corruption! They have forsaken the Lord; they have spurned the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him. 5 Why do you continue to earn punishment? Why do you persist in rebellion? Your whole head is injured, your whole heart afflicted.
11 “The multitude of your sacrifices— what are they to me?” says the Lord. “I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. 12 Surely you come to appear before me, but who requires this of you, this trampling of my courts? 13 Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me. New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations— I cannot bear your worthless assemblies. 14 Your New Moon feasts and your appointed festivals I hate with all my being. They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them.
15 When you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes from you; even when you offer many prayers, I am not listening. Your hands are full of blood!
16 Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong. 17 Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow. 18 “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. 19 If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land; 20 but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.
21 See how the faithful city has become a prostitute! She once was full of justice; righteousness used to dwell in her— but now murderers! 22 Your silver has become dross, your choice wine is diluted with water. 23 Your rulers are rebels, partners with thieves; they all love bribes and chase after gifts. They do not defend the cause of the fatherless; the widow’s case does not come before them.



5. A Commentary on the Reconfigured Text

5.0 Introductory Verse (vs 1)

1 The vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah son of Amoz saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

Isaiah son of Amoz ministered to Judah between the reigns of Uzziah and Hezekiah, circa 742BC–687BC. The name Isaiah means "Yehovah is salvation."

We believe that this passage in vs 1 is an introduction to the whole book and not just this prophecy in Ch. 1. Although many prophecies in the book are regarding nations other than "Judah and Jerusalem", we have shown that in the many cryptochiastically structured passages in the book, all have one Period regarding the First Jewish-Roman War and almost all have a Period on the time of the Millennial Reign - both these Periods can be considered to be regarding "Judah and Jerusalem".



5.1 The First Half of (66-70AD) of the First Jewish–Roman War (66AD–73AD) (vs 6-10)

This Period is arranged in the form of a single-unit chiasmus:

A1 vs 6-7 Judea has been destroyed by the Romans (66-70AD)
    X 8 The Romans lay siege to Jerusalem (70AD)
A2 9-10 Judea has been destroyed by the Romans (66-70AD)

Subunit A1: Judea has been destroyed by the Romans (66-70AD) (6-7)

6 From the sole of your foot to the top of your head there is no soundness— only wounds and welts and open sores, not cleansed or bandaged or soothed with olive oil. 7 Your country is desolate, your cities burned with fire; your fields are being stripped by foreigners right before you, laid waste as when overthrown by strangers.

God used the Romans ("strangers", "foreigners") to severely punish His own people, the Judahites. The Romans under Titus ravaged the towns and villages in Judea, leaving the whole land ("from the sole of your foot to the top of your head") in a devastated state ("wounds and welts..."). ( See our parse Daniel 9 for more details on this Period [2].)



Pivot X: The Romans lay siege to Jerusalem (70AD) (vs 8)

8 Daughter Zion is left—like a shelter in a vineyard, like a hut in a cucumber field—a city besieged.

Most of the Judahites from the surrounding regions had fled to the well-fortified capital; so Jerusalem was like a watchman's hut at the centre of a crop field - a lone refuge for the Judahites from the rampaging Romans. But the Romans laid siege to the city in the spring of 70AD and after a few months went on to destroy Jerusalem and kill all its people. Jerusalem is called "Daughter Zion" according to the custom of the time of comparing great cities to comely young ladies (cf. for ex., Micah 4:8).



Subunit A2: Judea has been destroyed by the Romans (66-70AD) (9-10)

9 Unless the Lord Almighty had left us some survivors, we would have become like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah.

The Romans conducted an indiscriminate slaughter of the Judahites and took the few that remained into slavery. Judahite Christians were spared the Roman massacre, as those who believed in Christ, took his advice to flee to the mountains on seeing the Romans (see Matt. 24:15,16, Matt. 11:23). So Judah was spared the utter annihilation of Sodom and Gomorrah. ( This verse is quoted in Romans 9:29 as an example of God sparing those that are the objects of His mercy, those prepared in advance for glory - Rom. 9:23.)



10 Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom; listen to the instruction of our God, you people of Gomorrah!

For the enormity of their sins, God compares the leaders and people of Judah to those of Sodom and Gomorrah. However, even at this time of the destruction of Judea, some of the Judahites turned to Christ, heeded his word ("listen to the instruction of our God") and escaped this Roman massacre (this passage is in the imperative mood, but it is a prediction) (see also Zech. 12:10-14).



5.2 Israel is Restored at the Start of Christ's Millennial Reign (circa 2027AD) (vs 2-3, vs 24-31)

This Period is arranged in the form of a two-unit chiasmus:

A1 vs 2-3 Israel turns away from idolatry and back to its God
  B1 vs 24-25 Israel is purged of its wicked
    X 26 The New Israel will be led by righteous leaders
  B2 vs 27-28 Israel is purged of its wicked
A2 29-31 Israel turns away from idolatry and back to its God

Subunit A1: Israel turns away from idolatry and back to its God (2-3)

2a Hear me, you heavens! Listen, earth! For the Lord has spoken:

This unit A that predicts the restoration of the Israelites is grandly introduced in this first chapter of Isaiah.



2b “I reared children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against me. 3 The ox knows its master, the donkey its owner’s manger, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.”

The ancient Israelites of the Northern Tribes had been unfaithful to their God, choosing to worship other gods for the temporary earthly benefits they offered. In his anger, God exiled them to Assyria and hid His face from their descendants (see Isaiah 29:9,10). At this time before the Millennial Reign, the descendants of those Israelites continue to be ignorant of the God of their forefathers (they are worse than the ox and donkey in this regard) and unimpressed with Christianity - they still worship the idols of demon gods (see also Isaiah 31:6,7).



Subunit B1: Israel is purged of its wicked (24-25)

24a Therefore the Lord, the Lord Almighty, the Mighty One of Israel, declares:

This enumeration of Divine Names lends gravitas to this announcement of a great purge of the Israelites.



24b “Woe! I will rid myself of my adversaries and avenge myself on my enemies. 25 I will turn my hand against you; I will thoroughly purge away your dross and remove all your impurities.

The Israelites will be purged during the time of "Jacob's trouble" (Jer. 30:6-7, Rev. 6:8) before the start of the Millennial Reign. God will remove the wicked and evil ("adversaries", "enemies", "dross", "impurities") from among the Israelites, so that the remnant is worthy of being called the people of God.



Pivot X: The New Israel will be led by righteous leaders (26)

26 I will restore your leaders as in days of old, your rulers as at the beginning. Afterward you will be called the City of Righteousness, the Faithful City.”

The nations leaders will be chosen by God, as in the times of the judges of ancient Israel, making the New Jerusalem a bastion of righteous government that remains faithful to God and to Christian principles (Isaiah 9:6,7).



Subunit B2: Israel is purged of its wicked (27-28)

27 Zion will be delivered with judgement, her converts with righteousness. 28 But rebels and sinners will both be broken, and those who forsake the Lord will perish.

The time of "Jacob's trouble" is a period of God's righteous judgement of the Israelites ("Zion" represents all of Israel). The good Israelites, those who turn back to their God and convert to Christianity, will be delivered so that they can enjoy a blessed life in the New Israel. But the rebellious, unbelieving and unrighteous Israelites will be killed (Jer. 30:6-7, Rev. 6:8).



Subunit A2: Israel turns away from idolatry and back to its God (29-31)

29 “You will be ashamed because of the sacred oaks in which you have delighted; you will be disgraced because of the gardens that you have chosen.

The Israelites will turn back to their God in a great awakening (Ezekiel 37:22-23), and they will become ashamed of their idolatrous past (see also Isaiah 30:22). The "sacred oaks" and "gardens" - instruments of idolatry - represent the worship of fallen angels (see also Isaiah 57:5).



30 You will be like an oak with fading leaves, like a garden without water. 31 The mighty one will become tinder and his work a spark; both will burn together, with no one to quench the fire.”

The "oak" and the "garden", that represent idol worship in Israel, are dried up so that they are easily burnt, indicating a weakening (we take the word "You" in vs 30 to mean "Your idolatry"). God, the "mighty one", will become like kindling ("tinder") and His "work" among the Israelites will be as a spark. So God's work will be like a flame that sets both the dried "oak" and the "garden" on fire till nothing remains of idol worship in the New Israel (see also Isaiah 30:22).



5.3 Christ introduces a New Covenant through His Ministry and Death (26AD-30AD) (vs 4-5, vs 11-23)

This Period is arranged in the form of a two-unit chiasmus:

A1 vs 4-5 The Judahites have become a wicked people
  B1 vs 11-14 The Old Covenant is replaced by the New Covenant
    X 15 The reason the Old Covenant is replaced
  B2 vs 16-20 The Old Covenant is replaced by the New Covenant
A2 21-23 The Judahites have become a wicked people


Subunit A1: The Judahites have become a wicked people (4-5)

4 Woe to the sinful nation, a people whose guilt is great, a brood of evildoers, children given to corruption! They have forsaken the Lord; they have spurned the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him.

At the time of Christ's first coming, the Judahites had become a wicked people, primarily because they were the followers ("children", "brood") of the false teachings of the Pharisees (see Matt. 23). They followed a version of Judaism that was corrupted with teachings from Babylon, and many even turned to other gods (see also Zephaniah 1:5-6).



5 Why do you continue to earn punishment? Why do you persist in rebellion? Your whole head is injured, your whole heart afflicted.

God has punished Judah often for their rebellion, and as a result the whole nation has suffered, both the leadership ("whole head") and the people ("whole heart", which we take to synecdochically refer to the whole body in this case). Yet they do not repent, and so God asks Judah why it forces Him to continue punishing the nation (see also Isaiah 23:37,38).



Subunit B1: The Old Covenant is replaced by the New Covenant (11-14)

11 “The multitude of your sacrifices— what are they to me?” says the Lord. “I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. 12 Surely you come to appear before me, but who requires this of you, this trampling of my courts? 13 Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me. New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations— I cannot bear your worthless assemblies. 14 Your New Moon feasts and your appointed festivals I hate with all my being. They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them.

God now abhors aspects of the Old Covenant Law - like sacrifices, offerings, temple visits, incense, rituals, assemblies, festivals, sabbaths - that once pleased Him; as practised by the Judahites, they have become meaningless. God clearly signals the upcoming end of the Old Covenant here - it was terminated with the fall of Jerusalem in Period 2.



Pivot X: The reason the Old Covenant is replaced (vs 15)

15 When you spread out your hands in prayer, I hide my eyes from you; even when you offer many prayers, I am not listening.
Your hands are full of blood!

In this pivot, God indicates why the Old Covenant must be replaced with a superior New Covenant (see also Romans 7:6,8:3). The Judahites may follow the letter of the Mosaic Law ("works", see Galatians 2:16), faithfully observing the sacrifices, rituals, festivals and prayers, but they ignore its spirit, for they continue to be unrighteous in their dealings ("hands full of blood") (see also 1 Samuel 15:22).



Subunit B2: The Old Covenant is replaced by the New Covenant (16-20)

16 Wash and make yourselves clean. Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong. 17 Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.

Christ brings with him a superior New Covenant that goes into force at his death (1 Peter 2:24-25). The strict and detailed set of rules that made up the Old Covenant is replaced in the New Covenant by a few commands that captured the essence of the Law (see Matt. 22:37-40). But while there are fewer rules to follow under the New Covenant, the standard of behaviour expected of Christians is far higher (see Matthew 5:17-48). This passage lists a few examples of the type of behaviour expected of Christians; they are to stop doing evil ("wash and make yourselves clean") and live a life of love, faith and righteousness (Galatians 5:22-24, 1 Cor. 13. Hebrews 11:1-3, Philippians 4:8...).



18a “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord.

God calls on the Judahites to solemnly commit to the New Covenant ("let us settle the matter", meaning "let us commit to a binding contract"). The mutual obligations of the parties to the covenant/contract are detailed below (vs 18b-20).



18b “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.

God promises that even the worst sinners ("those whose sins are as scarlet") will be forgiven ("white as wool" - cf. Psalm 51:7) if they believe in Christ and remain faithful and obedient ("washed in the blood of the Lamb" - Rev. 7:14); the sacrifices of the Old Covenant are no longer necessary after Jesus' death on the cross for the sins of mankind (Col. 2:14).

The dyes that were used for crimson at the time (extracted from insect eggs and worms) were known to be colour-fast - it was impossibly difficult to wash off this colour from wool or cotton to make it white again. So the thrust of the metaphor is that Christ's death cleanses you of even those sins that seem too heinous to be forgiven. ( We do not believe that the intention here is to associate sin with the colour crimson/red/scarlet.)



19 If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land; 20 but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Those Judahites who are willing to commit to this covenant and remain obedient to the word of God and Christ, will be spared the massacre of 70AD and enjoy a peaceful existence in the land (see Isaiah 2:10) (note that "good things of the land" does not mean great earthly wealth). But those who resist Christ and disobey his message are killed by the Romans in Period 2 (see also Matt 24:15,16. Dan 12:1). The declaration that "the mouth of the Lord has spoken" these words is designed to draw the attention of the Judahites to this prophecy, for God wanted to spare as many of them as possible from the slaughter of Period 2.

Although these words on the New Covenant are addressed to the Judahites, the New Covenant is for all mankind. The slaughter of 70AD can be considered a type of the Final Judgement and punishment in the Lake of Fire.



Subunit A2: The Judahites have become a wicked people (21-23)

21a See how the faithful city has become a prostitute!

The once faithful city of God has become a prostitute; that is, the people had turned to false doctrines like Gnosticism and even to idol worship.



21b She once was full of justice; righteousness used to dwell in her— but now murderers!

With their religion perverted, the Judahites' behaviour has become immoral. Jerusalem's unrighteous people used the corrupt governing system to commit crimes, even murder (as they did in the case of Jesus's crucifixion - Luke 23:13-25).



22 Your silver has become dross, your choice wine is diluted with water.

With the souls of the people defiled with bad doctrines, all aspects of the nation become corrupt. For example, its merchants cheat with debased silver and diluted wine.



23 Your rulers are rebels, partners with thieves; they all love bribes and chase after gifts. They do not defend the cause of the fatherless; the widow’s case does not come before them.

The rulers and the judges of the people rebel against God and so are unscrupulous in their dealings; they accept bribes from the rich, so that the poor and weak do not have justice (see also Isaiah 3:10-15).



Conclusion

With this chiastic reconstruction of the text, we have shown that Isaiah 1 contains prophecies on three distinct Periods. Christ's death for the redemption of the world indicated the start of the New Covenant in Period 1. The destruction of Jerusalem in 70AD and the killing off of the Judahites who did not believe in Christ signalled the end of the Old Covenant in Period 2. After the rest of the world came under the New Covenant, the Northern Tribes are finally brought under it in Period 3 (Romans 11:25-26).



References

[1] A Definition of Cryptochiasmus
[2] A Chiastic Reconfiguration Of "The 70 Weeks Of Daniel"
[3] A Chiastic Reconfiguration Of Isaiah 10-12
[4] A Chiastic Reconfiguration Of Daniel 8
[5] A Chiastic Reconfiguration Of Revelation 4-22, Part 2





* First version published on November 10 2021.