effected by _Koresh_. This argumentation
we meet with in chap. xli., immediately after the introductory chap.
xl., and so still in the last chap. xlviii.; but never again
afterwards. With the end of the first book, this arguing and proving
from prophecy, that the Lord is the true God, as well as the reference
to _Koresh_, the subject of this prophecy, altogether disappear. But,
in like manner, the announcement of a personal Messiah is wanting in
the first book, the sole exception being chap. xlii. 1-9, where, after
the first announcement of the author of the lower salvation, the Author
of the higher salvation is, by way of anticipation, _contrasted_ with
him. To give a more minute and finished description of the Author of
the higher salvation is the object of the _second_ book. In the _third_
book, the person of the Redeemer is spoken of briefly only, is, as it
were, only hinted at, in order to connect this book with the second;
just as, by chap. xlii., the first book is connected with the second.
The third book in so far as it is _promising_, is taken up with the
description of the [Pg 168] _glory of the Kingdom of God_, in that new
stage upon which it enters by the Redeemer,--a glory, the culminating
point of which is the creation of the new heavens and the new earth,
chap. lxv. 17, lxvi. 22. A description of the glory of Zion, like that
in chap. lxii., is not found in the first and second book. In the third
book, however, _reproof and exhortation_ prevail, in contradistinction
to the first and second book, in which the direct _promise_ prevails. A
transition from this, however, to the reproof and exhortation, is made
at the close of the second book. From chap. lv. 1, the preaching of
repentance appears first intermingled with the announcement of
salvation. Up to that the prevailing tendency of the Prophet had been,
throughout, to comfort the godly; but from chap. lv. 1, the other
tendency shows itself by the side of it, that of calling sinners to
repentance, by which alone they can obtain a participation in the
promised salvation. In chap. lvi. 9, lvii. 21, the latter tendency
appears distinctly and exclusively. The second book had commenced with
the announcement of salvation, and thence to the close had advanced to
reproof and threatening. The third book takes the opposite course; and
thus the two principal portions of reproof and threatening border upon
one another. Yet, the reproof and threatening do not go on witho