Our earliest complete version of Isaiah is from the Dead Sea Scrolls, dating to c. 125 b.c. While critics vie for a later-than-traditional date for the book of Isaiah, even this full-length scroll dates well before the fulfillment of a plethora of Isaiah’s prophecies—many of which have since come to pass, and many others yet to be fulfilled. In fact, Isaiah himself acknowledged that his book was written primarily to be preserved for the end time, when the main part of the prophecies would be fulfilled! (In Isaiah 30:8, “time to come” would be better translated as “latter day.” Jeremiah and Daniel also stated that their books were for the end time—see Jeremiah 30 and Daniel 12.)
The first-century-a.d. historian Josephus stated that the prophesied King Cyrus, when he came on the scene in the fifth century b.c., actually read of the advance prophecies in Isaiah in which he was specifically named (Isaiah 44:27-28; 45:1-4). (Incidentally, Josephus also wrote that Alexander the Great was shown the prophecies of his reign in the book of Daniel when he arrived in Jerusalem in the fourth century b.c.—hence the favor he showed the Jews.) These points provide accumulative evidence for the early traditional writing of Isaiah.
When revisionists try to date the book of Isaiah to later ghostwriters, a plethora of textual and historical problems arise. When the book is accepted as written by Isaiah, on the other hand, no problems arise—unless you don’t believe in prophecy.
As it turns out, there is evidence to say that it makes sense for the early, traditional authorship of Isaiah. Those who take it apart are doing so with no hard evidence. Primarily, they are doing it because of their own conviction that these prophecies couldn’t have been made in advance. But there is no extant evidence to say that the book of Isaiah couldn’t have been written at the time described in the text. And there is a lot that says it should have been.
Of course, believing in the literal account means believing in prophecy. It means believing in a God who is capable of predicting the future. A God who declares “the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure” (Isaiah 46:10). And that is a step way too far for the critics—and it seems no amount of evidence can change their stance.
As time goes on, the evidence continues to mount for the early, traditional authorship of the Bible. For a wider look at the veracity of the Bible, check out our free booklet The Proof of the Bible, by Herbert W. Armstrong.
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