Since Isaiah 53 is a prophecy about the coming of Christ, why is it written in the past tense?<\/p>\n\t
One way God emphasizes the certainty of what He declares about the future is to express it as if it has already occurred. Scholars call this the “prophetic perfect tense.”<\/p>\n
Speaking of the future destruction of Tyre, God spoke of it as already being destroyed:<\/p>\n
“By the multitude of your iniquities, in the unrighteousness of your trade you profaned your sanctuaries. Therefore I have brought fire from the midst of you; It has consumed you, and I have turned you to ashes on the earth in the eyes of all who see you. All who know you among the peoples are appalled at you; you have become terrified and you will cease to be forever<\/em>” (Ezekiel 28:18-19).<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
What would happen to the Messiah was a certainty, which is why Isaiah 53 is in the past tense.<\/p>\n\t
Response:<\/h2>\n
Thank you for the clarification.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Question: Since Isaiah 53 is a prophecy about the coming of Christ, why is it written in the past tense? Answer: One way God emphasizes the certainty of what He declares about the future is to express it as if it has already occurred. Scholars call this the “prophetic perfect tense.” Speaking of the future…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_seo_schema_type":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[20],"tags":[169],"class_list":["post-97872","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-prophecy"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":97007,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-can-marrying-a-divorced-woman-be-ongoing-adultery\/","url_meta":{"origin":97872,"position":0},"title":"How can marrying a divorced woman be ongoing adultery?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"July 28, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: In Matthew 19:9, \"commits adultery\" is used twice in this verse. The first time, concerning the husband, it is in the present tense. Now, the present tense does not\u00a0always mean ongoing action. The context must determine that. The second time, concerning the wife, it is in the aorist tense.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2067,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/do-we-experience-god-in-a-present-way-or-only-in-the-past-tense\/","url_meta":{"origin":97872,"position":1},"title":"Do we experience God in a present way or only in the past tense?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 28, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Good day, Is the church not to experience God in a \"present way,\" or does it only need to be in a past tense manner through the Bible? Thanks. Answer: I had difficulty with your question because it was worded vaguely. The meaning changes depending on how you define\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":35825,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/does-the-fact-that-blasphemed-is-in-the-aorist-tense-make-a-difference\/","url_meta":{"origin":97872,"position":2},"title":"Does the fact that “blasphemed” is in the aorist tense make a difference?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 14, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hello, I have looked at Luke 12:10 in Greek. I have been trouble by this because \"blasphemed\" appears to be in that past tense in English and in Young's Literal Translation of the Bible. In Greek, the tense is Aorist participle. I am not sure exactly what that means.\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3281,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/how-could-peter-say-that-god-has-given-us-everything-through-the-bible-prior-to-the-bibles-completion\/","url_meta":{"origin":97872,"position":3},"title":"How could Peter say that God has given us everything through the Bible prior to the Bible’s completion?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 14, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Was the New Testament written prior to A.D. 70? I realize scholars claim the Book of Revelation was written around A.D. 95, but if that were so, does it pertain to life and godliness? I Peter 1:3 says, \"According as his divine power hath given unto us all things\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":17731,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/if-jude-said-the-faith-was-once-delivered-could-revelation-be-included-if-it-was-written-after-jude\/","url_meta":{"origin":97872,"position":4},"title":"If Jude said the faith was once delivered, could Revelation be included if it was written after Jude?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 12, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I have a question about whether Jude was written before Revelation or not. If everything was once and all delivered to the saints does that make Revelation a newer testament or is it ok because it coincides with the rest of the Bible? Sorry, something came to mind about\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":67907,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/has-that-which-is-perfect-always-been-the-bible\/","url_meta":{"origin":97872,"position":5},"title":"Has “that which is perfect” always been the Bible?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 3, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: Hello, I have a question regarding whether \"that which is perfect\" has always been the New Testament. 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