Viewing (Isaiah 8:5-12) as modern day's Christian journaling of Godly Revelations & Personal Declaration

Question

(Closely related Posting: Nature, tone, speakers & audiences of the Isaiah 8:5-10 bible passage )

This is just a theory. If you think about some ministries like Mark Virkler's ministries ( https://www.cwgministries.org/ ) that encourages Christians to journal, it would be kind of interesting if we could view Some bible passages like journaling.

I've spoken to Pentecostal/Charismatic Christians who immediately journal when they awaken from sleep after some meaningful dream( regardless of whether it was a nightmare or just a meaningful dream).

Please keep in mind that Isaiah was known as one of the many "writing prophets".

Lets try to think about Isaiah's Spiritual/Mental/Emotional/Physical progressing state as we read (Isaiah 8:5-12):

Isaiah 8:5-12 (New American Standard Bible 1995

5 Again the Lord spoke to me further, saying,

6 “Inasmuch as these people have rejected the gently flowing waters of Shiloah And rejoice in Rezin and the son of Remaliah; 7 “Now therefore, behold, the Lord is about to bring on them the strong and abundant waters of the [a]Euphrates, Even the king of Assyria and all his glory; And it will rise up over all its channels and go over all its banks. 8 “Then it will sweep on into Judah, it will overflow and pass through, It will reach even to the neck; And the spread of its wings will fill the breadth of your land, O Immanuel.

9 “Be broken, O peoples, and be [d]shattered; And give ear, all remote places of the earth. Gird yourselves, yet be [e]shattered; Gird yourselves, yet be [f]shattered. 10 “Devise a plan, but it will be thwarted; State a [g]proposal, but it will not stand, For God is with us.”

11 For thus the Lord spoke to me [i]with mighty power and instructed me not to walk in the way of this people, saying,

12 “You are not to say, ‘It is a conspiracy!’ In regard to all that this people call a conspiracy, And you are not to fear [j]what they fear or be in dread of it.

(Isaiah 8:5-8) could be seen as some sort of Godly revelation of some predicted doom & gloom events regardless of whether Isaiah had a nightmarish dream Or whether Isaiah had some shocking/arresting Godly revelation like Paul did on his road to Damascus.

Therefore, Isaiah "writes" ( in today's lingo it's "journaling" ) down (Isaiah 8:9-10) , and then immediately "journals" an attempt to declare a countermanding/nullifying statement.

Does that sound reasonable?

Answer 1

There are critical differences between Isaiah's writing, or any other scripture, and journaling.

They are different in:

• Purpose
• Authority
• Craftsmanship

Isaiah wrote a message from God directed at a specific audience. God's message was, and is, authoritative for all of God's people.

Isaiah's writing is carefully crafted and beautifully written filled with poetry and stunning imagery. It was designed to provide us with a critical part of a biblical whole in that it fits in with and enhances the biblical story.

Journaling is an individual's thoughts about a passage, or an event, usually stream of consciousness. It may or may not illuminate a truth from God. Journaling is not a message from God for others that is authoritative. Someone's journaling is not authoritative for all of God's people.

Journaling is wonderful and useful, but it is not what Isaiah did.