History is moving forward - no doubt. But are humans and humanness moving forward too? Some would say that humans are moving forward, but humanness is moving backward. They would have much empirical data to prove their position. They would even find many scripture passages to support their position.

There are also many who believe just the opposite. Those who believe that history and humanity and humanness are all moving forward, and that God is the one guiding the history, sometimes from the front, sometimes from the middle, and sometimes from the back.

The book of Isaiah has 66 chapters. According to the well-considered opinion of many Bible scholars, chapters 1-39 are considered to be written as Proto Isaiah, 40-55 as Dutero Isaiah, and 56-66 as Trito Isaiah. While in First Isaiah the image of the Messiah is that of 'Prince of Peace', in Second Isaiah it is that of a 'Suffering servant of Yahweh'. The book of Isaiah is what Jesus read from and often quoted during his life. Although it was written by multiple persons over many centuries, there seems to be a cohesion throughout the book.

Although it's about the "Shoot out of the stump of Jesse," that the prophet is speaking in chapter 11, the main consolation is that his judgment will not be based solely on "what the eyes see and the ears hear."

This part of the prophecy ends with the words "Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb,

and the leopard shall lie down with the kid;

The calf and the young lion shall browse together,

with a little child to guide them," and ends with the words "The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea."

This is a passage that I love so much. Perhaps that is why the sights and visions I see somehow point to it.

There are many believers today who see the whole earth as filled with evil. They who await the coming of the Judge of wrath, who will burn every "evil" one to the ground!

I wonder whether any faith is necessary to think that way at all!

Only someone who is filled with the “spirit of wisdom, of understanding, of counsel, of power, of knowledge, and of godly devotion” can see beyond! One who can see beyond “appearances and hearsay!”