Judah was in danger of invasion. (See II Kings 15:29.) Isaiah was preaching in his home city, Jerusalem. His vision of the Messiah Savior was not more than 800 years before John saw the vision of the glorified Jesus.

prophecy here spoken was uttered during the reign of Ahaz, B.C. 738 to 1. Darkness Versus Light (vv. 1-5). We need to go back into the eighth chapter to get the full historical situation of this part of the lesson. Ahaz, trembling in Jerusalem, had with him the Prophet Isaiah, the wisest and greatest man in his kingdom, yet Ahaz listened not to his words of warning and rebuke. He doggedly pursued his own course and sought help in every other quarter than the right one. This explains Isaiah's words, "The people that walked in darkness." Primarily he may have referred to those of the lands of Zebulon and Naphtall, the Galilee of the nations (John 1:40; 7:52) and the light which shone in them, which was the light of the world, Jesus of Nazareth (John 8:12). But there is a larger application in this verse to the whole world which lay in darkness until Jesus came, and the whole world has seen or shall see the great light (Luke 1:78-79). With the coming of light comes the increase of joy (v. 3 R. V.). In Israel there is to be, through Christ, a wonderful increase (Isa. 49:20-22; Zech. 10:8). In Christ there is to be great joy, the joy of harvest and of victory. The religion  Of Jesus Christ is pre-eminently the religion of joy (Acts 8:8; Phil. 