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A Prophet Called Isaiah
Most of us know the messages delivered by the prophet Isaiah, but do we know the story behind the man? Raised in the king’s palace, Isaiah, unlike other prophets, was given a unique perspective to counsel kings and foretell the coming of the King of Kings. His family relationships most likely created an internal conflict for him as he delivered the difficult messages Jehovah God had for His people and their kings. Long before Isaiah ever knew the events that would unfold in his life, God had been at work in him to mold and shape him into a man to whom He could entrust this extraordinary assignment. But don’t lose sight that Isaiah was a flawed ordinary man placed in God-ordered circumstances to be a follower through whom God would accomplish extraordinary things. Through this novella, you’ll discover the heart and character of the prophet called to proclaim the promise of the coming Messiah.
122 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2022
199 people are currently reading
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
June 6, 2022
Helps in understanding Isaiah better
I just finished reading Isaiah as part of my Bible in a Year reading plan. It’s difficult to get through and I will reread it, this novella helps you to understand Isaiah a little better. It’s nice that it interweaves both Isaiah’s story in 2 Chronicles as well as the book of Isaiah. It helps in understanding better and leads you to your Bible to look up the verses and understand them better! In my opinion Biblical Fiction should always lead you to dig deeper in the Word!
I also really like the authors conviction of more of God and less of me by using the lower case i, recently God has also told me more of Him and less of me. I’m trying to live it out in the best way possible for me. It’s nice to see someone who has this conviction and leading it out in such a huge way! It’s inspiring! Thank you!
I just finished reading Isaiah as part of my Bible in a Year reading plan. It’s difficult to get through and I will reread it, this novella helps you to understand Isaiah a little better. It’s nice that it interweaves both Isaiah’s story in 2 Chronicles as well as the book of Isaiah. It helps in understanding better and leads you to your Bible to look up the verses and understand them better! In my opinion Biblical Fiction should always lead you to dig deeper in the Word!
I also really like the authors conviction of more of God and less of me by using the lower case i, recently God has also told me more of Him and less of me. I’m trying to live it out in the best way possible for me. It’s nice to see someone who has this conviction and leading it out in such a huge way! It’s inspiring! Thank you!
October 28, 2022
The book starts with the first king Isaiah counseled, and at various points, backtracks to his history for a bit before resuming the current narrative.
In all of Isaiah's counseling and, eventually, prophesying, there was only one king in his lifetime who heeded the Word of God from his youngest days. At his mother's request, Isaiah had become the boy's tutor. He had the most Godly reign seen for a few generations. Of course, he made mistakes, but he earnestly repented of them. But somehow, this king, Hezekiah, did not impart any direct knowledge of the Lord to his son, Manasseh. He may have felt his example was enough. Isaiah said Manasseh was content to listen to his conversations with Hezekiah, never asking questions or making observations. I wonder that a gifted tutor did not see any need to elicit the boy's response, his curiosity. However it happened, God has no grandchildren- as a pastor once observed - He only has children...and Manasseh would push Him away.
I did like the way the description of Isaiah's first encounter with God went down. I found that a bit easier to picture, which is, after all, part of what people like and learn from Christian fiction.
There is a list in the back of this author's books (well, the 2 I have read) that lists the characters and tells you whether they were really in the Bible, and if they were, if any part of their story was altered to fit them into the book. There is also a list of the specific scriptures the author used, as well as the fact he has scriptures italicized in the book so you can tell what was drawn from the Bible. Parts not italicized are like bridges connecting the ones that are.
I felt the book was too easy to read and sometimes dragged a little. It would be a great choice for someone learning English who was at roughly a middle school reading level (oral and concise written language proficiency often cone faster than reading comprehension at first). It would also be suitable for a class in literacy with progess being made to about a middle school level. The Old Testament is common to all Abrahamic faiths, though in the book, the Messianic prophesies are Christian in world view. Atheists and agnostics can read something like this and compare it to similar secular historical fiction, and may glean some understanding of what many faith groups believe. Of course, my hope is that those who read this, regardless of their proficiency level, would realize what Jesus did for humanity on the cross, and would seek Him out - with or without the help of a believer - as God promises to let the seeker find Him.
In all of Isaiah's counseling and, eventually, prophesying, there was only one king in his lifetime who heeded the Word of God from his youngest days. At his mother's request, Isaiah had become the boy's tutor. He had the most Godly reign seen for a few generations. Of course, he made mistakes, but he earnestly repented of them. But somehow, this king, Hezekiah, did not impart any direct knowledge of the Lord to his son, Manasseh. He may have felt his example was enough. Isaiah said Manasseh was content to listen to his conversations with Hezekiah, never asking questions or making observations. I wonder that a gifted tutor did not see any need to elicit the boy's response, his curiosity. However it happened, God has no grandchildren- as a pastor once observed - He only has children...and Manasseh would push Him away.
I did like the way the description of Isaiah's first encounter with God went down. I found that a bit easier to picture, which is, after all, part of what people like and learn from Christian fiction.
There is a list in the back of this author's books (well, the 2 I have read) that lists the characters and tells you whether they were really in the Bible, and if they were, if any part of their story was altered to fit them into the book. There is also a list of the specific scriptures the author used, as well as the fact he has scriptures italicized in the book so you can tell what was drawn from the Bible. Parts not italicized are like bridges connecting the ones that are.
I felt the book was too easy to read and sometimes dragged a little. It would be a great choice for someone learning English who was at roughly a middle school reading level (oral and concise written language proficiency often cone faster than reading comprehension at first). It would also be suitable for a class in literacy with progess being made to about a middle school level. The Old Testament is common to all Abrahamic faiths, though in the book, the Messianic prophesies are Christian in world view. Atheists and agnostics can read something like this and compare it to similar secular historical fiction, and may glean some understanding of what many faith groups believe. Of course, my hope is that those who read this, regardless of their proficiency level, would realize what Jesus did for humanity on the cross, and would seek Him out - with or without the help of a believer - as God promises to let the seeker find Him.
November 19, 2023
Minister Kenneth Winter has written a series of short books about various figures of the Bible. He aims to make the individuals he highlights into people that today's readers can understand and appreciate. Thus, he writes a story about the prophet Isaiah from the Old Testament.
Although there may be information about Isaiah in the Bible, Winter wants to flesh him out to be someone who lives and breathes. He tries to show the prophet's motivations and background. He tries to explain, "Why was Isaiah such a good choice to be a prophet at this particular time?"
The author makes sure the reader understands that Isaiah is a flawed human being. But God chose him despite his flaws. This short story provides the backstory of Isaiah. Some of it is invented, and some is retold in an understandable form. The idea is to make Isaiah more accessible to people with less understanding of the Bible's characters.
A ten-part series of short books about Bible characters, THE CALLED:
A Carpenter Called Joseph,
** A Prophet Called Isaiah,
A Teacher Called Nicodemus,
A Judge Called Deborah,
A Merchant Called Lydia,
A Friend Called Enoch,
and others.
Although there may be information about Isaiah in the Bible, Winter wants to flesh him out to be someone who lives and breathes. He tries to show the prophet's motivations and background. He tries to explain, "Why was Isaiah such a good choice to be a prophet at this particular time?"
The author makes sure the reader understands that Isaiah is a flawed human being. But God chose him despite his flaws. This short story provides the backstory of Isaiah. Some of it is invented, and some is retold in an understandable form. The idea is to make Isaiah more accessible to people with less understanding of the Bible's characters.
A ten-part series of short books about Bible characters, THE CALLED:
A Carpenter Called Joseph,
** A Prophet Called Isaiah,
A Teacher Called Nicodemus,
A Judge Called Deborah,
A Merchant Called Lydia,
A Friend Called Enoch,
and others.
December 6, 2022
So insightful !!! Truly Wonderful !!!!
There are books that just hit your soul and you know the Lord is telling you something special !! I read allot over one hundred a year + my bible. Mr Winter has a true gift , I will finish all his books he writes because if a author can make me cry , laugh and love a character he is Good. A great listen of Old Testament & The Love Our Lord has for His Children. Enjoy & Blessings . Deborah
There are books that just hit your soul and you know the Lord is telling you something special !! I read allot over one hundred a year + my bible. Mr Winter has a true gift , I will finish all his books he writes because if a author can make me cry , laugh and love a character he is Good. A great listen of Old Testament & The Love Our Lord has for His Children. Enjoy & Blessings . Deborah
February 1, 2025
This book is a fictionalized account of Isaiah's life, as told from the prophet's perspective. Initially I was skeptical of the dramatization and the use of extra biblical texts/imaginations of the author to bulk up the story. But, if read alongside the text with proper care and caution, I think there can be benefits to this type of writing, particularly that it makes the events of the time period easier to remember.
August 9, 2022
Deeply moved…
Imagination and reality, an inside view to biblical history. The actual, the possible and the wonder of Israel…Loved the whole series, and will read the other books mentioned.
Imagination and reality, an inside view to biblical history. The actual, the possible and the wonder of Israel…Loved the whole series, and will read the other books mentioned.
January 19, 2024
My Musings
Isaiah is one of the most astounding profits. Mr. Winter does. An amazing job bringing him to life and yet staying faithful to the scriptures. I am so glad I found this series. A very thankful reader!
Isaiah is one of the most astounding profits. Mr. Winter does. An amazing job bringing him to life and yet staying faithful to the scriptures. I am so glad I found this series. A very thankful reader!
January 24, 2022
Very Good
Kenneth Winter has written a very good fiction version of the life of Isaiah. Worth the purchase price. Enjoy reading.
Kenneth Winter has written a very good fiction version of the life of Isaiah. Worth the purchase price. Enjoy reading.
Read
February 22, 2022Isaiah
I have always loved the book of Isaiah! This was very good to me. It would be nice if there were more books written about our Bible family.
I have always loved the book of Isaiah! This was very good to me. It would be nice if there were more books written about our Bible family.
May 29, 2022
Inspirational and impacting
Made me want to learn more about the prophet Isaiah. If you lack interest when it comes to studying the word, read biblical fiction books.
Made me want to learn more about the prophet Isaiah. If you lack interest when it comes to studying the word, read biblical fiction books.
June 13, 2022
Another great read
Kenneth Winter does it again. All his books are to be recommended. Looking forward to the next ones in the series.
Kenneth Winter does it again. All his books are to be recommended. Looking forward to the next ones in the series.
December 14, 2024
So I picked up this book because I was drawn in by the lovely art style on the front. The line work is detailed and beautiful. I think it was a great choice for a cover. I love the formatting of the words on the side and the color choices. All well and good. Perfect for Christian fiction I think.
As I believer, I was so excited to find a fictional series based on Bible characters. I was hoping this would be a fresh take on the word of God, something non-believers and believers could enjoy alike.
I’ll mention the couple of positives I like about this and then I’m going to go into my issues with it.
First, I can tell the author has a good handle on scripture and made painstaking efforts to carefully place it in his work, in the proper usage and label and mark where it’s from in the book of Isaiah. He compiled his inspiration and noted when God’s word starts and when his imagination with the story began. I like the faithful recounting of the book of Isaiah and I think Kenneth’s heart was in the right place.
I like the short chapters and the idea of this concept: Turning the lives of those in the Bible and its lessons into a digestible and simple format.
There’s a gripping moment here and there. When King Jotham falls over unexpectedly and Isaiah thought he was praying. While predictable and not surprising, it did leave the intended effect of dread in the premise. There was a small surprise here and there. Isaiah had a moment of joy and I did feel that moment and silently think “yay for Isaiah. Jotham is such a good friend!”
However, that’s about where the positives end. As a writer and a reader, the story did not grip me. I got about 10 chapters(short chapters) in and felt bored. I put the book down and couldn’t finish. I was not engaged(and I LOVE God’s word). The author does a lot of telling instead of showing, there’s not much excitement or room for imagination. There’s rarely any descriptions to ground us in what characters look like or the settings we are in. There’s a lot of info dumping about Israel and the relationships between the kingdoms and groups of people. It could have been interesting if the author spun this into a social-political kind of world-building but not really. It felt more so just repeating the Bible history that we already get from scripture. It felt a missed opportunity to really do something new and different with it. The characters come across as blindly just believing whatever someone says if they claim to be a prophet and there’s no questioning of what the characters said. In God’s word there’s usually some marker of proof that they are a real prophet. I feel this story lacked that nuance.
The formatting of the text in the story feels so off, while short and to the point(I appreciated that quickness) it is separated into chunks, which made it hard on the eyes. I felt like I was reading a book on biblical scripture vs a fictional retelling that is meant to be engaging and innovative. Perhaps that wasn’t the author’s intent and maybe I misunderstood the point of this book. I had high hopes but didn’t feel satisfied.
Furthermore, I get the writer explains his conviction with the lower case “i,” and I respect his unwavering devotion to the Lord. However, it honestly did bug me from a grammar standpoint. You can honor the Lord and the convictions he gives without forcing yourself to conform to odd arbitrary rules. While it’s so admirable to see Kenneth’s passion for the Lord! Me too! I love him with all my heart! I completely understand wanting to obey God. Nevertheless, this is one of those things I guarantee will turn off non-believers and actually hinder the work. It was nice to see the capital “I”return in the rest of the book so it didn’t bug me as much as I read on, but it still made the “we are to be the light” seem to be like how some Christians try too hard to stand out from non-believers to the point of nuisance and not in the way Jesus meant with our ways and character being a light for the world. If we want to portray christ, the lower case i, I think just makes it seem like in order to have more of Christ, our own personhood and personality has to fade away. Our human ways can still dissolve but the Christ like nature that scripture talks about with less of me and more of you Lord can still apply. This doesn’t mean God can’t use our individual strengths and personalities to reach the lost. In fact, this is one of the tools in our toolbox to share our faith, show them that we are normal people just like them! But, the difference is we follow God, not the world. That will show in our way of life and character.
I think some believers might enjoy this but I already know non-believers would be put off, especially if they aren’t familiar with God’s word or how the faith works. Even as a believer I found it hard to be excited, almost like a deflated balloon kind of feeling.
This is just my opinion and I appreciated the vision the author was going for. I still got some good stuff from it!
Wishing Kenneth all the best.
As I believer, I was so excited to find a fictional series based on Bible characters. I was hoping this would be a fresh take on the word of God, something non-believers and believers could enjoy alike.
I’ll mention the couple of positives I like about this and then I’m going to go into my issues with it.
First, I can tell the author has a good handle on scripture and made painstaking efforts to carefully place it in his work, in the proper usage and label and mark where it’s from in the book of Isaiah. He compiled his inspiration and noted when God’s word starts and when his imagination with the story began. I like the faithful recounting of the book of Isaiah and I think Kenneth’s heart was in the right place.
I like the short chapters and the idea of this concept: Turning the lives of those in the Bible and its lessons into a digestible and simple format.
There’s a gripping moment here and there. When King Jotham falls over unexpectedly and Isaiah thought he was praying. While predictable and not surprising, it did leave the intended effect of dread in the premise. There was a small surprise here and there. Isaiah had a moment of joy and I did feel that moment and silently think “yay for Isaiah. Jotham is such a good friend!”
However, that’s about where the positives end. As a writer and a reader, the story did not grip me. I got about 10 chapters(short chapters) in and felt bored. I put the book down and couldn’t finish. I was not engaged(and I LOVE God’s word). The author does a lot of telling instead of showing, there’s not much excitement or room for imagination. There’s rarely any descriptions to ground us in what characters look like or the settings we are in. There’s a lot of info dumping about Israel and the relationships between the kingdoms and groups of people. It could have been interesting if the author spun this into a social-political kind of world-building but not really. It felt more so just repeating the Bible history that we already get from scripture. It felt a missed opportunity to really do something new and different with it. The characters come across as blindly just believing whatever someone says if they claim to be a prophet and there’s no questioning of what the characters said. In God’s word there’s usually some marker of proof that they are a real prophet. I feel this story lacked that nuance.
The formatting of the text in the story feels so off, while short and to the point(I appreciated that quickness) it is separated into chunks, which made it hard on the eyes. I felt like I was reading a book on biblical scripture vs a fictional retelling that is meant to be engaging and innovative. Perhaps that wasn’t the author’s intent and maybe I misunderstood the point of this book. I had high hopes but didn’t feel satisfied.
Furthermore, I get the writer explains his conviction with the lower case “i,” and I respect his unwavering devotion to the Lord. However, it honestly did bug me from a grammar standpoint. You can honor the Lord and the convictions he gives without forcing yourself to conform to odd arbitrary rules. While it’s so admirable to see Kenneth’s passion for the Lord! Me too! I love him with all my heart! I completely understand wanting to obey God. Nevertheless, this is one of those things I guarantee will turn off non-believers and actually hinder the work. It was nice to see the capital “I”return in the rest of the book so it didn’t bug me as much as I read on, but it still made the “we are to be the light” seem to be like how some Christians try too hard to stand out from non-believers to the point of nuisance and not in the way Jesus meant with our ways and character being a light for the world. If we want to portray christ, the lower case i, I think just makes it seem like in order to have more of Christ, our own personhood and personality has to fade away. Our human ways can still dissolve but the Christ like nature that scripture talks about with less of me and more of you Lord can still apply. This doesn’t mean God can’t use our individual strengths and personalities to reach the lost. In fact, this is one of the tools in our toolbox to share our faith, show them that we are normal people just like them! But, the difference is we follow God, not the world. That will show in our way of life and character.
I think some believers might enjoy this but I already know non-believers would be put off, especially if they aren’t familiar with God’s word or how the faith works. Even as a believer I found it hard to be excited, almost like a deflated balloon kind of feeling.
This is just my opinion and I appreciated the vision the author was going for. I still got some good stuff from it!
Wishing Kenneth all the best.
October 15, 2023
This was the first book of Kenneth Winter's that I've read. I thoroughly enjoyed it and will definitely be reading more from this series. But first, I want to do a fresh read through and study of the book of Isaiah!,
January 25, 2025
Although I have issues with the book, I don't think the idea is bad. That is, creating a historical fiction based on a particular section of biblical scripture. In fact, I believe it could provide very valuable context.
A very good book, Jeremiah: The Fate of a Prophet, although not fiction, adds a great deal of historical context and speculation to parts of the bible. I think speculation and context could instead be presented as fictional parts of a story with actual scripture forming the basis of the story.
This book attempted to do something like this, but failed. It leads its audience to an ignorant and naive understanding of, not only the thoughts and feeling of Isaiah, but also everyone surrounding him and the general culture of the time. Perhaps the author would have liked ancient Israelites to hold 20th century morals, worldviews, and values, but to suggest so is ahistorical and likely reflects ignorance, dishonesty, or bias.
A very good book, Jeremiah: The Fate of a Prophet, although not fiction, adds a great deal of historical context and speculation to parts of the bible. I think speculation and context could instead be presented as fictional parts of a story with actual scripture forming the basis of the story.
This book attempted to do something like this, but failed. It leads its audience to an ignorant and naive understanding of, not only the thoughts and feeling of Isaiah, but also everyone surrounding him and the general culture of the time. Perhaps the author would have liked ancient Israelites to hold 20th century morals, worldviews, and values, but to suggest so is ahistorical and likely reflects ignorance, dishonesty, or bias.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews