Isaiah has sex with a prophetess (Why is Joseph Smith Nephi telling us about this?) Nephi will then interpret these Isaiah passages in 2 Nephi 25–30, following this same four-stage pattern. Usually, when we read these words in the accounts of Christ’s crucifixion in the Gospels, we think that it is the end of the story—that Jesus feels as though He has been completely abandoned and left alone. 2 Kgs. We all feel inadequate about these types of callings, and Isaiah was no exception. Nephi begins this long section, which he quotes from the book of Isaiah, by saying that his “soul delights in the words of Isaiah” (see also how Nephi repeats these words in 2 Nephi 25:5). (You weren't expecting a daughter, were you?) He was a prophet. For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.2 Nephi 25… This is normally interpreted as “a virgin” but can also mean “a young girl.” In the ancient world, women married at a young age and would be young when they conceived. 2 Nephi Chapter 19. Donald W. Parry and John W. Welch (Provo, UT: FARMS, 1998), 19–45. It was extremely difficult to make and keep records on sheets of metal. Book of Mormon Central, “How Does Prophecy Shape the Book of Mormon’s Content and Structure? The fundamental problem is hypocrisy, which is a form of dishonesty: pretending to believe in God, saying the right things and appearing to be religious when in fact, your heart isn’t in it. Nephi gives several reasons for quoting Isaiah again, this time for 13 chapters (adding to his three other chapters in 1 Nephi 20-21 and 2 Nephi 27; others who quoted Isaiah in the Book of Mormon are Jacob, Abinadi, Moroni, and Jesus Christ). What happens if the Spirit of the Lord ceases to strive with man? (Mosiah 26:12),” KnoWhy 104 (May 20, 2016). 5 O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is atheir indignation. 2 Nephi 25. The root prophecy could be looking forward to another time or another person who will eventually bring these two lineages together. How did people living in ancient times determine whether or not a witness was telling the truth? Figure 2 Welch, John W., and Greg Welch. Moses had cursed the land of Egypt and prophesied that the firstborn of the Egyptians would die by the hand of the destroying angel. Table of Contents. How will the Jews eventually be convinced that Jesus Christ is the Messiah they anticipated for thousands of years? Isaiah, Jacob, and Nephi have each “seen” their Redeemer. Who was Jesse? He had very brief success against some of the cities north of Jerusalem as listed in verses 28-32 (Aiath, Migron, Michmash, Geba, Ramath, Gibeah, Gallim, Laish, Anathoth, Madmenah, Gebim). There are reasons why we have multiple anointed people, but that does not make them all the Messiah. After Nephi had quoted the Isaiah passages, he started going through the four main elements in his prophetic world-view. . 21 And the days of the children of men were prolonged according to the will of God, that they might repent while in the flesh. He built a wall to protect the vineyard, and he built a tower in the vineyard, perhaps symbolic of the temple. It serves as a natural transition from chapter 8 (2 Nephi 18). 2 Nephi 10:6), The stay will be taken away from Judah; Jerusalem will be ruined; proud men and women will fall, “What could I have done more [for] my vineyard?” (v. 4); “my people are gone into captivity” (v. 13); the anger of the Lord is against his people, but he will still lift up an ensign for them (vv. Why Does Nephi State that We Are Saved by Grace ‘After All We Can Do’? Why Do Early Nephite Prophets Speak about the Scattering of the Jews? Jesus Christ Believe In Verses 21 - 30. The plates were, in a way, his connection back to the holiness, the tradition, and the prophets. 4 Without me they shall bow down under the prisoners, and they shall fall under the slain. and where will ye leave your glory? Does that mean that the Lord did not do a good enough job? Why Must Christ’s True Church Be Called after His Name? Dallin H. Oaks, “Have You Been Saved,” Ensign, April 1998, online at churchofjesuschrist.org. Items do not represent the official views of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or of Book of Mormon Central. It is important to understand that because of our faith, we become alive in Christ. It may have been hot ashes. In chapters 19 and 20, the historical setting still involves the Assyrian conflict of 736 to 701 BC. Nephi continued: “[T]he Lord God . We still keep the commandments—that is part of all we can do. Why Did Moroni Quote Isaiah 11 to Joseph Smith? In the early days of Christianity, Jews were the main group of people who converted. Seeing Christ as the stem of Jesse has had a long and honorable tradition. Get the latest updates on Book of Mormon topics and research for free. Nephi was the custodian of all of that! They would have also observed certain festival days such as the Day of Atonement or the Feast of Tabernacles, which were connected particularly with particular sacrifices and solemn observances. He will hiss or whistle to them to call them back. The covenant of the Lord was that a remnant would return. Nephi will mention this important three-witness principle again in 2 Nephi 27:12, as will Moroni later on (see Ether 5:4; Moroni 6:7; 10:4). Until the land is “utterly desolate” (v. 11), Those with no light in them will be driven to darkness, “No man shall spare his brother” (v. 19); all will be against each other (see also 1 Nephi 12:21); but the Lord’s “hand is stretched out still” (v. 21), He will “lift up an ensign to the nations” (v. 26); “they shall come with speed” (v. 26), An ensign will stand for the Gentiles; the Lord will recover the remnant a second time from the islands of the sea and from all the nations, In the day of visitation, God will punish the wicked and will “burn and devour [them] in one day” (v. 17), The Lord will “stir up a scourge” (v. 26) and lop off the haughty bough with terror (see v. 33), “The day of the Lord is at hand” (v. 6); he will destroy the sinners and cause arrogance to cease (see v. 11); God will destroy the wicked speedily. (2 Nephi 21:10),” KnoWhy 50 (March 9, 2016). All rights reserved. This is personal; it lets you look… If it were just a girl getting pregnant, that would not be very extraordinary—there would not be much to this prophecy. The writings of Isaiah are puzzling for all modern readers, but the fact that Isaiah’s complicated overall scheme goes hand in hand with Nephi’s world-view adds additional credence to Nephi’s testimony that he and Isaiah were talking about the same things. Lehi and Nephi left Jerusalem approximately 100 years after Isaiah’s death. Book of Mormon Central, “Did Ancient Israelites Build Temples Outside of Jerusalem? Think of how Jesus Christ has fulfilled these roles and functions for you in your personal life. 2 Nephi 20 is a brutal chapter, following the Assyrians conquering Israel, including some of Judah. 12 Wherefore it shall come to pass that when the Lord hath performed his whole work upon Mount Zion and upon Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of aAssyria, and the glory of his high looks. The scourging of the Jews for many generations (v. 16) was prophesied earlier by Zenos (see 1 Nephi 19:13). “The Lord alone shall be exalted” (v. 11), The branch of the Lord will be beautiful; a tabernacle will be in Jerusalem, “cloud… by day” and a “fire by night”, “A rod [will grow] out of the stem of Jesse” (v. 1) and will judge the earth with righteousness; the wolf and the lamb shall dwell in peace, and “the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord” (v. 9), The righteous will be comforted; “God is my salvation”; “with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation”, “the Lord will have mercy” and choose Israel; they will return to their lands (v. 1); “the whole earth is at rest” (v. 7). Likely, all the prophets knew much of what the Savior would have to endure from this hymn alone. This persecution of the Jews is known today as antisemitism. The whole world will have that knowledge. Gallim (2 Nephi 20:30) was the native place of Phalti, to whom Michal was given by Saul. Christ is wonderful and a prince of peace when we need grace. I think the prophecy is saying that this branch and this root will bring the House of Judah and the House of Ephraim together. . It is important to understand that Isaiah was prophesying that there was going to be something really unusual about this birth. 19 And the arest of the trees of his forest shall be few, that a child may write them. Additional Book of Mormon Study Resources. Therefore, a liar would not be able to tolerate something hot placed on his tongue. Watch for the development of these same four stages in Nephi’s selection of Isaiah prophecies. (2 Nephi 5:16),” KnoWhy 31 (February 11, 2016). Moreover, in 2 Nephi 25:16, Nephi quotes Psalm 24:4 in order to worship God “with clean hands and a pure heart.” This was the basic temple entrance requirement in the Temple of Jerusalem and, apparently, also in the Temple of Nephi. The Lord’s covenant people would not become domesticated. 34 And he shall cut down the thickets of the forests with iron, and Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one. Is not Samaria as cDamascus? It seems that Nephi, and many of the ancient prophets, had a well-developed and sophisticated understanding of the mission of Christ, of his life, and also of his name. They could see how Jesus fulfilled all of these prophecies. , The words of Isaiah are plain unto who?, Who are the prophecies of Isaiah of worth to? 2 Nephi 25:19 “For according to the words of the prophets, ... 2 Nephi 25:20 The phrases “up out of the land of Egypt” is the same in Micah 6:4 and, “smite the rock and the water should come forth” is similar, to Exodus 17:6 and, “there is none other name” is also in Acts 4:12. What is this knowledge that will fill the earth at the end of times? It may have been a piece of burning wood. Possibly, the understanding of the Messiah’s name was something that came gradually and Nephi, Jacob, and all the subsequent Nephite prophets from this point forward knew him by his name, Jesus Christ. They (and we) are influenced too much by the culture of the world. (2 Nephi 11:2–3),” KnoWhy 37 (February 19, 2016). We will see more of this theme again, when we get to Zenos’ parable in Jacob 5. Nephi had deep respect for and interest in the name of God. (2 Nephi 21:11),” KnoWhy 290 (March 22, 2017). The ensign will be erected; it will be a gathering point and a rallying post that will bring people back together so that, in the end, the Lord will be victorious. Many of Isaiah’s prophecies were short sayings, several of which have been combined into one long scrapbook of the words of Isaiah, which was only divided into chapters much later. Isaiah was prophesying that the Savior would come through this line. Photo by John W. Welch. (Words of Mormon 1:4),” KnoWhy 498 (January 15, 2019). John W. Welch, “Getting through Isaiah with the Help of the Nephite Prophetic View,” in Isaiah in the Book of Mormon, ed. 2 Nephi 25 The Prophecies of Nephi To begin, here is a list I composed when I was a missionary. The Lord asked, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Isaiah answered the call, “Here am I; send me.” As recorded in Abraham 3:27, this is identical to the words spoken by the Savior in the premortal council as He accepted the call to perform the Atonement as Savior of mankind: “Here am I, send me.” Isaiah was willing to make whatever sacrifice was necessary to fulfill his calling as prophet. Does Joseph Smith fit the bill as a rod or branch of Jesse? However, Isaiah’s prophecy indicated that this was going to be a special birth in some way. He was the father of David from the line of Judah. He instructed his people: “[I]nasmuch as it shall be expedient, ye must keep the performances and ordinances of God until the law shall be fulfilled which was given unto Moses” (25:30). Many artistic representations show Jesse sleeping with a tree growing from of his body. First, it was important to Nephi to mention his children. Isaiah was active as a prophet of Judah living in Jerusalem from 740–701 BC. 16:8 (7–9); 2 Chr. (2 Nephi 24:12),” KnoWhy 43 (February 29, 2016. (2 Nephi 25:17),” KnoWhy 375 (October 24, 2017). 25 For yet a very little while, and the aindignation shall cease, and mine anger in their destruction. You would think we would get the message—it is still pertinent. (2 Nephi 25:26),” KnoWhy 484 (November 13, 2018). 1 aWo unto them that decree bunrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed; 2 To turn away the needy from judgment, and to take away the right from the apoor of my people, that bwidows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless! Basically, the king of Assyria was given a command by the Lord to "take the spoil, and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets" ( 2 Nephi 20:6 ), meaning to be the nation that attacks Israel. All these things had been revealed to Nephi, and he understood that these images typify Christ. As mentioned in the Notes for the previous Come Follow Me lesson, Jacob also said something similar in 2 Nephi 10:24, “Reconcile yourselves to the will of God, . I have a friend who is writing a book entitled, “His Obliging Grace.” It is “amazing grace,” but it is also “obliging grace” because we are obliged and welcome to live in that relationship. (2 Nephi 15:21),” KnoWhy 48 (March 7, 2016). It could mean to be at peace with God and, when we are at peace with God, we follow his commandments and love Him. Here, Isaiah knew that the Lord would have to set his hand a second time to gather them “from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.” Nephi speaks of this gathering of Israel both in physical and also in spiritual terms. How would you like to be called with the knowledge that your efforts would not change or make much difference? Book of Mormon Central, “What are the Roots of Zenos’s Allegory in the Ancient World? Nephi claimed that we really would not understand Isaiah unless we had lived in Jerusalem in his day and understood the manner of speech, the usage of the language, the culture, and the places. These Isaiah chapters are difficult for anyone to understand, but for the Book of Mormon to give us such brilliant and insightful commentary on these very difficult chapters is a most useful element of the book and a great testimony of the Book of Mormon itself. in 2 Nephi 25 that they would be brought back so that the Lord could appear to them in Jerusalem. However, that was not necessarily the interpretation in Hebrew. Often, the Savior was referred to as the Only Begotten of the Father, the Father of Heaven and Earth, and the Son of God. This experience was symbolic. Isaiah was that important. The original word in Greek describing the woman is parthenon. So is, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Very plain. to whom will ye flee for help? What Can We Learn from 10 of the Best Chiasms in the Book of Mormon? The translation now says, “after all that we can do.” This verse was probably changed to avoid a common misconception among some churches that our works will not matter—we can do whatever we want—as long as we accept the Savior. 1:3 (3–4); Hel. The Text: 2 Nephi 2:19-21. Isaiah did not sit down and write all of this in one sitting. But Nephi most likely understood the doctrine of salvation by grace the same way that Jacob expressed it. The interpretive proof of our reliance on grace is found in 2 Nephi 25 that they had briquettes. Tolerate something hot placed on his tongue chart 44 his writings and opaque—without... Shearjashub, ” KnoWhy 484 ( November 6, 2018 ) also labored to Teach them the. Everything he possibly can for his vineyard come to Isaiah Messiah, so Nephi may have wanted to clarify matter. In Jerusalem, facing exposure in the scriptures tell you what they taught children! Do, we become alive in Christ because we are still saved grace! 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