Scriptures/The Bible/The Old Testament/Isaiah

From Sean's Gospel Topical Guide
Jump to navigation Jump to search
40) In addition to these, he quoted the eleventh chapter of Isaiah, saying that it was about to be fulfilled. He quoted also the third chapter of Acts, twenty-second and twenty-third verses, precisely as they stand in our New Testament. He said that that prophet was Christ; but the day had not yet come when “they who would not hear his voice should be cut off from among the people,” but soon would come.
19) And it came to pass that I, Nephi, spake much unto them concerning these things; yea, I spake unto them concerning the restoration of the Jews in the latter days.
20) And I did rehearse unto them the words of Isaiah, who spake concerning the restoration of the Jews, or of the house of Israel; and after they were restored they should no more be confounded, neither should they be scattered again. And it came to pass that I did speak many words unto my brethren, that they were pacified and did humble themselves before the Lord.
4) And now, behold, I would speak unto you concerning things which are, and which are to come; wherefore, I will read you the words of Isaiah. And they are the words which my brother has desired that I should speak unto you. And I speak unto you for your sakes, that ye may learn and glorify the name of your God.
5) And now, the words which I shall read are they which Isaiah spake concerning all the house of Israel; wherefore, they may be likened unto you, for ye are of the house of Israel. And there are many things which have been spoken by Isaiah which may be likened unto you, because ye are of the house of Israel.
1) And now, my beloved brethren, I have read these things that ye might know concerning the covenants of the Lord that he has covenanted with all the house of Israel
1) Now I, Nephi, do speak somewhat concerning the words which I have written, which have been spoken by the mouth of Isaiah. For behold, Isaiah spake many things which were hard for many of my people to understand; for they know not concerning the manner of prophesying among the Jews.
2) For I, Nephi, have not taught them many things concerning the manner of the Jews; for their works were works of darkness, and their doings were doings of abominations.
3) Wherefore, I write unto my people, unto all those that shall receive hereafter these things which I write, that they may know the judgments of God, that they come upon all nations, according to the word which he hath spoken.
4) Wherefore, hearken, O my people, which are of the house of Israel, and give ear unto my words; for because the words of Isaiah are not plain unto you, nevertheless they are plain unto all those that are filled with the spirit of prophecy. But I give unto you a prophecy, according to the spirit which is in me; wherefore I shall prophesy according to the plainness which hath been with me from the time that I came out from Jerusalem with my father; for behold, my soul delighteth in plainness unto my people, that they may learn.
5) Yea, and my soul delighteth in the words of Isaiah, for I came out from Jerusalem, and mine eyes hath beheld the things of the Jews, and I know that the Jews do understand the things of the prophets, and there is none other people that understand the things which were spoken unto the Jews like unto them, save it be that they are taught after the manner of the things of the Jews.
6) But behold, I, Nephi, have not taught my children after the manner of the Jews; but behold, I, of myself, have dwelt at Jerusalem, wherefore I know concerning the regions round about; and I have made mention unto my children concerning the judgments of God, which hath come to pass among the Jews, unto my children, according to all that which Isaiah hath spoken, and I do not write them.
7) But behold, I proceed with mine own prophecy, according to my plainness; in the which I know that no man can err; nevertheless, in the days that the prophecies of Isaiah shall be fulfilled men shall know of a surety, at the times when they shall come to pass.
8) Wherefore, they are of worth unto the children of men, and he that supposeth that they are not, unto them will I speak particularly, and confine the words unto mine own people; for I know that they shall be of great worth unto them in the last days; for in that day shall they understand them; wherefore, for their good have I written them.
1) And now, behold, I say unto you, that ye ought to search these things. Yea, a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah.
2) For surely he spake as touching all things concerning my people which are of the house of Israel; therefore it must needs be that he must speak also to the Gentiles.

Notes

Isaiah, during his day, prophesied to the people of Israel and was often ignored. Today we know that his prophesies were not in vain because he did not only speak to the people in his time, but likened events in his time to future events in which trouble and turmoil would result in the greatest victories of God's kingdom. In this way, Isaiah's words had a double fulfillment; First, they were fulfilled when they proved to be true in application to the people in his own day; Second, have been fulfilled and will be fulfilled in application to the God's larger plan for Israel and Zion. Evidence suggests that pious Israelites understood that Isaiah's words were relating the present and near future to events more distant and significant. I do not understand how they recognized this, but Nephi's comments about the manner of prophesying of the Jews suggests there is more to Isaiah's words than I am likely to understand, and old exegesis written by the religious Israelites also suggests that they understood things about the future of God's plan, through Isaiah's words, better than I would have guessed.

There are a number of themes in Isaiah that are often glossed over.

Theme: Men Will Become Rare in the Last Days

Isaiah describes, in a number of instances, a situation in which men become rare. Considering all he has to say about death and destruction, it seems that as many as 90% of the male population may die in the last days. (Sometimes he seems to suggest the possibility of slavery, but I think that scenario doesn't fit a latter-day context, and that he is speaking less specifically only to allow his words to apply to multiple contexts or to fit a poetic or symbolic structure.) The wickedness of the men is implicated in this destruction. (As the next section describes, the women are not implied to be less wicked.) The Lord appears to intend to rapidly repopulate after the devastation, and large numbers of men are not needed for that purpose.

Thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy mighty in the war.
And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach.
12) And the Lord have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land.
13) ¶ But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return, and shall be eaten: as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance is in them, when they cast their leaves: so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof.
I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.
And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.

Theme: Wickedness of Women in the Last Days

While the wicked men will be killed, the Lord seems to intend that the destruction in the last days will humble women. It seems clear that they are needed for rapidly recovering the population from the devastation. While the wicked men do not get a lot of Isaiah's attention, (though, clearly they are implicated in the more generic descriptions of wickedness) the wickedness of the women is described in some detail.

When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning.
10) Many days and years shall ye be troubled, ye careless women: for the vintage shall fail, the gathering shall not come.
11) Tremble, ye women that are at ease; be troubled, ye careless ones: strip you, and make you bare, and gird sackcloth upon your loins.

Theme: Lack of Judgement in the Last Days is Part of the Wickedness

Theme: In the Lord's Plan for the Last Days, it Is Important and Intentional that People Will Not Repent

9) ¶ And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.
10) Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.
11) Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate,

Chapters

Cross-References