Explanations of ISAIAH from 2nd Nephi

Elder Holland said: "It may just be that my salvation (and yours also) does in fact depend on our ability to understand the writings of Isaiah..."

Explanations of ISAIAH from 2^nd Nephi

Isaiah’s main themes are:

1.    Messianic prophesies – the 1^st and 2^nd comings of Jesus Christ

2.    Scattering and gathering of Israel.

Jesus commanded us to study Isaiah and told us why in 3 Nephi 23;1-3:

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.

3 And all things that he spake have been and shall be, even according to the words which he spake.

(Side gem of info: the name Ephriam means fruitful.)

Isaiah prophesied the name of Cyrus 100 years before he was born. Cyrus was a great conquerer who would liberate the Jews and make possible that the lineage of Christ be in the Holy Land for Christ to be born there. Mostly those who returned there were those of the line of King David – the Holy Seed.

The royal line who returned was King Zerubbabel. This is what Wikipedia says about him:

Zerubbabel - Wikipedia

Zerubbabel was in biblical account a governor of the Persian Province of Yehud Medinata and the grandson of Jehoiachin, penultimate king of Judah.

He took charge of rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem and was of the lineage of David. The younger generation didn’t want to leave when Cyrus liberated them.

Isaiah began his ministry in 740 BC so he lived to see his prophesy of the Assyrians fulfilled.

30% of the writings of Isaiah are in the Book of Mormon, so we still need to study the Bible to know all of what he taught.

A clearer account of Isaiah from the Bible is in the NIV – New International Version of the Bible. It has many things that are in agreement with the Book of Mormon and things Joseph Smith taught. It is recommended by Ann Madsen for studying Isaiah.

2^nd Nephi 6 was given at general conference time. Nephi asked Jacob to speak on Isaiah.

Where it talks of Kings and Queens of gentile nations being Israel’s nursing mothers, it is talking about the nations that helped the Jewish people return and resettle in the Holy Land. It also refers to Senior Couples who serve missions – think of kings and queens in the temple context. Also, there are now many people called expatriates, who go to other countries for work and help support new converts.

This is the poem that Laurel wrote for chapter 6:

Chapter 7: In the time of Isaiah, the groom paid the fiancee's family to be able to marry her. If he had no money, he could work it off, as in the case of Jacob who worked for Rachel 7 years, then another 7 years. This is representative of Christ - the bridegroom - who paid the ultimate price - His life and then was rejected by the bride (Israel).

Of all the tribes of Israel, the Jews are the ones who know who they are best. There are 16 million people in the world who identify themselves as Jews.There are also 16 million people in the world who identify themselves as Mormons. 40% of LDS live in the US and Canada. 40% of Jews lie in Israel.

The Battle of Armageddon - chapter 8:

All nations will gather in Magedo - they will surround Israel. There will be about 200 million (which is the approximate # of armed forces of all the world) gathered against Israel. Daniel said they would be led by a king of the north - Gog and Agog might/could be a king of Russia. Even President Reagan said that prophesy could refer to Russia. He said, "Who else could it be?"

They will trample and eat everything in their path, like locusts. After much destruction, they will lay siege to Israel. They will surround them  and cut them off from any supplies and help until they are starving and weak. This has already happened to Israel on some scale in the past. Isaiah said that history repeats itself.

Israel will be the last nation to receive missionaries, as in the scripture that the first will be last and the last will be first. When Israel is near destruction, 2 "prophets" - probably apostles with power (the Priesthood) - and sealing power will use the powers of heaven to fight the enemy for the Jews. They will keep the armies in check. In the scriptures, these apostles are sometimes called 2 olive trees, 2 witnesses, 2 candlesticks, and 2 sons. (In Revelations, candlesticks represent prophets.)

Then the 2 prophets will be killed and the enemies will rejoice and cause much sin, thinking they have won. Then will come earthquakes, hailstorms the weight of a talent, or bowling ball, and only 1/6th of the army will survive. 

The Mount of Olives will split in half and the Jews will to into the valley of it for safety. Christ will appear and show the marks and then the Jews will accept Him.

2 Nephi 12

The Utah settlers had planned to name Utah Deseret, not Utah, but the government said they wanted a name that honored the Indians who were there - the Utes. In changing the name, the government fulfilled prophesy from Isaiah. Utah in Ute means "top of the mountains". The prophesy says that all nations shall flow unto it.

The National Geographic had an article that showed the similarities between the Great Salt Lake and the Dead Sea, called twin geographics, miles apart.

This chapter deals with the 2nd coming and 2 capitols, the New Jerusalem, which is the political center, and Jerusalem - the Jew's home, the center of the Word of the Lord. In chapter 12 the events are out of order.