Why are the Isaiah chapters transcribed by Nephi differently (to some degree) from what we find in the Old Testament?
· Nephi’s version is from a pre-Deuteronomist book of Isaiah
· Nephi is using Isaiah to share insights from his (Nephi’s) vision of the end of the world that he was forbidden to share outright; but as Isaiah has seen the same vision, Nephi can use Isaiah’s writings to allude to or illustrate elements from his own vision
READ 2 Nephi 11:2-6
Why is Nephi using Isaiah to prove to us that his (Nephi’s) words are true?
· Isaiah also saw Christ in the flesh (as did Nephi’s brother Jacob) and both were ministered to by Him
· In the mouths of multiple witnesses will all of God’s words be established; in particular the testimony of Christ
· There are certain tells or proofs in the various testimonies of the living Christ that only those others who have also experienced Him in the flesh can know
· The testimony of one who has seen Christ testifies to the testimonies of the others
Nephi’s Testimony of Christ
READ 2 Nephi 17:14-15
What is Nephi testifying of by using this quote from Isaiah?
· That he (Nephi) also saw Christ’s miraculous birth
· That Christ’s father was not Joseph but God – that Jesus was the Son of God
How were Isaiah and Nephi able to see the specifics of Christ’s birth and life hundreds of years before they actually happened in mortality?
· All things are present before God – past, present and future (see D&C 130:6-8)
· God has the ability to show these things to whomever He chooses without it affecting the likelihood of those events occurring (because they already have…)
READ 2 Nephi 18:13-16 and 2 Nephi 25:12
Why was Christ rejected as a stumbling block?
· He did not appear to be what you would expect in a Messiah – he was very tall (Luke 19:1-6) and strong from years of carpentry (Matt 3:24-26 JST); but young looking like a “Lamb”; he looked like a teenager even as an adult (1 Nephi 10:10 and Isaiah 53:2); the stumbling block to the Jews was that he did not look like a scholarly, trained rabbi but like a young working man
· He was not trained in the Rabbinical schools of the day – he did not have religious credentials, hold any Church position, or use the tools of the Pharisaical lawyers and scholars; they were all about arguments: they quoted each other and sited long bibliographies to prove their points (Matthew 7:29) but he spoke as one in authority
· He kept the Law of Moses but not the Oral Traditions, which had been conflated into the Law by High Priests and Pharisees who had built “fences around the Law” – changing what God had originally revealed, thinking that they knew better. For not keeping the Oral Traditions, Christ seemed heretical to the religious people of the time – this begs the question, what aspects of Mormon culture or doctrine which have been integrated to appear “true” would Christ reject if He visited with us today – which would make Him see heretical to us – would He have wine or a “mild barley drink” with His dinner?
· He associated with publicans, harlots and sinners instead of the respectable and “righteous” religious people
· He did not save Israel from Roman occupation but was crucified – a death saved for those who were considered cursed in the context of the Law of Moses
Why did Christ come as a “rock of offense”?
· As a test to his hearers
· Could they accept truth from unlikely sources?
· Could they see past the outward appearance and hear God’s message in Jesus’ words?
· Would they follow His teachings about a “higher” law when the Law of Moses was completely integrated into every facet of their lives? Remember that the Law of Moses was designed to be a “schoolmaster” to prepare them for Christ’s message
· Would they believe in a Messiah who would not win a political victory but would die – the complete opposite of what they were expecting or hoping for?
READ 2 Nephi 21:1-5
What is Nephi testifying of here, with regards to Christ’s mortal ministry?
· Christ had the Holy Ghost given to Him without measure (John 3:34) because He did nothing to quench it; He did nothing to resist its promptings or offend its presence but was perfect within the setting or context of his mortal life; although mortal, Christ listened to and followed the Holy Ghost perfectly – He was perfect in His obedience to God (although not to the laws of the Pharisees) so that He was animated by the Spirit to the degree that His judgment was just according to God’s judgment and His behavior was righteous and faithful according to God’s definitions, not man’s
· He confounded the Pharisees regarding issues like taxation, the doctrine of resurrection, the priority of commandments under the Law, the stoning of adulterers, accusations of blasphemy (Matt 22:15-22, John 8:3-9, Matt 22:23-33, Matt 22:34-40, Luke 5:21-26)
· He rejected Satan’s temptations (Matt 4:2-11)
READ 2 Nephi 19:6-7
What is Nephi testifying of by quoting these verses from Isaiah?
· That he also saw Christ’s coming in glory and Millennial reign
· That he saw the “Lion” as well as the “Lamb”
· That he believes, and is testifying to us, that Jesus of Nazareth is really the Son of God
· That Christ has become, through His attaining to the resurrection and atonement, the Everlasting Father, and we are His “children” (see TPJS 390-393)
READ 2 Nephi 21:9-10
Why is Christ’s “rest” glorious?
· Because “His rest” is to enter into the fullness of His glory
· God lives in everlasting “burnings” which you must be able to abide or withstand; the way to do this is to be filled yourself with the same glory; it is like how the eye adjusts to light from a dark room – if the light is turned on suddenly, those who have been sitting in the dark say “turn off the light, I can’t see” while those who have been living in the light, can see just fine
· It will be glorious because no one will have to say “know ye the Lord?” for all shall know Him (see Hebrews 8:11)
· Because for those who have entered into His rest, Christ will have redeemed and presented them to the Father as candidates for eternal life – bringing to pass the work and “glory” of God (see D&C 88:75 and Moses 1:39)
READ 2 Nephi 22:2-6
What is Nephi’s testimony of Christ’s greatness, through Isaiah?
· That we should rejoice in His merits and praise Him for His grace - for what He has done for us (see 2 Nephi 4:30)
· That we can trust Him to do what He says He can do – to be who He says He is – we can “believe Christ” not just “believe in Christ” (see also 2 Nephi 4:19-25)
READ 2 Nephi 25:13
How does Nephi know about Christ’s merits?
· He has seen them in vision
· He has been ministered to by Christ in the flesh – he’s seen the prints in His hands and feet (see 1 Nephi 21:16)
· He is a credible witness
Latter-day Zion
READ 2 Nephi 12:2-3
Where will the latter day Zion actually be established?
· In the tops of the mountains
· Not in the plains of the Midwest (i.e. Independence, Missouri or Nauvoo, IL) or even in the valleys of the mountains (Salt Lake City)
READ 2 Nephi 12:5-11
What is Nephi telling us that he saw among those who call themselves “Zion” in the Last Days (the “House of Jacob” or “Israel”)?
· They are very wealthy – excess and opulence yet they have poor among them
· They worship the work of their own hands
· They are prideful, even their “mean” men - the poor or those lacking in rank
· They worship their great men
· Many have broken the covenant, listened to soothsayers (marketing firms, PR opinion leaders or economic subject matter experts), and are replenished from the east (sophisticated culture and higher learning from the world’s leading cities, which have their roots in Babylon, Greece, Persia and Rome)
· Those who occupy the chief seats will be brought low
In these two images of Zion (a Zion Temple in the tops of the mountains and wealthy, prideful people) we find the Parable of the Ten Virgins playing out; who will be ready to meet the bridegroom?
The Scattering and Gathering of Israel
READ 2 Nephi 15:1-7
What does this “song” remind you of?
· The Olive Allegory of Zenos, recorded in the Book of Mormon (see Jacob 5)
· Remember that Zenos’ longer allegory preceded this version written by Isaiah
· Isaiah’s version is a condensed, summarization of Zenos’ original source material
In Zenos’ allegory, what does the Lord of the Vineyard do to preserve the natural fruit?
· He transplants it and graphs it in to other “wild” grapes in various other lands outside the original vineyard
· In other words, He scatters Israel around the world
Where are the natural branches scattered to?
· The 10 Lost Tribes of the North Kingdom are scattered to the “lands of the North” (see 2 Esdras 13)
· The Lehites and Mulekites are scattered to the Americas
· We don’t know where the others were scattered to
· But the original vineyard or tree was in Palestine
In the Isaiah version, what state has the Lord found His vineyard in?
· A state of apostasy
· It is only bringing forth “wild grapes” which cannot be used by the Lord for the intended purpose (see Moses 1:39)
Given Nephi’s use of Isaiah as a way to describe what he cannot plainly tell us, what is this apostasy that he is seeing?
· It is in the Americas because it is placed on a “very fruitful hill” or as Zenos said, the land that is “choice above all others” (Jacob 5:43-45; 2 Nephi 10:19-22)
· It is us – the latter day “Zion” of the Gentiles; it is the apostasy of the LDS Church after the death of the prophet and seer, Joseph Smith
The Lord fenced it, removed stones, built a watch tower, and a winepress; what more could the Lord have done for His vineyard to have enabled it to produce good fruit?
· Relentless pruning of the “wild branches” as they reveal themselves, to keep the root and top equal (see Jacob 5:73)
· The branches were overcoming the roots with their loftiness or pride (see Jacob 5:48)
· Grafting the natural branches back into the vineyard (see Jacob 5:52-54)
· As the Book of Mormon was written to the Remnant of the Lehites and to us, the modern day Gentile Church, what Nephi is describing here is a “pruning” he sees in vision by the Lord of the prideful Gentile Saints and the grafting in, via spiritual awakening to the fullness of the gospel, of the descendants of Lehi – but in a thoughtful way so as to not “kill” the tree but enable good fruit to be grown – the “wild branches” gave needed strength to a dying tree, which is why they were used to save the natural branches in the first place, but they end up taking over the tree and not bearing good fruit, so they must be “pruned” so as to be useful to the Lord in persevering the Natural Tree/Vineyard and its good fruit! (see D&C 112:26).
· We will discuss this in much greater detail when we study Jacob 5.
Recovering the Remnant of Israel: Grafting the “Natural Branches”
READ 2 Nephi 21:11-12
Who are the “remnant of His people which shall be left?”
· The remnants of the lost tribes and dispersed Jews, including Lehi’s descendants
· By now, through intermarriage and relocation, they are located literally all over the globe – in every nation on earth
· But most of them are lost in that they do not know who they are – that they are literal descendants of Israel/Jacob
What does it mean for the Lord to “set His hand” to recover them?
· Most of them are lost in that they do not know who they are – that they are literal descendants of Israel/Jacob – they are “outcast” because they lack any identification with Israel and they are “dispersed” because they are everywhere
· It will require the Lord to directly intervene to recover or gather His people
· Only He can truly recover them by showing them who they really are; they must be Born of God and transformed
READ 2 Nephi 22:1-3
How will the Remnant react to the Lord’s “recovering” of them?
· They will praise Him
· They will realize that it was they who had turned away from God – not so much that He was angry but that He cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance and so He withdrew from them
· They will embrace Him and His gospel and receive great comfort and joy in what He had offered them all along – salvation
· They will “live again” spiritually – partaking of the “waters of salvation” – they will be changed from who they were to new creatures
READ 2 Nephi 22:4-6
What is the recovered Remnant’s “new song” and how do they sing it?
· It is a song of praise for the Lord – how He has saved them from being lost
· And they will sing it enthusiastically! Perhaps not so “reverently” and piously as we do so at present. They will “cry”, “shout”, “praise the Lord”, and “sing”; It looks more like a celebration or party than a solemn assembly – it is unbridled joy
· They will share the “good news” without shame – they will want to “feed” any other “sheep” that the Lord might have
READ 2 Nephi 24:1
What is the difference between “Jacob” who will receive mercy and “Israel” who is chosen?
· Jacob represents the natural bloodlines of those descended from Jacob – the “mercy” the Lord gives them is to reach out to them once again with the message of the gospel and their own heritage and rights through Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
· Israel represents the newly-named covenant holder – these are they who accept the fullness of the gospel, experience the mighty change of heart and come unto Christ in actual deed
Who are the “strangers” who will be joined with them?
· The Gentiles who accept the fullness of the Gospel and are adopted into the House of Israel
The Last Days
READ 2 Nephi 24:21-27
How will the Lord destroy the wicked?
· He will permit the destruction – nations, religions and people will act on their natural feelings of hatred for each other and instead of saving a city because of “10 righteous citizens” (see also Genesis 18:23-32), God will inspire those who do not want to kill each other to remove to Zion (D&C 45:68)
· He will allow the wicked (the “Assyrian” v25) to destroy the wicked (see also D&C 63:33)
· He will release natural disasters as in 3 Nephi 8
· And when He comes in glory, He will “utterly waste” all those who cannot abide His presence (D&C 2:3)
· The destruction may seem natural enough as it progresses but in the end we will realize the hand of the Lord was directly involved in permitting this great final destruction. To some it will seem like just another international upheaval arising from ethnic, religious, economic and political resentments but it will be the will of God played out by the wicked.
The Millennium
READ 2 Nephi 24:3-9
What traits that enable success in our culture and day will be offensive in the Millennial Zion?
· Pride and individualism
· Materialism/opulence and socio-economic classification
· Judgement and intolerance – particularly on outward appearance and behavior
· Violence – either attacking or defending; the military-industrial complex will be gone
· Exploitation of those at a disadvantage
Like Beatrix Potter”s Story of the City Mouse and the Country Mouse who visit each other’s homes and find the other’s so different and unpleasant that they must return to their own homes, if those who will live in the Millennial Zion were to visit us today, they would think us sad, depraved minions in some dystopian movie (like the films that are so popular today); while if we were to visit them, we would find it extremely quiet and simple in comparison to our daily “rat race” lives. Think Tolkien’s Hobbiton vs. today’s New York City! We tend to think of the Millennium in terms of the destruction of the wicked, but fail to realize how far reaching “wickedness” is. What must one be like to survive in our world, much less to be successful in it? Have you ever met someone of whom you’ve thought: “they’ll never make it – they’re too kind or sensitive – they will be taken advantage of and beaten down – they’ll be eaten alive out there.” Where would those people fit in best – in Zion or with us?
READ 2 Nephi 24:10-19
Who is being referred to here?
· Lucifer or Satan
· But also all those men and women of the earth that mimicked his ways and were filled with his spirit
How do the aspirations and deeds of Satan and his earthly followers mirror the ones we just discussed as being offensive in Zion?
· I will ascend to heaven and be as a god to you
· I will exalt my throne above all others
· I will make the earth tremble and kingdoms shake – I will destroy all in my path that do not submit to my rule
· This describes the “masters of the universe” on Wall Street, the icons of global business, the celebrities in Hollywood and the music industry, most athletes in televised sports, politicians of all types, religious leaders and spiritual gurus, and sadly today, even “ordinary” internet bloggers and Youtubers who seek to emulate their idols
In the Millennium, what will people think of those who ascended “on high” or aspired so to do?
· They will be pitied
· They will be mused over – “can you believe they used to…”
· Compared to the Lord in His glory, all these pretenders, from Satan himself to the lowest “wannabe”, will fall into disrepute and be shown to be who they really are – like Moses comparing Satan’s “glory” or lack thereof with God’s (see Moses 1).
· In the Millennium, there will be no need for the modern “demigods” or celebrities we now “worship” when the Lord will be on Earth personally to reign. The “glamor” of Hollywood and Manhattan will no longer be envied – and People Magazine will be out of business! The children in Zion will wonder how we made such a mess of our lives and society – they will “look on us narrowly” in those days.
The Gospel Covenant & the Law of Moses
READ 2 Nephi 25:23
On which word should the emphasis be placed in this verse? Grace? Saved? After? All? We? Can? Do?
· Grace – we are saved by grace, despite all we try to do
· Saved – we are saved by grace but exalted by works (but not ours)
· After – we are saved by grace only after we have submitted a good faith effort
· All – we are saved by grace only after we have exhausted every effort to do anything humanly possible to save ourselves
· We – the Lord has already worked out His own salvation with fear and trembling but for us, it is all still to play for – will we come unto Christ and be saved or not?
· Can – we are saved by grace if we do what we can do, which is to covenant with Christ through baptism, offer our whole souls, and endure to the end abiding in covenant
· Do – we are saved by grace and works – eternal law requires us to be precisely like Christ and nothing else or not be saved…
READ 2 Nephi 25:24-26
What is the relationship between the Law of Moses and the Gospel Covenant?
· The Law of Moses was kept by Nephi because that was the covenant the people were given after losing the High Priesthood on Sinai, until the Law was fulfilled
· The Law was never enough to save anyone – its purpose was to help those living it exercise faith in Christ, repent of their sins, be baptized, align their lives with God sufficient to be filled with the Spirit, be ministered to by angels, be taught and live the Fullness of the Gospel of Christ
· The Law becomes “dead” to them because it is subsumed by the Gospel – it is not a question of not keeping outward commandments but keeping those commandments with higher inward spiritual intent
What does it mean to be “alive” in Christ?
· To be born of the Spirit – make the gospel covenant and receive the baptism of fire and a mighty change of heart
· To be animated by the Holy Spirit – connected to God – sharing His mind – no longer separated from God
· To be spiritually alive or quickened – sanctified or made holy like God
· Ultimately it means to be sealed up to eternal life by God Himself
