Isaiah 29:9-16

This is the third, and longest, of four installments (Part I: Isaiah 29; 
Part II: Isaiah 29:1-8; and Part IV: Isaiah 29:17—24 )on Isaiah 29,
comprising of verses 9–16 (and including aids from latter-day revealed 
Scripture).

A sense of complete spiritual darkness will prevail before the Book of Mormon comes to light. This apostasy was born of the rejection of the prophets that the Lord had sent through the ages until they were finally removed from the earth. The Book of Mormon would be translated by a humble unlearned boy rather than by the self-proclaimed wise and prudent. It would come at a time when the precepts of men are given more weight than those of God. The coming forth of this book and the subsequent establishment of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints would constitute a marvelous work and a wonder. It is a delight to note how many Christian authors of yesteryear agree with the doctrine of the Church.

9. “For behold, all ye that doeth iniquity, stay yourselves, and wonder; ~~cry ye~~ for ye shall cry out, and cry; ~~they are~~ ye shall be drunken, but not with wine; ~~they~~ ye shall stagger, but not with strong drink.”

For behold, all ye that doeth iniquity, stay yourselves, and wonder; for ye shall cry out, and cry; ye shall be drunken, but not with wine; ye shall stagger, but not with strong drink. The JST and the Book of Mormon give it the future—shall be—rather than present tense.

Regarding this drunkenness, Barnes says: “It is a moral and spiritual intoxication and reeling. They err in their doctrines and practice; and it is with them as it is with a drunken man that sees nothing clearly or correctly, and cannot walk steadily. They have perverted all doctrines; they err in their views of God and his truth, and they are irregular and corrupt in their conduct.”

Elder Bruce R. McConkie explained: “In a spiritual sense drunkenness means apostasy” (Isaiah 29:9–10; Revelation 17:2; 18:3).”^[1] Also from Elder McConkie we have: “How shall the night of awful darkness that covers the earth come to an end? What light will pierce the enshrouding gloom? How shall those who are drunken but not with wine and who stagger but not with strong drink, be reclaimed? What will bring spiritual sobriety into their souls? Again the answer is a book—a book that contains the mind and will and voice of the Lord, a book that whispers from the dust. And so Isaiah speaks of the glorious restoration of the everlasting gospel, which is to take place in the last days, and he introduces that restoration by speaking of the book so long sealed and even now only partially opened.”^[2]

10. “For behold, the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep. For behold, ye have ~~, and hath~~ closed your eyes, and ye have rejected the prophets; and your rulers,^athe seers hath he covered because of your iniquity.”

(See also Isaiah 6:10; and Romans 11:8.) For behold, the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep. For behold, ye have closed your eyes, and ye have rejected the prophets; and your rulers, the seers hath he covered because of your iniquity.

Barnes explains: “The word rendered ‘hath poured out’ (נסך) is usually referred to the act of pouring out a libation, or drink-offering in worship Exodus 30:9; Hosea 9:4; Isaiah 30:1. Here it means that Yahweh had, as it were, ‘drenched them’ (Septuagint, πεπότικε) with a spirit of stupefaction.” A spirit of deep sleep has a perfect translation into Spanish, un espíritu de aturdimiento, something to the effect of being in a daze, confused and disoriented. When people reject the prophets or the Book of Mormon it is as if they have shut their eyes to the truth and thus walk in this espíritu de aturdimiento.

In John we read: “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil” (John 3:19). The Savior said: “For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me; for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?” (John 5:46–47). Likewise, those who truly believe the Bible will believe in the Book of Mormon, for the Bible speaks of the Book of Mormon (2 Nephi 33:10). Anyone who reads the Book of Mormon with a sincere heart will know that this book is full of light and truth and will feel of the influence of the Holy Ghost bearing witness of its truthfulness.

Nägelsbach notes: “Where a capacity to receive the divine word is wanting, there it works an effect the very opposite of what it should properly produce; it hardens, blinds, stupefies. It is as if the spirit of understanding had become in those who do not desire the knowledge of the truth, a spirit of stupefaction, of stupidity ^[3] תרדמה, which is found only here in Isaiah, has this …sense.”

In speaking about Isaiah 29:9–10, Elder Orson Pratt says, “Here we perceive the dark and benighted condition of the multitude of all the nations … they were to be drunken and stagger, but not with wine nor with strong drink; the prophets and seers were to be covered from them; and ‘the vision of all,’ that is, the revelations of all the holy prophets and seers, contained either in the Bible or any other place were to become as the words of the sealed Book of Mormon … they are covered; they are not understood any more than the words of the sealed book were understood by the learned. When the events of the scripture prophecy are so clearly fulfilled before their eyes, they will not even then perceive it … because they are drunken with every species of wickedness and abominations, and because they, draw near to the Lord with their mouths, and with their lips, while their hearts are removed far from Him, and because they are taught by the precepts of men they will reject it, and in so doing, they will reject the Lord’s great and last warning message to man, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.”[4]

For behold, ye have closed your eyes, and ye have rejected the prophets; and your rulers [i.e., your heads, רָאשֵׁיכֶם], the seers hath he covered because of your iniquity. Many exegetes believe that the prophets and seers are a latter gloss or addition, but the Book of Mormon greatly clarifies this passage to make it clear that the Lord would cover or remove the prophets and seers from the presence of the people as they would no longer heed their words but had rejected them. Nyman well says, “The KJV reads as though the Lord were responsible for these problems, but the Book of Mormon shows that it was the people’s choices which had brought upon them their conditions.”

We turn again to materials found in the Book of Mormon and Inspired Version not contained in today’s other ancient texts. But first, this from Church history: “Sometime in this month of February [1828], the aforementioned Mr. Martin Harris came to our place, got the characters which I had drawn off the plates, and started with them to the city of New York. For what took place relative to him and the characters, I refer to his own account of the circumstances, as he related them to me after his return, which was as follows: ‘I went to the city of New York, and presented the characters which had been translated, with the translation thereof, to Professor Charles Anthon, a gentleman celebrated for his literary attainments. Professor Anthon stated that the translation was correct, more so than any he had before seen translated from the Egyptian. I then showed him those which were not yet translated, and he said that they were Egyptian, Chaldaic, Assyriac, and Arabic; and he said they were true characters. He gave me a certificate, certifying to the people of Palmyra that they were true characters, and that the translation of such of them as had been translated was also correct. I took the certificate and put it into my pocket, and was just leaving the house, when Mr. Anthon called me back, and asked me how the young man found out that there were gold plates in the place where he found them. I answered that an angel of God had revealed it unto him. He then said to me, “Let me see that certificate.” I accordingly took it out of my pocket and gave it to him, when he took it and tore it to pieces, saying that there was no such thing now as ministering of angels, and that if I would bring the plates to him he would translate them. I informed him that part of the plates were sealed, and that I was forbidden to bring them. He replied, “I cannot read a sealed book.” I left him and went to Dr. Mitchell, who sanctioned what Professor Anthon had said respecting both the characters and the translation’”^[5] Note that Anthon was so convinced that these characters were authentic that he desired to see the plates even though he did not believe the angel narrative.

“And it shall come to pass that the Lord God shall bring forth unto you the words of a book, and they shall be the words of them which have slumbered.”

The words that the Lord God would bring forth are those of the Book of Mormon. These will be the words of ancient prophets who lived in the American continent more than a millennia ago. We read that they have slumbered as a poetical way of saying that they have long since passed from their mortal existence into the world of spirits.

“And behold, the book shall be sealed; and in the book shall be a revelation from God, from the beginning of the world to the ending thereof.”

Besides the Book of Mormon there would be additional plates—plates that were sealed and that are to come forth at a future date. We understand that these words were seen by the brother of Jared and were also known to John the revelator (see Ether 4:4–7).

“Wherefore, because of the things which are sealed up, the things which are sealed shall not be delivered in the day of the wickedness and abominations of the people. Wherefore, the book shall be kept from them.”

Only the Book of Mormon would be delivered to the Prophet Joseph Smith for translation but not the sealed portion of the plates. The sealed portion of the plates would be kept from this undeserving generation.

“But the book shall be delivered unto a man, and he shall deliver the words of the book, which are the words of those who have slumbered in the dust, and he shall deliver these words unto another;”

The Book of Mormon would be delivered to Joseph Smith, the Prophet. The Prophet would, in turn, write some of the words found in the plates and hand them to another man, that is, to Martin Harris. Note that the Prophet would not hand the book or plates to Martin Harris, but rather, words from the plates. The words of the Book of Mormon represent the words of the ancient prophets of the American continent who are no longer living, but slumber.

“But the words which [JST: uses “that” instead of “which”] are sealed he shall not deliver, neither shall he deliver the book. For the book shall be sealed by the power of God, and the revelation which was sealed shall be kept in the book until the own due time of the Lord, that they may come forth; for behold, they reveal all things from the foundation of the world unto the end thereof.”

Elder Orson Pratt explains: “Mark this prediction; the book itself was not to be delivered to the learned, but only ‘the words of a book’; this was literally fulfilled in the event which has already been described [Martin Harris and Professor Anthon incident], as clearly testified of, not only by the ‘plain-looking countryman,’ namely Martin Harris, but by the learned professor Anthon himself. But Isaiah informs us in the next verse [Isaiah 29:12] that the book itself should be delivered to the unlearned; he says, ‘and the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, read this, I pray thee: and he said, I am not learned.’ This was fulfilled when the angel of the Lord delivered the book into the hands of Mr. Smith; though unlearned in every language, but his own mother tongue, yet he was commanded to read or translate the book. Feeling his own incapability to read such a book, he said to the Lord in the words of Isaiah, ‘I am not learned.’”^[6] The sealed portion of the book, on the other hand, shall come forth at a time that the Lord has set and contains “all things from the foundation of the world unto the end thereof.”

“And the day cometh, that the words of the book which were sealed shall be read upon the house tops; and they shall be read by the power of Christ; and all things shall be revealed unto the children of men which ever have been among the children of men, and which ever will be, even unto the end of the earth.”

At this future date the words from the sealed plates “shall be read from the house tops… through the power of Christ.” At that time these things shall be revealed to all humankind—past, present and future. Recall that housetops described the houses with a terrace on top of the houses (Isaiah 22:1). This is to be fulfilled either literally or symbolically, the meaning being that all shall have these words.

“Wherefore, at that day when the book shall be delivered unto the man of whom I have spoken, the book shall be hid from the eyes of the world, that the eyes of none shall behold it save it be that three witnesses shall behold it, by the power of God, besides him to whom the book shall be delivered; and they shall testify to the truth of the book and the things therein.”

So—returning to the time when the Book of Mormon would be delivered to the Prophet Joseph Smith—these plates would not be shown to many others.

“And there is none other which shall view it, save it be a few according to the will of God, to bear testimony of his word unto the children of men; for the Lord God hath said that the words of the faithful should speak as if it were from the dead.”

Only a few individuals, besides the Prophet Joseph Smith and these three witnesses and eight witnesses would have the privilege of viewing the plates and bear testimony to the children of men based on this witness. Mary Whitmer (at times she is called the 4^th witness and at others the 12^th witness) was among them. The remainder of the children of men could obtain a witness of its authenticity through the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost has poured out upon me a sure witness of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon.

“Wherefore, the Lord God will proceed to bring forth the words of the book; and in the mouth of as many witnesses as seemeth him good will he establish his word; and woe be unto him that rejecteth the word of God!”

The Lord God, through the Prophet Joseph Smith, would bring forth the words of these ancient prophets. He would establish the truthfulness of the words of the book through “as many witnesses as seemeth him good.” This includes not only those who were to see the plates but of each one of us who has received a witness of the Holy Ghost of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon—among whom I rejoice to be counted. I have received countless manifestations of the Spirit, most of them through the sweet comfort of the Spirit. Only a few times in my life has that manifestation been so very strong—I describe it as almost falling of my horse! One such occasion took place when I opened the Book of Mormon and read Moroni’s promise in my home in Asturias 400, Santiago, Chile, before I turned 16. I found Christ through reading the Book of Mormon.

11 “~~And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which [men] deliver to one that is~~ But behold, it shall come to pass that the Lord God shall say unto him to whom he shall deliver the book: Take these words which are not sealed and deliver them to another, that he may show them unto the learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee. And he the learned ~~saith,~~ shall say: Bring hither the book, and I will read them. And now, because of the glory of the world and to get gain will they say this, and not for the glory of God. And the man shall say: I cannot bring the book, for it [is] sealed. Then shall the learned say, I cannot read it.”

Regarding the learned man, Whitehouse says, “Cheyne appropriately translates by ‘a man who is a scholar’”[7]

And says, I cannot for it is sealed &c. Philip Reynolds well says, “Isaiah makes the meaning of this vision so clear that it need not be misunderstood. He speaks of a book, or rather the book, for the Hebrew text has the definite article, to which the translators have not given the full force”^[8] And so it is, as we have the book^[9] הַסֵּפֶרin the Masoretic text (𝔐) and a book סִפְרָא in the Targum (𝔗). Various exegetes (Rawlinson, Gill, Delitzsch) explain that learned (אֶל־יוֹדֵעַ, to know, or one knowing) has to do with being literate or knowing how to read. This fits in very well with the idea of being able to know the ancient characters. Isaiah 29:11 was among the scriptures that Angel Moroni quoted to Joseph Smith according to the Oliver Cowdery narrative. “Yet,” said he, “the scripture must be fulfilled before it is translated, which says that the words of a book, which were sealed, were presented to the learned; for thus has God determined to leave men without excuse, and show to the meek that his arm is not shortened that it cannot save.”^[10]

Once again, the Lord God would say to Joseph Smith, the person to whom the plates had been delivered to, and ask him to take some of the words from the plates—from the section that was not sealed—that these words might be shown to the learned. Charles Anthon was that learned professor to whom these words or characters would be shared with. Anthon asked that the plates be brought to him so he could read them—but he did this not because he believed in God or cared about the Book of Mormon, but because he cared about his scholarly status or the glory and riches of the world. Martin Harris told Anthon that he could not bring him the book because it was sealed. Professor Anthon responded that he could not read a sealed book.

12 “Wherefore it shall come to pass, that the Lord God ~~And the book is delivered~~ will deliver again the book and the words thereof ~~to him~~ and the man that is not learned; ~~saying,~~ shall say: ~~Read this, I pray thee: and he saith,~~ I am not learned.”

Wherefore it shall come to pass, that the Lord God will deliver again the book and the words thereof and the man that is not learned; shall say: I am not learned. At the end, it would not be the learned who would translate the ancient plates but the unlearned young man through the power of God. The Prophet Joseph Smith did not remain unlearned long.

Gill, in part says this of the unlearned: “He does not excuse himself on account of its being sealed, but on account of his want of learning.”

“Then shall the Lord God say unto him: The learned shall not read them, for they have rejected them, and I am able to do mine own work; wherefore thou shalt read the words which I shall give unto thee.”

In summary, then, the Lord God does not lean on the learned—the professors of religion and the scholars^[11]—to read and translate the plates. Instead He would make use of the weak things of the earth to accomplish His purposes.

“Touch not the things which are sealed, for I will bring them forth in mine own due time; for I will show unto the children of men that I am able to do mine own work.”

The Lord instructed the Prophet, Joseph Smith not to touch the sealed portion of the plates. These would be brought forth in the Lord’s due time.

“Wherefore, when thou hast read the words which I have commanded thee, and obtained the witnesses which I have promised unto thee, then shalt thou seal up the book again, and hide it up unto me, that I may preserve the words which thou hast not read, until I shall see fit in mine own wisdom to reveal all things unto the children of men.”

When the Prophet Joseph Smith would be done translating, and after the witnesses would be invited to view the plates, the time would come when the Prophet would be instructed to return the plates to the angel for safekeeping, and this is what is meant here by “seal up the book again.” The sealed portion of the plates that the Prophet Joseph Smith was not permitted to read would be revealed in the Lord’s due time.

“For behold, I am God; and I am a God of miracles; and I will show unto the world that I am the same yesterday, today, and forever; and I work not among the children of men save it be according to their faith.”

The Lord God makes it clear that He is a God of miracles and unchangeable—and that humankind can only have intercourse with God according to their faith.

13 “And again it shall come to pass ~~Wherefore the Lord said,~~ that the Lord shall say unto him that shall read the words that shall be delivered him: Forasmuch as this people draw near unto [me] with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their hearts far from me, and their fear towards me is taught by the precept of men—”

The Lord would speak to the Prophet Joseph Smith.

Gill has, “Kimhi observes, there is a double reading of the word נגש, rendered ‘draw near’: in one reading of it, it signifies to be ‘afflicted’; and then the sense is, ‘when this people are afflicted, with their mouth, and with their lips, they honour me’; that is, when they are in distress, they pray unto him, and profess a great regard for him, speak honourably of him, and reverently to him, hoping he will help and relieve them; see Isaiah 26:16 but the other reading of the word, in which it has the signification of ‘drawing near,’ is confirmed, not only by the Masora on the text, but by the citation of it in Mathew 15:7 and designs the approach of these people to God, in acts of religion and devotion, in praying to him, and praising of him, and expressing great love and affection for him, and zeal for his cause and interest; but were all outwardly, with their lips and mouths only… their worship of God was not according to the prescription of God, and his revealed will; but according to the traditions of the elders, which they preferred to the word of God, and, by observing them, transgressed it, and made it of no effect; see Matthew 15:3.”

Regarding precepts of men, Barnes has: “That is, their views, instead of having been derived from the Scriptures, were drawn from the doctrines of mankind. Our Saviour referred to this passage and applied it to the hypocrites of his own time Matthew 15:8–9. The latter part of it is, however, not quoted literally from the Hebrew, nor from the Septuagint, but retains the sense: ‘But in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.’” Skinner writes: “Religion, being personal fellowship with God, cannot be ‘learned’ from men, but only by revelation (Matthew 16:17).” Regarding these verses, Jennings says, “And the most serious charge is that people set aside the revelation that God has given, and substitute for the revealed will of God their own precepts.”

Oliver Cowdery, recounting what Moroni shared with the Prophet Joseph Smith included these words: “Wherever the sound shall go it shall cause the ears of men to tingle, and wherever it shall be proclaimed, the pure in heart shall rejoice, while those who draw near to God with their mouths, and honor him with their lips, while their hearts are far from him, will seek its overthrow, and the destruction of those by whose hands it is carried. Therefore, marvel not if your name is made a derision, and had as a by-word among such, if you are the instrument in bringing it, by the gift of God, to the knowledge of the people.”^[12]

The Prophet Joseph Smith shared this about angel Moroni’s visit: “I was answered that I must join none of them, for they were all wrong; and the Personage who addressed me said that all their creeds were an abomination in his sight; that those professors were all corrupt; that: ‘they draw near to me with their lips,^[13] but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof.’”^[14]

14 “Therefore, ~~behold,~~ I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, [~~even~~] yea, a marvellous work and a wonder, for the wisdom of their wise [~~men~~] and learned shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent [~~men~~] shall be hid.”

Regarding the wonderful wonder among these people see Psalm 72:18, and our notes under Isaiah 29:17 (which we shall see in the next or final article in this series). Faussett well notes that the marvelous work and a wonder was associated with the strange work mentioned in Isaiah 28:21. Govett quotes John 9:39: “And Jesus said, For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.” While Jennings goes on to speak of “God giving His own Son” his words also certainly fit perfectly to the Book of Mormon that was sent forth for the very purpose of testifying of Christ, the Son of God, and the confounding of false teachings, and together with the Bible the Lord’s tool for the gathering of Israel in the last days: “[God] will add to all His marvelous works by another still more marvelous. So wonderful is this—so superhumanly wonderful—that when it comes, it shall destroy all man’s boasted wisdom, and so eclipse his prudence as to render it invisible, as the noon-day sun extinguishes the light of a taper.”

Therefore, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, yea, a marvellous work and a wonder. It is interesting that in the Talmud tradition (Seder Mo’ed, Shabbath 138b) these words are applied to the Torah, its neglect and future study: “For Rab said: The Torah is destined to be forgotten in Israel, because it is said, Then the Lord will make thy plagues wonderful: now, I do not know what this wonder is, but when it is said, Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a wonderful work among this people, even a wonderful work and a wonder [and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish], it follows that this wonder refers to Torah” (Talmud, Soncino).

As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we certainly understand this verse to be associated with Scripture, and more specifically, the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, which was written for the “convincing of both Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ.”

Elder LeGrand Richards had much to say about this glorious verse, including: “Could you imagine living upon the earth when the God of Heaven fulfills that promise made by the Prophet Isaiah and not wanting to know what that ‘marvellous work and a wonder’ is all about? No boy or girl or man or woman in this world, if they understood fully what God has done in restoring His truth to the earth in our day, could call it anything but ‘a marvellous work and a wonder.’ When the God of Heaven says that it will be a ‘marvellous work and a wonder’ in His eyes, then what ought it to be to those of us who are privileged to be partakers of it?”^[15]

For the wisdom of their wise and learned shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent shall be hid. Elder Marion G. Romney explained: “Until we come to a knowledge of God, we will continue in our distraction, regardless of how much other knowledge we acquire. The Lord, knowing all things, foresaw our present state of confusion; and long ago, speaking about us through His prophets, Isaiah and Nephi, declared, ‘The wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid’ (Isaiah 29:14; 2 Nephi 27:26). Confirming the fact, He has said in our day that the wisdom of men has perished and their understanding has come to naught. And He has specified as the reason for their loss of wisdom their forsaking of Him. His words are, ‘They have strayed from mine ordinances, and have broken mine everlasting covenant; They seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every man walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own God, whose image is in the likeness of the world’ (D&C 1:15–16).”^[16]

Elder LeGrand Richards spoke at General Conference, “I am going to tell you one more experience. A few years ago two of the major churches on the west coast, including California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Utah, and Nevada, were holding a convention here in Salt Lake. Their leader wrote a letter to President McKay and asked if he would send one of the General Authorities to attend their convention and talk for two hours in the morning session and tell them the story of Mormonism… I explained the restoration of the gospel, the difference between a restoration and a reformation… Then I held up the Bible. I said, ‘Here is the Lord’s blueprint. Isaiah said the Lord had declared the end from the beginning. It is all here. Now,’ I said, ‘you could take this, the Lord’s blueprint, and try to fit it to every church in this world, but there is only one church that it will fit, and that is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Now,’ I said, ‘I will proceed to illustrate to you what I mean.’ I said that in Canon Frederick William Farrar’s work Life of Christ (Cassell, 1902), he said there were two passages in the New Testament for which he could find no excuse. The first is John 10:16, where Jesus said, ‘And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.’ … The other passage they couldn’t understand was the one where Paul said, ‘Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?’ (1 Corinthians 15:29). [After explaining the meaning of these two scriptures Elder LeGrand Richards said] … you can’t look for the coming of the Savior as was promised by Peter and the prophets until there has been a restitution, and not a reformation.’ When I concluded, the man in charge said, ‘Mr. Richards, this has been one of the most interesting experiences of my entire life.’ That is what Isaiah meant when he said, ‘the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.’ (Isaiah 29:14).”^[17]

15 “And woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord! And their works are in the dark; and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?”

And woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord! Nyman writes: “The Book of Mormon retains the word ‘and’ in introducing the verse, which indicates that it refers back to what has been said. The warning is to those who refuse the message of the ‘marvelous work and a wonder’—the Book of Mormon—which would come forth to correct the precepts of men…”

Spencer W. Kimball taught: “Isaiah warned: ‘Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us?’ (Isaiah 29:15). Likewise our Lord suggested that men ‘loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light’ (John 3:19–20).”^[18]

16 “And they also say: Surely, your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter’s clay. But behold, I will show unto them, saith the Lord of Hosts, that I know all their works. For shall the work say of him that made it, he made me not? Or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, he had no understanding?”

(Also see Isaiah 45:9) And they also say: Surely, your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter’s clay. Barnes explains: “The sense of the passage seems to be this: ‘Your “changing of things” is just as absurd as it would be for the thing formed to say to him that formed it, why hast thou made me thus? It is as absurd for you to find fault with the government of God as it would be for the clay to complain of want of skill in the potter. You complain of God’s laws, and worship Him according to the commandments of people. You complain of his requirements, and offer to him the service of the mouth and the lip, and withhold the heart. You suppose that God does not see you, and do your deeds in darkness. All this supposes that God is destitute of wisdom, and cannot see what is done, and it is just as absurd as it would be in the clay to complain that the potter who fashions it has no understanding.’”

[1] Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, 2d ed., p.209.
[2] Bruce R. McConkie, A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, p. 442.
[3] Deep sleep.
[4] Pratt, Orson. Divine Authenticity of the Book of Mormon, number 6, Prophetic evidence in favor of the Book of Mormon, Latter-day tracts, pp. 89–90.
[5] JS–History 1:63–65
[6] Pratt, Orson. Divine Authenticity of the Book of Mormon, number 6, Prophetic evidence in favor of the Book of Mormon, Latter-day tracts, p. 88.
[7] But not in my version of Cheyne.
[8] Reynolds, Philip C., ed. Commentary on the Book of Mormon. 6 vols. Salt Lake City, Utah. Vol. IV, pp. 289–290.
[9] It is interesting to note that the Ketib has הַסֵּפֶר; the Qere סֵפֶר, but compare to verse 12, where we have הַסֵּפֶר.
[10] Cowdery, Oliver, et al., eds. Messenger and Advocate: The Latter-Day Saints’ Messenger and Advocate. Kirtland, Ohio: Letter to W. W. Phelps from Oliver Cowdery. February 1835 and continued in April 1835. Electronic text prepared by the Department of Church History and Doctrine, Brigham Young University (pp. 78–80, 108–112), 1991, p.80.
[11] Elder McConkie taught: “When there were no longer apostles and inspired men to give the Lord’s message and word to living men, the world turned to interpreters—to scholars, to doctors of divinity, to theologians, to professors of religion—to set forth what they thought or imagined the divine word of former days meant.” Bruce R. McConkie, The Mortal Messiah: From Bethlehem to Calvary, pp.251–252.
[12] Cowdery, Oliver, et al., eds. Messenger and Advocate, 1835, p. 80. See note on Isaiah 1:7.
[13] Elder Dallin H. Oaks taught: “The Book of Mormon applies this principle [of priestcraft] to those who seem to be serving the Lord but do so with a hidden motive to gain personal advantage rather than to further the work of the Lord: ‘Priestcrafts are that men preach and set themselves up for a light unto the world, that they may get gain and praise of the world; but they seek not the welfare of Zion’ (2 Nephi 26:29; see also Alma 1:16). Priestcraft is the sin committed by the combination of a good act—such as preaching or teaching the gospel—and a bad motive. The act may be good and visible, but the sin is in the motive. On earth, the wrong motive may be known only to the actor, but in heaven, it is always known to God… The sin of priestcraft is a grievous one. Time after time the Lord has condemned those who appear to men to be his servants, but who, though they draw near to him with their lips, have removed their hearts far from him. This description of those who have no true motive to serve the Lord appears in Isaiah (29:13), in Matthew (15:8), in 2 Nephi (27:25), and in Joseph Smith’s History (JSH 1:19). In modern as in ancient times, those who appear to be servants of the Lord and present themselves to labor in his vineyard are subject to the prophetic principle: ‘The laborer in Zion shall labor for Zion; for if they labor for money they shall perish’ (2 Nephi 26:31)… The commandment to avoid priestcraft is a vital challenge to religious persons in every age of time. It is easier to have clean hands than to have a pure heart. It is easier to control our acts than to control our thoughts.” Oaks, Dallin H. Pure in Heart. Salt Lake City, Utah: Bookcraft, 1988, pp. 16–18.
[14] JS–H 1:19.
[15] Elder LeGrand Richards in 1960, Brigham Young University Speeches of the Year. Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University Press, 1960–1966, pp. 6–7
[16] Romney, Marion G. Brigham Young University Speeches of the Year. Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University Press, February 11, 1964, p. 8.
[17] Elder LeGrand Richards, He Has Sent His Messenger to Prepare the Way, Ensign (CR), July 1973, p.76.
[18] Spencer W. Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness, p.213.

Isaiah 29:1-8

Gregorio Billikopf

This is Part II of the series. Ok, so this is not your one-minute version of Isaiah, even though I have abridged it. But I hope you will rejoice as you join me in learning more about this wonderful chapter. (An even more detailed version is available to those who want to download my free book, Isaiah Testifies of Christ.)

The Book of Mormon will contain the words of the righteous prophets and these words will testify to the descendants of the Lamanites and of the whole earth. The prayers of the faithful—such as Enos of whom we have already mentioned in Isaiah 28:5—will be fulfilled in that the descendants of the Lamanites will receive this book and be moved by the Spirit. The words of the Book of Mormon shall “speak from the ground.”

The Prophet Joseph Smith would play a key role in bringing forth these words in the last days (as we shall see in future installments of Isaiah 29). Through the power of the Holy Ghost, the words of the book will testify to all: Lamanite, Jew and Gentile. The Book of Mormon will be published at the last day (1) after the Nephites and Lamanites will have apostatized, (2) after the remaining Lamanites will have been humbled by the Gentile nations; and (3) at a time when the Gentile nations will be full of pride—at a time when they will have built many churches, but none unto God; at a time when they shall deny that God has any intercourse with man; at a time when miracles will be denied; and at a time when churches take advantage of the poor to build themselves up. At the last days all nations shall gather against Jerusalem. They will no more succeed than a hungry person can quench thirst or hunger in a dream.

vv. 1–8. Ariel (ארואל), or Jerusalem (ירושלים), or the City of David (דוד עיר), to include the Temple Mount, would be destroyed. One like Ariel, that is, the Nephite people, would likewise be destroyed. The people would continue to offer sacrifices upon the temple altar even after Christ would give His life for us. As a consequence, distress would come upon both of these Ariels (Jerusalem and the Nephite cities). After the destruction of the Nephites, in the latter days, the voice of the righteous prophets would come forth, as it were, from the ground (as the Book of Mormon plates were so buried).

1. “Woe to Ariel, to Ariel, the city [where] David dwelt! add ye year to year; let them kill sacrifices.

The BPE (from the Peshitta) footnotes explain that Ariel means Ari-El, or Ari of El (that is, Lion of Elohim or Abode/Home of Elohim). הוֹי, Woe, greetings, or oh! Jennings says, “Nor is it without tenderness that He here cries, ‘O Ariel, Ariel,’ for the interjection will bear equally well the rendering ‘O’ as ‘Woe.’ Thus we ought to be well prepared to see judgment and mercy mingled in what follows.” (Compare also to Isaiah 18, where הוֹי is given as a greeting rather than a warning.)

Ariel, אֲרִיאֵל. There are a number of interpretations for the meaning of this word. In Ezekiel 43:15, וְהָאֲרִאֵיל it clearly refers to the altar of burnt offerings (see Gesenius, HAL) or an “altar hearth” (WZAT[1]) from אָרָה, to burn or kindle (Delitzsch); or אור, light (Lowth). Since Jerusalem was burnt in 70 AD, it would be easy to think that this is what was meant. The Targum (𝔗) follows this perspective. Others also follow the margin ║ (e.g., Rawlinson, Barnes, Gill), i.e., the lion of God, for אֲרִיאֵל. Margin means the notes that accompany some editions, especially of the King James Version, as alternate readings. My old missionary edition of the KJV had these notes. Our present edition of the Bible preserves some of these, also.

Gill suggests: “… it seems better to understand it of the city of Jerusalem, in which David encamped, as the word [dwelt, חָנָה] signifies; or ‘encamped against’, as some; which he besieged, and took from the Jebusites, and fortified, and dwelt in; and which may be so called from its strength and fortifications, natural and artificial, and from its being the chief city of Judah, called a lion, Genesis 49:9 whose standard had a lion on it, and from whence came the Messiah, the Lion of the tribe of Judah…” [Regarding encamped also see notes on Isaiah 29:3.] Gill adds, “…the words may be considered as of one calling to Jerusalem, and lamenting over it, as Christ did, ‘O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets,’ &c. Matthew 23:37 and the mention of David’s name, and of his dwelling in it, is not only to point out what city is meant, and the greatness and glory of it; but to show that this would not secure it from ruin and destruction.”

A second very interesting point about Ariel is that several exegetes believe that reference is made to two Ariels. For instance, Gill suggests: “The words are rendered by Noldius, ‘woe to Ariel, to Ariel: to the city in which David encamped’; and he observes, that some supply the copulative ‘and; woe to Ariel, and to the city’, &c.” Clarke also speaks of two Ariels: “In the second verse it is said, I will distress Ari-el, and it shall be unto me as Ari-el. The first Ari-el here seems to mean Jerusalem, which should be distressed by the Assyrians: the second Ari-el seems to mean the altar of burnt offerings.”

Three LDS Apostles explain that two Ariels are meant (we will see Elder Orson Pratt’s narrative below, under Isaiah 29:2 notes). Elder LeGrand Richards frequently reiterated: “Not only did Isaiah see the destruction of the great city of Jerusalem, but he also saw the destruction of another great center here in America eleven hundred years after he made that prophecy.”[2] Elder Bruce R. McConkie speaks of the multiple attacks on Jerusalem or Ariel and says: “This proclamation [against Ariel] is the setting for like woes that shall come upon another people, a people who went out from Jerusalem to become a great nation, but who, in turn, through sin fell from grace and became ‘as Ariel.’ Those who are to be ‘as Ariel’ are the Nephites, as we learn from chapter 3 of Second Nephi, Nephi’s paraphrase of Isaiah 29.”[3]

Add ye year to year; let them kill sacrifices. The idea of adding year upon year (עַל־שָׁנָה שָׁנָה) here is like that of Isaiah 30, adding sin upon sin (עַל־חַטָּאת חַטָּאת). Lowth has, “Ironically: Go on year after year; keep your solemn feasts; yet know, that God will punish you for your hypocritical worship, consisting of mere form destitute of true piety.”

Elder Orson Pratt has this to say, “… the Lord threatens Ariel, or Jerusalem, with judgment: he says, ‘woe to Ariel, to Ariel, the city where David dwelt! Add ye year to year; let them kill sacrifices; yet I will distress Ariel, and there shall be heaviness and sorrow.’ After the Messiah came and was sacrificed for the sins of the world, the Jews continued to ‘kill sacrifices’ when they should have been done away; they added ‘year to year’ to the law of Moses, until they brought down ‘heaviness and sorrow,’ and great ‘distress’ upon their beloved city. The Roman army encompassed the city—cast a trench about it and finally brought it down ‘even with the ground.’ The principal part of the Jews perished, and a remnant was scattered among the nations where they have wandered in darkness unto this day.”[4] Barnes puts this clause as an ironic statement.

Let them kill sacrifices. Barnes has, “Margin║, ‘Cut off the heads.’ The word here rendered ‘kill’ (נקף) may mean to smite; to hew; to cut down Isaiah 10:34; Job 19:26. But it has also another signification which better accords with this place. It denotes to make a circle, to revolve; to go round a place Joshua 6:3, 11; to surround 1Kings 7:24; 2Kings 6:14; Psalm 17:9; 22:17; 88:18. The word rendered ‘sacrifices’ (חגים) may mean a sacrifice Exodus 23:18; Psalm 118:27; Malachi 2:3, but it more commonly and properly denotes feasts or festivals (Exodus 10:9; 12:14; Leviticus 23:39; Deuteronomy 16:10, 16:16; 1 Kings 8:2, 65; 2 Chronicles 7:8–9; Nehemiah 8:14; Hosea 2:11, 13.) Here the sense is, ‘let the festivals go round;’ that is, let them revolve as it were in a perpetual, unmeaning circle, until the judgments due to such heartless service shall come upon you. The whole address is evidently ironical, and designed to denote that all their service was an unvarying repetition of heartless forms.” Compare to Isaiah 1:11; and 66:3. But we can also see it as a siege of these two cities.

2 “Yet I will distress Ariel, and there shall be heaviness and sorrow; [for thus hath the Lord said unto me,] ~~and~~ it shall be unto ~~me as~~ Ariel;”

Yet I will distress Ariel, and there shall be heaviness and sorrow. Gill says, “… this he would do, notwithstanding their yearly sacrifices, and their observance of their solemn feasts, and other ceremonies of the law, in which they placed their confidence, and, neglected weightier matters.” Cheyne translates, וַאֲנִיָּה תַאֲנִיָּה, instead of heaviness and sorrow, as moaning and bemoaning, thus retaining the paronomasia.

Elder Orson Pratt, as we said, speaks about the second Ariel: “The latter part of the second verse [of Isaiah 29:2] speaks of another event that should be similar to the one which was to happen to Ariel, or Jerusalem: it reads thus; And it shall be unto me as Ariel’ [Isaiah 29:2]. This cannot have reference to Ariel itself, but it must refer to something which should be ‘As Ariel.’ It would be folly to say that Ariel shall be as Ariel. Therefore the word ‘it’ must refer to a nation that should suffer similar judgments to those which should befall Jerusalem. In the three following verses the Lord describes more fully the second event; he says, ‘And I will camp against thee round about, and will lay siege against thee with a mount, and I will raise forts against thee. And thou shall be brought down, and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust. Moreover, the multitude of thy strangers shall be like small dust, and the multitude of the terrible ones shall be as chaff that passeth away; yea, it shall be at an instant suddenly.’ These predictions of Isaiah could not refer to Ariel or Jerusalem because their speech has not been ‘out of the ground, or low out of the dust’ but it refers to the remnant of Joseph who were destroyed in America upwards of fourteen hundred years ago. The Book of Mormon describes their downfall, and truly it was great and terrible. At the crucifixion of Christ, ‘the multitude of their terrible ones,’ as Isaiah predicted ‘became as chaff that passeth away,’ and it took place, as he further predicts, ‘at an instant suddenly.’ Many of their great and magnificent cities were destroyed by fire, others by earth thereby buried in the depths of the earth. This sudden destruction came upon them because they had stoned and killed the prophets sent among them. Between three and four hundred years after Christ they again fell into great wickedness, and the principal nation fell in battle. Forts were raised in all parts of the land, the remains of which may be seen at the present day. Millions of people perished in battle and they suffered just as the Lord foretold by Isaiah—And I will camp against thee round about, and will lay siege against thee with a mount, and I will raise forts against thee, and thou shalt be brought down, and shalt speak out of the ground,’ etc. This remnant of Joseph in their distress and destruction, became unto the Lord as Ariel. As the Roman army lay siege to Ariel, and brought upon her great distress and sorrow, so did the contending nations of ancient America bring upon each other the most direful scenes of blood and carnage. Therefore, the Lord could, with the greatest propriety, when speaking in reference to this event, declare that, ‘It shall be unto me as Ariel.’”[5]

A Latter-day Saint scholar Philip Reynolds explains: “…remember that the Lamanites, about 100 B.C., built a city which they called Jerusalem (Alma 21:2), which was destroyed at the time of the crucifixion (3 Nephi 9:7).” [6] We also need to turn our attention to 3 Nephi 8:5–7; 11–12.

3 “~~And~~ [That] I [the Lord] will camp against ~~thee~~ [her] round about, and will lay siege against ~~thee~~ [her] with a mount, and I will raise forts against ~~thee~~ [her].”

The Targum (𝔗) has, “And I will encamp against thee with armies; and I will build a fortified camp (כַרקֹום[7]) against thee, and I will cast up a mound against thee.”

The whole notion of encamping around (Isaiah 29:3, 1) is very interesting to us as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as we turn to 2 Nephi 26:15, 18 and read about the many fortifications to be built, to no avail, by the peoples in the American continent whose fall would be as abrupt as that of Jerusalem in 70 AD.

That I the Lord will. Faussett, Gill, Barnes and many others agree with the Book of Mormon and the JST in making these the words of the Lord.

… camp against her round about, and will lay siege against her with a mount, and I will raise forts against her. Faussett suggests that the prophecy would be more fully fulfilled by the “Roman siege (Luke 19:43; 21:20).” As we have said, this attack would take place not only against Jerusalem but also against the Nephites in the final battle.

Mounts and forts. LHI assigns to צַרְתִּי / מְצֻרֹת the idea of siege works or apparatus that were used to overcome or destroy the fortified walls. Regarding the siege we read in the ISBE[8] a number of related operations. The process of besieging included (1) surrounding the city, (2) placing archers on forts to discharge their weapons, (3) an inclined road made of packed soil and other matter was constructed so battering rams could be brought against the walls of the city, (4) battering rams could now be used to tear down or breach the walls, and (5) finally rushing the breach through which the attacking armies could enter the surrounded cities.

4 “And ~~thou~~ [she] shalt be brought down, [and] shalt speak out of the ground, and ~~thy~~ [her] speech shall be low out of the dust; and ~~thy~~ [her] voice shall be as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and ~~thy~~ [her] speech shall whisper out of the dust.”

And she shalt be brought down. Gill writes, “To the ground, and laid level with it, even the city of Jerusalem, as it was by the Romans.” And no doubt Jerusalem was also intended as one that would be brought down. The idea here also corresponds to the peoples of ancient America that were brought down after the great and last battle of the Nephites and the Lamanites around Hill Cumorah as well as the disasters that took place in the American continent at the time of the crucifixion of Christ.

And shalt speak out of the ground, and her speech shall be low out of the dust; and her voice shall be as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and her speech shall whisper out of the dust. The Targum (𝔗) has, “And shalt speak from beneath the earth …” Nägelsbach writes: “[9]שׁחַח is used by Isaiah with tolerable frequency (Isaiah 2:9, 11, 17; 5:15; 25:12; 26:5). The word is used especially of a suppressed voice (Ecclesiastes 12:14)… The voice will, like that of the spirit of one dead, come forth out of the earth.” And if we follow Gesenius, not just come forth, but spring forth with the force of a wild beast who is low, ready to leap with much energy. ¶ The words of Elder Orson Pratt fill my eyes with tears of joy: “One of the most marvelous things connected with this prediction is that after the nation should be brought down, they should ‘speak out of the ground.’ [Isaiah 29:4.] This is mentioned or repeated four times in the same verse. Never was a prophecy more truly fulfilled than this in the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. Joseph Smith took that sacred history ‘out of the ground.’ It is the voice of the ancient prophets of America speaking ‘out of the ground’; their speech is ‘low out of the dust’; it speaks in a most familiar manner of the doings of by gone ages; it is the voice of those who slumber in the dust. It is the voice of prophets speaking from the dead, crying repentance in the ears of the living. In what manner could a nation, after they were brought down and destroyed, ‘speak out of the ground?’ Could their dead bodies, or their dust, or their ashes speak? Verily, no: they can only speak by their writings or their books that they wrote while living. Their voice, speech or words, can only ‘speak out of the ground,’ or ‘whisper out of the dust’ by their books or writings being discovered.”[10] I wish to testify of the tremendous force with which the Spirit of the Holy Ghost will affirm the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon and of the divinity of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ … permitting the ancient Nephite and Lamanite prophets to whisper out of the dust. See my conversion story in the January 1992 Ensign, entitled “On Sacred Ground.”

5 “Moreover the multitude of ~~thy~~ her strangers shall be like small dust, and the multitude of the terrible ones [shall be] as chaff that passeth away; yea, it shall be at an instant suddenly.”

Moreover the multitude of her strangers shall be like small[11] dust (דַּק כְּאָבָק). Gill says “… the simile of ‘small dust,’ to which they are compared, is not used to express the weakness of them, but the greatness of their number.” Rawlinson says: “In primitive societies every stranger is an enemy; and hence language the formation of primitive men often has one word for the two ideas. In Latin hostis is said to have originally meant ‘foreigner’ (Cic., ‘De Off,’ 1:12).” The Nephites, in the last battle in Cumorah were surrounded by an innumerable enemy or strange people.

And the multitude of the terrible ones shall be as chaff that passeth away. Rawlinson says, “‘Chaff,’ in Scripture, is always a metaphor for weakness.” This clause refers not to the attackers (those were described as small dust because of their great numbers), but rather to the attacked, the Nephite nation who at one time had been great. Now, they were consumed as chaff. While a few were indeed scattered, most were killed on Hill Cumorah. Those who were left were hunted down and killed by the Lamanites. Moroni was the only Nephite who lived to tell the story (Moroni 1).

It shall be at an instant suddenly. Elder Mark E. Peterson wrote: “Isaiah’s words were fulfilled to the letter. The people who wrote the Book of Mormon were indeed destroyed ‘at an instant suddenly’ (Isaiah 29:5). The book was sealed and placed in the ground for safekeeping by the last survivor of the Nephite nation—Moroni.”[12]

“[But, behold, in the last days, or in the days of the Gentiles—yea, behold all the nations of the Gentiles and also the Jews, both those who shall come upon this land and those who shall be upon other lands, yea, even upon all the lands of the earth, behold, they will be drunken with iniquity and all manner of abominations--]

6 [And when that day shall come] ~~Thou shalt~~ [they shall] be visited of the Lord of hosts, with thunder and with earthquake, and [with a] great noise, [and] with storm, and [with] tempest, and [with] the flame of devouring fire.”

This speaks of the total apostasy that would prevail before the coming of the Book of Mormon (as indicated by the idea of being drunken with iniquity and all manner of abominations, as we also saw in Isaiah 28).

And when that day shall come they shall be visited of the Lord of hosts, with thunder and with earthquake, and with a great noise, and with storm, and with tempest, and with the flame of devouring fire. Faussett well says that these verses refer to the last days, a time where neither Jew nor Gentile shall be possessed of the truth. (Also see D&C 88:88–90.)

7 “And ~~the multitude of~~ all the nations that fight against ~~Ariel~~ [Zion], ~~even all that fight against her and her munition,~~ and that distress her, shall be as a dream of a night vision;”

The Targum (𝔗) has, “And the multitude of all the nations, that are gathered together against the city, and the altar which is in her, and all their camps and their armies, that are oppressing her, shall be like a phantom (literally, as a dream of the imagination) of the night.” The LXX (𝔊) uses Αριηλ (Ariel) in the first instance but Ιερουσαλημ (Jerusalem) instead of her in the same verse.

The Book of Mormon has Zion (צִיּוֹן) here, rather than the Ariel (אֲרִיאֵל) found in the Masoretic text, which makes the comments by Nägelsbach particularly interesting: “The concluding words of this verse ‘the multitude of all the nations that fight against Mount Zion,’ which correspond exactly to what we find in Isaiah 29:7, except that there instead of ‘Mount Zion’ the name ‘Ariel’ occurs, furnish the key to the understanding of the enigmatical word Ariel. Can it be deemed accidental that the Prophet in Isaiah 29:8 repeats those words of Isaiah 29:7 with the sole change of substituting for ‘Ariel’ the words ‘Mount Zion?’” The Book of Mormon does have a small difference, Zion (צִיּוֹן) vs. Mount Zion (צִיּוֹן הַר).

Govett, while also speaking of the early verses of this chapter, makes suggestions that fit well here: “These characteristics [i.e., dream of a night vision] point out that time as the day of the Saviour’s second advent. Moreover, as the enemies of Jerusalem are in the 7^th verse stated to be ‘a multitude of all nations,’ this proves that the siege here spoken of will take place at the time of the Great Confederacy, so often alluded to. If the reader will compare this chapter with the twelfth and fourteenth chapters of Zechariah, he will discover the most evident harmony in the siege of Jerusalem there predicted; in its besiegers being ‘all nations,’ in the issue,—their utter discomfiture; and that too, after they have taken the city…”

Elder Bruce R. McConkie said: “In the day when all nations are gathered at Jerusalem to fight against the chosen people; in the day when the house of Judah accepts Him in whose hands and feet are the nail marks of Calvary; when they look upon him whom they have pierced and ask, ‘What are these wounds in thine hands?’ (Zechariah 13:6); and when he identifies himself as their God—in that day, the Lord of Hosts, the ancient God of battles, shall again fight their battles. Israel shall triumph. Their enemies shall be destroyed.”[13]

Elder McConkie also says: “Let us be reminded that most of the wars fought from the fall of man to this hour have been religious wars. It was so before the flood; it was so in ancient Israel… and it will be so—a thousand times over—in the coming Armageddon. The nations that distress Jerusalem in that day will be in opposition to the Lord Jehovah. They will be fighting against Mount Zion.”[14]

8 “Yea, it shall be unto them, even be as ~~when an~~ unto a hungry [man] which dreameth, and, behold, he eateth, but he awaketh and his soul is empty: or ~~as when~~ like unto a thirsty man which* dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh, but he awaketh, and, behold, [he is] faint, and his soul hath appetite; Yea, even so shall the multitude of all the nations be that fight against mount Zion.” * JST: uses “who” instead of “which.”

Yea, it shall be unto them, even as unto a hungry man which dreameth, and, behold, he eateth, but he awaketh and his soul is empty. Have we not all experienced similar dreams at one time or another? Those who fight against the Lord will no more have power over Israel than to satisfy their hunger or thirst while they dream. The natural man may be ever searching to dictate to God but no satisfaction can be obtained—no enduring happiness—unless we align our desires with those of God.

Or like unto a thirsty man which dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh, but he awaketh, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite. Rawlinson explains, “The entire host of the ‘terrible ones’ would melt away and disappear, as a night vision before the light of day it would dissolve into nothing, vanish, leave no trace.” This speaks against Israel’s enemies.

Yea, even so shall the multitude of all the nations be that fight against mount Zion. Once again, this has reference to the nations who in the last days will surround Jerusalem and will even succeed to some degree before the triumphal entry by the Lord of hosts who will stand in the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem and the mount will then split in two making possible the refuge and escape of the Lord’s people. A nation will be born in a day as they are converted to the Lord and recognize Jesus Christ as the Holy One of Israel (Isaiah 66:8).

[1] Wörterbuch zum Alten Testament.

[2] Elder LeGrand Richards, A Testimony, Ensign (CR), November 1980, p.63. Also see Elder LeGrand Richards, Conference Report, April 1967, First Day-Morning Meeting, p.21–22.

[3] Bruce R. McConkie, A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, pp.430–436.

[4] Pratt, Orson. Divine Authenticity of the Book of Mormon, number 6, Prophetic evidence in favor of the Book of Mormon, Latter-day tracts, p. 87.

[5] Ibid.

[6] Reynolds, Philip C., ed. Commentary on the Book of Mormon. Salt Lake City, Utah. 4:289–290.

[7]According to the Targum Lexicon, ‘Siege works.’

[8] See SIEGE in ISBN for a very interesting and thorough article on this subject—in terms of the actions of both the attackers and the defenders.

[9] Gesenius has, “To sink down, Habakkuk 3:6; used of beasts of prey couching down and lying in wait in their lairs, Job 38:40,” and LHI has low.

[10] Pratt, Orson. Divine Authenticity of the Book of Mormon, number 6, Prophetic evidence in favor of the Book of Mormon, Latter-day tracts, p. 87.

[11] HCSB, LHI, ISV, LBP, LITV, NASB, and RV use fine. Most others use small.

[12] Mark E. Petersen, Isaiah for Today, p.108.

[13] Bruce R. McConkie, A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, pp.430–436.

[14] Ibid.

Isaiah 29: Part I

Gregorio Billikopf

President Russell M. Nelson has asked that we especially study those portions of the Bible that testify of the Book of Mormon. In this series we will study Isaiah 29, one of the most glorious chapters in Holy Writ. It declares the coming forth of that book of books, as Elder Parley P. Pratt called the Book of Mormon.

The Lord, in His mercy, made provisions for the descendants of the Lamanites to hear the word in the last days (see Enos 1:12–13). The writings of the Nephite prophets—as well as the Jaredites—were to come forth as the Book of Mormon many centuries after these prophets lived upon the earth. This book, together with the Bible, bears the most solemn witness of the divinity of Christ.

In preparation to ponder Isaiah 29, we will first examine 2 Nephi 26:14–20, verses are intimately associated with our topic. You may also wish to study 2 Nephi 25–33. I have interposed some explicatory comments in brackets. I have also taken the liberty of stressing some key words in the text and they appear in blue.

As always, your comments and observations are welcome. I love to think of my writings as comments I may have made as a participant in a Sunday School class. You may have ideas to add, o may view the topic in a different way. This way we can all be edified and learn together.

“14 But behold, I [Nephi] prophesy unto you concerning the last days [the time when the Church of Jesus Christ would once again be restored upon the earth]; concerning the days when the Lord God shall bring these things [the Book of Mormon] forth unto the children of men.”

“15 After my seed [the Nephites] and the seed of my brethren [the Lamanites] shall have dwindled in unbelief [as both the Nephites and Lamanites would turn away from the Lord and the Church of Jesus Christ], and shall have been smitten by the Gentiles [after the European colonists conquer the American continent and subdue the Lamanites]; yea, after the Lord God shall have camped against them [the Nephite nation] round about, and shall have laid siege against them with a mount, and raised forts against them; and after they shall have been brought down low in the dust, even that they are not [the Nephite nation shall be extinguished], yet the words of the righteous shall be written [the Book of Mormon will contain the words of the righteous prophets], and the prayers of the faithful shall be heard [such as the prophet Enos and others], and all those who have dwindled in unbelief [the Lamanite nation] shall not be forgotten.”

“16 For those who shall be destroyed [the Nephites] shall speak unto them out of the ground [representing the Book of Mormon, that would be buried and brought forth out of the ground], and their speech shall be low out of the dust, and their voice shall be as one that hath a familiar spirit [all of these are various ways of representing the Holy Ghost, speaking forth and bearing witness of the truth spoken by the Nephite Prophets long buried as well as the words of the Plates of Brass or the Bible]; for the Lord God will give unto him power [to the Prophet Joseph Smith, in terms of being able to translate the words into English so they transmit the message with power], that he may whisper concerning them, even as it were out of the ground; and their speech shall whisper out of the dust [through the Book of Mormon that will be unburied and the testimonies of the prophets of the Book of Mormon].”

“17 For thus saith the Lord God: They shall write the things which shall be done among them, and they shall be written and sealed up in a book [the Book of Mormon, Not just the sealed portion of the plates is considered ‘sealed.’ Nephi also uses this word when describing the return of the Book of Mormon plates to the Lord after its translation: “For after the book of which I have spoken shall come forth, and be written unto the Gentiles, and sealed up again unto the Lord, there shall be many which shall believe the words which are written; and they shall carry them forth unto the remnant of our seed” (2 Nephi 30:3b)], and those who have dwindled in unbelief [the Nephite and Lamanite nations of old] shall not have them, for they seek to destroy the things of God.”

“18 Wherefore, as those who have been destroyed have been destroyed speedily [both those at time of crucifixion and final battles around Cumorah]; and the multitude of their terrible ones shall be as chaff that passeth away—yea, thus saith the Lord God: It shall be at an instant, suddenly—[both those at time of crucifixion and final battles around Cumorah]”

“19 And it shall come to pass, that those who have dwindled in unbelief [the remnant of the Lamanite nation at the time that the European settlers arrive in America] shall be smitten by the hand of the Gentiles [the European settlers].”

“20 And the Gentiles are lifted up in the pride of their eyes [the European settlers], and have stumbled, because of the greatness of their stumbling block [pride and blindness so they could not recognize Christ], that they have built up many churches; nevertheless, they put down the power and miracles of God, and preach up unto themselves their own wisdom and their own learning, that they may get gain and grind upon the face of the poor [thus requiring that the Lord re-establish the Church of Jesus Christ once again, rather than reform any of the existing churches of the time].”

Beginning with the next article in the series, we will get into the meat of the verses within Isaiah 29 itself.

A Nail in a Sure Place

Gregorio Billikopf

We will here briefly look at three verses from Isaiah 22.

Isaiah 22:23. “And I will fasten him [as] a nail in a sure place; and he shall be for a glorious throne to his father’s house.”

And I will fasten him [as] a nail in a sure place. The word nail is used twice as a Messianic figure: In Ezra 9:8 we read: “to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place.” And Zechariah 10:4, “Out of him came forth the corner, out of him the nail.” The Targum (𝔗) is explicit about the Messianic meaning: “מְשִיחֵיה,” or “their anointed one.”

Many exegetes speak about houses in the east built with pre-formed protrusions—or nails—as the hardness or softness of the building materials would not permit the adding of nails after its completion. These nails were thus made sure.

Lowth has, “We see, therefore, that these nails were of necessary and common use, and of no small importance, in all their apartments; conspicuous, and much exposed to observation: and if they seem to us mean [i.e., ordinary, common—GB] and insignificant, it is because we are not acquainted with the thing itself, and have no name to express it by, but what conveys to us a low and contemptible idea. ‘Grace hath been shewed from the Lord our God, (saith Ezra 9:8), to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place :’ that is, as the margin║ of our Bible explains it, ‘a constant and sure abode.’”

Elder Bruce R. McConkie (The Promised Messiah: The First Coming of Christ, p.529) explains: “Old Testament prophecies about the crucifixion, as that volume of Holy Writ now stands, do not use the word crucify, but notwithstanding this, in some respects they are even more pointed and express than their Book of Mormon counterparts … Ezra even speaks of ‘a nail in his holy place’ (Ezra 9:8), and Isaiah of ‘the nail that is fastened in the sure place,’ having reference to the nails driven in the Crucified One … As to these prophecies, whoso readeth let him understand.”

This comment about “whose readeth” calls upon the reader to recall something they already know or suggests that the topic is too sacred to dwell upon.

And he shall be for a glorious throne to his father’s house. Regarding the word throne, Gill well says, “Christ is the brightness of his Father’s glory; and, to them that believe, he is an honour; he is on a glorious throne himself, and he will bring all his Father’s family to sit with him on the same throne (see 1 Samuel 2:8).” Rawlinson, also making this a type of the Messiah has, “So shall all members of the family of God, made sons of God by adoption in Christ, participate in the final glory of Christ in his eternal kingdom.” Simeon has, “Was Eliakim ‘a glorious throne to his father’s house?’ Jesus also, by his righteous administration, advances the glory of his heavenly Father.”

Isa iah 22:24. And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father’s house, the offspring and the issue, all vessels of small quantity, from the vessels of cups, even to all the vessels of flagons.”

Kay explains: “The glorious promises made to David … shall be suspended upon him. Men, indeed, have turned the glory of the Davidic covenant into shame (cp. Psalm 4:2); and the house of David has fallen. But He whom ‘God will raise up’ shall ‘build the temple of the Lord, and He shall bear the glory (Zechariah 6:13); having first born ‘the shame’ (Hebrews 12:2) … for He would ‘bear the iniquities of all’ (Isaiah 53:6, 11).”

David, here, is in reference to the Savior.

The offspring and the issue. Henderson explains: “Both צֶּאֱצָאִים and צְּפִעוֹת are botanical terms,—the former descriptive of what comes out of the earth generally, and applied figuratively to children, Job 5:25; 21:8; Isaiah 48:19; 61:9; the latter, of the worthless shoots of trees.”

All vessels of small quantity, from the vessels of cups, even to all the vessels of flagons. The Targum (𝔗) has, “From young men to little ones, from the priests clothed with the ephod to the Levites that are holding lyres [Stenning and Chilton have harps].” Rashi (in Rosenberg) explains: “Accordingly, it is an expression of the ministration vessels with which the priests perform the service in the Temple.”

Calvin well says, regarding כֹּל כְּלֵי הַקָּטָן, all vessels of small quantity, “When he speaks of musical vessels, he follows out what he had said in a single word; for it serves to explain the word קטן, little; as if he had said that that there would be nothing so small, or minute, or insignificant, that he would not take charge of it.”

Simeon beautifully has, “Jesus is indeed ‘a nail fastened in a sure place;’ and able to bear the weight of the whole universe. He is exalted by the hand of God himself on purpose that He may ‘be a Prince and a Saviour’ unto us.”

Isaiah 22:25. “In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall the nail that is fastened in the sure place be removed, and be cut down, and fall; and the burden that [was] upon it shall be cut off: for the LORD hath spoken [it].”

In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, shall the nail that is fastened in the sure place be removed, and be cut down, and fall. Eliakim is put for a type of Christ, as well as a righteous man, contrasted to Shebna. So the idea of Eliakim being cut down is troublesome until we understand in what sense this happened.

Rawlinson and Kay give the most satisfactory and beautiful solution. Rawlinson explains, “Is it not possible that the prophet, seeing in Eliakim a type of the Messiah, and becoming more and more Messianic in his utterances, has ended by forgetting the type altogether, and being absorbed in the thought of the antitype? He, the nail so surely fixed in his eternal place, would nevertheless be ‘removed’ for a time, and then ‘be cut down and fall’ (compare Isaiah 52:14; 53:8). At the same time would be ‘cut off’ the burden which Messiah bore (Isaiah 53:12, ‘He bare the sin of many’).”

Regarding the expression in that day, Rawlinson continues: “Is not the day that of Christ’s earthly mission, when it seemed as if his people were about to acknowledge him (Matthew 21:1–11; Mark 11:1–10; Luke 19:29–40), and his throne to be established, but suddenly Messiah was ‘cut off’ (Daniel 9:26)—stricken for the transgression of his people (Isaiah 53:8)?”

Kay writes, “Isaiah 22:25 contains, in germ, what was revealed to Daniel;—that the ‘holy of holies should be anointed,’ and ‘Messiah the prince’ come; but that He should be ‘cut off,’ and ‘the city and the sanctuary be destroyed’ (Daniel 9:24, 26) … When Christ expired, the Temple veil was rent. Then the whole dispensation came virtually to an end. Then ‘the burden that was’ upon Him ‘was cut off,’ —all that heavy burden of ignominy, which He endured, when they crucified the Lord of glory (1 Corinthians 2:8); and the name, Eliakim, had its fulfillment in His resurrection and glorification. Then were ‘the sure mercies of David’ established (Isaiah 55:3; Acts 13:34).”

Kay explains that these things were spoken of the great High Priest, even Jesus Christ (Revelation 1:17–18). And further states: “The word for ‘be removed’ [תָּמוּשׁ] is the same that is used in Isaiah 54:10; Jeremiah 31:36; where the new, immoveable, covenant is spoken of. The ‘cutting off’ of Messiah was in order to bring in ‘everlasting righteousness.’ The departure of the risen Saviour was in order to establish ‘a kingdom that cannot be moved.’”

And the burden that [was] upon it shall be cut off: for the Lord hath spoken [it]. The Targum (𝔗), “And there shall be accomplished the burden of prophecy, which was concerning him; because the Word [Chilton and Stenning have Memra] of the Lord hath so decreed it.” I testify of the Divinity of Christ, even the Holy One of Israel.

Several exegetes explain that the burden could well represent the sins of the world, when Christ triumphed through the expiatory sacrifice. Rawlinson continues with the Messianic line of thought: “For the Lord hath spoken it. The double attestation, at the beginning and at the end of the verse, is a mark of the vast importance of the announcement contained in it, which is, in fact, the germ of the great doctrine of the atonement” (emphasis added).

Photo credit: Ricky Turner-579980-unsplash

The Savior Quotes Isaiah Isaiah in the New Testament

Darryl Alder

Read Part 1 of this post by clicking here

Isaiah is often quoted in the New Testament. The Savior cites him at least seven times and His apostles forty. But that is not all, because Jesus knew Isaiah well, he often paraphrased the prophet. Below are some examples of him both quoting and paraphrasing the prophet.

Isaiah 61:1–2 describes the ministry of the Messiah to the poor:

1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

As Jesus recited the Beatitudes, in Matthew 5:1–11, He is likely alluding to the above prophecy, using some of its words:

3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted,
5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

Jesus speaking in parables fulfills the prophecy in Isaiah 6:9–10

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.¹

Matthew 13: 13–15
13 For this reason, I speak to them in parables, so that seeing they see not, and hearing they hear not, nor do they understand.
14 The prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled in them when he said, “Hearing you will hear but you will not understand, and seeing you will see but not perceive.
15 The heart of this people grew fat, and their ears heavy, and they closed their eyes so that they would not see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand in their heart and turn that I might heal them.”
16 Blessed are your eyes that see and your ears that hear.² (See also Mk 4:12; Lk 8:10).

Jesus calls out scribes and Pharisees for their duplicity toward God in Matthew 15:8-9: “Hypocrites, Isaiah rightly prophesied of you, saying, ‘ This people honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain they honor me, teaching things that are the precepts of men .’”² (see Isaiah 29:13 Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men) Also qutoed in Mark 7:6–7).

When Jesus cleansed the temple from the buying and selling, he references Isaiah’s words in Isaiah 56:7 on how God’s house was intended to operate:

7 Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.

Matthew writes in Chapter 21:

12 ¶ And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,
13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves. (see also Mk 11:17; Lk 19:46).

Also in Matthew 21, Jesus alludes to Isaiah in the parable of the vineyard where Isaiah records in Chapter 5:

Isaiah 5

Matthew 21

1 Now, will I sing to my well-beloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My well-beloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill:
2 And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein: and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.
3 And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard.
4 What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?
5 And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; andbreak down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down:
6 And I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it.
7 For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant: and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry.

33 Hear another parable:
There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country:
34 And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it.
35 And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.
36 Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise.
37 But last, of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.
38 But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.
39 And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.
40 When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?
41 They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons. (see also Mk 12:1; Lk 20:9).

Mark 2:19 records: And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? as long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. Here the Savior is making an allusion to Isaiah 62:4-5:

4 Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzi-bah, and thy land Beulah: for the Lord delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married.
5 For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.

In Mark 9, Jesus teaches concerning the condemnation of those who offend His little ones and ends each in verses 43-48 with: “Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched” three separate times. This “quotation from Isaiah 66:24 … makes little sense, but in the context of Isaiah, it speaks of the apocalyptic destruction that will come on all nations.”³

Luke 4 records a return visit to Jesus’ childhood synagogue in Nazareth, where while quoting Isaiah, He proclaims His divine sonship:

16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.
17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,
18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. (see Isa. 61:1–2)
20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.
21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

In Luke 10, as the Seventy were returning from their brief missions to prepare the way for Jesus, they marveled at what they had been able to do in His name. To this Jesus said:

18 “I saw Satan as lightning falling from heaven.
19 I give you power to tread on snakes and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing will hurt you.
20 But do not rejoice that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in the heavens.” ⁴

Here the Savior makes an allusion to Isaiah 14:12

12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

(Wayment suggests comparisons of this verse in Psalm 41:13 and 2 Nephi 2:17)

Isaiah foresaw the Savior’ death as recorded in Chapter 53:12

“Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”

Jesus cited this same scripture during the last supper as recorded in Luke 22:37 claiming His would be a sinner’s death:

37 For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end.

In John 6, near the Sea of Galilee, Jesus taught that His ministry allows the people to be taught of God (Is 54:13; Jn 6:45).

45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.

Once again Jesus is quoting Isaiah in 54:13 And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children.

Be sure to keep up on Isaiah by subscribing to our newsletter; leave us this info:

FOOTNOTES

¹Wayment, Thomas A.. The New Testament: A New Translation for Latter-day Saints, Kindle Edition.
²Ibid.
³Ibid.
⁴Ibid.

The Dead Sea Scrolls: A Path to the Book Of Mormon Interview with Stephen Ricks

Darryl Alder

Darryl: Hi, I’m Darryl Alder, with the searchsaiah.org team and this is Discover with Darryl. Today, we have Shirley and Stephen Ricks with us who’ve had experiences in the Jerusalem center. Steven is probably one of the only people I know besides Don Perry, who’s had a chance to examine the Great Isaiah Scroll.

Steven: I haven’t, but Don has had good experience with reading and studying the Great Isaiah Scroll.

Darryl: I was fascinated to find this book, The Dead Sea Scrolls: Questions and Responses for Latter-Day saints. It Seems like there’s 70 if I remember, and lots of them were timely. So, one of the things that we’re finding in working with college students, millennial age students, they have a lot of questions about the validity of the Book of Mormon. They hear about Deutro-Trito Isaiah, and there’s some insights we could probably gain from the Dead Sea Scrolls. Can you share some thoughts with us?

Steven: The writers of the Dead Sea Scrolls were deeply interested in Isaiah. It is perhaps the most thoroughly studied and widely quoted book that one finds in the Dead Sea Scrolls. I think only the book of Psalms are quoted more frequently. And the Great Isaiah scroll that you had mentioned before that my colleague, Don Perry, has been working on is the only scroll that has been copied completely.

Darryl: Do we have all 66 chapters of Isaiah?

Steven: All of the chapters from the Great Isaiah scrolls are still extant and accessible for reading.

Darryl: So, your background is in the humanities, and you speak Hebrew?

Steven: I have studied Hebrew, as a student studying biblical Hebrew.I also studied for a couple of years at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. I say to people, even though I got my degree from the University of California, Berkley and Graduate Theological Union in Near Eastern religions, I got my education at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. It was huge and determinative in my life, and I did not spend a great deal of time studying Isaiah, but I have been able to study Hebrew and the other Semitic languages.

Darryl: When you look at ancient Hebrew, is it vastly different than what you studied?

Steven: Not a great deal different. Modern Hebrew is a renewal of the ancient and medieval Hebrew languages. If you can read modern Hebrew, Biblical Hebrew was not particularly difficult, although there may be a few changes in grammar and syntax, and in vocabulary. When you know modern Hebrew, it’s a little trickier, but you can learn. If you know Biblical Hebrew, you can learn modern Hebrew.

Darryl: When you look at the markings on The Great Isaiah Scroll, is that something you could still read?

Steven: Yes. The Great Isaiah Scroll is something that those who look at The Dead Sea Scrolls in Hebrew would be able to read. There are no vowels since vowelling didn’t get developed until about the 7th or 8th century AD but it’s quite legible. I’m guessing my colleague, Don Perry, who has done a great deal of study of this when he teaches his class also asks them to read the Hebrew script, which is quite recognizable from the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Darryl: If we refer back to this book again, The Dead Sea Scrolls: Questions and Responses for Latter-Day saints, is there one that stands out for you, a question and response that you and Don gave?

Steven: The one thing that I do recollect is the similarities between what we find in the Dead Sea Scrolls and what we find in the Book of Mormon.

Darryl: And you wrote a paper about that, I’ve seen it at the Maxwell Institute. I love the beginning, where you talked about, they left the mother city…

Steven: They left the mother city because they saw that it had become irretrievably corrupt and was ripe for destruction. They went out into the wilderness whereas the peoples of the Dead Sea scrolls settled in a community there. The family of Lehi continued down, what we describe now as the Silk Road through the Arabian Peninsula and continued from there across the Arabian Peninsula and took a ship from the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula to the Americas.

Darryl: So, are there some other similarities between the Qumran community?

Steven: They loved the Scriptures. Excuse me for interrupting you. Those that were part of Lehi community, with the exception possibly of Laman and Lemuel and the members of the community at Qumran, they loved the Scriptures. Nephi particularly was keen about the book of Isaiah. Just as the writers of the Dead Sea Scrolls quoted extensively from Isaiah and devoted their attention to copying Isaiah, so we find in the Book of Mormon extensive quotations from Isaiah.

Darryl: One of the things that I noticed as I was looking through your publications, is that you had worked with other scrolls, not the Isaiah Scroll. Did anything jump out at you as you examined any of the other Qumran scrolls?

Steven: Yes, the role of the community among the Dead Sea Scrolls is the one that I have done the most extensive work with, and though I haven’t yet published about it, I have become fairly well acquainted with the background of it. It is the regulations for the life of a community that lives out in the desert. I do remember a connection between what we find in Isaiah chapter 40 and what we see quoted in the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Whereas in the Isaiah materials, we find a phrase, a voice crying in the wilderness, ‘kovl kovre’ the voice that cries in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord. The Dead Sea scrolls writers seeing themselves as that true Israel that had made their home in the wilderness, recasts it to be a voice of one who calls out ‘In the wilderness’ prepare a way for the Lord.

So, the wilderness becomes crucial to them for preparing a way for the Messiah. The peoples of the Dead Sea Scrolls, also the family of Lehi was Messianic Israelites. The Messiah was keenly a part of the focus of the writers of the Dead Sea Scrolls as also Lehi and his family, and Isaiah as well.

We see in the quotations that we find of Isaiah in the Book of Mormon, some of the key themes that are mentioned by Isaiah. They include the Messiah, the temple, and the scattering and gathering of Israel. Isaiah, I could describe quite easily as a Messianic Israelite.

The family of Lehi can easily be described as a family of Messianic Israelites, and the writers of the Dead Sea Scrolls can be described as a group of Messianic Israelites. They all looked forward with great anticipation to the coming of the Messiah, all of them.

Darryl: And all of this six to seven hundred years before Christ was born.

Steven: That’s right. It’s as though, even before the birth of Christ, there were people who were Messianists. They were Christians before there was a Christian Church. We can understand the Book of Mormon better if we see it as a record of Messianic Israelites that left Jerusalem and made their way to the new world and lived there with great messianic expectations.

Darryl: Well, we really appreciate you coming in for this interview today. We hope to have you come back really soon, thank you for joining us.

Steven: Thank you so much.

Take the 1 Minute Isaiah Challenge

Search Isaiah

Joseph Spencer Shares 3 Ways to Make Isaiah Clear and Enlightening, Not Confusing

Sarah Holmes

Earlier this year, we had an amazing opportunity to interview Joseph Spencer, BYU professor and author of The Vision of All: Twenty-five Lectures on Isaiah in Nephi’s Record. Soon after, Spencer provides us with more insights into Isaiah in his LDS Living article,
“3 Ways to Make the Isaiah Chapters Clear and Enlightening, Not Confusing.” Within the article, he offers some advice to help us all overcome the Isaiah roadblock.

Isaiah is important. We hear it over and over. Prophets, old and new remind us of its importance. Isaiah is powerful. The Lord told the Nephites: Great are the words of Isaiah. Even on this very website, there are countless articles depicting Isaiah’s importance and power. Yet, every time we encounter Isaiah in the New Testament or Book of Mormon, we are left scratching our heads. So, what are we missing? How can we access this power and how do we come to realize Isaiah’s importance in our own lives? Joseph Spencer offers us some answers to that question with his three simple tips to make Isaiah more clear.

Use a Modern Translation

The first piece of advice Spencer gives us in his article is to “take a look at a recent translation.” He points out that even the King James Version, a version we in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints heavily rely on, is outdated—over four centuries old. In my personal scripture study, I often times feel disconnected and confused due to the language barriers. Not only do we experience new words, but words that we think we know have changed meanings over time. To help with these barriers Spencer tell us to “Get your hands on a copy of the New Revised Standard Translation.” With this translation he advises us to first “read it like you’d read a book” and then, second, compare that text with the King James Version. With these comparisons, we can better discover the meaning of the text and familiarize ourselves with Isaiah’s language patterns.

Learn the Historical Context

The Second tip Spencer provides, “learn just enough about the relevant history” is the most challenging for me. However, his wording ‘just enough’ gives me hope. In many other books, and articles, scholars, such as Ann Madsen, give similar advice, but to learn and understand a whole historical period seems like a large task. Spencer makes this an easier assignment as he advises us to “spend just an hour or so making sure you understand the basics of Israelite history.” An hour of historical preparation seems a much simpler task in comparison to the daunting Wikipedia and scriptural research we attempt to decode. He further aids our task as he offers websites and books to help including, Jehovah and the World of the Old Testament. Spencer even provides an explanation as to why this historical background is pertinent to our understanding. “Context can make reading Isaiah a good deal easier.” In my own research, I have found this to be true. Knowing the historical context further allows me to liken the times and struggles of Isaiah to modern times.

The Messiah and More

The final advice Spencer includes in his article is “look for the Messiah, but look for a lot more besides the Messiah.” Spencer discusses how we are trained to find the prophecies and verses pertaining to the Messiah and redemption. While these prophecies are integral to our scripture study, in Isaiah, there are limited prophecies of the redeemer. Spencer raises an important query on this point. The Messiah is not the sole focus of Isaiah. Therefore, “we ought to be asking what the rest of the book is about”. Various pertinent themes and stories fill Isaiah. If we have a narrow focus, we may miss a hidden gem within the chapters. Spencer hints at some of these other themes as he discusses Israel’s destiny. He writes that Isaiah concerns, “the relationship between Israel and the gentile nations, with the possibility of introducing peace and right worship to the whole world.” Even this short synopsis helps Isaiah seem more exciting and less like a chore.

With these three simple tips, Spencer helps chip away at our mental Isaiah roadblocks. Isaiah is the most quoted prophets of all the prophets, and why? Following Spencer’s advice, let’s figure that out for ourselves. We are grateful to have had the various opportunities to read and hear his words of advice on Isaiah.

This article provides you with a basis of Spencer’s advice. The full article offers further insights to help with your Isaiah study and comprehension. Read the full article here: http://www.ldsliving.com/3-Ways-to-Make-the-Isaiah-Chapters-Clear-and-Enlightening-Not-Confusing/s/89198

Joseph Smith’s Seer Stone

Gregorio Billikopf

It seems like the Prophet Joseph Smith used various helps in translating the Book of Mormon (and other ancient texts), such as the Urim and Thummim, the seer stone, and of course, the Holy Ghost. It has been suggested that he employed a hat to block of the light so he could better see the words that appeared on the stone (see, “Joseph the Seer,” October 2015 Ensign, by Richard E. Turley Jr., Assistant Church Historian and Recorder, Robin S. Jensen and Mark Ashurst-McGee, Church History Department).

“Beforetime in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, thus he spake, Come, and let us go to the seer: for he that is now called a Prophet was beforetime called a Seer” (1 Samuel 9:9).

“The Bible also mentions people receiving spiritual manifestations by means of physical objects such as rods,¹ a brass serpent on a pole (which became a widespread symbol of the medical profession),² an ephod (a part of the priestly clothing that included two precious stones),³ and the Urim and Thummim.”⁴ —Joseph the Seer,” October 2015 Ensign

During the translation process, one phrase, or part thereof, would appear at a time. These words were dictated by the Prophet and when the scribe finished writing them, Joseph would ask that these be read back to him to assure accuracy. At that point those words would fade, and a new sentence would appear.

Some have mocked the Prophet, for his use of the Urim and Thummim and of the seer stone in translation. The Lord gave the Nephites of old the Liahona, which functioned in a similar fashion, according to the faith of those who used it, in order to point the way. Seers of old also used interpreters during Biblical times.

For me, there is nothing more logical than the use of such instruments in order to translate a language with different characters. This is especially so for those who do not understand that language. We know that eventually the Prophet did not need to lean on such instruments as he had the gift of tongues.

I have been working on my Biblical Hebrew for quite some time, but I have multiple tools upon which to lean. Beside language dictionaries and lexicons, I also make use of interlinears and compare existing translations into both English and Spanish.

I have several electronic programs, including Logos Bible Software (from FaithLife, since 2006) and more recently, Accordance from OakTree Software. Both have similar features to the seer stone. With my mouse, I simply place the cursor over a Hebrew word (or other Biblical language) and the corresponding words or sentences appear in English or Spanish. In the example below from the book of Isaiah, we see the word vision (חֲזוֹן֙).

As we move the curser over the Hebrew text of Isaiah these type of software programs translate the words for us.

Many of us have probably attempted some computer-generated translation of a passage in another language through our computers. Many of these translations, of course, are somewhat comical. Sometimes I read English texts that have been machine-translated into Spanish and when they do not make any sense, I have to translate the word in question back to English and try an attempt to find what the original meaning might have been. In contrast, the translations of the Prophet Joseph Smith through the seer stone were reliable.

Electronic translations, as well as those through the seer stone, seem to be more literal, that is, they preserve the way people speak in the original language. Two common examples of Hebraic constructions are the use of “rod of Iron” rather than the more natural sounding “iron rod.”

The other is “and it came to pass,” where five words are utilized to translate a single word in Hebrew: וַיְהִי, pronounced vayehi. The Prophet Joseph Smith translated this last expression literally, with all five required words to give the English equivalent, “And it came to pass.”

In my Biblical Hebrew class this Friday, my professor indicated that while the Bible translates it in a literal fashion at times, that a simple “and” will often suffice without the need for the full expression. I prefer the literal approach of the Book of Mormon.

I am so grateful for the more literal translation for several reasons. One of them is that we can delight in the way of speaking of our Book of Mormon forefathers. I also prefer literal translations because they permit us to interpret the material instead of having it interpreted for us—which is particularly important in the translation of the Bible.

It is quite fascinating that some of the Hebraic expressions in the first edition of the Book of Mormon have been smoothed into a more natural English language over time. Even so, there are numerous instances of Hebraic utterances in the Book of Mormon which attest to the antiquity of the book as translated from an ancient tongue as was reformed Egyptian.

Just as we lean on technology today in order to translate texts, why should it be a strange thing for the Prophet Joseph Smith to lean on the technology that the Lord made available to him?

I testify with all of my heart, that the Book of Mormon is true and that it testifies of the divinity of Jesus Christ and of the Restored Church.

Photo credit: The Joseph Smith Papers.

FOOTNOTES

¹ Exodus 4:1–5, 17, 20–21
² Numbers 21:7–9
³ Exodus 28:12; 35:9, 27
⁴ See Exodus 28:30; Leviticus 8:8; Numbers 27:21; Deuteronomy 33:8; 1 Samuel 28:6; Ezra 2:63; Nehemiah 7:65.E

Book of Mormon Evidence vs Book of Mormon Central

Pop Isaiah

It was a year ago this week, I spent three days at two Book of Mormon conferences on the same weekend. The 21st International Book of Mormon Evidence Conference believes the Book of Mormon took place in North America (the Heartland theory), while the Book of Mormon Central 2018 Conference believes the Book of Mormon all took place in Central America (the MesoAmerican theory). With over a hundred other theories, these two are by far the predominant.

The 21st International Book of Mormon Evidence Conference boasted 90 speakers with 160 presentations over three days

If you are retired, like me, and have nothing better to do, what could beat sitting on your fanny for 36 hours listening to credentialed and not-so-credentialed “experts” share their latest Book of Mormon evidence and take pot-shots at each other? Admittedly, most of the “experts” at the first conference didn’t have nearly as many letters after their name, and other than a few notable presentations that riled me (which I will address in my second article in this series), I enjoyed most of them.

Perhaps that paints a much worse picture than intended, but at the Book of Mormon Evidence Conference in the Davis Convention Center in Layton, I couldn’t help feeling like I was in a shooting match against those of other close-minded but opposite opinions who happened to be of the same faith (except one Baptist minister whom I liked a lot and will mention later). There, presenters fired shots across the BYU scholarly bow, included things like one Cumorah, 7 letters, DNA and the age of the earth, wolves and sheep, and Book of Mormon “fantasy maps” used in classes at the school with the “Y” on the mountain.

If you have followed these two camps over the last fifteen years, you can count over 700 pages of web content where the two sides call each other out by name at varying levels of civility from kindness to warnings of apostasy. The MesoAmerican camp got off to the strongest start with articles against the Heartland as early as 2003, and even the Deseret News took a stab occasionally at trying to moderate the Book of Mormon evidence and geography controversy. But I would say that Jonathan Neville, a lawyer from the Heartland camp (one of the few with letters after his name) is the one whose gun barrel stays the hottest lately (and though I don’t fully agree with him he really keeps me entertained) with a blog he calls Book of Mormon Wars (are over).

What I really wanted to see was Book of Mormon Central and the Firm Foundation square off in civil debates behind closed doors like they used to do on campus at BYU when I was growing up. Instead, we debate without constraint hidden in our office, from web pages posted all over the Internet where friends, enemies, and youth choose their favorite opinion to comment, like, and share, and get no closer to the truth, or more importantly, to Zion—not!

Sad to say, us old timers who are battle-hardened, seem to do fine; but our children and grandchildren aren’t holding up so well. I’ve lost a few very close to me, how about you?

I remember President Benson warning us again that we remain under condemnation until we repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon. And just recently while reading D&C 84:56–58, I noticed for the first time that the scourge and judgment to be poured out would be upon the “children of Zion, even all.”

The “children of Zion,” our young people… I think it’s happening.

Luckily, about all I saw was white hair in the audience and motorhomes in the parking lots at either conference, with hardly any young people. Less collateral damage.

I checked at the registration desk and there were 4,000 attendees at the Book of Mormon conference and over 500 at Book of Mormon Central. The Meso team has grown a lot since two years ago when they reported to my boss only 85 people. And I was really impressed with the 53,000 likes on their Facebook page though, that’s pretty strong. The Heartland team reports about 70,000 in their email database, but they better look in their rear view mirror. I know likes aren’t the same as email addresses, but the Book of Mormon Central team has about a dozen millennials on staff who know how to get social media working for them. Their movies are awesome, I just wish they would come up with something a bit more interesting and relevant to the millennials than the KnowWhys… I’m just saying, they are a bit on the periphery, let’s tackle the real issues, shall we?

For example, several “Heartland” Book of Mormon presenters felt sure they could prove that Zarahemla was across the river from Nauvoo and that there is only one Cumorah, and it is in New York. (At least they actually have a place pinned down, unlike the Mesoamerican group who are still looking for an actual site.) And there were several complaints that even though Cumorah is where the Church actually celebrates the pageant, the pageant staff and leadership won’t admit anything at all about it actually being the real place. I hear there is a new site to visit coming online near Cumorah, something about Oliver Cowdery?

One very refreshing presenter I need to call out was Wayne May who did not contend at all, but ended his very interesting presentation with the statement “we report, you decide.” That’s what I’m talking about. This guy has read the Journalism Code about not skewing what you report. It’s hard to find. The BYU guys pound on him particularly hard, but he is one of my favorites!

“Since geographical information does not provide a basis for belief and does not compel one to believe, it is proper to point out that studying Book of Mormon geography is a secular endeavor, not a religious endeavor. Just like biblical archaeology is non-theological, studying any supposed geography of the Book of Mormon, while interesting, should not be confused with religious endeavors related to the book.” —FairMormon

In interesting contrast on Saturday at the Book of Mormon Central 2018 Conference in the convention center in Provo, the “MesoAmerican” camp tried to convince the audience that the true location of Zarahemla is in the Yucatan or Guatemala. (If you don’t know this you’ve never been on a cruise to Mexico or you’ve been under a lava rock for 70 years.)

The coolest presentation at either conference was the powerful one on stylometry research done on the many characters in the Book of Mormon, it was a high point, to say the least. And constructive. Now that’s something we can use from the scholars! It got my colleague Darryl Alder thinking about applying stylometry to solving the biggest problem the global scholars have with Isaiah. I hope our BYU scholar team has the backbone to run the peer-review gauntlet to take that one on! (I would rather watch that contest than reruns of Jimmer sinking three-pointers in the Utah game.)

At the Book of Mormon Central conference, Rob Jex gave us a cool sneak preview from the Priesthood and Family Department on the huge project at the Church to film the Book of Mormon. Rob was smart, he completely stayed out of the fray. And I’m sure glad that John Bytheway was there to add fun and the spirit that was much needed. Tyler Griffin ended the day with what his heartland friends call the “fantasy map,” but I sure loved his humble and spirit-filled approach. I’m also glad he takes a heavy teaching load off the research scholars at BYU and doesn’t have to waste his knowledge and career writing peer-reviewed articles that the most of the world never read like 80% of his colleagues.

I went to both conferences looking for ideas to talk about but came away confused at this surprising hubris from both sides! All I can say is that I am glad I read and believe the Book of Mormon for myself. It’s interesting that one of the most consistent themes in the Book of Mormon is contention among God’s people, it looks like that same theme is alive and well today.

I miss the day when President Monson pulled people from both sides of an argument into a room, told them they were hurting and embarrassing the church, looked into their eyes for a few minutes, and told them not to leave the room until they work it out! They did! Easy! Done! My personal theory is that the Lord is restraining His servants to see what we as a people will do. I’m a bit embarrassed at our performance, I’m afraid. Don’t worry, it’s just a theory, and I’m just an old guy who follows current events, who says too much hiding behind a pen name.

Over two thousand years ago, in this book we are talking about, there were nearly a dozen people with followers who chose to put -ites after their names. Today we seem to be forming up in Meldrumites, Nevillites, Mayites, Heartlandites, Welchites, Sorensonites, Wrightites, Hullites, Mesoites, Rosenvallites, Bajaites, Sessionites, UMites, Darwinites, Huttonites, Parryites, Ludlowites, Gileadites, Madsenites, Nibleyites, McConkieites, and sure enough, the list of -ites are getting bigger.

Christ warned us that all things that have been, shall be again. It happened to the Adamites, the Noahites, the Jaredites, the Nephites. Is it happening to us? Is that what the Book of Mormon is warning us about? Not the geography? Why do we separate ourselves and contend against our own people?

Christ gave us one name to unite us… His.

What are we thinking? For nearly two hundred years, both the world and the saints have put the Book of Mormon on trial. But if you look at it from God’s perspective, the Book of Mormon isn’t on trial… we are.

Maybe this actually is the trial… contention… murmuring… disputations… mercy… loving kindness… meekness… humility. It might be, but I’m not sure it’s DNA or geography.

Isn’t there a scripture where Christ himself reminds us “If ye are not one ye are not mine?”

The goal isn’t to find out where Nephi landed his boat. If Christ wanted us to know, He could clearly have told us. Several times Nephite prophets saw things that they wanted to warn us about, but Christ either gave them Isaiah or just forbad them saying, “I will try the faith of my people.” Where is the reference to that scripture? (I’m not telling you, I’m not a scholar anymore, I don’t get paid enough, I do backlinks, I don’t do footnotes, go search it for yourself, Google it!)

But in spite of concerning trends, several times at both conferences I came to feel God’s spirit through a deeper understanding of the Book of Mormon, and I got some of what I sought. I guess you get what you look for, but I also got a good serving of disputation and contention too, which is sad. Aren’t we bigger than that? In 1 Corinthians 1, Paul asked, “Is Christ divided?” In verse 10, he said,

Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

Interestingly among the presenters, all three days, Dr. Lynn Ridenhour, a Baptist minister, understood civility and unity the most. And believe it or not, he says he takes many of his opinions from the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith himself! He told attendees he looked for the common good in all religions and said that Joseph Smith did the same when he said:

“If I esteem mankind to be in error, shall I bear them down? No. I will lift them up, and in their own way too, if I cannot persuade them my way is better; and I will not seek to compel any man to believe as I do, only by the force of reasoning, for truth will cut its own way.”

Truth will cut its own way. I like that.

Dr. Lynn Ridenhour, a Baptist Minister from Kansas City, Missouri, may have a few things to teach, and quote, from Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon!

Dr. Ridenhour then asked for an “Amen.” We gave it to him and a few hallelujahs too as he explained what he had learned from the man Joseph and the Book of Mormon. He said that Joseph was tolerant of all, that he loved his enemies (even when tarred and feathered), that he loved to play with children and was a real person who was born again. Of the book, he said that he read it cover to cover to find the “weird,” but instead found a witness for Christ, “believing from the very first page to the last.” He pointed out that Christ is the central figure of the Book and that while the New Testament mentions the Lord in every 2.3 verses, in the Book of Mormon that rate is 1.7, a full 25% more frequently than in the New Testament. He said that of all the 6,000 books he owns, “the Book of Mormon is the most nonsectarian, a book for every Catholic, for every Lutheran, for every Baptist, and even for every Jew!”

Very interesting that the best example of civility and unity I could find is a Baptist Minister who could teach us Mormons a few things from our founding prophet and our own book.

At both conferences, of course, I was looking for compelling content about Isaiah. I was rewarded with Robert Kay’s explanation of understanding Jewish writing and composition; with Avraham Gileadi’s end-time prophecies in Isaiah; and John Bytheway, the author of “Isaiah for Airheads”, who gave a fun and interesting treatment of soils in the New Testament and Isaiah.

By-the-way, is Isaiah for Airheads another way of saying Isaiah for Dummies? John said we could find his book at the local thrift store or Deseret Industries, I wish it were. It’s actually still one of the hottest sellers at Deseret Book, I’ve looked.

We made connections with all three speakers and will be inviting them to participate in our SearchIsaiah project. We are still trying to get Matt Roper and Paul Fields to get back with us about their amazing research on Stylometry, and we will update you when we do!

NOTE: I’m updating this article. In fact, I riled so many people, I’m starting a series pulling on this thread with a pair of pliers. Some like my thoughts, many don’t; I’m ok with that. My boss is getting asked who Pop Isaiah is, some think I should be fired. (So far he says he likes how I write, and I have a two-year contract.) I’m a bit crotchety, I write in the opinion column, and I hide behind a pen name like lots of you commenters do. I’m inviting you to share your best thinking, and be blunt, I will be. And I’m warning you, I tend to stoke the fire, it keeps me warm. – Pop

PS: I get asked a lot so here is a little more about the man they call Pop Isaiah…

1...678...38 Page 7 of 38