The "Isaiah Barrier" - Key 4

This could be arguably the most difficult of the five keys. In 2 Nephi 25:6, Nephi said because he lived at Jerusalem, he knew "concerning the regions round about", which gives us another key into understanding Isaiah. Granted, this one probably won't make the Isaiah sections jump out and start singing, but it helps a little when you know where he's talking about. Your best friend on this one will be the Bible maps.

Isaiah speaks of the "end of the conduit of the upper pool" in 2 Nephi 17:3, which doesn't mean anything to most of us. Once we learn that the Pool of Shiloah was also called the upper pool, then we know exactly where Isaiah is referring, and the conduit or aqueduct is Hezekiah's tunnel that was constructed to bring in water into the seiged city of Jerusalem from the nearby Gihon Spring.

In 2 Nephi 20:9 when the Assyrian king is boasting about Calno, Carchemish, Hamath, and Arpad, it's helpful to know that those are the names of cities (not people as I had assumed) that had been conquored by the Assyrian armies (738 BC, 717 BC, 720 BC, and 738 BC, respectively).

2 Nephi 21/ Isaiah 11 speaks a lot about the conditions in the Millennium and the gathering of Israel. Verse 11 indicates that the "remnant of his people" will be gathered from "Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea." Egypt I can pick out of that line-up and even find on a map, but the rest is a little fuzzy. After a little research, I found that Assyria is comparable to present-day Iran/ Iraq. Pathros is Upper Egypt, Cush is Ethiopia, Elam is Persia, Shinar is the city of Babel, and Hamath is Upper Syria. Now it's a little easier to get the scope of this specific gathering. The Islands of the sea were pretty much anywhere you couldn't get to on land, which would include the Americas, England, etc.

So there we go, the fourth key is knowing a little about the geography of Israel and the surrounding areas. Part of what makes this one so difficult is the fact that some of the places Isaiah names have been renamed or don't exist anymore. Don't let that trip you up though, there's enough information available to get the general idea.

The "Isaiah Barrier" - Key 3

Time for the third key to our understanding of Isaiah (almost seems like a contridiction in terms, doesn't it). After Nephi finished quoting from Isaiah, he mentioned a couple of things his people would need to know in order to understand these chapters (and presumably the rest of Isaiah). He said he taught his people "concerning the judgments of God, which hath come to pass among the Jews" (2 Nephi 25:6).

How is that going to help us with Isaiah?? There are a couple of answers which may help. First, if we see that Isaiah's prophecies concerning his day came true, then we can be confident his prophecies concerning our day will also come true (and some already have). Also, as if he wasn't hard enough to understand already, Isaiah made several dualistic prophecies which can apply to our day and his day at the same time. Understanding what happened in his day can help us figure out things that will happen in ours. For example, 2 Nephi 23/ Isaiah 13 uses the destruction of Babylon as a symbol of the destruction that will accompany the Second Coming.

So, where exactly do we start? One thing I found helpful was to make two lists as I went through 2 Nephi 12 - 24. The first list was God's judgement for the righteous. The second list was God's judgement upon the wicked. This helped me put things into perspective and sort out some of the tricky parts.Let's take a look at a few passages to see if they make more sense.

2 Nephi 12:6

Therefore, O Lord, thou hast forsaken thy people, the house of Jacob, because they be replenished from the east, and hearken unto soothsayers like the Philistines...

I wondered for a long time what it meant to be "replenished from the east". I should've checked the footnotes. The corresponding verse in Isaiah 2 has a footnote which explains that 'replenished' is an Idiomatic Expression meaning 'are filled, supplied with teachings' (Isaiah 2:6a). So Israel was getting a time-out for turning to other philosophies and beliefs, rather than turning to God for direction.

Another example is in 2 Nephi 13:16-24. I have read this passage several times in the past and have heard it discussed in Sunday School classes as being judgements against Babylon. Take a moment to read verse 16 again:

Moreover, the Lord saith: Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched-forth necks and wanton eyes...

Whoa, Isaiah is saying that this is judgement upon the Lord's own chosen people. Those of the Lord's church are being chastized for following the world's extremes in fashion and for being proud while they're doing it. The word wanton means "sexually lawless or unrestrained; loose; lascivious", and these are the daughters of Zion... I don't need to know what a caul, wimple, or crisping pin is to know these girls are in trouble.

Let's shift gears and look at something a bit more uplifting.

2 Nephi 15:25:
"...For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still."

Some commentators interpret this as saying the Lord is just waiting to strike Israel again. I see it as the dual roles of justice and mercy. On one side, justice demands that we receive "the fruit of [our] doings" (2 Nephi 13:10), whether good or evil. On the other side, mercy seeks to lift us up as much as we will allow. I read that scripture and I see God's hand reaching out to pull us up if we will only grab hold.

Anyhow, go through and make your own list so you can see how Isaiah refers to God's judgements on Israel and other nations. I found the corresponding footnotes in Isaiah really help to understand the same passages in 2 Nephi, especially in the context of God's judgements.

The "Isaiah Barrier" - Key 2

As I finished my last post, I started to wonder what I got myself into. I can’t rightly just wander off onto other tangents now that I have started. When you start a 5-part series, people will most likely expect all five parts. And, unless you’re George Lucas, people will expect those parts to be in sequential order (maybe I could run a prequel series after this is done).

So why am I doing this? I’d like to say that my motives are purely altruistic and I have nothing but your best interest in mind. Honestly, this is more of an enforced personal study program for me. I had to cover in about 35-40 minutes of class time what could easily spill into hours of study. I guess this is my way of covering all the ground I couldn’t do in class…

So, now that we’re all practiced up on likening the scriptures to ourselves, we can venture out into the second key to unlocking Isaiah.

Key 2: 2 Nephi 25:1
“Know … concerning the manner of prophesying among the Jews”.

Wait a minute, Elder Eyring said that Nephi selected these chapters from Isaiah because he knew we could get through them without having to be proficient in Hebrew. Now you’re telling me that I need to know how the Jews prophesied? I’m confused.

Yes, Isaiah’s prophecies are written in a style that the Jews were accustomed to reading and hearing. He used imagery and symbolism that would have been familiar to Jewish people in his time, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that we’re out of luck either. Nephi wouldn’t have included those passages if he didn’t think we would catch the important parts. I have to keep reminding myself during the tough parts that Nephi saw our day and picked things he thought would be relevant to us.

So let’s look at a few passages to see if we can make sense out of the imagery.

Let’s start with an easy one, 2 Nephi 12:2–3.
2. And it shall come to pass in the last days, when the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it.

I picked this one to start because most of us already know that Isaiah is talking about temples (especially if we read the chapter heading). This is a good exercise in “reverse engineering” the symbolism. Why would Isaiah choose a mountain to represent the temple? Think of the physical effort it takes to get to the top of a mountain compared to the spiritual effort required to reach the House of the Lord. From the mountain, you can see as far as the physical limitation of your vision will allow. From the temple, you can see as much of eternity as your mortal, finite mind can grasp. How much of the daily distraction do you hear from the top of a mountain?

If the temple is compared to a mountain, then what would be symbolic of the hills, above which the mountain is exalted?

Another example: 2 Nephi 14:5-6.
5. And the Lord will create upon every dwelling-place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for upon all the glory of Zion shall be a defence.

Huh? So all the houses will be on fire? That doesn’t sound good, but those who read the story of Moses should see something a little familiar here. The footnote in verse 5 refers to Exodus 13:21:

And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night;

During Israel’s camping trip in the desert, the presence of the Lord was a literal protection for them in the day and guidance and light for them in the night. So when Isaiah uses the same imagery to describe the millennial conditions, what does it really mean? If it was the Lord’s presence for Moses, then it’ll be the Lord’s presence again in the Millennium. That defense is sounding a whole lot better now.

As an interesting side note, early manuscripts of Joseph Smith's account of his First Vision experience show that he often crossed out the word 'fire' and used 'light' or 'glory' to describe the appearance of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Orson Pratt wrote in his book 'Interesting Account of Several Remarkable Vision' that Joseph expected to see "the leaves and boughs of the trees consumed" (pg 5).

We can use Key #1 to liken this to ourselves now that we have a better understanding of the imagery. To what extent do we allow the Lord to be our cloud by day and fire by night? Do we walk in darkness when the Lord offers noon-day illumination to our souls and lives? Is our “dwelling-place of mount Zion” entrusted to the Lord’s protective care?

Sometimes other scriptures can help us understand the symbolism used. Compare 2 Nephi 15:1-7 with Zenos’ allegory of the olive trees in Jacob 5. Imagine, using Isaiah to help another scripture passage make sense. Never thought you'd be doing that, did you?

The Prophet Joseph Smith taught, “I make this broad declaration, that whenever God gives a vision of an image, or beast, or figure of any kind, He always holds Himself responsible to give a revelation or interpretation of the meaning thereof, otherwise we are not responsible or accountable for our belief in it. Don’t be afraid of being damned for not knowing the meaning of a vision or figure, if God has not given a revelation or interpretation of the subject.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, comp. Joseph Fielding Smith, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., p. 291.)

If you run into symbolism you don't understand, check the footnotes to see if/how other scriptures refer to the passage. I've found it helpful to compare the Isaiah footnotes from the Book of Mormon chapters with those in the Old Testament.

The second key boils down to understanding the symbolism and imagery used by Isaiah. Keep an open mind and heart as you read and you'll find that you understand more than you think you do. Just remember that the Lord wants you to understand what you're reading and will help if you put the effort in.

The "Isaiah Barrier" - The First Key

Why is Isaiah so hard to understand? You'd think if it were so important (and it is...), it would be written in a way we could grasp. I'm offering this as purely my own opinion, but here's what makes sense to me. First, let me refer to part of a talk by Elder Richard G. Scott from October General Conference, 1989. In speaking of prayer he said,

"I have discovered that what sometimes seems an impenetrable barrier to communication is a giant step to be taken in trust."

Huh? Where am I going with this? Lemme 'splain... God gives us weaknesses "that [we] may be humble; and [His] grace is sufficient for all ... that humble themselves before [him]..." (Ether 12:27). I believe that Isaiah is intentionally difficult to help us become humble enough to go to the Lord for help. To paraphrase Elder Scott, 'what sometimes seesms an impenetrable barrier to understanding the scriptures is a giant step to be taken in trusting the Lord'. It seems impassable, but with the Lord's help we'll make it through Isaiah...

The Gospel Doctrine manual lists five 'keys' to help understand Isaiah. Those of you in the advanced class might skip ahead to Elder Bruce R. McConkie's "Ten Keys to Understanding Isaiah". While I am a huge fan of Elder McConkie, it might be a little much for most of us right now. I want to deal with the keys listed in the manual and see if they can be expanded upon. This is going to turn into one of those "tune in next week" series because I'll probably only be able to deal with one key at a time.

Key #1: 1 Nephi 19:23

This verse was brought up as one of the reasons why Nephi quoted Isaiah so often, "that [he] might more fully persuade [his brothers] to believe in the Lord their Redeemer". It also has the first key in how to make sense out of not only Isaiah, but all scriptures. We, like Nephi, need to "liken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for our profit and learning."

If you're like me (which would be a scary thought), you're asking yourself, "How do I liken something I don't understand?"

In the February 2004 Ensign, Elder Henry B. Eyring said, "I have worried about the barrier of Isaiah. In fact, I have pondered this thought: 'Why did Nephi put the barrier there?'"

See... even Elder Eyring calls it a barrier. Now I don't feel so bad. After referring to 1 Nephi 19:23, he continues:

"I have thought perhaps what Nephi is trying to tell us is that he recognized the barrier of Isaiah. He knew that the book of Isaiah is full of imagery. Of all the scriptures, few have as many images; therefore, Isaiah can be very difficult. I believe what Nephi meant by “liken all scriptures unto us” was that they could be directly applied.

"Many are more skilled than I am at putting scriptures in their historic context. There are wonderful techniques of understanding metaphor, simile, and allegory in the scriptures, and I hope you will learn as much about that as you can. But I hope you will learn one more thing. As you read Isaiah in the Book of Mormon, try to believe that Nephi knew Isaiah and he knew imagery. Nephi said to liken Isaiah directly unto you. So I tried it. I read Isaiah’s words again, assuming Nephi picked the parts of Isaiah that I, without worrying about the imagery, could take directly to my heart as if the Lord were speaking to me…" (Henry B. Eyring, “The Book of Mormon Will Change Your Life”, Ensign, Feb 2004, 9)

Elder Eyring seems to be saying that Nephi picked out passages that we would be able to apply to ourselves without being fluent in Hebrew or knowing anything about the culture. Sounds great, but does it work? Let's look at a few passages and test it out.

1 Nephi 21:14-16

14 But, behold, Zion hath said: The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me—but he will show that he hath not.

Who hasn't felt forgotten or forsaken in this life? I think it's safe to say we all pass through that at one point, wondering if God is aware of what we're doing or going through.

15 For can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee, O house of Israel.

The Lord says a woman would forget her nursing child before He ever forgot about us. That's a comforting thought to me.

16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.

When I was in high school (before the wonder of Palm Pilots and electronic organizers), when I needed to remember important items like homework assignments or a girl's phone number, the only way for me to be assured of remembering it later was to write it on my hands. I had to be careful, because if I wrote it on my palm the writing would wear off or smudge so I couldn't read what I had written. Isaiah says that the Lord has a more reliable method of remembering us. We are written on the "palms of [His] hands", but not with ink. The nails of the cross are His reminders of us, "continually before [Him]."

Another example: 2 Nephi 15:18:

Wo unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope

Imagine someone pulling their sins behind them, tied to the cart by their own vanity. How often do we let our own pride prevent us from letting go of our "favorite" sins? So we often keep hauling them around with us, making our own progress more difficult.

So there's the first key, likening Isaiah to ourselves. Sounds easy enough, right? While it may not seem straight-forward to start out, but with practice and application it becomes easier. Eventually...

The "Isaiah Barrier" - Part 1

Do you panic when you see "Compare Isaiah [insert chapter # here]" in the chapter headings? Do you skim through 2 Nephi 12 - 24 as fast as you can so you can honestly say you read it? Welcome to the club. If you're like most of us, Isaiah makes about as much sense to you as the instructions on programming your TV before you realize you're reading the Swahili section instead of English. Ikea assembly instructions make more sense than Isaiah sometimes. You know which ones I'm talking about... the ambiguous pictures without words where you're not sure if you're making a bookcase or bar stool.

It's really interesting as a Gospel Doctrine teacher to see everyone's eyes glaze over as soon as they find out the lesson is on Isaiah. Some of the class had actually read the lesson ahead of time and made comments like, "I'm glad it's you and not me" as they walked into class.

I had some interesting thoughts and ideas as I was preparing the lesson last week. Hopefully they'll help at least downgrade your panic to a low-grade phobia.

Would it make you feel better if Nephi told you that Isaiah would be a tough read?

"Wherefore, hearken... and give ear unto my words; for ... the words of Isaiah are not plain unto you" (2 Nephi 25:4)

Truer words were never spoken. Thanks for that head's up Nephi, but you could've warned us before you put in all the Isaiah chapters...

Let's stop for a moment to put it into perspective.

• The book of Isaiah in the Old Testement has 1292 verses (King James Version).
• The New Testament refers to Isaiah approximately 57 times.
• The Doctrine & Covenants references Isaiah at least 100 times (direct quotes, paraphrasing, and interpretations).
• The Book of Mormon quotes 433 verses, or roughly 33% of what we have in the Old Testament.

As I was running the numbers at 6:30 on Sunday morning, a realization hit me. Nephi knew through his extended version of the Tree of Life vision that we would already have the Bible containing, among other things, the book of Isaiah. So naturally, I wondered why Nephi would spend so much time and effort engraving 1/3rd of a book that he knew we already had. Maybe because 234 of the 433 verses quoted are changed ('corrected' would probably be a better word) from what we have in the Old Testament. It could be to reflect the importance of Isaiah's message.

Let's let Nephi tell us why he included so much of Isaiah's writings in his record:

1. 1 Nephi 19:23, "that I might more fully persuade them to believe in the Lord their Redeemer I did read unto them that which was written by the prophet Isaiah"
2. 2 Nephi 11:2-4, he used Isaiah's words to prove "unto my people the truth of the coming of Christ" as Isaiah "verily saw my Redeemer, even as I have seen him." It's easier to understand someone if you both share common experiences.
3. 2 Nephi 11:8, "...I write some of the words of Isaiah, that whoso of my people shall see these words may lift up their hearts and rejoice ..." (isn't that your first instinct after reading Isaiah?)
4. 2 Nephi 25:3, "I write unto my people, unto all those that shall receive hereafter these things which I write, that they may know the judgments of God"

If you want a really interesting exercise, make a chart like the one below (or click on it to download a PDF copy):

Each column represents one of the four reasons Nephi included Isaiah's writings. You'll need to make it bigger, of course, at least a full-sized page depending on how small you write. Now, go through 2 Nephi chapters 12-24 and make notes whenever you find something that fits into one of the four columns. What this did for me was show me that I could understand Isaiah without needing a PhD in Hebrew. I was reading with a specific goal instead of hoping that something would jump out and miraculously make sense to me, or counting the pages until I was "in the clear" again.

I'll continue my little rant another day before this turns into a small novel. In the meantime, try filling out the chart to see what you find. Feel free to comment on anything that jumps out at you...