I read this really illuminating paper today. It provides strong evidence for Joseph Smith's prophetic gift demonstrated in the Book of Moses, and traces the theme of ascent - especially as it relates to temples - in several works of scripture and ancient extracanonical writings. I can't recommend this paper highly enough.
Ancient Affinities within the LDS Book of Enoch
Showing posts with label ascent. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ascent. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Isaiah 6
I have been struggling for several weeks with how to approach this chapter. Not only is there a lot of symbolism and depth to ponder here, but also sacred spiritual truths. It is both pivotal and sacred because it describes Isaiah’s theophany, or vision of God. He enters God’s presence, sees God, is purified, and forgiven of his sins. This is essentially where Isaiah’s calling and election are made sure, and where he is given his life’s mission.
There is a temptation to read this chapter allegorically. I think if we do that we may make the mistake of looking beyond the mark. Perhaps it is wise to humble ourselves as a child and exercise faith that what we read in Isaiah 6 is quite literal.
What happens in this chapter fits a broader pattern that is woven throughout the scriptures. It is an invitation to come. This same pattern plays out with Abraham, Moses, Enoch, Job, John the Revelator, Nephi, the brother of Jared, and so many others. I believe this is the bottom line of the scriptures – they teach us how to return to the Lord in a very real sense.
The message is this: “Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you” (D&C 88:63).
We can have a very personal relationship with the Lord, and one day return to His presence. Isaiah 6 testifies of this and teaches a pattern. This pattern includes:
1. Ascending a sacred mountain or temple (v.1)
2. A purification process of recognizing weaknesses and sins and seeking forgiveness (v. 5)
3. Accepting the Lord’s refining fire and cleansing (v.6).
4. Covenanting to serve the Lord (v. 8)
5. Accepting and fulfilling a mission from the Lord (v. 9)
I think it is interesting that this is the pattern of worship in LDS temples. It is the basic pattern of ascent and return to the Lord’s presence, and it plays out throughout the scriptures and in our patterns of worship. Ultimately, all of this is an invitation to each of us to return to God through the power of Christ’s purifying atonement.
For more on this, I recommend studying and pondering this talk by Dieter F. Uchtdorf. Study the sections of the Doctrine and Covenants that he highlights. A feast awaits.
There is a temptation to read this chapter allegorically. I think if we do that we may make the mistake of looking beyond the mark. Perhaps it is wise to humble ourselves as a child and exercise faith that what we read in Isaiah 6 is quite literal.
What happens in this chapter fits a broader pattern that is woven throughout the scriptures. It is an invitation to come. This same pattern plays out with Abraham, Moses, Enoch, Job, John the Revelator, Nephi, the brother of Jared, and so many others. I believe this is the bottom line of the scriptures – they teach us how to return to the Lord in a very real sense.
The message is this: “Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you” (D&C 88:63).
We can have a very personal relationship with the Lord, and one day return to His presence. Isaiah 6 testifies of this and teaches a pattern. This pattern includes:
1. Ascending a sacred mountain or temple (v.1)
2. A purification process of recognizing weaknesses and sins and seeking forgiveness (v. 5)
3. Accepting the Lord’s refining fire and cleansing (v.6).
4. Covenanting to serve the Lord (v. 8)
5. Accepting and fulfilling a mission from the Lord (v. 9)
I think it is interesting that this is the pattern of worship in LDS temples. It is the basic pattern of ascent and return to the Lord’s presence, and it plays out throughout the scriptures and in our patterns of worship. Ultimately, all of this is an invitation to each of us to return to God through the power of Christ’s purifying atonement.
For more on this, I recommend studying and pondering this talk by Dieter F. Uchtdorf. Study the sections of the Doctrine and Covenants that he highlights. A feast awaits.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Psalm 24
I'm jumping around here a bit, but the words of this psalm came rushing into my mind yesterday. I’ve read and heard them many times, and thought I understood the general message of this psalm. But yesterday I began to see what this psalm is really talking about (and I don’t doubt that there’s still more to learn here).
I always thought this psalm was telling us to avoid sin and repent in preparation for temple attendance. It is that and more. Verse 3 mentions ascending to the “hill of the Lord” and standing “in his holy place.” This is not just the temple. The temple may be the precursor, but this is the real ascent, the Jacob’s ladder and Enoch-type ascent. This becomes clear from verse 6: “This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face.”
Who belongs to this generation that "seek him"? And who will ascend to where God is? Verse 4 answers, “He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.” This dovetails right in with Matthew 5:8: “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.”
After I pondered that for a bit, it suddenly occurred to me that this is the principle underlying the Book of Job.
Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.
He shall receive the blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face, O Jacob. Selah.
Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.
Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.
I always thought this psalm was telling us to avoid sin and repent in preparation for temple attendance. It is that and more. Verse 3 mentions ascending to the “hill of the Lord” and standing “in his holy place.” This is not just the temple. The temple may be the precursor, but this is the real ascent, the Jacob’s ladder and Enoch-type ascent. This becomes clear from verse 6: “This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek thy face.”
Who belongs to this generation that "seek him"? And who will ascend to where God is? Verse 4 answers, “He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.” This dovetails right in with Matthew 5:8: “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.”
After I pondered that for a bit, it suddenly occurred to me that this is the principle underlying the Book of Job.
The Book of Job
Several days ago I listened to this really insightful talk (see Mack Stirling, Job: An LDS Reading) discussing how the Book of Job is essentially an endowment ceremony. I think there’s a lot to be said for that point, but I think there’s even more to Job.
Job is a highly corrupted text, meaning that over the centuries, scribes made many errors in translation, along with some edits of their own. However, we can still get the main message of Job by considering its general sweep. Traditionally, the take-away message has been that God allows bad things to happen to good people, and that Job suffered more than just about anyone. While that’s true, taken as a whole and combined with the premise I set out in discussing Psalm 24, I believe that the Book of Job actually describes Job’s ascent to the divine presence.
I believe this because the outlines of Job’s story fit into a pattern – a pattern repeated by other prophets who have made this ascent. First, Job is described as being pure and obedient: “[Job] was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil” (1:1). Next, he makes intercession for others (he has true, Christ-like charity): “Job sent and sanctified [his children], and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually” (1:5).
Third, Job loses all of his worldly possessions and even his family. This is severe testing and essentially strips Job of all worldly pride – he is truly in the dust. “He hath stripped me of my glory, and taken the crown from my head. He hath destroyed me on every side, and I am gone: and my hope hath he removed like a tree” (19:9-10 – this also relates to Adam and Christ). Interestingly, “Job” is a contraction of Hebrew words meaning “Where is Father?” That brings to mind the Savior’s cry on the cross: “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46).
Job, too, is forsaken, crying out, “…I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death; A land of darkness, as darkness itself; and of the shadow of death without any order, and where the light is as darkness” (Job 10:21-22). His forsakenness here foreshadows Christ’s atonement and describes how Christ accomplished the atonement.
Next, certain “friends” (angels, I wonder?), question Job about his commitment to God. Job affirms his faith in God at each step: “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him” (Job 13:15). After Job repeatedly affirms his faith, God speaks to Job (“Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind,” 38:1). God shows Job the majesty of His creations, and then Job, recognizing his nothingness before God, repents (42:1-6). Job then sees God with his eyes (v. 5) and receives an outpouring from the Lord (“So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning” 42:12).
Job is a both a type of Christ and a demonstration of the path back to the Father’s presence.
Job is a highly corrupted text, meaning that over the centuries, scribes made many errors in translation, along with some edits of their own. However, we can still get the main message of Job by considering its general sweep. Traditionally, the take-away message has been that God allows bad things to happen to good people, and that Job suffered more than just about anyone. While that’s true, taken as a whole and combined with the premise I set out in discussing Psalm 24, I believe that the Book of Job actually describes Job’s ascent to the divine presence.
I believe this because the outlines of Job’s story fit into a pattern – a pattern repeated by other prophets who have made this ascent. First, Job is described as being pure and obedient: “[Job] was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil” (1:1). Next, he makes intercession for others (he has true, Christ-like charity): “Job sent and sanctified [his children], and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually” (1:5).
Third, Job loses all of his worldly possessions and even his family. This is severe testing and essentially strips Job of all worldly pride – he is truly in the dust. “He hath stripped me of my glory, and taken the crown from my head. He hath destroyed me on every side, and I am gone: and my hope hath he removed like a tree” (19:9-10 – this also relates to Adam and Christ). Interestingly, “Job” is a contraction of Hebrew words meaning “Where is Father?” That brings to mind the Savior’s cry on the cross: “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46).
Job, too, is forsaken, crying out, “…I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death; A land of darkness, as darkness itself; and of the shadow of death without any order, and where the light is as darkness” (Job 10:21-22). His forsakenness here foreshadows Christ’s atonement and describes how Christ accomplished the atonement.
Next, certain “friends” (angels, I wonder?), question Job about his commitment to God. Job affirms his faith in God at each step: “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him” (Job 13:15). After Job repeatedly affirms his faith, God speaks to Job (“Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind,” 38:1). God shows Job the majesty of His creations, and then Job, recognizing his nothingness before God, repents (42:1-6). Job then sees God with his eyes (v. 5) and receives an outpouring from the Lord (“So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning” 42:12).
Job is a both a type of Christ and a demonstration of the path back to the Father’s presence.
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