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 temple. Show all posts
Showing posts with label temple. 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.
Monday, January 7, 2013
Alma 5: More Evidence
Alma 5 is very familiar to most LDS. “Have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts? Do ye exercise faith in the redemption of him who created you? Do you look forward with an eye of faith, and view this mortal body raised in immortality, and this corruption raised in incorruption..?” Then, a few verses later, “…for there can no man be saved except his garments are washed white; yea, his garments must be purified until they are cleansed from all stain, through the blood of him of whom it has been spoken by our fathers, who should come to redeem his people from their sins…. Behold, my brethren, do ye suppose that such an one can have a place to sit down in the kingdom of God, with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob, and also all the holy prophets, whose garments are cleansed and are spotless, pure and white?”
These ideas – spiritual rebirth, receiving the image of God, resurrection, holy garments, and ancient high priests like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – are ancient Hebrew concepts relating to the temple. They are concepts Joseph Smith could not have known about and woven so seamlessly into the Book of Mormon if he had been the author.
For some background on the ancient nature of the concepts and how they relate to one another, I recommend watching this video: Margaret Barker – Restoring Solomon’s Temple starting at about 45:30. She offers evidence from numerous ancient texts that the Hebrews at the time of Solomon’s temple (before King Josiah made radical religious changes about 600 BC) linked these concepts together.
The first Christians at the time of Christ had been waiting for a restoration of these temple-oriented doctrines. As happened during the time of King Josiah, after Christ’s ascension there was apostasy and these concepts were again lost (though the Lehites kept them, and they now exist in the Book of Mormon). These concepts and doctrines have again been restored and are available to us today in temples. How grateful we should be for the teachings of the temple. Generations have longed for their restoration.
These ideas – spiritual rebirth, receiving the image of God, resurrection, holy garments, and ancient high priests like Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – are ancient Hebrew concepts relating to the temple. They are concepts Joseph Smith could not have known about and woven so seamlessly into the Book of Mormon if he had been the author.
For some background on the ancient nature of the concepts and how they relate to one another, I recommend watching this video: Margaret Barker – Restoring Solomon’s Temple starting at about 45:30. She offers evidence from numerous ancient texts that the Hebrews at the time of Solomon’s temple (before King Josiah made radical religious changes about 600 BC) linked these concepts together.
The first Christians at the time of Christ had been waiting for a restoration of these temple-oriented doctrines. As happened during the time of King Josiah, after Christ’s ascension there was apostasy and these concepts were again lost (though the Lehites kept them, and they now exist in the Book of Mormon). These concepts and doctrines have again been restored and are available to us today in temples. How grateful we should be for the teachings of the temple. Generations have longed for their restoration.
Monday, December 31, 2012
Isaiah 4
The third chapter of Isaiah gave us an overview of the world’s idolatry and materialism and its resulting destruction. Isaiah 4 is the counterbalance to that, telling us of the deliverance and well-being of those who follow the Lord. This has fulfillment both in ancient Israel and in the coming last days.
Verse 1
This verse properly belongs in Chapter 3. Here, so many men have died in wars that women outnumber men. I think the ratio Isaiah mentions of 7:1 is interesting, as the number 7 is significant in gospel terms (think 7 periods of creation, we must forgive 7 times 70 times). Seven indicates eternity. I’m not sure why Isaiah chose the 7:1 ratio, but it seems significant.
Verses 2-3
These verses have several layers of meaning, but one that is clear is its tree of life imagery (branch, fruit). So, in the day when the wicked are falling in war and destruction, the tree of life (gospel, covenant, temple, Christ) becomes stronger, and the covenant people are drawn to it. We see this beginning now as the lines between good and evil become clearer. I think this also has fulfillment in the number of temples being built and the increase in temple attendance.
Ultimately, those who enjoy the “fruit of the earth” that is “excellent and comely” are they who are “escaped of Israel.” So who are the escaped of Israel? Following cross references takes us to D&C 38:31. Surrounding verses also list characteristics of those who will escape the calamities Isaiah foretells. The “escaped” will
Further, those who escape coming calamities will practice virtue and holiness. The word practice shows that this is more than a statement of belief – it is a way of life. And virtue and holiness mean more than avoiding obvious sins. Can someone be virtuous, holy, and judgmental? Or virtuous, holy, and gossipy? Or virtuous, holy, and cheats/cuts corners in business? Or virtuous, holy, and unforgiving?
That’s a high bar, and I am guilty as charged. How then, can we be “without spot and blameless”? For the “spotless” part, Alma 5 has the answer (especially verses 21 and 27). See also Alma 7:25. Because Christ shed His blood, He has power to cleanse us from the blood and sins we have on our hands. This is done through the repentance process and through covenant making (temple ordinances make reference to this).
“Blameless” indicates both that we have done our best to remain without spot, and that we have not injured others (who could then blame us). This again goes back to the point of esteeming our neighbors as ourselves. If we neither insult nor injure (or repent and repair when we do), then who will be able to blame us? Will we have any accusers at the last day?
Finally, the escaped of Israel will “treasure up wisdom.” In the ancient understanding, treasuring up wisdom meant to make temple covenants and receive saving knowledge from the Lord. From Margaret Barker:
Verse 4
Remember from the discussion of Chapter 3 that “daughters of Zion” refers not just to women, but to all of the Lord’s covenant people. So, some of the Lord’s covenant people are wicked, and the Lord will “wash away the filth” and “purge the blood” by judgment and burning. This reminds me of the parable of the ten virgins. They were all waiting for the bridegroom, they were all the Lord’s covenant people. Yet, some were unprepared. They did not have the oil in their lamps (oil symbolizing having a testimony of Christ, a covenant anointing, and being filled with the light of the Holy Spirit). Thus, they were cast out. Again, membership in a church, even regular church attendance, or acts of charity alone are not enough.
Verses 5-6
These verses describe where the escaped of Israel will be at the dawn of the millennial age. “Mount Zion” refers to a temple, and “upon every dwelling place” indicates that there will be multiple places with multiple temples where the escaped will gather. There will be some sort of cloud or light that rests on these places, and it will apparently be bright enough that it will induce fear in the unrighteous and protect the righteous from the calamities going on around them.
Precisely what this cloud/light will be is interesting. The ancient Israelites had a cloud/pillar of light with them in the wilderness. Deuteronomy 1:33 and Exodus 13:21 say that the Lord was in the cloud. Deuteronomy 4:4-5 also says that the Lord was in the fire. This pillar/cloud of light/fire seems to be the visible emanation of God’s glory. It also seems to be a veil that shields the unprepared from entering the Lord’s presence. Moses tried to prepare his people to enter, but they, like the five foolish virgins, were unwilling, afraid, and faithless (D&C 84:23-24). There’s a lot more that could be said about this, but for now I’ll just recommend reviewing these verses: God, Presence of.
With such a short chapter I thought this would be a short entry. Time to go feed my kids!
Verse 1
This verse properly belongs in Chapter 3. Here, so many men have died in wars that women outnumber men. I think the ratio Isaiah mentions of 7:1 is interesting, as the number 7 is significant in gospel terms (think 7 periods of creation, we must forgive 7 times 70 times). Seven indicates eternity. I’m not sure why Isaiah chose the 7:1 ratio, but it seems significant.
Verses 2-3
These verses have several layers of meaning, but one that is clear is its tree of life imagery (branch, fruit). So, in the day when the wicked are falling in war and destruction, the tree of life (gospel, covenant, temple, Christ) becomes stronger, and the covenant people are drawn to it. We see this beginning now as the lines between good and evil become clearer. I think this also has fulfillment in the number of temples being built and the increase in temple attendance.
Ultimately, those who enjoy the “fruit of the earth” that is “excellent and comely” are they who are “escaped of Israel.” So who are the escaped of Israel? Following cross references takes us to D&C 38:31. Surrounding verses also list characteristics of those who will escape the calamities Isaiah foretells. The “escaped” will
-esteem his brother as himself (v. 24)It looks like that Second Great Commandment is pretty important. I suspect that being a member of a church is not sufficient. Simply being baptized isn’t enough. Regularly attending church isn’t enough. Instead, the condition of one’s heart is key. To “esteem” someone as oneself indicates both how we feel about others and how we treat them. It is both a state of heart/mind and an act. We can’t just feel sorry for someone but do nothing to help. We can’t simply do acts of charity because we think it will somehow get us into heaven, but not really care for the other person’s well-being or respect them as a child of God. Charity can't be done with a sense of grudging obligation. We actually have to care about – love – others as much as we care about ourselves. This is what the escaped will do.
-practice virtue and holiness (v. 24)
-esteem his brother as himself (v. 25 – again! Must be important)
-esteem his brother as himself (v. 26 – not in those words, but that’s the point)
-esteem his brother as himself (v. 27 – again, not in those words, but that’s the point)
-treasure up wisdom (v. 30)
-be without spot and blameless (v. 31).
Further, those who escape coming calamities will practice virtue and holiness. The word practice shows that this is more than a statement of belief – it is a way of life. And virtue and holiness mean more than avoiding obvious sins. Can someone be virtuous, holy, and judgmental? Or virtuous, holy, and gossipy? Or virtuous, holy, and cheats/cuts corners in business? Or virtuous, holy, and unforgiving?
That’s a high bar, and I am guilty as charged. How then, can we be “without spot and blameless”? For the “spotless” part, Alma 5 has the answer (especially verses 21 and 27). See also Alma 7:25. Because Christ shed His blood, He has power to cleanse us from the blood and sins we have on our hands. This is done through the repentance process and through covenant making (temple ordinances make reference to this).
“Blameless” indicates both that we have done our best to remain without spot, and that we have not injured others (who could then blame us). This again goes back to the point of esteeming our neighbors as ourselves. If we neither insult nor injure (or repent and repair when we do), then who will be able to blame us? Will we have any accusers at the last day?
Finally, the escaped of Israel will “treasure up wisdom.” In the ancient understanding, treasuring up wisdom meant to make temple covenants and receive saving knowledge from the Lord. From Margaret Barker:
Enoch himself sees the secrets of heaven, how the kingdoms are divided and the actions of men weighed. The spirit of wisdom is in the Elect One who stands in the presence of God. A component of this wisdom is the name of the Son of Man, which we have assumed to be the revelation of his identity. It could easily be read as the revelation of a name, in the magical sense of a power-giving invocation, such as we find in 69.14 as the key to the cosmic oath…. The name was used before the creation, and it saved the righteous. At the close of the passage dealing with the power of the cosmic oath, there is great joy because the name of the Son of Man is revealed. (Margaret Barker, The Older Testament, 31).So, to sum, the “escaped of Israel” will love others as themselves, will avoid and repent of sin, and will make and keep covenants. They will be completely converted to the Lord, heart, might, mind and strength.
Verse 4
Remember from the discussion of Chapter 3 that “daughters of Zion” refers not just to women, but to all of the Lord’s covenant people. So, some of the Lord’s covenant people are wicked, and the Lord will “wash away the filth” and “purge the blood” by judgment and burning. This reminds me of the parable of the ten virgins. They were all waiting for the bridegroom, they were all the Lord’s covenant people. Yet, some were unprepared. They did not have the oil in their lamps (oil symbolizing having a testimony of Christ, a covenant anointing, and being filled with the light of the Holy Spirit). Thus, they were cast out. Again, membership in a church, even regular church attendance, or acts of charity alone are not enough.
Verses 5-6
These verses describe where the escaped of Israel will be at the dawn of the millennial age. “Mount Zion” refers to a temple, and “upon every dwelling place” indicates that there will be multiple places with multiple temples where the escaped will gather. There will be some sort of cloud or light that rests on these places, and it will apparently be bright enough that it will induce fear in the unrighteous and protect the righteous from the calamities going on around them.
Precisely what this cloud/light will be is interesting. The ancient Israelites had a cloud/pillar of light with them in the wilderness. Deuteronomy 1:33 and Exodus 13:21 say that the Lord was in the cloud. Deuteronomy 4:4-5 also says that the Lord was in the fire. This pillar/cloud of light/fire seems to be the visible emanation of God’s glory. It also seems to be a veil that shields the unprepared from entering the Lord’s presence. Moses tried to prepare his people to enter, but they, like the five foolish virgins, were unwilling, afraid, and faithless (D&C 84:23-24). There’s a lot more that could be said about this, but for now I’ll just recommend reviewing these verses: God, Presence of.
With such a short chapter I thought this would be a short entry. Time to go feed my kids!
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.
Isaiah 3
In this chapter Isaiah prophesies about what will become of Judah and Jerusalem (at this point, the Israelites are divided into these two kingdoms) because they have rejected the Lord, and it’s not a pretty picture.
Verse 1
This verse refers to the Israelites losing the “stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread and the whole stay of water.” I believe this refers to items that were originally in Solomon’s temple. The bread had reference to the Queen of Heaven, and under King Josiah’s reforms these were removed, along with belief in a female deity. According to Margaret Barker,
The bread and water also become sacramental. Again from Barker,
In both cases, consuming the bread and water are symbolic of consuming, or unifying, with God. God’s presence, power, and glory come into us to feed us, nourish us, and sustain life. According to Isaiah, the Israelites are rejecting this unity with God. Without this unity, they lose God’s influence, lose wisdom, and become subject to oppressors.
Verses 2-26
These verses describe what will become of Israel (and those in the last days), who reject the Lord and His covenant.
-vs. 6-7: This is totally my interpretation, but these verses may make reference to people lamenting the loss of the true covenant. The Hebrew of “I will not be an healer” could be translated as “I will not be a binder up,” with binding having covenant connotations. Essentially, Israel will have lost the power and authority to make binding covenants. Jesus Christ restored this power to his apostles (Matt. 16:19, D&C 124:93).
-v. 9: “The shew of their countenance doth witness against them.” Compare this to Alma 5:14. Speaking of countenances and the Book of Mormon, there’s an interesting ancient Mayan tradition where priests would wear the mask of a given god, thereby assuming the power of that god (if I understand correctly). Thus, when Alma asked whether you have “received His image in your countenance,” he may have been asking it in this context, essentially asking whether we had received the power of Christ within us.
-v. 10: For the most part, Isaiah uses an ancient form of Hebrew poetry called chiasmus. In this form, each poem is a reflection of itself, so it follows the pattern ABDCECDBA, with the mirror image being a bit different from the original, but making the same point. Both “ends” of the poem point to the center, which is generally Isaiah’s main point. In this chapter, that comes at verse 10, and underscores that things will be well with the righteous. Who are the righteous? Isaiah defines them as those who will “eat the fruit.” This could be pointing back to those who partake of the fruit of the tree of life, truly unifying with God, and keeping the first great commandment. These are not just people who are generally civil to others or who avoid outwardly sins. There’s something more to it. One must love God and unify with Him completely.
-v. 12: I am not settled on this yet, but I think that when it refers to “women rule over them,” it may be referring to the Israelites choosing the harlot over Wisdom. I’ll explain more in a future post. The point is, when we follow the wrong leaders, we lose the path to eternal life.
-v. 13: The Lord is always merciful! He pleads with us to follow Him! He is our advocate.
-v. 14: Ultimately, the Lord will be our judge, along with ancients. The “ancients” probably refers to those who practiced the original covenant and priesthood: think Adam, Noah, Enoch, Melchizedek. Why would they be judges? Because they were the original keepers of the vineyard that Isaiah references here. That “vineyard” included the tree of life and the true temple, but the Israelites (and others) have “eaten” (“burned” is probably a better reading here) the vineyard.
-v. 16-23: I’ve heard it suggested that “daughters of Zion” can refer to anyone who is part of the covenant, both male and female, so this may not strictly refer to women. Taken broadly, it shows that the covenant people have rejected the Lord and his Wisdom, and chosen instead materialism and worldly status (the harlot). Are we guilty of materialism? Do we derive our status and value from worldly accolades? Do we make an effort to keep up with Joneses?
-v. 24-26: Choosing the world over the Lord will have consequences. Isaiah describes it as a stink, burning, and a rent. This seems analogous to the great and spacious building. The end result is war, desolation, and societal instability – kind of describes the world we live in today. That would seem to indicate which choice we have made.
Verse 1
This verse refers to the Israelites losing the “stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread and the whole stay of water.” I believe this refers to items that were originally in Solomon’s temple. The bread had reference to the Queen of Heaven, and under King Josiah’s reforms these were removed, along with belief in a female deity. According to Margaret Barker,
The Enochic Apocalypse of Weeks, which summarizes the history of Israel without mentioning the Exodus and so is free of any Moses/Aaron/Deuteronomy influences, describes thus the changes in the time of Josiah, when the refugees in Egypt claimed that the Queen had been abandoned: ‘In the sixth week all who live in [the temple] shall become blind and the hearts of all of them shall godlessly forsake Wisdom.’ Wisdom’s first gift had been the vision which was eternal life, and this loss of vision was remembered as the significant change at the end of the first temple period. Wisdom was forsaken and vision was lost. Wisdom and her house is another recurring theme with the Bread of the Presence. This suggests it was an element in the cult [religion] of the first temple, where Melchizedek had been high priest, and Wisdom the Queen of Heaven, the patroness of Jerusalem. … The offerings to the Queen had been ‘cakes’… [used] to portray or depict her. (Barker, The Great High Priest, 91)
The bread and water also become sacramental. Again from Barker,
It has long been recognized that the Fourth Gospel [Gospel according to John] presents Jesus as Wisdom…. Thus, in the Fourth Gospel, when Jesus offers himself as the bread from heaven, in contrast to the manna which was the heavenly bread offered by Moses; this should be understood as a return to the heavenly bread by which Wisdom offered herself to her devotees and gave them eternal life. Cyril of Alexandria… said that manna was the shadow of the bread to come, the bread of angels which was spiritual and of Wisdom. This bread gave life…. Although the Bread of the Presence was food for the priests, when David took it to feed his men (1 Sam. 21:6), he pre-figured its being given to others too. (Barker, The Great High Priest, 93)
In both cases, consuming the bread and water are symbolic of consuming, or unifying, with God. God’s presence, power, and glory come into us to feed us, nourish us, and sustain life. According to Isaiah, the Israelites are rejecting this unity with God. Without this unity, they lose God’s influence, lose wisdom, and become subject to oppressors.
Verses 2-26
These verses describe what will become of Israel (and those in the last days), who reject the Lord and His covenant.
-vs. 6-7: This is totally my interpretation, but these verses may make reference to people lamenting the loss of the true covenant. The Hebrew of “I will not be an healer” could be translated as “I will not be a binder up,” with binding having covenant connotations. Essentially, Israel will have lost the power and authority to make binding covenants. Jesus Christ restored this power to his apostles (Matt. 16:19, D&C 124:93).
-v. 9: “The shew of their countenance doth witness against them.” Compare this to Alma 5:14. Speaking of countenances and the Book of Mormon, there’s an interesting ancient Mayan tradition where priests would wear the mask of a given god, thereby assuming the power of that god (if I understand correctly). Thus, when Alma asked whether you have “received His image in your countenance,” he may have been asking it in this context, essentially asking whether we had received the power of Christ within us.
-v. 10: For the most part, Isaiah uses an ancient form of Hebrew poetry called chiasmus. In this form, each poem is a reflection of itself, so it follows the pattern ABDCECDBA, with the mirror image being a bit different from the original, but making the same point. Both “ends” of the poem point to the center, which is generally Isaiah’s main point. In this chapter, that comes at verse 10, and underscores that things will be well with the righteous. Who are the righteous? Isaiah defines them as those who will “eat the fruit.” This could be pointing back to those who partake of the fruit of the tree of life, truly unifying with God, and keeping the first great commandment. These are not just people who are generally civil to others or who avoid outwardly sins. There’s something more to it. One must love God and unify with Him completely.
-v. 12: I am not settled on this yet, but I think that when it refers to “women rule over them,” it may be referring to the Israelites choosing the harlot over Wisdom. I’ll explain more in a future post. The point is, when we follow the wrong leaders, we lose the path to eternal life.
-v. 13: The Lord is always merciful! He pleads with us to follow Him! He is our advocate.
-v. 14: Ultimately, the Lord will be our judge, along with ancients. The “ancients” probably refers to those who practiced the original covenant and priesthood: think Adam, Noah, Enoch, Melchizedek. Why would they be judges? Because they were the original keepers of the vineyard that Isaiah references here. That “vineyard” included the tree of life and the true temple, but the Israelites (and others) have “eaten” (“burned” is probably a better reading here) the vineyard.
-v. 16-23: I’ve heard it suggested that “daughters of Zion” can refer to anyone who is part of the covenant, both male and female, so this may not strictly refer to women. Taken broadly, it shows that the covenant people have rejected the Lord and his Wisdom, and chosen instead materialism and worldly status (the harlot). Are we guilty of materialism? Do we derive our status and value from worldly accolades? Do we make an effort to keep up with Joneses?
-v. 24-26: Choosing the world over the Lord will have consequences. Isaiah describes it as a stink, burning, and a rent. This seems analogous to the great and spacious building. The end result is war, desolation, and societal instability – kind of describes the world we live in today. That would seem to indicate which choice we have made.
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Isaiah 2
The second chapter of Isaiah continues the theme of the first chapter – it’s a clarion call to reject the ways of the world and turn fully to the Lord. This chapter also includes prophecies touching on the last days and the millennial days.
Verses 1-3
These verses look forward to a renewed temple, in contrast to the corrupt temple Isaiah talked about in chapter 1. That temple was full of sacrifice and ritual, but precious little commitment of heart. Isaiah is looking toward a new temple where the covenant (law) is taught and practiced. This temple is the mountain of the Lord. Historically, mountains were essentially temples, or places where man encountered God (think Moses on Sinai).
When the temple is restored and the ancient Abrahamic covenant renewed, people of all nations will go to the temple to be taught how to follow the Lord and walk in the path that leads back to His presence. This is precisely what happens in modern LDS temples. We make covenants and learn to walk in the Lord’s ways so that we can return to His presence.
We tend to think that the Salt Lake City temple fulfills this prophecy of a restored temple because it sits in the Rocky Mountains and these verses refer to a temple established in the top of the mountains. I believe that the Salt Lake temple partially fulfills this prophecy, but the prophecy itself is broader – it includes all temples where the everlasting covenant is being renewed, including the temple to be rebuilt someday in Jerusalem.
The renewing of this covenant is preparation for the millennium when Christ will reign, which leads us to the next verse.
Verse 4
This verse gives us a glimpse into what life will be like during the millennium. First, the Lord will judge, and this appears to be a preliminary judgment, before the final judgment day. I don’t know what the “dividing line” will be, but I suspect that those who are inclined to create rather than destroy will be welcome residents during the millennium. That’s because…
The famous words “beat swords into plowshares” and “spears into pruninghooks” indicate that tools of destruction will become tools of creation. Those who live during this time will be creators and will be at peace with others. I think the more we can become creators and peacemakers here and now, the better off we’ll be. This begs the question of what we should be creating and making peace with, but I’ll have to set that aside for now.
Verse 5
All of Isaiah is beautiful, poignant, and instructive, but if all we had was verse 5, we’d be in good shape. This is a call to walk in the light of the Lord. When we decide to walk in the light of the Lord, we are turning from sin, submitting to Lord, and partaking of His wisdom. There’s a lot packed into the concept of the Lord’s light, but I’ll have to set that aside for now as well.
Verses 6-22
In these verses, Isaiah calls us to leave behind worldly ways, and implies his main point again that we should enter into the light of the Lord. The “worldly ways” Isaiah mentions include love of money, materialism, worldly accolades (“worship the work of their own hands”), and pride (believing we have everything figured out, have nothing to learn, and are of more worth or smarter than other people).
Also, when it comes to idolatry, which Isaiah mentions often, I don’t think we should limit the definition to kneeling before a golden calf. Idolatry is anything we spend an inordinate amount of time and effort on that detracts from our fulfillment of God’s purposes.
I’m not saying we shouldn’t have hobbies or other pursuits, but maybe we should just evaluate our priorities. If we’re spending a couple hours a day on a hobby, sport, work, housecleaning, social networking etc., but can’t spare 10 minutes in prayer and studying the word of God, then where are our hearts? What are we really worshipping? All of these activities can be good and uplifting, but pursuing them to the exclusion of more important matters… well, you’ll have to evaluate that for yourself. Finding God is not difficult or time consuming, but we have to make space for Him and invite Him in by clearing some time and “mind space.” If our time is filled, our minds preoccupied, and our desires elsewhere, how can we expect to commune with God?
-v. 13-15: I believe the language Isaiah uses here (cedars of Lebanon, oaks of Bashan, high mountains, hills lifted up, high tower, and fenced wall) are references to temples, in this case, the sort of false temple that Isaiah talked about in Chapter 1.
-v. 16: Interesting footnote in this verse: “The Greek (Septuagint) version has one phrase that the Hebrew does not, and the Hebrew has one phrase that the Greek does not; but 2 Nephi 12:16 has both.” There is a bit of controversy here, but I believe the evidence is in favor of this lending credence to the Book of Mormon. See http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/publications/jbms/?vol=14&num=2&id=374 and http://www.jefflindsay.com/LDSFAQ/2nephi12.shtml
-v. 22: This reiterates the point of turning away from man and worldliness. Man’s “breath is in his nostrils,” things of this world are temporary and cannot save.
Verses 1-3
These verses look forward to a renewed temple, in contrast to the corrupt temple Isaiah talked about in chapter 1. That temple was full of sacrifice and ritual, but precious little commitment of heart. Isaiah is looking toward a new temple where the covenant (law) is taught and practiced. This temple is the mountain of the Lord. Historically, mountains were essentially temples, or places where man encountered God (think Moses on Sinai).
When the temple is restored and the ancient Abrahamic covenant renewed, people of all nations will go to the temple to be taught how to follow the Lord and walk in the path that leads back to His presence. This is precisely what happens in modern LDS temples. We make covenants and learn to walk in the Lord’s ways so that we can return to His presence.
We tend to think that the Salt Lake City temple fulfills this prophecy of a restored temple because it sits in the Rocky Mountains and these verses refer to a temple established in the top of the mountains. I believe that the Salt Lake temple partially fulfills this prophecy, but the prophecy itself is broader – it includes all temples where the everlasting covenant is being renewed, including the temple to be rebuilt someday in Jerusalem.
The renewing of this covenant is preparation for the millennium when Christ will reign, which leads us to the next verse.
Verse 4
This verse gives us a glimpse into what life will be like during the millennium. First, the Lord will judge, and this appears to be a preliminary judgment, before the final judgment day. I don’t know what the “dividing line” will be, but I suspect that those who are inclined to create rather than destroy will be welcome residents during the millennium. That’s because…
The famous words “beat swords into plowshares” and “spears into pruninghooks” indicate that tools of destruction will become tools of creation. Those who live during this time will be creators and will be at peace with others. I think the more we can become creators and peacemakers here and now, the better off we’ll be. This begs the question of what we should be creating and making peace with, but I’ll have to set that aside for now.
Verse 5
All of Isaiah is beautiful, poignant, and instructive, but if all we had was verse 5, we’d be in good shape. This is a call to walk in the light of the Lord. When we decide to walk in the light of the Lord, we are turning from sin, submitting to Lord, and partaking of His wisdom. There’s a lot packed into the concept of the Lord’s light, but I’ll have to set that aside for now as well.
Verses 6-22
In these verses, Isaiah calls us to leave behind worldly ways, and implies his main point again that we should enter into the light of the Lord. The “worldly ways” Isaiah mentions include love of money, materialism, worldly accolades (“worship the work of their own hands”), and pride (believing we have everything figured out, have nothing to learn, and are of more worth or smarter than other people).
Also, when it comes to idolatry, which Isaiah mentions often, I don’t think we should limit the definition to kneeling before a golden calf. Idolatry is anything we spend an inordinate amount of time and effort on that detracts from our fulfillment of God’s purposes.
I’m not saying we shouldn’t have hobbies or other pursuits, but maybe we should just evaluate our priorities. If we’re spending a couple hours a day on a hobby, sport, work, housecleaning, social networking etc., but can’t spare 10 minutes in prayer and studying the word of God, then where are our hearts? What are we really worshipping? All of these activities can be good and uplifting, but pursuing them to the exclusion of more important matters… well, you’ll have to evaluate that for yourself. Finding God is not difficult or time consuming, but we have to make space for Him and invite Him in by clearing some time and “mind space.” If our time is filled, our minds preoccupied, and our desires elsewhere, how can we expect to commune with God?
-v. 13-15: I believe the language Isaiah uses here (cedars of Lebanon, oaks of Bashan, high mountains, hills lifted up, high tower, and fenced wall) are references to temples, in this case, the sort of false temple that Isaiah talked about in Chapter 1.
-v. 16: Interesting footnote in this verse: “The Greek (Septuagint) version has one phrase that the Hebrew does not, and the Hebrew has one phrase that the Greek does not; but 2 Nephi 12:16 has both.” There is a bit of controversy here, but I believe the evidence is in favor of this lending credence to the Book of Mormon. See http://maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/publications/jbms/?vol=14&num=2&id=374 and http://www.jefflindsay.com/LDSFAQ/2nephi12.shtml
-v. 22: This reiterates the point of turning away from man and worldliness. Man’s “breath is in his nostrils,” things of this world are temporary and cannot save.
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