Tag Archives: Isaiah

Why Hast Thou Forsaken Me?

23 Thursday Jul 2020

Posted by in Heritage

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While studying King Hezekiah’s relationship with the prophet Isaiah, I realized something else. Without God to uphold our hearts, we tend to fail every time He tests us. In other words, when God withdraws His Spirit and we feel abandoned, we discover the true nature of our own hearts.

2 Chronicles 32:31 ¶ Howbeit in the business of the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who sent unto him to inquire of the wonder that was done in the land, God left him, to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart.

He had put his trust in God during the Assyrian invasion and was given an additional fifteen years of life. But when the Lord withdrew to test him, Hezekiah ultimately became accountable for the Babylonian captivity. When we feel abandoned, we all stray. Some of us become monsters.

“Well, if God doesn’t care, why should I?”

But He does care. That is why he steps away periodically. Like a parent who teaches her toddler to walk, He must step away. I remember when one of my sisters was a toddler and still learning to walk. My mother set her at one end of the living room on her wobbly legs and walked to the other end. My sister began to cry because Mom appeared to abandon her. Desperate to be near my mother, my sister began to take one step and then two. Crying and striving to reach Mom, she inched her way forward one wobbly baby step at a time. She has been walking and running ever since. What is the solution?

Matthew 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

William Gurnall wrote that all our strength is fetched without doors, or in other words, outside of ourselves:

“Reason Second.  The second reason may be taken from the absolute necessity of this act of faith above others, to support the Christian in the hour of temptation.  All the Christian’s strength and comfort is fetched without doors, and he hath none to send of his errand but faith; this goes to heaven and knocks God up, as he in the parable his neighbor at midnight for bread: therefore, when faith fails, and the soul hath none to go to market for supplies, there must needs be a poor house kept in the meantime. Now faith is never quite laid up till the soul denies, or at least questions, the power of God.  Indeed, when the Christian disputes the will of God, whispering within its own bosom, will he pardon? Will he save? This may make faith go haltingly to the throne of grace, but not knock the soul off from seeking the face of God.  Even then faith on the power of God will bear it company thither: ‘If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean;’ if thou wilt, thou canst pardon, thou canst purge.  But when the soul concludes he cannot pardon, cannot save, this shoots faith to the heart, so that the soul falls at the foot of Satan, not able more to resist; now it grows more listless to duty, indifferent whether it pray or not, as one that sees the well dry breaks or throws away his pitcher.”–William Gurnal, The Christian in Complete Armor.

The strength to flee temptation comes only from God. And that strength comes only through prayer. Without prayer, we fail. How strong are we when God steps back to test our hearts?

Matthew 27:45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the night hour.
46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Jesus Christ suffered intense agony for six hours nailed to the cross while the effects of countless lashes had ripped his flesh, thorns had pierced his brow, spikes had pierced nerves in his extremities, hunger and thirst afflicted his body, and gravity made it all the more unbearable. But He did not waver from his mission. He had spent the entire night before in Gethsemane praying and also suffering. Prayer was His constant companion. He was no stranger to an entire night of prayer. He was no stranger to forty days of praying and fasting. But imagine for a moment, if He had stepped down from the cross, being abandoned or, rather, forsaken by His Father to become a monster and to smite the Romans who inflicted so much pain on Him and to make all the high priests wither as dried reeds, or to become as chaff that disappears in the wind and to strike down all those who mocked Him while He suffered intense agony. Only a monster would do such a thing. But Jesus was not a monster. Though capable of destruction of cosmic proportions, as demonstrated by the great flood during Noah’s day, or the pestilences inflicted upon Pharaoh in Moses’ day, Jesus Christ, the God of all creation humbly, meekly, and willingly suffered all things of His own will. Without His Father to uphold His heart, Jesus Christ upheld us all. He, and He alone carried all our guilt.

agony

Returning to Hezekiah, consider finally the following commentary:

“God left him to himself in it, to try him, v. 31. God, by the power of his almighty grace, could have prevented the sin; but he permitted it for wise and holy ends, that, by this trial and his weakness in it, he might know, that is, it might be known (a usual Hebraism), what was in his heart, that he was not so perfect in grace as he thought he was, but had his follies and infirmities as other men. God left him to himself to be proud of his wealth, to keep him from being proud of his holiness.

It is good for us to know ourselves, and our own weakness and sinfulness, that we may not be conceited or self-confident, but may always think meanly of ourselves and live in a dependence upon divine grace. We know not the corruption of our own hearts, nor what we shall do if God leave us to ourselves. Lord, lead us not into temptation.

3. His sin was the his heart was lifted up, v. 25. He was proud of the honour God had put upon him in so many instances, the honour his neighbours did him in bringing him presents, and now that the king of Babylon should send an embassy to him to caress and court him: this exalted him above measure.

When Hezekiah had destroyed other idolatries he began to idolize himself. O what need have great men, and good men, and useful men, to study their own infirmities and follies, and their obligations to free grace, that they may never think highly of themselves, and to beg earnestly of God that he will hide pride from them and always keep them humble!–Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997), 2 Ch 32:31.

In our individual journeys to seek His face, we must pray and pray often. Yesterday’s prayers are not sufficient for today, for as the Apostle Paul declared, we stand in jeopardy every hour! And when that sweet Spirit of the Lord deliberately withdraws from our hearts, which leaves us feeling empty and desperate, in order to test us, it is then that we truly discover who we are without Him. It is imperative that we learn to be godly without Him to uphold our hearts, else we might find ourselves, like that son of morning, fallen from heaven and cast down to Earth because of our pride and lust and vanity.

Isaiah 14:11 Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of the viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee.
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!
13 For thou has said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

 

 

Isaiah: Archetypes and Ascension

06 Friday Mar 2020

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Decades ago, a professor named William Brownlee discovered in the Dead Sea Scroll of Isaiah a seven part division of Isaiah’s book in two parallel blocks of chapters. At that time, scholars barely determined that biblical books even had literary structures. So Brownlee’s discovery was mostly passed over. Another professor, a colleague of Brownlee by the name of Roland Harrison, a mentor of Avraham Gileadi, suggested that Gileadi explore this structure for his doctoral thesis. And so a chiasmus of history was examined that became what Gileadi describes as Seven Spiritual Categories or Isaiah’s Ladder, which looks like this:

Isaiah 1-33
1a-2a-3a-4a-5a-6a-7a

Isaiah 34-66
1b-2b-3b-4b-5b-6b-7b

It is reminiscent of Jacob’s ladder as described in the book of Genesis:

Genesis 28:12 And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.
13 And, behold, the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;
14 And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.
15 And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.
16 ¶And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not.
17 And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.

Isaiah seems to codify his own ladder, which symbolizes the different ways of living that people choose, which either move them up the ladder to God or down the ladder toward destruction.

So using the code above (1a corresponding with 1b, etc), we have the following structure in categories corresponding with chapters:

-Ruin and Rebirth (1-5, 34-35)
–Rebellion and Compliance (6-8, 36-40)
—Punishment and Deliverance (9-12, 41-46)
—-Humiliation and Exaltation (13-23, 47)
—Suffering and Salvation (24-27,48-54)
–Disloyalty and Loyalty (28-31, 55-59)
-Disinheritance and Inheritance (32-33, 60-66)

There are distinctions within each level or set of choices we make that brings covenant blessings or covenant cursings. A ladder appears when we recognize these categories of people as an ascending order, from the lowest (or farthest from being like God) to the highest (most like Him). John made it clear in one of his epistles when we obtain the highest rung:

1 John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

We find ourselves at any given time on one rung or another depending on the choices we make; or in other words, what spiritual laws we live or choose not to live. We are either ascending or descending. And if we are idle, well that isn’t good either. You gotta climb. We gain God’s presence when we enter heaven. Some people attain this state in this life.

This seven part structure presents models on each level, or on each rung. We participate in the role of each model as we ascend or descend. Isaiah’s “ladder” looks like this:

Jehovah-God of Israel
Seraphim-Angelic Emissaries
Sons/Daughters-Servants of God
Zion/Jerusalem-God’s Covenant People
Jacob/Israel-Believers in a Creator-God
Babylon-The Wicked of the World
King of Assyria/Babylon-Perdition

At the bottom is depicted the archtyrant who conquers and destroys. People on the lowest rungs resemble the archtyrant as they follow his example of despotism. The more we resemble him, the lower we descend. Conversely, the more we become like Jesus Christ, the higher we ascend. By looking at Israels’ history and its people we can compare ourselves to them and see where we are on the ladder. Isaiah provides that yardstick for us. We don’t need to wait until we die to ascend or descend. Knowing exactly where we stand NOW puts to rest any false “notions of grandeur” that we have about ourselves. I believe some of us are in the Jacob/Israel rung, some with one foot on the Babylon rung and others with one foot in the Zion/Jerusalem rung. Some of us are on the Zion/Jerusalem rung. Most of us are in the Babylon rung. A careful reading of chapter six of Isaiah indicates that he became a type of angelic emissary. God tends to call those in higher rungs to minister to those in lower rungs. For example, Jehovah ministers to Isaiah, Isaiah ministers to King Hezekiah, and King Hezekiah ministers to his servants who minister to the people of Israel. The higher one ascends, the more like angels they become.

Such archetypes can be found in many literary works and fiction. It’s kind of fun to plug in these archetypes into familiar stories, though not all types are always utilized.

The Matrix
Neo
The Oracle
Morpheus, Trinity
Zion, the last and only human city on Earth
People asleep in the Matrix
Agent Smith
The Architect

Star Wars
Luke Skywalker
Yoda
Obi-wan Kenobi, Princess Leia
The Rebellion, Biggs, Wedge, etc
The people in the Galaxy far, far away
The Empire, Darth Vader, stormtroopers, etc
Emperor Palpatine

The more a covenant people (ten tribes of Israel) resembles Zion, the less they have to do with Babylon, Mammon, and all materialism. Buying things where moth and rust corrupt is no longer part of their lives and money is used to liberate and elevate the poor and needy, the widows and fatherless. As such, idols and figures, no matter how ornate and beautiful are abandoned.

Sale

The less a covenant people resembles Zion, the more they resemble Babylon and all things worldly. Commerce and materialism abounds. Vanity is a commonplace and self indulgence becomes the doctrine.

brand

In this fallen world, it’s not difficult to tell where Israel ends and Babylon begins when money changers are exalted as mankind’s saviors.

SLC

Years ago, I watched a few videos in the series, How The Universe Works. I really enjoy watching these documentaries periodically to remind me how certain laws of physics must be obeyed. One example is gravity. While on a mission in space, an astronaut put some left-over salt and other food debris in a plastic bag filled with water for a fun experiment. Low and behold, these granules, as they randomly bumped into each other, stuck together. Before long, more and more of these granules and food stuffs began clumping. This discovery and the point of the experiment is that in the vacuum of space, matter tends to clump together due to gravity.

Because of the “Big Bang,” which sent into space unimaginable amounts of debris, gravity caused a lot of this debris to begin to attract other debris. Bits and pieces of elements begin to clump, forming larger clumps and so on. Eventually, as enough hydrogen and helium elements find each other and clump together because of gravity, they accumulate so much mass that fusion occurs. When fusion occurs there is an explosion. But because gravity is so powerful in this new mass, it holds the fusion back. So you have this constant struggle between fusion and gravity. And this tug of war creates a star just like our own sun. Meanwhile around the sun, more and more debris continues to collide and clump together, forming planets and moons. As the momentum of the Big Bang continues, all things continue moving outward into space, becoming organized into swirls of bodies. Moons settle into orbits around planets, planets settle into orbits around stars like our sun and more still, our solar system travels around what is called a singularity, which is at the center of our galaxy. All of this happens because of gravity.

It is gravity that has caused this “organization” of matter (stars, planets, moons, gases, debris) to swirl around a singularity (also known as a black hole). Vast arms of debris swirl around the center of the galaxy in a giant disc. This has all been happening for billions of years. But time is appointed only to man. Time is irrelevant to God who exists outside of time. In our Milky Way Galaxy, our tiny solar system lies a certain distance from the singularity in the center. If we were too close to this singularity, we’d suffer from the radiation of the many giant stars which orbit the singularity. We are located in just the right spot in one of the galaxy’s arm known as Orion’s Arm. Anyway, we are all still experiencing the after effects of the Big Bang, or as we like to call it, creation. It’s all slowing down, but it’s happening in terms of millions of years, even though we’re traveling through space at unimaginable speed from the momentum of creation.

Back to gravity. The closer to the center of the galaxy we look, the more we see giant stars orbiting the singularity at tremendous speeds. All these giant stars towards the center of the galaxy give off tons of radiation. The farther out the stars orbit the singularity, the slower the orbit around the singularity, like our sun. As such, there is allowance for planets and moons to do their thing, forming solar systems. And of course at the edge of our galaxy, everything is moving the slowest, but all are still held together by what is called dark matter, or else, we’d all be flung outward into space, with the galaxy dissipating into nothing.

An analogy can be made that each time we ascend, we must first descend (Jesus Christ descended below us all so that he could lift us all). We must first experience sacrifice/humility in order to grow spiritually to the next level. For example, each season a tree grows by shedding its leaves, then becomes dormant and then comes alive again the next season with new life, new leaves, etc. A cross section of a tree reveals rings, indicating how many seasons the tree has grown. The tree obeys certain laws of nature. It experiences cycles of death and cycles of rebirth just as Jesus Christ descended from His throne to be born and then die that a new creation (us) might come forth because of His own resurrection. The same analogy can be made with the universe. All matter must obey laws, too. Smaller bodies obey laws of larger bodies. Moons obey the law of gravity of planets. Planets obey the law of gravity of their suns. Suns obey the law of gravity of the singularity at the center of the galaxy. I find it fascinating that scientists have mathematically concluded that time cannot exist in a singularity. Just as with God, time does not exist. It is only appointed to us, who progress by obeying laws to those higher than us (Jesus Christ) who also obeyed laws higher than Him (the Father). We exit this temporal (time) existence when we ascend to where God is outside the confines of this massive vacuum.

In the above ladder, we also observe the descent into the Babylon level and also Perdition. Likewise in the universe there are rogue bodies such as asteroids and comets and other random debris, all of which are much smaller by comparison to planets and suns. These rogue bodies do not obey laws. They are lost without a pattern to follow. Such symbolism in creation testifies to the beauty and intelligence of a Supreme Creator who knows all things and does all things. And like the body of the sun, which we compare to the celestial glory, (in contrast with the terrestrial glory, 1 Corinthians 15:40), when fusion occurs, light and glory is manifested. The more we understand the profound writings of Isiah, the better we will understand our place in the grand scheme of creation.

You are here.

 

Great Are the Words of Isaiah

19 Wednesday Feb 2020

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It was about 2012 when I decided to make a serious study of the book of Isaiah in the Old Testament and for about two years, I focused on this book alone.

3 Nephi 23:1 And now, behold, I say unto you, that ye ought to search these things. Yea, a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah.
2 For surely he spake as touching all things concerning my people which are of the house of Israel; therefore it must needs be that he must speak also to the Gentiles.
3 And all things that he spake have been and shall be, even according to the words which he spake.

Those are the very words out of the mouth of our Savior, Jesus Christ when He visited the people in the land Bountiful. I no longer wanted to skip over the Isaiah chapters in Second Nephi and because of my intensive studies of Isaiah’s words, I no longer wade through these Isaiah chapters with weariness, but rather, I relish reading them today.  There are four remarkable commentaries on Isaiah’s writings found in the Book of Mormon. They are given by Nephi, Jacob, Abinadi, and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ when He visited the people at Bountiful.

(Background) In a nutshell

The Assyrians occupied the upper Mesopotamia. For centuries they killed and conquered nations from Egypt to Persia and built their mighty empire on their ruins. Once conquered, the enemies were brutally tortured in order to make an example of any who would rebel. Walls and stone carvings depicted images of people being skinned alive, burned to death, children being blinded before their parents and many more violent and unthinkable barbaric brutalities.

It is no wonder that Jonah fled rather than accept his divine assignment to preach repentance to them at Niniveh. But the terror of his stay inside the belly of a whale caused him to finally humble himself sufficiently to fulfill his mission. And to his amazement, they did repent. But this only lasted about forty years before they were spilling blood again.

During the height of its power, Assyria made a continuous assault on the northern kingdoms of Israel and in 721 BC, succeeded in its conquest, carrying off of to Assyria the last major segment of the Israelites. After Assyria’s fall, however, these people migrated northward and became known as the “lost tribes of Israel.”

The fall of this empire was prophecied by Isaiah, but so strong was this empire and huge and vast, was the capital of Niniveh, that people laughed and scoffed at him. Where once, Assyria was a small northern province of Babylon, it had become a super power. By the time that Lehi would have been born, Assyria would have ascended to the height of its power. But by the time Lehi had married and raising a family, the tide of history shifted. Babylon became increasingly agitated and an uprising was soon at hand.

The fact that hordes of barbarians from the north began descending to loot the mighty Assyrians enabled Egypt to break away. Then Media began to rebel. The Babylonians to the South mobilized, demanding independence. About a decade before Lehi left Jerusalem, the great battle for Ninevah was fought. All dissident factions stormed the city, breaching its might walls.

The Assyrians regrouped, setting up a temporary capital at Haran, where Abraham formerly lived and attempted to create a counter-offensive. It was at this time that Egypt’s ruler, Necho II realized that as much as he despised Assyrian rule, he hated the thought of Babylonian conquest more. He mobilized his armies up the highway along the Mediterranean coast of Palestine and found a surprise at the narrow pass near Megiddo. They found Josiah, king of Judah, commanding an army and blocking the way. Obviously the mountain kingdom of Judah did not want the Egyptians to succeed.

Necho had nothing against them because they were among Egypt’s best customers. But Necho was not about to let them stop him. He sent ambassadors to Josiah, saying, “What have I to do with thee, thou king of Judah? I come not against thee this day, but against the house wherewith I have war: for God commanded me to make hast: forebear thee from meddling with God, who is with me, that he destroy thee not.”–2 Chronicles 35:21

To make the long story short (trying to, anyway), Josiah refused and was killed in battle. This was about 609 BC and when Lehi was well on his way to achieving status as a prosperous citizen at Jerusalem. The fact that he lived down from the city in the land of his inheritance might have contributed to his safety while it is conceivable that Laban, with his “ten thousand” fought in the battle with Josiah.

The next few years war raged between Babylon and Assyria, supported by Egypt. Babylon had gained major traction when it’s king died and Nebuchadnezzar was crowned in his father’s place. In the process of mopping up and sweeping toward Egypt, Babylon swallowed up the tiny kingdom of Judah like a tiny crumb. He ordered his ministers to take some of the promising young Jews to be trained in the language, culture and governmental procedures of Babylon. One of the young men was Daniel and three other young Jewish men accompanied him. Eventually, through miraculous events, they proved themselves to be outstanding. Daniel ended up being the king’s top adviser and the others, administrators of Babylon.

What the Jews at Jerusalem did not know was that the Lord was setting up a series of circumstances, which would be most favorable to them. But the apostate king, Jehoiakim, despised the prophets. During the siege, he had to stop paying tribute to Egypt and begin paying Babylon, which he despised. Soon, though, he stopped paying tribute to Nebuchadnezzar. Before long, he was under attack and died. Nebuchadnezzar raided and looted the temple, then rounded up and carried away captive ten thousand people, including craftsmen and smiths. (See map below).

assyrianempire

With this historical background aside, here are some verses to ponder:

Isaiah 1:3 The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.
4 Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward…
10 ¶ Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah.
11 To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the Lord: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats…
13 Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.

The ox and the ass are arguably the least intelligent of domesticated animals and yet they are both described as knowing their owner or master. Isaiah is speaking to a nation of idolaters. These are His children, His “covenant people.” Yet they do not know Him. The ox is a clean/kosher animal, which could be likened to the Israelites. The ass is an unclean animal and could be likened to all the gentiles (not of the ethnic lineage of Abraham). Both dumb animals know their owners and masters. Yet the Lord’s covenant people do not know Jehovah. The Master’s own covenant people are considered with a covenant curse. To “know” the Lord is a covenant relationship, but to NOT know Him is a covenant curse. In this passage, the Lord is exasperated by the vain temple ceremonies, which were supposed to teach His people how to come to know Him. The ancient temple ceremonies were supposed to keep the people of Israel in remembrance of the Savior’s coming sacrifice. Both ancient and latter-day rituals are symbolic of something else, but as such, they become stumbling blocks to those who are asleep.

As a side note, there is no graven image that is not a product of one’s hands. Idolatry results from consumer demand. The Hebrew word Abad means both to work  and worship. People worship the work of their hands. In this world, there is no economy without an exchange of products resulting from consumer demand. You can buy anything in this world with money. Mammon is the driving force behind the world’s economy. Babylon is the archetype of this system in the book of Isaiah. On the other hand, Zion does not require money. In Zion, all things are given and received freely. The Lord gave to us this earth and all things therein to be used freely and not by extortion or excess. Extortion and excess is exactly how the world operates. They take ownership of the things God has ordained for their use freely and charge a price for them. Excess is the result of one exalting oneself above another or others, thereby creating inequality in a society driven by an economy where money is the medium of exchange. In Zion, there are no rich because there are no poor because there is no money, there being no need for money. In Babylon, however, such behavior is the iniquity of a people. Idols, idolatry and commerce (economy) are all tools of Mammon.

Jehovah compares the ruling priests to Sodom and the laymen to Gomorrah. Sodom and Gomorrah set the precedent for a condemned people and so Isaiah uses it as an archetype to compare His covenant people to. They were abusers and ripe for destruction. And yet the Lord saved Lot and his family. Whenever the Lord is about to destroy a people, He tends to “gather” those few who have not forsaken Him, even by angels. Angels came to take Lot and his family out, even prodding him to leave before they destroyed the city. Likewise did the Lord bring out Lehi from Jerusalem and his family. Lot’s wife probably could not believe that her beautiful city could be destroyed. She was not attuned to the Spirit and couldn’t feel the warning to flee. Her heart was set upon the world in which she lived. So she turned around and was turned into a pillar of salt, good for nothing but to be trodden underfoot. Laman and Lemuel were the same as Lot’s wife. And so will all be whose hearts are set upon their riches–their idols.

And this is only the first half of chapter one. Chapter one is quite an indictment of the filthiness of Israel. She is a harlot whoring after her lusts, forsaking her bridegroom, who is quick to forgive and mighty to save. And though, as we read later in the chapter, though her sins be red like crimson, they shall become white as snow.

If we as disciples of Jesus Christ spend time in reflection and introspection, how do we compare to these ancient people of the Lord? We might be surprised to discover that we are just like they were.

Reign of Judges: Title of Liberty

30 Monday Jul 2018

Posted by in Heritage

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I cannot emphasize to you how much the scriptures mean to me. I have read the Bible over and over again in my life. I spent two years studying the Book of Isaiah alone and how much he emphasized the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ to the Earth. Isaiah also wrote concerning a remnant who would tread down the Gentiles in the last days if the Gentiles do not repent. The prophets of the Book of Mormon loved the words of Isaiah, especially Nephi, from which he extensively quoted. From the Book of Mormon, we get four important commentaries on Isaiah. They are given by Nephi, Jacob, Abinadi and at length, the resurrected Jesus Christ when He visited the ancestors of this remnant at Bountiful. We can find Christ’s commentary in 3 Nephi chapters 20 through 23. In His commentary, as he taught the people at Bountiful, He declared:

3 Nephi 23:1 And now, behold, I say unto you, that ye ought to search these things. Yea, a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah.

In my own life, I have taken these words to heart and have searched Isaiah diligently, but not only that, I have searched deeper and deeper the entire Book of Mormon. In the span of the last thirty years of my life so far, I have read (and listened on audio) the Book of Mormon about 120 times. I have honestly lost count. Now I am not sharing this to brag or boast, but to emphasize just how much this book means to me.  Having said all of that, I want to share something else that I have come to believe in, and that is a project that an acquaintance of mine and a friend on Facebook has been tirelessly working on for several years. His name is Darin Southam:

 

I personally believe in being anxiously engaged in a good cause, which is something we have been admonished in scripture to do. I have done and am doing as much as I am able to help Darin, including signing up as an extra. I’m not being paid to do it or to endorse his project. I may or may not become a part of it on screen and that is okay with me. I am not seeking recognition of any kind. It is something I choose to do because I care about his efforts, which have become the efforts of many volunteers. And honestly, I would really, really love to see this on the big screen and I would love to be able to buy the full length film whenever it becomes available on DVD. I hope Darin’s video above resonates with you as it does me. Here is the link to check out to see lots of behind the scenes content and to contribute whatever you are able and to buy a copy of the teaser clip of the movie, which was funded as a kickstarter:

Own Reign of Judges: Title of Liberty on Blu-ray/DVD

reign

 

The actor who portrayed the Lamanite King Aaron, Ben Cross, has starred in many movies including the 2009 Star Trek, playing the Vulcan Sarek, shared his thoughts on participating in this role. I hope to see this project finished and to be able to watch the full length feature. Thank you for taking the time to read this today and to visit Darin’s website for more information. Please feel free to share on Facebook to help spread the word.

 

Times of the Gentiles

09 Sunday Sep 2012

Posted by in Gospel Doctrine

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I think this is one of the most significant entries I will have written. I have struggled for hours to begin to type and piece together what has taken months, if not years to learn, and condense it into a clear and concise article. It is a wonder that Isaiah is able to put so much information into so few words and without a solid background and understanding of the Lord’s work in His vineyard as a whole, which spans dispensations and all the players involved, it is nearly impossible without the spirit of revelation to begin to comprehend his prophecies.

In Isaiah 5 we read the following verses:

26 And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth: and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly:
27 None shall be weary nor stumble among them; none shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken:
28 Whose arrows are sharp, and all their bows bent, their horses’ hoofs shall be counted like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind:
29 Their roaring shall be like a lion, they shall roar like young lions: yea, they shall roar, and lay hold of the prey, and shall carry it away safe, and none shall deliver it.
30 And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea: and if one look unto the land, behold darkness and sorrow, and the light is darkened in the heavens thereof.

Here, Isaiah is prophecying in five verses many significant events that will occur in a span of over a century. In verse twenty-six, the Lord will establish Zion, which will be the ensign unto all nations by means of the restoration of His church and the fullness of the gospel. In the next two verses we read about the rate at which the restored gospel will be carried as the gathering of lost tribes of Israel commences. There is a lot of imagery here that emphasizes a great sense of urgency.

During Isaiah’s time, people traveled by horse, chariot, camel, donkey, on foot, etc. Today, we have cars, airplanes, cell phones, internet, etc. In other words, our hoofs are like flint. Blinding light speed! Wheels like whirlwind. I’m not sure how fast they traveled back then on chariots, but today, cars and trucks speed along highways and airplanes achieve a substantial speed before they take off into the air. We are living in a time of advanced technology.

The last two verses now refers to the role of the remnant of Israel, which was scattered by the Gentiles in the new world. In the Book of Mormon, we have four great commentaries on Isaiah, each by Nephi, Jacob, Abinadi and the Savior Himself. In His visit to the New World, Jesus Christ admonishes the people to search the words of Isaiah and he expounds to them a portion concerning their role:

3 Nephi 20
11 Ye remember that I spake unto you, and said that when the words of Isaiah should be fulfilled—behold they are written, ye have them before you, therefore search them—
12 And verily, verily, I say unto you, that when they shall be fulfilled then is the fulfilling of the covenant which the Father hath made unto his people, O house of Israel.
13 And then shall the remnants, which shall be scattered abroad upon the face of the earth, be gathered in from the east and from the west, and from the south and from the north; and they shall be brought to the knowledge of the Lord their God, who hath redeemed them.
14 And the Father hath commanded me that I should give unto you this land, for your inheritance.
15 And I say unto you, that if the Gentiles do not repent after the blessing which they shall receive, after they have scattered my people—
16 Then shall ye, who are a remnant of the house of Jacob, go forth among them; and ye shall be in the midst of them who shall be many; and ye shall be among them as a lion among the beasts of the forest, and as a young lion among the flocks of sheep, who, if he goeth through both treadeth down and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver.
17 Thy hand shall be lifted up upon thine adversaries, and all thine enemies shall be cut off.

Just as the Lamanites became a scourge to the Nephites to “stir them up in ways of remembrance,” so will the Lamanites become a scourge to the Gentiles in the last days. Notice in verse sixteen that they shall be as lions not only among the flocks of sheep, but also the beasts of the forest. None shall be immune. Those who fight against Zion because of their wickedness and also those in Zion who are asleep. As Nephi put it, they will not “search knowledge” and will remain in ignorance, thinking all is well in Zion. These are the foolish virgins of whom Christ spoke during His mortal ministry.

D&C 87 is a short chapter, but in it, the Lord reveals that wars and rumors of wars will abound beginning with the civil war and continue because the Gentiles will not repent:

5 And it shall come to pass also that the remnants who are left of the land will marshal themselves, and shall become exceedingly angry, and shall vex the Gentiles with a sore vexation.

We see such a vexing today with weak immigration policies. During this time, people will begin to lose faith and hope. Wars will continue and people will continue to grow in apathy and sin:

In D&C 45 we read:

24 And this I have told you concerning Jerusalem; and when that day shall come, shall a remnant be scattered among all nations;
25 But they shall be gathered again; but they shall remain until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
26 And in that day shall be heard of wars and rumors of wars, and the whole earth shall be in commotion, and men’s hearts shall fail them, and they shall say that Christ delayeth his coming until the end of the earth.
27 And the love of men shall wax cold, and iniquity shall abound.
28 And when the times of the Gentiles is come in, a light shall break forth among them that sit in darkness, and it shall be the fulness of my gospel;
29 But they receive it not; for they perceive not the light, and they turn their hearts from me because of the precepts of men.
30 And in that generation shall the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

In the above quoted scriptures we read about there being a darkness in the land and light in heaven being darkened. And this is probably the saddest part and why Nephi mourned when he wrote to us, telling us that we will not “search knowledge.”

What is this darkness then? There is only one answer–revelation, more specifically–personal revelation. And Jesus Christ tells us why in D&C 84:

53 And by this you may know the righteous from the wicked, and that the whole world groaneth under sin and darkness even now.
54 And your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and because you have treated lightly the things you have received—
55 Which vanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation.
56 And this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all.
57 And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say, but to do according to that which I have written-
58 That they may bring forth fruit meet for their Father’s kingdom; otherwise there remaineth a scourge and judgment to be poured out upon the children of Zion.

When the Book of Mormon prophets address us, they are addressing the gentiles, both in Babylon and in Zion (aside from the Jew and the remnants of Israel). It was the gentiles who restored the gospel of Jesus Christ and it was the gentiles who were given this privilege, “for thus it behooveth the Father that it should come forth from the Gentiles, that he may show forth his power unto the Gentiles, for this cause that the Gentiles, if they will not harden their hearts, that they may repent and come unto me and be baptized in my name and know of the true points of my doctrine, that they may be numbered among my people, O house of Israel.”–3 Nephi 21:6

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is still under this condemnation today. And because the gentiles do not repent and because the saints have treated lightly their heavenly gift, the Lord has promised to send a cleansing scourge throughout America and it will begin among the weak saints. He gave this revelation in Kirtland, Ohio in 1833:

D&C 97:
22 For behold, and lo, vengeance cometh speedily upon the ungodly as the whirlwind; and who shall escape it?
23 The Lord’s scourge shall pass over by night and by day, and the report thereof shall vex all people; yea, it shall not be stayed until the Lord come.
24 For the indignation of the Lord is kindled against their abominations and all their wicked works.
25 Nevertheless, Zion shall escape if she observe to do all things whatsoever I have commanded her.
26 But if she observe not to do whatsoever I have commanded her, I will visit her according to all her works, with sore affliction, with pestilence, with plague, with sword, with vengeance, with devouring fire.

And in 1837, the Lord emphasized His revelation again:

D&C 112:

23 Verily, verily, I say unto you, darkness covereth the earth, and gross darkness the minds of the people, and all flesh has become corrupt before my face.
24 Behold, vengeance cometh speedily upon the inhabitants of the earth, a day of wrath, a day of burning, a day of desolation, of weeping, of mourning, and of lamentation; and as a whirlwind it shall come upon all the face of the earth, saith the Lord.
25 And upon my house shall it begin, and from my house shall it go forth, saith the Lord;
26 First among those among you, saith the Lord, who have professed to know my name and have not known me, and have blasphemed against me in the midst of my house, saith the Lord.

Has this already begun? Perhaps it has and we have been given a sign. In 1999, the heart of Salt Lake City, Utah was unprecedentedly hit with a tornado, which swept through a very concentrated area, destroying buildings and causing extensive damage, of which Temple Square and the Assembly Hall was not immune.

The University of Utah’s meteorology department caught dramatic video of the tornado that hit downtown Salt Lake City on August 11, 1999 and can be viewed here and from a news channel here, both on Youtube.

The times of the Gentiles is very nearly fulfilled. In conclusion, I will quote the prophet Orson Pratt, who Brigham Young called the “prophet to the  prophets” for his uncanny ability to get it right:

But the Latter−day Saints are not in darkness; they are the children of light, although many of us will actually be asleep. We shall have to wake up and trim up our lamps, or we shall not be prepared to enter in; for we shall all slumber and sleep in that day, and some will have gone to sleep from which they will not awake until
they awake up in darkness without any oil in their lamps. But, as a general thing, the Saints will understand the signs of the times, if they do lie down and get to sleep. Others have their eyes closed upon the prophecies of the ancient Prophets; and not only that, but they are void of the spirit of prophecy themselves.

When a man has this, though he may appeal to ancient Prophets to get understanding on some subjects he does not clearly understand, yet, as he has the spirit of prophecy in himself, he will not be in darkness; he will have a knowledge of the signs of the times; he will have a knowledge of the house of Israel, and of Zion, of the ten
tribes and of many things and purposes and events that are to take place on the earth; and he will see coming events, and can say such an event will take place, and after that another, and then another…and he will have his eye fixed on the signs of the times, and that day will not overtake him unawares…