After
sharing Jacob’s words, Nephi publicized
That
Jacob and he saw the Lord with their own eyes!
Isaiah
had also seen Jesus; He’s the third.
God has
said by three witnesses He proves His word.
Nephi
took delight in proving that Christ would come,
And that,
without Him, to death we would all succumb.
So he
chose to quote from Isaiah’s words again.
He hoped
those who read would liken the words to them.
2 Nephi 12
This
chapter exhibits how Hebrew poetry
Expresses
a thought or idea repeatedly.
In his
dream, Isaiah saw the house of the Lord.
We call
this the temple, where truths have been restored.
Anyone
who entered would learn our Father’s ways.
How we
need the temple in these, the latter days!
So many
are proud. They are lost or gone astray.
They will
be humbled when it comes to judgment day!
At His
Second Coming, when the Lord shakes the earth,
We’ll see
that a humble heart is of greater worth.
Those
whose hearts are set on their silver or their gold
Will
learn it’s worthless!—It’s impossible to hold!
Believe
it or not, we call this idolatry—
If we
don’t love God as much as our property.
2 Nephi 13
Afterward,
Isaiah saw how Jerusalem
For its
many sins would be punished and condemned.
Even all
the mighty and those who had excelled
In the
end had rewarded evil to themselves.
Because
all their doings had been against the Lord
Their
people would suffer and perish by the sword.
This
promise came true around 600 BC
When the
Jews were taken into captivity.
We, too, will
be punished, of that we can be sure
If we’re
wicked and if we don’t care for the poor.
Isaiah
foresaw how our time would be obsessed
With our
worldly goods, with our looks and how we dress.
We need
to watch out. The Lord isn’t pleased with this
If we get
too caught up in all this worldliness.
All these
worldly assets that we set our hearts on
Are ever
so fleeting—they will, one day, be gone!
2 Nephi 14
Then
Isaiah shared what a future time would hold.
God would
purge the wicked out, as had been foretold.
Then
would come a great day for the righteous left behind.
God would protect every
home and give them peace of mind.
He’ll
defend them all the time and, like the Israelites,
He will
be a cloud by day, a flaming fire by night.
2 Nephi 15
Then Isaiah
likened the house of Israel
To a
fruitful vineyard that God had tended well.
Though He
cared for His vineyard like it was His child,
All the
grapes that it produced were sour—they all were wild!
We know that
this story is symbolic and it meant
That,
despite His care, God’s children would choose to sin.
Heavenly
Father wondered what more He could have done
He had
worked so hard to grow grapes in His garden.
He felt
all His work for the vineyard was in vain.
So He
ceased His efforts and even stopped the rain!
The Jews’
wicked fruit—their pride and iniquity
Led to
their destruction and their captivity.
There are
still some today who twist the truth and would
Lie,
saying that good is evil and evil’s good.
Though
the Lord is angry and finds sin offensive,
His hand
is stretched out—He’s still willing to forgive.
After all
the Jews’ trials and tribulations
God would
lift an ensign to gather the nations.
Just as
men use ensigns as flags to gather men
Men are
drawn to God’s church, now that it’s here again.
Missionaries
go forth and, like young lions, roar—
Testifying
that God’s Gospel has been restored.
2 Nephi 16
Next,
Isaiah testified that he had been shown
God,
surrounded by angels, sitting on His throne.
These angels
(called seraphs) had wings that symbolize
How we
ought use our pow’r to act throughout our lives.
Two wings
covered their faces to show reverence.
Two
covered their feet, meaning we need to repent.
The last
two were used to fly, to show us that we should
Always
try to be engaged in causes that are good.
Isaiah
felt unclean—he thought he wasn’t whole
So a
seraph cleaned his mouth by means of a coal.
Afterward,
God asked who his next prophet would be.
Isaiah
replied, “Here am I; [you can] send me.”
He was
called to tell God’s people that they must repent.
But was
warned that they’d reject him wherever he went.
After
many years wasted in iniquity,
A remnant
would come to the truth eventually.
2 Nephi 17
Isaiah
foresaw that his home would be attacked
By Israel,
from the North, and by Syria, in fact.
Isaiah
told Ahaz—king of Jerusalem—
That he
and his people had no need to fear them
When they
were threatened by the King of Syria.
These
foes would be overcome by Assyria.
After
this, Isaiah would go on to foretell
That many
would call Jesus Christ “Immanuel.”
This
title is a source of hope and happiness
Its exact
translation means that “God is with us.”
2 Nephi 18
God told
Isaiah of a son his wife would have
And that
they should name him “Maher-shalal-hash-baz.”
This name
meant “quick to the plunder” and signified
How their
land would soon be conquered and occupied.
The
Assyrians took into captivity
Israelites,
who’d stay there till 540 BC.
At that
time, they would be freed by Cyrus the Great
Who
allowed them to return to their old estate.
Even so,
Isaiah was told he shouldn’t fear.
God, our
sanctuary, had promised to stay near!
But some
will deny Him. They have no common sense!
They will
see the Savior as a rock of offense.
Rather
than listen, they have chosen to discard
Any truth
they hear; they will take it to be hard.
They will
seek for truth in places that are absurd
From
“familiar spirits,” and from and “peeping wizards.”
If you
want answers about what comes after death,
Don’t ask
men, ask God! After all, He gave you breath.
2 Nephi 19
Isaiah
went on, saying that in Galilee,
After
their afflictions, a great light would be seen.
This came
true; Galilee is where Jesus would live.
Thanks to
His Atonement, He broke our yoke of sin.
He is
that “great light” who has made our joy increase.
He has
many titles, such as the “Prince of Peace.”
He was a
descendant of David, as foreseen,
And was
born in Bethlehem, called “David’s city.”
Though His
children sin and leaders cause them to err,
God’s
hand is stretched out. He will never cease to care!
2 Nephi 20
Isaiah
then warned that the people should do more
For the
fatherless, for the widows and the poor.
For this
wickedness the Assyrians would come
And
destroy the lands all around Jerusalem.
But when
they forgot God and they began to boast.
Thousands
of Assyrians would give up the ghost.
And a
remnant of Israel would then be restored
If they
learned to trust God—to stay upon the Lord.
This is
true for us if we ever feel oppressed.
If we
stay patient and we trust Him we’ll be blessed.
2 Nephi 21
Next,
Isaiah shared that someday Jesus would come.
This
would start an age known as the “Millennium.”
He had
seen the knowledge that Jesus would possess
And how
He would judge His people with righteousness.
With
Jesus in charge, it will be so peaceful that
Kids
could play with leopards and lions, just like cats!
Everyone
will be full of knowledge of the Lord
And
they’ll gather from the four corners of the world.
2 Nephi 22
At that
time we’ll trust God and praise Him all day long
For the
Lord Jehovah is our strength and our song!
2 Nephi 23
Isaiah
foresaw that within two centuries
His
people would be taken in captivity.
He knew
tens of thousands of Jews would then be gone—
Taken
captive by the Empire of Babylon.
But
Isaiah knew that their exile would be brief.
He was
right! After 50 years they got relief.
Because
of their pride and their great iniquity
God
promised to destroy Babylon speedily.
Though
God promised His people would be shown mercy,
The
wicked would be punished for their “arrogancy.”
Isaiah
had warned of this empire’s future fate:
Babylon
fell to Persia’s king—Cyrus the Great.
Babylon’s
a symbol; it stands for worldliness.
And, like
in the Bible, our world today’s a mess!
Just as
Babylon’s fall resulted from its sin
All those
who are wicked will fall into ruin.
2 Nephi 24
Isaiah
told the Jews that, though they’d be oppressed,
Someday
they’d return to their lands where they could rest.
Afterward,
of Babylon’s king it would be said
“All your
lands and power will be gone when you’re dead!”
Just like
Lucifer, the king’s reasoning was flawed:
Lucifer
had tried to put his throne over God’s!
That’s
why he was cast out and became the devil.
And when
the king died, he’d fall to that same level.
2 Nephi 25
Nephi
loved Isaiah’s words so much that he yearned
That we’d
plainly read them and have a chance to learn.
But he
knew Isaiah is hard to understand
If you’re
not familiar with Isaiah’s homeland.
He left
us a promise: Isaiah’s words would be
Plain if
we’re filled with the spirit of prophecy.
Likewise,
Nephi wanted to make it understood
That The Book of Mormon was written for our
good.
It is of
great worth! And he warned us afterwards
That, at
the last day, we will be judged by its words!
He also
revealed that he’d seen the Savior’s day
And how
all who believe on His name shall be saved.
Though
our works show Jesus we love Him—this is true!
Only
His grace saves us, after all we can do.
That’s
why all the prophets have worked and sacrificed
So they
could rejoice, talk, and prophesy of Christ!
© 2020 by N. Noelle Maes
