Outline ------- A. Judgement (1:1-39:8) 1. Indictment of Israel and Judah (1:1-5:30) b. Zion (2:1-5) c. Judgment Against Idols (2:6-22) d. Judgment of Judah and Jerusalem (3:1-4:1) 1. Anarchy in Jerusalem (3:1-15) 2. Warning to Women (3:16-24) 3. The Widows of Jerusalem (3:25-4:1) Zion (2:1-5) ------------ v.1 An editorial aside to introduce the main prophecy of Isaiah, consisting of Isaiah 2-5. Most likely Isaiah is made up of several writings of Isaiah that were then later compilied into one book. The prophecies were all compilied into an overall structure and may have been modified somewhat by either Isaiah, his scribes, or later editors. The imagery of a mountain to represent the temple is a common one. Frequently when no temples were available the Lord would appear to his prophets on mountains. Symbolically the mountains were above the rest of the earth, were separate from the dwelling places of the inhabitants of the world, and were also seen as places of power. The mountains were also the place where the heavens and the earth met, and thus became a type for a temple which was where the gods and men met. Verse three is frequently taken to refer to the reconstruction of Jerusalem by the Messiah. However while this second can be taken as a parallelism, it also contains the doctrine of the two Jerusalems. Some scholars have seen in this the parallel of the heavenly Jerusalem and the earthly Jerusalem. Modern revelation shows us that Zion is the New Jerusalem in Missouri. Jerusalem is the city of Jerusalem in Palestine. Joseph Smith talked about this in the _Times and Seasons_. When Egypt was under the superintendence of Joseph it prospered, because he was taught of God; when they oppressed the Israelites, destruction came upon them. When the children of Israel were chosen with Moses at their head, they were to be a peculiar people, among whom God should place His name; their motto was: "The Lord is our lawgiver; the Lord is our Judge; the Lord is our King, and He shall reign over us." While in this state they might truly say, "Happy is that people, whose God is the Lord." Their government was a theocracy; they had God to make their laws, and men chosen by Him to administer them; He was their God, and they were His people. Moses received the word of the Lord from God Himself; he was the mouth of God to Aaron, and Aaron taught the people, in both civil and ecclesiastical affairs; they were both one, there was no distinction; so will it be when the purposes of God shall be accomplished: when "the Lord shall be King over the whole earth," and "Jerusalem His throne." "The law shall go forth from Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem." This is the only thing that can bring about the "restitution of all things spoken of by all the holy Prophets since the world was"--"the dispensation of the fullness of times, when God shall gather together all things in one." Other attempts to promote universal peace and happiness in the human family have proved abortive; every effort has failed; every plan and design has fallen to the ground; it needs the wisdom of God, the intelligence of God, and the power of God to accomplish this. The world has had a fair trial for six thousand years; the Lord will try the seventh thousand Himself; "He whose right it is, will possess the kingdom, and reign until He has put all things under His feet;" iniquity will hide its hoary head, Satan will be bound, and the works of darkness destroyed; righteousness will be put to the line, and judgment to the plummet, and "he that fears the Lord will alone be exalted in that day." To bring about this state of things, there must of necessity be great confusion among the nations of the earth; "distress of nations with perplexity." Am I asked what is the cause of the present distress? I would answer, "Shall there be evil in a city and the Lord hath not done it?" (History of the Church, Vol.5, Ch.3, Pg.63-64) The Savior instructed the Nephites concerning this New Jerusalem. And behold, this people will I establish in this land, unto the fulfilling of the covenant which I made with your father Jacob; and it shall be a New Jerusalem. And the powers of heaven shall be in the midst of this people; yea, even I will be in the midst of you. (3 Nephi 20:22) We are also told that the gentiles will assist in this reconstruction. These gentiles are those who are members of the church and are now numbered among the remnant of Jacob. (3 Nephi 21:22-24) A confusing issue regarding the two Jerusalems is which Jerusalem will become the headquarters of the Lord? While it is clear that the old Jerusalem must be rebuilt, Moroni tells us that the old must pass away and all things become new. (Ether 13:9) We learn several things from Moroni. 1. The New Jerusalem comes from Heaven. (Ether 13:3) This is testified among the traditions of the Rabbis as well. (Sorry - I lost my references) They believe that the true Jerusalem can not be built by the Jews but will be rebuilt when the Messiah comes to redeem Israel. Some traditions also make this New Jerusalem equal to the Heavenly Jerusalem. Ether 13:3 indicates that this New Jerusalem contains the sanctuary of the Lord. If this is so then it may very well contain the Heavenly Temple that is described by Ezekiel and that may have been visited by John and others. It is the heavenly throne of Christ. 2. The New Jerusalem contains the Holy Sanctuary of the Lord. This is the Heavenly Temple, mentioned above. This may very well be the temple that is to be built in Missouri at the temple lot. 3. The New Jerusalem comes *after* the New Heaven and the New Earth are revealed. (Ether 13:9-10, Rev 21:1-2) Following John's chronology this would be after the Lord has come and the fires have purified the earth ushering in the milenium. >From this and other scriptures we see that the New Jerusalem is to be the seat of government for the Lord. What then is the meaning of "the word of the Lord" coming from Jerusalem. It may be that while America will be the seat of political power, prophetic utterances will come from Jerusalem. It may also mean that in the past the word of the Lord has come from Jerusalem but in the future it will come from America. This meaning would parallel very well Moroni's statement that the last will be first and the first last. For the Bible was written in the land of Jerusalem, but modern revelation has come from the land of the New Jerusalem. Once the headquarters for God's church was in Jerusalem but now it is here in America. This would have even a deeper meaning when we consider that Adam originally dwelt here. Many people consider the New Jerusalem to be the City of Enoch that was taken to heaven. It too was originally here on the American continent. Thus if the true Jerusalem is to be restored we must have it restored here. We thus have an idea of restoration that goes as follows. Adam dwells with God Adam Falls Adam offer sacrifice Adam meets his children at Adam-ondi-Ahman City of Enoch created and taken Flood destroys inhabitants Children of God sent to mid-east (Noah) Temple built in Jerusalem Diasporah Gathering Temple rebuilt in Jerusalem Children of God gathered Fire destoroys inhabitants New Jerusalem brought from Heaven Adam meets his children at Adam-ondi-Ahman Sacrifice offered in New Jerusalem Final Redemption of Man Man dwells with God The one problem with this historical parallel is that the meeting at Adam-ondi-Ahman takes place the day prior to the second coming. The important thing to get from this section is that Isaiah opens his main prophecy with a comment about the ultimate end of the earth. He offer hope at the very beginning. Structurally this ties the opening chapter to the rest of the book. The reconstruction of Zion is the end after the destructions at the end chapter 1 and thus is the conclusion of Isaiah's summary. The final point to note in this opening of Chapter 2 is that Isaiah here gives the goal that we should be seeking. Oh house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord! -- Isaiah 2:5 Isaiah points out that we should climb the Lord's mountain by turning to God, follow in his ordinances, and we will have peace. The Lord's Judgment against Idols --------------------------------- Here Isaiah contrasts the kingdom of the Lord, represented by his mountain and temple with that of the world, represented by the idols. It is important to note here that many things are encompassed here. Note the structure Isaiah uses here. Because they are filled with fortune-tellers and soothsayers, like the Philistines; they covenant with strangers [Their land is full] of silver and gold And there is no end to their treasures [Their land is full] of horses And there is no end to their chariots [Their land is full] of idols they worship the works of their hands, that which their fingers have made. -- Isaiah 2:6-8 By examining the structure of these verses we can see that what Isaiah is condemning is more than just idolatry. He is condemning their trust in the works of their hands. They trust in false prophets, prophets that are made by people. These are prophets who do not preach what the Lord wants Israel to hear, but rather what the people wish to hear. They trust in their money and their treasures. They turn their backs on the spiritual treasures that the Lord would have them have. They trust in their armies of chariots rather than in the protection of the Lord. Structurally Isaiah is saying that all of these things are idols. Spencer Kimball said much the same thing in his address, "The False Gods We Worship" where he condemned our nation's reliance on military might, and other idols. Despite these great things that man has achieved, our technology and might, "man is abased, each one brought low." (Isaiah 2:9) This parallels the story of Babel, where man sought to reach heaven by the strength of his own might. When the Lord comes men will hide themselves behind rocks to avoid his glory. The idea is that those who will exalt themseves shall be brought down and the one who is abased (later in Isaiah) will be exalted. A constant theme throughout this chapter is that of men hiding in caves from God. Thematically this is the idea that men leave their heights and go to the lowest places possible - the caves. This may also be a type of what is to happen in the last days: people hiding in caves from the destructions on the earth. These destructions may be chemical, biological or even nuclear. It may also be that the idea that men have hid themselves from the Lord is to be taken figuratively as well as literally. Some people, despite the presence of the Lord, will not accept him and his gospel. Brigham Young spoke on this in relation to the previous statements of this section of Isaiah. There will be a kingdom on the earth that will be controlled upon the same basis, in part, as that of the Government of the United States; and it will govern and protect in their rights the various classes of men, irrespective of their different modes of worship; for the law must go forth from Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem, and the Lord Jesus will govern every nation and kingdom A great many have thought that every person will then be in the Church, but that will not be the case. There will then be as great a variety in religious belief as there is now; one will believe one thing, and another will believe something different, while the Devil rules among men. -- Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, Vol.5, Pg.329-330 This section ends with the warning: As for you, let man alone, in whose nostrils is bet a breath for what is he worth? -- Isaiah 2:22 Judgement on Judah and Jerusalem -------------------------------- Here we have an even clearer description of the destructions the Lord will bring. Not only is man destroyed, but even the people of the Lord are destroyed. Most of the descriptions of chapter 2 are of the foreign people and contrast with the description of the Melinial city of the Lord. The Lord is greater than those that Israel emulates. Now Jerusalem and it's people have all their leaders removed. Next the people turn against one an other. Civil unrest rocks the land. There is no one to lead and anarchy results. People are so desparate for leaders that they will take anyone to be their leader. But those they seek as their leaders will not accept. Even the most unworthy and unqualified will not be able to be leaders. Eventually the women become the leaders of the city. (In the mideast that would have been a grave insult) The Lord condemns the leaders of Jerusalem because it is them who have led Israel astray. They also have neglected the poor, a constant theme throughout Isaiah. Even the women are condemned. The fact that even the women witness the depravity and selfishness of society is a testament to their crimes. Usually the homes are the last bastion of righteousness. Once they too are corrupt then there is nothing left of the nation. The women then become a type of the destructions of the whole people. This is a double imagery. First off Israel is oft times considered the bride of the Lord. The Church as a whole is, in fact. Christ's bride has gone into adultery. Thus the destructions of the women can be taken as a type for the whole nation because of their separation from YHWH. The judgments are also of a classic style of justice. The judgment fits the crime in a parallel fashion, but with each judgment having a deeper meaning. Perfume -> Stench (death) Girdles -> Rope (imprisonment) Coiffures -> Baldness (sickness) Gowns -> Sackcloth (mourning) All of the prophecies culminate into verse 26 Her gates will lament and mourn as the city sits desolate on the ground. This has a double meaning as well. Not only is Jerusalem destroyed with people mourning, but the spiritual Jerusalem is also desolate and her gates are mourned because no one is entering in. The final conclusion of this prophecy is that men will become so rare in the nation that seven women would take one man so that they had a protector. Not only would they take the man, but they would not require the gifts that normally the man would give. They do not even want the support of the man, merely to avoid the stigma of being childless. Soem see this has a type of the savior. For instance in the revelation of John there are seven churches. It may be that there were seven groups separated from the main people of the Lord. (Who knows for sure if this is true.) Given the type of women as churches we then have seven churches reunited in Christ and who take his name. One of those would be the Jews of Jerusalem. An other would be the Lamanites. One more would be the 10 tribes. Or perhaps they make up more than that? There undoubtedly have been other groups led away by the Lord. All of these people will have to be restored to the truth of the gospel before the last days. /// Clark Goble //// cgoble@fiber.net ///