Isaiah 54:1-10, part 4

"For this is the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee. For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; bu my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee." (Isaiah 54:9-10)

The Lord promised He would never flood the earth again as He did in the days of Noah. It was an immutable, non-revocable covenant between the Lord and His people. (Genesis 9:8-17) Just as God entered this covenant "with all flesh," the Lord covenants with Israel that He will not be angry at Israel or rebuke her in the end.

Reference to "mountains" departing and "hills" moving have duel meaning. Persons who are faithful and devoted to God are often endowed by their creator with faith to move mountains. (JST Genesis 14:30, 1 Corinthians 13:2) Just as God promises the faithful power to move mountains and hills, God also promises not to remove from Israel His kindness or covenant of peace.

A second perspective on the movement of "mountains" and "hills" is one presented by Avraham Gileadi in his research. Avraham suggests references to "mountains" often treat the word "mountain" as a synonym for nation. Hence, the Lord pronounces through Isaiah His intent to remove all nations:

"And thus, with the sword and by bloodshed the inhabitants of the earth shall mourn; and with famine, and plague, and earthquake, and the thunder of heaven, and the fierce and vivid lightning also, shall the inhabitants of the earth be made to feel the wrath, and indignation, and chastening hand of God, until the consumption decreed hath made a full end of all nations." (D&C 87:6)

The Lord is consistent in all His declaration, regardless of ancient or modern revelation. The day is rapidly coming when the kindness and mercies of our God are extending to Israel and all Gentiles who join them in their covenant relationship with God.

This will be my last installment for a while. I need to turn to another project for now. Press on see what treasures "gather" hold for you in the rest of the Standard Works.

Isaiah 54:1-10, part 3

"Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more. For thy Maker is thine husband; he Lord of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called. For the Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God. For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee fro a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer." (Isaiah 54:4-8)

Isaiah returns to the "Bride"/"Groom" imagery discussed previously. Israel has been a widow because she failed to keep her covenant with God. "Reproach" reflects disapproval or disappointment the Lord feels due to Israel's conduct. Israel's "widowhood" reflects the consequences of Israel's lack of integrity in honoring her covenant with God and the accompanying rebellion. She is forced to live without God in this world due to covenant disobedience. This condition will shortly change. The Lord will reclaim His bride and restore Israel to her covenant relationship. Although Israel has rebelled and been forsaken for a brief period of time, with "great mercies" the Lord will again gather Israel. The Lord withdrew from Israel for a brief period but with "everlasting kindness He will again have mercy on Israel and gather her from the nations. The Lord will again reclaim His people.

Isaiah 54:1-10, part 2

"Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thy habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes; For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited." (Isaiah 54:2-3)

Verse 2 uses the imagery of a tent to describe a union between repentant Gentiles who enter the covenant with God and the tribes of Israel, post-gathering. It is also the verse that gave birth to the term, "stake" as a title for groups of congregations in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Israel is told that sometime in their future, many Gentiles will come to them seeking a covenant relationship with God. Israel will not have received her permanent inheritance, hence the image of a "tent." Tents were used when people were unsettled travelers. When the covenant is fully instituted the promised blessing is the receipt of a land of their inheritance. Consequently, the Gentiles will come to Israel sometime prior to their receiving their inheritance.

The Book of Mormon in 3 Nephi 21 describes this day as a time that follows the destruction of the Gentiles:

"For it shall come to pass, saith he Father, that at that day whosoever will not repent and come unto my Beloved Son, them will I cut off from among my people, O house of Israel; And I will execute vengeance and fury upon them, even as upon the heathen, such as hey have not heard. But if they will repent and hearken unto my words and harden not their hearts, I will establish my church among them, and they shall come in unto the covenant and be numbered among this the remnant of Jacob, unto whom I have given this land for their inheritance." (3 Nephi 21:20-22)

The "cut-off" is not limited to the Lord's people but applies to the "heathen", (a synonym for Gentiles in scripture.) Note the Savior uses the name Jacob which is the pre-covenant name for Israel. This implies the "cut-off" occurs prior to covenant renewal between God and His people.

Isaiah gives this additional description of the same events in chapter 49:

"Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold: all these gather themselves together, and come to thee. As I live, saith the Lord, thou shalt surely clothe thee with them all, as with an ornament, and bind them on thee, as a bride doeth. For thy waste and thy desolate places, and the land of thy destruction, shall even now be too narrow by reason of the inhabitants, and they that swallowed thee up shall be far away. The children which thou shalt have, after thou has lost the other shall say again in thine ears, The place is too strait for me: give place to me that I may dwell. Then shalt thou say in thine heart, Who hath begotten me these, seeing I have lost my children, and am desolate, a captive, and removing to and fro? and who hath brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; these, where had they been? Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people: and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders. And kings shall by thy nursing fathers, and heir queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me." (Isaiah 49:18-23)

Isaiah 54:1-10

Our next passage is found in Isaiah 54:7 that states:

"For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee." (Isaiah 54:7)

To capture the full context of the prophecy we will examine verses 1-10.

Before we begin, if you followed this process of examining passages containing the word "gather," there have more than likely been passages that come to your attention unmentioned by me. These studies are far from comprehensive and you should note impressions you receive and listen to the whisperings of the Spirit to you. You may assimilate knowledge from this experience but the most important objective in participating in these studies is learning to listen to the Holy Spirit and give heed to what He may say to you. The Holy Ghost will tailor impressions to your individual circumstance and lead you where you need to go.

On to Isaiah 54:1-10.

"Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the Lord." (Isaiah 54:1)

Israel/the Church is "barren" when she fails to give birth to Zion, or a people with pure hearts. (D&C 97:21) The Lord looks upon Israel as His bride. ("..., as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee." Isaiah 62:5)
How does Israel give birth? The answer is found in Mosiah 5:7:

"And now, because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts are changed through faith on his name; therefore, ye are born of him and have become his sons and his daughters." (Mosiah 5:7)

The covenant alone was not enough to claim divine heritage. The key components were the covenant and change of heart. What evidence did the people of Mosiah have they had been "born again" and experienced a change of heart? The answer is found at the beginning of chapter 5:

"And they all cried with one voice, saying: Yea, we believe all the words which thou hast spoken unto us; and also, we know their surety and truth, because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually. And we, ourselves, also through the infinite goodness of God, and the manifestations of his Spirit, have great views of that which is to come; and were it expedient, we could prophesy of all things." (Mosiah 5:2-3)

The conversion of Mosiah's subjects was evidenced by the witness/testimony of the Holy Spirit, a cessation of all desire to do evil, (pure in heart)and an endowment of knowledge that encompassed "all things." This is the bar or standard the Lord's people must meet to remove the term "barren" from Isaiah's description.

This doctrine was commonly taught by the Savior to His disciples:

"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1:12-13)

And Paul taught the same doctrine as well:

"For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren." (Romans 8:29)

The key in this verse is not to get caught up on "predestinate," but to focus on the conformation into the image of the "Son" and how that takes place. To have no more disposition to do evil is about as Christlike as one may get.

Israel, in their first covenant opportunity failed to become a people possessing these attributes and were eventually rejected as the Lord's covenant people, hence, Isaiah addresses them as "barren."

On the subject of children, the desolate referred to in verse 1 are the Gentiles who experience the change of heart and join themselves to the Lord's covenant people, Israel. Israel is under covenant with the Lord and is His bride, but the post desolation Gentile (3 Nephi 21:12-21) conversions will transcend in number the children Israel bring forward.

Isaiah 52:9-12, Part 4

"For ye shall not go out with haste, nor by flight: for the Lord will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your rereward." (Isaiah 52:12)

We discussed the "shall not go out with haste" portion of this verse so we will conclude this reference by addressing the last line, "for the Lord will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your rereward."

I am always curious when I see different names for the same person used in one verse. In this instance, the first part says, "the Lord" while the second part says, "the God of Israel." So what is the difference? I suspect it reflects a change in covenant status. Take for example this passage that uses Jacob (pre-covenant) and Israel, (post-covenant):

"For the Lord will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land...," (Isaiah 14:1)

I suspect/believe the same precedence is being followed in Isaiah 52:12. The "Lord" goes before Israel and prepares the way and then, (after Israel resumes covenant status/obedience in their relationship with God), the "God of Israel" has Israel's back, in a manner of speaking.

Having the Lord "go before" is illustrated in Numbers 10:33-35:

"And they departed from the mount of the Lord three days journey: and the ark of the covenant of the Lord went before them in the three days journey, to search out a resting place for them. And the cloud of the Lord was upon them by day, when they went out of the camp. And it came to pass when the ark set forward, that Moses said, Rise up, Lord, and let thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate thee flee before thee."

The Lord agreed to go before Israel and disperse her enemies before her. Next we look for an example where the Lord is Israel's "rereward."

The term means rear guard,so the God of the covenant, (ie, God of Israel) will guard behind Israel to thwart unsuspected attacks when all of Israel has their sites on forward progress. There is an obvious military application to this but there is also a more subtle, spiritual application as well. If Israel maintains their covenant relationship with the Lord He protects them from all enemies, both seen and unseen.

Isaiah 52:9-12, Part 3 (revised)

"Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord." (Isaiah 52:11)

Where is the place the Lord is commanding His people to leave? He pleads with them to "go out of the midst of her", (a woman.) In Isaiah 1:21 Isaiah accuses Jerusalem of becoming a harlot:

"How is the faithful city become an harlot! it was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it but now murderers." (Isaiah 1:21)

If we were Jews and likened this scripture unto ourselves as Nephi counseled all readers to do, (1 Nephi 19:23) we might assume the "she" in Isaiah 52:11 was a reference to Jerusalem. But we are not Jews and the "harlot" we are to flee is "Babylon", whom John called "the mother of all harlots." (Revelation 17:5)

The Doctrine & Covenants provides a clearer definition of who "Babylon" is in the last days:

"Go ye out from among the nations, even from Babylon, from the midst of wickedness, which is spiritual Babylon. But verily, thus saith the Lord, let not your flight be in hast, but let all things be prepared before you; and he that goeth, let him not look back lest sudden destruction shall come upon him." (D&C 133:14-15)

Babylon is not a geographical location or individual nation. Babylon lives within the borders of all nations and the cry of our Lord is to flee Babylon, which is a condition of spiritual wickedness. While in flight, those fleeing Babylon are counseled "touch no unclean thing." Their flight is not to be done in haste, but slow, gradual and methodical. In Jacob's explanation of the allegory of the tame and wild olive trees, he describes the process as follows:

"For it grieveth me that I should lose the trees of my vineyard; wherefore ye shall clear away the bad according as the good shall grow, that the root and the top may be equal in strength, until the good shall overcome the bad, and the bad be hewn down and cast into the fire, that they cumber not the ground of my vineyard; and thus will I sweep away the bad out of my vineyard." (Jacob 5:66)

The Lord is patient with His people and gradually prepares His people in flight from Babylon. During the preparatory period the good is nurtured in their spiritual growth while the bad are gradually rejected.

Leaving Babylon is not to be done quickly. It is not a straight line between two points. Those who leave Babylon are traversing a mine field and may trigger a fatal encounter by touching anything unclean while in flight.

I am reminded of the many disciplinary councils I have participated in where a seemingly innocuous perusal of pornographic material led to the abuse of a child, loss of self respect and destruction of families. We cannot risk touching anything unclean in our flight from Babylon. We should be constantly assessing the manner in which we use our time. What occupies our thoughts in idle moments. Are we walking as close to the line as we possibly can, always coming as close as possible without crossing over? When we leave Babylon will we take our eyes off our goal ahead only to be turned to a pillar of salt when we look back longingly for the sinful world we are leaving behind. Establishing Zion will never be done by half hearted measures. To find the Lord and invite Him to dwell again with us in Zion will require full commitment of heart.

Another story from my mission is relevant to this passage. It was told by John Lund at a mission conference in Seattle, Washington. John spoke of a mission president in Canada who was struggling with recent set backs in the mission he presided over. In answer to his prayers he began to have a reoccurring dream. In the dream he saw his missionaries approaching people with buckets of water to drink from. When the missionaries raised the buckets up the people declined to drink. After many nights of seeing the same dream, the mission president prayed for the interpretation to the dream. The following night the president saw the same dream with one significant variation. As he witnessed a missionary raising the bucket up to offer a drink, the president was shown a view of the inside of the bucket. He too was repulsed when he saw dirt and filth in the bottom of the bucket. He was then given to understand the missionaries were guilty of sin and in need of repentance before people would drink the water they were offering. A call for repentance went out and baptisms in the mission resumed.

The Lord expects each of us to become clean vessels so others will "see our good works and glorify our Father, who is in heaven." (Matthew 5:16) We need to follow the Lord's counsel to Isaiah:

"Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil." (Isaiah 1:16)

Ceasing to do evil is our passport out of Babylon and a key to bringing power to our testimony of Christ and His gospel.

We must prepare for our flight out of Babylon, for if we prepare, we shall not fear. (D&C 38:30)

Isaiah 52:9-12, Part 2

"The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God." (Isaiah 52:10)

Isaiah's prophecy is looking at the aftermath of the Lord exposing his "holy arm" in a manner all nations will see and know it for what it is, or rather, who it is.

D&C 1 explains the same event in the future context as if the event is still in the future. See the post on May 19, ("arm of the Lord") for a detailed explanation of section 1, the "Moses Prophecy" and the "arm of the Lord." The Lord revealed to Joseph Smith the following:

"And the anger of the Lord is kindled, and his sword is bathed in heaven, and it shall fall upon the inhabitants of the earth. And the arm of the Lord shall be revealed; and the day cometh that they who will not hear the voice of the Lord, neither the voice of his servants, neither give heed to the words of the prophets and apostles, shall be cut off from among the people." (D&C 1:13-14)

The day the Lord becomes angry and unsheathes the sword of vengeance against the enemies of His people is the same time the Lord reveals "his arm." In the post on May 19 we reviewed the fulfillment of this prophecy in 3 Nephi 21:8-11. The "arm of the Lord" revealed is a servant of Christ who brings forward words of Christ that have not yet been revealed. Isaiah 52:10 tells us all nations will be aware of this momentous event. So what might this event be?

3 Nephi 21:11 tells us:

"Therefore it shall come to pass that whosoever will not believe in my words, who am Jesus Christ, which the Father shall cause him to bring forth unto the Gentiles, and shall give unto him power that he shall bring them forth unto the Gentiles, (it shall be as Moses said) they shall be cut off from among my people who are of the covenant."

The "all nations" mentioned in Isaiah 52 includes the Gentiles (non-covenant) people for who this person brings forward the words of Christ. What kindles the wrath of God on the people is their gross negligence of revelations given to them that are great and precious. The wrath of the Lord begins with the people of the Church for they should know better and show greater appreciation for all revelation the Lord seems fit to grant them:

"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. And upon my house shall it begin, and from my house shall it go forth, saith the Lord. 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." (D&C 112:24-26)

We reviewed the Lord's declaration of condemnation upon the Church and I shared with you earlier the reiteration of that condemnation by President Benson and Elder Oaks of the Twelve as recently as 1994. We also noted in a previous post the test in 3 Nephi 26:9 said the current edition the Book of Mormon would be a test for the Church to determine if they are worthy or not:

"And when they shall have received this, which is expedient that they should have first, to try their faith, and if it shall so be that they shall believe these things then shall the greater things be made manifest unto them. And if it so be that they will not believe these things, then shall the greater things be withheld from them, unto their condemnation." (3 Nephi 26:9-10)

Section 84 warned us that vanity, unbelief and treating lightly the scriptures we had been given would lead to condemnation of the Church and its people. When the "arm of the Lord" is revealed, he will bring forth the greater portions of the Book of Mormon that will prove to be a great blessing to those who humbly and graciously accept it. In contrast, those who will not receive it will be cursed and fall under condemnation for their unbelief and pride. That is when "all the ends of the earth shall see their salvation of our God." (Isaiah 52:10) It will also be the time the Lord's wrath is poured out upon the earth, beginning with His saints.

Isaiah 52:9-12

The verse containing the word "gather" is verse 12. I decided to begin with verse 9 and focus on the content through verse 12.

"Break forth into joy, sing together ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the Lord has comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem." (Isaiah 52:9)

Joy comes after the devastation of Jerusalem. Unfortunately, it almost seems impossible for man to seek for God with all his heart without suffering. Suffering tends to bring into focus our powerlessness and reliance on the mercy of God. Jeremiah taught the simple but powerful principle associated with finding God in mortality:

"And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart."
(Jeremiah 29:13)

Adversity is often the antidote for disbelief and the Jews in Jerusalem have become some of the least believing of all people. How could they suffer as much as they have still claiming their title as the "chosen" people. How could Israel (all tribes) been scattered and suffered the loss of their lands of inheritance. This people feel abandoned by God and are left to wonder if He will ever remember them. Isaiah offers words of encouragement. The day will come when those who survive the onslaught of devastation that lays waste to Jerusalem will yet witness God's power and deliverance.

There is more involved in this redemption than just deliverance from their enemies. The Lord promises to comfort them. The comfort Christ offers is the same comfort He offered His disciples prior to His crucifixion:

"And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another comforter, that he may abide with you forever. Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." (John 14:16-17)

When the Lord "comforts" those who inhabit the "waste places" it implies covenant renewal because the gift of the Holy Ghost is only granted to those who are baptized and confirmed members of the Church of Jesus Christ. Covenant renewal brings covenant blessings including divine intervention and deliverance. The companionship of the Holy Ghost also restores revelation to the covenant people of God:

"For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do." (2 Nephi 32:5)

In addition to the promise of the Holy Ghost, the Savior promised another form of comfort to His covenant people:

"I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you." (John 14:18)

Fulfillment of this promise is alluded to in verse 8 of Isaiah 52:

"Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion." (Isaiah 52:8)

The Jews of Jerusalem will be among the other tribes of Israel blessed with the privilege of seeing "eye to eye" the Savior and join in the chorus of the song of "Redeeming Love" spoken of by Alma. (Alma 5:26)

All of this occurs when the Lord reclaims and restores Israel to their covenants and inheritance, after the "arm of the Lord" is revealed.

Isaiah 43:1-7, (Part 3)

"For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee." (Isaiah 43:3)

Does the Lord love some of His children more than others? Is this passage evidence God is unjust or unmerciful? How might we liken this passage to ourselves, like unto Nephi?

To begin with, God loves all of His children equally, covenant or no covenant. So how could God choose between His children? The answer is because God is both just and merciful to all His children. On the surface it appears God is playing favorites unfairly but the history of these groups would argue otherwise.

Egypt was greatly blessed by Joseph, the son of Israel when he, (by revelation from God) led Egypt in their temporal affairs and steered them away from the ravages of famine. Israel and Egypt were both blessed and saved by God under these circumstances. After several generations of Pharaoh's cycled through the leadership of Egypt, the blessings of having inspired leadership and co mingling with Israel were forgotten by Egyptians. Consequently a Pharaoh who "knew not Joseph" enslaved Israel and forced them to labor in bondage in Egypt. Having forgotten God's mercies on Egypt because of Joseph and Israel, the Egyptians, (including the Ethiopians and people of Sebus) persecuted the Lord's people until Moses led Israel from Egypt and bondage.

In summary, persecution of the covenant people, (after many witnesses, testimonies and signs) gave the Father just latitude to deliver Israel, (the covenant people) and punish Egypt, (the non covenant people.) That is how Egypt becomes the ransom or price for delivering Israel.

"Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life." (Isaiah 43:4)

When covenant people of God act honorably toward their covenants with God they become "precious" in His sight and He loves them for their obedience to their commandments. (John 14:15, "If ye love me, keep my commandments.") When the covenant people of God honor their covenants and keep His commandments they become a beacon of righteousness to the world and examples of how to obtain salvation. God did not withhold His Son but gave His life for them, therefore He is justified in sacrificing the lives of the rebellious to save the lives of the penitent.

"Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth; Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him yea, I have made him." (Isaiah 43:5-7)

We combined these verses because they all apply to the gathering of Israel. This will complete our examination of this passage.

The Lord again declares His allegiance to a scattered Israel. In response to Israel's integrity in keeping their covenants and God's commandments, Israel warrants the blessings associated with covenant obedience. Before those blessings can be granted, Israel must gather from around the world into one body. Reference to the four directions, East, West, North and South always brings to my recollection the four angels discussed in section 77 that:

"...,they are four angels sent forth from God, to whom is given power over the four parts of the earth, to save life and to destroy; these are they who have the everlasting gospel to commit to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people; having power to shut up the heavens, to seal up unto life, or to cast down to the regions of darkness." (D&C 77:8)

These angels, (coupled with the "heirs of salvation" they minister to will direct the work of gathering Israel from the four quarters of the earth. Those who are, "called by name" are those who have entered the waters of baptism and entered into a covenant with Christ to take upon themselves His name and keep His commandments. God created them for His glory. This is not about ego or personal gratification for God the Father or Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son. It is all about glorifying the path that leads all mankind into a spiritual transformation that molds mankind into the image of His divine maker and enables them to claim "Eternal life" or God's life.

As we began this reference, so shall we end it. It is all about covenants and laying claim to covenant blessings.

Isaiah 43:1-7, part 2

"When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flames kindle upon thee." (Isaiah 43:2)

Isaiah's prophecies assume the reader is knowledgeable of Israel's history and the law of Moses. Water plays an important role in Israel's salvation and the destruction of her enemies. Noah was saved by the floods and Israel was delivered when Moses petitioned the Lord to part the Red Sea. On both occasions the enemies of the Lord's people were destroyed as the covenant people were saved.

Uncontrolled water brings chaos and destruction, while water staying within its bounds brings life and sustenance. Think of the role water flowing from beneath the porch of the Temple in Ezekiel's vision plays. (Ezekiel 47) As the water rises "trees" flourish as do "fish", both metaphors for man. Even the water's of the Dead Sea are healed.

Avraham Gileadi contends water imagery in Isaiah is often used to metaphorically represent a military force. One example of this is Isaiah's description of the Assyrian king sending his army against Israel:

"Now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria, and all his glory: and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks:" (Isaiah 8:7)

So what is the Lord telling us He will do for His people when we pass through the waters? He promises to be with His covenant people, even as He was with Noah, Moses and Hezekiah when the Assyrian army approached. The Lord will not allow these challenges that face His people to overcome them, though He does use such events to try the faith of His people.

The next challenge the Lord's people will face are trials by fire wherein His people will walk through and not be burned.

When Moroni first appeared to Joseph Smith he repeated among others the prophecy of Malachi, suggesting they were soon to be fulfilled. Malachi 3:1-3 speaks of a messenger who comes to prepare the way before Him. In verse 2 Malachi asks the question, "But who may abide the day of his coming? And who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is a refiners fire and a fuller's soap."

The "refiner's fire" is what a precious metal's processor uses to burn away impurities from the ore he seeks to purify to the purest elements. Just as ore is refined through heat, the Lord refines us through adversities and challenges we face.

Fuller's soap is a similar metaphor. A fuller gathers wool from sheep and uses a soap to cleanse the wool after it is harvested from sheep. Again, the metaphor implies a removal of impurities.

Verse 2 is a promise from the Lord that when His covenant people are faced with these adverse tests of faith, He will be there with them.

Another relevant reference to fire is found in 1 Nephi 22:17:

"Wherefore, he will preserve the righteous by his power, even if it so be that the fulness of his wrath must come, and the righteous be preserved, even unto the destruction of their enemies by fire."

As is often the case in scripture, the metaphor often has a literal application in addition to the symbolic.

The final point with fire is the nature of a fire that a person can walk through and not be burned. The fire that Moses saw that did not consume the bush represented divine presence. Helaman 5 tells the story of Nephi and Lehi being surrounded by flames in a pillar of fire and are not consumed. In these examples the pillar of fire represents God's presence, another way He fulfills His promise to be with His covenant people.

The answer to Malachi's questions are found in Isaiah 43 where the Lord (through Isaiah) says that those who make and keep their covenant with God will walk through their trials and prevail.

Isaiah 43:1-7

A few posts ago I quoted the 84 section of the Doctrine & Covenants:

“And your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and because you have treated lightly the things you have received- Which vanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation. And this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all. 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- 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. For shall the children of the kingdom pollute my holy land? Verily, I say unto you, Nay.” (D&C 84:54-59)

We are trying to lift the Lord's condemnation by not taking His revelations of the restoration lightly. We are also trying to let the Standard Works of the Church become "One in thine hand" as described in the prophecy of Ezekiel in the 37th chapter.

Understanding and interpreting the meaning of Isaiah can only be done with modern scripture. Without these added testaments we can not discern the Lord's explanation for the prophecies we are reading.

Our next reference using the word "gather" is Isaiah 43:5-6:

"Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west."

Verse 6 continues the theme of gathering with the following:

"I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth;"

The complete thought is encompassed in verses 1-7 and centers primarily on the theme of covenants.

We will continue with the same approach, taking this reference one verse at at time.

"But thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine." (Isaiah 43:1)

This verse sets the theme around covenants. The Lord, (through Isaiah) addresses Jacob by his given/mortal name initially and then introduces the concept of covenants by using Jacob's adoptive name, Israel, given after Jacob enters into a covenant relationship with the Lord. The Lord created Jacob as He created Adam but after the creation "formed thee" like molding clay, transforming His creation into a son of God who is then worthy of redemption. Following Israel's redemption the Lord claims His adoptive right by declaring, "thou art mine."

More tomorrow.

Summary/Inventory of findings in Isaiah 40:9-11

In three short verses we have compiled quite a list:

Isaiah speaks to two separate groups: Zion and Jerusalem
1- Zion:
A- What is the composition of Zion?
1- Gentiles who "hearken unto my word and harden not their hearts." (Ephraim)
2- Lehi's descendants, (primarily from the tribe of Joseph)
3- Mulekite descendants, (from the tribe of Jesse/David)

B-In addition to "Zion" referring to the New Jerusalem, it is historically linked to the city of Enoch, land of the pure in heart and perhaps the most overlooked, the fortress near Jerusalem where David lived.
1- We explored the possibility that a "New Jerusalem" may have a "New David."

C- The "good tidings" brought by Zion is identified as living prophets who actively receive revelation and declare the doctrine of Christ.

D- The "high mountain" Zion carries "good tidings" too has a dual meaning:
1- Positive explanation: High mountain refers to the Temple/covenants.
2- Negative explanation: High mountain refers to a proud nation.

2- Jerusalem
A- Jerusalem also has "good tidings" or living prophets receiving revelation and declaring the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
B- Israel is first gathered by the authority of the Aaronic Priesthood.

3- The Lord comes/prepares the way with a "strong hand" and an "arm" that rules over His people.
A- The "hand" and "arm" are extensions or appendages of Christ who receive the Holy Spirit of Promise, ("his reward is with him") but his work still lies ahead.
B- The "arm of the Lord" being revealed is the beginning of the destruction of the wicked at the end of the world.
1- Those who survive this destruction and repent and turn to Christ and join with Israel become the Lord's people.

2- The work of gathering is a collaboration between heaven and earth, whereby four angels (translated beings) who govern the four quarters of the earth are directed by John the Revelator to hold back the judgments of God until he, John, can seal the servants of his God in their foreheads.
3- Joined with these translated beings is the "root of Jesse" who, under the direction of John, raise an ensign to gather Israel.
A- In addition to the "root of Jesse", this individual may also be the descendant of Joseph through Lehi (2 Nephi 3:24) or the "one mighty and strong" mentioned in D&C 85:7.


Amazing what stands before us in plain sight.

Isiah 40:11 Final analysis of this reference

"He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young." (Isaiah 40:11)

The flock is the Lord's flock. "He" that feeds the flock is the Lord's servant. To feed the flock like lambs is to be vigilant, diligent and faithful. The shepherd overlooks his flock and leads them to pastures where they may feed. To "feed" a flock of mortals is to teach them and give them knowledge/instruction. In addition to feeding the flock, the servant of God with the Lord's direction gathers the flock to together "gently" coaxing and encouraging them while they learn.

Feeding and gathering the flock are two key elements to the gathering of Israel.

Reference to the shepherd is reminiscent of Ezekiel 37. In Ezekiel the Lord says:

"And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd:"
(Ezekiel 37:24)

It would appear the king is also the shepherd who cares for the flock.

With regard for the "gather the lambs in his arms" component, there are two individuals and five references (off the top of my head) that specifically address the subject of the gathering of Israel. The first individual is John the Revelator and the references that apply to him are verses 9 & 14 which both state John is the latter-day "Elias" who is responsible for gathering Israel and restoring all things. In a previous post we looked at section 7, verse 6 of the Doctrine & Covenants which states John is a ministering angel who ministers to those who are "heirs of salvation."

The second person who holds responsibility for the gathering of Israel is the "root of Jesse" spoken of in Isaiah 11, but explained in section 113 of the Doctrine & Covenants:

"Behold, thus saith the Lord, it is a descendant of Jesse, as well as of Joseph, unto whom rightly belongs the priesthood, and the keys of the kingdom, for an ensign, and for the gathering of my people in the last days." (D&C 113:6)

Lots of important stuff in this passage. Words like "rightly", "keys of the kingdom", "ensign" and "gathering my people" are all pregnant with meaning and represent topics worthy of study. For our purpose we turn our focus to the "gathering of my people in the last days."

The "root of Jesse" is from the royal lineage, Jessie/David. His lineage is both of Jessie and Joseph and he holds a very specific set of keys that both give power and limit power to the mission he is sent to perform. The mission is two fold, first, raise an ensign for Israel to gather to and second, gathering the Lord's people, Israel. This is the first reference for this individual engaged in gathering Israel.

The second reference applies to a descendant of Joseph through Lehi. Of this individual the reference states:

"And there shall rise up one mighty among them, who shall do much good, both in word and in deed, being an instrument in the hands of God, with exceeding faith, to work mighty wonders, and do that thing which is great in the sight of God, unto the bringing to pass much restoration unto the house of Israel, and unto the seed of thy brethren." (2 Nephi 3:24)

This descendant of Joseph/Lehi who is "mighty" and brings to pass "much restoration unto the house of Israel" could easily be the same person mentioned in D&C 113:6. Both descriptions place these individuals with the gathering of Israel and their lineage is shared, at least on the Joseph side of the equation.

The last reference does not specify the gathering of Israel but could represent someone sent by God to raise an ensign and gather Israel. The remaining passage is D&C 85:7 wherein the "one mighty and strong" holds a "scepter of power", suggesting royalty or kingship. He is clothed with light and his mouth utters "eternal words" which is another way of saying, "God's words." His mission is to "set in order the house of God", (Temple) and "arrange by lot the inheritance of the Saints." This is exactly what Ezekiel saw in his vision of the establishment of Zion and the organization and assignment of inheritances to the tribes of Israel. (Ezekiel 40-48)

I believe this makes a pretty solid case that a script has been written by the Lord and is in process of being followed to bring about the establishment of Zion and the gathering of Israel.

Isaiah 40:9-11/ D&C 1 "The Arm of the Lord"

The last post ended just as we were about to examine the "arm of the Lord" that was to be revealed as a precursor to the wrath of God being poured out upon the "unbelieving and rebellious." This is an area I have studied extensively including writing a chapter on the subject of the "Moses Prophecy." This may be the most pivotal prophecy for those seeking understanding of the works of God in the last days. I will give a condensed explanation of this prophecy.

The "Moses Prophecy" begins in Deuteronomy 18 and is mentioned in one form or other throughout the Standard Works of the Church. In a nutshell Moses said:

"A prophet shall the Lord God raise up to you of your brethren, like unto me. Him shall ye hear in all things and whoso will not give heed to the words of that prophet shall be cut off amongst the people." (Deuteronomy 18:15 for the exact wording)

This reference appears with minor variations throughout the Standard works and can barely be identified in section 1 of the Doctrine & Covenants, verse 14. This verse says:

"And the arm of the Lord shall be revealed; and the day cometh that they who will not hear the voice of the Lord, neither the voice of his servants, neither give heed to the words of the prophets and apostles, shall be cut off from among the people." (D&C 1:14)

In this quote the "arm of the Lord" is linked to the Lord's voice and the voices of His servants. If one relied solely on Moses words the prophecy would be limited in its fulfillment to the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ. When section 1 is added to the mix we see the advent of the "arm of the Lord" will include servants of Christ as well as the Savior Himself.

The literal fulfillment of the prophecy is explained in 3 Nephi 21 which condenses its application to one mortal servant who brings forward words of Christ:

"For in that day, for my sake shall the Father work a work, which shall be a great and a marvelous work among them; and there shall be among them those who will not believe it, although a man shall declare it unto them.
But behold, the life of my servant shall be in my hand; therefore they shall not hurt him, although he shall be marred because of them. Yet I will heal him, for I will show unto them that my wisdom is greater than the cunning of the devil.
Therefore it shall come to pass that whosoever will not believe in my words, who am Jesus Christ, which the Father shall cause him to bring forth unto the Gentiles, and shall give unto him power that he shall bring them forth unto the Gentiles, (it shall be done even as Moses said) they shall be cut off from among my people who are of the covenant." (3 Nephi 21:9-11)

Without considering other references that relate to this passage, Church scholars generally assume/believe this prophecy applies to the Prophet, Joseph Smith. The chapter I have written dispels this conclusion and offers an alternative. For our abbreviated purpose I refute that conclusion with one reference from the Joseph Smith Translation of Matthew 24:

"And thus cometh the end of the wicked, according to the prophecy of Moses, saying: They shall be cut off from among the people; but the end of the earth is not yet but by and by." (JST Matthew 24:55)

Joseph Smith did not live to witness the end of the earth and the destruction of the wicked so the Moses prophecy is not fulfilled until the end of the world or destruction of the wicked. Therefore the servant must be someone other than Joseph Smith. Someone who comes after the prophet of the restoration who brings forward the words of Christ and whose mission is equated/associated with revealing the "arm of the Lord."

The "arm of the Lord" is revealed when the additional words of Christ are brought forth by the servant of the Lord. The revelation of these sacred truths are added to what has already been revealed and remove all excuse from those who choose not to enter sacred covenants with Christ. Their choice to reject the new revelations constitute rebellion because there will be no question of the veracity of the revelation nor the source from which it comes. The excuse of ignorance is removed when these hidden truth's come to light. All that is left is rebellion and the "unbelieving and rebellious" are those who are cut off from the covenant people. These revelations justify God in cleansing wickedness from the earth in preparation for His return.

When we return to Isaiah 40:10 we learn that the Lord's arm "shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him."

The servant referred to as the "arm of the Lord" will rule for the Lord, suggesting kingship. This king brings his reward with him. This may mean he is sealed up to his exaltation and has entered a covenant with the Lord that assures the kings exaltation and eternal life before he accomplishes his work. That would fit in with the work of John the Revelator because section 77 identified John as the "angel from the east" who instructs the four angels not to hurt the earth until he, John seals the servants of God in their foreheads prior to the destruction of the wicked. (D&C 77:8-9,14)

This is a lot to digest but I will attempt to recap and summarize what we have reviewed and hope it leads us all to deeper thoughts regarding the content the Lord has revealed and how much those revelations have been neglected by the general body of the Church. This is why we remain under condemnation and demonstrates just how lightly we take what has been given.

I guess we feel it is not our obligation until a General Authority articulates it over the podium. Unfortunately for us, the General Authority messages are tailored to newer members of our faith and rarely address these issues in depth. It is not that it is beyond their capacity. Their messages are designed to elevate those whose faith is most tender. Others are expected to seek, ask and find directly from the Savior, for that is purpose of the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, "But that every man might speak in the name of God the Lord, even the Savior of the world;" (D&C 1:20)

We must stop trusting in the arm of flesh. Curses and woes follow those who do.

Isaiah 40:9-11 (cont.)

"Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him."

Hands and arms are appendages or extensions of the Lord. Hands and arms are the part of the human body that carry out the majority of work. In the scriptures the Lord uses his hands and arms to do his work. In most instances they refer to servants of God who are called and prepared to do the Lord's will.

The first section of the Doctrine & Covenants carries on this pattern and specifically relates to the fulfillment of this prophecy in our day:

"And verily I say unto you, that they who go forth, bearing these tidings unto the inhabitants of the earth, to them is power given to seal both on earth and in heaven, the unbelieving and rebellious; Yea, verily, to seal them up unto the day when the wrath of God shall be poured out upon the wicked without measure- Unto the day when the Lord shall come to recompense unto every man according to his work, and measure to every man according to the measure which he has measured to his fellow man. Wherefore the voice of the Lord is unto the ends of the earth, that all that will hear may hear: Prepare ye, prepare ye for that which is to come, for the Lord is nigh; And the anger of the Lord is kindled, and his sword is bathed in heaven, and it shall fall upon the inhabitants of the earth. And the arm of the Lord shall be revealed; and the day cometh that they who will not hear the voice of the Lord, neither the voice of his servants, neither give heed to the words of the prophets and apostles, shall be cut off from among the people;" (D&C 1:8-14)

The Lord then concludes this section with the revelation: "..., my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same." (D&C 1:38)

To begin with, who are "they" (the servants) "who go forth bearing these tidings (a word we have seen before)unto the inhabitants of the earth"? Several clues lead us to the identity of the servants. I say servants (plural) because the word "they" implies more than one or multiple servants. The key to identifying them is the clue that the servants have the sealing power for and apply it to sealing the "unbelieving and rebellious." The identity of these individuals is found in the 77th section of the Doctrine & Covenants:

"Q. What are we to understand by the four angels, spoken of in the 7th chapter and 1st verse of Revelation?
A. We are to understand that they are four angels sent forth from God, to whom is given power over the four parts of the earth, to save life and to destroy; these are they who have the everlasting gospel to commit to every nation, kindred, tongue and people; having power to shut up the heavens, to seal up unto life, or to cast down to the regions of darkness." (D&C 77:8)

The four angels spoken of who hold the sealing power and power to commit to every nation, kindred, tongue and people the gospel are angels of God who hold the power of Elijah (sealing power) and like that prophet, have the ability to bridge the gap between heaven and earth. The point they are ministering angels who minister to "heir's of salvation"on earth is bolstered by the fact these four angels are directed by another translated being we know to be a ministering angel, John the Revelator mentioned in subsequent verses. (verses 9 & 14 in this section and D&C 7:6 confirms John's role as a ministering angel.)

What is occurring in this prophecy is a collaboration between heaven and earth. Translated beings, (acting in the capacity of ministering angels) work together with mortals who qualify as "heirs of salvation" (D&C 7:6) to carry out the work of fulfilling the Lord's covenants. In essence we are seeing the recreation of the example of Elisha and the Syrian army when the servant of Elisha learns appearances do not always reveal all that is going on:

"And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? And he answered, fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha." (2 Kings 6:15-17)

Mortal servants of God will collaborate with and be assisted by angels who hold the sealing power and determine who lives and dies (the rebellious and unbelieving.) In the story of Elisha it should be of particular interest that the enemies are not killed but blinded and led to Samaria (the land of Ephraim) where their sight is restored and they are fed, (a metaphor for receiving "glad tidings") and allowed to safely return to Syria.

John engages in sealing "the servants of our God in their foreheads" while the angels over the four parts of the earth oversee the preaching of the Gospel of Christ to every nation, kindred, tongue and people. Destruction of the wicked occurs in two ways, first, the judgments of God can take life because of disobedience and rebellion or, second, the wicked and rebellious can repent and become righteous. Ether method destroys wickedness.

In tandem with the work of these translated beings acting in the capacity of ministering angels is the work of mortal men who through repentance and works of righteousness become "heirs of salvation." They are mortal servants of God who receive instruction from ministering angels and act as messengers to those who are not "heirs of salvation" in mortality.

The Lord's wrath will be poured out on the wicked when the Lord decides to reveal His arm. (D&C 1:14) We will pick it up there tomorrow.

Isaiah 40:9-11 (cont.)

"O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!"

Zion, in the first post represented one of two capitals for the Lord's people. We discussed the composition of Zion in the previous post. The second capital is Jerusalem, the ancient/spiritual capital of Biblical events. Jerusalem, (like Zion,) has "good tidings" to share which suggests Jerusalem will have prophets amongst them as does Zion. For Jerusalem to "lift up thy voice with strength" is to declare the good tidings (words of the prophets and their testimonies of Christ) and to do so in strength is explained in section 113 of the Doctrine & Covenants:

"Questions by Elias Higbee: What is meant by the command in Isaiah, 52d chapter, 1st verse, which saith: Put on thy strength, O Zion-and what people had Isaiah reference to: He had reference to those whom God should call in the last days, who should hold the power of priesthood to bring again Zion, and the redemption of Israel; and to put on her strength is to put on the authority of the priesthood, which she, Zion, has a right to by lineage also to return to that power which she had lost."

For Jerusalem to put on her strength, she must follow the example of Zion and "put on" the authority of the Priesthood. In this instance the priesthood referred to must be Melchizedek because the message they declare to all the cities of Judah is to come and "Behold your God!" A man or woman can only see God through the authority of the Melchizedek Priesthood. Doctrine & Covenants 84:22 states, "For without this (Melchizedek Priesthood)no man can see the face of God event the Father, and live."

While Israel will likely be gathered under the authority of the Aaronic Priesthood, at some point they must receive the covenants and ordinances of the Melchizedek Priesthood and be invited to return to the presence of God. I believe this to be depicted in Ezekiel 37:24-25 wherein the David referred to in verse 24 is a "king" and then in verse 25 becomes a "prince forever." The first title is temporal or temporary, the second title is eternal or "forever."

Resuming our study of "Gather" (Isaiah 40:9-11)

Today is the first reference to the "gathering" we look at from Isaiah. It may take some time to do a thorough job but we do not care about that. We have all the time in the world and we are not in a race. We want to think "deep thoughts" and ponder the words of this great Prophet.

Isaiah 40:9-11

"O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!"

Lets take this verse by verse and see what can be gleaned from Isaiah's writing:

Isaiah begins by speaking to two groups, Zion and Jerusalem. Zion is to get up into the "high mountain." Let's look at who Zion is comprised of in the Book of Mormon.

After discussing/foretelling the destruction of the Gentiles (including members of the Church) the Savior throws in one caveat:

"But if they will repent and hearken unto my words, and harden not their hearts, I will establish my church among them, and they shall come in unto the covenant and be numbered among this the remnant of Jacob unto who I have given this land for their inheritance.
And they shall assist my people, the remnant of Jacob, and also as many of the house of Israel as shall come, that they may build a city, which shall be called the New Jerusalem." (3 Nephi 21:22-23)

The Gentiles ("they") who "hearken unto my words, and harden not their hearts," does not refer only to the Gentiles who believe in the origins of the Book of Mormon, (as mentioned in the previous post, [that was not planned by the way])but those Gentiles who receive the prophecies and promises contained therein and apply themselves to fulfill them. Those Gentiles who repent are joined with the tribes of Israel who were given this land for their inheritance. This represents a "melting pot" of people. It involves Lehi's descendants, (both Lamanites and Nephites from tribes of Joseph,) Mulekites who represent Jews who could claim a lineal right to the throne of Israel. They were descendants of Judah, Jessie and king David. Throw in however many Gentiles with faith who repent, join the Church of Christ and enter the covenant with the Lord, (primarily from the tribe of Ephraim,) and you have the inhabitants of Zion Isaiah speaks of. (3 Nephi 21:22-23) Zion will be added to as the tribes of Israel begin gathering to her but to begin, this is how the foundation and construction of Zion begin to be established so Israel will have some central point where they gather and claim their endowments and other blessings associated with covenants of the Melchizedek Priesthood.

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints are generally familiar with Zion being a synonym of the "New Jerusalem". They also link Zion to Jackson County, Missouri. We generally associate Zion with the "land of the pure in heart" as it relates to Enoch and his city that was translated. What often gets overlooked is the historical/Biblical meaning of Zion: "It commonly referred to a specific mountain near Jerusalem (Mount Zion), on which stood a Jebusite fortress of the same name that was conquered by David and was named the City of David." (Wikipedia, "Zion")
Logically, if there is to be a new Zion, would there not be a new David?

"Although David was a king, he never did obtain the spirit and power of Elijah and the fulness of the Priesthood; and the Priesthood that he received, and the throne and kingdom of David is to be taken from him and given to another by the name of David in the last days, raised up out of his lineage." (TPJS. pg.339) Another quote implying the same concept is:

"The city of Zion spoken of by David, in the one hundred and second Psalm, will be built upon the land of America, "And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads." (Isaiah 35:10): and then they will be delivered from the overflowing scourge that shall pass through the land." (TPJS. pg.17) One must wonder why David is talking about Zion? Was it just a passing reference to a prophecy or was the Lord revealing it to him because it involved his posterity?

The final quotation is:

"Christ, in the days of his flesh, proposed to make a covenant with them, but they rejected Him and His proposals, and in consequence thereof, they were broken off, and no covenant was made with them at that time. But their unbelief has not rendered the promise of God of none effect: no, for there was another day limited in David, which was the day of His power; and then His people, Israel, should be a willing people;-and He would write His law in their hearts, and print it in their thoughts; their sins and their iniquities He would remember no more." (TJPS. pg.15)

It appears Joseph Smith saw some correlation to a latter-day David and the gathering of Israel. I present that point for your consideration and return to the matter at hand.

Going back to our verse in Isaiah, Zion is instructed to take their "good tidings" and head for a "high mountain." This line is pregnant with meaning. First, consider the good tidings. For that answer we return to the Book of Mormon (a pattern I am trying to demonstrate here.)

"Behold I say unto you, that whosoever has heard the words of the prophets, yea, all the holy prophets who have prophesied concerning the coming of the Lord-I say unto you, that all those who have hearkened unto their words, and believed that the Lord would redeem his people, and have looked forward to that day for a remission of their sins, I say unto you, that these are his seed, or they are the heirs of the kingdom of God.
For these are they whose sins he has borne; these are they for whom he has died, to redeem them from their transgressions. And now are they not his seed?
Yea, and are not the prophets, every one that has opened his mouth to prophesy, that has not fallen into transgression. I mean all the holy prophets ever since the world began? I say unto you that they are his seed.
And these are they who have published peace, who have brought good tidings of good, who have published salvation; and said unto Zion: Thy God reigneth! (Mosiah 15:11-14)

It appears from the previous passage that those who have "good tidings" to bear are the prophets who foretold the coming of Christ and remained faithful. Consequently, for Zion to have good tidings, Zion must have living prophets who actively and openly declare the coming of Christ. And where do they take the good tidings given them from these prophets? To a high mountain. What does the "high mountain" imply? I can think of two potential interpretations, both of which are relevant. First, Moses would always go to a high mountain to speak with the Lord. A high mountain became a sacred temple for those prophets who resorted to them. It was on mountain tops where God revealed Himself to His prophets. It was there they received instruction from on high. Zion is counseled to take their good tidings and seek the Lord's face at the temple. Zion, as a body is a group of people, much the same as Israel was when Moses led them to Sinai. The difference being, Zion will make good on God's covenant promise wherein Israel did not. Israel remained on the foothills of Sinai while Moses alone sought the Lord's face. For this, Israel was rejected. (D&C 84:19-25) Zion will not make the same mistake and the people the Lord gathers to Zion will be a "willing people" who have His laws written in their hearts. (3 Nephi 21:25)

A secondary meaning for "high mountain" is a point raised by Avraham Gileadi in his books. In Isaiah, (Gileadi asserts) the word "mountain" is essentially a synonym for nation. The "high" nation suggests the land where Zion is established will be a proud nation, "high" being a synonym for proud.

Well, that is quite a lot to squeeze from one line and what we have may only be the tip of the iceberg. Still, that will suffice for one day.

Down time & Brief Departure (Works vs. Fruits)

Our Blogspot website has been down for repairs and improvements for several days. If you have been inconvenienced by this I apologize.

Brief Departure:

From time to time I am given the opportunity to lead a discussion on a scriptural/doctrinal topic and what follows is an outline of the content I will use. I cut and pasted the outline from my "Word" software but the Blogspot word processing software does not appear to accommodate the outline format of "Word". Sorry for the inconvenience. I will also add content to fill in the holes an outline may leave.


Works vs. Fruits

Introduction:
1. Sitting in the Stake office talking about the Temple: A brother's comment: “The Lord must be pleased with us because of the number of Temples we are building.”
2. Talking to another brother last Tuesday night a question arose in my mind.
A. "What is the true measure of the Church’s standing before the Lord?"

I. Works vs. Fruits

1. “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.” (Revelation 20:12)
A. We are judged for and by our works.
2. “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” (Matthew 7:20)
A. The servants of God will not be discerned by their works, but by their fruits.

II. What the Lord Expects of Us

1. “And your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and because you have treated lightly the things you have received- Which vanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation. And this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all. 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- 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. For shall the children of the kingdom pollute my holy land? Verily, I say unto you, Nay.” (D&C 84:54-59)

A. Our minds have been darkened because of unbelief and because we treat lightly the things we have received from the Lord.
B. Vanity and unbelief have brought the whole Church under condemnation. How so?
1. What might vanity in the Church look like today?
a. Unwilling to acknowledge our condition and repent of the “all is well in Zion” mentality. (2 Nephi 28:21)
b. A sense of being “The Chosen” of the Lord prevails among the body of His Church.
2. What might unbelief look like?
a. Distinction between believing the Book of Mormon is true and living to fulfill its prophecies and promises.
b. We believe the origin of the Book of Mormon while neglecting its intended purpose.
1. Pres. Benson in the late 1980’s and Elder Oaks in 1994 reaffirmed the Church was still under this condemnation.

III. Fruits Meet for the Father’s Kingdom

1. “And when they shall have received this, which is expedient that they should have first, to try their faith, and if it shall so be that they shall believe these things then shall the greater things be made manifest unto them.” (3 Nephi 26:29)
A. The Book of Mormon is deliberately diminished as a test to see if we will seek after the greater things.
B. How diligently we pursue these things is a direct measure of how much we believe what the Lord has given us.

2. “The weak things of the world shall come forth and break down the mighty and strong ones, that man should not counsel his fellow man, neither trust in the arm of flesh- But that every man might speak in the name of God the Lord, even the Savior of the world; That faith also might increase in the earth; That mine everlasting covenant might be established; That the fulness of my gospel might be proclaimed by the weak and the simple unto the ends of the world, and before kings and rulers.” (D&C 1:19-23)
A. This is the Lord’s mission statement for the restoration of the Gospel and Church of Jesus Christ. How well our efforts mirror this statement is a true measure of our standing before the Lord.

IV. Conclusion
1. “Babylon wants us to have “group think,” so we are easier to control. If we all think alike, then it is easier to sell us Toyota’s, Nikes and Budweiser. Zion, in contrast, should never be a people with “group think.” Even if it is easier to sell us Quadruple Combination's and CTR rings, Zion must be the place where individual thought exists. Individual uniqueness is essential for individual revelation, and individual salvation, and individual exaltation. Group think produces Telestial beings, even if they are Latter-day Saints. This is why Brigham Young lamented: “There is too much of a sameness among our people… I do not like stereotyped Mormons- away with stereotyped Mormons!” (JD 8:185; quoted by Vaughn J. Featherstone in “The Incomparable Christ: Our Master and Model, pg.119) One of the great evils of intentional efforts to live as a stereotype is the power this gives to the “wolves.” If all it takes to mislead the Saints is a white shirt, feigned testimony and teetotaling, we invite wolves to mislead us. It is far better for us to be inspired by the Spirit, filled with the power of discernment through the Holy Ghost, to be able to detect false teachers who surely exist among us. If instead we base our views upon mere conformity with a stereotype, we will be deceived. …, The Lord does not care about Zion “prospering” because of good marketing techniques. A broad coalition of semi-converted believers whose commitment to the Church is based upon slick marketing will never endure the heat of the day. These semi-converted believers do not die for causes. Nor do they drag a Spartan collection of meager personal property across a thousand miles or more of wilderness and desert on a handcart, to regroup in peace beyond the reach of murderous mobs…, Converted individuals, who think for themselves, and are rigorous in their fidelity to the cause of truth, will die for a cause, because the cause is more important to them than their lives…, The leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have been and are receiving inspiration to guide the Church. However, this is not enough. In many ways the Church is perhaps more sound, better managed, and more successful at present than it has ever been. In contrast to worldly and governmental institutions, the Church is singular in its efficiency and sophistication of operation. The Church organization is the envy of governments, charities, other churches and fraternal organizations. Nephi saw this. He knew Zion would prosper. He is saying, in essence: “So what?” What does it matter if the leaders are able to manage the Church into success after success? If the individual members who constitute the citizens of Zion are not prepared to live in the presence of the Lord then the Lord’s return and Millennial reign will destroy her. Having a handful of elderly Saints survive the Lord’s return will not get the Millennium off to the kind of start needed to fill the earth with righteous mortals. For that, Zion must be composed of numerous, rigorous individuals who confidently approach the Lord through revelation, and feel at home in His presence. We cannot be content. We cannot relax. We cannot presume institutional success means individual worthiness. Nephi is cautioning us directly about this error. (Nephi’s Isaiah, Denver C. Snuffer, Jr., pg. 305-308)

Psalms 106:43-48

"Many times did he deliver them; but they provoked him with their counsel, and were brought low for their iniquity. Nevertheless he regarded their affliction, when he heard their cry: and he remembered for them his covenant, and repented (relented) according to the multitude of his mercies. He made them also to be pitied of all those that carried them captives. Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the heathen, to give thanks unto thy holy name, and to triumph in thy praise. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting: and let all the people say, Amen. Praise ye the Lord." (Psalms 106:43-48)

There is some controversy over the authorship of "Psalms" but I will not get into it. I will treat the text as scripture and focus on the content of the passage.

The opening line is a testament to the patience the Lord has with his people. The Lord's people often provoked Him to anger due to their inclination to trust in their own opinions and wisdom rather than seek Him. Often they were humbled or "brought low" because of their failure to hearken to the Lord and His servants. Through all their afflictions He never turned His back on them but heard their cries and remembered the covenant He had made with them. The Lord often soften the hearts of Israel's captors when they called upon Him in their misery and affliction.

When Israel is given more revelation and become aware of the covenant promises God has made with their father's, Israel will again turn to God, repent of their sins and seek deliverance. As in times of old, the Lord will again remember His covenant people and gather them from among the Gentiles (heathen.) Israel will sing praises to His name because their deliverance will be His victory but they realize Israel is the benefactor of a merciful God to hears and loves His people.

Nehemiah 12:44- The Gathering and Sanctification of Priests and Levites

After rebuilding the wall, Nehemiah is concerned with the re-dedication and re-population of Jerusalem. One of his first steps is to call priests and Levites from Babylon and cleanse and sanctify them so they can do the same for the people. Many of the steps mentioned in previous examples are apparent here. Reference to David and his pattern occur three of four times in the chapter. Verse 37 caught my attention near the end of the verse when it refers to the "house of David", the "watergate", and "eastward gate." Those three points of reference are interesting because each may be relevant to Ezekiel's vision of Zion in the last days. The "prince" spoken of in Ezekiel 37:25 is referred to as "David" in verse 24. In chapters 40-47 Ezekiel is shown the lay out of inheritances beginning at the Temple, which is the center point. On the east side is the inheritance for the "prince" as well as the east entrance into the Temple which is reserved strictly for the Savior and the "prince." Reference to the "watergate" on the east side is also interesting because water comes from underneath the front porch and flows down to the Dead Sea healing everything in its path. (Ezekiel 47:1-12)

Nehemiah 12 couples the cleansing of the priests and Levites with tithing and offerings which also follows the pattern in Malachi. (Nehemiah 12:44,Malachi 3:1-3,8-12)

The issue of cleansing the Levites tends to be dismissed because the Doctrine & Covenants expands the meaning of Levites to include all faithful holders of the Melchizedek and Aaronic Priesthoods:

"For whoso is faithful unto the obtaining these two priesthoods of which I have spoken, and magnifying their calling, are sanctified by the Spirit unto the renewing of their bodies. They become the sons of Moses and of Aaron and the seed of Abraham, and the church and kingdom, and the elect of God." (D&C 84:33-34)

Provision is made for Ephraim to function in these capacities so Temple ordinances could be administered until the "fulness of the Gentiles" is come in. When the Gentile opportunity concludes descendants of these tribes will gather and holders of the Melchizedek priesthood will relinquish these positions to allow those who are literal descent to fill these positions. They are Aaronic in nature.

I have to confess, this study has surprised me by taking us where I never anticipated going. Clearly there is a template or pattern in play here.

Nehemiah 1:9

Our next reference departs from the pattern with one variation. Nehemiah, as far as I can tell was not of the royal lineage. His prominence came from his proximity to Artaxerxes, the Persian king. Nehemiah was a cup bearer for the king, a highly trusted position due to his proximity to the king and royal family. Nehemiah was likely a eunuch as well. Given his trusted status before the Persian throne, Nehemiah, a Jew, was sent by Artaxerxes to Jerusalem to rebuild the wall surrounding that city. In a manner, this was the Lord's way of hearing and responding to Nehemiah's prayers:

"And I said, I beseech thee, O Lord God of heaven, the great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant and mercy for them that love him and observe his commandments: Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father's house have sinned. We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commandest thy servant Moses. Remember, I beseech thee, the word that thou commandest thy servant Moses, saying If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations: But if ye turn unto me, and keep my commandments, and do them; though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my name there. Now these are thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand. O Lord, I beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to the prayer of thy servant, and to the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear thy name: and prosper, I pray thee, thy mercy in the sight of this man. For I was the king's cup bearer." (Nehemiah 1:5-11)

Nehemiah's assignment to rebuild the walls surrounding Jerusalem placed him in a unique position to petition the Lord for covenant restoration on behalf of himself and Israel. His concern was clearly focused on covenant restoration with the Lord and gathering Israel again to the lands of their inheritance. Nehemiah became essentially governor over Jerusalem, a position that filled the void left when there was no king on the throne of Israel and the Jews were occupied by a foreign government.

The following description of Nehemiah's efforts is taken from Wikipedia. Look how closely his efforts follow the pattern we have outlined:

"In the 20th year of Artaxerxes, king of Persia, (445/444 BC), Nehemiah was cup-bearer to the king. Learning that the walls of Jerusalem were broken down he asked the king for permission to return and rebuild them, and Artaxerxes sent him to Judah as governor of the province with a mission to rebuild the walls. Once there he defied the opposition of Judah's enemies on all sides - Samaritans, Ammonites, Arabs and Philistines - and rebuilt the walls within 52 days, from the Sheep Gate in the North, the Hananel Tower at the North West corner, the Fish Gate in the West, the Furnaces Tower at the Temple Mount's South West corner, the Dung Gate in the South, the East Gate and the gate beneath the Golden Gate in the East.

He then took measures to repopulate the city and purify the Jewish community, enforcing the cancellation of debt, assisting Ezra to promulgate the law of Moses by reinstituting the Feast of Tabernacles (sukkot), enforcing the divorce of Jewish men from their non-Jewish wives, and in other ways separating the Jews from their neighbors.

After 12 years as governor, during which he ruled with justice and righteousness, he returned to the king in Susa. After some time in Susa he returned to Jerusalem, only to find that the people had fallen back into their evil ways. Non-Jews were permitted inside Jerusalem on the Sabbath and keep rooms in the Temple and even a son of the High Priest had married a foreign woman. Greatly angered, he purified the Temple and the priests and Levites, enforcing the segregation of the Jews from their neighbors and the observance of the law of Moses."

It appears Nehemiah was doing many of the things contained in the pattern we have discussed.

Nehemiah would soon be joined by Ezra, a high priest who was sent by Artaxerxes to Jerusalem from Babylon to restore adherence to the law of Moses among the Jews. Here we have a king like/governor collaborating with the high priest to restore Israel.

Happy Mother's Day to All! The Interesting Irony Continues

Our next reference using the word "gather" is in 2 Chronicles 24:5 and the story of king Joash. Verse 5 is where "gather" appears but the first few verses frame the circumstance for us:

"Joash was seven years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Zibiah of Beer-sheba. And Joash did that which was right in the sight of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest. And Jehoiada took for him two wives; and he begat sons and daughters. And it came to pass after this, that Joash was minded to repair the house of the Lord. And he gathered together the priests and Levites, and said to them, Go out unto the cities of Judah, and gather of all Israel money to repair the house of your God from year to year, and see that ye hasten the matter. Howbeit the Levites hastened not." (2 Chronicles 24:1-5)

We see the theme of Temple repair, gathering of Israel (including priests and Levites)and restoration of Covenant worship repeated again in this passage.
The pattern continues.

Return to Our Topical Study of the Word: "Gather"

Well, I just opened the concordance to look for the next reference in the Old Testament using the word "gather" and the subject matter takes us back to king David. The reference is found in 1 Chronicles 13:2. The context of this chapter is similar to what was studied in the passages of Josiah and Hezekiah. David consults with his "captains" of thousands and hundreds, (the body of leadership) about what should be done next. Focus is turned to returning the Ark of the Covenant from Kirjathjearim to Jerusalem. This is the same chapter where Uzzah, (a non Levite) sets forth his hand to steady the ark and is smitten dead by God.

Before we address the story of Uzzah let us look at what David was doing. In verse 2 David has completed his deliberations with his captains and decides on the following course of action:

"And David said unto all the congregation of Israel, If it seem good unto you, and that it be of the Lord our God, let us send abroad unto our brethren every where, that are left in all the land of Israel, and with them also to the priests and Levites which are in their cities and suburbs, that they may gather themselves unto us: And let us bring again the ark of our God to us: for we enquired not at it in the days of Saul. And all the congregation said that they would do so: for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people. So David gathered all Israel together, from Shihor of Egypt even unto the entering in of Hemath, to bring the ark of God from Kirjath-jerim." (1 Chronicles 13:2-5)

David is gathering Israel for the purpose of restoring true covenant worship in Israel after the Northern and Southern kingdoms are united. Reference to the fact Saul stopped inquiring of the Lord during his fallen reign suggests David was returning to the practice of seeking the Lord's guidance at the Ark of the Covenant. In essence David was seeking to restore Israel's covenant relationship with the Lord.

Included in this restoration was the gathering of the priests and Levites, (a point that we have linked to Malachi 3:1-3 where the Lord promises to sanctify the Levites.)

The story of Uzzah also has a link to modern prophecy. In section 85 of the Doctrine & Covenants we note a veiled reference to the story of Uzzah:

"And it shall come to pass that I, the Lord God, will send one mighty and strong, holding the scepter of power in his hand, clothed with light for a covering, whose mouth shall utter words, eternal words: while his bowels shall be a fountain of truth to set in order the house of God, and to arrange by lot the inheritances of the saints whose names are found, and the names of their fathers and of their children, enrolled in the book of the law of God; While that man, who was called of God and appointed, that putteth forth his hand to steady the ark of God, shall fall by the shaft of death, like as a tree that is smitten by the vivid shaft of lightning." (D&C 85:7-8)

Preceding the rise of "one mighty and strong" will be someone who oversteps the bounds of his authority as Uzzah did when he steadied the ark. Interestingly, what Uzzah did was well intended, he simply exceeded the bounds of his authority. Only Levites were authorized to handle the ark and Uzzah was not a Levite. In the prophecy of "one mighty and strong" it is clear this prophetic figure replaces someone who oversteps their bounds even as David replaced fallen king Saul. There are similar types or examples of this in both modern and ancient history that are worthy of study by outside the scope of our current examination.

Another point (that may be coincidental or not) is that 1 Chronicles 12, the chapter prior to the gathering of Israel and the return of the ark by David contains an account of David's "mighty men". These men may represent the Lord's definition of what "one mighty and strong" may be. Couple the strength of David's mighty men with the spiritual strength of the "one mighty and strong" and you have someone of tremendous stature before the Lord. Another interesting point is to reflect on the type of person David would have to be to lead these types of men. Perhaps David may be a type for the "one mighty and strong." Note the "one mighty and strong" carries a "scepter", normally associated with kingship.

One story reveals the devotion the mighty men felt toward king David:

When David was in exile from Jerusalem he "longed, and said, Oh that one wold give me a drink of he water of the well of Beth-lehem, which is by the gate! And the three mighty men brake through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Beth-lehem, that was by the gate and took it, and brought it to David: nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the Lord." (2 Samuel 23:13-16)

These men were a few of the "mighty men" of David and I doubt very seriously they would have followed David if he was not "mighty and strong."

Do you feel the scriptures becoming one our hands?

Additional Examples of the Pattern

We identified three examples, two historical and one prophetic. We compared Josiah and Hezekiah as examples of the path the Lord followed to restore true worship in Judah. The third example was a "Davidic King" mentioned in Ezekiel 37 who will arise after the Book of Mormon and Bible become one in both the Lord's hand and our hands.

In each example David was mentioned as the pattern or example of how Josiah and Hezekiah sought to restore the Temple and true worship. David is also the example of reuniting Judah with the other tribes. (Reunion of he Northern and Southern kingdoms) His life was in fact a type that Ezekiel refers to many years after David's death. (Ezekiel 37:22, 24-25) The life of king David would be a fruitful study filled with types for the gathering and restoration of Israel.

Kings Benjamin and Mosiah are interesting studies of this pattern. Benjamin's people were led to a higher covenant wherein they were visited by the Spirit of the Lord and experienced a miraculous change of heart. (Mosiah 4:2-3) When their hearts were changed they entered a covenant with Christ and became His sons and daughters. (Mosiah 5:7) The union between Benjamin's people and the Mulekites (Mulek being an heir to the throne of Judah) and how the king restored their language, introduced new scriptures (with the benefit of a Urim and Thummim) and restored their knowledge and faith in Christ. Is it a coincidence Benjamin was a descendant of Joseph and the Mulekites descended from Judah? I do not believe so.

Numerous other examples exist but following them takes us away from our stated path. The power of this example lies in opening the door to another way of learning. Looking for "types" in the scriptures introduces to the student a whole new way of searching for truth. Familiarizing ourselves with the loyal servants of God exposes us to the same scenario's the Lord will use in gathering His people and restoring Israel to Zion in the last days.

What all this means to me

I sat at the dining room table with my daughter Madison yesterday eating lunch and talking. We talked about this blog and some of the findings that have come out of this research. Maddie has not read the blog primarily because I have done nothing to draw anyone's attention to it. My daughter Lauren has read parts of it and posted about it on face book and that was the source of the only comment that appeared here. Notoriety is not my purpose in writing this blog.

My purpose in writing this blog is to give a written record of my findings for when it is needed. When current events make this content interesting, it will be available to friends, family and anyone else the Lord may guide to it. Clearly we are not there yet as evidenced by the limited readership. I have no idea who has read this and who has not. I do know from experience there are few people interested in this type of in depth research. Most of us are like Joe Friday from "Dragnet". "Just the facts ma'am!" The few who expressed interest want to know how I study so this is pretty much how I do it. For most this is probably like chloroform in print. For me it is exciting.

Anyway, while talking to Maddie at lunch the other day she listened patiently for a while and then said, "I'll be honest with you, I don't understand much of what you just said." Maddie is never one to mince words and I love that about her. She speaks her mind. I suspect many who try to read this are in the same boat. So, this is what all this means to me. Hopefully, seeing it through my eyes, (in a manner of speaking) will help understand why these findings excite me.

I have studied this subject for a very long time and had a sense of where this particular study might take us. I suspected a pattern or type would emerge at some point. In fact, I was certain of it because of previous patterns identified in the scriptures. I believe there truly is nothing new under the sun and that history is simply repeating itself. That being the case, if we see how the Lord worked anciently, we can study those events and patterns and see their repetition in the future. Names and faces may change but the patterns stay the same.

Our inability to understand prophecy comes from trying to "bend the prophecies" to fit our preconceptions. For example, we are raised to believe the Church is going to magically waltz into Zion and Israel will just kind of miraculously follow when the Lord is ready. We resist considering alternatives the scriptures discuss because what that might mean. Among Church scholars is a resounding fear that any conclusion that threatens conventional wisdom among scholars is unacceptable because it opens the possibility the cynic's and skeptics of the Church might be right. Somehow Church leadership may lead us astray or worse, fail in their mission. Anything but the fairy tale ending in establishing Zion is more than the body of the Church can handle in the minds of Church scholars. The scholars speak the truth amongst themselves privately but you rarely hear their candor in public forums.

This does not mean I am a cynic or skeptic. Ultimately the Church will prevail. Ultimately Israel will be led to the Church and the Church will administer ordinances of the Holy Melchizedek Priesthood to the lost tribes. I do not believe the leadership of the Church will fail or mislead us. I do believe, (and this is where I do part company with Church scholars) that there are two projects in progress here. The first involved the restoration of Priesthood keys and the organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The second project is the gathering of Israel that occurs prior to Israel's reunion with the tribes of Joseph. The second project, I believe may be away from the organizational structure of the Church initially but not from the Priesthood keys. The second project will be performed in accordance with Priesthood keys but not follow the conventional path so many assume will be the case.

The pattern we have studied is repeated in both the Bible and the Book of Mormon. When I find the pattern repeated in both ancient and modern scripture I believe the Lord reveals to us exactly what is going to happen but we prefer to listen to scholars tell us, "It has not been revealed" or more accurately, "Not been revealed to me! Therefore, it has not been revealed." The responsibility to keep an open mind seems to dissipate when someone gets tenure and assumes they know all there is worth knowing.

These things are hidden in plain sight and the Lord will not excuse our ignorance because we were too busy with life to look for answers ourselves. Instead we trust in the arm of flesh, waiting for some scholar or Church leader to explain what the Lord would have learn ourselves.

Ezekiel 37 - Modern application of this type

I find myself most receptive to the promptings of the Spirit of God early in the morning when I first awake from sleep. Yesterday morning I was directed to move forward to Ezekiel 37 and given the following explanation on how this prophecy reflects the same pattern we have studied.

I was in the process of "drilling down" more deeply in the two previous examples but felt it was becoming more confusing if someone was actually trying to follow with me. Consequently I will limit this analysis to the pattern as we have identified it thus far.

Ezekiel 37 is one of the more frequently quoted prophecies in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints because it is viewed as compelling evidence supporting the Book of Mormon. We commonly read of the sticks of Judah (the Bible) and Joseph (the Book of Mormon) often declaring the prophecy fulfilled when a "Quad" is held up to prove the two records have been joined together as one. Content to rest on the evidence, the prophecy spoken by Ezekiel thereafter tends to be over looked. Today we will compare events that follow thereafter to the pattern exemplified by Hezekiah and Josiah. If the pattern is embedded in the prophecy it substantiates the claim the pattern is relevant to the last days and has a modern application.

We begin our examination with verse 20 of Ezekiel 37, after the two "sticks" have become "one in mine hand":

"And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes. And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all: Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their dwellingplaces, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be m people, and I will be their God. And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them. And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children's children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever. Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore. My tabernacle also shall be with them: yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And the heathen shall know that I the Lord do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore." (Ezekiel 37:20-28)

Elements from the Pattern found in this prophecy:

1. If you accept the "sticks" of Judah and Joseph represent the Bible and Book of Mormon the reader must accept this prophecy is chronologically linked to the last days.

2.The Lord commences gathering Israel from amongst the Gentile nations to the lands of their inheritance.

3. When Israel is gathered there is one king over all of Israel.

4. The division between two nations refers to the time when David was king of Judah and post Saul, Israel was without a king and the elders of Israel petitioned David and asked that he assume Israel's throne as well as Judah. Under one head, (David) Israel was again united.

5. When the two nations become one, Israel follows the same pattern of cleansing described by Josiah and Hezekiah. Idol gods were cast away along with all "detestable things" and repents. In return for solemn repentance, the Lord "will cleanse them." After Israel's gathering and cleansing the Lord accepts Israel as "my people" and Israel accepts the Lord as "their God."

6. The Lord's servant carrying out this work is "David." Initially (vs.24) David is declared a "king" and the Lord's shepherd who "shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them."

7. Israel and their children for several generations reclaim the lands of their father's inheritance.

8. David experiences a change in title in verse 25 wherein he was noted as a king over Israel to a "prince for ever." The change in title reflects priesthood/covenant advancement for both David and his people. The title of "king" is temporal, temporary and transient. The title "prince for ever" implies permanence and likely moving from Aaronic, vicarious representation before the Lord and personal representation before the Lord, (only available through Melchizedek Priesthood. This may reflect the same title sought by Abraham when pursuing the Patriarchal Priesthood. (Abraham 1:2, "prince of peace."

9. The Lord makes an everlasting covenant of peace with Israel. The Lord's sanctuary is set in the midst of Israel. (Temple)

10. The Lord's tabernacle will be with Israel so the higher blessings of the Melchizedek Priesthood can be ministered to Israel. Part of the higher covenant is the reaffirmation that Israel are the Lord's people and He is their God.

11. The "heathen", (Gentiles, all non covenant inhabitants in the world will "know" God is sanctifying Israel and God will forever dwell in Israel's midst.

3.