Prophetic Analysis of Hezekiah

This is the point where we take the Lord at His words. We will use concordances to link historical events to prophecies of the future through the word of the Lord. There is very little contrast between the steps taken by Hezekiah and Josiah to restore Israel/Judah to true worship. There will be additional examples of righteous kings who repeat these steps as well. What Hezekiah's example is rich with is verbal ties to prophecies of future events. That will be our focus for now.

Hezekiah's actions (2 Chronicles 29-31) when he ascended to throne exemplify Malachi's words that Moroni told Joseph Smith would be fulfilled in a future day:

"But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire and a fuller's soap: And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness." (Malachi 3:2-3)

After sanctifying the Levites and preparing the Temple, Hezekiah had "set in order" the Lord's house. In section 85:7 of the Doctrine and Covenants the "One Mighty and Strong" is said to: "Set in order the house of God and arrange by lot the inheritances of the saints." The phrase "set in order"

Hezekiah- (continued)

There are considerable similarities between Hezekiah and Josiah. Repetition of the pattern continues when Hezekiah moves to destroy everything associated with false gods in Israel. Chapter 31 of 2 Chronicles begins with:

"Now when all this was finished, all Israel that were present went out to the cities of Judah, and brake the images in pieces, and cut down the groves, and threw down the high places and the altars out of all Judah and Benjamin, in Ephraim also and Manasseh, until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the children of Israel returned, every man to his possession, into their own cities." (2 Chronicles 31:1)

Having destroyed all images associated with idol gods, Hezekiah returns his focus on the Temple and the continued sanctification and organization of the priests and Levites. Priests and Levites were wholly dedicated to service in the temple and the Lord intended to provide for them from tithes and offerings from the other tribes. Tithes and offerings also provide the means for sacrifice in the Temple of God.

We see the law of tithing instituted/restored by Hezekiah in 2 Chronicles 31:5-8:

"And as soon as the commandment came abroad, the children of Israel brought in abundance the firstfruits of corn, wine, and oil, and honey, and of all the increase of the field; and the tithe of all things brought they in abundantly. And concerning the children of Israel and Judah, they also brought in the tithe of oxen and sheep, and the tithe of holy things which were consecrated unto the Lord their God, and laid them by heaps. In the third month they began to lay the foundation of the heaps, and finished them in the seventh month. And when Hezekiah and the princes came and saw the heaps, they blessed the Lord, and his people Israel. And Azariah the chief priest of the house of Zadok answered him, and said, Since the people began to bring the offerings into the house of the Lord, we have had enough to eat, and have left plenty: for the Lord hath blessed his people; and that which is left is this great store."

The final act of Hezekiah we will examine is the miraculous defeat of the Assyrian army by Judah. Rather, the Lord's miraculous deliverance of Judah from the Assyrian army. The confrontation is "David and Goliath" like, in that the Assyrian army is dwarfed Judah's army. Hezekiah organizes and prepares his army and people for war. In the face of significant disadvantages Hezekiah says to his soldiers:

"Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed for the king of Assyria, nor for all the multitude that is with him: for there be more with us than with him: With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God to help us, and to fight our battles. And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah." (2 Chronicles 23:7-8)

Hezekiah's remarks alert us by drawing on language of an earlier time when divine intervention was used to save a servant of the Lord. Note how closely Hezekiah's remarks mirror the words of Elisha who earlier said: "And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them." (2 Kings 6:16) The Lord revealed to Elisha's servant the presence of angelic ministrants who intervened to protect the servant of God. By using similar verbiage, Hezekiah implies the Lord will intervene to save His people. Just as Elisha was saved by the Lord smiting the Syrian army with blindness, Hezekiah and the tribe of Judah were saved from Assyrian soldiers by an angel of God.

The general representing the king of Assyria spoke to those of Judah in their own language trying to undermine their faith in the Lord and Hezekiah. He pointed out Assyria's many successful campaigns and how none of those countries were saved by their idol gods. "He also wrote letters to rail on the Lord God of Israel, and to speak against him, saying, As the gods of the nations of other lands have not delivered their people out of mine hand, so shall not the God of Hezekiah deliver his people out of mine hand." (vs.17)

In response to the Assyrian general's mocking remarks and actions about the Lord to those of Judah the Lord sends an angel:

"And the Lord sent an angel which cut off all the mighty men of valour, and the leaders and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. And when he was come into the house of his god, they that came forth of his own bowels slew him there with the sword." (vs.21) What is not said in this account is why the general returned "shame of face." He returned because the angel of the Lord smote his army the night before they were to attack Judah. The outcome was I believe a 140,000 soldiers out of 185,000 were found dead the next morning.

Tomorrow we will look at prophetic links to this account in both ancient and modern scripture.

Good day.

Scott

Hezekiah- Example #2

Our first example of the king of Judah restoring the covenant relationship between the Lord and his people was Josiah. In the last post we listed the steps taken by Josiah to restore Judah's covenant relationship. Review those steps and then we will look at Hezekiah to see how he seeks to do the same thing in 2 Chronicles 29.

1. Hezekiah does that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that David his father had done. (2 Chronicles 29:2)

2. Hezekiah opens the doors to the Temple and repairs them. (vs.3)

3. Hezekiah gathers the priests and Levite's and commands them to sanctify themselves. (vs.4-9)

4. Hezekiah seeks to renew the covenant with the Lord and turn away his wrath from Judah. (vs.10)

5. Hezekiah calls the priests and Levite's "my sons" and exhorts them to perform their responsibilities with all diligence so the covenant relationship with the Lord may be renewed. (vs.11)

6. Under Hezekiah's direction the priests and Levite's sanctify themselves and begin to sanctify the Temple. (vs. 15-19)

7. Hezekiah gathers the rulers of the city and began to offer sacrifice in the Temple. (vs.21-25)

8. Hezekiah follows the ordinances in accordance with the commandment of David, Gad, the kings seer and Nathan the prophet. (vs.25-27)

9. "So the service of the the house of the Lord was set in order. (vs.35)

10. "And Hezekiah rejoiced, and all the people, that God had prepared the people: for the thing was done suddenly." (vs.36)

11. Hezekiah sends letters to all tribes of Israel, (including Ephraim and Manasseh) inviting them to the house of the Lord to keep the passover. (2 Chronicles 30)

12. Hezekiah's exhortation to Israel:
"Ye children of Israel, turn again unto the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, and he will return to the remnant of you, that are escaped out of the land of the kings of Assyria. and be no ye like your fatherrs, and like your brethren, which trespassed against the Lord God of their fathers, who therefore gave them up to desolation, as ye see. Now be ye not stiffnecked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves unto the Lord, and enter into his sanctuary, which he hath sanctified for ever: and serve the Lord your God, that the fierceness of his wrath may turn away from you. For if ye turn again unto the Lord, your brethren and your children shall find compassion before them that lead them captive, so that they shall come again into this land: for the Lord your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if ye return unto him." (vs.6-9)

13. Responses to Hezekiah's letter:
A. Ephraim, Manasseh to Zebulun, "laughed them to scorn, and mocked them." (vs.10)
B. Some of Asher,Manasseh and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. (vs.11)
C. Much people came to Jerusalam. (vs.13)

14. The remove all the alters for worshiping idol gods and threw them in the brook at Kidron. (vs.14)

15. Priests and Levite's sanctify themselves and people. (vs.15-18)

16. Hezekiah intercedes with the Lord on behalf of Israel saying, "The good Lord pardon everyone that prepareth his heart to seek God, the Lord God of his fathers, though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary. And the Lord hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people." (vs.19)

17. Hezekiah encourages the Levite's in their teaching Israel of the good knowledge of the Lord. (vs. 22)

18. "And all the congregation of Judah, with the priests and the Levites, and all the congregation that came out of Israel, and the strangers that came out of the land of Israel, and that dwelt in Judah, rejoiced. So there was great joy in Jerusalem: for since the time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel there was not the like in Jerusalem. Then the priests the Levites arose and blessed the people" and their voice was heard, and their prayer came up to his holy dwelling place, even unto heaven." (vs.25-27)

We will finish the rest tomorrow and demonstrate how you have just read the fulfillment of Malachi 3:1-3.

The Pattern of King Ship and the Gathering of Israel

I've been out of town and away from the computer but I have not been idle. I spent yesterday morning review our example of Josiah as a possible type or pattern for the gathering of Israel. Here's what I found:

1. Josiah "did that which was right in the sight of the Lord." 2 Kings 22:2

2. Josiah walked in the way of David. (vs.2)

3. Josiah repaired the Temple. (vs.5)

4. Josiah has the "book of the law of God" read to him and causing him to repent and humble himself before the Lord. (vs.11 & 19-20, 2 Kings 23:25)

5. Josiah seeks the will of the Lord. (vs.13-17)

6. Josiah is promised the Lord will bless him. (vs.18)

7. Josiah gathers together the elders of Judah, and all Judah and reads the words of the covenant. 2 Kings 23:1-2

8. Josiah makes a covenant with the Lord to: Walk after the Lord and keep His commandments, testimonies & statutes with all their hearts and souls. Also perform the works of the covenants. (vs.23:3)



We will compare other accounts of kings with similar experiences.

Josiah Summary

I realize most of you must feel confused about much of what we have covered. This is a different way of learning that is foreign to most of us. Think of it as panning for gold. We put the ore in our pans and we've been running water over it in the hope a nugget of gold will remain once we have washed the material thoroughly.

Our next step is to review what we have learned and condense the content down to something more understandable.

In Josiah, we have a king who sits on the throne of Judah. The throne of Judah was occupied by David, the son of Jesse. During David's reign, Saul reigned over the remaining tribes of Israel until the death of Saul and his sons. The two groups became one when the elder's of Israel approached David and asked that Judah be combined to the remaining tribes and the two would become one.

Josiah was a descendant of Jesse through Hezekiah. Whenever the king sought to sanctify his people and restore a tribe of Israel the Lord directed the process through a redundant pattern repeated through out the scriptures. The king began the process by remodeling the Temple and directing the priests and Levites to sanctify themselves. They were the ministers of the Temple and had to be in place before Israel could begin to renew covenant mandated sacrifice.

Once the Temple is repaired and the priests and Levites sanctified, Judah had to repent of their idolatry and false worship. This was done by teaching them the content of the book of the law stored within the Temple. Under the kings direction the people were exhorted to repent and prepare themselves for true worship of God at the Temple. A willingness to obey God's commandment that there would be no other gods before him was demonstrated by the destruction of all idols and idol worshiper's from among them. Josiah carried out his commission and secured peace and safety for his people during his tenure as king. He was not able to deliver Judah after his reign, however and their eventual desolation was complete following Josiah's death.

This pattern is repeated frequently in the Old Testament and the Book of Mormon. Failure to recognize it limits our ability to see how the Lord will gather Israel in the last days. Israel's current condition mirrors the fallen condition Israel currently remains in. Our inability to recognize this pattern is greatly influenced by our assumption the Church will gather Israel through the efforts of the missionary program of the Church. While the missionary program will successfully gather Ephraim and Manasseh, (the tribes of Joseph/repentant Gentiles) the body of Israel will be gathered in the patterned demonstrated by David, Hezekiah, Josiah and king Benjamin.

Call it a pattern, type, template or prior precedent. It is all the same. The Lord follows a predictable pattern in gathering His covenant people. It will be done in accordance with Priesthood authority and will result in Israel gathering to an ensign and then finding their way back to Ephraim to receive their Melchizedek covenants and becoming one with the brethren of the scattered tribes, never to be divided again. We will look at these examples so we all may witness how the Lord will do His work of gathering in the last days.

Easter Message to Family and Friends

Following Church on Easter Sunday I will be leaving on a business trip to Las Vegas so I won't be with you at the Sunday dinner table. I will miss you all very much. You are all that matters to me in this world. There is always a silver lining in everything that happens however. In this instance, it is the ability to take control of the table for a few minutes by pressing you to read this together. Everyone will have to pay attention and that is virtually impossible when we are together. We love each other too much to stop talking and I wouldn't have it any other way.

This morning the Spirit brought to mind two extraordinary events from my mission I feel I should share with you. They will not be new but my perspective on them is new. These two experiences are two of my most personal experiences with Christ and became cornerstones to my testimony and faith in our Savior. I never kept a journal and so this will be something I want to add to your individual notebooks to be passed on to future generations.

My first experience was a mission conference convened in Seattle, Washington. Over three hundred missionaries from Washington and Idaho were brought together to participate in a conference designed to cleanse our hearts and purify our souls. We did not know this at the time but that was the outcome. My friend, John Lund spoke about the importance of cleansing our inner vessels and his talk was so powerful the entire missionary force lined up to speak with President Stapley. Many confessed sins that were not particularly serious but we all shared the desire to rid ourselves from anything that might impede the Spirit of God.

That evening the local missionaries performed a musical and narrative on the life of the Savior called, appropriately, "Behold the Man." Near the conclusion of the program the subject of the crucifixion of Jesus was addressed. To the shock and amazement of all, the lights in the Chapel were turned off and simultaneously the Holy Ghost was poured on the congregation. I have never felt so overwhelmed in my life. We were all breathless and speechless. We sat in darkness we all collectively felt. After what seemed an eternity the lights began to turn back on but profound silence prevailed. My eyes were drawn to floor underneath the bench in front of me. My head remained bowed but the voice of the Spirit whispered to me that if I would raise my head and look to the upper right hand side of the chapel I would see the Savior of the world. Given this experience for all, the title of the program, "Behold the Man" could not have been more appropriate.

I struggled with the invitation. Intellectually I was tempted to look but to do so was impossible. I did not feel condemned by God but neither did I feel worthy to lift my gaze to look upon Him. It was if gravity intensified and the only appropriate direction for my head to move was down. I wanted to move under the bench but thought it inappropriate to do so in the chapel. Minutes passed before someone rose to the pulpit and concluded the program. I don't remember a thing said in the program after this experience. We all were in deep reflection and pondering. Our minds could not focus on anything else.

In conversations later with others in attendance, I found there was at least one missionary who saw His face in the exact location I was told to look. Years later in a phone conversation with President Stapley he shared with me that other missionaries saw angels in the room. This experience is even more profound to me as I reflect upon it.

Although I could not bring myself to gaze upon the face of our Savior, I know without question He was present. I know He lives. I know that my Redeemer lives!

It almost feels sacrilegious to continue but the second experience influenced me as much or more than the first. Each member of my family has been told of events leading up to this experience so I won't repeat them entirely. Lauren is a little impatient with redundancy and I don't want to lose her attention.

One day my companion and I attended Bishop John Lund's institute class in Olympia, Washington. One of his topics addressed the subject of prayer. His message resonated with my soul and I could not stop thinking about it throughout the day. We worked hard and returned to our apartment late that evening. I had a few thoughts about what I had learned but determined I was too tired to apply them and retired to bed.

The next morning I arose early and immediately thought about the importance of honesty in prayer. Although I prayed my entire mission, I spent more time praying for things I thought I should pray for, than praying for what I honestly felt. Today was going to be a bomb thrower day. All of my mission I expressed gratitude for a mission I hated. I had been miserable and rebellious and found little joy in serving.

I rose from my bed, closed my bedroom door and knelt by my bed. For the first time in my life I poured out my soul to God. I told Him I was not happy and I didn't enjoy serving. I don't recall the specifics of what was said but I do recall thinking it would be a miracle if I was not struck by lightning. My honest expressions were so starkly contrasted to the insincere prayers I had spoken that I fully expected retribution for my hypocrisy.

Contrary to my expectation, my words began to resonate with my soul. Rather than anticipated condemnation I felt a calm peace come over me. Sunlight from the early morning streamed through my window and its warmth fell on my face. What happened next is difficult to describe. What I felt was physical, but there was no physical evidence to prove it. I felt a "fluid" sensation surround my body. It began at my feet and gradually rose to encompass my entire being. My sense was that of being immersed in a tank and feeling a warm sensation gradually surround me. I have written this account many times but today, for the first time I have come to recognize the experience in a way I failed to understand before. I am describing my baptism by fire, (though instead of burning I felt immersed in the love of Christ.) In moments such as this you reflect and feel a sense of wonder about what you are experiencing. It can only be described as surreal. My mind was filled with a sense of amazement when I realized the Lord could love me for who I was at that point in time. There was no mystical level of righteousness I needed to attain. I had, however, repented and entered a covenant with God earlier. As I reflect on it now, He was honoring my covenant by changing my heart.

Words cannot adequately express the joy I felt when I realize the Lord loved me for who I was at that point on. Since then I have been a different person. I still say and do goofy things but I continue to strive to sanctify my life and seek the Lord's face. I live for that day when the invitation to gaze again upon His face is extended and I may look forward with reverent awe, confidence and faith into the eyes of He who died that I might live.

I bear you my testimony this day with solemn certainty that I know He lives. Of that I am as certain as if I gazed upon His countenance that dark evening in Seattle. I have felt His Spirit often and continue to try and follow that straight and narrow path He marked, leading back to the Father.

I hope the purpose of your lives is to do the same. May we rejoice together and send our testimonies forward for future generations. May they hear our testimonies and know that we knew, even as those disciples who went before us knew. This is my prayer. I love you! He lives!

In the Holy name of Jesus, amen.

Your father,

A. Scott Roderick

Happy Birthday Chad!

Today is Chad Hemelstrand's the 30th Birthday. Happy Birthday Chad!

Chad is one of three additions to our family and I want to go on record that Sherri and I are pleased and happy to have Chad in our family. Every parent frets about the person their son or daughter will marry. We always feel no one is ever good enough for our kids. Fortunately Sherri and I can say without reservation we love the guy's our daughter's have brought home. Chad has a funny and wonderful personality but he is also one of the most Christ like people I know. The latter is more important to me than the former but what a blessing it is to have someone with both.

I don't believe I was blogging on Ryan's birthday or if I was it didn't occur to me to acknowledge his birthday. Anyway, we love Ryan as well. Ryan is the energizer bunny of love and enthusiasm. His positive attitude and instant smile are just what Bryndee needs. What a great Dad for Ella Bella. There is great irony in the fact Bryndee and Ryan had a daughter first. Had they been given a son first he would likely been the friendliest assassin on the football field by the age of five.

I wish everyone could feel the joy we feel sitting around the table at Sunday dinner or in the back room of Cafe Rio listening to continuous banter and laughter. Every family should feel the joy we feel when we break bread (or burritos) with you.

To Chad, Ryan and God we say thank you for the joy and happiness you bring our family. Thank you for the joy and happiness you have brought our daughters. We look forward to celebrating many more birthdays with you.

As for the third addition to our family, Ella Bella Boosky Boo, Ryan, Bryndee and God get credit for her. The whole family circles the wagons around her and we marvel as her vocabulary grows and her sweet little personality continues to emerge. It is such a great feeling to see a protective circle of love and safety drawn around her. It is unfortunate all children don't enjoy this great blessing.

To Chad and Ryan we say thanks for the love you bring to our family. May God bless you both in all your endeavors.

Scott and Sherri

2 Kings 22-23 The Role of Scripture in the Restoration of Israel

When Shaphan, the kings scribe had read the "book of the law" to Josiah, Josiah rent his clothes. Once Josiah became aware of Judah's transgressions he assembled the contingent of Hilkiah, the priest, Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, the scribe, Achbor, Shaphan, the scribe and a servant of the king, Asahiah. These men were to enquire of the Lord on behalf of the people, Judah. (Aaronic, vicarious representation, vs.13)
Josiah's reading of the book of the law led him to understand the perilous condition of his people. "..., for great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book, to do according unto all that which is written concerning us." (2 Kings 22:13)

The royal contingent inquired of the the Lord through a prophetess who told these men:

"..., Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Tell the man that sent you to me, Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the words of the book which king of Judah hath read: Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore my wrath shall be kindled against this place, and shall not be quenched. But to the king of Judah which sent you to enquire of the Lord, thus shall yea say to him, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, As touching the words which thou hast heard; Because thine heart was tender and thou hast humbled thyself before the Lord, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard thee, saith the Lord. Behold therefore, I will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace; and thine eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place. And they brought the king word again." (2 Kings 22:16-20)

The scriptures act as a call to repentance for all Judah to heed. King Josiah is promised covenant curses will be withheld because of his humility before the Lord. Josiah will go down to the grave knowing peace. His people will also enjoy peace because of Josiah's righteousness. However, after Josiah is gone, Judah will become desolate.

Josiah is not satisfied with his own peace and salvation. He does what all righteous servants of God do. Josiah assembled the elders of Judah and all priests and prophets, small and great. Josiah begins to teach his people from the book of Temple covenants. After reading the covenants to Judah, Josiah proposes a new covenant with the Lord. Josiah promises the Lord he will keep his commandments, testimonies and statutes with all their heart and soul. He pledges to keep the covenants written in the book. All Josiah's people agree to keep the covenant with the Lord. As a testament to their commitment, everything associated with idol gods are removed and burned. The ashes were stamped to "small powder" and distributed over the graves of the people. Josiah began a conquest against the worship of all idol gods, destroying all their alters and slaying all high priests who offer sacrifice and worship at the the alters of false gods.

Of Josiah it was written, "And like unto him was there no king before him, that turned to the Lord with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; neither after him arose there any like him." (2 Kings 23:25)

Were this story isolated to one king, the story would be of little consequence. We will now look for other examples that repeat the same pattern.

Madness in the Methodology and Our Purpose in Being here

You can see why it is difficult to write a book on topical studies. The process of studying the scriptures can seem messy, disjointed and disorganized, but it really isn't. We live in the day of Franklin Planners and "Seven Habits of Highly Successful People." We are taught to multitask our way to heaven, scheduling, prioritizing and programming every minute of our lives so one productive minute doesn't pass without full utilization. This is Babylon's mentality. The Lord's methodology is different.

The Lord said, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 58:8-9)

In our search for light and knowledge we need to understand the Lord is more organized and ordered than we will ever be. We are constrained by time. He is not. The Lord knows exactly how long our lives will be to the last nanosecond. He understands what we need and when we need it. On the chessboard of life, our Savior is always five moves ahead of us. Evidence of this is found in the Book of Mormon and Doctrine & Covenants. The Lord was directing Mormon to add the small plates containing king Benjamin's writings to counter Satan's plan to steal and discredit Joseph Smith and the translated portion of the Book of Mormon.

I listened to a modern example last night of how the Lord prepared the way to answer a brothers prayers. I met a brother from our stake who found his way back to the Gospel after many years of sin. He shared with me his experience of a "falling out" he had with his adopted father. His father was the only father this brother had ever known and the brother became angry when his father returned to activity in the Church and traded Sunday activities for Church attendance.

The brother recently graduated from high school and left on his "senior trip" angry and knowing his father was in the hospital recuperating from a severe heart attack. While on the trip, this brother missed the passing of his father.

Many years later when he returned to Church he fasted and prayed for a month seeking forgiveness and reconciliation with his father. After much pleading with the Lord this brother received a phone call from his cousin with whom he had not spoken for years. His cousin had moved to Utah County and heard this brother was living in Pleasant Grove. After discussing their families, the cousin confided that he (the cousin) was serving as Elder's Quorum President in his ward and he was calling with a specific message. He wanted this brother to know that his deceased father loved him, was proud of what he was doing and wanted him to get on with his life. The prayers of our brother were answered through a righteous Priesthood holder and peace, reconciliation and redemption were granted through the mercy of Christ from beyond the grave.

There are always reasons for what we do and the more we become aware of the tender mercies of the Lord in our lives, the more sensitive and attuned to His Spirit we will be. Babylon teaches us to fill our lives with compulsion. We seek to compel material wealth to come to us. Compel our children to capitalize on every opportunity to increase their skills so they may be competitive in a modern world. We may even find ourselves seeking to compel them to keep the commandments.

"Behold, there are many called, but few are chosen. And why are they not chosen? Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and aspire to the honors of men, that they do not learn this one lesson- That the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and the the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness." (D&C 121:34-36)

Contrast how we build our earthly kingdoms to how God would have us build our heavenly:

"Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distill upon thy soul as the dews of heaven." (This is the one lesson we are kept from learning because our hearts are set so much upon the things of this world. We have been called but not chosen because of this. Note how the Lord administers the doctrines of the priesthood from heaven. There is no manual. There are no credentialed instructors. It is not contingent on how many books you have read or the directions of your favorite Prophet, Apostle or religion professor. The dews from heaven are imperceptible until they seem to magically appear out of nowhere. Obedience to the commandments and prayers for understanding do more to bring light and knowledge of the doctrines of the priesthood. It is contrary to the economy of heaven to give answers to questions not asked.) "The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth; and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and WITHOUT COMPULSORY MEANS it shall flow unto thee forever and ever." (D&C 121:45-46, emphasis mine)

We may not always know why we are reading what we are reading or why we do what we do, but the doctrines of the priesthood are given to us according to the wisdom of the Lord and to fulfill His purposes in our lives and the lives of others. These things cannot be compelled. We have to patiently wait upon the Lord to give us answers we need at the exact time we need them. I have waited several years for answers to questions. Eventually they always come and their arrival is always associated with accomplishing some purpose in my life or the lives of friends or family.

There is a reason you are reading this blog at this point in time. The content will sometimes feel like you are putting your mouth over the end of a fire hose. (My daughter says it is "heavy.")Don't try to compel understanding. Take what you can and set aside what you can't. Wait for another day. Comprehension will distill upon you at exactly the right time. You will have many "light bulb" moments when doctrines of the priesthood distill upon your souls. This applies to sisters as well as holders of the priesthood. Sisters are clothed in the robes of the Holy Priesthood and share the same covenants in the Temple that "..., administereth the gospel and holdeth the key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God. Therefore, in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest. And without the ordinances thereof, and the authority of the priesthood, the power of godliness is not manifest to men in the flesh; For without this no man (or woman) can see the face of God and live." (D&C 84:19-22, insert mine)

If this process seems scattered or disorganized I apologize. Dews from heaven do not flow in a steady, direct stream. With your patience I will continue to throw spaghetti against the wall and then try to weave the pieces that stick into a tapestry of understanding and enlightenment. Until then, "Just the facts ma'am." That is what we are after.

Josiah as a Type for the Gathering of Israel

When likening these scriptures to ourselves there is a very important distinction to be made. This distinction is a key to understanding and reconciling the gathering of Israel with the restored Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. When examining Josiah and the tribe of Judah there are similarities between the Latter-day Saints and the tribes of Israel scattered throughout the earth. While sharing common weaknesses between these two groups, the solutions to their respective problems are different.

Josiah, Judah and in fact all the tribes of Israel except Joseph must return to the Lord through the Aaronic covenant. ("The law was our schoolmaster to lead us to Christ." Galatians 3:24)It is the preparatory Priesthood that saves Israel temporally when they gather. The Aaronic covenant preserves Israel until they receive their Melchizedek blessings at the hand of Ephraim in the last days. (D&C 133:26-35)

The restored Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints holds all keys of both Priesthoods, (Aaronic and Melchizedek) and administers the keys to both Priesthoods. A difference between the two groups is that Israel begins their gathering and covenant restoration with the Aaronic covenant with the intent of progressing to Melchizedek covenants. The tribe of Joseph, (including Ephraim and Manasseh) receive the Melchizedek Priesthood covenants through the restoration of keys to the Prophet Joseph Smith. The difference between the two Priesthoods is the issue of representation and accountability. Under the Aaronic covenant a divinely appointed king by "right", (either birthright and/or divine appointment) can, through personal righteousness, secure the temporal salvation of his people if he follows the Lord's commandments and the people follow the king. ("The Literary Message of Isaiah", Avraham Gileadi, Hebraeus Press, pgs.13-14) This forms the pattern for gathering the scattered tribes of Israel in the last days. Confirmation and ratification of any king who gathers Israel will of necessity come from the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints. (D&C 68:18-21, As you read this passage, think in terms of Priesthood presidency rather than title) This is a subject I have explored with much depth but will not address now. Rest assured, there is a harmonious explanation that reconciles the gathering of Israel in the last days that does not imply those who lead the Church will fall or fail. It does imply our tradition/opinion the missionary program of the Church embodies the comprehensive gathering of Israel is not completely accurate. In addition to the missionary program there will be an organic effort that rises up with the sanction of those who hold the Priesthood keys. Everything will follow Priesthood order strictly, just not in the manner we have come to conclude.

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, endowed in the temple share a different covenant relationship with the Lord than the scattered tribes of Israel. Endowed members entered Melchizedek Covenants that call for personal representation and accountability before the Lord. When endowed, Church members are instructed in what they must do to prepare for representing themselves before the Lord at the veil. This covenant relates to the oath and covenant of the Melchizedek Priesthood which Moses attempts to institute among Israel after he led them from Egypt. "And without the ordinances thereof, and the authority of the priesthood, the power of godliness is not manifest unto men in the flesh; For without this no man can see the face of God, even the Father, and live. Now this Moses plainly taught to the children of Israel in the wilderness, and sought diligently to sanctify his people that they might behold the face of God; But they hardened their hearts and could not endure his presence; therefore, the Lord in his wrath, for his anger was kindled against them, swore that they should not enter into his rest while in the wilderness, which rest is the fulness of his glory. Therefore, he took Moses out of their midst, and the Holy Priesthood also." (D&C 84:21-25)

In the last days endowed members of the Church must decide what they will do with their Melchizedek Priesthood covenants. Will they claim the blessings associated with these covenants or will they choose to live below their privileges and suffer covenant curses because they "hardened their hearts." Will endowed members stand with the "key to the knowledge of God" (D&C 84:19) in the palm of their hand unturned, spurning the Lord's invitation to return into His presence and become empowered in their Priesthood? A few of the prophecies testify the wrath of God will fall upon the body of the Church first, moving out to the Gentiles from there. Those who turn to the Lord will be those who awaken to their reliance on God and learn obedience through the things which they suffer. Unlike the scattered tribes of Israel, Ephraim, (in particular) must sanctify themselves in the "refiner's fire" and "put on thy strength" which is power in their Priesthood they attain once they become sanctified. (D&C 113:7-8)

Once Ephraim is sanctified, Zion will be established, an ensign will be raised to gather Israel and the collective body of Israel will come to Zion to receive their endowments at the hand of Ephraim.

Events leading to the gathering of Israel will impact the membership of the Church but those who are endowed should not mistakenly think anything other than obedience to their Melchizedek covenants can save them. We will all be responsible and accountable by personal righteousness if we are endowed in the Temple of God. Melchizedek covenant people will not be saved through obedience to Aaronic covenants. Your covenants coupled with God's justice require more. Where much is given, much is expected.

Understanding the difference between the Aaronic and Melchizedek covenants is key to understanding how the Lord deals with Israel and the Church distinctly and separately until Israel is prepared to receive the Melchizedek covenant and the two become one.

2 Kings 22 - "The Book of the Law"

In the process of repairing the Temple, Hilkiah, the High Priest finds the "Book of the Law" and delivers it to king Josiah's scribe, Shaphan. Shaphan reads the "Book of the Law" and gives a progress report on the Temple. At the kings request, Shaphan reads the book to Josiah and the king rents his clothing as he realizes how seriously Judah has transgressed their covenant with the Lord. (vs.8-13)

"Go ye, enquire of the Lord for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, (vicarious, Aaronic representation,)concerning the words of this book that is found: for great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book, to do according unto all that which is written concerning us." (vs.13) The "Book of the Law" are covenant instructions recorded by Moses and Prophets who followed after. Covenant transgression has come about through neglect of the scriptures. We can liken these circumstances to ourselves:

"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, nay." (D&C 84:54-59)

"For they have strayed from mine ordinances, and have broken mine everlasting covenant; They seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every man walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own god, whose image is in the likeness of the world, and whose substance is that of an idol, which waxeth old and shall perish in Babylon, even Babylon the great which shall fall." (D&C 1:15-16)

"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)

The parallels between Josiah's Judah and ourselves are abundant. We share the same challenge, lets see now how the Lord uses Josiah and Hilkiah to address the problem.

2 Kings 22 (continued)

Looking at the meaning of names may seem random but we have to remember we are dealing with the most sophisticated minds in the universe, the Father and Son. There is economy and depth incorporated in the way they convey information. Scholars will say there are "leaps of logic" in this method. I believe this is a form of pondering, (as the scriptures counsel us to do.) So lets throw more spaghetti against the wall and see if anything sticks.

Another key figure in 2 Kings 22 is the High Priest of the Aaronic Priesthood named Hilkiah. His name means "God is my portion; according to others, the Lord is gentleness." (Cruden's Concordance, pg.580)

The name Hilkiah is interesting and we might spend time trying to link its relevance to the story but what we are after is information about the gathering of Israel so we dispense with that effort for now.

Our two key players in this story are Josiah and Hilkiah. Josiah is king of Judah and Hilkiah, the High Priest. The work they do together is relevant to the gathering of Israel because it follows a Priesthood pattern that reoccurs throughout the Old Testament and Book of Mormon. In chapter 21 Judah is led to false worship of heathen (Gentile) Gods by their brethren from the tribe of Manasseh. Amon was king of Judah and a group of conspirators slew him and Josiah, his son assumes the throne of Judah.

Unlike his father, Josiah "..., did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left." (2 Kings 22:2) Note that this passage refers to Josiah's father as "David" and not Amon. Those who sat on the throne of Judah were of the lineage of David and those who did so righteously were noted as David's posterity.

Josiah sought to reclaim Judah from worshiping false gods and restoring Judah to their covenant relationship with the Lord. This process is repeated throughout the Old Testament with various descendants of David. The situation mirrors the scattered state of Israel from which they must be gathered. Judah had turned from God and began to worship false gods. When reading Josiah's account of restoration we are reading a script/template/pattern or outline for the manner in which Israel gathers in the last days. The pattern is repeated in Isaiah twice and exemplifies the manner in which the scattered of Israel will gather in the last days. One reason this pattern is frequently overlooked is because church scholars have not been able to explain how this process meshes with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Conventional wisdom in the Church keeps scholars on the defensive to the extent they are fearful of defending the Church against accusations from critics they become blinded to the doctrinal harmony that exists in this scenario. This scenario plays out harmoniously with the restored Church without assuming the restored Church must fail or fall for this hypothesis to be valid. Harmony and reconciliation is found in the order of the Priesthood. Israel must rely on the Aaronic Priesthood to "prepare the way" for receiving the Temple ordinances (which are Melchizedek.) The Aaronic covenant in the law of Moses is the schoolmaster that leads Israel to Christ initially. It provides Israel with a Aaronic covenant umbrella of safety temporally and vicarious representation before the Lord. (Galatians 3:24) While Israel gathers and prepares under this covenant, Israel will only find personal representation when they are led to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints which holds the keys for the Melchizedek Priesthood and exaltation. Now we need to focus on the pattern followed by Josiah in restoring Israel to their covenant relationship with the Lord, their God.

The first act by Josiah is to instruct his High Priest, Hilkiah to take the silver from the Temple stores and pay craftsman to repair the Temple. Josiah required no "reckoning" of the money because his Aaronic High Priest and Levitical priests were trusted, faithful men. We will see in other examples this is not always the case and there were times when the king had to cleanse Levite priests as mentioned in the prophecy of Malachi 3:1-3. Preparing the Temple for true worship is the first step in restoring Israel to their covenant relationship with God. The ordinances and sacrifices at this time were purely Aaronic because the Lord withdrew the Melchizedek Priesthood when he withdrew Moses. (D&C 84:24-26) We will examine the steps that follow in the next post.

On to the next reference

I am excited about our next reference because it takes a story that appears to be relevant historically when in addition to historic pertinence the story has prophetic relevance. We will use this account to demonstrate how stories such as this act as a "Type" or example for the gathering of Israel in the last days. This will be controversial in that scholars generally view accounts such as this from the historical perspective due to abundant sources available for comparison. Rarely do they examine the account as a type of future events because of the difficulty in certifying their hypothesis.

Rather assemble a committee of scholars to perform peer review of our conclusions, we will follow the examples of Isaiah and Nephi and turn to prophetic peers to provide precedence for our conclusions. Isaiah quoted the writings of Moses extensively to foretell Israel future gathering as well as the destruction of the Gentiles. Nephi lacked credibility in the eyes of his elder brethren so he sought to ride on Isaiah's prophetic coat tails. Many of Nephi's engravings contained passages from Isaiah to illustrate the future for his people and all mankind.

Our next reference using the word "gather" as it applies to the gathering of Israel is 2 Kings 22:20 which says: "Behold, therefore, I will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace; and thine eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place. And they brought the king word again."

The Lord promises Josiah his personal righteousness will bring him covenant blessings we previously read like a peaceful happy life. The Lord will gather Josiah to the same heavenly inheritance his forefathers (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) received. Nothing in this verse really jumps out at the reader as referring to the gathering of Israel in the last days. Closer examination is warranted to see how these events act as a type for the gathering of Israel in the last days.

To begin, let us see if the names of the two key figures have hidden meanings in their names. Cruden's Concordance contains a section providing the meaning of most biblical names. The name Josiah means: "The Lord burns, or the fire of the Lord." (pg.582) Prophetically this definition brings to mind a few latter-day prophecies that speak of the role fire plays in the last days. My first thought is of the burning bush from which the Lord spoke to Moses and the children of Israel. (Exodus 3:3) Another reference to burning is the pillar of fire that led the children of Israel in their sojourn in the dark of night. (Exodus 13:21) These are all metaphors representing Israel's ability to look to the Lord in the midst of darkness for spiritual light and truth. A pillar or column is a weight bearing structural support upon which a building must come to rest. Israel was counseled to rely only on the Lord for their support. There are also the accounts in the Book of Mormon when the Lord's presence was accompanied by a pillar of fire during the miraculous conversion of Lamanites. (Helaman 5:23-48) In this account, Nephi and Lehi, the sons of Helaman conduct an impromptu prayer circle that opens the heavens to the apostate Lamanites and leads them to eternal life. All the metaphors are present in this account. The Lamanites pleaded to know how the immense darkness could be lifted from them. Aminadab, an apostate from the Church of Christ tells the Lamanites they must repent and cry to the Lord, (the voice they heard) to remove the darkness from them. This divine light imparted upon the Lamanites Led to the conversion of 300 souls. This is exactly what must happen to Israel for them to lay claim to covenant blessings promised their fathers.

The last prophecy is a prophecy quoted by Moroni to Joseph Smith. From the book of Malachi we read of "the messenger of the covenant" who is a "refiner's fire and a fuller's soap", that sanctifies the Levites in preparation for services in the Temple of God. (Malachi 3:1-3) In a previous study I sought to identify who held responsibility for sanctifying the Levites anciently. I found the answer in 2 Chronicles 29-30 where Hezekiah, king of Judah sanctified the priests and Levites in preparation for the restoration of Temple worship among the Lord's people.

Josiah by name is the "fire of the Lord", the standard bearer lighting the path for his people in his day. He is king over the tribe of Judah.

Well, I guess this is enough for one day. More scriptural precedence to come.

Deuteronomy 30:16-20 Analysis

Before we conclude Deuteronomy 30 I should explain my process with these posts. When you initially read them they are essentially an exercise in free writing. The original post is unedited and remains so until the following day. A cursory edit is done the day after the original post is submitted so you may want to wait a day before reading this so you can at least read the post in its edited condition rather than rough form.

Beginning with verse 16 we should liken the Lord's counsel to ourselves. As we read His words He is giving to us the same choice He gave to ancient Israel, assuming you are a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The covenants you have made with God through baptism and temple ordinances is essentially the same made with ancient Israel and you share the same responsibility and outcome.

Israel is commanded to "love the Lord thy God" and walk in His ways,keeping His commandments, statutes and judgments. If we do this the Lord's promise is we will live, multiply and be blessed on whatever land the Lord leads us too. (vs.16)

If we fail to love the Lord and keep his commandments, statutes and judgments we suffer for covenant disobedience:

1. Our hearts will "turn away" so we will not hear the word of the Lord.
2. We will be "drawn away" to worship false gods and serve them. (vs.17, D&C 1:15-16)
3. The Lord will "denounce you" as His people, we will perish and our days will not be prolonged on the land. (vs.18)

The Lord calls heaven and earth as witnesses to testify the covenant opportunity the Lord extends to His people. Israel/us must this day choose life or death, blessing or cursing. The Lord wants us to choose life so we and our posterity may live. (vs.19)

We conclude Deuteronomy 30 with the end of the Lord's pleading with and for Israel:
"love the Lord thy God", obey His voice, cleave unto Him because He is our life and controls the length of our days. If we keep our covenants we will live to claim the lands of inheritance promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, our covenant fathers. (vs.20)

This completes our study of Deuteronomy 30. Before moving ahead take a moment and reflect on what we have learned from this exercise. In Deuteronomy 4 & 30 the Lord has given us His ground rules for His covenant people. We know the way to obtaining blessings is to obey the law/commandment upon which the blessing is predicated. (D&C 130:20-21) The Lord has been generous with His instructions. If we want to claim the blessings of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob we must be obedient as they were. We need to choose this day whether or not we seek life or death, happiness or unhappiness, long, happy lives with endless posterity or short, unfulfilled lives. The choice is ours to make but the Lord wants our decision now.

With regard to the latter-day gathering of Israel, the scattered tribes must turn from covenant disobedience to covenant obedience. To do so, some form of knowledge has to come to light restoring to the lost tribes their knowledge of promises made to their fathers long ago by God. When this knowledge comes to light Israel returns to the Lord with love and commitment, covenant obedience and blessings. On the other hand, the Gentiles, (of whom the Book of Mormon includes members of the Church) will be compelled by circumstance to choose as well. This leads to a division between those who will hear and enter and honor their covenants with God, saving themselves temporally and spiritually. (1 Nephi 14:7) Those who break their covenants suffer covenant curses, living shortened and unhappy lives.

In two chapters in Deuteronomy we have clearly seen how the Lord works with His children and there is no excuse for confusion or misunderstanding. Keep your covenants and be happy and live. Break your covenant and be miserable and die.

Now the Lord has given us a doctrinal foundation from which to build our study of the gathering, we can now begin to build our structure of understanding and prophecy.

Sidenote

After completing yesterdays post I thought of another point I find interesting. I am always impressed when I see evidence that supports the fact that history repeats itself. I believe the Savior alludes to this when He says to the Nephites: "And now, behold, I say unto you, that ye ought to search these things. Yea, a commandment I give unto you that yea search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah. For surely he spake as touching all things concerning my people which are of the house of Israel; therefore it must needs be that he must speak also to the Gentiles. And all things that he spake have been and shall be, even according to the words which he spake. (3 Nephi 23:1-3)

It seems to me the only way the words of Isaiah "have been and shall be" is if the historical account in his record repeats itself in the future. Based on the writings we have found in Deuteronomy, Jeremiah and other places there appears to be similar threads that run through the fabric of the scriptures repeatedly, suggesting more fully considering the implications of history repeating itself. This further implies that in addition to clearly articulating doctrine through discourse and testimony, there remains a reservoir of truth largely untapped in the form of "types" and "shadows." The events that occurred in the past are reflections of our future.

If we truly seek to understand prophecy and our future, we can do so by looking back and searching for ancient people who had similar circumstances. The key to doing so is found in our ability to identify examples in history of people who share our circumstances and then study their example, reacting differently if their outcome was negative. This will only be effective if we can clearly understand who we are and what are prophetic role is in the last days. Otherwise, types and shadows remain hidden from our view in plain sight.

Deuteronomy 30:11-15

Now begins a divine primer explaining who these commandments apply to and when they should be applied. The Lord says the commandments given on this day are not "hidden from you", or as the footnote says, "too hard for you." They are not far off. There is no need for anyone to wait for someone to come along and deliver them to Israel from heaven before Israel can hear the words of the Lord and obey them. Israel does not need to wait for someone to travel across the sea and deliver these things to them before they hear the words of the Lord and obey them. The word is with them here and now. The commandments of God should be in their mouths and hearts right now. (vs.12-14)

The commandments given by Moses bring about a day of decision for Israel. The choice is plain and simple. Will Israel choose "life and goodness" or will Israel choose "death and evil." Israel must make a choice. Covenant obedience and blessings or covenant disobedience and cursing.

Is there a message here for us. Does the Book of Mormon apply this type of "day of choosing" to us. Of course it does. So does the Doctrine & Covenants. Lets take time to examine how the revelations of God warn us of a time when His words will cause a division among us:

1 Nephi 14:6-7 says, "Therefore, wo be unto the Gentiles if it so be that they harden their hearts against the Lamb of God. For the time cometh, saith the Lamb of God, that I will work a great and a marvelous work among the children of men; a work which shall be everlasting, either on the one hand or the other-either to the convincing of them unto peace and life eternal, or unto the deliverance of them to the hardness of their hearts and the blindness of their minds unto their being brought down into captivity, and also into destruction, both temporally and spiritually, according to the captivity of the devil, of which I have spoken."

This prophecy foretells a work among the Gentiles that will either convince them unto peace and life eternal or it will condemn them to the hardness of their hearts and blindness of their minds both temporally and spiritually. That day is coming.

The next prophecy is 2 Nephi 30:7-10 "And it shall come to pass that the Jews which are scattered also shall begin to believe in Christ; and they shall begin to gather in upon the face of the land; and as many as shall believe in Christ shall also become a delightsome people. And it shall come to pass that the Lord God shall commence his work among all nations, kindreds, tongues and people, to bring about the restoration of his people upon the earth. And with righteousness shall the Lord God judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth.And he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth; and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked." (This is a quote from Isaiah 11:4 The rod coming out of the Lord's mouth and his breath are his words. Since His words and the words of His are the same [D&C 1:38] they may be words spoken by His servants by diving decree. When the words/commandments of the Lord are made manifest Israel will gather and the Gentiles will divide, some turning to Israel and others turning to wickedness.)Returning to 2 Nephi 30:10, Nephi says, "For the time speedily cometh that the Lord God shall cause a great division among the people, and the wicked will he destroy; and he will spare his people, yea, even if it so be that he must destroy the wicked by fire."

The Lord's counsel to Israel is certainly applicable to us. We need not wait for someone to ascend to heaven and return before we allow these things in our hearts. We need not wait for someone to sail the sea and return to instruct us. We have the ability to choose life and eternal felicity or death and destruction.

The final reference we look toward is D&C 1:7- "Wherefore, fear and tremble, O yea people, for what I the Lord have decreed in them shall be fulfilled. 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 night; 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."

We, like ancient Israel are swiftly approaching a day of division, a day when the words/commandments of God come to us all and force a choice as to whether or not we choose happiness and life everlasting or death, wickedness and sin. The choice is before us now but will we choose to heed the voice of the Lord and His servants. That choice remains to be made.

Deuteronomy 30:7-10

Verse 7 tells us the curses that afflict Israel for covenant disobedience will be removed from them and placed upon those who persecute Israel. Removal of covenant curses are attributed to Israels willingness to return to the Lord and renew covenant obedience. Israel has to obey the commandment to receive the blessing. (D&C 130:20-21) That is why verse 8 says Israel will return to the Lord, obey His voice (D&C 1:38) and do all His commandments.

In return for Israel's covenant obedience the Lord promises the following blessings:

1. The Lord will make every work Israel pursues "plenteous." (Yielding in abundance)
2. Israel will be blessed with posterity.
3. Their cattle will produce.
4. The fruit of their land will be abundant.
5. The Lord will rejoice over Israel as He rejoiced over her fathers.

Finally, in verse 10 the Lord promises Israel if they hearken unto His voice, keep His commandments and statutes and turn to the Lord with all their heart and soul they will receive these blessings.

These are all promised blessings fulfilled to all who turned to the Lord, hear His voice, and keep all His commandments. What are we waiting for?

Return to Deuteronomy 30

We completed our examination of Deuteronomy 4 and now we return to Deuteronomy 30, which is the first place we found the word "gather" used within the context of the gathering of Israel. In our last attempt to study Deuteronomy 30 we made it to verse 2. We will now start where we left off:

Verse 3 begins with the Lord's assurance He will end Israel's captivity and have compassion upon the Lord's chosen people. Israel will return to the Lord and gather from among the nations where the Lord scattered them. The Lord intends to gather His people from the furthest reaches of the earth and the "outmost parts of heaven." (vs. 4)

Once Israel is assembled they return to the inheritances God gave to their fathers anciently. The Lord promises He will do good to Israel and "multiply them" which means to grant them more posterity and prosperity. (vs.5)

Verse 6 of Deuteronomy 30 is the Lord's promise to Israel that is essentially repeated in Jeremiah 31. In 30:6 of Deuteronomy the Lord says:"And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live. Contrast these words in Deuteronomy 30:6 with the Lord's promise in Jeremiah that was quoted by Moroni when he first appeared to Joseph Smith: "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."

In case we may think this promise has drifted off the Lord's radar, recall what the Savior revealed to Joseph in the preface of the Doctrine & Covenants, section 1: "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."
(D&C1:19-20)

In the latter-days Israel will know the Lord and experience a change of heart. After their change of heart, every man, woman and child will know the Lord and will no longer look to others for guidance in their return journey to Him. That is what the restoration of the Gospel was intended to accomplish and we are far from that objective now. Our contemplation should constantly reflect on the question of what must come to pass to see these promises fulfilled? How do we get there from where we are now? It will be a strange work that brings this spiritual revolution to pass.

"Gather" Israel, Deuteronomy 4:32

Picking up with verse 32 of Deuteronomy 4, the Lord asks Israel (His chosen people) to reflect on the past, back to creation. Does Israel recall anytime since the creation of the world where a people like Israel heard the voice of God speak to them from the flames of a burning bush? Have they witnessed a time when God gathered a nation from the midst of a nation using signs and wonders, war and a "mighty hand", and an "outstretched arm." Moses/the Lord is referring to Israel's deliverance from Egyptian bondage. Israel's exodus is relevant to the gathering of modern Israel because that is exactly what the Lord will do in the latter-days. His covenant and promise is to gather modern Israel from the midst of many nations. The Lord will do His latter-day work in much the same manner as He gathered Israel anciently and delivered them from Egyptian bondage. Using signs, wonders, war and an "outstretched hand." The "outstretched hand" should spark our curiosity. Anciently, Moses extended his outstretched hand to part the sea and deliver Israel from the Egyptian army. He was God's servant. Delivering modern Israel with an outstretched hand will also involve the rise of another servant of God.
The consequences of the many signs and wonders given Israel in their Egyptian deliverance outwardly proved to the Lord's people the Lord was Israel's living God. Israel was not only instructed the Lord was God, but He visibly proved to Israel the Lord was God through His deliverance of the chosen people. The Lord went so far as to allow Israel to hear His voice and instruct them. The Lord showed them great fire from the burning bush and Israel literally heard his words. Just as the Lord was active and present in delivering ancient Israel, the Lord will manifest Himself in the latter-days.

The Lord loved Israel's fathers and chose to lead their posterity out of Egypt under His direction. The Lord is Israel's God and beside Israel's God there is no one else.

The Lord's promise to the children of Israel: "Thou shalt keep therefore his statutes, and his commandments, which I command thee this day, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days upon the earth, which the Lord thy God giveth thee, forever. (vs.40)

This last promise is of interest to us and our study. We want to know what will happen when the Lord prolongs Israels days, and they return to Him. We will use our study of the word "gather" to find out.

Return to "Gather"

As you may have surmised, this process can seem a bit scattered. It is not a linear process where we move step by systematic step from point A to point B. The process is like putting together a puzzle, where you strive to find pieces that fit together and as we assemble the puzzle pieces the picture increases in clarity. We must resist the temptation to try and force the learning process. We need to trust the Lord knows what He is doing and will tailor this study to our understanding. Actually, it will be to my understanding because I am leading this study. Right now, you are trusting in the arm of flesh by following my guidance and need to move quickly to your own study so the Lord can address your personal needs from the best vantage point for you.

To recap, the concordance led us to Deuteronomy 30:3. We identified verse 3 as the first place the word "gather" is used in the context of the gathering of Israel. Our next step was to examine surrounding verses and see if there were additional verses that are relevant to the gathering of Israel. We began with verse 1 and made it to verse 2 when I was led to Jeremiah 29:11-13. Handwritten was a cross reference to Deuteronomy 4:29. Because Deuteronomy 4 addresses the subject of the gathering of Israel before Deuteronomy 30, we will set aside chapter 30 and examine chapter 4. I have read and highlighted this chapter so it will expedite our examination.

These references can be lengthy and I don't want to hurry the process so our examination will only review a few verses each day, unless the Spirit moves us to cover more.

I posted the content of Deuteronomy 4 on this blog day before yesterday. I suggest you grab your scriptures and follow along beginning with verse 25.

Verse 25 is chronologically framed by identifying a time far in Israel's future. The time Moses is addressing is when Israel will bears children or their children and grandchildren bear children. Israel will have been "long in the land" and will have "corrupted" themselves. Israel turns from God to worship idol gods. Israel does evil in the sight of God and "provoke him to anger." Having kindled the Lord's anger, Israel is driven off the lands of their inheritance. Their days will not be prolonged but their inheritance suffers utter destruction. From the lands of their inheritance Israel is to be scattered throughout the nations of the earth. Their numbers are to be few and the Lord will "lead you" to dwell among the Gentile nations. In the Gentile nations, Israel serves man made gods made of wood and stone that neither see, hear, eat or smell.

Once Israel is scattered amongst the Gentile nations the Lord extends a caveat, a contingency plan allowing Israel to reclaim covenant blessings and remove covenant curses. The contingency involves Israel turning from their worship of idol gods and diligently searching for and finding Him "if" they seek Him with all of their heart and soul.

In the latter days Israel suffers tribulation from covenant curses unleashed because of covenant disobedience. When tribulations afflict Israel the Lord promises them if they turn to Him and obey His voice ("whether by mine voice or the voice of my servants it is the same." D&C 1:38) the Lord will be merciful to Israel. He will not forsake them or destroy them but promises to remember the covenants He made with Israel's forefathers. The Lord assures Israel He will keep His promises to them.

Let's stop with seven verses today.

Time out for a moment

The great joy I have found in studying the scriptures topically is the sense of awe and wonder I feel when I take time to acknowledge the Lord's hand. The Lord not only knows our needs but knows the best time and way for instructing us. I am reading for the fourth time "The Second Comforter, Conversing with the Lord Through the Veil" and was impressed to share the following quote:

"Truth and light are not acquired by study alone. If they were, the scholars would be the greatest among us. Scholars are often rebellious, proud, contrary and discontent. They question truth, bur rarely find it. You can find scholars among the least content people in the Church. Apostates include many scholars among their ranks. Scholars in our own day include Dallin Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve on the one hand, and D. Michael Quinn on the other hand. The one a teacher of righteousness, the other excommunicated. If scholarship alone could confer truth and light, we would not see this gross dichotomy. So scholarship is no guarantee of greater enlightenment. Often it is the guarantee of the opposite.
Truth and light are acquired by living a life in tune with the things Christ has asked us to do. The commandments are themselves revelations of God and His nature. By obeying them, you begin to resonate at the same frequency as He resonates. You begin to find harmony in His teachings. You begin to "see" things as they really are.
It is an odd thing, but it really works. The process is marvelously democratic. Anyone can receive the same results. All they need do is follow the same steps. Light and truth come to even the most uneducated, if they will heed Christ's commandments." ("The Second Comforter, Conversing with the Lord Through the Veil", Denver S. Snuffer, Jr., pg.284)

Presumably you are striving diligently to keep the commandments of God because they embody God's nature. To the extent we keep His commandments we acquire His attributes. The more obedient we become (out of love for the Savior and our Heavenly Father, John 14:15) the more we see and understand the mystery of godliness. Obedience to the commandments brings "truth" and "light".

Searching for truth and light in the scriptures is drudgery if you are not guided by the Holy Spirit. It requires perseverance at first until you begin to "resonate" with the Spirit. When you "feel" yourself resonate with the things of God we describe the experience as "edifying." People have often said they could never do what I do. Having experienced the edification of the Spirit, I reflect on their comment and wonder how could ever stop? I hunger and thirst for those experiences. I see the hand of God in the process, experience pure light flood my intellect and feel intense joy when God is willing to patiently tutor me. Once you know and feel this you seek every opportunity to experience it repeatedly. You never feel as if you have "arrived" because you always know more truth and light is just around the corner and you desire to access it.

In the introductory anecdote in chapter 14 ("Keeping the Commandments" (Reprised),pg.287-288) Denver alludes to his personal experience:

"I determined I needed to accept others, or at least attempt to do so, no matter what they did, thought, said or failed to do. I would attempt simply to accept them and leave it to them and God to decide what they ought to be doing. As for me, faith would be applied as an internal measure for deciding what I should do, should not do, and should change. Religion was, I determined, to be applied only internally, and not for external application.

I feared this new approach would be confining. I feared it might make me neurotic and insecure. Instead, I found it liberating. It was like dropping a great weight when I no longer needed to evaluate others. And when I applied it to myself, I found some things that troubled me before were petty and superficial and did not merit further consideration. Cultural things may be significant to others, but that is their concern. The real work that needed doing was within my heart. There was so much amiss, so little overall harmony, so little delight, that this faith of Christ's which had been so joyful at first had become a joyless burden. I could still recall the joy I felt as I converted. I remembered the excitement of new discovery and new learning through those first couple of years of membership. That was now lacking in my life.

I needed to recapture what was right in the Faith. To do so, I needed to return to where I was when I first joined the Church. I needed to go back to anxiously seeking for light and truth, wherever it was to be found, and without regard for the opinions of others. That was the happiest time in my life. Every day was alive with the new discoveries being made about the connections between Gospel concepts and doctrines." (The Second Comforter, Conversing with the Lord Through the Veil", pgs.287-288)

I have had a similar experience that feeds within me a constant desire to seek light and truth. It feels joyful and good. There is always a sense of wonder and awe when I thoroughly engage the process.

There is a significant difference between this approach and the scholarly approach. Note Denver's total disregard for the opinions of others, ("..., man shall not counsel his fellow man, neither trust in the arm of flesh.", D&C 1:19) The scholarly approach relies completely on the arm of flesh from deductive reasoning, peer review and political correctness. In contrast the Lord's way is intuitive. You "feel your way" to God. (Acts 17:27) Giving heed and diligence to your conscience (Light of Christ) will lead you intuitively to greater light and knowledge, eventually even to the presence of God. (D&C 84:46-51, 50:24)

Underlying this effort should be faith God will reveal to you what you need, when you need it. The scholar looks for the shortest distance between two points. His thinking strives to compel light and truth to form a strait line. Revelation from God tends not to be linear. The Lord describes His methodology for teaching us in section 121 of the Doctrine of Covenants:

"Let thy bowels also be filled with charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distill upon thy soul as the dews from heaven." (D&C 121:45)

Turning your application of doctrinal principles inwardly and seeking to evaluate your own heart allows you to more fully appreciate the challenges of others and cultivates within us patience and tolerance, evolving into a gift from God known as charity. When you find charity towards your fellow men, (and especially toward the "household of faith") God begins to impart light and truth to your mind and heart "as the dews from heaven." You never see dew from heaven. You simply wake up in the morning and it is there. It cannot be compelled to fall upon you. It is not subject to your control but to God's wisdom and mercy.

I was greatly impressed with the way the Lord led us yesterday to Deuteronomy 4. It may seem a coincidence to some, but to me, it was like manna that fell like dew from heaven, providing nourishment to the Israelite's. The experience distilled upon my soul and I never want to miss the opportunity to acknowledge the Lord's hand in this precious gift. (D&C 59:21) When we acknowledge the hand of God and give credit where credit is due, the Lord is more inclined to share light and truth with us. It should never be for our glory. The glory should always belong to our Heavenly Father for He has given us everything and it is through His tender mercies we exist and thrive.

I promise we will return to our study tomorrow.

Deuteronomy 30 Analysis

In the last post we began our topical study of the word "gather" by identifying the first reference that uses our subject as it relates to the gathering of Israel. Once identified, the next step is to thoroughly review the passage and see what we can learn by looking for key words/phrases, historical examples or types and scriptural precedent. We will also need to look for divine definitions in the standard works. Lets begin our analysis of Deuteronomy 30:

Chapter 30 begins by telling us that once Israel has suffered both blessings and curses in Deuteronomy 29 (which includes being scattered among the nations), Israel begins to recall their covenant blessings and curses in the lands where they are scattered. (vs.1) Israel collectively begins to return to the Lord. They will obey his voice according to the Lord's commandments (vs.2) (D&C 1:14 & 38) they and their children "with all thine heart, and with all thy soul;" When Israel actively seeks covenant blessings to escape covenant curses with all their heart the Lord's promise to Jeremiah will be fulfilled: "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:11-13)

As we continue on our study of "gather" it is important to remember why this word was chosen. We want to know about the gathering of Israel. If, (in the course of our study) we find references that relate to the gathering so much the better. Each reference gives us pieces to the puzzle we are assembling so the more the merrier. When I turned to Jeremiah 29:11-13 I noted a cross reference I had written, Deuteronomy 4:29 which says: "But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul." In turning to read this passage I noted verses 25-40 were highlighted so I examined their subject matter and determined it referred to the gathering of Israel and it is mentioned earlier than our reference in Deuteronomy 30. We will set aside Deuteronomy 30 for a moment and examine the earlier prophetic words. Deference to the earlier passage is because these prophecies are frequently built upon one another. An example is the notion that Jeremiah originated the thought that if Israel would seek the Lord with all their heart they would find Him. We now know the thought originated with Moses and was merely being applied in Jeremiah's day. So I believe it is important to find the earlier references if possible. In most instances it will fulfill the law of witness where the testimony of two or three witnesses substantiates the thought.

Deuteronomy 4:25-40 begins: "When thou shalt beget children, and children's children, and ye shall have remained long in the land, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, and shall do evil in the sight of the Lord thy God, to provoke him to anger: I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye go over Jordan to possess it; ye shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed. And the Lord shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither the Lord shall lead you. And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat nor smell. But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thous seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the Lord thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice; (For the Lord thy God is a merciful God;)he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them. For ask now of the days that are past, which were before thee, since the day that God created man upon the earth, and ask from the one side of heaven unto the other, whether there hath been any such thing as this great thing is, or hath been heard like it? Did ever people her the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, and live? Or hath God assayed to go and take him a nation from the midst of another nation, by temptations, by signs, and by wonders, and by war, and by a mighty hand, and by stretched out arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes? Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that the Lord he is God; there is none else beside him. Out of heaven he made thee to hear his voice, that he might instruct thee: and upon earth he shewed thee his great fire; and thou heardst his words out of the mists of the fire. And because he loved thy fathers therefore he chose their seed after them, and brought thee out in his sight with his mighty power out of Egypt. To drive out nations from before thee greater and mightier than thou art, to bring thee in, to give thee their land for an inheritance, as it is this day. Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the Lord he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: there is none else. Thou shalt keep therefore his statutes, and his commandments, which I command thee this day, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days upon the earth, which the Lord thy God giveth thee, for ever. (Deuteronomy 4:25-40)

Before we proceed I would like us to step back from our study and contemplate what just happened. As we began to study Deuteronomy 30 we read the following verse: "..., when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shall call them to mind among all the nations, whither the Lord thy God hath driven thee." (vs. 1) What we read in Deuteronomy 4 is among the most important things latter-day Israel begins to remember. Israel begins this process when the fullness of the Gentiles comes in and the veil of partial darkness begins to be removed from their understanding. May I suggest more than coincidence led us to Deuteronomy 4 at this particular time. May I suggest the Holy Spirit wanted us to have Deuteronomy 4 so we could understand exactly what it is the scattered of Israel would begin to remember. The Lord wants us to remember to. He wants us to know He is a man of His word. God keeps His promises. He wants us to know He knows how things will end and is anxious for us to know His prophecies so we like ancient Israel can know the "expected end" so we can have faith in His promises and written word.

Nephi taught the Doctrine of Christ is: "Do you not remember that I said unto you that after ye had received the Holy Ghost ye could speak with the tongue of angels? And now, how could you speak with the tongue of angels save it were by the Holy Ghost? Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words Christ; for behold, the words Christ will tell you all things what ye should do. Wherefore, now after I have spoken these words, if ye cannot understand them it will be because ye ask not, neither do ye knock; wherefore, ye are not brought into the light, but must perish in the dark. 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. Behold, this is the doctrine of Christ...," (2 Nephi 32:1-6) We want the Holy Ghost to show us all things what we should do. Feasting on the words of Christ (as we are doing now)leads to prayer and our own spiritual MTC experience where we want to be trained in the "tongue" of angels so we can interact with heavenly beings and find God, (when we seek Him with all of our heart and soul.) That point right there is the only reason people are ever rejected by God. They promise God they will seek, "always remember that they may have his Spirit to be with them", and then renege on their promise. Instead of covenant blessings they receive covenant curse. It applies to Israel now (which they will rediscover) and applies to us because we have made greater covenants than they and if we fail to honor our covenants we will face covenant curses.

It is the doctrine of Christ that we all seek God with all of our hearts and souls and when we do so He promises us we will find Him. I know that with all my heart and that is why I spend so much time studying the words of Christ. I am trying to prepare myself to speak with the tongue of angels. I want to know and speak the words of Christ. Let us all work to that goal is my hope and prayer.

We will continue tomorrow.

"Gather" Israel

Before we begin our topical study of the word "gather" it occurred to me one more reference should be addressed as a foundational reference demonstrating a latter-day covenant transition from the Gentiles to Israel. The reference is Romans 11:20-27:

"Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee. Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God" on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again. For if thou wert grafted cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature,and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these,which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree? For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins." (Romans 11:20-27)

Paul in his epistle to the Roman Saints attempted to educate the Gentile converts of Rome that their situation was as perilous as Israel. If God did not spare His covenant people from covenant rejection and covenant curses that accompany their disobedience, the Gentile converts had better take heed themselves.

Paul goes on to teach the Roman Saints that with covenant rejection came partial blindness on Israel that would continue until the Gentiles reached a "fulness" which I believe refers to a fullness of iniquity. When the fullness of the Gentiles arrives a "Deliverer" will come out of Zion and turn ungodliness from Jacob: Generally, scholars identify the role of "Deliverer" to Christ, hence the capital letters. I believe the "Deliverer" is the Davidic servant referred to by Joseph when he said, "But their (Israel)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." (TPJS, pg.15)

Moving forward we will begin the topical study of the gathering of Israel by examining scriptural passages using the word "gather." We will begin with the Old Testament and move forward chronologically.

The first reference using the word "gather" as it relates to the gathering of Israel is Deuteronomy 30:3. The verse says: "That then the Lord thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the Lord thy God hath scattered thee."

Now we have identified a verse using our designated word, the next step is to survey the surrounding verses (and sometimes chapters.) In this instance I noticed the heading on chapter 29 of Deuteronomy and it states: "Israel makes a covenant with the Lord whereunder they shall be blessed if obedient, cursed if disobedient-If disobedient, their land shall be as brimstone and salt." This chapter gives us the terms of the covenant.

Verses 18-29 of Deuteronomy 29 is the explanation of the curse that falls upon Israel if they are disobedient.

Chapter 30 of Deuteronomy begins with verse 1 explaining how the Lord will gather Israel in a future day: "And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations, wither the Lord thy God hath driven thee, And shalt return unto the Lord thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thy soul; That then the Lord thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the Lord thy God hath scattered thee. If any of thine be driven out unto the outmost parts of heaven, from thence will the Lord thy God gather thee, and from thence will he fetch thee: And the Lord thy God will bring thee into the land which thy father possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and he will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers. And the Lord thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live. And the Lord thy God will put all these curses upon thine enemies, and on them that hate thee which persecuted thee. And thou shalt return and obey the voice of the Lord, and do all his commandments which I command thee this day. And the Lord thy God will make thee plenteous in every work of thine hand, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy land, for God: for the Lord will again rejoice over thee for good, as he rejoiced over thy fathers: If thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law, and if thou turn unto the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul."

I think we are off to a good start. We'll look at this passage in depth tomorrow.