Isiah 40:11 Final analysis of this reference

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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