1 Nephi 22

MDC Contents			1 Nephi 22:1 1 AND now it came to pass that after I, Nephi, had read these things which were engraven upon the plates of brass, my brethren came unto me and said unto me: What meaneth these things which ye have read? Behold, are they to be understood according to things which are spiritual, which shall come to pass according to the spirit and not the flesh? Nephi's brethren clearly do not have the clarity of understanding of the scriptures that Nephi did. While Nephi's use of Isaiah indicates that he had a natural and intimate understanding of Isaiah, that understanding was not shared by his brethren. In that, we of the modern world fully understand the plight of these who are our "brethren" in at least this facet - that we too have difficulty understanding the words of Isaiah. In this case, Nephi is asked an interesting question. Are the things discussed in these verses literal or figurative. Will they really happen, or is this referring to just spiritual wanderings? 1 Nephi 22:2 2 And I, Nephi, said unto them: Behold they were manifest unto the prophet by the voice of the Spirit; for by the Spirit are all things made known unto the prophets, which shall come upon the children of men according to the flesh. 1 Nephi 22:3 3 Wherefore, the things of which I have read are things pertaining to things both temporal and spiritual; for it appears that the house of Israel, sooner or later, will be scattered upon all the face of the earth, and also among all nations. Nephi's response is that the words of Isaiah are both literal and figurative. They are literal in that the prophet spoke in a prophetic mode, and is indeed predicting the physical scattering of Israel. While that is easy for the modern world to comprehend, it would have been very difficult for Laman and Lemuel, who had been denying that calamities would occur in Jerusalem. These Isaiah prophecies would appear to bolster Lehi and Nephi's contention that ill would come to Jerusalem, something they had never been able to believe. It is likely in that mode that they ask the question, hoping that the answer would be "spiritual" for that would allow them to continue in their belief that Lehi and Nephi's statements about the destruction of Jerusalem were folly. The words of Isaiah come home directly to them, however, and Nephi reiterates that this is a literal future event. Nephi does, however, leave open the spiritual interpretation, so that we all might understand that such verses could apply to our own spiritual wanderings and reconciliation. 1 Nephi 22:4 4 And behold, there are many who are already lost from the knowledge of those who are at Jerusalem. Yea, the more part of all the tribes have been led away; and they are scattered to and fro upon the isles of the sea; and whither they are none of us knoweth, save that we know that they have been led away. Nephi underlines the reality of the scattering prophecy by indicating that it is already in effect. Whether or not his brothers recognized themselves in the statement that there are many that had been led away and scattered on the isles of the sea is not clear, although it is certain that Nephi understood this to be the case. As with all scriptures, however, he is open to a dual interpretation, with the loss of the Northern kingdoms being the most immediate reference. 1 Nephi 22:5 5 And since they have been led away, these things have been prophesied concerning them, and also concerning all those who shall hereafter be scattered and be confounded, because of the Holy One of Israel; for against him will they harden their hearts; wherefore, they shall be scattered among all nations and shall be hated of all men. Nephi expounds the nature of the scattering, and clarifies the way in which scattered Israel will react, with the hardening of the hearts. The prediction that they should be scattered and hated of all men has all too sadly come to pass, as witnessed by the known historical treatment of the identified remains of Israel, the Jews. 1 Nephi 22:6 6 Nevertheless, after they shall be nursed by the Gentiles, and the Lord has lifted up his hand upon the Gentiles and set them up for a standard, and their children have been carried in their arms, and their daughters have been carried upon their shoulders, behold these things of which are spoken are temporal; for thus are the covenants of the Lord with our fathers; and it meaneth us in the days to come, and also all our brethren who are of the house of Israel. Nephi expounds the reconciliation of Israel to their God at the hands of the Gentiles as indicated in the prophecies of Isaiah - where he reviews Isaiah 49:22 [Thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people: and they shall bring thy sons in [their] arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon [their] shoulders.], a verse he has recently cited. In this part of his explanatory discourse, Nephi makes explicit the connection between the Isaiah prophecies and themselves. These prophecies are real and pertain to a temporal scattering and gathering, and Nephi tells his brothers "and it meaneth us in the days to come" while also including the rest of the house of Israel. The implicit connection between their families and the prophecy is made unquestionably explicit, and reiterated as a temporal (as well as spiritual) prediction that applies to them as well as to far off Israel. 1 Nephi 22:7 7 And it meaneth that the time cometh that after all the house of Israel have been scattered and confounded, that the Lord God will raise up a mighty nation among the Gentiles, yea, even upon the face of this land; and by them shall our seed be scattered. Now that the clan of Lehi has been identified as part of the prophecy, Nephi further personalizes the prophecy by noting that the Gentiles that will be their salvation will be upon "the face of this land." Before the eventual redemption, however, there is more bad news, as this powerful nation will first be the means of a further scattering of this remnant of the house of Israel. 1 Nephi 22:8 8 And after our seed is scattered the Lord God will proceed to do a marvelous work among the Gentiles, which shall be of great worth unto our seed; wherefore, it is likened unto their being nourished by the Gentiles and being carried in their arms and upon their shoulders. The redemption at the hands of the Gentiles will come after their period of scattering, and after a "marvelous work" has been done among them which will change their hearts. Clearly this refers to the history of the United States, with their scattering of the Native Americans and the subsequent restoration of the gospel among them. This "marvelous work," this restoration of the gospel will "be of great worth unto our seed." Perhaps Nephi sees as a given that the marvelous work will be of benefit to the Gentiles, but he sees it in direct relation to the people with whom he is most concerned, his own seed. For them, it will be an act of great worth, so great a worth that the restoration of the gospel, and the preaching of the gospel to the Native Americans will be "likened unto [his seed] being nourished by the Gentiles and being carried in their arms and upon their shoulders." Thus the restoration (and subsequent spread of the gospel) is the very fulfilment of the prophecy of Isaiah. 1 Nephi 22:9 9 And it shall also be of worth unto the Gentiles; and not only unto the Gentiles but unto all the house of Israel, unto the making known of the covenants of the Father of heaven unto Abraham, saying: In thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. Nephi expands the value of the restoration to its value to the Gentiles, and to the rest of scattered Israel. Not only is it the redemption of his seed, but the means of establishing the promises of God to Abraham among all the nations of the earth. Through the restoration, all the world has the ability to receive the blessings promised to Abraham, providing, of course, that all the world accepts the covenants that will entitle to them to such blessings. 1 Nephi 22:10 10 And I would, my brethren, that ye should know that all the kindreds of the earth cannot be blessed unless he shall make bare his arm in the eyes of the nations. 1 Nephi 22:11 11 Wherefore, the Lord God will proceed to make bare his arm in the eyes of all the nations, in bringing about his covenants and his gospel unto those who are of the house of Israel. 1 Nephi 22:12 12 Wherefore, he will bring them again out of captivity, and they shall be gathered together to the lands of their inheritance; and they shall be brought out of obscurity and out of darkness; and they shall know that the Lord is their Savior and their Redeemer, the Mighty One of Israel. As Nephi continues his exegesis of Isaiah, he develops an argument designed to show how the acts of God will effect the great changes that have been predicted. Nephi expounds that the blessing of all of the earth under the spiritual fatherhood of Abraham will come only after the Lord has demonstrated his power and reach to the children of men. The image that the Lord will "make bare his arm" indicates that the Lord will do something that will indicate to the world his involvement in the lives of his children. In verse 11 Nephi explains that this "making bare the arm" will first consist of bringing the gospel to all people, including those who are of the house of Israel. After this preaching, the Lord will further display his concern and care by bringing Israel out of captivity (verse 12) and gathering them again to the lands of their inheritance. Even at the time of the translation of the Book of Mormon, this was a prophecy of the future. We live in a time when we have seen it fulfilled, when there is again a nation of Israel in its traditional lands. The Lord's efforts to "make bare his arm" have been begun, and our efforts to continue to spread the gospel continue to spread his word among his children. While much of this prophecy has been fulfilled, there is more, and we are to be the agents of its fulfillment. 1 Nephi 22:13 13 And the blood of that great and abominable church, which is the whore of all the earth, shall turn upon their own heads; for they shall war among themselves, and the sword of their own hands shall fall upon their own heads, and they shall be drunken with their own blood. The term "great and abominable church" is almost exclusively used by Nephi (see beginning 1 Nephi 13:6). The two exceptions are one mention by Jacob (2 Nephi 6:12) and one mention in the Doctrine and Covenants (DC 29:21). Certainly the terminology of the Doctrine and Covenants was influenced by Nephi's choice of words, and it is virtually certain that Jacob's use of the term depends heavily on his brother Nephi's teachings. As Nephi discusses his understanding of the events of these last days, he refers again to his vision expanding on the meaning of the Tree of Life to explain future history. 1 Nephi 22:14 14 And every nation which shall war against thee, O house of Israel, shall be turned one against another, and they shall fall into the pit which they digged to ensnare the people of the Lord. And all that fight against Zion shall be destroyed, and that great whore, who hath perverted the right ways of the Lord, yea, that great and abominable church, shall tumble to the dust and great shall be the fall of it. Nephi's invocation "O house of Israel" makes it appear that he is citing a scripture here, as his direct audience is his brothers. However, the essential phrasing of this verse is not found elsewhere in the Old Testament. Remembering that Nephi is writing an account of this discussion, not transcribing a verbatim account may account for his switch in "virtual audiences". While he is discussing his exegesis to his brothers, he nevertheless is caught up again in what he has seen, and address Israel directly. Israel has been a theme in Nephi's writings, and his concern for the people that he has left is clear, and possibly most apparent in this "slip of the pen". The essence of the prediction is that those who fight against Israel will get the worst of it, and the promises to Israel will prevail against that body labeled "that great and abominable church". That church of the devil will be defeated in the end, for however long it held sway in the interim. 1 Nephi 22:15 15 For behold, saith the prophet, the time cometh speedily that Satan shall have no more power over the hearts of the children of men; for the day soon cometh that all the proud and they who do wickedly shall be as stubble; and the day cometh that they must be burned. The phrasing of this verse "the time cometh speedily that Satan shall have no more power..." indicates that these are events of the last days. The millenium is that period of time when Satan shall be bound, and these events are attached to the period immediately preceding that day: "And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years." (Revelation 20:2) "For Satan shall be bound, and when he is loosed again he shall only reign for a little season, and then cometh the end of the earth." (D&C 43:31) "The Millennium consists in this--every heart in the Church and Kingdom of God being united in one; the Kingdom increasing to the overcoming of everything opposed to the economy of heaven, and Satan being bound, and having a seal set upon him. All things else will be as they are now, we shall eat, drink, and wear clothing." (_Discourses of Brigham Young_. Deseret Book 1977, p.115). 1 Nephi 22:16 16 For the time soon cometh that the fulness of the wrath of God shall be poured out upon all the children of men; for he will not suffer that the wicked shall destroy the righteous. 1 Nephi 22:17 17 Wherefore, he will preserve the righteous by his power, even if it so be that the fulness of his wrath must come, and the righteous be preserved, even unto the destruction of their enemies by fire. Wherefore, the righteous need not fear; for thus saith the prophet, they shall be saved, even if it so be as by fire. As Nephi discourses on the calamities of the last days, he sees the need to add in a comfort for the righteous. Nephi assures his brothers that the Lord "will preserve the righteous by his power" even amidst the "fulness of his wrath." At the end of the verse he explicitly cites a prophet, but does not indicate which prophet. While it might be assumed to be Isaiah as he has been explaining Isaiah, I cannot find the precise antecedent for the specific promise that the righteous "shall be saved, even if it so be as by fire." The meaning of this last verse is not that the fire will save the righteous, but that the righteous will be preserved, even if the "fullness of his wrath" were to be fire and burnings as have been predicted. 1 Nephi 22:18 18 Behold, my brethren, I say unto you, that these things must shortly come; yea, even blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke must come; and it must needs be upon the face of this earth; and it cometh unto men according to the flesh if it so be that they will harden their hearts against the Holy One of Israel. "Shortly" is a difficult concept in prophetic passages, as it can mean a short time, or that the end will come sooner than any expect it - even though that end might be over 2400 years as have passed since Nephi predicted that these things would come "shortly." It may be also that this is the kind of prophecy with a millennial fulfilment, and perhaps some touchpoints of fulfillment along the way. The arrival of Christ in the New World was presaged by fire and vapor of smoke and the destruction of many of the wicked. It may also be that the nature of prophecy is to compress time, and Nephi may be referring to the events at the time of Christ, and not see from his vantage point the expanse of time between the time of Christ and the beginning of the millenium. Perhaps for the prophets it is as it is with the Lord: "But they reside in the presence of God, on a globe like a sea of glass and fire, where all things for their glory are manifest, past, present, and future, and are continually before the Lord." (D&C 130:7). 1 Nephi 22:19 19 For behold, the righteous shall not perish; for the time surely must come that all they who fight against Zion shall be cut off. 1 Nephi 22:20 20 And the Lord will surely prepare a way for his people, unto the fulfilling of the words of Moses, which he spake, saying: A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass that all those who will not hear that prophet shall be cut off from among the people. 1 Nephi 22:21 21 And now I, Nephi, declare unto you, that this prophet of whom Moses spake was the Holy One of Israel; wherefore, he shall execute judgment in righteousness. The means of salvation for the righteous in the last days is the Savior. Nephi unequivocally presents the Holy One of Israel as the prophet of Moses' prophecy. By invoking Moses, Nephi bolsters his position on this discourse, as now his brothers cannot dismiss it as only Nephi speaking. Nephi' identification with Christ, however, is dependant upon his vision of Christ which was part of his vision of the Tree of Life, and a theme for his entire ministry. 1 Nephi 22:22 22 And the righteous need not fear, for they are those who shall not be confounded. But it is the kingdom of the devil, which shall be built up among the children of men, which kingdom is established among them which are in the flesh-- Without analyzing the particular verses chiastically, it is apparent that Nephi's exposition to his brothers takes that form, for he now uses the prophecy of Christ by Moses to cap the discourse on the future history. Nephi now launches into repetitive concepts that firm up his discussion of the events. The explicit statement that these events come through the Holy One of Israel places Christ in the position of being the ultimate author of the changes that will come. 1 Nephi 22:23 23 For the time speedily shall come that all churches which are built up to get gain, and all those who are built up to get power over the flesh, and those who are built up to become popular in the eyes of the world, and those who seek the lusts of the flesh and the things of the world, and to do all manner of iniquity; yea, in fine, all those who belong to the kingdom of the devil are they who need fear, and tremble, and quake; they are those who must be brought low in the dust; they are those who must be consumed as stubble; and this is according to the words of the prophet. While not explicitly referred to as the "great and abominable church" this passage highlights the predicted demise of the "kingdom of the devil" as it is now termed. Perhaps this close correlation between the great and abominable and the kingdom of the devil in this sermon gives us the best view of how Nephi saw both of those terms - as generic rather than being applied to a particular institution. 1 Nephi 22:24 24 And the time cometh speedily that the righteous must be led up as calves of the stall, and the Holy One of Israel must reign in dominion, and might, and power, and great glory. 1 Nephi 22:25 25 And he gathereth his children from the four quarters of the earth; and he numbereth his sheep, and they know him; and there shall be one fold and one shepherd; and he shall feed his sheep, and in him they shall find pasture. The events of the last days have Christ reigning as the shepherd. In these verses Nephi uses the gathering to oppose the scattering of Israel with which he began the discourse. The concepts are clearly complementarily related. The promises of gathering were explicated earlier, and now in Christ they become a reality. 1 Nephi 22:26 26 And because of the righteousness of his people, Satan has no power; wherefore, he cannot be loosed for the space of many years; for he hath no power over the hearts of the people, for they dwell in righteousness, and the Holy One of Israel reigneth. Verse 26 is an obvious reference to the topic of verse 15. Where verse 15 merely states that there will be a time when Satan has no more power over the hearts of men, verse 26 makes clear the way in which this "binding" of Satan will occur. Rather than an overt divine intervention, it will be the quiet divine intervention in the hearts and souls of men that will so change to for righteousness that Satan will have no more power, and will thus be "bound". 1 Nephi 22:27 27 And now behold, I, Nephi, say unto you that all these things must come according to the flesh. Nephi closes the circle on his brothers question, returning to the statement that opened this discourse (1 Nephi 22:1). He assures his brothers that these things are real, and that they will be manifest in the lives of men, and not as symbolic, ethereal , or esoteric concepts. 1 Nephi 22:28 28 But, behold, all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people shall dwell safely in the Holy One of Israel if it so be that they will repent. Nephi ends his lecture with the reassurance that the righteous need not fear, and a confirmation that the righteous may be found among "all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people". 1 Nephi 22:29 29 And now I, Nephi, make an end; for I durst not speak further as yet concerning these things. Given the incredible detail of Nephi's prophecy, it is a marvel that there remain yet things he could have said, but against which he was constrained by the spirit. 1 Nephi 22:30 30 Wherefore, my brethren, I would that ye should consider that the things which have been written upon the plates of brass are true; and they testify that a man must be obedient to the commandments of God. Nephi's exhortation to his brothers now reiterates both Nephi's source of information (the brass plates) and the essential corporal reality of these prophecies (that the things "written upon the plates of brass are true"). His moral is that the scriptures teach man to be obedient to the commandments of God. While he does not say it, the context of his sermon makes it clear that these are they who will be numbered among the righteous that need not fear the last days - those who have understood the commandments as they are presented in the scriptures, and have obeyed them. Nephi's plea is an open call to obey the Lord, and he refrains from personalizing that call into a call for specific repentance of Laman and Lemuel. 1 Nephi 22:31 31 Wherefore, ye need not suppose that I and my father are the only ones that have testified, and also taught them. Wherefore, if ye shall be obedient to the commandments, and endure to the end, ye shall be saved at the last day. And thus it is. Amen. Nephi's final statement of this discourse to his brothers answers an unasked question. While Nephi always refrains from pointing his sermons overtly at Laman and Lemuel, it is nevertheless clear that their rebelliousness is an undercurrent to the topics and approaches taken. Nephi makes this clear at the end of his sermon by addressing a specific justification of his brothers. They might tell themselves that they need not listen to Nephi or their father but Nephi assures them that these prophecies are found on the brass plates, a source even Laman and Lemuel must respect. Literary analysis: While Nephi might complain of being weak in writing, he is clearly powerful in speaking (refer to 2 Nephi 33:1). Nephi's oral discourse is well crafted to nurse an argument. He presents his theme, and develops that theme with logic that is acceptable to his audience. He uses points on which they must agree to show them that they ought to agree with the central point he is making. His craft in speaking is sufficient to work in the paralleling concepts to reiterate his message. Above all, he is uncompromising in his message, but not accusatory in his tone. While he may clearly be read as chastising Laman and Lemuel, it is not done overtly, and they will be chastened if and only if they are sufficiently repentant to hear, and to act upon their repentance. Otherwise, they might not even understand how clearly Nephi has pointed some of these sermons at them.
			by Brant Gardner. Copyright 1998