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1 And now, behold, my brethren, I have spoken unto you, according as the Spirit hath constrained me; wherefore, I know that they must surely come to pass.
The very final statement is I know that they must surely come to pass." Nephi is placing his prophetic seal on the text just finished. While the text ends at our current chapter break, this verse conceptual should be read as the final verse of Nephi's Isaiah - based pesher. While Nephi will return to the themes in the next chapters, this ends the close following of the text. In this context, we should discern a difference between Nephi’s pesher-like commentary and the pesher commentaries noted for Qumran. Where the Qumran commentaries are based on a limited text with an idiosyncratic reading (Eisenman, Robert. James the Brother of Jesus. 1997, p. 81), Nephi’s elaboration of the Isaiah text is much more complete. Nephi follows much of his previous habit with Isaiah, where he quotes whole sections rather than simply proof texts. Even in this elaboration, Nephi strengthens his interpretation by relating nearly an entire chapter to the prophetic situation. Nephi differs, then in the amount of text upon which his pesher is based, a distinction that does not necessarily fit precisely with the Qumran usage (which was centuries later) but is quite consistent with Nephi’s usage of brass plate text as support for his arguments and visions. The verse which follows is the connector between the attested prophecy and a return to Nephi's description of future events.
2 And the things which shall be written out of the book shall be of great worth unto the children of men, and especially unto our seed, which is a remnant of the house of Israel.
Nephi's casting of the Jews as specifically the "remnant" has two purposes. First, in the context of Isaiah’s usage (appropriate because of the extensive reworking of Isaiah just completed) the "remnant" refers to an "end of time" description of the Jews. Secondly, the "remnant" at the end of time will be the righteous remnant - the one that will live with their Messiah in their midst. Nephi’s use of this term therefore continues the emphasis on the last days, but also adds another wrinkle. Because the coming of the Book of Mormon is of great worth, that worth will bring the apostate Gentiles to their Lord, and will also be the instrument of the determination of the righteous remnant. The acceptance of the Book of Mormon and its message of Jesus Christ, the triumphant Messiah, will be the key to creating the righteous remnant from the Jews who are similarly apostate from their God, just as the Gentiles are.
3 For it shall come to pass in that day that the churches which are built up, and not unto the Lord, when the one shall say unto the other: Behold, I, I am the Lord's; and the others shall say: I, I am the Lord's; and thus shall every one say that hath built up churches, and not unto the Lord—
While this verse through verse 5 appear in our historical perspective to be most indicative of the gentiles, it may nevertheless be descriptive of the Jews. When we remember that Nephi’s use of the term "churches" is broader than our modern definitions, his "churches" very easily encompass the various divisions among the Jews as well as among the gentiles. Nephi is describing a state of general apostasy where the understanding of men, however well-intentioned, substitutes for the dictates of God.
4 And they shall contend one with another; and their priests shall contend one with another, and they shall teach with their learning, and deny the Holy Ghost, which giveth utterance.
5 And they deny the power of God, the Holy One of Israel; and they say unto the people: Hearken unto us, and hear ye our precept; for behold there is no God today, for the Lord and the Redeemer hath done his work, and he hath given his power unto men; 2 Ne. 28:6 6 Behold, hearken ye unto my precept; if they shall say there is a miracle wrought by the hand of the Lord, believe it not; for this day he is not a God of miracles; he hath done his work.
For Nephi, the condition of being without his God would be the definition of foreign - a people who were without benefit of the covenant. Thus this future gentile population, and the wayward Jews, were both in a state foreign to the covenant. They will be without their God. Nevertheless, a people continuing to profess faith in God, yet not having that God with them, will have to have ways of justifying his absence. Nephi predicts that they will justify the absence of the active presence of their God on the basis of the accomplishment of the Atonement. Having this great event in the past, they will justify the lack of current miracles, the lack of a currently present God, to the finality of that atoning event.
7 Yea, and there shall be many which shall say: Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die; and it shall be well with us.
In this verse, Nephi once again echoes Isaiah. However, the very specific mention of the troika of words "eat, drink, merry" is not unusual in the Old Testament. In perhaps one of the more interesting usages, the trio of terms is used very positively: Eccl. 8:14-15 14 There is a vanity which is done upon the earth; that there be just men, unto whom it happeneth according to the work of the wicked; again, there be wicked men, to whom it happeneth according to the work of the righteous: I said that this also is vanity. 15 Then I commended mirth, because a man hath no better thing under the sun, than to eat, and to drink, and to be merry: for that shall abide with him of his labour the days of his life, which God giveth him under the sun. The usage of the terms in Ecclesiastes describes the precise situation - that of concentrating on the day at hand rather than the future. In Ecclesiastes, however, the reason given for focusing on the current day comes in the contrast with the inequities established in verse 14. Because the world is full of things that are not fair, one must take joy where one can. Thus the message of Ecclesiastes is wholly focused on the events of this mortal life, with no discussion of future redemption. It is in that temporally focused context that the "eat, drink, merry" set becomes an affirmation of life - a way to live joyfully in spite of the surrounding inequities. Isaiah’s usage of the concept is different, however, precisely because there is a moral factor entering in to the equation. Where Ecclesiastes is focusing on the way one’s daily life can be lived in happiness, Isaiah is using the terms as a contrast to a righteous way of living: Isa. 22:11-14 11 Ye made also a ditch between the two walls for the water of the old pool: but ye have not looked unto the maker thereof, neither had respect unto him that fashioned it long ago. 12 And in that day did the Lord GOD of hosts call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth: 13 And behold joy and gladness, slaying oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine: let us eat and drink; for to morrow we shall die. 14 And it was revealed in mine ears by the LORD of hosts, Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die, saith the Lord GOD of hosts. Verse 11 of Isaiah 22 sets up the context. Jerusalem is preparing itself against siege from an enemy. In doing so, they take care with the worldly aspects, and in particular their water supply - a pool of water. The Lord notes that while they care for the pool, they neglect the one who created the pool. The Lord has set up a condition of a wayward Judah, paying attention to the things of the world while ignoring the things of the Spirit. The contrast is heightened in verses 12-13. The Lord commands weeping and mourning - or repentance and humility, and the people instead are eating and drinking. The eating and drinking is still in the context used by Ecclesiastes, that of daily living. Rather than repent, Jerusalem is continuing with their daily way of life. They continue as if there were nothing different. They do not see the error of their ways and turn to the Lord. The "tomorrow we die" phrase highlights the temporal vision of the people. Notice that the "merry" of the standard trio of terms is missing. Isaiah is not contrasting a "merry" people with his desired repentant people, but rather their lack of focus on the things of the Spirit - those things which pertain to more than "tomorrow." Nephi is following Isaiah’s usage, though with the addition of the "merry." The concept is still the quotidian focus rather eschatological focus.
8 And there shall also be many which shall say: Eat, drink, and be merry; nevertheless, fear God—he will justify in committing a little sin; yea, lie a little, take the advantage of one because of his words, dig a pit for thy neighbor; there is no harm in this; and do all these things, for tomorrow we die; and if it so be that we are guilty, God will beat us with a few stripes, and at last we shall be saved in the kingdom of God.
9 Yea, and there shall be many which shall teach after this manner, false and vain and foolish doctrines, and shall be puffed up in their hearts, and shall seek deep to hide their counsels from the Lord; and their works shall be in the dark.
Literary: Nephi restates Isaiah 29:15 in this context: Isa. 29:15 15 Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us? His use of Isaiah here is no longer the pesher-style commentary, but a literary usage which uses phrases from the known text to ground his discussion in a known text. This is the artistic device similar to the jazz performer quoting a famous piece in the middle of another tune. Nephi is using Isaiah as an artistic reference here rather than as a proof text or commentary on the text.
10 And the blood of the saints shall cry from the ground against them.
Gen. 4:10 10 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground. When Cain slays Abel, God informs Cain that his deed is known through the symbolic concept of the blood "crying" from the ground. This conception is not clearly threaded through the Old Testament, but does see further conceptual presence in Psalms: Ps. 9:12 12 When he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them: he forgetteth not the cry of the humble. In Psalms, the blood is tied to a conception of justice and a demand for that justice, although the usage is not precisely that in Genesis. Nevertheless, the idea of blood as a vital entity certainly fits into the ancient world view. The ability of the blood itself to demand justice was also picked up by early Christian writers. John Chrysostom writes: "But art thou pained in mind, and canst not help crying aloud? yet surely it is the part of one exceedingly pained to pray and entreat even as I have said. Since Moses too was pained, and prayed in this way and was heard; for this cause also God said unto him, "Wherefore criest thou unto me." And Hannah too again, her voice not being heard, accomplished all she wished, forasmuch as her heart cried out. But Abel prayed not only when silent, but even when dying, and his blood sent forth a cry more clear than a trumpet." (John Chrysostom. Homilies on the Gospel According to St. Matthew) Very clearly the basis for the conception of the blood cry is coming from the Genesis story. That beginning creates a model for a symbolic usage of unjustly spilt blood as a divinely recognizable plea for justice against those who unjustly shed that blood. Socrates Scholasticus separates the concept from the original instance in Genesis, and uses the idea as a known image: "If they act the part of assassins, the voice of the blood which is shed will cry against them the louder." Socrates Scholasticus. Ecclesiastical History, Book 3: Quotations from Athanasius’ Defense on his Flight.) This idea of the blood-cry is very specifically linked to the martyrs in Cyprian: "Under the altar of God the souls of the slain martyrs cry with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost Thou not judge and avenge our blood upon those who dwell on the earth?" And they are bidden to rest, and still to keep patience. (Cyprian. Treatises: On the Lapsed). This linkage appears to be based on two verses from Revelations. The first is Revelations 6:9 which establishes the idea of the souls under the altar of God: Rev. 6:9 9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: The very specific connection between blood and these who were slain comes in Revelations 17:6: Rev. 17:6 6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus… Of course the early Christian writers are much later than Nephi, but serve to underscore the way in which the Genesis verse melded with common conceptions of the vitality of blood to create a concept that is sufficiently universal that there is no reason to suspect anything other than independent invention on Nephi’s part. Beginning with the statement in Genesis, there is a logical progression to Nephi’s usage. Of course, the particular phraseology of Nephi certainly becomes part of Joseph Smith’s conceptual vocabulary, and he continues the conception of the blood cry in early church documents, such as: "Exalt the standard of Democracy! Down [p.16] with that of Priestcraft, and let all the people say Amen! that the blood of our Fathers may not cry from the ground against us. (Smith, Joseph. The Personal Writings of Joseph Smith, p. 355. Diary entry March 13, 1838). The conceptual usage of blood as an active claimant for justice is sufficiently part of the Western literary tradition that it is not likely that Joseph’s first exposure to the concept was in the Book of Mormon. The general conception of the connected concepts of the blood of the saints crying for justice is found in Ether in sufficiently similar terms to suppose that while the concept was part of the plates, the couching of the concept would have been influenced by Joseph’s understanding of that idea as culturally inherited.
11 Yea, they have all gone out of the way; they have become corrupted.
12 Because of pride, and because of false teachers, and false doctrine, their churches have become corrupted, and their churches are lifted up; because of pride they are puffed up.
The idea embedded in the word "corrupt" should also be examined. Typical current meaning would imply some connotation of ill to anything that is corrupt. A corrupt politician (leaving aside the jokes about finding any other kind) is one who has compromised a moral principle. It is unnecessary to carry that connotation of malevolence to the "corrupt" churches. Even among those with the best of intentions and the highest moral principles, they would yet be "corrupt" because they would no longer be the pure gospel of Christ. Corruption in this sense is the contrast to purity, not honesty or goodness.
13 They rob the poor because of their fine sanctuaries; they rob the poor because of their fine clothing; and they persecute the meek and the poor in heart, because in their pride they are puffed up.
Isa. 3:13-15 13 The LORD standeth up to plead, and standeth to judge the people. 14 The LORD will enter into judgment with the ancients of his people, and the princes thereof: for ye have eaten up the vineyard; the spoil of the poor is in your houses. 15 What mean ye that ye beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor? saith the Lord GOD of hosts. In particular, note the accusation in verse 14 of the Isaiah text. Isaiah complains that the powerful have "eaten up the vineyard." The results of the labor in the vineyard have all gone to the powerful. The fruit of the vineyard is supposed to be "eaten up" in the sense that it is eventually consumed. The problem Isaiah has is that the entire fruit of the vineyard is consumed by the powerful, leaving nothing for those who created that "fruit." When Isaiah says that the "spoils of the poor are in your houses," he indicates that the labor and results of the labor of the poor are benefiting the powerful, not those who created those "spoils." In a very similar fashion, Nephi condemns those whose sanctuaries and clothing come at the expense of the poor. Nephi is not condemning fine buildings or clothing, he is condemning the methods that provide them inequitably.
14 They wear stiff necks and high heads; yea, and because of pride, and wickedness, and abominations, and whoredoms, they have all gone astray save it be a few, who are the humble followers of Christ; nevertheless, they are led, that in many instances they do err because they are taught by the precepts of men.
Rather than attempt to find among the historical peoples some small few who have remained uncorrupt, this statement should be seen in the light of Nephi' literary technique of couching his future history in terms of Isaiah's themes. In this particular case, Nephi's few parallel Isaiah's historical remnant - the actual body of Israel that would be returned to the land of Judah after the Babylonian captivity. Because Nephi is attempting to tightly parallel Isaiah, both in language and themes, the inclusion of this temporal remnant (as opposed to the eschatological remnant) is virtually a necessity.
15 O the wise, and the learned, and the rich, that are puffed up in the pride of their hearts, and all those who preach false doctrines, and all those who commit whoredoms, and pervert the right way of the Lord, wo, wo, wo be unto them, saith the Lord God Almighty, for they shall be thrust down to hell!
Isa. 5:20-21 20 ¶ Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! 21 Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! Isaiah was condemning the worldly wise, and Nephi takes that condemnation to his "learned, and the rich." When Nephi suggests that the learned and the rich are "puffed up in the pride of their hearts" he has the same understanding as Isaiah’s "wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight." In this first woe-proclamation, Nephi’s target is the learned and the rich. Nephi’s confluence of those two categories mark this as an ancient text. A modern understanding would clearly show the separability of the learned and the rich (as most university professors will freely attest). The conflation of rich and learned comes from a time in which only the rich could become the learned, when the access to education was controlled through the accumulation of wealth. The historically recent emphasis on universal education has diluted the power of this connection, though it is still apparent in some cases today. For Nephi, however, they were unquestionably equivalent. It is easy to see how the rich, learned, and powerful could command the dissemination of religious knowledge such that they could teach their own doctrines rather than the doctrines of God. What does not make sense in the context of a modern set of linguistic connotations is that the learned and rich should also "commit whoredoms." Of course it is possible, and historically accurate, that many of the rich and powerful did commit whoredoms. However, Nephi appears to apply this concept to the entire category, suggesting that for Nephi he is speaking less of a moral transgression than a spiritual one. The "whoredom" of the rich and powerful is their congress with the learning of men - not their congress with the flesh of women.
16 Wo unto them that turn aside the just for a thing of naught and revile against that which is good, and say that it is of no worth! For the day shall come that the Lord God will speedily visit the inhabitants of the earth; and in that day that they are fully ripe in iniquity they shall perish.
Isa. 29:21 21 That make a man an offender for a word, and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate, and turn aside the just for a thing of nought. This is a continuation of the condemnation of the learned, echoing Isaiah. In turning aside the just for a thing of nought, both Isaiah and Nephi are setting up a contrast between the just things of God, and the prevalent ideas of man. The clearest example of the explicit contrasting of these two sources of information is in Isaiah 5:20-21: 20 ¶ Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! 21 Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! For purposes of emphasis, the God and the "learned and rich" are placed in apposition. Of course this is not a condemnation of either wealth or learning, but a poetic emphasis on the need to turn to the true source - God. Along with Isaiah, Nephi sees the end of time as the final delivery of justice. Those who have been the powerful and the learned will receive the due of their injustice, but that reconciliation of justice must wait to the last day.
17 But behold, if the inhabitants of the earth shall repent of their wickedness and abominations they shall not be destroyed, saith the Lord of Hosts.
This salvation of the repentant does not mean that Nephi is promoting death bed repentance but rather only emphasizing the ability of repentance to create a reconciliation with the Lord sufficient to be found among those who will survive the destructions of the wicked in the last days.
18 But behold, that great and abominable church, the whore of all the earth, must tumble to the earth, and great must be the fall thereof. 2 Nephi 28:19 19 For the kingdom of the devil must shake, and they which belong to it must needs be stirred up unto repentance, or the devil will grasp them with his everlasting chains, and they be stirred up to anger, and perish;
The great and abominable church operates in a temporal sphere. Thus the great and abominable would be the devil's organization on the earth. Just as the kingdom of God pertains to the eternal realm, so too does the kingdom of the devil point to the eternities rather than the time delimited earthly domain. The devil will fall, and will fall both on earth and in the heavens. He will have no dominion at all - and will be completely subject to God.
20 For behold, at that day shall he rage in the hearts of the children of men, and stir them up to anger against that which is good.
The issue is "at that day." While it would appear to mean beginning at that day, its contextual meaning is "continuing until that day." This verse sets up one of the ways in which Satan operates on man in this world. This mode is one where he can take over the heart so that a man will refer evil over good. This is what is meant by stirring up anger against good. Symbolically it is a rejection of the good. Literarily it is descriptive of the attitude of one who has embraced evil. The effect of encountering good on such people is anger, an anger born of the spiritual necessities resulting from the soul coming to tolerate evil. There is sufficient left of the Light of Christ to remind the soul of the pull of good, but the acceptance of evil combats the painful pull of repentance by generating an anger directed towards the good. This anger serves to insulate the soul from the pain that would come with true repentance. Self-justified rejection avoids that problem.
21 And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.
In this specific context, Nephi’s caution is directed at those who are associated with the apostate churches, that for all of their goodness will not have the fullness. Lacking that fullness, and being satisfied with less than the true way of the Lord, those people are inadvertently following the designs of Satan - not because they are evil, but because they are unable to see and follow the true way. While Nephi’s context may be for an apostate world, this is nevertheless an important caution for all saints. For those who might glory in the restoration and the availability of the fullness, our passive acceptance of things as they are may yet deprive us of the benefits of the fullness that is available. The gospel is on earth to transform us, and this requires our active participation, not our passive acceptance, nor a vain glorying in the fact of the restorations. As the Lord reminds us: D&C 58:27-29 27 Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness; 28 For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward. 29 But he that doeth not anything until he is commanded, and receiveth a commandment with doubtful heart, and keepeth it with slothfulness, the same is damned.
22 And behold, others he flattereth away, and telleth them there is no hell; and he saith unto them: I am no devil, for there is none—and thus he whispereth in their ears, until he grasps them with his awful chains, from whence there is no deliverance.
Even Joseph Smith might not have been able to foresee how powerfully this new paradigm of thought would pervade the world’s understanding. Bolstered by evidence of the observable, the conception of a relative good or evil can intellectually dismiss the overarching presence of an unobservable eternal good and evil. Removing those absolute bounds of ethicality and morality, the world becomes more open to the morality of exigency. The complication of this philosophy is that there are times when there is a demonstrable variable in the definition of good. Neither Nephi nor the Lord are denying that there are times and seasons among men, and that our working out our lives on this earth may create social variations, and different understandings of good in the most localized and temporal of senses. It is the denial of Good in the eternal and universal sense that is the downfall of the philosophy. As with so many of the tools of the devil, it is not the outright lie, but the partial falsehood that is so dangerous. Just as with the complacent in the previous verse, the condemnation is not against all that they do, but in the very specific inability of those people to see and accept the way of God.
23 Yea, they are grasped with death, and hell; and death, and hell, and the devil, and all that have been seized therewith must stand before the throne of God, and be judged according to their works, from whence they must go into the place prepared for them, even a lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment.
2 Nephi 9:10-12 10 O how great the goodness of our God, who prepareth a way for our escape from the grasp of this awful monster; yea, that monster, death and hell, which I call the death of the body, and also the death of the spirit. 11 And because of the way of deliverance of our God, the Holy One of Israel, this death, of which I have spoken, which is the temporal, shall deliver up its dead; which death is the grave. 12 And this death of which I have spoken, which is the spiritual death, shall deliver up its dead; which spiritual death is hell; wherefore, death and hell must deliver up their dead, and hell must deliver up its captive spirits, and the grave must deliver up its captive bodies, and the bodies and the spirits of men will be restored one to the other; and it is by the power of the resurrection of the Holy One of Israel. The final judgement for these people condemns them to "the place prepared for them, even a lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment." The Lord explains some important information about this "endless torment" in the Doctrine and Covenants: D&C 19:4-12 4 And surely every man must repent or suffer, for I, God, am endless. 5 Wherefore, I revoke not the judgments which I shall pass, but woes shall go forth, weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth, yea, to those who are found on my left hand. 6 Nevertheless, it is not written that there shall be no end to this torment, but it is written endless torment. 7 Again, it is written eternal damnation; wherefore it is more express than other scriptures, that it might work upon the hearts of the children of men, altogether for my name's glory. 8 Wherefore, I will explain unto you this mystery, for it is meet unto you to know even as mine apostles. 9 I speak unto you that are chosen in this thing, even as one, that you may enter into my rest. 10 For, behold, the mystery of godliness, how great is it! For, behold, I am endless, and the punishment which is given from my hand is endless punishment, for Endless is my name. Wherefore— 11 Eternal punishment is God's punishment. 12 Endless punishment is God's punishment. In the very particular case of "endless torment," the Lord explains that this is a terminology that is applicable to his punishment because he is the issuer of such a punishment to those who earn it. Similarly, the "lake of fire and brimstone" is a metaphor that is best known for its modern application than its scriptural roots. In the Old Testament (using the KJV for the correlation to the terminology) fire and brimstone are a means God uses to deal with the wicked. In the specific case of Sodom and Gomorrah, we find: Gen. 19:24 24 Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; The wicked of Sodom and Gomorrah receive punishment from the Lord, and that punishment is in fire and brimstone. This same concept becomes universalized as God’s mode of punishment of the earthly wicked in Psalms: Ps. 11:5-7 5 The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth. 6 Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup. 7 For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright. From the Old Testament’s usage of the concept for the wrath of God we arrive at John’s use in Revelations, where the wrath of God is not that directed upon the earth-bound wicked, but rather on the post-judgement wicked in the next life. The image is the same, but the context is transformed from the earth to the afterlife. Rev. 14:9-11 9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, 10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: 11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. This is the eternal fate of the wicked who "worship the beast," or those who follow Satan. Satan himself shall receive the same treatment: Rev. 19:20 20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. Rev. 20:10 10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. Certainly the "lake of fire and brimstone" was an image and vocabulary item quite familiar to Joseph Smith, dating to usage in John. The use of the image in Nephi is more consistent with John’s image than with the Old Testament not only in vocabulary, but in the realm to which the punishment is assigned. It is precisely because this punishment pertains to the afterlife that it may be judged "endless." This also fits well with John’s pronouncement in Revelations 14:11, that "the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever." Nevertheless, while the particular phrase "lake of fire and brimstone" is certainly attributable to the King James Version of Revelations, it was also sufficiently part of the common vocabulary of the time to have entered Joseph’s vocabulary though common usage. The Old Testament/New Testament division is likewise not a dramatic division, but rather an application of the terminology to the post-judgement existence. Since Nephi’s context is also clearly the afterlife, the use of the imagery of God’s justice in that location is only a very slight shift from the Old Testament usage.
24 Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion! 2 Nephi 28:25 25 Wo be unto him that crieth: All is well! 2 Nephi 28:26 26 Yea, wo be unto him that hearkeneth unto the precepts of men, and denieth the power of God, and the gift of the Holy Ghost! 2 Nephi 28:27 27 Yea, wo be unto him that saith: We have received, and we need no more! 2 Nephi 28:28 28 And in fine, wo unto all those who tremble, and are angry because of the truth of God! For behold, he that is built upon the rock receiveth it with gladness; and he that is built upon a sandy foundation trembleth lest he shall fall. 2 Nephi 28:29 29 Wo be unto him that shall say: We have received the word of God, and we need no more of the word of God, for we have enough!
The repetition of virtually the same statement in verses 27 and 29 also suggests that this is not a formal reversal. The two statements do pose an interesting structural problem, however. The repetition is clear, but typically a repetition will either be exact (to serve as literary emphasis) or will be slightly different to highlight that slight difference. Because these two are not exact, the suspicion immediately falls on the second option. In verse 27 the "wicked" state that "we have received." In verse 29, the "wicked" state that "we have received the word of God." This suggests that there is a difference in the types of "wicked," and that difference relates to the source of the learning to which they hold. Thus those who have "received" refers to the people described in verse 26. These are those who hold to the authority and learning of men. Because they deny God, their recourse to that which is sufficiently received makes no mention of God. Similarly, the "wicked" of verse 29 are specifically those of verse 28. These are they who have received the word of God and therefore it their source of learning also comes from the word of God. What is most interesting here, however, is that Nephi has indicated that there are two types of "wicked" who have received the word; those who are angered because of it, and those who are complacent with it. This particular condemnation is attached to the angry, not the complacent. The complacent are covered in verses 24 and 25. Perhaps the lack of the repeated statement here places them conceptually in a different category, as indeed they should be. While still qualifying as "wicked" under God’s strict definitions, they nevertheless have not strayed nearly so far as those who are angry because of the word, nor they that deny entirely that there is a word of God.
30 For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have.
9 Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts. 10 For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little: 11 For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. 12 To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear. 13 But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken, and snared, and taken. Kevin Barney provides an important commentary on the relationship between Isaiah’s text and Nephi’s usage: "Interestingly, this passage reverses the order of the terms "precept" and "line" to "line" and "precept." This reversed order is also followed in D&C 98:12 and 128:21. With few exceptions, LDS literature follows this line/precept word order rather than the precept/line order of Isaiah. I also find it interesting that the word "counsel" is used in parallel with "precept," as shown below: and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, (where "hearken" and "lend an ear" are also parallel terms). This gives us some indication of how Nephi understood the term "precept." The key to our understanding of this concept is in the words "for unto him that receiveth I will give more." What we understand by these words is that increase in knowledge, understanding and revelation is incremental, that we are taught by degrees instead of all at once. This concept of course meshes well with our belief in ongoing, continuing revelation and in the need for a modern prophet… As much as I appreciate our common LDS understanding of the phrase "line upon line, precept upon precept," … that understanding, as valid as it may be on its own terms, is not a contextual reading of Isaiah. I would view our conception of the phrase as deriving from Nephi. In turn, I would view Nephi's take as a pesher (that is, a commentary applying the words of Isaiah idiosyncratically to his own situation, "likening the words of Isaiah unto himself") on Isaiah, much like the pesharim among the Dead Sea Scrolls. So, with that introduction, what are we to make of the passage in its Isaianic context? Unfortunately, this is a difficult passage to interpret. Let us start with the meaning of the Hebrew words translated "precept" and "line." The word rendered "precept" is tsaw, which appears to be a shortened form of mitswah "commandment." The word seems to mean "command, ordinance," as in its only other occurrence in the Old Testament, Hosea 5:11: "because he willingly walked after the commandment [tsah]." This meaning is not certain, however. The word rendered "line" is qaw and means a measuring line, such as a surveyor would use. The reference is not to a line of scriptural text. (The Hebrew sense is somewhat captured by Sidney Rigdon's comment on this Isaiah passage in his article "Millenium," The Evening and the Morning Star (July 1834): 170: "Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet. . . .") Some have understood tsaw as meaning "carpenter's rule," to go along with qaw "measuring line" (thus referring to measuring out judgment). Others doubt that the words are meant to be sensical, taking them as nonsense syllables (something like "blah, blah, yadda, yadda, yadda"). It is difficult to appreciate this passage fully without reading it in Hebrew. Read the following transliteration: tsaw latsaw tsaw latsaw qaw laqaw qaw laqaw zeer sham zeer sham. Given the rhyming, repetitive, monosyllabic words, this expression seems to have a sarcastic tone. As we have indicated, some take the words as meaningless babble. Others reach back for context to the drunkenness of the rulers of Ephraim described earlier in the chapter and take these words as a drunken man's muttering. This seems to be the approach of the NEB, which paraphrases: "It is all harsh cries and raucous shouts, 'A little more here, a little there!'" The most common interpretation (as in the RSV, for instance) is also the one that strikes me as making the most sense. In this view, verses 9 and 10 are not spoken by Isaiah, but by the leaders of Ephraim with whom he is contesting. They are peeved at what they view as his condescending attitude toward them, treating them as mere children, as suckling babes (v. 9), and so they mock him. In this view, the repetitive line is either baby talk ("goo goo gah gah") or, even more likely, a portion of a child's spelling lesson. This is suggested by the fact that the letter q at the beginning of qaw immediately follows ts (at the beginning of tsaw) in the Hebrew alphabet. The effect in our culture would be similar to using a portion of the Alphabet Song or Mary Had a Little Lamb. Thus, the leaders protest that they are not children but politically astute men who know what they are doing in negotiating with foreign powers, mocking Isaiah's words to them. Isaiah replies in verses 11 to 13. The men of strange lips who speak in a foreign tongue in verse 11 are the Assyrians. The Lord has given the leaders of Israel every opportunity to hear his message (verse 12), but they have rejected it. Therefore, this simple lesson, which they failed to heed in Hebrew (verse 13, where Isaiah ironically quotes their own taunting words to him), they will now be taught in Assyrian, to their own destruction. Therefore, in what I view as the best available contextual reading of this passage of Isaiah, the emphasis is less on the incremental increase in knowledge (although it is certainly true that children learn incrementally) and more on the simplicity and basic nature of the prophet's warnings. The leaders of Israel viewed themselves as sophisticated men of the world and did not appreciate what they saw as Isaiah's condescending approach to them, so they mocked him by sarcastically imitating his message to them. Isaiah in turn ironically repeats their sarcastic version of his message, for it is a lesson they will have to learn one way or the other: the easy way in Hebrew from Isaiah, or the hard way in Assyrian from their captors and new masters. The rulers of course failed to heed the words of the prophet, and were taken by the Assyrians, just as Isaiah foretold." (Barney, Kevin: Footnotes: Line upon Line. Submitted online October 30, 1998, archived at www.wnetc.com/scripture-l).
30 For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have. 2 Nephi 28:31 31 Cursed is he that putteth his trust in man, or maketh flesh his arm, or shall hearken unto the precepts of men, save their precepts shall be given by the power of the Holy Ghost.
Remembering that the poetic import of Isaiah is of a nearly childish mode of instruction, note the specific cursing which follows verse 30. Verse 31 is an explicit condemnation of those who put their trust in man, and particularly those who hearken to the precepts of men. Remember also that these verses are following Nephi’s series of woe-statements, and that verse 32 is yet another explicit woe-statement. While the "woe" is not explicit, the opening word "cursed" in verse 30 is ample recognition of the condemnatory tone of the unit. In the structural context of Nephi’s usage, verses 30 and 31 must form some type of condemnation, and should function as a woe-statement, just as the surrounding verses do. What Nephi has done is take Isaiah’s usage of the simple teaching, and has turned it back upon the learned (or the rich and the learned to be closest to Nephi’s terminology). For Nephi, this very simple learning is contrasted with that of men, which by assertion of the pride of men would be much more sophisticated than the teachings of God. Nephi’s condemnation here is a continuation of his condemnation of those who deny God, and who prefer to be puffed up in the pride of their own learning. They may self-exalt their sophistication, and deride the word of God as childish, yet it is that simple "line upon line, precept upon precept" that will ultimately save, not the self-proclaimed greater sophistication of the learning of men.
32 Wo be unto the Gentiles, saith the Lord God of Hosts! For notwithstanding I shall lengthen out mine arm unto them from day to day, they will deny me; nevertheless, I will be merciful unto them, saith the Lord God, if they will repent and come unto me; for mine arm is lengthened out all the day long, saith the Lord God of Hosts.
At the beginning of this chapter, Nephi has an implicit division between the promises to the house of Israel and to the gentiles, with the break occurring between 2 Nephi 28:2 and 3. While much of the text that follows from verse 3 might also be seen as a condemnation of an apostate Israel, this conclusion points it most directly at the gentiles. The Book of Mormon serves as a corrective text for both Israel and the Christian gentiles, and the most pointed portion of this chapter is directed to the Gentiles. Just as Israel had the presence of the Lord and his protection evident with them, yet were able to deny it, so the gentiles will also have the experience of having the blessings of the Lord, but denying them in turn. It should also be noted that Nephi makes to particular distinction in his condemnation of the wicked, whether they be Jewish or Gentile. Both peoples who have had the opportunity to walk in the way of God, and choose not to, fall under his equal condemnation. |
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| by Brant Gardner. Copyright 1999 |
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