Old Testament Week 20: Isaiah 1339

1) Introduction. a) This is the longest section in our 5-week study of Isaiah, comprising 27 chapters or about 40% of the book. i) There is a Gospel Doctrine lesson that covers some of this material.1 However, for a class like this I think its important that we review the entire book of Isaiah. And there are some well-known passages in this section that deserve some extra attention. ii) This lesson will provide an outline of the chapters, but we will spend on our time focusing on a handful of the more important passages. b) A note about textual development: i) As we discussed in the first lesson on Isaiah, not all of his prophecies were written at once. Many of them were written in specific times and circumstances and later assembled. Probably some were even written by later individuals and compiled into the book that bears his name (such as the judgments on Babylon in chapters 1314). ii) The chapters do not appear in chronological order, and there are no breaks in the original Hebrew to indicate when one prophecy ends and another begins. (1) We can contrast this with the Book of Mormon authors who often identified breaks in their writing with explanatory headings.2 c) [SLIDE 2] Historical background. i) In the last lesson we talked about the Syro-Ephraimite War of 736732 B.C. Syria and Israel attacked Judah, and King Ahaz of Judah, acting against the counsel of Isaiah, asked Assyria for protection. (1) [SLIDE 3] Assyria destroyed Syria and took Israel captive (722 B.C.), but Judah remained a vassal state and was forced to pay tribute. d) [SLIDE 4] Outline of Isaiah 1339: i) Chapters 1323: Oracles against foreign nations like Babylon and Egypt. ii) Chapters 2427: The Apocalypse of Isaiah, which predicted a coming cosmic judgment and a restoration of Gods kingdom. iii) Chapters 2833: Judgment would come against Israel and Judah, but there was hope for deliverance. iv) Chapters 3435: The Lords vengeance upon the nations and blessing for the remnant.

1 Old Testament lesson 37, Thou Hast Done Wonderful Things, includes chapters 22; 2426; 2830 (https://www.lds.org/manual/old-testament-gospel-doctrine-teachers-manual/lesson-37-thou-hast-done-wonderful-things). 2 Headings in the Book of Mormon that are not printed in italics are part of the original text of the Book, written by Mormon, Nephi1, or another ancient writer. (See, for example, the headings preceding Alma chapters 5, 9, 17, 21, 36, 38, 39, and 45.) The headings in italics, on the other hand, were written by the Churchs scripture committee, and are not part of the text of the Book of Mormon.

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v) Chapters 3639: Historical interlude: Isaiah, Hezekiah, and Assyria in 701 B.C. (Parallels 2 Kings 1720.) 2) [SLIDE 5] Chapters 1323. Isaiah gave a series of oracles which proclaimed judgment upon the nations of the region, interspersed with assurance of better times for Israel and Judah. a) The point of these prophecies is: i) Assyria was the real threat. ii) These other nations were forming a coalition against Assyria and wanted Judah to join them.3 iii) Therefore Isaiah told Judah to not join in because: (1) God would destroy all of these nations (including Assyria: 14:2427). (2) The Babylonians would capture Judah one day (chapters 1314). b) [SLIDE 6] Chapters 1314. The utter destruction of Babylon was predicted by the Lord, as well as Israels restoration to their promised land.4 i) The Book of Mormon prophet Nephi1 concluded a long quotation from Isaiah with this prophecy (2 Nephi 2324). He likely finished with this because he had seen in vision Babylon kill his people and take them into captivity (2 Nephi 26:7).5 ii) Last week we discussed how Assyria was like a tool in the Lords hands that he used to inflict punishment on Israel and Judah, but that Assyria would go beyond its commission, and would be punished for doing so (10:532). This prophecy was fulfilled in 612 B.C., when the Babylonians conquered the Assyrians. (1) Babylon, in turn, was used by God to punish Judah for her wickedness. In 586 B.C. the Babylonians overran Judah and took her people into captivity. (2) But, just as with Assyria, Isaiah prophesied that Babylon would herself be destroyed. iii) Chapter 13. The Lord raised a great army to conquer Babylon:
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The noise of a multitude in the mountains, like as of a great people; a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together: the LORD of hosts mustereth the host of the battle. 5 They come from a far country, from the end of heaven, even the LORD, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land. (Isaiah 13:45)

(1) This was the army of the Medes (13:17) and the Persians, who overthrew Babylon in 539 B.C.
Compare Jeremiah 27, which came 140150 years later but described the same problem with different players. There was a day coming when God would deal with all nations (13:116), then he would deal with Babylon (13:17ff). Also note that the Medes in 13:17 are probably not the nation of Medes but rather mercenaries (cf. 22:6 where Elan is a mercenary). 5 Nephi1s father, Lehi1, prophesied in Jerusalem about 600 B.C. concerning the coming Babylonian captivity (1 Nephi 1). Nephi expounded on Isaiah 214 after reaching the promised land in the Americas, more than forty years after leaving Jerusalem (2 Nephi 5:34).
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iv) 14:14a. The Lord would have compassion on the children of Israel, and would restore them to their own lands, where they would rest. From here they would taunt (KJV take up this proverb against) the fallen king of Babylon. v) 14:4b23. Israels satirical song mocked the king of Babylon in the underworld. (1) Even though this song is about a mortal king, its comparison of him to a fallen god has parallels to the fall of Satan from heaven. Lets read a portion of the song (14:920), and look for similarities and differences between the Babylonian king and Satan:
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Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations.
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All they shall speak and say unto thee, Art thou also become weak as we? art thou become like unto us? 11 Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee.
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How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. 15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. 16 They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; 17 That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; that opened not the house of his prisoners?

Sheol below is stirred up about you, ready to meet you when you arrive. It rouses the spirits of the dead for you, all the former leaders of the earth; it makes all the former kings of the nations rise from their thrones. 10 All of them respond to you, saying: You too have become weak like us! You have become just like us! 11 Your splendor has been brought down to Sheol, as well as the sound of your stringed instruments. You lie on a bed of maggots, with a blanket of worms over you. 12 Look how you have fallen from the sky, O shining one, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the ground, O conqueror of the nations! 13 You said to yourself, I will climb up to the sky. Above the stars of El I will set up my throne. I will rule on the mountain of assembly on the remote slopes of Zaphon.
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I will climb up to the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High!

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But you were brought down to Sheol, to the remote slopes of the pit. 16 Those who see you stare at you, they look at you carefully, thinking: Is this the man who shook the earth, the one who made kingdoms tremble?
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Is this the one who made the world like a desert, who ruined its cities, and refused to free his prisoners so they could return home?
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18 All the kings of the nations, even all of As for all the kings of the nations, them, lie in glory, every one in his own all of them lie down in splendor, house. each in his own tomb. 19 19 But thou art cast out of thy grave But you have been thrown out of your like an abominable branch, grave and as the raiment of those that are slain, like a shoot that is thrown away. thrust through with a sword, You lie among the slain, that go down to the stones of the pit; among those who have been slashed as a carcase trodden under feet. by the sword, among those headed for the stones of the pit, as if you were a mangled corpse. 20 20 Thou shalt not be joined with them in You will not be buried with them, burial, because you destroyed your land because thou hast destroyed thy land, and killed your people. and slain thy people: The offspring of the wicked the seed of evildoers will never be mentioned again. shall never be renowned. (NET Isaiah 14:920.) (KJV Isaiah 14:920.)

(2) [SLIDE 7] In this section the king of Babylon was clearly depicted as a mortal, human ruler: (a) He was called the man (14:16) and he possessed a physical body that could be killed (14:1920). (b) The other dead kings of the earth addressed him from the spirit world (14:9 10). (c) And his exploits as king were recounted: He made kingdoms tremble, destroyed cities, and refused to allow captive Israel to return home (14:1617). He was a conqueror of nations (14:12). (3) However, the passage also characterizes him as a fallen deity. This is not unusual, because most ancient civilizations considered their kings to be gods (or at least demigods). The verses contain several titles and motifs that resemble those of Canaanite mythology, including: (a) In 14:12 he is called shining one, son of the dawn ( / helel benshakhar). (i) Helel is the planet Venus, the morning star, which appears to be following the sun but never catching it. (ii) The phrase shining one was translated into the Latin word lucifer in the Vulgate Bible.6 The Vulgate was one of the textual sources used for the creation of the King James Bible, and so this word was carried over directly from Latin into English.7

6 The Vulgate is an early 5th-century Latin version of the Bible and largely the result of the labors of St. Jerome, who was commissioned by Pope Damascus I in A.D. 382 to make a revision of the old Latin translations. By the 13th century this revision had come to be called the versio vulgata, that is, the commonly-used translation. 7 The word Lucifer appears three times in the Vulgate (Job 11:17; Isaiah 14:12; 2 Peter 1:19). 2 Peter 1:19 connects Jesus Christ with the day star (Greek / phosphoros). The morning star (Venus) is a symbol for the Messiah/Christ in Numbers 24:17; Revelation 2:28; and 22:16. (See http://www.drbo.org/cgi-bin/s?t=0&q=lucifer&b=lvb)

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(b) 14:1314 refers to the Canaanite pantheon: the stars of Godthe mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north is a description of Mount Zaphon where El, the chief god8 of the Canaanites, lived with other lesser deities.9 (i) These verses allude to a mythological story about a minor god (Helel, son of Shachar) who tried to take over Zaphon, the mountain of the gods. His attempted coup failed and he was hurled down to the underworld. In this passage the king of Babylon is taunted for having similar unrealized delusions of grandeur. (c) The idea of a fallen god who is cast out was common throughout the ancient world. (i) It also appears in other Old Testament passages: Ezekiel 28 compares the Phoenician kings of Tyre and Sidon to mortals who claimed to be gods and tried to ascend to the throne of the gods, only to be cast down to the underworld.10 (ii) The story of Satan being cast down from heaven appears in the New Testament (Revelation 12:710; cf. Luke 10:18). 1. It wasnt until the Christian era when 3rd-century Church Fathers like Tertullian11 and Origen12 connected Isaiahs reference to Lucifer with Satan. 2. The word Lucifer appears only three times in scripture: KJV Isaiah 14:12, its parallel passage in 2 Nephi 24:12, and in modern revelation at D&C 76:26. a. The mention of Lucifer in D&C 76 is compatible with early Christian understanding of Lucifer as the divine being who was in the presence of God before he fell. c) 14:2432. The chapter closes with the Lords promise to break Assyria (14:2427) and to judge the Philistines for their rejoicing over Israels destruction (14:2832).13 d) Chapters 1516. Destruction of the people of Moab was foretold to occur within three years because of their pride (16:6, 13). Despite their long history of hatred for each other, the people of Judah were counseled to care for the Moabite refugees (16:15). e) Chapter 17. The destruction of Damascus (Syria) was foretold, after which the Holy One of Israel would be revealed and all would turn to him.

8 The name El crossed from the Canaanite language to Hebrew as Elohim (God or gods, depending on the context), and El-Elyon (Most High). 9 The idea of a pantheon of gods dwelling on a mountain was common in the ancient Mediterranean and Near East. It is best known in Greek mythology, where Zeus, the head of the gods, dwelt on Mount Olympus along with other lesser gods. 10 Its possible that the ancient myths of fallen gods all stem from a common source. 11 A simpler answer I shall find ready to hand in interpreting the god of this world of the devil, who once said, as the prophet [Isaiah] describes him: I will be like the Most High; I will exalt my throne in the clouds. Tertullian, Contra Marcionem, book 5, chapter 11 (http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf03.v.iv.vi.xi.html). 12 Again, we are taught as follows by the prophet Isaiah regarding another opposing power. The prophet says, [quotes Isaiah 14:1222]. Most evidently by these words is he shown to have fallen from heaven, who formerly was Lucifer, and who used to arise in the morning. For if, as some think, he was a nature of darkness, how is Lucifer said to have existed before? Or how could he arise in the morning, who had in himself nothing of the light? Nay, even the Saviour Himself teaches us, saying of the devil, Behold, I see Satan fallen from heaven like lightning. Origen, Origen De Principiis, book 1, chapter 5, verse 5 (http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf04.vi.v.ii.v.html). 13 The latter prophecy refers to the Ashdod revolt of 714711 B.C.

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f) Chapter 18. The land of whirring wings (perhaps Ethiopia) would have its harvest cut off and its land left to wild animals, and would bring its gifts to God at Zion (Jerusalem). g) Chapters 1920. Egypt, through internal troubles, would be destroyed and Judah would control it with worship going to the Lord. i) 20:16. Isaiah went naked and barefoot in Jerusalem for three years as a sign that Egypt and Ethiopia would be taken captive by Assyria.14 h) 21:110. Against Babylon (?). There would be confusion and anxiousness in the desert (Negeb) due to the political situation. i) 21:9. John, in the New Testament, cited this verse in his description of the fall of the false kingdoms of the world (Revelation 14:8). i) 21:1117. Against the peoples of Arabia. j) [SLIDE 8] Chapter 22. Isaiah prophesied that Jerusalem would be destroyed because they trusted in their own strength rather than in the Lord. i) Its difficult to determine when this revelation took place. The most likely it followed the siege of Jerusalem by Assyria in 701 B.C. ii) Historical background: (1) Several decades after the fall of the northern kingdom of Israel, Egypt regained her strength and began to foment rebellion among Assyrias vassal states in the region. (2) [8.1] King Hezekiah of Judah formed an alliance with Egypt. Isaiah warned Hezekiah against doing this (Isaiah 20; 30:15; 31:13), but Hezekiah ignored the counsel: He formerly refused to pay tribute to Assyria in 705, and took steps to protect the citys water supply in case of a siege (2 Chronicles 32:24).15 (3) [9.2] The Assyrians, under King Sennacherib,16 put down the revolt in 701 by taking Tyre (Isaiah 23:112), then moving south against the Philistine cities. (4) [9.3] After defeating the Egyptian army who was sent to help the rebels, the Assyrians began to attack Judah. They conquered every fortified city in Judah except Jerusalem. Hezekiah paid heavy tribute to Assyria in hopes they would end their siege (2 Kings 18:1316). (a) The Assyrians taunted the Jews with accounts of all the nations they had conquered (2 Kings 18:1919:13), but Hezekiah trusted in the Lord and an angel of the Lord smote the Assyrian army at Jerusalem (2 Kings 19:35).17 iii) Isaiah 22 appears to be a prophecy that followed this event.18 It begins with a scene of joyous victory celebration (22:13), but the Lord was sorrowful because of the destruction of his people (22:45).
14 This sounds offensive to us, but it was even more offensive to ancient Hebrews, who viewed nakedness as shameful and humiliating. Clearly, Isaiah wanted to send a strong message to a people who had all but completely given up on Jehovah. 15 This included building a tunnel to channel water from the Gihon Spring into Jerusalem. Hezekiahs Tunnel was lost to history, but was rediscovered 1838 and is open to the public. See this video walkthrough of the entire tunnel length:

http://hamblinofjerusalem.blogspot.com/2010/02/videos-of-hezekiahs-tunnel.html
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Reigned 705681 B.C. Sennacheribs own account of the Judah campaign mentions Hezekiahs tribute, but doesnt say anything about the death of 185,000 Assyrian soldiers (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sennacherib#Sennacherib.27s_account). Even after Assyria withdrew, Judah remained under her dominance until the Babylonians under Nabopolassar destroyed Nineveh, the Assyrian capital, in 612. 2014, Mike Parker http://bit.ly/ldsarc For personal use only. Not a Church publication.

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(1) Foreign armies came to their aid (22:67), and the people of Judah relied on their own weapons and their fortifications of Jerusalem, but they didnt give credit to their God who provided those things for them (22:810). (2) The Lord commanded them to put aside their victory celebration, humble themselves, and mourn for the dead (22:1114). iv) 22:1525. In the second half of the prophecy, the Lord had strong words against Shebna, the administrator (KJV treasurer) of the palace, because he built himself an elaborate tomb. The Lord said that he would remove him from his position of power and replace him with Eliakim.
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And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah: 21 And I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand: and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah. 22 And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. 23 And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place; and he shall be for a glorious throne to his fathers house. 24 And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his fathers house, the offspring and the issue, all vessels of small quantity, from the vessels of cups, even to all the vessels of flagons. 25 In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall the nail that is fastened in the sure place be removed, and be cut down, and fall; and the burden that was upon it shall be cut off: for the LORD hath spoken it. (KJV Isaiah 22:2125.)

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At that time I will summon my servant Eliakim, son of Hilkiah.

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I will put your robe on him, tie your belt around him, and transfer your authority to him. He will become a protector of the residents of Jerusalem and of the people of Judah. 22 I will place the key to the house of David on his shoulder. When he opens the door, no one can close it; when he closes the door, no one can open it. 23 I will fasten him like a peg into a solid place; he will bring honor and respect to his fathers family. 24 His fathers family will gain increasing prominence because of him, including the offspring and the offshoots. All the small containers, including the bowls and all the jars will hang from this peg. 25 At that time, says the LORD who commands armies, the peg fastened into a solid place will come loose. It will be cut off and fall, and the load hanging on it will be cut off. Indeed, the LORD has spoken. (NET Isaiah 22:2125.)

(1) [SLIDE 9] Eliakim was not the Messiah, but he is a type or foreshadow of the Messiah. How was Eliakim like Christ? (a) [9.1] It was prophesied that Eliakim (and Christ) would receive all the power and authority of the king, and would be considered a father to Judah, in the sense that he would protect and support them (22:21). (b) Eliakim would be the only one who could open the palace doors, just as Christ is the only one who can open the doors of the Fathers kingdom to us (22:22).19
18 The problem with identifying the historical context of this passage i s that Isaiah 22:15 identifies Shebna as the one over the house, but 2 Kings 18:18 says Eliakim is over the household and Shebna is the scribe, or secretary to the king. It w ould appear, then, that Isaiahs prophecy took place before the Assyrian defeat in 2 Kings 19. If so, what victory was being celebrated in Isaiah 22:13? 19 Also compare Isaiah 22:22 with Revelation 3:7. In the latter passage John quotes the Eliakim prophecy and applies it to Christ.

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(c) Eliakim would be like a peg (KJV nail20) in a wall that is strong and secure: That one peg would carry the weight (glory) of all sizes of containers that hung from it. Likewise, Christs office will be secure and immovable. (22:2324.) (d) Unlike the Messiah, however, Eliakims authority ended one day, perhaps with the fall of Jerusalem to Babylon (22:25.) k) Chapter 23. The Lord would destroy Tyre (Phoenicia) whereupon the world will mourn the loss of materialism; one day, its money would go to God. 3) [SLIDE 10] Chapters 2427. The Apocalypse of Isaiah. a) Apocalypse is a Greek word meaning an uncovering, referring to something that was hidden but has now been revealed. Passages or books of scripture that reveal Gods plans for the future are called apocalypses.21 b) In his apocalypse, Isaiah proclaimed that the Lord would bring judgment upon the world while protecting the remnant of Israel. c) Chapter 24. The Lord promised that he would devastate the earth (24:1, 3) and that this judgment would affect all people equally, regardless of their wealth or station (24:2, 4). This will happen because
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earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. 6Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left. (Isaiah 24:56.)

i) Note that its not just covenant Israel that was under condemnation; the entire earth was defiled because all have broken Gods covenant. What covenant are all the peoples of the world under? (1) One possibility is the universal law prohibiting murder. Following the great Flood, Noah put his sons (and their descendants) under covenant to punish murder (Genesis 9:17). By violating this commandment, all nations of the earth are condemned.22

20 The word translated nail in the King James Bible is ( ), which refers to a peg, tent stake, or pin. The tent stakes of the Tabernacle were to be secured with bronze (Exodus 27:19; 38:20); Jael killed Sisera by pounding a through his head (Judges 5:26); the Lord told Isaiah to enlarge the place of thy tentlengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy (Isaiah 54:2). A was not a small, metal nail, but rather a large, wooden peg or stake. 21 Other apocalypses in scripture include the second half of Daniel and the book of Revelation in the New Testament. Prophets like Lehi1 (1 Nephi 1), Nephi1 (1 Nephi 1114), Enoch (Moses 7), and Joseph Smith (D&C 76) all had apocalyptic visions. Apocalyptic writings are also found extensively among scriptures that are not part of our modern canon; these include the book of 1 Enoch, texts found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, New Testament-era books attributed to Peter and Paul, as well as a book called the Shepherd of Hermas. 22 The New Testament apostle Paul wrote to the saints in Rome about how the people of the world had violated the natural laws that God had made obvious to all people, which included proscriptions against idol worship, fornication, covetousness, envy, murder, lying, and pride (Romans 1:1632).

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(2) Israel herself was especially guilty of bloodshed (Isaiah 1:15, 21; 4:4), even though the Lord had put them under special covenant prohibiting murder (Exodus 20:13; Numbers 35:6-34). ii) In modern revelation, the Lord reaffirmed that this judgment is still upon the peoples of the earth:
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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. 15For they have strayed from mine ordinances, and have broken mine everlasting covenant; 16They 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 1:13, 1516.)

d) Chapter 25. This section contains three psalms about the coming judgment of the wicked and blessing of the righteous. i) 25:15. The city of oppression destroyed. ii) 25:610a. The Messianic banquet.
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And in this mountain shall the LORD of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined.
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And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations. 8 He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it. 9 And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation. (KJV Isaiah 25:69.)

The LORD who commands armies will hold a banquet for all the nations on this mountain. At this banquet there will be plenty of meat and aged wine tender meat and choicest wine. 7 On this mountain he will swallow up the shroud that is over all the peoples, the woven covering that is over all the nations; 8 he will swallow up death permanently. The sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from every face, and remove his peoples disgrace from all the earth. Indeed, the Lord has announced it! 9 At that time they will say, Look, here is our God! We waited for him and he delivered us. Here is the LORD! We waited for him. Lets rejoice and celebrate his deliverance! (NET Isaiah 25:69.)

(1) This passage describes the conditions during the reign of the Messiah (Christ), the Davidic King. In that day, there will be plentiful harvests, and there will be no death, fear, or sadness (cf. Revelation 21:4). iii) 25:10b12. The doom of Moab. e) Chapter 26. The redeemed will praise the Lord because he saved them and protected the remnant during judgment.
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i) A note on 26:19a: (1) The King James Bible renders this passage, Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. This has been considered one of the strongest statements in the Old Testament supporting not only universal resurrection, but also a resurrection of the Lord Jehovah himself. (a) Unfortunately, this is one of the most egregious examples of a theologicallymotivated translation in the King James Bible. No Hebrew manuscripts contain the phrase together with my dead body, and even the most conservative modern translations reject that as a legitimate reading:
Your dead shall live, their corpses shall rise. (NRSV) Your dead will come back to life; your corpses will rise up. (NET) Oh, let Your dead revive! Let corpses arise! (JPS TANAKH) But your dead will live, LORD; their bodies will rise. (NIV) Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. (ESV, HCSB) Your dead will live; Their corpses will rise. (NASB, NABRE)

(b) But, even without the KJVs erroneous translation, there is still a temptation to interpret this verse as a strong affirmation of a universal resurrection. While that is a possible reading, consider that it is not quoted by a single New Testament author to support the doctrine of the resurrection. It seems more likely that Old and New Testament readers interpreted it figuratively as a metaphor for the restoration of the people of Israel to their promised land. f) Chapter 27. The Leviathan (a serpent representing the enemies of God) would be judged and the remnant restored in the day of Israel after the judgment on the nation. i) 27:26. The vineyard, Israel, would be restored (compare 5:17). 4) Chapters 2833. Isaiah proclaimed oracles (woes) of judgment upon the nation Israel, along with a hope of deliverance and blessing. a) The nation of Israel rejected Isaiahs warnings and chose to trust in Egypt rather than the Lord. Because of this, she would be judged by the Lord through other nations. However, she received a promise of future restoration and blessing for the righteous. b) Chapter 28. Ephraim (Israel) and Judah mocked Isaiahs warning, so God promised to speak to them through invadersfor a time. i) 28:14. Ephraim would be overwhelmed by the floodwaters of the Assyrian invasion. ii) [SLIDE 11] 28:913. In this passage, Isaiah explains how the people of Judah will learn the message the Lord wants them to hear.
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Whom shall he teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? 23 them that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.

Who is the Lord trying to teach? To whom is he explaining a message? Those just weaned from milk! Those just taken from their mothers breast!

Note that the word rendered doctrine in the King James Bible (Hebrew / shemuwah) is better translated instruction or message. Doctrine can leave the wrong impression that Isaiah is interested in teaching specific principles or
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Old Testament: Isaiah 1339

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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. (KJV Isaiah 28:913.)

Indeed, they will hear meaningless gibberish, senseless babbling, a syllable here, a syllable there. 11 For with mocking lips and a foreign tongue he will speak to these people. 12 In the past he said to them, This is where security can be found. Provide security for the one who is exhausted! This is where rest can be found. But they refused to listen. 13 So the LORDs word to them will sound like meaningless gibberish, senseless babbling, a syllable here, a syllable there. As a result, they will fall on their backsides when they try to walk, and be injured, ensnared, and captured. (NET Isaiah 28:913.)

(1) 28:910 describe the people of Judah who rejected Isaiahs message because they felt he was teaching them as one would teach an infant: Using meaningless gibberish, senseless babbling, a syllable here, a syllable there (NET 28:10).24 (2) Isaiah responded in 28:1113 that, because they will not listen, they will have to learn the hard way: from the Assyrians (whose language sounded to Jews like stammering). They would be taught like little children and, as a result, would walk like little children: stumbling and hurting themselves. (3) Likewise, if we do not learn the basic, fundamental teachings from the words of the prophets, we will end up learning the hard way by what we suffer from disobedience. c) Chapter 29. Judgment would come upon Jerusalem through many nations because they were faking their faith, but there was hope for a better future. i) This is one of the most interesting passages in Isaiah, because its a perfect example of how he had a specific message and meaning for his own audience (the people of Judah in 701 B.C.), and how Nephi1 and other Book of Mormon prophets reinterpreted Isaiah and gave his words new application to their own time and circumstance.25

beliefs (like the nature of God) that today we call doctrines. Instead, Isaiah is interested in his hearers understanding t he Lords message of judgment and deliverance. 24 The phrase line upon line, precept upon precept was reinterpreted in a positive context by Nephi1 and in Joseph Smiths revelations (2 Nephi 28:30; D&C 98:12; 128:21). To Latter-day Saints, this phrase expresses the idea that God teaches us slowly, step-by-step, and that we learn new truths only as we embrace and live ones already given to us. 25 We discussed reinterpretation/reapplication in the previous lesson in connection with Isaiah 10:33 12:6. See lesson 19, pages 811 (http://bit.ly/ldsarcot19n). 2014, Mike Parker http://bit.ly/ldsarc For personal use only. Not a Church publication.

Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class

Old Testament: Isaiah 1339

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(1) In 2 Nephi 27, Nephi1 quoted Isaiah 29 at length, interpreting Isaiahs prophecy as foretelling the future of the Nephites and the Book of Mormon. ii) [SLIDE 12] Lets look first at Isaiahs original meaning behind this oracle. It can be divided into three sections: (1) 29:18. Jerusalem would be besieged and many Jews would be killed, but God would protect them. (a) 29:13. Isaiah called Jerusalem Ariel, which means a (sacrificial) altar hearth.26 Jerusalem is like a sacrificial altar because of the destruction that will take place there when foreign nations besiege her.27 (b) 29:4. The dead of Jerusalem will speak from the underworld as ghosts.28 (c) 29:56. But the foreign nations attacking Jerusalem will be like dust or chaff, because the Lord will destroy them with earthquakes and other natural disasters. (d) 29:78. Eventually it will seem to Jerusalem as if these invaders were only a dream. (2) 29:916. The wicked people of Judah would ignore Isaiahs warning because they were spiritually blind. (a) 29:910. The Lord gave the people over to spiritual blindness as a form of punishment (cf. 6:10). (b) 29:1112. Isaiahs revelation was like a sealed scroll: When he shared it with learned men, they refused to open the scroll. When he shared it with unlearned men, they told him they cant read. (c) 29:1314. The people had the outward appearance of righteousness and piety, but inwardly they didnt really honor the Lord. Because of this, the Lord promised to do something amazing that would shock them all so much that they would be speechless. (d) 29:1516. This section concludes with a warning that those who tried to hide their plans from the Lord were as good as dead. The Lord asked, rhetorically, if the creation is better than the Creator. (3) 29:1724. The Lords marvelous work would be a renewed society. (a) 29:2021. Isaiah prophesied that a time was coming when his sealed scroll (from 29:1112) would be read, but not by tyrants, or by those who did wrong, or by those who bore false testimony or perverted justice. (b) 29:1819. It would be read by the deaf, the blind, the downtrodden, and the poorpeople who were formerly the outcasts and oppressed in society.
26 From a posited root ari, to burn, with lamed afformative, thus meaning hearth, similar to the Arabic iratun, hearth. Encyclopaedia Judaica, s.v. Ariel (http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0002_0_01294.html). See KJV Isaiah 44:16, where the same word is translated roasteth, and KJV Ezekiel 43:1516, where it is translated altar. 27 The footnote in the LDS edition of the King James Bible for Isaiah 29:1 correctly notes the connection between Ariel, an altar hearth, and Jerusalem. 28 The KJV phrase as of one that hath a familiar spirit is an overly -elaborate translation of the Hebrew ( kowb), which simply means ghost. This phrase can be rendered like the voice of a ghost (NET, ESV), like a spirit speaking from the underworld (NRSV), ghostlike from the earth (NIV), or like that of a spirit from the ground (NASB).

2014, Mike Parker

http://bit.ly/ldsarc

For personal use only. Not a Church publication.

Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class

Old Testament: Isaiah 1339

Week 20, Page 13

(c) 29:2224. A new society would arise that would honor and respect the Lord, one that would have true understanding and insight. iii) [SLIDE 13] This prophecy had a powerful effect on the Book of Mormon prophet Nephi1. He likened these prophecies unto his own people and to the record he was writing.29 He reinterpreted and reapplied Isaiahs words this way: (1) 2 Nephi 27:1. Nephi1 prophesied that, in the last days, there would a universal apostasy, with all men being drunken with iniquity and all manner of abominations. (2) 2 Nephi 27:23 (= Isaiah 29:68). At that day the Lord would bring natural disasters among the people. The wicked would fight against Zion, but their supposed victories would be like dream or the delusions of a drunken person. (3) 2 Nephi 27:45 (= Isaiah 29:910). The people would stumble spiritually because they rejected the prophets. (4) 2 Nephi 27:6 (= Isaiah 29:11). At that day, the Lord shall bring forththe words of a book, and they shall be the words of them which have slumbered. (5) 2 Nephi 27:711. The book Nephi1 saw would be sealed by the power of God and hidden from the world. (6) 2 Nephi 27:1214. The book would be seen only by witnesses specifically chosen by God. (7) 2 Nephi 27:1518 (= Isaiah 29:11). The words of the book would be shown to someone who is learned, but he would refuse them because he could not examine the book for himself.30 (8) 2 Nephi 27:1923 (= Isaiah 29:12). The words of the book would then be given to someone who is unlearned, who could not read them. The Lord would give him power to read the words. (9) 2 Nephi 27:2435 (= Isaiah 29:1324). The bringing forth of the book by the unlearned man would be the start of Gods marvelous work and a wonder, one that would lead to a spiritual outpouring on the world and an ushering in of Gods Messianic kingdom. iv) Nephi1s interpretation reapplied Isaiahs prophecy to the coming forth of the Book of Mormon in the last days. The unlearned man is, of course, Joseph Smith, who translated the Book of Mormon and then restored the Lords Church and kingdom to the earth in preparation for the second coming of Christ. (1) Note also that Book of Mormon prophets Lehi1, Nephi1, and Moroni2 all used Isaiahs prophecy of people speaking out of the dust like a ghost (29:4) as a metaphor for how the writers of the Book of Mormon will speak to us in the last days, even though they are long dead (2 Nephi 3:20; 26:1516; 27:9; 33:13; Mormon 8:23; Moroni 10:27). (2) This is another example of how Nephi1 took personal application from the scriptures. To Nephi, the scriptures were not just something to be read and understood; they were to be internalized and applied.
29 30

See 1 Nephi 19:23; cf. his brother Jacob2s comments in 2 Nephi 6:5. This describes the encounter between Martin Harris and Professor Charles Anthon (Joseph SmithHistory 1:6365). http://bit.ly/ldsarc For personal use only. Not a Church publication.

2014, Mike Parker

Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class

Old Testament: Isaiah 1339

Week 20, Page 14

d) Chapters 3031. Israel would be judged by God because they trusted in Egypt and not God. When they changed, God would deliver them. i) 30:17. Negotiations with Egypt condemned. ii) 30:817. Isaiah recorded how his sayings were rejected, perhaps as a witness against the people. iii) 30:1826. Promises to those who wait on God. iv) 30:2733. The destruction of Assyria. v) 31:13. Another denunciation of the Egyptian alliance. vi) 31:49. Gods deliverance of Jerusalem from Assyria. e) 32:18. Isaiah described a time when government will be just and righteous because the wicked will not rule. f) 32:920. The nation would be judged and in mourning, but in the future there would be blessing. g) Chapter 33. The enemies of Gods people would be judged, but righteous men would not be judged; in the future there would be blessing. 5) Chapters 3435. Isaiah foretold the Lords vengeance upon the nations and blessing for the remnant of Israel. a) Chapter 34. Edom was an example of how the Lord would completely destroy all nations, yet a remnant would be gathered. b) Chapter 35. In the Lords day of blessing, the curse would be removed and the remnant would dwell in joy. 6) Chapters 3639. Historical interlude: Although Assyria attempted to overtake Jerusalem in 701 B.C., Hezekiahs faith led to the Lords defeat of Assyria. But Hezekiahs pride in showing the riches of his kingdom led to the captivity of Judah by Babylon. a) 36:137:7.Sennacherib, king of Assyria, threatened Hezekiah and all of Jerusalem and mocked God, causing all of the people to mourn. But Hezekiah showed faith in Isaiahs words. b) 37:838. In response to Hezekiahs faith, the Lord defeated Assyria and caused Sennacherib die in his own land. c) Chapter 38. Hezekiah prayed when he was ill, and the Lord healed him through Isaiah, causing Hezekiah to praise God. d) Chapter 39. When envoys from Babylon visited Hezekiah, he pridefully showed them all of his treasures. Because of his pride, Isaiah prophesied that Hezekiahs royal descendants and all their wealth would go into captivity in Babylon. Hezekiah was glad that this would not take place during his lifetime. 7) [SLIDE 14] The take-home message: a) Isaiah prophesied of the Messiah to come, both directly and indirectly through the use of types and foreshadowing. b) Like Isaiahs time, today is an age of broken covenants. We must keep the covenants we have made, because the Lord is certainly going to keep hiseither for good or for bad.
2014, Mike Parker http://bit.ly/ldsarc For personal use only. Not a Church publication.

Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class

Old Testament: Isaiah 1339

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c) Nephi1s application of Isaiahs prophecy foretold that the Book of Mormon would be the beginning of a marvelous work and a wonder. This has been fulfilled with the restoration and growth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 8) [SLIDE 15] Our next lesson will be in two weeks: a) Isaiah 4055.

2014, Mike Parker

http://bit.ly/ldsarc

For personal use only. Not a Church publication.