Break into Parallels

I love the words of Isaiah and one of the things that really fascinates me about his writings is the complexity of the language that he uses. The Hebrew language facilitated such complexity with multiple interpretation, see Cultural Differences, but these writings go well beyond the norm of the day. There is no doubt in my mind that his writings were inspired of God—no mere man could produce such works as he did.

Find focus in your study by breaking scripture into parallels of interpretation.

Many different parallels or interpretations can be drawn because of the greatness of Isaiah's writings. There are no correct or incorrect ways to break his words into parallels—one must choose what works for them. I have found that by having different parallels in mind while studying the scriptures that it helps me see the word of God in different ways. However, it can become quite overwhelming to take in too much all at once so I generally choose a primary parallel of focus for each study session.

For my purposes and for this blog, I have combined parallels into sets of events or timelines centered around the coming of Christ.

1. My first timeline starts in Isaiah's time and includes the warning and destruction of the wicked in preparation for the coming of Christ. He lived around 700 years before Christ and things were ripening for destruction which happens shortly after his time. The names, places and events mentioned by Isaiah were literally fulfilled during that time. It includes the coming of Christ as the Savior of the world and His ministry here on the earth and His overcoming of both physical and spiritual death. The Millennial reign in this case is a figurative spiritual peace and safety brought about by Christ and the higher law of the ever lasting gospel that he taught. This timeline wraps up with a final destruction as Satan takes control of things leading into the apostasy. The saints of Christ's time were concerned about Isaiah's words for them and how they would be fulfilled in their time. Christ also prophesied of the final destruction of the Jews in His time and what the saints should look for to see those events unfold. No matter what parallels are drawn, knowledge of Isaiah's time and Jewish history and tradition are critical to understanding Isaiah's writings.

2. My next parallel or timeline occurs here in this land with the Nephites and Lamanites. It starts with the prevailing wickedness, destruction and darkness leading up to the coming of Christ. It includes the coming and ministering of Christ and the time of peace following. It wraps up with the Nephites ultimate demise. This is probably why Nephi and Jacob found Isaiah's words so important because it prophesied of these events and put them before the eyes of their people. I find this parallel very useful for understanding the Isaiah chapters placed in the Book of Mormon.
3. The last days are another obvious parallel to me. These same prophecies will be fulfilled in these days as things ramp up for Christ's second coming. It includes the prophetic warnings, wickedness and destruction as Christ comes a final time. It includes the Millennial peace and wraps up with a final loosening of Satan. One of the focuses of this timeline for me is to understand the signs of the times and to recognize the fulfillment of prophecy. Most sources, such as the institute manuals, focus on this parallel.

4. My last parallel is the life of the everyday saint and the timeline is this life and beyond. As I personally heed the warnings of the Lord, I can avoid the pain and destruction that sin leaves in its path. When I do fall short, all is not lost—I can turn to Christ for comfort and resolution. Christ will symbolically visit me as I turn my heart towards Him so that His light and love will enter my life. Peace and hope will reign in my heart as I exercise faith in Christ. This last parallel has to do with the welfare of the souls of God's people and their ultimate destiny, eternal peace or eternal destruction. Isaiah is speaking specifically to the house of Israel or Christ's church; thus, his teachings apply directly to each individual and their spiritual struggle to hold onto Christ and avoid personal destruction and desolation. It also applies to families, communities, and nations and how they can avoid both physical and spiritual destruction. It can be applied in every day and age—Isaiah's time, the saints of Christ's time, to Lehi's descendants, and to latter-day saints. This parallel will be my primary focus for this blog. However, to fully comprehend this, I find that I need to at least have a basic understanding of the other parallels.

Understand the Back Story Part 2

I want to share a quick example that shows the Understand the Back Story skill in action. I came across the following phrases while studying Isaiah in 1 Nephi 20:

He will do his pleasure on Babylon, and his arm shall come upon the Chaldeans.

Go ye forth of Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans, with a voice of singing declare ye, tell this, utter to the end of the earth; say ye: The Lord hath redeemed his servant Jacob.

Babylon throughout the scriptures is used as a symbol of the world so that was a given. But, what about the Chaldeans who where they and why are they mentioned here. I could have at this point just made an educated guess and moved on which is what I did with my initial reading. Knowing that Babylon represented the world, I guessed that the Chaldeans were those that pushed the ideals of the world. However, I decided to do more research into the Chaldeans so I could illustrate this skill and found it to be fascinating, enlightening and very enriching towards my goal of unlocking symbolism.

First, I turned to the Bible Dictionary and found Chaldea which gave me a very brief synopsis of the land and people:

The portion of Babylonia that lay south and east of Babylon, though the name was sometimes used after the days of Jeremiah to denote the whole district lying between and adjoining the rivers Tigris and Euphrates. In Dan. 2:2, 10 the name is applied to a learned class in Babylon who made a special study of astrology.

This answered some of the questions I had but added several more. For instance, what was the significance of this small region or group of people of Babylonia? The Bible Maps helped visualize where these people lived in conjunction to Babylon. A scripture search returned that this name was used quite often during the time of prophets such as Jeremiah, Daniel and Habakkuk which made sense since they lived during the height of the Babylonian empire which I could easily see using the Old Testament timeline bookmarker and the Bible Chronology.

I next turned to secular learning since these were people of a well known world power in the annuals of world history. Wikipedia gave a detailed rundown of the Chaldeans and their significance to Babylonia. I learned that they moved into the Euphrates and Tigris river area late in the game after Babylonia had been established for many years and came under the control of Babylonia which at this point was paying tribute to Assyria. Over the next several centuries, they sought after the throne with small success until just before 600 BC when they not only dominated the throne of Babylonia but with the help of other nations overthrew the Assyrians. The Chaldean dynasty of Babylon conquered and subdued many nations that had been under the rule of Assyria and added several additional nations including Judah. And, the greatest of the Chaldean leaders was King Nebuchadnezzar.

The Babylonian empire declined after King Nebuchadnezzar until its overthrow by the Persians. Babylon eventually faded into obscurity and the Chaldeans by this point had become totally absorbed into Babylonian culture to the point that there was no distinction between them. The name Chaldean continued on to describe a societal class of learned men of astrologists and astronomers whom the Persians described as masters of reading and writing, and especially versed in all forms of incantation, sorcery, witchcraft, and the magical arts. Even, this societal class eventually fell by the wayside dropping into oblivion.

He will do his pleasure on Babylon, and his arm shall come upon the Chaldeans.

This little exercise gave me a better understanding of what Isaiah is trying to teach me about the world and what I am fleeing from. He not only taught me that the Chaldeans were those that aggressively pushed the ideals of the world but I was taught how to recognize those ideals. Not everything I learned was intellectual but I also gained a feeling of being connected with these verses. I felt the urgency of the Lord's message to flee from the world and to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ and about the infinite Atonement—the great counter weight to the world's teachings which will bring both peace and hope to all mankind.

Go ye forth of Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans, with a voice of singing declare ye, tell this, utter to the end of the earth; say ye: The Lord hath redeemed his servant Jacob.

Understand the Back Story

I want to share a few more skills that I have learned before starting into the first two chapters of Isaiah. These new skills add onto the skills previously discussed, so now may be a good time to review them:

• Use Other Sources
• Using Other Sources Properly
• Time, Effort and Patience
• Listen to the Spirit
• Write It Down
• Cultural Differences

Know where to go for information on Jewish history, tradition, geography, politics, and major events.

Unlocking scriptural interpretation from Isaiah's writings requires an intimate knowledge of the history, tradition, geography, and politics of God's people. This can be a difficult and overwhelming task. However, I have found that I do not have to be an expert in Jewish culture but rather it is a matter of knowing where to go for the information. This is a companion skill to Use Other Sources and adds some additional sources that I use for difficult scriptures like Isaiah. I rely on these resources whenever I run into names, places and events that are not familiar.

Timeline - the Bible Chronology gives a great rundown of major events and their timing including external political events and people. The Old Testament seminary bookmark gives a great visual representation of Israel in the Old Testament times including approximate timeline, general locations, lists of people (judges, kings and prophets) and external conquering empires.

Geography - Bible Maps is very useful for finding areas, cities, mountains, and routes that are referenced in the Bible. Modern day maps such as Google maps can be used to locate places; however, keep in mind that places quite often changed names or disappeared over time so additional research may need to be done. Also, the Bible Dictionary can be useful for finding the historical significance of geographical locations.

Political - the political story can be found by following the judge or king of the time. The Bible Dictionary is a good source for getting summary information about these individuals. Additonally, I find searching for the individual in the Topical Guide or doing a word search in the electronic version of the scriptures to be extremely useful for figuring out what is going on during their time period and what kind of person they were. Following the prophet of the time can also give clues to what major events are going on. Understanding external politics of the time is extremely important to getting the big picture. Much of this kind of information is not only available through scriptural sources but also through secular learning sources. For example, I found a 1982 Ensign article that gives a quick rundown of the major powers during the Old Testament times.

Tradition - the children of Israel have a rich tradition built upon covenant keeping and faith in God. To understand that tradition, it is important to understand where it came from. I have found that one of the best ways to understand Jewish tradition is to look at the major events within its history. Now is good time to brush up on Old Testament stories. These will provide the background information that tradition is built on. These events show God's love for His children and if read in a symbolic manner will show a pattern for this life and its purpose. In my opinion, the greatest of these stories, the most influential on tradition, and most referenced is the Exodus. Therefore, I think it is critical to study and be familiar with this event and the symbolism behind it. Another major source of tradition also comes from this event—the law of Moses. Unfortunately, this is a little harder to grasp because of the complexity and monotony of the law. This is where other sources come into play such as Keil and Delitzsch or the Old Testament institute manuals which do have Jewish law and tradition expertise.

Introducing Isaiah | 1 Nephi 19

It has been a while but I am back. Life can become overwhelming at times but I find that as I hang in there and turn to the Savior, it eventually stabilizes into the new normal.

I left off with Nephi reaching the promised land and making plates of ore to record his journey. Before moving forward, I want to take some time to prepare for the words of Isaiah which will be coming in the next couple of chapters and will be sprinkled throughout the Book of Mormon.

In addition to being an introduction to the small plates of Nephi, chapter 19 is also an introduction to the writings of Isaiah. They follow the same pattern for scriptures as outlined in Wise Purpose; however, they also have a special mission that can be revealed through the spirit of prophecy. I have listed some of the central themes that Isaiah puts forth and the specific audiences which he addresses.

He speaks of the mission of Jesus Christ and His Atonement. "Isaiah declared by prophecy that the Redeemer was anointed to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that were bound." (D&C 138:42) "But that I might more fully persuade them to believe in the Lord their Redeemer I did read unto them that which was written by the prophet Isaiah." (1 Nephi 19:23) "He verily saw my Redeemer." (2 Nephi 11:2) "And I speak unto you for your sakes, that ye may learn and glorify the name of your God." (2 Nephi 6:4)

He speaks directly to the house of Israel and shows all of their doings. "For surely he spake as touching all things concerning my people which are of the house of Israel." (3 Nephi 23:2) "Hear ye the words of the prophet, ye who are a remnant of the house of Israel, a branch who have been broken off; hear ye the words of the prophet, which were written unto all the house of Israel." (1 Nephi 19:24) "And now, behold, I would speak unto you concerning things which are, and which are to come; wherefore, I will read you the words of Isaiah." (2 Nephi 6:4) "And all things that he spake have been and shall be, even according to the words which he spake." (3 Nephi 23:3)

He speaks to the Gentiles in the latter days. "Therefore it must needs be that he must speak also to the Gentiles." (3 Nephi 23:2) "Wherefore, hearken, O my people, which are of the house of Israel, and give ear unto my words; for because the words of Isaiah are not plain unto you, nevertheless they are plain unto all those that are filled with the spirit of prophecy." (2 Nephi 25:4)  "For I know that they shall be of great worth unto them in the last days; for in that day shall they understand them; wherefore, for their good have I written them." (2 Nephi 25:8)

He speaks of the restoration of the house of Israel and the renewal of the Lord's covenants with Israel. "And I did rehearse unto them the words of Isaiah, who spake concerning the restoration of the Jews, or of the house of Israel; and after they were restored they should no more be confounded, neither should they be scattered again." (1 Nephi 15:20) "Those saints who have gone before me, who have possessed this land, shall cry, yea, even from the dust will they cry unto the Lord; and as the Lord liveth he will remember the covenant which he hath made with them." (Mormon 8:23)

He speaks to the everyday saint for their profit and  learning. "I did liken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for our profit and learning; [...] hear ye the words of the prophet, which were written unto all the house of Israel, and liken them unto yourselves." (1 Nephi 19:24) "And I speak unto you for your sakes, that ye may learn and glorify the name of your God." (2 Nephi 6:4) "Now these are the words, and ye may liken them unto you and unto all men." (2 Nephi 11:8) "And now, behold, I say unto you, that ye ought to search these things. Yea, a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah." (3 Nephi 23:1)

The Lord promises great blessings to those that take the time and effort to read and study the words of Isaiah.

Mercy: "For had not the Lord been merciful, to show unto me concerning them, even as he had prophets of old, I should have perished also." (1 Nephi 19:20)
Hope: "Hear ye the words of the prophet, which were written unto all the house of Israel, ... that ye may have hope." (1 Nephi 19:24)
Delight: "I, Nephi, write more of the words of Isaiah, for my soul delighteth in his words." (2 Nephi 11:2)
Joy: "And now I write some of the words of Isaiah, that whoso of my people shall see these words may lift up their hearts and rejoice for all men." (2 Nephi 11:8)

I am grateful for Isaiah's words and the peace and joy that they have brought into my life. I know it will be a blessing to those that take the time to dig a little deeper.