Isaiah 5 or 2 Nephi 15
By
Jeffrey Bushman Aug. 2017
Chapter 15
The Lord’s vineyard (Israel) will
become desolate, and His people will be scattered—Woes will come upon them in
their apostate and scattered state—The Lord will lift an ensign and gather
Israel—Compare Isaiah 5. About
559–545 B.C.
1 aAnd then will I sing (the prophet
composes a song or poetic parable of a vineyard showing God’s mercy and
Israel’s unresponsiveness) to my well-beloved a song of my beloved,
touching his bvineyard. My well-beloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill. . In the Bible version the
verse starts with “and now” the change to “and then” seems to tie this chapter
to the 3 previous chapters and to the same time periods. Isaiah told it to Jerusalem but it will also
reflect what is happening in the last days.
The first two verses are given in third person. This is like several parables told by Christ
and others that allow people to pass judgment before they realize it may be
talking about themselves. If you look at
verse 7 it will tell you what the vineyard is and who the vines represent.
2 And he fenced it, and gathered out
the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest avine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a
wine-press therein; and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it
brought forth wild grapes. The
Lord God has done much for the house of Israel in order to bless their lives
for good. The vine’s grapes signify
their works and they have brought forth evil works even with all the efforts of
the Lord. The tower built may be the
temple in the center to give power over the powers of the world.
3 And now, O inhabitants of
Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard. . Here the Lord is talking
1st person. Look what I have
done for you, and judge now, did I do
anything wrong. Tell me, is this my
fault?
4 What could have been done more to
my vineyard that I have not done in it? Wherefore, when I looked that it should
bring forth grapes it brought forth wild grapes. Can you think of anything
necessary that I did not do for my people, who then rejected me and brought
forth evil acts or wild grapes.
5 And now go to; I will tell you
what I will do to my vineyard—I will atake away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and I will
break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down; ; If you think I will bless you in your wickedness
you don’t understand doctrine. I have to
remove my power and blessings, and then you will be at the mercy of Satan and
his wicked people. They will take from
you what I gave you.
6 And I will lay it waste; it shall
not be pruned nor digged; but there shall come up abriers and thorns; I will also command the clouds that they brain no rain upon it. . Here the Lord shows how
much power he has invested in his covenant people by saying he will now command
the clouds or rain to leave you to your own devices since you won’t listen to
him. They had received the blessings
from heaven.
7 For the avineyard of the Lord of Hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of
Judah his pleasant plant; and he looked for bjudgment, and behold, coppression; for righteousness, but behold, a cry(IE a riotous or raucous outcry). . Here
the Lord identifies who has been blessed but has rejected him. In the Hebrew the last part of the verse
would read, “ the Lord expected Justice (mishpat) but they gave bloodshed
(mispach) and instead of righteousness (tsdakah) the people bring a riotous cry
(tse’akah)”. The words sound alike but
are opposites. Isaiah like to use this
kind of language because it had a powerful effect on the people of his day.
The Lord is now going to pronounce 6 woes upon Israel. The first is in verses 8-10
8 Wo unto them that join ahouse
to house, till there can be no place, that they may be placed alone in the
midst of the earth! KJV 8 ¶ Woe unto them that ajoin bhouse to house, that lay field to
field, till there be no place, that they may cbe placed alone (i.e. be left
alone. The wealthy landowners absorb the
small farms of the poor.) in the midst of
the earth! ! The Lord taught Israel
through the Mosiac Law that all Israel would be given land for their own
private use or inheritance and if they sold their property, at the end of each 50 year time period they would celebrate the
year of Jubilee, then all land would
revert back to the families that had been given it originally whether they had
sold it or not. This was to be their
family everlasting possession. Here some
wealthy people are buying up the land and refusing to release it back on
Jubilee to the families. Today it might
be that the government may be taking land with rules that allow them to control
the use of land. The gospel is based on
individual agency and wicked men and government can take away this privilege
and then control the people according to their pleasure.
9 In mine ears, said the Lord of Hosts, of a truth many houses
shall be desolate, and great and fair cities without inhabitant. KJV 9 In mine ears said the Lord of hosts,
Of a truth many houses shall be desolate, even
great and fair, without inhabitant. . If this situation were to
come on the land, and if the Lord were to send a famine (see verse 6) the
people would be forced out of the cities in an effort to obtain food. Also the wickedness of the people may make
the cities not a very safe place to live.
10 Yea,
ten acres of vineyard shall yield one abath, and the seed of a homer (a homer equal 10 ephahs) shall yield an ephah. I have often wondered how the production of one
bath (8 ¼ gallons) of wine from ten acres compares with the expected rate of
production. I have not researched the
production capabilities of Isaiah’s time, but I have discovered that in today’s
vineyards, the expectation is that one acre of vineyard will produce 6.8 tons
of grapes, or 13,600 pounds. I further
discovered that a gallon of wine can be made at home from as little as three
pounds of grapes, if one wishes to add water.
To produce the richest, thickest wine, one could use 15 pounds of grapes
per gallon, adding no water. So, rather
than producing 8 ¼ gallons of wine, the ten acres spoken of by Isaiah should
produce between 9,000 and 45,000 gallons.
What a punishment! In case you
wondered, an acre is 4840 square yards, or approximately the size of a football
field, from sideline to sideline, and between the goal line on one end and the
ten yard line on the other (actually 53.33 yards x 90.75). So ten acres would be 7 ½ football fields,
goal post to goal post.
2nd
woe
11 Wo unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may
afollow
strong drink, that continue until night, and bwine
inflame(drunkenness) them! ! Sounds like someone with a drinking problem instead of just a social
drinker. They are probably addicted.
12 And the harp, and the aviol (HEB. lyre), the
tabret (HEB. drums), and pipe, and wine are
in their feasts; but they bregard not the work of the Lord, neither consider the operation of
his hands. . The type of music they
listen to in their drinking parties is not designed to bring the spirit of the
Lord. Their thoughts are about as far
away from the Lord at this time as they can be.
13 Therefore, my people are gone
into acaptivity (TG Bondage, Spiritual),
because they have no bknowledge (God, knowledge of);
and their honorable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst (spiritual loss of the
spirit) . This shows the effect
that alcohol has on people and societies in general. They lose the desire to get to know the Lord
and they go without the living water that could satisfy their souls, for that
which will destroy them.
14 Therefore, hell hath enlarged
herself, and opened her mouth without measure; and their glory, and their
multitude, and their pomp (HEB noise, or uproar),
and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.
. Those
who in this group will go to spirit prison or hell when they die.
15 And the mean man shall be abrought down, and the bmighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the clofty( or haughty) shall be humbled. They
will reap as they sowed.
16 But the Lord of Hosts shall be
exalted in ajudgment, and God that is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness. . The Lords judgments seem
to be upon these wicked people as given by Moses in Deut. 28:49-51. The Lord
shall bring a nation against thee .
. .And he shall eat the fruit of
thy cattle, and the fruit of thy land, until thou be destroyed: which also
shall not leave thee either corn, wine, or oil, or thy increase of the kine, or
flocks of thy sheep, until he have destroyed thee.
17 Then shall the lambs feed after
their manner, and the waste places of the afat (wealthy) ones shall
strangers (foreigners) eat. . Conquering armies (see
verse above)
3rd woe
18 Wo unto them that draw iniquity
with cords of avanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope (IE they are tied to their sins like beasts to their
burdens); ; This seems to describe those who are dragging
around their sins through everyday life,
like a donkey tied to a cart.
19 That say: Let him amake (IE They will not believe in
the Messiah until they see Him.)speed, bhasten his work, that we may csee it; and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh
and come, that we may know it. Some
are judgmental about another person who steals something little, but think it
nothing to gain millions through shady business deals, or someone who chooses to go against something
the lord condemns but put down that commandment or denies that it goes against
them saying, if it is true let the Lord show me personally.
4th Wo unto
those who have a perverted moral law.
Verses 20
20 Wo unto them that acall bevil good, and good evil, that put cdarkness for light, and light for darkness, that put bitter for
sweet, and sweet for bitter! ! Sounds like same sex
marriage, and political correctness.
5th Wo Verse
21 So called intellectuals
21 Wo unto the awise
in their own eyes and bprudent
in their own sight! KJV 21
Woe unto them that are awise in their own beyes, and cprudent in their own sight!
They rely on their own judgment and not on the
Lord.
6th Wo Verses
22-23
22 Wo unto the mighty to drink awine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink; Some believe this has
reference to those Celebrities who advertise for companies to make money on
many things that may harm the users of their products.
23 Who justify the wicked for areward, and take away (IE deprive him
of his legal rights) the righteousness of the righteous from him! ! This fits the preceding
verse, people who promote products that will destroy others, but it also can be
those who pass false judgment for reward and take away from the righteous their
rights and property. They take a bribe
to pervert judgment
Veses 24-25 will now show the judgment the Lord will bring upon the
wicked for rejecting him.
24 Therefore, as the afire devoureth the bstubble, and the flame consumeth the cchaff, their droot shall be rottenness, and their blossoms shall go up as
dust; because they have cast away the law of the Lord of Hosts, and edespised the word of the Holy One of Israel. Their destruction will
come in a swift manner. As the tongue of
fire devours the stubble and dry grass inks down in the flame, so their roots
will be rottenness, and their blossom go up like dust. For they have rejected
the law of the Lord and despised the words of the Holy one.
25 Therefore, is the aanger of the Lord kindled against his people, and he hath
stretched forth his hand against them, and hath smitten them; and the hills did
tremble, and their carcasses were torn in the midst of the streets. For all
this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. This could come from
being conquered by their enemies . Revised
Standard Version The anger of the Lord
is kindled against his people, and he stretched out his hand against them, and
the mountains quaked; and their corpses were as refuse, in the midst of the
streets.
The last few verses seem to have two meanings. I will try and include both. The 1st one will be about Assyria
and their conquest of Judah. I will make
notes in red and then the 2nd will represent what is going to happen
in the last days and I will put that explanation in blue.
26 And he will lift up an aensign to the bnations from far, and will hiss (See 2 Ne 29:2)( or
whistle; i.e., signal for the gathering) unto them from the cend of the earth; and behold, they shall dcome with speed swiftly; none shall be weary nor stumble among
them. . Because of the justice of
the Lord he will allow the Assyrians who around 721BC took the 10 tribes
captive and they later became lost, but in 701BC they conquered most of Judah
up to Jerusalem. The term ensign is a
flag or standard that troops would rally around and then it describes that this
army will come quickly against Judah. From the last day perspective, They could represent the
great assemblage of a future spiritual force instead of a political group.
Nephi in 2 Nephi 15 used these versed in a latter-day context. Elder
Legrand Richards used these verses to explain the great gathering of Israel as
the Lord would lift up and ensign or flag to the nations and invite Israel to
be gathered back to him again. This
great force of missionaries would come with speed swiftly and normally could
get to their field of missionary labor quickly.
Nephi also talks about the Book of Mormon hissing from the earth and
quotes this chapter with the latter day interpretation in mind. (See hiss above 2 Nephi 29:2) Also the Lord has raised his standard for
when he shall pour out his judgment without mixture …..D&C 115:5-6
27 None shall slumber nor sleep;
neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their
shoes be broken; Great
power of this army, for they will not stop to sleep or rest but will
destroy. Normally
the missionary force could get to their assigned area in one day and would not
have to remove their shoes nor be weary from the journey.
28 Whose arrows shall be sharp, and
all their bows bent, and their horses’ hoofs shall be counted like flint, and
their wheels like a whirlwind, their roaring like a lion. . Arrows and bows refer to
military as do horses and they will come upon Israel and Judah with great power
like a whirlwind and the roaring of lions.
Elder Richards described the missionaries
mode of transportation by saying Isaiah didn’t know the names of our modes of
transportation, but described them as being very powerful and their hoof like
flint and wheels like a whirlwind or like trains. Their roaring like a lion could be
airplanes. This is shown also in the
verse given next where they would lay hold of the prey and carry it away
safe. They bring them to true safety to
Zion where the stakes are for a defense and a refuge. (D&D 115:5-6)
29 They shall roar like young alions; yea, they shall roar, and lay hold of the prey, and shall
carry away safe, and none shall deliver.
Those taken by Assyria will realize the might and power of that
nation that God has allowed to punish Israel and Judah. This verse seems to be about the people who are taught
the gospel and will leave to gather with the saints, brought to the truth by
the Lord’s army.
30 And in that aday they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea;
and if they look unto the land, behold, darkness and sorrow, and the light is
darkened in the heavens thereof. Assyria’s
destruction was so complete that in the day time the light of the sky was
darkened perhaps by the burning of cites and in the gloom of those being
conquered. This verse may show how the gentiles who reject the
gospel respond to those who are joining the church and trying to build up Zion. It may come in a day when even though the
light of the gospel is available the world will reject the truth and will
remain shrouded in spiritual darkness.
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