2 Nephi 21 or Isaiah 11
By
Jeffrey Bushman Aug. 2017
Chapter 21
The
stem of Jesse (Christ) will judge in righteousness—The knowledge of God will
cover the earth in the Millennium—The Lord will raise an ensign and gather
Israel—Compare Isaiah 11.
About 559–545 B.C.
Ludlow-Chapter 11 is a prophecy that is to be fulfilled after
1823, for Moroni said to Joseph Smith that this prophecy was about to be
fulfilled! JS-H 1:40
In the last chapter (20) Isaiah used the imagery of trees
representing people who in their pride would be cut down or humbled. This chapter also starts with imagery of new
leaders in the last days (trees), who were righteous, that would lead the
people.
1 aAnd there shall bcome forth a rod out of the cstem (Jesus Christ) of Jesse (David’s father), and a dbranch shall grow out of his roots. In section 113:1-5, the
Lord identified that the stem of Jesse refers to Jesus Christ. Verse three of this section also refers to
the branch that grows out of this stem or a servant in the hands of the Lord
who is a descendant of both tribes of Judah and Ephraim. Verses 1-5 here seem to refer to Jesus
Christ, but since verse one is referring to two individuals these verses could
refer to both. Many scholars refer to
the branch as Joseph Smith, because he
fits the description and is a descendant of both Ephraim and Judah according to
several statements of Joseph and other earlier church leaders. V 1
could read: And there shall come forth a descendant of Jesse and Ephraim who
shall be a powerful servant in the hands of Christ. . . . 2nd part:
yea a helper from among his children shall come forth.
However some scholars feel that verse 10 is referring to Joseph
Smith and this first verse, refers to a leader other than Joseph. Ludlow quotes several scriptures that refer
to the branch in the following scriptures: Daniel 11:7-12:1, Zech.
3:8-9, Ezekiel 37:21-28, Jer. 23:3-8, 33:15, Isaiah 55:3-4 and Hosea
3:4-5. Here they reference a descendant
of Jesse and Ephraim who will be called David and will be a great leader in the
last days for the kingdom of Judah who will inherit all that King David lost
when he caused the death of Uriah and was told that all he had would be given
to another. Joseph
Smith taught “the throne and kingdom of David is to be taken from him and given
to another by the name of David in the last days, raised up out of his lineage”
HC 6:253: In Orson Hydes dedicatory
prayer in Jerusalem “Raise up Jerusalem . . . .and constitute her people a
distinct nation and government, with David Thy servant, even a descendant from
the loins of ancient David to be their king.” I think that it is
possible that this verse may refer to all three.
2 And the aSpirit of the Lord shall rest upon him,
the spirit of bwisdom and cunderstanding, the
spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the
Lord; Verses 2-5 describe the attributes of these
righteous men.
3 And shall make him of quick
understanding in the fear of the Lord; and he shall not ajudge after (IE
by appearances and by hearsay) the sight of his eyes, neither reprove
after the hearing of his ears.
4 But with arighteousness shall he bjudge( Jesus Christ) the poor, and reprove (HEB
decide with equity) with equity for the cmeek of the earth; and he shall dsmite the earth with the erod of his mouth, and with the breath
of his lips shall he slay the wicked.
5 And arighteousness shall be
the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. . Another interpretation
for righteousness was justice.
The following 4 verses refer to conditions that will be enjoyed
during the 1000 years of peace while Christ reigns on the earth.
6 The awolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and
the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and the calf and the young lion and
fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. Enmity
between animals shall cease, also between animals a helpless children,
7 And the cow and the bear shall
feed; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw
like the ox.
8 And the sucking child shall play
on the hole of the asp (or the horned viper),
and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’s (IE another venomous serpent) den. Enmity between animals and helpless children,
9 They shall anot hurt nor bdestroy in all my holy mountain, for the cearth shall be full of the dknowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover
the sea. As righteousness
increases the effect will spread over the earth.
10 And in that day there shall be a aroot of Jesse (IE in the latter days),
which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it (or
unto him) shall the bGentiles seek; and his crest shall be glorious. . In
D&C 113:5-6 Joseph asked the Lord what the root was in verse 10 of this
chapter. The Lord said it is a
descendant of Jesse, as well as of Joseph, unto whom rightly belongs the
priesthood, and the keys of the kingdom, for an ensign, and for the gathering
of my people in the last days. It seems
all scholars that I read felt this was certainly Joseph Smith and that he had a
right by lineage to hold the keys. He
had the blood of Ephraim (to rule or
preside) that came from his father who was called to be the patriarch of the
church, which calling was given by lineage.
Here are several verses about this lineage: D&C 86:8-11, 113:8,
107:40-41, 56-57, Isaiah 52:1
This root of Jesse may have reference to many leaders or prophets
who will also come through this blood line.
Many of our latter day prophets are blood relatives of Joseph Smith and
it may represent the prophet or even the head of the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints until the time of Christ second coming.
In the Encyclopedia Judauca
11:1411, Ludlow (p177) quotes: “A secondary messianic figure is the Messiah son
of [of the tribe of] Joseph (or Ephraim), whose coming precedes that of the Messiah,
son of David, and who will die in combat with the enemies of God and
Israel.” Joseph Smith and his martyrdom
could already be a fulfillment of this role.
Joseph who was sold into bondage had a prophecy (2 Nephi 3:6-11,
14-15) who taught that one of his descendants with the name of Joseph would do
a great work among the house of Israel, restore the covenants of the Lord. We know this is Joseph Smith, and his
patriarchal blessing identifies him as the heir to the promises of Ephraim (son
of ancient Joseph), and he is called a pure Ephraimite by Brigham Young. Heber C. Kimball taught that Joseph Smith and
several other early leaders , shared lineage with Jesus in the tribe of Judah. Pure
Ephraimite means Joseph’s father’s and
their father’s lineage goes back to Joseph’s son Ephraim.
The early priesthood holders of this dispensation were lawful heirs
to their power through their lineage.
(D&C 86:8-11) Indeed, Isaiah
prophesied that the strength of Zion in the last days would be the authority of
the priesthood to which Zion “has a right by lineage” (Isaiah 52:1; D&C
113:8; 107:40-41, 56-57)
11 And it shall come to pass in that
day that the Lord shall set his hand again the asecond time to recover the remnant of his
people which shall be left, from bAssyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros,
and from Cush, and from Elam, and from cShinar, and from Hamath, and from the
islands of the sea. Set his
hand=his work will be to gather the remnant of his people. The first gathering came after Babylon
destroyed Jerusalem in 600 BC and the 2nd gathering will come from
all directions (nations) where they have been scattered. Islands of the sea many times refer to where
those who will hearken to the Lord’s voice and are gathered.
12 And he shall set up an aensign for the nations, and shall assemble
the boutcasts of Israel, and cgather together the dispersed of Judah
from the four corners of the earth. Kind of
a repeat of the previous verse but this time He will set up an ensign (Church)
that will be where they are to gather to.
The outcasts of Israel could well be the 10 tribes, or Ephraim, and the
gathering to the land of the Jerusalem of old, those of the Kingdom of Judah.
13 The aenvy of Ephraim also shall depart, and
the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off; Ephraim shall not benvy (The
tribes led by Judah and Ephraim were historically adversaries- in the last days
this enmity will be healed) cJudah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim. . Ephraim
and his people in the land of Joseph (America) and Judah shall be healed in
their differences and will work together in righteousness. They will triumph over their enemies. They may become like they were when they were
all under one rule as the 12 tribes of Israel.
14 But they shall fly (HEB fly down on the shoulder; i.e. attack the western
slope that were Philistine territory) upon the shoulders of the aPhilistines towards
the west (Gaza strip); they shall spoil them of
the east together; they(HEB together, i.e. Ephraim
and Judah they shall spoil) shall lay their hand upon bEdom and cMoab; and the children of Ammon (Modern Jordan) shall obey them. Pres. Joseph Fielding
Smith identified the Philistines as the gentiles. (Answers to Gospel Questions 2:181) The Philistines today occupy the area known
as the Gaza strip and Edom or Esau’s descendants and Moab or Lot’s descendants
which make up modern Jordan. It will come
under Israel’s leadership. Some
scholars recognize a similar promise recorded in Ezekiel 37:16-17 where the
stick of Judah “the bible” and stick of Joseph “the Book of Mormon” will become
one to testify to the world.
15 And the Lord shall utterly adestroy the tongue of the Egyptian (IE facilitate the return, as in the days of Moses)
sea; and with his mighty wind he shall shake his hand over the river and shall smite it in the seven streams, and make men
go over bdry shod. There was not a lot of
information on this prophecy. Ludlow
said that which was plausible for him was that the river Nile which in the
spring would over flow its banks and form a great inland sea. He talks about the fact that this ceased with
the construction of the Aswan Dam which destroyed the traditional way of life
in Egypt. The Lord was to also smite the
river, most think this is the Euphrates, so that man can cross without getting
wet
16 And there shall be a ahighway (HEB a
way or road) for the remnant of his people which shall be left, from
Assyria, like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of
Egypt. A way cast up like what
the Lord did in Egypt during Moses’s ministry to bring Israel out from Egypt to
the promised land. Then it wasn’t an
actual road but the Lord prepared a way to get from bondage to a better life
being led by God himself. D&C 133:27
talks about a highway that the Lord prepares for the righteous to come out of
Babylon, whether this is a literal, or a “High” way to bring the people back to
him.
The
eleventh chapter of Isaiah contains some marvelous prophecies of the last
days. It enlightens modern Israelites
about the roles of at least two great leaders who will prepare the way for the
second coming of Christ in power and glory. They may possibly be the two
‘saviors’ or ‘messiahs’ know in Jewish tradition as “Messiah ben David” who is
a redeemed descended from David and “Messiah ben Joseph” a redeemer descended
from Joseph. Some Jewish traditions say
they will both be killed in combat.
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