Welcome to Day 15...
(Make-Up Day in just two more days! Hang in there!)
Isaiah saw the birth of Jesus Christ, His life and mission, the Restoration and the destructions and judgments of the wicked in the last days. He saw our day and knew what to tell us to prepare for His second coming! His prophesies were preserved for us so that we would be inspired to repent and make righteous choices and avoid the great judgments that will befall the wicked.
Our study session today is an important part of our latter-day preparation. Let's hop to it!
- Opening Song: "High On A Mountain Top"
- Begin Study Session With Prayer
- Scripture Study: 2 Nephi 18-21 (listen)
- Study Guide: (here)
- Video: "Discussions on the Book of Mormon 2 Nephi 17-24"
"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and thegovernment shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called, Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." 2 Nephi 19:6
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland wrote that though we often associate Isaiah’s prophecy in 2 Nephi 19:6–7 with the birth of Christ, it will also be fulfilled at the time of the Millennium:
“The fact that the government would eventually be upon his shoulders affirms what all the world will one day acknowledge—that he is Lord of lords and King of kings and will one day rule over the earth and his Church in person” (Christ and the New Covenant: The Messianic Message of the Book of Mormon [1997], 80).
He went on to explain that the significance of the various titles applied to Jesus Christ in these verses:
“As ‘Wonderful Counselor,’ he will be our mediator, our intercessor, defending our cause in the courts of heaven. …
“Of course, as noted by Isaiah, Christ is not only a mediator but also a judge [see Mosiah 3:10; Moroni 10:34; Moses 6:57]. It is in that role of judge that we may find even greater meaning in Abinadi’s repeated expression that ‘God himself’ will come down to redeem his people [Mosiah 13:28; see also Mosiah 13:34; 15:1; Alma 42:15]. It is as if the judge in that great courtroom in heaven, unwilling to ask anyone but himself to bear the burdens of the guilty people standing in the dock, takes off his judicial robes and comes down to earth to bear their stripes personally. Christ as merciful judge is as beautiful and wonderful a concept as that of Christ as counselor, mediator, and advocate.
“‘Mighty God’ conveys something of the power of God, his strength, omnipotence, and unconquerable influence. Isaiah sees him as always able to overcome the effects of sin and transgression in his people and to triumph forever over the would-be oppressors of the children of Israel.
“‘Everlasting Father’ underscores the fundamental doctrine that Christ is a Father—Creator of worlds without number, the Father of restored physical life through the Resurrection, the Father of eternal life for his spiritually begotten sons and daughters, and the One acting for the Father (Elohim) through divine investiture of authority. All should seek to be born of him and become his sons and his daughters [see Mosiah 5:7].
“Lastly, with the phrase ‘Prince of Peace,’ we rejoice that when the King shall come, there will be no more war in the human heart or among the nations of the world. This is a peaceful king, the king of Salem, the city that would later become Jeru-Salem. Christ will bring peace to those who accept him in mortality in whatever era they live, and he will bring peace to all those in his millennial and postmillennial realms of glory” (Christ and the New Covenant, 80–82).
“In our preexistent state, in the day of the great council, we made certain agreements with the Almighty. The Lord proposed a plan, conceived by Him. We accepted it. Since the plan is intended for all men, we become parties to the salvation of every person under that plan. We agreed right then and there, to be not only saviors for the whole human family. We went into a partnership with the Lord. The working out of the plan became then not merely the Father's work, but also our work. The least of us, the humblest, is in partnership with the Almighty in achieving the purpose of the eternal plan of salvation.”
--John A. Widtsoe
Seminary Study Guide:
When Isaiah prophesied, there were two kingdoms of Israelites—the southern kingdom of Judah and the northern kingdom of Israel (also called Ephraim). A third country, Syria, was sometimes an enemy and sometimes an ally with either or both Israel and Judah (see BibleDictionary, “Chronology: Kings of Judah and Israel,” 637–39). These countries were referred to by the following terms:
Country
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Judah
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Syria
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Israel
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Capital city
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Jerusalem
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Damascus
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Samaria
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Territory or principal tribe
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Judah
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Aram
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Ephraim
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Leader
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Ahaz (king), of the house of David
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Rezin (king)
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Pekah (king), son of Remaliah
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(click to view larger) Isaiah’s call to the ministry came during the decline of Judah’s and Israel’s power and prosperity. The northern kingdom of Israel (Ephraim) had formed an alliance with Syria for mutual strength and protection against the conquering empire of Assyria. When Judah refused to join the alliance, Israel and Syria attacked Judah (see2 Nephi 17:1).
As with many of Isaiah’s prophecies, there was a fulfillment during his own time (see 2 Kings 16–18), which is shown in the history of ancient Israel and Judah. A careful reading of 2 Nephi 17–24 together with the chapter introductions teach that Isaiah’s prophecies also relate to the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and the judgments that precede that wonderful, anticipated event.
- Record thoughts and favorite verses in your journal.
- Complete study session with prayer.
1. "A Stone of Stumbling, A Rock of Offense" (Isaiah 7-8/2 Nephi 17-18)
2. "The Prince of Peace"
(Isaiah 9-11/ 2 Nephi 19-21)
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