Come Follow Me Podcast #9: “His Name Shall Be Called … The Prince of Peace” 2 Nephi 11-19
Scot
The story is told of a man in war and in the heat of the battle he was shot in the chest. By a miracle he was spared being killed. As he was taken back to the safety of the nearby camp, he was examined and he had a small copy of the Book of Mormon he had been carrying in his uniform. They opened the book and the bullet had penetrated only into about the middle of 2 Nephi—right in the heart of the Isaiah chapters. It was said that even a speeding bullet couldn’t get through Isaiah—well, let’s try to prove that wrong today. Let’s have some fun studying these seemingly difficult chapters together!
Maurine
Welcome to Meridian Magazine’s Come Follow Me Podcast. This is Scot and Maurine Proctor and we’re thrilled to be with you, our dear friends around the United States and the world, and study together these most important chapters. We get so many notes and letters and emails about the Podcast—I wish we could talk personally to each one of you. But how about let’s just think this time as if it’s just Scot and me and you—we’re all just gathered together in your home studying these marvelous scriptures.
Scot
We know that many of you are listening to this as a family—we admire you so much—especially when you teenagers and even primary-age children are gathered with your parents for Come Follow Me! We are so proud of you young people following the Prophet. You are laying a wonderful foundation for your life by so diligently studying the scriptures.
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Maurine
Now, let’s dive right into these amazing chapters, but let’s don’t miss a very significant statement that Nephi makes in 2 Nephi chapter 11. He carefully sets forth the law of witnesses—that in the mouth of two or three witnesses will all my words be established. Look how he does this:
This is verse 2.
2 And now, I, Nephi, write more of the words of Isaiah, for my soul delighteth in his words. For I will liken his words unto my people, and I will send them forth unto all my children, for he verily saw my Redeemer, even as I have seen him.
3 And my brother, Jacob, also has seen him as I have seen him; wherefore, I will send their words forth unto my children to prove unto them that my words are true. Wherefore, by the words of three, God hath said, I will establish my word. [Then I love what he says at the end of this verse 3] Nevertheless, God sendeth more witnesses, and he proveth all his words. (2 Nephi 11:2-3)
Scot
So we have these three witnesses of the Savior in place: Isaiah, Nephi and Jacob. And who are some of those other witnesses? Most importantly we receive the witness of the Holy Ghost that bears record of all truth. “And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.” (Moroni 10:5) I love what Lorenzo Snow said about this: “This is the grand privilege of every Latter-day Saint…that it is our right to have the manifestations of the Spirit every day of our lives.” (Nelson, Russell M., Revelation for the Church, Revelation for our Lives, General Conference, April 2018) Doesn’t that make us want to live to have the companionship and the whisperings of the Spirit daily in our lives?
Maurine
And, of course, we have the witness of Joseph Smith, the head of this Dispensation. We have the witnesses of Prophets and Apostles who have walked and talked with the Savior and truly know Him. We are able to experience the testimonies of our peers witnessing to us each month in our Fast and Testimony Meetings. And we can be witnesses to each other in our homes, husband and wife to each other, parents to children, children to parents. I don’t think we do that enough. When was the last time you as a wife bore your witness and testimony of the Savior to your husband—or vice versa? Some of the sweetest moments of our marriage have been sharing our witnesses, testimonies and gratitude for the Lord’s work and blessings with each other.
Scot
I completely agree. And, Maurine, before we start specifically talking about Isaiah—I want to just point out Nephi’s love and enthusiasm for the Lord: “My soul delighteth in the covenants of the Lord which he hath made to our fathers [that makes me want to ask: Do we delight in His covenants?]; yea, my soul delighteth in his grace, and mercy in the great and eternal plan of deliverance from death.” (2 Nephi 11:5). I hope that we, too, have moments like this in our lives where we rejoice and just glory in the Lord—that we delight in His overwhelming gifts to us. It makes me happy just to think about all this.
Maurine
Now, I have noticed over the years—as I’m sure you all have—that when we get to the edge of this section of 2nd Nephi—which has been fallaciously labeled sometimes: ‘the sandbars of Isaiah’—many don’t even know where to start in their thinking. Some of my students have just said, “I just read it to get through it. And then I go on with the things I can understand.” Others have said, “I don’t have a clue what Isaiah is saying.” Let’s look at some simple things to start with.
First of all, there are one thousand three hundred and thirteen verses that comprise the 66 chapters of Isaiah in the Old Testament. And a full 433 of those verses have been included in the Book of Mormon text. That’s nearly 1/3 of all of Isaiah.
Scot
There is a message right there. Remember what Nephi said early on? “I do not write anything upon plates save it be that I think it be sacred.” (1 Nephi 19:6) Nephi obviously feels very strongly that Isaiah’s words are sacred and extremely important for our time. And Jesus Himself, when He visited the Nephites said, “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). There is the law of witnesses yet again. And the Savior actually gave us a commandment to search the words of Isaiah.
Maurine
Elder McConkie called Isaiah the “prototype, pattern, and model for all the prophets.” (The Joseph Smith Translation—The Restoration of Plain and Precious Things; edited by Monte S. Nyman and Robert L. Millet. Talk by Bruce R. McConkie, The Doctrinal Restoration, p. 17). Make no mistake: Isaiah is a witness of the promised Messiah all through his writings. Oh, and I think it’s interesting that in all the discoveries of the Dead Sea Scrolls at Qumran in Israel, they found 19 copies of the Book of Isaiah—some of them completely intact with all 66 chapters. Isaiah was very important to this group. Nephi preserves the words of Isaiah. The Lord commands us to study the words of Isaiah. Moroni says to “search the prophecies of Isaiah.” (Mormon 8:23) The faithful of Qumran copied and wrote the words of Isaiah multiple times to show their regard for his words.
Scot
So, here’s a little key for us to start with—to understand Isaiah in our day. And the key is right from Nephi himself: “Hearken, O my people, which are of the house of Israel [that’s us—are you listening?], 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) To begin your studies of Isaiah then—pray for the spirit of prophecy to be given to you. Have you ever prayed for the spirit of prophecy in your personal, couple or family prayers? President Nelson is encouraging us to “stretch beyond [our] current spiritual ability to receive personal revelation.” (Nelson, Russell M., Revelation for the Church, Revelation for our Lives, General Conference, April 2018) So, again, let’s not be lazy, let’s do what the Prophet is asking us to do and what Nephi is encouraging us to do—pray for the spirit of prophecy. This will help us begin to understand his words.
Maurine
To read Isaiah, it helps to understand that you shouldn’t try to read it chronologically. It is not meant to be read as a story over time. It is also important to note that the prophecies and conditions of the world may be described with ancient place names or peoples, but they apply equally to us.
Now, I have to say also, that our dear friends Don and Jay Parry and Tina Peterson have truly helped us to wrap our minds around Isaiah and understand his words and his manner of prophesying and his context and transcendent prophecies. They wrote a book more than 20 years ago called Understanding Isaiah that has been a wonderful aid to our studies. We trust them so much and we love their book. They have a summary of each of the 66 chapters of Isaiah in their book and Scot and I have actually copied each of those brief summaries and placed them at the beginning of each of our Isaiah chapters both in the Book of Mormon and in the Old Testament in our electronic copy of the scriptures. Yes, we’ve done that for all 66 chapters in the Old Testament (you just put it in as a NOTE, and for all the Isaiah chapters in the Book of Mormon. That little preview of the coming chapter helps us look for the very thing that is going to be talked about.
Scot
Let me give you an example with what we’re looking at in this lesson. Here’s the chapter summary from 2 Nephi, chapter 12 which is the same as Isaiah Chapter 2. Again, this is from Tina Peterson and the Parry brothers:
Isaiah speaks directly to us. Many of us are personally blessed to see the fulfillment of this prophecy as we enter the Lord’s temples and are taught therein of “his ways” and walk in “his paths” (2:3). Isaiah’s prophecy of the “mountain of the Lord” (2:1-5) is fulfilled as we build temples throughout the world.
Isa. 2:10-22 is one of the greatest prophecies recorded in the standard works of Christ’s second coming and his judgments on the proud. Perhaps we, or our children or grandchildren, may witness these events as Jesus Christ comes again to the earth, this time with great power and glory.
Now, doesn’t that give us some things to think about just in 2 Nephi Chapter 12—especially when we get into verses 10-22—let’s be looking for prophetic language of the Coming of Jesus Christ!
Maurine
Our dear friend Don Parry is the world expert on the Isaiah text of the Dead Sea Scrolls. He eats, drinks and sleeps Isaiah. He used to come to our house and personally teach us (and about 50 of our friends) an honors Old Testament class. And he taught us Hebrew as well on the side!
Let’s look at 2 Nephi 12. We’re all familiar with these great prophecies. And they are very specifically last days’ prophecies. Verse 2: And it shall come to pass IN THE LAST DAYS [that’s our day], when the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it.
Scot
The word Utah was thought to be a Ute name for top of the mountains—but more accurately it is an Apache name meaning ‘people of the mountains’—Either way, the Lord’s House—or Temple—was established early on in the midst of the Rocky Mountains. Brigham Young put down his cane down in the soil just four days after their arrival in the Great Salt Lake Valley and said, ‘Here we will build a temple to our God.” But please understand that this is not the only fulfillment of this prophecy Every time we build a temple—and as of this podcast there are 335 temples in various phases, including 188 dedicated temples, 52 currently under construction and 95 others announced that are not yet under construction then this prophecy is fulfilled over and over again. “The mountain of the Lord’s house” refers to a temple. Mt. Sinai, where God and Moses met is a Temple. The Sacred Grove where Joseph and God met is a Temple. Mt. Shelem, where Moriancumer and God met is a temple. When Nephi was caught unto an exceedingly high mountain and met with the Spirit of God and an angel—that is a temple. When Isaiah sees the Lord in 2 Nephi chapter 16 or Isaiah Chapter 6—he is seeing Him in the Heavenly Temple. When we go to the Temple to perform His ordinances for our kindred dead—we are going to the Mountain of the Lord.
Maurine
Isn’t it so very interesting that when Nephi and the righteous part of his extended family separated from his brothers Laman and Lemuel, what is almost the first thing he did?
And I, Nephi, did build a temple; and I did construct it after the manner of the temple of Solomon…” (2 Nephi 5:16) The pattern is clear—we build temples to draw close and stay close to the Lord. Blessings are poured out upon a temple-building people. The whole purpose of “the gathering” is to build a temple. The temple is like a portal between the worlds. It is the gateway to heaven. It is where we learn very specifically and precisely how to come back into the presence of our Father in Heaven.
Scot
So, that was a little exercise to get us warmed up to the Isaiah text. You know, Maurine, I always love to study the meanings of names—especially from the ancient world.
Isaiah’s name means “Jehovah is salvation.” How fitting that a man who devoted his life to testifying of the saving power of the Messiah should also have a name that so testified.
Many scholars believe that Isaiah’s ministry took place between the years 740 and 700—a mission of approximately forty years. So, this is about 100 to 140 years before Lehi and his family left Jerusalem. Nephi so loved and admired Isaiah. Let’s put this in perspective for us in our day. Joseph Smith’s ministry was from 1820 until 1844—a 24-year period. One hundred years later, for us, would have been about the end of World War II. I just want you to see that Isaiah for Nephi was not someone long, long ago in a galaxy far, far away. I remember interviewing my own grandfather, William Henry Facer, and I said, “Grandpa, who is the first prophet you can remember?” He said, “Wilford Woodruff.” My Grandpa died when I was almost 32 years old! We have touched hands with those who have touched hands with those who laid the foundation of this work. Nephi’s grandfather could have easily known Isaiah.
Maurine
We learn in the first chapter of Isaiah that he, Isaiah, served as a prophet during the reign of several kings in Judah, including Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. We know that he had personal dealings with at least two of those kings. “According to one ancient Jewish source, Isaiah’s wife was a daughter of one of the kings of Judah, making Isaiah a member of the royal family by marriage.
‘Isaiah’s wife is called “prophetess” in Isaiah’s record (8:3), suggesting that she too had the gift of revelation. Isaiah and his wife had at least two sons who served as signs to Israel, as did Isaiah and his wife themselves. “Behold, I and the children whom the Lord hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts” (8:18). [In Isaiah, chapter 8—which is 2 Nephi chapter 18) Isaiah stood as a type of God the Father; the prophetess was a type of Mary, the mother of Christ; and one of their sons was a type of Jesus Christ.
Scot
Maurine, like so many of the ancient prophets, “According to Josephus, Isaiah was martyred for the faith. (Antiquities of the Jews, 10:3:1) King Manasseh, who took rule at the early age of twelve, reportedly put Isaiah in a hollow tree and had him sawed in half (Ginzberg, Louis. Legends of the Jews. 7 vols. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1909-1938, Volume 4:279.) Hebrews chapter 11 verse 37 may be an allusion to [Isaiah’s martyrdom].” (Understanding Isaiah, pp 2-3)
Let’s go back to some of the keys to understanding Isaiah’s words.
The Book of Mormon gives us four keys to understanding Isaiah, which we must obtain and use for ourselves.
Maurine
We’ve talked about having the spirit of prophecy (see 2 Nephi 25:4)
Another key is to “Be righteous—do not do “works of darkness” or “doings of abominations” (2 Ne. 25:2). Righteousness brings the Spirit, which increases understanding.
“Live in the last days, “when they [Isaiah’s prophecies] shall come to pass, . . . for in that day shall they understand them” (2 Ne. 25:7-8).” So, we all have this one! We are living in the last days and we are told we will understand his words.
Scot
And, of course, the obvious one is that we need to “Make the effort to search, which implies mental and spiritual exertion. Jesus declared twice that we ought to “search these things diligently” (3 Ne. 20:11; 23:1), and Moroni added, “Search the prophecies of Isaiah” (Morm. 8:23).” (Understanding Isaiah, pp. 4-5)
The Book of Mormon itself is one of our best commentaries on the book of Isaiah. As we’ve mentioned, nearly a third of the book of Isaiah is quoted in the Book of Mormon, with changes in about half of those 433 verses. Several chapters and verses in the Book of Mormon provide inspired explanations and commentaries of Isaiah’s writings. We see that in this week’s studies, especially in 2 Nephi 25. And, I always recommend studying the Joseph Smith Translation where Joseph gives new understanding and insights from his revelatory changes in more than 170 verses of Isaiah.
Maurine
Nephi teaches us that we can better understand Isaiah if we understand the “manner of prophesying” among the Jews (2 Ne. 25:1). This manner of prophesying included symbolism and poetic parallelism.
Nephi also teaches us that it helps to be familiar with the regions around Jerusalem (2 Ne. 25:6). There are 106 different geographical place-names in the book of Isaiah. I feel the same way about understanding the context of the Doctrine and Covenants—it helps us to understand the geography of Church History.
One last thing: Let’s be careful not to think that everything Isaiah teaches is only about ancient Israel. As we liken Isaiah’s words and prophecies unto ourselves, we learn that much of what he talks about is our day, right now—and that’s why Nephi included so many of his words in the sacred text of the Book of Mormon. The messages, teachings, doctrines, and warnings of the Book of Mormon are for us.
Scot
Putting some of these tools in place and trying to take Nephi’s perspective, let’s just sample a few of the scriptures from Isaiah that he included to help us rejoice in our Savior Jesus Christ. We’ve mentioned Isaiah’s wonderful prophecy of the last days in 2 Nephi 12 where temples will be built and all nations shall flow unto them. I love in verse 3 where “many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord [that’s the temple], to the house of the God of Jacob [that’s a covenant phrase—reminding us of the Lord’s promises to the house of Israel]; and he will teach us of his ways [so, in the temple we will specifically learn His rites and ordinances], and we will walk in his paths [remember there is a straight and narrow path that leads to life eternal]: for out of Zion shall go forth the law [this is the messages of the Prophets and Apostles from General Conference and other official publications of the Church in our day] and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem [this has multiple meanings, including the Millennial Kingdom of God on the earth that there will be two religious capitals of the Kingdom of God on the earth—the headquarters of the Church and Kingdom in Independence, Missouri—called the Center Stake of Zion—and the other center in the ancient city of Jerusalem.]
Maurine
President Harold B. Lee wrote: “I have often wondered what the expression meant, that out of Zion shall go forth the law. Years ago I went with the brethren to the Idaho Falls Temple, and I heard in that inspired prayer of the First Presidency a definition of the meaning of that term ‘out of Zion shall go forth the law.’ Note what they said: ‘We thank thee that thou hast revealed to us that those who gave us our constitutional form of government were men wise in thy sight and that thou didst raise them up for the very purpose of putting forth that sacred document [as revealed in Doctrine and Covenants section 101]. . . .
“‘We pray that kings and rulers and the peoples of all nations under heaven may be persuaded of the blessings enjoyed by the people of this land by reason of their freedom and under thy guidance and be constrained to adopt similar governmental systems, thus to fulfill the ancient prophecy of Isaiah and Micah that ” . . . out of Zion shall go forth the law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.”‘ (Improvement Era, October 1945, p. 564.)” (See Understanding Isaiah, p. 27)
Scot
As we turn to the next chapter, 2 Nephi 13—which is Isaiah, chapter 3, we get a stern warning, just as the people of Judah and Jerusalem in ancient times, that unless we are obedient to God’s laws and commandments, we will suffer the curses and judgments of God. In 2 Nephi 14 (which is Isaiah 4) we see the blessings that come to those who survive the judgments of God—we see that God’s people are centered in temple worship. And as we center our lives in the temple, we center our hearts in the Lord Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice.
Maurine
And Scot, it’s so interesting to note that when the angel Moroni visited the 17 ½-year-old Joseph Smith in September of 1823, he quoted two verses from this 4th chapter of Isaiah. Let’s look at those. He quoted verses 5 and 6:
5 And the Lord will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for upon all the glory of Zion shall be a defence.
6 And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and covert from storm and from rain.
Moroni promised Joseph that this prophecy would soon be fulfilled.
Scot
This is just too significant to not explore a little deeper. When Isaiah talks about every dwelling place of mount Zion he is talking about the homes of individual faithful members of the Church and he compares these homes to the temple. In other words, the faithful and true to the Lord will create home that are like unto a temple for their families. And he goes further by referring to the ancient symbols of cloud and smoke and fire. In ancient Israel these were key words for the Divine Shekinah—the actual presence of God.
Maurine
That’s right, Scot. Remember we talked about Sinai being a temple—and God appeared to Moses and he was accompanied by a cloud and smoke and fire. (see Exodus 15:17 and Exodus 19:9, 18). This is not only a symbol of God’s presence but of his protection—these are all part of the great covenants of the Lord to His covenant keepers.
Scot
Can you see why Nephi would rejoice in the words of Isaiah as he had come out of a wicked Jerusalem who had turned away from the Lord and lost the Divine Shekinah from that first Temple? And now, Isaiah promises God’s presence and protection upon every dwelling place—every home of the faithful. And, Maurine, those same elements of a cloud and smoke and fire were associated with Solomon’s temple (see 1 Kings 8:10), which is the temple Lehi and Nephi knew, and the temple in heaven (Isaiah 6:4 and Revelation 15:8). The cloud symbolizes the Lord’s glory (D&C 84:2-5). I feel to rejoice with Nephi in Christ’s promises to the faithful—I want to be as faithful as possible in obtaining these blessings.
Maurine
And we are also reminded of that covenant protection of the Lord where it says in the end of verse 5: “the glory of Zion shall be a defence.” The word defence can also be translated more perfectly as “canopy” or “protective covering.” And this means that Zion and her inhabitants will be protected by God “from spiritual harm the same way that individuals are protected from physical harm by seeking shelter during the heat of the day or in great storms.” (Understanding Isaiah, p. 49) Nephi is assuring us that God will be with the faithful, He will protect them in every circumstance, His covenant blessings will be upon all the inhabitants of Zion. Nephi is again rejoicing in Christ through the words of Isaiah.
Scot
Let’s look at the last five verses of 2 Nephi 15. You’re familiar with them. Here Isaiah prophecies, in verse 26: “And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth: and behold, they shall come with speed swiftly: none shall be weary nor stumble among them.” God will raise (and is now raising) an Ensign—a flag—a signal—to the nations of the earth. That ensign is the true gospel of Jesus Christ and it waves to all the world.
The word hiss can also be translated as whistle—a signal to all the ends of the earth to gather scattered Israel from among all nations. Remember, His sheep hear his voice and the gospel message will come, signalized unto them by this hiss, or whistle or even by a trumpet (see Isaiah 18:3, 7). This can come by the voice of the Spirit, by the voice of His humble servants, by the voice of the Prophets and Apostles, by the voice of the Book of Mormon itself. The Book of Mormon is an ensign to the nations.
Maurine
That’s right, Scot. In fact, we learn in 3rd Nephi, chapter 29, verse 1 that when the Lord sends forth the Book of Mormon to the Gentiles, this is a signal, and we can know “that the covenant which the Father hath made with the children of Israel, concerning their restoration to the lands of their inheritance, is already beginning to be fulfilled.” And also, it’s a sure signal—assuring us that the words of the Lord, “which have been spoken by the holy prophets, shall all be fulfilled.” (See 3 Nephi 29:2) Remember, one of the purposes of the Book of Mormon is to show that the Lord never forgets His covenants. Nephi uses Isaiah as another witness that this is all true and it causes him to rejoice in Christ and his joyous and perfect plan.
Scot
2 Nephi chapter 16 documents the vision of Isaiah as he sees the Lord in His heavenly temple. Isaiah gives his witness of Jesus Christ—and declares, “Mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts.” (2 Nephi 16:5). This is when Isaiah receives his own mission call to call the people to repentance. This mission will last more than 40 years! Isaiah recorded:
“I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: Whom shall I send [does this question sound familiar?], and who will go for us? Then I said: Here am I; send me.” (2 Nephi 6:8) This is also familiar language to us from the pre-mortal world.
Maurine
In the next chapter, 2 Nephi 17, we see the great Messianic prophecy we all know: “Therefore, the Lord himself shall give you a sign—Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and shall bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” (2 Nephi 17:14) This scripture proclaims a great miracle—this virgin—the same virgin that Nephi earlier described as “most beautiful and fair above all other virgin,” (1 Nephi 11:15) who conceives and gives birth to this most glorious Son of the Most High God. You can understand how Nephi, who has been cast out from among his brethren and also from his homeland of Jerusalem, would rejoice in this most joyous and wonderful prophecy of the miraculous birth of Jesus Christ!
Scot
And Maurine, as we are all rejoicing in Christ together, I have to point out a wonderful insight from the very next chapter of Isaiah, 2 Nephi chapter 18. Look in verse 13. It reads: Sanctify the Lord of Hosts himself, and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.” A literal translation of this from the Hebrew Bible would more accurately read: “Make him a temple, the Lord of hosts”—meaning Let the Lord be your temple, your place of holiness. And to “fear” the Lord is to honor, revere, trust and obey him. So, Nephi and Isaiah are saying, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, might, mind and strength and make Him your secure place of holiness—your own temple.” I do love that admonition.
Maurine
Then we come to 2 Nephi chapter 19 where we see that “the people that walked in darkness have seen a great light!” (2 Nephi 19:2) And what is that great light? It is the coming of the Savior and Redeemer of the world. It is Jesus Christ, the true Messiah—the Anointed One—the Holy One of Israel. Again, Nephi is rejoicing in Christ and is showing and teaching His children these great prophecies of Isaiah.
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government 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) It’s hard to not sing that verse.
Scot
This actually brings us to two points. The first one is the prophetic son of Isaiah who is mentioned in 2 Nephi 18:3—And his name is Maher-shalal-hash-baz. That’s quite a name—I always like to think he may have just gone by Bazi! I’m kidding.
“Maher-shalal-hash-baz is a type of Jesus Christ. Both Maher-shalal-hash-baz and Christ possess prophetic names; the name Maher-shalal-hash-baz has four parts, similar to the four titles of Jesus [that we just read]. Both were named by revelation from God, and both entered the world during times of political upheaval and warfare. Maher-shalal-hash-baz prophesies the manner in which Israel would be speedily destroyed and then plundered; likewise, Jesus Christ will come down to judge the world and speedily destroy those who are wicked. Jewish tradition holds that the prophetess belonged to a royal line. If this is indeed true, then Maher-shalal-hash-baz was of royal lineage, as was Jesus Christ. (Understanding Isaiah, pp. 81-81)
Maurine
In fact, let’s go back briefly to those four names referring to Jesus Christ that we read in 2 Nephi 19—this is our second point.
Wonderful Counselor. “The Hebrew reading requires these two names to be read together as Wonderful Counselor. The Messiah will be an advisor (counselor) or perhaps one who argues cases in court; “the Lord standeth up to plead, and standeth to judge the people” (3:13). Through his intercessory prayer Jesus serves as our mediator and advocate with the Father (John 17; 3 Ne. 19:19-29).” So, remember, it’s wonderful counselor!
Scot
And “Mighty God” really could be translated as Warrior God. The great Jehovah overcomes all wicked nations and all forms of oppression. This refers again to the powerful covenant God makes with His faithful children. He will protect them, watch over them—He has indeed overcome all things—He has even overcome the world. And He provides the covenant path for us to overcome the world as well. Can you see why Nephi would rejoice in Christ with this fact alone?
Maurine
Jesus is called the Everlasting Father. The term Father is used in at least four different ways in the scriptures when referring to Deity. One is Father as a literal parent. God the Eternal Father is the literal Father of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. The second term of Father is as Creator, as in “The Father of the heavens and of the earth and all things that in them are.” (See Ether 4:7; Alma 11:38-39 and Mosiah 15:4) The third use of the term of Jesus Christ as Father is Father of those who abide in His Gospel. We are born again as we accept and keep His commandments and ordinances and He becomes our spiritual Father.
Scot
And the fourth use of Father is by Divine Investiture of Authority. Jesus perfectly represents and is authorized to represent our Heavenly Father in all things with power and authority and might and wisdom. He and the Father are one and He speaks for the Father by this divine investiture of authority. So, Everlasting Father is a perfect title for Jesus Christ the Son of God. (See Statement of the First Presidency, June 30, 1916: The Father and the Son).
Maurine
The last title Isaiah uses is Prince of Peace. “Christ is part of God’s royal family. He is a prince who shares the throne with the Father (Rev. 3:21) and who serves as “King of kings” (Rev. 19:16) over a kingdom of kings and priests, or righteous saints. He is the Prince of Peace and “God of love and peace” (2 Cor. 13:11) who eliminates war and contention and reigns over a peaceful kingdom.” (Understanding Isaiah, p. 96) The title Prince of Peace perfectly befits our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ.
Scot
With just these first few references we’ve discussed in the Isaiah chapters of the Book of Mormon can you see clearly now why Nephi would exuberantly write:
“And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.” (2 Nephi 25:26)
Oh, how we all rejoice in Christ! Can you imagine when we see Him again someday, we will only be able to fall down upon our knees and bow before Him with gratitude and joy beyond description! We truly do rejoice in Jesus Christ!
Maurine
That’s all we have time for today. The Isaiah chapters are much deeper and more fun than we ever supposed! We could go on for weeks on this material. We can’t do that—but you can! Thanks for joining us today. Thanks to Paul Cardall who provides the music. And thanks to our daughter, Michaela Proctor Hutchins, who edits and produces these podcasts each week.
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Next week our lesson will cover 2 Nephi, chapters 20-25 in a lesson entitled “We Rejoice in Christ.” Thanks for listening. We love you. Have a great week.