Why Isaiah
Understanding Isaiah
Isaiah is the author of one of the most profound and perhaps
least understood texts ever written. The significance of his writings has more
value to mankind, especially in these last days, than almost any other work of
literature, and it comprises a depth and breadth of symbolism and parallel
meaning that is mind-boggling. Isaiah intertwines a profound network of
imagery and symbolism to illustrate his prophetic vision, just like a great
tapestry is interwoven with intricate threads of different colors and
patterns. Or, taking a different analogy, like a symphony, where the notes for
each instrument intermingle intricately in a grand composition of complex
harmony.
Reading a Sealed Book
The mission of Isaiah is to “make the heart of this people
fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their
eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert,
and be healed” (Isaiah 6:10). Through his sealed book, Isaiah still fulfills
that mission, and will continue until his commissioned work is completed, until
“the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the
land be utterly desolate, and the Lord have removed men far away, and there be
a great forsaking in the midst of the land” (Isaiah 6:11-12). Since he is
writing to an ancient and modern covenant people, who differ in every facet of
life, he uses characters, locations, nations, customs, and objects familiar to
his time as symbols projecting meaning to a culture and time very different
from his own. He also interweaves snippets of historical events familiar to
ancient Israel into types and shadows predicting one end-time scene that will unfold
before our eyes in our time. The events of the last days, preparing for the
second coming of the Christ, have been hidden in plain sight for over a
millennia in Isaiah’s coded message, ready to be unveiled.
Finally, after more than two millennia, his encrypted words
are now beginning to unfold. However, they cannot be understood except with the
spirit of prophecy and revelation, through mighty prayer, deep study and
reflection, and receiving personal revelation. We perhaps suppose that we
could just read the book and understand it at face value. Yet the Lord
counseled Oliver Cowdery, "Behold you have not understood, you have
supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought, save it was
to ask me; but behold I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind;
then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right, I will cause that your
bosom shall burn within you" (D&C 35:3 [9:7-8]).
Search These Things Diligently
Nephi asserted, “In the days that the prophecies of Isaiah
shall be fulfilled, men shall know of a surety, at the times when they shall
come to pass.... I know that they shall be of great worth unto them on the last
days; for in that day shall they understand them” (2 Nephi 11 [25:7-8]). We
are quickly approaching the day when Isaiah’s prophecy will come to fruition
and all who see and know will be filled with joy and hope, and those who are blind
will suffer and sorrow, much like the parable of the ten virgins in Matthew
25.
Too often we either give cursory glance at Isaiah and think
we know his meaning, taking scriptures out of context and apply arbitrary
meaning to satisfy our own purposes or forcing meaning where there is none, or more
often than not we just skip the Isaiah texts altogether. Yet the resurrected
Lord urges us to study and understand the words of Isaiah, for those
words are meant for our ears and hearts. For a people who could benefit
most from understanding Isaiah’s prophecy, we surprisingly have startling apathy
toward comprehending his words.
In a grand a masterfully poetic chiasm, the Lord gives a
beautiful and yet chilling message to the Nephites about our time, the time of
the latter-day Gentiles, or the Gentile church, as Nephi puts it. The Lord opens
the chiasm stating that the covenant of the Fathers will be fulfilled when the
words of Isaiah are fulfilled. “Behold they are written, ye have them before
you; therefore search them” (3 Nephi 9 [20:11]). After quoting a portion of
Isaiah’s text and expounding upon Isaiah sobering vision, the Lord ends the
chiasm stating, “And now behold I say unto you, That ye had ought to search
these things. Yea, a commandment I give unto you, that ye search
these things diligently: for great is the words of Isaiah. For surely he
spake as touching all things concerning my people which are of the house of
Israel; therefore it must needs be that he must speak also to the Gentiles. And
all things that he spake, hath been, and shall be, even according to the words
which he spake” (3 Nephi 10 [23:1-3]; emphasis added). I find it significant
that the great Jehovah uses Isaiah as book-ends of his chiasmus structure in
predicting the events of the last days.
With this very direct injunction from the Lord, let us take
his words very seriously and deeply drink from the words of Isaiah, study his
patterns of writing, unravel the symbolism, search his meaning, and learn what
the Lord is trying to tell us about our day. Quotes from Isaiah are strewn throughout
the writings of the prophets; nearly all prophets since Isaiah’s time have
quoted and references him. To have greater understanding of the Lord’s will,
his prophetic message, and how it interrelates to all other scriptures as one
great whole, a person must invest significant effort into understanding Isaiah,
for his words are the centerpiece of the prophetic vision of God from beginning
to end, and specifically regarding our time now.