Post by Nephi –
Lets get back to Isaiah. The kingdom of Judah had been in existence for about 200 years when Isaiah, who was a resident of this southern kingdom, wrote about the mountain of the Lord’s house being established in the top of the mountains, to be exalted above the hills, and all nations will flow unto it. As was common with Isaiah he wrote with dual meaning, both for his current day as well as a future day. But in this prophecy there is clear reference to future events.
Although this could mean the temple at Jerusalem, both in the immediate future for Isaiah and other times, it also refers to the latter-days. Isaiah writes “And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths; for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” So it looks like a temple will be built in the mountains and people from all over the world will seek blessings from going up to the temple of the Lord.
Isaiah invites all the house of Jacob from all the dispensations to repent and come and walk in the light of the Lord. For they have all gone astray and have become people who rely on the the things of the world including other teachers, material wealth, the workmanship of their own hands and pleasures of the flesh. Their lands will be full of horses and there will be no end of their chariots. Consider a time when because of an abundance of horses and chariots, people will be mobile and able to go wherever they wish, when ever they wish. That could also be a blessing rather than a stumbling block as Isaiah mentions. However he points out that in this time these people will
worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made. He might mean that their horses and chariots become more important to them than the Lord. They will not bow down, and humble themselves therefore they will not be forgiven.
In that day there will be a great humbling take place and the Lord alone will be exalted. Man will loose his lofty look, his haughtiness and when the Lord of Hosts comes upon all nations all those that are lofty and proud will be brought low. The wicked will flee to hide themselves from the Lord and as they do they will also try to hide their material things that have been their treasure.
So let me tell you what I believe Isaiah means in this particular writing. Keep in mind that with Isaiah, he may be describing a scene that will repeat itself in different dispensations, possibly in the near future and again in the latter-days.
He contrasts the key behaviors of the righteous and the wicked. The righteous go to the temples to worship the Lord, walk in the light of the Lord and dwell with Him in peace. The proud and the wicked on the other hand hearken to soothsayers, fill their lands with temporal wealth and worship idols. They are embarrassed, panic and flee into hiding places at his coming. Thus the house of Jacob is warned against materialism and idolatry and undue trust in mortals instead of the Lord. At a Second Coming the proud will be humbled and destroyed, thereby, Isaiah’s words invite his people to prepare, as well as the latter-day people to so live that a Second Coming will be a day of rejoicing rather than a day of shame and sorrow.
(Book of Mormon | 2 Nephi 12:1 – 22)
