Post by Nephi –
I recognize I have dedicated quite a number of posts to the writings of Isaiah and I recognize that many of his writings are hard for my people to understand. Hopefully, my various posts have helped you get a feel for the manner of prophesying among the Jews. I certainly have not dwelt on the manner of the Jews because they were works of darkness and their doings were doings of abominations. I am anxious however that you understand the judgments of God, that His judgments will come upon all nations just as Isaiah and His other prophets have declared.
My soul delights in plainness to you, that you may learn. And I delight in the words of Isaiah, to me his writings are plain, but I came out from Jerusalem, and my eyes have seen the things of the Jews, and I know that the Jews do understand the things of the prophets, and there are no other people that understand the things which were spoken to the Jews like they do, unless they are also taught after the manner of the things of the Jews or you are filled with the spirit of prophecy.
With that said, rather than have you learn all about the manner of the Jews at Jerusalem so you may understand Isaiah, permit me to proceed with my own prophecy according to my plainness, as I try to make it all clear.
I know with assurity that in the days that the prophecies of Isaiah shall be fulfilled, men shall know of a surety, at the times when they come to pass. I know that these words will be of great worth to you in the last days; for in that day you will understand them; wherefore, for your good I’ve written them. As one generation will have been destroyed among the Jews because of iniquity, even so have they been destroyed from generation to generation according to their iniquities; and never have any of them been destroyed except they were warned by the prophets of the Lord.
As an example, they were warned concerning the destruction which should come upon them, immediately after my father left Jerusalem; nevertheless, they hardened their hearts; and according to my prophecy they have been destroyed, except for those which are carried away captive into Babylon. Even though they were carried away, they will return again, and possess the land of Jerusalem; wherefore, they will be restored again to the land of their inheritance.
But they will have wars, and rumors of wars; and when the day comes that the Only Begotten of the Father, shall manifest himself unto them in the flesh, they will reject him, because of their iniquities, and the hardness of their hearts, and the stiffness of their necks. They will crucify him; and after He is laid in a sepulchre for the space of three days He will rise from the dead, with healing in His wings; and all those who will believe on His name will be saved in the kingdom of God.
I love to prophesy concerning Him, for I have seen His day, and my heart magnifies His holy name. It will come to pass that after the Messiah rises from the dead, and manifests Himself unto His people, unto as many as will believe on his name, behold, Jerusalem shall be destroyed again; for wo unto them that fight against God and the people of his church. Wherefore, the Jews will be scattered among all nations; and also Babylon will be destroyed; and the Jews will be scattered by other nations. And after they’ve been scattered, the Lord God will scourge them by other nations for many generations, even down from generation to generation until they are finally persuaded to believe in Christ, the Son of God, and the atonement, which is infinite for all mankind.
When that day comes when they believe in Christ, and worship the Father in His name, with pure hearts and clean hands, and stop looking forward for another Messiah, then the day will come that they will believe these things. The Lord will set His hand again the second time to restore His people from their lost and fallen state. He will proceed to do a marvelous work and a wonder among the children of men. He will bring forth His words unto them, which words will judge them at the last day. He will give His words to convince them of the true Messiah, who was rejected by them; and to convince them that they don’t need to look forward any more for a Messiah to come.
No other Messiah will come unless he is a false Messiah which will deceive the people; for there is only one Messiah spoken of by the prophets, and that Messiah is He who is rejected of the Jews.
According to the words of the prophets, the Messiah will come in six hundred years from the time that my father left Jerusalem; and according to the words of the prophets, and also the word of the angel of God, His name will be Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
I think I am being pretty clear. Just as God brought Israel out of Egypt and healed them after they had been bitten by poisonous serpents if they would simply look, it is as certain that there is no other name given under heaven except it be this Jesus Christ of whom I have spoken whereby man can be saved. For this very cause, I believe this post and these writings will be kept and preserved and handed down.
This is why the Lord God promised me that the things I write will be kept and preserved, and handed down from generation to generation, that the promise may be fulfilled unto Joseph, that his seed should never perish as long as the earth should stand. We labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.
We believe in Christ, we keep the law of Moses, and look forward with steadfastness unto Christ, until the law shall be fulfilled. 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.
There are so many that are a stiffnecked people; that is why I have spoken plainly to you, so you cannot misunderstand. And the words which I have written will stand as a testimony against you; for they are sufficient to teach any man the right way; for the right way is to believe in Christ and not deny Him; for by denying Him you also deny the prophets and the law.
I tell you that the right way is to believe in Christ, don’t deny Him; Christ is the Holy One of Israel; we must bow down before Him, and worship Him with all our might, mind, and strength, and our whole soul; and if we do this we will in nowise be cast out.
(Book of Mormon | 2 Nephi 25:1 – 30)
