As we close in on the last days, the days when the Lord Jesus Christ will reign again upon the earth, we will first see a division among the people of God. We are told that the very elect may even be deceived. Nephi predicts in his vision of end times the climate of our spiritual culture in the days preceding the Lords arrival. In fact, he sees our day today and describes our religious and spiritual apathy and aberrance in great detail.
One of the aspects Nephi saw in his vision is the coming forth of a book that would convince his seed of the truth of the Messiah. We erroneously believe that Nephi is referring only to the Book of Mormon, which is only part of the whole picture. True, it is the book that precedes the sealed portion described by both Nephi and Isaiah. In Nephi’s expansion of Isaiah’s vision of the sealed book (see Isaiah 29 and reference to 2 Nephi 11 [27]), he describes these two portions separately. He prophesies regarding the translated portion (the Book of Mormon) that the Lord will say to Joseph Smith, “Touch not the things which sealed, for I will bring them forth in mine own due time: for I will shew unto the children of men, that I am able to do mine own work. Wherefore, when thou hast read the words which I have commanded thee, and obtained the witnesses which I have promised unto thee, then shalt thou seal up the book again, and hide it up unto me, that I may preserve the words which thou hast not read, until I shall see fit in mine own wisdom, to reveal all things unto the children of men” (2 Nephi 11 [27:21-23]). This is where we get the idea that the subsequent verses and chapters are referring to the Book of Mormon, yet the Lord then proceeds to show that he will show his power and omniscience by performing his own work.
The work the Lord will do, which he calls a “marvelous work and a wonder” is described by Isaiah in Isaiah chapter 60. Note the last verse that says the Lord will do it in HIS OWN time, not our own time. He is in control, not us. Nephi continues the Lord’s words, “For behold, I am God; and I am a God of miracles; and I will shew unto the world that I am the same yesterday, to-day, and forever; and I work not among the children of men, save it be according to their faith” (2 Nephi 11 [27:23]). He’s talking here about the sealed portion. He is saying that he is going to do his work, and when we have faith enough to receive the sealed portion he will show the world his preeminence and his ability to see the beginning from the end. When that book is revealed it will show all the prophetic predictions about our day and we will see their fulfillment and be able to testify of the divinity if God.
Nephi continues the Lord’s conversation with Joseph Smith, stating, “The Lord shall say unto him that shall read the words that shall be delivered him, For as much as this people draw near unto me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their hearts far from me, and their fear towards me is taught by the precepts of men, therefore, I will proceed to do [a] marvelous work among this people” (2 Nephi 11 [27:24-26]). Note here that those who honor God falsely are not necessarily those who were doing so at Joseph’s time, but includes those who continue to do so today. Are we not still taught to fear the Lord according to the precepts of men?
The “marvelous work and wonder” Nephi references refers to the great work the Lord will do prior to his coming. He (God) predicted through his prophets long ago all things that would happen to the children of Israel. “I have declared the former things from the beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I showed them; I did them suddenly, and they came to pass. Because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass; I have even from the beginning declared it to thee; before it came to pass I showed it thee; lest thou shouldest say, Mine idol hath done them; and my graven image, and my molten image, hath commanded them” (Isaiah 48:3-5). These things he sealed up in the book that Nephi saw in vision.
Nephi connects his writing back into the vision of Isaiah as he quotes Isaiah’s 29th chapter, “And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness…. They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine” (2 Nephi 11 [27:29, 35], emphasis added). The phrase “in that day” is a word-link Isaiah uses in his writings to indicate the events of the last days. This is the time frame in which the Lord will reveal the sealed portion of the book (if we can ever get enough faith to receive it) and the time in which he will do his marvelous work and wonder.
This is also the time frame in which Nephi continues his prophecy. “The things which shall be written out of the book shall be of great worth unto the children of men, and especially unto our seed, which is a remnant of the house of Israel. For it shall come to pass in that day, that the churches…” (2 Nephi 12 [28:2-3], emphasis added). Here Nephi uses the same phrase as Isaiah, linking this passage or prophecy to the same time period Isaiah predicts, the end-time scene. This refers to a time at the very threshold of our day today.
What is our spiritual culture or situation at the time of the coming events? Nephi writes in a chiastic form our religious climate in the day the Lord begins his last-day events. (Remember, he is speaking about the Gentiles who live on the American continent—meaning us.)
To see all the chiastic structures in this chapter, click here.
A [28:2-6] Gentiles Deny the Power of God and Teach the Precepts of Men
B [28:7-8] Men Justify Their Actions
C [28:9-15] Men Led Away by Wickedness and Abominations
D [28:15] Woes Pronounced
C’ [28:16-20] Men Can Be Saved If They Repent of Wickedness and Abominations
B’ [28:21-25] Men Are Pacified and Led Away by the Devil
A’ [28:26-32] Woes to Those Who Rely on Men’s Precepts
A ↔ A’ Level: Nephi’s chiasm begins where we left off above. The chiasmus opens with a description of our degenerate spiritual state, where we as a nation and people rely upon the precepts of men and deny the power of God and the whisperings of the Holy Ghost (A [verses 2-6]). The chiasmus ends with the Lord pronouncing a woe upon who deny him and rely upon those human precepts (A’ [verse 26-32]). How fitting that the Lord shows Nephi how toxic and degenerate the philosophies and sophistry of men can be, when we listen and obey the precepts of men over the promptings off the Holy Ghost.
B ↔ B’ Level: Because we listen to these precepts, we justify our action, some living without much regard to consequences: “there shall be many which shall say, eat, drink, and be merry, for to-morrow we die; and it shall be well with us;” and others cognizant of God’s law, but not fearing his judgments: “if it so be that we are guilty, God will beat us with a few stripes, and at last we shall be saved in the Kingdom of God” (B [verses 7-8]).
This justification process is magnified by those who are the covenant children of God, those who look for, our claim to be, Zion. Some are “pacified” and others “flattered away” by the devil until they are caught in his tight grasp and wrapped in his heavy chains. These will say, “All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well,” and be oblivious to the subtlety of the adversary as they are led down to the depths of hell (B’ [verses 21-25]). “All is well in Zion,” I heard from the pulpit not too long ago by a man who certainly did not realize his words were fulfillment of Nephi’s prophecy.
C ↔ C’ Level: Nephi continues his chiasmus by detailing the depravity of our state. “Their churches are lifted up; because of pride, they are puffed up. They rob the poor, because of their fine sanctuaries; they rob the poor, because of their fine clothing; and they persecute the meek, and the poor in heart; because of their pride, they are puffed up.” How have we robbed the poor? Because of our tithes and offerings, Malachi says. It is our “wickedness and abominations” that the Lord disdains and only a few “humble followers of Christ” will remain. “Nevertheless, they [the humble followers of Christ] are led, that in many instances they do err, because they are taught by the precepts of men” (C [verses 9-15]).
Because of our wickedness, the Lord pronounces a woe upon our people. Lest we feel comfortable in our seats, thinking that the Lord is speaking about other churches, remember that in Nephi’s view, we in the church are as much Gentiles as anyone else in this nation. He does not distinguish us from the others. As far as Nephi sees it, according to what the Lord told him previously (see 1 Nephi 3 [14:10]), there are only two churches, the church of God and the church of the devil, and he is not speaking of church organizations, but the church of the Firstborn. The Lord invites us to repent and promises that “if the inhabitants of the earth shall repent of their wickedness and abominations, they shall not be destroyed.” Otherwise, we are in serious trouble (C’ [verses 16-20]).
[For more information about the Church of the Firstborn, click here.]
D Level: The climax of Nephi’s chiasmus is brief and to the point, “Wo, wo, wo be unto them saith the Lord God Almighty, for they shall be thrust down to hell” (D [verse 15]). Despite our precepts (those things taught by the heart of men, but not from the mind or will of God), and despite our justifications, we are damned if we continue on our path. We will be judged according to the words of the book, both the sealed portion and the unsealed portion (the Book of Mormon); and if we cannot understand the books the Lord has revealed, we are still accountable to the content. Nephi said he wrote plainly for the understanding of men, and so he did, as plain as he knew how. If we will not search knowledge and seek after the deeper things of God, we will miss the message he has buried into his writings. Part of the key to understanding Nephi is to also understand Isaiah’s message, for Nephi uses Isaiah’s vision to help with the interpretations of his own vision.
Are you at ease in Zion?
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