Greater Light
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ISAIAH 1:1
The Vision of Isaiah
Isaiah had a vision of the Second Coming of the Lord. It is a vision encompassing both a promise and a warning to the world in general, but more specifically a promise and warning to the covenant children of God. Look at the first few verses of the introductory chapter, and you will see to whom the Lord is addressing this “vision” or revelation of the end-time scenario. If we truly want to know what is coming and how to prepare for the end days, then we should thoroughly invest in Isaiah’s words.
The Vision of All
The vision of Isaiah is not simply a dream, but a grand vision of all things from beginning to end. Enoch, too, had this vision, and though different in presentation or perspective, it was overall the same vision. “And it came to pass, that the Lord showed unto Enoch all the inhabitants of the earth” (Genesis 7:27 [Moses 7:21]). The Lord subsequently showed Enoch what would happen throughout the history of the world until the coming of Christ. When Enoch saw the wickedness of the world, and that they would crucify their own God, he pleaded to the Lord: “Wilt thou not come again upon the earth” (Genesis 7:66 [Moses 7:59])? Here is the Lord’s answer:
The Lord said unto Enoch, As I live, even so will I come in the last days, in the days of wickedness and vengeance, to fulfill the oath which I made unto you concerning the children of Noah. And the day shall come that the earth shall rest. But before that day the heavens shall be darkened, and a veil of darkness shall cover the earth; and the heavens shall shake, and also the earth. And great tribulations shall be among the children of men, but my people will I preserve; and righteousness will I send down out of heaven, and truth will I send forth out of the earth, to bear testimony of mine Only Begotten; his resurrection from the dead; yea, and also the resurrection of all men.
And righteousness and truth will I cause to sweep the earth as with a flood, to gather out mine own elect from the four quarters of the earth, unto a place which I shall prepare; an holy city, that my people may gird up their loins, and be looking forth for the time of my coming; for there shall be my tabernacle, and it shall be called Zion; a New Jerusalem.
And the Lord said unto Enoch, Then shalt thou and all thy city meet them there; and we will receive them into our bosom; and they shall see us, and we will fall upon their necks, and they shall fall upon our necks, and we will kiss each other; And there shall be mine abode, and it shall be Zion, which shall come forth out of all the creations which I have made; and for the space of a thousand years shall the earth rest.
Genesis 7:67-72 [Moses 7:60-64]
Moses also received a similar vision as he spoke face to face with the Lord. He pleaded to the Lord to know “concerning this earth, and the inhabitants thereof, and also the heavens” (Moses 1:36). The Lord responded, “I will speak unto thee concerning this earth upon which thou standest; and thou shalt write the things which I shall speak” (Moses 1:30). Moses then became the great historian writing the things that the Lord showed him and told him from the beginning.
Others have seen the same end-time events, though each describe it differently, including John the Revelator, Nephi, Moroni, Paul the Apostle, etc. Precious few were granted the privilege of writing down the events of the last days. Nephi saw in his vision that one of these was John.
Behold, he shall see and write the remainder of these things; yea, and also many things which have been; and he shall also write concerning the end of the world; wherefore, the things which he shall write, are just and true; and, behold, they are written in the book which thou beheld proceeding out of the mouth of the Jew; and at the time proceeded out of the mouth of the Jew, or, at the time the book proceeded out of the mouth of the Jew, the things which were written, were plain and pure, and most precious, and easy to the understanding of all men. And, behold, the things which the Apostle of the Lamb shall write, are many things which thou hast seen; and, behold, the remainder shalt thou see; but the things which thou shalt see hereafter, thou shalt not write; for the Lord God hath ordained the Apostle of the Lamb of God, that he should write them.
1 Nephi 3 [14:21-25]
Nephi also saw that others had also been “shown all things, and they have written them; and they are sealed up, to come forth in their purity, according to the truth which is in the Lamb, in the own due time of the Lord, unto the House of Israel” (1 Nephi 3 [14:26]). Isaiah was certainly one of those. He saw the great vision of the world and he wrote what he saw, sealing it up to the last days for our benefit. “And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed: And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned…. 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” (Isaiah 29:11-12, 18).
Learning the Mysteries of Heaven
Why did these ancient prophets see these visions? Each had a specific purpose and each beheld a unique portion of the vision. Like a puzzle, the pieces of their vision fit together to create one grand end-time scene. Though each had a unique view to see and message to share, much of what they envisioned overlaps and integrates.
Why were these particular men chosen for this task? Though we may look back now and admire the faith and power of these men, in truth there was nothing great or remarkable about any of them. They were simply humble servants of God seeking the Lord. What set them apart was their unwavering faith and determination to be righteous sons.
Enoch was approached by the Lord and he walked and he was asked to prophesy. “When Enoch had heard these words, he bowed himself to the earth, before the Lord, and spake before the Lord, saying, Why is it that I have found favor in thy sight, and am but a lad, and all the people hate me, for I am slow of speech; wherefore am I thy servant” (Genesis 6:32 [Moses 6:31])? Isaiah similarly felt unprepared and unworthy for the call of the Lord. “Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts” (Isaiah 6:5).
Despite the weaknesses of these men, the Lord called them to prophesy and showed them the “vision of all” (Isaiah 29:11) because of their faith in Christ. This is a common theme among the ancient prophets and saints. Many of these men and women were prepared for their specific assignments or missions long before they came to earth. Jeremiah was told, “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5).
Alma said that God ordained these priests after the holy order of his Son in order that “the people might know in what manner to look forward to his Son for redemption.” He continues:
And this is the manner after which they were ordained, being called and prepared from the foundation of the world, according to the foreknowledge of God, on account of their exceeding faith and good works; in the first place being left to choose good or evil; therefore they being chosen good, and exercising exceeding great faith, are called with a holy calling, yea, with that holy calling which was prepared with, and according to, a preparatory redemption for such; and thus they having been called to this holy calling on account of their faith, while others would reject the spirit of God on account of the hardness of their hearts and blindness of their minds, while, if it had not been for this, they might had as great privilege as their brethren.
Alma 9 [13:2-4]
Each had opportunity to choose good or to choose evil. Each had a chance to choose their own path. Just as the Lord told Joseph, “Behold there are many called, but few are chosen.” We know that many were chosen because of their exceeding faith and good works as stated above by Alma. Why are others not all called? The Lord answered, “Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and aspire to the honors of men, that they do not learn this one lesson, that the rights of Priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of Heaven, and that the powers of Heaven cannot be controlled, nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness.”1
The ancient prophets truly show us a pattern, as Alma says, of how to look forward to the Son, how to approach the Savior. The faith of these ancient prophets was so firm in Christ that they could not be contained by the veil and the heavens opened to them.
And when the Lord had said these words, the Lord shewed unto the brother of Jared all the inhabitants of the earth which had been, and also all that would be; and the Lord withheld them not from his sight, even unto the ends of the earth: for the Lord had said unto him in times before, that if he would believe in him, that he could shew unto him all things — it should be shewn unto him; therefore the Lord could not withhold any thing from him: for he knew that the Lord could shew him all things. And the Lord said unto him, Write these things and seal them up, and I will shew them in mine own due time unto the children of men.
Ether 1 [3:25-27]
The visions of these ancient prophets is part of their calling and election. As they approach the Lord and receive his presence they become redeemed from the fall. “Behold, the Lord shewed himself unto him [the brother of Jared], and said, Because thou knowest these things, ye are redeemed from the fall; therefore ye are brought back into my presence; therefore I shew myself unto you. Behold, I am he which was prepared from the foundation of the world, to redeem my people. Behold, I am Jesus Christ. I am the Father and the Son” (Ether 1 [3:13]). The calling and election is a promise or “election” and a call to become the sons and daughters of Christ or his servants. That call is different to every person depending on the needs of the Lord. Joseph Smith declared that when Isaiah and others saw the vision of end-times it was after receiving the Second Comforter.
Now what is this other Comforter? It is no more or less than the Lord Jesus Christ himself & this is the sum & substance of the whole matter, that when any man obtains this last Comforter he will have the personage of Jesus Christ to attend him or appear unto him from time to time. & even he will manifest the Father unto him & they will take up their abode with him, & the visions of the heavens will be opened unto him & the Lord will teach him face to face & he may have a perfect knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of God, & this is the state & place the Ancient Saints arrived at when they had such glorious vision Isaiah, Ezekiel, John upon the Isle of Patmos, St Paul in the third heavens, & all the Saints who held communion with the general Assembly & Church of the First Born &c.”2
This blessing or opportunity is not reserved for only specific people. It is not a gift intended for only ancient prophets. It is a privilege of any man or woman to seek after the Second Comforter, to obtain their calling and election, and to have the mysteries of heaven opened to them. “The power and authority of the higher or Melchizedek priesthood, is to hold the keys of all the spiritual blessings of the church—to have the privilege of receiving the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven—to have the heavens opened unto them— to commune with the general assembly and church of the first born, and to enjoy the communion and presence of God the father, and Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant” (D&C 3:9 [107:18-19]).
The Lord promised that “every soul who forsaketh their sins and cometh unto me, and calleth on my name, and obeyeth my voice, and keepeth my commandments, shall see my face, and know that I am, and that I am the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world” (D&C 82:1 [93:1-2]). Though we should revere and honor the words of the ancient prophets, for they are holy words, the promise is extended to you and I to come and receive and know the same things they knew. Joseph Smith pleaded, “Oh! I beseech you to go forward, go forward and make your calling and your election sure.”3 Peter also admonition to “give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall” (2 Peter 1:10). What a privilege to come to know the Savior in such a personal and intimate way. And what an amazing opportunity to learn the mysteries of heaven just as the ancient saints did. May we be diligent in seeking these blessings and truths.
Regarding Judah & Jerusalem
Symbolic Correlations
Isaiah writes “concerning Judah and Jerusalem” (Isaiah 1:1). In a cursory reading of Isaiah’s vision, we immediately conclude that he is seeing a vision of ancient Israel. However, Isaiah uses a profound network of imagery and symbolism to illustrate his prophetic vision. He is not only speaking to ancient Israel, but using them as a way to speak to us. Just like a great tapestry is interwoven with intricate threads of different colors and patterns, so Isaiah interweaves symbols and imagery to convey meaning to us. Since he is speaking to people anciently as well as intending this message for modern times, he had to use characters, locations, nations, customs, and objects familiar to his time as symbols to project meaning to a culture and time very different from his own.
One way he does this is his use of cities, nations, and people, such as Zion, Jerusalem, Judah, Israel, Jacob, etc. He is using ideas composed from these ancient people and places to cascade meaning to us. The scriptures have already given some ideas of what these people or places mean, some of which include the following, Zion is the pure in heart, Jacob is the covenant son, David is the redeeming king, etc. Isaiah also uses his own symbolic methods within his writings. For example, the King of Babylon is the Antichrist, Hezekiah and Ahaz represent covenant leads who follow or reject God, even Isaiah himself becomes a symbolic feature of this prophetic vision.
The graphic on the right portrays a portion of the complex use of intertwining levels of spirituality into the context of Isaiah’s writings. At the core is Jesus Christ (the white dot), the center of all things, and closest to him is his right arm, the end-time servant, occasionally symbolized often by Isaiah himself. The cities and nations represent people and spiritual states, and it goes out from there. Each portion building upon another; each layer of spirituality overlaps another. There is not any piece that is unaffected by another. For example, along the perimeter of Israel in this diagram are Egypt, Arabia, Edom, etc., all of which are firmly seated within Babylon, symbolic of greater Babylon, including Israel and even Judah, yet overlap each other in a way that suggests all these aspects are interrelated and interconnected.
Nothing in Isaiah’s prophecies act independent of another. And as a people or individual draws closer to the center, coming closer to Christ, that person becomes purer and whiter, being in the midst of Babylon, but not being part of it. There are many other ways to extrapolate or diagram the symbolic portions of Isaiah that may give greater understanding, but perhaps this will help in some degree.
When the Lord speaks of Judah, he is symbolic referring to the Lord’s covenant children, those who have made a covenant with him anciently, who were the chosen people of God. But also, in our day, it symbolizes the chosen people of God who have made a new covenant with God (that means you and I). When he speaks of Jerusalem, he is really referring to a spiritual class of people who are more refined than the covenant people at large, those who have progressed to a higher level of spirituality, or at least should have. The closer each individual gets to Christ, the higher up that spiritual ladder they climb until they are like him. However, the higher they climb, the farther they may fall. One of the catalysts of God’s anger in these last days is not the wickedness of the world or Babylon, but the wickedness of his covenant people, of Judah and Jerusalem.
In short, Isaiah is saying that this “vision of all” centers on a story from beginning to end of the covenant children of God as they progress toward him or away from him. What he saw is a prediction and forewarning to us. His prophetic words are not meant for the world at large, but rather a vision for those who have covenanted with God (Judah) and those who have sought to be the chosen people of God (Jerusalem). Isaiah’s vision in its entirety is meant for you and for me.
An Encoded Message for Our Day
In Isaiah 1:1, the Lord reveals a vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem. These two locations are more than a place or people, they are symbolic in every way and in every use throughout Isaiah’s works. When the Lord or Isaiah uses the term Judah, it is symbolically referring to a spiritual level of a people or an individual. In this case, the Lord’s covenant children or those who have made a covenant with him both anciently and in modern times. Judah has always been a covenant or chosen people of God, even when they rejected him. Also, in our day, Judah does not only symbolize or mean descendants of the lineage of Judah, but it symbolizes the chosen or covenant people of God who have made a new and everlasting covenant with him in our day.
When he speaks of Jerusalem, he is also referring to a spiritual class of people who are more refined perhaps than the covenant people at large, but still of the same covenant. These are people who have stepped on rung higher on the spiritual ladder than those typical of the Judah level of spirituality. If you consider the ancient context of Isaiah’s words, Judah was the more faithful of the kingdoms of Israel. The northern kingdom fell into apostasy first after the separation of the Israelite kingdom, while the southern kingdom (Judah) remained more faithful to the Lord for a time. Jerusalem was the pinnacle city of righteousness, the center of religious worship before the two kingdoms split and long after in Judah. It is where the temple of God was constructed and dedicated after the traveling tabernacle was retired. It is the seat of religious authority and power. It is the headquarters, as it were, of the ancient church. It is, therefore, a symbol of such today.
In short, Isaiah is saying that this vision of the end days centers on those who are the covenant children of God throughout the world. It encompasses all those who believe they have made a new and everlasting covenant with God, whether as an organization, a nation, or as an individual or family. Yet more specifically, his vision is to a specific covenant church and nation: ours. If those who make such a claim cannot or will not see how Isaiah’s words are specifically pointing to us and them, then Isaiah’s mission is fulfilled in them, for he predicted hardheartedness and blindness of some. “And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but they understood not; and see ye indeed, but they perceived not” (Isaiah 6:9). Yet he also predicted that others, though few, would come to see and understand, and it is for those individuals that the true beauty and meaning of Isaiah’s writings blossoms and grows. We have claimed to be the covenant children of God, and Isaiah’s prophecies are given specifically to us. They will be fulfilled whether we believe in them or not.
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