2 Nephi 13-15 - A Tale of Two Peoples

From a doctrinal perspective, Isaiah’s warnings to the people in 2 Nephi 13-15 are repetitive and reinforce Revelations 1-7. Revelations 12 gives the added dimension that the evil in the world is due to Satan waging war against the righteous. This is not just a war of clashing armies. It is also a war of deception, calumny, libel and temptation heaped upon all in an attempt to draw men from God.

Isaiah warns it is pride, manifest in ignoring God’s counsel, that leads to wickedness. John shows how Satan appeals to it with the allure of power, wealth and moral debauchery. Isaiah warns that those who ignore God to follow their own counsel will rue the day. Both show God’s wrath will lay desolate the lands and lives of those who choose to follow Satan.

Amidst all the warnings of moral and physical destruction, are the promises to the righteous of God intervening in their behalf. They also show the great blessings which will come to those who endure these difficult times.

Like Dicken’s in his “Tale of Two Cities,” these will be the best of times for those who are righteous in that they will see many blessings from God. It will likewise be the worst of times as they, along with the wicked, wade through unspeakable trials. The difference between them is the righteous will abide the day. They will survive with their faith, burnished and intact. Not so for the rest.

Another Primer on Isaiah and Revelations

A key to understanding Isaiah is its applicability in three different cultural contexts. One is now only interesting, another is important and the third is crucial for us to understand. The least important context is that of his original audience, the people and times of pre-exilic Israel and Judah. The events, people and places he wrote about, they all knew. As Nephi said, because of his learning of the Jews, Isaiah was easy for him to understand. But it all happened a long time ago. For us it’s just history.

The second most important context is for us, the people of the end-of-times. Like the Book of Mormon, it was written for our day. Its rich, literary style is filled with inspired types. The names of those places and people are types of nations and roles we will see in the participants and events of our day. Events which will mirror ones in our day. For example, Egypt was a waning geopolitical super-power. In the context of our day, Egypt represents the United States of America. You can read it replacing the one with the other and have a correct understanding of what’s going to happen. Where the Spirit comes in, is understanding who and what all the types represent.

The last and most important context for understanding Isaiah is it's individual applicability. I think this is why the Savior and Nephi both thought he was so important. For example, his warnings to Judah to rely upon God not Egypt for help, is counsel we all should heed. In Nephi’s words, we should lean not on the arm of flesh. Understanding Isaiah on this level requires the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

It's the same for Revelations. It has these three contexts. The latter-day event context is important, but the personal applicability of his teachings are vital. Studied together, the latter-day context is more easily understood. Studied together, the role and need of the temple in the personal context becomes clear.