Understanding Isaiah, Part 1

Come, Follow Me 2024: (a) January 29-February 4, 1 Nephi 16-22; (b) February 19–25, 2 Nephi 6–10; (c) February 26–March 3, 2 Nephi 11–19; (d) March 4–10, 2 Nephi 20–25.

The Savior himself gave a commandment to search the words of Isaiah diligently, saying, “great are the words of Isaiah.”¹ But Isaiah is hard. What can we do to make our study more effective?

There are a lot of commentaries and tools that can help us understand Isaiah, but the purpose of this post is to provide a few simple suggestions for how to get started studying Isaiah.

Nephi’s explanation of why Isaiah is hard

After quoting a significant portion of Isaiah, Nephi explains why it is so challenging to understand Isaiah. He mentions three primary factors that make Isaiah hard, and I’ll use those as three keys to understanding Isaiah:

• Manner of prophesying of the Jews. Nephi said, “Isaiah spake many things which were hard for many of my people to understand; for they know not concerning the manner of prophesying among the Jews.”² He continued, “I came out from Jerusalem, and mine eyes hath beheld the things of the Jews, and I know that the Jews do understand the things of the prophets, and there is none other people that understand the things which were spoken unto the Jews like unto them, save it be that they are taught after the manner of the things of the Jews.”³ What is the manner of the prophesying of the Jews? What teachings of the Jews would help us understand Isaiah?
• Spirit of prophecy. Nephi said, “the words of Isaiah are not plain unto you, nevertheless they are plain unto all those that are filled with the spirit of prophecy.”⁴ What is the spirit of prophecy, and how will this help us understand Isaiah?
• Geography of the Holy Land. Nephi concluded, “I, Nephi, have not taught my children after the manner of the Jews; but behold, I, of myself, have dwelt at Jerusalem, wherefore I know concerning the regions round about.”⁵ What do the “regions round about” Jerusalem matter? How will studying the geography of the Holy Land help us to understand Isaiah?

These three keys can give us significant insight into understanding Isaiah.

The spirit of prophecy

There is much that can be said about the spirit of prophecy, but when it comes to Isaiah, I want to focus on one particular aspect, and that is to “study it out.”

In a revelation directed to Oliver Cowdery, the Lord said, “I will tell you in your mind and in your heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart. Now, behold, this is the spirit of revelation; behold, this is the spirit by which Moses brought the children of Israel through the Red Sea on dry ground.”⁶ Although that passage refers to the spirit of “revelation,” there are similar principles that are instructive.

What does Moses bringing the children of Israel through the Red Sea have to do with the spirit of revelation? I believe it teaches us about the problem-solving nature of revelation. When the Israelites left Egypt, and they arrived at the Red Sea, they discovered that the Egyptian army was coming after them. They said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? . . . For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.”⁷

The Israelites could think of no solution. They had no hope. The Red Sea was on one side, and the Egyptian army on the other. There was no way they could fight, and if they tried to run along the shore of the Red Sea, the Egyptian army would certainly catch up.

How did Moses come up with the solution to part the Red Sea? When we can see no way out of difficult solutions, the spirit of revelation, together with our faith that God is a God of miracles, can help us find solutions that are beyond the rational mind, but within the power of God.

And so, the spirit of revelation is, at least in part, the spirit of problem-solving. It is consistent with what the Lord told Oliver Cowdery: “[Y]ou have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me. But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right.”⁸

Obtaining revelation involves significant effort. We can’t just casually read. If we want to understand Isaiah, we have to study.

Certainly, the spirit of prophecy includes receiving revelation through the Holy Ghost. When Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery were baptized and received the Holy Ghost, Joseph said, “Our minds being now enlightened, we began to have the scriptures laid open to our understandings, and the true meaning and intention of their more mysterious passages revealed unto us in a manner which we never could attain to previously, nor ever before had thought of.”⁹ We must have the influence of the Holy Ghost to understand Isaiah. But it is part of the Lord’s plan that if we want to enjoy the blessings of the Holy Ghost, we must “study it out.”

The manner of prophesying of the Jews

The institute manual for the second half of the Old Testament contains my favorite commentary on Isaiah. There is a help section that discusses the “manner of prophesying of the Jews.” The following tips can help us with this, and so will give us a greater understanding of the book of Isaiah (I have changed some of the wording, but the ideas come from the institute manual):¹⁰

• The Law of Moses. “The law of Moses was the root from which the prophesying of the Jews sprang. To understand the manner of their prophesying, one must understand their law.”
• Symbolism. “Isaiah did not intend for every word he used to be interpreted in its most literal sense. He made constant use of metaphors, similes, analogies, parables, types, and shadows.”
• Layered Prophecy. This is particular to Isaiah. His primary purpose is to testify of Christ, and so he prophesies of Christ’s ministry. But he also prophesies of the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ and Christ’s second coming. Additionally, Isaiah was a prophet for the people of his time. He helped them through challenging circumstances. So his teachings, or his prophecies, can apply to his people, to Christ’s mortal ministry, and the restoration of the gospel in the latter-days, all at the same time. Layered prophecies occur when Isaiah gives one prophecy that applies to multiple time periods. This is different from symbolism, which is used to teach us principles. Instead, these are prophecies of actual events that will occur.

Geography of the Holy Land, or the “regions round about” Jerusalem

Isaiah often refers to places. He will do this by referencing the name of the place, or by referencing the leader of that place. His mention of those places could reference an event that has happened, or is happening in his time, or will happen in the future. One way he uses layered prophecies is by referring to a place and alluding to various events that will happen there. Another way he uses geography is to use places as symbols. Because of the history of a particular place, the place itself can become a symbol of events that occurred there.

Think of Washington D.C., and the many things that it can symbolize. For residents of the United States, these symbols are easy for us to see because we are familiar with our own history. But what about someone who grew up in a small country far away – they might not have any understanding of Washington D.C. and so they would not understand any of its symbolism. In a similar way, if we want to understand Isaiah’s symbolic references to the geography of the Holy Land, we need to be familiar with the way Isaiah references his history and geography.

How can we learn these things?

These topics sound daunting because it means that if we want to understand Isaiah, we need to understand the Old Testament. The Old Testament is the history of the Israelites. It is where we can learn about the Law of Moses and Jewish symbolism. The Old Testament tells the history of the Jewish people together with the geography of the Holy Land. If we want to understand the manner of the prophesying of the Jews, and have an understanding of the geography referenced by Isaiah, we need to study the Old Testament. It can be hard work, but there are a few shortcuts.

The context of Isaiah’s life

A good place to start is to consider the time in which Isaiah lived. His name has such a mystique that we should probably start by saying “Isaiah was a man.” He lived. He had a family. He was a prophet. He advised kings. Significantly, he lived during one of the most challenging and heartbreaking eras of the people of Israel.

Not much is known of his life, but much is known of the time in which he lived. It is believed that Isaiah’s ministry began in approximately 740 B.C.¹¹ The many references to kings throughout his writings help us place the timeline of his life and ministry. Isaiah says his prophetic call occurred “[i]n the year that king Uzziah died,”¹² and Assyrian records place Uzziah’s death in 740 or 739 B.C.¹³

Isaiah is first mentioned in 2 Kings 19. The people of Israel were under threat by the kingdom of Assyria, so the king of Judah at that time, Hezekiah, asked for Isaiah’s counsel.¹⁴ Isaiah is only mentioned one other time in the book of 2 Kings (the next chapter,) describing the Lord’s warnings and counsel that Isasiah gave to Hezekiah. Archeological records give the dates of Hezekiah’s reign from about 715 to 686 B.C.¹⁵

Consider our society today, and the role of our prophet, Russell M. Nelson. During the Covid-19 pandemic, President Nelson often spoke of the challenges we faced and he gave us advice and encouragement.¹⁶ He has warned us of future difficulties,¹⁷ and has called us to repentance.¹⁸ Isaiah was no different for his people. The Church has issued a statement that a prophet is “designated by God to be His spokesperson and to be a teacher, revelator and witness of gospel truths,” and that “senior Church leaders — Joseph Smith, Brigham Young and the presidents of the Church that followed — [are] prophets of God in the same way [that] Abraham, Moses, Isaiah and the apostles in the day of Jesus Christ [were prophets].”¹⁹

It is easier to understand Isaiah if we consider that he was called to teach his people in his time. If we will study the events of his day, the geography of the land where he lived, and if we will ponder how his teachings pertained to his people as well as to us, we will better comprehend his writings.

The history and geography of Israel

The history of Israel cannot be discussed without the geography of the Holy Land. This post is not the place to recount all the details, but there are a few aspects that can provide significant help when studying Isaiah.

The twelve tribes of Israel enter the promised land

At the end of his life, Jacob/Israel blessed his sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Zebulun, Issachar, Dan, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Joseph, and Benjamin.²⁰ But before blessing his sons, Jacob/Israel had blessed Joseph and gave tremendous promises to Joseph’s sons, Ephraim and Manasseh: “thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine.”²¹ In other words, Israel adopted Ephraim and Manasseh as his own sons, and they effectively took Joseph’s place among the 12 tribes of Israel.

Centuries later, after Moses led the tribes of Israel out of Egypt, the Lord commanded Moses to count (or “number,” thus the name of the Book of Numbers) the children of Israel, and they included in those tribes “the children of Ephraim,” and “the children of Manasseh.”²² However, “the Levites after the tribe of their fathers were not numbered among them.”²³ Instead, the Levites were appointed to preside over the tabernacle. It could be said that Levi’s inheritance was the priesthood.

When Joshuah led the children of Israel into the promised land, each tribe (including Ephraim and Manasseh, but not Joseph) was given an inheritance of land, except for Levi, who “shall have no part nor inheritance with Israel: . . . the Lord is their inheritance.”²⁴ The inheritances of land are detailed in the book of Joshua, and are shown on Bible Map 12: The Division of the 12 Tribes.

In this map, we can see the importance of the geography of the Holy Land. These inheritances are geographic or political divisions of the 12 Tribes. They are like countries, or states. These geographic divisions then become symbols in their own right.

We often think of “Washington D.C.” as a symbol for politics, or power, or corruption (depending on your perspective), or the entire United States because it is the capital. The Alamo became a symbol for the Texans in their war against Mexico.²⁵ In the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the name “Carthage” has significant meaning, as it was the place where Joseph Smith was killed.²⁶ In the Book of Mormon, the “waters of Mormon” became a symbol for baptism and a special place for those who in that place “came to the knowledge of their Redeemer.”²⁷

Knowing the history of Israel is vital as we try to understand Isaiah. But we also need to know where those significant historical events happened. Isaiah often references the names of the tribes of Israel, and depending on the context, such references can be symbols of events that happened in those geographic inheritances, or that will happen there. In that way, Isaiah often gives his layered prophecies. In other words, by referencing a place, he can refer to past, present, and/or multiple future events at the same time.

The kingdoms of Israel and Judah

Another significant historical event that is often referenced in Isaiah is the fracture of the Kingdom of Israel into two smaller kingdoms, Israel and Judah.

Many are familiar with the story of David, and how he united the tribes to form a kingdom. His son, Soloman, was a great political leader who solidified and enriched the kingdom. But as a result of his pride, the kingdom was fractured after Solomon’s death.²⁸ Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, became king. But over a dispute about taxes, “Israel rebelled against the house of David,” and so Rehoboam reigned only over “the cities of Judah.”²⁹ The revolution was led by a man named Jeroboam, who was of the tribe of Ephraim.³⁰

From that point forward, there existed two kingdoms:

• Kingdom of Israel. The northern kingdom, comprised primarily of 10 tribes, not including Judah and Benjamin.³¹ This kingdom was sometimes referred to as “Ephraim,” because Jeroboam was from Ephraim, and the tribe of Ephraim was the main instigator in the division.
• Kingdom of Judah. The southern kingdom, comprised primarily of Judah and Benjamin, with Jerusalem within its boundaries.³²

It is worth noting that many believe that the separation of the two kingdoms was the result of “the jealousy between the tribes of Ephraim and Judah.”³³ I think there is great meaning in the fact that it was Ephraim who caused the division of the tribes, but it will be Ephraim who will lead the way in the gathering of the tribes.³⁴

The division of the tribes happened in approximately 925 B.C.³⁵ By the time Isaiah started his ministry in 740 B.C., the division between the two kingdoms had reached its apex. An outside force, the warring nation of Assyria, would cause the loss of the 10 tribes, or the northern Kingdom of Israel.

The kingdom of Assyria

Assyria has been called “one of the great empires of the ancient Middle East. It was located in what is now northern Iraq and southeastern Turkey.”³⁶

Archeological findings provide a history of Assyria dating back to the 14th century BC, but there is no need for that level of detail in an effort to understand the writings of Isaiah. Bible map 5³⁷ shows the growth of the Assyrian empire:

The Assyrians were a military might that sought to conquer the world. Early in their conquests, they began removing people from their land: “king Adad Nirari I (1307-1275 BC) decided the best way to prevent any future uprising was to remove the former occupants of the land and replace them with Assyrians.”³⁸ The deportations had a very specific purpose: “Deportees were carefully chosen for their abilities and sent to regions which could make the most of their talents. Not everyone in the conquered populace was chosen for deportation and families were never separated. Those segments of the population that had actively resisted the Assyrians were killed or sold into slavery, but the general populace became absorbed into the growing empire and they were thought of as Assyrians.”³⁹

In 721 BC, Assyria invaded the northern Kingdom of Israel and conquered the 10 tribes.⁴⁰ We refer to these as the “lost tribes,” because as part of the Assyrian invasion, many were deported after the Assyrian manner of war. Isaiah’s ministry began in 740 BC, so a significant theme of Isaiah’s writings pertains to the loss of the 10 tribes because he lived through it. He foresaw it and warned the people about it. He advised the king of Judah about how to avoid Judah’s captivity. And he prophesied that even though the 10 tribes were lost, God would honor his covenants and those tribes would eventually be gathered.

Isaiah’s writings focus on God’s covenants with Israel

Israel’s writings contain a sweeping account of the covenants that God has made with Israel, because he saw the majority of the house of Israel lost to the Assyrian invasion. He had faith that this loss would not end Israel, and he prophesied of the day when Israel would be gathered. When we consider Isaiah’s writings in the context of his experience of seeing the scattering of Israel, and then prophesying about the gathering of Israel, we can ponder more deeply the meanings of verses such as these: “Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.”⁴¹

This purpose of Isaiah, to help us see that the Lord will keep his covenants with Israel, is much in line with the purpose of the Book of Mormon, which is, “to show unto the remnant of the house of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers; and that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever.”⁴² It’s no wonder that Book of Mormon prophets quoted Isaiah so extensively.

Isaiah teaches of Christ

Isaiah’s writings are squarely focused on Christ. In his very first chapter, he states, “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”⁴³ Repentance, forgiveness, and God’s grace are all themes throughout Isaiah. He uses the example of the house of Israel to show God’s mercy. If this people, who were called the people of God, could crucify their God, and he could still honor his covenants and gather them in, won’t he also be merciful with us?

Study

Isaiah is beautiful. It is an amazing feeling to read through chapter after chapter and see the symbolism of Christ. Isaiah not only teaches of Christ, he teaches us to repent and come unto Christ. His use of symbolism makes us think deeply about what it means to be gathered to Christ. But to understand, we must study.

The Church’s institute manual for the Old Testament is a great way to get started: Old Testament Student Manual Kings-Malachi. This provides significant information on the history and geography of Israel, and many great explanations for the words of Isaiah.

The Book of Mormon contains many writings of Isaiah, and some Book of Mormon writers provide commentary on the Isaiah chapters they quote. Nephi (2 Nephi 25-30), Abinadi (Mosiah 13-16), and the Savior himself (3 Nephi 23) provide explanations for the writings of Isaiah. Joseph Smith has also provided some explanations for the writings of Isaiah (Doctrine & Covenants 113).

Many of the events discussed in Isaiah are set out in the Old Testament, in the books 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, and 1 and 2 Chronicles. In these six books, we read about the events that led to the uniting of the tribes of Israel, their division, and the Assyrian invasion. These events are all discussed in Isaiah.

Understanding Isaiah can be incredibly rewarding, but only if we put in the work.

References

1. 3 Nephi 23:1. ↩︎
2. 2 Nephi 25:1. ↩︎
3. 2 Nephi 25:5. ↩︎
4. 2 Nephi 25:4. ↩︎
5. 2 Nephi 25:6. ↩︎
6. Doctrine and Covenants 8:2-3. ↩︎
7. Exodus 14:12. ↩︎
8. Doctrine and Covenants 9:7-9. ↩︎
9. Joseph Smith-History 1:74. ↩︎
10. Old Testament Student Manual Kings-Malachi; Religion 302, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2003, “Understanding Isaiah,” 132-133, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/old-testament-student-manual-kings-malachi/enrichment-e?lang=eng&id=title6#title6. ↩︎
11. Bible Chronology, “Chronology of the Old Testament,” https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bible-chron/old-testament?lang=eng&id=p199#p199. ↩︎
12. Isaiah 6:1. ↩︎
13. Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Uzziah.” Encyclopedia Britannica, September 28, 2011. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Uzziah. See also Bible Dictionary, “Hezekiah,” https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bd/hezekiah?lang=eng; Chronology of the Old Testament, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bible-chron/old-testament?lang=eng&id=p216#p216. ↩︎
14. 2 Kings 19:1-5. ↩︎
15. Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Hezekiah.” Encyclopedia Britannica, December 23, 2023. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Hezekiah. ↩︎
16. “President Nelson Shares Message of Hope during Coronavirus Outbreak,” https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/video/2020-03-0010-president-nelson-shares-message-of-hope-during-coronavirus-outbreak?lang=eng. ↩︎
17. Russell M. Nelson, “Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives,” Ensign, May 2018, 96 (“But in coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost.”) https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2018/05/sunday-morning-session/revelation-for-the-church-revelation-for-our-lives?lang=eng&id=p37#p37. ↩︎
18. Russell M. Nelson, “We Can Do Better and Be Better,” Ensign, May 2019, 68 (“Brethren, prayerfully seek to understand what stands in the way of your repentance. Identify what stops you from repenting. And then, change! Repent! All of us can do better and be better than ever before.”) https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2019/05/36nelson?lang=eng&id=p12#p12. ↩︎
19. Church Newsroom, “Prophets,” https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/prophets. ↩︎
20. Genesis 49:3-28. ↩︎
21. Genesis 48:5. ↩︎
22. Numbers 1:32-35. ↩︎
23. Numbers 1:47-50. ↩︎
24. Deuteronomy 18:1-2. ↩︎
25. History.com, “Battle of the Alamo,” January 12, 2021, https://www.history.com/topics/latin-america/alamo. ↩︎
26. “Carthage Jail,” https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/learn/locations/carthage-jail. ↩︎
27. Mosiah 18:30. ↩︎
28. 1 Kings 11-12. ↩︎
29. 1 Kings 11:43; 1 Kings 12. ↩︎
30. Bible Dictionary, “Israel, Kingdom of,” https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bd/israel-kingdom-of?lang=eng&id=title1#title1. ↩︎
31. Bible Dictionary, “Israel, Kingdom of.” ↩︎
32. Bible Dictionary, “Judah, Kingdom of.” https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bd/judah-kingdom-of?lang=eng&id=p1#p1. ↩︎
33. Bible Dictionary, “Judah, Kingdom of.” ↩︎
34. 1 Nephi 13:37-42. A more complete discussion of this topic is worthwhile, but this is not the place. It is simply worth mentioning that in these verses by Nephi, the “Gentiles” are commonly understood to be the tribe of Ephraim. Joseph Smith taught that the Book of Mormon, or the “stick of Joseph,” was in the “hands of Ephraim.” Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, “Responding to Persecution with Faith and Courage,” 373, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/teachings-joseph-smith/chapter-32?lang=eng&id=p14#p14. ↩︎
35. Bible Dictionary, “Israel, Kingdom of.” ↩︎
36. Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Assyria.” Encyclopedia Britannica, December 5, 2023. https://www.britannica.com/place/Assyria. ↩︎
37. Bible Maps, “5. The Assyrian Empire,” https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bible-maps/map-5?lang=eng&id=title1#title1. ↩︎
38. Mark, Joshua J.. “Assyrian Warfare.” World History Encyclopedia. Last modified May 02, 2018. https://www.worldhistory.org/Assyrian_Warfare/. ↩︎
39. Mark, “Assyrian Warfare.” ↩︎
40. Old Testament Student Manual Kings-Malachi; Religion 302, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2003, “Enrichment D: The Assyrian Conquest and the Lost Tribes,” 113, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/old-testament-student-manual-kings-malachi/enrichment-d?lang=eng&id=title1#title1. ↩︎
41. Isaiah 49:15-16. ↩︎
42. Book of Mormon: Title Page, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/bofm-title?lang=eng. ↩︎
43. Isaiah 1:18. ↩︎