2 Nephi 19

(All of my own thoughts are in red type.5/20 green 2/21 Orange 5/22 Brown 2023

Chapter 19

Isaiah speaks messianically—The people in darkness will see a great light—Unto us a child is born—He will be the Prince of Peace and will reign on David’s throne—Compare Isaiah 9. About 559–545 B.C. Gileadi's commentary will be in brown.

  1 Nevertheless, the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun, and the land of Naphtali, and afterwards did more grievously afflict by the way of the Red Sea beyond Jordan in Galilee of the nations. Things happen "lightly" at first and then the "darkness" of evil increases. As Jehovah's people increase in wickedness and suffer covenant curses, those who repent rise above the tide of evil and increase in righteousness and experience covenant curse reversals.  
  2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. But "light" comes, just as it did 200 years ago, and the Lord shines the light of His love on all His children. I am still hoping that this will happen this year. So many walk in darkness. I want them to “see” a great light - the truth. I want them to have a chance to know goodness and joy before they are doomed to destruction. Avraham Gileadi says this:A reversal of covenant curses for Jehovah’s people extends to their release from bondage to the powers of darkness: (1) spiritually—when they convert to the truth and renew their covenant with Jehovah; and (2) temporally—when he delivers them from the king of Assyria/Babylon who epitomizes darkness and Death. Jehovah’s “light” signifies both the terms of his covenant—which go forth as a “light” to the nations (Isaiah 51:4)—and his end-time servant, whom Jehovah appoints as a light to the nations (Isaiah 42:6; 49:6) to prepare them for Jehovah’s coming to establish his kingdom on the earth.
  3 Thou hast multiplied the nation, and increased the joy—they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil. There is a great conversion and the numbers are multiplied and joy is increased in all the nations. After they repent, Jehovah's people return home and receive lands of inheritance. "Spoil" and "harvest" signify victory over enemies and a reinherited land.  "enlarged" means those abroad are welcomed by and unite with those at home. They joy and rejoice at their return and deliverance.  
  4 For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor. The Secret Combinations are overthrown and exposed "for a moment". Jehovah's people finally have victory over the King of Assyria, the "yoke", "staff", and "rod" that had subjected them. 
  5 For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire.
  6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called, Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. When people are converted, it is as if Christ is "born again" and people rejoice in this "good news"! Avraham teaches this: He will be called. Historically, verses 6-7 serve as a Coronation Hymn for King Hezekiah, the prophesied Immanuel. The four Hebrew couplets that comprise the king’s titulary—“Wonderful Counselor, One Mighty in Valor, a Father for Ever, a Prince of Peace” (pele’ yo‘es ’el gibbor ’abi-‘ad sar-salom)—reflect four phases in the life of Abraham as recorded in successive narratives of the Genesis account: (1) when he counsels with Lot; (2) when he delivers Lot; (3) when he begets Isaac, his heir; and (4) when he intercedes with Jehovah on behalf of the righteous in Sodom (Genesis 13-18). Although Handel’s Messiah cites this prophecy of Isaiah in reference to Jesus—perhaps based in part on its mistranslation in the King James Version of the Bible—no scriptural writers do so because that would entirely remove it from its literary-scriptural context in the Book of Isaiah. As the exemplar of his people, Jehovah nevertheless embodies the divine attributes of counsel (Isaiah 25:1; 28:29); valor (1:24; 49:26); fatherhood (45:10; 63:16); and kingship (Isaiah 33:22; 43:15). Jehovah’s servant and his associates, too, therefore, evidence these same attributes (Isaiah 11:2; 13:3; 22:21; 46:11; 49:23).

 7 Of the increase of government and peace there is no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this. The Lord is the one who brings about Zion and this great conversion as a prelude to His millennial reign. The servant’s Davidic identity has similar parallels and word links: “When oppressors are no more and violence has ceased, when tyrants are destroyed from the earth, then, in loving kindness, shall a throne be set up in the abode of David, and in faithfulness a judge sit on it who will maintain justice and expedite righteousness” (Isaiah 16:4-5); “Give ear and come unto me; pay heed, that your souls may live! And I will make with you an everlasting covenant: [my] loving fidelity toward David. See, I have appointed him as a witness to the nations, a prince and lawgiver of the peoples” (Isaiah 55:3-4).

Other Hebrew prophets, too, predict the millennial rule of a descendant of David named David who is not identical with Jehovah, Israel’s divine King (Isaiah 33:17, 22; 43:15), but who prepares the way for Jehovah’s coming (cf. Isaiah 40:3-5; 52:7): “They shall serve Jehovah their God and David their king, whom I will raise up to them” (Jeremiah 30:9); “I Jehovah will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them” (Ezekiel 34:24); “David my servant shall be king over them, and they all shall have one shepherd. . . . and my servant David shall be their prince forever” (Ezekiel 37:24-25).

  8 The Lord sent his word unto Jacob and it hath lighted upon Israel. The gospel is taken to the Jews. The following words are addressing the Jacob/Israel category of his people ("Ephraim and those who dwell in Samaria")
  9 And all the people shall know, even Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria, that say in the pride and stoutness of heart:
  10 The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones; the sycamores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars. Corrupt government leaders said this in our country after 9-11. The evil in the government will be exposed as the word of the Lord sweeps the earth as with a flood. They are censured for their conceitedness. National disasters (fallen buildings and destroyed trees) are taken in stride as temporary setbacks and not signs of Jehovah's judgments. In their own strength they think they will rebuild bigger and better.
  11 Therefore the Lord shall set up the adversaries of Rezin against him, and join his enemies together;
  12 The Syrians before and the Philistines behind; and they shall devour Israel with open mouth. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. I think this is Armageddon when all the nations of the earth combine against Israel. If you go back to the “him” of vs. 11, is this talking about the US (Ephraim in vs 9?) Jehovah's people are invaded when the enemy sees their condition deteriorate and their weakness. The last phrase denotes a long drawn-out period of Jehovah's judgment.
  13 For the people turneth not unto him that smiteth them, neither do they seek the Lord of Hosts. Avraham: Covenant curses such as natural disasters, internal collapse, and enemy invasion aren’t just a consequence of transgression but acts of God. Designed to turn his people’s hearts back to him—to motivate them to repent—they demonstrate that Jehovah is in charge and that their only recourse in alleviating them is to align themselves with him and keep the terms of his covenant. The king of Assyria/Babylon may be “him who smites them” physically, but it is Jehovah who is doing the smiting and of whom they may “inquire” and get answers instead of from the dead (cf. Isaiah 8:19-20; 55:6; 65:1).
  14 Therefore will the Lord cut off from Israel head and tail, branch and rush in one day.
  15 The ancient, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail.
  16 For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed. ok...don’t stone me for asking this question...but who is the “prophet that teacheth lies”? Who are the “leaders” that cause us to err? Who is destroyed for having followed these lies or errors? Whoever this prophet is, the lord cuts him off (the tail). Who is the “ancient” who is the “head”? He is cut off as well... Avraham: As in ancient times, the political and ecclesiastical leaders of Jehovah’s end-time people resemble one another. Because of their wickedness, Jehovah “cuts off” both from his presence in “a single day”—his Day of Judgment (Isaiah 48:18-19). Because a people’s leaders reflect what the people are, the leaders’ misleading and confusing “these people”—Jehovah’s alienated people—constitutes an integral part of their punishment (cf. Isaiah 3:12). Most reprehensible in the prophets who represent Jehovah to his people are the “falsehoods” or “lies” (seqer) they teach (Isaiah 28:7; 29:10; 32:6-7).
  17 Therefore the Lord shall have no joy in their young men, neither shall have mercy on their fatherless and widows; for every one of them is a hypocrite and an evildoer, and every mouth speaketh folly. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. The ultimate curse of the Lord is to be cut off from His presence and spirit. But he offers repentance until it is too late. Even the young men/people, and those most deserving of compassion (fatherless and widows) no longer warrant sympathy or admiration. All have become evil and even after successive waves of punishment, they remain unrepentant.
  18 For wickedness burneth as the fire; it shall devour the briers and thorns, and shall kindle in the thickets of the forests, and they shall mount up like the lifting up of smoke.
  19 Through the wrath of the Lord of Hosts is the land darkened, and the people shall be as the fuel of the fire; no man shall spare his brother. It is prophesied that the wicked will destroy the wicked.
  20 And he shall snatch on the right hand and be hungry; and he shall eat on the left hand and they shall not be satisfied; they shall eat every man the flesh of his own arm—How many times do we have to be warned of a coming famine?   
  21 Manasseh, Ephraim; and Ephraim, Manasseh; they together shall be against Judah. For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.Avraham:When the wicked grow ravenous to the point of starvation, they not only “curse their God and their king” (Isaiah 8:21), they also resort to cannibalism—to eating their own offspring. As society breaks down, enmity between neighbors (Isaiah 3:5) spreads to contention between the different races and tribal groups of Jehovah’s people—Ephraim, Manasseh, and Judah. The Jews—humanity’s perennial scapegoats—inevitably suffer yet another outbreak of anti-Semitism as the wicked of the world attempt to pass off their own guilt onto others. Even so, Jehovah’s punishments continue unabated.