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Our Lord Jesus Christ said it:
"A commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for 'great are the words of Isaiah.' For surely he spake as touching all things concerning my people which are of the house of Israel: therefore it must needs be that he must speak also to the Gentiles. And all things that he spake have been and shall be, even according to the words which he spake."
That was the Lord's commandment and his praise for his beloved prophet Isaiah, as he ministered to the Nephites in the Americas following his crucifixion. It's recorded in 3 Nephi 23:1-3.
The same challenge is ours today--we are to diligently search the words of Isaiah found in The Book of Mormon. And the challenge is a substantial one-of the 66 chapters of Isaiah found in the Bible, 19 of them are quoted in The Book of Mormon, often being presented with illuminating commentaries which clarify the Biblical passages.
To understand the writings of Isaiah we must understand Isaiah the man, and to understand him as a man we must understand his times. Isaiah lived about two hundred years after the twelve tribes split into two kingdoms. His mission began about 740 B.C. and continued for 43 years, till 697 B.C. He lived in the southern kingdom, the kingdom of Judah, and was a prophet during the reign of four kings of Judah: Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah.
About the same time as Israel and Judah divided into separate kingdoms, the ancient empire of Assyria began to gain ascendancy. By Isaiah's day it had been a major world power for 150 years and was extending its power and dominion. Tiglath-pileser III ruled Assyria from about 745 to 727 B.C. It was he who began the Assyrian policy of moving conquered populations to other areas. He overran the northern area of Israel in 734 B.C., during the reign of Israel's king Pekah. Two years later he conquered Damascus, the capital of Syria.
His son, Shalmaneser V, ruled Assyria for only five years, from 726 to 722 B.C. He laid siege to Samaria, the capital of Israel, during the reign of Israel's king Hoshea, but he died before Samaria fell. The sedge was completed by Sargon II, an Assyrian army general. In 721 B.C. he conquered Israel and deported the ten tribes of Israel to various provinces of the Assyrian Empire. Sargon ruled Assyria from 721 to 705 B.C. His son, Sennacherib, who ruled Assyria from 704 to 681 B.C., invaded Judah in 701 B.C. and exacted heavy tribute from Hezekiah, the king of Judah.
These were the times in which Isaiah lived. Judah watched the fall of Samaria to the Assyrians. That city, the capital of Israel, was only 35 miles to the north, and the people of Judah were terrified with fear of a possible invasion of their lands by that same fearsome power.
Isaiah was a statesman and a member of Jerusalem's ruling class. He was well acquainted with the society and political intrigues of that capital city and his writings show that he had considerable interest in the political events of his time. He was a capable author and speaker, and his writings reflect his culture and refinement. He was a great poet, and much of his writing is in poetry. Rabbinic tradition says that Isaiah's father was a brother to King Amaziah. If that is true, then Isaiah was a cousin of king Uzziah and therefore of royal blood. He began his ministry the year king Uzziah died.
Though he lived in Judah, Isaiah prophesied to both Judah and Israel. Two other Biblical prophets were his contemporaries: Hosea, who ministered from 760 to 720 B.C., and Micah, who also ministered for most of the same 43 years that Isaiah prophesied.
It was a time of great political and moral decay in both Judah and Israel. Power had been concentrated in Jerusalem, and the city rulers were oppressing the rural population with heavy taxation to support their policy of paying tribute to Assyria and to fortify the city of Jerusalem. Bribes and intrigue were characteristic of most governmental and judicial decisions, and corrupt judges frequently aided their friends in robbing the poor. Large landowners were oppressing the poor and enlarging their estates by evicting small property owners, using high and unequal taxation and foreclosures on credit as their tools. Many people in Judah had turned away fromthe worship of Jehovah and were worshiping other Gods.
Table of Contents
Chart One
Periods of Prophetic Fulfillment for Isaiah's Prophecies
I. Events Before and During the Fall of Israel to Assyria--800-700 B.C.
A. The reigns of-
1. Jeroboam II, Zachariah, Shallum, Menahem, Pekahiah, Pekah, and Hoshea, kings of Israel .
2. Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah .
3. Adad-nirari III, Shalmaneser IV, Assur-Dayan III, Tiglath-pileser III, Shalmaneser V,
Sargon II, and Sennacherib, kings of Assyria .
B. Prophecies which primarily concern-
1. The above kings.
2. Assyrian assaults on the Mediterranean States.
3. Alliances with Egypt and Assyria.
4. The Syro-Ephraimite War, c. 734 B.C.
5. The fall of northern Israel, c. 733 B.C.
6. The siege and fall of Samaria, c. 722 B.C.
7. The deportation of the remainder of Israel, c. 721 B.C.
8. Sennacherib's attacks on Judah in 701 B.C.
II. Events Before and During the Fall of Judah, The Babylonian Captivity, and the Jewish Return to Palestine (primarily 635-535 B.C.)
A. The reigns of-
1. Manasseh, Amon, Josiah, Ahaziah, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, Zedekiah, and Gedeliah,
kings of Judah .
2. Nabopolassar, Nebuchadnezzar, Evil-Merodach, Nabonidus, and Belshazzax
kings of Babylonia .
3. Cyrus II, Cambyses, and Darius I, kings of Persia and Media .
B. Prophecies which primarily concern-
1. The above kings.
2. The Battle of Carchemish, 605 B.C.
3. The fall of Nineveh and Assyria, c. 612 B.C.
4. The first surrender of Jerusalem, under Jehoiachin, c. 598 B.C.
5. The fall of Jerusalem under Zedekiah, c. 587 B.C.
6. The Babylonian captivity.
7. The fall of Babylon and the coming of Cyrus, c. 539 B.C.
8. The three returns from captivity, 536 B.C., 457 B.C., 444 B.C.
III. Events Related to the Ministry of Christ (in the Meridian of time)
IV. Events during the Last Days (beginning with the restoration of the Gospel
about 1820 A.D.)
Chart Two
Suggested Reading Order for Isaiah Passages in The Book of Mormon
B of M Isaiah
Chapters Chapters Subject
Period 1: Events Connected with the Fall of Israel to Assyria
1. 2 Nephi 16 6 Isaiah's call to the ministry.
2. 2 Nephi 17 7 To Ahaz (king of Judah): Do not fear Israel and Syria.
Signs of the future birth of Christ.
3. 2 Nephi 18 8 To Ahaz (continued): Instead of forming foreign alliances, trust in the Lord.
4. 2 Nephi 19 9 To Ahaz (continued): Israel's imminent sorrow contrasted with
its joy at the birth of Christ.
5. 2 Nephi 20 10 The Lord's judgment upon king Sennacherib.
Period 2: Events Connected with the Fall of Judah to Babylonia
6. 2 Nephi 13 3 The men of Judah to fall.
7. 2 Nephi 15 5 The parable of the vineyard; God's judgment upon Judah.
8. 2 Nephi 23 13 The burden of Babylon.
9. 2 Nephi 24 14 The fall of Babylon.
10. 1 Nephi 20 48 The Lord will not cast off his people when Babylon is destroyed.
Period 3: Events Related to the Ministry of Christ in the Meridian of Time
11. 2 Nephi 7 50 Christ's suffering and passion (the third Servant Song).
Period 4: Events During the Last Days
12. 3 Nephi 22 54 The coming of the Ten Tribes to the New Jerusalem (in America).
13. 1 Nephi 21 49 The coming of the Ten Tribes to the New Jerusalem and their
removal to Palestine.
14. 3 Nephi 20 52 The return and redemption of Israel.
15. 2 Nephi 21 11 The "rod" and "root" and the gathering to Palestine.
16. 2 Nephi 8 51 The Battle of Armageddon and the Lord's eternal righteousness.
17. 2 Nephi 14 4 The glory of Jerusalem following the Battle of Armageddon.
18. 2 Nephi 22 12 Praise to Jehovah during the last days.
19. 2 Nephi 12 2 The temple in Jerusalem: Christ's coming in glory.
Period One: Events Connected with the Fall of Israel to Assyria
2 Nephi 16, Isaiah 6
In this chapter Isaiah describes his vision of the Lord (1-4) and call to the ministry (5-10). The last three verses are a prediction of the desolation of Israel when its people are taken to Assyria (11-13). (Fulfilled in 721 BC. when Sargon II deported the Ten Tribes to Assyria.)
2 Nephi 17, Isaiah 7
In 734 B.C. the Syro-Ephraimite War took place in which Israel and Syria tried to force Judah to join them in fighting against Assyria. Isaiah counsels Ahaz (the king of Judah) not to fear the two kings who are attacking him (1-4). Within sixty-five years the nation of Israel (Ephraim) will cease to be a nation (5-9). Isaiah gives Ahaz a sign: Israel and Syria will be destroyed before the birth of Christ (10-16). The Egyptians and Assyrians will fight (17-20), and Judah will be left desolate (21-25). (Fulfilled: The Egyptians and Assyrians fought at Eltekeh in 701 BC. The 65 years extends from the deportation of northern israel in 734 BC. to the settlement of foreigners in the land of Israel by the Assyrian king Esarhaddon in 670 B.C.)
2 Nephi 18, Isaiah 8
This is a continuation of the previous chapter. Before Isaiah's son will be born and able to speak, Damascus (the capital of Syria) and Samaria (the heart of Israel) will be carried away by Assyria (1-7). (Fulfilled when the Assyrians captured Damascus and spoiled northern Israel in 734-33 BC.) Isaiah's advice to Ahaz continues: the Assyrians will come into Judah; instead of forming foreign alliances, trust in the Lord (8-22). (Fulfilled by the invasion of the Assyrian king Sennacherib in 701 BC.)
2 Nephi 19, Isaiah 9
This is a continuation of the previous chapter. The suffering of the Zebulun and Naphtali regions (where the Assyrians attacked about 734 B.C.) will later be replaced by joy when Christ is born and lives there (1-7) (this is the Galilee area which includes Nazareth, the home of Jesus). The leaders of Israel have made the people err (8-17). Because of wickedness, the people shall suffer great hunger (18-21). (Fulfilled between the Assyrian invasions of 734 and 721 BC.)
2 Nephi 20, Isaiah 10
This is Isaiah's prophecy of the judgment which came upon the Assyrian king Sennacherib when he attacked Judah in 701 B.C. God's anger is against Assyria (5-12) because its king boasts of his conquests, not realizing that God has used Assyria as a tool to accomplish His purposes (13-15). The people of Judah should not fear Assyria (24) for its high ones shall soon be hewn down (25-34). (Fulfilled when 185,000 Assyrians were smitten overnight as they laid seige to Jerusalem.)
Period Two: Events Connected with the Fall of Judah to Babylonia
2 Nephi 13, Isaiah 3
This chapter refers to the second period of prophetic fulfillment: the time of the fall of Judah to Babylonia. The leaders will be taken away from Jerusalem (1-3) and it will be ruled by children and women (4-8, 12). The Lord will punish the princes for oppressing the poor (13-15) and the haughty daughters of Zion (16-24): their men shall fall by the sword (25-26). (Fulfilled in 598 B.C. when the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar took the leaders of Judah into captivity. The young kings were Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah.)
2 Nephi 15, Isaiah 15
God has done all He could for the house of Israel but they did not bring forth good fruit (1-7). Woe unto Judah for six sins (8-2 5). In the last days, God will lift up an ensign and gather His people from the ends of the earth (26-30).
2 Nephi 23, Isaiah 13
This chapter is a prophecy of the fall of Babylonia to the Medes and Persians in the second period of prophetic fulfillment. Kingdoms will gather together against Babylon and the wicked will fall by the sword (1-16). God will stir up the Medes against them and Babylon will never again be inhabited (17-22). (Fulfilled when the Persians conquered the city of Babylon in 539 B.C.)
2 Nephi 24, Isaiah 14
This chapter continues the prophecy of the preceding chapter concerning the fall of Babylonia. Israel and Judah will be returned to their own land (1-3) and will make a proverb concerning Babylon's fall (4-8). Babylonia's king will be cast down to hell with Lucifer (9-21). God will rise up against Babylon and cut off its people (22-23). Isaiah then prophesies of the first period of prophetic fulfillment and warns the Jewish king Ahaz that Assyria will attack Palestine (24-32).
1 Nephi 20, Isaiah 48
This chapter is a prophecy to the people of Judah who lived during Lehi's day-at the time of the fall of Judith to Babylonia. The people are unrighteous hypocrites (1-2); the Lord has declared their fate from the beginning so when the prophecies come to pass they would know it is not the work of false idols (3-8, 16-17). the Lord will not cut off his people (9-13), but will bring them back from their captivity in Babylon (20-22).
Period Three: Events Related to the Ministry of Christ in the Meridian of Time
2 Nephi 7, Isaiah 50
This chapter is a "Servant Song" which makes references to Christ's suffering in the meridian of time. Though Israel has been wicked, God has not cast them off forever-He still has power to redeem them in the last days (1-4). Allusions are made to the trial and suffering of Christ (6-7). Who is there among you who fears the Lord? (10) Because of wickedness, Israel shall lie down in sorrow (11).
Period Four: Events During the Last Days
3 Nephi 22, Isaiah 54
The Lord, while ministering to the Nephites, quotes this prophecy of Isaiah concerning the gathering of the Ten Tribes in the last days. See the setting for the prophecy in 3 Ne. 20:11-29, which places the locale in the New Jerusalem area of America. There will be more children of the desolate [the Ten Tribes] than children of the married wife [members of the Church]. They will inherit cities left desolate by the Gentiles (1-3). They will not be ashamed. The Lord will gather Israel with great mercies and His kindness will not depart (4-10). The Lord will lay your foundation with jewels and your children will be taught of the Lord (11-13). Enemies will gather against you but they shall fall. No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper (14-17).
1 Nephi 21, Isaiah 49
This is a prophecy of the removal of the Ten Tribes from the New Jerusalem to the land of Israel in the last days. Verses 1-13 are a "Servant Song" containing allusions to Christ's mortal ministry. The Lord will raise up his servant to be a light and salvation to the Gentiles (3-6); Israel shall come from captivity and from the north and west (8-13) to inherit places that have been left desolate, but will find them too confining (18-20). The Gentiles will help them gather to Israel (22-23), and the Lord will fight against their oppressors (24-26).
3 Nephi 20:36-38; 40-45, Isaiah 52:1-3, 7, 11-15
The Lord, while ministering to the Nephites, quotes this prophecy of Isaiah concerning the gathering of the scattered Israel to its homeland. Zion is to put on her strength (priesthood authority) and loose itself from the bands of its neck (the curses of God) (36-38). Those who preach the gospel will be beautiful upon the mountains (40). Israel will be called to depart and go out from that which is unclean, but its exodus will not be made in haste nor by flight (41-42). The Lord will gather Israel from many nations, and Jerusalem will again be the land of inheritance for the Lord's people (43-45).
2 Nephi 21, Isaiah 11
A "rod" (David the Prince?) and a "root" (Joseph Smith?) will be raised up who will be important last days' servants of the Lord (1-15). During the millennium, animals will not hurt nor destroy, and the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord (6-9). The Lord will set up an ensign for the nations and gather Israel and Judah (10-12). Together they will overcome the nations which surround them (13-16).
2 Nephi 8, Isaiah 51
A prophecy of the restoration of Israel and the Battle of Armageddon in the last days. The Lord will comfort Zion and make her a fruitful area (3). The Lord's coming in glory and his judgment is near (4-8), so Israel must waken and put on strength (9-10). Israel will return with joy to Zion and again be God's people (11-16). Jerusalem will drink the cup of the Lord's fury, but will be visited by two (17-20) who will feel sorry for it (the two prophets during the battle of Armageddon, see Revelation 11:1-12). Then the Lord will turn his fury to those who afflict Jerusalem (21-23). Jerusalem shall put on his strength (the priesthood) and throw off the bands of its neck (the curses of God) (24-25).
2 Nephi 14, Isaiah 4
After verse one (which continues the warning of the previous chapter), the chapter describes the glory of Jerusalem following the Battle of Armageddon. Zion will be holy and shall have washed away the filth (2-4). The Lord will be with Zion for a defense (5-6).
2 Nephi 22, Isaiah 12
This chapter is a song of praise for Jehovah in the millennial day when the excellent things He has done will be known in all the earth.
2 Nephi 12, Isaiah 2
A prophecy of the Jerusalem temple in the last days and of Christ's coming in glory. The Lord's house will be established and all nations shall flow unto it (1-4). The sins of Judah (before its fall to Babylonia) are listed (5-9). The day of the Lord will come (10-17) and the wicked will flee because of their fear (18-22).
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