�鶹��ý

In the previous chapter, we looked at the way that Isaiah used symbols in his writings, asking the questions, “what are symbols?” and “why symbols?” We also examined the incredible way that Isaiah created symbols from common aspects of everyday life, such as foods, colors, animals, plants, architectural elements, family and social relationships, persons, occupations, and common objects. In the present chapter, we will look further at Isaiah’s symbols to explore the deeper themes he taught of. Specifically, we will briefly examine several of Isaiah’s symbols that teach three topics of eternal importance—the Savior’s Atonement, the gathering of Israel, and the Millennium.

The Savior’s Atonement

The Atonement of Jesus Christ is taught with great power, beauty, and magnificence in the book of Isaiah. Over and over again, Jehovah himself bears testimony that he is our Savior and Redeemer. Consider the following examples: “For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour” (43:3); “I the LORD am thy Savior and thy Redeemer” (60:16; see also 43:11; 45:21); and “All flesh shall know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer” (49:26).[1]

Isaiah presents several symbols as he prophesies regarding the Atonement of Jesus Christ. These include the colors red, scarlet, crimson, and white; a burning coal; a thick cloud; a lamb going to the slaughter; washing away excrement; engravings in the hand; and many more. In this chapter, we will examine a handful of Isaiah’s teachings on the Atonement. Although we recognize that Isaiah was generally speaking to specific individuals or audiences in his own day, it is still useful and appropriate to liken the following passages to ourselves. As in the previous chapter, the specific scriptural passage will be listed, followed by the scriptural reference, and then a possible explanation of the symbolism in the passage.

Colors scarlet and white. “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (1:18). Three colors on a similar spectrum—scarlet, red, and crimson—represent human blood and iniquity (see 59:3; Micah 3:10; Habakkuk 2:12). These colors are contrasted with Christ’s perfect blood, which turns our bright “scarlet” sins into purity, represented by the color white. Isaiah drives home this symbolism by including two items that are white in color—snow and wool.

Filth or dung. “The Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning” (4:4). Regarding the word filth, the Hebrew word �ٳ���’o��, translated as “filth” in the King James Version, literally means “excrement” or “dung.” Only Jesus Christ can “wash away the filth,” because he wrought the Atonement (see also Revelation 1:5).

Hot coal. “Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged” (6:6–7). The word purge, from the Hebrew kpr, literally means “to atone,” “to make atonement,” or “to cover.”[2] To remove Isaiah’s uncleanness, a seraph took a coal from the sacrificial altar (which calls attention to Jesus’s atoning sacrifice) and touched it to Isaiah’s lips.

Cloud. “I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee” (44:22). Just as thick clouds continually form, reshape, disappear, and reappear in the sky, evoking the idea of endlessness, so does God continually and endlessly forgive those who repent and return to him. Also, like rain from a cloud cleanses the earth, the Lord has wiped clean our transgressions through his Atonement.

Figure 9.1. “I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions.” Image of thick clouds, created in 1871 (image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

God casts sins behind his back. “For thou [God] hast cast all my [Hezekiah’s] sins behind thy back” (38:17). When God throws our sins behind his back (symbolically speaking), he will no longer view them.

God blots out our transgressions. “I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins” (43:25). The word blot (Hebrew mchh) literally means “to wipe clean” or “to annihilate.”[3] Thus, when we fully repent, God annihilates our sins. The expression, “I . . . will not remember thy sins” recalls the Lord’s promise in our day: “Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more” (Doctrine and Covenants 58:42).

Jesus has engraved us on his palms. “Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands” (49:16). The reference to the engraving in the Lord’s hands is a reference to the Atonement or, more specifically, to Jesus’s Crucifixion, in which nails pierced his hands.

God’s abundance of pardon. “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon” (55:7). When the wicked forsake their ways and “return unto the Lord” (return in this context, Hebrew shuv, means “to repent”), then he will “abundantly pardon” them.

A “day” versus a “year.” “For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come” (63:4). The setting may have multiple applications, including the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, when he will have vengeance on the wicked for a day. But because of his great love for us, the Lord’s vengeance is short-lived (one day) compared to his redemption (one year).

Isaiah Uses Symbols to Teach Us about the Gathering of Israel

The gathering of Israel in the last days is of utmost importance to each of us. Many of the ancient prophets, including Isaiah, saw our day and rejoiced. President Russell M. Nelson has taught us much about the gathering, in many settings and to diverse audiences. On one occasion he explained, “Just think of the excitement and urgency of it all: every prophet commencing with Adam has seen our day. And every prophet has talked about our day, when Israel would be gathered, and the world would be prepared for the Second Coming of the Savior. Think of it! Of all the people who have ever lived on planet earth, we are the ones who get to participate in this final, great gathering event. How exciting is that!”[4]

What Exactly Is the Gathering?

President Nelson declared, “Anytime you do anything that helps anyone—on either side of the veil—take a step toward making covenants with God and receiving their essential baptismal and temple ordinances, you are helping to gather Israel. It is as simple as that.”[5]

Just How Important Is the Gathering?

President Nelson described the gathering in these terms: “My dear young brothers and sisters, these surely are the latter days, and the Lord is hastening his work to gather Israel. That gathering is the most important thing taking place on earth today. Nothing else compares in magnitude, nothing else compares in importance, nothing else compares in majesty. And if you choose to, if you want to, you can be a big part of it. You can be a big part of something big, something grand, something majestic!”[6] Also, “There is nothing happening on this earth right now that is more important than that. There is nothing of greater consequence. Absolutely nothing. This gathering should mean everything to you. This is the mission for which you were sent to earth.”[7]

Just as President Nelson has spoken passionately about the gathering of Israel in our day, some 2,700 years ago Isaiah prophesied of the same event. Isaiah, too, was impassioned about the topic. He used a multitude of symbols, the finest poetry, and wonderful figures of speech as he eloquently delivered his prophecies. The following passages summarize some of Isaiah’s prophecies about the gathering of Israel. It is possible that some of these prophecies may have multiple fulfillments, including fulfillments in the last days.

Ensign. “And he [the Lord] shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth” (11:12). The ensign or banner is a symbol, representing the gospel of Jesus Christ (see Doctrine and Covenants 45:9; 105:39). In the last days, scattered Israel will see and recognize the ensign (the gospel), discern that it as a divine signal from God, and then gather to Zion from “the four corners of the earth.” President Gordon B. Hinckley spoke of one such ensign or banner, using the words of Isaiah:

Joseph Smith had seen Ensign Peak in vision. Two days after Brigham Young’s arrival [to the Salt Lake Valley], with some of his brethren, he climbed the peak and there, in the words of Isaiah, unfurled “an ensign to the nations” (Isaiah 5:26).[8]

Banner. “Lift ye up a banner upon the high mountain” (13:2). The banner or ensign symbolizes the gospel of Jesus Christ (see Doctrine and Covenants 45:9; 105:39). Members of God’s kingdom in this dispensation (as well as in previous dispensations) figuratively lift up the gospel banner as a rallying point, and they signal for the nations of the earth to gather to it. The “high mountain” symbolizes the temple, which is a focal place for God’s people.

Figure 9.2. An angel blows the trumpet; a second angel holds up a banner. (Drawing by Fra Bartolommeo. “One Angel Blowing a Trumpet, and Another Holding a Standard.” Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

Trumpet (Example #1). “All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, see ye, when he lifteth up an ensign on the mountains; and when he bloweth a trumpet, hear ye” (18:3). The trumpet signifies the voice of the Lord’s leaders and missionaries, who declare the gospel (see Doctrine and Covenants 24:12; 43:25).

Trumpet (Example #2). “And it shall come to pass in that day, that the great trumpet shall be blown, and they shall come . . . and shall worship the Lord in the holy mount at Jerusalem” (27:13). As mentioned in the previous example, the trumpet symbolizes the Lord’s leaders and missionaries who call on the nations to gather to the gospel (see Doctrine and Covenants 24:12; 43:25). Also, similar to the “banner” example, the “holy mount” symbolizes the Lord’s temples. As Joseph Smith wrote, “The object of gathering the Jews, or the people of God in any age of the world . . . was to build unto the Lord a house whereby he could reveal unto his people the ordinances of his house and the glories of his kingdom, and teach the people the way of salvation.”[9]

Threshed grain. “In that day, that the Lord shall beat off [thresh out the grain] . . . ye shall be gathered one by one, O ye children of Israel” (27:12). The Lord is compared to a farmer who, in the last days, will thresh out grain and gather his covenant people “one by one,” as if they are choice kernels of grain.

Cardinal directions. “Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west; I will say to the north, Give up; and to the south, Keep not back: bring my sons from far, and my daughters from the ends of the earth” (43:5–6). The Lord promises Israel that he will gather them from the four cardinal directions—east, west, north, and south—meaning that he will gather the totality of the earth and its inhabitants.

God’s lifted hand. “Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people: and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders” (49:22). The Lord’s lifted hand may symbolize (1) a covenant gesture, (2) a signal for the nations to gather to the ensign, or (3) a demonstration of his power. The word hand (Hebrew yad) sometimes denotes power. The ensign, or standard, serves as a rallying point around which the people gather.

The Lord’s hand. “Even unto them will I [the Lord] give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters” (56:5). The Hebrew reads “a hand and a name” rather than “a place and a name.” The context is the gathering of “the outcasts of Israel” (v. 8) to the Lord’s temple, which God calls “mine house.” There, he will give them a hand (potentially power, as in the previous example) and a name (an identity).

Figure 9.3. (Artistic depiction by Eleanore Abbott. "Nursing Mother." From The Report of the Philadelphia Baby Saving Show, and the Proceedings of the Conference of Infant Hygiene. Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

Nursing fathers and mothers. “And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet” (49:23). In the last days, nations and their leaders will assist Israel’s gathering. Symbolically, kings (and other leaders) will be like fathers to Israel, and queens will be like wet nurses. In fact, kings and queens will bow down to Israel, a reversal of when Israel served as slaves to the Egyptians, Assyrians, Babylonians, and others.

Eunuchs. “Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer. . . . The Lord God which gathereth the outcasts of Israel” (56:7–8). In the last days, God will invite all nations to partake of the gospel’s blessings (see also Ephesians 2:19), not just those belonging to the house of Israel. The gathering is all-inclusive, including eunuchs, sons of the stranger (see Isaiah 56:3–6), and “outcasts of Israel.” “Holy mountain” and “house of prayer” refer to God’s temples.

Tongues. “I [the Lord] will gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come, and see my glory” (66:18). “Tongues” is a figure of speech that denotes languages. Individuals and families from all nations, speaking various languages, will gather to the gospel ensign.

Holy mountain. “And they shall bring all your brethren . . . to my holy mountain Jerusalem, saith the Lord” (66:20). As has been previously stated, the holy mountain is none other than the “house of the Lord” (v. 20), or the Lord’s temple. The Lord’s temples have always been a prominent feature in the gathering of his people.

Figure 9.4. Isaiah referred to a “holy mountain,” meaning a temple. (Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

Brigham Young dug his cane into the sun-baked soil and noted where a temple [the Salt Lake Temple] should be built. That building was in fulfillment of the words of Isaiah: “And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. [Isaiah 2:2]”

– Gordon B. Hinckley[10]

Isaiah Uses Symbols to Teach Us about the Millennium

The prophet Isaiah presents some of the most glorious truths about the Millennium that have ever been revealed. He prophesies that there will be no more war (see 2:4–5); glorious conditions will exist during the Millennium (see 11:6–10); we will experience multiple blessings during the Millennium (see 65:17–25); and much more. Once again, Isaiah’s prophecies perfectly blend plain, easy-to-comprehend language together with many expressive symbols. The following examples illustrate Isaiah’s use of symbols regarding the Millennium.

Swords and plowshares. “They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more” (2:4). Four instruments, all made of metal and all with blades—swords, plowshares, spears, and pruning hooks—symbolize the transition from the fallen, telestial world to the blessed state of the earth during the Millennium. Instead of war, there will be peace. The words “neither shall they learn war any more” suggest that there will be no more war schools, military institutions, armies, or navies. There will be no more teaching children how to battle. It is ultimately the Messiah who will abolish all wars (see Hosea 2:18; Zechariah 9:10; Isaiah 9:5–7).

Figure 9.5. A farmer guides two horses as they pull the plow. Isaiah explains that in the Millennium, swords will be converted into plowshares (Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

The wolf will dwell with the lamb. “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them” (11:6; see also 65:25). This prophecy will probably have a literal fulfillment; however, the prophecy also symbolizes the perfect peace and harmony that will exist during the Millennium. A carnivorous wolf dwelling peacefully with a lamb and a small child leading a lion? That imagery signifies ultimate peace.

The bear will feed with the cow. “And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox” (11:7). This prophecy, about carnivorous predators (the bear and lion) eating together with tame prey animals (cow and ox) will probably have a literal fulfillment, but just like the previous example, the words also symbolize the peace that will exist among nations and peoples during the Millennium. In sum, during the Millennium, “the enmity of man, and the enmity of beasts, yea, the enmity of all flesh, shall cease from before [the Lord’s] face” (Doctrine and Covenants 101:26).

The nursing babe and the asp. “And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den” (11:8). This verse pairs “sucking child” (that is, “nursing babe”) with “weaned child” (that is, “toddler”). Both are small children who are completely helpless in the face of danger. These small children will play near poisonous serpents, the “asp” and the “cockatrice.”[11] In other words, during the Millennium, the animal kingdom will live harmoniously with humans.

Knowledge compared to the sea’s waters. “For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea” (11:9). During the Millennium, knowledge will be extensive, just as extensive as the “waters [that] cover the sea.”

Conclusion

In this chapter we focused on Isaiah’s use of several symbols that instruct us on topics of considerable significance: the Atonement of Jesus Christ, the gathering of Israel in the last days, and the Millennium. Our selection of symbols from the book of Isaiah on these three topics was representative and not comprehensive. There are many other symbols that deal with these and other topics of eternal standing.

Whenever Isaiah uses symbols, he is teaching some important truth. Careful readers will find it valuable to study each symbol throughout the book of Isaiah, using the Holy Ghost as a guide to help them better understand Isaiah’s meaning. All readers of Isaiah can be enlightened by his beautiful use of symbols.

Notes

[1] See also chapter 2 of this volume, especially the section “Jehovah is the Savior and Redeemer.”

[2] See Koehler and Baumgartner, Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon, 494; and Clines, ed., Dictionary of Classical Hebrew, 455–56.

[3] Koehler and Baumgartner, Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon, 567.

[4] Nelson, “Hope of Israel.”

[5] Nelson, “Hope of Israel.”

[6] Nelson, “Hope of Israel.”

[7] Nelson, quoted in Charlotte Larcabal, “A Call to Enlist and Gather Israel,” New Era, March 2019, 24.

[8] Hinckley, “These Noble Pioneers.”

[9] History of the Church, 5:423.

[10] Hinckley, “These Noble Pioneers.”

[11] The exact identification of these two poisonous snakes is uncertain.