Chapter 11
The stem of Jesse (Christ) will judge in righteousness—The knowledge about God will cover the earth in the Millennium—The Lord will raise an ensign and gather Israel—Compare 2 Nephi 21. [Many of Isaiah’s prophecies have dual fulfillment. This is why the Lord told the Nephites and us today to study the words of Isaiah.] “When the words of Isaiah should be fulfilled-…search them.” (3 Nephi 20:11). [In Isaiah’s day there was wide spread apostasy with false gods and false teachings everywhere. In our day when the Father and Son appeared to Joseph in the Sacred Grove they told Joseph that the religious “professors were all corrupt…they teach for doctrines the commandments of men.” (JS-H 1:19).] Chapter 10 of Isaiah ends with all the high and mighty trees (Political and Religious leaders) who were apostates, being cut down and leaving only an endless landscape of stumps. This is the symbolism that continues in chapter 11. Out of one very special stump, the stem[1] of Jesse, a rod shoots forth that eventually grows into a glourious Millennial Tree with outspread Branches that cover the world or the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
- 1. And there shall come forth a rod [Joseph Smith] out of the stem of Jesse [Jesus Christ], and a Branch [The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints] shall grow out of his roots [Joseph Smith]: [The angel Moroni quoted Isaiah 11 to Joseph Smith four times and told him “that it was about to be fulfilled.” Joseph Smith-History 1:40.
3 Nephi 21:7-11 speaks of a servant of Christ to whom power shall be given to bring forth the gospel to the gentiles. In answer to the question, “What is the rod spoken of in the first verse of the 11th chapter of Isaiah, that should come from the stem of Jesse?, “Behold, thus saith the Lord: It is a servant in the hands of Christ, who is partly a descendant of Jesse as well as of Ephraim, or of the house of Joseph, on whom there is laid much power. D&C 113:4. The Lord tells Joseph, “This generation shall have my word through you.” (D&C 5:10). At the dedication of the Kirtland Temple Joseph is given the keys of the gathering of scattered Israel from Moses, the keys of the gospel of Abraham by Elias and the sealing keys by Elijah. (D&C 110:11-16, 112:32, 115:19, 65:2-3).
It is important to underscore that Joseph Smith is significant only because he is a servant of Jesus Christ. We revere Joseph as an instrument in the hands of God to give us the restored and true knowledge of our Savior Jesus Christ. We do not worship Joseph Smith and this is not the Church of Joseph Smith. We accept Joseph as we do Abraham, Enoch, Moses and the Apostle Peter. Each was the head of a Dispensation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are in the last dispensation before the Second Coming of Jesus.
In order for Joseph to complete his restoration mission he likewise had to exercise faith in Christ, repent from time to time as we all do, be baptized and receive the Holy Ghost. Learning to live with the Holy Ghost is a lifelong pursuit. Enduring to the end of one’s mortal life seeking to live by the guidance of the Holy Ghost will seal upon us all of the promised blessing including the blessing of “eternal life.” (2 Nephi 31:5-20, D&C 14:7). For Joseph to fulfill his role as a prophet of God he needed to have certain spiritual gifts.
2 And the spirit of the Lord [The Holy Ghost] shall rest upon him [Joseph Smith], the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear [respect, awe] of the Lord;
3 And shall make him [Joseph] of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: [but by revelation given to him by the Holy Ghost and by Jesus Christ].
4 But with righteousness shall he judge [justice/charity] the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.
5 And righteousness shall be the girdle [stands for readiness of action] of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.
A single John the Baptist was needed to be a forerunner for the first coming of Jesus Christ. In anticipation of the Second Coming and the Millennial reign of Jesus Christ it was necessary for a nation of John the Baptists to prepare the way. These preparators began with the calling of the Prophet Joseph Smith and has now branched out into a worldwide tree of faithful members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. These are the last days before the advent of Jesus Christ. When Jesus comes the following verses describe the Millennial condition.
6 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.
7 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ [serpent’s] den.
9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain [Zion and its Temples]: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.
As a part of the Second Coming will be the gathering of scattered Israel and the Lost Ten Tribes. It has been a matter of great speculation as to the location of the Lost Tribes. There may be more than a single correct answer. We know that some of the scattered Israel is being gathered in by our missionaries. The evidence of this is found in the Patriarchal Blessings from the different tribes of Israel that are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. There is also a group from the Lost Ten Tribes of Israel that have some type of group identity with prophets[2] as their leaders who will also return as a part of the ushering in of the Millennium. Latter-day revelation adds the following insights:
D&C 133:
20 For behold, he [Christ] shall stand upon the mount of Olivet, and upon the mighty ocean, even the great deep, and upon the islands of the sea, and upon the land of Zion [American Zion].
21 And he shall utter his voice out of Zion [American Zion], and he shall speak from Jerusalem [Israel], and his voice shall be heard among all people;
22 And it shall be a voice as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder, which shall break down the mountains, and the valleys shall not be found. [This is part of the earth transitioning from a telestial earth to a terrestrial ‘Garden of Eden’ type of earth. See Isaiah 13:13 and 24:19-20]
23 He shall command the great deep, and it shall be driven back into the north countries, and the islands shall become one land; [The land will return to the way it was before the days of Peleg (Genesis 10:25); it will return to the terrestrial earth of Adam and Eve. (10th Article of Faith)]
24 And the land of Jerusalem [Israel] and the land of Zion [America] shall be turned back into their own place, and the earth shall be like as it was in the days before it was divided.
25 And the Lord, even the Savior, shall stand in the midst of his people, and shall reign over all flesh.
26 And they who are in the north countries [Ten Lost Tribes who were carried away north] shall come in remembrance before the Lord; and their prophets shall hear his voice, and shall no longer stay themselves; and they shall smite the rocks, and the ice shall flow down at their presence. [This verse has given rise to the ‘hollow earth theory’, but the truth is we do not now know].
27 And an highway shall be cast up in the midst of the great deep.
28 Their enemies shall become a prey unto them,
29 And in the barren deserts there shall come forth pools of living water; and the parched ground shall no longer be a thirsty land. [A spiritual interpretation of this verse would be that those who are in a state of spiritual ignorance will encounter the gospel and find living water (Christ) and the parched ground of ignorance will no longer exist]
30 And they [those from the Lost Tribes] shall bring forth their rich treasures [children and written records] unto the children of Ephraim, my servants.
31 And the boundaries of the everlasting hills shall tremble at their presence.
32 And there shall they fall down and be crowned with glory, even in Zion, by the hands of the servants of the Lord, even the children of Ephraim.[3] [Literally kneeling at the altars in the Temples and being crowned as kings and queens].
33 And they shall be filled with songs of everlasting joy.
34 Behold, this is the blessing of the everlasting God upon the tribes of Israel, and the richer blessing upon the head of Ephraim and his fellows. [Ephraim has the birthright (Jer.31:9) and is charged with leading out in doing the missionary and the temple work of the Lord.] D&C 133:20-34.
Isaiah 11:10-16
10 ¶ And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse [Joseph and the restored gospel], which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.
11 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover hall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros [Upper Egypt], and from Cush [Ethiopia], and from Elam [Southern Iran along the Persian Gulf], and from Shinar [the land between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers], and from Hamath [Lebanon and up towards Turkey], and from the islands of the sea.[Primarily those in the isles of the Mediterranean Sea] [This indicates the seed of Abraham and Israel is scattered abroad]
12 And he shall set up an ensign [flag or standard] for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.
13 The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim. [The once combatants in a civil war will unite]
14 But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west; they shall spoil them of the east together: they shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab; and the children of Ammon shall obey them.
15 And the Lord shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian sea [Gulf of Suez and the Sinai between the Gulf of Aqaba]; and with his mighty wind shall he shake his hand over the [Euphrates] river, and shall smite it in the seven streams, and make men go over dryshod.
16 And there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.
Isaiah 12:1-6, In the millennial day, all men will praise the Lord—He will dwell among them—See 2 Nephi 22. This is a song or hymn of praise. It could be appropriately called the Song of Isaiah.
1 And in that day [Millennial Day] thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me.
2 Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.
3 Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.[Christ’s Atonement]
4 And in that day shall ye say, Praise the Lord, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted.
5 Sing unto the Lord; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth.
6 Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.
This is similar to Hannah’s song, (1 Sam. 2:1-10), the song of Moses (Deuteronomy 32:1–43), and Mary’s song of praise (Luke 1:46-55). The Book of Psalms is the Temple Hymnbook for the Jewish people.
[1] The Hebrew word is (geh’-zah) meaning the ‘trunk’ of a cut down tree or ‘stump.’ See Strong 1503, Hebrew Dict. Also Jesse is the father of King David and Jesus was of the lineage of David therefore Jesus is the stem of Jesse or the stump.
[2] D&C 133: 26
[3] Wilford Woodruff said that the essence of falling down and being crowned in Zion means that the Lost Tribes “will come to Zion, receive their endowments, and be crowned under the hands of the children of Ephraim.” Journal of Discourses 4:231-232.