These chapters are some of the most exciting and insightful of Isaiah’s writings. They focus on the coming Messiah. They inform us that the Messiah was prepared from the womb to carry out a divine mission. Heavenly Father confirms his confidence in His Son. The Lord has not forgotten his Chosen People in spite of the adversity that they feel because they have broken their covenant with God. No mortal power can stop the Divine Plan of God. The fact that the people were led away in captivity is not the Lord’s will. They are suffering for their sins. The Lord’s mission is clear and His work will endure and no power on earth can stop Him.
The Lord will hear the prayers of His people. The Lord will punish those who have afflicted Zion. Through the Atonement of Christ as the “Suffering Servant” of the Father all mankind will be blest. God will be faithful. A great nation was begun with one faithful man named Abraham. God will honor all His promises and deliver the Covenant People as he delivered them from “Rehab” or Egypt. Zion will be restored and great joy and happiness await the faithful. God’s promises are eternal and universal to those who repent. Jerusalem will be restored. Idolatry was the chief sin of Israel and the once Covenant People. Redemption awaits those reject the things of this world and trust in God. Israel as the bride of the Messiah is promised that the Lord will redeem her and she shall have joy in her posterity. Loving kindness is offered by the Lord for the wayward wife. The final chapters remind Zion that idolatry and the fruits thereof lead to misery and suffering. Though some people “enflame” themselves in the orgies of pagan rituals, they are preparing for a bitter death. The sacrifice of Jehovah through the Atonement gives all mankind reasons to praise His name.
Isaiah 49: The Messiah was called and elected in the pre-mortal world to be a light to the Gentiles and will free the prisoners. Israel will be gathered with power in the last days. Kings will be the nursing fathers of Israel
1 Listen, O isles [Far away Places], unto me [Christ]; and hearken, ye people, from far; The Lord [Heavenly Father] hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he [Heavenly Father] made mention of my [Christ] name. 2 And he [Heavenly Father] hath made my [Christ’s] mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his [Heavenly Father’s] hand hath he hid me [Christ], and made me a polished shaft; in his [Heavenly Father’s] quiver hath he hid me [Christ]; 3 And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I [Heavenly Father] will be glorified. 4 Then I said [Christ], I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: [in light of how little the Covenant People valued the Atonement by idol worship] yet surely my judgment [Charity and Justice] is with the Lord [Heavenly Father], and my work with my God.
5 ¶ And now, saith the Lord [Heavenly Father] that formed me [Christ] from the womb to be his [Heavenly Father’s] servant, to bring Jacob again to him [Heavenly Father], Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I [Christ] be glorious in the eyes of the Lord, [Heavenly Father] and my God [Heavenly Father] shall be my strength. 6 And he [Heavenly Father] said, It is a light thing [thing of light or example] that thou [Christ] shouldest be my [Heavenly Father’s] servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I [Heavenly Father] will also give thee [Christ] for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my [Heavenly Father] salvation unto the end of the earth. 7 Thus saith the Lord [Christ], the Redeemer of Israel, and his [Heavenly Father’s] Holy One, to him [Christ] whom man despiseth, to him [Christ] whom the nation abhorreth, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the Lord [Messiah] that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he [Heavenly Father] shall choose thee [Christ]. 8 Thus saith the Lord [Heavenly Father], In an acceptable time have I heard thee [Christ], and in a day of salvation have I helped thee [Christ]: and I [Heavenly Father] will preserve thee [Christ], and give thee [Christ] for a covenant [through the Atonement] of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages; 9 That thou [Christ] mayest say to the prisoners [Those in Spirit Prison], Go forth; to them that are in [Spiritual] darkness, Shew yourselves. They [those who were in Spirit Prison and spiritual darkness] shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places. 10 They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them. 11 And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted. 12 Behold, these shall come from far: and, lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim. [Some scholars believe this is a reference to China, but in any case it means far and distant places]. The following verses show forth that mother love is great, but even greater love has Christ for his kindred brothers and sisters.
13 ¶ Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the Lord [Christ] hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted. [Through the Atonement] 14 But Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. 15 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 [Christ] not forget thee. 16 Behold, I [Jesus Christ] have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; [The wounds Christ received when nailed to the cross] thy [city] walls are continually before me. 17 Thy children shall make haste; thy destroyers [persecutors] and they that made thee waste shall go forth of [flee before] thee.
18 ¶ Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold: all these [The returning exiles ready to build Zion] gather themselves together, and come to thee. As I live, saith the Lord, thou shalt surely clothe thee with them all, as with an ornament, and bind them on thee, as a bride doeth. [It was a custom for the bride to wear gift coins of gold and silver made into jewelry around her arms and neck] 19 For thy waste and thy desolate places, and the land of thy destruction, shall even now be too narrow by reason of the inhabitants, [so many people will return that there won’t be enough space to put them all] and they [your enemies] that swallowed thee up shall be far away. 20 The children which thou shalt have, after thou hast lost the other, shall say again in thine ears, The place is too strait [small] for me: give place to me that I may dwell. 21 Then shalt thou say in thine heart, “Who hath begotten me these, seeing I have lost my children, and am desolate, a captive, and removing to and fro? And who hath brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; these, where had they been?” 22 Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard [Gospel] to the people: and they [the Gentiles] shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders. 23 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; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.
The Lord is stronger than any power on earth or heaven and he will deliver Zion.
24 ¶ Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered? 25 But thus saith the Lord, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I [Christ] will contend with him [your enemies] that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children. 26 And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I [Christ] the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.
Isaiah 50: The Lord asked those who were scattered and taken away if the Lord had divorced their mother or if he had broken his marriage vows with her? Where is the certificate of divorce? It was the law that if you could not repay your debt that your wife and children would be sold as indentured servants or slaves until the debt was paid. Hence the question, “To which of my creditors have I sold you or your mother?” The answer was that indeed they were sold into slavery by their own sins but the Lord through the Atonement will purchase their freedom. Isaiah speaks as the Messiah—He will have the tongue of the learned—He will give His back to the smiters—He will not be confounded—Compare 2 Nephi 7.
1 Thus saith the Lord, Where is the bill of your mother’s divorcement, whom I have put away? or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away. 2 Wherefore, when I came, was there no man? when I called, was there none to answer? Is my hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? or have I no power to deliver? behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness: their fish stinketh, because there is no water, and dieth for thirst. 3 I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering. 4 The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.
5 ¶ The Lord God [Heavenly Father’s] hath opened mine [Christ’s] ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back. 6 I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting. [Christ honorably fulfilled his mission as the Messiah and in the Garden of Gethsemane and endured all the vile persecution heaped upon him by his detractors.]
7 ¶ For the Lord God [Heavenly Father’s] will help me [Christ]; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed. 8 He [Heavenly Father’s] is near that justifieth me; [John 8:29] who will contend with me? Let us stand together: who is mine adversary? Let him come near to me. 9 Behold, the Lord God [Heavenly Father’s] will help me; who is he that shall condemn me? Lo, they all shall wax old as a garment; the moth shall eat them up.
10 ¶ Who is among you that feareth [respect, reverence and awe] the Lord [Heavenly Father], that obeyeth the voice of his servant [Christ], that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? [If you love Heavenly Father and his servant Jesus it is impossible that you will continue in the pathway of wickedness, the way is well lighted before you] Let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God. 11 Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, [walk in the light of a fire that you have made] that compass yourselves about with sparks [your own torches]: walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have kindled. This shall ye have of mine hand; ye shall lie down in sorrow. [Follow your own selfish worldly pursuits and you reward will be bitterness and regret when you die.]
Isaiah 51: In the last days, the Lord will comfort Zion and gather Israel, The redeemed will come to Zion amid great joy. Compare 2 Nephi 8.
1 Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the Lord: look unto the rock [Heavenly Father] whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged. [Your spiritual roots]. 2 Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone [When he was just one man], and blessed him, and increased him. 3 For the Lord shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord; joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody.
4 ¶ Hearken [Hearken means more than to listen. It means to do it, to apply the words you hear into concrete behavior.] unto me, my people; and give ear unto me, O my nation: for a law shall proceed from me, and I will make my judgment [Charity and Justice] to rest for a light [an example] of the people. 5 My Rghteousness [code name for Christ] is near; my Salvation [code name for Christ] is gone forth, and mine arms shall judge [have charity and Justice] the people; the isles [those in distant lands] shall wait upon me, and on mine arm shall they trust. 6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation [Christ] shall be forever, and my righteousness [Christ] shall not be abolished.
7 ¶ Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings. 8 For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool: but my righteousness [Christ’s Atonement] shall be forever, and my salvation [Christ’s Atonement] from generation to generation. [The meaning of the following verses have been given in D&C 113:7-8. “Put on thy strength means to put on the Priesthood and help bring forth Zion in the time of the gathering of Israel in the latter days.]
9 ¶ Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, [Egypt] and wounded the dragon? [Delivered the Covenant Children from the dragon, a symbol of Egypt]. 10 Art thou not it which hath dried the sea, the waters of the great deep; [Parted the Red Sea] that hath made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over? 11 Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: [D&C 133:33] they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away. 12 I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass; 13 And forgettest the Lord thy maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? And where is the fury of the oppressor? 14 The captive exile hasteneth that he may be loosed, and that he should not die in the pit, nor that his bread should fail. [Scattered Israel] 15 But I am the Lord thy God that divided the sea, whose waves roared: The Lord of hosts is his name. 16 And I have put my words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, Thou art my people.
17 ¶ Awake, awake, stand up, [Accept the Messiah] O Jerusalem, which hast drunk at the hand of the Lord the cup of his fury; thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling, and wrung them out. [You have suffered for your sins] 18 There is none to guide her among all the sons whom she hath brought forth; neither is there any that taketh her by the hand of all the sons that she hath brought up. 19 These two things are come unto thee; who shall be sorry for thee? Desolation, and destruction, and the famine, and the sword [war]: by whom shall I comfort thee? 20 Thy sons have fainted, they lie at the head of all the streets, as a wild bull in a net: they are full of the fury of the Lord, the rebuke of thy God.
21 ¶ Therefore hear now this, thou afflicted, and drunken, [with apostasy] but not with wine: 22 Thus saith thy Lord the Lord, and thy God that pleadeth the cause of his people, Behold, I have taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling, even the dregs of the cup of my fury; [When Christ suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane for all sin] thou shalt no more drink it again: 23 But I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee; which have said to thy soul, Bow down, that we may go over: and thou hast laid thy body as the ground, and as the street, to them that went over. [D&C 19:17, “They must suffer even as I.”]
Isaiah 52: In the last days, Zion will return, and Israel will be redeemed, the Messiah will deal prudently and be exalted. Verses I and 2 have been explained in D&C 113:7-9. “7 Questions by Elias Higbee: What is meant by the command in Isaiah, 52d chapter, 1st verse, which saith: Put on thy strength, O Zion—and what people had Isaiah reference to? [Answer] 8 He had reference to those whom God should call in the last days, who should hold the power of priesthood to bring again Zion, and the redemption of Israel; and to put on her strength is to put on the authority of the priesthood, which she, Zion, has a right to by lineage; also to return to that power which she had lost.
9 What are we to understand by Zion loosing herself from the bands of her neck; 2d verse? 10 We are to understand that the scattered remnants are exhorted to return to the Lord from whence they have fallen; which if they do, the promise of the Lord is that he will speak to them, or give them revelation. See the 6th, 7th, and 8th verses. [Answer] The bands of her neck are the curses of God upon her, or the remnants of Israel in their scattered condition among the Gentiles.
1 Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean. 2 Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion. 3 For thus saith the Lord, Ye have sold yourselves for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money. 4 For thus saith the Lord God, My people went down aforetime into Egypt to sojourn there; and the Assyrian oppressed them without cause. 5 Now therefore, what have I here, saith the Lord, that my people is taken away for nought? They that rule over them make them to howl, saith the Lord; and my name continually every day is blasphemed. 6 Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day [Second Coming] that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I.
7 ¶ How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet [Missionaries and those who proclaim the gospel.] of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! 8 Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion.
9 ¶ Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the Lord hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem. 10 The Lord hath made bare his holy arm [The symbolism here deals with the robes people wore. When your arm is lifted above your head with a sword in it, your arm is made bare because your robe falls down on your shoulder] in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.
11 ¶ Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord. 12 For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the Lord will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your rearward. [The faithful are instructed to leave worldly things and to orderly put their house in order and to trust in God who will protect them].
13 ¶ Behold, my servant [Christ] shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high. 14 As many were astonied [astonished] at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, [What Jesus endured in his life and in the Garden of Gethsemane was “even more than man can suffer, except it be unto death.” (Mosiah 3:7) and his form more than the sons of men: 15 So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider. D&C 122:7-8, “And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good. 8 The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?”
Isaiah 53: This chapter is often referred to as the “Suffering Servant.” Isaiah speaks about the Messiah, His humiliation and sufferings are described, He makes His soul an offering for sin and makes intercession for the transgressors, Compare Mosiah 14. John in the Gospels quotes these verses in Isaiah showing how Jesus fulfilled this prophecy. (John 12:37-41). Moreover Isaiah describes the boyhood of Jesus as a tender plant and regarding his physical features that he was not unusual or particularly attractive. Contrast that with the description of Absalom, “But in all Israel there was none to be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty: from the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.” (2 Samuel 14:25).
1 Who hath believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? 2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Words fail us as we attempt to describe the supernal Atonement of Jesus Christ.
4 ¶ Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. 8 He was taken from prison and from judgment: [Charity and Judgment] and who shall declare his generation? For he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. 9 And he made his grave with the wicked, [Referring to the two thieves on either side of Jesus when he was crucified (Luke 23:39-45).] and with the rich in his death; [Jesus was buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, poor people were not buried in sepulchers (Luke 23:53)] because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
10 ¶ Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; [It was necessary for the Lord to Atone] he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. 11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
Who are the seed of Christ? The answer is given in (Mosiah 15:10-11). 10. And now what say ye? And who shall be his seed? 11 Behold I say unto you, that whosoever has heard the words of the prophets, yea, all the holy prophets who have prophesied concerning the coming of the Lord—I say unto you, that all those who have hearkened unto their words, and believed that the Lord would redeem his people, and have looked forward to that day for a remission of their sins, I say unto you, that these are his seed, or they are the heirs of the kingdom of God.
Isaiah 54: There is a dual interpretation for this chapter. One applies to the single, divorced, or widowed woman. The other applies to Israel as the bride of Christ. The single greatest curse for women or social stigma in the Bible was a childless woman. There were seven prominent women who were barren or childless for a time in the Bible. They viewed themselves as cursed of God; Sarah, wife of Abraham, Rebekah, wife of Isaac, Rachel, wife of Jacob, Samson’s mother, the wife of Manoah, Hannah, wife of Elkanah and mother of the Prophet Samuel, Michal, wife of King David and daughter of Saul, and finally Elizabeth, the wife of Zacharias and mother of John the Baptist. These wonderful women along with many other ancient and modern women lament being childless. The Lord declares that more are the children of the desolate or barren than those of the married wife. How can this be? Understanding that every faithful sister in the gospel will have the opportunity to be eternally married and become a Celestial Queen and a mother of millions on untold worlds it makes sense. The Lord encourages the faithful single sister to be prepared to expand her dwelling place. Because the setting is that of living in tents, the single sister is told to add more canvass (curtains) to her tent. The tents are held down by ropes that are staked to the ground. Lengthen thy ropes (cords) and strengthen thy stakes. The Lord tells the single sister that she will not remember the shame of social pressure or the reproach of widowhood. The Hebrew word ‘widowhood’ means sorrow or ‘bereavement.’ The single sister is to consider herself married unto the Lord until such a time as she will be able to choose her mate. “Thy maker is thine husband.” The Lord promises everlasting kindness and a makes a covenant that he will build a Celestial Mansion for her and promises her joy and safety for her posterity. No weapon that is formed by man will keep the Lord from fulfilling his covenant with the faithful sister. Every tongue that waggled against her will be condemned. This is the reward of the righteous.
1 Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child: for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the Lord. 2 Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes; 3 For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited. 4 Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more. 5 For thy Maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called. 6 For the Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God. 7 For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. 8 In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer. 9 For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee. 10 For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.
11 ¶ O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires. 12 And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones. 13 And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children. 14 In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee. 15 Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake. 16 Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.
17 ¶ No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.
Isaiah 55: Because of the Atonement salvation is free to all who repent. The Lord will make an everlasting covenant for those who will seek the Lord while he is near.
1 Ho, [Give me your attention] every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 2 Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? And your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. 3 Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. [The sure mercies of David refer to the fact that even David who was guilty of the first degree murder of Uriah will find forgiveness through Hell. See Psalms 16:10, “For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell. Also Joseph Smith taught that David could not receive forgiveness as a mortal but would in Hell as he repented and paid whatever was required in hell. See Teachings p.339 ] 4 Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people. 5 Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the Lord thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he hath glorified thee.
6 ¶ Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: 7 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.
King Benjamin taught, “Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend.” (Mosiah 4:9).
8 ¶ For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10 For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: 11 So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. 12 For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. 13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.
Isaiah 56: All who keep the commandments will be exalted, other people will join Israel, the Lord will gather others to the house of Israel.
1 Thus saith the Lord, Keep ye judgment [Charity and Justice], and do justice: for my salvation [Code name for Christ] is near to come, and my righteousness [Code name for Christ] to be revealed. 2 Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil.
Those who have joined through the waters of baptism and entered into a covenant relationship with the Lord will be accepted fully into the Kingdom of God as joint heirs with Christ. Eunuchs were castrated males who were forced to be so if they worked inside the king’s palace. The dry tree refers to being childless, This will be corrected in the resurrection. Strangers are those who were from outside the tribes of Israel who likewise accepted the gospel and entered into covenants with the Lord. God is no respecter of persons, All will be accepted.
3 ¶ Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the Lord, speak, saying, “The Lord hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, ‘Behold, I am a dry tree.’ 4 For thus saith the Lord unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant; 5 Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.” 6 Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the Lord, to serve him, and to love the name of the Lord, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant; 7 Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people. 8 The Lord God which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to him, beside those that are gathered unto him.
The fate of those who neglect their proper duty as watchmen on the tower or shepherds who neglect their flocks will be to be devoured by the beast of the field. The same fate will befall those who say, Let us drink until we are drunk, and be merry and tomorrow will be the same.
9 ¶ All ye beasts of the field, come to devour, yea, all ye beasts in the forest. 10 His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. 11 Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter. 12 Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and tomorrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant.
Isaiah 57: When the righteous die, they enter into peace, mercy is promised to the penitent, there is no peace for the wicked. There is a very profound doctrine announced by Isaiah regarding the righteous who die. Some righteous are taken so that they do not have to encounter or endure the evil in society.
1 The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come. 2 He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness.
The Lord warns all those who choose a path of evil (sorcery) who make fun of the righteous that they face an unpleasant future. Those who enflame themselves in sexual orgies in idol worship and commit an even more abominable sin of burning their newborn children on the altar of Moloch
3 ¶ But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the whore. 4 Against whom do ye sport yourselves? Against whom make ye a wide mouth, and draw out the tongue? are ye not children of transgression, a seed of falsehood, 5 Enflaming yourselves with idols under every green tree, slaying the children in the valleys under the clifts of the rocks? 6 Among the smooth stones of the stream is thy portion; they, they are thy lot: even to them hast thou poured a drink offering, thou hast offered a meat offering. Should I receive comfort in these? 7 Upon a lofty and high mountain hast thou set thy bed: even thither wentest thou up to offer sacrifice. 8 Behind the doors also and the posts hast thou set up thy remembrance: for thou hast discovered thyself to another than me, and art gone up; thou hast enlarged thy bed, and made thee a covenant with them; thou lovedst their bed where thou sawest it. 9 And thou wentest to the king with ointment, and didst increase thy perfumes, and didst send thy messengers far off, and didst debase thyself even unto hell. 10 Thou art wearied in the greatness of thy way; yet saidst thou not, There is no hope: thou hast found the life of thine hand; therefore thou wast not grieved. 11 And of whom hast thou been afraid or feared, that thou hast lied, and hast not remembered me, nor laid it to thy heart? have not I held my peace even of old, and thou fearest me not? 12 I will declare thy righteousness, and thy works; for they shall not profit thee.
13 ¶ When thou criest, let thy companies deliver thee; but the wind shall carry them all away; vanity shall take them: but he that putteth his trust in me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain; 14 And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people. 15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. 16 For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made. 17 For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him: I hid me, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart. 18 I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners. 19 I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the Lord; and I will heal him. 20 But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. 21 There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.