2 Nephi 17

2 Nephi 17;  Isaiah 6

2 Nephi 17:  1-7

Ephraim...........................................................the two nations are working counter to each other
Isaiah and son.....................................................use your own family to prophesy
smoking firebrands....................................................belligerents, Assyria and North kingdom
evil counsel.............................................................secret meetings and agreements
vex it.......................................................................intent to fight Judah
it shall not..............................................................overruled by the heavens

Political conspiracies at work.  The northern kingdom is entering secret negotiations with Assyria

2 Nephi 17:  8-16

65 years............................................................the number of years left for the Northern
believe.............................................................to receive divine help will require God's help
ask for a sign.....................................................interesting, why the north is adulterous
weary...............................................................God not amused when someone cites him
the sign.............................................................Christ, His advent and His mission to the earth
days to come.........................................................severe tests for both kingdoms

Despite the attitudes of invinciblity, both kingdoms are in severe trouble.  To prosper requires God's assistance

2 Nephi 17: 17-25

trials.......................................................hard trouble when the kingdoms split.  This is worse.
Lord will hiss.................................................the answer will be to use outside kingdoms
they will come..................................................invasions are about to take place
consume the beard..............................................idiomatic.  Beard is a sign of masculinity.
nourish young animals..........................................your sovreignty is limited
milk and honey.....................................................the righteous will prosper with God.
thousand.........................................................multiplication of blessings
briers.............................................................symbols of the troubles that come to those who attack the Lord's people

Isaiah remind people where real powers originate

2 Nephi 17

This chapter reminds the people of what happens with God's help, and what will happen if men fail to heed the Lord.  This is timely, because the Children of Lehi left Jerusalem in order to survive the terrible events in this chapter.

2 Nephi 10

2 Nephi 10

2 Nephi 10: 1-6

righteous branch.............................................a righteous break off group
perish from unbelief..........................................many people do not find the faith in life
children restored.......................................the Lord's atonement will cover many of the lost
Jesus to the Jews..........................................prophecy of where Jesus would live
crucify him....................................................long before he was born, his type of death foretold
if:  would repent..............................................a particularly difficult people to work with
priestcrafts.................................................not called of God, rather self appointed
scattered.....................................................after the crucifixion, the fallen people forced to move

Jacob teaches his people about the first coming of Christ, how he would be born in the ancestral home for the people of Israel.  His crucifixion will lead to a scattering of the people who rejected him, because of their many sins.

2 Nephi 10: 7-16

day of belief...............................................the people gathered when they turn to Christ
gathered in the far reaches................................the Gentiles will be the place where the movement resumes
kings and queens......................................the movement will be protected and fostered by the leaders of the gentiles
this land.................................................America itself will be a center for the movement
liberty, no kings......................................America will reject monarchies, and they will be strong
fortify................................................divine strengthening of the American nation
Zion....................................................another name for the region.  Under divine protection
I will be their king.....................................America forms a kind of theocratic government
secret works.........................................to preserve America, the secret group must be destroyed
whore of the earth....................................the greatest danger for the future is the secret group

Before the second coming, America will become a great center for the establishment of Christ's church.  The country will be very strong, and will enjoy the protections of heaven.  This will continue as long as the people live in the Lord's way.  If secret works arise, Christ will overrule it.

2 Nephi 10: 17-21

promises................................................Can have faith in this.  Christ promised it.
afflict my people................................at first the Gentiles will be devastating to the children of Lehi
father to them...................................A change.  The Gentiles will strengthen the natives
consecrated......................................Land blessed forever to those of the House of Israel.
merciful God....................................Accept the Lord.  He has given the great promise.
plural, isles........................................God works with many peoples.  Never assume one is alone.

We must never lose sight of the fact that God will bless all those who join with the House of Israel. This goes to Jew, Gentile, American, native, male, female, and etc.

2 Nephi 10: 22-25

Lord remembereth..................................God knows where he leads his people, and he gathers them
free to act...........................................Learn the purpose and the plan.  But act and choose correctly
reconcile............................................our expectation in the atonement covenant
may he raise you.....................................the bottom line.  Each individual must earn his own place.

We can count on the promises of God.  He shows us an outline of what will occur, but each of us must decide independently what we will do.

2 Nephi 10

After all the outlines, and prophecies, each man must choose for himself how he will stand in the rolling out of history.  In the future, God will keep all his promises, including the one that he will cleanse the American continent of the secret combination that will lead to much of the corruptions and abominations that will arise.

1 Nephi 21

1 Nephi 21

Parallel to Isaiah 11

1 Nephi 21: 1-5

rod out of the stem of Jesse..........................................refers prophetically to Jesus Christ.  House of David

Spirit of the Lord.............................................the promised Messiah, to have the necessary attributes to act as Savior

judge..........................................................the position of ruler.  How Christ will judge.  Spiritual Judge

to bless and to curse....................................those who live right under trial are blessed.  Those who do harm are cursed

righteousness and faithfulness................................what motivates the savior.  All things done correctly

Isaiah prophesies the attributes and mission of Christ, both temporally and eternally.  As the great leader he will be the ultimate judge, and he will judge according to the spirit.

1 Nephi 21: 6-11

wolf and lamb.................................................Christ's position will lead to harmony

child and the asp................................................the enmity between man and the serpent will be completely dissolved

shall not hurt...................................................The great mission of heaven is to bring men together

ensign................................................................the people will be given a sign to aspire to.  Christ.

second time................................................Christ will start a work to recover all his people

The mission of Christ is to bring men to harmony.  He will work with people of different ages to recover them and to bring them into his eternal kingdom

1 Nephi 21: 12-16

gather from four corners.....................................the gospel message will be offered to all people.  Those who accept it will be gathered to his kingdom

14...................................................................The nations of the earth will be overruled to make it possible to hear the gospel

dry shod..........................................................the powers of the earth will be tempered to allow the gospel message

a highway.......................................................another way to describe the facilitating of teaching the gospel

The gospel teaching of the last days will be unstoppable.  The Lord will open the highways for acceptance in his time in all the four corners of the earth.

1 Nephi 21

Christ manifests to Isaiah that he will accomplish his work of recovering his people.  It will begin with his earthly mission and his teaching while in life, but it will continue after his death and at the right time will go forward all around the earth to open the way for all to accept the message and come into his kingdom.