They Have Seen a Great Light

Isaiah 9:1-7 contains a prophecy of the Messiah that speaks to both His mortal ministry and His glory after the Second Coming.  We read of “the land of Zebulon, and the land of Naphtali” where “the people that walked in darkness have seen a great light.”  These two regions were to the west of the Sea of Galilee, and Matthew interpreted the passage this way: “[Jesus] departed into Galilee; And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles. The people which sat in darkness saw great light” (Matt. 4:13-16).  Jesus was the “great light” who came to the people of Galilee (i.e. the land of Zebulon and Naphtali) and there blessed the people.  This is connected with the previous chapters in Isaiah in that Galilee was originally part of the northern kingdom that, as Isaiah prophesied, was taken over by the Assyrians.  Where there previously had been “trouble, and darkness, dimness of anguish” because of the Assyrian conquest and captivity, now in the meridian of time “upon them hath the light shined” with the coming of the Savior (2 Nephi 18:22, 19:1-2).

               The subsequent verses seem to refer to a yet future time when the Messiah will reign in glory.  He will have “broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor.”  This will not be from an earthly battle “with confused noise,” but with “burning and fuel of fire,” a reference I believe to the second coming, the day when “the elements shall melt with fervent heat” and “all that do wickedly shall be stubble” because they are burned up by the glory of His return (Mormon 9:2, Malachi 4:1).  In that day then truly “the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called, Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”  At that time in the Millennium He will “rule as King of Kings and reign as Lord of Lords” and will “dwell in righteousness with men on earth a thousand years, and the wicked shall not stand” (Doctrine and Covenants 29:11).  With Christ at the head, “of the increase of government and peace there is no end” (2 Nephi 19:7).

            One interesting addition to this chapter by the Book of Mormon with the word “Red” to describe the scene in Nephi 19:1.  So this reads, “First he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun, and the land of Naphtali, and afterwards did more grievously afflict by the way of the Red Sea beyond Jordan in Galilee of the nations.”  I wonder if the Red Sea is an allusion to the fact that Christ came forth out of Egypt, so He spent some of his early years near the Red Sea before setting in Galilee.  Whatever the meaning is, Isaiah clearly had great understanding about the Savior’s mortal ministry and second coming.