How Great Things

Yesterday I wrote about the Biblical allusions in the first 24 verses of section 133 of the Doctrine and Covenants. Continuing that theme, in the remainder of the section there are many more references to Biblical passages that affirm their truth and the Lord’s commitment to all scripture. We read of the lost 10 tribes: “And they who are in the north countries 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” (v26). This hearkens back to when they were scattered by the Assyrians in about 722 BC, and Jeremiah wrote in similar language to this verse when he prophesied: “The Lord liveth, that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands whither he had driven them” (Jeremiah 16:15). Both prophesy of the return of these ten tribes from the north, and section 133 describes how they will join the children of Ephraim in Zion, saying: “The boundaries of the everlasting hills shall tremble at their presence” (v31). This language seems to be taken from the final blessing of Jacob to Joseph: “The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills” (Genesis 49:26). Ephraim—the descendants of Joseph—will be greatly blessed as prophesied by Jacob and described in detail here. All of faithful Israel will be “filled with songs of everlasting joy” as also witnessed by the words of Isaiah (v33, Isaiah 35:10).

                After describing the reunion of these lost tribes of Israel with Ephraim, the Lord described more of what would happen leading up to and at the time of His coming. He quoted John’s revelation when He said, “O inhabitants of the earth, I have sent forth mine angel flying through the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel, who hath appeared unto some and hath committed it unto man, who shall appear unto many that dwell on the earth…. And the servants of God shall go forth, saying with a loud voice: Fear God and give glory to him, for the hour of his judgment is come; And worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters” (v36-39, see Revelation 14:6-7). The Lord then went back to the words of Isaiah when He said, “Calling upon the name of the Lord day and night, saying: O that thou wouldst rend the heavens, that thou wouldst come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence. And it shall be answered upon their heads; for the presence of the Lord shall be as the melting fire that burneth, and as the fire which causeth the waters to boil. O Lord, thou shalt come down to make thy name known to thine adversaries, and all nations shall tremble at thy presence—When thou doest terrible things, things they look not for; Yea, when thou comest down, and the mountains flow down at thy presence, thou shalt meet him who rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, who remembereth thee in thy ways. For since the beginning of the world have not men heard nor perceived by the ear, neither hath any eye seen, O God, besides thee, how great things thou hast prepared for him that waiteth for thee” (v40-45). This powerful language is clearly a quotation, with slight reordering and adjustment, of Isaiah 64:1-5. From there the Savior quoted a different passage in Isaiah when He prophesied of His own coming: “Who is this that cometh down from God in heaven with dyed garments; yea, from the regions which are not known, clothed in his glorious apparel, traveling in the greatness of his strength?” (v46, Isaiah 63:1) He then proceeded to quote much more from the same chapter in Isaiah in which we hear these words of the Savior: “I have trodden the wine-press alone, and have brought judgment upon all people; and none were with me” (v50-53, Isaiah 63:3-9). He proceeded by mentioning 8 specific Biblical prophets, another witness from the Lord that these were real people (v54-55). All of these references woven throughout this section show the Lord’s commitment to the prophetic words of the Bible and affirm their relevance to us today.