Sunday, October 3, 2010

Isaiah 4:2 and Lehi's Escape

While studying Isaiah 4:2, I thought of a multi-level meaning. Most commentary refers to Isaiah 4 as relating "Millennial day".  The chapter heading states "Zion and her daughters shall be redeemed and cleansed in the Millennial day".

When I read verse 1, I thought "in that day" could also mean Book of Mormon Lehi's time. When Lehi left Jerusalem, most of the leadership, etc were already taken captive and Judah was essentially in a state of war. In the state of war, there would be little eligible men to marry.
"4:1 And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach."

The trigger to my thought was in verse 2 "escaped of Israel". "4:2 In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel."

When one reads 1st Nephi, it is a record of essentially the escape of Lehi's family to the promised land. Several times in the Book of Mormon such as 1st Nephi 2:20, it states
"20 And inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper, and shall be led to a land of promise; yea, even a land which I have prepared for you; yea, a land which is choice above all other lands."

The next versus in Isaiah 4 seem to be referring to the temple of Zerubbabel or the temple of Herod.
"4:3 And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem:
4:4 When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning.
4:5 And the Lord will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defence.