Reading Isaiah 29 with Nephi

Two of Isaiah’s second set of six woes sit in a remarkably hopeful chapter. Even as Isaiah warns of “heaviness and sorrow” in Jerusalem, he promises that God will perform a “marvellous work” that will overshadow the wisdom of their wisest people and will proliferate knowledge and joy among His people.

The overall shape of this prophecy, contained in Isaiah 29, is drowsiness giving way to clarity because of a book. Nephi quotes and expands upon this prophecy in 2 Nephi 26:15-16; 27 in the Book of Mormon. Here are highlights from the chapter, together with additional insights added by Nephi.

1. Ariel (Jerusalem) will come under siege. She will be “brought down,” and her “speech shall whisper out of the dust” (v. 1-4). Nephi redirects this prophecy to the descendants of his father, indicating that those who have died will “speak to them out of the ground” by writing a book which will be “sealed up” (2 Nephi 26:15-17; see also 2 Nephi 33:13).
2. The people who fight against Ariel will be overcome suddenly. They’ll be like a hungry person who dreams he’s eating but wakes up to find he’s still hungry (v. 5-8). Nephi places this vision in “the last days, or in the days of the Gentiles,” and attributes the destruction and dissatisfaction to all those who “fight against Zion” (2 Nephi 27:1-3).
3. The Lord pours out upon the people the spirit of deep sleep, closing the people’s eyes and hiding the prophets and seers (v. 9-10). Nephi clarifies that the people initiate the process by choosing to close their eyes (2 Nephi 27:4-5).
4. Isaiah describes a sealed book which a learned man can’t read because it’s sealed and an unlearned man can’t read because he’s unlearned (v. 11-12). Nephi expands this image into a complete narrative. The book contains the words of those who have slumbered. The unlearned man delivers some of the book’s words to a learned man who refuses to read unless he receives the full book. God chooses the unlearned man to help, saying, “The learned shall not read them, for they have rejected them, and I am able to do mine own work” (2 Nephi 27:6-23).
5. The Lord says that, because of hypocrisy, He will “proceed to do a marvellous work” which will cause the wisdom of the wise to perish (v. 13-14). Nephi adds “learned” after the wise, tying this prophecy back to the prior narrative (2 Nephi 27:24-26).
6. Isaiah warns against those who try to hide their counsel from the Lord. He says that they have it all upside down, like a potter’s clay, because the Creator knows His creations. God will turn forests into farmland and farmland into forests (v. 15-17). Nephi attributes the “potter’s clay” metaphor to the counsel hiders, implying that they think God has it backwards. He arrives at the same conclusion: it’s foolish for the created to assume that his Creator doesn’t understand him (2 Nephi 27:27-28).
7. Isaiah lists the great blessings that will come through the dissemination of the book. The deaf will hear, the blind will see, the meek and poor will rejoice, evil men will be “brought to nought,” and people who had previously erred will understand (v. 18-24; see also 2 Nephi 27:29-35).

So Isaiah paints a general picture of God bringing his people from a sleepy unawareness to a clear knowledge. He uses various metaphors in this description, including a recurring book, which is at first rejected but then becomes the source of the clarity. Nephi makes the prophecy more vivid by identifying the book as the record of his people—the Book of Mormon—and by distinguishing between the learned, who reject the book, and the unlearned, who work with God to perform His marvelous work.

Today I will contribute to God’s work by trusting Him and allowing Him to direct me. I will remember that He is my Creator, that He understands me perfectly, and that His wisdom is far greater than the wisdom of humankind.