The Prophets: Isaiah 05/04/2020

----- Forwarded message -----
From: Jay Huffman
jay.hashem@gmail.com


The Prophets: Isaiah 05/04/2020

Within all of scripture, no prophet of the Lord, save it be
the Righteous Prophet Himself – the Lord Jesus,
is quoted more, read more (hopefully by you), loved more, cherished more,
and provides more insight and instruction for all things pertaining to
the birth, life, ministry, sufferings, crucifixion, and resurrection
of our Redeemer and the redemption of the Zion of our God.
How the prophet Nephi loves (present tense, for are not all they who lived before us,
all they who “have not fallen into transgression” ; are they not yet alive
in Christ and dwell with the righteous in Heavenly places?) and cherishes
the words of the prophet Isaiah and deemed them of such significance to
teach them to his people? Did not the Lord Jesus Himself, also quote the
words of Isaiah as part of His message to a people in the Americas who
had been spared; and have we not reason to believe that wherever the
Father commanded Jesus to go, “the other lost sheep”, not of Jerusalem
and not of Zarahemla; that Jesus also taught them of the prophet
message and prophetic patterns of:
Truth, Mercy, and the knowledge of God?

Toward the final day of His ministry to the people who were spared in the Americas,
Jesus reminded another named Nephi, to bring forth the records they had;
the Lord Jesus examined them for accuracy and content and inclusion, and in
the judgement and assessment of what had been preserved; raised the question – Why?,
why the testimony of Samuel the Lamanite had been omitted, called to this Nephi,
asked Him why these words (and because they were given prior to the birth of Christ,
we consider them Old Testament); why these words and Truths were not there.
For now, we would only say, that Jesus commanded the testimony of Samuel the Lamanite
to be included and how blessed we are to have them and to read and ponder them.
Then the Lord Jesus receives a commandment from the Father to “give them” the words
of the prophet Malachi. And, after they are given and written down, Jesus then goes
on to expound upon them to the people gathered there as well as remind us that
ALL the WORDS of the prophets are relevant and timely
to all people of any and all time and wherever they may live. Brother Oakman reminds us:
“In modern times we find the revelation of the prophets in direct historical
continuity with the prophets and with Christ.” In another place,

Brother Oakman states: “We must also realize that divine revelation appeals to the
conscience of man. While the prophets claim that the word of God is given to them
and is not created by them, they assume that there exists in mankind as normally
constituted, a faculty for recognizing the authority of their message.”

And that faculty, is the Holy Ghost, which would lead us to and instruct us in and
by the Power of Christ, lead us and instruct us in the TRUTH OF ALL THINGS and reveal to us:
“For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear,
neither hath the eye seen, O God, besides thee, what he hath prepared for him
that waiteth for him. Thou meetest him that worketh righteousness, and rejoiceth
him that remembereth thee in thy ways; in righteousness there is continuance,
and such shall be saved.” Isaiah 64.

Nowhere in all of scripture, is there the time or space or room or place for
the mortality of man to interpret the Mind and Will of God.
The prophet – Samuel the Lamanite reiterates this principle several times in
his opening “testimony” from the book of Helaman, chapter 5:
“And now it came to pass in the eighty and sixth year, the Nephites did still
remain in wickedness, yea, in great wickedness, while the Lamanites did observe
strictly to keep the commandments of God, according to the Law of Moses.
And it came to pass that in this year, there was one Samuel, a Lamanite,
came into the land of Zarahemla, and began to preach unto the people.
And it came to pass that he did preach many days, repentance unto the people,
and they did cast him out, and he was about to return to his own land.
But behold, the voice of the Lord came unto him, that he should return again,
and prophesy unto the people whatsoever things should come into his heart.
And it came to pass that they would not suffer that he should enter into the city;
therefore he went and got upon the wall thereof, and stretched forth his hand
and cried with a loud voice, and prophesied unto the people whatsoever
things the Lord put into his heart;
And he said unto them, Behold, I, Samuel, a Lamanite, do speak the words of the Lord
which he doth put into my heart; and behold he hath put it into my heart to say
unto this people, that the sword of justice hangeth over this people; and
four hundred years passeth not away save the sword of justice falleth upon this people;
Yea, heavy destruction awaiteth this people, and it surely cometh unto this people,
and nothing can save this people, save it be repentance and faith on the Lord Jesus Christ,
who surely shall come into the world, and shall suffer many things, and shall
be slain for his people. And behold, an angel of the Lord hath declared it unto me,
and he did bring glad tidings to my soul. And behold, I was sent unto you to declare
it unto you also, that ye might have glad tidings; but behold ye would not receive me,
Therefore thus saith the Lord, Because of the hardness of the hearts of the people of
the Nephites, except they repent I will take away my word from them, and I will withdraw
my Spirit from them, and I will suffer them no longer, and I will turn
the hearts of their brethren against them;”

Do you see what one of the main threads is in this scripture?
What had the Lord put into the heart of Samuel the Lamanite? Not interpretation,
not opinion, not just a whim of social or ecclesiastical malfeasance -
what was in the heart of God to put upon the heart of this prophet. As he was moved
upon by the Holy Ghost.

Also in that discourse is the instruction provided (if we would but listen and receive it),
that we need to re-examine our understanding of and need of and the criticality of what
we(whether learned or un learned) have done to, at times, almost vilify what
we call the Old Testament.
If God is Eternal (and HE IS),
if God is outside of time (and HE IS),
if God is in the midst of all time and space (and HE IS),
if God is OMNIPRESENCE (and HE IS),
if God is OMNISCIENCE (and HE IS),
if God is OMNIPOTENCE (and HE IS),
if God is OMNIFICENCE (and HE IS),
then why is that the children of men have sought to divide the mind and will of God into
categories of division decided by that which has no hold or effect on God (time).
It’s like saying when we are on a journey, where were we and what we did prior to a red light
and what we saw and experienced after a green light. Isn't the point of it all
the journey and what we saw and experienced and to consider these things and
their meaning and relevance and importance?
The hymn says: “All along my pilgrim journey, Savior let me walk with thee”

From an article by Brother Arthur A. Oakman entitled “The Nature of Revelation”
"When one studies the process of revelation in Israel against the back-ground of history,
he is amazed to find how clearly the prophets saw into and beyond the social situation in
which they lived. While they had a word of God for specific times, and from peculiar
vantage points, yet they state principles which have endured and which have come down
to us, and we today recognize them, at least nominally, as the foundation of
all stable and enduring society.”

The prophet Isaiah speaks to this topic in many ways, as from chapter 46:
“Remember this, and show yourselves men; bring it again to mind, O ye transgressors.
Remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is none else; I am God,
and there is none like me. Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times
the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and
I will do all My pleasure;”

The prophet Isaiah also teaches us that there is an initiative that is required
on our part. There remains yet among us far too many who would also instruct
of the falsehood that we just need to sit back, do nothing, and go about our
own merry way, and when the Lord is ready, He will tap us on the shoulder
in some form or fashion. Yet the WORDS of the prophet Isaiah states this
expectation that God has of us and for us:
“I am found of them who seek after me, I give unto all them that ask of me;
I am not found of them that sought me not, or that inquireth not after me.”
Isaiah 65.

Jesus also corroborates and reminds the Scribes and Pharisees of that day:
“Ye have not because ye ask not”

From Doctrine and Covenants 85: 16, we have these WORDS of Jesus:
“And again, verily I say unto you, my friends, I leave these sayings with you, to ponder
in your hearts with this commandment which I give unto you, that ye shall call upon me
while I am near; draw near unto me, and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently
and ye shall find me; ask and ye shall receive;
knock and it shall be opened unto you; whatsoever ye ask the Father in my name it
shall be given unto you, that is expedient for you; and if ye ask anything that is not
expedient for you, it shall turn unto your condemnation.”

“Great inspiration is still to be had by studying history, or by striving to
appreciate the principles uttered by the prophets, and by dwelling in awe
upon the superlative light of Christ.”
Arthur Oakman

On this topic, the prophet Isaiah speaks well of what is pleasing unto God,
and what is man’s duty to have the testimony, like Enoch of old,
that we please / pleased God:

“If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day;
and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honorable; and shalt honor him,
not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words;
then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the
high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father;
for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.”
Isaiah 58

The Lord, through the prophet Jeremiah, gives to us a great promise, blessing, and
the conditions of life and of cursing:
“And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me forever, for
the good of them, and of their children after them; And I will make an everlasting covenant
with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear
in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me.
Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly
with my whole heart and with my whole soul. For thus saith the Lord; Like as I have brought
all this great evil upon this people, so will I bring upon them all the
good that I have promised them.”
Jeremiah 32: 39 - 42


IF we are to escape the wrath of God to come in this present age, we must be a people who
are more aligned with all that pleases God and not mammon.
IF we are to feed upon the heritage of Jacob and first of all to learn and even know
what that means in its entirety; we must be a people who cherish and know and treat
with all due respect and reverence, the WORDS of the prophets and
of the Lord Jesus Christ.

This then, is the manner in which the God-imposed condemnation to His church (Doctrine and Covenants 83:8a,b)
may be lifted, because we would begin to treasure up and give heed to and hold sacred
(after we learn what that means) all that the prophets have given their lives for and what
the Lord Jesus is and has given – THE WORD – Himself.

These are: “these are they who have come to an innumerable company of angels; to the
general assembly and church of Enoch, and of the Firstborn;”

Jay Huffman


--
Baruch Haba HaShem Adonai

"O that ZION were established"

Laus Deo !!

His name is Jesus,
Yeshua
the Holy One of Israel
El Gibbor - the mighty Elohim
Aviyad - the Everlasting Father
Sar-Shalom - the Prince of Peace
Pray For the Peace of Jerusalem

Many seek to be THE ONE,
I choose to speak of BEING ONE IN CHRIST JESUS
Yeshua Hamashiach
Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord -
************************************************
*** Jay Huffman
*** A Prisoner of Jesus Christ
*** A stranger and a pilgrim on the earth
*** May He come quickly
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