Isaiah Unplugged: Recent Episodes
GreaterLight
A journey into the study of Isaiah and understanding his prophecies, particularly as it relates to you and me.
The culmination of our study of Isaiah has taught us several tools we can use to understand Isaiah’s writings. Now that we have made it almost through the entire chapter of Isaiah 1, we can begin to apply those tools to understanding Isaiah as we continue reading. This episode studies chapters 2-4, pointing out several… Read More »Episode 27: Cloud by Day and Pillar by Night
Isaiah uses various elements to represent people or their spiritual path. One of the elements Isaiah uses is silver. If you remember, Isaiah said, “Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water” (Isaiah 1:22). We already discussed the diluting of wine with water in a previous episode. Today, we will talk about silver… Read More »Episode 26: The Refining of Silver
There is ample evidence in Isaiah to tell us what we are doing wrong as a people. We’ll review that a little bit, but what I feel most impressed to discuss in this podcast is what we SHOULD be doing, and how we go about doing it. As we read in Isaiah 1:23, the princes… Read More »Episode 25: Apathy: The Sin of Our Day
Immediately after giving the option to choose good or evil, to choose life and a blessing, or death and a cursing, as stated in the Sanai covenant, Isaiah immediately goes into a declaration that the holy city Jerusalem has become corrupted. Though we are given the choice, we see what we ultimately have chosen, or… Read More »Episode 24: The Once Faithful City
Isaiah instructs us to cease doing evil and to learn righteous action. “Learn to do good,” he says. He follows up with a promise we talked about last time, that though our sins be as red-stained wool or snow, it can be made pure and white again. Then he offers a choice. Isaiah 1:19-20 –… Read More »Episode 23: Choosing Liberty or Captivity
It is common in scripture to use color to portray symbolic meaning, and Isaiah uses symbolism to give vivid imagery of the cleansing power of the Lord’s atonement. After the Lord tells us to wash and cleanser ourselves (see Isaiah 1:16), he continues to say, “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord;… Read More »Episode 22: Becoming White as Snow
After Isaiah condemns our most sacred sacrificial rites and ordinances (see Isaiah 1:11-14), he calls for us to put away or remove evil. He declares, “Wash ye, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil” (Isaiah 1:16). I love how Isaiah doesn’t only tell us… Read More »Episode 21: Learn to Do Well
The Lord asks in Isaiah 1:12, “When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts?” This question should bring us to a deeper understanding of our journey to temple attendance and should point us to the crux of temple worship. When we sit in our chapels… Read More »Episode 20: Come and See the Lord
It’s clear that the Lord is–to put it bluntly, but honestly–disgusted with our worship. Isaiah berates not only our temple worship, but many of the other aspects of our worship. In conjunction with the sacrificial rites, the law of Moses detailed many other areas of worship both in and out of the temple. As the… Read More »Episode 19: New Moons & Sabbaths
Ancient Israel lived by the law of Moses as recorded in the first five books of the Old Testament. These books, written by the great historian Moses, detail the various worship rites and rituals, from the sacrifices and the temple rituals to the weekly and monthly worship and annual feasts and holidays. In reading to… Read More »Episode 18: Abundance of Your Sacrifices
The Lord through Isaiah calls upon the leaders and people of Israel to hear his voice. Yet he uses a very startling comparison. He declared, “Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah” (Isaiah 1:10). Though he is speaking to the… Read More »Episode 17: Like Sodom and Gomorrah
Isaiah says that a “very small remnant” will survive the invading conquests. This remnant is the only thing that kept ancient Israel from being completely annihilated. “Except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah” (Isaiah 1:9).… Read More »Episode 16: A Very Small Remnant
Isaiah’s mission included prophesying to his people as well as a people more than two millennia later who speak a different language, have a difference history, tradition, belief system, and culture. To fulfill this assignment, Isaiah used historical precedent—things that happened in his day or before—to predict future events. He also predicts some events that… Read More »Episode 15: Fulfilling the Prophecies of Isaiah
Isaiah uses a grotesque imagery to personify the comprehensive corruption of the body of Christ, or the house of Israel. “From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores” (Isaiah 1:6). Isaiah possibly pulled this idea from the writings of the… Read More »Episode 14: No Soundness Within
For those still living under the belief that Isaiah’s writings are for some distant people in an age long past, you may be able to read this passage with pleasant curiosity and wonder how ancient Israel could have been so naïve to forsake the Lord. But those of us who realize that all the words… Read More »Episode 13: Whole Head and Heart
Isaiah’s writings present a vision from the prophet encompassing all aspects of the house of Israel as well the rest of the world, “for surely he spake as touching all things concerning my people which are of the house of Israel; therefore it must needs be that he must speak also to the Gentiles” (3… Read More »Episode 12: Word-Links Within Isaiah
George Santayana, a philosopher, said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” How true is that statement. The Lord helped me understand more clearly the context of Isaiah’s writings. The Lord is speaking not only to those ancient Jews and the house of Israel in days past, who showed a pattern of… Read More »Episode 11: Rebelling from God
Within the very first verses of Isaiah’s story he pointedly turns the focus toward us. The Lord laments that though he has favored and nourished his children, they still rebel against him. Though the King James’ and the inspired Joseph Smith versions use the word “children” in Isaiah 1:2, the Hebrew text uses the word “sons” (בָּנִים|bä-nēm’). Sons is… Read More »Episode 10: Sons and Daughters of God
It strikes me that the Lord considers one of our greatest sins our ignorance about the Redeemer and his atonement. This makes sense. If we do not understand the atonement, how can we fully access it? If we cannot fully access the atonement, how could we ever ascend again to perfection with our Heavenly Father? I could sense… Read More »Episode 9: The Ancient Covenant
One of the intriguing aspects of ancient Hebrew writings is the use of symbolic numbers. Understanding the symbolism of numbers according to the ancient Hebrew culture can expand your understanding of subtle yet important characteristics of Isaiah’s writings. Referring to Isaiah 1:1, there is a subtle yet instructive symbol in numbers. Isaiah declares that his… Read More »Episode 8: Symbolism in Numbers
Isaiah uses people and places as symbolic patterns. Pulling from his own geography and history, he foreshadows events, types and patterns for a future time. Take for example, in Isaiah 1:1, Isaiah introduces some of the major cast members of the screenplay of his vision. In particularly, his writings utilize Ahaz and Hezekiah as major symbolic themes… Read More »Episode 7: Symbolic People and Place
There are multiple themes in the prophesies of the last days, both in Isaiah’s writings as well as others. In the next two podcasts we will discuss a few of the prominent themes about the last-day events that become prominent as we read Isaiah’s prophecy. But in doing so, we center on Isaiah’s words “for us… Read More »Episode 6: Themes Within Isaiah
Isaiah saw a vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem. His vision was not only for his people, but is one grand vision of the end-time days. Isaiah was not the only prophet to prophesy during his time of the judgments upon Israel or coming end-time calamities and events. Others were also called to give warning messages… Read More »Episode 5: The Vision of All Things
The Lord said that Isaiah spoke all things concerning the house of Israel, and also of the Gentiles. One common theme from Nephi down to Moroni, nearly 1,000 years later, is repeated warnings that they among many other prophets have seen our day and give us warning and counsel. Moroni gives earnest exhortation writing specifically… Read More »Episode 4: Isaiah Then and Now
Nephi truly understood the scriptures, and their application to his own life. When teaching his people, he said on multiple occasions he wanted to “liken” the scriptures to themselves. “And now I, Nephi, write more of the words of Isaiah, for my soul delighteth in his words. For I will liken his words unto my people, and… Read More »Episode 3: Liken Isaiah to Yourself
The doctrine of Jesus Christ is simple. Jesus told those ancient Nephite disciples that “whosoever will hearken unto my words and repenteth and is baptized, the same shall be saved. Search the prophets, for many there be that testify of these things,” (3 Nephi 23:5). Isaiah and all other true prophets testify of the doctrines of… Read More »Episode 2: The Gospel of Christ in Isaiah
Nephi loved teaching his people the plainness of the gospel. He always put the Lord as the centerpiece of his teachings and life. Everything he wrote pointed toward the Redeemer. “For the right way is to believe in Christ and deny him not; for by denying him ye also deny the prophets and the law”… Read More »Episode 1: Making Christ our Centerpiece