2 Nephi 16--Historical Setting

[pam]

These verses contain the account of Isaiah’s call to serve the Lord. The following is a brief outline of events in the world of Isaiah at the time of his call.

1) The kingdom of Israel (united under Saul, David, and Solomon) was now a divided monarchy consisting of two kingdoms, the northern kingdom, Israel, with its capital in Samaria, and the southern kingdom, Judah, with its capital in Jerusalem. Isaiah prophesied in the southern kingdom, Judah, but spoke of both kingdoms.

2) Isaiah lived and prophesied during the reigns of four kings of Judah—Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah (Isaiah 1:1). This period of his ministry spanned from the year King Uzziah died (c. 740 B.C.) until the end of Hezekiah’s reign (c. 699 B.C.). Tradition says he was killed by Hezekiah’s son Manasseh.

3) The main political and social facts of Isaiah’s time may be summarized as follows:

a) Throughout King Uzziah’s administration, Israel and Judah were wealthy and relatively powerful. Luxury had, however, brought about great social injustices—greed, envy, idleness, and drunkenness. The wealthy took advantage of the poor through heavy taxation. Rejection of Jehovah and turning toward pagan gods became common. Religion became a matter of ritual and sacrificial offering. Immorality and great moral laxity prevailed. Isaiah’s call to the ministry came during the decline of Judah’s and Israel’s power and prosperity.

b) During the reign of Ahaz, a major crisis occurred: the Syro-Ephraimite war (c. 734 B.C.). Pekah, King of Israel, and Rezin, King of Syria, threatened to capture Jerusalem and replace Ahaz with a king of their own choosing for the purpose of forming a tripartite alliance, consisting of Syria, Israel, and Judah, against Assyria. (See 2 Nephi 17ff.) Isaiah revealed the plot to Ahaz and prophesied that such an alliance would fail; the prophet tried in vain to convince Ahaz to place his trust in the Lord rather than in foreign alliances. Instead, Ahaz made an agreement with the Assyrian monarch, Tilgath-pilezer II (Pul), and Judah became a vassal state, paying tribute to Assyria to escape the threat of Syria and Israel.

c) During Hezekiah’s reign, another major crisis occurred. The Assyrians had invaded Israel and captured its capital city, Samaria, in 721 B.C. (2 Nephi 18). Several years later the Assyrians invaded Judah. She was nearly overwhelmed in 701 B.C., but Jerusalem was saved when Isaiah counseled the people to trust in God. The Assyrian hosts were smitten by the Lord, and the survivors withdrew with heavy casualties. (See Isaiah 37:36-38; 2 Nephi 20.) This constituted perhaps the greatest political event in Isaiah’s ministry.

4) Besides being one of the earth’s great prophets (see the Savior’s statement in 3 Nephi 23:1), Isaiah was a statesman and an associate with Jerusalem’s ruling family. He had great literary talents and greatly influenced the people of his day. When his counsel was followed, Judah prospered. When his counsel was refused or unheeded, Judah was brought down.

BYU Student Manual, BOM Religion 121-122, p. 92-93

How can mortal prophets find language to unveil to the view of their fellow mortals the splendor and transcendent beauty of that eternal world of celestial might and glory? They speak of rainbows and jewels, of circling flames of fires, of burning coals of fire with lightning flashing forth therefrom; they tell of thunders and voices, of the sound of the rushing of many waters, and of majestic displays of might and beauty—all in an attempt to record in mortal words that which can be seen and known only by the power of the Spirit (Ezek. 1 and 10; Isa. 6). But the Lord be praised that they have made such attempts so that those who have not seen and heard may gain some meager knowledge of those things hidden behind the windows of heaven.

Bruce R. McConkie, DNTC, 3 vols. [salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1973], 3:465-66

Joseph Smith informs us that Isaiah’s vision was connected to the experience wherein his calling and election were made sure and he was given the gift of the Second Comforter, Jesus Christ.

TPJS, p. 150-151