2 Nephi 16:4

[pam]

Reference Search: 2 Nephi 16:4

4 And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.

Quote for Discussion

Posts of the door moved. Quaking often accompanies God’s presence (Ex. 19:18; Hab. 3:3-10), and here the temple posts moved or shook.

House. In the ancient Near East it was common to call the sacred temple a house.

Smoke. Presumably smoke originated from the altar of incense, and it represents the prayers of the Saints (Ps. 141:2; Rev. 5:8). Similarly, John the Revelator beheld the temple in heaven in vision and noted that it “was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power” (Rev. 15:8). The smoke may also be connected with the eternal fires found in heaven: “God Almighty Himself dwells in eternal fire; flesh and blood cannot go there, for all corruption is devoured by the fire. ‘Our God is a consuming fire.’” At times smoke represents the glory of God (Ex. 19:18; Rev. 15:8).

Ibid, p. 65

[a mustard seed]

Thank you for this inclusion. My study guides were really confusing trying to hint at some deeper connection with the incense and how prayer works but I did not get it. Another one said that it represented the presence of the Lord but that's all it said. This makes the imagery a lot clearer for me, the connection between being purified by fire and "smoke" in the temple.