Isaiah 26

 

Notice how many of Isaiah's prophecies deal with the Second Coming and the Millennium. To be fair, Isaiah taught more apocalyptic and Millennial principles than he did latter-day ones. He certainly saw our day (see Isaiah 29), but most of his attention was focused farther forward. He was more excited about the righteousness and judgment of Christ's Millennial reign than he was about the Restoration.

 

Hence, the day when the song will "be sung in the land of Judah" is a millennial day (v. 1). The day when the Lord humbles the haughty and "the lofty city" is an apocalyptic day (v. 5). The day when "the inhabitants of the world" learn righteousness is a millennial day (v. 9). The day when the Lord only has dominion is a millennial day (v. 13). The day when the wicked "poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them" was an apocalyptic day (v. 15). The day when "dead men shall live" is a millennial day (v. 19). The day when "the Lord cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity" is an apocalyptic day (v. 21).

 

 

Every accountable child of God needs to set goals, short- and long-range goals... Now, there is a lifetime goal-to walk in his steps, to perfect ourselves in every virtue as he has done, to seek his face, and to work to make our calling and election sure.

 

"Brethren," said Paul, "but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

 

"I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." (Philip. 3:13-14.)

 

Let your minds be filled with the goal of being like the Lord, and you will crowd out depressing thoughts as you anxiously seek to know him and do his will. "Let this mind be in you," said Paul. (Philip. 2:5.) "Look unto me in every thought," said Jesus. (D&C 6:36.) And what will follow if we do? "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee." (Isa. 26:3.) ("Do Not Despair," Ensign, Oct. 1986, 5)

 

A little girl, misquoting the twenty-third Psalm, put everything in perspective. She said, "The Lord is my shepherd. That's all I want!" What more could anyone want? What could be more desirable than to "look unto [Jesus] in every thought"? (D&C 6:36.) ("Jesus the Christ," Ensign, Nov. 1991, 8)

 

 

"I have become very appreciative of the Lord's patterns. Patterns for his handiwork are detailed in the scriptures. They describe the building of a tabernacle, an ark, an altar, and temples. The materials are important; the purpose is grand. Then comes that most important pattern of righteousness set by Jesus Christ, 'a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.' (1 Tim. 1:16.) In every imaginable setting from ancient times to modern days, we see this pattern repeated-faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost.

 

"Patterns are meant to be repeated. A pattern of righteousness is worthy of duplication, yet there are those who suppose that our righteousness involves climbing some imaginary vertical ladder. We then think we hasten our progress by trying to get above or ahead of others. I believe this is pride. In Alma we are told, 'The preacher was no better than the hearer, neither was the teacher any better than the learner; and thus they were all equal, and they did all labor, every man according to his strength.' (Alma 1:26.) Righteousness is reproduced horizontally, not vertically. When we establish a pattern of righteousness in our lives, we commit to our Heavenly Father to do all in our power to help others reproduce this pattern in their lives. This can happen over and over until, as it says in Isaiah, 'the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.' (Isa. 26:9.)

 

"Heavenly Father tells us in the Doctrine and Covenants, 'I will give unto you a pattern in all things, that ye may not be deceived.' (D&C 52:14.) To avoid deception, we should watch for patterns of righteousness in our lives. I would like to mention three-prayer, scripture study, and service to others." (Janette C. Hales, "A Pattern of Righteousness," Ensign, May 1991, 83-84)

 

This pattern of doing what is right faithfully and conscientiously may reduce the rewards and plaudits of the world which will usually go to others, for as the Savior said:

 

They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. (1 Jn. 4:5.)

 

Chesterton warned about accommodating ourselves "to the trend of the time," which he said "at its best consists entirely of people who will accommodate themselves to anything," even "to a trend that isn't there." Meanwhile, while there may be much mocking, significant numbers of some sober scholars and thoughtful individuals in the world will notice the glow of the gospel light as it breaks forth in the behavioral sciences, as elsewhere, in preparation for the promised period Isaiah foresaw when "the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness." (Isa. 26:9; italics added.) ("Some Thoughts on the Gospel and the Behavioral Sciences," Ensign, July 1976, 73)

 

 

For those Christians who have imagined a resurrection which is ethereal, spiritual, and completely void of the physical, may we introduce the doctrine of Isaiah. Nobody likes dead bodies-they're gross! But everyone needs one for the resurrection. Isaiah reminds us that the dead men who are resurrected will be resurrected with him and his "dead body." That makes the dead body-or the remains of one-an essential component. Likely resurrected at the resurrection of Christ, Isaiah and his righteous counterparts became spiritual with a body of flesh and bones. By spiritual, we mean just what the scriptures say-not some intangible ethereal essence-but a tangible, glorified union of body and spirit according to the scriptures (1 Cor. 15:44; Alma 11:45; D&C 88:27).

 

Here we have the prophecy of Isaiah and also its fulfilment. And yet we are living in a day when those who are supposed to name the name of Christ in reverence and faith, are not only denying the Deity of "the Lord God Omnipotent," as he was revealed in the flesh, but are equally strong in their denial of this great fact of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the resurrection from the dead. Comparatively few men in the religious world, believe this unique doctrine of the Christian faith, the literal, physical resurrection of the dead. Many cults and philosophies teach that in some way or other there may be a continuation of the life principle, and even of personality after death; but it was reserved as the peculiar and glorious doctrine of the Christian faith to teach the reality of the resurrection from the dead, the reuniting of the spirit and body after death. If this is not the head of the corner in the building of the Christian faith, it is at least one of the very chief foundation stones. St. Paul teaches us that, and shows us that if there be no resurrection of the dead, then the Christian faith is vain, and is all a mockery. (Conference Report, April 1925, Afternoon Session 39)

 

We, in our mind's eye, witness the agonizing death of our Lord and Master on the cross. We are brought to a remembrance of the empty tomb in a garden near Calvary where a new sepulchre was available for his burial. Here we learn of the angelic guardians of the tomb and their glorious and triumphant announcement: "He is not here: for he is risen. ..." (Matt. 28:6.)

 

Here was witnessed the Master's first appearance with his resurrected body, a complete and perfected personage in every detail, as tangible and as real as they had known him in his mortal body.

 

But that was not all that happened on that morning of the first resurrection. In fulfillment of the promise of the Lord through the prophet who gave hope to the struggling band under the guidance of Moses, their prophet leader, the promise was made that after their trials and struggles in the wilderness, "Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. ..." (Isa. 26:19.)

 

The record of Matthew in the Bible gives us the further thrilling account of the fulfillment of that promise 800 years later. Here we read, "And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many." (Matt. 27:52-53.)

 

Think of that day, you who mourn the death of loved ones. The graves of your loved ones will be opened, and their bodies will likewise come forth and walk into the land of the living and will appear unto many. Also through the prophets of this American continent, we have recorded an explanation of the completeness of a resurrected body, when one of them declared, "... and even there shall not so much as a hair of their heads be lost; ... thus the whole becoming spiritual and immortal, that they can no more see corruption." (Alma 11:44-45.) ("To Ease the Aching Heart," Ensign, Apr. 1973, 4)