BOM 2 Nephi 24

BOM 2 Nephi 24 February 12, 2016

 

Ralph V. Chamberlin Hebrew Cosmos
A 1909 sketch of the early Hebrew conception of the universe by Professor Ralph Vary Chamberlin
(Wikimedia Commons; click to enlarge)

 

In this reading, 2 Nephi 24 (= Isaiah 14), Isaiah prophesies the eventual fall of the Babylonian Empire.

 

Israel, Isaiah says, will be returned to its homeland, and they will take captive those who had held them captive.

 

This is the chapter that contains the famous reference to the fall of Lucifer from heaven.  But we make the chapter much more difficult and obscure than it needs to be if we choose to interpret verses 12-14 as referring, in the first instance, to the devil.

 

They don’t.

 

They’re referring to the king of Babylon by comparing him (and his blasphemous arrogance) to Lucifer.

 

Verses 9-11 and 15-20, for example, are talking very plainly about the death of a mortal king, and describing the reception that he will be given when he arrives among already dead monarchs in the world of spirits.  They won’t be impressed.

 

P.S. — For the very interesting background of Utah’s own Ralph V. Chamberlin, whose illustration sits atop this entry, see here.

 

 


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