Servant Messenger Elijah Isaiah speaks of the Lord as a servant and for a covenant of the people and as a light of the Gentiles manifesting himself in the last days: Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my Spirit upon him; he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. Isaiah 42:1 I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles; To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness ill of the prison house. I am the Lord; that is my name; and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. Isaiah 42:6-8 For I will send my servant unto you who are blind; yea, a messenger to open the eyes of the blind, and unstop the ears of the deaf; And they shall be made perfect notwithstanding their blindness, if they will hearken unto the messenger, the Lord's servant. Isaiah 42:19-20 Paul spoke of the Lord being a servant : But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men;" Philippians 2:7 Christ is the servant who is to bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. The Lord tells us that my servant is to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel, and be a light to the Gentiles : And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldst be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel; I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the ends of the earth." Isaiah 49:6 & I Nephi 6:36 Nephi quoted Isaiah as follows with some variation: Thus saith the Lord, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, O isles of the sea, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee my servant for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to Thus saith the Lord, In an acceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee; and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to 1
inherit the desolate inherit the desolate heritages. heritages. 1 Nephi 6:38 Isaiah 49:8 In the above scripture the quote from the Bible leaves out two phrases that Nephi includes in his writings. These two phrases were probably included in the Plates of Brass. The first phrase, O isles of the sea, tells us that the Lord is speaking to the American Continents who are known in scripture as islands of the sea. The second phrase, my servant, explains to us that the Lord is the covenant, and it is the Lord who will establish the earth and cause (the house of Israel) to inherit the desolate heritages (of the Gentiles). In the following scripture we find that this servant is the same one who had his visage marred more than any man. This describes the Lord who was marred for our sakes. Jesus quoted Isaiah in describing himself during his second coming: Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high. As many were astonished at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men; So shall he sprinkle (gather) many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him; for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider. Isaiah 52:13-15 (3 Nephi 9:81-83) Isaiah described the Lord s ministry, and how he will bear our iniquities: He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied; by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Isaiah 53:11 Malachi wrote the following: Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me; and the Lord whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in; behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts. Malachi 3:1 Elijah of the Old Testament: Elijah was a prophet of God who became discouraged because the people were not keeping their covenants: "And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the Lord came him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here Elijah? And he said, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. 2
And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord: but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake; And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah? And he said, I have been very jealous for the Lord God of hosts; because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. And the Lord said unto him... Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him. " I Kings 19:9-18 Elijah must have been made glad when the Lord informed him that there were seven thousand Israelites who had kept their covenant. This is also true today. We see many forsaking their covenants and seeking after those things which are looked on favorably by the world, but there are yet many of the house of Israel who have not forsaken their covenants. The Lord will yet bless those who remain true to their covenant, and they will assist in the building up of Zion. Jesus spoke of John the Baptist as the Messenger who came before him: For this is the one of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. Matthew 11:10 & Luke 7:27 And again I say unto you that Elias has come already, concerning whom it is written, Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me; and they knew him not, and have done unto him, whatsoever they listed. Matthew 17:11 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; as it is written in the prophets. Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. Mark 1:1 Luke calls himself a messenger of Jesus Christ : As I am a messenger of Jesus Christ, and knowing that many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us. Luke 1:1 3
The Apostle John informs us that John the Baptist spoke of Jesus as "Elias." John answered them, saying; I baptize with water, but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; He it is of whom I bear record. He is that prophet, even Elias, who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose, or whose place I am not able to fill; for he shall baptize, not only with water, but with fire, and with the Holy Ghost. John 1:27-28 "And they asked him (John the Baptist - P.E.), saying; How then art thou Elias? And he said, I not that Elias who was to restore all things. And they asked him saying, Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No. John 1:22 "He it is of whom I bear record. He is that prophet, even Elias, who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose, or whose place I am not able to fill; for he shall baptize, not only with water, but with fire, and with the Holy Ghost." John 1:28 Elias (Greek) is the same name as Elijah (Hebrew). Elijah means in Hebrew: God of Jehovah. Who is Elijah? From the following scripture we learn that he comes "before the... day of the Lord : "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord; And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse." Malachi 4:5-6 From the above scripture we learn that the Lord is this Elias who is "to restore all things." The Lord also informs us in the following scripture that Elias comes to prepare the way before me. This speaks of the Lord's second coming in preparation for his glory coming. Jesus used the term Elias to refer to John the Baptist and also of another who should come and restore all things. He was referring to himself during his second coming. The Lord explained a mystery in regard to his own testimony of himself: Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true; for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go. I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me. John 8:14, 18 The Lord does bear witness of himself. He spoke of himself being sent as the messenger. Jesus spoke of himself being the prophet like unto Moses and then stated: 4
Verily, I say unto you, Yea; and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have testified of me. And behold ye are the children of the prophets; and ye are of the house of Israel; and ye are of the covenant which the Father made with your fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed, shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. 3 Nephi 9:62-63 The Lord continued: But I say unto you, Who is Elias? Behold, this is Elias, whom I send to prepare the way before me. Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist, and also of another who should come and restore all things, as it is written by the prophets. Matthew 17:13-14 Who is it that will come to restore all things? Peter spoke of this when he stated: And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you, whom ye have crucified; Whom the heavens must receive until the times of restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began. Acts 3:20-21 The Lord spoke through Isaiah:... for I will show unto the children of men that I am able to do mine own work. Isaiah 29:23 This important work of turning our hearts to the covenants will be done by the Lord himself. This will fulfill the covenant, which the Lord has made with the house of Israel. The words of Malachi will also be fulfilled. 5