Reading Isaiah to Gain the Spirit of Prophecy
Some doors don’t seem as easy to open as others
The writings of Isaiah are used in so many different ways by so many different people that it may be one of the greatest examples of the spirit of prophecy. It is also a perfect place where we can gain that spirit ourselves in scripture. Prophets over time, from ancient to modern, have been able to use and teach the fulfilling of Isaiah’s prophecies in different ways to different people. That does not make it less true, just the opposite. It is a writing, like all scripture, where you can come to have the spirit help you understand what it means to you in your current situation. Years or decades later the same passage you read previously may mean something totally different. Isaiah’s writing invites that dialogue with the spirit. I think that is why Jesus Himself told us to study and read these words. We need to gain the spirit of prophecy in our own lives.
While reading the Book of Mormon we can see this in action. Isaiah means one thing in Nephi’s hand, another in Jacob’s hand, and yet another in Abinidi’s hand. They all used and interpreted the meaning differently based on their audience and their message. Mormon weaves the words of Isaiah throughout his abridging work enriching the lessons he is teaching as well. Jesus, when he visits the Nephites, uses Isaiah’s words to teach them and us yet another lesson about fulfilling prophecy and their, as well as our own, futures. This should suggest to us that we need to return to the book of Isaiah again and again to let the spirit speak to us. We all know that Isaiah can be hard to understand at times due to the geopolitical nature of his writing, the ancient poetic forms that are foreign to us, the names and words that seem new, and so much more.
Maybe we need to approach the book differently. It is less about “understanding Isaiah” and more about applying Isaiah. It needs to be less an exercise of biblical scholarship, and more about receiving inspiration from the Lord. Have a dialogue with the spirit. Learning to listen to that spirit will bring us closer to our Savior.
