Book of Mormon (Plain English Version)/2 Nephi/Chapter 20

by Timothy B. Wilson

Isaiah writes of latter-day judgments...
(compare 2 Nephi, chapter 20)

Cursed are those who propose unrighteous laws and then write them into the law books for the people to live by, who do this to lawfully deny justice to the needy, to legally take away the rights of my poor people, to make prey of the widows and to rob the fatherless.

What will you do when you are visited by desolating armies that will come from afar? What nation will save you then? Where will your wealth be then? Without my protection, many will bow down as prisoners and fall among the dead.

After all this, the Lord's anger and judgments will yet continue.

The Assyrian will act as the rod of the Lord's anger--the staff of His indignation in His hand. The Lord said,

"I will send him against you, a hypocritical nation. I will allow his army to plunder, capture and kill the people, and to tread them down like mud in the streets.”

The intent of his heart will not be to be the Lord's instrument, but to destroy and annihilate many nations.

He will say, “Have not all my commanders become kings? Is not Calno (Syria) conquered as Carchemish (Turkey)? Is not Hamath (Lebweh) conquered as Arpad (Tel Erfad)? Is not Samaria conquered as Damascus?

I have overcome all these kingdoms, whose graven images were greater than Jerusalem's and Samaria’s. And since I have conquered Samaria and her idols, will I not easily conquer Jerusalem and her idols?"

After the Lord has performed His whole work upon Mount Zion and Jerusalem, He will punish the Assyrian king for his pride and arrogance. For he will also say,

“By my strength and wisdom I have done these things. I am a brilliant and valiant commander, who conquered the people and their treasures. I easily conquered the people of all the earth and their riches, like one who gathers eggs without disturbing the chickens.”

But the Lord reasons,

"How can an axe boast that it cuts wood when it has no life—when it was the woodsman's power that cut the wood?”

Because the Assyrian king will boast like a lifeless axe, the Lord of Hosts will starve his followers and cause his glory to go up in smoke.

The light of Israel will call down fire and the Lord will bring down flames. In a single day, the oppressors will be burned like thorn bushes. The fire will consume the Assyrian king and his glory--his armies and the wicked throughout the earth, both body and soul.

After this, so few oppressors will be left in the earth that a child could count them.

In these very last days, what remains of the house of Israel will no longer serve the Assyrian king in oppression. They will serve the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.

These few survivors of Israel, even the remnant, will repent and return to their mighty God.

At first, only a few will return from the consumed parts of the lands. But at last, these remnants of Israel will become as numerous as the sands of the sea, overflowing the consumed lands. For the Lord God of Hosts will decree that all the wicked in the lands be consumed.

Because of this, the Lord God of Hosts says,

"Oh my people that live in Zion, do not be afraid of the Assyrian. He may beat you and oppress you for a little while, like Pharaoh once did against the Israelites in Egypt. But soon my anger will destroy him and your oppression will come to an end.”

For the Lord of Hosts will create a scourge for the Assyrian like the defeat of the Midianites at the rock of Oreb. For just as the Lord miraculously parted the Red Sea, He will raise His rod (His servant) against his oppressor.

Note: This will be a victorious servant in the Lord's hand.

See 2 Nephi 21:1, 10, Jeremiah 30:8-9, and D&C 103:15-16.

For in the very last days, the Assyrian's burdens will be taken off your shoulders and his yoke from off your necks, and this because of the servant's anointing.

But before that time, the Assyrian will come from the north to Aiath (an old Canaanite settlement). He will travel south, through Migron, stopping at Michmash (west of the Jordan valley).

Then he and his armies will march south, through the Michmash Gorge, stopping in Jeba. A few miles to their south, the people in erRam, afraid of his power, and those further south in Tell el-Ful, will run in terror.

Seeing what is coming, the daughters in Khirbet Kakul will mourn for those living near Jerusalem. They will cry out to their southern neighbors in Khirbet el-'Isawiyeh, "Oh, poor Anata (near Jerusalem)."

As the Assyrian continues south, Shu'fat will be destroyed and the inhabitants just north of Jerusalem will run for their lives.

The Assyrian will remain that day on the slopes of Mt. Scopus and will shake his hand against the Mount of Olives.

Through the Assyrian, the Lord of Hosts will cut off Jerusalem's government leaders with terror. Those in high positions will be cut down and the proud will be humbled.

The Lord will use iron to cut down the thickets of the forests--the most corrupt branches, and Lebanon will fall by a mighty one.