The Book of Enoch and The Davidic Servant Part II - Isaiah 11

Isaiah 11:1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:
2 And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord;
3 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:
4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.
5 And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.

Disclaimer

This article is not official doctrine of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints but is the sole work and opinion of the author. However, I have found many pearls of truth by the spirit herein and ask that you pray before and after reading this article that you may be led by the Spirit of Truth to all truth. 

Introduction

D&C 107:57 These things were all written in the book of Enoch, and are to be testified of in due time.

The last article I wrote in this series, The Book of Enoch and The Davidic Servant Part I, was an extremely enlightening experience. I intended to write a very brief article on the first mention of the "Elect One" and show evidence that the "Elect One" is indeed the Davidic Servant who is mentioned throughout Isaiah and indeed in all LDS standard works. However, as I wrote, I uncovered more and more hidden gems and the "short" article became a lengthy one full of joyous pearls. 

Since then, I took a deviation as prompted by the Spirit to write an article on Multiple Mortal Probations, offering a simple, logical approach to the truth that there has to be more than one mortality for there to be one path to Godhood. I have always felt that MMP was a simple, logical conclusion as Joseph Smith taught there is one path to Godhood, God was once a Savior Himself, and God was once a man like us. Simple.

"These ideas are incomprehensible to some, but they are simple. It is the first principle of the gospel to know for a certainty the character of God, and to know that we may converse with Him as one man converses with another, and that He was once a man like us; yea, that God himself, the Father of us all, dwelt on an earth, the same as Jesus Christ Himself did;
...
The scriptures inform us that Jesus said, as the Father hath power in himself, even so hath the Son power—to do what? Why, what the Father did. The answer is obvious—in a manner to lay down his body and take it up again. 
...
Here, then, is eternal life—to know the only wise and true God; and you have got to learn how to be gods yourselves, and to be kings and priests to God, the same as all gods have done before you, namely, by going from one small degree to another, and from a small capacity to a great one; from grace to grace, from exaltation to exaltation, until you attain to the resurrection of the dead, and are able to dwell in everlasting burnings, and to sit in glory, as do those who sit enthroned in everlasting power." ~ Joseph Smith, King Follett Sermon

Why did I feel prompted to stop and write an article on MMP? I can only guess; however an understanding of MMP is essential to understanding the Elect One, his identity, why his identity is hidden, why his identity is unveiled when it is unveiled, and the answers to all those questions cast a brilliant light upon us and our own eternal destiny.

As I wrote in 9/23, For Unto Us A Child Is Born, Part I, understanding who the Davidic Servant is and where he is on his eternal progression is highly emblematic of the progression from being a conditional servant to becoming an unconditional inheritor of glory wearing an eternal crown of exaltation. This is why his identity is hidden - he represents us in our own progression! And, just as the world in the Savior's day needed to be largely unaware of just who He was in order for His mission to succeed--to be crucified by His own people--the Davidic Servant, or the Elect One, must also be largely unexpected and unknown to the world for his mission to succeed and for his trial to such a one worthy of the immense rewards that await. 

When I set out to write these articles, I began with the intention to go through the Book of Enoch chronologically, writing brief articles in quicker intervals. However, a recent lesson I have learned with publishing my recent article on Multiple Mortal Probations is that the truth is opposed vehemently by the adversary--using those who list to obey him. Why would the adversary oppose so strongly a truth that the prophet Joseph Smith referred to as simple--a truth I have always felt was rather milky as far as meaty doctrines go?

I believe the truth of our eternal course will soon be unveiled upon the housetops, and the adversary knows that these truths will come to light as his time comes to an end. He knows he has but a short time. This context has appropriately refocused my efforts on demonstrating clearly that the Elect One is indeed the Davidic Servant--the same person the scriptures refer to as "The Rod" in Isaiah 11 and D&C 113, and the same person who is called the "One Mighty and Strong" in D&C 85. As such, I will be using Isaiah 11 as the thread in this article to demonstrate this truth that the Elect One is the Rod & the One Mighty and Strong, or the Davidic Servant.


Part I - By the Breath of His Lips

Isaiah 11:1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:

First, let's establish who the Rod is from Isaiah 11:1.

D&C 113:3 What is the rod spoken of in the first verse of the 11th chapter of Isaiah, that should come of the Stem of Jesse?
4 Behold, thus saith the Lord: It is a servant in the hands of Christ, who is partly a descendant of Jesse as well as of Ephraim, or of the house of Joseph, on whom there is laid much power.

The rod is a servant in the hands of Christ. He is partly a descendant of Jesse as well of Ephraim on whom there is laid much power. 

D&C 85:7 And it shall come to pass that I, the Lord God, will send one mighty and strong, holding the scepter of power in his hand, clothed with light for a covering, whose mouth shall utter words, eternal words; while his bowels shall be a fountain of truth, to set in order the house of God, and to arrange by lot the inheritances of the saints whose names are found, and the names of their fathers, and of their children, enrolled in the book of the law of God;

Though D&C 113 does not explicitly cite the birthrights of Ephraim and Jesse, certainly citing Jesse, rather than Judah, alludes to the Davidic birthright. Having both birthrights makes sense for the man who will gather Israel, unite the twelve tribes and their kingdoms that were at last divided, and be their prince forever. 

"the throne and kingdom of David is to be taken from him and given to another by the name of David in the last days, raised up out of his lineage" ~ Joseph Smith (TPJS, p. 339)

Ezekiel 37:25 And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children’s children for ever: and my servant David shall be their prince for ever.

Returning to Isaiah 11, let's look at some of the evidences that align The Rod to the Elect One in the Book of Enoch. There are three verses - three! - that tie together the Rod, the Elect One, and The Two Witnesses of Revelation.

Isaiah 11:4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.

Revelation 11:5 And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.

Enoch 62:2 And the Lord of Spirits seated him on the throne of His glory, And the spirit of righteousness was poured out upon him, And the word of his mouth slays all the sinners. And all the unrighteous are destroyed from before his face.

Did you catch that? In all three verses there is reference to the Rod, the Elect One, and the Two Witnesses all having the same power to slay the wicked by the mouth. What the mouth delivers unto death varies in each verse from fire to breath to word. Though the means varies, the mouth is the source in each verse, death is the end, and the wicked, enemies, and sinners are those who receive death. Three verses from different books from different testaments spread across time all prophesy of an end times servant (in the case of Revelation 11, two servants) who delivers death to the wicked by his mouth. This could obviously be an overt reference to the sealing power given to Nephi in the Book of Mormon.

Helaman 10:4 Blessed art thou, Nephi, for those things which thou hast done; for I have beheld how thou hast with unwearyingness declared the word, which I have given unto thee, unto this people. And thou hast not feared them, and hast not sought thine own life, but hast sought my will, and to keep my commandments.
5 And now, because thou hast done this with such unwearyingness, behold, I will bless thee forever; and I will make thee mighty in word and in deed, in faith and in works; yea, even that all things shall be done unto thee according to thy word, for thou shalt not ask that which is contrary to my will.
6 Behold, thou art Nephi, and I am God. Behold, I declare it unto thee in the presence of mine angels, that ye shall have power over this people, and shall smite the earth with famine, and with pestilence, and destruction, according to the wickedness of this people.
7 Behold, I give unto you power, that whatsoever ye shall seal on earth shall be sealed in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven; and thus shall ye have power among this people.

The word "smite" in verse 6 aligns to Isaiah 11 as Nephi is given a power that is executed by words. In addition to these word links, "righteousness" is a word link used throughout Isaiah to designate the Davidic Servant. This word is also linked to the Elect One. Have a look at Enoch 62:2 again:

Enoch 62:2 And the Lord of Spirits seated him on the throne of His glory, And the spirit of righteousness was poured out upon him, And the word of his mouth slays all the sinners. And all the unrighteous are destroyed from before his face.

The Spirit of righteousness is poured out upon him. Not only is the word link in place, but the pouring out of the spirit aligns to Isaiah 11 as well as I will cover in the next section.


Part II The Seven Spirits


Isaiah 11:1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:
2 And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord;
3 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:
4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.
5 And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.

The Seven Spirits mentioned in verse two:

Spirit of the Lord
Spirit of Wisdom
Spirit of Understanding
Spirit of Counsel
Spirit of Might
Spirit of Knowledge
Spirit of Fear of the Lord

Enoch 49:2 For he is mighty in all the secrets of righteousness, And unrighteousness shall disappear as a shadow, And have no continuance;
Because the Elect One standeth before the Lord of Spirits, And his glory is forever and ever,
And his might until all generations
3 And in him dwells the spirit of wisdom, and the spirit which gives insight,
And the spirit of understanding and of might,
And the spirit of those who have fallen asleep in righteousness.
4 And he shall judge the secret things, 
And none shall be able to utter a lying word before him;
For he is the Elect One before the Lord of Spirits according to His good pleasure.

Though there are only five spirits mentioned in Enoch 49:3, three of them are a direct match: Wisdom, Understanding, and Might. Granted, neither text was sourced in English, so "Insight" and "Knowledge" could certainly share the original meaning. The last spirit - "Those who have fallen asleep in righteousness" does not seem to be a positive spirit to possess. However, this falling asleep could certainly align to the "Spirit of the Fear of the Lord" for such certainly wakes up those who have fallen asleep in righteousness. So, there are three direct matches, and two that align very nicely to Isaiah 11. That leaves two spirits: The Spirit of the Lord and the Spirit of Counsel. 

In just two chapters later, in Enoch 51:3, both counsel and wisdom are mentioned as attributes of the Elect One:

Enoch 51:5a For in those days the Elect One shall arise,
2 And he shall choose the righteous and holy from among them: For the day has drawn night that they should be saved.
3 And the Elect One shall in those days sit on My throne, 
And his mouth shall pour forth all the secrets of wisdom and
counsel: For the Lord of Spirits hath given (them) to him and that glorified him.

So counsel is now associated to the Elect One and The Rod in both books, giving us 6 of 7 spirits matched. The Spirit of Wisdom, though listed already in Enoch 49, is reiterated here in chapter 51. The end of verse Enoch 51:3 also aligns with Ezekiel 37:25 where David is made prince over Israel forever. Moreover, Isaiah 11:3-4 and Enoch 49:2,4 closely align:

Isaiah 11:3 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:
4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.

Enoch 49:2 For he is mighty in all the secrets of righteousness, And unrighteousness shall disappear as a shadow, And have no continuance;
Because the Elect One standeth before the Lord of Spirits, And his glory is forever and ever,
4 And he shall judge the secret things, 
And none shall be able to utter a lying word before him;
For he is the Elect One before the Lord of Spirits according to His good pleasure.

Both verses are about the judgement of the Elect One and The Rod with the key word "righteousness" and his mantle of judgement described. Though Enoch exclusively refers to the secrets and lies that the Elect One will be able to uncover with his judgement, Isaiah refers to the Rods ability to judge not after the sight of eyes or hearing of ears--which certainly implies his same ability to see below the surface. 



Part III Conclusion

Certainly, I'm not the first to notice how verses in the Book of Enoch align to the Book of Isaiah. Some scholars believe that the Book of Enoch could be paraphrasing Isaiah, even though Enoch himself lived centuries before Isaiah was born1. Another possibility, and a more likely one, is Isaiah was familiar with the Book of Enoch. There is evidence in the New Testament that the Apostles of Jesus Christ were familiar with the Book of Enoch and considered it scripture:

Jude 1:14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

Enoch 1:9 And behold! He cometh with ten thousands of His holy ones To execute judgement upon all,
And to destroy all the ungoldy:
And to convict all flesh
Of all the works of their ungodliness which they have ungodly
committed, And of all the hard things which ungodly sinners have 
spoken against Him.

Still, this could easily be discarded by the scholar or the skeptic who can explain this all away by saying a gnostic author impersonated Enoch, incorporating references in the New Testament. This is why it is so important to read with a humble heart and an earnest prayer and learn these truths by the Spirit of God, for we can neither teach nor learn without the Spirit.

D&C 42:14 And the Spirit shall be given unto you by the prayer of faith; and if ye receive not the Spirit ye shall not teach.

I believe the Book of Enoch absolutely contains truths about the end times servant that provide enlightenment and understanding by the Spirit. I will continue to write on this topic, including aligning the many references of the hidden aspect of the Elect One to the hidden aspects of the Davidic Servant as given in Isaiah and in the Book of Mormon. Kings extol the Elect One.

Enoch 62:6 And the kings and the mighty and all who possess the earth shall bless and glorify and extol him who rules over all, who was hidden.
7: For from the beginning the Son of Man was hidden,
And the most High preserved him in the presence of His might, and revealed him to the elect.

Kings shut their mouths at the Marred Servant. (Also see Isaiah 52:15)

3 Nephi 21:8 And when that day shall come, it shall come to pass that kings shall shut their mouths; for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.

And speaking of Multiple Mortal Probations ...

Enoch 62:14 And the Lord of Spirits will abide over them, And with that Son of Man shall they eat 
And lie down and rise up forever and ever.

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1. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Book of Isaiah, Volume 1

By George Buchanan Gray, p.218