An Introduction to the Davidic Servant

An Introduction to the Davidic Servant

King David Enthroned, by Jerry Harston

Disclaimer: The following article is not official doctrine of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints but is the sole work of the author. As with all truth, please pray for the Holy Spirit to guide you as you read, and pray afterwards to confirm the personalized message of the Holy Spirit to you.

Zechariah 6:12 And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord:

13 Even he shall build the temple of the Lord; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.


Introduction - Who is the Davidic Servant?

I have written several articles detailing my thoughts and feelings regarding the Davidic Servant (see left sidebar, bottom half.) These articles all assume the reader buys into the idea of a Davidic Servant and already has a basic knowledge or awareness of this end times servant. I've been pondering the writing of an article that serves as an introduction to the Davidic Servant for some time. During this time, the following question has been lingering in the back of my mind, "How do I go about presenting the Davidic Servant to the uninitiated?" 

"Uninitiated" may seem like an odd word choice. In my experience, those who believe in a Davidic Servant to come seem to all have gone through some sort of initiation whether it be an academic or spiritual awakening process--most likely a combination of the two. I hope this article will serve as both! Please pray to learn by Spirit that this article may be personalized to you.


My experience began somewhat academic and then became highly, pointedly spiritual. I was introduced to the "Davidic Servant" initially by a student of Avraham Gileadi who also happens to be one of my closest friends. Even then, I only had a peripheral awareness of who and what the Davidic Servant is when the Lord saw fit to awaken me fully. And, therein lies the answer as to why I haven't written this article sooner. Who am I to awaken folks to a Davidic Servant when the Lord seems to do this with folks Himself in His own way and in His own time? I pray that this article may serve as another arrow in His quiver.

I've seen other folks over the last several years who have been awakened to the reality of a Davidic Servant. A common thread among these folks is twofold: first, the deep, deep conviction this character exists, and, second, the fact that no two individuals seem to agree on who and what he is exactly. Personally, I find this misaligned understanding of the Davidic Servant extremely exciting. There is a sense of wonder and excitement to studying and discussing this critically important soul. Why is he so important? Why are there so, so many prophecies about him? Why is he central to the gathering of Israel?

This also makes me wonder how similar the years leading up to the arrival of Jesus Christ must have been. Certainly a growing spiritual awareness of His coming permeated the ears of those who had ears to hear. What were their discussions like? What did the wise men discuss on their journey to find the child Savior? Did they know He would live a humble life from birth to death? Did they understand the depth of salvation that was about to be offered freely?

Likewise, what will the Davidic Servant's life be like? There are many prophecies about the kings and princes of the world extolling him, but will this happen in life or is this a prophecy of the final judgement? Though these are all great questions to ponder, this article will focus on the fact there absolutely is a Davidic Servant, who he isn't, and more, importantly, who he is.


Part I - What is a "Davidic Servant?"

This seems like a silly question, but I have been involved in discussions surrounding whether the term is even legitimate. In this section, I will make the case that the term "Davidic Servant" is a perfect term.

"Davidic" is an adjective. What kind of servant is he? He is a Davidic servant of course! There is nothing wrong with using a name as an adjective; in fact, we do it all the time. The Mosaic Law. The Abrahamic Covenant. There is in fact an important servant, in the hands of Jehovah, who is critically important to the plan of salvation. What kind of servant is he? Why, he is a Davidic Servant.

Why Servant? I'll discuss the Davidic adjective in a moment, but let's first focus on the noun. Why is he called a Davidic Servant rather than a Davidic King or a Davidic Prophet. Well, to be fair, those terms are valid too. He certainly will be a king, and he will certainly be a prophet. So, why does the term "servant" stick? I believe there are at least two great reasons why, though I'm sure there are more. First, let's take a look at Ezekiel 37.

Ezekiel 37:24 And David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them.

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.

If I could only take one chapter of scripture to a deserted island to explain the Davidic Servant to its inhabitants, it would be Ezekiel 37. Ezekiel 37 begins with the LORD showing Ezekiel a valley of dry bones where He commands Ezekiel as a "Son of Man" to prophecy unto the bones and essentially command them to resurrect. This is both a symbol of the return of the remnant of Israel for the gathering and a symbol of the actual resurrection - and both are central to the mission of the Davidic Servant. I won't delve too deeply into the Davidic Servant particulars, but I explore this topic more in the article The Davidic Servant is The Holy Ghost is The Angel of the Lord. There may be some spoiler alerts in that title.

To circle back to the question at hand - why servant? - well, it's because the Lord calls him Servant many, many times. In Ezekiel 37, it just so happens to be in conjunction with the Davidic aspect as well, which I will explain in more detail in a moment. The term "servant" is used so much so, in fact, that there is even a special title given to the chapters in Isaiah that address the Davidic Servant. These chapters, which begin in chapter 42 and end in 52 (though there are certainly far more chapters than that who speak of the Davidic Servant,) have been called the "Servant Songs." Here are a few of those verses from those Servant Song chapters.

Isaiah 42:1 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 49:6 And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest 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 end of the earth.

Isaiah 52:13 ¶ Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.

So the LORD, or Jehovah Himself, calls this man His servant. That is why the term "servant" is used. As you read through these chapters of Isaiah, and I highly recommend reading chapters 39 - 63, you get a feel for the intimacy between this man and the LORD Himself. Again, I'll steer away from the "Why?" though I've certainly written much on this subject already (see sidebar) to shed some light on the answers to that question. Now, let's return to the adjective, "Davidic."

Why is the servant Davidic? Apart from the fact the LORD outright calls him David, perhaps the better question is, "Why does the LORD call him David?" Will that be his actual name? Or, does the meaning behind the Hebrew word David, which is beloved, have something to do with the term? Though I personally do not believe his name will actually be "David," and though I do believe the meaning is significant, the term Davidic actually refers to the Davidic Covenant. I will lay out the Davidic Covenant below, and the meaning behind the covenant will be reinforced in subsequent sections of this article. 2 Samuel 7 contains the full Davidic Covenant; however, 1 Chronicles 17 has a beautiful encapsulation of the covenant. I will put my commentary in green [brackets.]

1 Chronicles 17:11 ¶ And it shall come to pass, when thy [King David] days be expired that thou must go to be with thy fathers, that I will raise up thy seed after thee, which shall be of thy sons; and I will establish his [Davidic Servant] kingdom.

12 He [Davidic Servant] shall build me an house, and I [Jehovah] will stablish his [Davidic Servant] throne for ever.

13 I [Jehovah] will be his father, and he [Davidic Servant] shall be my son: and I will not take my mercy away from him [Davidic Servant], as I took it from him that was before thee [Saul]:

14 But I will settle him in mine house and in my kingdom for ever: and his [Davidic Servant] throne shall be established for evermore.

"I will be his father, and he shall be my son," is central to the Davidic Covenant. Compare verse 14 to Ezekiel 37:22-25. The building of the temple, and ultimately, what the temple is designed to do is also a critical element of the Davidic Covenant--especially in regards to the Holy of Holies. Also,Ezekiel 37 is clearly addressing the fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant. The Davidic Covenant is clearly not about the original King David but about a man from his posterity. There are a few extremely important reinforcements to this understanding which I will address in this article. Perhaps the most important reinforcement to the understanding of the existence of a Davidic Servant is the fact that Joseph Smith and his contemporaries clearly believed in a Davidic Servant to come.



Part II - Because Joseph Smith Said So

Why is there a Davidic Servant? Because Joseph Smith said so! In his sermon regarding the spirit and power of Elias, Elijah, and Messiah, Joseph Smith mentions a David to come.

Although David was a king, he never did obtain the spirit and power of Elijah and the fullness of the Priesthood; and the Priesthood that he received, and 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, March 10, 1844

Well. There it is. I've been debating this topic online for years, and there are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who are very resistant to the idea of a Davidic Servant, and understandably so! This prophecy is extremely unsettling! Will this David actually be named David? What is the throne and kingdom of David? Certainly the throne and kingdom of David is at the very least Israel in a temporal sense. Even a light study of the Davidic Servant indicates there is absolutely a spiritual joining of the Davidic Servant to Israel (Ezekiel 37.) How will this throne and kingdom be established? How will we recognize this David, even if his name is David? If we fail to recognize him, when will it become too late to be merely a casual observer until his throne and kingdom is established?

I've seen folks try to explain away the above quote from Joseph Smith in many creative ways. And though I will address "Who the Davidic Servant Isn't" in a subsequent section of this article, suffice it to say that the early saints clearly believed in a mortal Davidic Servant who is not one of the patriarchy recycled. What I mean by that last statement, is many folks believe the Davidic Servant will be Joseph Smith, or Jesus, or Adam, etc. He is unknown to us. Though I understand why the unknown aspect is unsettling, it seems to be a clear a mark of pride to try to shoehorn the known and familiar into the unknown for the sake of easier sleep at night. What is clear is the unknown aspect of the Davidic Servant causes enough cognitive dissonance that saints outright refuse to accept Joseph Smith's words at face value.

As with many prophecies, the most shocking aspects tend to get the most focus and other important elements are overlooked. Take the above quote for example. Most folks don't even quote the whole statement but just start halfway through. 

Although David was a king, he never did obtain the spirit and power of Elijah and the fullness of the Priesthood; and the Priesthood that he received, and 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, March 10, 1844

The green text is what is glossed over, and it's extremely important to understanding who the Davidic Servant is. The entire sermon (linked here) is about the powers of Elias, Elijah, and Messiah - and more importantly - the progression through those powers and roles. The first, green half of that statement is essentially revealing who the end times David is! Joseph Smith is saying the ancient King David never received the fullness of the Priesthood. The end times King David will. 

Below is an excerpt from the Times and Seasons publication from February 15th, 1842. Though John Taylor apparently is the author of this article, Joseph Smith was the editor. Believing in a "King David to Come" was clearly held by the apostles and by Joseph Smith himself as this article clearly demonstrates.

Ezekiel after giving a description of the resurrection of the House of Israel, and the coming forth of the stick of Joseph (Book of Mormon,) and its being united with the stick of Judah (the bible;) and also the restoration of the House of Israel, that are in a state of mortality, back upon their own lands, says: “Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions; but I will save them out of all their dwelling places wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God. And David my servant shall be king over them: and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them. And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob my servant, wherin our fathers have dwelt, and they shall dwell therein, even they and their children, and their children’s children, forever; and my servant David shall be their prince for ever. Moreover, I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore. My tabe(r)nacle also shall be with them; yea, I will be their God, and they shall be my people, and the heathen shall know that I the Lord do sanctify Israel, when my sanctuary shall be in the mid(s)t of them for evermore.”—Ezek. xxxvii. 23–28. The above quotation has a particular allusion to that portion of the righteous that will remain in the flesh, and dwell on the earth, and eat the fruit of it. But the difference that will be, satan will be cast out of the earth, and he will have no power to tempt or deceive them: they will a[l]l be righteous, and not defile themselves any more. The Lord will set his sanctuary in the midst of them, and they shall multiply and be increased in number,—which they will continue to do, during the Millennium. The fact that they will multiply and increase, shows that they will be in a state of mortality.
The immortal saints will be made kings and priests, and they shall reign with Christ; but is is not said that the mortal ones shall be made kings and priests, to hold authority with Christ like the immortal ones, while in a state of mortality; only they shall have a king, priests, and all other necessary officers, to administer all ordinances, and perform all necessary ceremonies. We mean a king that shall be chosen or proceed out of their midst. Isaiah speaking of this day says, the Lord will restore their judges as at first, and their counsellors as at the beginning. This will be the time that God will restore their kingdom unto them which the apostles alluded to when they inquired of Jesus, if he would then restore the kingdom to Israel. (See Acts, i. 6)


According to the prophets the name of this king shall be David; not the patriarch David who was the son of Jesse; but a literal descendant of his. Some suppose that the Psalmist David will be raised from his tomb, and again reign over Israel; but we consider this one of the most unreasonable ideas that could be advanced. He no doubt will be in the Lord’s own due time raised from the dead, but not to act the part of a prince in the midst of Israel who remain in the flesh. Neither will any of the patriarchs act the part of an earthly king; although they will reign with Christ. Indeed, we have no reason to believe that Christ himself will act the part of an earthly king, or priest, to any great extent. It is inconsistent for us to suppose that the immortal saints, who are glorified, will be perpetually confined in the midst of the mortal ones. Because it is said, they shall reign on the earth, is no reason why we should say they shall be constantly among the mortal saints. The idea is that the earth will be under the control of Christ and the glorified saints, and Christ will virtually reign over the whole earth, and this David will be subject to him. The redeemed saints will reign on earth, and perhaps have in many respects, authority over the mortal ones. We do not wish to be understood, that there will be a total or entire separation between the mortal, and immortal; but the object of the foregoing remarks is to show the distinction of privilege.  ~ John Taylor, Times and Seasons, 15 February 1842. Edited by Joseph Smith, Jr. (italics are in the original text)

The full article can be found here. What a blessing the Joseph Smith Papers Project has been in casting a brilliant light on so many truths that shone forth at the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ by Joseph Smith, Jr.! Though Joseph Smith and his contemporaries clearly didn't know exactly how these prophecies would be fulfilled or who the Davidic Servant is, there are a few important points about which they were indeed confident. First, there would be a future King David who fulfills Ezekiel 37. Second, this king represents the order of government that will be established at the millennium. Third, this person is not the original King David, Jesus, or any of the patriarchs. Fourth, this future King David will be mortal. Fifth, this King David will be subject to Jesus Christ who presides while this future King David himself reigns under Jesus Christ's over-arching dominion. This final points makes a lot of sense given Jesus Christ's dominion is worlds. As when a Stake President presides when visiting one of his Bishop's ward's sacrament meetings, Jesus Christ presides while visiting one of His worlds. 

The above Times and Seasons article is a fantastic document that expels many of the myths of the Davidic Servant all by itself, particular those of a returning Patriarch or that these prophecies are about Jesus Himself. In the next section, we will underscore who the Davidic Servant isn't.


Part III- Who the Davidic Servant Isn't

This may seem silly at this point in the article, but the Davidic Servant isn't Jesus Christ. Most Christians believe the servant songs in Isaiah are all about Jesus Christ. We know better. When the Old Testament shows the word LORD, the actual Hebrew word represented is usually YHWH or Jehovah. Jehovah is Jesus Christ. Clearly, Jesus is not His own servant. Since this is true about the Davidic Servant, this seems like it could be evidence enough alone; however this idea of YHWH not being His own servant could be (and has been) explained away by the concept of Divine Investiture of Authority; this essentially means Jesus can speak for the Father, and the Holy Ghost can speak for Jesus, etc. However, there is more evidence than, "YHWH is not His own servant," and more than the evidence already presented.

A careful study of the servant chapters of Isaiah reveals that the servant clearly is not a perfect being.

Isaiah 42:19 Who is blind, but my servant? or deaf, as my messenger that I sent? who is blind as he that is perfect, and blind as the Lord’s servant?

The above scripture is from one of the Isaiah "servant songs." "Messenger," here is the Hebrew word, "Malaki" which also translates to angel. Jehovah is clearly not a "Malaki" of Jehovah. Though latter half of verse 19 is perhaps not crystal clear, there are two individuals being referenced - "he that is perfect" and the "Lord's servant." Jehovah was "blind" in His mortal ministry as is the servant who is also "blind" in his mortal ministry. Blindness signifies the veil of forgetfulness that falls on all of us, including Jesus and Jesus' servant. Both these men are subject to the veil, which is obviously an important truth to consider.

In Isaiah 51, the Lord awakens the Davidic Servant to his identity. After reminding him of a few of his premortal feats, the Lord identifies some areas where the servant struggles where the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, as a perfect being, would likely not have struggled.

Isaiah 51:9 ¶ Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon?

10 Art thou not it which hath dried the sea, the waters of the great deep; that hath made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over?

11 Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.

12 I, even I, am he that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass;

13 And forgettest the Lord thy maker, that hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth; and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? and where is the fury of the oppressor?

14 The captive exile hasteneth that he may be loosed, and that he should not die in the pit, nor that his bread should fail.

15 But I am the Lord thy God, that divided the sea, whose waves roared: The Lord of hosts is his name.

16 And I have put my words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, Thou art my people.

This is an intimate conversation between the Lord Jesus Christ / Jehovah and His servant. Moreover, the Lord Jesus Christ speaks of this very servant by quoting Isaiah to the ancient Americans. Why would the Lord quote these passages and inspire His prophets to include this in our edited copy of events, unless they are important both to them and to us? In 3 Nephi 20, the Lord quotes Isaiah chapter 52, which is, again, one of the servant songs. Who is this servant and why is he so important? 

3 Nephi 20:43 Behold, my servant shall deal prudently; he shall be exalted and extolled and be very high.
44 As many were astonished at thee—his visage was so marred, more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men—
45 So shall he sprinkle 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.

Obviously this revelation to Isaiah is important for the Lord Jesus Christ to quote it to the ancient Americans and have it be included in the Book of Mormon. The word "sprinkle" in Isaiah 52:15 (3 Nephi 20:45) is only ever used twice in the Old Testament where first use is in Levicitus 16 in regards to the High Priest of Israel sprinkling the blood of the sacrifice on Yom Kippur - the holiest of holy days that is as of yet unfulfilled. Think on that statement for a moment. I cover the "sprinkle" aspect in this article and this one, but apparently, I have not yet published the above connection in any of my articles, so, well, there it is. The marred servant will sprinkle many nations. By linking the word "sprinkle" from Isaiah 52:15 to Leviticus 16, there is precedent to believe this is the person who fulfills the role of High Priest of Israel (of the lesser Priesthood) on Yom Kippur.

What is super interesting, is the Lord expounds upon the marred aspect of the servant in the following chapter in 3 Nephi 21. This is not taken from Isaiah or from anywhere else in our canon but is new information regarding the marred aspect of the servant exclusive to the Book of Mormon:

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.

9 For in that day, for my sake shall the Father work a work, which shall be a great and a marvelous work among them; and there shall be among them those who will not believe it, although a man shall declare it unto them.

10 But behold, the life of my servant shall be in my hand; therefore they shall not hurt him, although he shall be marred because of them. Yet I will heal him, for I will show unto them that my wisdom is greater than the cunning of the devil.

So, the Lord references Isaiah 29 in verse 8 - the marvelous work and wonder - and then he references Isaiah 52 in verse 9 regarding the servant, which includes the marring aspect. Then, in verse 10 he provides new information. We know the servant is in the hand of the Lord by several verses in Isaiah as well as D&C 113, which goes to further prove the servant is not Jesus. Jesus Himself is the one speaking of this servant who will be in His hand after all! What is even more interesting is the servant will be marred because of them, and not necessarily by them. Who is "them?" If you read through the first verses, the Lord is referring to the gentiles. So the the kings of verse 8 are very likely the kings of the gentiles.

Also, notice how the Lord's healing of the marred servant - the healing itself - shows that the Lord's wisdom is greater than the cunning of the devil. This will be extremely interesting to see play out. Clearly the marred servant is not Joseph Smith, for though he was marred, he carried his limp and his scars throughout his life and was never healed. He was certainly never healed in a way that demonstrated the Lord's wisdom was greater than the cunning of the devil. This last statement leads me to believe that perhaps the marring has something to do with the hidden aspect of the servant. If so, then healing the servant would both bring the servant to light and demonstrate the Lord's wisdom in keeping this servant hidden and safe from the adversary and those who would thwart the Lord's plans through their cunning.

So the Davidic Servant is clearly not Jesus Christ. He is not Joseph Smith or any of the Patriarchs. The Davidic Servant is not anyone who is immortal - so the three nephites and John the Beloved are all excluded from candidacy. There is certainly some precedent for believing John is the Davidic Servant as D&C 77:14 seems to align the Elias who is to come to restore all things to John. However, we know from Isaiah 51:9-10 that the Davidic Servant is awakened to his identity, and John has already seen the end times events play out in full. In the next section, I will show how the Davidic Servant is central to the Book of Revelation. Clearly, John knew who this servant was as he fell at the feet to worship the nameless angel who delivered the message twice ... at the end of the revelation.


Part IV - Who the Davidic Servant Is

If you are new to the concept of the Davidic Servant, I hope and pray the Spirit has impressed upon you the importance of this individual. He is literally all over our standard works - all over the place, often hiding in plain sight! I hope your interest is peeked enough to study these scriptures and read more of the articles I've written about the identity of this individual and how he is central to the eternal destiny of this Earth - from its foundation to its millennial probation and onward. As this is just an introduction to the Davidic Servant, I will save the deep exploration for those other articles. Here, I will just focus on the basics.

As I mentioned at the conclusion of the last section, the Davidic Servant is central to the Book of Revelation. The Book of Revelation is strongly linked to Isaiah, and both the Book of Revelation and Isaiah are all about the Lord's servant. How do I know this? First, to understand who the Davidic Servant is, one must have a clear understanding of the levels of progression of mankind. In chapters 2 and 3 of the Book of Revelation, John is given a message from the Lord to the angels of the seven churches. Think about how odd that sounds for a moment. John, a mortal, well an earthbound immortal, is given a message that he is supposed to again relay to angels? Many Christians discard these messages as though they were just ancient notes from the Lord to His people of the first century. Certainly this doesn't apply to us ~ 2,000 years later! Right? Wrong!

These seven churches are in fact the seven orders of mankind that delineate where folks are on their eternal progression. The Lord introduces Himself in a unique way to each angel, shares a message, and then closes that message with a promised reward of overcoming. My father-in-law wrote a beautiful paper about these levels of overcoming and identified the fact they are a sequential reward system of eternal progression. I knew immediately upon reading his paper that he had identified something vastly important. As I studied and pondered, I realized that these promises align to the patriarchs in reverse chronology - the first promise aligning to Joseph Smith and the last aligning to Adam. The seven patriarchs and seven dispensation align perfectly to the seven promises of overcoming. Not only that, but these promises align perfectly to the laws in the temple. The final law of consecration aligns to Adam on down to Moses who aligns to the first law of obedience. Each dispensation head's lives are an example of how to overcome their respective law! On the sidebar to the top left are the articles I've written dedicated to the Seven Levels of Mankind.

Why is this important to the Davidic Servant? If you recall, the Davidic Servant was believed by Joseph Smith and his contemporaries to be a mortal who is not from among the patriarchs.... yet. The seven patriarchs align to the seventh promise of overcoming. The Davidic Servant is ascending from the sixth level of mankind to join the seventh, or that level of the Patriarchs. Based off Joseph Smith's teaching of Elias, Elijah, and Messiah, this implies that the patriarchs are the ones who have the fullness of the Priesthood. Reading through the Book of Revelation, it is often these seven angels who are executing judgement upon the Earth through .. the fullness of the Priesthood!

These seven levels of mankind and ascension align to Isaiah as well - in fact, after I started writing about the seven levels of mankind, I learned that Avraham Gileadi - noted LDS Isaiah Scholar - also has written about these seven levels of spiritual ascension. You can read about them here. So, where does the Davidic Servant fit into this? Though I explain this more fully in my other articles, the Davidic Servant is tasting of the powers of the world to come by acting as a Patriarch - by sitting on one of the seven thrones of power. As Jesus becomes an Elohim by doing the works of Elohim, so does the Davidic Servant become a Patriarch by doing the works of a Patriarch. Specifically, the Davidic Servant aligns to the sixth order of mankind and its promised reward. The Davidic Servant is among this order of High Priests and is the first of his order to ascend and join the seventh order of the patriarchy.

If I am correct, and the Davidic Servant is sitting on the throne of another, then the message of the Lord to the angel of the sixth church (sixth order precedes the seventh / patriarch) is clearly a reference to the Davidic Servant and aligns to several servant scriptures and prophecies from the Old Testament. Here is that message:

Revelation 3:6 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;

8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.

9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.

10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.


12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

The Lord starts off each of these messages with "he that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith," which basically means, "This is encrypted, and only those with spiritual ears will understand."

Verse 7: And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;

He that hath the key of David is an overt reference to Isaiah 22.

Isaiah 22:21 And I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand: and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah.

22 And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.


23 And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place; and he shall be for a glorious throne to his father’s house.

Isaiah 22 is about the Davidic Servant, surprise surprise! The millenial government is referenced as is the return of Judah to Jerusalem, which although is a past event to us was still yet future even in Joseph Smith's day. Verse 23 is a reference to the temple progression. Latter-day saints are aligned to the fifth promise of overcoming, the High Priests are aligned to the sixth, and the princes / patriarchs to the seventh. Now, think on our name now and think on how it aligns to the second token, sign, and Law of the Gospel. The third token and sign aligns to the next class or order of mankind, the high priests, and The Law of Chastity. The fourth aligns to the princes and The Law of Consecration. The Davidic Servant is traversing from the sixth order to the seventh, and this is a big deal folks.

Isaiah 22:22 is about the key of David - the key of house David that Jehovah lays upon the shoulder of his servant. He shall open and none shut. He shall shut and none open. What is this door? What is the key? This is the key of judgement and resurrection - both of which are referenced all over the Davidic Servant scriptures throughout Isaiah, throughout the Old Testament and even in Latter-day scriptures. Only with the fullness of the Priesthood can a man execute the keys of resurrection and judgement. 

Let's return to Revelation 3, now verse 8:

8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.

"I know thy works." By his works has the Davidic Servant overcome and achieved the promised reward of overcoming as given in verse 12. Unlike King David, the Davidic Servant will have achieved the fullness of the Priesthood by his works. The open door is that judgement / power that the Lord has that He applies to His own servant before empowering the servant with the same.

9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.

This verse is extremely important. The Jews will worship before this man's feet. Remember, this is the message to the angel of the sixth church. The Jews will worship before the feet of the Davidic Servant. That's odd, right? As a man who is traversing from being a Priest to becoming a Prince, he is joining a royal order--not just any royal order, but the royal order of deity. He is becoming a deity. I submit to you that this prophecy began to be fulfilled in the Book of Revelation itself when John falls at the feet of the nameless angel who delivers the message. John does this twice near the end of the Revelation, of which we have a truncated account! Why? Why indeed! The angel stops him because the prophecy was as of yet unfulfilled. In other words, that ascension from priest to king (prince) had not yet happened. Also, John is of the sixth order as well, whereas the Jews are of a lesser order. Perhaps that has something to do with who worships whom.

10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

This verse is also extremely important. The Lord keeps this angel from the hour of temptation. Which hour is that? Clearly, this is the end times. More importantly, the only reason this angel would need to be kept from the hour temptation is if he incarnates in the flesh as a mortal during this time. 

11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

This means that the crown is not yet secured. The crown, or ascension to the prince level of deity, is secured by The Davidic Servant's mortal ministry.

12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

This is the promised reward that the Davidic Servant achieves during his ministry. The name of the Father is the promised reward as is becoming an unconditional inheritor. Those souls who attain this reward simply do not fall away beyond this point, in my humble opinion. The new name of the Son is His name as a fully stationed Elohim. The receiver of this promised reward has this proximity to Elohim, including the new Elohim. This event is symbolized by Revelation 12 where the man child, who is to rule all nations with a rod of iron,  is caught up to God and his throne.

Revelation 12:5 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and to his throne.

The JST of these verses indicates that the heavenly sign of a celestial woman giving birth to a man child was in the likeness of things on Earth. 

The unfulfilled Yom Kippur, or Day of Atonement, where the High Priest of Israel atones for Israel by sprinkling the blood of sacrifice on the altar, first to atone for his own sins and the sins of his house (The Davidic Servant is an imperfect being,) and then for all of Israel is still unfulfilled. The aspect of Yom Kippur that aligns perfectly to sixth angel of Revelation 3 and to the man child of Revelation 12 is the fact the High Priest only was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies once a year - and only on the Day of Atonement. His entering the holiest of all is a foreshadowing of the Davidic Servant's reception of the promised reward given in Revelation 3:12 - specifically, the presence of the Father. 

This proximity to the Father is demonstrated in the Temple Endowment. Michael is in the presence of Elohim when he and Jehovah are commissioned to create the Earth. Peter, James, and John are never in the presence of Elohim, specifically because James and John are of that order of priests who do not yet have the presence of the Father. This truth is also on display at the mount of transfiguration, where the Father is covered in a cloud. Joseph Smith - another Patriarch - enjoys the presence of the Father as well as demonstrated by the First Vision. 


Conclusion

I hope and pray this article reaches those who are seeking more information regarding the Davidic Servant. If you have felt the spirit of this person in this article, I strongly suggest you read through the servant songs of Isaiah as well as the Book of Revelation. Bear in mind, that the ascension of this soul is a central theme throughout the Book of Revelation. John often writes of the God who is, the God who was, and the God who is to come. These are the truths that will be plainly manifested in the end times.

D&C 121:26 God shall give unto you knowledge by his Holy Spirit, yea, by the unspeakable gift of the Holy Ghost, that has not been revealed since the world was until now;

27 Which our forefathers have awaited with anxious expectation to be revealed in the last times, which their minds were pointed to by the angels, as held in reserve for the fulness of their glory;

28 A time to come in the which nothing shall be withheld, whether there be one God or many gods, they shall be manifest.

I also suggest a study of the prophets of the Old Testament such as Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Zechariah, and Malachi. The Davidic Servant is mentioned all throughout. 

Zechariah 6:12 And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord:


13 Even he shall build the temple of the Lord; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.

He shall be a priest upon his throne. We are anointed to become priests and kings in the Holy Temple. The Davidic Servant is a priest becoming a king, pure and simple. Joseph Smith mentioned this in the King Follet Sermon while expounding upon the process whereby men become Gods.

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

If you are truly new to this concept of a Davidic Servant, you are likely wondering, "where is he in modern revelation?" I recommend reading my other articles regarding the Davidic Servant for further modern-day references to him through out our scriptures and teachings of the prophets. Also, bear in mind the servant songs are quoted throughout the Book of Mormon by Nephi and by Jesus Christ Himself. The Doctrine and Covenants, for example, even expounds upon Isaiah:

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 stem, root, and rod of Jesse are specifically of the house of David! Who is the Rod? He is a servant, in the hands of Christ on whom there is laid much power. The servant songs of Isaiah and Ezekiel 37 are all about a servant--is there any indication that the servant is in the hands of Christ?

Isaiah 49:1 Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The Lord hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.


2 And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me;

Remember the Lord's words regarding the servant, exclusive to the Book of Mormon? Notice the wording:

3 Nephi 21:10 But behold, the life of my servant shall be in my hand; therefore they shall not hurt him, although he shall be marred because of them. Yet I will heal him, for I will show unto them that my wisdom is greater than the cunning of the devil.

Could the "much power "of the Rod be the fullness of the Priesthood that Joseph Smith said was kept from the original King David to be given by someone raised up out of his lineage? Certainly, the Rod of Jesse is of the lineage of David!

What about the Rod being of Joseph / Ephraim and of Jesse / Judah? Why both tribes? When the Kingdom of Israel was dispersed, it had split where Ephraim ruled the northern kingdom and Judah the southern. Ephraim has the birthright of Abraham, yet Judah also has a rod / scepter of governance. In Genesis 49:10, Israel blesses his son Judah and speaks of this scepter of governance as well as the one to whom the right to rule belongs:

Genesis 49:10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

Most Christians believe Shiloh is Jesus Christ; however, "unto him shall the gathering of the people be" is clearly a reference to the Davidic Servant, Ezekiel 37, and the servant songs of Isaiah. Shiloh may translate to, "He who's right it is to rule." Interestingly enough, the city named Shiloh was in the land of Ephraim and served as the first seat of power under Joshua, who is also an Ephraimite. Will the Davidic Servant combine the Judaic and Ephraimic birthrights into one? Remember, Joseph Smith's prophecy:

Although David was a king, he never did obtain the spirit and power of Elijah and the fullness of the Priesthood; and the Priesthood that he received, and 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, March 10, 1844

The throne and kingdom of David is not Judah but Israel--all of Israel. Also, remember Ezekiel 37 which has the following structure:

Part 1 - Resurrection of the valley of dry bones
Part 2 - The stick of Ephraim and Judah
Part 3 - The Davidic Servant

See how it all fits? The return of Israel, the throne and kingdom of David, the end times government, the resurrection, and the sticks of Ephraim and Judah - it's all intimately related! I highly recommend a full reading of Ezekiel 37 with all of this in mind. 

I don't normally end these articles with my testimony, but I feel I should this time. I bear solemn witness that the Lord loves us and that His work and His glory is the immortality and eternal life of man. What we will witness in these latter-days will be the manifestation of this deep, incomprehensible love as we witness how the Lord exalts us, and how he takes weak and feeble men and makes them Gods. I bear this witness in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.