The Ascension of Isaiah - Introduction
In recent weeks, I've changed the style of my blog. The recent actions of the brethren have been rather questionable and troubling. Disavowing sacred scripture1, softening the honor code2, and words that are in lock-step3 with the globalist agenda4 ... yet I feel moved to finally take a deeper dive into The Ascension of Isaiah rather than blog further about the many scriptures that point to a watchmen derailment among the events leading up to the gathering of Israel and the ushering in of the Kingdom of God. In any case, praying to seek the guidance of the Holy Ghost is more important that ever, just as President Nelson prophesied ... ironically.
So seek that Spirit now. Oil your lamp. And listen ... If you choose to read on anyway without the guiding light of the Holy Ghost ... then perhaps consider the odds that here is yet another Apocryphal writing that confirms so much of what is written on this blog. Rather than do a series of articles, I will break this down one chapter at a time as I have begun to do with 1 Enoch. This will allow me to get content online faster, and maybe even inspire readers to tune in more frequently for updates.
The Ascension of Isaiah - Introduction
I had heard Avraham Gileadi considers Ascension of Isaiah an authoritative source. What's interesting to me about this standpoint, is Brother Gileadi is also Professor Gileadi - and unlike many so-called Professors who share the title "Brother" - Brother Gileadi actually synthesizes his scholarship with his spirituality. In the following article, you can see Brother-Professor Gileadi cite Ascension of Isaiah nine times. Nine ... times.
Here is an excerpt:
Isaiah’s Execution at the Hands of Manasseh
While Paul makes a veiled allusion to the manner of Isaiah’s death through being “sawn asunder” (Hebrews 11:37), an ancient document, the Ascension of Isaiah, depicts Isaiah’s being sawn in half by King Hezekiah’s son Manasseh (Ascension of Isaiah 5:1, 11). Manasseh is there depicted as possessed from his youth by the spirit of Satan, who harbors great wrath toward Isaiah on account of his prophecies (Ascension of Isaiah 2:2; 3:13; 5:1, 15–16). Although Isaiah and his prophet associates escape to a mountain and subsist on wild herbs, after two years his accusers discover them and betray Isaiah to Manasseh (Ascension of Isaiah 2:7–11; 3:1, 6–12).
The Ascension of Isaiah further describes the ascent of Isaiah’s spirit up through several lower heavens to the seventh, where he sees God and the “Beloved” who is to descend to this earth (Ascension of Isaiah 6–11; compare Isaiah 5:1). What stands out is that Isaiah’s theology of ascent and his end-time prophecy as revealed in his Seven-Part Structure and other literary features embedded in the Book of Isaiah accord in almost every respect with those of the Ascension of Isaiah. In that document, Isaiah describes his book as being written in “parables” (Ascension of Isaiah 4:20). Indeed, his book’s literary features require one to read it as allegory, not as history. ~ Avraham Gileadi
Seven heavens! huh! So, mankind seems to be dispersed across seven different heavens much like, I don't know, The Seven Levels of Mankind which the first twelve articles of this blog explore. Seven spiritual levels of mankind are represented in Ascension of Isaiah as he ascends up through each level, where each level is more glorious than the prior. An ascension ... upward ... through seven levels. What ... a ... confirmation of truth (see dozen articles linked at the top left of this blog.)
Though his confidence in such a work is good enough for me, let's take an external view into Isaiah from outside the Church. Who is God and who is the "Beloved" here? Will this confirm the next articles regarding the Davidic Servant being the Holy Ghost and also being the Beloved of Jesus Christ? What a coincidence confirmation that would be as well. I mean - what are the odds disbeliever? Believer ... can you already feel that spirit with me now?
The Ascension of Isaiah mentions Jesus Christ by name; naturally, scholars and skeptics alike will look at this as evidence towards dating the work. Scholars believe the book to have been composed by the end of the first century AD.5 Consider that, like Joseph Smith, Peter was a dispensation patriarch who had the same keys and rights to restore lost texts by revelation. So, dating the text to the first century AD - just like The Apocalypse of Abraham6 - is actually very intriguing.
So, please join me on this journey of discovery and confirmation of truth as to the orders of mankind, the relationship between Jesus and His Beloved, and the mysteries of the heavens!
References
The Ascension of Isaiah full text: http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/ascension.html
*two big thumbs up*
ReplyDeleteWhy thank you good sir
DeleteCould Jesus’s beloved be His Bride? An actual bride, not the church?
ReplyDeleteThe Davidic Covenant is the Beloved Covenant. The Bridegroom and the Bride are pretty clearly defined as the Holy Spirit and the "Church" though I believe the Bride is as much a woman as the Holy Spirit is a man. The new and everlasting covenant is nothing without a woman, for the man who is central to this covenant (D&C 88:4) will be "Adam" of a new world and she will be "Eve." Give a read of the "Myster of the Holy Sacrament" if you will. This is in fact what the sacrament points us to for children actually do consume the flesh and blood of their mothers in the womb - and if that new Adam is Christ's heir, then we in fact do consume of His flesh and blood if we continue by the covenant "that His Spirit may always" be with us.
DeleteRevelation 22:17 and Isaiah 62:5
Thank you! I appreciate your work, although it’s clear to me I am not ready for this much meat, considering an all milk diet we have mostly been on as a tribe of Ephraim... So much to learn amidst an ever increasing polarization of forces!
Delete