NEPHI'S STRANGE WORD- IRREANTUM & THE HIDDEN PROPHECY OF NEPHI

"And we did come to the land which we called Bountiful, because of its much fruit and also wild honey; and all these things were prepared of the Lord that we might not perish. And we beheld the sea, which we called Irreantum, which, being interpreted, is many waters." (1 Nephi 17:5)

The Book of Mormon contains many hidden mysteries-hidden in plain sight. The word Irreantum is one such mystery.  Since the coming forth of The Book of Mormon there have been many critics who proclaim that this word along with many others are simply creations from the mind of Joseph Smith.  Unfortunately, many of these critics have approached word and the text surrounding it from a Gentile Paradigm.  When examined from the ancient Israelite prophetic tradition, we find a hidden teaching and prophecy.

As I have stated before, it has always been my contention that many of the "strange" names and words we find in the Book of Mormon are actually Hebrew word constructs. At first glance it appears that The Book of Mormon has a problem as the word Irreantum does not mean "many waters" in Hebrew (ravim mayim-בְּמַיִם רַבִּים).  Knowing this many scholars have attempted to search for words in other languages in the surrounding nations of Israel to find support for this strange word, Irreantum without much success.

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE SETTING

To unfold the meaning of the word Irreantum, we first need to examine the setting in which the word is mentioned. In 1 Nephi 17, Nephi and his family were led to the land called Bountiful (because of its much fruit and wild honey- a connection with the themes surrounding Yom Teruah/Rosh Hashana). It was here that Nephi was commanded by the Lord to, "Arise, and get thee into the mountain" (1 Nephi 17:7).  After ascending the mountain, Nephi is then given a vision of The Lord and is shown how to construct the vessel that would take him and his family to The Land of Promise, "Thou shalt construct a ship, after the manner which I shall show thee, that I may carry thy people across these waters." (1 Nephi 17:8)

IRRE -an-tum  and the Abrahamic Connection-  YHVH Yireh (Jehovah Jireh):

The usage of the word IRRE -an-tum is meant to draw the Israelite reader to a unique name or title of God/ YHVH.  This title is first mentioned in the account of Abraham who took his son Isaac up a mountain (attributed to being Mount Moriah-the location of the future temple of Solomon) to be sacrificed.  Instead of carrying out the sacrifice God offers his own solution:

"And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.

And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.

And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.

And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen." (Genesis 22:11-14)

Here the the title Jehovahjireh (YHVH Yireh) which actually means, " YHVH shall be seen" or "YHVH shall give a vision" connected to the Hebrew word ra'ah meaning to behold, a seer, and to have a vision.

The remainder of the word an-tum of IRRE-an-tom meaning an- as to eyes  and tom meaning amazed/wholeness/perfect or integrity.

By Nephi Calling the Place Irreantum he is describing the place where he like Abraham ascended a mountain and beheld The Lord in a grand or glorious revelation. It is also in this account with Abraham that we see a type and shadow of the Messiah and his deliverance/atonement.

WHICH BEING INTERPRETED IS MANY WATERS

But wait, doesn't Irreantum mean many waters?  The answer to this is in the word interpreted.  In the Israelite prophetic tradition to interpret something does not carry the same meaning of interpret/interpreted/ or interpretation as in our English vernacular. In the Israelite prophetic to interpret means to make a connection with something in The Torah (The 5 Books of Moses). In this case Nephi is connecting something in his Vision of THE LORD (Irreantum) with the words "MANY WATERS".

This idea interpreted is very foreign to us in our "modern culture", but was a device commonly used in ancient Israel.  In other words, Nephi is using the word Irreantum to connect his readers with a teaching related to the words, "Many Waters".  Now comes the task-where in the Torah do we find this teaching.

MANY WATERS-BALAAM AND THE BLESSING OF ISRAEL:

"He shall pour the water out of his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters, and his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted." (Numbers 24:7)

In Numbers 22-24 we are introduced to Balaam the Son of Beor.  He was a gentile or Non-Israelite prophet.  In this account Balaam is called upon by Balak the King of Moab to declare curses over the Israelites. In this teaching every time Balaam was called upon to curse Israel he was given prophecy by God to only pronounce blessings upon the House of Israel. The actual account contains three distinct prophecies regarding the House of Israel. This particular prophecy upon the House of Israel wherein we find the connection to "Many Waters" is found in Balaam's Third Prophecy:

"When Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go, as at other times, to look for omens, but set his face toward the wilderness.

And Balaam lifted up his eyes and saw Israel camping tribe by tribe. And the Spirit of God came upon him, and he took up his discourse and said,

“The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor,  the oracle of the man whose eye is opened, the oracle of him who hears the words of God, who sees the vision of the Almighty, falling down with his eyes uncovered:

How lovely are your tents, O Jacob, your encampments, O Israel!

Like palm groves that stretch afar, like gardens beside a river, like aloes that the LORD has planted, like cedar trees beside the waters. Water shall flow from his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters; his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted.

God brings him out of Egypt and is for him like the horns of the wild ox; he shall eat up the nations, his adversaries, and shall break their bones in pieces and pierce them through with his arrows.

He crouched, he lay down like a lion and like a lioness; who will rouse him up?

Blessed are those who bless you, and cursed are those who curse you.”

And Balak’s anger was kindled against Balaam, and he struck his hands together. And Balak said to Balaam, “I called you to curse my enemies, and behold, you have blessed them these three times.

Therefore now flee to your own place. I said, ‘I will certainly honor you,’ but the LORD has held you back from honor.”

And Balaam said to Balak, “Did I not tell your messengers whom you sent to me,

‘If Balak should give me his house full of silver and gold, I would not be able to go beyond the word of the LORD, to do either good or bad of my own will. What the LORD speaks, that will I speak’?

And now, behold, I am going to my people. Come, I will let you know what this people will do to your people in the latter days.” (Numbers 24: 1-14)

This particular prophecy of Balaam has in Israel has been traditionally understood to be related to the various exilic events of Israel with the promise of a future restoration.  It is also a teaching about the turning of cursings into blessings by God.  

In returning to Nephi drawing upon this teaching regarding "Many Waters" he is directing his reader to this account in the Torah. It is also very applicable as the family and descendants of Lehi were led away as part of a great exile of Israel from the Land-he being led away prior to the Babylonian Captivity.  Knowing that his readers would have the "record of the Jews" he connects his vision on the mountain in the land of Bountiful with not only that of Abraham, but also this prophetic blessing that is to come regarding the restoration of Israel- of which his people are remnant.

LEADING US TO BALAAM'S 4TH PROPHECY:

God blessed Abraham in the account of the sacrifice of his son Isaac and prophesied thus:

"I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.” (Genesis 22: 17-18)

This same blessing was also pronounced by Balaam in his blessing upon Israel. Just as God then provided his substitution for Isaac so also does he prophecy of a Messiah or Star who shall come out of Jacob in Balaam's 4th prophecy:

And he took up his discourse and said, “The oracle of Balaam the son of Beor, the oracle of the man whose eye is opened, the oracle of him who hears the words of God, and knows the knowledge of the Most High, who sees the vision of the Almighty, falling down with his eyes uncovered:

I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the forehead of Moab and break down all the sons of Sheth.

Edom shall be dispossessed; Seir also, his enemies, shall be dispossessed. Israel is doing valiantly.

And one from Jacob shall exercise dominion and destroy the survivors of cities!”

Then he looked on Amalek and took up his discourse and said, “Amalek was the first among the nations,

but its end is utter destruction.”

And he looked on the Kenite, and took up his discourse and said, “Enduring is your dwelling place,

and your nest is set in the rock. Nevertheless, Kain shall be burned when Asshur takes you away captive.”

And he took up his discourse and said, “Alas, who shall live when God does this?

But ships shall come from Kittim and shall afflict Asshur and Eber; and he too shall come to utter destruction.”

Then Balaam rose and went back to his place. And Balak also went his way." (Numbers 24: 15-25)

Nephi uses the Hebrew word construct Irreantum to connect his reader to the teaching of Balaam in Numbers 22-24. Like Abraham who experienced a miraculous vision upon the mount of the provision of God in place of Isaac, Nephi also experienced a miraculous vision upon the mount recorded in such a way to couch a hidden prophecy regarding not only an ancient prophecy regarding the exile and restoration of the House of Israel, but also of the coming of The Lord, and the power of God to restore or bless that which once had been set apart for destruction. Having seen the exile of his family and his vision of their rise as a great people and their subsequent destruction, Nephi couches this word Irreantum to show us that although exiles of Israel have been stricken, the beauty of their tents and encampments will yet be restored.  What great blessings await, "MY PEOPLE O' HOUSE OF ISRAEL" on this continent for they will yet be restored again as a covenant body: The Remnant of Jacob, The Jews, The repentant Gentiles, The Ten Tribes, and as many of the House of Israel as shall come!

Isn't it amazing what the "nonsensical" word Irreantum contains. 

Copyright January 30, 2021- Robert Kay

THE MYSTERY OF THE JAREDITE BARGES-- Holes for Breathing, and Crossing the Deep

 

"And behold, O Lord, in them there is no light; whither shall we steer? And also we shall perish, for in them we cannot breathe, save it is the air which is in them; therefore we shall perish. And the Lord said unto the brother of Jared: Behold, thou shalt make a hole in the top, and also in the bottom; and when thou shalt suffer for air thou shalt unstop the hole and receive air. And if it be so that the water come in upon thee, behold, ye shall stop the hole, that ye may not perish in the flood." (Ether 2:19-21)

From the Tower of Babel to their arrival in The Land of Promise, the account of the Jaredites was encrypted by Moroni to contain some of the most ancient and essential teachings of the Israelite prophetic experience.  Not only does the account intrigue us on the literal level, but it also provides us with ancient and lost information essential to our understanding of history, astronomy, language, and the Science of The Fathers that was to be restored to both Gentile and Israelite alike. 

Among the many sublime and encrypted (sealed) teachings in the record of Ether is the teaching regarding language, calling on The Name, and spiritual bonding with God.  In our last article, we explored the ideas of language contained in this record as communicated by the confusing of the languages at the time of the Tower of Babel. We continued our exploration in the symbolism of the Jaredite barges and their connection to Noah's ark and its' recorded dimensions as being related to words or language. We then finished with touching upon the ancient discipline of 'calling upon The Name' as admonished by God to the Brother of Jared. 

 Calling Upon The Name

In our "modern" culture we have been handed down traditions regarding prayer and supplication to God that are but a tithe of a tithe of the ancient discipline of 'Calling Upon The Name" and the Israelite Prophetic experience.  We read of the mighty feats of the ancients, the miracles of prophecy and healing, and the power displayed by God in his deliverance of various groups of people throughout the scriptures. We look around us in both our religious, spiritual, and worldly experience and find ourselves far removed from the spiritual gifts of God promised to all those who believe. We find ourselves asking the question, "Why do we not have these gifts demonstrated like the ancients?" , "Why do we not experience the intimate relationship with God enjoyed by Adam, Enoch, Noah, and Abraham?", "Why do we not see the miracles of God displayed to us?"  In response, we receive the multitude of excuses and explanations of why we do not have these things.  We hear things like, "They do happen, but they are too sacred to share." or "Well we have too much of the world with/in us" to "You shouldn't expect these things because they are special cases that happen once in a blue moon over a long period of time." etc. etc.

To these excuses and traditions, the Lord's admonition to The Brother of Jared gives us the answer:

"And it came to pass at the end of four years that the Lord came again unto the brother of Jared, and stood in a cloud and talked with him. And for the space of three hours did the Lord talk with the brother of Jared, and chastened him because he remembered not to call upon the name of the Lord.

And the brother of Jared repented of the evil which he had done, and did call upon the name of the Lord for his brethren who were with him. And the Lord said unto him: I will forgive thee and thy brethren of their sins; but thou shalt not sin any more, for ye shall remember that my Spirit will not always strive with man; wherefore, if ye will sin until ye are fully ripe ye shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord. And these are my thoughts upon the land which I shall give you for your inheritance; for it shall be a land choice above all other lands." (Ether 2:14-15)

Because we do not have the essential understandings of the prophetic teachings of Israel, we have been left to our modern Christian/Gentile traditions.  We hear endless stories of how the Brother of Jared forgot to say his prayers for 4 years and why it is important to say our prayers everyday.  While this is a great way to teach a five year old to say their prayers, it is not the prophetic discipline being communicated by Moroni and The Brother of Jared. Do we honestly think a man who walked and talked with God forgot to say his prayers for 4 years?

To call upon the name is an ancient discipline of prayer/meditation practiced by The Fathers.  It is a discipline or condition of bonding with God that draws his spirit from Heaven to earth. The purpose of the command to "Call upon The Name (YHVH)"  was given is related in The Lord's statement, "for ye shall remember that my spirit will not always strive with man." Here the word strive (diyn-see also Gen 6:3) means to plead, mediate, or abide in man. Because of this condition of separation from the Spirit of God, men were commanded to engage in the discipline of Calling Upon The Name (YHVH) to bond with God and draw his spirit from Heaven to Earth.

BUILDING OUR BARGES

As we said earlier the Barges like Noah's ark carry an ancient teaching regarding language or words as well as the instructions on how to construct our vessels (words, language, bodies, etc.) so that they contain structure, light, and air to give us breath and to keep us buoyant on the waters of the great deep.

"And the Lord said: Go to work and build, after the manner of barges which ye have hitherto built. And it came to pass that the brother of Jared did go to work, and also his brethren, and built barges after the manner which they had built, according to the instructions of the Lord. And they were small, and they were light upon the water, even like unto the lightness of a fowl upon the water." (Ether 2:16)

As a symbol for words or language, we are given to construct our words or vessels after the instructions (torah) of The Lord. In doing so they were like the lightness of a fowl upon the water which is an expression related to angels and their language with fowl being related to angels and the waters being related to the creative element of waters as found in Genesis 1. 

A Hole In The Top and A Hole In the Bottom

 "And behold, O Lord, in them there is no light; whither shall we steer? And also we shall perish, for in them we cannot breathe, save it is the air which is in them; therefore we shall perish. And the Lord said unto the brother of Jared: Behold, thou shalt make a hole in the top, and also in the bottom; and when thou shalt suffer for air thou shalt unstop the hole and receive air. And if it be so that the water come in upon thee, behold, ye shall stop the hole, that ye may not perish in the flood." (Ether 2:19-20) 

Many scholars and critics of the Book of Mormon have entered into much debate regarding this placing of holes in the tops and bottoms of the barges for the purpose of obtaining air.  The impracticality of obtaining air in this method for some type of vessel that they compare to a modern submarine does not seem to make sense as with the number of people on each vessel as well as the animals the occupants would quickly run out of air and suffocate.  While I do believe on the peshat (literal) level they are communicating something regarding some sort of breathing apparatus, on the symbolic level we miss the correlation Moroni is making to vestments found on the High Priest in Moses Tabernacle:

"And thou shalt make the robe of the ephod all of blue. And there shall be an hole in the top of it, in the midst thereof: it shall have a binding of woven work round about the hole of it, as it were the hole of an habergeon, that it be not rent." (Exodus 28:31-32)

The robe of the high priest was woven as one piece and was the symbol of a vessel or garment; or what in ancient Israel was likened to Adam and Even being clothed in garments of light before the fall. The connection that Moroni makes between the Jaredite vessels and the robe/ephod is made in the phrase "And there shall be a hold in the top of it".   Here the Hebrew word used for hole is the word/letter peh which means mouth or something that blows (both figurative or literal).  We see this same parallel between the "hole in the top" in Ether 2:20 with the phrase "for the winds have gone forth out of my mouth (peh)" in Ether 2:24.

The ephod was worn upon the front of the robe and was connected into the robe along with two stones-one on each shoulder) of the vessel or robe similar to the Jaredite description described in Ether 6:2. 

"For it came to pass after the Lord had prepared the stones which the brother of Jared had carried up into the mount, the brother of Jared came down out of the mount, and he did put forth the stones into the vessels which were prepared, one in each end thereof; and behold, they did give light unto the vessels."

RECEIVING AIR  AND CROSSING THE GREAT DEEP:

"and when thou shalt suffer for air thou shalt unstop the hole and receive air. And if it be so that the water come in upon thee, behold, ye shall stop the hole, that ye may not perish in the flood."

The symbol of receiving air has to do not only with an ancient pattern of breathing associated with the discipline of calling upon the name but also has to do with the receipt of light and truth/understanding as one enters into deep meditation symbolized by the depths of the waters- which is connected to wisdom/ruach/spirit, Holy Ghost -sometimes associated with the divine feminine.

The depths of the sea or the great deep are ancient symbols not only connected to the waters below and the waters above the firmament, but also the depths of consciousness or contemplative meditation that one would encounter as they enter in upon the meditative discipline of Calling Upon the Name:

"And behold, I prepare you against these things; for ye cannot cross this great deep save I prepare you against the waves of the sea, and the winds which have gone forth, and the floods which shall come. Therefore what will ye that I should prepare for you that ye may have light when ye are swallowed up in the depths of the sea?"

(To be continued: Part 3: They Mystery of the Interpreters, Infusing the vessels with light, Constructing the Name, and The Image of Son

The Mystery of the Jaredite Barges

MORONI TRANSLATES THE RECORD OF ETHER

"And now I, Moroni, proceed to give an account of those ancient inhabitants who were destroyed by the hand of the Lord upon the face of this north country. And I take mine account from the twenty and four plates which were found by the people of Limhi, which is called the Book of Ether." (Ether 1:1-2)

Moroni, an Israelite, is giving us his account or translation of the record of Ether. Unfortunately, those who read the account often approach the record through the eyes and traditions our modern Western Culture and specifically modern Christianity. Unfamiliar with the prophetic school and traditions of ancient Israel, they read the account never recognizing the deep Israelite symbolism and language being used by the Israelite Moroni who is giving his translation of the Jaredite text of Ether.  The difficulty in understanding the record becomes even more pronounced when we then realize not only are we getting an Israelite translation of the record of Ether.  And sometimes, cultural symbols and meanings get lost in translation because the audience is not familiar with the culture and language.

The Backdrop of Ether: The Tower of Babel and the Confounding of Language:

One of the major themes of the record of Ether is that of language. In fact the record commences with Jared and his people leaving the Tower of Babel at the time when the languages were confounded:

"Which Jared came forth with his brother and their families, with some others and their families, from the great tower, at the time the Lord confounded the language of the people, and swore in his wrath that they should be scattered upon all the face of the earth; and according to the word of the Lord the people were scattered. (Ether 1:33)

The record then goes on to relate how Jared and The Brother of Jared along with their family and friends left the tower of Babel and were ultimately led to the seashore where they constructed barges to come to The Land of Promise. Many Christians mock The Book of Mormon for this account because of the description of the barges themselves, the strange method of obtaining air, and what appears to be irregularities in the account.

The record of Ether contains some of the richest and yet most sublime language and symbolism in The Book of Mormon. One these symbols is that of the Jaredite Barges.

THE MYSTERY OF THE BARGE:

"And it came to pass that they did travel in the wilderness, and did build barges, in which they did cross many waters, being directed continually by the hand of the Lord. And the Lord would not suffer that they should stop beyond the sea in the wilderness, but he would that they should come forth even unto the land of promise, which was choice above all other lands, which the Lord God had preserved for a righteous people." (Ether 2:6-7)

It appears that the Jaredites actually built barges more than once.  In Ether 2:6-7 they built barges in which they did cross many waters, but in Ether 2:16 they were commanded by God to built barges like unto the ones they had already built:

"And the Lord said: Go to work and build, after the manner of barges which ye have hitherto built. And it came to pass that the brother of Jared did go to work, and also his brethren, and built barges after the manner which they had built, according to the instructions of the Lord. And they were small, and they were light upon the water, even like unto the lightness of a fowl upon the water." 

The description of their barges is quite unique and often the most misunderstood;

"And they were built after a manner that they were exceedingly tight, even that they would hold water like unto a dish; and the bottom thereof was tight like unto a dish; and the sides thereof were tight like unto a dish; and the ends thereof were peaked; and the top thereof was tight like unto a dish; and the length thereof was the length of a tree; and the door thereof, when it was shut, was tight like unto a dish." (Ether 2:17)

And again in Ether 6:7 we also find the following description:

"And it came to pass that when they were buried in the deep there was no water that could hurt them, their vessels being tight like unto a dish, and also they were tight like unto the ark of Noah; therefore when they were encompassed about by many waters they did cry unto the Lord, and he did bring them forth again upon the top of the waters."

Moroni describes their barges being "like unto a dish".  Later he equates their vessels being "tight like unto a dish" as being "like unto the ark of Noah".  So this then raises the question, "Why does he compare the two together?"

In Hebrew, the word for ark as in Noah's ark is the word tebah (תֵּבָה) and it means a vessel as in Noah's Ark or the basket vessel that carried Moses. It is not however a word that is usually translated as boat (ie. oniya, sefina, sira, klei shayit - boat, sailing vessels, etc).  In fact, Moroni is giving us a great functional description and definition of the Hebrew word tebah (as a container, dish, or vessel of some type that is used to hold or contain something):

"...even that they would hold water like unto a dish; and the bottom thereof was tight like unto a dish; and the sides thereof were tight like unto a dish; and the ends thereof were peaked; and the top thereof was tight like unto a dish; and the length thereof was the length of a tree; and the door thereof, when it was shut, was tight like unto a dish."

While we often visualize their vessels in the likeness of our modern day sailing vessels, boats, or even some version of a submarine, the truth is that we are getting a descriptive definition of tebah to describe the functional aspect of the Jaredite Vessels which may be much more than just the peshat or child's story of a sail boat, boat, or even a submarine.

In fact, recent archaeological discoveries in the Dead Sea Scrolls give a very different description of Noah's ark:

"Haaretz reported that the new reading of the fragments has changed our understanding about Noah's Ark. Thanks to the high-resolution imagery, a word following the phrase “the ark’s tallness” had previously been illegible. However, the new scans showed that the correct words is ne’esefet, meaning “gathered,” which according to researcher Dr. Alexey Yuditsky, means that the ark’s ribs were gathered together at the top in the shape of a pyramid. Dr Yuditsky said that the Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Bible dating to the third century BC, used a Greek verb with a similar meaning to describe the Ark. Moreover, medieval authors like Maimonides suggested that the ark's roof was pointed" (https://www.ancient-origins.net/news-history-archaeology/dead-seas-scrolls-reveal-noahs-ark-was-shaped-pyramid-006204)

Like Unto Noah's Ark

"And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits." (Genesis 6:15)

The description of the measurement's of Noah's ark contains a concealed teaching.  If we take the measurement of the ark and equate them with their Hebrew Numerical equivalent we get the following:

300 cubits length – ש

50 cubits width – נ

30 cubits height – ל

Here we find the letters that make up the Hebrew word Lashon (tongue or language-see Genesis 10:5). In Jewish tradition and teachings, teachers like the Baal Shem Tov often related the construction of Noah's Ark with the construction of words.

That there were 8 vessels is also significant in that the number 8 equals to the Hebrew Letter Chet (חֵ) which not only signifies a fence but also language or words. This then begs the question as to what is the connection between Noah's Ark, Jaredite Barges and Language/Words?

As Moroni equates the Jaredite Vessels with Noah's ark, then what we find is an ancient teaching in Ether regarding vessels of language or words that are illuminated with light/fire. 

The Brother of Jared - Calling Upon THE NAME:

In the midst of all the discussion about the construction of barges, we find planted in the center of the account that the brother of Jared was chastised for not calling upon the name:

"And it came to pass at the end of four years that the Lord came again unto the brother of Jared, and stood in a cloud and talked with him. And for the space of three hours did the Lord talk with the brother of Jared, and chastened him because he remembered not to call upon the name of the Lord." (Ether 2:14)

In the ancient Israelite prophetic tradition, "Calling Upon the Name" is not prayer the way our modern culture is accustomed to think.  It is part of the ancient Israelite prophetic tradition and comes from a much more ancient practice involving words, thought, intellect, spirit and emotion coming together to connect with Heaven.

The Lord then goes on to explain to the Brother Of Jared:

"And the brother of Jared repented of the evil which he had done, and did call upon the name of the Lord for his brethren who were with him. And the Lord said unto him: I will forgive thee and thy brethren of their sins; but thou shalt not sin any more, for ye shall remember that my Spirit will not always strive with man; wherefore, if ye will sin until ye are fully ripe ye shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord. And these are my thoughts upon the land which I shall give you for your inheritance; for it shall be a land choice above all other lands." (Ether 2:15)

This same phrase "my spirit will not always strive with man" is also evoked in context of Noah and his children after the flood:

"And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years" (Genesis 6:3)

Here the word for strive is the Hebrew word din connected with the idea of judgment but meaning to plead with man or abide with man.  The idea is that God's spirit will not always plead with or abide with man.  The ancient understanding is that we as men and women must the reconnect with Heaven to draw down the Spirit of Heaven to earth.  Calling upon the name is the science or discipline of doing so.  This is done with words, but not just any words- ancient words infused with light or fire.

It is in this light that we will begin to discover the meaning of the words spoken of Enoch:

"And so great was the faith of Enoch that he led the people of God, and their enemies came to battle against them; and he spake the word of the Lord, and the earth trembled, and the mountains fled, even according to his command; and the drivers of water were turned out of their course; and the roar of the lions was heard out of the wilderness; and all nations feared greatly, so powerful was the word of Enoch, and so great was the power of the language which God had given him.

There also came up a land out of the depth of the sea, and so great was the fear of the enemies of the people of God, that they fled and stood afar off and went upon the land which came up out of the depth of the sea. And the giants of the land, also, stood afar off; and there went forth a curse upon all people that fought against God; And from that time forth there were wars and bloodshed among them; but the Lord came and dwelt with his people, and they dwelt in righteousness." (Moses 7:13-16)

(Copyright Robert Kay, January 9, 2021)

( Part 2- Barges - Holes for Breathing, and The Finger of Lord)

Deseret, Deborah, and The Mystery of The Honeybee

 

When Mormons adopted the symbol of the beehive as one that represented the heart of what it means to be a true Latter-Day Saint, little did they know of the deeply rooted Israelite meaning behind this ancient symbol.  It is a symbol which aptly fits the true purpose of what Mormonism was meant to be and one that should remind us of the great and marvelous gifts of God revealed in the Restoration. While it has been traditionally taught as having the meaning of "industriousness" the Israelite meaning of this symbol is far more ancient than many suppose.