“But there is a resurrection, therefore the grave hath no victory, and the sting of death is swallowed up in Christ.” (Mosiah 16.8- Abinadi, explaining the role of the Messiah/Jehovah/Savior to Alma1 in King Noah’s court)
Brief Definition of the New Year Festal Drama in the First Israelite Temple:
Each year in the Fall the Israelites were commanded to go to the temple and covenant with their God and to acknowledge his hand in their lives as well as to acknowledge the authority of the king as God’s representative on earth. This event was called Sukkot or the Feast of Tabernacles.[1] It was a commemoration of life and redemption from slavery, as well as a remembrance of the birth of Israel as a nation. Some of the events observed that are more overtly detailed in the Torah were the sojourning of the children of Israel in the wilderness (Lev. 23:43) and the gathering-in of all the fruits of the year (Ex. 23:16).[2] The Feast of Tabernacles took place at the temple, and it was a way to remind Israel that God was the ultimate authority in the cosmos, that he was the one who transformed all of creation from chaos into order.[3]
This teaching and commemoration took place in the form of a drama that was played out before the Israelites, with actors portraying the roles of the Most High God, Yahweh, the premortal council in the heavens, the Adversary, the king and queen, and the prophet. This drama was used to depict what happened before the worlds were made but was also multivalent as it showed Yahweh’s dealings with Israel in their present circumstances. It showed to all of Israel how God was mindful of them as individuals while demonstrating this through his interaction with the king and queen in the drama. It was an earthly representation of a sode experience, where the king and queen promised to make and keep covenants and in so doing, they represented all who participated in the drama. As the king and queen made these covenants, so did the participants, and in so doing, the participants were kings and queens unto the Most High God as they kept their covenants.
By entering into and keeping covenants with God at this new year’s celebration, God promised Israel his presence typified by his name as well as fertility, peace, and prosperity. Israel promised allegiance to God and the keeping of his laws. In the sense that they accomplished this, they showed that they loved God with their whole heart, and that they were his people. In this drama the king and queen were ritually rescued from death and hell and enthroned in the eyes of the people. The king and queen were then anointed in the Holy of Holies in the view of Israel, sat on thrones, and established their feet upon a footstool. Ritually this is what it meant to be king and queen, indeed, this is the meaning of the word anointed, to be king. The king and queen receiving their anointing was also symbolic of Yahweh seated on his throne in his temple in the heavens. As the king and queen represented Yahweh and followed his laws, so the Israelites would have peace as they too followed Yahweh’s laws by showing obedience to their king.
The New Year festival drama founded the coronation rites on the understanding that the king’s claim to his earthly throne was based on the belief that Jehovah himself had descended into the underworld, defeated death and hell, and to rescued the king, brought him back to the world of the living, and placed him on his temple throne.[4]
Having the “king’s feet” established was a way of saying that at the end of the First Israelite Festal drama during the Feast of Tabernacles, the king and queen had their feet established in the Holy of Holies in the presence of all of Israel. The king and queen were the authorized servants of Yahweh, and Yahweh in the heavens also had his kingship established as the earthly king and queen covenanted to obey and represent God to the people, so God covenanted with Israel to bless Israel with prosperity in the upcoming year. The king would place his feet on a footstool in the presence of Israel to demonstrate this fact.
This brings us to the passage in Isaiah 52 that King Noah’s priests question Abinadi about in Mosiah:
And they began to question him, that they might cross him, that thereby they might have wherewith to accuse him; but he answered them boldly, and withstood all their questions, yea, to their astonishment; for he did withstand them in all their questions, and did confound them in all their words. And it came to pass that one of them said unto him: What meaneth the words which are written, and which have been taught by our fathers, saying:
Abinadi proceeds to explain to Noah and his priests the meaning of Isaiah 52, something that the Savior will also later address when speaking to the Nephites in 3 Nephi 20. His response to his opponents is significant as it is one way we can see the multi-layered dimension of the Book of Mormon. Understanding why this text in Isaiah 52 matters to the wicked priests of Noah clearly demonstrates that the Book of Mormon is rooted in history, reflecting real views of real people that came from the tradition of Pre-Exilic Jews. It is my position that Joseph Smith in no way could have understood the complexity of this text at the time of his translating this part of the Book of Mormon as he was 23 years old and it is highly unlikely that he had been exposed to the complex nature of these arguments that Abinadi is being confronted with. Abinadi’s response show an understanding of the role of the king in ancient Israel, as well as a detailed understanding of the coronation drama of this day that had not been examined by Biblical scholars until long after Joseph Smith was deceased. These are some of the reasons I find this narrative in the Book of Mormon to be worth examining to the modern student of this text. The multivalent nature of Abinadi’s response also demonstrates that he had a grasp on the complex nature of scripture and that he had the ability to package his arguments in a way to communicate the most information to his listener (Alma1) in the shortest amount of time, as he knew that his life was threatened and his time was short.
After his accusers ask Abinadi the meaning of Isaiah 52.7, Abinadi goes on the offensive. He questions his challengers what they teach, and they respond that they teach the Law of Moses. He then goes on to read the commandments of God to Noah (Mosiah 13.11), and explain why the Law of Moses points to Christ and his atonement (Mosiah 13.27-35). He then quotes Isaiah 53 to them (Mosiah 14), and explains how Jehovah and Jesus are one God (Mosiah 15.1-8). After this he asks, “who shall declare his generation?” (Mosiah 15.10) After this Abinadi explains who the seed of Christ are (Mosiah 15.11-13) and then he defines for the priests of Noah how their questioning of him the meaning of Isaiah 52.7 really applies (Mosiah 15.14-31). His explanation of Isaiah 52.7 must be read in its context. All of these passages apply to his explanation in Mosiah 15.14-31, and if we just read these 17 verses we may miss the whole meaning of his multivalent answer to his prosecutors.
I trust that Abinadi’s words can be read in at least four ways in this narrative, and believe it is likely that Abinadi’s intent was to communicate all four of his points to his listeners. I would suggest that all four of these possible readings work, and judge them to be an accurate reflection of the coronation ceremonies of the ancient Israelite New Year festival.
The first two interpretations of Isaiah 52.7 were probably the ones that Noah’s priests had in mind when they attacked Abinadi. Essentially they accused Abinadi of being a false messenger. They also asserted that Noah was the one with “beautiful feet” as he was the king! Noah, as king, was “God’s son” an authorized servant of Yahweh/Jehovah. This idea, that the king was a representative of God, is known in scholarship as “sacral kingship,” and is probably an idea foreign to most modern-day readers, as many people today view their political leaders as flawed individuals whose ambitions must be checked.[5]
The third interpretation of this text has to do with the kingship of Yahweh/Jehovah. This will be something that Abinadi will drive home to the priests of Noah throughout his instruction and is central in his message, especially to Alma1, as this message will give Alma hope that he can change and become the person he covenanted to be in the premortal realm.
The fourth interpretation is about the sacral kingship and priesthood of every worthy individual. This has to do with how all of us can become children of God. To me, this circles back to the first interpretation regarding the nature of true messengers. As we spread the message of Jesus Christ and his atoning sacrifice, as we declare that he is the Son of the Eternal Father, the Most High God, we “declare his generation” (Mosiah 15.10) as we “become” children of Christ through our covenant to be loyal to him. We will look at these four interpretations now, hopefully gaining new insight into the power of the message of Isaiah 52 and how it relates to the temple of Isaiah’s day.
The first interpretation can be applied to the messengers appointed to announce peace, the establishment of Yahweh as king, with his earthly king being established on his throne. This can also be viewed as a messenger of peace after a time of conflict. In the ancient world, important messages were carried by runners who raced between leaders or cities. A famous story relating this type of situation comes to us from Pheidippides, the runner associated with the ancient Battle of Marathon near Athens, Greece.
Legend tells us that in 490 BC the Athenians, with only 10,000 men, had miraculously defeated a much stronger force of invading Persians, numbering about 25,000 on the Plains of Marathon. Pheidippides was selected to carry the good news back to Athens. The fleet runner ran the grueling 25 miles as fast as he could. Upon reaching the walls of the Acropolis. Pheidippides cried out, Rejoice, we conquer! and promptly fell dead.[6]
By asking Abinadi the question regarding this passage in Isaiah, the priests of Noah are making the claim that Abinadi is not a messenger of peace. His message is of doom, and so his message must be discounted. This interpretation does work, and it probably was one way that the priests of Noah meant to use a passage of scripture from a past prophet to discredit a living prophet.
The Establishment of the Earthly King
The second interpretation of the question about Isaiah 52.7 has to do with the anointing and establishment of the earthly king, God’s representative on earth. The questioner who was using this verse of scripture from Isaiah was using it in such a way as to indict Abinadi of blasphemy against the king, a crime that was punishable by death according to the Law of Moses.[7]
This is the interpretation of Isaiah that Noah’s priests wanted to drive home: Noah, as God’s representative on earth had his feet “established” by God, therefore Noah was right and Abinadi was wrong. This idea comes from the First Israelite Temple Drama where the king and queen would have their feet both anointed and established as they took the throne in front of Israel. These priests were declaring their authority over Abinadi. Not only was Noah alleging his authority as God’s son, it is likely that he even wore God’s holy laws on his personage, embroidered in such a way as to impress those in his presence that we was indeed, the true servant of Yahweh.[8]
I can see Abinadi standing in front of Noah and his court, pointing to the copy of the Law that Noah had embroidered on his kingly robes and essentially saying, “Obedience to the law is the condition that must be met in order to qualify you as an authorized son and servant of Jehovah, and you do not qualify!” In fact, Noah was the exact opposite of the kind of king needed to have!
Abinadi was challenging both the political and ecclesiastical status of the king and his priests. Likewise, it was by and through the authority of king Noah’s sacral kingship and royal priesthood that his priests challenged Abinadi. Understanding this concept as it relates to the coronation of kings in Israel is fundamental to envisioning the arguments being hurled at Abinadi and back at the wicked priests.
Establishing the feet and kingship in scriptural texts
We can see the idea of kingship rooted in the idea of the establishment of the feet of the king in the Doctrine and Covenants when the Lord said to Joseph Smith, “That you may come up unto the crown prepared for you, and be made rulers over many kingdoms, saith the Lord God, the Holy One of Zion, who hath established the foundations of Adam-ondi-Ahman; Who hath appointed Michael your prince, and established his feet, and set him upon high, and given unto him the keys of salvation under the counsel and direction of the Holy One, who is without beginning of days or end of life” (D&C.78:16).
In this context it would seem to indicate that Adam has established himself as king on the earth through his keeping of his covenants with God. Indeed Adam could have been a fitting substitute for the king had Israel continued using the temple drama to teach their people and put them under covenant in the Second Temple Period. Since they were no longer allowed to have a king, and since the First Israelite Temple Drama depicted the creation of the world,[9] Adam and Eve could have been an excellent typological replacement for the king and queen. This certainly would have helped the people avoid any political entanglements should their enemies find reason to accuse the Israelites of anointing a king during their years of subjugation.
In the Psalms we read the following:
I waited patiently for the Lord;
and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
He brought me up also out of an horrible pit,
out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock,
and established my goings. (Psalm 40:1-2)
To have one’s feet set on the rock is another way of speaking of the Holy of Holies, in other words, this is like being brought into the presence of God.[10]
A Brass Plates Variant on This Theme of the King’s Feet
If you closely examine both Isaiah 49.13 and 1 Nephi 21.13 you will notice how the Brass Plates had a variation that is important to our discussion regarding Sacral Kingship. I would suggest that this subtle difference is significant. Isaiah 49.13 reads “Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted” and the Brass Plates gives us the following variation: Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; for the feet of those who are in the east shall be established; and break forth into singing, O mountains; for they shall be smitten no more; for the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted” (1 Nephi 21.13). The missing phrase, “for the feet of those who are in the east shall be established” is a promise of sacral kingship. The “east” is the place where the righteous dwell. The reference to their feet being “established” is a reminder of the time when the king sat upon the throne. I find this difference to be an indication of a couple of important ideas.
First, the text of Isaiah had variants, and the Brass Plates text came from a time when the king’s feet were established both in the heavens and on earth. Judah had kings until 586 B.C., after which time they were forced to be subservient to outside powers, no longer possessing kings. Because of this, the Brass Plates account of Isaiah read differently from our King James Bibles because the Isaiah text in this version comes from the time when kings were no longer allowed. In other words, the words of Isaiah have been edited to reflect the circumstances and beliefs of the editors who altered the words.
In addition to this, a variant such as this is very delicate. Yet it reflects the political situation of First Israelite Temple Theology. Joseph Smith would have no way of knowing this, being 23 years old at the time of the translation of the Book of Mormon. This fine yet important difference in the Isaiah variant from the Brass Plates is one instance where the antiquity of the text comes to light.
Another important thing to note with this alternate version is the idea that with the establishment of the king’s feet and his enthronement comes order, unity, and singing. These ideas will be written about in future posts, but for now it is good to know that this is happening right at the beginning of the Book of Mormon in 1 Nephi 1 when Lehi sees angelic attendants singing and praising God in a manner of celebrating his kingship (1 Nephi 1.8). This has a connection with early Christian prayer circles,[11] as well as the enthronement of Yahweh in the temple drama spoken of.
The Kingship of Jehovah/Jesus
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings; that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good; that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth (Mosiah 12.21 see also Isaiah 52.7)
A third interpretation of this verse is one that is central to Abinadi’s message and the entire core of the text of the Book of Mormon, and it is this: Jesus is King. Jesus is the one who rightfully can demand our allegiance, respect, and love.
From the perspective of our understanding of the First Israelite Temple Drama, we can see how these verses in Isaiah 52 teach us more about Jesus Christ and his relationship with all of mankind. Since the Psalms were used in First Israelite Temple worship, we can examine them and perhaps gain clues into what these passages tell us about Jesus, kingship, and the overall temple experience of the Israelites that constructed the Book of Mormon.
The Psalms can be read in places where Jehovah is the Only Begotten of the Father – the Royal Heir – the Beloved Son.[12] Throughout the scriptures, most of the accounts we have of people’s hearing the words of the Father include the Father’s testimony of Jesus’ sonship and therefore of his kingship. Examples are the Father’s words at Jesus’ baptism, on the Mount of Transfiguration, in his introduction of the Savior in 3 Nephi, and in Joseph Smith’s First Vision. The statement “This is my Beloved Son” is a declaration that Jehovah/Jesus is Son and Heir – King and High Priest. The other title, “Only Begotten Son,” declares Jesus’ sonship of the Eternal Heavenly Father, and in the Doctrine and Covenants we are given more information regarding Jesus’ power and authority:
Therefore, in the beginning the Word was, for he was the Word, even the messenger of salvation – The light and the Redeemer of the world; the Spirit of truth, who came into the world, because the world was made by him, and in him was the life of men and the light of men. The worlds were made by him; men were made by him; all things were made by him, and through him, and of him. (D&C 93: 8-10).
Jacob asserts that the pre-exilic prophets in the Old Testament and the prophets in the Book of Mormon understood the Atonement of Christ.[13] If we progress forward on the assumption that the Psalms contained much of the First Israelite Temple Drama, added with the understanding that pre-exilic Old Testament prophets understood the role Jesus plays in our salvation and that he is both an earthly and heavenly king, we can then read some of these Psalms in this light. This helps us to gain a heightened perspective on both the Temple Drama and Jesus’ role as understood by these people.
I have written elsewhere[14] regarding the Enthronement Psalms as they applied to the First Israelite Temple Drama, and am reduplicating some of these Psalms here to demonstrate that the authors of these hymns understood how Jehovah/Yahweh was understood to be their king.
Enthronement Psalms
2 – “You are my son, today I have begotten you!”
7.7 – The congregation surrounds the king
9.11 – The Lord “dwelleth” in Zion (the Lord is enthroned in Zion)
17.2-15 – The king sits under the “shadow of thy wings,” referring to the cherubim
22 – After his death and atonement, Yahweh is enthroned before all the world
29.1-11 – The Power of Yahweh as king “sitting upon the flood”
36.1-12 – All mankind become sacral kings/queens, under “the shadow of thy wings”
40.1-2 – Yahweh establishes the king’s feet upon a rock
47 – God reigns over the nations, God sits on his holy throne!
61.1-5 – under the cover of the wings
63.3-7 – Under the “shadow” of the wings
68.24-29 – God the king is in his sanctuary, the damsels play instruments
72.1-19 – Duties/Covenant of the King
93.1-5 – The Lord is clothed with majesty, his throne is established
95 – For the Lordis the great God and the great King above all gods!
96.1-13 – Yahweh as king
97 – A fire goes before him, and he burns up his enemies round about
98 – His right hand and his holy arm have gained him the victory!
99.1-9 – The king’s strength loveth justice… worship at his footstool… he is holy
110 – Sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool
132.7-8 – “Establishing the king’s feet”
145.1-21 – The King will make Yahweh’s name known unto the world
Jehovah as Son of God, King of Israel, Messiah-to-Come, and Savior
There are many Psalms that emphasize the enthronement of the king. Perhaps one that illustrates how the ancients had a clear view of Jesus’ role as both Yahweh/Jehovah the Pre-mortal King of the universe and Jesus the Atoning Messiah is Psalm 22.
Psalm 22 begins with many illustrations of Jesus’ struggle as he fights through darkness to accomplish his atonement and ends with his enthronement before the entire cosmos. This Psalms hits so many of the themes that the Feast of Tabernacles[15] addressed that I would suggest to you that this Psalm played an integral role in the Feast of Tabernacles.
Psalm 22 The Kingship of Jehovah
My God,
My God, why have You forsaken Me?
Why are You so far from helping Me,
And from the words of My groaning?
2 O My God,
I cry in the daytime, but You do not hear;
And in the night season, and am not silent.
[We see Matthew and Mark using this Psalm as they tells us of the Savior’s words as part of his seven statements from the cross in Mark 15.34-35 and Matthew 27.46.]
3 But You are holy,
Enthroned in the praises of Israel.
4 Our
fathers trusted in You;
They trusted, and You delivered them.
5 They
cried to You, and were delivered;
They trusted in You, and were not ashamed.
6 But I am a
worm, and no man;
A reproach of men, and despised by the people.
7 All those
who see Me ridicule Me;
They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,
8 “He trusted
in the Lord, let Him rescue
Him;
Let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!”
[Jesus was mocked on the cross, “the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God” Luke 23.25.]
9 But You are He
who took Me out of the womb;
You made Me trust while on My mother’s breasts.
10 I was
cast upon You from birth.
From My mother’s womb
You have been My God.
11 Be not
far from Me,
For trouble is near;
For there is none to help.
12 Many bulls have surrounded
Me;
Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled Me.
13 They gape
at Me with their mouths,
Like a raging and roaring lion.
[The phrase “bulls of Bashan” is found in the Bible and extrabiblical texts including the Enoch literature and has reference to the supernatural enemies of Yahweh that covenanted with each other to continually war against God.[16] These individuals in the ancient literature had different names and different leaders in the texts, but essentially were demons set out on destroying the kingdom of Jehovah and warring against all who chose in the pre-earth life to follow him. For this reason it is good to envision demons taunting Jesus as he goes through the agonies of the atonement, for this was the very moment in history where everything was decided, and Jesus was victorious against the forces of darkness as he accomplished his sufferings. This brings to mind the depiction of Aslan’s sacrifice in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, where in his moment of death, Aslan the lion (representing Jesus) is surrounded by a horde of evil creatures under the command of the White Witch. The connection between Psalm 22.12-13 and C.S. Lewis’ literary creation are unmistakable.]
14 I am poured out like water,
And all My bones are out of joint;
My heart is like wax;
It has melted within Me.
15 My
strength is dried up like a potsherd,
And My tongue clings to My jaws;
You have brought Me to the dust of death.
16 For dogs have surrounded
Me;
The congregation of the wicked has enclosed Me.
They pierced My hands and My feet;
17 I can
count all My bones.
They look and stare at Me.
18 They
divide My garments among them,
And for My clothing they cast lots.
[The connection between these verses and the death of Jesus on the cross are obvious to the reader familiar with the New Testament depictions of Jesus’ Atonement. Matthew writes, “they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots (Matthew 27.35).]
19 But You, O Lord, do not be far from Me;
O My Strength, hasten to help Me!
20 Deliver
Me from the sword,
My precious life from the power of the dog.
21 Save Me
from the lion’s mouth
And from the horns of the wild oxen!
[The term dog was an insult to the writers of the Hebrew bible. The king, though suffering at the hands of his enemies, will be delivered from what the writer of Psalm 22 calls a dog.][17]
You have answered Me.
22 I will declare Your name
to My brethren;
In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.
23 You who
fear the Lord, praise Him!
All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him,
And fear Him, all you offspring of Israel!
24 For He
has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted;
Nor has He hidden His face from Him;
But when He cried to Him, He heard.
[This has reference to the seed of Christ ‘all you descendants of Jacob’, especially as identified by the prophet Abinadi in Mosiah 15.10-14. Abinadi also identifies these individuals as those who have published peace, thus tying in the seed to those who have “beautiful feet” (Mosiah 12.21; Isaiah 52.7)]
25 My praise shall be of
You in the great assembly;
I will pay My vows before those who fear Him.
26 The poor
shall eat and be satisfied;
Those who seek Him will praise the Lord.
Let your heart live forever!
[These verses have direct connection to the Festal Drama where the holy ones eat with Yahweh on the final day of the Feast of Tabernacles. Many references to this exist in the scriptures, identifying Yahweh as the one who provides the meal. This is also connected to being in God’s presence, beholding his face, and dwelling with him.][18]
27 All the ends of the world
Shall remember and turn to the Lord,
And all the families of the nations
Shall worship before You.
28 For the
kingdom is the Lord’s,
And He rules over the nations.
29 All the prosperous of the
earth
Shall eat and worship;
All those who go down to the dust
Shall bow before Him,
Even he who cannot keep himself alive.
30 A posterity shall serve
Him.
It will be recounted of the Lord to the next generation,
31 They will
come and declare His righteousness to a people who will be born,
That He has done this.
[All the families of the world will acknowledge Jehovah as a just and true king. He will be enthroned as king of kings and will “rule over the nations” (v. 28). Once again we have the festal meal depicted at the end of the psalm (v. 29), and a “people will be born” meaning that those that become his sons and his daughters will be his people, reborn through their keeping of their covenants with Jesus Christ.
To Abinadi, this would have been the heart of his message. It was the very center of his message regarding how Jehovah had ownership of Jesus in Mosiah 15.1-8, it was central to the ideas expressed in his quotation of Isaiah 53, especially where it states that “he shall divide the spoil with the strong,” as Jesus is the one authorized to share the spoils of victory due to his completion of his atonement. Jesus is also the suffering servant king in Isaiah 53/Mosiah 14. The whole meaning of the law, according to Abinadi (Mosiah 13.31-35) was Jesus’ coming down and redeeming us. All depends on this king without whom all would be lost (Mosiah 15.19).
Mankind as Kings and Queens unto God
A fourth and final interpretation of Isaiah 52.7 has to do with sacral kingship of you and me, ordinary individuals. Indeed, Abinadi is reaching out to Alma, stressing the importance of our coming unto Jesus and receiving redemption. By becoming a son or daughter of Christ, we qualify ourselves to become kings and queens unto God through the power of the redemptive atonement of Jesus Christ. This is an important message that Abinadi drives home in Mosiah 15.10-22. This is his invitation to Alma as Alma struggles in his soul to determine how to respond to Abinadi under the pressure of the kings court.
During the New Years festival drama, Psalm 8 may have been sung as a celebration of the creation of Adam and Eve in the dramatic portrayal of the Garden of Eden story. But it is not just about Adam’s creation, it is his coronation as well. This is where we come in, as we are all sons and daughters of Adam and Eve.
The King James translators wrote, “For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels.” In Hebrew the word translated “angels” is “Elohim” אֱלֹהִים which can be used to designate the name of the Father of the gods, and may also be used to identify members of God’s heavenly court in his council, as well as angels in the heavens. For this reason, the text can be read in different ways, depending on the understanding of the individual reading the text. One way to read verse 5 would be: “For thou hast made him a little lower than the gods אֱלֹהִים– the members of the Council in Heaven.”
Psalm 8
O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!
who hast set thy glory above the heavens.
Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength
because of thine enemies,
that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.
When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers,
the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
What is man, that thou art mindful of him?
and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
For thou hast made him a little lower than the gods, (elohim) אֱלֹהִים
and hast crowned him with glory and honour.
Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands;
thou hast put all things under his feet:
All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field;
The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea,
and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.
O Lord our Lord, how excellent isthy name in all the earth! (Psalm 8.1-9)
Why Psalm 8 Matters
For readers today, this psalm addresses some of the greatest mysteries of all:
What is man, that thou art mindful of him?
and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
This question is directed at the very meaning of our understanding of God, our lives, indeed, our very potential and the meaning of existence. If we can answer this question, we are truly enlightened. To me, this question is addressed in Moses 1.39, “For behold, this is my work and my glory- to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.”
This is the great question: why would the God who created the immensities of space and gave order and life to all things condescend to visit man – either humans as a race, or just one individual person? The answer comes to us in clarity as we understand the revelations of the restoration. We are of the same type of beings as our Heavenly Father and Mother. Because we have heavenly parents, it is their desire to bring us back into their presence through the redemption and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Their desire is for us to receive all that they have.[19]
By following the direction of Abinadi in Mosiah 15.10-23, readers can catch a glimpse of sacral kingship on an individual level. We become the seed of Christ as we believe the holy prophets and look forward to the day we receive a remission of our sins. We publish salvation, just like the messengers of the ancient world. And when we do this, our feet are established upon the mountains. It is in the individual sacral kingship that I see the rest of Isaiah 52 having more of a personal meaning.
Isaiah 52
Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.
2 Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem: loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion.
3 For thus saith the Lord, Ye have sold yourselves for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money.
4 For thus saith the Lord God, My people went down aforetime into Egypt to sojourn there; and the Assyrian oppressed them without cause.
[Israel is ritually asked to come closer to God, be clothed, “put on thy beautiful garments,” and to “awake and arise” – in the First Temple Drama this very well could have application to Adam’s creation and “standing” in God’s presence as he made covenants. It is important to note that ritually the ancients would “stand” in the council to make covenants with God.[20] Israel is reminded of their redemption from Egypt and Assyria (the forces of chaos or the world).]
5 Now therefore, what have I here, saith the Lord, that my people is taken away for nought? they that rule over them make them to howl, saith the Lord; and my name continually every day is blasphemed.
6 Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I.
7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth!
[Israel is told that even in the midst of chaos, Jehovah is mindful of them. They are promised that they will “know” God’s name, and know that he is speaking with them. They are then promised kingship as their feet are established due to their publishing peace. This is integral to the understanding of sacral kingship: Stand and receive the Father’s robe, the name, and hear his voice. The beautiful feet of the messengers of the king’s victory lead me to conclude that as his messengers, they will partake of the kingship offered by the heavenly king. They will be anointed kings and queens unto the Most High God.]
8 Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the Lord shall bring again Zion.
9 Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the Lord hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem.
[The watchmen, or the covenant followers of Jehovah, those that publish peace clearly see each other in this ritual context. They see eye to eye. They sing together. This has many echoes of the early Christian prayer circles in antiquity as described in a multitude of early Christian documents, where disciples of Jesus would join hands in a circle singing hymns and calling upon God, literally “seeing eye to eye.”[21] It is in this context that God comforts them, assuring them of their heavenly home in heavenly places.]
10 The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.
[Reading this literally in a ritual context adds a level of understanding. It also fits right in the setting in which it is ritually placed.]
11 Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord.
12 For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the Lord will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your reward.
13 Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.
14 As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men:
[Israel is to be clean, to depart Babylon or the chaos of the world. Verse 14 does have an alternate reading, one in which it has more to do with anointing than with being “marred,” and I can see relevance in both readings.[22]]
15 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.
[The JST has gather here in verse 15 rather than “sprinkle”… both can work. Kings shutting their mouths could represent the fact that kings will see who the real king is when he comes again, as well as the acknowledgment of God’s appointed sacral kings and queens and their authority as duly sanctioned servants of Jehovah.]
To both Isaiah and Abinadi, the invitation to awaken, arise, put on the beautiful garments and depart from Babylon so that we may publish peace have both ritual and literal meanings to each of us individually. We are all to become sons and daughters of God through the covenant and the blood that was shed both in Gethsemane and on Golgotha. In so doing, we are promised all that the Father hath.
Conclusion
Abinadi’s instruction to his accusers is so entwined in early Israelite understanding of kingship and covenant that only an understanding of the First Israelite Temple Drama can it begin to be unfolded, enabling a greater understanding. Abinadi’s message is truly poetic as well as potent, having multiple meanings depending on the understanding of the listener. I maintain that Alma understood this message, and, based on his words in the chapters that follow Mosiah 11-17, believe that this claim can be sustained. I also see Abinadi’s response to his prosecutors as an additional witness to the truth claims made by Joseph Smith. A frontier youth without biblical training that did not exist in his time period could not have understood the complexity of many of these arguments. Perhaps as more is known about pre-exilic Israel’s beliefs, even more light will be shed on these important chapters in the Book of Mormon.
Notes
[1] See D-7 “Succoth” – Feast of Tabernacles, under feasts, Old Testament Institute Manual, Genesis – 2 Samuel.
[2] Mike Day, 1 Nephi 20-21: The First Israelite Temple Drama, podcast, 2.2.2020. See also: Mike Day, Overview of the First Israelite Temple Drama, Talkingscripture.org, 1.24.2020.
[3] LeGrand Baker, Temple rites of the ancient Israelite New Year festival (an overview), accessed 4.10.2020.
[4] LeGrand Baker, Abinadi: On Being a Child of God, Unpublished manuscript, p. 610.
[5] Sacred Kingship, Encyclopedia Britannica, accessed 4.22.2020. Sacral or sacred kingship was a religious and political concept by which a ruler is seen as an incarnation, manifestation, mediator, or agent of the sacred or holy… At one time, when religion was totally connected with the whole existence of the individual as well as that of the community and when kingdoms were in varying degrees connected with religious powers … there could be no kingdom that was not in some sense sacral. Among the many possible kinds of sacral kingdoms, there was a special type in which the king was regarded and revered as a god… The sacral status of the ruler differs in form and origins. Three main forms can be distinguished: (1) the possessor of supernatural power, (2) the divine or semidivine king, and (3) the agent of the sacred. For a brief examination of the waning popularity of sacral kingship and the divine right of kings, see: Divine Right of Kings, Encyclopedia Britannica.
[6] Webster’s Word Histories, Miriam-Webster, Inc., 1989, p. 291. There is some argument among historians about the distance the runner Pheidippides covered, some insisting that he covered over 300 miles, not just 25-26. Pheidippides is said to have ran from Athens to Sparta, then from Sparta back to Athens, a distance well over 12 times the simple 26 miles in a marathon. See: Runner’s World (UK) 3 March 2017.
[7] “Thou shalt not revile the gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people” (Exodus 22.28).
[8] Indeed, Aubrey Johnson has stated, “The fact surely is that the king was made to wear, not merely the royal crown, but a document embodying the basic terms of Yahweh’s covenant with the House of David, i.e. in much the same way as the devout Jew, generation after generation, has to learn the words of the Shema (the basic principles underlying the Sinaitic covenant as defined in the book of Deuteronomy) and wear them, bound on the arm and the brow, at morning prayers. Thus the conditions for the continuation of the Davidic dynasty were explicit enough, and, no doubt, they were so framed in order to remind David’s successors of the responsibilities of their office.” Sacral Kingship in Ancient Israel, p. 24-25.
[9] George W. MacRae, The Meaning and Evolution of the Feast of Tabernacles, The Catholic Biblical Quarterly, Vol. 22, No. 3 (JULY, 1960), pp. 251-276. Creation was one of the main themes depicted in the Feast of Tabernacles. On page 265 MacRae writes, “The members of the so-called Myth and Ritual school, going beyond Mowinckel’s views with their own researches, have come to see in Tabernacles the “enthronement of Yahweh over the physical universe manifest in the bestowal of the seasonal rains and the prosperity of the nation along the lines familiar in the cult drama in the Near East, notably in Mesopotamia and in the Ugaritic texts. “Without attempting to state the principles of the Myth and Ritual theory, we may borrow from one of its exponents a description of the ritual pattern which they find to be common in all Near Eastern cultures… there are six elements in this ritual pattern: “(a) a dramatic representation of the death and resurrection of the god, with whom the king was identified; ( b ) a recitation or symbolic representation of the myth of creation; (c) a ritual combat, in which the triumph of the god over his enemies was depicted; ( d ) a sacred marriage; (e) a triumphal procession in which the king played the part of the god; ( f ) and the importance of the king for the well-being of the community.” See also Bernard W. Anderson, Creation versus Chaos: The Reinterpretation of Mythical Symbolism in the Bible, Wipf and Stock publishers, 2005, p. 65, 83, 101.
[10] David John Butler writes much on this topic, explaining the connection between the throne of God, the ark and the rock in the Holy of Holies. Indeed, to Butler, the entire vision of Lehi and Nephi in 1 Nephi 8 and 11 is a continuous ascension into the Holy of Holies and a polemic against the temple of Lehi’s day as Lehi asserts that the priests of his day are usurpers. Butler writes: Finally, participants build upon the rock (Matthew 7:24-27). At first glance, this seems incongruous, like the ending of Lehi’s dream. If participants are really moving deeper into the temple, shouldn’t they end at the throne? But in fact, there is a large stone on the temple mount, which is believed to have been inside the Debir. Moreover, this stone is believed to have acted as the platform in Solomon’s temple upon which the Ark rested (the Ark being God’s throne), making it a stand-in or a double for the Ark and throne itself. The rock of Matthew 7 is no ordinary boulder; it can only be the eben shetiyah, the “Foundation Stone” or “Pierced Stone,” and its location here at this end of the Sermon on the Mount ordinance, while at first glance surprising, is ultimately perfect. Its placement here should also tell us to look closely at 1 Nephi 1:6, which records a vision apparently distinct from Lehi’s vision of the throne a few verses later. The pillar of fire reminds us of the fiery throne in Daniel 7 and 1 Enoch 14, and we now know that the ‘rock’ was a temple symbol, a stone in the Holy of Holies upon which rested the throne of God. See David John Butler, Plain and Precious Things: The Temple Religion of the Book of Mormon’s Visionary Men, 2012.
[11] Hugh Nibley, “The Early Christian Prayer Circle by Hugh Nibley,” BYU Studies, vol. 19 (1978-1979), Number 1 – Fall 1978, 48.
[12] See Psalm 2 and 110.
[13] For, for this intent have we written these things, that they may know that we knew of Christ, and we had a hope of his glory many hundred years before his coming; and not only we ourselves had a hope of his glory, but also all the holy prophets which were before us. (Jacob 4.4)
[14] Mike Day, Overview of the First Israelite Temple Drama, Talkingscripture.org, 1.24.2020.
[15] George W. MacRae, The Meaning and Evolution of the Feast of Tabernacles, The Catholic Biblical Quarterly, Vol. 22, No. 3 (JULY, 1960), p. 265.
[16] As Old Testament scholar Michael Heiser writes, “We know that Bashan carries a lot of theological baggage. It was the Old Testament version of the gates of hell, the gateway to the underworld realm of the dead. It was known as “the place of the serpent” outside the Bible. It’s associated with Mount Hermon, the place where Jews believed the rebellious sons of God from Genesis 6.1-4 descended. Simply put, if you wanted to conjure up images of the demonic and death, you’d refer to Bashan. See: The Unseen Realm, p. 289-290. For more detail on Bashan and how it relates to the world of the Old Testament, read chapters 24 and 33: “The Place of the Serpent” and “A Beneficial Death” in The Unseen Realm. See also Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible, p. 160-162. See also Psalm 68 where the author contrasts the power of God and his mountain versus the forces of the mountain in Bashan: “The hill of God is as the hill of Bashan; an high hill as the hill of Bashan… but God shall wound the head of his enemies, and the hairy scalp of such an one as goeth on still in his trespasses. The Lord said, I will bring again from Bashan, I will bring my people again from the depths of the sea.” (Psalm 68.15, 21-22). William Brown writes, “As divine warrior, God defeats the enemy in battle and rescues Israel from its displaced status. Bashan, a mountainous region in the northern Transjordan, is equated with “the depths of the sea.” In defeat, Israel is plunged into the heart of chaos. God’s declaration to rescue Israel from Bashan is a resolve to restore, in effect, a people from national dissolution. Yet there is more. By “mapping” Bashan with the metaphor of the watery abyss, a vicious irony unfolds. Earlier, Bashan was the “mighty” and “many-peaked mountain” accused of harboring envy over God’s towering abode presumably Zion (Psalm 68.15-16). Now, however, Bashan’s height is identified with the watery depths The imagery, moreover, generates another association, namely, the blood of the vanquished enemy. Bashan will be an abyss of blood in which a delivered people will bathe their feet. An image of horro and hopelessness is transformed into a graphic image of confidence. The depths of chaos have become, as it were, a but of corpses. Bashan is “sunk.” See William P. Brown, Seeing the Psalms, A Theology of Metaphor, p. 117. By seeing Bashan as the home base of the enemies of God, the author of Psalms is working into his song an extreme emotion, illustrating what is at stake in Christ’s atoning sacrifice. Understanding the context of just one word like Bashan helps modern readers to see that the ancient authors of the Old Testament did demonstrate a proper understanding of Jehovah’s role in our salvation as Jacob 4.4 so testifies.
[17] As the dog was an unclean animal, the terms “dog,” “dog’s head,” “dead dog,” were used as an insult or a term of reproach (1 Samuel 24:14; 2 Sam 3:8; 9:8; 16:9). In the New Testament, Paul calls false apostles “dogs” (Philippians 3:2). Those not allowed into the kingdom of heaven are called dogs (Revelation 22:15). The persecutors of the Savior are called “dogs” (Psalms 22:16).
[18] The references to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb fit this description. See for example Revelation 19.7-9. See also D&C 27 where the Lord says “marvel not, for the hour cometh that I will drink of the fruit of the vine with you on the earth” (D&C 27.5). The Lord then proceeds to give a list of other individuals who are redeemed who will be in attendance. The idea of feasting with God is found today in our churches as we partake of the sacrament each Sabbath. It is also described in Exodus 24.9-11 where we read, “Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; And they saw the God of Israel; and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven … also they saw God, and did eat and drink.”
[19] This is the very essence of theosis. We read in Doctrine and Covenants 84:38, “he that receive my Father receiveth my Father’s kingdom; therefore all that my Father hath shall be given unto him.” See Revelation 3.21 and 3 Nephi 28.10 where this promise of theosis is also extended. For more on this topic, as well as several quotations from early Christian fathers, see: Mike Day, Deification, Divinization, Theosis, talkingscripture.org 12.6.2016.
[20] 2 Kings 23.1-3.
[21] Hugh Nibley, The Early Christian Prayer Circle, BYU Studies Quarterly: Vol. 19 : Iss. 1 , Article 5. On page 65 Nibley relates, “Snatched at the last moment from the rising waters of the Aswan Dam in 1966 was the Kasr alWazz fragment, where we read, We made a circle and surrounded him and he said, “I am in your midst in the manner of these little children.” When we finished the hymn they all said Amen. Then he said other things and each time they must all answer Amen. “Gather to me, O holy members of my body, and when I recite the hymn, you say Amen!” The Acts of John describes the circle as being in motion, a sort of dance, and earlier texts than the Nicaean version add a cosmic touch to the formula: “I would pipe: Dance all of you. I would mourn: mourn all of you! One Ogdoad sings praises with us. Amen. The number 12 dances on high. Amen. All that which is above participates in the circle. Amen.” [Or—(alternate version)] “He that danceth not knoweth not what is being done. Amen. . . .” “Now if you follow my dance See yourself in Me who am speaking, and when you have seen what I do, keep silence about my mysteries.” It is doubtless to this rite that Clement of Alexandria refers in the second century when he writes, “Come to our mysteries and you shall dance with the angels around the Unbegotten and Eternal one and only true God, while Logos of God sings along with us . . . the great High Priest of God, who prays for men and instructs them.”
[22] Bible scholar Margaret Barker gives an alternate reading to this passage in Isaiah 52.14. This verse has significantly different forms in the ancient versions. The Masoretic Text and the Targum, which used the Masoretic Text, say he was disfigured beyond human semblance, such that people were astonished. The Qumran Isaiah scroll, however, has ‘he was anointed beyond human semblance’ such that kings and people were astonished. The difference is one letter: mšt in the Masoretic Text and mšty in the Qumran scroll. The Servant ‘anointed beyond human semblance’ means he was transfigured, and so, as did Enoch, he became like one of the glorious ones. (Barker, Margaret. Temple Mysticism: An Introduction (pp. 9-10). SPCK. Kindle Edition.) See also: Margaret Barker, King of the Jews: Temple Theology in John’s Gospel, SPCK Publishing, 2014.