Gospel Essentials Unabridged Class Notes

March 10, 2002

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Ezekiel 37: a Foretelling of the Book of Mormon!

Gospel Essentials Class Notes March 10 2002

  Class Scripture Foundation:

Ezekiel 37 

It has long been surmised that Ezekiel 37 prophesied of the Book of Mormon being the word of Joseph, and the word of Judah being the bible, but How was it that ‘sticks’ were used in the illustration?  That bothered some people, causing them to doubt the passage, for the irreconcilable ‘sticks’ mentioned.  Well, buried in the dead sea scrolls for 2000 years lay over 23 incidents of the explanation:

When is the parable of Ezekiel 37 fulfilled?  Wasn’t it fulfilled when David was king?  (Answer no, David lived before Ezekiel was alive.  Ezekiel is prophesying of a future event.  Israel has not been gathered again).  

Time Frame of

·        Saul Reigned about 1050 BC

·        David lived about 1000 BC

·        Solomon lived about 950 BC

Approximate time of Prophets/writing:

·        Isaiah:  750 BC

·        Jeremiah 600 BC (Babylon Captivity 70 years, 592 BC)

·        Daniel 600 BC

·        Ezekiel 580 BC.

·        Return from Captivity ( 522 BC)

·        Haggai 510 BC

·        Zechariah 500 BC

·        Temple Rebuilt 480 BC.

·        Ezra 450 BC.

·        Malachi 420 BC

Then, WHO is this 'KING' referred to as 'David', who will come after the old King David, and after Ezekiel, who will unite Israel and usher in earthly peace???

First, a refernce to the first king David--His throne and lineage would not die...

I Kings 2:45 And king Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the Lord forever.

Who is this verse referring to, who shall sit on the throne of David?  (Hint:  Look up the prior verse, Isaiah 9:6 !!!  Familiar??)

Isaiah 9:7 Of the increase of his government and peace there is no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

Notice how 'Branch' and 'King' are capitalized?  Who is this who shall be born of David's lineage, who will execute judgment in the earth??

Jeremiah 23:5 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.

What days???  The days when Israel is regathered?  Did this happen historically?  (NO) Has it happened in modern times? (NO)  Is it yet to happen in the earth?   YES!  Then, who will be this king who will execute righteous judgment in the earth???

Jeremiah 33:15 In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land.

Jeremiah 30:9 But they shall serve the Lord their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them.

When will there be 'one shepard?'  Did it happen in days of old since Ezekiel?  (NO)

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.

Who can this be, who the children of Israel will revere as King of them and the whole earth???  NONE OTHER THAN JESUS, THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD!!!!

Hosea 3:5 Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the Lord their God, and David their king; and shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter days.

What then, does Ezekiel 37 foretell?  That in the last days, the words written by Judah and Joseph shall come together, and when it happens, the word will be combined and convince many of the truth.  It will be in the last days, and Jesus will be ruler over them (us).  He is the King, the Righteous Branch, the one who will occupy the throne.

2 Nephi 12:71 And it shall come to pass that the Jews shall have the words of the Nephites, and the Nephites shall have the words of the Jews:

2 Nephi 12:72 And the Nephites and the Jews shall have the words of the lost tribes of Israel; and the lost tribes of Israel shall have the words of the Nephites and the Jews.

  Jeremiah 31:10 Hear the word of the Lord, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock.

2 Nephi 12:73 And it shall come to pass that my people which are of the house of Israel, shall be gathered home unto the lands of their possessions; and my word also shall be gathered in one.

http://www2.ida.net/graphics/shirtail/bar.htm

The letters of the lady Babata belonged to a type known as tied deeds, a very old and used practice anciently. (p. 229). It was an arrangement by which a legal agreement was written twice on the same piece of papyrus or parchment; the first time very small at one end of the paper which was then rolled into a tight cylinder, sewn closed, and signed over to the participants signatures; the rest of the sheet, the greater part of it, then received the same writing in bolder letters; it was not sealed, so that it could be freely consulted while the other copy of the text, though on the same sheet, remained tightly sealed until the time came to settle the contract; then it was unrolled and compared with the other writing, and if the two were exactly the same, all would be in order. The purpose, of course, was to safeguard the original deed from falsification, while at the same time, to enable its holder to use the lower exterior half for daily reference as required. (Yadin, p. 230).

This is an elaboration of the old tally-stick technique, where strips of parchment or cloth were attatched to the sticks and wrapped around them since there was not enough room on the stick for writing a lengthy contract. This was the origin of the Jewish scroll wrapped around a staff resembling a scepter. The original tally-stick was a staff on which the contract and names of the contracting parties were written; the staff was then split down the middle and one half, the stock, was kept by one party, while the other, the bill, was held by the other contracting party. When the time came to settle the contract, the two parties would bring their sticks together in the presence of the king, and if they matched perfectly, it was plain that neither party had attempted to manipulate and change the contract.. The two sticks were then bound as one in the king's hand and laid away in the archives. The Bar Kochba documents have now yielded 23 examples of this ancient practice, and this is another direct archaeological bullseye for the BofM. The BofM claims to be "The STICK of JOSEPH" which in the last days after the dry bones have lain around for awhile (the apostasy in other words! - Ezekiel 37!) would be joined with the "STICK of Judah" (the Bible) so that the two would become one stick in the hands of God! The parallel is absolutely *p-e-r-f-e-c-t*. Now, there are many sticks but no more significant joining of sticks than now taking place between the Jewish and Nephite records!