Branching Across the Continents
According to the prophet Joseph Fielding Smith, “The parable of Zenos, recorded by Jacob in chapter five in his book, is one of the greatest parables ever recorded” (Smith 4:141). In language that rivals the best literature, Zenos’ allegory of the olive tree powerfully conveys the history of the house of Israel over a time span of thousands of years using symbolism that no man could have written. In addition to containing the historical value of the scattering and the gathering of Israel, the allegory also includes doctrine on the apostasy and the millennium.
The allegory of the olive tree forms the centerpiece of a farewell speech given by Jacob to the Nephites late in his life. As with other dissertations of past prophets, Jacob addresses his people with his final words of wisdom pertaining to the exaltation. As part of his speech, Jacob illustrates reconciliation to God through Christ with the specific example of the Jews who are the forefathers of the Lehites. Jacob describes the Jews as “a stiff-necked people” who “despised the words of plainness, killed the prophets,” and “will reject the stone upon which they might have safe foundation” (Jacob 4:14-5).
The question at hand is, “How can the Jews be reconciled to God through Christ after rejecting the Savior?". In answer to this question, Jacob offered to the Nephites Zenos’ allegory of the olive tree (Hoskisson 73-74).
The time span represented in the allegory starts with the first cultivation of the tame olive tree and continues to the destruction of the vineyard, or, in other words, it begins with the founding of the house of Israel and goes to the end of the world. In verse 3 of Jacob 5 we learn that the tree which represents the covenant people already “waxed old and began to decay” which suggests that the house of Israel has already begun to go astray. It is important to realize that because the Jews were righteous and willing to enter in to the covenant, they became the people of the Lord (Clark 62). However, what is the Lord to do when his children are not profitable? The allegory suggests that He’d do what the lord of the vineyard would do for his olive tree: prune, dig, and nourish it in hope that it does not perish (vs. 6). Beginning with early prophets such as Mose...
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...o grow into the eternities. They are all different trees with many branches, but all ties back into the main root of the mother tree. This is the oneness that Jacob so, very well portrayed in his farewell speech, and is the lesson to his people, how to gain oneness through the atonement of Christ.
Works Cited
Clark, Jennifer. The Lord Will Redeem His People: “Adoptive” Covenant and
Redemption in the Hebrew Bible and the Book of Mormon. Utah: Brigham Young UP, 1993.
Heap, Norman L, and Virginia T. Heap. The Gathering: :Perfection and Redemption of
Israel. North Carolina: Family History Publications, 1999.
Hoskisson, Paul A. “The Allegory of the Olive Tree in Jacob.” The Allegory of the
Olive Tree. Ed. Stephen D. Ricks and John W. Welch. Utah: Deseret, 1994. 71-104.
Madsen, Truman G. “The Olive Press.” Speeches. Ed Cynthia M. Gardner. Utah:
University Publications, 1982. 141-144.
Reynolds, Noel B. “Nephite Uses and Interpretations of Zenos.” The Allegory of the
Olive Tree. Ed. Stephen D. Ricks and John W. Welch. Utah: Deseret, 1994. 21-49.
Smith, Joseph Fielding. Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith. Salt Lake City:
Deseret, 1972.
The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls has been hailed by people of many religious and cultural backgrounds as the greatest discovery of manuscripts to be made available to modern scholars in our time and has dramatically altered our understanding of the origins of Christianity. Perhaps the most fundamental reexamination brought about by the Scrolls is that of the Gospel of John. The Fourth Gospel originally accepted as a product of second century Hellenistic composition is now widely accepted as a later first century Jewish writing that may even contain some of the oldest traditions of the Gospels . The discovery of the scrolls has led to the discussion of undeniable and distinct parallels between the ideas of the society at Qumran and those present in the Gospel of John.
They were set apart; they had no earthly king and their history was one filled with miracles and impossible victories. Yet Israel’s people were still human; their failures were nearly equal to their victories and their frequent disobedience towards God had cost them greatly. They were hardly a unified nation, and despite a history rich in God’s provision, they were rebellious.
Theologian Vern S. Poythress wrote, “Theological systems, whether dispensationalist, covenantal, Calvinist, Arminian, or even modernist, have a profound influence on the way we approach a given [biblical] text.” There is no portion of scripture that is more influenced by the theological system of dispensationalist than that of biblical prophecy, particularly in the area of God’s redemptive plan from for humanity. The purpose of this essay is to establish that an appropriate understanding of biblical eschatology can best be achieved through a dispensational theological perspective.
Essex, Keith H. "The Abrahamic Covenant." Master's Seminary Journal 10, no. 2 (September 1, 1999): 191-212. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed February 18, 2014). ALTA Religion Index: Title suggests relevance
Christianity and Judaism are major world religions which, though they worship the same God, have marked differences which have caused two thousand years of strife and animosity between the two religions. In his book We Jews and Jesus, Samuel Sandmel likens the link between Judaism and Christianity to a type of parent-child relationship, saying, “Early Christianity was a Judaism; within a century after the death of Jesus it was a separate religion. It was critical of its parent, and hostile to it, and elicited from its parent reciprocal criticism and hostility.”1 Opposing views of Jesus Christ caused the initial rift between Judaism and Christianity and is the primary source of the tension between the two religions which has continued for the last two millennia. Therefore, in order to understand how Judaism and Christianity relate to one another, it is essential to understand the way Jesus is perceived in each religion. The way that Christians view Jesus is quite well known, but Judaism’s view of him is much lesser known, so it is important to explore Judaism’s perceptions of Jesus, beginning with New Testament times, and to examine the ways in which these feelings and opinions have changed over time.
Robinson, B. A. (2008, March 30). Books of the Hebrew Scripture . Retrieved May 7, 2011, from Religious Tolerance: http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_otb3.htm
An instructive and stirring string of verses, this passage from the Bible holds great relevance not only for the Ancient Israelites to whom it was spoken, but also acts as a herald to Christians today. This passage forms part of Moses great oration; his instructive teaching, advice and counsel narrated to the second generation of Israelites who required redirection before moving forward into what God had for them. Similarly, it is also relevant for all Christians as we remember what our faithful, loving and powerful God has done in the past, and what he requires of us to move forward.
The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha, Augmented Third Edition, New Revised Standard Version, Indexed. New York: Oxford UP, 2007. Print
... of Israel, 2d ed.: A Theological Survey of the Old Testament. Garden City: Baker Academic, 2002.
There are many themes running through the Old Testament myth of Exodus – slavery, rescue and redemption, guidance, commandments on how to live, the creation of a nation, and God’s power over other gods. In this paper I will explore what appears to be the chief reasoning behind the creation of the Exodus myth – the explanation of the creation of a monotheistic religion and the similarities of the Exodus myth to the ancient myths, as well as how one should approach the reading of the myth.
God’s goodness and mercy far transcends the comprehension of the most brilliant human mind! He “who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth”(Psalm 113:6).Yet in His infinite love for us He stoops down to reveal Himself to us by a multitude of illustration, types, and shadows, so that we may learn to know him. This paper will describe what is meant by the Kingdom of God; examine the religious philosophy of the various sects of Judaism during the Second Temple period: Pharisee, Sadducees, Essenes, and Zealots, describe the religious philosophy and political philosophy of each sects, it will also describe how the Messianic expectation differ from the Messianic role that Jesus presented, and include an exegesis of the temptation of Jesus and how other sects defined the Messiah.
In the days of Christ’s life on this earth, believers did not have access to the Bible in its entirety as we know and are familiar with today. Believers in this ancient time period only had access to the Old Testament. However, through their access to the Old Testament, believers were provided a foundation for New Testament times. This foundation provided New Testament believers with the Lord’s established principles of right and wrong they were expected to follow. In addition, the Old Testament is overflowing with accounts of people whose lives exemplified the future life of Christ on this earth. These pictures allowed the Israelite nation to begin to have an understanding of why Christ needed to come as their Messiah and the work He needed to do on earth. Finally, there are common themes that are interwoven throughout the entire Old Testament. Three of these themes: transgression, redemption, and consummation point to the purpose of Christ’s atoning death on the cross. These themes portray God’s work both in the lives of Old Testament believers, but they also foreshadow God’s desire and plan for believers in New Testament times and beyond.
The redeemed Israelites exodus from Egypt, has brought them to Mont Siani, where they struggle with obedience. Jehovah teaches the chosen children of Israel His character of holiness, sovereignty, healer and provider, the who blesses and makes His children fruitful, as He is the keeper of the covenant and everything is brought under Him. God sets up His earthly throne with his people reveal Himself as holy, as in Leviticus 20:26, “You are to be holy to me because I, the Lord, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own,” God also builds his people to be holy.
...Wright has a style of writing that immediately grasps the reader’s attention of the subject as early as his introductory pages of the book. Wright accomplishes his goal of reminding the reader that Israel was to bring salvation and truth to all nations. His goal of persuading the audience that Jesus is a pivotal part of the history of Israel is established. In many passages of this book Wright early on shows Christ as the answer/fulfilment to Israel’s many years of exodus, exile, enslavement and many sufferings. He describes how he reaches this goal and introduces the audience to typology. Through typology Wright and others can understand God and Christ through out the entire scripture. “The correspondence between the Old Testament is not merely analogous, but points to the repeating patterns of God’s actual activity in history.”
“The United Fruit Co.” uses religious mockery to attack the United States’ arrogance criticizing America’s morality (Hawkins 42). Pablo Neruda begins his poem, “The United Fruit Co.” with the sounding of trumpets unleashing a variety of symbolic meaning and commencing the Biblical allusions that set the sarcastic tone of the poem (Fernandez 1; Hawkins 42). These trumpets are an introduction to Jehovah who “divided his universe” inevitably adding more biblical allusions by symbolizing God’s presence (Fernandez 2; line 3). The use of trumpets as a means of introduction is a metaphor for the acknowledgement of the United States who thinks they are the kings of creation (Fernandez 2). For this reason some of the biblical allusions translate best to the Book of Genesis as Neruda’s poem is a metaphor for the Biblical creation myth (Fernandez 2, 3). In Neruda’s creation myth, the United States symbolize God and distribute “wealth and territory...