< 2 Nephi 21 >
Stem of Jesse
Verses 1–5 – The Branch from the Stem of Jesse
“And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots…”
Meaning
Verses 2-6 - Attributes of the Messiah
“The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him…”
The “sevenfold Spirit” symbolizes divine completeness:
Justice & Righteousness (v. 4–5)
He will not judge by appearances but by truth.
He defends the poor, strikes the wicked, and rules in perfect equity.
“Righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins” — moral strength and integrity define His rule.
Verses 6–9 – The Peaceful Kingdom
“The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb…”
Meaning
These verses describe Millennial peace, when Christ reigns and the natural order is healed.
Predators and prey coexist — a poetic image of harmony between former enemies.
Symbolic Layers:
Image / Possible Meaning
Wolf & Lamb / Peace between nations / peoples
Leopard & Kid / No more oppression or fear
Lion eating straw / Transformation of violent instincts
Child leading them / Innocence guiding creation
Verses 10–12 – Gathering of Israel
“In that day there shall be a root of Jesse… which shall stand for an ensign of the people.”
Meaning
Prophets often teach that the “ensign” symbolizes the Restored Gospel, calling Israel home spiritually and physically.
The Lord will gather His covenant people from the “four corners of the earth.”
Verses 13–16 – Unity and Deliverance
Key Points
Symbolism
Main points to takeaway from this chapter:
Verses 1–5 – The Branch from the Stem of Jesse
“And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots…”
Meaning
- “Jesse” = father of King David. The “Branch” is a descendant of David — Jesus Christ.
- The imagery of a new shoot from a stump follows chapter 10’s forest being cut down: God’s purposes continue even when the world seems ruined.
Verses 2-6 - Attributes of the Messiah
“The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him…”
The “sevenfold Spirit” symbolizes divine completeness:
- Spirit of the Lord
- Spirit of wisdom
- Understanding
- Counsel
- Might
- Knowledge
- Fear of the Lord
Justice & Righteousness (v. 4–5)
He will not judge by appearances but by truth.
He defends the poor, strikes the wicked, and rules in perfect equity.
“Righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins” — moral strength and integrity define His rule.
Verses 6–9 – The Peaceful Kingdom
“The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb…”
Meaning
These verses describe Millennial peace, when Christ reigns and the natural order is healed.
Predators and prey coexist — a poetic image of harmony between former enemies.
Symbolic Layers:
Image / Possible Meaning
Wolf & Lamb / Peace between nations / peoples
Leopard & Kid / No more oppression or fear
Lion eating straw / Transformation of violent instincts
Child leading them / Innocence guiding creation
Verses 10–12 – Gathering of Israel
“In that day there shall be a root of Jesse… which shall stand for an ensign of the people.”
Meaning
- Christ (the “root of Jesse”) becomes an ensign — a banner or signal — to gather scattered Israel and all nations.
- This prophecy connects directly to the Restoration and missionary work in the latter days.
Prophets often teach that the “ensign” symbolizes the Restored Gospel, calling Israel home spiritually and physically.
The Lord will gather His covenant people from the “four corners of the earth.”
Verses 13–16 – Unity and Deliverance
Key Points
- Ancient divisions (Ephraim vs Judah) will cease — God’s people will unite.
- Hostile neighbors will no longer threaten them.
- The Lord will make a highway — symbolic of a clear, safe path of return and redemption (as He once parted the Red Sea).
Symbolism
- “Highway” = covenant path back to God.
- “Dry up the tongue of the Egyptian sea” = remove barriers; God’s deliverance mirrors the Exodus.
Main points to takeaway from this chapter:
- Christ brings new life even after devastation (the Branch from the stump).
- True leadership is rooted in righteousness, not power.
- Peace on earth is both literal and symbolic — a transformation of hearts.
- God’s covenant continues through all ages — His people will be gathered and unified.
- Judgment (Isaiah 10) gives way to renewal and peace (Isaiah 11) — the gospel pattern of repentance → restoration → joy.
v. 6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid, and the calf and the young lion and fatling together, and a little child shall lead them.
Think CelestialAt the Brother and Sister Black's Homecoming:
It doesn't make sense to us that a wolf and lamb, who are enemies, would live together, or that that a lopard would lay down with a young goat, but that's becuase we live in this world. The Lord wants us to think celestial! Even with a broken light switch, we shouldn't be satisfied or justify things by saying, well that's just the way it is in this world. We need to work to improve all aspects of our lives. Our relationships, our homes, our congregations to be like the Celestial kingdom. No need to be satisfied with a telestial world when heaven is what we are working towards.
Mortality is a master class in learning to choose the things of greatest eternal import. Far too many people live as though this life is all there is. However, your choices today will determine three things: where you will live throughout all eternity, the kind of body with which you will be resurrected, and those with whom you will live forever. So, think celestial.
- President Neleson
Think CelestialAt the Brother and Sister Black's Homecoming:
It doesn't make sense to us that a wolf and lamb, who are enemies, would live together, or that that a lopard would lay down with a young goat, but that's becuase we live in this world. The Lord wants us to think celestial! Even with a broken light switch, we shouldn't be satisfied or justify things by saying, well that's just the way it is in this world. We need to work to improve all aspects of our lives. Our relationships, our homes, our congregations to be like the Celestial kingdom. No need to be satisfied with a telestial world when heaven is what we are working towards.
Mortality is a master class in learning to choose the things of greatest eternal import. Far too many people live as though this life is all there is. However, your choices today will determine three things: where you will live throughout all eternity, the kind of body with which you will be resurrected, and those with whom you will live forever. So, think celestial.
- President Neleson
v.11 And it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people which shall be left, from Assyria...and from the islands of the sea.
That day is our day
"Set His Hand Again the Second Time”
Isaiah is using covenant language — God “setting His hand” means He’s actively intervening to redeem or restore His covenant people.
That’s a picture of a global gathering, not just a local return from Babylon.
Latter-day (Restoration) Fulfillment
In a Latter-day Saint context (and in much of Christian eschatology), “the second time” refers to the latter-day Restoration — when God again sets His hand to:
That day is our day
"Set His Hand Again the Second Time”
Isaiah is using covenant language — God “setting His hand” means He’s actively intervening to redeem or restore His covenant people.
- The first time was the Exodus — when the Lord delivered Israel out of Egypt.
- The second time points to another great gathering or deliverance of God’s people — one that surpasses the first in scale and permanence.
- The return from Babylonian exile(6th century BC).
That’s a picture of a global gathering, not just a local return from Babylon.
Latter-day (Restoration) Fulfillment
In a Latter-day Saint context (and in much of Christian eschatology), “the second time” refers to the latter-day Restoration — when God again sets His hand to:
- Gather scattered Israel spiritually and literally,
- Re-establish the covenant, and
- Bring the gospel to all nations before the Second Coming.
- 2 Nephi 21 : 11 (the Book of Mormon parallel of Isaiah 11 : 11),
- 3 Nephi 21 (Christ’s discourse on the gathering), and
- Modern prophecies describing missionary work, temple covenants, and the return of Israel’s scattered tribes.
v. 13 The envy of Ephraim also shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off; Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim.
No Envy in Zion
So “Ephraim” became shorthand for the Northern Kingdom, and “Judah” for the Southern Kingdom.
The “envy of Ephraim” means the ancient and symbolic jealousy, rivalry, and disunity among God’s covenant people— and Isaiah promises that in the day of gathering, that envy will finally disappear, and Ephraim and Judah (symbolizing all Israel) will be one in Christ.
Ezekial 37 speaks of this as well:
Ezekiel was a prophet of Judah living in Babylonian exile (around 590 BC).
In chapter 37, God shows him two great visions:
No Envy in Zion
So “Ephraim” became shorthand for the Northern Kingdom, and “Judah” for the Southern Kingdom.
- The “envy of Ephraim” refers to the rivalry and resentment that Ephraim (the north) held toward Judah (the south), particularly over leadership, temple authority, and covenant primacy.
- Conversely, Judah’s vexing of Ephraim refers to Judah’s pride or condescension toward Ephraim’s independence.
The “envy of Ephraim” means the ancient and symbolic jealousy, rivalry, and disunity among God’s covenant people— and Isaiah promises that in the day of gathering, that envy will finally disappear, and Ephraim and Judah (symbolizing all Israel) will be one in Christ.
Ezekial 37 speaks of this as well:
Ezekiel was a prophet of Judah living in Babylonian exile (around 590 BC).
In chapter 37, God shows him two great visions:
- The valley of dry bones (verses 1–14) — representing scattered Israel being brought back to life; and
- The two sticks (verses 15–28) — representing divided Israel being reunited.