Can anyone explain this scripture?

Question

Isaiah 29: 4, 11-14.

4 And thou shalt be brought down, and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust.


11 And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed:

12 and the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned.

13 ¶ Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honor me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:

14 therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the un

I have my own understanding. I just want to see how others interpret it.

Answer 1

It is referring to the Book of Mormon, which scripture would be brought forth in the latter days. This book has been brought forth by the power and mercy of God.

The Book after being translated by Joseph Smith, was delivered unto a scholar for verification of translation. This Professor Anton, indeed found it to be translated correctly and wished to see the book. However, the original had been sealed up and taken by the angel who delivered the book to Joseph. Hence, He said, it is sealed.

Joseph Smith also was humble and when told to do this work, he said I cannot for I am not learned.

The Lord assured Joseph that he could. He told Joseph there were many religions that would speak of the ways of God with their mouths, but their hearts and actions didn't agree with Gods will.

God proceeded to bring forth the Book of Mormon, also known as the stick of Ephraim, this book along with all the books of the bible, known as the stick of Judah were brought together, as a second witness that Jesus is the Christ and Joseph Smith is a prophet in the latter-days.

This quote is prophecy which has been fulfilled. The book of Mormon is true. Jesus Christ has restored the fulness of his gospel through the Prophet Joseph Smith, all the Priesthood keys, ordinances, and privileges have been restored to the earth for the righteous to inherit.

Answer 2

God performs a "marvelous work and a wonder" by destroying wisdom and understanding.

The Mormons believe the "marvelous work and a wonder" is the Book of Mormon. They liked these passages so much they plegerized them and put them in thier Book of Mormon.

Isaiah 29:4 becomes 2 Nephi 26:16
Isaiah 29:11 becomes 2 Nephi 27:15-17
Isaiah 29:12 becomes 2 Nephi 27:19
Isaiah 29:13 becomes 2 Nephi 27:25-35
Isaiah 29:14 becomes 2 Nephi 27:26

Answer 3

Isaiah 29:4; Isaiah 29:11-14 (New Living Translation)
New Living Translation (NLT)
Isaiah 29:4

4 Your voice will whisper like a ghost from the earth where you will lie buried.

Isaiah 29:11-14

11 All these future events are a sealed book to them. When you give it to those who can read, they will say, "We can't read it because it is sealed." 12When you give it to those who cannot read, they will say, "Sorry, we don't know how to read."

13 And so the Lord says, "These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far away. And their worship of me amounts to nothing more than human laws learned by rote.[a] 14Because of this, I will do wonders among these hypocrites. I will show that human wisdom is foolish and even the most brilliant people lack understanding."

Footnotes:

Isaiah 29:13 Greek version reads Their worship is a farce, for they merely teach human commands and teachings.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers.

Answer 4

Well, I believe it is generally about needing a relationship with God. No one will fully understand the words of truth with their mind only, they will need faith and a personal relationship with God. As far as the sealed book part, it reminds me of the book of Revelation chapter 5 were the book was sealed and only Jesus Christ was able to open the seals. Basically, Jesus is the one and only way to the father., and yes even the prophet Isaiah knew that before Jesus was born. He also referenced this in Isaiah 9:6. The first part of this question (chap 29:4) confirms that Jesus will be made of the Earth, like man, but be filled with the Holy Spirit and he will be familiar to all. This is my interpretation of these verses and I believe it to be accurate, as I too am filled with the Holy Spirit that teaches me all things.

Answer 5

Isaiah 29: 4 - This is fulfilled for Judah and Jerusalem in 607 B.C.E. when the Babylonian army besieges and destroys the city and burns the temple. Jerusalem is brought down as low as the ground on which she was built.

Isaiah 29:11,12 - Judah’s religious leaders profess to be spiritually discreet, but they have left God. They teach instead their own twisted ideas of right and wrong, justifying their faithless and immoral activities and their leading the people into God’s disfavor.

Isaiah 29:13, 14 - Judah’s self-styled wisdom and understanding will perish when god maneuvers things for her entire apostate religious system to be wiped out by the Babylonian World Power.

Answer 6

This is my interpetation of the scriptures you asked about. The 29th chapter of Isaiah is speaking about the condition of the faithfulness of Israel. The 4th verse the prophet is telling Israel that their crys to God will be no more than that of a ghost, or a person who is dead and buried. When Isaiah speaks in verses 11-14 he is telling the religious leaders, who should have been able to understand the things that would come upon Israel, that their understanding will be cut off. Though there were learned and educated men who should be able to read and interpet the laws and word of God, that because of their spiritual state, they will not be able to comprehend what is written, and the common man cannot read in order to comprehend. The 13th verse seems to echo what Christ said in the New Testament about the Pharisees. Outwardly they seemed clean, but in truth they were no more than whitewashed tombs full of bones. Corruption. Isaiah condemns the false repentence that was rampant in Israel during this time period, and they follow and hold the laws of God, not out of true worship, but just because they have heard them. Hearing, but not truely understanding, because they are not worshiping God in spirit and in truth, but outwardly. The 14th verse tells about God's plan to show Israel signs and wonders, to show the hypocrits that all of the knowledge they claim to possess is only foolish, human wisdom and that with all of their knowledge, even the most brilliant people did not understand Gods laws in the ways He intended. I think that overall these scriptures are God telling the Isralites through Isaiah what the true state of Israel was. Empty, outward worship, not a true love and spiritual worship of God. As I said, this is my interpetation. These scriptures that you asked about remind me of what the church as a whole is facing today.- (spell check is down right now, hope I didn't miss anything)

Answer 7

Yep I am sure Isaiah could.

verse 4 You be on your belly on the ground talking with the dust kicking up.

verses 11-14 what I showed you is for the end of the age at that time I will reveal it to wise men.

Answer 8

To follow up on Angels comment, about "the learned man," this exact thing happened. Joseph Smith copied down some of the Characters and their translating from the Book of Mormon and gave them to Martin Harris. Martin Harris tells the following story:

“I went to the city of New York, and presented the characters which had been translated, with the translation thereof, to Professor Charles Anthon, a gentleman celebrated for his literary attainments. Professor Anthon stated that the translation was correct, more so than any he had before seen translated from the Egyptian. I then showed him those which were not yet translated, and he said that they were Egyptian, Chaldaic, Assyriac, and Arabic; and he said they were true characters. He gave me a certificate, certifying to the people of Palmyra that they were true characters, and that the translation of such of them as had been translated was also correct. I took the certificate and put it into my pocket, and was just leaving the house, when Mr. Anthon called me back, and asked me how the young man found out that there were gold plates in the place where he found them. I answered that an angel of God had revealed it unto him.
“He then said to me, ‘Let me see that certificate.’ I accordingly took it out of my pocket and gave it to him, when he took it and tore it to pieces, saying that there was no such thing now as ministering of angels, and that if I would bring the plates to him he would translate them. I informed him that part of the plates were bsealed, and that I was forbidden to bring them. He replied, ‘I cannot read a sealed book.’ I left him and went to Dr. Mitchell, who sanctioned what Professor Anthon had said respecting both the characters and the translation.”

Answer 9

Dear lovin' life: I will do my all to take you through this:

4. Isaiah speaks, I believe, of the Separation. Out of the heavens - our Home as Spirit in God's likeness - we have separated ourselves. We have brought ourselves down. Our speech (our thoughts) are low like out of the dust - but familiar to us for we share the physical experience. We whisper out of the dust - from which we imagine ourselves to be made. The clay from which we have been fashioned.

11. Your inner vision of being the All - is now to you as a book that has been sealed. A brother will be asked to tell you of its contents, but cannot - successfully - for the Children of God have Agreed to make this physical life as if it were real. Your brother cannot speak to you of what is in the knowledge of your soul - for it is sealed by agreement.

12. Sometimes, the book is delivered to those not well schooled (in the ways of the physical world (they have some focus on their Reality) but, even those will say "I cannot read it" with an excuse, for the breaking of the agreement is fearful.

13. Then the words of Isaiah which became the more well-known words of Jesus, who came later, and was schooled in Isaiah, " This people draw near me with their mouth and with their lips do honor me. . ." They speak the words of truth but do not live from it (He used that upon the Pharisees). Isaiah speaks then of the fear of God due to the Separation. "The Lord said. . .their fear toward me is taught. . . [by one generation to the next.]"

14. Then Isaiah prophesizes that God will do a wonderous work amongst His Children. It will be Jesus. Jesus shall break down the "wisdom" of their wise men (priests) and re-install Knowledge of Themselves.

Answer 10

Point #1: Do not read only the King James Version.
Get yourself a modern English Version ...its easier to follow.

Isaiah was sent as God's spokesman to unfaithful Israel to warn them to stop practicing religious traditions that God does not accept.
They learned these traditions from neighboring nations.
Verse 4:
God is warning them a calamity is approaching, a calamity caused by him.
They will seek to hide themselves "deep in the earth" ...possibly in caves and they will call out for help in a weak, timid voice due to their great fear.
Verses 11 - 14:
He is telling Israel that the warning through Isaiah is like a 'sealed letter'.
They can't, or won't, understand it ....since they think they are so righteous. Pride, you know.
God brings to their attention WHY He is about to cause calamity in the land.
They are hypocrites.
They say: "Yes. Yes. God!"
But their practices are practices God hates.
So, he repeats that he will bring on events that will shock Israel into attention.