1 Nephi 22: 6

6 Nevertheless, after they shall be nursed by the Gentiles, and the Lord has lifted up his hand upon the Gentiles and set them up for a standard, and their children have been carried in their arms, and their daughters have been carried upon their shoulders, behold these things of which are spoken are temporal; for thus are the covenants of the Lord with our fathers; and it meaneth us in the days to come, and also all our brethren who are of the house of Israel.

Although a spiritual type can be drawn from the scattering and gathering of Israel, Nephi is going to focus more on the literal, or temporal gathering. And according to scripture this gathering will be just as literal or temporal as the scattering was. And one of the main points Nephi seems to be trying to make with his brethren is that this gathering will include them, or rather their descendants.

As I have noted before, the irony of Israel depending on the Gentiles for this gathering is humbling. In the early days of Abraham’s covenant the people were not allowed to intermarry with gentiles because it would influence and corrupt the covenant relationship with God. Over time the Jews, in their pride, came to see that command as an indication that they were superior and couldn’t mix with “lower” societies, races, or people. They took pride in their religion and heritage, not thinking that the covenant is only as strong as their success in keeping true to it (see D&C 82: 10). They took great pride in their blood link to Abraham, and probably never considered that “God [was] able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham” (Luke 3: 8). Christ pointed out to the scribes and Pharisees that, “If [they] were Abraham’s children, [they] would do the works of Abraham” (John 8: 39). Once again this points more to the covenant than to the bloodline. So in the latter days, “as many of the Gentiles as will repent are the covenant people of the Lord; and as many of the Jews as will not repent shall be cast off” (2 Nephi 30: 2). In the end we are all of the same bloodline anyway: God’s. We are all His children, so the only real and/or significant thing that separates us at least eternally is the covenant.

So these Gentiles who the Jews came to look down upon as unclean (remember Peter needed a direct revelation from God before he would consider sharing the gospel with a gentile (see Acts 10)) would become covenant people with God and would “nurse” and carry the Jews back to the God they rejected. I just find the whole prophecy ironic and fascinating.

• 1 Nephi 15: 13
• 1 Nephi 21: 23
• 2 Nephi 30: 3 (1–7)

1 Nephi 22: 5

5 And since they have been led away, these things have been prophesied concerning them, and also concerning all those who shall hereafter be scattered and be confounded, because of the Holy One of Israel; for against him will they harden their hearts; wherefore, they shall be scattered among all nations and shall be hated of all men.

I suppose there have been many reasons over the generations that people have given for hating the Jews. Some are jealous of their strong national identity, no matter what country they are citizens of. It gives the impression that they are more loyal to their blood than they are to their country. Some people probably take exception to that display of “tribe identity” over “national identity.” So-called Christians over the years have used the excuse to persecute the Jews that they crucified Jesus Christ, which is also true. And for that one the Jews really have no one to blame but themselves (see Matthew 27: 25). Ultimately the reason comes down to the fact that they (the Jews) hardened their hearts against the Holy One of Israel. They broke their covenants, and in their pride have passed that attitude and broken covenant condition down from generation to generation. This is the physical manifestation of the prophecies on the scattering and gathering of Israel. The spiritual meaning could include a comparison to the Plan of Salvation. By virtue of our being born to this world we know that we entered into an agreement (covenant) to return to Heavenly Father. In this life we break that agreement all too frequently through sin. Yet in the end the Atonement will gather us in to our own “Promised Land.”

• Luke 23: 28–31
• 1 Nephi 19: 14

1 Nephi 22: 4

4 And behold, there are many who are already lost from the knowledge of those who are at Jerusalem. Yea, the more part of all the tribes have been led away; and they are scattered to and fro upon the isles of the sea; and whither they are none of us knoweth, save that we know that they have been led away.

Nephi clearly considers the land his family has been led to one of the “isles of the sea.” I suppose anything that is not the homeland, or the original Promised Land must have been considered to be an isle, and where they crossed the ocean to get there, it must have been an isle of the sea. It is also possible that Nephi didn’t realize how vast a landmass it was that they had inherited.

Regardless of that, he is still answering his brothers’ question of whether this is a spiritual or temporal prophecy. He has already explained that all prophecy is spiritual by definition, and now he gives evidence that it is also temporal. He cites some history that they are no doubt familiar with, which is the conquering and subsequent scattering of the Northern Kingdom by Assyria over 100 years prior to this. Nephi is pointing out to them that that was part of the fulfillment of this prophecy about the scattering of Israel. Just because the Lord uses natural means or other humans to accomplish His purposes does not make them any less valid as prophecy fulfillment. However, when you are in the middle of that fulfillment it is often difficult to identify it as such, especially when you don’t totally buy in to the prophecies in the first place. How many people look at what is happening in the world now and do not see signs of the times and fulfillment of prophecy?

One interesting side note to this verse is that while “none of us knoweth” where the “more part of all the tribes” have been led to, apparently they don’t know either. Regardless of how scattered the Jews have been over the generations, they have staunchly maintained their identity as Jews. Not so much the other tribes from the Northern Kingdom. Apparently they don’t know their heritage to this day. Their time will come, however, as Isaiah’s prophecy states. It’s just a matter of time. It does make me wonder, though, how the Northern Kingdom lost their identity and the Jews did not.

• Isaiah 51: 5
• Zechariah 2: 6
• 2 Nephi 10: 8 (8, 20)
• 2 Nephi 10: 22

1 Nephi 22: 3

3 Wherefore, the things of which I have read are things pertaining to things both temporal and spiritual; for it appears that the house of Israel, sooner or later, will be scattered upon all the face of the earth, and also among all nations.

We learn in the Doctrine and Covenants that all things are spiritual to the Lord, and He has never given a law that was temporal (see D&C 29:34). This could easily carry over to prophecies as well as laws. In verse two Nephi says that if nothing else, because the Spirit gave these prophecies they are spiritual. Then he goes on to say that these prophecies of Isaiah are both temporal and spiritual. He’s telling his brethren that this scattering of Israel will be an actual, physical scattering. I wonder if it’s beginning to hit them that even if they had not left Jerusalem it wouldn’t be too long before they lost their inheritances. I wonder if it was finally getting through to them that they were better off in this new, Promised Land, instead of back in Jerusalem where they would have lost everything. Is that why they asked whether this was a spiritual or temporal scattering? It’s interesting that although Laman and Lemuel still have a problem with Nephi, there is no more record of them complaining about leaving Jerusalem. Now they complain about things to do with jealousy, directed at Nephi (see 2 Nephi 5: 3). So I wonder if it is finally sinking in that they are better off.

For Nephi’s part, I think this scattering of Israel had a profound effect on him because he was keenly aware that his family was literally a part of that scattering. They were being scattered, and he recognized that fact. He and his brother, Jacob, revisit this topic later in 2 Nephi. Clearly there is some connection between the scattering and gathering of Israel, and the Atonement of Christ. I think he possibly sees the scattering and gathering of Israel as a type for the fall of man through Adam’s transgression, and the Atonement through Christ’s sacrifice. Scattering = Fall; Gathering = Atonement. That would definitely account for these prophecies being both spiritual and temporal.

• 1 Nephi 10: 12 (12–14)
• 2 Nephi 25: 15 (14–16)
• D&C 29: 34 (31–34)

1 Nephi 22: 2

2 And I, Nephi, said unto them: Behold they were manifest unto the prophet by the voice of the Spirit; for by the Spirit are all things made known unto the prophets, which shall come upon the children of men according to the flesh.

The Spirit of God, or the Holy Ghost, is the key to all revelation from God. He is the revealer, the testifier, and in some cases the protector. By that I mean protection from too spiritual an experience normally, as in the case of a personal visitation from the other members of the Godhead (see Moses 1: 11 for example). At other times being filled with the Spirit of God is so exhausting as to render a person without strength (see 1 Nephi 17: 4–7, and Joseph Smith-History 1: 20).

So Nephi is telling his brethren that all revelation is spiritual on one level or another, because it comes from the Spirit. This is how God works, and even if we receive the word or some message from God through one of His earthly servants, such as a prophet or other priesthood leader, the Spirit is what carries that message to our hearts or convictions. One of the things the Spirit reveals is what will “come upon the children of men according to the flesh.” So just because the revelations are spiritual does not mean they are confined to only the spiritual realm. They can apply to the temporal as well.

• Numbers 11: 29
• Amos 3: 7