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
