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.
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.
Moses is characterized as a hard-working man who is very kind and intimate with nature. He is the last worker out in the fields on many days and he is extremely comfortable outside in nature. In Edward P. Jones’ excerpt from The Known World, the character of Moses is developed through the imagery that is used, the third person point of view, and the details that Jones chooses to use.
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.
I feel that this story is very important concerning the history of the struggles that Jews have faced and overcome. Although, the joke at the beginning of this paper obviously seems to mock the story of Moses and the burning bush, the fact that the story is still remembered today and understood by the masses that it only further depicts the story’s vital significance to the Jewish religion. I see the joke as only a continued remembrance of the Prophet Moses and his struggles for Israel.
...out to sacrifice his son, “He reached for the knife to slay his son, but the angel of the lord called to him from the heaven, ‘Abraham! Abraham!’” (Genesis 22:10-11) moves along and never leaves the reader without fully completing the cycle of suspense. The Odyssey requires extensive patience making it less desirable to the reader and the effective method of suspense and brevity in extremely appreciated in The Bible.
Collins, John J. A Short Introduction to the Hebrew Scriptures. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2007.
At first glance, Flannery O’Connor’s short story, “The Turkey”, appears to be no more than a fictional account of a young boy’s struggles as he attempts to catch a lame turkey and the events that follow his capture of it. However, upon closer and more thoughtful inspection of the story, especially Ruller’s constant soliloquy, it is easy to see how O’Connor could have written “The Turkey” to be a biblical allegory. The actions and reactions of Ruller, an eleven year old boy who serves as the main character, resemble those of the Israelites throughout the Bible, especially those in the books of Deuteronomy, Joshua, and Judges. Through Ruller, we see the reoccurring reactions of the Bible’s people as God blesses and curses them.
Arragel, Moses, A. Paz Y Meliá, Julián Paz, and Alba, Jacobo Stuart Fitz-James Y Falcó. Bible (Old Testament). Madrid: Priv. Print. for Presentation to the Members of the Roxburghe Club, 1918. Print.
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.
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.
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
The book of Hebrews is a unique portion of the Bible because it is written as though it were a letter, directed at people the writer may have known. However, the book targets a seemingly broad audience of those without faith and also those that could be described as believers that have experienced persecution. A salient message within Hebrews is that people must persevere when they feel persecuted because Jesus Christ is their salvation, regardless of anything else that is happening in the people’s lives. An emphasis on the greatness of Jesus and his role as a mediator between God and those on Earth is dominant throughout the chapters and verses.
Surveying the Old Testament reveals the theme of God’s faithfulness to his people. In light of this understanding, the restoration of the Israelites prophesized in the Old Testament is essentially the fulfillment of every covenant with God. This perspective relates to the work of Christ and encourages any follower of God to trust in his faithfulness.
“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...
Carson, D, & Moo, D. (2005) An introduction to the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.