The Breaking of
the Yoke

Toward the end of his prophecy about the Assyrian attack and the resulting period of captivity, Isaiah concluded, "Therefore...O my people that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian...." (Isa. 10:24 = 2 Ne. 20:24; D&C 45:35.) Considering the awful situation that lies ahead of us, we might wonder why he would expect us not to be afraid. He continued, "for yet a very little while, and the indignation shall cease." (2 Ne. 20:25 = Isa. 10:25.) Daniel and John indicated that a "little while" will be three and a half years. (Dan. 7:25; Rev. 13:5.)⁽¹⁾ At the end of that time, Isaiah said the Assyrian will be destroyed. (2 Ne. 20:25 = Isa. 10:25.) The "burden" of the Assyrian "shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck...." (2 Ne. 20:27 = Isa. 10:27.)

Several prophecies state that when the House of Israel treads down the Gentiles, "none can deliver." (3 Ne. 21:12 = Micah 5:8; Ps. 50:22.) This suggests that overturning the global dictatorship that apparently will arise will require a miracle. The promises of the Lord are clear that he will bring his covenant people "again out of captivity," and "[bring] about his covenant and his gospel unto [them]." (1 Ne. 22:12,11.) At the same time, the prophecies declare that in order for this to happen, the Lord must "make bare his arm in the eyes of the nations." (22:11.) Indeed, "the redemption of Zion must needs come by power." (D&C 103:15.)

Lehite history presents an incredible parallel to this prophesied deliverance. In Helaman 4 the Lamanites had come upon the Nephites and gained a dangerous grip. The Nephites realized that "except they should cleave unto the Lord their God they must unavoidably perish." (Hel. 4:25.)

Chapter 5 gives an account of their deliverance. Three hundred Lamanites were converted in a prison because the Lord made his power manifest in a miraculous manner. (Hel. 5:49.) These converted Lamanites then became instrumental in persuading virtually the entire Lamanite nation of the truth. (5:50.) As a result, the Lamanites gave the Nephites their land back, and they become even more righteous than the Nephites. (6:1.) Therefore, not only were the Nephites released from the Lamanite's grip, but the Lamanite people were finally released from the bondage of their father's false traditions. (5:51,52.)

This prison experience seems to tie in--as if on purpose--to one of Isaiah's statements about the grand deliverance to come in our day. In explaining how the yoke of the Assyrian would be broken, Isaiah said that the Lord would "stir up a scourge for [the Assyrian] according to the slaughter of Midian...." (Isa. 10:26 = 2 Ne. 20:26.)

The "slaughter of Midian" is the story about Gideon taking a mere 300 men from the 32,000 available of the host of the children of Israel. After surrounding the Midianites at night, they showed their lanterns and blew their horns. This caused such great confusion among the multitudinous hosts of the Midianites that they began slaying one another.

The events leading up to the children of Israel's captivity under the Midianites resemble the events which will apparently lead up to the period of temporary bondage forthcoming in our day. In this biblical comparison (not to be confused with similar comparisons we have made with Lehite history), the children of Israel seem to match the latter-day Gentiles. They had done "evil in the sight of the Lord," so the Lord allowed the Midianites to "[encamp] against them...." (Judg. 6:1,4.) The Midianites "entered into the land to destroy it," and "the Lord delivered [the children of Israel] into the hand of Midian...." (6:5,1.) In conjunction with the period of bondage that followed, "Israel was greatly impoverished...." (6:6.) As a result of their humbling predicament, "the children of Israel cried unto the Lord" for assistance. (6:6.) It was then that the Lord called upon Gideon to deliver them.

Therefore, we have here three sources which enhance our understanding of what is to come in our day: (1) the Midianite experience, (2) the Lamanite prison experience, and (3) direct prophecy. Each source seems to supplement the other in a synergistic way.

They all speak of a servant of the Lord. In the prison experience, Nephi (and his brother Lehi) performed an important role. Nephi, like Gideon, was designated a "mighty man." (Hel. 10:5; compare Judg. 6:12.) In the latter days, because "the redemption of Zion must needs come by power," the Lord "will raise up...a man, who shall lead them like as Moses led the children of Israel." (D&C 103:15,16.)

Undeniable recognition of the Lord's involvement is another common thread. When the 300 Lamanite prisoners beheld miraculous things, Nephi and Lehi informed them, "...It is God that has shown unto you this marvelous thing...." (Hel. 5:26.) With Gideon, the Lord told him to reduce his army to only 300 because he didn't want the Israelites to "vaunt themselves against [him], saying, Mine own hand hath saved me." (Judg. 7:2.) (That 300 were involved in both the Midianite experience and the Lamanite prison experience greatly strengthens the likelihood that this parallel is intentional.) In the latter days, the Lord will lead us "out of bondage by power and with a stretched-out arm." (D&C 103:17.)

What might the circumstances be in the latter days when the Lord bursts the bonds which will have been upon his people? Isaiah 10 teaches us that when the Lord punishes the king of Assyria, "the light of Israel shall be for a fire, and his Holy One for a flame: and it shall burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day." (Isa. 10:17 = 2 Ne. 20:17.) Destruction of the enemy in one day is truly incredible. The children of Israel overthrew the Midianites, commencing at night and "[returning] from battle before the sun was up." (Judg. 7:9; 8:13.) The Book of Mormon prison experience probably only lasted a few hours.

Isaiah's above statement mentions the involvement of fire in this latter-day deliverance. Nephi (son of Lehi) said the Lord "will preserve the righteous by his power, even if it so be that the fullness of his wrath must come, and the righteous be preserved, even unto the destruction of their enemies by fire." (1 Ne. 22:17; 2 Ne. 30:10.) Similarly, at one point in the Lamanites' prison experience "they were encircled about, yea every soul, by a pillar of fire." (Hel. 5:34.) In this regard the Midianite experience does not hold a parallel. Isaiah 9, however, makes this distinction. Verse 4 says the Lord will break the "rod of [the covenant people's] oppressor, as in the day of Midian." (9:4.) The next verse then clarifies: "...But this shall be with burning and fuel of fire."

The fire spoken of in the Lamanite prison experience was not literal. It was descriptive of the heavenly manifestation that took place which resulted in the conversion of the 300 Lamanites. Referring to this experience, Christ said that these Lamanites were "baptiz[ed] with fire and with the Holy Ghost." (3 Ne. 9:20.) Apparently a conversion experience such as the Lamanites' will be repeated in the latter days, making this deliverance not only temporal but spiritual as well. The Lord has said that in the latter days when the remnant of Jacob "seeth...the work of mine hands, in the midst of [them], they shall sanctify my name, and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob...." (Isa. 29:23 = 2 Ne. 27:34.) Thus the statement that the righteous "shall be saved, even if it so be as by fire" probably means more than first meets the eye. (1 Ne. 22:17.)

Evidently, Christ will play an intimate role in this deliverance that will take place. He "shall be the peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our land...," said Micah. (Micah 5:5; Isa. 30:31.) Isaiah spoke of "The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace" immediately after he said that the yoke of the oppressor will be broken "as in the day of Midian." (Isa. 9:6,4 = 2 Ne. 19:6,4.)

Anciently as well, divine peace was bestowed in conjunction with deliverance. When the Lord gave Gideon the charge to deliver the children of Israel, he comforted him saying: "Peace be unto thee...." (Judg. 6:16.) Also, after the Lamanites were encircled about by pillars of fire, a voice was heard saying: "Peace, peace be unto you, because of your faith in my Well Beloved, who was from the foundation of the world." (Hel. 5:46,47.)

The wicked, on the other hand, do not fare as well. Regarding the latter-day deliverance, the Isaiah 9 prophecy states: "...Every battle of the warrior is with confused noise.... No man shall spare his brother." (Isa. 9:5,19 = 2 Ne. 29:5,19.) This resembles the ancient "slaughter of Midian" in which the confused Midianites slayed one another. (Judg. 7:22.) This seems to illuminate the prophecies that say the Lord "will feed [the oppressor] with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood as with sweet wine...." (1 Ne. 21:26 = Isa. 49:26.) In Book of Mormon history as well, the time came when those who "would not hearken" to the word of God began to "slay one another with the sword." (Hel. 10:18.)

The outcomes of the Midianite ordeal, the Lamanite prison experience, and the deliverance prophesied for our day all seem be the same. They could be summarized by the proclamation, "...Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered.... And all flesh shall know that I, the Lord, am thy Savior and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob." (1 Ne. 21:26,25 = Isa. 49:26,25.)