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"In That Day," 2 Nephi 14

2 Nephi 14

Vs. 1 - "And in that day" - the millennial day, immediately after the daughters of Zion have been abased of all their worldliness.
"Seven woman shall take hold of one man " - there is a footnote in the Isaiah version of this verse which suggests this is because there will be few men left due to war. A suggestion that perhaps a practice of polygamy will be reinstated.
"We will eat our own bread and wear our own apparel;" - Such women will be very industrious and capable of providing for their own needs.
"Only let us be called by thy name to take away our reproach." - Again another footnote from the Isaiah version on the word "reproach" suggest that this reproach is caused from being unmarried and without children.

In a millennial day, when social perceptions will not be as they are now, it is interesting to consider how for a woman it would be a greater reproach to be childless and unmarried than to be a part of a polygamous agreement. To have the capacity to bear children, but being unable to because of marital status according to the laws of God, will seem to have greater weight on their minds. The burden of being unable to fulfill one of their God-given mandates to rear and raise children is real to them.

Vs. 2 - "In that day" - the millennial day.
"shall the branch of the Lord be glorious and beautiful" - this is referring to the people of God that shall come forth. In Spanish, the word for "branch" is "sprout", suggesting new growth. That actually changes the meaning of this verse to suggest that after the destruction that shall come upon the daughters of Zion, the new growth or perhaps the children that are born afterward will be "glorious and beautiful".
"The fruit of the earth excellent and comely" - Perhaps this has reference to the end of the curse which God placed upon Adam and Eve, wherein he cursed the ground with plants that would produce thorns and weeds. This is mere speculation, as I am not familiar with such a prophecy otherwise.
"To them that are escaped of Israel" - In Spanish, this literally translates to "to them of Israel who have escaped". There is a footnote on "escaped" in the Isaiah version, which also suggests that it is not saying that they are escaped from Israel. Instead, they belong to the house of Israel and they have escaped some great captivity, probably that of the world and sin.
Another verse in Isaiah explains this well, "...and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth," (Isa 10:2).

Vs. 3 - "And it shall come to pass" - Future tense, prophetic assurance of events that will happen.
"They that are left in Zion and remain in Jerusalem" - Footnote on "left" says that this is when the righteous will shine forth "as sun in the kingdom of their Father," (Matt 13:43).
"Shall be called holy" - Those that remain are pure and clean in the cities of God.
"every one that is written upon the living in Jerusalem--" - This suggests that the wicked have died or been destroyed.

Vs. 4 - "When the Lord shall have washed away the filth" - Only the Lord can truly cleanse from sin. Forgiveness is ultimately His and His alone to give. It's the finery and ornaments of this world that the Lord considers to be "filth". These things will be replaced in a cleansing and humbling, yet purifying, process.
"the daughter of Zion" - again a reminder that this cleansing will come upon the "daughters" who will not be destroyed, but will be cleansed.
"And shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem" - cleansing of Jerusalem will be done by the Lord at that day.
"From the midst there of" - Suggesting that everything surrounding Jerusalem is wickedness.
"By the spirit of judgment" - The Lord is both merciful and just. Here at the end of times and at the beginning of the Millennium, judgment is executed.
"and by the spirit of burning" - "For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch," (Mal 4:1).

Vs. 5 - "And the Lord will create" - Footnote on "Lord" explains in more plain detail how it is the the Lord will become a literal light to the people. This also reminds me that the Lord is He who creates, or in otherwords, He is the source of our blessings.
"Upon every dwelling place of Mount Zion" - The residences of those that live in Zion in the Millennium.
"And upon her assemblies" - Church houses, synagogues, any gathering place in Zion.
"A cloud and smoke by day" - There is a diffusion of the harsh daylight sun that will be replaced by the Lord with a cloud for shade. The footnote on "cloud" references when the Lord was as a cloud to the children of Israel when they fled Egypt under Moses's direction (see Ex. 13:21).
"and the shining of flaming fire by night" - Darkness will exist no more, even when the sun goes down. Again, this is like unto the Exodus when the Lord led them by a pillar of fire in the night.
"For upon all the glory of Zion shall be a defence." Jesus Christ himself is the glory of Zion. That glory, His glory, will be a defence to the righteous against all evil.

Vs. 6 - "For there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat" - The verse suggests that there is need of such a protection.
"and for a place of refuge, and a covert from storm and from rain" - A footnote on "refuge" suggests that this is speaking symbolically of the challenges and opposition that the adversary would wage against us. In Zion, there is protection from the harshness of the elements of the world.

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