THE SECOND GATE: FIRE
Towards the end of Nephi’s life, he
added an element to Nephi/Lehi’s vision, a gate.[1]
This gate was at the start of the strait and narrow path.[2]
While this gate may have originally been in the vision and both he, and Lehi,
mistakenly omitted it from their writings, or whether it is a prophetic
addendum is hard to know? However, there is a second “gate,” of sorts, which
does appear in Nephi’s vision. While not explicitly labeled a gate, it acts
like a gate- to prevent unwanted things from entering a certain space.
In chapter 15 of 1 Nephi, Nephi
includes a dialogue between him and his brothers. The brothers were discussing
the vision that their father had revealed to them the other night. The
discussions appeared to be argumentative because the brothers were disputing
about the things Lehi taught. Nephi intervened and began a question and answer
type discussion where he expounded upon Lehi’s vision. Here is the relevant
dialogue to our discussion about the second gate:
26- “What meaneth the
river of water which our father saw?”
27-
“And is said unto them that the water which my father saw was filthiness; and
so much was his mind swallowed up in other things that he beheld not the
filthiness of the water.”
28-“And I said unto
them that it was an awful gulf, which separated the wicked from the tree of
life, and also from the saints of God.”
29- “And I said unto
them that it was a representation of that awful hell, which the angel said unto
me was prepared for the wicked.”
30- “And I said unto
them that our father also saw that the justice of God did also divide the
wicked from the righteous; and the brightness thereof was like unto the
brightness of a flaming fire, which ascendeth up unto God forever and ever, and
hath no end.”[3]
It is clear
that Nephi is referring in verse 27 to the “river of water” that Lehi saw.[4]
Nephi informs us that the water in Lehi’s vision was filthy.[5]
Nephi is more explicit in informing the reader that one of the characteristics
of this filthy river is to separate, or divide, the wicked from the tree of
life (and by reference, those who are at the tree of life).[6]
He further tells us that this gulf of filthy water is a representation of hell,
which is prepared for the wicked.[7]
It’s after this point that Nephi seems to change his discussion to something
that wasn’t the gulf of water.
Nephi says that Lehi saw that the “justice
of God” divided the wicked from the righteous.[8]
Now, there is no reference in Lehi’s vision, as Nephi has recorded it, to a
reference to the “justice of God.” This begs the question, did Nephi leave out
details that Lehi taught? The answer seems to be yes. Nephi states that his
father taught that the justice of God divide the righteous from the wicked.
What we can infer from this statement is that there was some symbol in Lehi’s
vision that Nephi did not include in his writings that Lehi taught, the justice
of God.
Nephi makes sure that we understand
that the justice of God described in verse 30 is not the same as the gulf of
filthy water in the preceding verses. First, Nephi uses the keyword “also.” The
use of “also” suggests that Nephi is shifting to a new element. The first use
of , “Also” could be read as, “in addition to the gulf of filthy water, Lehi
saw that the justice of God did divide. . .”
Nephi not only uses it to preface
the justice of God, but he also uses it to preface one of the traits of the
justice of god, that is also divides the wicked from the righteous. The second “also”
could be read as, “the justice of God did divide the wicked from the righteous,
like the gulf of filthy water.”
The description of the justice of
God further evidences that it is separate and distinct from gulf of filthy
water. Nephi had just barely finished telling his brother how filthy the water
is. When he turns his brothers attention to the justice of God he describes the
justice of God in a completely different way. Nephi describes the justice of
God “like unto the brightness of a flaming fire, which ascendeth up unto God
forever and ever, and hath no end.”[9]
This description cannot be reconciled with filthiness. “Fire,” “Brightness,” “Ascendth
up unto God,” are words that seemingly describe heaven, not hell. As such, the
description of the justice of God seems to be a clear marker that it stands
separated and apart from the gulf of filthy water.
This argument becomes a bit muddy[10]when
we look at 1 Nephi 12:18. In this verse, it appears that Nephi is saying that
the “terrible gulf” and the “justice of God” are one-in-the-same.[11]
First, we do not know that the terrible gulf refers to the filthy water.[12]
Second, the “word of the justice of the Eternal God” is probably not what the
original text said. The original manuscript has “sword of justice” instead of “word
of justice.”[13]
In light of the Garden of Eden themes that are found throughout the vision, it
conjures up images of the cherubim and the flaming sword.[14]
And angels sent by God are never referred to as filthy.[15]
We could further says that Nephi refers to the “word of the justice of God,” not
the “justice of God,” thus adding a distinction, a different result of the
justice of God? Though this verse creates the argument that the justice of God
and gulf are the same thing, I think 1 Nephi 15:30 makes it very clear that
they are not.
The brightness, like fire, is a new
element that creates a barrier another gate that one must walk through in order
to get to the tree. Nephi tells us that the gulf of filthy water separated the
wicked from the tree of life.[16]
In context, the brightness of the justice of God appears to come after the, or
at the earliest simultaneously with, the gulf of filthy water.[17]
This suggests that the brightness also protects the tree of life.[18]
A separation is caused by a barrier, like a gate. Because the brightness of the
justice of God divides the wicked from the righteous a barrier must be created
between the righteous the wicked. In the context of Lehi’s vision, it would
appear, like the first gate, this is a barrier that the righteous have to go
through, a barrier that the wicked are not able to cross.[19]
For lack of a better term, we will refer to this barrier as another gate, a
fiery gate.[20]
[1] see 2nd Nephi: An Addendum
[2] 2 Nephi 31:18
[3] 1 Nephi 15:26-30
[4] 1 Nephi 8:13, 26
[5] However, he fails to
inform us if this water is always filthy because there appears to be two
different rivers, or at least two different points on the river: one that is
filthy, and the other that is pure.
[6] 1 Nephi 15:18; cf., 1
Nephi 8:26. In 1 Nephi 8:26 we can easily see how the water separated the people.
While Lehi was at the tree he saw a great and spacious building that was on the
“other side of the river of water.” The phrase “other side” suggests that the
river separated those at the tree from those in the great and spacious
building.
[7] 1 Nephi 15:29
[8] 1 Nephi 8:30
[9] Id.
[10] Pardon the pun
[11] see “yea, even” in 1
Nephi 12:18; cf. with its use in 1 Nephi 12:16. It appears that “yea even” is
like an exclamation to draw our attention to, or emphasize the same thing
[12] However, Nephi only uses
it in context of the filthy water, though in this particular verse he does not
say gulf of water
[13] Royal Skousen, Analysis of Textual Variants of the Book of
Mormon Part One: 1Nephi-2 Nephi 10, F.A.R.M.S, pgs. 257-258.
[14] Moses 4:31; Genesis 3:24
[15] Perhaps the filthy water
and the brightness are not the word of justice itself, by a result of the
division?
[16] 1 Nephi 15:28
[17] This relation would also
destroy the argument that the gate that Nephi references in 2 Nephi 31 is this
same gate because 2 Nephi 31’s gate appears at the start of the journey, this
second gate appears that the end-the moment before one approaches the tree.
[18] Again, this conjures up
images of the cherubim[s] and a flaming sword that protected the tree of life
[19] Malachi 3:2
[20] We will discuss
explanations/applications/implications of this barrier in relation to Lehi’s
vision later.
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