Once bitten by serpent, they didn't return to the middle part to the rod of iron, then the poison of serpent would be going to work.
When the poison start to work, like Nephi told us, "For behold, at that day shall he rage in the hearts of the hildren of men, and stir them up to anger against that which is good. And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell"(2Nephi 28:20-21)
"And behold, others he flattereth away, and telleth them there is no hell; and he saith unto them: I am no devil, for there is none—and thus he whispereth in their ears, until he grasps them with his awful chains, from whence there is no deliverance"(2Nephi 28:22)
When the subtle serpent hides himself behind human weakness, people hardly tell that they were influenced by the serpent. The following oracle drawing is shown that the serpent hid himself behind human weakness and disguised his head with being invisible.
Next oracle symbolized, "until he grasps them with his awful chains, from whence there is no deliverance" (2Nephi 28:22). This Chinese character have several meanings: 1) light turning into darkness gradually; 2) Incivilized people; 3)death execution.
There are verses in the Book of Mormon corresponded to these meanings.
1. light turning into darkness gradually(the meaning from ancient Chinese Book of Yi Jing)
“And they that will harden their hearts, to them is given the lesser portion of the word until they know nothing concerning his mysteries; and then they are taken captive by the devil, and led by his will down to destruction. Now this is what is meant by the chains of hell”(Alma 12:11).
2. Incivilized people
“And thus we can plainly discern, that after a people have been once enlightened by the Spirit of God, and have had great knowledge of things pertaining to righteousness, and then have fallen away into sin and transgression, they become more hardened, and thus their state becomes worse than though they had never known these things”(Alma 24:30).
“O my beloved son, how can a people like this, that are without civilization—
(And only a few years have passed away, and they were a civil and a delightsome people). But O my son, how can a people like this, whose delight is in so much abomination—”(Moroni 9:11-13).
3. death execution
“Yea, they are grasped with death, and hell; and death, and hell, and the devil, and all that have been seized therewith must stand before the throne of God, and be judged according to their works, from whence they must go into the place prepared for them, even a lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment” (2Nephi 28:23).
Avoiding being bitten by serpent, we shouldn't go away from the strait and narrow path, "continually holding fast to the rod of iron"(1Nephi 8:30), and foot steps following, until we could reach the tree of life.
There was an ancient Chinese drawing shown this meaning, "holding fast to the rod of iron", and footsteps following until to the tree of life.
It symbolized "victory, overcome, and shortcut".
posted by yen-ku hsu @ 6:35 PM
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