Comments on: How old was Isaac when he was taken to Mt. Moriah by Abraham? http://www.millennialstar.org/how-old-was-isaac-when-he-was-taken-to-mt-moriah-by-abraham/ Thu, 09 Sep 2010 16:42:14 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Clark Goble http://www.millennialstar.org/how-old-was-isaac-when-he-was-taken-to-mt-moriah-by-abraham/comment-page-1/#comment-46300 Clark Goble Mon, 15 Mar 2010 18:45:59 +0000 http://www.millennialstar.org/?p=5072#comment-46300 Nibley makes a bit deal of this in his old Improvement Era series on Abraham. He points out this idea that the sacrifice was actually a test of Isaac rather than Abraham has lots of support in ancient texts. (Of course those texts are themselves hardly authoritative to Mormons and still written centuries if not millennia after the events in question) Nibley makes a bit deal of this in his old Improvement Era series on Abraham. He points out this idea that the sacrifice was actually a test of Isaac rather than Abraham has lots of support in ancient texts. (Of course those texts are themselves hardly authoritative to Mormons and still written centuries if not millennia after the events in question)

]]> By: Bruce Nielson http://www.millennialstar.org/how-old-was-isaac-when-he-was-taken-to-mt-moriah-by-abraham/comment-page-1/#comment-46299 Bruce Nielson Mon, 15 Mar 2010 17:35:52 +0000 http://www.millennialstar.org/?p=5072#comment-46299 "and that the almost-sacrifice took place on the hill later to be known as Calvary." I've never heard this before. Interesting thought Books. “and that the almost-sacrifice took place on the hill later to be known as Calvary.”

I’ve never heard this before. Interesting thought Books.

]]> By: Bill Stebbing http://www.millennialstar.org/how-old-was-isaac-when-he-was-taken-to-mt-moriah-by-abraham/comment-page-1/#comment-46253 Bill Stebbing Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:15:27 +0000 http://www.millennialstar.org/?p=5072#comment-46253 What a spiritual experience for both father and son! Wow! We must also remember that our culture and history is different than theirs. Things were different. I don't think they had so called 'teenagers'. I think that is a term than popped up in the last 50-60 years. What a spiritual experience for both father and son! Wow!
We must also remember that our culture and history is different than theirs. Things were different. I don’t think they had so called ‘teenagers’. I think that is a term than popped up in the last 50-60 years.

]]> By: Geoff B. http://www.millennialstar.org/how-old-was-isaac-when-he-was-taken-to-mt-moriah-by-abraham/comment-page-1/#comment-46194 Geoff B. Mon, 08 Mar 2010 23:45:26 +0000 http://www.millennialstar.org/?p=5072#comment-46194 Deep stuff, Book. Thanks. Deep stuff, Book. Thanks.

]]> By: Rameumptom http://www.millennialstar.org/how-old-was-isaac-when-he-was-taken-to-mt-moriah-by-abraham/comment-page-1/#comment-46191 Rameumptom Mon, 08 Mar 2010 21:23:10 +0000 http://www.millennialstar.org/?p=5072#comment-46191 I don't have them handy, but either the Book of Jasher or the book of Jubilees has Isaac as being 30 years of age. That is the legal age for being a rabbi in Judaism. Also, it was about the same age as Jesus Christ when he was crucified. I don’t have them handy, but either the Book of Jasher or the book of Jubilees has Isaac as being 30 years of age. That is the legal age for being a rabbi in Judaism. Also, it was about the same age as Jesus Christ when he was crucified.

]]> By: Bookslinger http://www.millennialstar.org/how-old-was-isaac-when-he-was-taken-to-mt-moriah-by-abraham/comment-page-1/#comment-46189 Bookslinger Mon, 08 Mar 2010 20:10:23 +0000 http://www.millennialstar.org/?p=5072#comment-46189 Isaac was also a "friend of God" like his Father, a patriarch- and prophet-to-be in his own right. So at that time he likely had similar understanding of the Plan of Salvation, and the future Atonement and Resurrection of Christ just like his father Abraham did. Surely, Abraham would have taught the Plan of Salvation to his son from his earliest ability to understand. So not only Abraham, but Isaac would have believed in and understood God's power to resurrect someone from the dead. As one sister pointed out a while back on another blog, it's theoretically possible that both Abraham and Isaac knew in advance that the exercise was to be only a similitude, and not actually to be carried out. However, that's speculation, as the scriptures are silent on whether Abraham knew the outcome of the scenario ahead of time. Though the Old Testament has had plain and precious things taken out, we believe (or know, actually) that the Old Testament prophets knew that Jehovah ("the LORD") was the Son of Elohim the Father, and that it was Jehovah who would be born of a mortal human mother and eventually suffer and die as part of the Atonement. Animal sacrifice was practiced by the patriarchs from Adam on down. The prophets surely knew what the animal sacrifice represented. That it was symbolic of the future literal blood sacrifice of Jesus/Jehovah. Since Abraham (and perhaps Isaac at that time too, we don't know) had his exaltation (calling and election) made sure, the sacrifice-of-Isaac scenario may have also been to teach them what it was going to be like when they were gods with spirit children, and had to allow their first-born spirit son to take on the sins of all the rest of their spirit children. After all, if we humans are to "grow up" and become like Heavenly Father, and have spirit children (as per Gospel Principles) and duplicate the generational cycle (as per JS's King Follet discourse), then, what does the first-born spirit child of a god need to do for the rest of his spirit brothers and sisters? IE, if you and your wife are going to become gods with spirit children, and you want those spirit children to "grow up" and become gods too, won't the same Plan of Salvation apply to them? (IE, what the first-born-in-spirit, and only-begotten-in-the-flesh does.) Isaac was also a “friend of God” like his Father, a patriarch- and prophet-to-be in his own right. So at that time he likely had similar understanding of the Plan of Salvation, and the future Atonement and Resurrection of Christ just like his father Abraham did. Surely, Abraham would have taught the Plan of Salvation to his son from his earliest ability to understand. So not only Abraham, but Isaac would have believed in and understood God’s power to resurrect someone from the dead.

As one sister pointed out a while back on another blog, it’s theoretically possible that both Abraham and Isaac knew in advance that the exercise was to be only a similitude, and not actually to be carried out. However, that’s speculation, as the scriptures are silent on whether Abraham knew the outcome of the scenario ahead of time.

Though the Old Testament has had plain and precious things taken out, we believe (or know, actually) that the Old Testament prophets knew that Jehovah (“the LORD”) was the Son of Elohim the Father, and that it was Jehovah who would be born of a mortal human mother and eventually suffer and die as part of the Atonement.

Animal sacrifice was practiced by the patriarchs from Adam on down. The prophets surely knew what the animal sacrifice represented. That it was symbolic of the future literal blood sacrifice of Jesus/Jehovah.

Since Abraham (and perhaps Isaac at that time too, we don’t know) had his exaltation (calling and election) made sure, the sacrifice-of-Isaac scenario may have also been to teach them what it was going to be like when they were gods with spirit children, and had to allow their first-born spirit son to take on the sins of all the rest of their spirit children. After all, if we humans are to “grow up” and become like Heavenly Father, and have spirit children (as per Gospel Principles) and duplicate the generational cycle (as per JS’s King Follet discourse), then, what does the first-born spirit child of a god need to do for the rest of his spirit brothers and sisters? IE, if you and your wife are going to become gods with spirit children, and you want those spirit children to “grow up” and become gods too, won’t the same Plan of Salvation apply to them? (IE, what the first-born-in-spirit, and only-begotten-in-the-flesh does.)

]]> By: JA Benson http://www.millennialstar.org/how-old-was-isaac-when-he-was-taken-to-mt-moriah-by-abraham/comment-page-1/#comment-46170 JA Benson Mon, 08 Mar 2010 05:30:26 +0000 http://www.millennialstar.org/?p=5072#comment-46170 Good discussion. thanks Geoff for raising the question. Ditto what Patti said. Also to give consent like Jesus, Isaac needed to have the maturity to understand the significance of what was happening. Good discussion. thanks Geoff for raising the question. Ditto what Patti said. Also to give consent like Jesus, Isaac needed to have the maturity to understand the significance of what was happening.

]]> By: Geoff B. http://www.millennialstar.org/how-old-was-isaac-when-he-was-taken-to-mt-moriah-by-abraham/comment-page-1/#comment-46167 Geoff B. Mon, 08 Mar 2010 03:45:26 +0000 http://www.millennialstar.org/?p=5072#comment-46167 Patti and Book, good points. Patti and Book, good points.

]]> By: Patti http://www.millennialstar.org/how-old-was-isaac-when-he-was-taken-to-mt-moriah-by-abraham/comment-page-1/#comment-46165 Patti Mon, 08 Mar 2010 03:26:25 +0000 http://www.millennialstar.org/?p=5072#comment-46165 No matter the exact age, he was obviously a mature young man as he was able to carry the wood for the sacrifice up the mount. He was certainly strong enough to have resisted when his aged father bound him, but, as with the Savior, Isaac willingly submitted to the will of his father. No matter the exact age, he was obviously a mature young man as he was able to carry the wood for the sacrifice up the mount. He was certainly strong enough to have resisted when his aged father bound him, but, as with the Savior, Isaac willingly submitted to the will of his father.

]]> By: Bookslinger http://www.millennialstar.org/how-old-was-isaac-when-he-was-taken-to-mt-moriah-by-abraham/comment-page-1/#comment-46163 Bookslinger Mon, 08 Mar 2010 02:21:59 +0000 http://www.millennialstar.org/?p=5072#comment-46163 One faithful sister (who raised boys) jokingly told me that Isaac was either under 13 or over 19, because if he were a teenager, it wouldn't have been a sacrifice. And I like to point out that Paul said that Abraham thought God was going to raise his son from the dead, <a href="http://scriptures.lds.org/en/heb/11/19#17" rel="nofollow">Hebrews 11:19</a. An institute direct/teacher pointed out the many parallels of the story of Isaac's almost-sacrifice and the Atonement of Christ, and stated that the story therefore implies that Isaac was 33, and that the almost-sacrifice took place on the hill later to be known as Calvary.</a> One faithful sister (who raised boys) jokingly told me that Isaac was either under 13 or over 19, because if he were a teenager, it wouldn’t have been a sacrifice.

And I like to point out that Paul said that Abraham thought God was going to raise his son from the dead, Hebrews 11:19</a.

An institute direct/teacher pointed out the many parallels of the story of Isaac's almost-sacrifice and the Atonement of Christ, and stated that the story therefore implies that Isaac was 33, and that the almost-sacrifice took place on the hill later to be known as Calvary.

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