Vineyard

THE VINEYARD

Using the Earthly to explain the Heavenly

Jan Griffith, November, 2006

“Behold, there was a certain householder, who planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and digged a wine-press in it; and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country. And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. Again, he sent other servants, more than the first; and they did unto them likewise. But last of all, he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.

And Jesus said unto them, When the Lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen? They say unto him, He will destroy those miserable, wicked men, and will let out the vineyard unto other husbandmen, who shall render him the fruits in their seasons.” (Matthew 21:35-43)

The householder in the parable is God, the Lord, creator of all things. It is he who planted a vineyard, which represents the House of Israel:

“For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant; and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry.” (Isaiah 5:7)

The husbandmen represented the Lord’s people, the Jews (the husbandman being Christ). They were not owners of the vineyard, but were permitted time to dwell in it, to keep it, and to enjoy it. Some bibles use the term “vine-growers” to represent the husbandmen. They were tenders of the vineyard.

As the vineyard flourished and when the fruit would begin to ripen, God would send his servants (prophets) to his vineyard, but the husbandmen never wanted anything to do with them, and thus those prophets were either beaten, killed, or both. After sending a number of prophets to his vineyard, the Lord sent his son, who, of course, was Jesus Christ. Jesus too was beaten and killed. So how did the parable end? It ended with a prophecy which explained that the Lord would look for “other” husbandmen who would keep and enjoy the vineyard in their seasons. This is exactly what happened. The Lord turned his back on the Jews and let his vineyard be maintained by other husbandmen – the Gentiles.

Compare the parable of Matthew 21 to the parable of Isaiah chapter 5.

“And then will I sing to my well-beloved a song of my beloved touching his vineyard. My well-beloved hath a vineyard in a very fruitful hill; And he fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a winepress therein; and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes. And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem, and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, betwixt me and my vineyard. What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, it brought forth wild grapes. And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard; I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and I will break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down; And I will lay it waste; it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns; I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant; and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry.” (Isaiah 5:1-7)

Both parables are identical. Jesus quoted the words of Isaiah, and in parables, he was warning the Jews of their fate. God had repeatedly sent holy men among them with the intention of receiving his due tithes and first fruits. But each time he sent them, they were rejected. Instead of bringing forth good fruits (grapes), his vineyard had repeatedly produced wild grapes. When the Lord visited his vineyard, he looked for justice, but all he saw was the oppression of righteousness. The killing of his son was the last straw. The pruning and digging would cease, and rain would no longer nourish his vineyard. His vineyard would thereafter become waste land. In other words, the Jews would cease to produce fruit.

On this continent, Jesus told his disciples that Isaiah’s words were very important to understand; that his words both “have been” fulfilled and “shall be” fulfilled again.

“Yea, a commandment I give unto you, that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah. For surely he spake as touching all things concerning my people which are of the house of Israel; therefore it must needs be that he must speak also to the Gentiles. And all things that he spake, hath been, and shall be, even according to the words which he spake.” (3 Nephi 10:27-29)

To ensure that we, Gentiles, would understand the significance of this vineyard parable, the Lord repeated it again in 2 Nephi 8:71-77. He also gave us the parable in its entirety in Jacob chapter 3. These parables make it clear that what happened to the vineyard of the Jews will happen also to the vineyard of the Gentiles. Like the Jews who persecuted and crucified their Messiah two-thousand years ago, we Gentiles are on the precipice of repeating the scenario with his remnant. When we have ripened to that extent, the Lord will destroy our Gentile vineyard also.

“But behold, the time cometh, saith the Lord, that when ye shall cast out the righteous from among you, then shall ye be ripe for destruction.” (Helaman 5:18)

What does it mean to “cast out” the righteous?

“But when the husbandmen saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours. So they cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him. (Luke 20:14-15)

Characteristics of the Vineyard

Jesus Christ represents the grapevine, which itself is the plant that produces grapes. We represent the branches which shoot forth from his vine. Some branches shoot forth from the stem (the firm part that supports the branches); other branches shoot forth from the branches themselves, or boughs.

“I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing.” (John 15:5)

Wine comes from grapes, and scripture is full of symbolism concerning this fruit. The first miracle Jesus performed was that of turning water into wine (proving that he was the true vine). He also taught us an important lesson about wineskins – that new wine cannot be poured into old bottles because new skins stretch while old skins are already stretched out. We drink wine in remembrance of the blood that Christ shed for our sins. And the Lord’s final judgments will involve a winepress which represents the wrath of God.

When Jesus took his disciples into Gethsemane so that he might pray to his Father in preparation for his death, he prayed (were it possible) to let the cup pass from him. Twice he asked this of his Father, demonstrating the willingness of the spirit even when the flesh is weak. But as we know, Christ tasted that “bitter cup” just a few hours later. After drinking wine mingled with gall, he said, “It is finished.”

“Now there was a vessel full of vinegar, mingled with gall, and they filled a sponge with it, and put upon hyssop, and put to his mouth. When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished; and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.” (John 19:29-30)

Good Ground

“Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart; this is he who received seed by the wayside. But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word and readily with joy receiveth it, yet he hath not root in himself, and endureth but for a while; for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. He also who received seed among the thorns, is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. But he that received seed into the good ground, is he that heareth the word and understandeth and endureth; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundred-fold, some sixty, and some thirty.” (Matthew 13:17-21)

In order to produce healthy fruit (grapes), the grapevine must be planted on fertile ground. Vineyard owners say that after the initial planting, the first harvest should not come until about the fourth year. The first three years are for the purpose of nourishing and establishing the vineyard. Consider just a few (of many) scripture which speaks of a three year period after which the Lord’s fruits will be worthy of his kingdom:

“And when ye shall come into the land, and shall have planted all manner of trees for food, then ye shall count the fruit thereof as uncircumcised; three years shall it be as uncircumcised unto you; it shall not be eaten of. But in the fourth year all the fruit thereof shall be holy to praise the Lord withal.” (Leviticus 19:23-24)

“At the end of three years thou shalt bring forth all the tithe of thine increase the same year, and shalt lay it up within thy gates; And the Levite, (because he hath no part nor inheritance with thee,) and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, which are within thy gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that the Lord thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hand which thou doest.” (Deuteronomy 14:28-29)

“And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king's meat, and of the wine which he drank; so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king.” (Daniel 1:5)

“And he shall speak great words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and think to change times and laws; and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.” (Daniel 7:26-27)

“And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days.” (Daniel 12:11-12)

In order to produce choice grapes, grapevines must be regularly pruned. Pruning includes something called “topping the vine” which involves cutting off the high branches and allowing sunlight to feed into the plant.

“And it came to pass that after many days, it began to put forth somewhat a little, young and tender branches; but behold, the main top thereof began to perish. And it came to pass that the master of the vineyard saw it, and he said unto his servant, It grieveth me that I should lose this tree” (Jacob 3:34-35).

Old vines do not produce fruit; instead, they just make more vines. One of the patterns in scripture is that of repeated apostasy which follows those who once had the most light given to them. How many times does the Lord speak of visiting the third or fourth generation in his wrath? When the Jews were fully ripe, preparing to crucify their Messiah, they accused their forefathers as being the evil ones. Jesus replied:

“[You] say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets; Wherefore, ye are witnesses unto yourselves of your own wickedness, and ye are the children of them who killed the prophets; And will fill up the measure then of your fathers; for ye, yourselves, kill the prophets like unto your fathers. Ye serpents, and generation of vipers! How can ye escape the damnation of hell?” (Matthew 23:27)

When I learned that old vines do not produce fruit, but rather just make more vines, I couldn’t help but think of the many churches that have sprouted from the Gentile vineyard through the years, and how plentiful they are today.

“And the Gentiles are lifted up in the pride of their eyes, and have stumbled, because of the greatness of their stumbling block, that they have built up many churches.” (2 Nephi 11:90)

“And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard, and the servant, went down into the vineyard; and they came to the tree whose natural branches had been broken off, and the wild branches had been grafted in; and behold, all sorts of fruit did cumber the tree… And behold, there are all kinds of bad fruit; and it profiteth me nothing, notwithstanding all our labor: and now, it grieveth me that I should lose this tree.” (Jacob 3:74-78)

And finally, grapes are not always ready for harvest just because they look beautiful. They need to be sweet too. In order to produce the desired sweetness, grapes must have ample exposure to sunlight. We, too, require ample exposure to the light of Jesus Christ.

“Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.” (James 5:7)

Tower

“For thus hath the Lord said unto me, Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth. And he saw a chariot with a couple of horsemen, a chariot of asses, and a chariot of camels; and he hearkened diligently with much heed; And he cried, A lion; My lord, I stand continually upon the watchtower in the daytime, and I am set in my ward whole nights.” (Isaiah 21:6-8)

Scripture suggests that there is more than one definition for a tower. There was the tower of Babel which spiritually and temporally represented man’s global effort to reach heaven, or to become gods. Watchtowers, themselves, seem to represent both a spiritual and temporal fortress for the purposes of standing guard or “watching” and warning the flock of impending dangers. The priesthood is called to many responsibilities, among them being watchmen who teach, guard, and warn the flock. But it isn’t only the priesthood who are called to be watchers. Anyone who considers themselves a servant of the Lord is called to be a watcher in his vineyard.

“Mine indignation is soon to be poured out without measure upon all nations, and this will I do when the cup of their iniquity is full. And in that day, all who are found upon the watchtower, or in other words, all mine Israel shall be saved.” (Section 98:4c-d)

Being a watcher is not something to be taken lightly.

“Therefore, settle this in your hearts, that ye will do the things which I shall teach, and command you. For which of you intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have money to finish his work? Lest, unhappily, after he has laid the foundation and is not able to finish his work, all who behold, begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. And this he said, signifying there should not any man follow him, unless he was able to continue.” (Luke 14:28-31)

In days of old, watchtowers were erected in the vineyards for the sake of the laborers who worked the vineyard. The towers served as lodging for the workers and their families who would remain during the harvest and pressing of the grapes. In other words, the watchtower was a temporary home for the vineyard worker.

The Lord is our high tower. Perhaps we could say that as he increases our understanding, we grow nearer to him in perfection, thus we climb spiritually higher and higher.

“Blessed be the Lord my strength, which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight; My goodness, and my fortress; my high tower, and my deliverer; my shield, and he in whom I trust; who subdueth my people under me.” (Psalms 144)

There is no other name given by men under heaven whereby we can be saved.

“The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous runneth into it, and is safe.” (Proverbs 18:10)

It is man’s nature to build towers of flesh, again, like the tower of Babel. According to the book of Genesis, the tower was only part of the plan. They were also building a great city in which the tower would reside, all for the purpose of saving themselves.

“And they said, Come, go to, let us build us a city, and a tower whose top will be high, nigh unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.” (Genesis 11:3)

There has long been a plan to rebuild Jerusalem, the fruition of which many of this generation witnessed with their own eyes. Still to come will be its tower, or temple, which many Jews as well as Christians are anxious to see built. But what does the Lord have to say about modern day Jerusalem and the tower man seeks to build there?

“Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, they that inhabit those wastes of the land of Israel speak, saying, Abraham was one, and he inherited the land; but we are many; the land is given us for inheritance. Wherefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Ye eat with the blood, and lift up your eyes toward your idols, and shed blood; and shall ye possess the land? Ye stand upon your sword; ye work abominations, and ye defile everyone his neighbor's wife; and shall ye possess the land? Say thou thus unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; As I live, surely they that are in the wastes shall fall by the sword, and him that is in the open field will I give to the beasts to be devoured, and they that be in the forts and in the caves shall die of the pestilence. For I will lay the land most desolate, and the pomp of her strength shall cease, and the mountains of Israel shall be desolate, that none shall pass through. Then shall they know that I am the Lord, when I have laid the land most desolate, because of all their abominations, which they have committed.” (Ezekiel 33:23-29)

Latter day prophecy speaks also of building a great city and tower, or tabernacle, on this land.

“…a holy city, that my people may gird up their loins, and be looking forth for the time of my coming; for there shall be my tabernacle, and it shall be called Zion, a New Jerusalem.” (Section 36:12g)

The Wine Vat or Wine Press

“A man planted a vineyard, and set a hedge about it, and digged the wine vat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country.” (Mark 12:2)

A wine vat is a large vessel wherein grapes can be crushed by stomping on them with the feet, although machines are now mostly used to do the job. Following the crushing of the grapes, there is then a period of maceration which can last for a few hours or even a few weeks. This maceration process allows the skins, seeds, and pulp to mix with the fermenting juices. Yeast, which causes fermentation, is a single cell organism that converts the sugar to alcohol and carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide then escapes into the air and what is left is wine (the alcoholic variety of wine, that is). Interestingly, wine makers consider fermentation to be the “miraculous” part of wine making.

After maceration or fermentation, a wine press then presses the grapes, which extracts the juice from the crushed grapes by gently squeezing them until all of their juices run free and clear. The pressure of the wine-press must be expertly controlled in order to free the juice while at the same time avoid crushing the seeds.

Brother Frank Frye once wrote a paper about wine, and in it he noted that there are two types of wine easily distinguishable in scripture. One kind is the cause of much evil, violence, and destruction, while the other kind is the cause of great blessings, both physically and spiritually. His paper explained that the ancients knew how to make both types of wine, the latter kind made possible by boiling the juice of grapes until they became thick and syrupy. By boiling the juice, the concentration of sugar content would become quite high and any yeast would be killed. Thus such juice could be kept for years with no special care and simply reconstituted with water for use. Not only can Brother Frye’s argument be proven scientifically, it also makes perfect sense spiritually, for we know that there is an opposition in all things – wine being one of those things.

As a side note, it is especially interesting that “yeast” is the single cell organism that converts the sugar to alcohol. In scripture, yeast (leaven) is likened to sin.

In either case, whether making fermented wine or unfermented wine, there is still need for a wine vat and/or wine press. Latter day revelation identifies the purpose of the wine vat. It is in the wine vat that the Lord’s people are “trodden down.”

“And the Lord shall be red in his apparel, and his garments like him that treadeth in the wine vat, and so great shall be the glory of his presence, that the sun shall hide his face in shame; and the moon shall withhold its light; and the stars shall be hurled from their places.” (Section 108:9)

Jesus said that the Jews would be trodden down by the Gentiles (and they were):

“And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations; and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.” (Luke 21:23)

Jesus also said that the Gentiles would be trodden down by the Jews (and they will be):

“But if they will not turn unto me, and hearken unto my voice, I will suffer them, yea, I will suffer my people, O house of Israel, that they shall go through among them, and shall tread them down” (3 Nephi 7:40).

The Gentiles were also warned that if they become savorless salt, they will be trodden underfoot:

“Verily, verily I say unto you, I give unto you to be the salt of the earth; but if the salt shall lose its savor, wherewith shall the earth be salted? The salt shall be thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.” (3 Nephi 5:60)

Latter day saints also received a prophecy that speaks to this matter and describes our current condition.

“But inasmuch as they keep not my commandments, and hearken not to observe all my words, the kingdoms of the world shall prevail against them, for they were set to be a light unto the world, and to be the saviors of men; and inasmuch as they are not the saviors of men, they are as salt that has lost its savor, and is thenceforth good for nothing but to be cast out and trodden under foot of men.” (Section 100:2)

As the wine vat crushes its grapes, the oppressors crush the needy.

“Hear this word, ye kine of Bashan, that are in the mountain of Samaria, which oppress the poor, which crush the needy, which say to their masters, Bring, and let us drink.” (Amos 4:1)

Daniel identified a beast who would crush, or “tread down” the whole earth.

“Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.” (Daniel 7:23)

The Assyrian will tread in our dwelling places:

“But thou, Beth-lehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she which travaileth hath brought forth; then the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel. And he shall stand and feed in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God; and they shall abide; for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth. And this man shall be the peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our land; and when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principal men.” (Micah 5:2-5)

But afterward, the Lord will tread down the Assyrian:

“That I will bring the Assyrian in my land, and upon my mountains tread him under foot: then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden depart from off their shoulders.” (2 Nephi 10:47)

So in terms of the Lord’s wine vat, the process of being “tread down” and “crushed” is nothing new. It is a necessary tool in the work of the vineyard.

When I initially explored this topic of the wine vat, it seemed like there might be a significant difference between the wine “vat” and the wine “press.” Given that the process of fermentation was so miraculous, according to wine-makers, I began to wonder if there might be a relationship between the process of fermentation and the “space” between death and the resurrection that the wicked must endure.

“And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of the wicked, yea, who are evil; for behold, they have no part nor portion of the Spirit of the Lord: for behold they choose evil works, rather than good: therefore the spirit of the devil did enter into them, and take possession of their house; And these shall be cast out into outer darkness; there shall be weeping, and wailing and gnashing of teeth; and this because of their own iniquity; being led captive by the will of the devil. Now this is the state of the souls of the wicked; yea, in darkness, and a state of awful, fearful, looking for, of the fiery indignation of the wrath of God upon them; thus they remain in this state, as well as the righteous in paradise, until the time of their resurrection.” (Alma 19:45-47)

For the wicked, that “space” between death and the resurrection involves having to endure a state of torment and fear, waiting for God’s wrath to be poured out upon them. John’s revelations are a second witness to their awful torment:

“And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountain; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” (Revelation 6:15-17)

The Lord speaks of the winepress in reference to the day of his wrath.

“I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me; for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment.” (Isaiah 63:3)

If using the feet, the pressing of grapes is a very messy job. Grapes fly everywhere and the lower garments becoming drenched in the red juice. This is likewise how the day of the Lord’s wrath is described:

“And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horses' bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.” (Revelation 14:19-20)

Consider feet trampling around in the wine vat and how that might relate to the prophecy that the Lord will put all enemies under his feet.

“For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy, death, shall be destroyed.” (1 Corinthians 15:25-26)

The book of Joel speaks of the harvest and the winepress as a time when the wicked will be judged.

“Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat; for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about. “Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe; come, get you down; for the press is full, the vats overflow; for their wickedness is great.” (Joel 3:12-13)

At the sound of the fifth trump, the process of pressing the grapes will be finished. Remember that this fifth trump is four trumps after the return of the Lord and the resurrection of his first fruits.

“And another trump shall sound, which is the fifth trump, which is the fifth angel who committeth the everlasting gospel, flying through the midst of heaven, unto all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people; and this shall be the sound of his trump, saying to all people, both in heaven and in earth, and that are under the earth; for every ear shall hear it, and every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall confess, while they hear the sound of the trump, saying, Fear God, and give glory to him who sitteth upon the throne, for ever and ever: for the hour of his judgment is come. And again, another angel shall sound his trump, which is the sixth angel, saying, She is fallen, who made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication: she is fallen! is fallen! And again, another angel shall sound his trump, which is the seventh angel, saying: It is finished! it is finished! the Lamb of God hath overcome, and trodden the wine press alone; even the wine press of the fierceness of the wrath of Almighty God.” (Section 85:31-33)

While there might be some difference between the wine “vat” and the wine “press” in terms of fermented wine, it would seem that the two (both the vat and the press) serve one in the same purpose according to scripture.

“A man planted a vineyard, and set a hedge about it, and digged the wine vat, and build a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country.” (Mark 12:2)

Perhaps the righteous endure sufficient crushing during their days of probation which explains why they are worthy of different circumstances in the hereafter. Whatever the case may be, or if there are any differences between wine vats and wine presses, the Lord does not desire to torture us, but rather to produce a pure and sweet (not fermented and drunken) people.

“Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that the ploughman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt.” (Amos 9:13)

The Hedge

“A man planted a vineyard, and set a hedge about it, and digged the wine vat, and build a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country.” (Mark 12:2)

The hedge, or wall, is the barrier that separated the ancient vineyards from the rest of the world. It could be made of many things, ranging from a small stone wall to growing thickets with thorns. In those days, the wall kept traveling herdsmen and shepherds from trampling through the vineyards, the idea being to keep the vineyards protected.

The parable of the vineyard says that the Lord set a hedge around his people, Israel, so that they might not be trodden underfoot. But their disobedience caused him to remove that hedge of protection.

“What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, it brought forth wild grapes. And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard; I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and I will break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down; And I will lay it waste; it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns; I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah his pleasant plant; and he looked for judgment, but behold oppression; for righteousness, but behold a cry.” (Isaiah 5:4-7)

The same will happen to the Gentiles:

“What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? Wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, it brought forth wild grapes. And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and I will break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down. And I will lay it waste; it shall not be pruned nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no more upon it.” (2 Nephi 8:74-76)

Vineyard of the Latter Days

Not only are we blessed to have Jacob’s parable of the vineyard, we are also blessed to have a similar latter day parable concerning the Gentiles of the Restoration, explaining how Zion will be redeemed.

From Section 98, Doctrine & Covenants:

And now, I will show unto you a parable that you may know my will concerning the redemption of Zion.

We already know that Zion will be redeemed with great power and judgments:

“Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness.” (Isaiah 1:27)

“Behold, I say unto you, The redemption of Zion must needs come by power; therefore I will raise up unto my people a man, who shall lead them like as Moses led the children of Israel, for ye are the children of Israel, and of the seed of Abraham; and ye must needs be led out of bondage by power, and with a stretched out arm; and as your fathers were led at the first, even so shall the redemption of Zion be.” (Section 100:3)

A certain nobleman had a spot of land, very choice; and he said unto his servants, Go ye into my vineyard, even upon this very choice piece of land, and plant twelve olive trees; and set watchmen round about them and build a tower, that one may overlook the land round about, to be a watchman upon the tower; that mine olive trees may not be broken down, when the enemy shall come to spoil and take unto themselves the fruit of my vineyard.

The Lord told his servants, latter day saints, to plant twelve olive trees. The number twelve is parabolic. Consider the following:

“…that mine apostles, the twelve which were with me in my ministry at Jerusalem, shall stand at my right hand, at the day of my coming, in a pillar of fire, being clothed with robes of righteousness, with crowns upon their heads, in glory even as I am, to judge the whole house of Israel, even as many as have loved me and kept my commandments, and none else.” (Section 28)

“And again I say unto you, Let every man esteem his brother as himself: for what man among you having twelve sons, and is no respecter to them, and they serve him obediently, and he saith unto the one, Be thou clothed in robes and sit thou here; and to the other, Be thou clothed in rags and sit thou there, and looketh upon his sons and saith, I am just.” (Section 38:5d)

“And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl; and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.” (Revelation 21)

“…and he said unto the first, Go ye and labor in the field, and in the first hour I will come unto you, and ye shall behold the joy of my countenance: and he said unto the second, Go ye also into the field, and in the second hour I will visit you with the joy of my countenance; and also unto the third, saying, I will visit you; and unto the fourth, and so on unto the twelfth.” (Section 85)

In a sermon dated July 19, 1840, Joseph Smith Jr. identified the olive trees as the land of Zion, which consisted not only of North and South America, but anywhere the saints would gather. He said that “every righteous man will build up a place of safety for his children.” His sermonic definition of Zion was in harmony with Section 94:

“…therefore verily thus saith the Lord, Let Zion rejoice, for this is Zion, THE PURE IN HEART; therefore let Zion rejoice, while all the wicked shall mourn.” (Section 94)

In Section 98, the servants of the nobleman were only called to plant the twelve olive trees. Watchmen were to be set among the trees; likewise, a tower was to be built so that one could remain on guard from the tower. Bear in mind that in the days of old, a watchtower was the temporary home for the vineyard worker. It also afforded the worker an advantage of seeing what was approaching or where the workers were stationed.

In the sermon of 1840, Joseph said that the twelve trees were twelve “stakes” that would be built while this nation was at peace. While the sermon is not scripture, it is nevertheless interesting to consider.

Now the servants of the nobleman went and did as their lord commanded them; and planted the olive trees, and built a hedge round about, and set watchmen, and began to build a tower.

According to the parable, the latter day servants proceeded to do as they were told. They planted the trees and built a hedge around them – remember that the hedge is for the purpose of separating the saints from the world, keeping their vineyards protected.

Watchmen were also set among the trees and a construction of the tower had begun. This was obviously not a physical tower or temple, but surely represented the spiritual tabernacle of the Lord, the city of Zion. Notice in the parable that there is no mention of a watchman ever being placed in the tower as the Lord had instructed. One reason is because the Lord’s tower was never completed.

And while they were yet laying the foundation thereof, they began to say among themselves, And what need hath my lord of this tower? and consulted for a long time, saying among themselves, What need hath my lord of this tower, seeing this is a time of peace?

Again, there is no mention of completing the tower, nor even placing one who could stand watch in it (one cannot stand watch in a tower that has never been built). The Lord had instructed these servants to build a tower and set in it a watchman specifically for the purpose of keeping the enemy out of his vineyard. But instead the servants consulted among themselves (not with the Lord). They decided that the Lord did not really need this watchtower, since they recognized no enemy, and since the nation was at peace.

Might not this money be given to the exchangers? for there is no need of these things!

Rather than building a watchtower, not only for guard duty but also so that the vineyard workers might have places to dwell, the servants of the nobleman decided that there was no need for such a tower, and thus began to sell to the exchangers what had previously been purchased. Exchangers are money-brokers. Many of the lands once purchased for Zion have been sold or mortgaged to institutions like Zion’s Bank. Does this define the parable or might there be something of greater spiritual significance here? Remember what Jesus said in Luke 14:28-31, that before building a tower, we should count the cost, lest we not be able to finish it. What was the cost of building this tower?

And while they were at variance one with another they became very slothful, and they hearkened not unto the commandments of their lord…

In Matthew 25, the Lord spoke another parable about three servants to whom were given a varying number of talents. One was given five talents, another two, and another one. When the Lord returned for his servants, the ones who were given five talents and two talents had been faithfully working for the Lord, utilizing their talents, thereby gaining additional talents besides. The servant who had received only one talent accused his Lord as being “hard,” even like that of a thief or a money changer; so he chose to do nothing with his talent, and thus he gained nothing from it. The Lord then told his servants to cast that “slothful” servant into darkness where there would be weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth. It is concerning that our latter day parable speaks to the restoration servants as becoming “very slothful.”

God gives each of us talents; to some he gives more than others, but that which he gives, he expects us to use, and to gain more in the process. Otherwise we too become slothful (unprofitable) servants.

“For unto every one who hath obtained other talents, shall be given, and he shall have an abundance. But from him that hath not obtained other talents, shall be taken away even that which he hath received” (Matthew 25).

Due to endless contention among themselves, having become deluded in an era of peace and prosperity, the latter day servants “hearkened not unto the commandments of their Lord.”

…and the enemy came by night and broke down the hedge, and the servants of the nobleman arose, and were affrighted, and fled; and the enemy destroyed their works and broke down the olive trees.

The hedge – that which protects the Lord’s vineyard– will be broken down by the enemy who will come as a “thief in the night” according to Joseph’s sermon of 1840. That same enemy will then scatter the Lord’s servants abroad. Who is this enemy that will come in unawares? Is it not the Assyrian?

“Therefore thus saith the Lord God of Hosts, O my people that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian; he shall smite thee with a rod, and shall lift up his staff against thee, after the manner of Egypt. For yet a very little while, and the indignation shall cease, and mine anger in their destruction.” (Isaiah 10:24-25)

Joseph’s 1840 sermon went on to say that when the enemy comes and the trees are scattered, that those same trees will then awaken all the nations of the earth.

“And the rest of the trees of his forest shall be few, that a child may write them. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, 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.” (Isaiah 10:19-20)

A couple of prophesies come to mind. First, there is yet to be a massive scattering of the power of the holy people that will transpire over a period of three and one-half years:

“And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth forever, that it shall be for a time, times, and a half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.” (Daniel 12:7)

Second, in Nephi’s vision of the two churches in the latter days, he saw that the Church of the Lamb was a scattered people:

“And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the power of the Lamb of God, that it descended upon the saints of the church of the Lamb, and upon the covenant people of the Lord, who were scattered upon all the face of the earth.” (1 Nephi 3:230)

Joseph said that these “scattered people” would “wake up the nations of the whole earth.” He also said that these [scattered] saints would be the “staff” upon which this nation would lean, bearing even the Constitution away from the very verge of destruction. Consider Nephi’s prophecy as it continued:

“And they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory. And it came to pass that I beheld that the wrath of God was poured out upon the great and abominable church, insomuch that there were wars and rumors of wars among all the nations and kindreds of the earth, And as there began to be wars and rumors of wars among all the nations which belonged to the mother of abominations, the angel spake unto me, saying, Behold, the wrath of God is upon the mother of harlots”

(1 Nephi 3:231-234)

In the parable of Section 98, when the hedge gets broken down by the enemy, the servants of the nobleman will “arise,” and “become affrighted,” and will “flee.” Will they “arise” like the five unwise virgins who were awakened at the call of the Bridegroom, only to be sent away in search of oil for their darkened lamps? What will these slothful servants be so afraid of? What will make them desire to flee?

“And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time; and at that time thy people shall be delivered, everyone that shall be found written in the book. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.” (Daniel 12:1-2)

(Revelation 6:15-17)

Joseph Smith’s sermon of 1840 continued:

“Then shall the Lord say, go tell all my servants who are the strength of mine house, my young men and middle aged, etc., come to the land of my vineyard and fight the battle of the Lord. Then the kings and queens shall come to fight for the land of my vineyard, for in this thing shall be their safety, and they will have no power to choose but will come as a man fleeth from a sudden destruction.”

Joseph said that kings and queens would then flee as ones faced with sudden destruction. Is this event related to other “sudden destruction” prophesies?

“For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.” (1 Thessalonians 5:2-3)

“Watch, therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour. Let them, therefore, who are among the Gentiles, flee unto Zion. And let them who be of Judah, flee unto Jerusalem, unto the mountains of the Lord's house. Go ye out from among the nations, even from Babylon, from the midst of wickedness, which is spiritual Babylon. But verily thus saith the Lord, Let not your flight be in haste, but let all things be prepared before you; and he that goeth, let him not look back, lest sudden destruction shall come upon him.”

(Section 108:4)

Who are the kings and queens that Joseph was speaking of?

“Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people; And they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders. And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: They shall bow down to thee with their faces towards the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; And thou shalt know that I am the Lord: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me.” (2 Nephi 5:17-21)

What is the timeframe in which these kings and queens will perform this work?

“But behold, thus saith the Lord God: When the day cometh that they shall believe in me, that I am Christ, then have I covenanted with their fathers, that they shall be restored in the flesh, upon the earth, unto the lands of their inheritance. And it shall come to pass that they shall be gathered in from their long dispersion from the isles of the sea, and from the four parts of the earth; And the nations of the Gentiles shall be great in the eyes of me, saith God, in carrying them forth to the lands of their inheritance. Yea, the kings of the Gentiles shall be nursing fathers unto them, and their queens shall become nursing mothers; Wherefore the promises of the Lord are great unto the Gentiles, for he hath spoken it, and who can dispute?” (2 Nephi 7:12-16)

The parable seems to be explaining that when the day comes that the olive trees are broken down and scattered by the enemy, that the time will be at hand for the power of the Lord’s righteous to be made manifest through his faithful servants. The affrighted servants of the nobleman, on the other hand, may face other consequences.

Now, behold, the nobleman, the lord of the vineyard, called upon his servants, and said unto them, Why! what is the cause of this great evil? ought ye not to have done even as I commanded you? and after ye had planted the vineyard, and built the hedge round about, and set watchmen upon the walls thereof, built the tower also, and set a watchman upon the tower, and watched for my vineyard, and not have fallen asleep, lest the enemy should come upon you? and, behold, the watchman upon the tower would have seen the enemy while he was yet afar off, and then you could have made ready and kept the enemy from breaking down the hedge thereof, and saved my vineyard from the hands of the destroyer.

Given the obvious evils of our world today, how could the Lord’s latter day servants be asleep, or unaware that the destroyer is ever nearing their vineyard? Might it be because they are looking for wolves, rather than wolves in sheep’s clothing?

“Set up the standard [an ensign for war] toward Zion; retire, stay not; for I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction. The lion is come up from his thicket, and the destroyer of the Gentiles is on his way; he is gone forth from his place to make thy land desolate; and thy cities shall be laid waste, without an inhabitant. For this gird you with sackcloth, lament and howl; for the fierce anger of the Lord is not turned back from us. And it shall come to pass at that day, saith the Lord, that the heart of the king shall perish, and the heart of the princes; and the priests shall be astonished, and the prophets shall wonder.” (Jeremiah 4:6-13)

Another name for “destroyer” is “desolation.”

“And again shall the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, be fulfilled. And immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven shall be shaken.” (Mark 13:37-38)

And the lord of the vineyard said unto one of his servants, Go, and gather together the residue of my servants; and take all the strength of mine house, which are my warriors, my young men, and they that are of middle age also, among all my servants, who are the strength of mine house, save those only whom I have appointed to tarry; and go ye straightway unto the land of my vineyard, and redeem my vineyard, for it is mine, I have bought it with money. Therefore, get ye straightway unto my land; break down the walls of mine enemies, throw down their tower, and scatter their watchmen; and inasmuch as they gather together against you, avenge me of mine enemies; that by and by I may come with the residue of mine house and possess the land.”

The Lord will call on a servant (like Gideon) and command him to gather up an army of servants who will then begin the process of redeeming Zion. That is what Section 98 is all about – the redemption of Zion. Perhaps we should carefully note that the enemy to be conquered by the Lord’s true servants sounds surprisingly similar to the Lord’s true vineyard. That enemy will have a “hedge” and even a “tower” with “watchmen” tending their vineyard.

While the discourse delivered by Joseph Smith on July 19, 1840 is recorded mostly from memory and is not considered scripture (even if at least part of the discourse – the twelve olive trees and Zion – is attested in a letter from Orson Pratt to George A. Smith), there are still characteristics to that discourse that are interesting to consider. One of those characteristics was Joseph’s statement that “our cry from the first has been for peace, and we will continue pleading like the Widow at the feet of the unjust judge.” How very interesting, as there is also in Section 98 a parable about the unjust judge, yet it says nothing about a widow crying for peace. It speaks instead of a widow (the children of Zion) who cries for justice and revenge on her adversary.

“Now, unto what shall I liken the children of Zion? I will liken them unto the parable of the woman and the unjust judge (for men ought always to pray and not faint), which saith, There was in a city a judge which feared not God, neither regarded man. And there was a widow in that city, and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while, but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard men, yet because this widow troubleth me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming, she weary me. Thus will I liken the children of Zion.” (Section 98:11)

For whatever the observation is worth, it is “peace” that will deceive our adversaries, bringing sudden destruction (revenge) upon them. While we are all called to be peacemakers, Joseph’s cry for peace seems to strike a major chord of irony, for scripture is clear that we receive according to our desires, whether those desires are righteous or evil. According to the parable, the “unjust judge who fears not God” (this is not Christ) eventually allows the widow to have her way.

Here is the good news. The time will come when what rightfully belongs to the Lord’s people will be given to the Lord’s people. Israel’s vineyard of dry bones will receive flesh, and breath, and sinew, and will be gathered to their inherited lands. Jacob chapter 3 extends the parable of Section 98.

And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard sent his servant; and the servant went and did as the Lord had commanded him, and brought other servants; and they were few. And the Lord of the vineyard said unto them, Go to and labor in the vineyard, with your mights. For behold, this is the last time that I shall nourish my vineyard: for the end is nigh at hand, and the season speedily cometh…

This is not describing the last call to the vineyard of the Gentiles (Section 85:23a). This is describing the time when the Lord will set his hand the second time to recover all of his people, Israel:

“And in the day that he shall set his hand again the second time to recover his people, is the day, yea, even the last time, that the servants of the Lord shall go forth in his power, to nourish and prune his vineyard; and after that, the end soon cometh. And how blessed are they who have labored diligently in his vineyard; and how cursed are they who shall be cast out into their own place!” (Jacob 4:3-4)

And if ye labor with your mights with me, ye shall have joy in the fruit which I shall lay up unto myself, against the time which will soon come. And it came to pass that the servants did go, and labor with their mights; and the Lord of the vineyard labored also with them; and they did obey the commandments of the Lord of the vineyard, in all things. And there began to be the natural fruit again in the vineyard; and the natural branches began to grow and thrive exceedingly; And the wild branches began to be plucked off, and to be cast away; and they did keep the root and the top thereof equal, according to the strength thereof. And thus they labored, with all diligence, according to the commandments of the Lord of the vineyard, even until the bad had been cast away out of the vineyard, and the Lord had preserved unto himself, that the trees had become again the natural fruit; And they became like unto one body; and the fruit were equal…

This parable is not describing the 11^th hour saints only, whose primary assignment it was, and is, to prune the Gentile vineyard one last time. This parable is describing a time when the Lord’s servants will labor “with all diligence, according to the commandments of the Lord,” and become like unto one body, their fruit being equal.

The works and purposes and promises of the Lord are greater than we can fathom:

“And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the Lord thy God.” (Amos 9:14-15)

Someday, ALL of Israel (both Jew and Gentile) will be potted plants in the Lord’s vineyard. We will plant gardens there, eat the fruit of those gardens, and drink sweet wine together. See you there.