This is an archived copy of a post written by Conflict Of Justice (conflictofjustice.com). Used with permission: Conflict Of Justice may not agree with any alterations made.
“Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions: And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.” (Ezekiel 37:16-17)
Skeptics disagree with the church’s claim that Ezekiel chapter 37 refers to the Book of Mormon. Catholic.com says: “As the text makes clear, this is a prophecy of national reunification, not about the appearance of hidden scriptures.” It is true this is a prophesy of national reunification. But what kind of reunification? The point is that the Bible and Book of Mormon play an important role in this reunification. That’s why the writing on objects was used in Ezekiel 37 to symbolize the reunification which we see happening in our latter days. There is lots of misinformation being spread about Ezekiel 37 and the Book of Mormon’s important role.
So let’s clear a few things up.
‘Stick’ Translates To ‘Wood’
Pretty much every English Bible translation uses the word “stick,” which isn’t really accurate. The earlier Latin translation uses Lignum which refers to firewood, wood, or tree.
The Hebrew word is ets which translates to wood or tree (like how in English we can say ‘woods’ to refer to a forest of trees). The word ets was also used to refer to wooden objects and a variety of wooden articles for which there were no other words to use, such as the shaft of a spear, pot ladle, wood for fuel, wooden idols, and the handle of an axe.
Antimormons pretend like Ets is the word for stick, but it is not. It is the generic word for tree/wood, though sometimes translators use translate it as “sticks.” KJV translates it as “sticks” in 1 King 17, in the story about the widow and Elijah, because the verse specifies that it is talking about just a few pieces of wood and the translators assumed a widow must have been carrying sticks. But to translate it as “sticks” makes it more specific than it should be. It should be translated as “some wood.” This more correct translation would add more meaning to the story, as the firewood Abraham brought for the sacrifice of his son Isaac was referred to with the same word, ets. But the KJV translators in next chapter go right back to calling it “wood.” Another example is 2 Kings 6 where Elisha cuts down a “stick” to fall into the water. This appears to be mistranslated and should be “tree.”
There is a reason Ezekiel used ets instead of a more specific word. Why not use the word for stick/branch, Zemorah or anaph if that’s he they was referring to? To this, the skeptics reply: Well, if it is referring to a book like the Book of Mormon, why not use the specific word for ‘book’? This is an important question and gives greater insight to the symbolism. The “sticks” in Ezekiel 37 were not intended by Ezekiel to represent only books, and I don’t believe Joseph Smith or the Book of Mormon ever claimed this. The Hebrew word for book, Sepher is a very general term that refers to any kind of written document, anything recorded in a written rather than oral way. Ezekiel apparently had something specifically wooden in mind. Why not use the word for scroll, megillah? Because it wasn’t refering to a scroll. But just as megillah derives from the word “to roll”–the motion involved in using it–Ezekiel chose a word that spoke to the function of the object: tree. As we see in 2 Nephi 3, the two ets were to grow like a tree. “Wherefore, the fruit of thy loins shall write; and the fruit of the loins of Judah shall write; and that which shall be written by the fruit of thy loins, and also that which shall be written by the fruit of the loins of Judah, shall grow together, unto the confounding of false doctrines and laying down of contentions, and establishing peace among the fruit of thy loins, and bringing them to the knowledge of their fathers in the latter days, and also to the knowledge of my covenants, saith the Lord.” (2 Nephi 3:12)
If we read on to verse 18 of Ezekiel 37, it indicates the imagery of the “sticks” refers to the actual unification of Judah and Joseph. The “sticks”– the Book of Mormon and Bible–symbolize “sticks” which are the ‘fruit of lions,’ of Judah and Joseph. Ezekiel used a wooden writing object to symbolize the growth of Judah and Joseph like trees, and used the same word ets to refer to both.
Grow Together – I find it very interesting that the Book of Mormon references Ezekiel 37 and talks about Judah and Joseph growing together. Sticks don’t grow! If Joseph Smith fabricated the Book of Mormon and ripped this off of Ezekiel, how did he know that the Hebrew word for “stick” in this verse ets actually refers to a growing object, tree? How did he know that?
Is verse 16 in Ezekiel 37 talking about engraving or inscribing into a tree? Well, that doesn’t really make sense, because it says to “take”–or bring–one in one hand and the other in the other hand. How do you take two trees in your hands? Then it says to “join them one to another”–or literally: approach one and one to be wood in hand. How do you do that to trees? The Book of Mormon indicates the “sticks” will grow like trees once placed together, but the Ezekiel verse uses imagery of someone doing this in their hands. This is why the KJV translators translated it as “sticks,” because what else could it be? The “sticks” being symbolized, and referred to in 2 Nephi 3, are trees, the two trees uniting and growing together. But the “sticks” which symbolizes this in verse 16 of Ezekiel 37 are clearly wooden object that gets written on and for which there was no specific Hebrew word and they would have been forced to use the generic word “wood”: The wooden tablet.
Ezekiel 37 includes symbolism for the Bible and Book of Mormon coming together as scriptures in the latter days and facilitating the growth of Judah and Joseph united together. Catholic.com incorrectly thinks we are assuming “that the ‘stick of Judah’ is the Bible, while the ‘stick of Joseph’ is the Book of Mormon” and symbolizes nothing else. That is not what we are saying. Revelation through Joseph Smith makes references to a “record of the stick of Ephraim.” This indicates the written record is “of” the stick of Ephraim: “Behold, this is wisdom in me; wherefore, marvel not, for the hour cometh that I will drink of the fruit of the vine with you on the earth, and with Moroni, whom I have sent unto you to reveal the Book of Mormon, containing the fulness of my everlasting gospel, to whom I have committed the keys of the record of the stick of Ephraim;” (D&C 27:5)
Wooden Tablets
When someone in the ancient world talked about taking wood, writing on it, and binding it together, this is obviously what they were talking about. In an age before modern paper-making, wooden sheets were a common method for writing. They could have been thin sheets of wood bound together, like the Vindolanda Tablets of AD 85. Or they could be “wax tablets” that had thin layers of wax poured over them to create an easier writing surface.
The Greeks bound together wood tablets to make an “album,” and they were typically used to take inventory. There is a long list of wood tablets that have been found from the Egyptians and Greeks. Wood tablets were so common, one Hittite record mentions the creation of wood tablets as an occupation, “head wood-tablet writer.” For example, a well-known Minoan album kept records of merchendize transactions. Babylonian wood tablets record instructions for sacred religious rituals (libation offerings). “Another medium for cuneiform inscriptions was writing boards, flat pieces of ivory or wood bound together with hinges… The texts composed on wax writing boards recorded a variety of data compiled over a period of time, including religious and ritual matters, royal reports and orders, registers of people, and astronomical observations. The Mesopotamians depicted the ‘tablet of life’ as a wax-covered board on which the god Nabu recorded the names and deeds of kings and their sons. Some wax boards were attached together by means of hinges to form a ‘book.’ Recent excavation of a shipwreck near Uluburun, on the southwestern coast of Turkey, delivered a rare example of such a book.’” (The Scribes and Scholars of Ancient Mesopotamia, Laurie E. Pearce in Civilizations of the Ancient Near East vol 4)
A common argument skeptics make is that if Ezekiel meant “tablet” he should have used the word for tablet. But again, this would have been an imprecise specific word and the symbolism referring to wood growing together like joined trees would have been lost. The word for tablet, luach, can refer to any kind of material and was used most prominently to refer to the stone tablets of the ten commandments. It was important to understand the symbolism here is a very different than the stone tablets of Moses. The word luach refers to any kind of flat surface. Other words that get translated to “tablet” are likewise imprecise–for example, daleth refers to doors or door posts. It was not precisely correct to call this a ‘book’ or a ‘tablet’. The precise word for wood tablet that would have made most sense, in my opinion, pinakis was not used in this way commonly until New Testament times. So Ezekiel used a play on words: wood to symbolize wood, like if someone today in English referred to a piece of wood to symbolize a forest ‘wood.’ When Ezekiel spoke of writing on pieces of wood and joining them together, it would have been obvious to everyone that he was referring to wooden tablets. Wood tablets were bound with each sheet facing the other in the way verse 17 describes.
Diptych – Ezekiel’s description of “one wood” and “one wood” being written upon, bound together, and “approaching” each other sounds an awfully lot like the Diptych. The Diptych is two flat plates attached by a hinge so they can close against each other like a book. They were used in ancient times for important royal or religious purposes by Romans, Eastern Orthodox, and Byzantians, and still commonly used as religious displays today. “Later the tablets formed a diptych; that is to say, they were composed of two tablets united by a hing. Closed, they presented two surfaces, plain or ornamented, but without writing; open one could write upon both of the wax-covered inner surfaces.” (Annual Report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution, 1905)
The two tablets in a Diptych showed comparable scenes, such as the coronation of Virgin Mary vs. the Last Judgement. Artist John Bernhard remarks: “I utilize the diptych venue as a means of further enhancing a past expereince or a ‘deja vu’ perception, making it a new emotional and enlightening experience. The correlation of two images brings out a visual duplicity of resembling forms, an intellectual encounter with a reflection on the readability and the meaning of its subjects.” (John Bernhard, Diptych)
Is this not a perfect discription of Ezekiel’s imagery? One wood tablet for Judah and another wood tablet for Joseph opened and closed against each other to to give a precognative “dejavu perception.” The forms of Judah and Joseph resemble each other and correlate, as they are both tribes of Israel, and the “encounter” suggested by Ezekiel’s art form gives new intellectual insight on their meaning. Until this point, the Israelites thought of the tribes as just groups within the kingdom, but the diptych added new perceptions:
- Judah and Joseph were to become the most important topographical elements of Israel after the dispersion and in world events at large. The rest of Ezekiel 37 describes how these two nations would affect Israel and the entire world.
- The hinge that binds the two wood tablets suggest the fate of the tribes are connected and hinge upon Judah and Joseph. Once these two tribes finally efface, the other tribes will find their home as well.
- The swining of the tablets toward each other symbolizes the tribes being taken from among the heathen to their own land. This suggests that the unity of the tribes was what was important, not so much their geographical location, which was a very important reminder for Israel in later years.
- In verse 26, it says God will “place them and multiply them,” much like the imagery of the tribes growing together as trees in 2 Nephi 3. With the two tablets finally closed against each other in the diptych, the ditypch multiplies tablets to include the remaining 10 tribes. “Multiply” could also refer to mass copying, such as the printing press revolution that allows the Book of Mormon to spread across the globe.
Zechariah Used The Same Symbolism
Luke 1:63 is the other example in the Bible of someone writing on a wooden tablet. Zechariah wrote on a wood tablet that his son’s name was to be John–John the Baptist.
The word used here is pinakidion, which was Greek and not known in Ezekiel’s time. He used the wood tablet to likewise indicate a name and describe a future event. The similarities with Ezekiel 37 are interesting:
- Zechariah wrote down a name on a wooden tablet, exactly as Ezekiel wrote ‘Judah’ and ‘Joseph’ on wooden tablets.
- Both John and Ezekiel wrote a name as commanded from God.
- Zechariah was unable to speak until the name was written on the tablet. As a priest, this suggests an inability to communicate the word of God until the wood tablet became realized, much like how the bible was unable to fully communicate the gospel sufficiently until the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, or the inability of Judah to bring about the restoration of the kingdom of Israel until Joseph became part of the picture.
- A couple verse before this in Luke 1, Mary talked about the scattering and uniting of Israel which is also described in Ezekiel 37: “He has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble… He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.”
- The angel Gabriel told Zechariah that his son will be born at the “appointed time.” Ezekiel 37 likewise indicated the gathering of Israel would occur in a future appointed time.
- Zecharaiah was a priest serving in the temple, and he received the vision of the angel in the temple, causing him to remain in the temple for a long time. Ezekiel 37 says the uniting of Judah and Joseph will set God’s “sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore. My tabernacle also shall be with them… my sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore.”
- A second name was foretold and directed by God’s angel in Luke 1: Jesus. Two names, like the two names directed by God in Ezekiel 37.
- Ezekiel 37 told of the future event when “David my servant shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd… yea I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” The naming of John and Jesus preceded the life and ministry of Jesus, the shepherd and God of Israel.
Significance Of Book Of Mormon & Bible
The reason skeptics refuse to admit that “sticks” refers to the diptych wood tablets is because it is evident that scriptures are an obvious modern symbol for the same thing. The Bible is a piece of writing that represents Judah and the Book of Mormon is a piece of writing that represents Joseph. The Bible was handed down by Judah and the Book of Mormon is spread around by the tribe of Ephraim. Some say that even in ancient times there were two sets of historical records kept: those by the tribe of Judah and those by the tribe of Joseph, and that what we have today is the record kept by Judah. There is a clear relationship between Ezekiel’s diptych and modern-day scripture, both written records. “Nevertheless, the Lord wanted all Israel to know that there would be two records kept… Since we have had the record of Judah with us always, we must inquire, ‘Where is the record of Joseph?’ (Elder LeGrand Richards)
Cricitism From Mainstream Religions – Mainstream Christians are desperate to disassociate Ezekiel’s “sticks” from the Bible record of Judah because it would lead to the question, “What scripture is the record for Joseph?” Other religions say Ezekiel just picked up some sticks, wrote on them, and that this symbolized the gathering of Israel. But where is the symbolism in that? Why Judah and Joseph? Why pick some sticks off the ground and write on them? Why does that have to do with the gathering of Israel?
Catholic.com dryly remarks: “Only Mormonism can manage to mistake ‘timber’ for ‘scrolls’ and ‘nations’ for ‘metal plates.'” No, we do not say ets refers to scrolls, nor to we claim that they symbolize gold plates. The wood writing tablets symbolize the tribes of Judah and Joseph growing together through the modern day scriptures. I do not see Catholic.com offer any explanation of what the symbolism is.
Then, Catholic.com conflates the importance of our interpretation of Ezekiel 37 as a basis of our testimony:
“Mormons rely greatly on the Ezekiel passage as a proof text to demonstrate not only the possibility of divine scripture aside from the Bible, but also the Book of Mormon’s doctrinal equality with it.”
(Catholic.com)
Actually, the possibility of scripture aside from the Bible is evident from many things, including the fact that the Bible never says there can be no other scripture but actually refers to books of scripture that are not included in the Bible. As for “doctrinal equality”, the entire Book of Mormon matches up doctrinaly with the Bible.
Tribe Of Manassah vs. Ephraim – Critics argue that Lehi in the Book of Mormon claims to be from the tribe of Manassah, so the Book of Mormon couldn’t possibly be the “stick” representing Ephraim. Again, the Book of Mormon is not the “stick.” It is the “record of the stick.” It does not say it is the stick from Ephraim. It says it is the stick of Joseph in the hand of Manasseh. The Book of Mormon explains how it comes from the tribe of Manasseh and is declared from the tribe of Ephraim. D&C 27 says Moroni was the one “to whom I have committed the keys of the record of the stick of Ephraim.” It was written by members of the other tribe of Joseph, yes, but today is distributed by modern-day members of the church, who are of the tribe of Ephraim. The stick of Ephraim is us. The same is true of the Bible, which wasn’t totally composed of people from the tribe of Judah but was distributed by Jews.
One Book? – Jews For Judaism say: “…it is strange that the Latter-day Saints (Mormons) believe that the Bible and the Book of Mormon actually constitute one book of scripture and that Jews and Latter-day Saints should unite as one people.” We are saying the Bible and Book of Mormon come together as scripture in the same way as the tribes of Israel, and that they actually bring the tribes together as they clarify and spread the gospel. It is not Jews and Latter-Day Saints, but all of Israel. Nobody ever said the two “sticks” become one book, but they unite to clarify and uphold each other, “the principles of my gospel, which are in the Bible and the Book of Mormon, in the which is the fulness of the gospel.”
Jews For Judaism claim, “Of the four standard works, the Bible is held in the least esteem. ” False.
Genetic Ancestory – Then they make an interesting argument: “the Latter-day Saints as a group nor the people depicted in the Book of Mormon can fulfill the biblically explained prophecy” because “no amount of genetic testing or DNA sampling will show the Jewish people and the Latter-day Saints to be of the same ancestry.”
Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints claim to be members of the tribe of Israel, whether genetically or whether adopted in. Most are from the tribe of Ephraim. Whether we have DNA that descends from Israel himself is a complex issue that deserves its own article, so I won’t go into that here. But I find it interesting that they bring up genetics, because genetics is actually a very important scientific issue for what we are talking about. We are talking about Christopher Columbus sailing to the American continent, and the genetic mingling of two huge separated groups of people. Famous scientist Neil deGrasse Tyson on the Joe Rogan podcast said this is the most important thing in history to happen for our species.
“I think him coming to America was the most significant thing to ever happen in our species… We have rejoined two branches of the human species. We are now one common genetic group, and that genetic crossbreeding now continues to this day.”
(Joe Rogan Experience)
This adds another dimension to Ezekiel’s symbolism. At the beginning of Ezekiel 37 when Ezekiel sees dry bones ressurect from clear across the “four winds,” or four quarters of the globe, was this just a prophesy of a local nation in the Middle East returning to their homeland? At the end of Ezekiel 37 when Ezekiel talks about two nations becoming one nation among the “heathen,” was this a prophesy of tiny tribes becoming one small nation again? No, it was a prophesy of a massive global event, the most massive global event for humankind genetically. Google search “diptych globe” and look at how each image result divides earth into two; a dividing line along the Atlantic Ocean, the barrier which Christopher Columbus famously crossed. The diptych is a natural and obvious symbol for this event, just as it is a fitting symbol for the gathering of Israel. It is true, “the people depicted in the Book of Mormon” and modern Jews have different DNA. That’s the whole point! Separated by time and bodies of water, the natives of the Americas had grown physically and spiritually apart from the tribe of Judah, though from appearance they look very similar, like the two wood tablets of a diptych. The tribe of Ephraim traveled to the Americas, delivered the Bible record of scripture, and united Israel both physically and spiritually. Yes, they are different genetically, but now they are growing together and uniting into one single kingdom. To say the “sticks” started out too different is begging the question.
This gives us great insight of what this symbolism fully means for us. It wasn’t just some local priest thousands of years ago talking about a small Middle Eastern country. He was talking about massive global events that have shaped mankind and continue to shape our future. This is why Nephi in vision saw Christopher Columbus sail across the ocean, the pilgrims distributing the Bible, and the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. These are some of the most prominent events in human history and the record which he authored was to play a symbolic role for all of this. The Book of Mormon was a written record that matched and easily united with the Bible to bring global unity. Is the Book of Mormon just a small book written by a local prophet for a small church in Utah? No, it is global and massive on scale, like the sailing of Christopher Columbus, and it will transform and unify the human race in the same way globalization has transformed our genetics.
Mainstream Christian sects say the prophesies in Ezekiel 37 have not happened and will not be fulfilled until Jesus comes again. But does it actually say this won’t happen until the second coming? Each of the prophesies being symbolized in Ezekiel 37 seem to me happening right now: The movement and uniting of Judah and Joseph from the four quarters of the earth, the restoration of the temple, a new and everlasting covenant of peace, Jesus leading as king and shepherd, and the heathen recognizing the sanctification of Israel.