There is a great deal more to Jacob than we have touched on here. This is only intended to lay the groundwork to appreciate the topic I'm turning to next. I want to discuss the meaning of Jacob's Fifth Chapter. Before doing so however, I wanted to touch briefly on Jacob's sound understanding and heavenly qualification to teach the truth. He was in command of the truth and knew what he was teaching.
In his initial sermon, he includes another explanation of how he knew his teachings were sound: "It must needs be expedient that Christ-- for in the last night the angel spake unto me that this should be his name-- should come among the Jews, among those who are the more wicked part of the world; and they shall crucify him-- for thus it behooveth our God, and there is none other nation on earth that would crucify their God." (2 Ne. 10: 3.) This scripture tells us:
-Jacob was ministered to by angels, and taught as he was taught from above.
-Jacob was given the Lord's name centuries before His birth.
-Jacob foresaw the Lord's crucifixion.
-Jacob knew this was necessary for God to perform.
-Only a religious people like the Jews would crucify their God.
The irony of a group of religious people, claiming to follow God, killing Christ is set out matter-of-factly by Jacob. Jacob knew it was the very religious who would resist the truth. It was the very religious who fight against God. They think they are following Him when they persecute the prophets. They believe they are doing God a favor when they urge worship of idols, and seek to kill the Son of God.
Despite man's failure to repent and to worship the true God, Jacob foresaw the ultimate triumph of Zion. When it begins, Jacob promises, "he that fighteth against Zion shall perish, saith God." (2 Ne. 10: 13.) To make the point even more clear he adds: "Wherefore, he that fighteth against Zion, both Jew and Gentile, both bond and free, both male and female, shall perish; for they are they who are the whore of all the earth; or they who are not for me are against me, saith our God." (2 Ne. 10: 16.)
Once again Jacob carves the world into two: One small group whom God will protect and guide, and who will be brought into Zion; and then everyone else. The groups are disproportionate. There is no comparison between the diminutive Zion and the world. It is the world that will be destroyed. The small Zion will be protected and defended by God. Everything else will be gathered in bundles and burned.
With this introduction, we turn to Jacob Chapter Five.