God Will Come in the Flesh
Abinadi continued: “I want you to understand this—God himself will come down and live among us. He will save his people. Because he will live in a mortal body, he’ll be called the Son of God. And because he’ll submit that body completely to the Father’s will, he is both Father and Son. “He’s the Father because he was conceived by God’s power. He’s the Son because he took on flesh. In this way, he becomes Father and Son— one God, the eternal Father of heaven and earth.
“When his mortal body submits to the Spirit—when the Son yields to the Father—he remains one God. He will face temptation but never give in. Instead, he’ll let himself be mocked, beaten, thrown out, and rejected by his own people. After all that, after performing incredible miracles, he’ll be led away—just as Isaiah said—like a sheep silent before its shearers. He won’t say a word in his own defense. “He’ll be led away, nailed to a cross, and killed. His body will die. The Son’s will completely absorbed into the Father’s will.
“And that’s how God breaks death’s grip. He conquers death, giving the Son power to speak on behalf of all people— after rising to heaven. His heart overflows with mercy. He’s full of compassion for us. He stands between us and justice itself. He’s broken death’s chains, taken our guilt and rebellion onto himself, freed us, and satisfied every demand justice could make.
Who Are His Children?
“Now let me ask you: Who can describe his family line? Listen—when his life becomes an offering for sin, he will see his children. So I’m asking you: Who are his children? I’ll tell you. Everyone who has listened to the prophets—all the holy prophets who spoke about the Lord’s coming—everyone who listened closely to their words and believed the Lord would save his people, everyone who looked forward to that day for forgiveness—those are his children. They’re the heirs of God’s kingdom. “These are the ones whose sins he carried. These are the ones he died for—to free them from their wrongs. So aren’t they his children? And what about the prophets—every one who spoke God’s message and stayed faithful? I mean all the holy prophets since the world began. They’re his children too.
“These are the ones who announced peace, who brought good news, who proclaimed salvation, who told Zion: ‘Your God reigns!’ How beautiful on the mountains were their feet! “And again: How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who are still bringing that message of peace! And again: How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who will keep announcing peace—from now until forever! “And that’s not all. How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the one who brings the good news himself—the founder of peace. I’m talking about the Lord, who has saved his people and given them salvation.
“Because without the rescue he planned before the world began, everyone would have been lost forever.
The First Resurrection
“But death’s chains will be broken! The Son rules over death itself. That’s why he can raise the dead. A resurrection is coming—the first resurrection. It includes everyone who lived and died before Christ’s own resurrection. That’s what we’ll call it—Christ’s resurrection. “This first resurrection will include all the prophets and everyone who believed their words, everyone who kept God’s commands. They’ll be raised first. They’ll be raised to live with God, who saved them. Through Christ—who broke death’s chains—they have eternal life.
“There are also others in the first resurrection—those who died before Christ came and never heard about salvation. The Lord restores them too. They’re part of the first resurrection and have eternal life because the Lord has saved them. And little children have eternal life too.
A Warning to the Rebellious
“But now—fear! Tremble before God! You should tremble. Because the Lord doesn’t save anyone who rebels against him and dies in their sins. Everyone since the world began who has willfully turned against God, who knew his commands and refused to keep them—they have no part in the first resurrection. So shouldn’t you tremble? Salvation doesn’t come to people like that. The Lord hasn’t saved them and can’t save them. He can’t deny who he is, and he can’t deny justice when it makes its claim.
Salvation for All Nations
“But the time is coming when the Lord’s salvation will be announced to every nation, tribe, language, and people. Lord, your watchmen will raise their voices! They’ll sing together as one, because they’ll see clearly when you restore Zion. “Burst into joyful song together, you ruined places of Jerusalem! The Lord has comforted his people. He has rescued Jerusalem. The Lord has shown his holy power before all nations. Everyone everywhere will see our God’s salvation.“