In this passage, Jacob ties Isaiah to the New World situation, both currently and in the future. While Jacob does not tell his audience that these verses are directed at them, he likely does not need to. It is important for us to read this sermon with those contemporary allusions in mind. In his introduction, Jacob had explained: “And now, the words which I shall read are they which Isaiah spake concerning all the house of Israel; wherefore, they may be likened unto you, for ye are of the house of Israel. And there are many things which have been spoken by Isaiah which may be likened unto you, because ye are of the house of Israel” (2 Ne. 6:5).
Jacob is pointing to a particular circumstance facing his community. To underscore the relevance to their current situation, Jacob quotes a revelation, but which one? Jacob does not say. The clue is Jacob’s reference to those who fight against Zion despite the promise of liberty in the land of promise. Thus, the context for this promise is the New World. Jacob is alluding to Nephi’s vision in 1 Nephi 22:14: “And every nation which shall war against thee, O house of Israel, shall be turned one against another, and they shall fall into the pit which they digged to ensnare the people of the Lord. And all that fight against Zion shall be destroyed, and that great whore, who hath perverted the right ways of the Lord, yea, that great and abominable church, shall tumble to the dust and great shall be the fall of it.”
Nephi’s vision identifies two components of the fight against Zion: the battle itself, and the “great and abominable church.” In his first-day sermon, Jacob explicitly notes the fight against Zion in the context of the great and abominable church: “And blessed are the Gentiles, they of whom the prophet has written; for behold, if it so be that they shall repent and fight not against Zion, and do not unite themselves to that great and abominable church, they shall be saved; for the Lord God will fulfil his covenants which he has made unto his children; and for this cause the prophet has written these things” (2 Ne. 6:12).
Thus, Jacob is referring to Nephi’s vision, which he no doubt expects his listeners to recognize. The great and abominable church is still the enemy, while the Gentiles, in a departure from their typical role as outsiders, are agents of salvation for Zion—Isaiah’s theme upon which Jacob built his sermon.
History: “There shall be no kings upon the land, who shall raise up unto the Gentiles” is typically read as an indication that the United States will not have kings. For example, Chris B. Hartshorn, editor of the Saints’ Herald for the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (now Community of Christ), suggested in 1964: “Though European nations have held possessions in or near the Americas, in no instance has a kingdom worthy of the name been set up and long maintained.” Such a statement focuses on the United States and ignores Canada and any country south of the border which recognized European monarchies for centuries. It also ignores the context in which Jacob presents his case. Because Nephi has been named a king of the people, there is already something problematic in saying that there would be no kings.
Verse 9 offers an explanatory context: “the kings of the Gentiles shall be nursing fathers unto them.” Jacob’s statement makes more sense by removing a comma: “There shall be no kings upon the land who shall raise up unto the Gentiles.” The context thus is one of conquering Gentile kings and the opposition that might “rise up” and defeat them. In other words, Jacob is prophesying that no non-Gentile kings will defeat the Gentiles, whose kings are the nursing fathers who will provide salvation to this colony of Israelites. Verses 12–13 confirm this context. Here the promise is clearly that Yahweh’s people will be protected against those who fight against Yahweh. In verse 14 Yahweh declares that he is the king of heaven and will be the Nephites’ king.
In short, Jacob, in quoting this passage from Isaiah, is not saying that there will be no kings. He cannot, for his brother is the king. His point is that that no other kings shall stand against the Nephites if they are righteous, for their true king is Yahweh who has promised to preserve them.