The reader should note that the messages of Nephi 27:1-5 (and of Isaiah 29:6-10) are prophetically strengthened because these prophecies appear in chiastic form. However, the chiasm in the Book of Mormon is more complete, more understandable, and adapted for the last days. It becomes a prologue for Nephi's prophetic words on the coming forth of a book which is sealed (the Book of Mormon). In Isaiah's prophecy concerning the fate of the Jews at Jerusalem, however, the book really remained sealed.
It becomes clear that Joseph Smith didn't just copy some words from Isaiah into his manuscript on a whim. The person who wrote this section of the Book of Mormon would have had to have an understanding of chiasms in prophetic writings. The reader is invited to compare the chiastic structure of the Book of Mormon with the words of Isaiah 29:6-10. Donald W. Parry gives the following chiastic structure for 2 Nephi 27:1-5:
But, behold, in the last days, or in the days of the Gentiles--
yea, behold all the nations of the Gentiles
and also the Jews,
both those who shall come upon this land
and those who shall be upon other lands,
yea, even upon all the lands of the earth, (anabasis)
A. behold, they will be drunken
B. with iniquity and all manner of abominations--
And when that day shall come they shall be visited of the Lord of Hosts,
with thunder
and with earthquake,
and with a great noise,
and with storm,
and with tempest,
and with the flame of devouring fire. (synonymia)
C. And all the nations that fight against Zion, and that distress her, shall be as a dream of a
night vision; yea, it shall be unto them,
D. a. even as unto a hungry man which dreameth,
b. and behold he eateth
c. but he awaketh
d. and his soul is empty;
D' a. or like unto a thirsty man which dreameth,
b. and behold he drinketh
c. but he awaketh and behold he is faint,
d. and his soul hath appetite; (extended alternate)
C' yea, even so shall the multitude of all the nations be that fight against Mount Zion
B' For behold, all ye that doeth iniquity, stay yourselves and wonder, for ye shall cry out, and cry
A' a. yea, ye shall be drunken (simple alternate)
b. but not with wine,
a. ye shall stagger
b. but not with strong drink. For behold, the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep.
a. For behold, ye have closed your eyes,
b. and ye have rejected the prophets;
b' and your rulers,
a' and the seers hath he covered because of your iniquity.
And it shall come to pass that the Lord God shall bring forth unto you the words of a book, and they shall be the words of them which have slumbered. And behold the book shall be sealed; and in the book shall be a revelation from God, from the beginning of the world to the ending thereof.
[Donald W. Parry, The Book of Mormon Text Reformatted according to Parallelistic Patterns, F.A.R.M.S., pp. 102-103]
Note* The reader should be aware that I have taken the liberty to slightly modify the structure of the last part of the chiasm (step B' and A') from what appears in Parry's book. [Alan C. Miner, Personal Notes]