He writes, "And upon the wings of his Spirit hath my body been carried away upon exceedingly high mountains" (2 Nephi 4: 25). Wings are a representation of God's power, grace, and His tender mercies.
Nephi has what seems like an out-of-body experience, as he is spiritually transported and transcends to a temple-like experience, high upon the mountain of God. His eyes behold "great things . . . even too great for man." The sacred nature of this temple-like experience prohibits him from writing more.
In non-Biblical texts such as the pseudepigraphal account of the Apocalypse of Abraham, it states, "And the angel took me with his right hand and set me on the right wing of the pigeon and he himself sat on the left wing of the turtledove, both of which were as if neither slaughtered nor divided" (Apocalypse of Abraham 15: 2-3). I know this is not scripture of the Standard Works, but the Doctrine and Covenants tells us that similar to the Apocrypha, "there are many things contained therein that are true, and it is mostly translated correctly" (D&C 91: 1). The birds here representing heavenly messengers could correlate with Abraham's account of a token of the covenant as he takes "an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon. And he took unto him all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each piece one against another: but the birds divided he not" (Genesis 15: 9-10).
As Abraham makes this heavenly ascent on the wings of a bird (or angel), he says, "I am weakened and my spirit is departing from me." He then hears a voice, "like a voice of many waters," similar to the Prophet Joseph Smith's account in the Kirtland Temple of the voice of Jehovah (see D&C 110: 3). Abraham is then taught a song of praise (or a psalm) to God (see Apocalypse of Abraham 16-17).
Nephi also experiences a kind of separation of body and spirit. He speaks of his flesh wasting away and his strength slackened. He proclaims, "He hath filled me with his love, even unto the consuming of my flesh" (see 2 Nephi 4: 21, 26).
In the New Testament the woman with the issue of blood touched the Savior's garment on the tassel of the tallith or the wing of the garment and was healed as virtue or power healed her (see Luke 8: 44; Bible Dictionary, "Hem of Garment").
The idea of wings representing power, and in the above case, being a token of the covenant as Israelites were required to make fringes in the borders (or wings) of their garments as a reminder of their covenants with Jehovah, adds meaning to the plea of the Savior as He says, "How oft will I gather you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, if ye will repent and return unto me with full purpose of heart" (Numbers 15: 38-39; 3 Nephi 10: 6).
Wings are a symbol of the Savior's love, tender mercies, and divine protection. They are also a symbol of His grace. In the Old Testament, the Lord is compared to a maternal eagle as it states, "As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings" (Deuteronomy 32: 11). Also, as part of God's covenant with Israel, He reminds them, "Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself" (Exodus 19: 4).
We can be borne by Him when we are weak and struggling.
Wings are a source of enduring strength. Isaiah poetically writes,
"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint" (Isaiah 40: 31).
The wings of the Spirit can take us to holy places, like the temple, where we can see new vistas and feel of His divine nature and love. The wings of the Spirit will increase our spiritual strength and endurance. As Nephi prophesied, "He shall rise from the dead, with healing in his wings; and all those who shall believe on his name shall be saved in the kingdom of God" (2 Nephi 25: 13).
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