The Lord foretold the condition of those who “fear [his] name.” For them, “the Son of righteousness [shall] arise with healing in his wings.” According to Kent Jackson, in the Bible the term “Sun” is used, whereas here in the Book of Mormon the record uses “Son.” The translators of the King James Bible correctly recognized the term “Sun of righteousness” as an allusion to the Lord, noting this understanding by the use of the capital letter in the word “Sun.” Their interpretation is borne out by the Book of Mormon, where the phrase is personified completely--“Son of Righteousness.” (3 Nephi 25:2)
The personification of the metaphor “sun” to the explicit “Son” need not be viewed as a scribal matter, regardless of what may have been either in Malachi‘s original text or on the gold plates of Mormon’s abridgment. There is no reason not to assume that the Book of Mormon text here is deliberate and inspired. [Kent P. Jackson, “Teaching From the Words of the Prophets,” in Studies in Scripture: Book of Mormon, Part 2, p. 201]
“Wings”
In 3 Nephi 25:2 we find the statement that “the Son of Righteousness [shall] arise with healing in his wings.” The term “wings” is obviously symbolic, but of what? David Ridges notes that understanding symbolism can help one understand the scriptures and gives the following list as an aid to the reader:
Body PartsSymbolism
wings power to move, act, etc. (Example: Revelation 4:8; D&C 77:4)
palms joy; triumph, victory (Example: John 12:13; Revelation 7:9)
eye perception; light and knowledge
head governing
ears obedience; hearing
mouth speaking
hair modesty; covering
members offices and callings
heart inner man; courage
hands action, acting
rt. hand covenant hand; making covenants
bowels center of emotion; whole being
loins posterity; preparing for action (gird up your loins)
liver center of feeling
reins kidneys; center of desires, thoughts
arm power
foot mobility; foundation
toe associated with cleansing rites (Example: Leviticus 14:17)
nose anger (Example: 2 Samuel 22:16; Job 4:9)
tongue speaking
blood life of the body
knee humility; submission
shoulder strength; effort
forehead total dedication, loyalty (Example: Revelation 13:16:14:1)
[David J. Ridges, The Book of Revelation Made Easier, preface]
“Son of Righteousness”
According to John Pratt, a clear example of the rising sun representing Christ is the prophecy that unto the righteous “shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings.” (Malachi 4:2) This reference to the sun so clearly meant Christ that the phrase “Son of Righteousness” is interchangeable with it. (see 3 Nephi 25:2; 2 Nephi 26:9) Nephi pointed out that Christ would rise “with healing in his wings” at His resurrection. (see 2 Nephi 25:13) Mark wrote that when the women arrived at the tomb, the sun had risen, and Christ also had risen (see Mark 16:2,9).
Adam was given the promise that the Son of Man, Jesus Christ, would come “in the meridian of time.” (Moses 6:57) Later, Enoch specifically asked when the Savior would come, and he was given the same response: “in the meridian of time.” (Moses 7:46) This phrase is again used in the Doctrine and Covenants to refer to the time of the first coming of the Savior. (see D&C 20:26; 39:3) But what does this phrase, “the meridian of time,” mean?
In astronomy, the meridian is a north-south line passing exactly overhead that divides the sky in half. Meridian literally means “mid-day.” The sun culminates (reaches its high point) as it passes over the meridian. Time before that “passover” is called ante meridiem (A.M., or “before midday”) and afterward it is post meridiem (P.M., or “after midday”)…
The law of Moses was given to prepare Israel for the “coming of Christ.” (2 Nephi 11;4), but just how is the meridian of time symbolized in the calendar of the law of Moses as a “type of his coming” (Alma 25:15) “with healing in his wings?” (3 Nephi 25:2)
The Hebrew day begins in the evening, the month begins at the new moon, and the year begins in the fall. Because the Hebrew 24-hour day begins at sunset, the meridian - or middle point - of the full daily cycle is actually at sunrise.
The first day of any month is within two days of the new moon, and the fifteenth day of any month (of twenty-nine or thirty days) is near the full moon. Accordingly, the midpoint of every Hebrew month can be represented by the fifteenth day.
The meridian month of the year is the spring month Nisan. Thus, 15 Nisan represents the meridian both of the Hebrew year and of that month. In the law revealed to Moses, this meridian day of the Hebrew year was also the annual Passover feast day.
Inasmuch as Jesus died in the closing hours of 14 Nisan, his coming to the spirit world was at the beginning of the Passover feast day, 15 Nisan, the day symbolic of deliverance from the house of bondage. (see D&C 138:50) This coming fulfilled one Jewish tradition which insisted that the Redemption could take place only on 15 Nisan, as foreshadowed by the Exodus. The tradition is: “God said, ’Let this sign be in your hands: on the day when I wrought salvation for you, and on that very night know that I will redeem you; but if it is not this night, then do not believe.’” A footnote clarifies: “This apparently means: Should a pretended redeemer come at any other time, do not believe him, for the redemption will take place on that day and on no other.”
The climax of the Savior’s mission in the meridian of time was the act of delivering mankind out of bondage by loosing the chains of hell and breaking the bands of death. (See Alma 5:6-9) It was the apex of a crescendo that had been swelling since the fall of Adam, culminating in the three days of the Atonement (Friday) to Resurrection (Sunday).
We read that those in the spirit world had been “assembled awaiting the advent of the Son of God into the spirit world.” In fact, they were already “rejoicing in the hour of their deliverance from the chains of death,” when the Redeemer would come to declare “liberty to the captives who had been faithful.” (D&C 138:16, 18) Thus, they clearly expected the Lord to come at that very time. But why? Apparently it was because it was Passover, the day when Israel had been “redeemed” from the “house of bondage” at the exodus (see Deut. 13:5), foreshadowing the day when “the Redeemer” would proclaim “the opening of the prison,” and deliver the “spirits in prison” from “bondage.” (see D&C 138:42,28) [John P. Pratt, “Passover -- Was It Symbolic of His Coming?”, The Ensign, January 1994, pp. 38-41]