NT General Epistles James

September 13, 2007

 

 

Unlike Paul’s letters to specific cities and individuals, the other epistles are written to a general audience of the church.  There is doctrine taught, but practical advice is often given on how to live the gospel of Jesus Christ in our lives, it’s like President Kimball’s talks in the 1970”s, various subjects were mentioned all in one talk.

James who wrote this letter is the Lord’s brother, who was converted after the Lord’s death.  There are questions concerning the other epistles and we will cover them when we study those letters.   Bruce wants to study Revelation for most of this semester.  John set up Revelation like a Greek play with 7 Acts containing 7 scenes per Act.  He used the Tabernacle as a backdrop.  John saw things like we do, but he wrote in Old Testament language using Exodus and Ezekiel to write Revelation, the people in the church would understand his words, but it would be cryptic to non believers (Romans).  Remember the saints only had the OT for scripture along with some writings from church leaders.

 

James of Peter, James, and John was martyred in 44 AD; Acts 12, Paul hasn’t even gone on his 1st apostolic mission yet. James the Lord’s brother shows up in Acts 15 at the Jerusalem Council, he plays a significant role in the church.

(Matthew 13:53-58.) – There was nothing remarkable about Christ in any manner to the people.  He had to rise above all things, since he descended below all things.

 

53 ¶ And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence.

 

54 And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?

 

55 Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?

 

56 And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?

 

57 And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.

 

58 And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief

 

 

Jacob is James’s real name in Greek; Tyndale translated Jacob to James in the NT.

 

Christ Descended Below All Things



D&C 88:6-7

He that ascended up on high, as also he descended below all things, in that he comprehended all things, that he might be in all and through all things, the light of truth; which truth shineth.

 

D&C 122

1 The ends of the earth shall inquire after thy name, and fools shall have thee in derision, and hell shall rage against thee;

2 While the pure in heart, and the wise, and the noble, and the virtuous, shall seek counsel, and authority, and blessings constantly from under thy hand.

3 And thy people shall never be turned against thee by the testimony of traitors.

4 And although their influence shall cast thee into trouble, and into bars and walls, thou shalt be had in honor; and but for a small moment and thy voice shall be more terrible in the midst of thine enemies than the fierce lion, because of thy righteousness; and thy God shall stand by thee forever and ever.

5 If thou art called to pass through tribulation; if thou art in perils among false brethren; if thou art in perils among robbers; if thou art in perils by land or by sea;

6 If thou art accused with all manner of false accusations; if thine enemies fall upon thee; if they tear thee from the society of thy father and mother and brethren and sisters; and if with a drawn sword thine enemies tear thee from the bosom of thy wife, and of thine offspring, and thine elder son, although but six years of age, shall cling to thy garments, and shall say, My father, my father, why can't you stay with us? O, my father, what are the men going to do with you? and if then he shall be thrust from thee by the sword, and thou be dragged to prison, and thine enemies prowl around thee like wolves for the blood of the lamb;

7 And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.

8 The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?

 

Brigham Young,

It is written of the Saviour that he descended below all things. If he did he descended in capacity. I will merely tell you what I believe on this point. I believe that there never was a child born on this earth with any less capacity than dwelt in the child that was born in a manger of his mother Mary. I believe, according to the natural ability which he received from his mother and from his supposed father Joseph, that there never was a child that descended lower in capacity, or that knew less. Yet, according to the history given of him, his power of mind developed with such wonderful rapidity that when he was but a few years old he propounded questions to the learned doctors of his day which they could not answer, and answered questions propounded to him which the querists could not answer. He increased in wisdom and knowledge, and came into communication with his Father. The Being whom we call Father was the Father of the spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ, and he was also his Father pertaining to the flesh. Infidels and Christians, make all you can of this statement. The Bible, which all Christians profess to believe, reveals that fact, and it reveals the truth upon that point, and I am a witness of its truth. The Apostles who were personally acquainted with Jesus Christ did know and understand what they wrote, and they wrote the truth. (Journal of Discourses, 7:286)

 

John Taylor

The object of man's taking a body is, that through the redemption of Jesus Christ, both soul and body may be exalted in the eternal world, when the earth shall be celestial, and to obtain a higher exaltation than he would be capable of doing without a body. For when man was first made, he was made "a little lower than the angels," Heb. 2:7; but through the atonement and resurrection of Jesus Christ, he is placed in a position to obtain an exaltation higher than that of angels. Says the Apostle, "Know ye not that we shall judge angels?" 1 Cor. 6:3. "Jesus descended below all things, that he might be raised above all things." He took upon him a body, that he might die as a man, and "that through death, he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the Devil." Heb. 2:14. Having conquered Death, then, in his own dominions, burst the barriers of the tomb, and ascended with his body triumphant to the right hand of God, he has accomplished a purpose which God had decreed from before the foundation of the world, "and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers." Hence man, through obedience to the Gospel, is placed in a position to be an adopted son of God, and have a legitimate right to his Father's blessings, and to possess the gift of the Holy Ghost. And the Apostle says, that "If the spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead, dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you." Rom. 8:11. Thus, as Jesus vanquished death, so may we; as he overcame, so may we; and, if faithful, sit with him upon his throne, as he has overcome, and sat down upon his Father's throne. Rev. 3:21. Thus, an will not only be raised from degradation, but will also be exalted to a seat among the intelligence which surround the throne of God. This is one great object of our coming here and taking bodies. (The Government of God, Ch.5)


Groaning beneath this concentrated load, this intense, incomprehensible pressure, this terrible exaction of Divine justice, from which feeble humanity shrank, and through the agony thus experienced sweating great drops of blood, He was led to exclaim, "Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me." He had wrestled with the superincumbent load in the wilderness, He had struggled against the powers of darkness that had been let loose upon him there; placed below all things, His mind surcharged with agony and pain, lonely and apparently helpless and forsaken, in his agony and the blood oozed from His pores. Thus rejected by His own, attacked by the powers of darkness, and seemingly forsaken by His God, on the cross He bowed beneath the accumulated load, and cried out in anguish, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me!" When death approached to relieve Him from His horrible position, a ray of hope appeared through the abyss of darkness with which He had been surrounded, and in a spasm of relief, seeing the bright future beyond, He said, "It is finished! Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit." As a God, He descended below all things, and made Himself subject to man in man's fallen condition; as a man, He grappled with all the circumstances incident to His sufferings in the world. Anointed, indeed, with the oil of gladness above His fellows, He struggled with and overcame the powers of men and devils, of earth and hell combined; and aided by this superior power of the Godhead, He vanquished death, hell and the grave, and arose triumphant as the Son of God, the very eternal Father, the Messiah, the Prince of peace, the Redeemer, the Savior of the world; having finished and completed the work pertaining to the atonement, which His Father had given Him to do as the Son of God and the Son of man. As the Son of Man, He endured all that it was possible for flesh and blood to endure, as the Son of God He triumphed over all, and forever ascended to the right hand of God, to further carry out the designs of Jehovah pertaining to the world and to the human family. (Mediation and Atonement, Ch.21)

 

Wilford Woodruff

The Lord has said concerning Jesus, that he descended below all things that he might rise above all things, and comprehend all things. No man descended lower than the Savior of the world. Born in a stable, cradled in a manger, he traveled from there to the cross through suffering, mingled with blood, to a throne of grace; and in all his life there was nothing of an earthly nature that seemed to be worth possessing. His whole life was passed in poverty, suffering, pain, affliction, labor, prayer, mourning and sorrow, until he gave up the ghost on the cross. Still he was God's firstborn son and the Redeemer of the world. The question might be asked why the Lord suffered his Son to come here and to live and die as he did. When we get into the spirit world, and the vail is withdrawn, we shall then perhaps understand the whys and wherefore of all these things. In the dispensations and providences of God to man it seems that we are born to suffer pain, affliction, sorrows and trials; this is what God has decreed that the human family shall pass through; and if we make a right use of this probation, the experience it brings will eventually prove a great blessing to us, and when we receive immortality and eternal life, exaltation, kingdoms, thrones, principalities and powers with all the blessings of the fulness of the Gospel of Christ, we shall understand and comprehend why we are called to pass through a continual warfare during the few years we spent in the flesh. (Journal of Discourses, Vol.18, p.33)

 

Then let us be careful. Let us realize our condition. Let us realize we are here upon a mission. Let us realize that we will be held responsible for the manner in which we will it. We should be willing to sacrifice everything for the upbuilding of the Kingdom of God. Any man who will seek to save his life and desert the principles of the Gospel, is not worthy of eternal life. How many have laid down their lives since the creation of the world for the sake of the truth? Jesus Himself descended below all things. He descended, I believe, lower than any other man will be called to descend. Are we greater than Jesus? If we are called upon to-day to lay down our lives, what of it? Is it not as well to die for the Gospel's sake as to die for anything else? A million of men, a few years ago, sacrificed their lives for the honor of this nation. No matter what we may be called to pass through, let us maintain our integrity to God. Where is the man whose mind has been lit up by the inspiration of God to comprehend the celestial kingdom, or the celestial law, or the Gospel of Jesus Christ, who can bear the idea of pursuing a course whereby he will be cut off from inheriting the blessings for which he has hoped in the future? No, I would rather die a thousand deaths than be deprived of these blessings. We have a long time to live when we get through here. There is all eternity before us. It will pay you, it will pay me--no matter what comes, no matter what this nation may do to oppress us--to be true and faithful to our covenants, to our wives and children, to our God and to our country; it will pay us to be faithful to the end. (Journal of Discourses, Vol.25, p.12)

 

Joseph F. Smith (First Presidency Statement - Dec. 1904)

We celebrate an anniversary of the birth of the world's Redeemer and Who, we believe, will be its Lord and King. His entrance into the world was the signal for the songs of angels and the rejoicings of the heavenly host. He descended below all things that He might rise above all things, and in that experience comprehend and obtain power over all things. (Messages of the First Presidency, Vol.4, pp.92-93)

 

Ezra Taft Benson

It was in Gethsemane that Jesus took on Himself the sins of the world, in Gethsemane that His pain was equivalent to the cumulative burden of all men, in Gethsemane that He descended below all things so that all could repent and come to Him. The mortal mind fails to fathom, the tongue cannot express, the pen of man cannot describe the breadth, the depth, the height of the suffering of our Lord - nor His infinite love for us. (Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, p.14)

 

Now let me describe to you what faith in Jesus Christ means. Faith in Him is more than mere acknowledgment that He lives. It is more than professing belief. Faith in Jesus Christ consists of complete reliance on Him. As God, He has infinite power, intelligence, and love. There is no human problem beyond His capacity to solve. Because He descended below all things, He knows how to help us rise above our daily difficulties. (Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, p.66)



Bruce R. McConkie

Crucifixion was the form of death chosen from the beginning for Christ, that in his death, having descended below all things, he might in his resurrection ascend above all things. (Mormon Doctrine, p.174)

 

Neal A. Maxwell

President Brigham Young spoke of what evoked the "why" from Jesus, saying that during the axis of agony which was Gethsemane and Calvary, the Father at some point withdrew both His presence and His Spirit from Jesus (see Journal of Discourses 3:205-6). Thereby Jesus' personal triumph was complete and His empathy perfected. Having "descended below all things," He comprehends, perfectly and personally, the full range of human suffering! (D&C 88:6; see D&C 122:8). A spiritual sung in yesteryear has an especially moving and insightful line: "Nobody knows the troubles I've seen, nobody knows but Jesus" (see also Alma 7:11-12). Truly, Jesus was exquisitely "acquainted with grief," as no one else (Isa. 53:3). ["Apply the Atoning Blood of Christ," Ensign, Nov. 1997, p. 23]

(Luke 2:51.) – Mary knew and Joseph knew but the rest of the family didn’t think there was anything special about their brother.  Mary didn’t brag about her son Jesus, he was just another guy to those in the town, nothing remarkable here, not until he returns in power, they did not like this, even his own family.

51 And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.

(John 7:1-5.)

 

1 After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him.

 

2 Now the Jews' feast of tabernacles was at hand.

 

3 His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest.

 

4 For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world.

 

5 For neither did his brethren believe in him.

If we looked at the life of Jesus Christ we would be embarrassed to complain about our own personal situations.  He is always sinless, but overcoming infirmities was something he had to earn.  He literally descended below all things.

It wasn’t until the resurrection that the family finally came around, his appearance to James was critical, it changed James and he became a mighty leader of the church, especially in Jerusalem.

(1 Corinthians 15:4-8.) – A witness of the risen Christ, an apostle?  Perhaps

 

4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

 

5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:

 

6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.

 

7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.

 

8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.

 

(Acts 15:13.) – His status as the Lord’s brother gave him authority to speak and be listened to.  The Bishop pf Jerusalem.

13 ¶ And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me:

The letter seems to be written early in the Christian period.  It misses the concerns about persecutions and the heresy about Christ’s divinity from false teachers the Judaizers.  It might even predate the letter to the Galatians from Paul.

There isn’t a general theme to James letter; it’s a lot like President Kimball’s talk in the 1970’s.  How are we living the gospel of Christ?

Look at the context of the scriptures instead of just knowing chapter and verse.

(James 1:1-4.) – There are many types of trials, look at Abraham!  Vs. 3 patience = consistent.  God is always consistent.  Though we might not understand this principal, Joshua 7 and John 8, we are double minded, not consistent. Eventually we overcome all things, it takes time and patience.  If you don’t understand your trial, ask God, Ether 12:27, he answered on His timetable not ours, he only has your best interest in mind.  He will answer every prayer.

 

1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.

 

2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;

 

3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

 

4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

The nature and character of a thing – How do you know who you really are without being tested?  Do you live as you think you should?  If we get in the mode of standing back and looking at ourselves, in a spiritual trial I can stand back and see how I am acting.  We do this one day every week at the Sacrament table; it’s what the sacrament is all about.  The standard is the covenant I made with Jesus Christ, How am I doing versus that standard? 

(1 Corinthians 11:23-29.) – Examine yourself, test yourself. 

 

23 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:

 

24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

 

25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.

 

26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.

 

27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord.

 

28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.

 

29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body

 

Vs 27-29 – unworthily = thoughtless careless, taking the Sacrament without pondering and thinking we will be guilty of forgetting Christ,  going through the motions without thinking what you are doing.   Examine yourself when you take the Sacrament.  When I am offended I choose to do whether I recognize it or not.  I damn myself, if I become offended; I stop myself from doing what I know to be right.  If you are an active participant in the Sabbath you regularly examine yourself by the covenant.  I can see if I handle my trials very well, and by testimony I can figure out how to change, the only way to know is if I am tried and tested.

But there is so much more here than the retelling of the Last Supper and the Corinthians' abuses. Paul gives the most detailed Biblical insight into the purpose of this ceremony. Those who ate and drank thoughtlessly were told what to think about: "But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup" (1 Cor. 11:28). Before taking these symbols, one is obligated to consider the Lord as well as whether one's life is in harmony with the Lord's will: "This do in remembrance of me" (Luke 22:19; 1 Cor. 11:24). But does Christ merely ask for adoration? At the Last Supper he solemnly challenged those who had partaken of the consecrated bread and wine: "If ye love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15). One must not read Paul's Corinthian correction narrowly, for to "examine yourself" is a general teaching for all, not merely for the greedy offenders. The same is true of the warning not to eat and drink "unworthily" (1 Cor. 11:27). fn For Paul, the "cup of blessing" and the broken bread are visible signs of "communion" with Christ (1 Cor. 10:16). That term (koinonia) means a "common sharing" and is usually translated "fellowship." In the letters one has "fellowship" with heaven and with the Church if one's life is in order. There is a "fellowship" or "communion of the Holy Ghost" (2 Cor. 13:14), but it comes only "to them that obey" God (Acts 5:32). Paul states this general principle (2 Cor. 6:14): "And what communion hath light with darkness?" Thus, the sacrament of the Lord's Supper was a symbol of visible relationship to God through Christ, accompanied by self-examination of the worthiness of one's life. These simple but profound relationships characterized the Church after Pentecost, which faithfully continued "in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers" (Acts 2:42).

 

All of this means much to a Latter-day Saint, with the revealed sacrament prayer calling for remembrance through being called by the Lord's name, with the obligation to "keep his commandments," and with the eternal promise of his Spirit. fn Contemporary with the last books of the New Testament, a literate Roman governor examined Christians carefully and wrote the emperor that the central act of their worship was "a solemn oath . . . never to commit any fraud, theft or adultery." fn A few decades afterward, Christians prayed in the sacrament meetings "that we may be counted worthy, now that we have learned the truth, by our works also to live good lives and be keepers of the commandments, so that we may be saved with an everlasting salvation." Then just before the distribution of the bread and wine, a prayer of thanks was offered "for our being counted worthy to receive these things." fn

 

 

(Richard Lloyd Anderson, Understanding Paul [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1983], 108.)

(Doctrine and Covenants 101:4.) – Trials can be chastening experiences; we aren’t strong in an area, so we are tested to teach us.  Abraham needed to learn something about Abraham.  Section 101 is about the saints in Jackson Co.  It was a severe trial of their faith.  Edward Partridge is a great example of enduring, he never turned against God.  Old Nauvoo cemetery

4 Therefore, they must needs be chastened and tried, even as Abraham, who was commanded to offer up his only son.

The sacrifice of Isaac was the supreme test for Abraham.  The Hebrew text says that he got up early to begin the journey to sacrifice; he went at it immediately he didn’t hesitate. 

(Genesis 22:5.) – Hebrew translation – Abraham said unto the young man, stay here with the ass and indeed I and the lad will go yonder and we will worship and indeed we will come again to you.  A burnt sacrifice that will be resurrected and return unto him!  Through his son comes the promise, this is faith.  The ash and smoke of Isaac would be brought back alive, that was Abraham’s faith.

5 And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.

(Doctrine and Covenants 124:19.) – The trials improved his nature and character

19 That when he shall finish his work I may receive him unto myself, even as I did my servant David Patten, who is with me at this time, and also my servant Edward Partridge, and also my aged servant Joseph Smith, Sen., who sitteth with Abraham at his right hand, and blessed and holy is he, for he is mine.

Faith and repentance bring us our relationship with Christ; examine myself in relation to the covenant.  My mind can curb my emotions, keep us thinking straight.  Faith isn’t just belief, faith will require you to act on things when you don’t understand but that are true and are the will of the Lord.  Abraham will kill the boy and somehow they will walk down the hill together.   How can he live both of these commandments?  His son will marry to continue the promise of the covenant to produce seed!  Whatever God asks is right even though I don’t understand it, which is faith. Remember Abraham 3, God is more intelligent then they all.  God knows what he is doing.  I may not understand but I must do!   Not blind obedience, it is faith obedience.

Absolute confidence in something I cannot see, it must be combined with action (works) that are in absolute conformity to God’s will.  James combines these together. 

Spencer W. Kimball

 

Mind and Heart = Faith and Knowledge.  When you’re in the falling in love stage, don’t throw your mind out! 

Selected Quotes on
    The Necessity of Trials and Tests

John Taylor

 



George Q. Cannon

 



Lorenzo Snow
        Take it individually or take it collectively, we have suffered and we shall have to suffer again: and why? Because the Lord requires it at our hands for our sanctification.[Journal of Discourses, 5:323]

James is discussing trials of faith, when I am tested I find out something about my nature.  Even if I blow a trial I can examine myself at the Sacrament table and make the necessary changes, it reveals something about me.  If I pass the trial that also shows something about me, how can I continue to improve?  When I follow God’s will for me I find out something about my nature.  I now know how to improve myself.

Bruce mentioned how he studies a verse; he tears it apart,   Words of the Brethren, look at the scriptural language, etc.

Answers to prayer come bit by bit, piecemeal.  His timetable, in its appropriate time

(James 1:6-8.) – When God commands DO!  Without faith he isn’t going to get the answers, he doesn’t see them! 

 

6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

 

7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

 

8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

 

A STRING OF GOSPEL PEARLS

 

(James)

 

LARRY E. DAHL

 

As one contemplates the book of James, several questions come to mind: Who wrote the book of James? To whom did he write? When? Why? What messages for them and for us are to be found in the book?

 

Background

 

There are several persons mentioned in the New Testament who have the name James. Although there is no conclusive agreement among Bible scholars, it is generally agreed that the author of this epistle is James, the Lord's brother, also referred to as James the Just. He occupied an important position in the church at Jerusalem: he was one of the three "pillars" of the church at Jerusalem (along with Peter and John) who extended the hand of fellowship to Paul after his remarkable conversion (Gal. 1:19; 2:9); he played a key role in the council at Jerusalem dealing with the question of whether Gentile converts were expected to be circumcised and abide by other requirements of the Jewish law (Acts 15); and he received Paul's report of his missionary labors among the Gentiles and counseled him concerning his associations with Jewish Christians (Acts 21). Is it possible that he was a member of the presidency of the church, replacing the other James, who was killed by Herod? (Acts 12:2.) If so, that would explain his prominent role at the Jerusalem Council, and the fact that Paul, an apostle, repeatedly reported to him when he was in Jerusalem. fn

 

In the opening verse of the epistle, the writer identifies himself simply as "James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ." That he did not explain himself more specifically suggests that he was well known to those he was addressing—"the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad." (James 1:1.) Did he mean literally the twelve tribes of Israel, or was he perhaps using the term to refer to covenant Israel—believers in Jesus Christ, members of the church—whether blood Israel or adopted "heirs according to the promise" (Gal. 3:29)? Because most of literal Israel had been taken captive, scattered, and "lost," and were therefore not apt to receive his epistle, it seems appropriate to believe that he was addressing covenant Israel, somewhat scattered, but known and available.

 

When did he write? If the author is indeed James, the Lord's brother, the epistle was written before A.D. 62. There is substantial evidence that James, the brother of the Lord, was killed about A.D. 62 by Jewish leaders who took the law into their own hands at a time when there was no Roman procurator in Judea (between the death of Festus and the arrival of Albinus, procurators). fn Richard Lloyd Anderson comments: "Eusebius quotes Josephus on the death of the brother of the Lord and adds: 'Such is the story of James, whose is said to be the first of the so-called general epistles.'. . . James' lack of warnings of apostasy verifies this early date—all the known later letters speak sharply of false teachers." fn

 

If James was not writing to denounce or warn against apostate teachers who evidently entered the scene later, why did he write? No reason is given in the epistle itself. The purpose does not seem to be to convince readers of the divinity of Christ or of the authority of the church or its leaders. These things seem to be assumed. The epistle is not a well-organized treatise on a major theme, or even two or three themes, but is more like a sermon, highlighting many gospel truths and exhorting readers to apply the principles they profess to believe. This is similar to some of the general conference addresses of President Spencer W. Kimball in the middle and late 1970s. Perhaps as a leader of the church in his day, James saw signs of spiritual sickness among the saints—lack of faith and certitude, buckling under the weight of trials and temptation, hypocrisy, selfishness, loose tongues, a strong attraction to the world with its standards of behavior and judgment, love of riches, violation of conscience—and felt pressed to counsel, correct, encourage and strengthen his fellow church members. Do you notice how hauntingly modern the problems sound? Undoubtedly, the epistle of James is as needed in our day as it was in his.

 

Seen in this light, rather than being an "epistle full of straw, because it contains nothing of the gospel," fn the book of James is an epistle that contains the very essence of the gospel—"pure religion" (1:27), the "royal law" (2:8), a guide to overcoming a "multitude of sins" (5:20)—and is timelessly current.

 

This brings us to an examination of the messages contained in the epistle. James speaks of several gospel truths. Among them, we may each find some that strike responsive chords in our hearts.

 

A Pattern for Finding Answers (James 1:5)

 

Perhaps the most familiar and most often quoted verse in the book of James as far as Latter-day Saints are concerned is James 1:5: "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him." Of this verse Joseph Smith said, "Never did any passage of scripture come with more power to the heart of man than this did at this time to mine. It seemed to enter with great force into every feeling of my heart. I reflected on it again and again." (JS—H 1:12.) The verse had such a profound effect on Joseph at that time because of his great need. Observing the "war of words, and tumult of opinions" concerning which church was right, he was troubled and yearned to know how he could find answers for himself. As he was reading the scriptures, the Spirit of the Lord penetrated his mind and heart when he came to the particular passage that would direct him toward resolving his difficulty. He was humble enough to follow the message of the scripture, and the result was a new dispensation of the gospel on the earth, a restitution of all things, a restoration of truth, power, and priesthood with inestimable eternal significance for all mankind.

 

Is there a pattern for truth seekers here? An honest, troubled heart yearning for resolutions, scriptures, the Spirit, humility and courage to receive and obey the message. Surely we too can be directed toward answers to our questions, as Joseph Smith was. Our answers may not be found in this particular verse, because our needs may not be the same as his (on the other hand, they may be very much the same); and the results of our endeavors may not stretch as far and deep as did Joseph's. But there can come to each of us a kind of personal dispensation of truth and power (even a "restoration" if we have become casual or have strayed) that for us is glorious, with eternal significance. But we must follow the pattern: we must search the scriptures with real intent, humility, and courage, setting the stage for the Spirit to focus our minds and our hearts upon those truths which are of particular importance to us now.

 

Trials and Afflictions (James 1:2-4, 12-19; 5:7-11)

 

"My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations." (James 1:2.) The Joseph Smith Translation changes "divers temptations" to "many afflictions." To many persons, this seems to be strange doctrine. Why "count it all joy" when we are afflicted in one way or another? Why do faithful people, who are earnestly striving to do all they know they should do, suffer hardship and heartbreak, sometimes for long periods, or repeatedly? Does it have to be this way? Couldn't an omnipotent God pave the road of life, at least for those who would obediently and happily walk thereon? Further, why did the Savior, who was fully obedient and totally innocent, have to endure incomprehensible suffering? That suffering and trials are essential in the plan of salvation is unmistakably clear, though not always easy to accept. It has to do with "law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundation of this world." (D&C 130:20.) It has to do with the "justice of God" in executing that law with exactness (Alma 7:20; 42:14; Jacob 4:10), making it possible for us to have unwavering faith in Him. fn It has to do with agency and its misuse by us and by others. (Alma 14:11; 60:13; D&C 103:3-4.) And, painfully, it has to do with our being tested and tried, proven "to see if [we] will do all things whatsoever the Lord [our] God shall command [us]." (Abr. 3:25.)

 

Father Lehi taught, "For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things," stressing that without opposition, neither righteousness nor happiness nor the eternal purposes of God (and therefore, our own purposes) could be brought about. (2 Ne. 2:11-13.) The Lord has reminded us repeatedly in this dispensation that he will have a tried people:

 

My people must be tried in all things, that they may be prepared to receive the glory that I have for them, even the glory of Zion; and he that will not bear chastisement is not worthy of my kingdom. (D&C 136:31.)

 

For he will give unto the faithful line upon line, precept upon precept; and I will try you and prove you herewith . . . for I have decreed in my heart, saith the Lord, that I will prove you in all things, whether you will abide in my covenant, even unto death, that you may be found worthy. (D&C 98:12-14.)

 

Therefore, they must needs be chastened and tried, even as Abraham, who was commanded to offer up his only son. For all those who will not endure chastening, but deny me, cannot be sanctified. (D&C 101:4-5.)

 

As we experience and observe trials and afflictions, we often see what appear to be inequities. People are tested and afflicted in different ways, in different degrees. As Elder Boyd K. Packer explains, "Some are tested by poor health, some by a body that is deformed or homely. Others are tested by handsome and healthy bodies; some by the passion of youth; others by the erosions of old age. Some suffer disappointment in marriage, family problems; others live in poverty and obscurity. Some (perhaps this is the hardest test) find ease and luxury. All are part of the test, and there is more equality in this testing than sometimes we suspect." fn

 

Understanding this principle, James could truly encourage his readers to "count it all joy" and remind them that "trying of [their] faith worketh patience . . . that [they] may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." (James 1:3-4.) Perhaps also because he understands that such trials are difficult, James admonishes that we "stablish [our] hearts," or be resolute, firm, and anchored, and look to the prophets "for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience." (James 5:7-11.)

 

James reminds us that we must not blame God for every trouble. Much of what we suffer is because of our own doing, "being drawn away of [our] own lust, and enticed." (James 1:14.) He assures us that in God there is "no variableness, neither shadow of turning" (James 1:17; see also Alma 7:20), and that God's gifts to us are good and perfect (James 1:17). "Wherefore, my beloved brethren," he says, "let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath. . . . Lay apart all filthiness . . . and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls." (James 1:19-21.)

 

Faith and Works (James 1:22-27; 2:14-15; JST fn)

 

"Be ye doers of the word." (James 1:22; emphasis added.) Anything less than this is self-deception. James points out the incongruency of claiming to have faith in God without doing the works of God. That is as foolish as the position of the devils who "believe and tremble," who acknowledge God and his power, but who do not obey the laws that bring the blessings. In the final analysis, our works (our thoughts, feelings, and actions) identify the object or objects of our faith. Correctly understood, faith and works are not the same thing, but they are inseparable companions. To have faith is to have confidence and trust in something sufficient to motivate us to action. If there is no action, there is no faith. We can exercise faith in a myriad of things, but faith in anything but the God of Israel is powerless to save us.

 

James also teaches us that faith and works serve to build one another—faith leads to works, and by works, faith is made perfect. (James 2:22.) If we can generate enough faith in the promises of God to obey, he is bound to bless us. (D&C 82:10.) Experiencing those blessings will in turn build our confidence that his promises are sure, leading to further obedience. How do we start the cycle? "Faith cometh by hearing" (Rom. 10:17), through studying the scriptures (Hel. 15:7-8), as a gift of the Spirit to those who ask in humility and with real intent (1 Cor. 12:9; Alma 22:15-18), and if we will simply "awake and arouse [our] faculties, even to an experiment upon [God's] words" (Alma 32:27).

 

With these things in mind, the seemingly endless debate over whether we are saved by faith or by works is almost meaningless. The truth is, we are saved by grace—the grace of God and of Jesus Christ as expressed in the reality of the plan of salvation made possible through the Infinite Atonement. Our resurrection ("salvation" from the grave) is assured totally by grace, without regard to faith or works. (1 Cor. 15:22.) However, our "salvation" from hell and the devil, and the level or degree of that salvation, depend a great deal upon our faith and works. There are eternal rewards commensurate with every level of faith and works, from perdition to exaltation. But grace is essential here too, to make faith and works efficacious. Hence, Nephi's testimony that "it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do" (2 Ne. 25:23) and James's exhortation to be "doers of the word" make sense. Indeed, "pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father" is not contained in vain and unbridled claims of belief (James 1:26); rather it is exemplified in works: "to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep [oneself] unspotted from the vices of the world." (JST, James 1:26-27.) fn

 

Loose Tongues (1:26; 3:3-18; 4:11-12)

 

"If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue . . . this man's religion is vain" (James 1:26); "And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity" (3:6); "The tongue . . . is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison" (3:8). James points out that mankind has learned to control or tame almost everything—ships, horses, beasts, birds, serpents, and things in the sea—except the tongue. (3:3-7.) He decries the fact that with the same mouths we bless God and curse men, producing both sweet and bitter fruit, a condition that is against the natural order of things, and "ought not so to be." (James 3:9-12.) Rather than stirring up "bitter envying," "strife," and "confusion" with falsehoods, James reminds us that the "wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy." (James 3:13-17.)

 

An unruly tongue can fan the flames of rumor, spread gossip, betray confidences, destroy trust, and cause embarrassment and pain, even if what is talked about is true. President Spencer W. Kimball said, "Lies and gossip which harm reputations are scattered about by the four winds like the seeds of a ripe dandelion held aloft by a child. The degree and extent of the harm done by the gossip is inestimable." fn Whenever we are tempted to speak ill of another, perhaps we should remember the Savior's teachings about what has become known as the golden rule (Matt. 7:12), and about motes and beams (Matt. 7:1-5). Also we should note James's explanation that when we speak evil of another, we are in a sense judging that person and putting ourselves in God's place. After declaring that there is but one lawgiver, he asks, "Who art thou that judgest another?" (James 4:11-12.)

 

Another dimension of loose talk is profanity and vulgarity. Elder Dallin H. Oaks, a modern apostle, addressed that issue in general conference in April 1986. Some excerpts from his discussion follow:

 

For many in our day, the profane has become commonplace and the vulgar has become acceptable. Surely this is one fulfillment of the Book of Mormon prophecy that in the last days "there shall be great pollutions upon the face of the earth." (Morm. 8:31.) The people of God have always been commanded to abstain from language that is profane or vulgar. . . .

 

Satan seeks to discredit the sacred names of God the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ, the names through which their work is done. He succeeds in a measure whenever he is able to influence any man or woman, boy or girl, to make holy names common and to associate them with coarse thoughts and evil acts. Those who use sacred names in vain are, by that act, promoters of Satan's purposes.

 

Profanity is profoundly offensive to those who worship the God whose name is desecrated. We all remember how a prophet reacted from a hospital bed when an operating room attendant stumbled and cursed in his presence. Even half conscious, Elder [Spencer W.] Kimball "recoiled and implored: 'Please! Please! That is my Lord whose name you revile'" (Improvement Era, May 1953, p. 320.) . . .

 

Profanity also takes its toll on the one who uses it. . . . The Spirit of the Lord . . . is offended and withdraws. . . .

 

Vulgar and crude expressions are also offensive to the Spirit of the Lord. . . .

 

A speaker who mouths profanity or vulgarity to punctuate or emphasize speech confesses inadequacy in his or her own language skills. Properly used, modern languages require no such artificial boosters. A speaker who employs profanity or vulgarity to catch someone's attention with shock effect engages in a babyish device that is inexcusable as juvenile or adult behavior. Such language is morally bankrupt. It is also progressively self-defeating, since shock diminishes with familiarity and the user can only maintain its effect by escalating its excess. fn

 

There is yet another aspect to controlling the tongue that is worthy of serious consideration. Our ability and willingness to control our tongues is directly related to how much revelation the Lord is willing to give us. "Remember that that which cometh from above is sacred, and must be spoken with care, and by constraint of the Spirit." (D&C 63:64.) Promising that marvelous signs and healings would follow true believers in the early church, the Lord cautioned: "But a commandment I give unto them, that they shall not boast themselves of these things, neither speak them before the world; for these things are given unto you for your profit and for salvation." (D&C 84:73.) Later he declared: "Talk not of judgments, neither boast of faith nor of mighty works." (D&C 105:24.) The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that "the reason we do not have the secrets of the Lord revealed unto us, is because we do not keep them but reveal them; we do not keep our own secrets, but reveal our difficulties to the world, even to our enemies, then how would we keep the secrets of the Lord?" fn President Brigham Young counseled as follows:

 

Should you receive a vision or revelation from the Almighty, one that the Lord gave you concerning yourselves, or this people, but which you are not to reveal on account of your not being the proper person, or because it ought not to be known by the people at present, you should shut it up and seal it as close, and lock it as tight as heaven is to you, and make it as secret as the grave. The Lord has no confidence in those who reveal secrets, for He cannot safely reveal Himself to such persons. fn

 

That man who cannot know things without telling any other living being upon the earth, who cannot keep his secrets and those that God reveals to him, never can receive the voice of his Lord to dictate him and the people on this earth. fn

 

President David O. McKay called special spiritual experiences "heart petals." fn Surely it would take some special inspiration to share them with others. The spirit of the occasion would have to be right, and the motive would have to be to build another or to build the kingdom, not self-aggrandizement.

 

Whether the tongue is undisciplined in the area of gossip, profanity and vulgarity, or the unwise telling of sacred things, it needs to be controlled. Great blessings can flow from schooled tongues; great harm can come from loose tongues.

 

Double-mindedness (James 1:6; 3:10; 4:1-12)

 

Double-mindedness means being torn between two enticements, being tossed to and fro by divided loyalties, attempting to give attention to both simultaneously, or devoting oneself to one and then the other, alternately. Either approach is fruitless, leaving the person fragmented and ineffective in both camps. Such an approach pleases the devil but not the Lord. The Lord's way is to "have no other gods" before him (Ex. 20:3), to "seek . . . first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness" (Matt. 6:33), to "serve him with all [our] heart, might, mind and strength" (D&C 4:2), to yield "to the enticings of the Holy Spirit" (Mosiah 3:19), to prove that we are "determined to serve Him at all hazards." fn We must put on the whole armor of God (D&C 27:15-18; Eph. 6:10-18), experience a change of heart that will make us "firm and steadfast" (Hel. 15:7-8), "sure and steadfast" (Ether 12:4), anchored and immovable in proclaiming and defending the truth of heaven. In a pluralistic world, some may see this posture as narrow, even bigoted and arrogant, wooden, uncaring, self-righteous. But the Savior was none of these, and none was more unbending and resolute in the cause of right doctrine and right behavior than he. By his own words, we are to follow his example. (Matt. 4:19; 5:48; 3 Ne. 27:27.) But how can we judge and be tolerant, preach justice and mercy, be uncompromising and cooperative, advocate faith and reason, be heaven-bent and world-concerned, have our heads in the clouds and our feet on the ground, as it were, all at the same time, and not be double-minded? This can be done only with a gospel view of things—a view that admits to a God in heaven, a purposeful creation, a plan of salvation, a Savior, continuous revelation to prophets and to individuals, and the wisdom and ultimate necessity of everyone's yielding to that system.

 

Temporarily, the world may reject God and the gospel view. James tells us that "whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." In fact, he indicates that those who give their allegiance to the world rather than to God are "adulterers and adulteresses." (James 4:4.) Although he may be referring literally to sexual immorality, it is more probable that he is speaking figuratively of adultery—that is, the bride (the Lord's covenant people) has been unfaithful to the bridegroom (Christ), has given her heart or part of it to another suitor (the world). (See Isa. 54:5-6; Jer. 3:14, 20; 31:32; Ezek. 16; Hosea 2.) Such double-mindedness is not acceptable to the Bridegroom; he desires and expects complete loyalty—single-mindedness. Single-mindedness toward God does not preclude concern for and efforts to improve the world, but it does require an uncompromising commitment to doing things the Lord's way. And that way is offensive to some. One simply cannot fully serve God without offending the devil—and one cannot be double-minded without offending God.

 

James points out several cases of double-mindedness: faith versus lack of faith in prayers (1:5-6); blessings versus cursings from the same tongue (3:10); allegiance to God versus allegiance to the world (4:1-4); being subject to the one lawgiver versus judging the law and others (4:11-12); and submitting to God versus yielding to the influence of the devil (4:6-7). He challenges those affected to overcome their double-mindedness by submitting themselves to God—to be humble, draw near to him, and purify their hearts—promising that in response, God will draw near to them and lift them up (4:6-10). James also admonishes the appropriate reaction to the devil and his temptations: "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (4:7).

 

Keeping the Whole Law (James 2:10)

 

"For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." (James 2:10. fn) Does that mean that those who are not perfect are considered guilty concerning even the laws they have not broken? How are we to interpret this passage? James uses this statement to emphasize the fact that the "royal law" requires that we love our neighbors as ourselves; and regardless of whatever else we may do toward our neighbor that is decent and right (even if we keep every other aspect of the law as it pertains to our neighbor), if we "have respect of persons" because of riches, we have broken that royal law and thereby deny ourselves the blessings that keeping it would bring. (James 2:1-9.)

 

Another scriptural example of someone's keeping all the law but one point, and thereby missing all that he could have had, is the sad story of the rich young man who came to Jesus asking what he had to do to gain eternal life. (Matt. 19:16-26.) Jesus reminded him of the critical commandments. The young man responded: "All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?" When told that to be perfect he must give up his wealth, the young man "went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions." Several issues and lessons could be extracted from that exchange, but the point to be made here is that failing in any requirement of the law can rob us of eternal life. Joseph Smith said: "Any person who is exalted to the highest mansion has to abide a celestial law, and the whole law too," and "I spoke to the people, showing them that to get salvation we must not only do some things, but everything which God has commanded." fn

 

Those who attain exaltation must be "cleansed from all their sins." (D&C 76:52; emphasis added.) Certainly there are eternal kingdoms and rewards to correspond with every level of obedience. However, it only takes one area of deficiency to keep us from "all that [our] Father hath." (D&C 84:38.) That seems to be the point James is making. Thankfully, we have been given a probationary time to learn total obedience. It is not required by Monday morning, as it were—at least not next Monday. But we should not use the Lord's willingness to be patient with us as an excuse to be casual or lazy about self-improvement. King Benjamin taught the proper balance: "See that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order." (Mosiah 4:27.)

 

Riches (James 1:9-11; 2:1-13; 5:1-6)

 

At three different points in his epistle James discusses riches, twice to warn about how transitory they are (1:9-11; 5:1-6), and once to decry using them as the reason for giving respect or honored social position (2:1-13). Immediately a defensive chorus (usually made up of those who are rich and those who intend to become so) swells in unison: "There is nothing wrong with having money. It takes money to help build the kingdom. Many of the leaders of the church are wealthy." No contest! The Lord does not condemn riches. In fact, he promises them to the obedient and is pleased when he can bestow them. (D&C 59:16-20.) However, he has repeatedly warned—and history has proven—that worldly wealth brings with it the potential, and more often than not the reality, of the very evils James identifies in his epistle: social distinctions based on wealth and oppression of the poor (2:1-9), foolish reliance upon and unwarranted stockpiling of wealth (5:1-3), selfish withholding of honest wages by fraud (5:4), and wanton hedonism, enjoyed at the expense of others (5:5-6).

 

The Lord promised the early saints of this dispensation "the riches of the earth," but warned them to "beware of pride, lest [they] become as the Nephites of old." (D&C 38:39.) What did riches do to the Nephites? "There began to be some disputings among the people; and some were lifted up unto pride and boastings because of their exceedingly great riches, yea, even unto great persecutions. . . . And the people began to be distinguished by ranks, according to their riches and their chances for learning; yea, some were ignorant because of their poverty, and others did receive great learning because of their riches. . . . And thus there became a great inequality in all the land, insomuch that the church began to be broken up." (3 Ne. 6:10-14.)

 

Such a condition prevailed among the Nephites just prior to the coming of the Savior to them and the destruction of the more wicked part of the society. For about two hundred years after the Savior's visit, the Nephites lived prosperously, both spiritually and temporally: "They had become exceedingly rich, because of their prosperity in Christ." But "in this two hundred and first year there began to be among them those who were lifted up in pride, such as the wearing of costly apparel, and all manner of fine pearls, and of the fine things of the world. And from that time forth they did have their goods and their substance no more common among them. And they began to be divided into classes; and they began to build up churches unto themselves to get gain, and began to deny the true church of Christ." (4 Ne. 1:23-26.)

 

Evidently riches were causing problems for the early Christians at the time James wrote. Are there any worrisome signs today? In the church there are both rich and poor. Perhaps some are selfishly rich, but many freely share their good fortune to further the Lord's work and help those in need. It takes a constant vigil, however, to see that worldly riches do not rob us of the riches of eternity. The prophet Jacob gave us a key that can unlock the door to the simultaneous enjoyment of both temporal and spiritual prosperity. (Jacob 2:17-18.)

 

Position and Knowledge Bring Responsibility (James 3:1; 4:17)

 

James cautions against seeking to be "masters" because of the greater condemnation that could attend. (James 3:1.) Later he adds, "To him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." (James 4:17.) That position and knowledge bring responsibility is taught repeatedly in the scriptures. "For of him unto whom much is given much is required; and he who sins against the greater light shall receive the greater condemnation." (D&C 82:3.) "Therefore repent ye, repent ye, lest by knowing these things and not doing them ye shall suffer yourselves to come under condemnation." (Hel. 14:19.) "For the atonement satisfieth the demands of his justice upon all those who have not the law given to them. . . . But wo unto him that has the law given, yea, that has all the commandments of God, like unto us, and that transgresseth them, and that wasteth the days of his probation, for awful is his state!" (2 Ne. 9:26-27.)

 

Two notable examples are Corianton and Joseph Smith. Corianton was a missionary who left his labors to go after the harlot Isabel. In reproving his wayward son for this conduct, Alma said, "Yea, she did steal away the hearts of many; but this was no excuse for thee, my son. Thou shouldst have tended to the ministry wherewith thou wast entrusted." (Alma 39:3-4.) Joseph Smith succumbed to the pressures of Martin Harris's pleadings about taking the 116 pages of the Book of Mormon to show others. Though the Lord finally permitted the request, he sharply censured Joseph in these words: "For, behold, you should not have feared man more than God. Although men [that is, men without your calling and knowledge] set at naught the counsels of God, and despise his words—yet you should have been faithful." After inviting Joseph to repent, the Lord added, "Except thou do this, thou shalt be delivered up and become as other men, and have no more gift." (D&C 3:7-8, 11.)

 

Sometimes young Latter-day Saints question why their friends can do wrong things and seem to live quite contentedly, while the Latter-day Saint who joins them in these activities suffers much guilt and unhappiness. The truth of the matter is that the Latter-day Saint knows better and has been called out of the world and blessed with knowledge and the gift of the Holy Ghost. Joseph Smith taught that "God judges men according to the use they make of the light which He gives them." fn We are not judged by the light God gives others, and others are not judged by the light he gives us. To violate true conscience is sin, regardless of what others know or do. We know and God knows the measure of light we have been given, and our spiritual health depends upon our giving heed to it.

 

Forgiveness of Sins (James 5:14-20)

 

In the last few verses of the epistle, James talks about a relationship between healings and forgiveness and between saving souls and forgiveness. Concerning the forgiveness of sins that can accompany a healing, Joseph Fielding Smith said: "If by the power of faith and through the administration by the elders the man is healed, it is evidence that his sins have been forgiven. It is hardly reasonable to think that the Lord will forgive the sins of a man who is healed if he has not repented. Naturally he would repent of his sins if he seeks for the blessing by the elders." fn James's instructions support the idea that a spirit of faith and repentance is present with such forgiveness—the sick person is to "call for the elders" (5:14), the prayer is to be a "prayer of faith" (5:15), and contrition is suggested by the "confess your faults" passage (5:16). Forgiveness is predicated upon law as are all other blessings (see D&C 130:20-21) and must be assumed in this instance. But what a great comfort it is to those who are repentant to know that when hearts are right, anointings are given, and healings are granted, not only the body but also the soul is made well.

 

How does saving souls relate to forgiveness? James says that "he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins." (James 5:20.) Whose sins? The converted sinner's sins, or the sins of the one who helped to turn him around? The answer is yes. Sins of both parties are taken care of in the process. The converted sinner changes his life as past sins are forgiven and not repeated in the future. And the one who helped the sinner is undoubtedly affected by the experience—commended, uplifted, encouraged by the Spirit, and inspired to new levels of righteousness. After quoting James 5:19-20, Spencer W. Kimball wrote:

 

Every person who is beginning the long journey of emancipating himself from the thralldom of sin and evil will find comfort in the thought expressed by James. We could expand it somewhat and remind the transgressor that every testimony he bears, every prayer he offers, every sermon he preaches, every scripture he reads, every help he gives to stimulate and raise others—all these strengthen him and raise him to higher levels.

 

The proper motivation for missionary work of any kind, as for all Church service, is of course love for fellowmen, but always such work has its by-product effect on one's own life. Thus as we become instruments in God's hands in changing the lives of others our own lives cannot help but be lifted. One can hardly help another to the top of the hill without climbing there himself. fn

 

Truly a multitude of sins is hidden—not winked at or covered over, but dealt with, repented of, and forgiven, not to be mentioned again. (See Ezek. 18:21-23).

 

Conclusion

 

The epistle of James has much substance, and James has a way of saying things that impresses them upon the mind. Some of these impressive statements include:

 

"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God" (1:5).

 

"A double minded man is unstable in all his ways" (1:8).

 

"Be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath" (1:19).

 

"Pure religion and undefiled before God . . . is this, To visit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world" (1:27).

 

"If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself" (2:8).

 

"Faith, if it hath not works, is dead" (2:17).

 

"By works was faith made perfect" (2:22).

 

"The tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity" (3:6).

 

"Ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss" (4:2-3).

 

"The friendship of the world is enmity with God" (4:4).

 

"Resist the devil, and he will flee from you" (4:7).

 

"Who art thou that judgest another?" (4:12).

 

"To him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin" (4:17).

 

"The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" (5:16).

 

Perhaps the summary of the epistle is captured in James's exhortation: "Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only" (1:23).

 

Notes

 

Larry E. Dahl is associate professor of Church history and doctrine and director of Doctrine and Covenants research in the Religious Studies Center at Brigham Young University.

 

Footnotes

 

1. For additional information, see the Bible Dictionary in the LDS edition of the King James Version, under the heading "James."

 

2. Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews 20.9.1, and Ecclesiastical History 2.23.9-18.

 

3. Richard Lloyd Anderson, "James and His Letter," Guide to Acts and the Apostles' Letters, Religion 212 Syllabus (Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University, 1983).

 

4. This is Martin Luther's assessment in comparing James to some of the writings of Peter, John, and Paul. See New Testament Preface, cit. John Dillenberger, Martin Luther (1961), p. 19, as quoted in Anderson, Guide to Acts and the Apostles' Letters. Perhaps Luther's appraisal is due to the fact that James seems to assume, rather than argue for, belief in the divinity and absolute necessity of Christ and the validity of the gospel. Also, it may be due to Luther's attachment to the idea of salvation by grace, not works. The unrelenting focus in the book of James is upon works.

 

5. Joseph Smith, Lectures on Faith (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1985), lecture 4.

 

6. Boyd K. Packer, "The Choice," Ensign 10 (November 1980): 21; emphasis added.

 

7. There are sixteen verses in James where the wording is changed in the Joseph Smith Translation: 1:2, 12, 21, and 27; 2:2, 4, 10, 14, 15, 16, 19, 22, and 25; 3:1. Note that seven, or nearly one-half, of those changes are in 2:14-25, concerning the issue of faith and works. And it is in these verses (especially verses 19, 20, and 22), that the changes add to our knowledge, not just state more clearly the ideas already understandable in the King James Version.

 

8. See Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, comp. Bruce R. McConkie, 2 (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1954): 306-11.

 

9. Spencer W. Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1969), p. 54.

 

10. Conference Report, April 1986, pp. 66-69.

 

11. Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, comp. Joseph Fielding Smith (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1976), p. 195.

 

12. Journal of Discourses, 26 vols. (Liverpool: F. D. Richards and Sons, 1851-86), 4:288.

 

13. Ibid., p. 287.

 

14. Millennial Star, January 1963, p. 13.

 

15. Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 150.

 

16. The Joseph Smith Translation renders this verse "For whosoever shall, save in one point, keep the whole law, he is guilty of all," which is technically a more accurate statement of the principle.

 

17. Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp. 331-32.

 

18. Ibid., p. 303.

 

19. Doctrines of Salvation 3:177-78.

 

20. The Miracle of Forgiveness, p. 205.

 

 

(Robert L. Millet, ed., Studies in Scripture, Vol. 6: Acts to Revelation [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1987], 207.)

 

 

1st Peter

September 20, 2007

 

There is a great debate who wrote the 2 books of Peter.  The Greek in the 1st book is really well written, the 2nd book is poor Greek.

(1 Peter 5:12.) – Silvanus as a scribe for Peter probably wrote the 1st book; Peter wasn’t Greek so it would make sense that he wrote by his own hand the 2nd book.  Peter wrote both books.  The books are written late

 

12 By Silvanus, a faithful brother unto you, as I suppose, I have written briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God wherein ye stand.

Peter penned the most sublime language of any of the apostles. (HC 5:392.)

 

(Joseph Smith, Discourses of the Prophet Joseph Smith, compiled by Alma P. Burton [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1977], 246.)

21 May 1843 (Sunday Morning). Temple Stand. 1

 

Joseph Smith Diary, by Willard Richards

 

10 1/2—Joseph arrived and after pressing his way through the crowd and getting on the stand said there were some people who thought it a terrible thing that any body should exercise a little power. & said he thought it a pity that any body should give occasion to have power exercised. and requested the people to get out of their alleys, and if they did not keep them clear he might some time run up and down & might hit some of them. & called on Bro Morey 2 to constable to keep the alleys after singing Joseph read 1st chap 2d Epistle of Peter, Wm Law prayed. singing again.

 

when I shall have the opportunity of speaking in a house I know not. I find my lungs failing—it has always been my fortune almost to speak in the open air to large assemblies.

 

I have not an idea there has been a great many very good men since Adam There was one good man Jesus.—Many think a prophet must be a great deal better than any body else.—suppose I would condescend. yes I will call it condescend, to be a great deal better than any of you. I would be raised up to the highest heaven, and who should I have to accompany me. I love that man better who swears a stream as long as my arm, and administering to the poor & dividing his substance, than the long smoothed faced hypocrites

 

I dont want you to think I am very righteous, for I am not very righteous. God judgeth men according to the light he gives them. 3

 

we have a more sure word of prophecy, whereunto you do well to take heed. as unto a light that shineth in a dark place 4

 

we were eyewitnesses of his majesty and heard the voice of his excellent glory 5—& what could be more sure? transfigured on the mount 6 &c what could be more sure? divines have been quarreling for ages about the meaning of this.

 

rough stone rolling down hill. 7

 

3 grand secrets lying in this chapter which no man can dig out. which unlocks the whole chapter. What is written are only hints of things which existed in the prophets mind. which are not written concerning eternal glory.

 

I am going to take up this subject by virtue of the knowledge of God in me. which I have received from heaven.

 

the opinions of men, so far as I am possessed concerned, are to me as the crackling of the thorns under the pot, or the whistling of the wind.

 

Columbus and the eggs. 8—Ladder and rainbow. 9 like precious faith with us—add to your faith virtue &c. another point after having all these qualifications he lays this injunction. but rather make your calling & election sure—after adding all this virtue knowledge &. make your caling & sure. 10—what is the secret. the starting point.—according as his divine power which hath given unto all things that pertain to life & godliness.

 

how did he obtain all things? through the knowledge of him who hath called him.—there could not any be given pertaining to life knowledge & godliness without knowledge 11 wo wo wo to christendom.—the divine spirits; &c if this be true.

 

salvation is for a man to be saved from all his enemies.—until a man can triumph over death. he is not saved. knowledge will do this.

 

organization of Spirits in the eternal world.—spirits in the eternal world are like spirits in this world. when those spirits have come into this [and] risin & received glorified bodies. they will have an ascendency over spirits who have no bodies. or kept not their first estate like the devil. Devils punishment, should not have a habitation like other men. Devils retaliation come into this world bind up mens bodies. & occupy himself. authorities come alone and eject him from a stolen habitation

 

design of the great God in sending us into this world and organizing us to prepare us for the Eternal world.—I shall keep in my own bosom. we have no claim in our eternal comfort in relation to Eternal things unless our actions & contracts & all things tend to this end. 12—

 

after all this make your calling and election sure. if this injunction would lay largely on those to whom it was spoken. how much more then to them of the 19. century.—

 

1. Key Knowledge is the power of Salvation

 

2. Key Make his calling and Election Sure

 

3.  It is one thing to be on the mount & hear the excellent voice &c &c. and another to hear the voice declare to you you have a part & lot in the kingdom.—

 

 

(Joseph Smith, The Words of Joseph Smith: The Contemporary Accounts of the Nauvoo Discourses of the Prophet Joseph, compiled and edited by Andrew F. Ehat and Lyndon W. Cook [Provo: BYU Religious Studies Center, 1980], 204.)

2nd Peter is written to those who understood the truths as he understood them.

(1 Peter 3:1-2.) – Cultural issue.  The wife is a Christian and the husband is not, how should the wife act?  By setting the example before him living the gospel, don’t fight and create contention, fear God not your husband.  In time he may come around to your views.

 

1 Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;

 

2 While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear.

 

 

(1 Peter 5:5-8.) – If you aren’t sober you aren’t watching.  A tremendous trial is coming, get ready.  Like David in Jerusalem.

 

5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

 

6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

 

7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

 

8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

 

 

(1 Peter 1:13.) – Prepare yourself for action, in this instance, prepare your mind, and be alert.  Watch out for danger.  We make a covenant in the temple to pay attention, not to be casual.

 

13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

The problem of levity and light mindedness is to look at everything as a joke, it isn’t taken seriously, and if we couldn’t laugh then our prophet is in big trouble.  There is a time when we can relax a bit, the Millennium; Satan will be bound because we have been so vigilant.

Good doctrine about the main mission of the Holy Ghost, this should be taught at baptisms.  His main function is to sanctify and cleanse us, we are then qualified for further revelation and knowledge to aid us on our journey home.

(1 Peter 1:2-4.) – The elect are foreordained to receive the gospel here in mortality.  Christ atoned for our sins and we are cleaned by his blood.  How does that become effective in my life?  By the gift of the Holy Ghost, he justifies and sanctifies me by entering into me and cleaning me, then it becomes effective in my life.  The Holy Ghost is the agent.

 

2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

 

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

 

4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,

 

 (2 Nephi 31:17.) –The gift of the Holy Ghost is the greatest gift we have in this life.  The Sacrament is essential for our renewal.  He is more than a revelator or teacher, he is my sanctifier.  Baptism cleans no man, that’s the Holy Ghosts work.

 

17 Wherefore, do the things which I have told you I have seen that your Lord and your Redeemer should do; for, for this cause have they been shown unto me, that ye might know the gate by which ye should enter. For the gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water; and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost.

(Alma 13:11-12.) – The power of the Holy Ghost sanctifies us; the Holy Ghost does this by administering the light of Christ.  You will know when you are sanctified.

 

11 Therefore they were called after this holy order, and were sanctified, and their garments were washed white through the blood of the Lamb.

 

12 Now they, after being sanctified by the Holy Ghost, having their garments made white, being pure and spotless before God, could not look upon sin save it were with abhorrence; and there were many, exceedingly great many, who were made pure and entered into the rest of the Lord their God.

 

(3 Nephi 27:19-20.) – Washed in the blood of Christ = Cleansed by the Holy Ghost.

 

19 And no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom; therefore nothing entereth into his rest save it be those who have washed their garments in my blood, because of their faith, and the repentance of all their sins, and their faithfulness unto the end.

 

20 Now this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day.

 

Forgiveness is different than sanctification.  How do you know when you are sanctified?  When you look upon sin with abhorrence, you don’t want to go back to your old ways.  Bruce told a story about missionaries who told stories about themselves before their mission; if they were sanctified they wouldn’t want to remember and retell those sins of the past, they would look back with horror not wanting to repeat their past ways.  They were sanctified at a general level but also at a personal level.

Once we have repented enough to qualify for baptism, that does not mean we will never need the repentance principle again. Our partaking of the sacrament on a weekly basis allows us not only to renew our covenants, but to reaffirm the ongoing process implied by faith, repentance, and baptism. Also in that weekly renewal, the Lord reaffirms his promise to us of continual atonement. This is the process, as King Benjamin called it, of retaining a remission of our sins from day to day. (See Mosiah 4:12, 26.)

 

In a similar way, the Savior's gift of grace to us is not necessarily limited in time to "after" all we can do. We may receive his grace before, during, and after the time when we expend our own efforts. Nevertheless, it is helpful to an understanding of the total forgiveness and sanctification process to view the relationship between man's effort and God's grace in two stages.

 

In addition, stage two is less widely discussed than the more familiar terrain of justice, mercy, and repentance. For that reason, our thoughts on the topic may well be less structured and make use of less familiar terminology than we typically find in discussions of the Atonement that confine themselves to stage one. Still, the general idea that we should move beyond repentance and baptism toward some holier, perfected, or sanctified state is clearly taught in the scriptures. For example, "Therefore not leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God." (JST Hebrews 6:1.) The scriptures also teach that in this second stage, the Savior's grace has as vital a role to play as in stage one.

 

Several gospel concepts suggest that there are two stages of spiritual development. One of these is the doctrine of spiritual rebirth, which is taught eloquently in the Book of Mormon. In the preparatory stage, we are born of the water through baptism; in the advanced stage, we are born of the spirit. (See, in particular, Mosiah 5, 27; Alma 5.) We must experience both births to enter the kingdom of heaven. (See John 3:5.)

 

Another expression of advanced spiritual maturity is the idea of entering into the "rest" of the Lord. The power of the Melchizedek Priesthood has some vital role to play in both preparing and allowing the Saints access to this special state while still in mortality. Moses and the higher priesthood were taken from the children of Israel because the people "hardened their hearts" until the Lord "swore that they should not enter into his rest while in the wilderness, which rest is the fulness of his glory." (D&C 84:24; emphasis added.)

 

And Alma taught that the high priests of his day had been called in the premortal life with a "holy calling . . . prepared from the foundation of the world," for the purpose of teaching God's "commandments unto the children of men, that they also might enter into his rest." (See Alma 13:5, 6; emphasis added.) Because of their faithful response to such instruction, "there were many, exceedingly great many, who were made pure and entered into the rest of the Lord their God." (Alma 13:12; emphasis added.) (See also Moroni 7:3.)

 

 

The Savior also received the blessing of his Father's grace along his path toward attaining the Father's "fulness." He offers us the blessing of following the same path, establishing a relationship with him that mirrors his relationship with the Father:

 

And I, John, saw that he received not of the fulness at the first, but received grace for grace;

 

And he received not of the fulness at first, but continued from grace to grace, until he received a fulness;

 

And thus was he called the Son of God, because he received not of the fulness at the first.

 

And I, John, bear record that he received a fulness of the glory of the Father;

 

And he received all power, both in heaven and on earth, and the glory of the Father was with him, for he dwelt in him.

 

I give unto you these sayings that you may understand and know how to worship, and know what you worship, that you may come unto the Father in my name, and in due time receive of his fulness.

 

For if you keep my commandments you shall receive of his fulness, and be glorified in me as I am in the Father; therefore, I say unto you, you shall receive grace for grace. (D&C 93:12-14, 16-17, 19-20.)

 

Once the law of justice is satisfied and our sins are forgiven, we are then, like the sinless Christ, ready to move forward toward receiving the fulness of the Father by a process of grace.

 

Other revelations describe this process as part of what it means to be sufficiently perfected to enter the celestial kingdom. In the grand revelation on the three degrees of glory given to Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon in 1832, we find this language in the description of the celestial world and those who will inhabit it:

 

They are they into whose hands the Father has given all things—

 

They are they who are priests and kings, who have received of his fulness, and of his glory. . . .

 

These are they who are just men made perfect through Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, who wrought out this perfect atonement through the shedding of his own blood. (D&C 76:55-56, 69; emphasis added.)

 

Note the reference to the "fulness" here. Section 93 also mentioned this concept as what Christ received, not at first, but after he had continued, grace for grace. This same fulness was there promised "in due time" to the followers of Christ. Note also that section 76 does not describe those who inherit the celestial kingdom as having attained perfection on their own, but as "just" men who are "made perfect" through some process connected with the Atonement.

 

We may become "just" or justified (as when a printer lines up the edges of crooked margins; when all the lines are straight, the printing is "justified") when we demonstrate sufficient repentance to receive the Savior's mercy. The demands of justice are then satisfied. This may be the "justification through the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ," which "is just and true." (D&C 20:30.) Then, as a second stage, we may be "made perfect" or sanctified (in addition to receiving forgiveness of our sins) as a further manifestation of the Savior's mercy: "And we know also, that sanctification through the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is just and true, to all those who love and serve God with all their mights, minds, and strength." (D&C 20:31.) Sanctification is thus the process by which we become holy following baptism.

 

These passages bear a striking similarity to the final benediction of Moroni at the end of the Book of Mormon, in which the invitation to become perfect through the grace and Atonement of Christ is stated with sublime power. The significance of this description of the second stage of spiritual development is underscored by the realization that Moroni was consciously uttering his final, urgent plea to all mankind, after all else that he and his forebears had written throughout the entire book:

 

Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind, and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.

 

And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that he become holy, without spot. And now I bid unto all, farewell. . . . (Moroni 10:32-34.)

 

It is natural to wonder just what this process of sanctification means, as a practical matter, and whether it takes on any actual reality during our mortal experience. Our understanding of such a profound idea is necessarily limited by our lack of experience and by the intimate, spiritual nature of the process itself. Nevertheless, we do know that we do not sanctify ourselves solely through our own power. That crucial insight underscores our complete dependence on the Savior. It also relieves us of the impossible burden of constantly failing to achieve by our own exertion the ideal standard of spiritual living to which we are committed by accepting his injunction, "I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect." (3 Nephi 12:48.)

 

Indeed, one of the specific expressions of sanctifying grace in mortality is the spiritual endowment of "hope," which grants us a new inner sight that allows us to cope with our natural imperfections with a sense of serenity and optimism. fn

 

Other specific manifestations in mortality of the perfecting grace of Christ in the process of sanctification include the gift of charity, fn the overcoming of evil desires, and the blessings of peace and understanding. The Prophet Mormon beautifully described these purifying endowments and placed them in relationship to our earlier stage of spiritual development:

 

And the first fruits of repentance is baptism; and baptism cometh by faith unto the fulfilling the commandments; and the fulfilling the commandments bringeth remission of sins;

 

And the remission of sins bringeth meekness, and lowliness of heart; and because of meekness and lowliness of heart cometh the visitation of the Holy Ghost, which Comforter filleth with hope and perfect love, which love endureth by diligence unto prayer, until the end shall come, when all the saints shall dwell with God. (Moroni 8:25-26.)

 

If such marvelous spiritual power is available to us in the here and now of everyday life, and if we are not expected to achieve actual perfection by ourselves, it is both natural and important to ask, By what standard must we live to qualify for the perfecting power of such grace? We are not likely to find a mechanical list of three or four steps to success in a doctrinal area of such substance that must also be adapted to our individual circumstances. But a few things seem clear. One is that the Lord will probably be most concerned with our core internal attitude of sacrifice—whether our hearts are broken and our spirits contrite.

 

More specifically, a variety of scriptural passages together suggest a pattern that describes the way we must live in order to prove worthy of the sanctifying gifts. These phrases suggest, as much as anything, a general flavor and feeling:

 

Pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love [charity], which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ. . . . (Moroni 7:48; emphasis added.)

 

I would speak unto you that are . . . the peaceable followers of Christ, and that have obtained a sufficient hope by which ye can enter into the rest of the Lord. . . .

 

I judge these things of you because of your peaceable walk with the children of men. (Moroni 7:3-4; emphasis added.)

 

Teach them to never be weary of good works, but to be meek and lowly in heart; for such shall find rest to their souls. (Alma 37:34; emphasis added.)

 

See that ye bridle all your passions, that ye may be filled with love. (Alma 38:12; emphasis added.) [Note the difference between bridling and eliminating passions; also that being "filled with love" suggests an endowment from outside oneself, such as charity.]

 

Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness . . . and love God with all your might, mind, and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you. . . . (Moroni 10:32; emphasis added.)

 

Because of meekness and lowliness of heart cometh the visitation of the Holy Ghost, which . . . filleth with hope and perfect love, which love endureth by diligence unto prayer. . . . (Moroni 8:26; emphasis added.)

 

These are they who are just men made perfect. . . . (D&C 76:69.)

 

He yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit . . . and becometh as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father. (Mosiah 3:19; emphasis added.)

 

And we know also, that sanctification through the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is just and true, to all those who love and serve God with all their mights, minds, and strength. (D&C 20:31; emphasis added.)

 

They did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God. (Helaman 3:35; emphasis added.)

 

These edifying and stirring ideas speak for themselves. It may be worth noting, however, that this is not just another list of virtues; rather, in each case, the author was describing the personal characteristics we must exhibit if we would qualify to receive such specific second-stage endowments and attributes as charity, hope, the rest of the Lord, perfection and sanctification.

 

There is a significant distinction between (a) the way we must live to qualify for receiving the purifying manifestations of grace, and (b) the qualities that actually characterize those who have received such sanctification. The passages quoted above describe qualities that are very demanding but are still within the reach of our own efforts—being meek and lowly, bridling our passions, denying ourselves of ungodliness, being humble and submissive, loving the Lord to the full extent of our own limited might and strength, and humbly offering him our broken heart in the sacrificial attitude of a contrite spirit. These are not descriptions of achieved perfection—which is one reason it is so encouraging to read them.

 

However, other well-known passages of scripture are far more demanding, because they do read like descriptions of achieved perfection. If read with the assumption that we, by our own effort, should be living in just that way, these passages can be a source of confusion and discouragement. Perhaps these more exacting standards are not a list of ever-more demanding commandments we are expected to master through our own discipline and volition, but are a description of what we will be like when we do receive the full perfecting power of Christ in our lives.

 

Christ's Sermon on the Mount, for example, sets the lofty standard of forbidding anger and evil thoughts. He also asks us to love our enemies and states that whatever we ask in faith will be given to us. He concludes with the commandment to "be ye therefore perfect." (See Matthew 5:48.) These expectations, desirable as they are, extend past our present reach. Indeed, they extend markedly beyond the level of worthiness necessary to warrant perfecting blessings of additional capacity from outside ourselves. Yet this sermon was such a vital part of the gospel's doctrinal foundation that the Savior taught it to the Nephites among his first words to them.

 

In the Book of Mormon version of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus prefaced his teachings with a stirring invitation for the Nephites to accept the gospel—to "come down into the depths of humility and be baptized," for they would then be "visited with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and [would] receive a remission of their sins." (3 Nephi 12:2.)

 

This preface in the Book of Mormon account is tied to some phrases in the Beatitudes that significantly expand the meaning of some oft-quoted language. For instance, "Blessed are the poor in spirit who come unto me, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." (3 Nephi 12:3.) Who come unto me is not present in the version in Matthew, nor is the preface that issues the invitation to come unto him by accepting the fulness of the gospel, including all the blessings bestowed by the Holy Ghost. Moroni described those blessings as including "the visitation of the Holy Ghost, which Comforter filleth with hope and perfect love." (Moroni 8:26.) In other words, the Holy Ghost is the agent by which the sanctifying power of heavenly endowments is administered.

 

The Sermon on the Mount, as clarified in 3 Nephi, seems to describe what happens when we make all the effort required to repent and serve God to the full extent of our ability and, as a result, are purified and perfected by a power not our own. In that light this sermon is not a statement of unrealistic demands, but a picture of what the Savior's true followers will become through his endowment of grace. It is thus a summary of both stage one and stage two, the preparatory gospel of repentance and baptism, plus the fulness of "the power of godliness" (D&C 84:20) bestowed through operation of the higher law.

 

A similar illustration is King Benjamin's final discourse to his people. When we read some of the passages in this discourse, we might logically assume that King Benjamin was primarily asking his people to live by an exceedingly high standard:

 

And ye will not have a mind to injure one another, but to live peaceably, and to render to every man according to that which is his due.

 

And ye will not suffer your children that they . . . transgress the laws of God, and fight and quarrel one with another. . . .

 

And . . . ye . . . will succor those that stand in need of your succor. (Mosiah 4:13-14, 16.)

 

We have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually. (Mosiah 5:2.)

 

In the larger context of his entire sermon, a different perspective emerges. King Benjamin concluded his original address with a powerful statement on the Atonement and a plea that his people take him seriously. After he had concluded, the people were so receptive that a strong spiritual witness came over them, filling them with joy and a remission of their sins. They desired to receive both forgiveness of their sins and the perfecting power of sanctification: "O have mercy, and apply the atoning blood of Christ that we may receive forgiveness of our sins, and our hearts may be purified." (Mosiah 4:2.)

 

Benjamin then seized this teaching moment to explain further what his people must do if they wished to retain this remission of their sins and continue tasting the love of God that was then upon them. He then gave them counsel which, if followed, would always cause them to "rejoice and be filled with the love of God" and to "grow in the knowledge . . . of that which is just and true." (Mosiah 4:12.) This counsel included his admonition that his people always remember the "greatness of God" and their "own nothingness," that they humble themselves in daily prayer, and that they stand "steadfastly in the faith." (Mosiah 4:11.) If the people did these things after first receiving a remission of their sins, then they would be so filled with the sanctifying power of God's love (charity) that they would, as a direct result, "not have a mind to injure one another," "live peaceably," and so on.

 

In other words, as we become affirmatively purified and perfected—beyond having achieved remission of our sins—our hearts and minds begin to change, for our very nature is changing.

 

It was this taste of the divinely bestowed power of godliness that then caused Benjamin's people to say, "The Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent . . . has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually." (Mosiah 5:2.)

 

Perhaps they experienced the rebirth of the Spirit, and King Benjamin counseled them then to seek a course of growth leading from spiritual rebirth to full spiritual maturity. That is the nature of stage two, as we grow from grace to grace, beyond a remission of sins and beyond rebirth until we have been perfected unto receiving the same fulness that Christ himself received from the Father. That fulness is the endowment of a perfected divine nature—being therefore perfect, even as the Father and the Son are perfect. It is the fruit of the tree of life.

 

 

(Bruce C. Hafen, The Broken Heart: Applying the Atonement to Life's Experiences [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1989], 164.)

 

(1 Peter 1:22-25.) – Going back to verse 3, a lively hope is when we are spiritually reborn.

 

22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:

 

23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

 

24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:

 

25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

 

 

Spiritual Death – Committing sin in the age of accountability cuts me off from the presence of God.  I can overcome this in mortality.

I need a “lively hope” of greater things to come, for instance, if I overcome spiritual death I qualify for the Celestial kingdom, but before that I qualify for paradise and the Millennium, I have hope of something much better.

Being born again requires faith in Christ which leads to repentance which leads to Baptism, a sacred covenant with my Redeemer, which leads to the gift of the Holy Ghost, which sanctifies me to proceed further toward home.

This is not yet a permanent condition, I can fallback through sin, remember Satan is a roaring lion waiting to pounce!  All of this comes through the grace of Christ, His mercy; we are sanctified by the gift of the Holy Ghost.  When we sin we don’t have access to the Atonement, we start all over overcoming spiritual death.  Eternal punishments are postponed here.

(Doctrine and Covenants 20:30-34.) – We can still fall, sanctification isn’t permanent yet!

 

30 And we know that justification through the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is just and true;

 

31 And we know also, that sanctification through the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is just and true, to all those who love and serve God with all their mights, minds, and strength.

 

32 But there is a possibility that man may fall from grace and depart from the living God;

 

33 Therefore let the church take heed and pray always, lest they fall into temptation;

 

34 Yea, and even let those who are sanctified take heed also.

 

 

Anger and immoral thoughts are sins but not unto death, but they can lead to sins of spiritual death.  That’s why the sacrament is so important.  Who judges this? The one with the keys, the seriousness depends upon our capacity.  Sabbath observance helps us keep our minds straight and sober, don’t get casual about this.

GOSPEL BRINGS SPIRITUAL LIFE

 

GOSPEL SAVES FROM SPIRITUAL DEATH. It was necessary, after the expulsion from the garden, for the Lord to place within the reach of Adam and his posterity the means of escape from the spiritual death. The gospel plan was presented to them for that purpose so that they could again be brought back in touch with the Lord through his Holy Spirit.

 

But it was not expedient for them at that time to be redeemed from the mortal death, for the probationary state was given for them to prepare for their eternal reward. For this preparatory state was a proving time for all mankind, that they (through their agency) might work out their salvation, through obedience, or their condemnation, through disobedience, to the laws of the gospel.fn

 

SPIRITUAL REGENERATION BY OBEDIENCE TO GOSPEL. When men sin, they must comply with certain laws in order to get relief from the sin. We read that Adam was tempted by Satan and yielded to the temptation, and through that sin he became spiritually dead, and that meant banishment from the presence of the Lord. There was only one way he could come back again into the presence of God, and that was by spiritual regeneration, from the condition of spiritual death to a condition of spiritual life again.

 

The Lord sent an angel to Adam to make known to him the plan of redemption by which he could come back again into the presence of the Father, and in this way was made known to him the mission of Jesus Christ as our Redeemer. So the Lord has provided for all men-through faith, and repentance, and the waters of baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost-a spiritual regeneration, by which men may come back into his presence, even as many as will. For these conditions of death were inherited by all of Adam's children, and all who reach the age of accountability are banished from the presence of God, or partake of spiritual death, unless they are redeemed from this spiritual death by obedience to the principles of the gospel.fn

 

PASSING PROM DEATH TO LIFE THROUGH GOSPEL. In the teachings of the Savior, he said that those who would accept his doctrines should pass from death Unto life;"fn that he came to give them life, "and that they might have it more abundantly";fn and that if they would believe in him they should never die,fn that is, the spiritual death. "He that despiseth his ways shall die,"fn for it is decreed that spiritual death shall come to all those who refuse to live in spiritual life.fn

 

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life."fn

 

Of course Christ does not mean by this that man is not going to die and his body be put into the tomb. He is referring to spiritual death. Every man that believes on him, and will accept his commandments, is brought back from that spiritual death, through the waters of baptism. Unto eternal life. And he shall die no more if he remains true and faithful to his covenants for he has passed from death unto life. We have passed from death to life because we have accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ.fn

 

 

(Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 3 vols., edited by Bruce R. McConkie [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1954-1956], 2: 225.)

 

We are all sinful because of our flesh, the fall of Adam produced our natural man body, I can’t overcome this here!  My spirit is inside this natural man body.  Christ frees us from that death (Thankfully!), sanctification can free us from my own sins unto death here, but full sanctification (resurrection) must wait until the next life.  I want to make sure I am worthy of the temple recommend, those questions keep me from spiritual death.  Every temple recommend question deals with some aspect of spiritual death.  We are asked about abuse and dishonesty which are sins unto death.  If I can maintain my recommend that means I am maintaining a level of worthiness to obtain spiritual life the continuing access to the gift of the Holy Ghost.  There are different levels of spiritual rebirth; one is obtaining our calling and election being made sure.  There is nothing in the temple recommend questions that are beyond our reach.

(Doctrine and Covenants 109:15.) – We go to the temple to grow up and receive greater sanctification. 

 

15 And that they may grow up in thee, and receive a fulness of the Holy Ghost, and be organized according to thy laws, and be prepared to obtain every needful thing;

2 Peter shows how far down the road Peter’s journey has taken him.  You can talk about the temple to those who know and it wouldn’t be understood by the outside world.  He that has ears to hear let him hear those who are in the know, know!

(1 Peter 2:2.)

 

2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

The visitation of the Spirit is a grand evidence that we are living true to our covenant with God. It is a clear indication that the Lord is pleased with us, that we are on course and "in Christ." The Holy Spirit is the "earnest of our inheritance," a token or reminder that the Lord has accepted our offering and that he is serious about saving us (2 Corinthians 1:21-22; 5:5; Ephesians 1:14).

 

In a way, being born again is both an event and a process. It involves a moment or a season of decision, a resolve to change and improve, as well as a process that continues throughout our lives. We are born again line upon line, precept upon precept. Even those who have had an instantaneous conversion must learn to live by faith, walk in the light of the Spirit, and incorporate the powers of Christ and of his Spirit for the remainder of their days. Truly, "now is our salvation nearer than when we believed" (Romans 13:11).

 

Those who are born of the Spirit learn that enduring to the end entails more than holding tenaciously to the iron rod and remaining forever vigilant against sin. It also entails living in such a way that through the power of the Holy Ghost we may be told and shown what Jesus would do and thus would have us do (2 Nephi 32:3-5).

 

Being born again is not a single experience, is not manifest in one way only. The mercy and love and condescension of God toward those who earnestly seek to come out of the world are indeed manifested in various ways. Often we do not reach out for the supernal blessings of heaven that could be ours, and there are more evidences that we have been born of God than we sometimes realize.

 

In a modern revelation, the Lord explained to his Saints: "There are many who have been ordained among you, whom I have called but few of them are chosen. They who are not chosen have sinned a very grievous sin, in that they are walking in darkness at noon-day" (D&C 95:5-6). How is that possible? How could an individual walk in darkness at noonday? A person would need either to be blind to the light or to knowingly shield himself from the light. Sin or moral corruption could certainly be the cause of such blindness. I suggest, however, that many of us are like Amulek, who was probably not guilty of gross evil but suffered instead from spiritual indifference: "I did harden my heart," he stated, "for I was called many times and I would not hear; therefore I knew concerning these things, yet I would not know" (Alma 10:6).

 

Many of us are not guilty of violations of the law of chastity or the Word of Wisdom or the law and order of the Church in general. But too often, perhaps, we are guilty of preoccupation or distraction; the blessings of the Spirit of the Lord, the consummate blessings of spiritual rebirth, are not enjoyed by us as they could be, simply because we do not seek earnestly for them. President Brigham Young taught: "There is no doubt, if a person lives according to the revelations given to God's people, he may have the Spirit of the Lord to signify to him His will, and to guide and to direct him in the discharge of his duties, in his temporal as well as his spiritual exercises. I am satisfied, however, that in this respect, we live far beneath our privileges" (in Journal of Discourses, 12:104).

 

President George Q. Cannon likewise offered this counsel and plea: "We find, even among those who have embraced the Gospel, hearts of unbelief. How many of you, my brethren and sisters, are seeking for these gifts that God has promised to bestow? How many of you, when you bow before your Heavenly Father in your family circle or in your secret places, contend for these gifts to be bestowed upon you? How many of you ask the Father, in the name of Jesus, to manifest Himself to you through these powers and these gifts? Or do you go along day by day like a door turning on its hinges, without having any feeling on the subject, without exercising any faith whatever; content to be baptized and be members of the Church, and to rest there, thinking that your salvation is secure because you have done this? I say to you, in the name of the Lord, as one of His servants, that you have need to repent of this. You have need to repent of your hardness of heart, of your indifference, and of your carelessness. There is not that diligence, there is not that faith, there is not that seeking for the power of God that there should be among a people who have received the precious promises we have. . . . I say to you that it is our duty to avail ourselves of the privileges which God has placed within our reach. . . .

 

"I feel to bear testimony to you, my brethren and sisters, . . . that God is the same to day as He was yesterday; that God is willing to bestow these gifts upon His children. . . . If any of us are imperfect, it is our duty to pray for the gift that will make us perfect. Have I imperfections? I am full of them. What is my duty? To pray to God to give me the gifts that will correct these imperfections. If I am an angry man, it is my duty to pray for charity, which suffereth long and is kind. Am I an envious man? It is my duty to seek for charity, which envieth not. So with all the gifts of the Gospel. They are intended for this purpose. No man ought to say, 'Oh, I cannot help this; it is my nature.' He is not justified in it, for the reason that God has promised to give strength to correct these things, and to give gifts that will eradicate them. If a man lack wisdom, it is his duty to ask God for wisdom. The same with everything else. That is the design of God concerning His Church. He wants His Saints to be perfected in the truth. For this purpose He gives these gifts, and bestows them upon those who seek after them, in order that they may be a perfect people upon the face of the earth, notwithstanding their many weaknesses, because God has promised to give the gifts that are necessary for their perfection" (Millennial Star 56 [1894]: 260-61).

 

 

(Robert L. Millet, Alive in Christ: The Miracle of Spiritual Rebirth [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1997], 197.)

Bruce told a story of his family going to another church on Christmas Eve to attend with their daughter’s friend.  He asked them what they felt in there (it was a nice meeting, no problem with the ministers sermon).  They said it felt the same as our Sacrament meetings.  Remember we have the gift of the Holy Ghost, and they do not!  What we are feeling is the light of Christ which is well and good, but not what we should be feeling in our Sacrament meetings.  We aren’t qualifying ourselves for the gift of the Holy Ghost, it’s our fault, and we are utilizing the process to qualify for that gift.  It is on an individual level, some get more than others.  Is it a routine experience?  If we try to grow up and stop making it routine it will change, our attitude will change.  Hunger and Thirst!

(3 Nephi 12:6.) – This is not passive, this is active.  All consuming like not having food or drink   If you are casual you won’t get it.

6 And blessed are all they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled with the Holy Ghost.

Righteousness = Entering and keeping sacred covenants (President Faust)  Do the things of God for the right reasons, a consuming desire to do what is correct before God.

(1 Peter 1:6-9.) – Someday the war will be over, but now we are in the middle of trials and testing.  Our body doesn’t care like the spirit does, the natural man doesn’t care about these things, and it’s a fight every day.  Proving our quality that we keep fighting I can control my character.  I will leave here qualified but not yet perfect.

 

6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:

 

7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

 

8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:

 

9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

 

Am I honest in all my dealings with your fellow man?  It’s a YES/NO question, can you be honest?  We aren’t asked to try!! We are asked to do!!  You’re mettle is being tested.

You don’t leave here perfect, you leave here qualified.  Then we go to the Millennium to be further qualified and further perfected.  There is a higher level of spiritual rebirth to come.

Alma 41 – Doctrine of restoration and the doctrine of resurrection, not all resurrected bodies will be the same, Doctrines of Salvation 2:286-288.

 

(1 Peter 1:16.) – The whole book revolves around this verse.

 

16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

As we know not everyone will hear the gospel in this life and peter discussed it and President Joseph F. Smith amplified Peter’s teachings.

(1 Peter 3:18-20.)

 

18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

 

19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;

 

20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.

 

 

(Doctrine and Covenants 138:31-36, 58-59.) – What do we qualify and become?  All have the opportunity; the 2nd estate continues on, He will redeem all of those who want to be redeemed.  There are 3 levels of glory.  What have we chosen to become, that’s what we will receive.

 

31 And the chosen messengers went forth to declare the acceptable day of the Lord and proclaim liberty to the captives who were bound, even unto all who would repent of their sins and receive the gospel.

 

32 Thus was the gospel preached to those who had died in their sins, without a knowledge of the truth, or in transgression, having rejected the prophets.

 

33 These were taught faith in God, repentance from sin, vicarious baptism for the remission of sins, the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands,

 

34 And all other principles of the gospel that were necessary for them to know in order to qualify themselves that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.

 

35 And so it was made known among the dead, both small and great, the unrighteous as well as the faithful, that redemption had been wrought through the sacrifice of the Son of God upon the cross.

 

36 Thus was it made known that our Redeemer spent his time during his sojourn in the world of spirits, instructing and preparing the faithful spirits of the prophets who had testified of him in the flesh;

 

58 The dead who repent will be redeemed, through obedience to the ordinances of the house of God,

 

59 And after they have paid the penalty of their transgressions, and are washed clean, shall receive a reward according to their works, for they are heirs of salvation.

 

 

(Doctrine and Covenants 88:22-24.) – Kingdoms of glory are also kingdoms of law and capacity and agency, I receive what I qualified for, and what law did I keep in mortality?  What law do I choose to live and follow, I reap what I sow, our works don’t save us, Christ saves us, but I receive what I chose to live and follow. (1 Corinthians 15, Galatians 5-6).

 

22 For he who is not able to abide the law of a celestial kingdom cannot abide a celestial glory.

 

23 And he who cannot abide the law of a terrestrial kingdom cannot abide a terrestrial glory.

 

24 And he who cannot abide the law of a telestial kingdom cannot abide a telestial glory; therefore he is not meet for a kingdom of glory. Therefore he must abide a kingdom which is not a kingdom of glory.

 

Obedience to certain laws gives us capacity to move forward, it isn’t simply overcoming sins, it also includes obedience to laws so we can become like God.  It ain’t over til it’s over!  Final judgment will come to all, it’s like commencement, we become what we want to become.  There won’t be any surprises at judgment!  If you qualified for a biology degree you won’t receive an engineering degree!!  The only person stopping you is you! 

Someone asked if there is repentance in the spirit world, YES!  We are to remain Holy, not sinless and perfect.

THE SUBLIME EPISTLES OF PETER

 

(1, 2 Peter)

 

MONTE S. NYMAN

 

The writings of Peter are often neglected in a study of the New Testament. This is not by intent but by circumstance. Because these writings are located near the end of the New Testament and because Paul's letters are so intriguing and challenging, many just never get to Peter's. Some people also have not realized the significance of Peter's writings and thus have not given them proper priority. To neglect Peter's writings in a study of the New Testament epistles is similar to eating a roast beef dinner without a serving of roast beef. There are lots of potatoes, vegetables, rolls, butter, and salad, but the meat is missing. An analysis of Peter and his writings illustrates why this is true.

 

Peter's writings concern the three main missions of the church, as outlined by the First Presidency:

 

To proclaim the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people;

 

To perfect the Saints by preparing them to receive the ordinances of the gospel and by instruction and discipline to gain exaltation;

 

To redeem the dead by performing vicarious ordinances of the gospel for those who have lived on the earth. fn

 

Peter deals with these purposes in a succinct and specific manner.

 

Peter was the most important figure in the meridian of time after the death of the Savior. He was the president of the Church of Jesus Christ and held the "keys of the kingdom" in that dispensation. (Matt. 16:18-19; 17:1-9; 18:17-18; D&C 7:7; 27:12; and Preface to D&C 13.) The words of the president of the church are to be received as if from the Lord's own mouth. (D&C 21:5.)

 

Further justification for giving Peter's writings a prominent place is found in the words of the Prophet Joseph Smith: "Peter penned the most sublime language of any of the apostles." fn Sublime means elevated in thought, noble, majestic, inspiring. This fits not only the language of Peter but also the doctrine he teaches. The Prophet Joseph said many other things about Peter's writings that will be quoted later.

 

Another reason for giving Peter's writings a high priority is that many other presidents of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have singled out Peter's writings. President Joseph F. Smith was pondering over the scriptures when his mind reverted to the writings of the apostle Peter. To those who believe that revelation consists of "sudden strokes of ideas" coming into one's mind, fn it is not difficult to believe that President Smith's attention to Peter's testimony was inspired by the Lord. When he opened the Bible and read the third and fourth chapters of the first epistle of Peter, he was greatly impressed with 1 Peter 3:18-21 and 4:6, more so than he had ever been before. As he pondered these things, one of the great revelations of this dispensation concerning the work for those in the spirit world and one of the major missions of the latter-day church was revealed. (D&C 138:1-11.)

 

Other presidents have also been inspired by Peter's writings. President David O. McKay said: "I have a great admiration in my heart for Simon Peter, president of the Twelve Apostles," fn a response that came as he also reflected upon Peter's writings. These reflections will be treated below in the context of Peter's writings. President Spencer W. Kimball, speaking to the Brigham Young University student body in 1971, gave one of his many classic addresses entitled "Peter, My Brother." fn This talk, given in response to a negative statement on a church marquee, is a must for those who want to appreciate the man Peter and his writings.

 

The First Epistle of Peter

 

Peter's first epistle was written to members of the church scattered throughout parts of Asia. In his salutation, he calls them strangers because he had never met them; yet he acknowledges that they are the elect according to the foreknowledge of God. In other words, the elect are those who have been chosen or foreordained to receive salvation through their faith. The theme of this epistle is that through the sanctification of the spirit and faith in the grace of the atonement of Jesus Christ, members can endure their trials and temptations and attain salvation (1:2-9). This is another way of bringing about the perfection of the saints. In the rest of the epistle, Peter gives counsel and reminds the people of doctrines and blessings that can enable them to attain this most precious gift of salvation. The beauty and the power of these admonitions remind us that we, as members of Christ's church today, can also attain our salvation if we heed the same counsel. It becomes more realistic to us if we equate this epistle with the opening addresses of our modern-day prophets, seers, and revelators at general conference.

 

After he reminds the saints that all of the prophets have taught, testified, and prophesied of salvation through the coming of Christ (1:10-12), Peter's first admonition is that they be holy in all their conversations as was Christ (1:13-16). He warns against reverting to their former habits, which they had practiced in ignorance, and emphasizes this by quoting from Leviticus 11:44.

 

Peter's second admonition is that the saints are to love one another fervently and with pure hearts (1:22). He bases this counsel upon the love the Father shows to his children "without respect of persons" (1:17), the love of Christ who was chosen or foreordained to redeem them. This love, which they have experienced in accepting the truth taught to them, has led to their rebirth. The love between a convert and a missionary can be understood only by those who experience it, just as God's love and Christ's love for us is only truly appreciated when experienced. Peter substantiates this statement with a scripture, citing Isaiah 40:6-8 as evidence that the word of God, which they had obeyed to bring about their newly born condition, is eternal. Having known these experiences, "the object of [their] faith, even the salvation of [their] souls (JST, 1 Pet. 1:9) was based upon their ability to lay aside malice, guile, and hypocrisy and to love one another according to the sincere "milk" or basic teachings of the word of God (2:1-3).

 

Before giving his third admonition, Peter lays a foundation upon which to build his other admonitions (2:4-9). He compares the listeners to stones out of which "a spiritual house, an holy priesthood" is built to offer sacrifices unto God through Jesus Christ (2:4-5). The chief cornerstone of this house is Jesus Christ, as the scriptures had foretold (2:6; Ps. 118:22). As a part of this spiritual house, the cornerstone will prevent them from being confounded, while, to the disobedient, that same cornerstone will become a stumbling block and an offense (2:7-8). Peter reminds them that they are a chosen generation, the foreordained house of Israel to whom this blessing was promised. (See Deut. 32:7-8.) Further, the priesthood, or authority to offer sacrifices in this house, is a royal priesthood, the priesthood of the king, or what the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants call the priesthood of the Son of God. (Alma 13:7-9; D&C 107:1-4.) He also declares them to be a holy nation, a people who have been forgiven of their sins and are collectively accepted as a righteous people of God. He tells them they are a peculiar people, meaning that their ways are different from the ways of the rest of the world (2:9). Such things as following a health code (the Word of Wisdom) or wearing a temple garment are examples of this, as is acceptance of such doctrines as the premortal life and a personal God. It should be noted that a similar description of people was revealed to Moses on Mount Sinai. His people were to be a "peculiar treasure" unto God on condition that they accept the opportunities revealed to them. (Ex. 19:5-6.) Paul also speaks of the time when Jesus Christ will appear again and purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works. (Titus 2:13-14.) God's people are always considered peculiar in the eyes of the world. Peter reminds his readers that in times past they, a foreordained people (the house of Israel), were rejected as God's people because of their failure to follow His counsel, but now they have again been extended the arm of mercy. With this foundation laid, Peter delivers his third admonition: to abstain from the lusts of the flesh, which war against the soul, and thus be good examples among the Gentiles (2:11-12).

 

Peter's fourth admonition is for the saints to submit to the ordinances of man or, as the following verses disclose, to the laws of the land—the will of God, that which will silence the ignorance of foolish men (2:13-16).

 

The next series of admonitions were addressed to specific groups. The fifth admonition is to those who were servants. Since, under the laws of the land, servitude was legal, Peter's advice was for them to submit themselves to their masters and endure whatever suffering this may bring. To comfort them, he refers to the suffering Christ endured, as was prophesied by Isaiah. (2:18-25; Isa. 53:4-11).

 

The sixth admonition is to wives, encouraging them to be good examples in a spiritual sense rather than through worldly or physical enticements (JST, 3:1-4). This example will win to the Lord others who might tend to go astray. Peter cites Sarah's obedience to righteous Abraham as an example for the women (3:5-6).

 

In the seventh admonition, Peter turns his attention to husbands, reminding them that they are to honor their wives, for they are heirs together of the grace of life (3:7). This is undoubtedly a reference to the eternal nature of the marriage covenant in the Lord.

 

Peter's eighth and final admonition to the members is an affirmation of the Savior's golden rule: "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them." (Matt. 7:12.) In Peter's words, "be ye all of one mind" and look to the blessings of God that will follow the righteous even if it requires that they suffer for their righteousness. He admonishes the saints to shun evil and do good, for the Lord is with the righteous. Their good conduct will lead to missionary work (JST, 3:8-17). To give them support in the face of suffering, he cites the suffering to which Christ subjected himself in order to bring us to God. Then, in an apparent attempt to show how good things will come from the enduring of suffering, he gives a treatise on Christ's going into the spirit world while his body was in the tomb, in order that all people might have the opportunity to receive the gospel. (3:18-22.) This great section of writing was what led President Joseph F. Smith to receive his revelation about Christ's mission in the spirit world. (See D&C 138.) The Prophet Joseph Smith's inspired translation of the Bible also clarifies Christ's mission (see JST, 3:20; 4:1, 6): it stresses that the Savior ministered to only some of those in the spirit world—namely, the righteous. (Cf. D&C 138:20-22, 29-30.) In Peter's final counsel to be "all of one mind," he urges them to have charity, which will prevent a multitude of sins, and to use their individual gifts of the Spirit to help each other (JST, 4:7-10). He further counsels them to speak or minister as the oracles of God, having authority as his servants, according to the ability with which God has blessed them (4:11).

 

After pronouncing a probable hearty "Amen" (4:11), Peter adds a postscript: They will face trials, as worthy candidates for the celestial kingdom; but they should rejoice rather than despair because they are suffering for Christ. He warns against suffering for the wrong reasons but tells them that it is good to suffer as Christians. In other words, we do not seek for suffering or persecution, but if it comes to us because we are living as Christians, we need not be ashamed. Peter reminds us that judgment must begin at the house of God and the righteous will scarcely be saved (4:12-19; compare 1 Ne. 22:16-19; D&C 112:23-26).

 

In another apparent postscript, Peter addresses the elders, fn those in leadership positions, and tells them to feed the flock of God, not by constraint nor for filthy lucre, but as shepherds, until the chief Shepherd shall appear (5:1-4). Several other admonitions are given to the elders, including the comment that the younger (perhaps in service rather than age) are to submit to the elder. This system of hierarchy is also followed in the church today.

 

The first epistle of Peter is full of timely admonitions that will bring us salvation if we will exercise our faith and follow them. This theme of the epistle is just as significant to us today as it was to the members in Asia in Peter's day.

 

 

(Robert L. Millet, ed., Studies in Scripture, Vol. 6: Acts to Revelation [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1987], 225.)

 

2nd Peter

Calling and Election

September 27, 2007

 

Jerome didn’t think Peter wrote this letter.  2nd Peter is poor Greek, and Peter wasn’t Greek, he wrote this personally.  Peter is worried about false teachers in the church.  The 1st letter was written to the Church in Turkey.  The 2nd letter was written to those in the know like he is endowed members of the church.  He doesn’t want to write through a scribe like the 1st letter, he wants to do this himself.

(2 Peter 1:1-14.) – Knowledge of Jesus Christ came up 5 times in these verses, was he talking about Gnostics?  He was very concerned about falsehoods coming into the church.  The first 11 verses are the key to the letter.

 

1 Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:

 

2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,

 

3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

 

4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

 

5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

 

6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;

 

7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

 

8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

 

10 Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:

 

11 For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

 

12 Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth.

 

13 Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance;

 

14 Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me.

 

 

In the first few centuries of the Christian era there grew up a movement which came to be known as Gnosticism. The word gnosis connoted knowledge, not a general kind of knowledge, but rather a special, saving knowledge. The Gnostics were a group who claimed to be possessors of the esoteric teachings of Jesus, the supposedly sacred and secret messages reserved only for those who sought to rise above the mundane and liberate themselves from the fetters of ignorance and a confining physical world. They decried and defied, for the most part, what they believed to be a stifling and restrictive priesthood hierarchy of the orthodox church. Salvation was an individual experience that came through spiritual illumination of the mysteries of godliness. Theirs was an emphasis upon the damning nature of this fallen world (and the physical body) and the supernal treasures to be had through transcending our condition here and ascending to pure spirit. Some of the Gnostics, known as Docetists (from a Greek word meaning “appears” or “seems”), went so far as to claim that Jesus did not really come to earth with a corporeal body, but—since the body was something to be shunned and overcome—it only appeared that he had a physical tabernacle. (It is interesting, therefore, to consider the significance of John’s teachings in 1 John 4:1-3 and 2 John 1:7.) We have heard much over the years about the impact of Roman persecution on the early Christian Church, but in reality the death knell for Christianity came through hellenization—the mingling of Greek philosophy with the scriptures and teachings of the earliest Christian Church. There was lost in and through the perpetuation of this hybrid heresy the true knowledge of God, of man, and of the purpose of life. The great apostasy followed.

(Robert L. Millet, Selected Writings of Robert L. Millet: Gospel Scholars Series [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 2000],

 

Bruce went into detail of chapter 1.  Peter gives hints of what’s on his mind.  Bruce goes into the Greek text so we might come to a better understanding.

Vs. 1 – Written to those who have the same faith as himself, the focus is on Jesus Christ.

Vs. 2 – The thesis statement.  Come to knowledge of Christ.  What does knowledge mean?  We are saved by knowledge of the Lord.  John 17:3, eternal life is based on my knowledge of God, I must know Him. 

(Matthew 25:1-12.) – 5 were wise and 5 were morons (literal Greek translation!) All had oil but the 5 wise took extra oil.  We need the extra oil to wait for the Bridegroom.  See footnote, the lamps are going out.  Look at the main point of the parable, the point here is the morons weren’t ready!   JST for vs. 12 – You know me not.  They didn’t know the Lord. 

 

1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.

 

2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.

 

3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:

 

4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

 

5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.

 

6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.

 

7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.

 

8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.

 

9 But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.

 

10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.

 

11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.

 

12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

 

Vs. 3 – Grace is an enabling power from God; power comes from our knowledge of God.  Life and godliness (piety, reverence for Gods laws, profound love of God, 1828 Dictionary) Love of God and not for man, God’s laws were more important than mercy for man (the Inquisition!)  Piety by itself is commandment #1, but we also have commandment #2.  By glory and virtue = magnificence of God’s being, eminence, virtue = excellence of achievement, mastery in a specific field, an endowment with higher power.  This is how the Greeks used these words.  The Greeks would consider Hercules a virtuous man by this definition.  Temple overtones are jumping off the page!

Vs. 4 – Our divine nature is realized in the temple, we learn the knowledge to achieve this.  Protect yourself through knowing God.

(2 Peter 2:20-21.) – see verse 9 in chapter 1

 

20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.

 

21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.

 

 

At the beginning of the next week’s lesson, Bruce threw back his tie and gave us his views of Peter’s instruction in verse 4.   That verse is speaking of our spiritual rebirth. We receive faith, repentance, and baptism to receive the Holy Ghost; we have essentially been born again.   With all (great) speed, lavishly support your spiritual rebirth with virtue or with this greater endowment of power.  This is how we are becoming God, this is how we live.

 

 

1.       Spiritual rebirth

 

2.       Greater Endowment of power  Comes from above, Help us overcome our imperfections

 

A.      Variety of Spiritual gifts that give us capacity, 1 Corinthians 12-14, D&C 46, Moroni 10.  These help me apply what I know.

B.      Temple ordinances

 

3.       Knowledge of the kingdom   (Studying the Doctrines of the kingdom)   All of this is under the power of the Holy Ghost.  Must have faith to learn.

                                          

A.      Scriptures

B.      Prophets and Apostles

C.      Temple Endowment  

               

4.        Need Self-Control to live the doctrines and live in God’s way.

 

5.       Being Consistent in our living.  Doing the thing I am becoming, a process not an event.

 

 

6.       Godliness – putting God 1st in your life, a consecration of your life to the kingdom, the 1st Commandment

 

 

7.       Love of my fellow man, my energies are focused on my brothers and sisters, to build up the kingdom, the 2nd commandment

 

 

8.       Pure love of Christ – Agape.  When we do the above we come to love Christ, we then come to knowledge of God and Christ.

 

 

If these things are with you and abound then you have the knowledge of Christ,  to missionaries D&C 4, to priesthood 107 this is how we do this, learn and live the doctrines and do this consistently D&C 42, that will produce a pure love of Christ.

    

 

Vss. 5-8 – With all the urgency you can do the following . . .   When a Greek play came into a certain town, the rich in the town were responsible to pay for and take total care of the actors and put on a huge feast for everybody, each town would try to outdo the other towns, it was lavishly supported, this is what Peter meant by the word add.    Using all the urgency you can lavishly support your faith, virtue, and knowledge. .   .  vs. 6 temperance = self control, and patience = consistency, reverence for God, a love for His law, than brotherly kindness, love for your fellowman, lastly charity = Agape, holy love.  If you put this all together you have a pure love of Christ.  It takes a lot of effort!  The first 2 commandments, if you do this you are coming to know Christ.  These verses appear in D&C 4 and 107.  We are being reminded to do this.  Verse 8, if this is prolific in you.  Verses 5-7, are the hints Peter is trying to get across to the reader.

 

 

St. Peter must have had that same thought in mind, when he wrote: “Adding...to your brotherly kindness “hunderingd”-love, not charity as the King James Version has it. The original is agape. Scholars tell us that paganism knew only philantropia and hunderingd as between relatives in blood, but the agape, the love of Christ, as applied to Peter’s brethren, is original with revealed religion, which is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. (See, Second Epistle of Peter, 1:7-11)

 

(George Reynolds and Janne M. Sjodahl, Commentary on the Book of Mormon, edited and arranged by Philip C. Reynolds, 7 vols. [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1955-1961], 7: 346.)

 

(1 Timothy 1:5.) – Agape = Holy, pure love

 

5 Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned:

(Moroni 7:47.)

 

47 But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.

Verse 10 – You receive this (calling and election) by following verses 5-9, we love God and our fellow man, and we are diligent in serving others, serving yourself isn’t even mentioned!  If you concentrate on yourself you will fail, it isn’t even brought up!  We are called to build up God’s kingdom; our focus is on the kingdom.  The temple endowment focuses us on building up God’s kingdom obedience, sacrifice, and full consecration.  Its one thing to walk through it and quite another to lavishly support yourself to bring that about 

The Amplified Bible version of this chapter, translated from the Greek version.

2 Peter 1

 1SIMON PETER, a servant and apostle (special messenger) of Jesus Christ, to those who have received (obtained an equal privilege of) like precious faith with ourselves in and through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:

    2May grace (God's favor) and peace (which is [a]perfect well-being, all necessary good, all spiritual prosperity, and [b]freedom from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts) be multiplied to you in [the full, personal, [c]precise, and correct] knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

    3For His divine power has bestowed upon us all things that [are requisite and suited] to life and godliness, through the [[d]full, personal] knowledge of Him Who called us by and to His own glory and excellence (virtue).

    4By means of these He has bestowed on us His precious and exceedingly great promises, so that through them you may escape [by flight] from the moral decay (rottenness and corruption) that is in the world because of covetousness (lust and greed), and become sharers (partakers) of the divine nature.

    5For this very reason, [e]adding your diligence [to the divine promises], employ every effort in [f]exercising your faith to develop virtue (excellence, resolution, Christian energy), and in [exercising] virtue [develop] knowledge (intelligence),

    6And in [exercising] knowledge [develop] self-control, and in [exercising] self-control [develop] steadfastness (patience, endurance), and in [exercising] steadfastness [develop] godliness (piety),

    7And in [exercising] godliness [develop] brotherly affection, and in [exercising] brotherly affection [develop] Christian love.

    8For as these qualities are yours and increasingly abound in you, they will keep [you] from being idle or unfruitful unto the [[g]full personal] knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).

    9For whoever lacks these qualities is blind, [[h]spiritually] shortsighted, [i]seeing only what is near to him, and has become oblivious [to the fact] that he was cleansed from his old sins.

    10Because of this, brethren, be all the more solicitous and eager to make sure (to ratify, to strengthen, to make steadfast) your calling and election; for if you do this, you will never stumble or fall.

    11Thus there will be richly and abundantly provided for you entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

    12So I intend always to remind you about these things, although indeed you know them and are firm in the truth that [you] now [hold].

    13I think it right, as long as I am in this tabernacle (tent, body), to stir you up by way of remembrance,

    14Since I know that the laying aside of this body of mine will come speedily, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me.

    15Moreover, I will diligently endeavor [to see to it] that [even] after my departure (decease) you may be able at all times to call these things to mind.

    16For we were not following cleverly devised stories when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah), but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty (grandeur, authority of sovereign power).

    17For when He was invested with honor and glory from God the Father and a voice was borne to Him by the [splendid] Majestic Glory [in the bright cloud that overshadowed Him, saying], This is My beloved Son in Whom I am well pleased and delight,

    18We [actually] heard this voice borne out of heaven, for we were together with Him on the holy mountain.

    19And we have the prophetic word [made] firmer still. You will do well to pay close attention to it as to a lamp shining in a dismal (squalid and dark) place, until the day breaks through [the gloom] and the Morning Star rises ([j]comes into being) in your hearts.

    20[Yet] first [you must] understand this, that no prophecy of Scripture is [a matter] of any personal or private or special interpretation (loosening, solving).

    21For no prophecy ever originated because some man willed it [to do so--it never came by human impulse], but men spoke from God who were borne along (moved and impelled) by the Holy Spirit.

 

In 1843, the Prophet was introducing the ordinance of Calling and Election to the saints.

 

Joseph Smith on the Doctrine of
Calling and Election Made Sure

The Following are extracted from Sermons given by the Prophet Joseph Smith
Concerning the Doctrine of Calling and Election Made Sure

The Prophet’s Instruction on Various Doctrines
June 27, 1839
History of the Church, 3:379-381

THE DOCTRINE OF ELECTION. St. Paul exhorts us to make our calling and election sure. This is the sealing power spoken of by Paul in other places.

“13. In whom ye also trusted, that after ye heard the word of truth, the Gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise,

“14. Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory, that we may be sealed up unto the day of redemption.”–Ephesians, 1st chapter.

This principle ought (in its proper place) to be taught, for God hath not revealed anything to Joseph, but what He will make known unto the Twelve, and even the least Saint may know all things as fast as he is able to bear them, for the day must come when no man need say to his neighbor, Know ye the Lord; for all shall know Him (who remain) from the least to the greatest. How is this to be done? It is to be done by this sealing power, and the other Comforter spoken of, which will be manifest by revelation.

There are two Comforters spoken of. One is the Holy Ghost, the same as given on the day of Pentecost, and that all Saints receive after faith, repentance, and baptism. This first Comforter or Holy Ghost has no other effect than pure intelligence. It is more powerful in expanding the mind, enlightening the understanding, and storing the intellect with present knowledge, of a man who is of the literal seed of Abraham, than one that is a Gentile, though it may not have half as much visible effect upon the body; for as the Holy Ghost falls upon one of the literal seed of Abraham, it is calm and serene; and his whole soul and body are only exercised by the pure spirit of intelligence; while the effect of the Holy Ghost upon a Gentile, is to purge out the old blood, and make him actually of the seed of Abraham. That man that has none of the blood of Abraham (naturally) must have a new creation by the Holy Ghost. In such a case, there may be more of a powerful effect upon the body, and visible to the eye, than upon an Israelite, while the Israelite at first might be far before the Gentile in pure intelligence.

The other Comforter spoken of is a subject of great interest, and perhaps understood by few of this generation. After a person has faith in Christ, repents of his sins, and is baptized for the remission of his sins and receives the Holy Ghost, (by the laying on of hands),which is the first Comforter, then let him continue to humble himself before God, hungering and thirsting after righteousness, and living by every word of God, and the Lord will soon say unto him, Son, thou shalt be exalted. When the Lord has thoroughly proved him, and finds that the man is determined to serve Him at all hazards, then the man will find his calling and his election made sure, then it will be his privilege to receive the other Comforter, which the Lord hath promised the Saints, as is recorded in the testimony of St. John, in the 14th chapter, from the 12th to the 27th verses. . . .

Now what is this other Comforter? It is no more nor less that the Lord Jesus Christ Himself; and this is the sum and substance of the whole matter; that when any man obtains this last Comforter, he will have the personage of Jesus Christ to attend him, or appear unto him from time to time, and even He will manifest the Father unto him, and they will take up their abode with him, and the visions of the heavens will be opened unto him, and the Lord will teach him face to face, and he may have a perfect knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God; and this is the state and place the ancient Saints arrived at when they had such glorious visions–Isaiah, Ezekiel, John upon the Isle of Patmos, St. Paul in the three heavens, and all the Saints who held communion with the general assembly and Church of the First Born.
 

Salvation Through Knowledge
May 14, 1843
History of the Church, 5:387

It is not wisdom that we should have all knowledge at once presented before us; but that we should have a little at a time; then we can comprehend it. President Smith then read the 2nd Epistle of Peter, 1st chapter, 16th to last verses, and dwelt upon the 19th verse with some remarks.

Add to your faith knowledge, &c. The principle of knowledge is the principle of salvation. This principle can be comprehended by the faithful and diligent; and every one that does not obtain knowledge sufficient to be saved will be condemned. The principle of salvation is given us through the knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Salvation is nothing more nor less than to triumph over all our enemies and put them under our feet. And when we have power to put all enemies under our feet in this world, and a knowledge to triumph over all evil spirits in the world to come, then we are saved, as in the case of Jesus, who was to reign until He had put all enemies under His feet, and the last enemy was death.

Perhaps there are principles here that few men have thought of. No person can have this salvation except through a tabernacle.

Now, in this world, mankind are naturally selfish, ambitious and striving to excel one above another; yet some are willing to build up others as well as themselves. So in the other world there are a variety of spirits. Some seek to excel. And this was the case with Lucifer when he fell. He sought for things which were unlawful. Hence he was sent down, and it is said he drew many away with him; and the greatness of his punishment is that he shall not have a tabernacle. This is his punishment. So the devil, thinking to thwart the decree of God, by going up and down in the earth, seeking whom he may destroy –any person that he can find that will yield to him, he will bind him, and take possession of the body and reign there, glorying in it mightily, not caring that he had got merely a stolen body; and by-and-by some one having authority will come along and cast him out and restore the tabernacle to its rightful owner. The devil steals a tabernacle because he has not one of his own: but if he steals one, he is always liable to be turned out of doors.

Now, there is some grand secret here, and keys to unlock the subject. Notwithstanding the apostle exhorts them to add to their faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, &c., yet he exhorts them to make their calling and election sure. And though they had heard an audible voice from heaven bearing testimony that Jesus was the Son of God, yet he says we have a more sure word of prophecy, whereunto ye do well that ye take heed as unto a light shining in a dark place. Now, wherein could they have a more sure word of prophecy than to hear the voice of God saying, This is my beloved Son, &c.

Now for the secret and grand key, Though they might hear the voice of God and know that Jesus was the Son of God, this would be no evidence that their election and calling was made sure, that they had part with Christ, and were joint heirs with Him. They then would want that more sure word of prophecy, that they were sealed in the heavens and had the promise of eternal life in the kingdom of God. Then, having this promise sealed unto them, it was an anchor to the soul, sure and steadfast. Though the thunders might roll and lightnings flash, and earthquakes bellow, and war gather thick around, yet this hope and knowledge would support the soul in every hour of trial, trouble and tribulation. Then knowledge through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is the grand key that unlocks the glories and mysteries of the kingdom of heaven.

Compare this principle once with Christendom at the present day, and where are they, with all their boasted religion, piety and sacredness while at the same time they are crying out against prophets, apostles, angels, revelations, prophesying and visions, &c. Why, they are just ripening for the damnation of hell. They will be damned, for they reject the most glorious principle of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and treat with disdain and trample under foot the key that unlocks the heavens and puts in our possession the glories of the celestial world. Yes, I say, such will be damned, with all their professed godliness. Then I would exhort you to go on and continue to call upon God until you make your calling and election sure for yourselves, by obtaining this more sure word of prophecy, and wait patiently for the promise until you obtain it, &c.
 

Remarks of the Prophet at Ramus--
Lives that are Hid with God in Christ–Importance of the Eternity of the Marriage Covenant
May 16, 1843
History of the Church, 5:391-392; cf. D&C 131

Your life is hid with Christ in God, and so are many others. Nothing but the unpardonable sin can prevent you from inheriting eternal life for you are sealed up by the power of the Priesthood unto eternal life, having taken the step necessary for that purpose

Except a man and his wife enter into an everlasting covenant and be married for eternity, while in this probation, by the power and authority of the Holy Priesthood, they will cease to increase when they die; that is, they will not have any children after the resurrection. But those who are married by the power and authority of the priesthood in this life, and continue without committing the sin against the Holy Ghost, will continue to increase and have children in the celestial glory. The unpardonable sin is to shed innocent blood, or be accessory thereto. All other sins will be visited with judgment in the flesh, and the spirit being delivered to the buffetings of Satan until the day of the Lord Jesus. The way I know in whom to confide–God tells me in whom I may place confidence.

In the celestial glory there are three heavens or degrees; and in order to obtain the highest, a man must enter into this order of the priesthood, [meaning the new and everlasting covenant of marriage;] and if he does not, he cannot obtain it. He may enter into the other, but that is the end of his kingdom: he cannot have an increase.”
 

Items of Doctrine by the Prophet
May 17, 1843
History of the Church, Vol.5, Ch.20, p.392

 

At ten a. m. preached from 2nd Peter, 1st chapter and showed that knowledge is power; and the man who has the most knowledge has the greatest power.

Salvation means a man’s being placed beyond the power of all his enemies.

The more sure word of prophecy means a man’s knowing that he is sealed up into eternal life by revelation and the spirit of prophecy, through the power of the holy priesthood. It is impossible for a man to be saved in ignorance.

Paul saw the third heavens, and I more. Peter penned the most sublime language of any of the apostles.
 

 

The Prophet’s Discourse from II Peter, First Chapter
May 21, 1843
History of the Church, 5:400-403

After singing and prayer, I read 1st chapter of 2nd Epistle of Peter, and preached thereon. [The following synopsis was written by Dr. Willard Richards.]

The Prophet’s Discourse from II Peter, First Chapter–Reproof of Self-Righteousness.

I do not know when I shall have the privilege of speaking in a house large enough to convene the people. I find my lungs are failing with continual preaching in the open air to large assemblies.

I do not think there have been many good men on the earth since the days of Adam; but there was one good man and his name was Jesus. Many persons think a prophet must be a great deal better than anybody else. Suppose I would condescend–yes, I will call it condescend, to be a great deal better than any of you, I would be raised up to the highest heaven; and who should I have to accompany me?

I love that man better who swears a stream as long as my arm yet deals justice to his neighbors and mercifully deals his substance to the poor, than the long, smooth-faced hypocrite.

I do not want you to think that I am very righteous, for I am not. God judges men according to the use they make of the light which He gives them.

“We have a more sure word of prophecy, whereunto you do well to take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place. We were eye witnesses of his majesty and heard the voice of his excellent glory.” And what could be more sure? When He was transfigured on the mount, what could be more sure to them? Divines have been quarreling for ages about the meaning of this.

The Prophet’s Characterization of Himself
I am like a huge, rough stone rolling down from a high mountain; and the only polishing I get is when some corner gets rubbed off by coming in contact with something else, striking with accelerated force against religious bigotry, priestcraft, lawyer-craft, doctor-craft, lying editors, suborned judges and jurors, and the authority of perjured executives, backed by mobs, blasphemers, licentious and corrupt men and women–all hell knocking off a corner here and a corner there. Thus I will become a smooth and polished shaft in the quiver of the Almighty, who will give me dominion over all and every one of them, when their refuge of lies shall fail, and their hiding place shall be destroyed, while these smooth-polished stones with which I come in contact become marred.

There are three grand secrets lying in this chapter, [II Peter i.] which no man can dig out, unless by the light of revelation, and which unlocks the whole chapter as the things that are written are only hints of things which existed in the prophet’s mind, which are not written concerning eternal glory.

I am going to take up this subject by virtue of the knowledge of God in me, which I have received from heaven. The opinions of men, so far as I am concerned, are to me as the crackling of thorns under the pot, or the whistling of the wind. I break the ground; I lead the way like Columbus when he was invited to a banquet, where he was assigned the most honorable place at the table, and served with the ceremonials which were observed towards sovereigns. A shallow courtier present, who was meanly jealous of him, abruptly asked him whether he thought that in case he had not discovered the Indies, there were not other men in Spain who would have been capable of the enterprise? Columbus made no reply, but took an egg and invited the company to make it stand on end. They all attempted it, but in vain; whereupon he struck it upon the table so as to break one end, and left it standing on the broken part, illustrating that when he had once shown the way to the new world nothing was easier than to follow it.

Paul ascended into the third heavens, and he could understand the three principal rounds of Jacob’s ladder–the telestial, the terrestrial, and the celestial glories or kingdoms, where Paul saw and heard things which were not lawful for him to utter. I could explain a hundred fold more than I ever have of the glories of the kingdoms manifested to me in the vision, were I permitted, and were the people prepared to receive them.

The Lord deals with this people as a tender parent with a child, communicating light and intelligence and the knowledge of his ways as they can bear it. The inhabitants of the earth are asleep: they know not the day of their visitation. The Lord hath set the bow in the cloud for a sign that while it shall be seen, seed time and harvest, summer and winter shall not fail; but when it shall disappear, woe to that generation, for behold the end cometh quickly.

Calling and Election to be Made Sure.
Contend earnestly for the like precious faith with the Apostle Peter, “and add to your faith virtue,” knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, charity; “for if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Another point, after having all these qualifications, he lays this injunction upon the people “to make your calling and election sure.” He is emphatic upon this subject–after adding all this virtue knowledge, &c., “Make your calling and election sure.” What is the secret–the starting point? “According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness.” How did he obtain all things? Through the knowledge of Him who hath called him. There could not anything be given, pertaining to life and godliness, without knowledge. Woe! Woe! Woe to Christendom!–especially the divines and priests if this be true.

Salvation is for a man to be saved from all his enemies; for until a man can triumph over death, he is not saved. A knowledge of the priesthood alone will do this.

The spirits in the eternal world are like the spirits in this world. When those have come into this world and received tabernacles, then died and again have risen and received glorified bodies, they will have an ascendency over the spirits who have received no bodies, or kept not their first estate, like the devil. The punishment of the devil was that he should not have a habitation like men. The devil’s retaliation is, he comes into this world, binds up men’s bodies, and occupies them himself. When the authorities come along, they eject him from a stolen habitation.

The design of the great God in sending us into this world, and organizing us to prepare us for the eternal worlds, I shall keep in my own bosom at present.

We have no claim in our eternal compact, in relation to eternal things, unless our actions and contracts and all things tend to this end. But after all this, you have got to make your calling and election sure. If this injunction would lie largely on those to whom it was spoken, how much more those of the present generation!

1st key: Knowledge is the power of salvation. 2nd key: Make your calling and election sure. 3rd key: It is one thing to be on the mount and hear the excellent voice. &c., &c., and another to hear the voice declare to you, You have a part and lot in that kingdom.
 

 

Elias, Elijah, and Messiah
March 10, 1844
History of the Church, 6:249-254

 

The Prophet’s history reads: “I attended meeting at the stand, and preached on the subject of Elias, Elijah, and Messiah. [A sketch of which was reported by Elder Wilford Woodruff, as follows]:--“

There is a difference between the spirit and office of Elias and Elijah. It is the spirit of Elias I wish first to speak of; and in order to come at the subject, I will bring some of the testimony from the Scripture and give my own. . . .

The spirit of Elias is to prepare the way for a greater revelation of God, which is the Priesthood of Elias, or the Priesthood that Aaron was ordained unto. And when God sends a man into the world to prepare for a greater work, holding the keys of the power of Elias, it was called the doctrine of Elias, even from the early ages of the world.

John’s mission was limited to preaching and baptizing: but what he did was legal; and when Jesus Christ came to any of John’s disciples, He baptized them with fire and the Holy Ghost.

We find the apostles endowed with greater power than John: their office was more under the spirit and power of Elijah than Elias. . . .

That person who holds the keys of Elias hath a preparatory work. But if I spend much more time in conversing about the spirit of Elias, I shall not have time to do justice to the spirit and power of Elijah. . . .

Now for Elijah. The spirit, power, and calling of Elijah is, that ye have power to hold the key of the revelation, ordinances, oracles, powers and endowments of the fullness of the Melchizedek Priesthood and of the kingdom of God on the earth; and to receive, obtain, and perform all the ordinances belonging to the kingdom of God, even unto the turning of the hearts of the fathers unto the children, and the hearts of the children unto the fathers, even those who are in heaven. . . .

Malachi says, “I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.”

Now, what I am after is the knowledge of God, and I take my own course to obtain it. What are we to understand by this in the last days?

In the days of Noah, God destroyed the world by a flood, and He has promised to destroy it by fire in the last days: but before it should take place, Elijah should first come and turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, &c.

Now comes the point. What is this office and work of Elijah? It is one of the greatest and most important subjects that God has revealed. He should send Elijah to seal the children to the fathers, and the fathers to the children.

Now was this merely confined to the living, to settle difficulties with families on earth? By no means. It was a far greater work. Elijah! What would you do if you were here? Would you confine your work to the living alone? No; I would refer you to the Scriptures, where the subject is manifest: that is, without us, they could not be made perfect, nor we without them; the fathers without the children, nor the children without the fathers.

I wish you to understand this subject, for it is important; and if you will receive it, this is the spirit of Elijah, that we redeem our dead, and connect ourselves with our fathers which are in heaven, and seal up our dead to come forth in the first resurrection; and here we want the power of Elijah to seal those who dwell on earth to those who dwell in heaven. This is the power of Elijah and the keys of the kingdom of Jehovah.

Let us suppose a case. Suppose the great God who dwells in heaven should reveal Himself to Father Cutler here, by the opening heavens, and tell him, “I offer up a decree that whatsoever you seal on earth with your decree, I will seal it in heaven; you have the power then; can it be taken off? No. Then what you seal on earth, by the keys of Elijah. Is sealed in heaven; and this is the power of Elijah, and this is the difference between the spirit and power of Elias and Elijah; for while the spirit of Elias is a forerunner, the power of Elijah is sufficient to make our calling and election sure . . . .

The spirit of Elias is first, Elijah second, and Messiah last. Elias is a forerunner to prepare the way, and the spirit and power of Elijah is to come after, holding the keys of power, building the Temple to the capstone, placing the seals of the Melchizedek Priesthood upon the house of Israel, and making all things ready; then Messiah comes to His Temple, which is last of all.

Messiah is above the spirit and power of Elijah, for He made the world, and was that spiritual rock unto Moses in the wilderness. Elijah was to come and prepare the way and build up the kingdom before the coming of the great day of the Lord, although the spirit of Elias might begin it.

2 Peter 2:1-3

 

Paul was not alone among the apostles in prophesying doom for early Christianity. In 2 Peter, the chief apostle foretold the introduction of false teachers into the church:

 

But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of (2 Peter 2:1-2).

 

These false teachers, according to Peter, would “secretly introduce” (NIV) “damnable heresies.” So successful would they be that as a result of their efforts, “the way of truth” would be blasphemed (future passive from blaspheméo). Fn 2 Peter 2:3 tells us more: “In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up” (NIV). This tells us something concerning their purpose: to exploit the members of the church (“make merchandise of you,” 2 Peter 2:3, KJV), and their method of doing so: by making up doctrine — “sheer fabrications” (REB).

 

 

(John M. Lundquist and Stephen D. Ricks, eds., By Study and Also by Faith: Essays in Honor of Hugh W. Nibley on the Occasion of His Eightieth Birthday, 27 March 1990, 2 vols. [Salt Lake City and Provo: Deseret Book Co., Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1990], 1: 113 – 114.)

(2 Peter 2) – These false teachers want to tear you up.  Peter is warning them, look at verse 4, like you already know about the war in heaven!  These people were once members of the church and are trying to tear down faithful members.

 

1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.

 

2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.

 

3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.

 

4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;

 

5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;

 

6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;

 

7 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:

 

8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)

 

9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:

 

10 But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.

 

11 Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord.

 

12 But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;

 

13 And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;

 

14 Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:

 

15 Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;

 

16 But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man’s voice forbad the madness of the prophet.

 

17 These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.

 

18 For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.

 

19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.

 

20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.

 

21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.

 

22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

 

The Second Epistle of Peter

 

Peter’s second epistle is addressed to a more select audience than the first: to members of the church who had attained the same faith in God and Jesus Christ as had Peter and the apostles. The main theme of the letter is that through the grace of God and of Jesus their Lord, many great and precious promises had been extended to these members, and by attaining these promises, they could be “partakers of the divine nature” and escape the corruption of the world. This theme was also a theme of President David O. McKay. In general conference in October 1960, after quoting 2 Peter 1:4, President McKay said: “I have a deep admiration in my heart for Simon Peter, President of the Twelve Apostles, . . . who was only two and a half years—a little more—in the personal presence of his Lord. Before that he did not care much for the Church, but before this writing he had a testimony of the divinity of the Sonship of Jesus Christ. More than that, he had experienced that communion of the spirit with his Resurrected Lord, and speaks here of being a partaker of the divine nature.” Fn On another occasion, President McKay declared: “Peter was quite a doubtful man as he grew to manhood before he knew Christ, but long afterwards he was praying and said that we have been made partakers of the divine nature. He knew it, and you will know it some day if you will do the will, be true to self.” Fn To be a partaker of the divine nature is to know the power of God and to experience the Holy Ghost in one’s life. (D&C 76:31, 35.)

 

In the rest of chapter 1, Peter gives instructions on what a member of the church should do after having been a partaker of the divine nature. He explains that, having escaped the corruption of the world, the saints should give all diligence to “add to [their] faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.” (2 Pet. 1:5-7.)

 

In commenting on these verses, Joseph Smith said: “It is not wisdom that we should have all knowledge at once presented before us; but that we should have a little at a time; then we can comprehend it. . . . The principle of knowledge is the principle of salvation. This principle can be comprehended by the faithful and diligent; and every one that does not obtain knowledge sufficient to be saved will be condemned. The principle of salvation is given us through the knowledge of Jesus Christ.” Fn

 

The Prophet acknowledged the depth and complexity of this chapter of Peter’s epistle, declaring: “There are three grand secrets lying in this chapter which no man can dig out, unless by the light of revelation, and which unlocks the whole chapter as the things that are written are only hints of things which existed in the prophet’s mind, which are not written concerning eternal glory. I am going to take up this subject by virtue of the knowledge of God in me, which I have received from heaven. The opinions of men, so far as I am concerned, are to me as the crackling of thorns under the pot, or the whistling of the wind.” Fn

 

He then summarized the grand secrets or keys to unlocking Peter’s writings. The first, “knowledge is the power of salvation,” is the essence of the statement just quoted. The second key is based on 2 Peter 1:10, making one’s calling and election sure. The Prophet explained this principle:

 

Notwithstanding the apostle exhorts [the saints] to add to their faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, etc., yet he exhorts them to make their calling and election sure. And though they had heard an audible voice from heaven bearing testimony that Jesus was the Son of God, yet he says we have a more sure word of prophecy, whereunto ye do well that ye take heed as unto a light shining in a dark place. Now, wherein could they have a more sure word of prophecy than to hear the voice of God saying, This is my beloved Son.

 

Now for the secret and grand key. Though they might hear the voice of God and know that Jesus was the Son of God, this would be no evidence that their election and calling was made sure, that they had part with Christ, and were joint heirs with Him. They then would want that more sure word of prophecy, that they were sealed in the heavens and had the promise of eternal life in the kingdom of God. Then, having this promise sealed unto them, it was an anchor to the soul, sure and steadfast. Though the thunders might roll and lightnings flash, and earthquakes bellow, and war gather thick around, yet this hope and knowledge would support the soul in every hour of trial, trouble and tribulation. Then knowledge through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is the grand key that unlocks the glories and mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. Fn

 

The experience of hearing an audible voice, to which Peter refers (as does Joseph Smith), is undoubtedly that of the Savior taking Peter, James, and John up on the mountain where he was transfigured before them. (Matt. 17:1-9.) From the Prophet’s explanation, it seems that the three apostles did not have their calling and election made sure on that occasion. If not, this experience pointed their souls to that third key of Peter’s writings given by the Prophet: “It is one thing to be on the mount and hear the excellent voice, etc., and another to hear the voice declare to you, You have a part and lot in that kingdom.” Fn The Joseph Smith Translation does not settle the issue but does give a further consideration: “We have therefore a more sure knowledge of the word of prophecy, to which word of prophecy ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scriptures is given of any private will of man.” (JST, 2 Pet. 1:19-20; italics indicate changes in JST.) The disciples’ more sure knowledge was the voice declaring their assured part and portion of the kingdom. The record does not say when this happened, but Peter reminds his readers that this does not come through the private or personal desires of man, but through the revelation of the Holy Ghost (v. 21), or the Holy Spirit of Promise, which is the Holy Ghost’s stamp of approval upon an ordinance or experience (D&C 132:26; Eph. 1:13-14). Fn

 

Though the Prophet did not comment on the other chapters of 2 Peter, the same keys seem to apply.

 

In his epistle, Peter warns against assuming that eternal life can be attained automatically or easily. As the Lord explained in the latter days, mankind “may fall from grace,” therefore, “even let those who are sanctified take heed.” (D&C 20:32, 34.) Peter points out the dangers of following false prophets and some of the ways in which they may attack. Using examples from the Old Testament, such as Noah and the citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah, he talks about those who, “with feigned words,” would “make merchandise” of the saints. (2 Pet. 2:3.) He assures the saints that the Lord will deliver those who are godly out of such temptations and speaks of the punishment that will come upon the ungodly (2:9), particularly those who “walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness,” and “despise governments” and speak evil of dignitaries (2:10). In support of the idea that these are warnings to those who are sanctified or whose calling and election is made sure, Peter declares that if such individuals are overcome by temptations after gaining the knowledge of the Lord, their “end is worse with them than the beginning,” and “it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness.” (2 Pet. 2:20-21.)

 

Having delivered his timely warning, Peter now turns to the preventive measures for not being overcome. The saints are to be mindful of the words spoken by the holy prophets and of the commandments of the apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Pet. 3:2.) This is, of course, another example of many admonitions in the standard works to search the scriptures. He warns of those scoffers in the last days who will question the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ (3:3), and gives three guidelines or reminders of his first coming: first, “that one day with the Lord [is] as a thousand years” for man; second, that the delay of his coming is such that all will have an opportunity to repent; and third, that Christ “will come as a thief in the night” to the wicked, when the people of the world are not looking for him or least expect him (3:8-10; cf. D&C 106:4).

 

As a conclusion to his comments, Peter admonishes the people to be “holy” in their conversation and godly in their actions as they look for and work for the coming of the Lord. Those who are diligent will be “found of him [the Lord] in peace, without spot, and blameless.” (2 Pet. 3:11-14.) Peter points to Paul as a second witness to his testimony, while acknowledging that some who are unlearned and unstable wrest with Paul’s writings and other scriptural writings as well.

 

The second epistle of Peter is full of timely instructions that are quite different from those of the first epistle, and contains important and perhaps deep doctrine that the Prophet Joseph Smith has unlocked through revelation. This doctrine of making one’s calling and election sure, said the Prophet, “ought (in its proper place) to be taught, for God hath not revealed anything to Joseph, but what He will make known unto the Twelve, and even the least Saint may know all things as fast as he is able to bear them.” Fn

 

Such are the epistles of Peter. He was the president of the Twelve Apostles, president of the Church of Jesus Christ, and he penned the most sublime language of any of the apostles. May we each study his writings and learn how we may be elevated in thought and become more noble and majestic subjects in the kingdom of God.

 

Notes

 

Monte S. Nyman is professor of ancient scripture, associate dean of Religious Education, and director of Book of Mormon research in the Religious Studies Center at Brigham Young University.

 

 

(Robert L. Millet, ed., Studies in Scripture, Vol. 6: Acts to Revelation [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1987], 230.)

 

(JST 2 Peter 3:1-11.) – The 2nd coming might be a long time from now or immanent, but be prepared at death, be ready; it’s the next phase of our existence.

 

1 This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance;

 

2 That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandments of us, the apostles of the Lord and Savior;

 

3 Knowing this first, that in the last days there shall come scoffers, walking after their own lusts.

 

4 Denying the Lord Jesus Christ, and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things must continue as they are, and have continued as they are from the beginning of the creation.

 

5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that of old the heavens, and the earth standing in the water and out of the water, were created by the word of God;

 

6 And by the word of God, the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished;

 

7 But the heavens, and the earth which are now, are kept in store by the same word, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

 

8 But concerning the coming of the Lord, beloved, I would not have you ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

 

9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise and coming, as some men count slackness; but long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

 

10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in the which the heavens shall shake, and the earth also shall tremble, and the mountains shall melt, and pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall be filled with fervent heat; the earth also shall be filled, and the corruptible works which are therein shall be burned up.

 

11 If then all these things shall be destroyed, what manner of persons ought ye to be in holy conduct and godliness,

 

12 Looking unto, and preparing for the day of the coming of the Lord wherein the corruptible things of the heavens being on fire, shall be dissolved, and the mountains shall melt with fervent heat?

 

13 Nevertheless, if we shall endure, we shall be kept according to his promise. And we look for a new heavens, and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness.

 

 

1st, 2nd, and 3rd John

October 4, 2007

 

      Persecution is a problem, but it isn’t as bad as the false teaching that have spread in the church.

Anything physical is bad, the world itself is a mistake, God couldn’t create this earth, other lesser beings made it.  We need to escape this physical world and enter into a spiritual world; you need special knowledge to do this.  Egypt and Syria (Antioch) were the main areas of this teaching.  Most of John’s writings were aimed against this.

Since physical is evil any messenger from that God who created this can’t be physical, they must be spiritual, so Christ couldn’t be physical, he can’t be a redemptive savior, he can’t be real, he wasn’t born and he didn’t die, it only “seemed” to be real.  The Nicean Creed comes from Hellenized Christianity.

 

The Apostle John and the Anti-Christ Problem

_______________________________________

 

Heresies

Spencer W. Kimball

The Brethren constantly cry out against that which is intolerable in the sight of the Lord: against pollution of mind, body, and our surroundings; against vulgarity, stealing, lying, pride, and blasphemy; against fornication, adultery, homosexuality, and all other abuses of the sacred power to create; against murder and all that is like unto it; against all manner of desecration. That such a cry should be necessary among a people so blessed is amazing to me. And that such things should be found even among the Saints to some degree is scarcely believable, for these are a people who are in possession of many gifts of the Spirit, who have knowledge that puts the eternities into perspective, who have been shown the way to eternal life. (“The False Gods We Worship,” Ensign, June 1976, p. 4; emphasis added.)
 

Bruce R. McConkie

In the true gospel sense, any opinion or doctrine in opposition to the revealed word of the Lord as recorded in the standard works of the Church and as taught by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is an heresy.” He continued saying that “members of the true Church are guilty of the crime of heresy to the extent that they accept false views which do not accord with the revealed word. (Mormon Doctrine, p.352.)
 
 

Heresies in John’s Day

 

Irenaeus [A.D. 120-202], Against Heresies

In his opening statement of his first book exposing the early Christian heresies, Irenaeus said:

“Inasmuch as certain men have set the truth aside, and bring in lying words and vain genealogies . . . I have felt constrained, my dear friend, to compose the following treatise in order to expose and counteract their machinations. These men falsify the oracles of God, and prove themselves evil interpreters of the good word of revelation. They also overthrow the faith of many, by drawing them away, under a pretence of [superior] knowledge, from Him who founded and adorned the universe; as if, forsooth, they had something more excellent and sublime to reveal, than that God who created the heaven and the earth, and all things that are therein. By means of specious and plausible words, they cunningly allure the simple-minded to inquire into their system; but they nevertheless clumsily destroy them, while they initiate them into their blasphemous and impious opinions respecting the Demiurge [an inferior creator deity]; and these simple ones are unable, even in such a matter, to distinguish falsehood from truth.” (Against Heresies, 1.1.1)
 
 

Gnosticism

Irenaeus spoke of many forms of a heresy known as Gnosticism (from the Greek word gnosis meaning knowledge). Gnosticism among Christians began in the latter half of the first century A.D. Overtime, during this time Gnostic doctrines were interlaced with Christian doctrines. During the second century, Gnosticism evolved into complex forms having the effect of turning Gnostic followers into separate sects from more traditional Christianity.

In general, Gnostics believed that the spirit is entirely good while matter was entirely evil. Therefore, the human body of man is evil in contrast to God, who they taught was a spirit, is good. To Gnostics, salvation meant escape from the body through a special kind of revealed knowledge (hence, the name Gnostics) rather than faith in the atonement of Jesus Christ. Therefore, Gnostics demeaned the importance of Jesus Christ.
 
 
 

Irenaeus on Cerinthus

Another who depreciated Christ was Cerinthus of Effuses. Irenaeus wrote of him in these words:

Cerinthus, again, a man who was educated in the wisdom of the Egyptians, taught that the world was not made by the primary God, but by a certain Power far separated from him, and at a distance from the Principality who is supreme over the universe, and ignorant of him who is above all. He represented Jesus as having not been born of a virgin, but as being the son of Joseph and Mary according to the ordinary course of human generation, while he nevertheless was more righteous, prudent, and wise than other men. Moreover, after his baptism, Christ descended upon him in the form of a dove from the Supreme Ruler, and that then he proclaimed the unknown Father, and performed miracles. But at last Christ departed from Jesus, and that then Jesus suffered and rose again, while Christ remained impassible, inasmuch as he was a spiritual being. (Against Heresies, 1. 26. 1 )

John, the disciple of the Lord, preaches this faith, and seeks, by the proclamation of the Gospel, to remove that error which by Cerinthus had been disseminated among men . . . (Against Heresies, 3. 11. 1)
   

Irenaeus on the Nicolatians

Other Heresies were expounded by the Nicolatians. Irenaeus described their heresy as follows:

The Nicolatians are the followers of that Nicholas who was one of the seven first ordained to the diaconate by the apostles. They lead lives of unrestrained indulgence. The character of these men is very plainly pointed out in the Apocalypse of John, as teaching that it is matter of indifference to practice adultery, to eat things sacrificed to idols. (Against Heresies, 1. 26. 3)
 
 

Docetics

Others who depreciated Jesus Christ were called Docetics (from the Greek word meaning to seem). They believed that Christ was not mortal but only seemed to be in the world. The non-physical reality of Jesus Christ was believed because of their belief like the Gnostics of the evils of the material world. The evils of the corporal nature and the righteousness of Jesus Christ they felt were incompatible.
 
 

Ignatias [A. D. 30-107] Speaks Out Against Deceits

In an epistle to the Symrnan saints, Ignatias wrote adamantly about the physical reality of Jesus Christ.  Then he made this statement:

I give you these hunderingd, beloved, assured that ye also hold the same opinions [regarding the physical reality of Christ] as I do. But I guard you beforehand from these beasts in the shape of men, from whom you must not only turn away, but even flee from them. . . . It is fitting, therefore, that ye should keep aloof from such persons, and neither in private nor in public to talk with them; but give heed to the law, and the prophets [i.e., the scriptures], and to those who have preached to you the word of salvation. (Epistle of Ignatius to the Smyrneans, 4, and 7).
 
 

Characteristics of Early Heresies

One of damnable characteristics of these early heresies was the justification promiscuous behavior. Those who held to these various heresies believed that it was matter-and not the breaking of God’s commandments- that was considered evil. Therefore, the violation of the commandments of God was of no moral consequence. Hating or loving was also of no moral consequence.

John’s writings work very well together.  2 and 3 were written before 1.  The 2nd and 3rd letters were ignored, so 1 John has a stronger tone to it.

(John 8:31-32.) – Truth is important to John.  You will come to know Christ, you are like Him, you see Him as He is, you do as He does, you act as He acts, if you are consistent, (learn and do) you shall know Him and then you are free!

 

31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

 

32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

 

 

(John 14:6.) – Following Him is the only way!

6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
 

True knowledge of God comes from righteous living, doing God’s law and through the atonement escape sin. It’s important to escape sin, but it isn’t enough, it’s important to become, then you know, that’s the true knowledge.  Look at Christ not as a messenger but as a God.  Ordinances are keys to knowledge, the temple, we are shown the past, present, and future, we are given keys to acquire more knowledge, this helps us learn His ways and know how to live.

 

 

 (2 John 1:2-13.) – Lady = Church.  Gnostic teachings about the Godhead

 

 The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth;

 

2 For the truth’s sake, which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us for ever.

 

3 Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.

 

4 I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father.

 

5 And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.

 

6 And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.

 

7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

 

8 Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.

 

9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.

 

10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:

 

11 For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.

 

12 Having many things to write unto you, I would not write with paper and ink: but I trust to come unto you, and speak face to face, that our joy may be full.

 

13 The children of thy elect sister greet thee. Amen.

 

 

(3 John 1:1-14.) – Verses 9-10, John would cast this guy out of the church; a Gnostic was leading this ward!! 

 

1 The elder unto the wellbeloved Gaius, whom I love in the truth.

 

2 Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.

 

3 For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth.

 

4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

 

5 Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers;

 

6 Which have borne witness of thy charity before the church: whom if thou bring forward on their journey after a godly sort, thou shalt do well:

 

7 Because that for his name’s sake they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles.

 

8 We therefore ought to receive such, that we might be fellowhelpers to the truth.

 

9 I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.

 

10 Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church.

 

11 Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.

 

12 Demetrius hath good report of all men, and of the truth itself: yea, and we also bear record; and ye know that our record is true.

 

13 I had many things to write, but I will not with ink and pen write unto thee:

 

14 But I trust I shall shortly see thee, and we shall speak face to face. Peace be to thee. Our friends salute thee. Greet the friends by name.

 

 

“God Is Love”

1 John, 2 John, and 3 John

Bruce Satterfield
Brigham Young University – Idaho


 

It never ceases to amaze me how some members of the Church can justify committing certain sins. During a class discussion, one of my students said that his roommate justified watching R-rated movies because the current For the Strength of the Youth pamphlet does not specifically say the youth are forbidden to watch them-completely overlooking “the spirit of the law” outlined within the pamphlet which would eliminate all R-rated movies as well as many PG-13 and PG movies.

President Spencer W. Kimball once said, “The Brethren constantly cry out against that which is intolerable in the sight of the Lord: against pollution of mind, body, and our surroundings; against vulgarity, stealing, lying, pride, and blasphemy; against fornication, adultery, homosexuality, and all other abuses of the sacred power to create; against murder and all that is like unto it; against all manner of desecration. That such a cry should be necessary among a people so blessed is amazing to me. And that such things should be found even among the Saints to some degree is scarcely believable, for these are a people who are in possession of many gifts of the Spirit, who have knowledge that puts the eternities into perspective, who have been shown the way to eternal life.” (1)

Such a belief as professed by my young student’s roommate is considered a heresy. “In the true gospel sense,” Elder Bruce R. McConkie wrote, “any opinion or doctrine in opposition to the revealed word of the Lord as recorded in the standard works of the Church and as taught by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is an heresy.” He continued, saying that “members of the true Church are guilty of the crime of heresy to the extent that they accept false views which do not accord with the revealed word.” (2)

Some accept false views because of their ignorance of the true doctrines of the kingdom of God. Others profess such ideas to satisfy their own carnal lusts. Often, in the kingdom, such individuals profess their views to others in private. In his second epistle, the Apostle Peter warned, “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies” (2 Peter 2:1).

Most often, heresies are often professed by Church members to justify sin. If not repented of, the member may soon find him or herself outside the fellowship of the Lord’s kingdom. For if such heresies are allowed to prevail, they may affect others, eventually leading whole groups into apostasy.

Such was the case with many groups of saints in the Apostle John’s day. John was the last surviving member of the Quorum of the Twelve whom Jesus had called and set apart. As such, he was the head of the Church. He lived to see the original Church driven into the wilderness (see Rev. 12:1-6) or, in other words, destroyed through the ravages of apostasy.

In response to many groups of members of the Church who professed heretical doctrines, John wrote three epistles. These letters were written within the last years before the Church lost the priesthood keys and authority through unrighteousness. They provide snapshots of a Church reeling with internal strife and division caused by false teachers and prophets proclaiming false doctrines. The date for these letters is somewhere about 97 to 100 A.D.

Both the scriptures and early Christian writers are silent as to ministry and life of John between the last mention of him by Luke in Acts 12 and the latter years of his mortal life. However, the early Christian fathers inform us that John lived in Ephesus (3) during the last half of the last decade of the first century. These letters are written in simple Greek but with a deeply profound message. Since they often refer to statements found in John’s Gospel, it is supposed that they were written after his gospel had been circulated and are most likely the last New Testament documents written. (4)
 

Heresies in John’s Day

Several heresies emerged in John’s day that wreaked havoc on the early Christian church. It is important to review some of these heresies in order understand John’s epistles. Towards the end of the second century A. D., an early Church father named Irenaeus wrote a lengthy treatise entitled Against Heresies which discussed many of these heresies. He began his work explaining that “certain men have set the truth aside, and bring in lying words” which had drawn “away the minds of inexperienced and take[n] them captive.” (5) It was his intent to expose the heresies believed and expounded by these individuals.

Irenaeus spoke of many forms of a heresy known as Gnosticism (from the Greek word gnosis meaning knowledge). Christian Gnosticism had its beginning in the latter half of the first century A.D. During this time Gnostic ideas were interlaced with Christian doctrines. During the second century, Gnosticism evolved into complex forms. At this time, Gnosticism was viewed by traditional Christians as separate sects.

In general, Gnostics believed that the spirit is entirely good while matter was entirely evil. Therefore, they believed that the human body of man is evil in contrast to God-who they taught was a spirit-is good. To Gnostics, salvation meant escape from the body through a special kind of revealed knowledge (hence, the name Gnostics) rather than faith in the atonement of Jesus Christ. Therefore, Gnostics demeaned the importance of Jesus Christ.

Others who depreciated Jesus Christ were called Docetics (from the Greek word meaning to seem). They believed that Christ was not mortal but only seemed to be in the world. The non-physical reality of Jesus Christ was believed because of their belief, like the Gnostics, of the evilness of the material world. The evilness of the corporal nature and the righteousness of Jesus Christ they felt were incompatible.

One of damnable characteristics of these early heresies was the justification promiscuous behavior. Those who held to these various heresies believed that it was matter-and not the breaking of God’s commandments-that was considered evil. Therefore, the violation of the commandments of God was of no moral consequence.

Once again, I say, it never ceases to amaze me what some members of the Church will believe in order to justify the committing of sin.

One such early Christian who believed and taught views in line with Gnostic and Docetic heresies was a man named Cerinthus. In fact, according to Irenaeus, it was against the teachings and activities of this man that the Apostle John wrote his gospel. (6) Indeed, some of his teachings also reflected in 1 John. Irenaeus described Cerinthus as a “man who was educated in the wisdom of the Egyptians” who taught that “the world was not made by the primary God, but by a certain Power far separated from him, and at a distance from that Principality who is supreme over the universe, and ignorant of him who is above all.” He further taught that Jesus and Christ were not the same being. Jesus was not born of a virgin but was the son of Joseph and Mary in “the ordinary course of human generation.” When Jesus was baptized, the spirit of Christ “descended upon him in the form of a dove from the Supreme Ruler, and that then he proclaimed the unknown Father, and performed miracles. But at last Christ departed from Jesus, and that then Jesus suffered and rose again, while Christ remained impassible, inasmuch as he was a spiritual being.” (7)

Irenaeus records a story that shows the disgust the Apostle John had for Cerinthus. The story came from Polycarp, the famous Bishop and martyr of Smyrna, who, as a young man, knew John when he resided in Ephesus. The story is recorded as follows: “There are also those who heard from [Polycarp] that John, the disciple of the Lord, going to bathe at Ephesus, and perceiving Cerinthus within, rushed out of the bath-house without bathing, exclaiming, ‘Let us fly, lest even the bath-house fal down, because Cerinthus, the enemy of the truth, is within.’ “ (8) Whether the story is true or not remains to be seen. Nevertheless, it does reveal how the attitude of many in the early Church regarding the wickedness of Cerinthus.
 
 

1 John

Though the occasion of 1 John was prompted by the heretical teachings of many apostate Christians, the tenor of the letter is pastoral in nature. The letter is laced with a profound love John felt for the members of the Church who were being harangued by the false teachers of his day. John wanted to protect these saints so that they might have happiness in a world full of misery and sorrow. Indeed, he declared that the purpose for his writing was to ensure that the “joy” of the members of the Church “may be full” (1 John 1:4). Sin destroys joy-as Alma taught, “wickedness never was happiness” (Alma 42:10). Members of the Church may fall into the thralls of sin if they naively adopt heretical views. Therefore, John wrote in hopes to warn the saints of false teachings.

1 John begins by the Apostle John refuting the heretical view held by the Docetics and Cerinthus regarding the non-physical existence of Christ. John bore testimony in these words: “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (for the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you . . .” (1 John 1:1-3).

Then John addressed the heresy that the sins of the flesh are of no moral consequence. “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us” (1 John 1: 6-10).

Note in these teachings that John also made it clear that salvation comes through the atonement of Jesus Christ teaching that “the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.”

John continued, “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not” (1 John 2:1). Those who have bought into the lie that you can disregard the commandments and teachings of God found in the scriptures and from living prophets and still be happy will eventually learn by sad experience that you reap what you sow.
 
 

Christ As the Advocate

John continued his teaching that salvation comes through Christ. “And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2-3). The Greek word translated “advocate” is paraklatos. It literally means “one who is called to someone’s aid”; “one who appears in another’s behalf, mediator, intercessor, helper.” (9) The use of this word outside the New Testament gives the sense of a “person called in to help, summoned to give assistance.” The meaning is a “helper in court.” It is not necessarily a professional legal advisor but “is to be understood in the light of legal assistance in court, the pleading of another’s case.” (10) This fits the meaning of John’s use of the word in 1 John.

The role of Jesus as an advocate is seen in the D&C 45:3-5: “Listen to him who is the advocate with the Father, who is pleading your cause before him-saying: Father, behold the sufferings and death of him who did no sin, in whom thou wast well pleased; behold the blood of thy Son which was shed, the blood of him whom thou gavest that thyself might be glorified; wherefore, Father, spare these my brethren that believe on my name, that they may come unto me and have everlasting life.” As an advocate, Christ offers His sinless, infinite life for the life of those who believe on Him. As Lehi explained: “Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered” (2 Nephi 2:7).
 

Keep His Commandments

The salvation that comes from the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ is made effective by our obedience to God’s commandments. Unlike the Gnostics who claimed that salvation is gained through the acquisition of some hidden, esoteric knowledge, John testified that salvation comes through Christ and knowledge of Him. He further taught that knowing Christ comes through obedience to His commandments (1 John 2:3). John continued: “But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked” (1 John 2:5-6). King Benjamin taught the same principle in these words: “For how knoweth a man the master whom he has not served, and who is a stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart?” (Mosiah 5:13)

Those who have received the salvitory power of Jesus Christ have been spiritually born again. With a newness of life comes a change of actions. The spiritual man rules the natural man. John explains that the actions of such a person would reflect love and not hate. “He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes” (1 John 2:9-11).
 
 

Love Not the Things of the World

At this point in his epistle, John divides his readers into three groups: children, Fathers, and young men (1 John 2:13-14). Elsewhere in the epistle, he addresses the readers as simply children. The meaning of this division is not clear. But his admonition to these three groups is imperative: “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father in not in him” (1 John 2:15).

John’s point here is at the heart of his writings. The first great commandment is: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind” (Matthew 22:27). When the things of the world become more important to us than God, then we have displaced God, violated the first commandment, and are guilty of worshiping other gods. President Spencer W. Kimball once stated: “Whatever thing a man sets his heart and his trust in most is his god; and if his god doesn’t also happen to be the true and living God of Israel, that man is laboring in idolatry.” (11)

On another occasion, he gave many examples of modern idol worship: “Idolatry is among the most serious of sins. There are unfortunately millions today who prostrate themselves before the images of gold and silver and wood and stone and clay. But the idolatry we are most concerned with here is the conscious worshiping of still other gods. Some are of metal and plush and chrome, of wood and stone and fabrics. They are not in the image of God or of man, but are developed to give man comfort and enjoyment, to satisfy his wants, ambitions, passions, and desires. Some are in no physical form at all, but are intangible.

“Many seem to “worship” on an elemental basis they live to eat and drink. They are like the children of Israel who, though offered the great freedoms associated with national development under God’s personal guidance, could not lift their minds above the “flesh pots of Egypt.” They cannot seem to rise above satisfying their bodily appetites. As Paul put it, their “God is their belly.” (Phil. 3:19.)

“Modern idols or false gods can take such forms as clothes, homes, businesses, machines, automobiles, pleasure boats, and numerous other material deflectors from the path to godhood. What difference does it make that the item concerned is not shaped like an idol? Brigham Young said: “I would as soon see a man worshipping a little god made of brass or of wood as to see him worshipping his property.

“Intangible things make just as ready gods. Degrees and letters and titles can become idols. Many young men decide to attend college when they should be on missions first. The degree, and the wealth and the security which come through it, appear so desirable that the mission takes second place. Some neglect Church service through their college years, feeling to give preference to the secular training and ignoring the spiritual covenants they have made.

“Many people build and furnish a home and buy the automobile first–and then find they “cannot afford” to pay tithing. Whom do they worship? Certainly not the Lord of heaven and earth, for we serve whom we love and give first consideration to the object of our affection and desires. Young married couples who postpone parenthood until their degrees are attained might be shocked if their expressed preference were labeled idolatry. Their rationalization gives them degrees at the expense of children. Is it a justifiable exchange? Whom do they love and worship–themselves or God? Other couples, recognizing that life is not intended primarily for comforts, ease, and luxuries, complete their educations while they move forward with full lives, having their children and giving Church and community service.

“Many worship the hunt, the fishing trip, the vacation, the weekend picnics and outings. Others have as their idols the games of sport, baseball, football, the bullfight, or golf. These pursuits more often than not interfere with the worship of the Lord and with giving service to the building up of the kingdom of God. To the participants this emphasis may not seem serious, yet it indicates where their allegiance and loyalty are.

“Still another image men worship is that of power and prestige. Many will trample underfoot the spiritual and often the ethical values in their climb to success. These gods of power, wealth, and influence are most demanding and are quite as real as the golden calves of the children of Israel in the wilderness.” (12)
 

The Antichrists

It was the heresies expounded by many false teachers within the Church that promoted the love of the things of the world. John called these teachers antichrists. “Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.” John states that though they were one time members of the Church, they really were not truly converted to the doctrines of the kingdom (1 John 2:18-19).

As we have noted earlier, one of the heresies propounded by the antichrists is that Jesus Christ did not come in the flesh. John taught: “And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that [spirit] of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world” (1 Jon 4:3). Therefore, John warned the saints of his day not to believe “every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).

This is important advice in our day as well. President Harold B. Lee once stated in General Conference, “It never ceases to amaze me how gullible some of our Church members are in broadcasting sensational stories or dreams, or visions, or purported patriarchal blessings, or quotations, or supposedly from some person’s private diary.” (13) Perhaps one of the reasons members of the Church are so gullible is because a part of the conversion process is the acquisition of a believing heart. But caution must be used in everything we hear and read.

How can we discern truth from error? John reminded the saints that they had the gift of the Holy Ghost that would help them discern truth from error: “But ye have an unction [i.e., anointing] from the Holy One, and ye know all things” (1 John 2:20). The Old Testament equates the giving of the Holy Ghost with an anointing with oil. For example, “Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward” (1 Samuel 16:13).

One of the most important gifts of the Spirit associated with the Holy Ghost is the gift of discernment. President George Q. Cannon was said: “One of the gifts of the Gospel which the Lord has promised to those who enter into covenant with Him is the gift of discerning of spirits–a gift which is not much thought of by many and probably seldom prayed for; yet it is a gift that is of exceeding value and one that should be enjoyed by every Latter-day Saint…. No Latter-day Saint should be without this gift, because there is such a variety of spirits in the world which seek to deceive and lead astray.” (14) Of this, President Stephen L. Richards taught, “I believe that this gift when highly developed arises largely out of an acute sensitivity to impressions-spiritual impressions, if you will-to read under the surface as it were, to detect hidden evil, and more importantly to find the good that may be concealed. . . . The gift and power of discernment in this world of contention between the forces of good and the power of evil is essential equipment for every son and daughter of God.” (15)
 

Sons of God Shall Become Like Christ

Though time and space will not allow a complete treatise of all John taught in this letter, two doctrines he touched on must be referred to.

John taught that the divine potential of man is a reality. “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2). This, as President Gordon B. Hinckley expressed, is the purpose of the gospel: “The whole design of the gospel is to lead us, onward and upward to greater achievement, even, eventually, to godhood. This great possibility was enunciated by the Prophet Joseph Smith in the King Follet sermon (see Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp. 342-62) and emphasized by President Lorenzo Snow. It is a grand and incomparable concept: As God now is, man may become! (See The Teachings of Lorenzo Snow, comp. Clyde J. Williams, Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1984, p. 1). (16)

Important in achieving this goal, John taught that “every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure” (1 John 3:3). Such a person would avoid sin as a plague. “Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:7-8).

The first step towards our achieving our divine potential is spiritual rebirth. This comes through faith, repentance, baptism and reception of the Holy Ghost. One who is born again, John wrote, “doth not commit sin.” He continues, for God’s “seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God” (1 John 3:9). One who is born again become the children of Christ, and he is our father. King Benjamin taught: “because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts are changed through faith on his name; therefore, ye are born of him and have become his sons and his daughters” (Mosiah 5:7). As the children of Christ, his seed being in us, we have “no more disposition to do evil” (Mosiah 5:2).

John taught that those who are spiritually born again has overcome the world (1 John 5:4). To overcome the world is not to give in to the desires of the natural man but rather live the higher laws of God. Instead of loving self, one who is born again focuses his love on others. Spiritual rebirth puts the first commandment first. Once that has occurred, then love others becomes our nature rather than loving ourselves and the pleasures of the world. John wrote: “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments” (1 John 5:2).

Through the process of spiritual rebirth, we begin walking a path that helps us to develop the pure love of God within ourselves. Love is a verb and not necessarily a state of being. We are to love and not fall into love. John stated that we should “not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:18). Consequently, John wrote: “This is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of Jesus Christ, and love one another” (1 John 3:23).
 

God is Love

To be born again means to be born of God. To be born of God means that we have overcome the world and are becoming like God. As already noted, the fruit of spiritual rebirth is love of others. John wrote, He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love” (1 John 4:8).

God’s love was first manifest to mankind by sending his son, Jesus Christ, to save man from his fallen condition. “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:8-9).

The scriptures qualify God’s love as perfect and pure. Because of his perfect love, God has established a way to save mankind from the grasps of sin and death. Those who reach out and accept the saving grace extended to mankind, will automatically return that love to God. “We love him,” John exclaimed, “because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19).

This last statement aptly describes the love of God. His perfect, pure love has extended to all mankind the grace of salvation. But if that love is refused, so is the grace of God. This condition is taught throughout the scriptures. During the last several decades, a heresy regarding God’s love has surfaced. The heresy states that God’s love is unconditional. The heresy first started with humanist psychologists who invented the term. Unconditional love, they taught, is the love parents ought to have for their children. Eventually, the term was adopted into Christian dialogue to describe God’s love. However, the term is never found in the scriptures. Rather, it is a classic example of mingling the philosophies of men with scripture.

This has been true even within the dialogue of the Church. However, in an attempt to eradicate this heresy through the teaching of correct doctrine, Elder Russell M. Nelson wrote an article that was published in the Ensign. Said he: “While divine love can be called perfect, infinite, enduring, and universal, it cannot correctly be characterized as unconditional. The word does not appear in the scriptures. On the other hand, many verses affirm that the higher levels of love the Father and the Son feel for each of us-and certaindivine blessings stemming from that love–are conditional.”

Elder Nelson taught that understanding the true nature of God’s love will I against common fallacies that could lead to untoward behavior. Said he: “Understanding that divine love and blessings are not truly “unconditional” can defend us against common fallacies such as these: “Since God’s love is unconditional, He will love me regardless …”; or “Since ‘God is love,’ He will love me unconditionally, regardless …” Elder Nelson continued, “These arguments are used by anti-Christs to woo people with deception. Nehor, for example, promoted himself by teaching falsehoods: He “testified unto the people that all mankind should be saved at the last day, … for the Lord had created all men, … and, in the end, all men should have eternal life” (Alma 1:4). Sadly, some of the people believed Nehor’s fallacious and unconditional concepts.” (17)
 

2 and 3 John

Unfortunately, John was unable to check the growth of heresies within the Church. Those who held to heretical views were active in the promotion of their damnable doctrines. Like the apostles and missionaries who took the gospel from place to place, these false teachers also traveled from village to village and city to city, even Christian congregation to Christian congregation, promoting their teachings.

2 John was written to exhort the members of the Church to use great discernment in the choice of their teachers. John wrote: “many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.” He then said, “If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds” (2 John 1:7-11).

In John’s last letter, we have our last snapshot of the photo album that is the New Testament. Like any photo album, it gives us a view of things but not the whole story. Likewise, 3 John gives us a view of the apostasy tearing the Church apart.

The view is not a pretty one. As part of this brief letter, John spoke of a Church leader name Diotrephes: “ I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not. Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church” (3 John 1:9). What a chilling picture. Diotrephes not only refused to accept John as the head of the Church but spoke out against him and excommunicated those of his congregation who sustained John as head of the Christian church.

What a sad state of affairs. With such attitudes as this, to whom could John give priesthood authority and keys. “With their rejection of John, they severed the final legitimate link of doctrinal and priesthood authority between Christ and the church that bore his name.” (18) Without such authority, the Church would cease to exist. Shortly thereafter, the Church did cease to exist as the only true and living Church!
 

Notes
 

1. Spencer W. Kimball, “The False Gods We Worship,” Ensign, June 1976, p. 4; emphasis added.

2. Bruce R. McConkie, Mormon Doctrine (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1966), p.352.

3. See Irenaeus, Against Heresies, Book 3. Chapter 1. Paragraph 1 (hereafter stated only by numbers).

4. See Richard Lloyd Anderson, “The First Presidency of the Early Church: Their Lives and Epistles,” Ensign, Aug. 1988, pp. 20-21.

5. Irenaeus, Against Heresies, 1. Preface. 1.

6. Irenaeus, Against Heresies, 3. 11. 1.

7. Irenaeus, Against Heresies, 1. 26.1

8. Irenaeus, Against Heresies, 3. 3. 4.

9. William F. Arndt and F. Wilbur Gingrich (Ed.s), A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature 3rd Edition (Revised and edited by Frederick William Danker, Chicago: The Unversity of Chicago Press, 2000), p. 766.

10. Gerhard Kittle, Gerhard Friedrich (Ed.s), Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, 1o Vols. (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans , 1967), 5:801.

11. Kimball, “The False Gods We Worship,” Ensign (June 1976), p. 3.

12. Spencer W. Kimball, The Miracle of Forgiveness (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1969), pp.41-42.

13. Harold B. Lee, Conference Report, April 1970, pp. 54-57

14. George Q. Cannon, Gospel Truth: Discourses and Writings of President George Q. Cannon, First Counselor to Presidents John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff and Lorenzo Snow (1880-1901) [Compiled by Jerreld L. Newquist. Volume 1. Salt Lake City: Zion’s Book Store, 1957], p. 198.

15. Stephen L. Richards, Conference Report, April 1950, pp. 162-163

16. Gordon B. Hinckley, Ensign, November 1994, p. 48.

17. Russell M. Nelson, “Divine Love,” Ensign, Feb. 2003, pp. 20-25.

18. Kent P. Jackson, “Early Signs of the Apostasy,” Ensign, Dec. 1984, p. 15.

1st John is written to the priesthood of the church, see footnote.  John testifies of a living real tangible Christ, who never sinned, He lived a perfect life.   He is full of light; there is no darkness in Him.  This is a direct challenge to Gnostic teachings.

(1 John 1:1-10.) – We have seen Him, heard Him, and touched Him.  He is real, that is my witness.  He is equal with the Father; He is real and did not sin.  The “Living Christ” document says the same thing!  John was the last one on earth to have this special knowledge.  Christ is light; there is no darkness in him.  If you sin, you deny the light. 

 

1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;

 

2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)

 

3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

 

4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.

 

5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

 

6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

 

7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

 

8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

 

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

 

10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

 

 

 

(Doctrine and Covenants 46:13-14.) – Elder Scott said the following:  Elder Uchtdorf and Elder Bednar received these keys to gain access to this spiritual gift. “I certify to you that Jesus is a resurrected being.”  They have that right and that key to obtain this special kind of knowledge to the testimony they bear, its part of their apostolic calling.  The reality of a living Christ

 

13 To some it is given by the Holy Ghost to know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and that he was crucified for the sins of the world.

14 To others it is given to believe on their words, that they also might have eternal life if they continue faithful.

 

 

The Living Christ
The Testimony of the Apostles
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

As we commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ two millennia ago, we offer our testimony of the reality of His matchless life and the infinite virtue of His great atoning sacrifice. None other has had so profound an influence upon all who have lived and will yet live upon the earth.

He was the Great Jehovah of the Old Testament, the Messiah of the New. Under the direction of His Father, He was the creator of the earth. “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made” (John 1:3). Though sinless, He was baptized to fulfill all righteousness. He “went about doing good” (Acts 10:38), yet was despised for it. His gospel was a message of peace and goodwill. He entreated all to follow His example. He walked the roads of Palestine, healing the sick, causing the blind to see, and raising the dead. He taught the truths of eternity, the reality of our premortal existence, the purpose of our life on earth, and the potential for the sons and daughters of God in the life to come.

He instituted the sacrament as a reminder of His great atoning sacrifice. He was arrested and condemned on spurious charges, convicted to satisfy a mob, and sentenced to die on Calvary’s cross. He gave His life to atone for the sins of all mankind. His was a great vicarious gift in behalf of all who would ever live upon the earth.

We solemnly testify that His life, which is central to all human history, neither began in Bethlehem nor concluded on Calvary. He was the Firstborn of the Father, the Only Begotten Son in the flesh, the Redeemer of the world.

He rose from the grave to “become the firstfruits of them that slept” (1 Cor. 15:20). As Risen Lord, He visited among those He had loved in life. He also ministered among His “other sheep” (John 10:16) in ancient America. In the modern world, He and His Father appeared to the boy Joseph Smith, ushering in the long-promised “dispensation of the fulness of times” (Eph. 1:10).

Of the Living Christ, the Prophet Joseph wrote: “His eyes were as a flame of fire; the hair of his head was white like the pure snow; his countenance shone above the brightness of the sun; and his voice was as the sound of the rushing of great waters, even the voice of Jehovah, saying:

“I am the first and the last; I am he who liveth, I am he who was slain; I am your advocate with the Father” (D&C 110:34).

Of Him the Prophet also declared: “And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!

“For we saw him, even on the right hand of God; and we heard the voice bearing record that he is the Only Begotten of the Father—

“That by him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God” (D&C 76:22-24).

We declare in words of solemnity that His priesthood and His Church have been restored upon the earth—“built upon the foundation of ... apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone” (Eph. 2:20).

We testify that He will someday return to earth. “And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together” (Isa. 40:5). He will rule as King of Kings and reign as Lord of Lords, and every knee shall bend and every tongue shall speak in worship before Him. Each of us will stand to be judged of Him according to our works and the desires of our hearts.

We bear testimony, as His duly ordained Apostles—that Jesus is the Living Christ, the immortal Son of God. He is the great King Immanuel, who stands today on the right hand of His Father. He is the light, the life, and the hope of the world. His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come. God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son.

http://library.lds.org/nxt/gateway.dll?f=id$id=ensignlp.nfo:o:1761$cid=ensignlp.nfo$3.0$p=

 

(1 John 2:1.) – Advocate, Comforter, Legal Helper, assist us in court = Greek word Paraclete.  Christ helps us go through the system, we who are guilty of sin, we need their help to be clean again.  It will require both Paracletes to come back to Heavenly Father.  John 14:6 speaks of 2 Comforters, different roles of the Holy Ghost and Christ.  They help us go through the process to become clean again, we don’t get off scot free.  1st Helper = Holy Ghost, 2nd Helper = Christ.  This was the message of his last talk before going to Gethsemane, John 16.  JST sin, and repent

 

1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

The Promise of Eternal Life

 

It was in the Last Supper that the Savior delivered some of the most profound teachings of his ministry concerning the work of the Holy Ghost in leading souls to salvation. Jesus had been with his disciples for three years, had taught them, empowered them, and prepared them for what was to come. He had been their Tutor, their Comforter. “If ye love me,” he taught his chosen followers, “keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you” (John 14:15-17; emphasis added). The word another literally implies “another of the same kind,” that is “someone, like Jesus Himself who will take His place and do His work.”20 The Greek word translated in the King James Version as Comforter is paraclete, literally “one called to stand along side of.” Other meanings include “a friend, especially a legal friend.”21 The word refers to “a counselor who supports a defendant at a trial. The Spirit, then, will be a great defender of the disciples.”22 Thus other translations render the passage as “another Helper” (New King James Version), “another Counselor” (New International Version), and even “another Advocate” (New Revised Standard Version; see also the Revised English Bible). While ultimately Christ is our Advocate with the Father (see D&C 45:3-5), the Savior has sent his Spirit to convict us of sin, convince us of the truth, and direct us toward righteousness (see John 16:8-11). The paraclete was “any person who helped someone in trouble with the law. The Spirit will always stand by Christ’s people.”23 The Holy Ghost, “one called alongside to help” would be that member of the Godhead who “encourages and exhorts” the Saints.24

 

 

(Robert L. Millet, Selected Writings of Robert L. Millet: Gospel Scholars Series [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 2000], 200.)

(1 John 2:2-5.) – Knowing comes up again.  You can’t claim knowledge of God and then sin.  The world has really missed this point on the role of sin and the role of Christ.  We are required to know and do the will of God consistently, if we do this we will be perfected in Him.  Nehorism (Alma1) is still here today, God’s unconditional love will save us, that is a heresy! 

 

2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

 

3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.

 

4 He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

 

5 But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.

 

If we follow Christ we have no right to hate our enemies, we believe in self defense, but we don’t hate our brother and sisters.  We do hate sin! 

(1 John 2:7-11.)

 

7 Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning.

 

8 Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.

 

9 He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.

 

10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.

 

11 But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.

 

 

(Mosiah 28:2-4.) – The timing was finally right to teach the Lamanites, the sons of Mosiah spent 14 years laboring among their enemies.  We can despise evil acts, but we must be careful hating those who perform the acts.  Self control and consistency in living Gods way

 

2 That perhaps they might bring them to the knowledge of the Lord their God, and convince them of the iniquity of their fathers; and that perhaps they might cure them of their hatred towards the Nephites, that they might also be brought to rejoice in the Lord their God, that they might become friendly to one another, and that there should be no more contentions in all the land which the Lord their God had given them.

 

3 Now they were desirous that salvation should be declared to every creature, for they could not bear that any human soul should perish; yea, even the very thoughts that any soul should endure endless torment did cause them to quake and tremble.

 

4 And thus did the Spirit of the Lord work upon them, for they were the very vilest of sinners. And the Lord saw fit in his infinite mercy to spare them; nevertheless they suffered much anguish of soul because of their iniquities, suffering much and fearing that they should be cast off forever.

 

 

(1 John 2:9-17.) – There is no love in the world; it is a means to an end.  I can’t love the things of the world, it is sin.  Who am I devoted too?  What do I have a great emotional attachment too?  I have a helper to get me through this.

 

9 He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.

 

10 He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him.

 

11 But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.

 

12 I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake.

 

13 I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father.

 

14 I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.

 

15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

 

16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

 

17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

 

Vs 18 – The anti Christ’s are here to destroy you, they were once priesthood holders

 

(1 John 2:18-29.) – The gift of the Holy Ghost is the way we know good from evil.  John is fighting hard against the heretics in the church.  The gift of the Holy Ghost is the product of spiritual rebirth, then you have access to Christ, you can avoid being deceived!

 

18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.

 

19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.

 

20 But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.  (Anointing) 1 Samuel 16:13

 

21 I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.

 

22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.

 

23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: [but] he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.

 

24 Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.

 

25 And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.

 

26 These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.

 

27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

 

28 And now, little children, abide in him; that, when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming.

 

29 If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.

 

 

1 John 2:18; Jude 1:4, 17-18

 

There are a few passages in the New Testament that give evidence indirectly that an apostasy had been foretold. Of these the most informative are found in 1 John 2:18 and Jude 1:4, 17-18. These verses actually speak of apostasy already present in the church. While doing so they make mention of the fact that the saints knew that it should come and had been warned appropriately. John wrote: “Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time” (1 John 2:18, emphasis added). This passage will be discussed more fully below. What is important at this point is the fact that John reminded the saints to whom he wrote that they had heard earlier that a time would come — called the “last time” (escháebar; hoabar;) — in which “antichrist” would come among the church. They had been warned. Similarly, Jude wrote:

 

Certain people have infiltrated among you, and they

 

are the ones you had a warning about, in writing, long ago, when they were condemned for denying all religion, turning the grace of our God into immorality, and rejecting our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ (Jude 1:4, JB, emphasis added).

 

This passage, which is much less clear in the King James Version, tells that the readers had received written warning in the past of the coming of “godless men” (NIV) who would pervert the gospel and reject the Lord. After writing more about those predicted apostates and likening them to some of more ancient times, Jude continued:

 

But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit (Jude 1:17-19, NIV, emphasis added).

 

The coming in the “last times” (é fnhatos chrs) of those who would scoff at the true faith had been foretold, according to Jude, by “the apostles.”

 

 

(John M. Lundquist and Stephen D. Ricks, eds., By Study and Also by Faith: Essays in Honor of Hugh W. Nibley on the Occasion of His Eightieth Birthday, 27 March 1990, 2 vols. [Salt Lake City and Provo: Deseret Book Co., Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1990], 1: 113 – 114.)

 

 

President Harold B. Lee

 

First Counselor in the First Presidency and President of the Council of the Twelve

 

 

I have only one or two matters about which I would like to speak tonight. The first may I introduce by relating a dream or a parable taken from one of the prophets of the Old Testament, in which was depicted a watchman on a high tower overlooking the countryside, watching for enemies at might be coming to destroy, enemies that were in evidence by clouds of dust of approaching camels or horses, or whatever they had. The watchman was reporting hour by hour down to his lord in the courtyard. “All is well, All is well,” or he reported if he saw any dangers.

 

 But in the dream or the parable the lord asked: “But watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?” suggesting that more to be feared than the enemies that come in the daytime that you can see are the enemies that come in the night.

 

Enemies that come in the night

 

Now it is about the enemies that come in the night I want just to make one reference.

 

The term “elder,” which is applied to all holders of the Melchizedek Priesthood, means a defender of the faith. That is our prime responsibility and calling. Every holder of the Melchizedek Priesthood is to be a defender of the faith.

 

There are insidious forces among us that are constantly trying to knock at our doors and trying to lay traps for our young men and women, particularly those who are unwary and unsophisticated in the ways of the world. I speak of the battle against liquor by the drink, gambling, prostitution, pornography, and our efforts to aid Christian people who desire to have one day dedicated to keeping the Sabbath day holy. All we have to do is to remember what the Lord said in order to impress the importance of keeping the Sabbath day holy: “And that thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day.” (D&C 59:9.) Defenders of the faith should be alert, then, to see to it with all their influence that there is an opportunity given to the working man, the boy and the girl, the husband and the wife to have one day in the week when they can be with their families and have one day consecrated as a day of rest. Watchmen, be alert to he “dangers of the night”!

 

A Warning Voice

 

The next matter I would like to speak of, for just a moment, is set forth in a letter from the First Presidency, which was sent out in August 1913 as a warning to the members of the Church and which was repeated by some of the leaders nearer our time and could well be repeated today. I read this letter from the First Presidency [Pres. Joseph F. Smith, Anthon H. Lund, Charles W. Penrose] in 1913. It has been entitled “A Warning Voice.”

 

“To the Officers and Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:

 

“From the days of Hiram Page (D&C 28), at different periods there have been manifestations from delusive spirits to members of the Church. Sometimes these have come to men and women who because of transgression become easy prey to the Arch-Deceiver. At other times people who pride themselves on their strict observance of the rules and ordinances and ceremonies of the Church are led astray by false spirits, who exercise an influence so imitative of that which proceeds from a Divine source that even these persons, who think they are `the very elect,’ find it difficult to discern the essential difference. Satan himself has transformed himself to be apparently `an angel of light.’

 

“When visions, dreams, tongues, prophecy, impressions or any extraordinary gift or inspiration conveys something out of harmony with the accepted revelations of the Church or contrary to the decisions of its constituted authorities, Latter-day Saints may know that it is not of God, no matter how plausible it may appear. Also, they should understand that directions for the guidance of the Church will come, by revelation, through the head. All faithful members are entitled to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit for themselves, their families, and for those over whom they are appointed and ordained to preside. But anything at discord with that which comes from God through the head of the Church is not to be received as authoritative or reliable. In secular as well as spiritual affairs, Saints may receive Divine guidance and revelation affecting themselves, but this does not convey authority to direct others, and is not to be accepted when contrary to Church covenants, doctrine or discipline, or to known facts, hunderingd truths, or good common sense. No person has the right to induce his fellow members of the Church to engage in speculations or take stock in ventures of any kind on the specious claim of Divine revelation or vision or dream, especially when it is in opposition to the voice of recognized authority, local or general. The Lord’s Church `is a house of order.’ It is not governed by individual gifts or manifestations, but by the order and power of the Holy Priesthood as sustained by the voice and vote of the Church in its appointed conferences.

 

 “The history of the Church records many pretended revelations by impostors or zealots who believed in the manifestations they sought to lead other persons to accept, and in every instance, disappointment, sorrow and disaster have resulted therefrom. Financial loss and sometimes utter ruin have followed. We feel it our duty to warn the Latter-day Saints against fake mining schemes which have no warrant for success beyond the professed spiritual manifestations of their projectors and the influence gained over the excited minds of their victims. We caution the Saints against investing money or property in shares of stock which bring no profit to anyone but those who issue and trade in them. Financial schemes to make money for the alleged purpose of `redeeming Zion’ or providing means for the `salvation of the dead’ or other seemingly worthy objects, should not deceive anyone acquainted with the order of the Church, and will result only in waste of time and labor, which might be devoted now to doing something tanible and worthy and of record on earth and in heaven.” (Messages of the First Presidency, compiled by James R. Clark [Bookcraft, 1970], Vol. 4, pp. 255-86.)

 

Sensational stories

 

It never ceases to amaze me how gullible some of our Church members are in broadcasting sensational stories or dreams, or visions, or purported patriarchal blessings, or quotations, or supposedly from some person’s private diary.

 

For instance, there is one vicious story to the effect that one of our General Authorities is allegedly being urged to present himself to lead the Church contrary to the Lord’s revelation and to make people think there is some division among the authorities of the Church. Investigations have indicated that the named writer of these forged letters is fictitious and does not exist—can’t be found in the records of the Church or anywhere. Addresses given are spurious, and yet the amazing thing is that we find that these spurious writings and some of these purported revelations, which we found upon investigation are absolutely false, are finding their way into our Relief Society meetings, into priesthood quorums, firesides, institutes, and seminaries.

 

 Brethren of the priesthood, you defenders of the faith, we would wish that you would plead with our Saints to cease promoting the works of the devil. Spend your time promoting the works of the Lord, and don’t allow these things to be found among those under your charge, for they are the works of Satan, and we are playing his game whenever we permit such things to be heralded about and repeated and passed about on every side.

 

False reports

 

One of our brethren is supposed to have had a patriarchal blessing saying that he would preside over the Church when the Savior came. This is, of course, false. Another one among us has been said to have declared that there are some living today who will see the Savior when he comes. This again is fictitious. Well, the Master said that the time of his coming would be as a thief in the night, that of the time of his coming not even the angels of heaven would know. If we would stop to think of it, nobody with any authority would ever say that such a declaration could be authentic.

 

So we could go on and on. One of our brethren was reported to have said that the people of California should move up to the tops of the Rocky Mountains, that only there would be safety. Contrary to that, we are constantly saying to our people that safety is where the pure in heart are, and that there is just as much safety wherever you are, if you are living and keeping the commandments of God.

 

 Brethren, I repeat, don’t allow the works of the devil to be paraded in our midst and become the subject of discourses or lesson materials. Speak of the works of righteousness, and the power of the devil will begin to cease among you.

 

“Persecution follows revelation”

 

One more subject of which I should like to speak. This comes from President Joseph F. Smith. It is entitled “Persecution Follows Revelation”:

 

 “I do not believe there ever was a people who were guided by revelation, or acknowledged of the Lord as his people, who were not hated and persecuted by the wicked and the corrupt, and perhaps no people were ever more persecuted by the wicked and the corrupt, and perhaps no people were ever more persecuted than this people would be if it were in the power of the enemy today to persecute us as it was in the power of Nero and the Romans to persecute the Saints in their day. There never was a time when it was more fixed and determined in the heart of the wicked to fight against and destroy the kingdom from the earth than now, and their failure will be due only to the impossibility of the task they have undertaken. And this is an evidence to every one . . . that [God’s] priesthood is here, that the Saints, or many of them, are magnifying their calling and honoring the priesthood, and also the Lord, both with their lives and with their substance, which are his.” (Deseret Weekly News, Vol. 24 [1875], p. 708.)

 

The principle of revelation at issue

 

You brethren of the priesthood should be well advised that the principle of revelation through proper channels has been at issue in every persecution of the Latter-day Saints in this dispensation, whether it be on the subject of priesthood, marriage, the gathering of Zion, or succession of the priesthood. Maybe this persecution, too, is as a thorn in our flesh, as was said by the apostle Paul, to be as the messenger of Satan, lest we be exalted above measure, because of the revelations the Lord has given through his prophets to this people.

 

The Prophet Joseph Smith was persecuted and hated; his life was threatened, so much so that he said, “Why persecute me for telling the truth? . . . For I had seen a vision; I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it, neither dared I do it; at least I knew that by so doing I would offend God, and come under condemnation.” (Joseph Smith 2:25.)

 

A few years ago a man came here in our midst and said to one of our brethren, “If you people would do away with one principle in your belief, I could join the Church tomorrow.” And our brother asked, “What is that principle?”

 

He replied, “If you would do away with your belief in present-day revelation, I could join your church.”

 

 Then an amazing statement was made to me by our brother, the man who was the Church member: “You know, I think we ought to do something about that.”

 

Present-day revelation

 

Why, bless your hearts, whenever we come to a time where we begin to deny that there is revelation to this church, it is tantamount to saying that we believe that the power of God does not exist in our midst today. We must believe and know for a certainty and have a sure testimony that God does reveal, and is now revealing, all things pertaining to his kingdom today, as in every other dispensation of the Church.

 

I wish that we would understand these matters. And you brethren who are to safeguard the Church, I would wish that you would rise up in the power and dignity of your callings and put to flight some of these spurious things that are threatening to destroy the unity among our people. The greatest danger among us today is fear. Fear doesn’t come of the Lord. Faith and peace are the fruits of the Spirit. May we teach our people “here to look to for peace—not peace that can he legislated in the halls of Congress or he maintained by armies and navies and tanks and guns and airplanes, but peace that can come as the Master said it would come, by overcoming the things of the world. God help us so to understand and do and to live as Latter-day Saints are expected to live in this day of trial and difficulty, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

 

 

President Harold B. Lee, Conference Report, April 1970, General Priesthood Meeting 54.)

 

THE EPISTLES OF JOHN

 

(1, 2, 3 John)

 

THOMAS W. MACKAY

 

Three of the letters known as the General Epistles (that is, James, 1 and 2 Peter, 1, 2, and 3 John, and Jude) were apparently written by the apostle John. While the second and third epistles are very brief, the first is much more extensive in its development of doctrinal themes. The major messages in 1 John are fellowship, obedience, light and darkness, love, anti-Christ, being like God, and the intercession of Christ. Before discussing these points, we appropriately examine in a cursory fashion questions of textual reliability, authenticity, and authorship, including date and setting for the three epistles. Our body of evidence includes biblical manuscripts, patristic citations, and some historical notes by Eusebius. Although a few commentaries were composed on individual General Epistles, such as Augustine on 1 John, nothing systematic and comprehensive was produced before the Venerable Bede of Jarrow, who wrote in Anglo-Saxon England during the first two decades of the eighth century. Fn

 

Authorship and Authenticity

 

The Johannine authorship of the three Epistles of John is strongly attested. Polycarp and other sources of the second century quote from the first epistle. By the fourth century, the epistles were among the homologoumena or generally accepted books, while 2 Peter, Jude, and the book of Revelation were still not universally received. Since the unnamed author is an eyewitness (1 John 1:1-4; 4:14), since the style and language are similar to that of John’s Gospel, and since the references in the second century name the author as John, this has been practically unanimously accepted through the centuries.

 

While the language itself is similar, however, the arrangement of thoughts and ideas does differ. The first epistle does not have the same unified grouping of ideas and motifs that we immediately detect in the Gospel of John. Consequently, in discussing the epistle, we will reach out to draw together different passages somewhat removed from each other.

 

According to Irenaeus, a late second-century writer, John spent the latter part of his life in and near Ephesus. We also note that the letters to the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3 were addressed to Ephesus and six important cities in surrounding Asia Minor: Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. Although the precise destination of 1 John is not given, we may safely presume that it was to people in those areas. Further, the content of 1 John presupposes an acquaintance with the Gospel, and it also refers to doctrinal problems from apostates. Thus, the date may be between about A.D. 70 and 90, probably closer to the latter date. But the problems of anti-Christ were already being signaled by Paul in the fifteen years before A.D. 62, when he was taken to Rome. Second Peter prophetically and Jude historically both point to the incipient apostasy of the “Great Gap” of 70 to 100; 1 John is to be dated to that period. According to Hegesippus, who compiled an early history of the Christian church and whose writings were quoted and used by Eusebius in the beginning of the fourth century, this is the time when the Gnostics began to flourish and to teach openly what they had secretly been espousing:

 

Until then the church remained a pure and uncorrupted virgin, for those who attempted to corrupt the healthful rule of the Savior’s preaching, if they existed at all, lurked in obscure darkness. But when the sacred band of the Apostles and the generation of those to whom it had been vouchsafed to hear with their own ears the divine wisdom had reached the several ends of their lives, then the federation of godless error took its beginning through the deceit of false teachers who, seeing that none of the Apostles still remained, barefacedly tried against the preaching of the truth the counter-proclamation of “knowledge falsely so-called.” Fn

 

The author of 2 John is an elder (Greek presbyteros), a term used in the late first and early second century for apostle, even as it is used today by the Latter-day Saints. (See D&C 20:38.) In writing to the “elect lady and her children” John warns against deceiving teachers and false doctrines. In the Didache (an authentic Christian text of the late first century, first discovered and published about a century ago), the anonymous author warns members of the church to shun anyone who taught for pay. Fn Again, the circumstances of 2 John fit best about A.D. 90, and 3 John, addressed to a local leader named Gaius, was probably composed about the same time.

 

Textual Reliability: The “Johannine Comma”

 

The text of the epistles is fairly well attested in the early manuscripts of the fourth to sixth centuries, and there are no early papyri such as we find particularly for the Gospels and the Pauline corpus. There are just a few words in the “Received Text,” used by translators for the King James Version, that have quite probably been added to what John originally wrote, but for the most part they make no appreciable difference to most readers. However, one significant passage in 1 John 5:7-8 has clearly been added, the so-called Johannine Comma. Translated, the text for those two verses should read as follows, using the words of the Authorized Version: “For there are three that bear record, the spirit and the water and the blood, and these three agree in one.” Fn As the textual problem of the passage has been adequately treated elsewhere, we restrict our observations to noting that (1) there are only four late Greek manuscripts in which the passage is found, and three of the four have had it added by someone writing centuries later than the original scribe of the manuscript; (2) patristic evidence for the passage is scanty at best, for it is not in the Greek Fathers, and the Latin Fathers use it only in the later period; (3) the earliest attestation of the passage is in a late fourth century Latin treatise composed by the Spanish heretic Priscillian or one of his followers; (4) it is found in none of the manuscripts of the ancient translations of the Bible except progressively in Latin manuscripts emanating from North Africa and Italy, but not in the manuscripts that preserve Jerome’s Latin Vulgate translation, namely the Fuldensis (ca. 541-47), the Amiatinus (ca. 690 and before 716), or the Vercelli (early ninth century). Fn So the more expanded passage in the Authorized Version does not accurately represent what John wrote.

 

Doctrinal Themes

 

Fellowship. The primary purpose of 1 John is to state the terms and effects of our fellowship with God or our failure to develop such a relationship. In Greek, the word for fellowship is koinonia, a noun from the adjective meaning common or shared. The corresponding verb, koinoneo, means to share, to have a share, to participate, and so the agent or person who does such an action is a companion, partner, or sharer (koinonos). Therefore, the abstract noun translated fellowship also means association, communion, close relationship, participation, or sharing and was appropriately used regarding the marital relationship.

 

Inherent in the notion of Christian fellowship is the idea of sharing property and livelihood such as characterized the Saints, as recorded by Luke in Acts 2:44-45: “And all that believed were together, and had all things common [koina]; and sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.” Ignatius, writing in the first decade of the second century, reaffirms this Christian association. Such an ideal was also practiced in some of the early Greek philosophical brotherhoods, and Plato’s famous saying is that “friends have things in common” (koina ta ton philon) or “the possessions of friends are shared.”

 

For John, there are natural consequences of having a fellowship with God: we do not walk in the darkness but rather in the light of God (1 John 1:5-7), and so the atoning blood of Christ cleanses us if we acknowledge and confess that we as mortals have sinned (1 John 1:7-9). Otherwise we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. We love; we do not hate. We foster light and truth; we shun deception and darkness.

 

The sinner who confesses his faults has Jesus for an advocate or intercessor, a mediator who is called to intervene and help (Greek parakletos, Latin hunderin). This is the term used in John’s Gospel for the Spirit (John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7), and at John 14:16, his calling the Holy Spirit “another comforter” (parakletos) implies that Christ, too, is a comforter or mediator, just as he is so identified at 1 John 2:1.

 

Since fellowship includes the notion of personal acquaintance or knowledge, John states that we who know him will have our manner of life in accordance with God’s commandments (1 John 2:3-5); we “walk in the light” (1 John 1:7).

 

Again, the whole idea of knowing God and associating with him after mortal death is one that can only be in truth, light, and obedience. We cannot fake our way into the kingdom. Therefore, perhaps the single most transcendent statement in the epistle is in 1 John 3:2-3: “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” The natural consequence of coming to know God is to desire to emulate him, to have our closest friendship with him. And to be like God is to know him. Thus we more fully understand Jesus’ prayer in John 17:3 where he defines eternal life as knowing God and Christ: “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” In this verse the form of the Greek verb for know emphasizes the continuing personal acquaintance and friendship between God and man, a fellowship that commences in this life. Eternal life, therefore, becomes the natural continuation of a close association enjoyed in this life into the eternities. By John’s definition, we ought definitely not to think of eternal life as something thrust upon a person unprepared or unacquainted with God and his ways. So at 1 John 3:2, “we shall be like him” points to the integrity of life by obedience to God’s commandments, changing our nature to resemble God more closely. We cannot deceive God, who knows all things. (1 John 3:20.)

 

Hope. Another of John’s doctrinal words is hope. In Greek there is a much stronger sense of expectation and anticipation than our word hope conveys. A preferable translation is “firm or confident expectation.” In 1 John 3:3 we learn that those of us who expect to become like God and resemble Christ when we see him are motivated to purify ourselves, that is, to emulate God all the more. Our hope is founded on a literal sense of Christ’s intercession: we come to know him and desire to follow his ways, and in turn, he plants deep in our hearts the confident expectation that “we shall be like him.”

 

Love. Of all the characteristics of God, love is supreme. Christ’s disciples are to love one another. (1 John 3:11; cf. John 13:34; 5:12, 17; 2 John 1:5.) By contrast, the works of darkness are hatred, anger, and jealousy, and such were the influences on Cain that motivated him to slay his brother. True love manifests itself by deeds of kindness and mercy, exhibiting compassion in very fact and not just in word. By manifesting toward our fellow mortals a sense of love, not hatred, we demonstrate that we have fellowship with God and emulate and mirror his love for us. (Cf. 1 John 4:16-21.)

 

Perfection. Elsewhere in the epistle, John (1 John 4:18) fn uses a Greek word meaning perfect, complete, whole, adult, married, or one who had received his initiation ordinances (Greek verb teleioo from the adjective teleios; the baseword noun is telos from which the word telestial seems to have been formed). Fn The same verb is also found in John 4:34, where it means to fulfill or make complete. As an adjective, this word was a strong part of the Christian vocabulary, for Matthew uses it in Matthew 5:48: “Be ye therefore [or, ye shall then (accordingly) be(come)] perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”

 

Anti-Christ. In 1 John we encounter the word anti-Christ (e.g., 1 John 2:18-23; 4:1-3). While we ordinarily associate the prefix anti with opposition and antagonism, the base meaning in Greek is “instead of” or “in place of.” In John’s words, it is as though Satan were setting himself up as a mirror image imitation of Christ, and that the falseness of the imitation intensifies the opposition that motivates Satan while also being a manifestation of the conflict of light and darkness. Since we must have the true intercessor and be filled with his true light and love, the counterfeit is the more reprehensible, for it provides a false security as it repulses God’s own emissary.

 

And how are we to detect this anti-Christ? John’s simple statement of confessing that Jesus has come in the flesh is disarming but precise. Already during the last decades of the first century there was a growing heresy of Docetism (from the Greek word meaning to seem or to appear)—the notion that Jesus only seemed to be mortal. Clearly, John does not mean that someone must merely mouth the words that Jesus came in the flesh. The intent is that in such a confession, an entire range of doctrines is accepted, including the divine fatherhood of God, the literal atonement and resurrection of Christ, and the concomitant promise of resurrection and glory for mankind redeemed by the great expiatory sacrifice. And beyond words and doctrines, implicit in John’s statement is the notion that the hearers will be able to discern the commitment and spirit underlying the confession—whether it is motivated by and reflects the love and spirit of God. Otherwise, it is another manifestation of the apostasy that was creeping into the church, for, as Paul’s words to the Ephesian saints in Acts 20:29-30 indicate, the apostasy (a Greek word meaning an overthrow of political power, a deliberate defection of loyalty or a coup d’etat) resulted from a revolution within the church, not external persecution: “For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.”

 

This prophecy finds answer in the historical reflection by Hegesippus quoted earlier in this article. Thus, John indicates that “many false prophets” have already “gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1). He therefore encourages his readers to overcome the world (1 John 5:4-5) and to possess for and in themselves the witness or testimony of God. We are to be bearers of light, full of love, growing to become like God, so that he may receive us as his own, for “when he shall appear, we shall be like him.”

 

Notes

 

Thomas W. Mackay is professor of Greek and Latin at Brigham Young University.

 

Footnotes

 

24      David Hurst, editor, Corpus Christianorum 121A (Turnhout, Belgium: Brepols, 1984).

 

2. Eusebius Hist. Eccl. 3.33.7; see 1 Tim. 6:20.

 

3. Didache 11.6: “And when an Apostle goes forth let him accept nothing but bread till he reach his night’s lodging; but if he ask for money, he is a false prophet.”

 

4. More literally the verses read: “Because those who witness [or, the witnesses] are three, the spirit and the water and the blood, and the three are for the one [that is, are for one purpose or goal].”

 

5. Bruce M. Metzger, The Text of the New Testament, 2nd ed. (New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1968); Bruce M. Metzger, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament (London and New York: United Bible Societies, 1971); Raymond E. Brown, The Epistles of John, Anchor Bible, vol. 30 (Garden City, New York: Doubleday, 1982): 775-87.

 

6. “Fear does not exist in true love, but rather whole or complete love casts out fear because fear has [—brings] punishment [or, eternal retribution], and he who fears has not been made perfect (teteleiotai) in (God’s) love.”

 

7. Telestial in this sense probably means the last or final kingdom (of glory). In the New Testament, Paul uses the word katachthonion (Philip. 2:10) for telestial, in contrast to epigeion (terrestrial) and epouranion (celestial). Other contemporary documents may use the adjective hypogeion in the same sense.

 

 

(Robert L. Millet, ed., Studies in Scripture, Vol. 6: Acts to Revelation [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1987], 236.)

 

(1 John 3:1-2.) – We become sons and daughters again through Christ, the ordinances are needed, we are heirs to the kingdom, it might not look like that now when we look in the mirror!!  Moroni 7:47-48, look at this through Lehi’s dream

 

1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

 

2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

 

(Moroni 7:47-48.)

 

47 But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.

 

48 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen.

 

John 4-5 goes further in explaining spiritual rebirth.

 

1 and 2 John (ca. A.D. 98)

 

John’s letters are probably the latest writings of the New Testament. As such they are the most informative source for the final days of the Christianity of the apostles. Predictably, the view that they provide of the church at the end of the century is a tragic one. John, who at this point certainly was the senior apostle of the church, told his readers that the last hours of the church had come, as prophesied, and that the powers of apostasy were among them in force. He stated:

 

Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time (1 John 2:18, emphasis added). Fn

 

John and his readers knew that they were in the “last time” (escháebar; hoabar;, more literally “last hour”) because they knew of prophecies that in the final days of the church “antichrist” would be found among them. Since “many antichrists” were then within the church, John knew with certainty that the final days had arrived. Fn

 

In Paul’s great prophecy in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, he foretold the manifestation of the “man of sin,” Satan, in the period of apostasy. Paul’s “man of sin” is the equivalent of John’s “antichrist.” Yet the fact that John mentioned many antichrists among the saints shows that it refers here not only to Satan singularly, but also to his followers, those who were inspired of him, and his entire movement. Continuing, John stated that the antichrists had come from among the saints: “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us” (1 John 2:19).

 

Later in his letter, John warned his readers further about apostate influences among them: “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1). This passage contains three messages of importance to early Christians: (1) Do not believe every “spirit.” John used the term “spirit” in a broad sense, possibly to mean something like “idea,” “movement,” “teacher,” or “prophet.” (2) Test those influences to see if they are from God. (3) “Many false prophets” were in the world. John clearly was writing about false prophets within Christianity. Recall that in his letter from Patmos to the Ephesians he made mention of false apostles who had been discovered and repelled (Revelation 2:2).

 

Next, John gave the means by which his readers could test the “spirits” to see if they were of God:

 

Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: and every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world (1 John 4:2-3).

 

The test was simple: if the spirit testified that Jesus had not come in the flesh, that was the anticipated spirit of antichrist.

 

Apparently John’s readers had been influenced by docetism, a doctrine that denied that Christ had come in the flesh. Fn Docetism, from the Greek verb dokéo, “to seem,” held that Christ had not really come in the flesh, but only appeared to do so. This belief was based on the Gnostic view that matter was evil, and that it would be impossible for a divine being such as Christ to be associated with it.

 

Docetism denied, therefore, the humanity of Christ, his physical suffering, his physical death, and his physical resurrection; he only seemed to have a physical body.

 

John’s concern over this doctrinal development is understandable, considering the fact that he had been one of the closest individuals to Jesus during his mortality. To him such a belief was antichrist. In both 1 and 2 John he denounced it strongly (see 1 John 2:26; 2 John 1:7) and pleaded with the saints to hold fast to true doctrine: “Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father” (1 John 2:24).

 

3 John (ca. A.D. 98)

 

John’s third letter is a letter of apostasy. In it he made reference to one Diotrephes, a local church leader who had refused to receive John. Diotrephes, according to John, “loveth to have the preeminence” among the saints (3 John 1:9). John — the presiding authority of the church — had written to him; but Diotrephes would not receive John. Neither would he receive “the brethren,” and he would not let his congregation do so either. In fact, he excommunicated those who would (3 John 1:10).

 

This was apostasy by any definition. It was rebellion against divinely instituted authority. John promised to deal with the offending leader when he could, but if Diotrephes did not recognize John’s authority, no doubt he would not have responded to his discipline either.

 

We have no way of knowing to what extent this type of rebellion characterized the Christian church at that time. Yet if, as we learn from John’s other letters, rebellion against true doctrine was commonplace, undoubtedly the struggle against those who opposed that rebellion was equally widespread. The Diotrephes incident may have been one of many such events, as people of the rising third generation of Christian history had no loyalty to John, the last remaining witness of the first. For those who rejected John, the final legitimate link of doctrinal and priesthood authority between Christ and the church that bore his name in that day was broken.

 

 

(John M. Lundquist and Stephen D. Ricks, eds., By Study and Also by Faith: Essays in Honor of Hugh W. Nibley on the Occasion of His Eightieth Birthday, 27 March 1990, 2 vols. [Salt Lake City and Provo: Deseret Book Co., Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1990], 1: 109.)

 

 

Jude and the Book of Revelation

October 11, 2007

 

Jude (ca. A.D. 80)

 

By the time of the writing of Jude, the apostasy that had been prophesied was well underway. Jude tells us as much.

 

As he began his letter, Jude mentioned that it was necessary for him to write and exhort his readers that they “should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 1:3). The impression one gets from Jude’s urgent words is that “the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” was facing substantial opposition. Jude explained why:

 

Certain people have infiltrated among you, and they are the ones you had a warning about, in writing, long ago, when they were condemned for denying all religion, turning the grace of our God into immorality, and rejecting our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ (Jude 1:4, JB, emphasis added).

 

This passage tells us both of the prophecy of the infiltration of godless men into the church and of its fulfillment. By this point in history the saints had received numerous prophecies that this kind of trouble would come in the last days of the church. Jude’s words demonstrate that they knew it and that the time had arrived. His statement does not describe persecution or opposition from without, but apostasy from within, as “certain men crept in unawares” and gained influence to promote their false ideas.

 

Jude continued by likening the apostates of his day with several from more ancient times. Among other charges with which he condemned them was the fact that they “reject authority, and defame dignitaries” (Jude 1:8, Reicke), an overt act of rebellion similar to that described in 3 John.

 

Near the end of the letter Jude reminded the readers again that they had been warned and that the day had arrived:

 

But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit (Jude 1:17-19, NIV).

 

 

(John M. Lundquist and Stephen D. Ricks, eds., By Study and Also by Faith: Essays in Honor of Hugh W. Nibley on the Occasion of His Eightieth Birthday, 27 March 1990, 2 vols. [Salt Lake City and Provo: Deseret Book Co., Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1990], 1: 106.)

Jude is a ½ brother of Jesus, like James, they never claim Jesus as a brother since they don’t have Heavenly Father as their physical father.

(Jude 1:1-25.) – Evil men come into the church to promote immorality.  It’s like Nehor in the Book of Mormon perverting true doctrine for his own ends.  Verse 5 describes what happens to evil people, and verse 23 shows how the righteous will be sanctified by the Spirit.

 

1 Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:

 

2 Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied.

 

3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

 

4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

5 I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.

 

6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.

 

7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

 

8 Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.

 

9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.

 

10 But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.

 

11 Woe unto them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.

 

12 These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;

 

13 Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.

 

14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,

 

15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

 

16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage.

 

17 But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;

 

18 How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.

 

19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.

 

20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,

 

21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

 

22 And of some have compassion, making a difference:

 

23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

 

24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,

 

25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.

 

 

REFUGE IN GOD’S LOVE

 

(Jude)

 

CATHERINE THOMAS

 

Jude’s little letter evokes several intriguing questions for gospel students: Who was Jude and what was his authority to write to the saints? Why do several passages in Jude’s letter bear strong resemblance to verses in 2 Peter? Why would Jude use apocryphal sources for his message? These are the main issues of Jude’s letter, as well as his insight into the close of the early Christian dispensation, which revelation speaks also to us as we near the end of ours.

 

Who Was He?

 

“Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James.” (Jude 1:1.)

 

He was modest. Instead of writing that he was the brother of the Lord, which he was (Matt. 13:55), he wrote that he was servant to the Lord and brother of James the apostle, who was also a brother of the Lord (Gal. 1:19). Was Jude an apostle? The Prophet Joseph Smith adds to this verse, “Jude, the servant of God, called of Jesus Christ, and brother of James.” The Greek of Luke 6:16 and Acts 1:13 lists one of the apostles as “Judas of James,” which is translated “Jude . . . brother of James” (JST, Jude 1:1). The Greek name “Judas” is rendered “Jude” in English to distinguish him from the traitor and from the patriarch Judah of the tribe of Israel. He was married and apparently traveled with his wife in his apostolic duties. (1 Cor. 9:5.) The fourth century historian Eusebius records (quoting Hegesippus) that the Roman emperor Domitian (A.D. 81-96) searched out any survivors of the family of the Lord to ascertain whether there was any threat to his reign among them. He found grandsons of Jude, simple farmers, whom he dismissed as harmless. Fn

 

Because of many similar passages in Jude and 2 Peter, scholars contend over which came first. Stylistic and other evidence suggests that Peter wrote first; somewhat later, Jude wrote his letter, using some of the senior apostle’s ideas. A comparison of the two letters reveals that Jude added his own insights, that he was not merely derivative, but made a significant contribution of his own to the canon. Where Peter’s letter points to the future when serious apostasy will infest the church, Jude’s letter conveys the urgency, the crisis, of the actual present infection. If Jude indeed quoted Peter’s letter, he must then have written some time after about A.D. 67, for 2 Peter is dated toward the end of Nero’s reign (A.D. 54-68). Since Jude was apparently dead when Domitian went searching for members of the Lord’s family, and the Apostasy had progressed, Jude’s letter may be dated roughly at A.D. 80. Fn

 

The Love of God

 

“To them that are loved by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called: mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied.” (Jude 1:1-2.)

 

The King James Version reads sanctified instead of loved. The two words in Greek, respectively, (h)agiasmenois and agapemenois, are so similar that a scribe could easily mistake the one for the other. Manuscript evidence supports the word loved here. Further support for this correction comes from the end of Jude’s letter where he says, “Keep yourselves in the love of God” (1:21), making the theme of God’s love serve as a frame for his message. Another possible translation for this passage could be “to those who are loved in God the Father,” or united in God the Father’s love.

 

Jude comes right to his point: the crisis of apostasy is upon the saints. They live on a battlefield, though many saints then, as now, may not have realized the intensity of the conflict, so subtle, so sense-numbing are the adversary’s weapons. Prophecies written earlier, for example, in 2 Peter or in Matthew 24:24 (or in 1 Enoch, which we will consider further on) declared that false teachers would seek to deceive and dismantle the church. The leaders also knew that they would succeed, but the fight was for individuals, not for the organization itself, and the messages written may have been at least as much for our day as for theirs. Satan and his colleagues had earnestly joined battle, turning God’s love into lasciviousness and denying the Savior, the very personification of God’s love. The saints too must be aware of the gravity of the contest. Paul declared, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” (Eph. 6:12-13.) Jude’s letter teems with words about preservation, salvation, protection, guarding in God’s love. Here he identifies a potent weapon against apostasy: the power of the love of God.

 

Jude and Apocryphal Works

 

“And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.” (Jude 1:6.)

 

Jude cites examples of those delivered out of Egypt who later lost faith, of angels in the premortal world who left their high position and rebelled against God, of Israelites who perished in Sodom and Gomorrah, of the devil himself, and of Cain, Balaam, and Core. (Jude 1:5-11.) What do all these have in common? Once they all had knowledge of salvation, but they rebelled against it. Anarchy, then, is Jude’s counter-theme.

 

It seems likely that Jude had before him, whether in mind or on desk, at least two apocryphal works. His reference to the angels who fell is quite similar to passages in the Jewish apocryphal book 1 Enoch. Compare Jude 1:6 with 1 Enoch 12:4: “Enoch, scribe of righteousness, go and make known to the Watchers of heaven who have abandoned [same Greek word as in Jude 1:6, apolipontes] the high heaven, the holy eternal place. . . . There shall not be peace unto them even forever.” And 1 Enoch 10:11-14: “And to Michael God said . . . ‘Bind [the Watchers] . . . underneath the rocks of the ground until the day of their judgment and of their consummation, until the eternal judgment is concluded. In those days they will lead them into the bottom of the fire—and in torment—in the prison (where) they will be locked up forever.’” Fn

 

The Watchers is Enoch’s name for the fallen angels. We shall find additional references to 1 Enoch in Jude. As Elder Bruce R. McConkie observes, the apocryphal 1 Enoch “contains many remarkable and inspired teachings and also considerable trashy nonsense.” Fn Many apocryphal works were available to the early Christians. Several of these works (some of which the Lord warned Joseph Smith about in D&C 91) retain vestiges of truth that were only alluded to in the canon or were absent altogether. The doctrine of the premortal existence and the fall of Satan’s followers was one of these truths. Called of God, Jude knew how to sift the truth. The Apostle Paul quoted from Greek poets, obviously not endorsing their works as scripture, but rather quoting from them what was true. Fn

 

“Likewise also these (filthy) dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities. . . . In those things they corrupt themselves.” (Jude 1:8, 10.)

 

These apostates defile the flesh (“filthy” does not occur in the Greek text) on the one hand and reject authority on the other. The two go together. Where one has forsaken internal discipline, he also rejects the external. Anarchists, these apostates reject all restraint on their desires. The Greek word arche in the passage, “the angels which kept not their first estate (arche)” has several meanings: beginning, origin, ruler, authority, rule, or office. Thus an anarchist is one who rejects authority. In a context similar to Jude’s, Peter elaborated on anarchists: “[The Lord knows how to deal with] them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.” (2 Pet. 2:10.)

 

“Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil. . . about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.” (Jude 1:9.)

 

Here Jude clarifies a text in 2 Peter. Peter refers obliquely to the event of Michael’s and Satan’s dispute in his letter: “Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord.” (2 Pet. 2:11.) Jude’s reference is more specific, and again it is from an apocryphal book, the Assumption of Moses. This book survives only in fragments, and this reference to the dispute between the devil and Michael is not preserved, but ancient writers give it as coming from the Assumption of Moses. Apparently in this apocryphal text Michael was commissioned to bury Moses. Satan opposed the burial on the ground that, as he was the lord of matter, the body should be given to him. He also slandered Moses by calling him a murderer (of the Egyptian). Fn But even where the devil acted in his usual anarchic role, Michael determined to leave the rebuke to God. Jude’s allusion provides a helpful warning for zealous saints. Alma gives similar advice: “I would exhort you to have patience, and that ye bear with all manner of afflictions; that ye do not revile against those who do cast you out . . . lest ye become sinners like unto them.” (Alma 34:40; emphasis added.) And Alma again: “Now, as ye have begun to teach the word, . . . I would that ye would be diligent and temperate in all things. . . . Use boldness, but not overbearance; and also see that ye bridle all your passions, that ye may be filled with love.” (Alma 38:10, 12.) This battle for souls then is not to be waged with rebukes and confrontations, but on a different front: in the heart of the saint.

 

“These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding [Gk. Shepherding] themselves without fear.” (Jude 1:12.)

 

Just what the agape feasts or love feasts (see also 2 Pet. 2:13-14) of the earliest Christians were is not entirely clear. The saints have always been commanded to gather together in fellowship, to provide for needy saints, and to take the sacrament. Among the Jews, meals for fellowship and brotherhood were common; the Gentiles also had such gatherings. Fn As both groups became Christian, it was natural for them to continue this practice in what may have been sacrament-type meetings with the addition of fellowship suppers. Jude warns of licentious persons who enter into these member gatherings, outwardly saintly but inwardly rapacious.

 

This warning speaks to us in more than one way. We may not entertain many rapacious people in our gatherings, but we surely face the problems of licentiousness among us, some in our number being seduced in more subtle ways. Because spiritual experience taps our deepest feelings, and because intimacy arises in shared spiritual experience, the distinctions between God’s love and human desire may blur. Satan, the great counterfeiter, deceives many through desire. The Greek word translated lust (epithumia) in the King James Version (see, for example, Jude 1:16) does not mean unlawful sexual desire, but may refer to any strong desire. Therefore, “lusts of the flesh” can refer to a craving for anything that pertains to the mind or the body. Under the adversary’s influence, these cravings can become deeply compelling and begin to feel like real needs. His victims are tossed and driven and chained by desire, and they cannot remember their former spiritual knowledge. Deluded, some may try to give what they call love in order to get love. Jude makes the distinction between carnal and spiritual clear: those who prey on others to satisfy their own emotional or physical desires, even using love to get love, lack godly love and will feel forever hungry. God himself died to break these chains of hell and redeem us from the delusion and the grasp of the “awful monster.” (2 Ne. 9:10.)

 

“Clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.” (Jude 1:12-13.)

 

Second Peter 2:17 calls the apostates “wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest.” Jude seems to recall Peter’s letter from memory, for he has mixed some of Peter’s images, or perhaps he has deliberately modified them for his own purposes. Again Jude apparently alludes to 1 Enoch, where water and clouds and trees and the motions of stars and seas obey God according to divine law and harmony, but blasphemers and harsh speakers of the Lord (cf. Jude 1:15) are out of harmony with eternal law and must perish (1 Enoch 2:1-10; 18:14-16). Jude’s apostates are like nature that operates outside God’s law, representing spiritual barrenness and anarchy.

 

There is really only one law: the law of God. It governs the development to Godhood, preserving and sanctifying all who obey it. Many seek to become a law to themselves, and their private laws do not have power to protect them. “That which is governed by law is also preserved by law . . . [and] that which breaketh a law, and abideth not by law, but seeketh to become a law unto itself . . . cannot be sanctified by law.” (D&C 88:34-35.) Jude urges the saints to find refuge in God’s law and in his love. Lehi exclaims, “But behold, the Lord hath redeemed my soul from hell; I have beheld his glory, and I am encircled about eternally in the arms of his love.” (2 Ne. 1:15.) Within that circle we have abundant inner life—richness of life. Jesus came to make entrance into the circle possible: to connect us with the Father and with his love. Outside the circle, the life we have is described as “nothing” by Nephi: “Wherefore, the Lord God hath given a commandment that all men should have charity, which charity is love. And except they should have charity they were nothing.” (2 Ne. 26:30.) The Savior declared, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10.)

 

“And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints.” (Jude 1:14.)

 

As we have seen, several of Jude’s themes and figures occur in more than one apocryphal book. For example, both the book of Enoch and the Assumption of Moses treat the coming of the Lord in glory, the judgment of the wicked, and similar nature motifs alluding to the wicked. Jude may have had access to both books, but in what forms it is impossible to say. The most that can be safely said is that he shows familiarity with material traditional in his culture. Fn Of course, direct revelation is another significant source. Joseph Smith said that Enoch himself appeared to Jude and thus Jude was able to bear record of the vision of Enoch. Fn Compare Jude’s Enoch prophecy (1:14-16) with Enoch’s vision of the coming of the Lord as contained in the book of Moses:

 

And the Lord said unto Enoch: As I live, even so will I come in the last days, in the days of wickedness and vengeance, to fulfil the oath which I have made unto you. . . . Then shalt thou and all thy city meet them there, and we will receive them into our bosom, and they shall see us; and we will fall upon their necks, and they shall fall upon our necks, and we will kiss each other. . . . And it came to pass that Enoch saw the day of the coming of the Son of Man, in the last days, to dwell on the earth in righteousness for the space of a thousand years; but before that day he saw great tribulations among the wicked; and he also saw the sea, that it was troubled, and men’s hearts failing them, looking forth with fear for the judgments of the Almighty God, which should come upon the wicked. (Moses 7:60, 63, 65-66.)

 

The similarities between the apocryphal book of Enoch and the inspired vision of Enoch are remarkable, as Hugh Nibley has observed. Fn

 

“To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage [Greek for profit or gain].” (Jude 1:15-16.)

 

This verse also recalls a passage in the Assumption of Moses (the parentheses indicate places where the editor has tried to restore missing text): “But really they consume the goods of the (poor) saying their acts are according to justice, (while in fact they are simply) exterminators, deceitfully seeking to conceal themselves so that they will not be known as completely godless because of their criminal deeds (committed) all the day long, saying, ‘We shall have feasts, even luxurious winings and dinings. Indeed, we shall behave ourselves as princes.’ They, with hand and mind, will touch impure things, yet their mouths will speak enormous things, and they will even say, ‘Do not touch me, lest you pollute me in the position I occupy.’” Fn

 

The very presence of these apostates signals the arrival of the “last time.” (Jude 1:18.) This may refer to two periods in history: the termination and apostasy of the early Christian era, and the latter part of our own dispensation prior to the Second Coming. Compare here 2 Peter 2:13 and 18, which treat the same subject in similar vocabulary. Peter also seems to allude to this apocryphal work.

 

The Power of the Love of God

 

“But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.” (Jude 1:20-21.)

 

The earlier verses in Jude have been primarily a warning against and a description of hard-core apostates. No rebuke, no confrontation with them will avail any good thing. But Jude indicates now that to build oneself up in the faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, and keeping oneself in the love of God, especially extending refuge to others, are the most potent armaments in the battle against apostasy.

 

“And of some have compassion, making a difference: and others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.” (Jude 1:22-24.)

 

This passage is difficult in the Greek and may have preserved a scribal error. A more likely translation may be, “Be helpful to the doubting (or hesitating) souls; save some by snatching them from the flames; on others have mercy in fear (be cautious), hating even the garment spotted from the flesh.” Jude calls us to exercise discernment in offering love. We must love like God in order to be preserved and developed by his law. “Except ye have charity ye can in nowise be saved.” (Moro. 10:21.) Through our personal gift of the Holy Ghost, we receive that divine element known as God’s love. The use of this love prevents as well as covers a multitude of sins because of the power and insight God’s love imparts. (JST, 1 Pet. 4:8.) God’s love is not based on feeling, but transcends human emotion and is extended by true saints to all. It is based on godly perception and the intent to nurture spiritual growth; it embraces reverence for human agency.

 

What then is the nature of the battle? It is to cut through the delusions of our own power and submit to God’s power and will. We may learn what love is not. It is a delusion to think that we can fix up or save another. If we try to change another, seeking to shape too specifically what we feel that person ought to be, say, give, or do, our help may really be interference. The more anxious, the more militant we are, the more we may turn away those who need our love. We want to attract others to the gospel. Those who practice kindness and tolerance draw others to the Lord. Through them, godly love flows as a spiritual gift. Such persons, revering agency, avoid feeling responsible for, or too anxious about, others’ choices or behavior, no matter how closely related they may be. We learn to leave to God’s tender care those whom we cannot influence. The prophet Jacob feared that his overanxiety for his charges would shake his firmness in the Spirit. (Jacob 4:18; cf. Alma 29:3-4, 7-8.) We can do God’s work effectively only by doing it his way.

 

The Lord instructs those who would embark on soul-saving: “Faith, hope, charity and love, with an eye single to the glory of God, qualify him for the work. Remember faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, godliness, charity, humility, diligence.” Then the Lord, acknowledging that we might feel deficient in a number of these qualities, adds, “Ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” (D&C 4:5-7; emphasis added.)

 

George F. Richards, president of the Council of the Twelve, related a unique experience with the love of God:

 

More than 40 years ago I had a dream which I am sure was from the Lord. In this dream I was in the presence of my Savior as he stood mid-air. He spoke no word to me, but my love for him was such that I have not words to explain. I know no mortal man can love the Lord as I experienced that love for the Savior unless God reveals it to him. I would have remained in his presence, but there was a power drawing me away from him.

 

As a result of that dream, I had this feeling that no matter what might be required at my hands, what the gospel might entail unto me, I would do what I should be asked to do even to the laying down of my life. . . .

 

If only I can be with my Savior and have that same sense of love that I had in that dream, it will be the goal of my existence, the desire of my life. Fn

 

“Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.” (Jude 1:24-25.)

 

Observe the parallels in the foregoing verse with this verse from Enoch’s vision: “I am Messiah, the King of Zion, the Rock of Heaven, which is broad as eternity; whoso cometh in at the gate and climbeth up by me shall never fall; wherefore, blessed are they of whom I have spoken, for they shall come forth with songs of everlasting joy.” (Moses 7:53.) Jude and Enoch have foreseen that a day when the soul devoted to the study and dissemination of God’s love will be crowned with that final perfection which so eludes us in this life. (See Moro. 10:32-33.)

 

Jude’s instruction to the early church and also to us is essentially this: (1) Let each saint beware, for in the battle for souls, even the very elect can fall; (2) let each seek refuge in the Spirit and love of God, ever refining himself; (3) let each get involved in providing loving refuge for others. Jude reminds us of our agency as well as our power to wield God’s love. In this dispensation it is our great opportunity to assist in the preparations for the Second Coming of our Savior. As world conditions worsen and more refugees flee from the lusts of the flesh, the saints must provide the refuge.

 

Notes

 

Catherine Thomas is an instructor in ancient scripture and a doctoral candidate in ancient history at Brigham Young University.

 

Footnotes

 

24      Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 3:20.

 

2. Richard Lloyd Anderson, “Jude and His Letter,” Guide to Acts and the Apostles’ Letters (Provo: BYU Press, 1983), p. 115.

 

3. James H. Charlesworth, The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, vol. 1 (Garden City, New York: Doubleday, 1983).

 

4. Bruce R. McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3 vols. (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1965-73), 3:423.

 

5. H. C. Thiessen, Introduction to the New Testament (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans, 1971), p. 294.

 

6. R. H. Charles, Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament, vol. 2 (London: Oxford University Press, 1913), p. 408.

 

7. J. D. Douglas, ed., The New Bible Dictionary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans, 1965), p. 712.

 

24      Charlesworth, The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha, p. 924.

 

24      Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, comp. Joseph Fielding Smith (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1976), p. 170.

 

24      Hugh Nibley, Enoch the Prophet (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1986).

 

11. Charlesworth, “Testament of Moses,” 7:1-10, vol. 1, p. 930.

 

12. As related by President Spencer W. Kimball, in Ensign, May 1974, p. 119.

 

 

(Robert L. Millet, ed., Studies in Scripture, Vol. 6: Acts to Revelation [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1987], 244.)

 

 

This outline is found on Bruce’s website in his New Testament class notes with corresponding pictures.

 

The Revelation of St. John

      While exiled on the isle of Patmos, John received a revelation from God concerning the Church in his day and the future of the Church in the last days. When he recorded the revelation, he used Moses’ Tabernacle as the stage and backdrop. The revelation can be viewed as a play in seven acts with each act having seven scenes. Each act begins with a description of the stage setting from Moses’ Tabernacle. The following is an outline of John’s Revelation that views the revelation as a play on the stage of the Tabernacle.

Introduction and salutation to the seven churches, 1:1-8

ACT 1: The Church in John’s Day, 1:9 – 3:22
        Setting : The high-priest standing in the midst of the seven-branched hundering (menorah), 1:9-20. (The hundering represents the seven churches in John’s day and the high priest represents Christ.)

    Scene 1: The faithful but passionless church (Ephesus), 2:1-7.
    Scene 2: The persecuted church (Smyrna), 2:8-11.
    Scene 3: The tolerant-of-pagan worship church (Pergamos), 2:12-17.
    Scene 4: The compromising-with-worldly-ways church (Thyatira), 2:18-29.
    Scene 5: The spiritually dead church (Sardis), 3:1-6.
    Scene 6: The spiritually alive church (Philadelphia), 3:7-13.
    Scene 7: The lukewarm church (Laodicea), 3:14-22.

ACT 2: Earth During Its Seven Thousand Years of Existence, 4:1 – 8:1
        Setting: The throne of God (Ark of the Covenant), 4:1-8; the twenty four elders (faithful elders from the seven churches who were now in their celestial state – the elders sit in choir seats extending from the holy of holies, twelve on each side, typical of a Greek play) 4:4,10,11; the sea of glass or laver (the earth in its future sanctified and immortal state), 4:6; the four beasts (cherubim), 4:6-9; the book with seven seals (the book that answers how the earth became celestialized), 5:1; a Lamb as it had been slain (Christ), 5:6; the altar of sacrifice, 6:9; the altar of incense (prayer), 5:8. (The setting of this act is the earth’s future celestial state. Act 1 revealed a church and world in trouble. The setting of Act 2 raises the question of how the world was saved and celestialized when it had been in so much trouble?” The answer is found in the book sealed with seven seals!)

    Scene 1: The white horse (the first thousand years), 6:1-2.
    Scene 2: The red horse (the second thousand years), 6:3-4.
    Scene 3: The black horse (the third thousand years), 6:5-6.
    Scene 4: The yellow horse (the fourth thousand years), 6: 7-8.
    Scene 5: The prayers of the early Christian martyrs (the fifth thousand years), 6:9-11.
    Scene 6: Catastrophic events associated with last days before Christ’s second coming (the wicked are being  destroyed), 6:12-17. A brief intermission of hope (the restoration of the gospel with its power to save the righteous from a world doomed to destruction), 7:1-17.
     Scene 7: Silence in heaven at the beginning of the seventh thousand years (the silence before the final storm), 8:1.

ACT 3: Judgments Against the Wicked in the Beginning of the 7th Seal, 8:2 – 11:18
        Setting: The altar of incense before the veil of the Tabernacle; seven angels sound seven trumpets that bring destruction, 8 2-6. (These judgments are designed to humble mankind and cause them to return to God – one last final chance!.)

Note: the first four judgments are directed towards nature (but nature also effects man!), destroying only a third part – meaning the judgments are partial and incomplete! The last three are against man himself.

    Scene 1: Hail and fire burn a third of the grass, 8:7.
    Scene 2: A burning mountain falls into the sea and a third becomes blood, 8:8-9.
    Scene 3: A star falls on rivers and springs causing them to become bitter, 8:10-11.
    Scene 4: Heavenly bodies become darkened and an angel announces three woes against mankind, 8:12-13.
    Scene 5: (Woe 1) Locusts crawl out of the pit of the abyss and destroy only the wicked (the great and abominable church begins to destroy itself – cf. 1 Nephi 22:13-14), 9:1-12.
    Scene 6: (Woe 2) The four angels (cf. Rev. 7:1) are released and destroy a third part of men; however, even after all these destructions, mankind does not repent and turn to God, 9:13-21. John is told of his commission, 10:1-11. Jerusalem sieged and two prophets are slain, 11:1-14.
    Scene 7: (Woe 3) The 24 elders announce that the kingdoms of the world are now to become the kingdoms of the Lord – the end is near! – 11:15-18.

ACT 4: Judgments Pronounced Against the Church of the Devil and Salvation for the Church of the Lamb, 11:19 – 15:4.
        Setting: The ark of the covenant (throne of God) is exposed and hundering, hundering, and earthquakes (judgments of God) are heard, 11:19. (The Lord is about to pronounce judgment upon the church of the devil and save the church of the Lamb.)

    Scene 1: The woman (church of the Lamb) and the Dragon (the devil) at war, ch. 12.
    Scene 2: The beast rising from the sea (an earthly political power used by the devil), 13:1-10.
    Scene 3: The beast rising from the land (an anti-Christ influence used by the devil), 13:11-18.
    Scene 4: The Lamb with his 144,000 (an immense priesthood influence), 14:1-15.
    Scene 5: Salvation is preached to all those who will not worship the beasts destruction is pronounced upon Babylon (the church of the devil), 14:6-13.
    Scene 6: The son of man reaps the harvest of his gospel, 14:14-20.
    Scene 7: Those saved from the beast praise God, 15:1-4.

ACT 5: Judgments of God Rendered Against the Wicked, 15:5 – 16:21.
        Setting: The Tabernacle is opened and out come seven angels having seven plagues. One of the four beasts gives the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, 15:5-8. (The judgments rendered upon the world at the beginning of the seventh seal, recorded in Act 3, failed to cause the world to repent. So now the Lord sends his final judgments upon the world to destroy the wicked. Also, unlike the judgments rendered at the beginning of the seventh seal which only hurt a third, these judgments destroy all that is wicked.)

    Scene 1: Plague of grievous sores upon those which worshiped the beast, 16:2.
    Scene 2: Plague which turns sea into blood killing everything therein, 16:3.
    Scene 3: Plague which turns rivers into blood, 16:4-7.
    Scene 4: Plague which causes the sun to scorch the earth with great heat, 16:8-9.
    Scene 5: Plague of darkness and sore pain upon the throne of the beast, 16:10-11.
    Scene 6: Plague upon the Euphrates drying it up and thus opening the way for the armies to descend upon Jerusalem in the battle that is called Armageddon – a battle in which many of the wicked are killed, 16:12-16.
    Scene 7: Plague upon the air – unlike the other plagues which were upon the earth, the final plague is upon the air effecting the whole earth through the all-encompassing atmosphere, 16:17-21. The time for God’s final triumph over the wicked has finally arrived!

ACT 6: Judgment of God Rendered Against the Church of the Devil, 17:1 – 20:3
        Setting: Angel comes from the Tabernacle and talks to John, 17:1-2.

    Scene 1: The woman on the scarlet beast (a portrayal of the church of the devil), 17:3-5.
    Scene 2: The woman and beast (church of the devil) established throughout the world; fight against the Lamb; John is promised that she shall be overcome, 17:6-18.
    Scene 3: Babylon falls, 18:1-24.
    Scene 4: A heavenly oratorio of victory and praise, 19:1-10.
    Scene 5: Christ returns, 19:11-18.
    Scene 6: The beasts (great and abominable church) is destroyed, 19:19-21.
    Scene 7: The final end of Satan and his kingdom, 20:1-10.

ACT 7: The Final Judgment and the Church in the Millennium, 20:11 – 22:5.
        Setting: The throne of God (ark of the covenant), 20:11.

    Scene 1: The final judgment of all mankind, 20:12-15.
    Scene 2: The new heaven and the new earth (the earth in its millennial and celestial state), 21:1-8.
    Scene 3: The Jerusalem of the millennial age, 21:9-21.
    Scene 4: The temple of the millennial Jerusalem, 21:22.
    Scene 5: The illumination of the millennial Jerusalem, 21:23-27.
    Scene 6: The water of life gives life to the millennial Jerusalem, 22:1-5.
    Scene 7: The closing scene: A testimony of the truth of the things portrayed in this vision is given to John, 22:6-21.

The Book of Revelation was written by John to the 7 churches in Asia Minor from the Isle of Patmos where as the only apostle left on earth he directed the affairs of the church.  This is a very positive book, this isn’t a doom and gloom book.

Jerusalem has been destroyed by the Romans.

Right now in John’s day and in ours it looks like Satan is winning, but Christ will be triumphant in the end and wickedness will be destroyed.  It reminds one of a BYU football game, doom and gloom then they (sometimes) pull it out in the end.

When John has this revelation things are bleak in the church, many saints are persecuted and die for their faith.  An example is Polycarp, the Bishop in Smyrna in the 2nd Century, he is burned for refusing to deny Christianity, it is better to burn for 1 hour then to burn for eternity!

Those who are called to serve the Good Shepherd may have to walk the path of suffering with Him. Some in their callings as undershepherds will work with those who are reaping the consequences of sinful actions or experiencing other severe challenges in life. As shepherds strive to help and strengthen their brothers and sisters, their feelings of empathy and sorrow should reflect a Christlike suffering for such tribulations.

 

Others will be required to walk a more personal path of suffering. Such a one was Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna, a city on the Western coast of Asia Minor. Polycarp was martyred in a.d.156 for his belief in Christ.

 

Unwilling to bow to Caesar and to worship him, the aged bishop was brought into the stadium to be tried by the Roman Proconsul in the presence of a mob of “lawless heathen.” Polycarp was ready for his ordeal. He knew he would be martyred, having said to his companions a few days before his arrest, “I must needs be burned alive.” As he was entering the stadium there came to Polycarp a voice as it were from heaven: “Be strong, Polycarp, and play the man.”

 

“Curse the Christ,” the Proconsul ordered. The reply was simple: “Eighty and six years have I served him, and he hath done me no wrong; how then can I blaspheme my king who saved me?”

 

The Proconsul persisted: “I have wild beasts; if thou repent not, I will throw thee to them.” Boldly Polycarp replied, “Send for them. For repentance from better to worse is not a change permitted to us; but to change from cruelty to righteousness is a noble thing.”

 

Again the Proconsul spoke: “If thou dost despise the wild beasts I will make thee to be consumed by fire, if thou repent not.” Courageous Polycarp answered: “Thou threatenest the fire that burns for an hour and in a little while is quenched; for thou knowest not of the fire of the judgement to come, and the fire of the eternal punishment, reserved for the ungodly. But why delayest thou? Bring what thou wilt.”

 

“Polycarp hath confessed himself to be a Christian,” proclaimed the Proconsul’s messenger to the assembled multitude. “Burn him alive,” they raged. Timber and faggots were brought, and Polycarp was submitted to the flames. (See Martyrium Polycarpi, a letter from the Church in Smyrna, in Documents of the Christian Church, 2nd edition, edited by Henry Bettenson [Oxford University Press, 1986], pp. 9-12.)

 

(Alexander B. Morrison, Feed My Sheep: Leadership Ideas for Latter-day Shepherds [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1992], 164.)

What John saw and wrote appears to be different. 

Exodus 25-40 – description of the portable tabernacle, the moveable tent, the temple of God

(Doctrine and Covenants 77:2.) – John is writing figurative expressions to explain what he saw.  The early church understood Ezekiel and understood John’s writing.  Ezekiel describes Solomon’s temple and has a vision of the destruction of Jerusalem and to the Millennium.

 

2 Q. What are we to understand by the four beasts, spoken of in the same verse?

 

They are figurative expressions, used by the Revelator, John, in describing heaven, the paradise of God, the happiness of man, and of beasts, and of creeping things, and of the fowls of the air; that which is spiritual being in the likeness of that which is temporal; and that which is temporal in the likeness of that which is spiritual; the spirit of man in the likeness of his person, as also the spirit of the beast, and every other creature which God has created.

 

4 Reasons why John wrote the way he did:

1.        He saw the destruction of Rome and since he was already banished he had to disguise the content

2.       John used symbols that were familiar to the people from the Old Testament.

3.       John was writing like a parable

4.       John seems to be writing this like a Greek play, doom and gloom, but in the end the good guy wins.  The backdrop and setting is Moses tabernacle.  7 Acts and 7 scenes per Act.

1 Nephi 11-14 – Nephi’s vision that interpreted Lehi’s dream went through the vision John saw.

1 Nephi 11:36 – Nephi foresaw the fall of the great and spacious building

1 Nephi 12 – Promised land of the Nephites

1 Nephi 13 – Land of promise and restoration

1 Nephi 14:10, 13 – Church on earth and church of the devil, the fight against the 2 churches.

1 Nephi 14:14 – Nephi sees the power of God

1 Nephi 14:20-24 – Reference to John seeing the same vision, the early church understood the Book of Revelation.

The Book of Revelation has things that Nephi saw and wrote about and parts he did not see or write about, there were also parts he saw but could not write, they were left for John to write.  Nephi takes us to our day and a little beyond, but John will continue on through the Millennium to the Celestial kingdom.  John was ordained to write this, but in figurative language.

Mormon was told to write the lesser part also.

Exodus 25 – Ohel Moed – Tent of Feasts, or meeting or reunion.  You are meeting with someone

(Exodus 25:10, 17) – The Ark of the Covenant was a box with a covered lid, there isn’t a word in Hebrew for “mercy seat”.  Also, look at the footnote for verse 17, atonement = cover

10 ¶ And they shall make an ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.

17 And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof.

Mercy Seat. The golden lid of the ark of the covenant. The name comes from the Hebrew kapporeth, which in turn comes from the root kaphar, meaning to cover, expiate, make an atonement, cleanse, forgive, or be merciful.

(Joseph Fielding McConkie, Gospel Symbolism [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1999], 266.)

The Veil

 

A thick curtain separated the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies within the tabernacle (Exodus 26:33). The veil was made of fine linen, as were the gate to the court and the door to the tabernacle, and like them it was beautifully embroidered in blue, purple, and scarlet. It differed from the other entrances because it bore figures of cherubim or the angels of God (Exodus 26:31). Like the dark cloud that rested on the top of Sinai (Exodus 20:19), the veil separated the officiating priest who burned the daily incense and ministered in other ways in the Holy Place from the immediate presence of God (Exodus 40:26; Leviticus 4:6). Aaron was allowed to enter the Holy of Holies only on the Day of Atonement and only with the blood of the atonement in the offering bowl and surrounded by a cloud of incense that arose from the censer. The blood was to be sprinkled on the mercy seat. (Leviticus 16:12-15.) During the migrations of Israel the veil was used to cover the ark of the covenant (Numbers 4:5). At the time of Christ’s death the veil of Herod’s temple was rent from top to bottom, exposing the Most Holy Place to open view (Matthew 27:51).

 

Paul identified the veil as a symbol of the flesh of Christ (Hebrews 10:20). It was the rending of the veil, or Christ’s death, that enabled all by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel to enter into the divine presence. This symbolized the end of the old covenant of death and announced the new covenant wherein all may receive the “fulness of his glory” (D&C 84:24). The Mosaic dispensation had now ended; the new and everlasting covenant had been reestablished. With the rending of the veil, all exclusive privileges associated with the law of Moses were abolished, distinctions in the flesh were at an end, the carnal law was suspended, and the higher law returned—all was accomplished because of the atoning sacrifice of him of whom the veil was a type. The same hand that rent the beautiful fabric which hitherto had concealed the holiest of all had now opened the graves to a glorious resurrection for that “innumerable company of the spirits of the just, who had been faithful in the testimony of Jesus while they lived in mortality” that they, like the righteous of all future generations, might enter the presence of their divine Father (D&C 138:12).

 

The Ark of the Covenant

 

The Holy of Holies contained the ark of the covenant, so. Named because it housed the tablets from Sinai upon which God’s covenant with Israel was written. The ark was an oblong chest made of acacia or shittim wood overlaid both inside and out with pure gold. It was two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high. A pure gold lid covered the chest, at each end of which stood a golden cherub. The lid was known as the mercy seat, and was the place of the manifestation of God’s glory and his meeting place with his people. (Exodus 25:10-22.) On the Day of Atonement the blood of the sin offering was sprinkled on the mercy seat by the high priest (Leviticus 16:14-15).

 

The ark was the symbol of the presence of the Lord. It was the place of revelation (Leviticus 16:2; Numbers 7:89). As Israel is always to be led by the Lord and by the word of his mouth, so the ark of the covenant was to go before them as they journeyed to their land of promise. This taught the necessity of Israel in all ages following the path marked by the Lord and giving heed to his voice. The wood from which the ark was made and the gold with which it was overlaid typified, again, the twofold nature of Christ, he being both human and divine.

 

 

(Joseph Fielding McConkie, Gospel Symbolism [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1999], 109.)

Cherub is a multi composite creature that is a symbol of guardianship; they are not to be worshipped. The Sphinx in Egypt is a cherub for the Pharaohs tombs.  Cherubs were found surrounding the Ark of the Covenant and were drawn on the veil of the tabernacle before entering in the Holy of Holies, Exodus 25:18, 20.  See website for pictures.

(Doctrine and Covenants 76:92-93.) – The seat represents the throne of God, where all bow in humble reverence

 

92 And thus we saw the glory of the celestial, which excels in all things—where God, even the Father, reigns upon his throne forever and ever;

 

93 Before whose throne all things bow in humble reverence, and give him glory forever and ever.

 

The tabernacle setting was very important to John; the entire book revolves around Moses tabernacle.

 

 

http://emp.byui.edu/SATTERFIELDB/Tabernacle/Floorplan.jpg

 

Altar of Incense – represents prayer, our prayers are always answered

 

Menorah or Lamp stand – light, all branches come to a center point (Christ)

 

 

Eastward Orientation

 

Spatial orientation played a vital role in the architectural setting of ancient Near Eastern temples. Fn So too, the Mosaic tabernacle and the temples of Jerusalem were directionally situated so that the entrance of the tabernacle or temple faced eastward. The Garden of Eden, possessing a number of temple like qualities, produced the prototypical pattern for subsequent Israelite temple orientation. Fn East appears to be the direction of import in Eden. Three biblical statements reveal a concern for orientation in Eden: fn

 

The fact that God planted the garden in the east section of Eden (see Genesis 2:8) suggests a primacy for the direction. Although the purpose for this location in Eden is not explicitly stated, it is generally accepted by scholars that east, possessing a number of symbolic meanings, is the sacred direction in Israelite religion.

 

(2) The second designation of “east” in the garden hunderin is mentioned in connection with the four rivers of Eden. It is likely that the four rivers of Eden (see Genesis 2:10-14) fn flowed outward from Eden toward the four cardinal directions—north, east, south, and west. Eden is depicted as being established at the center of the four rivers, perhaps providing the water source for the four rivers. The etymological meaning of the word templum (English “temple”) fn has a direct connection with the four cardinal directions, a concept that has been well established by a number of authors. Fn Of special note in the narrative description of the rivers is that all four rivers are mentioned by name—Pison, Gihon, Hiddekel, Euphrates—but only one of the four directions is mentioned by name. River number three flowed eastward, writes the author of Genesis. The directional flow of the other three rivers is unknown.

 

(3) Once more east takes a prominent position in the garden story. After Adam and Eve were expelled from the garden, God placed cherubim and a flaming sword at “the east of the garden of Eden” (Genesis 3:24; Alma 12:21) to prevent the fallen couple from an unauthorized return to the garden. This celestial blockade suggests that there existed an entrance to the garden established at the e     ast end of the garden. If no such entrance existed, then why would a blockade be necessary? Or, if other entrances were found to the garden, then why did God not establish cherubim and swords at other locations around the garden? Once more the eastward orientation of the Garden of Eden parallels the eastward orientation of the Mosaic tabernacle and Jerusalem temples, having entrances at the east.

 

 

(Donald W. Parry, ed., Temples of the Ancient World: Ritual and Symbolism [Salt Lake City and Provo: Deseret Book Co., Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1994], 132.)

 

 

(Ezekiel 1:1-5.) – The word of the Lord comes to Ezekiel who has been in captivity in Babylon for 5 years.  He is shown the ark, the Lord comes from the north, and the 4 creatures like man are figurative, showing God in all His omniscient (eyes), omnipresent (wings), and omnipotent (power).  This description is important to John, his Ark is like Ezekiel’s.

 

1 Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.

 

2 In the fifth day of the month, which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin’s captivity,

 

3 The word of the LORD came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the LORD was there upon him.

 

4 ¶ And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire.

 

5 Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man.

 

 

The early Christians had both descriptions of the Ark from Exodus and Ezekiel.

 

Choir was important in a Greek play and it is important to John, the choir is sitting on the Ark with God.

 

Insights from the Joseph Smith Translation into the Book of Revelation

 

As noted in the previous chapter, the book of Revelation is one of the most intriguing and controversial books in the biblical library. Most scholars agree that it is one of the most difficult books in either the Old or New Testaments.1 Typically, modern readers, including Latter-day Saints, find its imagery strange, its prophecies filled with bizarre and baffling imagery, its message unclear. Not surprisingly, therefore, it is largely left alone and unread.

 

As mentioned before, the title of the book in Greek is Apocalypsis, from which we get its other common name, the Apocalypse. Apocalypsis is formed from two Greek words—apo, a preposition meaning separated or removed from, and kalypto, a verb meaning to cover, hide or conceal.2 Apocalypsis literally means to remove or to take away the covering or veil.3 Hence its title in English, the book of Revelation (or the uncovering or unveiling).

 

Some would say that without question that title is one of the most ironic or misleading titles in the whole of scripture. There is no book, they say, that is more veiled or unrevealing than this one.

 

One of the Plainest Books

 

 Even some Latter-day Saints find it difficult to believe that the book reveals or uncovers much truth. But the Prophet Joseph Smith, in a sermon delivered in 1843, stated that "the book of Revelation is one of the plainest books God ever caused to be written."4 And his work on the new translation of the Bible bears that out. If the book is obscure and mystifying because of a great loss of original material, the Prophet did not see fit to restore the lost material. While admittedly this is an argument from silence, it is interesting to compare his work on Revelation with his work on some other books thought to be more plain and clearly understood.

 

For example, the Gospel of Matthew is not generally considered to be a mysterious or difficult book. Yet in his work on that book, the Prophet made changes in 618 of the 1,071 verses in Matthew, or 58 percent of the total. In addition to the changes, he added the equivalent of 51 verses of totally new material, which is an expansion of another 5 percent of the total text.5 Compare these changes with the book of Revelation, where he added only three new verses (JST Rev. 1:7;  2:27;  12:7) and made changes in only 90 of the 394 verses, or 23 percent of the total.6 In the book of Genesis, as another comparison, the Prophet changed about half the verses and added the equivalent of about 250 new verses, literally pages and pages of new material.7 Yet the book of Revelation gets only three new verses and relatively few other changes.

 

Some might think those figures could be the result of the fact that the Prophet worked through the Bible sequentially. Since the book of Revelation is last, it received the least amount of work and therefore reflects the smallest number of changes. Again the evidence does not substantiate this.

 

As Robert J. Matthews notes, while the Prophet did not generally indicate which portion of the scriptures he was working on at various times, nor how long he spent on any one book, we do have some solid evidence that "in the work of revision the Prophet was moving back and forth in the New Testament rather than working continuously through the Bible in a consecutive order."8 We find this entry in the Prophet's history: "Upon my return from Amherst conference, I resumed the translation of the Scriptures. . . . Accordingly, on the 16th of February, 1832, while translating St. John's Gospel, myself and Elder Rigdon saw the following vision."9 Then followed D&C 76. On 1 March 1832 we find this entry: "About the first of March, in connection with the translation of the Scriptures, I received the following explanation of the Revelation of St. John."10 D&C 77 follows. As Matthews concludes, "It is unlikely that the work would have progressed consecutively in the short span of two weeks from Chapter 5 of John to the Book of Revelation. A more plausible conclusion suggests that the brethren were not following the New Testament consecutively."11

 

The Book of Revelation: Meant to Be Understood

 

 We are left with the clear conclusion that John's Revelation was meant to be understood when it was first written, and was meant to be understood today. The Prophet said it was one of the plainest of books, and so it should be. Elder Bruce R. McConkie in response to the question, "Are we expected to understand the book of Revelation?" answered:

 

"Certainly. Why else did the Lord reveal it? The common notion that it deals with beasts and plagues and mysterious symbolisms that cannot be understood is just not true. It is so far overstated that it gives an entirely erroneous feeling about this portion of revealed truth. Most of the book—and it is no problem to count the verses so included—is clear and plain and should be understood by the Lord's people. . . .

 

". . . He [the Lord] has withheld the sealed portion of the Book of Mormon from us because it is beyond our present ability to comprehend. We have not made that spiritual progression which qualifies us to understand its doctrines. But he has not withheld the book of Revelation, because it is not beyond our capacity to comprehend; if we apply ourselves with full purpose of heart, we can catch the vision of what the ancient Revelator recorded."12

 

The World's Confusion

 

All of this is not meant to imply that the book of Revelation is simple or easily understood. In the quote above, where he talked about it being understandable, Elder McConkie added the qualifying phrase, "If we apply ourselves with full purpose of heart." He went on in the same article to say, "The language and imagery [of the book of Revelation] is so chosen as to appeal to the maturing gospel scholar, to those who already love the Lord and have some knowledge of his goodness and grace."13

 

An understanding of the book comes only when a price is paid in study, pondering and general gospel knowledge. But that alone is not enough. Bible scholars pay the price in terms of time and effort. They study the culture and background. They pore over the original Greek, looking for every nuance and clue. They know the emperors and the historical milieu in which John wrote. They know all of that, and yet there is still no consensus as to what is truly revealed by John.

 

 To illustrate the confusion and babble of interpretive voices, let us just take one example of the world's attempt to explain a highly symbolical passage found in chapter 9 of Revelation. Under the sounding of the fifth trumpet, John saw a "star fall from heaven" and open the "bottomless pit" (Rev. 9:1-2). Out of the pit came a vast cloud of locusts which John says were commanded "that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months" (Rev. 9:3-5).

 

Note just a sampling of the scholars' attempts to explain what John saw. Adam Clarke, in the first half of the nineteenth century, wrote:

 

"Locusts] Vast hordes of military troops: the description which follows certainly agrees better with the Saracens than with any other people or nation, but may also apply to the Romans.

 

"As the scorpions of the earth have power] Namely, to hurt men by stinging them. Scorpions may signify archers; and hence the description has been applied to Cestius Gallus, the Roman general, who had many archers in his army. . . .

 

"That they should be tormented five months] Some take these months literally, and apply them to the conduct of the Zealots. . . . Others consider the months as being prophetical months, each day being reckoned for a year; therefore this period must amount to one hundred and fifty years."14

 

Dummelow, another nineteenth-century scholar, did not believe they were men at all. He says, "from the smoke issue evil spirits with the appearance of locusts. They are not to hurt green things, for they are not really locusts."15 Merrill C. Tenney cites Mauro, who concludes that since trees are used elsewhere as symbols for human greatness or people of eminence (e.g., see Jer. 7:20; Ezek. 31:3), the "grass of the earth" (Rev. 9:4) would be the masses of common people.16 Clearly nervous about that interpretation, Tenney finally only ventures that the locusts "are really an invasion from another world of malicious embodied spirits whose mission is destruction."17

 

One of the more creative attempts to explain the symbolism is by H. M. S. Richards, Jr., who equates Mohammed, founder of the Islamic faith, to the star that fell from heaven, and the bottomless pit to "the waste of the Arabian desert."18 He then goes on to explain the symbolism of the locusts:

 

"I have a copy here of the military command given to this great cavalry army by Abu-bekr, their commander, in a.d. 632, when they were on the verge of entering upon their invasions of Syria. He dispatched a circular letter to the Arabian tribes which reads as follows: 'When you fight the battles of the Lord . . . destroy no palm-trees, nor burn any fields of corn. Cut down no fruit-trees.'"19

 

These are the acknowledged experts in the New Testament, and yet they still cannot come to a consensus of opinion. But, one asks, doesn't this very confusion disprove your statement that the book of Revelation was meant to be understood? No. What we are saying is that to the world it is a confusing book and that study alone is not enough to open its mysteries to our view.

 

 The Instrumentality of Joseph Smith

 

It was Peter who said that "no prophecy of the scriptures is given of any private will of man. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man. But holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost" (JST 2 Pet. 1:20-21; emphasis added).

 

It is through the instrumentality of a prophet, the Prophet Joseph Smith, that the correct interpretation of John's vision is to be had. Without it, it is indeed a book covered by a veil, hidden from our view. But with what the Prophet has revealed it becomes understandable. It fulfills and justifies its title as a book of revelation.

 

The Prophet gave us access to the mysteries of Revelation through four major means:

 

1. Latter-day scripture.

 

2. Non-scriptural sermons and writings.

 

3. D&C 77.

 

4. Joseph Smith Translation revisions of the text of Revelation.

 

Since the focus of this chapter is the contributions of the JST to our understanding of the book of Revelation, we shall skip over the first two quickly, giving only an example or two of each.

 

One example of a contribution from latter-day scripture is found in D&C 130:7-11. There the Prophet explained the meaning of two important symbols used by John, namely the sea of glass before the throne of God (see Rev. 4:6) and the white stone given to the faithful (see Rev. 2:17). Another is found in Moses 4:1-4 and D&C 76:25-30, which give more information about the war in heaven, which John barely mentions (see Rev. 12:7).

 

One example of the Prophet's contribution through his nonscriptural sermons or writings is where he said that John "saw the same things concerning the last days, which Enoch saw."20 That is a significant clue to help us as we interpret Revelation. Another example is a lengthy sermon given in Nauvoo on 8 April 1843.21 The whole sermon is an exposition of John's revelation. In a few instances, the Prophet verbally corrected passages in the New Testament, but for one reason or another those changes never made it into the Joseph Smith Translation.22 Two such changes involved verses in the book of Revelation.23

 

 Section 77: The Key to Understanding Revelation

 

 The third area of contribution in which the Prophet Joseph added to our understanding of the book of Revelation is D&C 77 of the Doctrine and Covenants. In his journal, the Prophet noted, "About the first of March, in connection with the translation of the Scriptures, I received the following on the Revelation of St. John:"24 D&C 77 was then given.

 

Though not actually part of the JST text, D&C 77 was given as part of the translation process and therefore must be considered as part of the Joseph Smith Translation contributions. And though not part of the actual text, D&C 77 certainly ranks as one of the most important, if not the most important, contributions of the Prophet in aiding our interpretation of the book of Revelation.

 

 D&C 77 contains fifteen questions and answers about the text of the book of Revelation, though the Prophet gives no indication whether the questions were his or were part of the revelation. Fifteen questions seems at first to be a woefully inadequate amount when one considers the number of questions raised as the text is read. Nevertheless, a careful study of D&C 77 shows that these fifteen questions do indeed provide the key so we can enter into the "house" of Revelation and begin to explore. Smith and Sjodahl, expanding upon the analogy of the key, say:

 

"But this Revelation [section 77] is not a complete interpretation of the book. It is a key. A key is a very small part of the house. It unlocks the door through which an entrance may be gained, but after the key has been turned, the searcher for treasure must find it for himself. . . . From the key thus given, from the Old Testament prophecies, and from history, ecclesiastical and political, it should be possible to interpret the rest. As Champollion, by the key furnished in the brief text on the Rosetta stone, was able to open the secrets of Egyptian hieroglyphics, so the Bible student should be able to read the Apocalypse with a better understanding of it, by the aid of this key."25

 

The key lies in the fifteen questions asked and answered in the section.

 

The Textual Changes

 

 The final contribution of the Prophet to our understanding of the Apocalypse is in the actual work he did on the text of Revelation as part of his inspired translation of the Bible. As was noted earlier, he deleted from, added to, or changed a total of ninety verses. Obviously, not every one of those changes is of equal significance. The committee that worked on the LDS edition of the King James Version included changes for only forty-seven of the ninety verses, or just slightly better than half of the total changes. Taking that as some indication of the number of significant changes, we could say that the Prophet significantly altered only 12 percent of the total verses. Twelve percent is not a staggering proportion, but that percentage does not convey the importance of the contribution made by the Prophet's work on the text of the Apocalypse. Much in the same way as D&C 77, the verses so changed often become a key to opening our understanding to a passage or even sometimes to a whole concept taught by John.

 

Now that we have briefly discussed the four areas of contribution made by the Prophet, we shall begin an analysis of the Revelation of John to see how the Prophet has opened this book to our understanding. Since our focus in this chapter is primarily on the contribution of the JST to our understanding of Revelation, we shall focus on the contributions of D&C 77 and the actual textual changes of the JST, though where appropriate we may note contributions from latter-day scripture or the Prophet's other writings. Space allows discussion of only the most significant of the contributions from all four areas.

 

The Vision Opens: Chapter 1

 

 John says it was on Patmos, on a Sunday, that he received the grand and glorious visions recorded in Revelation (vv. 9-10). Chapter 1 provides the prologue to all that follows, and interestingly enough the Prophet made more changes in this opening chapter than in any other chapter except chapter 12. From those changes we learn the following:

 

1. The Revelation is of John. It is his testimony and witness that is being recorded (see JST Rev. 1:1,  2,  4,  5). This in no way lessens the fact that the source of the vision and inspiration is divine, but the KJV suggests that the revelation is from God to Jesus Christ (see v. 1). The JST clearly identifies it as being given to John, a servant of God, from Jesus Christ. Why is this significant? It is another example of how the Savior views his prophets and apostles. They are his servants and he honors them for their faithfulness.

 

2. The KJV indicates that the revelation was given because "the time is at hand" (v. 3). The JST clarifies what time is meant when it says, "for the time of the coming of the Lord draweth nigh" (JST v. 3).

 

 3. In several places in the opening chapters, reference is made to "seven Spirits" (Rev. 1:4;  3:1;  4:5) and seven angels or "angels of the seven churches," each of which is then identified with a particular group of Saints (see Rev. 1:20Rev. 1:20;  2:1,  8,  12,  18;  3:1). As is, this makes it sound as though the seven spirits and the seven angels are different things. But the Prophet changed or explained all references to the seven spirits and the seven angels to show that the seven spirits and the seven angels both refer to the leaders of the seven churches (see JST for all of the above verses). John, who at this time is the leader of the Church, is writing to seven branches of the Church in Asia. The JST makes it clear that he specifically addresses the leaders (the bishops or branch presidents, as it were) of each of these branches.

 

4. Also the JST makes it clear that the seven spirits (now servants) are the receivers, not the source, of the vision (see JST Rev. 1:4).

 

5. Finally, the Prophet added to the concept of Christ's second coming that he would come clothed in "the glory of his Father" and be accompanied by "ten thousand of his saints" (JST Rev. 1:7). Perhaps here is a good time to note that in Greek the largest named number was ten thousand, which is the word "myriad."26 Often it is used symbolically to express uncountable numbers.

 

The Seven Letters: Chapters 2 and 3

 

Immediately following the opening vision, the Savior, through the angel representing him, dictated seven letters to the seven churches of Asia. Though often neglected in favor of the prophetic visions, these seven letters are choice, individualized pieces of personal revelation. The Prophet made very few changes, the most significant of which include:

 

1. As noted above, throughout these letters the Prophet changed the wording to make it clear that each letter was addressed to the presiding authority of each church.

 

2. The bed into which the false prophetess and those who followed after her was to be cast is actually "hell" (see JST Rev. 2:22).

 

3. Those who are faithful in Thyatira are promised that they will be given power over nations and will rule them with a rod of iron, smashing them to pieces like clay pots (Rev. 2:26-27). This seems contradictory in the KJV. Faithful Saints are promised the power to smash the nations to pieces. This symbolism is strongly suggestive of tyranny. The imagery of Nephi's vision shows that the iron rod is a symbol of the word of God (see 1 Ne. 15:23-24), which helps somewhat, but in the JST, the Prophet dropped the imagery of smashed pottery and turned it instead into the idea of a potter shaping and molding vessels. He said that those who were faithful in keeping the commandments would rule the nations "with the word of God; and they shall be in his hands as the vessels of clay in the hands of a potter; and he shall govern them by faith, with equity and justice" (JST Rev. 2:26-27). This is a very different imagery from that of the KJV.

 

 The Vision of Heaven: Chapter 4

 

Once the seven letters are finished, John is invited to come into the heavens so that he can see things which will be "hereafter" (Rev. 4:1). Thus opens the great prophetic vision for which the Apocalypse is famous. John first describes—or rather, attempts to describe—the majesty and magnitude of the celestial kingdom where God dwells. In a way it is an impossible task—trying to use the finite to describe the infinite. Almost instantly the reader is confronted with a baffling array of symbols, figures, and images, some of which, on the surface at least, border on the bizarre.

 

And here it is that Joseph Smith's work becomes significant, becoming the key to our understanding. While the Prophet made a few textual changes in these chapters, which we will note, the major contribution comes from D&C 77 of the Doctrine and Covenants. As was mentioned, fifteen questions are asked in that section about the book of Revelation. Seven of the fifteen are questions relating to chapters 4 and 5. From the Prophet's work we learn the following:

 

1. The earth in its celestialized future state will become like a massive Urim and Thummim to its inhabitants (see D&C 77:1;  130:7).

 

2. Animals from our own world and from other worlds are celestialized and dwell in the presence of God (see D&C 77:2-3; see also the Prophet's discourse on the meaning of the beasts27 ).

 

3. The rather bizarre imagery of beasts covered with eyes and wings is actually symbolical of their celestial nature (see D&C 77:4).

 

4. The seven leaders of the churches as well as twenty-four elders from the seven churches were going to dwell in the presence of God (see JST Rev. 4:5; D&C 77:5). In times of intense persecution and martyrdom, this would have served as a great encouragement to the faithful to stay true to their commitments.

 

The Sealed Book and the Seven Seals: Chapter 5

 

 It doesn't take a lot of study of the book of Revelation to come to the conclusion that the imagery of chapter 5 is pivotal to the whole structure of the book. John saw in the right hand of the Father a book (most likely a scroll) which was sealed with seven seals (see Rev. 5:1). He also saw that no one in heaven or earth was able or worthy to open the book, except for the Savior (vv. 2-14). Since the rest of the vision describes what John sees as each of the seven seals is opened by the Lamb, an understanding of the sealed book is critical to our whole understanding of the book of Revelation.

 

And here it is that the Prophet Joseph Smith made his greatest contribution to our ability to unveil the veiled, to reveal the revelation. He answered two significant questions: What is the meaning of the book and what is the meaning of the seals? Certainly more than any other single thing, his answers to those questions (see D&C 77:6-7) become the key to gaining access to the "house" of Revelation. From what was revealed in those two verses we then can derive the following:

 

1. The book in the right hand of the Father represents the history and destiny of the world. It is in his right hand to suggest he controls everything in and about our world. No one except the Savior was worthy to open the book because the atoning sacrifice was what made the whole of world history possible and meaningful.

 

2. The seven seals represent the seven thousand-year periods which the earth will have during its temporal existence. This not only provides us one of the most specific clues we have as to the closeness of the Second Coming, but it also shows that the book of Revelation is basically structured chronologically, unfolding the earth's history from the time of Adam until the earth is celestialized.

 

3. Studying that chronological structure carefully, we can see that John's Revelation focuses most heavily on that short period of time between when the last period of a thousand years begins and when Christ comes. Note the amount of time spent on each of the seven seals. The first five (Rev. 6:1-11) are covered briefly, merely highlighting the thing of greatest import to the covenant people that happened in that time frame. The sixth seal, the one in which we currently live, is expanded considerably (Rev. 6:12-7:17 but still takes only a few verses of the total. Knowing that the Millennium is the major event of the seventh seal, we might expect John to dwell at great length on that. But the opening of the seventh seal begins in the first verse of chapter 8. The Second Coming and the Millennium are not seen until chapters 19 and 20. Thus, clearly, the majority of the revelation focuses on that period "after the opening of the seventh seal, before the coming of Christ" (D&C 77:13).

 

 4. This understanding of the time frame aids us greatly in interpreting the symbols used by John. For example, a man on a white horse is seen in Rev. 6:2. That same imagery is used of the Savior in 19:11. Therefore, one might think both places refer to the Master, and this is indeed a common interpretation of the scholars.28 But knowing that the first seal represents the first thousand years of the earth's history (approximately 4000 to 3000 b.c.) makes that interpretation no longer tenable. That single piece of information helps us look for someone or something in that period of time that meets all of the symbolic conditions. With that we conclude it is not Christ but Enoch that is represented.29 And there are other examples of how this key to the chronology becomes a key to the correct interpretation of the symbolism.

 

Similarly, the rather ingenious interpretation mentioned above—the locusts not hurting grass and trees being interpreted as the Arab general's order to his troops to leave vegetation alone—can now be rejected, since the events described occurred midway in the fifth seal, and John sees the locusts appear after the opening of the seventh seal.

 

The Opening of the Seals: Chapters 6 to 11

 

Again, more through what we learn from D&C 77 than through actual textual changes, the Prophet greatly adds to our understanding of what John saw as the various seals were opened. Nothing is said about the first five seals, either through D&C 77 or through JST changes. But when we get to the opening of the sixth and seventh seals—those of our own time, as it were—we are helped immensely and learn the following:

 

1. The "angel from the east" is Elias (D&C 77:9). This at first may not seem helpful, but we know that the concept of Elias is as a forerunner, and that here it refers to the restoration of the gospel in the last days.30 Applying that interpretation to John's vision makes perfect sense. Before the angels of destruction are loosed, the servants of God will be sealed and thus saved from destruction, through the restoration of the gospel, with its priesthood and ordinances. Commenting on these very verses, the Prophet later explained that the sealing "signifies sealing the blessing upon their heads, meaning the everlasting covenant, thereby making their calling and election sure. When a seal is put upon the father and mother, it secures their posterity, so that they cannot be lost, but will be saved by virtue of the covenant of their father and mother."31

 

2. The Prophet clearly indicates that the twelve thousand sealed from each of the twelve tribes is not just a symbolic representation of the forces of righteousness, as some scholars maintain. They are a great missionary force of the sixth seal (see D&C 77:10). Joseph Smith shows us that they are ordained high priests chosen from among every nation to carry forth the gospel and bring as many as will come to the true Church (see D&C 77:11). In another revelation the Prophet indicated that these 144,000 would also stand on Mt. Zion with the Savior (see D&C 133:18 and compare with Rev. 14:1-5).

 

 The Prophet also said, shortly before his death, "I attended prayer-meeting with the quorum in the assembly room, and made some remarks respecting the hundred and forty-four thousand mentioned by John the Revelator, showing that the selection of persons to form that number had already commenced."32 This statement would seem to indicate that this great body of missionaries may be composed of mortals and immortals together.

 

3. Though the Prophet did not give us specific help in interpreting the various images mentioned under the sounding of the seven trumpets that begin in chapter 8, two things he revealed are of great help as we study this section of Revelation. First, he revealed that the trumpets represent the judgments of God which will prepare the world and cleanse it for the millennial reign of Christ (see D&C 77:12). Second, he clearly specifies that these trumpets (or judgments) happen in the seventh seal (see D&C 77:12-13). Since the evidence suggests we have not yet entered that last period of a thousand years, this prophecy is yet future to us. In fact, once the judgments happen it may be that the imagery used by John in this section will become much more clear. It also tells us that any attempt to tie these judgments with past historical events is not justified.

 

4. In chapter 10, there is a brief pause in the description of the judgments in which John is given a little book to eat. This seems puzzling at first, but again the information revealed through the Prophet Joseph Smith helps us with the interpretation. He explains that the book is symbolic of the mission of John himself during these great events, which mission is to help gather the tribes of Israel (see D&C 77:14). We know from scripture that John is privileged to continue his ministry on the earth until the Savior returns (see John 21:22-23; D&C 7). It is almost as though the Lord says to John in chapter 10, "Since you will still be living at the time all these things I have shown you are transpiring, would you like to see what you will be doing?" At a conference of the Church in June 1831, the Prophet confirmed that the "little book mission" was being fulfilled when he said that "John the Revelator was then among the ten tribes of Israel who had been led away by Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, to prepare them for their return from their long dispersion."33

 

 6. Finally, we learn from the Prophet's revelations that the "two witnesses" seen by John as playing a pivotal role in the great battle of Armageddon were two prophets raised up to the Jewish nation (not necessarily Jewish themselves, as some have maintained) in the last days, who would work among the Jewish people in their homeland (see D&C 77:15). Elder Bruce R. McConkie said that these two prophets would be "followers of that humble man, Joseph Smith. . . . No doubt they will be members of the Council of the Twelve or of the First Presidency of the Church."34

 

The Church and Kingdom of God

 

After the sounding of the seven trumpets of judgment, John heard "great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ" (Rev. 11:15). Then, much as a teacher pauses in the course of his lecture to explain an important point, the Lord pauses in his vision of the judgments to explain some significant things about these kingdoms he has just mentioned.

 

Chapter 12, where this explanation begins, was altered more by the Prophet in his revision of the book of Revelation than any other chapter. He changed most of the verses, rearranged the order of them, and added one new verse—the only place where a significant amount of new material is added in all of Revelation (see JST Rev. 12:7).

 

While there is much we could study in these changes, space permits us to focus only on the most important insight derived from those changes. Chapter 12 contains three great figures or signs "in the likeness of things on the earth" (JST Rev. 12:1)—a woman who is pregnant, a man child to whom she gives birth, and a great red dragon. The dragon is clearly identified as Satan (see JST v. 8). Most commentators agree that the woman represents the Church of Jesus Christ, a fact which Joseph Smith definitely confirmed (see JST v. 7). But it is the man child that has caused commentators the most difficulty. We are told in both the KJV and the JST that the man child is to rule all nations with the rod of iron and that he will be caught up to the throne of God (see v. 5; JST v. 3). Nearly identical imagery is used in Rev. 19:15, and so most scholars assume the man child is none other than the Savior.

 

But in chapter 12, if that is the correct interpretation, there is a problem with the imagery. The woman is pregnant with, or in other words gives birth to, the man child. But if the woman is the Church and the man child the Savior, this is contrary to what we know to be true. The Church does not bring forth Christ. Just the opposite is true.

 

Others have suggested, since it is specified the child is male, that the baby represents the priesthood. But again we have the same problem. The Church does not give birth to the priesthood, but just the opposite.

 

 One simple phrase added by the Prophet in this chapter brings the whole matter into perfect clearness. In fact, it becomes a key to our understanding of this whole section on the kingdoms of the world and of Christ. He changed verse 8 in the KJV to read, "And the dragon prevailed not against Michael, neither the child, nor the woman which was the Church of God, who had been delivered of her pains, and brought forth the kingdom of our God and his Christ" (JST Rev. 12:7; emphasis added).

 

Sometimes in the Church we use the phrase "the kingdom of God" to refer to the Church itself, but technically it has a more specific meaning. Elder Joseph Fielding Smith said:

 

"After Christ comes, all the peoples of the earth will be subject to him, but there will be multitudes of people on the face of the earth who will not be members of the Church; yet all will have to be obedient to the laws of the kingdom of God, for it will have dominion upon the whole face of the earth. These people will be subject to the political government, even though they are not members of the ecclesiastical kingdom which is the Church.

 

"This government which embraces all the peoples of the earth, both in and out of the Church, is also sometimes spoken of as the kingdom of God, because the people are subject to the kingdom of God which Christ will set up."35

 

Now the imagery is consistent and logical. Eventually there will be a political kingdom led by Jesus Christ which will rule all nations with the word of God. That political kingdom will grow out of, and is made possible by (that is, is given birth by) the church of Jesus Christ. And since the creation of the political kingdom of Christ signals the end to the kingdoms of the world, it is little wonder that Satan seeks to destroy the man child. During the meridian of time, the Church was not able to bring forth that political kingdom, but itself was taken into the wilderness, or went into apostasy (see JST Rev. 12:14; D&C 86:3). The man child, or the political kingdom, was thus taken to heaven to await the day of the Restoration.

 

Such a clear and reasonable explanation of this chapter is made possible only through the JST and the instrumentality of the Prophet Joseph Smith.

 

Conclusion and Summary

 

 In Nephi's grand and glorious vision, he was privileged to see from his own time down through the stream of history to the end of the world. He was allowed to write most of the things he saw, including some things fulfilled in our own generation (e.g., see 1 Ne. 14:12). But at the point where he began to see things still future to us, he was told that he could write no more of them, even though he would be allowed to see them. He was told that he could not write them because it was a stewardship that belonged to another (see 1 Ne. 14:20-21,  25). It belonged to one of the apostles of the Lamb, and, said Nephi, "I . . . heard and bear record, that the name of the apostle of the Lamb was John" (1 Ne. 14:27).

 

The fulfillment of that stewardship is found in what we call the Apocalypse, or the book of Revelation. It was written for our time and primarily about our time. It is a book of eminent importance to Latter-day Saints.

 

And it is through the instrumentality of the Prophet Joseph Smith, and especially his work on the new translation of the scriptures, that the book of Revelation has become just that for us. It is a book that stands revealed, as the Prophet said, as "one of the plainest books God ever caused to be written."36

 

Notes

 

From Monte S. Nyman and Robert L. Millet, eds., The Joseph Smith Translation: The Restoration of Plain and Precious Things, volume 12 in the Religious Studies Monograph Series (Provo, Utah: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University/Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1985), 251-70.

 

1. Canon Leon Morris, The Revelation of St. John (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1969), 15.

 

2. Joseph Henry Thayer, trans., Greek English Lexicon of the New Testament (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 1962), s.v. "apo" and "kalypto."

 

3. Ibid., s.v. "apokalypsis."

 

4. Joseph Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, comp. Joseph Fielding Smith (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1976), 290.

 

5. Joseph Smith, Joseph Smith's "New Translation" of the Bible (Independence, Mo.: Herald Publishing House, 1970), 236-317.

 

6. Ibid., 513-23.

 

7. Ibid., 27-116.

 

8. Robert J. Matthews, Joseph Smith's Revision of the Bible (Provo: Brigham Young University Press, 1969), 10.

 

9. Joseph Smith, History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 7 vols. (Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1946), 1:245.

 

10. Ibid., 1:253.

 

11. Matthews, Joseph Smith's Revision of the Bible, 10. For additional evidence see his whole discussion, 8-13.

 

12. Bruce R. McConkie, "Understanding the Book of Revelation," Ensign, September 1975, 87; emphasis added.

 

13. Ibid., 89; emphasis added.

 

14. Adam Clarke, The Holy Bible . . . with Commentary and Critical Notes, 6 vols. (Nashville, Tenn.: Abingdon Press, n.d.), 6:1001; emphasis added.

 

15. J. R. Dummelow, A Commentary on the Holy Bible (New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1936), 1080; emphasis added.

 

16. Merrill C. Tenney, Interpreting Revelation (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1957), 75.

 

17. Ibid.

 

18. H. M. S. Richards, Jr., What Is in Your Future? (Los Angeles: Voice of Prophecy, 1972), 23.

 

19. Ibid., 23-24; emphasis added.

 

20. Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 84.

 

21. Ibid., 287-94.

 

22. Robert J. Matthews, "A Plainer Translation": Joseph Smith's Translation of the Bible, A History and Commentary (Provo: Brigham Young University Press, 1975), 210-12.

 

23. Ibid.

 

24. Smith, History of the Church, 1:253.

 

25. Hyrum M. Smith and Janne M. Sjodahl, Doctrine and Covenants Commentary, rev. ed. (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1951), 478.

 

26. Thayer, Greek English Lexicon of the New Testament, s.v. "myrios."

 

27. Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 287-94.

 

28. See for example, Dummelow, Commentary, 1078; R. C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of St. John's Revelation (Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1963), 221-22.

 

29. Bruce R. McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3 vols. (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1966-73), 3:476-77.

 

30. Ibid., 3:491-92.

 

31. Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 321.

 

32. Smith, History of the Church, 6:196.

 

33. Ibid., 1:176, note.

 

34. McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3:509.

 

35. Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 3 vols. (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1954-56), 1:229; emphasis added.

 

36. Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 290.

 

 

(Gerald N. Lund, Selected Writings of Gerald N. Lund: Gospel Scholars Series [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1999], 81.)

 

 

Revelation 1 is all about stage setting, when the curtain goes up.  Revelation 2-3 is the 7 churches as the 7 scenes of the play.

 

(Revelation 1:8-20.) – The play is about to begin, the trumpet sounds, it’s the Lord’s Day.  The High Priest in verse 13 is Christ, the light and manna comes from Him.  He is Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, He is in charge.  He has all power over life and death.  Verse 20, He knows who the servants are and their doings in the churches. 

 

8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

 

9 I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.

 

10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,

 

11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.

 

12 And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;

 

13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.

 

14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;

 

15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.

 

16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

 

17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:

 

18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

 

19 Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter;

 

20 The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

 

 

 

 

Section 77

 

The Revelation of John

 

D&C 77 provides interpretive keys for understanding certain aspects of the Book of Revelation. These were revealed to Joseph Smith in March 1832. Reference to the Book of Revelation brings to most people's minds a sense of the vivid, dramatic symbols which permeate it, and also an uneasy feeling that while the symbols are vivid, the meaning seems to be obscure, as though the brilliant, vivid symbols were meant to dazzle rather than enlighten. The form and the content of the message seem to be in tension, so that the name of the book, Revelation (Greek: apokalypsis, "uncovering"), seems to belie its content. Rather than uncover, what is written seems to cover up.

 

Clearly when one interprets the prophecies, he must have the spirit of prophecy. This is why it is so significant that a prophet has provided us with interpretive keys for studying these revelations. The Book of Revelation is no more subject to private interpretation than any other book of prophecy is. All prophecies come through the revelations of the Holy Ghost (1 Cor. 2:9-16; 2 Pet. 1:20-21; D&C 50:17-20), and must, in order to avoid making a private interpretation, be interpreted by the light of the Holy Ghost, i.e., the same Spirit that inspired them originally.

 

One may yearn to understand, as Joseph Smith did, when he said that "the book of Revelation is one of the plainest books God ever caused to be written." fn In saying this, he also taught: "I make this broad declaration, that whenever God gives a vision of an image, or beast, or figure of any kind, He always holds Himself responsible to give a revelation or interpretation of the meaning thereof, otherwise we are not responsible or accountable for our belief in it. Don't be afraid of being damned for not knowing the meaning of a vision or figure, if God has not given a revelation or interpretation of the subject." fn Again, speaking of his interpretation of Revelation, Joseph said: "We cannot comprehend the things of God and of heaven, but by revelation. We may spiritualize and express opinions to all eternity; but that is no authority." fn He advised the elders not to preach from Revelation but to preach repentance. The gospel must be established on a simpler foundation than Revelation affords, for the book of Revelation is really a book to confirm the faithful in their faith—not convert the unfaithful to have faith.

 

It is significant that section 77 came while Joseph Smith was working on the translation of the scriptures. As he recorded, "In connection with the translation of the Scriptures, I received the following explanation of the Revelation of St. John." fn

 

One thing that dominates so much of the attention of Revelation is a sense of the titantic struggle that goes on between the forces of light and those of darkness. In a world—much like ours is today—where violence, apostasy, hate, contention, lieing, stealing, murder, adultery, war, etc., are too much in evidence and the devil seems to triumph, it is absolutely essential that the Saints know that it is God who is in absolute control and not the devil; God triumphs. It is critical to know that God does and will reign, and that his work cannot be frustrated, neither will it come to nought. So, when persecution inevitably comes to the faithful in a world that loves darkness rather than light, where the world shouts out that carnal and sensual values are what really produce happiness, then the Saints must know that what they believe represents reality—God's world, as it really is; they must endure to the end to be crowned as faithful with God. For his work does not fail. This triumph of God and his works over Satan is the major theme of John's revelation.

 

In that day to come, men will see how God was at work in each individual life as well as in the affairs of the nations to cause his work to succeed, this despite satanic and human wills to the contrary. The book of Revelation graphically demonstrates this truth. It teaches that history has a vertical dimension with God at work on earth from his residence in heaven, as well as a horizontal dimension, as men seek to carve out spheres of influence and accomplishment. And though it is difficult for the Saints to understand heavenly truths unseen by human eyes and ears (most especially when they are dressed in earthly garb), somehow, by the Holy Spirit, they are expected to understand something of the better world that awaits them where God reigns and his Saints dwell with him. The keys given by Joseph Smith fit within this overall framework.

 

Interpretive Keys

 

D&C 77:1. Before this earth is sanctified and prepared for its celestial order of life, it will melt (Isa. 24:19; cf. 3 Ne. 26:3; Morm. 5:23; 2 Pet. 3:10-12; Rev. 20:11) and become like glass or crystal, i.e., it will become a gigantic Urim and Thummim, "whereby all things pertaining to an inferior kingdom, or all kingdoms of a lower order, will be manifest to those who dwell on it" (D&C 130:8-9). For revelations "pertaining to a higher order of kingdoms" than those beneath the celestialized earth (D&C 130:10; Rev. 2:17), each inhabitant of that sanctified sphere will possess a personal Urim and Thummim (D&C 130:10). The Saints who love the truth in this world are assured by this revelation that they will possess the fullest means to acquire and utilize truth in the hereafter.

 

D&C 77:2. The question in this verse is specific but the answer is general, providing a fuller background for understanding an important principle. John's vision shows that spirits of beasts, creeping things, and fowls, as well as man, are in the likeness of their physical, temporal bodies. While other revelations make it clear that all life in this world has a spiritual counterpart (see Moses 3:4-5, 9) and that the one looks like the other—the physical like the spiritual body (see Ether 3:16)—what is explicit in D&C 77:2 is that all God's creatures live beyond the grave. The reference to fowls, beasts, creeping things (those categories of life identified in the various creation accounts) and "every other creature which God has created," provides inclusive enough language to show that all of God's creations are eternal in nature. God's concern for the well-being ("happiness") of all of his creatures is another truth revealed in this revelation. His work is not superfluous. The end toward which he works for his creatures as well as his children is their happiness, which, obviously, they are capable of experiencing. It is well known that animals possess intelligence. Current research is being done on the extent to which creatures "speak" or communicate with each other. This revelation says nothing about whether animal spirits have volition. What we do not learn, for example, is what it means to say that the devil "put it into the heart of the serpent [for he had drawn away many after him,]" when reference is made to the fact that Satan spoke to Eve through the mouth of the serpent (Moses 4:5-6). Neither is anything said about accountability, degree of intelligence, whether "laws" are given to other creatures, whether merit is involved in assigning animals to various degrees of glory, or even whether there are varying degrees of glory for God's other creatures. This revelation explaining what John saw in heaven suggests at least that they are not restricted to a separate kingdom of their own, but co-inhabit with man the glory prepared.

 

As the Prophet Joseph taught, "Says one, 'I cannot believe in the salvation of beasts.' Any man who would tell you that this could not be, would tell you that the revelations are not true. John heard the words of beasts giving glory to God, and understood them. God who made the beasts could understand every language spoken by them." fn

 

D&C 77:3. John saw four specific, individual beasts. "The four beasts were four of the most noble animals that had filled the measure of their creation, and had been saved from other worlds, because they were perfect: they were like angels in their sphere. We are not told where they came from, and I do not know; but they were seen and heard by John praising and glorifying God." fn Although each of these was a specific creature, nevertheless it seems that each in turn represented a particular class or order. What this means may be evident from another revelation, in which God taught Joseph Smith that three individual men—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had been exalted. While three specific men are identified, the revelation is meant to show that all others who belong to their particular "class" of men, i.e., those who show themselves willing to do "none other things than that which they were commanded" (D&C 132:27), may also be exalted.

 

The revelation showed John that animals are among those who enjoy the fullness of God's blessings for them in the world to come.

 

D&C 77:4. Eyes are means of seeing and knowing and wings represent the power of mobility.

 

D&C 77:5. John actually saw twenty-four specific men from seven specific churches.

 

D&C 77:6. The seven thousand years of the earth's temporal existence are understood to be the six thousand years from the fall of Adam to the Millennium, plus the thousand years of the Millennium. Any book containing the will, mysteries, and works of God over the seven thousand years of the earth's temporal existence—his hidden "economy"—would provide readers with an insight into the grandeur and greatness of God. Adam, the Brother of Jared, and some others have had the privilege of "reading" parts of such a "book," but unless sanctified, men cannot behold either God or the fullness of his works and glory and remain in the flesh (Moses 1:5).

 

While immortality is gained for everyone by the Son of God's voluntary death and resurrection in a once-and-for-all-time act, that which God "works at" the rest of the time is to help his children to qualify for exaltation. The scriptures provide a partial picture of God at work doing this. They show us his reaching out, sending angels, calling prophets, teaching, calling to repentance, offering mercy, warning of impending judgments, answering prayers, testing, etc. It is a partial story of God at work in the affairs of the nations to advance his cause and frustrate the work of the Adversary.

 

D&C 77:7. The book that is sealed into seven parts representing 1,000-year blocks of the earth's temporal existence contains the full story. Opening one seal opens up one-seventh of God's story for scrutiny by those sanctified to see it. After the revelation of one-seventh of the story is completed, then the next portion will be unveiled.

 

D&C 77:8. The four angels have power to hurt the earth (Rev. 7:2) and thus may be identified with the angels referred to in the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares (Matt. 13:24-43 and D&C 86:1-7). That is, they have divine power to open or close the heavens, to bless with life or curse with destruction (cf. Hel. 10:4-11). They will not hurt anyone until God has finished his work of preparing his people for those days, until the angels (messengers of God) have sealed up the servants of the Lord—placed the seal of eternal life—against that destruction that is coming.

 

D&C 77:9. A seal of God is a sign of belonging to the Lord and being under his protection (see Ezek. 9:4-6). Joseph Smith taught: "Four destroying angels holding power over the four quarters of the earth until the servants of God are sealed in their foreheads, which signifies sealing the blessing upon their heads, meaning the everlasting covenant, thereby making their calling and election sure. When a seal is put upon the father and mother, it secures their posterity, so that they cannot be lost, but will be saved by virtue of the covenant of their father and mother." fn Judgments are not to occur before the sealing of those who belong to God is complete. Since those whom the angels are sealing are the "servants of God," i.e., high priests, it is clear that they have received the gospel and the priesthood. So restoration of the gospel and gathering has preceded their sealing. Thus, the angel is logically involved in restoration preparatory to sealing.

 

Elias is a code name, a title given to anyone whose assignment from God is of a preparatory nature. It is used of numerous people in various ages—Abraham's day, Jesus' day, and the last days. The role of this latter-day Elias, as defined in chapter 7 of Revelation, is to preach the gospel, restore priesthood, gather the elect, and seal them up before the earth is hurt. He is a forerunner, a preparer of the way.

 

Since the title is applied to many individuals in the various revelations, Elias must be a "composite personage. The expression must be understood to be a name and a title for those whose mission it was to commit keys and powers to men in this final dispensation." fn Thus, Elias in this revelation identifies each of the many keyholders who came to Joseph Smith to transmit keys. Moroni, John the Baptist, Peter, James, John, Moses, Elijah, Elias, Gabriel, Raphael, and Michael are known examples (see D&C 13; 110; 128:19-21). fn From them Joseph Smith received the keys of gathering, and every priesthood key necessary for individuals on this earth to receive every ordinance and power to make their calling and election sure.

 

D&C 77:11. Elder Bruce R. McConkie wrote: "One of the ordained offices in the Melchizedek Priesthood is that of a high priest (D&C 20:67). This office grows out of and is an appendage to the higher priesthood (D&C 107:5). Beginning in Adam's day, whenever the Church has been organized and the fullness of the gospel has been had by men, there have been high priests (D&C 107:53; Alma 13). These brethren have been called to minister in spiritual things (D&C 107:18), to travel and preach the gospel (D&C 84:111), and to perfect the saints and do all the things that a seventy, elder, or holder of the Aaronic Priesthood can do (D&C 68:19). " fn

 

The high priests referred to in D&C 77:11 fit this description. They are seasoned men who are redeemed and stand before the throne of God without fault (Rev. 14-15); subject to the key-holder's direction, they are capable of presiding over the Lord's work, wherever they are called. They are ordained as God's ambassadors to preach and administer the Gospel to the nations of the earth. That is, they are missionaries of the Lord Jesus Christ, who carry the gospel of peace, the message of redemption, the Hope of Israel to the nations of the earth. Thus, they will be privileged to stand as saviors on Mount Zion with the Lord when he comes again (D&C 133:18). fn

 

Since they come from all the tribes of Israel, major movements in the gathering of Israel will have occurred by the time they are called to serve. Thus, this revelation makes it clear that the authority given to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery to restore the Ten Tribes to their former high status in Israel and to lead them from "the land of the north" (D&C 110:11) will have been used to gather them before the events described in this revelation can take place. Elder McConkie has stated: "These keys now reside in the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. That the remnants of Israel shall be restored before the Second Coming of the Son of Man is evident from the fact that 12,000 from each tribe are to receive the restored gospel, and that though the ordinances of the Lord's house they are to become kings and priests, who shall administer the blessings of the everlasting gospel to the Lord's elect (D&C 77:9-11). " fn

 

These 144,000 will not act independently of the Church. There is one prophet, seer, and revelator for the whole earth. These 144,000 will serve as missionaries under the power and authority of the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. fn

 

D&C 77:12-13. Regarding these verses Elder McConkie wrote: "Thus our Lord is not destined to return when the seventh thousand years first commences. Plagues, destruction, fire, bloodshed, war, and desolation—all of incomparable power and degree—are to sweep the earth after the opening of the seventh seal and before the Second Coming. These are announced in the eighth and ninth chapters of Revelation." fn

 

D&C 77:14. Ezekiel also was asked to open his mouth and eat the book that was given to him. The writing on both sides contained "lamentations, and mourning, and woe. Moreover he said unto me, Son of man, eat that thou findest; eat this roll, and go speak unto the house of Israel. So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat that roll. And he said unto me, Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee. Then did I eat it. . . . And he said unto me, Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with my words unto them" (Ezek. 2:8-10; 3:1-4, italics added). Eating the roll seems to have symbolized the Lord's way of causing Ezekiel to absorb the message written on the roll which he was then to give to the people. Thus, the initial charge: "Eat this roll, and go speak unto the house of Israel" (Ezek. 3:1). Similarly, John's book seems to contain the mission that he would undertake. As Elder McConkie stated, "That John labors in fulfilment of this commission is evident from the statement of the Prophet Joseph Smith, made by the spirit of inspiration in June, 1831, 'that John the Revelator was then among the Ten Tribes of Israel who had been led away by Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, to prepare them for their return from their long dispersion, to again possess the land of their fathers' (HC 1:176)." fn

 

D&C 77:15. These prophets fight in defense of Jerusalem and the Jews during their final battle—the Battle of Armageddon. They have power like Enoch, Moses, and Nephi to shut up the heavens, to smite the earth with plagues, to change water to blood, and to testify for the Lord (Rev. 11:6). As with Abinadi, no one can hurt them until their testimony is finished. Whoever tries will be destroyed by fire from their mouths (Rev. 11:5). According to Elder McConkie:

 

Their ministry will take place after the latter-day temple has been built in Old Jerusalem, after some of the Jews who dwell there have been converted, and just before Armageddon and the return of the Lord Jesus. How long will they minister in Jerusalem and in the Holy Land? For three and a half years, the precise time spent by the Lord in his ministry to the ancient Jews. The Jews, as an assembled people, will hear again the testimony of legal administrators bearing record that salvation is in Christ and in his gospel. Who will these witnesses be? We do not know, except that they will be followers of Joseph Smith; they will hold the holy Melchizedek Priesthood; they will be members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is reasonable to suppose, knowing how the Lord has always dealt with his people in all ages, that they will be two members of the Council of the Twelve or of the First Presidency of the Church. fn

 

 

 

(Robert L. Millet and Kent P. Jackson, eds., Studies in Scripture, Vol. 1: The Doctrine and Covenants [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1989], 269.)

Seeing the Book of Revelation as a Book of Revelation

By Gerald N. Lund
Provo, Utah: Maxwell Institute,. P. N/A

No book in all scripture has stimulated more discussion, generated more controversy, and created more questions than the book of Revelation. Many modern readers find its imagery and symbolism strange and its message unclear. It isn’t a great surprise, then, that so many often leave the book unread.

The title of the book in Greek is Apocalypsis, from which we get its other common name, the Apocalypse. Apocalypsis is formed from two Greek words—apo, a preposition denoting separation or removal, and kalypto, a verb meaning to cover, hide, or veil. Apocalypsis, then, literally means removal of the veil or covering. Hence its title in English, the book of Revelation (or the uncovering or unveiling).

While many might find the title to be ironic, arguing that few books are more hidden or veiled, it is an appropriate one, for it truly reveals many things. Elder Bruce R. McConkie, in response to the question “Are we expected to understand the book of Revelation?” answered:

“Certainly. Why else did the Lord reveal it? The common notion that it deals with beasts and plagues and mysterious symbolisms that cannot be understood is just not true . . . If we apply ourselves with full purpose of heart, we can catch the vision of what the ancient Revelator recorded.” (Ensign, Sept. 1975, p. 87.)

All of this, however, is not meant to imply that the book of Revelation is simple or easily understood.

From the great vision of Nephi, we gain significant insight into the book of Revelation. After seeing the birth and ministry of the Savior, Nephi was shown a series of future events, from the split of Lehi’s descendants into two main groups to the coming forth of the Book of Mormon and the restoration of the Church. (See 1 Ne. 12:1–14:2.)

In other words, the vision of Nephi began in his own time and progressively moved forward to our time. But just as he came to what would be future to us, Nephi was told not to write what he would see. (1 Ne. 14:25.) The angel explained to Nephi that another person, the Apostle John, had been ordained to write about these future events. (1 Ne. 14:27.)

Doesn’t that tell us something about the significance of the book of Revelation for us? Many of this generation are anxious about the future and what it holds for us. From Nephi’s vision, we learn that John’s writings are primarily about that which is future to us.

Four Keys for Seeing the Book of Revelation As a Book of Revelation

Some portions of the scriptures are less easily understood than others. Many readers are used to fast-moving narratives like the story of the sons of Mosiah and their mission to the Lamanites in Alma 17–26. The books of Isaiah and Revelation are not that kind of historical record, and Church members who try to read them as narratives have difficulty understanding them. Clearly, one should not expect to read Revelation through once and fully comprehend it.

The following four keys may help us to understand the book of Revelation more fully:

1. Study, ponder, and pray about its message.

2. Use latter-day revelation to expand our understanding of the book.

3. Explore its symbolic imagery.

4. Study its chronological structure.

Key #1: Study, Ponder, and Pray. Diligent study, careful thought, and inspiration can help make the Apocalypse clearer. The Lord apparently couched the language of the book in such a way that only they who paid the price in diligent, prayerful study would come to understand it. As the Lord told John, “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith. (Rev. 2:7; the theme is repeated six times in chapters two and three.)

Two kinds of effort prove to be especially helpful in understanding Revelation. The first and perhaps most important effort is to heed the promptings of the Spirit as we study the Revelation of John. “We must always remember that prophecy, visions, and revelations come by the power of the Holy Ghost and can only be understood in the fullness and perfection by the power of that same Spirit.” (McConkie, Ensign, Sept. 1975, p. 86.)

As we study and ponder, we should pray for understanding and listen to the voice of the Spirit as it speaks in our minds and in our hearts. (See D&C 8:2–3.) Peter said that “no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation” but came as prophets “were moved by the Holy Ghost.” (2 Pet. 1:20–21.) When the Holy Spirit becomes our confirming guide, we can come to better understand the revelation John received.

A second important way by which we pay the price is acquiring a general gospel knowledge. John did not write Revelation for the nonmember or even the investigator. He wrote for the Saints and assumed that his readers would have a good knowledge of gospel principles, the plan of salvation, the scriptures, and scriptural symbols. (See Rev. 1:1, 4, 11; 3:22.) He often mentions things in passing, and it is clear he assumes his readers will know them.

For example, in Revelation 19:13, he describes Christ at his second coming, mentioning that “he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood.” This may puzzle those who picture him clothed in glorious white. Nevertheless, it is in perfect agreement with other scriptures that tell us that the Savior’s apparel will be red at his coming. (See Gen. 49:11; Isa. 63:2; D&C 133:48.)

The broader our knowledge of the gospel and the scriptures, the plainer the book of Revelation becomes.

Key #2: Use Latter-day Revelation. Latter-day Saints have a distinct advantage over the rest of the Christian world because modern prophets have revealed much that directly helps us interpret the mysteries revealed in the Apocalypse. Here are four primary sources of help. Specific examples are given in the accompanying chart.

24      Doctrine and Covenants 77. This is perhaps the single most important commentary we have about the book of Revelation. On 1 March 1832, the Prophet recorded, “About the first of March, in connection with the translation of the Scriptures [i.e., work on the Joseph Smith Translation], I received the following explanation of the Revelation of St. John. (History of the Church, 1:253.)

In this section, fifteen questions about the Apocalypse are asked and answered. Some may wish that there had been many more questions answered, but the fifteen we have are sufficient for an understanding of the book. Indeed, these fifteen questions that make up section 77 serve as a key to the book of Revelation. As Hyrum M. Smith and Janne M. Sjodahl pointed out:

“This Revelation [D&C 77] is not a complete interpretation of the book. It is a key . . . As Champolion, by the key furnished in the brief test on the Rosetta stone, was able to open the secrets of Egyptian hieroglyphics, so the Bible student should be able to read the Apocalypse with a better understanding of it, by the aid of this key.” (Doctrine and Covenants Commentary, rev. ed., Cambridge, Mass.: University Press, 1951, p. 478.)

2. Joseph Smith Translation changes made in the book of Revelation. The Prophet made relatively few changes in the book of Revelation, but the ones he did make are critical and help us gain understanding where otherwise we would be in the dark.

3. Other latter-day scripture. Numerous verses in the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants aid our understanding of the Apocalypse. In some cases, the direct interpretation for a symbol in Revelation is given in one of the works of modern scripture.

4. Writings and sermons of latter-day prophets. While there are not a large number of examples in this category, a number of statements by the Brethren provide a better understanding of the Apocalypse. Examples are on the chart at left.

Key #3: Explore the Symbolic Imagery of the Book. There is no question about the importance of understanding symbolism in the scriptures. (See Gerald N. Lund, Ensign, Oct. 1986, pp. 23–27.) But in a study of the book of Revelation, the interpretation of symbols becomes essential. The Apocalypse was painted with a symbolic brush. The palette was filled with metaphors, similes, symbols, and images, which require that we study it with those in mind. The following suggestions may prove helpful in correctly interpreting the symbolic imagery of the Apocalypse:

1. Remember that Hebrew imagery is different in many ways from the imagery we are used to. Though the Western mind also uses imagery and symbolism, we tend to make our figurative language more concrete, specific, and aesthetically attractive. On the other hand, the Hebrews were concerned not so much with the overall beauty of the image as they were with whether it accurately portrayed spiritual realities.

2. Because of this, we sometimes find John’s imagery to be jarring and even bizarre. An excellent example is his description of the one “like unto the Son of man.” (Rev. 1:13.) As he describes the figure clothed in a full-length robe, the whiteness of his being, the eyes like a flame of fire, the typical Western reader begins to build an image of the Savior in his mind. Then suddenly comes this phrase: “And out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword. “ (Rev. 1:16.) Our tendency is to try to add that image literally to our mental picture, and we end up with a disturbing portrait.

A Hebrew, on the other hand, might respond something like this: “Of course, there is no actual sword coming out of his mouth. But what does come out of the mouth of a man? Words. But this is not just any man. This is the Son of Man. So out of his mouth comes the truth, the gospel, the word of God. The double-edged sword is an excellent symbol of the word, or the gospel. It cuts through error, pierces the heart, cleaves ignorance.”

In fact, the comparison of the word of God to a two-edged sword is frequent in scripture. (See Heb. 4:12; D&C 6:2.) We must, therefore, analyze each element of the image and ask the question, “What spiritual truth was this meant to portray?”

2. Do the scriptures themselves give us the interpretation of the symbol? Joseph Smith said, “I make this broad declaration, that whenever God gives a vision of an image, or beast, or figure of any kind, He always holds Himself responsible to give a revelation or interpretation of the meaning thereof . . . Don’t be afraid of being damned for not knowing the meaning of a vision or figure, if God has not given a revelation or interpretation of the subject.” (Teachings, p. 291.)

In many cases, we have no excuse for not understanding the divine imagery revealed to John, for the Lord has clearly specified how the symbols are to be interpreted. Sometimes the Lord gives the key in the same context as the symbol itself; other times, he explains its significance later in the vision; often, he provides the key somewhere else in the standard works. Here are some examples in which the context gives the interpretation:

The “seven golden candlesticks” (Rev. 1:12) are the seven churches” (1:20).

The “golden vials full of odours [incense]” (5:8) are “the prayers of saints” (5:8).

The “great red dragon” (12:3) is “that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan” (12:9).

The “many waters” upon which the whore sits (17:1) are “peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues” (17:15).

The “fine linen, clean and white” (19:8) is “the righteousness of saints” (19:8).

Here are a few examples in which the interpretation is given elsewhere in Revelation:

The “morning star” (2:28) is Jesus Christ (22:16).

The “seven heads” of the beast (13:1) are “seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth” and “seven kings” (17:9–10).

Here are several examples in which the interpretation is given elsewhere in scripture:

The “tree of life” (2:7), whose fruit the faithful may eat, is “the love of God” (1 Ne. 11:25).

Michael (Rev. 12:7) is Adam (D&C 107:54).

Babylon, or “the mother of harlots and abominations” (14:8; 16:19; 17:5), is a symbol of the great and abominable church founded by the devil and of spiritual wickedness (1 Ne. 14:3, 10; D&C 86:3; D&C 133:14).

3. Does the nature of the symbol give insights into its meaning? The peoples of the ancient Middle East loved imagery and figurative language. They saw spiritual parallels in the natural characteristics of animals, objects, and natural events around them. Thus, their choice of symbols was not arbitrary or capricious; the nature or characteristics of the item led to its use as a symbol.

If we examine the symbol, pondering why the ancients chose it to represent symbolic truths, we often find important insights into its meaning. For example, trumpets were used anciently to sound an alarm, signal for battle, or announce the arrival of royalty. The sounding of a trumpet, therefore, heralds or announces something highly significant. This explains why the seven angels sound trumpets as each new judgment of the seventh seal is shown forth. (See Rev. 8–9.)

The candlestick is not a source of light but a holder of light. Since the church of Jesus Christ is not the actual source of truth but merely holds up Jesus Christ—the true light of the world—for all to see, the candlestick provides a meaningful representation of the Church. (See Rev, 1:12, 20; 3 Ne. 18:24.)

Another example is the image of keys. (See Rev. 9:1; 20:1.) Anciently, locks were hand-carved from wood or hand-forged from metal, and they were large, bulky, and expensive. Locks were therefore used to protect only very valuable treasure or stores. Because the common people rarely owned anything valuable enough to lock up, keys usually were held only by the wealthy and powerful—or entrusted by them to stewards. Keys were typically worn around the neck on a chain, so if people saw a man on a street wearing a key, they could rightly assume that he was a man of power and authority. In this manner, keys came to be a symbol, not only of control over something but of invested power and authority.

Again and again, we find that pondering the natural characteristics of an item chosen as a symbol leads to greater understanding of scriptural imagery We should constantly ask, “Why would this thing be used symbolically?

Key #4: Study the Chronological Structure of the Book. Understanding a scriptural passage’s basic structure—how it is organized—and the purposes for which it was written will enhance understanding of the scripture itself. For example, the Book of Mormon follows a basic historical narrative that pauses in places to present selected sermons. However, the chronological order of the narrative is not entirely consistent.

For example, the Words of Mormon, written about A.D. 385, are inserted between writings completed more than 500 years earlier. And Moroni, who writes around A.D. 400, inserts the book of Ether after the record of the fall of the Nephites, even though the record precedes that fall by 2,600 years. These seeming inconsistencies become perfectly logical if we understand that Mormon was writing an abridgement of many records and that his son Moroni decided to add the account of the Jaredites after his father gave the record to him.

The New Testament, on the other hand, has a completely different organizational structure. There is no grand unifying chronological development; it is a series of short, independent works and letters. We would be foolish to look for a narrative flow throughout the New Testament.

Thus, knowing the basic organizational structure of a work is vital to a better understanding of its contents. This is especially true in the book of Revelation. The Apocalypse can be outlined into four main divisions: (1) the introduction (chapter 1), (2) the seven individual letters to the churches (chapters 2–3), (3) the vision of things to come (chapters 4–22:5), and (4) the conclusion (chapter 22:6–21).

Since the book records the vision (or perhaps series of visions) of things to come, which constitutes not only the majority of the book but also the bulk of the difficult passages, we shall concentrate on the third division.

When John saw a door open in heaven and heard a voice telling him to “come up hither,” he was also told that he would be shown things “which must be hereafter.” (Rev. 4:1) The Prophet Joseph Smith likewise said, “The things which John saw had no allusion to the scenes of the days of. Adam, Enoch, Abraham, or Jesus, only so far as is plainly represented by John, and clearly set forth by him. John saw that only which was lying in futurity and which was shortly to come to pass.” (Teachings, p. 289.)

The great vision of futurity shown to John opens with God on the throne of heaven surrounded by numerous beings singing praise to him. (See Rev. 4:1–11.) The Father has a book in his right hand that is sealed with seven seals. No one is worthy to open the book except the Lamb of God. (See Rev. 5:1–9.) Since the rest of the vision is what John sees as each of the seven seals are opened, understanding the symbolism of the book and the seals is critical to understanding the book of Revelation. Fortunately, these were two of the topics addressed by the Prophet in Doctrine and Covenants 77:6–7:

“Q. What are we to understand by the book which John saw, which was sealed on the back with seven seals?

“A. We are to understand that it contains the revealed will, mysteries, and the works of God; the hidden things of his economy concerning this earth during the seven thousand years of its continuance, or its temporal existence.

“Q. What are we to understand by the seven seals with which it was sealed?

“A. We are to understand that the first seal contains the things of the first thousand years, and the second also of the second thousand years, and so on until the seventh.”

With this information, we can see how the book is structured and where the primary emphasis lies. For example, if we know the white horse and the man with a bow who goes forth to conquer (see Rev. 6:1–2) are part of the first seal or first thousand years, we will not look for some interpretation from our own time. Elder Bruce R. McConkie suggested that this was a representation of Enoch and the Zion he established. (See Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3 vols., Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1973, 3:376–8.)

Knowing the chronology of the seals helps us see that John’s emphasis is primarily the future. He spends only two verses apiece on each of the first four seals, or periods of a thousand years each. Obviously, that constitutes the briefest of historical highlights. For the fifth seal, which was very likely the time in which John himself lived, the Apostle took only three verses! (See Rev. 6:1–11.)

The entire vision from beginning to end takes 317 verses, and yet John spends only eleven verses (or about 3.5 percent) on the first five thousand years of history, which is about 71 percent of the earth’s total seven thousand years of recorded history. Without a doubt, the vast majority of the vision focuses on things “which must be hereafter.” (Rev. 4:1.) Furthermore, on closer examination, we see that the focus is even more limited than that. The account of the opening of the seventh seal begins in Revelation 8:1, and yet the account of the Second Coming and the Millennium do not occur until chapters 19 and 20! The Millennium itself is treated in only seven verses. (See Rev. 20:1–7.) By far the largest portion of the book describes the events that immediately precede the second coming of the Savior. (See also D&C 77:13.)

The basic structure of the vision is chronological. After seeing the Father and the Son in heaven (Rev. 4–5), the vision of the history and destiny of the world begin to unfold for John. He sees the first five seals (or first five thousand years of history) in rapid-fire, encapsulated form. Then he sees the opening of the sixth seal, which includes the restoration of the gospel. (See Rev, 6:12–7:17.)

After that, John sees the seventh period of a thousand years, with great judgments poured out upon the earth, including Armageddon (see Rev. 8–9, 11, 16), which eventually lead to the utter overthrow of Babylon (see 17–18) and make way for the second coming of him who is King of kings and Lord of lords (see 19). Immediately following that, John sees Satan bound and Christ reigning for a thousand years (see 20:1–6), a last great battle between the forces of righteousness and evil (see 20:7–10), and the final judgment (see 20:11–15). Finally, a new heaven and a new earth are brought forth. (See 21:1–22:5.)

Teaching Interludes

Not everything fits quite so neatly into this chronological line, however. For example, the war in heaven, which took place before the earth was formed, is shown among the events of the seventh seal. (See Rev. 12:7–9.) Also among the events of the seventh seal is a passage that Latter–day Saints have interpreted to refer to the restoration of the gospel, which actually took place in the sixth seal. (See 14:6–7.) How do we explain these seeming anachronisms?

As one studies the book, it becomes clear that there are places in the chronological flow where the Lord pauses to teach us important information before moving on. A teacher may do this as he moves through a lecture, pausing in his logical development to say, “Now, before we go further, I need to make sure you understand something.” Such teaching interludes seem to apply to John’s vision. For example:

1. The joy of those who are saved. (Rev. 7:9–17.) Before launching into a grim description of the judgments, John sees an innumerable company of the righteous—a powerful reminder that not all on earth will be wicked and will suffer God’s judgments.

2. The “little book” interlude. (Rev. 10:1–11.) In the midst of a vivid description of the great battle of Armageddon, there is another pause. An angel gives John a little book to eat, which we learn is a symbol of John’s ministry. (See D&C 77:14.) Since the Apostle was translated and was to live through all the events he saw, the Lord seems to pause to show him what part he will have in all of it.

3. The “kingdoms” interlude. (Rev. 12–14.) This is the longest and perhaps the most difficult interlude to understand. The three chapters seem to comprise an overview of mankind’s history from the premortal existence to the Second Coming, as it pertains to the kingdoms of the Lamb (Jesus Christ) and the dragon (Satan). When John hears that the kingdoms of the world are to become the kingdoms of Christ (see 11:15), it is as though the Lord stops to teach more about these two different classes of kingdoms.

First, we see the woman and the man child to whom she gives birth, then we see a great red dragon ready to devour the child. (See JST Rev. 12:1–4.) In verse 7 of the Joseph Smith Translation, we learn that the woman is the church of God, who brings forth the kingdom of God and Christ. We also see that Satan’s opposition to the work of Christ’s kingdom is implacable and, in fact, began in the war in heaven before the earth was formed. (See JST Rev. 12:6–8.)

Then we learn that Satan’s kingdom also has two aspects: the beast that has seven heads and ten horns (see Rev. 13:1–10) and the beast that causes men to worship the first beast (see 13:11–14). Revelation 17:9–12 tells us that the heads and horns are kings, while Revelation 16:13 calls the second beast “the false prophet.” Both the Lamb and the dragon then manifest their power through the political kingdom (the child; the first beast) and the ecclesiastical kingdom (the woman; the second beast).

Eventually, the Lamb’s kingdom shall prevail when Christ shall stand on Mt. Zion with the faithful who have been sealed by the powers that angelic ministration has restored to the earth. (See Rev. 14:1–7.) The triumph of Christ’s kingdom will cause the downfall of Satan’s kingdom. (See 14:8–11.)

24      Another interlude that recounts the joy of those who are saved, similar to the first. (Rev. 15.)

The Book of Revelation Shall Be Unfolded

If we diligently use the keys that the Lord has given us to interpret the book of Revelation, it can truly become a book of revelation for us. As Moroni wrote:

“And then [in the days when the Lord has restored the covenant] shall my revelations which I have caused to be written by my servant John be unfolded in the eyes of all the people. Remember, when ye see these things, ye shall know that the time is at hand that they shall be made manifest in very deed.” (Ether 4:16.)

Gerald N. Lund, a zone administrator in the Church Educational System, is on the Youth Correlation Review Committee for the Church and also teaches Sunday School in his Bountiful, Utah, ward.

Latter-day Revelation and the Book of Revelation

 

Latter-day Revelation

Examples of how latter-day revelation helps us better understand the book of Revelation

Book of Revelation references

Latter-day revelation references

D&C 77

Doctrine and Covenants 77 gives the meaning of the sealed book and the opening of its seals.

Rev. 5:1–5

D&C 77:6–7

 

The four angels mentioned in Revelation are angels of the Restoration.

Rev. 7:1

D&C 77:8

 

All the events of chapter 9 immediately precede the second coming of Christ.

Rev. 9

D&C 77:13

Joseph Smith Translation

The seven stars in the Savior’s hand are actually leaders of the seven churches.

Rev. 1:16, 20

JST Rev. 1:20

 

The imagery of seven associated with the Lamb is changed to twelve, suggesting the role of the Twelve Apostles in the work of Christ.

Rev. 5:6

JST Rev. 5:6

 

The woman and the man represent the kingdom of God and the Church of Jesus Christ

Rev. 12:1–2, 4–5

JST Rev. 12:3, 7

 

The beast of Revelation 13 is in “the likeness of the kingdoms of the earth.”

Rev. 13:1

JST Rev. 13:1

Other Latter-day Scripture

The sea of glass John saw represents the earth in its celestialized state. The earth will be like a huge Urim and Thummim to the Lord and to the earth’s inhabitants.

Rev. 4:6

D&C 130:7–9

 

The white stone mentioned by John is a personal Urim and Thummim given to each individual.

Rev. 2:17

D&C 130:10–11

 

The iron rod mentioned in the vision is the word of God.

Rev. 2:27; 12:5

1 Ne. 11:25

 

Mt. Zion, on which the Lamb will stand with 144,000, refers to the New Jerusalem.

Rev. 14:1

D&C 84:2

 

The woman fleeing to the wilderness is the Church during the great apostasy.

Rev. 12:6

D&C 86:3

Writings and Sermons of the Prophets

The Prophet Joseph Smith’s sermon on the meaning of the beasts in Revelation helps us with several passages.

Rev. 4:6–9; 5:8–9; 13:1–8

Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp. 287–94

 

 

 

 

 

Elder Bruce R. McConkie gave seven keys for interpreting the book of Revelation and numerous suggestions on how to better understand it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Understanding the book of Revelation,” Ensign, Sept. 1975, pp. 85–89

 

 

 

 

Book of Revelation 1:9-3:22 (Act 1)

The Church in John’s Day

October 25, 2007

 

Bruce’s father passed away a week ago and he thanked those who expressed their condolences.  He lived a great life and was constantly doing his best to build up the kingdom.

The Revelation of St. John

      While exiled on the isle of Patmos, John received a revelation from God concerning the Church in his day and the future of the Church in the last days. When he recorded the revelation, he used Moses’ Tabernacle as the stage and backdrop. The revelation can be viewed as a play in seven acts with each act having seven scenes. Each act begins with a description of the stage setting from Moses’ Tabernacle. The following is an outline of John’s Revelation that views the revelation as a play on the stage of the Tabernacle.

Introduction and salutation to the seven churches, 1:1-8

ACT 1: The Church in John’s Day, 1:9 – 3:22
        Setting : The high-priest standing in the midst of the seven-branched hundering (menorah), 1:9-20. (The hundering represents the seven churches in John’s day and the high priest represents Christ.)

    Scene 1: The faithful but passionless church (Ephesus), 2:1-7.
    Scene 2: The persecuted church (Smyrna), 2:8-11.
    Scene 3: The tolerant-of-pagan worship church (Pergamos), 2:12-17.
    Scene 4: The compromising-with-worldly-ways church (Thyatira), 2:18-29.
    Scene 5: The spiritually dead church (Sardis), 3:1-6.
    Scene 6: The spiritually alive church (Philadelphia), 3:7-13.
    Scene 7: The lukewarm church (Laodicea), 3:14-22.

JOHN WAS IN THE SPIRIT ON THE LORD'S DAY (1:9-10A)

 

 John experienced tribulations and was banished to the Isle of Patmos for preaching the gospel. As a preface to his vision of the Lord (1:10b-16), John explains, he "was in the Spirit on the Lord's day."

 

 Rev. 1:9-10a

 

9 I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.

 

10a I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day,

 

NOTES AND COMMENTARY

 

1:9 your brother, and companion in tribulation. John was a brother in the gospel (19:10; 22:9) and he, like other Church members (6:11; 12:10), suffered the trials and tribulations of mortality and of membership in the Lord's kingdom.

 

patience of Jesus Christ. The word patience is found seven times in Revelation (1:9; 2:2-3, 19; 3:10; 13:10; 14:12), each time speaking of the Saint's endurance of trials and tribulation. The New English Bible gives a helpful alternative reading: "I, John, your brother, who share with you in the suffering and the sovereignty and the endurance which is ours in Jesus . . ."

 

isle that is called Patmos. The Isle of Patmos was an island among the Sporades, which are islands in the Aegean Sea. It was used as a place of banishment. John suggests two reasons why he was banished to Patmos: for preaching "the word of God" and for bearing "testimony of Jesus Christ."

 

1:10a I was in the Spirit. Lehi was similarly "overcome with the Spirit, [and] was carried away in a vision" (1 Ne. 1:8), and Ezekiel testified, "The spirit lifted me up, and took me away" (Ezek. 3:14). Being "in the Spirit" seems to be both a prerequisite and a vehicle for receiving a vision from God. Today we might describe this state as "being filled with the Spirit," although the instances spoken of in scripture probably involve being filled with the Spirit to a greater degree than we commonly experience or contemplate. See commentary on 17:3.

 

on the Lord's day. This phrase most likely refers to the Sabbath.

 

JOHN'S VISION OF CHRIST IN THE TEMPLE IN HEAVEN (1:10B-16)

 

 John beholds and describes the glorious, resurrected Jesus Christ. He first sees seven golden candlesticks, representing the seven churches (1:20). That is followed by a vision of Jesus himself, who is described with images that recall a burning candlestick or lampstand: Jesus' eyes ("as a flame of fire") and his feet ("as if they burned in a furnace") recall the fire of the lampstand; his feet ("like unto fine brass") recall the metal of the lampstand; the "white," mentioned twice, and Jesus' countenance, which is "as the sun shining in his strength," are comparable to the brightness of the burning lampstand, which may have the appearance of a bright, white, burning light. That Jesus is in the "midst of the seven candlesticks," or the seven churches, provides comfort to his Saints, who know that the Lord visits his church and spends time among his people.

 

John's vision of Christ appears to take place in the celestial kingdom, or, more specifically, "the temple which is in heaven" (14:17). The most definitive single source on the heavenly temple is recorded in the Revelation of John, where the backdrop for much of John's apocalyptic vision was the temple in heaven. John's experience with the heavenly temple began with an ablutionary rite of approach (1:5-6), in which the apostle was washed in the blood of Jesus and made a king and a priest. Then, while John was "in the Spirit on the Lord's day" (1:10), he found himself standing before the seven golden lampstands (1:12), suggesting the candlestick with "seven lamps" (Ex. 26:37) that in the days of the Mosaic tabernacle was located in the "holy place" of the tabernacle (Ex. 26:33-35). John's observation of the seven lampstands shifted into a divine vision of the glorified Jesus (1:13-18), and the symbol of the Lord (the lampstand) actually became that which was symbolized (the Lord). In Rev. 4:1, John beholds an open door in heaven that led from the Holy Place to the celestial Holy of Holies, or the throne room of God.29

 

The prophets Daniel, in the book of Daniel, and Joseph Smith, in the Doctrine and Covenants, also received visions of the Savior and used language similar to that of John's in Revelation to describe those visions (see Table 1).

 

Table 1

 

 Source

 

John (Rev. 1:13-16)                                                              Daniel (Dan. 10:5-6)                            Joseph Smith (D&C 110:2-4)

 

Identity

 

One like unto the Son of man                                                 a certain man                                           the Lord

 

Vesture

 

Clothed with a garment down to the foot                                             clothed in linen                                          no comment

 

Girdle

 

And girt about the paps with a golden girdle                        whose loins were girded with                  no comment

                                                                                               fine gold Of Uphaz

Head

 

His head and his hairs were white like wool,                        his face as the appearance                      the hair of his head was white

as white as snow                                                                  of lightning                                                like the pure snow

 

Countenance

 

His countenance was as the sun [shining] in his strength     no comment                                             his countenance shone above  

                                                                                                                                                                 The brightness of the sun     

Eyes

 

and his eyes were as a flame of fire                                     his eyes as lamps of fire                        his eyes were as a flame of                               

                                                                                                                                                                fire

Feet

 

And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned                his arms and his feet like in                     under his feet was a paved

In a furnace                                                                             colour to polished brass                         work of pure gold, in color

                                                                                                                                                                like amber                                               

Voice

 

his voice as the sound of many waters                                 the voice of his words like                      his voice was as the sound

                                                                                                the voice of a multitude                           of the rushing of great waters

 

 

 

 Revelation 1:10b-16

 

10b and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet,

 

11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.

 

12 And I turned to see [from whence] the voice [came]30 that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;

 

13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.

 

14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;

 

15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.

 

16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword: and his countenance was as the sun [shining]31 in his strength.

 

NOTES AND COMMENTARY

 

1:10b great voice. The great, or distinctive, voice belongs to Jesus.

 

as of a trumpet. The word as occurs some fifty-six times in Revelation, usually to introduce a symbol. Here the symbol is "a trumpet." The voice of the Lord is as distinctive as the sound of a trumpet, an instrument that is used to awaken, herald, proclaim, and call to arms. In a corresponding manner, Alma the Younger wished that he could "speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth" (Alma 29:1).

 

1:11 I am Alpha and Omega/first and . . . last. Jesus identifies himself to John. For a description of these titles, see commentary on 1:8.

 

write in a book. The present-day text of Revelation consists of twenty-two chapters. The text of Revelation, possibly written upon a papyrus scroll, may have extended some twelve feet. John is commanded eight times in Revelation to "write," or record what he is given.

 

seven churches. See commentary on 1:4.

 

1:12 I turned to see. John, while "in the Spirit," seems to have been transported to the heavenly temple's counterpart of the earthly temple's "holy place" (Ex. 26:33), where the sacred lampstand was found. Expecting to see the one who spoke to him, John turns; first he sees seven golden candlesticks, and then he beholds Jesus Christ "in the midst of the seven candlesticks."

 

the voice . . . that spake with me. The voice belongs to Jesus, identified in the preceding verse.

 

seven golden candlesticks. The candlesticks represent the "seven churches" (see commentary on 1:20).

 

1:13 in the midst of the seven candlesticks. John sees Christ in "the midst of the seven candlesticks," meaning the "seven churches" (1:20). This symbolism suggests that Christ visits his church and spends time with the righteous. Christ taught, "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them" (Matt. 18:20) and "Lo, I am with you alway" (Matt. 28:20; see also 2 Cor. 6:16).

 

one like unto the Son of man. John sees Jesus, the "Son of man." Similar phraseology is found elsewhere: Daniel saw "one like the Son of man" (Dan. 7:13; see also Dan. 3:25) John beheld a "white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man" (14:14); and Abraham recorded that in the premortal council "the Lord said: Whom shall I send? And one answered like unto the Son of Man: Here am I, send me" (Abr. 3:27). Many versions of the Bible indicate that John saw "one like a son of man" (NEB, NIV, RSV), meaning "a being who looked like a man" (GNB).

 

The book of Moses enlightens us regarding Jesus' sacred title, "Son of Man." Moses 6:57 states that in the "language of Adam," God the Father is named "Man of Holiness" and "the name of his Only Begotten is the Son of Man, even Jesus Christ." Thus "Son of Man" is a shortened form of "Son of Man of Holiness."

 

clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. In this vision the resurrected Lord appears in the vestments that symbolically suggest both a priest and a king, wearing a robe and a golden girdle (Ex. 28:4;  39:29). 32 The word paps is an archaic word meaning "breasts." The word girdle could be translated "sash." The New International Version renders this passage as "dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest."

 

1:14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow. White is a symbol of light, purity, and triumph; therefore, John sees the Lord in brilliant glory. The word wool recalls Jesus as the Lamb of God, who was sacrificed for our sins.

 

eyes . . . as a flame of fire. (See also 2:18; 19:12.) Eyes can represent knowledge (D&C 77:4) and here may specifically refer to God's omniscience and ability to penetrate all things. "Flame of fire" describes his brilliant glory. Joseph Smith described Jesus similarly: "His eyes were as a flame of fire" (D&C 110:3).

 

1:15 feet like unto fine brass. "Fine brass" suggests beauty and permanence (see also Ezek. 1:7; Dan. 10:6). John beholds the Lord's great glory and beauty, from the head to the feet.

 

voice as the sound of many waters. The voice of the Lord is as "many waters" (see also Ezek. 43:2), "as the sound of the rushing of great waters" (D&C 110:3), "like the noise of great waters" (Ezek. 1:24), "as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder" (D&C 133:22), and "like the voice of a multitude" (Dan. 10:6). These expressions seem to describe the power, authority, uniqueness, and intensity that exists in the Lord's voice.

 

Of course, sometimes the Lord's voice comes much more quietly, though still with great power. To the Nephite Saints gathered at the temple of Bountiful, the voice of God "was not a harsh voice, neither was it a loud voice; nevertheless, and notwithstanding it being a small voice it did pierce them that did hear to the center, insomuch that there was no part of their frame that it did not cause to quake; yea, it did pierce them to the very soul, and did cause their hearts to burn" (3 Ne. 11:3).

 

1:16 right hand. "The right hand of God is associated with righteousness (Ps. 48:10; Isa. 41:10), power (Ex. 15:6; Ps. 89:13), and covenant making (Isa. 62:8). With his right hand, the Lord executes justice (3 Ne. 29:4,  9), dispenses the law (Deut. 33:2), and saves his people (Ps. 17:7;  20:6) created the heavens and the earth (Isa. 48:13). After the divine judgment, the righteous will dwell eternally at the right hand of God (Mosiah 26:23-24; D&C 29:27)." 33

 

seven stars. These stars are the "seven servants [or leaders] of the seven churches" (1:20). The "seven stars," or servants in his right hand, indicate that they are in God's special protection and are under his direction. The stars in Jesus' right hand may also show that he has perfect, or complete ("seven"), power and dominion over the cosmos and all his creations.

 

out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword. The "two-edged sword" is the word of God (D&C 6:2; Rev. 2:12,  16;  19:15). According to Paul, "The word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than a two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart" (Heb. 4:12). Why is the word of God like a sword with two cutting edges (two-edged), rather than single edged? Because God's word is extremely powerful, able to pierce the very soul.

 

his countenance was as the sun [shining] in his strength. Christ's glory is greater than the noonday sun (Mal. 4:2; Matt. 17:2). His servants are compared to the stars (1:20), which pale in comparison.

 

 JOHN FEARS, AND JESUS COMFORTS HIM (1:17-19)

 

Upon seeing the Lord, John falls at his feet with fear (1:17). Jesus lays his right hand on him and identifies himself as the resurrected Lord: "I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore" (1:18). Jesus then commands John to write about the vision (1:19; 1:11).

 

 Rev. 1:17-19

 

17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:

 

18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

 

19 Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter.

 

NOTES AND COMMENTARY

 

1:17 I saw him. John bears witness that he saw the Lord in the heavenly temple. Similarly, Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon testified, "For we saw him" (D&C 76:23). Many other prophets have so testified—and the righteous may see him in his earthly temple (D&C 97:16;  110:8).

 

I fell. Perhaps John falls because he feels great reverence for the Lord, or maybe he falls because he feels great awe and fear at being in the presence of such a great and glorious heavenly being. Other prophets have felt compelled to fall on their faces, including Abraham (Gen. 17:3), Joshua (Josh. 5:14), Peter, James, and John (Matt. 17:6), the brother of Jared (Ether 3:6), and the Nephite multitude (3 Ne. 11:12).

 

he laid his right hand upon me. Like the comforting hand of a loving parent upon a troubled child, the divine hand, accompanied with the words "Fear not," still John's fear. A similar event is recorded in Matthew's account of the three apostles on the Mount of Transfiguration, in which it is recorded that Peter, James, and John "fell on their face, and were sore afraid"; but Jesus touched them and said, "Arise, and be not afraid" (Matt. 17:6-7).

 

right hand. See commentary on 1:16.

 

I am the first and the last. See commentary on 1:8.

 

1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; . . . I am alive for evermore. These three statements speak of Christ's postmortal power, the life that he has in himself, and his exaltation.

 

keys of hell and of death. To possess keys is to have power, authority, and the right of presidency (3:7; 9:1; Matt. 16:19). Jesus has presiding authority over death and hell, meaning over the grave and the spirit world. Hence, he has complete power over all who inhabit the spirit world, including the hosts of evil beings. He has power to bring forth the Resurrection and to redeem us from hell (2 Ne. 9:10-13). 34

 

1:19 Write. John is commanded to write about the things that he sees in the vision (see commentary on 1:11). Six centuries earlier Nephi learned that "the Lord God hath ordained [John] the apostle of the Lamb of God" to write his vision (see 1 Ne. 14:24-27).

 

things which thou hast seen. This phrase may refer to John's vision of the resurrected Christ (1:12-18).

 

things which are. This phrase may refer to John's vision of the seven churches, which were historically contemporary (see commentary on 1:4).

 

things which shall be hereafter. This phrase may refer to Rev. 4 through 22, a great prophecy that pertains to things that would exist in the future (note the pivotal "after this" [4:1] which separates Rev. 1 through 3 from the remaining chapters). Joseph Smith declared, "John had the curtains of heaven withdrawn, and by vision looked through the dark vista of future ages, and contemplated events that should transpire throughout every subsequent period of time, until the final winding up scene."35

 

THE MYSTERY OF THE SEVEN STARS AND SEVEN CANDLE-STICKS (1:20)

 

Many of the symbols of the book of Revelation are explained within the book of Revelation itself. Here we are enlightened concerning the meaning of the seven stars and the seven candlesticks.

 

 Rev. 1:20

 

20 [This is]36 the mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the [servants]37 of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

 

NOTES AND COMMENTARY

 

1:20 mystery of the seven stars. "The seven stars are the servants," or leaders, "of the seven churches."

 

right hand. See commentary on 1:16.

 

seven golden candlesticks. The candlesticks represent the seven churches (see commentary on 1:4). They are not the light that shines, for Jesus is the light. Rather, the churches are the branches, or supports, that hold up the light to the world. As Jesus explained to the righteous Nephites: "Therefore, hold up your light that it may shine unto the world. Behold I am the light which ye shall hold up, that which ye have seen me do" (3 Ne. 18:24).

 

 

(Donald W. Parry and Jay A. Parry, Understanding the Book of Revelation [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1998], 17.)

 

(Revelation 1:13-18.) – The appearance of Christ before John.  Each letter has a description of Christ.

 

13 And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.

 

14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;

 

15 And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters.

 

16 And he had in his right hand seven stars: and out of his mouth went a sharp twoedged sword: and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his strength.

 

17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:

 

18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.

 

The righteous in each city receive specific promises and blessings, these promises are given to any member who overcomes.  Together they make a Celestial pattern.

Ephesus – Partake of the Tree of Life

Smyrna – Are not hurt of the Second Death

Pergamos – Receive Hidden Manna, a White Stone, and a new name

Thyatira – Power over kingdoms

Sardis – Clothed in a White Raiment

Philadelphia – Dwell in a Heavenly Temple

Laodicea – Sit upon the Throne of Jesus

The seven churches could represent all of the Christian churches in Asia Minor (complete = 7)

Lehi’s dream is another representation of those who follow truth.  Just like this vision of John.  If you keep pressing forward you will make it to the tree.

 

(Matthew 22:35-40.) – 1st love of God, 2nd love your neighbor.  Everything fits under these 2 commandments.  These give you motive to act, self is not an issue.  However, you must first have a relationship right with God before you help others, like Enoch, Enos etc.  Spiritual rebirth is this process, to reconcile you with God.  He and His kingdom are 1st, this is our first love.

35 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,

 

36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

 

37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

 

38 This is the first and great commandment.

 

39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy hunderi as thyself.

 

40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

 

The Ephesians’ saints lost their 1st love, they do the service without the Spirit, routine and habit is how they operate.  What are your motives to go to church do HT etc?  These 2 commandments are my motive to act.  If not, then I am now guilty of idolatry, I am serving another God, the God of routine, and the God of convenience, whatever.  I better be careful to put God 1st.  Regularly check my motives; the point of sacrament is to put God back as the motive for my actions.  If my motives aren’t right then change them.  Put your heart and mind in the right place.  As long as we are in mortality we are in the realm of improvement.

The saints of Smyrna were persecuted because they would not worship the Roman emperor as a God.  Polycarp lived in this major city and eventually became its Bishop in his later years.  He was killed because of his beliefs.  You are going to die, but be faithful to the end.  There are worse things than death, living with a guilty conscience, recanting the truth and living with that!  Avoid the 2nd death, Lehi’s dream; the ones who partook of the fruit and fell away were the worst group!  Don’t worry; I hold the keys of life and death.  This letter must have been a great comfort to Polycarp.

TO THE CHURCH IN EPHESUS: THE RIGHTEOUS PARTAKE OF THE TREE OF LIFE (2:1-7)

 

The letters to the seven churches have a threefold application. First, the letters were likely sent to the seven churches of Asia, which may have been under the jurisdiction of the apostle John himself; hence, each letter contains information that fits a local and historical context.

 

Second, the number seven symbolically indicates completion or wholeness and thus has meaning for the entire church of Christ. Thus the contents of all seven letters apply to all Saints of all ages subsequent to the time of John’s book of Revelation. Certainly the problems and challenges set forth in the letters are experienced by God’s people in all ages, and the promises and rewards in the letters are directed to all Church members.

 

Third, the seven letters are personalized and directed to each member of the Church, regardless of geographical locale or dispensation. Note the many second-person personal pronouns—“thou,” “thee,” and “thy”—in the seven letters and the individual expressions “he that hath an ear” or “to him that overcometh.” (A chart outlining the letters to the seven churches and their contents is contained in Appendix 4.)

 

The Lord, through John, is the author of the letter to the servant of the Church of Ephesus. Presumably the servant, a presiding authority, received the letter and read it to members of his congregation. The Lord commends the community of Saints for their faithful labor, patience during persecution and tribulation, and for hating the evil works of the Nicolaitans. He is also aware that the Saints cannot tolerate evil and that they successfully tested and then revealed false apostles who were among them. But the Church members need to repent for leaving their “first love.”

 

Jesus Christ promises those who are spiritually alert (“he that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith”) and who overcome the world that they will be permitted to partake of the fruit of the tree of life and become exalted souls.

 

 Rev. 2:1-7

 

1 Unto the [servant] 1 of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;

 

2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:

 

3 And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast hunder, and hast not fainted.

 

4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

 

5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.

 

6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

 

7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

 

NOTES AND COMMENTARY

 

2:1 [servant] of the church of Ephesus. The servant is the ecclesiastical leader of the Saints in Ephesus, which was a major city of Asia Minor, now called Turkey. The city of approximately 250,000 residents had a theater, library, paved streets (the main road was lined with impressive columns), and baths. Ephesus was the center for the imperial cult, and one of its three temples, the temple of Diana (Artemis to the Greeks), was one of the seven wonders of the world. That temple, which contained an image of the goddess Diana, “whom all Asia and the world worshippeth” (Acts 19:27), was an impressive architectural structure, with intricate ornamentation, the finest Greek art, and one hundred marble columns (fifty-five feet high). The temple stood on a huge platform that covered approximately one hundred thousand square feet, which is the size of two American football fields.

 

Paul visited Ephesus during his third missionary journey and remained there for two years, preaching the gospel to both Jews and Greeks (Acts 19:8,  10). He later returned to Ephesus and preached repentance, prophesied, and stated, “I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears” (Acts 20:31). One of Paul’s epistles (Ephesians) is addressed to the Saints of Ephesus.

 

He that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand. This person is Jesus, as we see in John’s description of the resurrected Christ: “And he had in his right hand seven stars” (1:16).

 

Who walketh in the midst of the . . . candlesticks. The language of this passage recalls 1:13: “And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man.”

 

2:2 I know thy works. This phrase, given to all seven churches (2:9, 13, 19; 3:1, 8, 15), speaks concerning the Lord’s omniscience. The scriptures bear witness that God “knoweth all things, and there is not anything save he knows it” (2 Ne. 9:20). D&C 38:1-2 similarly states: “Thus saith the Lord your God, even Jesus Christ, the Great I AM, Alpha and Omega . . . The same which knoweth all things, for all things are present before mine eyes.”

 

The Lord has full knowledge of the deeds—good and evil—of all who belong to the seven churches. He knows their labor and patience and how they tried the false apostles. He is fully aware of their tribulation and poverty (2:9); he comprehends “where Satan’s seat is” and knows Antipas who was martyred for the faith (2:13); he understands the charity, service, and faith of the Saints (2:19); and he recognizes that some of the Saints are lukewarm rather than cold or hot (3:15).

 

Thou canst not bear them which are evil. The Lord commends the Saints for avoiding the wicked.

 

Thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not. The false apostles mentioned here may be the apostates from within (“of your own selves”) of which Paul had warned the elders of Ephesus: “After my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them” (Acts 20:29-30). Paul encountered false apostles on other occasions (2 Cor. 11:13-14,  22-28).

 

The Lord established means for his ancient church to judge and prove those who claimed to be apostles. In our dispensation, he revealed: “For it shall come to pass that the inhabitants of Zion shall judge all things pertaining to Zion. And liars and hypocrites shall be proved by them, and they who are not apostles and prophets shall be known” (D&C 64:38-39).

 

2:3 hast borne, and hast patience. The Ephesian Saints bore many tribulations and much persecution and yet remained patient, looking forward to victory over evil and eternal life.

 

For my name’s sake hast hunder, and hast not fainted. The Saints never tire of serving and ministering to their sisters and brothers in Christ’s name. Nephi was a great example of this characteristic, for he “with unwearyingness declared the word” of God to his people (Hel. 10:4).

 

2:4-5 I have somewhat against thee . . . hast left thy first love. The Lord condemns the Church members here because they have abandoned their original love for him and for their sisters and brothers in the gospel. Biblical scholar Krodel writes, “Without love toward God, toward brothers and sisters, a church ceases to be a church in spite of its commendable orthodoxy and brave endurance of hardships.”2 Because those in the Church have left their first love, they are “fallen” and commanded to “repent, and do the first works” by regaining their lost love of Christ.

 

2:5 I will come unto thee quickly. This expression, repeated several times in Revelation (2:16; 3:11; 22:7, 12, 20) and in the Doctrine and Covenants (D&C 33:18; 34:12; 35:27; 39:24; 49:28; 68:35; 88:126), warns us to be prepared always for the coming of the Lord, which will occur speedily.

 

The expression often accompanies statements of comfort and information, such as these: “I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of . . . this book” (22:7); “I come quickly; and my reward is with me” (22:12); “the kingdom is yours until I come. Behold, I come quickly” (D&C 35:27) and “I will be your ruler when I come; and behold, I come quickly” (D&C 41:4). Also it frequently is found with admonitions such as these: “Be patient in tribulation until I come; and, behold, I come quickly” (D&C 54:10) “Pray always, that ye may not faint, until I come. Behold, and lo, I will come quickly” (D&C 88:126) and “Be faithful until I come, for I come quickly” (D&C 112:34).

 

I . . . will remove thy candlestick. This candlestick represents the church at Ephesus (1:20). If the Saints do not repent for leaving their first love (1:4), the Lord will remove them from their place. Elder Bruce R. McConkie taught, “Any congregation of saints which is not true and faithful shall lose its place in the true Church.”3

 

2:6 hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans. God commends the Church for hating the evil deeds of the Nicolaitans, because he hates their deeds, as well. The Nicolaitans “appear to have been characterized by sensuality, seducing Christians to participate in the idolatrous feasts of pagans, and to unchastity. . . . The Nicolaitans taught that, in order to master sensuality, one must know the whole range of it by experience; and that he should therefore abandon himself without reserve to the lusts of the body, since they concerned only the body and did not touch the spirit.”4

 

Elder Bruce R. McConkie explained that the Nicolaitans were “members of the Church who were trying to maintain their church standing while continuing to live after the manner of the world. They must have had some specific doctrinal teachings which they used to justify their course. . . . Whatever their particular deeds and doctrines were, the designation [Nicolaitans] has come to be used to identify those who want their names on the records of the Church, but do not want to devote themselves to the gospel cause with full purpose of heart. Thus, on July 8, 1838, the Lord said: `Let my servant Newel K. Whitney be ashamed of the Nicolaitane band and of all their secret abominations’ (D&C 117:11).” 5

 

2:7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith. Those who have the spiritual ears to understand God’s messages declared by the Holy Spirit will do so. The subject is singular, for the injunction is directed to each individual with spiritual ears. This injunction is repeated seven times in the letters to the seven churches (2:11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22; 13:9).

 

To him that overcometh. This phrase also is directed to each individual who overcomes the world. It is found seven times in the letters to the seven churches (2:11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22; 13:9).

 

Individuals overcome Satan and the wicked world by being faithful (D&C 61:9;  63:20), believing that “Jesus is the Son of God” (1 Jn. 5:5), obeying the commandments (D&C 50:35), and being “born of God” (1 Jn. 5:4). Those who overcome will “eat of the tree of life” (2:7), “not be hurt of the second death” (2:11), “eat of the hidden manna” and receive “a white stone and . . . a new name” (2:17), receive “power over [many kingdoms]” (2:26), “be clothed in white raiment” (3:5), become “a pillar” in the celestial temple, and receive God’s name (3:12). In short, individuals who overcome evil will inherit eternal life.

 

Eat of the tree of life. Because of their transgression, Adam and Eve became mortal and were forbidden access to the tree of life (Gen. 3:22). Through the atonement of Jesus Christ, all who overcome death receive the promise and blessing to “eat of the tree of life,” meaning the consequences of the fall of Adam have been overturned. Humanity will receive immortality, and the righteous will gain eternal life and “enter in through the gates” of the celestial kingdom (22:14).

 

TO THE CHURCH IN SMYRNA: THE RIGHTEOUS ARE NOT HURT OF THE SECOND DEATH (2:8-11)

 

The Lord, described as “the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive,” is the author of the letter to the servant of the Church in Smyrna. The letter features many contrasting elements: “the first” and “the last,” “dead” and “alive,” “poverty” and “rich,” they which “say they are Jews” but “are not,” and “death” and “crown of life.” These contrasts emphasize that Church members will suffer and receive tribulations during mortality but will ultimately, if they are faithful, be crowned with eternal life.

 

This is the shortest of the seven letters and, like the letter to the Saints in Philadelphia; it contains no condemnation of the Saints.

 

 Rev. 2:8-11

 

8 And unto the [servant] 6 of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;

 

9 I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.

 

10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

 

11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

 

NOTES AND COMMENTARY

 

2:8 [servant] of the church in Smyrna. The servant is the ecclesiastical leader of the Saints in Smyrna, which was a prosperous commercial center thirty-five miles north of Ephesus. It had at least two temples, one dedicated to the goddess Roma and the other built in honor of the Emperor Tiberius. Smyrna is now called Izmir and is a large city in present-day Turkey.

 

The first and the last. See commentary on 1:4, 8.

 

Which was dead, and is alive. See commentary on 1:4, 18.

 

2:9 I know thy works. See commentary on 2:2.

 

I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not. The word translated “blasphemy” may also be translated as “slanderous accusations” (JB). One commentator explains: “The Jews of Smyrna may have called themselves the synagogue of God. John denounced them with bitter irony as a synagogue of Satan, because Satan, the devil, in the form of Roman authorities, uses Jewish slander to throw some Christians of Smyrna into prison.”7 (See also Rom. 9:6; 2 Ne. 30:1-2.)

 

2:10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer. In verses 9 and 10, the terms “tribulation,” “poverty,” “suffer,” “tried,” “tribulation,” and “death” represent our mortal suffering and experience. The letter to the church in Smyrna contrasts these terms with the promise of life (“crown of life”) and power over the second death in verses 10 and 11.

 

Devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried. Public authorities, while hearkening to the voice of the devil, will cast some of the Saints of Smyrna into prison.

 

Ye shall have tribulation ten days. The period “ten days” denotes a time of testing or of probation (Dan. 1:12, 14), such as mortality. This number contrasts with such scriptural terms as “eternity,” “everlasting,” and “forever.” The Saints will be tested for a short period (ten days) compared to the length of eternity.

 

Thou faithful unto death. This expression is synonymous with the wellknown phrase “endure to the end” (1 Ne. 13:37; D&C 14:7).

 

I will give thee a crown of life. The crown of life is the crown of “honor, immortality, and eternal life” (D&C 124:55), which is reserved for each one who “endureth temptation” and loves the Lord (James 1:12), who has faith and[“work[s] righteousness” (D&C 20:14), and who is “faithful unto the end” (D&C 81:6; see also D&C 66:12).

 

2:11 He that hath an ear. See commentary on 2:7.

 

He that overcometh. See commentary on 2:7.

 

Not be hurt of the second death. John tells us who will receive the second death, and then he defines it: “The fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death” (21:8; see also Jacob 3:11; D&C 63:17). The Book of Mormon calls the second death a “spiritual death,” meaning to “die as to things pertaining unto righteousness” (Alma 12:16; Hel. 14:18). Spiritual death is also defined as separation from God (D&C 29:41). Here, the Lord promises us that if we overcome the world and evil, we will not be hurt by the second death.

 

TO THE CHURCH IN PERGAMOS: THE RIGHTEOUS RECEIVE HIDDEN MANNA, A WHITE STONE, AND A NEW NAME (2:12-17)

 

Church members in Pergamos were persecuted by those who were not Christians, especially members of the pagan community, who accused the Christians of “hatred against the human race,” “atheism,” and advocating a “mischievous superstition.” It was the custom of the persecutors to cry out to the Christians, “Away with the atheists.”8 Further, the Saints were evidently persecuted for refusing to worship pagan idols and were ostracized from social and political functions.

 

Jesus, the author of this letter, commends the Saints for holding fast to his name and refusing to deny the faith, but he criticizes a few for holding to the doctrines of Balaam and the Nicolaitans, which doctrines teach idolatry and sexual sin. He commands such to repent.

 

To those who overcome the world, Jesus promises “hidden manna,” a “white stone,” and a “new name.”

 

 Rev. 2:12-17

 

12 And to the [servant]9 of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;

 

13 I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.

 

14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.

 

15 So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.

 

16 Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.

 

17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

 

NOTES AND COMMENTARY

 

2:12 [servant] of the church in Pergamos. The servant is the ecclesiastical leader of the Saints in Pergamos (or Pergamum), which was in Asia Minor, or present-day Turkey. This city housed a world-famous library and several temples built in honor of Augustus, Rome, and other deities. One temple was dedicated to Asclepius, the god of healing, and sick people were presented at this temple with the hope of being healed. Another temple, built in honor of Zeus, stood on a hill overlooking the city, and its altar looked like a huge throne sitting upon a hill. Animal sacrifices were offered there day and night as a reminder to onlookers that the temple was extremely significant to the community.

 

He which hath the sharp sword with two edges. It is Christ who has the sharp sword (see commentary on 1:16).

 

2:13 I know thy works. See commentary on 2:2.

 

I know . . . where thou dwellest. Jesus is omniscient (see commentary on 2:2). It must have given the Saints at Pergamos peace of mind and courage in the midst of the persecution to know that God had full knowledge of their lives, their works, and even their place of residence.

 

Where Satan’s seat is . . . where Satan dwelleth. This passage may refer specifically to the enormous altar dedicated to the god Zeus, which had the appearance of a throne and stood on a hill overlooking Pergamos. It may also refer generally to the pagan cults of Athena, Asclepius, Dionysus, and Zeus, in which the power of Satan was manifest through false religious systems that promoted the worship of the emperor as a god. Satan’s throne stands in stark contrast to the exalted and eternal thrones of Christ and God (4:2-4; D&C 76:107-8).

 

Thou holdest fast my name. Apparently Christians who were sentenced to prison or death could save themselves by cursing Christ and worshipping at the emperor’s altar.10 The Lord commends the Saints of Pergamos for confessing his name “before men” (Matt. 10:32-33).

 

Antipas was my faithful martyr. We know little about Antipas, other than that he was a martyr from Pergamos who died for the sake of Jesus and his gospel. See commentary on 6:9.

 

2:14 I have a few things against thee. Although Jesus commends the Saints of Pergamos for[“hold[ing] fast” to his name (2:13), he calls them to repentance for believing the doctrines of Balaam and the Nicolaitans.

 

Doctrine of Balaam. The doctrine of Balaam was to eat things sacrificed unto idols, to commit fornication (Num. 25:1-3), and to engage in priestcrafts. Balaam, the son of Beor, convinced many from Israel to commit fornication with Moabite women and to worship false gods (Num. 31:16) he was also involved in divining for hire with Balak, the king of Moab (Num. 22-24; Deut. 23:4; 2 Pet. 2:15-16; Jude 1:11). After meeting in council in Jerusalem, the early apostles had specifically enjoined the saints to “abstain from meats offered to idols” (Acts 15:6,  29).

 

Balac. This king of Moab (whose name is also spelled Balak) used money to encourage Balaam to curse the children of Israel (Num. 22-24; Josh. 24:9; Judg. 11:25).

 

Eat things sacrificed unto idols. For religious and social reasons the Saints at Pergamos were encouraged by their fellow citizens to eat the meat sacrificed to the idols of the temples of Zeus, Augustus, and Rome. To do so, however, was to practice Balaam’s doctrine (Num. 31:16).

 

Commit fornication. This phrase refers to physical fornication, or sexual sin (9:21), as well as to spiritual fornication, or idolatry (14:8; 17:2, 4; 18:3, 9; 19:2).

 

2:15 doctrine of the Nicolaitans. See commentary on 2:6.

 

2:16 I will come unto thee quickly. See commentary on 2:5.

 

Will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. The sword of God’s mouth is the word of God (see commentary on 1:16). One way that God fights against the wicked “with the sword of [his] mouth” is through his judgments, which are decreed and sent by his word (see Lev. 26:25; Judg. 7:20; Isa. 34:5; Ezek. 14:21; D&C 101:10).

 

2:17 He that hath an ear. See commentary on 2:7.

 

To him that overcometh. See commentary on 2:7.

 

Will I give to eat of the hidden manna. Manna is the food that Israel received from heaven for forty years while they wandered in the wilderness (Ex. 16:15,  35). The hidden manna refers to Jesus, who is the “true bread from heaven” (John 6:32). Jesus said: “I am [the] bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever” (John 6:48-51). Jesus is “hidden,” or unseen and unknown by the wicked, but is revealed to him or her who overcomes.

 

The phrase “hidden manna” may also refer to eternal truths from and about Christ that are revealed only in the temple, “mysteries” given only to those who seek diligently for them (see Matt. 13:11-12; 1 Tim. 3:16; 1 Ne. 2:16;  10:19; Alma 12:9; D&C 76:5-7).

 

Give him a white stone. The white stone is a urim and thummim for each individual who enters the celestial kingdom; written upon this white stone will be a new name. D&C 130:8-11 explains: “The place where God resides is a great Urim and Thummim. This earth, in its sanctified and immortal state, will be made like unto crystal and will be a Urim and Thummim to the inhabitants who dwell thereon, whereby all things pertaining to an inferior kingdom, or all kingdoms of a lower order, will be manifest to those who dwell on it; and this earth will be Christ’s. Then the white stone mentioned in Rev. 2:17, will become a Urim and Thummim to each individual who receives one, whereby things pertaining to a higher order of kingdoms, will be made known; and a white stone is given to each of those who come into the celestial kingdom, whereon is a new name written, which no man knoweth save he that receiveth it. The new name is the key word.”

 

New name. In a different context, Abraham (Gen. 17:5), Sarah (Gen. 17:15), and Jacob (Gen. 32:28) were given new names by the Lord. Isaiah prophesied that Israel would “be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name” (Isa. 62:2;  65:15). God revealed to John that “him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God . . .: and I will write upon him the name of my God . . .: and I will write upon him my new name” (3:12).

 

The new name is written on the white stone that is “given to each of those who come into the celestial kingdom. . . . The new name is the key word.” The new name, similar to the white robe of Rev. 3:5,  6:11, and 7:9, symbolizes a new existence, or a new life.

 

TO THE CHURCH IN THYATIRA: THE RIGHTEOUS WILL HAVE POWER OVER KINGDOMS (2:18-29)

 

Jesus Christ addresses the Church members in Thyatira, declaring that he knows their works (the word works is repeated three times), charity, service, faith, and patience. Notwithstanding their positive behavior, Jesus condemns some of the members for permitting the evil Jezebel to teach fornication and idolatry among them. Jezebel and her followers, if they fail to repent, will die a spiritual death and will be cast into hell. Church members who refuse to follow Jezebel’s teachings are commanded to endure to the end. If such overcome the world, they are promised they will be given “power over many kingdoms,” which they will rule with justice and equity. They are also promised the “morning star.”

 

 Rev. 2:18-29

 

18 And unto the [servant] 11 of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;

 

19 I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first.

 

20 Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.

 

21 And I gave her space to repent of her[fornication[s];12 and she repented not.

 

22 Behold, I will cast her into [hell], 13 and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.

 

23 And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.

 

24 But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden.

 

25 But that which ye have already hold fast till I come.

 

26 And [to him who]14 overcometh, and keepeth my [commandments]15 unto the end, . . .16 will I give power over [many kingdoms];17

 

27 And he shall rule them with [the word of God]; 18 [and they shall be in his hands] 19 as the vessels [of clay in the hands] 20 of a potter; [and he shall govern them by faith, with equity and justice],21 even as I received of my Father.

 

28 And I will give him the morning star.

 

29 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

 

NOTES AND COMMENTARY

 

2:18 [servant] of the church in Thyatira. The servant is the ecclesiastical leader of the Saints in Thyatira, the fourth of seven churches identified in Rev. 2 and 3. Thyatira, a city located in Asia Minor, or modern-day Turkey, was a commercial town of traders and craftsmen who included tanners, potters, bakers, leatherworkers, metal workers, dyers, and wool workers. A temple named after Tyrimnos, or Apollo, the son of Zeus, was an important religious symbol for this community.

 

These things saith the Son of God. Jesus Christ is the author of the revelation.

 

Who hath . . . eyes like unto a flame/feet like . . . brass. The language recalls John’s description of the resurrected Jesus recorded in Rev. 1:14-15. There the Lord is described as having “eyes . . . as a flame of fire, and his feet like unto fine brass.” This passage anticipates another description of Christ’s appearance in 19:12, which states that “his eyes were as a flame of fire.” D&C 110:3 uses the same expression: “His eyes were as a flame of fire.”

 

2:19 I know thy works. See commentary on 2:2.

 

I know thy . . . charity/service/faith/patience. Jesus commends the members of the Church in Thytira for their good works.

 

The last to be more than the first. The Jerusalem Bible reads, “I know how you are still making progress.” The Saints’ spiritual lives are improving and they are becoming better people, unlike the Saints of Ephesus, who have fallen (2:5).

 

2:20 I have a few things against thee. Even though the Lord commends the Saints for their fine works (2:19), he condemns them for permitting a woman called Jezebel to teach false doctrines.

 

Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess. This woman was not Jezebel, the wife of king Ahab, who helped lead Israel to idolatry (2 Kgs. 9:22; 1 Kgs. 16:31-33), although there are points in common between these two individuals. The Jezebel of the church at Thyatira was a false prophetess, who taught false doctrines, seduced some of the Church members to commit fornication, and encouraged them to eat food that was sacrificed to idols. Inasmuch as Jezebel refused to repent of her wickedness, God “cast her into hell” (JST 2:22).

 

To commit fornication. This passage may refer both to the sexual sin and to the spiritual sin of idolatry, which is spiritual fornication. Individuals and organizations in all ages act as Jezebel, leading those who will follow “into forbidden paths” where they are “lost” (1 Ne. 8:28; see also Rev. 2:14).

 

To eat things sacrificed unto idols. Thyatira was a city of craftsmen and merchants who belonged to guilds. These guilds periodically held religious banquets at which animals were sacrificed to their gods and then eaten. Jezebel may have taught that it was acceptable for Church members to participate in such occasions connected to idol worship and to partake of things sacrificed to idols. See commentary on 2:14.

 

2:21 I gave her space to repent of her[fornication[s]. The Lord’s true prophets, possibly the apostle Paul or John himself, preached the true gospel and repentance to Jezebel. She had adequate warning to repent of her evil deeds.

 

2:22 I will cast her into [hell]. Nephi uses similar language, declaring that “all those who preach false doctrines, and all those who commit whoredoms . . . shall be thrust down to hell” (2 Ne. 28:15) he calls hell “that awful hell, which . . . was prepared for the wicked” (1 Ne. 15:29).

 

Them that commit adultery with her. All souls who commit adultery (or idolatry, which is spiritual adultery) will be cast down to hell, unless “they repent of their deeds.”

 

2:23 I will kill her children. Jezebel and Ahab’s children suffered horrible deaths (2 Kgs. 10:1,  7), and in a similar manner the children of Jezebel of Thyatira will be destroyed. Another interpretation is that those who follow Jezebel in her sins, the children of her iniquities, will suffer spiritual death.

 

I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts. This expression recalls a passage in Ps. 7:9: “for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins.” God knows every thought and intent of all humans and is therefore able to judge accordingly and to “give unto every one of you according to your works.” The New International Version renders the very literal expression “reins and hearts” as the more understandable “hearts and minds.”

 

2:24 as many as have not this doctrine. Church members of Thyatira who do not accept Jezebel’s false doctrines and seductions will not have the burdens of sin and guilt placed upon them. Fornication and idolatry, two extremely grievous sins, may be described as the “depths of Satan.”

 

2:25 hold fast till I come. “Hold fast” means to endure to the end and recalls for us the iron rod. Lehi saw individuals “pressing forward; and they came and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press their way forward, continually holding fast to the rod of iron, until they came forth and fell down and partook of the fruit of the tree” (1 Ne. 8:30). Church members who hold fast, or endure to the end, will eventually reach the tree of life and partake of its fruit (2 Ne. 31:20; Rev. 22:2,  14). The iron rod is the word of God, and we are promised that “whoso would hearken unto the word of God, and would hold fast unto it, they would never perish” (1 Ne. 15:24; 1 Thes. 5:21).

 

2:26-27 [to him who] overcometh. See commentary on 2:7.

 

Keepeth my [commandments] unto the end. This language corresponds with the common Book of Mormon expression “to endure to the end” (see, for example, 1 Ne. 13:37;  22:31; 2 Ne. 9:24).

 

Will I give power over [many kingdoms]. Those who overcome receive a promise similar to that given to Jesus, as recorded in Ps. 2:6-9, a section that deals with the temple, kingship, and the doctrine of divine sonship. The expression “will I give power over many kingdoms” in Revelation recalls “I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession” (Ps. 2:8) the phrase “he shall rule them with the word of God” parallels “Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron” (Ps. 2:9) and the expression “they shall be in his hands as the vessels of clay in the hands” corresponds with “thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel” (Ps. 2:9). Other parallels may also be noted. The implication is that we will receive as Jesus receives, being joint-heirs with him of the gifts and power and dominion of the Father (Rom. 8:17).

 

“Many kingdoms” refers to eternal kingdoms, not to temporal kingdoms. The Saints are invited to “come up unto the crown prepared for you, and be made rulers over many kingdoms” (D&C 78:15).

 

2:27 he shall rule them with [the word of God]. Exalted Saints will rule “many kingdoms” with God’s word. Perhaps this expression means that the Saints will rule by the truth and correct principles that come from God (see commentary on 12:3).

 

[they shall be in his hands] as the vessels [of clay in the hands]. He who rules over many kingdoms is likened to a potter; the kingdoms are similar to clay vessels. The potter has control and power over his creation made of clay.

 

[he shall govern them by faith, with equity and justice]. The one who overcomes will rule and govern with faith (which is God’s power) and with righteousness, having perfect “equity and justice.”

 

Even as I received of my Father. He who overcomes will receive eternal rewards (such as having “power over many kingdoms,” 2:26), just as Christ received rewards from his Father. Such will be “heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ” (Rom. 8:17).

 

2:28 I will give him the morning star. This expression may have at least two meanings. First, Jesus Christ is “the bright and morning star” (22:16). The promise of “the morning star” may be the promise of the Second Comforter, which is that “when any man obtains this [Second] Comforter, he will have the personage of Jesus Christ to attend him, or appear unto him from time to time, and even He will manifest the Father unto him, and they will take up their abode with him, and the visions of the heavens will be opened unto him, and the Lord will teach him face to face.”22 Second, God gives eternal life to those who overcome; they will become like Christ, who is the “bright and morning star.”

 

2:29 He that hath an ear. See commentary on 2:7.

 

1 JST 2:1 replaces angel with servant.

 

2 Krodel, Revelation, 108.

 

3 McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3:446.

 

4 Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament, 439.

 

5 McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3:446.

 

6 JST 2:8 replaces angel with servant.

 

7 Krodel, Revelation, 112.

 

8 Krodel, Revelation, 114.

 

9 JST 2:12 replaces angel with servant.

 

10 Krodel, Revelation, 116.

 

11 JST 2:18 replaces angel with servant.

 

12 JST 2:21 makes the word fornication plural.

 

13 JST 2:22 replaces bed with hell.

 

14 JST 2:26 changes the phrase he that to to him who.

 

15 JST 2:26 replaces works with commandments.

 

16 JST 2:26 omits to him.

 

17 JST 2:26 replaces the phrase the nations with many kingdoms.

 

18 JST 2:27 omits a rod of iron and adds the word of God.

 

19 JST 2:27 adds the phrase and they shall be in his hands.

 

20 JST 2:27 adds the phrase of clay in the hands.

 

21 JST 2:27 omits the phrase shall they be broken to shivers and adds the phrase and he shall govern them by faith, with equity and justice.

 

22 Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 151.

 

 

(Donald W. Parry and Jay A. Parry, Understanding the Book of Revelation [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1998], 27.)

Pergamos, Christ’s word is as sharp as a two edged sword.  Antipus was a no namer in the kingdom, the kingdom is full of men of this caliber; he is a witness of what he believes, even unto death.  God know them even if we don’t.  He proved his loyalty, just like we are tested of our loyalty.  Some mixed the ways of the world with the ways of God.  I cannot claim ignorance of the teachings of the prophets, I must study and know.  Study the conference reports throughout the past years.  President Kimball, 1979 conference talk was for our day, a seer.  Verse 17, need to overcome the ways of the world.  The hidden manna is found in the Ark of the Covenant behind the veil, leave Egypt and travel to Sinai, the front of the tabernacle all the way through to the Ark.  The hidden manna are all of the things the Lord wants to be taught, when we are ready to receive them, try our faith, some don’t want it!

(3 Nephi 26:1-11.) – The people were given specific and detailed information from Christ of the remaining history of the world.  John saw the same things as well as Nephi.  They are written on the small plates by Moroni.  Vs.9-10, the hidden manna.

 

1 And now it came to pass that when Jesus had told these things he expounded them unto the multitude; and he did expound all things unto them, both great and small.

 

2 And he saith: These scriptures, which ye had not with you, the Father commanded that I should give unto you; for it was wisdom in him that they should be given unto future generations.

 

3 And he did expound all things, even from the beginning until the time that he should come in his glory—yea, even all things which should come upon the face of the earth, even until the elements should melt with fervent heat, and the earth should be wrapt together as a scroll, and the heavens and the earth should pass away;

 

4 And even unto the great and last day, when all people, and all kindreds, and all nations and tongues shall stand before God, to be judged of their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil—

 

5 If they be good, to the resurrection of everlasting life; and if they be evil, to the resurrection of damnation; being on a parallel, the one on the one hand and the other on the other hand, according to the mercy, and the justice, and the holiness which is in Christ, who was before the world began.

 

6 And now there cannot be written in this book even a hundredth part of the things which Jesus did truly teach unto the people;

 

7 But behold the plates of Nephi do contain the more part of the things which he taught the people.

 

8 And these things have I written, which are a lesser part of the things which he taught the people; and I have written them to the intent that they may be brought again unto this people, from the Gentiles, according to the words which Jesus hath spoken.

 

9 And when they shall have received this, which is expedient that they should have first, to try their faith, and if it shall so be that they shall believe these things then shall the greater things be made manifest unto them.

 

10 And if it so be that they will not believe these things, then shall the greater things be withheld from them, unto their condemnation.

 

11 Behold, I was about to write them, all which were engraven upon the plates of Nephi, but the Lord forbade it, saying: I will try the faith of my people.

 

 

(2 Nephi 28:24-30.) – Whoever cries “all is well” must be a nutcase.  Members who have modern scripture don’t want any more.  What do they think of revelation?  He has much more to give, he will try our faith.  Overcome  the world by hungering and thirsting after righteousness.

 

24 Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion!

 

25 Wo be unto him that crieth: All is well!

 

26 Yea, wo be unto him that hearkeneth unto the precepts of men, and denieth the power of God, and the gift of the Holy Ghost!

 

27 Yea, wo be unto him that saith: We have received, and we need no more!

 

28 And in fine, wo unto all those who tremble, and are angry because of the truth of God! For behold, he that is built upon the rock receiveth it with gladness; and he that is built upon a sandy foundation trembleth lest he shall fall.

 

29 Wo be unto him that shall say: We have received the word of God, and we need no more of the word of God, for we have enough!

 

30 For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have.

 

(Hebrews 4:12.) – The word of God, truth.  The laws of God, He knows our thoughts

 

12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

 

Thyatira’s works are known, there is a woman like Jezebel in the ward.  Verse 21, she was given time to repent and she refused to do so.   Adultery is used here as idolatry.  Too many listen to the ways of the world; they try to live on both sides of the fence.  To be a saint you must sacrifice the world, we must have discipline.  Be faithful to what I have given you, don’t worry about what you haven’t yet received.

(JST Revelation 2:26-27.) – Receive kingdoms, the promise is Godhood.

 

26 And to him who overcometh, and keepeth my commandments unto the end, will I give power over many kingdoms;

 

27 And he shall rule them with the word of God; and they shall be in his hands as the vessels of clay in the hands of a potter; and he shall govern them by faith, with equity and justice, even as I received of my Father.

 

Sardis was protected by cliffs on 3 sides, yet armies defeated them because they weren’t watching these sides.  They thought they were protected, they were spiritually dead, and the Holy Ghost was gone from their life.  The armor of God is taken off, like King David; he turned the lights off in his heart and fell.  Am I too ritual and too routine?  The promises are given to any member who overcomes.

 

TO THE CHURCH IN SARDIS: THE RIGHTEOUS WILL BE CLOTHED IN WHITE RAIMENT (3:1-6)

 

In Rev. 3:2-3, Jesus Christ directs five imperatives to the Saints in Sardis: “be watchful,” “strengthen,” “remember,” “hold fast,” and “repent.” These five imperatives indicate the needs of the Church members in Sardis and were to assist them in their quest for righteousness. This passage also likens Jesus to a thief who will quickly come in judgment upon the wicked, who were not looking for his coming.

 

The next three verses contain marvelous promises directed to those who overcome the world, for such will be “clothed in white raiment,” symbolizing eternal life because of personal purity and Christ’s atoning sacrifice. Those who overcome will also have their names written in the book of life, meaning they will possess eternal life and will inhabit God’s heavenly kingdom.

 

 Rev. 3:1-6

 

1 And unto the [servant]1 of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he [who]2 hath the seven [stars, which are the seven servants of God];3 I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art [not]4 dead.

 

2 Be watchful [therefore],5 and strengthen [those who]6 remain, [who]7 are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.

 

3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.

 

4 Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.

 

5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

 

6 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

 

NOTES AND COMMENTARY

 

3:1 [servant] of the church in Sardis. The servant is the ecclesiastical leader of the Saints in Sardis. Once the capital of the ancient kingdom of Lydia, Sardis was a city thirty miles south of Thyatira, in Asia Minor, or present-day Turkey. This commercial city was known for its wealth, which it obtained in part through its trade in clothing.

 

He [who] hath the seven [stars]. This expression speaks of Christ, as we see in 1:16: “He had in his right hand seven stars.” The seven stars represent the seven servants of the seven churches (1:20).

 

I know thy works. See commentary on 2:2.

 

Thou hast a name that thou livest, and art [not] dead. The Saints of Sardis were not dead as to the things of the Spirit, although they still had need of repentance (3:2-3).

 

3:2 strengthen [those who] remain, [who] are ready to die. The Saints are instructed to strengthen those who are weak in the faith and close to spiritual death.

 

I have not found thy works perfect before God. God stated in the previous verse, “I know thy works.” Here he adds that these works are less than perfect, suggesting they lack integrity, or wholeness.

 

3:3 Remember . . . thou hast received and heard. This phrase may indicate that the Saints were to remember that they have received the gospel with all of its blessings; they have heard the word of God.

 

Hold fast. See commentary on 2:25.

 

Repent. The Church members’ works are not “perfect before God” (3:2), and therefore they are commanded to repent.

 

If therefore thou shalt not watch. The concluding verse of the parable of the ten virgins contains the command, “Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh” (Matt. 25:13).

 

I will come on thee as a thief. This expression is recorded twice in Revelation, here, and again in 16:15. Most scriptural texts state that it is not the Lord but “the day of the Lord” (1 Thes. 5:2,  4; 2 Pet. 3:10), “desolation” (D&C 45:19), or “the coming of the Lord” (D&C 106:4) that comes as a thief. The Lord himself will come in glory for all to see (19:11-16). A thief secures his goods by stealth, always quickly, unexpectedly, and usually under the cover of night; the second coming of Christ is likened unto such. Modern revelation makes it clear that Christ comes not as a thief to the “children of light” but to the “world” (D&C 106:4-5).

 

3:4 Thou hast a few names . . . which have not defiled their garments. The garments represent the individual who wears them. White garments signify a holy and undefiled person; defiled garments symbolize one who is evil and bears the stains of sin. In Sardis there were a “few names,” or individuals, who were pure and undefiled, who had not spotted their garments with sin. Garments in this verse also has application to temples and temple covenants. See commentary on 6:11.

 

They shall walk with me in white. A few of the Saints will walk in white garments with Christ because “they are worthy”—they have been obedient to all the Lord required of them and have received of the blessings of the Atonement.

 

3:5 He that overcometh. See commentary on 2:7.

 

The same shall be clothed in white raiment. See commentary on 6:11. These are they who are transformed into new persons by Jesus’ atoning sacrifice and who have no filthy spots created by the blood and sins of the world. Exalted persons are they who “have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (7:14); they who “have put on Christ” (Gal. 3:27; emphasis added). The white clothing, with the new name, signifies a new state of existence.

 

I will not blot out his name out of the book of life. The book that figures so prominently in the book of Revelation (13:8; 17:8; 20:12, 15; 21:27; 22:19) contains the names of those who will receive eternal life. It is the “record which is kept in heaven” (D&C 128:7), which contains the names of the righteous (Alma 5:58). The book belongs to the Lamb (21:27), who blots out the names of sinners from it (Ex. 32:32-33) but does not remove the names of those who overcome the world and are clothed in white raiment.

 

I will confess his name before my Father. Jesus taught, “Whosoever . . . shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven” (Matt. 10:32).

 

Before his angels. The angels are heavenly witnesses; they will witness Jesus’ acknowledgment of the names of the righteous before the Father (Luke 12:8-9; 1 Tim. 5:21).

 

3:6 He that hath an ear. See commentary on 2:7.

 

Unto the churches. The message to Sardis (and to all seven churches) is for the Saints of every era.

 

TO THE CHURCH IN PHILADELPHIA: THE RIGHTEOUS WILL DWELL IN THE HEAVENLY TEMPLE (3:7-13)

 

Jesus identifies himself to Church members in Philadelphia as the one who is holy, true, and possesses “the key of David” (3:7). He commends the Saints there for keeping his commandments and for refusing to deny his name; he offers them no criticism. Because the Saints have kept Christ’s words, he will keep them “from the hour of temptation,” and he promises to “come quickly,” a promise that was also made to the Church members in Ephesus and Pergamos. He also commands them to “hold . . . fast,” a commandment also made to Church members in Thyatira and Sardis. Verses 11 through 12 contain terms that recall the ancient temple, including “crown,” “pillar in the temple,” “and “new name”; these same terms pertain to the righteous, who will wear the crown of victory, become permanently connected to the heavenly temple, and receive a new name.

 

Most of these words of admonishment, commendation, and promise apply to us, who live in the closing years of the dispensation of the fulness of times.

 

 Rev. 3:7-13

 

7 And to the [servant]8 of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;

 

8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.

 

9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.

 

10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

 

11 Behold, I come quickly; hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

 

12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

 

13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

 

NOTES AND COMMENTARY

 

3:7 [servant] of the church in Philadelphia. The servant is the ecclesiastical leader of the Saints in Philadelphia, a city in Asia Minor thirty-five miles southeast of Sardis. Philadelphia was likely founded and named after Attalus II Philadelphos, a king of Pergamum. The city was well-known for its religious festivals and temples.

 

He that is holy, he that is true. These descriptive titles identify Jesus Christ as the speaker. He is both holy, meaning sanctified and godly, and true, meaning steadfast and just. Elsewhere Jesus is called “Holy One of God” (Mark 1:24), “Holy One of Israel,” (2 Ne. 9:41), “Faithful and True” (19:11), “true God” (1 Jn. 5:20), and “true Messiah” (1 Ne. 10:14).

 

He that hath the key of David. Jesus Christ possesses the “key of David.” Because David was the great king of Israel, to hold the key of David suggests holding the power of government. Christ, who “hath the key of David,” is the rightful, eternal king of Israel (Isa. 44:6; Jer. 23:5; 1 Tim. 6: 14-15; 2 Ne. 10:14) and governor of the entire world (see Ps. 47:7; Alma 5:50; D&C 45:49). Elder Bruce R. McConkie explained: “In ancient Israel, David was a man of blood and battle whose word was law and whose very name was also a symbol of power and authority. Accordingly, when Isaiah sought to convey a realization of the supreme, directive control and power resident in our Lord, the Son of David, he spoke these words in the Lord’s name: `And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.’ (Isa. 22:22.) . . . Thus, the key of David is the absolute power resident in Christ whereby his will is expressed in all things both temporal and spiritual.”9

 

he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth. Similar language is also found in Isa. 22:22 and is the same as the sealing power mentioned in Matt. 16:16-19 and Hel. 10:4-10. Jesus Christ, “the keeper of the gate” (2 Ne. 9:41), holds the keys to permit the righteous to enter the gates to the celestial kingdom as well as the keys to lock the wicked into an eternal prison (D&C 29:27-29;  76:44). Compare also John 10:7,  9, in which Christ is called the “door of the sheep.”

 

3:8 I know thy works. See commentary on 2:2.

 

I have set before thee an open door. In the context of the previous verse, “open door” here refers to the opportunity to enter God’s kingdom. For the early Christians, an open door represented having the opportunity to share the gospel (1 Cor. 16:9; 2 Cor. 2:12; Col. 4:3).

 

Thou hast a little strength. The Lord commends the Saints for having spiritual strength, for being obedient (“hast kept my word”), and for refusing to deny his name. Yet they are not as strong as they might be, having but “a little strength.”

 

3:9 synagogue of Satan. New Testament scholar Metzger comments: “Since John himself had been born a Jew, we must not take the expression `those of the synagogue of Satan’ (3:9) in an anti-Jewish or anti-Semitic sense. The synagogue at Philadelphia was criticized, not for being Jewish, but for being hostile to Christians.”10

 

I will make them to come and worship before thy feet. Those who belong to the synagogue of Satan and who were hostile to faithful Christians will someday acknowledge the truth and know that God loves his Saints.

 

3:10 thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee. The Jerusalem Bible clarifies this challenging wording with this reading: “Because you have kept my commandment to endure trials, I will keep you safe in the time of trial which is going to come for the whole world.”

 

3:11 I come quickly. See commentary on 2:5.

 

Hold that fast which thou hast. See commentary on 2:25.

 

That no man take thy crown. Joseph Smith said of this verse: “If the Saints are not to reign, for what purpose are they crowned? In an exhortation of the Lord to a certain church in Asia, which was built up in the days of the Apostles, unto whom He communicated His word on that occasion by His servant John, He says [quotes Rev. 3:11].” 11

 

3:12 Him that overcometh. See commentary on 2:7.

 

Will I make a pillar in the temple of my God. Exalted Saints are compared to the pillars of a temple, which are stable, strong, and permanent fixtures of the temple precinct. In a similar manner the Saints will stand forever in the heavenly temple, never to be removed by evil forces. John explains that such individuals will “go no more out” of the temple. Compare Gal. 2:9, in which Peter, James, and John were “pillars” in the church.

 

I will write upon him the name of my God. The first of three names that Christ will give the righteous is the name of his God (14:1; D&C 133:18), meaning the Saints will become like and will belong to their Father in Heaven; thus, those who have God’s name upon them are gods (D&C 132:20). 12

 

name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem. The second of three names that Christ will give the righteous is “New Jerusalem,” meaning they will become eternal citizens of God’s celestial city.

 

I will write upon him my new name. The third of three names that Christ will give the righteous is his own new name. Because an individual’s “new name” is kept private—“no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it” (2:17)—this suggests that those who receive Christ’s new name will have become one with him. John explains that “his name shall be in their foreheads” (22:4; see commentary there).

 

3:13 He that hath an ear. See commentary on 2:7.

 

TO THE CHURCH IN LAODICEA: THE RIGHTEOUS WILL SIT UPON THE THRONE OF JESUS (3:14-22)

 

In this letter to Church members in Laodicea, Jesus identifies himself with three expressions: “the Amen,” “the faithful and true witness,” and “the beginning of the creation of God” (3:14). He repeats what he has told the other six churches, saying, “I know thy works” (3:15) and then follows that with the well-known phrase “Thou art lukewarm . . . I will spue thee out of my mouth” (3:16). Jesus describes the lukewarm Saints with five terms: “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked” (3:17), terms that apply to their spiritual state rather than their physical condition.

 

Christ counsels the Saints; he commands them to “be zealous” and to “repent” and invites them to open the door and receive great spiritual blessings, including the presence of the Lord. Those who overcome the world will receive a throne in Heavenly Father’s kingdom.

 

 Rev. 3:14-22       

 

14 And unto the [servant]13 of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

 

15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot.

 

16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

 

17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

 

18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye salve, that thou mayest see.

 

19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

 

20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

 

21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

 

22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

 

NOTES AND COMMENTARY

 

3:14 [servant] of the church of the Laodiceans. The servant is the ecclesiastical leader of the Saints in Laodicea, a city in Asia Minor, or present-day Turkey. Laodicea was founded by the Syrian king Antiochus II and named after his wife Laodice. It was settled at the junction of important trade highways and subsequently became an important center for commerce, banking, medicine, and industry. Its medical school produced a special ointment, or eye salve, that was exported throughout the land. Its industrial center produced linen and wool garments.

 

Amen, the faithful and true witness. These three titles of Christ attest to his divine character, for he is reliable, faithful, and true. “The word amen connotes the idea of that which has been unalterably confirmed (Num. 5:22), or that which is sure, trustworthy, and faithful.”14

 

beginning of the creation of God. Christ is the “firstborn of every creature” (Col. 1:15). In his own words he testified, “I was in the beginning with the Father, and am the Firstborn” (D&C 93:21).

 

3:15 I know thy works. See commentary on 2:2.

 

Thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. With all of its importance as a city of commerce and trade, Laodicea lacked sufficient fresh water for its inhabitants and visitors, so water was piped to this community from springs located several miles away. By the time the water arrived in Laodicea, it was likely lukewarm, unpleasant to drink, and good only to be “spewed out of the mouth.” Hence, the water at Laodicea lacked the cold freshness for weary travelers and the healing elements for the physically ill and afflicted found in hot water.

 

Lukewarm water is a metaphor for some members of the Church in Laodicea (and in any era) who lack gospel zeal (see the command in 3:19 to “be zealous”) and complete faithfulness. These may be the same of whom it is written, “These are they who are not valiant in the testimony of Jesus; wherefore, they obtain not the crown over the kingdom of our God” (D&C 76:79).

 

3:16 thou art lukewarm . . . I will spue thee out of my mouth. This metaphor speaks of Church members who are not valiant in their faith; such will God reject, as if ejecting them out of his mouth like bad water. See commentary on 3:15.

 

3:17 I am rich, and increased with goods. This phrase may refer to the wealthy conditions of the Church members of Laodicea, a prosperous city known for its banking center and clothing factories. The people say, “I am rich,” referring to their silver and gold, but the Lord, referring to their spiritual condition, corrects them, saying, “Thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.” The people are “naked,” without sacred garments (3:4-5), blind to gospel truths, and poor as to spiritual things.

 

3:18 I counsel thee. The “Wonderful Counsellor” (Isa. 9:6) advises his Saints to seek eternal riches, such as “gold tried in the fire” and “white raiment.”

 

To buy of me gold tried in the fire. Here the Saints are counseled to “buy of me gold,” perhaps meaning they are to pay the price for eternal riches and exaltation through obedience and sacrifice. “Gold tried in the fire” symbolizes Saints who are precious and pure and who, after the resurrection, become incorruptible. The Saints become like gold when they pass through the “furnace of affliction” (Isa. 48:10; 1 Pet. 1:7). Zechariah wrote, “And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God” (Zech. 13:9).

 

That thou mayest be rich. He who is spiritually rich is he who “hath eternal life” (D&C 6:7).

 

White raiment. See commentary on 3:5; 6:11.

 

Shame of thy nakedness. Shame and nakedness are often used synonymously in the scriptures (Isa. 47:3; 2 Ne. 9:14). Those who are not clothed in the white garment will be filled with shame.

 

Anoint thine eyes with eye salve. The medical profession of Laodicea used Phrygian-powdered stone to create an eye salve that was used far and wide for healing. In this verse the Lord does not refer to the manmade eye salve, of course, but to a spiritual eye salve that permits individuals to see with their spiritual eyes (Matt. 6:22). Recall what the Lord said to Enoch: “Anoint thine eyes with clay, and wash them, and thou shalt see. And he did so”; and Enoch then saw things that “were not visible to the natural eye” (Moses 6:35-36; John 9:6).

 

3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. God’s actions have always been motivated out of his love for us, “for whom the Lord loveth he correcteth” (Prov. 3:12), and “for whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth” (Heb. 12:6). He chastens us in order to turn us to him (1 Cor. 11:32; Hel. 12:3; D&C 95:1;  105:6).

 

Be zealous therefore, and repent. Zealous means to be fervently devoted to a purpose. This command is directed to Church members who are lukewarm in their faith and who lack zeal in the gospel (see commentary on 3:15-16).

 

3:20 I stand at the door, and knock. God makes the initial contact with us by coming to our door and knocking. What is the door? Perhaps the door is our heart, which is the key to who we are and what we desire. It is our hearts that Christ wants to change; it is our hearts that must be broken. How does Christ knock? He sends the Spirit, prophets, teachers, and provides us with the scriptures. If we hearken to the voice of the Spirit, he will bring us more fully to Christ—so much so that eventually he will bring us to the Second Comforter, and we will enjoy an intimacy as expressed in the words, “I will sup with him and he with me.” In short, we must open the door and invite Christ into our hearts and our lives (D&C 88:63).

 

I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. This very personal and sacred promise refers to Christ, the Second Comforter, who promises to “attend” the righteous and pure individual and “appear unto him from time to time, and even He will manifest the Father unto him, and they will take up their abode with him.”15 The idea of supping with Christ suggests that not only will he visit them and quickly deliver a message but he will also spend time with them, sitting and breaking bread with them.

 

3:21 To him that overcometh. See commentary on 2:7.

 

Will I grant to sit with me in my throne. God empowers those who overcome trial and temptation to become like him; the righteous become exalted beings, sitting as kings upon heavenly thrones. Enoch said to God, “Thou hast made me, and given unto me a right to thy thorne, and not of myself, but through thine own grace” (Moses 7:59). Similarly, Jesus promised the Twelve Apostles “twelve thrones” (Matt. 19:28). Joseph Smith defined the expressions “heirs of God” and “joint heirs with Jesus Christ,” saying the righteous are to “inherit the same power, the same glory and the same exaltation, until you arrive at the station of a God, and ascend the throne of eternal power, the same as those who have gone before.”16

 

even as I also overcame. How do we overcome the world as Christ overcame it? Christ’s instructions to his apostles have relevance to us: “Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me” (Luke 22:28-29). How did Jesus reach his exalted station? “Why; I do the things I saw my Father do when worlds came rolling into existence. My Father worked out his kingdom with fear and trembling, and I must do the same; and when I get my kingdom, I shall present it to my Father, so that he may obtain kingdom upon kingdom.”17

 

and am set down with my Father in his throne. When Jesus “shall deliver up the kingdom, and present it unto the Father, spotless, saying: I have overcome and have trodden the wine-press alone, even the wine-press of the fierceness of the wrath of Almighty God,” he shall “be crowned with the crown of his glory, to sit on the throne of his power to reign forever and ever” (D&C 76:107-8).

 

3:22 He that hath an ear. See commentary on 2:7.

 

1 JST 3:1 replaces angel with servant.

 

2 JST 3:1 changes the relative pronoun that to the relative pronoun who.

 

3 JST 3:1 replaces Spirits of God and the seven stars with the seven stars, which are the seven servants of God.

 

4 JST 3:1 adds not.

 

5 JST 3:2 adds therefore.

 

6 JST 3:2 replaces the phrase the things which with those who.

 

7 JST 3:2 changes the relative pronoun that to the relative pronoun who.

 

8 JST 3:7 replaces angel with servant.

 

9 McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3:457-58.

 

10 Metzger, Breaking the Code, 41.

 

11 History of the Church, 2:20.

 

12 See also Orson Pratt, Journal of Discourses, 14:242-43.

 

13 JST 3:14 replaces angel with servant.

 

14 McConkie and Parry, Guide to Scriptural Symbols, 115.

 

15 Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 151.

 

16 Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 347.

 

17 Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 347.

 

 

(Donald W. Parry and Jay A. Parry, Understanding the Book of Revelation [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1998], 43.)

 

To the saints in Philadelphia hang on, they are suffering from persecution.  They have remained faithful to the end, and are promised if they hold fast they will have eternal life.  There is no condemnation for these saints.  You have gotten this far in your journey, don’t worry, I’ll take you the rest of the way, our loyalty is tested.

Finally, the last city of Laodicea, they didn’t have a great water source, it was lukewarm.  Tied to their wealth, they didn’t have need of anything, including God and the Atonement.  They went to church on habit only; I love you so I will chasten you (vs19). 

(JST Revelation 3:21-22.)

 

21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

 

22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

 

 

 

 

Revelation 4:1-8:1 (Act 2)

 

Earth during its Seven Thousand Years of Existence

 

November 1, 2007

 

 

 

ACT 2: Earth During Its Seven Thousand Years of Existence, 4:1 – 8:1
        Setting: The throne of God (Ark of the Covenant), 4:1-8; the twenty four elders (faithful elders from the seven churches who were now in their celestial state – the elders sit in choir seats extending from the holy of holies, twelve on each side, typical of a Greek play) 4:4,10,11; the sea of glass or laver (the earth in its future sanctified and immortal state), 4:6; the four beasts (cherubim), 4:6-9; the book with seven seals (the book that answers how the earth became celestialized), 5:1; a Lamb as it had been slain (Christ), 5:6; the altar of sacrifice, 6:9; the altar of incense (prayer), 5:8. (The setting of this act is the earth’s future celestial state. Act 1 revealed a church and world in trouble. The setting of Act 2 raises the question of how the world was saved and celestialized when it had been in so much trouble?” The answer is found in the book sealed with seven seals!)

    Scene 1: The white horse (the first thousand years), 6:1-2.
    Scene 2: The red horse (the second thousand years), 6:3-4.
    Scene 3: The black horse (the third thousand years), 6:5-6.
    Scene 4: The yellow horse (the fourth thousand years), 6: 7-8.
    Scene 5: The prayers of the early Christian martyrs (the fifth thousand years), 6:9-11.
    Scene 6: Catastrophic events associated with last days before Christ’s second coming (the wicked are being  destroyed), 6:12-17. A brief intermission of hope (the restoration of the gospel with its power to save the righteous from a world doomed to destruction), 7:1-17.
     Scene 7: Silence in heaven at the beginning of the seventh thousand years (the silence before the final storm), 8:1.

 

Act 1 – The church in John’s day is in trouble.

 

a.       Persecution from the Romans (outside)

b.       Heresy (inside) mixing pagan practices with doctrine

c.       Church becomes routine, the Spirit is gone

 

Act 2 – A wonderful time, God and Christ sitting on the throne, if we overcome we can come also.  John is seeing the Celestial kingdom and is describing it.  This opens up after the Millennium; the earth is in its celestialized state.

 

(Revelation 4:4-6.) – The 24 Elders sitting on the throne.  The eyes = knowledge, wings = movement power.  The laver is a crystal sea of glass.

 

4 And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.

 

5 And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and hundering and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.

 

6 And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.

 

THE THRONE ROOM IN THE TEMPLE IN HEAVEN (4:1-11)

 

While receiving his vision of Jesus Christ, John envisions (1:10) the holy place of the temple in heaven (1:12). It is in the holy place that he receives the revelation of the seven churches. Afterward John sees a door that "was opened into heaven," and a heavenly voice invites him to "come up hither" to receive "things which must be hereafter." John ascends to the holy of holies, or the throne room of the temple, which is one and the same as the celestial kingdom. Again, John is "in the spirit," meaning that though his body is likely still on the Isle of Patmos, he is viewing things as they appear in heaven and then describing his vision by using symbolic terms.

 

While in the throne room, John is permitted to behold the eternal glory of the Father, who is sitting upon the throne. Twenty-four elders, seven servants of God, and four beasts are all glorifying God. John uses symbolic language to describe the scene. God the Father is the center of activity as he sits upon his throne, surrounded by living creatures and exalted Saints. The vision does not describe God himself but provides a glorious description of the things around him, such as brilliant colors and glorious lights. God, like his heavenly messengers, is "glorious beyond description" (JS-H 1:32). Jesus Christ, who was introduced to John in Rev. 1:10-16 (see commentary there) stands in the Father's presence in the throne room of the temple of heaven (5:1).

 

 John uses symbolism to describe the four beasts and their activities. The four beasts occupy a hierarchically significant position in the throne room, for they are located very near the throne. They rest neither day nor night but continually worship God by saying, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come." Each of the four beasts possesses eyes before, behind, and within, signifying light and knowledge. Each possesses six wings, "a representation of power, to move, to act" (D&C 77:4). The beasts worship God, and, as sentinels, protect God's holiness from the unauthorized trespass of unworthy, or unclean, things and individuals.

 

 John also sees twenty-four elders worshipping the Father, submitting themselves before him by casting their crowns before the throne while exclaiming, "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created" (4:11).

 

There are several brief songs or hymnlike passages in Revelation, two of which are in this section (4:8, 11).

 

 Rev. 4:1-11

 

1 After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened [into]1 heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will [show]2 thee things which must be hereafter.

 

2 And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.

 

3 And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.

 

4 And [in the midst of]3 the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.

 

5 And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven [servants]4 of God.

 

6 And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne [were the four and twenty elders];5 and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.

 

7 And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.

 

8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.

 

9 And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that [sits]6 on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,

 

10 The four and twenty elders fall down before him that [sits]7 on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

 

11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

 

NOTES AND COMMENTARY

 

4:1 After this I looked. This formula indicates that a new vision has begun (7:1, 9; 15:5; 18:1; 19:1; Dan. 7:6-7).

 

door was opened [into] heaven. The door opens to the throne room of heaven, which may be parallel to the holy of holies in the earthly temple. John, while "in the spirit" (4:2), is about to view the most holy place, the place where God sits and rules (Ezek. 1:1).

 

first voice. The voice is that of Jesus Christ, first identified in 1:10-11.

 

trumpet. The voice of the Lord is as distinctive and clear as a trumpet (1:10). Trumpets are associated with the temple elsewhere in scripture; in Exodus (19:16, 19; 20:18), for example, the trumpet is associated with Mount Sinai, which served as a temple to Moses and the Israelites.8

 

Come up hither. John is commanded to "come up" to the throne room, suggesting an ascension from the holy place to the most holy, as in the structure of the earthly temple. Similarly, Moses was commanded to "come up unto the Lord" (Ex. 19:24) to the mountain sanctuary.

 

I will [show] thee things which must be hereafter. Jesus himself shows John several scenes of heaven (4:2-5:14) and then events that would yet occur upon the earth.9

 

4:2 I was in the spirit. See commentary on 1:10.

 

throne was set in heaven. The Jerusalem Bible renders this passage: "a throne was standing in heaven." Heavenly Father possesses and sits upon the throne (3:21; 4:2-3, 9-10; 5:7, 13; 6:16; 7:10; 12:5; 19:4; 22:1, 3), which is at the center of activity in the temple in heaven. Twenty-four exalted elders and their thrones (4:4); many angels (5:11; 7:11, 15); four living creatures (4:6); a "great multitude, which no man could number" (7:9); seven lamps of fire, signifying the seven servants (4:5); and the 144,000 high priests, in whose "mouth was found no guile" and who sing a new song (14:1-3, 5), are all "in the midst of," "round about," or "before" the throne of God. Jesus Christ is also "in the midst of the throne" (5:6; 7:17), which he shares with his Father (3:21; 22:1, 3). The golden altar (8:3) and the sea of glass (4:6) are before the throne as well. The throne is the source of lightnings, thunderings, and voices (4:5).

 

one sat on the throne. John refers to God the Father approximately twelve times as the "one seated on the throne," which represents God's kingship and dominion. In Abraham, Facsimile 2:3, God is pictured sitting upon his throne, "clothed with power and authority."

 

4:3 he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone. God the Father cannot adequately be described with mere words from the human language, so John portrays him "as the brilliance of light reflected from precious stones."10 Ezekiel describes the Lord in a similar manner (Ezek. 1:26-28; see also Ps. 104:2; 1 Tim. 6:16). Jasper and sardine stone are the last and the first of the twelve stones of the high priest's breastplate of judgment (Ex. 28:15-20), perhaps indicative of Christ as the "first and the last." They are also among the stones of the Garden of Eden (Ezek. 28:13) and the foundation stones of the heavenly city (21:19-20)—the first and last Zion communities on the earth.

 

there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. John uses symbols, the rainbow and the emerald, to denote the great brilliance, glory, brightness, and light that surround God and his throne. Ezekiel used similar language (Ezek. 1:26-28). The emerald is the fourth of the twelve precious stones of the high priest's breastplate (Ex. 28:17-21), representing the tribe of Judah, or Christ, who was of Judah. The emerald is also one of the foundation stones of the heavenly city (21:19-20). It seems significant that emerald, a brilliant color of green, would be used to symbolize the very wellspring of life.

 

4:4 [in the midst of] the throne were four and twenty seats. The twenty-four seats, or thrones, are for the twenty-four elders.

 

four and twenty elders. D&C 77:5 reads: "Q. What are we to understand by the four and twenty elders, spoken of by John? A. We are to understand that these elders whom John saw, were elders who had been faithful in the work of the ministry and were dead; who belonged to the seven churches, and were then in the paradise of God."

 

Each of the elders is "clothed in white raiment," and each possesses his own crown, throne, harp, and golden bowl of incense (4:4; 5:8). The harp and incense are used during their worship of God. The incense represents "the prayers of saints" (5:8), and the harps are perhaps played by the elders themselves as they sing the new song (5:9-10). The elders praise the Lord: "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power" (4:11), "We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come" (11:17), and "Amen; Alleluia" (19:4). The new song they sing to the Lamb includes the words "thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood" (5:9). Four times John witnesses the elders "fall down" to worship God, who "sat on the throne" (4:10; 5:14; 11:16; 19:4), and once he observes them as they "fell down before the Lamb" (5:8). Each of the elders is a king and priest, who will "reign on the earth" (5:10; see 1:6). One of the elders speaks to John two times, helping him to understand his vision (5:5; 7:13).

 

The number twenty-four may represent the 24,000 Levite priests who were assigned to temple work (1 Chr. 23:3-4;  24:1) or the number may represent the twelve patriarchs of the house of Israel and the Twelve Apostles, both of which are identified in Revelation (5:6; 21:12, 14). Although these elders were actual men who lived upon the earth during mortality, here they represent all of the redeemed who will receive thrones and crowns in heaven.

 

clothed in white raiment. The white raiment represents the light, glory, and purity of the exalted soul who wears it. Also, among the Greeks and Romans, white symbolized victory—those "clothed in white raiment" are those who have overcome the world (3:5).

 

on their heads crowns of gold. The crowns symbolize kingship, dominion, authority, and power. The twenty-four elders are God's kings and priests, who will "reign on the earth" (5:10) after the judgment and resurrection.

 

4:5 out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices. The lightnings and thunderings portray the power and brilliance associated with God's presence (Ex. 19:16-18; Ps. 77:18) and demonstrate that he has supreme control over the elements of heaven and earth. The voices "out of the throne" may be those of God and the Lamb (see Ps. 18:12-15; Job 37:2-5). The terms lightnings, thunderings, and voices are found four times in Revelation and are often accompanied with descriptions of earthquakes and hail (4:5; 8:5; 11:19; 16:18). Some translations of this verse omit voices and instead associate the sounds with the thunder (NEB, JB, NIV).

 

seven lamps of fire burning before the throne. The seven lamps are the seven servants of God, previously identified in Revelation ("which are before his throne," 1:4). The burning fires speak of their exalted nature; like God, they dwell in "everlasting burnings in immortal glory."11

 

4:6 before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal. The throne overlooks a sea of glass, which "is the earth, in its sanctified, immortal, and eternal state" (D&C 77:1). Joseph Smith explained that "when the earth was sanctified and became like a sea of glass, it would be one great urim and thummim, and the Saints could look in it and see as they are seen."12 D&C 130:6-9 adds further insight: "The angels do not reside on a planet like this earth; but they reside in the presence of God, on a globe like a sea of glass and fire, where all things for their glory are manifest, past, present, and future, and are continually before the Lord. The place where God resides is a great Urim and Thummim. This earth, in its sanctified and immortal state, will be made like unto crystal and will be a Urim and Thummim to the inhabitants who dwell thereon, whereby all things pertaining to an inferior kingdom, or all kingdoms of a lower order, will be manifest to those who dwell on it." Regarding this great Urim and Thummim, Brigham Young explained, "When you wish to know anything, you can look in this earth, and see all the eternities of God."13

 

The sea of glass is also described as "a sea of glass mingled with fire" (15:2), where exalted beings stand with their harps and sing unto God: "Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest" (15:3-4).

 

round about the throne, were four beasts. Some biblical commentators place one of the four beasts at each of the four sides of the throne, where they serve as guardians of the throne. This role is similar to that played by the biblical cherubim (see, for example, Gen. 3:24; Ex. 25:18-22). 14

 

In this verse and elsewhere, John speaks of two types of beasts in Revelation: he envisions actual living creatures (Greek zoon) that exist in heaven (4:6-9; 5:6-14; 6:1-7; 7:11; 14:3; 15:7; 19:4), and he speaks of other beasts (Greek therion), referring both to earthly beasts as well as to symbolic or fantastic beasts (6:8; 11:7; 13:1-18; 14:9, 11; 15:2; 16:2, 10, 13; 17:1-18; 19:19-20; 20:4, 10). The word beast used in this passage could more accurately be translated "living creature." In fact, the choice of the King James Version translators to use the word beast is particularly unfortunate, since these creatures are living, dynamic beings filled with intelligence and glory.

 

Joseph Smith suggested that the four beasts "lived on another planet than ours."15 The four beasts in this passage in Revelation are actual beasts that exist in heaven. "John saw the actual beast in heaven, showing to John that beasts did actually exist there. . . .

 

"John saw curious looking beasts in heaven; he saw every creature that was in heaven,—all the beasts, fowls and fish in heaven,—actually there, giving glory to God. . . .

 

"I suppose John saw beings there of a thousand forms, that had been saved from ten thousand times ten thousand earths like this,—strange beasts of which we have no conception: all might be seen in heaven. The grand secret was to show John what there was in heaven. John learned that God glorified Himself by saving all that His hands had made, whether beasts, fowls, fishes or men; and He will glorify Himself with them.

 

"Says one, `I cannot believe in the salvation of beasts.' Any man who would tell you that this could not be, would tell you that the revelations are not true. John heard the words of the beasts giving glory to God, and understood them. God who made the beasts could understand every language spoken by them. The four beasts were four of the most noble animals that had filled the measure of their creation, and had been saved from other worlds, because they were perfect: they were like angels in their sphere. We are not told where they came from, and I do not know; but they were seen and heard by John praising and glorifying God."16

 

 John informs us that the four beasts are capable of worshipping God (4:8; 5:8-10): they invite John to "come and see" the events pertaining to the first four seals (6:1-7), and one of the beasts delivers the "seven golden vials full of the wrath of God" to the seven angels (15:7). The four beasts may be akin to those spoken of in Isa. 6:2-3 and Ezek. 1:5-14.

 

A modern revelation adds additional light concerning the four beasts: "They are figurative expressions, used by the Revelator, John, in describing heaven, the paradise of God, the happiness of man, and of beasts, and of creeping things, and of the fowls of the air; that which is spiritual being in the likeness of that which is temporal; and that which is temporal in the likeness of that which is spiritual; the spirit of man in the likeness of his person, as also the spirit of the beast, and every other creature which God has created" (D&C 77:2).

 

 D&C 77:3 reads: "Q. Are the four beasts limited to individual beasts, or do they represent classes or orders? A. They are limited to four individual beasts, which were shown to John, to represent the glory of the classes of beings in their destined order or sphere of creation, in the enjoyment of their eternal felicity."

 

full of eyes before and behind. The eyes of the beasts "are a representation of light and knowledge, that is, they are full of knowledge" (D&C 77:4).

 

4:7 like a lion/calf/man/flying eagle. Ezekiel describes a similar vision (Ezek. 1:10). One commentator suggests: "The living creatures are symbolic of creation and the divine immanence. They are what is noblest (lion), strongest (ox), wisest (man), and swiftest (eagle)."17 Another suggests that the four faces of the beasts correspond to the banners of the "four chief tribes of Israel," as does still another: "The description of the camp of Israel in Numbers locates the four chief tribes in the following positions: Judah on the east (2:3), Reuben on the south (2:10), Ephraim on the west (2:18), and Dan on the north (2:25). The insignias for these tribes were: Judah, lion; Reuben, man; Ephraim, ox; and Dan, eagle."18

 

4:8 four beasts had each of them six wings. The beasts' wings "are a representation of power, to move, to act, etc." (D&C 77:4).

 

they were full of eyes within. The beasts' eyes "are a representation of light and knowledge, that is, they are full of knowledge" (D&C 77:4). In the previous verse, John explained that the beasts had eyes both "before and behind." Now we learn that they have eyes inside as well. Other translations make this clear: "eyes all over, inside and out" (NEB), and "eyes all the way around as well as inside" (JB). The symbolism of "light and knowledge" is reinforced by the presence of eyes inside as well as outside, back as well as front.

 

they rest not day and night. It is the unceasing disposition of the four living creatures to worship God at all times.

 

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty. Similarly, when Isaiah envisions the heavenly temple, he witnesses the seraphim honoring God with the threefold repetition "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts" (Isa. 6:3). The threefold repetition emphasizes the superlative degree: God is the holiest of all creatures in the universe. Holy speaks concerning the wonderful separateness of God, his distinctiveness in perfection and power.

 

which was, and is, and is to come. See commentary on 1:4.

 

4:9 beasts give glory and honour and thanks. The living creatures worship alongside the twenty-four elders by rendering "both vocal (4:8-9; 5:9-10) and instrumental adoration (5:8)" of God.19

 

to him that [sits] on the throne. See commentary on 4:2.

 

who liveth for ever and ever. Elsewhere in scripture, it is written, "Behold, I am the Lord God Almighty, and Endless is my name, for I am without beginning of days or end of years; and is not this endless?" (Moses 1:3;  7:35).

 

4:10 four and twenty elders fall down before him that [sits] on the throne. The elders prostrate themselves before God in an act of worship and as a posture of exceptional reverence.

 

cast their crowns before the throne. The crowns are gifts from God to the twenty-four elders (2:10; 4:4). By casting their crowns before the throne, perhaps as a gesture or symbol of humility, the elders submit themselves to God and give homage and honor to him who is the King of kings.

 

4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power. The elders' worship is different from that of the creatures, for the elders address God directly and speak of his creative work rather than his attributes. Worthy here means fully qualified.

 

thou hast created all things. Both God and his son Jesus Christ are called Creator. Joseph Smith wrote: "Everlasting covenant was made between three personages before the organization of this earth, and relates to their dispensation of things to men on the earth; these personages, according to Abraham's record, are called God the first, the Creator; God the second, the Redeemer; and God the third, the witness or Testator."20

 

The Lord explained to Moses: "And by the word of my power, have I created them, which is mine Only Begotten Son, who is full of grace and truth. And worlds without number have I created; and I also created them for mine own purpose; and by the Son I created them, which is mine Only Begotten" (Moses 1:32-33).

 

for thy pleasure they are and were created. Many versions read "by thy will" in place of "for thy pleasure"; the Jerusalem Bible, for example, reads, "It was only by your will that everything was made and exists." A revelation in the Doctrine and Covenants explains why the earth was created: "For after it hath filled the measure of its creation, it shall be crowned with glory, even with the presence of God the Father; that bodies who are of the celestial kingdom may possess it forever and ever; for, for this intent was it made and created, and for this intent are they sanctified" (D&C 88:19-20).

 

1 JST 4:1 replaces in with into.

 

2 JST 4:1 replaces the archaic shew with show.

 

3 JST 4:4 replaces the phrase round about with in the midst of."

 

4 JST 4:5 replaces Spirits with servants.

 

5 JST 4:6 add the phrase were the four and twenty elders.

 

6 JST 4:9 changes past tense sat to present tense sits.

 

7 JST 4:10 replaces sat with sits.

 

8 On Mount Sinai as a temple, see Parry, "Sinai as Sanctuary and Mountain of God," in By Study and Also by Faith, ed. Lundquist and Ricks, 1:482-500.

 

9 Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 289.

 

10 Mounce, Book of Revelation, 120.

 

11 Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 347.

 

12 History of the Church, 5:279.

 

13 Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, 8:200.

 

14 Davis, Heavenly Court, 4-5, 126-31.

 

15 Ehat and Cook, Words of Joseph Smith, 171.

 

16 History of the Church, 5:343-44.

 

17 Ford, Revelation, 75.

 

18 Davis, Heavenly Court, 133.

 

19 Davis, Heavenly Court, 130.

 

20 Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 190.

 

(Donald W. Parry and Jay A. Parry, Understanding the Book of Revelation [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1998], 55.)

 

 

The Temple in Heaven according to the Book of Revelation

 

Our most definitive single source on the heavenly temple is recorded in the Revelation of John, where the backdrop for much of John's apocalyptic vision was the temple in heaven. fn John's experience with the heavenly temple began with an ablutionary rite of approach (see Revelation 1:5-6), wherein the apostle was washed in the blood of Jesus and made a king and a priest. Then, while John was "in the Spirit on the Lord's day" (1:10), he found himself standing before the seven-branched lampstand (see 1:12), which in the days of the Mosaic taber-nacle was located in the "holy place" of the tabernacle (Exodus 26:33-35). John's observation of the seven-branched lampstand shifted into a divine vision of the glorified Jesus (see Revelation 1:13-18), and the symbol of the Lord (the lampstand) actually became that which was symbolized (the Lord).

 

In Revelation 4:1,John beholds an open door in heaven that led from the Holy Place to the celestial Holy of Holies, or the throne room of God. The temple in heaven, like its earthly counterpart, required an ascension from one sacral zone to another zone possessing a higher degree of sanctity. Hence the voice instructed John to "come up hither." Once situated inside the temple's Holy of Holies, John viewed a number of elements unique to the temple, which he refers to throughout the book of Revelation. For instance, John identified the glories of the celestial throne room, with God the Father sitting upon the throne (the throne is the center of activities in the book of Revelation, being mentioned forty times). He sees the heavenly beings (cherubim), the incense altar, the seven-branched lampstand, the altar of sacrifice, worshipers wearing sacred vestments, the four horns of the altar, the ark of the covenant, incense bowls, and the sacrificed Lamb of God (Jesus). These temple items, also found in the earthly temple, must have been familiar to the Seer, who was familiar with the Temple of Herod.

 

At times John is explicit in his mention of the heavenly temple, fn employing such phraseology as "another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven" (14:17; italics added), and "there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven" (16:17; italics added; cf. 7:15; 14:15; 15:5-8). Additional references in Revelation describe various aspects of the heavenly temple (see 4:1-11; 5:1-14; 8:1-5; 11:16-19; 15:1-8; 19:1-6; etc.), and the letters addressed to the seven churches contain temple esoterica (see 2:7, 10, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21), or words intended to be understood only by the initiated, the inner group of religious persuasion. Esoterica may include passwords or special religious expressions.

 

 

(Donald W. Parry, ed., Temples of the Ancient World: Ritual and Symbolism [Salt Lake City and Provo: Deseret Book Co., Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1994], 520.)

 

 

D&C 77 – An explanation of the Book of Revelation, 7 is an important number for John.  The section is received after the explanation of the kingdoms of glory, heaven is a graded place.

 

Book of Mormon brings us to Christ

 

Doctrine and Covenants brings us to Christ’s kingdom.  Hence its importance for us to understand all scripture and doctrine,   this book is for us in this dispensation, we are the only ones to have it!

 

 

Important numbers for John:

 

3 & 7 = Whole and Complete

4 = Geographical wholeness

12 = Priesthood

 

(Doctrine and Covenants 77:5.) – Shows that some in the churches were saved but not the majority, if it were all then the number would have been 144.  Those saints who had overcome were saved, it shows what they received way in the future.

 

5 Q. What are we to understand by the four and twenty elders, spoken of by John?

 

We are to understand that these elders whom John saw, were elders who had been faithful in the work of the ministry and were dead; who belonged to the seven churches, and were then in the paradise of God.

 

 

 

Scroll – Sealed with 7 seals, it contains the answer to what happened between Act 1 and Act 2.  The church went from being in trouble to the church in the Celestial kingdom.  Only someone authorized can open the seals (Christ).

 

(Revelation 5:1-12.) – God holds the scroll with the 7 seals, no man on earth is worthy to open the scroll.  Only Christ can open the scroll, He is:  1. Lion of Judah, 2. Root of David, 3. Lamb of God.  Levites played music as part of temple ritual.  One hundred million (a very great multitude) became kings and priests, queens and priestesses, promise of Revelation 3:21.

 

1 And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.

 

2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?

 

3 And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.

 

4 And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.

 

5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

 

6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

 

7 And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.

 

8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.

 

9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;

 

10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

 

11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;

 

12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

 

 

(Doctrine and Covenants 77:6-7.) – 3 Nephi 26, this was taught to the Nephites in detail, the sealed portion.

 

6 Q. What are we to understand by the book which John saw, which was sealed on the back with seven seals?

24      We are to understand that it contains the revealed will, mysteries, and the works of God; the hidden things of his economy concerning this earth during the seven thousand years of its continuance, or its temporal existence.

 

7 Q. What are we to understand by the seven seals with which it was sealed?

24      We are to understand that the first seal contains the things of the first thousand years, and the second also of the second thousand years, and so on until the seventh.

 

 

1st seal – 4000-3000 Adams fall begins in the lone and dreary world

2nd seal – 3000-2000

3rd seal – 2000-1000

4th seal – 1000-0

5th seal – 0-1000 John’s day

6th seal – 1000-2000 Joseph Smith’s day

7th seal – 2000-3000 Our day

 

Rev. 5

 

THE LAMB TAKES THE SEALED BOOK (5:1-14)

 

 Rev. 5 continues the record of John’s vision of the heavenly temple, in which he sees God the Father sitting upon his throne surrounded by living creatures and twenty-four elders, all of whom are worshipping him. In chapter 5 John sees God the Father sitting on his throne with a sealed book in his right hand. John sees and hears an angel ask, “Who is worthy to open the book?” When no one can be found who is able or worthy to open the book or even “to look thereon,” John weeps “much.” One of the twenty-four elders, introduced in the previous chapter, comforts John and commands him to “weep not,” because there is one worthy to open the book, and he is called “the Lion of the tribe of Juda.” John looks, perhaps expecting to see this worthy Lion, but instead he sees a Lamb with the marks of a slaughtered creature but who now stands victorious over death. The Lamb steps forward and takes the book from the right hand of the Father.

 

This chapter presents a “new song” that is sung to honor and glorify God and Christ. The first stanza is sung by the twenty-four elders, who focus upon two signal topics: first, Christ suffered death and brought redemption by his blood; and second, Christ has made worthy individuals to be kings and priests, who will eventually reign upon the earth. The second stanza is sung by the elders, the beasts, and by numerous angels with a “loud voice,” perhaps because of their great number. They focus on the worthiness of the slain Lamb and his great power, strength, and glory. The third stanza, sung by creatures who belong to heaven, earth, and the sea, pertains to the exalted Lamb, who sits upon the throne, having blessing, glory, and power. At the conclusion of the new song the four beasts say “amen” and the twenty-four elders fall down and worship the Lord. The new song repeats the following terms two times, perhaps for emphasis: God, Lamb, worthy, slain [Lamb], power, honor, glory, blessing, and ever (that is, “for ever and ever”).

 

 Rev. 5:1-14

 

1 And I saw in the right hand of him that [sits]1 on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.

 

2 And I saw a strong angel [and heard him]2 proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?

 

3 And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.

 

4 And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.

 

5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

 

6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having [twelve]3 horns and [twelve]4 eyes, which are the [twelve servants]5 of God sent forth into all the earth.

 

7 And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne.

 

8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints.

 

9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; 10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.

 

11 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;

 

12 Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

 

13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.

 

14 And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.

 

NOTES AND COMMENTARY

 

5:1 I saw in the right hand. The book with seven seals is in Heavenly Father’s right hand, which is the hand “associated with righteousness (Ps. 48:10; Isa. 41:10), power (Ex. 15:6,  12; Ps. 89:13), and covenant making (Isa. 62:8). With his right hand, the Lord executes justice (3 Ne. 29:4,  9), dispenses the law (Deut. 33:2), and saves his people (Ps. 17:7;  20:6) with his right hand he created the heavens and the earth (Isa. 48:13).” 6

 

him that [sits] on the throne. God the Father. See commentary on 4:2.

 

Book. This book “contains the revealed will, mysteries, and the works of God; the hidden things of his economy concerning this earth during the seven thousand years of its continuance, or its temporal existence” (D&C 77:6). Orson F. Whitney explained: “The book which John saw represented the real history of the world—what the eye of God has seen, what the recording angel has written; and the seven thousand years, corresponding to the seven seals of the Apocalyptic volume, are as seven great days during which Mother Earth will fulfill her mortal mission, laboring six days and resting upon the seventh, her period of sanctification. These seven days do not include the period of our planet’s creation and preparation as a dwelling place for man. They are limited to Earth’s `temporal existence,’ that is, to Time, considered as distinct from Eternity.”7

 

written within and on the backside. The technical term for this book is an opistographi, which is a scroll that has writing on both sides. Ezekiel’s scroll is similarly described: “I looked, . . . and [the scroll] was written within and without: and there was written therein lamentations, and mourning, and woe” (Ezek. 2:9-10). The book in God’s right hand overflows with his “revealed will, mysteries, and . . . works” (D&C 77:6).

 

Sealed with seven seals. Each of the seven seals corresponds with one of the seven millennia of the earth’s temporal existence. The Lord revealed that “the first seal contains the things of the first thousand years, and the second also of the second thousand years, and so on until the seventh” (D&C 77:7).

 

A seal is an impression of a signet (a finger ring or similar object with an engraved design) in wax that is designed to fasten and seal a scroll or document. Gottfried Fitzer, a biblical scholar, explains the significance of the seal and how it was used in the ancient Near East. First, kings possessed seals that were unique and not easily duplicated, lest someone attempt to counterfeit the seal and imitate the authority of the king. God’s seal was unique, and no one in heaven or on earth, save Christ himself, was permitted to open the seals (5:2-3). Second, “the seal served as a legal protection and guarantee in many ways, especially in relation to property. All objects suitable for sealing could be marked as the property of the owner in this way.”8 God owned the book and the seals that sealed it. No other individual, save the Lamb of God, was empowered to open it. Third, the seal proved the identity of its owner. The seal of God, with which the book was sealed, indicated to onlookers and observers the identity of the true King. Fourth, “the holder of the seal is the holder of power and has his place in a duly constituted order. Might and right come together in the seal.”9 Christ, by virtue of his worthiness to open the seals, held great power in the cosmos. That is indicated in the statement that Christ “hath prevailed to open the book.” Fifth, “the seal was also meant to protect a document against inappropriate or premature disclosure.”10 God’s sealed book was closed until he revealed its contents through Christ, who opened the seals one at a time (6:1, 3, 5, 7, 9; 8:1), according to the foreordained time schedule of God. And finally, “the seal makes a document legally valid.”11 God’s sealed book was opened in a legal and official manner: the King, who sat on his throne in the heavenly temple, delivered the sealed book in his right hand to his chief administrator, and hosts of beings stood as witnesses.

 

5:2 I saw a strong angel . . . proclaiming with a loud voice. The identity of the “strong angel” is not revealed. It may be Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, or any other mighty angel. John later witnesses “a mighty angel” performing sacred work (10:1; 18:1). The angel proclaims with a loud voice so that all the millions in heaven who are witnessing these events will hear him. The expression “loud voice” is used twelve times in Revelation (5:12; 6:10; 7:2, 10; 8:13; 10:3; 12:10; 14:7, 9, 15; 19:17).

 

Who is worthy to open the book? The strong angel asks the hosts of heaven this question. We learn in Rev. 5:3 and 5 that Jesus Christ is the only one in heaven or on earth who is worthy to open the book. Why? Perhaps because Jesus Christ is the only one qualified to bring about the eternal and infinite atonement for the inhabitants of this world, the history of which is contained in the book to be opened.

 

5:3 no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth. No individual (angels, or exalted Saints) in heaven, no flesh (mortals) upon the earth, and no disembodied spirit (either righteous or evil) under the earth was permitted to “open the book” or even to “look thereon.” See also Philip. 2:10.

 

5:4 I wept much. John sorrows that no one can open the book.

 

5:5 one of the elders saith unto me. One of the twenty-four elders interprets for John here and again in 7:13.

 

Weep not. John is told to “weep not” because there is an individual who is able to open the book.

 

Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book. In 5:6 Christ is called “Lamb,” but here he is called “Lion,” a creature hostile and adverse to the Lamb. Christ as the Lamb portrays one who is submissive, as a sacrificial victim who is “brought as a lamb to the slaughter” (Isa. 53:7), or one who condescended to descend below all things. Christ as the Lion depicts one who has power over all creatures and is a majestic, fearless king (as a lion is “king of the beasts”) who possesses great strength. In this context the title is especially appropriate, because just as a lion prevails over other creatures, so Christ “prevailed to open the book” with seven seals (or, according to RSV, Christ “has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals”).

 

Jesus is a member “of the tribe of Juda,” whose emblem is the lion (Gen. 49:9). Paul stated that Jesus “sprang out of Juda” (Heb. 7:14), and Christ himself declared, “I am the root and the offspring of David” (22:16). Christ as the “Root” provides spiritual water, nourishment, and life to his people (Isa. 11:1,  10;  53:2; John 15:1-7).

 

5:6 in the midst of the throne . . . stood a Lamb as it had been slain. The elder instructs John to “weep not” and to “behold the Lion,” but unexpectedly John sees a Lamb that possesses the marks of one who was slain. He sees Christ who, though slain for the sins of the world, now stands in great majesty as a lion stands as the king of all creatures. Christ stands now in the inner circle of the multitudes in heaven. He is standing near his Father’s throne, which is surrounded by the four beasts and the twenty-four elders.

 

Christ is called Lamb twenty-seven times in Revelation. Elsewhere the prophets write of the Lamb: “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29) “Christ our hunderi is sacrificed for us” (1 Cor. 5:7) and “ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold . . . but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Pet. 1:18-19).

 

The expression “as it had been slain” indicates that the Lamb, although risen from the dead and possessing eternal life, in this vision to John carried the marks of his sacrifice in his hands, feet, and side. The Book of Mormon testifies that the Nephite Saints at the temple in Bountiful “went forth, and thrust their hands into his side, and did feel the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet; and this they did do, going forth one by one until they had all gone forth, and did see with their eyes and did feel with their hands, and did know of a surety and did bear record, that it was he, of whom it was written by the prophets, that should come” (3 Ne. 11:15; see also John 20:25,  27).

 

Having [twelve] horns and [twelve] eyes, which are the [twelve servants] of God. The Lamb’s twelve horns and twelve eyes are figurative, representing the Twelve Apostles, who are empowered by the Lamb to administer his gospel throughout the earth. The horns represent power (1 Sam. 2:10; Jer. 48:25; Ps. 75:10) the “eyes” may refer to the powers of seership held by apostles.

 

Sent forth into all the earth. The expression “sent forth” defines the meaning of the word apostle, which means “one sent forth.”12

 

5:7 he came and took the book. God remains seated on the throne as Jesus Christ comes and takes the book from his right hand. For more about “right hand,” see commentary on 5:1.

 

5:8 when he had taken the book. The moment that Christ takes the book from God, the beasts and elders, with their harps and golden bowls, fall down to worship Christ.

 

Four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb. Previously the beasts and elders had fallen down to worship God the Father (4:10); now they prostrate themselves before Jesus Christ. Three more times they will fall down before the Father (5:14; 11:16; 19:4).

 

Having every one of them harps. Biblical scholars Bratcher and Hatton explain: “This seems to say that every one of the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders had a harp and golden bowls filled with incense, although some would restrict it to the twenty-four elders.”13 Worship in heaven evidently includes music from harps. In this verse there are twenty-eight harps; in Rev. 14:1-3 it appears that each of the 144,000 high priests has a harp; and in Rev. 15:2 all exalted Saints possess “harps of God.”

 

Golden vials full of odours. A better translation is “golden bowls full of incense.”14 These bowls of incense recall those used during the ancient Israelite temple service by priestly officiants (1 Kgs. 7:50).

 

 John informs us that the incense represents “the prayers of the saints” (see also Ps. 141:2). As the priestly ministrants offered incense upon the altar in the earthly temple twice daily, the Saints prayed in the courtyard of the temple (Luke 1:10) the twenty-four elders present the prayers, represented by incense, to God. Later in Revelation we read: “And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand” (8:3-4). An apocryphal source adds, “I am Raphael, one of the seven holy angels, who present the prayers of the saints, and who go in and out before the glory of the Holy One” (Tobit 12:15; see also 3 Baruch 11).

 

5:9 they sung a new song. The words of this “new song,” sung by the twenty-four elders and the four beasts, are addressed to Jesus (note the second-person pronouns thou and thy). The song emphasizes Christ’s atoning sacrifice (“thou wast slain,” “by thy blood”) and the resultant benefits for humankind (“hast redeemed us,” “hast made us . . . kings and priests”). Compare also D&C 88:98-102, which contains the words to another “new song.”

 

Thou art worthy to take the book. The verse explains why Jesus is worthy to take the book from God’s right hand: he wrought the eternal and infinite atonement, a fact expressed as “thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood.”

 

For thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood. These words are the foundation of the song, because Christ’s sacrifice made him worthy to take the book and will allow the Saints to become kings and priests and reign on the earth. Mormon taught that the redeemed will “dwell in the presence of God in his kingdom, to sing ceaseless praises with the choirs above, unto the Father, and unto the Son, and unto the Holy Ghost” (Morm. 7:7).

 

Every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation. John uses this phraseology in Revelation seven times to represent a great host of people from all lands and nations as well as every language and extended family. Five times the phrase refers to peoples upon the earth (10:11; 11:9; 13:7; 14:6; 17:15), and twice it refers to redeemed Saints who dwell in heaven (5:9; 7:9). It is clear that the exalted souls will include individuals from all lands, peoples, and languages. Truly, as Nephi taught, “there is one God and one Shepherd over all the earth” (1 Ne. 13:41).

 

5:10 made us unto our God kings and priests. Through his atonement Jesus Christ “made us . . . kings and priests”; individuals cannot become kings and priests on their own (see commentary on 1:6) but become such in God’s temples. That God’s kings and priests are from “every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation” suggests that the gospel will be preached to all peoples throughout the world and those who accept the gospel will worship in the temples of the Lord that are now being established throughout the earth.

 

We shall reign on the earth. Our earth will become a celestial kingdom, and exalted Saints who have become kings and queens unto God will reign there. A modern revelation states: “The poor and the meek of the earth shall inherit it. Therefore, it must needs be sanctified from all unrighteousness, that it may be prepared for the celestial glory; for after it hath filled the measure of its creation, it shall be crowned with glory, even with the presence of God the Father” (D&C 88:17-19).

 

5:11 I beheld, and I heard. John sees and hears the angels, beasts, and elders praise the Lamb.

 

Ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands. One hundred million (ten thousand times ten thousand equals one hundred million), and “thousands of thousands” of angels near God’s throne revere the Lamb. The number may be taken literally, or it may signify a great, indefinite number. In any case, John witnesses a great number of angels praising the Lamb.

 

5:12 Saying with a loud voice. The unified sound of more than one hundred million beings produces a “loud voice.”

 

Worthy is the Lamb that was slain. The phrase recalls 5:9, which explains why the Lamb was worthy to open the book.

 

To receive power/riches/wisdom/strength/honour/glory/blessing. “The angels repeat three of the elders’ terms of praise: glory, honor, and power, and add wealth, wisdom, might, and blessing (5:13). The seven terms symbolize the fullness of the praise.”15

 

5:13 every creature which is in heaven/on the earth/under the earth/in the sea. After witnessing the sacred adulation of more than one hundred million angels, John listens to all creatures of the earth and sea praise the Lamb. They repeat four of the seven terms of praise voiced by the angels: blessing, honor, glory, and power. The section anticipates this modern revelation, which has similar themes.

 

“Let the mountains shout for joy, and all ye valleys cry aloud; and all ye seas and dry lands tell the wonders of your Eternal King! And ye rivers, and brooks, and rills, flow down with gladness. Let the woods and all the trees of the field praise the Lord; and ye solid rocks weep for joy! And let the sun, moon, and the morning stars sing together, and let all the sons of God shout for joy! And let the eternal creations declare his name forever and ever!” (D&C 128:23).

 

Joseph Smith said: “Revelation 5:13 proves that John saw beasts in heaven and heard them speak praise to God. [I] do not know what language they speak.”16

 

unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. The sacred praise of every creature is directed to God the Father, who sits upon his throne, and to Jesus Christ.

 

5:14 four beasts said, Amen. After the elders sing a new song (5:9-10), the angels praise the Lamb (5:12), and every creature glorifies God and the Lamb. The four beasts then close these threefold praises by saying “Amen” (see commentary on 3:14).

 

Four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever. This is the third of five occasions in which the elders fall down and worship Deity (4:10; 5:8; 11:16; 19:4).

 

1 JST 5:1 replaces sat with sits.

 

2 JST 5:2 adds and heard him.

 

3 JST 5:6 changes seven to twelve.

 

4 JST 5:6 changes seven to twelve.

 

5 JST 5:6 changes the phrase seven spirits to twelve servants.

 

6 McConkie and Parry, Guide to Scriptural Symbols, 93.

 

7 Whitney, Saturday Night Thoughts, 11.

 

8 Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, 7:940, s.v. “seals, sealing.”

 

9 Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, 7:942, s.v. “seals, sealing.”

 

10 Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, 7:945, s.v. “seals, sealing.”

 

11 Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, 7:945, s.v. “seals, sealing.”

 

12 The LDS Bible Dictionary states that apostle means “one sent forth” (612, s.v. “apostle”).

 

13 Bratcher and Hatton, Handbook on the Revelation of John, 102.

 

14 See, for example, NIV.

 

15 Metzger, Breaking the Code, 54.

 

16 Ehat and Cook, Words of Joseph Smith, 190.

 

 

(Donald W. Parry and Jay A. Parry, Understanding the Book of Revelation [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1998], 65.)

 

(Revelation 6:11-17.)- Christ opens the 6th seal, it is war and famine. Christ comes and the church is organized, there is persecution and slaying of some of the saints.  The white robes are given as promised in Rev 3:21.  The 6th seal is opened in Joseph Smith’s day.

 

11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

 

12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;

 

13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.

 

14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.

 

15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;

 

16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:

 

17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

 

 

The Warning Voice of the Lord – D&C 43

 

1.        The Lord’s servants – Prophets, Apostles and Missionaries give the world opportunity to repent and humble themselves because of the word.

2.       Natural Disasters and War – Compels the world to be humble and repent.

3.       The Lord’s own voice – 3 Nephi 9-10.  The 1st 2 will fail and the Lord will step in, this is the time of the 2nd Coming and the destruction of the wicked

 

 

(Doctrine and Covenants 43:17-23.)

 

17 Hearken ye, for, behold, the great day of the Lord is nigh at hand.

 

18 For the day cometh that the Lord shall utter his voice out of heaven; the heavens shall shake and the earth shall tremble, and the trump of God shall sound both long and loud, and shall say to the sleeping nations: Ye saints arise and live; ye sinners stay and sleep until I shall call again.

 

19 Wherefore gird up your loins lest ye be found among the wicked.

 

20 Lift up your voices and spare not. Call upon the nations to repent, both old and young, both bond and free, saying: Prepare yourselves for the great day of the Lord;

 

21 For if I, who am a man, do lift up my voice and call upon you to repent, and ye hate me, what will ye say when the day cometh when the thunders shall utter their voices from the ends of the earth, speaking to the ears of all that live, saying—Repent, and prepare for the great day of the Lord?

 

22 Yea, and again, when the lightnings shall streak forth from the east unto the west, and shall utter forth their voices unto all that live, and make the ears of all tingle that hear, saying these words—Repent ye, for the great day of the Lord is come?

 

23 And again, the Lord shall utter his voice out of heaven, saying: Hearken, O ye nations of the earth, and hear the words of that God who made you.

 

Rev. 6

 

THE OPENING OF FOUR SEALS: TYPES OF THINGS TO COME (6:1-8)

 

 John describes the Lamb’s opening of the first four seals, which contain brief information about the first four thousand years of the earth’s “temporal existence” (D&C 77:6). Comparatively little attention is given in Revelation to these and the fifth seal, for only eleven verses are dedicated to them. One commentator points out that John’s entire revelation “from beginning to end takes 317 verses, and yet John spends only eleven verses (or about 3.5 percent) on the first five thousand years of history.”1

 

At the opening of each seal, one of the four beasts invites John to “come and see.” John responds with “and I saw,” “and I beheld,” “and I looked,” followed by a brief description of what he sees: four horses and their riders. Each horse is a different color (white, red, black, and pale), and each is interpreted symbolically. Three of the four horsemen possess objects: the first has a bow and a crown, the second a sword, and the third a pair of balances. The fourth horseman does not possess an object, but he is named “Death” (the first three horsemen are not named). Each of the four horses, horsemen, and the objects or name attached to them tells us something about the thousand years that each represents.

 

Beyond what is mentioned in Rev. 6:1-8, we know very little about the four horsemen, who travel in silence, and their horses. We do not know their origin or their direction of travel. Do they come from heaven or hell?2 Are they destroying angels from God executing his divine plan to destroy the wicked, or are they evil men from hell who are asserting their agency to kill and cause wars and famines upon the earth? Are the four horsemen related to the four destroying angels described in Revelation 7? Do they correspond in some manner with the four horses of Zech. 1:8-11;  6:2 Do the four horsemen and their horses pertain only to the first four thousand years, or are they also types of things to come?

 

Joseph Smith taught, “John saw beasts that had to do with things on the earth, but not in past ages. The beasts which John saw had to devour the inhabitants of the earth in days to come [quotes Rev. 6:1-4].” 3 This statement suggests that the activities of the four horses and horsemen, representing the first four thousand years, also typify wars, famines, and tribulations yet to come upon the earth.

 

The number four has symbolic importance in Revelation, where we read about the four living creatures (4:6, 8; 5:6, 8, 14), the four horses, and the four horsemen who correspond with the first four seals (announced by the four beasts; 6:1-8), the “four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth” (7:1), and the “four quarters of the earth” (20:8).

 

The first seals are linked together into a unified group of four (four seals, four horses, four horsemen, four statements from four beasts), while the final three seals belong to a second group. This pattern of one group of four and one group of three parallels that pattern set forth for the seven trumpets (Rev. 8-9) and the seven vials (Rev. 16).

 

According to one scholar, the number four “has its origin in the orientation to four sides which, as before, behind and to right and left, are suggested by man’s physical constitution. The four corners of heaven or the world embrace the whole of man’s horizon.”4 The following table sets forth the structure of Rev. 6:1-8.

 

Table 2

 

 Four Horses

 

White (6:1-2)

 

Red (6:3-4)

 

Black (6:5-6)

 

Pale (6:7-8)

 

Lamb opens four seals

 

Lamb opened one of the seals . . .

 

when he had opened the second seal,

 

when he had opened the third seal,

 

when he had opened the fourth seal,

 

Four beasts speak

 

noise of thunder, saying,

 

I heard the second beast say,

 

I heard the third beast say,

 

I heard the voice of the fourth beast say,

 

Words of the four beasts

 

Come and see.

 

Come and see. . . .

 

Come and see.

 

Come and see.

 

John beholds

 

And I saw,

 

 

 

And I beheld,

 

And I looked,

 

Objects or description of the four horsemen

 

he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: . . .

 

there was given unto him a great sword.

 

He that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. . . .

 

his name that sat on him was Death,. . . . .

 

 

 

Significance of the four horsemen

 

he went forth conquering, and to conquer.

 

. . . power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: . . .

 

A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.

 

Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.

 

 

 

 Rev. 6:1-8

 

1 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, [one of the four beasts],5 and I heard, as it were, the noise of thunder, saying, Come and see.

 

2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.

 

3 And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.

 

4 And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.

 

5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.

 

6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.

 

7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.

 

8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.

 

NOTES AND COMMENTARY

 

6:1 I saw . . . and I heard. As John witnesses the opening of the first seal, he hears something resembling the noise of thunder.

 

Lamb opened one of the seals. The Lamb, who now has the sealed book in his own hand, opens the first seal, which “contains the revealed will, mysteries, and the works of God” (D&C 77:6) for the first one thousand years of the earth’s temporal existence. The time frame here, according to one estimate, is approximately 4000 to 3000 B.C. Elder Orson F. Whitney wrote, “According to received chronology—admittedly imperfect, yet approximately correct—four thousand years, or four of the seven great days given to this planet as the period of its `temporal existence,’ had passed before Christ was crucified; while nearly two thousand years have gone by since.”6

 

By virtue of his supreme, divine, and infinite sacrifice, Jesus Christ is worthy to open the seals (see commentary on 5:9). Only he can open the view of the earth’s temporal existence that is the history of humankind upon the earth.

 

Noise of thunder. This sound probably denotes the powerful voice of the beast. Heavenly voices, including that of the Father (John 12:29), are often likened to thunder (10:3; 14:2; 19:6).

 

[one of the four beasts] . . . saying, Come and see. The beast guides John; this may be the first beast, which “was like a lion” (4:7). For “beast,” see commentary on 4:6.

 

6:2 white horse . . . he that sat on him had a bow. Elder Bruce R. McConkie identifies the rider of the “white horse” as Enoch, who was “a general over the armies of the saints.”7 Moses 7:13-16 supports this idea, explaining that Enoch “led the people of God, and their enemies came to battle against them; . . . and all nations feared greatly, so powerful was the word of Enoch, and so great was the power of the language which God had given him. There also came up a land out of the depth of the sea, and so great was the fear of the enemies of the people of God, that they fled and stood afar off and went upon the land which came up out of the depth of the sea. And the giants of the land, also, stood afar off; and there went forth a curse upon all people that fought against God; and from that time forth there were wars and bloodshed among them; but the Lord came and dwelt with his people, and they dwelt in righteousness.”

 

Went forth conquering, and to conquer. The white horse and crown speak symbolically of victory, and the bow represents war. Conceivably the white horse and its rider can symbolize any of the righteous men of this time period who fought and prevailed against evil, including Adam or his descendants.

 

6:3 when he had opened the second seal. John sees Christ open the second seal, which “contains the revealed will, mysteries, and the works of God” (D&C 77:6), for the second thousand years of the earth’s temporal existence. The time frame here, according to one estimate, is approximately 3000 to 2000 B.C.8

 

I heard the second beast say, Come and see. The beast, which may be the second beast identified earlier that was “like a calf” (4:7), guides the Revelator. For “beast,” see commentary on 4:6.

 

6:4 there went out another horse that was red. The time represented by the second seal was an era of war and bloodshed. The color red signifies bloodshed; the horse, according to prophetic symbolism, represents a means of transport in war (Job 39:19-24). The rider of the horse carries a large, or “great sword,” a symbol of war (3 Ne. 2:19; D&C 45:33) and a weapon designed expressly to take human lives. In addition, the rider is empowered to “take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another” (6:4). John does not identify the rider; it is possible that the rider symbolizes all wicked and bloodthirsty men who murder and make war.

 

 Moses identifies this era as a time when “the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. . . . The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make thee an ark” (Gen. 6:5,  11-14). So great was the violence and wickedness during the period of this seal that God destroyed all flesh, except the eight souls who were aboard the ark.

 

To take peace from the earth. A similar phrase is used in a modern revelation: “The day speedily cometh; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand, when peace shall be taken from the earth, and the devil shall have power over his own dominion” (D&C 1:35; emphasis added).

 

6:5 when he had opened the third seal. John witnesses Christ open the third seal, which “contains the revealed will, mysteries, and the works of God” (D&C 77:6), for the third thousand years of the earth’s temporal existence. The time frame here, according to one estimate, is approximately 2000 to 1000 B.C.9

 

I heard the third beast say, Come and see. The beast, which may be the third beast identified earlier who “had a face as a man” (4:7), guides John. For “beast,” see commentary on 4:6.

 

Black horse. The time represented by the third seal was an era of great famine. John sees a black horse, black being the color of extreme hunger and famine (Lam. 4:8-9). In the hand of the rider he sees a pair of balances, which are used to measure the food during the famine, a practice known from earlier times (Lev. 26:26). For instance, on one occasion the Lord prophesied through Ezekiel that he would cause a famine by[“break[ing] the staff of bread in Jerusalem”; the Jerusalemites, he explained, would “eat bread by weight, and with care; and they shall drink water by measure” (Ezek. 4:16).

 

During this thousand-year time span, Abraham records, “a famine prevailed throughout all the land of Chaldea, and my father was sorely tormented because of the famine. . . . Now the Lord God caused the famine to wax sore in the land of Ur, insomuch that Haran, my brother, died” (Abr. 1:30;  2:1). As Abraham and Sarai traveled through the land, he stopped and “built an altar in the land of Jershon, and made an offering unto the Lord, and prayed that the famine might be turned away from my father’s house, that they might not perish. . . . And I, Abraham, concluded to go down into Egypt, to sojourn there, for the famine became very grievous” (Abr. 2:17, 21).

 

We recall that Joseph, the great-grandson of Abraham, interpreted Pharaoh’s dream of a famine that would last seven years and would “consume the land” (Gen. 41:30). The famine existed in Egypt as well as other lands. Gen. 41 relates: “And the famine was over all the face of the face of the earth . . . and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt. And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands” (Gen. 41:56-57). Jacob, Joseph’s father, also experienced the famine while dwelling in Canaan, and he sent ten of his sons to Egypt to buy corn (Gen. 42:1-5).

 

6:6 I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts. Again, one of the “beasts” interprets for John.

 

Measure of wheat for a penny/three measures of barley for a penny. A measure (approximately one quart) represents the daily food ration of one adult, and a penny (Matt. 20:2) was one day’s pay. Barley, the food of the destitute, cost a third as much as wheat. The measurement of small quantities of food speaks of a time of famine.

 

Hurt not the oil and the wine. “The warning against hurting the oil and wine sets limits to the destruction about to be carried out by the horseman. Since the roots of the olive and vine go deeper [than the roots of barley and wheat], they would not be affected by a limited drought that would all but destroy the grain.”10

 

6:7 when he had opened the fourth seal. John sees Christ open the fourth seal, which “contains the revealed will, mysteries, and the works of God” (D&C 77:6) for the fourth thousand years of the earth’s temporal existence. The time frame here, according to one estimate, is approximately 1000 B.C. to A.D 1.11

 

I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. The beast, perhaps the fourth beast identified earlier that “was like a flying eagle” (4:7), guides John. For “beast,” see commentary on 4:6.

 

6:8 pale horse. The color described here reminds us of a corpse and of death. The rider’s name is Death, and one named Hell follows after him to receive the dead. We are not told how Hell travels, whether by horse or on foot. John informs us that Death will kill one-fourth of earth’s inhabitants by sword, famine, plague, and wild beasts. Ezekiel calls these four ways to die (sword, famine, plague, and wild beasts) the “four sore judgments” (Ezek. 14:21) that God sends upon the wicked.

 

Certainly the millennium of the fourth seal was an era of numerous wars. In the biblical world alone we are aware of wars between the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah; there were also wars among other Near Eastern groups, including the Assyrians, Persians, Babylonians, Syrians, and Egyptians.

 

Hell followed with him. The horseman named Death and his companion Hell (signifying spirit prison) are given power over a quarter of the people of earth. The verse in Revelation recalls a prophecy of Isaiah: “Hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth without measure: and their glory, and their multitude, and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it” (Isa. 5:14).

 

Power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth. During the time period of the fourth seal Death (followed by Hell) destroys one quarter of the earth’s inhabitants.

 

To kill with sword/hunger/death/beasts. See “pale horse,” above.

 

THE OPENING OF THE FIFTH SEAL: THE MARTYRS’ CRIES (6:9-11)

 

At the opening of the fifth seal, John sees individuals who were slain because of their testimonies of Christ. After listening to their prayers offered unto God “with a loud voice,” he then witnesses that each of the martyrs is given the white robes of salvation.

 

 Rev. 6:9-11

 

9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:

 

10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

 

11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

 

NOTES AND COMMENTARY

 

6:9 when he had opened the fifth seal. The Lamb opens the fifth seal, which “contains the revealed will, mysteries, and the works of God” (D&C 77:6), for the fifth thousand years of the earth’s temporal existence. The time frame here, according to one estimate, is approximately A.D. 1 to 1000.12

 

under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony. The Revelator sees those who have suffered or would suffer martyrdom for the sake of Christ and his gospel, such as Antipas of Pergamos (2:13). Such martyrs and their spilled blood are likened to sacrificial animals, whose blood was poured out at the foot of the altar by the priests (Lev. 4:7). John may have seen the martyrs Joseph Smith and Hyrum Smith under the altar. John Taylor wrote that the “innocent blood” of Joseph and Hyrum, “with the innocent blood of all the martyrs under the altar that John saw, will cry unto the Lord of Hosts till he avenges that blood on the earth” (D&C 135:7).

 

The martyrs were slain for two reasons: for preaching the word of God and for their testimonies of Christ. John was exiled to the Isle of Patmos for identical reasons (1:9).

 

6:10 they cried with a loud voice. The prayer of the martyrs is loud because of their great number and their anguish (5:12).

 

How long . . . dost thou not judge and avenge our blood. From the martyrdom of Abel, whose “blood crieth unto [God] from the ground” (Gen. 4:10; Luke 11:50-51), to the deaths of Joseph and Hyrum Smith, whose “innocent blood” spilled “on the floor of Carthage jail” (D&C 135:7), martyrs for Jesus Christ cry out to God, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?” Similarly, the psalmist prayed, “Lord, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph?” (Ps. 94:3), and Habakkuk cried, “O Lord, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear!” (Hab. 1:2). But Jesus assures us, “Shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with men?” (JST Luke 18:7). The martyrs will not stop petitioning the Lord “till he avenges that blood on the earth” (D&C 135:7).

 

When will God “judge and avenge” the innocent blood of the martyrs? That judgment and avenging may begin when he sends the judgments of the seven trumpets and seven bowls, as set forth in Revelation.

 

6:11 white robes were given unto every one of them. A white robe is the dress of the glorified Christ (3 Ne. 11:8; see also “robe of righteousness,” 2 Ne. 4:33), heavenly messengers (1 Ne. 8:5;  14:19; JS 1:32), and exalted Saints (3:4-5; 7:9; 2 Ne. 9:14; D&C 109:76). Here the martyrs are given white robes, signifying that they have made the Atonement effective in their lives and have “washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (7:14). Jesus taught how one should wash his robes: “And no unclean thing can enter into his kingdom; therefore nothing entereth into his rest save it be those who have washed their garments in my blood, because of their faith, and the repentance of all their sins, and their faithfulness unto the end” (3 Ne. 27:19; 1 Ne. 12:10).

 

Garments and robes are images often used to symbolize the inner state of the persons wearing them (Morm. 9:35; Ether 13:10). For example, the wearing of white robes represents an individual becoming an immortal, celestial person with a celestial body. Hence, the white robes identified in this passage refer to the celestial bodies of glory and light possessed by the martyrs.

 

Rest yet for a little season. The martyrs are instructed to wait until after the martyrdom of other Saints. The Prophet Joseph Smith, his brother Hyrum, and the two prophets of Rev. 11 may be included in this group of individuals who would “be killed as they were.” The martyrs were to rest until the allotted number of those who were to join them in martyrdom was complete (see RSV, NEB, JB, NIV, and GNB).

 

THE OPENING OF THE SIXTH SEAL: WARNING VOICES (6:12-17)

 

This section sets forth seven signs of the times that will occur after the opening of the sixth seal but before the second coming of the Lord. The seven signs are the earthquake, the darkened sun, the blood-red moon, falling stars, the heavens opening as a scroll, the movement of mountains and islands, and fear coming upon humanity. Many passages of scripture parallel this section.

 

These signs of the times warn the earth’s inhabitants that the end of the earth is near. They are designed, in part, to encourage the wicked to repent of their sins. In fact, many will misinterpret these signs, believing that the time of the Second Coming has actually arrived. They will say, “The great day of his wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand?” (6:17). But the scriptures inform us that Jesus will not make his great appearance until sometime after the opening of the seventh seal (D&C 77:12-13).

 

These signs are imminent. On 27 December 1832, the Lord revealed, “Not many days hence and the earth shall tremble and reel to and fro as a drunken man; and the sun shall hide his face, and shall refuse to give light; and the moon shall be bathed in blood; and the stars shall become exceedingly angry, and shall cast themselves down as a fig that falleth from off a fig-tree” (D&C 88:87).

 

 Rev. 6:12-17

 

12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;

 

13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.

 

14 And the[heaven[s opened]13 as a scroll [is opened]14 when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island [was]15 moved out of [its place].16

 

15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;

 

16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb.

 

17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?

 

NOTES AND COMMENTARY

 

6:12 he . . . opened the sixth seal. Christ opens the sixth seal, which “contains the revealed will, mysteries, and the works of God” (D&C 77:6), for the sixth thousand years of the earth’s temporal existence. The time frame here, according to one estimate, is approximately A.D. 1000 to 2000.17

 

there was a great earthquake. Earthquakes, along with other catastrophic events, signify “great and terrible judgments of the Lord” (1 Ne. 12:4-5; Isa. 29:6; Ezek. 38:19-20). Before the Second Coming, God sends earthquakes to those who do not believe in Jesus Christ, for “they that believe not in him [the Messiah] shall be destroyed, both by fire, and by tempest, and by earthquakes, and by bloodsheds, and by pestilence, and by famine” (2 Ne. 6:15).

 

Earthquakes also serve as warning voices to earth’s wicked inhabitants: “The Lord shall utter his voice out of heaven, saying: Hearken, O ye nations of the earth. . . . How oft have I called upon you by the mouth of my servants, and by the ministering of angels, and by mine own voice, and by the voice of hundering, and by the voice of lightnings, and by the voice of tempests, and by the voice of earthquakes, and great hailstorms, and by the voice of famines and pestilences of every kind, and by the great sound of a trump, and by the voice of judgment” (D&C 43:23-25).

 

 D&C 87 teaches: “With famine, and plague, and earthquake, and the thunder of heaven, and the fierce and vivid lightning also, shall the inhabitants of the earth be made to feel the wrath, and indignation, and chastening hand of an Almighty God, until the consumption decreed hath made a full end of all nations” (v. 6).

 

And again, the Lord has revealed that “after your [the Lord’s servants] testimony cometh wrath and indignation upon the people. For after your testimony cometh the testimony of earthquakes, that shall cause hunderi in the midst of her, and men shall fall upon the ground and shall not be able to stand. And also cometh the testimony of the voice of hundering, and the voice of lightnings, and the voice of tempests” (D&C 88:88-90).

 

The great earthquake identified in Rev. 6:12 will serve as a testimony and a warning voice to earth’s people that the Lord is God. It may cause the sun to become black and the moon to look like blood. Other earthquakes are identified in 11:13; 16:17-20.

 

Sun became black as sackcloth. The sun will look as if it is covered with black sackcloth, which is made from the hair of black goats. Sackcloth symbolizes mourning and its connection with darkening the sun implies that all God’s creations are in mourning over the wickedness of the world. As seen by the inhabitants of the earth, the sun may appear to be darkened on account of volcanic ash, dust, smoke, or other such things. This darkening may be a result of the “great earthquake,” or some other cause. We must remember that “the events of that day shall be so unprecedented and so beyond human experience, that the prophets are and have been at an almost total loss for words to describe those realities pressed in upon them by the spirit of revelation.”18

 

Many prophecies have testified of this great event: “the sun shall be turned into darkness” (Joel 2:31) “shall the sun be darkened” (Matt. 24:29; JS 1:33); “the sun shall be darkened” (D&C 29:14;  34:9;  45:41) “the sun shall hide his face, and shall refuse to give light” (D&C 88:87).

 

Moon became as blood. The moon does not become actual blood but becomes “as blood,” probably meaning that it will look red to the inhabitants of the earth. This change in the appearance of the moon may be the result of the earthquake spoken of in this same verse, which would send a great amount of dust and debris into the atmosphere, which could make the moon appear red “as blood.” Many prophets have foretold this event, using such phrases as “the moon into blood” (Joel 2:31; Acts 2:20), “the moon shall be turned into blood” (D&C 29:14), “and the moon be turned into blood” (D&C 34:9;  45:42), and “the moon shall be bathed in blood” (D&C 88:87).

 

6:13 stars of heaven fell unto the earth. Many of the stars that we see in the sky are much larger than our sun, and their size alone, not to mention their extreme heat, would pulverize and melt the earth. Elder Bruce R. McConkie explained: “Such an earthquake has never before been known (16:17-21), and it shall appear to man on earth as though the stars in the sidereal heavens are falling. And in addition, as here recorded, some heavenly meteors or other objects, appearing as stars, will fall `unto the earth.’ “19

 

Other prophets besides John have foreseen this event. They write: “the stars shall fall from heaven” (Matt. 24:29; JS 1:33; D&C 29:14) and “the stars shall refuse their shining, and some shall fall” (D&C 34:9) “the stars fall from heaven” (D&C 45:42) “and the stars shall become exceedingly angry, and shall cast themselves down as a fig that falleth from off a fig-tree” (D&C 88:87).

 

As a fig tree casteth her untimely figs. “Untimely figs” should read “unripe figs,” referring to winter figs that frequently fall off the tree during a great storm or a great gust of wind. Isaiah’s words are similar: “And the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree” (Isa. 34:4).

 

6:14 [eaven[s opened] as a scroll. This difficult expression parallels a similar one in Isa. 34:4; there however, the heavens are “rolled together as a scroll,” whereas here they are “opened as a scroll.”

 

The expression “heavens opened as a scroll” may correspond with an experience described by Wilford Woodruff. “When the five men entered the camp there was not a cloud to be seen in the whole heavens, but as the men left the camp there was a small cloud like a black spot appeared in the north west, and it began to unroll itself like a scroll, and in a few minutes the whole heavens were covered with a pall as black as ink. This indicated a sudden storm which soon broke upon us.”20

 

every mountain and island [was] moved out of [its place]. This movement may be the result of the “great earthquake” spoken of in 6:12. In the following verse we learn that fearful individuals also hide in the “rocks of the mountains.”

 

6:15 kings of the earth . . . and every free man, hid themselves. John lists seven categories of individuals here, the number seven denoting completeness.21 The list includes individuals belonging to the upper social class (kings; great, rich, and mighty men; and chief captains), middle class (free men), and lower class (bondmen)—all of whom will be affected by these cataclysmic events. Children are not included in this list, perhaps because of their innocence before God.

 

Why will people attempt to hide themselves from God? Three times Isaiah states that they will do so because of their “fear of the Lord” (Isa. 2:10,  19,  21), which fear is due to their wickedness and its consequences. Similarly, after their transgression, Adam and Eve also “hid themselves” from God (Gen. 3:8-10).

 

According to D&C 29:15, these signs of the times will cause “weeping and wailing among the hosts of men.” Meanwhile the righteous, or those who worship the Lord in his sacred temples, will receive deliverance. The prophet Joel stated, “Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance” (Joel 2:32). A modern revelation, speaking of the same events, commands us to “be not troubled” (D&C 45:35).

 

6:16 said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us. Jesus Christ prophesied of these events to “a great company of people” who followed him as he walked to Calvary: “Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us” (Luke 23:27-30; Hosea 10:8).

 

 Face of him that sitteth on the throne. This expression is a reference to God the Father (see commentary on 4:2).

 

Wrath of the Lamb. This phrase speaks of Jesus’ righteous indignation.

 

6:17 great day of his wrath is come. It is the wicked who, as they hide themselves in the rocks, make this statement because of their fear. Because of the extraordinary events described in verses 12 through 14, the wicked will believe it is the end of the world. Though these events are certainly signs of the times, they do not occur at the Second Coming, for the revelations state explicitly that Christ will not come until after the opening of the seventh seal (see, for example, D&C 77:12-13). In John’s book of Revelation, Christ does not make his great appearance until Rev. 19.

 

Further, the same prophetic writers who prophesied of the darkening of the sun, the moon becoming as blood, and stars falling from heaven (see commentary on 6:12-14) record that those events would occur before the Second Coming, not at the Second Coming: “The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come” (Joel 2:31; emphasis added; see also Acts 2:20) “but behold, I say unto you that before this great day shall come the sun shall be darkened” (D&C 29:14; emphasis added); “but before that great day shall come, the sun shall be darkened (D&C 34:9; emphasis added); “and before the day of the Lord shall come, the sun shall be darkened” (D&C 45:42; emphasis added). D&C 88:87 notes that these events will occur “not many days hence.”

 

Who shall be able to stand? The psalmist asked, “Thou, even thou, art to be feared: and who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry?” (Ps. 76:7).

 

1 Lund, “Seeing the Book of Revelation,” 51.

 

2 The phrase and there went out (4:1) is used often of angels who go out of the temple in heaven, suggesting that the four horsemen also went out from heaven (14:15, 17). In 15:6, the “seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues.”

 

3 Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 290.

 

4 Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, 8:128, s.v. “four”; see also Bullinger, Number in Scripture, 123-34.

 

5 JST 6:1 moves the phrase one of the four beasts from one place in the verse to another.

 

6 Whitney, Saturday Night Thoughts, 12; see also McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3:476; “Book of Revelation Overview,” 50-53.

 

7 McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3:477.

 

8 Whitney, Saturday Night Thoughts, 12; McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3:478.

 

9 Whitney, Saturday Night Thoughts, 12; McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3:479.

 

10 Mounce, Book of Revelation, 144.

 

11 Whitney, Saturday Night Thoughts, 12; McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3:481.

 

12 Whitney, Saturday Night Thoughts, 12; McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3:482.

 

13 JST 6:14 changes the phrase heaven departed to heavens opened.

 

14 JST 6:14 adds the phrase is opened.

 

15 JST 6:14 replaces were with was.

 

16 JST 6:14 replaces the phrase their places with its place.

 

17 Whitney, Saturday Night Thoughts, 12; McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3:485-86.

 

18 McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3:486.

 

19 McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3:486.

 

20 History of the Church, 2:104.

 

21 These verses also depict seven consequences of man’s wickedness: the earthquake, the darkened sun, the moon turned red, the falling stars, the opening of the heavens, the mountains and islands moving from their places, and the fear of all mankind.

 

 

(Donald W. Parry and Jay A. Parry, Understanding the Book of Revelation [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1998], 75.)

Revelation 7 is the 1st Warning from God – The Lord’s servants declare His word to the world.

(Revelation 7:1-4.) – 4 Angels = 4 corners of the earth, 4 winds = destruction.  The priesthood number 12x12x1000 is symbolic of a very large priesthood gathering.

 

1 And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.

 

2 And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,

 

3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.

 

4 And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.

 

 

(Doctrine and Covenants 77:8-11.)- 4 Angels = power over the earth, to save life and destroy life.  Elias is Joseph Smith, he is to gather Israel.  The warning voice comes in Joseph’s day and the world will be compelled by natural disasters.  The sealing of the 144,000 are high priests who are ordained to all of the temple ordinances, their wives are also included.  They are ordained out of every nation to bring as many as will come to the Church of the Firstborn.

 

8 Q. What are we to understand by the four angels, spoken of in the 7th chapter and 1st verse of Revelation?

 

We are to understand that they are four angels sent forth from God, to whom is given power over the four parts of the earth, to save life and to destroy; these are they who have the everlasting gospel to commit to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people; having power to shut up the heavens, to seal up unto life, or to cast down to the regions of darkness.

 

9 Q. What are we to understand by the angel ascending from the east, Revelation 7th chapter and 2nd verse?

 

We are to understand that the angel ascending from the east is he to whom is given the seal of the living God over the twelve tribes of Israel; wherefore, he crieth unto the four angels having the everlasting gospel, saying: Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. And, if you will receive it, this is Elias which was to come to gather together the tribes of Israel and restore all things.

 

10 Q. What time are the things spoken of in this chapter to be accomplished?

 

They are to be accomplished in the sixth thousand years, or the opening of the sixth seal.

 

11 Q. What are we to understand by sealing the one hundred and forty-four thousand, out of all the tribes of Israel—twelve thousand out of every tribe?

 

We are to understand that those who are sealed are high priests, ordained unto the holy order of God, to administer the everlasting gospel; for they are they who are ordained out of every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, by the angels to whom is given power over the nations of the earth, to bring as many as will come to the church of the Firstborn.

 

 

Elias to Seal 144,000 during Sixth Seal

 

“The everlasting gospel,” as restored through Joseph Smith and his associates, is to be preached “to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people,” during the sixth seal. (D. & C. 77:8, 10.) See Rev. 7:1.

 

But the preaching of the restored gospel in all the world is not by any means the whole story. Converts are to be made everywhere. The same things here shown to John had been revealed more than six centuries before to Nephi. That Hebrew prophet beheld that in the last days the church of the devil would have “dominion over all the earth, among all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people,” and that “the church of the Lamb, who were the saints of god, were also upon all the face of the earth.” (1 Ne. 14:9-2

 

And now we learn that after the converts are made, after there kindreds of the earth, there will be those among them who advance and progress until they become kings and priests. See Rev. 1:1-6; 5:1-14; 20:4-6. John here sees 144,000 of these kings and priests, 12,000 from each tribe, converted, baptized, endowed, married for eternity, and finally sealed up unto eternal life, having their calling and election made sure. See 2 Pet. 1:1-19.

 

2-3. “Q. What are we to understand by the angel ascending from the east, Revelation 7th chapter and 2nd verse? A. We are to understand that the angel ascending from the east is he to whom is given the seal of the living God over the twelve tribes of Israel; wherefore, he crieth unto the four angels having the everlasting gospel, saying: Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. And, if you will receive it, this is Elias which was to come to gather together the tribes of Israel and restore all things.” (D. & C. 77:9.)

 

“According to the plan and program of the Lord, the dispensation of the fulness of times is ‘the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.’ (Acts 3:21.) This restoration is to be effected by Elias. Before the winding up of the Lord’s work, the promise is: ‘Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.’ (Matt. 17:11.) With these ancient scriptures before us, these questions arise: Who is the promised Elias who was to come and restore all things? Has the work of restoration taken place? Or is it something that is yet future?

 

“Correcting the Bible by the spirit of revelation, the Prophet restored a statement of John the Baptist which says that Christ is the Elias who was to restore all things. (Inspired Version, John 1:21-28.) By revelation we are also informed that the Elias who was to restore all things is the angel Gabriel who was known in mortality as Noah. (D. & C. 27:6-7; Luke 1:5-25; Teachings, p. 157.) From the same authentic source we also learn that the promised Elias is John the Revelator. (D. & C. 77:9, 14.) Thus there are three different revelations which name Elias as being three different persons. What are we to conclude?

 

“By finding answer to the question, by whom has the restoration been effected, we shall find who Elias is and find there is no problem in harmonizing these apparently contradictory revelations. Who has restored all things? Was it one man? Certainly not. Many angelic ministrants have been sent from the courts of glory to confer keys and powers, to commit their dispensations and glories again to men on earth. At least the following have come: Moroni, John the Baptist, Peter, James and John, Moses, Elijah, Elias, Gabriel, Raphael, and Michael. (D. & C. 13; 110; 128:19-21.) Since it is apparent that no one messenger has carried the whole burden of the restoration, but rather that each has come with a specific endowment from on high, it becomes clear that Elias is a composite personage. The expression must be understood to be a name and a title for those whose mission it was to commit keys and powers to men in this final dispensation. (Doctrines of Salvation, vol. 1, pp. 170-174.)” (Mormon Doctrine, 2nd ed., p. 221.)

 

Sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads] Of this sealing the Prophet Joseph Smith said: “Four destroying angels holding power over the four quarters of the earth until the servants of God are sealed in their foreheads, which signifies sealing the blessing upon their heads, meaning the everlasting covenant, thereby making their calling and election sure. When a seal is put upon the father and mother, it secures their posterity, so that they cannot be lost, but will be saved by virtue of the covenant of their father and mother.” (Teachings, p. 321.) Thus if both parents and children have their calling and election made sure, none so involved shall be lost; all shall come forth to an inheritance of glory and exaltation in the kingdom of God.

 

4-8. “Q. What are we to understand by sealing the one hundred and forty-four thousand, out of all the tribes of Israel—twelve thousand out of every tribe? A. We are to understand that those who are sealed are high priests, ordained unto the holy order of God, to administer the everlasting gospel; for they are they who are ordained out of every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, by the angels to whom is given power over the nations of the earth, to bring as many as will come to the church of the Firstborn.” (D. & C. 77:11.) See Rev. 14:1-5.

 

5-8. What groups of Jacob’s descendants make up the tribes of Israel? This depends upon the day and age involved and upon what aspect of Israel’s history and destiny is being considered. The house of Israel was, of course, a distinct and chosen people in pre-existence, with great hosts of our Father’s favored and faithful children being foreordained to receive mortal birth through this elect lineage. (Deut. 32:7-9.) In this mortal sphere, Father Jacob had twelve sons. Leah bore him Reuben (his firstborn), Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun; Rachel gave him Joseph and Benjamin; Bilhah was the mother of Dan and Naphtali; and Zilpah of Gad and Asher. (Gen. 35:24-26.) In the original and strict sense of the word, these twelve sons became the heads of the Twelve Tribes of Israel.

 

But the Lord and Jacob favored Joseph above his brethren (Gen. 37), and Jacob took Ephraim and Manasseh (the sons of Joseph) as his own, thereby giving Joseph a double portion in Israel. (Gen. 48:1-6.) This made thirteen tribes.

 

In their hundering to the promised land, the Levites distinguished themselves above all the tribes of Israel (Ex. 32), and were chosen for special ministerial service. (Num. 3 and 8.) When the promised land was divided by lot among the tribes of Israel, Ephraim and Manasseh were counted as two tribes and the Levites were scattered among all the tribes. (Num. 14 to 19.) This left twelve tribes to receive an inheritance in their promised land.

 

Because of sin, Reuben lost, for himself and his posterity, his patriarchal pre-eminence as the firstborn (Gen. 35:22; 49:2-3), and Ephraim was chosen to inherit this favored status. (1 Chron. 5:1-2; Jer. 31:9.) In consequence, it is Ephraim who is being gathered first in this dispensation, and it is he to whom the other gathered tribes will come in due course to receive their blessings. (D. & C. 133:26-34.)

 

At the death of Solomon, the Lord divided his people into two kingdoms. Judah remained with Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, and the other ten tribes (counting Joseph as one tribe and not counting Levi at all) became the kingdom of Ephraim, under the rule of Jeroboam. (1 Kings 11:26-43.) The Ten Tribes were carried into Assyrian captivity in about 721 B. C., were later delivered therefrom by miraculous intervention, and have since been lost to the knowledge of men. (Mormon Doctrine, 2nd ed., pp. 455-458.)

 

The keys and power to restore the Ten Tribes to their former high status in Israel, and to lead them from their unknown places of lodgement in the lands north of Canaan and Assyria, were given by Moses to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery on April 3, 1836. (D. & C. 110:11.) These keys now reside in the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. That the remnants of Israel shall be restored before the Second Coming of the Son of Man is evident from the fact that 12,000 from each tribe are to receive the restored gospel, and that through the ordinances of the Lord’s house they are to become kings and priests, who shall administer the blessings of the everlasting gospel to the Lord’s elect. (D. & C. 77:9-11.)

 

The tribes listed by John include Levi, count Ephraim (Joseph) and Manasseh separately, and omit Dan. Why Dan should lose his inheritance is not clear. Perhaps it is forecast in the patriarchal blessings given by Jacob to the head of the tribe: “Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path.” (Gen. 49:17.) Or perhaps it is because a long course of idolatry and warlike conduct dissipated the strength of the Danites and left them less powerful and numerous than their fellows in Israel. (Judges 18; Jer. 8:16; Amos 8:11-14.)

 

 

(Bruce R. McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3 vols. [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1965-1973], 3: 491.)

 

Sealed … in Their Foreheads

 

One of the events preceding the Second Coming is the sealing to be placed in the foreheads of God’s faithful servants (D&C 77:9; Ezek. 9:4). The Prophet Joseph taught that this sealing “signifies sealing the blessing upon their heads meaning the everlasting covenant, thereby making their calling and election sure. When a seal is put upon the father and mother, it secures their posterity, so that they cannot be lost, but will be saved by virtue of the covenant of their father and mother.” (TPJS, 321.)

 

Elder Orson Pratt taught that this sealing also had reference to the “sealing blessing” pronounced upon the faithful who would go forth from the temple of the New Jerusalem to preach and minister to the inhabitants of the earth (JD 15:365-66).

 

 

(Hoyt W. Brewster, Jr., Doctrine and Covenants Encyclopedia [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1988], 498.)

 

A PREVAILING AND COMBINED ENEMY

 

In the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord explains to the Saints the condition of the world as the final days commence: “All flesh is corrupted before me; and the powers of darkness prevail upon the earth . . . and all eternity is pained, and the angels are waiting the great command to reap down the earth . . . and, behold, the enemy is combined.” (D&C 38:11-12; emphasis added.) How do we as Saints and parents stand against a prevailing and combined (or organized) enemy? How can we keep our children and grandchildren from being overcome by such forces?

 

The Lord never describes a problem in the scriptures without also giving a solution. Notice how the words in Joseph Smith’s dedicatory prayer of the Kirtland Temple match the words from section 38: “We ask thee, Holy Father, to establish the people that shall worship, and honorably hold a name and standing in this thy house, to all generations and for eternity; that no weapon formed against them shall prosper; . . . that no combination of wickedness shall have power to rise up and prevail over thy people upon whom thy name shall be put in this house.” (D&C 109:24-26; emphasis added.) Those who have the name of the Father placed upon them need not fear the “prevailing, combined” forces of evil.

 

THE NAME OF THE FATHER

 

Echoes of this doctrine are heard resounding from the Old and the New Testaments. In Revelation, John sees four angels holding back the winds of destruction previous to the Second Coming. A fifth angel appears with “the seal of the living God” and instructs the four angels not to unleash the winds until he has “sealed the servants of God in their foreheads.” (Revelation 7:1-9.) Later we learn that the seal written in the forehead is the “Father’s name.” (Revelation 14:1.) “And they shall see his face and his name shall be in their foreheads.” (Revelation 22:4.) A quick look in a thesaurus gives us four interesting words interchangeable with seal. They are mark, sign, symbol, and token. In using this imagery, John is alluding to two similar events recorded in the Old Testament: the Passover at the time of Moses, and a vision given to Ezekiel prior to the Babylonian captivity.

 

In the book of Exodus, the children of Israel are protected from the “destroyer” (Exodus 12:23) by having their doors marked with the blood of a lamb: “When he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the Lord will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.” (Exodus 12:23.) In Hebrew the words “pass over” carry the connotation of “warding off a blow or opposing the threatened entrance of an enemy.” (See Wilson’s

 

Old Testament Word Studies, pp. 303-4.) This episode in Israel’s history was to teach them that the atoning blood of Christ protects those who have faith in him from the power of Satan, who is a “destroying angel.” The Savior’s atonement will oppose Satan’s entry and ward off his blows.

 

A similar pattern is found in the book of Ezekiel. Ezekiel sees in vision six men come to Jerusalem. Five of them come with “a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them [the sixth] was clothed with linen, with a writer’s inkhorn by his side.” The man clothed with linen is a priesthood bearer. In this story the priesthood places the mark, sign, or seal upon the foreheads of the righteous. The Lord calls to the “man clothed with linen, which had the writer’s inkhorn by his side; and the Lord said unto him, Go through the midst of the city . . . and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite . . . and begin at my sanctuary.” (Ezekiel 9:2-6.) The city is then destroyed, all but those who have the mark upon their foreheads.

 

It is interesting that in the last days, the final cleansing of the earth also begins at the Lord’s house: “Upon my house shall it begin, and from my house shall it go forth, saith the Lord; first among those among you, saith the Lord, who have professed to know my name and have not known me, and have blasphemed against me in the midst of my house, saith the Lord.” (D&C 112:25-26.)

 

In all three examples, Revelation, Exodus, and Ezekiel, a mark or seal of some sort was placed upon those who were to be protected from the forces of destruction. We learn from the book of Revelation that in our day that mark or seal will be the “name of the Father.” We learn from the dedicatory prayer of the Kirtland Temple that the name of the Father is placed upon those who “worship, and honorably hold a name and standing in” the Lord’s house. In the dedicatory prayer Joseph Smith also prays that the Lord’s “servants may go forth from this house armed with thy power, and that thy name may be upon them, and thy glory be round about them, and thine angels have charge over them.” (D&C 109:22; emphasis added.) The threatened entry of the enemy will be opposed for those who have received the Father’s name. “Unseen angels” will “have charge over them.” Worshiping in the temple will be as important in our day as it was for the children of Israel to mark their doorways with lamb’s blood when the destroying angel passed through Egypt.

 

I do not wish to suggest there is some mystical manner in which we receive the name of the Father in the temple. We must be wise as we interpret and apply symbolic language. The early Israelites were told by Moses to “bind” the commandment to “love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might . . . for a sign upon thine hand, and . . . as frontlets between thine eyes.” (Deuteronomy 6:5-8.) In other words, the love and worship of God was to be constantly before their eyes, and their whole lives were to be guided by that love. They would have, in essence, an “eye single to the glory of God.” (D&C 4:5.)

 

When we love and serve God with all our heart, soul, and might, we are truly his children. His name is upon us, just as the name of my own earthly father is upon me. We belong to his family and carry his name. Where, if not in the temple, do we as members of the Church promise that we will love and serve God with all our heart, soul, and might? Where are our eyes directed so completely to the glory of the Lord? When we make and strive to keep our covenants, his name is upon us. Then we need not fear the powers of the destroyer. The destroyer will pass us over. He cannot prevail, even though his forces are combined. His threatened entry into our homes and lives will be opposed.

 

In Revelation, John promised the Saints from Philadelphia that, if they overcame the temptations of their day, the Lord would make them “a pillar in the temple . . . [to] go no more out.” Once they were in the temple, the Savior said, he would “write upon [them] the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, . . . and I will write upon [them] my new name.” (Revelation 3:12.) Here again we see the relationship of temple worship to the name of God. But in order to receive this great blessing, we must overcome temptation enough to enter the temple. Once worthy to enter, we seek to become a “pillar” in the Lord’s house, someone he can place weight upon, someone who is steady, strong, and constant.

 

 

(S. Michael Wilcox, House of Glory: Finding Personal Meaning in the Temple [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1995], 50.)

 

(Ezekiel 8:1.) – Ezekiel sees Jehovah and by vision is taken back to Jerusalem, he sees various degrees of wickedness, then he sees the destruction of Jerusalem.

 

1 And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I sat in mine house, and the elders of Judah sat before me, that the hand of the Lord GOD fell there upon me.

(Ezekiel 9:1-4.) – The righteous will be saved from the city, destruction from the north.  The X mark on the forehead of the righteous.

 

 He cried also in mine ears with a loud voice, saying, Cause them that have charge over the city to draw near, even every man with his destroying weapon in his hand.

 

2 And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them was clothed with linen, with a writer’s inkhorn by his side: and they went in, and stood beside the hunde altar.

 

3 And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writer’s inkhorn by his side;

 

4 And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.

 

Pollution of the Temple

 

A final kind of idolatry, one that caused the Lord’s presence to depart from his people as invading armies advanced on them (Ezekiel 8:6; Ezek. 9:19:1-11), concerns the pollution of the temple by idols. Several kinds of idolatry polluted the house of God anciently, including the symbol of envy, fn a man-made idol situated at the inner entrance and exit (Ezekiel 8:3, 5). Men also viewed all manner of images portrayed against a wall (Ezekiel 8:10-12); elders of Israel made clouds of perfume or sweet odors (Ezekiel 8:11); fn women at the temple bewailed the death of a popular cult figure (Ezekiel 8:14); and men worshiped the great luminary in the temple’s precincts (Ezekiel 8:16).

 

Because the Lord’s people polluted the house of God by setting up their abominations in it (Jeremiah 7:30; 23:11), the temple proved no place of protection for them in the time of judgment (Jeremiah 7:4-10). When Israel’s enemies entered the land, they went in and destroyed the temple (Jeremiah 52:13), or polluted it yet further by setting up their abominations in it (1 Maccabees 1:54). Beginning at the temple, they slew all except a certain few whom the Lord protected (Ezekiel 9:6-7). The latter sighed and cried continually because of the abominations in their midst (Ezekiel 9:4).

 

 

(John M. Lundquist and Stephen D. Ricks, eds., By Study and Also by Faith: Essays in Honor of Hugh W. Nibley on the Occasion of His Eightieth Birthday, 27 March 1990, 2 vols. [Salt Lake City and Provo: Deseret Book Co., Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, 1990], 2: 398.)

 

D&C 76:50-70 – The resurrection of the just.  Those that keep the commandments and are washed and cleansed from sin (to be qualified for this takes a lifetime) are sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise and become members of the Church of the Firstborn, the Lord’s celestial church.

The Church of the Firstborn

Bruce Satterfield
Department of Religious Education,
Brigham Young University – Idaho

    Becoming part of the Church of the Firstborn should be the goal of every Latter-day Saint. Though the phrase “church of the Firstborn” is used in the scriptures (see Hebrews 12:23; D&C 76:54, 67, 71, 94, 102; 77:11; 78:21; 88:5; 93:22; 107:19), many in the Church are unfamiliar with its meaning. The following is an examination of the scriptures and the words of the brethren concerning the doctrine of the church of the Firstborn.

Three Kingdoms of Glory
    Just hours before the Savior performed the atoning sacrifice that ended in his death and resurrection, he told the Apostles, “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you” (John 14:2). The atonement made possible salvation for God’s children in a one of several kingdoms prepared by the Savior. Brigham Young taught, “The kingdoms that God has prepared are innumerable. . . How may kingdoms there are has not been told to us” (Journal of Discourses 8:154).
    On February 16, 1832, the Lord gave to the Prophet Joseph Smith a series of visions revealing that the “many mansions” the Savior prepared for God’s children are divided into three general categories: the celestial, terrestrial, and telestial kingdoms (see D&C 76).

Celestial Kingdom: The Place of the Church of the Firstborn
    In the same revelation, Joseph Smith was told what one must do to qualify for entrance into the celestial kingdom:

    They are they who received the testimony of Jesus, and believed on his name and were baptized after the manner of his burial, being buried in the water in his name, and this according to the commandment which he has given--
    That by keeping the commandments they might be washed and cleansed from all their sins, and receive the Holy Spirit by the laying on of the hands of him who is ordained and sealed unto this power;
    And who overcome by faith, and are sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise, which the Father sheds forth upon all those who are just and true. (D&C 76:51-53).

Of those who qualify to enter the celestial kingdom, the Lord declared: “They are they who are the church of the Firstborn” (D&C 76:54).

Highest Level of Celestial Kingdom is the Church of the Firstborn
    But the phrase “church of the Firstborn” does not have reference to the celestial kingdom in general. In May, 1843, twelve years after the vision of the celestial kingdom found in D&C 76, the Prophet taught, “In the celestial glory there are three heavens or degrees” (D&C 131:1). Joseph Fielding Smith taught that only those who achieve the highest level of the celestial kingdom or exaltation are of the Church of the Firstborn: “Those who gain exaltation in the celestial kingdom are those who are members of the Church of the Firstborn; in other words, those who keep all the commandments of the Lord. There will be many who are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who shall never become members of the Church of the Firstborn. (Doctrines of Salvation, 2:41; emphasis added). Again, he said: “Eternal life is life in the presence of the Father and the Son. Those who receive it become members of the ‘Church of the Firstborn’ and are heirs as sons and daughters of God. They receive the fulness of blessings. They become like the Father and the Son and are joint-heirs with Jesus Christ” (Doctrines of Salvation, 2:9).
    Therefore, only those have been exalted are members of the Church of the Firstborn. Bruce R. McConkie taught: “as The Church of Jesus Christ is [God’s] earthly church, so The Church of the Firstborn is [God’s] heavenly church, albeit its members are limited to exalted beings, for whom the family unit continues and who gain an inheritance in the highest heaven of the celestial world” (The Promised Messiah, p.47).

Temple Ordinances Necessary to Enter Church of Firstborn
    The sacred ordinances performed in the temple are essential in becoming a member of the Church of the Firstborn. This was made clear by Joseph Smith. On May 4, 1842, the day the Prophet introduced the temple ordinances of the washing and anointing and the endowment in this dispensation, he wrote:

I spent the day in the upper part of the store . . . in council with General James Adams, of Springfield, Patriarch Hyrum Smith, Bishops Newel K. Whitney and George Miller, and President Brigham Young and Elders Heber C. Kimball and Willard Richards, instructing them in the principles and order of the Priesthood, attending to washings, hunderin, endowments and the communication of keys pertaining to the Aaronic Priesthood, and so on to the highest order of the Melchizedek Priesthood, setting forth the order pertaining to the Ancient of Days, and all those plans and principles by which any one is enabled to secure the fullness of those blessing which have been prepared for the Church of the Firstborn, and come up and abide in the presence of the Eloheim in the eternal worlds. (History of the Church 5:1-2; Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p.237; emphasis added)

In line with this, Brigham Young who was in attendance on this occasion later stated: “The ordinances of the house of God are expressly for the Church of the Firstborn” (Discourses of Brigham Young, p.397; and Journal of Discourse, 8:154).
    Though D&C 76:51-53 (quoted earlier) does not specifically state that temple ordinances are necessary for entrance into the Church of the Firstborn, it is, however, implied in verse 53 which states that one of the prerequisites for those who qualify for the celestial kingdom are those “who overcome by faith.” In 1835, Joseph Smith taught the Quorum of the Twelve that temple ordinances were a necessary part of overcoming all things: “You need an endowment, brethren, in order that you may be prepared and able to overcome all things” (History of the Church, 2:309; Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p.91).
    Joseph Fielding Smith taught necessity of temple ordinances to become a member of the Church of the Firstborn in these terms:

The higher ordinances in the temple of God pertain to exaltation in the celestial kingdom. . . . In order to receive this blessing, one must keep the full law, must abide the law by which that kingdom is governed; for, “He who is not able to abide the law of a celestial kingdom cannot abide a celestial glory.” So being ordained an elder, or a high priest, or an apostle, or even President of the Church, is not the thing that brings the exaltation, but obedience to the laws and the ordinances and the covenants required of those who desire to become members of the Church of the Firstborn, as these are administered in the house of the Lord.

He then stated:

To become a member of the Church of the Firstborn, as I understand it, is to become one of the inner circle. We are all members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by being baptized and confirmed, and there are many who seem to be content to remain such without obtaining the privileges of exaltation. (Doctrines of Salvation, 2:42).

Again, on another occasion, he wrote:

Each person baptized into the Church is under obligation to keep the commandments of the Lord. He is under covenant, for baptism is a “new and an everlasting covenant.” (D.C. 22:1.) When he has proved himself by a worthy life, having been faithful in all things required of him, then it is his privilege to receive other covenants and to take upon himself other obligations which will make of him an heir, and he will become a member of the “Church of the Firstborn.” (The Way to Perfection, p.208)

Finally, he taught:

The Lord has made it possible for us to become members of the Church of the Firstborn, by receiving the blessings of the house of the Lord and overcoming all things. Thus we become heirs, “priests and kings, who have received of his fulness, and of his glory,” who shall “dwell in the presence of God and his Christ forever and ever,” with full exaltation. Are such blessings worth having? (Doctrines of Salvation, 2:42-43)

Likewise, Bruce R. McConkie testified: “The temple ordinances open the door to gaining all power and all wisdom and all knowledge. Temple ordinances open up the way to membership in the Church of the Firstborn” (Conference Report, October 1955, p.13).

Temple Marriage Gate into Church of the Firstborn
    The temple ordinances of washing and anointing, endowment, and sealings are not isolated ordinances but are interrelated. The marriage ordinance is the culmination of all ordinances of the priesthood. Elder Boyd K. Packer has noted that all other ordinances of salvation “were preliminary and preparatory to your coming to the altar to be sealed as husband and wife for time and for all eternity (The Holy Temple, p. 69). As the culminating ordinance, temple marriage is gate into the highest level of the celestial kingdom and thus the gate into the Church of the Firstborn. Bruce R. McConkie has written:

The Church of the Firstborn is the church among exalted beings in the highest heaven of the celestial world. It is the church among those for whom the family unit continues in eternity. In a sense it is the inner circle within the Lord’s church on earth. It is composed of those who have entered into that patriarchal order which is called the new and everlasting covenant of marriage. As baptism admits repentant souls to membership in the earthly church, so celestial marriage opens the door to membership in the heavenly church. (A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, p.337)

On an earlier occasion, he stated:

We believe something more, as several of these brethren have said during this conference: that neither is the man without the woman nor the woman without the man in the Lord, but that the gate to exaltation and the fullness of eternal life in the kingdom of the Father is the new and everlasting covenant of marriage; and just as men may enter in at the gate of repentance and baptism, and work out for themselves a salvation hereafter by faith and diligence, so they may enter in at the gate of celestial marriage, and, conditioned upon keeping that covenant, come up in the resurrection as husband and wife, the family unit continuing through all eternity, and thus, eventually – as members of the family of God, members of the Church of the Firstborn – become joint heirs with Jesus Christ, and receive, inherit, and possess all things. (Conference Report, October 1954, p.125)

The Earthly Church Prepares People for Church of Firstborn
    The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints exists to prepare God’s children to enter the Church of the Firstborn. Elder McConkie wrote: “The purpose of the church on earth is to prepare us for an inheritance in the church in heaven” (A New Witness for the Articles of Faith, p.337).
    Hence the Lord stated that those who are ordained to the priesthood in the last days are “ordained unto the holy order of God, to administer the everlasting gospel; for they are they who are ordained out of every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, by the angels to whom is given power over the nations of the earth, to bring as many as will come to the church of the Firstborn” (D&C 77:11; emphasis added).

Blessings of the Church of the Firstborn
    Joseph Smith declared the blessings of those who enter the Church of the Firstborn in these words: “They who dwell in his presence are the church of the Firstborn; and they see as they are seen, and know as they are known, having received of his fulness and of his grace; And he makes them equal in power, and in might, and in dominion” (D&C 76:94-95). In other words, those who receive the highest level of the celestial kingdom become as God, exalted beings who are equal in power, might, and dominion with the Father. To them “the Father has given all things” even of “his fulness, and of his glory” (D&C 76:55-56). They “inherit thrones, kingdoms, principalities, and powers, dominions, all heights and depths” (D&C 132:19).
    Thus they become gods themselves. Having been made equal with God’s power, dominion, and authority, they do the work of gods: “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life” of their own offspring.

Communication With Church of the Firstborn
    It is the privilege of those who have received temple ordinances and have been faithful in the covenants made therein to be able to communicate with the Church of the Firstborn. Concerning this, the Lord has said: “The power and authority of the higher, or Melchizedek Priesthood, is to hold the keys of all the spiritual blessings of the church–To have the privilege of receiving the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, to have the heavens opened unto them, to commune with the general assembly and church of the Firstborn, and to enjoy the communion and presence of God the Father, and Jesus the mediator of the new covenant” (D&C 107:18-19; emphasis added).
    How and when does this communication take place? This is one of the privileges of those who make their calling and election sure (though it is possible that certain circumstances may require that this communication take place prior to one’s calling and election is made sure- see Parley P. Pratt’s talk given at the laying of the cornerstones of the Salt Lake Temple on April 6, 1853 in Journal of Discourses, 2:43-47). In June of 1839, Joseph Smith taught the Church:

    After a person has faith in Christ, repents of his sins, and is baptized for the remission of his sins and receives the Holy Ghost, (by the laying on of hands), which is the first Comforter, then let him continue to humble himself before God, hungering and thirsting after righteousness, and living by every word of God, and the Lord will soon say unto him, Son, thou shalt be exalted.
    When the Lord has thoroughly proved him, and finds that the man is determined to serve Him at all hazards, then the man will find his calling and his election made sure, then it will be his privilege to receive the other Comforter . . .

He then stated:

    Now what is this other Comforter? It is no more nor less than the Lord Jesus Christ Himself; and this is the sum and substance of the whole matter; that when any man obtains this last Comforter, he will have the personage of Jesus Christ to attend him, or appear unto him from time to time, and even He will manifest the Father unto him, and they will take up their abode with him, and the visions of the heavens will be opened unto him, and the Lord will teach him face to face, and he may have a perfect knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God; and this is the state and place the ancient Saints arrived at when they had such glorious visions – Isaiah, Ezekiel, John upon the Isle of Patmos, St. Paul in the three heavens, and all the Saints who held communion with the general assembly and Church of the Firstborn. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p.150).

    Such communication with the Church of the Firstborn is for personal edification and is not shared publically. Joseph Smith spoke of certain Biblical saints who had communicated with the “general assembly and church of the firstborn” (see Hebrews 12:22-23). He asked: “What did they learn by coming to the spirits of just men made perfect? Is it written? No. What they learned has not been and could not have been written” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p.325)

Holy Spirit of Promise

 

The Holy Spirit of Promise is one of many descriptive name-titles of the Holy Ghost and refers to a specific function of the Holy Ghost. In John 14:16, the Savior, who had been a comforter to his disciples, assured them that after his departure into heaven they would receive another comforter: “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever.” The next verse speaks of this Comforter as “the Spirit of truth,” who “dwelleth with you, and shall be in you” (verse 17). The Lord subsequently identified this promised Comforter as the Holy Ghost (verse 26). Doctrine and Covenants 88:3 reiterates and clarifies: “Wherefore, I now send upon you another Comforter, even upon you my friends, that it may abide in your hearts, even the Holy Spirit of promise; which other Comforter is the same that I promised unto my disciples, as is recorded in the testimony of John.”

 

The Holy Spirit of Promise is the power by which ordinances and other righteous acts performed on this earth, such as baptism and eternal marriage, are ratified, validated, and sealed in heaven as well as on earth. Paul taught the Ephesians that after acting on their faith in Christ they “were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise,” which was the surety of their “inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession” (Eph. 1:12-14). The sealing of earthly covenants and performances is conditional and depends upon the recipient’s personal commitment and worthiness. If a person who has received the Holy Spirit of Promise subsequently becomes unrighteous, the seal is broken until full repentance and forgiveness occur (DS 1:55; 2:94-99).

 

The necessity of sealing by the Holy Ghost is emphasized in the following passage: “All covenants, contracts, bonds, obligations, oaths, vows, performances, connections, associations, or expectations, that are not made and entered into and sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise,…are of no efficacy, virtue, or force in and after the resurrection from the dead; for all contracts that are not made unto this end have an end when men are dead” (D&C 132:7). Earthly representatives of the Lord, such as bishops and elders may be deceived by an unworthy person, but no one can deceive the Holy Spirit, who will not ratify an ordinance received unworthily. This safeguard is attached to all blessings and covenants associated with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

 

The ultimate manifestation of the Holy Spirit of Promise is in connection with having one’s calling and election made sure-that is, receiving “the more sure word of prophecy” testifying that an individual is sealed up to eternal life (D&C 131:5). The Holy Spirit of Promise validates this blessing or seals it upon the person. Referring to the Holy Spirit of Promise the Lord says, “This Comforter is the promise which I give unto you of eternal life, even the glory of the Celestial Kingdom” (D&C 88:4; cf. MD, pp. 361-62).

 

Bibliography

 

McConkie, Bruce R. Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, Vol. 3, pp. 333-37. Salt Lake City, 1973.

LAWRENCE R. FLAKE

 

 

 

(Encyclopedia of Mormonism, 1-4 vols., edited by Daniel H. Ludlow (New York: Macmillan, 1992), 651.)

 

(Revelation 7:9-17.) – Those that are washed clean by the atonement of Christ and are now white, they have overcome great tribulation.  They serve him continually in the temple, and He shall be with them and feed them there.

 

9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;

 

10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.

 

11 And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,

 

12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.

 

13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? And whence came they?

 

14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

 

15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.

 

16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.

 

17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

 

Rev. 7

 

SEALING OF THE 144,000 DURING THE SIXTH SEAL (7:1-8)

 

The question posed at the end of Revelation 6: “Who shall be able to stand?” when the Lord sends his great judgments upon the earth is answered in Revelation 7: Those who possess the seal of the living God. This sealing secures and protects the righteous from the great destructions that will be poured out upon the earth’s inhabitants, including the desolations that accompany the blowing of the seven trumpets and the pouring out of the seven vials (bowls) in Rev. 8,  9, and 16. Joseph Smith taught that the sealing mentioned here “signifies sealing the blessing upon their heads, meaning the everlasting covenant, thereby making their calling and election sure.”1 The number of those sealed are 144,000; they are all high priests.

 

The events portrayed in this section will occur during our dispensation; they continue the events surrounding the opening of the sixth seal, which is discussed in Rev. 6:12 and in Doctrine and Covenants 77: “Q. What time are the things spoken of in this chapter [Rev. 7] to be accomplished? A. They are to be accomplished in the sixth thousand years, or the opening of the sixth seal” (v. 10).

 

 Rev. 7:1-8

 

1 And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.

 

2 And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and [I heard him cry]2 with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,

 

3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.

 

4 And . . .3 the number of them [who] were sealed: . . . an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.

 

5 Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand.

 

6 Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nepthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand.

 

7 Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand.

 

8 Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.

 

NOTES AND COMMENTARY

 

7:1 after these things. After the events recorded in Rev. 6.

 

I saw four angels. In his vision, John sees “four destroying angels holding power over the four quarters of the earth,”4 who are “sent forth from God, to whom is given power over the four parts of the earth, to save life and to destroy; these are they who have the everlasting gospel to commit to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people; having power to shut up the heavens, to seal up unto life, or to cast down to the regions of darkness” (D&C 77:8).

 

These angels are those who in 1831 were “waiting the great command to reap down the earth, to gather the tares that they may be burned” (D&C 38:12). Joseph Fielding Smith wrote that these four angels “seem to fit the description of the angels spoken of in the parable of the wheat and the tares (Matt. 13:24-43; and D&C 86:1-7) who plead with the Lord that they might go forth to reap down the field. They were told to let the wheat and the tares grow together to the time of the end of the harvest, which is the end of the world (Matt. 13:38-39). . . . These are now at work in the earth on their sacred mission.”5

 

Wilford Woodruff confirmed that the four angels are now at work: “Those angels have left the portals of heaven, and they stand over this people and this nation now, and are hovering over the earth waiting to pour out the judgments. And from this very day they shall be poured out.”6

 

standing on the four corners of the earth. This phrase seems to indicate that the four angels have power and authority (“standing” shows ascendancy or control; 10:2, 5) over the entire earth (“four corners of the earth” means the whole earth).

 

Holding the four winds of the earth. The four winds originate from God, who uses them to scatter and destroy people and nations (Jer. 49:35-36; Zech. 2:6; Dan. 7:2;  11:4). The four winds are also sometimes connected with gathering peoples from all parts of the world (Matt. 24:31; D&C 133:7; JS 1:37). Here and in the following two verses the four winds are equated with damaging the earth, sea, and trees. God empowers the four angels to hold back the four winds, which appear to be metaphors of destruction, until his mortal servants are protected and sealed against the coming tribulations (Ezek. 9:4-6; see commentary on 7:2). Elsewhere, the book of Revelation makes it evident that angels are given control of the elements: in 14:18 and 16:5 we read of the angel “which had power over fire” and “the angel of the waters.”

 

Wind should not blow on the earth/sea/tree. It is unclear whether this expression refers to the actual destruction of land and waters (through natural disasters) or to the destruction of a portion of humankind (also through natural disasters), with the earth, sea, and trees being symbols of humanity.7

 

7:2 another angel ascending from the east. “The angel ascending from the east is he to whom is given the seal of the living God over the twelve tribes of Israel; wherefore, he crieth unto the four angels having the ever-lasting gospel, saying: Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. And, if you will receive it, this is Elias which was to come to gather together the tribes of Israel and restore all things. . . .

 

[[John’s little book] was a mission . . . for him to gather the tribes of Israel; behold, this is Elias, who . . . must come and restore all things” (D&C 77:9, 14).

 

Who is the angel who ascends from the east? Sidney B. Sperry reasoned that “from the teaching in verses 9 and 14 [of D&C 77] one cannot help concluding (1) that John the Revelator has a commission to gather together the tribes of Israel and (2) that he is the Elias who, as it is written, must come and restore all things. If these conclusions are correct . . . then we are driven to a third conclusion, namely, that John the Revelator is the angel ascending from the east as related in Rev. 7:2.” 8

 

east. This is the source of Christ’s coming and light. Christ will come from the east, as will the light that will accompany his second coming.

 

Seal of the living God. This seal pertains to the Abrahamic covenant and making one’s calling and election sure, as Joseph Smith explained: “Four destroying angels holding power over the four quarters of the earth until the servants of God are sealed in their foreheads, which signifies sealing the blessing upon their heads, meaning the everlasting covenant, thereby making their calling and election sure. When a seal is put upon the father and mother, it secures their posterity, so that they cannot be lost, but will be saved by virtue of the covenant of their father and mother.”9

 

“A measure of this sealing is to confirm upon their head in common with Elijah the doctrine of election or the covenant with Abraham—which when a father and mother of a family have entered into, their children who have not transgressed are secured by the seal wherewith the parents have been sealed. And this is the oath of God unto our father Abraham, and this doctrine shall stand forever.”10

 

In another setting, Ezekiel envisioned the sealing, or marking, on the foreheads of the righteous and the subsequent destruction of the wicked as prefiguring the events recorded in Rev. 7:1-8: “And the Lord said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the man that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity: Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark” (Ezek. 9:4-6).

 

The seal of the righteous recalls the mark of blood at Passover (Ex. 12:13). At that time those who possessed the mark of lamb’s blood—that is, those who desired to make Christ’s atonement effective in their lives—were spared the plague of God (Isa. 44:5; Gal. 6:17).

 

In short, God marks and seals the righteous with his seal, making them his and placing them under his protection. In the last days, those who possess God’s seal on their foreheads will not be destroyed by the “four winds of the earth” (7:1-3). Joseph Smith explained: “Then, having this promise [of one’s calling and election made sure] sealed unto them, it was an anchor to the soul, sure and steadfast. Though the thunders might roll and lightnings flash, and earthquakes bellow, and war gather thick around, yet this hope and knowledge would support the soul in every hour of trial, trouble and tribulation.”11

 

As a counterfeit to the true and sacred things of God, Satan places a mark on the forehead or the right hand of his followers (13:16; 14:9). These followers, however, will not be protected from God’s “four winds,” and they eventually will be destroyed by God (see commentary on 13:16; see also 16:2; 19:20).

 

[I heard him cry] . . . to the four angels. The “angel ascending from the east,” who holds authority over the four angels, gives them direction (see also 7:3).

 

7:3 Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees. See commentary on 7:1.

 

Sealed the servants of our God. See commentary on 7:2.

 

7:4 number . . . sealed . . . an hundred and forty and four thousand. A heavenly messenger informs John that the number of them who are sealed is 144,000. These sealed individuals “are high priests, ordained unto the holy order of God, to administer the everlasting gospel; for they are they who are ordained out of every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, by the angels to whom is given power over the nations of the earth, to bring as many as will come to the church of the Firstborn” (D&C 77:11).

 

On 4 February 1844, Joseph Smith commented regarding the 144,000: “I attended prayer-meeting with the quorum in the assembly room, and made some remarks respecting the hundred and forty-four thousand mentioned by John the Revelator, showing that the selection of persons to form that number had already commenced.”12 He explained: “There will be 144,000 saviors on Mount Zion, and with them an innumerable host that no man can number. Oh! I beseech you to go forward, go forward and make your calling and your election sure.”13

 

 Rev. 14:3-5 explains that the 144,000 are “redeemed from the earth,” are “virgins,” “follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth,” are “the firstfruits unto God,” and are “without fault before . . . God” (see commentary on 14:3-5). Many commentators believe that the number 144,000 is not to be taken literally but that it signifies all the redeemed of the Lord.14

 

tribes of the children of Israel. John is told that twelve thousand individuals from each of the tribes of Judah, Reuben, Gad, Asher, Nepthalim, Manasseh, Simeon, Levi, Issachar, Zabulon, Joseph, and Benjamin will be sealed—a total of 144,000 people. Judah heads the list instead of Reuben, probably because Christ belongs to the tribe of Judah (Heb. 7:14), and because Reuben lost the birthright. The tribe of Joseph is mentioned, as is that of his son Manasseh. But Joseph’s other son, Ephraim, is not mentioned, nor is Dan. John provides no clue why the names on the list differ from those of the original twelve tribes.

 

A GREAT MULTITUDE OF EXALTED SOULS PRAISE GOD (7:9-17)

 

In an interlude between the events associated with the sixth (6:12-7:8) and the seventh seals (8:1) are portrayed events reserved for the righteous that will occur in the celestial kingdom (compare Joseph Smith’s vision of the celestial kingdom, D&C 137). This vision continues the heavenly scene described in Rev. 4 and 5, in which the four living creatures, twenty-four elders, and a host of angels gathered and worshipped around God’s throne. Rev. 7:9-17 provides hope for all who experience the plagues and tribulations that are set forth in Revelation (see especially chapters 8-9, 16). Those who persevere and endure to the end will reap great eternal blessings: they will possess white robes of light and glory and have in their hands the palms of victory and joy; they will serve God eternally in his temple and never again experience the hunger, thirst, and heat associated with mortality, for Jesus Christ himself will feed them and give them fresh and pure water from his “living fountains”; in this wonderful and glorious setting God himself will “wipe away all tears from [their] eyes.”

 

This portion of Revelation contains two hymn-like sayings. The first, recorded in 7:10 and spoken by innumerable exalted souls who stand before God and Jesus Christ, pertains to the salvation that comes from God and Christ. The second, recorded in 7:12, is uttered by angels, the four living creatures, and the twenty-four elders, all of whom open and close the hymn with “Amen.” The focus of this hymn is reverence and thanksgiving to God.

 

One of the elders serves as a guide to John by teaching him of the great blessings reserved for those who inherit the celestial kingdom. The teaching takes place in a question and answer format, similar to that of Nephi’s great vision recorded in 1 Ne. 11.

 

 Rev. 7:9-17

 

9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;

 

10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.

 

11 And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God,

 

12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.

 

13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? And whence came they?

 

14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

 

15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.

 

16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.

 

17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

 

NOTES AND COMMENTARY

 

7:9 great multitude, which no man could number. In Rev. 5:11 John saw that there were one hundred million, plus “thousands of thousands,” of angels around God’s throne. Here John witnesses innumerable exalted Saints from all nations, extended families, and languages standing before God and Jesus Christ in heaven.

 

Clothed with white robes. Exalted Saints wear white robes, signifying that they have overcome Satan and made the atonement of Christ effective in their lives (7:14). See commentary on 6:11.

 

Palms in their hands. “Palms,” or palm branches, symbolize victory and joy (D&C 109:76;  1 13:51; 2 Maccabees Maccabees 10:7). The “palms in their hands,” meaning the hands of the exalted Saints, recalls Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem before his sacrifice, when his disciples “took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord” (John 12:13). The symbolic “robes of righteousness,” “palms in [the] hands,” and “crowns of glory” are the attire of the exalted Saint in heaven (D&C 109:76).

 

7:10 cried with a loud voice. The hymn is sung by exalted souls, and they will sing again when Babylon falls (19:1). The voice is loud here because of the sheer numbers who are crying with the loud voice, “a great multitude, which no man could number” (7:9).

 

Salvation to our God . . . and unto the Lamb. The multitude directs their words to both the Father and the Son. Joseph Smith defined salvation as “nothing more nor less than to triumph over all our enemies and put them under our feet.”15 Certainly this definition fits nicely into this context of victory and exaltation. The term salvation is used on two other occasions when the multitude sings a hymn (12:10; 19:1). Other versions clarify the confusing phrase “salvation to our God.” For instance, the Revised Standard Version says, “Salvation belongs to our God,” and the Good News Bible reads, “Our salvation comes from our God.”

 

7:11 all the angels stood round about the throne . . . and worshipped God. In an earlier scene (5:11-14) the angels directed their devotion to Christ, but here they bow down before God the Father.

 

7:12 Amen: Blessing/glory/wisdom/thanksgiving/honour/power/might. . . . Amen. The seven attributes of God uttered by the angels represent the totality of his perfections, for the number seven represents completion. The angels begin and close their statement of worship with “Amen,” one of the titles of Christ (3:14). “The word amen connotes the idea of that which has been unalterably confirmed (Num. 5:22), that which is sure, trustworthy, and faithful.”16

 

7:13-14 arrayed in white robes. One of the twenty-four elders, acting as a guide and an interpreter for John, asks him, “What are these which are arrayed in white robes” and “Whence came they?” John’s response to his heavenly guide is simply, “Sir, thou knowest.” The elder then explains that these exalted Saints are those who have experienced tribulation during mortality and have made the Atonement effective in their lives by washing their robes in Christ’s blood (through repentance, obedience, and endurance). See commentary on 6:11.

 

Great tribulation. Tribulation has always been part of the lives of those who accept and follow Christ (John 16:33; 2 Tim. 3:12; D&C 138:13), and eternal blessings and glory come after great tribulation (D&C 58:3-4). The tribulation mentioned here “is referring primarily to that final series of woes which will immediately precede the end. It is the hour of trial that is to come upon the whole world (3:10).”17

 

washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. This statement is a common one in the Book of Mormon. It is clear that one’s robes become pure and white through that individual’s faith, faithfulness, and belief in Christ and his atoning sacrifice (1 Ne. 12:10-11; Alma 5:21; Morm. 9:6). See commentary on 6:11.

 

7:15 Therefore are they before the throne of God. The adverb therefore has a conjunctive force between verses 14 and 15: it is because the Saints have “washed their robes” in Christ’s blood that they are able to stand before God in heaven (D&C 121:45).

 

Serve him day and night in his temple. The exalted Saints serve God “forever in his kingdom, where, in the literal sense, there is neither night nor a temple. See Rev. 21:22-23.” 18

 

One way that we may gain the privilege of serving God day and night in the heavenly temple is to serve God regularly and often in the earthly temple. President Spencer W. Kimball interpreted this verse in this way: “I can envision not only many more temples, as the Lord directs us when and where to build them, but I foresee the day when we will make around the clock use of all these sacred, holy edifices. I repeat a statement made at the dedication of the great temple in Washington . . .: `The day is coming and not too far ahead of us when all temples on this earth will be going day and night.’ “19

 

he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. A better translation for the phrase “shall dwell among them” may be found in the Jerusalem Bible, which reads “will spread his tent over them.” This expression recalls the tabernacle of Moses, which was a tent. Similar to the way the earthly temple renders spiritual protection for those who worship therein, here God himself will serve as a temple and provide eternal shelter for the righteous.

 

7:16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst . . . neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. The language of 7:16 recalls Isa. 49:10: “They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them.” It also recalls Ps. 121:6: “The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.” This symbolic language indicates that exalted souls will not suffer the tribulations associated with mortality, such as fatigue, hunger, and thirst.

 

In the literal sense, it will not be necessary for the sun to shine on those who inherit the celestial kingdom because “the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof” (21:23; 22:5; Isa. 60:19).

 

7:17 Lamb . . . shall feed them. Many translations say the “Lamb . . . will be their shepherd” (RSV, NEB, JB, NIV, GNB; see also Isa. 40:11; Ezek. 34:23; John 10:11-16).

 

Lead them unto living fountains of waters. Metaphorically, Christ is the “fountain of living waters” (Jer. 17:13) and the “fountain of all righteousness” (Ether 12:28). He says to those who are spiritually thirsty, “I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely” (21:6; 22:17). A parallel is found in 22:1, which speaks of a “pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.”

 

God shall wipe away all tears. The language of this passage recalls Isaiah’s prophecy that “the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces” (Isa. 25:8). Later in Revelation we read, “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying” (21:4). Tears come from the pain and sorrow associated with mortality: affliction, pain, death, and personal sin. When he dwells with us after his coming, Jesus Christ, who is well acquainted with grief (Isa. 53:3), will remove the pains of our mortality.

 

1 Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 321.

 

2 JST 7:2 replaces he cried with I heard him cry.

 

3 JST 7:4 omits I heard and and there . . . sealed and changes the pronoun which to who.

 

4 Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 321.

 

5 Smith, Church History and Modern Revelation, 2:70.

 

6 Woodruff, “Temple Worker’s Excursion,” 512.

 

7 “The trees, especially vulnerable to gusts of wind, represent all the living.” D’aragon, “Apocalypse,” in Jerome Biblical Commentary, ed. Brown, 477.

 

8 Sperry, Doctrine and Covenants Compendium, 367.

 

9 Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 321.

 

10 Ehat and Cook, Words of Joseph Smith, 241.

 

11 Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 298.

 

12 History of the Church, 6:196.

 

13 Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 366.

 

14 Draper, Opening the Seven Seals, 83; Metzger, Breaking the Code, 61.

 

15 Dahl and Cannon, Teachings of Joseph Smith, 600.

 

16 McConkie and Parry, Guide to Scriptural Symbols, 115.

 

17 Mounce, Book of Revelation, 164.

 

18 McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3:496.

 

19 Kimball, “Temples—Now and in the Future,” 4-5.

 

 

(Donald W. Parry and Jay A. Parry, Understanding the Book of Revelation [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1998], 91.)

 

 

Revelation 8:2-11:18 (Act 3)

Judgments Against the Wicked in the Beginning of the 7th Seal

November 8, 2007

 

ACT 3: Judgments Against the Wicked in the Beginning of the 7th Seal, 8:2 – 11:18
        Setting: The altar of incense before the veil of the Tabernacle; seven angels sound seven trumpets that bring destruction, 8 2-6. (These judgments are designed to humble mankind and cause them to return to God – one last final chance!.)

Note: the first four judgments are directed towards nature (but nature also effects man!), destroying only a third part – meaning the judgments are partial and incomplete! The last three are against man himself.

    Scene 1: Hail and fire burn a third of the grass, 8:7.
    Scene 2: A burning mountain falls into the sea and a third becomes blood, 8:8-9.
    Scene 3: A star fall on rivers and springs causing them to become bitter, 8:10-11.
    Scene 4: Heavenly bodies become darkened and an angel announces three woes against mankind, 8:12-13.
    Scene 5: (Woe 1) Locusts crawl out of the pit of the abyss and destroy only the wicked (the great and abominable church begins to destroy itself – cf. 1 Nephi 22:13-14), 9:1-12.
    Scene 6: (Woe 2) The four angels (cf. Rev. 7:1) are released and destroy a third part of men; however, even after all these destructions, mankind does not repent and turn to God, 9:13-21. John is told of his commission, 10:1-11. Jerusalem sieged and two prophets are slain, 11:1-14.
    Scene 7: (Woe 3) The 24 elders announce that the kingdoms of the world are now to become the kingdoms of the Lord – the end is near! – 11:15-18.

Quick review:

Act 1 was the scene of the church in John’s day which was in trouble.

Act 2 was a lengthy scene covering 2 chapters that showed the church in the Celestial kingdom.

What happened between the 2 Acts?

The answer lies with a book sealed with 7 seals; each seal represents a 1000 year history of the earth, from Adam to the 2nd coming.  The plagues of Egypt are a reoccurring theme for John; the early saints would understand his analogy.

Scene 6 – The world is ripe for destruction, but the gospel comes forth to save those who choose to be saved.  Revelation 7 – 144,000 going out to warn the world, a very large priesthood is sent forth, this is the 1st warning voice going out to the world.

The Warning voice of D&C 43:18-23:  The Lord’s servants (Family Proclamation), Natural disasters and war, finally, the Lords own voice.

Revelation 8 is the 2nd Warning voice from God, natural disasters and political unrest (war).

People can choose to be humbled by the word, or if that doesn’t work they will be compelled to be humble by natural events, then the Lord Himself will speak and it will too late for the very wicked, various levels of wickedness, telestial, terrestrial, etc.  Started in 1830 to our day

(Revelation 8:1-4.) – Sign that the Sabbath is coming or the end of the earths existence.  And war is coming; the seven trumpets sound the last warning.  The angel at the altar of incense, the priest always came with a little censer in the shape of an arm that had a hand in the shape of a cup and they would dip the incense, prayer was then given.  The pattern of prayer taught in the Lord’s Prayer is my kingdom come, or the Church of the Firstborn.  Incense symbolizes the prayers of the saints rising up to God.

 

1 And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.

 

2 And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.

 

3 And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.

 

4 And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand.

 

All dispensations pray for our dispensation, this will be the only one which will not be destroyed by apostasy.

(Doctrine and Covenants 65:1-6.) – We pray for the kingdom to come.

 

1 Hearken, and lo, a voice as of one sent down from on high, who is mighty and powerful, whose going forth is unto the ends of the earth, yea, whose voice is unto men—Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

 

2 The keys of the kingdom of God are committed unto man on the earth, and from thence shall the gospel roll forth unto the ends of the earth, as the stone which is cut out of the mountain without hands shall roll forth, until it has filled the whole earth.

 

3 Yea, a voice crying—Prepare ye the way of the Lord, prepare ye the supper of the Lamb, make ready for the Bridegroom.

 

4 Pray unto the Lord, call upon his holy name, make known his wonderful works among the people.

 

5 Call upon the Lord, that his kingdom may go forth upon the earth, that the inhabitants thereof may receive it, and be prepared for the days to come, in the which the Son of Man shall come down in heaven, clothed in the brightness of his glory, to meet the kingdom of God which is set up on the earth.

 

6 Wherefore, may the kingdom of God go forth, that the kingdom of heaven may come, that thou, O God, mayest be glorified in heaven so on earth, that thine enemies may be subdued; for thine is the honor, power and glory, forever and ever. Amen.

 

 

(Revelation 8:5-13.) – 4 angels pouring out natural disasters on the earth, the 2nd warning voice begins.  Seeing judgment upon the land, but it isn’t complete, the 1/3 part is figurative, meaning it isn’t total destruction.  The D&C covers this in several sections, 29, 45, 88, 101, 133 etc.  Death comes to both the wicked and the righteous.

 

5 And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and hundering, and lightnings, and an earthquake.

 

6 And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.

 

7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.

 

8 And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;

 

9 And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.

 

10 And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;

 

11 And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.

 

12 And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.

 

13 And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the hundering of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!

 

 

Bruce thinks the 7th seal has been opened, but the 2nd coming does not come at the beginning of the 7th seal.

The silence for ½ an hour is over, it is how Act 2 ends.  The Lord is never silent!  This is part of John’s vision written as a play.

(Moses 1:3-4.)

 

3 And God spake unto Moses, saying: Behold, I am the Lord God Almighty, and Endless is my name; for I am without beginning of days or end of years; and is not this endless?

 

4 And, behold, thou art my son; wherefore look, and I will show thee the workmanship of mine hands; but not all, for my works are without end, and also my words, for they never cease.

 

 

Joseph Smith Matthew 5-21 = the destruction of Jerusalem during the Apostles time.

Verse 22-55 = our time Gathering 25-27, 28 Wars starting with the Civil War D&C 87.  War used to be with your neighbor, but in modern times it is fought over entire continents in various parts of the world.

 

(Revelation 9:1-11.) – 1 Nephi 22:5-17, Nephi couldn’t write about what he saw, but he could talk about it!!  The church will not be allowed to be destroyed.

 

1 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit.

 

2 And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.

 

3 And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.

 

4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.

 

5 And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.

 

6 And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.

 

7 And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men.

 

8 And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions.

 

9 And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle.

 

10 And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months.

 

11 And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.

 

 

(Revelation 9:12-21.) – John had a hard time describing what he saw.  Intense destruction, will warning #2 work?  No! The Lord tries to get their attention to repent.

 

12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.

 

13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,

 

14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates.

 

15 And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.

 

16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them.

 

17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.

 

18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.

 

19 For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt.

 

20 And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:

 

21 Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.

 

 

Rev. 9

 

FIRST WOE: THE FIFTH ANGEL BLOWS HIS TRUMPET AND BRINGS JUDGMENTS (9:1-12)

 

The events described in this chapter will “be accomplished after the opening of the seventh seal, before the coming of Christ” (D&C 77:13). When the fifth angel blows his trumpet, John sees the complete unleashing of hell upon the earth, as the great abyss is opened and smoke billows forth onto the earth, darkening the world with great evil. This may be the time “when peace shall be taken from the earth, and the devil shall have power over his own dominion” (D&C 1:35).

 

Armies, many perhaps unknowingly, will be influenced and led by the devil into battle. As locusts ravage green plants and trees, the armies will scourge the men and women of the earth, save those who are citizens of Zion and who possess the seal of the living God on their foreheads (9:4; 7:3-4). The Saints, we are told in a modern-day revelation, will dwell safely in Zion (D&C 45:66-70). The series of events that accompanies the fifth and sixth trumpets is to encourage people to repent of their sins and to acknowledge God as their Lord and King (see 9:20-21).

 

 Rev. 9:1-12

 

1 And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to [the angel]1 was given the key of the bottomless pit.

 

2 And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.

 

3 And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.

 

4 And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads.

 

5 And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man.

 

6 And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.

 

7 And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men.

 

8 And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions.

 

9 And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle.

 

10 And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months.

 

11 And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.

 

12 One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter.

 

NOTES AND COMMENTARY

 

9:1 fifth angel sounded. See commentary on 8:2.

 

Star fall from heaven. This metaphor refers to Lucifer, who is “fallen from heaven” (Isa. 14:12). Jesus said, “I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven” (Luke 10:18; Rev. 12:9).

 

To [the angel]. The fifth angel is given the key to the bottomless pit. This may be the same angel identified in Rev. 20:1, who John saw “come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit.”

 

Key of the bottomless pit. According to his divine schedule, God permits the inhabitants of hell to come forth with Satan as their king (9:11), and unleash their torment on earth’s inhabitants. Later an angel will come out of heaven with a key and a chain which he will use to bind Satan for a thousand years (20:1-3).

 

Bottomless pit. The pit is the abyss, or the “place of imprisonment for disobedient spirits.”2 This is the pit identified in Joseph Smith’s translation of Isa. 14:15,  19. The king of the abyss is Lucifer, who is also called Abaddon and Apollyon (9:11). God, of course, has complete control over this prison (20:1-3).

 

9:2 he opened the bottomless pit. The angel uses the key to open the pit so that wicked spirits will unleash, perhaps as never before, their evil forces upon humanity. A prophecy delivered through Joseph Smith may allude to the opening of the pit: “For I [God] . . . will that all men shall know that the day speedily cometh; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand, when peace shall be taken from the earth, and the devil shall have power over his own dominion” (D&C 1:35). Joseph Smith taught: “Some may have cried peace, but the Saints and the world will have little peace from henceforth. . . . The time is soon coming, when no man will have any peace but in Zion and her stakes.”3

 

there arose a smoke out of the pit . . . the sun and the air were darkened. Hell is opened and evil arises “as the smoke of a great furnace,” blackening the air and hiding the sun’s light. John seems to be describing darkness that “pertains to Satan, his kingdom, his disciples, and their works. The devil is the perpetrator of dark and evil things (2 Ne. 9:9; Hel. 6:28-29).” 4 The darkening of the air with evil is the result of Satan’s work, for he is called “the prince of the power of the air” (Eph. 2:2). New Testament scholar Richard Draper writes: “As the pit is opened, smoke billows forth and obscures the light of the sun. Darkness reigns. Through this powerful symbol, John reveals the nature of the first thrust against mankind: a blow against the light.”5 The smoke, like the “mists of darkness” in Lehi’s dream, represents evil, darkness, and “the temptations of the devil, which blindeth the eyes, and hardeneth the hearts of the children of men, and leadeth them away into broad roads, that they perish and are lost” (1 Ne. 12:17).

 

9:3 there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth. These are not actual insects (grasshoppers; see Prov. 30:27), for they sting like scorpions, strike out at mankind, have a king, and are commanded not to eat vegetation (9:3-5, 11). These are actually wicked men and armies with power to torment all of humanity except those who have God’s seal in their foreheads (9:4). John’s imagery of locusts is similar to Joel’s description of the locust-like armies that will “come up upon my land, strong, and without number. . . . He hath laid my vine waste, and barked my fig tree: he hath made it clean bare, and cast it away; the branches thereof are made white” (Joel 1:4-7;  2:25). The locusts that plagued ancient Egypt and “covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened” (Ex. 10:15) are types of this great army of wicked people.

 

Unto them was given power. God gives agency to humankind, and he permits the wicked to destroy one another, but he sets boundaries for them. Compare Rev. 6:4,  8, in which power is given through the red and pale horses.

 

As the scorpions of the earth. Here and in 9:5 the locusts are likened to scorpions, which torment humans, often without killing them (see commentary on 9:5).

 

9:4 it was commanded them. God controls the destiny of this army of locusts and commands them to harm only those who do not have God’s seal on their foreheads.

 

Not hurt the grass/green thing/tree. These are the usual objects that locusts feed on in their developmental stages (cankerworm, palmerworm, caterpillar, locust; see Joel 1:4). The creatures of Rev. 9 are not like the locusts that plagued the Egyptians and “did eat every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left: and there remained not any green thing in the trees, or in the herbs of the field, through all the land of Egypt” (Ex. 10:15). These creatures are soldiers who seek to destroy humans. See commentary on 7:1-2.

 

Men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. Inhabitants of Zion (many of whom will have the seal of God) will be preserved during this time. They will dwell in the New Jerusalem, which is called “a land of peace, a city of refuge, a place of safety for the saints of the Most High God. . . . There shall be gathered unto it out of every nation under heaven; and it shall be the only people that shall not be at war one with another. And it shall be said among the wicked: Let us not go up to battle against Zion, for the inhabitants of Zion are terrible; wherefore we cannot stand” (D&C 45:66,  69-70). The righteous in the stakes of Zion will also have safety (D&C 115:5-6;  124:36). See commentary on 7:1-2.

 

9:5 to them it was given that they should not kill them. The armies of locusts will not kill humans; instead they will harm and torment them. Elder Bruce R. McConkie suggests that “perhaps John is seeing such things as the effects of poisonous gas, or bacteriological warfare, or atomic fallout, which disable but do not kill.”6

 

tormented five months. Five months is the life cycle of the locust. Here five months may represent a short period and not exactly five months.

 

Torment of a scorpion. The scorpion’s sting rarely results in death, but it causes great pain and discomfort. Torment in this context pertains to more than war and warfare. Torment is also associated with “guilt and abominations, which doth cause [the wicked] to shrink from the presence of the Lord into a state of misery and endless torment” (Mosiah 3:25). Alma spoke of both the abyss and torment when he declared: “My soul hath been redeemed from the gall of bitterness and bonds of iniquity. I was in the darkest abyss. . . . My soul was racked with eternal torment” (Mosiah 27:29).

 

9:6 shall men seek death. It seems that the torment brought about by the locusts will cause such pain that people will want to die to end their pain. In another context the Lord said, “And death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue of them that remain of this evil family” (Jer. 8:3). Also, Job spoke of the wicked: “Which long for death, but it cometh not; and dig for it more than for hid treasures” (Job 3:21).

 

9:7-10 shapes of the locusts. John seems to be describing soldiers that are trained and equipped to fight on land, sea, or in the air, with their various types of uniforms and protective gear, including helmets, body armor, and protective masks; their war vehicles, including aircraft, helicopters, tanks, and dozens of other military machines; and their weaponry and artillery of many types and kinds, each designed to harm, maim, or kill humans. He may be describing that which belongs to military units of our era, or he may be seeing that which belongs to our own future.

 

Joseph Fielding Smith, citing Isa. 5:26-30, Nahum 2:2-5, and Rev. 9:6-10, opined that the ancient prophets saw “our automobiles, our railroad trains . . . the airplanes flying in the midst of the heavens, because we can read in the prophecies of these ancient scriptures many things that indicate that these things were revealed unto those ancient prophets.”7

 

 John describes the things that he envisions by using objects or creatures that were known to him in the first century after Christ: locusts, horses, crowns, hair, lions, breastplates, chariots, and scorpions. These objects and creatures create a fearsome picture of symbolic images for his audience.

 

Shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle. This phrase recalls Joel 2:4, which reads: “The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run.” The image of locusts depicts an army of tens of thousands of warriors, an army so great that its soldiers darken the land and cannot be numbered. The phrase “horses prepared unto battle” portrays warriors wearing body armor similar to the protective body and headgear worn by warhorses of John’s day. John’s description here recalls Job’s description of a warhorse (Job 39:19-24).

 

On their heads were as it were crowns like gold. This expression may refer to the soldier’s helmet, in all of its shapes and varieties; or it may be symbolic of kings’ headgear (“crowns of gold”). If the passage does pertain to kings’ headgear, it may mean that governments are banding together for war.

 

Their faces were as the faces of men. This expression seems to indicate that the locusts represent men.

 

9:8 they had hair as the hair of women. We don’t know what this expression means, but there is precedent in scripture for long hair on men being seen as a sign of strength (Judg. 16:17).

 

Their teeth were as the teeth of lions. This expression describes the warriors’ ability to ravage and destroy. It also recalls Joel’s description of warriors: “For a nation is come up upon my land, strong, and without number, whose teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he hath the cheek teeth of a great lion” (Joel 1:6-7). Satan himself has been called a “roaring lion, [who] walketh about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Pet. 5:8).

 

9:9 they had breastplates. Modern soldiers’ armor and protective gear covers vital organs. It may also refer to the armor of war vehicles.

 

Sound of chariots of many horses. Natural locusts in flight make a fearful noise, and the reference here may be to the mingled sound of chariot wheels and the hooves of the horses (see Joel 2:5). Anciently the chariot and its horses were used for war, and in prophetic language they may be a metaphor for modern war vehicles (Ezek. 39:20; Dan. 11:40; Joel 2:5).

 

9:10 they had tails like unto scorpions. This expression could refer to any number of weapons.

 

Power was to hurt men five months. This particular battle, or war, will have a limited duration. It may serve as a precursor to the great war that will accompany the blasting of the sixth trumpet, when two hundred million soldiers will fight and kill one-third of humanity (9:13-19).

 

9:11 they had a king over them. Actual locusts have no king; the locusts described in Rev. 9:6-10 are warriors, and they and their leaders hearken unto Satan, who is their king.

 

Angel of the bottomless pit. Satan.

 

Abaddon/Apollyon. John gives a Hebrew name followed with the Greek equivalent, as was his custom (John 1:38,  42;  4:25;  9:7;  11:16), perhaps so that his audience will understand his words. The angel is named Abaddon, meaning “destruction” or “ruin”; he is also called Apollyon, meaning “destruction” or “destroyer.” Such names relate to Satan’s evil mission and goals.

 

9:12 one woe is past. The first woe occurs when the fifth angel sounds his trumpet (9:1-12); the second woe will begin with the blowing of the trumpet by the sixth angel (9:13-21). See commentary on 8:13.

 

SECOND WOE: THE SIXTH ANGEL SOUNDS AND BRINGS JUDGMENTS (9:13-21)

 

The events identified in this section will “be accomplished after the opening of the seventh seal, before the coming of Christ” (D&C 77:13). The second woe begins with the blowing of the sixth angel’s trump (9:13) but is not completed until Rev. 11:14, in which John writes “the second woe is past.”

 

The second woe brings great anguish upon humankind, for two hundred million warriors battle in war and destroy, ultimately causing the death of one-third of humanity. John uses descriptive and symbolic terms in describing this great conflagration, including fire (three times), brimstone (three times), smoke (twice), lions, and serpents. The sixth trump announces these events, but it is Satan and his angels who set them in motion through their evil influence and guidance. The events recall numerous other historical time periods when “Satan had great dominion among men, and raged in their hearts; and from thenceforth came wars and bloodshed” (JST Gen. 6:13).

 

The purpose of these events that accompany the blowing of this trump is to encourage humankind to repent of their many grievous sins, which John lists as idolatry, murders, sorceries, fornication, and thefts. Sadly, they do not repent of their wickedness.

 

 Rev. 9:13-21

 

13 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,

 

14 Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the [bottomless pit].8

 

15 And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.

 

16 And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I [saw]9 the number of them.

 

17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.

 

18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.

 

19 For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt.

 

20 And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:

 

21 Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.

 

NOTES AND COMMENTARY

 

9:13 sixth angel sounded. See commentary on 8:2.

 

Voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God. The voice here could be that of the angel identified in Rev. 8:3-5, who was located near this altar.

 

9:14 Loose the four angels which are bound in the [bottomless pit]. The “bound” angels may belong to that group of “angels that sinned” and thus who God “cast . . . down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness” (2 Pet. 2:4; see also Jude 1:6). They will be set loose to prompt and persuade the wicked to kill one-third of humankind during the great war described in 9:15-19.

 

9:15 prepared for an hour/day/month/year. The time mentioned here does not indicate how long the four angels will be loosed, but it does say they will be loosed at a specific, divinely appointed time. Jerusalem Bible reads, “These four angels had been put there ready for this hour of this day of this month of this year.”

 

Slay the third part of men. The army of two hundred million individuals (see commentary on 9:16), with their modern weapons of destruction, will kill one-third of the earth’s inhabitants. It is unclear whether the figure “one-third” is to be taken as literal or symbolic.

 

9:16 number of the army . . . were two hundred thousand. The number of fighting men that John “saw” was two hundred million, twice the number of the angels who were worshipping God in the celestial kingdom (5:11). The numerical figure is likely symbolic, intended to represent great hosts of warriors.

 

9:17 I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them. John describes this scene of horses using various images and symbols; he makes threefold repetition of “fire” and “brimstone” (JB says “fire” and sulfur”) and twofold repetition of “smoke” and “horses” in 9:17-18. Fire, smoke (see commentary on 9:2), and brimstone may describe the bombs and destructive devices associated with present-day or future warfare. Horses often represent war vehicles (see commentary on 9:9).

 

9:18 by these three was the third part of men killed. Fire, smoke, and brimstone are the weapons of this mighty army that will destroy one-third of humanity.

 

9:19 power is in their mouth, and in their tails. The fire-breathing capacity of these lion-headed horses symbolizes “the torment of hell and [underscores their] diabolical nature.”10 Like the scorpions in 9:10, there is destructive power in the horses’ tails. In fact, the tails are snakes with heads, another evidence that they are sent from the devil.11

 

9:20 rest of the men . . . repented not. The “rest of the men” speaks of those who are not sealed (9:4) and who survive the warfare described above. The purpose for the blowing of the sixth trumpet is manifest here: to encourage the wicked to repent, for they are idolaters, devil worshippers, murderers, fornicators, thieves, and sorcerers (9:21). The great war, however, during which one-third of humankind is destroyed, does not succeed in bringing the wicked to repentance; they “repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols,” writes John.

 

Works of their hands. This expression seems to refer to idol worship (Ps. 115:4-7; Isa. 2:8; Jer. 1:16), which consists both of images and statues created by human hands and of all the evil deeds and actions of humanity that replace one’s righteous desire to serve the true and living God.

 

That they should not worship devils. Humanity continues to worship devils, even after the great war that destroys so many. Devil worship has long been a gross evil conducted upon the earth (Deut. 32:17; Ps. 106:37; 1 Cor. 10:20-21).

 

Idols of gold. Nephi warned, “Yea, wo unto those that worship idols, for the devil of all devils delighteth in them” (2 Ne. 9:37). In our dispensation we are told of those who “have strayed from [God’s] ordinances, and have broken [God’s] everlasting covenant; they seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every man walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own god, whose image is in the likeness of the world, and whose substance is that of an idol, which waxeth old and shall perish in Babylon, even Babylon the great, which shall fall” (D&C 1:15-16).

 

9:21 neither repented they of their murders/sorceries/fornication/thefts. In the previous verse John identified idolatry as a chief sin belonging to humanity in the last days; now he lists other iniquities—murder, sorcery, fornication, and thievery—that represent all of the wickedness that will prevail upon the earth during this time.

 

1 JST 9:1 replaces the word him with the angel.

 

2 Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, 1:9, s.v. “abyss.”

 

3 History of the Church, 3:390-91.

 

4 McConkie and Parry, Guide to Scriptural Symbols, 36.

 

5 Draper, Opening the Seven Seals, 101.

 

6 McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3:502.

 

7 Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 1:146.

 

8 JST 9:14 replaces great river Euphrates with bottomless pit.

 

9 JST 9:16 replaces heard with saw.

 

10 Draper, Opening the Seven Seals, 108.

 

11 Mounce, Book of Revelation, 197.

 

 

(Donald W. Parry and Jay A. Parry, Understanding the Book of Revelation [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1998], 114.)

 

 

(Doctrine and Covenants 77:13-15.)

 

 

13 Q. When are the things to be accomplished, which are written in the 9th chapter of Revelation?

They are to be accomplished after the opening of the seventh seal, before the coming of Christ.

 

14 Q. What are we to understand by the little book which was eaten by John, as mentioned in the 10th chapter of Revelation?

 

We are to understand that it was a mission, and an ordinance, for him to gather the tribes of Israel; behold, this is Elias, who, as it is written, must come and restore all things.

 

15 Q. What is to be understood by the two witnesses, in the eleventh chapter of Revelation?

 

They are two prophets that are to be raised up to the Jewish nation in the last days, at the time of the restoration, and to prophesy to the Jews after they are gathered and have built the city of Jerusalem in the land of their fathers.

 

 

 

Bruce read from D&C 45:16 to the end of the section, John saw this in detail; the other apostles heard it from Christ and were troubled.  Finally, wickedness will end and the church is here and isn’t destroyed!  That will be a great day!  It is very important that we receive this in our dispensation.

 

 (Revelation 10:1-11.) – See D&C 88:92-114.  Verse 2 is meaning the entire world, the millennial phase will begin and those who are sealed will be there.  Israel will be gathered but not all will choose to be gathered, they will be lost, the work is sweet but for the most part the message will be rejected.  This rejection will bring unhappiness and destruction to the world.

 

1 And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire:

 

2 And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth,

 

3 And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.

 

4 And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.

 

5 And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven,

 

6 And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer:

 

7 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

 

8 And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth.

 

9 And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.

 

10 And I took the little book out of the angel’s hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.

 

11 And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.

 

THE MIGHTY ANGEL AND JOHN'S LATTER-DAY MISSION (10:1-11)

 

This chapter is an interlude, or break, between the events listed in Rev. 9 and those listed in Rev. 11. After enumerating plagues and judgments in Rev. 8 and 9, John envisions an angel, who has a small, open book in his hand, "come down from heaven" (10:1-2). John describes the angel's brilliant light and glory with four symbolic expressions: cloud, rainbow, sun, and fire. His greatness is emphasized with the expressions "mighty," "loud voice," and "as when a lion roareth" (10:1, 3). Although he is not identified by name, the angel is likely Michael, the seventh angel, who is second only to Jehovah himself in authority (see commentary on 10:1).

 

Emphasis is placed upon a "little book" that John is instructed to consume (it is mentioned four times: 10:2, 8, 9, 10). The book pertains to John's future work upon the earth, for he would yet prophesy to many of the earth's inhabitants.

 

 Rev. 10:1-11

 

1 And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire:

 

2 And he had in his [right]1 hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth,

 

3 And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.

 

4 And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, [Those things are sealed up]2 which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not.

 

5 And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven,

 

6 And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer:

 

7 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.

 

8 And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth.

 

9 And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey.

 

10 And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.

 

11 And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.

 

NOTES AND COMMENTARY

 

10:1 another mighty angel come down from heaven. Three times in Revelation the angels are called "mighty" or "strong" (5:2; 10:1; 18:21). The "mighty angel" identified in this verse may be Michael, who is the chief angel, or archangel, and who stands next in authority to Jesus Christ himself.3 D&C 88:110-12 (see Dan. 12:7), which identifies Michael as the seventh angel, has some notable similarities with this section of Revelation

 

The similarities are striking, though we must note that D&C 88:110-12 has a context different from Rev. 10:1-7.

 

clothed with a cloud. The mighty angel is wrapped in celestial glory (see D&C 84:5) he is clothed with glory as one wears a garment. Similarly, when Christ returns at his second coming, he will be "clothed with power and great glory" (D&C 45:44; 34:7).

 

rainbow was upon his head. The rainbow may refer to a glorious crown of light found upon the mighty angel's head, indicating his exalted station (4:3; Ezek. 1:28). It also suggests the Lord's covenant with Noah, signified by a rainbow, that He would again bring Zion to the earth (JST Gen. 9:21-23.)

 

face was as it were the sun. Like the face of Christ, whose "countenance shone above the brightness of the sun" (D&C 110:3), the mighty angel's face beams with celestial glory and brilliance.

 

feet as pillars of fire. The mighty angel's feet, like his body, head, and face, are likened to burning light and glory (see Dan. 10:6; Rev. 2:18).

 

10:2 in his [right] hand a little book open. This "book," or scroll, is not the same as that identified in Rev. 5:1-5, which is sealed with seven seals, for this book is described as "little" and "open" (the other book was sealed), and the angel (possibly Michael) has the book in his hand (no one but Jesus was permitted to touch the other book). The little book would be eaten by John, representing "a mission, and an ordinance, for him to gather the tribes of Israel; behold, this is Elias, who, as it is written, must come and restore all things" (D&C 77:14). See commentary on 10:8-11.

 

he set his right foot upon the sea/left foot on the earth. John speaks three times of the angel standing on sea and land (10:2, 5, 8). A similar expression is found in D&C 88:110, where the order of "land" and "sea" is reversed. "Earth" and "sea" appear to indicate the total existence of the telestial world (Ex. 20:4,  11; Ps. 69:34). That the mighty angel has established one foot on the sea and a second on the earth may demonstrate that the telestial world is under his power and authority. It is not clear why the angel sets his right foot on the sea and his left on the earth and not the other way around.

 

10:3 cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth. The "loud voice" may be required so that a very large audience will hear the angel, as was the case in Rev. 7:9-10 and 8:13; or it may refer to the great authority of the angel, whose voice resembles the mighty voice of God himself, which is sometimes likened to a lion's roar (Hosea 11:10; Joel 3:16; Amos 1:2;  3:8).

 

seven thunders uttered their voices. The thunders are voices in heaven (6:1; 14:2; Mosiah 27:18) that respond to the loud voice of the angel. Compare the sevenfold "voice of the Lord" in Ps. 29:3. Elder Bruce R. McConkie suggests that "the seven thunders which here utter their voices are the seven angels reciting in some detail that which is to be in each of the thousand year periods of the earth's temporal continuance."4

 

Elder McConkie also provides another possible interpretation of the seven thunders: "It also appears that John's vision prefigured what is to be when the events occur and that the promised proclamations shall yet be made when the hour for Millennial peace actually arrives." Doctrine and Covenants 88:108-10 speaks of the seven angels, who each sound their trumps and "reveal the secret acts of men, and the thoughts and intents of their hearts, and the mighty works of God" (D&C 88:109) in each of the six thousand years of the earth's temporal existence.

 

10:4 I was about to write. John, who had previously been commanded to "write" the things of his vision (1:11, 19; 14:13; 19:9; 21:5), prepares to write the words uttered by the seven thunders. A voice from heaven stops him from writing these things and instead commands him to "seal up" the seven thunders' words and to "write them not." On other occasions, too, God has directed his prophets to "shut up the words, and seal the book" (Dan. 12:4; 2 Ne. 27:22; Ether 3:22-23,  27-28).

 

10:5 the angel which I saw. See commentary on 10:2.

 

stand upon the sea. See commentary on 7:1.

 

lifted up his hand to heaven. The mighty angel lifts his right hand (many translations read "right hand") to heaven, making the standard oath-taking gesture (Gen. 14:22; Deut. 32:40; Dan. 12:7). With one foot on the sea, the other on the land, and the right arm raised to the sky, the angel "touches the three parts of the universe because he is going to swear by him who created them."5

 

10:6 sware by him that liveth for ever. The language and the setting recall Dan. 12:4-7, in which Daniel sealed the book "even to the time of the end" (v. 4); he saw a "man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half" (v. 7). In John's vision, however, the individual who stands on earth and sea swears that "there should be time no longer."

 

"Him that liveth for ever" is a name, or title, of God the Father (see commentary on 4:9; see also 5:14). The angel swears by using God's name, for there is no greater power and more exalted name. When God himself makes oaths with his people, he swears "by himself" because "he could swear by no greater" (Heb. 6:13). To emphasize that God is the most exalted of all, John writes that "him that liveth for ever and ever" is the same being who created heaven, earth, the sea, and all things that are found within them.

 

there should be time no longer. The context of this phrase is the sounding of the seventh angel's trump, as recorded in the next verse, which reads, "When he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished" (10:7; see also D&C 88:106). This passage coincides with Rev. 11:15, when the seventh angel actually sounds his trumpet, signaling the end of the earth in its present state, or the time when the earthly kingdoms "become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever."

 

In this setting, "time no longer" may refer to the beginning of the Millennium, when time as we understand it with our calendar, seasons, hours, minutes, and seconds no longer exists. This seems to be the manner in which two revelations use the phrase "time no longer": "The Lord hath redeemed his people; and Satan is bound and time is no longer. The Lord hath gathered all things in one. The Lord hath brought down Zion from above. The Lord hath brought up Zion from beneath" (D&C 84:100) and "The seventh angel shall sound his trump; and he shall stand forth upon the land and upon the sea, and swear in the name of him who sitteth upon the throne, that there shall be time no longer; and Satan shall be bound, that old serpent, who is called the devil, and shall not be loosed for the space of a thousand years" (D&C 88:110).

 

The phrase could also mean "there should be no more delay," meaning that there will be no more delay before the final signs of the times are fulfilled and God sends his final judgments upon the wicked. This phrase answers the martyrs' question, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?" (6:10).

 

10:7 days of the voice of the seventh angel. Michael, the seventh angel, sounds his trump at least twice and possibly on three different occasions (11:15; D&C 88:106, 110). This constitutes the "days of the voice of the seventh angel."

 

mystery of God should be finished. The "mystery of God" may pertain to the book with seven seals that "contains the revealed will, mysteries, and the works of God; the hidden things of his economy concerning this earth during the seven thousand years of its continuance, or its temporal existence" (D&C 77:6). This mystery will be finished "in the days of the voice of the seventh angel." Elsewhere the seventh angel is associated with completion, for the number seven signifies completion: when he pours out his vial, a voice from heaven says, "It is done" (16:17); and when he sounds his trump, he declares, "It is finished; it is finished!" (D&C 88:106; see also Rev. 11:15; D&C 88:110).

 

declared to his servants the prophets. The Lord has revealed the completion of God's mystery to many of his prophets, who are called the Lord's "servants" (2 Kgs. 17:23; Jer. 25:4; Dan. 9:10).

 

10:8 voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again. This voice is the same that commanded John not to write the "things which the seven thunders uttered" (10:4). Here the voice commands John to take the little book from the hand of the mighty angel.

 

take the little book. Ezekiel and Lehi also received books from heavenly messengers (Ezek. 2:9; 1 Ne. 1:11). The command to John to eat the little book identified in Rev. 10:8-11 "was a mission, and an ordinance, for him to gather the tribes of Israel; behold, this is Elias, who, as it is written, must come and restore all things" (D&C 77:14). John's work among the tribes of Israel was confirmed with Joseph Smith's statement in June 1831 that "John the Revelator was then among the Ten Tribes of Israel who had been led away by Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, to prepare them for their return from their long dispersion, to again possess the land of their fathers."6 In addition, John is an Elias;7 he is identified in the revelations as one who, accompanying Peter and John, restored keys and powers to the earth through the Prophet Joseph Smith (D&C 27:12-13;  128:20).

 

angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth. See commentary on 10:2.

 

10:9 I went unto the angel. John approaches the angel to obtain the book.

 

eat it up. The angel commands John to eat the little book. This symbolic action has historical precedents, for Jeremiah declared unto the Lord, "Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart" (Jer. 15:16). Ezekiel also received a book from a messenger who commanded him to "eat this [scroll], and go speak unto the house of Israel. So I opened my mouth, and he caused me to eat that [scroll]. . . . Then did I eat it; and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness" (Ezek. 3:1-3).

 

 John partakes of God's word as contained in the little book, making it part of his soul, and he now fully understands his mission to gather the tribes of Israel.

 

10:9-10 mouth sweet as honey/belly bitter. The book is sweet when John eats it because feasting upon the word of God is always sweet, and John's mission to gather the tribes of Israel would bring joy and satisfaction to his soul. But the book is bitter in his belly because the message within the book described the woes and judgments that would come against the wicked world. Similarly, though Ezekiel's book was "as honey for sweetness," in it were "written lamentations, and mourning, and woe" (Ezek. 3:3;  2:10).

 

10:11 Thou must prophesy again. The angel who gave the book to John now promises John that he will "prophesy again before many people, and nations, and tongues, and kings." During His mortal ministry the Lord prophesied to John that he would "tarry until I come in my glory, and shalt prophesy before nations, kindreds, tongues and people" (D&C 7:3; see John 21:22-23). John thus became a translated being, "as flaming fire and a ministering angel," who would "minister for those who shall be heirs of salvation who dwell on the earth" (D&C 7:6). He "is yet alive in the flesh," explained Elder Parley P. Pratt, "and is held in reserve, to `prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings,' as it is written."8

 

before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings. John's work among the tribes of Israel (D&C 77:14) and among "those who shall be heirs of salvation" (D&C 7:6) may constitute, in part, the promise that he will "prophesy again before many peoples."

 

1 The Greek reads right hand rather than hand.

 

2 JST 10:4 changes the order of the words.

 

3 Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 157-58.

 

4 McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3:505.

 

5 Harrington, Revelation, 115.

 

6 History of the Church, 1:176.

 

7 The prophets spoke of Elias, who "must come and restore all things" (JST Matt. 11:15;  17:10; D&C 27:6-7). Joseph Fielding Smith explained that "the Elias who was to restore all things is a composite Elias. In other words, the restoration was not made by one personage, but many, and in speaking of Elias coming to restore all things, the Lord was using that title in a plural meaning, having in mind all the prophets who came to restore the fulness of the gospel. This would include John the Baptist, Peter, James and John, and every ancient prophet who restored keys from the days of Adam down." Doctrines of Salvation, 1:174.

 

8 Pratt, Key to the Science of Theology, 32.

 

 

(Donald W. Parry and Jay A. Parry, Understanding the Book of Revelation [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1998], 124.)

 

 

Revelation 11:1-13 – The 2 prophets will be witnesses or martyrs.  There aren’t many righteous left in Jerusalem at this time, it is compared to Sodom.  Who will build the temple, us or the Jews?  Elder McConkie thinks it will be us.  How will CNN show all of this??

We take the gospel to the entire world, in the end it will go to the Jews and the message will be rejected, they will kill the messengers, the resurrection is the validity of the gospel of Christ. 

Verses 14-18 – 2 Woes = 1st woe is a worldwide war over its entire face; the 2nd woe is when the world gathers to destroy Jerusalem.  The 3rd woe is the 7th scene of the 3rd Act, the climactic event, the end is now. 

Rev. 11

 

TWO PROPHETS PROPHESY, WORK MIRACLES, AND ARE KILLED (11:1-14)

 

Again the Lord provides the righteous with hope, peace of mind, and security during the trials and tribulations of the last days. In Rev. 7:1-8 we learn of the sealing of individuals to protect them from future judgments and plagues; here we read that John measures the Saints with a measuring rod, thus protecting them from some future trials. The actions preceding the sounding of the seventh trumpet (which sounds in 11:15) are similar to the actions preceding the opening of the seventh seal (7:1-8): both serve to secure the Saints.

 

The principal theme of Rev. 11 is the work and ministry of two prophets who will minister in the last days in Jerusalem. Elder Parley P. Pratt summarized these events:[“[John] informs us that, after the city and temple are rebuilt by the Jews, the Gentiles will tread it under foot forty and two months, during which time there will be two Prophets continually prophesying and working mighty miracles. And it seems that the Gentile army shall be hindered from utterly destroying and overthrowing the city, while these two Prophets continue. But, after a struggle of three years and a half, they at length succeed in destroying these two Prophets, and then overrunning much of the city, they send gifts to each other because of the death of the two Prophets, and in the meantime will not allow their dead bodies to be put in the graves, but suffer them to lie in the streets of Jerusalem three days and a half.”1

 

The two prophets will prophesy “at the time of the restoration” (D&C 77:15), after the Jews “are gathered and have built the city of Jerusalem” (D&C 77:15), after the opening of the seventh seal but before the Second Coming (D&C 77:12-13), and during the events of the second woe (11:3-14). They will prophesy for 1,260 days, or three and one-half years.

 

Their mission will have several purposes: to “prophesy to the Jews” (D&C 77:15), to serve as “witnesses” of God and his judgments, to symbolically provide oil unto those who are preparing for Christ’s coming, to work many great miracles, and to bear testimony.

 

They will receive power from God to prophesy, and they will be clothed in sackcloth, which symbolizes the great power possessed by the Old Testament prophets. They will have power to devour “their enemies” with fire; to “shut heaven, that it rain not”; to turn waters to blood; and to smite the earth with plagues according to their will.

 

The two prophets will minister in Jerusalem (D&C 77:15), where they will be killed, for “Satan shall slay them, by the hands of those in his employ, even as he slew their Lord and the prophets who were before them.”2

 

There will be two prophets in order to establish God’s word with more than one testimony: “In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established” (2 Cor. 13:1).

 

Many of the events connected to the sacred work of the two prophets recall events of the mortal ministry of Jesus Christ: the duration of their three-and-one-half year ministry, their prophesying, their working great miracles, and their control over the elements. In addition, the two prophets, like Jesus, will be anointed with oil and will be slain in Jerusalem by evil men—acts which will be followed by an ascension into heaven.

 

 Rev. 11:1-14

 

1 And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.

 

2 But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.

 

3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.

 

4 These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.

 

5 And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.

 

6 These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.

 

7 And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.

 

8 And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which [allegorically]3 is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.

 

9 And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.

 

10 And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.

 

11 And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.

 

12 And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither.

 

And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.

 

13 And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.

 

14 The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.

 

NOTES AND COMMENTARY

 

11:1 reed like unto a rod. A heavenly being hands John a long reed, or stick, to use as a measuring tool, and tells him to measure the temple, its altar, and the worshippers. Similarly, a “golden reed” is used to measure the wall and gates of the celestial temple (21:15), and the future temple of Jerusalem is measured with a “measuring reed” (Ezek. 40:3,  5-8;  41:8;  42:16) that is six cubits (about ten feet) in length.

 

The angel stood. Some Greek texts omit this phrase.4

 

Rise, and measure. John is told to go and measure, just as a carpenter measures before constructing or repairing. The things that John measures (the temple, the altar, and the worshippers) are established by God, or protected from his judgments; they are not slated for destruction; the outer court and beyond, which have not been measured, will be affected by his judgments. John is commanded to perform a symbolic action that anticipates our own day: the temple and altar and worshippers represent the faithful, or Zion; the outer court represents the unfaithful and unbelieving, or the world. “What is thus measured is under God’s special protection, as in Ezekiel and in Zechariah”5 (see also Ezek. 40-42; Zech. 2:1-2).

 

Perhaps the measuring of the temple, the altar, and worshippers symbolizes “taking the measure” of worthiness to partake of blessings of the Atonement. Kenneth Strand, a New Testament scholar, points out parallels between Rev. 11:1 and Lev. 16:6,  11,  16-18 (Lev. 16 speaks about the Day of Atonement6): “It is striking . . . that the three other exact entities to be atoned for in Lev. 16 [temple, altar, and worshippers] are precisely those three elements to be `measured’ in Rev. 11:1.” 7

 

The term measure also has another application in the scriptures. In contrast to the measuring of God’s righteous people, the scriptures speak of the destruction of the wicked “without measure,” meaning to the fullest extent. “When the wrath of God shall be poured out upon the wicked without measure” (D&C 1:9) “mine indignation is soon to be poured out without measure upon all nations; and this will I do when the cup of their iniquity is full” (D&C 101:11; see also 109:45).

 

Temple of God. The Greek word used here for temple is naos, which refers to the sanctuary itself, namely the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place, not the outer courts. This temple was not Herod’s temple, which had been destroyed in A.D. 70, more than twenty years before John is instructed to “measure” the temple. This temple may be the temple that will yet be built in Jerusalem in the last days, as the prophets have declared. Ezekiel, for instance, saw and described in some detail this temple in Ezek. 40 through 46. Joseph Smith also spoke of the future temple: “Judah must return, Jerusalem must be rebuilt, and the temple, and water come out from under the temple, and the waters of the Dead Sea be healed. It will take some time to rebuild the walls of the city and the temple.”8

 

The phrase “temple of God” also has a symbolic meaning. Paul likened the Saints to a temple when he asked, “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God?” (1 Cor. 3:16). Later Paul wrote, “Ye are the temple of the living God” (2 Cor. 6:16). On another occasion he likened Christ to the chief cornerstone and the apostles and prophets to the building’s foundation. The Saints, together with the apostles and prophets, are “an holy temple in the Lord” (Eph. 2:19-21). That is to say, the community of Saints, speaking of those who attend the temple and worship within its walls, constitute a temple of God. These are “measured” by John and receive protection from the coming judgments.

 

Altar. This altar may refer to the altar of incense or to the great altar of sacrifice. In our day this altar refers to the sacred altars of our temples and those who surround them or kneel at them for sacred ordinances. The ordinances and the keeping of covenants associated with them protect the Saints from God’s judgments.

 

Them that worship therein. John measures temple worshippers, speaking of the Saints who worship in our temples today, to ensure their protection from God’s wrath and judgments.

 

11:2 court . . . without the temple . . . measure it not. The temple in John’s day had many courts; the court mentioned here may have been the court of the Gentiles. In reference to our temples today, “court” probably refers to those who do not enter and worship in God’s temples, for John is commanded to “measure it not,” leaving this court and its inhabitants unprotected and unsanctified (JST Ezek. 44:19;  46:20).

 

It is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot. The Gentiles will trample the holy city for forty-two months. Both the old Jerusalem (Neh. 11:1; Isa. 52:1; 2 Ne. 8:24; Ether 13:5) and the New Jerusalem (21:10; D&C 133:56; Moses 7:62) are called “holy city,” but here the context seems to refer only to Jerusalem.

 

According to Luke 21:24, “Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled”9 (see also Isa. 63:18; Dan. 8:13). To trample or tread upon includes showing contempt for sacred things and to persecute, even destroy, others. The phrase “it is given” suggests that God will allow this oppression but only for a set period of time.

 

Forty and two months. The number forty-two often signifies the period when righteousness is cut short and the wicked dominate the righteous. There will be a period in the last days when evil will reign. Even the powerful prophets of God (the two witnesses in the next verse) will be destroyed. Evil will win for the moment—but only until God’s full power is unleashed.

 

The number forty-two is manifest scripturally in several ways, each of which equals three and one-half:

 

 Dan. 7:25 speaks of “a time and times and the dividing of time.” A “time” equals one year, “times” equal two years, and a “half” equals half a year, based on the Hebrew calendar of thirty days per month.10 The total time is three and one-half years. A wicked king will blaspheme God and persecute the Saints for this time period (see Dan. 7:25).

 

 Dan. 9:27 speaks of the “midst [middle] of the week.” Half a week, or three and a half days, may perhaps signify years (Ezek. 4:6; Num. 14:34). Daniel prophesies that temple sacrifices will cease for this period of time (see Dan. 9:27).

 

 Dan. 12:7, which speaks of “time, times, and an half,” indicates that during this period the wicked will “scatter the power of the holy people.”

 

 Rev. 11:2 records that “forty and two months,” or three and one-half years, is the length of time the Gentiles will tread the holy city.

 

 Rev. 11:3 speaks of “a thousand two hundred and threescore days,” which is another way of saying three and one-half years, or forty-two months. That is the same length of time as that spoken of in 11:2; it is also the period of time that the two prophets will prophesy before they are killed. Moreover, if we use that number with years rather than days, as in the Joseph Smith Translation rendering of Rev. 12:5, “a thousand two hundred and threescore years,” we have the period of the Great Apostasy (see commentary on 12:5).

 

 Rev. 12:14 uses the expression “a time, and times, and half a time” as another way of describing the period of the Great Apostasy.

 

 Rev. 11:11 gives “three days and an half” as the period during which the bodies of the two prophets will lie in the streets.

 

 Rev. 13:5 records “forty and two months,” or three and one-half years, as the duration of the beast’s evil activity.

 

Forty-two months, or three and one-half, or 1,260, belong to the wicked and apparently signify their work; the number three and one-half may mean that the work of righteousness is cut short. That number is one-half of seven, the number of perfection and completion, which belongs to God and his Saints. We recall that the number seven is used symbolically many times in Revelation with regard to God and his work: “seven churches” (1:4), “seven servants” (JST 1:4), “seven golden candlesticks” (1:12), “seven stars” (1:20), “seven lamps of fire” (4:5), “seven seals” (5:5), “seven angels” with their “seven trumpets” (8:6), “seven thunders” (10:3), “seven last plagues” (15:1), and “seven vials” (17:1).11

 

Further, “the root of the Hebrew word for seven (sheva) is identical to the Hebrew verb that means `to take an oath,’ thus connecting the word seven to covenants and covenant making.”12 One-half of seven, or three and one-half, represents an incomplete covenant (religious systems that appear to be spiritual and to possess power but do not) or the broken covenant (apostate conditions).

 

11:3 I will give power. The Greek text omits the word power,13 but it is clear from the context of this verse that the two witnesses will have great power indeed.

 

My two witnesses. The two witnesses are “two prophets that are to be raised up to the Jewish nation in the last days, at the time of the restoration, and to prophesy to the Jews after they are gathered and have built the city of Jerusalem in the land of their fathers” (D&C 77:15). Why two? Ancient Israelite law required two witnesses for testimony to be valid (Deut. 17:6;  19:15). The law of witnesses remains in effect today (D&C 6:28;  42:80).

 

They are called witnesses because they will bear testimony of Jesus Christ and his latter-day work. Rev. 11:10 calls the two witnesses “two prophets,” indicating that they will have the powers and authority of prophets; Joseph Smith’s translation of Isa. 51:19 refers to them as “two sons,” perhaps suggesting that they are sons of Abraham, whether literally or by covenant; Zech. 4:3 calls them “two olive trees,” indicating that they possess oil and light (see commentary on 11:4); and Zech. 4:14 calls them “two anointed ones.”

 

Prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days. The two prophets will prophesy for three and one-half years, the same length of time that the Gentiles will tread under foot the holy city. Perhaps these two events—the prophesying of the two prophets and the treading of the Gentiles—will occur at the same time. The Jerusalem Bible says that the Gentiles “will trample on the holy city for forty-two months. But I shall send my two witnesses to prophesy for those twelve hundred and sixty days” (11:2-3). It must be noted, however, that since this is a symbolic number, the time frame may not be exact.

 

Clothed in sackcloth. The two prophets will likely not actually wear sackcloth, but sackcloth signifies that they will possess the same prophetic powers and authority to teach, warn, prophesy, and perform mighty miracles as did such ancient prophets as Moses, Elijah, and Isaiah (1 Kgs. 17; Isa. 20:2-4).

 

11:4 two olive trees, and . . . two candlesticks. The imagery of olive trees recalls the book of Zechariah, in which he asks an angel, “What are these two olive trees upon the right side of the candlestick and upon the left side thereof?” The angel’s response indicates that the two prophets have been anointed with holy oil in the Lord’s temple: “These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth” (Zech. 4:11,  14).

 

Zechariah’s images of a bowl, golden pipes, oil, olive branches, and seven lamps (Zech. 4:2-14) seem to say that the two prophets, as olive trees, will help “provide oil for the lamps of those who go forth to meet the Bridegroom.”14

 

The two prophets will be like candlesticks holding up the light of Christ to shine in the darkness. Some will see the light, recognize their “good works,” and “glorify [their] Father which is in heaven” (Matt. 5:16). Some will recognize Jesus through the prophets’ testimony: “Therefore, hold up your light that it may shine unto the world. Behold I am the light which ye shall hold up—that which ye have seen me do” (3 Ne. 18:24).

 

Standing before the God of the earth. This phrase recalls Zech. 4:14: “two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth.” The expression “standing before God” seems to place the two witnesses in a temple setting, as does Zech. 4. Menahem Haran wrote: “In general, any [religious] activity to which the biblical text applies the formula `before the Lord’ can be considered an indication of the existence of a temple . . . this expression . . . actually belongs to the temple’s technical terminology.”15

 

11:5 if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth. The two prophets will possess great power, similar to that of Moses (Num. 16:23-35) and Elijah (2 Kgs. 1:10-14), to call upon heaven and cause fire to consume those who attempt to hurt them or to hinder their work. The two will call upon God with their mouth, and God will respond by sending the consuming fire. Although there are two witnesses, the singular “mouth” is used (“their mouth”), perhaps indicating that their message will be united.16

 

11:6 power to shut heaven, that it rain not. The two prophets will possess the sealing power whereby they perform great miracles among the people, including closing of the skies so that it does not rain and thus causing famine in the land. When such occurs, the land does not “yield . . . her fruit,” and the people begin to “perish quickly from off the good land” (Deut. 11:17). The prophet Elijah from Gilead also “prayed earnestly” (James 5:17) and shut heaven, causing a great famine in the land. He promised King Ahab, “As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word” (1 Kgs. 17:1). Elijah’s prophecy was fulfilled, and “heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land” (Luke 4:25).

 

Many during mortality have held power over earth’s waters, including Enoch (Moses 7:13; JST Gen. 14:30), Moses (Moses 1:25; Hel. 8:11), Jesus Christ (Mark 4:39), and others (D&C 61:27). God, of course, is the power behind these miracles (Ether 4:9).

 

To smite the earth with all plagues. D&C 84:97 promises, “And plagues shall go forth, and they shall not be taken from the earth until I have completed my work, which shall be cut short in righteousness” (see also D&C 43:25). The plagues that will occur at the command of the two prophets are similar to those spoken of in Exodus when Moses, through the power of God, smote the land of Egypt with numerous plagues (Ex. 7-10). The two prophets’ plagues may be the same as the seven plagues of the seven angels (Rev. 15:1,  6,  8) at least, the prophets’ plagues anticipate and perhaps foreshadow the great plagues that will be poured out of the bowls (vials) identified in Rev. 16.

 

As often as they will. This phrase suggests that the prophets will conduct miracles as necessity demands, which may be frequently during their three-and-one-half-year ministry.

 

11:7 finished their testimony. God will protect the two prophets until they complete their mission; then he will permit them to be killed. Their testimony will focus on Jesus Christ (19:10).17

 

beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit. The bottomless pit was discussed in Rev. 9:1-2. The beast identified here may be the same as the beast identified in Rev. 13:1-8.

 

Shall make war against them . . . and kill them. Satan and his followers have always made war with the righteous (see, for example, 12:17). The beast will war against the two prophets (possibly with the aid of “kings of the earth, and their armies,” 19:19) and succeed in killing them. That the beast is making war against only two individuals underscores the tremendous power the two will hold—power greater than that of the armies of the earth. The beast and his followers will also “make war” against others (13:7), including Jesus Christ, but Jesus will “overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings” (17:14; see also 19:11, 19).

 

11:8 their dead bodies shall lie in the street. The two prophets’ bodies will lie in the street for three and one half days while the people of the earth rejoice and send gifts to one another (11:9-10). Allowing the dead to lie in view of their enemies was considered extremely disrespectful in ancient times (see Ps. 79:3-4;  2 5:10). Joseph Macc. Smith taught, “It has always been considered a great calamity not to obtain an honorable burial: and one of the greatest curses the ancient prophets could put on any man, was that he should go without a burial.”18

 

great city, which [allegorically] is called Sodom and Egypt. Jerusalem is called the “great city” (see D&C 77:15), “where also our Lord was crucified.” Jerusalem is allegorically called “Sodom” (Isa. 1:10;  3:9) and “Egypt” because of the wickedness of her inhabitants. Sodom, we recall, was destroyed for her abominations and gross wickedness (Ezek. 16:49-50; Jude 1:7), and Egypt, called “the basest of the kingdoms” (Ezek. 29:15), symbolizes worldliness and oppression of the Lord’s people.

 

Babylon is also called the “great city” (14:8; 18:21), implying that “great city” symbolizes all of earth’s cities that contain iniquitous and godless people who war against the Lamb and his witnesses. One commentator writes that the “great city” is “every city that embodies self-sufficiency in place of dependence on the creator, achievement in place of repentance, oppression in place of faith, the beast in place of the Lamb, and murder in place of witness to God.”19

 

11:9 they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations. This expression signifies totality of people and indicates that the worldwide community will be involved, at least emotionally, in the slaying of the two prophets. See commentary on 5:9.

 

See their dead bodies three days and an half. The two prophets’ bodies will lie in a highly visible place for all to see. The time of three and one-half days corresponds to the time that Jesus’ body rested in the tomb (“after three days rise again,” Mark 8:31;  9:31;  10:34). Perhaps more importantly, this period also parallels the number that belongs to the wicked, the cutting short of righteousness. See commentary on 11:2.

 

Not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. See commentary on 11:8.

 

11:10 they that dwell upon the earth. This expression denotes was the “people and kindreds and tongues and nations” spoken of in 11:9.

 

Shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another. Earth’s inhabitants celebrate and gloat over the death of the two prophets, who had “tormented them” by bringing forth famine and plagues and who had testified of Jesus Christ (see 11:5-7). This celebration indicates the gross darkness that belongs to the wicked during this period; not satisfied with the spilling of the blood of God’s witnesses and leaving their bodies in the streets for all to see, they will also party, revel over their deaths, and exchange gifts. The wicked will feel they have won the victory.

 

11:11 after three days and an half. See commentary on 11:9.

 

Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet. These phrases recall the promise of the resurrection to the house of Israel in Ezek. 37:10: “And the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet.”

 

Great fear fell upon them which saw them. Zophar taught that “the triumphing of the wicked is short” (Job 20:5), and indeed, the revelers have only three-and-one-half days to celebrate the prophets’ death before they experience great terror as they witness them come back to life (Matt. 28:4).

 

11:12 they heard a great voice from heaven. The voice of a heavenly being instructs the two witnesses to “come up hither.” This is the dramatic moment when God bares his arm before the nation and begins to bring an end to the rule of evil. Death is the ultimate tool of evil—what happens when even that power is removed? All others will be destroyed as well, leaving the wicked completely powerless.

 

They ascended up to heaven in a cloud. The prophets’ ascension into heaven in a cloud parallels the ascension into heaven of both Elijah and the Lord (2 Kgs. 2:11; Acts 1:9).

 

11:13 same hour was there a great earthquake. A “great earthquake” coincides with the opening of the sixth seal (6:12), and another “great earthquake” occurs after the seventh angel pours out his bowl (16:17-18). The earthquake identified here accompanies the prophets’ ascension into heaven and serves as another testimony, subsequent to the testimony of the two prophets, that God lives (see D&C 88:87-89; see also commentary on 6:12).

 

Tenth part of the city fell. The earthquake causes great destruction to the city’s buildings, roads, and other structures.

 

Were slain of men seven thousand. The earthquake destroys a great number of individuals, represented here as “seven thousand.”

 

The remnant . . . gave glory to the God of heaven. To give glory to God, at the very least, is to acknowledge his hand in the resurrection and ascension of the two witnesses and in the earthquake (16:9; 3 Ne. 20:9; D&C 88:104;  133:38).

 

11:14 second woe is past. See commentary on 8:13.

 

THE SEVENTH TRUMPET SOUNDS AND TWENTY-FOUR ELDERS WORSHIP GOD (11:15-19)

 

Three major events occur when Michael, the archangel, blows the seventh trumpet: heavenly voices declare the eternal kingship and reign of God and Jesus, the twenty-four elders fall on their faces and worship God, and the heavenly temple is opened for all of God’s Saints to enter.

 

As the seventh seal includes the events connected to the seven trumpets, so the seventh trumpet seems to include the events connected with the seven vials (bowls, or seven last plagues). “The seventh trumpet . . . embraces the whole of the seven vials, or last seven plagues, which make up the `third woe.’ “20

 

 Rev. 11:15-19

 

15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the [kingdom]21 of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

 

16 And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,

 

17 Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.

 

18 And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.

 

19 And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and hundering, and an earthquake, and great hail.

 

NOTES AND COMMENTARY

 

11:15 seventh angel sounded. “Michael, the seventh angel, even the archangel” (D&C 88:112), blows his trump.

 

There were great voices in heaven. The voices are not identified, but they may belong to the twenty-four elders, the four living creatures, or the great multitude of exalted souls in heaven. See commentary on 4:5.

 

Kingdoms of this world. The world’s kingdoms are like wild beasts, who have no owner or master and are untamed, uncivilized, and often bloodthirsty. Joseph Smith explained: “You there see that the beasts [in Dan. 7:16] are spoken of to represent the kingdoms of the world, the inhabitants whereof were beastly and abominable characters; they were murderers, corrupt, carnivorous, and brutal in their dispositions. The lion, the bear, the leopard, and the ten-horned beast represented the kingdoms of the world, says Daniel.”22

 

When Christ, the Lamb of God, comes in great power and glory, he will destroy these beasts, or earthly kingdoms, and establish his perfect kingdom, for he has promised, “I will be your ruler when I come” (D&C 41:4). At that time “the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one” (Zech. 14:9), and he will make “a full end of all nations” (D&C 87:6).

 

 Daniel envisioned these things: “I beheld till the thrones were cast down . . . and there was given [the Son of Man] dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed” (Dan. 7:9,  14).

 

He shall reign for ever. The tenth Article of Faith states that “Christ will reign personally upon the earth.” Also, “the Lord, even the Savior, shall stand in the midst of his people, and shall reign over all flesh” (D&C 133:25).

 

11:16 four and twenty elders . . . fell upon their faces, and worshipped God. Four times John sees the elders “fall down” to worship God, who “sat on the throne” (4:10; 5:14; 11:16; 19:4), and once he observes them as they “fell down before the Lamb” (5:8).

 

11:17 We give thee thanks. In Rev. 4:9 the four living creatures who are located near God’s throne give thanks to God; in Rev. 7:12 the angels who stand before God say “thanksgiving” to God; and here the twenty-four elders state, “We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty.”

 

Lord God Almighty. This title of God, also used by Jacob (2 1 Ne. 9:46), describes God’s supreme power to reign upon the earth, “because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.” That power was made manifest by God’s triumph in raising the two prophets from the dead. Evil had appeared to triumph, but God turned seeming defeat into glorious victory. Do what they will, the powers of evil cannot frustrate the purposes of God—he alone is almighty.

 

Which art, and wast, and art to come. See commentary on 1:4.

 

11:18 the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come. Ps. 2 helps us understand this section of Revelation. The psalmist wrote: “Why do the heathen rage? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed” (Ps. 2:1-2;  46:6). That is to say, the nations are angry and they and their leaders continually war against God and Jesus Christ. The psalmist prophesies that the Lord will become the earth’s king and ruler and receive as a possession “the uttermost parts of the earth” (Ps. 2:8).

 

The Lord’s wrath (“thy wrath is come”) is also mentioned in Ps. 2, where the psalmist writes that the Lord shall “speak unto them [the heathen] in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure” (Ps. 2:5). Modern revelations also speak of the Lord’s wrath: “Hearken, O ye people who profess my name, saith the Lord your God; for behold, mine anger is kindled against the rebellious, and they shall know mine arm and mine indignation, in the day of visitation and of wrath upon the nations” (D&C 56:1) and “with the sword and by bloodshed the inhabitants of the earth shall mourn; and with famine, and plague, and earthquake, and the thunder of heaven, and the fierce and vivid lightning also, shall the inhabitants of the earth be made to feel the wrath, and indignation, and chastening hand of an Almighty God, until the consumption decreed hath made a full end of all nations” (D&C 87:6).

 

Time of the dead, that they should be judged. The first resurrection pertains to the prophets and Saints of God (20:4-5): “For the day cometh that the Lord shall utter his voice out of heaven; the heavens shall shake and the earth shall tremble, and the trump of God shall sound both long and loud, and shall say to the sleeping nations: Ye saints arise and live; ye sinners stay and sleep until I shall call again” (D&C 43:18;  29:12). Later, John will witness the “dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened . . . and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works” (20:12-13).

 

Give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints. God’s reward to his prophets and Saints is thus described: “And thus we saw the glory of the celestial, which excels in all things—where God, even the Father, reigns upon his throne forever and ever; before whose throne all things bow in humble reverence, and give him glory forever and ever. They who dwell in his presence are the church of the Firstborn; and they see as they are seen, and know as they are known, having received of his fulness and of his grace; and he makes them equal in power, and in might, and in dominion” (D&C 76:92-95).

 

Small and great. Individuals from all walks of life, both prophets and Saints, who “fear,” or reverence, God’s name will receive an eternal reward (D&C 138:14-15).

 

Destroy them which destroy the earth. Those who belong to Babylon, whose citizens worship the beast and have received his mark in their foreheads or hands (20:4), have sought to destroy the earth’s inhabitants. Jesus Christ will destroy these destroyers and “every corruptible thing, both of man, or of the beasts of the field, or of the fowls of the heavens, or of the fish of the sea” (D&C 101:24). Note that Jesus comes to save the earth from those who would destroy it. Even the Second Coming is an act of salvation.

 

11:19 temple of God was opened in heaven. The celestial kingdom, called the “temple of heaven” (16:17; 14:17), is opened to receive the Saints who are resurrected, judged (11:18), and found worthy to enter. See commentary on 21:22.

 

Ark of his testament. This expression refers to the ark of the testimony (also called ark of the covenant), which rested in the Israelite temple’s holy of holies, into which only the high priest was permitted to enter “once every year” (Heb. 9:7). The ark was a box that held three sacred items symbolically connected to Jesus Christ’s power and atonement—Aaron’s rod, the pot of manna, and the tablets of the law (Heb. 9:4). 23 The lid, or covering, of the ark served as Jehovah’s “seat of atonement,”24 or “mercy seat”; it was situated between two large, gold cherubim. John’s statement that “there was seen in his temple the ark of his testimony” indicates that all exalted Saints, not just the high priest of the earthly temple, will be privileged to gain access to Jesus Christ and his sacred, heavenly dwelling.

 

Lightnings, and voices, and hundering, and an earthquake, and great hail. See commentary on 4:5.

 

1 Pratt, Voice of Warning, 41-42.

 

2 McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3:510.

 

3 According to the reading provided by Harrington, Revelation, 122. The Greek word is pneumatikos.

 

4 See note b to 11:1 in the LDS edition of the KJV.

 

5 Harrington, Revelation, 119.

 

6 See LDS Bible Dictionary, 671, s.v. “fasts.”

 

7 Strand, “Overlooked Old Testament Background,” 322.

 

8 Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 286.

 

9 The “times of the Gentiles” refers to that era when the Gentiles, rather than the Jews, are the primary recipients of the gospel. See Discourses of Wilford Woodruff, 132; Smith, Restoration of All Things, 164; McConkie, Mortal Messiah, 1:97n.

 

10 Durham, “Revelation,” 26.

 

11 Satan often attempts to counterfeit the things of God. For an illustration of Satan’s use of the number seven in this way, see 12:3.

 

12 McConkie and Parry, Guide to Scriptural Symbols, 99.

 

13 Note a to 11:3 in the LDS edition of the KJV.

 

14 McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3:510.

 

15 Haran, Temples and Temple Service, 26.

 

16 So suggests Ford, Revelation, 171.

 

17 History of the Church, 5:215-16; 3:389.

 

18 History of the Church, 5:361.

 

19 Krodel, Revelation, 226.

 

20 Bullinger, Commentary, 369.

 

21 JST 11:15 changes the plural kingdoms to the singular kingdom.

 

22 Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 289.

 

23 For details on these items, and their connection with Christ and his atonement, see McConkie and Parry, Guide to Scriptural Symbols, 76-77, 81, 94.

 

24 McConkie and Parry, Guide to Scriptural Symbols, 82-83.

(Donald W. Parry and Jay A. Parry, Understanding the Book of Revelation [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1998], 132.)

 

Revelation 11:19-15:4 (Act 4)

Judgments Pronounced Against the Church of the Devil and Salvation for the Church of the Lamb

November 15, 2007

 

ACT 4: Judgments Pronounced Against the Church of the Devil and Salvation for the Church of the Lamb, 11:19 - 15:4.
        Setting: The ark of the covenant (throne of God) is exposed and lightenings, thunderings, and earthquakes (judgments of God) are heard, 11:19. (The Lord is about to pronounce judgment upon the church of the devil and save the church of the Lamb.)

    Scene 1: The woman (church of the Lamb) and the Dragon (the devil) at war, ch. 12.
    Scene 2: The beast rising from the sea (an earthly political power used by the devil), 13:1-10.
    Scene 3: The beast rising from the land (an anti-Christ influence used by the devil), 13:11-18.
    Scene 4: The Lamb with his 144,000 (an immense priesthood influence), 14:1-15.
    Scene 5: Salvation is preached to all those who will not worship the beasts destruction is pronounced upon Babylon (the church of the devil), 14:6-13.
    Scene 6: The son of man reaps the harvest of his gospel, 14:14-20.
    Scene 7: Those saved from the beast praise God, 15:1-4.

The 1st 4000 years of the earth’s history was a time of constant trouble, Revelation 6.  Trouble starts with Cain, constant war, famine and death.  John’s day was a time of persecution.  Our day the gospel returns to give people a chance to come unto Christ and His gospel.

(Revelation 6:2-8.)

 

2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.

 

3 And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.

 

4 And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.

 

5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.

 

6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.

 

7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.

 

8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.

 

It is difficult to read the scriptures by our chapter and verse designations; it hinders gospel scholarship how they are set up, forget the chapter, they can be a barrier to our understanding.  The original authors would not have placed chapter and verse as we have done, an example is Revelation 11:19, this should have started chapter 12.

Every Act has a stage setting, it is important to understand the setting. Look at 11:19, back to the temple, ominous signs are shown.

Every temple is a miniature universe.  The Nauvoo temple has moon stones at the base with sun stones in the middle and stars, 5 and 6 sided at the top, they do not represent kingdoms of glory, but location to us here on earth.  The moon is closest to us then the Sun, then the stars.

We see ourselves in this universe, how we began in premortality and our journey back to the presence of God.  We are experiencing our trip back to heaven. 

Act 4 goes back in time to show what happened before God destroys the world, this Act is more detailed.

The pattern of prayer in the Sermon on the Mount:  We pray for the kingdom of God to come

Church of God (Lamb)                                                                         Kingdom of God

Woman                                                                                                 Child

 Ecclesiastical Entity                                                                             Political (Civil) Entity

 The priesthood of God brings about the kingdom of God; these 2 will help prepare the earth for the Celestial kingdom.  In Adam’s day there was only 1 kingdom on earth, these 2 were combined into 1 kingdom.  The church of God (Lamb) was established by the Law of Sacrifice taught to Adam.

Cain attempted to destroy the kingdom of God and establish his own kingdom, he didn’t murder Abel just to get gain, and he wanted to kill the heir to the priesthood keys on earth, that’s why he is a son of perdition.  Moses 5 records this and the kingdom of the devil was established.

The battle for power between the church of God and the church of the devil goes on throughout world history and is discussed over and over again in the scriptures, Lehi’s dream, 1 Nephi 11-15, Jacob 5, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, and now John in Revelation.

There is rebellion against the establishing of theocracies on the earth; Babel is a prime example of man fighting against God’s political order.

What Is the Kingdom of God?

 

"1. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as it is now constituted is the kingdom of God on earth. Nothing more needs to be done to establish the kingdom. (D. & C. 35:27; 38:9, 15; 50:35; 62:9; 65; 136:41.) The kingdom is here, and it is the same kingdom which Daniel said would be set up in the last days. (Dan. 2:44-45.) This same kingdom has been set up in past ages whenever the gospel has been on earth, for the plan of salvation is the gospel of the kingdom. The Church and kingdom are one and the same.

 

"Joseph Smith taught: 'Some say the kingdom of God was not set up on the earth until the day of Pentecost, and that John did not preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins; but I say, in the name of the Lord, that the kingdom of God was set up on the earth from the days of Adam to the present time. Whenever there has been a righteous man on earth unto whom God revealed his word and gave power and authority to administer in his name, and where there is a priest of God—a minister who has power and authority from God to administer in the ordinances of the gospel and officiate in the priesthood of God, there is the kingdom of God....

 

"'Where there is no kingdom of God there is no salvation. What constitutes the kingdom of God? Where there is a prophet, a priest, or a righteous man unto whom God gives his oracles, there is the kingdom of God; and where the oracles of God are not, there the kingdom of God is not. .

 

"'Whenever men can find out the will of God and find an administrator legally authorized from God, there is the kingdom of God; but where these are not, the kingdom of God is not. All the ordinances, systems, and administrations on the earth are of no use to the children of men, unless they are ordained and authorized of God; for nothing will save a man but a legal administrator; for none others will be acknowledged either by God or angels.' (Teachings, pp. 271-274.)

 

"The Church (or kingdom) is not a democracy—legislation is not enacted by the body of people composing the organization; they do not make the laws governing themselves. The Church is a kingdom. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Eternal King, and the President of the Church, the mouthpiece of God on earth, is the earthly king. All things come to the Church from the King of the kingdom in heaven, through the king of the kingdom on earth. There is, of course, the democratic principle of common consent whereunder the people may accept or reject what the Lord offers to them. Acceptance brings salvation; rejection leads to damnation.

 

"2. During the millennium the kingdom of God will continue on earth, but in that day it will be both an ecclesiastical and a political kingdom. That is, the Church (which is the kingdom) will have the rule and government of the world given to it. When in—spired teachers speak of the future setting up of the' kingdom of God on earth, they have reference to the millennial day when 'The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.' (Rev. 11:15.) Daniel also saw the day when 'the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.' (Dan. 7:18, 22, 27.) The Prophet prayed that the present ecclesiastical kingdom of God on earth might roll forth that the future political and millennial kingdom of God on earth might come. (D. & C. 65; Doctrines of Salvation, vol 1, pp. 229-246.)

 

"3. In the eternal worlds, the celestial kingdom is the kingdom of God, and that kingdom does not reach down to include either a terrestrial kingdom or a telestial kingdom. (D. & C. 20:29; Moses 6:57; 2 Ne. 9:18, 23; Luke 13:28-29; John 3:3-5.) The gospel is designed to prepare men for an inheritance in the celestial kingdom of God; persons can gain admittance to the lower kingdoms without obedience to the law of Christ. (D. & C. 88:16-29.)" (Mormon Doctrine, pp. 380-381.)

 

Luke 17:20. Prophecies foretelling the events incident to the first and second comings of the Messiah were confused in the minds of the Jews. They falsely assumed that at his first coming he would come with an outward display of power which would overthrow and destroy all earthly kingdoms. Accordingly, basing their inquiry on a false premise, and with some apparent sarcasm, they demand an answer to this mocking question: 'If thou art the promised Messiah, as you have repeatedly claimed to be, when will thy power be manifest, when will the Roman yoke be broken, when will the kingdom of God actually come?'

 

21. Jesus' reply is perfect. He simply goes back to basic principles, corrects their false understanding of the doctrine involved, and announces what the fact is. You do err. This is my first appearance among men, and I came to work out the atoning sacrifice by which redemption comes. This time the kingdom of God cometh not with observation; there will be no great display of power and destruction. Men will not be able to say, Lo here! or, lo there! for all this is reserved for the Second Coming of the Son of Man. But as for this day and generation, the kingdom of God is my Church and it has already been organized and set up in your midst; it has already come unto you.'

 

The kingdom of God is within you] One of the heresies which prevails in a large part of modern Christendom is the concept that Jesus did not organize a Church or set up a formal kingdom through which salvation might be offered to men. This poorly translated verse is one of those used to support the erroneous concept that the kingdom of God is wholly spiritual; that it is made up of those who confess Jesus with their lips, regardless of what church affiliation they may have; that the kingdom of God is within every person in the sense that all have the potential of attaining the highest spiritual goals; and that baptism, the laying on of hands, celestial marriage, and other ordinances and laws are not essential to the attainment of salvation.

 

It is true that men have the inherent capacity to gain salvation in the celestial world; in a sense this power is within them; and so it might be said that the kingdom of God is within a person, if it is understood that such expression means that a person can gain that eternal world by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel. But it is also true that Jesus did organize his Church and did give the keys of such kingdom to legal administrators on earth. (Matt. 16:13-19.)

 

Even the marginal reading in the King James Version changes the language here involved to read, "The kingdom of God is in the midst of you," meaning 'The Church is now organized in the midst of your society.' The Prophet's rendering of Jesus' thought, as such is recorded in the Inspired Version, is of course the best of all. Its essential meaning is: 'The Church and kingdom has already been organized; it is here; it has come unto you; now enter the kingdom, obey its laws and be saved.'

 

 

(Bruce R. McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3 vols. [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1965-1973], 1: 537.)

Robert Matthews wrote the following:

The kingdom of God of which Daniel spoke is much more than a church in the usual sense, for it will replace the political kingdoms of the earth. This kingdom will have political, social, and economic, as well as ecclesiastical, aspects. When the kingdom of God is fully established in the earth, it will have all four of those dimensions. Today we are pleased to speak of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as the kingdom of God on earth, and so it is, but the Church at this time functions primarily in its ecclesiastical dimension. With the restoration of the Aaronic and Melchizedek priesthoods, the authority was given to carry out all of the dimensions of the kingdom, and the doctrinal foundation was also made known. Each dimension was actually functional for a short time in the early days of the Church, but some aspects have been withdrawn from full, active operation until a more appropriate day. For example, the economic order was instituted in Ohio and Missouri under the principles of stewardship and consecration of property. These principles and the authority to implement them still exist in the Church, but the active organizational order has been temporarily discontinued. Likewise, the social order that focuses on a patriarchal family organization and celestial marriage (including plural marriage for some), has been temporarily modified. The authority to administer all aspects of the social order is still with the Church but is not completely active at present. The same is true of the civic or political dimension, which had a brief history and now is dormant. These things are not lost; they are simply not in active operation until the Lord commands that they be renewed at a more propitious time and circumstance. The power and authority for all of these activities reside in the keys held by the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

(Byron R. Merrill et al., comps., The Heavens Are Open: The 1992 Sperry Symposium on the Doctrine and Covenants and Church History [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1993], 223 - 224.)

 

(JST Revelation 12:1-8.) – The kingdom of God is born; Satan waits to destroy the kingdom, ominous events.  Satan has more power than authority, it blows up in his face.  He has more horns than heads!  Just like in premortality, Satan had more power than authority to act.  Satan is most concerned about this political power, because when it grows and develops he will be cast out, he is through.  Adam ondi Ahman is the place where the political kingdom will be established. 

The woman gives birth to the church of God, it will be driven into the wilderness for a very long time (the church won’t be here for a long time, John is trying to tell the people that the church won’t be destroyed just gone for a long time).

 

1 And there appeared a great sign in heaven, in the likeness of things on the earth; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars.

 

2 And the woman being with child, cried, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered.

 

3 And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up unto God and his throne.

 

4 And there appeared another sign in heaven; and behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman which was delivered, ready to devour her child after it was born.

 

5 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she had a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore years.

 

6 And there was war in heaven; Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought against Michael;

 

7 And the dragon prevailed not against Michael, neither the child, nor the woman which was the church of God, who had been delivered of her pains, and brought forth the kingdom of our God and his Christ.

 

8 Neither was there place found in heaven for the great dragon, who was cast out; that old serpent called the devil, and also called Satan, which deceiveth the whole world; he was cast out into the earth; and his angels were cast out with him.

 

 

The idea of the wilderness seems to give the impression that the dragon won, but he won’t, the church comes back to destroy the dragon.

 

(JST Revelation 12:11-17) – This is part of the Lord’s plan, the church is nourished for a very long time, Christianity is that nourishment, they taught ideas on Christ and His atonement etc.  The fulness will come later at the time of the restoration, priesthood keys in 1830, and 1836.

 

11 For they have overcome him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; for they loved not their own lives, but kept the testimony even unto death. Therefore, rejoice O heavens, and ye that dwell in them.

 

12 And after these things I heard another voice saying, Woe to the inhabiters of the earth, yea, and they who dwell upon the islands of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.

 

13 For when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man-child.

 

14 Therefore, to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might flee into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.

 

15 And the serpent casteth out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood.

 

16 And the earth helpeth the woman, and the earth openeth her mouth, and swalloweth up the flood which the dragon casteth out of his mouth.

 

17 Therefore, the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

 

THE WOMAN AND THE DRAGON (12:1-17)

 

The kingdom of God (the child) is born through the instrumentality of the Church (the woman). Once the kingdom is born, Satan (the dragon) and his followers make war against it, seeking to destroy it. To protect them from the attacks of Satan, the Lord removes both the Church and the kingdom of God from the earth.

 

This great battle was begun in premortality and was continued in the Garden of Eden: There the woman faced the serpent, learned that she would bring forth in anguish, and was told that her child would be attacked by Satan (Gen. 3:1,  15-16). The battle was renewed in the time of Christ and his apostles, when Satan attacked the Church with great vigor (1 Ne. 11:32-35). The battle continues to this day as our adversary, in his wrath, makes war with all those who "keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ" (12:17).

 

 Rev. 12 may be divided into three parts. First, verses 1 through 5 appear to depict the establishment of the Church in the meridian of time and the beginning of the Great Apostasy. Second, verses 6 through 11 show us the war in heaven between Satan and his followers and the Lord and his followers. This war gives heightened understanding of the war between Satan and the righteous on the earth—and the outcome of the heavenly war gives us confidence that the Saints will prevail. Third, verses 12 through 17 return to the theme of the persecution of the meridian Church and the Great Apostasy that followed.

 

In Rev. 12 through 14, the Lord seems to be setting the stage for the great tribulations and final triumph described in the final chapters of the book. He introduces the primary players in those last events—the Church and kingdom of God, Satan, the wicked earthly kingdoms, the powerful followers of Satan, and the Lord and his angels. And he introduces the theme that will be portrayed: Satan, having been cast down from heaven to earth, will rule in terror; Satan's kingdom will eventually fail; and the Lord and his kingdom will triumph.

 

One commentator has written perceptively that Rev. 12 reveals "to the believing community the ultimate cause for the increased opposition and hostility they will meet in the last days. Beyond that the visions in chapter 12 form the theological heart of the entire book. In Christ, God engaged Satan in the ultimate battle of the Holy War. The redemptive triumph of Christ in his death and resurrection was the crucial defeat of Satan and the forces of evil. Yet for a time the dragon vigorously pursues the people of God. Hence there is great suffering in the final days (which extend from Pentecost to the return of Christ)."1

 

 

NOTES AND COMMENTARY

 

12:1 there appeared a great [sign in heaven, in the likeness of things on the earth]. The sign here is a portent, or omen, of a coming event (12:3; 15:1). It appears in heaven because that is where John sees his vision—in the temple in heaven. The sign is "in the likeness of things on the earth" in that it portrays a pregnant woman who is experiencing labor, something commonly seen on the earth.

 

a woman clothed with the sun. Joseph Smith's translation of 12:7 makes clear that the woman represents the true Church of God, which is not just an organization but many righteous individuals joined together by covenant. In being clothed with the sun, the woman represents the destiny of those who join themselves to her and follow the Lord with pure hearts: they will be privileged to enter the celestial kingdom, "whose glory is [like] that of the sun" (D&C 76:70). In being clothed with the sun, the true Church becomes like unto God himself, who is clothed "with light as with a garment" (Ps. 104:2).

 

the moon under her feet. The moon represents a lesser glory than that of the sun (1 Cor. 15:40-41). The glory of the moon, which is terrestrial, is lesser than, or inferior to, the glory enjoyed by the Church and its faithful adherents. This expression could also mean that the woman has power or dominance over the moon; in other words, it may suggest that those of the Church who attain a celestial glory will have stewardship and ascendancy over those who attain a lesser glory.

 

a crown of twelve stars. The head of the Church is the Twelve Apostles of the Lord, who direct the Church in righteousness, under Christ (1 Ne. 1:10). This system of Church government continues to our day—the presiding officer of the Church is the senior apostle. The crown signifies the preeminent position of the apostles; stars often symbolize individual human beings (Gen. 37:9; Job 38:7; see commentary on 1:16, 20). The crown of twelve stars may also represent the twelve tribes of Israel, through whom we are able to partake of the Abrahamic covenant.

 

12:2 [the woman] being with child. The woman, representing the true Church, bears within her the seed of the kingdom of God (JST 12:7). The Church is the ecclesiastical arm of the Lord's work; the kingdom of God on earth, which will come to full fruition in the Millennium, will also have political power (see commentary on 12:3).

 

travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. According to this symbolism, it was not an easy thing for the Church to bring forth the kingdom of God but required both sacrifice and pain. Similarly, Old Testament prophets depicted ancient Israel as a travailing woman seeking to give birth to Zion (Isa. 66:7-8; Jer. 4:31; Micah 4:10). It is uncertain what the travail and pain represent in actual history—perhaps they are related to persecution from without and apathy and apostasy from within the Church.

 

12:3 she brought forth a man child. After her travail and pain, the Church did indeed bring forth the kingdom of God. The birth occurred in the time of the original Twelve Apostles, but because of Satan's oppressions, that kingdom (which stems from the establishment of Zion) was driven from the earth before it could grow.

 

Elder Joseph Fielding Smith explained the difference between the Church and the kingdom of God: "After Christ comes, all the peoples of the earth will be subject to him, but there will be multitudes of people on the face of the earth who will not be members of the Church; yet all will have to be obedient to the laws of the kingdom of God, for it will have dominion upon the whole face of the earth. These people will be subject to the political government, even though they are not members of the ecclesiastical kingdom which is the Church.

 

"This government which embraces all the peoples of the earth, both in and out of the Church, is also sometimes spoken of as the kingdom of God, because the people are subject to the kingdom of God which Christ will set up."24

 

rule all nations with a rod of iron. It was the destiny of the kingdom of God to rule all nations, but, as John saw, because of Satan's opposition, the kingdom was not able to assume that role at the time of its birth. The rod of iron is "the word of God," as seen by Lehi and Nephi (1 1 Ne. 11:25). To rule by the word of God is to rule by the principles of divine truth, under the direction of the Spirit. Such rule implies priesthood direction; it is part of the oath and covenant of the priesthood to "live by every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God" (D&C 84:44). Those who so live shall also so rule (Ps. 2:9; Rev. 2:27;  19:15).

 

her child was caught up unto God. Because of Satan's threat, the infant political kingdom of God was not allowed to remain on the earth. When all who held the keys and authorities of the kingdom were killed, those keys were returned to God by being lost to those on the earth.

 

his throne. The Eternal Father rules from a throne in the heavens (3:21; 4:2-6).

 

12:4 another [sign] in heaven. This sign is a portent of things to come in the vision.

 

a great red dragon. The dragon represents the devil, or Satan (12:8). The red here is the color of fire, symbolizing the indiscriminate destruction of the dragon—like fire, the dragon destroys all in its path. Red is also the color of sin, murder, and bloodshed (6:4; Isa. 1:18).

 

seven heads and ten horns/seven crowns upon his heads. Satan is found in many places, and he rules over many nations, represented by the seven crowns on seven heads (see also Dan. 7:7). Horns are a symbol of power.25 The number ten suggests that Satan has great power, but it is neither perfect nor complete; such complete power, represented by twelve horns, resides in the Lamb (JST Rev. 5:6). Yet the seven crowns indicate that Satan has perfect and complete power on earth, at least for a time. This description of the dragon is repeated in relation to one of his followers, a beast from the sea (see commentary on 13:1).

 

Some scholars believe that these symbols represent the earthly powers that opposed the meridian Church—which may coincide with the view of the Church members in that era. As J. R. Dummelow explained,["[Satan's] seven heads and ten horns . . . represent the Roman emperors through whom he exercised his power. The seven crowned heads perhaps signify the seven emperors, from Augustus to Titus, who had really reigned. The ten horns may stand for the same emperors with the addition of Galba, Otho, and Vitellius."26 (These last three were pretenders to the Roman throne in A.D. 68 and 69. Some historians, however, include them in the count of the Roman emperors.) This argument is basically flawed, however: The dragon's power began long before the Roman empire and has continued long since.

 

his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth. This passage refers to the third of the hosts of heaven who were cast out with Satan after the war in heaven. Job also refers to the premortal spirit children of God as "stars" (Job 38:4-7). This idea is repeated in 12:8 (Dan. 8:10; 2 Pet. 2:4; Jude 1:6).

 

the dragon stood before the woman . . . [ready] to devour her child. This passage reminds us of the serpent's presenting himself, face to face, to the first woman of our earth, Eve, in the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:1-6). Satan traditionally places himself in the best position to do us harm (1 Pet. 5:8). Here, he stands before the Church, ready to prevent her from bearing the fruit that is the kingdom of God. Should that kingdom be born, Satan's plan will be defeated as the Lord's influence on earth spreads.

 

12:5 the woman fled into the wilderness. The Lord's people, when persecuted, have often fled into the wilderness (Ex. 2:15; 1 Kgs. 17:2-3;  19:3; 1 Ne. 2:2), meaning the uninhabited desert. While the child (kingdom of God) was returned to the presence of God (12:3); the woman (the Church) is also taken away from the inhabited earth. During the time of the Great Apostasy, which followed the death of Christ and his apostles, the Church was removed from the earth. See commentary on 12:14.

 

she [had] a place prepared of God. The Lord had foreseen that Satan would persecute the Church and was prepared to withdraw the keys and authority from the earth, to keep them with himself until the Restoration.

 

they should feed her there. In place of feed, other versions use taken care of (GNB, NIV, LB), nourished (RSV), or sustained (NEB). The sense of the passage is that the Lord will not allow the Church to die but will keep it in his care until it is time to restore the gospel to the earth.

 

a thousand two hundred and threescore [years]. The clarification of years in the Joseph Smith Translation rather than the King James Version days is an important one, for the number suggests the length of time the Church will be gone from the earth during the Great Apostasy—1,260 years. If we consider that the Apostasy ended in 1820 (when the silence of the heavens was broken during Joseph Smith's First Vision) or in 1830 (when the Church was formally organized), then the 1,260 year period began in A.D. 570 or 560. But we know that the world had plunged deep into apostasy centuries before that time.

 

Perhaps John saw the Renaissance and the later Reformation as part of the restoration of the gospel; latter-day prophets have taught that events of these periods did indeed pave the way for the Restoration.27 The Renaissance began to bring light to the Dark Ages in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. A key date in the Renaissance was Gutenberg's invention of the printing press in about 1451. Less than a century later, in 1517, Martin Luther nailed his ninety-five theses to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany, sparking the beginning of the Reformation.

 

If we count 1,260 years before Luther's protest, we get a date of A.D. 257. If we count backwards from Gutenberg, the resulting date is A.D. 191. We could likely find other dates from which to measure the end of John's 1,260 years, but all such efforts are no more than speculative. The important point is that John saw an extended period of widespread apostasy, followed by the immeasurable blessing of the restoration of the gospel (14:6). That is probably the basic and most important understanding we can come to here: the Apostasy would last a very long time.

 

In 12:14, the 1,260 years is given differently, as "a time, and times, and half a time"—which may mean "one year [time], plus two years [times], plus half a year [half a time]," which equals three and one-half years, or, again, 1,260 days. Perhaps in "prophet's time" (D&C 130:4), a prophetic day sometimes equals a mortal year. Compare the similar time period—"forty and two months" (11:2), or "a thousand two hundred and threescore days" (11:3), or three and one-half years—during which Jerusalem would be besieged and the two prophets would testify in power. In the latter instances those time periods seem to be literal, rather than symbolic, months and days.

 

The ancient prophet Daniel dealt with similar time periods. After seeing a vision of the last days, Daniel asked, "How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?" And the answer: "It shall be for a time, times, and an half." Daniel did not understand, asked again, and was told, "From the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days" (Dan. 12:6-12). Daniel's time periods are slightly different, but the application may be similar.

 

The specific meaning of these time periods has not been revealed, though some may come to a private understanding through personal revelation. As an angel told Daniel, "None of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand" (Dan. 12:10). For further discussion of the symbolism of the numbers involved here, see commentary on 11:2.

 

12:6 war in heaven. "What kind of war? The same kind that prevails on earth; the only kind Satan and spirit beings can wage—a war of words, a tumult of opinions, a conflict of ideologies; a war between truth and error, between light and darkness, between the gospel of Jesus Christ, with all its saving power, and the false religions of the world, which have a form of godliness but are devoid of saving grace. And the battle lines are still drawn. It is now on earth as it was then in heaven; every man must choose which general he will follow."28

 

Latter-day Saints traditionally speak of the war in heaven that occurred before Satan was cast out (see 12:8), but in verses 6 and 7, John may be seeing a renewal of that war in the days of the meridian church—and beyond. Two clues support this idea: first, the Church and kingdom of God are both present during the war (12:7), and second, some of the righteous who fight in the war are killed (12:11), which cannot happen with premortal spirits.

 

Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. Michael, leading the hosts of the Lord, fought Satan and his followers (Dan. 10:13,  21;  12:1; Jude 1:9). The battle begun in premortality continued when Michael came to earth as Adam, the first man, and it continues to this day among Adam's descendants. The great battle between Michael and Satan, with their angels, will be fought anew at the end of the world (D&C 88:112-15).

 

12:7 [the dragon] prevailed not [against Michael, neither the child, nor the woman]. Powerful as he is, Satan is not as powerful as God. Though he may gain temporary victories, ultimately Satan fails in his evil plans against Michael and his righteous descendants, against the child (the kingdom of God), and against the woman (the true Church of God).

 

[brought forth the kingdom of our God and his Christ]. Through her pains, the Church brought forth the kingdom, which is ruled over by both God the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ. This phrase is an important addition to the King James Version found in the Joseph Smith Translation.

 

12:8 [Neither was there place found . . . in heaven for the great dragon, who] was cast out. This passage seems to flash back to the time in premortality when Satan was cast out of heaven. "I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven," the mortal Jesus said (Luke 10:18).

 

Devil/Satan. Not used in the Old Testament, devil is a word found in the New Testament, which was translated from Greek rather than Hebrew. The word means "false accuser" or "slanderer," which is one of Satan's primary tactics against God the Father, the Lord Jesus Christ, and the followers of Christ. We learn from modern revelation that Satan was "a liar from the beginning" (D&C 93:25). The word satan means "adversary"—he stands in opposition to God, to good, and to all who embrace the Lord and his goodness.

 

deceiveth the whole world. The adversary's work of deception on earth is well documented in the scriptures (John 8:44; JST 2 Thes. 2:7-9; Rev. 16:14;  20:7; Mosiah 16:3; Moro. 7:17; D&C 84:49).

 

cast out into the earth. As a result of the war in heaven, the devil was cast from the presence of God down to the earth. As Isaiah exclaimed, "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!" (Isa. 14:12).

 

his angels were cast out with him. Through his deceptions, Satan drew a full third of the Lord's premortal children after him—and they suffered the same consequences he did: they were cast from heaven to earth (D&C 29:37).

 

12:9 I heard a loud voice saying in heaven. John here seems to be differentiating between the voice in the vision and the normal voice of the Spirit. The voice in the vision is not a still small voice but a loud voice proclaiming to all the goodness of God. The loud voice may be the voice of an angel (8:13; 14:6-7; 19:17; D&C 88:92).

 

Now is come salvation/strength. With Satan cast from heaven, the Lord's plan can now begin to be effected among his children. Satan opposed the salvation that God would send through his Only Begotten Son. Now Satan is banished from heaven, and the plan can move forward, bringing redemption and spiritual blessing to all who will receive them. Other versions clarify the meaning of strength here. The New English Bible says, "This is the hour of victory for our God, the hour of his sovereignty and power" (Ex. 15:2; Ps. 27:1; 37:39; 118:14; Isa. 12:2; 1 Ne. 15:15).

 

the kingdom of our God/the power of his Christ. With the great opponent of God's kingdom cast down, that kingdom is now ready to be established. Christ will now go forth with power to perform the Atonement and bless all mankind (Omni 1:26; Moro. 7:41).

 

12:10 the accuser of our brethren. Satan calls good evil and evil good (2 Ne. 15:20). He accuses those who are righteous ("our brethren") of being evil. Often his accusations will be made through the mouths of his followers on earth (Dan. 6:24; Matt. 27:12; D&C 122:6). Interestingly, the Hebrew word for Satan means "to accuse."

 

accused them before our God day and night. Satan never ceases from his evil work. He seeks constantly, both day and night, to undermine the righteous. And, as in the story of Job, he makes false accusation directly to the face of God (Job 1:6-12;  2:1).

 

12:11 [they have overcome] him by the blood of the Lamb. Ultimately, we conquer Satan not by our own righteousness nor by the valiant efforts of Michael, who leads the heavenly armies. We overcome as we partake of the blessings of the atonement of Christ, which atonement was wrought by the shedding of his blood (7:14; 1 Pet. 1:18-19; 1 Ne. 12:10-11; 2 Ne. 9:6-26; Alma 34:36).

 

by the word of their testimony. We also conquer Satan in our own lives by standing firm in our testimonies and being willing to proclaim them even in the face of opposition.

 

they loved not their [own lives, but kept the testimony even unto death]. Those who overcome the enticements and powers of Satan include the martyrs for truth, who love the Lord and their testimony of his word more than they love their own lives (6:9; 20:4-6).

 

Therefore, rejoice, [O] heavens. Those in heaven have cause to rejoice (Ps. 96:11; Isa. 49:13): Satan has been cast out; the plan can go forward; salvation has come. The rejoicing in heaven contrasts with the state of those on earth, who must deal with Satan and his deceptions. "Woe to the inhabiters of the earth" (12:12).

 

12:12 [after these things]. This phrase is an addition found in the Joseph Smith Translation. Its inclusion does more than suggest a sequence in the vision, which is implied anyway. The words seem to create a separation between rejoicing in heaven in 12:11 and the woe on earth in 12:12.

 

I heard another voice. Apparently the voice that proclaims rejoicing in heaven is different from the voice that proclaims the woe on earth. This is another addition found in the Joseph Smith Translation.

 

Woe to the inhabiters of the earth. The book of Revelation has other woes pronounced on the inhabitants of the earth—plagues and judgments that will cause much loss of life and destruction. But this woe is the greatest—that Satan will dwell unseen among the Father's children on earth and will use his lies and deceptions to bring spiritual death to many (3 Ne. 9:2; Moses 7:25-26). This judgment will result in the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy: "The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left" (Isa. 24:5-6; D&C 5:5). The woe seems to have begun when Satan first entered the Garden of Eden and tempted Eve; it will not end until Satan has been bound with chains and cast into the bottomless pit (20:1-3).

 

[they who dwell upon the islands] of the sea. Even those in the farflung areas of the earth will be subject to the evil work of the devil (Ezek. 26:17).

 

the devil is come down unto you. Satan dwells on the same planet on which we dwell.29

 

having great wrath. The devil is angry by nature, and he is further incensed by the fate he suffered in being cast out of heaven. In his wrath he seeks to bring us to a misery like unto his own (2 Ne. 2:27; see also Rev. 14:8).

 

he knoweth that he hath but a short time. Satan is fully aware that he will be able to tempt us for only a brief moment of the eternities, and then he will be cast out forever (Matt. 8:29).

 

12:13 he persecuted the woman. Persecution of the Church (the woman), meaning the righteous members as well as the organization itself, has always been Satan's first order of business. He seeks to deceive the whole world, but he seems to save his persecutions for those who resist his deceptions. Jesus taught us that we should expect persecutions—and yet remain steadfast to the end (Matt. 5:11-12; John 15:21).

 

12:14 to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle. The eagle's wings symbolize deliverance from on high, which deliverance comes with swiftness and power. The Church after the days of Christ will be delivered by the same divine power that delivered the children of Israel from Egypt; as we read in Exodus, "Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself" (Ex. 19:4; see also Deut. 32:11-12; Isa. 40:31).

 

[flee] into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished. As the children of Israel found deliverance from Egypt, symbolizing the wicked world, by fleeing into the wilderness, so will the Lord's true Church be protected "in the wilderness" when Satan attacks in the meridian of time.30 In this case, the wilderness is a place of safety prepared for it and isolated from mortals, namely, a place in the care of God (12:5). During the period that the Church is gone from the earth, she will be "nourished" by God, which probably means he will make certain that all is in readiness when the time comes for the restoration, which began in the days of Joseph Smith.

 

a time, and times, and half a time. See commentary on 12:5; 13:5.

 

from the face of the serpent. The woman (meaning the Church) will be taken to a place where the serpent (meaning the devil) will no longer be able to harm her—that is, the protective presence of God.

 

12:15 the serpent [casteth] out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman. Before the woman (or the Church) actually departed into the wilderness (meaning the safety of heaven), the serpent (the devil) tried to destroy her with a flood. The flood from Satan's mouth could have been a torrent of lies against the Church; the flow of evil that he sent forth, seeking to overwhelm the Church; ceaseless persecution and tribulation; or the attacks of a wicked nation (Rome)—or each of these in turn. (For scriptural examples of such applications of flood waters, see Ps. 18:4,  14-15; Isa. 17:12-14;  43:2; Jer. 46:7-8;  51:55.) The real point, of course, is that Satan made great efforts to destroy the Church, and that the true power and authority of the Church survived in God's care.

 

12:16 the earth [helpeth] the[woman/[swalloweth] up the flood. John's meaning here seems unclear, but nature often seems to cooperate with the God of nature to protect the Church long enough for God's purposes to be fulfilled (compare Num. 16:30;  26:10; Deut. 11:6). As Mormon testified, even the dust of the earth is obedient to the command of God (Hel. 12:7-19). And as we learn from Enoch, the earth itself has a spirit that loves righteousness and is pained by wickedness (Moses 7:48). Satan's river of destruction (12:15) stands in contrast to the river of life that flows from God (22:1).

 

12:17 the dragon was wroth with the woman. Satan's anger against the Church as an institution, as well as the righteous members of the Church, continues.

 

make war with the remnant of her seed. Satan particularly attacks those who "keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." And his efforts are neither feeble nor sporadic. The war in heaven continues as Satan constantly brings the battle to the righteous on the earth. This verse applies not only to the gradually dwindling numbers of the righteous in Christ's Church in the meridian of time but also to the increasing numbers of righteous in the restored Church of Jesus Christ in our day.

 

1 Mounce, Book of Revelation, 230.

 

2 JST 12:1 changes this from the KJV wonder in heaven.

 

3 JST 12:2 changes this from the KJV she.

 

4 This chapter of the JST makes a number of punctuation changes that have not been noted in brackets.

 

5 KJV says and to; the change is from JST 12:3.

 

6 The JST puts this verse here; the KJV puts it as verse 5.

 

7 JST 12:4 changes this from the KJV wonder.

 

8 This change is from the JST. Verse 4 in the KJV reads, ". . . the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born."

 

9 Changes in this verse are from JST 12:5.

 

10 The KJV reads, ". . . and the dragon fought and his angels." The change is from JST 12:6.

 

11 The KJV reads, "And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven." The change is from JST 12:7.

 

12 This change is from JST 12:7. The KJV reads, "And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world."

 

13 This change is from JST 12:11. KJV reads, "And they overcame."

 

14 This change is from JST 12:11. KJV uses and.

 

15 This change is from JST 12:11. KJV reads "and they loved not their lives unto the death."

 

16 This change is from JST 12:11. KJV has ye.

 

17 Additions are from JST 12:12.

 

18 This change is from JST 12:13. The KJV uses and.

 

19 This change is from JST 12:14. KJV uses and.

 

20 This change is from JST 12:14. KJV uses fly.

 

21 This change is from JST 12:15. KJV uses cast.

 

22 These changes are from JST 12:16. KJV has helped, opened, swallowed, and cast.

 

23 This change is from JST 12:17. KJV uses and.

 

24 Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 1:229.

 

25 McConkie and Parry, Guide to Scriptural Symbols, 66.

 

26 Dummelow, Commentary on the Holy Bible, 1082.

 

27 See, for example, Smith, Gospel Doctrine, 31; Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 1:176-77; McConkie, Millennial Messiah, 90, 92-93.

 

28 McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3:518.

 

29 Wilford Woodruff, Journal of Discourses, 13:163.

 

30 McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3:519.

 

 

(Donald W. Parry and Jay A. Parry, Understanding the Book of Revelation [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1998], 148.)

The keys of the political entity have been restored; the Council of Fifty was established in Nauvoo for this purpose.  The U.S. government destroyed the political entity in Utah in the 1850’s, but the ecclesiastical entity thrived.  We pray for the kingdom to come!

Council of Fifty

 

The Council of Fifty, a council formed in Nauvoo in 1844, provided a pattern of political government under priesthood and revelation. It was, to its members, the nucleus or focus of God's latter-day kingdom.

 

Old Testament prophecy speaks of a stone "cut out of the mountain without hands" that will roll forth to fill the whole earth (Dan. 2:44-45). Joseph Smith and his associates believed that the "little stone" represented in part a political kingdom similar to the other kingdoms referred to by Daniel. Joseph Smith taught that in this, the dispensation of the fulness of times, "all things" would be set in place for Christ's return, including the basic principles and organization for a system that would govern the earth during the Millennium (JD 1:202-203; 2:189; 17:156-57).

 

On April 7, 1842, Joseph Smith received a revelation giving the formal name of the "Living Constitution"-or, as it came to be known by the number of its members, the Council of Fifty-and indicating that the nucleus of a government of God would be organized. Two years later, in the spring of 1844, after a small group of faithful Church leaders and members had received their temple Endowment, the Prophet formally established the Council of Fifty.

 

Members of the council understood its principles to be consistent with the ethics of scripture and with the protections and responsibilities of the Constitution of the United States. Non-Latter-day Saints could be members (three were among the founding members), but all were to follow God's law and seek to know his will. The president of the church sat as council president, with others seated according to age, beginning with the oldest. Revealed rules governed proceedings, including one that required that decisions be unanimous.

 

The council had some practical responsibilities for organizing Joseph Smith's presidential campaign in 1844, the exodus from Nauvoo in 1845-1846 (see Westward Migration), and early government in the Great Basin. But what interested council members most was, not their specific duties, but the expectation that the council represented something much larger: it was a working demonstration of the principles and pattern for a future kingdom of God on earth. The Church already had a well-developed apocalyptic outlook, including belief in the latter-day collapse of existing governments before Christ's return. In this framework, the Council of Fifty was viewed as the seed of a new political order that would rule, under Christ, following the prophesied cataclysmic events of the last days.

 

The council, therefore, did not challenge existing systems of law and government (even in Nauvoo), but functioned more as a private organization learning to operate in a pluralistic society. Its exercise of actual political power was modest, but provided a symbol of the future theocratic kingdom of God. Always, the Fifty functioned under the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who were also members of the council.

 

After the westward migration and the early pioneer period, the Council of Fifty largely disappeared as a functioning body, except for a brief resurgence during John Taylor's presidency when the Church again faced intense political challenges. Still, the Saints found consolation in the belief that one day, when the Savior returned, the Council of Fifty, or a council based on its principles, would rise again to govern the world under the King of Kings.

 

Bibliography

 

Andrus, Hyrum L. Joseph Smith and World Government. Salt Lake City, 1958.

Ehat, Andrew F. "It Seems Like Heaven Began on Earth: Joseph Smith and the Constitution of the Kingdom of God." BYU Studies 20 (Spring 1980):253-79.

Hansen, Klaus J. Quest for Empire. East Lansing, Mich., 1967.

Quinn, D. Michael. "The Council of Fifty and Its Members, 1844 to 1945." BYU Studies 20 (Winter 1980):163-97.

KENNETH W. GODFREY

 

 

(Encyclopedia of Mormonism, 1-4 vols., edited by Daniel H. Ludlow (New York: Macmillan, 1992), 326.)

 

This battle was fought in every seal, in every period of earth’s history, only in this period the kingdom won’t be defeated.  It looks like Satan is winning, but he and his hosts will be defeated.

The other standard works explain Revelation; this story has been written many times in the scriptures.  Our culture is so different than John’s that his metaphors and symbols are so foreign to us.  See 2 Nephi 8:9-10, or the snake in the garden versus a cow, what frightens us more?

 

SYMBOLS OF REVELATION AND THEIR INTERPRETATION

 

This list of symbols is far from complete. It includes only those symbols discussed within this book.

 

 

 Interpretation

 

 Seven stars                                                                           seven servants of the Church (JST 1:20)

 

Seven lampstands                                                                  seven churches of Asia (1:20)

 

Seven lamps of fire                                                                 seven servants of God (JST 4:5)

 

Golden bowls of incense                                                        prayers of the Saints (5:8)

 

Great multitude of heaven                                                       exalted Saints (7:9, 13-14)

 

Dragon                                                                                    Satan (12:9)

 

Serpent                                                                                   Satan (12:9)

 

The water                                                                               peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and  tongues (17:15)

 

The woman                                                                             great city, which reigneth over kings (17:18)

 

Seven heads of the beast                                                      seven mountains (17:9)

 

Ten horns of the beast                                                           ten kings (17:12)

 

Morning star (2:28)                                                                 Christ (22:16)

 

Woman clothed with the sun (12:1)                                        Church of God (JST 12:7)

 

Twenty-four elders (4:4)                                                        faithful members of the seven churches (D&C 77:5)

 

Rod of iron (2:27; 19:15)                                                         word of God (1 Ne. 15:23-24)

 

White stone (2:17)                                                                  Urim and Thummim (D&C 130:10)

 

Seven seals (5:1)                                                                   seven one-thousand-year time periods (D&C 77:7)

 

Book with seven seals (5:1)                                                   contains will, mysteries, and works of God (D&C 77:6)

 

Two witnesses (11:3)                                                            two prophets (D&C 77:15)

 

Little book (10:2)                                                                     mission and ordinance (D&C 77:14)

 

Sea of glass (4:6)                                                                   earth in its sanctified state (D&C 77:1)

 

Four beasts (4:6)                                                                    "figurative expressions" (see D&C 77:2-3)

 

Eyes of the beasts (4:8)                                                         light and knowledge (D&C 77:4)

 

Wings of the beasts (4:8)                                                       power to move and to act (D&C 77:4)

 

Twelve horns/twelve eyes of Lamb (JST 5:6)                       twelve servants of God (JST 5:6)

 

 

 

(Donald W. Parry and Jay A. Parry, Understanding the Book of Revelation [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1998], 316.)

 

(Doctrine and Covenants 65:1-6.) – Verse 6 = the woman and the child!  The ecclesiastical order comes to prepare the way for the political order.

 

1 Hearken, and lo, a voice as of one sent down from on high, who is mighty and powerful, whose going forth is unto the ends of the earth, yea, whose voice is unto men—Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

 

2 The keys of the kingdom of God are committed unto man on the earth, and from thence shall the gospel roll forth unto the ends of the earth, as the stone which is cut out of the mountain without hands shall roll forth, until it has filled the whole earth.

 

3 Yea, a voice crying—Prepare ye the way of the Lord, prepare ye the supper of the Lamb, make ready for the Bridegroom.

 

4 Pray unto the Lord, call upon his holy name, make known his wonderful works among the people.

 

5 Call upon the Lord, that his kingdom may go forth upon the earth, that the inhabitants thereof may receive it, and be prepared for the days to come, in the which the Son of Man shall come down in heaven, clothed in the brightness of his glory, to meet the kingdom of God which is set up on the earth.

 

6 Wherefore, may the kingdom of God go forth, that the kingdom of heaven may come, that thou, O God, mayest be glorified in heaven so on earth, that thine enemies may be subdued; for thine is the honor, power and glory, forever and ever. Amen.

 

 

THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN TO COME

 

The coming of Christ in the last days, accompanied by the apostles of old fn and by the resurrected saints, is to mark the establishment of the Kingdom of Heaven upon earth. The faithful apostles who were with Jesus in His earthly ministry are to be enthroned as judges of the whole house of Israel; fn they will judge the Nephite Twelve, who in turn will be empowered to judge the descendants of Lehi, or that branch of the Israelitish nation which was established upon the western continent. fn

 

While the expressions "Kingdom of God" and "Kingdom of Heaven" are used in the Bible synonymously or interchangeably, later revelation gives to each a distinctive meaning. The Kingdom of God is the Church established by divine authority upon the earth; this institution asserts no claim to temporal rule over nations; its sceptre of power is that of the Holy Priesthood, to be used in the preaching of the gospel and in administering its ordinances for the salvation of mankind living and dead. The Kingdom of Heaven is the divinely ordained system of government and dominion in all matters, temporal and spiritual; this will be established on earth only when its rightful Head, the King of kings, Jesus the Christ, comes to reign. His administration will be one of order, operated through the agency of His commissioned representatives invested with the Holy Priesthood. When Christ appears in His glory, and not before, will be realized a complete fulfilment of the supplication: "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven."

 

The Kingdom of God has been established among men to prepare them for the Kingdom of Heaven which shall come; and in the blessed reign of Christ the King shall the two be made one. The relationship between them has been revealed to the Church in this wise:

 

Hearken, and lo, a voice as of one from on high, who is mighty and powerful, whose going forth is unto the ends of the earth, yea, whose voice is unto men-Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. The keys of the kingdom of God are committed unto man on the earth, and from thence shall the gospel roll forth unto the ends of the earth, as the stone which is cut out of the mountain without hands, shall roll forth, until it has filled the whole earth; Yea, a voice crying-Prepare ye the way of the Lord, prepare ye the supper of the Lamb, make ready for the Bridegroom; Pray unto the Lord, call upon his holy name, make known his wonderful works among the people; Call upon the Lord, that his kingdom may go forth upon the earth, that the inhabitants thereof may receive it, and be prepared for the days to come, in the which the Son of man shall come down in heaven, clothed in the brightness of his glory, to meet the kingdom of God which is set up on the earth; Wherefore may the kingdom of God go forth, that the kingdom of heaven may come, that thou, O God, mayest be glorified in heaven so on earth, that thy enemies may be subdued: for thine is the honour, power and glory, for ever and ever. Amen. fn

 

 

(James E. Talmage, Jesus the Christ: A Study of the Messiah and His Mission According to Holy Scriptures Both Ancient and Modern [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1983], 731.)

 

Bruce read D&C 1:1-30 – The 3 warning voices are given.  The woman comes forth out of the wilderness to establish the church on the earth for the last time.  The weak things of the earth with the priesthood will gather those who will listen and obey, and receive the saving ordinances from God.  The everlasting covenant will again come forth.  Satan or course, is trying to destroy all of this, he knows he is doomed when the church succeeds, which it will.

(Doctrine and Covenants 86:1-11.) – This has a lot to do with Revelation 12.  The 2 churches are growing together.  The seed of Israel is being gathered, the promises will be fulfilled. 

 

1 Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you my servants, concerning the parable of the wheat and of the tares:

 

2 Behold, verily I say, the field was the world, and the apostles were the sowers of the seed;

 

3 And after they have fallen asleep the great persecutor of the church, the apostate, the whore, even Babylon, that maketh all nations to drink of her cup, in whose hearts the enemy, even Satan, sitteth to reign—behold he soweth the tares; wherefore, the tares choke the wheat and drive the church into the wilderness.

 

4 But behold, in the last days, even now while the Lord is beginning to bring forth the word, and the blade is springing up and is yet tender—

 

5 Behold, verily I say unto you, the angels are crying unto the Lord day and night, who are ready and waiting to be sent forth to reap down the fields;

 

6 But the Lord saith unto them, pluck not up the tares while the blade is yet tender (for verily your faith is weak), lest you destroy the wheat also.

 

7 Therefore, let the wheat and the tares grow together until the harvest is fully ripe; then ye shall first gather out the wheat from among the tares, and after the gathering of the wheat, behold and lo, the tares are bound in bundles, and the field remaineth to be burned.

 

8 Therefore, thus saith the Lord unto you, with whom the priesthood hath continued through the lineage of your fathers—

 

9 For ye are lawful heirs, according to the flesh, and have been hid from the world with Christ in God—

 

10 Therefore your life and the priesthood have remained, and must needs remain through you and your lineage until the restoration of all things spoken by the mouths of all the holy prophets since the world began.

 

11 Therefore, blessed are ye if ye continue in my goodness, a light unto the Gentiles, and through this priesthood, a savior unto my people Israel. The Lord hath said it. Amen.

 

God (Husband) + Woman (Church) = Child (Political kingdom)

(Revelation 13:10-18.) – Highly symbolic.  Satan tries to imitate Gods true church, he seals his own by their wickedness.

 

10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

 

11 And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon.

 

12 And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.

 

13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men,

 

14 And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live.

 

15 And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

 

16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:

 

17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

 

18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

 

13:10 He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity/killeth . . . be killed. The Lord warns those who would follow the beast into sin that those who harm others will receive punishment to match their offenses. This statement also gives comfort to the Saints: even though the beast will lead many of the Saints into captivity, and even though he will kill many of them, in God's perfect justice he will receive in the end the same judgment he metes out (see also Jer. 15:2;  43:11; Matt. 26:52).

 

Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. Other translations (NIV, JB, RSV, NEB) clarify this phrase to indicate that the trials and persecution the Saints face will require much patience and faith if they hope to endure. Still another reading is the Saints know that even though some of them will suffer persecutions from those who worship the beast, in the end the Lord will execute his righteous judgments against the wicked.

 

A BEAST RISES FROM THE EARTH (13:11-18)

 

 John sees a second beast, which has the same power as the beast that preceded it. The second beast appears to be like Christ (the lamb), but he really is like Satan, his master (the dragon). This beast also is a symbol of one or more kings or kingdoms of the earth.8 The second beast causes the people of the world to worship (meaning, perhaps, to follow or to give allegiance to) the first beast. He performs great miracles to deceive people, he gives life to the image of the first beast, and he kills many who will not worship that image. This beast (or kingdom) also controls the economy of the earth (buying and selling) and requires people to associate themselves with the beast if they wish to have part in that economy.

 

This beast truly is an anti-Christ: he pretends to be a lamb, he performs great miracles (including fire from heaven, which all men see), he brings an image of the first beast to life, he requires the people of the world to worship that image instead of God, he takes away the exercise of agency of the people of the world. This second beast is referred to as a "false prophet" later in Revelation (16:13; 19:20; 20:10). Perhaps this beast, as a "prophet," represents religious philosophy and power, rather than the more political power of the first beast. Or perhaps he represents Satan's sophisticated propaganda machine, designed to flood the world with lies and false political and religious doctrines. Like his counterpart, he will remain in power until the Lord comes (19:19-20). His exact identity—whether as a kingdom or a false prophet—has not been revealed.

 

 

NOTES AND COMMENTARY

 

13:11 another beast coming up out of the earth. Whereas the first beast came from the sea, the second beast comes from the land, though it is uncertain why this might be significant. The precise identity of this beast is less important than what he symbolizes: earthly kingdoms that follow Satan and lead the world away from Christ, or political, economic, and religious ideologies that seduce institutions and kingdoms into following the way of the beast and the dragon.

 

he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. This beast has the appearance of a lamb, like Jesus; outwardly he appears innocent and harmless. But when the beast speaks, his true nature is revealed—he speaks like his master, the devil. This false prophet is precisely like those the Lord warned against: "Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves" (Matt. 7:15).

 

13:12 he exerciseth all the power of the first beast. The first beast had "power . . . and great authority" given it by the devil (13:2). The first beast was so powerful that everyone feared war with it (13:4). The first beast had power "over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations" (13:7). The second beast exercised similar power in all these instances.

 

causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast. True prophets of God seek diligently to bring people to believe in Christ and worship him. The second beast, a false prophet, likewise seeks diligently to bring people to worship the first beast. His methods include wonders and miracles, threats of death (which are indeed carried out), and economic coercion. These methods are so effective that the beast succeeds in his efforts: the people of the world do indeed worship the beast. This is a continuation of the worship that started earlier (13:8).

 

One commentator writes,["[The] dragon, sea beast, and land beast are a satanic trinity that infiltrates the political world in order to deflect our worship from the God whom we cannot see to the authorities that we can see, and to deceive us into buying into a religion or belief-system that has visible results in self-gratification."9

 

13:13 he doeth great wonders. This beast performs great miracles, just as the Lord's true prophets performed miracles in earlier days (see, for example, Ex. 7-10) and as the two prophets will perform in Jerusalem (11:5-6). The beast will even have power to make fire come down from heaven "in the sight of men"—a sign and wonder like that performed by Elijah (1 Kgs. 18:38). "There shall arise false Christs, and false prophets," the Lord said, "and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect" (Matt. 24:24). And Paul warned against him "whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders" (2 Thes. 2:9).

 

13:14 deceiveth them that dwell on the earth. Through the miracles the beast performs, he deceives the people of the world. The deception is that the beast should be worshipped, rather than Christ, and that the power behind the beast is the power of God when in reality it is Satan's power.

 

"The Great Imitator is able to blind the eyes and deceive the hearts of men and to put his own seal of verity, that of false miracles, on his damning philosophies. Thus those who place themselves wholly at his disposal have power to imitate the deeds of the prophets, as the magicians of Egypt imitated the miracles of Moses and as Simon the sorcerer sought to duplicate the works of Peter."10

 

The deception of the people of the world is a commentary on their spiritual state. Satan cannot deceive a person against that person's will—belief in the lies of Satan is always accompanied by choosing sin or choosing doubt in the work and message of the Lord.

 

miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast. Some versions of the Bible say that the second beast was performing his miracles "in the presence" of the first beast (LB, RSV, GNB, NEB). Others say that the second beast was acting "in behalf of" the first beast (NIV, JB). The Greek (enopion) clarifies further, suggesting that the second beast was acting "through the authority" of the first.

 

they should make an image to the beast. The second beast causes the people of the world to set up some kind of image of the first beast. We are not able to say what this means literally.

 

13:15 he had power to give life unto the image of the beast. In an amazing miracle, the second beast is able to cause the image of the beast to seem to come alive and speak. Many translations suggest that the second beast gives the "breath" of life to the image (LB, RSV, GNB, NIV, JB, NEB), another way in which the second beast acts as a counterfeit to God and his Spirit. We are not able to say what this prophecy means in literal terms.

 

as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. This phrase indicates a true division between the people of the world. There will be two categories: those who will worship (follow, give allegiance to) the beast, and those who will resist even when threatened with death. Those who resist are those who have overcome "by the blood of the Lamb" and "loved not their lives unto the death" (12:11).

 

Some have suggested that this prophecy was fulfilled in the meridian of time. After the crucifixion of Christ, all members of the early Christian Church eventually died, were killed, or apostatized (the one exception, of course, is John the Revelator himself, who was translated). Certainly the demise of the meridian Church and the martyrdom of many members seem to fit at least parts of this prophecy. But many questions remain unanswered. For instance, what were the wonders and miracles performed by the Roman Empire, which persecuted the meridian Church? In what way did the Roman Empire have worldwide influence, as implied in 12:16-17? Both of these clues seem to point elsewhere to the identity of the second beast.

 

If this passage also has a latter-day application, it is safe to say that not all the righteous Saints will be killed—many will remain to establish Zion and to greet Christ when he returns. In this dispensation, the Church has been put on the earth to stay—it will not be removed from its place, though all powers of earth and hell be arrayed against it. But according to this prophecy, at some point many of the righteous will apparently live under the threat of a martyr's death: those who will not worship the image of the beast essentially have a death warrant on their heads. Thankfully, as Nephi saw, the saints will be "armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory" (1 Ne. 14:14), and they will emerge victorious.

 

13:16 he causeth all . . . to receive a mark. Earlier we saw that the righteous will receive the seal of the Lamb on their foreheads. This seal consists of the name of the Father and appears to protect the righteous from the judgments of God (7:2-3; 14:1). In contrast, the wicked—all who worship the beast—receive the mark of the beast (his name; 13:17; 14:11; 16:2; 19:20) on their foreheads or right hands. This mark appears to distinguish the wicked and enables them to buy and sell (13:17). Many have speculated on what the mark might be. Entire volumes have been written on the subject. But the Lord has not revealed the answer.

 

Here is one possibility, however, that may be more sound than most speculations. The seal of God is real, but it is also figurative—it cannot be seen, but those who have it know they are God's, and they are known by him. The seal is having one's calling and election made sure, being sealed up unto eternal life. That seal requires no outward mark or tattoo. It represents a way of life and its consequences.

 

Perhaps the mark of the beast is a parallel (though opposing) idea. Those who follow the beast do his will with their hands (symbolized by the mark on the hand) and accept and adhere to his philosophies with their minds (symbolized by the mark on the forehead).

 

Thus, those who give their lives to the beast and his philosophies constantly show whose they are—by the deeds of their hands and the words of their mouths (which reveal their thoughts).

 

13:17 no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark. Here we see the extent of the power of the second beast. In 13:15 we see that the beast kills those who will not worship the first beast. Now we see that he has another threat: he controls the world economy so much that only those with the mark can engage in the essential economic activities of buying and selling. Perhaps this means that one cannot prosper without taking part in the prevailing philosophy, which is inspired by Satan.11 Perhaps the Saints, will survive by living the law of consecration.

 

the name of the beast, or the number of his name. The beast's name and number are synonymous. In many ancient alphabets, each letter had a numerical equivalent. A graffito uncovered in Pompeii reads, "I love her whose number is 545."12 Jewish rabbis enjoyed looking for hidden meanings in the scriptures; they called the practice of hiding numerical meanings in words gematria. For instance, we read in Gen. 14:14 that Abraham took 318 "trained servants" with him when he went to rescue Lot from his captors; according to gematria, the number 318 translates as Eliezer, the name of Abraham's chief servant.

 

13:18 Here is wisdom. John suggests that if we have understanding, we will be able to "count" the number of the beast, which will reveal his name. But lacking revelation, we are probably best served by not aligning ourselves too closely to any one interpretation.

 

the number of the beast. The number of the beast, which number (or name, derived from the number) constituted the mark placed on people's foreheads or right hands, was 666. The number is given as "the number of a man," meaning, perhaps, that it was not a mystical number or name but an ordinary human number or name, or it may mean that the number was that of a particular individual. If that is so, the individual is likely only a representative symbol of the beast, which goes beyond individual identities, reaching far into the past as well as into the future.

 

Another possibility is that the number is symbolic. The number seven indicates perfection; three sevens would suggest perfection to an emphatic level. Three sixes suggest a marked falling short of perfection. Seven could be a symbolic number for Christ; six could indicate the anti-Christ.

 

Most authorities interpret the number to mean the name Nero Caesar: when Nero's name is given in Hebrew (nrwn qsr), the numerical equivalent is 666.13 Other possibilities include the Roman emperors Domitian or Titus, all the Roman emperors combined, the ancient Romans as a group, or the Roman Catholic Church.14 The numerical equivalents of the names of each of these can be made to add up to 666. Many other individuals and organizations have been suggested as possibilities.

 

There are two complications with this approach. The first is that many early Greek manuscripts of the book of Revelation give the number as 61615—which would yield totally different interpretations. The second complication is that the beast truly seems to transcend the normal life span of individuals and institutions. He reaches around the entire world. The second beast seems to be a symbol in which we find embodied the great forces that oppose Christ and his people in the last days. Though we may not understand the interpretation of the number, we can seek to recognize the work of Satan in all its guises and then be willing to trust and follow Christ, our Savior, whatever the cost.

 

Even if we cannot tell who the number may literally point to, we understand the message of this passage: Satan sends forth philosophies and servants to do his work. Many who follow Christ and his perfection will suffer greatly for their opposition to Satan's program, but eventually the wicked will fall and the righteous will prevail.

 

 

(Donald W. Parry and Jay A. Parry, Understanding the Book of Revelation [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1998], 170.)

(Revelation 3:12.) – Those that have the seal of God upon them, act for God, and are His emissaries to the world to spread the gospel to all. Elder Oaks talk  1985, “Taking upon us the Name of Jesus Christ”  This must come from proper priesthood authority, baptism, sacrament, willing to take upon us His name, the temple, who we are, and what you belong to.  You need all of the temple ordinances to receive the seal of God upon us.

 

12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.

(Doctrine and Covenants 84:99-102.) – Joseph didn’t know Hebrew when this revelation was given.  This poem or song is a perfect example of Hebrew parallelism.  How did he know?  This song will be sung in the Millennium, the kingdom of God will be here, what a glorious time that will be.

 

99 The Lord hath brought again Zion;

The Lord hath redeemed his people, Israel,

According to the election of grace,

Which was brought to pass by the faith

And covenant of their fathers.

 

100 The Lord hath redeemed his people;

And Satan is bound and time is no longer.

The Lord hath gathered all things in one.

The Lord hath brought down Zion from above.

The Lord hath brought up Zion from beneath.

 

101 The earth hath travailed and brought forth her strength;

And truth is established in her bowels;

And the heavens have smiled upon her;

And she is clothed with the glory of her God;

For he stands in the midst of his people.

 

102 Glory, and honor, and power, and might,

Be ascribed to our God; for he is full of mercy,

Justice, grace and truth, and peace,

Forever and ever, Amen.

 

Revelation 14 to 15:4 – Ends this act and scene of the gathering of the wheat and the tares, the destruction of the tares is shown.

 

THE LAMB AND HIS 144,000 (14:1-5)

 

These verses are placed in obvious contrast to those that immediately precede them. They give the Saints a message of hope. In Rev. 13, we see the two beasts who serve Satan and enslave the people of the world; now, at the beginning of Rev. 14, we see the Lamb standing in triumph on his temple mount. In Rev. 13, we see the peoples of the earth, who worship the beast and receive his name in their foreheads (13:4, 15-16); in Rev. 14, we see a powerful group of righteous followers of Christ, who worship him, who remain pure, and who stand faultless before God, having his name written in their foreheads (14:1, 3-5). The spreading, pervasive power of the two beasts is so great that it appears that none can withstand it. But in the few verses of chapter 14, we see that the Lord and his true followers can and will withstand that power, and they will surely prevail in the end.

 

 Rev. 14:1-5

 

1 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads.

 

2 And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:

 

3 And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.

 

4 These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.

 

5 And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.

 

NOTES AND COMMENTARY

 

14:1 a Lamb. The Lamb is Jesus Christ (5:5-6).

 

mount Sion. In the Old Testament Mount Zion (Ps. 48:1-3; 74:2; 78:68; 125:1; Isa. 8:18) is located in Jerusalem. In Heb. 12:22, Mount Sion (Sion is the New Testament form of Zion) is associated with "the heavenly Jerusalem," which is another name for the portion of New Jerusalem that will descend from on high (21:10). Modern revelation clarifies further that Mount Zion "shall be the city of New Jerusalem" (D&C 84:2; 133:18,  56). When the Lord stands on Mount Zion in the latter days, it appears he will be standing at the Mount Zion called New Jerusalem, which will be centered in Jackson County, Missouri. Yet he also will appear at Mount Olivet in Old Jerusalem, which is near the Mount Zion there, and the 144,000 may well be with him there as well.1

 

Mount Zion also sometimes refers to the temple;2 in this part of the vision, therefore, John has seen the Lamb standing on the temple mount or in the temple itself.

 

an hundred forty and four thousand. This group of 144,000 consists of those who were sealed in 7:1-8. We learn in 14:3-5 that they have been "redeemed from the earth," that they are "virgins," that they "follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth," that they are "the firstfruits unto God," and that they are "without fault before . . . God." See the commentary on 7:1-8; 14:3-5.

 

having his Father's name written in their foreheads. In 13:16-17, we saw that the people of the world had the name of the beast written on their foreheads. Here, the righteous have the Father's name written on their foreheads. We are marked by the name of him to whom we give our true loyalty. The reception of the Father's name is a fulfillment of the promise made to the valiant in 3:12, which records that the righteous also have written on them the name of God's holy city, New Jerusalem, as well as the new name of Christ (see commentary on 3:12). The Father's name is written on the righteous in a symbolic rather than a literal way.

 

There is another way in which we may receive the name of the Father and the Son in our foreheads. A name stands for the person it belongs to. When Alma asked, "Can ye look up to God at that day [the day of judgment] . . . having the image of God engraven upon your countenances?" (Alma 5:19), he may have been referring to the same idea John is speaking of here.

 

14:2 a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and . . . great thunder. This voice may be that of the Lord (1:15; D&C 110:3) or of the multitude of angels in heaven (19:6). It is more likely the latter, as the angels join in the song mentioned in 14:3. The sound is so loud it is like the roar of the ocean or of a rushing river; it is like the clapping of mighty thunder (see commentary on 1:15; see also Ezek. 1:24; 43:2).

 

the voice of harpers harping with their harps. John also hears the sound of harps accompanying the multitude in the song. Harps appear to be the instrument most often used by those in God's heavenly kingdom (see also 5:8; 15:2).

 

14:3 they sung as it were a new song. The harpers, and perhaps others in heaven, are singing a song before the throne of God. The song and its setting are likely those described in D&C 84:96-102:

 

For I, the Almighty, have laid my hands upon the nations, to scourge them for their wickedness. And plagues shall go forth, and they shall not be taken from the earth until I have completed my work, which shall be cut short in righteousness—until all shall know me, who remain, even from the least unto the greatest, and shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, and shall see eye to eye, and shall lift up their voice, and with the voice together sing this new song, saying:

 

The Lord hath brought again Zion;

The Lord hath redeemed his people, Israel,

According to the election of grace,

Which was brought to pass by the faith

And covenant of their fathers.

 

The Lord hath redeemed his people;

And Satan is bound and time is no longer.

The Lord hath gathered all things in one.

The Lord hath brought down Zion from above.

The Lord hath brought up Zion from beneath.

 

 

 

The earth hath travailed and brought forth her strength;

And truth is established in her bowels;

And the heavens have smiled upon her;

And she is clothed with the glory of her God;

For he stands in the midst of his people.

 

Glory, and honor, and power, and might,

Be ascribed to our God; for he is full of mercy,

Justice, grace and truth, and peace,

Forever and ever, Amen.

 

before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders. John reminds us that he is seeing a vision of the heavenly temple, with God's throne (4:2) before which are four beasts and exalted elders (4:4, 6-10). The singers proclaim their song in the heavenly temple.

 

no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand. The song is sung by heavenly beings before the throne of God. But there are also some on earth who can learn the song—the 144,000 who stand on Mount Zion with Christ. Why are these the only ones who can learn the song? Perhaps it can be known only by revelation. Or perhaps such knowledge requires a certain relationship with God and his Spirit.

 

14:4 they are virgins. The descriptions in 14:4-5 may apply to all who are exalted, though in this case they refer particularly to the 144,000. They are virgins in having refrained from entering into any unlawful sexual intercourse. They are also virgins in having remained true to Christ as their Bridegroom (19:7; 21:9; see also Jer. 2:1-4)—in having refrained from entering into spiritual adultery (Ezek. 16; Hosea 1-3). The Lord has often referred to his true people as a virgin (2 Kgs. 19:21; Jer. 18:13; Lam. 2:13; Amos 5:2; 2 Cor. 11:2). These "virgins" are contrasted with the wicked who worship the beast in Rev. 13 and who join in consort with the "mother of harlots" that is Babylon (17:5).

 

follow the Lamb. Those who are chosen of Christ are those who follow him in all circumstances. These do as the man said in Luke, "Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest" (Luke 9:57; see also Mark 8:34; Matt. 19:21).

 

redeemed. Christ, the Redeemer, has paid the price for their sins, and they are redeemed from the demands of justice and the bonds of the devil (Mosiah 15:9; Alma 12:32-34; 34:15).

 

the firstfruits unto God. Under the law of Moses, the firstfruits of the harvest were offered to God in sacrifice (Ex. 34:22, 26). As Jesus is the firstfruits of all the dead, being the first to be resurrected (1 Cor. 15:20), so are these 144,000 "the first fruits of the harvest of salvation"3 (see also Jer. 2:2-3).

 

14:5 in their mouth was found no guile. The 144,000 speak no deceit, being honest and true like their Master (Isa. 53:9). This characteristic is in contrast to the wicked, who include the liars (21:8), who, as we saw in their worship of the beast in Rev. 13, "changed the truth of God into a lie" (Rom. 1:25).

 

without fault before the throne of God. A proper sacrifice had to be without blemish (Lev. 1:3,  10;  22:21). These 144,000 are like the Lamb, "without blemish and without spot" (1 Pet. 1:19; Heb. 9:14). This purity and perfection, of course, is made possible through the sacrifice of that Lamb (Heb. 13:20-21; Moro. 10:33).

 

THREE ANGELS OF JUDGMENT (14:6-13)

 

 John sees three angels who proclaim or bring judgment upon the world. The first angel brings "the everlasting gospel" for "every nation"—and with it brings a warning that the hour of God's judgment "is come." The second angel proclaims that Babylon, the wicked world, has fallen. The third angel announces that all those who worship the beast will be "tormented with fire and brimstone . . . forever and ever." Despite the troubles and destruction that will come to the wicked, the righteous will be blessed, and if they die, they will rest in the Lord.

 

 Rev. 14:6-13

 

6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,

 

7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.

 

8 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.

 

9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,

 

10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:

 

11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.

 

12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

 

13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.

 

NOTES AND COMMENTARY

 

14:6 another angel fly in the midst of heaven. In latter-day revelation, the Lord clarifies that the angel John sees here has been sent to "commit" the gospel to man, suggesting that the gospel has been lost and would be restored: "And now, verily saith the Lord, . . . I have sent forth mine angel flying through the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel, who hath appeared unto some and hath committed it unto man, who shall appear unto many that dwell on the earth. And this gospel shall be preached unto every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people. And the servants of God shall go forth, saying with a loud voice: Fear God and give glory to him, for the hour of his judgment is come; and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters—calling upon the name of the Lord day and night, saying: O that thou wouldst rend the heavens, that thou wouldst come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence" (D&C 133:36-40).

 

This angel is generally considered to be Moroni. We read in the Doctrine and Covenants that Moroni was the angel "whom I have sent unto you to reveal the Book of Mormon, containing the fulness of my everlasting gospel" (D&C 27:5). This angel is the angel who will sound the fifth trumph at the time of the resurrection and the end of the world (D&C 88:103; see also vv. 94-110); this may or may not be the same as the angel with the fifth trump in 9:1-12.

 

Elsewhere Joseph Smith taught: "All the testimony is that the Lord in the last days would commit the keys of the Priesthood to a witness over all people. Has the Gospel of the kingdom commenced in the last days? . . . I have read it precisely as the words flowed from the lips of Jesus Christ. John the Revelator saw an angel flying through the midst of heaven, having the everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth.

 

"The scripture is ready to be fulfilled when great wars, famines, pestilence, great distress, judgments, &c., are ready to be poured out on the inhabitants of the earth. John saw the angel having the holy Priesthood, who should preach the everlasting Gospel to all nations. God had an angel—a special messenger—ordained and prepared for that purpose in the last days."4

 

Joseph Smith does not clearly identify the angel here, but the context suggests that the angel would come to "commit the keys of the Priesthood"; "John saw the angel having the holy Priesthood." Moroni certainly had the priesthood, but he did not commit any priesthood keys—that was done by Peter, James, and John, Elijah, Moses, and others (D&C 110; 128:20).

 

Elder Bruce R. McConkie suggests that the angel seen by John in this verse was symbolic of many angels: "Paul makes the apt statement that the gospel consists of two parts: the word and the power. (1 Thess. 1:5) . . . Thus the angel Moroni brought the message, that is, the word; but other angels brought the keys and priesthood, the power."5

 

 D&C 77:8 lends credence to the idea that many angels joined together to accomplish the restoration of the gospel. Joseph Smith speaks there by revelation of "four angels sent forth from God . . . ; these are they who have the everlasting gospel to commit to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people."

 

having the everlasting gospel. The gospel with its laws, principles, and powers is eternal, lasting forever. The expression "everlasting gospel" or "everlasting covenant of the gospel" appears twenty-six times in the Doctrine and Covenants (see, for example, D&C 101:22, 39).

 

to preach . . . to every nation. The gospel is destined to go forth to the entire world—"every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people." This is the final divine commission the Savior gave his apostles: "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" (Matt. 28:19).

 

14:7 loud voice. The angel's "loud voice" is intended to be heard by all. See commentary on 12:9.

 

Fear God, and give glory to him. The whole world has been worshipping the beast. But the angel tells them they must turn to God and reverence and honor him.

 

the hour of his judgment is come. Hour here is probably not literal but may represent a short period of time, as if to say, "His judgment is about to begin." Judgment does not refer to the Last Judgment but to the time when God will punish the world (send his judgments) for its wickedness. The judgment will be a time of terror for the wicked, but it will represent deliverance for the righteous from the rule of the wicked. This judgment and deliverance come through Christ. As he said in his final mortal days, so can Christ say again at his second coming: "Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out" (John 12:31).

 

This verse, in essence, is a call to the world to repent. This call—and reminder of the hour of the Lord's judgment—was repeated early in the days of the restoration of the gospel, as seen by John. By command of the Lord, Joseph Smith placed these powerful words at the beginning of the Doctrine and Covenants:

 

"Hearken, O ye people of my church, saith the voice of him who dwells on high. . . .

 

"For verily the voice of the Lord is unto all men, and there is none to escape; and there is no eye that shall not see, neither ear that shall not hear, neither heart that shall not be penetrated.

 

"And the rebellious shall be pierced with much sorrow; for their iniquities shall be spoken upon the housetops, and their secret acts shall be revealed. . . .

 

"Wherefore, fear and tremble, O ye people, for what I the Lord have decreed . . . shall be fulfilled. . . .

 

"Wherefore the voice of the Lord is unto the ends of the earth, that all that will hear may hear:

 

"Prepare ye, prepare ye for that which is to come, for the Lord is nigh;

 

"And the anger of the Lord is kindled, and his sword is bathed in heaven, and it shall fall upon the inhabitants of the earth. . . .

 

"Wherefore, I the Lord, knowing the calamity which should come upon the inhabitants of the earth, called upon my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., and spake unto him from heaven, and gave him commandments;

 

"And also gave commandments to others, that they should proclaim these things unto the world; and all this that it might be fulfilled, which was written by the prophets" (D&C 1:1-3,  7,  11-13,  17-18).

 

worship him that made heaven/earth/sea/fountains of waters. God has all power, even greater than the beast in Rev. 13. It is the true God that all mankind should worship, and none else (Ex. 20:2-6; Acts 14:15).

 

14:8 there followed another angel. John sees a second angel of judgment. This angel has yet to come, because he proclaims the fulfillment of an event yet to occur.

 

Babylon is fallen. Babylon, the city that was the epitome of the wicked, idolatrous, immoral world, was destroyed—and so will symbolic Babylon. This is her prophetic destiny, and it surely will occur, as many prophets have foreseen (Isa. 21:9; Jer. 51:7-8; Dan. 5:25-28). The fall of Babylon is a direct result of the judgment of God declared in 14:7; the cause of that judgment follows: she induced the people of the world to join in "fornication," which is a symbolic reference to worship of gods other than the true God. In a literal sense, the "fall of Babylon" means that the wicked world will cease to exist.

 

that great city. Babylon is the great city of wickedness, standing in opposition to the great city of righteousness, New Jerusalem. Anciently, Babylon was a literal city, but in prophecy she stands as a symbol of the wicked world. The New Jerusalem will be a literal city in the future; she also stands as a symbol of the union of the righteous.

 

she made all nations drink. Certainly Babylon did not force the people of the world to participate in sin. But through her inducements and enticements, she was able to seduce the world into accepting her godless philosophies and approaches to life. The term drink suggests that the wicked have truly internalized their sinfulness.

 

the wine of the wrath of her fornication. This expression combines two phrases that are found elsewhere in Revelation: "the wine of the wrath of God" (14:10) and "the wine of her fornication" (17:2). The Jerusalem Bible seems to fit these meanings together well in its translation: "Babylon which gave the whole world the wine of God's anger to drink." The Revised Standard Version interprets wrath as passion: "made all nations drink the wine of her impure passion." The New International Version gives the idea of madness: "made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries" (see also Jer. 51:7). Fornication here refers to the evil practice of leaving the true Bridegroom and going after other gods, as both the world and the Lord's people too often do (2:20). Fornication may also refer literally to sexual immorality, which often accompanies the grosser levels of wickedness on the earth. The underlying meaning is that Babylon (the wicked element of the world) has enticed the nations to become intoxicated with sin and that both Babylon and the nations of the world will be punished by God in his wrath. In bringing others to this fornication, Babylon is nothing less than a harlot (17:1-6).

 

14:9 the third angel followed them. In this part of the vision, John sees the angels come in a trio, the first bearing the gospel, the second proclaiming the fall of Babylon, and the third warning of the fate of those who join with the beast.

 

loud voice. See commentary on 12:9.

 

14:9-10 If any man worship the beast/shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God. In 13:15, we saw that all who refused to worship the beast were to be put to death. Here, in sobering contrast, we see that all who enter into such worship receive a much more terrible punishment—they receive the wrath of God into their very beings. God's punishing anger is often depicted in the Old Testament as a symbolic drink made up of his wrath, which the wicked are forced to swallow (Job 21:20; Ps. 75:8; Isa. 51:17; Jer. 25:15-28). Wine also symbolizes blood (3 Ne. 20:8; D&C 20:79) the wicked, who refuse the atoning blood of Christ, will be forced to drink of wine that typifies the blood of sinfulness (Isa. 49:26; Jacob 1:19).

 

14:10 poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation. Speaking symbolically, God has a cup of mercy and blessing (Ps. 23:5; 116:13) and a cup of anger and vengeance (16:19; Isa. 51:17; D&C 29:17; 43:26). In the day of judgment, when "the cup of their [the world's] iniquity is full" (D&C 101:11;  103:1), the Lord will pour out punishment into his cup of wrath, unmixed (or undiluted) with mercy, as wine was sometimes mixed—or not mixed—with water.6 The wicked will then be required to drink of the punishment in the Lord's cup. He cannot give mercy (meaning, grant them the blessings of the Atonement) because they did not repent.

 

tormented with fire and brimstone. Isaiah described the destruction of Edom (another symbol for the world, as was Babylon) in similar terms:

 

"The indignation of the Lord is upon all nations. . . . For it is the day of the Lord's vengeance. . . . And the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch. It shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever" (Isa. 34:2, 5, 8-10). These images draw from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, which is a type of the destruction of the world (Gen. 19:24-26).

 

The fate that has been prepared for the wicked, that of ceaseless burning and torment, was experienced to a degree by Zeezrom in the Book of Mormon: "Zeezrom lay sick . . . with a burning fever, which was caused by the great tribulations of his mind on account of his wickedness, for he supposed that Alma and Amulek were no more; and he supposed that they had been slain because of his iniquity. And this great sin, and his many other sins, did harrow up his mind until it did become exceedingly sore, having no deliverance; therefore he began to be scorched with a burning heat" (Alma 15:3; 36:12).

 

Though the fire and brimstone appear to symbolize the endless spiritual and emotional torment of the wicked, the idea of a burning hell is nevertheless scriptural and was taught by Jesus himself (Mark 9:44; Luke 16:9-31; Rev. 20:10).

 

in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb. It increases the torment of the wicked to see the bliss and blessings of "the holy angels" and "the Lamb." This expression likely refers to the presence of Christ and his angels when they descend at the Second Coming, the time of judgment referred to in this verse (Mark 8:38).

 

14:11 the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever. The prayers and praise of the righteous are symbolized by the smoke of incense that ascends to heaven (5:8). In contrast, the literal smoke of the burning of the city of Babylon—and the burning of the wicked—symbolizes the spiritual torment they suffer. Like the devil and his beast and false prophet, those who follow them—worshipping the beast and bearing his mark—will suffer torment "day and night for ever and ever" (20:10). Again, the eternal nature of the punishment of the wicked stands in contrast to the eternal blessing of the righteous (1:6; 11:15; Matt. 25:41, 46; Heb. 1:8). Those who suffer the greatest eternal punishment, of course, are the sons of perdition (Heb. 6:4-6; D&C 76:32-38). Those who inherit a lesser degree of glory than the celestial will also have eternal pangs of regret for that which they could have had, but chose, in sin, not to have.

 

no rest day nor night. The torments of the damned continue without cessation and without rest forever (Isa. 34:10; 57:20; Mark 9:43-49).

 

14:12 Here is the patience of the saints. In the midst of turmoil, the Saints are enjoined to continue in patient trust in God and his plan, to keep God's commandments, and to be true to their faith in Jesus Christ (see commentary on 13:10; see also 1:9; James 5:7-11; Heb. 6:12).

 

14:13 a voice from heaven. The Lord or one of his angels bears testimony to the blessing that will come to those who are faithful unto death (11:15).

 

Write. Here John is given exact words to include in his revelation. This commandment emphasizes the importance of what he has heard—he is specifically told to record it—and is a continuation of that which he received in 1:19.

 

Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth. This statement, proclaimed by a heavenly voice, is one of seven "beatitudes" given in this revelation (1:3; 16:15; 19:9; 20:6; 22:7, 14; see also Appendix 5). The reason these faithful are to be considered blessed is then given: "They may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them" (see also Ps. 116:15). Henceforth means "from this time forward." Certainly, Saints in all ages are blessed when they "die in the Lord." Perhaps the use of henceforth underscores the truth that even though great trials lie ahead, those who continue faithful will be greatly blessed, even though they may die.

 

saith the Spirit. The voice of the Spirit here may be different from the "voice from heaven." But both voices proclaim eternal verities to the Lord's people, truths that bless and comfort and lift the heart in the midst of trial.

 

rest from their labours. For the righteous, the spirit world and the celestial world are places of peace and rest. There is no more sin or suffering, no pain or sickness or fatigue. And there is no longer need to work to earn our bread "in the sweat of [our] face" (Gen. 3:19; Job 3:17; Matt. 11:28; Philip. 1:21-23). As Alma taught, "The spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state of peace, where they shall rest from all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow" (Alma 40:12).

 

their works do follow them. Our good works will be known in the world to come. Also, the blessings and positive consequences of our good works go with us as we move into the spirit world and then into a state of resurrected glory (Matt. 25:31-46; Rev. 20:12). In addition, Joseph Smith reportedly taught that a better translation of this phrase is "they shall continue their work."7 Though we may rest from earthly cares, the righteous in the spirit world and in a glorified celestial world will devote their new life and energy to the work of the kingdom.

 

THE ANGELS OF EARTH'S HARVEST (14:14-20)

 

This section gives us scenes of the two-phase harvest of the earth. First we see Christ with a sharp sickle, which he uses to select out the righteous as if they were wheat to be harvested. This harvest is that which was described by Jesus in his parable of the wheat field (see JST Matt. 13:24-30,  37-43; for a modern interpretation, see D&C 86:1-7).

 

Next, we see an angel gathering the wicked as if they were clusters of grapes and then casting them into a winepress that represents God's wrath. We see the blood that comes from the winepress, as juice flows from crushed grapes—blood so deep it reaches to a horse's bridle. Though this is a horrifying scene in John's vision, it is a scene not of injustice and wrong but of setting things right and fulfilling the law of justice. Whatever God in his wisdom and love decides to do is best for his children, both individually and as a group; whatever God chooses to do is both just and merciful and right (Alma 42:15).

 

 Joel saw a similar vision: "Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about. Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great" (Joel 3:12-13).

 

 Rev. 14:14-20

 

14 And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.

 

15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.

 

16 And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.

 

17 And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.

 

18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.

 

19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.

 

20 And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horses [']8 bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.

 

NOTES AND COMMENTARY

 

14:14 a white cloud. This scene is reminiscent of one beheld by Daniel long before: "I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven. . . . And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom" (Dan. 7:13-14). Elsewhere we read of Christ coming "in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory" (Matt. 24:30; D&C 45:16,  44), but this appearance does not seem to be the Second Coming, when Christ returns in great power with his angels. Instead, he sits as a judge and conqueror upon the clouds in heaven. The cloud probably symbolizes Christ's glory (D&C 84:5). The whiteness of the cloud may symbolize victory, purity, and grace.

 

upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man. The Son of man here is Christ (1:12-20). After listing events of the last days, Jesus said, "And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven" (Mark 13:26-27). See commentary on 1:13.

 

on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. The Greek tells us that the golden crown is instead a golden wreath (stephanos), such as victors would wear.9 Christ comes victorious, with power to gather his Saints unto himself. The sharp sickle, the instrument of the gathering, may symbolize the missionaries who go forth with his true gospel, bearing the priesthood and conveying ordinances, bringing the righteous, like sheaves, into the Lord's barn (Matt. 13:30).

 

14:15 another angel came out of the temple. This angel comes forth from the place where God is (7:15; 11:15-19), bearing the message that it is time for the final harvest of the righteous on the earth, preparatory to the burning of the wicked.

 

loud voice. See commentary on 12:9.

 

Thrust in thy sickle, and reap. The reaping in this verse refers to the gathering of the righteous out of the field that is the world (JST Matt. 13:24-30, 36-43; D&C 86:1-7). The time for that gathering has come; it is the last days, and "the harvest of the earth is ripe." Ripe means fully ready; the righteous have proved themselves and are ready to be gathered into the arms of their Lord.

 

"Behold, the field is white already to harvest," the latter-day revelation says, "therefore, whoso desireth to reap, let him thrust in his sickle with his might, and reap while the day lasts, that he may treasure up for his soul everlasting salvation in the kingdom of God" (D&C 6:3). Gathering the people of the world in harvest—for safety in the barn (or bosom) of the Lord, or for punishment and burning—has long been an image used by the Lord and his prophets (Jer. 51:33; Hosea 6:11; Matt. 9:37-38;  13:30,  40-42; Mark 4:29; Luke 10:2; John 4:35-38).

 

14:16 he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. Through his sickle (the righteous Saints), the Lord reaches down and gathers his people from every part of the world. This gathering seems to be that of those who will come unto Christ; the gathering of the wicked is depicted in 14:19-20.

 

Through the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Lord described the two parts of the gathering that will occur before the Millennium—the gathering of the righteous unto blessing, and the gathering of the wicked unto burning:

 

"But behold, in the last days, even now while the Lord is beginning to bring forth the word, and the blade is springing up and is yet tender—behold, verily I say unto you, the angels are crying unto the Lord day and night, who are ready and waiting to be sent forth to reap down the fields; but the Lord saith unto them, pluck not up the tares while the blade is yet tender (for verily your faith is weak), lest you destroy the wheat also.

 

"Therefore, let the wheat and the tares grow together until the harvest is fully ripe; then ye shall first gather out the wheat from among the tares, and after the gathering of the wheat, behold and lo, the tares are bound in bundles, and the field remaineth to be burned" (D&C 86:4-7).

 

14:17 another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven. That the angel comes out of the temple in heaven, where God is, suggests that he has first received his commission or assignment from God and then goes forth to accomplish it.

 

he also having a sharp sickle. If the sickle of the Lord (14:16) is the Saints going forth to do his work of gathering, this sickle, in the hands of an angel, may also be mortal beings doing the harvesting work of the Lord, but they are harvesting the wicked, preparing them to be crushed in the winepress of God—or, as we read elsewhere, preparing them to be burned (Matt. 13:38-40; D&C 86:7). Perhaps this is done by bearing strong testimony to all people, and those who refuse to repent are then judged worthy to be destroyed.

 

14:18 another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire. This angel also comes from the temple but specifically from the altar. This passage may have reference to the angel in 8:3-5, who stood at the altar of incense, which was offered with the prayers of the Saints: "And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth" (8:5). This angel, who has authority over the fire of the altar, commands the angel with the sickle to gather the wicked to be destroyed. Ultimately, that destruction will come by fire (18:8).

 

a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle. The angel from the altar commands the angel with the sickle to thrust it down to earth, to cut down and gather the wicked. The wicked are "the clusters of the vine of the earth"; they are "fully ripe" in their wickedness (contrast with the ripeness of the righteous in 14:15).

 

14:19 the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth. The wheat that represents the righteous has been gathered, separated unto itself. The ripened grapes of the vine represent the wicked, those who bring forth evil fruit (Matt. 7:16-20), who are now ready to be harvested. The angel is the destroying angel, sent forth by God to perform his work of destruction and judgment. The gathering depicted here, however, is not the end of the world, for much must still transpire. Many details of the gathering are depicted in the chapters that follow.

 

For now, John seems to be giving us an overview, from the war in heaven to the great and final destruction, that the righteous may know with certainty the outcome of the great conflict between good and evil, between God and the devil.

 

cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. As grapes were harvested, they were placed in a trough and trampled by foot; the juice then flowed through a duct into a lower basin. In symbolic terms, the winepress represents the great press of God's wrath (meaning the execution of his judgments), which, according to justice, exacts the full terrible payment for sin. The grapes, which represent the sinner, are trodden under foot until nothing is left but pulp and wine—the wine being a symbol of the blood of the sinner.

 

In performing the Atonement, Christ suffered that wrath for us, so that we might escape both the wrath and the consequent suffering if we would repent. In the time of judgment, all those who did not truly repent and come unto Christ will suffer the wrath of God themselves; it will be for them as if they themselves were cast into the winepress and trampled. "I have trodden the winepress alone," the Lord said through Isaiah, "I will tread them in mine anger . . . and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments" (Isa. 63:3). D&C 19:11-19 describes the suffering of Christ in performing the Atonement—and the suffering of those unrepentant souls who will be cast into the winepress themselves (see also D&C 133:46-51; Rev. 14:8-11). 10

 

14:20 the winepress was trodden without the city. Jesus suffered for the sins of the world outside the city of Jerusalem, in the Garden of Gethsemane and later at Golgotha (Heb. 13:12; Luke 22:39-44; John 19:20). In the same way, the nations will come to their judgment outside the city of Jerusalem, with the destruction centered in the valley of Jehoshaphat (probably the Kidron valley, which runs between Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives; Joel 3:12-14; Zech. 14:1-4). 11 Because the wicked refused the blessings of the suffering of Christ—the benefits of the blood that was shed for them—they must now suffer for themselves, shedding their own blood.

 

blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horses'12 bridles, . . . a thousand and six hundred furlongs. The language here is very plain: rather than using wine or red grape juice as a symbol for blood, John simply says, "blood came out of the winepress." The slaughter of the wicked in the day of their judgment creates a flood of their blood. The depth of the flow of blood reaches up to the bridle of a horse. The length of the river of blood (sixteen hundred furlongs) is about 184 miles, or the approximate length of the land of Palestine. In this verse, the city seems to symbolize the holy places that are protected by God; the land outside the city may represent all the people of the world who are subjected to God's terrible but righteous judgments.13

 

1 McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3:525-26.

 

2 D&C 84:32; Anchor Bible Dictionary, 6:1096.

 

3 Harrington, Revelation, 147.

 

4 Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 364-65.

 

5 McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3:530.

 

6 Mounce, Book of Revelation, 273.

 

7 Matthews, "A Plainer Translation," 210.

 

8 JST introduces this possessive.

 

9 Harrington, Revelation, 154.

 

10 Parry, Parry, and Peterson, Understanding Isaiah, 555.

 

11 Mounce, Book of Revelation, 281.

 

12 JST 14:20 introduces this possessive.

 

13 Mounce, Book of Revelation, 281.

 

 

(Donald W. Parry and Jay A. Parry, Understanding the Book of Revelation [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1998], 178.)

 

(Revelation 15:1-4.) – The end of Act 4 Scene 7.

 

1 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.

 

2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.

 

3 And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.

 

4 Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.

 

SEVEN ANGELS WITH SEVEN PLAGUES (15:1-8)

 

In this scene, John sees a vision of celestial glory. He sees those who have "gotten the victory over the beast" singing a song of praise to God. Paradoxically, many who gain victory over the beast were first slain by that beast (13:7, 15); by standing firm in their testimonies, even unto death, they eventually emerge victorious. John also sees seven angels being prepared to pour out seven final judgments on the earth (15:1, 7). We do not yet see what those judgments are (that is reserved for the next chapter), but they appear to be terrible: "In them is filled up the wrath of God" (15:1).

 

 

NOTES AND COMMENTARY

 

15:1 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous. Another sign gives us to understand that the scene in the vision has shifted. As with the other signs in John's vision, what he sees as a sign symbolizes a great truth. In this case, the truth is that God will indeed exact judgment against the wicked, a judgment that will be complete and terrible. The phrase "great and marvellous" suggests a sign that is absolutely overwhelming.

 

seven angels having the seven last plagues. These seven last plagues are the Lord's final attempt to cause the hearts of the wicked to be softened and to turn to him. After these plagues will come the actual fall of Babylon and the second coming of Christ. Because seven is a number signifying perfection, seven angels with seven plagues indicates perfect and complete judgment against the wicked of the earth. This prophecy is reminiscent of the curse the Lord gave against the wicked in Lev. 26:21: "If ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins." These plagues are poured out in Rev. 16.

 

in them is filled up the wrath of God. The plagues bring a full measure of God's wrath to the world but not the final consummation. That consummation comes in the chapters that follow.

 

15:2 a sea of glass mingled with fire. The sea of glass indicates a celestial sphere (D&C 130:6-7), and the presence of fire indicates the presence of God, who dwells amid everlasting burnings (Isa. 33:14-16).

 

them that had gotten the victory over the beast . . . stand on the sea of glass. Those who have refused to bow to the beast, either physically or spiritually, inherit a celestial glory. These may be the same Saints who were sealed in 7:1-8 and were named among the 144,000 in 14:1-5.

 

harps of God. The harps symbolize an attitude of worship and giving glory to God (2 Sam. 6:5; Neh. 12:27; Ps. 92:1-3; Rev. 14:2).

 

15:3 And they sing the song of Moses . . . and the song of the Lamb. The song of Moses was sung by that great prophet and his followers after they were delivered from the great "beast" called Egypt (Ex. 15:1-19). The lyrics to the song spoken of in this verse include the words, "Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints."2 These words are not found in the song of Moses in Ex. 15, but the common element is what is important: the Lord's people were in bondage and trouble, and the Lord delivered them from their enemy.

 

This song is also the song of the Lamb, because he is the great Deliverer. The song of the Lamb will ultimately be sung by all true Saints. On the day of resurrection, the scripture says, "The graves of the saints shall be opened; and they shall come forth and stand on the right hand of the Lamb, when he shall stand upon Mount Zion, and upon the holy city, the New Jerusalem; and they shall sing the song of the Lamb, day and night forever and ever" (D&C 133:56).

 

15:4 Who shall not fear thee/all nations shall come and worship before thee. The Saints cry out their praise and admiration to the Lord. Shouldn't all nations fear and honor him? Yes, the time will come when "every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess" that the Lord is God (Rom. 14:11; Mosiah 27:31; D&C 88:104).

 

The Saints in our day sing a similar song:

 

How wondrous and great

Thy works, God of praise!

How just, King of Saints,

And true are thy ways!

Oh, who shall not fear thee

And honor thy name?

Thou only art holy,

Thou only supreme.3

 

thy judgments are made manifest. The nations will acknowledge the power and supremacy of God as they see them manifest through the judgments he brings on the wicked of the earth.

 

 

(Donald W. Parry and Jay A. Parry, Understanding the Book of Revelation [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1998], 196.)

 

 

 

Revelation 15:5-16:21 (Act 5)

Judgments of God Rendered Against the Wicked, 15:5 - 16:21.

November 29, 2007

 

ACT 5: Judgments of God Rendered Against the Wicked, 15:5 - 16:21.
        Setting: The Tabernacle is opened and out come seven angels having seven plagues. One of the four beasts gives the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, 15:5-8. (The judgments rendered upon the world at the beginning of the seventh seal, recorded in Act 3, failed to cause the world to repent. So now the Lord sends his final judgments upon the world to destroy the wicked. Also, unlike the judgments rendered at the beginning of the seventh seal which only hurt a third, these judgments destroy all that is wicked.)

    Scene 1: Plague of grievous sores upon those which worshiped the beast, 16:2.
    Scene 2: Plague which turns sea into blood killing everything therein, 16:3.
    Scene 3: Plague which turns rivers into blood, 16:4-7.
    Scene 4: Plague which causes the sun to scorch the earth with great heat, 16:8-9.
    Scene 5: Plague of darkness and sore pain upon the throne of the beast, 16:10-11.
    Scene 6: Plague upon the Euphrates drying it up and thus opening the way for the armies to descend upon Jerusalem in the battle that is called Armageddon - a battle in which many of the wicked are killed, 16:12-16.
    Scene 7: Plague upon the air - unlike the other plagues which were upon the earth, the final plague is upon the air effecting the whole earth through the all-encompassing atmosphere, 16:17-21. The time for God's final triumph over the wicked has finally arrived!

Act 4 Scene 6 – The Gathering of Israel, angels are there to reap and to destroy.

(Revelation 14:14-20) – The sickle is the sign of the harvest, wheat and tares.   The great call to latter day Israel, D&C 4.  The winepress represents the wrath of God He is full, He will stamp evil out, this is different, it isn’t the olive press, that represents the Atonement.

 

14 And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.

 

15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.

 

16 And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.

 

17 And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.

 

18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.

 

19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.

 

20 And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.

 

 

(Isaiah 63:1-6.) – He will destroy the wicked and wickedness itself.  No one can do this but Him.  D&C 133:46-52, after wickedness is destroyed then redemption can come.  Red = Destroying wickedness.  The church is the instrument of God’s salvation, He will destroy the wicked by alone.  How will CNN show this??

 

1 Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save.

 

2 Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat?

 

3 I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment.

 

4 For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come.

 

5 And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me.

 

6 And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth.

 

 

 

(Matthew 13:24-30, 38-43) – First the wheat than the tares (JST).  The angels destroy evil and those who do evil. 

 

24 ¶ Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:

 

25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.

 

26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.

 

27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?

 

28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?

 

29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.

 

30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

 

38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one;

 

39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.

 

40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world.

 

41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;

 

42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

 

43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

 

This Act (5) is about destroying those who do evil.

(1 Nephi 14:10-15.) – A mother produces offspring, the children are also wicked, the righteous are gathered out from the wicked.  Symbolic understanding of cleaning the earth, the land and the waters, the earth must be cleansed to prepare for His coming.  John the Revelator will write the rest of this vision Nephi saw.

 

10 And he said unto me: Behold there are save two churches only; the one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the other is the church of the devil; wherefore, whoso belongeth not to the church of the Lamb of God belongeth to that great church, which is the mother of abominations; and she is the whore of all the earth.

 

11 And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the whore of all the earth, and she sat upon many waters; and she had dominion over all the earth, among all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people.

 

12 And it came to pass that I beheld the church of the Lamb of God, and its numbers were few, because of the wickedness and abominations of the whore who sat upon many waters; nevertheless, I beheld that the church of the Lamb, who were the saints of God, were also upon all the face of the earth; and their dominions upon the face of the earth were small, because of the wickedness of the great whore whom I saw.

 

13 And it came to pass that I beheld that the great mother of abominations did gather together multitudes upon the face of all the earth, among all the nations of the Gentiles, to fight against the Lamb of God.

 

14 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the power of the Lamb of God, that it descended upon the saints of the church of the Lamb, and upon the covenant people of the Lord, who were scattered upon all the face of the earth; and they were armed with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory.

 

15 And it came to pass that I beheld that the wrath of God was poured out upon that great and abominable church, insomuch that there were wars and rumors of wars among all the nations and kindreds of the earth.

 

 

Act 4 Scene 7 – Revelation 15:1-4 = these have overcome the beast, they have the ordinances of the gospel, the sea of glass = baptism, righteousness.  The sea is the place or source of the wicked beast

(Revelation 15:1-4.) – The song of Moses is the song of redemption for those who overcome; wickedness is destroyed like the Egyptian armies at the Red Sea. 

 

1 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.

 

2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.

 

3 And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.

 

4 Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.

 

 

Act 5 Begins – Those who love the world will be swept off, whether they are in the church or not!

 

Be Wise

Elder Dallin H. Oaks

Brigham Young University–Idaho Devotional

November 7, 2006

Sisters, don’t fall for the worldly urging that women should emulate men in various masculine characteristics.  That is not what the Lord created you to do.  Please don’t misunderstand me.  I am not saying that women should not be doctors or lawyers or any particular occupation that fits their circumstances.  To use lawyering as an example, what I am saying is that women should not attempt to be manly lawyers.  Nor should women emulate the worldly ways of womanhood.  Your destiny is to be a wife and a mother in Zion, not a model and a streetwalker in Babylon.  You should dress and act accordingly.

 

The day of God's judgment is a day of God's wrath, and that day is fast approaching. "Vengeance cometh speedily," the Lord says, "as a whirlwind it shall come upon all the face of the earth" (D&C 112:24).

 

The righteous will be blessed with a degree of protection: "Zion shall escape if she observe to do all things whatsoever I have commanded her" (D&C 97:25). But those among the Saints who are hypocrites have no such promise; indeed, they will be the first to be judged: "Upon my house shall it [the day of vengeance] begin, and from my house shall it go forth, saith the Lord; first among those among you, saith the Lord, who have professed to know my name and have not known me, and have blasphemed against me in the midst of my house, saith the Lord" (D&C 112:25-26).

 

 Rev. 16 details the scourges and plagues that will afflict mankind in the day of the final judgments, plagues that will smite the land, the sea, the rivers, the sun, and the kingdoms of spiritual darkness. Through the power of God, the very foundations of the earth are shaken, and Babylon is totally destroyed. These plagues may well fit the description the Lord gave us in modern revelation: "For behold, and lo, vengeance cometh speedily upon the ungodly as the whirlwind; and who shall escape it? The Lord's scourge shall pass over by night and by day, and the report thereof shall vex all people; yea, it shall not be stayed until the Lord come; for the indignation of the Lord is kindled against their abominations and all their wicked works" (D&C 97:22-24). And again: "Their testimony [the elders] shall also go forth unto the condemnation of this generation if they harden their hearts against them; for a desolating scourge shall go forth among the inhabitants of the earth, and shall continue to be poured out from time to time, if they repent not, until the earth is empty, and the inhabitants thereof are consumed away and utterly destroyed by the brightness of my coming" (D&C 5:18-19).

 

Some commentators believe that the judgments in Rev. 16 are a repetition of the plagues seen in Rev. 8, 9, and 11.18 that is one possible reading, and there are remarkable parallels between the two sections. But it seems more likely that Rev. 16 represents a later and more severe occurrence of plagues. In Rev. 8, for instance, a third of the sea becomes blood and a third of the creatures in the sea die (Rev. 8:8-9). But in Rev. 16, all of the sea becomes blood and all creatures therein die (Rev. 16:3). A comparison of the plagues in both sections shows a similar progression: as God continues to plead with and to punish the earth through his judgments, those judgments become more severe.

 

 

(Donald W. Parry and Jay A. Parry, Understanding the Signs of the Times [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1999], 337.)

(Revelation 15:5-8.) – The 7 plagues represent the fulness of destruction; it won’t be a partial destruction this last time, there will be a full cleansing of the earth, total destruction of the wicked.

 

5 And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened:

 

6 And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles.

 

7 And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.

 

8 And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.

 

 

15:5 I looked. Again the vision shifts to a new scene.

 

the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened. The ancient tabernacle in the days of Moses was called the "tabernacle of witness" (Num. 17:7), or "tabernacle of testimony," because it contained the two stone "tables of the testimony" on which God had written (Ex. 32:15; Deut. 10:5). A clearer way of stating this is found in the New International Version: "I looked and in heaven the temple, that is, the tabernacle of testimony, was opened." The tabernacle of Moses served as a temple until Solomon's day, when a more permanent structure was built (1 Kgs. 8:18-20). When John looked into the heavens again, he saw the temple in heaven open and seven angels came out.

 

15:6 the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues. Apparently the seven angels received their charge in the temple and then emerged with the seven plagues. The number seven indicates that the judgments are perfect and complete. That the judgments come from the temple is a mark of their godly origin.

 

clothed in pure and white linen/their breasts girded with golden girdles. The linen dress of the angels, pure and white, indicates that they hold a sacred and holy office (Ezek. 9:2; Dan. 10:5). Linen also suggests the bride of Christ (19:7-8) and the armies of heaven (19:14). The high rank of the angels is deduced from the golden girdles (or sashes) they wear, which are like that worn by Christ himself (1:13).

 

15:7 one of the four beasts. In 4:6-9 John saw four beasts at the throne of God. In 5:8 the beasts worship the Lamb. In 6:1, 3, 5, and 7 the beasts invite John to see the events that occur when the seals on the book are opened. Now one of these same beasts, which are intelligent creatures, gives the angels the bowls that contain the judgments that are to be poured out on the earth.

 

seven golden [bowls] full of the wrath of God. The seven bowls contain the judgments that represent God's wrath (Rom. 1:18; Heb. 10:30-31). These judgments are poured out in the following chapter. Golden bowls, or vials, are mentioned in 5:8, symbolizing the prayers of the Saints. Perhaps the Saints' pleading for justice and deliverance is answered in the judgments in the seven golden bowls here.

 

who liveth for ever and ever. This interjection reaffirms the power and dominion of God (4:9; 10:6). As one who lives forever, unlike the mortals on the earth, God has full power to accomplish all his will against the wicked of the world.

 

15:8 the temple was filled with smoke. The source of the smoke is "the glory of God, and . . . his power." Smoke or a cloud is a typical sign of the presence of God. When the Lord descended on Mount Sinai "in fire," the mount "was altogether on a smoke, . . . and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly" (Ex. 19:18; see also Isa. 6:4; Ezek. 10:4).

 

no man was able to enter into the temple. Because God is present in the heavenly temple, filling it with his glory, no one is able to go into it until the seven plagues are completed. This expression evidently indicates that God continues to actively exercise his power in judgment until the wicked are destroyed. No one can approach him, pleading mercy.

 

We read in the Old Testament of another circumstance in which God's power prevented man from entering His temple: "Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle" (Ex. 40:34-35; see also 1 Kgs. 8:10-11).

 

 

(Donald W. Parry and Jay A. Parry, Understanding the Book of Revelation [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1998], 199.)

 

 

(Doctrine and Covenants 1:12-16.) – The 3 warning voices again, the 12 weren’t organized yet (1835).  Ordinances in the early days of the church were referred to the ways of God, a wider interpretation then we do today.

 

12 Prepare ye, prepare ye for that which is to come, for the Lord is nigh;

 

13 And the anger of the Lord is kindled, and his sword is bathed in heaven, and it shall fall upon the inhabitants of the earth.

 

14 And the arm of the Lord shall be revealed; and the day cometh that they who will not hear the voice of the Lord, neither the voice of his servants, neither give heed to the words of the prophets and apostles, shall be cut off from among the people;

 

15 For they have strayed from mine ordinances, and have broken mine everlasting covenant;

 

16 They seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every man walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own god, whose image is in the likeness of the world, and whose substance is that of an idol, which waxeth old and shall perish in Babylon, even Babylon the great, which shall fall.

 

 

(Doctrine and Covenants 1:33-38.) – The light of Christ entices men to do good, when it is withdrawn from the earth men will do evil, children growing up in this type of society will do evil, agency is gone, it will be like the days of Noah, they will have to be removed to be saved. 

 

33 And he that repents not, from him shall be taken even the light which he has received; for my Spirit shall not always strive with man, saith the Lord of Hosts.

 

34 And again, verily I say unto you, O inhabitants of the earth: I the Lord am willing to make these things known unto all flesh;

 

35 For I am no respecter of persons, and will that all men shall know that the day speedily cometh; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand, when peace shall be taken from the earth, and the devil shall have power over his own dominion.

 

36 And also the Lord shall have power over his saints, and shall reign in their midst, and shall come down in judgment upon Idumea, or the world.

 

37 Search these commandments, for they are true and faithful, and the prophecies and promises which are in them shall all be fulfilled.

 

38 What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.

 

 

 

THE SEVEN ANGELS WITH THE BOWLS OF GOD'S WRATH (16:1-21)

 

The day of God's judgment is a day of God's wrath—and that day is fast approaching. "Vengeance cometh speedily," the Lord says, "as a whirlwind it shall come upon all the face of the earth" (D&C 112:24).

 

The righteous will be blessed with a degree of protection: "Zion shall escape if she observe to do all things whatsoever I have commanded her" (D&C 97:25). But those among the Saints who are hypocrites have no such promise; indeed, they will be the first to be judged: "Upon my house shall it [the day of vengeance] begin, and from my house shall it go forth, saith the Lord; first among those among you, saith the Lord, who have professed to know my name and have not known me, and have blasphemed against me in the midst of my house, saith the Lord" (D&C 112:25-26).

 

This chapter of Revelation details the scourges and plagues that will afflict mankind in the day of the final judgments—plagues that will smite the land, the sea, the rivers, the sun, and the kingdoms of spiritual darkness. Through the power of God, the very foundations of the earth are shaken, and Babylon is prepared to be totally destroyed. These plagues may well fit the description the Lord gave us elsewhere in modern revelation: "For behold, and lo, vengeance cometh speedily upon the ungodly as the whirlwind; and who shall escape it? The Lord's scourge shall pass over by night and by day, and the report thereof shall vex all people; yea, it shall not be stayed until the Lord come; for the indignation of the Lord is kindled against their abominations and all their wicked works" (D&C 97:22-24).

 

And again: "Their testimony [the elders] shall also go forth unto the condemnation of this generation if they harden their hearts against them; for a desolating scourge shall go forth among the inhabitants of the earth, and shall continue to be poured out from time to time, if they repent not, until the earth is empty, and the inhabitants thereof are consumed away and utterly destroyed by the brightness of my coming" (D&C 5:18-19).

 

Some commentators believe that the judgments in this chapter are a repetition of the plagues seen in Rev. 8,  9, and 11.1 That is one possible reading; there are remarkable parallels between the two sections. But it seems more likely that Rev. 16 represents a later and more severe occurrence of plagues. In Rev. 8, for instance, a third of the sea becomes blood and a third of the creatures in the sea die (8:8-9). But in Rev. 16, all of the sea becomes blood and all creatures therein die (16:3). A comparison of the plagues in both sections shows a similar progression—as God continues to plead with and to punish the earth through his judgments, those judgments become more severe.

 

 Rev. 16:1-21

 

1 And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the [bowls]2 of the wrath of God upon the earth.

 

2 And the first went, and poured out his [bowl] upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image.

 

3 And the second angel poured out his [bowl] upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.

 

4 And the third angel poured out his [bowl] upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.

 

5 And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus.

 

6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are [deserving].3

 

7 And I heard another [angel who came out from the altar saying],4 Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.

 

8 And the fourth angel poured out his [bowl] upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.

 

9 And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory.

 

10 And the fifth angel poured out his [bowl] upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain,

 

11 And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.

 

12 And the sixth angel poured out his [bowl] upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.

 

13 And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.

 

14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of [the]5 great day of God Almighty.

 

15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.

 

16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.

 

17 And the seventh angel poured out his [bowl] into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.

 

18 And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.

 

19 And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.

 

20 And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.

 

21 And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.

 

NOTES AND COMMENTARY

 

16:1 I heard a great voice out of the temple. In 15:8 we learned that no one could enter the temple until the next seven plagues were completed. This voice might be the voice of God himself, commanding the seven angels to act.

 

Go your ways. The voice tells the angels to move ahead with their commission to administer plagues to the earth.

 

pour out the [bowls] of the wrath of God. Under the law of Moses, the priests used a sacred bowl to capture the blood of the sacrifice. As part of the ritual, the priest then sprinkled the blood around the altar (Lev. 1:5;  3:8). Perhaps in this part of the vision John is seeing a reversal of this ritual—rather than blood coming from the bowls to save the people, John sees something come from the bowls that sheds blood and punishes the people. That which is poured from the bowls represents different manifestations of God's wrath.

 

16:2 the first . . . poured out his [bowl] upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore. The first plague, which is directed at the wicked, is of "disgusting and virulent sores" (JB). This plague parallels the sixth plague that fell on the Egyptians in the time of Moses (Ex. 9:8-12). The contents of this bowl are poured out on the earth itself; and the affliction falls on those who dwell on the earth. The wicked have earlier worn the mark of the beast; now they will wear the mark of the wrath of God.6

 

 Zechariah prophesies a plague that may be similar: "This shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth" (Zech. 14:12). And we read in latter-day revelation: "Their tongues shall be stayed that they shall not utter against me; and their flesh shall fall from off their bones, and their eyes from their sockets" (D&C 29:19). These descriptions sound very much like some of the effects of nuclear war.7

 

16:3 the second angel poured out his [bowl] upon the sea; and it became as . . . blood/every living soul died in the sea. This plague and that which follows parallel the first plague that the Lord brought on the ancient Egyptians—the waters turned to blood (Ex. 7:19-21). In 8:8-9, a third of the waters were afflicted; here, the polluted water kills every creature. This may have connection with words of the Lord given in our dispensation: "Behold, there are many dangers upon the waters, and more especially hereafter; for I, the Lord, have decreed in mine anger many destructions upon the waters" (D&C 61:4-5). We can only speculate on the cause of this destruction; it may be related to the fallout from nuclear war.

 

There may be another meaning to sea in this passage. In 17:15, the waters symbolize "peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues." Perhaps here, as well, the sea represents the wicked people of the world, all of whom are eventually destroyed.

 

as the blood of a dead man. A person's blood gives life to the body, as water gives life to the world and the creatures thereof. But a dead man's blood is corrupted and coagulated, no longer able to help sustain life. So shall it be with the waters of the seas as a result of this plague.

 

16:4 the third angel poured out his [bowl] upon the rivers . . . they became blood. This plague (like that of 16:3) parallels the one found in Ex. 7:19-21 (see also Ps. 78:44). In 8:10-11, a burning star turned a third of the rivers and fountains of waters bitter. Here, all the rivers and fountains are polluted, though the result is not given.

 

16:5 the angel of the waters. Anciently, the Jews believed that different angels had charge of different elements of nature. The vision of John seems to support this belief. In 7:1 we see four angels who have power over "the four winds of the earth." In 14:18 we read of an angel who has "power over fire." Here we have one or more angels who seem to have power over the fate of the waters. Or, if we read this verse more simply, we might understand that it refers only to the angel who, in 16:4, poured his bowl out upon the rivers.

 

Thou art righteous, O Lord, . . . because thou hast judged thus. Even though the judgments on the earth are terrible, the angel proclaims that the Lord is righteous and correct to have so judged (see Ps. 119:137). Why? The answer is given in the next verse. Not only have the people chosen lives of sin, but they have slain those who desired to follow the Lord. For such great sin, the Lord rightly punishes them with devastating judgments.

 

which art, and wast, and shalt be. See commentary on 1:4 (see also 1:8; 4:8; 11:17).

 

16:6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets/given them blood to drink. The motif of blood continues as we are reminded that the wicked have slain many of the righteous (13:7, 15; 17:6; 18:24)—and learn that, in a punishment that fits the crime, the wicked will themselves be forced to drink blood (Isa. 49:26). "To be drunk with blood . . . signifies slaughter by the sword."8 The King James Version says the wicked are "worthy" of this punishment; a more accurate translation may be "deserving."9

 

The scriptures tell of many specific instances of martyrdom (1 Kgs. 18:13;  2 24:20-21; Mark 6:25-28; Chr. Acts 7:57-60; 12:1-2; Rev. 2:13;  11:7; Mosiah 17:20; Alma 25:7). They also record many general statements documenting the rejection and killing of the Lord's prophets (1 Thes. 2:15; Heb. 11:37; Rev. 6:9; 12:11;  16:6; Hel. 13:24; 3 Ne. 10:15). The mortal Jesus prophesied that martyrdom was precisely what many of his followers would suffer (Matt. 23:29-38;  24:9).

 

16:7 I heard another [angel who came out from the altar]. Almost without exception, the altar in Revelation is connected with the judgments of God (8:3-5; 9:13-14; 14:18; the one exception is 11:1). The angel declares that God's judgments are indeed "true and righteous" (see also 15:3-5; Ps. 19:9)—as is the case with all his works.

 

16:8 the fourth angel poured out his [bowl] upon the sun/scorch men with fire. The righteous are promised in 7:16 that "neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat," meaning that they will not suffer from the heat of the sun. But here the wicked suffer from intense heat, perhaps from the sun. This may result from a breakdown of the ozone layer of the atmosphere, which could result from a nuclear blast and which would remove much of our protection from the sun's potentially deadly rays, or it may have a cause that we cannot yet imagine.10 The scriptures often connect fire with judgment (Deut. 28:22; 1 Cor. 3:13; 2 Pet. 3:7) this fire prefigures the scorching fire of the last judgment (Mal. 4:1). The fourth angel acts under the direction of God and by "power" that "was given unto him."

 

16:9 men were scorched with great heat/blasphemed the name of God/repented not to give him glory. The heat of this plague is here described as "great," and the idea of "scorching" is repeated, perhaps for emphasis. But rather than acknowledge their guilt, the wicked appear to blame God for their troubles, speaking evil of him and his righteousness. Blasphemy is a recurring accusation against the wicked in Revelation (2:9; 16:11, 21). Even at this late hour in the world's history, men have an opportunity to repent—but still they refuse (9:20-21; 16:11; see the contrast in 11:13). An angel in 14:7 admonished the world to "fear God, and give glory to him," but the great body of people on earth choose their sin instead.

 

16:10 the fifth angel poured out his [bowl] upon the seat of the beast/his kingdom was full of darkness. In the ninth plague that Moses proclaimed in Egypt, the whole kingdom was stricken with thick darkness (Ex. 10:21-23). Here, darkness fills the kingdom of the beast (Isa. 60:2; D&C 82:5;  84:49;  112:23). The darkness may be literal or spiritual—or both. Most likely, because the darkness results from an action of an angel of God, who would not be the source of spiritual darkness, it is probably a literal darkness that reflects the spiritual darkness in the beast's kingdom. The "seat of the beast" may more accurately be translated the "throne of the beast" (RSV, NEB, JB, NIV). The idea is that the Lord will attack the beast at his very headquarters, striking at his power and authority.

 

This plague may be a fulfillment of a curse that the Lord pronounced on the wicked in the times of Moses: "The Lord shall smite thee with madness, and blindness, and astonishment of heart: and thou shalt grope at noonday, as the blind gropeth in darkness, and thou shalt not prosper in thy ways: and thou shalt be only oppressed and spoiled evermore, and no man shall save thee" (Deut. 28:28-29).

 

16:10-11 they gnawed their tongues for pain/blasphemed the God of heaven/repented not of their deeds. The terrible pain that men suffer may be a result of the sores in 16:2, combined with the lack of clean water in 16:4 and the scorching heat of the sun in 16:9. The darkness into which they are plunged can only exacerbate their plight. Again they follow their leader, the beast, in blaspheming God (13:1, 5-6; 17:3), blaming him for their pains and sores. And still they will not repent. It seems incredible that people would not turn to God with humble spirits after suffering so much, but they follow the pattern of a scriptural type of long ago: despite all that he and his people suffered, the Egyptian pharaoh in the time of Moses only hardened his heart (JST Ex. 7-10). The plagues of this angel may also be connected with nuclear war.

 

16:12 the sixth angel poured out his [bowl] upon the great river Euphrates/the water thereof was dried up. In the days of Moses and Joshua, the Lord divided and dried up a passage through two different bodies of water to enable his people to be delivered from bondage and then to inherit their land of promise (Ex. 14:21; Josh. 3:13-17). But in John's vision, the Lord through his angel will dry up the water of a river to clear the way for destruction and war. The Euphrates formed the eastern and northeastern boundary of the land the Lord gave to Abraham and his descendants (Gen. 15:18; Deut. 1:7-8; Josh. 1:3-4) and served as a natural barrier to the enemies of Israel. When that barrier is removed, the enemies of Israel can begin their march. The Old Testament speaks often of the Lord drying up waters to accomplish his purposes (Ex. 14:21; Josh. 3:13-17; Isa. 11:15-16;  44:27; Jer. 51:36; Zech. 10:11).

 

that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. It is uncertain who the kings of the east are. One commentator notes that there have been more than fifty different interpretations of this expression.11 What most agree on is that the kings are enemies of the Lord's people and of the Lord himself and that they are prepared to go forth to war.

 

16:13 I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon/beast/ false prophet. The "satanic trinity"12 of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet send forth evil spirits, or devils, to do their work. Their emergence from the mouths of the devil and his helpers suggests that these evil spirits are symbolic of false communications, lies, and propaganda designed to deceive the people of the world. Similarly, in 12:15, a river that may represent lies comes from the mouth of the dragon; in 13:5, blasphemies come from the mouth of the beast; and in 13:14, the false prophet, or second beast, seems to speak threats and ungodly commands.

 

Frogs, to which the spirits are compared, are unclean animals under the law of Moses (Lev. 11:10). One of the plagues that Moses and Aaron brought on Egypt was a plague of frogs (Ex. 8:2-6). Interestingly, Pharaoh's magicians, using Satan's power, duplicated this plague (Ex. 8:7). In nearby Persia, which was east of the Euphrates (16:12), frogs were "considered to be the instrument of Ahriman, the god of darkness."13 Further, Ahriman had power to change his shape—and the animal form that fit him most naturally was that of a frog.14

 

The fact that three unclean spirits come forth from three different evil beings suggests that each of those beings (the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet) may send forth one of the spirits. These evil spirits are the agents and representatives of those who send them forth. As righteous men on earth can stand for God by virtue of the priesthood they hold, so can these unclean spirits stand for Satan through the evil power he bestows on them.

 

16:14 For they are the spirits of devils. Here we learn definitively who the three unclean spirits of 16:13 are—spirits of devils. Devils, of course, are not body and spirit combined but are only spirits. Perhaps a better translation would be "spirits that are devils."

 

The Lord has told us: "Hearken, O ye elders of my church, and give ear to the voice of the living God; and attend to the words of wisdom which shall be given unto you, according as ye have asked and are agreed as touching the church, and the spirits which have gone abroad in the earth. Behold, verily I say unto you, that there are many spirits which are false spirits, which have gone forth in the earth, deceiving the world. And also Satan hath sought to deceive you, that he might overthrow you" (D&C 50:1-3).

 

working miracles. Jesus Christ prophesied that "there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect" (Matt. 24:24; see also commentary on 13:14). These evil spirits are part of the fulfillment of that prophecy. The miracles of Satan and the miracles of God may often be indistinguishable from one another to the outward senses. Only through the discernment given by the Spirit of God can we know the difference.

 

Elder Orson Pratt wrote, "The reason the Lord will suffer the devil to work miracles to deceive `the kings of the earth and of the whole world,' is because they will previously have rejected `the everlasting gospel;' therefore the devil will deceive them, and lead them on to destruction, as he did the Egyptians."15

 

go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world. The deceiving spirits sent forth by Satan will have worldwide influence, including with the rulers of the nations of the earth. The spirits will cause the gathering of the kings and their armies together to battle.

 

to gather them to the battle. This battle is the great final battle at Armageddon, which will be fought by the armies of the earth (16:16). That battle, perhaps when it reaches its crisis point, will be interrupted by the coming of the Lord (Zech. 14:1-4), "the great day of God Almighty."

 

great day of God Almighty. See commentary on 6:17.

 

16:15 Behold, I come as a thief. See commentary on 3:3.

 

Blessed is he that watcheth. We have often been commanded to be alert and to watch the signs of the times as the day of Christ's return draws closer (Matt. 24:42-51;  25:1; D&C 45:44;  133:10). Watching also implies being obedient and prepared (Matt. 24:45-46,  48-51;  25:3,  8-9). Specifically, latter-day revelation tells us we need to be prepared by having the Holy Spirit for our guide (D&C 45:56-57).

 

keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame. To keep one's garments is to be ready for any eventuality (specifically, here, the coming of the Lord). If a soldier does not know when the battle will begin, he needs to keep the proper clothing (armor) at hand for any eventuality. If he does not, he might be caught unawares and have to go forth naked.16

 

But there is a deeper meaning, suggested by a similar statement in 3:3-5. There we read the warning that the Lord will come as a thief and the promise that those who have "not defiled their garments . . . shall walk with me in white" (3:4). To keep one's garments in this sense is to keep them pure, to avoid and resist sin. It is to keep the covenants and promises one made in the temple. As Alma said, "And may the Lord bless you, and keep your garments spotless, that ye may at last be brought to sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the holy prophets who have been ever since the world began, having your garments spotless even as their garments are spotless, in the kingdom of heaven to go no more out" (Alma 7:25).

 

This verse is an interjection, a parenthetical warning and word of comfort to the Saints: The terrors of the last days will continue and worsen. Those who yield themselves to sin will be exposed, but those who remain prepared and pure will be blessed.

 

16:16 he gathered them together/Armageddon. Armageddon is the site of the last great battle before the coming of the Lord. The person gathering the armies together is not identified, but it is likely Satan, working through the evil spirits he sends to the earth (16:14). Armageddon is the New Testament name for Megiddo, an ancient city some sixty miles north of Jerusalem. Megiddo lay "on the north side of the Carmel ridge and[command[ed] the strategic pass between the coastal plain and the valley of Esdraelon." The area "is one of history's famous battlefields, having witnessed major conflicts all the way `from one fought by Tuthmosis III in 1468 B.C. to that of Lord Allenby of Megiddo in 1917.' `By the waters of Megiddo' Barak and Deborah defeated the chariots of Sisera (Judg. 4-5; cf. 5:19)."17 In that same area, Gideon and his three hundred soldiers defeated the Midianites (Judg. 7), and Saul and Jonathan were killed in battle (1 Sam. 31:1-6), as was King Josiah (2 Kgs. 23:29-30). "The kings of the whole world will be destroyed in final conflict outside the city of Jerusalem. . . . Armageddon is symbolic of the final overthrow of all the forces of evil by the might and power of God."18

 

The great battle of Armageddon will not be a localized conflict but the center of a worldwide war. Elder Bruce R. McConkie explained, "The center of the battle will be on the mount and in the valley of Megiddo and on the plains of Esdraelon, though, since all nations are involved, it cannot be other than a worldwide conflict."19

 

The battle of Armageddon was seen and prophesied anciently by Joel and Zechariah (see also Luke 21:20-23):

 

"Prepare war . . . Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong. Assemble yourselves, and . . . come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about. Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision" (Joel 3:9-14).

 

"For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity. . . . Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west. . . . And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; . . . and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee" (Zech. 14:2-5).

 

Ultimately, the objective of Satan and his armies is not the conquest of northern Israel nor of Jerusalem but the destruction of the Lord's temple and the Lord's work.20

 

16:17 the seventh angel poured out his [bowl] into the air. Other angels poured their bowls out upon the earth, the sea, the rivers, the sun, the seat of the beast, and the Euphrates. By pouring his bowl out into the air, the angel seems to be affecting all of earth through its all-encompassing atmosphere. The sounding of the last trumpet and the pouring forth of the last bowl are quite similar in their results, both signifying the end of earth's history.

 

Table 5

 

 Trumpet                                                                                                Bowl

 

the Lord's kingdom is established (11:15)                                              God's purpose is accomplished (16:17)

 

the time of judgment is announced (11:18)                                             judgment falls on the earth (16:19-20)

 

the temple in heaven is opened (11:19)                                                  a great voice comes from the temple in heaven (16:17)

                                               

there are lightnings, voices, thunderings, a great earthquake,              there are voices, thunders, lightnings, a great earthquake,  and hail (16:18, 21)

and a hailstorm (11:19)

 

Though there are parallels between the events following the sounding of the trumpet and the pouring forth of God's wrath from the bowl, these two events may well be different, occurring at different times. The first series seems to prefigure the second.

 

great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. Because this voice comes from the throne in the temple of heaven, it must belong to God the Father, who is seated on that throne and rules over all. By saying "It is done," he announces that all things have been accomplished and the time has come for the final destruction of Babylon and of the earth.

 

16:18 there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings. The thunders and lightnings may indicate that all nature is in an uproar as a result of the judgments poured forth from the last bowl. The voices may be God's proclamations of judgment and command as we see in the Doctrine and Covenants, where he prepares the earth to return to its paradisiacal glory: "And he shall utter his voice out of Zion, and he shall speak from Jerusalem, and his voice shall be heard among all people; and it shall be a voice as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder, which shall break down the mountains, and the valleys shall not be found. He shall command the great deep, and it shall be driven back into the north countries, and the islands shall become one land; and the land of Jerusalem and the land of Zion shall be turned back into their own place, and the earth shall be like as it was in the days before it was divided. And the Lord, even the Savior, shall stand in the midst of his people, and shall reign over all flesh" (D&C 133:21-25). See commentary on 4:5; see also 8:5; 11:19.

 

there was a great earthquake. This earthquake is different from the ones mentioned in 6:12 and 11:13-14. The earthquake in 6:12 was so great that the mountains and islands are "moved out of their places" (6:14), but that earthquake occurred in the period of the sixth thousand years (D&C 77:6-7). The earthquake in 11:13-14 was the first in the seventh thousand-year period; it is of indeterminate size and intensity. The earthquake in 16:18 is described as the greatest in the history of the world. It is so great, as we read in 16:20, that it appears to be connected with the flattening of the mountains and the unifying of the continents.

 

"One of the plainest and most-oft-repeated statements about the ushering in of the Millennium is the promise of a great shaking of the earth, of earthquakes that are everywhere at one and the same time, and of mountains and valleys and seas and landmasses that move. `Yet once, it is a little while,' saith the Lord, `and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; and I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come.' (Hag. 2:6-7.) Christ, the Desire of all nations, shall come amid the greatest shaking of the earth and of all things that there has ever been or ever will be in the entire history of this planet. Everything on earth—the historical events then in progress, the beasts and all forms of life, and the inanimate objects that do not act for themselves—everything on earth will be affected by the great shaking."21 (See also Ezek. 38:19-20; Joel 3:16; D&C 133:31.)

 

16:19 the great city was divided into three parts. The great city seems to be Babylon, which at the end times is not a literal city but a figurative city, representative of all the wicked societies of the earth. The division into three parts suggests that the city is fully weakened and prepared for the final destructive blow.

 

the cities of the nations fell. The cities of the nations fall in the earth-quake, but this passage also seems to refer to the destruction of governments. The events in these verses bring about the fulfillment of the latter-day prophecy made by Joseph Smith: "With the sword and by bloodshed the inhabitants of the earth shall mourn; and with famine, and plague, and earthquake, and the thunder of heaven, and the fierce and vivid lightning also, shall the inhabitants of the earth be made to feel the wrath, and indignation, and chastening hand of an Almighty God, until the consumption decreed hath made a full end of all nations" (D&C 87:6).

 

great Babylon came in remembrance before God. See commentary on 14:8.

 

the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. See commentary on 14:10.

 

16:20 every island fled away/the mountains were not found. This passage describes the great leveling of the earth as the Lord prepares it for the millennial era. This leveling will occur as a result of the tremendous earthquake in 16:18. As we read in the Doctrine and Covenants, "Continue in steadfastness, looking forth for the heavens to be shaken, and the earth to tremble and to reel to and fro as a drunken man, and for the valleys to be exalted, and for the mountains to be made low, and for the rough places to become smooth—and all this when the angel shall sound his trumpet" (D&C 49:23;  109:74;  133:21).

 

Elder Parley P. Pratt wrote of this event: "From these verses [Isa. 40:1-5] we learn, first, that the voice of one shall be heard in the wilderness, to prepare the way of the Lord, just at the time when Jerusalem has been trodden down of the Gentiles long enough to have received, at the Lord's hands, double for all her sins, yea, when the warfare of Jerusalem is accomplished, and her iniquities pardoned. Then shall this proclamation be made as it was before by John [the Baptist], yea, a second proclamation, to prepare the way of the Lord, for his second coming; and about that time every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and rough places plain, and then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. . . .

 

"Having restored the earth to the same glorious state in which it first existed—leveling the mountains, exalting the valleys, smoothing the rough places, making the deserts fruitful, and bringing all the continents and islands together, causing the curse to be taken off, that noxious weeds, and thorns, and thistles shall no longer be produced; the next thing is to regulate and restore the brute creation to their former state of peace and glory, causing enmity to cease from off the earth. But this will never be done until there is a general destruction poured out upon man, which will entirely cleanse the earth, and sweep all wickedness from its face."22

 

16:21 there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven. Deadly hailstones are one of the elements of nature God periodically uses to assist the righteous in their battles and to punish the wicked (Josh. 10:11; Mosiah 12:6), and hailstorms are often prophesied among the troubles to come (Ezek. 13:13;  38:22; Rev. 11:19; D&C 29:16). A "very grievous hail" was one of the plagues sent upon Egypt in the days of Moses (Ex. 9:18).

 

every stone about the weight of a talent. Each of these hailstones weighs between forty-five and ninety pounds (the exact weight of a talent is uncertain).23 The point is that these hailstones are tremendous in size and catastrophic in their effect.

 

men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail. Not only do the people of the world fail to repent but they speak evil of God for that which he does in perfect justice.

 

1 See, for example, Draper, Opening the Seven Seals, 251.

 

2 The KJV vials may be more appropriately translated bowls. See, for example, RSV, GNB, NIV, and JB.

 

3 From the Greek; see note c to 16:6 in the LDS edition of the KJV.

 

4 JST 16:7 amends this from the KJV, which reads, "And I heard another out of the altar say, . . ."

 

5 JST 16:14 changes the KJV that.

 

6 Mounce, Book of Revelation, 293.

 

7 The horrific results of atomic warfare can be read in Hersey, Hiroshima. For a description of the effects on the skin and eyes, see pages 59 and 67.

 

8 Davidson, New Bible Commentary, 1187.

 

9 See note c to 16:6 in the LDS edition of the KJV.

 

10 For a discussion of the effects of nuclear war on the ozone layer, see Schell, Fate of the Earth, 20-21, 79-92.

 

11 Walvoord, Revelation of Jesus Christ, 236.

 

12 Harrington, Revelation, 166.

 

13 Schick, Revelation of St. John, 2:51.

 

14 Interpreter's Bible, 12:485.

 

15 Pratt, Divine Authenticity of the Book of Mormon, no. 5 (1851): 66.

 

16 Mounce, Book of Revelation, 300.

 

17 Mounce, Book of Revelation, 301.

 

18 Mounce, Book of Revelation, 302

 

19 McConkie, Millennial Messiah, 397.

 

20 McConkie, Millennial Messiah, 476-94.

 

21 McConkie, Millennial Messiah, 620-21.

 

22 Pratt, Voice of Warning, 159-60, 162.

 

23 Douglas, ed., New Bible Dictionary, 1324.

 

 

(Donald W. Parry and Jay A. Parry, Understanding the Book of Revelation [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1998], 201.)

Act 5 Scene 2-3

(Doctrine and Covenants 61:4-1, 13-19) – The Missouri River symbolized waters that can snag you and destroy you.  The waters are what brought forth the beast that the Lord will destroy.  1 Nephi 14:11.  Wickedness was growing among the missionary group. 

 

4 Nevertheless, I suffered it that ye might bear record; behold, there are many dangers upon the waters, and more especially hereafter;

 

5 For I, the Lord, have decreed in mine anger many destructions upon the waters; yea, and especially upon these waters.

 

6 Nevertheless, all flesh is in mine hand, and he that is faithful among you shall not perish by the waters.

 

7 Wherefore, it is expedient that my servant Sidney Gilbert and my servant William W. Phelps be in haste upon their errand and mission.

 

8 Nevertheless, I would not suffer that ye should part until you were chastened for all your sins, that you might be one, that you might not perish in wickedness;

 

9 But now, verily I say, it behooveth me that ye should part. Wherefore let my servants Sidney Gilbert and William W. Phelps take their former company, and let them take their journey in haste that they may fill their mission, and through faith they shall overcome;

 

10 And inasmuch as they are faithful they shall be preserved, and I, the Lord, will be with them.

 

13 And now, behold, for your good I gave unto you a commandment concerning these things; and I, the Lord, will reason with you as with men in days of old.

 

14 Behold, I, the Lord, in the beginning blessed the waters; but in the last days, by the mouth of my servant John, I cursed the waters.

 

15 Wherefore, the days will come that no flesh shall be safe upon the waters.

 

16 And it shall be said in days to come that none is able to go up to the land of Zion upon the waters, but he that is upright in heart.

 

17 And, as I, the Lord, in the beginning cursed the land, even so in the last days have I blessed it, in its time, for the use of my saints, that they may partake the fatness thereof.

 

18 And now I give unto you a commandment that what I say unto one I say unto all, that you shall forewarn your brethren concerning these waters, that they come not in journeying upon them, lest their faith fail and they are caught in snares;

 

19 I, the Lord, have decreed, and the destroyer rideth upon the face thereof, and I revoke not the decree.

 

 

 

Joseph Fielding Smith: 13-20

 

In the beginning the Lord blessed the waters and cursed the land, but in these last days this was reversed, the land was to be blessed and the waters to be cursed. A little reflection will bear witness to the truth of this declaration. In the early millenniums of this earth's history, men did not understand the composition of the soils, and how they needed building up when crops were taken from them. The facilities at the command of the people were primitive and limited, acreage under cultivation was limited, famines were prevalent, and the luxuries which we have today were not obtainable. Some one may rise up and say that the soil in those days was just as productive as now, and this may be the case. It is not a matter of dispute, but the manner of cultivation did not lend itself to the abundant production which we are receiving today. It matters not what the causes were, in those early days of world history, there could not be the production, nor the varieties of fruits coming from the earth, and the Lord can very properly speak of this as a curse, or the lack of blessing, upon the land. In those early periods we have every reason to believe that the torrents, floods, and the dangers upon the waters were not as great as they are today, and by no means as great as what the Lord has promised us. The early mariners among the ancients traversed seas as they knew them in that day in comparative safety. . . . Today this manner of travel in such boats would be of the most dangerous and risky nature. Moreover, we have seen the dangers upon the waters increase until the hearts of men failed them, and only the brave, and those who were compelled to travel the seas, ventured out upon them. In regard to the Missouri-Mississippi waters, we have seen year by year great destruction upon them, and coming from them. Millions upon millions of dollars, almost annually are lost by this great stream overflowing its banks. Many have lost their lives in the sea floods as they sweep over the land, and even upon this apparently tranquil, or sluggish stream there can arise storms that bring destruction. Verily the word of the Lord has been, and is being, fulfilled in relation to those waters. While the Lord has spoken of the sea heaving itself beyond its bounds, and the waves roaring, yet we must include the great destruction upon the waters by means of war, and especially by submarine warfare as we have learned of it in recent years. (CHMR, 1947, 1:206-7.)

 

 

(Roy W. Doxey, comp., Latter-day Prophets and the Doctrine and Covenants [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1978], 2: 281.)

 

 

(Doctrine and Covenants 133:4-10.) – The parables of the wheat and the tares being gathered, the ten virgins meeting the Bridegroom.  Great = Complete, large, the destruction is coming.  Get out from Babylon!

 

4 Wherefore, prepare ye, prepare ye, O my people; sanctify yourselves; gather ye together, O ye people of my church, upon the land of Zion, all you that have not been commanded to tarry.

 

5 Go ye out from Babylon. Be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord.

 

6 Call your solemn assemblies, and speak often one to another. And let every man call upon the name of the Lord.

 

7 Yea, verily I say unto you again, the time has come when the voice of the Lord is unto you: Go ye out of Babylon; gather ye out from among the nations, from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

 

8 Send forth the elders of my church unto the nations which are afar off; unto the islands of the sea; send forth unto foreign lands; call upon all nations, first upon the Gentiles, and then upon the Jews.

 

9 And behold, and lo, this shall be their cry, and the voice of the Lord unto all people: Go ye forth unto the land of Zion, that the borders of my people may be enlarged, and that her stakes may be strengthened, and that Zion may go forth unto the regions round about.

 

10 Yea, let the cry go forth among all people: Awake and arise and go forth to meet the Bridegroom; behold and lo, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Prepare yourselves for the great day of the Lord.

 

 

Notes and Commentary

 

 D&C 133:1 Hearken, O ye people of my church. Even though Church members have made covenants to follow the Lord and have ostensibly left the world behind, many have not done so. Here the Lord invites them to listen to his plea to leave Babylon once and for all.

 

 D&C 133:2 The Lord shall come to his temple/come down upon the world. See the commentary on the second coming of Christ, page 381.

 

 D&C 133:3 he shall make bare his holy arm. In ancient times, men prepared for battle by throwing their cloak away from the shoulder of their fighting arm (Ps. 74:11). At the second coming of Christ, God will "make bare" his arm when he shows forth his power for all to see (D&C 133:2-3). This phrase and the remainder of the verse is a quotation from Isa. 52:10.

 

eyes of all the nations. All the world will know of the deliverance of God (D&C 40:5).

 

 ends of the earth shall see the salvation of their God. Every part of the earth will see and know the power of the Lord; all will see how he delivers those who turn to him. Joseph Smith promised the suffering Saints: "The days of tribulation are fast approaching, and the time to test the fidelity of the Saints has come. . . . [But] in these times of sore trial, let the Saints be patient and see the salvation of God. Those who cannot endure persecution, and stand in the day of affliction, cannot stand in the day when the Son of God shall burst the veil, and appear in all the glory of His Father, with all the holy angels."11

 

 D&C 133:4 prepare ye, prepare ye. How do we prepare for the great and dreadful day of the Lord, when he shall return in power and great glory? We prepare, first, by listening to the prophets and to the voice of the Lord as he speaks directly to us to give us guidance in all aspects of our lives; and second, by obeying with all our hearts that which we are told to do. If we listen and obey in this manner, we will be fully prepared for his coming.

 

sanctify yourselves. Noah Webster's An American Dictionary of the English Language (1828) gives this definition of sanctify that fits with the command to flee Babylon: "To cleanse from corruption; to purify from sin; to make holy by detaching the affections from the world and its defilements, and exalting them to a supreme love of God."

 

gather ye together. The Saints gain strength against temptation (the inner enemy) and against attacks (the outer enemy) by gathering and forming a righteous union, even Zion.12

 

 D&C 133:5 Be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord. Here the Lord is referring to the sacred vessels of the temple (Ezra 1:7-11), which could be borne only by those who held the priesthood. Thus the Lord here is commanding priesthood holders to be clean (D&C 38:41-42; 133:5). The sacred vessels directly contrast with "that which is unclean" (Isa. 52:11).

 

 D&C 133:6 Call your solemn assemblies. Solemn assemblies are sacred meetings held to sustain a Church president, to dedicate a temple, or to give special instructions.

 

speak often one to another . . . call upon the name of the Lord. Only by strengthening one another and by relying on the Lord will we be able to escape Babylon and come to Zion.

 

 D&C 133:12 Gentiles flee unto Zion. See the commentary on the gathering of the Gentiles, page 48.

 

 D&C 133:13 the mountains of the Lord's house. This term refers to the temple of God (Isa. 2:2; 56:7; Ex. 15:17), one of the principal features of Zion.

 

 D&C 133:14 the midst of wickedness, which is spiritual Babylon. The Lord makes very plain what he is talking about here, lest we make any mistake about it. He is speaking not only of cities and nations of sin but also of the sinful state that can be found anywhere, of wickedness without and within, a corruption of the spirit. Not only must we leave places where sin predominates but we must leave behind an inner state of sin in a "flight" to righteousness.

 

 D&C 133:15 let not your flight be in haste. When Israel left Egypt, she did so in haste and in flight (Ex. 12:39; Deut. 16:3). When her people now go forth in the gathering to Zion, leaving Babylon, they are to do so with neither haste nor flight but with calm and confidence, knowing that the Lord is with them (Isa. 52:12).

 

let him not look back. One potential disciple said to Jesus, "Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God" (Luke 9:61-62). If we look back, longing for the comforts of Babylon or thinking we will partake just one more time, we are not fit disciples, and we are at risk of "sudden destruction."

 

 

(Donald W. Parry and Jay A. Parry, Understanding the Signs of the Times [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1999], 318.)

 

 

The Seven Last Plagues

 

The Two Prophets: Martyred in Jerusalem

 

Our setting for the slaughter of the two prophets in Jerusalem and for the seven last plagues is not only in the seventh seal, but also just before and during the time when the seventh angel is announcing the plague of burning and destruction that will usher in the Second Coming. "In the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound," John tells us, "the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets." (Rev. 10:7.) That is, the great winding-up scene will come to pass during the time the plagues and events pronounced by this angel are occurring. These events are heralded by the ministry and death of the two witnesses in Jerusalem; then the seventh angel will sound his trump to proclaim the outpouring of the seven last plagues, the battle of Armageddon, the fall of Babylon, and the burning of the vineyard with fire.

 

John is given a reed and told to measure the temple in Jerusalem, but not the court of the Gentiles, which is part of the holy site, "for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months." That is to say, there will be a day of universal apostasy. It will commence when the apostles and prophets cease to minister among men and will continue until the opening of the heavens again in the spring of 1820. A part of this apostasy calls for Jerusalem to be trodden down of the Gentiles. The detailed application of the period of forty-two months has not as yet been revealed.

 

In this setting, however, the word that comes from the Lord is: "I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and three score days, clothed in sackcloth." Who are these witnesses, and when will they prophesy? "They are two prophets that are to be raised up to the Jewish nation in the last days, at the time of the restoration, and to prophesy to the Jews after they are gathered and have built the city of Jerusalem in the land of their fathers." (D&C 77:15.) Their ministry will take place after the latter-day temple has been built in Old Jerusalem, after some of the Jews who dwell there have been converted, and just before Armageddon and the return of the Lord Jesus. How long will they minister in Jerusalem and in the Holy Land? For three and a half years, the precise time spent by the Lord in his ministry to the ancient Jews. The Jews, as an assembled people, will hear again the testimony of legal administrators bearing record that salvation is in Christ and in his gospel. Who will these witnesses be? We do not know, except that they will be followers of Joseph Smith; they will hold the holy Melchizedek Priesthood; they will be members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is reasonable to suppose, knowing how the Lord has always dealt with his people in all ages, that they will be two members of the Council of the Twelve or of the First Presidency of the Church.

 

How will their witness be received by the people? This we do know. It will be with these two witnesses as it was with their Lord some two millenniums before. The righteous will believe their words, and the wicked will thirst for their blood. "And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will." It will be with them as it was with Elijah, who both called down fire from heaven to consume his enemies and sealed the heavens that there was neither dew nor rain for three and a half years. And it will be with them as it was with Moses, who turned the rivers and waters of Egypt into blood and who smote the Egyptians with many plagues.

 

"And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them." Satan shall slay them by the hands of his ministers, even as he slew their Lord by the hands of the Jews and the Romans who hearkened to his will.

 

"And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves." There will not be so much as a Pilate to authorize a Joseph of Arimathea to take their bodies and place them in a borrowed grave.

 

"And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth." The rejoicing of the wicked at the death of the righteous constitutes a witness, written in blood, that the rebels of the world have ripened in iniquity and are fit and ready for the burning.

 

"And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them." As with their Lord, whose witnesses they were, the two prophets arise from the dead on the third day and ascend into heaven.

 

"And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven." Jerusalem is shaken by a mighty earthquake even as it was at the crucifixion of Christ. This time many of the wicked are slain, while the saints—those Jews who have accepted Christ and his gospel, those who have participated in building the temple, those who have received the ordinances of the house of the Lord and are waiting for his return—they shall give glory to the God of heaven.

 

"The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly." (Rev. 11:1-14.) The third woe, the burning of the vineyard, shall soon commence.

 

Plagues Manifest the Wrath of God

 

"And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous," our apostolic friend and colleague tells us, "seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God." (Rev. 15:1.) These are seven other angels whose plagues shall be poured out in the day of the seventh angel of whom we have been speaking. Their plagues shall fulfill all that has been written and promised that should fall upon the wicked before the war of Armageddon and the day of burning.

 

At this late date in the history of the world, the warning voice has been raised in every nation and to every people; the gospel has been preached in every tongue and among every kindred. All have been invited—nay, commanded—to come unto Christ, to repent, to believe and obey his gospel, to join with the saints, and to become inheritors of eternal life. The masses of men have rejected the gospel message, have persecuted the saints and slain the prophets, and have continued to walk in worldly paths. They are now ripened in iniquity. The servants of the Lord who have gone forth proclaiming the glad tidings of salvation for the last time have now exercised the power given them "to seal both on earth and in heaven, the unbelieving and rebellious; Yea, verily, to seal them up unto the day when the wrath of God shall be poured out upon the wicked without measure—Unto the day when the Lord shall come to recompense unto every man according to his work, and measure to every man according to the measure which he has measured to his fellow man." (D&C 1:8-10.)

 

"I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened," John continues, "And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles." The ceremonies of the earthly temple with which John was familiar are being reenacted in heaven to teach with great power and eternal impact the marvelous truths involved. "And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever." The vials are bowls or small vessels to hold liquids. "And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled." (Rev. 15:5-8.)

 

And so it is that the day has arrived and the hour is at hand. Let the plagues come in their fulness. All the plagues of the past are but a prelude. Now, with the burning just ahead, the wrath of God will be manifest in the greatest plagues of the ages.

 

What Are the Seven Last Plagues?

 

"And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth." These, then, are the seven last plagues, the plagues that pour out the fulness of the wrath of God upon the wicked, the plagues that usher in the second coming of the Son of Man:

 

1. A Noisome and Grievous Sore.

 

"And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image." Could this be the same plague of which Zechariah speaks when he says that men's "flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth"? (Zech. 14:12.) Does it have reference to these words of latter-day revelation: "And their flesh shall fall from off their bones, and their eyes from their sockets"? (D&C 29:19.) Is this a plague that will result from atomic fallout? Or from some worldwide pollution of the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the water we drink? It is to come upon those who worship at the altars of evil, leaving the inference that those only will escape who have faith in the Lord and who exercise the power of the priesthood to rebuke the evils that otherwise would afflict them.

 

2. The Seas Become Blood and Their Life Dies.

 

"And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea." This will be a plague of unbelievable breadth and depth. When all the oceans of the world are so polluted that all life in them dies, how can anyone measure the effect this will have on mankind?

 

3. All Water Turns to Blood and Is Diseased.

 

"And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood." The plague that contaminated the great waters of the saline seas is now extended to include the rivers and streams and springs from which thirst is quenched and crops are watered. What an awful thing it is to be cursed by the Almighty!

 

Perhaps the horror of all this caused John to marvel that the Great Judge of all the earth would deal thus with men. And yet wherein does it differ in principle from the destruction of man by the flood of Noah or the burning of the world at the Second Coming? In any event, John records: "And I heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and shalt be, because thou hast judged thus." The wicked are receiving that which they merit and deserve. "For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets"—two of whom are the martyrs to be slain in Jerusalem—"and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy. And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments."

 

4. The Sun Scorches Men and the Earth.

 

"And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory." This appears to be a plague of nature, one that the Lord will impose upon the world. Occasional brief heat waves destroy the crops of an area of the earth. What will it be like when the whole earth is afflicted with heat at the same time? Suppose temperatures rose to a hundred and ten, or a hundred and twenty, or a hundred and thirty degrees Fahrenheit—what effect would this have on all forms of life?

 

5. Darkness, Pain, and Sores in the Kingdoms of the World.

 

"And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, and blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds." We have spoken of darkness covering the earth and gross darkness the minds of the people. We see, even now, the grossly wicked ways of men because they believe a lie. We shudder at the abominations on every hand because men love darkness rather than light. We ask: Can things get worse than they are before a just God will destroy men as he did in the days of Noah? We answer: They can, and they will.

 

In the day when the fifth angel pours out his vial upon the earth, darkness will increase. The great and abominable church, who is the whore of all the earth, will be full of darkness. Its doctrines will partake more and more of the evils of the world. There will be less and less light and truth, and more and more darkness and error. Hence, sin and evil will increase. And this process will go on until Babylon falls, and when she falls she will have attained a state and a degree of wickedness beyond anything in her long and evil history. The saints can expect to see more cultism, more false doctrines in the world, a greater emphasis in educational fields upon false scientific theories, more evil practices among the ungodly, more abominations among sex-obsessed men, and more of all that is evil everywhere—and then cometh the end of the world. What a horrible plague is the plague of darkness!

 

6. False Miracles as the World Prepares for Armageddon.

 

"And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty." Devils—of whom the frogs are a type and a shadow—shall work miracles. The world will be so degenerate that men will choose to follow magicians and politicians who deceive and defraud rather than turn to prophets who have power to move mountains and save souls.

 

And what greater miracle can these evil spirits perform, working as they always have through receptive mortals, than to indoctrinate men in all nations with that hate and lust for power which will cause them to assemble (in an age of atomic warfare!) with a view to the utter destruction of civilization? Then, as that great day of God Almighty arrives, and as the war of wars is being waged, Christ will come. "Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame." He will come to save his saints, those who have kept their garments, and to destroy the wicked, those whose hearts are only evil continually.

 

"And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon." The center of the battle will be on the mount and in the valley of Megiddo and on the plains of Esdraelon, though, since all nations are involved, it cannot be other than a worldwide conflict.

 

7. War, Upheavals of Nature, and the Fall of Babylon.

 

"And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great." This is the time when earth's land masses shall unite; when islands and continents shall become one land; when every valley shall be exalted and every mountain shall be made low; when the rugged terrain of today shall level out into a millennial garden; when the great deep shall be driven back into its own place in the north. It is no wonder that the earthquake shall exceed all others in the entire history of the world.

 

"And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found." The cities of the world shall be destroyed. Babylon shall fall, of which we shall speak more particularly hereafter. The wicked shall taste the fulness of the wrath of God.

 

"And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great." (Rev. 16:10Rev. 16:1-21.) We shall speak of this hail when we consider Ezekiel's prophecies about the battle of Armageddon. But we should here observe that Armageddon is a holy war. In it men will blaspheme God. They will be in rebellion against Jehovah. The armies that face each other will have opposing philosophies of life. It will be religious instincts that cause them to assemble to the battle. And the plagues poured out upon them will not cause them to repent.

 

Such—sadly—is the destiny that lies ahead.

 

And such—providentially—is not right at hand. It is some years away. It shall come to pass by and by.

 

 

(Bruce R. McConkie, The Millennial Messiah: The Second Coming of the Son of Man [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1982], 389.)

Revelation 16:7 – The judgments are correct and necessary, not done out of spite and meanness, it is done out of love.  God’s love triggers God’s anger, He wants to save His children.

Scene 4 – verse 8, Revelation 7:16.  The children of Israel gave Israel light by night and clouds by day to protect them, He gave food and drink, and He is the great provider.  Today men don’t seek God’s protection or His ways.  Thus destruction will come.  When men place their trust in anything but God it will come back to destroy them.

Moses told Israel not to place their trust on foreign countries, but to trust God, safety and refuge come from God alone.

First Presidency Message
The False Gods We Worship

By President Spencer W. Kimball Ensign, June, 1976

 

I have heard that the sense most closely associated with memory is the sense of smell. If this is true, then perhaps it explains the many pleasing feelings that overtake me these mornings when I am able to step outdoors for a few moments and breathe in the warm and comfortable aromas that I have come to associate over the years with the soil and vegetation of this good earth.

Now and then, when the moment is right, some particular scent—perhaps only the green grass, or the smell of sage brought from a distance by a breeze—will take me back to the days of my youth in Arizona. It was an arid country, yet it was fruitful under the hands of determined laborers.

We worked with the land and the cattle in all kinds of weather, and when we traveled it was on horseback or in open wagons or carriages, mostly. I used to run like the wind with my brothers and sisters through the orchards, down the dusty lanes, past rows of corn, red tomatoes, onions, squash. Because of this, I suppose it is natural to think that in those days we were closer to elemental life.

Some time ago I chanced to walk outdoors when the dark and massive clouds of an early afternoon thunderstorm were gathering; and as the large raindrops began to drum the dusty soil with increasing rapidity, I recalled the occasional summer afternoons when I was a boy when the tremendous thunderheads would gather over the hills and bring welcome rain to the thirsty soil of the valley floor. We children would run for the shed, and while the lightning danced about we would sit and watch, transfixed, marveling at the ever-increasing power of the pounding rainfall. Afterward, the air would be clean and cool and filled with the sweet smells of the soil, the trees, and the plants of the garden.

There were evenings those many years ago, at about sunset, when I would walk in with the cows. Stopping by a tired old fence post, I would sometimes just stand silently in the mellow light and the fragrance of sunflowers and ask myself, “If you were going to create a world, what would it be like?” Now with a little thought the answer seems so natural: “Just like this one.”

So on this day while I stood watching the thunderstorm, I felt—and I feel now—that this is a marvelous earth on which we find ourselves: and when I thought of our preparations for the United States Bicentennial celebration I felt a deep gratitude to the Lord for the choice land and the people and institutions of America. There is much that is good in this land, and much to love.

Nevertheless, on this occasion of so many pleasant memories another impression assailed my thoughts. The dark and threatening clouds that hung so low over the valley seemed to force my mind back to a theme that the Brethren have concerned themselves with for many years now—indeed a theme that has often occupied the attention of the Lord’s chosen prophets since the world began. I am speaking of the general state of wickedness in which we seem to find the world in these perilous yet crucially momentous days; and thinking of this, I am reminded of the general principle that where much is given, much is expected. (See Luke 12:48.)

The Lord gave us a choice world and expects righteousness and obedience to his commandments in return. But when I review the performance of this people in comparison with what is expected, I am appalled and frightened. Iniquity seems to abound. The Destroyer seems to be taking full advantage of the time remaining to him in this, the great day of his power. Evil seems about to engulf us like a great wave, and we feel that truly we are living in conditions similar to those in the days of Noah before the Flood.

I have traveled much in various assignments over the years, and when I pass through the lovely countryside or fly over the vast and beautiful expanses of our globe, I compare these beauties with many of the dark and miserable practices of men, and I have the feeling that the good earth can hardly bear our presence upon it. I recall the occasion when Enoch heard the earth mourn, saying, “Wo, wo is me, the mother of men; I am pained, I am weary, because of the wickedness of my children. When shall I rest, and be cleansed from the filthiness which is gone forth out of me?” (Moses 7:48.)

The Brethren constantly cry out against that which is intolerable in the sight of the Lord: against pollution of mind, body, and our surroundings; against vulgarity, stealing, lying, pride, and blasphemy; against fornication, adultery, homosexuality, and all other abuses of the sacred power to create; against murder and all that is like unto it; against all manner of desecration.

That such a cry should be necessary among a people so blessed is amazing to me. And that such things should be found even among the Saints to some degree is scarcely believable, for these are a people who are in possession of many gifts of the Spirit, who have knowledge that puts the eternities into perspective, who have been shown the way to eternal life.

Sadly, however, we find that to be shown the way is not necessarily to walk in it, and many have not been able to continue in faith. These have submitted themselves in one degree or another to the enticings of Satan and his servants and joined with those of “the world” in lives of ever-deepening idolatry.

I use the word idolatry intentionally. As I study ancient scripture, I am more and more convinced that there is significance in the fact that the commandment “Thou shalt have no other gods before me” is the first of the Ten Commandments.

Few men have ever knowingly and deliberately chosen to reject God and his blessings. Rather, we learn from the scriptures that because the exercise of faith has always appeared to be more difficult than relying on things more immediately at hand, carnal man has tended to transfer his trust in God to material things. Therefore, in all ages when men have fallen under the power of Satan and lost the faith, they have put in its place a hope in the “arm of flesh” and in “gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know” (Dan. 5:23)—that is, in idols. This I find to be a dominant theme in the Old Testament. Whatever thing a man sets his heart and his trust in most is his god; and if his god doesn’t also happen to be the true and living God of Israel, that man is laboring in idolatry.

It is my firm belief that when we read these scriptures and try to “liken them unto [our]selves,” as Nephi suggested (1 Ne. 19:24), we will see many parallels between the ancient worship of graven images and behavioral patterns in our very own experience.

The Lord has blessed us as a people with a prosperity unequaled in times past. The resources that have been placed in our power are good, and necessary to our work here on the earth. But I am afraid that many of us have been surfeited with flocks and herds and acres and barns and wealth and have begun to worship them as false gods, and they have power over us. Do we have more of these good things than our faith can stand? Many people spend most of their time working in the service of a self-image that includes sufficient money, stocks, bonds, investment portfolios, property, credit cards, furnishings, automobiles, and the like to guarantee carnal security throughout, it is hoped, a long and happy life. Forgotten is the fact that our assignment is to use these many resources in our families and quorums to build up the kingdom of God—to further the missionary effort and the genealogical and temple work; to raise our children up as fruitful servants unto the Lord; to bless others in every way, that they may also be fruitful. Instead, we expend these blessings on our own desires, and as Moroni said, “Ye adorn yourselves with that which hath no life, and yet suffer the hungry, and the needy, and the naked, and the sick and the afflicted to pass by you, and notice them not.” (Morm. 8:39.)

As the Lord himself said in our day, “They seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every man walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own God, whose image is in the likeness of the world, and whose substance is that of an idol, which waxeth old and shall perish in Babylon, even Babylon the great, which shall fall.” (D&C 1:16; italics added.)

One man I know of was called to a position of service in the Church, but he felt that he couldn’t accept because his investments required more attention and more of his time than he could spare for the Lord’s work. He left the service of the Lord in search of Mammon, and he is a millionaire today.

But I recently learned an interesting fact: If a man owns a million dollars worth of gold at today’s prices, he possesses approximately one 27-billionth of all the gold that is present in the earth’s thin crust alone. This is an amount so small in proportion as to be inconceivable to the mind of man. But there is more to this: The Lord who created and has power over all the earth created many other earths as well, even “worlds without number” (Moses 1:33); and when this man received the oath and covenant of the priesthood (D&C 84:33–44), he received a promise from the Lord of “all that my Father hath” (D&C 84:38). To set aside all these great promises in favor of a chest of gold and a sense of carnal security is a mistake in perspective of colossal proportions. To think that he has settled for so little is a saddening and pitiful prospect indeed; the souls of men are far more precious than this.

One young man, when called on a mission, replied that he didn’t have much talent for that kind of thing. What he was good at was keeping his powerful new automobile in top condition. He enjoyed the sense of power and acceleration, and when he was driving, the continual motion gave him the illusion that he was really getting somewhere.

All along, his father had been content with saying, “He likes to do things with his hands. That’s good enough for him.”

Good enough for a son of God? This young man didn’t realize that the power of his automobile is infinitesimally small in comparison with the power of the sea, or of the sun; and there are many suns, all controlled by law and by priesthood, ultimately—a priesthood power that he could have been developing in the service of the Lord. He settled for a pitiful god, a composite of steel and rubber and shiny chrome.

An older couple retired from the world of work and also, in effect, from the Church. They purchased a pickup truck and camper and, separating themselves from all obligations, set out to see the world and simply enjoy what little they had accumulated the rest of their days. They had no time for the temple, were too busy for genealogical research and for missionary service. He lost contact with his high priests quorum and was not home enough to work on his personal history. Their experience and leadership were sorely needed in their branch, but, unable to “endure to the end,” they were not available.

I am reminded of an article I read some years ago about a group of men who had gone to the jungles to capture monkeys. They tried a number of different things to catch the monkeys, including nets. But finding that the nets could injure such small creatures, they finally came upon an ingenious solution. They built a large number of small boxes, and in the top of each they bored a hole just large enough for a monkey to get his hand into. They then set these boxes out under the trees and in each one they put a nut that the monkeys were particularly fond of.

When the men left, the monkeys began to come down from the trees and examine the boxes. Finding that there were nuts to be had, they reached into the boxes to get them. But when a monkey would try to withdraw his hand with the nut, he could not get his hand out of the box because his little fist, with the nut inside, was now too large.

At about this time, the men would come out of the underbrush and converge on the monkeys. And here is the curious thing: When the monkeys saw the men coming, they would shriek and scramble about with the thought of escaping; but as easy as it would have been, they would not let go of the nut so that they could withdraw their hands from the boxes and thus escape. The men captured them easily.

And so it often seems to be with people, having such a firm grasp on things of the world—that which is telestial—that no amount of urging and no degree of emergency can persuade them to let go in favor of that which is celestial. Satan gets them in his grip easily. If we insist on spending all our time and resources building up for ourselves a worldly kingdom, that is exactly what we will inherit.

In spite of our delight in defining ourselves as modern, and our tendency to think we possess a sophistication that no people in the past ever had—in spite of these things, we are, on the whole, an idolatrous people—a condition most repugnant to the Lord.

We are a warlike people, easily distracted from our assignment of preparing for the coming of the Lord. When enemies rise up, we commit vast resources to the fabrication of gods of stone and steel—ships, planes, missiles, fortifications—and depend on them for protection and deliverance. When threatened, we become antienemy instead of pro-kingdom of God; we train a man in the art of war and call him a patriot, thus, in the manner of Satan’s counterfeit of true patriotism, perverting the Savior’s teaching:

“Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

“That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven.” (Matt. 5:44–45.)

We forget that if we are righteous the Lord will either not suffer our enemies to come upon us—and this is the special promise to the inhabitants of the land of the Americas (see 2 Ne. 1:7)—or he will fight our battles for us (Ex. 14:14; D&C 98:37, to name only two references of many). This he is able to do, for as he said at the time of his betrayal, “Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matt. 26:53.) We can imagine what fearsome soldiers they would be. King Jehoshaphat and his people were delivered by such a troop (see 2 Chr. 20), and when Elisha’s life was threatened, he comforted his servant by saying, “Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them” (2 Kgs. 6:16). The Lord then opened the eyes of the servant, “And he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.” (2 Kgs. 6:17.)

Enoch, too, was a man of great faith who would not be distracted from his duties by the enemy: “And so great was the faith of Enoch, that he led the people of God, and their enemies came to battle against them; and he spake the word of the Lord, and the earth trembled, and the mountains fled, even according to his command; and the rivers of water were turned out of their course; and the roar of the lions was heard out of the wilderness; and all nations feared greatly, so powerful was the word of Enoch.” (Moses 7:13.)

What are we to fear when the Lord is with us? Can we not take the Lord at his word and exercise a particle of faith in him? Our assignment is affirmative: to forsake the things of the world as ends in themselves; to leave off idolatry and press forward in faith; to carry the gospel to our enemies, that they might no longer be our enemies.

We must leave off the worship of modern-day idols and a reliance on the “arm of flesh,” for the Lord has said to all the world in our day, “I will not spare any that remain in Babylon.” (D&C 64:24.)

When Peter preached such a message as this to the people on the day of Pentecost, many of them “were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37.)

And Peter answered: “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and … receive the Holy Ghost.” (Acts 2:38.)

As we near the year 2,000, our message is the same as that which Peter gave. And further, that which the Lord himself gave “unto the ends of the earth, that all that will hear may hear:

“Prepare ye, prepare ye for that which is to come, for the Lord is nigh.” (D&C 1:11–12.)

We believe that the way for each person and each family to prepare as the Lord has directed is to begin to exercise greater faith, to repent, and to enter into the work of his kingdom on earth, which is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It may seem a little difficult at first, but when a person begins to catch a vision of the true work, when he begins to see something of eternity in its true perspective, the blessings begin to far outweigh the cost of leaving “the world” behind.

Herein lies the only true happiness, and therefore we invite and welcome all men, everywhere, to join in this work. For those who are determined to serve the Lord at all costs, this is the way to eternal life. All else is but a means to that end.

Ezekiel 8-9 – Bowing to the sun god at the Lord’s temple, they worshipped the sun god and put their backsides toward the Lord’s house!!  Yikes!  Direct opposition to Jehovah

Revelation 16:10 – The throne of the beast, is this the destruction of the political entity of the beast?  Who has our trust?  Verse 11, they acknowledge God, yet curse Him because of their sins and punishments against them, they refuse to repent, they lost the Light of Christ.

Verse 12 – The Euphrates is a barrier to Israel and Jerusalem, when it is dried up there is nothing to stop the enemies to come to it and destroy Jerusalem.  The city is like Sodom and Gomorrah, JS Matthew 4

 

(Joseph Smith-Matthew: 4, 12) – Destruction in 70 AD, Abomination and desolation refers to Jerusalem, this has happened and will happen again.

 

4 And Jesus left them, and went upon the Mount of Olives. And as he sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying: Tell us when shall these things be which thou hast said concerning the destruction of the temple, and the Jews; and what is the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world, or the destruction of the wicked, which is the end of the world?

12 When you, therefore, shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, then you shall stand in the holy place; whoso readeth let him understand.

Guided by inspiration, the primitive saints withdrew from Jerusalem and Judea before the desolating scourges fell upon the city and the people. The saints left the unholy city and went to a place of safety, a holy place, a place made holy by their presence, for it is not places but people that are holy. Then Titus came with his legions; a spirit of blind fanaticism swept over the whole Jewish nation; and in the war that followed, more than a million Jews in Jerusalem were slain, every stone in the temple was torn from its place, and the balance of the people were carried away as captives and slaves. And it all came to pass because of sin and iniquity, because the Jewish nation rejected, scourged, and crucified their King. It came to pass because of abominations in the hearts of men, and it was a scourge and an abomination to them.

 

Then, in the Olivet discourse, when Jesus came to a consideration of the events of the last days, he said: "And again shall the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, be fulfilled." That which once happened to Jerusalem and its inhabitants shall happen again. "And immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven shall be shaken." (JS-M 1:2-33.) Such shall come to pass when the Lord Jesus comes again, when he puts his foot once more upon the Mount of Olives, when the earth reels to and fro.

 

In Luke's account of the abomination of desolation that took place in A.D. 70, we find these words of the Lord Jesus: "And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh." So shall it be again; so shall it be shortly after the opening of the seventh seal when all the nations of the earth are gathered at Jerusalem. "Then let them which are in Judea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto." Is this the way the saints shall be saved in the last days when two-thirds of the inhabitants shall be cut off and die and only one-third be left? If more than a million were put to the sword in A.D. 70, how great shall be the slaughter when atomic bombs are used? "For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled." And again, in another day of vengeance, with even more of the prophetic word to be fulfilled, how great shall be the overflowing of abomination. "But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people." As it was once, so shall it be again. "And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." Will the temple be destroyed as it once was? How long shall the forces of evil control the city before the God of Battles comes down in fury and vengeance? These things we do not know. Of this only are we certain: At that day "there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity." (Luke 21:20-25.) And then the Lord our God shall come in glory.

 

Pending that day, we are reminded that the Lord has said to us in our day: "A desolating scourge shall go forth among the inhabitants of the earth, and shall continue to be poured out from time to time, if they repent not"—and they will not repent—"until the earth is empty, and the inhabitants thereof are consumed away and utterly destroyed by the brightness of my coming. Behold, I tell you these things, even as I also told the people of the destruction of Jerusalem; and my word shall be verified at this time as it hath hitherto been verified." (D&C 5:19-20.)

 

And also: "In that generation" when "the times of the Gentiles" is fulfilled, "there shall be men standing in that generation, that shall not pass until they shall see an overflowing scourge; for a desolating sickness shall cover the land. But my disciples shall stand in holy places"—as did the primitive saints—"and shall not be moved; but among the wicked, men shall lift up their voices and curse God and die." (D&C 45:30-32.)

 

It is for these very reasons, among others, that we are commanded to "go forth among the Gentiles for the last time, as many as the mouth of the Lord shall name, to bind up the law and seal up the testimony, and to prepare the saints for the hour of judgment which is to come; That their souls may escape the wrath of God, the desolation of abomination which awaits the wicked, both in this world and in the world to come." (D&C 88:84-85.) And thus it is.

 

 

(Bruce R. McConkie, The Millennial Messiah: The Second Coming of the Son of Man [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1982], 472.)

Verse 17 – The water, land and air are now destroyed, everything suffers destruction, and Act 5 is complete.  This is wonderful, this is a great act, and we should cheer the destruction of the wicked.

 

 

Revelation 17:1 – 20:3 (Act 6)

Judgment of God Rendered Against the Church of the Devil

December 6, 2007       

 

Bruce finished off the 2 remaining lessons in this one class

ACT 6: Judgment of God Rendered Against the Church of the Devil, 17:1 - 20:3

    Setting: Angel comes from the Tabernacle and talks to John, 17:1-2.

    Scene 1: The woman on the scarlet beast (a portrayal of the church of the devil), 17:3-5.
    Scene 2: The woman and beast (church of the devil) established throughout the world; fight against the Lamb; John is promised that she shall be overcome, 17:6-18.
    Scene 3: Babylon falls, 18:1-24.
    Scene 4: A heavenly oratorio of victory and praise, 19:1-10.
    Scene 5: Christ returns, 19:11-18.
    Scene 6: The beasts (great and abominable church) is destroyed, 19:19-21.
    Scene 7: The final end of Satan and his kingdom, 20:1-10.

1 Nephi 11-14 – Nephi’s day to the Millennium the end of chapter 13 shows the restoration of the church.

(1 Nephi 14:10.) – 2 assemblies, the Lamb of God and those who fight against the Lamb of God.

10 And he said unto me: Behold there are save two churches only; the one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the other is the church of the devil; wherefore, whoso belongeth not to the church of the Lamb of God belongeth to that great church, which is the mother of abominations; and she is the whore of all the earth.

(2 Nephi 30:10.) – A great division among the people.

10 For the time speedily cometh that the Lord God shall cause a great division among the people, and the wicked will he destroy; and he will spare his people, yea, even if it so be that he must destroy the wicked by fire.

I Testify

President Ezra Taft Benson

 

 

My beloved brethren and sisters, my heart is full and my feelings tender as we conclude this great general conference of the Church.

We have been richly blessed as we have listened to the counsel and testimonies of those who have spoken to us.

As a special witness of Jesus Christ, and as His humble servant, it is now my obligation and privilege, as the Spirit dictates, to bear pure testimony and witness to that which I know to be true. (See Alma 4:19.) This I will do.

I testify that we are the spirit offspring of a loving God, our Heavenly Father (see Acts 17:29; 1 Ne. 17:36). He has a great plan of salvation whereby His children might be perfected as He is and might have a fulness of joy as He enjoys. (See 1 Ne. 10:18; 2 Ne. 2:25; Alma 24:14; Alma 34:9; 3 Ne. 12:48; 3 Ne. 28:10.)

I testify that in our premortal state our Elder Brother in the spirit, even Jesus Christ, became our foreordained Savior in the Father’s plan of salvation. (See Mosiah 4:6–7; Alma 34:9.) He is the captain of our salvation and the only means through whom we can return to our Father in Heaven to gain that fulness of joy. (See Heb. 2:10; Mosiah 3:17; Alma 38:9.)

I testify that Lucifer was also in the council of heaven. He sought to destroy the agency of man. He rebelled. (See Moses 4:3.) There was a war in heaven, and a third of the hosts were cast to the earth and denied a body. (See Rev. 12:7–9; D&C 29:36–37.) Lucifer is the enemy of all righteousness and seeks the misery of all mankind. (See 2 Ne. 2:18, 27; Mosiah 4:14.)

I testify that all those who come into mortality accepted our Father’s plan. (See Abr. 3:26.) Having proved faithful in their first estate in heaven, they are now subject to the test of mortality in this second estate. That test entails doing all things whatsoever the Lord requires. (See Abr. 3:25.) Those who prove faithful in this second estate will have glory added upon their heads forever and ever. (See Abr. 3:26.)

I testify that God reveals His will to all men through the Light of Christ. (See Moro. 7:16; D&C 93:2; John 1:9.) They receive the additional light of the gift of the Holy Ghost through the laying on of hands by God’s authorized servants following baptism. (See A of F 1:4; D&C 20:41.)

I testify that throughout the ages God has spoken to His children through His prophets. (See Amos 3:7; Hel. 8:13–20.) Only when His children rejected the prophets were the prophets taken out of their midst, and then tragedy followed. (See 1 Ne. 3:17–18; 1 Ne. 7:14; Hel. 13:24–27.)

I testify that Christ was born into mortality with Mary as His mother and our Heavenly Father as His father. (See 1 Ne. 11:18–21; Mosiah 3:8.) He lived a sinless life, providing us a perfect example. (See D&C 45:4; 3 Ne. 12:48; 3 Ne. 27:27.) He worked out the great Atonement, which, through His grace, provides for every soul a resurrection and, for the faithful, the means to become exalted in the celestial kingdom. (See A of F 1:3; 2 Ne. 25:23; Mosiah 4:6–7; Alma 11:41–45; D&C 76:50–70; D&C 132:19.)

I testify that during His mortal ministry Christ established His church on the earth. (See Matt. 16:18; Acts 2:47; 3 Ne. 21:22.) He called and ordained men to be Apostles and prophets with authority so that what they bound on earth would be bound in heaven. (See Matt. 16:19; John 15:16.) They received revelation, which provided new scripture. (See 2 Pet. 1:20–21; D&C 68:4.)

I testify that a world so wicked that it killed the Son of God soon began killing the Apostles and prophets and so plunged itself into a spiritual dark age. (See 2 Thes. 2:2–7.) Scripture ended, apostasy spread, and the church that Christ established during His earthly ministry ceased to exist. (See 2 Ne. 27:4–5.)

I testify that God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, appeared to Joseph Smith in the spring of 1820, thus bringing to an end the long night of apostasy (JS—H 1:15–20). To Joseph Smith appeared other beings, including John the Baptist and Peter, James, and John, who ordained him with authority to act in the name of God (see JS—H 1:68–72; D&C 27:5–13). The church and kingdom of God was restored in these latter days, even The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, with all the gifts, rights, powers, doctrines, officers, and blessings of the former-day Church. (See D&C 65; D&C 115:3–4.)

I testify that through the Book of Mormon God has provided for our day tangible evidence that Jesus is the Christ and that Joseph Smith is His prophet. (See D&C 20:8–33.) This other testament of Jesus Christ is a scriptural account of the early inhabitants of America. It was translated by Joseph Smith through the gift and power of God. (See D&C 135:3.) Those who will read and ponder the Book of Mormon and ask our Eternal Father in the name of Christ if it is true may know for themselves of its truthfulness through the power of the Holy Ghost, provided they will ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ. (See Moro. 10:3–5.)

I testify that America is a choice land. (See 2 Ne. 1:5.) God raised up the founding fathers of the United States of America and established the inspired Constitution. (See D&C 101:77–80.) This was the required prologue for the restoration of the gospel. (See 3 Ne. 21:4.) America will be a blessed land unto the righteous forever and is the base from which God will continue to direct the worldwide latter-day operations of His kingdom. (See 2 Ne. 1:7.)

I testify that there has been, and there is now, and there will be legal successors to the Prophet Joseph Smith who hold the keys of the kingdom of God on earth, even the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (See D&C 21:1–7; D&C 107:91–92; D&C 112:15.) He receives revelation from God to direct His kingdom. Associated with him are others who are prophets, seers, and revelators, even those who make up the presiding quorums of the Church, namely the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. (See D&C 112:30.)

I testify that wickedness is rapidly expanding in every segment of our society. (See D&C 1:14–16; D&C 84:49–53.) It is more highly organized, more cleverly disguised, and more powerfully promoted than ever before. Secret combinations lusting for power, gain, and glory are flourishing. A secret combination that seeks to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries is increasing its evil influence and control over America and the entire world. (See Ether 8:18–25.)

I testify that the church and kingdom of God is increasing in strength. Its numbers are growing, as is the faithfulness of its faithful members. It has never been better organized or equipped to perform its divine mission.

I testify that as the forces of evil increase under Lucifer’s leadership and as the forces of good increase under the leadership of Jesus Christ, there will be growing battles between the two until the final confrontation. As the issues become clearer and more obvious, all mankind will eventually be required to align themselves either for the kingdom of God or for the kingdom of the devil. As these conflicts rage, either secretly or openly, the righteous will be tested. God’s wrath will soon shake the nations of the earth and will be poured out on the wicked without measure. (See JS—H 1:45; D&C 1:9.) But God will provide strength for the righteous and the means of escape; and eventually and finally truth will triumph. (See 1 Ne. 22:15–23.)

I testify that it is time for every man to set in order his own house both temporally and spiritually. It is time for the unbeliever to learn for himself that this work is true, that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the kingdom which Daniel prophesied God would set up in the latter days, never to be destroyed, a stone that would eventually fill the whole earth and stand forever. (See Dan. 2:34–45; D&C 65:2.) It is time for us, as members of the Church, to walk in all the ways of the Lord, to use our influence to make popular that which is sound and to make unpopular that which is unsound. We have the scriptures, the prophets, and the gift of the Holy Ghost. Now we need eyes that will see, ears that will hear, and hearts that will hearken to God’s direction.

I testify that not many years hence the earth will be cleansed. (See D&C 76:41.) Jesus the Christ will come again, this time in power and great glory to vanquish His foes and to rule and reign on the earth. (See D&C 43:26–33.) In due time all men will gain a resurrection and then will face the Master in a final judgment. (See 2 Ne. 9:15, 41.) God will give rewards to each according to the deeds done in the flesh. (See Alma 5:15.)

I testify to you that a fulness of joy can only come through the atonement of Jesus Christ and by obedience to all of the laws and ordinances of the gospel, which are found only in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (See A of F 1:3.)

To all these things I humbly testify and bear my solemn witness that they are true, and I do so in the name of Him who is the head of this church, even Jesus Christ, amen.

(Doctrine and Covenants 63:53-54.) – Separation of the wicked and the righteous, among the wicked are foolish virgin’s members of the church who follow worldly practices.

 

53 These things are the things that ye must look for; and, speaking after the manner of the Lord, they are now nigh at hand, and in a time to come, even in the day of the coming of the Son of Man.

 

54 And until that hour there will be foolish virgins among the wise; and at that hour cometh an entire separation of the righteous and the wicked; and in that day will I send mine angels to pluck out the wicked and cast them into unquenchable fire.

 

2 issues will divide the righteous and the wicked:  Both issues are central to the Plan of Salvation

1.        The divinity of Jesus Christ (the issue that saves us)

2.        The role of the family which includes a father and a mother (the issue that exalts us)

Hollywood has turned on these 2 issues.  The whore is trying to destroy men and the church through these 2 issues.

(1 Nephi 14:12.)

12 And it came to pass that I beheld the church of the Lamb of God, and its numbers were few, because of the wickedness and abominations of the whore who sat upon many waters; nevertheless, I beheld that the church of the Lamb, who were the saints of God, were also upon all the face of the earth; and their dominions upon the face of the earth were small, because of the wickedness of the great whore whom I saw.

Whore = Church of the Devil >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Beast = Governments

(Revelation 17:2-9, 18) – The church of the devil and governments will combine to seduce the entire world on these 2 issues.  In Europe wars were fought over civil issued not religious ones.  Families are disintegrating.  She sold herself for the things of the world.  Abominations are those things that God has to destroy (child pornography). 

 

2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.

 

3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.

 

4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication:

 

5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

 

6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration.

 

7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.

 

8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

 

9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.

18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

Verse 5 – Christ stands in the middle of the 7 branch candelabra, while the whore of the earth has her name on her forehead.  Motivation makes the difference, who do we worship and who are we devoted too?

Verse 6 – Wondered in Greek = extraordinarily disturbed.  Hollywood tries to get us to buy into her lifestyle.

 

Rev. 17

 

BABYLON, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS (17:1-6)

 

This chapter, along with chapter 18, is a teaching interlude that shows John (and us) why the judgments in chapter 16 are righteous and just. We see, in symbolic form, the depths of the evil world and we understand why God's wrath is so strong against it. We also see the source of Babylon's destruction—not God, but Babylon's own wicked lovers.

 

As chapter 17 begins, John is invited to see the judgment of "the whore," but first he sees her arrayed in her power. The angel bears witness that the whore has power over all the earth ("many waters") and that she has influence over the kings and people of the world. Through the power of the Spirit, John actually sees the whore, though he is seeing a symbol surrounded by other symbolic layers of meaning. He sees her excesses in her lust for wealth and pleasure, as shown by her clothing and jewelry. He sees her pride, as shown by the name on her forehead. He sees her wickedness by that name and by her murder of the righteous.

 

Centuries earlier, Nephi saw a similar vision. "Many generations" after the time of peace that followed the coming of Christ to the Americas, Nephi saw the "whore of all the earth." This part of his vision clearly concerns the time of the Great Apostasy and the last days. What he saw helps us understand what John saw and recorded, particularly chapters 13, 17, and 18 of John's revelation.

 

As 1 Ne. 13 opens, Nephi sees "the nations and kingdoms of the Gentiles" (v. 3). Among those nations, he sees "the formation of a church which is most abominable above all other churches, which slayeth the saints of God, yea, and tortureth them and bindeth them down, and yoketh them with a yoke of iron, and bringeth them down into captivity" (v. 5). The founder of "this great and abominable church" is the devil himself (v. 6). "And I also saw gold, and silver, and silks, and scarlets, and fine-twined linen, and all manner of precious clothing; and I saw many harlots," which, the scripture explains, "are the desires of this great and abominable church" (vv. 7-8).

 

Next, Nephi sees Columbus discovering America (v. 12), followed by the Revolutionary War (vv. 17-19), which further helps to place the prophecies in the time of the Great Apostasy. Nephi learns that the "great and abominable church, which is most abominable above all other churches" was formed after the Bible went forth "from the Jews unto the Gentiles" (v. 26). Further, he sees that the great and abominable church takes "away from the gospel of the Lamb many parts which are plain and most precious; and also many covenants of the Lord" (v. 26). Their motive is malicious: "And all this have they done that they might pervert the right ways of the Lord, that they might blind the eyes and harden the hearts of the children of men" (v. 27). "Because of these things which are taken away out of the gospel of the Lamb, an exceedingly great many do stumble, yea, insomuch that Satan hath great power over them" (v. 29).

 

In the verses that follow, Nephi learns that the "abominable church . . . is the mother of harlots" (v. 34), that that church had dug a "great pit . . . for the destruction of men" (1 Ne. 14:3), and that "that great and abominable church . . . is the mother of abominations" (v. 9). Nephi learned that there are finally only two churches on the earth, "the one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the other is the church of the devil; wherefore, whoso belongeth not to the church of the Lamb of God belongeth to that great church, which is the mother of abominations; and she is the whore of all the earth" (v. 10). "The whore of all the earth . . . sat upon many waters; and she had dominion over all the earth, among all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people" (v. 11). Because of that dominion, and "because of the wickedness and abominations of the whore," the numbers of the church of the Lamb of God "were few" (v. 12).

 

"And it came to pass," Nephi wrote, "that I beheld that the great mother of abominations did gather together multitudes upon the face of all the earth, among all the nations of the Gentiles, to fight against the Lamb of God. . . . And it came to pass that I beheld that the wrath of God was poured out upon that great and abominable church, insomuch that there were wars and rumors of wars among all the nations and kindreds of the earth. . . . And when the day cometh that the wrath of God is poured out upon the mother of harlots, which is the great and abominable church of all the earth, whose founder is the devil, then, at that day, the work of the Father shall commence, in preparing the way for the fulfilling of his covenants, which he hath made to his people who are of the house of Israel" (vv. 13, 15, 17).

 

This great and abominable church is the church of the devil. It is the "mother of abominations." It is the "whore of all the earth." It is Babylon.

 

Elder Bruce R. McConkie gave a powerful description of that church: "What is the church of the devil in our day, and where is the seat of her power? If we accept the angelic word, if we believe as Nephi believed, and if, the Lord willing, we see what Nephi saw, then we shall accept without question the reality around us. The church of the devil is every evil and worldly organization on earth. It is all of the systems, both Christian and non-Christian, that have perverted the pure and perfect gospel; it is all of the governments and powers that run counter to the divine will; it is the societies and political parties and labor unions that sow strife and reap contention. It is communism; it is Islam; it is Buddhism; it is modern Christianity in all its parts. It is Germany under Hitler, Russia under Stalin, and Italy under Mussolini. It is the man of sin speaking in churches, orating in legislative halls, and commanding the armies of men. And its headquarters are everywhere—in Rome and Moscow, in Paris and London, in Teheran and Washington—everywhere that evil forces, either of church or state or society, can be influenced. The immanent and all-pervading presence of evil in high places is one of the signs of the times."1

 

 

NOTES AND COMMENTARY

 

17:1 one of the seven angels. One of the angels with one of the bowls of the wrath of God (15:7) approaches John and invites him to see the judgment of "the great whore."

 

talked with me. John is not merely observing things in his vision, for the angel is interacting with him, apparently speaking with him as one man does with another. The angel offers to show John the whore that represents the fountain of evil in the world; in 21:9 an angel (possibly the same one) takes John to see the "bride of the Lamb." In both cases, John sees the woman as a city: the first as the wicked city of Babylon, the second as the holy city of New Jerusalem.

 

the judgment of the great whore. The image of prostitution was commonly used in the Old Testament to depict extreme apostasy not only from religion but from all that is godly and good (Isa. 1:21;  23:16; Jer. 2:20-31;  13:27; Ezek. 16:15,  28-29; Hosea 2:5; Nahum 3:4).

 

 Nephi gives us a definition of who the great whore is: "He that fighteth against Zion, both Jew and Gentile, both bond and free, both male and female, shall perish; for they are they who are the whore of all the earth; for they who are not for me are against me, saith our God" (2 Ne. 10:16). The "judgment of the great whore" means, simply, the punishment of the world of wickedness. The judgment is described in detail in Rev. 17 and 18.

 

 Nephi also saw that great judgment: "The blood of that great and abominable church, which is the whore of all the earth, shall turn upon their own heads; for they shall war among themselves, and the sword of their own hands shall fall upon their own heads, and they shall be drunken with their own blood.

 

"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.

 

"For behold, saith the prophet, the time cometh speedily that Satan shall have no more power over the hearts of the children of men; for the day soon cometh that all the proud and they who do wickedly shall be as stubble; and the day cometh that they must be burned.

 

"For the time soon cometh that the fulness of the wrath of God shall be poured out upon all the children of men; for he will not suffer that the wicked shall destroy the righteous. . . .

 

"Behold, my brethren, I say unto you, that these things must shortly come; yea, even blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke must come; and it must needs be upon the face of this earth; and it cometh unto men according to the flesh if it so be that they will harden their hearts against the Holy One of Israel" (1 Ne. 22:13-16,  18; see also D&C 88:94).

 

sitteth upon many waters. The interpretation of the expression "many waters" is given in 17:15: "The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues." As Nephi saw,["[the whore] had dominion over all the earth, among all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people" (1 Ne. 14:11).

 

17:2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication. The rulers of the earth, who ought to lead in righteousness, instead lead the people into sin. They "commit fornication" with the whore by selling that which is good and right and true, even their very souls, for the pleasure and power the whore will give them. They commit fornication by turning from their true husband, or at least him to whom they are betrothed—God himself—to Babylon.

 

the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. Drunkenness here is a symbol of apostasy, in which the people lose the power of good judgment because of their unwise choices. "They are drunken, but not with wine," Isaiah prophesied, "they stagger, but not with strong drink" (Isa. 29:9; see Jer. 51:6-9). The wine that makes them drunk is not the fornication of sexuality but that of unfaithfulness to God (see commentary on 14:8).

 

17:3 So he carried me away in the spirit. Nephi (son of Lehi) received the same blessing when he experienced his vision of the last days (1 Ne. 14:30; 15:1; 2 Ne. 4:25), as did Jesus in the days of his temptation (JST Matt. 4:8). It appears that in these instances the Spirit, or the Holy Ghost, may carry a person to another location, while at the same time enabling him to transcend his physical limitations to rend the veil. In the years before the coming of Christ to the Americas, the prophet Nephi (son of Helaman) was cast into prison—but by "the power of God . . . he was taken by the Spirit and conveyed away out of the midst of them. And it came to pass that thus he did go forth in the Spirit, from multitude to multitude, declaring the word of God" (Hel. 10:16-17). Others in the scriptures who received this blessing include Adam (Moses 6:64), Lehi (1 Ne. 1:8), Ezekiel (Ezek. 37:1), and Mary, the mother of Jesus (1 Ne. 11:19).

 

into the wilderness. In Rev. 12 we saw the woman who represented the church of God, the bride of Christ, go into the wilderness for safety. Now we see her counterfeit, the woman who represents the church of the devil, dwelling in the wilderness. In the first instance, the wilderness symbolized a place of refuge; here it symbolizes the dryness and desolation of sin.

 

I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast. This beast is most likely the same as that found in 13:1—both have seven heads and ten horns (see commentary there). The woman is the whore spoken of in 17:1. The scarlet color of the beast is the same color as the ribbon that was tied around the neck of the scapegoat on the Day of Atonement; the ribbon represented the sins of Israel.3 In the same way, the scarlet of the beast seems to represent sin (Isa. 1:18).

 

full of names of blasphemy. This phrase repeats the description of the beast in 13:1. But in the earlier reference, the beast had the name of blasphemy on his seven heads; here the beast is full of those names.

 

having seven heads and ten horns. As we learn in 17:9-10, the seven heads represent seven mountains and seven kings. The ten horns represent ten kings that are yet to come. These numbers may well be symbolic rather than literal. See commentary on 13:1; 17:9-12.

 

17:4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour. Purple clothing symbolizes royalty (Judg. 8:26), and scarlet clothing symbolizes wealth and nobility (2 Sam. 1:24; Prov. 31:21; Lam. 4:5; Dan. 5:7; Matt. 27:28-29). The woman's clothing indicates her position of wealth and power in the world.

 

But there is a deeper significance. In the Old Testament, purple and scarlet appear together only in Exodus (occurring twenty-six times), and in every instance the colors are used, together with blue and white linen, to describe the tabernacle of the Lord and the clothing of the high priest (see, for example, Ex. 26:1,  31,  36). Purple and scarlet were used in the curtains of the tabernacle, the hanging for the door, the hanging for the gate of the court, and the veil itself. They were used for the ephod (linen apron) of the high priest, as well as for his girdle, the hems of his robe, the breastplate, and the cloths used in the temple rituals. Thus, the woman is standing as counterfeit for the most sacred elements of the true religion—the high priest who presided over all the people, and the temple. She is trying to supplant the religion of God with a false religion, one that points the people to sin and excess and ultimately to a worship of Satan himself (13:4).

 

The woman who is Babylon is not only wickedness but also political power, and moreover, not only political power but religious systems that entice all men to turn their hearts to Satan. She seems to combine elements of the first and second beasts and the false prophet.

 

Even with all her worldly trappings, the glory of this woman pales when compared to the "woman clothed with the sun" in 12:1 and the simple beauty of the bride of the Lamb in 19:7-8.

 

decked with gold and precious stones and pearls. These are symbols of wealth. The word decked indicates that the woman wears an excessive amount of this jewelry. In fact, everything about the woman speaks of pride, worldliness, and excess.

 

having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication. A golden cup indicates wealth—and one seeing such a cup would expect to find in it something pleasurable to drink. Instead, the woman's cup is filled with "abominations and filthiness," which stem from the woman's "fornication" in turning her heart from God to Satan (Jer. 7-8; D&C 10:20-22). Abominations are offenses against God that are particularly vile and disgusting.

 

17:5 And upon her forehead was a name written. The book of Revelation mentions a mark on the forehead seven times. We read in 13:16, 14:9, and 20:4 of the mark of the beast on the forehead or in the hands of those who follow him. In 7:3, 9:4, 14:1, and 22:4 we read of the righteous receiving the name or seal of God on their foreheads. But here the woman has her own name written on her forehead. Some authorities believe it was common in ancient Rome for prostitutes to write their names on their foreheads, probably on a headband.4

 

Mystery. The righteous know the hidden things of God, called the "mysteries." The greatest mysteries are reserved for those who receive the keys to such mysteries in the temple, who keep their temple covenants, and who hunger and thirst after the things of godliness. The woman here is the embodiment of the mysteries of Satan, the counterfeit of the mysteries of God. These mysteries are found in false religious creeds, in "the secret works of darkness" (2 Ne. 10:15;  9:9;  26:22;  28:9), and in secret combinations, "which . . . is most abominable and wicked above all, in the sight of God" (Ether 8:18; Hel. 6:22-23; Moses 5:51).

 

Babylon the Great. "Babylon the great is the church of the devil; it is the world with all its evil and carnality; it is every organization of every kind, sort and form—whether religious, civic, political, fraternal, or otherwise—which espouses a philosophy or promotes a cause which leads men away from salvation and toward the kingdoms of lesser glory in the eternal world."5 As the Lord says in latter-day revelation, Babylon is "the midst of wickedness" (D&C 133:14).

 

mother of harlots and abominations. Babylon not only is a prostitute herself but is the mother of other prostitutions, other harlots on the earth. Not only does the woman embody one form of great wickedness on the earth, but she fosters organizations, religions, governments, philosophies, and attitudes that embrace the devil and his world. The abominations here include those spoken of in Daniel, where the temple and other sacred things are desecrated and corrupted (Dan. 11:31; Matt. 24:15). And they include the evil practice of combining harlotry with idolatry (Hosea 4:12-14). In the scriptures the Lord calls all of the following an abomination; all are engendered by Babylon, the mother of such things:

 

incest (Lev. 18:6-16,  26-27)

 

homosexuality (Lev. 18:22)

 

bestiality (Lev. 18:23,  26-27)

 

idolatry (Deut. 7:25;  12:29; Mal. 2:11)

 

offering an impure sacrifice to God (Deut. 17:1)

 

offering human sacrifice (Deut. 18:10,  12)

 

 

 

using those who practice divination, enchantments, witchcraft (Deut. 18:10,  12)

 

using wizards, necromancers (Deut. 18:11-12)

 

using those who cast spells or consult the dead (Deut. 18:11-12)

 

transvestism (Deut. 22:5)

 

taking money earned as a prostitute into the temple to pay a vow (Deut. 23:18)

 

being dishonest in financial dealings (Deut. 25:13-16; Prov. 11:1)

 

making idols (Deut. 27:15)

 

sodomy (1 Kgs. 14:24)

 

being prideful (Prov. 6:17;  16:5; Jacob 2:13,  16; Hel. 4:11-12)

 

lying (Prov. 6:17,  19;  12:22)

 

murder (Prov. 6:17)

 

contentiousness (Prov. 6:19)

 

justifying the wicked and condemning the just (Prov. 17:15)

 

offering sacrifice in wickedness (Prov. 21:27)

 

adultery (Ezek. 18:11;  22:11)

 

oppressing the poor and needy (Ezek. 18:12; Hel. 4:11-12)

 

wilfully failing to pay debts (Ezek. 18:12)

 

whoredoms (Jacob 2:28)

 

fornication (Alma 39:3-5)

 

secret combinations (Hel. 7:25)

 

cannibalism (Moro. 9:10)

 

rape (Moro. 9:9)

 

the creeds of apostate churches (JS-H 1:18-19)

 

17:6 drunken with the blood of the saints/martyrs. Babylon is the name of the spirit that comes over those who kill the prophets. That spirit has infected much of the world. (See commentary on 16:6; also see 18:24; Matt. 23:34-35; 2 Cor. 4:8-11; Heb. 9:16.) The word drunken suggests that through the ages the righteous have been victims of a great slaughter—a slaughter that was intoxicating to the perpetrators.

 

when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. John does not "admire" this embodiment of great wickedness. A better translation of the Greek word here would be "astonishment."6 John is amazed or astonished at the extreme level of Babylon's wickedness.

 

THE SYMBOLISM OF THE WOMAN AND THE BEAST (17:7-18)

 

The angel interprets some of the symbols John has seen in his vision, particularly in chapters 13 and 17: the woman, the beast, the seven heads of the beast, and the ten horns on those heads. Although the horns of the beast, which symbolize kings, make war with the Lamb, they also, in the end, turn on the woman and destroy her. In turn, the horns of the beast are "overcome" in their war with the Lamb.

 

 

NOTES AND COMMENTARY

 

17:7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery. The angel serves as a guide and interpreter for John (and for us) through John's vision, offering to explain the mystery of the woman, the beast on which she sits, and the seven heads and ten horns of the beast. (For other examples of angels filling this role, see Dan. 7:15-16;  8:15; 1 Ne. 11-14.)

 

17:8 The beast that thou sawest was, and is not/shall ascend out of the bottomless pit. The beast that John saw in Rev. 13 received what seemed to be a mortal wound; but he was healed and given life again, to the astonishment of the world. That beast was, meaning at one time it existed, but it is not, meaning that at the time of John's vision it no longer existed on the earth. So where was it? Perhaps in the bottomless pit, which is a symbol of the prison in which Satan will be kept. Yet, some time after John's vision, the beast will come forth from the bottomless pit to continue to work his evil work on the earth. For instance, after the two witnesses have completed their work on earth, the beast who ascended from the bottomless pit will "make war against them . . . and kill them" (11:7). See commentary on 9:1-2; 13:1-8.

 

go into perdition. Perdition is the eternal dwelling place of Satan and those who consciously choose him instead of the light. One of Satan's names is Perdition (D&C 76:26; Moses 5:24) these followers are called the sons of perdition (D&C 76:31-48). Perdition is used to translate the Greek apoleia, which means "destruction" and which likely stems from apollumi, which means ruin or loss.8 In the end, the beast (meaning all those people who embrace and support that which the beast does) will be cast into perdition with Satan, his master.

 

they that dwell on the earth shall wonder. In 13:3 we read that "all the world wondered after the beast" when he was healed of his fatal wound. This seems to be a repetition of that same incident.

 

whose names were not written in the book of life. This phrase helps us to identify those who will wonder at the beast: all those who have not truly come unto Christ and been claimed as his. We have the same qualifier in 13:8, which says that all people on earth will worship the beast except those whose names are written in "the book of life of the Lamb." See commentary on 3:5.

 

from the foundation of the world. The foundation of the world is the Creation—those whose names have been written in the book of life from the Creation will not "wonder" at the beast. Perhaps this passage refers to the Lord's foreknowledge of those who will come unto exaltation (1 Pet. 1:2; Alma 13:3,  7). Or it may refer to the collective group of the righteous, whose names were written in the book of life beginning with Adam and Eve.

 

when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. We read at the beginning of the verse that the beast "was, and is not." Here we read that the beast "yet is." He lived, he died, and now he lives again. See commentary on 3:3.

 

"This is an obvious parody of the Lamb, who was put to death yet came back to life and now is alive forevermore (1:18; 2:8). The description is also an intentional antithesis to the One `who is, and who was, and who is to come' (1:4, 8; 4:8). In the broadest sense the beast is that satanically inspired power which, although having received the stroke of death, returns to hurl himself with renewed fury against the forces of God. It is this incredible power of resuscitation that causes the inhabitants of the earth to stand in awe. He is the beast of chapter 13 who had received a death-stroke in one of his heads and yet survived (13:3, 12, 14). Down through history he repeatedly `comes up out of the Abyss' to harass and, if it were possible, to destroy the people of God. He is the little horn of Dan. 7 (Antiochus Epiphanes) who rises out of the fourth kingdom (the `most terrifying' fourth beast, Dan. 7:19) to make war against the saints (Dan. 7:21). He is Nero, who instigates a persecution of the Christians to avert suspicion that he is responsible for the burning of Rome. The beast was; at the moment he is not. John wrote under the shadow of an impending persecution. The beast is about to come again. This coming will be his last, for now the King of kings and Lord of lords will throw him (along with the false prophet) alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur (19:20)."9

 

17:9 And here is the mind which hath wisdom. This expression is similar to that found in a comparable setting in 13:9: "If any man have an ear, let him hear." In other words, wisdom and thoughtful searching will bring the understandings in this chapter.

 

The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. The beast (or political/philosophical/economic/religious power) that gives the woman her headquarters or base of operations has seven heads, which the angel tells us represent seven mountains. Rome is the traditional "city on seven hills."10 Yet John may be referring not to literal Rome but to Rome as a symbol of all that is powerful and corrupt in the world. The number seven indicates perfection or completion—in this case, complete corruption or perfectly evil power. In other words, the woman's headquarters in any age is an evil power, as Rome was in John's day.

 

 

17:18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth. Who is the whore? She is the church of the devil, as we have seen. She is the source and instigator of great sin on the earth. She is mysterious and secretive. And she is a political entity—a city—as well as a great gathering of people. For a time she had control of the other kingdoms of the earth, but eventually they will betray her and contribute to her destruction.

 

In the time of John, Rome was the great city and the very essence of evil. But Rome is only one manifestation of Babylon, which can be found in one form or another until the end. The seat and embodiment of evil is found in governments, societies, churches, and other associations of humans on the earth in all ages.

 

 

 

 

(Donald W. Parry and Jay A. Parry, Understanding the Book of Revelation [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1998], 216-233.)

(1 Nephi 22:12-14.) – The whore and governments will fight against each other, no honor among thieves!

 

12 Wherefore, he will bring them again out of captivity, and they shall be gathered together to the lands of their inheritance; and they shall be brought out of obscurity and out of darkness; and they shall know that the Lord is their Savior and their Redeemer, the Mighty One of Israel.

 

13 And the blood of that great and abominable church, which is the whore of all the earth, shall turn upon their own heads; for they shall war among themselves, and the sword of their own hands shall fall upon their own heads, and they shall be drunken with their own blood.

 

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.

 

Revelation 18 – The saints are called out of Babylon and told not to get involved in her perverted ways.

 

(Revelation 18:1-5.) – Babylon is close to its destruction, it will occur because all of those in the world who bought into worldliness.  Fulfillment comes from our families, not in the world or our job.

 

1 And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory.

 

2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.

 

3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies.

 

4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.

 

5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.

 

 

Utah has both the wise and the foolish (debt); Idaho is not too far behind.

You become depressed when you lose the Gift of the Holy Ghost.  You know what you should do and don’t do it, and you hear what you should do and don’t do it.

 

The Gift of Prophecy

J. Golden Kimball
Of the First Council of Seventy
Conference Report, October 1930, p.58

I intend to be reminiscent in what I shall say on this occasion.

I have frequently called your attention to the fact that under President John Taylor I was permitted to fill a mission in the Southern States, in 1883 and '84, under the presidency of Elder B. H. Roberts. They were trying times, and the elders, as a whole, traveled without purse and without scrip.

In 1892 I was again appointed, under President Wilford Woodruff, to preside over the Southern States Mission. It was during that period of time that I found God; as my father said: God answered my prayers, and isn't that a pretty good evidence that God lives? My testimony was fixed and fast, and what I knew I learned by obedience and through suffering.

I take the position that knowledge cannot be knowledge without experience, so that what I know through the influence of the Holy Ghost--for I have heard that still, small voice--I know to my perfect satisfaction. There is no question of a doubt in my mind as to the truth of this work, and any time in my life that I can be convinced that Joseph Smith was not a prophet of God, then I will question the truth of this work. But Joseph Smith to me is a prophet, and there is hardly a Kimball living in the flesh today--of the first generation--notwithstanding we were very young when our father died, that did not have burned into his soul as a child that Joseph Smith was a prophet of the living God: that Brigham Young was his successor; that he too was a great prophet.

Now, it is along that line that I desire to occupy your time for a few moments, and to do so I expect to forecast from dead prophets. I shall not undertake to quote from memory as it is very difficult for me to quote correctly.

The prophet Joel said--we elders in that day on many occasions quoted this prophetic saying:
 

"And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy; your old men shall dream dreams; your young men shall see visions.."
 

I think one of the greatest pieces of philosophy in the Bible is: "Where there is no vision the people perish." And the Prophet Joseph Smith left with us this statement: "Where there are no gifts there is no faith."

I further read in the Bible:
 

"When a prophet speaks in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken; but the prophet has spoken presumptuously, Thou shall not be afraid of him."
 

Jesus himself testified that "a prophet hath no honor in his own country."

I claim not to be a prophet, but I am a son of a prophet, and I expect to give you evidence--whether you question the truth of it or not--that shall be left with you--that Heber C. Kimball was a prophet of God. President Brigham Young on more than one occasion said: "Heber is my prophet, and I love to hear him prophesy."

In May, 1868---that is sixty-two years ago--he said:
 

"After a while the gentiles will gather in Salt Lake City by the thousands, and this will be among the wicked cities of the world,."
 

He said:
 

"A spirit of speculation and extravagance will take possession of the Saints, and the results will be financial bondage."
 

He said:
 

"An army of elders will be sent to the four quarters of the earth, to search out the righteous and, warn the wicked of coming events.

"All kinds of religions will be started, and miracles performed that will deceive the very elect, if such a thing were possible.

"Persecution comes next, and all Latter-day Saints will be tested to the limit. "Many will apostatize, and others will stand still, not knowing what to do. "Before the temple reaches the square our brethren will be imprisoned, until the penitentiary shall be full, and some of them will be removed to other penitentiaries.

"Mothers would weep for their husbands, and, children would cry for their fathers. Some would die, and sorrow would fill the hearts of the Latter-day Saints.

"When the temple roof is on, the persecution will lessen, but when the temple is completed the power of the Evil One will be shut out."

"The prayers of the Saints will then be heard. The sick will be taken there and healed."

"The Spirit of God will rest upon the people, and work for the dead will be continued night and day."

"The judgments of God will be poured out upon the wicked, to the extent that our elders from far and near will be called home; or in other words, the Gospel will be taken from the gentiles, and later on will be carried to the Jews."

"The western boundaries of the State of Missouri will be swept so clean of its inhabitants that as President Young tells us, 'when we return to that place there will not be as much as a yellow dog to wag his tail.'

"Before that day comes, however, the Saints will be put to the test that will try the very best of them.

"The pressure will become so great that the righteous among us will cry unto the Lord day and night until deliverance comes."
 

In 1856---that is seventy-four years ago--a small group of friends convened in the house of the Lord, called the Endowment House. The conversation was about the isolated condition of the Latter-day Saints.
 

"Yes," said Brother Heber, "we think we are secure here in the chambers of these everlasting hills, where we can close the doors of the canyons against mobs and persecutors, the wicked and the vile, who have always beset us with violence and robbery, but I want to say to you, my brethren, the time is coming when we will be mixed up in these now peaceful valleys to that extent that it will be difficult to tell the face of a Saint from the face of an enemy against the people of God."

"Then is the time to look out for the great sieve, for there will be a great sifting time, and many will fall.

"For I say unto you there is a test, a Test, a TEST coming."
 

He further said:
 

"This Church has before it many close places through which it will have to pass before the work of God is crowned with glory.

"The difficulties will be of such a character that the man or woman who does not possess a personal knowledge or witness will fall. If you have not got this testimony, you must live right and call upon the Lord, and cease not until you obtain it.

"Remember these sayings: The time will come when no man or woman will be able to endure on borrowed light. Each will have to be guided by the light within themselves. If you do not have the knowledge that Jesus is the Christ, how can you stand?"
 

Do you believe it?

President George Q. Cannon said, after Heber C. Kimball's death: "Heber Chase Kimball was one of the greatest men of this age." He continued: "No man, perhaps, Joseph Smith excepted, who has belonged to the Church in this generation, ever possessed the gift of prophecy to a greater degree than he."

On the morning of the 22nd of June, 1868, he died.

At the funeral President Brigham Young said: "Heber was a man of as much integrity, I presume, as any man who ever lived on the earth--a man of faith--a man of benevolence--a man of truth."

On the evening of January 12th, 1862, the Lord made it known to Heber C. Kimball that he should not be removed from his place as First Counselor while he lived in the flesh.

Now my brethren and sisters, I am here to testify that the spirit of prophecy is in this Church. Any man who has a testimony that Jesus is the Christ has the spirit of prophecy, and I know that we have living prophets. Whenever the Lord desires, and it is his will to speak through his prophets, I have no fear and no doubt as far as I am individually concerned that they have the courage and the faith to speak the words of God. At a time when the people were suffering, when the people were almost naked, when everything looked desolate, as if they were forsaken--
 

"Heber C. Kimball, filled with the spirit of prophecy in a public meeting declared to the astonished congregation that within a short time States goods would be sold in the city of Great Salt Lake cheaper than in New York and that the people would be abundantly supplied with food and clothing."

"'I don't believe a word of it,' said Apostle Charles C. Rich; and he voiced the sentiment of nine-tenths of those who had heard the astounding declaration."

"On resuming his seat he remarked to the brethren that he was afraid he had missed it this time. But they were not his own words and He who had inspired them knew how to fulfil. The occasion for the fulfilment of this remarkable prediction was the unexpected advent of the gold-hunters on their way to California. The discovery of gold in that land had set on fire, as it were, the civilized world and hundreds of richly laden trains now began pouring across the continent on their way to the new Eldorado. Salt Lake valley became the resting place. Thus as the Prophet Heber had predicted, States Goods were actually sold in the streets of Great Salt Lake City cheaper than they could have been purchased in the city of New York."

Now, brethren, that is how I feel about it. I take pride in being a son of my father and as long as I live I shall never fail to honor my father and his successors, and try to be as loyal and true and steadfast in the faith as they have been. I am the only one that can destroy my faith in this work. God bless you. Amen.

Those in the world have turned against family values and Christ will not have any enticement to repent or accept these 2 issues because of the hardness of their hearts.

NOTES AND COMMENTARY

 

18:1 And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power. John now beholds a powerful angel, different from the angel that guided him through the vision of chapter 17.

 

the earth was lightened with his glory. This angel is so brilliant that the very earth is illuminated by his presence. In fact, this angel's glory is like that of Christ, who will yet return: "And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with his glory" (Ezek. 43:2). "For as the[light[e]ning [of the sun] cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be" (Matt. 24:27).

 

18:2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice. The power of the angel's proclamation equals the power of his appearance—his cry is mighty, and his voice is strong.

 

Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen. The angel's words are almost a direct quotation from a passage in Isaiah: "Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground" (Isa. 21:9; Jer. 51:8). This same expression is found in latter-day scripture: "And again, another angel shall sound his trump, which is the sixth angel, saying: She is fallen who made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication; she is fallen, is fallen!" (D&C 88:105).

 

the habitation of devils/foul spirit/hateful bird. Where once Babylon boasted of being the great and powerful city that controlled kings (17:18) and was the site of opulence and wealth (17:4), it now is not fit for human habitation. Rather than being a city or kingdom with a desired place in the world, it now is the home for devils, foul spirits, and unclean birds. This symbolic description emphasizes that the mighty Babylon will be brought to the lowest possible point.

 

Old Testament prophets saw the fallen city of Babylon as a wasteland, good only for foul and unclean creatures: "From generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for ever and ever. But the cormorant and the bittern shall possess it; the owl also and the raven shall dwell in it: and he shall stretch out upon it the line of confusion, and the stones of emptiness. They shall call the nobles thereof to the kingdom, but none shall be there, and all her princes shall be nothing. And thorns shall come up in her palaces, nettles and brambles in the fortresses thereof: and it shall be an habitation of dragons, and a court for owls. The wild beasts of the desert shall also meet with the wild beasts of the island, and the satyr shall cry to his fellow; the screech owl also shall rest there, and find for herself a place of rest. There shall the great owl make her nest, and lay, and hatch, and gather under her shadow: there shall the vultures also be gathered, every one with her mate" (Isa. 34:10-16; see also Isa. 13:19-22; Jer. 50:35-36,  40; Zeph. 2:13-15).

 

As it was with the literal, ancient city of Babylon, so shall it be with the spiritual Babylon that spreads itself across the world in our time.

 

18:3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. See commentary on 14:8; 17:1-2.

 

the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. The New English Bible gives a helpful alternative reading: "Merchants the world over have grown rich on her bloated wealth." The world's merchants have partaken of the wealth and luxury of Babylon, and they thereby have become part of her. This verse points out the worldwide power of Babylon (the wicked world, the church of the devil), as well as her involvement and influence in economic affairs.

 

18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven. This voice could be that of God, who directly addresses the Saints as "my people." More likely it is an angel speaking for God: in verses 5 and 8 the Lord is referred to in third person. The words of this angel seem to be those recorded in verses 4 through 20.

 

Come out of her, my people. This is the recurring cry of the prophets: Leave the world and its wickedness, and bind yourself to God. Down through the ages we hear their voices:

 

"Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord" (Isa. 52:11).

 

"Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul: be not cut off in her iniquity; for this is the time of the Lord's vengeance; he will render unto her a recompence" (Jer. 51:6).

 

"Go ye out of Babylon; gather ye out from among the nations, from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. . . . Go ye out from among the nations, even from Babylon, from the midst of wickedness, which is spiritual Babylon" (D&C 133:7,  14).

 

This counsel has particular application to the Saints in our day. There is much in our world that partakes of the pride, the lust, the materialism, and the sins of Babylon. There is much that seeks to replace God in our hearts—the endless quest for wealth, the near-worship of sports and entertainment "stars," the deep desire of most people to seek and reach their own goals rather than God's. Babylon is alive and well in our times—but, as prophesied, Babylon will fall.

 

that ye be not partakers of her sins. The Saints are called to leave Babylon so that they can be fortified against the temptation to partake of her sins. What are those sins? Certainly the people of Babylon are guilty of all the typical sins of mankind at their worst—murder, adultery, abortion, theft, pornography, lying, and on and on. But in addition, as Revelation records, Babylon is also guilty of persecuting and killing the Saints (17:6), leading the nations of the world into idolatry and gross wickedness (17:2-4), and fostering all manner of abominations (17:5).

 

that ye receive not of her plagues. This phrase is connected with the previous one. By leaving Babylon and refusing to partake of her sins, the righteous are also protected from her plagues, enumerated elsewhere in Revelation (chapters 8, 9, and 16).

 

18:5 For her sins have reached unto heaven/God hath remembered her iniquities. God is fully aware of the grossness and the extent of the sins of Babylon; not one escapes his notice. And even if he does not act immediately to judge and to punish in a given instance, he will ever remember until the time of retribution.

 

 

(Donald W. Parry and Jay A. Parry, Understanding the Book of Revelation [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1998], 247.)

Revelation 19 – The Supper of the Lamb – Those invited to the feast are those who have partaken of the ordinances and the Atonement, they have been spiritually reborn.

VICTORY SONGS IN HEAVEN (19:1-10)

 

This part of John's revelation reports primarily things he hears, rather than things he sees. He hears "a great voice of much people in heaven" praising God for his righteous judgments against Babylon. He hears "the voice of a great multitude" praising God and rejoicing that "the marriage of the Lamb is come." He hears an angel command him to write that those who "are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb" are "blessed."

 

This section "skillfully weaves together three distinct strands from the Old Testament, all of which have been used before in the New Testament and related literature, but never together. The first is the depiction of the reign of God as a great feast (see Isa. 25:6; cf. Mark 2:19; Matt. 22:1-14; 25:1; Luke 14:15-24). The second is the notion of Israel as the bride of Jehovah (see Hosea 2:5; Isa. 1:21; Jer. 2:2; cf. Eph. 5:32). The final is the use of clean garments as a symbol of sanctity (see Gen. 35:2; Isa. 52:1; 61:10; Zech. 3:4; cf. Rev. 3:4; 6:11; 7:14)." 1

 

THE LORD ON A WHITE HORSE (19:11-16)

 

This section of John's revelation prophesies the actual second coming of the Lord in great power and judgment, accompanied by the armies of heaven. His appearance will be that of a mighty warrior-king, with "eyes . . . as a flame of fire," and "many crowns" on his head, and wearing a blood-red vesture (19:12, 13). He is identified as "Faithful and True," "The Word of God," "King of kings," and "Lord of lords." He will "make war" and lead "armies" and will ride a "white horse," as will his armies.

 

Paul spoke a similar prophecy to that found here: "The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power" (2 Thes. 1:7-9).

 

Some of the earlier sections of Revelation paralleled the plagues the Lord sent on Egypt in the time of Moses (see, for example, the plagues in chapters 8 and 16). In some ways the coming of the Lord, at which time the wicked are destroyed, parallels the tenth plague in Egypt, in which the first-born of Pharaoh's people (and all others who refused the passover covenant with the Lord) were destroyed (Ex. 12:23-29). In fact, the destruction was so great that "there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead" (Ex. 12:30).

 

The description of that tenth plague recorded in the apocryphal Book of Wisdom has some interesting parallels with this section of Revelation: "While gentle silence enveloped all things, and night in its swift course was now half gone, thy all-powerful word leaped down from heaven, from the royal throne, into the midst of the land that was doomed, a stern warrior carrying the sharp sword of thy authentic command, and stood and filled all things with death, and touched heaven while standing on the earth" (Book of Wisdom 18:14-16).

 

 

THE SUPPER OF THE GREAT GOD (19:17-21)

 

In the previous section, we read that Christ will "smite the nations," treading "the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God" (19:15). His "vesture dipped in blood" (19:13) is symbolic, in part, of the righteous slaughter of the wicked.

 

The destruction of the wicked is a theme of much of Revelation; the judgments against the wicked in the earlier chapters are part of the process of cleansing the earth and bringing justice on those who have followed the whore and the beast. But as events draw to their bloody conclusion, "the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies" will gather together "to make war against" Christ and his followers. In those battles, the beast will be conquered and thrown into the lake of fire, and the armies will be slain by the Lord. These events seem to be among those that occur at the Second Coming.

 

The slain will be so many that the fowls of the air will be invited to come and feast on the corpses. This is called "the supper of the great God" (19:17).

 

 

(Donald W. Parry and Jay A. Parry, Understanding the Book of Revelation [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1998], 262.)

 

(Revelation 20:1-3.) – Satan is bound for a 1000 years and thrown into a bottomless pit, he is bound by the righteousness of the people, and no one will pay any attention to him.  When righteousness starts to cease he will be loosed for a season to tempt men again.

 

1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.

 

2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,

 

3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.

 

Agency – power or ability to act, it is God given; those who use it correctly are God’s agents.

 

Agency and Choice


Agency-A Gift From God

Moses 4

3 Wherefore, because that Satan rebelled against me, and sought to destroy the agency of man, which I, the Lord God, had given him . . .

Moses 7

32 The Lord said unto Enoch: Behold these thy brethren; they are the workmanship of mine own hands, and I gave unto them their knowledge, in the day I created them; and in the Garden of Eden, gave I unto man his agency;

D&C 101

78 That every man may act in doctrine and principle pertaining to futurity, according to the moral agency which I have given unto him, that every man may be accountable for his own sins in the day of judgment.



Agency, The Foundation Principle

 

Marion G. Romney

I purpose to make a few remarks about the foundation principle upon which the gospel of Jesus Christ is built, the principle of agency. (Conference Report, October 1968, p.64)


Agency Is an Eternal Principle

Brigham Young

The volition of the creature is free; this is a law of their existence and the Lord cannot violate his own law; were he to do that, he would cease to be God. He has placed life and death before his children, and it is for them to choose. If they choose life, they receive the blessing of life; if they choose death, they must abide the penalty. This is a law which has always existed from all eternity, and will continue to exist throughout all the eternities to come. Every intelligent being must have the power of choice, and God brings forth the results of the acts of his creatures to promote his Kingdom and subserve his purposes in the salvation and exaltation of his children. (Discourses of Brigham Young, p.62)

 

Agency - The Power to Act

2 Nephi 2

14 And now, my sons, I speak unto you these things for your profit and learning; for there is a God, and he hath created all things, both the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are, both things to act and things to be acted upon. (emphasis added)

Dictionary Definitions of Agency

Oxford English Dictionary - The faculty of an agent or of acting; active working or operation; action, activity.

Webster's Collegiate Dictionary-Faculty or state of acting or of exercising power; action.

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11 ed.-The capacity, condition, or state of action or of exerting power.

Dictionary of Sociology - The term agency is usually juxtaposed to structure and is often no more than a synonym for action, emphasizing implicitly the undetermined nature of human action, as opposed to the alleged determinism of structural theories.

Agency - the Power to Do According to Our Own Will

Mosiah 2

God "has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will" (verse 21; emphasis added)

Alma 12

31 Wherefore, he gave commandments unto men, they having first transgressed the first commandments as to things which were temporal, and becoming as Gods, knowing good from evil, placing themselves in a state to act, or being placed in a state to act according to their wills and pleasures, whether to do evil or to do good- (emphasis added)

Joseph Fielding Smith

This great gift of agency, that is the privilege given to man to make his own choice, has never been revoked, and it never will be. It is an eternal principle giving freedom of thought and action to every soul. No person, by any decree of the Father, has ever been compelled to do good; no person has ever been forced to do evil. Each may act for himself. It was Satan's plan to destroy this agency and force men to do his will. There could be no satisfactory existence without this great gift. Men must have the privilege to choose even to the extent that they may rebel against the divine decrees. Of course salvation and exaltation must come through the free will without coercion and by individual merit in order that righteous rewards may be given and proper punishment be meted out to the transgressor. Therefore, when the great day of the Lord shall come, the wicked who have merited banishment from a righteous government will be consumed, or the privilege of continuance on the earth will be denied. (Answers to Gospel Questions, 2:20; emphasis added)

Agency - The Power to Choose and Act

Marion G. Romney

Free agency means the freedom and power to choose and act. Next to life itself, it is man's most precious inheritance. ("Church Welfare Services' Basic Principles," Ensign, May 1976, p. 120)


Agency Given to Choose and ActOn Good or Evil Choices

Gordon B. Hinckley

Mankind has been given agency to choose between right and wrong. ("Reverence and Morality," Ensign, May 1987, 47)

Boyd K. Packer

We want our children and their children to know that the choice of life is not between fame and obscurity, nor is the choice between wealth and poverty. The choice is between good and evil, and that is a very different matter indeed. ("The Choice," Ensign, Nov. 1980, p. 21)

Joseph B. Wirthlin

The Father's plan gave us our agency to choose right or wrong, good or evil so we can learn, develop, and progress. ("Deep Roots," Ensign, Nov. 1994, p. 75)

David B. Haight

We have our agency to choose right from wrong, good from evil. But just because evil exists does not mean that we must partake of it. You cannot do wrong and feel right. ("A Time for Preparation," Ensign, Nov. 1991, p. 37)

Dallin H. Oaks

When I say free agency I refer to what the scripture calls agency, which means an exercise of the will, the power to choose. ("Free Agency and Freedom," in The Book of Mormon: Second Nephi, The Doctrinal Structure [Eds. Monte S. Nyman and Charles D. Tate, Jr. Religious Studies Center, BYU, Provo Utah, 1989] p. 1)

Howard W. Hunter

Today, I would like to address both groups, members of our church as well as others, about one of the most important tenets of our faith and one of the most precious of God's gifts to mankind. It is our freedom, our agency, our inalienable and divine right to choose what we will believe and what we will not believe, and to choose what we want to be and what we want to do. I wish to speak of our responsibility and our opportunity to choose God, and the good, and eternal life; or to select evil, the destructive, and that which leads to painful misery and despair. ("The Golden Thread of Choice," Ensign, Nov. 1989, p. 17)

Neal A. Maxwell

The vital revelations about the agency of man-our freedom to choose-inevitably disclose the perfect generosity and justice of God. ("Free to Choose," in Moving in His Majesty& Power [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2004], pp. 1-2)

Dallin H. Oaks

God has given us agency--the power to choose between good (the path of life) and evil (the path of spiritual death and destruction.("Same-Gender Attraction," Ensign, Oct. 1995, p. 8)

 

Free Will – is the same as free choice, it is inherent in us, we have free will to go against agency, yet we cannot escape the consequence of our actions.

 

Free Will

Free Will Defined

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11 ed

1.Voluntary choice or decision. 2. Freedom of humans to make choices that are not determined by prior causes or by divine intervention.


God Created Man To Act According to Their Free Will

Mosiah 2

God "has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will" (verse 21; emphasis added)

The Free Independence of Mind

Joseph Smith

We deem it a just principle, and it is one of the force of which we believe ought to be duly considered by every individual, that all men are created equal, and that all have the privilege of thinking for themselves upon all matters relative to conscience. Consequently, then, we are not disposed, had we the power, to deprive any one of exercising that free independence of mind which heaven has so graciously bestowed upon the human family as one of its choicest gifts; but we take the liberty (and this we have a right to do) of looking at this order of things a few moments, and contrasting it with the order of God as we find it in the sacred Scriptures. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p.49)

 

Free Will is a True Principle

John Taylor

We talk sometimes about free will. Is that a correct principle? Yes. And it is a principle that has always existed, and proceeded from God, our Heavenly Father. (The Gospel Kingdom, p.59)

Howard W. Hunter

Abraham Lincoln once asked, "What constitutes the bulwark of our own liberty and independence?" He then answered, "It is not our frowning battlements, our bristling sea coasts, our army and our navy. … Our reliance is in the love of liberty which God has planted in us." (Speech at Edwardsville, Illinois, 11 Sept. 1858, quoted in John Bartlett, Familiar Quotations, Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1968, p. 636.)

There are, of course, those who, in bitterness and disbelief, have rejected the idea of an independent spirit in man that is capable of free will and choice and true liberty. ("The Golden Thread of Choice," Ensign, Nov. 1989, 17)



Each Person Has the Free Will to Obey or Disobey

Joseph Fielding Smith                                                              

The Lord does not delight in the punishment of men. He is kind enough to grant to each his freedom to merit blessings or punishment according to his free will or pleasure. It never was the intention of the Lord to destroy, in the sense of annihilation, any of the souls of his children. His great object is to save them all, if they will freely partake of the blessings of salvation. (Doctrines of Salvation, 2:227)


Good Works are Done Only By Free Will

Mosiah 18

28 And thus they should impart of their substance of their own free will and good desires towards God, and to those priests that stood in need, yea, and to every needy, naked soul.


D&C 58

27 Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;

28 For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward.

Heber J. Grant

[Quotes D&C 58:27-28] We should have the ambition, we should have the desire, we should make up our minds that, so far as the Lord Almighty has given to us talent, we will do our full share in the battle of life. It should be a matter of pride that no man shall do more than you will do, in proportion to your ability, in forwarding the work of God here upon the earth. That has been my ambition all my life--to do my full share. (Gospel Standards, p. 39)

Spencer W. Kimball

[Quotes D&C 58:27] All men have been given special powers and within certain limitations should develop those powers, give vent to their own imaginations, and not become rubber stamps. They should develop their own talents and abilities and capacities to their limit and use them to build up the kingdom. (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p. 257)

Gordon B. Hinckley

[Quotes D&C 58:27] The power is in us, in each of us--the power to do significant acts of service on our own initiative if we will become anxiously engaged. (Faith: The Essence of True Religion [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1989], p. 40).

George Q. Cannon

Our Heavenly Father requires something more of us than to be merely obedient to a commandment when he gives it to us. He desires us to strive to do good of ourselves without waiting to be commanded to do so. (Gospel Truth, p. 123)

We Must Exercise Our Free Will to Live God's Law

Lorenzo Snow

We cannot be forced into living a celestial law; we must do this ourselves, of our own free will. (Teachings of Lorenzo Snow, p.166)

Sin Committed By Our Free Will

George Q. Cannon

Therefore, in the great day, when we stand up to be judged according to the deeds done in the body, we cannot plead that we could not help doing so and so, because if we commit sin we do so by our own free will. God has not predestined any of us to be damned. ("Foreknowledge of God," May 10th, 1891 in Collected Discourses, Vol 2)

We Cannot Blame Anyone Else For Misuse of Free Will

Heber J. Grant

We are trusted by the Lord. We are agents. We have our free will. And when the battle of life is over, we have had the ability and the power and the capacity to have done those things which the Lord required us to do and we cannot blame anybody else. (Gospel Standards, p.63)

Celestial Kingdom is Attained By Exercise of Free Will

Lorenzo Snow

We cannot be forced into living a celestial law; we must do this ourselves, of our own free will. And whatever we do in regard to the principles of the united order, we must do it because we desire to do it. Some of us are practicing in the spirit of the united order, doing more than the law of tithing requires. We are not confined to the law of tithing. We have advanced to that point that we feel to soar above this law. (The Teachings of Lorenzo Snow, p. 166.)

Joseph Fielding Smith

This great gift of agency, that is the privilege given to man to make his own choice, has never been revoked, and it never will be. It is an eternal principle giving freedom of thought and action to every soul. No person, by any decree of the Father, has ever been compelled to do good; no person has ever been forced to do evil. Each may act for himself. It was Satan's plan to destroy this agency and force men to do his will. There could be no satisfactory existence without this great gift. Men must have the privilege to choose even to the extent that they may rebel against the divine decrees. Of course salvation and exaltation must come through the free will without coercion and by individual merit in order that righteous rewards may be given and proper punishment be meted out to the transgressor. Therefore, when the great day of the Lord shall come, the wicked who have merited banishment from a righteous government will be consumed, or the privilege of continuance on the earth will be denied. (Answers to Gospel Questions, 2:20; emphasis added)


Free Will-The Only Personal Thing We Can Give God

Neal A. Maxwell

In conclusion, the submission of one's will is really the only uniquely personal thing we have to place on God's altar. The many other things we "give," brothers and sisters, are actually the things He has already given or loaned to us. However, when you and I finally submit ourselves, by letting our individual wills be swallowed up in God's will, then we are really giving something to Him! It is the only possession which is truly ours to give! ("Swallowed Up in the Will of the Father," Ensign, Nov. 1995, p. 24)



ACT 7: The Final Judgment and the Church in the Millennium, 20:11 - 22:5.
        Setting: The throne of God (ark of the covenant), 20:11.

    Scene 1: The final judgment of all mankind, 20:12-15.
    Scene 2: The new heaven and the new earth (the earth in its millennial and celestial state), 21:1-8.
    Scene 3: The Jerusalem of the millennial age, 21:9-21.
    Scene 4: The temple of the millennial Jerusalem, 21:22.
    Scene 5: The illumination of the millennial Jerusalem, 21:23-27.
    Scene 6: The water of life gives life to the millennial Jerusalem, 22:1-5.
    Scene 7: The closing scene: A testimony of the truth of the things portrayed in this vision is given to John, 22:6-21.

 

 

(Revelation 20:12.) – Book of Life

12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

(Doctrine and Covenants 137:9.) – Judged on what we have become, not on what we have done.

9 For I, the Lord, will judge all men according to their works, according to the desire of their hearts.

Celestial parents want to become parents for eternity with their whole hearts and souls.  A great many don’t want this and they will receive lesser kingdoms of glory to spend their eternities, single and separate, lesser capacities.

3 parables:  Ten Virgins, Talents, Sheep and Goats (who qualifies for the Millennium?)  Matthew 25

 

Prepare Spiritually

 

 In the closing chapter of the first book of Nephi, Nephi detailed some marvelous prophecies about the events of the last days. He talked about terrible conditions in Babylon, or the world, in which the people will be warring among themselves, every nation will be warring against the house of Israel, and the fulness of the wrath of God will be poured out upon the children of men (see 1 Ne. 22:13-16). But in the midst of that terrible picture are some marvelous promises. Note what Nephi said: "Wherefore, he will preserve the righteous by his power, even if it so be that the fulness of his wrath must come, and the righteous be preserved, even unto the destruction of their enemies by fire. Wherefore, the righteous need not fear; for thus saith the prophet, they shall be saved, even if it so be as by fire. . . . For behold, the righteous shall not perish; for the time surely must come that all they who fight against Zion shall be cut off. And the Lord will surely prepare a way for his people. . . . And the righteous need not fear" (1 Ne. 22:17-22; emphasis added).

 

The key word Nephi used here is righteous. The promises of deliverance and protection are for the righteous.

 

The scriptures and the modern prophets make it clear that of the three areas of personal preparation—knowledge and understanding, temporal preparation, and spiritual preparation—spiritual preparation is the most critical. President Ezra Taft Benson said in 1981: "We will live in the midst of economic, political, and spiritual instability. When these signs are observed—unmistakable evidences that His coming is nigh—we need not be troubled, but 'stand in holy places, and be not moved, until the day of the Lord come' (D&C 87:8). Holy men and women stand in holy places, and these holy places consist of our temples, our chapels, our homes, and stakes of Zion."16

 

Unfortunately, in some cases, spiritual preparedness is the most neglected area of preparation. During the winter of 1976-77, a severe drought had set in the western United States. Scarcely any snow had fallen through December. In the news was constant talk of a severe water shortage if things did not change. The reaction in Utah and surrounding states with high concentrations of Latter-day Saints was an interesting one. One news report indicated that wheat—primarily for home storage—was normally trucked from Idaho into Utah at the rate of one semi-truck load per week. Suddenly the rate jumped to three semi-truck loads per day! Another television news broadcast reported that purchase of food storage items jumped 800 percent in January 1977. Newspapers reported that people were taking out loans and mortgages on property to add to their food supplies.

 

It would be interesting to know if at that same time there was a resulting rise in the concern about one's spiritual readiness. Did family prayer jump 800 percent during that same period? Was there a significant increase in the holding of family home evening or personal scripture study? Did temple attendance go up sharply? In short, as we rushed to beef up our food storage, was there also a great turning to the Lord and an increased desire to put one's spiritual life in order?

 

 Remember the question people would most like to ask the Savior about his second coming? Most would ask, "How do I prepare myself for what is coming?" In a way, we already have the Savior's answer to that question—the Olivet Discourse, found in Matthew and other places. Some may think Matt. 24 contains the full discourse, but a careful reading of chapter 25 shows that Jesus continued his teaching to the disciples through chapter 25, ending with three parables whose very context was Christ's second coming. That assertion is borne out by the opening words of chapter 25: "And then, at that day, before the Son of man comes, the kingdom of Heaven shall be likened unto . . ." (JST Matt. 25:1). Then follow the three parables: the parable of the ten virgins, the parable of the talents, and the parable of the sheep and the goats. These parables do not discuss the signs of the times per se but rather relate to our spiritual condition. In that sense, they could be thought of as parables of spiritual preparation. So, in a way, we already have the Lord's answer to the question, "How do I prepare myself for what is to come?"

 

The Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matt. 25:1-13)

 

The well-known parable of the ten virgins draws on the wonderful imagery of a wedding celebration in the Middle East. George Mackie, a Christian minister who spent much of his life in the Holy Land, described what a wedding ceremony was like in Palestine in the nineteenth century. In it we see the rich imagery of the parable of the ten virgins.

 

"Oriental [Near Eastern] marriages usually take place in the evening. . . . The whole attention is turned to the public arrival of the bridegroom to receive the bride prepared for him and waiting in the house among her female attendants. . . .

 

"As the hours drag on their topics of conversation become exhausted, and some of them grow tired and fall asleep. There is nothing more to be done, and everything is in readiness for the reception of the bridegroom, when the cry is heard outside announcing his approach.

 

 "The bridegroom meanwhile is absent, spending the day at the house of one of his relatives. There, soon after sunset, that is between seven and eight o'clock, his male friends begin to assemble. . . . The time is occupied with light refreshments, general conversation and the recitation of poetry in praise of the two families chiefly concerned and of the bridegroom in particular. After all have been courteously welcomed and their congratulations received, the bridegroom, about eleven o'clock, intimates his wish to set out. Flaming torches are then held aloft by special bearers, lit candles are handed at the door to each visitor as he goes out, and the procession sweeps slowly along toward the house where the bride and her female attendants are waiting. A great crowd has meanwhile assembled on the balconies, garden-walls, and flat roofs of the houses on each side of the road. . . . The bridegroom is the centre of interest. Voices are heard whispering, 'There he is! there he is!' From time to time women raise their voices in the peculiar shrill, wavering shriek by which joy is expressed at marriages and other times of family and public rejoicing. The sound is heard at a great distance, and is repeated by other voices in advance of the procession, and thus intimation is given of the approach half an hour or more before the marriage escort arrives. . . . As the house is approached the excitement increases, the bridegroom's pace is quickened, and the alarm is raised in louder tones and more repeatedly, 'He is coming, he is coming!'

 

"Before he arrives, the maidens in waiting come forth with lamps and candles a short distance to light up the entrance, and do honour to the bridegroom and the group of relatives and intimate friends around him. These pass into the final rejoicing and the marriage supper; the others who have discharged their duty in accompanying him to the door, immediately disperse, and the door is shut."17

 

In the time of Christ, olive oil was used as the fuel for lamps. Some of those lamps, particularly those carried outside at night, were small. Made of clay or brass, they were filled with olive oil, in which a wick was laid and then lit to provide light. Because these lamps were small enough to fit in the palm of the hand, they obviously contained only a small amount of oil. They would generally burn for about an hour without renewing the supply.

 

A careful study of the parable shows that the key element is the oil for the lamps. All of the ten were virgins. All of the ten had lamps. What distinguished the five wise virgins from the five foolish ones was the extra supply of oil they carried. In the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord gives us the key for understanding what the oil symbolized: "At that day, when I shall come in my glory, shall the parable be fulfilled which I spake concerning the ten virgins. For they that are wise and have received the truth, and have taken the Holy Spirit for their guide, and have not been deceived—verily I say unto you, they shall not be hewn down and cast into the fire, but shall abide the day" (D&C 45:56-57; emphasis added).

 

Olive oil is a wonderful symbol for the power of the Holy Ghost. He is a source of light and truth. His influence is sometimes described in terms of burning and fire. For example, we speak of the burning of the bosom that sometimes accompanies his presence (see D&C 9:8). The scriptures also refer to the "baptism of fire" or of the Holy Ghost (D&C 33:11). So the oil in the parable symbolizes having the light, or the power, of the Holy Ghost in our lives.

 

 Once we understand that symbolism, the message of the parable is clear. We must have the influence of the Spirit with us if we are to be prepared for the Bridegroom's coming. President Spencer W. Kimball commented at some length on the meaning of this parable for our day: "I believe that the Ten Virgins represent the people of the Church of Jesus Christ and not the rank and file of the world. All of the virgins, wise and foolish, had accepted the invitation to the wedding supper; they had knowledge of the program and had been warned of the important day to come. They were not the gentiles or the heathens or the pagans, nor were they necessarily corrupt and reprobate, but they were knowing people who werefoolishly unprepared for the vital happenings that were to affect their eternal lives. . . .

 

"Hundreds of thousands of us today are in this position. Confidence has been dulled and patience worn thin. It is so hard to wait and be prepared always. But we cannot allow ourselves to slumber. The Lord has given us this parable as a special warning.

 

"At midnight, the vital cry was made. . . . At midnight! Precisely at the darkest hour, when least expected, the bridegroom came. When the world is full of tribulation and help is needed, but it seems the time must be past and hope is vain, then Christ will come. The midnights of life are the times when heaven comes to offer its joy for man's weariness. But when the cry sounds, there is no time for preparation. . . . In the daytime, wise and unwise seemed alike; midnight is the time of test and judgment. . . .

 

"The foolish asked the others to share their oil, but spiritual preparedness cannot be shared in an instant. . . .

 

"The kind of oil that is needed to illuminate the way and light up the darkness is not shareable. How can one share obedience to the principle of tithing; a mind at peace from righteous living; an accumulation of knowledge? How can one share faith or testimony? How can one share attitudes or chastity, or the experience of a mission? How can one share temple privileges? Each must obtain that kind of oil for himself. . . .

 

"In the parable, oil can be purchased at the market. In our lives the oil of preparedness is accumulated drop by drop in righteous living. Attendance at sacrament meetings adds oil to our lamps, drop by drop over the years. Fasting, family prayer, home teaching, control of bodily appetites, preaching the gospel, studying the scriptures—each act of dedication and obedience is a drop added to our store. Deeds of kindness, payment of offerings and tithes, chaste thoughts and actions, marriage in the covenant for eternity—these, too, contribute importantly to the oil with which we can at midnight refuel our exhausted lamps."18

 

That is the real oil crisis of our generation, not the one that we sometimes see at the gas pumps. And crisis may not be too strong a word, considering how important it will be to have the Spirit with us in the days that lie ahead.

 

 President Harold B. Lee quoted extensively from a statement by President Heber C. Kimball that directly referred to the imagery of the parable of the ten virgins: "I want to say to you, my brethren, the time is coming when we will be mixed up in these now peaceful valleys to that extent that it will be difficult to tell the face of a Saint from the face of an enemy to the people of God. Then, brethren, look out for the great sieve, for there will be a great sifting time, and many will fall—for I say unto you there is a test, a test, a TEST coming, and who will be able to stand? . . .

 

"Let me say to you, that many of you will see the time when you will have all the trouble, trial and persecution that you can stand, and plenty of opportunities to show that you are true to God and his work. This Church has before it many close places through which it will have to pass before the work of God is crowned with victory. To meet the difficulties that are coming, it will be necessary for you to have a knowledge of the truth of this work for yourselves. The difficulties will be of such a character that the man or woman who does not possess this personal knowledge or witness will fall. If you have not got the testimony, live right and call upon the Lord and cease not till you obtain it. If you do not you will not stand.

 

"Remember these sayings, for many of you will live to see them fulfilled. The time will come when no man nor woman will be able to endure on borrowed light. Each will have to be guided by the light within himself. If you do not have it, how can you stand?"19

 

From this we can conclude that perhaps the single most important thing that we can do in preparing ourselves for the Second Coming is to live so that we can have the power of the Holy Ghost in our lives to guide us, to help us to avoid deception, to give us testimony, and to prepare us for whatever is to come.

 

The Parable of the Talents (Matt. 25:14-30)

 

The parable of the talents, the second parable given by the Savior in Matt. 25, is well known, although not often associated with preparing ourselves for the Second Coming. It has an important lesson for anyone seeking to live the gospel, but the context in which it was given—the Olivet Discourse—gives it special meaning in relation to preparing spiritually for the Savior's return.

 

 In the parable, a man about to take a journey into a far country calls three servants together and delivers to them some of his goods. To one he gives five talents; to another, two; and to another, one. That is done "according to [their] several ability." Then the master takes his journey, leaving the servants to carry on. The first servant through diligent effort doubles the investment given him. When the master returns and learns that this servant now has ten talents, the master is greatly pleased and says to him, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things. I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord" (Matt. 25:21). When the second servant reports that he too, through his diligent effort, has doubled the investment given to him, the master says exactly the same thing to him. That clearly indicates it was not the original amount that mattered but the effort to magnify it. We can assume, then, that if the servant to whom one talent had been given had also been diligent in the use of what the Lord had given him, the Lord would have said exactly the same thing to him as well. Only when the servant makes excuses is the master angry with him, calling him a "wicked and slothful servant" (Matt. 25:26).

 

Once again, remembering that this parable was given as part of Christ's answer on how to prepare for his second coming, what do we learn from the parable of the talents? Statements from two of our modern prophets help us see what the Savior was trying to teach us with this parable.

 

President Joseph Fielding Smith linked the parable to the obligations of priesthood holders: "Each man holding the priesthood should learn his duty from the Parable of the Talents. . . . We are under obligation as men holding the priesthood to put to service the authority which we have received. If we do this, then we shall have other responsibilities and glory added, and we shall receive an abundance, that is, the fullness of the Father's kingdom; but if we bury our priesthood, then we are not entitled to receive any reward—we cannot be exalted."20

 

And President Spencer W. Kimball talked about the meaning of the parable for all Church members: "The Church member who has the attitude of leaving it to others will have much to answer for. There are many who say: 'My wife does the Church work!' Others say, 'I'm just not the religious kind,' as though it does not take effort for most people to serve and do their duty. But God has endowed us with talents and time, with latent abilities and with opportunities to use and develop them in his service. He therefore expects much of us, his privileged children. The parable of the talents is a brilliant summary of the many scriptural passages outlining promises for the diligent and penalties for the slothful."21

 

 What is the lesson of this parable for those who wish to better prepare themselves spiritually? We are to use those things the Lord has bestowed upon us—gifts, talents, abilities, goods, services—in furthering his work. That is what is meant by the principle of consecration. It is a principle often taught in the scriptures. For example, in the Sermon on the Mount, the Savior said: "Seek not the things of this world but seek ye first to build up the kingdom of God, and to establish his righteousness" (JST Matt. 6:33). And an oft-repeated charge given to early leaders of the Church was to "seek to bring forth and establish the cause of Zion" (D&C 6:6; see also 12:6; 14:6).

 

And here is an interesting point. When we take this second charge—to strive to use whatever we have been given to further God's work—then we also fulfill the lesson of the first parable and add oil to our supply. Note how Nephi directly connected the effort to build Zion to having greater power through the Spirit: "And blessed are they who shall seek to bring forth my Zion at that day, for they shall have the gift and the power of the Holy Ghost" (1 Ne. 13:37).

 

If we are diligent in consecrating to his service whatever the Lord has blessed us with, not only shall we be greatly blessed spiritually now but when the Lord comes he shall say to us, as he said to the first two servants in the parable, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."

 

The Parable of the Sheep and the Goats (Matt. 25:31-46)

 

The parable of the sheep and the goats, the last parable given by the Savior on the Mount of Olives, is another well-known and often-cited parable that is not often directly related to preparing for the Second Coming, although that is the context in which it was given. It compares the final judgment to a shepherd's separating his flock. In the Near East, shepherds commonly allow sheep and goats to graze together, but when it comes time for sale, shearing, or other purposes, the sheep and the goats are separated. So shall it be at the Judgment.

 

In the parable, those compared to the sheep are asked to sit at the right hand of God. To them, the king says, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me" (Matt. 25:34-36).

 

Surprised at the Savior's comments, those on his right hand asked, "Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?" (Matt. 25:37-39). The Lord's answer summarizes a most important gospel principle: "Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me" (Matt. 25:40).

 

 Those who are put on the left hand of God (those compared to the goats) are dismayed, and they demand to know why they are so placed. Again the Lord explains, this time saying that they did not do any of those things for him.

 

This parable teaches a third area of spiritual preparation, which is that we must serve our fellowmen as though we were serving Christ. Like the doctrine of consecration, the doctrine of service to our fellowman is taught in numerous other places in the scriptures. For example, in the Lord's preface to the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord specifically linked how we will be judged to how we have treated our fellowmen (see D&C 1:10). King Benjamin taught that when we serve our fellowman, we are serving God (see Mosiah 2:17).

 

Modern prophets have taught the same principle. Christian service was often stressed by President Spencer W. Kimball:

 

"None of us should become so busy in our formal Church assignments that there is no room left for quiet Christian service to our neighbors."22

 

"Recently [the Church] established the new consolidated schedule which is aimed at enriching family life even further, together with greater opportunity for individual and family gospel scholarship and for more Christian service. We are trying to provide more time and emphasis on Christian service, so that our example can be more powerful in the world and so that those who are so worthy of attention might get more attention than they sometimes have in the past."23

 

"How much easier it is to understand and accept [the gospel] if the seeker after truth can also see the principles of the gospel at work in the lives of other believers. No greater service can be given to the missionary calling of this Church than to be exemplary in positive Christian virtues in our lives."24

 

These three wonderful parables show us how to prepare ourselves spiritually for the Second Coming. First, we live so that we will have the influence of the Holy Ghost to give us testimony and guide us (the lesson of the five wise virgins). Second, we render service to the Church and kingdom of God, doing all we can to further the cause of Zion and aid the Lord in doing his work (the lesson of the talents). Third, we show we love God by loving and compassionately serving our fellowman (the lesson of the sheep and the goats).

 

Conclusion

 

 We prepare ourselves for Christ's second coming by gaining greater knowledge and understanding; by becoming temporally self-reliant in education, health, employment, home storage, resource management, and social, emotional, and spiritual strength; and by increasing our spirituality so that we have the Spirit, consecrating the things with which the Lord has blessed us to build his kingdom, and serving our fellowman. When we have made such preparation, then surely we will better understand the Lord's promise: "If ye are prepared ye shall not fear" (D&C 38:30).

 

President Brigham Young gave some marvelous advice about what our focus should be as we strive to be better prepared for Christ's coming: "Are you prepared for the day of vengeance to come, when the Lord will consume the wicked by the brightness of his coming? No. Then do not be too anxious for the Lord to hasten his work. Let our anxiety be centred upon this one thing, the sanctification of our own hearts, the purifying of our own affections, the preparing of ourselves for the approach of the events that are hastening upon us. This should be our concern, this should be our study, this should be our daily prayer, and not to be in a hurry to see the overthrow of the wicked. . . . Seek not to hasten it, but be satisfied to let the Lord have his own time and way, and be patient. Seek to have the Spirit of Christ, that we may wait patiently the time of the Lord, and prepare ourselves for the times that are coming. This is our duty."25 JD 9:3

 

 

(Gerald N. Lund, Selected Writings of Gerald N. Lund: Gospel Scholars Series [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1999], 344.)

 

 

Our final progression toward Godhood will be during the Millennium in a resurrected state.  We will have a body capable of Godhood, but not yet God.  We will be trained in Godhood during the Millennium.

 

Revelation 20:11-22:5 – The Millennium, Bruce has a lot of material on the website about the Millennium.

 

The Millennium and Beyond

 

The Millennium is that glorious season of a thousand years that immediately follows the second coming of Christ. It is a time of peace, happiness, and glory. Following is a summary, taken primarily from the scriptures, of the circumstances of the great Millennium to come.

 

Events That Will Prepare the Earth for the Millennium

 

1. When the Lord comes, every corruptible thing will be consumed, the elements will "melt with fervent heat," and the works of the world will be burned up (2 Pet. 3:10-12; D&C 101:24-25).

 

2. After the earth is cleansed by burning, the Lord will bring "new heavens and a new earth" (2 Pet. 3:10-13; Isa. 65:17) in fact, the Lord has proclaimed that "old things shall pass away, and all things become new" (D&C 63:49).

 

3. The Lord will separate the righteous from the wicked (D&C 63:54). The righteous will remain on the earth for the Millennium, whereas the wicked will be destroyed by burning (Mal. 4:1; D&C 29:9; 64:23; 133:63).

 

4. The Lord will make a full end of all nations (D&C 87:6).

 

5. The Lord will bring the city of Enoch back to earth, there to dwell in Zion (Moses 7:62-64)

 

6. The wicked will remain in the spirit world until after the Millennium has ended (D&C 88:101; Rev. 20:5).

 

 Physical Conditions of the Earth in the Millennium

 

1. "In the beginning of the seventh thousand years . . . the Lord God [will] sanctify the earth" (D&C 77:12).

 

2. The mountains and valleys will be made smooth (D&C 133:22).

 

3. The land will all be brought into one continent, "like as it was in the days before it was divided" (D&C 133:23-24).

 

4. "The earth shall be transfigured" (D&C 63:20-21).

 

5. "The earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory" (A of F 1:10), becoming like the Garden of Eden (Ezek. 36:35). Like the Garden of Eden, the earth will be devoid of thorns and thistles (Gen. 3:18).

 

6. The earth will rest for a thousand years (Moses 7:64).

 

7. The enmity between animals will cease (Isa. 11:6-7; 65:25; D&C 101:26).

 

8. The enmity between animals and man will cease (Isa. 11:6, 8; D&C 101:26).

 

9. The curse between the serpent and the seed of the woman will be removed (Gen. 3:15; Isa. 11:8).

 

10. Man's perfect dominion over the animals will be restored (Gen. 1:28; Isa. 11:6).

 

11. People will enjoy the fruits of their labors (Isa. 65:21-23; D&C 101:101).

 

12. Time will be no longer (D&C 84:100; 88:110).

 

Conditions of Those Who Dwell on the Earth in the Millennium

 

1. Children will grow up and grow old (D&C 63:51).

 

2. People will die only after they reach a hundred years old (Isa. 65:20), and then they will "be changed in the twinkling of an eye" to a glorious state (D&C 43:32; 63:51; 101:30).

 

3. There will be no death as we know it: "there shall be no sorrow because there is no death" (D&C 101:29).

 

4. It will be a state of gladness, rejoicing, and joy; "and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying" (Isa. 65:18-19).

 

 5. Those who are resurrected will dwell in the New Jerusalem (D&C 63:49).

 

6. Family history and temple work will be accelerated, without the obstacles we now know.1

 

Spiritual Blessings of Those Who Dwell on the Earth in the Millennium

 

1. Satan will be bound by the power of God (Rev. 20:1-3; see also D&C 43:31; 45:55; 88:110), leaving him "no place in the hearts of the children of men" and "no power over [their] hearts" (D&C 45:55; 1 Ne. 22:26; see also 2 Ne. 30:18; D&C 101:28). Satan will also have no power "because of the righteousness of [the] people" (1 Ne. 22:26).

 

2. Children will "grow up without sin unto salvation" (D&C 45:58).

 

3. The Lord's glory will dwell on the earth, that all may see it (Isa. 35:2; D&C 84:101; 101:25).

 

4. The entire earth will be as a temple, which God calls "my holy mountain" (Isa. 65:25).

 

5. The Lord himself will dwell "with men on earth" (D&C 29:11; see also Zech. 2:10; D&C 84:101; 133:25).

 

6. "The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord" (Isa. 11:9; Hab. 2:14; 2 Ne. 30:15) everyone will know the Lord (Jer. 31:34; D&C 84:98).

 

7. Eventually, all will come to worship the Lord (Isa. 66:23).

 

8. All things will be revealed to the children of men (2 Ne. 30:16-18; D&C 101:32-34).

 

9. Man's every request of the Lord will be granted (D&C 101:27), surely because no one will ask amiss (James 4:3; 2 Ne. 4:35).

 

10. The prayer of one's heart will be answered even before it is uttered (Isa. 65:24).

 

 Sinners and Those Who Are Not Members of Christ's Church in the Millennium

 

1. At least for a time, there will be some on earth who are not members of Christ's church during the Millennium.2

 

2. At least for a time, there will be some who worship other gods (Micah 4:5; Zech. 14:16-19).

 

3. "There will be wicked men on the earth during the thousand years. The heathen nations who will not come up to worship will be visited with the judgments of God and must eventually be destroyed from the earth."3

 

4. At least for a time, there will be those who are called "sinners" (Isa. 65:20). Perhaps their destiny is the same as that of the heathen nations described above.4

 

Social Conditions in the Millennium

 

1. After the cleansing fire that precedes the Millennium, only righteous people will remain on the earth, for "the wicked shall not stand" (D&C 29:11).

 

2. All enmity among mankind will cease (D&C 101:26).

 

3. The Millennium will be a time of peace, with no war anywhere (Isa. 2:4; Micah 4:3).

 

4. The Lord will keep the people of the earth safe from harm (Hosea 2:18; Micah 4:4).

 

 5. The Lord will give the people "a pure language" (Zeph. 3:9).

 

6. The people will come to a true unity (Zeph. 3:9; D&C 84:98).

 

Political Conditions in the Millennium

 

1. The Lord will reign over the earth as king (Dan. 7:13-14; D&C 38:21; 133:25; A of F 10).

 

2. Jesus Christ will be our lawgiver (D&C 38:22; 45:59).

 

3. The Saints will rule with him (Dan. 7:27; Rev. 5:10; Rev. 20:4, 6; D&C 43:29).

 

4. Christ and the resurrected Saints will probably not dwell upon the earth continually during the thousand years.

 

5. There will be two world capitals, Zion and Jerusalem (Isa. 2:3).

 

Conditions at the End of the Millennium

 

1. When the thousand years are over, men will "again begin to deny their God" (D&C 29:22).

 

2. Satan will be loosed to reign for a "little season" (Rev. 20:3, 7; D&C 43:31).

 

3. Satan will go forth again to "deceive the nations" (Rev. 20:8).

 

4. Satan will gather his armies (the hosts of hell) to fight against Michael and his armies (the hosts of heaven) (D&C 88:111-13). The number of Satan's followers will be "as the sand of the sea" (Rev. 20:8). In the "battle of the great God," Satan and his armies will surround the Saints and "the beloved city," but "fire [will come] down from God out of heaven, and [devour] them" (D&C 88:114; Rev. 20:9).

 

5. The devil will be cast into "the lake of fire and brimstone," where he "shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever" (Rev. 20:10).

 

6. The remaining dead will all be resurrected (D&C 29:26-28).

 

7. The family of man will be judged, to receive a blessing or a cursing (Rev. 20:11-15; 21:7; D&C 29:26-28).

 

8. "And the end shall come, and the heaven and the earth shall be consumed and pass away" (D&C 29:23).

 

 The Celestial World

 

1. A celestial glory will be established on the earth; it is called "a new heaven and a new earth." The celestialized earth will have no sea (Rev. 21:1; D&C 29:23-24).

 

2. The earth will be "crowned with glory" and "sanctified" (D&C 88:19, 26).

 

3. The righteous will inherit the glorified earth (D&C 88:26).

 

4. God himself will dwell with mankind on the celestialized earth (Rev. 21:3; D&C 88:19).

 

5. "There shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away" (Rev. 21:4).

 

6 Those in the celestial world will "inherit all things" and will be called the sons and daughters of God (Rev. 21:7).

 

7. The celestial city of New Jerusalem is glorious beyond description, a place of eternal treasures and heavenly delights (Rev. 21:9-27; 22:1).

 

1. Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 2:251-52.

 

2. Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 1:86-87; 3:63-64.

 

3. Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 268. The footnote to this statement in Teachings gives the following clarification by Joseph Fielding Smith: "The Prophet's statement that there will be wicked men on the earth during the Millennium has caused considerable confusion in the minds of many who have read in the Scripture in many places that when Christ comes the earth shall be cleansed from its wickedness, and that the wicked shall not stand, but shall be consumed. See D&C 5:18-19, 29:8, 101:23; Isa. 24:1-3; Mal. 4:1. The evil-minded inhabitants, those 'who love and make a lie' and are guilty of all manner of corruption, will be consumed and pass away when Christ comes. In using the term 'wicked men' in this instruction at the home of Judge Adams, the Prophet did so in the same sense in which the Lord uses it in the eighty-fourth section of the Doctrine and Covenants, 49-53. The Lord in this scripture speaks of those who have not received the Gospel as being under the bondage of sin, and hence 'wicked.' However, many of these people are honorable, clean living men, but they have not embraced the Gospel. The inhabitants of the terrestrial order will remain on the earth during the Millennium, and this class are without the Gospel ordinances. See D&C 76:73-76."

 

4. For further clarification of the word sinner in Isa. 65:20, see note 2, above. See also Parry, Parry, and Peterson, Understanding Isaiah, 578-79.

 

5. Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, 268.

 

 

(Donald W. Parry and Jay A. Parry, Understanding the Signs of the Times [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1999], 465.)