What we might Expect in the Next Twenty-Five Years
Introduction: What is the most exciting thing you can imagine happening next year? Our Heavenly Father knew that the child of men would be anxious to know about the future. However, his primary purpose in revealing the unfolding of spectacular events which no one could have anticipated is so that we can better prepare ourselves. That is the primary purpose of this presentation. As you will see, there is much for which we need to be prepared, and the Lord says “If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear.” 1
“And Adam stood up in the midst of the congregation; and, notwithstanding he was bowed down with age, being full of the Holy Ghost, predicted whatsoever should befall his posterity unto the latest generation.”2
Then we read that Enoch knew about the present day when the missionaries would flood the earth with the message of the Book of Mormon and the restoration of the Gospel. The scripture says:
“And righteousness will I send down out of heaven; and truth will I send forth out of the earth. . . to sweep the earth as with’ a flood, to gather out mine elect from the four corners of the earth.” 3
The prophet Isaiah saw our day and wrote a whole chapter about the coining forth of the Book of Mormon and the marvelous work and a wonder that would follow among other things, he said:
“And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed: and the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned. . . .Wherefore, behold, I [ will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder."4
It was Nephi who saw our day in great detail but was forbidden to write about it. The Lord said:
"And the angel said unto me; Behold, one of the twelve apostles of the Lamb... shall see and write the remainder of these things....And the things which thou shall see hereafter thou shalt not write; for the Lord God hath ordained the apostle of the Lamb of God that he should write them.... and I Nephi heard and bear record, that the name of the apostle of the lamb was John." 5
The first time was at the end of the book of First Nephi. He was describing the major events leading up to the Second Coming and the ushering in of the Millennium when suddenly he stopped and said:
"I durst not speak further as yet concerning these things." 6
This almost sounds as though he hoped he might be able to do it at some future time. In any event he did not write his second book until he was an old man. During the years he had carefully read the writings of Isaiah and quoted thirteen chapters of Isaiah because he knew that prophet had seen the same vision as Lehi, Nephi and Jacob. Nephi therefore let Isaiah relate what each of them had seen. Nevertheless, as Nephi came toward the end of his Second Book of Nephi and began waxing eloquent in proclaiming the doctrine of Christ, he seems to have reached a point where he had something he was especially anxious to record. But he suddenly stopped and said:
"I, Nephi, cannot say more; the Spirit STOPPETH MINE UTTERANCE."7
He then goes into mourning because he is fearful the people will not search out the "great knowledge" which he feels is in the scripture but the evil spirit will discourage them from finding it. Nevertheless, he hopes that through prayer the Holy Ghost will reveal it to them. Meanwhile he was forbidden to utter those things he was so anxious to declare openly and plainly. It was reserved to be included in the writings of John .
Is this a contradiction?
We have reason to believe that the first reference to the 144,000 during the sixth seal is referring to the selection and sealing up of these choice servants IN THE SPIRIT WORLD before they came into the earth. That there were such foreordinations in the spirit world is described by Alma:
"And this is the manner after which they were ordained - being called and prepared from the FOUNDATION OF TUE WORLD according to the FOREKNOWLEDGE OF GOD. "10
And we also have the words of Joseph Smith who said:
"Every man who has a calling to minister to the inhabitants of the world was ordained to that very purpose in the Grand Council of heaven before this world was. I suppose that I was ordained to this very office in that Grand Council."11
"Question: What are we to understand by the angel ascending from the east is he to whom is given the seal of the living God over the twelve tribes of Israel
"Answer: If you will receive it this is Elias which was to come to gather together the tribes of Israel and restore all things.
"Question: What TIME are the things spoken of in this chapter to be accomplished?
"Answer: They are to be accomplished in the sixth thousand years or the opening of the SIXTH seal.
"Question: 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 each tribe? [the opening of the seventh seal and the gathering of the Ten Tribes]?
“Answer: We are to understand that those who are sealed… to administer the everlasting gospel; for they are ordained out of every nation [THE ANGELS to whom is given power over the nations of the earth, and bring as many as will come to the church of the Firstborn." 12
"Question: When are the things to be accomplished, which are written in the 9th chapter of Revelation [the cleansing of the earth]? They are to be accomplished after the opening of the SEVENTH seal, before the coming of Christ.”13
From these scriptures it is quite clear why we have the foreordination and sealing up of the 144,000 in the spirit world as described in the seventh chapter of Revelation, and a description of the subsequent ministry of the 144,000 among the children of men in Revelation, chapter fourteen.14
“And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.” 15
This immediately raises four highly significant questions. For example:
#1. According to OUR calendar, when will the seventh seal be opened, and the half-hour of silence begins in heaven?
Until 1582 A.D. our calendar was not at all accurate, but Pope Gregory employed a group of mathematicians and astronomers to restructure the calendar. They set up the new calendar so that it was in perfect harmony or calibration with the sun. To make it completely accurate they had to add one day every four years and that is how we got our “leap year.”
But even with all that restructuring, how are we certain that it is completely accurate? The best answer to that question is in the Doctrine and Covenants. On two occasions the Lord used the Gregorian calendar in such a way that it seemed to clearly imply his approval of it.
In Section 20 the Lord said he wanted the Church established on the sixth day of April because it would be “one thousand eight hundred and thirty years since the coming of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the flesh.” 16
In the very next section we are told the Church was set up by Joseph Smith under the guidance of the Holy Ghost and then it says:
“Which church was organized and established in the year of your Lord eighteen hundred and thirty, in the fourth month, and on the sixth day of the month which is called April.” 17
So if our calendar is accurate and apparently approved by the Lord, there is no question about the date of the opening of the seventh seal and the half hour of silence in heaven. It will commence in the year 2000 AD .
#2. Why is there suddenly “silence in heaven” when the SEVENTH seal is opened?
Apparently there is a great deal of furious activity in heaven right up to the time the seventh seal is opened. The Priesthood of this dispensation are required to work at a tremendous pace to get ready for the Second Coming. This was explained to Wilford Woodruff the last time he was allowed to see Joseph Smith in the spirit world. He says:
“Joseph Smith continued visiting myself and others up to a certain time and then it stopped. The last time I saw him was in heaven. In the night vision I saw him at the door of the temple in heaven. He came and spoke to me. He said he could not stop to talk with me because he was in a hurry. The next man I met was Father Smith; he could not talk with me because he was in a hurry. I met a half a dozen brethren who had held high positions on earth and none of them could stop to talk with me because they were in a hurry. I was much astonished. By and by I saw the Prophet again, and I got the privilege to ask him a question. ‘Now,’ said I, ‘I want to know why you’re in a hurry. I have been in a hurry all through my life but I expected my hurry would be over when I got into the kingdom of heaven, if I ever did.’ Joseph said, ‘I will tell you, Brother Woodruff, every dispensation that has had the Priesthood on the earth and has gone into the celestial kingdom, has had a certain amount of work to do to prepare to go to the earth with the Savior when He goes to reign on the earth. Each dispensation has had ample time to do this work. We have not. We are the last dispensation, and so much work has to be done and we need to be in a hurry in order to accomplish it.’ Of course, that was satisfactory with me, but it was a new doctrine to me.” 18
Joseph Smith made it plain to Wilford Woodruff that the Priesthood of this dispensation are working under a fantastic deadline to teach everyone who has died without the gospel since the apostolic times. This task has to be completed by the time of ‘the opening of the seventh seal when the hosts of heaven will have a new task connected with the final preparation and cleansing of the earth for the Second Coming.
#3. DO WE KNOW WHEN THE HALF HOUR OF SILENCE ENDS?
From a modern revelation we learn when the half hour of silence ends. Here is what the Lord says:
“And there shall be silence in heaven for the space of half an hour, and IMMEDIATELY after shall the curtain of heaven be unfolded, as a scroll is unfolded after it is rolled up, AND THE FACE OF THE LORD SHALL BE UNVEILED; and the saints that are upon the earth, who are alive, shall be quickened and be caught up to meet him.” 19
Obviously we are talking about the Second Coming. So this tells us when the half hour of silence ends. It is just before the Second Coming.
#4. CAN WE calculate THE ACTUAL DURATION OF TH HOUR OF SILENCE?
Since we know the half hour of silence begins at 2,000 A.D. when the seventh seal is opened and since we know from a modern revelation that the half hour of silence ends with the Second Coming, can we calculate in terms of years the length of time which will elapse between these two monumental events? In other words, can we determine about how long the half hour of silence lasts?
One of the apostles felt that such a calculation was possible. Here is the way Elder Bruce R. McConkie suggested it could be done. After talking about the half hour of silence, he says:
“If the time here mentioned is ‘ Lord’s time’ in which one day is a thousand years, the haft hour would be some twenty-one of our years.”
Elder McConkie reached this conclusion based on the following scriptures:
“A day with the Lord after his manner of reckoning, it being 1000 years according to the time appointed to that [ whereon thou standest."
And again:
"But beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that ONE DAY is with the Lord as a THOUSAND YEARS, and a thousand years as one day."
The next step was to divide 1,000 years by 24 to determine what an hour would be according to God’s time. It turned out to be 41.66 years or just under 42 years. This means that a half hour of God’s time would be ? 7 years or nearly 21 years. This would clearly suggest that this is the duration of the half hour of silence in heaven and the period of time when the angels undertake the calamitous preparation of the earth for the Savior’s second coming.
Here is a brief summary of each of these chapters.
Chapter 8. After the seventh seal is opened, the first four angels receive their assignments to cleanse certain portions of the earth.
Chapter 9. The fifth and sixth angels are assigned their ministry of cleansing the earth but they are not ‘to torment or destroy those who have the "seal of God in their foreheads." (verse 4) This probably refers to those who are under the Lord’s covenant, or members of the church. However, all others will be tormented until they "seek death and shall not find it." (verse 6) But in the end over a third of mankind will be destroyed. (verse 15) During the raging wars over two hundred million men will be under arms. (verse 16) There is an amazingly accurate description of the highly mechanized instruments of war that will be employed. (verses 17-19) Nevertheless, in spite of all this period of turmoil and bloodshed the people not only refuse to repent but become more depraved and debauched than ever. (verse 20-21)
It will be recalled that when Joseph Smith was asked the specific time when the 144,000 would be foreordained and sealed he said: "In the sixth thousand years or the opening of the sixth seal." 23 but later Joseph Smith was asked, "When are the devastating things to be accomplished which are written in the 9th chapter," he replied: "After the opening of the seventh seal, before the coming of Christ." 24 as we shall see later, the coming of the ten lost tribes and the ministry of the 144,000 to every nation just before the Second Coming, all occur after the opening of the seventh seal.
Chapter 10. The seventh angel (identified in verse 7) holds up a little book whereupon seven thunders roar out a message which John was forbidden to record. (verse 4)
When Joseph Smith was asked what this little book represented, he said:
"We are to understand that it was a mission, and an ordinance, for him to gather the tribes of Israel; behold, this is the Elias, who, as it is written must come and restore all things." 25
During the June Conference of 1831 Joseph Smith revealed that John the Beloved was already among the ten tribes of Israel who had been led away by Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, to prepare for their return from the long dispersion. 26
This is not referring to the remnants of Israel scattered among the various nations, but that supremely righteous segment of the Ten Tribes whom Moses said eventually would be gathered in from the "outmost parts of heaven." 27
chapter 11. This is a heavenly vision of the climax to the second worldwide dictatorship. It will culminate in the great battle of Armageddon which we will discuss later.
chapter 12. This chapter provides the background for the fall of Lucifer and his hosts after the war in heaven. John says it was there that the righteous fought against Satan "by their word and their testimony" trying to persuade the confused and uncommitted spirits to support Christ’s gospel plan. In the end, two-thirds rallied behind Jehovah but one-third supported Satan and were cast out into the mortal earth. (verses 7-11)
John depicts the Saints of God as being like "a woman clothed with the sun." (verse 1) John looks back through the centuries and realizes that because of Satan’s persecution of God’s kingdom there would be "a time and times and half a time" (verse 14) when the woman would have to flee into hiding. This would be off and on throughout the 3,500 years incorporated in the dispensation of Joseph, Moses and the apostles. John saw that not until 1,830 A.D. would the woman of the Church of Jesus Christ come forth in all her power and glory. Then John says:
"And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed (God’s servants in the latter days] which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” (verse 17)
It will be appreciated that the previous five chapters are describing the elaborate structure of the angelic forces in heaven to prepare for the mighty contest that will take place on the earth after the opening of the sixth and seventh seals. John wants us to know that during this contest Satan will lay the foundation for two worldwide dictatorships. Now we are ready for Revelation, chapter thirteen.
John says the first worldwide dictatorship will come into its full dimension of power shortly after the year 2,000 but its beginning will be during the sixth seal. It is not a single dictatorship, but a coalition of nations. Here is how John describes it:
“And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.” 29
The reference to HIS horns and HIS heads demonstrates that these nations were a unified coalition. We do not know why seven heads would have ten horns and ten crowns unless three of these nations had colonial dominions.
John leaves no doubt that this monster rising out of the sea was a Satanicinstitution. Speaking of the monster as a united entity, John says “the dragon” gave him his power and his seat of authority. 30
John describes the figurative symbols used by God, and says this dictatorship had the sinister cunning of a leopard, the feet and claws of a bear, and the teeth and mouth of a lion.
An apostle has warned that there is. For many years J. Reuben Clark, former U.S. Under-Secretary of State and a member of the First Presidency of the LDS Church, had been sounding the alarm.
He first became concerned when President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill signed the Atlantic Treaty on a U.S. cruiser off the coast of Newfoundland in August, 1941. Of course, who might have suspected that this might be the beast John saw rising out of the sea? It was viewed by most people as merely a mutual defense pact
However, World War II changed the whole world landscape and the United States came out of that terrible conflict as the new world leader with the Soviet Union a jealous and frantically obsessed competitor.
There were several reasons why the United States forged into first place as a world leader. To begin with, her Wall Street bankers had invented a virtually unlimited “debt based” economy so – to a large extent – the U.S. generously financed the major part of the Allied war effort. Secondly she had out produced most of the rest of the world in planes, ships, tanks and military supplies. Third, she was far and away the leader in high technology although Russia, by stealing many of America’s top secrets, was not far behind.
World War II ended in 1945, but by 1949, Russia had muscled and maneuvered her way into dominating approximately 1/3 of the entire planet. Europe, Asia and Latin America looked to the United States to prevent further Communist expansion.
Thus it was on April 4, 1948, that the United States, Britain and certain other countries dangerously threatened by the Soviet Union, signed THE NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY. It provided that if the Soviets attacked ONE member of the treaty it was an attack against ALL. This pact contained a score of blatant violations of the U.S. Constitution, nevertheless, to a large extent the new NATO treaty was popular, but not with J. Reuben Clark.
After he studied the document he gave a thundering warning which was first heard by the Trust Division of the American Bankers Association on August 17, 1949. He said:
“The North Atlantic Treaty, recently passed, is a military alliance pure and simple. It is what our forefathers called an ‘entangling alliance.’”31
This entire speech was filled with fiery quotations from the American Founding Fathers predicting disastrous results if the United States ever allowed itself to be trapped within an international conglomerate of interdependent alliances.
Of course, the North Atlantic Treaty was just the beginning.
As a result of these and other fiascos, Ronald Reagan was elected President in 1980. He got the backing of both parties and spent two trillion dollars building America back up to the most powerful nation on earth.
The Soviet Union tried to compete with the United States but finally went bankrupt and in 1989 the whole Soviet Union fell apart. Russia became an isolated, despondent, disorganized non-entity, and the Cold War was over.
Now we go back to John who saw something amazing happen. He says:
“And I saw one of his heads as [if] were wounded to death; and his DEADLY WOUND WAS HEALED: and all the world wondered after the beast.
“And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying Who is like unto the beast? WHO IS ABLE TO MAKE WAR WITH HIM?” 32
One of the amazing things about the Cold War was the fact that the Soviet Union was crushed into near annihilation. It was completely fragmented and left with only the original, isolated Russia as a wounded remnant of what had been a world super-power. Never had there been such a golden opportunity to require the Soviets to disarm, defuse or destroy her intercontinental ballistic missiles, get her factories converted over to domestic production and launch a massive road construction so her farmers could get the vast food supply from the muddy Russian fields to the central markets. But none of this happened. John saw what did happen.
The United Nations extended a generous helping hand to the Soviet Union – which had previously set out to conquer the world – and used the resources of the free world to begin building her up again. Eventually, this bloody head that was saved by the rest of the UN may prove to be once more the most dangerous facet of the first world dictatorship.
So the coalition of many heads and horns John saw in vision, will continue to strengthen itself until it becomes a world-wide dictatorship of ruthless proportions. It will dominate the whole human race for 3.5 years. This is still future.
George Bush was the new President and he had always favored a New World Order to enforce justice and peace. He looked upon the crisis in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia as an ideal opportunity to show what the policeman of the world, acting in the name of the United Nations, could do to give itself credibility. Therefore, without following the requirements of the Constitution, he asked Congress to ratify a UN resolution and the next thing the country knew, half a million Americans were in the PersianGulf War.
A gigantic, massive air attack ended the war after a few days and its success established the precedent J. Reuben Clark had hoped would never happen. From this point on the President the United States as commander in chief would look upon any UN decree as an order to take “police” action. But the Persian Gulf War was the only success so far. It didn’t happen in Somalia, Bosnia, or Yugoslavia.
So the first dictatorship reaches a point where it dominates the world and sustains the ongoing society of immorality, abortion, non-religious education, high crimes and misdemeanors for which even the President could not be impeached even though he was finally forced to confess what he had done, and the House found him guilty of two counts. However, the Senate did not have enough support to convict him because under the 17th Amendment the Senators had to face a popular election and too many of the Senators felt the President was supported by most of the people so that if they impeached him they might not be re-elected themselves. (Under the original Constitution, Senators were appointed by the state legislatures to protect the Constitution and states rights. This was changed in 1915.)
And so, as John says, it will continue until at some point the first dictatorship will attain a position of absolute power for three-and-a-half years. Then an amazing thing will happen.
“And he [beast or dictator] opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
“And it was given unto him to make WAR AGAINST THE Saints and to OVERCOME them: and power was given him over all mankind, and tongues and nations.” 34
But what happened? He doesn’t tell us what happened! He simply closes the account of the first dictatorship with this rather amazing philosophical comment:
“If any man have an ear, let him hear. 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.” 35
In other words, the first dictatorship has disintegrated into ashes and the faith of the saints is vindicated.
But what brought this about after the first dictatorship turned on the Saints and overpowered them?
Perhaps John left out this vital part of his story so it could be told by his Master. In any event we now have the whole story in the Book of Mormon, and it probably gives us far greater details than John could have provided.
Here is the way Jesus said it:
“And thus commandeth the Father that I should say unto you: At that day when the Gentiles shall sin against my gospel, and shall be lifted up in the pride of their hearts above all nations, and above all people of the whole earth, and shall be filled with all manner of lyings, and of deceits, and of mischiefs, and all manner of hypocrisy, and murders, and priestcrafts, and whoredoms, and of secret combinations, and if they shall do all those things, and shall reject the fulness of my gospel, behold, saith the Father, I WILL BRING THE FULNES MY GOSPEL FROM AMONG THEM.” 36
“And the Father hath commanded me that I should give unto you this land for your inheritance.
“And I say unto you, that if the Gentiles do not repent after the blessing which they shall receive, after they have scattered my people – then shall ye WHO ARE A REMNANT OF THE HOUSE OF Israel go forth among them, and ye shall be in the midst of them who shall be many, and ye shall be among them as a lion among the beasts of the forest, and as a young lion among the flocks of sheep, who, if he goeth through both treadeth down and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver.
“Thy hand shall be lifted up upon thine adversaries, and all thine enemies shall be cut off. I will gather my people together as a man gathereth his sheaves into the floor. For I will make my people with whom the Father hath covenanted, yea, I will make thy horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass. And thou shalt beat in pieces many people; and I will consecrate their gain unto the Lord, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth. And behold, I am he who doeth it.” 38
But what would provoke them to attack the gentile nations which are located primarily in North America? And how would they ever have the military strength to win a decisive victory of a dictatorship that had ruled the whole world for three-and-half years?
As we have already seen, John the Revelator said the first dictatorship would disintegrate right after it commences to “make war with the saints, and overcome them.” 39
But is this the CAUSE of its downfall or merely a COINCIDENCE which occurs incidental to the collapse of the first dictatorship?
During the past twenty years something has been occurring among the Latin American countries which has kindled a violent bitterness toward the United States, although it has received practically no publicity. Here is what happened.
According to Dr. Patrick S.J. Carmack, the massive privately-owned banks which dominate the United Nations World Bank and International Monetary Fund went down to the Latin American countries around 1980 and offered them huge quantities of money on loan. The Latin American countries and their corrupt leaders eagerly accepted the money.
However, they have not been able to pay the interest on these loans, let alone the principal. The banks said they would just add the unpaid interest to the principal and soon these poverty stricken countries found themselves paying vast amounts in COMPOUND INTEREST on huge sums which represented not only the original loan but the accumulated interest they have not been able to pay. This is called COMPOUND INTEREST.
Dr. Carmack points out that the anguish of the Latin American countries is reflected in the fact that between 1980 and 1990 they paid $418 billion in interest on the original loans of 80 billion. 40
The bank managers knew from the beginning that these nations would never be able to pay off these huge debts, but they had a scheme to liquidate the debts by exchanging them for valuable national assets of these nations.
Dr. Carmack reports that such a proposal was made during the Fourth World Wilderness Conference in 1987. The plan allows Third World debtors to transfer their debt to the World Conservation Bank which then negotiates with each nation in terms of their national assets (such as undeveloped mining sites, wilderness areas, etc.) until the full indebtedness is liquidated. This scheme has already been implemented in Bolivia, Costa Rica and Ecuador. 41
The main significance in all of this is the discovery that there are powerful engines of resentment and desperate hatred being generated among the Latin American countries. They are focused on the United States because they feel these financial traps were engineered by the IMF and World Bank under the control of the United States.
Under certain provocative circumstances this is the type of explosive indignation that might generate an uprising. This would be particularly true if the United States was suddenly engulfed in some natural disaster or plague THAT LEFT HER SUDDENLY WEAK.
“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. It shall not be stayed until the Lord comes.
“Nevertheless, Zion shall escape if she observe to do all things whatsoever I have commanded her.”
“But if she observe not to do whatsoever I have commanded her, I will visit her according to all her works; with sore affliction, with pestilence, with plague, with sword, with vengeance, with devouring fire.” 42
Joseph Smith saw a vision of the cleansing of America and wrote:
“And now I am prepared to say by the authority of Jesus Christ, that not many years shall pass away before the United States shall present such a scene of bloodshed as has not a parallel in the history of our nation; pestilence, hail, famine, and earthquake will sweep the wicked of this generation from off the face of the land to open and prepare the way for the return of the lost tribes of Israel from the north country.” 43
There are three other accounts by those who were allowed to see a vision of what it will be like when the cleansing of America occurs.
The first is the account by John Taylor who was allowed to see the nation in the grip of a terrible scourge which he said would leave whole cities without any life whatever. 44
The second is Brigham Young who also saw the terrible plagues and scourges which would make the United States extremely vulnerable to any hostile invasion. 45
The third is by Charles D. Evans who describes the nature of the plague which is horrible to contemplate. 46
Finally, a modern revelation verifies the reality of this terrible pestilence and it is just as ghastly and abhorrent as that which these three men saw in vision. 47
The Lord also says:
“And 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.” 48
“Nevertheless, Zion shall escape if she observe to do all things whatsoever I have commanded her.” 49
This is confirmed in another revelation where the Lord says:
“But my disciples shall stand in holy places, and shall not be moved; but among the wicked, men shall lift up their voices and curse God and die…When all these things shall come to pass, ye may know that the promises which have been made unto you will all be fulfilled.” 50
As President Heber C. Kimball described these prophecies of the latter days, the people asked him, “What will become of this people?” He replied:
“That will depend, altogether upon our conduct. We have it within our power; God has given it to us to save ourselves from the desolation and calamities that will come upon this nation. How? By doing that which is right… .If we do this, prosperity will be upon the inhabitants…prosperity will be upon the towns and cities erected by this people, the hand of the Lord will be over us to sustain us, and we will spread forth…
“Now we have the choice. It is within our reach… .And on the other hand, we ca n reach forth the hand and partake of wickedness and bring desolation and destruction upon our borders.” 51
“Yea, the work shall commence among all the dispersed of my people, with the Father, to prepare the way whereby they may come unto me, that they may call on the Father in my name. Yea, and. then shall the work commence, with the Father, among all nations, in preparing the way whereby his people may be gathered home to the land of their inheritance.” 52
And of course for the members of The Church, that’s America! The Lord speaks of these gathering Saints from all over the world in a modern revelation:
“And it shall come to pass that the righteous shall be gathered out from among ALL NATIONS, and shall come to Zion, singing with songs of everlasting joy.” 53
Brigham Young knew that a lot of the Saints would expect the kingdom of God to be only members of the church, but President Young said that is not the way the Lord planned it. Here are his words:
“The Kingdom of God [Those living under God’s Law] consists in correct principles; and it mattereth not what a man’s religious faith is; whether he be a Presbyterian, or a Methodist, or a Baptist, or a Latter-day Saint or ‘Mormon,’ or a Catholic or
Episcopalian, or Mohammedan, or even pagan, or anything else, if he WILL BOW THE KNEE AND WITH HIS tongue CONFESS THAT JESUS IS THE CHRIST, and will support good and wholesome laws for the regulation of society, we hail him as a brother, and will stand by him while he stands by us in these things; for every man’s religious faith is a matter between his own soul and his God alone.” 54
“And it shall come to pass among the wicked, that every man that will not take up his sword against his neighbor must needs flee unto Zion for safety.” 56
How grateful these peace-loving families will be after Prince Gog gets going with the second dictatorship. The scripture says:
“And 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.” 57
“Wherefore, the days will come that no flesh shall be safe upon the waters., 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. 60
This verse would suggest that while America is by violent seas it will be impossible for ordinary people to either fly or sail across the turbulent oceans in an effort to get to Zion or America.
Another scripture implying complete isolation of the western hemisphere is the Lord’s statement we have already quoted which says:
“And 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.” 61
Joseph Smith warned that when the signal goes out to gather to Zion, the people must not tarry or they may lose their opportunity to even get to Zion. He said:
“The cry is to make haste. The last revelation says, Ye shall not have tine to have gone over the earth [ our missionaries), until these things come. It will come as did the cholera, war, fires and earthquakes; one pestilence after another..
This isolation of the righteous and peace-loving people in America& will be an ideal situation for the building of theNew Jerusalem and setting up numerous Zion cities on the western hemisphere. Concerning America at this particular time, the Lord says:
"...the wicked will not dare come unto it, and it shall be called Zion." 63
"And I beheld ANOTHER BEAST COMING UP OUT OF THE EARTH; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake like a dragon. 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.
"And he doeth great wonders, so he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth, by the means of these 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.
"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. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free or bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
"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.... and his number is Six hundred three score and six." 64
It was the ambition of the second dictatorship to exercise "all the power of the first beast. . .and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed." 65
Ezekiel tells us that this second dictatorship was designed to mobilize all the gentile nations of the world under a massive army. But what happens to the heathen nations? (See 3 Nephi 21:21) The leader of this vast army will be known as Gog, prince of the Gentiles. 66 As the prophetic story unfolds, we learn that since the fall of the first dictatorship some remarkable things have happened in Israel.
First, the Jews have gathered their people and their wealth from all over the world to the security of Israel. They will have built their capital city of Jerusalem into a magnificent metropolis secured by heavy walls. (Ezekiel, chapters 40-43)
Second, the prophet Zechariah (6:12-13) tells us that a beautiful temple will occupy the heights of Mount Moriah where the "Dome of the Rock" once stood.
We cannot help wondering how all of this can happen.
Once the Jews had occupied Jerusalem in 1967 the Moslems feared the Israelis might destroy their sacred building, but they were assured by the leading rabbis that the Jews would never desecrate the sacred places of other faiths.
The press felt the rabbis were saying: "If God wants his temple on Mount Moriah, he will have to make the necessary arrangements".
By the time of the second dictatorship, Ezekiel indicates this will have been accomplished. None of the prophets tell how it would happen, but several scenarios have been suggested.
It is speculated that if the first world dictatorship undertook to confiscate the Arab oil there would be a mighty resistance and very likely the Dome of the Rock would be destroyed during the struggle. Furthermore, if the Arabs were robbed of their oil, the Moslem influence would be greatly reduced. It is therefore speculated that if the Dome of the Rock were destroyed and Arab influence diminished, there would be virtually no significant resistance to the rebuilding of the Jewish temple.
‘.. .yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep and seek them out....and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the river, and all the inhabited places of the country.... And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, EVEN MY SERVANT, Davida prince among them; I the Lord have spoken it." 67
Many scholars, including the King James translators, thought these passages referred to the Savior. However, as we have just seen in Ezekiel, chapter 34, verses 23 and 24 the Lord specifically refers to this particular David as his "servant."
Joseph Smith referred to this Prince David and said he would replace his great ancestor temporarily because "the throne and kingdom of David is to be taken from him [ancient David] and given to another by the name of David in the last days, raised up out of his lineage.”68
The administration of this outstanding leader apparently will last a long time, clear over to the time when the Ten Tribes return and become one with Judah. 69
In Ezekiel, chapter 46, we read how David, the prince, will conduct the services at the temple when they come to worship the Lord, and Jeremiah said:
“For it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord of hosts, that I will break his (Israel’s] yoke from off thy neck and.. .they shall serve the Lord their God MID DAVID THEIR KING, WHOM I SHALL RAISE UP TO THEM.” 70
Notice that in all of these passages “David” is identified as a servant of the Lord and not the Lord himself.
Isaiah speaks of this great leader of Israel in the latter days as a “rod” that would come from “the stem of Jesse,” which is Christ, 71 and in a modern revelation the Lord said:
“Behold, thus saith the Lord, It (the rod) is a servant in the hands of Christ, which is partly a descendant of Jesse as well as of Ephraim, or of the house of Joseph, on whom is laid much power.” 72
There has been some question as to whether this refers to Prince David or Joseph Smith. In either case we have an interesting disclosure by the Lord that this distinguished leader is a mixture of both Juda and Ephraim. It would be amazing to the Jews if David turned out to be partly Ephraim and it certainly would be somewhat surprising to the members of the restored kingdom if Joseph Smith turned out to be part Jewish.
As David the prince gathers the Jews from all over the world to the land of Israel, there will be both wealth and manpower to beautify the city of Jerusalem. We learn later that he will raise up its mighty walls as a defense and then rebuild the temple. 73
For the Jews, this will be their 4th temple. This is the temple seen by Ezekiel in vision and the one to which the Savior will come. The three previous temples – One built by Solomon around 950 B.C., the one built by Zerubbabel around 516 B.C., and the one built by Herod at the time of Christ were all destroyed, and while this fourth temple will be attack fl, it will continue to survive right into the Millennium.
“Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal and prophesy against him.” 74
This happens right at the time the beautiful edifice of the temple is being raised up to crown the heights of Mount Moriah. 75 This will be the most elaborate “house of the Lord” ever constructed, and no doubt Prince Gog will have his spies carefully reporting every phase of its construction. Of course, he will be contemptuous of the Jewish belief that this is a holy place – a center of sacred worship. On the contrary, Prince Gog will look upon this temple as a mighty treasure house in which the Jews have stored away their wealth from all over the world.
As the greedy eyes of Gog are focused on the loot he will derive from a raid on Jerusalem, the Lord is saying:
“Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief of princes of Mesheck and Tubal; and I will turn thee back and put hooks into thy jaws and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them, clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords.” 76
The Lord had Ezekiel describe precisely what this bloodthirsty tyrant would do:
“Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.” 77
Because the Lord could read Gog’s mind, he said:
“Thou shalt think an evil thought: and thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without wa1ls and having neither bars nor gates, to take spoil, and to take a prey, to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land..” 78
“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: 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.” 79
It is interesting that the whole earth will be under his domination exept North and South America. As we have mentioned earlier a modern revelation says he would have invaded America except for his fear of the consequences. Gog and his cohorts are quoted in this scripture as saying:
“Let us not go up to battle against Zion, for the inhabitants of Zion are terrible, wherefore we cannot stand.” 80
Some of this may have been due to heavenly powers possessed by God’s servants in Zion similar to that which Enoch exhibited during the first thousand years of human history. It says:
“…their enemies came to battle against them; and he (Enoch] 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 were heard out of the wilderness; 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.” 81
But in the beginning of the second dictatorship seen by John, the violent Gog and his hordes of ferocious military forces will be spreading their “abomination of desolation” in every direction. 82
“A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the Garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.” 83
Joel felt he was seeing the very ultimate in destructive warfare. He said:
“There hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations.” 84
Joel did his best to describe what he saw:
“The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run.” 85
But these were not like any horses he had ever seen. Notice his bold attempt to describe the strange mobile units which he saw:
“Like the noise of chariots [not of horses] on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble;…they shall run like mighty men [once more the simile changes] they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break ranks: neither shall one thrust another, they shall walk every one in his path: and when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded. They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up upon the houses: and they shall enter in at the window like a thief. The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble.” 86
It sounds very much as though the prophet is attempting to describe helicopter gun ships and a modern armored division rumbling across a city with cannon and flame-throwers spreading destruction all around.
“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.” 87
For three-and-a-half years these prophets will hold Gog and these great gentile armies at bay. 88
When the prophet Joel saw the predicament in which the Jews would find themselves, he knew there was no human power that could save them. Apparently, even before Joel saw the two prophets demonstrating their powers, Joel pleads with the Jews to begin their fasting and prayer with fervent pleadings that God will intervene and save them. He cried:
“Rend your hearts 89 and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God…. Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly; gather the people, sanctify the congregation … let them say, Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach.” 90
Some have suggested that by this time the storms might have subsided, but this does not seem likely since millions would immediately flee to America to escape the cruel dictatorship of Gog and Magog. The Lord says that during this period “no flesh shall be safe upon the waters. And it shall be said. . .that none is able to go up to the land of Zion upon the waters, but he that is upright in heart.” 92
The last phrase implies that the few righteous stragglers who did not get to America before the “roaring seas” took over will be able to reach Zion only by divine intervention. 93
The Lord told the prophet Zechariah – who lived a generation after Ezekiel (520 B.C.) – that the invasion of Jerusalem will be terrible indeed. He says:
“And the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity.” 94
But at the end of this period, Gog and his army will have the most shocking surprise of their lives.
The mutilated bodies of the two prophets will suddenly arise up from the ground, fully restored. Then a great voice will be heard from heaven saying, “Come up hither,” and the two prophets will ascend in a cloud as Gog and his hosts watch in amazement. 96
Jesus will suddenly appear on the Mount of Olives with a great host, and the scripture says he shall “utter his voice an all the ends of the earth shall hear it.” At this point the prophet Zechariah says:
“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 there shall be a very great earth quake; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north and half of it toward the south. And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains….” 97
It is interesting that when Jesus makes himself visible to the Jews in the great valley between the separated halves of the Mount of Olives, he withholds his glory . Just as when he appeared after his resurrection to his apostles and others, he came as an ordinary man and had to show them the wounds in his hands and his feet and his side to prove his identity. 98
So it will be when he appears to the Jews. Apparently neither he nor the Saints will appear in glory. The Jews will therefore be unafraid and gather round him in jubilant adoration. But they will still not know him. Finally, someone standing nearby will ask in curious wonderment:
“What are these wounds in thine hands and in thy feet?” 99
At this point Jesus decides to tell them the rest of the story. Here are his own words:
“Then shall they know that I am the Lord; for I will say unto them: These wounds are the wounds with which I was wounded in the house of my friends. I am he who was lifted up. I am he that was crucified. I am the Son of God.
“And then shall they weep because of their iniquities; then shall they lament because they persecuted their king.” 100
At last the Jews will know the true identity of their great Messiah. It is none other than Jesus Christ who was slain when he came the first time because they thought he was an impostor. 101
Even while the Jews are in mourning because their ancestors failed to recognize the Savior, they will now try to make it up to him. In a spirit of humble adoration they will lead him to their beautiful temple and enter the holy sanctuary by the eastern gate. The gate will then be closed and never opened again. 102
This is purely symbolic, of course, since the apostles learned in their day, that the resurrected Jesus could appear and depart when the gates were closed and the doors were locked. 103
For the Jews , this is a supremely joyous time.
“I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire and brimstone.” 104
“And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee.” 105
As with the wicked Gentiles in America, the hosts of Gog are devastated by the power of God. Here is the way Zechariah describes it:
“And 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 the holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.” 106
“Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord…. In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that GOD IS WITH YOU.” 107
The converted Christian Jews in Israel will not only make their covenants with their great Messiah through baptism, but they will have radiant testimonies to proclaim to all who come to Jerusalem their witness concerning their newly discovered gospel of salvation. The results of all this will generate a wonderful bonding among the descendants of Abraham. The Arabic nations that surround the Mediterranean and the Moslems of India, China, Russia and elsewhere will thirst for the message of the Jewish Messiah. Isaiah says this great new wave of Christian conversion will bind the Jews to their Moslem cousins:
“The Lord of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt MY PEOPLE, and Assyria THE WORK OF MY BANDS, and Israel MINE INHERITANCE.” 108
Not only will the Jews and Arabs become united but so will many of the Gentile nations. After Armageddon Zechariah says:
“And it shall come to pass that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.
“And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain.” 109
“And it shall stop the noses of the passengers: and there shall they bury Gog and all his multitude: and they shall call it The valley of Hamon-gog.
“And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land. Yea, all the people of the land shall bury them….And they shall sever out men of continual employment, passing through the land to bury with the passengers those that remain upon the face of the to cleanse it: after the end of 7 months shall they search.” 110
Such a time was anticipated by John the Baptist when he restored the Aaronic Priesthood and said:
“This (Priesthood of Aaron) shall never be taken again from the earth, until the sons of Levi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in righteousness.” 112
Malachi indicates that the problem for the Levites is not merely learning the ritual in righteousness but having a corps of humble and righteous Levites who are worthy to perform the ordinances. He says:
“And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness. Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years.” 113
When the Lord is fully satisfied that the “offering of Judah and Jerusalem is pleasant unto the Lord,” he will no doubt say to the Priesthood in Jerusalem as he did to the Priesthood among the Nephites:
“And ye shall offer up unto me no more the shedding of blood; yea, your sacrifices and your burnt offerings shall be done away, for I will accept none of your sacrifices and your burnt offerings. And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heartand a contrite spirit.” 114
It will probably be about this time that all of the higher ordinances can be introduced into the holy precincts of the temple in Jerusalem just as they will, be practiced in the beautiful temple in New Jerusalem.
“The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim.”
The first is THE RETURN OF THE 10 tribes which the prophets have been talking about for centuries.
The second is the selecting and sealing of TWELVE THOUSAND OUT OF EACH TRIBE so that these 144,000 consecrated missionaries can scour the earth and seek out any fragments of humanity who still want to accept the gospel. Those who accept the gospel will be baptized, confirmed and sent to America where they can be caught up when the Savior comes. Those who reject the gospel will be sealed up to destruction as described by Malachi:
“For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up; saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.” 116
In a future discussion we will consider these two monumental events and the highlights of the Second Coming.
SEVERAL PROPHETS SAW OUR DAY
Here is what the scripture says about Adam.“And Adam stood up in the midst of the congregation; and, notwithstanding he was bowed down with age, being full of the Holy Ghost, predicted whatsoever should befall his posterity unto the latest generation.”2
Then we read that Enoch knew about the present day when the missionaries would flood the earth with the message of the Book of Mormon and the restoration of the Gospel. The scripture says:
“And righteousness will I send down out of heaven; and truth will I send forth out of the earth. . . to sweep the earth as with’ a flood, to gather out mine elect from the four corners of the earth.” 3
The prophet Isaiah saw our day and wrote a whole chapter about the coining forth of the Book of Mormon and the marvelous work and a wonder that would follow among other things, he said:
“And the vision of all is become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I cannot; for it is sealed: and the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, Read this, I pray thee: and he saith, I am not learned. . . .Wherefore, behold, I [ will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder."4
It was Nephi who saw our day in great detail but was forbidden to write about it. The Lord said:
"And the angel said unto me; Behold, one of the twelve apostles of the Lamb... shall see and write the remainder of these things....And the things which thou shall see hereafter thou shalt not write; for the Lord God hath ordained the apostle of the Lamb of God that he should write them.... and I Nephi heard and bear record, that the name of the apostle of the lamb was John." 5
NEPHI’S GREAT SECRET
It is a great burden to know what is going to happen in our day and not be able to tell about it. On two different occasions this prophet almost told too much.The first time was at the end of the book of First Nephi. He was describing the major events leading up to the Second Coming and the ushering in of the Millennium when suddenly he stopped and said:
"I durst not speak further as yet concerning these things." 6
This almost sounds as though he hoped he might be able to do it at some future time. In any event he did not write his second book until he was an old man. During the years he had carefully read the writings of Isaiah and quoted thirteen chapters of Isaiah because he knew that prophet had seen the same vision as Lehi, Nephi and Jacob. Nephi therefore let Isaiah relate what each of them had seen. Nevertheless, as Nephi came toward the end of his Second Book of Nephi and began waxing eloquent in proclaiming the doctrine of Christ, he seems to have reached a point where he had something he was especially anxious to record. But he suddenly stopped and said:
"I, Nephi, cannot say more; the Spirit STOPPETH MINE UTTERANCE."7
He then goes into mourning because he is fearful the people will not search out the "great knowledge" which he feels is in the scripture but the evil spirit will discourage them from finding it. Nevertheless, he hopes that through prayer the Holy Ghost will reveal it to them. Meanwhile he was forbidden to utter those things he was so anxious to declare openly and plainly. It was reserved to be included in the writings of John .
SO WE TURN TO THE REVELATION OF THE APOSTLE JOHN
The marvelous reve1ation to the Apostle John on the Isle of Patmos is sometimes difficult to analyze because he recorded events which he saw in heaven right along with things which he saw happening on earth. Sometimes it is difficult to tell which sphere is being discussed. For example, he talks about the 144,000 being sealed in their foreheads during the sixth seal 8 but seven chapters later he speaks of the 144,000 performing their great mission on earth after the opening of the seventh seal. 9Is this a contradiction?
We have reason to believe that the first reference to the 144,000 during the sixth seal is referring to the selection and sealing up of these choice servants IN THE SPIRIT WORLD before they came into the earth. That there were such foreordinations in the spirit world is described by Alma:
"And this is the manner after which they were ordained - being called and prepared from the FOUNDATION OF TUE WORLD according to the FOREKNOWLEDGE OF GOD. "10
And we also have the words of Joseph Smith who said:
"Every man who has a calling to minister to the inhabitants of the world was ordained to that very purpose in the Grand Council of heaven before this world was. I suppose that I was ordained to this very office in that Grand Council."11
"Question: What are we to understand by the angel ascending from the east is he to whom is given the seal of the living God over the twelve tribes of Israel
"Answer: If you will receive it this is Elias which was to come to gather together the tribes of Israel and restore all things.
"Question: What TIME are the things spoken of in this chapter to be accomplished?
"Answer: They are to be accomplished in the sixth thousand years or the opening of the SIXTH seal.
"Question: 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 each tribe? [the opening of the seventh seal and the gathering of the Ten Tribes]?
“Answer: We are to understand that those who are sealed… to administer the everlasting gospel; for they are ordained out of every nation [THE ANGELS to whom is given power over the nations of the earth, and bring as many as will come to the church of the Firstborn." 12
"Question: When are the things to be accomplished, which are written in the 9th chapter of Revelation [the cleansing of the earth]? They are to be accomplished after the opening of the SEVENTH seal, before the coming of Christ.”13
From these scriptures it is quite clear why we have the foreordination and sealing up of the 144,000 in the spirit world as described in the seventh chapter of Revelation, and a description of the subsequent ministry of the 144,000 among the children of men in Revelation, chapter fourteen.14
JOHN BEGINS DESCRIBING MODERN TIMES AFTER THE OPENING OF THE SEVENTH SEAL
Now John is ready to transfer his attention from the five chapters outlining the preparations in heaven for the Second Coming and concentrate on the unfolding of these events on earth. All of these events are controlled by the factor of “time.” He therefore defines the period in which these events will occur. John says:“And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.” 15
This immediately raises four highly significant questions. For example:
#1. According to OUR calendar, when will the seventh seal be opened, and the half-hour of silence begins in heaven?
Until 1582 A.D. our calendar was not at all accurate, but Pope Gregory employed a group of mathematicians and astronomers to restructure the calendar. They set up the new calendar so that it was in perfect harmony or calibration with the sun. To make it completely accurate they had to add one day every four years and that is how we got our “leap year.”
But even with all that restructuring, how are we certain that it is completely accurate? The best answer to that question is in the Doctrine and Covenants. On two occasions the Lord used the Gregorian calendar in such a way that it seemed to clearly imply his approval of it.
In Section 20 the Lord said he wanted the Church established on the sixth day of April because it would be “one thousand eight hundred and thirty years since the coming of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the flesh.” 16
In the very next section we are told the Church was set up by Joseph Smith under the guidance of the Holy Ghost and then it says:
“Which church was organized and established in the year of your Lord eighteen hundred and thirty, in the fourth month, and on the sixth day of the month which is called April.” 17
So if our calendar is accurate and apparently approved by the Lord, there is no question about the date of the opening of the seventh seal and the half hour of silence in heaven. It will commence in the year 2000 AD .
#2. Why is there suddenly “silence in heaven” when the SEVENTH seal is opened?
Apparently there is a great deal of furious activity in heaven right up to the time the seventh seal is opened. The Priesthood of this dispensation are required to work at a tremendous pace to get ready for the Second Coming. This was explained to Wilford Woodruff the last time he was allowed to see Joseph Smith in the spirit world. He says:
“Joseph Smith continued visiting myself and others up to a certain time and then it stopped. The last time I saw him was in heaven. In the night vision I saw him at the door of the temple in heaven. He came and spoke to me. He said he could not stop to talk with me because he was in a hurry. The next man I met was Father Smith; he could not talk with me because he was in a hurry. I met a half a dozen brethren who had held high positions on earth and none of them could stop to talk with me because they were in a hurry. I was much astonished. By and by I saw the Prophet again, and I got the privilege to ask him a question. ‘Now,’ said I, ‘I want to know why you’re in a hurry. I have been in a hurry all through my life but I expected my hurry would be over when I got into the kingdom of heaven, if I ever did.’ Joseph said, ‘I will tell you, Brother Woodruff, every dispensation that has had the Priesthood on the earth and has gone into the celestial kingdom, has had a certain amount of work to do to prepare to go to the earth with the Savior when He goes to reign on the earth. Each dispensation has had ample time to do this work. We have not. We are the last dispensation, and so much work has to be done and we need to be in a hurry in order to accomplish it.’ Of course, that was satisfactory with me, but it was a new doctrine to me.” 18
Joseph Smith made it plain to Wilford Woodruff that the Priesthood of this dispensation are working under a fantastic deadline to teach everyone who has died without the gospel since the apostolic times. This task has to be completed by the time of ‘the opening of the seventh seal when the hosts of heaven will have a new task connected with the final preparation and cleansing of the earth for the Second Coming.
#3. DO WE KNOW WHEN THE HALF HOUR OF SILENCE ENDS?
From a modern revelation we learn when the half hour of silence ends. Here is what the Lord says:
“And there shall be silence in heaven for the space of half an hour, and IMMEDIATELY after shall the curtain of heaven be unfolded, as a scroll is unfolded after it is rolled up, AND THE FACE OF THE LORD SHALL BE UNVEILED; and the saints that are upon the earth, who are alive, shall be quickened and be caught up to meet him.” 19
Obviously we are talking about the Second Coming. So this tells us when the half hour of silence ends. It is just before the Second Coming.
#4. CAN WE calculate THE ACTUAL DURATION OF TH HOUR OF SILENCE?
Since we know the half hour of silence begins at 2,000 A.D. when the seventh seal is opened and since we know from a modern revelation that the half hour of silence ends with the Second Coming, can we calculate in terms of years the length of time which will elapse between these two monumental events? In other words, can we determine about how long the half hour of silence lasts?
One of the apostles felt that such a calculation was possible. Here is the way Elder Bruce R. McConkie suggested it could be done. After talking about the half hour of silence, he says:
“If the time here mentioned is ‘ Lord’s time’ in which one day is a thousand years, the haft hour would be some twenty-one of our years.”
Elder McConkie reached this conclusion based on the following scriptures:
“A day with the Lord after his manner of reckoning, it being 1000 years according to the time appointed to that [ whereon thou standest."
And again:
"But beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that ONE DAY is with the Lord as a THOUSAND YEARS, and a thousand years as one day."
The next step was to divide 1,000 years by 24 to determine what an hour would be according to God’s time. It turned out to be 41.66 years or just under 42 years. This means that a half hour of God’s time would be ? 7 years or nearly 21 years. This would clearly suggest that this is the duration of the half hour of silence in heaven and the period of time when the angels undertake the calamitous preparation of the earth for the Savior’s second coming.
WHAT HAPPENS IN HEAVEN DURING THE HALF HOUR OF SILENCE?
In the next five chapters John tells us of the careful and precise assignment of the angels in heaven so the earth can be cleansed of all wickedness and prepared for the Second Coming.Here is a brief summary of each of these chapters.
Chapter 8. After the seventh seal is opened, the first four angels receive their assignments to cleanse certain portions of the earth.
Chapter 9. The fifth and sixth angels are assigned their ministry of cleansing the earth but they are not ‘to torment or destroy those who have the "seal of God in their foreheads." (verse 4) This probably refers to those who are under the Lord’s covenant, or members of the church. However, all others will be tormented until they "seek death and shall not find it." (verse 6) But in the end over a third of mankind will be destroyed. (verse 15) During the raging wars over two hundred million men will be under arms. (verse 16) There is an amazingly accurate description of the highly mechanized instruments of war that will be employed. (verses 17-19) Nevertheless, in spite of all this period of turmoil and bloodshed the people not only refuse to repent but become more depraved and debauched than ever. (verse 20-21)
It will be recalled that when Joseph Smith was asked the specific time when the 144,000 would be foreordained and sealed he said: "In the sixth thousand years or the opening of the sixth seal." 23 but later Joseph Smith was asked, "When are the devastating things to be accomplished which are written in the 9th chapter," he replied: "After the opening of the seventh seal, before the coming of Christ." 24 as we shall see later, the coming of the ten lost tribes and the ministry of the 144,000 to every nation just before the Second Coming, all occur after the opening of the seventh seal.
Chapter 10. The seventh angel (identified in verse 7) holds up a little book whereupon seven thunders roar out a message which John was forbidden to record. (verse 4)
When Joseph Smith was asked what this little book represented, he said:
"We are to understand that it was a mission, and an ordinance, for him to gather the tribes of Israel; behold, this is the Elias, who, as it is written must come and restore all things." 25
During the June Conference of 1831 Joseph Smith revealed that John the Beloved was already among the ten tribes of Israel who had been led away by Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, to prepare for their return from the long dispersion. 26
This is not referring to the remnants of Israel scattered among the various nations, but that supremely righteous segment of the Ten Tribes whom Moses said eventually would be gathered in from the "outmost parts of heaven." 27
chapter 11. This is a heavenly vision of the climax to the second worldwide dictatorship. It will culminate in the great battle of Armageddon which we will discuss later.
chapter 12. This chapter provides the background for the fall of Lucifer and his hosts after the war in heaven. John says it was there that the righteous fought against Satan "by their word and their testimony" trying to persuade the confused and uncommitted spirits to support Christ’s gospel plan. In the end, two-thirds rallied behind Jehovah but one-third supported Satan and were cast out into the mortal earth. (verses 7-11)
John depicts the Saints of God as being like "a woman clothed with the sun." (verse 1) John looks back through the centuries and realizes that because of Satan’s persecution of God’s kingdom there would be "a time and times and half a time" (verse 14) when the woman would have to flee into hiding. This would be off and on throughout the 3,500 years incorporated in the dispensation of Joseph, Moses and the apostles. John saw that not until 1,830 A.D. would the woman of the Church of Jesus Christ come forth in all her power and glory. Then John says:
"And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed (God’s servants in the latter days] which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” (verse 17)
It will be appreciated that the previous five chapters are describing the elaborate structure of the angelic forces in heaven to prepare for the mighty contest that will take place on the earth after the opening of the sixth and seventh seals. John wants us to know that during this contest Satan will lay the foundation for two worldwide dictatorships. Now we are ready for Revelation, chapter thirteen.
THE RISE OF THE FIRST WORLDWIDE DICTATORSHIP AS SEEN BY JOHN
Beginning with Revelation, chapter 13, John is talking about event which unfold on the earth after the opening of the seventh seal and the beginning of the half hour of silence in heaven referred to earlier.John says the first worldwide dictatorship will come into its full dimension of power shortly after the year 2,000 but its beginning will be during the sixth seal. It is not a single dictatorship, but a coalition of nations. Here is how John describes it:
“And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.” 29
The reference to HIS horns and HIS heads demonstrates that these nations were a unified coalition. We do not know why seven heads would have ten horns and ten crowns unless three of these nations had colonial dominions.
John leaves no doubt that this monster rising out of the sea was a Satanicinstitution. Speaking of the monster as a united entity, John says “the dragon” gave him his power and his seat of authority. 30
John describes the figurative symbols used by God, and says this dictatorship had the sinister cunning of a leopard, the feet and claws of a bear, and the teeth and mouth of a lion.
IS THERE ANY MILITARY OR POLITICAL ENTITY THAT SEEMS TO FIT THIS DESCRIPTION?
Since the opening of the seventh seal is upon us, has any military or political entity been emerging which seems to reflect any of these characteristics?An apostle has warned that there is. For many years J. Reuben Clark, former U.S. Under-Secretary of State and a member of the First Presidency of the LDS Church, had been sounding the alarm.
He first became concerned when President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill signed the Atlantic Treaty on a U.S. cruiser off the coast of Newfoundland in August, 1941. Of course, who might have suspected that this might be the beast John saw rising out of the sea? It was viewed by most people as merely a mutual defense pact
However, World War II changed the whole world landscape and the United States came out of that terrible conflict as the new world leader with the Soviet Union a jealous and frantically obsessed competitor.
There were several reasons why the United States forged into first place as a world leader. To begin with, her Wall Street bankers had invented a virtually unlimited “debt based” economy so – to a large extent – the U.S. generously financed the major part of the Allied war effort. Secondly she had out produced most of the rest of the world in planes, ships, tanks and military supplies. Third, she was far and away the leader in high technology although Russia, by stealing many of America’s top secrets, was not far behind.
World War II ended in 1945, but by 1949, Russia had muscled and maneuvered her way into dominating approximately 1/3 of the entire planet. Europe, Asia and Latin America looked to the United States to prevent further Communist expansion.
Thus it was on April 4, 1948, that the United States, Britain and certain other countries dangerously threatened by the Soviet Union, signed THE NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY. It provided that if the Soviets attacked ONE member of the treaty it was an attack against ALL. This pact contained a score of blatant violations of the U.S. Constitution, nevertheless, to a large extent the new NATO treaty was popular, but not with J. Reuben Clark.
After he studied the document he gave a thundering warning which was first heard by the Trust Division of the American Bankers Association on August 17, 1949. He said:
“The North Atlantic Treaty, recently passed, is a military alliance pure and simple. It is what our forefathers called an ‘entangling alliance.’”31
This entire speech was filled with fiery quotations from the American Founding Fathers predicting disastrous results if the United States ever allowed itself to be trapped within an international conglomerate of interdependent alliances.
Of course, the North Atlantic Treaty was just the beginning.
THE EVOLUTION OF NATO TOWARD A NEW WORLD ORDER
Nevertheless, the United States – as the principal defense against, the Soviet Union – began to look upon itself as the policeman of the world. Consequently, the State Department managed the next two major wars and they were disastrous. The Korean War has been described as the worst-managed war in the history of the United States and the Vietnam War is the only war the United States ever lost.As a result of these and other fiascos, Ronald Reagan was elected President in 1980. He got the backing of both parties and spent two trillion dollars building America back up to the most powerful nation on earth.
The Soviet Union tried to compete with the United States but finally went bankrupt and in 1989 the whole Soviet Union fell apart. Russia became an isolated, despondent, disorganized non-entity, and the Cold War was over.
Now we go back to John who saw something amazing happen. He says:
“And I saw one of his heads as [if] were wounded to death; and his DEADLY WOUND WAS HEALED: and all the world wondered after the beast.
“And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying Who is like unto the beast? WHO IS ABLE TO MAKE WAR WITH HIM?” 32
One of the amazing things about the Cold War was the fact that the Soviet Union was crushed into near annihilation. It was completely fragmented and left with only the original, isolated Russia as a wounded remnant of what had been a world super-power. Never had there been such a golden opportunity to require the Soviets to disarm, defuse or destroy her intercontinental ballistic missiles, get her factories converted over to domestic production and launch a massive road construction so her farmers could get the vast food supply from the muddy Russian fields to the central markets. But none of this happened. John saw what did happen.
The United Nations extended a generous helping hand to the Soviet Union – which had previously set out to conquer the world – and used the resources of the free world to begin building her up again. Eventually, this bloody head that was saved by the rest of the UN may prove to be once more the most dangerous facet of the first world dictatorship.
So the coalition of many heads and horns John saw in vision, will continue to strengthen itself until it becomes a world-wide dictatorship of ruthless proportions. It will dominate the whole human race for 3.5 years. This is still future.
THE NEW WORLD ORDER BECOMES A REALITY
The Soviet Union began to desperately urge her former allies to continue the Communist expansion program. On August 2, 1990, the dictator of Iraq – with Soviet encouragement- overran and occupied an oil-rich neighbor, Kuwait. The UN Security Council set a deadline for Saddam Hussein and his forces to retire and when it was ignored, the UN called upon all its members to enforce the UN decree.George Bush was the new President and he had always favored a New World Order to enforce justice and peace. He looked upon the crisis in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia as an ideal opportunity to show what the policeman of the world, acting in the name of the United Nations, could do to give itself credibility. Therefore, without following the requirements of the Constitution, he asked Congress to ratify a UN resolution and the next thing the country knew, half a million Americans were in the PersianGulf War.
A gigantic, massive air attack ended the war after a few days and its success established the precedent J. Reuben Clark had hoped would never happen. From this point on the President the United States as commander in chief would look upon any UN decree as an order to take “police” action. But the Persian Gulf War was the only success so far. It didn’t happen in Somalia, Bosnia, or Yugoslavia.
THE PATTERN IS ESTABLISHED AND JOHN SAW THE FUTURE
“And there was given unto him [of the many kingdoms collectively] a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue FORTY AND TWO MONTHS.” 33So the first dictatorship reaches a point where it dominates the world and sustains the ongoing society of immorality, abortion, non-religious education, high crimes and misdemeanors for which even the President could not be impeached even though he was finally forced to confess what he had done, and the House found him guilty of two counts. However, the Senate did not have enough support to convict him because under the 17th Amendment the Senators had to face a popular election and too many of the Senators felt the President was supported by most of the people so that if they impeached him they might not be re-elected themselves. (Under the original Constitution, Senators were appointed by the state legislatures to protect the Constitution and states rights. This was changed in 1915.)
And so, as John says, it will continue until at some point the first dictatorship will attain a position of absolute power for three-and-a-half years. Then an amazing thing will happen.
THE FIRST DICTATORSHIP WILL MAKE A DEADLY MISTAKE
However, at this point, John saw that the first dictatorship would make a lethal mistake which will eventually wipe it out of existence. Here is what happens:“And he [beast or dictator] opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.
“And it was given unto him to make WAR AGAINST THE Saints and to OVERCOME them: and power was given him over all mankind, and tongues and nations.” 34
FROM THIS POINT ON, THE FIRST DICTATORSHIP WILL DRIFT INTO OBLIVION
Just as John’s account reaches a point of supreme suspense with the monster declaring war against the Saints – and overcoming them – John tells us the first dictatorship has been obliterated.But what happened? He doesn’t tell us what happened! He simply closes the account of the first dictatorship with this rather amazing philosophical comment:
“If any man have an ear, let him hear. 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.” 35
In other words, the first dictatorship has disintegrated into ashes and the faith of the saints is vindicated.
But what brought this about after the first dictatorship turned on the Saints and overpowered them?
Perhaps John left out this vital part of his story so it could be told by his Master. In any event we now have the whole story in the Book of Mormon, and it probably gives us far greater details than John could have provided.
THE RESURRECTED JESUS TELLS WHAT HAPPENS TO THE FIRST DICTATORSHIP
When the resurrected Jesus appeared to his “other sheep” on the American continent in 34 A.D., he talked a lot about America in the latter days. He talked about the Gentiles coming from Europe and setting up the first free people in modern times. He talked about their riches and their power. But he also talked about their wickedness . He said the pure original gospel would be restored among them but unless they embraced it as a people, America would be entirely cleansed of its gentile wickedness and this continent would be largely depopulated.Here is the way Jesus said it:
“And thus commandeth the Father that I should say unto you: At that day when the Gentiles shall sin against my gospel, and shall be lifted up in the pride of their hearts above all nations, and above all people of the whole earth, and shall be filled with all manner of lyings, and of deceits, and of mischiefs, and all manner of hypocrisy, and murders, and priestcrafts, and whoredoms, and of secret combinations, and if they shall do all those things, and shall reject the fulness of my gospel, behold, saith the Father, I WILL BRING THE FULNES MY GOSPEL FROM AMONG THEM.” 36
BUT HOW WOULD AMERICA BE CLEANSED?
On God’s prophetic time line, the cleansing of America was recognized in heaven as such a monumental watershed in history that God was talking about it with his prophet Micah clear back around 700 B.C. 37 Having already discussed this momentous event with one of his prophets, Jesus therefore quoted Micah to the Nephites. He introduced it by saying:“And the Father hath commanded me that I should give unto you this land for your inheritance.
“And I say unto you, that if the Gentiles do not repent after the blessing which they shall receive, after they have scattered my people – then shall ye WHO ARE A REMNANT OF THE HOUSE OF Israel go forth among them, and ye shall be in the midst of them who shall be many, and ye shall be among them as a lion among the beasts of the forest, and as a young lion among the flocks of sheep, who, if he goeth through both treadeth down and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver.
“Thy hand shall be lifted up upon thine adversaries, and all thine enemies shall be cut off. I will gather my people together as a man gathereth his sheaves into the floor. For I will make my people with whom the Father hath covenanted, yea, I will make thy horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass. And thou shalt beat in pieces many people; and I will consecrate their gain unto the Lord, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth. And behold, I am he who doeth it.” 38
WHERE IS THE SEED OF JACOB THAT WILL CONQUER THE FIRST DICTATORSHIP?
The predominantly Lamanite-Nephite nations – which comprise the seed of Jacob today – are not difficult to identify. They are the Latin American nations from Mexico to Argentina.But what would provoke them to attack the gentile nations which are located primarily in North America? And how would they ever have the military strength to win a decisive victory of a dictatorship that had ruled the whole world for three-and-half years?
As we have already seen, John the Revelator said the first dictatorship would disintegrate right after it commences to “make war with the saints, and overcome them.” 39
But is this the CAUSE of its downfall or merely a COINCIDENCE which occurs incidental to the collapse of the first dictatorship?
During the past twenty years something has been occurring among the Latin American countries which has kindled a violent bitterness toward the United States, although it has received practically no publicity. Here is what happened.
According to Dr. Patrick S.J. Carmack, the massive privately-owned banks which dominate the United Nations World Bank and International Monetary Fund went down to the Latin American countries around 1980 and offered them huge quantities of money on loan. The Latin American countries and their corrupt leaders eagerly accepted the money.
However, they have not been able to pay the interest on these loans, let alone the principal. The banks said they would just add the unpaid interest to the principal and soon these poverty stricken countries found themselves paying vast amounts in COMPOUND INTEREST on huge sums which represented not only the original loan but the accumulated interest they have not been able to pay. This is called COMPOUND INTEREST.
Dr. Carmack points out that the anguish of the Latin American countries is reflected in the fact that between 1980 and 1990 they paid $418 billion in interest on the original loans of 80 billion. 40
The bank managers knew from the beginning that these nations would never be able to pay off these huge debts, but they had a scheme to liquidate the debts by exchanging them for valuable national assets of these nations.
Dr. Carmack reports that such a proposal was made during the Fourth World Wilderness Conference in 1987. The plan allows Third World debtors to transfer their debt to the World Conservation Bank which then negotiates with each nation in terms of their national assets (such as undeveloped mining sites, wilderness areas, etc.) until the full indebtedness is liquidated. This scheme has already been implemented in Bolivia, Costa Rica and Ecuador. 41
The main significance in all of this is the discovery that there are powerful engines of resentment and desperate hatred being generated among the Latin American countries. They are focused on the United States because they feel these financial traps were engineered by the IMF and World Bank under the control of the United States.
Under certain provocative circumstances this is the type of explosive indignation that might generate an uprising. This would be particularly true if the United States was suddenly engulfed in some natural disaster or plague THAT LEFT HER SUDDENLY WEAK.
THE CRASH OF THE FIRST DICTATORSHIP MAY BE FACILITATED BY DIVINE INTERVENTION
In one revelation the Lord mentions some divine intervention which will be operating during the cleansing of America. He says:“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. It shall not be stayed until the Lord comes.
“Nevertheless, Zion shall escape if she observe to do all things whatsoever I have commanded her.”
“But if she observe not to do whatsoever I have commanded her, I will visit her according to all her works; with sore affliction, with pestilence, with plague, with sword, with vengeance, with devouring fire.” 42
Joseph Smith saw a vision of the cleansing of America and wrote:
“And now I am prepared to say by the authority of Jesus Christ, that not many years shall pass away before the United States shall present such a scene of bloodshed as has not a parallel in the history of our nation; pestilence, hail, famine, and earthquake will sweep the wicked of this generation from off the face of the land to open and prepare the way for the return of the lost tribes of Israel from the north country.” 43
There are three other accounts by those who were allowed to see a vision of what it will be like when the cleansing of America occurs.
The first is the account by John Taylor who was allowed to see the nation in the grip of a terrible scourge which he said would leave whole cities without any life whatever. 44
The second is Brigham Young who also saw the terrible plagues and scourges which would make the United States extremely vulnerable to any hostile invasion. 45
The third is by Charles D. Evans who describes the nature of the plague which is horrible to contemplate. 46
Finally, a modern revelation verifies the reality of this terrible pestilence and it is just as ghastly and abhorrent as that which these three men saw in vision. 47
The Lord also says:
“And 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.” 48
UNDER SUCH CALAMITOUS CONDITIONS HOW COULD THE RIGHTEOUS PROTECT THEMSELVES?
Perhaps the reason Nephi was so anxious to tell us about the things he saw was to assure us that our Heavenly Father would not be unmindful of us. As we have already seen, the Lord said:“Nevertheless, Zion shall escape if she observe to do all things whatsoever I have commanded her.” 49
This is confirmed in another revelation where the Lord says:
“But my disciples shall stand in holy places, and shall not be moved; but among the wicked, men shall lift up their voices and curse God and die…When all these things shall come to pass, ye may know that the promises which have been made unto you will all be fulfilled.” 50
As President Heber C. Kimball described these prophecies of the latter days, the people asked him, “What will become of this people?” He replied:
“That will depend, altogether upon our conduct. We have it within our power; God has given it to us to save ourselves from the desolation and calamities that will come upon this nation. How? By doing that which is right… .If we do this, prosperity will be upon the inhabitants…prosperity will be upon the towns and cities erected by this people, the hand of the Lord will be over us to sustain us, and we will spread forth…
“Now we have the choice. It is within our reach… .And on the other hand, we ca n reach forth the hand and partake of wickedness and bring desolation and destruction upon our borders.” 51
THE LORD WILL DEPEND UPON FOUR GROUPS TO REBUILD AMERICA AFTER THE CLEANSING
There will be a gigantic task to perform after America has been cleansed of her wickedness but the wreckage and ruin of a whole civilization has been left behind.THE FIRST GROUP
The first group will be the righteous saints whom the Lord has preserved. All these will have been disciplined in Priesthood principles and will have studied God’s law so they will know’ what to do. In very short order, the other groups will lean upon this first group for guidance.THE SECOND GROUP
The second group will be made up of the members of God’s kingdom from all over the world. After America is cleansed and the clouds of the second dictatorship are beginning to replace the first dictatorship the Saints will be anxious to rally when the Priesthood leaders sound the trumpet and call them to gather to America. The Lord says:“Yea, the work shall commence among all the dispersed of my people, with the Father, to prepare the way whereby they may come unto me, that they may call on the Father in my name. Yea, and. then shall the work commence, with the Father, among all nations, in preparing the way whereby his people may be gathered home to the land of their inheritance.” 52
And of course for the members of The Church, that’s America! The Lord speaks of these gathering Saints from all over the world in a modern revelation:
“And it shall come to pass that the righteous shall be gathered out from among ALL NATIONS, and shall come to Zion, singing with songs of everlasting joy.” 53
THE THIRD GROUP
The third group to help reconstruct the western hemisphere will be the righteous gentiles who survive the cleansing. This is an interesting group of people. They are of many faiths. They love the Lord, they bow the knee in contemplation of his coming. They admire his Church and love the Saints. But they don’t join the Church. Nevertheless, they want to live under God’s Law and be part of God’s kingdom. The amazing part is that God extends an invitation to the righteous gentiles to be part of the political kingdom of God.Brigham Young knew that a lot of the Saints would expect the kingdom of God to be only members of the church, but President Young said that is not the way the Lord planned it. Here are his words:
“The Kingdom of God [Those living under God’s Law] consists in correct principles; and it mattereth not what a man’s religious faith is; whether he be a Presbyterian, or a Methodist, or a Baptist, or a Latter-day Saint or ‘Mormon,’ or a Catholic or
Episcopalian, or Mohammedan, or even pagan, or anything else, if he WILL BOW THE KNEE AND WITH HIS tongue CONFESS THAT JESUS IS THE CHRIST, and will support good and wholesome laws for the regulation of society, we hail him as a brother, and will stand by him while he stands by us in these things; for every man’s religious faith is a matter between his own soul and his God alone.” 54
THE FOURTH GROUP
Finally, there is the fourth group will help restore the western hemisphere. These are the peacemakers . They are people in other parts of the world who see they are about to be drafted into Prince Gog’s vast, second dictatorship. They may have even heard that he has ambitions to set up an army of 200,000,000. 55 So all of these are allowed to flee to America. The Lord says:“And it shall come to pass among the wicked, that every man that will not take up his sword against his neighbor must needs flee unto Zion for safety.” 56
How grateful these peace-loving families will be after Prince Gog gets going with the second dictatorship. The scripture says:
“And 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.” 57
SETTING UP THE NEW ORDER OF THINGS
Once all of these choice groups of people are in place they will set about building the New Jerusalem and setting up ideal Zion cities from one end of the American continent to the other. To accomplish this, the whole structure of government and economics will be changed as well as the adoption of a highly elevated society. Here are the highlights:- The people will be organized by families into tens, fifties, hundreds and thousands. The unit of around one hundred families will be called a secular, non-denominational “ward” similar to the Anglo Saxons and ancient Israel.
- The judges or captains over each unit of ten, fifty, hundred and thousand families, etc. shall be elected each year and will be selectively nominated by the supreme councils and their officers as described in Exodus, chapter 1. This procedure eliminates the need for political parties.
- The people will be governed by the original inspired Constitution as revealed to the Founding Fathers and endorsed by the Lord in 1834. 58
- Civil and criminal law are to be administered according to the law revealed to Moses on Mount Sinai as set forth principle by principle in chapters three to nine inclusive in the author’s text, The Majesty of God’s Law, Ensign Publishing Company,1996, pp.3
- The economy will be practiced in harmony with the principles laid down byAdam Smith in 1776, but in the spirit of the Golden Ru1e.
- The money system will be based on gold and silver with silver as the basic medium of exchange and gold circulating at free market value. Paper money issued by the government will be redeemable in precious metal and have reserves in the vaults for any currency issued. Borrowed money will be based on guaranteed collateral at market value.
- God’s “law of consecration” will be allowed to operate under the control of God’s kingdom for those who have qualified in the temple and prefer its practice to the system of competitive free enterprise.
AMERICA IS SEALED OFF
While all of these new arrangements are being worked out among the four groups of survivors in America, God will begin to isolate America with what Luke called, “waves roaring.” 59 The Lord warned that this would happen. He said:“Wherefore, the days will come that no flesh shall be safe upon the waters., 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. 60
This verse would suggest that while America is by violent seas it will be impossible for ordinary people to either fly or sail across the turbulent oceans in an effort to get to Zion or America.
Another scripture implying complete isolation of the western hemisphere is the Lord’s statement we have already quoted which says:
“And 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.” 61
Joseph Smith warned that when the signal goes out to gather to Zion, the people must not tarry or they may lose their opportunity to even get to Zion. He said:
“The cry is to make haste. The last revelation says, Ye shall not have tine to have gone over the earth [ our missionaries), until these things come. It will come as did the cholera, war, fires and earthquakes; one pestilence after another..
This isolation of the righteous and peace-loving people in America& will be an ideal situation for the building of theNew Jerusalem and setting up numerous Zion cities on the western hemisphere. Concerning America at this particular time, the Lord says:
"...the wicked will not dare come unto it, and it shall be called Zion." 63
THE RISE OF THE SECOND MILITARY DICTATORSHIP
While all of this orderly progress has been occurring in "sealed-off" America something totally evil will have been hovering over the rest of the world. After the collapse of the first military dictatorship, it will immediately allow numerous world leaders with satirical ambitions to begin maneuvering for an opportunity to claw their way to the top and build another world empire. Here is the way Johndescribed what he saw happening:"And I beheld ANOTHER BEAST COMING UP OUT OF THE EARTH; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake like a dragon. 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.
"And he doeth great wonders, so he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth, by the means of these 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.
"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. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free or bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
"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.... and his number is Six hundred three score and six." 64
It was the ambition of the second dictatorship to exercise "all the power of the first beast. . .and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed." 65
Ezekiel tells us that this second dictatorship was designed to mobilize all the gentile nations of the world under a massive army. But what happens to the heathen nations? (See 3 Nephi 21:21) The leader of this vast army will be known as Gog, prince of the Gentiles. 66 As the prophetic story unfolds, we learn that since the fall of the first dictatorship some remarkable things have happened in Israel.
First, the Jews have gathered their people and their wealth from all over the world to the security of Israel. They will have built their capital city of Jerusalem into a magnificent metropolis secured by heavy walls. (Ezekiel, chapters 40-43)
Second, the prophet Zechariah (6:12-13) tells us that a beautiful temple will occupy the heights of Mount Moriah where the "Dome of the Rock" once stood.
We cannot help wondering how all of this can happen.
SOMETHING IMPORTANT MUST RAVE HAPPENED TO THE ARABS DURING THE FIRST WORLD DICTATORSHIP
It will be recalled that ever since 1967 - when the Israeli forces took over Jerusalem - the Jews have wanted to rebuild their temple. But the traditional site for the temple has been occupied since 691 A.D. by a very sacred building of the Moslem faith. This shrine is known as the "Dome of the Rock." It covers the huge threshing floor of Araunah where Abraham is said to have offered Isaac as a sacrifice. It is also the spot where Mohammed says he ascended to heaven on a white horse to commune with the ancient patriarchs and receive the teachings of the Moslem faith.Once the Jews had occupied Jerusalem in 1967 the Moslems feared the Israelis might destroy their sacred building, but they were assured by the leading rabbis that the Jews would never desecrate the sacred places of other faiths.
The press felt the rabbis were saying: "If God wants his temple on Mount Moriah, he will have to make the necessary arrangements".
By the time of the second dictatorship, Ezekiel indicates this will have been accomplished. None of the prophets tell how it would happen, but several scenarios have been suggested.
WHAT IF THE ARABS LOST CONTROL OF THEIR OIL?
One theory is that the first dictatorship might undertake to confiscate the Arab’s vast treasure of oil. The Soviet Union has proposed this for many years since possession of the Arab oil could be the key to taking over Europe. As late as 1996 this was being proposed by a militant Russian political leader.It is speculated that if the first world dictatorship undertook to confiscate the Arab oil there would be a mighty resistance and very likely the Dome of the Rock would be destroyed during the struggle. Furthermore, if the Arabs were robbed of their oil, the Moslem influence would be greatly reduced. It is therefore speculated that if the Dome of the Rock were destroyed and Arab influence diminished, there would be virtually no significant resistance to the rebuilding of the Jewish temple.
THE WORLDWIDE GATHERING OF THE JEWS
Ezekiel describes in chapter 34 how scattered and distressed the Jews will be when the Lord reaches out to rescue them. The Lord said to Ezekiel:‘.. .yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep and seek them out....and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the river, and all the inhabited places of the country.... And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, EVEN MY SERVANT, Davida prince among them; I the Lord have spoken it." 67
Many scholars, including the King James translators, thought these passages referred to the Savior. However, as we have just seen in Ezekiel, chapter 34, verses 23 and 24 the Lord specifically refers to this particular David as his "servant."
Joseph Smith referred to this Prince David and said he would replace his great ancestor temporarily because "the throne and kingdom of David is to be taken from him [ancient David] and given to another by the name of David in the last days, raised up out of his lineage.”68
The administration of this outstanding leader apparently will last a long time, clear over to the time when the Ten Tribes return and become one with Judah. 69
In Ezekiel, chapter 46, we read how David, the prince, will conduct the services at the temple when they come to worship the Lord, and Jeremiah said:
“For it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord of hosts, that I will break his (Israel’s] yoke from off thy neck and.. .they shall serve the Lord their God MID DAVID THEIR KING, WHOM I SHALL RAISE UP TO THEM.” 70
Notice that in all of these passages “David” is identified as a servant of the Lord and not the Lord himself.
Isaiah speaks of this great leader of Israel in the latter days as a “rod” that would come from “the stem of Jesse,” which is Christ, 71 and in a modern revelation the Lord said:
“Behold, thus saith the Lord, It (the rod) is a servant in the hands of Christ, which is partly a descendant of Jesse as well as of Ephraim, or of the house of Joseph, on whom is laid much power.” 72
There has been some question as to whether this refers to Prince David or Joseph Smith. In either case we have an interesting disclosure by the Lord that this distinguished leader is a mixture of both Juda and Ephraim. It would be amazing to the Jews if David turned out to be partly Ephraim and it certainly would be somewhat surprising to the members of the restored kingdom if Joseph Smith turned out to be part Jewish.
As David the prince gathers the Jews from all over the world to the land of Israel, there will be both wealth and manpower to beautify the city of Jerusalem. We learn later that he will raise up its mighty walls as a defense and then rebuild the temple. 73
For the Jews, this will be their 4th temple. This is the temple seen by Ezekiel in vision and the one to which the Savior will come. The three previous temples – One built by Solomon around 950 B.C., the one built by Zerubbabel around 516 B.C., and the one built by Herod at the time of Christ were all destroyed, and while this fourth temple will be attack fl, it will continue to survive right into the Millennium.
GOG, THE MIGHTY EMPEROR OF THE SECOND WORLD DICTATORSHIP
Ezekiel says the second dictatorship which will arise at this time is headed up by a fierce and ambitious tyrant named Gog the height of his power he will be like the leader of the first dictatorship and consider himself totally invincible, but the Lord said to his prophet:“Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal and prophesy against him.” 74
This happens right at the time the beautiful edifice of the temple is being raised up to crown the heights of Mount Moriah. 75 This will be the most elaborate “house of the Lord” ever constructed, and no doubt Prince Gog will have his spies carefully reporting every phase of its construction. Of course, he will be contemptuous of the Jewish belief that this is a holy place – a center of sacred worship. On the contrary, Prince Gog will look upon this temple as a mighty treasure house in which the Jews have stored away their wealth from all over the world.
As the greedy eyes of Gog are focused on the loot he will derive from a raid on Jerusalem, the Lord is saying:
“Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief of princes of Mesheck and Tubal; and I will turn thee back and put hooks into thy jaws and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them, clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords.” 76
The Lord had Ezekiel describe precisely what this bloodthirsty tyrant would do:
“Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee.” 77
Because the Lord could read Gog’s mind, he said:
“Thou shalt think an evil thought: and thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without wa1ls and having neither bars nor gates, to take spoil, and to take a prey, to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land..” 78
GOG LOOKS TOWARD JERUSALEM
It appears that Gog will have conquered all of Europe and Asia before he turns his greedy war machine on the land of Palestine. This man will have established terroristic Gadiantonism and a murder-cult criminal spoils system everywhere but in America. John says:“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: 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.” 79
It is interesting that the whole earth will be under his domination exept North and South America. As we have mentioned earlier a modern revelation says he would have invaded America except for his fear of the consequences. Gog and his cohorts are quoted in this scripture as saying:
“Let us not go up to battle against Zion, for the inhabitants of Zion are terrible, wherefore we cannot stand.” 80
Some of this may have been due to heavenly powers possessed by God’s servants in Zion similar to that which Enoch exhibited during the first thousand years of human history. It says:
“…their enemies came to battle against them; and he (Enoch] 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 were heard out of the wilderness; 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.” 81
But in the beginning of the second dictatorship seen by John, the violent Gog and his hordes of ferocious military forces will be spreading their “abomination of desolation” in every direction. 82
JOEL WITNESSES A VISION OF HORROR – THE ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION
A prophet named Joel – living several centuries before Ezekiel – used two whole chapters to describe the terrifying weapons of modern warfare which Gog would employ to set up his second dictatorship. Joel could scarcely find words to describe what he saw. In fact, until the nuclear age, no generation could have completely comprehended what Joel was trying to describe:“A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the Garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.” 83
Joel felt he was seeing the very ultimate in destructive warfare. He said:
“There hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations.” 84
Joel did his best to describe what he saw:
“The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run.” 85
But these were not like any horses he had ever seen. Notice his bold attempt to describe the strange mobile units which he saw:
“Like the noise of chariots [not of horses] on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble;…they shall run like mighty men [once more the simile changes] they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break ranks: neither shall one thrust another, they shall walk every one in his path: and when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded. They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up upon the houses: and they shall enter in at the window like a thief. The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble.” 86
It sounds very much as though the prophet is attempting to describe helicopter gun ships and a modern armored division rumbling across a city with cannon and flame-throwers spreading destruction all around.
THE FAMOUS BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON
But at Jerusalem Gog and his mighty host will come to a sudden halt. It turns out that Prince David has two powerful allies that Gog would have never suspected. He has 2 prophets whom God will raise up among the Jews with powers unlike anything Gog has seen. An angel describes what he sees the two prophets will be able to do:“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.” 87
For three-and-a-half years these prophets will hold Gog and these great gentile armies at bay. 88
When the prophet Joel saw the predicament in which the Jews would find themselves, he knew there was no human power that could save them. Apparently, even before Joel saw the two prophets demonstrating their powers, Joel pleads with the Jews to begin their fasting and prayer with fervent pleadings that God will intervene and save them. He cried:
“Rend your hearts 89 and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God…. Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly; gather the people, sanctify the congregation … let them say, Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach.” 90
WHY WOULDN’T THE SAINTS IN AMERICA ASSIST THE JEWS?
When we consider all the circumstances it is highly probable that the people in America will have no idea what is happening to the Jews. With the violent storms raging around the western hemisphere 91 it might be impossible to communicate with the other parts of the world as well prove to be impossible to sail or fly.Some have suggested that by this time the storms might have subsided, but this does not seem likely since millions would immediately flee to America to escape the cruel dictatorship of Gog and Magog. The Lord says that during this period “no flesh shall be safe upon the waters. And it shall be said. . .that none is able to go up to the land of Zion upon the waters, but he that is upright in heart.” 92
The last phrase implies that the few righteous stragglers who did not get to America before the “roaring seas” took over will be able to reach Zion only by divine intervention. 93
MEANWHILE, THE WORST OF ALL POSSIBLE TRAGEDIES WILL OCCUR AMONG THE JEWS
In spite of all the prayers and petitions of the Jews, Gog will launch a do-or-die assault on the walls of Jerusalem,- at the height of his stubborn fury his army does succeed in penetrating the strong walls and kill the two prophets. Then they will slaughter the Jews by the thousands as they make their way toward the temple.The Lord told the prophet Zechariah – who lived a generation after Ezekiel (520 B.C.) – that the invasion of Jerusalem will be terrible indeed. He says:
“And the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity.” 94
GOG AND HIS HOSTS WILL CELEBRATE FOR THREE-AND-A-HALF DAYS
At this juncture, Prince Gog will be supremely jubilant. In triumphant glee the dictator will order a brief cease-fire. He wants to hold a victory banquet and spread the news that the prophets who “tormented” them have been overcome and killed. Gog will not permit the bodies of the two prophets to be buried, but orders them left lying in the street while he and his generals celebrate in a drunken orgy for three-and-a-half days. 95But at the end of this period, Gog and his army will have the most shocking surprise of their lives.
The mutilated bodies of the two prophets will suddenly arise up from the ground, fully restored. Then a great voice will be heard from heaven saying, “Come up hither,” and the two prophets will ascend in a cloud as Gog and his hosts watch in amazement. 96
THE APPEARANCE OF JESUS CHRIST TO THE JEWS
Then things will really begin to happen.Jesus will suddenly appear on the Mount of Olives with a great host, and the scripture says he shall “utter his voice an all the ends of the earth shall hear it.” At this point the prophet Zechariah says:
“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 there shall be a very great earth quake; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north and half of it toward the south. And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains….” 97
It is interesting that when Jesus makes himself visible to the Jews in the great valley between the separated halves of the Mount of Olives, he withholds his glory . Just as when he appeared after his resurrection to his apostles and others, he came as an ordinary man and had to show them the wounds in his hands and his feet and his side to prove his identity. 98
So it will be when he appears to the Jews. Apparently neither he nor the Saints will appear in glory. The Jews will therefore be unafraid and gather round him in jubilant adoration. But they will still not know him. Finally, someone standing nearby will ask in curious wonderment:
“What are these wounds in thine hands and in thy feet?” 99
At this point Jesus decides to tell them the rest of the story. Here are his own words:
“Then shall they know that I am the Lord; for I will say unto them: These wounds are the wounds with which I was wounded in the house of my friends. I am he who was lifted up. I am he that was crucified. I am the Son of God.
“And then shall they weep because of their iniquities; then shall they lament because they persecuted their king.” 100
At last the Jews will know the true identity of their great Messiah. It is none other than Jesus Christ who was slain when he came the first time because they thought he was an impostor. 101
Even while the Jews are in mourning because their ancestors failed to recognize the Savior, they will now try to make it up to him. In a spirit of humble adoration they will lead him to their beautiful temple and enter the holy sanctuary by the eastern gate. The gate will then be closed and never opened again. 102
This is purely symbolic, of course, since the apostles learned in their day, that the resurrected Jesus could appear and depart when the gates were closed and the doors were locked. 103
For the Jews , this is a supremely joyous time.
THE FATE OF GOG AND HIS HOSTS
Of course, Gog and his hosts will be completely oblivious to the sensational events which are taking place among the Jews who have survived their great crisis. But they will be terribly aware of something else – their own destruction. A tidal wave of devastation will be sweeping down upon them. The Lord had described to Ezekiel what would happen:“I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire and brimstone.” 104
“And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee.” 105
As with the wicked Gentiles in America, the hosts of Gog are devastated by the power of God. Here is the way Zechariah describes it:
“And 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 the holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.” 106
MOSLEMS OF OUR OWN DAY WOULD SCARCELY BELIEVE WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT
The prophets were shown that the great events at Jerusalem would be world-wide ‘ . The city of Jerusalem will be rebuilt and millions of people in the surrounding nations will eagerly seek to visit there. The Jewish prophet Zechariah describes it:“Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord…. In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that GOD IS WITH YOU.” 107
The converted Christian Jews in Israel will not only make their covenants with their great Messiah through baptism, but they will have radiant testimonies to proclaim to all who come to Jerusalem their witness concerning their newly discovered gospel of salvation. The results of all this will generate a wonderful bonding among the descendants of Abraham. The Arabic nations that surround the Mediterranean and the Moslems of India, China, Russia and elsewhere will thirst for the message of the Jewish Messiah. Isaiah says this great new wave of Christian conversion will bind the Jews to their Moslem cousins:
“The Lord of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt MY PEOPLE, and Assyria THE WORK OF MY BANDS, and Israel MINE INHERITANCE.” 108
Not only will the Jews and Arabs become united but so will many of the Gentile nations. After Armageddon Zechariah says:
“And it shall come to pass that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.
“And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain.” 109
CLEANSING THE LAND
The tens of thousands of the hosts of Gog who will be slain will be a plague on the land of Israel. For months the people will be laboring by day and by night to bury the dead. Ezekiel writes:“And it shall stop the noses of the passengers: and there shall they bury Gog and all his multitude: and they shall call it The valley of Hamon-gog.
“And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land. Yea, all the people of the land shall bury them….And they shall sever out men of continual employment, passing through the land to bury with the passengers those that remain upon the face of the to cleanse it: after the end of 7 months shall they search.” 110
THE END OF BLOOD SACRIFICES AT THE TEMPLE IN JERUSALEM
The fourth temple in Jerusalem will be copied after the earlier temples of the Jews and will therefore be designed for blood sacrifices. However, once the Jews have learned that their Messiah has come, the purpose of these blood sacrifices – in anticipation of Christ’s sacrifice – will give them a new perspective. Nevertheless, Joseph Smith indicated that the law of sacrifice will be continued as part of the “restitution of all things” until the sons of Levi have learned how to offer these sacrifices “in righteousness.” 111Such a time was anticipated by John the Baptist when he restored the Aaronic Priesthood and said:
“This (Priesthood of Aaron) shall never be taken again from the earth, until the sons of Levi do offer again an offering unto the Lord in righteousness.” 112
Malachi indicates that the problem for the Levites is not merely learning the ritual in righteousness but having a corps of humble and righteous Levites who are worthy to perform the ordinances. He says:
“And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness. Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the days of old, and as in former years.” 113
When the Lord is fully satisfied that the “offering of Judah and Jerusalem is pleasant unto the Lord,” he will no doubt say to the Priesthood in Jerusalem as he did to the Priesthood among the Nephites:
“And ye shall offer up unto me no more the shedding of blood; yea, your sacrifices and your burnt offerings shall be done away, for I will accept none of your sacrifices and your burnt offerings. And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heartand a contrite spirit.” 114
It will probably be about this time that all of the higher ordinances can be introduced into the holy precincts of the temple in Jerusalem just as they will, be practiced in the beautiful temple in New Jerusalem.
THE UNITING OF EPHRAIM AND JUDAH
In fact, by this time a warm relationship will have developed between the leadership of God’s two great capitals. Both people will be worshipping the same Messiah, both people will have the same ordinances in their temples, both people will now be prepared to finish the final preparation for the Second Coming of the Messiah. As Isaiah predicted:“The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim.”
ONLY TWO MORE GREAT EVENTS TO OCCUR BEFORE THE SECOND COMING
We have now reached a summit on the God’s prophetic time line so that only two major events must occur before the Second Coming.The first is THE RETURN OF THE 10 tribes which the prophets have been talking about for centuries.
The second is the selecting and sealing of TWELVE THOUSAND OUT OF EACH TRIBE so that these 144,000 consecrated missionaries can scour the earth and seek out any fragments of humanity who still want to accept the gospel. Those who accept the gospel will be baptized, confirmed and sent to America where they can be caught up when the Savior comes. Those who reject the gospel will be sealed up to destruction as described by Malachi:
“For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up; saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.” 116
In a future discussion we will consider these two monumental events and the highlights of the Second Coming.
- D&C 38:30
- D&C 107:56
- D&C 7:62
- Isaiah 29:11–14
- Nephi: 14:20-21, 25, 27
- 1 Nephi 22:29
- Nephi 32:7
- Revelation 7:8–4
- Revelation 14:1–8
- Alma 13:3
- History of the Church. vol. vi, p. 364
- D&C 77: 11
- D&C 77: 13
- Revelation 7:3–4 with 14:1-8
- Revelation 8:1
- D&C 20:1
- D&C 21:2–3
- N. B. Lundwall, Temples of the Most High, 1941, p. 291—292; original source: The Deseret Weekly News, vol. 53, No. 21, November 7, 1896
- D&C 88:95
- R. McConkie, The Millennial Messiah (one volume) Deseret Book, 1982, p. 382
- Abraham 3:4
- 2 Peter 3:8
- D&C 77:10
- D&C 77:13
- D&C 77:14
- Essentials of Church History, By Joseph Fielding Smith, 1937 edition, p. 126
- Deuteronomy 30:4; see also Matthew 24:81; and D&C 138:7 and Pearl of Great Price 45:37
- Revelation 8:1
- Revelation 13:1
- Revelation 13:2
- Quoted in “Stand Fast by the Constitution” by J. Reuben Clark, p. 85
- Revelation 13:1–4
- Revelation 13:5
- Revelation 13:6–7
- Revelation 13:9–10
- 3 Nephi 16:10
- Micah 5:7–15
- 3 Nephi 20:14–19
- Revelation 13:7
- Patrick R. J. Carmack, The Money Masters, p. 5
- Patrick R. J. Carmack, The Money Masters, p. 4
- D&C 97:22–26
- Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 17
- “Published by Wilford Woodruff in Wilford Woodruff’s Journal, ol. 7, pp. 419-423.
- 45 Brigham Young, Journal of Discourses, vol. 8, p. 123
- 46 The Contributor, an LDS magazine, vol. 15, pp. 638-841
- 47 D&C 29:17–20
- 48 D&C 45:31
- 49 D&C 97:25
- 50 D&C 45:32’35
- Journal of Discourses. vol. 12:344
- 3 Nephi 21:27–28
- D&C 45:71
- Millennial Star, vol. 10, March 15, 1848, p. 87; Hyrum Andrus, Doctrines of the Kingdom, Salt Lake City Bookcraft, 1973, p. 396
- Revelation 9:16
- D&C 45:68
- D&C 45:69
- D&C 101:77:80 and 98:6-10
- Luke 21:25–26
- D&C 61:15–16
- D&C 45:69
- History of the Church, vol. 3, pp. 390- 391
- D&C 45:67
- Revelation 13:11–18
- Revelation 13:12
- Ezekiel 38:2
- Ezekiel 34:6, 11–13, 23–24
- Doc. History of the Church, vol. 6, p. 253
- Ezekiel 37:22–24
- Jeremiah 80:8–9
- D&C 113:2
- D&C 113:4
- Zechariah 6:12–13
- Ezekiel 38:2
- Ezekiel, chapters 41-42
- Ezekiel 38:3–4
- Ezekiel 38:9
- Ezekiel 38:10–12
- Revelation13:16-17
- D&C 22: 16–17
- Moses 7:18–14
- Daniel 11:31
- 2:2-3
- Joel 2:2
- Joel 2:4
- Joel 2:5–10
- Revelation 11:5–6
- Revelation 11:2–3
- 2 Nephi 2:7
- Joel 2:13–16
- Luke 21:24–25
- D&C 61:15–16
- D&C 61:15
- Zechariah 14:2
- Revelation 11:11–10
- Revelation 11:11–12
- Zechariah 14:4
- This is described in Luke 24:13–16
- Zechariah 12:10; Doctrine and Covenants 45:49
- Doctrine and Covenants 45:52–53
- For details see Skousen, Days of the Living Christ, op. cit. pp. 828-829
- Ezekiel 44:2
- John 20:19, 26
- Ezekiel 28:22
- Ezekiel 39:2
- Zechariah 14:12. To compare this with the plague among the wicked Gentiles in America, see Doctrine and Covenants 29:18–19
- Zechariah 8:22–23
- Isaiah 19:25
- Zechariah 14:16–17
- Ezekiel 39:11–14
- Teachings of Joseph Smith, pp. 172-173
- D&C 13:1
- Malachi 3:3–4
- 3 Nephi 9:19–20
- Isaiah 11:13
- Malachi 4:1
(Source: (W. Cleon Skousen, First presented in Ogden, Utah, April 10, 1999))
