A Great and A Marvelous Work Among the Children of Men

 1 Nephi 14:5 - 7, NC 1 Nephi 3 par. 26

And it came to pass that the angel spake unto me, Nephi, saying, Thou hast beheld that if the gentiles repent, it shall be well with them; and thou also knowest concerning the covenants of the Lord unto the house of Israel. And thou also hast heard that whoso repenteth not must perish. Therefore, woe be unto the gentiles if it so be that they harden their hearts against the Lamb of God. For the time cometh, saith the Lamb of God, that I will work a great and a marvelous work among the children of men, a work which shall be everlasting, either on the one hand or on the other, either to the convincing of them unto peace and life eternal, or unto the deliverance of them to the hardness of their hearts and the blindness of their minds, unto their being brought down into captivity and also unto destruction, both temporally and spiritually, according to the captivity of the Devil of which I have spoken.

The Stick of Joseph in the Hand of Ephraim, 1 Nefi 3 par. 26

And it came to pass that the angel spoke unto me, Nefi, saying, You have beheld that if the Goyim repent, it shall be well with them; and you also know concerning the covenants of yhwh unto the house of Isra’el. And you also have heard that whoever repents not must perish. Therefore, woe be unto the Goyim if it so be that they harden their hearts against the Lamb of Elohim. For the time comes, says the Lamb of Elohim, that I will work a great and a marvelous work among the children of men, a work which shall be everlasting, either on the one hand or on the other, either to the convincing of them unto shalom and life Eternal, or unto the deliverance of them to the hardness of their hearts and the blindness of their minds, unto their being brought down into captivity and also unto destruction, both temporally and spiritually, according to the captivity of HaSatan of which I have spoken.

I would like to look at the phrase the angel used here as he spoke with Nephi; "a great and a marvelous work".

Again, as always, it is impossible to even adequately scratch the surface of such a subject in a blog.

What I hope to share is a little of what I presently understand concerning "a great and a marvelous work".

What I presently understand concerning this subject is what makes sense to me.  If I am correct at all in my understanding of it I am sure that I am only partially understanding something that seems to me to be a great culmination of things that began with Adam and will affect the entire human family.

Is it possible, by looking in the scriptures, to come to understand more about what the angel is telling Nephi here in his vision concerning the Lamb of God working "a great and a marvelous work"?

Is it a coincidence that the Lord used the very same phrase "a great and a marvelous work" when He was teaching the Nephites the words of Isaiah when He appeared to them and ministered to them following His resurrection?

And verily I say unto you, I give unto you a sign, that ye may know the time when these things shall be about to take place, that I shall gather in from their long dispersion my people, O house of Israel, and shall establish again among them my Zion. And behold, this is the thing which I will give unto you for a sign: for verily I say unto you that when these things which I declare unto you — and which I shall declare unto you hereafter of myself and by the power of the holy ghost, which shall be given unto you of the Father — shall be made known unto the gentiles, that they may know concerning this people who are a remnant of the house of Jacob, and concerning this my people who shall be scattered by them, verily, verily I say unto you, when these things shall be made known unto them of the Father and shall come forth of the Father from them unto you — for it is wisdom in the Father that they should be established in this land and be set up as a free people by the power of the Father, that these things might come forth from them unto a remnant of your seed, that the covenant of the Father may be fulfilled which he hath covenanted with his people, O house of Israel — therefore, when these works and the works which shall be wrought among you hereafter shall come forth from the gentiles unto your seed which shall dwindle in unbelief because of iniquity — for thus it behooveth the Father that it should come forth from the gentiles, that he may shew forth his power unto the gentiles for this cause, that the gentiles, if they will not harden their hearts, that they may repent, and come unto me, and be baptized in my name, and know of the true points of my doctrine, that they may be numbered among my people, O house of Israel — and when these things come to pass, that thy seed shall begin to know these things, it shall be a sign unto them that they may know that the work of the Father hath already commenced unto the fulfilling of the covenant which he hath made unto the people who are of the house of Israel. And when that day shall come, it shall come to pass that kings shall shut their mouths, for that which had not been told them shall they see, and that which they had not heard shall they consider.  For in that day, for my sake, shall the Father work a work which shall be a great and a marvelous work among them, and there shall be among them those who will not believe it, although a man shall declare it unto them. But behold, the life of my servant shall be in my hand; therefore, they shall not hurt him, although he shall be marred because of them. Yet I will heal him, for I will shew unto them that my wisdom is greater than the cunning of the Devil. Therefore, it shall come to pass that whosoever will not believe in my words, who am Jesus Christ, which the Father shall cause him to bring forth unto the gentiles, and shall give unto him power that he shall bring them forth unto the gentiles, it shall be done even as Moses said — They shall be cut off from among my people who are of the covenant. And my people who are a remnant of Jacob shall be among the gentiles, yea, in the midst of them as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep, who, if he go through, both treadeth down and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver. Their hand shall be lifted up upon their adversaries, and all their enemies shall be cut off. Yea, woe be unto the gentiles except they repent, for it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Father, that I will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee, and I will destroy thy chariots, and I will cut off the cities of thy land and throw down all thy strong holds. And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thy land, and thou shalt have no more soothsayers. Thy graven images I will also cut off and thy standing images out of the midst of thee, and thou shalt no more worship the works of thy hands. And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee; so will I destroy thy cities. And it shall come to pass that all lyings, and deceivings, and envyings, and strifes, and priestcrafts, and whoredoms shall be done away. For it shall come to pass, saith the Father, that at that day, whosoever will not repent and come unto my Beloved Son, them will I cut off from among my people, O house of Israel, and I will execute vengeance and fury upon them, even as upon the heathen, such as they have not heard. (3 Nephi 21:1 - 21, NC 3 Nephi 9 pars. 11 - 12)

There are a multitude of blog posts of subjects that could be discussed in the above statement of the Lord to the Nephites. 

Do the things the Lord states here concerning the results of either accepting the great and a marvelous work or of rejecting it line up with the words of the angel to Nephi?

Do the Lord's words speak of this work being everlasting, either on the one hand or on the other, either to the convincing of them unto peace and life eternal, or unto the deliverance of them to the hardness of their hearts and the blindness of their minds, unto their being brought down into captivity and also unto destruction, both temporally and spiritually, according to the captivity of the Devil of which I have spoken. 

When the Lord declared this, for thus it behooveth the Father that it should come forth from the gentiles, that he may shew forth his power unto the gentiles for this cause, that the gentiles, if they will not harden their hearts, that they may repent, and come unto me, and be baptized in my name, and know of the true points of my doctrine, that they may be numbered among my people, O house of Israel,  could it be reasonably assumed that such actions by a convinced people would bring that people along to a condition of peace in this life and eventually life eternal?

When the Lord declared this,woe be unto the gentiles except they repent, for it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Father, that I will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee, and I will destroy thy chariots, and I will cut off the cities of thy land and throw down all thy strong holds. And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thy land, and thou shalt have no more soothsayers. Thy graven images I will also cut off and thy standing images out of the midst of thee, and thou shalt no more worship the works of thy hands. And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee; so will I destroy thy cities. And it shall come to pass that all lyings, and deceivings, and envyings, and strifes, and priestcrafts, and whoredoms shall be done away. For it shall come to pass, saith the Father, that at that day, whosoever will not repent and come unto my Beloved Son, them will I cut off from among my people, O house of Israel, and I will execute vengeance and fury upon them, even as upon the heathen, such as they have not heard,  could it be reasonably assumed that such actions would deliver a people to the hardness of their hearts and the blindness of their minds into captivity and destruction both temporally and spiritually?

Are the words of the angel to Nephi and the words of the Lord to the Nephites speaking of the same "great and a marvelous work"?

My present understanding is that yes they are speaking of the same thing.

If I am correct then is it possible that by looking into the words of the Lord to the Nephites which contain more details that I can come to see some things that might give me understanding so that I would be able to recognize this great and a marvelous work?

As a very important aside to get a reference of timing for this "great and a marvelous work", is the following statement by the Lord to the Nephites related to the words of the angel Nephi to the Prophet Joseph in Sept. 1823?

Therefore, it shall come to pass that whosoever will not believe in my words, who am Jesus Christ, which the Father shall cause him to bring forth unto the gentiles, and shall give unto him power that he shall bring them forth unto the gentiles, it shall be done even as Moses said — They shall be cut off from among my people who are of the covenant.(Words of the Lord from the above quotation)

After telling me these things he commenced quoting the prophecies of the Old Testament. He first quoted part of the third chapter of Malachi [Mal. 1:6 – 8], and he quoted also the fourth or last chapter of the same prophecy [Mal. 1:9 – 11], though with a little variation from the way it reads in our Bibles. Instead of quoting the first verse as reads in our books, he quoted it thus: For behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven, and all the proud, yea and all that do wickedly, shall burn as stubble; for they that cometh shall burn them, saith the Lord of Hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. And again he quoted the fifth verse thus: Behold, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood by the hand of Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. He also quoted the next verse differently: And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers; if it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming. In addition to these he quoted the eleventh chapter of Isaiah [Isaiah 5:3-5], saying that it was about to be fulfilled. He quoted also the third chapter of Acts, twenty-second and twenty-third verses [Acts 2:3], precisely as they stand in our New Testament. He said that that prophet was Christ, but the day had not yet come when they who would not hear his voice should be cut off from among the people, but soon would come. He also quoted the second chapter of Joel from the twenty-eighth to the last verse [Joel 1:12]. He also said that this was not yet fulfilled, but was soon to be. And he further stated the fullness of the gentiles was soon to come in. He quoted many other passages of scripture and offered many explanations which cannot be mentioned here. (Joseph Smith History 1:36 - 41, T&C 1, Joseph Smith History, Part 3, par. )

Isn't the Lord, by His own words, in the Book of Mormon to the Nephites telling us that what Nephi told the Prophet Joseph concerning the day had not yet come when they who would not hear his voice should be cut off from among the people, but soon would come.  that that event would come about by this great and a marvelous work?

Would being cut off from among the people or as the Savior stated it being cut off from among my people who are of the covenant, be an action that is everlasting to the bringing down into captivity unto destruction both temporally and spiritually?

The Lord declared that this cutting off would occur to those who reject His word that He has sent forth among the gentiles by His servant.

Does that mean that to hear the words spoken by the delineated servant of Christ is to hear Christ's words?

Would that match with what the Lord revealed through the Prophet Joseph?

Search these commandments for they are true and faithful, and the prophecies and promises which are in them shall all be fulfilled. What I, the Lord, have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself. And though the heaven and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by my own voice or by the voice of my servants it is the same. For behold and lo, the Lord is God and the spirit bears record, and the record is true, and the truth abides for ever and ever. Amen. (D&C 1:37 - 39, T&C 54 par. 7)

Would it be very important for me to find this servant Christ is speaking of to the Nephites and heed the words of Christ given through this servant in order to not be cut off from the people who are of the covenant of Christ?

Don't the words of Christ to the Nephites place the timing of this servant delivering Christ's words or in other words this great and a marvelous work taking place after the coming forth of the Book of Mormon and after the establishment of a gentile church?

There is sooo much to consider.

Back to the post.

For our momentarily limited inquiry into the subject recorded by Nephi here we will focus on one part of the Lord's statement; And when that day shall come, it shall come to pass that kings shall shut their mouths, for that which had not been told them shall they see, and that which they had not heard shall they consider.  For in that day, for my sake, shall the Father work a work which shall be a great and a marvelous work among them, and there shall be among them those who will not believe it, although a man shall declare it unto them.

According to the Lord are the kings of the world going to understand what is happening as this great and a marvelous work occurs?

Please consider the following commentary given July 15 2010 on the above words of the Lord. 

And when that day shall come, it shall come to pass that kings shall shut their mouths; for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.  For in that day, for my sake shall the Father work a work, which shall be a great and a marvelous work among them; and there shall be among them those who will not believe it, although a man shall declare it unto them.”

Christ is quoting from Isaiah and applying the words to a specific time frame. It is post-gentile receipt of the Book of Mormon, post-delivery of that book to the remnant, and post-opportunity for gentiles to repent and know of the true points of His doctrine. When that happens, the Lord will be freed up to fulfill the covenants of the Father.

When the Father’s covenants are in being fulfilled, “kings shall shut their mouths.” That is, the noble of this world will not know what to say. They will be at a loss of words because of the Father’s acts.

Things that haven’t been “told them” will take place, and they will not understand.

Things that they never had taught to them will unfold, and they cannot comprehend, cannot get their hands around it all.  It will dumbfound them.

Even when people who understand that the events are according to the Father’s plan, and the Lord’s covenant, they will not be able to believe it.

Too much! Too distressing! Too unexpected! Too great to take in! It will be confusion and distress, and the idea that God is behind it all will be unbelievable to them. (Isa. 52: 15.)

Their plans for managing the world will be dashed and end.  Their great investments will be lost.The control they imagined they had as “kings” will fade to dust. (Hag. 2: 22.)

How can such splendor, such great and masterful arrangements, such glory in mankind become nothing? How can it all fall to the dust? (Rev. 14: 7-8.)

It will be “great and marvelous” because it shows the Father’s power and might. But it will be inconvenient and distressing, unbelievable and terrible. (Malachi 4: 1.)

What is coming will leave proud men speechless and believing people vindicated. Everything will change.

Once again we see the tremendous relevance of Isaiah’s words. You can search for language to capture our times and find no-one who has given phrases that capture this moment better than Isaiah. Even the Lord finds his words appropriate to quote as His own. Words of inspiration, given Isaiah by the Lord, become Isaiah’s, then are taken by the Lord and used again as His. The symmetry of this chiasm is a reminder of how closely the Lord works with those He inspires. It is “His voice” even when the message comes from His servants.  Who has ears to hear? ("3 Nephi 21:8 - 9", DenverSnuffer.com, 15, July 2010)

I agree with the above commentary because, as I have testified to previously, I am a living witness, having seen with my own eyes the great and a marvelous work the Lord is performing now and I have heard with my own ears the words of Christ sent by Him and declared by a man who has been sent to declare them.

I would like to address one part of the above commentary.

Christ is quoting from Isaiah and applying the words to a specific time frame. It is post-gentile receipt of the Book of Mormon, post-delivery of that book to the remnant, and post-opportunity for gentiles to repent and know of the true points of His doctrine. When that happens, the Lord will be freed up to fulfill the covenants of the Father.

In the final Lecture in the series of Lectures the Lord commissioned to be delivered on Mormonism the following was stated; over four years after the statement from the above commentary.

Joseph Smith cautioned the saints about violating God’s trust. As Joseph put it: “His word will go forth, in these last days, in purity; for if Zion will not purify herself, so as to be approved in all things, in His sight, He will seek another people; for His work will go on until Israel is gathered, and they who will not hear His voice, must expect to feel His wrath.” 

We should expect God’s house to be ordered around only one principle: repentance. When the pride of a great organization replaces repentance, the heavens withdraw, and when they do, “Amen” to that portion of God’s house. But the restoration through Joseph will always remain, even if God chooses to order it differently before His return. It is His to do with as He determines best. 

 At the time I was excommunicated, I was in good standing with the Lord. I had nothing amiss in my personal life. There was no sin warranting church discipline. As a former member of the High             Council for years, every church disciplinary proceeding I attended that resulted in excommunication, always involved serious moral transgression, betrayal of marriage covenants, and in some cases criminal wrongdoing. In contrast, the reason for my discipline was a book I had written about church history, in which I attempted to align the events of the Restoration to the prophecies of the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants. 

The stake president admitted to me and my wife before the Council began, that I was then worthy of a temple recommend. By any standard of moral conduct, I was an innocent man, whose only offense was believing the scriptures revealed our condition before God. On the evening of May 1, 2014, the Lord gave me further light and knowledge about His work in His vineyard. The Lord is in control over the church, men, and all things. When He undertakes to accomplish something, “there is nothing that the Lord God shall take in His heart to do, but what He will do it.” (Abr. 3: 17.) Often the means used by the Lord to accomplish His “strange act,” and to perform His “strange work”(D&C 101: 95), are very small indeed. "Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise. And the Lord God doth work by means to bring about his great and eternal purposes; and by very small means the Lord doth confound the wise and bringeth about the salvation of many souls." (Alma 37: 6-7.) 

It is almost always the case that the Lord uses simple things to confound the mighty. I can think of nothing smaller or simpler or less important than myself. Inside the great church to which I once belonged, I was obscure. However, I lived my religion, attended faithfully, served to the best of my ability, upheld church leaders with my prayers, paid tithes, fasted, observed the Word of Wisdom, and helped answer questions for those needing assistance with troubling issues. 

There was no reason to regard me as a rebel who should be singled out for discipline. Nevertheless, the Lord chose to use a faithful and believing member to accomplish His design. Only someone who is devoted to His will could accomplish what the Lord had in His heart. Now He has accomplished it. 

The Church has Doctrine and Covenants 121, verses 36 to 40, to warn it about abusing His authority. There is an "amen" or end to authority when control, compulsion, and dominion are exercised in any degree of unrighteousness. Therefore, when using authority, great care must be taken. In any case, the church was careless. Therefore, those involved, are now left to kick against the pricks, to persecute the Saints and to fight against God. Section 121 is a warning to church leaders. It is addressing the powerful, not the powerless. It is addressing those who occupy the seats of authority over others. Only those who claim the right to control, compel, and exercise dominion, are warned against persecuting the saints, who believe the religion and practice it as I did from the time of my conversion. My excommunication was an abuse of authority. Therefore, as soon as the decision was made, the Lord terminated the priesthood authority of the stake presidency and every member of the High Council who sustained this decision, which was unanimous. Thereafter, I appealed to the First Presidency, outlining the involvement of the 12 and the 70. The appeal gave notice to them all. 

The appeal was summarily denied. Last general conference, the entire First Presidency, the 12, the 70, and all other general authorities and auxiliaries, voted to sustain those who abused their authority in casting me out of the church. At that moment, the Lord ended all claims of the church of  Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, to claim it is led by the priesthood. 

They have not practiced what He requires. The Lord has brought about His purposes. This has been in His heart all along. He has chosen to use small means to accomplish it, but He always uses the smallest of means to fulfill His purposes. None of this was my doing. The Lord's strange act, was not, could not, be planned by me. Was not, could not, have been controlled by me. It was not anticipated by me, or even understood by me, until after the Lord had accomplished His will, and made it apparent to me on the evening of May 1, 2014. He alone has done this. He is the author of all of this. 

Just because something is true at one moment does not mean it is true at another moment. Things change, decisions matter, what we do always matters. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is not the same thing as it was when I joined in 1973. At this moment it is not even the same thing it was in 2012. It is in the process of changing rapidly, and will be something very different again in just a few more years. The Lord, knowing the direction the LDS Church is now headed, has acted to preserve the Restoration itself. 

This change does not affect the leadership’s legal right to preside. They are upheld by common consent, and therefore have the right still to control the direction of the organization. But it cannot be fixed, either. Any new authority will have to sustain the senior leaders now in position. I belonged for forty years to the church, and President Monson, President Packer and Elder Perry were in leadership when I joined and they are among the senior most leaders today. Adding new authorities that were not in the leadership when the Lord took these steps cannot remedy the Lord’s decision. 

If the church’s leaders continue to be upheld by the prayers of members, prayer has power and can give strength. However the action taken by the Lord frees His hand to do something further now. His house is a house of order, but since the days of Abraham God’s house has included things about which we have very little knowledge. ("Preserving the Restoration", Lecture 10, 40 Years in Mormonism, Denver Snuffer, 09 September 2014, pgs. 6 - 8)

Just as was stated above, the action the Lord took in the years leading up to May 01, 2014 "frees His hand to do something further now."

Unbeknownst to the author of the July 2010 commentary the Lord used him years later as a small and simple means, in a way the author did not understand, to free His hands to do something further to save His restoration.

God's house is a house of order, but that does not mean what you think it means. God follows patterns. He establishes and ordains things according to one pattern, and then He takes them down again according to another pattern, and He does not vary. There is no guarantee, when He establishes a house in one instance, that that house cannot rebel, reject Him, and be rejected by Him at another. Just because God undertakes one work does not mean that He cannot undertake yet another. Just because He ordains one system at one time it does not mean that, when that system becomes abusive, He will not deal with the system He ordained according to its own standards in order to bring about the result He warned about. He follows a pattern and therein is the house of order. 

When Christ came the first time, God took down a previously established hierarchy using an orderly process, informing us about His house of order. He ordained John to bring it to an end, which put him on a collision course with the hierarchy. John the Baptist was “ordained by the angel of God at the time he was eight days old unto this power, to overthrow the kingdom of the Jews, and to make straight the way of the Lord before the face of his people, to prepare them for the coming of the Lord…” Joseph Smith elaborated, “The son of Zacharias wrested the keys, the kingdom, the power, the glory from the Jews, by the holy anointing and decree of heaven.”

For His return, we should expect something similar to His first coming. That is, an orderly take down of a competing hierarchy using someone ordained to accomplish that end that is put by God on a collision course with the targeted power structure. John’s mission required them to reject the truth and testimony he offered. It was orderly, public and required a conflict followed by rejection. In any modern take down of the LDS hierarchy the Lord will allow those involved to act freely. The hierarchy must voluntarily and clearly violate God’s standard. It must be orderly, public and the result of a conflict ordained by God’s will. This is how a house of order operates anciently and again today. ("Preserving the Restoration", Lecture 10, 40 Years in Mormonism, Denver Snuffer, 09 September 2014, pgs. 5 - 6)

I have heard it said and it is included in a quotation above, and I agree with the statement, that this great and a marvelous work the Father completes is a "strange act" for the very reasons pointed out in the July 2010 commentary and for the very reason pointed out in the above historical account; No one has ever considered or comprehended what the Father intends to do nor how He intends to do it.

Prophecy is not given so you can anticipate the details beforehand. Prophecy is only given so that after the event takes place, you can then understand the scriptures’ meaning. Only after He has acted can you understand how the Lord intended to accomplish His will and fulfill His promise. Prophecy’s purpose is not to allow you beforehand to know the events with enough specificity so that God's will could be anticipated, prevented, and frustrated. If you knew what He was up to, you could prevent it. But because you do not, when the prophecies are fulfilled, then you know the Lord has acted. God can use any means He chooses to accomplish His promises. Everything God is doing is not disclosed at the time it is underway. ("Preserving the Restoration", Lecture 10, 40 Years in Mormonism, Denver Snuffer, 09 September 2014, pg. 11)

I had stated in the post "The House of Israel Shall No More Be Confounded" that I had never considered in my wildest imaginings that the work of the continuing restoration, a great and a marvelous work, would ever proceed the way it has. Yet I am a living witness that it is unfolding in front of our eyes.

In my opinion, there are two related scriptures, words of the Prophet Joseph, that apply very much to this "great and a marvelous work" or under another name this "strange act".

I believe that it applies to what Nephi was told concerning this work being everlasting on the one hand to peace and life eternal or on the other hand to destruction and captivity both temporally and spiritually.

Pray therefore that their ears may be opened unto your cries, that I may be merciful unto them, that these things may not come upon them. What I have said unto you must needs be, that all men may be left without excuse, that wise men and rulers may hear and know that which they have never considered, that I may proceed to bring to pass my act, my strange act, and perform my work, my strange work, that men may discern between the righteous and the wicked, says your God.(D&C 101:92 - 95, T&C 101 par. 20)

If I understand it correctly, this statement from the Lord declares that His strange act will be a work that allows men to discern between the righteous and the wicked.

How is it possible to discern between the wicked and the righteous?

Is discerning different than judging?

And the whole world lies in sin and groans under darkness and under the bondage of sin, and by this you may know they are under the bondage of sin, because they come not unto me, for whoever comes not unto me is under the bondage of sin. And whoever receives not my voice is not acquainted with my voice and is not of me. And by this you may know the righteous from the wicked, and that the whole world groans under sin and darkness, even now. (D&C 84:49 - 53, T&C 82 par. 19)

Is the above given by the Lord for me to discern others or is it given by the Lord for me to be able to discern myself?

Is the Lord able to discern the wicked from the righteous by whether they heed His words or not?

Should I be asking myself if I have received His voice?

Am I acquainted with His voice?

Is it possible that by hearing and heeding a message from a true servant of God I am receiving and acquainting myself with God's voice?

Is it possible that the Lord, during His mortal sojourn, addressed this great and a marvelous work with the following parable?

And now truly I say these things unto you that you may know this: that the coming of the Lord is as a thief in the night. And it is like unto a man who is a householder who, if he watches not his goods, the thief comes in an hour of which he is not aware, and takes his goods, and divides them among his fellows. And they said among themselves, If the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not have suffered his house to be broken through and the loss of his goods. And he says unto them, Truly I say unto you, be therefore ready also, for the Son of Man comes at an hour when you think not. (Luke 12:39 - 40, NC Luke 8 par. 26)

Is it possible to allow tradition to keep us from watching or being ready for this great and a marvelous work?

Is it possible that by heeding false and flattering teachings that we find ourselves not ready to receive the great and a marvelous work when it appears because it makes us uncomfortable and it is inconvenient just like a thief coming in the night?

What if this is the hour when everyone thinks not that this great and a marvelous work has appeared on the earth?

I testify that it is this very hour that this great and a marvelous work has appeared on the earth.  

The time of prophecy concerning the Lord fulfilling His promises to the ancient Fathers is upon us.

It is a strange act indeed; a work that will eventually separate on the one hand or on the other.

Wherefore, hear the word of the Lord, you scornful men that rule this people which is in Jerusalem. Because you have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us, for we have made lies our refuge and under falsehood have we hidden ourselves — therefore, thus says the Lord God: Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation. He that believes shall not make haste. Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet; and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place. And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then you shall be trodden down by it. From the time that it goes forth, it shall take you; for morning by morning shall it pass over, by day and by night. And it shall be a vexation only to understand the report. For the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it, and the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself in it. For the Lord shall rise up as in Mount Perazim, he shall be angry as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange work, and bring to pass his act, his strange act. Now therefore, be not mockers, lest your bands be made strong; for I have heard from the Lord God of hosts a consumption, even determined upon the whole earth. (Isaiah 28:14 - 22, OC Isaiah 8 par. 4)

There are those who would declare that such a work is not underway because they profit off of the Lord's words and make merchandise of people's souls.  They trust that they have built up a hedge around themselves that cannot be broken down by world events and they employ professional soothsayers to lead them into covenants with death and hell in an attempt to avoid any overflowing scourge.  They hide these actions with their lies and falsehoods considering that they are "lying for the Lord".

Isaiah declares that it shall all come to naught because the Lord intends to complete His strange act, His great and a marvelous work.

Isaiah implores us to be not mockers of the Lord's strange act "lest your bands be made strong" or in other words we be brought down into captivity and destruction both temporally and spiritually according to the captivity of the Devil.