1 Nephi 14:18 - 30, NC 1 Nephi 3 pars. 30 - 31
And it came to pass that the angel spake unto me, saying, Look. And I looked and beheld a man, and he was dressed in a white robe; and the angel said unto me, Behold one of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. Behold, he shall see and write the remainder of these things, yea, and also many things which have been; and he shall also write concerning the end of the world. Wherefore, the things which he shall write are just and true; and behold, they are written in the book which thou beheld proceeding out of the mouth of the Jew. And at the time they proceeded out of the mouth of the Jew, or at the time the book proceeded out of the mouth of the Jew, the things which were written were plain, and pure, and most precious, and easy to the understanding of all men. And behold, the things which this apostle of the Lamb shall write are many things which thou hast seen; and behold, the remainder shalt thou see. But the things which thou shalt 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 also others who have been, to them hath he shewn all things, and they have written them. And they are sealed up to come forth in their purity, according to the truth which is in the Lamb, in the own due time of the Lord, unto the house of Israel. And I, Nephi, heard and bear record that the name of the apostle of the Lamb was John, according to the word of the angel. And behold, I, Nephi, am forbidden that I should write the remainder of the things which I saw. Wherefore, the things which I have written sufficeth me, and I have not written but a small part of the things which I saw. And I bear record that I saw the things which my father saw, and the angel of the Lord did make them known unto me. And now I make an end of speaking concerning the things which I saw while I was carried away in the spirit; and if all the things which I saw are not written, the things which I have written are true. And thus it is. Amen.
The Stick of Joseph in the Hand of Ephraim, 1 Nefi 3 pars. 30 - 32
And it came to pass that the angel spoke unto me, saying, Look. And I looked and beheld a man, and he was dressed in a white robe; and the angel said unto me, Behold one of the twelve emissaries of the Lamb. Behold, he shall see and write the remainder of these things, yes, and also many things which have been; and he shall also write concerning the end of the world. Wherefore, the things which he shall write are just and true; and behold, they are written in the book which you beheld proceeding out of the mouth of the Y’hudi. And at the time they proceeded out of the mouth of the Y’hudi, or at the time the book proceeded out of the mouth of the Y’hudi, the things which were written were plain, and pure, and most precious, and easy to the understanding of all men. And behold, the things which this emissary of the Lamb shall write are many things which you have seen; and behold, the remainder shall you see. But the things which you shall see hereafter you shall not write, for Adonai yhwh has ordained the emissary of the Lamb of Elohim that he should write them. And also others who have been, to them has he shown all things, and they have written them. And they are sealed up to come forth in their purity, according to the truth which is in the Lamb, in the own due time of yhwh, unto the house of Isra’el. And I, Nefi, heard and bear record that the name of the emissary of the Lamb was Yochanan, according to the word of the angel. And behold, I, Nefi, am forbidden that I should write the remainder of the things which I saw. Wherefore, the things which I have written suffice me, and I have not written but a small part of the things which I saw. And I bear record that I saw the things which my father saw, and the angel of yhwh did make them known unto me. And now I make an end of speaking concerning the things which I saw while I was carried away in the spirit; and if all the things which I saw are not written, the things which I have written are true. And thus it is. Amen.
Here we have Nephi purposely recording the name of an individual and associating that individual with an ordained endeavor to write something.
Should that cause me to stop and think, "Maybe I should look into this"?
We know from Nephi that this apostle of the Lamb is named John.
Why would Nephi be compelled by the Spirit to engraven John's name on the plates?
My present understanding explained in a previous post, "A Book Carried Forth Among the Gentiles", is that Wherefore, the things which he shall write are just and true; and behold, they are written in the book which thou beheld proceeding out of the mouth of the Jew. And at the time they proceeded out of the mouth of the Jew, or at the time the book proceeded out of the mouth of the Jew, the things which were written were plain, and pure, and most precious, and easy to the understanding of all men. is a statement that is referring to the New Testament.
Would I gain any insight by looking into the book of Revelation in the New Testament, written by John the Revelator, one of the twelve apostles of the Lamb?
If such a study would be beneficial, then I would like to look into the book of Revelation. However, I would like to carefully consider the words of the Prophet Joseph with respect to the revelation given to John the Revelator.
The subject I intend to speak upon this morning is one that I have seldom touched upon since I commenced my ministry in the Church. It is a subject of great speculation, as well amongst the elders of this Church, as among the divines of the day: it is in relation to the beasts spoken of by John the Revelator. I have seldom spoken from the revelations; but as my subject is a constant source of speculation amongst the elders, causing a division of sentiment and opinion in relation to it, I now do it in order that division and differences of opinion may be done away with, and not that correct knowledge on the subject is so much needed at the present time. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg. 287)
I agree that the speculation of the things written of by John the Revelator in his book in the New Testament has caused a great division of sentiment and opinion even among my small circle of friends and family throughout my life.
I do believe that, for me, I would be best to follow the following counsel when I consider the words of John the Revelator.
Let me cover one more matter and that is this idea of prophecy and interpreting prophecy. I know that there are elaborate efforts made to parse the scriptures and come up with the meaning, the interpretation, even the timing of certain things that the Lord has now begun or that He intends to accomplish in short order. In Isaiah chapter 48, the description is given of how prophecy works.
“I have declared the former things from the beginning; and they went forth out of my mouth, and I showed them; I did them suddenly, and they came to pass.” The word “suddenly” can be rendered surprisingly. Suddenly can be in an unexpected way. Suddenly can be, ‘you got caught off guard.’ I declared what I was going to do, I did it, and you got caught off guard. “Because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew, and thy brow brass; I have even from the beginning declared it to thee; before it came to pass I showed it thee: lest thou shouldest say, Mine idol hath done them, and my graven image, and my molten image, hath commanded them. Thou hast heard, see all this; and wilt not ye declare it? I have showed thee new things from this time, even hidden things, and thou didst not know them.”
You didn’t know them. I declared them. I accomplish them, and I told you about them beforehand, and it happened suddenly and you didn’t expect it to happen. Why is that? Because the way in which the Lord intends to accomplish what He is going to accomplish is not going to be in the way that will permit you to say, “I and my idol have been hard at work to accomplish this great thing.” No man gets to take credit for that. It’s got to be surprising and unexpected in order for the Lord, once it happens, to say “this was what I had in my heart and I have done it.” If we knew how and when the Lord was going to accomplish, how and what He was going to accomplish, we would stand a chance of preventing it. Or, we might make commerce out of it by profiting from it. Therefore, the way in which He will accomplish it will be according to His will, at His timing, for His purposes, without the control of man and with man always saying “that was sudden, that was surprising, that was unanticipated.”
He can send that Galilean carpenter’s son into the world and have the world take no note of Him. Or, a farm boy from upstate New York to declare the Lord has opened the heavens. Everyone can react in bemused humor or with insults and scorn, ultimately fearing the one He sends enough to kill him and those that would follow him. But God will nevertheless accomplish all He has promised. (Q&A Boise Conference talk, Denver Snuffer, 11/ Sept./2016, pgs. 7 - 8)
The Lord told Isaiah that is the way it would work when He called Isaiah to testify to the nations.
Then said I, Woe is unto me, for I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts. Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar. And he laid upon my mouth and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips, and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. Also, I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send? And who will go for us? Then I said, Here am I; send me. And he said, Go and tell this people, Hear ye indeed — but they understand not; and, See ye indeed — but they perceived not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes, lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted, and be healed. Then said I, Lord, how long? And he said, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate, and the Lord have removed men far away; for there shall be a great forsaking in the midst of the land. But yet in it there shall be a tenth, and they shall return and shall be eaten as a teil tree and as an oak, whose substance is in them when they cast their leaves, so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof. (2 Nephi 16:5 - 13, NC 2 Nephi 9 par. 2)
Isaiah was informed by the Lord that the people would not understand what Isaiah had been sent to declare until it had been fulfilled; the cities wasted without inhabitant etc.
Then those that remained would be able to look back and see that the Lord's words of prophesy through Isaiah had been vindicated.
I would consider with this principle that if I am serious, and faithful, and take time, and exercise deep and ponderous thought, that I will be shown by scripture what the Lord prophesied He would accomplish when His works are accomplished.
This is a way, I believe, in which the scriptures have the capacity to make one wise.
I believe that the Lord is able to make things spring off of the pages of the scriptures, so to speak, in the eyes of folks who are faithfully obedient to Him, which things allow those individuals to become oriented to where they are and where they fit in with whatever work the Lord is performing. The words of prophecy in scripture become a confirmation to them of what the Lord has accomplished after the Lord has accomplished His work. The prophetic words from scripture confirm that the Lord knew all along what would be accomplished.
May I share one example, of which I am a living witness?
And there appeared a great sign in heaven, in the likeness of things on the earth: a woman, clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars. And the woman, being with child, cried, travailing in birth and pained to be delivered. And she brought forth a male child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up unto God and his throne. (Revelation 12:1 - 2, 5, NC Revelation 4 par. 1)
The above has always been a very great mystery to me as I have heard about the above verse, read interpretations of it, and considered it myself.
What would John mean when he declared that there was a great sign in heaven in likeness of things on the earth?
What would constitute a sign in the heavens?
What do the scriptures say concerning the moon and the stars and their creation?
And I, God, said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night. And let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and for years. And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven, to give light upon the earth. And it was so. And I, God, made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. And the greater light was the sun, and the lesser light was the moon. And the stars also were made even according to my word. And I, God, set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, and the sun to rule over the day, and the moon to rule over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And I, God, saw that all things which I had made were good. And the evening and the morning were the fourth day. (Genesis 1:14 - 19, Moses 2:14 - 19, OC Genesis 2 par. 6)
This is what Abraham recorded about them.
And the Gods organized the lights in the expanse of the heaven, and caused them to divide the day from the night, and organized them to be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and for years, and organized them to be for lights in the expanse of the heaven to give light upon the earth. And it was so. And the Gods organized the two great lights, the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night; with the lesser light, he set the stars also. And the Gods set them in the expanse of the heavens, to give light upon the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to cause to divide the light from the darkness. And the Gods watched those things which they had ordered until they obeyed. And it came to pass that it was from evening until morning that it was night. And it came to pass that it was from morning until evening that it was day. And it was the fourth time.(Abraham 4:14 - 19, T&C 145, Abraham 7 par. 5)
And I would invite you to consider the following.
Thus saith the LORD, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The LORD of hosts is his name: If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the LORD, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me forever.” (Jeremiah 31:35-36.)
If you look up in the morning sky, right now you can see Orion on the Eastern horizon. That's been true, twice a year, since the beginning. It's been true that all of the ordinances ordained by God in the heavens have remained true from the day that He set them there until today. They are so well- established, they are so regular, they are so permanent, and they are so far beyond the ability of man to touch, alter, or destroy, that the only way to have an apostasy from those ordinances, from our perspective, is for you to forget what knowledge is there written in the heavens. But the Lord wrote it there. It remains there. Knowledge about it is still part of what is to be restored.
Well, the definition of salvation or life eternal given in John 17:3: “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” This is the knowledge of the Lord that he's talking about here. This is the day that Jeremiah prophesies. No one needs to say know the Lord, for they shall all know me from the least until the greatest. This is what the Gospel was intended to restore, offer, promise, suggest to each one of us.
The ordinances in the heavens are referred to in Genesis 1:14: “And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years: And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.” [He sets this up in order to communicate things. If you go back to the book of Abraham 4:14:] “And the Gods organized the lights in the expanse of the heaven, and caused them to divide the day from the night; and organized them to be for signs and for seasons, and for days and for years; And organized them to be for lights in the expanse of the heaven to give light upon the earth; and it was so. And the Gods organized the two great lights, the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night; with the lesser light they set the stars also; And the Gods set them in the expanse of the heavens, to give light upon the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to cause to divide the light from the darkness. And the Gods watched those things which they had ordered until they obeyed. And it came to pass that it was from evening until morning that it was night; and it came to pass that it was from morning until evening that it was day; and it was the fourth time.” This is not a bunch of gratuitous language. This is describing something that took place with absolutely deliberate intent. Everything that is written in scripture and all of the ordinances that were ordained upon the earth and in the heavens were reckoned from the position of the earth. It's not that the ancients were ignorant of what is going on in the heavens. Instead they viewed the heavens as being a testimony given to us on the earth. It is geocentric, that is, viewed only from the surface of the earth that allows you to see this testimony which has been written. From the surface of the earth, the sun occupies a space - even though the sun is over 100 times larger than the earth - in the firmament that is exactly the same as the space in the firmament that is occupied by the moon, although the moon is 1/6 the size of the earth. From the surface of the earth they are identical in size. So much so, that when you put them on the ecliptic as they are located, one can block out the other entirely in an eclipse. All of these things were ordained by God to testify in the heavens and about Him and about His work. Those things are bearing testimony, and they are telling you something. And who knows if we will ever get to restoring that part of the Gospel. But they are designed to be understood. (40 Years in Mormonism Lectures, Lecture 2 - Faith, Denver Snuffer, pgs. 27 - 28)
If the celestial bodies are for signs as well as seasons and days and years then is it possible that John was speaking of a sign in the stars that signified an event was occurring on the earth?
Do we have any scriptural example of such a possibility?
Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is the child that is born the Messiah of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east and have come to worship him...(Matthew 2:1 - 6, NC Matthew 1 par. 6)
Were the Nephites given a sign in heaven that the Lord was born?
How about even after the Lord's birth?
And it came to pass that thus passed away the ninety and fifth year also; and the people began to forget those signs and wonders which they had heard, and began to be less and less astonished at a sign or a wonder from Heaven, insomuch that they began to be hard in their hearts and blind in their minds, and began to disbelieve all which they had heard and seen, imagining up some vain thing in their hearts: that it was wrought by men and by the power of the Devil to lead away and deceive the hearts of the people. And thus did Satan get possession of the hearts of the people again, insomuch that he did blind their eyes and lead them away to believe that the doctrine of Christ was a foolish and a vain thing. (3 Nephi 2:1 - 2, NC 3 Nephi 1 par. 8)
Is it possible that when the Lord undertakes to do a work among men that He has set an abundance of signs in the heavens and timed them to appear precisely when the work is being undertaken?
Wouldn't such a witness be completely outside of the control of men to either pollute or manipulate?
If the Lord is performing a work today among the children of men would we expect to witness some or many of these signs in the heavens?
Are we told that some of those signs in the heavens include the sun being darkened and the moon turning to blood?
I would invite anyone who is interested to read the following series of blog posts from the blog below.
https://www.totheremnant.com/2015/05/scripture-in-heavens-part-1-blood-moon.html
This series of blog posts addresses the signs in the heavens that started to really occur with great frequency only recently, as I presently understand.
During the time the blood moon tetrad, God's perfect witness, was taking place as described in the series of posts linked to above, another sign occurred in the stars concerning this woman John recorded.
https://www.johnpratt.com/items/docs/2016/clothed_with_sun.html
This sign coincided with the offering, for the first time in the last days, of an authorized covenant from God; extended to every man woman and child on the earth and initially accepted by a small group of repentant gentiles in Boise, Idaho September 03, 2017.
This event, the extension of an authorized covenant, began the steps or in other words birthed the beginning of the kingdom of God again on the earth.
What occurred on the earth had a heavenly witness, precisely as the earthly event was taking place, manifesting that the event was ordained of God . This witness confirmed that God had it in His heart all along to extend an authorized covenant to again begin to graft in to the House of Israel and begin to bring forth His kingdom again on the earth.
The Lord revealed His plan for our day approximately three thousand years ago. We now begin fulfilling that ancient prophecy. Our current struggles were foreseen and foretold: The Lord of the whole earth considered destroying all the wicked, but His servant pled for Him to grant more time (Jacob5:49-50).John saw this event and prophesied concerning it and gave us a sign, that had been ordained in the heavens, to look for when this event would be accomplished.
The timing of this event was established by the Lord. It came about according to His will. It came about because of the repentance of a small group of gentiles seeking to restore His words to as accurate a record as possible. It came about because He intends to vindicate His words to the ancient Fathers.
No one in the group who initially came together to recover the restoration scriptures was aware of or had any control over what the Lord intended to accomplish. All involved acted according to their agency and no one could have anticipated what the results of such a labor would bring.
I am a living witness to these events. As weak as is my accounting of what occurred and as weak as is my explanation of the signs in the heavens that both preceded and continue to occur, these events have nonetheless occurred and prophecy has been fulfilled and continues to be fulfilled.
It is my present understanding that the world need not take notice of the witness the Lord sends in whatever form He sends it. His only responsibility is to send a witness. As has happened throughout the history of the human family, the Lord goes about performing a work among the children of men for the benefit of the whole world but it passes by unnoticed by an overwhelming majority of the human family.
As weak as it is, this is my witness of just one example of scripture (more specifically for this post the words of John the Revelator) confirming, after the fact, that a prophecy has been fulfilled.
I would expect this confirmation to continue to occur because of the following statement from the Prophet Joseph.
There is a grand difference and distinction between the visions and figures spoken of by the ancient prophets, and those spoken of in the revelations of John. The things which John saw had no allusion to the scenes of the days of Adam, Enoch, Abraham or Jesus, only so far as is plainly represented by John, and clearly set forth by him. John saw that only which was lying in futurity and which was shortly to come to pass. See Rev. 1:1-3,7 which is a key to the whole subject: “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and He sent and signified it by His angel unto His servant John: who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg. 289)
I read in the book Revelation that there are other heavenly signs John saw which were in the likeness of events happening on the earth.
If, as the Prophet Joseph declared, what John saw pertains to futurity then we ought to expect to be able to confirm many future events still with the prophetic words of John.
Now, I do believe that it is possible for anyone who arises and approaches God in the very same way Nephi and all of the others have approached God to see all things and thereby be able to look at the prophecies given by other prophets and see in those prophecies what they have seen themselves.
This is why I believe that the Prophet Joseph was able to declare the following.
The book of Revelation is one of the plainest books God ever caused to be written. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg. 290)
I believe this is also why Nephi used Isaiah so extensively as he testified concerning the House of Israel and the end times. He, Nephi, was forbidden to speak plainly concerning what he had seen beyond this point but there was no restriction given for using the words of Isaiah to further describe what he saw and what John the Revelator wrote.
If we desire to know plainly the things that were written by John, which things he was ordained to write, the Book of Mormon shows us plainly the path we must tread in to get to that point.
I do believe that the book of Revelation written by John also contains more than just confirming prophecy.
I want to precede what I will share here with another statement.
I am sure that my present understanding of things is at best woefully incomplete but even more likely flawed and incorrect. So what I will share I do not put forward as "this is verily truth". This is something that I have ruminated on and I believe that if I will repent my understanding will become much clearer.
This is also not meant as speculation concerning anything in the book of Revelation this is my consideration of a topic which as I said is at best incomplete but most likely wrong.
I present this as an example that the book of Revelation contains more than just confirming prophecy.
I presently believe that there is content in the book of Revelation that combined with other scripture bears witness to a principle that the Prophet Joseph taught.
Here, then, is eternal life—to know the only wise and true God; and you have got to learn how to be Gods yourselves, and to be kings and priests to God, the same as all Gods have done before you, namely, by going from one small degree to another, and from a small capacity to a great one; from grace to grace, from exaltation to exaltation, until you attain to the resurrection of the dead, and are able to dwell in everlasting burnings, and to sit in glory, as do those who sit enthroned in everlasting power. And I want you to know that God, in the last days, while certain individuals are proclaiming his name, is not trifling with you or me. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pgs. 346 - 347)
This teaching is reflected in what is taught here.
There are seven stages of development through which God’s children must pass. It is not all to be done in this life. Christ is the “prototype of the saved man,” and He qualified by passing through these stages of development. We should not be surprised that the Heavenly Mother was responsible for planning and creating these developmental opportunities for Her children. Wisdom hath builded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars, she hath killed her beasts, she hath mingled her wine, she hath also furnished her table…
When any of us arrive at the end of the journey through the seven rungs of Jacob’s ladder, we will discover that the Mother was present throughout that journey. She declared: “I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment.” She is present all along the way through the seven pillars. This recognition of the Heavenly Mother requires wisdom. (Our Divine Parents, Denver Snuffer, pg. 24)
We are informed in the Testimony of St John concerning Christ as follows.
I am telling you these things to save you. John was a brilliant light sent from above, and you were willing to hear and acknowledge him for a short while. But there is even a greater reason than John’s words to believe what I teach: As I complete the journey to finish the Father’s path, those final steps will plainly testify of me.(The Testimony of St John 5 par. 7)
Christ's mortality was intended to provide for him the final developmental opportunity to become the Father.
At the time of His final Passover here the Lord and the Father testified as follows.
Now I confront the final trial on my path, and what should I say? Father, save me from the difficulties I now face? When this is the reason I have come into the world. Father, let all honor be given to you. Then a voice from Heaven said, Every thing you have done has honored me, and every thing you will yet do will also honor me. The people nearby also heard the voice, but some thought it was thunder. Others thought an angel spoke to him. Jesus explained, You did not hear this voice for my benefit, but you heard it for your benefit. The time has come for me to complete the work required of me, to intercede for the world. And the accuser will lose all his power. Because of the sacrifice of his life that the Son of Man is to make, he will rise up and rescue all mankind. He said this to explain how important his death was to save others. The people who heard this asked him, When we consult the scriptures they claim that the Messiah will live forever. Why do you say the Son of Man must sacrifice his life? Who are you talking about? Then Jesus said to them, Only a little time remains for the light who is now here. Learn how to live while the light remains, otherwise darkness will overcome you. Without the light you will fall into error. While you are near the light, believe in the light, so that you can become the children of light. Jesus said this, abruptly departed, and then avoided them. (The Testimony of St John 9 par. 4)
This final developmental trial on the path to become the Father also ensured that all things created by Christ would be saved from the accuser's power.
How did the Lord come to the point where He had the authority and capacity to perform this final task?
Men descend from Christ. Christ founded the family of men and is accountable for them. He was placed in that position to enable Him to atone for any failure on their part. Through Adam “sin entered the world” and death was imposed upon all mankind. Jesus Christ, one greater than Adam, made Himself responsible for all mankind’s failures and transgressions. Through the obedience of Jesus Christ all mankind were justified and “made righteous.” The Father made mankind Christ’s posterity. This was necessary to qualify Christ as “the last Adam.” Christ was the rightful “heir of all things” because He always stood at the head. (Our Divine Parents, Denver Snuffer, pg. 37)
We are informed here, as I presently understand, that Christ was made the father of mankind as the last Adam, or as I understand it the Adam of the previous eternal round. He stood at the head.
If we look at the teachings of the Prophet Joseph, they tell us of the meeting that will be held when Adam again sits in the presence of Son Ahman, or in other words Adam Ondi Ahman, and we see an important detail.
Daniel in his seventh chapter speaks of the Ancient of Days; he means the oldest man, our Father Adam, Michael, he will call his children together and hold a council with them to prepare them for the coming of the Son of Man. He (Adam) is the father of the human family, and presides over the spirits of all men, and all that have had the keys must stand before him in this grand council. This may take place before some of us leave this stage of action. The Son of Man stands before him, and there is given him glory and dominion. Adam delivers up his stewardship to Christ, that which was delivered to him as holding the keys of the universe, but retains his standing as head of the human family. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pg. 157)
Why would Adam retain his standing as head of the human family?
Would that enable him to, in the next round of creation, be called to be the Son of God?
Would that allow him to be the rightful “heir of all things” because He always stood at the head.?
Is being an Adam one of the developmental opportunities that brings an individual to the final part of the path with the authority to confront the final task that will save all things created under their hands?
Now what does any of this have to do with the book of Revelation?
In the book of Genesis, part of what used to be known as the book of Moses, we read the following.
And I, the Lord God, spoke unto Moses, saying, That Satan whom you have commanded in the name of my Only Begotten is the same who was from the beginning. And he came before me, saying, Behold, I, send me. I will be your Son and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost. And surely I will do it. Wherefore, give me your honor. But behold, my Beloved Son, who was my beloved and chosen from the beginning, said unto me, Father, your will be done, and the glory be yours for ever. Wherefore, because that Satan rebelled against me, and sought to destroy the agency of man which I, the Lord God, had given him, and also that I should give unto him my own power, by the power of my Only Begotten, I caused that he should be cast down. And he became Satan, yea, even the Devil, the father of all lies, to deceive and to blind men, and to lead them captive at his will, even as many as would not listen unto my voice. (Moses 4:1 - 4, OC Genesis 2 par. 15)
The accuser, as I presently understand it, was cast down at the beginning of this round of creation by Christ.
If I take the Prophet Joseph at his word concerning the words of John the Revelator as follows.
The things which John saw had no allusion to the scenes of the days of Adam, Enoch, Abraham or Jesus, only so far as is plainly represented by John, and clearly set forth by him. John saw that only which was lying in futurity and which was shortly to come to pass. See Rev. 1:1-3,7 which is a key to the whole subject: “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him, to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass;
And I apply these following words as well.
As modern revelation describes it,“For the hour is nigh and the day soon at hand when the earth is ripe; and all the proud and they that do wickedly shall be as stubble; and I will burn them up, saith the Lord of Hosts, that wickedness shall not be upon the earth. …For I will reveal myself from heaven with power and great glory, with all the hosts thereof, and dwell in righteousness with men on earth a thousand years, and the wicked shall not stand.”
Then,
“when the thousand years are ended, and men again begin to deny their God, then will I spare the earth for but a little season; And the end shall come, and the heaven and the earth shall be consumed and pass away, and there shall be a new heaven and a new earth.”
As one ends, another begins. The cycle repeats, but nothing is lost. The old passes away, but everything is kept to be used again, “both men and beasts, the fowls of the air, and the fishes of the sea; And not one hair, neither mote, shall be lost, for it is the workmanship of mine hand.”
It all continues on in one eternal round, worlds without end.
When men are judged and condemned they are sent away into “everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.” They go away and cannot ascend to God’s presence, because where God is “they cannot come, for they have no power.” But, God cautions us, “remember that all my judgments are not given unto men; and as the words have gone forth out of my mouth even so shall they be fulfilled, that the first shall be last, and the last shall be first, in all things whatsoever I have created by the world of my power, which is the power of my Spirit.” God set out how this cycle begins and ends: “For by the power of my Spirit created I them; yea, all things both spiritual and temporal—First spiritual, secondly temporal, which is the beginning of my work; and again, first temporal, and secondly spiritual, which is the last of my work—Speaking unto you that you may naturally understand; but unto myself my works have no end, neither beginning; but it is given unto you that ye may understand, because ye have asked it of me and are agreed.”
So, in the first place before this world was organized from an already existing and previously used prior creation, the condition was “spiritual.” But it fell and became the temporal place where we presently reside; though patterned after the earlier world where we used to live while in its spiritual state. Its present condition will be destroyed and returned again to a spiritual state. It will be “quickened” and no longer the cold place it is today.
Have you ever noticed how the descriptions of the pre-earth organization and the Millennium seem alike? Have you ever wondered what “worlds without end” means? Have you ever considered how God’s work “never ends” and yet it has definite increments separating things from one cycle and the next? (96:One Eternal Round, Denver Snuffer Podcast, December 08, 2019)
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