Taking a hard look at D&C 45 end times prophecies.

[NoGreaterLove]

I would like to take a very close look at D&C 45 where Christ starts teaching about the signs. It sets forth a chronological timeline for these things. Most of you will just brush over it, but if you really want to understand the truth, you will study it slowly. What follows is what I see when I read it. My comments are in red.

11 Wherefore, hearken ye together and let me show unto you even my wisdom—the wisdom of him whom ye say is the God of Enoch, and his brethren,

He just set the stage for who he is talking about, Enoch and his brethren.

12 Who were separated from the earth, and were received unto myself—a city reserved until a day of righteousness shall come—a day which was sought for by all holy men, and they found it not because of wickedness and abominations;

13 And confessed they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth;

14 But obtained a promise that they should find it and see it in their flesh.

This promise is important and should be remembered when going further.

15 Wherefore, hearken and I will reason with you, and I will speak unto you and prophesy, as unto men in days of old.

16 And I will show it plainly as I showed it unto my disciples as I stood before them in the flesh, and spake unto them, saying: As ye have asked of me concerning the signs of my coming, in the day when I shall come in my glory in the clouds of heaven, to fulfil the promises that I have made unto your fathers,

Christ is going to give us an account that he gave to his disciples. Note: Christ is in the flesh. He is going to talk about the signs of his coming in his glory in the clouds of heaven. This coming is what fulfills the promises that he made to the disciple's fathers. That promise was just revealed as being one made to Enoch and his brethren above.

17 For as ye have looked upon the long absence of your spirits from your bodies to be a bondage, I will show unto you how the day of redemption shall come, and also the restoration of the scattered Israel.

Christ while in the flesh is talking to people who have died. He is going to tell them when they will be redeemed and when Israel will be restored.

18 And now ye behold this temple which is in Jerusalem, which ye call the house of God, and your enemies say that this house shall never fall.

Obviously they can see the temple in Jerusalem from where they are. Can those in Paradise see the inside of our temples? Do they visit sometimes?

19 But, verily I say unto you, that desolation shall come upon this generation as a thief in the night, and this people shall be destroyed and scattered among all nations.

He is talking about the generation of Israelites that will be scattered when the temple in Jerusalem is destroyed. This is the scattering of Israel.

20 And this temple which ye now see shall be thrown down that there shall not be left one stone upon another.

21 And it shall come to pass, that this generation of Jews shall not pass away until every desolation which I have told you concerning them shall come to pass.

22 Ye say that ye know that the end of the world cometh; ye say also that ye know that the heavens and the earth shall pass away;

Now he is setting the stage to talk about a much later time.

23 And in this ye say truly, for so it is; but these things which I have told you shall not pass away until all shall be fulfilled.

24 And this I have told you concerning Jerusalem; and when that day shall come, shall a remnant be scattered among all nations;

Once again he says the Israelites will be scattered.

25 But they shall be gathered again; but they shall remain until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

But the Israelites, the lost ten tribes and the Jews will continue to be scattered until the times of the Gentiles is fulfilled.

26 And in that day shall be heard of wars and rumors of wars, and the whole earth shall be in commotion, and men’s hearts shall fail them, and they shall say that Christ delayeth his coming until the end of the earth.

This is already being said by church members who do not understand when he really comes. They think he comes at the end of the earth so to speak.

27 And the love of men shall wax cold, and iniquity shall abound.

28 And when the times of the Gentiles is come in, a light shall break forth among them that sit in darkness, and it shall be the fulness of my gospel;

Christ prophesies of the restoration.

29 But they receive it not; for they perceive not the light, and they turn their hearts from me because of the precepts of men.

The Gentile will reject the Gospel. Those who except it are Israelites either by blood or adoption.

30 And in that generation shall the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

31 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.

This generation, the one that sees the times of the Gentiles fulfilled is the ones who will see the desolating sickness.

32 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.

STAND IN HOLY PLACES! Can it be more plain that is what our current leaders keep telling us?

33 And there shall be earthquakes also in divers places, and many desolations; yet men will harden their hearts against me, and they will take up the sword, one against another, and they will kill one another.

Here is the pit that Nephi said will be filled with those who digged it.

34 And now, when I the Lord had spoken these words unto my disciples, they were troubled.

Remember he is talking to Enoch's children who have died and do not have bodies.

35 And I said unto them: Be not troubled, for, when all these things shall come to pass, ye may know that the promises which have been made unto you shall be fulfilled.

What promise did he make to them? " a promise that they should find it and see it in their flesh" In other words this group who do not have bodies will be resurrected.

36 And when the light shall begin to break forth, it shall be with them like unto a parable which I will show you—

37 Ye look and behold the fig trees, and ye see them with your eyes, and ye say when they begin to shoot forth, and their leaves are yet tender, that summer is now nigh at hand;

The fig tree begins to shoot forth it's fruit (the first fruit) before even it's leaves begin to sprout. This parable is incorporating the harvest of the first fruits (wheat) into Christs coming in glory.

38 Even so it shall be in that day when they shall see all these things, then shall they know that the hour is nigh.

When you see the first fruits appearing, then know that Christ is going to be resurrecting these folks in the spirit world soon.

39 And it shall come to pass that he that feareth me shall be looking forth for the great day of the Lord to come, even for the signs of the coming of the Son of Man.

40 And they shall see signs and wonders, for they shall be shown forth in the heavens above, and in the earth beneath.

41 And they shall behold blood, and fire, and vapors of smoke.

42 And before the day of the Lord shall come, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon be turned into blood, and the stars fall from heaven.

These are signs that those in Heaven and on Earth can see. So all the saints can see them. They are spiritually and physically discerned.

43 And the remnant shall be gathered unto this place;

Here is the golden question. What place? Most just assume he is talking about the Old Jerusalem. I suggest a thorough study of D&C for the word remnant to see what place the remnant will gather to. There are two places the remnant gathers to. The New Jerusalem and the Old Jerusalem. Two places to flee to. It depends on which tribe you are from. Judah is the only tribe that gathers to the OJ before Christ comes to the Mount of Olives

44 And then they shall look for me, and, behold, I will come; and they shall see me in the clouds of heaven, clothed with power and great glory; with all the holy angels; and he that watches not for me shall be cut off.

He has changed who he is talking about. "They" now represents "remnant". This remnant will be looking for Christ to come and the remnant will see him in the clouds in power. Note there are two groups of people addressed here. Those who watch for him (remnant) and those who do not. The ones who do not watch for him will be cut off.

45 But before the arm of the Lord shall fall, an angel shall sound his trump, and the saints that have slept shall come forth to meet me in the cloud.

The arm of the Lord is what is going to "cut off" those who do not watch for him. Here is the moment when Christ fulfills his promise to the children of Enoch who are waiting to be resurrected.

46 Wherefore, if ye have slept in peace blessed are you; for as you now behold me and know that I am, even so shall ye come unto me and your souls shall live, and your redemption shall be perfected; and the saints shall come forth from the four quarters of the earth.

We also know from D&C 88:96 that the saints who are alive are caught up to meet him in this cloud.

47 Then shall the arm of the Lord fall upon the nations.

So a resurrection and a quickening of righteous saints has happened before his arm falls on all nations and before he comes to the Mount of Olives.

48 And then shall the Lord set his foot upon this mount, and it shall cleave in twain, and the earth shall tremble, and reel to and fro, and the heavens also shall shake.

This is his appearance to the Jews in the Old Jerusalem.

49 And the Lord shall utter his voice, and all the ends of the earth shall hear it; and the nations of the earth shall mourn, and they that have laughed shall see their folly.

Doctrine and Covenants 133:21
21 And he shall utter his voice out of Zion, and he shall speak from Jerusalem, and his voice shall be heard among all people;


50 And calamity shall cover the mocker, and the scorner shall be consumed; and they that have watched for iniquity shall be hewn down and cast into the fire.

51 And then shall the Jews look upon me and say: What are these wounds in thine hands and in thy feet?

The Jews may have been looking for their Messiah to deliver them, but they had no idea the Messiah who would come would have wounds. The Jews do believe in a Messiah. They think he had not ever come upon earth yet. They missed the mark of his first coming because they were looking for the wrong signs. They were looking beyond the mark.

52 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 Jesus that was crucified. I am the Son of God.

53 And then shall they weep because of their iniquities; then shall they lament because they persecuted their king.

54 And then shall the heathen nations be redeemed, and they that knew no law shall have part in the first resurrection; and it shall be tolerable for them.

The first resurrection is a long event. It started at Christ's resurrection and continues all the way up to the heathen nations being redeemed. It is important when study the resurrection events in Revelation to understand there is more than one event that makes up the first resurrection. This throws people sometimes.

55 And Satan shall be bound, that he shall have no place in the hearts of the children of men.

Now Satan is bound

56 And at that day, when I shall come in my glory, shall the parable be fulfilled which I spake concerning the ten virgins.

He is backing all the way back in time to just before his coming again.

57 For they that are wise and have received the truth, and have taken the Holy Spirit for their guide, and have not been deceived—verily I say unto you, they shall not be hewn down and cast into the fire, but shall abide the day.

The virgins are those who have received the truth. That would mean they have repented and are willing to be baptized. That would not include the Jews who have not accepted the Gospel yet. So the Jews he just told us about in OJ are not what he is talking about in this parable.

58 And the earth shall be given unto them for an inheritance; and they shall multiply and wax strong, and their children shall grow up without sin unto salvation.

Speaking of the saints, not the Jews, the earth will be given unto them for an inheritance. So he is NOT talking about the Jews who have received the gospel yet. And remember he is talking about when he comes in his glory..

59 For the Lord shall be in their midst, and his glory shall be upon them, and he will be their king and their lawgiver.

Whose midst? The saints. It says he is the saints King. Once again, he is talking about the wise virgins at the time of his coming in Glory. Confused yet? Probably, because it does not fit what most people perceive as Christ coming in his glory. They all think it happens at OJ. Remember he comes in his glory in the clouds and the saints are lifted up before he comes to the Mount in New Jerusalem. So where could Christ come to where there are virgins? Where could Christ come to in the clouds, in his glory, where their are virgins whom he can live with and be their king BEFORE he comes to the Mount in OJ?

60 And now, behold, I say unto you, it shall not be given unto you to know any further concerning this chapter, until the New Testament be translated, and in it all these things shall be made known;

This revelation was given on 7 March 1831. D&C 88 which gives us further light and knowledge about Revelation was given later, 27 December 1832 further explaining this section of D&C. Go to verse 95 and it will tell you when he comes to the saints in his glory.

61 Wherefore I give unto you that ye may now translate it, that ye may be prepared for the things to come.

62 For verily I say unto you, that great things await you;

63 Ye hear of wars in foreign lands; but, behold, I say unto you, they are nigh, even at your doors, and not many years hence ye shall hear of wars in your own lands.

64 Wherefore I, the Lord, have said, gather ye out from the eastern lands, assemble ye yourselves together ye elders of my church; go ye forth into the western countries, call upon the inhabitants to repent, and inasmuch as they do repent, build up churches unto me.

65 And with one heart and with one mind, gather up your riches that ye may purchase an inheritance which shall hereafter be appointed unto you.

Here is the inheritance of the saints

66 And it shall be called the New Jerusalem, a land of peace, a city of refuge, a place of safety for the saints of the Most High God;

The New Jerusalem

67 And the glory of the Lord shall be there, and the terror of the Lord also shall be there, insomuch that the wicked will not come unto it, and it shall be called Zion.


68 And it shall come to pass among the wicked, that every man that will not take his sword against his neighbor must needs flee unto Zion for safety.

69 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.

Here is the remnant whom Christ was speaking of who are gathered, waiting for Christ to come in his glory. Here are the five wise virgins who are not deceived. This is not the Jews. They are deceived.

70 And it shall be said among the wicked: Let us not go up to battle against Zion, for the inhabitants of Zion are terrible; wherefore we cannot stand.

71 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.

He says it twice. This is the gathering spot he is talking about. He is telling us the story of where he is coming in his Glory in the clouds and from whence the five virgins will be quickened and how this part of the first resurrection will take place.

72 And now I say unto you, keep these things from going abroad unto the world until it is expedient in me, that ye may accomplish this work in the eyes of the people, and in the eyes of your enemies, that they may not know your works until ye have accomplished the thing which I have commanded you;

73 That when they shall know it, that they may consider these things.

74 For when the Lord shall appear he shall be terrible unto them, that fear may seize upon them, and they shall stand afar off and tremble.

75 And all nations shall be afraid because of the terror of the Lord, and the power of his might. Even so. Amen.

[TrojanHorse]

I don't see where you learned that Christ's coming in his glory will be before his coming to the Jews. Everything I've read and heard from church authorities and others implies that things happen in the following order:

1. He comes to AOA at the end of the reign of the Beast.
2. He comes to temple in NJ after it is built, (at its dedication would be a great time).
3. He comes (not in his glory) to OJ and wipes out (most of) the army of Gog.
4. He comes in glory in the clouds to the whole world.

I'd like to understand why you believe he comes in his glory to the world BEFORE he comes to OJ.

Thanks

[NoGreaterLove]

2. He comes to temple in NJ after it is built, (at its dedication would be a great time)

This is the one listed in D&C 88:trump #1. Then cross reference with the phrase "caught up". That will paint the picture. And D&C 45 tells you this happens before Armageddon.

[friendsofthe]

The saints, those living on the earth, are not “caught up” to meet Christ when he appears to the Jews. Here we have three quotes by very qualified individuals that show us that the saints are “caught up” only when the Lord comes in his glory. Probably quite some time after he appears to the Jews since the heathen nations will still need to be ministered to after the Lord appears to the Jews.


Bruce R. McConkie
The Dead: Their Glorious Rising
Of all the resurrections that ever have been or ever will be upon this earth, the most glorious—the one that transcends all others in power, grandeur, and might—will be the resurrection that attends the return of the Lord Jesus. He will come with ten thousands of his saints, all of them resurrected persons from ages past. He will call forth from their graves and from the watery deep ten thousands of his other saints, all of them righteous persons who have lived since his mortal ministry. Those among his saints on earth who are faithful will be caught up to meet him in the clouds of glory, and they will then return to earth with him to live out their appointed days on the new earth with its new heavens.
(Bruce R. McConkie, The Millennial Messiah: The Second Coming of the Son of Man [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1982], 627.)

Charles W. Penrose
The great and crowning advent of the Lord will be subsequent to these two appearances [to the New Jerusalem and to the Jews]; but who can describe it in the language of mortals? The tongue of man falters, and the pen drops from the hand of the writer, as the mind is rapt in contemplation of the sublime and awful majesty of his coming to take vengeance on the ungodly and to reign as King of the whole earth.

He comes The earth shakes, and the tall mountains tremble; the mighty deep rolls back to the north as in fear, and the rent skies glow like molten brass. He comes The dead Saints burst forth from their tombs, and "those who are alive and remain" are "caught up" with them to meet him. The ungodly rush to hide themselves from his presence, and call upon the quivering rocks to cover them. He comes with all the hosts of the righteous glorified. The breath of his lip strikes death to the wicked. His glory is a consuming fire. The proud and rebellious are as stubble; they are burned and "left neither root nor branch." He sweeps the earth "as with the besom [broom] of destruction." He deluges the earth with the fiery floods of his wrath, and the filthiness and abominations of the world are consumed. Satan and his dark hosts are taken and bound-the prince of the power of the air has lost his dominion, for He whose right it is to reign has come, and "the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ." (Millennial Star, Sept. 1859, p. 583) DGSM:101(Rulon T.Burton, We Believe [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1994], .)


Gerald N. Lund
Thus, as the last of the great signs are fully fulfilled, the world will be tragically unprepared for the greatest event of its entire history. As the last moments of the earth's telestial history draw to a close, it is hard for the mind to imagine the feelings that will strike the hearts of those who have been eagerly watching and waiting for the coming of their king. The Lord has described that last winding-up scene most vividly:

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.

And they who have slept in their graves shall come forth, for their graves shall be opened; and they also shall be caught up to meet him in the midst of the pillar of heaven.(D&C 88:95-97)
(Gerald N. Lund, The Coming of the Lord [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1971], 215.)