SECTION 12
JOHN’S WITNESS OF THE CHURCH TRIUMPHANT

LESSONS

54. “The Revelation of Jesus Christ . . . unto His Servant John” (Revelation 1–3)

55. “The Kingdoms of This World Are Become the Kingdoms of Our Lord” (Revelation 4–18)

56. “Behold, I Come Quickly; and My Reward Is with Me” (Revelation 19–22)

THE PROPHETIC EYE

A Note on Symbolism

The book of Revelation is unique. It is quite different from any of the other New Testament books. To many, it is a baffling and confusing book, containing symbolism and imagery foreign to anything with which they are familiar. To many, its name seems to be a contradiction, for in Greek Apocalypsis means “an uncovering” or “an unveiling” of something, and the typical reader finds the content of this book veiled and obscure rather than the opposite.

From earliest times, those who have studied and pondered the book of Revelation have taken different stances on how its mysteries should be unraveled, how its symbolism should be interpreted. Does the book describe events future or past? Is the symbolism literal or allegorical? Did John actually see history as yet unmade, or was he simply using vivid and powerful language to convey spiritual truths? Thee and other questions have been debated and pondered for centuries.

Though there have been many different approaches and theories as to how the book should be viewed, the suggested methods of interpretation can be divided into two general categories—the prophetic and the nonprophetic.

The Nonprophetic View

Many scholars and interpreters of Revelation have denied that John had any prophetic intent as he wrote this book, and they reject the idea that the contents have reference to future events. One group, often called the “preterists” (from the Latin Praeter, which means “past”), believe that the book of Revelation relates only to what is now past, i.e., the events of John’s own day. They believe that the whole of John’s writings are to be interpreted in the light of events as they were then; the imagery and symbolism refer only to the clash between the church and the Roman Empire. There are no future predictions, they feel, and those who try to find them will badly misinterpret the book’s meaning.

Though differing greatly from the preterists, another group of interpreters also class Revelation as nonprophetic. These are sometimes called the “idealists” or the allegoricists” because they maintain that the only correct meaning of the book is a spiritual one. They reject attempts to interpret the book literally, and they deny that John’s symbols were meant to have any direct correspondence with actual events or situations. Everything is to be taken as a graphic portrayal of spiritual truths. The beasts and the great whore are merely representations of the evil in men that must be conquered by Christian principles. The great judgment is not some actual accounting for one’s works before God; rather, it takes place whenever an important moral issue is decided. The New Jerusalem is only the figurative description of a society that eliminates war, hatred, and evil from its midst and begins to live in love, harmony, and peace.

The Prophetic View

Those holding to the prophetic view agree that John was prophesying of future events, but they differ as to exactly how the book of Revelation is to be correlated with history. One group, generally called the “historicists,” maintains that Revelation outlines the whole scope of the history of Christ’s church, from the day of Pentecost to the day of judgment. The symbols are to be seen as future predictions of all the great events of history (i.e., they were future to John, but most have now been fulfilled). Historicists thus attempt to match up what is known from the past with what is found in the Apocalypse. One example of the historicist interpretation is the identification of the locusts who emerge from the bottomless pit to become a vast conquering army (Revelation 11) with the Mohammedan invasions of the Middle Ages. The historicists say that while some of John’s predictions are yet to be fulfilled, most are now past.

Another theory holds that while the first three chapters of Revelation (the letters to the seven churches) were applicable to John’s time, the rest of the book deals with the events of the very last days. All the remaining chapters are prophetic and refer to the terrible and magnificent events that are to take place just before the coming of Christ the second time. Those who interpret the book in this manner call these days “the great tribulation” and variously see that period as lasting from three and one-half to seven years. They say that the tribulation shall be followed immediately by the triumphal return of the Savior and the ushering in of the Millennium. So this group sees the great majority of the book as not only being future to John, but actually still future to us as well (though they see the gap closing very rapidly, for the most part). While they recognize the symbolic imagery of John, they see the fulfillment of these predictions as being very literal. For obvious reasons, this group is often called “futurists.”

A View Based on Latter-Day Revelation

Not too surprisingly, a Latter-Day Saint interpretation does not fit any of the four, and indeed, it would not even be accurate to say that it is a blending of any of them. An LDS interpretation is unique, though it clearly falls under a prophetic view of the book. This is to be expected, since we have an advantage over the rest of the Christian scholarship because of latter-day revelation. As Elder McConkie points out:

“As a matter of fact, we are in a much better position to understand those portions of revelation which we are expected to understand than we generally realize. Thanks be to the interpretive material found in sections 29, 77, 88, and others of the revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants; plus the revisions given in the Inspired Version of the Bible; plus the sermons of the Prophet; plus some clarifying explanations in the Book of Mormon and other latter-day scripture; plus our over-all knowledge of the plan of salvation—thanks be to all of these things (to say nothing of a little conservative sense, wisdom and inspiration in their application), the fact is that we have a marvelously comprehensive and correct understanding of this otherwise hidden book.” (Bruce R. McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3:431.)

This revealed information provides an important key to the interpretation of the Apocalypse. In some ways, Revelation is like a house locked and shuttered. One can peer through the windows and glimpse things inside, but only in shadowy darkness and with limited perspective. But with the key of modern revelation, one can open the door and enter. That does not mean that once inside he will recognize everything he sees, but at least he is within the house where he can explore and examine with much greater perception and freedom.

That analogy is especially true of Doctrine and Covenants 77. As he was working on the Inspired Version of the Bible, Joseph Smith asked several questions about the book of Revelation and received answers to them. One of these questions concerned the book sealed with seven seals which John saw in the hand of God (Revelation 5:1). From that answer comes the information which gives the Latter-day Saints their unique interpretation of the book. Joseph Smith was told that the book represented the whole of the world’s temporal history, and that each of the seven seals represented a one-thousand-year period of that history (D&C 77:6, 7). In other words, the opening of the first seal represents the events of the first one thousand years, and so on.

However, its major purpose is not history but prophecy. Therefore, each of the first four thousand-year periods are only highlighted briefly (two verses each). The fifth—the very period in which John and his readers were living—is expanded slightly. The sixth thousand years is the first that receives any detailed treatment (twenty-three verses), but even then it is not the focus of concentration. Only when we come to the opening of the seventh seal does the detail become profuse and lengthy. Much of the rest of the book concentrates on the happenings of the seventh seal.

In summary, then, an LDS interpretation is that the Revelation presents the great plan of the Father and the Son being worked out in all of history, but especially concentrating on that era of time when evil, in all of its power and wickedness, shall be put down once and for all.

It is not hard to realize how much comfort such a revelation would have brought to those early saints who faced direct and terrible persecutions from their own great evil power (Rome). The church was facing literal destruction in their time; the beginnings of the great apostasy had already started to snuff out the gospel’s light. Under such circumstances it would only be natural to wonder if God was still working with his people, or if Satan were not triumphant. But Revelation shows that while he may have some time of power, Satan will never be victorious. The time is coming when he will be put down once and for all, finally and forever.

Such knowledge was undoubtedly of great worth to those early saints. And it is of great value also to those of today’s generation; to those who once again see the forces of evil gathering great power; to those who see a political power and philosophy more directly opposed to God than emperor worship and controlling the lives of more people than Rome did in all her glory; to those who see the wickedness of man expanding at a rapid pace. How valuable for this generation is the overview of the divine plan and the comforting assurances that God is still over all and will triumph in the final great battle between righteousness and evil.

Why the Lord Uses Symbolism to Teach His Children

Even the most cursory reading of the scriptures makes it clear that the Lord frequently uses symbolic language and imagery to teach his children the truths of the gospel. Wheat and tares, mustard seeds, candlesticks, olive trees, trumpets, wine presses, the eye, the ear, the heart, baptism, the sacrament—the list of things having symbolic significance is almost endless.

A little reflection helps us to understand why the Lord uses such symbols to teach eternal truths. First, and possibly most important, a symbolic or figurative image can convey truth and reality with greater impact to the mind than can abstract concepts or words. Consider, for example, the idea of the wheat and the tares. Jesus could have told his disciples that the kingdom would have both bad and good people in it. But tares were a poisonous weed that in its earliest stages of growth was almost indistinguishable from wheat. Only when both plants came to full head and bore their fruit (another common symbol in scriptures) could they be easily identified and separated. When one remembers that, the parable of the wheat and the tares takes on profound and deep significance. We can see the principle of the wheat and the tares clearly in the church history of our own dispensation and also that of the early apostles.

A second reason that symbols are such effective teaching devices is that they have the capability of conveying different levels of spiritual truth to different levels of spiritual maturity. The ordinance of baptism is one of the best examples. In it is contained the very obvious symbolism of cleansing, the washing away of sin. But as one ponders its meaning further, deeper spiritual significance becomes evident. The concept of the death and burial of the old sinful man is suggested. The baptismal font becomes the grave for the natural man. But even that does not exhaust its spiritual depths. The font is also symbolic of the womb, where the new spiritual man is reborn in a manner profoundly similar to the original physical birth. (See Moses 6:59.) So baptism is more than just a simple and beautiful ordinance; in its symbolism are found some of the most elemental and important truths of the gospel.

Certainly there are other reasons for the use of symbols in the gospel: their simplicity and beauty, for example, or the universal appeal that symbols have. They also stimulate the individual to search and ponder their meanings. Let us now turn to an examination of the book of Revelation, without question one of the most symbolic and figurative books in all of scripture.

The Symbolism of the Book of Revelation

Some of the most oft-recurring and difficult questions asked about the Apocalypse concern its symbolism. How many of the images and figures seen by John are symbolic? Should they be taken literally or metaphorically? If some are symbolic and some literal, how can one tell the difference? Why are some of the images—for example, a beast with seven heads and ten horns (Revelation 13:1)—so strange and unusual?

While these questions cannot be answered with complete surety, there are some important things to keep in mind as you begin a study of this book:

1. It is almost certain that John did not intend to write things that were obscure or incomprehensible to his readers. He wrote in their language; he was part of the same cultural background and heritage as they, and they were probably familiar with special terms or phrases that he used to express himself. Part of our difficulty in understanding this book is caused by the fact that we are far removed from their time, their situation, and their language. But when John wrote, he fully expected that his readers would clearly understand what he wrote to them.

2. By revelation, Nephi was told that when John’s writings were first set down, they were “plain and pure, and most precious and easy to the understanding of all men.” (1 Nephi 14:23.) We can probably assume that the book of Revelation also suffered with the rest of the Bible records when it went “through the hands of the great and abominable church,” and had “many plain and precious things taken away from the book.” (1 Nephi 13:28.) This would, of course, complicate the problem of achieving a proper interpretation. The Inspired Version may have restored some of these things, but there may be other important losses.

3. Much of John’s imagery is symbolic. In fact, if taken literally, they present a bizarre or grotesque picture. A good example of this is John’s description of the beasts around the throne of God. They are described as having six wings, and “they were full of eyes.” (Revelation 4:8.) Joseph Smith was told that the wings were symbolic of their ability to move and act, and their eyes were representative of light and knowledge (D&C 77:4). In an ancient world, to which vehicles and trains, jetliners and rockets were unknown, what could be more symbolic of mobility and speed than the flight of birds? And it is through the eye that we perceive light and also receive the greatest percentage of what we know. The eye is an appropriate symbol for light and knowledge. Revelation is deeply symbolic. To try to interpret everything literally would result in some gross misconceptions.

4. However, though the book is highly symbolic, the symbols represent real and actual things, persons, or events. In other words, while the book is symbolic, it is not symbolic in the sense that the idealists claim; that is, it does not have meaning only in abstract, indefinite concepts. For example, the sea of glass is a symbolic concept, but it represents something definite and concrete—the earth in its celestial state (D&C 77:1). The book sealed with seven seals is symbolic, but it has a literal and specific referent—the seven periods of the earth’s temporal history (D&C 77:6). Some of the symbols are clear, and through modern revelation we know what they mean. Many are not, and we must wait for more revelation before we can say with surety what they represent. But the important thing to remember is that while the book of Revelation is filled with symbolism, each symbol has specific meaning and correspondence with some real thing.

5. The meaning of the book and its symbols can be correctly interpreted only through the gift of inspiration. Uninspired reason, regardless of how brilliant, cannot unlock its mysteries. It is called the book of Revelation, and revelation is essential for its understanding. This, perhaps, is why Joseph Smith could say, “The book of Revelation is one of the plainest books God ever caused to be written.” (Teachings, p. 290.) Latter-day revelation can be immensely helpful in unlocking the mysteries of Revelation, and the most important of those latter-day revelations will be those received through the Spirit as the student studies this book with humble, earnest prayer.

BIOGRAPHY

John, brother of James and son of Zebedee, was one of the original twelve called by Jesus. He came to be known as John the Beloved because of the special fondness Jesus felt for him (John 13:23). He was in the presidency of the early church with Peter and James and stood fearlessly at Peter’s side during the early persecutions which followed the Savior’s death (Acts 3, 4). He is the author of the Gospel of John, the three epistles of John, and the book of Revelation. He was given the special privilege of being allowed to live on the earth as a translated being until the Savior’s second coming. (See John 21:21–23; D&C 7.) Little more is recorded of his life except for the brief mention in Revelation of his being on the isle of Patmos (Revelation 1:9), to which he was probably banished during the wave of Christian persecution under the emperor Domitian. In 1831 the Prophet Joseph Smith indicated that John was then laboring among the lost ten tribes. (See HC, 1:176.)

54
“THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST . . . UNTO HIS SERVANT JOHN”

THEME

John’s letters to the seven churches have great meaning in our day.

INTERPRETIVE COMMENTARY

(54-1) What Is the Theme of Revelation?

The theme of the work is very simple and is stated by John in the first verse: it is a revelation of Jesus Christ. The book of Revelation presents a picture of Christ’s dealings with men throughout the ages of earth’s history. In particular, for modern man it mirrors the second coming of Jesus, the judgment of mankind, the destruction of the wicked, the Millennium, and the ultimate celestialization of the world.

(54-2) To Whom Was It Written?

The immediate recipients of the writing known as Revelation were seven churches in Asia designated by the Lord himself (1:4, 11). The reason why these particular churches were singled out is not made clear. It was not because there were no other branches of the church in Asia, for we know from the New Testament that there were saints in Troas (Acts 20:6–12), Colossae (Colossians 1:12), and Hierapolis (Colossians 4:13). Nor could it be that these seven were the more important cities in Asia, for while Ephesus, Smyrna, and Pergamos were cities of some size and note, Thyatira and Philadelphia were small and quite insignificant.

If John spent the last years of the first century as a resident of Ephesus, as many have supposed, he would have been familiar with the seven churches. Moreover, his ecclesiastical position as an apostle would have given him the authority to address these churches in the manner in which he did. Sir William Ramsay, a renowned scholar of New Testament geography, once noted that all seven of the cities to whom John addressed the revelation lay on a great circular road that anciently ran through Asia. If one were to start at Ephesus and travel to the others in the order in which they were named, he would travel along this circular route.

While we know that there were other branches of the church in Asia, it may be that by the time of John’s revelation on Patmos, the apostasy had eliminated all but these seven as faithful branches. Writing just before his death (A.D. 68), Paul told Timothy that “all they which are in Asia [are] turned away from me” (2 Timothy 1:15). Even the seven branches (A.D. 95), it would seem, had things of which they needed to repent. Ephesus, in particular, is told by the Lord, “I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. (Revelation 2:5.)

Another important item of background is that the early saints were not the only intended recipients of John’s writing. We know from latter-day revelation that an important part of the Lord’s purpose in directing John to write what he saw was to give the saints of the last dispensation an understanding of the events of the last days, the period of time in which much that John saw would be fulfilled. The prophet Nephi, also privileged to behold the things that John saw, was told that the honor of recording the vision was reserved for John (1 Nephi 14:19–25). Nephi was also informed that the things which John would see and record would be brought forth in their purity in the Lord’s due time (1 Nephi 14:26; see also Ether 4:15, 16). In other words, the book of Revelation is not solely for the saints of the seven churches in Asia, but also for the saints of the dispensation of the fulness of times as well.

(54-3) What Is Significant About the Book of Revelation?

Nowhere in all of the existing standard works do we receive such a detailed and comprehensive picture of the whole scope of the Lord’s plan as we do in the book of Revelation. The book contains an inspired overview of the history of the world, concentrating on that period of time when the Lord shall usher in the great era of millennial peace.

(54-4) Revelation 1:1. “Things Which Must Shortly Come to Pass”

“This is one of the great keys which opens the door to an understanding of the book of Revelation. What is recorded therein is to transpire in the future, mainly in a day subsequent to New Testament times. The revelations promised are to come to the saints of latter-days, not to those in the meridian of time. All the promised events shall transpire ‘shortly’; they are soon to be in the perspective of Him with whom one day is ‘as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.’ (2 Pet. 3:8.)

“Joseph Smith said: ‘The things which John saw had no allusion to the scenes of the days of Adam, Enoch, Abraham or Jesus, only so far as is plainly represented by John, and clearly set forth by him. John saw that only which was lying in futurity and which was shortly to come to pass.’ (Teachings, p. 289.) Also: ‘John had the curtains of heaven withdrawn, and by vision looked through the dark vista of future ages, and contemplated events that should transpire throughout every subsequent period of time, until the final winding up scene.’ (Teachings, p. 247.)” (McConkie, DNTC, 3:435.)

(54-5) Revelation 1:6. What Does It Mean to Be “Kings and Priests”?

“Those holding the fullness of the Melchizedek Priesthood are kings and priests of the Most High God, holding the keys of power and blessings. In fact, that priesthood is a perfect law of theocracy, and stands as God to give laws to the people, administering endless lives to the sons and daughters of Adam.” (Smith, HC, 5:555.)

(54-6) Revelation 1:12. What Is the Symbolism of the Seven Candlesticks?

“Candlesticks carry light; they do not create it. Their function is to make it available, not to bring it into being. So by using seven candlesticks to portray the seven churches to whom John is now to give counsel, the Lord is showing that his congregations on earth are to carry his light to the world. Christ is the Light of the world. (John 8:12.) ‘Hold up your light that it may shine unto the world. Behold I am the light which ye shall hold up—that which ye have seen me do.’ (3 Ne. 18:24; Matt. 5:14–16.)” (McConkie, DNTC, 3:442.)

(54-7) Revelation 1:13–16. A Word About the Symbolic Language of John

Sometimes the reader of Revelation is startled by some of the imagery and symbolism used by John. They seem almost bizarre at times in their unusual nature. This is due, however, to a basic difference in cultural background and the use of language. Most members of the Church today are products of Western (Occidental) civilization. The occidental peoples tend to use language like a contractor uses building materials: he builds structures which are concrete in detail and form. But the oriental world, of which the Holy Land was a part, is more artistic in its use of language. Words are but colors with which the artist paints verbal pictures. Thus, the Oriental is usually more concerned with effect than with form and detail. Westerners say the sun is rising, while an Arab may say that it leaps from its bed of sleeping.

John, of course, being Jewish, was a product of Oriental, not Occidental, culture. So his depiction of the Savior as having a sharp, two-edged sword protruding from his mouth is perfectly acceptable, even though the Western mind trying to picture that image concretely may find it somewhat jarring to the sensitivities. To the Eastern mind the symbolism is most appropriate, for such a person is more concerned with the effect of the symbol than with its detail. Pushing the images and symbols of John’s writings for literal interpretation will lead to baffling and sometimes grotesque pictures. But if one remembers the Oriental’s love of imagery, such things as beasts with seven heads and ten horns, armies compared to locusts, and prophets with fire coming from their mouths (11:5; 19:15) will become beautiful and profound symbols of eternal truth.

(54-8) Revelation 1:18. Why Should Christ Have the Key of Hell?

Obviously Christ has power over death, for his resurrection unlocks the doors of death for all men. But wherein does he also have the key of hell? Hell is that portion of the spirit world where the wicked suffer torment until they have satisfied the strict demands of God’s justice. It is Christ alone who releases them from their awful state when their torments are over. This accords perfectly with the teachings of Peter about Christ’s visit to the spirits in prison between the Savior’s death and resurrection. (See 1 Peter 3:18–20; 4:6; see also Hymns, 218.)

(54-9) Revelation 1:20. Who or What Were the Seven Angels of the Seven Churches?

Joseph Smith changed the word angels to servants in the Inspired Version, both in this verse and in the opening verse of each of the seven letters to the churches in Asia. Elder McConkie states that the seven stars are “the presiding officers of the seven congregations who, as with all his ministers, are in the hands of the Lord. They do not speak or act of themselves; they represent their Master, whose words they speak, whose acts they perform, and in fact whose they are.” (DNTC, 3:444.)

(54-10) Revelation 2:1. “Unto . . . the Church in Ephesus Write”

Though not the capital of the Roman province of Asia, Ephesus was nevertheless one of the major cities of the Empire. It was fourth largest in population and the largest city in all of Asia Minor. Its strategic location made it not only an important harbor but also the junction for important highways and trade routes. It was famous throughout the world for its magnificent temple of Diana (Artemis, in Greek), one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. The temple was the center of the riot in Ephesus involving the apostle Paul. His preaching threatened to destroy the business of the local artisans who made silver models of the temple to sell to tourists and worshipers (Acts 19:23 ff). At the time of Paul, the port was filling with silt from the river Cayster, and, while still a major city, Ephesus was in a state of gradual decline. After the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, the city became the center of the Christian church for many years until the center gradually shifted to Rome.

(54-11) Revelation 2:8. “Unto . . . the Church in Smyrna Write”

Called by many ancient writers, “The Jewel of Asia,” Smyrna disputed with Ephesus over the right to be called the first city of Asia. Situated on an excellent harbor that is still one of the major ports of Turkey (present-day Izmir), Smyrna was an important trade center. Destroyed by earthquake in 627 B.C., it was completely rebuilt by Lysimachus, one of the successors of Alexander the Great, about 290 B.C. Thus it was one of the few “planned” cities of the ancient world. As early as 195 B.C., Smyrna built a temple to the goddess of Rome and thereafter was one of the first and foremost cities to heartily embrace the Imperial Cult (emperor worship). In light of the special encouragement given to the angel (servant in the Inspired Version) of the church at Smyrna, it is interesting to note that Polycarp, the bishop of Smyrna, was martyred in the city when he refused to deny Christ. He was burned at the stake and smitten with a sword as the flames were encircling him.

(54-12) Revelation 2:12. “And to . . . the Church in Pergamos Write”

Also called Pergamum, this city was the provincial capital of Asia. Although eager to claim for itself the status of being the most important city in the province, it was clearly eclipsed by both Ephesus and Smyrna. Peramos became a major center for emperor worship and was most famous for its library which housed over 200,000 scrolls. It was also the major center for the worship of the serpent god Aesculapius, whose temple stood in the city. The city was a place of much wickedness.

(54-13) Revelation 2:14. What Was the Doctrine of Balaam?

“To divine for hire; to give counsel contrary to the divine will; to pervert the right way of the Lord—all with a view to gaining wealth and the honors of men. In effect, to preach for money, or to gain personal power and influence. In the very nature of things such a course is a perversion of the right way of the Lord. See 2 Pet. 2:10–22.” (McConkie, DNTC, 3:450.)

(54-14) Revelation 2:18. “And unto . . . the Church in Thyatira Write”

In spite of the fact that Thyatira was the smallest of the seven cities, the church there received the longest letter. The city was best known as a center for many craft guilds, including its dyeing of wool. (It will be remembered that Lydia, “a seller of purple” and a convert of Paul’s, was from Thyatira [Acts 16:17].) The city lay directly on the road from Smyrna and was a garrison city. The military spirit was stressed highly, and its chief deity, Tyrimnos, a sun-god, was typically portrayed in attitudes of military prowess.

(54-15) Revelation 2:23. What Does It Mean to Search “the Reins and Hearts”?

The word reins literally means kidneys. To the Hebrews, the word signified strength and vigor. The phrase is an idiom, meaning that the Lord knows all things about the inner man, his strengths and weaknesses, his character and emotions. And he shall then be able to “give unto every one of you according to your works.”

(54-16) Revelation 3:1. “And unto . . . the Church in Sardis Write”

Sardis was located at the crossroads of five major land routes and was an important inland trade center. It was renowned for its great wealth, as well as for its inner softness and corruption. Perhaps the Lord referred to this condition when he said, “I know thy works, that thou hast a name [a reputation] that thou livest, and art [spiritually] dead.” (Revelation 3:1.)

(54-17) Revelation 3:1. The Spiritually Dead

“There are many people in this Church today who think they live, but they are dead to the spiritual things. And I believe even many who are making pretenses of being active are also spiritually dead. Their service is much of the letter and less of the spirit.” (Spencer W. Kimball in CR, Apr. 1951, pp. 104–5.)

(54-18) Revelation 3:7. “And to . . . the Church in Philadelphia Write”

Located twenty-eight miles southeast of Sardis, Philadelphia was called “the Gateway to the East” because of its location. It was in the midst of an active volcanic region and had several hot springs in the area. Bacchus, the god of wine, was the primary deity worshipped there, since Philadelphia lay in a rich area of vineyards. It was probably second only to Thyatira in smallness and unimportance.

(54-19) Revelation 3:7. What Is the Key of David?

“From the day of Adam the term key has been used by inspired writers as a symbol of power and authority. Keys are the right of presidency, and the one holding them holds the reigns of government within the field and sphere of his appointment. In ancient Israel, David was a man of blood and battle whose word was law and whose very name was also a symbol of power and authority. Accordingly, when Isaiah sought to convey a realization of the supreme, directive control and power resident in our Lord, the Son of David, he spoke these words in the Lord’s name: ‘and the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.’ (Isa. 22:22.) . . . Thus, the key of David is the absolute power resident in Christ whereby his will is expressed in all things both temporal and spiritual.” (McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p. 409.)

(54-20) Revelation 3:12. “And I Will Write upon Him the Name of My God”

“God’s name is God. To have his name written on a person is to identify that person as a god. How can it be said more plainly? Those who gain eternal life become gods! Their inheritance is both a fulness of the glory of the Father and ‘a continuation of the seed forever and ever. Then shall they be gods, because they have no end; therefore shall they be from everlasting to everlasting, because they continue; then shall they be above all, because all things are subject unto them. Then shall they be gods, because they have all power, and the angels are subject unto them.’ (D. & C. 132:19–20.)” (McConkie, DNTC, 3:458.)

(54-21) Revelation 3:14. “And unto . . . the Church of the Laodiceans Write”

Located at the junction of two important valleys and three major roads, Laodicea was one of the richest commercial centers in the ancient world. It was especially noted for its banking, its manufacture of a unique black wool, and for a medical school that was famous for an eye salve made from Phrygian stone (Revelation 3:18). Hot springs at Hierapolis, a short distance to the north, sent steaming waters into the streams that flowed southward. Those waters were still lukewarm when they reached Laodicea (3:15, 16). Ironically enough, this city was often called “the City of Compromise,” the very problem that seemed to affect the Laodicean members of the church.

(54-22) Revelation 3:14. Why Does Christ Title Himself as the “Amen”?

The English word amen is derived from the Hebrew verb meaning to “prop or make firm.” Anciently, it was a verbal acclamation of the truthfulness of a prayer, concept, or vow. When used at the beginning of a discourse, it signified truthfulness and surety. When used after a prayer or statement of doctrine, it signified that the speaker and listener accepted what had been said as binding and valid for him. That is how it is commonly used today.

Through Christ all acts, doctrines, and ordinances are given the stamp of truth and validity; thus the Savior is characterized as the Great Amen. The title takes on additional meaning when it is remembered that the saints at Laodicea were troubled with lukewarmness, lack of commitment—the very opposite of the affirmation “Amen.”

POINTS TO PONDER

THE LETTERS TO THE SEVEN CHURCHES CONTAIN INSTRUCTIONS AND COUNSEL OF GREAT WORTH TO SAINTS OF THE LATTER DAYS

55
“THE KINGDOMS OF THIS WORLD ARE BECOME THE KINGDOMS OF OUR LORD”

THEME

The righteous saints will be a part of the kingdom of Christ when Babylon the great will fall.

INTERPRETIVE COMMENTARY

(55-1) Revelation 4:4. Who Were the Twenty-four Elders Surrounding the Throne of God?

Read D&C 77:5.

(55-2) Revelation 4:6. What Is the Meaning of the Sea of Glass?

Read D&C 77:1 and 130:6–9.

(55-3) Revelation 4:8. What Is the Meaning of the Wings and Eyes of the Beasts?

Read D&C 77:4.

(55-4) Revelation 5:1. What Is the Meaning of the Book Sealed with Seven Seals?

“‘The book which John saw’ represented the real history of the world—what the eye of God has seen, what the recording angel has written; and the seven thousand years, corresponding to the seven seals of the Apocalyptic volume, are as seven great days during which Mother Earth will fulfill her mortal mission, laboring six days and resting upon the seventh, her period of sanctification. These seven days do not include the period of our planet’s creation and preparation as a dwelling place for man. They are limited to Earth’s ‘temporal existence,’ that is, to Time, considered as distinct from Eternity. . . .

“. . . According to received chronology—admittedly imperfect, yet approximately correct—four thousand years, or four of the seven great days given to this planet as the period of its ‘temporal existence,’ had passed before Christ was crucified; while nearly two thousand years have gone by since. Consequently, Earth’s long week is now drawing to a close, and we stand at the present moment in the Saturday Evening of Time, at or near the end of the sixth day of human history. Is it not a time of thought, a season for solemn meditation? Morning will break upon the Millennium, the thousand years of peace, the Sabbath of the World!” (Whitney, Saturday Night Thoughts, p. 12.)

(55-5) Revelation 5:13. How Literally Should We Interpret the Phrase “Every Creature”?

“John saw curious looking beasts in heaven; he saw every creature that was in heaven,—all the beasts, fowls and fish in heaven,—actually there, giving glory to God. How do you prove it? (See Rev. 5:13.) ‘And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.’

“I suppose John saw beings there of a thousand forms, that had been saved from ten thousand earths like this,—strange beasts of which we have no conception: all might be seen in heaven. The grand secret was to show John what there was in heaven. John learned that God glorified Himself by saving all that His hands had made, whether beasts, fowls, fishes or men; and He will glorify Himself with them.

“Says one, ‘I cannot believe in the salvation of beasts.’ Any man who would tell you that this could not be, would tell you that the revelations are not true. John heard the words of the beasts giving glory to God, and understood them. God who made the beasts could understand every language spoken by them. The four beasts were four of the most noble animals that had filled the measure of their creation, and had been saved from other worlds, because they were perfect; they were like angels in their sphere. We are not told where they came from, and I do not know; but they were seen and heard by John praising and glorifying God.” (Smith, Teachings, pp. 291–92. Compare D&C 77:2, 3.)

(55-6) Revelation 6:2. What Is the Interpretation of the Opening of the First Seal?

“Such of these events as John saw pertained to someone on a white horse (the emblem of victory); who had a bow (weapons of war); wore a crown (the garland or wreath of a conqueror); and who went forth conquering and to conquer (that is, was victorious in war). . . .

“. . . it is clear that the most transcendent happenings involved Enoch and his ministry. And it is interesting to note that what John saw was not the establishment of Zion and its removal to heavenly spheres, but the unparalleled wars in which Enoch, as a general over the armies of the saints, ‘went forth conquering and to conquer.’ Of these wars our revelations recite: [Read Moses 7:13–17.]

“Truly, never was there a ministry such as Enoch’s, and never a conqueror and general who was his equal! How appropriate that he should ride the white horse of victory in John’s apocalyptic vision!” (McConkie, DNTC, 3:476–78.)

(55-7) Revelation 6:3, 4. What Is the Interpretation of the Opening of the Second Seal?

“Who rode the red horse, the red horse of war and bloodshed and a sword, during the second seal? Perhaps it was the devil himself, for surely that was the great day of his power, a day of such gross wickedness that every living soul (save eight only) was found worthy of death by drowning, which wickedness caused the Lord God of Heaven to bring in the floods upon them.

“Or if it was not Lucifer, perhaps it was a man of blood, or a person representing many murdering warriors, of whom we have no record. Suffice it to say that the era from 3000 B.C., to 2000 B.C., was one of war and destruction, these being the favorite weapons of Satan for creating those social conditions in which men lose their souls.

“Of the wickedness and abominations of Noah’s day, the revealed word says: [Read Moses 8:22, 28, 29.]” (McConkie, DNTC, 3:478.)

(55-8) Revelation 6:4, 5. What Is the Interpretation of the Opening of the Third Seal?

“As famine follows the sword, so the pangs of hunger gnawed in the bellies of the Lord’s people during the third seal. From 2000 B.C. to 1000 B.C., as never in any other age of the earth’s history, the black horse of hunger influenced the whole history of God’s dealings with his people.

“In the beginning years of this seal, the famine in Ur of the Chaldees was so severe that Abraham’s brother, Haran, starved to death, while the father of the faithful was commanded by God to take his family to Canaan. (Abra. 1:29–30; 2:15.) Of his struggle to gain sufficient food to keep alive, Abraham said: [Read Abraham 2:17, 21.]

“This search for sustenance was yet burdening the Lord’s people in the days of Jacob, who sent his sons to Egypt to buy corn from the granaries of Joseph his son. In that day ‘the famine was over all the face of the earth,’ and it was only through divine intervention that Jacob and the beginning members of the house of Israel were saved from the fate of Haran. (Gen. 41:53–57; 42; 43; and 44.) And in the days of their sojourn in the wilderness, the millions of Jacob’s seed who had followed Moses out of Egyptian bondage, lest they perish for want of bread, were fed for forty years with manna from heaven. [Ex. 16.] . . .

“. . . Truly the third seal was a millennium in which hunger among men affected the whole course of God’s dealings with his people.” (McConkie, DNTC, 3:479–80.)

(55-9) Revelation 6:6. “A Measure of Wheat for a Penny”

This strange accounting of the price of wheat and barley seems baffling to us today, but knowledge of the monetary units and customs of John’s time helps us to better understand what the voice declared. John’s readers would have clearly understood it. A measure (Greek choenix) was approximately the same volume as our own quart and was the usual amount of a day’s allowance or ration. The penny (denarius) was a small silver coin of Roman mintage. Although it is hard to determine the equivalent value in today’s inflated economy, it is known that a denarius was the typical wage for a day’s work in those times. Thus, to spend one day’s wages to buy only enough food for one person for one day clearly points out that these were famine prices. Three measures of barley could be purchased for a penny, but barley was a much inferior grain for human consumption and was generally used only in times of great hunger.

The fact that the rider had balances in his hand suggests that the scarcity of food was such that it had to be doled out with exactness. Elder McConkie has suggested that the phrase “hurt not the oil and the wine” meant that enough food should be preserved so that man would not utterly perish in the famine conditions of that time. (See McConkie DNTC, 3:480.)

(55-10) Revelation 6:7, 8. What Is the Interpretation of the Opening of the Fourth Seal?

“During the fourth seal, from 1000 B.C. to the coming of our Lord, death rode roughshod through the nations of men, and hell was at his heels. Thus, the slain among the ungodly in this age of bloodshed—whether by sword or by famine or by pestilence or by wild beasts—were, at their death, cast down to hell. This is the millennium of those great kingdoms and nations whose wars and treacheries tormented and overran, again and again, the people whom Jehovah had chosen to bear his name. This is also the general era in which the Lord’s own people warred among themselves and sent countless numbers of their own brethren to untimely graves.” (McConkie, DNTC, 3:481.)

(55-11) Revelation 6:9–11. What Is the Interpretation of the Opening of the Fifth Seal?

“Where the Lord’s people are concerned, the events of the fifth seal, that period from our Lord’s birth down to 1000 A.D., which are of unspeakable worth are:

“1. The birth into mortality of God’s only Son; his ministry among men and the atoning sacrifice which he wrought by the shedding of his own blood.

“2. The spread and perfection of the Church which was set up by Him whose Church it is, and the unbelievable fanaticism among unbelievers that made acceptance of martyrdom almost synonymous with acceptance of the gospel.

“3. And then, of course, the complete falling away from true and perfect Christianity, which sad eventuality ushered in the long night of apostate darkness on all the face of the earth.

“Our Lord’s work and ministry are everywhere taught in holy writ; the facts relative to the post-meridian apostasy and the perversion of the saving truths and powers are also abundantly taught in other sacred writings. And so what is more natural than to find the Lord revealing here, that portion of the sealed book which deals with the doctrine of martyrdom. Among the ancient saints martyrdom was an ever present possibility, one which completely occupied their thoughts and feelings. They knew that by forsaking all to follow Christ, they might, if fate so decreed, be called to lay down their lives for Him who had laid down his life for them. In an almost death-inviting sense, the meridian of time was the dispensation of martyrdom.” (McConkie, DNTC, 3:482–83.)

(55-12) Revelation 6:12–17. What Is the Interpretation of the Opening of the Sixth Seal?

“We are now living during the final years of the sixth seal, that thousand year period which began in 1000 A.D. and will continue through the Saturday night of time and until just before the Sabbatical era when Christ shall reign personally on earth, when all of the blessings of the Great Millennium shall be poured out upon this planet. This, accordingly, is the era when the signs of the times shall be shown forth, and they are in fact everywhere to be seen.” (McConkie, DNTC, 3:485–86.)

For other references concerning the signs of the times which shall affect the earth during the sixth seal, see D&C 88:87–91; 29:14–21; Isaiah 13:9–11; Isaiah 24:20; Matthew 24:29, 30.

(55-13) Revelation 7:1–3. The Four Angels of the Sixth Seal

“Can you tell me where the people are who will be shielded and protected from these calamities and judgments which are even now at our doors? I’ll tell you. The Priesthood of God who honor their priesthood, and who are worthy of their blessings are the only ones who shall have this safety and protection. No other people have a right to be shielded from these judgments. They are at our very doors; not even this people will escape them entirely. They will come down like the judgments of Sodom and Gomorrah. And none but the priesthood will be safe from their fury. God has held the angels of destruction for many years, lest they should reap down the wheat with the tares. But I want to tell you now, that those angels have left the portals of heaven, and they stand over the earth waiting to pour out the judgments. And from this very day they shall be poured out. Calamities and troubles are increasing in the earth, and there is a meaning to these things. Remember this, and reflect upon these matters. If you do your duty, and I do my duty, we’ll have the protection, and shall pass through the afflictions in peace and in safety. Read the scriptures and the revelations. They will tell you about these things.” (Wilford Woodruff in The Young Woman’s Journal, 5:512–13.)

(55-14) Revelation 7:2. Who Is Elias, and How Is He Related to the Angel from the East?

Read D&C 77:9.

“As previously stated, the restoration of the Gospel did not come through just one messenger, but there are several who came and bestowed their keys of authority and power. The name Elias is a title. This we have been taught by the Prophet Joseph Smith. (Teachings, p. 335.) Is it not possible, therefore, since so many ancient prophets had a hand in the restoration, that in speaking of the Elias who was to come and restore all things, do we not have a composite picture of several Eliases, rather than one single individual? The angel with the seal directs the four angels holding the destiny of the world in their hands, not to hurt the earth until the servants of the Lord have been sealed. This could not be accomplished until the Gospel was restored and proclaimed to the nations of the earth.” (Smith, Church History and Modern Revelation, 1:301–2.)

(55-15) Revelation 7:3. What Is the Interpretation of the Sealing of the Lord’s Servants?

It was a common practice in John’s day for devotees of the various heathen gods to mark their foreheads with the name or symbol of their god. Thus followers of Zeus would mark their foreheads with the thunderbolt; those of Poseidon, the trident, and so on. John’s imagery would have had a powerful impact on the readers of his day. Being sealed or marked in the forehead would be a vivid metaphor of devotion and servitude to God—whether that god was the true God or the evil beast worshipped as a god. (See Revelation 13.)

As to the actual meaning of the sealing itself, Joseph Smith said: “Four destroying angels holding power over the four quarters of the earth until the servants of God are sealed in their foreheads, which signifies sealing the blessing upon their heads, meaning the everlasting covenant, thereby making their calling and election sure. When a seal is put upon the father and mother, it secures their posterity, so that they cannot be lost, but will be saved by virtue of the covenant of their father and mother.” (Smith, Teachings, p. 321.)

(55-16) Revelation 7:4–8. Who Are the One Hundred Forty-Four Thousand of Whom John Speaks?

Read D&C 77:11.

(55-17) Revelation 7:4–8. The Washing of Our Robes in the Blood of the Lamb

The symbolic meaning here is that one accepts the atonement of Christ and keeps his commandments, thus cleansing himself through divine power from the sins of the world (Alma 13:11, 12).

(55-18) Revelation 8:10. Who Fell from Heaven?

A star is sometimes used in the scriptures as a symbol of a great and important person. One star that fell from heaven is Satan, or Lucifer, as he was known in the premortal existence. (Read Isaiah 14:12; D&C 76:25–27.)

(55-19) Revelation 8:10. What Is the Significance of Wormwood As It Relates to the Star That Fell from Heaven?

The wormwood associated with the star that fell from heaven is a symbol of the bitterness and awfulness which comes to all who follow the devil. Wormwood was a plant with an extremely bitter taste. To use it for food or drink was to eat that which brought about death. In the case of Satan, all who follow his evil ways perish in spiritual death.

(55-20) Revelation 9:4–10. A Time of Great Warfare

“During this particular period of the war and desolation the evil forces will be directed against all men, save those sealed up unto eternal life, for those in Zion shall be preserved. The plagues and torments of this era shall so afflict men that they shall desire to die rather than to suffer more.

“In prophetic imagery John here seeks to describe a war fought with weapons and under circumstances entirely foreign to any experience of his own or of the people of that day. Joel, subject to the same limitations of descriptive ability, attempted to portray the same scenes in these words: [Read Joel 2:1–11.]

“It is not improbable that these ancient prophets were seeing such things as men wearing or protected by strong armor; as troops of cavalry and companies of tanks and flame throwers; as airplanes and airborne missiles which explode, fire shells and drop bombs; and even other weapons yet to be devised in an age when warfare is the desire and love of wicked men.” (McConkie, DNTC, 3:502–3.)

(55-21) Revelation 9:11. Who Is Abaddon, or Apollyon?

John tells us that this is the angel of the bottomless pit. He gives his name in Hebrew and Greek. Both the Hebrew and the Greek words come from the roots meaning “to destroy” or “destruction.” Thus the name signifies “the Destroyer,” an appropriate title for Satan. There is yet another word which is related to these two names and which serves as one of the devil’s names. It is Perdition (see Moses 5:24), and it means “utter loss” or “destruction.”

(55-22) Revelation 10:10, 11. What Was the Little Book John Ate?

“A great mission was given unto John because of his desire, and he is even now laboring as ‘a flaming fire and a ministering angel, for those who are heirs of salvation.’ In the tenth chapter of Revelation we read that John was given a little book by the angel and commanded to eat it up, which he did, and he said ‘it was in my mouth sweet as honey; and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.’ And the angel said by way of interpretation of this act: ‘Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.’ When this mission was given, John was an old man far beyond the allotted years of three score and ten. In answer to a question as to the meaning of this vision of the book, the Prophet Joseph Smith said: It was a mission and an ordinance for John to gather the tribes of Israel. (D. & C. 77:14.) At a conference of the Church, held June, 1831, Joseph Smith said ‘that John the Revelator was then among the ten tribes of Israel who had been led away by Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, to prepare them for their return from their long dispersion.’ (Documentary History of the Church, Vol. 1:176; Essentials in Church History, p. 126.)” (Smith, Church History and Modern Revelation, 1:48.)

(55-23) Revelation 11:3–13. The Two Witnesses Who Prophesy at Jerusalem

Read D&C 77:15.

“Suffice it to say, the Jews gather home, and rebuild Jerusalem. The nations gather against them in battle. Their armies encompass the city, and have more or less power over it for three years and a half. A couple of Jewish prophets, by their mighty miracles, keep them from utterly over-coming the Jews; until at length they are slain, and the city is left in a great measure to the mercy of their enemies for three days and a half. The two prophets then rise from the dead and ascend up into heaven.

The Messiah comes, convulses the earth, overthrows the army of the Gentiles, delivers the Jews, cleanses Jerusalem, cuts off all wickedness from the earth, raises the Saints from the dead, brings them with him, and commences his reign of a thousand years; during which time his Spirit will be poured out upon flesh; men and beasts, birds and serpents, will be perfectly harmless, and peace and the knowledge and glory of God shall cover the earth as the waters cover the sea; and the kingdom and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the saints of the Most High.” (Pratt, A Voice of Warning and Instruction to All People, pp. 49–50.)

(55-24) Revelation 12:1, 7. Important Insights from the Inspired Version

Joseph Smith made many significant changes in the book of Revelation as he worked on the Inspired Version. Of the many chapters in which changes were made, chapter twelve was the most revised. Every verse, with the exception of verse 12, received some change. Two verses were changed in such a manner that the meaning of the entire chapter was significantly altered. Those verses are 1 and 7:

“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 dragon prevailed not against Michael, neither the child, nor the woman which was the church of God, who had been delivered of her pains, and brought forth the kingdom of our God and his Christ.”

(55-25) Revelation 12:1, 4, 15. Who Are the Woman and the Manchild Mentioned by John?

“A woman (‘the church of God’!) gives birth to a man child (‘the kingdom of our God and his Christ’ which shall hold sway during the Millennial Era, the kingdom John has just seen in vision!). See Rev. 11:14–19. Such is the Prophet’s inspired interpretation. Among Biblical scholars of the world, the man child is presumed to be Christ, a speculative conclusion which, though seemingly persuasive, is refuted by the obvious fact that the Church did not bring forth Christ; he the Creator of the Church. Among Latter-day Saint scriptural exegetes, it is not uncommon to say that the man child is the priesthood, a seemingly persuasive speculation, which again however must be rejected by the same line of reasoning. The Church did not bring forth the priesthood, but the priesthood is the power that brought the Church into being.” (McConkie, DNTC, 3:511.)

Though at first it may seem confusing to speak of the Church and the kingdom as separate entities, the one giving birth to the other, this in fact is the condition to exist in the Millennium. The Church is a spiritual organization governed by priesthood and revelation. Only those who have covenanted with Christ in the waters of baptism hold membership therein. The kingdom of God is a product of the Church. It is a political organization in which all men who live in the millennial era will belong.

“After Christ comes, all the peoples of the earth will be subject to him, but there will be multitudes of people on the face of the earth who will not be members of the Church; yet all will have to be obedient to the laws of the kingdom of God, for it will have dominion upon the whole face of the earth. These people will be subject to the political government, even though they are not members of the ecclesiastical kingdom which is the Church.

“This government which embraces all the peoples of the earth, both in and out of the Church, is also sometimes spoken of as the kingdom of God, because the people are subject to the kingdom of God which Christ will set up; but they have their agency and thousands will not be members of the Church until they are converted; yet at the same time they will be subject to the theocratic rule.” (Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 1:229.)

(55-26) Revelation 12:4. Who Are the Stars of Heaven That Were Cast to the Earth?

These are the Father’s spirit children who rejected the plan of salvation and followed Lucifer in the premortal life.

(55-27) Revelation 12:7–9. “And There Was War in Heaven”

Lucifer and his followers waged a war in heaven against our Father in heaven and his faithful children. “The contention in heaven was—Jesus said there would be certain souls that would not be saved; and the devil said he could save them all, and laid his plans before the grand council, who gave their vote in favor of Jesus Christ. So the devil rose up in rebellion against God, and was cast down, with all who put up their heads for him.” (Smith, Teachings, p. 357.)

Read D&C 29:36, 37; Moses 4:1–3; Abraham 3:24, 28.

(55-28) Revelation 12:14. What Is the Meaning of the Woman Going into the Wilderness?

The woman is symbolic of the church of Jesus Christ, and we learn in verse 13 that the dragon (Satan) persecuted the woman. The woman fleeing into the wilderness is the symbolic driving of the church into the wilderness of apostasy.

Read D&C 86:3.

(55-29) Revelation 14:6, 7. “And I Saw Another Angel . . . Having the Everlasting Gospel”

“Now, as to the actual work of restoration—what angel performed this mighty deed, this work which involves the salvation of all men on earth in these latter-days? Who restored the everlasting gospel? Was it one angel or many?

“It is traditional (and true!) to reply: ‘Moroni, son of Mormon, the now resurrected Nephite prophet, who holds the keys of “the stick of Ephraim” (D. & C. 27:5), the one through whose ministry the Book of Mormon was again brought to light.’ The reasoning that the Book of Mormon contains ‘the fulness of the everlasting gospel’ (D. & C. 135:3); that therein is God’s message of salvation for all of the earth’s inhabitants; and that this gospel message is now being taken by the Lord’s witnesses to one nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people after another. . . .

“. . . But other angels were yet to come—Moses, Elias, Elijah, Gabriel, Raphael, and ‘divers angels. . . . all declaring their dispensation, their rights, their keys, their honors, their majesty and glory, and the power of their priesthood; giving line upon line, precept upon precept; here a little, and there a little.’ (D. & C. 128:21.)

“Thus the angel Moroni brought the message, that is, the word; but other angels brought the keys and priesthood, the power. And in the final analysis the fulness of the everlasting gospel consists of all of the truths and powers needed to enable men to gain a fulness of salvation in the celestial heaven.” (McConkie, DNTC, 3:528–30.)

(55-30) Revelation 16:1–21. The Seven Last Plagues

“God in his mercy shall pour out destructive plagues upon the wicked and ungodly in the last days. These diseases and calamities shall sweep great hosts of men from the face of the earth, preparatory to that final Millennial cleansing which shall prepare our planet as an abode for the righteous.” (McConkie, DNTC, 3:359.)

(55-31) Revelation 16:16. “A Place Called in the Hebrew Tongue Armageddon”

Lying about sixty miles north of Jerusalem is the site of Megiddo, a great mound or hill commanding the northern entrance to the broad plain called the valley of Esdraelon. The mountain or hill of Megiddo (Har Meggido in Hebrew, of which Armageddon is the Greek transliteration) guarded the strategic pass that cuts through the mountain range separating the coastal plains from the inland plains and hill country of Galilee. Because of this fortress or Mount of Megiddo, the valley and surrounding areas have also come to be known as Armageddon.

One of the most important highways of the ancient world—the main link between Egypt and Asia—ran through this valley and near the fortress of Megiddo. Because of that strategic location, Megiddo and the valley of Esdraelon have seen some of history’s bloodiest battles. Egyptian pharaohs, Roman legions, British troops, and Israeli tanks all have struggled in the valley of Megiddo. Prior to the second coming of Christ, all nations of the earth shall be gathered together to battle against Jerusalem. This tremendous war, one of the final great events prior to the Savior’s second coming, has been foreseen and described in detail by many of the Lord’s ancient prophets. (See, for example, Ezekiel 38, 39; Joel 2, 3; Isaiah 34; Jeremiah 25; Daniel 11, 12; Zechariah 12–14.) Jerusalem will be under siege and great suffering will be the lot of her inhabitants. Evidently, Armageddon, which is north of Jerusalem, will be the site of the great decisive battle of this war. “During this siege, when the nations are gathered and the Lord comes, there will be great destruction. The armies will become so confused they will fight among themselves. There will be great slaughter. Then the Lord comes to the Jews. He shows Himself. He calls upon them to come and examine His hands and His feet, and they say, ‘What are these wounds?’ And He answers them, ‘These are the wounds with which I was wounded in the house of my friends. I am Jesus Christ.’

“Then they will accept Him as their Redeemer, which they have never been willing to do.” (Smith, Signs of the Times, p. 171.)

(55-32) Revelation 16:20. “And Every Island Fled Away”

“When that day comes great changes shall take place upon the earth. We believe this is a day of restoration, and that the earth is to be renewed. (Tenth Article of Faith; Lesson 40.) In this renewal we are informed that the Lord ‘shall command the great deep, and it shall be driven back into the north country, and the islands shall become one land; and the land of Jerusalem and the land of Zion shall be turned back into their own place, and the earth shall be like as it was in the days before it was divided.’ (Gen. 10:25.) The notion prevails quite generally that the dividing of the earth in the days of Peleg was a division politically among the people, but from this word of the Lord we gain the idea that the earth itself was divided and that when Christ comes it will again be brought back to the same conditions physically as prevailed before this division took place. The sea is to be driven back into the north. The land is to be brought back as it was originally and the lands of Zion ‘America’ and Jerusalem (Palestine and all the land pertaining unto it) will be restored to their own place as they were in the beginning. The Savior will stand in the midst of his people, and shall reign over all flesh. We have discovered in our study that the wicked, or all things that are corruptible (Section 101:23–35), will be consumed and therefore will not be permitted to be on the earth when this time comes.” (Smith, Church History and Modern Revelation, 1:264.)

(55-33) Revelation 17:1. The Imagery of the Great Whore of the Earth

One of the most indisputable things about the Apocalypse is the vividness of the symbolism and imagery used by John. The kingdom of Satan, in all its opulent and wicked splendor, is depicted as a harlot, lavishly dressed and riding on a beast. The obvious representation is that of impurity, evil, wickedness. But the symbolism goes much deeper than that. The figure of a harlot as a metaphor for Satan’s dominions is appropriate, for Satan prostitutes all that is noble and good.

The ideal relationship between man and God has often been symbolized in scripture as a marriage. In the Old Testament, Jehovah is the husband and Israel the bride. In the New Testament Christ is the bridegroom and the church is the bride (Matthew 25:1–13; Revelation 19:7–9). Whenever his people prove unfaithful to their covenants, they can be likened to a faithless woman who has sold herself to immorality and sin.

(55-34) Revelation 17:1–6. The Church of the Devil

“The titles church of the devil and great and abominable church are used to identify all churches or organizations of whatever name or nature—whether political, philosophical, educational, economic, social, fraternal, civic, or religious—which are designed to take men on a course that leads away from God and his laws and thus from salvation in the kingdom of God.” (McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, pp. 137–38.)

(55-35) Revelation 17:14. “And the Lamb Shall Overcome”

After painting the picture of the harlot and the beast in all of their power and wickedness, John testifies that they shall be conquered by the superior power of the Lamb of God. Latter-day revelation confirms this. Just before the organization of the Church in this dispensation, the Lord said that because of his obedience to the Father’s will he had subdued all things, including “retaining all power, even to the destroying of Satan and his works at the end of the world.” (D&C 19:3.)

POINTS TO PONDER

(55-36) There Is Greater Wickedness in the World Now Than at Any Time Since the Flood

“There is more sin and evil in the world now than there has been at any time since the day of Noah, when the Lord felt disposed to destroy the world by a flood so that He could send His spirit children to earth in a better and more righteous environment. . . .

“. . . There is some degree of worldliness in all of us, and we overcome the world by degrees.” (Joseph Fielding Smith, Ricks College Baccalaureate Services, 7 May 1971, as cited in Church News, 15 May 1971, p. 3.)

(55-37) The Prophets Have Recommended the Only Cure for an Ailing World, but the Cure Has Been Rejected

“Our world is in turmoil. It is aging toward senility. It is very ill. Long ago it was born with brilliant prospects. It was baptized by water, and its sins were washed away. It was never baptized by fire, for that is still to come. It has had shorter periods of good health, but longer ones of ailing. Most of the time there have been pains and aches in some parts of its anatomy, but now that it is growing old, complications have set in, and all the ailments seem to be everywhere.

“The world has been ‘cliniced,’ and the complex diseases have been catalogued. The physicians have had summit consultations, and temporary salve has been rubbed on afflicted parts, but it has only postponed the fatal day and never cured it. It seems that while remedies have been applied, staph infection has set in, and the patient’s suffering intensified. His mind is wandering. It cannot remember its previous illnesses nor the cure which was applied. The political physicians through the ages have rejected suggested remedies as unprofessional since they came from lowly prophets. Man being what he is with tendencies such as he has, results can be prognosticated with some degree of accuracy.” (Spencer W. Kimball in CR, Oct. 1961, p. 30.)

(55-38) Satan Has Control of Most of the World

“Satan has control now. No matter where you look, he is in control, even in our own land. He is guiding the governments as far as the Lord will permit him. That is why there is so much strife, turmoil, and confusion all over the earth. One master mind is governing the nations. It is not the president of the United States; it is not Hitler; it is not Mussolini; it is not the king or government of England or any other land; it is Satan himself.” (Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 3:315.)

THE MOST SIGNIFICANT THING WE CAN DO IS TO OVERCOME THE WORLD BY KEEPING THE COMMANDMENTS AND COVENANTS OF GOD

(55-39) Our Part in the World Should Be to Build the Kingdom and Keep the Commandments

“If we are living the religion which the Lord has revealed and which we have received, we do not belong to the world. We should have no part in all its foolishness. We should not partake of its sins and its errors—errors of philosophy and errors of doctrine, errors in regard to government, or whatever those errors may be—we have no part in it.

“The only part we have is the keeping of the commandments of God. That is all, being true to every covenant and every obligation that we have entered into and taken upon ourselves. . . .

“If I sometimes, and once in a while I do, go to a football game or a baseball game or some other place of amusement, invariably I will be surrounded by men and women who are puffing on cigarets or cigars or dirty pipes. It gets very annoying, and I get a little disturbed. I will turn to Sister Smith, and I will say something to her, and she will say, ‘Well, now, you know what you have taught me. You are in their world. This is their world.’ And that sort of brings me back to my senses. Yes, we are in their world, but we do not have to be of it.

“So, as this is their world we are living in, they prosper, but, my good brethren and sisters, their world is coming to its end. It will not be many years. I can say that. . . .

“The day will come when we will not have this world. It will be changed. We will get a better world. We will get one that is righteous, because when Christ comes, he will cleanse the earth.” (Joseph Fielding Smith in CR, Apr. 1952, p. 28.)

(55-40) The World Is Kept from Destruction by the Righteous Saints

“Our world is now much the same as it was in the days of the Nephite prophet who said: ‘. . . if it were not for the prayers of the righteous . . . ye would even now be visited with utter destruction.’ (Al. 10:22.) Of course, there are many many upright and faithful who live all the commandments and whose lives and prayers keep the world from destruction.

We are living in the last days, and they are precarious and frightening. The shadows are deepening, and the night creeps in to envelop us.” (Spencer W. Kimball in CR, Apr. 1971, p. 7.)

WHAT CAN THIS MEAN TO YOU?

56
“BEHOLD, I COME QUICKLY; AND MY REWARD IS WITH ME”

THEME

The message of John’s vision is one of hope and glory for all who are faithful to the Savior.

INTERPRETIVE COMMENTARY

(56-1) Revelation 19:7–9. Who Are to Be Invited to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb?

“‘In this dispensation the Bridegroom, who is the Lamb of God, shall come to claim his bride, which is the Church composed of the faithful saints who have watched for his return. As he taught in the parable of the marriage of the king’s son, the great marriage supper of the Lamb shall then be celebrated.’ (Mormon Doctrine, 2nd ed., p. 469.) The elders of Israel are now issuing the invitations to the marriage supper of the Lord; those who believe and obey the gospel thereby accept the invitation and shall sit in due course with the King’s Son at the marriage feast.” (McConkie, DNTC, 5:563–64.)

(56-2) Revelation 19:10. “The Testimony of Jesus Is the Spirit of Prophecy”

“If any person should ask me if I were a prophet, I should not deny it, as that would give me the lie; for, according to John, the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy; therefore, if I profess to be a witness or teacher, and have not the spirit of prophecy, which is the testimony of Jesus, I must be a false witness; but if I be a true teacher and witness, I must possess the spirit of prophecy, and that constitutes a prophet; and any man who says he is a teacher or a preacher of righteousness, and denies the spirit of prophecy, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; and by this key false teachers and imposters may be detected.” (Smith, HC, 5:215–16.)

(56-3) Revelation 19:11–16. Why Did John See Jesus Riding on a White Horse?

Interestingly enough, just before his crucifixion, Christ made his triumphal entry into Jerusalem on a donkey (Matthew 21). Traditionally, riding into a city on a donkey signified that the rider came in peace. Who could imagine a conqueror riding to battle on a donkey? John’s vision of Christ’s second coming showed the Lord as riding on a white horse (Revelation 19:11–16). That does not mean that Christ will actually come riding on a horse, but seems to symbolize that his second coming will be that of the conqueror of all evil, as King of kings and Lord of lords.

(56-4) Revelation 19:13. “A Vesture Dipped in Blood”

It is a common misconception that Christ shall be clothed in white at his coming. Here and also in the Doctrine and Covenants it is clear that he shall be dressed in red apparel, symbolic of his taking upon himself the sins of the world and of coming in his judgment. (Read D&C 133:46, 48, 50, 51.)

(56-5) Revelation 19:21. “Slain with the Word” of God

The Inspired Version changes the word sword in this verse to word. This suggests that the wicked are condemned by the word of God (Hebrews 4:12, D&C 14:2). Men should learn to live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God, for his word is truth (D&C 84:44, 45).

(56-6) Revelation 20:2, 3. How Is Satan Bound?

“Many other scriptures refer to the thousand years of wonderful, glorious conditions on the earth, because Lucifer, Satan, the devil, will be bound.

“The scriptures say he will be ‘bound with a chain’ and ‘put into a bottomless pit.’ To me, these are symbolical terms. I cannot quite conceive of steel chains or pits that could hold Satan. The only power I know of that will bind Satan, or render him powerless, is righteous living.

“The war that started in heaven has not ended yet and shall not end until everyone has proved the extent of his ability to resist Satan. Even Jesus Christ had to bind Satan when he was tempted in the wilderness. Satan had no power over him, because Jesus resisted his temptations. Then the record says, ‘. . . he departed from him for a season.’ (Luke 4:13.)” (Eldred G. Smith in CR, Apr. 1970, p. 142; see also 1 Nephi 22:26.)

(56-7) Revelation 20:4. Who Is Meant in the Phrase “Judgment Was Given unto Them”?

“Under Christ, selected agents and representatives shall sit in judgment upon specified peoples and nations. Scriptural intimations indicate that there will be a great judicial hierarchy, each judge acting in his own sphere of appointment in conformity with the eternal principles of judgment which are in Christ. . . .

“Our Lord promised his 12 apostolic ministers in Jerusalem that when he came in glory, they also should ‘sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.’ (Matt. 19:28; Luke 22:30.) [Read D&C 29:12; 1 Nephi 12:9, 10; 3 Nephi 27:27; Mormon 3:19.]

“Nor is this principle of placing eternal judgment in the hands of the Lord’s agents, who have undergone the testing of mortality along with those who are to be judged, limited to the Jewish and Nephite Twelves. Paul said that the saints should judge both the world and angels (1 Cor. 6:2–3); and the faithful elders have this promise relative to those who reject their testimony, ‘Know this, that in the day of judgment you shall be judges of that house, and condemn them; And it shall be more tolerable for the heathen in the day of judgment, than for that house.’ (D. & C. 75:21–22; Matt. 10:14–15.) Daniel has left us the assurance that when the Ancient of Days sits in that great council at Adam-ondi-Ahman that then judgment will be given to the saints of the Most High. (Dan. 7:22.)” (McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, pp. 398–99.)

(56-8) Revelation 20:4–6. Are There Varying Times for the Resurrection?

Read D&C 88:96–102.

(56-9) Revelation 20:7–10. The Battle of Gog and Magog

John tells us clearly that after the Millennium Satan shall be loosed again, and one last great battle shall be fought between the forces of good and evil. Michael the archangel (who is Adam) shall gather the armies of God together to do battle with Satan and his armies, and Satan and his hosts shall be defeated and cast into their own place for the rest of eternity (D&C 88:110–16).

John calls the hosts who follow Satan, Gog and Magog. These terms cause some confusion, for they are also used to refer to the leader of the final battle before the Millennium begins, which is commonly called the battle of Armageddon. The terms themselves come from Ezekiel 38, 39, where the battle of Armageddon is described in some detail. Most scholars believe that Ezekiel chose these names as symbols of great military prowess and wickedness.

Joseph Fielding Smith clarifies the difference between the battle of Armageddon and the battle of Gog and Magog: “Before the coming of Christ, the great war, sometimes called Armageddon, will take place as spoken of by Ezekiel, chapters 38 and 39. Another war of Gog and Magog will be after the millennium.” (Doctrines of Salvation, 3:45.)

(56-10) Revelation 20:12. What Books Are to Be Used in the Judgment?

“We are informed that the books will be opened. One of these books will be the record of our lives as it is kept in heaven. Other books which will be opened are records which have been kept on earth. From the very organization of the Church the Lord has given instruction that records should be kept of the members of the Church.” (Smith, The Way to Perfection, p. 342.)

(56-11) Revelation 20:14. What Is the Lake of Fire?

“A man is his own tormentor and his own condemner. Hence the saying, They shall go into the lake that burns with fire and brimstone. The torment of disappointment in the mind of man is as exquisite as a lake burning with fire and brimstone. I say, so is the torment of man.” (Smith, HC, 6:314.)

(56-12) Revelation 21:1. “And I Saw a New Heaven and a New Earth”

“We discover from the word of the Lord that the earth, like mankind upon it, is passing through various stages of development, or change. It was created and pronounced good. It partook of the decree of mortality coming through the fall. It is now passing through the telestial condition, in which telestial beings predominate and rule. It will then pass into the ‘renewed,’ or restored state, for a thousand years as a terrestrial earth and the abode of terrestrial inhabitants. Then comes the end. The earth like all creatures living on it must die. Then it will, like all creatures, receive its resurrection and be celestialized because it obeys its law.” (Smith, Church History and Modern Revelation, 1:295.)

(56-13) Revelation 21:2, 3. The New Jerusalem

“To envision what is meant by this title, we must know these five facts:

“1. Ancient Jerusalem, the city of much of our Lord’s personal ministry among men, shall be rebuilt in the last days and become one of the two great world capitals, a millennial city from which the word of the Lord shall go forth.

“2. A New Jerusalem, a new Zion, a city of God shall be built on the American continent.

“3. Enoch’s city, the original Zion, ‘the City of Holiness, . . . was taken up into heaven.’ (Moses 7:13–21.)

“4. Enoch’s city, with its translated inhabitants now in their resurrected state, shall return, as a New Jerusalem, to join with the city of the same name which has been built upon the American continent.

“5. When this earth becomes a celestial sphere ‘that great city, the holy Jerusalem,’ shall again descend ‘out of heaven from God,’ as this earth becomes the abode of celestial beings forever. (Rev. 21:10–27.)” (McConkie, DNTC, 3:580–81.)

Read Moses 7:62–64.

“And now, I ask, how righteousness and truth are going to sweep the earth as with a flood? I will answer. Men and angels are to be co-workers in bringing to pass this great work, and Zion is to be prepared, even a new Jerusalem, for the elect that are to be gathered from the four quarters of the earth, and to be established an holy city, for the tabernacle of the Lord shall be with them. . . .

“I discover by this quotation, that John upon the isle of Patmos, saw the same things concerning the last days, which Enoch saw.” (Smith, Teachings, p. 84.)

(56-14) Revelation 21:8. What Is the Second Death?

“After the separation of the body and spirit, which is the natural death, the wicked and ungodly die a second death, a spiritual death, meaning they are cast out of the presence of the Lord and are dead as pertaining to the things of righteousness, which are the things of the Spirit. [Read D&C 63:17, 18.]

“But when those here designated have suffered for their own sins, after they have paid the utmost farthing in hell, after they have suffered ‘the wrath of Almighty God, until the fulness of times,’ they shall come forth in the second resurrection and receive their inheritance in the telestial kingdom. (D. & C. 76:103–106.) That is, the allotted period of their spiritual death shall cease; death and hell shall deliver up the dead which are in them; and all men, except the sons of perdition, shall receive their part in the kingdoms which are prepared. Thus these vessels of wrath are ‘the only ones on whom the second death shall have any power after the resurrection. (D. & C. 76:37.)” (McConkie, DNTC, 3:583–84.)

(56-15) Revelation 21:17. How Long Is a Cubit?

Cubit comes from the Latin cubitas, “the elbow,” and originally signified the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow. Though the cubit varied somewhat down through the ages, it was approximately a foot and a half. One hundred forty-four cubits would be about 216 feet. The significance of the number may be symbolical, however. Twelve is associated throughout with the holy city, and 144 is twelve squared.

(56-16) Revelation 22:1. The River and Tree of Life

Read 1 Nephi, chapters 8 and 11.

(56-17) Revelation 22:7. “I Come Quickly”

“Not soon, but in a quick manner; that is, with speed and suddenness after all of the promised conditions precedent have occurred. ‘I am Jesus Christ, who cometh quickly, in an hour you think not.’ (D. & C. 51:10.)” (McConkie, DNTC, 3:590.)

(56-18) Revelation 22:9. “For I Am Thy Fellowservant”

“We are told by the Prophet Joseph Smith, that ‘there are no angels who minister to this earth but those who do belong or have belonged to it.’ Hence, when messengers are sent to minister to the inhabitants of this earth, they are not strangers, but from the ranks of our kindred, friends, and fellow-beings and fellow-servants.” (Smith, Gospel Doctrine, pp. 435–36.)

(56-19) Revelation 22:18, 19. Do Modern Revelations “Add unto These Things”?

“Of course, a careful reading of this text shows very clearly that John the Revelator was speaking only of the book of Revelation and not of any collection of other sacred writings. Moses used a similar expression in speaking to ancient Israel when he said: ‘Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, . . .’ This is found in the fourth chapter of the book of Deuteronomy (verse 2). In the 12th chapter of the same book Moses said this: ‘What things soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.’ (Verse 32.)

“Can anyone suppose that in these words Moses laid down a prohibition against all subsequent revelations and against all books which might be called scripture in years to come? Did he have the power to silence all future prophets and forbid them to speak or write as God intended that they should? Of course not, or we would be without most of the Old Testament and would have none of the New Testament at all.

“It was the same with John the Revelator. In warning against additions to the book of Revelation he spoke of that book only, insisting that no one attempt to change or corrupt what he had said. The Bible was not compiled when John wrote the book of Revelation, so he could not possibly have referred to it.

“Furthermore, scholars tell us that the Gospel of John was written after the book of Revelation, and if this be true it becomes another indication that John had no thought of precluding other writings but only of protecting this particular book of Revelation from change or corruption.” (Mark E. Petersen in CR, Oct. 1964, p. 121.)

POINTS TO PONDER

JOHN HAD A LIVELY HOPE OF ETERNAL LIFE, AND SO MUST ALL OF US

(56-20) Saints Should Be Optimists

“Yet, of all people, we as Latter-day Saints should be the most optimistic and the least pessimistic. For while we know that ‘peace shall be taken from the earth, and the devil shall have power over his own dominion,’ we are also assured that ‘the Lord shall have power over his saints, and shall reign in their midst.’ (D&C 1:35–36.)” (Ezra Taft Benson in CR, Oct. 1974, p. 90.)

(56-21) Our Hope Is Anchored in Christ

The prophets of God, and especially the “seers” who have seen as God sees from the beginning to the end (Ether 4:7), are substantial optimists because their hope is sure. They are given a “knowledge of things as they are, . . . were, and . . . are to come.” (D&C 93:24.) As a matter of fact, our Articles of Faith state that “we hope all things.” (Thirteenth Article of Faith.)

Of course, that hope is anchored in Christ, his gospel and our obedience thereto.

No one can read these concluding chapters of Revelation without sensing the great joy and hope that was felt by John as he wrote. And yet consider the circumstances that were then current. John himself was in exile. Most, if not all, of his fellow apostles had suffered martyrs’ deaths, and the church was on the eve of one of the greatest apostasies of all history. And yet this magnificent message of hope goes to the beleaguered seven churches and to all of us. One can only imagine the comfort the revelation must have given to those struggling saints standing at the eve of their dispensation. What effect does it have on you who live in the greatest of all dispensations: the dispensation of the fulness of times? Though your time is certainly more hopeful, you see in the reality of your life what John saw in vision: the culmination of the struggle between the dragon, even that old serpent the devil (Revelation 20:2), and the Christ, on whose side you fought before the foundation of the world. You surely can take renewed hope from the Beloved John, who, having seen our day and beyond, was so ultimately hopeful and even sure of the righteous triumph of our God and of His Christ.

(56-22) Hope—the Great Incentive to Repentance

“Hope is indeed the great incentive to repentance, for without it no one would make the difficult, extended effort required—especially when the sin is a major one. Scriptures breathe hope into the soul of the convinced sinner.

“‘. . . he said unto him that the Lord surely should come to redeem his people, but that he should not come to redeem them in their sins, but to redeem them from their sins.

“‘And he hath power given unto him from the Father to redeem them from their sins because of repentance, . . .’ (Hel. 5:10–11.)” (Spencer W. Kimball, Church News, 2 Jan. 1971, p. 14.)

(56-23) Hope unto Salvation

“As used in the revelations, hope is the desire of faithful people to gain eternal salvation in the kingdom of God hereafter. It is not a flimsy, ethereal desire, one without assurance that the desired consummation will be received, but a desire coupled with full expectation of receiving the coveted reward.” (McConkie, Mormon Doctrine, p. 365.)

SOME FACTORS ROB US OF THE HOPE THAT SAVES

AND WHAT IS IT THAT WE SHOULD HOPE FOR?

(56-24) SUMMARY

You have come to the end of this manual. May it be that your study has strengthened and blessed your life. Hopefully, you will return again and again to the words of life as found in all scripture, ancient and modern, for as the Prophet Joseph Smith said:

“This is good doctrine. It tastes good. I can taste the principle of eternal life, and so can you. . . . I know that when I tell you these words of eternal life . . . you taste them, and I know that you believe them. You say honey is sweet, and so do I. I can also taste the spirit of eternal life. I know it is good . . . and rejoice more and more.” (Teachings, p. 355.)