What Cometh Before The Second Coming?

[Josie]

Ray,

I believe that God reveals to us what we are ready to receive. He has made it very clear that there is still much to be revealed when the world is ready for it. We know that part of the Book of Mormon was sealed and even Joseph Smith was not able to see it. We have been told that there is still much to be revealed yet. The more we study and are obedient to what he has given us, the more he will open to us. He is constantly revealing new revelation through his current prophet, and he can reveal what is important or pertinent to our personal selves to us as we are ready.

Ben,

I do agree with what you said.

[prisonchaplain]

PC,

As you know, we accept the King James version only as our scripture, and we do take that scripture literally. We believe that between the time he saw Mary alone in that scripture and when he was later allowing people to touch him, he had ascended to his Father and then returned.

I understand the LDS use of the KJV, and tend to use it here for that reason. On the other hand, the KJV is written in 400-year old English, and there are times when Greek and Hebrew scholars may enlighten us as to the meanings of certain phrases that read unclearly, at first glance. My use of the NIV, and of a scholar's commentary, was not to contradict the KJV, but to explain it. When Jesus said not to touch him, the Old English wording in today's English would be "stop clinging to me." And again, in the Matthew passage the other woman grabs hold of Jesus' feet to worship him, and he receives it. So clearly "do not touch" would not mean "don't lay a finger on me because my body is not yet prepared."

Remember, they just went back to doing whatever they had done before when he was killed. They did not know what to do with him gone, because their understanding was so weak, and they went back to their fishing boats, or whatever they had done before. If Christ had not returned and taught them all his work would have been lost and for naught. Christ had to help them understand what all his teaching had led up to and their duties.

It's true that they were traumatized. But again, in the minds of the disciples, Jesus had risen from the dead, not returned from heaven.

[mom_of_jcchlsm]

PC,

You might take a look at:

http://www.whyprophets.com/prophets/rapture.htm

I don't like the in-your-face way it's written, but it does show clearly the differences between LDS and Protestant views of the Second Coming with scriptures quoted (including referencing various versions of the scriptures)

[Guest Unorthodox]

Prophecy from Monty Python's Life of Brian:</span>

<div class=\'quotetop\'>QUOTE</div><div class=\'quotemain\'><span style="color:#FF0000">

BLOOD & THUNDER PROPHET: ...And the bezan shall be huge and black, and the eyes thereof red with the blood of living creatures, and the whore of Babylon shall ride forth on a three-headed serpent, and throughout the lands, there'll be a great rubbing of parts. Yeeah...

FALSE PROPHET: ...For the demon shall bear a nine-bladed sword. Nine-bladed! Not two or five or seven, but nine, which he will wield on all wretched sinners, sinners just like you, sir, there, and the horns shall be on the head, with which he will...

BORING PROPHET: ...Obadiah, his servants. There shall, in that time, be rumours of things going astray, erm, and there shall be a great confusion as to where things really are, and nobody will really know where lieth those little things wi-- with the sort of raffia work base that has an attachment. At this time, a friend shall lose his friend's hammer and the young shall not know where lieth the things possessed by their fathers that their fathers put there only just the night before, about eight o'clock. Yea, it is written in the book of Cyril that, in that time, shall the third one...

Personally, I believe the boring prophet.

[prisonchaplain]

http://www.whyprophets.com/prophets/rapture.htm

I don't like the in-your-face way it's written, but it does show clearly the differences between LDS and Protestant views of the Second Coming with scriptures quoted (including referencing various versions of the scriptures)

Oh well...it sounded fundamentalist Baptist in tone to me.

The most controversial point of the article, from a Protestant viewpoint is that the 1260 day period mentioned in Revelation should be interpreted as years, and then applied to an Age of Apostasy. I'm fairly certain that this reading is unique to Mormonism. It only makes sense if one presupposes the authenticity of Joseph Smith's revelations.

1. While Revelation 1-3 primarily refers to John's present time, and 4-5 are in the heavenly realm, for the most part, chapters 6 and on deal primarily with future events leading to the end times. Most of those descriptions seem to happen in relatively short periods of time. To wrest the 1260 period, and interpret it as years--and suggest that it ended in 1830--and that we are still here waiting some 176 years later, would be quite a stretch if one only relies on the Holy Bible.

[Guest Syble]

<div class='quotemain'>

I am not sure that it is important to our salvation to know the reason for all things at this point in our progression. I do believe there was a reason that Christ could not be touched at that time, before his ascension and I am satisfied with that. I am sure he had good reason to ask that Mary not touch him at that particular time. I do not think that his relationship or feelings for Mary had anything to do with it.

But, this is not scripture, my own thoughts only, and I leave it there. When it is time we will know the truth of all things.

What can you imagine that would hold you back from knowing everything there is to know now?

Or in other words, do you believe our Lord needs to reveal all things to the whole world before He can reveal all things to you?

And btw, I know that our Lord reveals all things about the Church to our Prophet, but there are a lot of other things to know too.

Going to the scriptures in D&C 93 we find:

26 The Spirit of truth is of God. I am the Spirit of truth, and John

bore record of me, saying: He received a fulness of truth, yea, even of all truth;

27 And no man receiveth a fulness unless he keepeth his commandments.

28 He that keepeth his commandments receiveth truth and light, until he is glorified in truth and knoweth all things.

[Guest MrsS]

<snip> Jesus said He will come "like a thief in the night." He will come "in the twinkling of an eye." He will come when people do not expect him.

I searched the scriptures and I can not find where Jesus says He will come in a twinkling of an eye. What I found is this:

1. 1 Cor. 15: 52

52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

2. 3 Ne. 28: 8

8 And ye shall never endure the pains of death; but when I shall come in my glory ye shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye from mortality to immortality; and then shall ye be blessed in the kingdom of my Father.

3. D&C 43: 32

32 And he that liveth in righteousness shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye, and the earth shall pass away so as by fire.

4. D&C 63: 51

51 Wherefore, children shall grow up until they become old; old men shall die; but they shall not sleep in the dust, but they shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye.

5. D&C 101: 31

31 And when he dies he shall not sleep, that is to say in the earth, but shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye, and shall be caught up, and his rest shall be glorious.

This is what I found when I searched: thief in the night:

1. <strike>Job 24: 14

14 The murderer rising with the light killeth the poor and needy, and in the night is as a thief.</strike>

2. 1 Thes. 5: 2

2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.

3. 2 Pet. 3: 10

10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

4. D&C 45: 19

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.

5. D&C 106: 4

4 And again, verily I say unto you, the coming of the Lord draweth nigh, and it overtaketh the world as a thief in the night—

And I can not find Rapture at all.

1. Postmillenialism (mainstream Protestantism, and perhaps Catholicism--not sure on the RCC): It is the responsiblity of the church to build the kingdom of God on earth. Through education, enlightened politics, increasingly successful moral and ethical influence, the world would become so glorious that Christ would return in triumph, with congratulations to his Church for a job well done.

That doesn't conform with LDS really. If Christ is waiting for that to happen ~ there will never be a second coming. I was trying to find something from the teachings of our LDS leaders and/or the scriptures to explain why I feel this is not what the LDS believe. Can't find it quickly. This is from me: We are to live our lives according to the commandments and the revealed teachings. We are to be Christ like in all that we do. We are to hold true to our covenants that we made at our baptisms and in the Temple. When Christ comes again, is entirely up to Christ. We have been told of some of what will precede His coming; but I believe that there is more that has not yet been revealed to us. I also believe that things in the world are going to get much, much worse before Christ comes. Worse than what is happening now, worse than Sodom and Gomorrah. (which has only been inferred as bad yet we have not been told the real horror of it)

[Guest MrsS]

Argh! I didn't read PrisonChaplain post real good. YES He did say He will come like a theif in the night. The scriptures support that. BUT not that Jesus will come in the twinkling of an eye. The twinkling of an eye is in reference to the translated beings. i.e. The City of Enoch. At the Second Coming of Christ for them to be resurrected they must first be dead, they will taste of mortal death in a "twinkling of an eye".

[prisonchaplain]

Argh! I didn't read PrisonChaplain post real good. YES He did say He will come like a theif in the night. The scriptures support that. BUT not that Jesus will come in the twinkling of an eye. The twinkling of an eye is in reference to the translated beings. i.e. The City of Enoch. At the Second Coming of Christ for them to be resurrected they must first be dead, they will taste of mortal death in a "twinkling of an eye".

First, thank you for your work on this. I'm responding to this post, because you express the essence here quite nicely. Your two points:

1. Jesus will come as a thief in the night. What this means for us is that we must be alert, be ready, for Christ could return at any time, without warning. Many will be caught unprepared. There will be at least some who name the name of Jesus, but who are not ready, and will not be taken up to be with Jesus. The key teaching here is the IMMINENCE or urgency and nearness of Christ's return. To suggest that many things must happen before Christ can return, or that things must get much worse, could cause some to let down their guard, and be unprepared.

2. Jesus did not say he would return in the twinkling of an eye. Well, you technically got me here. It was Paul, and he was referring not to Christ's return, but to the resurrection of our bodies at Christ's second coming. The resurrection of the body shall also come quite suddenly.

Bottom-line: You might be right MrsS. Things might get worse, and there may be events to come before Christ returns. However, it would be foolish for anyone to count on having time. We have no guarantees. Best to grab ahold of salvation, righteousness, and obedience to the will of God today.

[Guest MrsS]

One of the reasons I feel that the Second Coming won't be for at least 50 perhaps 100 years, is because we have been told that Christ won't come until His Temples cover the face of the earth. We now have 122 Temples in operation and more that are being built or going to be built.

In my search for documentation on the temples I found this:

http://library.lds.org/nxt/gateway.dll?f=t...;fn=default.htm (I don't know if this link will work. If not got to lds.org, click on Gospel Library, click on Church Publications HTML, click on the + next to Magazines, click on the + next to Ensign, Click on the + next to 2004; Click on the +next to May; then find the story titled below)

<snip> Dallin H. Oaks, “Preparation for the Second Coming,” Ensign, May 2004, 7 Biblical and modern prophecies give many signs of the Second Coming. These include:

1. The fulness of the gospel restored and preached in all the world for a witness to all nations.

2. False Christs and false prophets, deceiving many.

3. Wars and rumors of wars, with nation rising against nation.

4. Earthquakes in divers places.

5. Famine and pestilence.

6. An overflowing scourge, a desolating sickness covering the land.

7. Iniquity abounding.

8. The whole earth in commotion.

9. Men’s hearts failing them.

(See Matt. 24:5–15; JS—M 1:22, 28–32; D&C 45:26–33.) <snip>

There is this also about the parable of the 10 virgins:

A parable that contains an important and challenging teaching on this subject is the parable of the ten virgins. Of this parable, the Lord said, “And at that day, when I shall come in my glory, shall the parable be fulfilled which I spake concerning the ten virgins” (D&C 45:56).

Given in the 25th chapter of Matthew, this parable contrasts the circumstances of the five foolish and the five wise virgins. All ten were invited to the wedding feast, but only half of them were prepared with oil in their lamps when the bridegroom came. The five who were prepared went into the marriage feast, and the door was shut. The five who had delayed their preparations came late. The door had been closed, and the Lord denied them entrance, saying, “I know you not” (Matt. 25:12). “Watch therefore,” the Savior concluded, “for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh” (Matt. 25:13).

The arithmetic of this parable is chilling. The ten virgins obviously represent members of Christ’s Church, for all were invited to the wedding feast and all knew what was required to be admitted when the bridegroom came. But only half were ready when he came.

Modern revelation contains this teaching, spoken by the Lord to the early leaders of the Church:

“And after your testimony cometh wrath and indignation upon the people.

“For after your testimony cometh the testimony of earthquakes. …

“And … the testimony of the voice of thunderings, and the voice of lightnings, and the voice of tempests, and the voice of the waves of the sea heaving themselves beyond their bounds.

“And all things shall be in commotion; and surely, men’s hearts shall fail them; for fear shall come upon all people.

“And angels shall fly through the midst of heaven, crying with a loud voice, sounding the trump of God, saying: Prepare ye, prepare ye, O inhabitants of the earth; for the judgment of our God is come. Behold, and lo, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him” (D&C 88:88–92).

It is a wonderful article.