Thursday, May 20, 2010

Christ in the Begats

We often joke sarcastically about having a difficult time reading the Old Testament because of all the genealogy and "Begat" verses. I was watching a YouTube video that other day that explained a wonderful hidden message and prophecy about the coming of Christ and His mission. It turns out that the Begats are not so boring after all. Genesis lists the genealogy of Noah this way:

Adam = man
Seth = appointed, placed, set
Enosh = mortal, human
Kenan = sorrow, low, humble
Mahalalel = blessed God, praise of god
Jared = descent, shall come down, descending
Enoch = dedicated, teaching
Methuselah = his death shall bring
Lamech = despairing
Noah = comfort, rest

Man (is) appointed mortal sorrow; (but) the Blessed God shall come down teaching (that) His death shall bring (the) despairing rest."

Sunday, May 16, 2010

One Interpretation of the 7 Trumpets

The following is not LDS Doctrine. I just thought it was interesting. I was watching some YouTube videos and I was fascinated at an amazing interpretation of the 7 trumpets in the Book of Revelation in the Bible. While these scriptures likely also apply to the Last Days, this particular evangelical Christian was explaining how the 7 trumpets could be giving specific details about the fall of the Roman Empire.

1st Trumpet- Rev 8:6-7 And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound. The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.

The first trumpet or Judgment upon the Roman Empire prophecies hail or war (Job 38:22-23). Hail is used as a symbol of war earlier in the Bible. The first group to attack and overrun the Roman Empire are the Goths. The result of the Goths is that Rome withdrew their armies from Germany and Great Britain allowing the Anglo-Saxons to conquer it.

2nd Trumpet- Rev 8:8-9 And the second angel sounded, and as it were great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.

The second trumpet or judgment upon the Roman Empire tells of the 2nd group to attack the Roman Empire. The Vandals came from the seas to attack the Roman Empire. The Vandals used naval power to conquer Northern Africa, many Mediterranean island nations, and even ransacked and "vandalized" Rome. Vandals were Germanic but they staged most of their successful naval attacks on Rome from Carthage after taking North Africa

3rd Trumpet- Rev 8:10-11 And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.

The third trumpet tells of Atilla the Hun and Barbarians coming from Mongolia to attack the Roman Empire. Atilla the Hun split up the Goths into the Visigoths in Spain and the Ostrogoths in Germany. Atilla conquest followed the rivers and while he avoided Rome and Constantinople, His empire reached as far as Gaul or modern day France. Waters refer to peoples and tribes (Isa 48:1, Rev 17:15). Atilla extorted money from the Roman Empire for peace.

4th Trumpet- Rev 8:12 And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.

The Western portion of the Roman Empire fell when the last Emperor Romulus Augustus was removed by federated Germanic troops led by Odoacer from within the Roman army rather than by foreign troops. The Roman Empire had been increasingly populated and governed by Germanic peoples long before. The Western Roman Empire never was a cohesive whole ever again and was broken up into tribes comprised by Franks, Goths, and Huns. The Book of Mormon and others warning voices (Alex Jones and Knights of Malta) have been warning that Mexicans and/or UN troops have been allowed into the United States and may be used by FEMA to impose martial law resulting in the fracturing of America in the same way Germans were used to fracture Rome.

4th Trumpet- Rev 9:3 And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. And in those days shall men seek death and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them. And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months. And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon.

Locusts refers to the rise of the Arabs and Islam out of North Africa. The Arab conquest first took North Africa (1/3 part of the Empire). The Arabs had hair like women (long hair on top) but faces like men (long beards). They wore golden crowns or turbans, they used Arabian horse calvary, used iron chain mail, and were first to use gunpowder and artillery cannon decorated with a mouth of a lion and lit with by the fuse in the tail. The Arabs did not slash and burn cities in their conquest and gave Christians the choice of freedom if they converted to Islam or slavery if they remained Christian. Christian wives were sent to harems and children were raised in Islam. John makes it clear that the religion of Islam is of Satanic origin.

Rev 9:13-14 And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound ain the great river Euphrates. And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them. And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone. By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt. And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.

The new Islamic capital or Caliphate shifted to Iraq and incorporated the Turks. Turks wore uniforms of red, blue, and yellow. Turkish armies are organized in units of 10,000. The Arabs finally destroyed Constantinople in 1453 and the last third of Eastern Roman Empire only after the Eastern Orthodox Church went back to worshiping icons after the iconoclast period. Emperor Irene called for the 2nd Ecumenical Council of Nicea and re-introduced Babylonian and pagan worship in Eastern Orthodox religion. The Turks were the first to use gun powder and artillary cannon that were decorated with lion heads and were lit with a fuse in the end or tail. Turks continued on conquering Bulgaria, Hungary, and Romania and Serbia but stopped in Catholic Vienna. Islam extended in Spain until turned back by the Catholic Franks and had an agreement to not go against Rome. After the fall of Constantinople fell, learned men with their scriptures and other texts were scattered all throughout Europe triggering the Renaissances and Reformation.

Rev 11:7 But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets. And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

The last and 7th Trumpet involves the pouring out the 7 vials of God's wrath against Rome itself. While the trumpets involved the tribulation by Rome upon the evangelical Christians and Sephardic Jews, the 7 vials of wrath involve judgments upon those that initially inflicted the tribulation. According to the video, some of the vials had to do with the French Revolution and Reign of Terror after France persecuted and massacred the Huguenots. Comparatively, the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple by Rome and Titus could be a type of the Tribulation while the volcano (Vesuvius) which destroyed Pompeii and Herculaneum, fire, plague, drought and then an early death would represent the judgments and wrath of God upon Titus.

Lesson of the Forbidden Fruit

Recently, I was pondering about the lesson of Adam and Eve and I realized a few the important lessons for our day in the story. Scripture teaches us that "the glory of God is intelligence or in other words light and truth." We know from scripture that Omnipotence is one of the supreme characteristics of God and we are also taught in scripture that perfect knowledge is both a promise and requirement of Eternal Life. Joseph Smith taught that "man cannot be saved in ignorance" and that "A man is saved no faster than he gets knowledge". Jesus Christ promised that "the truth would make us free." Therefore, the quest for true knowledge must be a major focus of any true disciple of Jesus Christ.

When Adam and Eve are tempted to Eat the forbidden fruit, Adam and Eve did not yet know good from evil. Knowing this, the serpent mocks their ignorance and then promises them greater knowledge if they would follow him and partake of the forbidden fruit. I am sure Adam and Eve felt very insecure and self-conscious about their ignorance. But instead of seeking knowledge as Nephi did by inquiring of the Lord, Adam and Eve made the mistake of going to the wrong source for greater knowledge. In the Book of Mormon, after Lehi told his family about the Vision of the Tree of Life, Laman and Lemuel sought to understand the vision by contending and debating the issues. In contrast, Nephi who was also shown the same vision, simply asked his brethren "Have ye inquired of the Lord?"

After Adam and Eve partook of the fruit, Satan encouraged them to attempt to hide what they have done from God. I would define a secret combination as the vain attempt to commit sin in secret. Therefore, in a way, this first transgression could also be seen as the first secret combination. In fact, God tells us in the Book of Mormon that God has forbidden us from entering into secret combinations from the beginning of man. Isaiah prophecies that in the Last Days there would be many secret combinations. Isaiah says that men involved in secret sin would ask, "Who seeth us and who knoweth us?" Instead of trying to hide our sins from God, God commands us that we bring them to light and confess them and forsake them.

Ether 8:19 For the Lord worketh not in secret combinations, neither doth he will that man should shed blood, but in all things hath forbidden it, from the beginning of man.

Now, there is much more we can learn from the first sin. Another lesson focuses on Eve. Like Eve, most of us don't go around seeking to sin and hide it from God who we know knows and sees all things. However, the serpent is very crafty in fooling or beguiling Eve. Satan explains to Eve that God knows all things and to be like God, she too needs to know sin in order to be like God. While the dilemma is a real one, the solution was a suttle trap to get Adam Eve to partake of the tree of the fruit of knowledge of good and evil and then go ahead and partake of the tree of life and "live forever in their sins." Eve wasn't "awake" to the possibility that Satan could have ulterior and evil intentions. To her, I'm sure she was very trusting and naive and while her decision to partake of the fruit was based on good intentions, Eve failed to recognize and understand that Satan was evil and had only evil intentions.

Today, we need to be "awake" to the reality of evil and conspiring men in the Last Days. One of Satan's biggest tools is to identify real social problems and instead of providing real solutions, many secret societies solutions end up making things much worse. I suppose this continual attempt to address real or created social problems could be likened to Satan telling Adam and Eve to cover their nakedness with fig leaves. Today, many secret organizations who may not have the best intentions often seek to shroud their sins behind the facade of philanthropy.

Again, In addition to being "awake" to the reality of conspiring men in the Last Days, I think another of many important lessons of the forbidden fruit is that we must take care who we follow. Not everyone claiming to offer truth is deserving of our allegiance. One way to differentiate good vs. evil is to determine, despite the many good things a group claims to do for society, whether they use those activities to justify and cover up other sins.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

The Lesson from the Tower of Babel.

The Bible tells an interesting story of the people after the Flood in Babylon. After God had reestablished his covenant with Noah, it didn't take the people long to back-slide into apostasy and sin. Most people think that the story of the Tower of Babel is all about the people building the tower to get to heaven. The tower itself was not really the problem.

The real problem with the situation surrounding the tower of Babel is that God said that people were one, and had one language and their religion, politics, and economy was dominated by evil. Therefore, the answer to this problem was for God to confound the languages and divide up the people to prevent Satan and his evil government from having total control of the people.

From the Book of Mormon we learn that if Christ could be our King, it would be good to have a King, but since we cannot guarantee that a righteous man could always be our king, the Bible and the Book of Mormon warn us that all political, and economic power needs to be divided and delegated locally and at the individual level. This is the great principal upon which the Constitution of the United States is based. The Constitution only permits the Federal Government those rights expressly enumerated. All other rights remain with the States and with the individuals and can be taken back at any time.

Therefore, when it come to solving our political and social problems, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the answer. And the Gospel of Christ in the Bible reminds us that that in our current fallen state, "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely". Therefore the answer to corrupt Big Business and Big Banks is not Bigger Government. The answer to the corruption is to do what God did to the people at the Tower of Babel and do what the US Constitution provides which is to break the consolidation of power up.

Gen 1:1, 6-8 And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. . . And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech. So the Lord scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.

Saturday, May 01, 2010

Bible Pattern

The Bible presents an interesting pattern of prophets and apostasy. First we see God establishing His covenant with Adam who is the first man and the first prophet. Things go good for a while but before too long the people of the Earth fall away from the truth and turn to evil. The flood wipes out humanity and only Noah and his family are spared. God then re-established his covenant with Noah who becomes a new dispensation leader and prophet. Things go good again for a while but before long, the people again backslide at the time of the Tower of Babel. Then we read about Abraham who is born in Ur and recognizes that he is born into an apostate and idolatrous culture. God calls Abraham as a prophet and a dispensation leader. Again, things go well for a while for Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Ephraim until the House of Israel falls away yet again and falls into slavery. Then God called Moses who led Israel out of Egypt. The House of Israel is faithful for a while until they eventually fall away from the truth and are conquered by Assyria, then Babylon, and then finally Rome. Then God sends His Son Jesus Christ. The Jews had turned from the truth to such an extent most didn't recognize their own God that they were to be worshiping for the past 1000 years.

Jesus Christ established his church with 12 Apostles, Seventies, Bishops, Elders, and Deacons. But just as the Bible pattern describes, Paul told us in 2 Thessalonians, that Christ would not come again until there would be yet another falling away and apostasy. And Peter in Acts 2 tells us that the heavens would receive until the time of refreshing and "restitution of all things which has been spoken of by the mouth of all the holy prophets since the world began."

Just as all the holy prophets have prophesied and as the Bible has foretold and foreshadowed, the physical Church of Jesus Christ fell into apostasy and the priesthood authority and keys were lost from the Earth for a time leading into the Dark Ages. Then just as all the prophets have prophesied, the Lord God again, for the last time, in this the Dispensation of the Fullness of Times has called a prophet, restored his church, restored the keys of His Holy Priesthood, restored the temple, restored the exact doctrines of His gospel and re-established his covenant with man.

The prophet of this last and final dispensation before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and His Millennial Reign on the Earth is Joseph Smith. God called Joseph Smith in the same way that all prophets have been called. Joseph Smith didn't attend any divinity school, he didn't earn any degree in New Testament and Early Christian Studies. Joseph Smith wasn't a Pharisee or Sadducee. But God revealed himself to Joseph Smith and authorized him to bring to light additional scripture including the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price, and empowered Joseph Smith to restore the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints which is organized just as Christ's original Church with 12 Apostles, Seventies, Bishops (Eklectikos), Elders (Presbyters), and Deacons (Diaconos).


Dispensations and Apostasy
Adam ----------------> Flood
Noah ----------------> Drought, Tower of Babel
Abraham -------------> Slavery in Egypt
Moses ---------------> Military Conquest (Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome)
Jesus Christ --------> Dark Ages, Plague
Joseph Smith --------> Tribulation, Dispensation of the Fullness of Times