2000-1-19 12:00:00
Few are aware that Christ in his day made an attempt to literally commence a literal gathering of Israel. However, little is written of this attempt because of his lack of success. As he was teaching Jesus said: "He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth." Luke 11:23
Near the end of his life Jesus exclaimed: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, HOW OFTEN WOULD I HAVE GATHERED THY CHILDREN TOGETHER, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate." Matthew 23:37-38
The word "Gathered" here comes from the Greek EPISUNAGO which literally means "to collect in one location" and is usually translated as "gathered together" in the King James. A more correct rendering of the above scripture would be: "How often I would have gathered into one place thy children, even as a hen gathers into one place her chickens under her wings."
Even though the people did not respond in his day Jesus prophesied of success in a day to come: "And he shall send his angels (From the Greek AGGELOS which means "messenger") with the sound of a trumpet, (Great power of speech), and they shall gather together (gather into one place) his elect (Israel) from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." Matthew 24:31
Contrary to popular belief, however, this gathering place was not to be in ancient Israel, and the gathering together of the modern Jews is not the fulfillment of this prophecy. Because the Jewish people were not malleable enough for the creation of the Kingdom of God Jesus told them: "The Kingdom of God shall be TAKEN FROM YOU, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof." Matthew 21:43
Because the Jews did not hearken to the gathering message as taught by Christ their house was left unto them "desolate" as he had prophesied and the responsibility of the Kingdom of God was "taken" from them. How can the Christ work through a people that does not accept him?
The responsibility for the kingdom was then shifted to the Christians. In fact Peter expressed his hope for a successful gathering when he called them "an holy nation". I Peter 2:9 Such a nation though never materialized, but sincere Christians in past ages struggled for hundreds of years to found the kingdom of God on the earth.
At one time it looked as if England was going to be that other nation to "bring forth the fruits thereof". [Matthew 21:43 ] For several centuries the highest form of Christianity on the earth struggled there until the days of King Arthur and Merlin when the Kingdom of God came close to materializing. Much that is written about those days is fable, but there is also much that is true of which we know nothing, and also truth which is veiled in symbols.
All have heard about the magic sword that Arthur was supposed to have pulled from a stone. The stone was a symbol of "the stone which the builders rejected" [Matthew 21:42] or the Christ. The sword called Excalibur, was a symbol of the commission given to King Arthur, or the "keys of the Kingdom" [Matthew 16:19] It also symbolized the sword wielded by Christ in Revelation 19:15 "that with it he should smite the nations".
The initiate Merlin made the "round table" where there was no head and no foot so that all the knights and even the King were equal. None in the kingdom was to think himself better than his brother. There was a council of fifty Knights that ruled the kingdom, similar to the "council of fifty" organized by Joseph Smith just before his death.
The Knights were famous for rescuing women in distress, but the true woman they were attempting to save was the Kingdom of God.
It was during this period that King Arthur sent the Knights in search for the Holy Grail. This was said to have been the cup used by the Christ in the last supper brought to England by Joseph of Arimathea. It was said to possess the magical power to supply food and drink without ever being filled by human hands. It was also considered a source of healing and life.
The Holy Grail in the legend symbolizes the "fruits" of the Kingdom of God that they were searching for and attempting to produce at that time. It is also a symbol of the presence of Christ, for when the Kingdom is established the Master will appear. Legend has it that only one or possibly several knights were worthy to see the grail indicating that most knights, valiant as they were, were not prepared for their Master.
Near the end of Arthur's life he gave his sword, Excalibur, to Sir Bedivere and told him to throw it into a nearby lake. Bedivere was reluctant to obey, but finally gave into Arthur's demand and heaved it into the water. It was said to have been caught by the hand of the Lady of the Lake. The hand waved the sword three times and then disappeared under the water. The hand symbolizes the rightful owner of the sword, The Christ, and the fact that he waved the sword three times is symbolic of the three time periods when the sword was to be wielded. The first time was in the Jewish kingdom from the days of Moses. The second was from the days of Christ to King Arthur, and the third wave was an indication of a future time.
The legends tell us that another Merlin and King Arthur will arise with another Excalibur and blaze the trail of glory peace and prosperity. How much of the above legends are actually true is inconsequential here. What is important is that they represent symbols which portray real truth. After Excalibur was lost then was fulfilled the scripture which says: "And the woman (The Kingdom of God) fled into the wilderness, where a thousand two hundred and threescore days." Revelation 12:6
Days in prophecy often mean years. Thus we have a period of 1260 years when no effort was being made to establish the kingdom on the earth, but the kingdom was fed in the wilderness. In other words, those who were to have the responsibility to bear off the kingdom incarnated in the wilderness of the Dark Ages and were strengthened through tribulation, or they were sent to the remote parts of the earth such as Tibet or the Americas for rest and preparation.
Finally, some of the greatest Israelites incarnated in America and established the Republic and promulgated the Constitution and Bill of Rights.
Then the field was right for Excalibur to return and 1260 years after it was taken by Christ it was given to Joseph Smith, the controversial American Prophet. He was shown an ancient sword - called the sword of Laban. This was not the actual sword of King Arthur, but a symbol of it. In 1830 Joseph established the seed of the Kingdom of God, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
Joseph was told in a revelation to "take the sword of my Spirit which I shall pour out upon you". (D&C 27:18) This is the true sword of Excalibur which is given out from time to time. Excalibur also consists of certain keys which are revealed through a Master. Joseph once said: "The Keys are certain signs and words by which false spirits and personages may be detected from true, which cannot be revealed to the Elders till the (Nauvoo) temple is completed...There are signs in heaven, earth and hell; the Elders must know them all, to be endowed with power, to finish their work and prevent imposition." Documentary History of the Church Vol 4:608 He also said that he planned "to organize the Church in its proper order as soon as the temple was completed." DHC 4:604. Since he was killed BEFORE the temple spoken of was completed it seems logical to assume that the church was not yet in order when he died, and there were certain keys and symbols he did not impart. It was important to him to set the church in order before he died and then teach the people how to recognize true servants of God.
As he was in jail awaiting martyrdom he made the statement: "I would to God that I could preach to the Saints in Nauvoo once more." DHC 6:601. Before he was arrested he made every effort to make that a reality, but failed. He was so anxious to speak one more time he suggested that he speak by starlight, but it was not to be. This would have been his most important message to his people for he was going to outline certain things that needed to be set right and to teach them how to recognize a false leader from a true. He also wanted to outline certain directions the church was to take.
Joseph was especially concerned about those who would lead the Church after he died. Concerning a potential candidate, Sidney Rigdon, he said "Were he to preside he would lead the Church to destruction in less than five years." DHC 6:592-3.
He also made this prophetic statement to the Nauvoo Legion: "You have faithfully performed your duty, in preserving the lives of the people as well as mine. You shall be called the first Elders of this church...And your mission will be to the nations of the earth to preach the gospel, and you will gather many people to the fastness of the Rocky Mountains, and many of those who will come in under your ministry because of their learning WILL SEEK FOR POSITION AND THEY WILL GAIN EMINENCE OVER YOU, and you will walk in low places unnoticed. Yet you will know all that transpires in your midst. Those who are your friends are my friends, and I promise you when I come again (referring to a future incarnation) I will lead you forth, so where I am you shall be with me." LIFE STORY OF WANDLES MACE, By Himself; Pages 131-132.
Thus for fourteen years the American Prophet Joseph Smith wielded the sword of the Kingdom, Excalibur and tried to gather a goodly people and establish a Camelot, which he named Nauvoo, from the Hebrew meaning "the beautiful".
It is interesting to note that in a past Life Joseph was a High Priest in the "Temple Beautiful" in Atlantis. His city of Nauvoo and the temple had many similarities to that ancient time.
Even though Joseph did not get an opportunity to give his final speech and name a successor in life he was still not denied the opportunity. After Brigham Young returned to Nauvoo and as he was addressing the Saints thousands of witnesses were astounded to see the face and hear the voice of Joseph Smith instead. Of this George Q. Cannon wrote: "If Joseph had risen from the dead and again spoke in their hearing, the effect could not have been more startling than it was to many present at that meeting; it was the voice of Joseph himself; and not only was it the voice of Joseph which was heard, but it seemed in the eyes of the people as if it were the very person of Joseph which stood before them. A more wonderful and miraculous event than was wrought that day in the presence of that congregation we never heard of. The Lord gave his people a testimony that left no room for doubt as to who was the man chosen to lead them." LIFE OF BRIGHAM YOUNG, Tullidge, 1877, Pg. 115.
Wilford Woodruff further testified: "If I had not seen him with my own eyes, there is no one that would have convinced me that it (Brigham Young speaking to the people) was not Joseph Smith." Deseret Evening News March 12, 1892.
This transfiguration of Brigham Young into Joseph Smith right before the eyes of the people was enough to convince them that he was to be their next prophet. Brigham had his faults, more than is acknowledged by the church, but he was Solomon in a previous life, and had a destiny to lead the church.
Brigham tried to adhere to many of the revelations which Joseph Smith had received. He was obedient to the commandment to build cities and tried to build another Camelot in Salt Lake. He made every attempt to gather the elect from the four quarters of the earth. However, he introduced little new doctrine outside of a few revelations that Joseph had told him in private. He was also very concerned about the future leaders of the Church. He was reported to have said: "Brethren, this Church will be lead on to the very brink of hell by the leaders of this people, then God will raise up one Mighty and Strong spoken of in the 85th section of the Doctrine and Covenants to save and redeem this Church." Attested to by Joshua Jones 1861, Provo Bowery.
Even though Brigham Young did an admirable job of leading the people and maintaining the status quo he was not without fault for he started the trend toward authoritarianism even though he often preached against it.
His successor was John Taylor, a man who strongly believed every word revealed by Joseph Smith, and was himself with Joseph on the day he was killed, and was shot full of holes at the time. Nevertheless, he survived to become the President of the Church. He fought valiantly to maintain the doctrines of the Church not only against the outside world, but against his own people including many of the leaders within the Church. A short time after it was claimed that he received a personal visitation from Jesus Christ he made this statement about the future of the Church: "In the time of the seventh president of this Church, the Church would go into bondage both temporally and spiritually and in that day the one Mighty and Strong spoken of in the 85th section of the Doctrine and Covenants would come." THE KEYS OF THE PRIESTHOOD ILLUSTRATED, Bishop and Bishop Page 122.
And who is the one Mighty and Strong spoken of here? It is referring to a revelation received by Joseph Smith: "Yea, thus saith the still small voice, which whispereth through and pierceth all things, and often times it maketh my bones to quake while it maketh manifest saying: And it shall come to pass that I, the Lord God, will send one mighty and strong, holding the scepter of power in his hand, (The symbol of Excalibur), clothed with light for a covering, whose mouth shall utter words, eternal words; while his bowels shall be a fountain of truth, to SET IN ORDER THE HOUSE OF GOD, and to arrange by lot the inheritance of the saints whose names are found, and the names of their fathers, and of their children, enrolled in the book of the law of God; while that man, who was called of God, and appointed, that putteth forth his hand to steady the ark of God shall fall by the shaft of death, like as a tree that is smitten by the vivid shaft of lightening . . .These things I say not of myself; therefore as the Lord speaketh, he will also fulfill."
D&C 85:6-7, 10.
This person is also mentioned in Isaiah 28. Because Taylor said that the one Mighty and Strong would come in the days of the seventh president many Mormon fundamentalists looked for him in the days of Heber J. Grant, the seventh president of the Church, but to their dismay no one showed up in a blaze of glory to set the kingdom in order. However, the rest of the prophecy seemed to be fulfilled for in the days of the seventh president, the doctrine of the literal gathering of Israel was abandoned by the people and the dream of Camelot was transferred to a vague future possibility. The Church also had many financial problems in those days, and that was also the period of the Great Depression. The seventh president presided from November 23, 1918 to May 14, 1945, but where was the one who was to set in order the house of God?
The answer should be obvious. He came to the earth, or was born in the days of the seventh president, but has obviously not yet performed his work. According to Isaiah (Chapter 28) he will be recognized in the days when an "overflowing scourge" will cover the land. This man is compared to Moses in several other revelations given to Joseph Smith: "Therefore, I will raise up unto my people given to a man, who shall lead them like as Moses led the children of Israel." D&C 103:16 "And the Lord that said: I will raise up a Moses; and I will give power unto him in a rod" (The sign of Excalibur) . . .II Nephi 3:17
Who is the true Mighty and Strong One? Even though one or more regular mortal disciples may provide the body the true Mighty one is the Christ who will be working through His servants through an overshadowing presence.
In the days of King Arthur Excalibur was taken into a lake of water. Water is a symbol of the emotions. Thus the same thing happened symbolically in our era. After the death of Joseph Smith the church began to descend more and more into the emotional world of glamour and by the days of the seventh president the keys of power were completely submerged and hidden in the lake of misguided emotion.
The vision presented by Joseph of a literal gathering and building a kingdom on the earth to prepare for the coming of Christ was substituted to building a pretty standard church that encourages its members to just have faith an not seek the mysteries of God.
They still teach the principle of "modern revelation" yet no modern revelations are ever presented and there have been no new knowledge give to the church since John Taylor, over 100 years ago.
When Excalibur was taken from Camelot there was nothing left to either love or hate and the kingdom drifted into oblivion.
Mormons should not be surprised that they have lost the keys of power and knowledge for they were consistently warned. Here are a few warnings contained in their own scriptures:
"Inasmuch as ye do it not (Keep the word of the Lord), IT SHALL BE TAKEN AWAY, even that which ye have received." D&C 43:10
"Wherefore let the Church repent of her sins, and I the Lord will own them, otherwise THEY SHALL BE CUT OFF." D&C 63:63
"Beware of pride lest ye become as the Nephites of old." D&C 38:39 (The Nephites were a people in the Book of Mormon who were once a great and goodly people, but eventually disregarded the commandments of God and were destroyed.)
"Be diligent in keeping all my commandments lest judgments come upon you and your faith fail you, and your enemies triumph over you." D&C 136:42
Joseph Smith told the Church that if it was not faithful: "GOD SHALL TAKE AWAY THEIR TALENT AND GIVE IT TO THOSE WHO HAVE NO TALENT, and shall prevent them from ever obtaining a place of refuge . . ." DHC 2:48.
"But there is a possibility that man may fall from grace and depart from the living God; Therefore, LET THE CHURCH TAKE HEED and pray always, lest they fall into temptation." D&C 20:32-33
This final quote is from the Book of Mormon. It is a warning to the Gentiles. In this book the term "gentile" refers to the people who will inhabit America in our day, and the people who will receive the Book of Mormon. In other words, the Mormons themselves. "At that day when the Gentiles shall sin against my gospel . . .and shall reject the fullness of my gospel, behold, saith the Father, I WILL BRING THE FULNESS OF MY GOSPEL FROM AMONG THEM." III Nephi 16:10.
The Mormons rejected greater knowledge and are now satisfied with the little they have, and that little they have they rarely read. The authorities are constantly telling them that there will be more revelation when the people are ready, but first they must live up to what they have. Then they are quick to point out that the common people in the Church are far from being as worthy as they should. "Stay away from the mysteries!" is a common expression echoing through Mormondom. This admonition seems to have done its job, for the people avoid all new unapproved knowledge like a plague.
This loss of the kingdom was anticipated in the scriptures interestingly enough for John did not mention only one trip of the Woman into the wilderness, but two. We have seen that the first one lasted for 1260 years, but the second one is written in different language: "And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time from the face of the serpent." Revelation 12:14
This second trip of the woman into the wilderness, or the loss of Excalibur, lasts for "a time, and times, and half a time". This is a correspondence to the number 1260, for the word times means "a year or a season, or generation." "A time" can mean one year. "Times" refers to two years and "a half time" is one half year. This adds up to three and one half years or about 1260 days. Because this second trip into the wilderness has the time period in a different language we may be safe to assume that the second loss of the woman is of a different duration. Let us hope it will not be another 1260 years! Let us use months instead and see how this works out. 1260 months equals 105 years. If we use three and a half generations then we have a period of 160 years if a generation is the biblical 40 years. But what date do we add this to is the question? Joseph said the church began to go out of order even before he died, but there was wholesale abandonment of the founding principles by the days of the seventh president (November 23, 1918 to May 14, 1945).
I have often said that accurate predictions are difficult to make because of the free will of humanity - so I will not pick a definite date here except to state that the power symbolized by Excalibur will soon come again.
In another interesting correspondence in this scripture we are told that this time "the woman was given two wings of a great eagle". Look on the back of a U.S. dollar bill and what do you see? Two wings of a great eagle, a symbol of the United States. This is verification that the second loss of the kingdom would take place in America. Where else in America can we find a people that tried to build Zion and failed, but among the Mormons?
Another reference is made to this in the next chapter of Revelations. Chapter 13 tells us about a beast that will control the world. On the other hand, the woman is a spiritual order that will replace the authoritarian rule of the beast. Concerning the beast we are told: "And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast." Revelation 13:3
The deadly wound was inflicted on the present spiritual world order when Excalibur was returned, but when it was lost again "the deadly wound was healed".
When the woman fled into the wilderness we are told she went "into her place". This place is within one's own soul for as Jesus said "The Kingdom of God is within you." The kingdom is never lost to those who are worthy and when the kingdom without is not available the true lights must rely on the kingdom within. In this place she is "nourished" in the hearts of those true seekers who are always scattered to and fro on the earth until the physical externalization can be born.
Meanwhile the Mormons are fulfilling a prophecy made of them within the Book of Mormon: "And others he will pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well - and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell." II Nephi 28:21
If the reader has ever tuned into an LDS conference session on radio or TV he will recall that about every other discourse extols the wonderful growth and prosperity of the Church. A better description cannot be found of the memberships feeling toward the leadership of the Church than "All is well". It is even a phrase in one of their favorite hymns.
Indeed all is not well with the Mormons or with the rest of the religions for that matter. In the coming century the religious world will be turned upside down for the light of a new age is upon us which shall grow in intensity until even the most dogmatic believers (especially their children) will see their error and give glory to God instead of man.
Coming Next: Where is the Modern Revelation?
Copyright 2000 by J.J. Dewey, All Rights Reserved