https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuTb99tBC0c&feature=player_detailpage#t=5478
Like I have said in the past, no man knows the hour when Jesus comes with fire and FINAL judgement, but we will know when he comes to Jerusalem. Hmmm..... maybe we will have a clue when the armies are swarming about the gates of Jerusalem. Maybe we will have a clue when the two Prophets are knocked down and are lying dead in the streets of Jerusalem. Just maybe, we could set the countdown timers on our watches to 84 hours (3.5 days) and know that Christ returns exactly at that moment. Of course we know the hour of that coming to Jerusalem! It is basic to the rational thinker.
Just maybe, we could even back it up to the point where there is an army headed by a ruthless dictator that comes out of a place of Magog which is equivalent in today's terms to the Crimean region (this is in the Ukraine for the geographically challenged). Maybe that same army, over a 13 month period, will try to bust his way south into Turkey and Syria (no connection there with Russia.....) and then south into Jerusalem to support another vassal state of Iran in their objectives. Hmmmm..... I wonder. Sorry about the sarcasm - I get so fed up with people who are too dense to see.
Folks - it does not take a rocket scientist to get it and where we are in the final wrapping up scenes.
Here, once again, we have a quote from a Prophet of God who said we CAN know the day and the hour if we simply watch and wait:
Here is a quote from an early General Conference from the mouth of Joseph Smith. There is no refutation of that source and statement. Even attempting to do so, would defy logic:
"Christ says no man knoweth the day or the hour when the Son of Man cometh. This is a sweeping argument for sectarianism against Latter day ism. Did Christ speak this as a general principle throughout all generations Oh no he spoke in the present tense no man that was then liveing upon the footstool of God knew the day or the hour But he did not say that there was no man throughout all generations that should not know the day or the hour. No for this would be in flat contradiction with other scripture for the prophet says that God will do nothing but what he will reveal unto his Servants the prophets consequently if it is not made known to the Prophets it will not come to pass; again we find Paul 1st of Thesslonians 5th Chapter expressly points out the characters who shall not know the day nor the hour when the Son of Man cometh for says he it will come upon them as the theif or unawares. Who are they they are the children of darkness or night. But to the Saints he says yea are not of the night nor of darkness of that that day should come upon you unawares. John the revelator says 14 chap 7th verse that the hour of his judgements is come they are precursers or forerunners of the comeing of Christ. read Matthew 24 Chap and all the Prophets. He says then shall they see the Sign of the comeing of the Son of Man in the clouds of Heaven. How are we to see it Ans. As the lighting up of the morning or the dawning of the morning cometh from the east and shineth unto the west—So also is the comeing of the Son of Man. The dawning of the morning makes its appearance in the east and moves along gradualy so also will the comeing of the Son of Man be. it will be small at its first appearance and gradually becomes larger untill every eye shall see it. Shall the Saints understand it Oh yes. Paul says so. Shall the wicked understand Oh no they attribute it to a natural cause. They will probably suppose it is two great comets comeing in contact with each other It will be small at first and will grow larger and larger untill it will be all in a blaze so that every eye shall see it." (Joseph Smith, General Conference, April 6, 1843, emphasis added)
Even taken literally, this statement seems to allow us to know the week, month, season, or year.
ReplyDeleteThe scripture "Surely the Lord God will do nothing . . . " does make me think that Thomas S. Monson would know what's coming and when. I'm also sure that the Lord would make known to him what would be appropriate for him to say. It makes me wonder what to think about his announcement of three new temples to be built. Does that mean that we have a few years before everything goes south? Or were too many people speculating that since there were no temples announced for awhile that something was up? Or will there eventually be temples built in those locations when they become places of refuge? Or during the Millennium? Just wondering what awakened people might be thinking.
ReplyDeleteI think it's like the Salt Lake City temple. They laid the foundation and started the work, then had to bury it and flee while the army came. Then later they had to dig it back up, fix the foundation, and rebuild. God could have told them to wait until after the fleeing/army, but he didn't. God surely is all knowing and speaks with his prophet. That doesn't mean he's going to lead us through the path of least resistance. It goes against reason for earth life and mortality.
ReplyDeleteFor that reason I wouldn't read into announcement of new temples, new plans for this or that, or no plans for this or that. It's fun to speculate, though.
Part 1: This seems logical
ReplyDeleteNO ONE KNOWS THE DAY OR THE HOUR?
Understanding the expression "No man knows the day or hour" is not possible by simply taking the English translation literally. It is now clear that "no man knows the day or hour" does NOT mean "no man knows the day or hour" as we read it from a modern-day English perspective. From a rabbinical Hebraic perspective it is a figure of speech.
Christians over the centuries have separated themselves from their Hebraic roots causing the misunderstanding of key Jewish biblical idioms. When Jesus uttered His famous words concerning the Messianic Era in Matthew 24:26, "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in Heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father", He used a common Jewish figure of speech referring to a specific Jewish Festival. What day could the Jewish idiom be referring to?
In Jesus' day he spoke in the language and idioms of the day. Those who heard the Lord speak knew what He was saying and usually what He was alluding to. Of course, today's generation of believers struggles to understand His words and concepts. Failing to think like Jesus and taking phrases out of Jewish context can lead one to misunderstand His words.
Our Lord used and confirmed common Jewish ideas about the Day of the Lord - the millennium - and its relation to the Feast of Sukkot (Tabernacles) .
The annual Jewish Festival of Trumpets or Rosh HaShanah - the first day of the seventh month. A few themes linked to this Jewish festival are resurrection, repentance, kingship, corronation and a marriage feast. Another theme and convincing proof that Rosh HaShanah is not only the start of "The Day of the Lord" (Millennium), but is also the day of the resurrection! It has to do with the moon and its 29-day cycle of renewal. We have lost touch with God's faithful witness in the sky. But Jesus and the people of His day never lost touch with it.
Since the subject of our discussion is the new moon and figures of speech, realize the phrase, "Of that day and hour no man knows" refers to the sanctification or setting apart of the new moon. Without this sanctification, the Jews had no way of determining God's "appointed times".
We look at a calendar to determine the first of the month; the Jews, however, looked at the moon. This system of chronology was given to the Jews to know precisely when the Holy festivals would fall.
Because the moon was so important for Jewish date - setting, the authorities in charge of announcing the new moon took great care to ensure the first day of the month was announced on time. As soon as the new moon was announced, the first day of the month began. Once the beginning of the new month was established, the festivals and weekly Shabbats for the upcoming month were sanctified for observance. In Hebrew, those observances have always been called "appointed times", literally "a sacred and set time".
Part 2:
ReplyDeleteGod's appointed times are actually "holy rehearsals" set apart to reflect events in the Messianic era. God said to the people, "Pay attention! On this day I am going to do something! Wake-up! The Jews were to know and practice all of God's holy convocations.
Twice a year, in the spring and fall, there were several appointed times and specific days of holy convocation dedicated to the Lord. The new moon was the key in being able to fulfill those set times, holy convocations and rehearsals. From the announcement of the new moon to the festival dates which followed, it was only a matter of counting the right number of days.
Once a month the Sanhedrin discussed when to proclaim the new moon. After careful scrutiny to determine the official arrival of the new moon, the Nassi or President of the Sanhedrin proclaimed Rosh Chodesh with the words: "Sanctified", and all the people repeat after him, "Sanctified, sanctified". Once the Sanhedrin set Rosh Chodesh, or the beginning of the new month by sighting the new moon, the rest of the festivals were calculated.
The seventh month, Tishri, was particularly important because it was the only month that had a holy convocation or appointed time on the first day of the month. This posed a unique problem. The first day of Tishri was the appointed time called Rosh HaShanah, the Feast of Trumpets (Leviticus 23:24). Yet no one could begin observing the festival until they heard those famous words from the President of the Sanhedrin, "Sanctified!"
No one in Israel could plan for the first day of the seventh month Tishri, called Yom Teruah or the Feast of Trumpets (also called Rosh HaShanah).
HOW COULD THEY PLAN FOR A FESTIVAL THAT THEY DID NOT KNOW AT WHAT DAY OR
HOUR IT WOULD PUBLICALLY BE ANNOUNCED AND THUS BEGIN?
Of course, anyone could look up into the twilight or early morning sky and, if they looked hard enough, see the new moon’s crescent. And certainly an astute observer knew when about 29- days were completed since the previous Rosh Chodesh. But recall, ONLY THE SANHEDRIN NASSI had the authority to proclaim the first of Tishri, which was already established as a technical procedure. Once proclaimed, the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh HaShanah) commenced. Until that public announcement by the Nassi, everyone had to wait before they could begin the observance of the festival. No one could begin the festival beforehand! Thus, we can more clearly see the analogy Jesus made with His words: "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only" was in regards to this important festival of Rosh HaShanah.
http://www.hebroots.org/hebrootsarchive/9807/980715_c.html