ZION!!!!

Tonight I want to cover Zion, Enoch’s Zion, and its return and the Sign of the coming of The Son of Man. Or the sign of Christ’s return. Now the reason for my covering this particular subject is there are many misconceptions around this subject. One is that when Enoch’s Zion was taken up that earth and buidling were taken up with it. I will show that there is zero scriptural base or prophetic base to back it up. One man said Joseph Smith told him that Zion would return as the sign of the coming of the Son of Man and that it was a swath of land that was taken. I will show with scriptures and prophetic quotes that this is incorrect. I will quote Joseph Smith himself as well as others. First there is zero evidence, apart from this one man to support the theory that land, brick and mortar, was taken versus just the people. First I will show that the Sign of the Coming  of the Son of Man  is the The Second Coming itself. First we will start with Joseph Smith in the book Teachings of The Prophet Joseph Smith compiled by Joseph Fielding Smith the bottom of page 286- 287. “ There will be wars and rumors of wars, signs in the heavens above and on the earth beneath, the son turned into darkness and the moon to blood, earthquakes in divers places, the seas heaving beyond their bounds; then will appear one grand sign of the Son of Man in heaven. But what will the world do? They will say it is a planet, a comet, ect. But The Son of Man WILL COME AS THE SIGN of the coming of the Son of Man, which will be as the light of the morning cometh out of the east. ( April, 6 1843) caps added. 

So what did Joseph Smith say, well he said the sign of the coming of the Son of Man is his actual coming. Not the City Of Zion Coming but Christ’s official coming. Now we can reiterate this was some scripture from the Bible and D&C.

I will start with Mathew 24:30

30 And then shall appear the "sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

So we read here the sign of the Son of Man in heaven is us seeing the Son of Man coming in the coulds of Heaven with power and glory. Says nothing about a city. To reiterate what this verse means if you pull it up and hit the word sign it takes you to D&C 88:93 

And immediately there shall appear a great sign in the heaven, and all people shall see it together. 

So we are talking about the same sign. It cross references tropical guide The Second Coming. No reference point to a city returning. Now cross reference D&C 88:93 word “great sign.” That takes you to Mathew 24:30 of course and Luke 21: 25-27

25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;

26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

Which again talks about the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and glory. Again no mention of a city. Zip, zilch, nada. 

In verse 27 of the above scripture hit the word cloud and it takes you to Daniel 7:13

13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.

Again talking about a coming of Christ. Although here he comes to the Ancient of Days. This is talking about Adam-Ondi-Ahman and his appearance there. Again no city.

It also takes you to D&C 34:7

7 For behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, the time is soon at hand that I shall come in a cloud with power and great glory.

And again the Coming of Christ himself. No mention of a city. So we have all these scriptures talking about the sign and all cross reference to The Second Coming except one that talks about his appearing to Adam at Adam-Ondi-Ahman. Not a single mention of a city. 

So now let us talk about the scriptures that cover Enoch’s people being taken up. You may be surprised that there is actually very little mention of Enoch in the book of Gensis Chapter 5: 21-24

21 And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah:

22 And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters:

23 And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years:

24 And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.

Which just talks about Enoch’s righteousness and that Enoch was taken up. Zero mention of a city at all here. So I hit Enoch and cross referenced to the book of Moses in the Pearl of Great Price 6:21-68 zero mention of them even being taken up. So moving forward to Chapter 7:18

18 And the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them.

So in this verse it says the Lord called his people Zion. Yes, the city was called Zion as well but here he makes a point to call the people Zion.

Moving forward to verse 21

21 And it came to pass that the Lord showed unto Enoch all the inhabitants of the earth; and he beheld, and lo, Zion, in process of time, was taken up into heaven. And the Lord said unto Enoch: Behold mine abode forever.

Zion is taken up, note it doesn’t say city it says Zion. And we see from the other verse the Lord referred to the people as Zion. So no real evidence of a swath of land being carved out and taken up. 

We also have D&C 38:4

4 I am the same which have taken the Zion of Enoch into mine own bosom; and verily, I say, even as many as have believed in my name, for I am Christ, and in mine own name, by the virtue of the blood which I have spilt, have I pleaded before the Father for them.

Interesting wording here, The Zion of Enoch, he doesn’t call it a city. Interesting.

Then Moses 7 68-69

68 And all the days of Zion, in the days of Enoch, were three hundred and sixty-five years.

69 And Enoch and all his people walked with God, and he dwelt in the midst of Zion; and it came to pass that Zion was not, for God received it up into his own bosom; and from thence went forth the saying, Zion is Fled.

Interesting wording here, we know God called the people Zion, this says Zion was not for God took it up. But he didn’t even call it a city. He said Zion was fled. Sort of like the people just up and left.

So in all these scriptures we get no idea that an actual city was taken up. Let’s see what some Apostles have said on the subject.

James E Talmage 

“of course you are at liberty to believe that the removal of Enoch and his city from the earth because of the righteousness of the people meant the taking away of an actual piece or block of the rocky earth upon which the city stood;

but I find nothing in Scripture to warrant any such assumption. I understand that Enoch and his city as an expression means Enoch and his people.”

Bruce R McConkie

Please note: Zion is people; Zion is the saints of God; Zion is those who have been baptized; Zion is those who have received the Holy Ghost; Zion is those who keep the commandments; Zion is the righteous; or in other words, as our revelation recites: “This is Zion-the pure in heart.” (D&C 97:21) (Elder Bruce R. McConkie, Ensign, May 1977, 115-18)

So people not buildings.

Also McConkie

The righteous people described in Moses 7:27 were translated and “caught up” to join those in the city of Zion. Elder Bruce R. McConkie of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles wrote:

“After those in the City of Holiness were translated and taken up into heaven without tasting death, so that Zion as a people and a congregation had fled from the battle-scarred surface of the earth, the Lord sought others among men who would serve him. From the days of Enoch to the flood, new converts and true believers, except those needed to carry out the Lord’s purposes among mortals, were translated” (The Millennial Messiah: The Second Coming of the Son of Man‍ [1982], 284).

“After the Lord’s people were translated —for it was people who were caught up into heaven, not brick and mortar and stone, for there are better homes already in heaven than men can build on earth —after these righteous saints went to dwell beyond the veil, others, being converted and desiring righteousness, looked for a city which hath foundation, whose builder and maker is God, and they too “were caught up by the powers of heaven into Zion.” (Moses 7:27.)” Bruce R. McConkie, Come: Let Israel Build Zion, April 1977

 

So Zion as a people and a congregation fled the surface of the earth. No mention of land or buildings. 

So we have zero scripture references to actual land, or brick and mortar being taken up. We have two Apostles saying people not land not buildings. One says there is zero scriptural evidence that actual land was taken. I feel I have established the points that the Sign of the Coming of the Son of Man is The Coming of The Son of Man himself. As well as there will be no swath of earth returning to earth but a congregation of Saints. So the Sign cannot be an actual swath of land zooming through space as a massive sign of the Second Coming. Do with the info what you will.