Any of the old timers here ever read the book called "WORLDS IN COLLISION by Immanuel Velikovsky?" It is truly fascinating and a book way ahead of it's time. Velikovsky does a controversial study which posits a cosmic history of planetary cataclysms. According to Velikovsky, these epic catastrophes geophysically altered earth, radically affecting even its magnetic polarity and solar orbit. The great MYTHOLOGIES of the world, in particular the story of the Hebrew EXODUS, are cited to substantiate the theory that Venus may have originally been a comet whose near-collision with earth was the Physical Agency (ascribed to God in The Torah/Old Testament)of the terrifying tribulation called THE TEN PALGUES:
"The Russian-born scholar was a friend and colleague of Albert Einstein, a student of Freud's first pupil Wilhelm Stekel, and Israel's first practicing psychoanalyst. Some of his writings appeared in Freud's Imago. In 1930 he published the first paper to suggest that epileptics would be characterized by abnormal encephalograms. He was the founder and editor of the scholarly publication, Scripta Universitatis, the physics and mathematics section being prepared by Einstein."
It was while researching a book on Freud and his heroes that Velikovsky first wondered about the catastrophes said to have accompanied the Hebrew Exodus, when fire and hailstones rained upon Egypt, earthquakes decimated the nation, and a pillar of fire and smoke moved in the sky. Biblical and other traditional Hebrew sources speak so vividly that Velikovsky began to wonder if some extraordinary natural event might have played a part in the Exodus.
To explore this possibility, Velikovsky sought out a corresponding account in ancient Egyptian records, finding a remarkable parallel in a papyrus kept at the University of Leyden Museum, called the Papyrus Ipuwer. The document contains the lamentations of an Egyptian sage in response to a great catastrophe overwhelming Egypt, when the rivers ran red, fire blazed in the sky, and pestilence ravaged the land.
Velikovsky also encountered surprising parallels in Babylonian and Assyrian clay tablets, Vedic poems, Chinese epics, and North American Indian, Maya, Aztec, and Peruvian legends. From these remarkably similar accounts, he constructed a thesis of celestial catastrophe. He concluded that a very large body -- apparently a "comet" -- passed close enough to Earth to violently perturb its axis, as global earthquakes, wind and falling stone decimated early civilizations.
Before Velikovsky could complete his reconstruction, he had to resolve an enigma. He had found that in the accounts of far-flung cultures, the cometary agent of disaster was identified as a planet. And the closer he looked, the more clear it became to him that this planet was Venus: The converging ancient images include the Babylonian "torch-star" Venus and "bearded star" Venus, the Mexican "smoking star" Venus, the Peruvian "long-haired" star Venus, the Egyptian Great Star "scattering its flame in fire" and the widespread imagery of Venus as a flaming serpent or dragon in the sky. In each instance, the cometary language is undeniable, for these were the very symbols of "the comet" in the ancient languages.
By following the evidence, Velikovsky discovered that Venus holds a special place among the world's first astronomers. In both the Old World and the New, ancient stargazers regarded Venus with awe and terror, carefully observing its risings and settings, and claiming the planet to be the cause of world-ending catastrophe. These astronomical traditions, Velikovsky reasoned, must have had roots in a traumatic human experience, though modern science has always assumed that the planets evolved in quiet and undisturbed isolation over billions of years.
Based on extensive cross-cultural comparison, Velikovsky concluded that the planet Venus, prior to the dawn of recorded history, was ejected violently from the gas giant Jupiter, displaying a spectacular comet-like tail. Its later catastrophic approach to the Earth (around 1500 B.C.) provided the historical backdrop to the Hebrew Exodus, Velikovsky claimed.
In Worlds in Collision, Velikovsky argued that the terrifying "gods" of the ancient world were planets -- those inconspicuous specks of light we see moving with clock-like regularity, as if to deny their chaotic roles in the past. The book recounted two close encounters of the comet or protoplanet Venus with the Earth. Included in the same volume was a large section on the ancient war god, whom Velikovsky identified as the planet Mars. He claimed that centuries after the Venus catastrophes, Mars moved on an unstable orbit intersecting that of Earth, leading to a series of Earth-disturbing events in the eighth and seventh centuries B.C........
For many years after publication(The movie was 1953) of Worlds in Collision, Velikovsky was persona non grata on college campuses. He was denied the opportunity to publish articles in scientific journals. When he attempted to respond to critical articles in such journals, they rejected these responses. The attitude of established science was typified by the reactions of astronomers. Michigan astronomer Dean McLaughlin exclaimed, "Lies -- yes lies." In response to a correspondent, astronomer Harold Urey, wrote: "My advice to you is to shut the book [Worlds in Collision] and never look at it again in your lifetime."
For Velikovsky, this was the beginning of a personal "dark age". But remarkably, his friendship with Albert Einstein was unaffected, and Einstein met with him often, maintaining an extended correspondence as well, encouraging Velikovksy to look past the misbehavior of the scientific elite. In discussion with Einstein, Velikovsky predicted that Jupiter would be found to emit radio noises, and he urged Einstein to use his influence to have Jupiter surveyed for radio emission, though Einstein himself disputed Velikovsky's reasoning. But in April 1955 radio noises were discovered from Jupiter, much to the surprise of scientists who had thought Jupiter was too cold and inactive to emit radio waves. That discovery led Einstein to agree to assist in developing other tests of Velikovsky's thesis. But the world's most prominent scientist died only a few weeks later.
Velikovsky expected other discoveries through space exploration. He claimed that the planet Venus would be found to be extremely hot, since in his reconstruction, the planet was "candescent" in historical times. His thesis also implied the likelihood of a massive Venusian atmosphere, residue of its former "cometary" tail. And he claimed that the Earth would be found to have a magnetosphere reaching at least to the moon, because he was convinced that in historical times the Earth exchanged electrical charge with other planetary bodies.
Arrival of the space age was a critical juncture for Velikovsky, as data returned from the Moon, from Mars, and from Venus begin to recast our views of these celestial bodies. In 1959, Dr. Van Allen discovered that the Earth has a magnetosphere. In the early sixties, scientists realized, much to their surprise, that the planet Venus has a surface temperature as high as 900 degrees Fahrenheit, hot enough to melt lead. "The temperature is much higher than anyone would have predicted," wrote Cornell Mayer.
Things grew more promising for Velikovsky. In 1962, two scientists, Valentin Bargmann, professor of physics at Princeton, and Lloyd Motz, professor of astronomy at Columbia, urged that Velikovsky's conclusions "be objectively re-examined." In support of this reconsideration, they cited his prior predictions about radio noises from Jupiter, the terrestrial magnetosphere, and an unexpectedly high temperature of Venus......
Here, on the other hand, is the opinion of the two authors of Thunderbolts of the Gods, each having investigated the thesis of Worlds in Collision for more than three decades. David Talbott and Wallace Thornhill write: "The authors of this book believe that Velikovsky was incorrect on many particulars, some of them crucial to a proper understanding of ancient events. But his place among the great pioneers of science will be secure if he was correct on the underlying tenets"
Talbott and Thornhill do not accept Velikovsky's specific chronology of events, and they place the age of planetary upheaval just prior to the flowering of monumental civilization, which they see as a creative act of human REMEMBERING. Rather than declare Velikovsky to be categorically "right" or "wrong", they cite these claims as crucial to any assessment of Velikovsky's contribution to science -
1. The present order of the planets is new. In geologically recent times the planetary system was unstable, and at least some planets moved on much different courses than they do today.
2. Erratic movements of the planets led to global catastrophe on Earth.
3. Through rigorous cross-cultural comparison of the ancient traditions, an investigator can reconstruct the celestial dramas.
One more principle must also be included, according to the authors. Velikovsky said that the key to reconciling his claims with scientific theory would be ELECTROMAGNETISM, a force in which astronomers and cosmologists had no interest in 1950. He stated that if the Sun and the planets are not the "electrically neutral" bodies astronomers assume, then even "the law of gravitation must come into question."
In the years since Velikovsky wrote these words, a new perspective has emerged from space age discovery. A universe teeming with charged particles-the "Electric Universe" of Wallace Thornhill and others -- is redefining everything we see in space. But you would not know this by listening to David Morrison, whose words still echo the electrically inactive, purely gravitational 1950's vision of the heavens.
The electrical theorists say that the picture of the universe has changed, and all of the theoretical sciences will give way to a revolution in human understanding. The authors of Thunderbolts of the Gods summarize the new view in these words:
"From the smallest particle to the largest galactic formation, a web of electrical circuitry connects and unifies all of nature, organizing galaxies, energizing stars, giving birth to planets and, on our own world, controlling weather and animating biological organisms. There are no isolated islands in an 'electric universe.'"
The confidence of the electrical theorists comes from the testability of the hypothesis. Its every component leads to implications and predictions that can be either confirmed or falsified through direct investigation. A comparison of this approach to that taken by David Morrison may be instructive, so let's go back to the "beginning," cosmically speaking:
You can read the rest of it at; The rest is a synopsis of the "electrical universe.
http://www.redicecreations.com/speci...skysghost.html
“We shall … do well to discern the signs of the times as we pass along, that the day of the Lord may not ‘overtake us as a thief in the night.” Joseph Smith
Modern Signs
Joseph Smith's most profound and enlightening sermon on the signs of the last days, given on the temple grounds at Nauvoo in April, 1843, demonstrates his views of the origin and nature of those signs, as well as our ability to recognize them for what they are.
"There will be wars and rumors of wars, signs in the heavens above and on the earth beneath, the sun turned into darkness and the moon to blood, earthquakes in divers places, the seas heaving beyond their bounds; … " (History of the Church, 5:337.)
Of particular interest is his addition of a truly remarkable sign to the customary list — one to which Latter-day Saints should give special heed. "… then will appear one grand sign of the coming of the Son of Man in heaven." (Ibid.) This is clearly a reiteration of the Savior’s statement in Matthew 24 wherein he said, "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven …."
Until this last dispensation of the gospel, no other prophet or passage of scripture had added the superlative "grand sign." Typically, all the signs are given equal weight or value; none is designated as special or more notable. Indeed, the only other mention is found in modern revelation wherein a slightly altered version of the term is used. Speaking of the last days, the Lord declared to Joseph in December 1842, "And immediately there shall appear a great sign in heaven, and all people shall see it together." (Doctrine & Covenants 88:93.)
Indeed, Joseph may have intended that this sermon, given a mere four months after the revelation recorded in Doctrine & Covenants, reaffirm and amplify on that revelation since Section 88 is remarkable for its catalog of latter-day signs.
On that occasion, Joseph continued his sermon by explaining what that marvelous sign might be. "What will the world do? They will say it is a planet, a comet, &c. 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. (Ibid.)
It is a stunning statement, when carefully considered. The greatest or grandest of signs will be a comet or planet. Assumably, this comet or planet will be doing something well out of the ordinary to attract special attention.
Note that the Prophet is not saying the world’s assessment is incorrect, as some have supposed. Rather, he is merely noting that the worldly or scientific terminology for this eye-catching sign would be "a planet, a comet, &c."
In light of what modern science has discovered in recent years about rogue comets and asteroids, this observation by Joseph Smith is striking. Mention of this great or grand sign is unique to this dispensation and is therefore worthy of special attention by Mormons — especially in light of what occurred in the heavens a decade ago.
http://mormonprophecy.blogspot.com/2...ern-signs.html
I advised all to search deeper and deeper into the mysteries of Godliness. (Joseph Smith, History of the Church 6:363.)
I also gave some instructions in the mysteries of the kingdom of God; such as the history of the planets, Abraham’s writings upon the planetary systems, etc. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 118.)
“For all old things shall pass away, and all things shall become new, even the heaven and the earth, and all the fullness thereof, both men and beasts, the fowls of the air, and the fishes of the sea.” (D&C 29:23, 24.)
Also, “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. (Revelation 21:1.)
The lyrics of a hymn written by Eliza R. Snow. The hymn appears as no. 322 of the 1905 hymn book, 5th verse.
"And when the Lord saw fit to hide The ten lost tribes away, Thou, earth, was severed to provide The orb on which they stay."
early patriarch, Homer M. Brown, was asked about the Eliza R. Snow hymn. His answer includes a second-hand account that claims that the Prophet Joseph Smith supported the star theory. The direct quote below was taken from Robert W. Smith, The Last Days, Salt Lake City, Utah: Pyramid Press, 1947, p. 215.
"Brother Brown, will you give us some light and explanation of the 5th verse on page 386 of the Hymn book which formed another planet (sic), according to 'the Hymn of Eliza R. Snow.
"Yes, sir, I think I can answer your question. Sister Eliza R. Snow, in visiting my grandparents (Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Brown), was asked by my grandmother: 'Eliza where did you get your ideas about the Ten Lost Tribes being taken away as you explain in your wonderful hymn?
"She answered as follows: 'why, my husband (The Prophet Joseph Smith) told me about it.'
"Have you any other information that your grandfather ever gave you, as contained in any conversation with the Prophet Joseph Smith?
"I have! One evening in Nauvoo, just after dark, somebody rapped at the door vigorously. Grandfather said he was reading the Doctrine and Covenants. He rose hurriedly and answered the summons at the door, where he met the Prophet Joseph Smith.
"He said, 'Brother Brown, can you keep me over night, the mobs are after me?' Grandfather answered, 'Yes. Sir. It will not be the first time, come in.'
"'Al1 right,' the Prophet said, shutting the door quickly. He came in and sat down. Grandmother said: 'Brother Joseph, have you had your supper?'
"'No he answered, 'I have not.' So she prepared him a meal, and he ate it.
Afterward they were in conversation relative to the principles of the Gospel. During the conversation the ten lost tribes were mentioned. Grandfather said, 'Joseph, where are the ten tribes?' He said, "Come to the door and I will show you, come on Sister Brown, I want you both to see.'
"It being a starlight night the Prophet said: "Brother Brown, you show me the Polar Star?'" 'Yes sir,' he said, pointing to the North Star. 'There it is.' 'Yes, I know' said the Prophet, 'but which one? There are a lot of stars there.'
"Grandfather said: 'Can you see the points of the Dipper?' The Prophet answered, 'Yes,' 'Well," he said, "trace the pointers, pointing up to the largest star. That is the North Star.'
"The Prophet answered: 'You are correct. Now,' he said, pointing toward the star, 'do you discern a little twinkler to the right and below the Polar star, which we would judge to be about the distance of 20' from here?'
"Grandfather answered, 'Yes, sir.'
"The Prophet said: 'Sister Brown, do you see that star also?'
"Her answer was, 'Yes, sir.'
"'Very well then,' he said, 'Let's go in.' After re-entering the house the Prophet said: 'Brother Brown, I noticed when I came in that you were reading the Doctrine and Covenants. Will you kindly get it?'
"He did so. The Prophet turned to Section 133 and read, commencing at the 26th verse and through the 34th verse. He said, after reading the 31st verse, 'Now let me ask you what would cause the Everlasting Hills to tremble with more violence than the coming together of two planets. And the place whereon they reside will return to this earth. Now,' he said, 'Scientists will tell you that it is not scientific: that two planets corning together would be disastrous to both; but, when two planets or other objects are traveling in the same direction and one of them with a little greater velocity than the other, it would not be disastrous, because the one traveling faster would overtake the other. Now, that would cause the mountains of ice to melt quicker than the heat caused by the friction of the two planets coming together?' And then he asked the question. 'Did you ever see a meteor falling that was not red hot? So that would cause the mountains of ice to melt.'
"'And relative to the Great Highway ,which should be cast up when the planet returns to its place in the great Northern Waters, it will form a highway and waters will recede and roll back.' He continued, 'Now as to their coming back from the Northern Waters; they will return from the north because their planet will return to the place from whence it was taken.'
"Relative to the waters rolling back to the north. If you take a vessel of water and swing it rapidly around your head you won’t spill any, but if you stop the motion gradually, it will begin to pour out. Now,' he said, 'Brother Brown, at the present time this earth is rotating very rapidly. When this planet returns it will make the earth that much heavier, and it will then revolve slower, and that will account for the waters receding from the earth for a great while, but it has now turned and is proceeding rapidly eastward.'"
Showing posts with label VELIKOVSKY. Show all posts
Showing posts with label VELIKOVSKY. Show all posts
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Monday, October 10, 2011
SYNOPSIS OF VELIKOVSKI'S LIFE AND WORK
Any of the old timers here ever read the book called "WORLDS IN COLLISION by Immanuel Velikovsky?" It is truly fascinating and a book way ahead of it's time. Velikovsky does a controversial study which posits a cosmic history of planetary cataclysms. According to Velikovsky, these epic catastrophes geophysically altered earth, radically affecting even its magnetic polarity and solar orbit. The great MYTHOLOGIES of the world, in particular the story of the Hebrew EXODUS, are cited to substantiate the theory that Venus may have originally been a comet whose near-collision with earth was the Physical Agency (ascribed to God in The Torah/Old Testament)of the terrifying tribulation called THE TEN PALGUES:
"The Russian-born scholar was a friend and colleague of Albert Einstein, a student of Freud's first pupil Wilhelm Stekel, and Israel's first practicing psychoanalyst. Some of his writings appeared in Freud's Imago. In 1930 he published the first paper to suggest that epileptics would be characterized by abnormal encephalograms. He was the founder and editor of the scholarly publication, Scripta Universitatis, the physics and mathematics section being prepared by Einstein."
It was while researching a book on Freud and his heroes that Velikovsky first wondered about the catastrophes said to have accompanied the Hebrew Exodus, when fire and hailstones rained upon Egypt, earthquakes decimated the nation, and a pillar of fire and smoke moved in the sky. Biblical and other traditional Hebrew sources speak so vividly that Velikovsky began to wonder if some extraordinary natural event might have played a part in the Exodus.
To explore this possibility, Velikovsky sought out a corresponding account in ancient Egyptian records, finding a remarkable parallel in a papyrus kept at the University of Leyden Museum, called the Papyrus Ipuwer. The document contains the lamentations of an Egyptian sage in response to a great catastrophe overwhelming Egypt, when the rivers ran red, fire blazed in the sky, and pestilence ravaged the land.
Velikovsky also encountered surprising parallels in Babylonian and Assyrian clay tablets, Vedic poems, Chinese epics, and North American Indian, Maya, Aztec, and Peruvian legends. From these remarkably similar accounts, he constructed a thesis of celestial catastrophe. He concluded that a very large body -- apparently a "comet" -- passed close enough to Earth to violently perturb its axis, as global earthquakes, wind and falling stone decimated early civilizations.
Before Velikovsky could complete his reconstruction, he had to resolve an enigma. He had found that in the accounts of far-flung cultures, the cometary agent of disaster was identified as a planet. And the closer he looked, the more clear it became to him that this planet was Venus: The converging ancient images include the Babylonian "torch-star" Venus and "bearded star" Venus, the Mexican "smoking star" Venus, the Peruvian "long-haired" star Venus, the Egyptian Great Star "scattering its flame in fire" and the widespread imagery of Venus as a flaming serpent or dragon in the sky. In each instance, the cometary language is undeniable, for these were the very symbols of "the comet" in the ancient languages.
By following the evidence, Velikovsky discovered that Venus holds a special place among the world's first astronomers. In both the Old World and the New, ancient stargazers regarded Venus with awe and terror, carefully observing its risings and settings, and claiming the planet to be the cause of world-ending catastrophe. These astronomical traditions, Velikovsky reasoned, must have had roots in a traumatic human experience, though modern science has always assumed that the planets evolved in quiet and undisturbed isolation over billions of years.
Based on extensive cross-cultural comparison, Velikovsky concluded that the planet Venus, prior to the dawn of recorded history, was ejected violently from the gas giant Jupiter, displaying a spectacular comet-like tail. Its later catastrophic approach to the Earth (around 1500 B.C.) provided the historical backdrop to the Hebrew Exodus, Velikovsky claimed.
In Worlds in Collision, Velikovsky argued that the terrifying "gods" of the ancient world were planets -- those inconspicuous specks of light we see moving with clock-like regularity, as if to deny their chaotic roles in the past. The book recounted two close encounters of the comet or protoplanet Venus with the Earth. Included in the same volume was a large section on the ancient war god, whom Velikovsky identified as the planet Mars. He claimed that centuries after the Venus catastrophes, Mars moved on an unstable orbit intersecting that of Earth, leading to a series of Earth-disturbing events in the eighth and seventh centuries B.C........
For many years after publication(The movie was 1953) of Worlds in Collision, Velikovsky was persona non grata on college campuses. He was denied the opportunity to publish articles in scientific journals. When he attempted to respond to critical articles in such journals, they rejected these responses. The attitude of established science was typified by the reactions of astronomers. Michigan astronomer Dean McLaughlin exclaimed, "Lies -- yes lies." In response to a correspondent, astronomer Harold Urey, wrote: "My advice to you is to shut the book [Worlds in Collision] and never look at it again in your lifetime."
For Velikovsky, this was the beginning of a personal "dark age". But remarkably, his friendship with Albert Einstein was unaffected, and Einstein met with him often, maintaining an extended correspondence as well, encouraging Velikovksy to look past the misbehavior of the scientific elite. In discussion with Einstein, Velikovsky predicted that Jupiter would be found to emit radio noises, and he urged Einstein to use his influence to have Jupiter surveyed for radio emission, though Einstein himself disputed Velikovsky's reasoning. But in April 1955 radio noises were discovered from Jupiter, much to the surprise of scientists who had thought Jupiter was too cold and inactive to emit radio waves. That discovery led Einstein to agree to assist in developing other tests of Velikovsky's thesis. But the world's most prominent scientist died only a few weeks later.
Velikovsky expected other discoveries through space exploration. He claimed that the planet Venus would be found to be extremely hot, since in his reconstruction, the planet was "candescent" in historical times. His thesis also implied the likelihood of a massive Venusian atmosphere, residue of its former "cometary" tail. And he claimed that the Earth would be found to have a magnetosphere reaching at least to the moon, because he was convinced that in historical times the Earth exchanged electrical charge with other planetary bodies.
Arrival of the space age was a critical juncture for Velikovsky, as data returned from the Moon, from Mars, and from Venus begin to recast our views of these celestial bodies. In 1959, Dr. Van Allen discovered that the Earth has a magnetosphere. In the early sixties, scientists realized, much to their surprise, that the planet Venus has a surface temperature as high as 900 degrees Fahrenheit, hot enough to melt lead. "The temperature is much higher than anyone would have predicted," wrote Cornell Mayer.
Things grew more promising for Velikovsky. In 1962, two scientists, Valentin Bargmann, professor of physics at Princeton, and Lloyd Motz, professor of astronomy at Columbia, urged that Velikovsky's conclusions "be objectively re-examined." In support of this reconsideration, they cited his prior predictions about radio noises from Jupiter, the terrestrial magnetosphere, and an unexpectedly high temperature of Venus......
Here, on the other hand, is the opinion of the two authors of Thunderbolts of the Gods, each having investigated the thesis of Worlds in Collision for more than three decades. David Talbott and Wallace Thornhill write: "The authors of this book believe that Velikovsky was incorrect on many particulars, some of them crucial to a proper understanding of ancient events. But his place among the great pioneers of science will be secure if he was correct on the underlying tenets"
Talbott and Thornhill do not accept Velikovsky's specific chronology of events, and they place the age of planetary upheaval just prior to the flowering of monumental civilization, which they see as a creative act of human REMEMBERING. Rather than declare Velikovsky to be categorically "right" or "wrong", they cite these claims as crucial to any assessment of Velikovsky's contribution to science -
1. The present order of the planets is new. In geologically recent times the planetary system was unstable, and at least some planets moved on much different courses than they do today.
2. Erratic movements of the planets led to global catastrophe on Earth.
3. Through rigorous cross-cultural comparison of the ancient traditions, an investigator can reconstruct the celestial dramas.
One more principle must also be included, according to the authors. Velikovsky said that the key to reconciling his claims with scientific theory would be ELECTROMAGNETISM, a force in which astronomers and cosmologists had no interest in 1950. He stated that if the Sun and the planets are not the "electrically neutral" bodies astronomers assume, then even "the law of gravitation must come into question."
In the years since Velikovsky wrote these words, a new perspective has emerged from space age discovery. A universe teeming with charged particles-the "Electric Universe" of Wallace Thornhill and others -- is redefining everything we see in space. But you would not know this by listening to David Morrison, whose words still echo the electrically inactive, purely gravitational 1950's vision of the heavens.
The electrical theorists say that the picture of the universe has changed, and all of the theoretical sciences will give way to a revolution in human understanding. The authors of Thunderbolts of the Gods summarize the new view in these words:
"From the smallest particle to the largest galactic formation, a web of electrical circuitry connects and unifies all of nature, organizing galaxies, energizing stars, giving birth to planets and, on our own world, controlling weather and animating biological organisms. There are no isolated islands in an 'electric universe.'"
The confidence of the electrical theorists comes from the testability of the hypothesis. Its every component leads to implications and predictions that can be either confirmed or falsified through direct investigation. A comparison of this approach to that taken by David Morrison may be instructive, so let's go back to the "beginning," cosmically speaking:
You can read the rest of it at; The rest is a synopsis of the "electrical universe.
http://www.redicecreations.com/speci...skysghost.html
“We shall … do well to discern the signs of the times as we pass along, that the day of the Lord may not ‘overtake us as a thief in the night.” Joseph Smith
Modern Signs
Joseph Smith's most profound and enlightening sermon on the signs of the last days, given on the temple grounds at Nauvoo in April, 1843, demonstrates his views of the origin and nature of those signs, as well as our ability to recognize them for what they are.
"There will be wars and rumors of wars, signs in the heavens above and on the earth beneath, the sun turned into darkness and the moon to blood, earthquakes in divers places, the seas heaving beyond their bounds; … " (History of the Church, 5:337.)
Of particular interest is his addition of a truly remarkable sign to the customary list — one to which Latter-day Saints should give special heed. "… then will appear one grand sign of the coming of the Son of Man in heaven." (Ibid.) This is clearly a reiteration of the Savior’s statement in Matthew 24 wherein he said, "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven …."
Until this last dispensation of the gospel, no other prophet or passage of scripture had added the superlative "grand sign." Typically, all the signs are given equal weight or value; none is designated as special or more notable. Indeed, the only other mention is found in modern revelation wherein a slightly altered version of the term is used. Speaking of the last days, the Lord declared to Joseph in December 1842, "And immediately there shall appear a great sign in heaven, and all people shall see it together." (Doctrine & Covenants 88:93.)
Indeed, Joseph may have intended that this sermon, given a mere four months after the revelation recorded in Doctrine & Covenants, reaffirm and amplify on that revelation since Section 88 is remarkable for its catalog of latter-day signs.
On that occasion, Joseph continued his sermon by explaining what that marvelous sign might be. "What will the world do? They will say it is a planet, a comet, &c. 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. (Ibid.)
It is a stunning statement, when carefully considered. The greatest or grandest of signs will be a comet or planet. Assumably, this comet or planet will be doing something well out of the ordinary to attract special attention.
Note that the Prophet is not saying the world’s assessment is incorrect, as some have supposed. Rather, he is merely noting that the worldly or scientific terminology for this eye-catching sign would be "a planet, a comet, &c."
In light of what modern science has discovered in recent years about rogue comets and asteroids, this observation by Joseph Smith is striking. Mention of this great or grand sign is unique to this dispensation and is therefore worthy of special attention by Mormons — especially in light of what occurred in the heavens a decade ago.
http://mormonprophecy.blogspot.com/2...ern-signs.html
I advised all to search deeper and deeper into the mysteries of Godliness. (Joseph Smith, History of the Church 6:363.)
I also gave some instructions in the mysteries of the kingdom of God; such as the history of the planets, Abraham’s writings upon the planetary systems, etc. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 118.)
“For all old things shall pass away, and all things shall become new, even the heaven and the earth, and all the fullness thereof, both men and beasts, the fowls of the air, and the fishes of the sea.” (D&C 29:23, 24.)
Also, “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. (Revelation 21:1.)
The lyrics of a hymn written by Eliza R. Snow. The hymn appears as no. 322 of the 1905 hymn book, 5th verse.
"And when the Lord saw fit to hide The ten lost tribes away, Thou, earth, was severed to provide The orb on which they stay."
early patriarch, Homer M. Brown, was asked about the Eliza R. Snow hymn. His answer includes a second-hand account that claims that the Prophet Joseph Smith supported the star theory. The direct quote below was taken from Robert W. Smith, The Last Days, Salt Lake City, Utah: Pyramid Press, 1947, p. 215.
"Brother Brown, will you give us some light and explanation of the 5th verse on page 386 of the Hymn book which formed another planet (sic), according to 'the Hymn of Eliza R. Snow.
"Yes, sir, I think I can answer your question. Sister Eliza R. Snow, in visiting my grandparents (Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Brown), was asked by my grandmother: 'Eliza where did you get your ideas about the Ten Lost Tribes being taken away as you explain in your wonderful hymn?
"She answered as follows: 'why, my husband (The Prophet Joseph Smith) told me about it.'
"Have you any other information that your grandfather ever gave you, as contained in any conversation with the Prophet Joseph Smith?
"I have! One evening in Nauvoo, just after dark, somebody rapped at the door vigorously. Grandfather said he was reading the Doctrine and Covenants. He rose hurriedly and answered the summons at the door, where he met the Prophet Joseph Smith.
"He said, 'Brother Brown, can you keep me over night, the mobs are after me?' Grandfather answered, 'Yes. Sir. It will not be the first time, come in.'
"'Al1 right,' the Prophet said, shutting the door quickly. He came in and sat down. Grandmother said: 'Brother Joseph, have you had your supper?'
"'No he answered, 'I have not.' So she prepared him a meal, and he ate it.
Afterward they were in conversation relative to the principles of the Gospel. During the conversation the ten lost tribes were mentioned. Grandfather said, 'Joseph, where are the ten tribes?' He said, "Come to the door and I will show you, come on Sister Brown, I want you both to see.'
"It being a starlight night the Prophet said: "Brother Brown, you show me the Polar Star?'" 'Yes sir,' he said, pointing to the North Star. 'There it is.' 'Yes, I know' said the Prophet, 'but which one? There are a lot of stars there.'
"Grandfather said: 'Can you see the points of the Dipper?' The Prophet answered, 'Yes,' 'Well," he said, "trace the pointers, pointing up to the largest star. That is the North Star.'
"The Prophet answered: 'You are correct. Now,' he said, pointing toward the star, 'do you discern a little twinkler to the right and below the Polar star, which we would judge to be about the distance of 20' from here?'
"Grandfather answered, 'Yes, sir.'
"The Prophet said: 'Sister Brown, do you see that star also?'
"Her answer was, 'Yes, sir.'
"'Very well then,' he said, 'Let's go in.' After re-entering the house the Prophet said: 'Brother Brown, I noticed when I came in that you were reading the Doctrine and Covenants. Will you kindly get it?'
"He did so. The Prophet turned to Section 133 and read, commencing at the 26th verse and through the 34th verse. He said, after reading the 31st verse, 'Now let me ask you what would cause the Everlasting Hills to tremble with more violence than the coming together of two planets. And the place whereon they reside will return to this earth. Now,' he said, 'Scientists will tell you that it is not scientific: that two planets corning together would be disastrous to both; but, when two planets or other objects are traveling in the same direction and one of them with a little greater velocity than the other, it would not be disastrous, because the one traveling faster would overtake the other. Now, that would cause the mountains of ice to melt quicker than the heat caused by the friction of the two planets coming together?' And then he asked the question. 'Did you ever see a meteor falling that was not red hot? So that would cause the mountains of ice to melt.'
"'And relative to the Great Highway ,which should be cast up when the planet returns to its place in the great Northern Waters, it will form a highway and waters will recede and roll back.' He continued, 'Now as to their coming back from the Northern Waters; they will return from the north because their planet will return to the place from whence it was taken.'
"Relative to the waters rolling back to the north. If you take a vessel of water and swing it rapidly around your head you won’t spill any, but if you stop the motion gradually, it will begin to pour out. Now,' he said, 'Brother Brown, at the present time this earth is rotating very rapidly. When this planet returns it will make the earth that much heavier, and it will then revolve slower, and that will account for the waters receding from the earth for a great while, but it has now turned and is proceeding rapidly eastward.'"
"The Russian-born scholar was a friend and colleague of Albert Einstein, a student of Freud's first pupil Wilhelm Stekel, and Israel's first practicing psychoanalyst. Some of his writings appeared in Freud's Imago. In 1930 he published the first paper to suggest that epileptics would be characterized by abnormal encephalograms. He was the founder and editor of the scholarly publication, Scripta Universitatis, the physics and mathematics section being prepared by Einstein."
It was while researching a book on Freud and his heroes that Velikovsky first wondered about the catastrophes said to have accompanied the Hebrew Exodus, when fire and hailstones rained upon Egypt, earthquakes decimated the nation, and a pillar of fire and smoke moved in the sky. Biblical and other traditional Hebrew sources speak so vividly that Velikovsky began to wonder if some extraordinary natural event might have played a part in the Exodus.
To explore this possibility, Velikovsky sought out a corresponding account in ancient Egyptian records, finding a remarkable parallel in a papyrus kept at the University of Leyden Museum, called the Papyrus Ipuwer. The document contains the lamentations of an Egyptian sage in response to a great catastrophe overwhelming Egypt, when the rivers ran red, fire blazed in the sky, and pestilence ravaged the land.
Velikovsky also encountered surprising parallels in Babylonian and Assyrian clay tablets, Vedic poems, Chinese epics, and North American Indian, Maya, Aztec, and Peruvian legends. From these remarkably similar accounts, he constructed a thesis of celestial catastrophe. He concluded that a very large body -- apparently a "comet" -- passed close enough to Earth to violently perturb its axis, as global earthquakes, wind and falling stone decimated early civilizations.
Before Velikovsky could complete his reconstruction, he had to resolve an enigma. He had found that in the accounts of far-flung cultures, the cometary agent of disaster was identified as a planet. And the closer he looked, the more clear it became to him that this planet was Venus: The converging ancient images include the Babylonian "torch-star" Venus and "bearded star" Venus, the Mexican "smoking star" Venus, the Peruvian "long-haired" star Venus, the Egyptian Great Star "scattering its flame in fire" and the widespread imagery of Venus as a flaming serpent or dragon in the sky. In each instance, the cometary language is undeniable, for these were the very symbols of "the comet" in the ancient languages.
By following the evidence, Velikovsky discovered that Venus holds a special place among the world's first astronomers. In both the Old World and the New, ancient stargazers regarded Venus with awe and terror, carefully observing its risings and settings, and claiming the planet to be the cause of world-ending catastrophe. These astronomical traditions, Velikovsky reasoned, must have had roots in a traumatic human experience, though modern science has always assumed that the planets evolved in quiet and undisturbed isolation over billions of years.
Based on extensive cross-cultural comparison, Velikovsky concluded that the planet Venus, prior to the dawn of recorded history, was ejected violently from the gas giant Jupiter, displaying a spectacular comet-like tail. Its later catastrophic approach to the Earth (around 1500 B.C.) provided the historical backdrop to the Hebrew Exodus, Velikovsky claimed.
In Worlds in Collision, Velikovsky argued that the terrifying "gods" of the ancient world were planets -- those inconspicuous specks of light we see moving with clock-like regularity, as if to deny their chaotic roles in the past. The book recounted two close encounters of the comet or protoplanet Venus with the Earth. Included in the same volume was a large section on the ancient war god, whom Velikovsky identified as the planet Mars. He claimed that centuries after the Venus catastrophes, Mars moved on an unstable orbit intersecting that of Earth, leading to a series of Earth-disturbing events in the eighth and seventh centuries B.C........
For many years after publication(The movie was 1953) of Worlds in Collision, Velikovsky was persona non grata on college campuses. He was denied the opportunity to publish articles in scientific journals. When he attempted to respond to critical articles in such journals, they rejected these responses. The attitude of established science was typified by the reactions of astronomers. Michigan astronomer Dean McLaughlin exclaimed, "Lies -- yes lies." In response to a correspondent, astronomer Harold Urey, wrote: "My advice to you is to shut the book [Worlds in Collision] and never look at it again in your lifetime."
For Velikovsky, this was the beginning of a personal "dark age". But remarkably, his friendship with Albert Einstein was unaffected, and Einstein met with him often, maintaining an extended correspondence as well, encouraging Velikovksy to look past the misbehavior of the scientific elite. In discussion with Einstein, Velikovsky predicted that Jupiter would be found to emit radio noises, and he urged Einstein to use his influence to have Jupiter surveyed for radio emission, though Einstein himself disputed Velikovsky's reasoning. But in April 1955 radio noises were discovered from Jupiter, much to the surprise of scientists who had thought Jupiter was too cold and inactive to emit radio waves. That discovery led Einstein to agree to assist in developing other tests of Velikovsky's thesis. But the world's most prominent scientist died only a few weeks later.
Velikovsky expected other discoveries through space exploration. He claimed that the planet Venus would be found to be extremely hot, since in his reconstruction, the planet was "candescent" in historical times. His thesis also implied the likelihood of a massive Venusian atmosphere, residue of its former "cometary" tail. And he claimed that the Earth would be found to have a magnetosphere reaching at least to the moon, because he was convinced that in historical times the Earth exchanged electrical charge with other planetary bodies.
Arrival of the space age was a critical juncture for Velikovsky, as data returned from the Moon, from Mars, and from Venus begin to recast our views of these celestial bodies. In 1959, Dr. Van Allen discovered that the Earth has a magnetosphere. In the early sixties, scientists realized, much to their surprise, that the planet Venus has a surface temperature as high as 900 degrees Fahrenheit, hot enough to melt lead. "The temperature is much higher than anyone would have predicted," wrote Cornell Mayer.
Things grew more promising for Velikovsky. In 1962, two scientists, Valentin Bargmann, professor of physics at Princeton, and Lloyd Motz, professor of astronomy at Columbia, urged that Velikovsky's conclusions "be objectively re-examined." In support of this reconsideration, they cited his prior predictions about radio noises from Jupiter, the terrestrial magnetosphere, and an unexpectedly high temperature of Venus......
Here, on the other hand, is the opinion of the two authors of Thunderbolts of the Gods, each having investigated the thesis of Worlds in Collision for more than three decades. David Talbott and Wallace Thornhill write: "The authors of this book believe that Velikovsky was incorrect on many particulars, some of them crucial to a proper understanding of ancient events. But his place among the great pioneers of science will be secure if he was correct on the underlying tenets"
Talbott and Thornhill do not accept Velikovsky's specific chronology of events, and they place the age of planetary upheaval just prior to the flowering of monumental civilization, which they see as a creative act of human REMEMBERING. Rather than declare Velikovsky to be categorically "right" or "wrong", they cite these claims as crucial to any assessment of Velikovsky's contribution to science -
1. The present order of the planets is new. In geologically recent times the planetary system was unstable, and at least some planets moved on much different courses than they do today.
2. Erratic movements of the planets led to global catastrophe on Earth.
3. Through rigorous cross-cultural comparison of the ancient traditions, an investigator can reconstruct the celestial dramas.
One more principle must also be included, according to the authors. Velikovsky said that the key to reconciling his claims with scientific theory would be ELECTROMAGNETISM, a force in which astronomers and cosmologists had no interest in 1950. He stated that if the Sun and the planets are not the "electrically neutral" bodies astronomers assume, then even "the law of gravitation must come into question."
In the years since Velikovsky wrote these words, a new perspective has emerged from space age discovery. A universe teeming with charged particles-the "Electric Universe" of Wallace Thornhill and others -- is redefining everything we see in space. But you would not know this by listening to David Morrison, whose words still echo the electrically inactive, purely gravitational 1950's vision of the heavens.
The electrical theorists say that the picture of the universe has changed, and all of the theoretical sciences will give way to a revolution in human understanding. The authors of Thunderbolts of the Gods summarize the new view in these words:
"From the smallest particle to the largest galactic formation, a web of electrical circuitry connects and unifies all of nature, organizing galaxies, energizing stars, giving birth to planets and, on our own world, controlling weather and animating biological organisms. There are no isolated islands in an 'electric universe.'"
The confidence of the electrical theorists comes from the testability of the hypothesis. Its every component leads to implications and predictions that can be either confirmed or falsified through direct investigation. A comparison of this approach to that taken by David Morrison may be instructive, so let's go back to the "beginning," cosmically speaking:
You can read the rest of it at; The rest is a synopsis of the "electrical universe.
http://www.redicecreations.com/speci...skysghost.html
“We shall … do well to discern the signs of the times as we pass along, that the day of the Lord may not ‘overtake us as a thief in the night.” Joseph Smith
Modern Signs
Joseph Smith's most profound and enlightening sermon on the signs of the last days, given on the temple grounds at Nauvoo in April, 1843, demonstrates his views of the origin and nature of those signs, as well as our ability to recognize them for what they are.
"There will be wars and rumors of wars, signs in the heavens above and on the earth beneath, the sun turned into darkness and the moon to blood, earthquakes in divers places, the seas heaving beyond their bounds; … " (History of the Church, 5:337.)
Of particular interest is his addition of a truly remarkable sign to the customary list — one to which Latter-day Saints should give special heed. "… then will appear one grand sign of the coming of the Son of Man in heaven." (Ibid.) This is clearly a reiteration of the Savior’s statement in Matthew 24 wherein he said, "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven …."
Until this last dispensation of the gospel, no other prophet or passage of scripture had added the superlative "grand sign." Typically, all the signs are given equal weight or value; none is designated as special or more notable. Indeed, the only other mention is found in modern revelation wherein a slightly altered version of the term is used. Speaking of the last days, the Lord declared to Joseph in December 1842, "And immediately there shall appear a great sign in heaven, and all people shall see it together." (Doctrine & Covenants 88:93.)
Indeed, Joseph may have intended that this sermon, given a mere four months after the revelation recorded in Doctrine & Covenants, reaffirm and amplify on that revelation since Section 88 is remarkable for its catalog of latter-day signs.
On that occasion, Joseph continued his sermon by explaining what that marvelous sign might be. "What will the world do? They will say it is a planet, a comet, &c. 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. (Ibid.)
It is a stunning statement, when carefully considered. The greatest or grandest of signs will be a comet or planet. Assumably, this comet or planet will be doing something well out of the ordinary to attract special attention.
Note that the Prophet is not saying the world’s assessment is incorrect, as some have supposed. Rather, he is merely noting that the worldly or scientific terminology for this eye-catching sign would be "a planet, a comet, &c."
In light of what modern science has discovered in recent years about rogue comets and asteroids, this observation by Joseph Smith is striking. Mention of this great or grand sign is unique to this dispensation and is therefore worthy of special attention by Mormons — especially in light of what occurred in the heavens a decade ago.
http://mormonprophecy.blogspot.com/2...ern-signs.html
I advised all to search deeper and deeper into the mysteries of Godliness. (Joseph Smith, History of the Church 6:363.)
I also gave some instructions in the mysteries of the kingdom of God; such as the history of the planets, Abraham’s writings upon the planetary systems, etc. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 118.)
“For all old things shall pass away, and all things shall become new, even the heaven and the earth, and all the fullness thereof, both men and beasts, the fowls of the air, and the fishes of the sea.” (D&C 29:23, 24.)
Also, “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. (Revelation 21:1.)
The lyrics of a hymn written by Eliza R. Snow. The hymn appears as no. 322 of the 1905 hymn book, 5th verse.
"And when the Lord saw fit to hide The ten lost tribes away, Thou, earth, was severed to provide The orb on which they stay."
early patriarch, Homer M. Brown, was asked about the Eliza R. Snow hymn. His answer includes a second-hand account that claims that the Prophet Joseph Smith supported the star theory. The direct quote below was taken from Robert W. Smith, The Last Days, Salt Lake City, Utah: Pyramid Press, 1947, p. 215.
"Brother Brown, will you give us some light and explanation of the 5th verse on page 386 of the Hymn book which formed another planet (sic), according to 'the Hymn of Eliza R. Snow.
"Yes, sir, I think I can answer your question. Sister Eliza R. Snow, in visiting my grandparents (Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Brown), was asked by my grandmother: 'Eliza where did you get your ideas about the Ten Lost Tribes being taken away as you explain in your wonderful hymn?
"She answered as follows: 'why, my husband (The Prophet Joseph Smith) told me about it.'
"Have you any other information that your grandfather ever gave you, as contained in any conversation with the Prophet Joseph Smith?
"I have! One evening in Nauvoo, just after dark, somebody rapped at the door vigorously. Grandfather said he was reading the Doctrine and Covenants. He rose hurriedly and answered the summons at the door, where he met the Prophet Joseph Smith.
"He said, 'Brother Brown, can you keep me over night, the mobs are after me?' Grandfather answered, 'Yes. Sir. It will not be the first time, come in.'
"'Al1 right,' the Prophet said, shutting the door quickly. He came in and sat down. Grandmother said: 'Brother Joseph, have you had your supper?'
"'No he answered, 'I have not.' So she prepared him a meal, and he ate it.
Afterward they were in conversation relative to the principles of the Gospel. During the conversation the ten lost tribes were mentioned. Grandfather said, 'Joseph, where are the ten tribes?' He said, "Come to the door and I will show you, come on Sister Brown, I want you both to see.'
"It being a starlight night the Prophet said: "Brother Brown, you show me the Polar Star?'" 'Yes sir,' he said, pointing to the North Star. 'There it is.' 'Yes, I know' said the Prophet, 'but which one? There are a lot of stars there.'
"Grandfather said: 'Can you see the points of the Dipper?' The Prophet answered, 'Yes,' 'Well," he said, "trace the pointers, pointing up to the largest star. That is the North Star.'
"The Prophet answered: 'You are correct. Now,' he said, pointing toward the star, 'do you discern a little twinkler to the right and below the Polar star, which we would judge to be about the distance of 20' from here?'
"Grandfather answered, 'Yes, sir.'
"The Prophet said: 'Sister Brown, do you see that star also?'
"Her answer was, 'Yes, sir.'
"'Very well then,' he said, 'Let's go in.' After re-entering the house the Prophet said: 'Brother Brown, I noticed when I came in that you were reading the Doctrine and Covenants. Will you kindly get it?'
"He did so. The Prophet turned to Section 133 and read, commencing at the 26th verse and through the 34th verse. He said, after reading the 31st verse, 'Now let me ask you what would cause the Everlasting Hills to tremble with more violence than the coming together of two planets. And the place whereon they reside will return to this earth. Now,' he said, 'Scientists will tell you that it is not scientific: that two planets corning together would be disastrous to both; but, when two planets or other objects are traveling in the same direction and one of them with a little greater velocity than the other, it would not be disastrous, because the one traveling faster would overtake the other. Now, that would cause the mountains of ice to melt quicker than the heat caused by the friction of the two planets coming together?' And then he asked the question. 'Did you ever see a meteor falling that was not red hot? So that would cause the mountains of ice to melt.'
"'And relative to the Great Highway ,which should be cast up when the planet returns to its place in the great Northern Waters, it will form a highway and waters will recede and roll back.' He continued, 'Now as to their coming back from the Northern Waters; they will return from the north because their planet will return to the place from whence it was taken.'
"Relative to the waters rolling back to the north. If you take a vessel of water and swing it rapidly around your head you won’t spill any, but if you stop the motion gradually, it will begin to pour out. Now,' he said, 'Brother Brown, at the present time this earth is rotating very rapidly. When this planet returns it will make the earth that much heavier, and it will then revolve slower, and that will account for the waters receding from the earth for a great while, but it has now turned and is proceeding rapidly eastward.'"
Saturday, July 2, 2011
OUR ELECTRIC AND MAGNETIC UNIVERSE
I have always been a fan of Velikovsky - partly because I like a guy that can depart from the opinion of the rest of the herd, and partly because his science has proved to be nearly completely spot on.
When I first grasped the concept of electrons orbiting a nucleus, I thought "That sounds just like us here on our little planet orbiting our sun.....". My mind went small and it went large on the scale of things and how all of God's creations are immense and unbounded in nature. So, by observing what is around us in space (our solar system), we then have the key to visualizing/finding out what quarks and other nano-particles must be like. Scale up, scale down - very simple. It may not be quite that easy - but it sure is fun to think about. Much like the scanning electron microscope images of the miniscule parasitic flea with even smaller yet parasites residing on its back, ad infinitum.
So, here is a little more mind-bending stuff (CLICK LINK)that gives Velikovsky's work a nod and possibly opens our minds a little more to what we may see in our near future as we get a stray "electron" entering our realm in the form of Elenin. It may be an electrifying experience as one of the signs of the opening of the 7th seal is the preaching to the inhabitants of the earth through thunderings and through lightnings.
A mighty sermon that will be!
Here is some more information on Velikovsky from the LDSFREEDOMFORUM website:
Re: NASA NOW GIVES CLUES ON ELENIN !!!!
When I first grasped the concept of electrons orbiting a nucleus, I thought "That sounds just like us here on our little planet orbiting our sun.....". My mind went small and it went large on the scale of things and how all of God's creations are immense and unbounded in nature. So, by observing what is around us in space (our solar system), we then have the key to visualizing/finding out what quarks and other nano-particles must be like. Scale up, scale down - very simple. It may not be quite that easy - but it sure is fun to think about. Much like the scanning electron microscope images of the miniscule parasitic flea with even smaller yet parasites residing on its back, ad infinitum.
So, here is a little more mind-bending stuff (CLICK LINK)that gives Velikovsky's work a nod and possibly opens our minds a little more to what we may see in our near future as we get a stray "electron" entering our realm in the form of Elenin. It may be an electrifying experience as one of the signs of the opening of the 7th seal is the preaching to the inhabitants of the earth through thunderings and through lightnings.
A mighty sermon that will be!
Here is some more information on Velikovsky from the LDSFREEDOMFORUM website:
Re: NASA NOW GIVES CLUES ON ELENIN !!!!
Postby SempiternalHarbinger » Sat Jun 18, 2011 4:44 pm
Any of the old timers here ever read the book called "WORLDS IN COLLISION by Immanuel Velikovsky?" It is truly fascinating and a book way ahead of it's time. Velikovsky does a controversial study which posits a cosmic history of planetary cataclysms. According to Velikovsky, these epic catastrophes geophysically altered earth, radically affecting even its magnetic polarity and solar orbit. The great MYTHOLOGIES of the world, in particular the story of the Hebrew EXODUS, are cited to substantiate the theory that Venus may have originally been a comet whose near-collision with earth was the Physical Agency (ascribed to God in The Torah/Old Testament)of the terrifying tribulation called THE TEN PALGUES:
The Russian-born scholar was a friend and colleague of Albert Einstein, a student of Freud's first pupil Wilhelm Stekel, and Israel's first practicing psychoanalyst. Some of his writings appeared in Freud's Imago. In 1930 he published the first paper to suggest that epileptics would be characterized by abnormal encephalograms. He was the founder and editor of the scholarly publication, Scripta Universitatis, the physics and mathematics section being prepared by Einstein.
It was while researching a book on Freud and his heroes that Velikovsky first wondered about the catastrophes said to have accompanied the Hebrew Exodus, when fire and hailstones rained upon Egypt, earthquakes decimated the nation, and a pillar of fire and smoke moved in the sky. Biblical and other traditional Hebrew sources speak so vividly that Velikovsky began to wonder if some extraordinary natural event might have played a part in the Exodus.
To explore this possibility, Velikovsky sought out a corresponding account in ancient Egyptian records, finding a remarkable parallel in a papyrus kept at the University of Leyden Museum, called the Papyrus Ipuwer. The document contains the lamentations of an Egyptian sage in response to a great catastrophe overwhelming Egypt, when the rivers ran red, fire blazed in the sky, and pestilence ravaged the land.
Velikovsky also encountered surprising parallels in Babylonian and Assyrian clay tablets, Vedic poems, Chinese epics, and North American Indian, Maya, Aztec, and Peruvian legends. From these remarkably similar accounts, he constructed a thesis of celestial catastrophe. He concluded that a very large body -- apparently a "comet" -- passed close enough to Earth to violently perturb its axis, as global earthquakes, wind and falling stone decimated early civilizations.
Before Velikovsky could complete his reconstruction, he had to resolve an enigma. He had found that in the accounts of far-flung cultures, the cometary agent of disaster was identified as a planet. And the closer he looked, the more clear it became to him that this planet was Venus: The converging ancient images include the Babylonian "torch-star" Venus and "bearded star" Venus, the Mexican "smoking star" Venus, the Peruvian "long-haired" star Venus, the Egyptian Great Star "scattering its flame in fire" and the widespread imagery of Venus as a flaming serpent or dragon in the sky. In each instance, the cometary language is undeniable, for these were the very symbols of "the comet" in the ancient languages.
By following the evidence, Velikovsky discovered that Venus holds a special place among the world's first astronomers. In both the Old World and the New, ancient stargazers regarded Venus with awe and terror, carefully observing its risings and settings, and claiming the planet to be the cause of world-ending catastrophe. These astronomical traditions, Velikovsky reasoned, must have had roots in a traumatic human experience, though modern science has always assumed that the planets evolved in quiet and undisturbed isolation over billions of years.
Based on extensive cross-cultural comparison, Velikovsky concluded that the planet Venus, prior to the dawn of recorded history, was ejected violently from the gas giant Jupiter, displaying a spectacular comet-like tail. Its later catastrophic approach to the Earth (around 1500 B.C.) provided the historical backdrop to the Hebrew Exodus, Velikovsky claimed.
In Worlds in Collision, Velikovsky argued that the terrifying "gods" of the ancient world were planets -- those inconspicuous specks of light we see moving with clock-like regularity, as if to deny their chaotic roles in the past. The book recounted two close encounters of the comet or protoplanet Venus with the Earth. Included in the same volume was a large section on the ancient war god, whom Velikovsky identified as the planet Mars. He claimed that centuries after the Venus catastrophes, Mars moved on an unstable orbit intersecting that of Earth, leading to a series of Earth-disturbing events in the eighth and seventh centuries B.C........
For many years after publication of Worlds in Collision, Velikovsky was persona non grata on college campuses. He was denied the opportunity to publish articles in scientific journals. When he attempted to respond to critical articles in such journals, they rejected these responses. The attitude of established science was typified by the reactions of astronomers. Michigan astronomer Dean McLaughlin exclaimed, "Lies -- yes lies." In response to a correspondent, astronomer Harold Urey, wrote: "My advice to you is to shut the book [Worlds in Collision] and never look at it again in your lifetime."
For Velikovsky, this was the beginning of a personal "dark age". But remarkably, his friendship with Albert Einstein was unaffected, and Einstein met with him often, maintaining an extended correspondence as well, encouraging Velikovksy to look past the misbehavior of the scientific elite. In discussion with Einstein, Velikovsky predicted that Jupiter would be found to emit radio noises, and he urged Einstein to use his influence to have Jupiter surveyed for radio emission, though Einstein himself disputed Velikovsky's reasoning. But in April 1955 radio noises were discovered from Jupiter, much to the surprise of scientists who had thought Jupiter was too cold and inactive to emit radio waves. That discovery led Einstein to agree to assist in developing other tests of Velikovsky's thesis. But the world's most prominent scientist died only a few weeks later.
Velikovsky expected other discoveries through space exploration. He claimed that the planet Venus would be found to be extremely hot, since in his reconstruction, the planet was "candescent" in historical times. His thesis also implied the likelihood of a massive Venusian atmosphere, residue of its former "cometary" tail. And he claimed that the Earth would be found to have a magnetosphere reaching at least to the moon, because he was convinced that in historical times the Earth exchanged electrical charge with other planetary bodies.
Arrival of the space age was a critical juncture for Velikovsky, as data returned from the Moon, from Mars, and from Venus begin to recast our views of these celestial bodies. In 1959, Dr. Van Allen discovered that the Earth has a magnetosphere. In the early sixties, scientists realized, much to their surprise, that the planet Venus has a surface temperature as high as 900 degrees Fahrenheit, hot enough to melt lead. "The temperature is much higher than anyone would have predicted," wrote Cornell Mayer.
Things grew more promising for Velikovsky. In 1962, two scientists, Valentin Bargmann, professor of physics at Princeton, and Lloyd Motz, professor of astronomy at Columbia, urged that Velikovsky's conclusions "be objectively re-examined." In support of this reconsideration, they cited his prior predictions about radio noises from Jupiter, the terrestrial magnetosphere, and an unexpectedly high temperature of Venus......
Here, on the other hand, is the opinion of the two authors of Thunderbolts of the Gods, each having investigated the thesis of Worlds in Collision for more than three decades. David Talbott and Wallace Thornhill write: "The authors of this book believe that Velikovsky was incorrect on many particulars, some of them crucial to a proper understanding of ancient events. But his place among the great pioneers of science will be secure if he was correct on the underlying tenets"
Talbott and Thornhill do not accept Velikovsky's specific chronology of events, and they place the age of planetary upheaval just prior to the flowering of monumental civilization, which they see as a creative act of human REMEMBERING. Rather than declare Velikovsky to be categorically "right" or "wrong", they cite these claims as crucial to any assessment of Velikovsky's contribution to science -
1. The present order of the planets is new. In geologically recent times the planetary system was unstable, and at least some planets moved on much different courses than they do today.
2. Erratic movements of the planets led to global catastrophe on Earth.
3. Through rigorous cross-cultural comparison of the ancient traditions, an investigator can reconstruct the celestial dramas.
One more principle must also be included, according to the authors. Velikovsky said that the key to reconciling his claims with scientific theory would be ELECTROMAGNETISM, a force in which astronomers and cosmologists had no interest in 1950. He stated that if the Sun and the planets are not the "electrically neutral" bodies astronomers assume, then even "the law of gravitation must come into question."
In the years since Velikovsky wrote these words, a new perspective has emerged from space age discovery. A universe teeming with charged particles-the "Electric Universe" of Wallace Thornhill and others -- is redefining everything we see in space. But you would not know this by listening to David Morrison, whose words still echo the electrically inactive, purely gravitational 1950's vision of the heavens.
The electrical theorists say that the picture of the universe has changed, and all of the theoretical sciences will give way to a revolution in human understanding. The authors of Thunderbolts of the Gods summarize the new view in these words:
"From the smallest particle to the largest galactic formation, a web of electrical circuitry connects and unifies all of nature, organizing galaxies, energizing stars, giving birth to planets and, on our own world, controlling weather and animating biological organisms. There are no isolated islands in an 'electric universe.'"
The confidence of the electrical theorists comes from the testability of the hypothesis. Its every component leads to implications and predictions that can be either confirmed or falsified through direct investigation. A comparison of this approach to that taken by David Morrison may be instructive, so let's go back to the "beginning," cosmically speaking:
You can read the rest of it at; The rest is a synopsis of the "electrical universe.
http://www.redicecreations.com/specialr ... ghost.html
“We shall … do well to discern the signs of the times as we pass along, that the day of the Lord may not ‘overtake us as a thief in the night.” Joseph Smith
Modern Signs
Joseph Smith's most profound and enlightening sermon on the signs of the last days, given on the temple grounds at Nauvoo in April, 1843, demonstrates his views of the origin and nature of those signs, as well as our ability to recognize them for what they are.
"There will be wars and rumors of wars, signs in the heavens above and on the earth beneath, the sun turned into darkness and the moon to blood, earthquakes in divers places, the seas heaving beyond their bounds; … " (History of the Church, 5:337.)
Of particular interest is his addition of a truly remarkable sign to the customary list — one to which Latter-day Saints should give special heed. "… then will appear one grand sign of the coming of the Son of Man in heaven." (Ibid.) This is clearly a reiteration of the Savior’s statement in Matthew 24 wherein he said, "And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven …."
Until this last dispensation of the gospel, no other prophet or passage of scripture had added the superlative "grand sign." Typically, all the signs are given equal weight or value; none is designated as special or more notable. Indeed, the only other mention is found in modern revelation wherein a slightly altered version of the term is used. Speaking of the last days, the Lord declared to Joseph in December 1842, "And immediately there shall appear a great sign in heaven, and all people shall see it together." (Doctrine & Covenants 88:93.)
Indeed, Joseph may have intended that this sermon, given a mere four months after the revelation recorded in Doctrine & Covenants, reaffirm and amplify on that revelation since Section 88 is remarkable for its catalog of latter-day signs.
On that occasion, Joseph continued his sermon by explaining what that marvelous sign might be. "What will the world do? They will say it is a planet, a comet, &c. 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. (Ibid.)
It is a stunning statement, when carefully considered. The greatest or grandest of signs will be a comet or planet. Assumably, this comet or planet will be doing something well out of the ordinary to attract special attention.
Note that the Prophet is not saying the world’s assessment is incorrect, as some have supposed. Rather, he is merely noting that the worldly or scientific terminology for this eye-catching sign would be "a planet, a comet, &c."
In light of what modern science has discovered in recent years about rogue comets and asteroids, this observation by Joseph Smith is striking. Mention of this great or grand sign is unique to this dispensation and is therefore worthy of special attention by Mormons — especially in light of what occurred in the heavens a decade ago.
http://mormonprophecy.blogspot.com/2008 ... signs.html
I advised all to search deeper and deeper into the mysteries of Godliness. (Joseph Smith, History of the Church 6:363.)
I also gave some instructions in the mysteries of the kingdom of God; such as the history of the planets, Abraham’s writings upon the planetary systems, etc. (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 118.)
“For all old things shall pass away, and all things shall become new, even the heaven and the earth, and all the fullness thereof, both men and beasts, the fowls of the air, and the fishes of the sea.” (D&C 29:23, 24.)
Also, “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. (Revelation 21:1.)
The lyrics of a hymn written by Eliza R. Snow. The hymn appears as no. 322 of the 1905 hymn book, 5th verse.
"And when the Lord saw fit to hide The ten lost tribes away, Thou, earth, was severed to provide The orb on which they stay."
early patriarch, Homer M. Brown, was asked about the Eliza R. Snow hymn. His answer includes a second-hand account that claims that the Prophet Joseph Smith supported the star theory. The direct quote below was taken from Robert W. Smith, The Last Days, Salt Lake City, Utah: Pyramid Press, 1947, p. 215.
"Brother Brown, will you give us some light and explanation of the 5th verse on page 386 of the Hymn book which formed another planet (sic), according to 'the Hymn of Eliza R. Snow.
"Yes, sir, I think I can answer your question. Sister Eliza R. Snow, in visiting my grandparents (Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Brown), was asked by my grandmother: 'Eliza where did you get your ideas about the Ten Lost Tribes being taken away as you explain in your wonderful hymn?
"She answered as follows: 'why, my husband (The Prophet Joseph Smith) told me about it.'
"Have you any other information that your grandfather ever gave you, as contained in any conversation with the Prophet Joseph Smith?
"I have! One evening in Nauvoo, just after dark, somebody rapped at the door vigorously. Grandfather said he was reading the Doctrine and Covenants. He rose hurriedly and answered the summons at the door, where he met the Prophet Joseph Smith.
"He said, 'Brother Brown, can you keep me over night, the mobs are after me?' Grandfather answered, 'Yes. Sir. It will not be the first time, come in.'
"'Al1 right,' the Prophet said, shutting the door quickly. He came in and sat down. Grandmother said: 'Brother Joseph, have you had your supper?'
"'No he answered, 'I have not.' So she prepared him a meal, and he ate it.
Afterward they were in conversation relative to the principles of the Gospel. During the conversation the ten lost tribes were mentioned. Grandfather said, 'Joseph, where are the ten tribes?' He said, "Come to the door and I will show you, come on Sister Brown, I want you both to see.'
"It being a starlight night the Prophet said: "Brother Brown, you show me the Polar Star?'" 'Yes sir,' he said, pointing to the North Star. 'There it is.' 'Yes, I know' said the Prophet, 'but which one? There are a lot of stars there.'
"Grandfather said: 'Can you see the points of the Dipper?' The Prophet answered, 'Yes,' 'Well," he said, "trace the pointers, pointing up to the largest star. That is the North Star.'
"The Prophet answered: 'You are correct. Now,' he said, pointing toward the star, 'do you discern a little twinkler to the right and below the Polar star, which we would judge to be about the distance of 20' from here?'
"Grandfather answered, 'Yes, sir.'
"The Prophet said: 'Sister Brown, do you see that star also?'
"Her answer was, 'Yes, sir.'
"'Very well then,' he said, 'Let's go in.' After re-entering the house the Prophet said: 'Brother Brown, I noticed when I came in that you were reading the Doctrine and Covenants. Will you kindly get it?'
"He did so. The Prophet turned to Section 133 and read, commencing at the 26th verse and through the 34th verse. He said, after reading the 31st verse, 'Now let me ask you what would cause the Everlasting Hills to tremble with more violence than the coming together of two planets. And the place whereon they reside will return to this earth. Now,' he said, 'Scientists will tell you that it is not scientific: that two planets corning together would be disastrous to both; but, when two planets or other objects are traveling in the same direction and one of them with a little greater velocity than the other, it would not be disastrous, because the one traveling faster would overtake the other. Now, that would cause the mountains of ice to melt quicker than the heat caused by the friction of the two planets coming together?' And then he asked the question. 'Did you ever see a meteor falling that was not red hot? So that would cause the mountains of ice to melt.'
"'And relative to the Great Highway ,which should be cast up when the planet returns to its place in the great Northern Waters, it will form a highway and waters will recede and roll back.' He continued, 'Now as to their coming back from the Northern Waters; they will return from the north because their planet will return to the place from whence it was taken.'
"Relative to the waters rolling back to the north. If you take a vessel of water and swing it rapidly around your head you won’t spill any, but if you stop the motion gradually, it will begin to pour out. Now,' he said, 'Brother Brown, at the present time this earth is rotating very rapidly. When this planet returns it will make the earth that much heavier, and it will then revolve slower, and that will account for the waters receding from the earth for a great while, but it has now turned and is proceeding rapidly eastward.'"
Sunday, May 22, 2011
THE COMET ELENIN
Well, we all know that according to Joseph Smith, there will be a "Grand Sign" of the coming of the Son of Man. He said the people of the earth will think it to be a comet or a planet or something like that.
So far, I cannot shoot holes in this (YouTube LINK) guy's theories.... This might qualify with all the markers of the Grand Sign - and it is exactly 22 years from then until 2033 (a half hour - of silence in the heavens according to Kolob's time is 22 years).
Very cool stuff... How's that food storage coming along? I may be on vacation on the east side of the Rockies around that time. For years now, I have been expecting that a large earthquake would devastate the Rocky Mtn region associated with the Jewish calendar Day of Atonement and then another within a few weeks after our LDS General Conference in October.... This one fits the bill baby.
This great reference to a scientific paper talks about the interplay between planets and earthquakes: CLICK HERE FOR LINK
So far, I cannot shoot holes in this (YouTube LINK) guy's theories.... This might qualify with all the markers of the Grand Sign - and it is exactly 22 years from then until 2033 (a half hour - of silence in the heavens according to Kolob's time is 22 years).
Very cool stuff... How's that food storage coming along? I may be on vacation on the east side of the Rockies around that time. For years now, I have been expecting that a large earthquake would devastate the Rocky Mtn region associated with the Jewish calendar Day of Atonement and then another within a few weeks after our LDS General Conference in October.... This one fits the bill baby.
This great reference to a scientific paper talks about the interplay between planets and earthquakes: CLICK HERE FOR LINK
IMMANUEL VELIKOVSKY - CATASTROPHIST EXTRAORDINAIRE
Anyone who has dug around on this blog for a while knows that I am a big fan of Velikovsky (CLICK LINK). He was intelligent and put alot of things together about interplanetary interplay and possible connections to Biblical events. His book was also open on the desk of Albert Einstein when he had slumped over and died. They were good friends.
I hope you take a moment to enjoy a little info about his life. You may find him well-quoted in coming times: VELIKOVSKY WIKIPEDIA
I hope you take a moment to enjoy a little info about his life. You may find him well-quoted in coming times: VELIKOVSKY WIKIPEDIA
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
VELIKOVSKI'S VINDICATION - PLANETS UPWARD MOVEMENT
People (within and without the Church) who mock what visionaries have said - things which can only be discerned by the Spirit and in the spirit of prophecy and revelation have dismissed many of the writings of Eliza R Snow - precisely because she was way too far ahead of them - and because their basal senses of things seen, heard, touched etc could not verify what she was saying.
Thus the stated purpose of this blog; which is to bring hidden things to light and verify where science is FINALLY catching up to revealed religion.
Here is something that backs her up 100% on hymn 323 of the 1897 (22nd Edition) Sacred Hymns and Spiritual Songs:
CLICK FOR LINK
This article about blew my mind and is just one of the heavy hitters that talks of Velikovsky and the things he was mocked for a mere 50-60 years ago: CLICK ON LINK HERE
SCIENCE FINALLY CATCHING UP WITH REVEALED RELIGION
Thus the stated purpose of this blog; which is to bring hidden things to light and verify where science is FINALLY catching up to revealed religion.
Here is something that backs her up 100% on hymn 323 of the 1897 (22nd Edition) Sacred Hymns and Spiritual Songs:
CLICK FOR LINK
This article about blew my mind and is just one of the heavy hitters that talks of Velikovsky and the things he was mocked for a mere 50-60 years ago: CLICK ON LINK HERE
SCIENCE FINALLY CATCHING UP WITH REVEALED RELIGION
Friday, March 11, 2011
JOSEPH SMITH AND RADICAL PLANETARY CONFIGURATIONS
Well, most of the stuff on this blog is just quotations and thinking from other people who are way ahead of me on certain topics. Here is yet another person that I think very highly of, Brother Anthony E. Larson. He is a follower of Velikovsky's thinking (and so am I) and I think Larson's work is 99% on and quite brilliant. I read the following blog article and have always wanted to put it together - but there is little else that I could add - and only half as eloquently....
Hope you enjoy:
http://mormonprophecy.blogspot.com/2008/11/gospel-connection.html
All of this goes along with my thinking of how diamond plumes are formed in the earth. Our geologists and scientists have done a pathetic job of explaining how they are formed - quite disappointing really. One more example of the wise and the learned rejecting the simple, plain and precious things. But that is another blog topic for another time.
Hope you enjoy:
http://mormonprophecy.blogspot.com/2008/11/gospel-connection.html
All of this goes along with my thinking of how diamond plumes are formed in the earth. Our geologists and scientists have done a pathetic job of explaining how they are formed - quite disappointing really. One more example of the wise and the learned rejecting the simple, plain and precious things. But that is another blog topic for another time.
Saturday, December 25, 2010
LARSEN'S ANIMATION OF THE GRAND SIGN OF THE COMING OF THE SON OF MAN
I hear the gamut from everyone who I let on about my passion about the Second Coming; "why worry", "I don't want to be alive - that is going to be too scary....", to "What do I need to do to be prepared for the Second Coming?".
What can I say - I just say follow the prophets and the gift of prophecy that ALL of God's children have/can have, and you will be just fine.
Here is some great stuff from Larsen on the Grand Sign before the coming of the Son of Man (see my blog piece on the comet Apophis):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaMkla0LXiA
Hope you enjoy!
What can I say - I just say follow the prophets and the gift of prophecy that ALL of God's children have/can have, and you will be just fine.
Here is some great stuff from Larsen on the Grand Sign before the coming of the Son of Man (see my blog piece on the comet Apophis):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaMkla0LXiA
Hope you enjoy!
Saturday, April 17, 2010
SIGNS OF THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST
There is very little in here that I can find to disagree with:
"THE SIGN" of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ
The scriptures speak of the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and the signs that will precede and accompany His arrival. These prophecies strike dread in the hearts of the wicked, promise hope for the saints and in the calm before the coming storm, generates feelings that range from anxiety to shear terror for everyone. How important are the signs of the times to those of us that live in the Last Days? Why did the Lord, even through His Old Testament prophets, provide lists of latter-day events and conditions as signs of His impending return? Are we to study these signs as part of the restored gospel? These modern day scriptures provide the answer.
D&C 45:38-39 Even so it shall be in that day when they shall see all these things, then shall they know that the hour is nigh. And it shall come to pass that he that feareth me shall be looking forth for the great day of the Lord to come, even for the signs of the coming of the Son of Man.
44 And then they shall look for me, and, behold, I will come; and they shall see me in the clouds of heaven, clothed with power and great glory; with all the holy angels; and he that watches not for me shall be cut off.
Some signs refer to the restoration of the Lord's church but most speak of frightful calamities that will affect the whole world. Some even focus on events that will drastically disrupt the lives of members of the Lord's church here in the Rocky Mountains. Signs of the Second Coming started a long time ago and are fast becoming current events. The following are quotes from early church leaders, including the prophet Joseph Smith, and scriptures, both ancient and modern, about the signs that the world will witness as the great day of the Lord draws nearer. First, a short review of the "last days" judgments pronounced upon this nation, included to set the stage for the main focus expressed in the title of this study. To set this stage I begin with words of the prophet Joseph Smith: "I will prophesy that the signs of the coming of the Son of Man are already commenced. One pestilence will desolate after another. We shall soon have war and bloodshed. The moon will be turned into blood. I testify of these things, and that the coming of the Son of Man is nigh, even at your doors. ...The time is soon coming when no man will have any peace but in Zion and her Stakes."
Mosiah Hancock recorded a prophetic statement made by Joseph Smith, 8 days before his martyrdom: "There will be two great political parties in this country. One will be called the Republican, and the other the Democrat party. These two parties will go to war and out of these two parties will spring another party which will be the Independent American Party. The United States will spend her strength and means warring in foreign lands until other nations will say, "let's divide up the lands of the United States..."And another related statement by the prophet: "...the land will be literally left without a supreme government and every species of wickedness will run rampant. Father will be against son, and son against father, mother against daughter, and daughter against mother. The most terrible scenes of murder and blood-shed and rapine that ever been looked upon will take place."
President Woodruff speaking of a time, still in our future, when all order in this nation will cease and mobs will begin to rule. The federal and state governments will literally cease to function.
"The judgments of God will now begin to rest more fully upon this nation and will be increased upon it, year by year. Calamities will come speedily upon it and it will be visited with thunder, lightning, storms, whirlwinds, floods, pestilence, plagues, war and devouring fire; the wicked will slay the wicked until the wicked are wasted away."
"Can you tell me where the people are who will be shielded and protected from these great calamities and judgments which are even now at our doors? I'll tell you. The priesthood of God who honor their priesthood and who are worthy of their blessings are the only ones who shall have this safety and protection. They are the only mortal beings. No other people have a right to be shielded from these judgments. They are at our doors; not even this people will escape them entirely."
President George Q. Cannon said: "You will see the day, and it is not far distant, when these mountains will be the stronghold of a free people, and when men will come here because the principles of the Constitution will be maintained here; and they will be protected in their political and religious rights." There will be no law and order; there will be confusion everywhere except here in the Rocky Mountains where the Church is headquartered. At first order will be maintained by the priesthood; there will be peace and security here while the rest of the nation destroys itself in anarchy. Because of this lawlessness, members of the church will not be the only ones that come to the Rocky Mountains seeking safety. George Q. Cannon, Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Orson Pratt, and Joseph Smith spoke to this fact.
Just prior to this time the call will go out for all Saints world wide to gather to the Rocky Mountains. Their instruction contained in D&C 133 will be "Let them, therefore, who are among the Gentiles flee unto Zion ...unto the mountains of the Lord's house. Go ye out from among the nations, even from Babylon, from the midst of wickedness, which is spiritual Babylon. But verily, thus saith the Lord, let not your flight be in haste, but let all things be prepared before you; and he that goeth, let him not look back lest sudden destruction shall come upon him." The Prophet Joseph Smith, speaking of the Saints that are called to gather to the Rocky Mountains gave this warning; "I prophecy, that that man who tarries after he has an opportunity of going, will be afflicted by the devil. Wars are at hand; we must not delay; but are not required to sacrifice. We ought to have the building up of Zion as our greatest object. When wars come, we shall have to flee to Zion. The cry is to make haste. ...They will follow the Saints of God from city to city."
Orson Pratt, speaking of the future of this nation, said: "it will be a war of neighborhood against neighborhood, city against city, town against town, county against county, state against state, and they will go forth, destroying and being destroyed and manufacturing will, in a great measure, cease, for a time among the American nation. Why? Because in these terrible wars, they will not be privileged to manufacture, there will be too much blood shed, too much mobocracy, too much going forth in bands and destroying and pillaging the land to suffer people to pursue any local vocation with any degree of safety. What will become of millions of the farmers upon that land? They will leave their farms and they will remain uncultivated, and they will flee before the ravages armies from place to place; and thus will they go forth burning and pillaging the whole country; and the great and powerful nation, now consisting of some forty millions of people, will be wasted away, unless they repent."
Brigham Young, speaking of this future gathering, to the Rocky Mountains, said; "An inland empire will be established in these valleys of the mountains, which will be a place of refuge for millions of people to gather to, when the great day of the judgments of God comes upon the earth, and the righteous come here for safety. Our people will go East, West, North, and South, but the day will come, when they will be glad to come back. We will be shut out from the rest of the world."
Another description of conditions in the United States is recorded in a vision attributed to Wilford Woodruff: "as I passed along upon my way east, I saw the road full of people, mostly women, with just what they could carry in bundles on their backs traveling to the mountains on foot. I wondered how they could get through with such a small pack on their back. It was remarkable to me that there were so few men among them. It did not seem to me as though the cars were running. The rails looked rusty and abandoned." Joseph Smith said: "You will be so numerous that you will be in danger of famine, but not for want of seed time and harvest, but because of so many to be fed. Many will come with bundles under their arms to escape the calamities, and there will be no escape except by fleeing to Zion."
With the Lord's church; the Kingdom of God was restored to the earth and has continued to grow within the church's organizational structure. According to the Prophet Joseph Smith the Kingdom of God is be a separate organization from the Church of God and will in the last days emerge as the presiding world government; the political arm of God on earth and will, eventually grow to hold worldwide dominion. Eventually, after the Kingdom has been established the church will turn its attention to reclaiming Zion and the return to Missouri for the building of the New Jerusalem.
Joseph F. Smith describes the journey in these words. "When God leads the people back to Jackson County, how will he do it? Let me picture to you how some of us may be gathered and led to Jackson County. I think I see two or three hundred thousand people wending their way across the great plains enduring the nameless hardships of the journey, herding and guarding their cattle by day and by night, and defending themselves and little ones from foes on the right hand and on the left, as when they came here. Note: the Law of Consecration (the United Order) will be established for this journey and for settling in Missouri.
The scriptures lists the numerous glorious and yet horrific calamities that will precede the second coming of Jesus Christ, but there is one all important sign referred to as THE sign of the Son of Man. Our understanding of what this sign will be, its symbolic meaning and how it will effect the world is key to seeing all other signs of the Second Coming from a correct perspective. The questions this study will address are: what will it be and when will we see it?
THE Sign:
The New Testament apostle; Matthew describes the appearance of THE sign as an event that will cause "all" to mourn:
"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.
Latter-day scripture teaches that everyone will see THE sign together:
"And immediately there shall appear a great sign in heaven, and all people shall see it together."
Joseph Smith said that Jerusalem and her temple must be built and the waters of the Dead Sea healed before the Lord returns and then spoke of THE sign: ..."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, etc. 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."
"For as the light of the morning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west, and covereth the whole earth, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be."
The symbol that is THE sign of the Second Coming will be something that "all people shall see ...together", and that will cause the people of the world to "say it is a planet".
A planet in our solar system, close enough for everyone to see together, or did these prophets mean something else? Parley P. Pratt, with information obviously received from the prophet, said: "We are nowhere given to understand that all the stars will fall or even many of them: but only "as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs when she is shaken with a mighty wind. The stars which will fall to the earth are fragments, which have been broken off from the earth from time to time, in the mighty convulsions of nature. Some in the days of Enoch, some perhaps in the days of Peleg, some with the ten tribes, and some at the crucifixion of the Messiah. These all must be restored again at the "times of restitution of all things." This will restore the ten tribes of Israel; and also bring again Zion, even Enoch's city. It will bring back the tree of life which is the midst of the paradise of God: that you and I may partake of it. When these fragments, (some of which are vastly larger than the present earth) are brought back and joined to this earth, it will cause a convulsion of all nature: the graves of the saints will be opened, and they rise from the dead; while the mountains will flow down, the vallies rise, the sea retire to it's own place, the islands and continents ill be removed, and earth be rolled together like a scroll. The earth will be many times larger than it is now." (Millennial Star, Vol. 1)
A similar statement, by Wilford Woodruff, also originating with Joseph Smith, reads: "Joseph also said that when the city of Enoch fled and was translated, it was where the Gulf of Mexico now is; it left that gulf a body of water."
Section 45 of the Doctrine and Covenants says: "And they shall see signs and wonders, for they shall be shown forth in the heavens above... if THE sign is to be a planet, what will be this heavenly wonder's affect upon the earth, its gravity, its oceans?
D&C 133: 23 "He shall command the great deep, and it shall be driven back into the north countries, and the islands shall become one land; ...and the earth shall be like as it was in the days before it was divided." foot note: Gen 10: 25 "...Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided;"
Orson Pratt makes reference to the division of the earth in the days of Peleg, a division that will be reversed with the restitution of all things: "Many changes were made upon the earth in the days of Enoch; and no doubt the flood occasioned still greater; but we must look to the days of Peleg for the division of the earth into continents and islands, and the letting in of the waters upon the equatorial regions," (The Seer, vol. II)
"Letting in the waters", brings to mind the question: from where? The only force that could possibly drive and then hold earth's oceans at the North Pole, both in the day of Peleg and again at a future date, is gravity. Remember this will be part of the "times of restitution of all things" and that it will require gravity generated by a planet of sufficient size and that is relatively close to the earth. Peleg; a grandson of Shem; Noah's son, lived on the earth at the time that the world's oceans long held at the north pole were released, causing what had to have been a flood second only to the flood of Noah. "like it was before it was divided" means that the earth as we know it will change drastically with the restoration of this sign to its place above the earth. Does "the earth divided" mean that half of it separated itself and moved to another location? Bathsheba W. Smith, wife of President George A. Smith wrote in her " Recollections of the Prophet Joseph Smith": "I heard him say; Peradventure, the Ten Tribes were not on this globe, but a portion of this earth cleaved off with them, went flying into space, and when the earth reels to and fro like a drunken man, and the stars from heaven fall, it would join on again." (Juvenile Instructor Vol. 27 - June 1892}
Oceans "driven back into the north countries" and then held at the North Pole, may be the cause of what John Taylor saw in a vision: "I seemed to be standing on the west bank of the Missouri River opposite the City of Independence, but I saw no city. I saw the whole states of Missouri and Illinois and part of Iowa were a complete wilderness with no living human being in them" If it is gravity that pulls "the great deep ...back into the north countries," the water presently filling the Gulf of Mexico would move northward, as the object generating the gravitation pull moves closer and closer. This would literally sweep Missouri and its neighboring states clean of all inhabitants.
Heber C. Kimball: "Missouri will be swept so clean of it's inhabitants that, as President Young tells us, when we return to that place, 'there will not be left so much as a yellow dog to wag his tail.' "
We have, from a list of scriptures and inspired teachings, established that the whole world will see "one grand sign of the Son of Man in heaven", that it will appear to be "a planet", that it will be one the "fragments, which have been broken off from the earth" some time in the distant past, that "the great deep"; the oceans, "shall be driven back into the north countries", and that "the whole states of Missouri and Illinois": will consequently have "no living human being in them."
The vision painted here is mind-boggling, but it lends understanding to several scriptures like this one in Revelation 6. These verses describe a scene so terrifying that it will cause "the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man" to hide "in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains" and to wish they could call for "the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:" In the preceding verses we learn that this fear follows "a great earthquake" of such immense magnitude that it will cause "every mountain and island were moved out of their places." In a catastrophe of this magnitude people would be busy rescuing the injured, clearing the rubble, and rebuilding damaged structures. There would be many survival concerns, but the scripture speaks of hiding. Will this sign that has drawn the oceans to the North Pole, swept the population off the mid American states, and caused an earthquake to end all earthquakes still be ominously perched overhead? Will this scene be taken to be, "the face of him that sitteth on the throne;" the Lord?
Another example worth considering is: the motive of the builders of the tower of Babel. Remember we're speaking of restoring to the earth portions that were removed anciently. First read Genesis 11:4, look into the sky, and ask yourself: would anyone really convince themselves that they could "build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven" without being able to see their destination. Now, picture the sky with THE sign near enough for its gravitational pull to hold the oceans at the North Pole and ask your self the same question. Orson F. Whitney in 1889 said: "This sounds, indeed, like a fairy tale ...intelligent enough to build a great tower of which the world has not since seen the counterpart, ...could cherish the idea that they could actually reach the sun, moon, or one of the stars, simply by piling brick upon brick and stone upon stone. But the Prophet Joseph Smith, whose mission it was to shed light upon the darkness of this generation, is said to have declared that it was not their intention to reach heaven, but to reach Zion, which was then suspended in mid-air, between heaven and earth, or at such a height as to render the project feasible".
Elder Joseph Young of the First Council of the Seventy and the brother of Brigham Young, claimed to have learned the following from Joseph Smith himself: "...Enoch and his people, with the city which they occupied, and the foundations on which it stood, with a large piece of earth immediately connected with the foundations and the city, had assumed an aerial position within the limits of our solar system..." Another student of the prophet, Orson Pratt noted: "The descendants of Noah not having faith sufficient to be caught up into Zion, concluded to build a tower sufficiently high to get there without being under the necessity of receiving a translation. From this it appears that the early descendants of Noah had an idea that Zion was located somewhere near the earth." (The Seer, Vol. II)
To generate a picture of this scene in our mind we have to consider the moon's size, it's proximity to the earth, and it's minimal tidal influence upon earth's oceans. Then try to imagine a globe of sufficient size and position to lift and hold all the earth's sea-water at the North Pole. This scene will also help us understand why a scroll was used as a scriptural symbol of the restitution of the earth to its pre-flood paradisiacal condition. We can easily picture, in our minds eye, another planet and the earth as they roll toward each other across the immensity of space and envision a scroll, seen from the end, being rolled together.
Isaiah 34:4 ...the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll
Revelation 6:14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
3 Nephi 26:3 ...the earth should be wrapt together as a scroll
Mormon 5:23 ...at his great command the earth shall be rolled together as a scroll
Mormon 9:2 ...that gporeat day when the earth shall be rolled together as a scroll
According to the prophet Joseph Smith THE sign of the second coming of Jesus Christ will be the Lost Ten Tribes of Israel returning to the earth and Orson Pratt, of another similar event, wrote: "This city will, most probably, not rest upon the earth but hover over it... This proves that there will be a glorified place above the surface of the earth... The Zion of Enoch, therefore, will probably be very near the earth, located over the American continent where it was anciently built; and most likely, will partake of the diurnal and annual revolutions of the earth, so as not to change it's relative position in regard to the western hemisphere of our planet."
In a statement above, the Apostle Parley P. Pratt spoke about "fragments... broken off from the earth" returning during the restitution of all things. He spoke not just about the City "of Enoch" but also of the lost "ten tribes." In an article published in the March 1892 Young Woman's Journal, O. B. Huntington, an intimate associate of the Prophet Joseph Smith and a Patriarch in Springville, Utah mentioned that the earth had two wings and drew them as semi-circles giving the earth the appearance of having polar elongations. Another friend, and onetime bodyguard of the Prophet, Philo Dibble is said to have received a diagram from the Prophet in 1842, which indicated the arrangement of this earth as a triple planet, at the time when the Ten Tribes were directed to the northern sphere.
The scene we are considering lends understanding to and makes it easier to picture the ten tribes traveling from the northern axis of the earth to the American continent. D&C 133 is describing a melting ice cap, is it melting because it will be covered by "the great deep"?
Verse 26: And they who are in the north countries shall come... ...and they shall smite the rocks, and the ice shall flow down at their presence. 27 And an highway shall be cast up in the midst of the great deep.
A "restitution of all things" would, of course, return the earth to its pre-flood condition. Something, not here now, will transform the climate and environment of the earth into a terrarium-like condition.
Genesis 2 ...the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground. But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.
These are just a few examples, there are others that when considered under the light of the vision suggested above become clearer, easier to picture in our mind.
Revelation 8 ...a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; ...and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, ...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.
In this study we have established that THE sign of the second coming of Jesus Christ will be a now hidden planet moving into a position very close to the earth. The next question we will address is: when will all the earth see THE sign.
Several scriptures link the common elements of the appearance of THE sign to one frightful event in the future; the battle of Armageddon. Near the end of a three and half year siege upon the city of Jerusalem the Savior, even Jesus the Christ, will come to the rescue of the Jews. According to Zechariah: "the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle." The Old Testament prophet then outlines a couple of things about the day of the rescue that tie this scripture to other prophesies about this event: "And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.
Though not emphasized as such, to consider the breaking of the Mount of Olives down the middle with the opposing halves moving away from each other, creating "a very great valley," to be just another earthquake is probably a bit of an understatement. The book of Revelation, again speaking of "a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon" describes the magnitude of the earthquake, along with "voices, and thunders and lightening," as a "great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty and earthquake, and so great" and concludes with "every island fled away and the mountains were not found." This earthquake to end all earthquakes will be caused by the same gravitation pull that will drive the seas of the world back to the "north countries." It will, by lifting and then releasing the rotating earth's upper crust; similar to the moon's tidal influence on the oceans of the world, level every mountain range on the planet, thus returning the surface of the earth to its original mountain-less condition. Genesis 7 says that the flood waters were just fifteen cubits; less than 25 foot deep: "and the mountains were covered." Ezekiel 38 described in specific detail the destruction to be caused by the earthquake resulting from the appearance of THE sign: "at the same time, when "Gog shall come against the land of Israel, ...there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel; So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground."
Zechariah continues with a second element unique to this prophesied event: "...And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark: But it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light." Modern day scripture, section 88 of the Doctrine and Covenants, weaves the prophesied elements of the great battle Armageddon and the appearance of the Savior on the Mount of Olives into the appearance of THE sign of His Coming and the associated earthquake in these words: "For not many days hence and the earth shall tremble and reel to and fro as a drunken man; and the sun shall hide his face, and shall refuse to give light; ...earthquakes, that shall cause groanings in the midst of her, and men shall fall upon the ground and shall not be able to stand. ...And all things shall be in commotion; and surely, men's hearts shall fail them; for fear shall come upon all people. ...And immediately there shall appear a great sign in heaven, and all people shall see it together.
With a picture of THE sign in your mind read: Isaiah. 60:19-20; The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the LORD shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.
Will THE sign be self-luminous or perhaps reflective like a moon, will it partially obscure the light of the sun and moon?
Zech. 14:7 But it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light. 8 And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.
Section 88 describes what will happen following the appearance of THE "great sign in heaven" that "all people shall see ...together" "And there shall be silence in heaven for the space of half an hour; and immediately after shall the curtain of heaven be unfolded, as a scroll is unfolded after it is rolled up, and the face of the Lord shall be unveiled; And the saints that are upon the earth, who are alive, shall be quickened and be caught up to meet him. And they who have slept in their graves shall come forth, for their graves shall be opened; and they also shall be caught up to meet him ...They are Christ's, the first fruits,"
This is of course, speaking of the Coming of Jesus Christ in power and glory and the morning of the first resurrection when the saints, both the living and the resurrected dead will be caught up to meet him and then descend with Him. This appearance however, will not occur when Christ comes to Jerusalem to rescue the Jews. Section 88's "...half an hour" sounds like the Second Coming of the Savior will happen a short time after He makes His appearance upon the Mount of Olive until we remember: "that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." Half an hour of a thousand year day is about twenty one years which will allow ample time, after the battle, for the chores prophesied by the Old Testament prophet Ezekiel to be performed.
Ezek. 39:8-21 Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord GOD; this is the day whereof I have spoken. And they that dwell in the cities of Israel shall go forth, and shall set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and the bucklers, the bows and the arrows, and the handstaves, and the spears, and they shall burn them with fire seven years: So that they shall take no wood out of the field, neither cut down any out of the forests; for they shall burn the weapons with fire: and they shall spoil those that spoiled them, and rob those that robbed them, saith the Lord God. And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog a place there of graves in Israel, the valley of the passengers on the east of the sea: and it shall stop the noses of the passengers: and there shall they bury Gog and all his multitude: and they shall call it The valley of Hamon-gog. And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land. ...And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them.
Taking a chronological step backward: before Christ makes His appearance at the climactic conclusion of the Battle of Armageddon, Gog; the modern day Russia, from "out of the north parts", will mount a siege; the abomination of desolation, upon the city of Jerusalem that will last three and a half years:
Dan. 12 ...and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time (battle of Armageddon): and at that time thy people shall be delivered (by Jesus Christ upon the Mount of Olives), ...And one said ...How long shall it be to the end of these wonders? And I heard the man clothed in linen, ...it shall be for a time, times, and an half (3 ½ years); and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people (Israel), all these things shall be finished.
Dan. 12:11 And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days (3 ½ years).
special note: verse 12 tells when the Savior will make His appearance: Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days. (3 ½ years plus 45 days)
Rev. 11:2 But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months (3 ½ years).
Rev. 13:4-5 And they (people of the world) worshipped the dragon (the devil) which gave power unto the beast (McConkie - government): and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months (3 ½ years)
"Gog" with "Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya ...will think an evil thought;" and "in the latter years ...come into the land ...against the mountain of Israel, ...to the land of unwalled villiages; ...to carry away silver and gold." This assault will turn into a 1,290 day; 42 month; three and a half year campaign; the "abomination of desolation" and will conclude 45 days later with the appearance of the Savior Jesus Christ in Jerusalem at which time an earthquake will literally level every mountain range on the earth and all men worldwide will witness the appearance of THE sign of the His Second Coming. This milestone event will be followed by a twenty one year "half an hour," then and only then will the world witness the long awaited second coming of Jesus Christ to reign upon the earth for a thousand years.
In conclusion, referencing again the restitution of all things before the Second Coming: in an interview of Homer Brown of the Forest Dale ward, Granite Stake: "Brother Brown, can you give us some light and explanation of the fifth verse ...which speaks of the Ten Tribes of Israel on part of the earth which now forms another planet, according to the composer, Eliza R. Snow?"
Eliza R. Snow a wife of the prophet wrote this poem:
"And when the Lord saw fit to hide
The ten lost tribes away,
Thou, earth, was severed to provide
The orb on which they stay."
And thus, from time to time, thy size
Has been diminished til
Thou seemest the law of sacrifice
Created to fulfill.
A "restitution" yet must come,
That will to thee restore,
By that grand law of worlds, thy sum
Of matter heretofore.
"Yes, sir, I think I can-I think I can answer that question. Sister Eliza R. Snow, when visiting my grand parents, was asked by my grandmother: "Eliza, where did you get your idea about the Ten Lost Tribes being taken as you explained in your hymn on page 386 of the Hymn Book?" She answered as follows, "Why, my husband, the Prophet Joseph told me about it."
"THE SIGN" of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ
The scriptures speak of the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and the signs that will precede and accompany His arrival. These prophecies strike dread in the hearts of the wicked, promise hope for the saints and in the calm before the coming storm, generates feelings that range from anxiety to shear terror for everyone. How important are the signs of the times to those of us that live in the Last Days? Why did the Lord, even through His Old Testament prophets, provide lists of latter-day events and conditions as signs of His impending return? Are we to study these signs as part of the restored gospel? These modern day scriptures provide the answer.
D&C 45:38-39 Even so it shall be in that day when they shall see all these things, then shall they know that the hour is nigh. And it shall come to pass that he that feareth me shall be looking forth for the great day of the Lord to come, even for the signs of the coming of the Son of Man.
44 And then they shall look for me, and, behold, I will come; and they shall see me in the clouds of heaven, clothed with power and great glory; with all the holy angels; and he that watches not for me shall be cut off.
Some signs refer to the restoration of the Lord's church but most speak of frightful calamities that will affect the whole world. Some even focus on events that will drastically disrupt the lives of members of the Lord's church here in the Rocky Mountains. Signs of the Second Coming started a long time ago and are fast becoming current events. The following are quotes from early church leaders, including the prophet Joseph Smith, and scriptures, both ancient and modern, about the signs that the world will witness as the great day of the Lord draws nearer. First, a short review of the "last days" judgments pronounced upon this nation, included to set the stage for the main focus expressed in the title of this study. To set this stage I begin with words of the prophet Joseph Smith: "I will prophesy that the signs of the coming of the Son of Man are already commenced. One pestilence will desolate after another. We shall soon have war and bloodshed. The moon will be turned into blood. I testify of these things, and that the coming of the Son of Man is nigh, even at your doors. ...The time is soon coming when no man will have any peace but in Zion and her Stakes."
Mosiah Hancock recorded a prophetic statement made by Joseph Smith, 8 days before his martyrdom: "There will be two great political parties in this country. One will be called the Republican, and the other the Democrat party. These two parties will go to war and out of these two parties will spring another party which will be the Independent American Party. The United States will spend her strength and means warring in foreign lands until other nations will say, "let's divide up the lands of the United States..."And another related statement by the prophet: "...the land will be literally left without a supreme government and every species of wickedness will run rampant. Father will be against son, and son against father, mother against daughter, and daughter against mother. The most terrible scenes of murder and blood-shed and rapine that ever been looked upon will take place."
President Woodruff speaking of a time, still in our future, when all order in this nation will cease and mobs will begin to rule. The federal and state governments will literally cease to function.
"The judgments of God will now begin to rest more fully upon this nation and will be increased upon it, year by year. Calamities will come speedily upon it and it will be visited with thunder, lightning, storms, whirlwinds, floods, pestilence, plagues, war and devouring fire; the wicked will slay the wicked until the wicked are wasted away."
"Can you tell me where the people are who will be shielded and protected from these great calamities and judgments which are even now at our doors? I'll tell you. The priesthood of God who honor their priesthood and who are worthy of their blessings are the only ones who shall have this safety and protection. They are the only mortal beings. No other people have a right to be shielded from these judgments. They are at our doors; not even this people will escape them entirely."
President George Q. Cannon said: "You will see the day, and it is not far distant, when these mountains will be the stronghold of a free people, and when men will come here because the principles of the Constitution will be maintained here; and they will be protected in their political and religious rights." There will be no law and order; there will be confusion everywhere except here in the Rocky Mountains where the Church is headquartered. At first order will be maintained by the priesthood; there will be peace and security here while the rest of the nation destroys itself in anarchy. Because of this lawlessness, members of the church will not be the only ones that come to the Rocky Mountains seeking safety. George Q. Cannon, Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Orson Pratt, and Joseph Smith spoke to this fact.
Just prior to this time the call will go out for all Saints world wide to gather to the Rocky Mountains. Their instruction contained in D&C 133 will be "Let them, therefore, who are among the Gentiles flee unto Zion ...unto the mountains of the Lord's house. Go ye out from among the nations, even from Babylon, from the midst of wickedness, which is spiritual Babylon. But verily, thus saith the Lord, let not your flight be in haste, but let all things be prepared before you; and he that goeth, let him not look back lest sudden destruction shall come upon him." The Prophet Joseph Smith, speaking of the Saints that are called to gather to the Rocky Mountains gave this warning; "I prophecy, that that man who tarries after he has an opportunity of going, will be afflicted by the devil. Wars are at hand; we must not delay; but are not required to sacrifice. We ought to have the building up of Zion as our greatest object. When wars come, we shall have to flee to Zion. The cry is to make haste. ...They will follow the Saints of God from city to city."
Orson Pratt, speaking of the future of this nation, said: "it will be a war of neighborhood against neighborhood, city against city, town against town, county against county, state against state, and they will go forth, destroying and being destroyed and manufacturing will, in a great measure, cease, for a time among the American nation. Why? Because in these terrible wars, they will not be privileged to manufacture, there will be too much blood shed, too much mobocracy, too much going forth in bands and destroying and pillaging the land to suffer people to pursue any local vocation with any degree of safety. What will become of millions of the farmers upon that land? They will leave their farms and they will remain uncultivated, and they will flee before the ravages armies from place to place; and thus will they go forth burning and pillaging the whole country; and the great and powerful nation, now consisting of some forty millions of people, will be wasted away, unless they repent."
Brigham Young, speaking of this future gathering, to the Rocky Mountains, said; "An inland empire will be established in these valleys of the mountains, which will be a place of refuge for millions of people to gather to, when the great day of the judgments of God comes upon the earth, and the righteous come here for safety. Our people will go East, West, North, and South, but the day will come, when they will be glad to come back. We will be shut out from the rest of the world."
Another description of conditions in the United States is recorded in a vision attributed to Wilford Woodruff: "as I passed along upon my way east, I saw the road full of people, mostly women, with just what they could carry in bundles on their backs traveling to the mountains on foot. I wondered how they could get through with such a small pack on their back. It was remarkable to me that there were so few men among them. It did not seem to me as though the cars were running. The rails looked rusty and abandoned." Joseph Smith said: "You will be so numerous that you will be in danger of famine, but not for want of seed time and harvest, but because of so many to be fed. Many will come with bundles under their arms to escape the calamities, and there will be no escape except by fleeing to Zion."
With the Lord's church; the Kingdom of God was restored to the earth and has continued to grow within the church's organizational structure. According to the Prophet Joseph Smith the Kingdom of God is be a separate organization from the Church of God and will in the last days emerge as the presiding world government; the political arm of God on earth and will, eventually grow to hold worldwide dominion. Eventually, after the Kingdom has been established the church will turn its attention to reclaiming Zion and the return to Missouri for the building of the New Jerusalem.
Joseph F. Smith describes the journey in these words. "When God leads the people back to Jackson County, how will he do it? Let me picture to you how some of us may be gathered and led to Jackson County. I think I see two or three hundred thousand people wending their way across the great plains enduring the nameless hardships of the journey, herding and guarding their cattle by day and by night, and defending themselves and little ones from foes on the right hand and on the left, as when they came here. Note: the Law of Consecration (the United Order) will be established for this journey and for settling in Missouri.
The scriptures lists the numerous glorious and yet horrific calamities that will precede the second coming of Jesus Christ, but there is one all important sign referred to as THE sign of the Son of Man. Our understanding of what this sign will be, its symbolic meaning and how it will effect the world is key to seeing all other signs of the Second Coming from a correct perspective. The questions this study will address are: what will it be and when will we see it?
THE Sign:
The New Testament apostle; Matthew describes the appearance of THE sign as an event that will cause "all" to mourn:
"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.
Latter-day scripture teaches that everyone will see THE sign together:
"And immediately there shall appear a great sign in heaven, and all people shall see it together."
Joseph Smith said that Jerusalem and her temple must be built and the waters of the Dead Sea healed before the Lord returns and then spoke of THE sign: ..."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, etc. 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."
"For as the light of the morning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west, and covereth the whole earth, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be."
The symbol that is THE sign of the Second Coming will be something that "all people shall see ...together", and that will cause the people of the world to "say it is a planet".
A planet in our solar system, close enough for everyone to see together, or did these prophets mean something else? Parley P. Pratt, with information obviously received from the prophet, said: "We are nowhere given to understand that all the stars will fall or even many of them: but only "as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs when she is shaken with a mighty wind. The stars which will fall to the earth are fragments, which have been broken off from the earth from time to time, in the mighty convulsions of nature. Some in the days of Enoch, some perhaps in the days of Peleg, some with the ten tribes, and some at the crucifixion of the Messiah. These all must be restored again at the "times of restitution of all things." This will restore the ten tribes of Israel; and also bring again Zion, even Enoch's city. It will bring back the tree of life which is the midst of the paradise of God: that you and I may partake of it. When these fragments, (some of which are vastly larger than the present earth) are brought back and joined to this earth, it will cause a convulsion of all nature: the graves of the saints will be opened, and they rise from the dead; while the mountains will flow down, the vallies rise, the sea retire to it's own place, the islands and continents ill be removed, and earth be rolled together like a scroll. The earth will be many times larger than it is now." (Millennial Star, Vol. 1)
A similar statement, by Wilford Woodruff, also originating with Joseph Smith, reads: "Joseph also said that when the city of Enoch fled and was translated, it was where the Gulf of Mexico now is; it left that gulf a body of water."
Section 45 of the Doctrine and Covenants says: "And they shall see signs and wonders, for they shall be shown forth in the heavens above... if THE sign is to be a planet, what will be this heavenly wonder's affect upon the earth, its gravity, its oceans?
D&C 133: 23 "He shall command the great deep, and it shall be driven back into the north countries, and the islands shall become one land; ...and the earth shall be like as it was in the days before it was divided." foot note: Gen 10: 25 "...Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided;"
Orson Pratt makes reference to the division of the earth in the days of Peleg, a division that will be reversed with the restitution of all things: "Many changes were made upon the earth in the days of Enoch; and no doubt the flood occasioned still greater; but we must look to the days of Peleg for the division of the earth into continents and islands, and the letting in of the waters upon the equatorial regions," (The Seer, vol. II)
"Letting in the waters", brings to mind the question: from where? The only force that could possibly drive and then hold earth's oceans at the North Pole, both in the day of Peleg and again at a future date, is gravity. Remember this will be part of the "times of restitution of all things" and that it will require gravity generated by a planet of sufficient size and that is relatively close to the earth. Peleg; a grandson of Shem; Noah's son, lived on the earth at the time that the world's oceans long held at the north pole were released, causing what had to have been a flood second only to the flood of Noah. "like it was before it was divided" means that the earth as we know it will change drastically with the restoration of this sign to its place above the earth. Does "the earth divided" mean that half of it separated itself and moved to another location? Bathsheba W. Smith, wife of President George A. Smith wrote in her " Recollections of the Prophet Joseph Smith": "I heard him say; Peradventure, the Ten Tribes were not on this globe, but a portion of this earth cleaved off with them, went flying into space, and when the earth reels to and fro like a drunken man, and the stars from heaven fall, it would join on again." (Juvenile Instructor Vol. 27 - June 1892}
Oceans "driven back into the north countries" and then held at the North Pole, may be the cause of what John Taylor saw in a vision: "I seemed to be standing on the west bank of the Missouri River opposite the City of Independence, but I saw no city. I saw the whole states of Missouri and Illinois and part of Iowa were a complete wilderness with no living human being in them" If it is gravity that pulls "the great deep ...back into the north countries," the water presently filling the Gulf of Mexico would move northward, as the object generating the gravitation pull moves closer and closer. This would literally sweep Missouri and its neighboring states clean of all inhabitants.
Heber C. Kimball: "Missouri will be swept so clean of it's inhabitants that, as President Young tells us, when we return to that place, 'there will not be left so much as a yellow dog to wag his tail.' "
We have, from a list of scriptures and inspired teachings, established that the whole world will see "one grand sign of the Son of Man in heaven", that it will appear to be "a planet", that it will be one the "fragments, which have been broken off from the earth" some time in the distant past, that "the great deep"; the oceans, "shall be driven back into the north countries", and that "the whole states of Missouri and Illinois": will consequently have "no living human being in them."
The vision painted here is mind-boggling, but it lends understanding to several scriptures like this one in Revelation 6. These verses describe a scene so terrifying that it will cause "the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man" to hide "in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains" and to wish they could call for "the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:" In the preceding verses we learn that this fear follows "a great earthquake" of such immense magnitude that it will cause "every mountain and island were moved out of their places." In a catastrophe of this magnitude people would be busy rescuing the injured, clearing the rubble, and rebuilding damaged structures. There would be many survival concerns, but the scripture speaks of hiding. Will this sign that has drawn the oceans to the North Pole, swept the population off the mid American states, and caused an earthquake to end all earthquakes still be ominously perched overhead? Will this scene be taken to be, "the face of him that sitteth on the throne;" the Lord?
Another example worth considering is: the motive of the builders of the tower of Babel. Remember we're speaking of restoring to the earth portions that were removed anciently. First read Genesis 11:4, look into the sky, and ask yourself: would anyone really convince themselves that they could "build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven" without being able to see their destination. Now, picture the sky with THE sign near enough for its gravitational pull to hold the oceans at the North Pole and ask your self the same question. Orson F. Whitney in 1889 said: "This sounds, indeed, like a fairy tale ...intelligent enough to build a great tower of which the world has not since seen the counterpart, ...could cherish the idea that they could actually reach the sun, moon, or one of the stars, simply by piling brick upon brick and stone upon stone. But the Prophet Joseph Smith, whose mission it was to shed light upon the darkness of this generation, is said to have declared that it was not their intention to reach heaven, but to reach Zion, which was then suspended in mid-air, between heaven and earth, or at such a height as to render the project feasible".
Elder Joseph Young of the First Council of the Seventy and the brother of Brigham Young, claimed to have learned the following from Joseph Smith himself: "...Enoch and his people, with the city which they occupied, and the foundations on which it stood, with a large piece of earth immediately connected with the foundations and the city, had assumed an aerial position within the limits of our solar system..." Another student of the prophet, Orson Pratt noted: "The descendants of Noah not having faith sufficient to be caught up into Zion, concluded to build a tower sufficiently high to get there without being under the necessity of receiving a translation. From this it appears that the early descendants of Noah had an idea that Zion was located somewhere near the earth." (The Seer, Vol. II)
To generate a picture of this scene in our mind we have to consider the moon's size, it's proximity to the earth, and it's minimal tidal influence upon earth's oceans. Then try to imagine a globe of sufficient size and position to lift and hold all the earth's sea-water at the North Pole. This scene will also help us understand why a scroll was used as a scriptural symbol of the restitution of the earth to its pre-flood paradisiacal condition. We can easily picture, in our minds eye, another planet and the earth as they roll toward each other across the immensity of space and envision a scroll, seen from the end, being rolled together.
Isaiah 34:4 ...the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll
Revelation 6:14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
3 Nephi 26:3 ...the earth should be wrapt together as a scroll
Mormon 5:23 ...at his great command the earth shall be rolled together as a scroll
Mormon 9:2 ...that gporeat day when the earth shall be rolled together as a scroll
According to the prophet Joseph Smith THE sign of the second coming of Jesus Christ will be the Lost Ten Tribes of Israel returning to the earth and Orson Pratt, of another similar event, wrote: "This city will, most probably, not rest upon the earth but hover over it... This proves that there will be a glorified place above the surface of the earth... The Zion of Enoch, therefore, will probably be very near the earth, located over the American continent where it was anciently built; and most likely, will partake of the diurnal and annual revolutions of the earth, so as not to change it's relative position in regard to the western hemisphere of our planet."
In a statement above, the Apostle Parley P. Pratt spoke about "fragments... broken off from the earth" returning during the restitution of all things. He spoke not just about the City "of Enoch" but also of the lost "ten tribes." In an article published in the March 1892 Young Woman's Journal, O. B. Huntington, an intimate associate of the Prophet Joseph Smith and a Patriarch in Springville, Utah mentioned that the earth had two wings and drew them as semi-circles giving the earth the appearance of having polar elongations. Another friend, and onetime bodyguard of the Prophet, Philo Dibble is said to have received a diagram from the Prophet in 1842, which indicated the arrangement of this earth as a triple planet, at the time when the Ten Tribes were directed to the northern sphere.
The scene we are considering lends understanding to and makes it easier to picture the ten tribes traveling from the northern axis of the earth to the American continent. D&C 133 is describing a melting ice cap, is it melting because it will be covered by "the great deep"?
Verse 26: And they who are in the north countries shall come... ...and they shall smite the rocks, and the ice shall flow down at their presence. 27 And an highway shall be cast up in the midst of the great deep.
A "restitution of all things" would, of course, return the earth to its pre-flood condition. Something, not here now, will transform the climate and environment of the earth into a terrarium-like condition.
Genesis 2 ...the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground. But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.
These are just a few examples, there are others that when considered under the light of the vision suggested above become clearer, easier to picture in our mind.
Revelation 8 ...a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; ...and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, ...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.
In this study we have established that THE sign of the second coming of Jesus Christ will be a now hidden planet moving into a position very close to the earth. The next question we will address is: when will all the earth see THE sign.
Several scriptures link the common elements of the appearance of THE sign to one frightful event in the future; the battle of Armageddon. Near the end of a three and half year siege upon the city of Jerusalem the Savior, even Jesus the Christ, will come to the rescue of the Jews. According to Zechariah: "the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle." The Old Testament prophet then outlines a couple of things about the day of the rescue that tie this scripture to other prophesies about this event: "And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.
Though not emphasized as such, to consider the breaking of the Mount of Olives down the middle with the opposing halves moving away from each other, creating "a very great valley," to be just another earthquake is probably a bit of an understatement. The book of Revelation, again speaking of "a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon" describes the magnitude of the earthquake, along with "voices, and thunders and lightening," as a "great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty and earthquake, and so great" and concludes with "every island fled away and the mountains were not found." This earthquake to end all earthquakes will be caused by the same gravitation pull that will drive the seas of the world back to the "north countries." It will, by lifting and then releasing the rotating earth's upper crust; similar to the moon's tidal influence on the oceans of the world, level every mountain range on the planet, thus returning the surface of the earth to its original mountain-less condition. Genesis 7 says that the flood waters were just fifteen cubits; less than 25 foot deep: "and the mountains were covered." Ezekiel 38 described in specific detail the destruction to be caused by the earthquake resulting from the appearance of THE sign: "at the same time, when "Gog shall come against the land of Israel, ...there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel; So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground."
Zechariah continues with a second element unique to this prophesied event: "...And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark: But it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light." Modern day scripture, section 88 of the Doctrine and Covenants, weaves the prophesied elements of the great battle Armageddon and the appearance of the Savior on the Mount of Olives into the appearance of THE sign of His Coming and the associated earthquake in these words: "For not many days hence and the earth shall tremble and reel to and fro as a drunken man; and the sun shall hide his face, and shall refuse to give light; ...earthquakes, that shall cause groanings in the midst of her, and men shall fall upon the ground and shall not be able to stand. ...And all things shall be in commotion; and surely, men's hearts shall fail them; for fear shall come upon all people. ...And immediately there shall appear a great sign in heaven, and all people shall see it together.
With a picture of THE sign in your mind read: Isaiah. 60:19-20; The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the LORD shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.
Will THE sign be self-luminous or perhaps reflective like a moon, will it partially obscure the light of the sun and moon?
Zech. 14:7 But it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light. 8 And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.
Section 88 describes what will happen following the appearance of THE "great sign in heaven" that "all people shall see ...together" "And there shall be silence in heaven for the space of half an hour; and immediately after shall the curtain of heaven be unfolded, as a scroll is unfolded after it is rolled up, and the face of the Lord shall be unveiled; And the saints that are upon the earth, who are alive, shall be quickened and be caught up to meet him. And they who have slept in their graves shall come forth, for their graves shall be opened; and they also shall be caught up to meet him ...They are Christ's, the first fruits,"
This is of course, speaking of the Coming of Jesus Christ in power and glory and the morning of the first resurrection when the saints, both the living and the resurrected dead will be caught up to meet him and then descend with Him. This appearance however, will not occur when Christ comes to Jerusalem to rescue the Jews. Section 88's "...half an hour" sounds like the Second Coming of the Savior will happen a short time after He makes His appearance upon the Mount of Olive until we remember: "that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." Half an hour of a thousand year day is about twenty one years which will allow ample time, after the battle, for the chores prophesied by the Old Testament prophet Ezekiel to be performed.
Ezek. 39:8-21 Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord GOD; this is the day whereof I have spoken. And they that dwell in the cities of Israel shall go forth, and shall set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and the bucklers, the bows and the arrows, and the handstaves, and the spears, and they shall burn them with fire seven years: So that they shall take no wood out of the field, neither cut down any out of the forests; for they shall burn the weapons with fire: and they shall spoil those that spoiled them, and rob those that robbed them, saith the Lord God. And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog a place there of graves in Israel, the valley of the passengers on the east of the sea: and it shall stop the noses of the passengers: and there shall they bury Gog and all his multitude: and they shall call it The valley of Hamon-gog. And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land. ...And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them.
Taking a chronological step backward: before Christ makes His appearance at the climactic conclusion of the Battle of Armageddon, Gog; the modern day Russia, from "out of the north parts", will mount a siege; the abomination of desolation, upon the city of Jerusalem that will last three and a half years:
Dan. 12 ...and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time (battle of Armageddon): and at that time thy people shall be delivered (by Jesus Christ upon the Mount of Olives), ...And one said ...How long shall it be to the end of these wonders? And I heard the man clothed in linen, ...it shall be for a time, times, and an half (3 ½ years); and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people (Israel), all these things shall be finished.
Dan. 12:11 And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days (3 ½ years).
special note: verse 12 tells when the Savior will make His appearance: Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days. (3 ½ years plus 45 days)
Rev. 11:2 But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months (3 ½ years).
Rev. 13:4-5 And they (people of the world) worshipped the dragon (the devil) which gave power unto the beast (McConkie - government): and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months (3 ½ years)
"Gog" with "Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya ...will think an evil thought;" and "in the latter years ...come into the land ...against the mountain of Israel, ...to the land of unwalled villiages; ...to carry away silver and gold." This assault will turn into a 1,290 day; 42 month; three and a half year campaign; the "abomination of desolation" and will conclude 45 days later with the appearance of the Savior Jesus Christ in Jerusalem at which time an earthquake will literally level every mountain range on the earth and all men worldwide will witness the appearance of THE sign of the His Second Coming. This milestone event will be followed by a twenty one year "half an hour," then and only then will the world witness the long awaited second coming of Jesus Christ to reign upon the earth for a thousand years.
In conclusion, referencing again the restitution of all things before the Second Coming: in an interview of Homer Brown of the Forest Dale ward, Granite Stake: "Brother Brown, can you give us some light and explanation of the fifth verse ...which speaks of the Ten Tribes of Israel on part of the earth which now forms another planet, according to the composer, Eliza R. Snow?"
Eliza R. Snow a wife of the prophet wrote this poem:
"And when the Lord saw fit to hide
The ten lost tribes away,
Thou, earth, was severed to provide
The orb on which they stay."
And thus, from time to time, thy size
Has been diminished til
Thou seemest the law of sacrifice
Created to fulfill.
A "restitution" yet must come,
That will to thee restore,
By that grand law of worlds, thy sum
Of matter heretofore.
"Yes, sir, I think I can-I think I can answer that question. Sister Eliza R. Snow, when visiting my grand parents, was asked by my grandmother: "Eliza, where did you get your idea about the Ten Lost Tribes being taken as you explained in your hymn on page 386 of the Hymn Book?" She answered as follows, "Why, my husband, the Prophet Joseph told me about it."
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