Wednesday, September 6, 2017

Show of Force

...for all flesh is corruptible before me, and the Powers of darkness prevail upon the Earth among the children of men, in the presence of all the host of Heaven, which causes silence to reign. And all eternity is pained, and the angels are waiting the great command to reap down the earth, to gather the tares that they may be burned, and behold, the enemy is combined. (D&C 21:4, Restoration Edition)

Show of Force: (phrase) A demonstration of the forces at one's command and of one's readiness to use them, intended as a warning against further provocation.

A couple of days ago, North Korea detonated a nuclear weapon underground, triggering a 6.3 magnitude earthquake. This demonstration startled the West, who didn’t expect North Korea to have such advanced weapons capabilities, nor the resolve to demonstrate them in the face of international opposition. Diplomatic, military, and economic options are being explored in hopes of reining in North Korea’s nuclear ambitions.

A couple of days ago, the God of heaven offered His covenant to those who would accept, including terms that would make them His people, identify them as Israel, and graft them into His family. The covenant was offered live in Boise, Idaho, where several hundred accepted God’s offer, while hundreds of others joined online.
And it shall come to pass, saith the Father, that the sword of my justice shall hang over them at that day, and except they repent it shall fall upon them, saith the Father, yea, even upon all the nations of the gentiles. And it shall come to pass that I will establish my people, O house of Israel. And behold, this people will I establish in this land unto the fulfilling of the covenant which I made with your father Jacob, and it shall be a New Jerusalem. And the Powers of Heaven shall be in the midst of this people, yea, even I will be in the midst of you. (3 Nephi 9:7-8, RE)
Leading up to, and coincident with the covenant, the Lord also has arranged a show of force by four of the Powers of Heaven, demonstrating their terrifying capabilities, and the eventual widespread destruction that will come to those who refuse to repent.




Earth: There have been over 130 earthquakes in Southeast Idaho since Saturday evening. (The Covenant of Christ conference was held in Idaho on Saturday and Sunday.) Though earthquakes are not uncommon in the area, a swarm of this size is unprecedented. Some of the earthquakes have been felt as far south as Salt Lake City and Utah Valley. Many have been felt in Northern Utah. As of this writing, there is not yet any indication of when the swarm may end.


Credit USGS

Water: Hurricane Harvey was the first major hurricane to make landfall in the United States since Wilma in 2005, ending a record 12-year period with no major hurricanes making landfall in the country. In a four-day period, many areas received more than 40 inches (1,000 mm) of rain as the system meandered over eastern Texas and adjacent waters, causing catastrophic flooding. With peak accumulations of 51.88 in (1,318 mm), Harvey is the wettest tropical cyclone on record in the contiguous United States. The resulting floods inundated hundreds of thousands of homes, displaced more than 30,000 people, and prompted more than 17,000 rescues. (Credit: Wikipedia) Estimates now show Harvey is likely to be the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history.


Credit: Salt Lake Tribune

Air: Hurricane Irma, at this moment expected to make landfall in South Florida, is now a Category 5 hurricane, and is the strongest Atlantic hurricane ever recorded. With sustained winds of 185 miles per hour, a full-strength landfall would cause untold death, devastation and destruction.


Credit: Drudge Report

Fire: Above normal significant fire activity continues to be observed across portions of the Pacific Northwest, Northern Rockies, northern Great Basin and northern California. Fuel moisture levels and fire danger indices in these areas are at near-record to record levels for severity. (Credit: National Interagency Fire Center)


Credit: National Interagency Fire Center

Earth, water, air, fire. Four elements, four directions, four phases of matter, four archangels. The near-simultaneous demonstration of power is unprecedented. Those with eyes to see will acknowledge the significance of these events. But there’s yet more. 

Bonus: The sun, symbolizing the Father, is active as well. A G3-level Coronal Mass Ejection event took place on September 5 and is currently headed directly toward earth at around a million miles per hour. This mid-level event will likely cause geomagnetic storms on earth, possibly disrupting communications and causing the northern lights to be seen much farther South than usual. An event this strong is unusual during this phase of the sun cycle. 

Update, September 6: Early this morning, the sun blasted an an X9.3 solar flare. This flare was the largest in 12 years and is the 15th largest solar flare on record. X-class solar flares are major events that can trigger planet-wide radio blackouts and long-lasting radiation storms. And that's *just* the flare. The CME is still arriving today, most likely this evening. Though communication interruptions are expected, the more dangerous result may be in the strengthening effect these solar events will have on Hurricane Irma.

Keep in mind, these remarkable solar events are happening during the sun's “quiet” period.


Credit: spaceweatherlive.com
While these events are unusual, severe, oddly simultaneous, even record breaking, they are only a “show of force.” They are not designed to sweep large numbers of Gentiles off the land; they are only designed to invoke repentance among any who will yet repent before the Gentile opportunity closes.

The Lord has established His covenant. He has promised this land to those who will receive it and keep its terms. All others will eventually be swept off. If this show of force demonstrates a small portion of the capabilities of just four angels, imagine the “consumption decreed” that will make “a full end of all nations.”
And thus with the sword and by bloodshed, the inhabitants of the Earth shall mourn. And with famine, and plague, and earthquake and the thunder of heaven, and the fierce and vivid lightning also, shall the inhabitants of the Earth be made to feel the wrath, and indignation, and chastening hand of an Almighty God, until the consumption decreed has made a full end of all nations, that the cry of the saints, and of the blood of the saints, shall cease to come up into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth, from the Earth, to be avenged of their enemies. (D&C 85:3, RE)
This covenant begins the final labor in the Lord’s vineyard, and the final offer of repentance to the gentiles who now possess this land but hold no right to it. Those who will not receive the Lord’s final offer will experience the full demonstration of his wrath.

The Silver Lining: Our Lord does not desire destruction and suffering. He would much rather bless and protect, and so He invites all to repent and come unto Him. Baptism and the covenant are available to all who will repent, with the accompanying promise of protection to the faithful. If you have not yet received these things, will you do so before it is everlastingly too late? 




But behold, in the last days, even now while the Lord is beginning to bring forth the word, and the blade is springing up and is yet tender, behold, verily I say unto you, The angels are crying unto the Lord day and night, who are ready and waiting to be sent forth to reap down the fields. But the Lord says unto them, Pluck not up the tares while the blade is yet tender (for verily your faith is weak) lest you destroy the wheat also. Therefore, let the wheat and the tares grow together until the harvest is fully ripe, then you shall first gather out the wheat from among the tares. And after the gathering of the wheat, behold and lo, the tares are bound in bundles and the field remains to be burned. (D&C 84:2, RE)