Saturday, November 28, 2015

Scripture Overhead, Part 5: A New Age




Wherefore, I must bring forth the fulness of my gospel from the Gentiles unto the house of Israel. 

—D&C 14:10


With some background now in place about the timing and setting of this fourth blood moon, together with its importance as the sign of Jonah, or sign of the dove, we can proceed to discuss the further symbolism and testimony written above.

The Age of Aquarius (Yes, it’s a real thing.)

Let’s start with an understanding of the astrological age. But before you get a horrible ’70’s song stuck in your head, let’s find out what the age of Aquarius really means. As you may know, the earth’s wobbling rotation causes a gradual shift in the heavens from our viewpoint. The heavens rotate through the 12 constellations of the zodiac, with a complete rotation cycle lasting 25,800 years. This means that as the earth gradually shifts, sunrise on the day of the vernal equinox each year will gradually shift from constellation to constellation. This isn't astrology; it's astronomy.

This 25,800-year trip through the 12 signs of the zodiac is called the precession of the equinoxes. If all the constellations were of equal size, then each zodiacal age would last 2,150 years (25,800 ÷ 12 = 2,150.) But of course, the constellations are all sized differently, and boundaries between them are arbitrary and disputed. Therefore, there’s no objective way to determine with certainty the current astrological age. We can approximate, based on our best guesses and observations, but only heaven knows when the age has changed. 

Heaven, therefore, will inform us with signs, which will be noticed by the observant.

The Age of Pisces began around the time of Christ. It was marked by our Lord sending out “fishers of men” to gather as many as possible into the gospel net. He used the Gentiles to accomplish this work, because the House of Israel rejected Him and thereby forfeited the gospel opportunity for a time. 

The Times Of the Gentiles

Through the Gentile efforts, forms of Christianity spread throughout much of the world during the Age of Pisces. Thus, this age in scripture is also called the “Times of the Gentiles” —so called because it is the time period in which the gospel opportunity would primarily exist among the Gentiles, who would be commissioned to take the gospel to the world.

Such was prophesied by our Lord:
Behold, because of their belief in me, saith the Father, and because of the unbelief of you, O house of Israel, in the latter day shall the truth come unto the Gentiles, that the fulness of these things shall be made known unto them. (3 Nephi 16:7)
Unfortunately, the Lord also prophesied that the Gentiles would reject the fulness of the gospel and it would ultimately be taken from them and given back to the House of Israel:
And thus commandeth the Father that I should say unto you: At that day when the Gentiles shall sin against my gospel, and shall reject the fulness of my gospel, and shall be lifted up in the pride of their hearts above all nations, and above all the people of the whole earth, and shall be filled with all manner of lyings, and of deceits, and of mischiefs, and all manner of hypocrisy, and murders, and priestcrafts, and whoredoms, and of secret abominations; and if they shall do all those things, and shall reject the fulness of my gospel, behold, saith the Father, I will bring the fulness of my gospel from among them. (3 Nephi 16:10)
During the Times of the Gentiles, the gospel net did indeed gather many millions, but all have utterly failed to rise up, take hold of the offered covenants, become purified, and establish Zion. Blinded by the precepts of men, proud Gentiles have considered themselves chosen, righteous, and favored of God, even as their opportunity has slipped away and the Lord has rejected them.
And when the times of the Gentiles is come in, a light shall break forth among them that sit in darkness, and it shall be the fulness of my gospel; But they receive it not; for they perceive not the light, and they turn their hearts from me because of the precepts of men. And in that generation shall the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. (D&C 45:28-30)
The times of the Gentiles have come to an end. But to make provision for the gospel opportunity to revert back to the House of Israel, the fulness of the gospel is offered to the Gentiles one last time. The time of this final offering at the close of the age is called the “Fulness of the Gentiles.” 

OK, got that? The “Times” of the Gentiles lasted for roughly 2,000 years, ever since the ministry of Christ. The “Times” were marked by the age of Pisces. 

The “Fulness” of the Gentiles is the last voicing of Christ’s word and last opportunity for the Gentiles to rise up, receive God’s covenant, and become redeemed. The Fulness of the Gentiles marks the end of the Gentile opportunity and the reversion back to the House of Israel.

During the fulness of the Gentiles, some few Gentiles will accept the fulness of the gospel and take hold of the final opportunity. These are they who will preach the gospel to the gathered remnants of the House of Israel.
And now, the thing which our father meaneth concerning the grafting in of the natural branches through the fulness of the Gentiles, is, that in the latter days, when our seed shall have dwindled in unbelief, yea, for the space of many years, and many generations after the Messiah shall be manifested in body unto the children of men, then shall the fulness of the gospel of the Messiah come unto the Gentiles, and from the Gentiles unto the remnant of our seed 
And at that day shall the remnant of our seed know that they are of the house of Israel, and that they are the covenant people of the Lord; and then shall they know and come to the knowledge of their forefathers, and also to the knowledge of the gospel of their Redeemer, which was ministered unto their fathers by him; wherefore, they shall come to the knowledge of their Redeemer and the very points of his doctrine, that they may know how to come unto him and be saved. (1 Nephi 15:13-14)
The observant may note that this is the very scripture that has appeared as the subheading of this blog ever since the first post. As a believing Gentile, I have an obligation to preach the doctrine of Christ, and this blog is part of how I hope to fulfill that obligation.

The End of an Age

During the last 2,000 years, the vernal equinox has gradually moved through Pisces and is now entering Aquarius. Though astronomers are divided on the exact year of the shift, there is no question in heaven’s eyes. And though there may be some overlap between ages, the shift inexorably comes.

All this together now brings us back to the Age of Aquarius. The second blood moon of this tetrad was clearly in Pisces. This fourth moon, however, has moved out of Pisces and toward Aquarius. I believe this is God’s testimony to His creation that the age of Pisces has ended and Aquarius is beginning. The Times of the Gentiles have come to an end, and the fulness of the Gentiles is now upon us as the Lord prepares to fulfill His covenant with Israel.

An angel informed Joseph Smith of this plan very early in the restoration:
He also quoted the second chapter of Joel, from the twenty-eighth verse to the last. He also said that this was not yet fulfilled, but was soon to be. And he further stated that the fulness of the Gentiles was soon to come in. (JSH 1:41)
Note that the angel connected the Fulness of the Gentiles with the following words from Joel:
And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. 
And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come. (Joel 2:28-30)
Note the connection with the Lord pouring out His spirit, and the signs in the heavens when the fulness of the Gentiles arrives. I think we can wrap it all up and put a bow on it with the following:
And he answered them, and said, In the generation in which the times of the Gentiles shall be fulfilled, there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations with perplexity, like the sea and the waves roaring. The earth also shall be troubled, and the waters of the great deep; (Luke 21:25 JST)
Did you catch that? The signs of the Gentile fulness are manifest in the sun, moon and stars. We’re observing those signs right now. How many books, seminars, talk show appearances, youtube videos, and webpages have been produced about these blood moons? How much breathless excitement accompanied their manifestation? How much conjecture was offered about cataclysmic events that would accompany the final blood moon of the tetrad? The Lord designed these signs to be so conspicuous that even those living in darkness would notice. 

And yet, nearly all have failed to learn the interpretation. Most everyone expected monumental events to happen in conjunction with these signs—and monumental events, even cosmic ones have happened—and yet nobody noticed. This generation of sign seekers hoped for the miraculous, yet could not see it through their scales of darkness. How fitting are the Lord’s words again in our time:
And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet. (Luke 11:29)
Few recognized the redemption of Israel when it happened, and few recognized the very Son of God when he walked among them. Few realized the gospel was restored in Joseph Smith’s day. So it’s not surprising that few realize they have just witnessed the changing of the age and the end of Gentile dominance. Millions looked into the sky, snapped a picture of the very sign of their doom, and went back to life as usual, giving the sign little more than cursory attention as an astronomical curiosity or a good social media post. Prophecies that have stood for thousands of years are fulfilled, and the world ignores them.

Fulness of What?

The fulness of the Gentiles has a double meaning. Yes, it refers to the last opportunity for the Gentiles to take hold of the fulness of the Gospel, but it also pinpoints the reasons for the coming Gentile destruction:

And now, we can behold the decrees of God concerning this land, that it is a land of promise; and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall serve God, or they shall be swept off when the fulness of his wrath shall come upon them. And the fulness of his wrath cometh upon them when they are ripened in iniquity. 
For behold, this is a land which is choice above all other lands; wherefore he that doth possess it shall serve God or shall be swept off; for it is the everlasting decree of God. And it is not until the fulness of iniquity among the children of the land, that they are swept off.
And this cometh unto you, O ye Gentiles, that ye may know the decrees of God—that ye may repent, and not continue in your iniquities until the fulness come, that ye may not bring down the fulness of the wrath of God upon you as the inhabitants of the land have hitherto done. (Ether 2:9-11)
The fulness of the Gentiles comes when we practice the fulness of iniquity, or to use another scriptural term, are ripened iniquity. “Iniquity” is an interesting term that not only refers to sin, but specifically denotes gross injustice. Iniquity is most often generational, and denotes false religious beliefs, passed on from generation to generation, continually degrading until they have become grossly perverted from truth. Iniquity is false religion. 

Unfortunately, the fulness of iniquity is here. So much so, in fact, that the Lord has ceased working through organized religion.

Last and First

It’s important to note the Father’s symbolism in this Blood Moon. The planet Uranus and the constellation it rules, Aquarius, both symbolize the Father of Heaven and the God of all Creation, pouring out His spirit on all flesh at the time of these signs in the heavens. As Aquarius pours out his jug, our modern interpretation has Him pouring out water, but a more ancient interpretation includes a dual outpouring of water and fire. 

As we discussed in the second blood moon, this work of the final age is the Father’s work. HE is pouring out His spirit. HE is responsible for the gathering of Israel. HE commands all men, everywhere, to repent and believe in His son (3 Nephi 11:32). And HE is pouring out water and fire—both symbols of His work.

The earth was cleansed by a flood of water in Noah’s day. Afterward, Noah’s righteous family restarted humanity on the earth, but iniquity soon prevailed. A man named Abram rejected the false religion taught him by his fathers, and sought the original truths that brought men into the presence of God. As you know, Abram prevailed with God and received a covenant, making him God’s son, and therefore part of God’s family. In conjunction with the covenant, Abram was re-named Abraham.


The opportunity for redemption and salvation continued in Abraham’s bloodlines through Isaac, then Jacob, who was renamed Israel. The “House” or family of Israel, therefore, was the first to be offered the gospel covenant. When the house of Israel had fully rejected the Lord’s offer, it was withdrawn and offered to the Gentiles. Therefore the House of Israel was first, and the Gentiles were last.

But in the latter days, the Gentiles were first, and the House of Israel will be last. This is the meaning of the phrase, “The last shall be first, and the first shall be last.” (Ether 13:12, 1 Nephi 13:42, Matthew 20:16, and many others.) According to Moroni’s title page of the Book of Mormon, restoring the House of Israel to a knowledge of their covenants and opportunities is one of the primary purposes that sacred record was produced. 

—Which is to show unto the remnant of the house of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers; and that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever—And also to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations—
In the previous post of this series, I concluded with the following: 
...we ought to ask ourselves what truth heaven is proclaiming in our day. What does the super blood moon sign proclaim? What could be so important that the sign of the dove has appeared again in the East?
We yet have more to uncover, but at least one meaning is so cosmically important, so cataclysmically vital, that the Lord has written it in the sun, moon, and stars: 

The times of the Gentiles have come to an end. The first shall be last and the last shall be first. Pisces ends and Aquarius begins. The Lord has turned the page, set His hand again the second time to recover His people Israel, and the Father's Marvelous work and Wonder are moving forward. 


Prophecy is being fulfilled before our eyes. God help us to believe and prepare while there's still time.



And the Lord will set his hand again the second time to restore his people from their lost and fallen state. Wherefore, he will proceed to do a marvelous work and a wonder among the children of men.



—2 Nephi 25:17


Final Note: I believe we have two more posts to cover the remainder of this blood moon. Coming up next: Water and Fire.


Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Are You Calling Joseph Smith a Liar?


What a thing it is for a man to be accused of committing adultery, and having seven wives, when I can only find one. I am the same man, and as innocent as I was fourteen years ago; and I can prove them all perjurers.


—Joseph Smith, Jr., History of the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 6:410–411

Think about this:

Joseph Smith stated publicly and repeatedly that he only had one wife. According to his public statements, he sought to root out and eliminate polygamy. The public record shows that he did so at every opportunity.

The LDS church and others claim that Joseph was privately married to a large number of women and had sexual relations with them, including a 14 year old.

Therefore, if you believe the LDS position that Joseph was a polygamist, you necessarily also believe he was a base liar, deceiver, hypocrite and practitioner of the worst sort of adulterous wickedness, because of his public statements.

Further, if you also claim Joseph was a prophet of God, you must therefore accept the proposition that it’s acceptable for "prophets of God" to engage in deception, lies, hypocrisy, and private wickedness.

Further, if you then accept modern Presidents of the LDS church, up to and including Thomas Monson, as prophets of God, by your very definition of "prophet," you not only give them license, but actually expect them to lie to you, deceive you, and practice private wickedness.

Them’s the facts, folks. You can’t have it both ways. If Joseph was a polygamist, he was a liar and a hypocrite. If you call him a prophet, you have redefined the word "prophet" to include the worst sort of deceiver. When you apply that word to modern leaders, you are, in fact, proclaiming your expectation to be deceived by them. Think about that when you raise your hand to sustain them.

But there is another way to view things.

What if Joseph Smith was telling the truth? What if the historical records after his death were influenced, even altered, to promote the views of Joseph’s successors? What if, whatever it was Joseph was doing, it didn’t involve sexual relations with multiple women? 

There’s a VERY strong case to be made for this view. The essay linked below explores the historical record, and makes the case that Joseph told the truth, did not practice sexual polygamy, and was unfairly framed by his successors after his death.

My personal belief is that Joseph was telling the truth. I do not accept the proposition that he lied and deceived about polygamy—but told the truth about the Book of Mormon, angelic visitations, the first vision, and other issues which I KNOW to be true. 

What’s your position? 

Do you believe Joseph was a polygamist, and therefore a liar? Or do you believe Joseph was an honest man, and unfairly blamed for the acts of his successors? 

This is important. 

No, this is vital. 

If you believe Joseph is a liar, then on what foundation do you place your testimony of revealed scripture, the restoration of the gospel and modern prophets?

It's time to clear Joseph's name. It's time to recognize the truth of the historical record. And if the LDS Church continues to call Joseph Smith a liar—you, and I, and all of us have to make a choice. I've made mine, and I'll stand with Joseph Smith. 

What is yours?

Will you join the chorus of Joseph's accusers? Or will you doubt the LDS version of "history?"

I know this is uncomfortable. I know it's not easy. Believe me, I've been there. But the test is always the same. Do you value the truth, or do you cherish the security of being a follower, and pretending you don't have to search out truth for yourself? 

Your eternal life hangs in the balance. Please take the search for truth seriously.


Note: I am not the author of this paper, but I do agree with its premise. 
The author wishes to remain anonymous.


Cursed are all those that shall lift up the heel against mine anointed, saith the Lord, and cry they have sinned when they have not sinned before me, saith the Lord, but have done that which was meet in mine eyes, and which I commanded them.
—D&C 121:16

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Fellowshipping Together

Applying the gospel of Jesus Christ requires fellowship. Bearing one another's burdens, mourning together, comforting those who need comfort, and standing as witnesses to each other—all require a group of believers who work together to apply the gospel. (Mosiah 18:8-9) Christ taught his followers to gather for worship, sacrament, and teaching. (3 Nephi 18:1-13, 22)

Such a group is great blessing to believers who need to love and be loved, feel supported and understood, be nourished with the good word of God, and receive opportunities to serve. Second only to a family, a fellowship is where Christ's teachings move from theory into practice.

A new website is now available to those who are interested in preserving the restoration of the gospel through Joseph Smith, and desire to find a fellowship. Here's the link to it:


I know personally of many people who are awakening to our current situation, seeking the Lord, and hoping to find like-minded believers with whom they may share an often-difficult journey. I've received numerous emails from people feeling alone, looking for fellow sojourners.

Therefore, I hope all the existing fellowships, no matter how small, will register on the site so others can find them.

          Brightly beams our Father's mercy
          From His lighthouse evermore,
          But to us He gives the keeping
          Of the lights along the shore.

          Dark the night of sin has settled,
          Loud the angry billows roar;
          Eager eyes are watching, longing,
          For the lights along the shore

          Trim your feeble lamp, my brother!
          Some poor sailor tempest tossed,
          Trying now to make the harbor,
          In the darkness may be lost.

          Let the lower lights be burning!
          Send a gleam across the wave!
          Some poor fainting, struggling seaman
          You may rescue, you may save.

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Scripture Overhead, Part 4:
Leviathan and the Dove


And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
—Revelation 19:9



God is most certainly speaking through the ordinances of the sun, moon and stars, exactly as ordained from the foundation of the world. This fourth and final blood moon in the tetrad is incredibly rich in its symbolism and message. By way of introduction, here are a few observations:
  1. There is far more symbolism in this last blood moon than there was in the first three. We can only cover a small portion of what is represented, and we'll do it in multiple posts.
  2. If you’re serious about understanding the Lord’s message, you’ll necessarily have to spend some time in study and prayer about these things. I can give you a few places to start, but the rest is between you and the Lord.
  3. Parts of the message deal with events that have not yet happened but are coming. Because prophecy is best understood in retrospect, we’ll leave those things out of our discussion, perhaps revisiting them after they happen.
  4. God is utterly, completely amazing in the intelligence, beauty and cleverness with which He has prepared this message from the foundation of the world. I lack the words to even express God’s intelligence, power and might. I’ve been repeatedly left thunderstruck and speechless as I’ve studied what God has written in the sky.
So how’s that for an introduction? Now a request: If you want to understand what we’re going to cover, it’s really important that you review the first three blood moons first. Seriously. Go do that. You’ll be glad you did. Here are the links:

..........

OK, back now? Here we go. 

The Time

Sunday, September 27, 2015. 8:11 PM, Mountain Time. (Note that this was September 28 in Europe and the Middle East.) This was the first day of the Jewish feast of Sukkot.

Themes:

This blood moon has many more layers of meaning than the last three, and a number of themes appear repeatedly. As we proceed, watch for the following:

The number 40
Groups of 3
Sukkah booths
Feasts
Repentance 
Nineveh
Water
Fire

The Location

Click to Enlarge
Three Celestial Bodies: The moon appeared in the Eastern sky, inside a triangle formed by three planets: Uranus, Neptune, and the minor planet Vesta.

Three Constellations: In the second blood moon of this tetrad, the moon appeared inside Pisces. But in this instance, the moon has moved out of Pisces and toward Aquarius, at the end of  the tail of Cetus, the whale. Hence, the moon appeared between the three constellations Pisces, Aquarius and Cetus.


The Players

The Moon: Because it's the closest full moon to the autumn equinox, this moon would commonly be called a “Harvest Moon.” This was also a perigee moon, or “Supermoon,” meaning it was at its closest point to earth in its orbit. The moon thus appeared about 30% larger in area than usual, and shined about 30% more light than usual in conjunction with this eclipse. The next such perigee eclipse will be in October, 2033. If this harvest-super-blood moon were a text message, it would be WRITTEN IN ALL CAPS!

Pisces: This constellation portrays two fish, connected together by a band or net. It signifies the gathering of fish into the gospel net.

Aquarius: Traditionally displayed as a man carrying a water pot, this constellation’s earliest known identification was with the Babylonian god Enki—“Lord of the Earth,” the God of intelligence and creation. Pouring out his pot symbolizes a dual outpouring of both water and fire. His symbolic number is 40.

Cetus: This constellation represents a great fish, whale or sea monster.

Uranus: This is the ruling planet of the constellation Aquarius. It personifies the heavens and the night sky, representing the “Father Sky” or Father of Heaven. It is the seventh planet from the sun.

Neptune: This is the ruling planet of the constellation Pisces. It is named for the god of freshwater and the sea in Roman mythology. He was traditionally honored every year on July 23 and 24 with a festival that included construction of tree-branch huts. (This will become significant as we go along.)

Vesta: This celestial body is classified as a minor planet and is the brightest asteroid visible from earth, It’s named for the virgin goddess of the hearth, home and family in Roman religion. Vesta is symbolized by the sacred fire that burned at her hearth and temples.

OK, now that we have our list of players, let’s start discussing the messages in this final blood moon. 


Act One: The Sukkah and the Sea Monster

This blood moon appeared on the First Day of Sukkot, the week-long Jewish Feast of Tabernacles or Booths (also called the Feast of the Ingathering.) During this week of celebration, observant Jewish families construct a “sukkah,” which is a temporary outdoor hut or booth, having at least three sides, and topped with tree branches, in which the family prays and eats their meals. Some even sleep in their sukkah for the week. This feast commemorates the huts inhabited by the Israelites during their 40-year sojourn in the wilderness, as well as recognizing with gratitude the time of gathering and harvest. This is a feast of rejoicing.

The cutting and gathering of branches to cover the roof of the sukkah brings to mind Jacob 5, where we read about both pruning the bitter branches and gathering the natural branches into their mother tree. These verses are far more relevant to our day than we might imagine:
Wherefore, let us go to and labor with our might this last time, for behold the end draweth nigh, and this is for the last time that I shall prune my vineyard. Graft in the branches; begin at the last that they may be first, and that the first may be last, and dig about the trees, both old and young, the first and the last; and the last and the first, that all may be nourished once again for the last time. 
And the branches of the natural tree will I graft in again into the natural tree; And the branches of the natural tree will I graft into the natural branches of the tree; and thus will I bring them together again, that they shall bring forth the natural fruit, and they shall be one. And the bad shall be cast away, yea, even out of all the land of my vineyard; for behold, only this once will I prune my vineyard. (Jacob 5:62-63, 67-69)
Therefore, the first message we must recognize is that the time of the final pruning and gathering is upon us. The harvest is soon at hand.

A curious Jewish tradition holds that when the Messiah comes, he will slay a great sea monster or fish, called Leviathan, and use its flesh to prepare a sumptuous feast in Jerusalem for the righteous. Such is reflected in Isaiah’s prophetic symbolism:
In that day the Lord with his sore and great and strong sword shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, even leviathan that crooked serpent; and he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea. (Isaiah 27:1)
Tradition holds that this great, final feast will be served in a vast sukkah, which will be covered with the stretched skin of the great fish. Hence, odd as it may sound, the final prayer of the Feast of Sukkot is recited as follows:

May it be your will, Lord our God and God of our forefathers, that just as I have fulfilled and dwelt in this sukkah, so may I merit in the coming year to dwell in the sukkah of the skin of Leviathan. Next year in Jerusalem!”


Click to Enlarge
The farewell prayer of the feast, then, expresses the hope that the Messiah will come, Israel will be gathered, and all will rejoice together at a great feast in the Holy City.

The constellation Cetus, the great whale or sea monster, represents Leviathan. The Harvest Moon perched on Cetus’s tail, then, tells us of gathering, harvest, and a final feast of rejoicing. The symbolism of the gathering of Israel and the wedding feast at the coming of the bridegroom should not be lost on us. 

The Parable of the Wedding Feast
The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.
Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.
But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. (Matthew 22:2-10)
Those who were invited to the wedding feast of the king’s son refused to come. They rejected and even slew the servants sent to invite them. The king, of course, is the King of heaven, and his son is Christ. His servants are the prophets, and they are nearly always rejected and even slain. It happened four generations ago with Joseph Smith, and it has happened again in our day. Thus, the King has prepared the destruction of those who rejected him, and the invitation is now open to all who are willing to come. YOU are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb. Will you attend?


Act Two: Ninevah and Nahum

The warning of destruction brings to mind an ancient prophet who warned the world’s largest and most powerful city of God’s coming judgment. That prophet was Nahum and that city was Ninevah, capital of Assyria. Nahum issued a warning that will be, unfortunately, familiar to anyone who has been following the blood moon signs of our time. Let’s read some portions of his warning from Nahum Chapter 1. For reasons that will become obvious, I’ll be quoting his warnings in reverse order:
 14 And the Lord hath given a commandment concerning thee, that no more of thy name be sown: out of the house of thy gods will I cut off the graven image and the molten image: I will make thy grave; for thou art vile. 
This warning refers to the sowing of seed, which culminates in the separation of the wheat from the tares. You may recall this same primary message in Blood Moon 1.
 13 For now will I break his yoke from off thee, and will burst thy bonds in sunder
The burst bonds point us directly to severing the bands of Pisces and the message of Blood Moon 2.
 10 For while they be folden together as thorns, and while they are drunken as drunkards, they shall be devoured as stubble fully dry. 
The plaited thorns remind us of Christ’s crown; the drunkards of Ephraim were the subject of God’s warning in Blood Moon 3. Drunkards and Crowns, indeed.

Now that we’ve seen the first three blood moon warnings, in order, in Nahum’s prophecy, we can read his summary of the fourth:
 6 Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him. 
 7 The Lord is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him. 
 8 But with an overrunning flood he will make an utter end of the place thereof, and darkness shall pursue his enemies.
The pouring out of fire and flood points us to the 4th blood moon, which, as we will see in a future blog post, is filled with imagery of fire and water. But the prophecy also contains an invitation to know the Lord—a theme which is also contained in this blood moon. 

In other words, Nahum nailed it. 

His prophetic warning to a proud and wicked nation 2600 years ago precisely parallels the warnings written by God in the heavens for us in our day. The parallelism of the symbols should not go unnoticed by us, just as surely as the coming destruction will not be escaped by those who refuse the invitation to the wedding feast.

But Nineveh was actually warned by three prophets: Nahum, Zephaniah, and Jonah. Nahum was the last. Jonah was the first.

Five days before this blood moon sign, on Yom Kippur (the day of atonement which—coincidentally—fell this year exactly on the Autumn Equinox), observant Jews everywhere would have read the entire book of Jonah out loud, in Hebrew, at afternoon prayer, in recognition of the opportunity to repent and gain forgiveness. 

The moon perched on the tail of Cetus, the great whale, points our minds to Jonah as well. As you may recall, Jonah was sent to Nineveh to call the great city to repentance. Nineveh was, at the time, the capital of the Assyrian empire, and likely the mightiest and largest city in the then-known world. 

Jonah fled his commission and ended up cast into the sea and swallowed by a great fish or whale. After three days in the fish’s belly, Jonah repented and was vomited by the fish onto dry land. Jonah then obeyed the Lord, delivering the message that Nineveh would be destroyed in 40 days. 

After delivering his message, Jonah went to the East side of the city and built, yes, a Sukkah, where he sat to watch what would become of Nineveh. 

This blood moon, rising in the East, on the first day of the feast of Sukkot, on the tail of the great fish, points directly to Jonah and Ninevah. This is a call to repent, individually, institutionally and nationally. It is a warning that destruction has already been scheduled.

Against all odds, Ninevah repented in sackcloth and was spared for a time, because they heeded a true messenger. However, Nineveh later returned to wickedness, rejected prophetic warnings, and was erased from the face of the earth. Despite being the largest and mightiest city in the world, it was supplanted and destroyed by Babylon, with its very location becoming wiped out and unknown for centuries. Repent or be destroyed. The choice is clear.

Jonah's Last Testimony

We cannot leave Jonah and move to our next topic without adding the following footnote:

In April, 2014, the Lord ended all claims of the LDS church leadership to hold priesthood, as the entire leadership voted unanimously to make their rejection of the Lord’s servant final. By rejecting the Lord’s servant, they also rejected the Lord’s call to repent.

Just as Jews commemorate their ancestors’ sojourn in the wilderness with a feast, Mormons commemorate their ancestors’ sojourn in the wilderness with Pioneer Day parades and celebrations each July 24, (oddly, the day of Neptune's traditional celebration with tree-branch huts.)

The first such celebration, after the rejection of the invitation to the wedding feast, was held on July 24, 2014. While celebrity church leaders waved at adoring parade crowds, and expensive parade floats boasted of success and prosperity, ISIS blew up the tomb of the prophet Jonah, at Nineveh, in Mosul, Iraq. It was on exactly the same day, folks. You just can’t make this stuff up. The invitation to repent has been rejected, and the evidence of the invitation has been destroyed. The timing was not coincidence.

Act Three: The Sign of Jonah

Our discussion of Jonah brings us into our next act with a curious statement made by the Savior:
And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet. 
For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation. 
The men of Nineveh shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here. (Luke 11:29-32)
When the wicked generation of Christ’s day sought a sign of Him, He told them the only sign offered would be the sign of the prophet Jonah. As Jonah was in the fish for three days and came forth, Christ was in the tomb three days and came forth. Both of these men hailed from Nazareth. Both went forth crying repentance in the greatest empires of their day.

We live in a generation every bit as wicked as the one that crucified our Lord. And so, yet again, the Lord has given us the sign of the prophet Jonah, written in the Eastern sky overhead. But there’s more to consider. 

The name “Jonah” in Hebrew, literally means “dove.” Therefore, a valid reading of the Lord’s statement in Luke, is that there shall be no sign given this wicked generation, but the sign of the dove. 

The original sign of the dove was given when Christ obeyed the Father’s will and submitted to baptism. By this, He signified His obedience, showed His humility, and fulfilled all righteousness. The Father testified to the truth of the event by sending the sign of the dove. Said Joseph Smith:
“The sign of the dove was instituted before the creation of the world, a witness for the Holy Ghost, and the devil cannot come in the sign of a dove…The Holy Ghost cannot be transformed into a dove; but the sign of a dove was given to John to signify the truth of the deed, as the dove is an emblem or token of truth and innocence. (TPJS, p. 276). 
If the sign of the dove represents the Holy Ghost testifying of truth, we ought to ask ourselves what truth heaven is proclaiming in our day. What does the super blood moon sign proclaim? What could be so important that the sign of the dove has appeared again in the East?

Continued in Part 5...Coming Soon.


And after that cometh the day of my power; then shall the poor, the lame, and the blind, and the deaf, come in unto the marriage of the Lamb, and partake of the supper of the Lord, prepared for the great day to come.

—D&C 58:11