In my last entry I took a break from the main theme of this blog and shared some speculations I have about the time line pertaining to the possible time frame that the Marvelous Work and the Time of Jacobs Trouble will begin.
I mentioned that Israel has been in a state of darkness from the time the Children of Israel rejected the higher law from Moses until today.
Daniel possibly speaks of a period of 70 Jubilees during which Israel is in darkness but after this time they are brought from under the bondage of sin… the possibility that we and our forefathers could be in darkness for 70 Jubilees probably contradicts what we have come to believe... it is easy for latter day Israel, as a group, to become arrogant and to assume "all is well in Zion", etc.
As you search the scriptures, you will begin to see more and more evidence that latter day Israel is still in a state of apostasy.
The Dead Sea Scrolls inform us that in the end times:
“..the people will neither know, nor understand that I am angry with them because of their rebellion, because they abandoned Me and did what was evil in My eyes…They will rob their neighbors and oppress one another and defile My Temple…” (Pg 56 The Dead Sea Scholls Uncovered.. for an enhanced understanding of this dark saying, study the Kirtland-Far West era of LDS Church History very closely)
Ancient and Modern scripture refers to Gods people as being sleepy, blind and drunk in the latter days!
I have touched on the darkness and apostasy of Latter day Israel in the latter days in several previous entries but I want to point out another scripture that provides another evidence that Israel will continue to be under a partial blindness until the Deliverer comes out of Zion during the Marvelous Work.. (I have made reference to this scripture as a supporting evidence to the primary evidence I was posting about, but this statement deserves is one posting as a major evidence that the Marvelous Work is a future event. In fact this is one of the most clear, understandable and powerful scriptural evidences there is)
The following statement is from the Apostle Paul:
“For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.”(Rom 11 see also section 109 revealing that the LDS Elders are the sons of Jacob)
Paul is revealing a great mystery here... he even prefaces his remarks by stating he is revealing a great mystery! It is interesting how the mystery he tried to reveal essentially has stayed a mystery even though it is hidden in plain sight!
Paul is revealing the following information:
a) The descendants of Jacob/Israel (both houses: Jews/Kingdom of Judah and Gentiles/Kingdom of Israel were in a state of partial blindness back in the New Testament Times
b) They (we) would remain in that state of partial blindness until the fullness of the Gentiles comes in.
c) When the times of the Gentiles comes in, ALL of Israel will be saved!
d) Paul informs us that we can identify when the times of the Gentiles comes in by the fact that Gods Servant who returns to deliver Gods people will come forth out of Zion!
[many think that we are currently in the times of the Gentiles, however, I will show in future posts that the times of the gentiles comes in AGAIN when the 3rd watch begins.]
Paul actually provides an incredible key in knowing when the times of the Gentiles comes in for the last time. It is the time when Gods last Witness comes out of Zion to deliver Jacob from their ungodliness!
Paul's proclamation provides another powerful evidence that the Marvelous Work did not begin in Joseph Smiths first commission in the 2nd Watch, rather it begins when the fullness of the Gentiles comes in for the last time…
Despite some wonderful individual manifestations of the spirit that took place in the 2nd Watch, blindness in part was upon Israel when the church was restored. Section 112 reiterates that gross darkness covers the minds of the people and ALL flesh was corrupt after the church was restored to the earth. (112:23)
Paul clarifies that the Fulness of the Gentiles does not come in until the Deliverer comes out of Zion! The event marks the beginning of the 3rd Watch!
5 comments:
Partial Blindness of Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles comes In -
Certain of Israel were elected to see that Jesus is the Messiah (Rom.11:7); the rest were given the spirit of slumber, eyes that will not see and ears that will not hear (Rom11:8) the truth.
At the Sixth SEAL (Re.6:12-17), when the fullness of the Gentiles comes in, the partial blindness of Israel will be lifted (Rom.11:25); then Israel will know that Jesus is the Messiah.
Patricia © Bible Prophecy on the Web
Author of the self-study aid, The Book of Revelation Explained © 1982
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BibleProphecy
Patricia-
What is the significance of certain of Israel being elected to see that Jesus is the Messiah and the rest given the spirit of slumber if they are ALL saved?
Do you believe Paul when he says that all Israel will be saved?
As someone who has embraced the restored gospel, I understand that there are different degrees or levels of salvation.
Therefore, I am comfortable that the elect of God accepted Christ and those who were spiritually blind, did not accept Christ during their mortal probation, yet there is a salvation for both groups of people.
As a protestant, this may pose a theological problem for you.
Let me suggest that Paul is speaking of two different groups of people in this chapter. The “Elect” and “Israel”. As Paul says, “For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel”
It is true that Paul’s statement could be taken one of at least two ways. I am really glad you brought this up because I meant to cover this in my post and then forgot.
I am suggesting Paul is saying blindness in part is happened to ALL Israel
You are suggesting that Paul is saying blindness is happened to PART of Israel.
Allow me to explain why I think Paul is saying that partial blindness is happened to ALL Israel.
You were on the right path to provide context by quoting Rom 7 and 8… however, you did not dig deep enough.
If you will do a key word search, you will find that when Paul said that Israel had been given the spirit of slumber with eyes that should not see and ears that will not hear, he was actually quoting what Moses said to the Children of Israel after he had led them in the wilderness for 40 years:
Please note the original source of Pauls words:
“These are the words of the covenant, which the Lord commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, beside the covenant which he made with them in Horeb. And Moses called unto all Israel, and said unto them, Ye have seen all that the Lord did before your eyes in the land of Egypt unto Pharaoh, and unto all his servants, and unto all his land; The great temptations which thine eyes have seen, the signs, and those great miracles: Yet the Lord hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day.” (Deut 29)
God gives Israel a cursing and a blessing predicated on whether they would chose righteousness or wickedness… read the entire chapter…
Now notice the following prophecy in chapter 31
“And the Lord said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers; and this people will rise up and go a whoring after the gods of the strangers of the land WHITHER they go to be among them, and will forsake me, and break my covenant which I have made with them Then my anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them , and I will hide my face from them…”
Clearly we learn from these verses that ALL of Israel was going to go into spiritual blindness after the death of Moses.
We are informed that they will do it whither [wherever] they go.
The consequences are that God forsakes them and hides his face from them!
Notice also that these prophesies are directed at the whole house of Israel… not just the Jews!
“For I know that after my death ye will utterly corrupt yourselves, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will befall you in the latter days; because ye will do evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger through the work of your hands”
We are informed by Moses that the spiritual blindness upon ALL of Israel continues into the “latter days” As you can see, the original context has to do with what happens to ALL Israel! They all go whoring after other Gods after Moses dies
But the good news is that eventually in the latter days Israel will repent and obey Gods voice. Notice in chapter 30 the following prophecy about Israel in the latter days
“And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations, whither the Lord thy God hath driven thee, and shalt return unto the Lord thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and they children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul; that then the Lord thy God will turn thy captivity and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the Lord they God hath scattered thee.”
Now that you have an accurate context for Pauls words, lets go to another verse in the Old Testament that Paul was paraphrasing when he spoke about the deliverer coming out of Sion.
Notice that Isaiah was making specific reference to a specific prophetic event at a specific time in the latter days when Gods people are about to be attacked and God will send his latter day redeemer (deliverer) to save them.
Notice that he is not sent to the righteous OR to the righteous and the wicked... EVERYONE he is coming to is turning from transgression.
“When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him. And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the Lord. As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever.”
So you see, Paul was clearly speaking about all of Israel because it was clearly prophesied by Moses that all of Israel would be spiritually blind after his death, where ever they gather after that and finally in the "latter days".
The great mystery is that despite the blindness that is on Israel as a result of the curse put on them by God, they will ALL be saved... even though many of them will go through tribulation and pain.
Your reference to Rev 6:12-17 has no application to the elect of God. The elect of God are gathered out before the wicked are hiding in caves and calling for the rocks to fall on them.
I could go on with many more evidences to support my interpretation but by now you either see it or you can’t see it.
Patricia,
Please allow me to take this opportunity to invite you to read the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants. If you have already read them… read them again. Use a computer program that allows you to search using key words and key phrases so that you can connect the dots.
These books are the word of God to his children in the latter days along with the Old Testament and the New Testament. I have done over 10,000 key word searches between these four holy canons of scripture and I witness to you that they are congruent with each other. They bear testimony of each other and most importantly they bear testimony that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God and that he atoned for our sins.
Jesus Christ will be sending his servant back to the vineyard very shortly. Will you have eyes to see and ears to hear?
Please go back to the very first posting and read them chronologically.
May the Lord bless you as you search the holy and infallible word of the God of Israel
Thank you for taking the time to give such an extensive post on your views.
There is so much there I am quite overwhelmed.
I do believe all Israel will be saved.
I believe all religious authors' writings must speak according to the Holy Bible else there is no light in them (Isa.8:20 below).
Isa.8:20 To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, [it is] because [there is] no light in them.
Patricia
Interesting about the 70 Jubilees. If a Jubilee is 50 years then there was 3,500 years. If a Jubilee is 49 years then 70 of them was 3,430. There's a difference between the two of 70 years.
The DAY of the Lord which comes as a thief in the night (1 Thess.5:2, Zeph.1:14) will lift the partial blindness of Israel and bring in the fullness of the Gentiles (Rom.11:25).
At the Sixth Seal the Lamb will return as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Re.6:12-17) .
From that day and forward (Eze.39:7-8, Eze.39:22-29) Israel will know that Christ Jesus is the Messiah.
The Sixth SEAL should not be confused with the Seventh TRUMPET (1 Thess.4:16-17, 1 Cor.15:52, Re.10:7). These are separate events. There are seven (lunar calendar) years between the Sixth SEAL and the Seventh TRUMPET.
The times (years) of the Gentiles will be fulfilled (Luke 21:24) at the Seventh TRUMPET, the ascension (1 Thess.4:16-17).
TRUMPET events follow SEAL events, followed by PLAGUE events.
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