THE DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS
SECTION 133
Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Hiram, Ohio, November 3, 1831. HC 1: 229—234. Prefacing this revelation the Prophet wrote: “At this time there were many things which the Elders desired to know relative to preaching the Gospel to the inhabitants of the earth, and concerning the gathering; and in order to walk by the true light, and be instructed from on high, on the 3rd of November, 1831, I inquired of the Lord and received the following important revelation.” This section was first added to the book of Doctrine and Covenants as an appendix, and was subsequently assigned a section number.
1—6, The saints are commanded to prepare for the Second Coming; 7—16, All men are commanded to flee from Babylon, come to Zion, and prepare for the great day of the Lord; 17—35, He shall stand on Mount Zion, the continents shall become one land, and the lost tribes of Israel shall return; 36—40, The gospel was restored through Joseph Smith to be preached in all the world; 41—51, The Lord shall come down in vengeance upon the wicked; 52—56, It shall be the year of his redeemed; 57—74, The gospel is to be sent forth to save the saints and for the destruction of the wicked.
[ This revelation was received rather early in church history November 1831 as a matter of fact it was given at the same time as section 1. They are meant to be the book ends of the Doctrine and Covenants. The intent was to teach those who were about to go on missions what they should teach. ]
1 HEARKEN, [ Same word used here as was used to start the Doctrine and Covenants in section 1. The suggestion is that we should be ready to listen. ] O ye people of my church, saith the Lord your God, and hear the word of the Lord concerning you—
[ Authority statement vs 2-3. ]
2 The Lord who shall suddenly come to his temple; [ We are still 5 years away from the Kirkland temple when this revelation is given. There was not temple announced or on the earth when this prophecy was given. The first temple in this dispensation was the Kirtland temple which was Announcement: 27 December 1832 Construction Commencement: 5 June 1833 Dedication: 27 March 1836 by Joseph Smith, Jr. see also Mal. 3.1. ] the Lord who shall come down upon the world with a curse to judgment; [ It will be a curse for those who have not listened, but to those who have listened and have prepared it will not be a cursing because they will be Godly. ] yea, upon all the nations that forget God, and upon all the ungodly among you. [ D&C 63:1-2, D&C 56:1-4. ]
3 For he shall make bare his holy arm [ Symbolic for his strength. In section 1 he said that his arm shall be revealed. Since these sections are bookends to the D&C we see that he will begin by revealing himself and his work and then grow it until it become strong with great power. ] in the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of their God. [ Verse 2 and 3 compare different views of the same event - as if to say that yes I am coming and I will come to judge and that will be harsh for some and a day of salvation for others. ]
[ Gathering of the Lord's people vs 4-35; Saints flee to Zion 4-15, the gathering 16-35. ]
4 Wherefore, prepare ye, prepare ye, O my people; sanctify yourselves; [ See Exodus 19:10. ] gather ye together, [ Bring all who will listen together, the essence of the gathering. ] O ye people of my church, upon the land of Zion, all you that have not been commanded to tarry. [ some are commanded to stay behind, to look for the stragglers, to finish the work, to look for those who might have made their decision to join at the very last minute. ]
5 Go ye out from Babylon. Be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord. [ If you are going to work for God then you need to do so with a pure heart and clean hands as God cannot use as instruments those that defile his laws. This verse has reference to those persons who bear the vessels employed in ritual temple worship, cp. Isa. 52:11. After Judah’s release from Babylon under Cyrus, they carried the temple
vessels back to Jerusalem, cp. Ezra 1:7-8, Ezra 5:14-15. ]
6 Call your solemn assemblies, and speak often one to another. [ Why would the Lord suggest that the church speak with each other often? In life we can use ll of the support that we can and the best way to do that is to be supported by those with the same faith; those that will build you up, teach you the gospel. ] And let every man call upon the name of the Lord.
7 Yea, verily I say unto you again, the time has come when the voice of the Lord is unto you: Go ye out of Babylon; gather ye out from among the nations, from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. [ The command is given to the missionaries of where to go to preach the gospel - out into the entire world. ]
8 Send forth the elders of my church unto the nations which are afar off; unto the islands of the sea; send forth unto foreign lands; call upon all nations, first upon the Gentiles, and then upon the Jews.
9 And behold, and lo, this shall be their cry, and the voice of the Lord unto all people: Go ye forth unto the land of Zion, that the borders of my people may be enlarged, and that her stakes may be strengthened, and that Zion may go forth unto the regions round about.
10 Yea, let the cry go forth among all people: Awake and arise and go forth to meet the Bridegroom; behold and lo, the Bridegroom cometh; [ After the couple is considered betrothed or as we would say engaged. Referred to most often as Erusin. The period is also called, “kiddushim” - meaning "sanctification" or "set apart." In essence this is a period in which the couple are to prepare themselves to enter into the covenant of marriage. It is during this phase that the couple enjoys “huppah” or they are under the marriage canopy. Huppah is a symbolic way of expressing that a new family that is planning to be formed, and it is in this phase that a binding contract is formed between the two.
Erusin will usually last about a year. It is entered into by the groom giving the bride a sum of money or a ring or something else of value. During this time they were considered to be married although they were not to live together or have any kind of sexual relations.
We learn from Matthew 1:18-25 that during the “erusin” this engagement period that a divorce would be required to annul the relationship between the two parties. We also learn that becoming pregnant during that period was grounds for such an annulment. Such a divorce could be done in a very public manner in order to shame the bride or in a private manner as to have the effect that it was just not going to work out without any shaming involved.
Erusin was considered as a period or time of preparation.
It was during this period that the groom was to secure a place for his bride and him to live. The bride had responsibilities during this period as well. She was in charge of her wedding garments. This required that she would often require hours and hours of sewing her wedding garments because there were not readily available in those days for instant purchase from a bridal gown shop as they are today.
In addition, the bride was instructed to prepare her lamps for the celebration. She was also supposed to observe her purity. This custom required a period of at least 9 months to pass before the actual marriage, which was designed to show as a sign that she was a virgin.
While the bride took the erusin period seriously, knowing that in about a year the groom would return and her marriage would take place. She however knew no more that the approximate time when the marriage would happen. Toward the end of the year long erusin period she would begin to wait each night with great expectancy for her groom to come forth. Often she would wait late into the evening with her lamps burning in case today was the day. This is the background of the parable of the Ten Virgins found in (Mat. 25:1-13).
As a matter of fact, the groom did not know the actual date of the wedding either. No, the one who would decide when the day of the marriage would be was the father of the groom. It was up to the father to oversee that the son had prepared himself for his new responsibility.
When the father felt that the groom was prepared and that the time was at hand the grooms father would issue the command for the ceremony to begin. He would then tell the groom that he could now go and collect his bride.
At this point the groom and his wedding party would leave the grooms home and walk toward the brides home. As the procession made its way through the streets toward the brides home the friends of the bridegroom would sound the shofar ( or ram’s horn) and shout “Behold the bridegroom comes, the bridegroom comes.” ] go ye out to meet him. Prepare yourselves for the great day of the Lord.
12 Let them, therefore, who are among the Gentiles flee [ Babylon, evil, darkness. ] unto Zion. [ Come unto the light. ]
13 And let them who be of Judah flee unto Jerusalem, unto the mountains [ Note that there are more than one mountain here. What does this suggest? Isa. 2:2, of one Zion in old Jerusalem and Zion in New Jerusalem. ] of the Lord’s house.
14 Go ye out from among the nations, even from Babylon, from the midst of wickedness, which is spiritual Babylon.
15 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 [ Reference to sodom & Gomorrah Gen. 19:17 in which they were commanded to do the same - not look back - not want both the old and the new. ] lest sudden destruction shall come upon him.
16 Hearken [ Hebrew "Shema" is translated here as hearken which means to "listen" and "obey". ] and hear, O ye inhabitants of the earth. Listen, ye elders of my church together, and hear the voice of the Lord; for he calleth upon all men, and he commandeth all men everywhere to repent.
17 For behold, the Lord God [ Hebrew - Yahweh ( or Jehovah which means "to become" or "to exist") translated as Lord; Elohim translated as God ("the Gods") which together the words mean "He will cause Gods to be". ] hath sent forth the angel crying through the midst of heaven, saying: Prepare ye the way of the Lord, and make his paths straight, for the hour of his coming is nigh— [ Compare v. 36, Rev. 8:13, D&C 88:92. ]
18 When the Lamb shall stand upon Mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand, having his [ The Lamb or the Savior. ] Father’s name written on their foreheads. [ What does it mean to have the Father's ma,e written on our foreheads? It means that the forefront of our mind is to submit to the will of our Father in Heaven. These would be very righteous men who like the Savior did the will of the Father. see Isa. 44:5, Zech. 14:5, Rev. 14:1, D&C 77:9]
20 For behold, he shall stand upon the mount of Olivet, and upon the mighty ocean, even the great deep, and upon the islands of the sea, and upon the land of Zion.
21 And he shall utter his voice out of Zion, and he shall speak from Jerusalem, [ Extending the two Zion's theme. ] and his voice shall be heard among all people;
22 And it shall be a voice as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder, which shall break down the mountains, and the valleys shall not be found. [ The earth is Gods creation as such he will do with it as he pleases - he will level the mountains if he needs in order to make way for the return of his people. D&C 49:23, D&C 109:61. ]
23 He shall command the great deep, and it shall be driven back into the north countries, and the islands shall become one land; [ The great earthquake will bring all on the land masses back together. This is a pre-millennial event. ]
24 And the land of Jerusalem and the land of Zion shall be turned back into their own place, and the earth shall be like as it was in the days before it was divided. [ First when this sign happens it will not be missed by anyone. Second it may not just be a few second or even a few minute earth quake but may go on for days or weeks - maybe months. Interpreting this passage is problematic as it is not clear what exactly happened when the earth was “divided” in the days of Peleg (cf. Gen. 10:25). Those favoring a literal physical interpretation say it was the separation of continents or the collapse of land bridges between continents. Those favoring a more figurative social interpretation say it is a result of the confusion of languages from Babel and people moving away from each other and forming separate distinct populations. Given what we know about the Jaredites being separated and the general scattering at the time it seems likely the latter is the better interpretation. But, given statements like those in v. 23, it could certainly be literal and physical. ]
25 And the Lord, even the Savior, shall stand in the midst of his people, and shall reign over all flesh. [ The Savior will be recognized and will rule over all mankind during the Millennium. ]
26 And they who are in the north countries [ The Lost Ten Tribes of Israel. 2 Ne. 8:4. One of the three nations of Israel on the earth. Which are The Northern kingdom of Israel(the first to be destroyed), the nation or kingdom of Judah(the second to be destroyed 70 AD), and the kingdom of Joseph(the nephites living in America destroyed 420 AD). ] shall come in remembrance before the Lord; and their prophets shall hear his voice, and shall no longer stay themselves; [ Since it is "their" I assume that we are talking about the prophets of the lost ten tribes, not our prophets but theirs. Their prophets appear to have been waiting for something and now under the direction of their prophets they come forth. Or could it be referring to the false prophets of Ephraim who at this time abandon their folly and hearken unto the Lord and return to Him. We must recall that the Northern 10 tribes were scattered as a result of rebellion, and their prophets were held in derision by Isaiah for their mockery of him and the Lord (cf. Isa. 28). If these prophets were true prophets they wouldn’t be “stay[ing]” themselves from the Lord, from which they have to stop doing. ] and they shall smite the rocks, and the ice shall flow down at their presence. [ Their prophets smite the rocks for them to come forth. This has a feel of the parting of the red sea. If you look at the last verse from the LDS bible dictionary it says: "Since their captivity they have never yet returned to their homeland, but extensive promises and prophecies speak of the time when they of the “north countries” shall return when they are ready to obey the gospel. The gathering of the lost tribes is to be a more spectacular event than the children of Israel coming out of Egypt in Moses’ day. Prophecies of their return are: Isa. 11:10–16; Jer. 3:18; 16:14–21; 1 Ne. 22:4–12; 2 Ne. 10:21–22; 3 Ne. 15:13–15; 16:1–5; D&C 133:26–35." . With the taking down of
these various mountains in v. 22, 31 to facilitate the return of scattered Israel the ice on the tops of these mountains (i.e. glaciers) will melt. On the “flow[ing]” cp. v. 40, 44. ]
27 And an highway shall be cast up in the midst of the great deep. [ What is the Great deep? The ocean? The heavens? Deep space? Or is it as Moses suggested as the outermost parts of heaven? Duet. 30: 1-4. ]
28 Their enemies shall become a prey unto them, [ So once the ten tribes return everything changes. Why? Because these people from the lost ten tribes start to take it to the anti-Christ, who has not defense from them. Compare Zech. 14:16-19, D&C 87:5. ]
29 And in the barren deserts there shall come forth pools of living water; and the parched ground shall no longer be a thirsty land. [ As all the wicked are destroyed and Zion is founded, the world is become a Millennial Eden, cp. Isa. 29:17, Isa. 35:1-2, Isa. 32:15, Isa. 51:3, Isa. 58:11, Isa. 61:11. ]
30 And they [ Others of the tribes of Israel. ] shall bring forth their rich treasures [ What treasures? They will bring both their physical treasures as well as the souls of this who want to learn hence their spiritual treasures as well. ] unto the children of Ephraim, [ This gives us an idea as to why Ephraim and Manasseh need to be gathered first so that they can fulfill that responsibility of blessing all of the other tribes - they will need the numbers to be able to do so. Ephraim through Joseph of old as well as Ephraim in the latter days through Joseph Smith - can you see the richness of the blessings that we are given here as members of the church. Those who are the current members of the church. As referenced by those who are doing the work of gathering Israel on both sides of the veil symbolic of the baptismal font on the back of Ephraim. In addition with the return of the ten tribes those of them that have returned will need to have their temple work done as well. Remember that even though they were lead away to the north country by the hand of the Lord they are still associated with the earth, it is their home as well. So they will need to have those ordinances completed for themselves. There wil be lots of work to get done. ] my servants. [ Those who are working in the temples. ]
31 And the boundaries of the everlasting hills [ Everlasting hills is only used twice in all of scripture. The first is when Jacob blesses Joseph in that his seed will inhabit the everlasting hills (Gen 49:26). The second time is in this verse. Salt lake city from Music and the spoken word. ] shall tremble at their presence. [ So the Salt Lake valley shall tremble at these guys presence. Will we tremble because it will come at a point when we think that all hope is lost, there is no way for us to be saved from the powers that seek to destroy the church? ]
32 And there [ In the Salt Lake Valley. ] shall they [ The Lost tribes. ] fall down [ Bow down to the tribe of Ephraim. Remember Ephraim is the tribe that was assigned the responsibility to bring forth the ordinances to the tribes of the earth. Remember that the other tribes of Israel where saved temporally by Joseph once before when they came to Egypt to get food to survive. So now the offspring of that same Joseph will be the one to save them spiritually as well with the ordinances of the temple. Which will cause the hills to tremble with delight. ] and be crowned with glory, [ How are they crowned in glory? As they receive the ordinances of the temple. This is an event not a process over time, but an event that will take place when they return. ] even in Zion, [ The bible dictionary is associated with the united States specifically and the north and south american continents. ] by the hands [ Ordinances performed by the hands of the children of Ephraim. ] of the servants of the Lord, even the children of Ephraim. [ Ephraim was given the birthright in Israel (1 Chr. 5:1–2; Jer. 31:9), and in the last days it has been the tribe of Ephraim’s privilege first to bear the message of the Restoration of the gospel to the world and to gather scattered Israel (Deut. 33:13–17; D&C 64:36; 133:26–34). Notice what Joseph writes about his posterity on his deathbed according to the Apocryphal writings titled "Testament Of Joseph" that were found among the dead sea scrolls and would have been had among the early saints. In it, Joseph relates his experience among his brethren after they were reunited. Look for similarities between Joseph's actions then, and his children's actions when the House of Israel is once again reunited in the latter days:
And after the death of Jacob my father I loved [my brethren] more abundantly, and all things whatsoever [Jacob] commanded I did very abundantly for them. And I suffered them not to be afflicted in the smallest matter; and all that was in my hand I gave unto them.
And their children [the children of my other brothers] were my children, and my children as their servants; and their life was my life, and all their suffering was my suffering, and all their sickness was my infirmity. My land was their land, and their counsel my counsel.
And I exalted not myself among them in arrogance because of my worldly glory, but I was among them as one of the least. If ye also, therefore, walk in the commandments of the Lord, my children, He will exalt you there, and will bless you with good things forever and ever. (The Testament of Joseph 2:62-67)
Now compare this account of Joseph's days in Egypt, with the latter-day account here starting with verse 26. In both cases Joseph's brethren fell down at his feet and worshipped him. In both cases Joseph provided a way to save them - in the first instance food and lands to live on. In the second instance the crowning ordinances of the gospel. Joseph was exalted in both cases because he was faithful in doing as the Lord had asked him to do. The children of Joseph will be there in the celestial city in the last days because they will be serving the Lord for all who com eto visit. They will be doing the things which God the Father would have them do - namely bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of God's children. ]
34 Behold, this is the blessing of the everlasting God upon the tribes of Israel, and the richer blessing upon the head of Ephraim and his fellows. [ Verses 34-35; Again we see that Ephraim and Judah are treated separately, cp. 12- 13, 20-21. But, both are Natural Israel and therefore enjoy the
blessings associated with being the literal lineage of Abraham,
namely that a remnant will be preserved no matter what. ]
35 And they also of the tribe of Judah, after their pain, shall be sanctified in holiness before the Lord, to dwell in his presence day and night, forever and ever.
[ What the missionaries are to preach vs 36-73; the judgement vs 38-51, Redemption vs 52-56, a voice of warning vs 57-73, those who preach and accept are redeemed vs 58-62. those who reject are judged vs 63-73. ]
36 And now, verily saith the Lord, that these things might be known among you, O inhabitants of the earth, I have sent forth mine angel flying through the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel, who hath appeared unto some and hath committed it unto man, who shall appear unto many that dwell on the earth.
38 And the servants of God shall go forth, saying with a loud voice: Fear God and give glory to him, for the hour of his judgment is come;
40 Calling upon the name of the Lord day and night, saying: O that thou wouldst rend the heavens, [ Isaiah wanted the same thing in his day. (Isaiah 64:1-3) ] that thou wouldst come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence.
41 And it shall be answered upon their heads; for the presence of the Lord shall be as the melting fire that burneth, [ The second coming of Jesus Christ will cause a great change to happen upon the earth. (2 Pet. 3:10; D&C 101:24-25) ] and as the fire which causeth the waters to boil.
42 O Lord, thou shalt come down to make thy name known to thine adversaries, and all nations shall tremble at thy presence—
43 When thou doest terrible things, things they look not for;
[ Or things that will happen that God did not say was going to happen; he has not told us everything that is going to happen at his coming. He has given us what we need to prepare but he has left some our as well. (Isaiah 64:3-4 "When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for") ]
44 Yea, when thou comest down, and the mountains flow down at thy presence, [ Similar to the statements in v. 26, 40. ] thou shalt meet him who rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, who remembereth thee in thy ways.
45 For since the beginning of the world have not men heard nor perceived by the ear, neither hath any eye seen, O God, besides thee, how great things thou hast prepared for him that waiteth for thee.
46 And it shall be said: Who is this that cometh down from God in heaven with dyed garments; yea, from the regions which are not known, clothed in his glorious apparel, traveling in the greatness of his strength?
48 And the Lord shall be red in his apparel, and his garments like him that treadeth in the wine-vat. [ “In ancient times in some parts of the world, people used to squeeze the juice out of the grapes by placing the grapes in a wine vat and then stomping on them. Naturally, the clothes of those persons who ‘treadeth in the wine-vat’ were soon stained with the grape juice and became the same color. When the Savior appears in the last days, his garments will be red ‘like him that treadeth in the wine-vat’ (D&C 133:48), and ‘his voice shall be heard: I have trodden in the wine- press alone’ (D&C 133:50).” (Ludlow, Companion, 1:678.) Wine in Doctrine and Covenants 133:48–51, as in the sacrament, suggests blood, both Christ’s blood when He worked out the Atonement alone, and the blood of vengeance on the wicked at the Second Coming (see Isaiah 64:1–6). President Joseph Fielding Smith said that “Isaiah has pictured this great day when the Lord shall come with his garments, or apparel, red and glorious, to take vengeance on the ungodly. (Isa. 64:1–6.) This will be a day of mourning to the wicked, but a day of gladness to all who have kept his commandments. Do not let anyone think that this is merely figurative language, it is literal, and as surely as we live that day of wrath will come when the cup of iniquity is full. We have received a great many warnings. The great day of the Millennium will come in; the wicked will be consumed and peace and righteousness will dwell upon all the face of the earth for one thousand years.” (Church History and Modern Revelation, 1:191–92.). ]
49 And so great shall be the glory of his presence that the sun shall hide his face in shame, and the moon shall withhold its light, and the stars shall be hurled from their places.
50 And his voice shall be heard: I have trodden the wine-press alone, and have brought judgment upon all people; and none were with me;
51 And I have trampled them in my fury, and I did tread upon them in mine anger, and their blood have I sprinkled upon my garments, and stained all my raiment; for this was the day of vengeance which was in my heart.
[ v52-56 A discourse on Redemption. This comments on those who participated in the First Resurrection, and are therefore both physically redeemed (i.e. resurrected) and spiritually redeemed in the fullest sense (i.e. exalted). This discourse compliments that of v. 36-51. There the Lord come down in anger upon His enemies. Here he comes to redeem His friends. ]
52 And now the year of my redeemed is come; and they shall mention the loving kindness of their Lord, and all that he has bestowed upon them according to his goodness, and according to his loving kindness, forever and ever.
53 In all their afflictions he was afflicted. And the angel of his presence saved them; [ Who is the angel of his presence? We have a couple of named names in the next verse. Enoch the first named, Noah also. "The angel of the presence" is referred too in Exodus (23:20-21), and is identified as Enoch in Talmudic tradition(Babylonian Talmud ), as well in apocryphal Enoch sources. Even the JST Gen. 14:31-32 suggests that it is Enoch whose priesthood allowed him to "break every band". Suggesting that the angel of the presence who rescued Abraham from the altar may be none other than his forefather Enoch. ] and in his love, and in his pity, he redeemed them, and bore them, and carried them all the days of old;
54 Yea, and Enoch also, and they who were with him; the prophets who were before him; and Noah also, and they who were before him; and Moses also, and they who were before him;
55 And from Moses to Elijah, and from Elijah to John, who were with Christ in his resurrection, and the holy apostles, with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, shall be in the presence of the Lamb.
56 And the graves of the saints shall be opened; and they shall come forth and stand on the right hand of the Lamb, when he shall stand upon Mount Zion, and upon the holy city, the New Jerusalem; and they shall sing the song of the Lamb, day and night forever and ever.
57 And for this cause, [ Or I am telling you that this is the reason for the new covenant spoken of in Jeremiah 31:31-34. ] that men might be made partakers of the glories which were to be revealed, the Lord sent forth the fulness of his gospel, [ Which is - or what is entailed in the fulness of the gospel. There is only one church that contains the fullness of the gospel, only one church that claims to have the power today to seal on earth and in heaven, there is only one true church that does not put limits on the Saviors power, the atonement, baptism as an earthly ordinance required by all to enter his kingdom...] his everlasting covenant, [ Or the eternal nature of those covenants that we can make with him.] reasoning in plainness and simplicity— [ When you really think about it the gospel is so simple. ]
58 To prepare the weak [ Who is this for? The weakest! ] for those things which are coming on the earth, [ How does knowning what is coming prepare us? ] and for the Lord’s errand [ What is the Lords errand? To bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.] in the day when the weak shall confound the wise, [ How will we know when it is happening? The weak will confound the wise! What does that mean? Missionaries, those who teach and are lead humbly by the spirit - have the answers that the learned do no have.] and the little one become a strong nation, and two shall put their tens of thousands to flight. [ How do missionaries travel? in two's ]
59 And by the weak things of the earth the Lord shall thrash [ What is the result of thrashing? The grain is collected from the shaft and the husks -1) to separate the seeds of from the husks and straw by beating 2) to swing, beat, or strike in the manner of a rapidly moving flail 3) to go over again and again <thrash the matter over inconclusively 4) to defeat decisively or severely <thrashed the visiting team! ] the nations by the power of his Spirit.
60 And for this cause these commandments were given; [ This is the reason why the Lord wanted to give these ordinances and covenants to the children of Israel in the first place see Ex 19:5 The Lord wanted to renew with them the covenant he had made with their father Abraham. After they were so empowered they were to return again to the lands that were given them for their inheritance and build a temple to their God.] they were commanded to be kept from the world in the day that they were given,
[ Remember what happened with Moses on Mt Sinai? See Inspired version Ex 34:1 The second set of tablets given to Moses contained a lesser law than the first set. (compare Exodus 34: 1-2, 14; Doctrine and Covenants 84: 21-26)
1 And the Lord said unto Moses, Hew thee two other tables of stone, like unto the first, and I will write upon them also, the words of the law, according as they were written at the first on the tables which thou brakest; but it shall not be according to the first, for I will take away the priesthood out of their midst; therefore my holy order, and the ordinances thereof, shall not go before them; for my presence shall not go up in their midst, lest I destroy them.
2 But I will give unto them the law as at the first, but it shall be after the law of a carnal commandment; for I have sworn in my wrath, that they shall not enter into my presence, into my rest, in the days of their pilgrimage. Therefore do as I have commanded thee, and be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning unto mount Sina] but now are to go forth unto all flesh—
1 And the Lord said unto Moses, Hew thee two other tables of stone, like unto the first, and I will write upon them also, the words of the law, according as they were written at the first on the tables which thou brakest; but it shall not be according to the first, for I will take away the priesthood out of their midst; therefore my holy order, and the ordinances thereof, shall not go before them; for my presence shall not go up in their midst, lest I destroy them.
2 But I will give unto them the law as at the first, but it shall be after the law of a carnal commandment; for I have sworn in my wrath, that they shall not enter into my presence, into my rest, in the days of their pilgrimage. Therefore do as I have commanded thee, and be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning unto mount Sina] but now are to go forth unto all flesh—
62 And unto him that repenteth and sanctifieth himself before the Lord shall be given eternal life. [ What is required of us to enter the temple? Repent and sanctify ourselves - What are the benefits of keeping our temple covenants? We receive eternal life]
63 And upon them that hearken [ Hebrew "Shema" is translated here as hearken which means to "listen" and "obey". ] not to the voice of the Lord shall be fulfilled that which was written by the prophet Moses, that they should be cut off from among the people.
64 And also that which was written by the prophet Malachi: For, behold, the day cometh that shall burn [ When something is burned it is changed - the proud will either have to change or they will be burned.
From an eternal perspective we might relate the burning to another word - yearning - or seeing what they could have had and been - that will cause ones heart to burn with envy or desire. Why is Satan so Miserable?Because he is eternally left in the same state, he cannot grow - he cannot have eternal increase.Think about it - How miserable, how bad would your heart burn if you were going to be in the same state forever?
When Joseph Smith had his first vision one of the words that he used to express what had happened was the use of the word fire. He later used the word glory to describe the presence of the Father and the son. Jospeh Smith said that he fully expected the leaves to be gone on all of the trees at the end of the first vision. That is how it appeared to him.
literal meaning: Joseph Fielding Smith Church History & Modern Revelation 1:238 - "It is not a figure of speech that is meaningless, or one not to be taken literally when the Lord speaks of the burning. All through the scriptures we have the word of the Lord that at his coming the wicked and the rebellious will be as stubble and will be consumed. Isaiah has so prophesied."
Christ is a glorified, celestial being, and the glory of such beings is comparable to that of the sun. The presence of Christ when he comes in His glory will be as a consuming fire. The mountains will flow down at hi presence, the elements will melt with fervent heat, and the waters will flow boil. Even the sun will hide its face in shame. see D&C 76:70; D&C 133:40-44; Hebrews 12:29] as an oven, and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble; and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of Hosts [ What exactly does “host” mean? The phrase “Lord of Hosts” is the same as the “Lord of Sabaoth.” “The Lord of Sabaoth was a title of Jehovah; the hosts were the armies of Israel (1 Sam. 17:45), but also included the angelic armies of heaven” (Bible Dictionary, “Sabaoth,”. ] , that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
From an eternal perspective we might relate the burning to another word - yearning - or seeing what they could have had and been - that will cause ones heart to burn with envy or desire. Why is Satan so Miserable?Because he is eternally left in the same state, he cannot grow - he cannot have eternal increase.Think about it - How miserable, how bad would your heart burn if you were going to be in the same state forever?
When Joseph Smith had his first vision one of the words that he used to express what had happened was the use of the word fire. He later used the word glory to describe the presence of the Father and the son. Jospeh Smith said that he fully expected the leaves to be gone on all of the trees at the end of the first vision. That is how it appeared to him.
literal meaning: Joseph Fielding Smith Church History & Modern Revelation 1:238 - "It is not a figure of speech that is meaningless, or one not to be taken literally when the Lord speaks of the burning. All through the scriptures we have the word of the Lord that at his coming the wicked and the rebellious will be as stubble and will be consumed. Isaiah has so prophesied."
Christ is a glorified, celestial being, and the glory of such beings is comparable to that of the sun. The presence of Christ when he comes in His glory will be as a consuming fire. The mountains will flow down at hi presence, the elements will melt with fervent heat, and the waters will flow boil. Even the sun will hide its face in shame. see D&C 76:70; D&C 133:40-44; Hebrews 12:29] as an oven, and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble; and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of Hosts [ What exactly does “host” mean? The phrase “Lord of Hosts” is the same as the “Lord of Sabaoth.” “The Lord of Sabaoth was a title of Jehovah; the hosts were the armies of Israel (1 Sam. 17:45), but also included the angelic armies of heaven” (Bible Dictionary, “Sabaoth,”. ] , that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
66 In that day when I came unto mine own, no man among you received me, and you were driven out. [ Or, when Jesus’ came the first time, he was not generally recognized by covenant Israel as the promised Messiah, and the people suffered as a result. ]
67 When I called again there was none of you to answer; yet my arm was not shortened at all [ I was not the one who pulled away. ] that I could not redeem, neither my power to deliver.
68 Behold, at my rebuke I dry up the sea. I make the rivers a wilderness; [ The “wilderness” is a common
Scriptural term for a desert, cp. Isa. 50:2. The underlying
message here is the Lord has power over all of His creation and
can reverse people’s fortune, so He can damn people who deserve
it if He chooses to. In other words, the rich and powerful
people of the earth who despise Him, unlike the “weak” in v. 58,
will be made desolate as is discussed in v. 70-73, cp. Zech.
10:11. ] their fish stink, and die for thirst.
71 Behold, and lo, there are none to deliver you; for ye obeyed not my voice when I called to you out of the heavens; ye believed not my servants, [ John 5:46 ] and when they were sent unto you ye received them not.
72 Wherefore, they sealed up the testimony and bound up the law, and ye were delivered over unto darkness.
73 These shall go away into outer darkness, [ in the LDS vernacular this term is
typically associated with sons of perdition. However, in this
case it is simply referring to less than Celestial quality
persons, as dictated by context.
] where there is weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth.
74 Behold the Lord your God hath spoken it. Amen. [ Closing authority statement ]
[ Historical Material Pertaining to Doctrine & Covenants 133 The first excerpt is Smith’s comments from History of the Church. The second excerpt is the header which attended the publication of the text of this section when it was published in The Evening and Morning Star. The third excerpt is included simply to demonstrate the general attitude of the Church at that time with respect to the Second Coming. They saw it as imminent and all of the “signs” pointed to that as far as they were concerned. Short articles like this were common in The Evening and Morning Star. Excerpt from History of the Church At this time there were many things which the Elders desired to know relative to preaching the Gospel to the inhabitants of the earth, and concerning the gathering; and in order to walk by the true light, and be instructed from on high, on the 3rd of November, 1831, I inquired of the Lord and received the following important revelation, which has since been added to the book of Doctrine and Covenants, and called the Appendix: [text of D&C 133 quoted] (Joseph Smith, History of the Church, volume 1, page 229) Excerpt from The Evening and Morning Star REVELATIONS. HAVING given, in a previous number [Vol. 1, No. 10, March 1833], the Preface to the book of Commandments [i.e., the text of D&C 1] now in press, we give below, the close, or as it has been called, the Appendix. It affords us joy to lay before the saints, an article fraught with so much heavenly intelligence; having previously published many from the same book for their instruction. We hope that while they read it, they will remember, that it is a voice from him who spake as never man spake. We hope that while they are blessed with revelation upon revelation, with commandment upon commandment, and with precept upon precept, they will remember to do them. We hope that while they are thus blessed with the precious word of their Lord from heaven, in these last days, to fulfill that which was spoken in days of old, they will hearken to his counsels and lend an ear to all his precepts. Indeed it is a source of joy to us, to know, that all the prophecies and promises which are contained in them, which have not been fulfilled, will come to pass. The saints may lift up their heads and rejoice, for their redemption will soon be 133.10 perfected. soon the curtain of heaven will be unfolded, as a scroll is unfolded after it is rolled up, and they will see their Lord face to face. In view of these coming scenes, they may lift up their heads and rejoice, and praise his holy name, that they are permitted to live in the days when he returns to his people his everlasting covenant, to prepare them for his presence. The book from which this important revelation is taken [i.e., the Book of Commandments], will be published in the course of the present year, at from 25, to 50 cents a copy. We regret that in consequence of circumstances not within our control, this book will not be offered to our brethren as soon as was anticipated. We beg their forbearance, and solicit an interest in their prayers, promising to use our exertions with all our means to accomplish the work. [text of D&C 133 quoted] (The Evening and Morning Star, volume 1, number 12, May 1833) Excerpt from The Evening and Morning Star SIGNS OF THE TIMES. SIGNS and appearances are such, that even the most unbelieving dread coming events; and no wonder, for when the Lord comes out of his place to rebuke the nations, all hearts are faint, and all knees do tremble. Every man has a right to do as he pleases, being an agent to himself, but we ardently hope, while such important signs, and extraordinary commotions, as: -- The Cholera spreading over the whole earth; The plague breaking out in India; The Revolutions of Europe; The dissolution of south Carolina from the Union; The gathering of the saints to Zion, and The assembling of the Jews at Jerusalem, are passing in rapid succession, that some will turn to God and live. Such strange movements of men; such dreadful sickness; oh! such fearful looking for the wrath of God to be poured out upon this generation, together with the evidence of Holy writ, ought to convince every man in the world, that the end is near; that the harvest is ripe, and that the angels are reaping down the earth! It is certainly a day of dilemmas: The political party that has just been crowned with victory, shudders at the prospect before it. Horror, with all its fearful gloom slackens in one place, and commotion, or rebellion, with all its crimson warnings, reddens in another, showing, if ever there was a time when the sword of the Lord hung by a single hair, over the heads of them that have seated themselves round the feast table, it is now. The man that undertakes to run FROM the pestilence, runs to danger: and he that would leave Europe because her kingdoms are crumbling to pieces, to come to America, beholds the links in the chain of Freedom break, as the new ropes in the hands of Sampson: and he looks, but looks in vain for peace, for the hour is nigh, when it shall be taken from the earth. In the east there is trouble; in the west there is fear; in the north there is no peace, and in the south there is consternation. Well may we exclaim, all things must change: but virtue shall endure forever. (The Evening and Morning Star, volume 1, number 8, January 1833) ]