"Lesson 46: “He Will Dwell with Them, and They Shall Be
His People”," New Testament Gospel Doctrine Teacher’s Manual, (2002)
1. Introduction
a) Concluding
discussion of the Book of Revelations
i)
Sometimes people are intimidated by this book and the
images in it
b) The
Revelation of the apostle John is a grand “apocalypse”
i)
Apocalypse: a Greek term for “opening of the veil”
(1) READ
– Revelations 4:1
1 After this I looked, and,
behold, a door was opened in heaven:
and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me;
which said, Come up hither, and I
will shew thee things which must be hereafter.
ii) The
entire plan of salvation is laid out from beginning to end, culminating in the
exaltation of the saints in the celestial kingdom of God.
iii) If
you understand the Plan of Salvation, you will see it in Revelations
iv) Describes
the culmination of the Atonement
(1) All
promises made to the children of God are completely fulfilled
(2) Satan
is defeated
(3) READ
– Revelations 1:4 -
4 And God shall wipe away all
tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor
crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed
away.
(4) Heaven
and earth are made new
(5) The
earth obtains its Celestial glory and the holy city of God is built here
c) Reading
1 - Joseph Smith said: “John had the curtains of heaven withdrawn, and by
vision looked through the dark vista of future ages, and contemplated events
that should transpire throughout every subsequent period of time, until the
final winding up scene.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 247)
d) Reading
2 - Elder Orson F. Whitney wrote:
"'The book which John saw' represented the real history of the
world—what the eye of God has seen, what the recording angel has written; and
the seven thousand years, corresponding to the seven seals of the Apocalyptic
volume, are as seven great days during which Mother Earth will fulfill her
mortal mission, laboring six days and resting upon the seventh, her period of
sanctification. These seven days do not include the period of our planet's
creation and preparation as a dwelling place for man. They are limited to
Earth's 'temporal existence,' that is, to Time, considered as distinct from
Eternity....
"According to received chronology—admittedly imperfect, yet
approximately correct—four thousand years, or four of the seven great days
given to this planet as the period of its 'temporal existence,' had passed
before Christ was crucified; while nearly two thousand years have gone by
since. Consequently, Earth's long week is now drawing to a close, and we stand
at the present moment in the Saturday Evening of Time, at or near the end of
the sixth day of human history. Is it not a time for thought, a season for
solemn meditation? Morning will break upon the Millennium, the thousand years
of peace, the Sabbath of the World!" (Saturday Night Thoughts, pp4-5)
2. Satan
fights against the righteous
a) The
first three chapters of Revelation pertain to John’s time – last week’s lesson
b) Remainder
of the book describes events that would be in the future for John
c) Chapters
5 and 6 of Revelation use the symbol of a book “sealed with seven seals”
(Revelation 5:1).
i)
Each seal represents a thousand-year period of the
earth’s temporal existence (D&C 77:6–7).
ii) In
chapter 6, the Lamb (Jesus Christ) opens the first six seals, showing John some
of the events associated with each time period.
iii) In
ancient Asia, when a new king took the throne, he would send ceremonial horse
guards in the four directions of the compass to announce his accession to the
throne, to break the seals of the old ruler, and to issue new seals in the name
of the new ruler.
iv) Reading
3 – Revelations 5:1-5
1 And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside,
sealed with seven seals.
2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a
loud voice, Who is worthy to open the
book, and to loose the seals
thereof?
3 And no
man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open
the book, neither to look thereon.
4 And I wept much, because no man was found
worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.
5 And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep
not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of
Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose
the seven seals thereof.
(1) Verse
5 – Who is the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David? – Christ
v) Reading
4 – Doctrine and Covenants 77:6-7
6 Q. What are we to understand by
the book which John saw, which was sealed on the back with seven seals?
A. We are to understand that it
contains the revealed will, mysteries, and the works of God; the hidden things
of his economy concerning this earth during the seven thousand years of its
continuance, or its temporal existence.
7 Q. What are we to understand by the seven seals
with which it was sealed?
A. We are to understand that the
first seal contains the things of the first thousand years, and the second also
of the second thousand years, and so on until the seventh.
(1) Note
– Nothing in this description provides the ability for anyone to predict the
Second Coming
(a) We
have been told many times that we are living in the last days
(i) Elder
Holland said the last days began when Joseph Smith went into the woods to pray
vi) The
first seal begins after the fall of Adam
(1) Does
not include anything before the fall, including the Creation
vii) Number of
verses for each seal
(1) The
first 5 seals [from the time of the Fall to about the year 1000AD] are
discussed in Revelation 6:1-11.
(2) The
6th Seal [c. 1000-2000 AD] comprises 14 verses, from Revelation 6:12 through
7:8.
(3) The
7th Seal [c. 2000-3000 AD] is discussed in 201 verses, from Revelation 8:1
through 19:21.
(4) There
are 15 verses for the millennium and the final scenes.
d) From
before the creation of the earth, Satan has fought against the righteous
i)
Reading 5 – Revelations 6:4-11
4 And there went out another horse
that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from
the earth, and that they should kill
one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.
5 And when he had opened the third seal, I
heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse;
and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.
6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four
beasts say, A measure of wheat for a
penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not
the oil and the wine.
7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I
heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and
his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was
given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and
with the beasts of the earth.
9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw
under the altar the souls of them
that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they
held:
10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying,
How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on
them that dwell on the earth?
11 And white robes were given unto every one
of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little
season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be
killed as they were, should be fulfilled.
(1) Ways
Satan has fought against the righteous
(a) Verse
1 – War and violence
(b) Verse
6 – Hunger and famine
(i) the
Roman penny was an average day’s wages and a measure of wheat was one day’s
worth of food for one person; verse 6 indicates that a day’s wages would only
buy a day’s worth of food for one person
(c) Verse
9 – Persecution of the righteous
ii) ASK
– Are we surprised that Satan fights against the followers of Christ?
3. Reading
6 - President Gordon B. Hinckley said: “That war, so bitter, so intense, has
gone on, and it has never ceased. It is the war between truth and error,
between agency and compulsion, between the followers of Christ and those who
have denied Him. His enemies have used every stratagem in that conflict.
They’ve indulged in lying and deceit. They’ve employed money and wealth.
They’ve tricked the minds of men. They’ve murdered and destroyed and engaged in
every other unholy and impure practice to thwart the work of Christ. …
“[Opposition]
has been felt in the undying efforts of many, both within and without the
Church, to destroy faith, to belittle, to demean, to bear false witness, to
tempt and allure and induce our people to practices inconsistent with the
teachings and standards of this work of God. …
“The war goes
on. It is waged across the world over the issues of agency and compulsion. It
is waged by an army of missionaries over the issues of truth and error. It is
waged in our own lives, day in and day out, in our homes, in our work, in our
school associations; it is waged over questions of love and respect, of loyalty
and fidelity, of obedience and integrity. We are all involved in it”
“We are winning [the war against
Satan], and the future never looked brighter” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1986,
58; or Ensign, Nov. 1986, 45)
4. Satan
will be bound, and Christ will reign in triumph during the Millennium
a) Reading
7 – Revelations 19:6-9
6 And I heard as it were the voice
of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of
mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour
to him: for the marriage of the Lamb
is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen,
clean and white: for the fine
linen is the righteousness of saints.
9 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.
i)
Coming of Christ symbolized by marriage supper
ii) ASK:
What does the wife symbolize?
iii) Verse
8 - the fine linen is the
righteousness of saints
iv) Verse
9 - Blessed are they which are called
unto the marriage supper of the Lamb
(1) Only
those who are invited may come to the marriage supper
v) Reading
8 - Elder Bruce R. McConkie wrote: “The elders of Israel are now issuing the
invitations to the marriage supper of the Lord; those who believe and obey the
gospel thereby accept the invitation and shall sit in due course … at the
marriage feast” (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3 vols. [1966–73],
3:563–64).
b) This
is the beginning of the Millenium
i)
Satan is bound for nearly a thousand years.
ii) Reading
9 – Doctrine and Covenants 45:55-59
55 And Satan shall be bound, that
he shall have no place in the hearts of the children of men.
56 And at that day, when I shall come in my
glory, shall the parable be fulfilled which I spake concerning the ten virgins.
57 For they that are wise and have received
the truth, and have taken the Holy Spirit for their guide, and have not been
deceived—verily I say unto you, they shall not be hewn down and cast into the
fire, but shall abide the day.
58 And the earth shall be given unto them for
an inheritance; and they shall multiply and wax strong, and their children
shall grow up without sin unto salvation.
59 For the Lord shall be in their midst, and
his glory shall be upon them, and he will be their king and their lawgiver.
iii) READ
- President Joseph Fielding Smith wrote: “The great work of the Millennium
shall be performed in temples . . . . Those who have passed through the
resurrection, and who know all about the people and conditions on the other
side, will place in the hands of those who are in mortality, the necessary
information by and through which the great work of salvation for every worthy
soul shall be performed.” (Doctrines of Salvation, 2:251)
5. After
the last judgment, the righteous will dwell with God
a) Satan
is released for a last battle
i)
Sometimes called the battle of Gog and Magog
ii) Reading
10 - President Ezra Taft Benson said: “Each day the forces of evil and the
forces of good enlist new recruits. Each day we personally make many decisions
showing the cause we support. The final outcome is certain—the forces of
righteousness will win. But what remains to be seen is where each of us personally, now and in the future, will stand in
this battle—and how tall we will
stand. Will we be true to our last days and fulfill our foreordained missions?”
(“In His Steps,” Ensign, Sept. 1988, 2).
b) After
Satan is defeated in the last battle, the final judgment will occur
i)
READ – Revelations 20:12
12 And I saw the dead, small and
great, stand before God; and the
books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things
which were written in the books, according to their works.
(1) Reading
11 - President Spencer W. Kimball said:
"The Book of Life will show the earthly activities of all of us,
and the book of the angels will give the entire story of every man and what he
did in the light and in the shadows, in the open and in the corners, all that
is said in the secret places and from the housetops, all that was thought and
expressed, whether good or bad. There will be no escape. The honest judge will
give full value to all for their good works and will not overlook the
other." (Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, p46)
c) After
the final judgment
i)
READ – Revelations 21:1-7
1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and
there was no more sea.
2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven,
prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a great voice out of
heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle
of God is with men, and he
will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their
God.
4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their
eyes; and there shall be no more
death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for
the former things are passed away.
5 And he that sat upon the throne said,
Behold, I make all things new.
And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am
Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that
is athirst of the fountain of the
water of life freely.
7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.
d) Reading
12 - President David O. McKay told of a vision in which he saw a beautiful
city, many people dressed in white, and the Savior:
“The city, I
understood, was [the Savior’s]. It was the City Eternal; and the people
following him were to abide there in peace and eternal happiness.
“But who were
they?
“As if the Savior
read my thoughts, he answered by pointing to a semicircle that then appeared
above them, and on which were written in gold the words: These Are They Who
Have Overcome the World—Who Have Truly Been Born Again!” (Cherished Experiences
from the Writings of President David O. McKay, comp. Clare Middlemiss [1976],
60).
Conclusion
