Prophesies of Zechariah

Like Haggai, Zechariah encouraged the people to continue rebuilding the temple. But he also challenged the people to rebuild their personal spiritual lives. Zechariah’s visions are both Messianic and apocalyptic. Zechariah’s prophecies about Jesus Christ in chapters 9–14 are quoted often in the four Gospels of the New Testament.

          In Zechariah 7:9-10 the Lord called his people to be kind to all people. They were to judge righteously, show mercy, and aid those who are widows, fatherless, poor, and strange. He calls the people to be better! The people chose to reject the Lord. Zechariah said they, "stopped their ears, that they should not hear." Their hearts were "adamant stone" keeping out the spirit of the Lord. Because of their denial of God, his wrath came upon them. 

                                               

          In Zechariah 9:9 he testifies of the Lord's humility saying that he will come to the people upon the back of an ass. In Matthew 21 this prophecy is fulfilled. The Lord had his disciples search for a donkey and her colt in the city before he entered so that he could ride in on them. The disciples then proclaimed, "Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass" (Matt. 21:5).  

          Zechariah prophesied of the coming of Jesus Christ, his first and his last. In 10:6–12 Zechariah tells us who will be gathered and remembered by the Lord. Israel was scattered and must be brought back together before the second coming of the Lord. This is a sign to the people that Christ will soon arrive. He specifically says that the house of Judah and the house of Joseph will he saved and brought to a place where they can expand.

          As the world prepares for the Second Coming the Lord will be gathering his elect. The Lord has prepared a way that his saints can draw strength from one another as the world faces many trials and tribulations. What I found interesting as I studying the gathering of Israel is that in Doctrine and Covenants it says that yes, the elect will be gathered so they can be relatively safe, but they are to be prepared before they gather. While they elect are gathered they will be able to prepare spiritually together for the time when the Lord comes. This gathering is important because it fulfills previous prophesies and it shows that the Lord’s time to reign is near. 

Understanding the Majesty of God

In Habakkuk chapter 1, the Lord shows the destruction and captivity of his people by the Chaldeans, a "bitter and hasty nation." Habakkuk was dismayed and aghast at the news. He was saddened by the iniquity that he beheld. He sees the people destruction and worries that the wicked will rule the earth with no righteous among them to guide those that wish to return to the Lord. 

      When it comes to understanding and obtaining the knowledge of the glory of the Lord we have to remember that when we study the scriptures we continuously learn more of Christ and our Heavenly Father. The scriptures are a testament of him, it says it on the cover. We cannot read the scripture and not see the Lord. 
      In Habakkuk 2:3-15 Habakkuk warns us what we shouldn't do but at the end of this set of scriptures he says in verse 14, "For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea." All we have to do to see the Lord's glory is to look outside, look to the person sitting next to you. You have been created through the power and glory of God! In order to not insult that Lord and his great creations we need to abstain from unrighteous living. We must spread the gospel because the Lord has commanded it. The knowledge that we receive through the scriptures has been given us so we can share it with those who do not have the light of this gospel. 
      Jacob 4:8 is a great reminder to us all that the Lord is many things. We will not know everything about him. The verse reads, "Behold, great and marvelous are the works of the Lord. How unsearchable are the depths of the mysteries of him; and it is impossible that man should find out all his ways. And no man knoweth of his ways save it be revealed unto him; wherefore, brethren, despise not the revelations of God." We can always learn more of Christ! It is one of the Articles of Faith, "We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will YET reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God" [emphasis added]. The Lord knows that his people need constant guidance and so he offers it through his living prophets and through personal revelation. We may not know everything about the Lord but we can continuously learn about him and his gospel through reading our scriptures, listening to the prophets, and praying daily to commune with the Lord. When we are more familiar with him and his teachings we put ourselves in a place to learn more, to be given more. In Doctrine and Covenants 101:32-34 it says, "...In that day when the Lord shall come, he shall reveal all things - Things which have passes, and hidden things which no man knew... Things most precious, thing that are above, and things that are beneath, things that are in the earth, and upon the earth, and in heaven." We will never stop receiving information! Thirst for the knowledge and glory of the Lord! It will bring about incredible things! I know the Lord lives and that he reveals truths to us everyday if we are living reighteously and seeking out those truths. We truly can learn more of Christ through the scriptures and his prophets. If we look, we will find. 

I Am Someones's Savior

Choice 3: Obadiah. Saviors “up on Mount Zion”

Obadiah 1: 17 and 21, D&C 128: 5 and 15 are about doing the work for those who have come before us. We are the Saviors for our ancestors. Through us they can be brought forth in the first resurrection, clothed in glory! It is our duty and responsibility to serve them and do their work in the temple. This was the plan from the beginning. The Lord prepared this church to do this work in the Latter-days. 

The temple is where we are able to help other become holy and for us too, to become more like the Father. Through the covenants we make in the temple we are blessed and made better. This opportunity to draw closer to our Heavenly Father should not be passed by. I need to be better about serving the Lord and my ancestors, to be able to do their work for them. In the temple we are brought closer to the Lord and our forefathers. The temple is a house of God, a place of calm and clarity. When we are able to sacrifice our time to attend we are being delivered. 

The Scriptures: 
Obadiah 1:17 ¶But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.

1:21 And saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the Lord’s.

Doctrine and Covenants 128:5 You may think this order of things to be very particular; but let me tell you that it is only to answer the will of God, by conforming to the ordinance and preparation that the Lord ordained and prepared before the foundation of the world, for the salvation of the dead who should die without a knowledge of the gospel.

128:15 And now, my dearly beloved brethren and sisters, let me assure you that these are principles in relation to the dead and the living that cannot be lightly passed over, as pertaining to our salvation. For their salvation is necessary and essential to our salvation, as Paul says concerning the fathers—that they without us cannot be made perfect—neither can we without our dead be made perfect.

Bible Dictionary 
Student Manual

 The Battle of Gog and Magog

Are we ready?

In Ezekiel 38 and 39 the Lord talks about a battle, Armageddon, that is to take place during the gathering of Israel. As the people gather the lands around them will be frightened of them and think they are there to take their land and precious things. The people of Gog, those against Israel, will come upon them with a very strong army, one with all of the best weaponry and with many men. The Lord describes this army as a "cloud to cover the land" (Ezekiel 38:16). 

The Lord will defend Israel in his wrath toward Gog and the land will shake, and the people of the Lord will be called to fight. When the people of Gog come to battle they will be smitten by the Lord as well as his people, they will not prevail over Israel. Ezekiel said that among those who side with Gog with be Persia, Ethiopia, Libya, Gomer, and Togarmah - he gives specific people but these lands are based on the ancient world and so we can't say exactly what nations or people will side with them when the war comes. What we do know is that it will happen. Satan will be leading people against those who follow the Lord and his Prophets. 

We need to prepare ourselves and our children for a day when our faith will be assaulted. Our job is to cling unto the Lord and become more like him so when we are faced with hardships we are able to be strong in our faith and the Lord will be able to intercede for his people.

Jeremiah's Lamentations

In Lamentations 1:1-11 Jeremiah is grieving for Jerusalem. He explains in different ways what it is that has happened to cause Jerusalem's down fall. He says, "How is she become tributary" in verse one. Jerusalem was once an important place with power under the Lord and now, it is trivial. "Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction" he says in verse three. He continues in verse four saying, "All her gates are desolate." The people are reduced to nothing now and the city is in ruins. "Her adversaries are chief, her enemies prosper." When the Lord was present within the walls, Jerusalem reigned, now that the people have succumbed to iniquity Jerusalem has lost her power. 

If we continue in Lamentations 1:12-22 we see similarities in these and the verses found in Mormon 6:17-22. In 12-22 Jeremiah is mourning the wickedness of Jerusalem and their destruction. In Mormon 6, Mormon is mourning the wickedness of the Nephites who have all been destroyed! The destruction of each people only come after their iniquity and many warnings to repent of them. 

Lamentations 2–5 explain the reason for the suffering and destruction of the kingdom of Judah. As they are suffering there is misery, sorrow, and destruction. They then try to trust in the Lord and repent. All of the suffering they endured was due to their iniquities. In Alma 41:10 it says, "Do not suppose, because it has been spoken concerning restoration, that ye shall be restored from sin to happiness. Behold, I say unto you, wickedness never was happiness." This certainly applies to Jerusalem at this time. Their wickedness was only follow by misery and pain.

In Lamentations 5:15–22 we see a few things that it takes to be humble: we mourn our sins, we are broken-hearted, we recognize that the Lord is omnipotent and that we should trust in him always.  It is also important that we remember that the Lord has his own time table. We must diligently work to correct our mistakes.

Old Testament Destruction and Latter Day Hope

In Jeremiah 16:10-13 Jeremiah foretold that Jerusalem would be destroyed and Judah taken captive. As he prophesied of this he gave five reasons for their destruction, the people had forsaken the Lord, have created false idols, have worshiped those false idols, haven't kept the commandments, they put their faith in themselves, and do not listen to the Lord. 

Jeremiah also testifies what will happen as we prepare for the second coming. In 16:15-21 he tells us that the Lord will gather all of his people and there will be many that will preach the word of the Lord. He will also punish those who defiled his land. The preachers of the Lord will take his word to all the earth. They will find those who have not heard and tell them of his name and proclaim it unto them. These missionaries were described as fishers and hunters by the Lord because they are going to patiently and diligently search for those who need to hear the word of the Lord. They will testify of the Lord and his sacrifice for us. With the Lord we are able to have victory over the grave and be able to live with him for eternity. 

The Gathering of Israel

The gathering of Israel

In Isaiah 49:1-3 The Lord testifies of the Restoration of his gospel and of Joseph Smith. The Lord talks about a shaft that he has polished that has been prepared for the world and that shaft is the prophet Joseph Smith. Joseph will spread the word of the Lord to all those that he comes in contact with. He will not deny the Lord's teachings. 

When reading Isaiah 49:18-26 we read about how Israel will be gathered. The student manual says that the gathering of Israel will be so great that people will say that the way is "too strait for me," as said by Isaiah in the previous scriptures. For the past 100 years the church has grown exponentially and this is the cause for the crowding. Our number is growing and we need to prepare. 

Isaiah 49, 51, 54, 62 all focus on the gathering of Israel to prepare for the second coming of the Lord. We have ample knowledge to see that we will need to be gathered together for Jesus Christ's coming.