Before the Second Coming - Chapter 11
The Battle of Armageddon
By Rick Brunson
As we have just seen, after the fifth angel sounds his trump, Satan and all his hosts of evil spirits will be loosed from the bottomless pit. When this occurs, they will be allowed to use more of their power and influence to tempt and afflict mankind. Currently, God has set limits on what Satan and his one third are able to do; however, at this point in our story, God will have sufficiently warned the wicked inhabitants of the earth by way of the first four angels, and those who have still chosen not to repent by this time will be delivered into Satan’s power.[1]
We are told that once the sixth angel sounds his trump, Satan and his hosts will use this added power to assemble together a “mighty army,”[2] which, according to John the Revelator, will consist of 200 million soldiers.[3] The prophet Zechariah even tells us that this army will be made up of “all nations”[4] of the earth, which helps to explain its large numbers. In fact, only those living in Zion will be out of its reach.[5]
Gog and Magog
The prophet Ezekiel tells us that this army will be led by a man who will be known as “Gog.”[6] Ezekiel, in addition to revealing this man’s identity, even tells us that this “Gog” will come from “the land of Magog,”[7] which is located somewhere in or around modern-day Russia.[8]
We learn from the prophet Joel that this army will be the strongest army that the world has ever seen up tothis point in time:
a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it (Joel 2:2).[10]
Joel also tells us that after this army has been assembled, they will go forth conquering every nation in their path:
A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them (Joel 2:3).
In the midst of this rampage, we are told by the prophet Zechariah that Gog and Magog will attempt to come up “against Jerusalem to battle.”[11]
The Setting at Jerusalem
By this time, the Jews who were previously scattered throughout the world will have gathered together at Jerusalem. We are told that some of these Jews will have been converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ by this time;[12] however, the majority of the Jews will have not. Elder Orson Pratt explained,
Once the Jews have gathered at Jerusalem, the Lord will raise up a righteous leader among them whom the scriptures call “David,”[14] or “The Branch.”[15] Whether this David will be converted to the restored gospel of Jesus Christ we do not know. However, we do know that he will be a very righteous man,[16] and that he will be a literal descendant of the original King David, father of Solomon.[17]
The Jews dispersed among the Gentiles…will go to Jerusalem. Some of them will believe in the true Messiah, and thousands of the more righteous, whose fathers did not consent to the shedding of the blood of the Son of God, will receive the Gospel before they gather from among the nations. Many of them, however, will not receive the Gospel, but seeing that others are going to Jerusalem they will go also; and when they get back to Palestine, to the place where their ancient Jerusalem stood, and see a certain portion of the believing Jews endeavoring to fulfill and carry out the prophecies, they also will take hold and assist in the same work. At the same time they will have their synagogues, in which they will preach against Jesus of Nazareth, “that impostor,” as they call him, who was crucified by their fathers. [13]
Behold the man whose name is The Branch [also referred to as David[18]]…he shall build the temple of the LORD (Zech. 6:12).
Of this temple, Joseph Smith said,
Judah must return, Jerusalem must be rebuilt, and the temple,…and all this must be done before the Son of Man will make His appearance.[19]
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The Dome of the Rock
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| Figure 11-2. Inside the Dome of the Rock |
The work is moving on for the gathering of the Jews to their own land that they may build it up as it was in former times; that the temple may be rebuilt and the mosque of the Moslem which now stands in its place may be moved out of the way; that Jerusalem may be rebuilt upon its original site.[28]
However this occurs will no doubt require a miracle.
Gog Sets His Sights on Jerusalem
Once Jerusalem and its temple is rebuilt, its wealth and beauty will attract the attention of Gog and his army. Ezekiel prophesied,
Thus saith the Lord GOD…thou [Gog] shalt think an evil thought; And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages [of Jerusalem]; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely…To take a spoil, and to take a prey…to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and good, to take a great spoil (Ezek. 38:10-13).
Referring to this scripture, Elder Charles W. Penrose said,
The bankrupt nations, envying the wealth of the sons of Judah, will seek a pretext to make war upon them, and will invade the ‘holy land’ to ‘take a prey and a spoil.’[29]
Wilford Woodruff stated that “these fleeing Jews [will] take back their gold and silver to Jerusalem and rebuild their city and temple, and they will do this as the Lord lives. Then the Gentiles will say, ‘Come let us go up to Jerusalem; let us go up and spoil her. The Jews have taken our gold and silver from the nations of the earth—come let us go up and fight against Jerusalem.’”[30]
With that, Gog and his army Magog will prepare to go “against Jerusalem to battle.”[31] Ezekiel describes the scene that follows:
Thou [Gog] shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee….
And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land…O Gog (Ezek. 38: 9, 16).
On their way to Jerusalem, we are told that Gog and his army will assemble in the valley of Megiddo,[32] a valley located just north of Jerusalem. This valley of Megiddo is the valley from which the term Armageddon derives its name.[33] According to Brandt,
Historically, Megiddo represented the key fortification that any invader must capture and hold, if they wished to make their way south to lay siege to or capture Jerusalem and the surrounding area.[34]
And thus the famous battle of Armageddon begins, as Gog and Magog make their way to Jerusalem and attack the city.[35]
Peace Treaty with Israel Violated
It should be noted that the prophet Daniel predicted that some 3 ½ years before this attack occurs, Gog will have established a peace treaty with the Jews at Jerusalem.[36] However, Daniel says that “in the midst” of this peace treaty, Gog will change his mind, break his oath, and command his army to attack Jerusalem.[37]
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| Gog and Magog Invade Jerusalem |
When this occurs, Zechariah tells us that Gog and his army will invade and take half of Jerusalem. We read,
the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity (Zech. 14:2).
We also learn from Zechariah that two-thirds of the Jews living in Jerusalem will be slain. He said that “in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein.”[38]
As terrible as this may seem for the Jews, the Lord revealed to the prophet Zechariah that this tragedy will “refine them as silver.”[39] The Lord said that as a result the Jews “shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God.”[40]
As Gog and his army make their way through the city, they will be determined to take possession of the temple. According to Smith,
The battle will progressively move towards Jerusalem and the “mountain of the Lord’s house,” or in other words...to the temple of the Lord…. The battle must come to the house of the Lord, for if [Satan and his followers] are to have dominion over the earth, they must destroy the seat, or resting place, of their foe, the Lord.[41]
John the Revelator was told that at this time, Gog and his army will not be successful in taking possession of the newly rebuilt temple.[42] However, John was also told that Gog and his army will in fact gain control of the temple’s outer courtyard. In vision, John was told to
Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the alter, and them that worship therein. But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months [or 3½ years] (Rev. 11:1-2 emphasis added).
For the next 3 ½ years, Gog will use this newly gained territory to prevent the Jews from performing any daily sacrifices in their temple. We learn this from the prophet Daniel, who said that “he [Gog] shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease,”[43] and that “the daily sacrifice shall be taken away.”[44]
The Lord Defends Israel
With such a powerful army, one might ask what is preventing Gog from capturing the entire city, or from taking possession of the entire temple for these next 3 ½ years. The answer comes from the prophet Zechariah, who said,
In that day shall the Lord defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem (Zech. 13:8).[45]
For the next 3 ½ years, we are told that the Lord will protect his people by sending them “two prophets [who] are to be raised up to the Jewish nation in the last days.”[46] Isaiah tells us that these two prophets will be “full of the fury of the Lord.”[47] They will singlehandedly, for the next 3 ½ years, prevent Gog and Magog from taking the entire city of Jerusalem, and we are told that they will do this by the power of God. The Lord said to the Apostle John,
And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days [or 3 ½ years]…. And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will (Rev. 11:3-6).
Of these two prophets, Elder Bruce R. McConkie has said,
They shall have power like Elijah who called down fire from heaven to consume his enemies, and who sealed the heavens that it rained not in all Israel for the space of three and a half years, and like Moses by whose word blood and plagues lay heavily upon the Egyptians.[48]
Elder McConkie also added,
And these two shall be followers of that humble man Joseph Smith, through whom the Lord of Heaven restored the fulness of his everlasting gospel in this final dispensation of grace. No doubt they will be members of the Council of the Twelve or of the First Presidency of the Church.[49]
This statement helps to explain why these two prophets will have such power, for if these two prophets are indeed members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, then we can safely assume that they will have also been sealed in their foreheads prior to this time. As a result of this seal, these two prophets will have the same protection from God that many of the Saints living in Zion will have. As discussed in chapter 9, this sealing protection is how the righteous are protected from the seven plagues poured out by the seven angels, and the very reason why Zion will be so terrible for her enemies to fight against.
At the end of this 3 ½ years period, the Lord will allow these two prophets to be killed. John the Revelator said,
And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city…where also our Lord was crucified (Rev. 11:7-8).[50]
When this occurs, Gog and his army will celebrate their hard-fought victory. John describes their reaction to the death of these two prophets as follows:
And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth (Rev 11:10).
After these two prophets have been killed, Gog and his army will prevent anyone from giving them a proper burial. Instead, they will let their dead bodies lie in the streets for 3 ½ days. John records,
And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves (Rev 11:9).
During this 3 ½ day period, it appears that the army of Gog will take complete possession of the Jewish temple. In an attempt to “destroy the seat, or resting place, of their foe, the Lord,”[51] they will begin to set up an idol in the Holy Place of the temple. The scriptures call this event “the abomination of desolation,”[52] or “the abomination that maketh desolate.”[53]
To understand this “abomination of desolation,” we need to understand that an event very similar to this has already occurred once in the temple at Jerusalem. It occurred in A.D. 70 when the Romans destroyed and desecrated the Jewish temple.[54] Jesus tells us that it will happen again:
And again shall the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, be fulfilled (JS-M 1:32).[55]
Daniel describes this event as follows:
and they [Magog] shall pollute the sanctuary of strength…and they shall place [in the temple] the abomination that maketh desolate (Dan. 11:31).[56]
Daniel, echoing John the Revelator’s timeline,[57] also tells us that this event will take place 3 ½ years after Gog and Magog first take possession of the temple’s outer courtyard and cause the daily sacrifices to cease. He says that “from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, [to the time when] the abomination that maketh desolate [is] set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days” or 3 ½ years.[58]
Just as it seems Gog and Magog have declared themselves victorious, Daniel says, “then shall the sanctuary be cleansed” by the Lord.[59] As Gog and Magog proceed to take the remainder of the city, we are told that these two prophets will be resurrected and will ascend into heaven. John described this event as follows:
And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them (Rev 11:11-12).
Elder Parley P. Pratt summarized,
After the city and temple are rebuilt by the Jews, the Gentiles will tread it under foot forty and two months [or 3 ½ years], during which time there will be two prophets continually prophesying and working mighty miracles. And it seems that the Gentile army shall be hindered from utterly destroying and overthrowing the city, while these two prophets continue. But, after a struggle of three years and a half, they will at length succeed in destroying these two prophets and then overrunning much of the city; they will send gifts to each other because of the death of the two prophets, and in the meantime will not allow their dead bodies to be put in graves, but suffer them to lie in the streets of Jerusalem three days and a half, during which time the armies of the Gentiles, consisting of many kindreds, tongues and nations, passing through the city, plundering the Jews, will see their dead bodies lying in the street. But after three days and a half, on a sudden, the spirit of life from God will enter them; they will arise and stand upon their feet, and great fear will fall upon them that see them. And then they shall hear a voice from heaven saying, ‘Come up hither,’ and they will ascend up to heaven in a cloud, with enemies beholding them…then comes the shaking spoken of by Ezekiel, and the rending of the Mount of Olives spoken of by Zechariah.[60]
As Elder Pratt here references, once the two prophets have been raised up and have ascended into heaven, Christ will descend and set his foot upon the Mount of Olives. Zechariah prophesied,
Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east (Zech. 14: 3-4).[61]
We are told that this event will cause a great earthquake, which will cause the Mount of Olives to split in two. Zechariah goes on to say that “the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.”[62]
When this occurs, Zechariah informs us that the Jews will flee from the army of Gog into this newly formed valley: “And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains.”[63]
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| Christ sets foot upon the Mount of Olives |
As the Jews flee to safety around this Messiah who has come to save them, the Lord says,
And then shall the Jews look upon me and say: What are these wounds in thine hands and in thy feet? Then shall they know that I am the Lord; for I will say unto them: These wounds are the wounds with which I was wounded in the house of my friends. I am he who was lifted up. I am Jesus that was crucified. I am the Son of God. And then shall they weep because of their iniquities; then shall they lament because they persecuted their king (D&C 45:51-53).[64]
This sacred event will convert the entire Jewish nation to the gospel of Jesus Christ. We read in Ezekiel,
So the house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God from that day and forward (Ezek. 39:22).
Magog Destroyed by Fire
Meanwhile, once the Jews have gathered around the Savior in safety, the Lord says, “And I will send a fire on Magog,”[65] and “I will rain upon [Gog], and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone.”[66]
Ezekiel tells us that this fire and brimstone will destroy 5/6th of Gog’s entire army.[67] And as for Gog, the Lord says, “I will give unto Gog a place there of [in the] graves in Israel.”[68]
The prophet Zechariah also spoke of the fate of those who fought against Jerusalem. He said,
And this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth (Zech. 14:12).
Furthermore, the Lord said in Ezekiel,
I will give thee [Gog and Magog] unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured. Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord God (Ezek. 39:4-5).[69]
The Lord has said that this destruction will be so great that it will take Israel seven months just to bury Gog and his army. We read in Ezekiel,
And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog a place there of graves in Israel… and there shall they bury Gog and all his multitude…And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land (Ezek. 39:11-12).
After the army of Gog has been destroyed, the Jews will then lead Jesus back to the temple to honor him as their Savior.[70] Furthermore, after the Jews have been purified and are converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Doctrine and Covenants tells us that the “sons of Levi” will “offer again an offering unto the Lord in righteousness.”[71] Of this scripture, the Prophet Joseph Smith said,
It is generally supposed that sacrifice was entirely done away when the Great Sacrifice [i.e.,] the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus was offered up, and that there will be no necessity for the ordinance of sacrifice in the future; but those who assert this are certainly not acquainted with the duties, privileges and authority of the Priesthood, or with the Prophets.
The offering of sacrifice has ever been connected and forms a part of the duties of the Priesthood. It began with the Priesthood, and will be continued until after the coming of Christ, from generation to generation. We frequently have mention made of the offering of sacrifice by the servants of the Most High in ancient days, prior to the Law of Moses; which ordinances will be continued when the Priesthood is restored with all its authority, power and blessings….
These sacrifices, as well as every ordinance belonging to the Priesthood, will, when the Temple of the Lord shall be built, and the sons of Levi be purified, be fully restored and attended to in all their powers, ramifications, and blessings. This ever did and ever will exist when the powers of the Melchizedek Priesthood are sufficiently manifest; else how can the restitution of all things spoken of by the Holy Prophets be brought to pass? It is not to be understood that the law of Moses will be established again with all its rites and variety of ceremonies; this has never been spoken of by the prophets; but those things which existed prior to Moses’ day, namely, sacrifice, will be continued.[72]
President Joseph Fielding Smith added,
The law of sacrifice will have to be restored, or all things which were decreed by the Lord would not be restored. It will be necessary, therefore, for the sons of Levi, who offered the blood sacrifices anciently in Israel, to offer such a sacrifice again to round out and complete this ordinance in this dispensation. Sacrifice by the shedding of blood was instituted in the days of Adam and of necessity will have to be restored.[73]
Hence, after the Lord has “purified the sons of Levi”[74] He will instruct them to again offer animal sacrifices upon the altar of the temple, and they will do so “in righteousness.”[75] This means that they will do so worthily, and according to the Prophet Joseph Smith, under direction of the priesthood.[76]
However, we are told that soon after the Levites have offered up their sacrifices “unto the Lord in righteousness,”[77] the Lord will no longer require blood sacrifices from their hands. President Joseph Fielding Smith explained,
The sacrifice of animals will be done to complete the restoration when the temple spoken of is built; at the beginning of the millennium, or in the restoration, blood sacrifices will be performed long enough to complete the fulness of the restoration in this dispensation. Afterwards sacrifice will be of some other character.[78]
Once the Lord accepts this offering, the temple at Jerusalem will be converted into a modern LDS temple and used for the performance of the endowment and other higher ordinances of the priesthood. President Joseph Fielding Smith explained,
Ezekiel predicted the building of a temple in Jerusalem which will be used for ordinance work after the gathering of Israel from their long dispersion and when they are cleansed from their transgressions.[79]
As a result of this temple being cleansed,[80] Ezekiel saw that it would be filled with the “glory of the LORD,”[81] which tells us that the Lord will accept this temple as his house once more. Furthermore, perhaps as a result of the earthquake, we are told that a river of water shall also proceed forth from underneath the temple, which is likely another sign that this temple has been purified and accepted by the Lord once more.[82]
Once Jerusalem has been converted, word will spread to the surrounding nations that the Lord again dwells with his people. As a result, we are told that many nations surrounding Jerusalem will also become converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Zechariah prophesied,
Yea, many people and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord. Thus saith the Lord of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men…shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you (Zech. 8:22-23).[83]
After Armageddon
Sometime after the battle of Armageddon has ended, the lost ten tribes, who had previously gathered to Zion, will return to the lands surrounding Jerusalem in order to receive their permanent inheritance in Israel.[84] This will be done in fulfillment of the promises made to Abraham.[85] The majority of Ephraim and Manasseh will remain behind to permanently inhabit North and South America because Joseph was promised by the Lord that his descendants would have these western lands as an inheritance.[86]
It should also be noted that around this time, for one year prior to the Saviors return, there will be no rainbows found in the skies. Joseph Smith said,
I have asked of the Lord concerning His coming; and while asking the Lord, He gave a sign and said, “In the days of Noah I set a bow in the heavens as a sign and token that in any year that the bow should be seen the Lord would not come; but there should be seed time and harvest during that year: but whenever you see the bow withdrawn, it shall be a token that there shall be famine, pestilence, and great distress among the nations, and that the coming of the Messiah is not far distant.”
But I will take the responsibility upon myself to prophesy in the name of the Lord, that Christ will not come this year, as Father Miller has prophesied, for we have seen the bow.[87]
No doubt this information has been given to us by the Lord so that we may know when his Second Coming is nigh.
As we thus approach the Second Coming, the seventh and final angel will sound his trump. John records,
And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever (Rev. 11:15).
As we shall see in the proceeding chapter, sometime after this seventh angel has sounded his trump, the Lord will make his final appearance in the clouds of heaven.
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[1] D&C 1:35; Journal of Discourses, 7:189.
[2] Ezekiel 38:15.
[3] Revelation 9:16; Revelation 16:14-16.
[4] Zechariah 14:2.
[5] D&C 45:66-70
[6] Ezekiel 38:2
[7] Ezekiel 38:2
[8] Brandt, The Book of Revelation—Things Which Must Shortly Come To Pass, p. 205. See also, Old Testament Student Manuel, 2:292.
[9] Old Testament Student Manuel, 2:284.
[10] See also Old Testament Student Manuel, 2:293.
[11] Zechariah 14:2. See also Joel 3:1; Zechariah 12:1-2.
[12] 2 Nephi 30:7; 2 Nephi 30:5-7; 2 Nephi 6:11; 2 Nephi 25:15-18; Mormon 5:14.
[13] Journal of Discourses, 18: 64-65.
[14] Jeremiah 30:9; Ezekiel 34:23-24; History of the Church 6:253.
[15] Zechariah 6:12.
[16] Jeremiah 23:5-6.
[17] Jeremiah 23:5-6.
[18] See for example, Jeremiah 23:5
[19] Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 286.
[20] Ezekiel 40-43; see also Talmage, The House of the Lord, pp. 37-38.
[21] See, for example, Journal of Discourses, 24:217; Journal of Discourses, 20:148.
[22] Image retrieved from: http://www.hdwallpapersarena.com/dome-of-the-rock-wallpapers.html Used with permission.
[23] Skousen, Fantastic Victory—Israel's Rendezvous With Destiny, p. 160.
[24] Skousen, Fantastic Victory—Israel's Rendezvous With Destiny, p. 160.
[25] Image retrieved from: http://www.hdwallpapersarena.com/dome-of-the-rock-wallpapers.html Used with permission.
[26] Skousen, Fantastic Victory—Israel's Rendezvous With Destiny, p. 160.
[27] Skousen, Fantastic Victory—Israel's Rendezvous With Destiny, p. 15; see also p. 268.
[28] Journal of Discourses, 24:215.
[29] “The Second Advent,” Millennial Star, 10 Sept. 1859, 21:582-83.
[30] Journal of Discourses, 22:173.
[31] Zechariah 14:2. See also Joel 3:1; Zechariah 12:1-2
[32] Journal of Discourses, 7:189.
[33] Old Testament Student Manual, 2:291.
[34] Brandt, The Book of Revelation—Things Which Must Shortly Come to Pass, p. 203.
[35] Zechariah 12:2.
[36] Daniel 9:27. The time period in which Daniel here refers (seven days) should be interpreted as seven years. (The Hebrew word for weeks (shavuiem) can be translated as “sevens.”) Therefore the phrase “in the midst of the week” used by Daniel should be interpreted as 3 ½ years.
[37] Daniel 9:27.
[38] Zechariah 13:8
[39] Zechariah 13:9
[40] Zechariah 13:9
[41] Smith, The Book of Revelation - Plain, Pure, and Simple, p. 182
[42] Revelation 11:1-2
[43] Daniel 9:27.
[44] Daniel 12:11.
[45] Ezekiel also prophesied that the Jews at Jerusalem “shall dwell safely all of them” (Ezek. 38:8; see also Ezek. 38:14).
[46] D&C 77:15.
[47] Isaiah 51:20; see also Ezekiel 38:18.
[48] McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3:510.
[49] McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3:509.
[50] See also Isaiah 51:19-20.
[51] Smith, The Book of Revelation - Plain, Pure, and Simple, p. 182.
[52] Mark 13:14.
[53] Daniel 12:11. It should be noted that in addition to this interpretation, the LDS Bible Dictionary states, “In a general sense, abomination of desolation also describes the latter-day judgments to be poured out upon the wicked wherever they may be” (Bible Dictionary, p. 601, under “Abomination of Desolation”).
[54] Mark 13:14; Matthew 24:15; JS—M 1:12.
[55] See also Daniel 9:27; Daniel 11:31; Daniel 12:11.
[56] For more information regarding the desecration of this Jewish temple, see Parry and Parry, Understanding the Signs of the Times, p. 268; McConkie, The Millennial Messiah, p. 474; Skousen, His Return, p. 225.
[57] Revelation 11:2.
[58] Daniel 12:11.
[59] Daniel 8:14.
[60] Pratt, Voice of Warning, p. 33.
[61] See also D&C 45:48.
[62] Zechariah 14:4; see also D&C 45:48; Ezekiel 38:19.
[63] Zechariah 14:5.
[64] See also Zechariah 13:6; Zechariah 12:10-11.
[65] Ezekiel 39:6.
[66] Ezekiel 38:22.
[67] Ezekiel 39:2.
[68] Ezekiel 39:11.
[69] See also Joel 2:20.
[70] Ezekiel 44:1-2.
[71] D&C 13:1. See also Malachi 3:3.
[72] History of the Church, pp. 211-12.
[73] Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 3:94.
[74] See for example, Malachi 3:3.
[75] D&C 13:1; Malachi 3:3.
[76] Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 172.
[77] D&C 13:1. See also Malachi 3:3.
[78] Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 3:94.
[79] Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, 2:244 (emphasis added).
[80] Daniel 8:14.
[81] Ezekiel 44:4.
[82] See Joel 3:8; Ezekiel 47:1-2; Zechariah 13:1; Ezekiel 47:1-12; Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 286.
[83] See also D&C45:54; Zechariah 14:16; Ezekiel 38:23; Ezekiel 39:7, 21; Isaiah 19:20-23.
[84] The Essential Orson Pratt, p. 145.
[85] Genesis 17:8.
[86] Genesis 49:22.
[87] Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp. 340-41. See also Smith, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 305; Genesis 9:9-17.