gdemetz wrote:I heard the Catholics say on TV that Christ set up his kingdom during his mortal ministry, which is true. However, what they can't explain (not to mention all the horrors of the inquisition which they have apologized so graciously for - "by their fruits ye shall know them") is the fact that Daniel prophesied that this kingdom would be restored again in the last days! Why would that be necessary? Because the old Roman church was apostate, therefore, the kingdom and the church needed to be restored again as Daniel and Peter prophesied, as part of the great "restitution of all things"!
I have suggested you look at several prophecies literal and future. If you do this then other things fall into place. The following is a view of 2 Peter as a forshadow of the restored Gospel.
2 Peter as a foreshadow of the Restored Church
In this section I will look at 2 Peter as a prophecy describing the restoration of the Church and the re-estabishment of the “present truth”.
2 Peter 1
1Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ:
2Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
This message is being addressed to the people who have precious faith.
3According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
4Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
Here is another reference to godliness for the faithful. But he also adds that those who do have precious faith might be partakers of the divine nature. Now we know that we are to be like Christ to the best of our ability. And some may argue that this means that we fashion our lives like Christ. But that is emulation of what is seen. Here Peter is saying we are partakers of the divine nature but it is connected to a promise. It seems to me to be a promise of things to come. So is it saying that some will partake of the divine nature? I think that some spirits will in time partake of the divine nature and I believe that Joseph Smith did in fact receive revelation that described this in further detail. I think Peter knew at this point in his life what he would do in the future after he died.
5And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
6And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
7And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
8For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Here Peter is giving us a list of qualities that come with a precious faith. He lists the fruit that the faithful can expect.
9But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
I think this is saying that those who have precious faith can see prophecy (afar off). I think that Peter is giving us a clue that what he is writing is a prophecy. Some areas in this epistle are clearly prophecy but this message may indicate that we should look wider using our gift of scriptural discernment.
10Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:
11For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
On a personal level when we do the right things and walk in the spirit we will not fall. But the Church fell into apostacy. Is he saying that in some distant future “an entrance shall be ministered” for the church to be restored and it will not fall and will be on the earth as Jesus sets up His everlasting Kingdom?
12Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth.
Is this saying that some future Church will be “established in the present truth”, a Church which has the original truth as laid out by the Apostles? A restored Church.
13Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance;
14Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me.
15Moreover I will endeavour that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance.
This message to me is more clear. In verse 13 Peter is setting a time frame while he is alive to call the faithful to remembrance. Could it be that the fall was so quick that at the end of Peter’s life the Church would fall and drift from the present truth? But let us contrast that with verse 15 in which Peter is saying that after his death he will endeavour to bring these things always in remembrance. But Peter knew as did all of the Apostles that the Church would fall away. We know that Peter did come to Joseph Smith after Peter was dead in the flesh. And the Church is established “always” until Jesus comes to the earth to rule directly. So is the gap between verse 13 and verse 15 the Apostate Church period? I believe it is. And is Peter telling us here that he would be directly involved in bringing the “present” truth at some time in the future?
16For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
17For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
18And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.
Here Peter is telling us that by an eyewitness account the power and majesty was made known to him. He also tells us that the Father witnessed to Peter concerning His beloved Son Jesus Christ. And this took place on a Holy Mount. Joseph Smith also was an eyewitness to the power and majesty. He also received a witness from the Father about His Son. This eyewitness account took place on a Holy Mount.
19We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
Here Peter is saying that in addition to the eyewitness we have a more sure word of prophecy. The eyewitness is something that not all of the faithful will witness. But all who read with spiritual discernment will receive the message of prophecy. Can Peter be telling us that the people with precious faith will shine in a dark place? Is the dark place the period of the Apostate Church? And is Peter referring to a future date when he says “until the day dawn”?
20Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
21For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
Here Peter is saying that this and all prophecy is not private. So this prophecy deals with all of the people of precious faith. So is the “until the day dawn” from verse 19 referring to the restored Church?
2 Peter 2
1But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
According to historians 2 Peter was written after John wrote the Book of Revelation. If indeed Peter can be trusted then he should know if the Book of Revelation was a made up story and not from Christ. Peter had an obligation to inform the faithful of errors in scripture. In 2 Peter 3:15 Peter speaks of Paul and how his written doctrine is hard to understand. If indeed John made up a story as the RCC claims then why did Peter not mention that? It is my belief that John did receive a vision that came from Jesus Christ. It is my belief that the RCC is the one in error. It is my opinion that 2 Peter is just now opening up for those with discernment of scripture. If this is the case then those who deny the message of Christ and teach it will soon be paying a price as listed at the end of the Book of Revelation. I may not fully understand the Book of Revelation but I have never denied it came from God. So therefore relying on Peter as the holder of the present truth I think we should believe that the Book of Revelation is part of the present truth. It is my belief that the Book of Revelation is opening now as we approach the end days.
2And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
Many people who call them self Christians have said that the Church of Christ of Latter Day Saints is of the devil. If people love the Word and love their church yet do not possess the Holy Spirit then they will not know the present truth as spoken by Peter. Their doctrines and acceptance of various leaders as Holy men can lead them to error. Because these people confess Jesus Christ they are saved by faith. We love them and wish that they too could come to love God the way we do. We are all spirit children and God wishes to save all. But knowledge has been lost and the powers of worldly treats are strong. May God forgive their confusion.
3And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.
It is my belief that once the present truth has been revealed and that truth is made available around the earth then the end is at the door. How many Christian Churches have been led by men who have not been good stewards of the tithes and offerings. They have in essence made the members an article of merchandise. Or worse the RCC has funded projects like the Spanish inquisition. I will provide a link to a book written by a man who at one time held the office in the Church which controled the records of the inquisition. The book is The History of the Spanish Inquisition by Llorente, 1826. One must consider that the truth of the Spanish inquisition coming out four years prior to the publishing of the Book of Mormon may have been an act guided by the Hand of God.
http://books.google.com/books?id=6q89AA ... on&f=false 4For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
5And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;
6And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;
7And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:
8(For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;)
9The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:
10But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.
Here God is making the case for judgment for the unjust. He is also saying that the righteous will dwell among them. He states that the unjust are reserved for judgment so we may not see judgment on the earth while God waits for that day.
11Whereas angels, which are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusation against them before the Lord.
Here we see that Satan does not accuse the unjust and those who walk after the flesh before the Lord.
Rev 12:10
And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
Here we read that the brethren are accused by Satan day and night until he is cast down.
12But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption;
13And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you;
14Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children:
The practice of cursing children is to me the worse thing the fallen church ever did. To burden infants with original sin and judge them to hell unless the infant receives Baptism is antiChrist. For Christ said:
Luk 18:16, 17
But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.
Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein.
It is my belief that Jesus was speaking prophetically when He said “forbid them not”. I think this is a future commandment to not forbid the children to come to Jesus. The fallen church acting as men but thinking that they acted with the power of God declared children cursed. The curse of the church forbid infants from going to Jesus if they died before being Baptized.
15Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;
16But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of the prophet.
Balaam lost his spiritual eyes because he disobeyed a commandment from God. His ass however was given spiritual eyes to see. This is just another example of the earthly wise being blind and the meek obtaining the gifts of God. This can also be an illusion of the church losing its spiritual eyes and a new Church receiving its spiritual eyes. A new Church that the old church would consider dumb.
17These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.
18For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.
19While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.
20For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
21For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
22But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.
I could write a whole book about the meaning of these words. But let us just say that many people who receive the spark of the Holy Ghost when they come to believe in the Gospel then get wrapped back into the world by joining a church of the world. I believe these verses are saying that if these people had never joined a church of the world they would have remained on a better path.
2 Peter 3
1This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance:
This may be an illusion to the second Church and the remembrance of the present truth
2That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:
3Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
Here Peter is setting a date for the last days. For in those days scoffers will be saying the following.
4And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
This is a key verse for setting the date for the last days. This verse states that a belief will come along in which some people (scoffers) will believe that each day is like all days before it. And what we see today is the same as we go back in time. In science this is called uniformitarianism and it was popularized by Charles lyell. He wrote a book called Principles of Geology published Jan 1830. This sets the start date of the last days at Jan 1830. Also published Jan 1830 was the Book of Mormon. So the Book of Mormon was published at the start of the last days according to this prophecy. So Peter was telling us when his work (in death) would re-establish the present truth.
5For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:
6Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
The ideas of men (scoffers) in the form of scientific theories has taken many people away from the historical truth of scriptures. Once people accept that uniformitarianism is a guiding principle for them then they view the past through natural eyes. In this they deny the flood of Noah. In this they deny that God has performed miracles in the past and the earth has changed many times in supernatural ways. This has gotten so bad that many churches now accept the scientific view and then deny the flood of Noah.
Here is a statement about the flood that many churches have adopted:
"The geographical universality of the Deluge may be safely abandoned
Neither Sacred Scripture nor universal ecclesiastical tradition, nor again scientific considerations, render it advisable to adhere to the opinion that the Flood covered the whole surface of the earth."
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04702a.htm 7But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
The world is being held in stasis until the Lord brings fire to the world and judgment to the ungodly. It is this same stasis that is being misinterpreted by science as uniformitarianism.
8But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
Prophetic years are 360 days long. So if we wanted to know how long it was from Christ dying on the cross to the publishing of the Book of Mormon we would start with the year that Christ died. That would be 32 AD. Then we would find the number of days from then to that date. 1830 – 32 = 1798 years To find the days we take 1798 and multiply by the days in a year. 1798 x 365.25 = 656719.5 Then to determine the prophetic years we divide the days by 360. 656719.5 / 360 = 1824.22 I am not sure if that number means anything. The important date is 2000 year after Christ died on the cross. 2000 x 360 = 720000 days Then to calculate years. 720000 / 365.25 = 1971.25 Then add 32 years. 1971 + 32 = 2003 So if Christ rose on the third day and a day is with the Lord as a thousand years then we are in the third day.
9The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
10But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
Here Peter is giving us the message that the Lord wishes all to come to repentance. Again Peter says that the Lord is not willing that any should perish. Yet men and many churches declare just the opposite. They say that men can not repent after death. Whereas the restored Church was made to perform the ordinances so the dead could be Baptized and be forgiven of their sins. The power of death is gone. Those spirits who are dead in the flesh are still spirits and still need to learn and accept Christ.
1Ti 1:12-16
And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;
Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.
And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.
The idea that Christ is longsuffering and wishes us all come to Him and not perish is shown in 1 Timothy. Here Paul describes how his faith was counted for him even though he was ignorant of the truth. All those who belief in God yet follow a false truth will be counted as faithful. Paul declares that what happened to him is a pattern which shows how Christ counts people as faithful. The Mormon Church believes this is true. The members of the various Christian Churches are counted faithful and are saved even if they follow false teachers. Yet those churches declare the Mormon Church the church of Satan and damn the members to hell.
11Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
12Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
How can we hasting the coming of the Lord? By missionary work and spreading the good word.
13Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
14Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
15And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;
16As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
17Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.
18But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
I believe that second Peter chapter 3 is key for us in these times. I believe it is the scriptural bridge to understand science. The message is that one of the major assumptions of science is wrong. If we examine the two results of the flood as listed in scripture we can get a feel for the magnitude of the supernatural event. The first is that the earth did not experience rain before the flood. Yet there were still rivers and the seas. Adam could see stars and the planets were for signs so we know that man could see into the night sky. This means that the mist from the ground was not a blanket that one could not see through. We have fossil evidence that the earths temperatures were more uniform at one time. Did God tilt the axis of the earth to cause the vast changes in temperature which causes weather? It could be true. I don't know. We do have evidence that the axis of the earth changes and the shifting land and sea (earthquakes) will effect the axis and rotation of the earth. We can assume that the effects might be greatly magnified when the hand of God is also considered. Can a shift in the earths axis cause an ice age? I think it can but I won't get into that subject.
The next change we are given is that we can see a rainbow now but before the flood we could not. We had a mist from the ground and we had the sun before the flood so all of the ingredients are there to see a rainbow before the flood. So what changed that would cause light to be able to wrap back and fan out into its colors. It is my belief that the very fabric of space was changed so light could travel at just the right speed. If indeed the fabric of space was changed this would explain the decay rates in atomic dating being way off. Since decay rates are tied to the fabric of space and the speed of light. There is a prophecy that before the end rainbows will once again not form.
I do not think that these two changes were given to us at random. The first thing we are to see is that the past is not the same as today, this means a nonlinear past. Exactly what we don't know. But we do know that once we accept a nonlinear past we must throw out theories which rely on a linear past. This places science on its head. Projections back in time are worthless if uniformitarianism principles are wrong.
I am not asking that anyone abandon science. Science is only as good as good as its assumptions. What if the assumption of a linear past is in error. I do not believe in a linear past because I believe in supernatural events. I have written papers dealing with erosion which showed that features on the earth don't match the atomic dating used by geology. The time scales for features on the earth are much shorter than geology would have us believe. But this disconnect between erosion and atomic dating is verification of a nonlinear past. I know this is hard to wrap your head around. I am asking that most projections back in time by science be thrown in the trash. The reason we believe in scripture is that it is witnessed to us by the Holy Ghost as truth. We should accept that truth and question those things which conflict with spiritual truth.
If indeed Peter was giving us a foreshadow of the Restoration of the Church then this is yet another verification of a truth we already know. I find it very interesting that 2 peter not only tells us of the Restoration but also tells us in detail the very thing that prevents many from starting their spiritual path. The world is a powerful influence and with the support of science and its institutions it is even more powerful today than in Peter’s time. I think that Peter is warning us and giving us scriptural knowledge to combat that worldly wisdom.
