READINESS

 

I was amazed to read of the state of the world that the Saviour was born into. It had never occurred to me that He was born into such intense spiritual darkness that enveloped this earth. Upon reflection, it seems fitting that it was so for Him to acclaim and reveal His ability to disperse the powers of sin and death through His godly light.  

Another aspect of His birth that I never considered before is how the omnipotent wisdom of God had organised and orchestrated everything to perfection in readiness for His Son’s birth, leaving nothing to chance. Such a crucially important event could not be a failure in any way because the hosts of heaven depended on it.

All that was connected with the Saviour’s birth and life and ministry and resurrection and ascension to eternal glory must have conformed to what the prophets have foreseen, foreknown and foretold for four thousand years prior. From the spiritual preparations, to temporal circumstances to the ‘Jewish culture at its low ebb, and the Jewish religion but a space away from the gates of hell’ to the Roman yoke that would take Christ to the hill of Calvary. (see Bruce R. McConkie, “The Mortal Messiah Book 1, p 284-5).

It has occurred to me that the Saviour’s Second Coming with be perfectly orchestrated too. For it to be a successful triumphant return there had to be a liberation of the American continent and establishment of religious freedom, the restoration of His Church, the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, the building of temples, the gathering of Israel and strengthening of Zion. All this was also foretold by the prophets of old and must not be left unfulfilled.

I hear friends in the Church expressing hope that the Saviour would come tomorrow because the world is so wicked but there is still so much that needs to be fulfilled, namely the three major prophecies: the return of the Lost Tribes, the building of the New Jerusalem and the building of the Jewish temple in Israel.

Yes the world is wicked and Satan reigns supreme but this time the King of Glory must come to an established Kingdom with priesthood power at its helm and saints ready to receive Him, and when He comes, Satan will be bound and the saints will come to New Jerusalem singing songs of everlasting joy (D&C 45:66-71). All this must be in readiness but most of all we must be ready for Christ cannot come if there is no kingdom and we ARE the kingdom.

The God of Glory will reveal His light upon the earth once more and there will be no need for the sun and the moon to give light to God’s covenant people for He will be an everlasting light (Isaiah 60:19-22; D&C 133:57-58; “Journal of Discourses” 14:355-56).

Thou art our everlasting God

Jehovah, our King,

Hide us under the shadow of Thy wings

That we might never stray

And cause Thee sorrow;

And help us wait for Thee

In the dawning of tomorrow. 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Light Divine by Greg Collins)

A HOLY EXPECTATION

 

“In our day we look forward with hope and joy to the Second Coming of the Son of Man, and to the setting up of the millennial kingdom of peace and righteousness, over which he shall assume personal rule for the space of a thousand years. We do not know and shall not learn either the day or the hour of that dreadful yet blessed day. We are expected to read the signs of the times and know thereby the approximate time of our Lord’s return and to be in constant readiness thereof.

“There was an element of this same uncertainty associated with his first coming, although such appears to have arisen because of lack of faith on the part of the people and not from the deliberate design of the Lord to withhold such knowledge from them.”

-          Bruce R. McConkie, “The Promised Messiah”, p 457

The Jews had anxiously expected the Messiah for many generations and by the time the Saviour was born, their whole social structure was alive with the Messianic hope. Therefore, there was no surprise to anyone, when the wise men came from the east, asking: “Where is he that is born King of the Jews?” (Matthew 2:2).

It was prophet Micah, that the chief priests and scribes quoted to Herod, who had prophesied 700 years earlier that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2-4). The Jews knew there were prophecies of His birth but they had ‘no eyes to see and no ears to hear’ (Ezekiel 12:2) and so they did not fully understand the obscured scriptures regarding the time (see Isaiah 49:8; Daniel 9:24-26; Matthew 13:16,17;).

It was the wise men of the east who had prophetic insight. It is presumed that they themselves were Jews who lived in one of the nations of the East as millions of Jews did back then. They were the devoted members of the House of Israel who studied the scriptures under inspiration, read the signs, and became the first witnesses of the birth of their King. The world knew nothing of these prophecies. (see Bruce R. McConkie, The Mortal Messiah Book 1, 358).

So it is with us and the Second Coming. We do not know the day of the Saviour’s return but we are expected to read the signs of the times and be in constant rediness.

Why do we need to be ready? Because this time, the Saviour will not come as a baby but as the King of Kings “to recompense unto every man according to his work…” (D&C 1:10)……We need to be ready because every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ and that He sits upon the throne of God forever and ever…..(D&C 88:104). Our genuine and heartfelt testimony of this will be our passport to the Kingdom of Heaven.

We need to be wise….

 

- CATHRYNE ALLEN

(Art: Following the Star by Greg Collins)