THE GLORY OF A GOD

 

There are some in the Church who believe that the destruction of the wicked at the Second Coming will happen due to natural elements that will occur because of our destruction of the planet. This is a mistaken belief which undermines ‘the perfect workmanship’ of Christ’s hands that is our planet and denies His power and glory as a resurrected and exalted being that He now is which will be evident at His coming.

We are told that the righteous will be caught up to meet Him and in the process be transfigured while the wicked will remain on the earth. Why will the righteous be transfigured? So that they can withstand the brighteness of His glory and not be consumed. It makes for logic that those who remain in their raw, mortal state will not be able to withstand such light and will be destroyed by it (see D&C 5:19; McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary)

For those who want a more scientific approach, here it is. We are also told that when the Saviour appears, the sun will hide its face in shame (D&C 133:49). Why the shame? Because the Lord’s brighteness will outshine the sun.

According to science, the energy of sunlight can reach extremely high levels, with the highest-energy sunlight recorded reaching nearly 10 trillion electron volts….hence the ozone layer. If it were not for the ozone layer which acts as a shield to protect life on earth, we would all be fried to a crisp. When the Saviour comes, He will be more powerful than the sun and will come right through that ozone layer.

A reader with a more scientific mind, calculated that “every molecule in a resurrected body is ‘oscillating’ nearly the speed of light and if that’s so then if a normal healthy mortal puts out 100 watts of body heat, then an ‘exalted’ being will radiate 36.525 megawatts of heat. At that level of energy state, we are talking about hard X-rays and Gamma rays and blinding lights! The scriptures back that up by saying ‘a man will wither and die in His presence unless he is ‘quickened’” (Jon, Sieffert).

When the Saviour returns, this will be the result of the light and heat He will radiate:

1.      Mountains will flow down at His presence (D&C 133:40,44; Micah 1:4)

2.      The waters on the earth will boil (D&C 133:41)

3.      All nations will tremble at His presence (D&C 133:42)

4.      The sun will hide, the moon will withhold its light, and the stars will be hurled from their places (D&C 133:49)

5.      The wicked will be burned by the brighteness of fire of the glory of the Lord (Malachi 4:1-3; 2 Thessalonians 2:8; D&C 5:19)

How both glorious and terrible will be His appearing!!! He will come and subdue all enemies under His feet (D&C 76:61). He will need no sword or weapon or natural elements. He will accomplish this simply by being who He is, by the glorified nature of His person. This is what righteousness and perfection is, it destroys the wickedness and evil.

How great is our Saviour, our Redeemer, our King! There is none greater than Him. May we rise to meet Him in His glory and bend our knees to confess He is our everything!

- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Come Unto Me by Yongsung Kim)