When the Lamb opens the seventh seal, the first thing we see is a “great multitude” in white encircling the throne of God. Then “there is silence in heaven for about the space of half an hour." Why? Because this is the hour of the great prayer circle. 

To accomplish the gathering of Israel, the Lord chooses 144,000 priesthood holders, "to  administer the everlasting gospel . . . out of every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, by the angels to whom is given power over the nations of the earth, to bring as many as will come to the church of the Firstborn” (D&C 77:11). But why 144,000? What is special about that number? 

The sixth seal reveals a world haunted by war and a sense of futility. “The pillars of the earth are shaken, the mountains totter, and all is put in question.” The earthquakes of the last days are not only physical but also spiritual earthquakes. Figuratively, the ground trembles if our spiritual foundations are built on sand. 

Knowing this “calamity” of despair “which should come upon the inhabitants of the earth, I the Lord called upon my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., and spake unto him from heaven, and gave him commandments” (D&C 1:17).

When the Lord opens the fifth seal, John has a view of the altar of the heavenly temple. Underneath the altar he sees “souls that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: and they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?” (6:9-10).

Who are these souls? And why are they “under the altar” of the temple?

The four horsemen portray the four major sources of tribulation in mortality: unrighteous dominion, contention, famine, and disease/death.

Through experiencing these tribulations we can learn to be like God. He rules by persuasion, long-suffering, gentleness and meekness, love unfeigned. By kindness and pure knowledge, without hypocrisy and without guile. In this world we experience all the opposites of these virtues. Satan runs things by force, by impatience, by cruelty, greed, ignorance, hypocrisy, and hatred. We needed to experience and overcome these things so we could appreciate the opposite. We learn to know the sweet from the bitter.

In this episode, we meet the infamous "four horsemen," the chief causes of the great tribulation we experience in mortality: unrighteous dominion (the white horse), war and contention (the red horse), economic injustice (the black horse), and disease and death (the pale horse). 

The four horsemen are also the autumn and winter signs of the zodiac in the night sky.  John knew this, and he used this symbolism to help people understand why they encounter tribulation in this world.

In Revelation 5, the Father holds in his hand a mysterious book sealed with seven seals. What is this book? The answer is surprising: It is a sealed marriage contract. In ancient Jewish tradition, only the bridegroom is permitted to break the seals. And who is "the Bridegroom"?  Jesus Christ. 

In Revelation Chapter 4, we see a betrothal--an engagement ceremony--between the Bridegroom (the Savior) and the Bride (the Church). God always speaks of his relationship with Israel in terms of a marriage. We find out in this podcast that the "sealed book" is actually . . . a marriage contract!

In this episode we find ourselves in the great premortal council in heaven. The Lord is about to unveil the entire plan of salvation. Join us for a discussion of Revelation chapter 4. 

In Revelation 2 and 3, Jesus makes seven promises to the saints if they keep their covenants. In this episode, we discuss the last three of these seven promises and their relationship to the ordinances of the temple.