A Voice of Warning Part 6

There our father Adam, whose hair is white like the pure wool, will sit enthroned in dignity, as the Ancient of Days, the great Patriarch, the mighty Prince; while thousands of thousands stand before him, and ten thousand times ten thousand minister to him; there he will hail all his children, who died in the faith of the Messiah; while Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Job, and Daniel, with all the Prophets and Apostles, and all the Saints of G.o.d of all ages, hail each other in the flesh. Jesus, the great Messiah, will stand in the midst, and, to crown the whole, will gird himself, and administer bread and wine to the whole mult.i.tude, and He himself will partake of the same with them on the earth, all being clothed in fine linen, clean and white. This is the marriage supper of the Lamb, Blessed are they who partake thereof.

Having traced the great restoration of the earth and its inhabitants, until we find them in the full enjoyment of the promises made to their fathers; and having learned that a future state is not a state of shadows and fables, but something tangible, even a more enduring substance, we shall now take a view of the division of their land, and the laying out of their city, oven the holy city, where the tabernacle of G.o.d and His sanctuary shall be forevermore, for of course this was the city sought for by Abraham and others, who found it not.

This view is given in the last chapter of Ezekiel, where he divides the land, by lot, to the whole twelve tribes; and lays off the city, and sanctuary in the midst, with its twelve gates, three on each side, the whole lying four square. But in the forty-seventh chapter, we have a description of a beautiful river, which will issue forth from the eastern front of the temple, from under the sanctuary, and run eastward into the Dead Sea, healing the waters, and causing a very great, mult.i.tude of fishes; so that from Engedi, and Eneglaim, the fishers spread forth their nets; while the miry places shall not be healed, but shall be given to salt. And on either side shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, nor shall the fruit thereof be consumed; it shall bring forth new fruit according to its months, because of the waters issuing from the sanctuary; and their fruits shall be for meat, and their leaves for medicine.

But to set forth more fully the building of the city, and the materials of which it will be built, we quote Isaiah, liv, 11, to the end of the chapter: "O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colors, and lay thy foundations with sapphires. And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones. And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children. In righteousness shalt thou be established; thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee. Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me: whosoever shall gather together, against thee shall fall for thy sake. Behold I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy. No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord."

From these verses we learn something of the beauty of their city, and of the materials of which it is composed. Their stones of fair colors, their foundations of sapphires, their windows of agates, their gates of carbuncles, and all their borders of pleasant stones, are well calculated to beautify the place of His sanctuary, and to make the place of His feet glorious, as well as to give a l.u.s.tre and magnificence to the whole city, of which the Gentiles, with all their boasted wealth and grandeur, can form but a faint idea; and then to mark, in the same description, the knowledge, as well as the peace and security, of all the inhabitants; while they who gather together against them to battle are sure to fall for their sake: surely this is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, surely this is a delightful city, and well worth a pilgrimage like Abraham's.

But in order to form a still more striking idea of the prosperity, wealth, beauty and magnificence of the cities of Zion and Jerusalem, we will quote Isaiah lx: "Arise, s.h.i.+ne; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and His glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. Lift up thine eyes, round about, and see; all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. Thou thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee. The mult.i.tude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Epha; all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall show forth the praises of the Lord. All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory. Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows? Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the s.h.i.+ps of Tars.h.i.+sh first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the Lord thy G.o.d, and to the Holy One of Israel, because He hath glorified thee. And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favor have I had mercy on thee. Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought. For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish: yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted. The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir-tree, the pine-tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary; and I will make the place of my feet glorious. The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee, The city of the Lord, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel.

"Whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated, so that no man went through thee, I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations. Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of kings: and thou shalt know that I the Lord am thy Savior and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob. For bra.s.s I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood bra.s.s, and for stones iron: I will also make thy officers peace, and thine exactors righteousness. Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise. The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy G.o.d thy glory. Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended. Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified. A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the Lord will hasten it in his time."

In this chapter we learn--First, that there is a city to be built in the last days, unto which, not only Israel, but all the nations of the Gentiles, are to flow; and the nation and kingdom that will not serve the city shall perish and be utterly wasted. Second, we learn that the name of that city is Zion, the city of the Lord. Third, we learn that it is called the place of His sanctuary, and the place of His feet.

Fourth, that the best of timber, consisting of fir, pine, and boxwood, is to be brought in great plenty, to beautify the place of His sanctuary, and make the place of His feet glorious. Fifth, the precious metals are to abound in such plenty, that gold is to be in the room of bra.s.s, silver in the room of iron, bra.s.s in the room of wood, and iron in the room of stones. Their officers are to be peace officers, and their exactors righteous exactors; violence is no more to be heard in the land; wasting nor destruction within their borders.

Their walls are to be Salvation, and their gates Praise: while the glory of G.o.d, in the midst of the city, outs.h.i.+nes the sun. The days of their mourning are ended; their people are ail righteous, and are to inherit the _land_ forever, being the branch of the Lord's planting, that He may be glorified. A little one shall become a strong nation, and the Lord will hasten it in His time.

The Psalmist David has told us, concerning the time of the building of this city, in his one hundred and second Psalm, from the thirteenth to the twenty-second verse: "Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Zion; for the time to favor her, yea, the set time, is come. For Thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favor the dust thereof. So the heathen shall fear the name of the Lord, and all the kings of the earth Thy glory. When the Lord shall build up Zion, He shall appear in His glory. He will regard the prayer of the dest.i.tute, and not despise their prayer. This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord. For He hath looked down from the height of His sanctuary; from Heaven did the Lord behold the earth; to hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death; to declare the name of the Lord in Zion, and His praise in Jerusalem; when the people are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to serve the Lord."

From this scripture we learn--First, that there is a set time to build up Zion, or the city of which Isaiah speaks, namely, just before the second coming of Christ; and that when this city is built, the Lord will appear in His glory, and not before. So from this we affirm, that if such a city is never built, then the Lord will never come. Second, we learn that the people and kingdoms are to be gathered together, to serve the Lord, both in Zion and Jerusalem; and third, that this Psalm was written expressly for the generation to come, and the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord, when they read it and see it fulfilled.

I will now call the attention of the reader to the first paragraph of the sixth chapter of the Record of Ether, contained in the Book of Mormon: "For he truly told them of all things from the beginning of man; and how that after the waters had receded from off the face of this land (America), it became a choice land above all other lands, a chosen land of the Lord, wherefore, the Lord would have that all men should serve Him who dwell upon the face thereof; and that it was the place of the New Jerusalem, which should come down out of heaven, and the holy sanctuary of the Lord. Behold, Ether saw the days of Christ, and he spake concerning a New Jerusalem upon this land: and he spake also concerning the house of Israel, and the Jerusalem from whence Lehi should come; after it should be destroyed, it should be built up again a holy city unto the Lord; wherefore, it could not be a New Jerusalem, for it had been in a time of old; but it should be built up again, and become a holy city of the Lord, and it should be built up unto the house of Israel; and that a New Jerusalem should be built up upon this land, unto the remnant of the seed of Joseph, for which things there has been a type; for as Joseph brought his father down into the land of Egypt, even so he died there; wherefore, the Lord brought a remnant of the seed of Joseph out of the land of Jerusalem, that He might be merciful unto the seed of Joseph, that they should perish not, even as He was merciful unto the father of Joseph, that he should perish not; wherefore, the remnant of the house of Joseph shall be built up on this land, and it shall be a land of their inheritance; and they shall build up a holy city unto the Lord, like unto the Jerusalem of old, and they shall no more be confounded, until the end come, when the earth shall pa.s.s away. And there shall be a new heaven and a new earth, and they shall be like unto the old, save the old have pa.s.sed away, and all things have become new. And then cometh the New Jerusalem: and blessed are they who dwell therein, for it is they whose garments are white through the blood of the Lamb; and they are they who are numbered among the remnant of the seed of Joseph who were of the house of Israel. And then also cometh the Jerusalem of old, and the inhabitants thereof; blessed are they for they have been washed in the blood of the Lamb; and they are they who were scattered and gathered in from the four quarters of the earth, and from the north countries, and are partakers of the fulfilling of the covenant which G.o.d made with their father Abraham. And when these things come, bringeth to pa.s.s the Scripture which saith, "There are they who were first, who shall be last: and there are they who were last, who shall be first."

From this prophecy we learn--First, that America is a chosen land of the Lord, above every other land. Second, that it is the place of the New Jerusalem, which shall come down from G.o.d, out of heaven, upon the earth, when it is renewed. Third, that a New Jerusalem is to be built in America, to the remnant of Joseph, after a similar pattern, or like unto the old Jerusalem in the land of Canaan; and that the old Jerusalem shall be rebuilt at the same time, and, this being done, both cities will continue in prosperity on the earth, until the great and last change, when the heavens and the earth are to be renewed.

Fourth, we learn that when this change takes place, the two cities, together with the inhabitants thereof, are to be caught up into heaven, and being changed and made new, the one comes down upon the American land, and the other to its own place as formerly: and, fifth, we learn that the inhabitants of these two cities are the same that gathered together and first builded them. The remnant of Joseph, and those gathered with them, inherit the New Jerusalem. And the tribes of Israel, gathered from the north countries, and from the four quarters of the earth, inhabit the other; and thus all things being made new, we find those who were once strangers and pilgrims on THE EARTH, in possession of that better country, and that city, for which they sought.

We will now turn to John's Revelation, and examine the city after it is made new, and see if it is anything like the pattern which it exhibited previous to its final change, Rev. xxi: "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were pa.s.sed away; and there was no more sea. And I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from G.o.d out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven, saying, Behold, the tabernacle of G.o.d is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and G.o.d himself shall be with them, and be their G.o.d. And G.o.d shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are pa.s.sed away. And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And He said unto me, Write, for these words are true and faithful. And He said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst, of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his G.o.d, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and wh.o.r.emongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

"And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from G.o.d, having the glory of G.o.d: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; and had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates, twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel. On the east, three gates; on the north, three gates; on the south, three gates; on the west, three gates. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb. And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof.

And the city lieth four square, and the length is as large as the breadth. And he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs: the length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.

And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel. And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was of pure gold, like unto clear gla.s.s. And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolyte; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent gla.s.s. And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord G.o.d Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to s.h.i.+ne in it; for the glory of G.o.d did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it; and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day; for there shall be no night there.

And they shall bring the glory and honor of the nations into it. And there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie; but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life." Also, twenty-second chapter, he says: "And He showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of G.o.d and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of G.o.d and of the Lamb shall be in it; and His servants shall serve Him. And they shall see His face; and His name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord G.o.d giveth them light: and they shall reign forever and ever. And He said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord G.o.d of the holy prophets sent His angel to show unto His servants the things which must shortly be done. Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book."

From this beautiful description, we learn--First, that the new earth is not to be separated by any sea, consequently, what is now called the Eastern and Western Continents will then be one land. Secondly, we learn that the Lord will make not only the heavens and earth, but _all things_ new (including of course, the cities of Jerusalem and Zion, where His tabernacle will have been for more than a thousand years). Thirdly, we learn that the city will lie four square, and have twelve gates, with the names of the twelve tribes of Israel, inserted, one on each gate; three gates on the north, three on the south, three on the east, and three on the west; precisely after the same manner in which it will exist temporally during the thousand years, as described by Ezekiel. Fourthly, we learn that it will be composed of precious stones, and gold, as the temporal city also will be, as described by Isaiah. Fifthly, a pure river of the water of life, clear as crystal, will flow through this renewed city, proceeding from the throne of G.o.d, just as living waters will flow from the sanctuary in the temporal city, as described by Ezekiel. Sixthly, the tree of life will stand on either side of the river, even the tree which will have once borne twelve manner of fruits, and have yielded its fruit every month, its leaves having been for the healing of the nations. But now, when John sees it, the nations have no need of healing, for there is no more death, neither pain, nor sorrow, for the former things have pa.s.sed away, and all things are become new, consequently, he speaks in the past tense, and says they _were_ for the healing of the nations; of course, referring to the times when they existed temporally, according to Ezekiel, before their final change.

Now, of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: Ezekiel and the other Prophets have presented us with the view of the cities of Zion and Jerusalem, as they will exist during the one thousand years of rest called the Millennium; and John has given us a view of the same cities, after their final change, when they come down from G.o.d out of heaven, and rest upon the new earth. But Ether has given us a sketch of them as they are to exist, both in their temporal and in their eternal state: and he has told us plainly concerning their location, first and last, namely, the New Jerusalem, in America, inhabited by the remnant of Joseph, and those gathered with them, who have washed their robes, and made them white, in the blood of the Lamb: and the other Jerusalem, in its former place, inhabited by the house of Israel gathered from the north countries, and from all countries where they were scattered, having washed their robes, and made them white, in the blood of the Lamb. And here is the end of the matter.

I would only add, that the government of the United States has been engaged, for upwards of nine years, in gathering the remnant of Joseph to the very place where they will finally build a New Jerusalem, a city of Zion, with the a.s.sistance of the Gentiles, who will gather them from all the face of the land: and this gathering is clearly predicted in the Book of Mormon, and other revelations, and the place before appointed, and the time set for its fulfilment. And except the Gentiles repent of all their abominations, and embrace the same covenant, they will soon be utterly destroyed from off the face of this land; as it is written by Isaiah: "The nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish. Yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted." And as it is written by the Prophet Nephi in the Book of Mormon (n. e.), 3 Nephi, xxi:

"And, verily, I say unto you, I give unto you a sign, that ye may know the time when these things shall be about to take place, that I shall gather in from their long dispersion, my people, O house of Israel, and shall establish again among them my Zion.

"And behold, this is the thing which I will give unto you for a sign, for verily I say unto you, that when these things which I declare unto you, and which I shall declare unto you hereafter of myself, and by the power of the Holy Ghost, which shall be given unto you of the Father, shall be made known unto the Gentiles, that they may know concerning this people who are a remnant of the house of Jacob, and concerning this my people who shall be scattered by them.

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, when these things shall be made known unto them of the Father, and shall come forth of the Father, from them unto you;

"For it is wisdom in the Father that they should be established in this land, and be set up as a free people by the power of the Father, that these things might come forth from them unto a remnant of your seed, that the covenant of the Father may be fulfilled which He hath covenanted with His people, O house of Israel;

"Therefore, when these works, and the works which shall be wrought among you hereafter, shall come forth from the Gentiles, unto your seed, which shall dwindle in unbelief because of iniquity;

"For thus it behoveth the Father that it should come forth from the Gentiles, that He may shew forth His power unto the Gentiles, for this cause, that the Gentiles, if they will not harden their hearts, that they may repent and come unto me, and be baptized in my name, and know of the true points of my doctrine, that they may be numbered among my people, O house of Israel;

"And when these things come to pa.s.s, that thy seed shall begin to know these things, it shall be a sign unto them, that they may know that the work of the Father hath already commenced unto the fulfilling of the covenant which He hath made unto the people who are of the house of Israel.

"And when that day shall come, it shall come to pa.s.s that kings shall shut their mouths; for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.

"For in that day, for my sake shall the Father work a work, which shall be a great and marvellous work among them; and there shall be among them who will not believe it, although a man shall declare it unto them.

"But behold, the life of my servant shall be in my hand; therefore they shall not hurt him, although he shall be marred because of them.

Yet I will heal him, for I will shew unto them that my wisdom is greater than the cunning of the devil.

"Therefore it shall come to pa.s.s, that whosoever will not believe in my words, who am Jesus Christ, whom the Father shall cause him to bring forth unto the Gentiles, and shall give unto him power that he shall bring them forth unto the Gentiles (it shall be done even as Moses said), they shall be cut off from among my people who are of the covenant.

"And my people who are a remnant of Jacob, shall be among the Gentiles, yea, in the midst of them as a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep, who, if he go through both treadeth down and teareth in pieces, and none can deliver.

"Their hand shall be lifted up upon their adversaries, and all their enemies shall be cut off.

"Yea, wo be unto the Gentiles, except they repent, for it shall come to pa.s.s in that day, saith the Father, that I will cut off thy horses out of the midst of thee, and I will destroy thy chariots,

"And I will cut off the cities of thy land, and throw down all thy strongholds;

"And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thy hand, and thou shalt have no more soothsayers;

"Thy graven images I will also cut off, and thy standing images out of the midst of thee, and thou shalt no more wors.h.i.+p the works of thy hands;

"And I will pluck up thy groves out of the midst of thee; so will I destroy thy cities.

"And it shall come to pa.s.s that all lyings, and deceivings, and envyings, and strifes, and priestcrafts, and wh.o.r.edoms, shall be done away.

"For it shall come to pa.s.s, saith the Father, that at that day whosoever will not repent and come unto my beloved Son, them will I cut off from among my people, O house of Israel;

"And I will execute vengeance and fury upon them, even as upon the heathen, such as they have not heard.

"But if they will repent, and hearken unto my words, and harden not their hearts, I will establish my Church among them, and they shall come in unto the covenant, and be numbered among this the remnant of Jacob, unto whom I have given this land for their inheritance,

"And they shall a.s.sist my people, the remnant of Jacob, and also, as many of the house of Israel as shall come, that they may build a city, which shall be called the New Jerusalem;

"And then shall they a.s.sist my people that they may be gathered in, who are scattered upon all the face of the land, in unto the New Jerusalem,

"And then shall the power of heaven come down among them; and I also will be in the midst;

"And then shall the work of the Father commence at that day, even when this Gospel shall be preached among the remnant of this people. Verily I say unto you, at that day shall the work of the Father commence among all the dispersed of my people; yea, even the tribes which have been lost, which the Father hath led away out of Jerusalem.

"Yea, the work shall commence among all the dispersed of my people, with the Father, to prepare the way whereby they may come unto me, that they may call on the Father in my name;

"Yea, and then shall the work commence, with the Father, among all nations, in preparing the way whereby His people may be gathered home to the land of their inheritance

"And they shall go out from all nations; and they shall not go out in haste, nor go by flight, for I will go before them, saith the Father, and I will be their rearward."

O ye remnant of Joseph, your secret is _revealed_, ye who are despised, smitten, scattered, and driven by the Gentiles from place to place, until you are left few in number! "O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest and not comforted," lift up your heads and rejoice, for your redemption draweth nigh: yea, we have found your record, the oracles of G.o.d once committed to your forefathers, which have been hidden from you for a long time, because of unbelief. Behold! they are about to be restored to you again; then shall you rejoice; for you shall know that it is a blessing from the hand of G.o.d; and the scales of darkness shall begin to fall from your eyes; and the Gentiles shall not again have power over you; but you shall be gathered by them, and be built up, and again become a delightsome people; and the time has come; yea, the work has already commenced; for we have seen you gathered together, from all parts of the land, unto the place which G.o.d has appointed for the Gentiles to gather you; therefore lay down your weapons of war, cease to oppose the Gentiles in the gathering of your various tribes, for the hand of your great G.o.d is in all this, and it was all foretold by your forefathers, ten thousand moons ago.