The Revelation of John the Apostle: BYU New Testament Commentary Series by Richard D. Draper & Michael D. Rhodes

Author:Richard D. Draper & Michael D. Rhodes [Draper, Richard D. & Rhodes, Michael D.]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi, pdf
Tags: Apocalypse of John, Book of Revelation, Mormon
ISBN: 9781938896521
Published: 2016-10-15T06:00:00+00:00

The wilderness offers the woman not only protection but also sustenance. The two assure her continued existence.

a thousand two hundred and threescore days / for one thousand two hundred sixty days: See Translation Notes and Comments at Revelation 11:3.

The Joseph Smith Translation changes the word “days” to “years.” In doing so, that text suggests that the Church would be in the wilderness for a very long time.[59]

Analysis and Summary

John’s account suggests that, though the early Church endeavored to establish the political kingdom in the meridian of time, it was unsuccessful.[60] We should note that Satan’s attempt to destroy the child was, at the same time, his attempt to become king of the earth.[61] Once again, the Seer emphasizes that the issue is sovereignty and authority.

Though Satan failed in his attempt to destroy the babe, he was partially successful in that he did prevent the kingdom of God from being established. According to the Joseph Smith Translation, “the dragon stood before the woman which was delivered, ready to devour her child after it was born,” but the “child was caught up unto God and his throne” (vv. 4, 3) before the dragon could do so. Thus, it appears that God took the fledgling kingdom, that is, the political keys and authority given to the Apostles and other leaders, to heaven where they have remained safe from the dragon. Now, in these last days, they have been restored.

Frustrated because he could not destroy the child, the dragon turned on the woman herself, but she escaped by fleeing into the wilderness. Modern revelation explains the reality behind the symbol. After the death of the Apostles, Babylon—here the symbol of devil-inspired persecution of the true Church—sowed tares over the garden of the earth. “The tares are the children of the wicked one” (see Matt. 13:38), who spread false doctrine and persecute the righteous. These “choke out the wheat [or the righteous] and drive the Church into the wilderness” (D&C 86:3)

History shows that Satan was quite successful, for after the death of the Apostles, forces hostile to the true Church compelled its retreat from the public sphere. Nonetheless, unlike the kingdom of God, the keys of which God took to heaven, the Church remained on the earth, but in an unorganized and, therefore, hidden state.

The wilderness Church represents the righteous descendants of the ancient Saints who were “lawful heirs according to the flesh” but were “hidden from the world with Christ in God” who would set the stage for the Church to be restored in the last days and act as “a savior unto [God’s] people, Israel” (D&C 86:9–11). These are the literal descendants of Abraham through Isaac and Israel (see Abraham 2:8–11) and they were hid from the world and the dragon by God. Thus certain bloodlines were preserved.

The point is that God kept track of those who continued to have the right to the priesthood by reason of the election in the flesh. According to Joseph Smith, taking his text from Romans chapter

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