Sign 43

The Lamb Stands Upon Mount Zion

When a new temple is dedicated the saints in attendance sing and shout with the armies of heaven, “Hosanna to God and the Lamb!” This collective shout is unique among our people—a people who refrain from applause in their chapels and who generally communicate in whispers in their temples. While the Latter-day Saints prize personal revelation through the whisperings of the Spirit and find solace in the command to “be still and know that I am God,” (D&C 101:16) there are times when shouting is the pinnacle of righteous worship. When a righteous people join together to make a joyful noise, to tumble the walls of Jericho, or to shout Hosanna to the Lord “to the very extent of their voices,”¹ they invite the Lord to stand with them that they may wield the “glory of his power” (2 Thes. 1:9) and abide in the “glory of his presence.” (D&C 133:49)

At the opening of this dispensation, when the Kirtland temple was dedicated and the saints raised their voices together to shout “Hosanna” to the Lord, there was a marvelous outpouring from heaven. That outpouring, like the Hosanna Shout itself, foreshadowed the time when the Lord would stand upon Mount Zion and with him an hundred and forty and four thousand “which were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.” (Rev. 14:4)

We look forward with great earnestness to that time and place where he will meet his saints that have been “clothed in white robes, and palms in their hands.” (Rev. 7:9) In Zion, there will be a spectacular temple where the Lamb of God will appear, and in that temple, there will be a throne erected on which he will sit (see Rev. 14:1-3). It will be from this throne, and a similar one built in the temple in Jerusalem, that the Lord will reign with his saints during the millennium.

He Comes to Mount Zion

When the Lord “brings again Zion,” the city of Zion will already be built and the people of Zion prepared to receive the supper of the bridegroom. We will already be of one heart and one mind, purified of our sins, and equal in earthly things. The 144,000 servants of God will be sealed in their foreheads and a glorious temple will be built in Zion. Enoch’s Zion will come down out of heaven to dwell with the saints and the joy of the millennium will begin to shine forth among the righteous people of the earth gathered in from all nations.

Zion will not come down alone, but “the Lord shall bring again Zion” (Isa. 52:8) to the earth. Together the ancient city of Zion and the Lord himself will descend to meet the “elect from the four quarters of the earth” (Moses 6:62) and to receive them into their bosom.

In this book I have not shared many personal experiences. My focus has been on the scriptures. However, the beauty of the account from Enoch about the return of Zion reminds me of an occasion with Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve. During a solemn conference in October of 2015, Elder Rasband, Elder Stevenson, and Elder Renlund were sustained and welcomed into the Quorum of the Twelve. As the sustaining vote concluded and the men took their place upon the stand, they passed by the other apostles. There were greeted lovingly by each one. As the three men passed by Elder Bednar, however, he embraced them and gave them a kiss on the cheek. As I watched, I felt I was on holy ground. In my mind’s eye, I pictured a similar experience with the Savior and felt a desire to be among those he welcomes into his bosom. He will know us, the ancient saints will know us, and we will know them, for we shall be like them.

When the Lamb of God comes down out of heaven he will “[stand] upon Mount Zion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.” (Rev. 14:1) When these watchmen shall stand with the Lord on the temple mount in the city of Zion, they will raise their voices in praise and singing to the Lord Jesus Christ, their King! Then, the words of Isaiah will be fulfilled when he said:

The Supper of the House of the Lord

As the prophet Abinadi declared, “O how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that is the founder of peace, yea, even the Lord, who has redeemed his people.” (Mosiah 15:18) When the bridegroom comes with the wedding party, the supper will be prepared and the saints who have been wise will enjoy a feast of fat things in the land upon which the Zion of God shall stand.

The rich and the learned, the wise and the noble—according to the Lord’s judgment—will already be in Zion waiting for the Lord in great anticipation. These will partake of the supper of the house of the Lord first. Then the day of the Lord’s power will come upon the earth after which the poor, the lame, and the blind, and the deaf will come unto the marriage of the Lamb. As the angel said unto John, and he wrote it, “Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb.” (Rev. 19:9)

Joseph Smith explained that this marriage feast is the reward for those who have kept the faith.

Even before the judgment on the morning of the first resurrection, or the judgment before the bar of God, there will be a judgment of those who dwell in the land of Zion, a judgment reserved specifically for the righteous. Just as Christ will be declared King of kings at Adam-ondi-Ahman, so the saints will receive a crown of righteousness as kings and priests in Zion in preparation for the thousand years when they will reign with Christ on earth. This coronation of the righteous will be an outpouring and a spiritual feast unlike any ever known before.

Many of the ancients received the promise that they would be crowned with glory and “clothed in white raiment” (Rev. 3:5) before the Lord’s throne. Some in the church of Sardis had “not defiled their garments,” and the Lord said, “they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.” (Rev. 3:4) Paul was likewise promised a crown of righteousness, which promise he asserted just before he offered himself up as a sacrifice for the cause of Christ.

The Prophet Joseph Smith explained:

We, like Paul and the worthy saints in Sardis, must receive our own promise of a crown of righteousness. That blessing is given “unto all them also that love his appearing.” That promise, like the gift of translation, is received personally from the hand of the Lord. Every time we participate in the ordinance of the endowment we are instructed in a manner that prepares us for “his appearing,” a time of his choosing in which we will be clothed in robes of righteousness and promised a crown of glory.

“The Saints, or those who are found faithful to the Lord, are the individuals who will be found worthy to inherit a seat at the marriage supper” (TPJS, p.63) and when the Lord stands upon Mount Zion these same faithful saints will sit at the marriage feast “arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints.” (Rev. 19:8) Claiming these blessings and promises is the whole purpose of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Adam and his righteous posterity, Enoch and his city, Melchizedek and his kingdom, Abraham and his seed, Moses and the children of Israel, Peter and the early saints, Joseph Smith and the latter-day saints—all the faithful who have belonged to the Church of Jesus Christ on earth or the Church of the Firstborn in heaven—will feast and drink new wine with the Savior in Zion.

Hurt not Those That are Sealed

There are four angels that have been designated as destroying angels. These angels are “waiting the great command to reap down the earth, to gather the tares that they may be burned.” (D&C. 38:12) Just as there was a destroying angel sent to kill the firstborn sons of Egypt in the days of Moses, so there will be destroying angels that will destroy the wicked after the opening of the seventh seal.

As we have discussed before, the sealing of the servants of God is a reference to the sealing of the 144,000 servants (or the Quorums of the Seventy) who will have their calling and election made sure. They will be sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise through an anointing “in their foreheads.” This anointing is received in holy temples, and while there will be 144,000 servants reserved for a special mission before the end, all saints may receive this anointing when they have proven themselves faithful to covenants made in the temple and sanctified themselves through the atonement of Christ.

We read that these servants will be chosen in equal numbers from each of the tribes of Israel except the tribe of Dan. In place of the tribe of Dan, the descendants of Joseph are given two portions through the tribe of Manasses (Manasseh) and the tribe of Joseph (or Ephraim). It is unclear exactly why the tribe of Dan has been excluded from these blessings.

The tribe of Levi, in the past, has enjoyed the exclusive right of the priesthood and the charge to administer the ordinances of the temple. These blessings were given only to those who belonged to the race and tribe of Levi. The sons of Levi will again have a role to play in restoration of all things, and will be purged “as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.” (Mal. 3:3) However, in the last days, “every faithful, worthy man in the Church may receive the holy priesthood,” and all faithful saints, both men and women, may enjoy “every blessing that flows therefrom, including the blessings of the temple… without regard to race or color.” (D&C - Official Declaration 2) It appears that because the priesthood has become the privilege of all the House of Israel, the tribe of Levi will not be set apart from an inheritance in Zion, but they will inherit a portion of these blessings with the other tribes.

Notes

1. Instruction from President Lorenzo Snow at the capstone ceremony for the Salt Lake City Temple. Millennial Star, July 4, 1892, 418.