Nephi, John and Daniel all saw visions of the end times.
Nephi’s vision
Nephi’s vision begins with him seeing the formation of the great and abominable church and continues on to the very end of all things, but as he was prohibited from writing the whole vision, we only have an account from the formation the great church up to the pouring out of the wrath of God upon it and the wars and rumors of war among the nations that belong to it.
His vision begins here:
And it came to pass that the angel spake unto me, saying: Look! And I looked and beheld many nations and kingdoms. And the angel said unto me: What beholdest thou? And I said: I behold many nations and kingdoms. And he said unto me: These are the nations and kingdoms of the Gentiles. And it came to pass that I saw among the nations of the Gentiles the formation of a great church. (1 Nephi 13:1-4.)
and ends here:
And as there began to be wars and rumors of wars among all the nations which belonged to the mother of abominations, the angel spake unto me, saying: Behold, the wrath of God is upon the mother of harlots; and behold, thou seest all these things—and when the day cometh that the wrath of God is poured out upon the mother of harlots, which is the great and abominable church of all the earth, whose founder is the devil, then, at that day, the work of the Father shall commence, in preparing the way for the fulfilling of his covenants, which he hath made to his people who are of the house of Israel. (1 Nephi 14:16-17.)
At that point the work of the Father commences. In other words, the restoration of all things—which includes the restoration of the house of Israel to the lands of their inheritance—officially commences when the nations belonging to the great and abominable church begin warring among themselves. When these wars and rumors of wars begin, it will also be the time that the first seal of the sealed book is opened.
John’s vision
John’s vision is from the opening of the first seal to the end of all things. However, that part of the vision which is the restoration of all things takes place from the opening of the first seal to the sounding of the seventh angel’s trumpet. That is, from Revelation 6:1 to Revelation 11:15.
And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals (Revelation 6:1)
And the seventh angel sounded; (Revelation 11:15.)
Wars and rumors of wars at the opening of the first seal
John described what happens on earth when the first seal finally gets opened and it corresponds with what Nephi saw when the work of the Father commences: wars and rumors of wars.
When the first seal is opened John sees a guy on a horse with a bow “and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.” That is, he engages in wars of aggression, some of which he wins (wars) and some of which are still in the planning stage (rumors of wars). The wars don’t stop at the first seal, but continue on with the opening of other seals. For example, at the opening of the second seal, he sees another guy on a horse with a great sword and peace is taken from the earth and people start killing each other. The fourth seal’s opening results in death, hunger, violent death by sword and beasts devouring people. The fifth seal’s opening results in the saints being martyred. And so on and so forth.
From great and abominable church to the beast with seven heads and ten horns
When Nephi’s end time vision opens, the restoring Elias is nowhere to be found. He has already emerged from his spiritual box, punished his enemies who tormented him while he was trapped in the box, gone to his secret place and established his kingdom there, returned from his kingdom to perform his own work and finally left to return to his hidden kingdom to enjoy his carrot. (This rest and relaxation is necessary in order for him to recharge his “batteries” in preparation for the infinite work of restoring all things.) In his absence the great and abominable church forms and then proceeds to persecute, imprison, torture and kill the saints and also pervert the holy word of God.
Then Elias comes back and blows his stack and begins to make things right again. At some point during his advent, all the churches of the world coalesce into the great and abominable church, save for the church of the Lamb, so that now there are only two churches in the world. The great church then gathers multitudes to fight against the Lamb of God but can’t seem to get it together and instead, those pertaining to that great church fight among themselves.
To rectify the situation, the great church, which is the spiritual kingdom of the devil, begins to form itself politically. These political kingdom attempts are called beasts, for they are not mere man-made associations, but devil-inspired monstrosities, for the hellish great whore of all the earth is the thing pulling the strings. In other words, the formation of these kingdom attempts are church programs. The attempts to “get it right,” that is, to get the political kingdom of the devil matching his spiritual kingdom, take place during the opening of the first six seals. After the seventh seal is opened, things come together for the wicked and they are finally able to establish a beast which is truly diabolical through and through.
Just as the great and abominable church forms among many churches (“And the angel said unto me: Behold the formation of a church which is most abominable above all other churches” 1 Nephi 13:5) and then later coalesces into a single monstrosity, absorbing all other churches except for the church of the Lamb of God, so that there are now only two churches, so the political kingdom of the devil begins its formation among many other nations and kingdoms and then later coalesces into a single monstrosity, absorbing everything that does not pertain to Zion, and thus splitting the world into two.
Elias does the same, only first
Everything the wicked do is a reaction to what Elias does. Therefore it will be Elias who first unites the saints into a single spiritual entity, being a church that is the spiritual kingdom of God, and then he will proceed to establish the kingdom of God politically, forming Zion. Following the example of Elias, the wicked will see the establishment of Elias’s church, and then when he leaves they will form their own great and abominable church, to compete with him. When he returns from his absence, they will see him form the perfectly just, political kingdom of Zion, and in the spirit of competition they will follow suit and attempt to form a perfectly unjust and ungodly beast kingdom.
The location of the devil’s political kingdoms
The first attempts will come from that region of the world in which were found the Median Empire, the Persian Empire and the realm of Grecia (Macedonia). But all these attempts will fail. The final, successful attempt will be headquartered in the city of Babylon itself.
Thus when Zechariah sees in vision the woman, representing wickedness, he sees that she is carried to the land of Shinar, which is Babylon:
Then the angel that talked with me went forth, and said unto me, Lift up now thine eyes, and see what is this that goeth forth. And I said, What is it? And he said, This is an ephah that goeth forth. He said moreover, This is their resemblance through all the earth. And, behold, there was lifted up a talent of lead: and this is a woman that sitteth in the midst of the ephah. And he said, This is wickedness. And he cast it into the midst of the ephah; and he cast the weight of lead upon the mouth thereof. Then lifted I up mine eyes, and looked, and, behold, there came out two women, and the wind was in their wings; for they had wings like the wings of a stork: and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heaven. Then said I to the angel that talked with me, Whither do these bear the ephah? And he said unto me, To build it an house in the land of Shinar: and it shall be established, and set there upon her own base. (Zechariah 5:5-11.)
The political establishment of the kingdom of the devil in Babylon takes place at the beginning of the seventh thousand years, whereas the other attempts in the regions round about take place at the end of the sixth thousand years.
The great whore sitting upon many waters; the beast rising up out of the sea
The great and abominable church (the spiritual kingdom of the devil) won’t have its headquarters in the city of Babylon. The great whore of all the earth is said to sit upon many waters, which was interpreted by the angel as being many nations, kindreds, tongues and people.
And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. (Revelation 17:1-2.)
And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. (Revelation 17:15.)
And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the whore of all the earth, and she sat upon many waters; and she had dominion over all the earth, among all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people. (1 Nephi 14:11.)
Whereas the great whore sits on many waters, each of the devil’s political kingdom attempts, including the devil’s perfected kingdom, emerge from waters, specifically rising up out of a particular sea (the Mediterranean Sea) that was near to John’s location on the Isle of Patmos:
And I saw another sign, in the likeness of the kingdoms of the earth; a beast rise up out of the sea, and he stood upon the sand of the sea, having seven heads … (JST Revelation 13:1.)
…and then these get established on the earth, with the perfected kingdom having its headquarters at a specific location: the city of Babylon.
Daniel’s visions
Daniel saw multiple end-time visions (three in total) and they were all about the very same things: the establishment of the political kingdoms of the devil in the last days. One vision was recorded in Daniel chapter 7, one was recorded in chapter 8 and the final vision was recorded in chapters 10, 11 and 12. I’ll begin with the vision found in chapter 7.
The lion beast with eagle’s wings
In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed: then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters. Daniel spake and said, I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea. And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another. (Daniel 7:1-3.)
Now all four beasts came up from the Great Sea, which is the Mediterranean Sea. This region of the world is also where each beast gets set up.
The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings: I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as a man, and a man’s heart was given to it. (Daniel 7:4.)
The first beast corresponds to the opening of the first seal of the book sealed with seven seals and thus comes into existence towards the end of the sixth thousand years:
And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer. (Revelation 6:1-2.)
The bear beast
And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear, and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it: and they said thus unto it, Arise, devour much flesh. (Daniel 7:5.)
The second beast corresponds to the opening of the second seal of the sealed book and thus also comes into existence towards the end of the sixth thousand years:
And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword. (Revelation 6:3-4.)
The bear beast had three ribs in its mouth because the lion beast (representing the first kingdom attempt and its first king) had three kings in it and this fourth king (the bear beast) supplants them, becoming a new beast. The ribs, then, are the three ribs (kings) of the lion beast. Thus the bear beast has devoured the lion beast. This is, after all, the devilish game of thrones in which only the strong survive. It is a dog eat dog world among the nations belonging to the great whore; or, in this case, a bear eat lion world.
Now, these first two beasts come from the east; that is, from the region of Persia.
The leopard beast with four wings and four heads
After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it. (Daniel 7:6.)
The third beast corresponds to the opening of the next four (third, fourth, fifth and sixth) seals of the sealed book and thus also comes into existence towards the end of the sixth thousand years:
And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.
And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.
And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them 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? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.
And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; and the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; and said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: for the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? (Revelation 6:5-17.)
Now, this third beast comes from the west; that is, from the region of Greece.
The dreadful, terrible and exceedingly strong fourth beast with iron teeth and ten horns
After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things. (Daniel 7:7-8.)
The fourth beast corresponds to the opening of the seventh seal of the sealed book and thus comes into existence at the beginning of the seventh thousand years:
And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. (Revelation 8:1.)
This particular beast comes from Babylon.
The angel’s interpretation of the four beasts
These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth. (Daniel 7:17.)
Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. (Daniel 7:23-26.)
The interpretation of the beasts by the angel as both kings and kingdoms is literal. During the restoration of all things, when the seals get opened, kingdoms will form with kings (one or more) attached to them, not nations with presidents and prime ministers and chancellors. Those who attempt to interpret these passages as applying to our times, which are the times of types and shadows, which occur prior to the restoration of all things, must force-fit the prophecies by making them speak of merely symbolic kings and kingdoms. Such purely symbolic interpretations cannot be correct, for no angel would take a symbol (beast) and give its interpretation as another symbol (king/kingdom). That makes no sense, whatsoever. Proper interpretation is taking the symbol (beast) and giving its literal meaning (king/kingdom).
Another example of this is the angel’s interpretation to Nephi concerning the symbols of the great and abominable church:
“…that great church, which is the mother of abominations; and she is the whore of all the earth. (1 Nephi 14:10.)
“…the mother of harlots, which is the great and abominable church of all the earth,” (1 Nephi 14:17.)
The terms “mother of abominations” and “whore of all the earth” and “mother of harlots” are symbols which refer to a literal church. There is no reason to explain that the symbols “mother” and “whore” mean “church,” unless “church” is not a symbol; thus it must be literal. If it is yet another symbol, then we are back at square one, having no understanding whatsoever as to what any of it means. The symbol “church,” then, becomes meaningless because then anyone can interpret “church” however he wants, making the interpretation pointless and useless. In like manner, the “kings” and “kingdoms” interpretation of “beasts” by the angel giving Daniel a guided tour of the vision can only be literal kings and kingdoms.
John’s description of the fourth beast
And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. (Revelation 13:1-2.)
According to this description, the fourth beast will be composed of parts of the previous three beasts. Notice that it was like a leopard but had the feet of a bear and the mouth of a lion. This is more dog eat dog stuff, but in this case it’s: dragon beast eats what’s left of the lion, bear and leopard beasts.
Okay, now let’s look at the vision recorded in Daniel chapter 8.
The two-horned ram, the last higher than the first
Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last. I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; so that no beasts might stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and became great. (Daniel 8:3-4.)
The ram corresponds to the opening of the first two seals of the sealed book, the first horn corresponding to the first seal and the second horn corresponding to the second seal; thus the ram comes into existence towards the end of the sixth thousand years. The first horn also corresponds to the lion beast, while the second horn corresponds to the bear beast.
As we shall see in the next section, the ram comes from the east; that is, from the region of Persia. This is why it pushed “westward, and northward, and southward”, but not eastward.
The angel’s interpretation of the ram
The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia. (Daniel 8:20.)
This doesn’t mean that the two horns represent two kings only. They in fact represent more than two kings. The first horn represents three kings, while the higher last horn represents one king. (We’ll see this later.)
The he goat with the notable horn that breaks into four horns
And as I was considering, behold, an he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes. And he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran unto him in the fury of his power. And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against him, and smote the ram, and brake his two horns: and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him: and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand. Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven. (Daniel 8:5-8.)
The he goat corresponds to the opening of the next four (third, fourth, fifth and sixth) seals of the sealed book and thus also comes into existence towards the end of the sixth thousand years.
Daniel says that the he goat “came from the west”; that is, from the region of Greece.
The angel’s interpretation of the he goat
And the rough goat is the king of Grecia: and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king. Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power. (Daniel 8:21-22.)
The little horn
And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land. And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them. Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down. And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered. (Daniel 8:9-12.)
The little horn corresponds to the opening of the seventh seal of the sealed book and thus comes into existence at the beginning of the seventh thousand years.
The angel’s interpretation of the little horn
And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall stand up. And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people. And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many: he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes; but he shall be broken without hand. (Daniel 8:23-25.)
Daniel chapter 10: the destroyer is revealed
Okay, now we turn to the final vision that Daniel saw of the end times. It begins with Daniel seeing Elias the destroyer in vision, recorded in verses 1 through 9.
In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a thing was revealed unto Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar; and the thing was true, but the time appointed was long: and he understood the thing, and had understanding of the vision. In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks. I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled. And in the four and twentieth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel; then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz: his body also was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude. And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves. Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me: for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength. Yet heard I the voice of his words: and when I heard the voice of his words, then was I in a deep sleep on my face, and my face toward the ground. (Daniel 10:1-9.)
In verse 14 he is informed by the angel speaking to him that this vision of the destroyer is still a long ways off; in other words, it will take place during the end times:
Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days. (Daniel 10:14.)
The destroyer looked the way he did to Daniel because Daniel was not seeing the destroying angel of Daniel’s time, but the destroying angel of the end times. Specifically, he was seeing the destroyer as he would appear in the beginning of the restoration of all things (which itself begins at the opening of the first seal), and so Daniel was seeing the destroyer’s upgraded form. The restoration of all things is “the work of the Father,” meaning it is an infinite work fit only for a God, but the destroyer is only a man and only an angel; he’s no god. Being a finite being, he can only do a finite work. To do the Father’s infinite work of restoring all things, the destroyer will have to pull a Buzz Lightyear and go “to infinity and beyond!” Thus, when he begins the restoration of all things he must and will enter infinity: the realm of the Gods. No one can enter the realm of the Gods without changes occurring to one’s very being.
The upgraded destroyer is what God referred to when He said:
And out of weakness he shall be made strong, in that day when my work shall commence among all my people, unto the restoring thee, O house of Israel, saith the Lord. (2 Nephi 3:13.)
The weak destroyer becomes strong from the perspective of man when he emerges from his box with his gifts fully empowered. He then will use those powers to obtain his carrot and perform his own work. But all of that, despite being gigantic in scope, is still of a finite quantity. God still looks upon the angel and says, “He’s still weak.” But then the restoration of all things commences, which includes the restoration of the house of Israel to the lands of their inheritance, and the destroyer by his faith upgrades himself into the infinite levels. Now he can do what only God can do, being “made strong” like God is strong. Now, from the perspective of God, the angel is no longer considered weak, but strong, and his appearance alters accordingly, becoming godlike.
John likewise saw the destroyer during the restoration of all things, but at this point (in Revelation chapter 10) it is almost the end of the infinite restoration, and so his upgraded form is enormously glorified, yet John still calls him an angel, albeit a mighty one:
And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire: and he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth, and cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices. (Revelation 10:1-3.)
Nevertheless, in the very next chapter the godlike destroyer is now called “the God of the earth” (Revelation 11:4.) So the performance of the Father’s infinite work has caused the lines between angel and god to blur.
The two witnesses, having likewise entered infinity with their father, are also greatly changed. Although they didn’t do anything but observe and listen while their father performed all things, the experience upgrades them, nonetheless. They now have all sorts of outrageous powers:
And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will. (Revelation 11:5-6.)
Getting back to Daniel: the angel speaking to Daniel next starts to give him a play-by-play of the political kingdoms of the devil that will exist during the restoration of all things and up to the Second Coming. This account starts in chapter 11.
The angel’s words concerning Persia and Grecia
Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than they all: and by his strength through his riches he shall stir up all against the realm of Grecia. (Daniel 11:2.)
The first three kings in Persia correspond to the opening of the first seal of the sealed book and they will stand up towards the end of the sixth thousand years. These first three kings are part of the lion beast and also form part of the first horn of the ram.
The fourth king in Persia who “shall be far richer than they all” corresponds to the opening of the second seal of the sealed book and he also will stand up towards the end of the sixth thousand years. This king corresponds to the bear beast and also is the last, higher horn on the ram.
The angel then begins speaking of the realm of Grecia (the kingdom of Macedonia) and its kings:
And a mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will. And when he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be divided toward the four winds of heaven; and not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion which he ruled: for his kingdom shall be plucked up, even for others beside those. (Daniel 11:3-4.)
The mighty king of the realm of Grecia whose kingdom shall be broken and divided toward the four winds of heaven corresponds to the opening of the next four (third, fourth, fifth and sixth) seals of the sealed book and thus he also stands up towards the end of the sixth thousand years.
The rest of Daniel chapter 11 and then chapter 12
From verse 5 to the end of the chapter details the transition from the imperfect kingdoms that existed after the opening of the third, fourth, fifth and sixth seals to the final perfected kingdom of the devil that will exist after the seventh seal is opened until it is destroyed at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Two kings are mentioned throughout the account: the king of the south and the king of the north:
And the king of the south shall be strong, and one of his princes; and he shall be strong above him, and have dominion; his dominion shall be a great dominion. And in the end of years they shall join themselves together; for the king’s daughter of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement: but she shall not retain the power of the arm; neither shall he stand, nor his arm: but she shall be given up, and they that brought her, and he that begat her, and he that strengthened her in these times. (Daniel 11:5-6.)
Looking over a map of the region, two kingdoms clearly show themselves: to the north is the kingdom of Macedonia and to the south is the kingdom of Egypt. I will therefore call the king of the north, “the Macedonian king,” and the king of the south, “the Egyptian king.” This designation doesn’t mean that every mention of “the king of the south” or “the king of the north” is necessarily referring to the very same person. When a king is deposed, or dies or is killed, his successor takes his place, becoming the new king of the north or south. So when I say “the Macedonian king” or “the Egyptian king,” I am referring to whoever is the king at that time, during the description of that verse.
As it is kind of hard to follow who does what to whom in this narrative, I will also use the New King James Version to see if any clarity is obtained. The NKJV translates the above two verses in this way:
Also the king of the South shall become strong, as well as one of his princes; and he shall gain power over him and have dominion. His dominion shall be a great dominion. And at the end of some years they shall join forces, for the daughter of the king of the South shall go to the king of the North to make an agreement; but she shall not retain the power of her authority, and neither he nor his authority shall stand; but she shall be given up, with those who brought her, and with him who begot her, and with him who strengthened her in those times. (NKJV Daniel 11:5-6.)
So, the Egyptian king sends his daughter and company to the Macedonian king to form an agreement, but it doesn’t pan out and they remain at odds and, it looks like, the Egyptian king (“him who begot her”) ends up deposed. Enter a new Egyptian king:
But out of a branch of her roots shall one stand up in his estate, which shall come with an army, and shall enter into the fortress of the king of the north, and shall deal against them, and shall prevail: and shall also carry captives into Egypt their gods, with their princes, and with their precious vessels of silver and of gold; and he shall continue more years than the king of the north. (KJV Daniel 11:7-8.)
But from a branch of her roots one shall arise in his place, who shall come with an army, enter the fortress of the king of the North, and deal with them and prevail. And he shall also carry their gods captive to Egypt, with their princes and their precious articles of silver and gold; and he shall continue more years than the king of the North. (NKJV Daniel 11:7-8.)
So the (new) Egyptian king, a descendant of the former king’s daughter, invades the Macedonian king’s fortress and loots it, taking their idol gods, molten images and gold and silver items, and this particular Egyptian king will remain king for a longer time than the Macedonian king.
So the king of the south shall come into his kingdom, and shall return into his own land. But his sons shall be stirred up, and shall assemble a multitude of great forces: and one shall certainly come, and overflow, and pass through: then shall he return, and be stirred up, even to his fortress. (KJV Daniel 11:9-10.)
Also the king of the North shall come to the kingdom of the king of the South, but shall return to his own land. However his sons shall stir up strife, and assemble a multitude of great forces; and one shall certainly come and overwhelm and pass through; then he shall return to his fortress and stir up strife. (NKJV Daniel 11:9-10.)
Here we have a complete contradiction in translations, the one (KJV) saying that the Egyptian king enters the Macedonian kingdom and then returns to Egypt but then the sons of the Egyptian king are stirred up and invade the north; whereas the other (NKJV) says that the Macedonian king retaliates by invading Egypt, but then returns to his own land and afterwards the sons of the Macedonian king assemble a vast army and invade Egypt and stirs up the Macedonian people for more war against Egypt. Which do I think is right? The NKJV makes more sense to me in this passage than the KJV.
And the king of the south shall be moved with choler, and shall come forth and fight with him, even with the king of the north: and he shall set forth a great multitude; but the multitude shall be given into his hand. And when he hath taken away the multitude, his heart shall be lifted up; and he shall cast down many ten thousands: but he shall not be strengthened by it. For the king of the north shall return, and shall set forth a multitude greater than the former, and shall certainly come after certain years with a great army and with much riches. (KJV Daniel 11:11-13.)
And the king of the South shall be moved with rage, and go out and fight with him, with the king of the North, who shall muster a great multitude; but the multitude shall be given into the hand of his enemy. When he has taken away the multitude, his heart will be lifted up; and he will cast down tens of thousands, but he will not prevail. For the king of the North will return and muster a multitude greater than the former, and shall certainly come at the end of some years with a great army and much equipment. (NKJV Daniel 11:11-13.)
Here we have the Egyptian king enraged and fighting against the Macedonian kingdom, and when the Macedonian king sends out a great army, it is defeated by the Egyptian king, which causes the heart of the Egyptian king to lift up in pride, but even though he kills tens of thousands of Macedonians, he’s no stronger for it. Later the Macedonian king pushes south and retaliates with an even greater army, bringing with him a lot of equipment.
Notice also in verse 11 that the Egyptian king “shall be moved with choler.” In Daniel chapter 8 the he goat is also said to be “moved with choler” against the ram:
And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against him, and smote the ram, and brake his two horns: and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him: and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand. (Daniel 8:7.)
Next we have everyone ganging up on the Egyptian king:
And in those times there shall many stand up against the king of the south: also the robbers of thy people shall exalt themselves to establish the vision; but they shall fall. (KJV 11:12.)
Now in those times many shall rise up against the king of the South. Also, violent men of your people shall exalt themselves in fulfillment of the vision, but they shall fall. (NKJV 11:12.)
The Gadianton robbers of this time take full advantage of the people of the Lord, but eventually they come to naught.
This next part speaks about the Macedonian king:
So the king of the north shall come, and cast up a mount, and take the most fenced cities: and the arms of the south shall not withstand, neither his chosen people, neither shall there be any strength to withstand. But he that cometh against him shall do according to his own will, and none shall stand before him: and he shall stand in the glorious land, which by his hand shall be consumed. He shall also set his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom, and upright ones with him; thus shall he do: and he shall give him the daughter of women, corrupting her: but she shall not stand on his side, neither be for him. After this shall he turn his face unto the isles, and shall take many: but a prince for his own behalf shall cause the reproach offered by him to cease; without his own reproach he shall cause it to turn upon him. Then he shall turn his face toward the fort of his own land: but he shall stumble and fall, and not be found. (KJV 11:15-19.)
So the king of the North shall come and build a siege mound, and take a fortified city; and the forces of the South shall not withstand him. Even his choice troops shall have no strength to resist. But he who comes against him shall do according to his own will, and no one shall stand against him. He shall stand in the Glorious Land with destruction in his power. He shall also set his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom, and upright ones with him; thus shall he do. And he shall give him the daughter of women to destroy it; but she shall not stand with him, or be for him. After this he shall turn his face to the coastlands, and shall take many. But a ruler shall bring the reproach against them to an end; and with the reproach removed, he shall turn back on him. Then he shall turn his face toward the fortress of his own land; but he shall stumble and fall, and not be found. (NKJV 11:15-19.)
This appears to be the same person that John mentions in Revelation 13:3 and Revelation 17:8,11.
And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast. (Revelation 13:3.)
The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. (Revelation 17:8.)
And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition. (Revelation 17:11.)
Next a tax collector is the new Macedonian king, but he only lasts a few days:
Then shall stand up in his estate a raiser of taxes in the glory of the kingdom: but within few days he shall be destroyed, neither in anger, nor in battle. (KJV Daniel 11:20.)
There shall arise in his place one who imposes taxes on the glorious kingdom; but within a few days he shall be destroyed, but not in anger or in battle. (NKJV Daniel 11:20.)
Finally, a “vile person” becomes the new Macedonian king. I will use only the KJV from now on:
And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom they shall not give the honour of the kingdom: but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries. And with the arms of a flood shall they be overflown from before him, and shall be broken; yea, also the prince of the covenant. And after the league made with him he shall work deceitfully: for he shall come up, and shall become strong with a small people. He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers’ fathers; he shall scatter among them the prey, and spoil, and riches: yea, and he shall forecast his devices against the strong holds, even for a time. And he shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the south with a great army; and the king of the south shall be stirred up to battle with a very great and mighty army; but he shall not stand: for they shall forecast devices against him. Yea, they that feed of the portion of his meat shall destroy him, and his army shall overflow: and many shall fall down slain. And both these kings’ hearts shall be to do mischief, and they shall speak lies at one table; but it shall not prosper: for yet the end shall be at the time appointed. Then shall he return into his land with great riches; and his heart shall be against the holy covenant; and he shall do exploits, and return to his own land. At the time appointed he shall return, and come toward the south; but it shall not be as the former, or as the latter. For the ships of Chittim shall come against him: therefore he shall be grieved, and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant: so shall he do; he shall even return, and have intelligence with them that forsake the holy covenant. And arms shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate. And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits. And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days. Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries. And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed. And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all. But in his estate shall he honour the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things. Thus shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory: and he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for gain. And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps. But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many. And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him. (Daniel 11:21-45.)
The vile person spoken of in the above passage appears to be the same person John mentions here:
And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. (Revelation 13:11-17.)
Chapter 12 finishes the vision with another viewing of the destroyer, this time with his two sons attending him:
Then I Daniel looked, and, behold, there stood other two, the one on this side of the bank of the river, and the other on that side of the bank of the river. And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders? And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished. (Daniel 12:5-7.)
Daniel chapter 2
In Daniel chapter 2 Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had a dream which Daniel interpreted. This dream also speaks of the same time period and of the same kingdoms that Daniel saw in vision in chapters 7, 8 and 10-12. Here is Nebuchadnezzar’s dream and Daniel’s interpretation of it:
Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king; but there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these; as for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass. But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart.
Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible. This image’s head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, his legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.
This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king. Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold. And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth. And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise. And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure. (Daniel 2:27-45.)
The head of gold corresponds to the lion beast kingdom, coming forth after the first seal is opened; the silver breast and arms correspond to the bear beast kingdom, coming forth after the second seal is opened; the belly and thighs of brass corresponds to the leopard beast kingdom, coming forth during the opening of the third, fourth, fifth and sixth seals; and the legs and feet of iron (with clay mixed in the feet and toes) corresponds to the dragon beast kingdom, coming forth after the opening of the seventh seal.
When the dragon beast is established, it will be composed of parts of the previous three kingdoms: lion, bear and leopard. In like manner, this image of the final beast of iron is composed of parts from the previous three kingdoms: gold, silver and brass.
The head of gold is at the top because it’s the first kingdom established and because it’s the least degenerate of the four. It is superior (higher) than all the rest. Daniel says the second kingdom of silver is “inferior” to the first because it is baser or more degenerate. This kingdom, then, is made up of less valuable silver and is put lower than the head. Hence the bear kingdom is more diabolical and degenerate than the lion kingdom. The third kingdom of brass is likewise even more degenerate than the previous two, hence being lower and thus closer to hell and also composed of a metal of lesser value. Thus the leopard kingdom is far worse than the bear kingdom. Finally the fourth kingdom of iron is the most degenerate of them all, being nearly a perfect match to the dragon spirit which empowers it. This kingdom of iron matches the fourth beast Daniel saw, which had iron teeth.
The image itself represents both all four kingdoms, the order of formation of each kingdom and also the final beast that will be established after the seventh seal opens, which will be made up of the parts of the previous three.
Now Daniel states that the head of gold is king Nebuchadnezzar. He’s the most famous king of Babylon and the final, fourth kingdom will be established in Babylon and will be the kingdom of Babylon, therefore it is appropriate that it bears his head. It may also be that the person who establishes the first kingdom (the lion beast) will be a descendant of that ancient king Nebuchadnezzar, someone who hails from Persia.
Although the great image seen in the dream is largely thought to be symbolic, it may turn out to be a very real thing. Nebuchadnezzar may have seen, in actuality, the very image that the last beast John saw caused to be made:
And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. (Revelation 13:13-15.)
The stone cut out without hands is the political kingdom of God (Zion) that God will establish through Elias, around the time of the opening of the first seal. Recall Elias’s prayer:
Hearken, and lo, a voice as of one sent down from on high, who is mighty and powerful, whose going forth is unto the ends of the earth, yea, whose voice is unto men—Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. The keys of the kingdom of God are committed unto man on the earth, and from thence shall the gospel roll forth unto the ends of the earth, as the stone which is cut out of the mountain without hands shall roll forth, until it has filled the whole earth. Yea, a voice crying—Prepare ye the way of the Lord, prepare ye the supper of the Lamb, make ready for the Bridegroom. Pray unto the Lord, call upon his holy name, make known his wonderful works among the people. Call upon the Lord, that his kingdom may go forth upon the earth, that the inhabitants thereof may receive it, and be prepared for the days to come, in the which the Son of Man shall come down in heaven, clothed in the brightness of his glory, to meet the kingdom of God which is set up on the earth. Wherefore, may the kingdom of God go forth, that the kingdom of heaven may come, that thou, O God, mayest be glorified in heaven so on earth, that thine enemies may be subdued; for thine is the honor, power and glory, forever and ever. Amen. (D&C 65:1-6.)
He doesn’t say the gospel is the stone; he says the gospel shall roll forth as the stone shall roll forth. The gospel is not the stone, but it rolls forth like the stone will roll forth.
Although the above interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream is non-standard, it’s still correct. The typical interpretation is that each segment of the great image is one of the great empires, beginning with the kingdom of Babylon, then the Medo-Persian Empire, then the kingdom of Alexander the Great and finally the Roman Empire. But this cannot be, for Daniel said: “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever” (Daniel 2:44.) The stone comes forth during the days of these kings, not after they have come and gone, and it also breaks in pieces and consumes all these kingdoms. Therefore, both the kings and their kingdoms must be around during the time of the stone and the kingdoms in particular must still be standing, in order for the stone to break them. As the final beast is composed of all the previous beasts, when it is destroyed by the stone, this prophecy will be fulfilled.
Why the wicked kingdoms only become established after the first seal is opened
The opening of the first seal reveals all the things of the first thousand years, both good and bad, and so the wicked will attempt to imitate the ancient wicked practices and kingdoms that they read about in the first unsealed portion of the book. As each new seal is opened, they will learn of new (actually, old) wicked works, causing a rearrangement of their kingdom affairs, to more closely align with all the wickedness that Elias reveals in his translations of the sealed book. Elias will do this on purpose, to ripen them in iniquity, so that they can justifiably be destroyed at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. His purpose is not to save them, but to destroy them. Contrast that to how Alma operated:
And now, my son, I command you that ye retain all their oaths, and their covenants, and their agreements in their secret abominations; yea, and all their signs and their wonders ye shall keep from this people, that they know them not, lest peradventure they should fall into darkness also and be destroyed. For behold, there is a curse upon all this land, that destruction shall come upon all those workers of darkness, according to the power of God, when they are fully ripe; therefore I desire that this people might not be destroyed. Therefore ye shall keep these secret plans of their oaths and their covenants from this people, and only their wickedness and their murders and their abominations shall ye make known unto them; and ye shall teach them to abhor such wickedness and abominations and murders; and ye shall also teach them that these people were destroyed on account of their wickedness and abominations and their murders. For behold, they murdered all the prophets of the Lord who came among them to declare unto them concerning their iniquities; and the blood of those whom they murdered did cry unto the Lord their God for vengeance upon those who were their murderers; and thus the judgments of God did come upon these workers of darkness and secret combinations. Yea, and cursed be the land forever and ever unto those workers of darkness and secret combinations, even unto destruction, except they repent before they are fully ripe. And now, my son, remember the words which I have spoken unto you; trust not those secret plans unto this people, but teach them an everlasting hatred against sin and iniquity. (Alma 37:27-32.)
In conclusion
None of the end-time things that Nephi saw, nor that John saw, nor that Daniel saw have happened, yet. When the destroyer comes out of his box, does his thing and then hightails it out of here to his kingdom, that is when Nephi’s vision will start to happen and we’ll finally get to see the great and abominable church form. But as for Daniel and John’s visions, more time must pass and the destroyer must return and begin the restoration of all things before the things those two saw happen. Thus it is a mistake to interpret Daniel’s end-time visions as already having been fulfilled, whether partially or wholly.
Nevertheless, this does not mean we necessarily have long to wait, for although Elias is still trapped in his box, I have recently learned that he is now in his third and final stage (the ascension phase) of his captivity.
LDS Anarchy 
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