Thanks for your insights on this topic, LDSA! I enjoy your blog and your posts.LDS Anarchist wrote: ↑October 23rd, 2017, 8:48 pm James, you might want to read this blog post of mine: John the Revelator is not the Elias who restores all things
Just so we are clear, the rod, root, stem and branch are, according to my understanding:James-T-Prout wrote: ↑October 23rd, 2017, 7:31 pm This is just 1 of the Davidic Servants. It appears that the scriptures identify 4 of them. (3 if you go with LDS Anarchist.) One being Christ himself.
Stem=Christ (per D&C 113)
Branch=Christ
Rod=Josephite
Root=Josephite
The Branch and rod are instruments of destruction and judgment. These are horizontal instruments. They grow horizontally from the plant. What do you do with a branch or a rod? You use it to strike others with it. You hold it horizontally from you, in your hands.
The Stem and root are instruments of salvation and mercy. These are vertical instruments. They grow vertically upward or downward. The Stem, which offers us individual salvation, is not sufficient to save us. Although He brings us up to God, connects us to God, He also needs the root to connect to the rest of us, as a group. Thus, individual salvation is represented by the Stem (Christ), while group salvation is represented by the root (the Josephite.)
Both roles reverse, each one performing one role at first, and then the second role at last. So, Christ came as the Stem (and instrument of mercy) during His first coming, and He'll come as the Branch (and instrument of judgment) during His second coming. And the Josephite started out as the destroying angel, even the rod, in the heavens, as the instrument of God's judgment, and when he is empowered here on earth, he resumes that exalted position of rod. Thus, curses will immediately go out once the guy is powered up. Destructions will go forth, as well as curses, for he resumes his rod role.
But then he miraculously switches from destroyer to savior, which is entirely impossible, for "the waster was made to destroy" as Isaiah said, so this switch goes entirely against his very nature, and he begins a work of salvation, as one of the saviors on mount Zion, this time performing all the work perfectly. This miraculous switch from destroyer to savior, or from judgment to mercy, switches his position, too, from horizontal to vertical, and he becomes the root, an instrument of mercy and salvation.
Thus, it is Christ, not the destroying angel (the Josephite) who will destroy the wicked at the Second Coming, for the Josephite will be in root mode when Christ comes back, while Christ will be in Branch mode.
Thus, there are not four servants spoken of by the designations root, rod, stem and branch, but just two, for there were always just two sons of God who were designated and appointed by God to pull off the entire salvation and redemption of all things: Jesus (who pulled off the infinite amount of suffering required) and the Josephite (who will pull off the infinite amount of work required.)
As for John the Revelator, he has a more limited (finite) role, as do the other angels and participants in end times events.
One last thing, the angel spoken of in Revelation 10 was not the 7th angel:
This angel swore that "in the days of the voice of the seventh angel...the mystery of God should be finished." In other words, he's not speaking of himself, but of someone else (who was the seventh angel.) Who, then, was this "mighty angel?"And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer: but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets. (Revelation 10:5-7)
A clue might be found in the following scriptures. (And notice that John does not designate the Revelation 10 angel as "the seventh angel") :
Mighty and strong, eh? Hmm...where have we heard of such a thing before?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)
And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all. (Revelation 18:21)
And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? (Revelation 5:2)
All of these scriptures seem to point to the rod of the Lord's power, who is the Josephite.Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one, which as a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, as a flood of mighty waters overflowing, shall cast down to the earth with the hand. (Isaiah 28:2)
And it shall come to pass that I, the Lord God, will send one mighty and strong, holding the scepter of power in his hand, clothed with light for a covering, whose mouth shall utter words, eternal words; while his bowels shall be a fountain of truth, to set in order the house of God, and to arrange by lot the inheritances of the saints whose names are found, and the names of their fathers, and of their children, enrolled in the book of the law of God; (D&C 85:7)
And there shall rise up one mighty among them, who shall do much good, both in word and in deed, being an instrument in the hands of God, with exceeding faith, to work mighty wonders, and do that thing which is great in the sight of God, unto the bringing to pass much restoration unto the house of Israel, and unto the seed of thy brethren. (2 Nephi 3:24)
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. (D&C 65:1)
What is the rod spoken of in the first verse of the 11th chapter of Isaiah, that should come of the Stem of Jesse?
Behold, thus saith the Lord: It is a servant in the hands of Christ, who is partly a descendant of Jesse as well as of Ephraim, or of the house of Joseph, on whom there is laid much power. (D&C 113:3-4)
I had a sincere question in regards to your thoughts on the definition of the word "king". You stated in effect that you feel this prophesy is misinterpreted due in part to the use of the word "king" being interpreted by Brother Prout as meaning president. You've said that the word "king" refers to an actual king.
With a paucity of kings in the world now and with there being only about 16-17 years left prior to the Lord's coming (according to your estimate of his return on your blog), how is such a prophesy to take place with so little time left? Do you think there will be a radical change in the governments of the earth soon enough to permit such a succession of kings to take place or do you think this prophesy is not an actual prophesy?
Thanks for your insight!
LDS Physician