By Alan on Jan 07 in Blog tagged bad, beginning, Chaismus phrase, children to the fathers, dreadful day, earth be smitten with a curse, Elijah, end, evil, Glenn Beck, good, great day, half empty, half full, importance, Jesus Christ, light darkness, prophecy, right, righteous, scriptures, The Great and Dreadful Day, the Last Days, the Lord, turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, wrong | Comments Off

The idea of the coming of the Lord as a Great and Dreadful day is a chaismus phrase highlighting details of particular importance.  It will be a great day and it will be a dreadful day depending upon each individual’s view of the return of the Lord.  It is a point of view of how one sees it. 

It is a Chiastic pattern or ring structure used as a literary device applied to narrative motifs that is commonly seen in ancient literature and in the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament, to emphasize, parallel, or contrast concepts or ideas to give meaning to their writings or to highlight details.

The details of the Coming of the Lord to some will be a GREAT DAy and a DREADFUL DAY to others.  It depends on how you have lived your life and what place Jesus Christ plays in your life.

There are opposites in all things.  Where there is Good, there is Bad; Righteous, Evil; On, Off; Light, Darkness; Right, Wrong; Beginning, End.

To some a glass of water is half full; to others half empty.

It is all in how one looks at things.  Life can be looked at the same way; from both sides; Up and Down.

In a song I wrote it sings, “Life is just what you make it. Life is just what you want it to be.”  It can be a Great Life or a Dreadful life.  You Make the Bed You Sleep In.

Wherefore, it must needs have been created for a thing of naught; wherefore there would have been no purpose in the end of its creation. Wherefore, this thing must needs destroy the wisdom of God and his eternal purposes, and also the power, and the mercy, and the justice of God.

And if ye shall say there is no law, ye shall also say there is no sin. If ye shall say there is no sin, ye shall also say there is no righteousness. And if there be no righteousness there be no happiness. And if there be no righteousness nor happiness there be no punishment nor misery. And if these things are not there is no God. And if there is no God we are not, neither the earth; for there could have been no creation of things, neither to act nor to be acted upon; wherefore, all things must have vanished away.” 2 Ne. 2: 11-13

In this there can be found hope:

“For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” Rom. 15: 4

“Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.” 2 Ne. 31: 20

If you believe in God and His Son Jesus Christ, then you should look forward to the Second Coming of The Lord

Scriptures teach us about that day:

“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.”  Mal. 4: 5

“BEHOLD, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.”  D&C 2: 1

Behold, the time has fully come, which was spoken of by the mouth of Malachi—testifying that he [Elijah] should be sent, before the great and dreadful day of the Lord come— To turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers, lest the whole earth be smitten with a curse— Therefore, the keys of this dispensation are committed into your hands; and by this ye may know that the great and dreadful day of the Lord is near, even at the doors.”  D&C 110: 14

“After this vision had closed, another great and glorious vision burst upon us; for Elijah the prophet, who was taken to heaven without tasting death, stood before us, and said:

Behold, the time has fully come, which was spoken of by the mouth of Malachi—testifying that he [Elijah] should be sent, before the great and dreadful day of the Lord come—  To turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers, lest the whole earth be smitten with a curse— Therefore, the keys of this dispensation are committed into your hands; and by this ye may know that the great and dreadful day of the Lord is near, even at the doors.”  D&C 110: 13-16

No one, not even the angels in heaven knows exactly when Jesus Christ shall return.  There are events or experiences that God gives to people to show that something important in his work has happened or will soon happen. They are called, ‘The Signs of the Times‘. In the latter days, many signs for the second coming of the Savior have been prophesied. These signals allow faithful people to recognize God’s plan, be warned, and prepare.

I like Glenn Beck’s take on the future:  “Tomorrow Can and Will Be Better.” He expresses it in a chiastic form.  Which way do you read it?

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Alan Osmond For The Family

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