Volume 1, Article 1-June 2019 - (Written by Maurício Artur Berger)
1 What is a secret? - SECRET is the way to keep valuable information in absolute secrecy, hidden or sealed, without allowing it to become public, until it is allowed to reveal itself. In the New Testament of the Holy Bible, we find innumerable times the Greek words my · sté · ri · on, translated 'sacred secret'.
2 In the Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (in English), we find the following explanation: "In the [New Testament] my·sté·ri·on it denotes, not the mysterious, but that which, being outside the range of unassisted natural apprehension, can be made known only by Divine revelation, and is made known in a manner and at a time appointed by God, and to those only who are illumined by His Spirit." —1981, Vol.3, p.97.
3 According to the text of Proverbs 25:2, "It is the glory of God to conceal a thing; but the honor of kings is to search out a matter." - In the text of Romans 16:25-26, we are told of the methods God uses to make known his secrets that for long periods of time have been kept in silence until the moment of being opened to the understanding of the children of the man.
4 So, as Supreme Ruler and Creator, Jehovah undoubtedly holds many things in secret until the time predetermined by Him arrives to reveal them to mankind through His servants the prophets (Amos 3:7). — Among its secrets is one that is hidden in the revelations of John, which the Lord Jesus Christ set out to reveal only in the dispensation of the fulness of times, and that will enable us to obtain the correct understanding of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon in the 19th century and the Sealed Book --, which we have available between us, a small part at this time in history of restoration, further exposing the immeasurable wisdom of God in keeping their affairs under cover in order to reveal them in timely moments of this gospel dispensation in which we live now. What symbolizes the small open book described in the text of Revelation 10:2?
5 We read in the book of Revelation 10:7 that "...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."
6 In the very contemplation of John of the "Strong Angel" in the account of chapter 10, verse 3 before verse 7, John is interrupted by this heavenly messenger who "cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth; and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices."
7 While we still read in verse 4: "And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write; and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, ‘Those things are sealed up which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not’". (Revelation 10:4). Regarding the seven angels in the context of chapter 1, verse 20 of Revelation, Joseph Smith Jr. taught that the word "angels" described as being in the right hand of Christ actually refers to human messengers, preordained to be born on earth for "To teach his commandments to the children of men, that they too might enter into their rest," but that it had also been altered in its context, just as other texts of the scriptures that had been altered over in the early days of the Roman Catholic Church. So Joseph, in correcting the Bible with the power and Gift of God, changed the word "angels", to finally behave again the word "servants". — RLDS Alma 9:69 (LDS Alma 13:6)
8 These seven servants, however, whose denominations and callings on earth represent the 'Seven Thunders' described in the book of Revelation, as we have in the teachings of Joseph Smith, correspond to the seven prophets who not only presided over their own dispensations, but began them, each in his own time, which by God had been predetermined, bringing with him new truths and important good news to the people of his day, as well as new laws and commandments concerning the ordinances of the everlasting gospel of the Lamb of God.
9 All of this brings us back to the text of Revelation 10:4 about the words of the "Seven Thunders" that we now understand to be seven prophets, lawmakers of the laws and ordinances of the eternal gospel of God in their own dispensations. Among the words of those prophets; John the Apostle, who is writing the book of Revelation, is commanded to SEAL OFF and store them for the time of the end, when Christ comes to His Temple and there open the seven remaining seals on the plates of Mormon, as prophesied in the text of Revelation 10:1-5.
10 Of the words of these seven prophets, we logically conclude that because of this sealed book we have in hand, one of them corresponds to a message from Moses himself. And do not think I'm talking about this "Sealed Book of Moses" we have now. Definitely not! Rather, I am speaking of the part in which Moroni says: "Words of Moroni 28: But of all records of Moses, my father Mormon compiled only a summary, leaving aside the prophecies and pointing to a wise, future purpose, the issues related to the Melchizedek priesthood among the covenant people from the beginning to the end of all preconceived times, for how much the remaining content of this book of Moses will be on the plates that will be revealed only when Christ comes to his temple in the last days". — RLDS D&C 38:5b; D&C 42:10c; D&C 65: 1d; 108:1a-5g; / LDS D&C 38:22; D&C 42:35-36; D&C 65:5 / Malachi 3:1
11 Of the seven seals that will not be opened by anyone other than Christ himself (Revelation 5:4-5), it is clear to our present understanding that there will be in its context the records of seven great prophets, and one such record, as we read in the words of Moroni, is undoubtedly the prophecies withheld by the great Moses, which corroborates the understanding that Moses is one of the seven thunders described in John's revelation and that his words in the sealed book that we now have correspond to a third of an important truth to be revealed in the last days, and is beside the records of other prophets under the seven seals which shall be opened by Christ, as we may read in the Words of Moroni, verse 37, of the Sealed Book.
12 In turn, we have this third part of the revelations of John to be revealed soon, since these are contained in the 42 plates whose seals were broken in March 2018, in front of the witnesses. This enables us to understand by reading RLDS Ether 1:111-115 (LDS Ether 4:15-18) that the rest of these 42 plates, containing a third of John's revelations, will only arise after the covenant people tear the veil of unbelief that leads them to remain in this terrible state of iniquity and hardness of heart and blindness of mind (this will only be possible through the Sealed Parcel Study Nucleus). Indeed, it is for this reason that God in his vast wisdom has brought this small part that we have today as the "Sealed Book of Mormon," to free us from our traditions and blindness of mind, soul, and heart.
13 That is, John had been prevented from divulging in his day this highly symbolic message, just as I had been commanded not to translate this third part of the Revelations of John in the present day; for its symbols represent secrets of God to be made known only in a future period, these days, wherein the unfolding of the prophecy concerning the sealed book of the revelations of John, as transcribed in RLDS Ether 1:111-114 (LDS Ether 4:15-16), in the Book of Mormon, will be in harmony with the words of Jesus described in this context, in relation to a people invoking the Father in His name, having a broken (repentant) heart and a contrite spirit. —Reading in the Sealed Book the Words of Moroni, verse 18 we will understand this question better.
14 Repeating clearly and summarily what I have just reported, verse 37 of Moroni's words concerning the Sealed Book of Mormon states that one-third of John's revelations appear in this set of 42 plates, whose seals were broken off when the witnesses came from the United States to Brazil in March 2018, should be revealed as soon as the people exercise faith through this first part of the Sealed Book of Mormon that was given to us on April 6, 2019, as we can read and understand in verse 42 of the words of Moroni, where he states clearly and unequivocally that "...these few things that will be drawn from the first sealed set, before being every book put together in a later period of time, will be sufficient to awaken the faith in the followers of Christ...". It is consistent to assume that the remainder of John's message regarding the words of the "seven thunders", as is true of the prophecies of Moses, will be revealed only when Christ comes to His Temple.
15 In the meantime, after the voice of the Seven Thunders had sounded, Jesus foretells to John the time when this sealed book would be revealed to the sons of men; for as he transcribes the revelation of Revelations, the Angel speaks to him again, stating that it will be in a time when "that there should be time no longer" - Revelations 10:5, 6
16 Since the Greek word translated "time" is Khrónos, from which the word "chronology" originated, and literally its meaning is associated with "Time", so that some versions of the Bible they say, "there will be no more delay".
17 Also, the word Khrónos used by John in the context we are studying (Revelation 10:6), is used by him without the definite article; so that it does not mean "The Time", but "A Time", or better formulating, "A Period of Time", that is to say, "A Dispensation".
18 Faced with this, it is easy to rectify this statement in Revelation 10:6, which should be read in its entirety: "There will be no more dispensation" — Further, he is mentioning "the last dispensation," this period, in which we now live. That is, there will be no opportunity for repentance, just as there has been with the passing of the ages of a dispensation, for this is the last convocation.
19 In this prophetic context of Revelation, while John awaits the touch of the seventh trumpet, which will bring to completion the "Secret of God"; the apostle John receives an additional task from what he had seen concerning the "Sealed Book", prefigured in his revelation, as the sealed portion of the Book of Mormon plates, predicted in the prophecy of "RLDS 2 Nephi 11:143-147” (LDS 2 Nephi 27:21-26). — Let's read.
20 And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again and said, Go and take the "little book which is open" in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth. And I went unto the angel and said unto him, Give me the "little book". And he said unto me, Take it and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey. And I took the "little book" out of the angel's hand and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey; and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter. — Revelation 10:8-10.
21 And the angel said to me, "‘Thou must prophesy again’ before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings." — Revelation 10:8-11
22 What happens to John is somewhat similar to what happened to the prophet Ezekiel during his exile in the land of Babylon. He was also commanded to eat a roll which was sweet in the mouth; but when it filled his stomach, "he became responsible for the ordinances of the House of God which had been altered by the elect nation of Israel." — Ezekiel 3:17-18
23 Similarly, the "little book which is open" that the glorified Jesus gives in John's vision is the "Book of Mormon" — "little" because, as we can see in "RLDS 3 Nephi 12:2-4" (LDS 3 Nephi 26:8-10), corresponds to the smallest part of the set of plates that make up the Book of Mormon in its entirety. — Let's read.
24 In addition to being "little", the book given to John is also prefigured by the word "Open"; This is because the same represents the unsealed part of the Mormon plates, that is, the Book of Mormon itself delivered to the sons of men in the mid-nineteenth century, not necessitating that this first part of the translation of the plates made by Joseph Smith Jr. remained closed in the eyes of the world, just as it is with the already revealed text of the sealed portion translated from that set of ancient scriptures, but which still remains sealed to the understanding of those who have no desire to know the truth of these things revealed to us by the power and gift of God in these last days.
25 The Book of Mormon, in turn, is similar to Ezekiel's message to the people of the earth, for he would "prophesy again" of good tidings concerning "Peoples, and Nations, and Tongues, and Kings." — Revelation 10:8-11
26 Eating this "little Book", therefore, represents being sweet to the spiritual palate, for the words of the "Book of Mormon", in fact, come from Divine source.
27 However, we see in John's account that in digesting it, it becomes bitter in the stomach of the one who consumes it, because just as it did in the days of Ezekiel, the "Book of Mormon", prefigured as "Little Book" in context described by John does not only bring blessings and privileges to all who delight in his words, but his message makes responsible to all who believe in him, to unconditionally keep the commandments and ordinances of God as recorded in their pages.
28 Otherwise, the account of Revelation is symbolically saying that if there be among those who use this ancient record to justify the foundations on which they base their faith, only a trace of heresy in their teachings is enough to revert what once was sweet into something bitter to those who deliberately propagate it according to their own precepts and no longer according to the will of God.
29 Thus, what John sees and reports in the Book of Revelation, prefigures the "Beginnings of the Restoration"; when, in 1830, the pioneers began to divulge to humanity the content of this "Little Open Book". That is, a small message that should be openly propagated to the peoples of the earth in preparation for a great truth that would still come with the appearance of the sealed record of the plates of Mormon, as contained in the text of "RLDS 3 Nephi 12:3-4" (LDS 3 Nephi 26:9-10).
30 Like John, the pioneers had to preach for "Peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings"; bringing with it a sweet or bitter message to an unfaithful civilization - humanity.
31 In fact, if we do not awaken now, as people of Zion in these last days, to the scriptures from which derive our faith, and not live the true statutes of the Book of Mormon and the revelations of the Doctrine and Covenants given in the beginnings of the restoration by prophet Joseph Smith Jr. until the last revelation received by his son, Joseph III; then we will remain under the condemnation pronounced upon the children of Zion, described in "RLDS D&C 83:7h-10a" (LDS D&C 84:52-61).
32 In relation to this, the Church itself will not be worthy as a people, as prophesied in "RLDS 3 Nephi 12:2-4" (LDS 3 Nephi 26:8-10) to receive this "Another part that was Sealed from the Book of Mormon from the rest of the 42 plaques on which is found a third of the Revelations of John yet to come" and with that, only a remnant group of Church members as predicted in the prophecy of "RLDS Revelation 12:17", which does not harden their hearts about these things, as we see in the Book of "RLDS Alma 9:15-21" (LDS Alma 12:9-11), may receive the greater part of this book that we have as the Book of Mormon.