No one knows when the world will end. If the prophets of old didn’t know, then we won’t know either. I hate to see people proposing timelines of when the sh*t will hit the fan. I get it, things often look bad, but if you read the history of the world, you will realize that compared to the past, this life still looks amazing. It could turn around quickly, as it did in Cuba, or during the French Revolution, or any number of downfalls in history. I’m aware of being prepared spiritually and physically for chaotic situations. But please do not look to someone to tell you if you live in a safe area, or if the earthquake is coming in the Fall, or if the Russians and Chinese are invading. This is putting your energy and hope on the shoulders of a man or woman. I know some people who live in fear or confidence (Vallow/Daybell) because they believe the end is coming. Relying on writers, YouTubers, leaders, authorities, prophets, proclaimed prophets or anyone on this earth will not help you. Because…
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. (Matt 24: 35-36)
Joseph Smith tried to establish Zion — they thought it was in their lifetime– and when he asked about the timing, the Lord was consistent with “no one knows.” In fact, God’s response is a little bit humorous and fatherly at that — trouble me no more. Joseph explained,
I was once praying very earnestly to know the time of the coming of the Son of Man, when I heard a voice repeat the following: Joseph, my son, if thou livest until thou art eighty-five years old, thou shalt see the face of the Son of Man; therefore let this suffice, and trouble me no more on this matter. I was left thus, without being able to decide whether this coming referred to the beginning of the millennium or to some previous appearing, or whether I should die and thus see his face. I believe the coming of the Son of Man will not be any sooner than that time. (Doctrine and Covenants 130: 14-17)
So, you can read Visions of Glory, or John Taylor’s vision of the last days, or John the Revelator’s vision but you cannot extrapolate what they saw to any kind of timeline. You can study the book of Isaiah with Avraham Gileadi — that points to a last day’s Davidic Servant and end-time King of Assyria. But you still do not know when all of this goes down. You can be aware of how it may go down, but not when. God’s time is not our time. His revelations encompass all-time in a very unimaginable way from our perspective — whether you see things on earth or in a dream. Trying to figure out God’s time is not going to happen.
As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. (Matthew 24: 37-39)
I have found it interesting that in the visions of Spencer, John Taylor, and John the Revelator, they see things consistent with their time period. For example, John Taylor sees Salt Lake City and his own house with a sign on it indicating a desolating sickness. He is told that he will live through this desolating sickness, which is odd since he died before that happened.
I was imediately in Salt lake City wandering about the streets in all parts of the City and On the door of every house I found a badge of mourning, and I Could not find a house but what was in mourning. I passed by my own house and saw the same sign there, and asked, ‘Is that me that is dead?’ Sumthing gave me answer, ‘No, you [shall] live through it all.’ (John Taylor vision, 1877)
John Taylor saw this as if he would participate, that he would live through this, but these events did not happen during his lifetime. He never said that Salt Lake City looked different from his current day in this dream-vision.
In the book Visions of Glory, Spencer sees parts of North America, much as did John Taylor. But Spencer sees them in his own time. He sees the area where he lives remarking, “All I can say is that Salt Lake City looked in that vision much as it does today.” Does that mean that all of this happens now — today? Or are dreams and visions set in the time period in which the dreamer lives?
John, the Revelator saw the last days during his life while living as an outcast on the island of Patmos. Some of the things he saw were tethered to his current day knowledge such as:
The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces. Their hair was like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle. They had tails with stingers, like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months. (Rev 9:7-10)
Isaiah wrote his book using the events of his day, his world, which carries messages for the last days or the day of the Lord. The important takeaway from all of these is that God the Father knows the time, and only Him. Chaos has been on earth since it transitioned from the Garden of Eden state to this mortal telestial state. And remember, it will not matter where you are living, or where you will be —
Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. (Matthew 24: 40 -41)
It’s best to live your life as best you can — forgiving those a**holes who have done you wrong, repenting of the sh*t you have done, and being kind to others, loving your neighbor, reaching out to God in whatever way works for you. Study history, ancient texts, the book of Isaiah — you can find truth all over the place. But leave your timeline to God. Have the faith that you can be as the men in the field or the woman at the mill.
“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. (Matt 24:42-44)
