The last prophets of the Old Testament Including Ezekiel, Daniel, and the twelve so-called "minor" prophets Left: Ezekiel's "sticks" - see point 41

Predictive prophecies are in red. Other prophecies (teachings) are in black.

40. Who is the "governor" who assists in gathering Israel?

Jeremiah 30:17-21: speaking of the physical gathering of Israel:

17 For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the LORD; because they called thee an Outcast, [saying], This [is] Zion, whom no man seeketh after.

18 Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will bring again the captivity of Jacob's tents, and have mercy on his dwellingplaces; and the city shall be builded upon her own heap, and the palace shall remain after the manner thereof.

19 And out of them shall proceed thanksgiving and the voice of them that make merry: and I will multiply them, and they shall not be few; I will also glorify them, and they shall not be small.

20 Their children also shall be as aforetime, and their congregation shall be established before me, and I will punish all that oppress them.

21 And their nobles shall be of themselves, and their governor shall proceed from the midst of them; and I will cause him to draw near, and he shall approach unto me: for who [is] this that engaged his heart to approach unto me? saith the LORD.

22 And ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.

Who is the "governor" in verse 21?
Always in Jeremiah, and usually elsewhere, the word translated as "governor" means a human and not God. Which human is meant? This is a "last days" prophecy because it deals with Jacob as a whole and not just Judah. Most of Jacob remained scattered in New testament times, and anyway, verses 19 and 20 were not fulfilled then.

The governor shall proceed out of the midst of them - so claim descent from Jacob (the subject of the prophecy - see verse 18). Now, if we accept that the Old Testament is a testament of Jesus Christ, then we can conclude that:

1. The governor and the people he represents are Christian
2. Yet they claim to be literally part of the family of Israel (and not just spiritually, as most Christians mean)
3. This happens in the last days, not in New Testament times

Who is this governor - this leader of Christian Israel in the last days - if it was not Joseph Smith?

41. A prophecy of the Book of Mormon and the Bible coming together

Ezekiel 37: the gathering of Israel is compared to the joining of two sticks. There is plenty of evidence (once again see FARMS for details) that the word translated as "sticks" meant "writing boards", or primitive "books". In other words, Ezekiel 37 is speaking about the joining of two collections of scripture, one for Judah and the other for Joseph. The stick of Judah is the Bible. The stick of Joseph is the Book of Mormon.

For more about Ezekiel, see Gog, Magog, and Armageddon

42. A temple is crucial to the last days, and only Mormons build temples!

Ezekiel 40 etc. The importance of a physical temple in the last days. How many churches build temples (as opposed to conventional church buildings) today? Only the Mormons. Some churches point out that the Holy City in Revelation has no temple in it, but that is only because the entire city will be a temple due to the presence of the Father and the Son (Revelation 22:18). Temples are essential to true worship.

43. True religion requires a clean body as well as a clean spirit

Daniel 1:8-15: dietary laws. While some dietary laws (e.g. the command against eating fat) were symbolic and were fulfilled by the atonement of Christ, others were not. The New Testament agrees that the physical body should be treated with care (1 Corinthians 3:17 and various warnings against drunkenness). The Mormon church is almost alone with having dietary rules.

Incidentally, this is a good example of modern prophecy. Rules against smoking, in favour of fruit and veg, to minimize red meat, and so on, are now recognised as sound medical sense. The Lord's prophets were saying these things in the 1830s, a hundred years before scientific evidence caught up.

44. The great prophecy of the rise of the Mormon Church in the last days

Daniel 2: the stone cut without hands. Only one major modern church is led by revelation (i.e. without man's hands) - the Mormon church. Also notice the kingdom of God arises in the days after the fall of Rome, so the prophecy refers to something in the last days, and not to the New Testament church. This prophecy is dealt with in more detail in the "dated Bible prophecies" portion of this web site.

45. The exact year in which the church would be legally established

The "1260 year" prophecies, indicating that the kingdom of God would begin to fill the earth in AD 1830. This prophecy is dealt with in more detail in the "dated Bible prophecies" portion of this web site.

46. The exact year when the essential truths and temple work would all be restored

The "2300 year" prophecy, indicating that the kingdom of God would be completely restored in AD 1844. This prophecy is dealt with in more detail in the "dated Bible prophecies" portion of this web site.

47. The exact year when the church would enter its final "blessed" period of history

The "1290 year" and "1335 year" prophecies, indicating that apostasy would be complete by AD 570 (confirming the importance of AD 1830 to the other prophecies) and that the kingdom of God would enter a blessed period of history in AD 1905. This prophecy is dealt with in more detail in the "dated Bible prophecies" portion of this web site.

For more about Daniel, see Daniel made simple.
The little horn that became big.
Horns (and kings) in scripture
Do these visions all cover the same topics?
Seven different approaches to Daniel - and the myth of "The Great Tribulation"
The little horn in Daniel 7.
The little horn in Daniel 8.
The Abomination of Desolation

48. The Mormon church fulfils Biblical patterns even when things seem to go wrong!

Look at the "1260 day" prophecies, where "days" are taken to be actual 24 hour periods. This pattern has been repeated several times in the church in modern times - without realizing it, the Mormon Church follows the Biblical pattern whereby each grave danger lasts for 3 ¹/₂ years. This prophecy is dealt with in more detail in the "dated Bible prophecies" portion of this web site.

49. Joseph Smith's visions!

Joel 2:28: in the last days, young men shall see visions. This was fulfilled very literally by Joseph Smith. As for "old men dreaming dreams", read about the tremendous conversion stories that mark the restoration of the gospel.

Some people say that it was completely fulfilled at the day of Pentecost, but that cannot be the case because:

• the day of Pentecost was not the last days - the world still had 2000 years or more to go.
• the rest of the prophecy, concerning signs and wonders, was not fulfilled then but is being fulfilled right now.
• When Peter quoted this prophecy in Acts 2, his purpose was only to demonstrate that such things are authentic signs of the spirit and therefore the Christians were not mad or drunk. There is no reason to suppose that Peter meant anything more than that.

How angels work - as experienced by Joseph Smith

Daniel 7 through 12: how angels visit prophets. I once knew of a man who did not believe in the Mormon church because he did not believe Joseph Smith's (first "Mormon" prophet in modern times) description of his visit by an angel. Joseph said he was physically exhausted afterwards, but this man said that a true angel would have left a man full of energy. But Joseph's description matches what is in the Bible (see Daniel 10:9). Joseph's message was even repeated three times , as in Acts 10:16.

Perhaps more important, simply seeing an angel was not enough for Joseph to start a new church. He understood that signs and wonders are one thing, but authority is quite another. Joseph Smith knew first hand the power of God, and he knew what the reformers had forgotten - that unless God gives you the authority to start his church, you cannot do it.

How many churches claim revelations through angels, let alone angels following the exact Biblical pattern?

50. God reveals new scripture to living prophets today!

Amos 3:7: "surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets". How many churches even claim to be led by prophets with new revelation - or do they all claim that God has done nothing since Bible times?

One view is that the word translated as "secret" should be translated "council", and this verse indicates that true prophets are shown a vision of the grand council in heaven where they were fore-ordained to their role. If that is the correct translation, then this is a particularly good indication that Joseph Smith (prophet of the "Mormon" church) was the genuine article, as he had just such visions and revelations (see for example Doctrine and Covenants 76).

51. The Dark Ages foretold in the Bible

Amos 8:11-13: a complete famine from the word of God. Think about what this means. If "the word of God" refers to the written scriptures, as the Protestants believe, then this prophecy could never be fulfilled since copies of the scripture have always existed. It must therefore refer to the living prophets - there would come a time when all the prophets would be gone.

When was this prophecy to be fulfilled?

Does it refer to the period between the Old and New Testament? No - the context is clearly "last days": verse 9 refers to "in that day" and the sun being darkened, classic "end of the world" language. So, in the last days there would be a total and complete loss of the truth. We know from Revelation 11 that there will be prophets at the very end, so this must refer to a time before that. This prophecy speaks of a great apostasy, and (by implication) an eventual restoration, exactly as taught by the "Mormon" church.

52. Mormon missionaries are the "saviors on mount Zion" foretold by Obadiah

Obadiah 1:17-21: saviors on mount Zion. Note that this refers to the house of Jacob and the house of his birthright son, Joseph. As noted earlier, Joseph has the greatest promises in all scripture, but they were not fulfilled in Palestine, since the tribe of Joseph was carried away captive and never returned in any significant way. So this prophecy has to be fulfilled in some other way than a literal return to the city of Jerusalem. The Mormon church is clear about its fulfillment - ask a Mormon missionary about who can identify the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh (Joseph's sons), and how they act as "saviors". Mount Zion is of course symbolism for spiritual Israel - the true church.

53. Another prophecy of Joseph Smith!

Malachi 3:1: "I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me". Is "the messenger" a single individual, or a type of person? In the previous chapter, Malachi referred to a priest (meaning any authorized priest), and said that "he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts" (Malachi 2:7). So Malachi 3:1 probably refers to a messenger in general. This must be the case, as Malachi used language that refers to the Second Coming (verses 3-5), yet Jesus applied the verse to the First Coming (Matthew 11:10). Of course, it stands to reason that Jesus would prepare the world for his First Coming just as he promised to prepare us for the Second. So who is the messenger for the Second Coming? Where is the Prophet that Jesus has sent to prepare the way? Only Mormons know the answer.

I have not included some of the even greater prophecies of Joseph Smith, since most Christians do not read the Bible and so would be conditioned to reject the truth. Is that strong language? Then consider this:

• The Jews rejected Christ because they expected a Messiah who would come in power and cleanse the earth. Right?
• This is because many (most?) of the prophecies concerning the Messiah spoke about his First Coming and also his Second Coming at the same time. For example, Isaiah often spoke of "that day" when the Jews would be gathered, Messiah would rule them, and everyone would recognize the true God. With me so far?
• Christians are right to apply these prophecies to the First Coming, because Jesus came to gather all those who would listen. But the complete fulfillment waits for the Second Coming. Partial fulfillment in New testament times, complete fulfillment in the last days. Simple.
• Now consider some of the great prophecies that are applied to John the Baptist, such as in Isaiah 40:3-5

"The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see [it] together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken [it]."

The mouth of the Lord has declared that soon after this prophet, valleys will be exalted, mountains made low, and all flesh shall see the glory of the Lord. Plainly this refers to the Second Coming. Yes, it had a partial symbolic fulfillment in John the Baptist, but its complete fulfillment must wait for the last days, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it.

Who is the great prophet in the last days who prepares the way for the Second Coming? The Mormons know.

 

54. Will a man rob God? The Mormons will not!

Malachi 3:8-11: tithing. Most Christian churches do not practice a literal tithing - preferring a collection plate or other scheme instead. Some people say that this is just part of the law of Moses, but this is not so, since it was a law long before Moses (see Genesis 14:20). Some people say that it is not taught in the New Testament, but that is only because they asked for far more than one tenth (see Acts 4:32-37). So the church in the Bible asked for at either one tenth, or more. The Mormon church is in precisely that position.

55. The modern interest in genealogy - began by an event in a Mormon temple in 1836

Malachi 4:5-6: Elijah would return and turn the hearts of the children to the fathers and the fathers to the children.

Some people think this was fulfilled by John the Baptist (see Matthew 17:10-13), since the names Elias and Elijah are sometimes interchangeable. But Matthew 17 cannot refer to Malachi 4, because:

• Matthew 17 refers to a prophecy that Elias who would restore all things, Malachi does not.
• Malachi refers to an Elijah who would link parents and children. Matthew does not.
• John himself (John 1:21) said he was not Elias. So presumably there was more at least two Eliases - one referred to in Matthew and one in John, which had not yet returned.
• The fulfillment of the prophecy in Malachi 4:5-6 occurred when Elijah appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in 1836, and sure enough world-wide interest in keeping records of births and deaths and in tracing genealogy mushroomed from that period.

101 Bible prophecies: 1-11 | 12-19 | 20-32 | 33-38 | 39 | 40-55 | 56-70 | 71-79 | 80-86 | 87-101