Written Feb 27, 25, though updated many times thence.

This part 1 of my series on the end times:

Part 2 – Deliverance During the Great Tribulation

Sadly the public opinion I frequently see is that people are not willing to listen to those warning of the end times because their church’s official leaders say nothing of the end. I often hear people note how often “date setters” have been wrong in the past. Generally, people won’t believe until they see the calamities happening already with their own eyes. But, of course, we are warned the end will come very suddenly and unexpectedly, so by then it will be too late. So here is a short guide on what happens in the end times so you can be prepared in advanced:

1 – Three days of darkness (there is a danger the antichrist comes directly after the darkness, thus deceiving the world into thinking he is Christ).

2 – (shortly after) The 144,000 are called up into heaven to receive their calling, and then return to earth to begin their ministry. There is no pretribulation rapture, scriptures that imply so rather are actually discussing the calling of the 144,000. Likewise the 2 witnesses discussed in the Book of Revelations who die on the streets are actually the 144,000 (I will discuss).

3 – (shortly after) The United States (or major cities within) is destroyed.

4 – The 144,000 minister for 3.5 years.

5 – The abomination desolation, in which a great many saints are killed.

6 – The antichrist reigns unchallenged for an additional 3.5 years. (When book of Revelations says the 2 witnesses are dead for 3.5 days, that actually represents 3.5 years, just like the 3.5 days in the book of Daniel represents 3.5 years, I will show why if you read on).

7 – Jesus Returns!

— There is no pretribulation rapture.

Each of the points in this timeline I will substantiate with scripture.

Can We Understand End Times Prophecy?

We are commanded to Watch for the signs – therefore it is indeed possible to interpret the signs.
Mark 13:33
33 Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.

We are told plainly, that, if we are children of light, we indeed will understand the prophecies.
1 Thessalonians 5:2-6
2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.

We only will be surprised by the coming of Christ if we are not watching. Moreover, end times prophecies are so important that we are commanded to remember and hold fast to them.
Revelation 3:3
3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.

Daniel states that the Righteous WILL understand his prophecies in the end.
Daniel 12:9-10
9 And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.
10 Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.

Finally, a cautionary scripture. We don’t want to be counted among these “scoffers” in the end days.
2 Peter 3:3-5
3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,
4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:

three days of darkness and the calling of the 144,000

My view is that the 144,000 will be called just after the three days of darkness.

primary scriptures

This scripture in Moses I believe most succinctly describes these events:
Moses 7:61-62
61 And the day shall come that the earth shall rest, but before that day the heavens shall be darkened, and a veil of darkness shall cover the earth; and the heavens shall shake, and also the earth; and great tribulations shall be among the children of men, but my people will I preserve;
62 And righteousness will I send down out of heaven; and truth will I send forth out of the earth, to bear testimony of mine Only Begotten; his resurrection from the dead; yea, and also the resurrection of all men; and righteousness and truth will I cause to sweep the earth as with a flood, to gather out mine elect from the four quarters of the earth, unto a place which I shall prepare, an Holy City, that my people may gird up their loins, and be looking forth for the time of my coming; for there shall be my tabernacle, and it shall be called Zion, a New Jerusalem.

Basically, following the days of darkness, the 144,000 (called “righteousness and truth will I cause to sweep the earth as with a flood”) will go across the world gathering the Lord’s elect unto the New Jerusalem (which I describe in greater depth in The New Jerusalem).

However, there are many scriptures referring to this event. For example, in the following verses Hosea describes how the people (or the 144,000) will lose sight for 2 days and be raised up on the third day. This is like unto Jesus’s resurrection, but the subject is “us” not Jesus – I believe that “us” refers to the saints who become members of the 144,000.

Hosea 6:1-3
1 Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up.
2 After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.
3 Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.

Another good scripture is Isaiah 60. In it, the earth is covered in darkness followed by which the glory of God coming upon his 144,000. The 144,000 then traverse the world converting many peoples.

Isaiah 60:2-5
1 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.
2 For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.
3 And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.
4 Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side.
5 Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee.

This chapter in Joel likewise makes a connection between the days of darkness and the 144,000.

Joel 2
1 Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand;
2 A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations.
3 A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
4 The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run
.…
7 They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks:
8 Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk every one in his path: and when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded.
9 They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief.
10 The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining:
11 And the Lord shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?
…
28 ¶ And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
29 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.
31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come.
32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call.

These verses provide more explanation on the nature of the 144,000. They won’t be extraterrestrials, but will be average people – servants and handmaids – who received an outpouring of the spirit. Despite being common people, they will be well organized and will quickly and effectively spread the message of God until reaches every household. Moreover, verses 1-4 and 10-11 seem to imply that they will first appear at around same time as the three days of darkness, which obviously contradicts mainstream ideas which hail these three days as occurring at the very end of the tribulation after all of God’s servants have already been martyred.

Finally, the overall timeline of the Book of Revelations also helps us understand the timeline of end times events.

Revelation 6
12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
…
15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;
16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb:
17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
Revelation 7
2 And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,
3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.
4 And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.
Revelation 8
1 And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.
…
5 And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.
…
7 The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
8 And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;
9 And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.
10 And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;
11 And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.
12 And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.
13 And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!
Revelation 9
17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.
18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.
20 And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk:

These three chapters give an excellent timeline of end times events. Most people assume that revelation 6 discusses the very end of the world when we find scriptures about the darkening of the sun and men hiding in the earth. However, closer inspection reveals this is not true: the events in chapter 6–7 occur during the sixth seal. Then the entire earth is only truly destroyed in the seventh seal (chapter 8). Therefore from these chapters I get the following timeline: Three days of darkness (which I believe is the meaning of the sun becoming black as sackcloth); the stars falling; men hiding in the mountains; the protection and calling of the 144,000; and finally many different plagues coming to the earth, though some still survive without repenting.

The stars falling references (I believe) how Satan’s hosts will be cast to the earth, as seen here:
Revelation 12
4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.
9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

Therefore, we see that Satan’s hosts are cast to the earth following the three days of darkness. It seems a safe assumption that Satan being cast to earth is necessary for the Antichrist to arise. Therefore, we come to a surprising conclusion: the antichrist comes after the three days of darkness. This clarifies why people believe he is the actual Christ: They have been taught to their whole lives that the real Christ comes immediately following the three days of darkness, and therefore will assume given the three days of darkness already happened that the antichrist is the real Christ.

The scripture about men hiding in the mountains away from the glory of God and his judgement is interesting: Many think this scripture means the true end of the world; but it isn’t because, as said, the seventh seal hasn’t even struck. Overall, we get two great destructions: one sudden destruction “the day of the wrath of God” at the very beginning, and a second long series of plagues slowly killing off men encouraging them to repent (which they don’t do). My belief (as I will go into later) is that this first great destruction is the fall of the whore of Babylon. I believe this scripture is describing a nuclear strike – the nukes are the glory and judgement of the lord – and men are hiding from them in bunkers.

The scriptures about the 144,000 are likewise interesting: An angel says not to destroy the world until the 144,000 have received their seal. This shows us that the 144,000 are 1) people already on earth who would normally be susceptible to the coming plagues; 2) they are called prior to many end times events.

Isaiah 13 also gives a pretty good timeline of events. At the start (Isaiah 13:3-5) we learn of a great army of God’s sanctified ones coming to earth from heaven, which I believe represents the calling of the 144,000. In my view, these chosen individuals will first leave Earth to be gathered in Heaven during the three days of darkness – and then will come back to earth as a great army to spread the gospel one last time. In verse 10 (Isaiah 13:10) we learn about the three days of darkness, and during the rest of the chapter is about all the destructions that come during the end times. And just to emphasize – according to the timeline of this chapter, the 3 days of darkness comes mostly before all the tribulations, not after.

Just Discussing the 144,000

Revelation 3:10
10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

I believe in this verse the “righteous” are those who are the 144,000.

Zechariah 8:23
23 Thus saith the Lord of hosts; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you.

I believe in this verse, the “Jew” refers to the 144,000 – who will go forth across the world spreading the gospel and gathering Israel.

D&C 77:11
Q. What are we to understand by sealing the one hundred and forty-four thousand, out of all the tribes of Israel—twelve thousand out of every tribe?
A. We are to understand that those who are sealed are high priests, ordained unto the holy order of God, to administer the everlasting gospel; for they are they who are ordained out of every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, by the angels to whom is given power over the nations of the earth, to bring as many as will come to the church of the Firstborn.

So this scripture reaffirms that the 144,000 God’s servants who will come to the world to preach the gospel in the last days.

Just the three days of darkness

If we interpret this scripture as chronological, it implies that the three days precedes the famine of the word of god (caused by the beast system). Also, the phrase “baldness upon every head” could imply that the three days of darkness is the start of a new plague.

Amos 8:9
9 And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord God, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day:
10 And I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation; and I will bring up sackcloth upon all loins, and baldness upon every head; and I will make it as the mourning of an only son, and the end thereof as a bitter day.
11 ¶ Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord:

Contradictions
It is worth noting that in the gospels, we do get an account where Jesus speaks of the three days of darkness as if they occur after many of the tribulations and just before the coming of Christ. In my view, this was a mistake in the record keeping because it doesn’t correspond with the rest of the scriptures. If the tribulation had happened prior to the three days of darkness, the account in Amos of how the three days of darkness interrupts people’s feasts at noon makes no sense – they wouldn’t be feasting in the tribulation period. My belief as stated is that the events described in Hosea 6:1-3 are the same as those in Isaiah 60:2-5 and Joel 2 – following the three days of darkness, the 144,000 are called of God and spread across the world preaching the gospel. This therefore places the three days of darkness near the beginning of the timeline described in the Book of Revelations (which I will get to).

Scriptural Precedent for Prophets Being Called after Three Days of Darkness
– Paul endured three days of being blind before being called as an apostle.
– Jonah suffered three days in the belly of the wale before taking on the mantle as prophet.

Repetition of Plagues of Egypt (including days of darkness)

Exodus 10:21-23
21 ¶ And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt.
22 And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days:
23 They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.

2 Esdras 15:11-12
10 Behold, my people is led as a flock to the slaughter: I will not suffer them now to dwell in the land of Egypt:
11 But I will bring them with a mighty hand and a stretched out arm, and smite Egypt with plagues, as before, and will destroy all the land thereof.

America Collapses at the Very Start

Revelation 17

Revelation 17 describes a woman, known as the mother of harlots, Mystery Babylon, who sits upon a beast and reigns over the kings of the earth. Moreover, the woman is loved – the people and the kings of the world have committed fornication with her. However, the beast she sits upon has 10 horns representing individuals who hate the woman and destroy her to allow the beast (who she rides) to control the world. This beast of course represents the beast system that will involve the antichrist and the mark of the beast.

The only country to whom this could apply to of course is the United States – it has dominion over the world, is loved for it, and has worked to spread sexual degeneracy to every nation. This is tangential, but supposedly the CIA in fact even had a program where beautiful women (like Monroe) would seduce and have affairs with foreign leaders in order to generate blackmail material, the darker side is it often involved hypnosis, videoing leaders having sex with minors, and even sex trafficking (Mormon Monarch discusses this).

This chapter also notes how this woman sits upon many waters – to me symbolic of how this nation is a democracy, where the “waters” are the people. We also find that the woman sits on seven mountains, which of course represents Rome (city of seven hills). For many reasons, the USA represents Rome in the modern world. Our Emblem – the eagle. Our Motto, e pluribus unum. Our symbol, the bundle of spears tied together, known as “fasces,”. Our government doesn’t use the term “parliament” but rather borrows terms from Rome such as “Senate”. Likewise we never adopted the gothic architecture used in England, but rather used classical architecture in our governmental buildings.

Revelation 18

In Revelation 18, we find a long discussion on how the merchants of the world despair because they made their riches selling to Mystery Babylon (who was exceedingly rich and costly), and no longer have anyone to sell goods to following the collapse of Babylon. These merchants nevertheless appear to be largely unharmed – their lives aren’t in danger and they are able to stand afar off from Babylon in order to avoid her torment. These merchants will of course be destroyed eventually as well (along with everyone who opposes Zion), but this scripture implies an asymmetrical collapse where mystery Babylon is destroyed before the antichrist has even risen to power and much before the rest of the world is destroyed. The Book of Revelations also implies that while the destruction of Mystery Babylon is very swift and sudden, the destruction of the rest of the world is slow and drawn out, involving various plagues that are unable to stop the antichrist from warring against the saints until the very last day. It is also worth noting that America plays the role of very rich country that the merchants of the world sell to very well (no large country can compare whatsoever).

This chapter also mentions how the harlot of Babylon deceived the world with sorceries. Seeing that the greek word used here is “pharmakeia” (pharmacy), it seems straightforward to assume that these sorceries are either tech or medicine – both of which are fields in which America overwhelmingly dominates.

Relevance

These chapters are relevant of course because the rest of the events in the book of revelation – including the beast system, the Antichrist, the mark of the beast, and the abomination desolation – all only occur after the beast replaces the whore of Babylon to rule the world. Thus we see that, strangely, most of the Bok of Revelations is irrelevant to Americans because America will be obliterated before all of the rest of the prophecies in the book come to past. And yes, America appears to be very obliterated at the end of this chapter, these verses illustrate it:

Revelations 18
2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.
…
8 Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.
…
19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.
…
21 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.
22 And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee;
23 And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.

It is also worth noting how sudden this destruction is described to be – occurring in only one hour. This is like unto a different scripture:

1 Thessalonians 5:3
3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

Scriptures Describing the Timeline

Daniel 12

In Daniel 12, we get the clearest description of end times events. First comes the time where the daily sacrifice shall be taken away (which I believe is the 3 days of darkness). Three and a half years later comes the abomination desolation (which I believe marks the martyrdom of the 144,000). And finally there remains 3.5 additional years (during which the antichrist reigns), before the end (when Jesus comes). It is tempting to believe that these two periods of 3.5 years are actually the same – meaning the end days only last 3.5 years. However, since these periods don’t actually cover the exact same number of days, the first is 1290 days and the second is 1335 days, we see that they actually are separate periods covering a 7 year total.

Daniel 12:11-12
11 And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.
12 Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days.

Daniel 8

Daniel 8 confirms that that end times won’t last 3.5 years but instead 7 years (or more accurately just under 7 years).

Daniel 8:13-14
13 ¶ Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?
14 And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.

Daniel 9

In Daniel 9, we get a restatement of Daniel 12 – the end days will last 7 years, and halfway through will come the abomination desolation. This chapter uses symbolic language, so these 7 years are represented as 7 days – each day a year. The equivalence of a day to a year will become important when we cover the Book of Revelations.

Daniel 9:27
27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.

Revelation 12-13

Revelation 12 describes a woman pregnant with the manchild (the Messiah) before whom stands a dragon (Lucifer) ready to devour the child as soon as he is born. The woman is protected by God and flees to safety. The dragon is then cast down to earth where he makes war against the woman’s seed, who keep the commandments and believe in Christ (side note, the jst says the woman is not protected for 1260 days, but instead for 1260 years). I think the woman represents the elect saints who become the 144,000 or escape to the New Jerusalem, while her seed represents the saints who live under the oppression of the antichrist.

Revelation 13 describes the rule of the antichrist, and his prophet – who causes man to worship the antichrist and brings life to the image of the beast. The antichrist (called the beast in this chapter) is wounded by the sword unto death but then miraculously returns (could this be Nazism or communism?). He wars against the saints and threaten economic exclusion on people who don’t take the mark of the beast (sounds like vaccines lol). His rule lasts for 3.5 years.

My understanding is that there will be much political turmoil during the first 3.5 years of the tribulation, during which the antichrist will promise a solution to the struggle and peace, resulting in his rise (Daniel 8:25). The antichrist then has full dominion over the world in the final 3.5 years. Throughout all of this, the 144,000 will also be saving many people and bringing them to the New Jerusalem.

The Two Witnesses in Revelations

In Revelation 11, we learn of two witnesses who come to Jerusalem to preach the gospel during the tribulation; they are then martyred and rise again 3.5 days later during the second coming. The identity of these witnesses is a subject of much debate, however Rosie Lost Sheep cuts to the chase throughout her channel and especially in this video by revealing that these witnesses represent the spirit of Moses and Elijah that comes upon the 144,000. Understanding that my reader likely has no belief in Rosie, here I endeavor to show why this makes sense using the scriptures (indeed sort of the point of this essay is to build a scriptural foundation for the ideas revealed to Rosie).

The Candles in the Book of Revelations

The primary misconception regarding this scripture is that it refers to literal people. However, we find something different in the text:

Revelation 11:3-4
3 And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
4 These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.

Thus, we see that these witnesses are also represented as “candlesticks” – which is a symbol for the spirit of God. In Revelation 1, we also find that candlesticks can represent the Churches of God, and in Revelation 2:5, we find that disobedience can lead to God removing our candlestick, which implies that the candlesticks are more accurately representative of the spirit of God found in the seven churches – a spirit that can be removed if a Church turns to apostasy. Parallels can also be found in the parable of the twelve virgins with oil lamps – the oil lamps, much like the candles, represent the spirit of God found within us.

Therefore, I believe that these witnesses are actually the spirit of God present in the 144,000, and that Revelation 11 discusses how this 144,000, acting under the spirit of God, will work great miracles in the last days, though many will still be martyred in the end.

Timing

In Revelation 11, we also see that these two witnesses come to the world for 3.5 years to witness of Christ, and then are martyred and dead for 3.5 days before Christ’s return.

In my view, it seems more likely that these 3.5 days actually represent another 3.5 years (just my opinion, I don’t know of any revelations confirming this). This aligns with the scriptures in the book of Daniel in which days are equated to years; specifically, that the tribulation lasts for a week, and in the middle of it is the abomination desolation. So just to emphasize, this would mean the witnesses die during the abomination desolation, and that the timeline of Revelation 11 lasts 7 years in correspondence with the 7 years of the book of Daniel.

Contradictions

To be comprehensive, I must note D&C 77:15, which is used to claim that these witnesses are literally two people.

D&C 77:15
Q. What is to be understood by the two witnesses, in the eleventh chapter of Revelation?
A. They are two prophets that are to be raised up to the Jewish nation in the last days, at the time of the restoration, and to prophesy to the Jews after they are gathered and have built the city of Jerusalem in the land of their fathers.

Firstly, it logically is odd to me that the scriptures would emphasize these two individuals, if there are 144,000 other individuals who have basically the exact same powers and calling.

However, I’m not saying this scripture is false; rather that this scripture is referring to how the spirit and keys of two prophets (Moses and Elijah) will come forth in the last days. Indeed, when we stop looking at this scripture through the lens of Mormon theology, there is no contradiction at all – Rosie said the spirit of Moses and Elijah comes, this scripture says two prophets come, and Moses and Elijah are two prophets.

Elijah / Elias

Actually, we already have almost exactly this same belief of Elijah (also called Elias) – that his spirt and keys return in the last days:

Malachi 4:5–6 – prophecies coming of Elijah in the last days to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to the fathers. Also, these are literally the last two verses of the Old Testament, so they must be important.
Malachi 3:1 – Reaffirms Elias is to prepare the way for Christ; in this verse it just says “messenger”, rather than Elijah, but surely given the next chapter this refers to Elijah.
In Joseph Smith History Verses 36-39 we find small corrections to these original prophecies of Malachi (Malachi 4:5–6, Malachi 3:1). Specifically, instead of saying that Elias will return, it says that Elias will return to us the priesthood; moreover, the children won’t just be turned to their fathers, but to the promises made to their fathers (so God’s covenant with his people). This more closely aligns with my view that the prophecy of the coming of Elias represents how the spirit and keys to the priesthood authority held by Elijah will be restored to earth, thus facilitating the restoration of the gospel in preparation for Christ’s return.
D&C 27:6–9 – Elias has the keys to the restoration of all things, and the keys to turning hearts of children to fathers and vice versa so the earth is not cursed.
D&C 2 – Elijah will be revealed before the end of the world to turn the hearts of fathers and children to each other.

But of course, this is conventionally interpreted as the coming of the spirit and keys of Elijah, not the literal individual. So why can’t this be true of the two prophets in Revelation 11 as well?

John the Baptist:

We also have historical precedent for the idea that the mantle / power / keys of Elijah can be brought to others in the story of John the Baptist:

Matthew 17:11–13
11 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.
12 But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.
13 Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.

Matthew 11:10, 14 – the role of Elias and John is to prepare the way before the coming of Christ.

Some new age people interpret this as meaning John the Baptist is a reincarnation of Elijah, however, people directly ask John if he is Elijah returned in John 1:21 and he says he is not.

So, what did Jesus mean when he compared John the Baptist to Elijah? We see the answer in Luke 1:17:
17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.

Thus, John the Baptist represented a return of Elijah because he had the same spirit, power, and role as Elijah.

Well, guess what! The 144,000 also have this same exact role: to turn the hearts of the children to their fathers, and to restore the gospel. Particularly, their role is to prepare the world for the coming of Christ, which exactly echoes the role of John the Baptist and Elijah (Matthew 11:10, 14).

Other Similarities

Likewise, we call the priesthood the Aaronic Priesthood and the Melchizedek Priesthood in honor of Aaron and Melchizedek, even though those individuals don’t literally own or control said priesthoods. Furthermore, when Elisha took the mantle of Elijah (which didn’t actually belong to Elijah, but belonged to God), that didn’t literally mean Elisha became Elijah, but that he occupied the same role.

Moses and Elijah Represent the Keys to the Last Dispensation

As the scriptures reveal, Moses and Elijah represent the restoration of power required to complete God’s work. Specifically, D&C 110:11-12 recounts a vision that Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery mutually had where they received the keys to the last dispensation from Moses and Elijah (again, Elijah also goes by the name Elias).

11 After this vision closed, the heavens were again opened unto us; and Moses appeared before us, and committed unto us the keys of the gathering of Israel from the four parts of the earth, and the leading of the ten tribes from the land of the north.
12 After this, Elias appeared, and committed the dispensation of the gospel of Abraham, saying that in us and our seed all generations after us should be blessed.
13 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:
14 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—
15 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—
16 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.

So, from this scripture, my view is that:

The keys of Moses represent the gathering of the lost tribes of Israel.
The keys of Elias (Elijah) represent the power to restore the true gospel and prepare the world for Christ’s return.

These both encapsulate what the 144,000 will be called to do.

The Transfiguration

In the gospels, we see specifically Elijah and Moses (and no other prophets) during the transfiguration (Matthew 17:2-3) – implying that these two are somehow grouped together (we also see them side by side in Malachi 4:4–5).

However, we gain more insight from Joseph Smith:
“The Savior, Moses, and Elias [Elijah], gave the keys [of the priesthood] to Peter, James, and John, on the mount, when they were transfigured before him” (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2007], 105) – source

Thus, if 1) Peter, James, and John, and 2) Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery all needed the keys from Moses and Elias to start their work, then it makes perfect sense to me that the 144,000 would likewise need these keys to complete their work (John the Baptist appears to also have needed said keys but only that of Elijah).

Miracles of these two Prophets

In the prophecy of these two witnesses we get another hint that it refers to Moses and Elijah:
Revelation 11:6
These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.

Notably, the miracle of shutting off rain is associated specifically with Elijah (1 Kings 17:1), while the miracle of turning water to blood is associated specifically with Moses (Exodus 7:14-25).

Conclusion

It’s kind of awesome that Mormon revelations echo closely to the revelations of Rosie lost sheep in that the keys of Moses and Elijah are needed to commence the restoration of the gospel and gathering of the tribes, given that I’m sure Rosie Lost Sheep has no knowledge of the revelations of Joseph Smith.

There is no Pretribulation Rapture

As said, near the start of the timeline, the 144,000 are called up to heaven to receive their callings. Scriptures discussing this are usually misinterpreted to signify a “pretribulation” rapture, here is an example:
Matthew 24:40-41
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

I believe this scripture is actually discussing the 144,000 – how suddenly people will be taken up to heaven to receive their calling. They haven’t really escaped the end times though – they will then return to preach the gospel and finally be martyred in the abomination desolation.

Why there cannot be a Pretribulation Rapture

The whole point of the end times is to test us. We will be tempted to abandon our beliefs to worship the antichrist. We are to be tested to see if we crack under the pressure to take the mark of the beast. We will be put through great trials to teach us to always rely on the Lord for everything. If there is a pretribulation rapture, that largely frustrates the purpose of end times events. Moreover, martyrdom is discussed quite extensively in the Book of Revelations. The beast will try to kill all those who have a testimony of Christ, and the two witnesses / 144,000 will also be killed. Here are a few scriptures discussing this:
Revelation 6:9-11
9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

Revelation 16:6
6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.

With a pretribulation rapture, such martyrdom doesn’t really make sense. One could believe that those Martyred are the “lukewarm” saints who weren’t raptured but still refused to submit to the beast. However, this contradicts the scriptures, which describe those who are martyred as not “lukewarm”, but rather as saints and prophets. The best scripture on this topic comes directly from Jesus:
Matthew 24:3-13
3 ¶ And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.
10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

Jesus doesn’t tell us that we will easily escape the end times difficulty through a pretrib rapture, but rather that the famines, pestilences, earthquakes, and wars will only be the beginning of our sorrows as the saints. Many of us will be killed for our beliefs, and we must ENDURE TO THE END.

Conclusions

I believe in the end times many will be deceived because they had a false understanding of the end of world timeline. Because they believe the darkness comes at the end, they may assume that the appearance of the antichrist following the days of darkness implies that the antichrist is actually the Christ. They will see the fact that they were not “raptured” as evidence that Christian prophecy isn’t coming true. Moreover, even if they reject the antichrist initially, the three days of darkness may lead people to believe Jesus will imminently return, but he will still yet have seven years to return, therefore in that space of time they may lose faith. They may also be looking forward to learning of the two great witnesses in Jerusalem, when really they should be paying attention to the 144,000 (who the antichrist will no doubt have his own explanation for).

The End Times Will Be a Very Difficult Time for Everyone, even the Faithful

Remember, saving your soul is infinitely more important than saving your flesh

The Three Days of Darkness Marks the Beginning

Thanks for reading!
The next part is here: Deliverance During the Great Tribulation

A Simple Timeline of the End Times (Based on Scripture)