I’ve been pondering a scripture that many might find a peculiar scripture to study. I think value can be taken from almost any scripture.
1 Nephi 18:23 reads:
“And it came to pass that after we had sailed for the space of many days we did arrive at the promised land; and we went forth upon the land, and did pitch our tents, and we did call it the promised land.”
“The Rapture,” the “Second Coming,” the “Millennium,” the “End of Times,” it comes in many different terms. There’s a belief in a lot of Christianity that the end will come overnight, Christ will appear, and the millennium will be ushered in.
From what I’ve read and studied and what modern revelation tells us, this will not be the case. There will be a long, drawn out period of famine, war, disease, fires, earthquakes, and other natural disasters that will go on for some time before Christ returns.
Check out that list. War. Disease. Fire. Sound familiar?
The fall of society and of God’s chosen land (United States of America) will come before the Millennium is ushered in. The faith of the saints, the believers of Christ, will be tested in serious and tragic ways. There will be much suffering. If your foundation and faith in Christ is not firm before it comes you could find yourself asking, “Why is God letting this happen?”
We’ve always known this was going to happen. The scriptures have talked about our day since the beginning of time. Now we’re seeing it happen.
Back to 1 Nephi 18:23 (with some emphasis added):
“And it came to pass that after we had sailed for the space of many days we did arrive at the promised land; and we went forth upon the land, and did pitch our tents, and we did call it the promised land.”
Many estimates put that “space of many days” that Lehi and his family sailed as at least 1-2 years. That’s 1-2 years on a cramped boat sailing across the ocean. After many days they finally arrived at the promised land.
I believe this will be similar to how Christ’s coming will approach us. We will spend many days being tossed about by the winds and waves. We will be required to endure a lot of suffering before we can arrive at the promised land.
As things get more difficult, I pray that each of us individually considers how strong our faith in Christ truly is. It’s easy today to casually say, “I believe in Jesus Christ.” But what about when it’s hard? What about when your life is in jeopardy because of that belief? Will you still profess Him who will never turn His back on you?
Finally, while things are scary in our world, and only getting scarier, it’s important to remember Romans 8:35-39:
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Be prepared. Keep hope. Look to Christ.
No Coincidences 