Some years ago, I was asked to teach an adult Sunday School class. The text for the six-week class was Isaiah. I remember surrounding myself with the scriptures, reference books, institute manuals, and anything in print relating to one of the most difficult books of scripture in all of the cannon. I had a king-sized bed and I spread everything out on it and literally slept with this topic. I tried charting it out and making a timeline. My left brain was in high gear, with the end result that I almost went crazy! As I prayed about my frustrations, I felt a calming peace and an understanding that Isaiah was not written as a chronological history and that the symbolic and poetic language was not meant for the left brain. Once I understood that and put my right brain in gear, the meaning of many verses leaped out at me with a clarity that to this day, I have been unable to recreate. But in that instance I understood.
I have been using my right brain a lot as I have been studying Revelation and it helps so much. As I read the flow of John's text, certain things capture my attention, things that I believe I need to understand in the moment. When I don't try to make "sense" of it in a left-brained way or to figure out the chronology (and I don't know that there is one), then I benefit. This is what I try to share.
The resurrection of the two prophets seems to trigger great earthquakes and the first judgment- the judgment of the righteous. (See Revelation 11: 13-18) Then, in the final verse of that chapter, John revisits the temple image, this time the temple in heaven. One of the things John sees is "the ark of his testament." (verse 19) This is, of course, the Ark of the Covenant. I found it interesting that the words testament and covenant are synonymous in this context.
To most Christians, the cannon is closed and fixed and total with the Bible. Latter-day Saints believe the Bible to be the word of God, although we recognize that after thousands of years and multiple translation, there can be errors in translation and interpretation. We reverence and study the Bible. But we believe that God loves and speaks to His children in all ages. We believe He does so today. For us, the cannon is open, and that "surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets." (Amos 3:7) Here are four of the books found in the cannon of scripture we recognize. Note the words testament and covenant:
- The Old Testament - God's dealings with, laws, prophecies,and covenants with His people anciently, particularly His relationship with ancient Israel. It takes place in what we now call the Middle East.
- The New Testament - The life and teachings of Jesus Christ, including four testimonies; one history book, multiple letters of correction and encouragement, and John's great apocalyptic book.
- The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ - This is a book of God's dealings with, prophecies,and covenants with a branch of ancient Israel who were led out of Jerusalem at the time of the Babylonian conquest. They ultimately settled in a small area in what is now Central America and southern Mexico. It covers 1000 years of history from 600 B.C. to 400 A.D. It is named after the ancient prophet, Mormon, who compiled the records of his people. (There also is a small book-within-a-book called the Book of Ether, but that is a topic for another dicussion!)
- The Doctrine and Covenants - This is record of God's dealings with, laws, prophecies,and covenants with His Church in this, the final dispensation of time before His second coming. The earliest revelation was given in 1823 and the latest in 1978.
I loved making the connection between the two words, testament and covenant, in Revelation 11: 19. It never ceases to amaze me the direction my daily scripture study will take me. Your study may take you somewhere else. That is the beauty of the Holy Spirit. He teaches each of us what we need to know in that moment in time. I don't fully understand it, but I am grateful for it!
Text copyright February 2013
Picture of lamb and lion from www.lds.org
Picture of Ark of the Covenant from www.forhisname.com
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