Why we are still in the sixth seal

It has been a while since my last post, but this is something worth elaborating.

Are we in the sixth seal or the seventh seal?

Well, we can only be in the seventh seal, or more properly "in the thousand year period after the opening of the seventh seal," if all of the prophecies concerning the sixth seal have been fulfilled.  (I am not one of those that thinks there is some sort of cosmic crossover of the seals because time does not exist to God, or some sort of similar logical stretch.)

Alright, so are there any of the prophecies of the sixth seal that are yet to be fulfilled?

First, let me explain how we might be able to look beyond the book of Revelation to find "other" sixth seal events.  There are really only two straightforward locations in the scriptures that explicitly speak of the sixth seal.  One is, of course, in the book of Revelation (Rev. 6:12 through Rev. 7:17).  The other is in Doctrine and Covenants (77:8-11).  Any other prophecy concerning the second coming requires estimation or guessing to put it "in the right seal."  Or does it?

I actually think that the Lord uses these time periods more often than we might think.  In JST Peter we read:

8 But concerning the coming of the Lord, beloved, I would not have you ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. (JST Peter 3:8)

This is specifically "concerning the coming of the Lord."  So, when a second coming scripture says "the day of the Lord" or "in the great and terrible day of the Lord" it is speaking of the seventh seal. When it says "before the day of the Lord shall come" or "before the great and coming day" it is speaking of the sixth seal.

Here are some examples of sixth seal scriptures that follow this format:

31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come. (Joel 2:31) 

5 ¶Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: (Malachi 4:5)

42 And before the day of the Lord shall come, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon be turned into blood, and the stars fall from heaven. (D&C 45:42)

24 But before the great day of the Lord shall come, Jacob shall flourish in the wilderness, and the Lamanites shall blossom as the rose. (D&C 49:24)

Notice that most of this has already happened.  It is arguable whether we have seen "the stars fall from heaven" or whether "the Lamanites [have] blossom[ed] as the rose."

The Great Earthquake

One significant prophecy that I believe we have yet to see is the great earthquake mentioned by John the Revelator.

12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake... (Rev. 6:12)

This earthquake might be part of the same series of events as these signs as well:

14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. (Rev. 6:14)

I could be mistaken, but I don't think we have seen these things yet.

The Sealing of the 144,000

The Doctrine and Covenants says that the 7th chapter of Revelation takes place during the sixth seal:

9 Q. What are we to understand by the angel ascending from the east, Revelation 7th chapter and 2nd verse?...
10 Q. What time are the things spoken of in this chapter to be accomplished?
A. They are to be accomplished in the sixth thousand years, or the opening of the sixth seal. (D&C 77:9-10)

There are some pretty significant sixth seal events that are described in Revelation chapter 7. They include:

• "the wind should not blow on the earth" - verse 1
• "there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel." - verse 4
• "a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb" - verse 9

Again, unless I am significantly out-of-the-loop, these events are also in the future.

The Restoration of the Jews

One final thing, and we'll leave it alone:

The "restoration of the Jews" is an important period of time that must occur before the second coming of Christ.  It will culminate in the appearance of Christ himself to the Jews at Jerusalem.  When he sets his foot upon the Mount of Olives, causing it to divide asunder. the Jews who remain will finally know and fully recognize their true Messiah.  The beginning of the restoration of the Jews must be, according to our method of reckoning, during the sixth seal.  The clue is found in this scripture:

42 And before the day of the Lord shall come, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon be turned into blood, and the stars fall from heaven.
43 And the remnant shall be gathered unto this place; (D&C 45:42-43)

Notice, first of all, the phrase: "before the day of the Lord shall come."  We have a reference once again to the darkening of the sun, the moon turning to blood, and the stars falling from heaven.  Then the scripture also says that "the remnant shall be gathered unto this place."

Lest you think these are unrelated, the next verse says, "then they shall look for me, and, behold, I will come."  Anytime a scripture says "then" we know that it will happen in a specific chronological order. Therefore, we have a time period here "before the day of the Lord" and another afterward when the Lord says, "I will come."  The remnant will be gathered unto "this place" during the sixth seal.

The Remnant

Who is the remnant?  It is the Jews.  This particular revelation is an extension of the revelation given by Christ to his Apostles in Jerusalem.  He talks about the remnant earlier in the revelation when he says:

24 And this I have told you concerning Jerusalem; and when that day shall come, shall a remnant be scattered among all nations;
25 But they shall be gathered again; but they shall remain until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. (D&C 45:24-25)

So, the first thing we notice is that this "remnant" of Jerusalem (the Jews) will be scattered among all nations.  Later, after the "Times of the Gentiles" is fulfilled they will be gathered again.  In the previous scripture, we learned that this gathering will occur "before the day of the Lord shall come."  The gathering of the Jews to Jerusalem will occur during the sixth seal.

The Times of the Gentiles

"Ah," you say, "Now I've got you!  The Jews were gathered a long time ago to the State of Israel!  So this proves nothing!" Before getting all hasty and stuff consider this quote from President Benson:

“The Lord has designated these days in which we live as the ‘times of the Gentiles.’ ... The ‘times of the Gentiles’ refers to that period of time extending from when the gospel was restored to the world (1830) to when the gospel will again be preached to the Jews—after the Gentiles have rejected it.” (Ezra Taft Benson, “Prepare Yourself for the Great Day of the Lord,” New Era, May 1982)

Again, unless I am totally out-of-the-loop, we are still preaching to the Gentiles and they have not collectively rejected the gospel yet.  Consequently, this time period called the "Times of the Gentiles" is the period in which we are now laboring.

Furthermore, we read this:

9 That through your [Joseph Smith's] administration they may receive the word, and through their [the First Presidency's] administration the word may go forth unto the ends of the earth, unto the Gentiles first, and then, behold, and lo, they shall turn unto the Jews.
10 And then cometh the day when the arm of the Lord shall be revealed in power in convincing the nations, the heathen nations, the house of Joseph, of the gospel of their salvation. (D&C 90:9-10)

Again, notice the word "then."  When the First Presidency "turn[s] unto the Jews" it will be before "the day when the arm of the Lord shall be revealed in power," a seventh seal event.

Timeline

Let's outline everything here:

1. The Times of the Gentiles began in 1830.
2. The Times of the Gentiles will end when the gospel is again preached to the Jews and the Gentiles have rejected it.
3. The First Presidency (and missionary work) will "turn" unto the Jews. (D&C 90:9)
4. The Jews will be gathered unto Jerusalem. (D&C 45:43)
5. The seventh seal will be opened and the seventh thousand years, or the day of the Lord, shall come. (D&C 45:42)

I hope this helps everyone understand that we are still living during the opening of the sixth seal and the Times of the Gentiles.