There are many unique, last days events that will be
happening in 2021. Possibly the most notable event
will be the "Super Shemitah."
Overview of Events Surrounding 2021:
"Half hour of silence" ends. Rev. 8:1
"Super Shemitah" - September 7, 2021 - September 25, 2022
Mid-point between 7 year apart Solar Eclipses - December 15, 2020
December 22, 2020 - Star of Bethlehem (Jupiter & Saturn) converge. Rev. 14:14-20
The Red Heifer will turn 3 years old on August 25, 2021 (Elul 17).
7 years of famine begins - September 7, 2021; 2 cows born with '7' on foreheads.
40th year after Elder Benson's talk on temple being destroyed in 1981, and 5 years after Elder Bednar's talk on Samuel the Lamanite.
1. Half Hour of Silence Ends
When learning about the 7 seals of time, I used to wonder why the plagues in Revelation 8 hadn't started yet when the 7th Seal of time was opened back in 2000.
In D&C 77:6-7, we learn from Joseph Smith that the 7 Seals represent earth's temporal existence. He tells us that each Seal represents a period of 1,000 years. This is also what the Apostle John saw in Revelation 5:1. From these scriptures, we know that each Seal supposedly opens up every thousand years. It would look something like this:
4,001+ = Adam and Eve
4,000 - 3,001 BC = 1st Seal
3,000 - 2,001 BC = 2nd Seal
2,000 - 1,001 BC = 3rd Seal
1,000 - 1 BC = 4th Seal
0 - 999 AD = 5th Seal
1,000 - 1,999 AD = 6th Seal
2,000 - 2,999 AD = 7th Seal
Before 4,000 BC we know that Adam and Eve were in the garden of Eden. This period isn't counted towards the Seals because Adam and Eve and the Earth had not started their temporal existence yet. They were innocent, perfect, didn't age, and neither did the earth until they partook of the fruit of good and evil and were cast out. D&C 77:12
With that math, the year 2,000 should have opened up the 7th Seal of time. If we read Revelation 8:1, it says: "And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour."
After the 7th Seal is opened, there's a waiting period or "silence in heaven". Well, our time is much different than God's. So how long is half and hour? If God made the world in 7 days, each seal is 1,000 then [0.5 (half hour) / 24 (hours per day) x 1,000 = 20.83] years.
2,000 + 20.83 = 2,020.83 100 / 12 (months) = 8.33 8.33 x 10 = 83.33 10 month = October 2020
Or we could just round it to 2021 because we cannot put God in a box. He will do what He does when He feels like it. However, that is the math. Half hour of silence would end this October.
Why is this important?
Great question. If you continue reading in Revelation 8-10, as soon as the half hour of silence is over, 7 angels are given trumpets to sound. When God tells them to, they each take a turn blowing the trumpet. Each trumpet brings forth a plague:
1st Trumpet: A great hailstorm that also causes fires and kills or severely hurts people and creatures to the point that blood is mixed with the fire.
2nd Trumpet: A great volcano that spews lava and destroys 1/3 of ships and 1/3 of all sea life.
3rd Trumpet: An asteroid hits earth, poisoning 1/3 part of all water. Men die from drinking the water.
4th Trumpet: A 1/3 part of all light from the Sun, moon and stars are darkened.
5th Trumpet: The destroying angel "Abaddon" sends a plague of "locusts" that sting like scorpions (murder hornets) and are commanded to seek and torture those who do not have God's Seal in their foreheads, for 5 months. Men will "seek death" like the treasures of the earth and will not find it.
6th Trumpet: 4 destroying angels are sent forth, they give power to a great invading force to destroy numbered in the "two hundred thousand thousand." This Revelation scripture references to Joel 1:6 where he says this nation will come unto "His (God's) land" (America). The wicked still will not repent even then.
7th Trumpet: "Mysteries" of God are finished and Christ has come.
Of course, there are many more plagues talked about in reference to the last days in the scriptures. Also note here that we do not know when these Trumpets will sound. Will they be a year apart? Will they come fast or all together? We don't know. We do know that the last period of 7 years, until Christ comes, is split in half; 3 1/2 years, 3 1/2 years. Each part represents 3 1/2 years (Rev. 12:6) of the Tribulations and 3 1/2 years (Rev. 12:14) of the Great Tribulations. The tribulations are mentioned many times in the Bible so I'm not going to list them. I suggest going online to this link and do a word search.
2. "Super Shemitah"
For this one, I read a great amount of Israeli/Jewish news, researched their culture, scriptures, holidays and prophecies. I also watched and listened to what different Rabbi's had to say. It was all on the same note. However, one Rabbi stood out from the crowd when it came to the "Super Shemitah." Rabbi Cahn has written a book about this and he explains it best and even includes epic music:
I love that I can go to this website and be able to see for myself when these dates are in the Jewish calendar. Even better, it has explanations of Jewish holidays as well as what portions or the Parshat will be read in Jewish households all over the world for that day!
If you don't wish to view the video (though I recommend it, it's very fascinating,) the basics of the Shemitah is that it represents a specific 7 year cycle that has been counted by the Jews ever since the days of Moses. The Shemitah year, was the 7th year of the 7 year cycle. That 7th year was called the Sabbath year. During this year, the Jews were required to treat the whole year as they would a regular Sabbath day. This means that they weren't allowed to plant or harvest. Food was imported. Any debts were nullified. It was a year of restoration, for example, if you had lost an inheritance, it was restored to you.
The purpose of this year was to let go of worldly things and focus on God. However, if Israel was wicked and disobeyed God, the year of the Shemitah was used as an economic and financial curse instead of blessing. This is also true for other nations besides Israel.
Why is this important?
In "The Coming of the Lord" by Gerald N. Lund, we know that America - the land of promise - will be destroyed. It rots from the inside through plagues, diseases, Communism, and the mark of the beast. This in turn leads to a great civil war. Then while America is weak, other nations invade and destroy, as spoken of in Revelation.
We have already gone through covid-19 which has yet to have a cure. If you have read the Harvests, then you will know that soon the time of the "gentiles" will end; the end of missionary work, through the wheat, grape and olive harvest. All three of those crops are harvested one last time in the Fall in Israel around the Day of Tabernacle (their "Thanksgiving"). I'm convinced that if we do not see missionaries come home and temples closed by this September, then it will most assuredly come in the year of the "Super Shemitah".
Be prepared well before then. Even if we think we can guess the year and the month, if we are not prepared, the Lord promises us that He will come as a thief in the night. But those who have been prepared and watch for the signs, will know and will not be surprised.
3. Total Solar Eclipses
The scriptures tell us several times to be looking for "signs in the heavens". It is a commandment given to us from a few different sources. Mark 13:33-37, 3 Nephi 1:8, D&C 133:11.
The fascinating thing about these two eclipses is how rare they are. They are both complete or total eclipses. Not partial. Both of their "paths of totality" or the areas that will be able to see a complete totality, is exclusively in the United States. That is rare enough. However, they also happen to be 7 years apart AND make and 'X' across America. Let's look at the first eclipse:
Total Solar Eclipse 1:
August 21, 2017
Went through 7 cities named "Salem" which mean to be "complete" or "finished".
"Salem" has the same meaning that the sacred number '7' has.
Midpoint Between Eclipses: December 14, 2020
[2,422 days / 2 = 1,211. 1,211 + Aug. 21, 2017 = Dec. 14, 2020]
Total Solar Eclipse 2:
April 8, 2024
Both eclipses land on the eve of Rosh Chodesh.
In Hebrew, "tav" literal meaning is "ownership," "covenant," "sign," "a mark," and "to join two things together." In the ancient Hebrew picture letters, "Tav" was written as a cross, and later as an 'X'.
The Hebrew word for religion is "DaT", דתּ . In Abraham's Day it was written as: "DaT" as well. The ancient word picture tells us that religion is the "door of the sign" or the "door or the cross". The picture word even LOOKS like a door.
A curious note: have you noticed how Temple dedicatory prayers use the word "portals"? "May none unworthily breach the portals of this holy house," Gilbert Arizona Temple Dedicatory Prayer, March 9, 2014 by President Monson. Did you see in this picture where the "X" marks the spot in America? Missouri. What will be built there? The New Jerusalem Temple Complex.
Is this a sign? Most definitely.
4. The Star of Bethlehem
If you were to star gaze tonight, you would be able to see the planets Jupiter and Saturn. Each night this year, they keep getting closer and closer to each other. This December 21-22, these two planets will converge or conjunct.
Here's what they looked like this last May. I've read a few different opinions about how rare this event is thought to be. I've seen people say every 20 years and I've seen people say as far back at the 1800's. Perhaps NASA will tell us what they think as we get closer to this celestial event.
Why is this important?
It matches scripture. Anytime that happens, we want to keep alert. Jupiter was known astrologically as the 'Father of the Gods'. The planet Jupiter symbolizes deity. “Jupiter often was associated with the birth of kings and therefore called the King planet.” Hendriksen, The Gospel of Matthew, 153.
Saturn is the Roman god of agriculture, sowing, harvest, and seeds. Saturn is usually portrayed in art as holding a scythe, a sickle or a pruning knife. Saturn will represent death and rebirth. Of course, we do not believe or worship the Roman Gods but these beliefs lead to the associations of certain planets over long periods of time.
A personal opinion here: God has His hand in all things. We know this. We also know that He uses all things to accomplish His goals. He knew that Roman associations would prevail to this day because He is all knowing. There are no coincidences or accidents when Christ tells us over and over again in the scriptures to watch the heavens and look for signs, even if the associations are Roman ones.
Fitting the Pieces Together:
We have a King planet and a Harvest planet with a sickle. Now read Revelation 14:14-20.
In this passage, we have Christ who has come upon a cloud, holding a sickle. An Angel cries for Him to thrust His sickle into the earth and reap, "for the harvest of the earth is ripe." Christ does so. Then another angel, also with a sickle, comes out from the heavens. An angel with "power over fire" tells him to also go forth and reap the grapes. This angel does so and throws them into the "winepress of the wrath of God." Note here that when you click on the word "harvest" in verse 15, it refers to the Topical Guide on Harvests which is a reference to missionary work.
This December 21-22, 2020, when we happen to have these two planets converging, is it a coincidence or is it a sign? We know that the hastening is winding down. This means that the Wheat, Grape and Olive Harvests will be finished when it does. When the Harvests are finished, it's a sign that the "time of the Gentiles" will be finished and missionary work will slow down and eventually stop completely due to chaos and plagues. Thus, this sign may signal how close we are getting for the purpose of reminding us to be ready and prepared, not afraid.
5. The Sacred Red Heifer
What is it?
"Jewish tradition says there were nine Red Heifers offered so far on behalf of the Jewish people. The first was offered by Moses and Eleazar; the second by Ezra the Scribe; two more were offered by Simon the Righteous and another two by Yochanan the High Priest; a seventh was offered by the prophet Elijah; the eighth by Hanamel the Egyptian, and the ninth by Yishmael the son of Piabi (15-26 AD). Jewish tradition says that the tenth (and final) Red Heifer will be burned by the Messiah at the time of the rebuilding of the Temple (Mishnah, Parah 3:5)."
"The Temple Institute [currently] has multiple red heifer candidates. The heifers are approximately one years old. Some of the hairs on the heifers are not quite red enough yet. Ranchers have indicated the hairs can turn the appropriate shade of red to qualify in the upcoming year."
Why is this important?
This Jewish prophecy is another way we can tell how close we are getting to the coming of Christ. Now, as an LDS member, we have to remember that many prophets have told us that in the Last Days, Christ will actually come multiple times. These are not to be confused with the Second Coming where ALL shall see Him. No, these other times that Christ will come will be Him setting up the stage in important, prophecy-fulfilling ways.
Confused? For example, we know that Christ will come personally to the Temple (we don't know which one, may be both) BEFORE the Second Coming. Why? To purify the sons of Moses and Aaron so that their sacrifice will be acceptable. This was explained by Orson Pratt who was an Apostle:
"All of them who are pure in heart will behold the face of the Lord and that too before he comes in his glory in the clouds of heaven, for he will suddenly come to his Temple, and he will purify the sons of Moses and Aaron, until they shall be prepared to offer in that Temple an offering that shall be acceptable in the sight of the Lord. In doing this, he will purify not only the minds of the Priesthood in that Temple, but he will purify their bodies until they shall be quickened, renewed and strengthened, and they will be partially changed, not to immortality, but changed in part that they can be filled with the power of God, and they can stand in the presence of Jesus, and behold his face in the midst of that Temple." Coming of the Lord, pg. 138
We also know that Christ will come as the head of the meeting at Adam-Ondi-Ahman where He will personally take back all the keys and stewardship from all prophets who ever lived, including Adam. They will all be there in person, according to Joseph Smith. This also happens before the Second Coming. Sister Wendy Nelson, wife to the current prophet, gave a devotional back in 2016 called "Becoming the Person You Want to Be." She said:
"So, now a question as I conclude: What if you learned that the Savior had already returned to this earth—that He, as part of His Second Coming, had already met with some of His true followers in several marvelous, large gatherings—gatherings about which the world, including CNN and the blogosphere, knew nothing. If you found out that the Savior was already on the earth, what would you desperately want to do today, and what would you be willing and ready to do tomorrow?"
Fitting the Pieces Together:
In 2021, there will be at least one perfect Red Heifer that will finally be the required age for sacrifice (3-4 years old) and meet all the strict requirements such as perfectly red by no more than 3 hairs, never worn a yolk, zero defects, etc. One particular candidate will turn 3 years old on August 25, 2021 (Elul 17), not long after the Super Shemitah begins. The Red Heifer has to be sacrificed for one main reason: the ashes from the sacrificed heifer are required for the Kohanim (Sons of Levi in Jerusalem) to give a righteous and acceptable sacrifice in their Temple.
Now the actual sacrifice of the Red Heifer is done on the Mount of Olives, outside of where the Temple will be. Will Christ come and sacrifice the red heifer Himself? Priests are currently being trained for the sacrificial procedure as well as in Temple procedures. All Temple items are already made from original materials and are currently on display at the Temple Institute museum. Note: For the video, click on the CC closed captions icon at the bottom right corner of the video to read the translation.
6. Seven Years of Famine Begins
On September 20, 2014, the first cow, black and white, was born with a perfect number '7' on his forehead in Vale Wood, PA. Then, on September 25, 2014, a red heifer, was born with an imperfect number '7' on her forehead in Gatesville, Tx. What's so significant about this?
First, lets look at the dates. The first cow was born on Sept. 20, 2014 which was on a Saturday - the Hebrew Sabbath. Not just that, but it was a significant Sabbath day; the final Sabbath day of the year.
"The first calf was born on Saturday, September 20, 2014. Saturday is the Hebrew Sabbath day, the seventh day of the week, which is designated as the day of rest. So there is a connection between the birth of the calf and the time of rest. Not only was he born on a Sabbath day, but it was the final Sabbath day of the year, based on the Hebrew calendar. The new year began on Rosh Hashana, which fell on September 25 2014."
The second cow was born 5 days later on Sept. 25, 2014 which was the first day of the Jewish new year; the first day of the Shemitah year. That is hugely significant in Jewish culture. The Shemitah year can be a blessing or a curse. Many significant dates occur on or around the first day of a Shemitah year.
Lastly, there is something to be said for the 5 days in between both cows birth. The number 5 in Jewish culture is significant. In this article, written by a Rabbi, he talks about 5's meaning.
5 represents:
The perfection of the natural order (4 being the world, 5 being the spirit or God).
4 is the number of separation, 5 is unifier.
4 is the number of exile, 5 is the number of redemption.
4 is the 4 elements of the world, while 5 represents the spiritual element.
The Torah uses 4 expressions to describe the redemption of Israel, but the fifth is the gathering of Israel from the 4 corners of the earth.
"Whenever this four-level system is used to contemplate “existence,” there is always a fifth, higher and all-inclusive level that enlivens the other four."
"The fifth letter of the Hebrew alphabet is hay ה. Its shape conveys the five dimensions of this world, for it is composed of the miniscule yod י – which connotes spirituality – inside a dalet ד, symbol of the four directions. The pronunciation of hay ה is just breath, as appropriate to its connotation of spirituality. It is only aspirated, without need of articulation by the throat, mouth or lips."
Why is this important?
Take a look at that last paragraph again. Remember here, that Jewish letters are also numbers. Both the number 5 and number 7 in Hebrew look like the english number 7. Now look at this picture:
The first cow born (black and white), was born with a perfect 'typewriter 7' while the red heifer was born with a 7 that looks just like the Hebrew 7 (or 'dalet' which is also 5). A perfect Jewish '7' on a sacred Jewish sacrificial red heifer! A curious note to add: the sacred 7 in Hebrew is made up of 3 and 4. The number 3 is male and 4 is female just as the first cow born was male and the second female.
Remember how the number 4 represented the world? When the black and white cow was born, there was no spiritual significance written about it. The farm even named the cow after Ben Roethlisberger, the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback. While the red heifer has every spiritual significance added by the type of cow and Jewish lettering. A fun video of Rabbi Cahn talking about this is found here.
Fitting the Pieces Together:
Many Jews and Christians alike find the similarity to Joseph of Egypt's dream too coincidental. In Genesis 41, Joseph see's 7 healthy cows then 7 sickly cows. That's 14 cows total. Remember that the sacred number 7, when multiplied is of greater significance. Here, in the picture, we have two 7's. That's also 14.
The black and white cow is thought to be representative of the 7 healthy cow or the time of the world. The red heifer is thought to represent the 7 sickly cows or the spiritual time of the world where the world is forced to depend upon God. A curious note: the red heifer was born on the same day the first symptomatic Ebola case was found in the USA in 2014. (The Jewish day of the 25th would have begun in the evening of the 24th.)
This is another reason why we may see a great famine happening around or after the start of this coming "Super Shemitah" year. It will have been exactly 7 Jewish years since these cows were born (7 healthy/worldly years) when the "Super Shemitah" begins in September 2021. Remember that the Shemitah years are Sabbath years where the purpose is to make God's children remember Him.
Last note here, the Tribulations and Great Tribulations are both 3 1/2 years of time for a complete 7 years. The start of the Tribulations is the end of the Harvest periods. Famine is one of the great, last day plagues talked about in the scriptures and also prophesied by Joseph Smith, both of a physical and spiritual nature.
"I have asked of the Lord concerning His coming; and while asking the Lord, He gave a sign and said, "In the days of Noah I set a bow in the heavens as a sign and token that in any year that the bow should be seen the Lord would not come; but there should be seed time and harvest during that year; but whenever you see the bow withdrawn, it shall be a token that there shall be famine, pestilence, and great distress among the nations, and that the coming of the Messiah is not far distant." Coming of the Lord, pg. 8.
If there is no rain, there is no rainbow. If there is no rain, there is no food.
Will we see the start of a 7 year famine in 2021? Do you suppose that 7 year famine of Joseph's time landed on a Shemitah year? A curious thought, indeed.
7. Elder Benson and Elder Bednar Talks
This one is pretty fun and interesting. There are two talks in particular that have a significant number attributed to them which coincides with 2021.
Elder Benson:
Elder Benson (at the time, he was later Prophet), gave a talk at BYU on April 14, 1981 called, "Prepare Yourselves for the Great Day of the Lord." Read it, it's great. Here's a few excerpts:
"Saints of Zion, do you realize we are living in the days of the fulfillment of these signs and wonders? You are among those who will see many of these prophecies fulfilled. Just as certain as was the destruction of the temple at Jerusalem and the scattering of the Jews, so shall these words of the Savior be certain to your generation."
"You will live in the midst of economic, political, and spiritual instability. When you see these signs—unmistakable evidences that his coming is nigh—be not troubled, but, “stand . . . in holy places, and be not moved, until the day of the Lord come” (D&C 87:8). Holy men and holy women stand in holy places, and these holy places include our temples, our chapels, our homes, and the stakes of Zion, which are, as the Lord declares, “for a defense, and for a refuge from the storm, and from wrath when it shall be poured out without mixture upon the whole earth” (D&C 115:6)."
"This preparation must consist of more than just casual membership in the Church. You must learn to be guided by personal revelation and the counsel of the living prophet so you will not be deceived. Our Lord has indicated who, among Church members, will stand when he appears:" (then he talks about the 10 Virgins.)
Jodi Stoddard saw that, exactly 40 years after this talk was given about the last days and the many signs that we will see, will be the Spring of 2021. Coincidence?
Elder Bednar:
Elder Bednar gave a Christmas devotional on Dec. 6, 2015.
Before his talk, he told his audience to not only listen to his words, but to “visualize yourself in these events.” Then he went on to speak about the events of Samuel the Lamanite who preached atop the wall of a city and prophesied that in 5 years, Christ would be born.
"Elder Bednar asked, “Can we even begin to understand what it might have been like to await the sign of His coming and also face the dire deadline of death? Would you and I stand firm and steadfast in the faith, or would we waver and shrink?
But as prophesied, the sign of Christ’s birth was given, Elder Bednar said. “In a climate of religious persecution and at the tender age of approximately 15, you marveled one evening as the sun went down and there was no darkness.
The day of Christ’s birth, Elder Bednar said, was a day of deliverance for believers in the New World. “Light as the sign of the Savior’s birth literally saved their lives.”
Jodi Stoddard's video also shows that exactly 5 years from this talk that Elder Bednar gave, about Samuel the Lamanite prophesying 5 years, will be this December 2020. Ironically, that's also when the Star of Bethlehem returns and converges on December 21-22, 2020. A coincidence or a sign?
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