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A key to the revelations of st. john.
By Joseph Smith.
Q.—What is the sea of glass spoken of by John, 4th chapter, and 6th verse of the Revelations?
A.—It is the Earth, in its sanctified, immortal, and eternal state.
Q.—What are we to understand by the four Beasts, spoken of in the same verse?
A.—They are figurative expressions, used by the Revelator John, in describing heaven, the Paradise of God, the happiness of man, and of beasts, and of creeping things, and of the fowls of the air; that, which is spiritual, being in the likeness of that which is temporal; and that which is temporal, is in the likeness of that which is spiritual; the Spirit of Man in the likeness of his person, as also the spirit of the beast, and every other creature which God has created.
Q.—Are the four beasts limited to individual beasts, or do they represent classes or orders?
A.—They are limited to four individual beasts, which were shown to John, to represent the glory of the classes of beings, in their destined order or sphere of creation, in the enjoyment of their eternal felicity.
Q.—What are we to understand by the eyes, and wings, which the beasts had?
A.—Their eyes are a representation of light, and knowledge; that is, they are full of knowledge; and their wings are a representation of power, to move, to act, &c.
Q.—What are we to understand by the four and twenty Elders, spoken of by John?
A.—We are to understand that these Elders whom John saw, were Elders who had been faithful in the work of the ministry and were dead; who belonged to the seven churches,—and were then in the Paradise of God.
Q.—What are we to understand by the book which John saw, which was sealed on the back with seven seals?
A.—We are to understand that it contains the revealed will, mysteries, and works of God; the hidden things of His economy concerning this earth during the seven thousand years of its continuance, or its temporal existence,
Q.—What are we to understand by the seven seals with which it was sealed?
A.—We are to understand that the first seal contains the things of the first thousand years, and the second also of the second thousand years, and so on until the seventh.
