1 Ne 14:19-20 one
of the twelve¡¦shall see and write the remainder of these things
Nephi next sees the events which
transpire directly preceding the Second Coming. He is told that John will
record these events in the future. Many prophets have prophesied about the same
events. In an unusual precedent, Nephi is not allowed to describe the events he
sees next. Why would this be? There are a couple of reasons. First, apparently
John was foreordained to perform this work. (By the way, this is probably the
single best scriptural example of the doctrine of foreordination.) Secondly,
the Lord in his wisdom does not give the world all of his mysteries. The book
of Revelation is not meant to be understood by the wicked; it is written for
those with the spirit of prophecy. If one does not have the Spirit, it is
impossible to make sense out of the imagery contained in the Revelation. For
those with the spirit of prophecy, it is not impossible to understand. Joseph
Smith said, ¡°The book of Revelation is one of the plainest books God ever
caused to be written.¡± (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 290)
The timeline here is interesting. Nephi
describes events that occur in the 18th, 19th, and 20th
centuries. Next he is commanded to stop writing because the things he sees
shall be written by the Apostle John. This would suggest that the events which
take place during the seventh seal are near, even at
the door (JS-M 1:39).