Oh That Thou Wouldst Rend the Heavens

I love these words of Isaiah: “Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence, As when the melting fire burneth, the fire causeth the waters to boil, to make thy name known to thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at thy presence!” (Isaiah 64:1-2) This expresses the desire of all faithful Christians who live in this fallen world: that the Lord would come back to the earth quickly! A modern-day revelation uses similar language declaring that “the servants of God” shall be “calling upon the name of the Lord day and night, saying: O that thou wouldst rend the heavens, that thou wouldst come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence” (Doctrine and Covenants 133:40). Here is how the angels in heaven feel about that coming day: “Behold, verily I say unto you, the angels are crying unto the Lord day and night, who are ready and waiting to be sent forth to reap down the fields” (Doctrine and Covenants 86:5). They are crying unto the Lord constantly to be able to come down to earth for the Second Coming of the Lord, and we should be similarly eager for His return when the earth will be cleansed and the righteous will live with Him. We sing with great desire these words, “Come, O thou King of Kings! We’ve waited long for thee, With healing in thy wings, To set thy people free. Come, thou desire of nations, come; Let Israel now be gathered home. Come, make an end to sin, And cleanse the earth by fire, And righteousness bring in, That Saints may tune the lyre With songs of joy, a happier strain, To welcome in thy peaceful reign.” We earnestly hope for His imminent return and hold on to His promise: “For the time is at hand; the day or the hour no man knoweth; but it surely shall come…. Behold, I come quickly” (Doctrine and Covenants 39:21, 24).

                The Lord described in our time what will happen that day that He will come again to the earth. He revealed to the Prophet Joseph: “For the hour is nigh and the day soon at hand when the earth is ripe; and all the proud and they that do wickedly shall be as stubble; and I will burn them up, saith the Lord of Hosts, that wickedness shall not be upon the earth; For the hour is nigh, and that which was spoken by mine apostles must be fulfilled; for as they spoke so shall it come to pass; For I will reveal myself from heaven with power and great glory, with all the hosts thereof, and dwell in righteousness with men on earth a thousand years, and the wicked shall not stand. And again, verily, verily, I say unto you, and it hath gone forth in a firm decree, by the will of the Father, that mine apostles, the Twelve which were with me in my ministry at Jerusalem, shall stand at my right hand at the day of my coming in a pillar of fire, being clothed with robes of righteousness, with crowns upon their heads, in glory even as I am, to judge the whole house of Israel, even as many as have loved me and kept my commandments, and none else” (Doctrine and Covenants 29:9-12). He will come with “power and great glory” in “a pillar of fire” and the Twelve will be with him in glory. Another passage of scripture describes how some will look at Him when He comes and they will ask this question: “Who is this that cometh down from God in heaven with dyed garments; yea, from the regions which are not known, clothed in his glorious apparel, traveling in the greatness of his strength?” The Savior shall answer with these words, “I am he who spake in righteousness, mighty to save.” The account continues a description of that day this way: “And the Lord shall be red in his apparel, and his garments like him that treadeth in the wine-vat. And so great shall be the glory of his presence that the sun shall hide his face in shame, and the moon shall withhold its light, and the stars shall be hurled from their places” (Doctrine and Covenants 133:46-49). He will come in red to show the victory He had through His blood over death and sin, and at that day His triumph will be complete and wickedness is stamped out and Satan is bound. As we read today accounts of terrible wars and famines across the globe, as we hear of devastating earthquakes and natural disasters, as we mourn for suffering of refugees and the hungry and the abused and all the downtrodden on the earth, as we consider the terrible wickedness rampant among the children of men, we declare all the more earnestly with Isaiah to the Savior, “Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down!”