"Upon my house shall it begin."

Prophecy: Salt Lake City 2002 Olympics -- Next Ground Zero?

Prophecy: Salt Lake City -- Next Ground Zero?
by Sterling D. Allan
February 1, 2002

Isaiah 22:5 Arena of Spectacles, Valley of Vision

Consider the following verse from Isaiah 22:5 in the context of the Olympics that are coming to Salt Lake City in Feb. 2002 and the current threat of terrorist activity surpassing the Sept. 11 attack. (See "Rumsfeld Warns Of Even Deadlier Attacks On U.S." The Guardian, Feb. 1, 2002.)

"For my Lord, The Lord of Hosts, has in store a day of commotion and trampling and riot in the arena of spectacles." (Isaiah 22:5, Avraham Gileadi Translation, rendered prior to Utah's seeking the Olympic bid.)

"Arena of Spectacles" obviously could refer to the Olympics.

Are there other indications that Isaiah 22:5 could be speaking specifically of the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics in 2002?

The King James Version uses the phrase "valley of vision" where Gileadi renders it "arena of spectacles."

Salt Lake Valley is home of headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a religion that sets forth its distinguishing characteristic as being that they have a 'living prophet,' who, according to LDS theology, is the one and only individual on earth authorized to speak on behalf of God to the entire planet.

With that in mind, the phrase "valley of vision" seems even more poignant, made strikingly paradoxical considering that the prophecy is anything but flattering to the inhabitants of the valley of vision.

Isaiah chapter 22 begins in the first phrase of the first verse by specifying to whom it is addressed: "The burden of the valley of vision."

Now consider the verse immediately before verse five, that mentions the "arena of spectacles" or "valley of vision."

"Therefore said I, Look away from me; I will weep bitterly, labour not to comfort me, because of the spoiling of the daughter of my people."

The Mormons are famous for considering themselves the Lord's people. But this context is probably not an instance where they would want to claim applicability.

A literalist might say that Isaiah 22 is speaking about ancient Jerusalem. And they are correct.

But you and I know that the Lord uses historic events as types for future events among parallel peoples. It is a form of parable, and those who ignore it, or seek to discredit such likening of the scriptures to themselves, do so at their peril, for they miss the warnings intended for them until it is too late.

Today, the Mormons are on a parallel with the Jews at the time of Jesus Christ. And as the kingdom was taken from the Jews and given to the Gentiles back then, so also in our day we will see the kingdom taken from the Gentiles and given back to the Jews or covenant people, according to the prophecy that "The first shall be last, and the last shall be first."

That theme is what the remainder of Isaiah 22 addresses. The typical head-in-the sand Mormon would never consider him/herself a Gentile. However, the teachings of their early leaders and of the Bible and Book of Mormon clearly identify them as such (e.g. the title page of the Book of Mormon says it comes forth 'by way of the Gentile'). That is in part a compliment, for it is the Gentiles in the latter days who are the Lord's people set to be a light to the world, but who also lapse into apostasy as did the Jews anciently.

Shebna the Treasurer Removed

Verses 15 and 16 speak of Shebna the treasurer who has hewed out a great sepulcher in stone. It symbolizes the height of their progress.

Recently, just north of Temple Square in Salt Lake City, the LDS Church dedicated a new assembly hall that has the largest seating capacity of any indoor place of worship in the entire world. The building is faced with Granite hewn from a nearby quarry. Could this be the last hurrah to which Isaiah referred? Could it become a place of burial, with the introduction of a terrorist to the mix? (See write-up on Mormon 8 Conference Center)

The destruction motif ends with verse 19 "And I will drive thee from thy station, and from thy state shall he pull thee down."

The next verse in Isaiah 22, and final verse on the page, introduces Eliakim.

In looking up the definition of "Eliakim" in Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee just now, my eye caught the number '666' next to the word 'event,' which is on the same page in the index. In other words, the Hebrew word for 'event' is on page 666 of this Old Testament lexicon by H.W.F. Gesenius, which was translated into English in 1831, one year after the LDS church was founded. Given our current context of considering the possibility of a major terrorist attack during the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City in 2002, this coincidence takes on keen relevance.

Most LDS are trained to believe that they as a people are impervious to destruction. The way I heard it, while growing up in the LDS church, was "All previous dispensations have ended in apostasy. This is the only one that won't." I've since learned through my studies of prophecies is that the apostasy of our day will surpass all previous dispensations.

A key verse that states this point blank, from the Joseph Smith translation of the Bible, tucked away in the appendix where few ever peek, states it simply, "Then understood they the parable which he spake unto them, that the Gentiles should be destroyed also, when the Lord should descend out of heaven to reign in his vineyard, which is the earth and the inhabitants thereof." (JST-Matthew 21:56.) This comes in the context of Jesus parable of the husbandmen, followed by his reference to Psalm 188, speaking of "the stone, which the builders rejected, the same is become the head stone of their corner." Most Christians, as well as the Mormons (who are a supersession of Christianity, as Christianity was a supersession of Judaism), see this prophecy as speaking exclusively of the Jew's rejection of Jesus Christ. However, this translation of Matthew 21 by Joseph Smith is worded to say essentially, "Yes, it does indeed apply to the Jews anciently, but guess what, it also will apply to the Gentiles in the latter days, to whom the kingdom was given anciently when the Jews rejected it. It will thus be taken from the Gentiles and returned to Israel. The first shall be last, and the last shall be first. The Jews rejected Christ anciently, expecting a government when what they were given was the gospel. The Mormons and Christians reject him in our day, being focused on the gospel but ignoring the government of God which was their duty to establish on the earth. Hence the kingdom is taken from them and given to another.

It is not a matter of the 'keys' being taken from the earth, but of them being transferred.

Immanuel -- God Among Us

One other point to be made regarding JST Matt. 21:56 is that it refers to the Lord descending out of heaven to reign in his vineyard. The typical perception regarding that prophecy (extant elsewhere in the scriptures as well) is that it refers to Jesus descending from heaven with glory after the wicked have been destroyed (whether self-imposed or by converting to righteousness or by natural calamities). That is going to happen. But what they do not realize is that the prophesies also support the point that prior to coming in glory, the Lord will come among the Gentiles veiled in the flesh as Jesus did among the Jews. It wasn't until after Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection (his coming in glory) that the scales were removed from the eyes of even his apostles whom he had called and who labored with him for three years, and who, according to the JST, "wondered if he be the Messiah," even as they left the upper room following Passover.

Another key LDS scripture that supports this is in the parable of the vineyard in Jacob 5. When speaking of the pruning of the vineyard for the last time, when the first shall be last and the last shall be first (5:63), the parable says, "The Lord of the vineyard labored also with them" (5:72).

I believe, from my studies, that while there may be one individual in particular who will fulfill this role, there are actually many individuals who work in concert to bring this mission to pass. There are many ones mighty and strong. (See Index Regarding Davidic Servant.)

888 and Bestowal of Keys of David

Back to Isaiah 22, the LDS footnote regarding Eliakim reads "Eliakim shall replace Shebna. Moreover, the symbolic name 'Eliakim' in ensuing verses becomes representative of the Messiah, the Savior, especially v. 23-25. The name means 'God shall cause to arise.' "

Moving on in Isaiah 22, we turn the page to page 888 (LDS publication of KJV Bible). The numeric value of the letters that spell 'Jesus' (Iesous) in Greek total 888.  (See 888 on Jesus, and Jesus on 888.)

The first verse on page 888 is:

"And I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand: and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah." The next verse reads, "And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open." (Isa. 22:22 on p. 888).

In reading prophecy, drawing parallels to our day, "Jerusalem" could be replaced with "Salt Lake City," and "Judah" with "Ephraim."

Gloating Turned to Shame?

That is the context of Isaiah 22, where verse five speaks of the "arena of spectacles" or "valley of vision." In my opinion, due to the strength of these other correlations, the likelihood that this is a reference to the Olympics and a possible terrorist attack is extremely high.

Every time I read something in the Salt Lake Tribune to the effect that these will be "the most safe Olympics ever," I shiver. The other day, there was a story saying that the Olympics will be the safest place on earth. Again, shiver and quake. They should not say such things. It is both untrue and it's bad luck. Like a used car salesman saying, "Trust me!" Yeah, right!

Yes, there probably has never been more money spent in preparation for security, but that only whets the terrorists appetite, in my opinion. They probably chuckle to themselves at what a coup they will pull, considering the weapons they have been holding out on using for just such a time as this.

Ultimately, protection comes from upright living. God is the one who calls the shots, and our boasting that we are now impervious, while offering free condoms in the Olympic Village does not go over well with a God who is just. I don't think God was impressed either when Mayor Rocky Anderson went drinking with the visiting media conglomeration to prove what a partying town Salt Lake City is.

Rather than use this opportunity to shine, Utah has bent over backwards to be acceptable to the world when they come here, so the world will love us. Somehow, I do not think that fits God's idea of being a light to the world. When the iron curtain falls, and the first thing we as a Country import is heavy metal music and Budweiser, I do not think we impress the Lord.

Deferment of Destructions

So, do I think, from what I've shown above, that this attack is bound to happen no matter what?

No, I do not. Prophesy is not given as being set in stone, but is given as a warning, to urge us to repent of our ways, lest the consequences being warned of come upon us in their fury.

Based on the above information, as well as individuals I know of who have had visions to the effect that there will be no Olympics, there is no doubt in my mind that the prophecies warn of a massive social upheaval of some kind during and at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

At the same time, I still believe that enough repentance or awakening could yet delay the consequences due us, to give us more time to mend our ways. In other words, I hope I'm a "false prophet" as Jonah was when it comes to 'predicting' calamity during the 2002 Winter Olympics. Of those who receive this write-up, few will read this far, so if and when nothing happens, the perception will be that 'Sterling was wrong again.' That's fine.

I have reason to believe that the latter will be the case -- that the destruction will be deferred.

Besides how many times in the past God has held his hand from destruction when we were so close to deserving it, here is another reason I think this destruction is slated to be deferred.

Area Code 385 Deferred and Utah Olympics

Back in early 2000, I composed a write-up on the prophetic significance of the pending new telephone area code for Utah: 385. I did a section showing the connection between this number and the Winter Olympics coming to Utah.

The new area code will replace 801 in areas outside of the Salt Lake City county, where several of the Olympic venues will be hosted. (See write-up on 801: Salt that has Lost its Savor)

One of the correlations that came up regarding 385 was that on page 385 of Zodhiates' New Testament lexicon is word 1128, GUMANZO, which means "To train naked, as the Greek athletes. Generally to exercise, train. Thus gumnasion, gymnasium, is a place of exercising."

Also, on page 385 of my Webster's '71 dictionary is the word: "gymnasium (Gr. gymnasion, from gymnos, naked) A place where athletic exercises are performed."

Tying back to the new LDS assembly hall, the old Deseret Gym was torn down to make way for the massive assembly hall, which some people call Hinckley Hall, after the current LDS leader, President Gordon B. Hinckley. In a few days, all of Utah will be made a gymnasium as the eyes of the world turn here for the Olympics.

One of the observations I make in the 385 study is that the numbers 385 are a variation of 835, which is the telephone prefix in Manti, Utah, where I was at the time I did the write-up on 385. (See 835: Remnant Reconciled.)

538 in the Footnote by Isaiah 22

The other permutation of these digits, 385 and 835, is 538.

It turns out that in the footnotes at the bottom of the page where Isaiah 22 begins, is the following comment regarding chapter 21, which begins on the same page. "This prophecy was fulfilled in 538 B.C."

So how does this tie in to the idea of a possible deferment of the likely calamities prophesied?

This may be a stretch, but at the time I first did the write-up on 385, the change was due in December of 2000. Later, it was postponed to March of 2002. Currently, it is now slated for March 2003. It has been deferred twice.

See planning letters # 231, 248 and 308 {PDF} at www.nanpa.com  (North American Numbering Plan Administration). Information supplied by NANPA relief planner-Western Region, Joe Cocke.

So when I saw 538 B.C. in the footnote of the page where chapter 22 begins, I took this as a second witness of the link to the area code.

I personally hope for deferment of the calamities. Repentance by precept is far more ennobling to the soul, requiring greater faith, than repentance by calamity.

Eliakim 471 in New Testament Lexicon

The word Eliakim is word number 471 in the Old Testament lexicon (James Strong's numbering).

Matching word number 471 in the New Testament lexicon (Zodhiates), and the words in its vicinity seem relevant to our context so far as the transfer of the keys of the kingdom and its government spoken of in Isaiah 22.

Word 491, ANTEPO means "to gainsay, contradict." Its roots, ANTE or "anti," and EPO, "to say," convey the idea of 'speaking against.'

Ironically, this calls to mind the meaning of Satan, who is the 'accuser of the brethren.' But a look at the etymology of that word is that he is a 'false accuser.'

The function of making accusations in and of itself is neither good or evil. What makes it either ennobling or destructive is if it is founded in truth or in lies.

The very act of judgment, which is a key function of the divine nature, balanced with mercy, requires an element of addressing an accusation.

A key doctrine in the LDS church is that a temple-worthy member must never "evil speak of the Lord's anointed." While false accusations and even belittling for weaknesses is never appropriate, this injunction has come to mean that nothing critical can ever be said of the Church or its leaders. To do so is seen as the hallmark of apostasy. The problem has been that the absence of loyal opposition has opened the church to all kinds of false teachings and perceptions that go unchecked lest one be accused of evil speaking of the Lord's anointed.

Now we have word 471 in Hebrew being synonymous with a Messianic figure, and word 471 in Greek conveys the very antithesis of this LDS dogma that has been a primary cause of its apostasy. By calling 'apostate' those who point out inconsistencies within the church and its teachings for the sake of improvement, the church itself has drifted into apostasy as a whole, erring from the corrections that might have set it straight along the way.

In other words, this correlation shows that one of the attributes of this Messianic calling will be a censure of incorrect directions, which censure will ultimately be answered as Jews responded to Jesus Christ -- rejection. And that is why the kingdom is taken from them and given to another people.

The next word in the New Testament lexicon is 472 ANTECHO "To hold firmly, to cleave to, to support."

Again, I think of the LDS world and their strong adherence to the presiding brethren as God's representatives on earth. The idea of sustaining the brethren in general and the prophet/president in particular is more important to them in practice than their personal relationship with God. I know people who were excommunicated because when they were asked, "If the prophet told you to do one thing, but you believed the Spirit of God was saying another, which would you follow?" They unequivocally responded that they would follow their conscience, and they were put out of the church.

The word 'cleave,' found in definition 472, not only means to adhere to, it has an opposite meaning -- to utterly separate (e.g. cleaver).

Those who have been excommunicating the voices of warning from among them, will themselves be cut off from the Lord.

The next word is 473 ANTI "spoken metaphorically either in a hostile sense, meaning against, or by way of comparison, where it implies something of equivalent value, and denotes substitution, exchange, requital."

The kingdom is taken from one and given to another. Those who were considered 'anti' will be entrusted with the kingdom, while those who were making the accusation were actually themselves against the Lord. While accusing the protestors as being anti-God because they oppose the brethren, they themselves were anti-God by opposing those of the lay membership that he inspired with messages of warning. (By the way, the same dichotomy exists in the U.S. government. Loyal opposition to the status quo is seen as un-American.)

The next word is 474 ANTIBALLO, "To cast or toss from on to the other, such as a ball; may be applied to a conference or mutual discussion of a subject through speech; to exchange thoughts."

Besides the idea of a transfer of keys, as if a baton, what comes to mind for me personally with the meaning "to exchange thoughts" is the discussion list of which I am a part, called "David's Outcasts."

From the time the forum began, each message sent through the list began with 888 to identify it as coming from a member of the "David's Outcasts" forum. The name, "David's Outcasts" hearkens to the relationship between David and Saul. Though persecuted by Saul, David remained true to the hope of Israel. His day came, when Saul's went. Meanwhile, David and his ragtag band were ostracized and yet honored the Lord's choice in Saul as the then current ruler in Israel.

In this context, I find it curious that this prophecy about the arena of spectacles is on page 887, and then you turn the page to page 888 where it talks about the transfer of keys.

Also, the mention of the bestowal of government on page 888 is of particular interest to me inasmuch as I have been part of a movement recently to begin establishing an alternative government to the socialist New World Order. The LDS Church was commissioned of God to accomplish this task, but they gave up the quest for a kingdom in 1890 in order to become a state. They have so apostatized from this task that today they persecute patriots in their midst who warn of secret combinations in our government, media, school system, and even churches to establish a socialist world government. Instead of establishing a government based on freedom, the LDS hierarchy is in bed with socialist worldwide, such as cozying up to communist China so as to be able to get their missionaries into that country -- notwithstanding the cost as it pertains to an abrogation of their calling to establish and protect freedom.

So it is no wonder that the keys will be taken from them and given to another people who will be composed in large part of those they excommunicated or otherwise ostracized.

Turning to Remnant Saints Inter-Continental Congress

Remnant Saints Inter-Continental Congress was established on Dec. 31, 2001.
http://rsicc.org

We seek to forge an alliance among all the patriot saint minded individuals of the world, and to set forth the principles of ideal government with the protection and perpetuation of freedom being the ultimate objective.

We do not claim to have all the answers, just that we are seeking after them, and are glad to align with others and the gifts they bring to the body of Christ.

Whether or not the Olympics end up being a target of massive upheaval by terrorists, we will continue to both defend and promote the principles of freedom and the faith upon which it rests. As for me personally, I would prefer that people awaken from their stupor without destructions being required to bring them to their senses.

Hopefully this little write-up will help promote such an awakening.

One last thing. Remember the prophecy regarding the chastening destructions of the end times: "Upon my house shall it being, and from my house shall it go forth."

This would be a perfect setting for the fulfillment of this prophecy. They eyes of the world trained here, and the eyes of the world astonished. My prayer is that such astonishment will be deferred and come not because such a mighty people were suddenly humbled, but because such a mighty people voluntarily humbled themselves through the power of the word, not some Terrorist bomb.

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