LDS - What is the "meridian of time"?

Rather than derail the enlightening thread about baptism for deceased individuals, I decided to start a new thread, based upon this most curious paragraph from LDS.org.

The responsibility of the Latter-day Saints is unique in the history of the world. Work for the dead had been done by the Saints of the meridian of time (see 1 Corinthians 15:29), but it falls to the Latter-day Saints to accomplish the bulk of this work. In these verses the Lord gives instructions so the work can be done in an orderly, verifiable way.

What is the "meridian of time"?

It is a reference the church uses for the "middle" of the gospel time.
We believe the Savior came and was the head of the 5th seal of Revelation and that each seal represents a literal 1000 yr period. We are now at the start of the seventh seal when Satan will become bound. After this thousand yrs is over, Satan will be loosed again and there will be the battle of Gog and Magog, and I suppose the last resurrection. So we have about 3500 yrs after Christ and 4000 yrs of gospel before Christ came. Thus, He came in the "meridian" of the time of the gospel on the earth.

RevelationTestament said:

It is a reference the church uses for the "middle" of the gospel time.
We believe the Savior came and was the head of the 5th seal of Revelation and that each seal represents a literal 1000 yr period. We are now at the start of the seventh seal when Satan will become bound. After this thousand yrs is over, Satan will be loosed again and there will be the battle of Gog and Magog, and I suppose the last resurrection. So we have about 3500 yrs after Christ and 4000 yrs of gospel before Christ came. Thus, He came in the "meridian" of the time of the gospel on the earth.

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Thank you. Do you believe that Satan is currently bound?

Not at all - that will take a few hundred yrs. All the earth must be converted to Christ. The anti-christ religion of Islam will probably be among the last - to be muslim is to deny God's Son.

RevelationTestament said:

Not at all - that will take a few hundred yrs. All the earth must be converted to Christ. The anti-christ religion of Islam will probably be among the last - to be muslim is to deny God's Son.

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If I understand your previous post concerning the meridian of time, we are now well into the seventh millenium are we not? You said, "We are now at the start of the seventh seal when Satan will become bound".

bbbbbbb said:

If I understand your previous post concerning the meridian of time, we are now well into the seventh millenium are we not? You said, "We are now at the start of the seventh seal when Satan will become bound".

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No. The seventh seal began approx 2000 A.D. In the first part of the seventh seal the earth shall be reaped, and the remnant cleansed. The earth will feel the last 7 plagues.
Here are the seven seals and covenants.
Adam
Noah
Abraham
David
Christ - at the head of the 5th millennium and seal
Joseph Smith - came late in the 6th seal to restore the priesthood & to usher in the everlasting covenant
7th

D&C 77 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.

12 Q. What are we to understand by the sounding of the trumpets, mentioned in the 8th chapter of Revelation?
A. We are to understand that as God made the world in six days, and on the seventh day he finished his work, and sanctified it, and also formed man out of the dust of the earth, even so, in the beginning of the seventh thousand years will the Lord God sanctify the earth, and complete the salvation of man, and judge all things, and shall redeem all things, except that which he hath not put into his power, when he shall have sealed all things, unto the end of all things; and the sounding of the trumpets of the seven angels are the preparing and finishing of his work, in the beginning of the seventh thousand years—the preparing of the way before the time of his coming.

RevelationTestament said:

No. The seventh seal began approx 2000 A.D. In the first part of the seventh seal the earth shall be reaped, and the remnant cleansed. The earth will feel the last 7 plagues.
Here are the seven seals and covenants.
Adam
Noah
Abraham
David
Christ - at the head of the 5th millennium and seal
Joseph Smith - came late in the 6th seal to restore the priesthood & to usher in the everlasting covenant
7th

D&C 77 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.

12 Q. What are we to understand by the sounding of the trumpets, mentioned in the 8th chapter of Revelation?
A. We are to understand that as God made the world in six days, and on the seventh day he finished his work, and sanctified it, and also formed man out of the dust of the earth, even so, in the beginning of the seventh thousand years will the Lord God sanctify the earth, and complete the salvation of man, and judge all things, and shall redeem all things, except that which he hath not put into his power, when he shall have sealed all things, unto the end of all things; and the sounding of the trumpets of the seven angels are the preparing and finishing of his work, in the beginning of the seventh thousand years—the preparing of the way before the time of his coming.

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Thank you for the overview of LDS eschatology. I have not realized that the LDS held these views, especially concerning the set covenants associated with various individuals. There seems to be some correlation between these views and Dispensationalism. Do you have references in the Four Standard Works for these?

Thank you.

bbbbbbb said:

Thank you for the overview of LDS eschatology. I have not realized that the LDS held these views, especially concerning the set covenants associated with various individuals. There seems to be some correlation between these views and Dispensationalism. Do you have references in the Four Standard Works for these?

Thank you.

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No. The connection with the seals to the covenants is my own personal revelation or opinion. It is generally not found quite that way elsewhere in the church so you would be looking in vain I think. However, the church does teach of dispensations of the gospel, and you can find reference to this in D&C. There are a few other vague references in the early church. The Lord’s covenant with Noah affirmed that the earth would never be covered with a flood again (Gen. 9:1–17; Moses 7:49–52). Noah, a righteous man, holds the keys of a dispensation and stands next to Adam in authority (HC 3:386).
I don't necessarily agree with the patterns presently taught. I don't believe God made a covenant through Moses, and he was not the head of a dispensation - Abraham was. Moses did not "restore" the gospel. He did bring forth the law to the people of Jacob to fulfill the covenant, but he received the priesthood from his father-in-law, Jethro. The high priesthood was lost before the time of Christ and became an apostate office of appointees of Rome. But dispensations of the gospel are not necessarily complete restorations of the gospel. They are, however, new revelations connected with covenants so in that sense Moses might be considered the head of a dispensation - i just don't view him that way.

Most recognize the Adamic covenant. It is better spelled out in Moses.
The Noahic covenant is in Genesis.
Of course everyone recognizes the Abrahamic covenant and its token of circumcision.
The Davidic covenant is given in the prophets but was broken by David. It sets a pattern tho for future inheritors - Christ being the foremost and the King of kings.
The covenant of grace is of course recognized as being from Christ, but the token of baptism was through John the baptist, the preparer. Christ Himself did not baptize.
Joseph Smith brought forth the everlasting covenant promised to the Gentiles in Isaiah in the sixth seal.
And the last - its token was recently brought forth in the temple.
These are the seven stars of old.