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Subsequent Visions
The Lord gave me the following view in 1847, while the brethren
were assembled on the Sabbath, at Topsham, Maine.
We felt an unusual spirit of prayer. And as we prayed the Holy
Ghost fell upon us. We were very happy. Soon I was lost to earthly
things and was wrapped in a vision of God’s glory. I saw an angel
flying swiftly to me. He quickly carried me from the earth to the
Holy City. In the city I saw a temple, which I entered. I passed
through a door before I came to the first veil. This veil was raised,
and I passed into the holy place. Here I saw the altar of incense,
the candlestick with seven lamps, and the table on which was the
shewbread. After viewing the glory of the holy, Jesus raised the
second veil and I passed into the holy of holies.
In the holiest I saw an ark; on the top and sides of it was purest
gold. On each end of the ark was a lovely cherub, with its wings
spread out over it. Their faces were turned toward each other, and
they looked downward. Between the angels was a golden censer.
Above the ark, where the angels stood, was an exceeding bright
glory, that appeared like a throne where God dwelt. Jesus stood
by the ark, and as the saints’ prayers came up to Him, the incense
in the censer would smoke, and He would offer up their prayers
with the smoke of the incense to His Father. In the ark was the
golden pot of manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of
stone which folded together like a book. Jesus opened them, and I
saw the ten commandments written on them with the finger of God.
On one table were four, and on the other six. The four on the first
table shone brighter than the other six. But the fourth, the Sabbath
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commandment, shone above them all; for the Sabbath was set apart
to be kept in honor of God’s holy name. The holy Sabbath looked
glorious—a halo of glory was all around it. I saw that the Sabbath
commandment was not nailed to the cross. If it was, the other nine
commandments were; and we are at liberty to break them all, as well
as to break the fourth. I saw that God had not changed the Sabbath,
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