SURAN 5 - HOLY ORDERS

With his family all on board, Suran takes them to the place where Ngameke taught him, many days travel to the north. Once there, the Spirit of God "causes" them to be baptized in the pool as a sign of their faith in God. Now, this isn't the Spirit forcing them to participate in an ordinance or enter a covenant. Rather, they are so full of the Spirit and inspired by the things they have learned, they can't not be baptized. Again, I like the various descriptions of baptism in the Aklatan. Here it is simply spoken of as "a sign of their faith in God." Ultimately, that is the essence of baptism--showing God we're washing away our old self and starting anew in faith. Suran's family felt the Spirit and followed its promptings.

In the way he learned from Ngameke, Suran then appoints his three sons to the three Orders of the Levitical Priesthood--Ahkman to that of Gers(h)on, Shurak to Kohath, and Kodal to Merari. The names of these three orders are taken from the three sons of Levi. During Mosaic times, these three orders assisted the priests of Aaron in taking care of and performing different duties within the tabernacle and later temple. Ngameke taught Suran that a remnant of these orders had been preserved on their islands. Suran, on the other hand, was appointed to the Holy Order of Shem--the same Order given to Adam--the Holy Order of God. Again, this appears to be the Patriarchal Order which was passed on through the generations from Adam down to Melchizedek and Abraham. (And remember that the Aklatan follows the tradition that Shem and Melchizedek are one in the same.) The Levitical Orders, then, act under and are preparatory to the Holy Order, with Suran now serving as high priest and patriarch.

They name this special place Katagan because it was a "hidden sacred place". Elisha has said it was revealed to him that this is Kabigan Falls on the northernmost coast of Luzon.

SURAN 4 - ASK, RECEIVE, FOLLOW

After Suran finishes teaching his family everything he's learned, his second son, Shurak, isn't convinced. He rationalizes these things away as "nothing" but "ramblings" "manufactured" by a "strange" and "delusional man" and that no one can know the future. It is interesting though, that he also says these ideas will lead their hearts away from their tribal gods. So, while Shurak is still religious or superstitious, he fears abandoning the traditional worship. 

But, in Shurak's words, Mormons will no doubt hear the echoes of Book of Mormon characters who also struggled to believe in and accept the Gospel of Christ when presented to them. From Laman & Lemuel, to the Antichrists, to the apostates and dissenters, we hear similar phrases such as "visionary", "foolish traditions", "derangement", "effect of a frenzied mind", "no man can know of anything that is to come."

However, in this case, there is hope for Shurak. Ahkman, his older brother, does what any of us should be doing when presented with new spiritual ideas -- he heads out to be alone, ponders on what their father had taught them, and prays mightily to know the truth. An angel appears to him and confirms that everything Suran taught is true. Ahkman, then, is a second witness to Suran's teachings, and Shurak believes. Though it is interesting that Shurak only testifies that this God must be the most powerful of all the gods, and therefore, should be hearkened to and worshipped. (Ahkman will give a more detailed, first hand account of this in Ahkman 4.)

All the rest of Suran's family--his wife, youngest son, and daughter--believe, as well, and he is amazed at their faith because he, himself, still can't yet fully wrap his mind around what is going on. But in spite of this uncertainty, they begin to worship God and obey His commandments. I think this is such an amazing example of faith for each and every one of us. None of us have a full comprehension of what exactly the Lord has in store for us. Each of us are left with some degree of uncertainty within which we can act in faith and exercise wise use of our agency. Not fully knowing or understanding a spiritual principle or request from the Lord should never preclude our diligence in doing our part and magnifying our calling to the best of our ability, continually seeking for and being empowered by His grace.

SURAN 3 - THE BRASS PLATES

(This a second attempt at this post. A nearly complete first version was eaten by Blogger, which was a catalyst for the year-long hiatus. #NotTheHappiestCamper)

The Record of the Ancients ≈ The Brass Plates
Between Suran 3's two Isaiah quotations, there is a Messianic passage not found in the Bible... It's from the Book of Mormon--1 Nephi 19 to be precise. However, like the Isaiah verses, Suran 3 isn't an exact copy of 1 Nephi 19. Here's a side-by-side comparison (differences in bold-italics):

1 Nephi 19		Suran 3
9 And the world, because of their iniquity, shall judge him to be a thing of naught; wherefore they scourge him, and he suffereth it; and they smite him, and he suffereth it. Yea, they spit upon him, and he suffereth it, because of his loving kindness and his long-suffering towards the children of men.		And the world, because of their wickedness, shall judge him to be nothing; wherefore they scourge him, and he endureth it; and they smite him, and he endureth it. Even they spit upon him, and he endureth it, and all this because of his loving kindness and his long suffering towards the children of men.
10 And the God of our fathers, who were led out of Egypt, out of bondage, and also were preserved in the wilderness by him, yea, the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, yieldeth himself, according to the words of the angel, as a man, into the hands of wicked men, to be lifted up, according to the words of Zenock, and to be crucified, according to the words of Neum, and to be buried in a sepulchre, according to the words of Zenos, which he spake concerning the three days of darkness, which should be a sign given of his death unto those who should inhabit the isles of the sea, more especially given unto those who are of the house of Israel.		And even the God of our fathers, who were led out of captivity from Egypt, and also were preserved in the wilderness through Him, even, the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. For he giveth himself, as a man, into the hands of evil men, to be lifted up, according to the words of an angel. Wherefore he shall be lifted up even upon a cross to be crucified and he shall be entombed in a sepulchre. And there shall be three days of darkness which shall overcome the land and these things shall be a sign of his death even unto us who are among the children of Israel.
11 For thus spake the prophet: The Lord God surely shall visit all the house of Israel at that day, some with his voice, because of their righteousness, unto their great joy and salvation, and others with the thunderings and the lightnings of his power, by tempest, by fire, and by smoke, and vapor of darkness, and by the opening of the earth, and by mountains which shall be carried up.		The Lord our God shall come unto all those who are of the house of Israel at that day.
12 And all these things must surely come, saith the prophet Zenos. And the rocks of the earth must rend; and because of the groanings of the earth, many of the kings of the isles of the sea shall be wrought upon by the Spirit of God, to exclaim: The God of nature suffers.		(not included)
13 And as for those who are at Jerusalem, saith the prophet, they shall be scourged by all people, because they crucify the God of Israel, and turn their hearts aside, rejecting signs and wonders, and the power and glory of the God of Israel.		Even those people who do reside in a distant land, even Jerusalem, they shall be punished because they have crucified their God. And they have rejected the signs and wonders and power and glory which doth accompany the God of Israel.
14 And because they turn their hearts aside, saith the prophet, and have despised the Holy One of Israel, they shall wander in the flesh, and perish, and become a hiss and a byword, and be hated among all nations.		And because of their pride they shall be hated among many nations.
15 Nevertheless, when that day cometh, saith the prophet, that they no more turn aside their hearts against the Holy One of Israel, then will he remember the covenants which he made to their fathers.		But when they shall turn again unto Him and remember the Holy One of Israel, He shall fulfill those promises which were made unto them through their fathers.
16 Yea, then will he remember the isles of the sea; yea, and all the people who are of the house of Israel, will I gather in, saith the Lord, according to the words of the prophet Zenos, from the four quarters of the earth.		(not included)
17 Yea, and all the earth shall see the salvation of the Lord, saith the prophet; every nation, kindred, tongue and people shall be blessed.		And all the earth shall see Him and they shall all be blessed.

We don't have time to compare and contrast all the intriguing differences and similarities (e.g., Suran omits verses speaking directly of "the isles of the sea"); however, it's clear that Suran 3 is not copying directly from 1 Nephi 19 (as we see from time to time with the Book of Mormon and KJV). Rather, there is enough evidence to suggest they are variations on a single source. Now this is interesting because in these verses, Nephi is quoting a compilation of Messianic prophecies by the extra-Biblical Zenock, Zenos, and Neum, and Suran follows the same verse order, which would indicate these prophecies were packaged together within the record they're citing--in Nephi's case, the Brass Plates, and the Record of the Ancients for Suran. Meaning, the Record of the Ancients could represent a rough equivalent of the Brass Plates. (As a tangential aside, brass in Shakespearean and King James speak really means any bronze alloy or even just copper, rather than our modern alloy of brass.) Unfortunately, the Record of the Ancients will not be published until after the Kingdom of Maharlika has been established.

ANOTHER ELISHA Q&A... (from last August)

So as part of this catching up thing, I'm working back through old drafts, topics, and other newsworthy items that didn't get published over this past year. One such item was Elisha posting answers to more questions back in August on the official website. Here's a quick rehash; the full version can be found HERE.

What is the "other work of translation" that you were commanded to start five years after the first? (This was one of my questions from Visions 3, Part 5.)
"I can't answer that at this time. It will be known soon."

Thanks, Elisha ; ) Here are my musings from Visions 3, Part 5:

However, [the Lord] also speaks of "another work of translation", and at this moment, I'm not sure what that entails, but it would've been translated in 1991 or thereabouts. From Christ's words, it seems to be something other than a record of the people of the islands.

Are you authorized to confer priesthood authority on others?
"The priesthood of God is given through the offices in His church. This movement is primarily based on the freedom of this people in establishing God's government. The widespread establishment of the priesthood among this is important but at this time I have not been called to do so."

I think it's interesting that he makes the distinction between God's church and government. Remember, when Christ visits Elisha, He says He is establishing a kingdom unto Himself. Also, when the three visitors confer the priesthood upon Elisha, he doesn't record them ordaining him to any office. Rather, he is solely authorized to preach and teach.

Does the reference in Suran 6 & 8 to the law given to the children of Israel refer to the law given to Moses? If so, how is it that David the Levite would have possessed this law if he was born in the same generation of Moses and had escaped into the wilderness? Did he have the law given from Moses after the exodus and before his escape?
"Yes and no. The descendants of Ophir [from Shem] were not under the Law of Moses. [It hadn't been given yet.] Yet, the descendants of David [from Levi] were." After these people came together, there was a unified law that was equitable for both people. "David was born [several generations] after Moses.... This is not clear in the currently published portion, but is clear in The History of the Ophir.... He had the law of Moses."

We'll discuss this in a few chapters. There was a big brouhaha over which law was the right one among these mixed peoples -- the law of the Patriarchs or Moses.

Who and what does Suran 9-11 refer to in Filipino history?
He talked briefly about chapter 9, but I think some things got lost in translation. Chapters 10-11 are a symbolic prophecy about the history of the Philippines and their ally and enemy nations.

Who are the five datu? Where is the palace of the datu? Who are the clans and armies and kingdoms of the datu? Has the secret gathering of the kingdoms of the datu spoken of in Ahkman 37 already taken place?
"Five lords or kings that will rule a kingdom of mercenary warriors. They will be established after the publishing of the Aklatan. I don't know if this has already been completed or not.... To my knowledge [the palace] has not been built yet but it is possible that it already has been.... The clans are the kingdoms of the five datu. They are a warrior people.... [The secret gathering has] not to my knowledge [taken place]. Yet, because I don't know who the five datu are, I can't say for certain that it has not happened."

These datu and their palace are referenced in Ahkman 33-37. It's interesting that he doesn't know if all this has happened yet. Seems to be beyond his calling and jurisdiction.

What does Enoch's vision of the bulls represent, and why is it important?
"I don't know the answer to this yet. I assume it is about a prophecy which will be fulfilled."

This is from Akhman 29--Enoch's dream of white, red, and black bulls. I still haven't researched yet myself but am excited to get there. There might be a match somewhere among other Enoch apocrypha.

Are there any eyewitnesses to the claims of Elisha, such as completing the translation by 1987?
"There are no witnesses to the translation. There are witnesses to my preaching since that time... scattered throughout the Philippines."

Does Elisha regularly receive revelations/prophecies?
"My revelations usually come in groups centered around certain topics. I won't say that they occur regularly, however they have occurred throughout my life since my vision. I hope someday to publish my journals, so others can learn of my experiences."

PLAYING CATCH-UP

Hello everyone! We're back online!

It's been exactly one year since I last worked on a blogpost, and boy, what a busy whirlwind year! I've had a lot of changes in my life, and I've been reading, studying, and learning a lot. God is good, and His work and plan is much bigger than we can comprehend.

So here's to playing catch-up for a "lost" year.