Christ Comes, Islands Flee, Mountains Cease

Revelation 16:17-21; Three natural changes in the earth—all apparently growing out of one transcendent happening—are here named as attending our Lord's Second Coming. They are:

Revelation 16:17-21; 1. Earth's land masses shall unite; islands and continents shall become one land.

Revelation 16:17-21; 2. Every valley shall be exalted and every mountain shall be made low; the rugged terrain of today shall level out into a millennial garden.

Revelation 16:17-21; 3. Such an earthquake as has never been known since man's foot was planted on this planet shall attend these changes in the earth's surface and appearance.

Revelation 16:17-21; And, fourthly, as recorded elsewhere, the great deep—presumably the Atlantic ocean—shall return to its place in the north, "and the earth shall be like as it was in the days before it was divided." (D&C 133:21-24.)

Revelation 16:18; 18. A great earthquake] The rearrangement of mountains, valleys, islands, continents, and oceans—in the very nature of things—will cause the greatest earthquake of the ages. When the Lord at his coming, for instance, sets his feet "upon the mount of Olives," that holy mount "shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south." Of those in Jerusalem, in that day, the revealed record recites: "And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee." (Zechariah 14:4-5.)

Revelation 16:19; 19. The cities of the nations fell] All worldly kingdoms shall be destroyed; none shall remain; the Lord shall make "a full end of all nations." (D&C 87:6.)

Revelation 16:19; Babylon came in remembrance] See Revelation 18:1-24.

Revelation 16:20; 20. Every island fled away] "He shall command the great deep, and it shall be driven back into the north countries, and the islands shall become one land; And the land of Jerusalem and the land of Zion shall be turned back into their own place, and the earth shall be like as it was in the days before it was divided." (D&C 133:23-24.)

Revelation 16:20; The mountains were not found] He "shall break down the mountains and the valleys shall not be found." (D&C 133:22.) The mountains shall flow down at his presence. (Isaiah 64:1; D&C 133:40, 44.) "Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain." (Isaiah 40:4.) See Revelation 6:12-17.

Revelation 16:21; 21. Hail out of heaven] See Revelation 8:1-13.