Who has not heard of Joseph Smith? Well, if you haven’t, the short story is that he was a false prophet and a con-man that has led millions of people astray. You see, he wrote his own version of the Bible, called the Joseph Smith Translation (JST). This is where he blatantly changed over 3400+ verses in the King James Bible (KJV). Does this sound like a man of God? No. Would God’s prophet take the KJV Bible and change it to his liking? No. An example of Joseph Smith smearing the words of the Bible around and then laying in his own truth comes in the Book of Revelation. Turn with me to Revelation 4:6, and I’ll show an example of the issues between these two translations. In the KJV, it mentions “four beasts full of eyes before and behind” in the midst of the throne and round about the throne. In contrast, the JST identifies “the four and twenty elders” as being in the midst of the throne, while the “four beasts full of eyes before and behind” are mentioned as being round about the throne. This directly changes the story and who is identified as being in direct proximity to the throne. Where in the KJV it only mentions the beasts, but the JST includes the twenty-four elders as well. See below for details…
Revelation 4:6 (KJV)
6 And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.
Revelation 4:6 (Joseph Smith Translation)
6 And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal. And in the midst of the throne were the four and twenty elders, and round about the throne were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.
We are cautioned by God to not add to or take away from this prophesy, the Book of Revelation. This is because there are many consequences for those who do. #1, do not add to this prophesy, and #2, do not remove from it. This is important to remember as you think of what you just read above with the JST compared to the KJV. Just know that this change happened in over 3400+ verses in the Bible. Truly, the Bible is divinely inspired through the Holy Spirit, and for someone to change the Bible like this means they were not for God but against Him. There are consequences for what Joseph Smith did. God’s plagues are upon him as he is now tormented in hell. Because he took away from this prophecy, his name is removed from the book of life. This means he will be shut out of the holy city, New Jerusalem. So instead of being in paradise with the righteous, Joseph is paying for his crimes in hell. This is where he will suffer in fire and brimstone until the Great White Throne Judgment Seat. At this point, he will be told by Jesus that his name is not in the Lamb’s book of life. Fear will set in as he is then told that the lake of fire is next, of which he will experience the second death. Even in his resurrected body, he will die once again. See below for details…
“For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.” (Revelation 22:18-19)
“And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:12-15)
