Hosea 3

This morning, I just want to include several scriptures from ancient prophets.  First, Hosea spoke much of the relationship between God and Israel being much like the husband and the wife.  But of great importance was his prophecies concerning our day -

"For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim:
5 Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; and shall fear the LORD and his goodness in the latter days."  (Old Testament | Hosea 3:4 - 5)

Without an ephod would suggest to me that priesthood authority or work would not be had for a period.  But would be restored in the latter days.

Joel prophesied -

"...it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
29 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.
31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.
32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call."  (Old Testament | Joel 2:28 - 32)

In a 2002 general conference talk by President Gordon B. Hinckley, he said of the preceding verses of Joel -

“The era in which we live is the fulness of times spoken of in the scriptures, when God has brought together all of the elements of previous dispensations. From the day that He and His Beloved Son manifested themselves to the boy Joseph, there has been a tremendous cascade of enlightenment poured out upon the world. The hearts of men have turned to their fathers in fulfillment of the words of Malachi. The vision of Joel has been fulfilled wherein he declared:” (“ Living in the Fulness of Times,” Ensign, November 2001, page 4)

Amos taught -

"Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets."  (Old Testament | Amos 3:7)

Which fully applies in our day.