Chapter 4 (JSCB)

"And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold." (Revelation 4:4 – KJV)

"And in the midst of the throne were four and twenty seats. And upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting clothed in white raiment, and they had on their heads crowns like gold." (Revelation 4:4 – JST)

Notable changes to Revelation 4:4:
• KJV: The four and twenty elders "had on their heads crowns of gold."
• JST: The four and twenty elders "had on their heads crowns like gold."

The King James Version (KJV) of Revelation 4:4 describes the twenty-four elders. They are seen as being seated "round about the throne" of God. This imagery suggests that the elders are encircling the throne, surrounding it on all sides. The Joseph Smith Translation (JST) changes the location of the seats to "in the midst of the throne." This alteration emphasizes the proximity of the elders to the throne of God, and their close relationship with Him. They are not merely surrounding the throne but are seated in the midst of it. This indicates their intimate connection to God's divine presence. The KJV describes the elders as wearing "crowns of gold." This description suggests that the crowns are made of pure gold, a precious and valuable metal. The JST, however, changes the description to "crowns like gold." This change suggests that the crowns are not made of actual gold but rather something that resembles it.

Without even thinking twice, Joseph added to and took away from the words of this verse. He even changed “gold” to “like gold”. Is this type of change significant to people? Absolutely! This changes the entire story. The four and twenty elders either had crowns of gold or something else. Later in Revelation, we hear about the streets of God in Revelation, chapter 21. It makes me wonder if this chapter was changed, would "gold" be changed to "like gold"? This verse in Revelation 4:4, also highlights the location of the twenty-four elders. This is different in the JST, along with their crowns. However, if someone told you to sit in seats around a stadium, should you sit before the stage instead? No. And if God gave you gold, would He lie about it? Of course not. This is something to think about. How interesting that Joseph Smith died before finishing his translation. What we have today can be seen in the footnotes of the KJV Bible in Mormonism.

"And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God." (Revelation 4:5 – KJV)

"And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven servants of God." (Revelation 4:5 – JST)

Notable changes to Revelation 4:5:
• KJV: Seven Spirits are mentioned. It is written, "the seven Spirits of God."
• JST: Seven servants are mentioned in place of Spirits. It is written, "the seven servants of God."

The King James Version (KJV) of Revelation 4:5 describes the seven lamps of fire burning before the throne of God. These are "the seven Spirits of God." They are called angels of God, and shine brightly before Him and his throne. The Joseph Smith Translation (JST) changes the description of the seven lamps of fire to "the seven servants of God." This alteration doesn't even align with the interpretation of the seven candlesticks, as representing the seven churches in Revelation 1:20. We see candlesticks in that verse, while we have lamps in this one. This signifies the one who holds the candles, which are the spirits or angels. Replacing Spirits with servants removes the importance of angelic beings from the picture. It appears like these individuals are representatives on earth in the churches, and no longer heavenly beings.

As we look in detail at Revelation 4:5, we see a big problem comparing the translations. In the KJV’s translation, the verse says the following. It is written, “the seven lamps of fire burning before the throne” are described as the “seven Spirits of God”. This translation is consistent with other word-for-word translations of the Bible. Therefore, it is not something people should think to add to or take away. On the other hand, in the JST, the seven lamps are interpreted as the “seven servants of God”. This could possibly relate to the importance of the role of prophets or spiritual leaders in Mormonism. So, to sum it up, the difference lies in how each translation interprets what the “seven lamps of fire” symbolizes. It is either the “seven Spirits of God” (KJV) or the “seven servants of God” (JST).  It can't be both options.

"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 – KJV)

"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." (Revelation 4:6 – JST)

Notable changes to Revelation 4:6:
• KJV: The four beasts are "in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne."
• JST: The four beasts are round about the throne and behind it. It is written, "round about the throne were four beasts full of eyes before and behind."
• JST: Instead of the four beasts being in the midst of the throne, we have the twenty-four elders. It is written, "and in the midst of the throne were the four and twenty elders."

The King James Version (KJV) of Revelation 4:6 describes the location of the four beasts. They are seen as being "in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne." This imagery suggests that the beasts are both within the throne and surrounding it. This emphasizes their proximity to God and their central role with God in heaven. The Joseph Smith Translation (JST) attempts to clarify the location by adding in the twenty-four elders to the verse. In so doing, they are now said to be in the midst of the throne, and not the four beasts. Where the four beasts are now limited to being round about the throne, before, and behind it. Can you not see the issue with Joseph removing the fact that the four beasts are also "in the midst of the throne"?

What we see in the JST is an emphasis on the four and twenty elders over the four beasts. How they are in the midst of the throne of God, where the four beasts are not. This alteration emphasizes the proximity of the elders to God, and not the beasts. As you can see, the story has changed dramatically. We can imagine one thing with the four beasts, and how they are situated around and before the throne. However, we see something entirely different when we read the JST. The imagery in this verse changes, and we see elders sitting in front of the throne. The beasts surround it from all sides. What story sounds truer than the other? The KJV translation, of course. Other word-for-word translations agree with the King James Version rendition of this verse.

"Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar." (Proverbs 30:5,6)

Solomon warned that adding to God's words would lead to reproach and being labeled a liar. Unfortunately, Joseph Smith ignored this advice, as evidenced by his creation of the Joseph Smith Translation (JST) of the Bible. Smith believed he was superior to the original translators. Therefore, he made over 3400 changes to the King James Version (KJV), including additions and subtractions from the text. This is a problem because the JST is not a true translation, but rather a reinterpretation based on the KJV.

The Book of Revelation contains a stern warning from God about altering the words of the book of prophecy. The warning is clear: do not add to or subtract from the text in any way. This is important to remember because the Bible is divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit. There are serious consequences for those who dare tamper with God's words. Those who add to the text will be afflicted by God's plagues, which are described in this book. Whoever takes away from the prophecy will have their names removed from the book of life and be shut out of the holy city. In other words, they will die and go to hell, where they will suffer in fire and brimstone until the Great White Throne Judgment Seat. On that day, they will be told by Jesus that their names are not in the Lamb's book of life, and they will experience the second death in the lake of fire.

It may seem harsh, but the JST is nothing more than trash. It is a corrupted and demonic version of the Bible that should be burned in a fire. In fact, if you are reading this, why not gather all the Bibles with the JST footnotes and burn them in a bonfire? Doing so will bring a sense of relief to your soul. If you see no harm in keeping a corrupted Bible in your possession, then that's a problem. Just know that demonic spirits may be lurking in your midst, or abiding within you. When we go to a corrupted translation like the JST for answers, Satan is very happy about this. It means that people are not trusting in the translation, but trusting in what man said instead.

Many people, like Joseph Smith, live in their own pride and arrogance. Smith was cocky and arrogant. He thought he had the right to not only steal other men's wives but also to add and remove from the Bible. This was the height of his arrogance. Thankfully, God's wrath fell upon him at a young age, and he could not carry on his evil plans any longer. At the age of 38, this pedophile and false prophet took his last breath in the Carthage jail. He was unable to change any more verses in the Bible or take any more 14-year-old girls as his wife. It was in his death that he woke up in hell, where his spirit is now tormented in flames of fire. In these fiery depths, he has no water to quench his thirst. Therefore, he will remain confined in this prison until judgment day. At that time, he will find out that his name is not in the Lamb's book of life. The consequence is being cast into the lake of fire while in his resurrected body, and experiencing a second death. This will take place since he added to and took away from the Bible. He was sexually immoral, having many wives, and also a false prophet.

In summary, we are cautioned by God not to add to or take away from the Book of Revelation. There are serious consequences for those who do, as evidenced by what happened to Joseph Smith. The Bible is divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit. Anyone who changes the text of the Bible is not working for God but against Him. The consequences of what Joseph Smith did are severe. That is why he is being tormented in hell and paying for his crimes. Instead of being in paradise with the righteous, he is suffering in fire and brimstone because of his crimes. This will continue until the final judgment. At that point, he will be told by Jesus that his name is not in the Lamb's book of life. Everything will be made known to him, and how he was the benefactor of leading millions of people astray. This is the reason he will be cast in the lake of fire, where his resurrected body will die, and his spirit will remain. This is the second death. Only those in heaven live forever in their resurrected bodies. Amen.