📜 4 For, for this intent have we written these things, that they may know that we knew of Christ, and we had a hope of his glory many hundred years before his coming; and not only we ourselves had a hope of his glory, but also all the holy prophets which were before us.
Jacob gives four doctrinal pillars in one verse:
knew — glory — prophets.
Jacob insists they already knew Christ long before His mortal birth. This is not poetic exaggeration; it’s a doctrinal claim echoed across dispensations.
(First subject under knew)
This category gathers every prophetic witness pointing forward to Christ—His birth, mission, suffering, resurrection, and reign.
Key idea:
Before Christ came, prophets didn’t speculate—they testified. Revelation preceded incarnation.
Scriptural pattern:
- God reveals His Son early
- Prophets declare Him openly
- Scripture preserves that witness
- Future generations inherit that knowledge
📜 15 ¶ The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;
(📕 Acts 7
📜 37 ¶ This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear.
📜 23 Behold, I am he of whom Moses spake, saying: A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass that every soul who will not hear that prophet shall be cut off from among the people.)
📜 24 The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born.
(📗 Isaiah 8
📜 14 And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.)
📜 11 And it came to pass after my father had spoken these words he spake unto my brethren concerning the gospel which should be preached among the Jews, and also concerning the dwindling of the Jews in unbelief. And after they had slain the Messiah, who should come, and after he had been slain he should rise from the dead, and should make himself manifest, by the Holy Ghost, unto the Gentiles.
(📒 1 Nephi 11
📜 18 And he said unto me: Behold, the virgin whom thou seest is the mother of the Son of God, after the manner of the flesh.
📜 33 And I, Nephi, saw that he was lifted up upon the cross and slain for the sins of the world.)
📜 26 Not only those who believed after he came in the meridian of time, in the flesh, but all those from the beginning, even as many as were before he came, who believed in the words of the holy prophets, who spake as they were inspired by the gift of the Holy Ghost, who truly testified of him in all things, should have eternal life,
📜 42 And Isaiah, who declared by prophecy that the Redeemer was anointed to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that were bound, were also there.)
📚 Moses 6
📜 57 Wherefore teach it unto your children, that all men, everywhere, must repent, or they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God, for no unclean thing can dwell there, or dwell in his presence; for, in the language of Adam, Man of Holiness is his name, and the name of his Only Begotten is the Son of Man, even Jesus Christ, a righteous Judge, who shall come in the meridian of time.
Jacob’s phrase “that they may know that we knew” is a chain of transmission:
Revelation → Record → Remembrance → Recognition.
The prophetic record is unified and ancient. Long before Christ came in the flesh, God revealed His Son to chosen witnesses. Moses foresaw a Prophet like unto himself. Isaiah foresaw both His sanctuary and His rejection. Nephi saw His birth, His mother, His ministry, His crucifixion, and His resurrection. The prophets taught that the Messiah would be slain, would rise again, and would manifest Himself by the Holy Ghost to the Gentiles. Modern revelation confirms that all who believed the prophets before His coming stand on equal ground with those who believed after. Even Adam knew Him as the Only Begotten, the Son of Man, who would come in the meridian of time.
Jacob’s phrase “that they may know that we knew” captures the entire pattern. Knowledge of Christ begins with revelation. Revelation becomes record. Record becomes remembrance. Remembrance becomes recognition. Through this chain, every generation receives the same witness: Christ was prophesied, promised, and known long before He appeared among men.
(Second subject under knew)
Testimony is the mechanism by which prophets knew Christ before He came.
Key truths:
- Testimony is Spirit‑given
- Testimony is Christ‑centered
- Testimony is not limited by time
- The Spirit of Christ reveals Christ
This is why:
- Peter says revelation does not come from “flesh and blood.”
- Jacob says he has both heard and seen.
- Moroni says we may know that He is by the Holy Ghost.
📗 Job 19
📜 25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:
📜 10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
📒 Mormon 9
📜 25 And whosoever shall believe in my name, doubting nothing, unto him will I confirm all my words, even unto the ends of the earth.
📜 31 But if they reject not my words, which shall be established by the testimony which shall be given, blessed are they, and then shall ye have joy in the fruit of your labors.
📜 26 I had now got my mind satisfied so far as the sectarian world was concerned—that it was not my duty to join with any of them, but to continue as I was until further directed. I had found the testimony of James to be true—that a man who lacked wisdom might ask of God, and obtain, and not be upbraided.
Testimony is the bridge between eternity and mortality.
Testimony is how prophets knew Christ before He came. Job could declare with certainty that his Redeemer lived. John was taught that the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. Mormon affirmed that Christ confirms His words to all who believe without doubting. The Doctrine and Covenants teaches that the Lord’s words are established by testimony, and Joseph Smith learned firsthand that those who ask God in faith receive divine knowledge. Testimony is Spirit‑given, Christ‑centered, and not bound by time. It is the means by which ancient prophets heard, saw, and knew the Messiah long before His mortal birth. It is the bridge between eternity and mortality.
Jacob says they had a hope of Christ’s glory centuries before His birth.
Topical Guide: Jesus Christ, Glory of
This category gathers scriptures describing His divine radiance, His majesty, His future coming, and His eternal identity.
Doctrinal insight:
Prophets didn’t just know facts about Christ—they hoped in His glory, meaning:
- His divine nature
- His redeeming power
- His future triumph
- His eternal identity as Son of God
📜 28 As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.
📜 30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
📒 Alma 9
📜 26 And not many days hence the Son of God shall come in his glory; and his glory shall be the glory of the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace, equity, and truth, full of patience, mercy, and long-suffering, quick to hear the cries of his people and to answer their prayers.
📜 16 And I will show it plainly as I showed it unto my disciples as I stood before them in the flesh, and spake unto them, saying: As ye have asked of me concerning the signs of my coming, in the day when I shall come in my glory in the clouds of heaven, to fulfil the promises that I have made unto your fathers,
📜 44 And then they shall look for me, and, behold, I will come; and they shall see me in the clouds of heaven, clothed with power and great glory; with all the holy angels; and he that watches not for me shall be cut off.
📜 46 Wherefore, if ye have slept in peace blessed are you; for as you now behold me and know that I am, even so shall ye come unto me and your souls shall live, and your redemption shall be perfected; and the saints shall come forth from the four quarters of the earth.
📜 67 And the glory of the Lord shall be there, and the terror of the Lord also shall be there, insomuch that the wicked will not come unto it, and it shall be called Zion.
📜 17 It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound. When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!
Hope in Christ’s glory is hope in His character, not His chronology.
Ancient prophets did more than anticipate Christ’s arrival; they hoped in His glory. Ezekiel saw the radiant brightness surrounding the likeness of the Lord. Christ Himself taught that the Son of Man would return in clouds with power and great glory. Alma testified that the Son of God would come in the glory of the Only Begotten—full of grace, equity, truth, patience, and mercy. Modern revelation affirms that Christ will again appear clothed with power and great glory, fulfilling promises made to the fathers, gathering the saints, and establishing Zion. Joseph Smith’s First Vision confirms that divine glory is real, personal, and transformative, shining beyond mortal description. Hope in Christ’s glory is hope in who He is—His divine nature, His redeeming power, His future triumph, and His eternal identity as the Son of God.
Jacob’s final phrase is the most sweeping:
“all the holy prophets which were before us.”
📜 27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
Christ Himself teaches that Moses and all the prophets testified of Him.
📜 11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.
The Spirit of Christ in the prophets testified beforehand of:
- His sufferings
- His glory
🗝📜 11 And I said unto him: Then ye do not understand them; for they truly testify of Christ. Behold, I say unto you that none of the prophets have written, nor prophesied, save they have spoken concerning this Christ.
📜 12 And this is not all—it has been made manifest unto me, for I have heard and seen; and it also has been made manifest unto me by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, I know if there should be no atonement made all mankind must be lost.
Jacob declares that none of the prophets have written except they testified of Christ.
🗝📜 33 For behold, did not Moses prophesy unto them concerning the coming of the Messiah, and that God should redeem his people? Yea, and even all the prophets who have prophesied ever since the world began—have they not spoken more or less concerning these things?
📜 34 Have they not said that God himself should come down among the children of men, and take upon him the form of man, and go forth in mighty power upon the face of the earth?
📜 35 Yea, and have they not said also that he should bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, and that he, himself, should be oppressed and afflicted?
Moses and all the prophets since the world began prophesied of:
- His coming
- His mortal ministry
- His afflictions
- His resurrection
📜 26 Not only those who believed after he came in the meridian of time, in the flesh, but all those from the beginning, even as many as were before he came, who believed in the words of the holy prophets, who spake as they were inspired by the gift of the Holy Ghost, who truly testified of him in all things, should have eternal life,
Those who believed in Christ before He came receive eternal life just as those who believed after.
Doctrinal conclusion:
Prophecy of Christ is universal, ancient, and consistent.
Revelation is not bound by time.
Christ is the center of all scripture.
Jacob’s declaration that “all the holy prophets” testified of Christ is confirmed across every volume of scripture. Christ Himself taught that Moses and all the prophets spoke of Him. Peter explained that the Spirit of Christ within ancient prophets testified beforehand of His sufferings and the glory that would follow. Jacob affirmed that none of the prophets ever wrote or prophesied except they spoke concerning Christ, and Mosiah taught that all prophets since the world began declared His coming, His ministry, His afflictions, and His resurrection. Modern revelation adds that those who believed these prophetic testimonies before His mortal birth receive eternal life just as surely as those who believed afterward. Prophetic witness of Christ is universal, ancient, and unbroken. Revelation is not bound by time, and Christ stands at the center of all scripture.
"that they may know that we knew of Christ”
— Prophets possessed revealed knowledge of the Messiah. They did not wait for His birth to understand His identity, mission, or atoning role. Their knowledge came through prophecy and testimony given by the Spirit of Christ.
“we had a hope of his glory many hundred years before his coming” — Hope in Christ’s glory existed long before His mortal ministry. Glory refers to His divine nature, redeeming power, and future triumph. Ancient prophets anchored their faith in the same Christ we worship now.
“not only we ourselves… but also all the holy prophets which were before us” — Jacob affirms a universal prophetic chorus. From the earliest prophets onward, revelation consistently pointed to Christ. No true prophet ever taught a gospel without Him at the center.
Jacob 4:4 establishes that prophetic witness of Christ predates His birth by centuries. Prophets knew Him, hoped in Him, and testified of Him long before He came in the flesh. Revelation about Christ is not bound by time; it is the unbroken thread running through all scripture.
Jacob 4:4 is not an isolated claim. It is the doctrinal key that unlocks the entire prophetic tradition.
Before Christ came:
- Prophets knew Him
- They bore testimony of Him
- They hoped in His glory
- And all prophets pointed to Him
Why this matters:
Because Christ is not merely the fulfillment of prophecy—
• He is the source of prophecy.
• The Spirit of Christ reveals Christ.
• Therefore prophets across time speak with one voice.
This is why Jacob can say with confidence:
“We knew of Christ.”
▪︎ Not metaphorically.
▪︎ Not symbolically.
▪︎ But by revelation.
Across the entire Bible, one truth rises above every story, symbol, prophecy, and covenant: Jesus Christ stands at the center. From Genesis to Revelation, the scriptures form a single, continuous testimony of the Redeemer. The earliest patriarchs looked forward to Him. The prophets foresaw His birth, His ministry, His suffering, His resurrection, and His triumph. The psalmists sang of Him. The law pointed to Him. The ordinances foreshadowed Him. The apostles bore witness of Him. Revelation crowns Him as Alpha and Omega, the Lamb slain and the King who returns in glory.
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