Bible Study Guides

Bible Study Guide – Parables from the Master Teacher – Tares Among the Wheat

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July 14, 2019 – July 20, 2019

Key Text

“Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field” (Matthew 13:24).

Study Help:  Christ’s Object Lessons, 70–75.

Introduction

“Many will be in heaven who their neighbors supposed would never enter there. Man judges from appearance, but God judges the heart. The tares and the wheat are to grow together until the harvest; and the harvest is the end of probationary time.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 72.

Sunday

THE WORK OF GOD

  • Where was the good seed sown? Matthew 13:24.

Note: “ ‘The field,’ Christ said, ‘is the world’ (Matthew 13:38). But we must understand this as signifying the church of Christ in the world. The parable is a description of that which pertains to the kingdom of God, His work of salvation of men; and this work is accomplished through the church. True, the Holy Spirit has gone out into all the world; everywhere it is moving upon the hearts of men; but it is in the church that we are to grow and ripen for the garner of God.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 70.

  • What is the object of God’s highest regard in this world? Zechariah 2:8, last part; Ephesians 5:25.

 Note: “I testify to my brethren and sisters that the church of Christ, enfeebled and defective as it may be, is the only object on earth on which He bestows His supreme regard. While He extends to all the world His invitation to come to Him and be saved, He commissions His angels to render divine help to every soul that cometh to Him in repentance and contrition, and He comes personally by His Holy Spirit into the midst of His church.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 15.

Monday

HINDERING THE WORK OF THE ENEMY

  • Who else is engaged in sowing, and what does he sow? Matthew 13:38, 39.

Note: “The tares represent a class who are the fruit or embodiment of error, of false principles. ‘The enemy that sowed them is the devil’ (Matthew 13:39). Neither God nor His angels ever sowed a seed that would produce a tare. The tares are always sown by Satan, the enemy of God and man.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 71.

“While the Lord brings into the church those who are truly converted, Satan at the same time brings persons who are not converted into its fellowship. While Christ is sowing the good seed, Satan is sowing the tares. There are two opposing influences continually exerted on the members of the church. One influence is working for the purification of the church, and the other for the corrupting of the people of God.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 46.

  • In the parable, when did the enemy work? Matthew 13:25. What can we learn from this?

Note: “When the word is spoken, you should remember, brethren, that you are listening to the voice of God through His delegated servant. Listen attentively. Sleep not for one instant, because by this slumber you may lose the very words that you need most—the very words which, if heeded, would save your feet from straying into wrong paths. … Sometimes young men and women have so little reverence for the house and worship of God that they keep up a continual communication with each other during the sermon. Could these see the angels of God looking upon them and marking their doings, they would be filled with shame, with abhorrence of themselves. God wants attentive hearers. It was while men slept that Satan sowed his tares.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 493.

  • How could Satan’s work have been prevented? 1 Thessalonians 5:5–8.

 Note: “If faithfulness and vigilance had been preserved, if there had been no sleeping or negligence upon the part of any, the enemy would not have had so favorable an opportunity to sow tares among the wheat. Satan never sleeps. He is watching, and he improves every opportunity to set his agents to scatter error, which finds good soil in many unsanctified hearts.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 113.

Tuesday

WHEAT AND TARES CO-MINGLED

  • What did the servants discern when the blade appeared? Matthew 13:26. What did they propose to do in order to preserve the purity of the crop? Verses 27, 28.

Note: “Christ’s servants are grieved as they see true and false believers mingled in the church. They long to do something to cleanse the church. Like the servants of the householder, they are ready to uproot the tares.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 71.

  • What was the directive of the Master concerning the tares? Why? Matthew 13:29, 30.

Note: “As the tares have their roots closely intertwined with those of the good grain, so false brethren in the church may be closely linked with true disciples. The real character of these pretended believers is not fully manifested. Were they to be separated from the church, others might be caused to stumble, who but for this would have remained steadfast.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 72.

“In His mercy and long-suffering, God bears patiently with the perverse and even the falsehearted. Among Christ’s chosen apostles was Judas the traitor. Should it then be a cause of surprise or discouragement that there are falsehearted ones among His workers today? If He who reads the heart could bear with him who He knew was to be His betrayer, with what patience should we bear with those at fault.” The Ministry of Healing, 493.

  • Why cannot the Master’s instruction be used to justify leaving open sinners in the church? Matthew 18:17; 1 Corinthians 5:6, 11, 13.

Note: “As a people professing to be reformers, treasuring the most solemn, purifying truths of God’s word, we must elevate the standard far higher than it is at the present time. Sin and sinners in the church must be promptly dealt with, that others may not be contaminated. Truth and purity require that we make more thorough work to cleanse the camp from Achans. Let those in responsible positions not suffer sin in a brother. Show him that he must either put away his sins or be separated from the church.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 147.

Wednesday

IN THE CHURCH

  • How is the work of separating the wheat from the tares symbolized? Ezekiel 9:2–4. When does this work begin? Revelation 14:9–13.

Note: “I then saw the third angel. Said my accompanying angel, ‘Fearful is his work. Awful is his mission. He is the angel that is to select the wheat from the tares, and seal, or bind, the wheat for the heavenly garner. These things should engross the whole mind, the whole attention.’ ” Early Writings, 118.

“The time of the judgment is a most solemn period, when the Lord gathers His own from among the tares. Those who have been members of the same family are separated. A mark is placed upon the righteous.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 234.

“The angel is to place a mark upon the forehead of all who are separated from sin and sinners, and the destroying angel will follow, to slay utterly both old and young.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 505.

  • Why is God the only One capable of judging those who are not open sinners? Psalm 7:9, last part; 44:21; Proverbs 21:2.

 Note: “Should we try to uproot from the church those whom we suppose to be spurious Christians, we should be sure to make mistakes. Often we regard as hopeless subjects the very ones whom Christ is drawing to Himself. Were we to deal with these souls according to our imperfect judgment, it would perhaps extinguish their last hope. Many who think themselves Christians will at last be found wanting.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 71, 72.

  • What evidence shows that the destiny of each class is fixed before the close of probation? Revelation 22:11.

Note: “There is no time when all the wicked will turn to God. The wheat and the tares grow together until the harvest. …

“When the work of the gospel is completed, there immediately follows the separation between the good and the evil, and the destiny of each class is forever fixed.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 123.

Thursday

IN THE WORLD

  • For what purpose will the wheat be in contact with the tares in the world until the very end? 1 Peter 2:9, last part.

 Note: “The day is just upon us when the righteous shall be bound like precious grain in bundles for the heavenly garner, while the wicked are, like the tares, gathered for the fires of the last great day. But the wheat and tares ‘grow together until the harvest’ (Matthew 13:30). In the discharge of life’s duties the righteous will to the last be brought in contact with the ungodly. The children of light are scattered among the children of darkness, that the contrast may be seen by all. Thus are the children of God to ‘show forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvellous light’ (1 Peter 2:9).” Testimonies, vol. 5, 100.

  • What great separation will take place in the very end? Matthew 13:40–43; 15:13; 24:31. What Old Testament feast pointed to that time? Leviticus 23:34.

Note: “The Feast of Tabernacles was not only commemorative but typical. It not only pointed back to the wilderness sojourn, but, as the feast of harvest, it celebrated the ingathering of the fruits of the earth, and pointed forward to the great day of final ingathering, when the Lord of the harvest shall send forth His reapers to gather the tares together in bundles for the fire, and to gather the wheat into His garner. At that time the wicked will all be destroyed.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 541.

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1     Where are we to grow in our faith, and how does God send help for us?

2    How can you prevent Satan from sowing tares in your heart while you are at church?

3    Why should we be long-suffering with our brethren and sisters?

4    Why can’t we uproot from the church those whom we think are tares?

5    What is the purpose of the children of light being scattered among the children of darkness? Do I blend in with the light or the darkness?

Bible Study Guide – Parables from the Master Teacher – Planting the Seed of Truth

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July 7. 2019 – July 13, 2019

Key Text

“Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not” (Galatians 6:9).

Study Help: Christ’s Object Lessons, 62–69, 76–89.

Introduction

“While the human sower is planting the seed to sustain our earthly life, the Divine Sower will plant in the soul the seed that will bring forth fruit unto life everlasting.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 89.

Sunday

THE POWER IS FROM GOD

  • To whom do we owe our existence? Acts 17:28; Isaiah 44:24.
  • What two things does God provide to all mankind in order to sustain life? Matthew 5:45. How does God’s power work in the spiritual realm? Isaiah 55:10, 11.

Note: “There is life in the seed, there is power in the soil; but unless an infinite power is exercised day and night, the seed will yield no returns. The showers of rain must be sent to give moisture to the thirsty fields, the sun must impart heat, electricity must be conveyed to the buried seed. The life which the Creator has implanted, He alone can call forth. Every seed grows, every plant develops, by the power of God. …

“As in the natural, so in the spiritual sowing; the teacher of truth must seek to prepare the soil of the heart; he must sow the seed; but the power that alone can produce life is from God. There is a point beyond which human effort is in vain. While we are to preach the word, we can not impart the power that will quicken the soul, and cause righteousness and praise to spring forth. In the preaching of the word there must be the working of an agency beyond any human power. Only through the divine Spirit will the word be living and powerful to renew the soul unto eternal life.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 63, 64.

Monday

SOWING THE SEED

  • What is represented by the seed in the parables of Jesus? Luke 8:11.
  • Where should we sow this seed? Ecclesiastes 11:6; Isaiah 32:20.

Note: “To sow beside all waters means to give wherever our help is needed. This will not tend to poverty. ‘He which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully’ (2 Corinthians 9:6). By casting it away the sower multiplies his seed. So by imparting we increase our blessings. God’s promise assures a sufficiency, that we may continue to give.

“More than this: as we impart the blessings of this life, gratitude in the recipient prepares the heart to receive spiritual truth, and a harvest is produced unto life everlasting. …

“The life that will be preserved is the life that is freely given in service to God and man.” Education, 109, 110.

  • How should we sow the gospel seed, and why? 2 Corinthians 9:6.

Note: “We are to sow beside all waters, keeping our souls in the love of God, working while it is day, using the means entrusted to us in the Master’s service. Whatever our hands find to do, we are to do it with cheerfulness; whatever sacrifice we are called upon to make, we are to make it cheerfully. As we sow beside all waters, we shall realize the truth of the words, ‘He which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully’ (2 Corinthians 9:6, last part).

“We owe everything to grace, sovereign grace. Grace ordained our redemption, our regeneration, and our adoption to heirship with Jesus Christ. Let this grace be revealed to others.

“The Saviour takes those whom He finds will be molded, and uses them for His own name’s glory. He uses material that others would pass by, and works in all who will give themselves to Him. He delights to take apparently hopeless material, those whom Satan has debased, and through whom he has worked, and make them the subjects of His grace. He rejoices to deliver them from suffering, and from the wrath that is to fall upon the disobedient. He makes His children His agents in the accomplishment of this work, and in its success, even in this life, they find a precious reward.” Reflecting Christ, 256.

Tuesday

THE GROWTH OF THE SEED

  • How does the good seed grow in the heart? Zechariah 4:6; Hosea 14:5, 7; Mark 4:26, 27.

Note: “The plant grows by receiving that which God has provided to sustain its life. It sends down its roots into the earth. It drinks in the sunshine, the dew, and the rain. It receives the life-giving properties from the air. So the Christian is to grow by co-operating with the divine agencies. Feeling our helplessness, we are to improve all the opportunities granted us to gain a fuller experience. As the plant takes root in the soil, so we are to take deep root in Christ. As the plant receives the sunshine, the dew, and the rain, we are to open our hearts to the Holy Spirit.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 66, 67.

  • How do we know whether the seed growing in our heart is good or bad? Luke 6:45. What does God want us to do as the good seed grows within us? Verse 38.

Note: “Words and acts testify plainly what is in the heart. If vanity and pride, love of self and love of dress, fill the heart, the conversation will be upon the fashions, the dress, and the appearance, but not upon Christ or the kingdom of heaven. If envious feelings dwell in the heart, the same will be manifested in words and acts. …

“Some dwell upon what they shall eat and drink and wherewithal they shall be clothed. Their hearts are filled with these thoughts, and they flow out from the abundance of the heart, as though these things were their grand aim in life, their highest attainment.” Our High Calling, 283.

“The heart that has once tasted the love of Christ, cries out continually for a deeper draft, and as you impart you will receive in richer and more abundant measure. …To Jesus, who emptied Himself for the salvation of lost humanity, the Holy Spirit was given without measure. So it will be given to every follower of Christ when the whole heart is surrendered for His indwelling.” Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 20, 21.

  • In what areas of our experience does God especially want to see growth? 2 Peter 3:18; 2 Thessalonians 1:3.

 Wednesday

LESSONS FROM A SMALL SEED

  • What lessons can we learn from the mustard seed? Mark 4:30–32.

Note: “The seed from which sprang this giant [mustard] plant was among the least of all seeds. At first it sent up a tender shoot, but it was of strong vitality, and grew and flourished until it reached its present great size. So the kingdom of Christ in its beginning seemed humble and insignificant. Compared with earthly kingdoms it appeared to be the least of all. By the rulers of this world Christ’s claim to be a king was ridiculed. Yet in the mighty truths committed to His followers the kingdom of the gospel possessed a divine life. And how rapid was its growth, how widespread its influence! When Christ spoke this parable, there were only a few Galilean peasants to represent the new kingdom. Their poverty, the fewness of their numbers, were urged over and over again as a reason why men should not connect themselves with these simple-minded fishermen who followed Jesus. But the mustard seed was to grow and spread forth its branches throughout the world. When the earthly kingdoms whose glory then filled the hearts of men should perish, the kingdom of Christ would remain, a mighty and far-reaching power.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 77, 78.

  • How important are the things in life which we consider just little things? Are they really little things? Song of Solomon 2:15.

Note: “A single grain of wheat, increased by repeated sowings, would cover a whole land with golden sheaves. So widespread may be the influence of a single life, of even a single act.” Education, 109.

  • What do we know about the development of a plant from a seed? Mark 4:26–29. How does this growth relate to our own development?

Note: “In the earliest years of the child’s life the soil of the heart should be carefully prepared for the showers of God’s grace. Then the seeds of truth are to be carefully sown and diligently tended. And God, who rewards every effort made in His name, will put life into the seed sown; and there will appear first the blade, then the ear, then the full corn in the ear.” The Adventist Home, 201.

Thursday

THE LAW OF CAUSE AND EFFECT

  • What will determine what we reap in the harvest? Galatians 6:7, 8; Matthew 7:16, 17.

Note: “By the laws of God in nature, effect follows cause with unvarying certainty. The reaping testifies to the sowing. Here no pretense is tolerated. Men may deceive their fellow men and may receive praise and compensation for service which they have not rendered. But in nature there can be no deception. On the unfaithful husbandman the harvest passes sentence of condemnation. And in the highest sense this is true also in the spiritual realm. … the man in any business or profession who is untrue to his highest responsibilities, may flatter himself that, so long as the wrong is concealed, he is gaining an advantage. But not so; he is cheating himself. The harvest of life is character, and it is this that determines destiny, both for this life and for the life to come.

“The harvest is a reproduction of the seed sown. Every seed yields fruit after its kind. So it is with the traits of character we cherish. Selfishness, self-love, self-esteem, self-indulgence, reproduce themselves, and the end is wretchedness and ruin. … Love, sympathy, and kindness yield fruitage of blessing, a harvest that is imperishable.” Education, 108, 109.

  • What will we reap if we put God above every earthly consideration? Luke 18:29, 30.

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1     Although the seed has life in itself, what is needed to make it grow? What is needed for growth in the spiritual realm?

2    What should be our attitude in sowing the gospel seed? How has the Saviour given us an example in this regard?

3    If we have good seed growing in our heart, what will our conversation be upon?

4    How does the mustard seed illustrate the growth of God’s kingdom?

5    What do we need to sow in order to reap an imperishable harvest?

Bible Study Guide – Parables from the Master Teacher – The Sower

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June 30 – July 6, 2019

Key Text

“For thus saith the Lord to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns” (Jeremiah 4:3).

Study Help: Christ’s Object Lessons, 33–61.

Introduction

“The garden of the heart must be cultivated. The soil must be broken up by deep repentance for sin. Poisonous, Satanic plants must be uprooted. The soil once overgrown by thorns can be reclaimed only by diligent labor. So the evil tendencies of the natural heart can be overcome only by earnest effort in the name and strength of Jesus.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 56.

Sunday

TEACHING IN PARABLES

  • What circumstances existing among God’s professed people at the time of Christ’s ministry made the use of parables necessary? Matthew 13:10–13.

Note: “The gospel of Christ was a stumbling block to them [the Jewish people] because they demanded signs instead of a Saviour. They expected the Messiah to prove His claims by mighty deeds of conquest, to establish His empire on the ruins of earthly kingdoms. This expectation Christ answered in the parable of the sower. Not by force of arms, not by violent interpositions, was the kingdom of God to prevail, but by the implanting of a new principle in the hearts of men.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 35.

  • To what prophecy did Jesus relate His teaching in parables? Isaiah 6:9; Matthew 13:14, 15.

Note: “To minds that were open to the Holy Spirit, the significance of the Saviour’s teaching unfolded more and more. Mysteries grew clear, and that which had been hard to grasp became evident.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 21.

Monday

THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER

  • What was the parable of the sower about? Matthew 13:3–8.

Note: “That with which the parable of the sower chiefly deals is the effect produced on the growth of the seed by the soil into which it is cast. … The question of greatest importance to you is, How do you treat My message? Upon your reception or rejection of it your eternal destiny depends.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 43, 44.

  • What is meant by the seed sown by the wayside? Matthew 13:19.

Note: “The seed sown by the wayside represents the word of God as it falls upon the heart of an inattentive hearer. Like the hard-beaten path, trodden down by the feet of men and beasts, is the heart that becomes a highway for the world’s traffic, its pleasures and sins. Absorbed in selfish aims and sinful indulgences, the soul is ‘hardened through the deceitfulness of sin’ (Hebrews 3:13). The spiritual faculties are paralyzed. Men hear the word, but understand it not. They do not discern that it applies to themselves. They do not realize their need or their danger. They do not perceive the love of Christ, and they pass by the message of His grace as something that does not concern them.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 44.

  • How does God consider those who sow discord in the church? Proverbs 6:16–19. How does this practice aid the devil in his work? Luke 8:11, 12.

Note: “Many who profess to be Christians are aiding the tempter to catch away the seeds of truth from other hearts. Many who listen to the preaching of the word of God make it the subject of criticism at home. … The message that should be regarded as the word of the Lord to them is dwelt upon with trifling or sarcastic comment. The minister’s character, motives, and actions, and the conduct of fellow members of the church, are freely discussed. Severe judgment is pronounced, gossip or slander repeated, and this in the hearing of the unconverted. Often these things are spoken by parents in the hearing of their own children. Thus are destroyed respect for God’s messengers, and reverence for their message. And many are taught to regard lightly God’s word itself.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 45, 46.

Tuesday

UNWILLING TO SACRIFICE

  • What happened to the seed which fell upon stony ground? Matthew 13:20, 21.

Note: “Many who make a profession of religion are stony-ground hearers. Like the rock underlying the layer of earth, the selfishness of the natural heart underlies the soil of their good desires and aspirations. The love of self is not subdued. They have not seen the exceeding sinfulness of sin, and the heart has not been humbled under a sense of its guilt. This class may be easily convinced, and appear to be bright converts, but they have only a superficial religion.

“It is not because men receive the word immediately, nor because they rejoice in it, that they fall away. … [They] do not count the cost. They do not consider what the word of God requires of them. They do not bring it face to face with all their habits of life, and yield themselves fully to its control.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 46, 47.

  • How did the rich young ruler show himself to be a stony-ground hearer? Matthew 19:22. How can we show the same attitude? John 6:60.

Note: “Many receive the gospel as a way of escape from suffering, rather than as a deliverance from sin. They rejoice for a season, for they think that religion will free them from difficulty and trial. While life moves smoothly with them, they may appear to be consistent Christians. But they faint beneath the fiery test of temptation. They cannot bear reproach for Christ’s sake. When the word of God points out some cherished sin, or requires self-denial or sacrifice, they are offended. It would cost them too much effort to make a radical change in their life. They look at the present inconvenience and trial, and forget the eternal realities.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 47, 48.

  • What does God require of us, and how did Jesus leave an example for us? Luke 9:23; Romans 12:1; 5:6–8.

Note: “Christ gave all for us, and those who receive Christ will be ready to sacrifice all for the sake of their Redeemer. The thought of His honor and glory will come before anything else.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 49.

Wednesday

CHOKED BY THE THORNS OF WORLDLINESS

  • What is meant by the thorns which choke the good seed? Mark 4:18, 19; Luke 8:14.
  • What should we remember in order to prevent the cares of this life from choking the good seed of truth? Matthew 6:25–32; Psalm 55:22.

Note: “Christians must work, they must engage in business, and they can do this without committing sin. But many become so absorbed in business that they have no time for prayer, no time for the study of the Bible, no time to seek and serve God. At times the longings of the soul go out for holiness and heaven; but there is no time to turn aside from the din of the world to listen to the majestic and authoritative utterances of the Spirit of God. The things of eternity are made subordinate, the things of the world supreme. It is impossible for the seed of the word to bring forth fruit; for the life of the soul is given to nourish the thorns of worldliness.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 51, 52.

  • What attitude shows that the good seed is being choked by worldly riches? Deuteronomy 8:17.

Note: “The love of riches has an infatuating, deceptive power. Too often those who possess worldly treasure forget that it is God who gives them power to get wealth. … Instead of regarding wealth as a talent to be employed for the glory of God and the uplifting of humanity, they look upon it as a means of serving themselves.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 52.

  • How can we prevent “the lusts of other things” from choking the Word? Mark 4:19; Matthew 6:33, 34.

Note: “ ‘And the lusts of other things’ (Mark 4:19). These are not necessarily things sinful in themselves, but something that is made first instead of the kingdom of God. Whatever attracts the mind from God, whatever draws the affections away from Christ, is an enemy to the soul.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 53.

Thursday

THE SEED PLANTED IN GOOD GROUND

  • If our hearts are like the good ground, how will we receive the word of God? 1 Thessalonians 2:13; Jeremiah 15:16.

Note: “Only he who receives the Scriptures as the voice of God speaking to himself is a true learner. …

“The word of God often comes in collision with man’s hereditary and cultivated traits of character and his habits of life. But the good-ground hearer, in receiving the Word, accepts all its conditions and requirements. His habits, customs, and practices are brought into submission to God’s word. In his view the commands of finite, erring man sink into insignificance beside the word of the infinite God.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 59, 60.

  • How important is the personal cultivation of the heart? Jeremiah 4:3, 4.

Note: “Throughout the parable of the sower, Christ represents the different results of the sowing as depending upon the soil. In every case the sower and the seed are the same. Thus He teaches that if the word of God fails of accomplishing its work in our hearts and lives, the reason is to be found in ourselves. But the result is not beyond our control. True, we cannot change ourselves; but the power of choice is ours, and it rests with us to determine what we will become. The wayside, the stony-ground, the thorny-ground hearers need not remain such. The Spirit of God is ever seeking to break the spell of infatuation that holds men absorbed in worldly things, and to awaken a desire for the imperishable treasure.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 56.

Friday

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1     Who only is able to understand Christ’s teachings?

2    How can we help the wayside hearer?

3    Some readily accept the truth and fail to count the cost. What is this cost?

4    How can something good choke the precious seeds of truth?

5    As we study the word of God, what will we notice about some of our habits and character traits? What should we do about these?

Bible Study Guides – Importance of the Spirit of Prophecy

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November 24, 2007 – November 30, 2007

Key Text

“Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.” “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.” Ephesians 4:8, 11-13.

Study Help: The Great Controversy, vii-xii; Selected Messages, Book 1, 24-39.

Introduction

“The word of God is sufficient to enlighten the most beclouded mind and may be understood by those who have any desire to understand it. But notwithstanding all this, some who profess to make the word of God their study are found living in direct opposition to its plainest teachings. Then, to leave men and women without excuse, God gives plain and pointed testimonies, bringing them back to the word that they have neglected to follow. The word of God abounds in general principles for the formation of correct habits of living, and the testimonies, general and personal, have been calculated to call their attention more especially to these principles.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 663, 664.

1 Of what would Paul not have the Corinthian believers to be ignorant? 1 Corinthians 12:1.

note: In his preface to Spiritual Gifts, vol. 3, 29, James White wrote: “The object of the gifts, as stated by Paul, was ‘for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come in the unity of the faith.’ [Ephesians 4:12, 13, first part.] These were Heaven’s appointed means to secure the unity of the church. Christ prayed that his people might be one, as he was one with his Father. Read John 17. Paul exhorted the Corinthians in the name of Christ to be perfectly joined together in the same mind, and in the same judgment. Read 1 Corinthians 1:10; Romans 15:5; Philippians 2:1, 2; 1 Peter 3:8; 5:5. The gifts were given to secure this state of unity.”

2 Enumerate the principal gifts of the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthians 12:28, 8-10.

note: “The talents that Christ entrusts to His church represent especially the gifts and blessings imparted by the Holy Spirit. [1 Corinthians 12:8-11 quoted.] All men do not receive the same gifts, but to every servant of the Master some gift of the Spirit is promised. . . .

“The gifts are already ours in Christ, but their actual possession depends upon our reception of the Spirit of God.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 327.

It is important for the people of God to understand the role of the gift of prophecy in their midst. Wrote Ellen White: “In ancient times God spoke to men by the mouth of prophets and apostles. In these days He speaks to them by the testimonies of His Spirit. There was never a time when God instructed His people more earnestly than He instructs them now concerning His will and the course that He would have them pursue.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 661.

3 What gift did Paul say the Corinthian believers were especially to desire? 1 Corinthians 14:1.

note: “The gift of prophecy is one of God’s choicest gifts to the human family. Indeed, it ranks next to the supreme gift of His only-begotten Son and of His Holy Spirit to a world estranged and separated by sin.” A. G. Daniells, The Abiding Gift of Prophecy, 15. < http://www.whiteestate.org/books/agp/AGPco1.html#c01> July 17, 2007.

“Some, I [Ellen White] was shown, could receive the published visions, judging of the tree by its fruits. Others are like doubting Thomas; they cannot believe the published Testimonies, nor receive evidence through the testimony of others; but must see and have the evidence for themselves. Such must not be set aside, but long patience and brotherly love should be exercised toward them until they find their position and become established for or against. If they fight against the visions, of which they have no knowledge; if they carry their opposition so far as to oppose that in which they have had no experience, and feel annoyed when those who believe that the visions are of God speak of them in meeting, and comfort themselves with the instruction given through vision, the church may know that they are not right. God’s people should not cringe and yield, and give up their liberty to such disaffected ones. God has placed the gifts in the church that the church may be benefited by them; and when professed believers in the truth oppose these gifts, and fight against the visions, souls are in danger through their influence, and it is time then to labor with them, that the weak may not be led astray by their influence.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 328, 329.

4 Where were spiritual gifts to be manifest? 1 Corinthians 12:28. For how long? 1 Corinthians 13:8-10.

note: “In the great crisis of 1844, an unbelieving world was arrayed against God’s disappointed people. Some shunned them, some ridiculed them, and many were hostile to them. They were surely a forsaken and scattered flock, knowing not what to do. Among them were some who, like Jehoshaphat and Judah, kept their eyes upon God and offered importunate prayer for divine guidance. The Lord heard their prayers, and gave them a remarkable answer through the prophetic gift. He chose for His messenger Miss Ellen Gould Harmon of Portland, Maine,—one of the truly devout and sorely disappointed believers in the coming of the Lord in 1844.” A. G. Daniells, The Abiding Gift of Prophecy, 258. <http://www.whiteestate.org/books/agp/AGPc01.html#c01> July 17, 2007.

“Those who maintain that the gifts of the Spirit, including the prophetic gift, ceased with the days of the apostles are thereby logically forced not only to turn a deaf ear to the claim of any present-day messenger for God, but to denounce such a one as an impostor.

“Those who believe in the abiding gift of prophecy must recognize the force of the Saviour’s injunction: ‘Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.’ Matthew 7:15. Nor should they be unmindful of our Lord’s prediction that among the signs that were to herald the return of our Lord as imminent, is the appearance of ‘false christs, and false prophets,’ who ‘shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.’ Matthew 24:24.

“In order that one may ‘quench not the Spirit,’—the Holy Spirit, who has moved upon and inspired the prophets of all ages,—the apostle Paul enjoins the believers to ‘despise not prophesyings.’ In order to avoid deception by a subtle counterfeit, he adds the injunction: ‘Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.’ 1 Thessalonians 5:19-21.” Ibid., 264.

“The welfare of the church as a whole, and of its individual members, is inseparably bound up with believing and heeding God’s prophets. These . . . are His chosen messengers, His appointed spokesmen, to His church on earth. . . . This plan of communication has been God’s chosen, uniform, and beneficent provision for revealing His will to man, ever since the separation caused by sin. Through this means, God counsels and instructs, He cautions, entreats, and warns, as need may occasion and as divine love indicates. The presence of the prophet among men is not, therefore, something new or unusual, something strange or fantastic. God is the author of this provision, and wayfaring man is its beneficiary. It is as old as the human need, and as constant as the divine love that prompted and instituted it.

“The vicissitudes of the church in all ages have been gauged by its allegiance or its disloyalty to the gift of prophecy, and its safety measured by its response to these heavenly leadings. Through the centuries spanning the patriarchal, Mosaic, and apostolic eras, we have seen this inviolable rule in operation, as revealed in the pages of Holy Writ.

“Then after the death of the apostles, the tragic march of events in the Christian era begins, is told in blood and tears, and is blotched with drift and apostasy. Steadily the nominal Christian church veers from those foundation principles—the precepts and practices, the letter and the spirit—that characterized the apostolic church. The departure centered in perversion of the law and the gospel, though it permeated every truth of Christianity.

“Tragic has been the lot of those who stood for the primitive faith. Hated and maligned, persecuted and isolated, they witnessed to the truth. But from time to time prophets—men and women—arose at the call of God, and denounced the iniquity of the disloyal. They encouraged the fidelity of the faithful, and guided and guarded the adherents of truth through the weary centuries.

“Now in these divinely denominated ‘last days,’ God’s great plan of redemption and the mad course of the human race approach their climax together. Iniquity so abounds among men, human philosophy is so defiant, man’s independence of God and of the provisions of redemption are so affronting in this supreme conflict between good and evil, that it was imperative for the gift of prophecy to be conspicuously manifest in the ranks of the remnant church.” Ibid., 370, 371.

5 What is God’s purpose in bestowing spiritual gifts in the church? Ephesians 4:11-14; 1 Corinthians 12:7; 14:22, last part.

note: The testimony of Uriah Smith, one of the pioneers of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, concerning the influence of the spirit of prophecy on the lives of church members will be helpful: “Their fruit is such as to show that the source from which they spring is the opposite of evil.

“They tend to the purest morality. They discountenance every vice, and exhort to the practice of every virtue. They point out the perils through which we are to pass to the kingdom. They reveal the devices of Satan. They warn us against his snares. They have nipped in the bud scheme after scheme of fanaticism which the enemy has tried to foist into our midst. They have exposed hidden iniquity, brought to light concealed wrongs, and laid bare the evil motives of the false-hearted. They have warded off dangers from the cause of truth upon every hand. They have aroused and re-aroused us to greater consecration to God, more zealous efforts for holiness of heart, and greater diligence in the cause and service of our Master.” Life Sketches of Ellen G. White, 469, 470.

6 How does the True Witness deal with the Laodicean church, and what counsel does He offer? Revelation 3:14, 19

note: The chastening process is accomplished by the messages of reproof and correction given through the prophets. Applying the words of this text to the testimonies she bore, Ellen White declared: “The Lord has seen fit to counsel Elder Smith, to give him words of reproof because he had erred; but is this an evidence that God has forsaken him? No. ‘As many as I love I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent’ (Revelation 3:19). The Lord reproves wrongs in His people, but is this an evidence that He has rejected them? No. There are errors in the church, and the Lord points them out by His own ordained agencies, not always through the testimonies.” Selected Messages, Book 2, 81.

7 Instead of an indication of God’s rejection, of what is the chastening of the Lord a certain evidence? Hebrews 12:6, 7. What excellent results does this chastening produce? Verse 11.

note: “The Lord can bring victory out of that which may seem to us discomfiture and defeat. We are in danger of forgetting God, of looking at the things which are seen, instead of beholding by the eye of faith the things which are unseen. When misfortune or calamity comes, we are ready to charge God with neglect or cruelty. If He sees fit to cut off our usefulness in some line, we mourn, not stopping to think that thus God may be working for our good. We need to learn that chastisement is a part of His great plan and that under the rod of affliction the Christian may sometimes do more for the Master than when engaged in active service.” The Acts of the Apostles, 481.

“It is God who has led you through strait places. He had a purpose in this, that tribulation might work in you patience, and patience experience, and experience hope. He permitted trials to come upon you, that, through them, you might experience the peaceable fruits of righteousness.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 416.

8 How did the vision of the sheet let down from heaven, given to the church through Peter, teach an important Bible principle? Acts 10:1-35. Compare 11 Chronicles 19:7.

note: As the vision given to Peter on the housetop corrected him as a Jew in his prejudicial attitude toward the Gentiles, so the visions of Ellen White correct those who err from Bible principle.

“The Lord has sent His people much instruction, line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little, and there a little. Little heed is given to the Bible, and the Lord has given a lesser light to lead men and women to the greater light.” Colporteur Ministry, 125.

“Brother J would confuse the mind by seeking to make it appear that the light God has given through the Testimonies is an addition to the word of God, but in this he presents the matter in a false light. God has seen fit in this manner to bring the minds of His people to His word, to give them a clearer understanding of it.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 246.

9 How did Mrs. White indicate the relationship of her messages to the Bible?

note: “The Spirit was not given nor can it ever be bestowed to supersede the Bible; for the Scriptures explicitly state that the word of God is the standard by which all teaching and experience must be tested.” The Great Controversy, vii.

10 What claim did Mrs. White make for herself and her work?

note: “I [Ellen White] have had no claims to make, only that I am instructed that I am the Lord’s messenger; that He called me in my youth to be His messenger, to receive His word, and to give a clear and decided message in the name of the Lord Jesus.” Selected Messages, vol. 1, 32. [Author’s italics.]

11 What did Mrs. White refrain from claiming?

note: In a public address delivered October 2, 1904, in Battle Creek, Michigan, Mrs. White stated: “During the discourse, I said that I did not claim to be a prophetess. Some were surprised at this statement, and as much is being said in regard to it, I will make an explanation. Others have called me a prophetess, but I have never assumed that title. I have not felt that it was my duty thus to designate myself. Those who boldly assume that they are prophets in this our day are often a reproach to the cause of Christ.

“My work includes much more than this name signifies. I regard myself as a messenger, entrusted by the Lord with messages for His people.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 35, 36.

12 What work did God “especially” assign to Mrs. White?

note: “The work which the Lord has laid out before me [Ellen White] especially is to urge young and old, learned and unlearned, to search the Scriptures for themselves; to impress upon all that the study of God’s word will expand the mind and strengthen every faculty, fitting the intellect to wrestle with problems of truth, deep and far-reaching; to assure all that the clear knowledge of the Bible outdoes all other knowledge in making man what God designed he should be.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 686.

Bible Study Guides – Primacy of the Bible

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November 17, 2007 – November 23, 2007

Key Text

“All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” 11 Timothy 3:16, 17.

Study Help: Selected Messages, Book 1, 15-23; The Great Controversy, 593-602.

Introduction

“In His word, God has committed to men the knowledge necessary for salvation. The Holy Scriptures are to be accepted as an authoritative, infallible revelation of His will. They are the standard of character, the revealer of doctrines, and the test of experience.” The Great Controversy, vii.

“I [Ellen White] take the Bible just as it is, as the Inspired Word. I believe its utterances in an entire Bible. . . .

“Brethren, cling to your Bible, as it reads, and stop your criticisms in regard to its validity, and obey the Word, and not one of you will be lost.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 17, 18.

1 What claim did Paul make concerning the Holy Scriptures? 11 Timothy 3:15-17.

note: “Let all seek to comprehend, to the full extent of their powers, the meaning of the word of God. A mere superficial reading of the inspired word will be of little advantage; for every statement made in the sacred pages requires thoughtful contemplation. It is true that some passages do not require as earnest concentration as do others; for their meaning is more evident. But the student of the word of God should seek to understand the bearing of one passage upon another until the chain of truth is revealed to his vision. As veins of precious ore are hidden beneath the surface of the earth, so spiritual riches are concealed in the passage of Holy Writ, and it requires mental effort and prayerful attention to discover the hidden meaning of the word of God. Let every student who values the heavenly treasure put to the stretch his mental and spiritual powers, and sink the shaft deep into the mine of truth, that he may obtain the celestial gold,¾ that wisdom which will make him wise unto salvation.” Fundamentals of Christian Education, 169, 170.

2 How did Peter describe the workings of divine inspiration? 11 Peter 1:21.

note: “The Bible points to God as its author; yet it was written by human hands; and in the varied style of its different books it presents the characteristics of the several writers. The truths revealed are all ‘given by inspiration of God’ (11 Timothy 3:16); yet they are expressed in the words of men. The Infinite One by His Holy Spirit has shed light into the minds and hearts of His servants. He has given dreams and visions, symbols and figures; and those to whom the truth was thus revealed have themselves embodied the thought in human language.” The Great Controversy, v.

3 Did God communicate to the prophet, in each case, the very words of His message? Ezekiel 40:4; 11:24, 25. Compare Revelation 1:10, 11.

note: “God has been pleased to communicate His truth to the world by human agencies, and He Himself, by His Holy Spirit, qualified men and enabled them to do this work. He guided the mind in the selection of what to speak and what to write. The treasure was entrusted to earthen vessels, yet it is, nonetheless, from Heaven. The testimony is conveyed through the imperfect expression of human language, yet it is the testimony of God; and the obedient, believing child of God beholds in it the glory of a divine power, full of grace and truth.” The Great Controversy, vi, vii.

4 What term is sometimes applied to the prophets of God? Luke 1:70; 11 Peter 3:2.

note: “We are to take our position in the school of Christ as humble learners. He speaks as one having authority, and he affirms that all that is written in the law and the prophets is the word of the living God. It is the inspiration of One infallible, the divine communication to holy men of old, who spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” Review and Herald, October 3, 1899.

The life record of Ellen G. White, while not free from frailties, was distinguished for its Christlike consistency and integrity.

5 Of whom do the Scriptures testify? John 5:39.

note: “Holy prophets have foretold the manner of Christ’s birth, the events of his life, his mission, and his death and resurrection. In the Old Testament we find the gospel of a coming Saviour. In the New Testament we have the gospel of a Saviour revealed as prophecy had foretold. . . .

“There is no discord between the teachings of Christ in the Old Testament and his teachings in the New. While the Old Testament is constantly pointing forward to the true Offering, the New Testament shows that the Saviour foretold by prophecy, and prefigured by the typical offerings, has come. The dim glory of the Jewish age has been succeeded by the brighter, clearer glory of the Christian age.” Review and Herald, September 14, 1886.

“You should search the Bible; for it tells you of Jesus. As you read the Bible, you will see the matchless charms of Jesus. You will fall in love with the Man of Calvary.” Life Sketches of Ellen G. White, 293.

6 In His earthly life, to what authority did Christ appeal? Luke 4:4, 8, 10; Matthew 26:31. Compare Deuteronomy 8:3; Zechariah 13:7.

note: “Jesus met Satan with the words of Scripture. ‘It is written,’ He said. In every temptation the weapon of His warfare was the word of God. Satan demanded of Christ a miracle as a sign of His divinity. But that which is greater than all miracles, a firm reliance upon a ‘Thus saith the Lord,’ was a sign that could not be controverted. So long as Christ held to this position, the tempter could gain no advantage.” The Desire of Ages, 120.

“We are to receive God’s word as supreme authority. We must accept its truths for ourselves. And we can appreciate these truths only as we search them out by personal study.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 402.

7 What is said of the enduring nature of God’s Word? Isaiah 40:8; Matthew 24:35; Psalm 119:89.

note: “This Holy Book has withstood the assaults of Satan, who has united with evil men to make everything of divine character shrouded in clouds and darkness. But the Lord has preserved this Holy Book by His own miraculous power in its present shape—a chart or guidebook to the human family to show them the way to heaven.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 15.

“God will not break His covenant, nor alter the thing that has gone out of His lips. His word will stand fast forever as unalterable as His throne. At the judgment this covenant will be brought forth, plainly written with the finger of God, and the world will be arraigned before the bar of Infinite Justice to receive sentence.” Prophets and Kings, 187.

8 What unique power is found in the Word of God? 1 Peter 1:23-25; 2:2; John 17:17.

note: “The truths of the Bible, received, will uplift the mind from its earthliness and debasement. If the word of God were appreciated as it should be, both young and old would possess an inward rectitude, a strength of principle, that would enable them to resist temptation.” Testimonies, vol. 8, 319.

“Let the student take the Bible as his guide and stand like a rock for principle, and he may aspire to any height of attainment. All the philosophies of human nature have led to confusion and shame when God has not been recognized as all in all. But the precious faith inspired of God imparts strength and nobility of character. As His goodness, His mercy, and His love are dwelt upon, clearer and still clearer will be the perception of truth; higher, holier, the desire for purity of heart and clearness of thought. The soul dwelling in the pure atmosphere of holy thought is transformed by intercourse with God through the study of His word. Truth is so large, so far-reaching, so deep, so broad, that self is lost sight of. The heart is softened and subdued into humility, kindness, and love.” Ibid., 322.

9 What noble example in Bible study was set by the Bereans? Acts 17:11. Compare Psalm 119:33, 36, 38, 40.

note: “We should exert all the powers of the mind in the study of the Scriptures and should task the understanding to comprehend, as far as mortals can, the deep things of God; yet we must not forget that the docility and submission of a child is the true spirit of the learner. Scriptural difficulties can never be mastered by the same methods that are employed in grappling with philosophical problems. We should not engage in the study of the Bible with that self-reliance with which so many enter the domains of science, but with a prayerful dependence upon God and a sincere desire to learn His will. We must come with a humble and teachable spirit to obtain knowledge from the great I AM. Otherwise, evil angels will so blind our minds and harden our hearts that we shall not be impressed by the truth.” The Great Controversy, 599.

“Never should the Bible be studied without prayer. Before opening its pages we should ask for the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, and it will be given.” Steps to Christ, 91.

10 What important principle stated with respect to Revelation can be applied to the whole Bible? Revelation 22:18, 19.

note: “When men, compassed with human infirmities, affected in a greater or less degree by surrounding influences, and having hereditary and cultivated tendencies which are far from making them wise or heavenly-minded, undertake to arraign the word of God, and to pass judgment upon what is divine and what is human, they are working without the counsel of God. The Lord will not prosper such a work. The effect will be disastrous, both upon the one engaged in it and upon those who accept it as a work from God. Skepticism has been aroused in many minds by the theories presented as to the nature of inspiration. Finite beings, with their narrow, short-sighted views, feel themselves competent to criticize the Scriptures, saying: ‘This passage is needful, and that passage is not needful, and is not inspired.’ ” Testimonies, vol. 5, 709.

“The language of the Bible should be explained according to its obvious meaning, unless a symbol or figure is employed. Christ has given the promise: ‘If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine.’ John 7:17. If men would but take the Bible as it reads, if there were no false teachers to mislead and confuse their minds, a work would be accomplished that would make angels glad and that would bring into the fold of Christ thousands upon thousands who are now wandering in error.” The Great Controversy, 599.

11 Why cannot the “natural man” understand the Scriptures? 1 Corinthians 2:10-14.

note: “We need the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit in order to discern the truths in God’s word. The lovely things of the natural world are not seen until the sun, dispelling the darkness, floods them with its light. So the treasures in the word of God are not appreciated until they are revealed by the bright beams of the Sun of Righteousness.

“The Holy Spirit, sent from heaven by the benevolence of infinite love, takes the things of God and reveals them to every soul that has an implicit faith in Christ. By His power the vital truths upon which the salvation of the soul depends are impressed upon the mind, and the way of life is made so plain that none need err therein. As we study the Scriptures, we should pray for the light of God’s Holy Spirit to shine upon the word, that we may see and appreciate its treasures.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 113.

12 What will be the experience of all who live by the truths of the Bible? Psalm 119:99, 103, 104.

note: “When the testing time shall come, those who have made God’s word their rule of life will be revealed. In summer there is no noticeable difference between evergreens and other trees; but when the blasts of winter come, the evergreens remain unchanged, while other trees are stripped of their foliage. So the falsehearted professor may not now be distinguished from the real Christian, but the time is just upon us when the difference will be apparent. Let opposition arise, let bigotry and intolerance again bear sway, let persecution be kindled, and the halfhearted and hypocritical will waver and yield the faith; but the true Christian will stand firm as a rock, his faith stronger, his hope brighter, than in days of prosperity.” The Great Controversy, 602.

Bible Study Guides – Integrity of the Prophetic Message

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November 10, 2007 – November 16, 2007

Key Text

“[As] the Lord liveth, even what my God saith, that will I speak.” 11 Chronicles 18:13.

Study Help: The Acts of the Apostles, 534-536.

Introduction

“My Instructor said to me [Ellen White], Tell these men that God has not committed to them the work of measuring, classifying, and defining the character of the testimonies. Those who attempt this are sure to err in their conclusions. The Lord would have men adhere to their appointed work. If they will keep the way of the Lord, they will be able to discern clearly that the work which He has appointed me to do is not a work of human devising.

“Those who carefully read the testimonies as they have appeared from the early days, need not be perplexed as to their origin. The many books, written by the help of the Spirit of God, bear a living witness to the character of the testimonies.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 49, 50.

1 What can be said concerning the surety of the messages of the prophets? 11 Peter 1:19.

note: “We must come to the sure word of prophecy for our authority. Unless we are intelligent in the Scriptures, may we not, when this mighty miracle-working power of Satan is manifested in our world, be deceived and call it the workings of God; for the word of God declares that, if it were possible, the very elect should be deceived. Unless we are rooted and grounded in the truth, we shall be swept away by Satan’s delusive snares. We must cling to our Bibles. If Satan can make you believe that there are things in the word of God that are not inspired, he will then be prepared to ensnare your soul. We shall have no assurance, no certainty, at the very time we need to know what is truth.” Review and Herald, December 18, 1888.

2 What did the prophets often designate to be the source of the messages they bore? Hosea 1:1; Haggai 1:3, 7, 13.

note: The Bible prophets have declared that the word they gave the people came from God. They often introduced the divine communication through them by a phrase such as “the word of the Lord came unto me, saying.” Some variants are:

“Thus saith the Lord.” 11 Samuel 7:8.

“As God hath said.” 11 Corinthians 6:16.

“And God spake.” Genesis 8:15.

“The Holy Ghost saith.” Hebrews 3:7.

“I the Lord have said.” Ezekiel 21:17.

“The Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake.” Acts 1:16.

“God has committed to his servants a message for this time; but this message does not in every particular coincide with the ideas of all the leading men, and some criticise [sic] the message and the messengers. They dare even to reject the words of reproof sent to them from God through his Holy Spirit.

“What reserve power has the Lord with which to reach those who have cast aside his warnings and reproofs, and have accredited the testimonies of the Spirit of God to no higher source than human wisdom? . . . You cannot neglect God’s messages of warning, you cannot reject them or treat them lightly, but at the peril of infinite loss.” Special Testimonies, Series A, No. 02b, 116.

3 What is the Word of the Lord said to be? Psalm 119:105.

note: “The psalmist declares, ‘Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee.’ [Psalm 119:11.] And Paul wrote to Timothy, ‘All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.’ [11 Timothy 3:16, 17.]

“The life of God, which gives life to the world, is in His word. It was by His word that Jesus healed disease and cast out demons. By His word He stilled the sea and raised the dead; and the people bore witness that His word was with power. He spoke the word of God as He had spoken it to all the Old Testament writers. The whole Bible is a manifestation of Christ. It is our only source of power.” Gospel Workers, 250. [Emphasis added.]

4 What circumstances led King Ahab of Israel to inquire of the prophet Micaiah concerning a proposed military expedition? 11 Chronicles 18:18. How did Ahab’s officer attempt to influence Micaiah in his message to the king? Verse 12. What did Micaiah resolve to do regardless of circumstances? Verses 13, 16, 17.

note: “Jehoshaphat was firm in his request that the man of God be called; and upon appearing before them and being adjured by Ahab to tell ‘nothing but that which is true in the name of the Lord,’ Micaiah said: ‘I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep that have not a shepherd: and the Lord said, These have no master: let them return every man to his house in peace.’ 1 Kings 22:16, 17.

“The words of the prophet should have been enough to show the kings that their project was not favored by Heaven, but neither ruler felt inclined to heed the warning. Ahab had marked out his course, and he was determined to follow it.” Prophets and Kings, 195, 196.

5 As Jeremiah delivered an important prophetic message to the leaders of Judah, of what did they accuse him? Who was said to have originated the counsel Jeremiah declared to be from the Lord? Jeremiah 43:2, 3.

note: “The poor people, after passing through many trials, were finally persuaded by their leaders to take refuge in the land of Egypt. Against this move, Jeremiah lifted his voice in protest. ‘Go ye not into Egypt,’ he pleaded. But the inspired counsel was not heeded, and ‘all the remnant of Judah, . . . even men, and women, and children,’ took flight into Egypt. ‘They obeyed not the voice of the Lord: thus came they even to Tahpanhes.’ Jeremiah 43:5-7. . . .

“The sorrow of the prophet over the utter perversity of those who would have been the spiritual light of the world, his sorrow over the fate of Zion and of the people carried captive to Babylon, is revealed in the lamentations he has left on record as a memorial of the folly of turning from the counsels of Jehovah to human wisdom.” Prophets and Kings, 460, 461.

6 What did Balak request Balaam to do, and with what results? Numbers 22:1-7; 23:5-11.

note: “Balaam was once a good man and a prophet of God; but he had apostatized, and had given himself up to covetousness; yet he still professed to be a servant of the Most High. He was not ignorant of God’s work in behalf of Israel; and when the messengers announced their errand, he well knew that it was his duty to refuse the rewards of Balak and to dismiss the ambassadors. . . . But his pride was flattered by the words of the ambassadors, ‘He whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed.’ [Numbers 22:6.] The bribe of costly gifts and prospective exaltation excited his covetousness. He greedily accepted the offered treasures, and then, while professing strict obedience to the will of God, he tried to comply with the desires of Balak.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 439.

7 What did Balaam state about the source of his message? Numbers 22:38. On what was this explanation based? Verse 20.

note: “As he [Balaam] professed to be God’s prophet, . . . all he should say would be supposed to be uttered by divine authority. Hence he was not to be permitted to speak as he chose, but must deliver the message which God should give him. ‘The word which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do,’ was the divine command. [Numbers 22:20.]” Patriarchs and Prophets, 441.

8 When the king remonstrated with Balaam for not cursing Israel, what was Balaam’s answer? Numbers 23:12, 25, 26; 24:10-13.

note: “The ingenuity of men has been exercised for ages to measure the Word of God by their finite minds and limited comprehension. If the Lord, the Author of the living oracles, would throw back the curtain and reveal His wisdom and His glory before them, they would shrink into nothingness and exclaim as did Isaiah, ‘I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips’ (Isaiah 6:5).” Selected Messages, Book 1, 18.

9 To whom did Ellen White give credit for the messages found in her books?

note: “Sister White is not the originator of these books. They contain the instruction that during her lifework God has been giving her. They contain the precious, comforting light that God has graciously given His servant to be given to the world.” Colporteur Ministry, 125.

10 Specifically, how did God speak through His servant, Ellen White?

note: Articles in church papers: “I [Ellen White] do not write one article in the paper expressing merely my own ideas. They are what God has opened before me in vision―the precious rays of light shining from the throne.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 67.

The letter testimonies: “You might say that this communication was only a letter. Yes, it was a letter, but prompted by the Spirit of God, to bring before your minds things that had been shown me. In these letters which I [Ellen White] write, in the testimonies I bear, I am presenting to you that which the Lord has presented to me.” Ibid.

Interviews: “This morning I [Ellen White] attended a meeting where a select few were called together to consider some questions that were presented to them by a letter soliciting consideration and advice on these subjects. Of some of these subjects I could speak, because at sundry times and in divers places many things have been presented to me.” The Southern Work, 72.

11 With what assuring words did Mrs. White answer the charge that she had been influenced in the content of her writing?

note: “Some are ready to inquire: Who told Sister White these things? They have even put the question to me: Did anyone tell you these things? I could answer them: Yes; yes, the angel of God has spoken to me.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 314.

Addressing the officers of one of the denomination’s large institutions at a time of crisis, Ellen White wrote from Australia: “Even now unbelief is expressed by the words, ‘Who has written these things to Sister White?’ But I know of no one who knows them as they are, and no one who could write that which he does not suppose has an existence. Some one has told me, ―He who does not falsify, misjudge, or exaggerate any case.” Special Instruction Relating to the Review and Herald Office and the Work in Battle Creek, 16.

12 What answer did Mrs. White give to the suggestion that certain testimonies reflected her personal opinion?

note: “In the testimonies sent to Battle Creek, I [Ellen White] have given you the light God has given to me. In no case have I given my own judgment or opinion. I have enough to write of what has been shown me, without falling back on my own opinions. You are doing as the children of Israel did again and again. Instead of repenting before God, you reject His words, and attribute all the warnings and reproof to the messenger whom the Lord sends.” Selected Messages, Book 3, 70.

While discussing the editorial policy of The Signs of the Times, a church paper, Ellen White prefaced her counsels by saying, “Permit me to express my mind, and yet not my mind, but the word of the Lord.” Counsels to Writers and Editors, 112.

“What reserve power has the Lord with which to reach those who have cast aside His warnings and reproofs, and have accredited the testimonies of the Spirit of God to no higher source than human wisdom? In the judgment what can you who have done this offer to God as an excuse for turning from the evidences He has given you that God was in the work? ‘By their fruits ye shall know them.’ [Matthew 7:20.]” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 465, 466.

Bible Study Guides – Testing the Prophet’s Claims

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November 4, 2007 – November 10, 2007

Key Text

“Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” 1 Thessalonians 5:20, 21.

Study Help: Testimonies, vol. 5, 671–676; Selected Messages, Book 2, 63–100.

Introduction

“Christ warned His disciples: ‘Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.’ [Matthew 7:15-20.] Here is a test, and all can apply it if they will. Those who really desire to know the truth will find sufficient evidence for belief.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 671, 672.

1 By what unerring standards must the teachings of any who lay claim to the gift of prophecy be measured? Isaiah 8:20.

note: “In these days of peril we are not to accept everything that men bring to us as truth. As professed teachers from God come to us declaring that they have a message from God, it is proper to inquire carefully, How do we know that this is truth? Jesus has told us that ‘false prophets shall arise and shall deceive many.’ [Matthew 24:11.] But we need not be deceived; for the Word of God gives us a test whereby we may know what is truth. The prophet says, ‘To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.’ [Isaiah 8:20.]” “Ellen G. White Comments,” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 951.

2 Did Ellen White’s work call people to God or away from God?

note: “While conflicting doctrines and theories abound, the law of God is the one unerring rule by which all opinions, doctrines, and theories are to be tested.” The Great Controversy, 452.

“I [Ellen White] recommend to you, dear reader, the Word of God as the rule of your faith and practice. By that Word we are to be judged. God has, in that Word, promised to give visions in the ‘last days’; not for a new rule of faith, but for the comfort of His people, and to correct those who err from Bible truth.” Early Writings, 78.

“Even the work of the Holy Spirit upon the heart is to be tested by the Word of God. The Spirit which inspired the Scriptures, always leads to the Scriptures.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 43.

3 By what standard or test do some oppose the truth? 1 Timothy 6:20.

note: “When a man feels so very wise that he dares to dissect God’s Word, his wisdom is, with God, counted foolishness. When he knows more, he will feel that he has everything to learn. And his very first lesson is to become teachable.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 42.

4 What is another crucial test of a prophet’s work? Deuteronomy 18:20-22; Jeremiah 28:9. See also 1 Samuel 9:6; Lamentations 3:37.

note: “Jeremiah . . . cited the men of Judah to the prophecies of Hosea, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, and others whose messages of reproof and warning had been similar to his own. He referred them to events which had taken place in fulfillment of prophecies of retribution for unrepented sin. In the past the judgments of God had been visited upon the impenitent in exact fulfillment of His purpose as revealed through His messengers.” Prophets and Kings, 445.

Although Ellen White’s work was not basically that of a forecaster of future events, yet in some instances she predicted conditions and events the fulfillments of which give evidence of her prophetic gift. For example, in 1904 she wrote: “The time is fast coming when the controlling power of the labor unions will be very oppressive.” Country Living, 9. In 1906, she wrote thus of calamities: “I am bidden to declare the message that cities full of transgression, and sinful in the extreme, will be destroyed by earthquakes, by fire, by flood.” Evangelism, 27.

In other instances, the predictive nature of her statements is not so evident, but she stated insights into the society of her day that have become increasingly descriptive of present-day society: (1) Decadence―Testimonies, vol. 9, 13; (2) Anarchy―Education, 228; (3) Urban problems―Testimonies, vol. 7, 82; (4) Youth dissipation―Temperance, 274.

5 In applying the test of fulfilled predictions, what must be taken into consideration? Jeremiah 18:9, 10.

note: “[Jeremiah 18:1-10 quoted.] This presents before us God’s way of dealing with His people. He sends warnings. He pleads with them to cease to do evil and learn to do well. Hear the words of Christ, for they are spoken to all who claim to be His people. Blessings are promised to all who follow the Lord to do righteousness, but those who walk in their own ways show that under the trying circumstances liable to occur anywhere, they will prove unfaithful, and God cannot bless them.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 4, 1156.

“The angels of God in their messages to men represent time as very short. Thus it has always been presented to me [Ellen White]. It is true that time has continued longer than we expected in the early days of this message. Our Saviour did not appear as soon as we hoped. But has the word of the Lord failed? Never! It should be remembered that the promises and threatenings of God are alike conditional.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 67.

6 What does John state as another mark of a true prophet? 1 John 4:1, 2.

note: “In this age of the world we see every grade and degree of skepticism. There are rank infidels, those who believe in the lying wonders of Spiritualism, and those who reject the claims of divine truth. All these are placed among the class that John has written of, and are controlled by the spirit of antichrist. Ignorance of the character of God, pride of understanding, and the love of sin, are the source of infidelity. Men deny the divinity of Christ, cast away the Bible, and thus seek to free themselves from personal accountability to God. They bring the Bible into conflict with ‘science, falsely so called.’ [1 Timothy 6:20.] These doubters can start inquiries which the most humble and pious Christian would be perplexed to know how to answer. But because their queries cannot be answered, is no evidence that the Bible is not true. A little child has asked questions in regard to God, the soul, and the future, that the most learned could not answer. The truth of God’s word will be revealed to those who are of a lowly heart, who will comprehend its duties and obey its precepts. It is pride of opinion that leads to skepticism, and to the denial of the divinity of Jesus Christ.” The Signs of the Times, September 3, 1894.

“The Word of God is solid rock, and we may plant our feet securely upon it. Every soul must needs be tested, every faith and doctrine must needs be tried by the law and the testimony. Take heed that no man deceive you. The warnings of Christ on this matter are needed at this time; for delusions and deceptions will come in among us, and will multiply as we near the end.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 952.

7 What reasonable test should be applied to anyone professing to exercise the prophetic gift? Matthew 7:15-20.

note: “Christ warned His disciples: [Matthew 7:15-20 quoted]. Here is a test, and . . . you can apply it if you will. You need not go in uncertainty and doubt. Satan is at hand to suggest a variety of doubts, but if you will open your eyes in faith you will find sufficient evidence for belief. But God will never remove from any man all causes for doubts. Those who love to dwell in the atmosphere of doubt and questioning unbelief can have the unenviable privilege. God gives sufficient evidence for the candid mind to believe; but he who turns from the weight of evidence because there are a few things which he cannot make plain to his finite understanding will be left in the cold, chilling atmosphere of unbelief and questioning doubts, and will make shipwreck of faith. You have seemed to consider it a virtue to be on the side of the doubting rather than on the side of the believing. Jesus never praised unbelief; He never commended doubts. He gave to His nation evidences of His Messiahship in the miracles He wrought, but there were some who considered it a virtue to doubt and who would reason these evidences away and find something in every good work to question and censure.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 232, 233.

8 What invitation did Ellen White give to investigators who sought to examine the fruitage of her prophetic visions?

note: “Let the Testimonies be judged by their fruits. What is the spirit of their teaching? What has been the result of their influence? ‘All who desire to do so can acquaint themselves with the fruits of these visions.’ . . .

“ ‘God is either teaching His church, reproving their wrongs and strengthening their faith, or He is not. This work is of God, or it is not. God does nothing in partnership with Satan. My work . . . bears the stamp of God or the stamp of the enemy. There is no halfway work in the matter. The Testimonies are of the Spirit of God, or of the devil.’ ” Testimonies, vol. 5, 671.

9 How did Mrs. White explain her experience as God’s messenger?

note: “As the Lord has manifested Himself through the spirit of prophecy, ‘past, present, and future have passed before me [Ellen White]. I have been shown faces that I had never seen, and years afterward I knew them when I saw them. I have been aroused from my sleep with a vivid sense of subjects previously presented to my mind; and I have written, at midnight, letters that have gone across the continent and, arriving at a crisis, have saved great disaster to the cause of God. This has been my work for many years. A power has impelled me to reprove and rebuke wrongs that I had not thought of. Is this work of the last thirty-six years from above or from beneath?’ ” Testimonies, vol. 5, 671.

10 What warning does John sound to guard the church from deception? 1 John 4:1. See also Matthew 7:15.

note: “There will be false dreams and false visions, which have some truth, but lead away from the original faith. The Lord has given men a rule by which to detect them: ‘To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.’ [Isaiah 8:20.] If they belittle the law of God, if they pay no heed to his will as revealed in the testimonies of his Spirit, they are deceivers. They are controlled by impulse and impressions, which they believe to be from the Holy Spirit, and consider more reliable than the inspired word. They claim that every thought and feeling is an impression of the Spirit; and when they are reasoned with out of the Scriptures, they declare that they have something more reliable. But while they think that they are led by the Spirit of God, they are in reality following an imagination wrought upon by Satan.” The Signs of the Times, March 27, 1884.

11 Are we justified in testing those who claim divine enlightenment by the messages given through the spirit of prophecy?

note: “In these days of peril we are not to accept everything that men bring to us as truth. As professed teachers from God come to us declaring that they have a message from God, it is proper to inquire carefully, How do we know that this is truth? Jesus has told us that ‘false prophets shall arise and shall deceive many.’ [Matthew 24:11.] But we need not be deceived; for the Word of God gives us a test whereby we may know what is truth. The prophet says, ‘To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.’ [Isaiah 8:20.]” “Ellen G. White Comments,” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 951.

12 What does Paul admonish Christians to do? 1 Thessalonians 5:20, 21.

note: “The Lord does not want us to have a blind credulity, and call that the faith that sanctifies. The truth is the principle that sanctifies, and therefore it becomes us to know what is truth. We must compare spiritual things with spiritual. We must prove all things, but hold fast only that which is good, that which bears the divine credentials, which lays before us the true motives and principles which should prompt us to action.” Selected Messages, Book 2, 56.

Bible Study Guides – Delivering God’s Message

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October 28, 2007 – November 3, 2007

Key Text

“I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send [it] unto the seven churches.” Revelation 1:10, 11, first part.

Study Help: Selected Messages, Book 1, 49–58; Testimonies, vol. 5, 654–660.

Introduction

“The Bible is written by inspired men, but it is not God’s mode of thought and expression. It is that of humanity. God, as a writer, is not represented. Men will often say such an expression is not like God. But God has not put Himself in words, in logic, in rhetoric, on trial in the Bible. The writers of the Bible were God’s penmen, not His pen. Look at the different writers.

“It is not the words of the Bible that are inspired, but the men that were inspired. Inspiration acts not on the man’s words or his expressions but on the man himself, who, under the influence of the Holy Ghost, is imbued with thoughts. But the words receive the impress of the individual mind. The divine mind is diffused. The divine mind and will is combined with the human mind and will; thus the utterances of the man are the word of God.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 21.

Ellen White’s experience in receiving and delivering God’s messages was parallel with the prophets of God in past ages. She was another prophet through whom God gave His messages. The following passage illustrates how God spoke through the spirit of prophecy in establishing the Seventh-day Adventist doctrines upon the Bible:

“We are to be established in the faith, in the light of the truth given us in our early experience. At that time one error after another pressed in upon us; ministers and doctors brought in new doctrines. We would search the Scriptures with much prayer, and the Holy Spirit would bring the truth to our minds. Sometimes whole nights would be devoted to searching the Scriptures, and earnestly asking God for guidance. Companies of devoted men and women assembled for this purpose. The power of God would come upon me [Ellen White], and I was enabled clearly to define what is truth and what is error.

“As the points of our faith were thus established, our feet were placed upon a solid foundation. We accepted the truth point by point, under the demonstration of the Holy Spirit. I would be taken off in vision, and explanations would be given me. I was given illustrations of heavenly things, and of the sanctuary, so that we were placed where light was shining on us in clear, distinct rays.” Gospel Workers, 302.

1 What command came to the youthful prophet Jeremiah regarding the message God would impart to him? Jeremiah 1:17. See also Ezekiel 11:25.

note: “For forty years Jeremiah was to stand before the nation as a witness for truth and righteousness. In a time of unparalleled apostasy he was to exemplify in life and character the worship of the only true God. During the terrible sieges of Jerusalem he was to be the mouthpiece of Jehovah. He was to predict the downfall of the house of David and the destruction of the beautiful temple built by Solomon. And when imprisoned because of his fearless utterances, he was still to speak plainly against sin in high places.” Prophets and Kings, 408.

2 What was one means by which the prophets delivered the prophetic message to the people? Jeremiah 26:2, 4, first part; Zechariah 1:3. Compare 1 Kings 11:29–40.

note: “Jeremiah was commanded by the Lord to stand in the court of the temple and speak to all the people of Judah who might pass in and out. From the messages given him he must diminish not a word, that sinners in Zion might have the fullest possible opportunity to hearken and to turn from their evil ways.” Prophets and Kings, 412, 413.

“The prophets Haggai and Zechariah were raised up to meet the crisis. In stirring testimonies these appointed messengers revealed to the people the cause of their troubles. The lack of temporal prosperity was the result of a neglect to put God’s interests first, the prophets declared.” Ibid., 573.

3 What were prophets at times bidden to do with the messages they received? Isaiah 30:8; Jeremiah 36:2; Revelation 21:1, 2, 5.

note: “The Lord commanded Jeremiah to commit to writing the messages he desired to bear to those for whose salvation his heart of pity was continually yearning.” Prophets and Kings, 432.

“Early in my public labors I [Ellen White] was bidden by the Lord, ‘Write, write the things that are revealed to you.’ At the time this message came to me, I could not hold my hand steady. My physical condition made it impossible for me to write. But again came the word, ‘Write the things that are revealed to you.’ I obeyed; and as the result it was not long before I could write page after page with comparative ease. Who told me what to write? Who steadied my right hand, and made it possible for me to use a pen?—It was the Lord.” Review and Herald, June 14, 1906.

4 How was a message often conveyed to an individual or church? Colossians 4:16; 11 Thessalonians 3:14, 17. Compare 11 Chronicles 21:12–14.

note: “As Paul’s epistle was opened and read, great joy and consolation was brought to the church by the words . . . .” The Acts of the Apostles, 258.

“Point after point Paul lingered over, in order that those who should read his epistle might fully comprehend the wonderful condescension of the Saviour in their behalf.” Ibid., 333.

“The prophet Elijah had not yet been translated, and he could not remain silent while the kingdom of Judah was pursuing the same course that had brought the northern kingdom to the verge of ruin. The prophet sent to Jehoram of Judah a written communication.” Prophets and Kings, 213.

“In these letters which I [Ellen White] write, in the testimonies I bear, I am presenting to you that which the Lord has presented to me.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 67.

5 At times, what help did the prophets employ? Jeremiah 36:4, 17, 18; Romans 16:22.

note: “The Lord commanded Jeremiah to commit to writing the messages he desired to bear to those for whose salvation his heart of pity was continually yearning. ‘Take thee a roll of a book,’ the Lord bade His servant, ‘and write therein all the words that I have spoken unto thee against Israel, and against Judah, and against all the nations, from the day I spake unto thee, from the days of Josiah, even unto this day. It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the evil which I purpose to do unto them; that they may return every man from his evil way; that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.’ Jeremiah 36:2, 3.

“In obedience to this command, Jeremiah called to his aid a faithful friend, Baruch the scribe, and dictated ‘all the words of the Lord, which He had spoken unto him.’ Verse 4. These were carefully written out on a roll of parchment and constituted a solemn reproof for sin, a warning of the sure result of continual apostasy, and an earnest appeal for the renunciation of all evil.

“When the writing was completed, Jeremiah, who was still a prisoner, sent Baruch to read the roll to the multitudes who were assembling at the temple on the occasion of a national fast day.” Prophets and Kings, 432, 433.

“While my husband [James White] lived, he acted as a helper and counselor in the sending out of the messages that were given to me [Ellen White]. We traveled extensively. Sometimes light would be given to me in the night season, sometimes in the daytime before large congregations. The instruction I received in vision was faithfully written out by me, as I had time and strength for the work. Afterward we examined the matter together, my husband correcting grammatical errors and eliminating needless repetition. Then it was carefully copied for the persons addressed, or for the printer.

“As the work grew, others assisted me in the preparation of matter for publication. After my husband’s death, faithful helpers joined me, who labored untiringly in the work of copying the testimonies and preparing articles for publication.

“But the reports that are circulated, that any of my helpers are permitted to add matter or change the meaning of the messages I write out, are not true.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 50.

6 What instructions were given to Ezekiel in connection with his vision of the temple? Ezekiel 40:4.

note: “The Bible points to God as its author; yet it was written by human hands; and in the varied style of its different books it presents the characteristics of the several writers. The truths revealed are all ‘given by inspiration of God’ (11 Timothy 3:16); yet they are expressed in the words of men. The Infinite One by His Holy Spirit has shed light into the minds and hearts of His servants. He has given dreams and visions, symbols and figures; and those to whom the truth was thus revealed have themselves embodied the thought in human language.

“The Ten Commandments were spoken by God Himself, and were written by His own hand. They are of divine, and not of human composition. But the Bible, with its God-given truths expressed in the language of men, presents a union of the divine and the human.” The Great Controversy, v, vi.

“Although I [Ellen White] am as dependent upon the Spirit of the Lord in writing my views as I am in receiving them, yet the words I employ in describing what I have seen are my own, unless they be those spoken to me by an angel, which I always enclose in marks of quotation.” Review and Herald, October 8, 1867.

7 Through which of his senses did the apostle John, while in vision, receive information and instruction? Revelation 1:10, 11.

note: “We have been given a message exceeding in importance any other message ever entrusted to mortals. This message Christ came in person to the Isle of Patmos to present to John. He told him to write down what he saw and heard during his vision, that the churches might know what was to come upon the earth. Do our medical workers realize the importance of the message of Revelation? . . .” Medical Ministry, 37.

“As God has shown me [Ellen White] in holy vision . . . .” The Day Star, January 24, 1846. [Emphasis added.]

“The Spirit fell upon me [Ellen White], and I was taken off in vision. I saw . . . .” The Present Truth, August 1, 1849. [Emphasis added.]

8 What prompted the apostle Paul to write his letter, known as 1 Corinthians, to the church at Corinth? 1 Corinthians 1:11.

note: “Paul was an inspired apostle, yet the Lord did not reveal to him at all times just the condition of His people. Those who were interested in the prosperity of the church, and saw evils creeping in, presented the matter before him, and from the light which he had previously received he was prepared to judge of the true character of these developments. Because the Lord had not given him a new revelation for that special time, those who were really seeking light did not cast his message aside as only a common letter. No, indeed. The Lord had shown him the difficulties and dangers which would arise in the churches, that when they should develop he might know just how to treat them. . . .

“The reproof he sent them was written just as much under the inspiration of the Spirit of God as were any of his epistles.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 66.

9 In what way was God’s message of rebuke delivered to King David? 11 Samuel 12:1–7.

note: “Since the warning and instruction given in testimony for individual cases applied with equal force to many others who had not been specially pointed out in this manner, it seemed to be my [Ellen White] duty to publish the personal testimonies for the benefit of the church. In Testimony 15, speaking of the necessity for doing this, I said: ‘I know of no better way to present my views of general dangers and errors, and the duty of all who love God and keep His commandments, than by giving these testimonies. Perhaps there is no more direct and forcible way of presenting what the Lord has shown me.’ [vol. 2, p. 9 (1868).] . . .

“In rebuking the wrongs of one, He designs to correct many.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 658, 659.

10 In what firm manner did Peter bear testimony to a deceived believer? Acts 8:18–23.

note: “In a view given me [Ellen White] about twenty years ago, ‘I was then directed to bring out general principles, in speaking and in writing, and at the same time specify the dangers, errors, and sins of some individuals, that all might be warned, reproved, and counseled. I saw that all should search their own hearts and lives closely to see if they had not made the same mistakes for which others were corrected and if the warnings given for others did not apply to their own cases. If so, they should feel that the counsel and reproofs were given especially for them and should make as practical an application of them as though they were especially addressed to themselves.’ ” Testimonies, vol. 5, 660.

11 Upon what divine power was the agent of prophecy dependent? 11 Peter 1:20, 21.

note: “After I [Ellen White] come out of vision I do not at once remember all that I have seen, and the matter is not so clear before me until I write, then the scene rises before me as was presented in vision, and I can write with freedom. Sometimes the things which I have seen are hid from me after I come out of vision, and I cannot call them to mind until I am brought before a company where that vision applies, then the things which I have seen come to my mind with force. I am just as dependent upon the Spirit of the Lord in relating or writing a vision, as in having the vision. It is impossible for me to call up things which have been shown me unless the Lord brings them before me at the time that he is pleased to have me relate or write them.” Spiritual Gifts (1860), vol. 2, 292, 293.

12 With what solemn words were the prophets at times enjoined to be faithful in delivering God’s messages? Jeremiah 26:2; Ezekiel 2:5–7.

note: “The Lord commanded Jeremiah to stand in the court of the Lord’s house and speak unto all the people of Judah who came there to worship, those things which He would give him to speak, diminishing not a word, that they might hearken and turn from their evil ways.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 165.

13 Whom did Israel reject when they asked Samuel for a king? 1 Samuel 8:1–10.

note: “Those who despise and reject the faithful servant of God, not merely show contempt for the man, but for the Master who sent him. It is God’s words, his reproofs and counsel, that are set at naught; his authority that is rejected.” Signs of the Times, July 13, 1882.

“I [Ellen White] saw the state of some who stood on present truth, but disregarded the visions—the way God had chosen to teach in some cases, those who erred from Bible truth. I saw that in striking against the visions they did not strike against the worm—the feeble instrument that God spake through—but against the Holy Ghost. I saw it was a small thing to speak against the instrument, but it was dangerous to slight the words of God. I saw if they were in error and God chose to show them their errors through visions, and they disregarded the teachings of God through visions, they would be left to take their own way, and run in the way of error, and think they were right, until they would find it out too late. Then in the time of trouble I heard them cry to God in agony, ‘Why didst Thou not show us our wrong, that we might have got right and been ready for this time?’ Then an angel pointed to them and said, ‘My Father taught, but you would not be taught. He spoke through visions, but you disregarded His voice, and He gave you up to your own ways, to be filled with your own doings.’ ” Selected Messages, Book 1, 40.

Bible Study Guide – Confidence in the Spirit of Prophecy

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December 23, 2007 – December 29, 2007

Key Text

“Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision.” Acts 26:19.

Study Help: Testimonies, vol. 5, 668–670; Selected Messages, Book 1, 40–48.

Introduction

“It is the responsibility of each individual to apply the Bible tests of a prophet to the life and ministry of Ellen White in order to be assured of the validity of her claim to be the messenger of the Lord… The inspiration of the messenger, the Scriptural nature of the instruction, the value and contribution of the messages, have been recognized and accepted since the beginnings of the [Seventh-day Adventist] church, even before there was denominational organization. Time has vindicated the confidence of the pioneers and the present believers and leaders of the advent cause in the guidance of God through the ministry and writings of Ellen White” T Housel Jemison, A Prophet Among You,< www.WhiteEstate.org> August 2007, 464.

1 By what figurative language did God describe the work of the ancient prophets? Hosea 6:5.

Note: “The people of God in these last days could not be safe in trusting in men, and making flesh their arm. The mighty cleaver of truth has taken them out of the world as rough stones that are to be hewed and squared and polished for the heavenly building. They must be hewed by the prophets with reproof, warning, admonition, and advice, that they may be fashioned after the divine Pattern; this is the specified work of the Comforter, to transform heart and character, that men may keep the way of the Lord.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 464.

2 What purpose did the Lord have in sending prophets to His straying people in days of old? What was the response? II Chronicles 24:19.

Note: “The question to be settled … is: Shall I deny myself and receive as of God the Testimonies which reprove my sins, or shall I reject the Testimonies because they reprove my sins?

“In many cases the Testimonies are fully received, the sin and indulgence broken off, and reformation at once commences in harmony with the light God has given. In other instances sinful indulgences are cherished, the Testimonies are rejected, and many excuses which are untrue are offered to others as the reason for refusing to receive them. The true reason is not given. It is a lack of moral courage—a will, strengthened and controlled by the Spirit of God, to renounce hurtful habits.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 32.

3 What messages did rebellious Judah ask the prophets to give? Isaiah 30:10. Compare Ezekiel 33:30–33.

Note: “There are some in these last days who will cry: ‘Speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits.’ [Isaiah 30:10.] But this is not my work. God has set me as a reprover of His people; and just so surely as He has laid upon me the heavy burden, He will make those to whom this message is given responsible for the manner in which they treat it. God will not be trifled with, and those who despise His work will receive according to their deeds.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 679.

4 What was Ahab’s attitude toward the true prophet of God? I Kings 22:8. To what did such an attitude often lead? Acts 7:52.

Note: “’It is Satan’s plan to weaken the faith of God’s people in the Testimonies.’ ‘Satan knows how to make his attacks. He works upon minds to excite jealousy and dissatisfaction toward those at the head of the work. The gifts are next questioned; then, of course, they have but little weight, and instruction given through vision is disregarded.’ ‘Next follows skepticism in regard to the vital points of our faith, the pillars of our position, then doubt as to the Holy Scriptures, and then the downward march to perdition. When the Testimonies, which were once believed, are doubted and given up, Satan knows the deceived ones will not stop at this; and he redoubles his efforts till he launches them into open rebellion, which becomes incurable and ends in destruction.’ [vol. 4, 211; vol. 1, 236.] ‘By giving place to doubts and unbelief in regard to the work of God, and by cherishing feelings of distrust and cruel jealousies, they are preparing themselves for complete deception.’ [vol. 3, 328.]” Testimonies, vol. 5, 672.

5 In contrast to the above, what was David’s attitude toward the message that came to him from the prophet Nathan? II Samuel 12:7–9, 13.

Note: Reporting on the work of Ellen White at a general gathering of workers in Europe, D. T. Bordeau wrote: “Not only does this gift reprove sin without dissimulation and partiality, as did Nathan when he said to David, ‘Thou art the man;’ but it deals in words of encouragement to help those reproved to overcome, and to inspire hope, faith, and courage to the desponding. It not only probes the wound, but it also pours in the oil, binds the wound, and hastens the process of restoration. It brings the receiver to the Bible, and earnestly endeavors to carry out the instructions it enjoins, exemplifying in a marked degree the rare graces of modesty, true humility, and self-denial. It identifies itself with those for whom it labors, bearing their burdens in earnest, persevering prayer, forgetful of self and ease, and keeping the glory of God and the salvation of souls in view, aiming to secure these at any sacrifice.” Review and Herald, November 20, 1885.

6 As Paul recounted his experience before King Agrippa, what did he declare had been his personal relationship to heavenly visions? Acts 26:19.

Note: “Paul declared that his change of faith had not been prompted by impulse or fanaticism, but had been brought about by overwhelming evidence.” The Acts of the Apostles, 125.

7 What principle is given to help the honest seeker in his study of revealed truth? I Corinthians 2:12, 13.

Note: “The Bible is its own expositor. Scripture is to be compared with scripture. The student should learn to view the word as a whole and to see the relation of its parts. He should gain a knowledge of its grand central theme—of God’s original purpose for the world, of the rise of the great controversy, and of the work of redemption.” Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, 462.

“The testimonies themselves will be the key that will explain the messages given, as scripture is explained by scripture.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 42.

8 What need often arises even among those who have known the present truth? Hebrews 5:12. Compare II Peter 1:1–15.

Note: “We are not always to remain children in our knowledge and experience in spiritual things….

“God has given us many advantages and opportunities, and when the last great day shall be ushered in, and we shall see what we might have attained, had we taken advantage of the helps that Heaven vouchsafed to us; when we see how we might have grown in grace, and look upon these things as God looks upon them, seeing what we have lost by failing to grow up into the full stature of men and women in Christ, we shall wish that we had been more in earnest.” Sons and Daughters of God, 330.

“I [Ellen White] was then directed to bring out general principles, in speaking and in writing, and at the same time specify the dangers, errors, and sins of some individuals, that all might be warned, reproved, and counseled. I saw that all should search their own hearts and lives closely to see if they had not made the same mistakes for which others were corrected and if the warnings given for others did not apply to their own cases. If so, they should feel that the counsel and reproofs were given especially for them and should make as practical an application of them as though they were especially addressed to themselves.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 660.

9 What must we consider when we study certain specific counsels in the Bible and in the Testimonies?

Note: “Regarding the testimonies, nothing is ignored; nothing is cast aside; but time and place must be considered.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 57.

10 Against what misuses of the writings of Ellen White are we warned?

Note:

  • Not to be used as an iron rule or club. The following principle addressed to ministers applies to each individual: “They profess to believe the testimony borne, and some do harm by making them an iron rule for those who have had no experience in reference to them, but they fail to carry them out themselves.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 369.
  • Not to be used as proof for unbelievers. “Some have taken an injudicious course; when they have talked their faith to unbelievers, and the proof has been asked for, they have read a vision, instead of going to the Bible for proof. I [Ellen White] saw that this course was inconsistent, and prejudiced unbelievers against the truth. The visions can have no weight with those who have never seen them and know nothing of their spirit. They should not be referred to in such cases.” Ibid., 119, 120.
  • Not to select brief excerpts and use them out of context. “There are those who pick out from the Word of God, and also from the Testimonies, detached paragraphs or sentences that may be interpreted to suit their ideas, and they dwell upon these, and build themselves up in their own positions, when God is not leading them.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 179.

11 Have the passage of the years and the circumstances of modern times made the prophetic writings obsolete?

Note: “I [Ellen White] have been shown that the principles that were given us in the early days of the message are as important and should be regarded just as conscientiously today as they were then.” Testimonies, vol. 9, 158.

“Through His Holy Spirit the voice of God has come to us continually in warning and instruction, to confirm the faith of the believers in the spirit of prophecy…. Time and trial have not made void the instruction given…. The instruction that was given in the early days of the message is to be held as safe instruction to follow in these its closing days.” Review and Herald, July 18, 1907.

12 In Paul’s appeal to Agrippa, what pertinent question did he ask? Acts 26:27.

Note: “My brethren, beware of the evil heart of unbelief. The word of God is plain and close in its restrictions; it interferes with your selfish indulgence; therefore you do not obey it. The testimonies of His Spirit call your attention to the Scriptures, point out your defects of character, and rebuke your sins; therefore you do not heed them. And to justify your carnal, ease-loving course you begin to doubt whether the testimonies are from God. If you would obey their teachings you would be assured of their divine origin.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 234.

13 When there is no prophetic vision, what dire consequences result? Proverbs 29:18. Compare I Samuel 3:1.

Note: “Satan is … constantly pressing in the spurious—to lead away from the truth. The very last deception of Satan will be to make of none effect the testimony of the Spirit of God. ‘Where there is no vision, the people perish’ (Proverbs 29:18). Satan will work ingeniously, in different ways and through different agencies, to unsettle the confidence of God’s remnant people in the true testimony.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 48.

14 With what words did Jehoshaphat encourage the people as they followed the Lord’s direction given through the prophet? II Chronicles 20:20.

Note: “Some will yield their faith, and will deny the truth of the messages, pointing to them as falsehoods.

“Some will hold them up to ridicule, working against the light that God has been giving for years, and some who are weak in the faith will thus be led astray.

“But others will be greatly helped by the messages. Though not personally addressed, they will be corrected, and will be led to shun the evils specified…. The Spirit of the Lord will be in the instruction, and doubts existing in many minds will be swept away. The testimonies themselves will be the key that will explain the messages given, as scripture is explained by scripture. Many will read with eagerness the messages reproving wrong, that they may learn what they may do to be saved…. Light will dawn upon the understanding, and the Spirit will make an impression on minds, as Bible truth is clearly and simply presented in the messages that since 1846 God has been sending His people. These messages are to find their place in hearts, and transformations will take place.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 41, 42.

Bible Study Guides – Prophecy, a Guiding Light

by

December 16, 2007 – December 22, 2007

Key Text

“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.” Joel 2:32.

Study Help: Testimonies, vol. 5, 467–476; Prophets and Kings, 582–592; Testimonies, vol. 1, 179–184; Early Writings, 269–273.

Introduction

Jesus forewarned and forearmed the disciples and reminded them, “And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.” John 14:29. Ellen White comments, “They [the disciples] would say to one another: ‘He told us that this would come, and what we must do to meet it’” Testimonies, vol. 9, 235.

God has again spoken through the spirit of prophecy, and in so doing He has given to us in more minute detail a picture of the events of the last days. And the inspired message confirms the word of the Bible prophets and aids in a fuller and more complete understanding.

1 What experience will come, at the end of the time of trouble, to many of God’s people who sleep in their graves? Daniel 12:1, 2.

Note: “It is at midnight that God manifests His power for the deliverance of His people. The sun appears, shining in its strength. Signs and wonders follow in quick succession…. In the midst of the angry heavens is one clear space of indescribable glory, whence comes the voice of God like the sound of many waters, saying: ‘It is done.’ Revelation 16:17.

“That voice shakes the heavens and the earth. There is a mighty earthquake…

“Graves are opened, and ‘many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth . . . awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.’ Daniel 12:2. All who have died in the faith of the third angel’s message come forth from the tomb glorified, to hear God’s covenant of peace with those who have kept His law.” The Great Controversy, 636, 637.

2 What do the New Testament writers foretell concerning the deceptive power of Satanic agencies? II Thessalonians 2:9, 10; II Corinthians 11:13–15; Revelation 16:13, 14.

Note: “Satan ‘works with all deceivableness of unrighteousness’ [II Thessalonians 2:10] to gain control of the children of men, and his deceptions will continually increase. …

“Satan has long been preparing for his final effort to deceive the world. The foundation of his work was laid by the assurance given to Eve in Eden: ‘Ye shall not surely die.’ [Genesis 3:4.] … Little by little he has prepared the way for his masterpiece of deception in the development of spiritualism. He has not yet reached the full accomplishment of his designs; but it will be reached in the last remnant of time. … Except those who are kept by the power of God, through faith in His word, the whole world will be swept into the ranks of this delusion. The people are fast being lulled to a fatal security, to be awakened only by the outpouring of the wrath of God.” The Great Controversy, 560–562.

3 What astounding development did the apostle Paul predict would take place in the religious world before the end? II Thessalonians 2:3, 4. Compare Revelation 13:3, 4, 8, 9.

Note: “The apostle Paul, in his second letter to the Thessalonians, foretold the great apostasy which would result in the establishment of the papal power. He declared that the day of Christ should not come, ‘except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed.’ [II Thessalonians 2:3.]” The Great Controversy, 49.

“God’s word has given warning of the impending danger; let this be unheeded, and the Protestant world will learn what the purposes of Rome really are, only when it is too late to escape the snare. She is silently growing into power. Her doctrines are exerting their influence in legislative halls, in the churches, and in the hearts of men… We shall soon see and shall feel what the purpose of the Roman element is. Whoever shall believe and obey the word of God will thereby incur reproach and persecution.” Ibid., 581.

4 What somber experience lies ahead for all of God’s faithful people? Revelation 3:10.

Note: “Just before us is ‘the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.’ Revelation 3:10. All whose faith is not firmly established upon the word of God will be deceived and overcome.” The Great Controversy, 560.

“We are living in the time of the end. The fast-fulfilling signs of the times declare that the coming of Christ is near at hand. The days in which we live are solemn and important. The Spirit of God is gradually but surely being withdrawn from the earth. Plagues and judgments are already falling upon the despisers of the grace of God. The calamities by land and sea, the unsettled state of society, the alarms of war, are portentous. They forecast approaching events of the greatest magnitude.

“The agencies of evil are combining their forces and consolidating. They are strengthening for the last great crisis. Great changes are soon to take place in our world, and the final movements will be rapid ones.” Testimonies, vol. 9, 11.

5 What view is given of distressing troubles in the economic world? James 5:3–6.

Note: “There are not many, even among educators and statesmen, who comprehend the causes that underlie the present state of society. Those who hold the reins of government are not able to solve the problem of moral corruption, poverty, pauperism, and increasing crime. They are struggling in vain to place business operations on a more secure basis. If men would give more heed to the teaching of God’s word, they would find a solution of the problems that perplex them.” Testimonies, vol. 9, 13.

6 What warning should restrain the child of God from entering into any confederacy with unbelievers? II Corinthians 6:14–18. Compare Isaiah 8:12.

Note: “Men have confederated to oppose the Lord of hosts. These confederacies will continue until Christ shall leave His place of intercession before the mercy seat and shall put on the garments of vengeance. Satanic agencies are in every city, busily organizing into parties those opposed to the law of God.” Testimonies, vol. 8, 42.

“The trades unions and confederacies of the world are a snare. Keep out of them, and away from them, brethren. Have nothing to do with them. Because of these unions and confederacies, it will soon be very difficult for our institutions to carry on their work in the cities. My warning is: Keep out of the cities. Build no sanitariums in the cities. Educate our people to get out of the cities into the country, where they can obtain a small piece of land, and make a home for themselves and their children. …

“Erelong there will be such strife and confusion in the cities, that those who wish to leave them will not be able. We must be preparing for these issues. This is the light that is given me.” Selected Messages, Book 2, 142.

7 What counsel was given to the mother of Samson before the birth of the child? Judges 13:13, 7.

Note: “The effect of prenatal influences is by many parents looked upon as a matter of little moment; but heaven does not so regard it. The message sent by an angel of God, and twice given in the most solemn manner, shows it to be deserving of our most careful thought.” The Ministry of Healing, 372.

8 What far-reaching effects follow right dietary practices? Ecclesiastes 10:17.

Note: Of the nearly 2,000 pages comprising the five spirit of prophecy books devoted to health, a large proportion is devoted to diet, conveying to the reader the instruction given by God to Ellen White.

“The same sins that brought judgments upon the world in the days of Noah, exist in our day. Men and women now carry their eating and drinking so far that it ends in gluttony and drunkenness. This prevailing sin, the indulgence of perverted appetite, inflamed the passions of men in the days of Noah, and led to wide-spread corruption. Violence and sin reached to heaven. This moral pollution was finally swept from the earth by means of the flood. The same sins of gluttony and drunkenness benumbed the moral sensibilities of the inhabitants of Sodom, so that crime seemed to be the delight of the men and women of that wicked city. Christ thus warns the world: ‘Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.’ [Luke 17:28–30.]” Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene, 11.

9 In Zechariah’s vision of Joshua and the angel, what did Satan do? What did the change of raiment signify? What promise was made to Joshua, the high priest? Zechariah 3:1–7.

Note: “Zechariah’s vision of Joshua and the Angel applies with peculiar force to the experience of God’s people in the closing up of the great day of atonement. The remnant church will be brought into great trial and distress. Those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus will feel the ire of the dragon and his hosts…

“Satan urges before God his accusations against them, declaring that they have by their sins forfeited the divine protection, and claiming the right to destroy them as transgressors. He pronounces them just as deserving as himself of exclusion from the favor of God.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 472, 473.

“All that have put on the robe of Christ’s righteousness will stand before Him as chosen and faithful and true. Satan has no power to pluck them out of the hand of Christ.” Ibid., 471.

“While Satan was urging his accusations and seeking to destroy this company, holy angels, unseen, were passing to and fro, placing upon them the seal of the living God. These are they that stand upon Mount Zion with the Lamb.” Ibid., 475.

10 What question asked by Jesus suggests a condition that will exist in earth’s last days? Luke 18:8.

Note: “I [Ellen White] was shown the people of God, and saw them mightily shaken. Some, with strong faith and agonizing cries, were pleading with God. …

“Some, I saw, did not participate in this work of agonizing and pleading. They seemed indifferent and careless. They were not resisting the darkness around them, and it shut them in like a thick cloud. …

“I asked the meaning of the shaking I had seen, and was shown that it would be caused by the straight testimony called forth by the counsel of the True Witness to the Laodiceans. This will have its effect upon the heart of the receiver, and will lead him to exalt the standard and pour forth the straight truth. Some will not bear this straight testimony. They will rise up against it, and this will cause a shaking among God’s people.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 179–181.

11 What work will be finished before Christ comes? Matthew 24:14. Compare Matthew 28:19, 20.

Note: “The vineyard includes the whole world, and every part of it is to be worked. There are places which are now a moral wilderness, and these are to become as the garden of the Lord. The waste places of the earth are to be cultivated, that they may bud and blossom as the rose. New territories are to be worked by men inspired by the Holy Spirit. New churches must be established, new congregations organized. At this time there should be representatives of present truth in every city and in the remote parts of the earth. The whole earth is to be illuminated with the glory of God’s truth. The light is to shine to all lands and all peoples.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 24.

12 What words of the prophets apply to the church triumphant? Song of Solomon 6:10; Isaiah 60:1–5; Joel 2:32.

Note: “The church is to increase in activity and to enlarge her bounds. Our missionary efforts are to be expansive; we must enlarge our borders. . . . While there have been fierce contentions in the effort to maintain our distinctive character, yet we have as Bible Christians ever been on gaining ground.” Selected Messages, Book 2, 396, 397.

The Lord will bring His church through triumphantly:

“There is no need to doubt, to be fearful that the work will not succeed. God is at the head of the work, and He will set everything in order. If matters need adjusting at the head of the work, God will attend to that, and work to right every wrong. Let us have faith that God is going to carry the noble ship which bears the people of God safely into port…

“When you think that the work is in danger, pray, ‘Lord, stand at the wheel. Carry us through the perplexity. Bring us safely into port.’ Have we not reason to believe that the Lord will bring us through triumphantly?” Ibid., 390, 391.

God will continue with His church even to the end:

“When in the night season I [Ellen White] am unable to sleep, I lift my heart in prayer to God, and He strengthens me and gives me the assurance that He is with His ministering servants in the home field and in distant lands. I am encouraged and blessed as I realize that the God of Israel is still guiding His people, and that He will continue to be with them, even to the end.” Ibid., 406.