Bible

Neither Do I

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“Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, ‘Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?’ … Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear. So, when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, ‘He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.’ And again, He stooped down and wrote on the ground.

“Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, ‘Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?’ She said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said to her, ‘Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.’ ” John 8:1–11

“From the excitement and confusion of the city, from the eager crowds and the treacherous rabbis, Jesus turned away to the quiet of the olive groves, where He could be alone with God. But in the early morning He returned to the temple, and as the people gathered about Him, He sat down and taught them.

“He was soon interrupted. A group of Pharisees and scribes approached Him, dragging with them a terror-stricken woman, whom with hard, eager voices they accused of having violated the seventh commandment. Having pushed her into the presence of Jesus, they said to Him, with a hypocritical show of respect, ‘Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest Thou?’

“Their pretended reverence veiled a deep-laid plot for His ruin. They had seized upon this opportunity to secure His condemnation, thinking that whatever decision He might make, they would find occasion to accuse Him. Should He acquit the woman, He might be charged with despising the law of Moses. Should He declare her worthy of death, He could be accused to the Romans as one who was assuming authority that belonged only to them.

“Jesus looked for a moment upon the scene—the trembling victim in her shame, the hard-faced dignitaries, devoid of even human pity. His spirit of stainless purity shrank from the spectacle. Well He knew for what purpose this case had been brought to Him. He read the heart, and knew the character and life history of everyone in His presence. These would-be guardians of justice had themselves led their victim into sin, that they might lay a snare for Jesus. Giving no sign that He had heard their question, He stooped, and fixing His eyes upon the ground, began to write in the dust.

“Impatient at His delay and apparent indifference, the accusers drew nearer, urging the matter upon His attention. But as their eyes, following those of Jesus, fell upon the pavement at His feet, their countenances changed. There, traced before them, were the guilty secrets of their own lives. The people, looking on, saw the sudden change of expression, and pressed forward to discover what it was that they were regarding with such astonishment and shame.

“With all their professions of reverence for the law, these rabbis, in bringing the charge against the woman, were disregarding its provisions. It was the husband’s duty to take action against her, and the guilty parties were to be punished equally. The action of the accusers was wholly unauthorized. Jesus, however, met them on their own ground. The law specified that in punishment by stoning, the witnesses in the case should be the first to cast a stone. Now rising, and fixing His eyes upon the plotting elders, Jesus said, ‘He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.’ And stooping down, He continued writing on the ground.

“He had not set aside the law given through Moses, nor infringed upon the authority of Rome. The accusers had been defeated. Now, their robe of pretended holiness torn from them, they stood, guilty and condemned, in the presence of Infinite Purity. They trembled lest the hidden iniquity of their lives should be laid open to the multitude; and one by one, with bowed heads and downcast eyes, they stole away, leaving their victim with the pitying Saviour.

“Jesus arose, and looking at the woman said, ‘Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?’ She said, ‘No man, Lord.’ And Jesus said unto her, ‘Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.’

“The woman had stood before Jesus, cowering with fear. His words, ‘He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone,’ had come to her as a death sentence. She dared not lift her eyes to the Saviour’s face, but silently awaited her doom. In astonishment, she saw her accusers depart speechless and confounded; then those words of hope fell upon her ear, ‘Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.’ Her heart was melted, and she cast herself at the feet of Jesus, sobbing out her grateful love, and with bitter tears confessing her sins.

“This was to her the beginning of a new life, a life of purity and peace, devoted to the service of God. In the uplifting of this fallen soul, Jesus performed a greater miracle than in healing the most grievous physical disease; He cured the spiritual malady which is unto death everlasting. This penitent woman became one of His most steadfast followers. With self-sacrificing love and devotion she repaid His forgiving mercy.

“In His act of pardoning this woman and encouraging her to live a better life, the character of Jesus shines forth in the beauty of perfect righteousness. While He does not palliate [excuse] sin, nor lessen the sense of guilt, He seeks not to condemn, but to save. The world had for this erring woman only contempt and scorn; but Jesus speaks words of comfort and hope. The Sinless One pities the weakness of the sinner, and reaches to her a helping hand. While the hypocritical Pharisees denounce, Jesus bids her, ‘Go, and sin no more.’

“It is not Christ’s follower that, with averted eyes, turns from the erring, leaving them unhindered to pursue their downward course. Those who are forward in accusing others, and zealous in bringing them to justice, are often in their own lives more guilty than they. Men hate the sinner, while they love the sin.” The Desire of Ages, 460–462

Interesting, isn’t it?  How man condemns, not because the person is worthy of condemnation, but because those doing the condemning are likelier to be as guilty, or even more so, than those they condemn.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” John 3:16, 17

“Christ hates sin but loves the sinner. This will be the spirit of all who follow Him. Christian love is slow to censure, quick to discern penitence, ready to forgive, to encourage, to set the wanderer in the path of holiness, and to stay his feet therein.” The Desire of Ages, 462

Judy Rebarchek is the managing editor of LandMarks magazine. She can be reached at judyrebarchek@stepstolife.org or by phone at 316-788-5559.

The Home of the Saved

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The Bible opens with a new heaven and a new earth, perfect from the Creator’s hand; with man sinless and having access to the tree of life in the midst of the Eden paradise, out of which flowed a river that spread its life-giving waters through the earth.

The Bible closes with a new heaven and a new earth; with man upright and sinless once again, having right to the tree of life growing in the midst of Eden; with the river of life flowing out from the garden of God, clear as crystal.

Between the two scenes spreads out the panorama of 6,000 years of conflict with sin. It is a story of the fall of man, of the loss of his Eden home, of the curse that marred the earth, of sin, sorrow, and death overspreading all.

The Restorer

But from the hour when the shadow of sin fell upon the earth, there has been a light shining in the darkness. Amid the ruin that sin had wrought, there appeared the great Restorer.

The inspired record gives a word picture of Jesus taking man’s place to win back the lost dominion:

“For He has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels. But one testified in a certain place, saying:

“ ‘What is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You take care of him? You have made him a little lower than the angels; You have crowned him with glory and honor, and set him over the works of Your hands. You have put all things in subjection under his feet.’

“For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not see all things put under him.

“But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren.” Hebrews 2:5–11

Just where Adam fell and lost his dominion over the earth, we see Jesus, the second Adam, taking man’s place and winning back the lost inheritance. That is why the picture of the new earth and man’s sinless state depicted in the first two chapters of the Bible is repeated in the last two chapters with even greater fullness of glory. God’s original plan and purpose will be carried out, and this earth renewed will be the eternal home of sinless men and women, redeemed by grace.

Sin will be found not to have frustrated, but only to have delayed, the purpose of God. And what is 6,000 years in working out the divine plan? In our brief span, we may divide human history into ancient, medieval, and modern; but in heaven’s life a thousand years are but as “a watch in the night;” and these six watches are to heaven but as one night of grief and of loving ministry in rescuing the lost.

It has cost all that heaven had to give, but the infinite Gift was made, and all heaven has wrought at the work. Of the angels it is written, “Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?” Hebrews 1:14

Bringing Back the Lost Dominion

Of all the worlds that shine in the heavens declaring the glory of God, this earth is the one that was lost. Its light went out in darkness. It wandered from the fold of God’s perfect creation.

Then the divine Shepherd came to find it and bring it back. And the angels that rejoiced when they saw this earth created—“when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy”—this earth redeemed from the curse, shining in the bright universe again with the perfection of the glory of God.

Christ not only redeems lost men, but He is to redeem this lost earth. “The Son of man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:10

By sinning, man lost not only his righteousness and his life, but his dominion as well. Originally man had dominion “over all the earth” (Genesis 1:26). As the psalmist says, “You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands.” Psalm 8:6. He was prince and ruler of the earth. But when he yielded to Satan’s temptation, he yielded up that dominion to the enemy, thus placing himself in the power of his foe. Satan thus became the “prince of this world,” exercising the dominion wrested from man.

But through Christ, this dominion is to be restored. The prophet of old said:

“And you, O tower of the flock, the stronghold of the daughter of Zion, to you shall it come, even the former dominion shall come, the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem.” Micah 4:8

The Hope of the Promise

The promise of the gospel of salvation includes not only life eternal through faith, but of an eternal inheritance in the earth made new, the fulfilment of the Creator’s plan when He made this world to be man’s home. This was the star of hope that shone before Adam and Eve as they stepped forth from Eden into a dying world. It was to Abraham, “the promise that he would be the heir of the world.” Romans 4:13

It was not the promise of the world in its present state. For the Lord gave Abraham “no inheritance in it, not even enough to set his foot on.” Acts 7:5. Abraham himself did not look for the promise to be fulfilled in this sinful earth, but in the earth made new, redeemed from sin. The scripture says of his hope:

“By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” Hebrews 11:9, 10

It was in the new earth and the New Jerusalem that Abraham, the father of the faithful, expected to receive the eternal inheritance promised to him and to his seed. And there, all the faithful will find their inheritance.

“And if you are Christ’s then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Galatians 3:29

The psalmist said, “But the meek shall inherit the earth.” Psalm 37:11, first part. Christ repeated it: “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” Matthew 5:5

The New Earth and the New Jerusalem

Through the prophet Isaiah the Lord described the re-creation of this earth as the home of the saved:

“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be remembered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem as a rejoicing and her people a joy. I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in My people; the voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her, nor the voice of crying.” Isaiah 65:17–19

It is not of old Jerusalem that the prophet is speaking, but of the New Jerusalem, which John saw coming down, with the saints, from God out of heaven. He saw it descending upon the earth at the end of the millennium, and saw the wicked come forth from their graves to judgment. Then he saw the fires of the last day falling upon the lost, consuming sin and sinners, and purifying the earth itself from every trace of the curse. It is the day of which Peter wrote: “Because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat. Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.” 2 Peter 3:12, last part, 13

Out from the dissolved elements of the earth and the atmospheric heavens, the Creator’s power again calls forth a new heaven and a new earth, the old creation cleansed and renewed in the perfection of the original Eden paradise. It is coming; for John saw it in vision: “Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away.” Revelation 21:1

He saw the city which had come down from heaven—those mansions that Christ has been preparing—the New Jerusalem, the holy capital of the eternal kingdom of the saints, where Christ’s own throne is set.

“And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.’ Then He who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’ ” Verses 3–5

It passes comprehension, but it is true. And the life of the saved in their eternal inheritance will be just as real as is life upon this present earth.

“They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards, and eat their fruit. …

“ ‘The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,’ says the Lord.” Isaiah 65:21, 25

The whole earth will be as the Eden paradise planted by God in the beginning. And from week to week and from month to month the saved will gather to worship before the glorious throne in the holy city.

“ ‘For as the new heavens and the new earth which I will make shall remain before Me,’ says the Lord, ‘so shall your descendants and your name remain. And it shall come to pass that from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, all flesh shall come to worship before Me,’ says the Lord.” Isaiah 66:22, 23

The Glories of the Saints’ Eternal Home

As the first two chapters of the Bible tell of earth’s original perfection, so the last two chapters constitute one psalm of ecstasy over the indescribable glories of the earth made new, with its city of light, the walls of jasper, the gates of pearl, the river of life flowing from the throne of the Lamb, clear as crystal, with the wide spreading tree of life on either side of the river. And supreme above all, Jesus Himself, “the King in His beauty,” without whom there would be no glory even in that city foursquare; “for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.”

“Oh, heaven without my Saviour

Would be no heaven to me;

Dim were the walls of jasper,

Rayless the crystal sea!

 

“He gilds earth’s darkest valleys

With light and joy and peace;

Then what must be the radiance

Where sin and death shall cease?”

Next to the loveliness and grace of Christ our Saviour, the glories of this world to come have inspired the sweetest hymns of hope for longing hearts. How often has the spirit been lifted above earth’s trials as we have sung:

“O that home of the soul! in my visions and dreams

Its bright, jasper walls I can see

Till I fancy but thinly the veil intervenes

Between the fair city and me.

 

“That unchangeable home is for you and for me,

Where Jesus of Nazareth stands;

The King of all kingdoms forever is He,

And He holdeth our crowns in His hands.

 

“O how sweet it will be in that beautiful land,

So free from all sorrow and pain,

With songs on our lips and with harps in our hands,

To meet one another again!”

“But as it is written: eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9

Through the ages, the children of the promise have been journeying toward the city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God, and they have confessed themselves pilgrims and strangers in this present world. As they have followed the way of righteousness—oftentimes a thorny path—it has been with the shining city ever before their vision. As they have fallen in death, it has been with closing eyes fixed upon “that day” when Christ shall come to take His people to the New Jerusalem prepared above.

“The Lamb there in His beauty

Without a veil is seen.

It were a well-spent journey

Though seven deaths lay between.”

Now earth’s course is nearly run. It is but a little way to the holy city, where the water of life flows clear as crystal from the midst of the throne. The water of life is really there; for the Lord showed it to the prophet John in vision, that he might tell us that he saw it.

“Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem,” he says, “and He showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal.” Revelation 21:2, first part; 22:1, first part

Christ invites every one to share the eternal inheritance, giving assurance of His power to save to the uttermost all who come to God through Him. He is knocking at the door of every heart, asking admittance, in order that He may take away all sin, and prepare the soul for the heavenly home.

And the glories of the holy city invite us to come:

“And the Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.” Revelation 22:17

“He which testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming quickly.’ Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” Verse 21

William A. Spicer served the Seventh-day Adventist church from 1887 to 1930 as a minister, editor of The Present Truth in England and The Oriental Watchman in India, secretary and president of the General Conference, and worked for decades in mission development. He passed away October 17, 1952.

The Tree of Life – The Dream of Humanity

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Ever since he was expelled from paradise, man has had a longing for eternity, for immortality, for health and youth, a desire that has existed since the moment when man lost access to the tree of life. When we see children suffering from cancer from birth, when we notice the inexorable degeneration of human bodies in the aging process, the more we dream of a world in which man will regain immortality, in which he will again be able to eat fruit from the Tree of Life and drink from the River of the Water of Life. Biotechnology companies, Eastern philosophers and Western visionaries propose various “crazy” solutions, all completely utopian, for people who love their independence from God and at the same time dream of immortality.

The Promise of Immortality

Since the dawn of time, philosophers have sought the philosopher’s stone, from which the elixir of life could be made—an elixir that would grant immortality to anyone who drank it. In the Edenic paradise, humanity chose independence from God, deceived by the devil with the vision of becoming immortal and at the same time becoming like God. Having lost access to the Tree of Life, humanity has attempted to achieve immortality independently of God by creating its own version of the Tree of Life. Hence the search for the philosopher’s stone, the fountain of youth, and other avenues to immortality.

It seems no era has been as obsessively focused on this idea as modern Western culture. Today, people still die, but according to the prophets of transhumanism, humanity is on the verge of achieving divine status through access to an artificial Tree of Life—a fusion of genetic engineering, technology, artificial intelligence, and pharmacology. Transhumanism is nothing more than an attempt to attain salvation through human effort alone. At its core, however, this ideology is built on a foundational error, based on a false vision of humanity. These efforts always lead to tragedy.

Transhumanism, as promoted by its prophets like Yuval Noah Harari, possesses qualities of a global quasi-religious system encompassing all of humanity. At the heart of this system is the idea of the transhuman and their evolution towards the superhuman or posthuman. In any case, transhumanism has global aspirations. The desire to create a global system of governance is also shared by New Age followers, Freemasons, and the papacy.

When Symbol Meets Reality

The Tree of Life is a powerful archetype that has endured through the ages, permeating various cultures, religions, and philosophies. Though the human heart is corrupted by sin, deep within human existence lies a profound desire and longing for immortality—a yearning for God, even if not always consciously recognized.

In Mesopotamian tradition, the Tree of Life often accompanies royal figures and appears in architectural decorations. As a mythological motif, the Tree also appeared in the ancient cultures of Egypt, Greece, Persia, India, and other cultures. It represents a universal symbol of life, growth, and the connection between the earthly and the divine, reflecting humanity’s ancient quest for immortality and the sacred.1 In various religious traditions, the motif of the Tree of Life is connected to the concept of the World Tree, or the Cosmic Tree, which supports the universe. In this conception, the Tree of Life, as the World Tree, represents the spherical structure of the cosmos with its three fundamental realms: the heavens, the earthly world, and the underworld—the realm of the dead. In each of these religious narratives, the idea of a “center” is embodied in the tree, representing absolute reality, the source of life, and sanctity. Thus, the World Tree stands at the center of the universe, serving as the axis mundi, or the world axis. In this sense, it is the holiest of the holy places, a connection point between the divine and the earthly, symbolizing the interrelationship of all existence.2

In many religious traditions and mythologies, the creation of the world begins at a “center,” where the energy of life and the source of all reality are concentrated. This is similarly reflected in the biblical narrative found in the Book of Genesis—where the central point of the created world is the garden of Eden, or Paradise. Within the garden, the central element is the Tree of Life. “As the creation of the world begins in a certain center, it follows that the creation of man could only have occurred in that same place, which is the most real and alive.”3

The Mystery of King Pakal the Great

In the Mexican city of Palenque, one of the largest Mayan cities, there is a stepped pyramid with the Temple of the Inscriptions. Intensive excavation work only began there after World War II. In 1949, the greatest archaeological discovery of the 20th century on the continents of both Americas was made.

An access point to a mysterious corridor filled entirely with rubble was uncovered. Archaeologists excavated the passage for three years. The corridor, 25 meters long, descended below the base level of the pyramid. At the end of the corridor was a tomb chamber. Inside, they discovered the sarcophagus of the ruler of this place, Pakal the Great.

Within the sarcophagus lay his skeleton, adorned with a decorative jade mask over his face. Only after some time did archaeologists realize that the most valuable find in the Temple of the Inscriptions was not Pakal’s body but the lid of his sarcophagus. They began to examine it more closely.4 On this slab is a beautiful relief depicting the king’s likeness, as popularized by Erich von Däniken, who saw in it the figure of an astronaut traveling in a spaceship. However, the relief on the slab illustrates the Tree of Life—the World Tree, which serves as the main axis of all creation. This aligns with the beliefs of the Maya, who thought that the universe consists of the earth, the heavenly realm, and the underworld.

The world of the living, or Earth, was divided into four quadrants organized according to the cardinal directions. At the center of the world grows the Tree of Life—the World Tree. This tree symbolizes the interconnectedness of all existence, embodying the balance and unity of the cosmos as understood by the Maya.5 At the top of the tree carved on the sarcophagus is Itzamná, the creator god, depicted as the Heavenly Bird. We also see King Pakal in a strange, curled position.

During his life, Pakal was symbolically connected to the tree through an umbilical cord, but death severed this bond. The king is not sitting inside a rocket; rather, he is falling from the Tree of Life toward the underworld—the land of the dead, symbolized by the open maw of the Earth Monster. At the same time, the king’s position expresses the belief in resurrection, as it resembles the posture of a person rising from the grave. The slab features two figures—Adam and Eve—connected by their noses, which can be seen using a mirrored reflection. In the center, we see their hands. Eve’s hand reaches for the fruit from the tree and passes it to Adam, who takes it in his hand. The Maya believed that the first couple lived in a perfect epoch in human history, which ended with a great flood. This suggests that the relief depicts not only Pakal’s death and his hope for resurrection but also the fall of the first parents, which resulted in the loss of access to the Tree of Life.

The relief from Palenque narrates the same story as the first book of the Bible. Humanity must die because it has lost access to the Tree of Life, yet it dies in the hope of resurrection. The bird at the top of the tree points to the heavenly kingdom and to God, who is humanity’s only hope for eternal life.6 On the slab of Pakal’s sarcophagus, one can observe another extraordinary image—an additional layer of interpretation. In this interpretive layer, Pakal becomes a sacrificial figure who undergoes transformation—he dies, is buried in the earth, and rises to new life. His death becomes an act of creation. This transformation symbolizes the cyclical nature of life, death, and rebirth, reflecting the Maya belief in the interconnectedness of existence. The act of dying is not seen merely as an end but as a necessary step toward regeneration and renewal. In this context, Pakal’s death is not a defeat; rather, it is a significant transition that allows him to assume a new role within the cosmic order. This narrative resonates with the broader themes of sacrifice and the creative power inherent in death, echoing ancient ideas of resurrection and the eternal cycle of life.7 This interpretation aligns with the beliefs of the Maya, who considered ancient kings to be the heirs of the first ruler of the earth, the first father. As his successors, they also represented a type pointing toward a future Messiah, who would sacrifice himself for humanity. Thus, the imagery on Pakal’s sarcophagus is particularly intriguing for us Christians.

There is no doubt that the plan of salvation was once known to all people. However, over time, it became distorted and misrepresented. The connections between Pakal’s transformation and the concept of sacrifice reflect a deeper, universal truth about the human condition and the longing for redemption. This resonance with the Christian narrative suggests that the themes of death, resurrection, and sacrifice transcend cultural boundaries, hinting at a shared understanding of the divine plan throughout history.8

The Tree of Life in the Bible

The Tree of Life first appears in the Book of Genesis when God places humanity in the garden of Eden: “And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil” (Genesis 2:9). It then appears again in Genesis 3:22–24 alongside the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, which is central to the narrative. Here, humanity becomes a living being formed by God from the dust of the earth, into which He breathes His own breath of life. Thus, one could say that Genesis 2:4–9 is rich with life. God creates humanity, fills it with life, and places it in an ideal environment—the beautiful garden.

The motif of the Tree of Life returns in the last book of the Bible, the book of Revelation: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God” (Revelation 2:7). In this way, the motif of the Tree of Life frames the entire biblical narrative, appearing at both the beginning and the end of the Scriptures. It seems that the mention of such a rich and meaningful symbol as the Tree of Life should appear quite frequently throughout the Bible. However, aside from the passages in Genesis and a few references in Revelation, it appears only in the book of Proverbs. This is indeed surprising.

Upon closer examination of the Tree of Life, not only in terms of its physical reality but also from a symbolic perspective, we begin to understand that the Tree of Life represents the eternal life that God desired to grant humanity. This understanding positions the motif of the Tree of Life as one of the most powerful themes in the Bible, creating a perfect bookend in the first and last books of the Bible while simultaneously permeating the entire biblical revelation.

Revelation of the Tree of Life

Let’s take a closer look at the biblical frame (the beliefs and principles rooted in the Bible that set the frame of what we believe about God). The creation of the world by God, with the Tree of Life in the middle of the garden, located in the heart of Eden, and situated in the center of the earth, opens the biblical frame. The creation of a new heaven and a new earth by God, in the midst of which lies the New Jerusalem, and at the center of which is the river of the water of life and the Tree of Life (Revelation 22:1, 2)—this is not the end of the biblical frame. At the very center of the sin-purged universe, in the very heart of the New Jerusalem, John sees not just a sign of God’s presence, but the throne of God and ultimately God Himself, not just a sign of His presence. It is God, who will dwell with the saved, who ultimately closes the biblical frame. If this is the case, there must be another event, a central event around which the entire biblical revelation revolves. This event is essential for the emergence of a new heaven and a new earth. An absolute prerequisite for our return to God’s presence, back to our lost heavenly home, and renewed access to the Tree of Life is the event that took place on Golgotha. This is the death and resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ. We can read about this in the letter to the Hebrews: “Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh.” Hebrews 10:19, 20. Furthermore, the Lord Himself solemnly declares: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6

Jesus Christ is the Tree of Life

It is clear that the Tree of Life symbolizes eternal life, to which each of us now has access because of what happened on another tree on the hill of Golgotha. Through the death of Jesus on that tree of the cross and His resurrection three days later, we all can have access to eternal life by accepting, through faith, the sacrifice of the Son of God. If the death of Jesus on the tree of the cross opens the way for us to eternal life, then there is no other option but to identify Jesus Christ with the Tree of Life symbolically. As it is written, “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12. There is no alternative for salvation and eternal life except through God—Jesus Christ. The source of all life is found in God—Jesus Christ. He is the Tree of Life, He is the River of Living Water, He is the Bread of Life, and He is Eternal Life.

The Cross of Christ: The Axis Connecting Heaven and Earth

The sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the tree of the cross stands at the very center of biblical revelation. In that sense, the tree of the cross is a symbol for the Tree of Life. Since ancient times, the cross has been a cosmic symbol of the axis connecting heaven and earth. By choosing the cross as the visual symbol of their faith, Christians intended it to always remind them that it stands at the center of their belief. For the center of Christian faith is neither the birth of Jesus, nor His youth, His teachings, His ministry, His resurrection, or His authority, but rather His death on the cross.9 The death of Jesus Christ on the cross is the central event of God’s revelation recorded in the Bible, permeating the entire Scripture. It is a pivotal event in the history of the world and the universe; it is the heart of Christian theology and faith. This central event has cosmic dimensions and consequences, offering the promise of eternal life to those who accept God’s grace and love revealed on the cross of Golgotha in the death of our Lord Jesus Christ through faith.

Promise

Now we live in a world full of pain and suffering, sadness and illness, old age and death. It is a world that desperately cries out for rescue. This is not the world that was meant to be humanity’s destiny. God promises to restore to redeemed humanity everything that Adam and Eve lost. In the book of Isaiah, the Lord makes a solemn promise to fallen humanity: “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; For behold, I create Jerusalem as a rejoicing, And her people a joy.” Isaiah 65:17, 18.

Endnotes:

1A. Arno, Drzewo życia, published June 18, 2021, https://przekroj.org/sztuka-opowiesci/drzewo-zycia/, accessibility: 16.09.2024

2M. Eliade, Traktat o historii religii, publishing house Opus 1993, pp. 365, 366

3Ibiden, p. 364

4W. Boguch, Pakal z Palenque, published May 7, 2022, www.tunguska.pl/pakal-z-palenque/, accessibility: 16.09.2024

5D. Davies, Maya Gods and Religious Beliefs, www.mayaarchaeologist.co.uk/public-resources/maya-world/maya-gods-religious-beliefs/#easy-footnote-bottom-2-7289, accessibility: 16.09.2024

6A. J. Palla, Starożytne samoloty, zabawki czy rzeczywistość, publishing house Znaki Czasu, published June 2008

7K. Rollins, It’s Not An Alien Astronaut: Part II, published May 11, 2023, https://misfitsandheroes.wordpress.com/2023/05/11/its-not-an-alien-astronaut-part-ii/, accessibility: 17.09.2024

8A. J. Palla, Dlaczego składano ofiary z ludzi, publishing house Znaki Czasu, published April 2009

9J. R. W. Stott, Kristův křiž, published by Porta libri 2003, pp. 15, 16

Marcin Watras lives in Katowice, Poland. He is interested in the philosophy of religion and trends in society. He works for the European Union.

Let Us Hear the Conclusion of the Whole Matter

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My expertise is accounting. I realized that the most expert accountant ever is our Creator, who keeps the most accurate record books that anyone has ever kept. The result of that record-keeping is noted in the scripture found in Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good, or evil.” The righteous Judge will assess the value of every work I have ever performed and determine its worth, weighed against His perfect law.

In secular accounting, there is what I call the master equation: Assets minus liabilities equal net worth. Stated another way, the value of what you own (assets), minus what you owe (liabilities), equals your net worth.

In accounting, things of value are called assets. For example, cash is an asset. Theoretically, any time you spend that cash, you gain something of equal value. It might be another asset, such as food or clothing. It might be a service, such as a doctor’s visit. Or it might be relief from a liability, which decreases your liabilities and increases your net worth. It’s sad to say, but some folks have a negative net worth due to outstanding debts. More about that later.

Fortunately, God does not keep His heavenly records the same way secular accountants do, something we need to recognize if we are to appreciate the value of a soul.

The First Transaction

Inspiration describes the ultimate accounting transaction, the payment of the debt we incurred as the result of Adam’s fall:

“It is at an immense cost that we have been placed on the high vantage ground where we can be liberated from the bondage of sin, which has been wrought by the fall of Adam. … Never can we understand the value of the human soul until we realize the great sacrifice made for the redemption of the soul upon Calvary.” Christ Triumphant, 215. One asset, Christ’s life, was exchanged for another asset, the human soul.

In business law, consideration is “a promise, performance, or forbearance bargained by a promisor in exchange for their promise.” Consideration is the main element of a contract. Without consideration by both parties, an agreement cannot be enforceable.

In the simplest terms, a consideration is the benefit a party to the contract receives from the deal negotiated in the contract. It’s the answer to the question: “What does each party receive by entering this contract?”

A legally binding and legitimate contract must include the consideration, or the expectation of each individual or entity who is a party to the contract.

In most cases, a consideration comes in one of the following ways:

  1. The promise to do something that you are not already legally obligated to do.
  2. The promise not to do something that you otherwise would have the right to do.

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the
right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1, 2

Verse 2 sets before us the greatest accounting transaction ever. Christ gave His life, an incredibly valuable asset, for the joy of seeing you and me saved from a life of sin.

Although there was no legal obligation for Christ to pay with His life for my sin, payment had to be made. “For the wages of sin is death.” Romans 6:23. What did Christ purchase by His sacrifice? “Eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Hebrews 12:2 shows us the consideration that each party in the agreement included in the contract. Remember, consideration can be a promise to do something you are not legally obligated to do. Christ was not legally obligated to give His life for mine, but He agreed to do so. Our part of the contract is to believe in Him as our Redeemer.

One party to the contract is those involved in easily besetting sin, but who overcome and receive eternal life. The other party to the contract is Christ, who received absolute and inexplicable joy knowing that there are those who have and will accept His sacrifice and have chosen and chose to follow Him, thereby fulfilling both parts (the giving and receiving) of the contract.

“The vows which we take upon ourselves in baptism embrace much. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, we are buried in the likeness of Christ’s death and raised in the likeness of His resurrection, and we are to live a new life. Our life is to be bound up with the life of Christ. Henceforth the believer is to bear in mind that he is dedicated to God, to Christ, and to the Holy Spirit. He is to make all worldly considerations secondary to this new relation. Publicly he has declared that he will no longer live in pride and self-indulgence. He is no longer to live a careless, indifferent life. He has made a covenant with God. He has died to the world. He is to live to the Lord, to use for Him all his entrusted capabilities, never losing the realization that he bears God’s signature, that he is a subject of Christ’s kingdom, a partaker of the divine nature. He is to surrender to God all that he is and all that he has, employing all his gifts to His name’s glory.

“The obligations in the spiritual agreement [contract/covenant] entered into at baptism are mutual. As human beings act their part with wholehearted obedience, they have a right to pray: ‘Let it be known, Lord, that Thou art God in Israel.’ The fact that you have been baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit is an assurance that, if you will claim Their help, these powers will help you in every emergency. The Lord will hear and answer the prayers of His sincere followers who wear Christ’s yoke and learn in His school His meekness and lowliness.” Testimonies, Vol. 6, 98, 99

This passage speaks in detail about the covenant, the contract, between God and mankind, and the mutual contractual obligations found in the contract. Mutual obligations are the essence of a legal contract in business law—the consideration of each party in the contract. Our part—acknowledging the supremacy of the Godhead. Their part—providing help in every emergency. And I will assert that this help is not restricted to emergencies. “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16

The Consideration that Separates

Scripture and Inspiration provide many other examples of this amazing transaction.

“But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.” Romans 3:21–28

These texts provide at least three examples of an accounting transaction. First, verse 24 states that we are justified by His grace. One thing of value, His grace, provides for another thing of value, our justification.

Verse 25, the transaction with a capital T is noted: God set forth His Son as payment for sins that were previously committed. His payment entitles Him to my service on His behalf.

Verse 28 describes justification as a highly valued asset. It is provided for by faith, another valued asset, given by God to each of us. With exercise, the seed of faith grows into a fruit-bearing plant.

John also makes note of this incredible transaction.

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” 1 John 4:7–10

Of course, we find the ultimate transaction in John 3:16.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

This text is the best of many that provide examples of the consideration required for a contract to be considered legal and enforceable in business law. Christ gave His life as payment. In return, our belief in Him is required for the everlasting life provision of the contract to be fulfilled.

Another way—a more painful way—to look at this transaction is that Christ gave His life, and in return, He received my sins and the resultant penalty—the shedding of His blood—required as payment for my sins. A penalty so severe that it caused Him to cry out in agony, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me.” Matthew 27:46

It is consideration of the point at which He was separated from His Father by our sins and experienced the second, eternal death that should make us realize the absolute sinfulness of sin and the unavoidable consequences of engaging in it.

The Overcoming Transaction

In Revelation 2 and 3, we are given seven promises as rewards for those who are successful at overcoming. This set of transactions requires the same consideration as our part of the transaction. These are the promises made to the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3.

To Ephesus, the patient and hard-working, is the promise that they will eat the fruit from the tree of life in the garden of Eden. “When the tide of iniquity overspread the world, and the wickedness of men determined their destruction by a flood of waters, the Hand that had planted Eden withdrew it from the earth. But in the final restitution, when there shall be ‘a new heaven and a new earth,’ it is to be restored more gloriously adorned than at the beginning.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 62. If we are patient and hard-working saints, we then can anticipate the same reward.

To Smyrna, who suffers for Christ’s sake, is promised the crown of eternal life, being spared from the second death. This promise is also made to the saints who bear the characteristics of the Smyrnans and who have overcome the assaults from the synagogue of Satan.

To Pergamos, a two-fold promise is given. The overcomers who maintain their faith, even amid the enemy’s fiery darts, will be privileged to eat of the hidden manna, and Jesus will give a white stone, written with a new name, which no man knows except the one who receives it. It will be interesting to discover God’s assessment of us as He gives us each a new name. I wonder if this will be a name in confidence between each saint and his Maker or if it will be shared with all.

To Thyatira, whose patience exceeds their works and who overcome by doing the works of Jesus until the end, will receive power over the nations. “You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.” Psalm 2:9

To Sardis, the overcomers whose lives are undefiled, reflecting an unspotted character, will receive garments of white, with their names retained in the book of life, and Christ will “confess” their names in heaven, acknowledging their right to be there.

To Philadelphia, the untainted ones who keep God’s command to persevere, He promises to keep them from the hour of trial, which soon will come upon the entire world, testing all who dwell on Earth (Revelation 3:10).

This promise is multi-faceted. He who overcomes, I will:

  1. make him a pillar in the temple of My God;
  2. he shall go out no more;
  3. I will write on him the name of My God;
  4. give the name of the city of My God, which is New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God;
  5. I will write on him My new name.

To Laodicea, he who overcomes even as I also overcame, will sit with Me in My throne.

“The heavenly temple, the abiding place of the King of kings, where ‘thousand thousands [one million] ministered unto Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand [100 million] stood before Him’ (Daniel 7:10), that temple filled with the glory of the eternal throne, where seraphim, its shining guardians, veil their faces in adoration—no earthly structure could represent its vastness and its glory.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 357

Seven times we are admonished to overcome. What must we overcome?

“There is work, earnest work, to be done for the Master. The evils condemned in God’s word must be overcome. You must individually battle against the world, the flesh, and the devil. The word of God is called “the sword of the Spirit,” and you should become skillful in its use, if you would cut your way through the hosts of opposition and darkness.” Christian Education, 117

“Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Ephesians 6:10–17

A surface reading of this passage seems to contradict God’s word and inspired writings. Inspiration says that we are to overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil. But Ephesians says that we wrestle not against flesh and blood.

It has been said that these apparent contradictions arise because of our lack of understanding rather than there being an actual contradiction. Note that in Ephesians, the actual phrase states, “… we wrestle not against flesh and blood.” “Flesh and blood” is a commonly-used idiom for people. What Paul is telling the Ephesians is that our warfare is not with other people, but with higher authorities, particularly the rulers of the darkness of this world. Granted, those rulers of darkness use people as their weapons, but it is essential that we realize that our real battle is not with the agents of Satan, but rather with Satan himself. And only the word of God can give us the victory over him.

Inspiration is telling us that the flesh that we must overcome is our own carnal nature, the natural, innate cravings of our physical existence.

It is interesting to note how often in both Scripture and the Spirit of Prophecy our natural character, the one we are born with, is spoken of as fallen, impure, and corrupt. Nowhere, exactly nowhere, in either source of divine enlightenment, is it stated or even implied that we are born completely innocent and pure and that at some indeterminate point our characters suddenly become corrupt. What is often termed as the “age of accountability” should more correctly be viewed as the point at which we realize that we are sinners, not by action alone, but also by nature. That our sinful actions are simply an outward display of our inward condition.

“Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.” Matthew 12:34, 35

“But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man.” Matthew 15:18

“ ‘How degenerate is your heart!’ says the Lord God, ‘seeing you do all these things, the deeds of a brazen harlot.’ ” Ezekiel 16:30

“The propensities that control the natural heart must be subdued by the grace of Christ before fallen man is fitted to enter heaven and enjoy the society of the pure, holy angels.” The Acts of the Apostles, 273

“When the word of God is set aside, its power to restrain the evil passions of the natural heart is rejected. Men sow to the flesh, and of the flesh they reap corruption.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 41

“… the evil tendencies of the natural heart can be overcome only by earnest effort in the name and strength of Jesus.” Ibid., 56

“The servants of Christ are not to act out the dictates of the natural heart.” The Desire of Ages, 353

“And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.” Ephesians 2:1–3

Clearly, the natural heart is imbued with Adam’s sinful character.

A Transaction by Faith

Matthew 9, Mark 5, and Luke 8 all detail another interesting transaction involving Jesus.

“On the way to the ruler’s house, Jesus had met in the crowd a poor woman who for twelve years had suffered from a disease that made her life a burden. She had spent all her means upon physicians and remedies, only to be pronounced incurable. But her hopes revived when she heard of the cures that Christ performed. She felt assured that if she could only go to Him she would be healed. In weakness and suffering, she came to the seaside where He was teaching, and tried to press through the crowd, but in vain. Again she followed Him from the house of Levi-Matthew, but was still unable to reach Him. She had begun to despair, when, in making His way through the multitude, He came near where she was.

“The golden opportunity had come. She was in the presence of the Great Physician! But amid the confusion she could not speak to Him, nor catch more than a passing glimpse of His figure. Fearful of losing her one chance of relief, she pressed forward, saying to herself, ‘If I may but touch His garment, I shall be whole.’ As He was passing, she reached forward, and succeeded in barely touching the border of His garment. But in that moment she knew that she was healed. In that one touch, was concentrated the faith of her life, and instantly her pain and feebleness gave place to the vigor of perfect health.

“With a grateful heart she then tried to withdraw from the crowd; but suddenly Jesus stopped, and the people halted with Him. He turned, and looking about asked in a voice distinctly heard above the confusion of the multitude, ‘Who touched Me?’ The people answered this query with a look of amazement. Jostled upon all sides, and rudely pressed hither and thither, as He was, it seemed a strange inquiry.

“Peter, ever ready to speak, said, ‘Master, the multitude throng Thee and press Thee, and sayest Thou, Who touched Me?’ Jesus answered, ‘Somebody hath touched Me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of Me.’ The Saviour could distinguish the touch of faith from the casual contact of the careless throng. Such trust should not be passed without comment. He would speak to the humble woman words of comfort that would be to her a wellspring of joy—words that would be a blessing to His followers to the close of time.

“Looking toward the woman, Jesus insisted on knowing who had touched Him. Finding concealment vain, she came forward tremblingly, and cast herself at His feet. With grateful tears she told the story of her suffering, and how she had found relief. Jesus gently said, ‘Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.’ He gave no opportunity for superstition to claim healing virtue for the mere act of touching His garments. It was not through the outward contact with Him, but through the faith which took hold on His divine power, that the cure was wrought.

“The wondering crowd that pressed close about Christ realized no accession of vital power. But when the suffering woman put forth her hand to touch Him, believing that she would be made whole, she felt the healing virtue.” The Desire of Ages, 343–347

Her faith called forth Christ’s virtue—His healing power. Christ offered her healing; she believed she would be healed, and she was. Healing had been acquired by faith.

I who have nothing and owe what I can never repay, am loved by He who has everything and was willing to sacrifice it all to pay what I could not. My value is now seen by the light that illuminates His blood-stained face, His nail-scarred hands, and His voice that cried out—for me—“It is finished.” My part in this transaction is to believe, surrender, and obey. God’s is to redeem and transform.

John R. Pearson is the office manager and a board member of Steps to Life. He may be contacted by email at johnpearson@stepstolife.org

Satan’s Five Discouragements

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The devil is a very busy individual. He mounts attack upon attack against God’s people, severely trying them until many become discouraged and want to give up. In his efforts to thwart the plan of salvation, he has attempted to discourage even God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.

Yes, friends, discouragement is the devil’s business.

For hundreds of years, the devil worked to hide that he was the real oppressor, instead convincing God’s chosen people that the Messiah would come to deliver them from an earthly oppressor. So, when Jesus came to save them from their sins rather than the Romans, most of the Jews rejected Him because He was not the Messiah they were expecting or, dare I say, wanted. They saw themselves as holy people, God’s chosen nation, but they failed to recognize that they were sinners more in need of a Saviour than rescue from an oppressive ruler.

“They could find no rest from the accusings of a troubled conscience. Thus, Satan worked to discourage the people, to lower their conception of the character of God, and to bring the faith of Israel into contempt. He hoped to establish the claim put forth when he rebelled in heaven—that the requirements of God were unjust and could not be obeyed. Even Israel, he declared, did not keep the law.

“While the Jews desired the advent of the Messiah, they had no true conception of His mission. They did not seek redemption from sin, but deliverance from the Romans. They looked for the Messiah to come as a conqueror, to break the oppressor’s power, and exalt Israel to universal dominion. Thus the way was prepared for them to reject the Saviour.” The Desire of Ages, 29, 30

“Humanity, becoming more degraded through ages of transgression, called for the coming of the Redeemer. Satan had been working to make the gulf deep and impassable between earth and heaven. By his falsehoods he had emboldened men in sin. It was his purpose to wear out the forbearance of God, and to extinguish His love for man, so that He would abandon the world to satanic jurisdiction.” Ibid., 34, 35

By making men and women so wicked and, as a consequence, creating so much wickedness in the world, the devil was attempting to wear out the forbearance of God.

“Satan was unwearied in his efforts to overcome the Child of Nazareth. From His earliest years, Jesus was guarded by heavenly angels, yet His life was one long struggle against the powers of darkness. That there should be upon the earth one life free from the defilement of evil was an offense and a perplexity to the prince of darkness. He left no means untried to ensnare Jesus. No child of humanity will ever be called to live a holy life amid so fierce a conflict with temptation as was our Saviour.” Ibid., 71

“No one upon earth had understood Him, and during His ministry He must still walk alone. Throughout His life His mother and His brothers did not comprehend His mission. Even His disciples did not understand Him. He had dwelt in eternal light, as one with God, but His life on earth must be spent in solitude. …

“Alone He must tread the path; alone He must bear the burden.” Ibid., 111

Are you tempted to be discouraged, believing there is not a single person in the world who understands? No one understood Jesus; not one person—not His mother, His family, His disciples, not even John the Baptist—understood what Jesus was about to do for mankind. If Satan tempts you to be discouraged because you feel all alone in the world, remember that you have a Saviour, and He walked His entire life alone, though surrounded by many people, in a world that chose not to understand Him.

“There were none on earth who could comprehend His divine mission, or know the burden which He bore in behalf of humanity.” Ibid., 326

“Satan excited the evil passions of men, in order to fasten his rule upon them. … From generation to generation he worked to blind the people to these prophecies, that they might reject Christ at His coming. …

“Since he [Lucifer] had lost heaven, he was determined to find revenge by causing others to share his fall. This he would do by causing them to undervalue heavenly things, and to set the heart upon things of earth.” Ibid., 115, 116

God said, “This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:17. And with these words, it became Satan’s determined effort to cause Christ to doubt them. He took Jesus to the pinnacle of the temple and said, “If You are the Son of God … .” If he could shake Christ’s confidence in God, he would win the great controversy. The plan of salvation would be ruined if Christ were to lose faith in the Father and work a miracle on His own behalf.

“Satan saw that he must either conquer or be conquered. The issues of the conflict involved too much to be entrusted to his confederate angels. He must personally conduct the warfare. All the energies of apostasy were rallied against the Son of God. Christ was made the mark of every weapon of hell.” Ibid., 116

Jesus became Satan’s focal point. All of his army came together to find some way to bring about the downfall of Jesus Christ.

“Many look on this conflict between Christ and Satan as having no special bearing on their own life; and for them it has little interest. But within the domain of every human heart this controversy is repeated. Never does one leave the ranks of evil for the service of God without encountering the assaults of Satan. The enticements which Christ resisted were those that we find it so difficult to withstand.” Ibid.

“In all ages, temptations appealing to the physical nature have been most effectual in corrupting and degrading mankind. Through intemperance, Satan works to destroy the mental and moral powers that God gave to man as a priceless endowment. …

“Our only hope of eternal life is through bringing the appetites and passions into subjection to the will of God.

“In our own strength, it is impossible for us to deny the clamors of our fallen nature. Through this channel Satan will bring temptation upon us. Christ knew that the enemy would come to every human being, to take advantage of hereditary weakness, and by his false insinuations to ensnare all whose trust is not in God.” Ibid., 122

Christ’s mission to this world was more than His death on the cross and the example of His life. Jesus came to reveal to man the true character of God, to break Satan’s power over man, setting his captives free. Jesus offered love, the power to overcome, and a new life with a changed heart and nature. But this aroused the devil’s ire, and he summoned all his forces to contest Christ’s work. And so it will be for those who choose to follow Christ in these final hours of the great controversy  (The Desire of Ages, 257).

In Matthew 16, Jesus told the disciples that He was to be crucified to redeem mankind, but this was so contrary to what they had always been taught they could not believe or accept it. Peter immediately began to argue with Jesus. But Jesus gave the most severe rebuke that He had ever given to any of His disciples because Satan was speaking through Peter, “But He turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.’ ” Verse 23

“Satan was trying to discourage Jesus, and turn Him from His mission [of being crucified]; and Peter, in his blind love, was giving voice to the temptation. The prince of evil was the author of the thought. His instigation was behind that impulsive appeal. In the wilderness, Satan had offered Christ the dominion of the world on condition of forsaking the path of humiliation and sacrifice. Now he was presenting the same temptation to the disciple of Christ.” The Desire of Ages, 416

“Satan, the author of sin and all its results, had led men to look upon disease and death as proceeding from God—as punishment arbitrarily inflicted on account of sin. Hence, one upon whom some great affliction or calamity had fallen had the additional burden of being regarded as a great sinner.

“Thus, the way was prepared for the Jews to reject Jesus. He who ‘hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows’ was looked upon by the Jews as ‘stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted;’ and they hid their faces from Him. Isaiah 53:4, 3.” Ibid., 471. The disciples believed that the true Messiah would not be in a situation like this, therefore, this couldn’t possibly be the Messiah.

“To the heart of Christ it was a bitter task to press His way against the fears, disappointment, and unbelief of His beloved disciples. It was hard to lead them forward to the anguish and despair that awaited them at Jerusalem. And Satan was at hand to press his temptations upon the Son of man. Why should He now go to Jerusalem, to certain death? All around Him were souls hungering for the bread of life. On every hand were suffering ones waiting for His word of healing. The work to be wrought by the gospel of His grace was but just begun. And He was full of the vigor of manhood’s prime. Why not go forward to the vast fields of the world with the words of His grace, the touch of His healing power? Why not take to Himself the joy of giving light and gladness to those darkened and sorrowing millions? Why leave the harvest gathering to His disciples, so weak in faith, so dull of understanding, so slow to act? Why face death now, and leave the work in its infancy? The foe who in the wilderness had confronted Christ assailed Him now with fierce and subtle temptations. Had Jesus yielded for a moment, had He changed His course in the least particular to save Himself, Satan’s agencies would have triumphed, and the world would have been lost.” Ibid., 486

The devil knew that the salvation of our world rested fully on just one Person. He knew that he would rule the whole world if he could overcome Him. But it seems that the devil forgot who that Person is—the Creator of all things, who holds up worlds and maintains everything in its order, the One who grants mercy, grace, and pardon to a world in need of redemption, and the power to overcome, Jesus Christ.

“At this time [a few days before the crucifixion] Christ’s work bore the appearance of cruel defeat. … To His disciples the case seemed hopeless.” Ibid., 621

“In the wilderness of temptation, the destiny of the human race had been at stake. Christ was then conqueror. Now the tempter had come for the last fearful struggle. For this he had been preparing during the three years of Christ’s ministry. Everything was at stake with him. If he failed here, his hope of mastery was lost; the kingdoms of the world would finally become Christ’s; he himself would be overthrown and cast out. But if Christ could be overcome, the earth would become Satan’s kingdom, and the human race would be forever in his power.” Ibid., 686, 687

So what temptation did the devil press upon Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane? Complete and eternal separation from the Father, the fear that His sacrifice would be unacceptable, that He would never be one with God again.

“Satan and his confederacy of evil, the legions of apostasy, watched intently this great crisis in the work of redemption [in the Garden of Gethsemane]. The powers of good and evil waited to see what answer would come to Christ’s thrice-repeated prayer. Angels had longed to bring relief to the divine sufferer, but this might not be. No way of escape was found for the Son of God.” Ibid., 693

“And what was to be gained by this sacrifice? How hopeless appeared the guilt and ingratitude of men! In its hardest features, Satan pressed the situation upon the Redeemer: The people who claim to be above all others in temporal and spiritual advantages have rejected You. They are seeking to destroy You, the foundation, the center, and seal of the promises made to them as a peculiar people. One of Your own disciples, who has listened to Your instruction, and has been among the foremost in church activities, will betray You. One of Your most zealous followers will deny You. All will forsake You. … The sins of men weighed heavily upon Christ, and the sense of God’s wrath against sin was crushing out His life.” Ibid., 687

“Satan led the cruel mob in its abuse of the Saviour [during His trial]. It was his purpose to provoke Him to retaliation if possible, or to drive Him to perform a miracle to release Himself, and thus break up the plan of salvation. One stain upon His human life, one failure of His humanity to endure the terrible test, and the Lamb of God would have been an imperfect offering, and the redemption of man a failure.” Ibid., 734

“Satanic agencies confederated with evil men in leading the people to believe Christ the chief of sinners, and to make Him the object of detestation. Those who mocked Christ as He hung upon the cross were imbued with the spirit of the first great rebel. He filled them with vile and loathsome speeches. He inspired their taunts. But by all this he gained nothing.” Ibid., 760, 761

Just as Satan worked to discourage Jesus in the hope of causing the world to be lost, he now seeks to discourage you and cause you to be lost. Jesus has paid the price for the salvation of this world, but as individuals, we still retain free will, and it is here that Satan focuses all his power. If he can, through temptation and harassment, he will cause me to become discouraged, and if I give in to discouragement and give up, then I am lost. This is the devil’s whole purpose for all mankind.

Since the devil successfully uses discouragement against Christians and those who want to become Christians, let’s look at a few of his methods.

Health Problems

When your body is sick and weak, your mind is affected and there is no escaping it. The devil comes, whispering everything imaginable, telling you that you might as well give up. You haven’t been able to overcome, and you will never overcome. But remember, no matter how sick or weak you are, even if you are the worst sinner, you can trust yourself to Jesus Christ, and the devil cannot cause you to be lost. (See Hebrews 7:25; The Desire of Ages, 125.)

Financial Problems

Have you ever had to choose between doing the will of God or losing your job because you won’t work on the Sabbath, or have you sacrificed your education because you will not attend classes or tests on the Sabbath? This is another way the devil brings discouragement because of the financial burden that following the Lord seems to bring. Some people have said, “I am choosing to obey God even if it costs me my career.” Jesus was [and remains] the Prince of heaven. He sat on a throne, wore a crown, and carried a scepter. All the universe’s riches were His, yet He became poor in this world to save you. If you become poor and sacrifice everything to follow Jesus, you will have an everlasting reward worth more than anything this world can offer.

Hypocrisy

Character defects in family or church members can discourage those striving for heaven. Too often, hypocrisy runs rampant in Christians’ lives.

It is purported that Mahatma Ghandi said: “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”

For those looking ahead to the soon-coming of our Lord, a shaking time is coming. We must strive to remove from our hearts the selfishness and besetting sins that hold us back from developing the perfected character—the Christlike character—required by God to live in His presence. When the time of shaking is over, everyone who is not converted, every hypocrite, will be shaken out (Hebrews 12).

The book of Revelation was written primarily for the last days, but unlike the book of Daniel, it was not written for the whole world, but for God’s church (Revelation 1:1). “ ‘I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches.’ ” Revelation 22:16. When Jesus comes again, He will take only His church out of this world; no one else is going.

Don’t misunderstand; over the history of this world, many people have lived and died, and never belonged to a church, never heard or spoke the name of Christ, but they will be saved and resurrected with the church triumphant. Those who have overcome (repeated seven times in Revelation 2 and 3) and who live through the time of trouble and are alive when Jesus comes again will be taken up from this world. God’s church will have the seal of God in their forehead, and it is clear that in the last days, if you do not have the seal of God in your forehead, you will suffer His judgments.

“They were commanded not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree, but only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.” Revelation 9:4

If you want to be ready when Jesus comes, you must be a member of His church.

Throughout the Scriptures, a woman is used as a symbol of the church. Revelation 12 describes a pure woman as God’s church. Revelation 12:17 describes the last church on earth as a people who will keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus Christ (Revelation 14:12). They will also have the spirit of prophecy.

“Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” Revelation 19:10, last part

Revelation 17 tells us that those who are a part of Christ’s church when He comes will have three characteristics—called, chosen, and faithful. “ ‘These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.’ ” Verse 14. We will not be taken to heaven if we lack these three characteristics.

God tells us that we must be baptized with water, but it isn’t the water that is important. Baptism is an outward expression of an inward change, a symbol of being baptized by the Holy Spirit, an acceptance into the body of Christ. God’s bride, His church, has “made herself ready” (Revelation 19:7). She has been given “fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen” (Verse 8) represents the righteous acts of the saints. And finally, God’s church is “called to the marriage supper of the Lamb” (Verse 9). “By one Spirit [Holy Spirit] we were all baptized into one body [body of Christ, the church].” 1 Corinthians 12:13

My Own Defects of Character

We all (sorry, no exceptions) have character defects that we struggle to overcome. The devil wants you to believe that you can’t give them up. He whispers that you have done it a thousand and one times now, and you will never succeed. As long as you are in this world, you will face this struggle, but do not be discouraged. Sanctification is the process by which we overcome, and the struggle is a part of overcoming. The devil repeatedly tempted Jesus throughout His life, and he will do the same to you (John 15:20).

“The apostle Paul declares, ‘I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing’ (Romans 7:18). To those who have tried so hard to obtain by faith so-called holy flesh, I would say, You cannot obtain it. Not a soul of you has holy flesh now. No human being on the earth has holy flesh. It is an impossibility.” Selected Messages, Book 2, 32. Not one human being is free from struggle. That is why we pray. And Jesus promises that if we ask Him, He will help us.

“There’s no temptation taken you but such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able to bear, but will with the temptation make it possible for you to endure it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13, literal translation. God has promised to give you all the help that you need, but, if you intend to win, don’t give up the fight.

False Theology

The devil tried to discourage Jesus by telling Him that because He had taken upon Himself the sins of the world, He would be forever separated from God because sin and holiness do not coexist (Isaiah 59:2). But the Bible says that nothing can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:38, 39). And no matter the cost, man must be saved. For this reason, Jesus was tempted as no human being will ever be tempted. There is no human being so sinful that they cannot be saved. I am saved when I commit myself to Jesus and give my heart to Him alone, He then becomes sovereign in my life.

Jesus, as our Saviour, endured everything the devil brought against Him, and He did it to save you. The devil is trying to press the same discouragements upon us. He wants us to believe that we are beyond redemption and that our character defects can never be removed. But he is wrong. “ ‘The one who comes to Me I will by no case cast out.’ ” John 6:37, last part

If you put your trust in Jesus, He will save you.

Pastor John J. Grosboll is Director of Steps to Life and pastors the Prairie Meadows Church in Wichita, Kansas. He may be contacted by email at historic@stepstolife.org, or by telephone at 316-788-5559.

The Gathering

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God “desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” 1 Timothy 2:4. However, salvation has always been conditional upon man’s willing obedience to God. In speaking to the Israelites through Isaiah the prophet, God said, “ ‘If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword’; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.” Isaiah 1:19, 20

Throughout biblical history, God has always done all in His power to bring man into a saving relationship with Himself. His plea has been, “What more could have been done to My vineyard that I have not done in it?” Isaiah 5:4

“The plan of redemption contemplates our complete recovery from the power of Satan. Christ always separates the contrite soul from sin. He came to destroy the works of the devil, and He has made provision that the Holy Spirit shall be imparted to every repentant soul, to keep him from sinning.” The Desire of Ages, 311

120 years

As the antediluvians drifted further and further away from God’s plan for their lives, God sought through Noah to awaken them to the direction in which they were heading. “The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Genesis 6:5

“God bestowed upon these antediluvians many and rich gifts, but they used His bounties to glorify themselves, and turned them into a curse by fixing their affections upon the gifts instead of the Giver. They employed the gold and silver, the precious stones and the choice wood, in the construction of habitations for themselves, and endeavored to excel one another in beautifying their dwellings with the most skillful workmanship. They sought only to gratify the desires of their own proud hearts and reveled in the scenes of pleasure and wickedness. Not desiring to retain God in their knowledge, they soon came to deny His existence. They adored nature in place of the God of nature. They glorified human genius, worshiped the works of their own hands, and taught their children to bow down to graven images.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 90, 91

“Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God.” Genesis 6:9. Therefore, God chose Noah to carry a message to the wicked world of that day. He was to build an ark, and at the same time, he was to proclaim the destruction of the world by a flood for “one hundred and twenty years” (Genesis 6:3).

“Amid the prevailing corruption, Methuselah, Noah, and many others labored to keep alive the knowledge of the true God and to stay the tide of moral evil. One hundred and twenty years before the Flood, the Lord, by a holy angel, declared to Noah His purpose and directed him to build an ark. While building the ark, he was to preach that God would bring a flood of water upon the earth to destroy the wicked. Those who would believe the message, and would prepare for that event by repentance and reformation, should find pardon and be saved.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 92

Noah was not only to proclaim God’s message of destruction, but at the same time, he was to seek to gather aboard the ark all who would turn to God for salvation. Thus, God established a principle very early in the world’s history: whenever there is a prophetic time period dealing directly with His people, He sends a prophet to proclaim the beginning of that prophetic period, and at the end of the period, God has a prophet who gathers His people for His purpose.

Noah was both the proclaiming and gathering prophet in this first, comparatively short, prophetic period. He warned the people regarding the Flood, but he also sought to gather them aboard the ark to save them from the destruction that was to come. “Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did.” Genesis 6:22

400 years

We find a second prophetic time period dealing with God’s people in Genesis 15. The Lord “came to Abram in a vision” (verse 1), showing him that he would have offspring more numerous than he could count. God then informs Abram (the proclaiming prophet) that His people would be in a strange land for a period of four hundred years (verse 13), but afterward, they would “come out with great substance” (verse 14). And Abram, whose name God changed to Abraham, “believed in the Lord; and He counted it to him for righteousness” (verse 6).

As this remarkable time period draws to its climax, God prepared His gathering prophet. “You remember Moses went into the wilderness and stayed forty years, during which time he put away self, and that made room so that he could have the presence of God with him.” The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, 83

“Shut in by the bulwarks of the mountains, Moses was alone with God. The magnificent temples of Egypt no longer impressed his mind with their superstition and falsehood. In the solemn grandeur of the everlasting hills he beheld the majesty of the Most High, and in contrast realized how powerless and insignificant were the gods of Egypt. Everywhere the Creator’s name was written. Moses seemed to stand in His presence and to be overshadowed by His power. Here, his pride and self-sufficiency were swept away. In the stern simplicity of his wilderness life, the results of the ease and luxury of Egypt disappeared. Moses became patient, reverent, and humble, ‘very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth’ (Numbers 12:3), yet strong in faith in the mighty God of Jacob.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 248–251

As Moses tended the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a fiery bush. The Angel said, “I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey. … Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people … out of Egypt.” Exodus 3:7, 8, 10

Again, we see the biblical principle: Abraham, the proclaiming prophet, is seen at the beginning of the prophetic period, and Moses, the gathering prophet, is seen at the end. Moses was asked to gather “the children of Israel out of Egypt” (verse 10). “And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt.” Exodus 12:41

From the beginning of Israel’s existence as a nation, the people scattered as a consequence of their disobedience to God. Notice the very powerful statement given to the Israelites after they departed from Egypt: “But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you … . Then the Lord will scatter you among all peoples, from the one end of the earth to the other.” Deuteronomy 28:15, 64. But when the Israelites would repent with all their heart and return to the Lord in obedience to all He commanded, He would again gather them together as His people. (See Deuteronomy 30:1–3.)

70 years

In the book of Jeremiah, the prophet proclaims that the Israelites would spend 70 years in captivity in Babylon. (See Jeremiah 29:10.) This is the third time period affecting God’s people. “When men’s hearts are softened and subdued by the constraining influence of the Holy Spirit, they will give heed to counsel; but when they turn from admonition until their hearts become hardened, the Lord permits them to be led by other influences. Refusing the truth, they accept falsehood, which becomes a snare to their own destruction.

“God had pleaded with Judah not to provoke Him to anger, but they had hearkened not. Finally sentence was pronounced against them. They were to be led away captive to Babylon.” Prophets and Kings, 425

But there were also promises of deliverance. “Prophecies of oncoming judgment were mingled with promises of final and glorious deliverance. …

“Like sweetest music, these promises of deliverance fell upon the ears of those who were steadfast in their worship of Jehovah.” Ibid., 427

Daniel, apparently an ardent Bible student, refers to this period in Daniel 9 as he seeks, through prayer and supplication, to have his people brought out of captivity per the prophecy of this prophetic period. “The deliverance of Daniel from the den of lions had been used of God to create a favorable impression upon the mind of Cyrus the Great. The sterling qualities of the man of God as a statesman of farseeing ability led the Persian ruler to show him marked respect and to honor his judgment. And now, just at the time God had said He would cause His temple at Jerusalem to be rebuilt, He moved upon Cyrus as His agent to discern the prophecies concerning himself, with which Daniel was so familiar, and to grant the Jewish people their liberty.” Ibid., 557

In the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, we see the beginning of the regathering of God’s people: “Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying, … ‘Who is among you of all His people? May his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem … .’ ” Ezra 1:1, 3

Nehemiah 1 references the scattering and gathering promises found in Deuteronomy 28. “Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations; but if you return to Me, and keep My commandments and do them, though some of you were cast out to the farthest part of the heavens, yet I will gather them from there, and bring them to the place which I have chosen as a dwelling for My name.’ ” Verses 8, 9

So we see that for this 70-year prophecy, Jeremiah was the proclaiming prophet, while Daniel was the initial gathering prophet.

490 years

Daniel also serves as a proclaiming prophet in Daniel 9:24–27, where the prophecy of the Messiah, as well as the prophecy of the Jews’ probation as God’s people, is set forth. God gives His people 490 years “to make an end of sins, … and to anoint the most Holy” (verse 24). During that time, the Messiah would come and “bring an end to sacrifice and offering” (verse 27) through His death on the cross.

Right on time, Jesus came to begin His ministry of gathering the people to Himself. John the Baptist initiates this gathering process through his message of repentance and the announcement that “the kingdom of God is at hand.” (See Matthew 3:1–3.)

But notice the Lord’s statement in Matthew 23:37: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!” And in John 12:32, Jesus says, “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw [gather] all peoples to Myself.” So we see that Daniel is the proclaiming prophet, and Jesus is the gathering prophet.

2,300 years

In 1844, another time period came to its fulfillment. Daniel had prophesied this great time period of 2300 days. “And he said unto me, ‘For two thousand three hundred days; then the sanctuary shall be cleansed.’ ” Daniel 8:14. It had as its object the beginning of a new ministry for Jesus in the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary—the judgment of God’s people, a significant and solemn event. (See Daniel 7:13.) At that time, the three angels’ messages of Revelation 14 were to be proclaimed, bringing a revival of interest in the gospel and the second coming of Jesus worldwide.

“Those who are living upon the earth when the intercession of Christ shall cease in the sanctuary above are to stand in the sight of a holy God without a mediator. Their robes must be spotless, their characters must be purified from sin by the blood of sprinkling. Through the grace of God and their own diligent effort, they must be conquerors in the battle with evil. While the investigative judgment is going forward in heaven, while the sins of penitent believers are being removed from the sanctuary, there is to be a special work of purification, of putting away of sin, among God’s people upon earth. This work is more clearly presented in the messages of Revelation 14.

“When this work shall have been accomplished, the followers of Christ will be ready for His appearing.” The Great Controversy, 425

In accordance with His principle of always following a proclaiming prophet at the beginning of a time period with a gathering prophet at the end, God called upon Ellen G. White to gather His people for this last great declaration of truth before the coming of Jesus, so that as many as will might be saved. “Surely the Lord God does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.” Amos 3:7. And Satan seeks to prevent this gathering by doing away with the gathering prophet, for he knows that “where there is no vision, the people perish.” Proverbs 29:18, first part, KJV

“The very last deception of Satan will be to make of none effect the testimony of the Spirit of God. … Satan will work ingeniously … to unsettle the confidence of God’s remnant people in the true testimony. … The workings of Satan will be to unsettle the faith of the churches in them.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 48

“Many are going directly contrary to the light which God has given to His people, because they do not read the books which contain the light and knowledge in cautions, reproofs, and warnings.” Testimonies, Vol. 4, 391. Without the prophet to give direction that is so badly needed in these last days, God’s people will flounder and drift in one direction and then another with all the winds of doctrine that blow around us. We must recognize God’s prophet and be diligent in heeding her counsel to us.

A Time is Coming

The time is near when the “sign of the Son of man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

“And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” Matthew 24:30, 31

May God help us now to gather up and live by every word of instruction, reproof, and encouragement which He has spoken to us, that when the angels of heaven shall appear, we may be among the multitude of the redeemed gathered up by them to live forever with Jesus.

Source: Clark Floyd, Our Firm Foundation, Vol. 19, No. 4, April 2004, 4–7

The Keys to the Kingdom

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The time is coming when every person will be compelled to answer for their understanding of two questionable texts in the New Testament. Satan’s forces claim that these texts give them the power to demand absolute obedience to papal authority. On the other hand, those who keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus declare that these same scriptures provide them with unmistakable proof to reject Rome’s demands and obey only Christ. It is, therefore, of utmost importance that these two verses be divinely understood. Once we have discovered God’s explanation, let us implant the truth so deeply within our mind that we can stand without fear in the coming life and death issue. Let us examine these scriptures.

The Keys of Matthew 16:19

“And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Matthew 16:19. These are powerful keys.

I had the privilege of attending a general conference session in San Francisco in the middle of the last century. There, I saw Kato Raguso from the Solomon Islands. He stood over six feet tall, barefoot, wearing a wrap-around skirt and bushy hair. He was also a Seventh-day Adventist ordained minister. We were all captivated by his pidgin English. Here is his thrilling story.

Back in the 1940s, he had personally helped to save the lives of some 200 of our U.S. airmen shot down over the jungle islands. One day, an allied officer overwhelmed by the stress of war ordered Kato Raguso to commit a very unchristian act. Being a faithful Seventh-day Adventist, he refused to do so. The officer became angry and forced him over a gasoline barrel and beat him until the blood flowed. Then he commanded him again to commit this evil act, but he refused. This time, the officer pulled out his handgun and pistol-whipped him, breaking his nose and leaving him unconscious. When he regained consciousness, he was again ordered to commit this ungodly act, but he would not.

The officer was so angry that he placed him before a firing squad. Two times, he was unable to give the command to shoot. The third time, he was unable to speak for two days. Determined, this devil-possessed officer found another method that would kill Kato and his buddy Luti. He threw them both in the brig, locked the door with his key, and waited for the morrow to murder both men. The Adventists on the island heard of his desperate situation. They beat their drums, calling for an all-night prayer meeting.

While the Adventists were still praying, a man walked out of the jungle to the prison gate. In his hand was a key that he used to unlock the prison door, and he called for Kato Raguso and Luti to come out and follow him. He led them down to the seashore, where he had prepared a canoe with two paddles. By the moonlight, they could see some hundred yards in all directions. This man who had delivered them said, “Goodbye,” and the two Solomon Islanders turned to thank him, but he was nowhere to be seen. This angel had delivered them with a key that opened the prison door while the officer’s key still hung on the wall of the sleeping quarters. The angel’s key made the difference between life and death.

The First Question

The keys referenced in Matthew 16 have tremendous power because, with them, you can bind or loose on earth and in heaven. One must admit that this is a mighty power, and if that isn’t awesome enough, Jesus further described the power of these keys in this way: “ ‘If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’ ” John 20:23

The first question we should consider is: Does Jesus have keys that He can give to whom He pleases? Isaiah 22:22 says, “The key of the house of David I will lay on his shoulder; so he shall open, and no one shall shut; and he shall shut, and no one shall open.”

John the Revelator declared that Jesus Christ had these keys. “These things says He who is holy, He who is true, He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens.” Revelation 3:7. Jesus Himself said, “ ‘I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And have the keys of Hades and of Death.’ ” Revelation 1:18. We can clearly see who has the keys.

The Second Question

Our second question is: What are these keys? Inspiration gives us the answer. “ ‘The keys of the kingdom of heaven’ are the words of Christ. All the words of Holy Scripture are His and are here included. These words have power to open and to shut heaven. They declare the conditions upon which men are received or rejected. Thus, the work of those who preach God’s word is a savor of life unto life or of death unto death. Theirs is a mission weighted with eternal results.” The Desire of Ages, 413, 414

Since Jesus Christ has the keys, He can give them to whomever He chooses. He gave these keys to Peter and the same to the other eleven disciples. What is more thrilling and fascinating is that He promises to give them to you and me. “The words of Christ: ‘I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven,’ were not addressed to Peter alone, but to the disciples, including those who compose the Christian church in all ages.” The Spirit of Prophecy, Vol. 2, 273

The Gospel, Repentance, Forgiveness, and a Miraculous Change

But what is our responsibility when we have these keys in our possession? How are we meant to use them? We are to share the gospel of repentance and forgiveness to all we meet, telling them that once they confess their sins and true repentance is at work in the heart, Jesus will write “Forgiven” in the heavenly records. Furthermore, Jesus will wash away the sin living in their heart with His precious blood, allowing them to stand before God as though they had not sinned, and providing their conscience with the peace for which it longs. The keys unlock man’s sinful heart on earth and open the door to heavenly forgiveness.

Rejection, Sinfulness, and the Closed Door

However, these keys also prevent Jesus from being able to perform this miraculous change if an individual refuses God’s love and offer of salvation. He may shrug his shoulders, uninterested in repentance or forgiveness, choosing to continue living as he is. You can tell him that his sinful record will remain locked in heaven’s record book and that Jesus will not be able to cleanse his heart, nor can he expect to receive God’s promised peace. If he does not change his sinful ways, the door to heaven’s salvation will be closed against him forever.

There is Always a Wrong Way

I recall an experience while I was the Youth Secretary of the Southern California Conference during World War II. One of my responsibilities was to pastor our young Seventh-day Adventist men in my conference serving in the armed services. When a soldier had a problem, I was required to help him.

Recently drafted into military service, a young marine stationed at Camp Pendleton near San Diego had accepted Jesus as his Saviour. He had committed to keep the commandments and been baptized.

On the Sabbath following his baptism, his commanding officer ordered him to dig a trench for battle practice with the other men of his barracks. He respectfully refused, saying, “I cannot, for my God commands me to keep the Sabbath day holy.” The marine officer became very angry and ordered him to be placed in the brig and to face court-martial. When I received the call from this young man, I immediately drove to Camp Pendleton.

When I entered the training base, I went directly to see the chief chaplain. As I walked into his office, I noticed he was a Roman Catholic priest. He listened intently while I told him of this young man’s problem. “I have been informed all about him,” He said. “He faces a court-martial in two weeks.” Looking the chaplain straight in the eye, I answered, “You must defend this young man, for his conscience will not allow him to disobey his God.” With a big smile, he replied, “I’ll take care of this case.” I felt relaxed. Then he asked, “Are you his pastor?” I answered, “Yes.” Then he said, “This is an easy case. All you have to do is to give him a dispensation to work on the Sabbath. Case dismissed.” In amazement, I said, “Wait, Chaplain, not so fast. Neither my church nor my God has ever given me such authority. God expects me, as His ambassador, to do only as He commands. I must, therefore, stand by this young man and defend his conscience. I will urge him to keep the seventh-day Sabbath holy.” I continued, “I am also aware that your church gives you the authority to give a dispensation whenever you choose so that you may tell such an individual that he can break God’s eternal law, but I cannot do this.”

There we stood—I, the representative of God’s remnant church, and he, the representative of Babylon. Each of us claimed to have the keys to the kingdom. This Catholic chaplain believed the keys gave him authority to change God’s word so he could tell the young man that it was not a sin to disobey God. There I stood, a representative of Jesus Christ, with the keys that required me to encourage this young marine to obey God and that he should be faithful even if it meant spending years in jail. The Catholic priest discovered that I would not compromise, so he decided to defend the young man, and together, we secured an honorable discharge for him.

You and I will soon face the final struggle between the system of Babylon and God’s true church. I trust you will never follow the satanic power that claims it can give you a dispensation to sin. May you stand firmly with the church of Christ—those who keep the commandments and have the faith of Jesus who is the Rock of salvation.

A Rolling Stone or a Mighty Rock

The second scripture for which we must answer is Matthew 16:18, but let’s start with verses 13–17, “When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, ‘Whom do men say that I, the Son of man, am?’ So they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.’ He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter answered and said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’ Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.’ ”

“ ‘And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.’ ” Verse 18. We must understand this scripture if we are to be faithful to Christ in the coming test.

We must look at this scripture in the original Greek to understand it better. “ ‘And I say also to you, that you are Petros [a small pebble, a rolling stone, something unstable upon which you must never build], and upon this Petra [a mighty rock, a stable foundation on which to build] I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.’ ” I can think of no better illustration than that of El Capitan, that mighty rock in Yosemite National Park in California. Standing some 4,000 feet high, El Capitan is composed of solid granite and embedded deeply within the earth. In this scripture, Jesus says He will build His church upon Petra, the mighty Rock—Christ Himself—against whom the gates of hell cannot prevail. No matter where you read in God’s word—Old Testament Hebrew or the New Testament Greek—Christ is the Rock upon which His church is built.

“Therefore thus says the Lord God: Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; whoever believes will not act hastily.” Isaiah 28:16. The papacy does not have the keys of Christ, which are founded on the Rock Jesus Christ, for the Roman Catholic system is founded on St. Peter, which Inspiration reveals to be Petros, a pebble. The time is near when you will stand before a judge appointed by a Catholic power, using the Catholic interpretation of this text to convince you that you must keep Sunday holy in obeisance with the laws of the Roman Catholic system.

The Spirit of Prophecy reveals this final issue. “Two great opposing powers are revealed in the last great battle. On one side stands the Creator of heaven and earth. All on His side bear His signet. They are obedient to His commands. On the other side stands the prince of darkness, with those who have chosen apostasy and rebellion.” The Review and Herald, May 7, 1901

The Jesuits have a satanic plan to lure you from the divine truth. Unity of the Churches, An Actual Possibility by Karl Rahner—published in 1983 and studied in all Jesuit schools—lays out a detailed, seven-step formula built by the World Council of Churches, called Faith and Order of Baptism, Eucharist, and Ministry, that reveals Satan’s plan.

Here are the seven steps from Rahner’s book.

  1. There must be unity in all churches.

“When this shall be gained, then, in the effort to secure complete uniformity, it will be only a step to the resort to force.” The Great Controversy, 445. Any student of the Spirit of Prophecy can see that the ecumenical program to secure the unification of all churches is the last step before persecution. When you read or hear the word unity or the word ecumenical, it should ring an alarm bell that persecution will be coming soon.

  1. Protestant laity are to obey their leaders.

“With respect to ecclesiastical leadership the average congregation in the Protestant churches in fact usually practices the kind of obedience to their church leaders that is customary in the Roman Catholic church. … On the basis of their theological expertise and their religious conscience, the representatives of this ecclesiastical leadership can decide in favor of church unity and can also work with sufficient zeal among the church members to gain their understanding for this decision.” Unity of the Churches, An Actual Possibility, 54

We have come to a time in the Seventh-day Adventist church when our leaders are doing all they can to bring this church into conformity with the ecumenical program; therefore, we must weigh every church command from headquarters to see if it conforms to the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy. We must not mindlessly obey our church leaders.

  1. The churches will unite because they have become liberal.

I know of no other terminology which so accurately describes the Seventh-day Adventist church today. “Doctrines must become inconsequential. The time for interconfessional polemics is gone. So is the time of controversies focused solely on substantive differences.’’ Ibid., 66. This book demands there be no controversy between Protestantism and the Papacy. That means we are not to call the pope the antichrist. Is this why you seldom hear the three angels’ messages from our pulpits? Is this the reason for the change of our three angels’ logo?

  1. The churches may retain their structures.

Rahner explains the pluralism promoted by the ecumenical movement: “In this one church of Jesus Christ, composed of the uniting churches, there are regional partner churches, which can, to a large extent, maintain their existing structures. These partner churches can also continue to exist in the same territory, since this is not impossible in the context of Catholic ecclesiology.” Ibid., 43. Pluralism is often used by many Adventist ministers in our papers and books. Again, Ellen White was shown that this was to come. “When the leading churches of the United States, uniting upon such points of doctrine as are held by them in common, shall influence the state to enforce their decrees and to sustain their institutions, then Protestant America will have formed an image of the Roman hierarchy, and the infliction of civil penalties upon dissenters will inevitably result.” The Great Controversy, 445

  1. The churches are to live in reconciled diversity.

“The Catholic church will be satisfied if the individual has an affirmative relation to fundamentals and does not raise explicit and decided objectives.” What does such language mean? “All churches are to shut their eyes and ears to the truth. You must never teach what you believe to a member of another church.” Rahner is teaching a message from the old Greek philosophers. “The propositions of both sides, when developed further and understood in a larger context, do not really contradict each other.” Unity of the Churches, An Actual Possibility, 36, 37. Now, isn’t that a sneaky position?

Rahner pleads, “The Protestant Christian would not need to make a doctrinal and definite agreement right now to many of the propositions that the Catholic regards as binding on the faith. But he does not need to reject them definitely either. … This Protestant Christian can most certainly assume that (hopefully) in the course of the further history of religious consciousness these Catholic propositions will obtain the kind of clarification and interpretation that will permit a definite agreement on his part (not yet possible today) without his having to feel duty-bound to reject them directly.” Ibid. What a subtle, devilish approach.

  1. No church is to reject the dogma held by another.

“Nothing may be rejected decisively and confessionally in one partner church which is binding dogma in another partner church. Furthermore, beyond Thesis 1, no explicit and positive confession in one partner church is imposed as dogma obligatory for another partner church. This is left to a broader consensus in the future.” Ibid., 25. This means that you are to do as other churches; you are no longer to depend on your study of God’s word alone. “One has to depend more and more on the knowledge of others, which one can no longer assimilate or check oneself.” Ibid., 28

Rahner’s argument is precisely this: “The church itself is the guarantor, through its formal teaching authority, of the truth of the individual doctrines it presents.” Ibid., 32. This means that we don’t question what our church teaches concerning a belief or the actions that it commands. Inspiration foresaw this and declared, “A day of great intellectual darkness has been shown to be favorable to the success of the papacy. It will yet be demonstrated that a day of great intellectual light is equally favorable for its success. … The false science of the present day, which undermines faith in the Bible, will prove as successful in preparing the way for the acceptance of the papacy, with its pleasing forms, as did the withholding of knowledge in opening the way for its aggrandizement in the Dark Ages.” The Great Controversy, 573, 574

  1. The ministers are to exchange pulpits in a pulpit fellowship.

“It is self-evident that there must be fraternal exchanges and intensive cooperation among the theologians of these partner churches, even though this in no way requires the fusion of the institutional or organizational representatives of the theologies of these distinct churches.” Unity of the Churches, An Actual Possibility, 52. How clever. I’ll never forget when, out of the blue, the Catholic priest of the nearby parish asked me if I would be willing to exchange pulpits with him. I am sure you know my answer.

“The solution to these problems will nevertheless require that all sides give up certain number of old familiar customs, so as to make possible not just coexistence with tolerance and much indifference but a true unity of these partner churches in truly loving recognition of their differences.” Ibid., 48. I may be considered a fanatic, but I believe in the Bible’s way of being separate. “Come out of her, My people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.” Revelation 18:4

So there you have the seven steps to be followed by all churches.

“The word Peter signifies a stone—a rolling stone. Peter was not the rock upon which the church was founded. The gates of hell did prevail against him when he denied his Lord with cursing and swearing. The church was built upon One against whom the gates of hell could not prevail. …

“The Saviour did not commit the work of the gospel to Peter individually. At a later time, repeating the words that were spoken to Peter, He applied them directly to the church. And the same in substance was spoken also to the twelve as representatives of the body of believers. If Jesus had delegated any special authority to one of the disciples above the others, we should not find them so often contending as to who should be the greatest. They would have submitted to the wish of their Master, and honored the one whom He had chosen. …

“ ‘The head of every man is Christ.’ God, who put all things under the Saviour’s feet, ‘gave Him to be the head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all.’ The church is built upon Christ as its foundation; it is to obey Christ as its head. It is not to depend upon man or be controlled by man. Many claim that a position of trust in the church gives them authority to dictate what other men shall believe and what they shall do. This claim God does not sanction. … Upon no finite being can we depend for guidance. The Rock of faith is the living presence of Christ in the church. Upon this the weakest may depend, and those who think themselves the strongest will prove to be the weakest, unless they make Christ their efficiency. ‘Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm.’ The Lord ‘is the Rock, His work is perfect.’ ‘Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him.’ ” The Desire of Ages, 413, 414

Each of us has the keys to the kingdom. May we wisely use them.

Pastor Lawrence Nelson served the Seventh-day Adventist church for over fifty years as a pastor and evangelist, and then in Conference, Union, and General Conference leadership, and was the director of Keep the Faith Audio Tape Ministry. Elder Nelson passed to his rest on April 18, 2012.

Take Heed Lest You Fall

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“Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.”

1 Corinthians 10:12

Revelation 2 and 3 describe the characteristics of the seven churches that represent the different time periods from the apostolic church through the end of time. To some of the churches, God spoke not one negative thing against the church, but when He came to the Laodicean church—the end-time church—His message was severe. This last church had a special tendency to feel over-confident about themselves. After all, they had the “truth,” more light than the churches in ages past. They were God’s people. However, John the Beloved records God’s rebuke of the Laodiceans.

“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot.  So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.” Revelation 3:15–19

John follows this rebuke with words of hope from God. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.” Verses 20, 21

Those who made up the Laodicean church were confident that they were God’s people, that they were rich, and in need of nothing. But God tells them that they are really wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. Then He offers them just what they need: gold refined in the fire (a perfected character), white garments (forgiveness), and eye salve (clarity to see their true condition and need).

It is the devil’s determined effort to “help” people to feel secure and satisfied, and it appears, in the case of this church, that he has been quite successful. However, the purpose of the Laodicean message is to shake the people out of their stupor.

Paul describes himself as the chief of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15). His day-to-day effort was to keep himself under subjection to the will of God (1 Corinthians 9:27). “Forgetting those things which are behind, I press forward to those things which are ahead.” Philippians 3:13. He offers this warning to all who might think they are rich and need nothing, “Therefore, let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” 1 Corinthians 10:12

When people believe they have the truth, are attending the right church, claiming to be saved, and planning to stand with the saved, it is easy to feel pretty good about themselves. But Paul warns that this is the very time that we should pay attention, because that is when we most likely need help.

“Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?’ ” Revelation 6:14–17

Most of the people described in these texts are those who are standing or once stood, and claimed to be saved. But now they are crying for the mountains and rocks to bury them for they cannot stand to see Jesus’ face. Who was able to stand then? “Only he who has clean hands and a pure heart.” Psalm 24:4, first part. Only he in whose “mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God.” Revelation 14:5

Sometimes, the Lord will send someone to us with a message—like Noah before the flood, Elijah on Mount Carmel, Jonah to Nineveh—and we may turn away from them because we think they don’t have the right spirit, or they don’t say or do it right.

Imagine the people swimming around the ark really wishing they could be safe inside. All of the excuses they had given, all the jeering at Noah or claiming that he was too harsh and negative, seemed pretty feeble, I’m sure. They all had their reasons for rejecting the message Noah gave, but none of those mattered; they were still on the outside, destined to die.

God has given to us the work of winning souls for His kingdom. But before we can help others to accept Jesus as their Saviour, we must first be confident that we ourselves are firmly grounded in the truth. Like the mighty oak—its roots thrust deeply into the ground—is able to withstand a storm, we are to thrust our faith deeply in the Saviour. As Jesus told in the parable of the seed sower, if we allow anything to crowd out His words, then we are not solidly grounded in truth. Jesus has promised the grace needed to live and grow in this world, and then to receive eternal life.

My faith must be secure in my Saviour. I must be growing more day by day into the image of Him who made me and saved me. I am not standing secure if I have not grown over the last month, the last six months, the last year. If I am still losing my temper as I was a year ago, I am on shaky ground. If I am still impatient and irritable, if I continue to fall over the same old sins time and time again, then I am not rooted and grounded in Jesus Christ. Before I can do the work that God has laid out for me to do, I must fall on the Rock and be broken. Only then can I be successful in the personal work of overcoming.

Our work is to plant seeds all around us—with our spouse, our children, our church members, a coworker, the person on the street—they all need to know that Jesus is able to supply the grace needed to live for Him, and that He has promised the free gift of eternal life to all who accomplish it.

A time of shaking is coming for everyone who claims the name of Christian. But regardless of what some claim, if they have not been, and are not now growing, then he or she will be shaken out of the faith. In light of this tremendous shaking that no man can escape, we should ask ourselves, Is there anything that could make me turn away from the Lord? Perhaps sickness, death, discouragement, finances, or poverty? Prosperity and worldly recognition and fame? Lack of friends or good friends turning against you, rumors, or slander? Can your hold on the Lord be shaken free? We may have a great deal more confidence in ourselves than the Lord does, for He can see things in us that we cannot see or that we just tend to ignore. Remember, we are Laodicean, confident of our salvation, yet lacking what we truly need to be saved—gold tried in the fire, white raiment, and eye salve. Satan is fervently working to shake us free from Jesus, and if we are not firmly grounded in Him, Satan will succeed, and we will be lost. It will be too late then to become rooted. We have been given this time and the grace, right now, to overcome our besetting sins.

In 1 Corinthians 10:1–11, Paul describes the experience of the children of Israel. “Brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized.” Verses 1, 2

The children of Israel were set apart. They ate spiritual food, listened to Moses, Aaron, and Joshua day after day, they heard the thunder from Mt. Sinai. They drank spiritual drink—and the literal, pure water from the rock that represented Jesus. They ate heaven’s food, food that had such perfect nutrition they were never sick during all their wilderness journey. Their minds were keen and clear, able to be filled with spiritual thoughts. They could pray clearly. They had fresh air, exercise, perfect food, pure water. They saw, heard, tasted, and lived it all, but what has Paul written about them?

“But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, ‘The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.’ Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell; nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed by serpents; nor complain [murmur], as some of them also complained [murmured], and were destroyed by the destroyer. Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” Verses 5–11

The devil had a whole arsenal of temptations. And while some would be unsuccessful against you or me, they would bring a complete downfall in another. Some were caught up in games and playing, others in lusting after things that God said they shouldn’t desire. Some were consumed with sexual fantasies and immorality, and others lacked faith.

Israel had the truth. There was no doubt in their minds that they were the children of Abraham, God’s chosen people. They kept the Sabbath day, and worshiped Jehovah. They had the gift of prophecy and they had seen the miracles that God had performed on their behalf. They were standing on truth, and they were going to Canaan. Just like us. But sadly, in spite of all this confidence, only two entered the promised land.

Paul says, “These things were written for our admonition on whom the ends of the world are come.” I believe with all my heart, just as much as the children of Israel believed, that the Seventh-day Adventist church is the movement that God raised up for the last days. I believe that it presents the truth for the world today. God gave us the Spirit of Prophecy, and the ability for us to continue learning truth through it and the Bible. We have the Sabbath, His day of rest. The prophecies tell us what to expect in the near future and we can see prophetic events fulfilled and fulfilling all around us. Miracles are performed for individuals, and also on a much larger scale. There can be no question that God’s church will go through to eternity. But have you ever wondered, When God’s church goes through to eternity, will I be going with it? The children of Israel were confident they soon would be living in Canaan and continuing to receive the blessings of God as His chosen people, only to discover that just two of the congregation that left Egypt would go in. Sobering thought, isn’t it?

This is a warning that the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy offer many times. “I would say that we are living in a most solemn time. In the last vision given me, I was shown the startling fact that but a small portion of those who now profess the truth will be sanctified by it and be saved. Many will get above the simplicity of the work. They will conform to the world, cherish idols, and become spiritually dead. The humble, self-sacrificing followers of Jesus will pass on to perfection, leaving behind the indifferent and lovers of the world.

“I was pointed back to ancient Israel. But two of the adults of the vast army that left Egypt entered the land of Canaan. Their dead bodies were strewn in the wilderness because of their transgressions. Modern Israel are in greater danger of forgetting God and being led into idolatry than were His ancient people. …

“A blessing or a curse is now before the people of God—a blessing if they come out from the world and are separate, and walk in the path of humble obedience; and a curse if they unite with the idolatrous, who trample upon the high claims of heaven. The sins and iniquities of rebellious Israel are recorded and the picture presented before us as a warning that if we imitate their example of transgression and depart from God, we shall fall as surely as did they.” Testimonies, Vol. 1, 608, 609

We find a similar warning in Testimonies, Vol. 2, 401, 402: “The Lord is proving and testing His people. Angels of God are watching the development of character and weighing moral worth. Probation is almost ended, and you are unready. Oh, that the word of warning might burn into your souls! Get ready! Get ready! Work while the day lasts, for the night cometh when no man can work. The mandate will go forth: He that is holy, let him be holy still; and he that is filthy, let him be filthy still. The destiny of all will be decided. A few, yes, only a few, of the vast number who people the earth will be saved unto life eternal, while the masses who have not perfected their souls in obeying the truth will be appointed to the second death. O Saviour, save the purchase of Thy blood! is the cry of my anguished heart.”

God has a specific message to His people found in the experience of the Laodicean church and throughout the Bible. It is not enough to know and keep the letter of the law. My heart must be changed and God’s law written on it. In no other way can our hearts be transformed. As Christ’s life was the embodiment of the law, so it must be with us if we are to be saved. We must grow to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. We must overcome our besetting sins, having an individual and personal work of gaining experience with Jesus, becoming more and more like Him with each passing day, and being clothed with His robe of righteousness. We cannot go on day after day, week after week, year after year falling, falling, falling. No, dear friend, we must be overcomers. I am so thankful we have an Advocate who forgives our sins when we fall, but God wants more than forgiven sinners; He wants overcomers, and He is willing and able to help those who surrender their wills to Him to accomplish it.

It is human nature to look to man to be our standard for righteousness. A pastor, teacher, or parent might seem to be the perfect example of obedience. But there isn’t a single human being alive today, nor one who has lived and now is gone, who can be a perfect example of obedience, except Jesus Christ. It is His life that we are to emulate. Jesus lived in the world, but was not part of it, and we are admonished to live the same way.

“I was shown our danger, as a people, [is] becoming assimilated to the world rather than to the image of Christ. We are now upon the very borders of the eternal world, but it is the purpose of the adversary of souls to lead us to put far off the close of time. Satan will in every conceivable manner assail those who profess to be the commandment-keeping people of God and to be waiting for the second appearing of our Saviour in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. He will lead as many as possible to put off the evil day and become in spirit like the world, imitating its customs. I felt alarmed as I saw that the spirit of the world was controlling the hearts and minds of many who make a high profession of the truth. Selfishness and self-indulgence are cherished by them, but true godliness and sterling integrity are not cultivated.” Counsels for the Church (1991), 83

“And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: ‘I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people.’ Therefore ‘Come out from among them and be separate,’ says the Lord. ‘Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.’ ” 2 Corinthians 6:15–18

We are either all for God or, eventually, we will be all for Satan.

“Do not put off the work of forsaking your sins and seeking purity of heart through Jesus. Here is where thousands upon thousands have erred to their eternal loss. I will not here dwell upon the shortness and uncertainty of life; but there is a terrible danger—a danger not sufficiently understood—in delaying to yield to the pleading voice of God’s Holy Spirit, in choosing to live in sin; for such this delay really is. Sin, however small it may be esteemed, can be indulged in only at the peril of infinite loss. What we do not overcome, will overcome us and work out our destruction.

“Every act of transgression, every neglect or rejection of the grace of Christ, is reacting upon yourself; it is hardening the heart, depraving the will, benumbing the understanding, and not only making you less inclined to yield, but less capable of yielding, to the tender pleading of God’s Holy Spirit.

“Many are quieting a troubled conscience with the thought that they can change a course of evil when they choose; that they can trifle with the invitations of mercy, and yet be again and again impressed. They think that after doing despite to the Spirit of grace, after casting their influence on the side of Satan, in a moment of terrible extremity they can change their course. But this is not so easily done. The experience, the education, of a lifetime, has so thoroughly molded the character that few then desire to receive the image of Jesus.

“Even one wrong trait of character, one sinful desire, persistently cherished, will eventually neutralize all the power of the gospel. Every sinful indulgence strengthens the soul’s aversion to God.” Steps to Christ, 32–34

As you look at your life, is there something that the Holy Spirit has at least once convicted you of? Is there something you are holding onto? Something, unless you overcome it, that will eventually destroy you and cost you eternal life? It may be that you are not practicing it, but you still cherish it in your heart. It must be removed from your heart as well as your actions. You must overcome it, or it will surely, in time, overcome you.

“You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” 1 Peter 2:9

The Lord is calling each of us to live on a higher plane than just nominal Christianity. He is calling us to be doers of the word and not just hearers, clothed with the robe of Christ’s righteousness. He is calling us to be separate from the world, to have pure thoughts, and to have the love of Jesus in our hearts. We must develop Christ’s character, having no guile in our mouths, and being able to stand without fault before the throne of God.

Take heed, dear friends, lest we fall.

Pastor Marshall Grosboll, with his wife Lillian, founded Steps to Life. In July 1991, Pastor Marshall and his family met with tragedy as they were returning home from a camp meeting in Washington State, when the airplane he was piloting went down, killing all on board.

Christology – The More Excellent Ministry

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In the book of Hebrews, we find a lot of information in the area of Christology. Christology is defined as “the branch of Christian theology relating to the person, nature, and role of Christ.” Theology—Theos meaning God, and Logos meaning wisdom and knowledge—is a knowledge of the nature and work of God. Christology is a knowledge of the nature and work of Christ.

The apostle Paul wrote Hebrews as a treatise on Christology, one that is uniquely different from other testimonies about Christ found in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. These gospel writers build their Christology by narration—telling you what Jesus did. However, John shifts the emphasis more toward what Jesus said—a Christology by quotation. He builds his case regarding the nature and work of Christ by telling us what Jesus said about His own ministry, His relationship with His Father in heaven, and with us here on earth.

In Hebrews, Paul gives us a Christology by comparison. He sets up ten comparisons for us to examine, and there is a reason for this. Paul was by far the best educated of the apostles. Trained in the rabbinical schools and at the feet of Gamaliel, you might say he attended the Harvard of his time. He was extremely well-versed in the Scriptures and the teachings of the faith, with a much better understanding of them than any of the other apostles.

We all remember the story of Paul’s conversion on the road to Damascus. On his way to apprehend Christians and return them to Jerusalem to be punished, he was confronted by the Lord. Saul asked, “ ‘Who are you?’ Then the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.’ So he, trembling and astonished, said, ‘Lord, what do You want me to do?’ Then the Lord said to him, ‘Arise and go into the city and you will be told what you must do.’ ” Acts 9:5, 6. Blinded by the Lord, he did as he was instructed, waiting, without food and water, for three days. God sent Ananias to Saul. “ ‘Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.’ ” Verse 17, last part. Saul converted became Paul, and he went out and preached in the synagogues that Christ was the Son of God.

For this, the Jews rose up and sought to kill him; so he fled to the desert of Arabia and remained there for two years. While there, he was taught by Jesus Himself. “Jesus communed with him and established him in the faith, bestowing on him a rich measure of wisdom and grace.” The Acts of the Apostles, 126

At first glance, someone might think that the other apostles had the greater advantage over Paul in that they personally travelled with Jesus for three and a half years, and learned directly from Him. But the apostle Paul was not left out. Jesus privately communed with him. Because of his background, training, and understanding, the Lord knew that Paul would do a mighty work for Him once his mind was straightened out and he was established in the faith.

It is important for us to see that Paul understood some things better than the other apostles. He understood that the gospel was to be taken to the Gentiles which he went to great lengths to explain in Romans 10 and 11. (See Romans 11:16–21.)

Paul also understood the distinction between the moral and ceremonial laws. If the writings of Paul were taken out of the New Testament, there would be no way of knowing that significant parts of the ceremonial law were no longer binding. (Compare Romans 7, Hebrews 7, Colossians 2, and Ephesians 2.) While the other Bible writers may have understood it, they made no mention of it anywhere in the Bible.

But there was something very significant that Paul knew, and it was a burden on his heart. “He [Paul] knew that the typical ceremonies [the sacrifices and temple services] must soon altogether cease, since that which they had shadowed forth had come to pass … .” Sketches from the Life of Paul, 65

We today might say, “What’s the big deal?” But then, to the Jew, there was nothing in this world so dear to him as the temple—a marvelous building even by modern standards. The pomp and ceremonies performed there were magnificent, beautiful, and charming in every way. The temple was the very center of the Hebrew culture.

Paul knew that the temple and all the ceremonies and services connected with it were soon to be destroyed. The people would look for their priests, but would find none. They would look to make their sacrifices, but would be unable to make them. The very heart of their nation’s culture and everything associated with it would be destroyed. What would happen to the faith of the Hebrew Christian? So Paul wrote the book of Hebrews as a way to prepare them for this devastating future.

“The very priests who ministered in the temple had lost sight of the significance of the service they performed. They had ceased to look beyond the symbol to the thing signified. In presenting the sacrificial offerings, they were as actors in a play. The ordinances which God Himself had appointed were made the means of blinding the mind and hardening the heart. God could do no more through these channels. The whole system must be swept away.” The Desire of Ages, 36

The Jews deeply loved their culture, their traditions, and their nation. The destruction of Jerusalem would be a crisis they were unprepared for, so Paul set up these ten comparisons in the book of Hebrews to help them meet the coming crisis.

With this introduction, let’s begin in Hebrews 1.

Christ with the Prophets

First, we will look at the prophets.

“God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets,

has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” Hebrews 1:1–3

To a genuine, spiritual Jew, a prophet was a revered person, highly honored and respected. But Paul is saying here that in spite of the great honor and respect the people held for the prophets, they needed to look to Jesus, because He is so much greater than the prophets.

Jesus with the Angels

Next Paul compares Jesus with the angels.

“Having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.” Verse 4

Then, to reinforce his argument that Jesus is better, higher, greater than the angels, he quotes from the book of Psalms.

“For to which of the angels did He ever say: ‘You are My Son, today I have begotten You’? And again, ‘I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son’?…

“But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says: ‘Let all the angels of God worship Him.’ And of the angels He says: ‘Who makes His angels spirits and His ministers a flame of fire.’ But to the Son He says: ‘Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions.’ And: ‘You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands.’ ” Verses 5–10

The remaining verses of the chapter are filled with psalms exalting Jesus Christ, speaking of and addressing Him as one with God. There are two additional verses that provide a clear distinction between Jesus and the angels: “Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?” Verse 14. “For He has not put the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels.” Ibid., 2:5. The world to come has been placed in subjection to Jesus.

Jesus with Moses

Paul’s third comparison is found in chapter 3. Other than Abraham, there is no other name so revered within Israel as that of Moses. Paul is comparing Jesus, with Moses as the leader, and establisher of the nation.

“Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus; who was faithful to Him that appointed Him, as Moses also was faithful in all His house. For this One [Jesus] has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as He who built the house has more honor than the house.” Verse 1–3

The Bible uses the word house in the same way that you and I would use the word family.

“… inasmuch as He who built the house [family] has more honor than the house [family]. For every house [family] is built by someone, but He who built all things is God. And Moses indeed was faithful in all His house [family] as a servant, for a testimony of those things which would be spoken afterward, but Christ as a Son over His own house [family], whose house [family] we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.” Verses 3–6

Christ is greater than the prophets, greater than the angels, greater than Moses. And when everything else is swept away and gone, only Jesus Christ will remain.

Jesus with Aaron

Paul’s fourth comparison is found in chapter 5, verses 4–6, comparing Christ with Aaron.

“And no man takes this honor to himself, but he who is called of God, just as Aaron was. So also Christ did not glorify Himself to become High Priest, but it was He who said to Him: ‘You are My Son, today I have begotten You.’ As He also says in another place: ‘You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.’ ”

We see that Christ is like Melchizedek and not like Aaron. Paul’s evidence is found in verses 7–14. We will see this Melchizedek theme also repeated through chapter 7.

“Who in the days of His [Jesus’] flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, called by God as High Priest ‘according to the order of Melchizedek.’ ”

Melchizedek is an interesting character in the Bible. We find no record of him—where he came from, anything about how he lived or died, nothing about him outside the comparison with Jesus.

Jesus with Abraham

In chapter 7, Paul enlarges on the statement that Jesus was a high priest after “the order of Melchizedek.” That Jesus is greater than Aaron, is supported by this comparison of Jesus being like Melchizedek, but then he actually makes a transition by bringing Abraham into the narrative.

“For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all … .” Verses 1, 2, first part

Verse 2, shows us that Melchizedek is a “king of righteousness” and as the “king of Salem” he is the “king of peace, without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually.” Verse 3

Paul adds verses 4–7 to his basic argument that because Abraham paid tithe to Melchizedek, he [Abraham] is not as exalted as Melchizedek.

“Now consider how great this man was, to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils. And indeed those who are of the sons of Levi, who receive the priesthood, have a commandment to receive tithes from the people according to the law, that is, from their brethren, though they have come from the loins of Abraham; but he whose genealogy is not derived from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. Now beyond all contradiction the lesser is blessed by the better.”

Jesus with the Levites

The Levitical priesthood is introduced in chapter 7 beginning with verse 10 and continuing to the end of the chapter. Here he discusses the Levitical priesthood and that Christ is greater than the Levites.

A Better Covenant, A Better Sanctuary

In the middle of chapter 7, Paul introduces the subject he is going to expound on as we continue through Hebrews.

“By so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant.” Verse 22

Some people feel that the word better is the key word in Hebrews. A better testimony, a better covenant; He is better all the way through. In chapter 8, Paul writes about the better covenant.

“But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.” Verse 6

The Old Testament covenant revolved primarily on the promises of the people. But this new, better covenant revolves around the promises of God. Following the better covenant, we find that chapter 8 also tells us about a better sanctuary. Paul has compared Christ with prophets, angels, Moses, Abraham, Aaron, and the Levitical priesthood. Now he compares Him to the covenants and the sanctuary.

“Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man.” Verses 1, 2

The better sanctuary is the heavenly sanctuary. If we could just remember that things of the greatest importance are not of this world, then we would not be fearful when we see things happening around us that those without hope fear.

We see that the discussion of the better sanctuary picks up again in chapter 9.

“Then indeed, even the first covenant had ordinances of divine service and the earthly sanctuary.” Verse 1

Paul has compared the two sanctuaries—the earthly and the heavenly. Now he compares the two dedications of these sanctuaries.

“For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” Verses 13, 14

“Then likewise he [Moses] sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry. And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.” Verses 21, 22

Now notice a change: “Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should be purified with these [that is, the blood of the earthly sacrifices], but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.” Verse 23

So, the earthly sanctuary was built and in order. Moses dedicated it by sprinkling the ark of the covenant and the vessels therein with the blood of animal sacrifices, but the heavenly sanctuary was sprinkled with the blood of Jesus Christ.

Next, we find Paul is really settling into his long comparison of the two sacrifices.

“For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.” Verse 24

Paul’s emphasis has been on quality all the way through the book of Hebrews. Christ is greater, higher, better, more glorious. And now he declares that the earthly sacrifices had to be made repeatedly, but Christ’s sacrifice was made only once, showing that Christ is all sufficient.

“Not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the most holy place every year with blood of another—He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.

“And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.” Verses 25–28

“For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect.

“For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sin every year.” Ibid., 10:1–3

Paul continues to reinforce that the sacrifice of Jesus Christ is infinitely greater than the sacrifice of animals. The animal sacrifices, which could never take away sin, were only a symbol of the more perfect sacrifice.

“But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God … . For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.” Verses 12, 14

Every day, morning and evening, the Jews brought their sacrifices to the temple; and every morning and evening the priest would present their offering to the Lord. But now, after the one perfect sacrifice, there is no other sacrifice, no priest to offer it, no lamb to be the sacrifice. The entire sacrificial system given to the Jews by God Himself was only a symbol of the sacrifice, the atonement, that Jesus would make on the behalf of all mankind.

“He bore the curse of the law for the sinner, made an atonement for him, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish. … Genuine faith appropriates the righteousness of Christ, and the sinner is made an overcomer with Christ; for he is made a partaker of the divine nature, and thus divinity and humanity are combined.” God’s Amazing Grace, 177

Mrs. White makes reference to this atonement at least 11 times.

“He has made an atonement for us.” In Heavenly Places, 71

“Christ has made an atonement for the sins of the whole world.” Lift Him Up, 235

“Christ has made an atonement for you.” Medical Ministry, 44

“Jesus has made atonement for all sins. … Christ has made atonement for every sinner.” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 4, 1145, 1178

“He made an atonement.” That I May Know Him, 100

“On the cross of Christ, the Saviour made an atonement for the fallen race.” The Signs of the Times, December 17, 1902

“The precious blood of Christ was of such value, that a full atonement was made for the guilty soul.” The Signs of the Times, November 24, 1890

“A complete sacrifice to God by virtue of this atonement, He has power to offer us salvation.” The Faith I Live By, 50

“In every part, His sacrifice was perfect, for He could make a complete atonement for sin.” The Youth’s Instructor, June 24, 1900

“He [Jesus] planted a cross between heaven and earth, and when the Father beheld the sacrifice of His Son, He bowed before it in recognition of its perfection. ‘It is enough’, He said, ‘the atonement is complete.’ ” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 7A, 459

Then Mrs. White writes in the present tense.

“Our High Priest is making the atonement for us.” The Great Controversy, 623

“Today Christ is making an atonement for us.” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Vol. 7A, 481

“He will make an atonement for all who will come with confession.” The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, 127

And finally, in Mrs. White’s rich understanding of the Christology Paul has presented in Hebrews, she introduces a new phrase—final atonement.

“The blood of Christ, while it was to release the repentant sinner from the condemnation of the law, was not to cancel the sin. It would stand on record in the sanctuary until the final atonement.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 357

“So in the great day of final atonement an investigative judgment.” The Great Controversy, 480

The first 15 chapters of Leviticus contain 18 statements that include, “the sinner comes and an atonement is made.” Eight of those statements add the words, “the sin is forgiven.” Leviticus 16 then talks about the great day of atonement, including five verses that tell us that even though sin is forgiven and an atonement is made, it is still necessary that a final atonement be made; that day of at-one-ment is described by Paul as: “… God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation.” 2 Corinthians 5:19

Those who argue that there is no final atonement simply are not following Scripture.

“Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation [atonement] for the sins of the people.” Hebrews 2:17

“His work as High Priest completes the Divine plan of redemption by making the final atonement for sin.” Manuscript Releases, Vol. 10, 157

“As the priests in the earthly sanctuary entered the most holy, once a year, to cleanse the sanctuary, Jesus entered the most holy of the heavenly at the end of the 2300 days of Daniel 8, in 1844, to make a final atonement for all who could be benefited by His mediation and to cleanse the sanctuary.” Spiritual Gifts, Vol. 1, 162

The apostle Paul’s message was given to turn the people’s hearts away from buildings, the priesthood, the animal sacrifices, a ministry. He says that we should not fasten our faith on these earthly things because the day is coming when they will all be swept away.

Fasten your faith on Jesus Christ, the One who never changes. He was there for the children of Israel. He is here today. And He will always be here—every day.

A time is coming for every single one of us when all earthly supports will be gone. There will be no physical church, no conference, no preacher or teacher, elder or deacon. But Jesus is always on the job until His work is totally finished. We have nothing to fear except our own human weaknesses and inabilities, and the Lord can take care of those if we will let Him. We need nothing more than Him.

“The heaviest burden that we bear is the burden of sin. … He will take the load from our weary shoulders. He will give us rest. The burden of care and sorrow also He will bear. He invites us to cast all our care upon Him; for He carries us upon His heart.” The Faith I Live By, 105

Dr. Ralph Larson completed forty years of service with the Seventh-day Adventist church as pastor, evangelist, departmental secretary, and college and seminary teacher. Upon retirement, he continued his service, diligently working with and giving counsel to those within the historic movement.

A Trip Out of This World

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Have you ever thought about being an astronaut? Not just being a stargazer with your feet firmly planted on the ground, but to actually travel among the stars and galaxies? The Bible tells us of a few good men who have been given this privilege. Who were they and what qualified them to be the world’s first space travelers?

A Life of Continual Perfecting

Enoch was the first man to travel in space. This is what the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy tell us about him.

“And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.” Genesis 5:24

“Enoch continued to grow more heavenly while communing with God. … The Lord loved Enoch because he steadfastly followed Him and abhorred iniquity and earnestly sought heavenly knowledge, that he might do His will perfectly. He yearned to unite himself still more closely to God, whom he feared, reverenced, and adored. God would not permit Enoch to die as other men, but sent His angels to take him to heaven without seeing death.” The Story of Redemption, 59

“His faith waxed stronger, his love became more ardent, with the lapse of centuries. To him prayer was as the breath of the soul. He lived in the atmosphere of heaven. …

“For three hundred years Enoch had been seeking purity of heart, that he might be in harmony with heaven. For three centuries he had walked with God. Day by day he had longed for a closer union; nearer and nearer had grown the communion, until God took him to Himself. He had stood at the threshold of the eternal world, only a step between him and the land of the blest; and now the portals opened, the walk with God, so long pursued on earth, continued, and he passed through the gates of the Holy City, the first from among men to enter there.” Reflecting Christ, 320

What qualified Enoch for translation? He abhorred iniquity and continually grew more heavenly, earnestly seeking to perfectly do God’s will. He purposed to unite himself more closely to God.

We also find that Mrs. White had occasion to meet and talk with Enoch during one of her visions.

“Wings were given me … . Then I was taken to a world which had seven moons. There I saw good old Enoch, who had been translated. … I asked him if this was the place he was taken to from the earth. He said, ‘It is not; the city is my home, and I have come to visit this place.’ He moved about the place as if perfectly at home.” Early Writings, 39, 40

A Life Restored

For 40 years, God had prepared Moses to lead His children out of Egypt into the promised land of Canaan. For another 40 years, he led the children of Israel through the wilderness. He withstood their rebellions, their whining, and their anger. And through it all, he remained faithful and obedient to God, until he, the meekest man in the world, was driven by frustration to strike the rock in disobedience to God’s instruction. With a contrite heart, Moses confessed his sin, and he was forgiven, but denied the privilege of leading the people into the promised land.

He stood before the congregation and spoke to them his last words.

“I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live. That thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey His voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto Him; for He is thy life, and the length of thy days. That thou mayest dwell in the land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.” The Signs of the Times, March 24, 1881

That same day God commanded Moses to go to Mount Nebo.

“When Moses had ended his last words to Israel, he turned from the congregation, and in silence and alone he made his way up the mountain side. … To Nebo, the highest point on that ridge. Upon that lonely height he stood, and gazed with undimmed eyes upon the scene spread out on every side. …

“Angels of God presented to Moses a panoramic view of the land of promise. Every part of the country was spread out before him, not faint and uncertain in the dim distance, but standing out clear, distinct, and beautiful to his delighted vision. …

“As the glories of the promised land faded from his sight, a scene of deeper interest passed before him. He was permitted to look down the stream of time, and to behold the first advent of our Saviour. He saw Jesus as a babe at Bethlehem. He heard the voices of the angelic host break forth in that glad song of praise to God and peace on earth. He beheld Christ’s humble life in Nazareth, His ministry of love and sympathy and healing, His rejection by a proud and unbelieving nation, the agony in Gethsemane, the betrayal, the cruel mockery and scourging, and that last crowning act of nailing Him to the tree. Moses saw that as he had lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so the Son of God must be lifted upon the cross, to give His life a sacrifice for men … .

“Then, like a tired warrior, he lay down to rest. ‘So Moses, the servant of the Lord, died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord.’ …

“Satan exulted that he had succeeded in causing Moses to sin against God. For his transgression, Moses came under the dominion of death. Had his life not been marred with that one sin, in failing to give to God the glory of bringing water from the rock, he would have entered the promised land, and would have been translated to heaven without seeing death. But the servant of God was not long permitted to remain in the tomb. Christ Himself with the angels who buried Moses, came down from heaven, and called forth the sleeping saint, and bore him up in triumph to the city of God.” Ibid., March 31, 1881

Romans 5 tells us that death reigned from Adam to Moses. Moses was the first human being to die and be resurrected. He was also given an immortal, sinless body at his resurrection.

Moses didn’t need a spaceship. Christ Himself woke Moses and took him, with a retinue of angels to the city of God.

A Life of Perseverance

“Elijah the Tishbite … entered upon his mission confident in God’s purpose to prepare the way before him and to give him abundant success. The word of faith and power was upon his lips, and his whole life was devoted to the work of reform. His was the voice of one crying in the wilderness to rebuke sin and press back the tide of evil. And while he came to the people as a reprover of sin, his message offered the balm of Gilead to the sin-sick souls of all who desired to be healed.” Prayer, 133

A man of prayer and enduring faith, God used Elijah to deliver—during one of the most grave crises in the history of the children of Israel—a message of much-needed repentance among His people and judgment to King Ahab. We all know the Bible account of Elijah and the priests of Baal on Mount Carmel, and the extraordinary and miraculous display of God’s power.

“Elijah had walked with God. His work had been painful and trying, for the Lord through him had reproved the sins of Israel. Elijah was a prophet of God; yet he was compelled to flee from place to place to save his life. His own nation hunted him like a wild beast that they might destroy him. But God translated Elijah. Angels bore him in glory and triumph to heaven.” Early Writings, 162

“In the desert, in loneliness and discouragement, Elijah had said that he had had enough of life and had prayed that he might die. But the Lord in His mercy had not taken him at his word. There was yet a great work for Elijah to do; and when his work was done, he was not to perish in discouragement and solitude. Not for him the descent into the tomb, but the ascent with God’s angels to the presence of His glory.” Heaven, 102

“Suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them [Elijah and Elisha]; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.” 2 Kings 2:11

Elijah didn’t need a spaceship. God sent a band of angels in a whirlwind to carry him up to heaven.

The Perfect Example

After Jesus’ death and resurrection, He went back to heaven to present His sacrifice to His Father. That same day, He returned and remained 40 days with His disciples before He was taken up from the Mount of Olives.

“Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men [angels] stood by them in white apparel, who also said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.’ ” Acts 1:9–11

“They saw Moses, representing those who will be raised from the dead at the time of the second advent; and there also stood Elijah, representing those who at the close of earth’s history will be changed from mortal to immortal and be translated to heaven without seeing death.” Heaven, 103

Christ ascended from Olivet. He didn’t need a spaceship. He slowly began to rise, not subject to the law of gravity. He engaged in interplanetary travel without any worldly assistance. Jesus was received into a cloud, disappeared from sight, and went up into the kingdom of heaven.

Soon-to-Be Space Travelers

Jesus is coming again soon, in clouds of glory surrounded by an innumerable number of angels to take His children home with Him for eternity. What do the examples of Enoch, Moses, Elijah, and Jesus tell us about this glorious event?

The purpose of this 6,000-years-long controversy is two-fold:

  • to prepare a people, restoring the image of God in those whom He created, and
  • to demonstrate the heinousness of sin and its ultimate and utter destruction.

“The Lord here teaches a lesson of the greatest importance by the translation of Enoch, a descendant of fallen Adam, that all would be rewarded, who by faith would rely upon the promised Sacrifice and faithfully obey His commandments. …

“Enoch, separating himself from the world, and spending much of his time in prayer and in communion with God, represents God’s loyal people in the last days, who will be separate from the world.” The Story of Redemption, 59, 60

“To such communion God is calling us. As was Enoch’s must be their holiness of character who shall be redeemed from among men at the Lord’s second coming.” Reflecting Christ, 320

“God shut Moses out of Canaan, to teach a lesson which should never be forgotten—that He requires exact obedience … .” Heaven, 101

“Moses was a type of Christ. He received the words from the mouth of God, and spoke them to the people. God saw fit to discipline Moses in the school of affliction and poverty, before he could be prepared to lead the armies of Israel in their travels from Egypt to the earthly Canaan. The Israel of God who are now passing on to the heavenly Canaan have a Captain who needed no earthly teaching to perfect Him for His mission as a divine Leader. He manifested no human weakness or imperfection; yet He died to obtain for us an entrance into the promised land.” The Signs of the Times, March 31, 1881

When Jesus returns to this earth, the Bible says that all of His children, those who have died and those who are living, are going to take a space trip. It says, “The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16. Those who have died in Christ, those who were His disciples and followers, will rise first. “Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.” Verse 17

Notice that when He comes, there will be a shout, and when Jesus shouts, graves all over the world will open and the dead in Christ will be alive again. Jesus said, “Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.” John 5:28, 29

Paul said, “Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.” 1 Corinthians 15:50, first part. A person cannot go to the kingdom of God in their present and sinful body. His body must be changed to an immortal, sinless body. He said, “Behold, I tell you a mystery: we shall not all sleep [we will not all die], but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” Verses 51, 52

This immortal, sinless body is not bound by the law of gravity and will be able to lift off and travel into space. “Our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.” Philippians 3:20, 21

There are just two things needed to make this trip—a sanctified character and a new, transformed body. There is no need for reservations, visas, tickets, luggage, rental cars, planes, ships, or trains. The perfecting of character will have been done, and that perfect character will be carried in the heart as the new body rises up into the clouds to meet Jesus.

“Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” Matthew 24:30, 31

People who look to the world do many things to look better. They visit their barber or beautician, they go to a tailor or dressmaker, buy cosmetics, and maybe even have a face lift or some other cosmetic surgery. All this is done to make the outward man look more pleasing. All the while they remain inside the sinful, mortal creatures they are.

But God offers a new, sin-free character and a new body that will never age to everyone who is willing to believe in and surrender their will to Him. “As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.” John 1:12

Friend, sin does not have to control your life. You can be free from your evil habits and sinful ways. The Bible says that if you receive Jesus, He will give you the power to be victorious. The Holy Spirit will transform you, on the inside, to become a new person, and that changes everything. If you want to be a space traveler, you must surrender your life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and ask Him for a new heart and a perfect character. Only God—because of His Son, and through the working of the Holy Spirit—can do this for you.

Have you opened the door of your heart to let in the heavenly Guest who wants to transform you into His likeness as you cooperate with the Holy Spirit? To experience the greatest space trip ever, we must be born again. The kingdom of God, a land with no sorrow, no sickness nor death, no pain, no suffering, no disappointment, is awaiting its citizens.

“A character formed according to the divine likeness is the only treasure that we can take from this world to the next. Those who are under the instruction of Christ in this world will take every divine attainment with them to the heavenly mansions. And in heaven we are continually to improve. How important, then, is the development of character in this life.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 332

“The character we cultivate, the attitude we assume today, is fixing our future destiny. We are all making a choice, either to be with the blessed, inside the City of Light, or to be with the wicked, outside the city. …

“When Christ comes, the balances of heaven will weigh the character, and decide whether it is pure, sanctified, and holy. …

“Happiness is the result of holiness, and conformity to the will of God. Those who would be saints in heaven, must first be saints upon the earth; for when we leave this earth, we shall take our character with us … .” Reflecting Christ, 303

Pastor John J. Grosboll is Director of Steps to Life and pastors the Prairie Meadows Church in Wichita, Kansas. He may be contacted by email at historic@stepstolife.org, or by telephone at 316-788-5559.