Church

The Ship

by

In preparing for this Week of Prayer series, we believe it is important, in this first presentation, to discuss the subject of who and what is the church. Many of us have perhaps already studied this topic, but we are going to look at it from a little different perspective. I believe this study focuses on the concept of the theme for this week, “What Will it Take to Stand in the Last Days?”

Seventh-day Adventists have always had a great appreciation for the Bible books of Daniel and Revelation, because these are books about prophecy. Prophecy has established us as a people. It has given us meaning. It has given us understanding concerning end-time events.

When the end times do come, they will bring the world into a crisis and then into the end of the world, as we know it. We as Seventh-day Adventists have studied and restudied Daniel and Revelation, and we have interpreted and reinterpreted these books until it would seem that there is nothing new to uncover. But in our study of Daniel and Revelation, I believe we have neglected other books that have great prophetic significance as well.

One such book is the Book of Acts. The Book of Acts deals with end-time events, perhaps not in the same scope nor with the same focus as the books of Daniel and Revelation, but each has a special message for us.

Normally, we do not view the Book of Acts as a book of apocalypse; we only view it as a history of the early Christian church. We see it recording the acts of the elders, the deacons, and the apostles, and unfurling events of how the early church got its start and grew under the power of the Holy Spirit. But in this study, I want to take you on a journey through a passage of Scripture that I believe has real prophetic significance to us. It is the generally accepted understanding that, as we study books of prophecy and get closer to the ends of those books of prophecy, they seem to have more relevance to us as a people. The closer we come to the end of the Book of Revelation, the closer we come to the end of time and its importance to us as a people. The same thing is true of the Book of Acts. With this in mind, we will look at the next to the last chapter in Acts, chapter 27. But before we begin, there is needed a bit of background setting.

Background

The setting for this portion of Scripture centers on Paul’s arrest and his arraignment before Agrippa. It is here that we have Agrippa’s famous statement to Paul: “Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.” Acts 26:28. Paul’s response to Agrippa was, “I would to God, that not only you, but everyone who has heard me today, would be like me, except for these chains,” with which he was bound. (Verse 29.)

The testimony was that nobody was interested. Life seemed to have too much to offer. Why should they restrict themselves by becoming Christians? No, they were satisfied to continue on as they had been doing before. The question facing them now, though, was what were they going to do with this man—Paul? He had not committed any offense worthy of death. He had not killed anyone. He had not violated any law of which they knew. “Then said Agrippa unto Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed unto Caesar.” Verse 32.

I will have to confess that I do not understand everything that God does, but there is one thing I do understand: God is working to try to save as many souls as He possibly can. How God arrives at certain points where all things come together, I do not claim to understand, because I have finite vision. God is able to see, through infinite eyes, how all these things can work together for good, but in my humanity, this I cannot always see. The route that God takes, many times, is not a route that man would take to arrive at a certain point to accomplish the same thing.

Here is Paul, at one time a criminal, but now he is a converted man whose only desire is to serve the Lord Jesus Christ. As a result of this service, he has been brought into a set of circumstances resulting in his arrest and has been charged with crimes that some deemed worthy of death. I do not understand this, but God works in mysterious ways.

Currently, there are individuals enrolled in Steps to Life’s ministerial training course who are behind prison bars. Their one desire is to learn as much as they can, so when they are set free, they will be able to carry the gospel message to whomever they can. When we go through experiences such as this, God has promised to be with us. Jesus said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5.)

Appeal Granted

This was not an easy time for Paul, but God was with him. You see, Paul was, in fact, a double prisoner. He was not only a prisoner of the state, but he was also a prisoner of the Lord Jesus Christ. This event was allowed in Paul’s life so he could stand before the emperor and give testimony for his faith. God had a purpose. Paul appealed to Caesar, and to Caesar he would go.

Preparations for the trip were made. Paul, with over 200 other people, would make his way to Rome. “And when it was determined that we should sail into Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners unto [one] named Julius, a centurion of Augustus’ band. And entering into a ship of Adramyt-tium, we launched, meaning to sail by the coasts of Asia; [one] Aristar-chus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us.” Acts 27:1, 2. So Paul begins his journey by ship, with the idea that he is going to stand before the emperor and bring to him the gospel message.

Words of Bondage

Now, we are going to look at words that have been used to hold Seventh-day Adventists in bondage. These words, rightly understood, will free us, so we will be able to accomplish what God has called us to do. Verse 31 says, “Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.”

This concept of the ship has been distorted; it has been twisted and made to say what is not in the teaching of this portion of Scripture. It has been used to scare people into submission, as they have been taught and repeatedly told that, except they abide in the ship, they cannot be saved. This has been used to frighten people from searching for the truth that would set them free.

The idea of the ship has been applied to the denomination, and this text has been interpreted to mean that unless we stay with denominational churches, we will never make it to heaven. I want to suggest to you that the ship is not the church. It never has been. We will see, as we study together, what the ship really is. It is imperative that we understand this, so we are not encumbered with haunting fear, and we can be free to move forward in God’s plan.

The Journey Begins

Now, we will return to the begin-ning of Acts 27 and analyze its message so we may better understand what is being said to us in these last days.

Verse 2 tells us that they boarded a ship of Adramyttium. This was a sturdy ship, known for its stability and its serviceability; plying the seas, it carried cargo safely to its destination. It was dependable. It had on board an experienced crew. The crew possessed wisdom, and when the weather and sea were threatening, they pulled into port so they and the ship were kept safe.

“And the next [day] we touched at Sidon. And Julius courteously entreated Paul, and gave [him] liberty to go unto his friends to refresh himself. And when we had launched from thence, we sailed under Cyprus, because the winds were contrary. And when we had sailed over the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, [a city] of Lycia.” Verses 3–5.

Contrary Winds

Any time you are in the service of the Lord, the winds will blow contrarily. At least three individuals on this boat had a mission for the Lord: Paul, Aristarchus, and Luke. Even though Luke does not mention himself by name, he speaks in the first person, so we know that he was there. The Bible says that the winds blew. You see, the devil did not want them to arrive safely at their destination. Remember, the ship was sound. This was a safe ship for them to be on—it was solid, it was seaworthy, and nothing is mentioned about it being leaky or having any problems that would cause difficulties.

Finally, they arrived at a city in Lycia. They could not go any further at that time, because contrary winds were blowing. But they were a long way from their destination.

Change Ships

Julius, the centurion, was in charge of the prisoners, and he had a decision to make. He could wait to complete his journey, staying on the same ship that they had originally taken, or he could make arrangements to secure another ship and continue on.

Verses 6–8 continue: “And there the centurion found a ship of Alex-andria sailing into Italy; and he put us therein. And when we had sailed slowly many days, and scarce were come over against Cnidus, the wind not suffering us, we sailed under Crete, over against Salmone; And, hardly passing it, came unto a place which is called The fair havens; nigh whereunto was the city [of] Lasea.”

This is where the story begins to take on meaning for us. They left the ship that was safe and sound and that would have carried them to their destination without any diffi-culty. We need to understand that fact! They left that ship, and they boarded another ship. Now consider this carefully. The centurion in charge of the trip was an agent of Rome. It was he that made the decision to put everyone on board another ship. It was a ship from Alexandria.

Alexandria

Alexandria was a city in the land of Egypt. The Bible has always used Egypt as a symbol for the land of sin, a place where the dragon dwells, a place known for idolatry and false doctrine. Alexandria was a metropolis of great learning. It had universities of higher education, and those with simpler educations could go there and be introduced to greater depths of philosophy, theories of knowledge, and critical study. That was what Alexandria was all about. It was a place where people could learn how to question their known truths. It was Alexandria and its universities that prepared the way for the rejection of Jesus as the Messiah at His first coming!

This came about as a result of the Babylonian captivity, where the Jewish nation had learned its lesson relative to the worshiping of false gods and idols. When they returned to their land, they determined never to be caught in that kind of situation again. They became so repulsed by the Gentiles and their worship of false gods that they would not even approach their neighbors to tell them about the soon-coming Messiah. It finally came to the place that if the shadow of someone who was unclean fell across them during the time of their special purification, they believed it made them unclean also. That is how much they were repulsed by the Gentile way of life.

Time Brings Change

But as time went on—and the progression of time is something we have to be cautious about, for time can change things—various groups developed within the nation of Israel. One group was very conservative—fundamental in its beliefs. They were known as Pharisees.

Whenever we discuss the Pharisees, there is a tendency for us to do so with disdain, because we do not like the Pharisees. They had their problems, to be sure, but it was the Pharisees who preserved what truth the church had in that day. They rejected all attempts to introduce new theology that was running rampant in those times. Do not think that the new theology is a new phenomenon. It has raged in every generation. Nicodemus was a Pharisee, and he became a follower of Jesus. Paul was a Pharisee of Pharisees, and he became a follower of Jesus. But, do you know that there is not one record of any kind or any historical documentation that a Sadducee ever became a follower of Jesus?

As time drew near to the birth of Jesus, a great persecution broke out upon the Pharisees. The persecution was so great that many of them were not only kicked out of their church offices and had their memberships taken away, but numerous ones paid the ultimate price with their lives, because they were standing for the truth that they understood and believed.

The Groups Differ

The other main party that formed in those days was the Sadducees. This group developed about the same time as the Pharisees. They were theologically similar, but there were some very major differences. The Sadducees came into being because those who were leading out in the Jewish denomination felt that the people, and those they were trying to win to the faith, could be better reached and served by an educated clergy. So certain ones were selected to go down to Alexandria in Egypt to receive the benefits of higher education. They went, and what they learned, they brought back to the nation of Judah and taught to others.

First, they learned liberal philosophies. Where the Pharisees were fundamental, the Sadducees were liberal. They learned what is today called “higher criticism,” and this led them to reject most of the Scripture. The only books that were acceptable, as far as they were concerned, were the five books of Moses.

The Pharisees were called “separatists”; they did not believe in being part of the world. They knew that they had to be in the world, but they did not get involved in all the trappings that came with it. They opted for traditions instead, and this is where they ran headlong into the teachings of Jesus.

Now, the Sadducees did not have any problem being a part of the world. They loved the world and all that it had to offer. They became involved with the politics of the day. They loved to rule. They had given up most of those characteristics that made them stand out from the other Jews. If you looked at a Pharisee, there was no question in your mind that here was a child of Israel. Not so with the Sadducees. The Sadducees wanted to look like everyone around them. They did not want to be peculiar.

Not being peculiar called for the Sadducees to give up certain fundamental doctrines for the new theology. This meant that they no longer believed in the resurrection of the dead. They did not believe in angels. They did not believe in devils. They did not believe in the punishment of those who were sinners. They were progressive. They were modernists in their thinking. The Sadducees were the ones in charge. They were holding offices in the church headquarters when Jesus began His ministry.

It was a Sadducee who, during a discussion, said, “It is better that one man die than the whole nation perish.” (John 11:50.) The Sadducees were thoroughly absorbed in their new theology, which they had learned in Alexandria, Egypt.

Prophetic Instruction

Returning to the journey of Paul and the prophetic instruction to us in these last days contained in the Book of Acts, the travelers changed ships under the direction of the leader of Rome. They boarded a ship from Alexandria, and after they were underway again, Luke records for us what was happening: “Now when much time was spent, and when sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished [them], And said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives.” Acts 27:9, 10. This is very significant.

Paul respectfully goes to those in charge. Addressing them as “Sirs,” he told them that they were now on a ship that was going to cause damage to them; they were not going to come out of this trip without loss. Have you ever heard those kinds of voices before? Three things were going to be damaged—the cargo of the ship, the ship itself, and the lives of those on the ship.

Ship Defined

At this point, we need to define what is the ship. Many have tried to convince us that the ship is the denomination, and that if we will just stay with the denomination, we will sail right into the harbor with ease. Just stay with the ship. I would like to suggest to you, as I did earlier, that the ship is not the denomination at all. It is not the structure. It is not the General Conference. It is not the local conference. It has nothing to do with any structure of any kind. The ship is truth, pure and simple. Jesus is the Captain of the ship, and it is His truth that carries us along as a people.

Let me share with you some quotations from the Spirit of Prophecy, which should establish this more.

“God’s people must give to the world a representation of the character of God in Jesus Christ. The Christian churches are fast losing their knowledge of God. His character has been misunderstood and misinterpreted. But a message has come from God which must be proclaimed. The trumpet must give a certain sound. ‘I Jesus have sent mine angel to proclaim these things to the churches.’ [Revelation 22:16.] The truth, the revelation which Jesus gave to John, must be sounded forth everywhere. ‘Lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God! Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.’ [Isaiah 40:9–11.]” The Signs of the Times, December 23, 1897.

“The only way in which men will be able to stand firm in the conflict, is to be rooted and grounded in Christ.” General Conference Daily Bulletin, January 28, 1893. Who is Jesus? He is the truth. He is the way, the truth, and the life. (John 14:6.) The only way men will be able to stand in the last-day conflict is to be rooted and grounded in Christ. “They must receive the truth as it is in Jesus. And it is only as the truth is presented thus that it can meet the wants of the soul. The preaching of Christ crucified, Christ our righteousness, is what satisfies the soul’s hunger.” Ibid.

It is the truth, as it is in Jesus, that will carry us along in our experience of life as we go through the world. This is the only thing that makes any sense at all. We are not to depend upon anything in this world to carry us through. We are not to depend upon any person—nothing other than the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the only One that is going to carry us through. He is the Truth. And the Truth will carry us through. “Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32.)

It is with this in mind that the next quotation, from the Review and Herald, September 20, 1892, makes any sense at all: “There is no need to doubt, to be fearful that the work will not succeed. God is at the head of the work, and he will set everything in order.” Who is at the head of the work? God is! He will take care and set things in order. “If matters need adjusting at the head of the work, God will attend to that, and work to right every wrong. Let us have faith.” Now, consider this very carefully! If you have only lightly read everything so far, concentrate on this: “Let us have faith that God is going to carry the noble ship which bears the people of God safely into port.”

The noble ship that bears the people of God is the truth. Nothing else can safely carry us into port. It is the truth, and when we begin to say that the ship is the denomination, we have missed the whole point of what inspiration is trying to teach us. I say that, because historically, we can look back and find that denominations fail. Truth never fails! Men can disappoint us and can take us into trouble, but truth never disappoints us.

Counsel of Man

“Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul.” Acts 27:11. When God gives us the words of inspiration but we choose to take the counsels of men, we are headed for disaster. If this man from Rome had listened to Paul, they would not have had the problems that they encountered. “And because,” verses 12–15 say, “the haven was not commodious to winter in, the more part advised to depart thence also, if by any means they might attain to Phenice, [and there] to winter; [which is] an haven of Crete, and lieth toward the south west and north west. And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained [their] purpose, loosing [thence], they sailed close by Crete. But not long after there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon. And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let [her] drive.”

The truth, distorted as it had become here, or as distorted as it may become in our own experience, is going to run into winds that are designed to totally destroy it. Any little remnant of truth—no matter where it is found—the devil will try to destroy, in any and every way that he can.

Theological Darkness

Do not ever forget that Paul was a prisoner on this journey. He was held captive. He was on board, but he was bound in chains, unable to counsel, unable to reason, unable to take any kind of command over what was going on, so the only thing that was left for him and the other two to do was to just let the ship sail. Did Paul know what was going to happen? Of course; he told them that they would experience damage.

“And running under a certain island which is called Clauda, we had much work to come by the boat: Which when they had taken up, they used helps, undergirding the ship; and, fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, strake sail, and so were driven. And we being exceedingly tossed with a tempest, the next [day] they lightened the ship; And the third [day] we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship. And when neither the sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on [us], all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.” Verses 16–20.

They had changed ships. They had changed from a sturdy ship to a weak vessel from Alexandria. They had taken the word of Rome over the counsel of the prophet, and as they began to run into opposition because of this, they started throwing the tackling of the ship overboard. They were frantic to try to find some way out of the mess in which they had found themselves. Verse 20 says that they were plunged into darkness. There was no light. They could not tell what was going on. Do not tell me that the Book of Acts is not prophetic!

Theological darkness is a terrible experience to go through. Right in the midst of this entire situation, it became so bad that they thought they were lost. All hope was taken away that they should be saved. Does that say anything to us? Will it be easy for us, when we get into the end of time? How are we going to be able to stand when, in the end of time, darkness is prevailing? Are we going to sail into the harbor standing on deck with clowns and balloons and the band playing? I do not think so!

The Bible tells me that the just shall live by faith! (Romans 1:17.) When everything around is nothing but darkness, it is our faith that will light our way, because our feet are firmly grounded on the truth.

Abandonment Brings Death

Verse 21 says, “But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss.” Paul begins to give some counsel: “And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of [any man’s] life among you, but of the ship. For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, Saying, Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar: and, lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.” Verses 22–24. Nobody was going to die, but the ship—the truth—was going to be broken up.

“Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me. Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island. But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven up and down in Adria, about midnight the shipmen deemed that they drew near to some country; And sounded, and found [it] twenty fathoms: and when they had gone a little further, they sounded again, and found [it] fifteen fathoms. Then fearing lest we should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day. And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they had let down the boat into the sea, under colour as though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship . . . .” Verses 25–30.

Some of those on board saw that there was a change in the situation, and they wanted to abandon ship. They were not an offshoot, as such. They were part of Rome. They did not have any better wisdom than to take off. (These were not the ones in Paul’s party.) Paul told the centurion about this, and said, “Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.” Verse 31.

God does not save heathen just because they follow the counsel of the prophet. We need to understand that. Every person must have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Truth, in and of itself, does not save anyone. The Holy Spirit blesses it, and it leads us into a born-again experience. When that happens, the truth becomes more blessed to us. Nicodemus had the truth. Nicodemus was a Pharisee, but Jesus told him that he had to be born again. Just staying with the ship was not enough.

Ellen White tells us that if these sailors had left the ship, it would have been certain death for them. They could not have survived the raging sea, and the rocks would have torn them to pieces. (See The Acts of the Apostles, 439–445.) And so Paul, wanting them to be saved from death, said what he did. Staying with the ship was important. It was designed by God to give them one last opportunity to see His wonderful grace. But seeing it still meant that they had to make their own decisions on an individual basis—not on a corporate basis.

Iceberg of Error

Do you remember the story that Ellen White told in 1904 about the raging Alpha of apostasy? One night she had a vision from God. In this vision, she said, “A vessel was upon the waters, in a heavy fog. Suddenly the lookout cried, ‘Iceberg just ahead!’ There, towering high above the ship, was a gigantic iceberg. An authoritative voice cried out, ‘Meet it!’ There was not a moment’s hesitation. It was a time for instant action. The engineer put on full steam, and the man at the wheel steered the ship straight into the iceberg.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 205.

Under normal circumstances, the ship would have collided with that iceberg, and it would have gone to the bottom of the sea. But she said that when the ship hit that iceberg with a tremendous crash, it split the iceberg right in half in such a way that ice thundered down on the deck of the ship. She said that the ship rebounded from the contact and trembled like a living creature. It was damaged, but there were no lives lost. And after they hit that iceberg, the ship went right on and kept on its course. Do you know what that iceberg represents? It represents error. Do you know what the ship represents? The ship represents truth. This message comes through in the story of Paul as well. The ship had to meet error. The truth came into collision with error. The ship suffered damage, but it survived.

Working Together

“Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and let her fall off.” Verse 32. Problems were not yet over. It would take everyone at this point in time working together. God makes it very plain through inspiration that the heathen will be used of God to further His cause, and here is an instance of it right here in Acts 27.

They had been fasting. They had not been eating anything. Now the time had come for them to take some nourishment to deal with what was ahead. Notice what it says in verses 33 and 34: “And while the day was coming on, Paul besought [them] all to take meat, saying, This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing. Wherefore I pray you to take [some] meat: for this is for your health.” Ah! I could mention here that the health message is part of the last-day scenario for God’s people.

“For there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you. And when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of them all: and when he had broken [it], he began to eat. Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took [some] meat. And we were in all in the ship two hundred threescore and sixteen souls. And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, and cast out the wheat into the sea.” Verses 34–38. They started throwing all the cargo of the ship overboard. That tells us something about the purging of theological error.

“And when it was day, they knew not the land: but they discovered a certain creek with a shore, into the which they were minded, if it were possible, to thrust in the ship. And when they had taken up the anchors, they committed [themselves] unto the sea, and loosed the rudder bands, and hoised up the mainsail to the wind, and made toward shore.” Verses 39, 40.

There is going to come a time for us when we will come under such trying circumstances that the only thing that will uphold us is the fact that we have committed ourselves wholly and completely to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will carry us through. That is what the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is about in these last days. We are to be sealed with the latter rain experience, and let that experience carry us on into the shore.

That is what the sailors did. “And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast, and remained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves. And the soldiers’ counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape.” Verses 41, 42.

The Ship is Truth

Do you think it is going to be easy when we get into the last days? It is not going to be easy at all. Everything we know as the truth is going to go through some of the most wrenching, twisting, breaking-up experiences it can possibly experience. But notice verses 43 and 44: “But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from [their] purpose; and commanded that they which could swim should cast [themselves] first [into the sea], and get to land: And the rest, some on boards, and some on [broken pieces] of the ship . . . escaped all safe to land.”

The ship was the truth, and even though the ship hit the rock and began to break apart, there were still preserved elements of truth there that would carry the survivors safely onto the shore.

If there is ever a message that we need to read, understand, and incorporate into our hearts, it is the fact that God’s truth will go through—regardless of what men do to it, regardless of what the winds blowing from the breath of Satan do to it. God is going to use, if necessary, just parts and pieces to carry His people on to safety.

If this ship were a denomination, it would have been scattered everywhere. Only the truth of God will carry us safely into port!

Shaken, Sifted, Settled, and Sealed, Part II

by

Why do we continue to struggle? We find our answer in God’s Holy Word. “Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.” Hebrews 12:4. This verse involves more than just trying, for it is true that all of our trying will end with nothing more than frustration and a deep sense of failure and discouragement. The verse goes much deeper in experience than just trying. The word resist means to sit down against or to stand firm against. The other word we want to briefly look at is striving, which means to struggle against, to box, to fight, to war, or to wrestle with. And that is what makes this verse so important.

The shaking, sifting, settling, and sealing are all about standing firmly against the opposition to God so that we cannot be moved. The Spirit of Prophecy tells us about Jacob’s little time of trouble. A study of it shows the connection it has with Hebrews 12:4.

Standing Firm

Those who successfully pass through the shaking will have “resisted unto blood, striving against sin.” This group will have cooperated with the Lord in the wrestling away of their sins, clinging to Him until the promised blessing has been realized. In the simplest language, what we must learn to do is to stay in communion with the Lord until the sin has been overcome. When temptation comes, we must, at that moment, flee to the Lord and stay there until the danger passes and the victory is gained.

The reason we are still struggling is simply that we are not letting the Lord fight our battles. For most of us, it is a matter of not realizing that all we need to do is get in the Lord’s corner and stay there, allowing Him to fight the adversary. We have been fighting him all of our lives, and it is time we realized and admitted that we, in our own power, cannot possibly win. Only then can we enter into the haven of the True Conqueror. Only in this corner is victory found. It is only then that we will find the power to apply the knowledge we have into our lives. This is the greatest need and one that must be recognized.

“It is a knowledge of practical godliness, a daily conversion, that is the great need in our world.” Bible Training School, November 1, 1916.

Settling Process

During this time of shaking, we need to understand that not only is this the process of the Lord, which means there is no other way up the path to the kingdom, but it is a settling process which will affect everyone. It is the work of Satan to divert the attention of those whose keen interest should be focused on this process.

“I [Ellen White] saw that Satan was working through agents in a number of ways. He was at work through ministers who have rejected the truth and are given over to strong delusions to believe a lie that they might be damned. . . .

“Some of these agents of Satan were affecting the bodies of some of the saints—those whom they could not deceive and draw away from the truth by a Satanic influence. Oh, that all could get a view of it as God revealed it to me, that they might know more of the wiles of Satan and be on their guard! I saw that Satan was at work in these ways to distract, deceive, and draw away God’s people, just now in this sealing time. I saw some who were not standing stiffly for present truth. Their knees were trembling, and their feet sliding, because they were not firmly planted on the truth, and the covering of Almighty God could not be drawn over them while they were thus trembling.

“Satan was trying his every art to hold them where they were, until the sealing was past, until the covering was drawn over God’s people, and they left without a shelter from the burning wrath of God, in the seven last plagues. . . .

“I saw that the mysterious signs and wonders and false reformations would increase and spread. The reformations that were shown me were not reformations from error to truth.” Early Writings, 43–45.

Read the preceding quotation again, carefully. Some may say that this applied back in Ellen White’s day, and they would be correct, but take it further. I would say that this bit of inspiration shows that the shaking time will have a snowball effect along with the false reformations that she mentions. We know for certain that this statement is squarely planted in present truth, because it says that this covering of God is for protection from the seven last plagues. This quotation describes the time through which we are now passing. The Seventh-day Adventist movement is being affected by the agents of Satan to an alarming degree—most of it coming from the inside out.

Note the words in the above quotation, “standing stiffly for present truth.” These few words are extremely important and revealing. Take a few moments to consider the implications of this statement. What does it mean to stand “stiffly for present truth”? If we are not taking this stand, what does the quotation say will happen to us? What causes the shaking?

Every individual who is striving to be among the privileged redeemed must address these questions. It will not go well in the judgment for those who are complacent and content, allowing others to stand alone for truth. The voice, which is now silent, will later, at the Second Coming, be heard calling for the rocks to fall. (Revelation 6:16.)

Those who choose not to stand for present truth will fall! This applies to everyone who claims to be a Seventh-day Adventist—not just those who are in conference congregations. I have been alarmed and deeply troubled concerning those who are proving week after week that they are no better off in an independent church than in a conference church. Error has been spoken by some that have claimed leadership in the independent movement. Dishonest methods have been used by some who have claimed to be doing an end-time work. Some who have been considered leaders have abandoned the Bible truths altogether.

Follow Christ, Not Man

What is alarming is the fact that these errors have been open; there is almost no subtlety to them. But either because of the weakness of the people’s emotions or their total lack of personal study and knowledge, they just keep following these leaders as if nothing has happened. We need to realize that every single person, with no exception, who follows a man in the place of Jesus Christ, will be lost! It will not matter how insignificant or how well-known is the congregation, leader, or ministry, if we follow it in the place of Jesus, we will be lost!

As Seventh-day Adventist Christians, it is our duty to seek out truth and stand for that truth no matter what happens or who diverts from it. It is incredible for anyone to take the attitude that individuals who stay in conference churches will be lost for putting up with error and not standing for truth—while at the same time they are doing the exact same thing in their independent churches, thinking they have somehow escaped the wrath that they say will fall on the other people!

Many are in this state of extreme danger. If they do not recognize the reality of the above principles, they will be surprised to learn, too late, that they cannot be admitted into God’s kingdom. If they switch camps for the right reason but cling to their old ways in the new camps, they will suffer the same end that they were trying to escape by switching in the first place!

We desperately need to understand that the shaking, sifting, settling, and sealing process will continue until all of us are in one group or the other. The principles working together in this process fall in line with those stated above. This being the case, as individuals we must go step by step up the path with our eyes firmly on Jesus. Mrs. White’s vision clearly shows that when the people took their eyes off Jesus, they fell. (See Early Writings, 14–20.)

We are also plainly told that, in this last moment of time, many wonderful and terrible things will be happening, and we will need to keep our eyes wide open and be empowered with the eyesalve to discern the events, thereby having wisdom from on high. (Revelation 3:18.) We are told that, in this time, many will come up to one point of faith, draw the line, and go no further, while others will draw the line at a different point. There will be those who are known for their great achievements or knowledge and, at one time, have shone brightly for the Lord, but for whatever reason, in the end, will go out into utter darkness. (See Maranatha, 43.)

There are far too many who are clearly exhibiting their loyalty to man above their loyalty to Jesus! Their actions would have us believe that they know who will end up in heaven and who will not! But this is the same foolishness they claim to recognize in others who say the church, meaning the conference, is going through.

How vitally important it is that people individually study to understand the process through which we are going—to see it as a matter of life and death, as it certainly is.

Exalt Truth

If there is any doubt about the validity of this point, read again how and why Adam made the choice to eat of the forbidden fruit, which threw the whole world into chaos. Consider the next few quotations about the shaking. Understanding them will clarify why we must deal with the above principles.

“I asked the meaning of the shaking I had seen and was shown that it would be caused by the straight testimony called forth by the counsel of the True Witness to the Laodiceans. This will have its effect upon the heart of the receiver, and will lead him to exalt the standard and pour forth the straight truth. Some will not bear this straight testimony. They will rise up against it, and this is what will cause a shaking among God’s people.” Early Writings, 270.

“When the shaking comes, by the introduction of false theories, these surface readers, anchored nowhere, are like shifting sand. They slide into any position to suit the tenor of their feelings of bitterness.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 112.

Practice makes perfect, not profession:

“You may point to some of our leading brethren who have not accepted and rejoiced in the light given, but have intercepted themselves between the light and the people, that it should not reach them; but they must answer to God for their position. They are certainly working away from Christ, instead of working in harmony with Him; but will their attitude and position excuse you for turning from the light which the Lord has thrown upon your pathway? I am sorry that you are in such great blindness that you are unable to distinguish the voice of God from that of the enemy. I have repeatedly presented before you and others that there would come a shaking time, when everything that can be shaken will be shaken, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. We are now entering upon that time. Your spirit is an offense to God, for you receive not the things that are of God, but range yourself on the enemy’s side to oppose God in the very work He is doing for this time.” The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, vol. 1, 331.

“I [Ellen White] was pointed to the providence of God among His people and was shown that every trial made by the refining, purifying process upon professed Christians proves some to be dross. The fine gold does not always appear. In every religious crisis some fall under temptation. The shaking of God blows away multitudes like dry leaves. Prosperity multiplies a mass of professors. Adversity purges them out of the church. As a class, their spirits are not steadfast with God. They go out from us because they are not of us; for when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, many are offended.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 89.

“If we only knew what is before us we would not be so dilatory in the work of the Lord. We are in the shaking time, the time when everything that can be shaken will be shaken. The Lord will not excuse those who know the truth if they do not in word and deed obey His commands.” Ibid., vol. 6, 331, 332.

“The time has come when everything that can be shaken will be shaken. We are in the shaking time. Be assured that only those who live the prayer of Christ for unity among His disciples, working it out in practical life, will stand the test.” Review and Herald, June 18, 1901.

To those who are riding on someone else’s coat tails:

“There will be a shaking of the sieve. The chaff must in time be separated from the wheat. Because iniquity abounds, the love of many waxes cold. It is the very time when the genuine will be the strongest.” Last Day Events, 173.

“Just as long as God has a church, he will have those who will cry aloud and spare not, who will be his instruments to reprove selfishness and sins, and will not shun to declare the whole counsel of God, whether men will hear or forbear. I [Ellen White] saw that individuals would rise up against the plain testimonies. It does not suit their natural feelings. They would choose to have smooth things spoken unto them, and have peace cried in their ears. I view the church in a more dangerous condition than they ever have been. Experimental religion is known but by a few. The shaking must soon take place to purify the church.” Spiritual Gifts, vol. 2, 284.

“Our faith cannot be vested in any man. We need Christ’s righteousness. We need Jesus ever by our side. He is our Rock. It is by His might that we conquer, and by his righteousness that we are saved. When I [Ellen White] see men exalted and praised, extolled as almost infallible, I know that there must come a terrible shaking. When God’s lamp of life shines into the heart with clear and steady ray, darkness will instantly be dispelled. Every idol will be dethroned, and the peace of God which passeth all understanding will reign in the heart. Truth, precious truth, will be seen, appreciated, and obeyed. The standard will be elevated, and many will rally round it.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 11, 91.

Sifting and Settling

The sifting and settling is that part of the process which determines where you and I will end. This process is very closely tied to the shaking, and its progression is brought about by events. Our choices relating to those events determine our status in the sifting and settling process. How sad it will be for some having come so far up the path to glory to find they have traded in the everlasting kingdom for some sentimental offering to a man.

The process of the sifting is one that winnows out the chaff from the pure wheat. We should be very sensitive to and ready for it. It is a continued testing time, which will come to every professor of truth. It will be telling on those who have received the love of the truth, and on those who have not taken the time to study these testing truths for themselves. In this time, which I believe we have already entered, those who have spent precious hours studying to know God’s will, will receive protection and discernment which are vital. Those who receive not of this gift and know not the truth through personal experience will not be protected but will end up on the wrong side, even though they think they are right.

“Only those who have been diligent students of the Scriptures and who have received the love of the truth will be shielded from the powerful delusion that takes the world captive. By the Bible testimony these will detect the deceiver in his disguise. To all the testing time will come. By the sifting of temptation the genuine Christian will be revealed. Are the people of God now so firmly established upon His word that they would not yield to the evidence of their senses? Would they, in such a crisis, cling to the Bible and the Bible only? Satan will, if possible, prevent them from obtaining a preparation to stand in that day. He will so arrange affairs as to hedge up their way, entangle them with earthly treasures, cause them to carry a heavy, wearisome burden, that their hearts may be overcharged with the cares of this life and the day of trial may come upon them as a thief.” The Great Controversy, 625, 626.

There are those who may have the inclination to say that this is speaking of the time when Satan will walk the earth. They know the deception in this event, so they think that they could not possibly be deceived. I implore that they honestly and prayerfully consider the part of the quotation that asks, “Are the people of God now so firmly established upon His word that they would not yield to the evidence of their senses?”

In these few words, we find a wonderful, and terrible, revelation—one that gives us insight so that we need not be deceived if we choose not to be; one that may challenge our honesty. If we know we could not be deceived by Satan’s appearing, yet we find ourselves following a group, a man, or a ministry, based on an emotional attachment rather than the principles of truth, then, friend, we are already deceived! As incredible as it may seem to our logic, Inspiration guarantees that those who allow their emotions to rule their principles will be deceived, even if they have a head knowledge of the truth. We need to understand that when the Lord withdraws His Spirit from individuals who have simply chosen not to do things His way, they will do whatever Satan tells them to do.

To realize this truth, we do not have to go very far. Just look at who literally wanted to tear Jesus to shreds when He was here! They were not those whom we would have called heathen, but those who claimed to know the truth and who were a part of the ancient Adventist movement!

Good News!

The good news is that it still is not too late to allow the Lord to rule in our lives. If we have made some mistakes, if we have gone our own way, if we have placed another’s influence above God’s, we still can ask for the Lord’s forgiveness, find out what we need to do, and do it. But the precious hours of this testing time are running apace, and we must be making our decisions for God now!

“Do all in your power to gain perfection; but do not think that because you make mistakes you are excluded from God’s service. The Lord knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust. As you use faithfully the talents God has given you, you will gain knowledge that will make you dissatisfied with self. You will see the need of sifting away harmful habits, lest by a wrong example you injure others.” Messages to Young People, 226.

“Satan will work his miracles to deceive; he will set up his power as supreme. The church may appear as about to fall, but it does not fall. It remains, while the sinners in Zion will be sifted out—the chaff separated from the precious wheat. This is a terrible ordeal, but nevertheless it must take place. None but those who have been overcoming by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony will be found with the loyal and true, without spot or stain of sin, without guile in their mouths. . . . The remnant that purify their souls by obeying the truth gather strength from the trying process, exhibiting the beauty of holiness amid the surrounding apostasy. “Ellen G. White Comments,” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 911.

To be continued . . .

[All emphasis supplied.]

Cathy Summers Timmons, a Steps to Life staff member, a member of LandMarks’ editorial staff, and Director of Pacific Missionary Outreach, writes from her home in Wichita, Kansas. She may be contacted by e-mail at: cathytimmons@stepstolife.org.

The Seven Churches, Part II – The Church of Ephesus

by

In Revelation, messages are given to the churches, and in these messages, we find that Jesus is the One who is preeminent. Revelation 1:12 says, “Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands.”

We learn in verse 20 that these lampstands represented the seven churches, but notice what was in the midst of the lampstands. There was “[One] like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to his feet and girded about the chest with a golden band.” Verse 13. The remainder of this chapter is about Jesus and His beauties.

Verse 16 tells us that Jesus is walking in the midst of the churches, and He has in His right hand seven stars. Who are the seven stars? The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches (verse 20) or, as some translations say, the messengers of the seven churches.

Purpose of the Church

In 1 Timothy 3:15, we are told what God’s purpose is for the church. This is His purpose for your church and for every church of His throughout the land. Paul, speaking to Timothy, said, “. . . if I am delayed, I [write] so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.”

The purpose of the church is to be the mainstay of truth. The church is not sent to preserve itself. God can preserve the church. We do not have to worry, as did the Jewish leaders, about somehow preserving the church. What we have to worry about is preserving the truth. The church is the mainstay, the ground of the truth.

Character of Jesus

Jesus is to be preeminent. Verse 16 says, “Without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.” When Paul speaks of the church, he immediately turns the focus to Jesus Christ and says that He is the One Who is to be manifested in the church.

The church is a pillar of truth on earth. It is to be the mainstay of the truth, and that truth, dear friend, is, in essence, the character of Jesus. The only way the church can be the mainstay and pillar, the ground of the truth, as Paul says it is to be, is to represent the character of Jesus within its members. It is to teach the truth, but more important than teaching the truth, it is to live the truth. It is to have Jesus’ character lived out within us. That is what the gospel to the church of Ephesus is all about.

Gospel to Ephesus

“To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, ‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks.’ ” Revelation 2:1, 2.

Jesus introduces himself in each of these churches in a way that is particularly applicable to the church to which He is writing. The first church, in a special way, applies to the apostolic church—the church that Peter, Paul, and John started—the church that began when Jesus died and continued until the death of John, about a.d. 100.

Jesus is reminding them that He holds the seven stars. Some of these churches were inclined to think that they were somehow special, because John or Paul had started them. Remember, Paul wrote to the people in Corinth and said, “Some of you are in contention because some of you say, ‘I am a follower of Paul,’ and others say, ‘I am a follower of Apollos.’ ” (1 Corinthians 3:4–6.)

The people of that time had the disciples of Jesus Christ amongst them. There were churches the disciples had actually started. It would have been something to have had Matthew as your first pastor! Or to have had Paul starting your church. Thomas and others pastored and raised up churches.

Can you not just hear the members of some church saying, “We were started by Peter himself!” That could be rather prideful. Or, “We were started by Peter; this is Peter’s church.” God reminds them, “I am the One Who holds the seven stars. None of these people belong to anyone except Me. I am the One Who is in control of the messengers. I have sent them, and more than that, I am the One Who is walking in the midst of the candlesticks of the churches. It is not Peter, Paul, or John.”

Stars in His Hands

Let us consider further the stars in the right hand of God. Who is it that the Bible says Jesus is holding in His right hand? In John 10:27, 28, Jesus said that He is holding His sheep—His people—in His hand. The Bible uses many different symbols, but God is holding us in His right hand.

When Jesus last sent out the disciples, He told them, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, . . . and lo, I am with you always, [even] unto the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18–20.

Jesus said, “I will be with you; I will hold you wherever you go. I am sending you out as my messengers, my angels. I am sending you out as my representatives; I will hold you, and I will be with you.” (The Greek word, aggelos, is translated as angels and means “my messengers.”)

All of us are to be stars in the hands of Jesus, to be His messengers, but in a special way, He has ordained certain messengers all through the ages. There were first the disciples, and down through the Dark Ages we are reminded of Wycliffe, Martin Luther, and others. The Bible tells us that ordinations were established to set apart elders and ministers as God’s special messengers.

So, the seven stars to the churches are the messengers or ministers to the churches that God holds and that He chooses and ordains. We should understand that not every humanly-recognized minister may be a star in the hand of Jesus, and not every star is recognized by mankind. The stars are held in the hand of Jesus, not in the hand of the church.

Do you think that John the Baptist was one of the stars Jesus held in his hand? Did the church ever recognize him? Never!

I do not think Caiaphas was a star in the hand of Jesus. Do you? Did the church recognize him as being a star? Oh, yes! He was the head of God’s church on earth at that time. It was His church, but Caiaphas was not a star. (See Manuscript Releases, vol. 3, 184, 185.)

The stars are held in the hand of Jesus. We need to make sure that each of us is a star. God, of course, has designated certain stars, but that does not elevate any person. God has designated that some should go as missionaries; some should go as teachers, some as evangelists, and some as apostles. He is the One Who must ordain.

Ellen White wrote: “Enoch, Noah, Moses, Daniel, and the long roll of patriarchs and prophets,—these were ministers of righteousness. They were not infallible; they were weak, erring men; but the Lord wrought through them as they gave themselves to His service.” Gospel Workers, 13. She goes on to say that these were stars in Jesus’ hands.

Would you like to be a star in Jesus’ hands? You can be. Every soul who was in the upper room became a star after Jesus’ ascension. Every one of them was filled with the Holy Spirit and went out to give the message. Today, God is preparing stars. They are not all prepared by human universities. They are not all prepared in the same way; many of them may never be recognized, just as John the Baptist was not, but God is preparing stars to shine forth to give the world His message.

Recognize the Stars

Speaking of the church, Ellen White wrote: “The days are fast approaching when there will be great perplexity and confusion. Satan, clothed in angel robes, will deceive, if possible, the very elect. . . . Every wind of doctrine will be blowing. [That is not only in the world but even among God’s people.] . . . Those who have trusted to intellect, genius, or talent will not then stand at the head of rank and file. They did not keep pace with the light. Those who have proved themselves unfaithful will not then be entrusted with the flock. [They will not be stars anymore, you see.] . . . They are self-sufficient, independent of God, and He cannot use them. The Lord has faithful servants, who in the shaking, testing time will be disclosed to view.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 80, 81.

Did John the Baptist come forth with the polish of someone from an Ivy League school? We read that “he was clothed with camel’s hair.” Mark 1:6. That was the common, workman’s clothing. I wonder if I would have recognized him as a star, or would I have gone to inquire of Caiaphas as to whether or not he believed John the Baptist to be a star. Could I have heard the voice of Jesus? Jesus said, in John 10:27, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”

Becoming a Star

It should be our greatest desire to be under the control of Jesus, hearing His voice. Along with that, we should want to be His star, being used by Him wherever He may lead us. He has promised to keep us in His hand.

Do you know what education is needed to become a star in the hand of Jesus? In Matthew 20:20, 21, we read of two people who wanted to become stars in the hands of Jesus: “Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him. And He said to her, ‘What do you wish?’ She said to Him, ‘Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom.’ ”

What did she want? She wanted her sons to be stars in the Lord’s kingdom. She wanted them to be His messengers. Jesus did not rebuke her. There was displayed a little pride, a little rivalry, and a little selfishness that was not good—and God would deal with that, but they wanted to be doing the work of Jesus. That was good!

They wanted to be associated with Jesus, but do you know what it took? “Jesus answered and said, ‘You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?’ ” Verse 22.

Every star must be baptized with the baptism of suffering. That is why the Bible says, “Count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience” or perfects your character. James 1:2, 3. The trials are what bring out the things that should not be there. They are what cause you to depend upon Jesus and not upon yourself.

We are not to bring trials upon ourselves, for that would be presumptuous. We do not have to do such a thing, because if we are living the Christian life, the devil will bring us all kinds of trials. God allows this, because He loves us, and it is through these trials that our characters are strengthened as steel. That is how Jesus’ character was strengthened.

“I Know Your Works”

Jesus said that it is He who holds the seven stars and walks in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, and “I know your works.” Revelation 2:1, 2.

Jesus is walking amidst the churches and the first thing He says is, “I know your works.” The churches do not always know their works, but Jesus knows them. This is said regarding every church, every congregation, in the world.

Jesus said, “I am the One Who walks in the midst of the candlesticks [churches], and I know your works.” Not only does God judge individuals and know their individual hearts and the works that they do, but He also looks at them as a body, as a church family, and He says to the church, “I know your works as a family.”

We ought to think about that. What would God say if He came down to our church and said, “I know your church . . .”? What would follow? Someday we will know, because He is going to tell us when He comes. I hope that it is like the church of Philadelphia of which nothing bad is said. (Revelation 3:7–12.) That would be wonderful! I am glad there were two churches about which not a bad thing was said. Sadly, there were two churches about which not a good thing was said.

The First Church

Ephesus was in the middle; there were some good things and some bad things said about it. The first thing is good. God said, “I know your labor.” Revelation 2:2. That is good! They worked!

“I know your patience.” That is good! They were persevering and enduring—that is what the Greek word, hupomone, means there. And they “cannot bear those who are evil.” Verse 2. I do not know if that is good or not! God is saying it in a good sense here; sometimes we come to a place where we think, to be Christians, we should tolerate everything.

God does not say that about Ephesus. He said, “I know your works, that you cannot bear those who are evil.” Of course, they loved the individuals; they could not bear their evil ways, and they would not allow them to take over the church. They could not bear their evil in the church, and God compliments them.

Jesus loved the sinners with all of His heart. In fact, He spent a lot more time with sinners than with righteous people, partly because there were no righteous people. Beyond that, He spent more time with those who thought they were sinners than with those who thought they were righteous.

Testing

“You cannot bear those that are evil.” These are the evil people who thought they were good, like Caiaphas. “You have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars.” Verse 2. These evil people who thought they were apostles is speaking of preachers and leaders.

How I wish that God could say this about the Laodicean church. As I have traveled, I have found that there is one common element in the Seventh-day Adventist Church all over the world. The members are very loyal to the church and to the organization. God wants loyalty. Jesus was loyal. But many people have done so little studying that they do not know anything other than what is taught to them by the leadership. They have not tested.

Do you remember what Paul said to the people of Berea? He said, “These [the Bereans] were more fair-minded than those in Thessalo-nica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily [to find out] whether these things were so.” Acts 17:11. Whatever Paul told them, they searched out to find out whether or not what he was saying was correct. If that was true for Paul, it certainly should be true for the preachers of today!

Today, people are gullible. Put a preacher in a church, and before long, everyone in the church believes just the way the preacher does. Churches are saved or lost depending upon the preacher. That is taking a pretty big chance!

In the Ephesus church, they tested the preachers, and if they did not preach what was truth, they did not let them preach. We would not think of that today! Many would say such an action would be terrible. The Bible says we are all influenced, and if we call evil good, sooner or later we will call good evil. It always goes that way. (See Isaiah 5:20.)

Every Good Thing

Revelation 2:3 says, “. . . you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary.” God is emphasizing these characteristics. My, this church must have been ready for translation! They had every good thing going for them.

I wish that verse 3 could be said for every church of the land today. It would be wonderful if we never grew weary of doing good works!

Left First Love

After all these good things, however, in verse 4, Jesus says, “Nevertheless I have [this] against you, that you have left your first love.”

Well, with all those good things, I guess we can have a little bad. I mean you cannot expect anyone or anything or any church to be perfect, can you?

God has just told us numerous good things about Ephesus, and He emphasizes some over and over again. So they do not have quite enough love, but at least they have the purity of the gospel and all the rest, so I guess that is good enough.

He goes on to say, in verse 5, “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place.”

We can read over that pretty quickly, but all of a sudden things become very serious. God says, “For all the good things you have done, because you have left your first love, I am going to remove your church unless you come back to your first love.” And I scratch my head and say, “What?” I can think of a lot worse things than losing your first love—but God cannot.

God’s Character—Love

The passage for Ephesus is 1 Corinthians 13. It is one of the most astounding chapters in the Bible; my family and I repeat it every morning at the breakfast table. Read through it prayerfully.

God says we can do it all, but if we do not have love, we have not gained a single thing. So God says to the church of Ephesus, “Listen, you have this and this and this and this, and all these things are good, but you have not represented my character. God is love.”

The church is here to represent God’s character. We can have all the rules and regulations; we can have all the bank accounts; we can have all the fancy buildings and the organization. We can have anything in the world, but unless we have the love of God in our church and in our hearts, we might as well do away with all the rest.

I do not believe in preaching just love, love, love. I believe there is more to the gospel than just love. I believe we should preach the whole gospel, but I want to tell you, we need to preach love, too. Preaching does not do much good, unless it is lived. We need to live the life of Jesus Christ. In the end, that is what it is all going to be about.

We cannot take anything to heaven except our characters. The only thing the church can take to heaven is its members. It cannot take anything else. It cannot take the buildings, the bank accounts, or anything. It can only take to heaven its membership, and the only membership it can take to heaven are those who have the love of Jesus within in their hearts.

What Kind of Love

There are two parts to the love that God wants us to have, and we must have both. The first part of the love is that we must have love for God. We must love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. (Mark 12:30.) Second, we must love one another. (John 13:34; Matthew 5:44.) We have to have both.

There are many people who will do a lot of humanitarian good but who will never learn to love God. They will not be saved. A lot of people have just hidden themselves away from humanity—not taking care of the poor, the needy, the suffering, or anyone else. They are cloistered away in some monastery, supposedly developing love for God. They are going to have a difficult time getting to heaven, too.

Jesus came down and showed us love for God by obeying God. He said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” John 14:15. And Jesus said that the first and great commandment is, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” Matthew 22:37. He also told us that we are to love others. In 1 John 4, we are told that if we do not love our brethren, we do not love God, because our brethren were made in the image of God, and that is whom Jesus came to save.

Matthew 5:44 tells us to “love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.”

We can talk about love all we want and have all these sentimental feelings inside, but it is not all that easy. It is not easy to love those who hate you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you. (Matthew 5:11.)

“That you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you?” Verses 45, 46. That is not the love of God. “Do not even the tax collectors” and publicans and sinners—everyone—do that? Even Hitler loved those who loved him! He did not love the Jews, but he did love a few people; he loved those who carried out his orders.

Everyone loves someone, but that is not the love about which Jesus is talking. The love that the Bible talks about is loving those who hate us and persecute us and say all manner of evil against us falsely.

“If you greet your brethren only, what do you more [than others]? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” Verses 47, 48.

Truly Converted

Ephesus had left their first love; they had become very concerned about the gospel, which they should have. They worked very hard, which they should have, but somehow they failed to be truly converted. The church of Ephesus, started by the apostles, was like some kids that are raised in Christian homes who grow up thinking they are Christians because their mothers and fathers are Christians, because they go to Sabbath School and church every week, and they have learned to pay their tithes. They have learned to do all the right things, but they do not realize that they have to be converted themselves.

The church of Ephesus grew up hearing Paul and Peter, and they thought, “We have heard it all, and we have followed it all. Certainly we are converted.” They did not realize that they had to be changed in the innermost self.

I can preach the gospel, if God helps me. I can do everything for the Lord that He asks me to do, but if I do not develop within my heart a love for those who mistreat me or whatever else they may do to me, I am not yet ready to take to heaven. I do not yet represent the character of Jesus.

Today, God is looking for a church that preserves the true gospel, a church that is very careful that a false gospel is not taught in it. He is looking for a church that tests everything that comes along, but beyond all that and with all that, they have a love in their hearts that is like the love that Jesus demonstrated when He was on earth. He is looking for a church that represents Him in their characters.

So the message to the church of Ephesus ends: “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.

What was it that Ephesus had to overcome? They had to overcome their feelings toward one another—feelings of indifference, of being perturbed. They had to become converted.

I pray that your church might be a church that preserves the gospel, one that hates the deeds of the Nicolaitans, “which I also hate,” as it says in verse 6. The Nicolaitans were those who believed that, as long as you had faith, it did not matter what you did. The Nicolaitans had a pseudo love; they believed that as long as you professed love to God, it did not matter whether or not you kept His commandments. May your church preserve the truth and also be filled, not only with love but with the first love—the love of Jesus, love for one another, love for God, and love for the world.

When we have that love within our hearts, we will have the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. When all of the churches have the same experience, then we will find Jesus coming, because we are told that “When the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim them as His own.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 69.

To be continued . . .

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.

Shaken, Sifted, Settled, and Sealed, Part III

by

Well over a hundred years ago, Ellen White was taken into vision, after which she wrote: “The Lord, by close and pointed truths for these last days, is cleaving out a people from the world and purifying them unto Himself. Pride and unhealthful fashions, the love of display, the love of approbation—all must be left with the world if we would be renewed in knowledge after the image of Him who created us. ‘For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.’ [Titus 2:11–14.]

“The church in —— need sifting. A thorough conversion is necessary before they can be in working order. Selfishness, pride, envy, malice, evil surmising, backbiting, gossiping, and tattling have been cherished among them, until the Spirit of God has but little to do with them. While some who profess to know God remain in their present state, their prayers are an abomination in His sight. They do not sustain their faith by their works, and it would have been better for some never to have professed the truth than to have dishonored their profession as they have. While they profess to be servants of Christ, they are servants of the enemy of righteousness; and their works testify of them that they are not acquainted with God and that their hearts are not in obedience to the will of Christ. They make child’s play of religion; they act like pettish children.

“The children of God, the world over, are one great brotherhood. Our Saviour has clearly defined the spirit and principles which should govern the actions of those who, by their consistent, holy lives, distinguish themselves from the world. Love for one another, and supreme love to their heavenly Father, should be exemplified in their conversation and works. The present condition of many of the children of God is like that of a family of ungrateful and quarrelsome children.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 52, 53.

There are many today, even among the independent ministries, who knowingly or unknowingly are fighting, not for the cause of Christ, but for the cause of man. These precious souls may not realize it, but they are actually fighting for a spot in the fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels. I implore you, friend; know what you are fighting against, and test your battles against the plain truths of God. The test is not if you take a stand; the test is if your stand is on the side of God! Be assured that the sifting process takes care of both sides of this issue, because no one will be able to fool the Lord. All the campaigns, tears, and amens will not allow into the kingdom anyone who does not successfully pass through the sifting time.

The Settling

The settling is closely tied to the sifting and is either news at its worst or at its best. During the process of the shaking and the sifting, all parties either settle into error and drift away from God and His true people—or they settle into truth and stay with God though the heavens fall. The settling time is also closely connected with the sealing time, for the decisions made in the sifting and settling are “sealed” forever. Shortly after the sealing come the last great deceptions of Satan. All who do not have the seal of God—those who have not settled into His truth nor have been sanctified by obedience to it—will be deceived by the lying wonders of Satan, even though they may have at one time preached the straight truth of the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy.

This is what Paul was speaking of in 11 Thessalonians 2:9, when he said that there would come a falling away first, before the Second Coming of Christ. His warning comes to us, more than 1,900 years later, that some would not endure sound doctrine in the end of time. He stated that, in the time of the revealing of the man of sin, there would be some who had professed the truth but who had received not the love for the truth, and they would fall away and join the ranks of the opposition. Then he said, “And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” Verses 11, 12.

A Fearful Thing

It is a fearful thing to be left in the hands of God’s enemy! When the Lord withdraws His protective care from those who have refused to take Him at His word, they are turned over to a reprobate mind. Because they would not receive a love for the truth, God gives them over to all unrighteousness so they might be damned. I hope you realize that at this time—during this part of the process—there is no more going back and forth. Those who, at this step of the process, have not been sanctified by the truth will be turned over to Satan’s charge completely! The implication of this should cause us to tremble!

“By resistance to the truth, the hearts of such are settling down into the fatal hardness of confirmed impenitence. They are deceiving themselves, and deceiving others. They are Christians by profession; they pay outward homage to Christ; they unite in the services of the sanctuary; and yet the heart, whose loyalty alone Jesus prizes, is estranged from him. They have a name to live, but are dead. They are left to the darkness they have chosen,—the blackness of eternal night.” Sketches from the Life of Paul, 233.

The Sealing

The sealing is the last of the process for the redeemed who have settled into the truth so that they cannot be moved. Just as soon as the sealing is completed, the last of the shaking, which has been building for many, many years, takes place. This will also be the time when events are quickly accelerated for, as we know, the last events will be rapid ones. This work of sealing God’s true and faithful ones ends just before the Lord’s slaughtering takes place (see Ezekiel 9) and begins with those who have professed Adventism.

“Jesus is about to leave the mercy seat of the heavenly sanctuary to put on garments of vengeance and pour out His wrath in judgments upon those who have not responded to the light God has given them.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 207, 208.

As wicked as the world had become in Mrs. White’s day, and as much more so as it is today, she was more fearful for yet another group.

“But that which causes me to tremble is the fact that those who have had the greatest light and privileges have become contaminated by the prevailing iniquity.” Ibid., 209.

Prior to the sealing time, God will commission men and women to the sighing and crying for those who are departing from the pure faith. As the time marches steadily forward to the last scenes of this earth’s history, these whom the Lord in His great mercy has raised up, grow more filled with grief and anguish. Some are helped by the warnings, reproofs, counsel, and entreaty, but most go on in their rebellion. For the most part, the iniquity grows at an alarming rate and increases as the process of the sealing closes.

Hypocrisy

At this time, there will be some who are admired by their followers for their leadership but whose leading is not of God. These leaders, knowing the truth but unwilling to follow it all the way, have deceived those who have placed their trust in them. Today, many refuse to see what is really before them, but in that day, which is just ahead, God will lay in open view the hypocrisy.

“But He will detect their hypocrisy and will open before others those sins which they were so careful to hide.

“No superiority of rank, dignity, or worldly wisdom, no position in sacred office, will preserve men from sacrificing principle when left to their own deceitful hearts. Those who have been regarded as worthy and righteous prove to be ring-leaders in apostasy and examples in indifference and in the abuse of God’s mercies. Their wicked course He will tolerate no longer, and in His wrath He deals with them without mercy.

“It is with reluctance that the Lord withdraws His presence from those who have been blessed with great light and who have felt the power of the word in ministering to others. They were once His faithful servants, favored with His presence and guidance; but they departed from Him and led others into error, and therefore are brought under the divine displeasure. . . .

“Our own course of action will determine whether we shall receive the seal of the living God or be cut down by the destroying weapons.” Ibid., 212.

Not All Professors Sealed

“Not all who profess to keep the Sabbath will be sealed. There are many even among those who teach the truth to others who will not receive the seal of God in their foreheads. They had the light of truth, they knew their Master’s will, they understood every point of our faith, but they had not corresponding works. These who were so familiar with prophecy and the treasures of divine wisdom should have acted their faith.” Ibid., 213, 214.

Friend, I plead with you to heed the inspiration shared with you in this article. Time is running out, and when the sealing takes place, it will all be over. Those who have heeded the counsel of the True Witness will receive the seal of the living God. But those—though they may presently be held in high esteem—who heed not the counsel will receive the wrath of God.

“Jesus is the only true pattern. Everyone must now search the Bible for himself upon his knees before God, with the humble, teachable heart of a child, if he would know what the Lord requires of him. However high any minister may have stood in the favor of God, if he neglects to follow out the light given him of God, if he refuses to be taught as a little child, he will go into darkness and satanic delusions and will lead others in the same path.” Ibid., 214.

Not One Spot

The seal of God will never be placed upon the forehead of an impure man or woman.

“Not one of us will ever receive the seal of God while our characters have one spot or stain upon them. It is left with us to remedy the defects in our characters, to cleanse the soul temple of every defilement. Then the latter rain will fall upon us as the early rain fell upon the disciples on the Day of Pentecost.” Ibid.

“It is now that we must keep ourselves and our children unspotted from the world. It is now that we must wash our robes of character and make them white in the blood of the Lamb. It is now that we must overcome pride, passion, and spiritual slothfulness. It is now that we must awake and make determined effort for symmetry of character. . . .

“What are you doing, brethren, in the great work of preparation? Those who are uniting with the world are receiving the worldly mold and preparing for the mark of the beast. Those who are distrustful of self, who are humbling themselves before God and purifying their souls by obeying the truth—these are receiving the heavenly mold and preparing for the seal of God in their foreheads. When the decree goes forth and the stamp is impressed, their character will remain pure and spotless for eternity.

“Now is the time to prepare. The seal of God will never be placed upon the forehead of an impure man or woman. It will never be placed upon the forehead of the ambitious, world-loving man or woman. It will never be placed upon the forehead of men or women of false tongues or deceitful hearts. All who receive the seal must be without spot before God—candidates for heaven. Go forward, my brethren and sisters. I can only write briefly upon these points at this time, merely calling your attention to the necessity of preparation. Search the Scriptures for yourselves, that you may understand the fearful solemnity of the present hour.” Ibid., 215, 216.

Encourage One Another

“In this time of trial we need to be encouraged and comforted by one another. The temptations of Satan are greater now than ever before, for he knows that his time is short and that very soon every case will be decided, either for life or for death. It is no time now to sink down beneath discouragement and trial; we must bear up under all our afflictions and trust wholly in the Almighty God of Jacob. The Lord has shown me that His grace is sufficient for all our trials; and although they are greater than ever before, yet if we trust wholly in God, we can overcome every temptation and through His grace come off victorious.

“If we overcome our trials and get victory over the temptations of Satan, then we endure the trial of our faith, which is more precious than gold, and are stronger and better prepared to meet the next. But if we sink down and give way to the temptations of Satan, we shall grow weaker and get no reward for the trial and shall not be so well prepared for the next. In this way we shall grow weaker and weaker, until we are led captive by Satan at his will. We must have on the whole armor of God and be ready at any moment for a conflict with the powers of darkness. When temptations and trials rush in upon us, let us go to God and agonize with Him in prayer. He will not turn us away empty, but will give us grace and strength to overcome, and to break the power of the enemy. Oh, that all could see these things in their true light and endure hardness as good soldiers of Jesus! Then would Israel move forward, strong in God, and in the power of His might.” Early Writings, 46.

Jesus said: “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33.

[All emphasis supplied.]

Cathy Summers Timmons, a Steps to Life staff member and a member of LandMarks’ editorial staff, also serves as Director of Pacific Missionary Outreach. She writes from her home in Wichita, Kansas. She may be contacted by e-mail at: cathytimmons@stepstolife.org.

The Seven Churches, Part III – The Church of Smyrna

by

Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea represent the different eras of the Christian church from Jesus’ day until the Second Coming. A study on the first church, the church of Ephesus, was given in the November 2004 issue of LandMarks. By way of review, Ephesus was the church that worked hard. They were faithful, and they had right theology and doctrine. But there was one thing they did not have, or at least they had lost—their first love. The Scripture does not say they did not have any love. Obviously they had some, but they had lost that fervor and that real heartfelt love. As a result, the Lord said that He would remove them from being a church for Him. We might question, in our way of thinking, “Could it be that serious, if they had everything else?” If they had right theology and hard work and all of these things, could the issue of love be that serious? The Bible tells us, in 1 Corinthians 13, just how necessary love is: “Though I have [the gift of] prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.” Verse 2. The church is to reflect the image of God, and that image is love [charity]. God is love. If we do not have the love of Jesus in our hearts, we do not have anything, nothing else matters. The only way we can develop this kind of love is through conflict and trial.

Even the heathen people have love for those that love them. That is what Jesus said in Matthew 5:43–48. He said that even the heathen people, the Gentiles, and the unconverted love those who love them, and they are patient and loving when everything is going smoothly and when all things are pleasing them.

Sacrifice Self

It is not difficult to love when everything is pleasing, is it? But what shows whether you are a Christian or not is when you love when things are not going right and when you are not feeling right. That is when the Christian character is revealed. The only way that we can develop this kind of love is to sacrifice self, because as long as self is number one in our lives, we will never have love for others. We will always be watching out for ourselves, and we will always be getting our feelings hurt. We have to sacrifice self.

We must be broken on the Rock, as Jesus said in Matthew 21:44, and He is that Rock. When we come to the cross and see Jesus there, bleeding and lacerated, and know that He suffered abuse, bled, and died for our sins, not for His, because He did not commit any sins, our hearts will be broken. When we hear Jesus say, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do,” and we see how Jesus died for those who crucified Him, then we cannot stay offended anymore against those who mistreat us. Self must be put away. (Luke 23:34.)

Look at the story of Jesus in Romans 5:6–8: “For when we were still without strength [before we had any strength physically and, as sinners, before we had any strength spiritually], in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrated His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Dear friend, what love! When we were yet in rebellion, when we hated Him, He died for us.

John tells us what that should do for us—what kind of an impression that should make on our minds, what it should do for our characters—in 1 John 4:7–9, 11–13: “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. . . . Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him.” There are many people who think they abide in Jesus, but this is how we can know we abide in Him and He in us: “Because He has given us of His Spirit” of love. Verse 13.

Command of God

Verses 20, 21 continue: “If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God [must] love his brother also.” That, we could say, is the eleventh commandment, but really it applies to all ten.

John 15:9 says, “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.” Verse 12 says, “This is My commandment . . . .” It is not only an invitation; it is the command of God, because it is what we have to become like, if we are going to get to heaven. “This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” Verse 12. That is a lot of love, dear friends, that loved us when we were still in our sins. That is a love that loved us when we did not love Him, when we were unloving. But this is Jesus’ commandment: “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.” Verses 13, 14. That command was to love one another.

Love to Be Loved

You know, the church will survive only, as the church of Ephesus tells us, as it develops that love of Jesus. The trouble is that everyone wants everyone else to be loving! Everyone wants to belong to a church like that. How many times have I heard it as a pastor? “You know, the church is supposed to be loving, but I do not have any money and no one here has given me any.” I have heard similar words many times. “No one has cared for me, and this is supposed to be God’s loving church.” How unfortunate it is when people are not cared for, but what utter selfishness of the heart such words betray.

The very principle of love is to love when we are not loved. If we have a whole church of people that are just waiting for everyone else to love them and to take care of them and notice them, we would have no love at all, would we? Love is developed when no one shows us any love, but we love in return. It has to start with one person and then two people, and that love will pervade through the whole church just as leaven pervades through a loaf of bread. If we wait to be loved in order to love, we are not yet Christians.

Lost Love

So it was that the church of Ephesus kept the law, and they worked hard, but they ceased to represent Jesus. They were not His representatives. They could not continue to be His church, because they did not represent His character, His love. Do you know what God is waiting for today? It is for that love—His character—to be represented in the church. We are told, in Christ’s Object Lessons, 69, “When the character of Jesus shall be perfectly reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim them as His own.”

Ephesus was the very first church. It had the apostles with it for most of its existence. If there was a danger in losing that love with John, Paul, and Peter ministering to them, what do you think the danger is for us? But God had a cure for Ephesus. We find that cure in the church of Smyrna.

Smyrna needs special attention. Although we are not likened to the church of Smyrna, we still need to study it carefully. Ellen White never likens us to Smyrna. In fact, so far are we from the church of Smyrna, she only mentions it in her writings twice, and that is just in quoting the Scriptures.

While the church of Laodicea represents us, she often likens us to the church of Ephesus—not to the whole of the church of Ephesus, but she says we, like Ephesus, have lost our first love. “Those who truly love God must manifest loving-kindness of heart.” The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, vol. 1, 135. And then she says something that makes me so sad: “There is nothing the church lacks so much as a manifestation of Christlike love.” Ibid. Oh, does that not make you sad? That is the very thing that will destroy us. That is what Ephesus lacked. She says there is nothing that we lack so much as that very thing—“the manifestation of Christlike love.” It cannot be something that is just in our hearts; it has to be manifested. So the church is often illustrated by the church of Ephesus but never illustrated by the church of Smyrna.

Contrast Smyrna and Laodicea

Smyrna is almost the exact opposite of Laodicea. Smyrna perfectly represents the 144,000 who will come out of the Laodicean condition. When we study the church of Laodicea, the seventh and last church, which represents us, we will discover that God does not say one good thing about the church of Laodicea. How sad! But do you know, He does not say one bad thing about the church of Smyrna; He says only good things about it. Let us look at the contrast between these two churches.

Regarding the church of Laodicea, Revelation 3:17 says, “Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor . . . .” They thought they were rich, but they were actually poor. On the other hand, look at what Scripture says about the church of Smyrna: “I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich) . . . .” Revelation 2:9. You think you are poor, but you are actually rich. Laodicea says, “We are rich,” but God says, “No, you are poor.” Smyrna says, “We are poor,” but God says, “No, you are rich.” God does not quite view things as we view them, does He? Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart.

Laodicea and Smyrna are contrasted in a parable that Jesus gave, which is recorded in Luke 18:9–14. “He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves [who thought they were rich and increased with goods] that they were righteous [and in need of nothing], and despised others.” Now, you must understand that when Jesus said this, Pharisees were held in great esteem, not like today. Today, we look at Pharisees through Jesus’ eyes, and we, like Him, realize they were not very good. Back then, everyone thought the Pharisees were almost ready for translation. Jesus said, “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise [his] eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner.’ I tell you, this man went down to his house justified [rather] than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Likened to Pharisees

The Pharisees fit the description of Laodicea exactly. In fact, it is interesting how often Ellen White likens us to the Pharisees. I hope that we have accepted all the counsel and that we no longer fit this description. Someday God has to have a people that come out. But look carefully, because the Laodiceans did not think that they were Laodiceans, did they? They thought that they were rich and increased with goods and had need of nothing. Ellen White said that “the spirit that controlled the Pharisees is coming in among this people.” The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, vol. 1, 165. She also stated: “I entreat you, brethren, be not like the Pharisees, who are blinded with spiritual pride, self-righteousness, and self-sufficiency, and who because of this will be forsaken of God. For years I have been receiving instructions and warnings that this was the danger to our people.” Ibid., 166. “There has been a spirit of Phariseeism, a hard, unsympathetic spirit towards the erring [she does not say toward those that we were misjudging as erring, but toward those who really were erring], a withdrawing from some and leaving them in discouragement, which is leaving the lost sheep to perish in the wilderness. There has been a placing of men where God alone should be.” Ibid., 312. Whenever men are lifted up in pride, they always look with spite on other people whom they perceive to be not as good as they. This spirit of the Pharisees is the most difficult, the most incurable, the most hopeless of all the diseases that man could have. “There is nothing so offensive to God or so dangerous to the human soul as pride and self-sufficiency. Of all the sins it is the most hopeless, the most incurable.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 154.

Spiritual Pride

There is nothing as difficult to cure as spiritual pride. Spiritual pride causes you to think that you are humble—because of all the hard work that you are doing for the Lord—like the Ephesians. Many may say, “Lord, if I did not love you, I would not be doing all of these good works.” But, you know, you can work and still not have that love.

When we become spiritual without love for others or for God, it makes us critical toward others. “Whoever trusts in himself that he is righteous will despise others.” Ibid., 151. Do you ever find yourself despising others? Do you find yourself critical of others? That is the spirit of Laodicea. That is the spirit of the Pharisees. The good news is that if we realize it, God can heal and cure that disease just as completely as any other. The only reason He cannot cure it is because most of us do not see it. The Pharisee disease is the disease you do not see. It is like someone who has cancer and does not know it. He thinks he is healthy when he is filled with a deadly disease.

Publican like Smyrna

The publican was like the people in Smyrna. They knew they were sinners, but they were forgiven. They thought they were poor, but they were rich. I want to have the experience of the Smyrnans, do you? My prayer to God is, “If you need to make me poor, in order to make me rich, make me poor. If you need to make me weak, in order to make me strong, make me weak. If, like Paul, you need to take away my eyesight so that I can see, take it away.”

Paul’s experience is given in 11 Corinthians 12:7–10. “Lest I should be exalted above measure,” like the Pharisees and the Laodiceans, “by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” Smyrna had the experience of Paul. They considered themselves poor and sinful, but Jesus said they were rich and righteous.

Represents Christians

The church of Smyrna represents the Christians in the post-apostolic era after the apostles died. It is interesting that when the apostles died, the church then became purified. When the apostles were living, they lost their love. After the apostles died, however, the church began to be persecuted by the Romans, and they were persecuted by the Jewish church. Most were poor in this world’s goods, and they had no prophets among them, no apostles—they all had died. The church was scattered, beaten, and cast to the lions, but they remained true and faithful. Most of them died a martyr’s death.

“Paganism foresaw that should the gospel triumph, her temples and altars would be swept away; therefore she summoned her forces to destroy Christianity. The fires of persecution were kindled. Christians were stripped of their possessions and driven from their homes. . . .

“Christians were falsely accused of the most dreadful crimes and declared to be the cause of great calamities—famine, pestilence, and earthquake.” The Great Controversy, 39, 40. By the way, does that remind you of something that is going to happen in the last days?

During the time of trouble, soon to break upon us, “the great deceiver will persuade men that those who serve God are causing these evils.” Ibid., 590. They will turn to the Christians who are keeping the Sabbath, and they will say that it is because of them that they are receiving these judgments.

That was the experience of the church of Smyrna, and the church of Smyrna represents the 144,000 who come out of the Laodicean experience. The church of Smyrna came out of the Ephesus experience, and they were blamed for all these terrible calamities. “As they became the objects of popular hatred and suspicion, informers stood ready, for the sake of gain, to betray the innocent. They were condemned as rebels against the empire, as foes of religion, and pests to society. Great numbers were thrown to wild beasts or burned alive in the amphitheaters.” Ibid., 40. How terrible that must have been! “Some were crucified; others were covered with the skins of wild animals and thrust into the arena to be torn by dogs. Their punishment was often made the chief entertainment at public fetes. Vast multitudes assembled to enjoy the sight and greeted their dying agonies with laughter and applause.” Ibid. They represent those who will come out of a Laodicean experience as they came out of an Ephesus experience of no love.

Result of Persecution

Did this persecution destroy the Christians? Did it make them weaker? Revelation 2:10, 11 answers those questions: “Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw [some] of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.” The church before this time had lost their love, but persecution had revived it. You had to love God to be a Christian in those days. You had to love your neighbor to go witness to him, because he might turn you in to the authorities.

The fires of persecution, rather than destroy the church, purifies it. How sad that we have to have persecution to be purified. It would be wonderful if we could be purified without it! In the last days, we are going to find that all of God’s counsels are going to go for naught until the persecutions come, and then the church will be purified. We are told we will be so sad that we did not do in times of ease and prosperity the things we could have done, because now we will have to do them with persecutions. (See Testimonies, vol. 5, 456, 457.)

Malachi 3:3, 4 says that in the last days, “He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver.” The church is not going to remain in a Laodicean condition. It is going to be purged and purified, “that they may offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasant to the Lord, as in the days of old, as in former days.” Daniel 12:10, speaking of the last days, says, “Many shall be purified, made white, and refined.” They will be purified and made white through trial. The more the church is persecuted, the stronger the church becomes.

Satan Plants Banner

Satan saw that he was losing the battle, so he had a council and came up with a new tactic, which brought about the end of the church of Smyrna. The Bible then goes into a different church, Pergamos, which we will study next month, but here is the tactic that Satan came up with to destroy the church, or Smyrna: “In vain were Satan’s efforts to destroy the church of Christ by violence. . . . The gospel continued to spread and the number of its adherents to increase. . . .

“Satan therefore laid his plans to war more successfully against the government of God by planting his banner in the Christian church. . . .

“The great adversary now endeavored to gain by artifice what he had failed to secure by force. Persecution ceased, and in its stead were substituted the dangerous allurements of temporal prosperity and worldly honor.” The Great Controversy, 41, 42. Satan’s representatives enticed the Christians, telling them that they would not call them a cult anymore, if they would just modify some of their theological understandings. If the Christians would give a little and Satan’s representatives would give a little, they could become one happy family.

It was during this time that Constantine decided that he was not gaining anything with the Christians, and he needed a united army. He marched his whole army through the river and then declared they were all baptized Christians—even the pagans! He permitted them to continue meeting on Sunday as the pagans always had, figuring that Sunday, instead of being the day of the sun, S-U-N, would now become the day of the Son, S-O-N, commemorating His resurrection. The idols that the pagans had been worshipping, representing Venus and Mars and Jupiter, now represented Peter and Mary and Jesus.

It became popular to be a Christian. Everyone could be a Christian in peace, but the church was in fearful peril. Prison, torture, fire and sword were blessings in comparison with this. As long as persecution continued, the church remained comparatively pure, but as persecution ceased, converts were added who were less sincere and devoted. The way was opened for Satan to obtain a foothold.

Dear friend, do not fear persecution. There is something much worse than persecution. It is Laodiceanism. That is what we need to fear—Phariseeism, legalism, work without love, Nicolaitanism. Smyrna was the opposite of Laodicea. Smyrna was persecuted but pure. Laodicea was at ease, but it was not pure. Smyrna was stripped of worldly goods, but they were rich. Laodicea was invested with worldly goods, but they were poor. Smyrna was perishing, but God said, “You will live.” Laodicea was living, but God said, “I will spew you out of My mouth.” Thus Smyrna is the opposite of Laodicea, but not only is it the opposite, it is also the cure for Laodicea.

Purge Unconverted

In Testimonies, vol. 4, 89, we read that, “Prosperity multiplies a mass of professors. Adversity purges them out of the church.” I want you to notice something, however, lest anyone should misinterpret the Scriptures. Adversity and persecution do not convert the unconverted; they merely purge them out of the church. Anyone who is waiting for a time of trouble and persecution to be converted is going to be sadly disappointed.

“Let opposition arise, let bigotry and intolerance again bear sway, let persecution be kindled, and the halfhearted and hypocritical will” not be converted. The Great Controversy, 602. Now, I added those last few words, but let me paraphrase what Mrs. White says. Those who are already converted will become more converted, but those who were not converted will find themselves, like the five foolish virgins, outside the door. They will say, “Oh, Lord.” He will say, “I am sorry; I never knew you.” (Matthew 25:11, 12.)

Dear friend, the time of trouble is coming. We find, in Daniel 12:1, that a time of trouble is coming on this world before Jesus comes such as has never been since there was a nation. That time of trouble is going to include persecution such as happened with Smyrna. It is nothing to fear, unless we are not ready today. In fact, we are told that whenever we live godly, there will be persecution. (See The Acts of the Apostles, 576.) Evidently, the only reason there is not persecution today is because we are not living godly. “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” 11 Timothy 3:12.

Do we think that Satan does not have enough control of the world today that he could bring persecution if he so desired? He does not want to bring persecution right now. He does not want to wake up anyone. He is doing just fine the way things are. Let them sleep on in peace and prosperity and riches. We have not excited the wrath of Satan. He is happy with the way we are.

Fidelity Under Trial

Smyrna is an example of fidelity under trial. They were the purified remnant that came out of the church of Ephesus. They were a type of the 144,000 who will be a purified remnant that come out of the Laodicean condition. The people of Smyrna still had to overcome. Persecution did not do the overcoming; it merely showed what was inside and helped refine and polish them. They still had to overcome.

At the beginning of this article we read, in 1 Corinthians 13:3, that even if we give our bodies to be burned, and give all our goods to feed the poor, if we do not overcome selfishness and develop the love of Jesus, none of that will do us any good. In Revelation 2:11, we read the words spoken to the people of Smyrna in whom God found no fault, as far as was recorded. Nevertheless, He says, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.” They still had to overcome. Persecution does not make the lukewarm righteous. It did not make the people of Ephesus have love, but it did polish those who were living up to all the light they had, and that is what the time of trouble will do for the Christians in the last days.

In Maranatha, 273, we are told that “the time of trouble is the crucible that is to bring out Christ-like characters.” A crucible is a boiling pot where silver is refined, for example, and where the impurities come to the top and are strained out of the silver. So it is when troubles come, when those things that should not be in our characters are revealed, we can then take them out of our characters, and God can purify us. Those that go through to the end and are translated must go through the experience of Smyrna, because there is coming another time like that which existed on the earth in the days of Smyrna.

Preparation Time

Today, God is getting us ready for that time of trouble. How does He do it? By giving us little troubles today with which we can practice. The Ministry of Healing, 481, says, “The faithful discharge of today’s duties is the best preparation for tomorrow’s trials.” How do we prepare for tomorrow? If we keep up with the trials today, we will probably have plenty to do. But that is all we have to do, because if we do that, we will be ready for tomorrow. This is why we are told, in James 1:2–4, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have [its] perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” Verse 12 says, “Blessed [is] the man who endures temptation; for when he has been proved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” God is faithful. He will never permit anything to come to us for which He has not at least tried to prepare us and for which He has prepared us, if we will endure the trials of today. That is all we have to do.

We look at the trials today and at times they get us down, but if we realize that all we have to do to make it through the time of trouble and get to heaven is to survive cheerfully the trials that come today, with God’s help, we can do that. God has promised to give us strength for today. Dear friend, if we will just keep up with the trials and troubles of today, we will have strength to handle the ones tomorrow. If we will conquer the temptations of today, we will be ready to master the troubles of tomorrow. But if we do not conquer the troubles of today, we will not be ready for the trials of tomorrow.

Jeremiah 12:5 says, “If you have run with the footmen, and they have wearied you, then how can you contend with horses? And [if] in the land of peace, [in which] you trusted, [they wearied you,] then how will you do in the floodplain of the Jordan?” It is to us God speaks these closing words. It is to us, those who are going to make up the 144,000, those that come out of their Laodicean condition, that God speaks. “Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw [some] of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.” Revelation 2:10, 11.

Dear friends, our privilege is even greater than was the privilege of the Smyrnans, for they who endure the trials of the last days will not even suffer the first death. They will be translated. They will not even be hurt by the first death, for we are told, in 1 Thessalonians 4:17: “Then we who are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them”—those from Smyrna and all the other righteous people who have ever lived—“in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.”

The message to the church of Smyrna is, “Be thou faithful even in trial.”

To be continued . . .

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.

The Remnant Church Not Babylon, Part I

by

I have been made very sad in reading the pamphlet that has been issued by Brother Stanton and by those associated with him in the work he has been doing. Without my consent, they have made selections from the Testimonies, and have inserted them in the pamphlet they have published, to make it appear that my writings sustain and approve the position they advocate. In doing this, they have done that which is not justice or righteousness. Through taking unwarrantable liberties, they have presented to the people a theory that is of a character to deceive and destroy. In times past many others have done this same thing, and have made it appear that the Testimonies sustained positions that were untenable and false.

“Lo Heres” and “Lo Theres”

I have had light to the effect that the position taken by Brother Stanton and his sympathizers, is not true, but one of the “lo heres” and “lo theres,” that will characterize the days in which we are living. As a sample of the way in which Brother Stanton has compiled this pamphlet, I will give the following instance: I wrote a private letter to one of our ministers, and in kindness, thinking that it might be a help to Brother Stanton, this brother sent a copy of it to him; but instead of regarding it as a matter for his personal help, he prints portions of it in the pamphlet, as an unpublished Testimony, to sustain the position he had taken. Is this honorable? There was nothing in the Testimony to sustain the position Brother Stanton holds; but he misapplied it, as many do the Scriptures, to the injury of his own soul and to the souls of others. God will judge those who take unwarrantable liberties, and make use of dishonorable means in order to give character and influence to what they regard as truth. In the use of a private letter sent to another, Brother Stanton has abused the kindly efforts of one who desired to help him. The parties publishing the pamphlet on the “Loud Cry,” and the fall of all the churches, give evidence that the Holy Spirit of God is not working with them. “By their fruits ye shall know them.” [Matthew 7:20.]

Those who receive the pamphlets advocating these false positions, will receive the impression that I sustain these positions, and am united with these workers in proclaiming what they term the “new light.” I know that their message is mingled with truth, but the truth is misapplied and wrested by its connection with error. I would say to the brother who sent to these men a copy of a letter I had written him, that I have not one thought of censuring you, and no one should cast the least blame upon you concerning the matter. If I should misjudge and censure you, when your motives and intentions were good, I should incur the displeasure of God. If the brother you desired to help, has taken liberties, and has betrayed your confidence, do not blame yourself, and grieve over the results of his unfaithfulness.

For Believers Only

There are matters in the Testimonies that are written, not for the world at large, but for the believing children of God, and it is not appropriate to make instruction, warning, reproof, or counsel of this character public to the world. The world’s Redeemer, the Sent of God, the greatest Teacher the children of men ever knew, presented some matters of instructions, not to the world, but to his disciples alone. While he had communications designed for the multitudes that thronged his steps, he also had some special light and instruction to impart to his followers, which he did not impart to the great congregation, as it would neither be understood nor appreciated by them. He sent his disciples forth to preach, and when they returned from their first missionary labor, and had various experiences to relate concerning their success in preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, he said unto them, “Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest awhile.” [Mark 6:31.] In a place of seclusion, Jesus imparted to his followers such instruction, counsel, cautions, and corrections as he saw were needed in their manner of work; but the instruction he then gave was not to be thrown broadcast to the promiscuous company; for his words were designed for his disciples only.

On several occasions when the Lord had wrought works of healing, he charged those whom he had blessed, to tell his deed to no one. They ought to have heeded his injunctions, and realized that Christ had not lightly required silence on their part, but had a reason for his command, and they should in no wise have disregarded his expressed desire. It ought to have been sufficient for them to know that he desired them to keep their own counsel, and had good reasons for his urgent request. The Lord knew that in healing the sick, in working miracles for the restoring of sight to the blind, and for the cleansing of the leper, he was endangering his own life; for if the priests and rulers would not receive the evidences he gave them of his divine mission, they would misconstrue, falsify, and make charges against him. It is true that he did many miracles openly, yet in some instances he requested that those whom he had blessed should tell no man what he had done for them. When prejudice was aroused, envy and jealousy cherished, and his way hedged up, he left the cities, and went in search of those who would listen to and appreciate the truth he came to impart.

The Lord Jesus thought it necessary to make many things clear to his disciples, which he did not open to the multitudes. He plainly revealed to them the reason of the hatred manifested toward him by the scribes, Pharisees, and priests, and told them of his suffering, betrayal, and death; but to the world he did not make these matters so plain. He had warnings to give to his followers, and he unfolded to them the sorrowful developments that would take place, and what they were to expect. He gave to his followers precious instruction that even they did not comprehend until after his death, resurrection, and ascension. When the Holy Spirit was poured out upon them, all things were brought to their remembrance, whatsoever he had said unto them.

Betrayal of Trust

It was a betrayal of sacred trust to take that which Jesus designed should be kept secret, and publish it to others, and bringing upon the cause of truth reproach and injury. The Lord has given to his people appropriate messages of warning, reproof, counsel, and instruction, but it is not appropriate to take these messages out of their connection, and place them where they will seem to give force to messages of error. In the pamphlet published by Brother Stanton and his associates, he accuses the church of God of being Babylon, and would urge a separation from the church. This is a work that is neither honorable nor righteous. In compiling this work, they have used my name and writings for the support of that which I disapprove and denounce as error. The people to whom this pamphlet will come, will charge the responsibility of this false position upon me, when it is utterly contrary to the teaching of my writings, and the light which God has given me. I have no hesitancy in saying that those who are urging on this work are greatly deceived.

For years I have borne my testimony to the effect that when any one arises claiming to have great light, and yet advocating the tearing down of that which the Lord through his human agents has been building up, they are greatly deceived, and are not working along the lines where Christ is working. Those who assert that the Seventh-day Adventist churches constitute Babylon, or any part of Babylon, might better stay at home. Let them stop and consider what is the message to be proclaimed at this time. In place of working with divine agencies to prepare a people to stand in the day of the Lord, they have taken their stand with him who is an accuser of the brethren, who accuses them before God day and night. Satanic agencies have been moved from beneath, and they have inspired men to unite in a confederacy of evil, that they may perplex, harass, and cause the people of God great distress. The whole world is to be stirred with enmity against Seventh-day Adventists, because they will not yield homage to the papacy, by honoring Sunday, the institution of this anti-Christian power. It is the purpose of Satan to cause them to be blotted from the earth, in order that his supremacy of the world may not be disputed.

Satan’s Accusation

The scene of Satan’s accusation was presented before the prophet. He says, “He showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him.” [Zechariah 3:1.] Jesus is our great High Priest in heaven. And what is he doing?—He is making intercession and atonement for his people who believe in him. Through his imputed righteousness, they are accepted of God, as those who are manifesting to the world that they acknowledge allegiance to God, keeping all his commandments. Satan is full of malignant hatred against them, and manifests to them the same spirit that he manifested to Jesus Christ when he was upon earth. When Jesus was before Pilate, the Roman ruler sought to release him, and desired that the people should choose to release Jesus from the ordeal through which he was about to pass. He presented before the clamoring multitude the Son of God and the criminal Barabbas, and inquired, “Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ?” “They said, Barabbas. Pilate saith unto them, What shall I do then with Jesus which is called Christ? They all say unto him, Let him be crucified.” [Matthew 27:17, 21, 22.]

The world was stirred by the enmity of Satan, and when asked to choose between the Son of God and the criminal Barabbas, they chose a robber and murderer rather than Jesus. The ignorant multitudes were led, by the deceptive reasonings of those in high position, to reject the Son of God, and choose a robber and murderer in his stead. Let us all remember that we are still in a world where Jesus, the Son of God, was rejected and crucified, where the guilt of despising Christ, and preferring a robber rather than the spotless Lamb of God, still rests. Unless we individually repent toward God because of transgression of his law, and exercise faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ, whom the world has rejected, we shall lie under the full condemnation that the action of choosing Barabbas instead of Christ, merited. The whole world stands charged today with the deliberate rejection and murder of the Son of God. The word bears record that Jews and Gentiles, kings, governors, ministers, priests, and people,—all classes and sects who reveal the same spirit of envy, hatred, prejudice, and unbelief manifested by those who put to death the Son of God,—would act the same part were the opportunity granted, as did the Jews and people of the time of Christ. They would be partakers of the same spirit that demanded the death of the Son of God.

In the scene representing the work of Christ for us, and the determined accusation of Satan against us, Joshua stands as the high priest, and makes request in behalf of God’s commandment-keeping people. At the time, Satan represents the people of God as great sinners, and presents before God the list of sins he has tempted them to commit through their lifetime, and urges that because of their transgressions, they be given into his hands to destroy. He urges that they should not be protected by ministering angels against the confederacy of evil. He is full of anger because he cannot bind the people of God into bundles with the world, to render to him complete allegiance. Kings, and rulers, and governors have placed upon themselves the brand of antichrist, and are represented as the dragon who goes to make war with the saints,—with those who keep the commandments of God, and who have the faith of Jesus. In their enmity against the people of God, they show themselves guilty also of the choice of Barabbas instead of Christ.

An Account to Settle

God has a controversy with the world. When the judgment shall sit, and the books shall be opened, he has an awful account to settle, which would now make the world fear and tremble, were men not blinded and bewitched by Satanic delusions and deceptions. God will call the world to account for the death of his only begotten Son, whom to all intents and purposes the world has crucified afresh, and put to open shame in the persecution of his people. The world has rejected Christ in the person of his saints, has refused his messages in the refusal of the messages of prophets, apostles, and messengers. They have rejected those who have been co-laborers with Christ, and for this they will have to render an account.

Satan stands at the head of all the accusers of the brethren; but when he presents the sins of the people of God, what does the Lord answer? He says, “The Lord rebuke [not Joshua, who is a representative of the tried and chosen people of God, but] thee, O Satan; even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel.” [Zechariah 3:2, 3.] Satan had represented the chosen and loyal people of God as being full of defilement and sin. He could depict the particular sins of which they had been guilty. Had he not set the whole confederacy of evil at work to lead them, through his seductive arts, into these very sins? But they had repented, they had accepted the righteousness of Christ. They were therefore standing before God clothed with the garments of Christ’s righteousness, and “he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with a change of raiment.” [Verse 4.] Every sin of which they had been guilty was forgiven, and they stood before God as chosen and true, as innocent, as perfect, as though they had never sinned.

“And I said, Let them set a fair miter upon his head. So they [the angels of God] set a fair miter upon his head, and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord stood by [Jesus their Redeemer]. And the angel of the Lord protested unto Joshua, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; if thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou will keep my charge, then thou shalt also judge my house, and shalt also keep my courts, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by.” [Verse 5.] I wish that all who claim to believe present truth, would think seriously of the wonderful things presented in this chapter. However weak and compassed with infirmity the people of God may be, those who turn from disloyalty to God in this wicked and perverse generation, and come back to their allegiance, standing to vindicate the holy law of God, making up the breach made by the man of sin under the direction of Satan, will be accounted the children of God, and through the righteousness of Christ will stand perfect before God. Truth will not always lie in the dust to be trampled under foot of men. It will be magnified and made honorable; it will yet arise and shine forth in all its natural luster, and will stand fast forever and ever.

Beware of Deceptive Messages

God has a people in which all heaven is interested, and they are the one object on earth dear to the heart of God. Let every one who reads these words give them thorough consideration; for in the name of Jesus I would press them home upon every soul. When any one arises, either among us or outside of us, who is burdened with a message which declares that the people of God are numbered with Babylon, and claims that the loud cry is a call to come out of her, you may know that he is not bearing the message of truth. Receive him not, nor bid him Godspeed; for God has not spoken by him, neither has he given a message to him, but he has run before he was sent. The message contained in the pamphlet called the “Loud Cry,” is a deception. Such messages will come, and it will be claimed for them that they are sent of God, but the claim will be false; for they are not filled with light, but with darkness. There will be messages of accusation against the people of God, similar to the work done by Satan in accusing God’s people, and these messages will be sounding at the very time when God is saying to his people, “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.” [Isaiah 60:1, 2.]

It will be found that those who bear false messages will not have a high sense of honor and integrity. They will deceive the people, and mix up with their error the Testimonies of Sister White, and use her name to give influence to their work. They make such selections from the Testimonies as they think they can twist to support their positions, and place them in a setting of falsehood, so that their error may have weight, and be accepted by the people. They misinterpret and misapply that which God has given to the church to warn, counsel, reprove, comfort, and encourage those who shall make up the remnant people of God. Those who receive the Testimonies as the message of God, will be helped and blessed thereby; but those who take them in parts, simply to support some theory or idea of their own, to vindicate themselves in a course of error, will not be blessed and benefited by what they teach. To claim that the Seventh-day Adventist Church is Babylon, is to make the same claim as does Satan, who is an accuser of the brethren, who accuses them before God night and day. By this misusing of the Testimonies, souls are placed in perplexity, because they cannot understand the relation of the Testimonies to such a position as is taken by those in error; for God intended that the Testimonies should always have a setting in the frame-work of truth.

Review and Herald, August 22, 1893; August 29, 1893.

To be continued . . .

Ellen G. White (1827–1915) wrote more than 5,000 periodical articles and 40 books during her lifetime. Today, including compilations from her 50,000 pages of manuscript, more than 100 titles are available in English. She is the most translated woman writer in the entire history of literature, and the most translated American author of either gender. Seventh-day Adventists believe that Mrs. White was appointed by God as a special messenger to draw the world’s attention to the Holy Scriptures and help prepare people for Christ’s second advent.

The Remnant Church Not Babylon, Part II

by

Those who advocate error, will say, “The Lord saith,” “when the Lord hath not spoken.” [See Ezekiel 22:28.] They testify to falsehood, and not to truth. If those who have been proclaiming the message that the church is Babylon, had used the money expended in publishing and circulating this error, in building up, instead of tearing down, they would have made it evident that they were with the people whom God is leading. There is a great work to be done in the world, a great work to be done in foreign lands. Schools must be established in order that youth, children, and those of more mature age may be educated as rapidly as possible to enter the missionary field. There is need not only of ministers for foreign fields, but of wise, judicious laborers of all kinds. The Macedonian cry is sounding from all parts of the world, “Come over and help us.” [Acts 16:9.] With all the responsibility upon us to go and preach the gospel to every creature, there is great need of men and means, and Satan is at work in every conceivable way to tie up means, and to hinder men from engaging in the very work that they should be doing. The money that should be used in doing the good work of building houses of worship, of establishing schools for the purpose of educating laborers for the missionary field, of drilling young men and women so that they may go forth and labor patiently, intelligently, and with all perseverance, that they may be agents through whom a people may be prepared to stand in the great day of God, is diverted from a channel of usefulness and blessing, into a channel of evil and cursing. The great day of God is upon us, and hasteth greatly, and there is a great work to be done, and it must be done speedily. But we find that amid the work that is to be done, there are those professing to believe the present truth, who know not how to expend the means intrusted to them, and because of a lack of meekness and lowliness of heart, they do not see how great is the work to be done. All those who learn of Jesus, will be laborers together with God. But those who go forth to proclaim error, expending time and money in a vain work, lay upon the true workers in new fields increased burden; for instead of devoting their time to advocating truth, they are obliged to counteract the work of those who are proclaiming falsehood, and claiming that they have the message from heaven. If those who have done this kind of work, had felt the necessity of answering the prayer of Christ that he offered to his Father just previous to his crucifixion,—that the disciples of Christ might be one as he was one with the Father,—they would not be wasting the means intrusted to them, and so greatly needed to advance the truth. They would not be wasting precious time and ability in disseminating error, and thus necessitate the devoting of the laborer’s time to counteracting and quenching its influence. A work of this character is inspired not from above, but from beneath.

Tares Among the Wheat

“Who is he among you that feareth the Lord, that obeyeth the voice of his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God. Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks: walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have kindled. This shall ye have of mine hand; ye shall lie down in sorrow.” [Isaiah 50:10, 11.] The message that has been borne by those who have proclaimed the church to be Babylon, has made the impression that God has no church upon earth.

Has God no living church? He has a church, but it is the church militant, not the church triumphant. We are sorry that there are defective members, that there are tares amid the wheat. Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. . . . So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn.” [Matthew 13:24, 25, 27–30.]

In the parable of the wheat and the tares, we see the reason why the tares were not to be plucked up; it was lest the wheat be rooted up with the tares. Human opinion and judgment would make grave mistakes. But rather than have a mistake made, and one single blade of wheat rooted up, the Master says, “Let both grow together until the harvest;” then the angels will gather out the tares, which will be appointed to destruction. Although in our churches, that claim to believe advanced truth, there are those who are faulty and erring, as tares among the wheat, God is long-suffering and patient. He reproves and warns the erring, but he does not destroy those who are long in learning the lesson he would teach them; he does not uproot the tares from the wheat. Tares and wheat are to grow together till the harvest; when the wheat comes to its full growth and development, and because of its character when ripened, it will be fully distinguished from the tares. The church of Christ on earth will be imperfect, but God does not destroy his church because of its imperfection. There have been and will be those who are filled with zeal not according to knowledge, who would purify the church, and uproot the tares from the midst of the wheat. But Christ has given special light as to how to deal with those who are erring, and with those who are unconverted in the church. There is to be no spasmodic, zealous, hasty action taken by church-members in cutting off those they may think defective in character. Tares will appear among the wheat; but it would do more harm to weed out the tares, unless in God’s appointed way, than to leave them alone. While the Lord brings into the church those who are truly converted, Satan at the same time brings persons who are not converted into its fellowship. While Christ is sowing the good seed, Satan is sowing the tares. There are two opposing influences continually exerted on the members of the church. One influence is working for the purification of the church, and the other for the corrupting of the people of God.

Left Without Excuse

Jesus knew that Judas was defective in character, but notwithstanding this, he accepted him as one of the disciples, and gave him the same opportunities and privileges that he gave to the others whom he had chosen. Judas was left without excuse in the evil course he afterward pursued. Judas might have become a doer of the word, as were eventually Peter and James and John and the other disciples. Jesus gave precious lessons of instruction, so that those who were associated with him might have been converted, and have no need of clinging to the defects that marred their characters.

Some people seem to think that upon entering the church they will have their expectations fulfilled, and meet only with those who are pure and perfect. They are zealous in their faith, and when they see faults in church-members, they say, “We left the world in order to have no association with evil characters, but the evil is here also;” and they ask, as did the servants in the parable, “From whence then hath it tares?” But we need not be thus disappointed, for the Lord has not warranted us in coming to the conclusion that the church is perfect; and all our zeal will not be successful in making the church militant as pure as the church triumphant. The Lord forbids us to proceed in any violent way against those whom we think erring, and we are not to deal out excommunications and denunciations to those who are faulty.

Unity not Disunion

Finite man is likely to misjudge character, but God does not leave the work of judgment and pronouncing upon character to those who are not fitted for it. We are not to say what constitutes the wheat, and what the tares. The time of the harvest will fully determine the character of the two classes specified under the figure of the tares and the wheat. The work of separation is given to the angels of God, and not committed into the hands of any man. False doctrine is one of the Satanic influences that work in the church, and brings into it those who are unconverted in heart. Men do not obey the words of Jesus Christ, and thus seek for unity in faith, spirit, and doctrine. They do not labor for the unity of spirit for which Christ prayed, which would make the testimony of Christ’s disciples effective in convincing the world that God had sent his Son into the world, “that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” [John 3:16.] If the unity for which Christ prayed, existed among the people of God, they would bear living testimony, would send forth a bright light to shine amid the moral darkness of the world.

Instead of the unity which should exist among believers there is disunion; for Satan is permitted to come in, and through his specious deceptions and delusions he leads those who are not learning of Christ meekness and lowliness of heart, to take a different line from the church, and break up, if possible, the unity of the church. Men arise speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after themselves. They claim that God has given them great light; but how do they act under its influence? Do they pursue the course that the two disciples pursued on their journey to Emmaus? When they received light, they returned and found those whom God had led and was still leading, and told them how they had seen Jesus and had talked with him. Have the men who have claimed to have light concerning the church, pursued this course? Have they gone to those who are chosen of God to bear a living testimony, and given them evidence that this light would better qualify them to prepare a people to stand in the great day of God? Have they sought counsel of those who have been and are still bearing the truth, and giving to the world the last message of warning? Have they counseled with those who have had a deep experience in the things of God? Why were these men so full of zeal for the cause, not present at the General Conference held at Battle Creek, as were the devout men at Jerusalem at the time of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit? At the great heart of the work, men opened their treasures of light, and while the Lord was pouring out his Spirit upon the people, did these men receive of the heavenly anointing? While the deep movings of the Spirit of God were made manifest among the people, and souls were being converted, and hard hearts broken, there were those who were listening to the suggestions of Satan, and they were inspired with zeal from beneath to go forth and proclaim that the very people receiving of the Holy Spirit, who are to receive the latter rain and the glory that is to lighten the whole earth, were Babylon. Did the Lord give these messengers their message?—No; for it was not a message of truth.

Light of the World

Although there are evils existing in the church, and will be until the end of the world, the church in these last days is to be the light of the world, that is polluted and demoralized by sin. The church, enfeebled and defective, needing to be reproved, warned, and counseled, is the only object upon earth upon which Christ bestows his supreme regard. The world is a workshop in which, through the co-operation of human and divine agencies, Jesus is making experiments by his grace and divine mercy upon human hearts. Angels are amazed as they behold the transformation of character brought about in those who yield themselves to God, and they express their joy in songs of rapturous praise to God and to the Lamb. They see those who are by nature the children of wrath, converted, and becoming laborers together with Christ in drawing souls to God. They see those who were in darkness becoming lights to shine amid the moral night of this crooked and perverse generation. They see them becoming prepared by a Christ-like experience to suffer with their Lord, and afterward to be partakers with him in his glory in heaven above.

God has a church on earth who are lifting up the down-trodden law, and presenting to the world the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world. The church is the depositary of the wealth of the riches of the grace of Christ, and through the church eventually will be made manifest the final and full display of the love of God to the world that is to be lightened with its glory. The prayer of Christ that his church may be one as he was one with his Father, will finally be answered. The rich dowry of the Holy Spirit will be given, and through its constant supply to the people of God, they will become witnesses in the world of the power of God unto salvation.

Perverse Things

There is but one church in the world who are at the present time standing in the breach, and making up the hedge, building up the old waste places; and for any man to call the attention of the world and other churches to this church, denouncing her as Babylon, is to do a work in harmony with him who is the accuser of the brethren. Is it possible that men will arise from among us, who speak perverse things, and give voice to the very sentiments that Satan would have disseminated in the world in regard to those who keep the commandments of God, and have the faith of Jesus? Is there not work enough to satisfy your zeal in presenting the truth to those who are in the darkness of error? As those who have been made stewards of means and ability, you have been misapplying your Lord’s goods in disseminating error. The whole world is filled with hatred of those who proclaim the binding claims of the law of God, and the church who are loyal to Jehovah must engage in no ordinary conflict. “We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” [Ephesians 6:12.] Those who have any realization of what this warfare means, will not turn their weapons against the church militant, but with all their powers will wrestle with the people of God against the confederacy of evil.

Those who start up to proclaim a message on their own individual responsibility, who while claiming to be taught and led of God, still make it their special work to tear down that which God has been for years building up, are not doing the will of God. Be it known that these men are on the side of the great deceiver. Believe them not. They are allying themselves with the enemies of God and the truth. They will deride the order of the ministry as a system of priestcraft. From such turn away, have no fellowship with their message, however much they may quote the testimonies and seek to intrench themselves behind them. Receive them not; for God has not given them this work to do. The result of such work will be unbelief in the testimonies, and as far as possible, they will make of none effect the work that I have for years been doing. Almost my whole life-time has been devoted to this work, but my burden has often been made heavier by the arising of men who went forth to proclaim a message that God had not given them. This class of evil-workers have selected portions of the testimonies, and have placed them in the frame-work of error, in order by this setting to give influence to their false testimonies. When it is made manifest that their message is error, then the testimonies brought into the companionship of error, share the same condemnation; and people of the world, who do not know that the testimonies quoted are extracts from private letters, used without my consent, present these matters as evidence that my work is not of God, or of truth, but falsehood. Those who thus bring the work of God into disrepute will have to answer before God for the work they are doing.

Divinely Appointed Ministry

God has a church, and she has a divinely appointed ministry. “And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; but speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ.” [Ephesians 4:11–15.]

The Lord has his appointed agencies, and a church that has lived through persecution, conflict, and darkness. Jesus loved the church, and gave himself for it, and he will replenish, refine, ennoble, and elevate it, so that it shall stand fast amid the corrupting influences of this world. Men appointed of God have been chosen to watch with jealous care, with vigilant perseverance, that the church may not be overthrown by the evil devices of Satan, but that she shall stand in the world to promote the glory of God among men. There will ever be fierce conflict between the church and the world. Mind will come into contact with mind, principle with principle, truth with error; but in the crisis soon to culminate, which has already begun, the men of experience are to do their God-appointed work, and watch for souls, as they that must give an account.

Review and Herald, August 29, 1893; September 5, 1893; September 12, 1893.

To be continued . . .

Ellen G. White (1827–1915) wrote more than 5,000 periodical articles and 40 books during her lifetime. Today, including compilations from her 50,000 pages of manuscript, more than 100 titles are available in English. She is the most translated woman writer in the entire history of literature, and the most translated American author of either gender. Seventh-day Adventists believe that Mrs. White was appointed by God as a special messenger to draw the world’s attention to the Holy Scriptures.

The Remnant Church Not Babylon, Part III

by

Those who are carrying this message of error, denouncing the church as Babylon, are neglecting their God-appointed work, are in opposition to organization, in opposition to the plain command of God spoken by Malachi in regard to bringing all the tithes into the treasury of God’s house, and imagine that they have a work to do in warning those whom God has chosen to forward his message of truth. These workers are not bringing greater efficiency to the cause and kingdom of God, but are engaged in a work similar to that in which the enemy of all righteousness is engaged. Let these men who are rising up against the ways and means ordained of God to forward his work in these days of peril, divest themselves of all unscriptural views concerning the nature, office, and power of God’s appointed agencies. Let all understand the words that I now write. Those who are laborers together with God, are but his instruments, and they in themselves possess no essential grace or holiness. It is only when they are co-operating with heavenly intelligences that they are successful. They are but the earthen vessels, the depositaries in which God places the treasure of his truth. Paul may plant, and Apollos water, but it is God alone that gives the increase.

God speaks through his appointed agencies, and let no man, or confederacy of men, insult the Spirit of God by refusing to hear the message of God’s word from the lips of his chosen messengers. By refusing to hear the message of God, men close themselves in a chamber of darkness. They shut their own souls away from vast blessings, and rob Christ of the glory that should come to him, by showing disrespect to his appointed agencies.

Unbalanced in Mind

God is not the author of confusion, but of peace. But Satan is a vigilant, unsleeping foe, ever at work upon human minds, seeking a soil in which he can sow his tares. If he finds any whom he can press into his service, he will suggest ideas and false theories, and make them zealous in advocating error. The truth not only converts, but works the purification of its receiver. Jesus has warned us to beware of false teachers. From the beginning of our work, men have arisen from time to time, advocating theories that were new and startling. But if those who claim to believe the truth, would go to those who have had experience, would go to the word of God in a teachable, humble spirit, and examine their theories in the light of truth, and with the aid of the brethren who have been diligent Bible students, and at the same time make supplication unto God, asking, Is this the way of the Lord, or is it a false path in which Satan would lead me? they would receive light, and would escape out of the net of the fowler.

Let all our brethren and sisters beware of any one who would set a time for the Lord to fulfil his word in regard to his coming, or in regard to any other promise he has made of special significance. “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.” [Acts 1:7.] False teachers may appear to be very zealous for the work of God, and may expend means to bring their theories before the world and the church; but as they mingle error with truth, their message is one of deception, and will lead souls into false paths. They are to be met, and opposed, not because they are bad men, but because they are teachers of falsehood, and are endeavoring to put upon falsehood the stamp of truth. What a pity it is that men will go to such pains to discover some theory of error, when there is a whole storehouse of precious gems of truth by which the people might be enriched in the most holy faith. Instead of teaching truth, they let their imagination dwell upon that which is new and strange, and throw themselves out of harmony with those whom God is using to bring the people up upon the platform of truth. They cast aside all that has been said in regard to unity of sentiment and feeling, and trample upon the prayer of Christ as though the unity for which he prayed was unessential, that there is no necessity for his followers to be one, even as he is one with the Father. They go off on a tangent, and Jehu-like, call to their brethren to follow their example of zeal for the Lord. If their zeal led them to work in the same lines in which their brethren who have carried the heat and burden of the day, are working; if they were as persevering to overcome discouragements and obstacles as their brethren have been, they might well be imitated, and God would accept them. But men are to be condemned who start out with a proclamation of wonderful light, and yet draw away from the agents whom God is leading. This was the way in which Korah, Dathan, and Abiram did, and their action is recorded as a warning to all others. We are not to do as they have done,—accuse and condemn those upon whom God has laid the burden of the work. [See Numbers 16.]

Those who have proclaimed the Seventh-day Adventist Church as Babylon, have made use of the testimonies in giving their position a seeming support; but why is it that they did not present that which for years has been the burden of my message,—the unity of the church? Why did they not quote the words of the angel, “Press together, Press together, Press together”? Why did they not repeat the admonition and state the principle, that “in union there is strength, in division there is weakness”? It is such messages as these men have borne, that divide the church, and put us to shame before the enemies of truth, and in such messages is plainly revealed the specious working of the great deceiver, who would hinder the church from attaining unto perfection in unity. These teachers follow the sparks of their own kindling, move according to their own independent judgment, and cumber the truth with false notions and theories. They refuse the counsel of their brethren, and press on in their own way, until they become just what Satan would desire to have them,—unbalanced in mind.

I warn my brethren to guard against the working of Satan in every form. The great adversary of God and man is exulting today that he has succeeded in deceiving souls, and in diverting their means and ability into harmful channels. Their money might have been used to advance present truth, but instead of this, it has been expended in presenting notions that have no foundation in truth.

Lesson from the Past

In 1845 a man by the name of Curtis did a similar work in the State of Massachusetts. He presented a false doctrine, and wove into his theories sentences and selections from the testimonies, and published his theories in the Day Star, and in sheet form. For years these productions bore their baleful fruit, and brought reproach upon the testimonies, that, as a whole, in no way supported his work. My husband wrote to him, and asked him what he meant by presenting the testimonies interwoven with his own words, in support of that which we were opposed to, and requested him to correct the impression that his work had given. He flatly refused to do so, saying that his theories were truth, and that the visions ought to have corroborated his views, and that they virtually did support them, but that I had forgotten to write out the matters that made his theories plain.

Ever since the beginning of the work, one after another has risen up to do this kind of work, and I have had to go to the trouble and incur the expense of contradicting these falsehoods. They have published their theories, and have deceived many souls, but may God guard the sheep of his pasture.

I urge those who claim to believe the truth, to walk in unity with their brethren. Do not seek to give to the world occasion to say that we are extremists, that we are disunited, that one teaches one thing, and one another. Avoid dissension. Let every one be on guard, and be careful to be found standing in the gap to make up the breach, in place of standing at the wall seeking to make a breach. Let all be careful not to make an outcry against the only people who are fulfilling the description given of the remnant people, who keep the commandments of God, and have the faith of Jesus, who are exalting the standard of righteousness in these last days. God has a distinct people, a church on earth, second to none, but superior to all in their facilities to teach the truth, to vindicate the law of God. God has divinely appointed agencies,—men whom he is leading, who have borne the heat and burden of the day, who are co-operating with heavenly instrumentalities to advance the kingdom of Christ in our world. Let all unite with these chosen agents, and be found at last among those who have the patience of the saints, who keep the commandments of God, and have the faith of Jesus.

The following is the letter sent to brother Stanton:—

“Napier, New Zealand, March 23, 1893.

“Dear Brother Stanton: I address to you a few lines. I am not in harmony with the position that you have taken; for I have been shown by the Lord that just such positions will be taken by those who are in error. Paul has given us warning to this effect: ‘Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter time some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.’ [1 Timothy 4:1.]

“My brother, I learn that you are taking the position that the Seventh-day Adventist Church is Babylon, and that all that would be saved must come out of her. You are not the only man whom the enemy has deceived in this matter. For the last forty years, one man after another has arisen, claiming that the Lord has sent him with the same message; but let me tell you, as I have told them, that this message you are proclaiming, is one of the Satanic delusions designed to create confusion among the churches. My brother, you are certainly off the track. The second angel’s message was to go to Babylon [the churches] proclaiming her downfall, and calling the people to come out of her. This same message is to be proclaimed the second time. ‘And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.’ [Revelation 18:1–5.]

“My brother, if you are teaching that the Seventh-day Adventist Church is Babylon, you are wrong. God has not given you any such message to bear. Satan will use every mind to which he can attain access, inspiring men to originate false theories, or go off on some wrong tangent, that he may create a false excitement, and thus divert souls from the true issue for this time. I presume that some may be deceived by your message, because they are full of curiosity and desire for some new thing.

“It makes me feel sad indeed that you should be deceived in any way by the suggestions of the enemy; for I know the theory that you are advocating is not truth. In advancing the ideas you do, you will do great injury to yourself and to others. Do not seek to misinterpret, and twist, and pervert, the testimonies to substantiate any such message of error. Many have passed over this ground, and have done great harm. As others have started up full of zeal to proclaim this message, again and again, I have been shown that it was not truth.

“I understand that you are also proclaiming that we should not pay tithe. My brother, take off thy shoes from off thy feet; for the place whereon you are standing is holy ground. The Lord has spoken in regard to paying tithes. He has said, ‘Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.’ [Malachi 3:10.] But while he pronounces a blessing upon those who bring in their tithes, he pronounces a curse upon those who withhold them. Very recently I have had direct light from the Lord upon this question, that many Seventh-day Adventists were robbing God in tithes and offerings, and it was plainly revealed to me that Malachi has stated the case as it really is. Then how dare any man even think in his heart that a suggestion to withhold tithes and offerings is from the Lord? Where, my brother, have you stepped out of the path? O get your feet back in the strait path again. We are near the end, but if you or any other man shall be seduced by the enemy, and led on to set the time for Christ’s coming, he will be doing the same evil work which has wrought the ruin of the souls of those who have done it in the past.

“If you are wearing the yoke of Christ, if you are lifting his burden, you will see that there is plenty to do in the same lines wherein the servants of God are laboring,—in preaching Christ and him crucified. But any one who shall start up to proclaim a message to announce the hour, day, or year of Christ’s appearing, has taken up a yoke and is proclaiming a message that the Lord has never given him.

“God has a church upon the earth, who are his chosen people, who keep his commandments. He is leading, not stray off-shoots, not one here and one there, but a people. The truth is a sanctifying power; but the church militant is not the church triumphant. There are tares among the wheat. ‘Wilt thou then that we gather them up?’ [Matthew 13:28] was the question of the servant; but the master answered, ‘Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.’ [Verse 29.] The gospel net draws not only good fish, but bad ones as well, and the Lord only knows who are his.

“It is our individual duty to walk humbly with God. We are not to seek any strange, new message. We are not to think that the chosen ones of God who are trying to walk in the light, compose Babylon. The fallen denominational churches are Babylon. Babylon has been fostering poisonous doctrines, the wine of error. This wine of error is made up of false doctrines, such as the natural immortality of the soul, the eternal torment of the wicked, the denial of the pre-existence of Christ prior to his birth in Bethlehem, and advocating and exalting the first day of the week above God’s holy, sanctified day. These and kindred errors are presented to the world by the various churches, and thus the Scriptures are fulfilled that say, ‘For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.’ It is a wrath which is created by false doctrines, and when kings and presidents drink this wine of the wrath of her fornication, they are stirred with anger against those who will not come into harmony with the false and Satanic heresies which exalt the false Sabbath, and lead men to trample under foot God’s memorial.

“Fallen angels upon earth form confederations with evil men. In this age antichrist will appear as the true Christ, and then the law of God will be fully made void in the nations of our world. Rebellion against God’s holy law will be fully ripe. But the true leader of all this rebellion is Satan clothed as an angel of light. Men will be deceived and will exalt him to the place of God, and deify him. But Omnipotence will interpose, and to the apostate churches that unite in the exaltation of Satan, the sentence will go forth, ‘Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.’ [Revelation 18:8.]”

Review and Herald, September 12, 1893.

God’s True People and the Professed People of God, Part I

by

It is important to understand what God’s Word really says. Certainly it is important to understand what the Bible says concerning the people of God. The phrase “people of God” is many times used in the Bible. The Jews understood themselves to be the people of God. Even at the time when they crucified the Saviour on the cross, they understood themselves to be the people of God. For us, it is important to know how God looks upon us, not what our own estimation is.

A Vital Distinction

There is a vital distinction between the true people of God and the professed, or so-called, people of God. Let us see what the Word of God says in Jeremiah 7:23: “But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you.”

Many Christians in various denominations, journeyed for a time on the path of God, but then they took another way. However, these Christians still believe they are the people of God, and they claim all the promises, which can be claimed only by the people of God. Today, when asked, Catholics affirm that they belong to the people of God just as do the Seventh-day Adventists. So it is not our own opinion of ourselves that is important; it is important for us to know how God sees us. That is the decisive question, if we want to be in heaven.

God defines His people as those who obey His voice. That is true for the people of the Old Testament as well as for those of the New Testament.

Jeremiah 31:33 says, “But this [shall be] the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, says the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.”

Whoredoms

In the Old Testament, the people of Israel lost the privilege of being God’s chosen people. They became a whore. We need to understand how they became a whore, for if we do not understand this, we cannot discern our own situation. We read, in Hosea 1:2, 9: “And the Lord said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, [departing] from the Lord.” “Then said [God], Call his name Loammi: for ye [are] not my people, and I will not be your [God].”

Is a whore God’s people? What did God do to this whore? Did He cast her away immediately? He gave warning after warning, but when they cast away and disregarded all His warnings, He then allowed punishment to come. His punishment came step by step, and in the end, God asked, “Why shall I still bid you, that you should recognize that I am your God? Let the people understand God’s punishment.” History tells us that they did not. So God despised and cast out His people.

In the Old Testament, there was a separation between the people of God. Both Israel and Judah called themselves the people of God, but who of them were really the people of God? God separated and divided that which caused the most apostasy among Israel. When the kings tried to reunite what God had divided, for instance, when the king of Judah wanted to help the king of Israel fight against the Amorites, God told this king, “Should you help those who forsake Me?”

God was against Judah and Israel getting together to fight against their enemies. From a human standpoint, we may think that it is only common sense for two groups that are related to each other to connect to fight a common enemy. But God told Judah, “You will not stand before the enemy if you take the help of Israel.” The history is teaching for our time.

When God very clearly said that He cast off Israel because of her apostasy, Judah should have been awake. Did Judah learn from the experience of Israel? We read in Jeremiah 3:8, “And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.”

No Longer a People?

What? Did God no longer have a faithful people? The ten tribes had fallen; now Judah became a whore. God has always had a people, a remnant. In all time, God has had a church on earth. We read, in Isaiah 1:8, 9, how God looks upon His people: “And the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city. Except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, [and] we should have been like unto Gomorrah.”

Very similar words are recorded in Isaiah 10:22, 23: “For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, [yet] a remnant of them shall return: the consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness. For the Lord God of hosts shall make a consumption, even determined, in the midst of all the land.”

Both groups—Israel and Judah—had fallen. The people of God consisted of a small group, a remnant. Does it sound familiar to you—a people of a remnant?

God’s People Defined

In the New Testament, we read from the apostle Paul a similar definition: “For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither [is that] circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he [is] a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision [is that] of the heart, in the spirit, [and] not in the letter; whose praise [is] not of men, but of God.” Romans 2:28, 29. And, in Romans 9:6, 7, we read: “Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they [are] not all Israel, which are of Israel: Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, [are they] all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.”

There is a teaching for us in these verses. God’s people are defined. We can draw out of it the teaching, What is God’s church? Is there a difference between God’s people and God’s church? Ellen White answers that question by drawing a parallel of the New Testament Israel in the following words:

“ ‘As a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with Me, O house of Israel, saith the Lord;’ ‘as a wife that committeth adultery, which taketh strangers instead of her husband!’ Ezekiel 16:8, 13–15, 32; Jeremiah 3:20.

“In the New Testament, language very similar is addressed to professed Christians who seek the friendship of the world above the favor of God. Says the apostle James: ‘Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.’ [James 4:4.]” The Great Controversy, 381, 382.

If the adulteresses in the Old Testament were not God’s people, can the adulteresses in the New Testament be God’s people?

“The alliances made by the Israelites with their heathen neighbors resulted in the loss of their identity as God’s peculiar people. . . .

“The experience of Israel will be the experience of all who go to the world for strength, turning away from the living God. Those who forsake the mighty One, the source of all strength, and affiliate with worldlings, placing on them their dependence, become weak in moral power, as are those in whom they trust. . . .

“No semblance of nearness to God, no assertion of connection with him, will be accepted from those who persist in dishonoring him by leaning upon the arm of worldly power.” Review and Herald, August 4, 1904.

Identity Lost

The identity of God’s peculiar people got lost through their connection with the world. People who make a connection or union with the world are not looked upon as God’s people. If people who look for their strength in the world are looked upon as people who are dishonoring God, how does He look upon us if we look for strength in other humans? He is a God in anger, because His people are looking for another source of power and strength. He is a jealous God. We find this description of God’s jealousy in the Ten Commandments: “I the Lord thy God [am] a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth [generation] of them that hate me.” Exodus 20:5. Has God somehow changed?

“It was by departure from the Lord, and alliance with the heathen, that the Jewish church became a harlot; and Rome, corrupting herself in like manner by seeking the support of worldly powers, receives a like condemnation.

“Babylon is said to be ‘the mother of harlots.’ By her daughters must be symbolized churches that cling to her doctrines and traditions, and follow her example of sacrificing the truth and the approval of God, in order to form an unlawful alliance with the world. The message of Revelation 14, announcing the fall of Babylon must apply to religious bodies that were once pure and have become corrupt.” The Great Controversy, 382, 383.

What churches do we know that were once pure? Yes, the Protestant churches were once pure. They made mistakes, but in God’s eyes, they were pure. He saw their trying to follow the truths they discovered, and they paid for their faithfulness to these truths even with their lives. Although they did not understand all truth, still they were God’s people and were considered pure and clean in God’s eyes. “At the time of their rise these churches took a noble stand for God and the truth, and His blessing was with them.” Ibid, 382.

We have not yet stood the test, which numbers of Protestant martyrs have stood. We have not stood at the stake because of our faith. We have not been cast before lions because of our faith. We have not been sawn through because of our faith. But those Christians stood such tests of their faithfulness.

Turn into Babylon

God states very clearly through His messenger how once clean and pure churches turn into Babylon: “Many of the Protestant churches are following Rome’s example of iniquitous connection with ‘the kings of the earth’—the state churches, by their relation to secular governments; and other denominations, by seeking the favor of the world. And the term ‘Babylon’—confusion—may be appropriately applied to these bodies, all professing to derive their doctrines from the Bible, yet divided into almost innumerable sects, with widely conflicting creeds and theories.” Ibid., 383.

Ellen White also wrote: “The term ‘Babylon’ is derived from ‘Babel,’ and signifies confusion. It is employed in Scripture to designate the various forms of false or apostate religion.” Ibid., 381.

Can you identify some of these false religions which belong to Babylon? All of the heathen religions are false religions, are they not? They were faulty from their inception. They did not come from a true religion. There have been false and apostate religions from the beginning. The mark of those religions is that they have been once pure. The term “Babylon” has two applications. This study is not addressing the religions that have fallen anyway, but rather those that are apostate religions. A connection with the state and a friendship with the world are the marks of an apostate religion. Remember the quotations from The Great Controversy.

History as Our Textbook

We need to look back into history in order to understand how these churches came to pass, for history is our textbook. Paul recommends in the Book of 1 Corinthians that we should learn from history. (See 1 Corinthians 10:11.) In her introductory words in The Great Controversy, Ellen White recommends that we learn from the history of Israel and the first disciples, so that we may make the right decisions at the end of time.

“What was the origin of the great apostasy? How did the church first depart from the simplicity of the gospel? By conforming to the practices of paganism, to facilitate the acceptance of Christianity by the heathen. The apostle Paul declared, even in his day, ‘The mystery of iniquity doth already work.’ 11 Thessalonians 2:7. During the lives of the apostles the church remained comparatively pure. But ‘toward the latter end of the second century most of the churches assumed a new form; the first simplicity disappeared, and insensibly, as the old disciples retired to their graves, their children, along with new converts, . . . came forward and new-modeled the cause.’—Robert Robinson, Ecclesiastical Researches, ch. 6, par. 17, p. 51.” Ibid., 384, 385.

Does this description of apostasy sound familiar to us? Do the people of God today try to confirm the practices of reason? Do we not see the people of God lowering their standards to win converts? What is the result of this? It is the same as when the first church did not watch in keeping the heathen from coming into the church. History shows the outcome of this church.

Satan has tried to use the same tactics in all times, in all churches: “Has not the same process been repeated in nearly every church calling itself Protestant? As the founders, those who possessed the true spirit of reform, pass away, their descendants come forward and ‘new-model the cause.’ . . .

“Alas, to what a fearful extent is that friendship of the world which is ‘enmity with God,’ now cherished among the professed followers of Christ!” Ibid., 385.

Ellen White posed the rather rhetorical question, “Has not the same process been repeated in nearly every church calling itself Protestant?” Ibid., 385. The answer given is: “The spirit of worldly conformity is invading the churches throughout Christendom.” Ibid., 388.

Was the prophet mistaken in this? Did she make an error? When God speaks of all churches in the whole of Christendom, then it would be illogical to think that she did not write what she meant.

Ellen White also wrote of the apostasy of the church that occurs because it casts off and disregards the Three Angels’ Messages: “Revelation 18 points to the time when, as the result of rejecting the threefold warning of Revelation 14:6–12, the church will have fully reached the condition foretold by the second angel, and the people of God still in Babylon will be called upon to separate from her communion.” Ibid., 390. Which is the only church that can disregard and cast off the Three Angels’ Messages? She is talking about a church—singular, not plural.

Example of Apostasy

I want to give you an example of this apostasy, which is documented in Germany.

There were communications between the Seventh-day Adventist leaders and councils of the Ecumenical Movement that dealt with the question of whether or not the Seventh-day Adventists would be accepted into the Ecumenical Movement. The Catholic Church was one that said, “No, the Seventh-day Adventist Church cannot participate unless certain things are changed.”

Then, letters were written back and forth between the leaders of the church, their supporters, or their lawyers and the leaders of the Ecumenical Council. These letters were kept under closure, but through indiscretions of a secretary, who could not live with this burden and who could not believe what she was ordered to type, these documents were made public. We published them and spread thousands of copies among the Seventh-day Adventists to open their eyes to what extent the apostasy had gone in the leadership.

In these papers, it was clear that the Catholic Church requested clarification as to whether or not the interpretation of Revelation 13, which was traditionally understood to be the papacy, also identified as the Antichrist, was still valid today. The answer from the Seventh-day Adventist representatives was that these beliefs were some sort of a tradition, which came from the old Reformation, which, without doubt, still has its effects today, but that they had given up the institutionalized identification of the Antichrist as the Pope. They stated as well that there were anti-Christian characteristics in their own denomination, meaning that the traditional criticism of Revelation 13 could be also applied to the Seventh-day Adventist Church. This statement was sufficient for the Roman Catholics, and the Catholic Church gave the green light for the Seventh-day Adventist Church to enter into the Ecumenical Movement.

Concerning the beast of Revelation 13, which traditionally has been applied to the papacy, the church leadership said that they could get unused to this view, but that there were some fanatic Adventists who still believed it. Do we believe that the beast with seven heads and ten horns that came out of the sea is the papacy? Is it the papacy? Yes, but what do the leaders say? “Well, this view we can get unused to. There are still some fanatic Adventists, but they are not really a part of us. They believe it, but we in Germany, as a whole, no longer hold that position.”

I recall a former leader of the General Conference, many years ago, making a similar statement. In connection with some law issues, he stated that the view of Seventh-day Adventists regarding the papacy belonged to the historical trash heap. In Germany, that went around like a wildfire! We can see that the apostasy is starting behind closed doors.

Opened Eyes

The prophet Ezekiel was shown what happened in the temple, behind closed doors—they bowed down before the sun; they put unholy pictures in the temple. The same situation is represented here. (See Ezekiel 8.)

God gave the people the opportunity to open their eyes to what the leaders were doing. Regarding the ecumenical cooperation with each other, the Seventh-day Adventists were asked how they imagined themselves working with the Ecumenical Movement, if they cherished doctrines such as the teaching of Babylon and the teaching of the beast of Revelation 13. The answer given was that, on an international level, an ecumenical cooperation was still possible, despite certain prophetic interpretations. For over three decades, the Seventh-day Adventist Church has belonged to the World Council of Churches.

Ellen White counseled against such action: “Let the watchmen on the walls of Zion not join with those who are making of none effect the truth as it is in Christ. Let them not join the confederacy of infidelity, popery, and Protestantism in exalting tradition above Scripture, reason above revelation, and human talent above the divine influence and the vital power of godliness.” Review and Herald, March 24, 1896.

She further wrote: “Let us not form unholy bonds of union with the friends of the world; for God has pronounced His curse upon all such unions.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 277.

All is Possible

Is it possible to unite with the ecumenical cooperation, when we have these warnings before our eyes? Oh, sure, it is possible. We see it happening. It was also possible for the Jews to unite with the heathen. The apostate churches united themselves with the state force, the Romans, and thus the Roman state church developed.

All of this is possible, but how does God look upon such confederacies? “The world must not be introduced into the church, and married to the church, forming a bond of unity. Through this means the church will become indeed corrupt, and as stated in Revelation, ‘a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.’ [Revelation 18:2.]

“Through association with the world our institutions will become unsubstantial, unreliable; because these worldly elements, introduced and placed in positions of trust, are looked up to as teachers to be respected in their educating, directing, and official position, and they are sure to be worked upon by the spirit and power of darkness; so that the demarcation becomes not distinguished between him that serveth God and him that serveth Him not.” Ibid., 265, 266.

“The world must not be introduced into the church, and married to the church, forming a bond of unity.” The Ecumenical Movement is such a bond. Is this a plain message? Could God make it any clearer?

In another quotation, Ellen White says, “We are in danger of becoming a sister to fallen Babylon, of allowing our churches to become corrupted, and filled with every foul spirit, a cage for every unclean and hateful bird; and will we be clear unless we make decided movements to cure the existing evil?” Manuscript Releases, vol. 21, 380. While the context deals with sexual disorders in the church, it is spiritual adultery that God abhors more than physical adultery. What does the Bible say? To lust or look upon a woman is sin. (Matthew 5:28.) The thoughts are sin before God, even though nothing has happened with bodily connection or union. The connection with Israel—the spiritual union—God sees as adultery, for there is no difference. We may sometimes draw a difference, but God does not.

To be continued . . .

Dr. Bernd Korinth is a physician living in Berlin, Germany. He is very active in spreading the Three Angels’ Messages throughout Europe. He and his family have a printing press in their home and have had tracts translated in most of the different European languages. He is a promoter of home churches and is very interested in working with other historic Seventh-day Adventist groups worldwide. He may be contacted by e-mail at: hkorinth@mefag.de.

I Saw a Great Tumult, Part I

by

I never imagined years ago that we would still be here on this earth at this time! But just because we are here now does not mean that we are going to be here very much longer. The work is closing up. The title I have given this article could just as well have been, “The People Who Will Cry When They get to Heaven.” But I entitled it, “I Saw a Great Tumult,” and I want to state at the very beginning that many of the people in Adventism who never figure out the issues presented herein will lose their souls.

Now, please notice carefully what was just stated. It did not say that everyone who does not figure out these issues will lose their souls, but that many Adventists, who do not figure out the issues that we are going to study, will lose their souls. I pray that the Lord, by the instruction of the Holy Spirit, will help you to see how dangerous it can be if you do not understand what we are going to study.

When I was 19 or 20 years of age, I was reading the book, The Great Controversy, for the second or third time. I read again a statement on page 591 that I could not figure out: “Satan’s policy in this final conflict with God’s people is the same that he employed in the opening of the great controversy in heaven.” How is it that the issue at the end is going to be the very same as it was at the beginning?

Then Ellen White says that from the very beginning Satan’s object has been to overthrow the Law of God, and that is what his object will be at the end. I could not figure that out either. I just did not understand it. I had read Patriarchs and Prophets; I had read the chapters in The Great Controversy about the origin of evil and the development of the rebellion in heaven. Hopefully most of you are not as slow to get things figured out as I have been!

It actually was not until about 1988 that things became crystal clear in my mind as to what really had happened in heaven when Lucifer rebelled. Lucifer wanted to change the first commandment in God’s Law. The first commandment says, “You shall not have any other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3); Lucifer wanted God to change that and to allow him into the inner council with the Godhead. But God said, “No.”

In this article, we are going to study, in miniature, the great controversy between Christ and Satan. The story of the great controversy has been told to us on a human level in miniature in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. We will study the example in the Old Testament.

Morning Star

Jesus Christ is called the Morning Star. (See Revelation 22:16.) If you have read the Book of Job, you know that the angels are also called morning stars. (See Job 38:7.) But Lucifer, the Latin name for Satan before he was cast out of heaven, was not just one of the angels; he was the chief angel. He was one of the sons of God. In fact, in his unfallen state, he was referred to in terminology very similar to that of Jesus Christ. He was also called a morning star. One of his original names was, in Hebrew, Halal. This word is found in the Hebrew Bible in Isaiah 14. Halal means “the shining one, the luminescent one.”

Isaiah 14:12 says, “O shining one, the son of the dawn! [That is the son of the morning; in other words, the morning star.] How did you fall from heaven?”

The Lord said, concerning this being, “You were perfect in all your ways from the day that you were created, until iniquity was found in you.” Ezekiel 28:15.

Is not Halal, the shining one, the son of the morning, the morning star, a beautiful name? Satan, in-deed, had a beautiful name. He was not called Satan, which means “the adversary,” until after his fall from heaven. Neither was he called the devil, which means “a slanderer,” until then.

“Father Peace”

In the Old Testament, there is a king who also had a son who was perfect. The Bible says that from the top of his head to the sole of his foot there was no blemish in him. (11 Samuel 14:25.) The extended story is found in 11 Samuel 14–18.

This son of David also had a very beautiful name, Absalom, or, in Hebrew, Abiyshalowm, which means, “my father is peace” or “father peace.” How beautiful!

Because of how things turned out, today we do not ever call our sons Absalom, nor do we call our sons Lucifer. However, before the King James Bible was translated and the translators chose to translate the word Halal into the Latin word Lucifer, Lucifer was a common name. If you have read church history, you may know that one of the church father’s name was Lucifer. Lucifer never meant “the devil” in the days of early church history. It meant “the one that was the shining one, a star.”

Promises

Lucifer went out from the pres-ence of God and talked with the angels. He proposed that though he was loyal to the government of God, he would improve the government of God if he could be placed in charge. If you study 11 Samuel 14–18, you will find that Absalom did the very same thing. He professed, for many years, to be loyal to the government, and he said, “Oh, if you could only make me a judge, I would make certain that you are taken care of and given justice.”

Lucifer promised the angels a better, higher, improved situation if they would follow him. He told them that they would be free to do anything they pleased; they would be more free. They would be just like God. You see, God is free to do anything He pleases.

Concerning Jesus Christ, Ellen White says, “He is the eternal, self-existing Son, on whom no yoke had come.” The Youth’s Instructor, June 21, 1900. The angels could not come and pay the price for a fallen world; they were under the Law of God. They were under the yoke of obedience to the Law of God. Jesus was not under any yoke. The Godhead was not under any yoke. The Godhead could do anything they pleased, but the angels were not able to do anything they pleased. They were under the Law of God. It was not burdensome to keep the law until Lucifer introduced the idea that they would be freer if they got out from under it.

Absalom did the very same thing with the people of Israel. He would grab people, kiss them, and say, “Your cause is right.” By the way, is everyone’s cause right? No.

Stolen Affections

Lucifer stole the affections of the angels in heaven—between one-third and one-half pledged allegiance to him. Absalom stole the hearts, the Bible says, of the children of Israel.

A Loyalty Scam

Lucifer publicly proposed to be loyal to the government of God, but secretly he was trying to overthrow the government of God. Absalom did the very same thing. Publicly he was a true, faithful, loyal subject of David’s kingdom, but privately, he was trying to overthrow the government.

Displace the Ruler

Satan wanted to displace God as ruler. Absalom wanted to displace David as ruler.

Long-time Controversy

A controversy developed between Lucifer and the God of heaven. A controversy developed between Absalom and David.

This controversy went on for a long time. We do not know how long it went on in heaven, but Ellen White says that it was a very long time. “God in His great mercy bore long with Lucifer. He was not immediately degraded from his exalted station when he first indulged the spirit of discontent, nor even when he began to present his false claims before the loyal angels. Long was he retained in heaven.” The Great Controversy, 495, 496. Why did it go on so long? Because God was merciful; He was long-suffering. But God’s mercy and His long-suffering were misinterpreted.

In Absalom’s case, the controversy continued for many years. David’s mercy and his long-suffering were misinterpreted. Incidentally, if you attempt to exercise mercy in this world, your mercy will be misinterpreted too. You will be thought of as a wimp. People will think that you do not have any backbone.

Because of the mercy and long-suffering that was manifested in both cases, both Lucifer and Absalom thought that if they persisted long enough, they would get their own way.

I hope you are seeing that every point being presented has a direct application for the end of time.

Civil War

The controversy in heaven developed into a civil war. The Bible says, in Revelation 12:7, “War broke out in heaven, and Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon fought and his angels.”

Civil war also broke out in the land of Israel. We are coming to some of the most important points now that we need to understand.

Profession of Loyalty

In both cases, in heaven and in Israel, each side claimed to be loyal and true. If you had asked the people in Absalom’s army, “Are you a true child of Israel? Are you part of Israel?” they would all have said, “Yes.” The people that were following Absalom in his rebellion claimed to be loyal and faithful, and the people following David claimed to be loyal and faithful.

In heaven, Lucifer’s followers certainly felt they were being loyal and true to God, but there was only one side that was really the true and loyal followers of God. The other side, although they professed to be, were not really so.

It is one thing to look back and envision this happening, but when it happens right in front of our eyes, it is very difficult for God’s people to understand. It is extremely important to understand that both sides made a profession of being true and loyal to God. Ellen White said that the devil maintained that he was faithful and loyal to the very end, until he was cast out of heaven. (See The Great Controversy, 497, 498.) Such false loyalty was all very mystifying and confusing to the children of Israel, and it is still today.

True or Professed

Today, there is the true church and the professed church, and the true church and the professed church both make the same profession. It is very difficult to differentiate. Ellen White makes a sharp distinction between the true church of God and those that profess to be the true church of God but really are not. She refers to the nominal church, or the nominal believers, in contrast to the true. In her writings, she has a lot to say about the nominal church and the nominal Adventists at the end of time. (See, for instance, Manuscript Releases, vol. 5, 290; vol. 14, 177.)

In the last days, the nominal church will claim to be the true church. They will claim to be the remnant, but in the Scriptures, the true church is distinguished from the nominal church as being the remnant—the elect or the chosen. “And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went out to make war with the rest of her seed [or the remnant of her seed], those who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus.” Revelation 12:17.

What we need to understand before we go farther is this: How can you tell the difference between the true and the faithful and those who profess to be the true and the faithful but are not? They have the same name. They profess the same faith. They profess the same religion. Which one is true and which one is nominal?

Two Anchors

Let us go back to the beginning. In heaven, the time came when the members of the angelic host had to get on one side or the other. They either had to choose for Lucifer or for God. Do not ever forget that. Personally, I do not believe the decision for the angels was nearly as easy to make as I at first thought when I was a young man. The more I have studied this, the more I have realized that the choice was really, really tricky, because both sides claimed to be true and faithful. I have come to understand that there was only one way an angel could tell the difference—one side was faithful and loyal to the Law of God; the other side wanted the Law of God, specifically the first commandment, changed. Those who were faithful and loyal to God said, “No, we are going to stick with the government of God, with the Law of God, just the way it is. We do not want it adjusted.”

This was the deciding point. I do not know of any other way that a decision could have been made. The final choice was over the Law of God.

From a human point of view, it was even trickier in David’s time than it was in heaven, because David was not God; he was a sinner. It was well-known throughout the nation of Israel, at the time of Absalom’s rebellion, that David was a murderer and an adulterer. He had Uriah the Hittite killed by treachery after having lain with his wife. Not only that, it was also well-known that David had another son by the name of Ammon who had raped his own half sister, Absalom’s sister. According to the old covenant, Ammon should have been stoned to death, but David did not execute judgment on Ammon. So, Absalom had taken the law into his own hands and had justice executed on Ammon and had him killed. This also was well-known throughout the nation of Israel.

I have trembled in my own soul when I study this story, and I have asked myself what side I would have chosen, because, by popular opinion, it appeared that Absalom was much more righteous than was David.

If you would have said, “Absalom killed his brother”; they would have responded, “He killed his brother because he was a rapist; he was supposed to be killed. Since David did not do what he was supposed to do, Absalom had to take the law into his own hands, because his father would not do what was right.” It was all very confusing because they were both lawbreakers. How would you have been able to tell on which side to join?

It was confusing enough that the vast majority in the nation of Israel joined Absalom. Ellen White says that the forces of Joab, when they went out to meet the forces of Absalom, looked like a little company facing a whole mighty armed host. (See Patriarchs and Prophets, 743.)

How could you have been able to tell? I know of only one way. In this situation, you could not have decided from the Law of God, because David looked like a worse sinner than Absalom. The only way I know that you would have been able to tell the difference was through the Spirit of prophecy. You see, Samuel, who was a true prophet, had anointed David as the king of Israel. Neither Samuel nor any other prophet had anointed Absalom as king of Israel.

By the way, you could not have told by church organization either, because one of the high priests went along with Absalom too. If you were dependent upon the Law of God or upon your church organization, you could have gone with Absalom. You could not have been able to tell who was the true church or who was the nominal church by either the Law of God or church organization, but only by means of the Spirit of prophecy. The only people who could have remained stable on the right side in the civil war between the true church and the nominal church, under the leadership of Absalom, were those who had confidence in the Spirit of prophecy.

In the controversy at the end of time, there will only be two anchors that can hold you—the Law of God and the Spirit of prophecy, the testimony of Jesus. That will be all. If you do not have those two anchors, you will not make it to heaven.

End Expectation

There was a civil war between the true remnant church and the professed or nominal remnant church in David’s time. Will it be like that in the end? Yes.

There was a long time when you could not tell on which side the angels in heaven were, but there came a time when war broke out, and every angel was forced to get on one side or the other. There was a long time when you could not tell on which side the sons of Israel were, but there came a time when war broke out, and every single man was forced to decide on which side he was going to be. He was forced to make it known publicly on which side he was going to be, because the war was being waged between the remnant and the nominal church. The Spirit of prophecy shows that this is the way it is going to be at the end of time as well.

“If we hope to wear the crown, we must expect to bear the cross. Our greatest trials will come from those who profess godliness. It was so with the world’s Redeemer; it will be so with his followers. I [Ellen White] should doubt whether I were a child of God, if the world, or even all professed Christians, spoke well of me. Those who are in earnest to win the crown of eternal life need not be surprised or disheartened because at every step toward the heavenly Canaan they meet with obstacles and encounter trials. The opposition which Christ received came from his own nation, who would have been greatly blessed had they accepted him. In like manner the remnant church receive opposition from those who profess to be their brethren.” Review and Herald, August 28, 1883.

How interesting! From where does the opposition come? It comes from the nominal church. The nominal church and the remnant church claim that they are the same. They make the same profession of faith. They both claim to be loyal.

Incidentally, in every single case—in heaven, in David’s time, and at the end of time—who is it that fires the first shot? Who is it that wages war? Have you ever thought about this? Who initiated the battle in heaven? Did God initiate the battle? No. Who initiated a war with David? Did David initiate a war against his son? No. Who initiates the war at the end? Does the remnant church initiate a war with its brethren who are nominal? No. God’s remnant church is not a persecuting church. God’s remnant church does not take its professed brethren to court.

In 1989, my brother, Marshall, wrote an article entitled, “Declaration of War,” which went over these very principles. It was published in Steps to Life’s newsletter, In His Steps, because he saw our professed brethren choosing to initiate a war against us. That has not ceased.

Take a Position

The time came when every angel in heaven had to take a position. The time came in the life of David when every single person had to take a position, had to take a side. And a time is coming at the end when every single person will have to take a side, because a war is going on, right now.

Some people say that they are just going to be neutral. If you say that you are going to be neutral, you have already made your choice. Jesus said, “He that is not with Me is against me.” Matthew 12:30.

You will be judged as being one of the most dangerous enemies of God in the Day of Judgment if you attempt to take a neutral position.

To be continued . . .

[Bible texts quoted are literal translation.]

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