Doctrine

In Defense of the Faith

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“But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?” Job 14:10. This is a question people have been asking for centuries. It is the mystery of death, the realm of the unknown, as many call it. To those of us who are Christians, the mystery of death is not a mystery. Jesus said, “I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive forever more, Amen; and have the keys of hell [the grave] and of death.” Revelation 1:18.

Jesus has the keys to unlock the door to help us understand what lies beyond the grave. Although many people today are confused over the mystery of death, there is no need to be confused, because the Bible gives us the answer.

But, you might ask, What about 2 Corinthians 5:8 where Paul said, “We are . . . willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord”? Is that confusing? I know that sometimes when studying the Bible, we may come across a passage that is not quite clear to us. On the surface, it appears that it could be taken this way or maybe another way.

We need to remember when we study the Bible, that there are two kinds of Bible verses. There are what we call “black and white” verses. In other words, when you read that text it is very clear what it is saying. Then there are texts that we call “gray.” On the surface they appear to mean this or that. What we have to do in order to understand the “gray” passages is allow the “black and white” texts to help interpret or unravel the mystery of the “gray” ones. It is not that you cannot understand these texts or that they are vague, you just need the other passages, that are clear,to help unravel the mystery.

First we will study some “black and white” texts on the state of man in death. “These things” said He [Jesus]: and after that He saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may wake him out of sleep. Then said His disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.” John 11:11, 12. At this point, Lazarus is dead, but the disciples do not know it. They still think he is sick. Think for a moment: If you are sick, what is one of the best things you can do in order to recover quickly? Get plenty of rest. So here Jesus tells His disciples that He is going to wake Lazarus up out of his sleep. But the disciples said, “Lord, if he sleep, he will do well.” This is a sad story in relation to the disciples, because they should have been well familiar with the doctrine of the state of the dead. Throughout the Old Testament, there are scores and scores of passages dealing with that particular truth. Yet, somehow, this truth escaped the disciples.

One of the reasons why the disciples failed to recognize the language of Jesus was because, too often, tradition supercedes the Word of the Lord. How many of those who claim to be Christians are taking tradition above a “Thus saith the Lord”? The church is not above the Bible. The word of the Lord is the highest authority. A “Thus saith the Lord” is not to be set aside for a “Thus saith the church” or “Thus saith the state.” The Word of God must be obeyed. By taking the name Christian we claim to be followers of Jesus. But how do we follow Jesus? We follow Him, by obedience to His words.

“Howbeit, Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that He had spoken of taking of rest in sleep. Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.” John 11:13, 14. These texts are a simple commentary on the doctrine of the state of the dead. Jesus compared death to sleep.

We can see the same thing in Acts 7:57–60: “Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him [Stephen] with one accord, and cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul. And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this he fell asleep.” There are two ways to interpret this passage. Either at the time that Stephen was being stoned, he laid down and took a nap, or he died. The sleep made reference to in this Scripture has to do with his death, as can be shown in Acts 8:1 “And Saul consenting unto his death . . . ”

Death is compared to sleep. And what do we mean by that? “For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not anything.” Ecclesiastes 9:5. The living know, are consciously aware, but the dead do not know anything! “Neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion forever in anything that is done under the sun.” Verse 5, 6. The dead are not aware of what is going on in the earth. They have no knowledge of anything that takes place underneath the sun. This particular passage very clearly indicates that it is impossible for anyone to communicate with the dead. For the Bible says they have no memory. They have no love, nor hatred. How can you communicate with people that cannot communicate with you? They cannot even communicate with each other. They are dead. They are unconscious of anything that is going on.

The Scripture also clearly teaches that they will not always remain in that condition. “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.” John 5:28, 29.

The Bible discusses two resurrections: the resurrection of life and the resurrection of damnation. There will come a point in time when all that are in the grave will hear His voice and they will come forth; some to the resurrection of life and some to the resurrection of damnation. By the grace of God, we need to be in that first resurrection. What a sad day it will be for so many who think that they are in the first group, when they rise up in the second? I wish that for no one!

 

The Thief on the Cross beside Jesus

 

Now let us study some of those “gray” texts on this subject. The thief who was crucified beside Jesus said, “Lord, remember me when thou comest into Thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with Me in Paradise.” Luke 23:42, 43.

There seems to be a difference of opinion regarding the passage, “Verily I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with Me in Paradise.” Does it mean that when he died, he would be on that day with Jesus in Paradise? Let us assume just for the sake of illustration, that it was on that day when Jesus was crucified that the thief was to be taken to heaven.

“And he said unto Jesus, Lord remember me when Thou comest into Thy kingdom.” Verse 42. So in order for the thief to go to Paradise on that day, Jesus would have had to have gone that day also.

But did Jesus go to heaven on that day (Friday)? Notice John 21:1: “The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.” This is Sunday, two days after Friday, and Mary comes to the sepulchre. When she gets there the stone is rolled away and a man stands nearby. Thinking he was the gardener, Mary asked him where the Lord had been taken. The man was Jesus, and when He says her name, she immediately recognizes Him. In great excitement Mary rushes up to Jesus and says, “Rabboni [Master]. Jesus saith unto her, touch Me not; for I am not yet ascended to My Father.” Verse 17. This is two days after Friday! How could the thief go to Paradise with Jesus on Friday when Jesus said two days later that He had not yet gone to heaven?

The confusion here lies with the comma. I know there are those who take the position that the commas, the chapters, the paragraphs, and the periods are all inspired. That is an extreme position to hold. Chapters, commas and verses were put in by man to make it easier to locate texts. When you read the original Greek and Hebrew, there are no chapters or commas, it is just one flowing, continuation.

In this particular case we need to look at the comma. In verse 43, this is how the passage should be read, “And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee today, thou shalt be with Me in Paradise.” In other words, Jesus was saying, I promise you today, that you will be with Me in Paradise.

Let us take the premise that the comma was inspired. If that is the case, I would like someone to explain to me Acts 19:11. (KJV) If that comma is inspired, then this comma in Acts 19:11, 12 must be inspired also. Speaking about the apostle Paul and the things that he was doing, it says this: “And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs and aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.” According to the way the comma is placed, diseases and evil spirits were departing from the aprons and the handkerchiefs!

How can the comma in Luke 23:43 be inspired when we see the inconsistency according to Acts 19:11, 12? The comma should not be placed after the words “handkerchiefs and aprons.” It should be placed after the word “sick,” so it should read: “So that from his body were brought unto the sick, handkerchiefs and aprons, and the diseases departed from them [meaning the sick] and the evil spirits went out of them [the sick].”

 

The Rich Man and Lazarus

 

There is another interesting story given in Luke 16:19–31 about a rich man and Lazarus. Some say this story proves that when you die you go straight to heaven or to hell. The position that is taken is that this is not a parable, but a true story illustrating what Jesus teaches about the subject of death. “And there was a certain rich man,” Underscore that, because it is very, very important. If this is a literal story, then you must take everything in the story literally. If it is a symbolic story to illustrate a literal truth, one must decipher the symbolism in order to understand the literal meaning. Let us look carefully and see if we can discover if this is a real story or a parable?

How did Jesus usually begin His parables? “And He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree . . .” Luke 13:6. “And he said, A certain man had two sons . . .” Luke 15:11. “And He said also unto His disciples, There was a certain rich man . . .” Luke 16:1. This is the language Jesus used over and over again.

The evidence clearly reveals that the story in Luke 16:19, beginning with “A certain rich man,” is a parable consistent with all the ones that Jesus told previously. However, even though the evidence proves that it is a parable, let us assume that this is a literal story. The story goes like this: The rich man goes to hell, and Lazarus, who is sitting next to the dogs, goes to rest in the bosom of Abraham. The rich man cries out, Father Abraham, have mercy on me. Send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am tormented in this flame.

Remember, we are supposed to take everything in this story literally. Here is a man burning in hell and he requests that the tip of Larazus’ finger be dipped in water, and somehow this will cool him.We have all worked on a hot day outside, maybe in the garden or washing our cars. When I am doing us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given us the earnest of the Spirit.” 2 Corinthians 5:3–5. By giving us the Spirit, God has given us a down payment on heaven.

We do not have the fullness yet. That will come when this mortal shall put on immortality. God says, I will give you a sample of what it is like to have life and to have a little bit of heaven. “Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord.” Verse 6. As long as I am in this tabernacle I am physically absent from Jesus, but we have the hope of glory.

“(For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” Verses 7, 8. Paul would rather be absent from this physical, earthly house in order to be with Jesus. But that can only take place when this earthly house is exchanged for that heavenly one at the last trump. Then all those who are faithful, will be present with Jesus.

That is why Paul said: “For. . . the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17.

” . . . Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” Revelation 22:20.

 

Babylon the Great City, part 2

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In our last article, we looked at the inspired evidence in the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy that defines who the dragon, the beast power and the false prophet represent. These three powers will form one worldwide confederacy in the last days. This confederacy will be accompanied by great signs and wonders and many miracles, and will persuade the world in general that the greatest revival and reformation of all time is taking place. The people will believe that they are receiving the latter rain of the Holy Spirit. Miraculous healings will take place, and people will be prophesying and casting out spirits. The greatest excitement will prevail. It will appear that war and international distress will be abolished and that worldwide peace will develop.

Ellen White describes this period in this way: “I saw our people in great distress, weeping, and praying, pleading the sure promises of God, while the wicked were all around us, mocking us, and threatening to destroy us. They ridiculed our feebleness, they mocked at the smallness of our numbers, and taunted us with words calculated to cut deep. They charged us with taking an independent position from all the rest of the world. They had cut off our resources so that we could not buy nor sell, and referred to our abject poverty and stricken condition. They could not see how we could live without the world; we were dependent upon the world, and we must concede to the customs, practices, and laws of the world, or go out of it. If we were the only people in the world whom the Lord favored the appearances were awfully against us. They declared that they had the truth, that miracles were among them, that angels from heaven talked with them, and walked with them, that great power, and signs and wonders were performed among them, and this was the Temporal Millennium, which they had been expecting so long. The whole world was converted and in harmony with the Sunday law, and this little feeble people stood out in defiance of the laws of the land, and the laws of God, and claimed to be the only ones right on the earth.” Maranatha, 209.

This three-fold union of the dragon, the beastpower and the false prophet will unite together to accomplish the following objectives:

  1. Bring unity and harmony into Christendom. It will be thought that this movement will answer Jesus’ prayer in John 17, and end the disharmony that has existed in Christendom since at least the second century. Eventually, in order to bring this about, all religious groups will come under severe pressures of many kinds, both from the State and the church, to conform to at least a minimum of common beliefs held by all. The absolute minimum will be that all conform to the day of worship accepted by the majority—Sunday.
  2. Usher in the day of the Lord—the return of Christ. Most Christian groups today believe that the day of the Lord, the end of the age, is not far away. It will be thought that this united movement will bring about the consummation of the church’s hopes.
  3. Bring unity not only within Christendom but with the entire world—with all non-Christian groups as well.

The above objectives will be obvious to human observers but there are other powers, spiritual powers, in the universe, that also have objectives to accomplish through these developments. First of all, the devil and his fallen angels. The following are their revealed objectives:

“The line of distinction between professed Christians and the ungodly is now hardly distinguishable. Church-members love what the world loves, and are ready to join with them; and Satan determines to unite them in one body, and thus strengthen his cause by sweeping all into the ranks of Spiritualism. Papists, who boast of miracles as a certain sign of the true church, will be readily deceived by this wonder-working power; and Protestants, having cast away the shield of truth, will also be deluded. Papists, Protestants, and worldlings will alike accept the form of godliness without the power, and they will see in this union a grand movement for the conversion of the world, and the ushering in of the long-expected millennium.” The Great Controversy, 588.

“Zechariah’s vision of Joshua and the Angel applies with peculiar force to the experience of God’s people in the closing scenes of the great day of atonement. The remnant church will then be brought into great trial and distress. Those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus will feel the ire of the dragon and his hosts. Satan numbers the world as his subjects; he has gained control even of many professing Christians. But here is a little company who are resisting his supremacy. If he could blot them from the earth, his triumph would be complete. As he influenced the heathen nations to destroy Israel, so in the near future he will stir up the wicked powers of earth to destroy the people of God. Men will be required to render obedience to human edicts in violation of the divine law.” Prophets and Kings, 587.

The preceding paragraph explains the reason for Sunday laws that most people know nothing about—they are inspired by supernatural powers as a way to bring all the people of the world into violation of God’s law and thereby under condemnation in the day of judgement. It is a master plan, bolstered with the highest sounding benefits to mankind, that in actuality brings man into direct violation of the Law of God and thereby in direct controversy and rebellion against his Creator. The fourth commandment, right in the heart of the Ten Commandments says,”Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days shall you labor and do all your work but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall not do any work, you nor your son nor your daughter, nor your man-servant, nor your maid-servant, nor your cattle, nor the stranger that is within your gates, for in six days, the Lord created the heavens and the earth and the sea and all that in them is and rested the seventh-day, wherefore the Lord blessed the seventh day and hallowed it.” Exodus 20:8–11.

The entire world knows when the seventh-day is because the whole world refers to a certain day of the week at Easter as “good Friday.” The whole world also knows on which day of the week Jesus arose from the dead. From this it is not hard to know when the seventh-day Sabbath is. According to the commandment of God, it is the day of the week that comes between “good Friday” and resurrection Sunday. (See Luke 23:54; 24:1.)

The devil’s objective has always been to take the place of God and to force others, if necessary, to worship him. “The great apostate has changed the signpost, setting up a false one—a spurious sabbath. He says: ‘I will work at cross purposes with God. I will empower my delegate, the man of sin, to take down God’s memorial, the seventh-day Sabbath. Thus will I show the world that the day sanctified and blessed by God has been changed. That day shall not live in the minds of the people. I will obliterate the memory of it. I will place in its stead a day bearing not the credentials of heaven, a day that can not be a sign between God and His people. I will lead the people who accept this day, to place upon it the sanctity that God placed upon the seventh day. Through my vicegerent I will exalt myself. The first day shall be extolled, and the Protestant world shall receive this spurious sabbath as genuine. Through the non-observance of the Sabbath God instituted, I will bring His law into contempt. The words, ‘A sign between me and you throughout your generations,’ I will make to serve on the side of my sabbath. Thus the world will become mine. I will be ruler of the earth, prince of the world. I will so control the minds under my power that God’s Sabbath shall be an object of contempt. I will make the observance of the seventh day a sign of disloyalty to the authorities of earth. Human laws shall be made so stringent that men and women will not dare to observe the seventh-day Sabbath. For fear of wanting food and clothing, they will join with the world in transgressing God’s law; and the earth will be wholly under my dominion.’ ” Review and Herald, April 17, 1900.

“The warfare against God’s law commenced in heaven. Satan was determined to bring God to his ideas, his way, to force Him to change the law of His government. This was the cause of the war in heaven. Satan worked upon the sympathies of the angelic host by his deceptive attitude, but he was expelled from heaven, and now he is determined to carry out on this earth the plans he instituted in heaven. If he can persuade man to be disloyal to the laws of God, he will feel that he is revenged upon God. He strives to instill into the minds of men his masterly deceptions, thus perverting judgment and justice, and trampling down the law of God. This work—the conflict between truth and error—-lies at the foundation of the trials and tribulations that the children of God will experience. This is the ‘trial of their faith.’ By pressing upon the soul the idea that God is displeased with us, Satan tries to torture us into unbelief.” Letter 24, 1895, 4–6.

“If Satan can induce a union of the church and the world, man-made commandments will supplant the Sabbath. Men do not seem to understand that they are taken in Satan’s snare when they attempt to tamper with the law of God. Satan has them in just the position he wants them when they manufacture laws to control the world and place those laws where God’s laws should be. The enemy knows that, if the church can be controlled by political enactments, she will lose her garments of light as did Adam and Eve. If he can lead the church to unite with the world and accept worldly enactments, they virtually acknowledge him as their head. Then the authority of manmade commandments will work to oppose the rule of the government of heaven. Under the leadership of Satan the knowledge of good and evil will work to dispense with the righteous, holy enactments of God concerning the Sabbath, the observance of which is to be a sign between God and His people forever.” Adventist Apocalypse (Ms. 77, 1899).

The devil is not the only supernatural power who has objectives in the Sunday law movement that will be promoted by the three-fold union mentioned in Revelation 16. God is against this movement designed to force the entire world to transgress His law, but nevertheless, God has specific objectives in allowing it to develop:

“I saw that the enemy would either contend for the usefulness or the life of the godly, and will try to mar their peace as long as they live in this world. But his power is limited. He may cause the furnace to be heated, but Jesus and angels will watch the trusting Christian, that nothing may be consumed but the dross. The fire kindled by Satan, can have no power to destroy or hurt the true metal. It is important to close every door possible, against the entrance of Satan. It is the privilege of every family to so live that Satan cannot take advantage of anything they may say or do, to tear each other down. Every member of the family should bear in mind that all have just as much as they can do to resist our wily foe, and with earnest prayers and unyielding faith, they must rely upon the merits of the blood of Christ, and claim His saving strength. The powers of darkness gather about the soul and shut Jesus from our sight, and at times we can only wait in sorrow and amazement until the cloud passes over. These seasons are sometimes terrible. Hope seems to fail, and despair seizes upon us. In these dreadful hours we must learn to trust, to depend on the sole merits of the atonement, and in all our helpless unworthiness cast ourselves upon the merits of the crucified and risen Saviour. We shall never perish while we do this— never! When light shines on our pathway, it is no great thing to be strong in the strength of grace. But to wait patiently in hope, when all is dark, when clouds envelope us, requires faith and submission which causes our will to be swallowed up in the will of God. We are too quickly discouraged, and earnestly cry for the trial to be removed from us, when we should plead for patience to endure, and grace to overcome.” Review and Herald, April 22, 1862.

“God means that testing truth shall be brought to the front and become a subject of examination and discussion, even if it is through the contempt placed upon it.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 463.

“God has called His church in this day, as He called ancient Israel, to stand as a light in the earth. By the mighty cleaver of truth, the messages of the first, second, and third angels, He has separated them from the churches and from the world to bring them into a sacred nearness to Himself. He has made them the depositaries of His law and has committed to them the great truths of prophecy for this time. Like the holy oracles committed to ancient Israel, these are a sacred trust to be communicated to the world. The three angels of Revelation 14 represent the people who accept the light of God’s messages and go forth as His agents to sound the warning throughout the length and breadth of the earth. Christ declares to His followers: ‘Ye are the light of the world.’ To every soul that accepts Jesus the cross of Calvary speaks: ‘Behold the worth of the soul: ‘Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.’ Nothing is to be permitted to hinder this work. It is the all-important work for time; it is to be far-reaching as eternity. The love that Jesus manifested for the souls of men in the sacrifice which He made for their redemption, will actuate all His followers.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 455.

Let’s look at a brief historical review from the first article:

When those religious bodies and groups, who claimed to derive their religion and reason for existence from the Bible (inspired writings alone), rejected the First Angel’s Message, God rejected them. Jesus turned from them with a frown and they fell from their former position of acceptance with God. They became part of what Revelation calls mystical Babylon. The rejection of the First Angel’s Message involved also the rejection of the Sabbath, because the Sabbath is clearly a part of the First Angel’s Message, the fourth commandment actually being quoted from in that message. But that was not the end of the fall into Babylon by these churches: “The Second Angel’s Message of Revelation 14, was first preached in the summer of 1844, and it then had a more direct application to the churches of the United States, where the warning of the Judgment had been most widely proclaimed and most generally rejected, and where the declension in the churches had been most rapid. But the message of the second angel did not reach its complete fulfillment in 1844. The churches then experienced a moral fall, in consequence of their refusal of the light of the Advent message; but that fall was not complete. As they have continued to reject the special truths for this time, they have fallen lower and lower.” The Great Controversy, 389.

The question then must of necessity be asked, what should our relationship be to those who, according to the Scriptures and the Spirit of Prophecy, belong to associations and groups (churches), described by Scripture as Babylon? It is evident in Scripture that these groups cannot be reformed, because God does not call for His people to attempt to improve or reform them, but rather to come out of them. This is what the Three Angels’ Messages accomplish, as the reference quoted above clearly states.

If God is calling His people to come out of these groups, is it possible for a person who has accepted the Three Angels’ Messages and come out of those groups, to simply associate with them, and never call the people to come out of them and still have a clear conscience? Is it possible to simply say, “Well, we will work with these people as best we can on those points which we hold in common”? Is it not clearly evident that it is impossible to in any way be a part of the ecumenical movement and stay true and faithful to the Three Angels’ Messages? If we associate with these people and never call them to come out of Babylon, what do we intend to say to them when they receive the seven last plagues and reproach us for not calling them out of danger into the safety of the remnant? The following is what they will say to us: “In the visions of the night a very impressive scene passed before me. I saw an immense ball of fire fall among some beautiful mansions, causing their instant destruction. I heard someone say: ‘We knew that the judgments of God were coming upon the earth, but we did not know that they would come so soon.’ Others, with agonized voices, said: ‘You knew! Why then did you not tell us? We did not know.’ On every side I heard similar words of reproach spoken.” Testimonies, vol. 9, 28.

While we are ever to be kind and courteous to those who are in error, never by precept or example should we give the wrong impression that they are not in danger of receiving the seven last plagues. If we act like they are our brothers in Christ when, in truth, the organizations with whom they have been affiliated are rejected by the Lord, we are doing them harm. God is calling them to come out from the unclean and be separate so that they can be received of God as His children. (2 Corinthians 6:14–18.) If we want to be a part of that number who will give the final warning, the loud cry to come out of Babylon (the churches fallen because of their errors and sins), how can we now be going directly contrary to the spirit of that message by fraternizing with those that we should be calling out of their religions affiliations?

“The warnings that worldly conformity and cowardice has silenced will have to be given under the fiercest opposition from our enemies.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 463. Where will you be found? Will you be among those who give the warning or will you be one of the large class who have professed faith in the Third Angel’s Message, but not being sanctified through obedience to the truth,abandon your position, join with the ecumenical movement which is enforcing Sunday observance and fight those who are giving the last warning of God to this world? (See Great Controversy, 608.)

“Servants of God, endowed with power from on high, with their faces lighted up, and shining with holy consecration, went forth to proclaim the message from heaven. Souls that were scattered all through the religious bodies answered to the call, and the precious were hurried out of the doomed churches, as Lot was hurried out of Sodom before her destruction. God’s people were strengthened by the excellent glory which rested upon them in rich abundance and prepared them to endure the hour of temptation. I heard everywhere a multitude of voices saying, ‘Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.’ “Early Writings, 278.

 

Sanctification of the Mind

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Sanctification begins with the mind. The carnal mind is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. It dwells and feasts upon carnal thoughts, and is not subject to the law of God. But God looks on the heart or mind, and understands the thoughts of man afar off. He says, “My son, give Me thine heart.” “How long shall vain thoughts lodge within thee?” “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts . . . For My thoughts are not your thoughts.”

Sanctification cleanses the mind from sinful thoughts. It changes the current of the thoughts. It transfers the mind from carnal to spiritual things, from sin to holiness. The mind is the spring of action, the fountain from whence all the words and actions flow. If the fountain is pure the stream that flows from it will also be pure. And if the mind is sanctified, if the thoughts are holy, the works and the actions, the whole life will be holy.

But the mind has faculties and operations which should be sanctified, and some of which we will here examine. And first let us notice

 

Attention

 

Attention is that faculty of the mind by which we look at ideas. It is, as it were, the eye of the mind. By it we look at the truth. But how often it happens that the attention is diverted from important truths by trifling objects, or by thoughts thrown in by the enemy or by professed friends. No one will fail to see the necessity of setting apart this faculty to see the truth. But as we try to do this, we must ask the Father of lights to open and anoint our eyes that we may behold wondrous things out of His law. But to attention we must add,

 

Reflection

 

Attention sees the object; but reflection comes back upon it to examine it with care, so as to preserve distinct ideas about it. Reflection is the faculty of the mind by which it comes back on ideas which had attracted the attention, to acquire an exact knowledge of the same. It is of the utmost importance that this faculty be sanctified. Those who reflect on the truths they have heard or read, will be more apt to retain them. They will also be more apt to take heed to the things which they have heard. But those who do not take pains to come back on what they have heard and seen, are liable to let the truth slip out of their minds, and generally fail to come up to their duty. It is not sufficient to listen to and look at the truth from Sabbath to Sabbath. We should reflect upon it through the week. Oh how many trials we might save ourselves from by being more reflective!

 

Meditation

 

Meditation is “close or continued thought; the turning or revolving of a subject in the mind; serious contemplation.” —Webster. By it we appropriate to ourselves the ideas and truths that the mind has looked at, and penetrate deeper into the knowledge of the truth. Meditation is to the mind what digestion is to the body. By it we digest the truth and turn it, as it were, into a part of our beings. By it we convey the ideas of others to ourselves so as to make them properly our own, and discover new beauties and attractions in the truth.

One day the philosopher Newton was asked how he made so many discoveries in the arts and sciences, and he answered, “By thinking always attentively.” Now if it was necessary for Newton to think always attentively in order to advance in the arts and sciences, is it not necessary for us to meditate on the truth in order to advance in the true science, and make proficiency in sanctification? Many fail to see the glorious attractions of truth because they do not think upon it long enough.

Said Paul to Timothy, “Meditate on these things; give thyself wholly to them, that thy profiting may appear to all (or in all things, margin.)” 1 Timothy 4:15. Here is a plain injunction to meditate on the things of God. Those who do this will better understand the truth and their duty, and be more useful in the cause of their Master.

But two extremes should here be avoided. One extreme is to meditate much without looking to the Lord for wisdom and help. The other extreme is to expect that the Lord will give us wisdom and help while we neglect to meditate. We must both meditate and look to the Lord. We must dig for wisdom by meditation and prayer, expecting divine aid and heavenly assistance.

He that leans to his own understanding entirely, is unwise, Proverbs 28:26, and is liable to run into wild fancies and erroneous opinions. It is safe to trust in the Lord with all our heart. He can easily give a happy and favorable turn to our thoughts, and cast into our minds some clue or suggestion, that will lead us to rich and useful ideas, if we acknowledge Him and rely upon Him in our meditations. Or He can involve our minds in darkness when we neglect Him, and are filled with a vain conceit of our own light.

David prayed that the meditation of his heart might be acceptable unto the Lord, Psalm 19:14, and loved to meditate in the law of the Lord. He says, “I hate vain thoughts; but Thy law do I love.” “I will meditate in Thy statutes.” “Oh, how love I Thy law! It is my meditation all the day.” “I prevented the dawning of the morning and cried. I hoped in Thy word. Mine eyes prevent the night watches, that I might meditate in Thy word.” Psalm 119:113, 48, 97, 147, 148. Again he says, “I meditate on all Thy works; I muse on the work of Thy hands.” “How agreeable are Thy works! And Thy thoughts are very deep. How precious are Thy thoughts to me.” “My meditation of Him shall be sweet.” Psalm 143:5; 92:5; 139:17; 104:34.

Let us hear further from the Psalmist: “Thus will I bless Thee while I live. I will lift up my hands in Thy name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise Thee with joyful lips.” Psalm 63:4–6. What blessedness David here anticipates! But how is it to be realized? The next verse will tell us: “When I remember Thee on my bed, and meditate on Thee in the night watches.” Here is the condition. Those who remember the Lord and meditate on Him will be satisfied, as with marrow and fatness, and it will be natural and easy for them to bless and praise the Lord with joyful lips, and to lift up their hands in His name. But how often, alas! The mind is suffered to be clogged with meditations of earth, so that it has no room or strength left to meditate on God and His word, and then it is difficult to lift up the hands, praise the Lord, and speak of His goodness.

The Psalmist pronounces that man blessed who meditates day and night in the law of the Lord, Psalm 1:1, 2, and he adds: “And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season, and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” Verse 4.

 

Memory

 

Memory is the faculty of the mind by which it retains ideas. This faculty should be set apart to retain useful and holy thoughts. Those whose memories are sanctified can, out of the treasure of the heart, bring forth good things. Their mind is like a storehouse furnished with rich and wholesome provisions. It contains truths upon which they can feast, and of which they can invite others to partake.

Said David, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee.” Psalm 119:11. David could not do this without the aid of his memory. Those who imitate David in this respect will not be so liable to sin against the Lord. They will remember what He has commanded, and what He has forbidden.

A sanctified memory is like the stream which brings with it the color of the soil through which it passes. Those whose memories are sanctified, remember the lessons they learn in passing through the afflictions the Lord sends them for their good. Many, through neglect and indifference, forget these lessons, and have to learn them over by passing through greater afflictions.

Some will excuse themselves for not learning and retaining the truth, by saying that they have no memory, and that God does not require them to do what they cannot do. But such persons generally remember many things pertaining to their line of business. Some of those who thus excuse themselves will remember every cent their debtors owe them, and when they settle with them, they are very positive that they are right, and would perhaps be offended if they were told they had forgotten some things. Again, some can entertain their friends for hours and days on vain and trifling ideas, that they have learned from unconsecrated persons and from vain and chaffy reading, and can remember every new fashion, and a thousand other things. Can it be said that such have no memory? They have memory, but it is not sanctified.

We do not claim that all are favored with a strong memory. But each individual should set apart the memory that he is favored with to the glory of God, and be continually adding to his store of useful knowledge. The memory, like the rest of the faculties, is strengthened by a proper use, and weakened by disuse. Let all cherish a love for the Word of God, and manifest that interest, earnestness, and care in learning and retaining the truth that consistent persons do in secular matters. And it will not be so difficult to learn and retain the truth, especially those portions of truth that relate to our duty.

When it was difficult to obtain copies of the Bible, Christians were known to commit large portions of the Scriptures to memory. They retained the truth in the love of it, and honored the cause of truth by giving a proper reason of their hope. Now, is less required of those who live in this favored age, when Bibles and other useful books can be so easily obtained, and when an increase of light is shining from the Word of God?

But some will say, I cannot read the Bible, or other good books. Answer. A blessing is pronounced on those who hear, as well as on those who read. Revelation 1:3. And how can persons be blessed for hearing unless they learn and retain what they hear?

If the loins of our minds are girded with truth, we shall be prepared to meet the temptations of the enemy, and the objections of the opposers of truth, as Jesus did when He quoted Scripture to Satan. And if we do what we can on our part to retain and obey the truth, we may expect that the Holy Spirit will bring the truth to our remembrance, and thus make up for our lack of memory.

 

Imagination

 

Imagination is “the power or faculty of the mind by which it perceives and forms ideas of things communicated to it by the organs of sense.” Webster. It is by this faculty that ideal images, or pictures of absent objects and scenes are formed. For instance, when in the silence of the night, reviewing the events of the day, we see the persons that we have visited, the country through which we have passed, and other things which have struck our vision, it is the imagination that pictures these things in our minds.

Imagination was designed to represent real and true objects and scenes; but it sometimes goes farther than this: it creates things that are unreal and untrue. This is seen in mythology, where we read the description of creatures and scenes which have existed only in the imagination. This is also seen in the description of the future state given by Mahomet; also in the doctrine of purgatory, and in many other fanciful doctrines which are the fruit of unsanctified imaginations. Imagination is naturally unruly, and is often used in picturing scenes that encourage the practice of sin, in magnifying the faults of others, and in manufacturing mountains of difficulties out of nothing. To illustrate we will suppose a case: A. and B. meet together. They have always been on good terms. A. moves along toward B. to pass compliments as on other occasions, but observes that B. is sad and rather backward in his remarks. These individuals part. A. looks back to the interview he has had with B. and calls up B. in his imagination, and says, How cold and sour he looked. How he stood off. How little he said. He never treated me so coldly. And the enemy comes in, and adds and adds to the picture, till B. looks ugly, independent and hard, and A. feels that he has been slighted and abused without a cause, and that B. has something against him. Soon A. and B. meet again. But this time B. comes up cheerfully, and A. stands off. Says B. What is the matter, Brother A.? What is the matter, replies A.? You ought to know. You treated me coldly the other day without a just cause, and you have something against me. What makes you think so says B.? I know it is so, answers A. But B. replies, Why, dear Brother, I was examining my own heart and thinking about my imperfections, and since then I have got help,and I now feel free.

This is one case out of many in which we see the wrong use that is made of imagination. If A. had examined his own imperfections and checked his imagination, this trial might have been avoided. With many, an unsanctified imagination takes the lead, and the fruit is evil-surmisings, hatred, envy, lust, evil-speaking, unnecessary trials in families, in neighborhoods, and in the church of God, castles built in the air, fanaticism, etc.

But imagination may be very useful, and a source of much comfort. Would you derive real benefit and comfort from this faculty? Then employ it in picturing useful objects and scenes. Let it represent all that is lovely in the appearance and actions of others, and if you suffer it to represent the evil conduct of others, let it be only that you may help them, and more easily avoid the ways of sin. Let it form images of holy men and women spoken of in the Bible—especially of Jesus, the great example. Follow Him from the manger to the cross.

Behold Him as He goes from place to place on His mission of love, suffering from weariness, hunger and thirst, from persecution and the temptations of Satan. Listen to the rich instructions that fall from His lips. See Him weep over sinners. See Him pray all night alone. Witness His agony in the garden, and the abuses that He receives as He is tried by His enemies. View Him stretched between the heavens and the earth, with His hands and feet pierced, and the crown of thorns mutilating His sacred head. See the precious blood flow freely from His hands and feet. See it fall from His sacred head. Hear Him pray for His enemies, and cry as He bears the sins of the whole world, “My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” Follow Him from earth to the heavenly sanctuary, where He pleads the merits of His blood in behalf of His people, and where His great mediatorial work will soon wind up preparatory to His coming to earth. Behold Him coming in glory and majesty in the clouds of heaven, with all the holy angels. Witness the events connected with His coming. Picture in your minds the right and glorious reward of the just, and the awful punishment of the unjust. And all these scenes will have a tendency to strengthen your faith, and encourage you to love the Lord, and imitate His virtues, to shun the ways of sin, and walk in the path of holiness.

 

Will

 

The will is the faculty of choosing or determining. This faculty is the mainspring of the mind. It holds the operations of the mind and the motions of the body at its command. In this respect, it is to the rest of the faculties what a king is to his subjects. A king says to his subjects, Do this, and they obey him; and the will controls, to a great degree, the thoughts and actions of men. How necessary, then, it is for this faculty to be sanctified.

Men do not choose and determine without causes. There are always motives which lead men to choose and decide to act. These motives are either just or unjust, reasonable or unreasonable. The decisions of a sanctified will are based on just and reasonable motives, on reason, sound judgment, and the Word of God.

In the language of another, “Commendable decision implies two things—a knowledge of what is truth and duty, and a fixed determination to conform to them in practice without a compromise.” The mind should first be enlightened. It should first analyze what is held out as truth, and then judge and decide, choose or refuse.

When Joshua had refreshed the minds of the Israelites on God’s dealings with them, and called in exercise their reason and judgment, he said, “Choose ye this day whom ye will serve,” Joshua 24:15. Said the Lord to His back-slidden people, “Come now and let us reason together. Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land; but if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured by the sword.” Isaiah 1:18–20. Jesus and Paul instructed their hearers, reasoning with them from the Scriptures, and then called upon them to judge and decide with regard to the truth. Matthew 12:24–30; John 7, 8; Acts 17:2, 18:4, 19; 24:25, etc. Reason and judgment are not laid aside in the Scriptures; on the contrary, they are made use of and appealed to, that men may be persuaded to choose the truth.

But too often, alas! reason, judgment, and the Word of God are neglected, and the will is used in deciding against the truth.

A. has a strong will, but decides against certain Bible doctrines before he has carefully examined them, and thus shuts the truth out of his mind. If he goes where the present truth is preached, he decides in his own mind what he will believe and what he will not believe, before he really understands what is to be presented. If he decides to read what is held out as truth, he determines before hand to believe only what agrees with his ideas of right, and makes his opinions the rule with which to compare what others say. And if he finally sees his unreasonable and injudicious course, how difficult it is for him to alter his decision, especially if he has a proud heart. But it is wiser to revoke an unsanctified decision than to abide by it, that it may appear that we are firm and unchangeable.

B. is reluctant to decide in favor of the truth because a few ideas connected with it are not clear to his mind. But is it consistent to let a few seeming objections obscure clear and well-established principles, and prevent us from deciding in favor of what we know to be truth? Would it be reasonable for a schoolboy to decide against the science of arithmetic because he has come to a problem that he cannot solve? Reason and consistency require that we pronounce ourselves for what we understand to be truth, and those do violence to their reason and judgment who refuse to do this. By deciding in favor of the truth as far as we see it, we may be enabled to understand those points that are not clear. This has been the experience of thousands. But, although there should remain a few points unexplainable to our minds, we should not suffer these points to shake our confidence in plain and unmistakable evidences. It has been ascertained that the sun has spots which do not emit light, but it would be unwise to conclude that for this reason we should shut our eyes against the sun, and say that it does not shine. It is our duty and privilege to settle on the truth as far as we understand it, and to be as Mount Zion, which cannot be removed.

C. understands the truth, but determines to reject it because he does not have the feeling he should like to have. But feeling varies with circumstances, and is not, if separately considered, a safe guide. One of my relatives once urged me with much feeling and tears to become a Roman Catholic. I respected this relative’s honesty, but did not consider her feeling and tears as sufficient evidence to prove the Roman Catholic religion genuine. But bad feeling sometimes grows out of an inward conflict between right and wrong. Let wrong be overcome by sanctified decision and a holy practice, and good feeling may be restored. But, though good feeling should not be restored, we ought not to reject the truth, but rather settle on the merits of the truth.

When seedtime comes, the consistent farmer does not wait for feeling to know whether he had better prepare his ground and scatter his seed; and when the time of harvest comes, he does not wait for feeling to know whether he should harvest his grain. And shall any professing to love Bible truth, dishonor the cause of truth, and disgust the candid, by waiting for feeling, while they see their duty in God’s Word? Consistent persons are willing to trust honest individuals, and labor hard before receiving their wages, and shall Christians fear to trust God? Will they refuse to decide to serve Him till they have a good feeling, or till they receive that blessing which God bestows on those who yield to His truth? Those who leave plain Bible truth to run after feeling, grieve the Spirit of truth, and are in danger of being led by another spirit.

The Christian often feels very bad while in the way of duty. It is then that the enemy comes in with power to discourage and destroy him. No one will claim that Christ had very buoyant and joyous feelings when the sins of the whole world rested upon Him. Yet He was doing the most important work connected with His earthly mission.

D. concludes to reject the truth because of the trials and afflictions connected with it, and perhaps does not realize that those trials and afflictions connected with the truth are very prominent means of sanctification; that they make us know ourselves, and will, if rightly improved, enable us to advance in the attainment of every excellence. Says Job, “When He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” Job 23:10. Says Isaiah, “By this, therefore, shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged.” Isaiah 27:9. See, also verses 7 and 9. Says Paul, “They (our earthly parents) verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure, but He for our profit, that we might be made partakers of His holiness . . .” “We glory in tribulation also; knowing that tribulation worketh patience, and patience experience, and experience hope, and hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” Hebrews 12:10, 11; Romans 5:3–5. And James says, “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations, knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience; but let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” James 1:2–4.

God’s people have ever been a tried people, and the Scriptures plainly declare that, “We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.” Acts 14:22. Christ, the great Pattern of the church, was a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. He was tried in all points; and for the joy that was set before Him, He endured the cross, despising the shame. When the bitter cup of suffering was presented to Him, He showed that His will was sanctified by using the following language: “Father, if Thou be willing, remove this cup from Me; nevertheless, not My will, but Thine be done.” Luke 22:42.

In the above cases, we see some of the unreasonable and unscriptural motives that lead many to refuse the truth, and choose the way of sin and death. It often happens that the will is not checked, and runs impetuously in its course, without regard to consequences. This we see in persons called willful, self-willed, headstrong, who are a source of grief to those who would reason with them. Children are often so; if let alone their stubborn will would lead them to rush on headlong to destruction.

It is a true saying that “yielding pacifieth great offenses.” Ecclesiastes 10:4. It saves many trials and troubles. Most of those trials and difficulties that arise in families, in neighborhoods, and among brethren, can be traced to an unwillingness to yield. But some will say, Must I give up my rights? We answer, It often becomes a duty for individuals to give up, or yield in, what they call their rights. There are many instances in which we can yield or submit to others without sacrificing the truth. We are exhorted in the Scriptures to submit one to another, and we should in many things submit to all. If this principle were followed, many unhappy families and neighborhoods would be made happy, and thousands of grievous trials would be avoided.

Some have not learned to yield their will to their superiors, and how hard it is for such to bow to their Maker. They manifest the same stubborness toward the Lord that they do toward their fellow creatures. How many mighty men and women have fallen because they have rebelled against the Lord? Many have run well till their wills were crossed, and they would not yield to God and His truth. Doubtless, they were blinded to the fact that they were rebelling against God. Perhaps their minds were not raised higher than those who ministered to them in word and doctrine. This was the case with ancient Israel in the days of Moses, the servant of God. This was also the case with Israel at subsequent periods in their history.

David’s advice to his son Solomon was to “serve the Lord with a willing mind.” 1 Chronicles 28:9. Said Hezekiah to the Jews, “Now, be ye not stiff-necked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves unto the Lord.” 2 Chronicles 30:8. The consequences of stubbornness are awful. Many will yield when it is too late. Says the prophet Amos, “They shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it.” Amos 8:12. To such, wisdom says, “Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out My hand, and no man regarded; but ye have set at naught all My counsel, and would none of My reproof; I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; when your fear cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon Me, but I will not answer; they shall seek Me early, but they shall not find Me; for that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord; they would none of My counsel; they despised all My reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way.” Proverbs 1:24–30.

The language of each heart should be, Speak, Lord, thy servant heareth. I will choose thy truth, and do what Thou requirest at my hand. I will follow Thee through evil as well as through good report.

Though it is an exaggeration to say that men can of themselves do what they will, yet it is certain that many fail to gain their object, because they do not enlist their will on their side, and move from a fixed determination. This is true in religion as well as in worldly matters. The will can be a great help to Christians in overcoming their besetments. Said a dying man to his son, “Only have strength to say, No.” If we would have strength to say, No, in our conflicts with the powers of darkness in the time of trouble (Revelation 13:15–17; 14:9–11), we must have strength and decision to say, No, to the temptations that we now have to encounter. Our wills must be wholly swallowed up in the will of God. We read that “Thy people shall be willing in the days of Thy power.” Psalm 110:3. And in the language of Jesus, “Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” Revelation 22:17.

 

Now is the Day of Salvation

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As the disciples stood looking at the beautiful temple gleaming in the sun, in their admiration, they began to speak to Jesus. But, with these words, He dashed all their grand hopes: “And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? Verily I say unto you, there shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” Matthew 24:2. All their understanding, their visions, their imaginations and their hopes were centered upon Jesus as a king, who would set up an earthly kingdom. Suddenly, in one brief statement, He wiped all their hopes away.

Now Jesus starts to walk. He is going to the Mount of Olives, one of His favorite places. The disciples fall in behind and talk among themselves whispering, “What is He trying to tell us?” When they reached their resting place, the disciples came to Him and asked, “Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of Thy coming, and the end of the world?” Matthew 24:3.

Christ’s first words are, “Take heed that no man deceive you.” Verse 4. Who is Jesus warning against being deceived? It is the ministers in the church. He is not talking to the Gentiles. He is warning the church people that as we come to the end of the world, there will be great deceptions in the church, and we need to beware or we will be deceived.

When I used to preach this sermon, I looked at the other churches, and thought Jesus was talking about them, but now I must look at my own church. Jesus said, “For many shall come in my name.” Verse 5. When we take the name Seventh-day Adventist, we come in His name. But if we do not allow the plan of salvation to be worked out in our own lives, we are just coming in His name. We are not truly His until we surrender our will, our mind and our lives completely to God.

 

Signs in the Earth

 

In the next three verses Jesus lists world events that will signify that His coming is near: “And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.” Verse 6.

When I was in World War II, I thought that it surely must be the end of the world. I believed that, certainly, when that war ended Jesus would come. I was just a young man in those days, and now I am old and Jesus has not come yet. Why? The sole reason lies with us. Soon after 1844, if the church had entered into the experience of the Third Angel’s Message, Jesus would have come. (See Selected Messages, vol. 1, 68.) In 1888, God made another great attempt to bring the people into line with an experience of surrendering themselves so He could pour out His latter rain. But again the message was rejected, and over one hundred years later we are still here. However, I believe Jesus is coming soon. He will not tarry much longer. We have been around the mountain too many times, and the signs of His soon coming are too clear to be mistaken.

“For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in diverse places.” Verse 7. This verse has been fulfilled time and time again in recent years. Nations who rise against other nations are a permanent part of the daily news. One night one man goes to sleep as the king or president of a nation, and the next morning he is in jail and someone else is in power. We call those coups, and they happen all the time in our world.

“There shall be famines.” If you have been to the mission field or a third world country, you know that famines are horrible things. I remember in Africa when the rains did not come, and the gardens did not grow and all that the people had to eat was cassava. The little children were malnourished, and the weak ones died. The ladies would come to my wife in the dispensary and ask, “What are we going to do? We have no food.” It is heart-rending to face people that are dying because there is no food.

As we come to the end, it says that there will be famines, pestilences and earthquakes in diverse places. No one could deny that we now have pestilence and disease on every side. In Kenya, one hundred thousand cattle have died from Mad Cow disease, and now people are dying from the same thing. When I traveled to Australia some time ago, I sat beside a scientist who is working with AIDS in Australia. He told me that there are about thirteen million people who have been diagnosed with AIDS, and at the rate of increase, by the turn of the century there might be as many as sixty million people with AIDS.

Medical science has developed many “wonder drugs,” but, as we come to the end, they do not seem to have an affect on these diseases. People are dying of all kinds of diseases and many times doctors are helpless.

 

Signs in the Church

 

We could continue our list of horrors which fulfill Christ’s prophecy of the time just before His coming, but Jesus said, “All these are the beginning of sorrows.” Verse 8. What could be worse than wars, famines, pestilences and earthquakes? Inspiration says, “We have far more to fear from within than from without.” Selected Messages, vol. 1, 122. From verse nine on, Jesus pictures trouble in the church, and warns us that our worst problems will come from within the church. “And then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted and shall kill you and ye shall be hated of all nations for My name’s sake.” Verse 9.

In Matthew 10:16–22, Jesus talked about the same situation: “Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore as wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. But beware of men: [He is talking about church people here] for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues [their churches]; And ye shall be brought before Governors and Kings for My sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. For it is not ye that speak, but the spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. And the brother shall deliver up brother to death, and the father the child: And the children shall rise up against the parents, and cause them to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for My name’s sake: but he that endureth unto the end the same shall be saved.”

Continuing on in Matthew 24:10: “And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another,and shall hate one another.” From verse nine forward, Jesus is talking about the shaking of the church when everything that can be shaken will be shaken. Only that which cannot be shaken will remain. (See Testimonies, vol. 7, 219 and vol. 9, 15–16.)

“And many false prophets shall arise, and shall deceive many.” Verse 11. Inside the church, there will be many false prophets. Ellen White gave a picture of what would happen with our own ministers: “Unsanctified ministers are arraying themselves against God. They are praising Christ and the god of this world in the same breath. While professedly they receive Christ, they embrace Barabbas, and by their actions say, ‘Not this man, but Barabbas.’ . . .Let the sin of deceit and false witness be entertained by a church that has had great light, great evidence, and that church will discard the message the Lord has sent, and receive the most unreasonable assertions and the false suppositions and false theories. Satan laughs at their folly, for he knows what truth is. Many will stand in our pulpits with the torch of false prophecy in their hands, kindled with the hellish torch of Satan. If doubts and unbelief are cherished, the faithful ministers will be removed from the people who think they know so much. ‘If thou hadst known,’ said Christ, ‘even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! But now they are hid from their eyes.’ ” Testimonies to Ministers, 409–410.

False prophets are the greatest tragedy that has ever happened to Adventism. Tragically, many of these false prophets stand in very high positions. On Sabbath mornings, instead of preaching the real message that God has delivered to the Seventh-day Adventist Church to prepare a people for eternity, the message is what the Baptists or some other church is saying. It is tragic! If Ellen White were alive today, I think she would be busy night and day writing to those from the very top of this church to the bottom.

 

A Message for Laodiceans

 

The majority of Adventists do not know the truth. Why? They listen to men and are not studying the Word of God and the Spirit of Prophecy for themselves. The greatest weakness we have in Adventism today is that hardly anyone is reading the Bible or the Spirit of Prophecy. They would rather just listen to a sermon and pay their tithe. It is like joining a club. You walk through the door, pay the dues, go home and go to sleep. That is why we are still here.

“And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” Verse 12. In other words, sin is going to be tolerated because of these false prophets that have come in. When sin comes into a church unreproved, problems multiply. You can read about it in Revelation 3:14–19: “And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would that thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of My mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased in goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. And as many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: Be zealous therefore, and repent.”

Ellen White wrote in Testimonies, vol. 5, 136, “To stand in defense of truth and righteousness when the majority forsake us, to fight the battles of the Lord, when champions are few—this will be our test.” Our people in the Adventist churches today are being tested, and many of them are failing. God can only trust with eternal life those that are willing to make a full surrender of the will, mind and body to Him.

It is true—we are wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked, but we think we are increased with goods and in need of nothing. We are so happy with our situation, that we say, “God we want you to come, but wait a little while until we get through with what we are doing.”

“The message to the church of the Laodiceans is a startling denunciation, and applicable to the people of God at the present time . . . The Lord here shows us that the message to be borne to His people by ministers whom He has called to warn the people is not a peace and safety message. It is not merely theoretical, but practical in every particular. The people of God are represented in the message to the Laodicean as in a position of carnal security . . . What greater deception can come upon human minds than a confidence that they are right when they are all wrong? The message of the true witness finds the people of God in a sad deception, yet honest in that deception. They know not that their condition is deplorable in the sight of God.

“According to the light that God has given me in a vision, wickedness and deception are increasing among God’s people who profess to keep His commandments. Spiritual discernment to see sin as it exists and then to put it out of the camp is decreasing among God’s people; and spiritual blindness is fast coming upon them. The straight testimony must be revived, and it will separate those from Israel that have ever been at war with the means that God has ordained to keep corruptions out of the church. Wrongs must be called wrongs. Grievous sins must be called by their right name. All of God’s people should come nearer to Him and wash their robes of character in the blood of the Lamb. Then will they see sin in the true light and will realize how offensive it is in the sight of God.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 252–253.

Our redemption is much nearer than our minds are capable of comprehending. We are comfortable in our daily routine, comfortable homes, comfortable cars and all our possessions, but one of these days everything will change. We talk about it. We read The Great Controversy, especially the last chapters. We believe it, but it is hard for us to get our mind into that framework.

 

Preparation for the Final Crisis

 

When Betty and I were in Africa, we went through two revolutions. It was terrible! In the late 1950s, we were at Korrinda mission near Stanleyville, in the Congo, when the place blew up. We escaped three days ahead of Lamumba’s army. They killed thousands. It was only by a miracle that we made it into Uganda. From there, we were sent to Rwanda.

We had pictures of white priests leading five hundred Bhutus, drunk from banana beer, to burn Tutsi villages. There were Belgian paratroopers sitting in their jeeps watching, and if the Tutsis began to win, they turned their machine guns on them.

One morning the Belgian paratroopers went by my house in a jeep, down to the African village, and yelled in French for a Tutsi to come out of his house. It was just daybreak and he was scared to death so he did not come out. They turned their machine gun on the hut, killed him, jumped back in their jeep, and drove by my house, never saying a word.

These are the types of experiences we may have to face one day. People will lose their lives because they refuse to bow to the beast and keep Sunday. (Revelation 20:4.) Where will you and I be in those days? We can stand up in peace and prosperity and preach the truth, but will we stand in front of the courts when we face a death sentence and preach as boldly? We need to pray, because the only way we can do what Huss and the other martyrs did is with God’s special power in our lives.

We also have a preparation to make. If I have to stand in front of a judge and cannot use my Bible, I want to have God’s Word in my mind. It cannot be taken away from me there. And God has promised that if I will put it there, He will take it out when the time comes and give me the words to speak.

 

The Endurance Race

 

In Matthew 24:13 there is a most precious promise: “He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” We are all in an endurance race. Paul gives a vivid picture of what it takes to win this race in 1 Corinthians 9:24–27: “Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a cast away.”

The symbol that Paul used was not unfamiliar to the Corinthians. Corinth was a Greek city and the Greeks were the originators of the Olympic games. I can imagine the apostle Paul looking out of his window, watching these young men prepare themselves for these Olympic games. He said, “Every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things.” These men wanted to be sure they were going to win the gold, and no sacrifice was too precious to be made to reach their goal.

Yet, some Seventh-day Adventists have a real struggle with the health message. Many Adventist churches now serve coffee, doughnuts and tea after services. It is a social event, not a strenuous race. But without the preparation of mind and body by temperance and exercise, we will not endure.

I want the gold. How about you? We are in the greatest Olympics that have ever taken place in the six thousand-year history of Planet Earth. Only those that are getting ready for what is about to burst upon us as an overwhelming surprise will endure. Only those who are preparing through study and prayer are going to make it through.

“This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations and then shall the end come.” Matthew 24:14. Once God’s people understand what the gospel is and bring their lives into harmony with the truth without any compromise, the end will come. It did not happen in 1844. It did not happen after 1888. And here we have lived one hundred and ten years more and it still has not happened. But it will happen when we are faithful, loyal and obedient to all truth.

The evidence that the end is near is overwhelming and our stay is short. We have to change. We have to get into the Word of God like we have never studied before.

“Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15. “Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of Me.” John 5:39.

The Bereans “were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” Acts 17:11.

“And ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13.

Anything less is lost. Why? Because sin is so terrible that God can only trust those who are complete overcomers. We must have a complete and total change: “All who consecrate soul, body, and spirit to God will be constantly receiving a new endowment of physical and mental power.” The Desire of Ages, 827. Transformation, how we need it! “And if we consent, He will so identify Himself with our thoughts and aims, so blend our hearts and minds into conformity to His will, that when obeying Him we will be but carrying out our own impulses. The will, refined and sanctified, will find its highest delight in doing His service. When we know God, as it is our privilege to know Him, our life will be a life of continual obedience. Through an appreciation of the character of Christ, through communion with God, sin will become hateful to us.” Ibid., 668.

We have to hate sin! We have to stop sinning! Not by what we can do, but by what we know God will do in us. That is why we need to pray like we have never prayed before. We need to study like we have never studied before. We need to read the Spirit of Prophecy books and apply them to our lives today.

Jesus will come. There is no question about it. I wake up with it. I walk with it. I go to bed with it. I am excited about going to heaven. But we need to be ready now. We need to tell other people how to get ready for the coming of the Lord now. Now is the day of salvation.

 

Babylon the Great City

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We are living in a time when churches and nations are attempting to unite as at no other time in history. It is hoped by many that through gaining unity, war and poverty and many other awful things going on in our world will be eliminated. The promoters of this unification process have been planning and working for the unification of the world for several generations. A carefully planned but rather covert crusade is working to bring this world-unification about. Various facets of this intricate and comprehensive plan can be seen in the educational system, the political and military system, the economic system, the large religious bodies of the world, the media, the medical and legal fraternity, the various secret societies, the money and banking conglomerates, the combinations of the working classes for the protection of their interests and the entertainment industry.

Most of the players in this crusade have little or no idea about what is really going on or what they are actually participating in. The scope of what is happening in our world is so intricate and globally pervasive that not even the thought leaders of the world and the most powerful people comprehend the whole picture. Only by a study of Bible prophecy is it possible to partially unravel to the human mind what is taking place in the world today and get a glimpse of the total picture.

First of all, we know from Bible prophecy that we are living in the last days of this world’s history, described in Daniel 11 as “the time of the end.” In the book of Revelation the great unification of the world during the last of this great epochal period is plainly foretold. The following details are clearly specified:

  1. Almost all of the world will be deceived. Satan “deceives the entire inhabited world.” Revelation 12:9. “And the whole earth wondered after the beast.” (Some translators prefer to translate the verb thaumazo in the previous verse as, “the whole earth worshipped the beast” or “the whole earth followed the beast.”) Revelation 13:3. “All who dwell on the earth shall do him [the beast power] homage, whose names are not in the book of life.” Revelation 13:8. “He [the two-horned beast] deceives those who dwell on the earth.” Revelation 13:14. “And I saw out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet three unclean spirits like frogs; for they are the spirits of demons doing signs to go forth to the kings of the earth and the whole inhabited world to gather them together to battle of that great day of God the Almighty.” Revelation 16:12–14. “Those that dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.” Revelation 17:2. “All nations have drunk the wine of the wrath of her fornication.” Revelation 18:3. “Your merchants were the great ones of the earth, because by your sorcery all the nations were led astray [or deceived].” Revelation 18:23.

This deception will involve miracles. Ellen White was given a view of that which in her time was mostly in the future: “We are coming right upon the time when Satan is to work with all manner of bewitching influences, and those who are charmed with them now, or give them the least countenance now, will be all ready to be swept right in to act a part with the devil then. Evil angels are working all the time upon the hearts of men. Satan is working with everyone who is not under the control of the Spirit of God. It is the lying wonders of the devil that will take the world captive, and he will cause fire to come down from heaven in the sight of men. He is to work miracles; and this wonderful, miracle-working power is to sweep in the whole world. It is now just beginning.” Selected Messages, vol. 2, 51.

  1. The texts above show that the person who deceives the whole world in the last days is the devil (Revelation 12:9); however, he works through human agents and organizations. He will work through a union of three major human powers: the dragon power, the beast power and the false prophet.

 

The Beast

 

There are twenty to twenty-five identifying marks of the beast power given in Daniel 7, Revelation 13, 2 Thessalonians 2 and 1 John 4. A few principle items will suffice.

  1. This power would arise among the powers that divided up to become the Roman Empire. (Daniel 7:8.)
  2. It would not become an independent political power (a “horn” or “beast” or kingdom) until three of the ten horns (the Ostrogoths, the kingdom of Odoacer and the Vandals) were uprooted. The earliest date that can be given for this is when the Ostrogoths were defeated and driven from Rome in 538 A.D.
  3. This power was to intend to change times and law. (Daniel 7:25.)
  4. It was to be a persecuting power. (Daniel 7:25; Revelation 13:7.)
  5. It was to persecute, not atheists or criminals but, the saints or holy people of God. (Daniel 7:25; Revelation 13:7.)
  6. It was to be a superpower—to exercise power and authority over all nations. (Revelation 13:7; Daniel 7:20.)
  7. It was to be a religious power because men would worship it. (2 Thessalonians 2:4; Revelation 13:3, 8.)
  8. It was to continue until the second advent of Christ—so it is obvious that it is in the world today. (Daniel 7:26, 27; Revelation 19:20; 16:12–14; 2 Thessalonians 2:7, 8.)
  9. It had roots that go all the way back to the apostles. (2 Thessalonians 2:7.)
  10. This power was to persecute the saints for 1260 prophetic days or literal years.
  11. This persecution would be cut short for the elect’s sake. (Matthew 24:22.)
  12. This power was to receive a deadly wound—it would appear to receive such a deadly blow as to destroy it, but it would recover from this deadly wound and afterwards the whole world would follow it again! (Revelation 13:3.) This occurred in 1798 when France (sometimes called the eldest son of the papacy) took the pope prisoner. The pope died in a prison in France and there was no papacy for a number of months.
  13. This deadly wound has now been healed and the entire world is wondering after the papacy again.
  14. This power was to blaspheme (revile, defame or speak evil of) the following three: God’s name, His tabernacle (or sanctuary in heaven) and those who dwell in heaven. (Revelation 13:6.)

When all of these identifying marks are put together it is impossible to conclude that this beast power represents any other than the papacy of Rome.

My brother Marshall explained it to non-Adventists in his prophecy seminar this way: What religious power had its roots in Paul’s day, became involved with politics after the demise of the Caesars, began to persecute people on religious grounds, and had its headquarters among the countries of Europe? As we think about it, there is only one religious-political power of the Dark Ages that even remotely fits this description, (and it fits every detail) and that is the Papacy of Rome.

Did the Papacy of Rome become a political ruler after the breakup of the pagan Roman Empire? Let a Catholic historian answer this question: “Long ages ago, when Rome, through the neglect of the Western emperors, was left to the mercy of the barbarous hordes, the Romans turned to one figure for aid and protection, and asked him to rule them . . . and thus . . . commenced the temporal sovereignty of the popes. And meekly stepping to the throne of Caesar, the vicar of Christ took up the scepter to which the emperors and kings of Europe were to bow in reverence through so many ages.” James P. Conroy, American Catholic Quarterly Review, April 1911.

 

The Dragon

 

If the beast power is the papacy, then who and what is the dragon? The dragon is the power that gave to the papacy its power, throne and great authority. It is obvious from the study of history that this power must refer to the pagan or heathen Roman Empire.

That which was started by Constantine and continued by Theodosius was completed by Justinian. Justinian first made a law in 532 A.D., which was to take effect in 533, that was to unite all in one faith. “Whether they were Jews, Gentiles or Christians, all who did not within three months profess and embrace the Catholic faith, were by the edict ‘declared infamous, and as such excluded from all employments both civil and military; rendered incapable of leaving anything by will; and all their estates confiscated, whether real or personal.’ As a result of this cruel edict, ‘Great numbers were driven from their habitations with their wives and children, stripped and naked. Others betook themselves to flight, carrying with them what they could conceal, for their support and maintenance; but they were plundered of what little they had, and many of them inhumanly massacred.’ ” Bower History of Latin Christianity, Book III, Chap. 1 Par. 5, quoted in The Two Republics, by A.T. Jones, 545.

However, this was just the legislative decree giving the papacy his unlimited power and authority. (The throne or seat of government of the papacy [Revelation 13:2] had already been bestowed by Constantine.)

Justinian was persuaded by the Catholic clergy to wage war on all Christians who did not acknowledge the supremacy of the pope over all churches, pastors and individual Christians. “The conquest of Italy by the Greeks was, to a great extent at least, the work of the Catholic clergy. . .The overthrow of the Gothic kingdom was to Italy an unmitigated evil . . . In their overthrow began the fatal policy of the Roman See, fatal at least to Italy. . . which never would permit a powerful native kingdom to unite Italy, or a very large part of it, under one dominion.

Whatever it may have been to Christendom, the Papacy has been the eternal, implacable foe of Italian independence and Italian unity.” Milman, History of Latin Christianity, vol. 1 b. 3, ch. 4.

There had been three nations which had not acknowledged the supremacy of the pope over all, and these three nations were the kingdom of Odoacer which had been destroyed by 493 A.D, the nation of the Vandals (destroyed by Justinian’s armies in 534 A.D.) and the Ostrogoths (driven from Rome by Justinian’s armies in 538 A.D.)

The dragon then represents the pagan Roman Empire and this is a most suitable symbol, for the Roman Empire is where paganism reached the zenith of its development. The religion of paganism is the worship of nature but in its fullest development it becomes the worship of the greatest intellects in God’s creation, or bluntly, the worship of evil spirits. It is impossible to fully develop this thesis in a magazine article, but any research into the nature of idolatry, whether in ancient Egypt or Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece or Rome, will reveal that idolatry in its fullest development involves intercourse with and worship of evil spirits.

The Bible supports this conclusion. Paul said, “But that which the nations sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not go God.” 1 Corinthians 10:20. When Paul was called to preach, the Lord told Him that he was to turn the people from the power of the devil to the power of God. (Acts 26:18.) Spiritualism from its development in Eden, in Genesis, has always claimed to make men and women into gods, and the leaders of heathen religions had God-like power over the consciences, minds and bodies of the adherents of those religions. Behind all of this apparent transformation of human beings into gods, was the arch-fiend who controlled the leaders of these religions andthrough them the people.

 

The False Prophet

 

The third power through whom Satan will deceive the world in the last days is the False Prophet. This is a most carefully chosen symbol. A prophet is a person who has received a special gift of prophecy from the Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 4; 1 Corinthians 12.) If a church claims to be led by prophets and live by the teaching of prophets, it will be a church claiming the Bible as its ultimate source of authority, since the Bible was written by prophets, and this is what gives it its authority. A church that lives by tradition or man-made commandments does not even claim to be controlled or ruled by prophets. What power in the world claims to be controlled and led by prophets—claims to receive their religion from the Bible—yet is attempting to influence men and women to receive the mark of the beast? (See Revelation 19:20.) The only group that this can indeed refer to is the Protestant world which is indeed seeking to lead people to receive the mark of papal authority—Sunday observance.

This goes back a long time. The Protestant churches were at one time accepted by God and were progressing in their knowledge of Biblical truth. But the time came when they, as entire churches, rejected the teaching of the First Angel’s Message, and as a result, the Lord rejected them. Those who accepted the truth in all these different bodies were called out to finish God’s work on the earth.

Ellen White described it like this, “Ministers laid aside their sectarian views and feelings and united in proclaiming the coming of Jesus. Wherever the message was given, it moved the people . . .Thousands were led to embrace the truth preached by William Miller, and servants of God were raised up in the spirit and power of Elijah to proclaim the message . . . many who were united with the churches received the healing message; they saw their backslidings, and with bitter tears of repentance and deep agony of soul, humbled themselves before God. And as the Spirit of God rested upon them, they helped to sound the cry, ‘Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come.’ The preaching of definite time called forth great opposition from all classes, from the minister in the pulpit down to the most reckless,heaven-daring sinner . . . these shepherds stepped in between the truth and the people, and preached smooth things to lead them from the truth. They united with Satan and his angels, crying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there was no peace. Those who loved their ease and were content with their distance from God would not be aroused from their carnal security . . . Ministers who would not accept this saving message themselves hindered those who would have received it . . . Angels were watching with the deepest interest the result of the heavenly message, and when the churches turned from and rejected it, they in sadness consulted with Jesus. He turned His face from the churches . . . Satan and his angels triumphed, and cast it in the face of Christ and His holy angels, that His professed people had so little love for Jesus that they did not desire His second appearing.

“The believers in this message were oppressed in the churches . . . As the churches refused to receive the First Angel’s Message, they rejected the light from heaven and fell from the favor of God . . . As the time passed, those who had not fully received the light of the angel united with those who had despised the message, and they turned upon the disappointed ones with ridicule. Angels marked the situation of Christ’s professed followers. The passing of the definite time had tested and proved them, and very many were weighed in the balance and found wanting. They loudly claimed to be Christians, yet in almost every particular failed to follow Christ. Satan exulted at the state of the professed followers of Jesus.

“He had them in his snare . . . As the people of God united in the cry of the second angel, the heavenly host marked with the deepest interest the effect of the message. They saw many who bore the name of Christians turn with scorn and derision upon those who had been disappointed. As the words fell from mocking lips, ‘You have not gone up yet!’ an angel wrote them. Said the angel, ‘They mock God.’ I was pointed back to a similar sin committed in ancient times. Elijah had been translated to heaven, and his mantle had fallen upon Elisha. Then wicked youth, who had learned from their parents to despise the man of God, followed Elisha, and mockingly cried, ‘Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head.’ In thus insulting His servant, they insulted God and met their punishment then and there. In like manner, those who have scoffed and mocked at the idea of the saints’ going up, will be visited with the wrath of God, and will be made to feel that it is not a light thing to trifle with their Maker . . .Those who rejected and opposed the light of the First Angel’s Message, lost the light of the second, and could not be benefited by the power and glory which attended the message, ‘Behold, the Bridegroom cometh.’ Jesus turned from them with a frown; for they had slighted and rejected Him . . . I saw Jesus turn His face from those who rejected and despised His coming, and then He bade angels lead His people out from among the unclean, lest they should be defiled.” excerpts from Early Writings, 232–249. All emphasis supplied.

In The Great Controversy, Ellen White describes the same experience as follows: “But as ministers and religious leaders decided against the advent doctrine and desired to suppress all agitation of the subject, they not only opposed it from the pulpit, but denied their members the privilege of attending preaching upon the second advent, or even of speaking of their hope in the social meetings of the church. Thus the believers found themselves in a position of great trial and perplexity. They loved their churches and were loath to separate from them; but as they saw the testimony of God’s word suppressed and their right to investigate the prophecies denied they felt that loyalty to God forbade them to submit. Those who sought to shut out the testimony of God’s word they could not regard as constituting the church of Christ, ‘the pillar and ground of the truth.’ Hence they felt themselves justified in separating from their former connection. In the summer of 1844 about fifty thousand withdrew from the churches . . .

“The first angel’s message of Revelation 14, announcing the hour of God’s judgment and calling upon men to fear and worship Him, was designed to separate the professed people of God from the corrupting influences of the world and to arouse them to see their true condition of worldliness and backsliding. In this message, God has sent to the church a warning, which, had it been accepted, would have corrected the evils that were shutting them away from Him. Had they received the message from heaven, humbling their hearts before the Lord and seeking in sincerity a preparation to stand in His presence, the Spirit and power of God would have been manifested among them. The church would again have reached that blessed state of unity, faith, and love which existed in apostolic days, when the believers ‘were of one heart and of one soul,’ and ‘spake the word of God with boldness,’ when ‘the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.’ Acts 4:32, 31; 2:47 . . . But the churches generally did not accept the warning.

“In refusing the warning of the first angel, they rejected the means which Heaven had provided for their restoration. They spurned the gracious messenger that would have corrected the evils which separated them from God, and with greater eagerness they turned to seek the friendship of the world. Here was the cause of that fearful condition of worldliness, backsliding, and spiritual death which existed in the churches in 1844 . . .

“The unfaithfulness of the church to Christ in permitting her confidence and affection to be turned of the marriage vow . . .

“The woman (Babylon) of Revelation 17 is described as ‘arrayed in purple and scarlet color, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness . . . and upon her forehead was a name written, Mystery, Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots.’ Says the prophet: ‘I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.’ Babylon is further declared to be ‘that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.’ Revelation 17:4–6, 18. The power that for so many centuries maintained despotic sway over the monarchs of Christendom is Rome.

“The purple and scarlet color, the gold and precious stones and pearls, vividly picture the magnificence and more than kingly pomp affected by the haughty see of Rome. And no other power could be so truly declared ‘drunken with the blood of the saints’ as that church which has so cruelly persecuted the followers of Christ. Babylon is also charged with the sin of unlawful connection with ‘the kings of the earth.’ 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. Since this message follows the warning of the judgment, it must be given in the last days; therefore it cannot refer to the Roman Church alone, for that church has been in a fallen condition for many centuries. Furthermore, in the eighteenth chapter of the Revelation the people of God are called upon to come out of Babylon. According to this scripture, many of God’s people must still be in Babylon. And in what religious bodies are the greater part of the followers of Christ now to be found? Without doubt, in the various churches professing the Protestant faith. At the time of their rise these churches took a noble stand for God and the truth, and His blessing was with them. Even the unbelieving world was constrained to acknowledge the beneficent results that followed an acceptance of the principles of the gospel . . .

“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.

“Notwithstanding the spiritual darkness and alienation from God that exist in the churches which constitute Babylon, the great body of Christ’s true followers are still to be found in their communion. There are many of these who have never seen the special truths for this time. Not a few are dissatisfied with their present condition and are longing for clearer light. They look in vain for the image of Christ in the churches with which they are connected. As these bodies depart further and further from the truth, and ally themselves more closely with the world, the difference between the two classes will widen, and it will finally result in separation.

“The time will come when those who love God supremely can no longer remain in connection with such as are ‘lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.’ “The Great Controversy, 376–390.

This three-fold union of Spiritualism (pagan religions are included in this term), the Papacy, and Protestant churches, who seek to shut out the testimony of God’s Word and cling to doctrines originating with the Papacy, sacrifice the truth and approval of God in order to form an unlawful alliance with the world, make up, what the latter part of the book of Revelation refers to as, Mystical Babylon. Babylon will be made up of a union of these three great powers: Spiritualism, the Papacy and Apostate Protestantism.

Ellen White describes this as follows, “Through the two great errors, the immortality of the soul and Sunday sacredness, Satan will bring the people under his deceptions. While the former lays the foundation of spiritualism, the latter creates a bond of sympathy with Rome. The Protestants of the United States will be foremost in stretching their hands across the gulf to grasp the hand of spiritualism; they will reach over the abyss to clasp hands with the Roman power; and under the influence of this threefold union, this country will follow in the steps of Rome in trampling on the rights of conscience.” The Great Controversy, 588.

“By the decree of enforcing the institution of the Papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with Spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and Republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan, and that the end is near.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 451.

To be continued.

 

The Atonement

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For many years the Protestant churches accused the Seventh-day Adventist Church of being a cult because they did not believe, as did the Protestants, that the atonement was completed at the cross. Adventists believe that the Day of Atonement began on October 22, 1844.

There were leading Adventist ministers in the 1950s who wanted to remove the cult status. These ministers talked to the evangelicals of the Martin-Barnhouse conferences in the middle ’50s saying that Adventists did believe that the atonement was finished at the cross and it is just the benefits of that sacrifice that are now being administered. The book, Questions on Doctrine, was written to prove this. I have personally heard Elder R. A. Anderson, one of the principle persons involved, explain explicitly and publicly the reason for this book—to lose the cult status.

The word atonement in inspired writings means more than one thing. It is used in at least two or three different ways, which is part of the reason for the controversy and has at least two meanings. The first is the sacrifice that was necessary, not only to forgive the sinner, but to take away or remove his sins. Ellen White uses the word atonement in that way in The Review and Herald, September 24, 1901. She wrote, “… when the Father beheld the sacrifice of His Son, He bowed before it in recognition of its perfection. ‘It is enough,’ He said. ‘The atonement is complete.’ ”

Atonement in that sentence is used in regard to the atonement sacrifice which was complete. The book of Hebrews is very clear that that sacrifice will never have to be made again. Under the old covenant many sacrifices were offered, but under the new covenant there was one atonement sacrifice for all.

In The Signs of the Times, June 28, 1899, it states: “When He offered Himself on the cross, a perfect atonement was made for the sins of the people.” It was perfect, complete and never need be repeated, throughout all eternal ages.

The second meaning of the word atonement is to cleanse or remove from a person, or a group of people, both the guilt and the power of sin. We call it the blotting out of sin that began when Jesus moved from the Holy Place to the Most Holy on October 22, 1844. Using the word atonement in that sense, Ellen White wrote in “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 481: “Today He [Christ] is making an atonement for us before the Father.”

“We are now living in the great day of atonement.” The Great Controversy, 489. We have been living in the antitypical Day of Atonement since October 22, 1844, when the investigative judgment began. The investigative judgment and the atonement, or blotting out of sins, are two separate things. The atonement occurs at the end of the Day of Atonement when the sins will be blotted out. In the typical service, the high priest entered into the Most Holy Place, dipped his finger in the blood and sprinkled it seven times on the mercy seat which represented the blotting out of sin from God’s people. Then the high priest took those sins upon himself, went out, and confessed them over the head of the scapegoat, which was then separated from the children of God forever. (See Leviticus 16.)

Ellen White states in The Signs of the Times, March 14, 1878: “Those only who acknowledge the binding claim of the moral law can explain the nature of the atonement.”

We are told: “The whole world needs to be instructed in the oracles of God, to understand the object of the atonement, the at-one-ment, with God. The object of this atonement was that the divine law and government might be maintained.” The Signs of the Times, March 20, 1901.

Since the fall, Satan has attacked the law of God and His government. The atonement was to maintain the authority of the divine law and God’s government.

Let us review some descriptive words used throughout the Spirit of Prophecy concerning God’s law so we can better understand the atonement.

The law of God is eternal – it has no beginning and no ending. It did not begin at Mount Sinai as some of our Christian friends teach. It was in existence before the creation of the world and before the uprising in heaven that caused the expulsion of Satan and his angels. Nothing that has been created, neither angels nor man, can be eternal because all have had a beginning.

The law of God is immutable – Immutable means something that you cannot change. It is no longer a commonly used word.

“The law of God stands immutable, eternal as His throne.

“There is no such thing as weakening or strengthening the law of Jehovah. As it has always been, so it is. It cannot be repealed or changed in one principle. It is eternal, immutable as God Himself.” The Signs of the Times, March 20, 1901.

The law of God is imperishable – It can never pass away. “All the opposition cannot, for one moment, drag down that holy law. It is eternal, imperishable as the throne of God.” The Review and Herald, May 25, 1876. Any attempt to destroy the law is an attempt to destroy the throne of God.

God’s law is irrevocable – When a person makes out a revocable trust, he can change it anytime before he dies. An irrevocable trust means it cannot be changed and there are strict state laws governing it.

It is indestructible – No matter what you do, you can’t destroy it. “The law of God maintains its binding claims, notwithstanding the fact that men claim to have refuted every argument in its favor. The truth still lives; the light still shines; it cannot be put out. In the Dark Ages the Bible was set aside; it was burned. Men tried to banish it from the earth; but how signally they failed! The law of God may be ignored, despised, rejected, trampled upon, but it is still the great standard of righteousness, immutable and indestructible. It is eternal.” The Review and Herald, May 28, 1901.

“… these rejecters of truth cannot always remain deaf to the claims of God’s law, for it is eternal and irrevocable.” The Review and Herald, May 18, 1897. It is the standard of righteousness.

The law of God is complete – “The law of Jehovah was always holy, just, and good, and complete in itself.” The Signs of the Times, March 20, 1901.

The law of God is perfect – See Psalm 19. “The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether” (verse 9 KJV).

God’s law is the foundation of His government – “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; mercy and truth go before Your face” (Psalm 89:14).

God’s law is the standard of righteousness – David said, “All Your commandments are righteousness” (Psalm 119:172).

When a person understands the principles and holiness of the law, he will be prepared intellectually to begin to understand something about the atonement sacrifice that was required to save people who had broken that law.

We have previously covered the purpose of the atonement. The object of the atonement was to preserve the divine law and the divine government. Here we will see the only way that an atonement could be provided.

Remember this law is eternal and is as sacred as God Himself. There has never been a time when it didn’t exist. The only one able to make an atonement for such a law that had been broken would be somebody who was sinless and perfectly spotless.

“Christ could not have done this work had He not been personally spotless. Only One who was Himself perfection could be at once the sin bearer and the sin pardoner. … from the time that He was born an infant in Bethlehem till He hung on the cross of Calvary, and cried in a voice that shook the universe, ‘It is finished,’ the Saviour was pure and spotless.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 461.

When Jesus went to the cross, He did not have one murmuring thought. The people conducting the trial, the torture and the crucifixion of Jesus were all stirred up by the devil.

Throughout His life, Jesus had never lost patience once while the devil kept trying to defeat the plan of salvation, right up until the time He died. While hanging on the cross some called out to Him, “If you are the Son of God, come down now.” It was within His power that He could, but had He done that, it would have broken up the plan of salvation. It was the same in the wilderness of temptation when Jesus had fasted for 40 days. If the devil had succeeded to get Him to throw Himself down from the temple, the plan of salvation would have been over and we would be eternally lost.

From the time Jesus was born in Bethlehem until He died on the cross, He was perfectly sinless and spotless, otherwise His sacrifice would not have atoned for our sins. You see, the law of God is perfect. To atone for a law like that takes a perfect person.

Only One who was of superior value to Adam as he existed in paradise could make an atonement for a broken law like this.

Only One who was divine could make an atonement for this broken law. “God himself became man, and bore all the wrath that sin had provoked. This problem, How could God be just and yet the justifier of sinners? baffled all finite intelligence.” The Youth’s Instructor, August 31, 1887.

Nobody in the universe other than the Godhead could answer that question. How could God be just and also justify the sinner? “A divine person alone could mediate between God and man.” Ibid. The arch-angel of heaven could not do it. Only a divine person, One who possessed the before-mentioned qualifications could do it. Jesus volunteered to be that One.

Let’s just think that through for a moment. It would not be just for an innocent person to pay the price of the guilty if he was forced to do it. That wouldn’t be just and there would be no atonement in that. The only way there could be any atonement was if Jesus Christ volunteered to do it. He was not pushed into doing it. He was not pressed into doing it. He willingly offered Himself.

Ellen White talks about the red heifer, which symbolized Christ and was to be an animal upon whom had never been a yoke. Ellen White explains it this way: “It must be without spot or blemish, and one that had never borne a yoke. Here, again, Christ was typified. The Son of God came voluntarily to accomplish the work of atonement. There was no obligatory yoke upon Him, for He was independent and above all law.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 120.

Only One who was equal with God could do this. “The broken law of God demanded the life of the sinner. In all the universe there was but One who could, in behalf of man, satisfy its claims. Since the divine law is as sacred as God Himself, only one equal with God could make atonement for its transgression.” The Signs of the Times, November 4, 1908.

Only Jesus Christ is equal with God. He is the only Person who could make an atonement. Just before He was crucified Jesus said to His disciples, “No man comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6, literal translation).

Jesus said, “nor does anyone know the Father except the Son” (Matthew 11:27, last part). He told the Jews that if they knew the Father they would know Him whom the Father had sent. All who claim to worship God that do not know His Son are worshiping another God.

Only the One who had created man could make atonement for him. Only the One who was independent and above all law could make atonement for man. Only One who had divine perfection of character could make atonement for man.

To come to the realization that a Being like that would stoop to such a depth to save a wretch such as I makes one feel like a worm. But that is how much God loves us. He withheld nothing, even His only beloved Son, so man could be saved out of his wretchedness.

We often talk of looking forward to heaven to be reunited with our loved ones who have passed, but the main reason to be in heaven is to be with Jesus, the One who made all of this possible by His sacrificial love and concern over His lost creation and tell Him how we appreciate what He has done for us.

Throughout eternity the saints will marvel at the love and sacrifice of our Saviour. The love of Christ, the apostle Paul said, is beyond knowledge. There is nobody who can explain it, for it is beyond anything that can be explained. But once you have experience it, you will want nothing else.

After the apostle Paul experienced it, he didn’t want anything else. He said that he had lost everything else because of it and counted that rubbish in comparison to the love of Christ. If he could just know Jesus, that was enough.

When I started studying about the atonement, I was so aghast. I said, Lord, I cannot comprehend this. We do not understand how great Jesus is. If we did, we would be so astonished at the plan of salvation that we would walk in awe the rest of our lives.

The Christian religion is true. The evidence is overwhelming. It is historical. It is a fact. One day soon we are going to face our Creator. The goal of my life is just to be ready for that day. I pray that the Lord will help us to understand the plan of salvation, in a practical way, and to realize that it was done for each one of us individually.

(Unless appearing in quoted references or otherwise identified, Bible texts are from the New King James Version.)

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

Sanctification

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Sanctification is a Bible subject, and as such it demands our serious attention. The importance of this subject appears from the fact that it is God’s will that we should be sanctified. Says inspiration: “This is the will of God, even your sanctification.” 1 Thessalonians 4:3. The object of God in giving a revelation to man, was to sanctify a people unto Himself; and as many as have spoken and written by inspiration, have dwelt on the necessity of sanctification.

Anciently God commanded His people to be holy. Leviticus 11:44. Jesus prayed the Father to sanctify His followers, and those who should believe on Him through their word, and died that a people might be sanctified unto God; (John 17:17, 19; Hebrews 12:2) and under this dispensation the Lord says, “Be ye holy, for I am holy.” “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.” 1 Peter 1:15; Hebrews 12:14. In the face of these plain truths, it cannot be expected that those who love the Bible will be disposed to let this subject pass unnoticed.

In the Holy Scriptures, sanctification sometimes consists in setting apart or consecrating to a sacred or religious use. In this sense the seventh day, the firstborn, Mount Sinai, the priests, the sanctuary and its utensils, the temple at Jerusalem, and the prophets, were sanctified. Genesis 2:3; Exodus 13:2; 19:2, 3; 28–30; 2 Chronicles 29:7; Jeremiah 1:5. In this sense even Christ was sanctified, when He was set apart to the work of man’s redemption. John 10:36; 17:19.

Sanctification consists, moreover, in cleansing from sin, in making pure and holy that which is impure and unholy. In this sense Christians are sanctified, and in the progress of their anctification, there is a setting apart to holy purposes —a self-consecration to the glory of God.

The depravity of our race is the doctrinal fact upon which rests the necessity of our being sanctified. “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23. All are naturally inclined to love the ways of sin and to do evil. The power of sin has so affected the human family, that they may, in their natural state, be called the servants of sin. But sanctification purifies and alienates us from the dominion of sin; destroys the corrupt propensities of our fallen natures; rectifies our affections and inclinations, and brings our entire being into subjection to the will of God, so that we may properly be called the servants of righteousness.

This is indeed a great work, and the Scriptures plainly teach that God sanctifies His people. Exodus 31:13; Ezekiel 20:12; John 17:17; Hebrews 2:11. God graciously provides and urges the means of sanctification, and helps His people to use them. It is impossible for man to devise means whereby he can sanctify himself, or to attain to holiness by his own strength. Man must accept the means which God has devised, and the gracious assistance which He affords.

The plan of God is such that we must co-operate with Him in this work. This is seen in the following texts: “Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the Lord your God. And ye shall keep my statutes, and do them: I am the Lord which sanctify you. Leviticus 20:7, 8.

“Cleanse your hands ye sinners, and purify your hearts ye double-minded.” “Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit.” “Every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself even as He is pure.” “Abstain from all appearance of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly.” James 4:8; 2 Corinthians 7:1; 1 John 3:3; 1 From this view of the subject, it is evident that we cannot be sanctified, or become holy, without making special efforts to overcome sin. If men could be sanctified irrespective of the course they pursue, we might conclude that sanctification depends wholly on the will of God; and as God is no respecter of persons, we might also conclude that if He sanctifies one, He will sanctify all, and that all mankind will be saved.

It is also evident that those greatly err who think that sanctification rests solely in the power of men, and that they can of themselves turn from sin to holiness. To say the least, they do not realize the depth of their degradation and misery, and have not felt the force of this humbling truth, that they are carnal, sold under sin.

Sanctification is effected through the truth. Says Christ, “Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy word is truth . . .. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.” “Now ye are clean through the word that I have spoken unto you.” John 17:17, 19; 15:3. And Peter says, “Seeing ye have purified your hearts in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently.” 1 Peter 1:22.

Genuine sanctification follows the channel of Bible truth. It is not grounded on flights of feeling, but on the immutable truths of God’s word. It is the truth received through the mind, and practically carried out in the life. When the truth is thus received and carried out, there is a radical work, a change indeed; and those who receive and obey the truth are not destitute of good feeling. They have an inward satisfaction for well doing, and enjoy the approbation and blessing of the Lord to encourage and strengthen them in their great and glorious work.

Some would try to evade the truth with the idea that they have the Spirit, and consequently the sanctification of the Spirit. But what is the leading office of the Spirit that sanctifies? It is to guide into the truth. Said Christ, “When He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth.” John 17:13. The Spirit and the truth agree. The Spirit is the great agent that God employs in sanctifying men. Hence Bible sanctification is called the sanctification of the Spirit. 1 Peter 1:2. The Spirit helps our infirmities. It helps us to understand, receive and practice the truth. Therefore that spirit which is not in harmony with the truths of God’s word is not the sanctifying Spirit of truth, and the sanctification which is based on the leadings and teachings of such a spirit is a false one.

Sanctification is a progressive work. Says Paul, “Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” 2 Corinthians 7:1. Those whom Paul is here addressing were Christians, yet they needed to cleanse themselves and perfect holiness or sanctification. The same sentiment is expressed in the following texts: “Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on to perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and faith toward God.” Hebrews 6:6. “Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect; but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:12–14.

2 Peter 1:5–9: “And besides this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things, is blind and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.”

In this passage the apostle addresses those who have obtained like precious faith, (verse 1) and urges a progressive advancement in holiness toward completeness in the Christian character. In conversion a blow is struck at the corrupt propensities of fallen human nature, and a great change takes place. But the work of sanctification is not then complete. The young convert stands on the platform of faith. He has seen sin in its true light, has repented of his sins, and has been cleansed from the same by faith in the merits and efficacy of the blood of Christ, and now rejoices in his Saviour. But he must advance in holiness by adding to his faith virtue and to virtue knowledge and the rest of the Christian graces.

Thus it appears that sanctification is not the work of a moment. It is to be regretted that some, believing sanctification to be an instantaneous work, will fall back on some past blessing or excitement, and will even affirm that they have been months and years in a state of perfect love without committing a single sin, and scoff at the idea that they can be in a better condition, in a holier state. The spirit of such, is different from that of many pious and devoted men and women in the past, who often wept over the remains of inbred sin, and in whose lives we trace progress in sanctification.

The position that sanctification is an instantaneous work, has a tendency to discourage the conscientious and desponding, and to induce many to believe that they are rich and increased with goods, and have need of nothing, and is a great hindrance in the way of true sanctification.

Says the apostle, “He that lacketh these things is blind and cannot see afar off.” He that has had an opportunity to improve and has not advanced in Christian virtues, is in a backslidden state, and being deprived of the enlightening influences of the Holy Spirit, is in a great measure blind in regard to his own condition and in regard to the truth, and cannot see afar off, or cannot see far in the way of holiness.

Sanctification may be well represented by the growth of plants. It commences with the seed, the grain, and grows up into the lofty tree. It is receiving with meekness the ingrafted word, and growing thereby, or growing in grace and in the knowledge of the truth, or growing up into Christ our living head, or being changed from glory to glory into the image of Christ.

As the child of God contemplates the truth, he gradually beholds in it the glory of the Lord, and falls in love with His lovely character. Under the influences of divine truth, he sees some beautiful trait in the Christian character and conforms to it, and thus far grows up into Christ and becomes assimilated into His likeness. Light shines on another excellence, and then on another, and he overcomes and overcomes, growing stronger and stronger, becoming more and more holy in imitating the perfect Pattern, and thus he is changed from glory to glory into the image of Christ.

This view is further strengthened by those texts in which God’s people are exhorted and encouraged to be perfect, to overcome, to mortify the deeds of the flesh, etc., also by those passages where prayers and desires are offered for the sanctification and perfection of the saints.

The fact that Christians in the Scriptures are designated as holy, sanctified, perfect, and saints, does not militate against our position. Christians are sanctified or perfect as far as they understand and practice the truth; and even those who are called holy, sanctified, perfect and saints, are exhorted to cleanse themselves, to perfect holiness, to be perfect, to go on to perfection, etc. Compare 1 Corinthians 1:2; 2 Corinthians 1:1; 7:1; 13:11; Philippians 3:12–16; Hebrews 3:1;6:1.

It is manifest that light increases on the truth as the work of sanctification progresses, and that sanctification involves the necessity of advancing in the knowledge of the truth. For this reason we should cry after knowledge, and lift up our voice for understanding; seek her as silver, and search for her as for hid treasures. Proverbs 2:3, 4. And “all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” 2 Timothy 3:16, 17.

Says the wise man. “The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.” Proverbs 4:18. And what is it that thus causes the path of the just to shine,unless it is the word of God? David says, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” Psalm 119:105. Again Peter says, “We have a more sure word of prophecy (or the word of the prophets which is very firm, French translation.); whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawns, and the day-star arise in your hearts.” 2 Peter 1:19.

The word of God was given to be a light unto the just, to show them their duty and whereabouts in this dark world. The idea that this word is a revelation of God to man which should be studied, is proof that God designed it should be understood. Strong and numerous have been the efforts of the powers of darkness to extinguish this light of heavenly birth; but it shines today. And is it not reasonable to expect that light will increase on the word of God, and that the prophecies will be better understood as those prophecies relating to the last days are fast fulfilling, and as the end toward which they point approaches? Said an angel while speaking to the prophet Daniel concerning the last days, or the time of the end, “Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.” Daniel 12:4. And in the same connection we read, “Many shall be purified, and made white and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.” Verse 10.

It would not be necessary to enter into a lengthy argument to convince the candid that we are living in the last days. By comparing the sure word of prophecy with history and the signs of the times, we see clearly that we are occupying the last link in those great chains of prophecy which were to reach to the end; that the leading signs which were to be the precursors of Christ’s second coming, and which were to bring us to the last generation, have been fulfilled, and that the present signs of the times show conclusively that the great drama of this world’s history is about to wind up, and that the Lord is near even at the doors.

It is clear that we have reached the time when a flood of light is shining from God’s word on the path of the just, and that this light relates to that great event which is immediately impending—the coming of the Lord, and to a preparation to meet it. This we denominate present truth, because it applies to the present time, and is adapted to the wants of the present generation; and it is through this truth that the last church will be sanctified.

But some do not see the necessity of receiving the truths applicable to the present time in order to be sanctified. They think they can be sanctified by living as other good Christians have lived. But how have good Christians in the past been sanctified?

Have they not been sanctified by living up to the light that they had in their day? And if we are favored with more light than they were, if God has other duties for us to perform, can we be sanctified by merely living as they lived? Does God cause light to shine on His word in vain? Can men understandingly treat any portion of God’s word with indifference or impunity without incurring guilt? Can men avoid performing known duties and yet be free from sin? Said Christ, “If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin; but now they have no cloak for their sin.” John 15:22.

When John the Baptist was preaching the first advent and preparing a people to meet the Lord, he said to the Jews, “Think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father; for I say unto you that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.” Matthew 3:9. From this it appears that the Jews fell back on good father Abraham to excuse themselves for not receiving the testimony of John. They overlooked the fact that Abraham rejoiced to see the day of Christ, and that he would have gladly received John’s testimony if he had lived in his day. They did not realize that they could not be Abraham’s children indeed, without possessing the Spirit with which he was imbued.

Now is not this the condition of those who refer to good Christians in the past to justify themselves for not receiving those truths that apply to the present time? But if the Jews who lived at the close of the former dispensation could not be sanctified without receiving John’s preaching, can the last church be sanctified without receiving those truths relating to Christ’s second coming?

It will require a special preparation to meet the Lord when He comes. It will be necessary for the last church to look for Christ; for it is to them that look for Him that He will appear the second time without sin unto salvation. Hebrews 9:28. “And it shall be said in that day, ‘Lo this is our God’ we have waited for Him and He will save us.” Isaiah 25:9.

 

The Sanctuary

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The finishing of the mystery of God involves the opening of the second apartment of the sanctuary in heaven, wherein is the ark of God’s testament. This is the place where our Lord finishes His priesthood, and hence this apartment of the heavenly temple must be the place of that tribunal at which the righteous are acquitted, their sins blotted out and themselves accounted worthy of the kingdom of God. The temple of God in heaven, and especially its second apartment, is therefore worthy of our most attentive study. The Scriptures contain many explicit testimonies to the existence of the heavenly temple.

“The Lord is in His holy temple, the Lord’s throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids try, the children of men.” Psalm 11:4.

“In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried to my God; and He did hear my voice out of His temple, and my cry did enter into His ears. Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of heaven moved and shook, because He was wroth.” 2 Samuel 22:7, 8. See also Psalm 18:6, 7.

“In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims; each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.” Isaiah 6:1–4.

“Hear, all ye people; hearken, O earth, and all that therein is; and let the Lord God be witness against you; the Lord from His holy temple. For, behold, the Lord cometh forth out of His place, and will come down, and tread upon the high places of the earth.” Micah 1:2, 3.

“And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in His temple the ark of His testament; and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.” Revelation 11:19.

“And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire”. Revelation 14:17, 18.

“And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened.” Revelation 15:5.

“And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done.” Revelation 16:17.

Many other texts might be quoted in which this building is mentioned either as God’s temple, tabernacle, sanctuary, or holy habitation. To some of these texts we shall refer in the further study of this subject.

The heavenly temple consists of two holy places. This is proved by many conclusive arguments. The first of these is drawn from the statements respecting the tabernacle erected by Moses. When God called Moses into the mount to receive the tables of the law (Exodus 24:12), he first bade him make a sanctuary that He might dwell among them, and that the priests might minister in His presence. Exodus 25, 26, 27, 28. He also bade him to make an ark to contain the tables of the law, to be placed in the second apartment of the sanctuary. This building consisted of two holy places (Exodus 26), and both itself and its sacred vessels were made like the pattern showed in the mount.

“And let them make Me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them. According to all that I show thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.” Exodus 25:8, 9.

“Who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle; for, See, saith He, that thou make all things according to the pattern showed to thee in the mount.” Hebrews 8:5. See also Exodus 25:40; 26:30; Acts 7:44.

The tabernacle thus constructed was a pattern of the heavenly temple. Thus Paul bears testimony:

“It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true [the images of the true holy places, Macknight’s translation]: but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.” Hebrews 9:23, 24.

This establishes one plain, incontrovertible argument, that the heavenly temple has two holy places. The temple erected by Solomon furnishes the second argument, and it is of the same character as that drawn from the tabernacle. The temple was a larger and grander building than the tabernacle, and differed from it in being an immovable structure, but it was constructed on the same plan, in that it was an edifice consisting of two holy places, with sacred vessels of the same kind, and occupied with the very same ministration, as that which had previously served in the tabernacle. 1 Kings 6, 7; 8:2; 2 Chronicles 3, 4, 5. This building with its two holy places was a pattern of the heavenly temple, as the words of David and of Solomon declare:

“Then David gave to Solomon his son the pattern of the porch, and of the houses thereof, and of the treasuries thereof, and of the upper chambers thereof, and of the inner parlors thereof, and of the place of the mercy-seat, and the pattern of all that he had by the Spirit, of the courts of the house of the Lord, and of all the chambers round about, of the treasuries of the house of God, and of the treasuries of the dedicated things.” “All this, said David, the Lord made me understand in writing by His hand upon me, even all the works of this pattern.”1 Chronicles 28:11, 12, 19.

This is a second decisive argument that the heavenly sanctuary has two holy places. The third is drawn from the fact that the plural term “holy places” is used in the designation of the greater and more perfect tabernacle.

Thus when Paul says, as expressed in our common version (Hebrews 8:2), “A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man,” it is literally in the original, “a minister of the holy places.” And thus also when we read respecting the heavenly temple, “The Holy Ghost this signifying, that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest, while as the first tabernacle was yet standing,” it is literally in the Greek, “the way of the holy places.” Hebrews 9:8. So also where we read of the greater and more perfect tabernacle, in verse 12, that Christ “entered in once into the holy place,” it is also literally “holy places.” Again, in verse 24, we read in our common version the same thing, literally rendered, “the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true,” which the last word is plural in the original, showing that there are holy places in the heavenly temple. And again in Hebrews 10:19, the term “holiest” is not, in the original “holy of holies,” as in chapter 9:3, but simply “holy places.” These passages form a most convincing argument that there must be two holy places in the heavenly temple. A fourth argument is found in the fact that each of the two holy places of the heavenly temple is definitely set forth in the description of that building not made with hands.

The first apartment is identified by the things which it contains. When John was called in vision to ascend to the place of God’s throne, the heavenly temple, a door was opened in heaven, and the throne of God was revealed to his view. This is manifestly the door of the heavenly temple, for the throne of God, which is disclosed to view, is within that temple. Psalm 11:4; Revelation 16:17. That it was the first apartment of that temple, into which he looked, is evident from what he saw therein. “And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices; and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.” Revelation 4:5. Here is a plain reference to the seven lamps which burned in the first apartment of the earthly sanctuary. Leviticus 24:2–4.

And again, when the seven angels receive the seven trumpets, the scene of vision is still the first apartment of the heavenly sanctuary. Thus we read: “And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets. And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.” Revelation 8:2, 3.

The golden altar stood in the first apartment of the sanctuary, i.e., in the same room with the candlestick on which were the seven lamps. Exodus 40:24–26. The place of God’s throne, at the time when the book with the seven seals was delivered to Christ, and also when the seven trumpets were given to the seven angels, is the first apartment of the heavenly sanctuary. But when the seven vials are delivered into the hands of the seven angels who have the duty of pouring them out, the second apartment of the heavenly temple is opened, and they come out from thence to execute the wrath of God upon men. This opening of the holiest takes place under the seventh trumpet.

“And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened; and the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles. And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth forever and ever. And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from His power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.” Revelation 15:5–8.

This opening of the heavenly temple, which is followed by the pouring out of the unmingled wrath of God, is an event connected with the closing up of human probation. And it is certain that we have in this case the opening of the holiest of all, here called the tabernacle of the testimony. The expression, “tabernacle of the testimony,” is a familiar term taken from the Old Testament, and is precisely equivalent to “tabernacle of the ten commandments.” In proof of this, take the use of this term in the Bible. We begin with the first use of the Hebrew word gehdooth, and trace it through the books of Moses. Thus is occurs for the first time in Exodus 16:34: “Aaron laid it up before the testimony.” That is to say, he laid up the pot of manna before the ark of the ten commandments. (See Hebrews 9:4.) The next is Exodus 25:16: “Thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee.” This was the ten commandments. (See Exodus 31:18; Deuteronomy 10:4, 5.) Again (Exodus 25:21), “In the ark thou shalt put the testimony,” i.e., the ten commandments. (See 1 Kings 8:9.) And now the ark itself takes its name from what was put in it. “The two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony.” Exodus 25:22. “And thou shalt hand up the veil under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the veil the ark of the testimony; and the veil shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy. And thou shalt put the mercyseat upon the ark of the testimony in the most holy place.” Exodus 26:33, 34. Here we have the ark of the ten commandments assigned to the most holy place of the tabernacle and the mercyseat placed over the ark. Presently we shall find that this testimony gives name to the tabernacle itself. As we read onward, we find in Exodus 27:21; 30:6, 26, 36; 31:7, 18; 32:15; 34:29, the terms “testimony,” “tables of testimony,” ” ark of the testimony” each time by testimony meaning definitely the ten commandments. The term, “tabernacle of testimony,” occurs for the first time in Exodus 38:21.

Thus we see that the testimony of the Almighty gives name to the tables on which it was written, to the ark in which the tables were placed, and to the tabernacle itself, whose second apartment received the ark. Next, we thrice read of the ark of the testimony. Exodus 39:35; 40:3, 5. And now we are brought to the acts of Moses in setting up the sanctuary. It is said (Exodus 40:20), “He took and put the testimony into the ark,” i.e., he put the law of God therein. Then he placed the ark itself within the tabernacle, and covered the ark of the testimony by hanging up the second veil. Exodus 40:21. In Leviticus 16:13 the mercy-seat is said to be upon the testimony. In Leviticus 24:3, the veil which hides the ark is called the veil of the testimony. Next, we read of the tabernacle of the testimony, in Numbers 1:50, 53. Next, of the ark of the testimony,Numbers 4:5; 7:89, Joshua 4:16. Next, of the tent of the testimony. Numbers 9:15, and of the testimony itself. Numbers 17:10. Next, of the tabernacle of witness, or testimony (for the two words are synonymous). Numbers 10:11; 17:7, 8; 18:2. In all these texts it is certain that the ten commandments are called the testimony, and that they give name to the tables, to the ark, to the veil, and to the tabernacle, especially to the second apartment.

This term has, therefore, a well defined meaning in the Scriptures. By the testimony, the tables of the testimony, the ark of the testimony, the veil of the testimony, and the tabernacle of the testimony, are meant respectively the ten commandments. (Exodus 31:18), the tables of the ten commandments (Exodus 32:15), the ark of the ten commandments (Exodus 40:20), the veil of the ten commandments (Exodus 40:21; Leviticus 24:3), and the tabernacle of the ten commandments (Numbers 9:15; 10:11). The term, “tabernacle of witness,” or “testimony,” does therefore definitely signify the tabernacle of the ten commandments. Now it is remarkable that this term occurs twice in the New Testament. In Acts 7:44, the tabernacle of witness, i.e., of the ten commandments, is mentioned, referring to the earthly sanctuary; and in Revelation 15:5, the heavenly sanctuary is designated by this same term, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven; and we have proved conclusively that this is equivalent to the temple of the tabernacle of the ten commandments in heaven.

This text is therefore a plain reference to the most holy place of the heavenly temple, and to the law of God deposited therein, which gives name to the building. This apartment of the heavenly temple is opened just prior to the pouring out of the plagues. But we have a second statement of the opening of the most holy place of the temple in Heaven. Thus we read of the events under the seventh trumpet: “And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in His temple the ark of His testament; and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and earthquake, and great hail.” Revelation 11:19.

Here is disclosed to our view the second apartment of the heavenly temple, and here is shown the grand central object, which gives name to the tabernacle itself. It is the ark of God, sometimes called the ark of the covenant, or testament (Numbers 10:33; Hebrews 9:4), and sometimes the ark of the testimony (Exodus 25:22). It is because the heavenly temple contains the ark of God’s testimony that it is itself called the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven. And the ark itself is not empty; it contains what Revelation 11:19 calls God’s testament, and what Revelation 15:5 calls “the testimony in heaven.” And these two terms must signify the ten commandments, and cannot signify anything else.

The existence of the temple in heaven, and the fact that it has two holy places, like the sanctuary of the first covenant, have been clearly proved. The judgment work in the second apartment remains to engage our attention.

When Paul says, in Romans 2:6, that God “will render to every man according to his deeds,” he adds in the next verse this important statement: “To them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life.” Now it is manifest that this work of rendering to every man according to his deeds can only be wrought after the examination of those deeds in the judgment. It must be in consequence of the decision of the judgment that the things promised are rendered to men. It is also evident that the gift of immortality is one of the things thus rendered. As the righteous receive this gift in the very act of being resurrected from the grave, it is certain that the decision of the judgment passes upon them before the voice of the archangel and the trump of God awaken them to immortal life.

This part of the judgment work takes place where our Lord finishes His priesthood; for His last work as priest is to secure the acquittal of His people, and to obtain the decision that their sins shall be blotted out. We have learned from the Scriptures that the heavenly temple has two holy places. A further examination will evince the fact that there are two parts to the ministration of Christ, and that His last work is at the tribunal of His Father, in the tabernacle of the testimony, where it is determined who shall receive immortality.

The Levitical priests served “unto the example and shadow of heavenly things.” Hebrews 8:5. The most important part of the service pertaining to the earthly sanctuary was that which was performed within the second apartment on the tenth day of the seventh month. Leviticus 16. This is generally considered as typifying the events of the whole gospel dispensation. But we think the evidence conclusive that this chapter is a typical representation of that part of our Lord’s work which is embraced in the hour of God’s judgment, or in the days of the voice of the seventh angel when he begins to sound.

The sixteenth chapter of Leviticus is devoted solely to the work of finishing the yearly round of service in the earthly sanctuary. This was wrought on the great day of atonement, and was of the most impressive character. First, the high priest was solemnly admonished that he was such only in a typical sense and not such in reality. For on this day, which was by far the most impressive of all, and when he entered the most holy place of the sanctuary, he must put on the plainest and humblest dress, laying aside that splendid dress which the law prescribed for him to wear on other occasions. Leviticus 16:4 compared with Exodus 28. He was also to make a public acknowledgement of his own sinfulness by proceeding to offer a sin-offering for himself. Leviticus 16:3, 6, 11–14. No part of this can be typical of our Lord’s work, for it was expressly designed to impress upon the mind the infirmity and sinfulness of the high priest.

But this being accomplished, the high priest entered upon that work which directly shadowed forth the work of atonement. He took from the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin-offering. Leviticus 16:5. On these two goats he was to cast lots; one lot was for the goat to be sacrificed, and one for the scapegoat. Then he slew the goat upon which the lot fell for a sacrifice, and with his blood he entered into the second apartment of the sanctuary. This blood he sprinkled before the mercy-seat and upon it. He did this for two purposes: (1) To make atonement for the people; (2) to cleanse the sanctuary by removing from it the sins of the people of God. Then the high priest returned into the first apartment and cleansed the altar from the sins of the people. The sanctuary being cleansed, the high priest comes out of the door of the building, and, having caused the live goat to be brought, he lays both his hands upon his head and confesses over him all the transgressions of the children of Israel and all their sins. These he puts upon the head of the goat, and sends him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness. And the goat thus sent bears away all their iniquities into a land not inhabited. Leviticus 16:7–10, 15–22.

 

Is the Door of Mercy Shut?

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“And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; ‘These things saith He that is holy, He that is true, He that hath the key of David, He that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth and no man openeth.” Revelation 3:7.

The 2300 day-year prophecy of Daniel 8:14 was to end on October 22, 1844, with an event in the heavenly sanctuary. It was assumed that the event was the Second Coming of Christ. In order to prepare for the Second Advent, a call to repentance and soul searching was given. The Advent believers thought that probation would close on October 22 and no one could be saved after that time.

There was great agitation over the thought that probation would soon close, and it created much interest in the parable of the ten virgins, found in Matthew 25:1–12. Following October 22, 1844, many believed that the “door of Mercy” was shut and probation had closed for all mankind. This prompted many of the believers to study deeply.

“And while they [the five foolish virgins] went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready, went in with him to the marriage; and the door was shut.” Matthew 25:10. This text may be divided into five natural divisions: 1. The buying of oil. 2. The coming of the Bridegroom. 3. The going in with Him. 4. The marriage. 5. The shut door.

  1. The buying of oil represents wasted effort on the part of the foolish virgins to obtain oil when it was too late. The virgins had some oil at the beginning, which produced light up till the coming of the bridegroom, but at midnight when the cry was made that “the bridegroom cometh,” the foolish virgins had run out of oil. But while they went to buy more oil, the rest of the group went in to the wedding and the door was shut.
  2. The definition of bridegroom is, one that either is married or is about to be married. In this parable the Bridegroom represents Christ, and all the scenes in the parable represent the giving of the bride to Christ. This brings to mind two questions: first what does the bride represent, and second where is the marriage to be solemnized?

“Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God.” Revelation 21:9, 10. “But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all.” Galatians 4:26. These texts show that the holy city is the bride of Christ.

Second, where is the marriage to take place? “Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord, when he shall return from the wedding.” Luke 7:35, 36.

“He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.” Luke 19:12. “I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought Him near before Him, And there was given Him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom.” Daniel 7:13,14.

These texts indicate that the receiving of the kingdom is compared to a marriage. It takes place before the Ancient of days prior to the bridegroom’s return from a far country, in one parable, and from the wedding in the other parable. The coming of the bridegroom, mentioned in these texts, is not Christ’s coming to the earth, but rather takes place “near before” the Ancient of days. We may understand from this that the coming of the bridegroom and the Second Coming are two distinct and separate events.

  1. The “going in with Him” in the parable indicates a change not only in the position of the Bridegroom but also His relationship with the church and world. “Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.” Hebrews 8:1, 2. To come to a correct understanding of Christ’s work in the heavenly sanctuary Paul, in Hebrews chapters 8 and 9, points us back to the Aaronic priesthood and all connected with the sanctuary and its services.

There is plenty of authority in the Old Testament for a clear picture of the ministry of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary. “These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses, and the prophets, and in the Psalms, concerning me.” Luke 24:44.

“He expounded and testified the kingdom of God persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the Law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening.” Acts 28:23.

“Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come.” Acts 26:22.

“Remember ye the Law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel.” Malachi 4:4. We are not only directed to the law of Moses but we are admonished strongly to remember it. Those ordinances are a positive representation of Christ’s priestly work in the sanctuary in heaven which is “the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.” It is clear from Hebrews 8 and 9 that Christ is officiating in a sanctuary that has two compartments with all the same furniture contained in the typical sanctuary of ancient Israel. (See Hebrews 9:2; Exodus 40:24–26; Hebrews 9:3–5; Exodus 26:33, 34.)

In the typical sanctuary, all the services that occurred in one year typified the services of Christ in the pattern in the heavens. Christ, the antitype, closed the antitypical daily administration in the first apartment and clothed Himself with the holy garments having on the breast-plate of judgment on which was inscribed the names of true Israel “they that were ready.” Then He passed into the Holiest of all before the Ancient of days on the mercy seat. They that were ready went in with Him to the marriage as He went to receive His bride, “and the door was shut.”

The cleansing of the sanctuary, blotting out Israel’s sins, and the sending away of the scapegoat in the type, were performed on the tenth day of the seventh month. They were shadows of the services Christ performed in the heavenly sanctuary after His ministration in the Holy Place closes.

  1. Marriage in Scripture, referring to Christ, is found three times in the Bible. The parable of the king’s son in Matthew 22:2–14, the ten virgins Matthew 25:1–12 and Revelation 19:7–9.

The marriage ceremony used in connection with Christ represents his receiving of the kingdom. “Thy land shall be married”(Isaiah 62:4), means that the territory of the kingdom is to be brought into close connection with the King of kings and Lord of lords. When the New Jerusalem with the saints as guests go in with Christ to the marriage, He then receives the capitol of His promised kingdom.

When God shall have judged the “great whore . . .avenged the blood of His servants at her hand . . . the voice of a great multitude,” “as the voice of mighty thunderings,” shall proclaim . . . “Alleluia, for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth, let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to Him; for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready . . . And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white, for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.” Then the subjects of the Kingdom become the bride and with Christ possess the Kingdom. (See Revelation 19:1–9.)

  1. A door indicates a change from one apartment to another. In the parable, it represents a change in the position of the bridegroom (Christ), revealing a change in His relation to the world. On the Day of Atonement, there was a change in the services to be performed on that day. The high priest washed himself, put on the holy garments and entered into a new work. He blotted out Israel’s sins and removed them from the altar and passed into the Most Holy Place. He bears upon the breast-plate of judgment the names of all who have confessed their sins through the blood of the sin offerings. The high priest officiated on that day only for those that had asked for forgiveness of sins.

Just as surely as the Aaronic priesthood is a type of Christ, the sanctuary and all connected with it are a type of the true sanctuary in heaven and Christ’s ministration there. This explains that a time would come when Christ’s daily priestly ministry in the heavenly sanctuary would end. Then He would enter into the Most Holy with true Israel inscribed upon His breastplate of judgment. He would go in before the mercy seat with a golden censor, offering the prayers of all saints wise virgins) before the throne. This happened on October 22, 1844.

Now He officiates in the Most Holy Place as a merciful high priest cleansing the heavenly sanctuary of all the sins of true Israel, placing them upon the head of the scapegoat (Satan). Following this He will remove His priestly garments, put on garments of wrath, come to the earth to gather His elect from the four winds and destroy the wicked.

In the opening text of Revelation 3:7, 8, a door was opened and another was shut. This text refers to the Philadelphia church period that includes the events around 1844. As a door was shut in the parable, so a door was shut in 1844. When the door to the Holy Place was closed, Christ entered upon His work of cleansing the sanctuary in the Most Holy Place.

“By the king’s examination of the guests at the feast is represented a work of judgment. The guests at the gospel feast are those who profess to serve God, those whose names are written in the book of life. But not all who profess to be Christians are true disciples. Before the final reward is given, it must be decided who are fitted to share the inheritance of the righteous. This decision must be made prior to the second coming of Christ in the clouds of heaven . . . It is while men are still dwelling upon the earth that the work of investigative judgment takes place in the courts of heaven. The lives of all His professed followers pass in review before God. All are examined according to the record of the books of heaven, and according to his deeds the destiny of each is forever fixed.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 310.

“In the typical service only those who had come before God with confession and repentance, and whose sins, through the blood of the sin offering, were transferred to the sanctuary, had a part in the service of the Day of Atonement. So in the great day of final atonement and investigative judgment the only cases considered are those of the professed people of God. The judgment of the wicked is a distinct and separate work, and takes place at a later period. ‘Judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel?’ 1 Peter 4:17.” The Great Controversy, 480.

“Every case had been decided for life or death. While Jesus had been ministering in the sanctuary, the judgment had been going on for the righteous dead, and then for the righteous living. Christ had received His kingdom, having made the atonement for His people and blotted out their sins. The subjects of the kingdom were made up. The marriage of the Lamb was consummated.” Early Writings, 280.

“The idea that the door of God’s mercy is closed, or ever was to be closed to those who do not reject the offers of mercy is not found in the Bible. No such door is mentioned in Scripture. But that there has been a point, beyond which men may go, where, according to the plan of salvation, the intercession of Christ could not benefit them, is evident. The Jewish church, having rejected and condemned Christ, could not be benefited by His mediation in the Holy. The nominal Gentile church, as a body, having rejected the Second Advent, cannot be benefited by his intercessions in the Most Holy.” The Parable, (Matthew 25:1–12), By James White.

“And afterward came also the other virgins, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us.’ But He answered and said, ‘Verily, I say unto you, I know you not.” Matthew 25:11,12. The wise virgins had entered and the door was shut, but the foolish virgins came knocking at the closed door, expecting to enter. “When once the Master of the house is risen up and hath shut the door, and ye begin to stand without and to knock at the door, Saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open unto us; and He shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are.’ ” Luke 13:25.

The foolish virgins knocked at a literal door and this event Christ has shown to be a representation of Advent history. This experience of knocking, entreating and entrance is explained thus: “They shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek the Lord; [a mediator for all the world, in the Holy Place] but they shall not find Him; He hath withdrawn himself [to the Most Holy] from them. They have dealt treacherously against the Lord, for they have begotten strange children; [apparent converts] now shall a month devour them with their portions.” Hosea 5:6, 7.

Those that expect to gain entrance to the shut door cannot enter because they refused to study the prophecy and learn where Christ had gone. Therefore they will not benefit from His atoning ministry in the Most Holy Place.

Some might say that those represented by the foolish virgins will not knock until Jesus comes. But as the foolish in the parable expected admission, so will those knock after the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door. At the Second Coming, the foolish will not seek entrance but will call for the mountains and rocks to fall upon them and hide them from His consuming glory. (See Revelation 6:16, 17.)

“For a time after the disappointment in 1844, I did hold in common with the Advent body, that the door of mercy was then forever closed to the world. This position was taken before my first vision was given me. It was the light given me of God that corrected our error, and enabled us to see the true position. I am still a believer in the shut door theory, but not in the sense in which we at first employed the term or in which it is employed by my opponents. There was a shut door in Noah’s day. There was at that time a withdrawal of the Spirit of God from the sinful race that perished in the waters of the flood. God Himself gave the shut door message to Noah: ‘My Spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.’ There was a shut door in the days of Abraham. Mercy ceased to plead with the inhabitants of Sodom, and all but Lot with his wife and two daughters, were consumed by the fire sent down from heaven.

“There was a shut door in Christ’s day. The Son of God declared to the unbelieving Jews of that generation, ‘Your house is left unto you desolate.’ Looking down the stream of time to the last days, the same infinite power proclaimed through John: ‘These things saith He that is holy, He that is true, He that hath the key of David, He that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth.’

“I was shown in vision, and I still believe, that there was a shut door in 1844. All who saw the light of the first and second angels’ messages and rejected that light, were left in darkness. And those who accepted it and received the Holy Spirit which attended the proclamation of the message from heaven, and who afterward renounced their faith and pronounced their experience a delusion, thereby rejected the Spirit of God, and it no longer pleaded with them.

“These might have a form of godliness, and profess to be followers of Christ, but having no living connection with God, they would be taken captive by the delusions of Satan. These two classes are brought to view in the vision—those who declared the light which they followed a delusion, and the wicked of the world who, having rejected the light, had been rejected of God. No reference is made to those who had not seen the light, and therefore were not guilty of its rejection.

“In order to prove that I believed and taught the shut door doctrine, Mr. C gives a quotation from the Review of June 11, 1861, signed by nine of our prominent members. The quotation reads as follows: ‘Our views of the work before us were then mostly vague and indefinite, some still retaining the idea adopted by the body of Advent believers in 1844 with William Miller at their head, that our work for the world was finished and that the message was confined to those of the original Advent faith. So firmly was this believed, that one of our number was nearly refused the message, the individual presenting it having doubts of the possibility of his salvation because he was not in the ’44 move.’ “To this I need only to add that in the same meeting in which it was urged that the message could not be given to this brother (J. H. Waggoner), a testimony was given me through vision to encourage him to hope in God and to give his heart to Jesus, which he did then and there.” Selected Messages, vol. 1, 63, 64.

If God’s mercy was not still extended today to all who seek forgiveness and cleansing, there would be no need for this caution: “Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.” Revelation 15:15. Christ’s invitation is just as valid today as when He gave it. “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28–30.

 

The Little Time of Trouble

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For thus saith the Lord; We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear, and not of peace. Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? Wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail and all faces are turned into paleness? Alas, for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.” Jeremiah 30:5–7.

God has not left us to wonder about the meaning of this Scripture, for the Spirit of Prophecy opens up the magnitude of this crisis. “The ‘time of trouble such as never was,’ is soon to open upon us; and we shall need an experience which we do not now possess and which many are too indolent to obtain. It is often the case that trouble is greater in anticipation than in reality; but this is not true of the crisis before us. The most vivid presentation cannot reach the magnitude of the ordeal.” The Great Controversy, 622.

The little time of trouble occurs prior to the close of probation and will be experienced by all the living saints. When they receive the latter rain, they give the loud cry with divine power, warning all the inhabitants of the earth that they must make a final decision for or against God. Then probation will close and immediately the great time of trouble will commence. “And at the commencement of the time of trouble, we were filled with the Holy Ghost as we went forth and proclaimed the Sabbath more fully.” Early Writings, 33.

There is no question. When the little time of trouble begins, the latter rain falls, the saints are sealed and the loud cry is given. This is made positively clear in the following quotation. “‘The commencement of that time of trouble,’ here mentioned, [on page 33] does not refer to the time when the plagues shall begin to be poured out, but to a short period just before they are poured out, while Christ is in the sanctuary. At that time, while the work of salvation is closing, trouble will be coming on the earth, and the nations will be angry, yet held in check so as not to prevent the work of the third angel.” Early Writings, 85.

When the national Sunday law is adopted by the United States of America, the papal power will be so in control of the New World Order that it will force all nations to immediately follow the Sunday law in America, making it a universal law. It will be accepted by all nations and falsely believed to be the beginning of the great millenium of peace that will lead the entire world to be converted to God.

“Papists, Protestants, and the worldlings will alike accept the form of godliness without the power, and they will see in this union a great movement for the conversion of the world and the ushering in of the long-expected millenium.” The Great Controversy, 588.

We know what the true results will be. “When the reasoning of philosophy has banished the fears of God’s judgments; when religious teachers are pointing forward to long ages of peace and prosperity, and the world are absorbed in their rounds of business and pleasure, planting and building, feasting and merrymaking, rejecting God’s warnings and mocking His messengers —then it is that sudden destruction cometh upon them, and they shall not escape. 1 Thessalonians 5:3.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 104.

The people of the world believe that the New World Order program will bring a millenium of peace in which everyone will be saved, but God will permit calamities to awaken the honest in heart to see the need to obey God or perish. “Calamities will come—calamities most awful, most unexpected; and these destructions will follow one after another. If there will be a heeding of the warning that God has given, and if churches will repent, returning to their allegiance, then other cities may be spared for a time. But if men who have been deceived continue in the same way in which they have been walking, disregarding the law of God and presenting falsehoods before the people, God allows them to suffer calamity, that their senses may be awakened.” Evangelism, 27.

Here again we see a picture of a loving God, who, as a loving Father, is not willing that any of His children should perish. This is why these disasters gradually get worse, giving time for the Third Angel’s Message to do its work.

“Angels are now restraining the winds of strife, until the world shall be warned of its coming doom; but a storm is gathering, ready to burst upon the earth, and when God shall bid His angels loose the winds, there will be such a scene of strife as no pen can picture . . .”A moment of respite has been graciously given us of God. Every power lent us of heaven is to be used in doing the work assigned us by the Lord for those who are perishing in ignorance.” Evangelism, 704.

It is during this little time of trouble that God gives a last chance to the world to accept His law. “Soon strife among the nations will break out with an intensity that we do not now anticipate. The present is a time of overwhelming interest to all living. Rulers and statesmen, men who occupy positions of trust and authority, thinking men and women of all classes, have their attention fixed upon the events taking place about us. They are watching the strained, restless relations that exist among the nations. They observe the intensity that is taking possession of every earthly element. And they realize that something great and decisive is about to take place, that the world is on the verge of a stupendous crisis.” Maranatha, 174.

This is why we will finish the work under the most dire circumstances during this little time of trouble. “While the work of salvation is closing, trouble will be coming on the earth, and the nations will be angry, yet held in check so as not to prevent the work of the third angel. At that time the ‘latter rain,’ or refreshing from the presence of the Lord, will come, to give power to the loud voice of the third angel, and prepare the saints to stand in the period when the seven last plagues will be poured out.” Early Writings, 85.

God has foreseen what is coming and has made the necessary preparations for us to be refreshed by the latter rain and with the power of the mighty angel to give the loud cry. Oh, it will not be long until the climax is reached and Jesus will come!

“Satan works through the elements also to garner his harvest of unprepared souls. He has studied the secrets of the laboratories of nature and he uses all his power to control the elements as far as God allows. While appearing to the children of men as a great physician who can heal all their maladies, he will bring disease and disaster until populous cities are reduced to ruin and desolation. Even now he is at work. In accidents and calamities by sea and by land; in great conflagrations, in fierce tornadoes and terrific hailstorms, in tempests, floods, cyclones, tidal waves, and earthquakes, in every place and in a thousand forms, Satan is exercising his power. He sweeps away the ripening harvest, and famine and distress follow. He imparts to the air a deadly taint, and thousands perish by the pestilence. These visitations are to become more and more frequent and disastrous. Destruction will be upon both man and beast.” The Great Controversy (1888 edition), 589.

Satan’s purpose in such destruction will be to blame God’s faithful for these terrible judgments. “As men depart further and further from God, Satan is permitted to have power over the children of disobedience. He hurls destruction among men. There is calamity by land and sea. Property and life are destroyed by fire and flood. Satan resolves to charge this upon those who refuse to bow to the idol which he has set up. His agents point to Seventh-day Adventists as the cause of the trouble. ‘These people stand out in defiance of law,’ they say. ‘They desecrate Sunday. Were they compelled to obey the law for Sunday observance, there would be a cessation of these terrible judgments.’ ” Maranatha, 176.

Finally the Sunday violators will be declared to be the cause of all that is taking place in this little time of trouble. “Satan puts his interpretation upon events, and they [leading men] think, as he would have them, that the calamities which fill the land are a result of Sunday-breaking. Thinking to appease the wrath of God, these influential men make laws enforcing Sunday observance. They think that by exalting this false rest-day higher, and still higher, compelling obedience to the Sunday law, the spurious sabbath, they are doing God service. Those who honor God by observing the true Sabbath are looked upon as disloyal to God, when it is really those who thus regard them who are themselves disloyal, because they are trampling under foot the Sabbath originated in Eden.” Maranatha, 176.

Thus the entire world under the papal power will turn against God’s people. Sabbath-keepers will be hated and plans will be made to utterly destroy them. “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 antichristian 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.” Testimonies to Ministers, 37.

Such wicked plans will draw the attention of the honest in heart, to the belief and teaching of God’s remnant church in such a way as is now thought impossible. In fact, the attention of the entire world will be riveted on our beliefs. “Every position of truth taken by our people will bear the criticism of the greatest minds; the highest of the world’s great men will be brought in contact with truth and therefore every position we take should be critically examined and tested by the Scriptures.” Evangelism, 69.

 

Study and Prepare

 

Now we seem to be unnoticed, but this will not always be. Movements are at work to bring us to the front, and if our theories of truth can be picked to pieces by historians or the world’s greatest men, it will be done. We must know for ourselves what the truth is and be prepared to give a reason for the hope that we have with meekness and fear. (See 1 Peter 3:15.)

We are nearing the time when we shall stand alone to answer for our beliefs. But the strength of God’s remnant will be found in their obedience and knowledge of His word. “The powers of darkness will open their batteries upon us; and all who are indifferent and careless, who have set their affections on their earthly treasure, and who have not cared to understand God’s dealings with His people, will be ready victims. No power but a knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus, will ever make us steadfast; but with this, one may chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight.” Maranatha, 217.

This is why we have been urged to study and prepare for what is sure to come. We will have to bear our testimony before courts and councils. “You know not where you may be called upon to give your witness of truth. Many will have to stand in the legislative courts; some will have to stand before kings and before the learned of the earth, to answer for their faith. Those who have only a superficial understanding of truth will not be able clearly to expound the Scriptures, and give definite reasons for their faith. They will become confused, and will not be workmen that need not be ashamed. Let no one imagine that he has no need to study, because he is not to preach in the sacred desk. You know not what God may require of you.” Fundamentals of Christian Education, 217.

“The time is not far off when the people of God will be called upon to give their testimony before the rulers of the earth. Not one in twenty has a realization of what rapid strides we are making toward the great crisis in our history. There is no time for vanity, for trifling, for engaging the mind in unimportant matters.” Maranatha, 253.

“The Lord Jesus will give the disciples a tongue and wisdom that their adversaries can neither gainsay nor resist. Those who could not by reasoning overcome satanic delusions, will bear an affirmative testimony that will baffle supposedly learned men. Words will come from the lips of the unlearned with such convincing power and wisdom that conversions will be made to the truth. Thousands will be converted under their testimony.

“Why should the illiterate man have this power, which the learned man has not? The illiterate one, through faith in Christ, has come into the atmosphere of pure, clear truth, while the learned man has turned away from the truth. The poor man is Christ’s witness. He cannot appeal to the histories or so-called high science, but he gathers from the Word of God powerful evidence. The truth that he speaks under the inspiration of the Spirit, is so pure and remarkable and carries with it a power so indisputable, that his testimony cannot be gainsaid.” Maranatha, 252.

 

Persecution

 

God’s people will be persecuted during this time of trouble. This will take place during the loud cry before probation closes. But thank God such persecutions will be limited. “Persecution in its varied forms is the development of the principle which will exist as long as Satan exists and Christianity has vital power . . . But so long as Jesus remains man’s intercessor in the sanctuary above, the restraining influence of the Holy Spirit is felt by rulers and people. It still controls to some extent the laws of the land. Were it not for these laws, the conditions of the world would be much worse than it now is. While many of our rulers are active agents of Satan, God also has His agents among the leading men of the nations. The enemy moves upon his servants to propose measures that would greatly impede the work of God; but statesmen who fear the Lord are influenced by holy angels to oppose such propositions with unanswerable arguments. Thus a few men will hold in check a powerful current of evil. The opposition of the enemies of truth will be restrained that the Third Angel’s Message may do its work. When the final warning shall be given, it will arrest the attention of these leading men through whom the Lord is now working, and some of them will accept it, and will stand with the people of God through the time of trouble.” The Great Controversy, 610, 611.

“As Christ was hated without cause, so will His people be hated because they are obedient to the commandments of God. If He who was pure, holy, and undefiled, who did good and only good in our world, was treated as a base criminal and condemned to death, His disciples must expect but similar treatment, however faultless may be their life and blameless their character.

“Human enactments, laws manufactured by satanic agencies under a plea of goodness and restriction of evil, will be exalted, while God’s holy commandments are despised and trampled under foot. And all who prove their loyalty by obedience to the law of Jehovah must be prepared to be arrested, to be brought before councils that have not for their standard the high and holy law of God.” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Volume 7, 977.

This is not a very pretty picture. In the end time, corrupt judges will pledge themselves to uphold and honor the New World Order. “Those who live during the last days of this earth’s history will know what it means to be persecuted for the truth’s sake. In the courts injustice will prevail. The judges will refuse to listen to the reasons of those who are loyal to the commandments of God, because they know that arguments in favor of the fourth commandment are unanswerable. They will say, ‘We have a law, and by our law he ought to die.’ God’s law is nothing to them. ‘Our law’ with them is supreme. Those who respect this human law will be favored, But those who will not bow to the idol sabbath will have no favors shown them.” Maranatha, 195.

“Before the warfare shall be ended and the victory won, we as a people are to experience trials similar to those of Paul. We shall encounter the same hardness of heart, the same cruel determination, the same unyielding hatred . . . Persecutions will again be kindled against those who are true to God; their motives will be impugned, their best efforts misinterpreted, their names cast out as evil . . .God would have His people prepared for the soon-coming crisis. Prepared or unprepared, we must all meet it.” Sketches from the Life of Paul, 251, 252.

“There will come a time when, because of our advocacy of Bible truth, we shall be treated as traitors.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 394.

“Wealth, genius, education, will combine to cover them with contempt. Persecuting rulers, ministers, and church members will conspire against them. With voice and pen, by boasts, threats, and ridicule, they will seek to overthrow their faith.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 450.

“As the defenders of truth refuse to honor the Sunday-sabbath, some of them will be thrust into prison, some will be exiled, some will be treated as slaves. To human wisdom all this now seems impossible; but as the restraining Spirit of God shall be withdrawn from men, and they shall be under the control of Satan, who hates the divine precepts, there will be strange developments. The heart can be very cruel when God’s fear and love are removed.” The Great Controversy, 608.

“Throughout the land the papacy is piling up her lofty and massive structures, in the secret recesses of which her former persecutions are to be repeated.” Testimonies for the Church, volume 5, 449, 450.

“The papal church will never relinquish her claim to infallibility. All that she has done in her persecution of those who reject her dogmas she holds to be right; and would she not repeat the same acts, should the opportunity be presented? Let the restraints now imposed by secular governments be removed and Rome be reinstated in her former power, and there would speedily be a revival of her tyranny and persecution.” The Great Controversy, 564.

Furthermore, Protestants will also persecute the faithful. “The church appeals to the strong arm of civil power, and in this work, papists and Protestants unite.” The Great Controversy, 607.

Satan has planned every detail. Listen in as God tells us of Satan’s devices as he instructs his angels and his evil men. “We [Satan and his angels] led the Romish church to inflict imprisonment, torture, and death upon those who refused to yield to her decrees; and now that we are bringing the Protestant churches and the world into harmony with this right arm of our strength, we will finally have a law to exterminate all who will not submit to our authority.” Testimonies to Ministers, 473.

Former Seventh-day Adventists will join in the persecution of God’s saints. “Men of talent and pleasing address, who once rejoiced in the truth, employ their powers to deceive and mislead souls. They become the most bitter enemies of their former brethren. When Sabbath-keepers are brought before the courts to answer for their faith, these apostates are the most efficient agents of Satan to misrepresent and accuse them, and by false reports and insinuations to stir up the rulers against them.” The Great Controversy, 608.

Finally, this New World Order will determine to utterly destroy God’s faithful, just as Satan attempted in earlier centuries. “The decree which is to go forth against the people of God will be very similar to that issued by Ahasuerus against the Jews in the time of Esther . . . Satan instigated the scheme in order to rid the earth of those who preserve the knowledge of the true God. But his plots were defeated by a counterpower that reigns among the children of men . . . The Protestant world today see in the little company keeping the Sabbath a Mordecai in the gate. His character and conduct, expressing reverence for the law of God, are a constant rebuke to those who have cast off the fear of the Lord and are trampling upon His Sabbath; the unwelcome intruder must by some means be put out of the way.

“The same masterful mind that plotted against the faithful in ages past is still seeking to rid the earth of those who fear God and obey His law. Satan will excite indignation against the humble minority who conscientiously refuse to accept popular customs and traditions. Men of position and reputation will join with the lawless and the vile to take counsel against the people of God . . . By false representations and angry appeals they will stir up the passions of the people. Not having a ‘Thus saith the Scriptures’ to bring against the advocates of the Bible Sabbath, they will resort to oppressive enactments to supply the lack. To secure popularity and patronage, legislators will yield to the demand for a Sunday law. Those who fear God cannot accept an institution that violates a precept of the Decalogue. On this battlefield comes the last great conflict of the controversy between truth and error. And we are not left in doubt as to the issue. Now, as in the days of Mordecai, the Lord will vindicate His truth and His people.” Testimonies, vol.5, 450, 451.

“When this grand work is to take place in the battle, prior to the last closing conflict, many will be imprisoned, many will flee for their lives from cities and towns, and many will be martyrs for Christ’s sake in standing in defense of the truth.” Maranatha, 199.

“As he [Satan] influenced the heathen nations to destroy Israel, so in the near future he will stir up the wicked powers of the earth to destroy the people of God. Men will be required to render obedience to human edicts in violation of the divine law. “Those who are true to God will be menaced, denounced, and proscribed. They will be ‘betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolk, and friends,’ even unto death.” Prophets and Kings, 587.

Such persecutions, during this little time of trouble, will bring the close of probation upon the earth. I praise God for the encouragement He has given for this soon-coming little time of trouble. “And if we are called to suffer for Christ’s sake, we shall be able to go to prison trusting in Him as a little child trusts in his parents. Now is the time to cultivate faith in God.” Our High Calling, 357.

We do not need the courage and fortitude of the martyrs of old until brought into the position that they were in. “Should there be a return of persecution there would be grace given to arouse every energy of the soul to show a true heroism.” Our High Calling, 125.

“The disciples were not endowed with the courage and fortitude of the martyrs until such grace was needed.” The Desire of Ages, 354. “When for the truth’s sake the believer stands at the bar of the unrighteous tribunals, Christ stands by his side . . . When one is incarcerated in prison walls, Christ ravishes the heart with His love. When one suffers death for His sake, Christ says, ‘I am He that liveth and was dead; and, behold, I am alive forevermore . . . and have the keys of hell and of death.’ Revelation 1:18. The life that is sacrificed for Me is preserved unto eternal glory.” The Desire of Ages, 669.