Editorial

Editorial – The Future of Babylon and Jerusalem

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The destruction of the ancient city of Babylon is a symbol of the coming destruction of the entire world. The destruction of the city of Jerusalem and its stately temple is also a symbol of the destruction of the world. In the New Testament, Jerusalem and the Jews are used as a symbol of the professed Christian church and Babylon is used as a symbol of the entire religious world. And yet both of these—Babylon and Jerusalem—are portrayed as objects that will be totally destroyed (see for example The Desire of Ages, 743, 816; The Youth’s Instructor, December 29, 1890).

Why is the world going to be destroyed at the end?—because of its wickedness. “The destruction of Babylon pictures to some degree the final destruction of the world [see Isaiah 13]. Babylon is a symbol of the world at large. … When the doom of a nation is fixed, it seems that all the energy, wisdom, and discretion of its former time of prosperity, deserts its men of position, and they hasten the evil they would avert. Outside enemies are not the greatest peril to an individual or a nation. The overthrow of a nation results, under the providence of God, from some unwise or evil course of its own. But the people who fear God, who are loyal to His laws, who carry out the principles of righteousness in their lives, have a sure defense; God will be the refuge of those who trust in Him.” The Signs of the Times, December 29, 1890

“Could the curtain be rolled back before the youth who have never given their hearts to God, with others who are Christians in name, but who are unrenewed in heart and unsanctified in temper, they would see that God’s eye is ever upon them, and they would feel as disturbed as did the king of Babylon. …” The Youth’s Instructor, May 26, 1898

“We are never alone. We have a Companion, whether we choose Him or not. … Wherever you are, whatever you are doing, God is there. To your every word and action you have a witness,—the holy, sin-hating God. Nothing that is said or done or thought can escape His infinite eye. … In the deepest darkness and solitude He is there. No one can deceive God; none can escape from their accountability to Him.” Ibid

Editorial – Look to Me and Be Saved

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Even before Christ came to our world incarnate as Jesus of Nazareth, the Redeemer of this fallen world, it was God’s plan for His chosen people, the children of Israel, to take the message of salvation to all the world. The prophet wrote, “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all people” (Isaiah 56:7).

But we have an even more wonderful message than could be proclaimed in Old Testament times. We are to tell the world that our crucified and risen Saviour is now an all-powerful mediator seated upon a mediatorial throne in heaven, still giving audience to the people of this world.

The devil knows the almighty power that is in the message we bear to an apostate world. “Satan invents unnumbered schemes to occupy our minds, that they may not dwell upon the very work with which we ought to be best acquainted. … Those who would share the benefits of the Saviour’s mediation should permit nothing to interfere with their duty to perfect holiness in the fear of God. The precious hours, instead of being given to pleasure, to display, or to gain seeking, should be devoted to an earnest, prayerful study of the word of truth.” The Great Controversy, 488.

“Christ said. ‘Go, teach, bring into discipleship, all nations. Give them the knowledge of the truth of My gospel, which is founded on truth. Lead them to understand that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost are heaven’s loving, powerful agencies for the accomplishment of the work of representing God in the world. Lo, I am with you in this work … . I will be with you and all who succeed you, till the end of time, in the work of preaching the gospel.’ ” Manuscript Releases, vol. 16, 15.

This explains why God’s people must be organized in order for God’s work to be done and finished in this world. “God has given the most sacred, solemn message of warning to His appointed agencies. … [They were to be] separate from the idolatrous nations that were deep in apostasy and idolatry, and present a character for excellence and entire obedience, teaching the highest standard of spirituality, far, far above all worldly policy and all idolatry.” Ibid., 188.

Editorial – Laboring to Give Birth

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“Ask now, and see, whether a man is ever in labor with child? So why do I see every man with his hands on his loins like a woman in labor, and all faces turned pale” (Jeremiah 30:6)?

“Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth. … She bore a male Child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her Child was caught up to God and His throne” (Revelation 12:2, 5).

“My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you” (Galatians 4:19).

“And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight—if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel… .  To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus” (Colossians 1:21-23, 27, 28).

All four of these diverse passages of scripture are talking about the same subject. Before anyone can be taken out of this world to live forever in heaven, all their sins must be forgiven and blotted out. And by the transforming power of the Holy Spirit, a new heart and life must also be created within, their character a reflection of the character of Jesus Christ. Have you been born again?

“The ideal of Christian character is Christlikeness. As the Son of man was perfect in His life, so His followers are to be perfect in their life. … He bids us by faith in Him attain to the glory of the character of God.” The Faith I Live By, 44.

“A well-balanced character is formed by single acts well performed. One defect, cultivated instead of being overcome, makes the man imperfect, and closes against him the gate of the Holy City. … In all the redeemed host not one defect will be seen.” The Youth’s Instructor, January 17, 1901.

Editorial – You Also Be Ready

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What is involved in being ready for the second coming of Jesus? There are many inspired statements that tell us exactly what we are to do and the condition that we are to be in to be ready for the second coming of Jesus. Following are a few of the specifications for being ready:

  1. Psalm 15 lists eleven
  2. Psalm 24 lists four
  3. Isaiah 33:15 lists six
  4. Matthew 5:3–10 lists eight
  5. Titus 2:11–14 lists nine
  6. 2 Peter 1:3–7 lists nine
  7. Revelation 14:12 lists two

Here are a few more:

“Only those who receive the seal of the living God will have the passport through the gates of the Holy City. But there are many who take upon themselves responsibilities in connection with the work of God who are not wholehearted believers, and while they remain thus cannot receive the seal of the living God. They trust in their own righteousness, which the Lord accounts as foolishness.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 970.

“Those who would have the seal of God in their foreheads must keep the Sabbath of the fourth commandment. This is what distinguishes them from the disloyal, who have accepted a man-made institution in the place of the true Sabbath. The observance of God’s rest day is the mark of distinction between him that serveth God and him that serveth Him not.” Ibid.

“The seal of the living God will be placed upon those only who bear a likeness to Christ in character.” The Faith I Live By, 287.

“There is not one inactive in heaven, and no one will enter the mansions of bliss who has failed to show love for Christ, who has put forth no efforts for the salvation of others.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 207.

“Put away all discontent, all murmuring, all disagreeable words. We do not honor Christ when we dispute and quarrel one with another. No one will enter heaven with a spirit of fault-finding, and we desire to have a foretaste of the principles of heaven manifested here below.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 7, 49.

“Christ’s rule of life by which every one of us must stand or fall in the judgment is, ‘Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them’ (Matthew 7:12).” The Ministry of Healing, 104.

Editorial – The Everlasting Gospel

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God’s remnant people have been commissioned to take a message to the world. Outlined below are the elements of that message:

The everlasting gospel is the good news that the Son of God paid an infinite price for man’s redemption and all who will repent of their sins and unreservedly commit their lives and be baptized will be forgiven and will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

In 1844, angel messengers connected earth with heaven and all the deeds of man, good or evil, were opened before the eye of Infinite Justice. The hour of God’s judgment had come.

God, our Creator, is to be worshiped by man (see Exodus 20:8–11).

We are to forsake all worship, religious systems and philosophies which cause us to break any of the Ten Commandments.

We are not to worship the beast power of Revelation 13:1–10. “It was apostasy that led the early church to seek the aid of the civil government, and this prepared the way for the development of the papacy—the beast. … So apostasy in the church will prepare the way for the image to the beast.” The Great Controversy, 443.

We are not to worship the image to the beast power described in Revelation 13:11–17. “When the leading churches of the United States, uniting upon such points of doctrine as are held by them in common, shall influence the state to enforce their decrees and to sustain their institutions, then Protestant America will have formed an image of the Roman hierarchy, and the infliction of civil penalties upon dissenters will inevitably result.” Ibid., 445.

We are not to accept the mark of the beast. This special mark is the deliberate attempt to change the times in the law of God (see Daniel 7:25).

“As the sign of the authority of the Catholic Church, papist writers cite ‘the very act of changing the Sabbath into Sunday, which Protestants allow of; … because by keeping Sunday, they acknowledge the church’s power to ordain feasts, and to command them under sin.’ ” — Henry Tuberville, An Abridgment of the Christian Doctrine, page 58.

We are to keep all the commandments of God (Revelation 14:12; James 2:10–12).

We are to have the same faith that Jesus had. “Amid the awful darkness, apparently forsaken of God, Christ had drained the last dregs in the cup of human woe. In those dreadful hours He had relied upon the evidence of His Father’s acceptance heretofore given Him. He was acquainted with the character of His Father; He understood His justice, His mercy, and His great love. ” The Desire of Ages, 756.

Editorial – The Future of Our Great Cities

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What has happened in the past is soon to happen again in the future. What happened to Sodom in Abraham’s day, what happened to Jerusalem in Jeremiah’s day is going to happen again in the cities of our world.

LOT

“Then the men said unto Lot, ‘Have you anyone else here? Son-in-law, your sons, your daughters, and whomever you have in the city—take them out of this place! For we will destroy this place, because the outcry against them has grown great before the face of the Lord, and the Lord has sent us to destroy it.’ So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who had married his daughters, and said, ‘Get up, get out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city!’ But to his sons-in-law he seemed to be joking” (Genesis 19:12–14).

JEREMIAH

“The word of the Lord also came to me, saying, ‘You shall not take a wife, nor shall you have sons or daughters in this place.’ For thus says the Lord concerning the sons and the daughters who are born in this place, and concerning their mothers who bore them and their fathers who begot them in this land: ‘They shall die gruesome deaths; they shall not be lamented nor shall they be buried, but they shall be like refuse on the face of the earth. They shall be consumed by the sword and by famine, and their corpses shall be meat for the birds of heaven and for the beasts of the earth.’ For thus says the Lord: ‘Do not enter the house of mourning, nor go to lament or bemoan them; for I have taken away My peace from this people,’ says the Lord, ‘lovingkindness and mercies’ ” (Jeremiah 16:1–5).

TODAY

“When God’s restraining hand is removed, the destroyer begins his work. Then in our cities the greatest calamities will come.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 3, 314.

“The end is near, and every city is to be turned upside down every way. There will be confusion in every city. Everything that can be shaken is to be shaken, and we do not know what will come next. The judgments will be according to the wickedness of the people and the light of truth that they have had.” Ibid., vol. 1, 248, 249.

“O that God’s people had a sense of the impending destruction of thousands of cities, now almost given to idolatry.” Evangelism, 29.

Editorial – Are You Humble Enough to go to Heaven?

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“And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Matthew 23:12).

The truth always corrects erroneous ideas. Jesus said, “If you continue in My word … you will know the truth and the truth will make you free” (John 8:31, 32). Unfortunately, the truth is unpopular. “Truth was unpopular in Christ’s day. It is unpopular in our day. It has been unpopular ever since Satan first gave man a disrelish for it by presenting fables that lead to self-exaltation.” The Desire of Ages, 242.

The scribes and Pharisees prided themselves upon the idea that they were God’s chosen people, but when He came to them, they did not receive Him. “He did not flatter the Pharisees or exalt them in any way. He received the publicans and sinners whom the Jews heartily despised, and because His lessons of humility, compassion, and love rebuked their selfishness and pride, they would have none of Him, but turned from Him in scorn. They made great ostentation, wore long robes, and stood praying on the corners of the streets, but none of these pretensions to piety awed the great Teacher or drew from Him one word of approval. … The teaching of Christ was against all vanity and pride, for these were abhorrent to the Most High. It is the humble and the contrite whose prayers are heard in heaven. The Lord declares that He knoweth ‘the proud afar off’ (Psalm 138:6). He says, ‘To this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at My word’ (Isaiah 66:2).” The Signs of the Times, May 24, 1899.

“Many look upon the great work to be accomplished for God’s people, and their prayers go up to God for help in the great harvest. But like the Jewish nation, if help does not come in just the manner they have arranged, they will not receive it, but turn from that help as the Jewish nation turned from Christ, because disappointed in the manner of His appearing. Too much poverty and humility marked His advent, and in their pride they refused Him who came to give them life. … Had the church all humbled themselves before God, and corrected their past errors so fully as to meet the mind of God, they would not be so deficient in estimating moral excellence of character.” Testimony for the Church at Battle Creek (1868), 53.

“Be sure that Christ is in you, that your heart is broken and submissive and humble. God will accept only the humble and contrite. Heaven is worth a lifelong, persevering effort; yes, it is worth everything. God will help you in your efforts if you strive only in Him.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 259.

Editorial – Enforcing the Mark of the Beast

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The Bible predicts in Revelation 13 that just before the end of the world the mark of the beast (Revelation 13:1–10) is going to be enforced upon the whole human race. If you do not consent to receive this mark or worship the image, to the beast you will not be able to buy or sell (verses 16, 17). Eventually there will be a law that if you do not receive this mark or worship the image you will be killed (verse 15). In spite of this pressure, the people of God will not receive it (verse 2).

God has written His official response to the enforcement of the mark of the beast and the worship of its image 2000 years before its occurrence. (See Revelation 14:9–12.) From this important passage of scripture, we can learn several important things. (1) The worship of any image is contrary to the second commandment and forbidden in the law of God. (2) Receiving the mark of the beast will expose you to receive the wrath of God (verse 10). The only people who receive the wrath of God are those who obey unrighteousness (Romans 2:8) so the mark of the beast involves unrighteousness. (3) All unrighteousness is sin (1 John 5:17). (4) Sin is the transgression of God’s law (1 John 3:4) so the mark of the beast involves the breaking of one or more of the commandments. (5) Those who keep God’s commandments do not receive the mark of the beast (Revelation 14:12). (6) The special mark of this power is its deliberate attempt to change times and law (Daniel 7:25). A careful examination reveals that the little horn power of Daniel 7 and the beast power of Revelation 13:1–10 are the same entity. (7) The only time mentioned in God’s law is the Sabbath of the fourth commandment. (8) Those who receive the mark of the beast will also receive the seven last plagues (Revelation 16:2). (9) A great number of those who are deceived by the false prophet and receive the mark of the beast will still be alive when Jesus returns in the clouds of heaven (described in symbolic language in Revelation 19:11–21) and will at that time be destroyed (verses 20, 21). So, the destiny of those alive in the final generation of this world’s history will be determined by either keeping the commandments of God or receiving the mark of the beast in order to buy and sell.

Interestingly for the first time in the history of the world we are in a situation where the governments of the world are capable of preventing a person from buying or selling from centrally located computers that control the flow of digital money.

Editorial – The Mark of the Beast

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According to Revelation 13:1–17, the United States of America is the beast that arises from the earth. We know this because: (1) after the first beast receives a deadly wound in 1798, it becomes a world power (Revelation 13:1–12), (2) it comes up out of the earth, in contrast to other beasts of Daniel and Revelation that come up from the sea (Revelation 17:15), (3) it was “to grow up perfectly like a plant.” As George Townsend said, “like a silent seed we grew into an empire,” (4) it would influence the thinking of the world (Revelation 13:14), and (5) it was to be gentle and innocent in its appearance when it arose (Revelation 13:11).

However, the United States of America ultimately becomes an intolerant, persecuting power forcing all to receive the mark of the papacy (Revelation 13:12 and 15–17). Sunday worship is not commanded anywhere in the Bible, yet it will become the mark of the beast. The papacy has said that Sunday keeping is a mark of their authority: “Of course the Catholic Church claims that the change was her act, and the act is a mark of her ecclesiastical authority in religious matters. …

 “… Had she not such power, she could not have done that in which all modern religionists agree with her – she could not have substituted the observance of Sunday, the first day of the week, for the observance of Saturday, the seventh day, a change for which there is no Scriptural authority.” The Convert’s Catechism of Catholic Doctrine, Third Edition.

The United States, on behalf of the Church of Rome, will force all to receive the mark of the papacy and any refusing to receive the mark will be unable to buy or sell, and then a death decree will be enacted against them.

How will this happen? “Communications from the spirits will declare that God has sent them to convince the rejecters of Sunday of their error, affirming that the laws of the land should be obeyed as the law of God. They will lament the great wickedness in the world and second the testimony of religious teachers that the degraded state of morals is caused by the desecration of Sunday. Great will be the indignation excited against all who refuse to accept their testimony” The Great Controversy, 591.

Notice the sequence of events:

  1. great wickedness will develop in the United States,
  2. this wickedness will be so great that people will long for the violence and lawlessness to end,
  3. supernatural spirits will say with human religious teachers that the degraded moral state is the result of the desecration of Sunday,
  4. a Sunday Law will be passed and the spirits will say the laws of the land should be obeyed as the law of God, and
  5. their testimony will turn the world against those who keep the law of God.

In the final judgment, every person will be judged over this issue (Revelation 14:9–12; Revelation 22:14, 15; Revelation 19 and 20). Which side will you be on?

Editorial – Revelation 10 and 11

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In Revelation 10 there is a prophecy of a great prophetic movement encompassing both sea and land (Revelation 10:2)—in other words, all the world—that would occur at the end of the times (compare Revelation 10:6 and Daniel 12:7). This prophetic movement would go through a great disappointment (verses 8–10) and then, a divine commission would be given to it that they must prophesy again to all the world (verse 11).

When the Bible was written there were no chapter divisions such as we have in our Bibles today. There was no break in the continuity of thought between the tenth and the eleventh chapters of Revelation, as a chapter break seems to imply.

Immediately after the divine command to prophesy again to all the world, there is given to the prophet a reed (rod) to measure the temple. (The words temple and sanctuary are equivalents and can be used interchangeably. Compare with Daniel 8:14.) The “holy city” (Revelation 11:2) refers to the true church and the 1260 years of persecution from an antichrist power that it would endure. Notice that the great prophetic movement described in Revelation 10 comes at the end of the times (compare Daniel 7:25, 12:7; Revelation 11:2, 3; Revelation 12:6 and Revelation 13:5 with Revelation 10:6).

It was at the end of these prophetic times that a new satanic power, described in Revelation 11:7–13, was to be unleashed on the world. This prophecy was fulfilled by the socialist or communist government that overflooded France in the 1790s. But the French Revolution was only the beginning of the communist socialist experiment. It was attempted again in 1848, but was stopped by an edict from heaven at that time for about 70 years. It developed again in Russia in 1917, took over China in 1949, and has taken over many governments in Asia, Central and South America.

The communist socialist experiment that began in earnest in 1789 is not over yet. Ellen White wrote in 1903 the following: “Anarchy is seeking to sweep away all law, not only divine, but human. The centralizing of wealth and power; the vast combinations for the enriching of the few at the expense of the many; the combinations of the poorer classes for the defense of their interests and claims; the spirit of unrest, of riot and bloodshed; the world-wide dissemination of the same teachings that led to the French Revolution—all are tending to involve the whole world in a struggle similar to that which convulsed France.” Education, 228.

In other words, what occurred in the French Revolution on a local scale is to be repeated on a worldwide scale. We are entering that development right now.

This same writer has given warning about the future of the cities which we hope to investigate later. She wrote, “… read the eleventh chapter of Revelation. Read every verse, and learn the things that are yet to take place in the cities. Read also the scenes portrayed in the eighteenth chapter of the same book.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 21, 91.