Prophecy

The Loud Cry

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Of all the subjects we like to hear and study, it is the Second Coming of Christ that brings us the most thrilling joy of anticipation. The next most exciting subject, I believe, is the Loud Cry. It stirs our hearts for the climax of victory. Surrounding the Loud Cry is a cluster of events that begin with the national Sunday law and end with the close of probation.

Revelation 18 contains the Loud Cry, which is to be given to the whole world. “And after these things, I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.” Revelation 18:1–5.

This most powerful message of the Loud Cry will begin as soon as the United States enacts the national Sunday law. Immediately, every nation on earth will be forced by Rome to follow the United States and declare Sunday the universal day of worship.

“Foreign nations will follow the example of the United States. Though she leads out, yet the same crisis will come upon our people in all parts of the world . . . All nations and tongues and peoples will be commanded to worship this spurious Sabbath. This is Satan’s plan to make of no account the day instituted by God, and given to the world as a memorial of creation. The decree enforcing the worship of this day is to go forth to all the world.” Maranatha, 214.

It is at this time that the loyal Sabbath-keepers will face the crisis of their lives and make the final decision that they would rather die than sin. By refusing to worship the beast and accept the mark of apostasy, this small remnant will receive the seal of God, and the Holy Spirit will be poured out upon them in the latter rain, enabling them to give the Loud Cry quickly to all the world.

The sealing is a progressive work, and as men and women throughout this planet come to understand what is taking place in the Loud Cry, they will make their decisions in response to the Three Angels’ Messages to accept or reject God’s final appeal. A divine power will be in their lives by words spoken. It will be at this time that Satan will also manifest himself by appearing as though he is Christ returning to the earth. “Satan sees that he is about to lose his case. He cannot sweep in the whole world. He makes one last desperate effort to overcome the faithful by deception. He does this in personating Christ. He clothes himself with the garments of royalty, which have been accurately described in the vision of John. He has power to do this. He will appear to his deluded followers, the Christian world who receive not the love of the truth but have pleasure in unrighteousness (transgression of the law), as Christ coming the second time.

“He proclaims himself Christ, and he is believed to be Christ, a beautiful, majestic being clothed with majesty and, with soft voice and pleasant words, with glory unsurpassed by anything that mortal eye had yet beheld. Then his deceived, deluded followers set up a shout of victory, ‘Christ has come the second time! Christ has come! He has lifted up His hands just as He did when He was upon this earth and blessed us.’ ” The Last Day Events, 164.

I believe this to be Satan’s attempt to counterfeit the mighty work of the fourth angel. First, comes the national Sunday law, which is followed by a universal Sunday law. Then come the sealing and the latter rain, which make possible the Loud Cry that Satan tries to counterfeit with his satanic manifestations. But God sends the fourth angel to empower the Loud Cry so that nothing on earth can stop it. Babylon is revealed as fallen, her sins are unmasked, and God calls His people to come out of her that they receive not of her plagues.

Let’s look carefully at eleven points I have compiled about the Loud Cry.

  1. “The Lord has His representatives in all churches. These persons have not had the special testing truths for these last days presented to them under circumstances that brought conviction to heart and mind; therefore they have not, by rejecting light, severed their connections with God.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 70.

“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.” The Great Controversy, 390.

We are not to be discouraged, when we see so many within Adventism being captivated by false teachings. Though they may leave the truth by the millions, there are millions in other churches who will heed the Loud Cry and come out of Babylon to take their place on God’s side with His people.

  1. How are God’s people to react to this Sunday law? First, we must never give the impression that we are resting on Sunday in honor of the Sunday sabbath. We may quietly work within our home on Sunday. We may quietly rest during part of Sunday, as we do on any other day, remembering that it is a workday as God has spoken, “Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work.”

We should spend most of Sunday visiting and giving Bible studies. “We must take a firm stand that we will not reverence the first day of the week as the Sabbath, for it is not the day that was blessed and sanctified by Jehovah, and in reverencing Sunday we should place ourselves on the side of the great deceiver.” Selected Messages, vol. 3, 388.

“The people will soon find out what you believe about Sunday and the Sabbath for they will ask questions. Then you can tell them, but not in such a manner as to attract attention to your work. You need not cut short your work by yourself laboring on Sunday . . . Refraining from work on Sunday is not receiving the mark of the beast . . . In places where the opposition is so strong as to arouse persecution, if work is done on Sunday, let our brethren make that day an occasion to do genuine missionary work.” Last Day Events, 139.

“At one time those in charge of our school at Avondale inquired of me, saying: ‘What shall we do? The officers of the law have been commissioned to arrest those working on Sunday.’ I replied: It will be very easy to avoid that difficulty. Give Sunday as a day for doing missionary work. Take the students out to hold meetings in different places, and to do medical missionary work. They will find the people at home and will have a splendid opportunity to present the truth. This way of spending Sunday is always acceptable to the Lord.” Testimonies, vol. 9, 238.

We may conduct Sunday Schools for the children on Sunday, but never a worship service on Sunday. There is a vast difference between these two programs. “When the practices of the people do not come in conflict with the law of God, you may conform to them. If the workers fail to do this, they will not only hinder their own work, but they will also place stumbling blocks in the way of those for whom they labor, and hinder them from accepting the truth. On Sunday there is the very best opportunity for those who are missionaries to hold Sunday Schools, and come to the people in the simplest manner possible, telling them of the love of Jesus for sinners, and educating them in the Scriptures.

“The light that I have is that God’s servants should go quietly to work, preaching the grand, precious truths of the Bible—Christ and Him crucified, His love and infinite sacrifice—showing that the reason why Christ died is because the law of God is immutable, unchangeable, eternal. The Sabbath must be taught in a decided manner. But be cautious how you deal with the idol Sunday. A word to the wise is sufficient.” Maranatha, 177.

Counsel has been clearly given to us about how we are to relate to the human laws of the earthly government and to God’s Law. “The people of God will recognize human government as an ordinance of divine appointment and will by precept and example teach obedience to it as a sacred duty so long as its authority is exercised within its legitimate sphere. But when its claims conflict with the claims of God we must choose to obey God rather than men. The Word of God must be recognized and obeyed as an authority above that of all human legislation. ‘Thus saith the Lord’ is not to be set aside for a ‘Thus saith the church or the state.’ The crown of Christ is to be uplifted above all the diadems of earthly potentates.” Last Day Events, 142.

  1. The Loud Cry is the Three Angels’ Messages of Revelation 14:9–12. It warns of a fearful judgment to come upon those who will worship the beast and his image. This test is to prepare a people to obey God in the final conflict. “This warning is brought to view in Revelation 14. Here is a threefold message represented as proclaimed by heavenly beings and immediately followed by the coming of the Son of man to reap ‘the harvest of the earth.’ ” The Great Controversy, 311.

Please notice what makes the Loud Cry so different from what the men of God had preached for years. “Heretofore, those who presented the truth of the Third Angel’s Message have often been regarded as mere alarmists. Their predictions that religious intolerance would gain control in the United States, that church and state would unite to persecute those who keep the commandments of God, have been pronounced groundless and absurd . . . But as the question of enforcing Sunday observance is widely agitated, the event so long doubted and disbelieved is soon to be approaching, and the third message will produce an effect which it could not have had before.

“Men of faith and prayer will be constrained to go forth with holy zeal, declaring the words which God gives them. The sins of Babylon will be laid open. The fearful results of enforcing the observance of the church by civil authority, the inroads of spiritualism, the stealthy but rapid progress of the Papal power—all will be unmasked. By these solemn warnings the people will be stirred.” The Great Controversy, 605, 606.

  1. The Loud Cry is a mighty appeal to the message of obedience to the Law of God, made possible by the enabling grace of Christ. It is a message of righteousness by faith and justification by faith. Revelation 14:12 says, “Here is the patience of the saints. Here are they that keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.”

“The time of test is just before us, for the Loud Cry of the third angel has already begun in the revelation of the righteousness of Christ, the sin-pardoning Redeemer. This is the beginning of the light of the angel whose glory shall fill the whole earth.” Selected Messages, vol. 1, 363.

The message is to be a revelation of how God’s love can lift a man out of the pit of sin and give him complete victory over every sin. “The last message of mercy to be given to the world is a revelation of His character of love. The children of God are to manifest His glory. In their own life and character they are to reveal what the grace of God has done for them.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 415.

“The message of Christ’s righteousness is to sound from one end of the earth to the other to prepare the way of the Lord. This is the glory of God, which closes the work of the third angel.”Testimonies, vol. 6, 19.

  1. When will this glory of God be manifested? Revelation 18 tells us it is when the sins of Babylon have reached unto heaven. “When do her sins reach unto heaven? When the law of God is finally made void by legislation.” Last Day Events, 198. This clearly reveals that this is the result of the universal Sunday law.
  2. Now is the time for God to act in which He will commission the fourth mighty angel to join with the Third Angel’s Message. “Then I saw another mighty angel commissioned to descend to the earth, to unite his voice with the third angel, and give power and force to his message. Great power and glory were imparted to the angel, and as he descended, the earth was lightened with his glory. The light which attended this angel penetrated everywhere, as he cried mightily, with a strong voice, ‘Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen.’ ” Early Writings, 277.
  3. The Loud Cry will penetrate the deepest darkness. “Amid the deepening shadows of earth’s great crises, God’s light will shine brightest, and the song of hope and trust will be heard in clearest and loftiest strains.” Education, 166.
  4. “During the Loud Cry, the church, aided by providential interposition of her exalted Lord, will diffuse the knowledge of salvation so abundantly that light will be communicated to every city and town.” Evangelism, 694. “In every city in America the truth is to be proclaimed. In every country of the world the warning message is to be given.” Last Day Events, 208.

“In heathen Africa, in the Catholic lands of Europe and South America, in China, in India, in the isles of the sea, and in all the dark corners of the earth, God has in reserve a firmament of chosen ones that will yet shine forth amidst the darkness, revealing clearly to an apostate world the transforming power of obedience to His law.” Prophets and Kings, 188.

  1. The whole earth is to be enlightened. “Servants of God with their faces lighted up and shining with holy consecration, will hasten from place to place to proclaim the message from heaven. By thousands of voices all over the earth, the warning will be given. Miracles will be wrought, the sick will be healed, and signs and wonders will follow the believers. Satan also works with lying wonders, even bringing down fire from heaven in the sight of men. Revelation 13:13. Thus the inhabitants of the earth will be brought to take their stand.

“The message will be carried not so much by argument as by the deep conviction of the Spirit of God. The arguments have been presented. The seeds have been sown, and now it will spring up and bear fruit. The publications distributed by missionary workers have exerted their influence, yet many whose minds were impressed have been prevented from fully comprehending the truth or yielding obedience. Now the rays of light penetrate everywhere, the truth is seen in its clearness, and the honest children of God sever the bands which have held them. Family connections, church relations, are powerless to stay them now. Truth is more precious than all besides. Notwithstanding the agencies combined against the truth, a large number take their stand upon the Lord’s side.” The Great Controversy, 612.

  1. The results will be enormous. Conversions will be by the thousands. “The time is coming when there will be as many converted in a day as there were on the day of Pentecost, after the disciples had received the Holy Spirit.

“The safeguards which false shepherds had thrown around their flocks will become as nought; thousands will set out into the light, and work to spread the light. Heavenly intelligences will combine with human agencies. Thus encouraged, the church will indeed arise and shine, throwing all her sanctified energies into the contest; thus the design of God is accomplished; the lost pearls are recovered.” Evangelism, 692.

“When the storm of persecution really breaks . . .many who have strayed from the fold will come back to follow the Great Shepherd. The people of God will draw together and present to the enemy a united front.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 401.

  1. The Loud Cry message will be given rapidly. “The bright light going among the living creatures with the swiftness of lightening represents the speed with which this work will finally go forward to completion.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 754. “When divine power is combined with human effort, the work will spread like fire in the stubble. God will employ agencies whose origin men will be unable to discern; angels will do a work which men might have had the blessing of accomplishing, had they not neglected to answer the claims of God.” Selected Messages, vol. 1, 118.

The prophet Amos describes the finishing of the work like this: “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth the seed.” Amos 9:13. “These conversions to the truth will be made with a rapidity that will surprise the church and God’s name alone will be glorified.” Selected Messages, vol. 2, 16. “The final movements will be rapid ones.” Testimonies, vol. 9, 11. This is just what God said in Romans 9: 28, “For He will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.”

There is a reason for this wonder. The Loud Cry comes with ten times the power of the Midnight Cry that was given in 1844. “I saw the Latter Rain was coming as the Midnight Cry with ten times the power.” Spaulding Magan Collection, 2.

“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 hurried out of Sodom before her destruction.” Early Writings, 279. But the vast majority will reject the message. “Some will listen to these warnings, but by the vast majority they will be disregarded.” In Heavenly Places, 343. There will be opposers of the message who will try to persuade the people not to accept the message. “The popular ministry, like the Pharisees of old, filled with anger as their authority is questioned, will denounce the message as of Satan and stir up the sin-loving multitudes to revile and persecute those who proclaim it.” The Great Controversy, 607.

What a thrill to our souls is the knowledge that the laymen of faith and prayer will be largely used to finish the work of the Loud Cry. “As the time comes for it to be given with greatest power, the Lord will work through human instruments, leading the minds of those who consecrate themselves to His service. The laborers will be qualified rather by the unction of His Spirit than by the training of literary institutions. Men of faith and prayer will be constrained to go forth with holy zeal, declaring the words which God gives them.” The Great Controversy, 606.

Uneducated men and even children will finish the work. “Many . . . will be seen hurrying hither and thither, constrained by the Spirit of God to bring the light to others. The truth, the Word of God, is as a fire in their bones, filling them with a burning desire to enlighten those who sit in darkness. Many, even among the uneducated, now proclaim the words of the Lord. Children are impelled by the Spirit to go forth and declare the message of heaven. The Spirit is poured out upon all who will yield to its promptings, and casting off all man’s machinery, his binding rules and cautious methods, they will declare the truth with the might of the Spirit’s power. Multitudes will receive the faith and join the armies of the Lord.” Evangelism, 700.

“Let me tell you that the Lord will work in this last work in a manner very much out of the common order of things, and in a way that will be contrary to any human planning. There will be those among us who will always want to control the work of God, to dictate even what movements should be made when the work goes forward under the direction of the angel who joins the third angel in the message to be given to the world. God will use ways and means by which it will be seen that He is taking the reins in His own hands. The workers will be surprised by the simple means that He will use to bring about and perfect His work of righteousness.” Testimonies to Ministers, 300.

“Those who receive Christ as a personal Saviour, will stand the test and trials of the last days. Strengthened by unquestioned faith in Christ, even the illiterate disciple will be able to withstand the doubts and the questions that infidelity can produce, and put to blush the sophistries of scorners. The Lord Jesus will give the disciples a tongue of 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.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 8, 187.

We are told that the angels of God will join with us in giving this message to men. “There are many men in our world who are like Cornelius. As God worked with Cornelius, so He worked for those true standard bearers. They will obtain a knowledge of God as Cornelius did through the visitation of angels from heaven.” Last Day Events, 207.

Praise God, the work will be finished and Jesus will come! The question is, will you and I be a part of giving the Loud Cry? Today God is calling you—will you answer?

 

One World Church

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Many Christians today desire to be part of the Apostolic church that Jesus formed at his ascension but are not willing to join or be part of any particular denomination. With so many different churches and denominations the question arises, Will there be another universal religious power and why are there so many denominations all separated from one another?

John the Revelator was given a most astonishing prophecy foretelling what would happen in Christendom and the future of the Christian church. This was seen in the prophecy of the seven seals and the four horsemen.

Revelation 6:1, 2 says, “I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.”

In one generation the news that Jesus Christ was the Messiah and that sins could be forgiven simply by coming to Him in faith, was taken to the whole world. The apostle Paul wrote, “The gospel, which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven.” Colossians 1:23.

According to Christian tradition, Andrew went as a missionary to India and Nicodemus went as a missionary to the area which today is called the British Isles. The message was spread all over Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Philip shared with the Ethiopian eunuch who took the gospel back to Ethiopia and from that time there were Christians in Ethiopia. The news that Jesus had broken the bonds of death, and that through Him eternal life was available, electrified the world and believers were added to the church worldwide.

When confronted that this teaching was contrary to the prevailing ideas of society, the position of the early believers was that they “ought to obey God rather than man.” Acts 5:29. They had a “primitive godliness” or “Apostolic Christianity” that every Christian wants but few people have.

The white horse represents the church following the day of Pentecost that had a pure faith but God foresaw that things would change.

The apostle Paul said to the elders, bishops and overseers of the church, “Take heed to yourselves, and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood. For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.” Acts 20:28–30.

Paul says that apostasy would come up from within the church. The greatest danger to the Christian church has never been from the outside, but the most dangerous enemies are those on the inside.

The second seal opened: “Another horse, fiery red, went out, and it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another: and there was given to him a great sword.” Revelation 6:4.

This horse represents a bloodstained faith. The pagan Roman government saw that if Christianity was allowed to go on it would conquer the world so they decided to destroy the church. That resulted in bitter persecution for hundreds of years and millions of Christians were martyred for their faith. Some were fed to starving lions, leopards and other ferocious beasts. Others were crucified or burned to death.

The period of the red horse was from about A.D. 90 to about A.D. 313. when the edict of Milan was passed granting, for the first time, official toleration to the Christians.

The next change was represented by a black horse.

“And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.” Revelation 6:5, 6.

Black is the color of apostasy. The Christian faith was compromised.

Faith in Christ for salvation was replaced by trust in the church for salvation. During this period of time an attempt was made to supplant the commandments of God with the commandments of men. The Ten Commandments of God are unchangeable. Jesus said it would be easier for heaven and earth to pass than for one of them to fail because they are eternal.

Part of the second commandment says, “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in the heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: You shall not bow down to them, nor serve them.” Exodus 20:4, 5.

Christians began to bow before images using them in their worship services, although this was forbidden in the second commandment. The pagan’s day of the sun replaced the Bible Sabbath. Christians did not want to be thought of as enemies of the Roman state so they compromised and said that they could celebrate on that day too, because that is the day that Jesus rose from the dead.

The Apostolic Creed, Book 7, Section 2 reads, “Oh Lord Almighty, thou hast created the world by Jesus Christ, and hath appointed the Sabbath in memory thereof.”

The apostles knew which day the Sabbath was and that it was given because God was the Creator of the heavens and the earth. All of the early Christians in the first century kept the Sabbath.

We are told by Eusibius that Constantine, in order to recommend the new religion to the heathen, transferred into it the outward ornaments to which they had been accustomed in their own religion.

The retention of the old pagan name Sunday is in great measure owed to the union of pagan and Christian sentiment with which the first day of the week was recommended by Constantine to his subjects, the venerable day of the sun.

It was during this time when Sunday keeping came into the Christian church. The Bible says, “And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.” Genesis 2:3.

The prophet Ezekiel said that, “Her priests have violated my law, and profaned my holy things: they have not distinguished between the holy and the unholy, nor have they made known the difference between the unclean and the clean, and they have hidden their eyes from my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them.” Ezekiel 22:26.

Concerning this law, God said, “My covenant I will not break, nor alter the word that has gone out of my mouth.” Psalm 89:34. Jesus said, “And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle [part of a letter] of the law to fail.” Luke 16:17. It was during this time period after Constantine in the 4th century that men started tampering with God’s law, doing away with some and replacing it with something else. This is the period of time spoken of in the prophecy of the black horse, a compromised Christianity.

The worst was yet to come. Compromise leads to a total abandonment of the original principles, or in other words, apostasy.

What happened next?

“And when he had opened the fourth seal, … I looked, and beheld a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.” Revelation 6:7, 8.

The Greek word translated pale actually means a pale yellowish green like the substance that someone has just vomited.

Because of the compromise, new Christians were, as far as thinking and habits went, the same old pagans. “Their surge into the churches did not wipe out paganism. On the contrary, hordes of baptized pagans meant that paganism had deluded the moral energies of organized Christianity to the point of impotence.” Centuries of Christianity, the Concise History, 58.

This resulted in a dead faith. The apostolic church had the power of the Holy Spirit but when the Christian church started imitating pagan customs, they lost the Spirit and power of God. They needed something to replace it to enforce its decrees. They went to the state to get power which resulted in a union of church and state. Religion then became a matter of following tradition instead of following the word of God. Christianity became an established religion in the Roman Empire and took the place of paganism. Christianity as it existed in the Dark Ages might be termed baptized Paganism.

The steps of compromise led to:

  • Human tradition being accepted over the Bible;
  • The teaching of faith and works, especially religious rituals, were necessary to be saved;
  • The church was exalted over the word of God; and,
  • The commandments of human leaders were taught instead of the commandments of God.

During this terrible period of time millions of Christians lost their lives for their faith. It was actually a crime for a common person to own a copy of the Scriptures. It had to be read in secret for fear of death. It looked like true religion had just about come to an end. But the Bible says, “The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.” Proverbs 4:18.

Comparatively speaking, there were very few Christians in the world at that time. Because of persecution they fled to the mountains just as it was predicted in Revelation 12. However, the light of truth penetrated the darkness. Notice what Jude wrote to the Christians: “Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you, exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” Jude 3.

The true Christians, even when they were locked up in dungeons, prisons or exiled, maintained their faith in Jesus unto death. Bible believing Christians were scattered, many living in hidden homes in isolated places, especially in the alps of northern Italy and in the southeast of France. The Waldenses, the Bordeaux, the Huguenots or Albigenses or Paulicians were among these.

There were no printing presses in those days so the Waldenses copied the Scriptures by hand, all the time teaching them to their children. While very few in Europe had them, the Waldenses had the Scriptures in their own native language and taught that the Bible was the rule of faith and practice above the usages of the church.

Jesus said to the devil, “It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4.

James 1:18 says, “Of his own will he brought us [the church] forth by the word [the Bible], that we might be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.”

The Word of God, the Scriptures, produced the church and not the church producing the word of God. There are hundreds of people confused about this today. Simply said, the word is not the child of the church, but is the parent or the origin of the church.

During this period of the Dark Ages, millions of people went to prison and lost their lives because they would not consent to compromise the faith of the Bible. We are not to disobey the commandment of God in order to obey any human edict or any church or government. “We must obey God rather than men.” Acts 5:29. This might be called the creed of the martyrs during the Dark Ages.

Only the final Day of Judgment will reveal the exact number, but estimates are that 50–70 million Christians were martyred during the Dark Ages. In 1517 Martin Luther nailed his 95 thesis to the church door in Wittenberg, Germany. He discovered through his study that we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, which is contrary to the doctrine that men were saved by both faith and works, which was then commonly believed.

“For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Ephesians 2:8, 9.

In the 16th century there were still many truths of the New Testament that had been lost, and it was impossible that even the best scholars could come to the full knowledge of all Bible truth in one generation.

Jesus understands that. He said, “I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.” John 16:12. You can’t take all the truth right now.

Martin Luther was an instrument of God to bring the entire Christian world back to the apostolic teaching that we are saved by grace alone. But that was not all that God’s children needed to learn. Other teachers were raised up by God to lead His people slowly back to apostolic Christianity. The Lord wanted His children to grow in the knowledge of the Christian lifestyle and come to Christian perfection. Christian perfection is not a popular doctrine today, but it is Biblical. Peter said, “Grow in grace.” II Peter 3:18. And Jesus said, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.” Matthew 5:48.

Those following the increasing light learned that infants were not baptized in the apostolic church, but only those who were old enough to manifest their faith. The idea of infant baptism commenced during the Dark Ages.

Jesus said, “Go therefore, and make disciples of all nations … Teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19, 20.

Martin Luther was not the only one to be persecuted but every reformer to which God revealed new truth from the Bible. The people, later called Anabaptists, who discovered the need to be old enough to reason, or come to the age of accountability before being baptized, were persecuted. At that time it was a capital crime not to believe in infant baptism. Once when I was in France, I was shown a bridge where at one time Anabaptists had been beheaded and their heads posted on both sides of the bridge.

Later, John Wesley and others studied and learned that God expected His followers to become holy people. Paul wrote, “Follow peace with all men and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.” Hebrews 12:14.

John Wesley, who was a member of the Church of England, wrote much on this subject of holiness. His followers later became known as the Methodist church.

When Jesus left this world it was with the promise that He would return. “This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, is going to come in like manner as you have seen him go into heaven.” Acts 1:11.

Toward the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century, there was a great religious awakening. Bible students around the world began to see that they had reached the period of earth’s history that the Bible described as the last days or the time of the end.

For the first time in history, God began to move upon His servants all over the world and in many different churches to proclaim the news that the second coming of Christ was approaching. Within just a few years, earnest Bible students in many countries learned principal doctrines of the apostles that had been lost during the Dark Ages. Some of these included the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, health principles, how to live as Christ’s followers, and what happens after death.

There are really only two kinds of religion in the world, the true religion that the apostles had which comes from God and teaches, “We ought to obey God rather than men.” Acts 5:29, or the other religion that Jesus described in Matthew 15:9, “And in vain they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.”

There are thousands of religions today, all with conflicting creeds, but they all have one thing in common—they teach the commandments of men. Most people who call themselves Christians have a religion that is a mixture of the word of God and the commandments of men. God predicted that in the last days there would be some people who would repair the breach made in God’s law which is the attempt to destroy the Sabbath.

Notice what Isaiah says: “You shall be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of streets to dwell in. If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy day of the Lord, honourable.” Isaiah 58:12, 13.

God’s people, in the last days, will be a commandment keeping people. John describes the two identifying characteristics that His people will possess. “Here is the patience of the saints, here are they that keep the commandments of God.” Revelation 14:12.

There are eight issues in the last days to consider:

Authority

God’s truth—Religious authority comes from God’s word. His word is sufficient to bring the Christian to perfection. II Timothy 3:16, 17.

Satan’s counterfeit—Religious authority comes from man and groups of men, such as church councils or theologians. Church laws are decrees.

Prayer

God’s truth—Prayer is made to God the Father and is offered in the name of Jesus Christ alone.

Satan’s counterfeit—Prayers are made to the dead, to angels and saints with the use of images.

Salvation

God’s truth—Salvation can be received by grace alone, through faith alone. The good works of the Christian do not earn any merit; we are saved by the merits of Christ alone. See Ephesians 2:8, 9; Titus 3:3–7.

Satan’s counterfeit—Salvation comes partly by grace and partly earned—either by the works of the believer or by the good works of saints.

Intercession

God’s truth—The Christian goes to Christ alone as his intercessor and receives forgiveness for sins by the merits of Christ alone. The Bible says, “There is one God, and one mediator between God and man, the Man Christ Jesus.” I Timothy 2:5.

Satan’s counterfeit—The Christian goes to human intercessors to receive forgiveness for sins.

Worship

God’s truth—“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labour, and do all your work: But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God.” Exodus 20:8–10. Writing several decades after the cross Paul, speaking of the seventh day, says it remains. Hebrews 4:4–6.

Satan’s counterfeit— as  Many worship on Friday, and many worship on Sunday—the ancient pagan solar holiday.

Death

God’s truth—“The dead do not praise the Lord.” Psalm 115:17. “Dust you are, and to dust you shall return.” Genesis 3:19.

“Jesus spoke of His death: but they thought He was speaking about taking rest in sleep.” John 11:13.

“There will be a resurrection of the dead, both the just and the unjust.” Acts 24:15.

Satan’s counterfeit—When a person dies he goes to heaven or hell or some other undesirable place.

Baptism

God’s truth—Baptism by immersion and “He that believes, and is baptized, shall be saved.” Mark 16:16. You cannot be an infant; you must first believe.

Satan’s counterfeit—Infant baptism of sprinkling or pouring which is not taught in the Bible.

Health laws

God’s truth—The health laws of the Bible are eternal and we must keep them if we are to be God’s children. “Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. You are not your own; you were bought at a price.” I Corinthians 6:19, 20.

“If any man destroy the temple of God, God will destroy him.” I Corinthians 3:17.

Jesus said, “Other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.” John 10:16.

Satan’s counterfeit—The health laws of the Bible have been abolished and we can eat and drink as we please.

Who are the people who Jesus will recognize as belonging to Him when He comes? “Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter through the gates into the city.” Revelation 22:14. NKJV.

Those who are loyal to the laws of the heavenly government will have the right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

There will be some who will not enter the city. Revelation 22:15 says, “Outside are dogs,” then is listed specific ones, “the sexually immoral [the seventh commandment], the idolaters [the second commandment], those who are liars [the ninth commandment].”

Notice in verse 14 that the people who keep the commandments will be recognized by Jesus as belonging to Him. When Jesus comes, will you be one of those who are welcomed into the holy city, or will you be left on the outside?

“Now is the day of salvation.” II Corinthians 6:2.

“Today if you hear his voice, do not harden your heart.” Hebrews 3:7, 8.

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

Neglectful Blindness in the Light of Truth

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Often people put their trust in things that turn out to be not so trustworthy. This is one of the most common human experiences, and also one of our greatest disappointments. Some put their trust in the government, some in the church, the military, or the court system while others trust only in their own mind. As human beings, we have a seemingly insatiable desire to know what is going to happen in the future. The God of the Bible gives a challenge in Isaiah 45 and 46. He challenges those who are worshipping all other gods. He says, “Prove your case. Who can tell the future? I can tell the end from the beginning.”

In the Bible, we find the only accurate prophecies from ancient times dealing with not only up to the present, but to things that have not yet happened.

The disciples of Jesus also enquired about the future.

A few days before His crucifixion, Jesus left the Jewish temple in Jerusalem for the last time. He had just denounced the hypocrisy of the Jewish leaders and of the nation as a whole and as He was leaving He made this pronouncement. He said, “See, your house is left to you desolate.” Matthew 23:38.

This was not an arbitrary decree but Jesus explained why. He said, “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets, and stones those who are sent to you, how often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!” Verse 37.

He then went on and told them, “You are not going to see me anymore, until you say, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” Verse 39. Here He referred to what they will say in the resurrection at the last day. He then walked out of the temple, and with His disciples went out of the city, up into the Mount of Olives where they sat down overlooking the temple. See Matthew 24:1.

This temple they saw was not the original which had been built by Solomon. Great stores of material had been gathered by King David for the first temple and built according to the plans that had been given him by divine inspiration; however, David was not allowed to build it himself. See I Chronicles 28:12, 19.

David’s son, Solomon, who was declared to be the wisest of Israel’s monarchs, completed the task. The building is reputed to have been the most magnificent building that the world has ever seen. However, because of the apostasy of the Jewish people, God allowed that building to be destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. About 500 years before Christ was born the Jews, returning from captivity to a land that had been largely desolated during their absence, rebuilt the temple.

This second temple was not nearly as magnificent as the first and when the people, the old men who had seen the first temple, saw it, they wept with a loud voice when the foundation of this temple was laid before their eyes (Ezra 3:12).

Describing the second temple the Bible says, “The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts: and in this place I will give peace, says the Lord of hosts.” Haggai 2:9.

The prophet explained how that was going to happen. “For thus says the Lord of hosts; Once more, it is a little while, I will shake heaven, the earth, the sea, and dry land; And I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the desire of all nations: and I will fill this temple with glory, says the Lord of hosts.” Haggai 2:6, 7.

Though the second temple did not have the visible tokens of the glory of God like the first one did, it was honored and was more highly exalted because in this second temple there came the desire of all nations. The Man of Nazareth taught and healed in its sacred enclosure. The presence of Christ alone made it more glorious than the first.

But Israel had put from her God’s proffered gift. And that day, when the humble Teacher had passed out from the temple for the last time, Jesus said, “Your house is left to you desolate.”

Now the disciples were filled with awe and wonder and astonishment as they heard Christ speaking these words, and as He was going out of the temple they tried to draw His attention to the wonderful architecture and to the skill and to the wonderful and expensive materials that had constructed this temple.

“Then as he went out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, Teacher, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!” Mark 13:1.

The temple walls were made with white marble. They were fitted together so tightly that, according to tradition, you could not stick a knife between them. From a distance it was a gorgeous sight and looked like one solid piece of white marble. The disciples attempted to draw Jesus’ attention to this marvelous building that He had just said was left to the Jewish people, desolate. “And Jesus answered and said to him, Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” Verse 2.

At this the disciples were in a state of astonishment. They thought that if Jerusalem would be overthrown, Jesus must be talking about the events associated with His personal coming back to this world in temporal glory, to take the throne of universal empire, to punish the impenitent Jews and to break off the Roman yoke. Jesus had told them that He was going to come back to this world a second time. So when He mentioned the judgments that were going to come upon Jerusalem their minds reverted to that coming. “Now as he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, Tell us, when will these things be? and what will be the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age?” Matthew 24:3.

Fortunately, in mercy, the future was veiled from the disciples. If they had known that in just a few more days their Lord and Master would be tried, scourged and crucified and also that for most of them, within their own lifetime, Jerusalem and the temple would be totally destroyed with not one stone being left upon another, they would have been filled with horror and unable to think logically or analytically about anything. They would have been overwhelmed, so Jesus simply presented to them an outline of the prominent events that were to take place before the destruction of Jerusalem and before the close of time. The prophecy He uttered had a two-fold meaning; firstly it had to do with the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple, but it also had to do with the terrors of the last great day.

Jesus declared to His listening disciples the judgments that were going to fall upon apostate Israel and especially the vengeance that would come upon them for their rejection and crucifixion of the Messiah. Before this dreaded hour would come there would be unmistakable signs that would precede the awful climax. This would come swiftly and suddenly.

He warned, “Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place, (whoever reads, let him understand).” Matthew 24:15.

Luke records this in literal terms and in the most graphic language. Jesus said, “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near.

“Then let those in Judea flee to the mountains; let those who are in the midst of her depart; and let not those who are in the country enter her.” Luke 21:20, 21.

In other words, when they would see the idolatrous standards of the Roman armies set up on the holy ground around Jerusalem, then the followers of Christ were to find safety in flight.

This is an interesting command that Jesus gives. He told them that when they saw the Roman army surrounding Jerusalem they were to flee.

But how were the Christians to flee from Jerusalem if there were Roman armies surrounding and besieging it? Jesus did not explain how it would happen; He just gave them instructions what they were to do. He told them they were not even to take time to return home to get a garment but when they had the opportunity they were to immediately flee.

At the time that Jesus spoke those words the city of Jerusalem was a highly fortified city and any person who publicly foretold that Jerusalem would be destroyed and there would not be one stone left upon another at the temple would have been regarded as Noah was when he predicted a worldwide flood. They would have been considered a crazed alarmist and out of their mind. But Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.” Matthew 24:35.

Because of her sins, wrath had been denounced against Jerusalem and her stubborn unbelief rendered her doom certain. This is exactly what the Lord predicted was going to happen in Jerusalem through the prophet Micah hundreds of years before it happened. “Hear this, you heads of the house of Jacob, and rulers of the house of Israel, who abhor justice, and pervert all equity. Who build up Zion with bloodshed, and Jerusalem with iniquity. Her heads judge for a bribe, her priests teach for pay, and her prophets divine for money: yet they lean on the Lord, and say, Is not the Lord among us? no harm can come to us.” Micah 3:9–11.

Notice that these people who are living in wickedness say, “We are God’s people.”

There are people today who say they are Christians and that no harm can come to them, yet they are not living a Christlike life but live directly contrary to the way Jesus said to live. Jesus said to the people in His day, “Why do you call me Lord, Lord, and you don’t do what I say?” Luke 6:46.

Because they were living like the devil while claiming to be God’s own people their outcome was predicted: “Therefore because of you, Zion shall be plowed like a field. Jerusalem shall become heaps of ruins, and the mountain of the temple like the bare hills of the forest.” Micah 3:12.

This prophecy described the condition of the Jewish nation in the time of Christ. Although they were proud of their self-righteousness,, they were living in sin and were transgressing the principles of the law of God. They hated Christ because of His purity. His holiness was a living rebuke to the way that they were living and they accused Jesus of being the cause of their troubles. They knew that He was sinless. Jesus said, “Which of you convicts me concerning sin?” John 8:46.

They had no answer, but they condemned Him to death because they said His death was necessary for the security of their nation. “If we let him alone like this, everyone will believe in him: and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation. And then, do you not consider that it is expedient for us, that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish?” John 11:48, 50.

As Micah had predicted, they built up Zion with bloodshed and Jerusalem with iniquity, and yet, even though they had killed their Saviour, who reproved their sins, because of their self-righteousness they still claimed to be the people of God, His favored people, and expected the Lord to deliver them from their enemies.

This same thing has happened many times through earth’s history and is still happening today. Many people claim that they are God’s people but refuse to follow His instructions. They make a profession without reflecting His character; they do not walk as He walked, or live as He lived.

For nearly forty years after A.D. 31 when Jesus predicted this destruction, the judgments against Jerusalem were delayed. God is wonderfully long-suffering. The murderers of His Son were given almost forty years to consider the evidence and see the development of the Christian church and what was happening in the world. For two generations the fathers, mothers and children had opportunity to evaluate the character of Christ.

But when the time came that the children also rejected not only the light that their parents had, but also additional light that they themselves had received, the cup of their iniquity was full. The long-suffering of God toward Jerusalem just confirmed the Jews in their stubborn impenitence and eventually God gave them up.

When God sees that no matter what evidence He gives a person they still refuse to submit, there is no way they can be saved. He finally gives up and leaves them over to their own control. The Holy Spirit ceases to plead with them because they have committed the unpardonable sin and have come under the control of another spirit.

In their hatred toward the disciples of Jesus, the Jews rejected God’s last offer of mercy to His chosen people. His protection was removed and also His restraining power upon Satan and his angels who came to totally control God’s chosen people. Her children had spurned the grace of Christ, the only One who could deliver her.

There now was no safety anywhere. Friends and kindred betrayed one another and uncontrolled passions made the people tyrants.

False accusations made their lives uncertain. They had said, “Cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us.” Isaiah 30:11. And now their desire was granted. The fear of God no longer disturbed them. Satan was at the head of the nation and the highest civil and religious authorities were under his control and sway. All kinds of awful things happened but the leaders still said, “This city cannot be destroyed; it is God’s own city. We are not afraid that this city will be destroyed; God won’t ever let it happen.”

So the multitudes believed, right to the last, that the Most High was going to deliver them from their adversaries. But, they had spurned the Divine protection and now they had no defense. They were rent by internal dissentions and her children were slain by another’s hands.

All the predictions that Jesus gave concerning Jerusalem were fulfilled right to the letter. They learned the truth of His words—As you measure to somebody else it will be measured to you again. See Matthew 7:2.

There were many signs that occurred before the destruction of Jerusalem, showing that something awful was going to take place.

One of the most interesting fulfillments of prophecy when you look at that historical event of the destruction of Jerusalem is that you will find that not one Christian perished in the city. Jesus had given His disciples warning and every one who listened to the warning was saved. This is what Jesus had said to them:

“When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near. Then let those in Judea flee to the mountains; let those who are in the midst of her depart; and let not those who are in the country enter her. For these are the days of vengeance, that all things that are written may be fulfilled.” Luke 21:20–22.

The Romans under the general Cestius surrounded the city, about A.D. 66. It was the time of the Feast of Tabernacles and there were people from throughout the world who were gathered in Jerusalem during this siege. Unexpectedly, Cestius abandoned the siege when everything seemed to be in his favour. These events were so overruled that neither the Jews nor the Romans did anything to hinder the flight of the Christians. Upon the retreat of Cestius the Jews sallying from Jerusalem pursued after his retiring army and while both forces were thus engaged, the Christians had an opportunity to leave the city unmolested.

Also, at this time the country had been cleared of enemies who might have endeavoured to intercept them. At the time of the siege the Jews had been gathered together in Jerusalem and thus the Christians throughout the land were able to make their escape without hindrance.

It is interesting that Jesus gave a command that would seem impossible to be fulfilled and yet the opportunity to escape was there, just as He told them. All those who listened and obeyed the command of Jesus were saved; not one perished in the destruction of Jerusalem. They fled without delay to a place of safety beyond Jordan.

Read Matthew 24 carefully. The destruction of Jerusalem was used by Jesus as a symbol of what will happen to the entire world who rejects the authority of God and His law and the gospel of Jesus Christ at the end of time.

The Bible says, “Flee from the wrath to come.” Matthew 3:7.

If you are willing to listen to the instructions that Jesus gives in His word, then at the end of the world you will not be among the nations that mourn because they then realize that they have been worshipping the anti-christ and not the true Christ.

You can be saved. You do not have to be destroyed in the destruction of the world that is coming. Jesus said it like this:

“Watch therefore: for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore, you also be ready: for the Son of man is coming at an hour when you do not expect.” Matthew 24:42–44.

Jesus is coming, and He is coming in our time.

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

Let These Sayings Sink into Your Ears

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As I was reading my Bible, I came to a verse that I have read many times before; however, this time it made more of an impression on my mind than ever before. Jesus said, “Let these sayings sink down into your ears.” Luke 9:44. This had more meaning when I considered what Jesus was talking about. He added, “The Son of man should be delivered unto men.”

He had already told His disciples that, “The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day,” Luke 9:22, but they just could not comprehend what He was telling them. They had such high hopes for themselves of having a place in His kingdom that they mistakenly expected Him to set up His kingdom in Jerusalem. They could not conceive of Jesus being taken from them or of Him suffering such a terrible trial and death.

Peter just took a hold of Jesus and said, That’s not going to happen to you. We can read about it in Matthew 16:22: “Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee.” If Peter and the rest of the disciples would have just accepted what Jesus was telling them they would have prayed to be ready and they would have been prepared for the crisis. This makes me wonder, Are we prepared for what is just ahead of us?

When the most awesome thing that had ever happened in the history of the universe was transpiring, the disciples were devastated, disappointed and discouraged. It was right to be sad and solemn but at the same time they could have understood what was being accomplished and not been discouraged, disappointed and worried about what was going to happen to them. They did not understand the wonderful plan of redemption. This historical story leads me to think of something in the Spirit of Prophecy that our modern day prophet has told us.

“Let these sayings sink down into your ears.”

“Those who endeavor to obey all the commandments of God will be opposed and derided. They can stand only in God. In order to endure the trial before them, they must understand the will of God as revealed in His word; they can honor Him only as they have a right conception of His character, government, and purposes, and act in accordance with them. None but those who have fortified the mind with the truths of the Bible will stand through the last great conflict. To every soul will come the searching test: Shall I obey God rather than men? The decisive hour is even now at hand. Are our feet planted on the rock of God’s immutable word? Are we prepared to stand firm in defense of the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus?

“Before His crucifixion the Saviour explained to His disciples that He was to be put to death and to rise again from the tomb, and angels were present to impress His words on minds and hearts. But the disciples were looking for temporal deliverance from the Roman yoke, and they could not tolerate the thought that He in whom all their hopes centered should suffer an ignominious death. The words which they needed to remember were banished from their minds; and when the time of trial came, it found them unprepared. The death of Jesus as fully destroyed their hopes as if He had not forewarned them. So in the prophecies the future is opened before us as plainly as it was opened to the disciples by the words of Christ. The events connected with the close of probation and the work of preparation for the time of trouble, are clearly presented. But multitudes have no more understanding of these important truths than if they had never been revealed. Satan watches to catch away every impression that would make them wise unto salvation, and the time of trouble will find them unready.” The Great Controversy, 593, 594.

We are living in the closing scenes of this world’s history and we need to know how to face the end time events. We have heard about the Sunday laws and we hear about not being allowed to buy or sell and we have heard about being in prison. But are we sure that we understand all that we need to know about the latter rain, about the perfection of character and about Christ in you, the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27)? Are we really ready to face death for our faith?

Here is another statement from the pen of inspiration that causes me to stop and think and ask myself the question—do I really understand my true condition?

“We want to understand the time in which we live. We do not half understand it. We do not half take it in. My heart trembles in me when I think of what a foe we have to meet, and how poorly we are prepared to meet him. The trials of the children of Israel, and their attitude just before the first coming of Christ, have been presented before me again and again to illustrate the position of the people of God in their experience before the second coming of Christ—how the enemy sought every occasion to take control of the minds of the Jews, and today he is seeking to blind the minds of God’s servants, that they may not be able to discern the precious truth.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 406.

It is time that we, as Seventh-day Adventists, spend much time on our knees and examine our characters. Are we really ready for probation to close? Are we ready to experience the greatest event that has ever happened? Are we ready to see the dead in Christ rise and the living take on immortality and go up in the clouds with Jesus and the angels? It will be real and I pray that each one who reads this article will be ready to enter into eternal life.

This was the last article written by the late Ruth Grosboll just prior to her death. She was an integral part of the team working at Steps to Life until December, 2009.

Signs for Us

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“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to show him the buildings of the temple. 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. And as he sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.” Matthew 23:37–24:5

The whole focus of the disciples was on the organization of the time. Even though they had walked year after year with Christ, they really had become somewhat conditioned to the belief that the system could dictate to God, and not that God would direct the system. They were more concerned with the organization than with the mission. As a result, when Jesus spoke about the temple, they had more faith in the temple than in God, and attempted to correct Him. They said, What do you mean that your house is left unto you desolate? And Jesus said, Listen, not one stone is going to be left upon another. This really confused the disciples when Jesus prophesied that the very temple, the center of their worship, would be destroyed. They wanted to know when these things would happen and what would be the sign of His coming and the end of the world.

Jesus began by giving them a universal sign. He gave them the signs in things that existed in heaven and the signs that have existed all throughout creation ever since man was here. He first warned about deception. “Let no man deceive you.” What man can deceive us best? It is self-deception. Deception is what caused the angels to be thrown out of heaven.

In Revelation 12:4 it says, “And his [the devil’s] tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.” The devil drew with his tail one-third of the heavenly angels. I praise God that the appeals of Jesus caused some to turn, but still one-third is billions and billions of angels.

The Bible is explicit on what his tail represents: “The ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail.” Isaiah 9:15. The tail would represent lies or deceit. Here the devil deceived all of these angels into believing him. The prophet of God tells us that at first they did not believe him but sympathized with him. They really got caught up in business that really wasn’t theirs. They felt sorry for him and started listening to him and before they knew it, they were cast out of heaven. Satan would love to go back to heaven.

It was amazing to me what I read in The Story of Redemption. When Satan saw an angel, he would tell him to come and when the angel came, he would ask that angel to go get Jesus for him and the angel went to get Christ. Satan then pleads with Christ to be able to come back to heaven offering to take any position, but Jesus wept at his woe—it broke His heart, because Satan could no longer be trusted. Heaven is based on trust. The Bible says that, “Iniquity will not raise its head again.” Sin is not coming back. In heaven we will not lose our ability to sin; we will just choose not to do it. Our love and appreciation for God will place us where we would never, ever consider doing anything contrary to His word. It will not be a forced thing.

Satan is the great deceiver; he even tried to deceive Jesus. Knowledge of the prophecies in the Word of God are landmarks to let us know where we are in time. At the end of Jesus’ life He knew that the only thing He could trust in was His Father and the Word. While nailed to the cross He knew that Judas would throw down the ransom money he received from the priests and rulers and that it would be used to purchase the potter’s field (Zechariah 11). He knew the prophecies!

We do not know who will stand when severely tested. Each of us needs to be sure that our faith is strong. All through the trial of Jesus, He continued loving his disciples while He watched them look from a distance. Then, while hanging there and in the final moments of His life He experienced what David had prophesied many years before. Psalm 22 says that dogs encompassed him and that He could feel pain all through His body. They took His clothes and cast lots for them. Everybody ran out on Him. Jesus looked and He heard the conversation of the soldiers planning to split up His garments. Jesus knew what the prophecy had said.

The devil tries to manipulate prophecy, but he cannot. If you will notice in Matthew 24:29–31 it says, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” These events happen right before the coming of the Lord.

When all of the disciples comment on the same thing, it is something really worth paying attention to. Look at Mark 13:24–27. It says, “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.”

Again, Jesus said that certain things are going to transpire. These prophecies are landmarks. It first said there would be signs, an earthquake, then a sign in the sun, then a sign in the moon and signs in the stars.

Right now, we are living during the sixth seal, between the signs in the heavens and the coming of the Lord. Revelation 6:12–17 says, “And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”

We know that on November 1, 1755, there was the great Lisbon earthquake. I believe that this fulfilled prophecy. Remember this great earthquake came just before 1798. Something big was going to happen in 1798. God started revealing these prophecies so that His people would understand that He was soon coming. There were three earthquakes, one at 9:00 a.m., one at 10:00 a.m. and one at 12:00 noon. At 9:00 a.m. people became afraid and at 10:00 a.m. they were really scared and by 12:00 noon they ran to the church to pray and thousands died there in church. God is not the author of fear. When these things happen we ought to get excited and exclaim that our redemption draweth nigh (Luke 21:28). We need to be resting in Christ, understanding what it means to rest in Christ and believe that He will keep us from falling and that He can save us, and not have a deceptive belief, while living in a known sin. This is not resting in Christ.

In Christ there is no sin, because the mind of Christ literally dwells in you. It is to have the faith of Jesus. “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20. It is literally Christ’s faith activated in my life. I don’t have the faith to believe that God is going to open up a body of water for me to walk across which is contrary to everything my humanity knows. But He has the faith and He is willing to activate that faith in our lives. You will never get that experience unless you go to God and plead for it.

Preachers started preaching that the Lisbon earthquake was a sign of the coming of the Lord and people believed. In 1780 when all of a sudden at noon time the sun went black like a light bulb that went out and the cattle started heading back to the barn, people became afraid. That night the moon became as blood. Preachers were preaching, churches were full and the people believed that it was a sign of the coming of the Lord. The Lord has given us these signs specifically for a reason.

In 1833 when the stars fell there were preachers, including William Miller, preaching all over the world that the Lord was coming. When they saw the stars fall, they looked at Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21 and Revelation 6 and they said Jesus has to come, because the prophecy said that after these stars would fall, He would come. What happened? 1844 came and Jesus did not come to this earth, but went into the Most Holy Place in heaven. Prophecy was fulfilled, but the people did not understand it until a little later when God revealed more light.

An important Scripture to understand is Ezekiel, chapter 8. Ezekiel was not preaching to the heathen but to God’s people. The church was in sin and God sent an angel who grabbed Ezekiel by the lock of his hair and suspended him between earth and heaven and showed him the people of God. Ezekiel was a true Christian and he did not want to see sin and he tried to turn. He saw all of these abominations and his heart was broken. The angel kept telling him to look further and finally, notice what he saw in verse 16: “And he brought me into the inner court of the Lord’s house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the Lord, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east.”

Ezekiel saw that God’s people were involved with sun worship. That is when he said it was time for the destroying angel to do his work. If you don’t believe that our people have been deceived, and they have bought into this Ecumenical Movement, it is time to open your eyes. I don’t study what the churches are doing because I am too busy working myself. But, I do know that when we have a Catholic cardinal open our General Conference session with prayer, something is wrong. At the last General Conference session, why, at the parade of nations, does the Vatican have a flag? Italy was there. God is trying to show us something but some of us still will not agonize with God. We still refuse to get our lives in order so that the Holy Spirit can use us to be effective workers for God. When this message goes forth, it will go forth by Seventh-day Adventists, the faithful ones, who are really praying and studying and according to Ezekiel 9 are crying and sighing for the abominations being done in the land and are not involved in gossiping or tearing down.

One of the top selling songs is Man in the Mirror. I went on the internet to read the lyrics. It says something like, “Who are you fooling? If you want change, you need to look in the mirror at yourself and change yourself and stop dealing with other people.” I said, Lord, are the rocks crying out? We have to start examining ourselves to make sure that we are on the path that God has placed us. There is no time to get caught up in surface issues; we need to take time to study and know the message; then preach it.

Stop wasting time and start studying. If you do not have a schedule for your time every day, make one. Your time belongs to God. No other gift has He given of which we have to give a more strict account. Study now and you will be prepared and not overwhelmed when the winds of strife are no longer held back and all breaks loose upon the world. Don’t be found with a form of godliness but denying the power thereof (II Timothy 3:5) and be exposed as a fraud.

Now is the time to develop an ear to hear the Holy Spirit saying, this is the way, walk ye in it [Isaiah 30:21] and stop running to man. Every day start your day with worship.

Once, in India, we were riding in a car that stopped because of a cow in the middle of the road. The driver stopped for that cow and did not even try to move it because it was believed that cows were sacred and we were told that if we attempted to move the cow we would be killed because that cow was sacred. Some Christians do not have as much reverence for the true God as those people had for that cow. There is no excuse not to have a personal relationship with God and to be able to go to Him and know that He is answering your prayers. All have squandered time, but we can redeem the time by not wasting any more, by giving God as much time as you possibly can and He will prepare you for the crisis or He will trust you to die. You have to be trusted to die, because you have to die in Christ.

We are in a war. When you are filled with the Holy Spirit, you will find yourself weeping because there are so many people trapped in sin. You will find yourself losing your comfort to cause others to feel comfortable so they can know your God. You will constantly pray and ask God how you can reach somebody. It is Christ allowing you to feel His burden through you. Have the patience of the saints who keep the commandments and have the faith of Jesus (Revelation 14:12) and you will be sealed by settling into the truth, both spiritually and intellectually, because you have surrendered to God.

Pastor Stephen Lewis is an international speaker and director of The Present Truth Ministry. This article is from a sermon he preached at the Steps to Life Camp Meeting 2009. He can be contacted at: www.thepresenttruth.org.

Jesus Opens the Holy Place

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Prophecy says that, “Her child was snatched up to God and to his throne.” Revelation 12:5. This prophecy was fulfilled when Jesus ascended to heaven shortly after He rose from the dead. After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God, until the day he was taken up to heaven (Acts 1:3, 2).

The ascension of Jesus, forty days following His death and resurrection, was in harmony with the dedication of the firstborn. In The Desire of Ages, we read, “About forty days after the birth of Christ, Joseph and Mary took Him to Jerusalem, to present Him to the Lord, and to offer sacrifice. This was according to the Jewish law, and as man’s substitute Christ must conform to the law in every particular. …

“The dedication of the first-born had its origin in the earliest times. God had promised to give the First-born of heaven to save the sinner.” The Desire of Ages, 50, 51.

Christ the Lamb of God had given His life on the cross to save the sinner and now He would ascend to heaven to be dedicated as our high priest in the Holy Place of the sanctuary in heaven. When the time came for His ascension, Jesus led His disciples out to the vicinity of Bethany. There He paused and “while he was blessing them, he left them, and was taken up into heaven.” “He was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.” Luke 24:51; Acts 1:9.

When on the island of Patmos John was given a vision of the arrival of Jesus in heaven following His ascension. When John was taken off in vision he looked, and there before him was a door standing open in heaven (Revelation 4:1). He then describes what he saw through the open door. “There before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne. Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. … Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing. … Also before the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal. Revelation 4:2–6.

“Here the prophet was permitted to behold the first apartment of the sanctuary in heaven; and he saw there the ‘seven lamps of fire.’ ” The Great Controversy, 414, 415. Revelation chapter four and five is a description of the preparations being made in heaven to welcome Jesus home from His journey on this earth and of His inauguration as our High Priest.

When John became aware of the presence of Jesus, he said, “Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne.” Revelation 5:6. Jesus still retained His human form and the marks of His sacrifice as the Lamb of God.

We find another account of the ascension of Jesus and His arrival to the Holy City. “Christ had ascended to heaven in the form of humanity. The disciples had beheld the cloud receive Him. The same Jesus who had walked and talked and prayed with them; who had broken bread with them; who had been with them in their boats on the lake; and who had that very day toiled with them up the ascent of Olivet—the same Jesus had now gone to share His Father’s throne.” The Desire of Ages, 832.

All of the hosts of heaven were there to welcome their King home. “The heavenly host, with shouts and acclamations of praise and celestial song, attended the joyous train.

“As they drew near to the city of God, the challenge is given by the escorting angels—

“Lift up your heads, O ye gates;

And be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors;

And the King of glory shall come in.”

Joyfully the waiting sentinels respond—

“Who is this King of glory?”

This they say, not because they know not who He is, but because they would hear the answer of exalted praise—

“The Lord strong and mighty,

The Lord mighty in battle!

Lift up your heads, O ye gates;

Even lift them up, ye everlasting doors;

And the King of glory shall come in.”

Again is heard the challenge, “Who is this King of glory?” for the angels never weary of hearing His name exalted. The escorting angels make reply—

“The Lord of hosts;

He is the King of glory.”

Psalm 24:7–10.

“The portals of the city of God are opened wide, and the angelic throng sweep through the gates amid a burst of rapturous music.” The Desire of Ages, 833.

“There is the throne, and around it the rainbow of promise. There are cherubim and seraphim. The commanders of the angel hosts, the sons of God, the representatives of the unfallen worlds, are assembled. … all are there to welcome the Redeemer. They are eager to celebrate His triumph and to glorify their King.” Ibid., 834. Such is the glorious welcome the King of heaven received at His ascension.

At this time John the Revelator calls our attention to another scene. We pick up the story in the fifth chapter of Revelation. “Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, ‘Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?’ But no one in heaven, or on earth, or under the earth, could open the scroll or even look inside it. I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll, or look inside.” Revelation 5:1–4.

What a discordant note this seems to be in the midst of this celebration. Here are all of the heavenly universe pouring forth their praises to their glorious commander and the disciple John weeping and weeping. John is weeping because no one is found who is worthy to open this important scroll in the right hand of God the Father. Why does not Jesus have the power and authority to open the scroll at this time? It is because He has not yet appeared before the Father to have His sacrifice accepted in fulfillment of the covenant.

Ellen White explains, “Not yet; He cannot now receive the coronet of glory and the royal robe. He enters into the presence of His Father. He points to His wounded head, the pierced side, the marred feet; He lifts His hands, bearing the print of nails. He points to the tokens of His triumph; He presents to God the wave sheaf, those raised with Him as representatives of that great multitude who shall come forth from the grave at His second coming. He approaches the Father, with whom there is joy over one sinner that repents; who rejoices over one with singing. Before the foundations of the earth were laid, the Father and the Son had united in a covenant to redeem man if he should be overcome by Satan. They had clasped Their hands in a solemn pledge that Christ should become the surety for the human race. This pledge Christ has fulfilled. When upon the cross He cried out, ‘It is finished,’ He addressed the Father. The compact had been fully carried out. Now He declares: Father, it is finished. I have done Thy will, O My God. I have completed the work of redemption.” The Desire of Ages, 834.

“The voice of God is heard proclaiming that justice is satisfied. … The Father’s arms encircle His Son.” Ibid., 834.

After the sacrifice of Jesus has been accepted of the Father for the fulfillment of the covenant and Jesus is inaugurated as our High Priest, one of the twenty four elders comes to John and says, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.” Revelation 5:5.

In response to the elder’s announcement John says, “I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned, I saw seven golden lampstands; And among the lampstands was someone ‘like a Son of man,’ dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet, and with a golden sash around his chest. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were like blazing fire; His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace; and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars; and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword: His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.” Revelation 1:12–16.

With the inauguration of Jesus as our High Priest and mediator in the Holy Place in the sanctuary in heaven completed, the word is given, “Let all the angels of God worship Him.” Hebrews 1:6. With joy unutterable, rulers and principalities and powers acknowledge the supremacy of the Prince of life. The angel host prostrate themselves before Him, while the glad shout fills all the courts of heaven, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing.” Revelation 5:12.

“Songs of triumph mingle with the music from angel harps, till heaven seems to overflow with joy and praise. Love has conquered. The lost is found. Heaven rings with voices in lofty strains proclaiming, ‘Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever.’ Revelation 5:13.” The Desire of Ages, 835.

In these accounts from the Bible and The Desire of Ages we have a full description of the inauguration of Jesus and the opening of the Holy Place in the sanctuary in heaven in A.D. 31. This inauguration took place during the ten days between the ascension of Jesus and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost which occurred fifty days after the death and resurrection of Jesus.

We shall now turn our attention back to this earth and see what His disciples were doing during these ten days leading up to the Day of Pentecost. Luke gives a brief view into their activities at this time. “Then they returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk from the city. When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers” (Acts 1:12–14).

The main activity of the believers that impressed Luke was that they “all joined together constantly in prayer.” In The Acts of the Apostles there is a detailed amplification of the disciples’ activities during these ten days. A thorough knowledge of their activities is important to the faithful believers at the present time, because they must make the same preparation today to participate in the latter rain.

In The Review and Herald, March 2, 1897, we find the following instruction. “The latter rain, ripening earth’s harvest, represents the spiritual grace that prepares the church for the coming of the Son of Man. But unless the former rain has fallen, there will be no life; the green blade will not spring up. Unless the early showers have done their work, the latter rain can bring no seed to perfection. …

“Unless we are daily advancing in the exemplification of the active Christian virtues, we shall not recognize the manifestations of the Holy Spirit in the latter rain. It may be falling on hearts all around us, but we shall not discern or receive it.”

Seeing that we are required to make the same preparation to receive the latter rain that the disciples were required to complete and to receive the early rain, we should go back and study what these requirements are.

In The Acts of the Apostles we are given a detailed record of their preparation to receive the early rain. “The disciples prayed with intense earnestness for a fitness to meet men and in their daily intercourse to speak words that would lead sinners to Christ. Putting away all differences, all desire for the supremacy, they came close together in Christian fellowship. They drew nearer and nearer to God, and as they did this they realized what a privilege had been theirs in being permitted to associate so closely with Christ. …

“These days of preparation were days of deep heart searching. The disciples felt their spiritual need and cried to the Lord for the holy unction that was to fit them for the work of soul saving. They did not ask for a blessing for themselves merely. They were weighted with the burden of the salvation of souls. They realized that the gospel was to be carried to the world, and they claimed the power that Christ had promised. …

“In obedience to the word of the Saviour, the disciples offered their supplications for this gift, and in heaven Christ added His intercession. He claimed the gift of the Spirit, that He might pour it upon His people. …

“And when the Day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.” The Acts of the Apostles, 37.

When their preparation was completed and they were all of one accord, they were ready to receive the promised gift of the Holy Spirit. Now, when the ceremony for the opening of the Holy Place in heaven was completed and on earth the disciples had completed their preparation, the time was come for the promised blessing.

“The Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples in rich currents, and Christ was indeed glorified, even with the glory which He had with the Father from all eternity. The Pentecostal outpouring was Heaven’s communication that the Redeemer’s inauguration was accomplished. According to His promise He had sent the Holy Spirit from heaven to His followers as a token that He had, as priest and king, received all authority in heaven and on earth, and was the Anointed One over His people.” Ibid., 38, 39.

Now the hundred and twenty disciples who received the blessing of the Holy Spirit were qualified and prepared to take the gospel to the world. The foundation of their message was the death, resurrection, and ascension of a risen Savior. He was now their High Priest and mediator in the Holy Place of the sanctuary in heaven. From his position in heaven He is sending the message to all people under the burden of sin, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28–30.

It was this gospel under which thousands were converted in a day. The people of Thessalonica acknowledged that this message of Jesus’ work in the heavenly sanctuary to mediate for them was so powerful that it “turned the world upside down.” Acts 17:6.

The people of God have the promise today that when they complete the same preparation that the disciples did, the Holy Spirit will be poured upon them. The conditions for receiving this blessing are given in the following statement:

“Many have in a great measure failed to receive the former rain. They have not obtained all the benefits that God has thus provided for them. They expect that the lack will be supplied by the latter rain. … They are making a terrible mistake. … The heart must be emptied of every defilement and cleansed for the indwelling of the Spirit. It was by the confession and forsaking of sin, by earnest prayer and consecration of themselves to God, that the early disciples prepared for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. The same work, only in greater degree, must be done now. … Only those who are living up to the light they have will receive greater light. Unless we are daily advancing in the exemplification of the active Christian virtues, we shall not recognize the manifestations of the Holy Spirit in the latter rain. It may be falling on hearts all around us, but we shall not discern or receive it.

“At no point in our experience can we dispense with the assistance of that which enables us to make the first start. The blessings received under the former rain are needful to us to the end. … Divine grace is needed at the beginning, divine grace at every step of advance, and divine grace alone can complete the work. There is no place for us to rest in a careless attitude. We must never forget the warnings of Christ, ‘Watch unto prayer,’ [I Peter 4:7, last part], ‘Watch, … and pray always’ [Luke 21:36, first part]. … It will never do to cease our efforts. If we do not progress, if we do not place ourselves in an attitude to receive both the former and the latter rain, we shall lose our souls, and the responsibility will lie at our own door.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 507, 508.

Maurice Hoppe is retired and volunteers at Steps to Life. His primary responsibility is working with the Training Program for Ministers and Church Leaders and the Training Program for Lay Workers. He also conducts a Bible Correspondence School from his home with emphasis on Bible prophecy. He can be contacted at: mauricehoppe@stepstolife.org.

Signs – Which Direction are You Turning?

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On November 1, 1755, an earthquake struck in the Atlantic Ocean. It is commonly known as The Great Lisbon Earthquake. The total duration of the shaking lasted ten minutes, comprising three distinct jolts. A devastating fire following the earthquake destroyed a large part of Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, and a very strong tsunami caused heavy destruction along the coasts of Portugal, south Spain and western Morocco. Geologists today estimate that the earthquake approached magnitude 9. The effects from the earthquake were far reaching, with shaking felt in North Africa.

May 19, 1780, stands in history as The Dark Day. Since the time of Moses, no period of darkness of equal density, extent or duration has ever been recorded. “The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come.” Joel 2:31. The moon became as red as blood on the night of the Dark Day, May 19, 1780. Milo Bostick in Stone’s History of Massachusetts says, “The moon which was at its full, had the appearance of blood.”

On November 13, 1833, the skies over the eastern United States were lit up by thousands of shooting stars every minute. This display lasted for four hours preceding dawn that day.

These phenomena were the fulfillment of the signs given before the coming of Jesus. At first, the people were afraid and gathered themselves together to pray. However, when nothing happened they soon went back to their former lifestyles.

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

“The agencies of evil are combining their forces and consolidating. They are strengthening for the last great crisis. Great changes are soon to take place in our world, and the final movements will be rapid ones.” Lift Him Up, 356.

Then is described the condition of the world at that time. Ellen White says, “Bold robberies are of frequent occurrence. Strikes are common. Thefts and murders are committed on every hand. Men possessed of demons are taking the lives of men, women, and little children. Men have become infatuated with vice, and every species of evil prevails.” Ibid.

“On one occasion, when in New York City, I was in the night season called upon to behold buildings rising story after story toward heaven. These buildings were warranted to be fireproof, and they were erected to glorify the owners and builders. Higher and still higher these buildings rose, and in them the most costly material was used. Those to whom these buildings belonged were not asking themselves: ‘How can we best glorify God?’ The Lord was not in their thoughts.

“I thought: ‘Oh, that those who are thus investing their means could see their course as God sees it! They are piling up magnificent buildings, but how foolish in the sight of the Ruler of the universe is their planning and devising. They are not studying with all the powers of heart and mind how they may glorify God. They have lost sight of this, the first duty of man.’

“As these lofty buildings went up, the owners rejoiced with ambitious pride that they had money to use in gratifying self and provoking the envy of their neighbors. Much of the money that they thus invested had been obtained through exaction, through grinding down the poor. They forgot that in heaven an account of every business transaction is kept; every unjust deal, every fraudulent act, is there recorded. The time is coming when in their fraud and insolence men will reach a point that the Lord will not permit them to pass, and they will learn that there is a limit to the forbearance of Jehovah.

“The scene that next passed before me was an alarm of fire. Men looked at the lofty and supposedly fire-proof buildings and said: ‘They are perfectly safe.’ But these buildings were consumed as if made of pitch. The fire engines could do nothing to stay the destruction. The firemen were unable to operate the engines.” Testimonies, vol. 9, 12, 13.

The day before 9/11 when the twin towers in New York came down, there was a special documentary aired on the television explaining how the buildings had been erected and how they had withstood the 1993 bombing attempt to bring them down. They were declared to have been built from the most costly material, were fireproof and that nothing could bring them down. Some, since the attack, claim that there had been bombs put inside, and that there was an explosion because of the way the building fell. No, the prophet of God said buildings would come down. Angels touched those buildings. That was our modern day sign, a wake up call. God said, “I am coming.” If you want to know how the people reacted in November of 1755 and how they responded in 1780 and again in 1833, just remember how the people responded after 9/11. All of a sudden, sports were no longer important and churches of all different denominations filled up.

In The Review and Herald, September 10, 1901, Ellen White says, “Satan has devised a multitude of ways in which to keep men from serving God. He has invented sports and games, into which men enter with such intensity that one would suppose a crown of life was to reward the winner.” The purpose of this is to take the minds of God’s people so that they will not think of God. But now, after a tragedy, everybody agrees, no baseball games, no football games; all of the evening talk shows and laugh shows were stopped. All of sudden, people who were not interested before, were interested in talking about God.

When I first moved into my neighborhood, my neighbors invited us over for little housewarming parties and would offer me beer, which I would refuse. I told them I am a minister and they would say, Well, my pastor is cool. My pastor and I are buddies and he knows that he can come to my house and have a beer and no one is going to know. I told him I don’t drink, but you can go ahead and drink. Because I refused to join them we were known as killjoys and are no longer invited to their parties. I would see neighbors run by my house to their parties thinking I did not see them with their wine bottles and beer, etc. When they got so far, often I would call out the door and ask them how they were doing.

But after 9/11, it was different. These same people who had shunned me now wanted me to come and pray in their homes. Everybody in our area would drive by and wave. Everybody was afraid. They became solemn and serious about God. This is the same way people responded in November of 1755 when the great Lisbon earthquake struck, and also how people responded in 1780 when the sun went black and the moon turned red. It is how people responded in 1833 when all the stars were falling. These were all events beyond their control and they were scared.

In the days of Noah, when the animals boarded that ark, directed by an unseen hand, everybody was interested and intrigued. These were intelligent people, some of whom lived to be 950 years old; they were not cave men. You can only imagine what inventions there were and what your computer skills would be like with 900 years of experience. When the people saw this, everybody was frightened, just like now. But, in those next seven days after the door of the ark had been shut, when nothing else happened, they went back to business as usual. Fear will never convict a person to be loyal to God. The prophet of God says that when that angel swirled around in the sky, dropped down and got hold of that massive door of the ark and shut it, everybody was afraid. There was quiet. If the rain had started right then the people would have said, “Lord, if you would only have given me a few more days, I was going to get on board.”

Instead, God allowed that emotion to wear off. The first day, everybody was praying; the second day everybody was praying. You can just imagine Wednesday night prayer meeting—all the churches were filled just like they were after 9/11. But when nothing happened, somebody cracked a little joke and before you knew it, by Thursday, they were all laughing and saying that Noah was a wild fanatic. All of the preachers were preaching on that next Sabbath and planning on doing whatever they do after sunset Saturday.

Out of nowhere on that eighth day, dark hellish clouds came together and with combustion that man had never experienced, from the top and from the bottom. Water came from everywhere but by then it was too late for help. Then, the people wanted God and cried to Noah but the door was shut and the opportunity to be saved was passed.

Some today are trapped in regard to their siblings, children and parents who do not want to know their God. It comes to a point when each needs to ask, Who is my brother; who is my sister; who is my mother—they that do the will of my Father. When Noah entered that ark he had many family members who remained outside. The Bible said his father had more children, so there must have been sisters and brothers and maybe his mother was still alive, screaming for help when the rain started falling. Noah had to keep trusting in God—his name means rest. Salvation is an individual decision and Noah rested in his confidence in God.

“There are not many, even among educators and statesmen, who comprehend the causes that underlie the present state of society. Those who hold the reins of government are not able to solve the problem of moral corruption, poverty, pauperism, and increasing crime. They are struggling in vain to place business operations on a more secure basis.” Testimonies, vol. 9, 13.

Few understand the time in which we are living. Shortly after these disasters we are being told that the economy is coming back and everything is going to be good. This is not true; we are at the end of time. God did not leave us without a witness. In detail He tells us to listen. We must believe in the prophets. These testimonies were not written for one hundred years ago; they were written for our warning today.

Because nothing more happened right away after 9/11, people have become relaxed again. Now we see the economy is gone and is not coming back. Everybody is crying for the government to support them. Take care of us; take care of us; you are responsible for us! They are going to take care of us with their many schemes, but not without a cost. There is healthcare—at what cost? Save your home—at what cost?

This dear little lady prophetess is trying to tell us, through the Holy Spirit, that we should have our houses in order. There is no time to pretend that you have an experience that you don’t really have. Only you know what goes on when no one else is looking but God. Only you know how interested you really are in His Word. We need to ask God for help now for He will not cast us out, but some will not consistently ask. Are we too busy being occupied with the cares of this world to seek Him with all of our hearts? Do we leave the sanctuary after a seed of truth has dropped into our hearts and then not allow it to take root because of casual talking and neglecting to pray and praise God for what He has done for us? We should be able to go home and spend time in prayer, pleading with God for help, lest we perish. Ask Him for help and then linger to hear His voice. The prophet of God said that when she was 15 years old, she used to wait until her twin sister was asleep and then get out of bed and plead with God and agonize with Him and tell Him that she would not go to bed until He blessed her. She said that sometimes the sun would come up before she slept, but the Lord blessed her because she had prevailed in prayer. You have to search and ask God and the promise says that you will receive it. It is worth asking for.

The world in this condition cannot continue to go on indefinitely. Are you ready for Jesus to come? Have you really embraced eternal life? The Bible says that this is life eternal that you know Jesus (John 17:3). Do you really know Him? Jesus desires to have an intimate, personal relationship with you. The younger you are the easier it will be without having to fight through all of the different things you have conditioned yourself to believe. John the Baptist was a young man, preaching and doing ministry before Jesus came and commenced His ministry. When Jesus approached where he was baptizing, He said, “This is the Lamb of God” (John 1:36). God wants us to know Him, to recognize Him like John did. How angels must weep seeing so many unprepared and not interested in getting ready to go home.

Whatever the enemy of souls offers you, it is only temporary. Life in this world is so short. “Why will ye die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth.” Ezekiel 18:31, 32. To those who reject the offer of eternal life God asks, Why will you die? Take a look at your life and ask, Are the pleasures of this world worth losing heaven over? The Lord says that He has no pleasure at all in your death, so why will you die?

Isaiah 5:4 says, “What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it?” What more could God have done for you? These are pertinent questions. When the world turns their back on you and when nobody else understands, the Lord says, Come; it is going to be alright. Choose life and spend eternity with Jesus, the One who loves you and shed His innocent blood that you might live. Though you have rejected Him and spat in His face in the past, when you are ready, He says, Come. He never mentions the spit. He says, I want to give you My victory. When we walk in the flesh, we crucify Him afresh. Jesus has a personal interest in seeing you in heaven. You were created for His pleasure and for His joy. He wants to save you.

“Why will ye die, O house of Israel?” “What could have been done more to my vineyard?” Make your choice today. Make a decision right now to give your heart to the Lord. He longs to create in you a new heart right now.

“A new heart also will I give you.” Ezekiel 36:26.

Pastor Stephen Lewis is an international speaker and director of The Present Truth. This article is from a sermon he preached at Steps to Life Camp Meeting, 2009. He can be contacted at www.thepresenttruth.org.

Satan’s First Lie

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Even before Eve ate of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, Satan put forth his first lie. Moses recorded the event in Genesis 3.

“The woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ ”

“ ‘You will not surely die,’ the serpent said to the woman. ‘For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’ ” Genesis 3:2–5.

From that time on Satan has been promoting this lie, his favorite false doctrine. In the final struggle of the great controversy between Christ and Satan, this lie will be one of his most prominent deceptions. He will develop it in the form of spiritualism.

What is spiritualism? Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary says that spiritualism is “a belief that spirits of the dead communicate with the living, usually through a medium.”

Let us take notice how this error that “you will not surely die”—the immortality of the soul—plays out in last day events.

“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.

“As spiritualism more closely imitates the nominal Christianity of the day, it has greater power to deceive and ensnare. Satan himself is converted, after the modern order of things. He will appear in the character of an angel of light. Through the agency of spiritualism, miracles will be wrought, the sick will be healed, and many undeniable wonders will be performed. And as the spirits will profess faith in the Bible, and manifest respect for the institutions of the church, their work will be accepted as a manifestation of divine power.” The Great Controversy, 588.

“Through spiritualism, Satan appears as a benefactor of the race, healing the diseases of the people, and professing to present a new and more exalted system of religious faith; but at the same time he works as a destroyer.” Ibid., 589.

“The miracle-working power manifested through spiritualism will exert its influence against those who choose to obey God rather than men. 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.” Ibid., 590, 591.

It is through spiritualism that the crowning act of deception will come upon the people of the earth.

“Fearful sights of a supernatural character will soon be revealed in the heavens, in token of the power of miracle-working demons. The spirits of devils will go forth to the kings of the earth and to the whole world, to fasten them in deception, and urge them on to unite with Satan in his last struggle against the government of heaven. By these agencies, rulers and subjects will be alike deceived. Persons will arise pretending to be Christ Himself, and claiming the title and worship which belong to the world’s Redeemer. They will perform wonderful miracles of healing and will profess to have revelations from heaven contradicting the testimony of the Scriptures.

“As the crowning act in the great drama of deception, Satan himself will personate Christ. The church has long professed to look to the Saviour’s advent as the consummation of her hopes. Now the great deceiver will make it appear that Christ has come. In different parts of the earth, Satan will manifest himself among men as a majestic being of dazzling brightness, resembling the description of the Son of God given by John in the Revelation. Revelation 1:13–15. The glory that surrounds him is unsurpassed by anything that mortal eyes have yet beheld. The shout of triumph rings out upon the air: ‘Christ has come! Christ has come!’ The people prostrate themselves in adoration before him, while he lifts up his hands and pronounces a blessing upon them, as Christ blessed His disciples when He was upon the earth. His voice is soft and subdued, yet full of melody. In gentle, compassionate tones he presents some of the same gracious, heavenly truths which the Saviour uttered; he heals the diseases of the people, and then, in his assumed character of Christ, he claims to have changed the Sabbath to Sunday, and commands all to hallow the day which he has blessed. He declares that those who persist in keeping holy the seventh day are blaspheming his name by refusing to listen to his angels sent to them with light and truth. This is the strong, almost overmastering delusion. Like the Samaritans who were deceived by Simon Magus, the multitudes, from the least to the greatest, give heed to these sorceries, saying: This is ‘the great power of God.’ Acts 8:10.” Ibid., 624, 625.

A clear understanding of the state of the dead—the non-immortality of the soul—will be one of the individual’s major defenses against these powerful delusions of spiritualism.

The non-immortality of the soul is one of the great pillars or landmarks of the church. Let us consider the importance placed upon this doctrine in the following statement from the Spirit of Prophecy:

“The passing of the time in 1844 was a period of great events, opening to our astonished eyes the cleansing of the sanctuary transpiring in heaven, and having decided relation to God’s people upon the earth, [also] the first and second angels’ messages and the third, unfurling the banner on which was inscribed, ‘The commandments of God and the faith of Jesus’ [Revelation 14:12]. One of the landmarks under this message was the temple of God, seen by His truth-loving people in heaven, and the ark containing the law of God. The light of the Sabbath of the fourth commandment flashed its strong rays in the pathway of the transgressors of God’s law. The non-immortality of the wicked is an old landmark. I can call to mind nothing more that can come under the head of the old landmarks.” Counsels to Writers and Editors, 30, 31.

This statement places “the non-immortality of the wicked” along with “the cleansing of the sanctuary transpiring in heaven,” the Three Angels’ Messages, “the law of God,” and the Sabbath as one of “the old landmarks” of the advent faith.

In light of the importance of having a clear understanding of “the non-immortality of the wicked” let us turn to the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy for true instruction on this subject.

Let us first look at the origin of man. The word of God states that “the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” Genesis 2:7. Here we see that man became a living being when God gave him the breath of life. It was the combination of both the dust of the ground and the breath of God that made the man a living being or living soul.

Now let us see what happens to man when he dies. God said, “By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.” Genesis 3:19. Solomon says that “the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit [the breath that God breathed into the body] returns to God who gave it.” Ecclesiastes 12:7. James says that “the body without the spirit is dead.” James 2:26. The body, without the breath that God breathed into it, is lifeless. From another point of view Moses, speaking of the experience of Job, wrote that “as long as I have life within me, the breath of God in my nostrils, my lips will not speak wickedness, and my tongue will utter no deceit.” Job 27:3, 4.

God says that when a man dies, he simply returns back to the ground—to the elements—from which he was created in the beginning and that the breath that God breathed into the body to make it a living soul simply returns back to God. The only evidence that remains that this person has ever lived is found in the books of record which are in the Most Holy Place of the sanctuary of the New Covenant in heaven. Of this record we read, “And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.” Revelation 20:12.

Solomon makes a very interesting observation concerning the dead. He says, “The living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; they have no further reward, and even the memory of them is forgotten. Their love, their hate and their jealousy have long since vanished; never again will they have a part in anything that happens under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 9:5, 6.

Job made the following observation concerning the state of the dead: “So man lies down and does not rise; till the heavens are no more, men will not awake or be roused from their sleep.” Death is represented here as a sleep. “If his sons are honored, he does not know it; if they are brought low, he does not see it.” Job 14:12, 21.

Solomon says that we who are living know that we will die, but the dead are not aware of anything. They do not even know that they will be raised in the first or second resurrection. See Revelation 20:4–6. This may be an appropriate time to raise, or consider the question, How can there be resurrections if man does not die? If they are already living, how can they be raised from the dead? The Scripture is very clear that there are two major resurrections, one before the 1,000 years and one following.

In the book of Revelation we have this record of the two resurrections: “I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. … This is the first resurrection.” Revelation 20:4, 5.

These verses bring to light a group of people who were killed because of their faith in Jesus and the Bible. Then it clearly states that they came to life to reign with Christ. If they had not surely died, as Satan had said, how is it that they were called to life at the beginning of the 1,000 years? In that they were raised to life is evidence that they did not live on after they were martyred. In verse 6 this event is referred to as the first resurrection.

It is interesting to note that there is another resurrection at the end of the 1,000 years in which all who have ever lived, including those who killed the faithful people, are raised to life. This is evidence that this group of people also did not live on after they died. The Scripture simply states that “The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.” Revelation 20:5. (This is referring to the second resurrection.)

Paul wrote the following account of the first resurrection: “According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. [Notice that death is represented as a sleep.] For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.” I Thessalonians 4:15, 16.

When Paul wrote to the Corinthian church concerning this resurrection he said, “Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised.” I Corinthians 15:51, 52.

Jesus confirms the resurrection in His own words. “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out.” John 5:28, 29.

Solomon goes on to say that they have no more rewards in life and furthermore, after a time the “memory of them is forgotten” (Ecclesiastes 9:5) by those who are still living. Then he says that their love, their hate and jealousy—their character—vanishes and will never again have any part in life on this earth.

The Bible plainly states that, “The soul who sins is the one who will die.” Ezekiel 18:20. And further it says, “No one remembers you [the Lord] when he is dead. Who praises you from the grave?” Psalm 6:5.

More evidence concerning the state of the dead is found in Luke’s account of the body of David. “Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day.” “For David did not ascend to heaven.” Acts 2:29, 34.

Let us refer to one more event that sheds light on the state of the individual who has died. We find the account in the Gospel of John.

“After he [Jesus] had said this, he went on to tell them, ‘Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.’ His disciples replied, ‘Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.’ Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep. So then he told them plainly, ‘Lazarus is dead.’ ” John 11:11–14.

In His statement Jesus uses sleep as a symbol of death. Now it is easy for us to understand the condition of the person who is dead. Just ask yourself the question, “What is the condition of my body when I am sound asleep?” The state of consciousness in sleep is the same for one who is dead.

The conclusion of this event is a wonderful encouragement to the faithful believer today. Here is the rest of the story. “Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. ‘Take away the stone,’ he said. ‘But, Lord,’ said Martha, the sister of the dead man, ‘by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.’ Then Jesus said, ‘Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?’ So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, ‘Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.’ When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come out!’ The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, ‘Take off the grave clothes and let him go.’ ” John 11:38–43.

This is a wonderful truth for the righteous dead. In the near future Jesus is going to call them from their condition in death to give them immortality and eternal life in the kingdom of glory.

And in the closing scenes of the great controversy the true knowledge of the state of the dead will be as a bulwark protecting the faithful believers from the deceptions and miracle-working power of apparitions and spirits appearing to represent the dead.

“When men tell you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living?” Isaiah 8:19.

Maurice Hoppe is retired and volunteers at Steps to Life. His primary responsibility is working with the Training Program for Ministers and Church Leaders and the Training Program for Lay Workers. He also conducts a Bible Correspondence School from his home with emphasis on Bible prophecy. He can be contacted at: mauricehoppe@stepstolife.org.

Wrong Expectations End in Disappointment

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There is a common saying that there are no disappointments in heaven, but in this world everyone will meet with them at some time. This is one of the major causes of mental depression, which is a big problem today.

As Jesus left the temple for the last time, He said to the Jews, “See! Your house is left to you desolate.” Matthew 23:38.

As Jesus departed from the temple that day, His disciples were astounded at this and pointed out to Him the massive stones in the walls. We understand that these stones were so huge that we do not even understand how the builders in ancient times managed to deal with stones so big. They must have weighed hundreds of tons and were cut so precisely that they fitted together without the need of any mortar. Seen from a distance, it looked like one solid, white wall of marble.

The temple was considered by many people in ancient times to be one of the wonders of the world. The Bible records that Herod spent an additional 46 years beautifying it. The disciples thought that by pointing out to Jesus the massive stones, He would admire them, but instead, He said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another that shall not be thrown down.” Matthew 24:2. His disciples believed that He could only mean that the temple would be overthrown at the end of the world (Matthew 24:3), not comprehending that such an awful thing could happen.

A study of history shows that the prophecy of Jesus was fulfilled exactly to the letter in the destruction of Jerusalem that took place less than 40 years later when the temple was destroyed and burned with fire. As the fire spread, it got so hot that the gold melted, causing it to run down the stones. Later, to retrieve all of the gold, the stones were knocked down until there was not a single stone upon another, literally fulfilling Jesus’ prophecy.

Today, there are many ancient artifacts and various ancient buildings around the Mediterranean, but there is no part of the wall of the temple, because nothing of it was left standing. It was completely demolished.

It was only a few days before His crucifixion and His disciples were perplexed by what Jesus had predicted. They approached Him on the Mount of Olives with the questions, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and the end of the age?” Matthew 24:3.

They wanted to know when the temple would be destroyed, when Jerusalem would be destroyed and what sign they would have of His coming and the end of the world. They thought that they were just asking one question, but they were actually asking two. Though Jesus did not tell them everything at that time, He did answer both questions, leaving them enough to figure out, as time passed.

He first pointed out the events leading up to the destruction of Jerusalem (Matthew 24:4–14). History proves that His predictions were accurate and precisely fulfilled.

After the destruction of Jerusalem, Jesus pointed out major events that would take place in earth’s history, before His return again to this world. He predicted a great tribulation for the church (Matthew 24:16).

This was not referring to the tribulation for the world. The great time of trouble for the world is still future, but the great tribulation for the church is in the past. Jesus made this very clear that after the destruction of Jerusalem there would be great tribulation for the church. He said it would be so great for His followers that there had not been anything like it in the past, nor would there be anything like it in the future for His church, or His people.

This prophecy, again, was exactly and precisely fulfilled. For well over one thousand years, Christians suffered persecution such as had never been before. History books tell about the massacre of Saint Bartholomew in France when it is estimated that around thirty thousand lost their lives. We will never know for sure until the Day of Judgment. You can read about the time when the whole nation of the Netherlands was sentenced to death, or the time when in the space of about one year a million people were martyred for their faith in Northern Italy. There are many other accounts of massacres of the faithful during this time. The Society of Friends estimated that fifty, or perhaps even seventy million Christians lost their lives during the Dark Ages because of their faith.

This great tribulation that Jesus predicted, such as had never been and never would be again, specifically referred to the persecution of His followers. Remember, that this does not refer to the great time of trouble such as never was. The great time of trouble for the world is still in the future, but the great tribulation for the church, the greatest tribulation that there has ever been, is already in the past.

Daniel, in his book, and John, in the book of Revelation, have also extensively spoken about these predictions, spoken of by Jesus. These books describe how long the tribulation will last—over a thousand years, twelve hundred and sixty years to be exact. Jesus said it would be cut short for the saints’ sake. As this persecution was to draw to a close, Jesus said there would be a dark day (Matthew 24; Mark 13).

As the 18th century came to a close, so did this period of persecution. Jesus, describing the dark day that would come at that time, said that the sun would not give its light, neither the moon. On May 19, 1780, that was fulfilled.

Jesus also said that the stars would fall from heaven. I am always interested in the order of things in Bible prophecy; it is one of the most intriguing things to study. If the order of things given in Bible prophecy should ever prove to be incorrect, then every skeptic and every scoffer in the world would point that out and say, “See, the Bible predicted this, but it didn’t happen that way; it happened this way.” But they cannot do that. Bible prophecy always turns out to be fulfilled just in the order that the prophets gave it. Jesus said there would be a dark day, and after that, the stars would fall from heaven.

It happened! The stars fell from heaven in November 1833. It was the greatest shower of meteors and meteorites that has ever been recorded. We do not know the exact number, but it has been estimated at 240,000. The shower was so great that night was turned into day on that November evening. The prophecy of Jesus was fulfilled exactly as He predicted.

When they saw these things, Bible students all over the world studied to find out what these signs in the heavens were all about. Looking at the prophecy of Jesus and comparing it with the prophecies in Daniel and in Revelation they concluded that things had been fulfilled right in order, and the next thing to expect would be the second coming of Christ.

These Bible students did not understand everything, but what they did understand they began to preach and the result of this proclamation was that there was a second advent awakening that took place all over the world. People from all different faiths—Protestants, Catholics and other people not connected to any church saw the fulfillment of Bible prophecy. They realized that the next thing to happen was the judgment. This was the beginning of the judgment hour message that was preached.

In those days the believers did not understand exactly what the hour of God’s judgment was. They preached the 2,300 day prophecy from Daniel 8:14 that the hour of judgment would begin in 1843 and 1844.

Actually they were right about the time, but they just did not yet have a correct understanding of the event or what the hour of God’s judgment involved. It was thought that the hour of God’s judgment and the cleansing of the sanctuary meant that Christ would return for the saints, taking them out of this world before destroying the rest of the world with fire.

When 1844 came and Jesus did not come, those expecting Him were extremely disappointed. This was not the first time a disappointment is recorded in Scripture. It happened just six days before the crucifixion and the disciples had proclaimed Jesus to be the Messiah. People were coming down from the Mount of Olives into Jerusalem witnessing to many miracles Jesus had performed there, proclaiming Him to be the Messiah, just as is predicted in the book of Zechariah. It says that the Messiah would come riding on a donkey and the people would say to the daughter of Jerusalem, “Shout! … Your King is coming to you.” Zechariah 9:9. They quoted the Scripture and told about the miracles. There were so many in that crowd and they were so happy. There were some people who could say, “I was blind until Jesus came and now I can see.” There were others who could say, “I was deaf until Jesus came, and now I can hear.” There were yet others who could say, “I was paralyzed and couldn’t walk until Jesus came, and now I can walk.” Lazarus was in that crowd and he could say, “I was dead; I was in a cave tomb for four days and Jesus came, and now here I am alive.”

As the people related all the wonderful things that Jesus had done, they became very, very excited. Even the disciples thought that Jesus would reign as a king in Jerusalem, but instead of that, in less than a week from that happy occasion, they were sorely disappointed as their hopes vanished and they saw Jesus being lifted up on the cross of Calvary.

They did not yet understand the plan of salvation and that sin cannot be taken away unless someone pays the price. The only person able to pay the price was someone who was above the law. You and I are not above the law. The Bible says we are beneath the law; we are below the law. Even the angels are made under the law. Only Jesus is above the law and for that reason He was the only One who could pay the price for sin. The disciples, not understanding, were disappointed. In the same way, those who were expecting Jesus to come in 1844 were disappointed, because it did not happen the way they had thought. They did not perfectly understand the prophecies.

Interestingly, when we study Matthew 24 and 25, we find that Jesus anticipated this. Notice what He says in Matthew 24: Jesus says, “But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 24:48–51. Then Jesus, talking about the time when He would return said, “Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went out to meet the bridegroom.” Matthew 25:1.

Jesus told them a story about a wedding. He described an Eastern marriage. I have never heard of a marriage that took place at midnight, but this is a marriage that didn’t take place until midnight.

The story in Matthew 25 is especially about Christ’s followers—His church, His people, those who will be living in the last days in the evening of this world’s history.

Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went out to meet the bridegroom.” The bridegroom is Jesus Christ and the people who went out to meet Him are His followers. They are described as ten virgins.

“They all took their lamps.” Matthew 25:3. These are people who have a pure faith, because they are described as virgins. The meaning of lamp, when we are talking spiritually is found in Psalm 119:105. It says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

The Bible is a lamp, but it does not do any good if it is not lit—if there is no fire coming out of it. Anciently, in order to keep the lamp lit, there was need of oil in the base. Oil is the symbol of the Holy Spirit. Even the Bible will not do you any good if the Holy Spirit does not do its work on your mind. In fact, the apostle Paul says, “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 1 Corinthians 2:14. It is the Holy Spirit that inspired the Bible, and it is also necessary that the Spirit interpret to the reader the things of God.

Without the Holy Spirit working on your mind, you cannot understand the Bible. People often want the church, the theologian or the minister to explain Scripture because they can’t understand it. But what we really need to do is pray and say, “Lord, You have promised!” Jesus promised that if you ask, you will be given the Holy Spirit and you will be enabled to understand God’s word (Luke 11:9).

The main reason people do not want to receive the Holy Spirit is because the first thing that happens when the Holy Spirit starts working on a person’s mind is that person becomes convicted of sin (John 16). People generally do not want to be convicted of sin, but they want some other way out. They want to go to heaven without being convicted of their sins.

Many believe that they do want the Holy Spirit until their hearts become convicted of sin; then they say, “No, go away!” But, if you are willing, as you read God’s Word, to accept the conviction by the Holy Spirit of sin you can then confess, repent and forsake your sins and be ready for heaven.

All of the virgins had lamps—the Bible. They all had oil, the Holy Spirit enabling them to understand it, but notice what happened. Some of the virgins took extra oil. Jesus said five of them were wise and five were foolish. Those who were foolish had their lamps, but no extra oil with them. The wise took extra oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the Bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.

They were expecting the Bridegroom to return, but they didn’t realize there would be such a long delay. They thought it would be 7 o’clock, but it wasn’t. They thought the Lord would return at 8 o’clock but He didn’t. And then they thought 9 o’clock, but He still didn’t come. And then at midnight they heard the cry, “Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet Him” (Matthew 25:6). Then all those virgins awoke and trimmed their lamps.

Notice, according to this story, it will be in the darkest period of earth’s history that the Bridegroom returns. This does not mean the darkest period intellectually, but the darkest period spiritually and morally. Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, “Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.” But the wise answered, saying, “No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.” And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, “Lord, Lord, open to us!” But he answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you. Watch, therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming” (Matthew 25:8–10).

This is a very solemn story indeed. It tells us that there will be many Christians at the end of the world who will find out they are not ready to meet the Bridegroom.

The people who expected the Bridegroom to come in 1844 were disappointed. They had to go back and study their Bibles to find out what had happened, where they had made their mistake. As they continued to study the Word of God they found out a great deal about why they had been disappointed, what was going to happen and what they needed to do.

In the parable of the virgins is seen a delay. The Bridegroom tarried; the Bridegroom delayed his coming. The Bridegroom is not going to tarry forever and when He comes back at the darkest hour of earth’s history, are you going to be ready?

The story teaches us that a large percentage (50 percent) of people who call themselves Christians will not be ready for the Lord’s return. When the Bridegroom returns in the clouds of heaven they will not be ready with their lamps trimmed; they will be out of oil. It will then be too late to make preparation, for just before the Bridegroom returns, the proclamation is made, “He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still. And behold, I am coming quickly and my reward is with Me, to give to everyone according to his work.” Revelation 22:11, 12.

Christ believes in lawfulness and hates lawlessness. It means that each person is to choose which side of the great controversy he/she is on and that decision involves the law of God.

Whoever sins breaks God’s law and puts himself/herself on the devil’s side (1 John 3:4–8).

While this great controversy is going on it is still possible to change sides. If you find yourself today on the devil’s side, you could decide to change by surrendering your heart and life over to the sovereignty of Jesus Christ and be on His side.

The opposite is also true. If you decide to live a lawless life, breaking God’s law as you please, you will be on the devil’s side of the great controversy (1 John 3).

Right now while there is an opportunity you can change sides, but midnight is coming; the Bridegroom is going to come back and then it will be too late to change. The door of mercy will be shut. At that time you will either be saved already, or you will never be saved.

Make a decision today while there is still time.

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

The Sealing of the Final Generation

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Signs all around us indicate that this generation is going to be the final generation, the one that will go through a time of trouble.

Who are you to stand before the universe without a mediator and go through the time of Jacob’s trouble? Jacob was certainly forgiven, yet when he was going back to his hometown, he faced the enemy, his brother Esau with 400 soldiers who had come to meet and to slay him (Genesis 32). The same kind of trouble is to come upon you and me. We also will pray and plead with God as did Jacob. We must experience the Three Angels’ Messages, which are summed up in the sanctuary, consisting of the courtyard experience, the Holy Place experience, and the Most Holy Place experience.

To meet God at the mercy seat, we must first pass the altar of burnt offering with a thorough repentance experience—justification—then move on to the training of the Holy Place experience—sanctification. We then step into the Most Holy Place and stand before the Shekinah glory. God takes us through these three steps to enable us to face Him.

To be sealed is to be settled into the truth so that we will no longer be moved. This is not only being convicted intellectually, but also experientially, so that no matter what happens, we will not waver. No matter what persecution happens in our lives, we will not turn away from God or dishonor Him by breaking any of His commandments. Our characters will be sealed and perfected by being in Christ and overcoming each temptation day by day. Temptations come one at a time, and it is through the grace of God and by surrendering that we overcome them one at a time. Care must be taken on this journey though sometimes we will make mistakes and fall, because Satan knows our every weakness and causes us to trip. Our past mistakes become our teachers. We need not worry about the word perfection. God has promised to help with this work. He is able to finish a work that He started in us by His grace. Salvation is restoration, repentance, and keeping the commandments of God.

God knows everything and needs no records. Then, why does heaven have record books? They are for human beings and angels to see and to evaluate God’s judgment for fairness. There will be no doubts, no lingering questions in our minds about God’s judgment.

“But the plan of redemption had a yet broader and deeper purpose than the salvation of man. It was not for this alone that Christ came to the earth; it was not merely that the inhabitants of this little world might regard the law of God as it should be regarded; but it was to vindicate the character of God before the universe.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 68.

The whole process of the plan of salvation has to do with the vindication of God’s character and the redemption of the fallen race. The controversy between God and Satan was the law of God. It was under attack because Satan claimed that that it was not necessary, that it binds and restricts. Satan asserted that God’s law makes us servants and slaves, so he wanted to do away with it; we do not need it. The rebellion, started in heaven by Satan was the cause of the great controversy.

When the war descended to this earth, the issue that Satan attacked was the sanctuary in heaven. Satan said, “The people broke God’s law as did I and my soldiers, and yet You forgive them. You are going to save them throughout eternity. They are going to hold our former position. It is unfair. You cannot give salvation; You cannot have mercy upon those who broke Your law like we did.” The issue is the mercy of God. God will work the work of salvation in your heart so your life will demonstrate and display the power of His salvation. This is what the sanctuary message is all about.

“In the opening of the great controversy, Satan had declared that the law of God could not be obeyed, that justice was inconsistent with mercy, and that, should the law be broken, it would be impossible for the sinner to be pardoned. Every sin must meet its punishment, urged Satan; … God could not be just, he urged, and yet show mercy to the sinner.

“But even as a sinner, man was in a different position from that of Satan. Lucifer in heaven had sinned in the light of God’s glory. To him as to no other created being was given a revelation of God’s love. Understanding the character of God, knowing His goodness, Satan chose to follow his own selfish, independent will. This choice was final. There was no more that God could do to save him. But man was deceived; his mind was darkened by Satan’s sophistry. The height and depth of the love of God he did not know. For him there was hope in a knowledge of God’s love. By beholding His character he might be drawn back to God.” The Desire of Ages, 761, 762.

“The earth was dark through misapprehension of God. That the gloomy shadows might be lightened, that the world might be brought back to God, Satan’s deceptive power was to be broken. This could not be done by force. The exercise of force is contrary to the principles of God’s government; He desires only the service of love; and love cannot be commanded; it cannot be won by force or authority. Only by love is love awakened. To know God is to love Him.” Ibid., 22. Knowing God, is loving Him. You see, we must understand this concept. What does it mean to love Him? To know God is to love Him. How can we love Him unless we receive the revelation through the sanctuary He revealed to us, showing the method of salvation?

“But in heaven, service is not rendered in the spirit of legality. When Satan rebelled against the law of Jehovah, the thought that there was a law came to the angels almost as an awakening to something unthought of.” Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 109.

Obeying and living the commandments of God was just normal. The angels were very happy abiding in the law of God. It was their life. Living in the order of God and the commandments of God gave them peace, order and assurance. The law of God needs to be obeyed by willing love, willingness not as a duty or responsibility but out of love. “There is perfect unity between them and their Creator. Obedience is to them no drudgery. Love for God makes their service a joy. So in every soul wherein Christ, the hope of glory, dwells, His words are re-echoed, ‘I delight to do Thy will, O My God: yea, Thy law is within My heart.’ Psalm 40:8.” Ibid.

In Daniel 8:14, it says, “And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days, then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.” It will be cleansed from the accumulated records of sin that have been defiling the heavenly sanctuary. God is going to cleanse it before He blots out the record of sins from the books in heaven. He has to prove individually that each person deserves to have the blotting out of sin, because he does not live under the condemnation of the law any longer. God has to prove it before the universe. Then sin is going to be blotted out.

God has used persecution to purge His church. All chaff and dross are going to go out from among us and the pure gold will remain. God has always used times of trouble to purge and cleanse and purify His church. When those crises come, our focus will be so clear; we are not going to waste our time, but instead will spend it on the preparation of our character and heart.

At that time, those of God’s people who have been following the truth and the everlasting gospel will have confessed all of their sins to Jesus who has blotted them out with His blood; but those who have not made that preparation will go out. Then there will be seen both a separation and unity between believers taking place within the true church.

The accumulated records of sin, which have been defiling the heavenly sanctuary, will be cleansed and it will be restored to its original condition. God’s character will be vindicated as the individual investigative judgment progresses.

“Those who are living upon the earth when the intercession of Christ shall cease in the sanctuary above are to stand in the sight of a holy God without a mediator. Their robes must be spotless, their characters must be purified from sin by the blood of sprinkling.” The Great Controversy, 425. The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses our conscience by beholding the suffering of Jesus Christ on the cross. We are touched by His love, and the sins will be melted away from us.

“Through the grace of God and their own diligent effort they must be conquerors in the battle with evil. While the investigative judgment is going forward in heaven, while the sins of penitent believers are being removed from the sanctuary, there is to be a special work of purification, of putting away of sin, among God’s people upon earth.” Ibid. Notice that this does not take place in heaven, but on this earth.

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

“Excitement is not sanctification. Entire conformity to the will of our Father which is in heaven is alone sanctification, and the will of God is expressed in His holy law. The keeping of all the commandments of God is sanctification.” Selected Messages, Book 3, 204. How many commandments? “All the commandments of God.” Are you shocked? Are you sanctified? This says that, “The keeping of all the commandments of God is sanctification.” What is the seal of the living God? Seventh-day Sabbath keeping. Why? Because it is the outward sign that within we are keeping all of the Ten Commandments.

God gave Abraham circumcision as a sign for holy experience. It is a symbol. Romans 4:11 says this is the outward symbol, which shows the faith experience in Abraham, which he had already before. We keep the seventh-day Sabbath because we are liberated from the power of sin. That is why we have fellowship with God on that particular blessed day. The keeping of all the commandments of God is sanctification. Proving ourselves obedient children to God’s Word is sanctification. The Word of God is to be our guide, not the ideas of man. We know that there are teachings among us different than this inspired Word of God, different teachings of justification by faith and righteousness by faith. It simply says, “The keeping of all the commandments of God is sanctification.” How much clearer can you get? “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.” Hebrews 12:14. Before we step into the Most Holy Place, we must have that sealing experience.

The light increases gradually in its conviction and understanding. Sometimes, some people have heard about the seventh-day Sabbath, yet their souls are not convicted unless they really study and hear. “But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.” Proverbs 4:18. This means that knowledge and understanding of the truth will be increased until the perfect day.

The truth we hold cannot be the standard or the criteria to judge everyone, because God judges everyone according to the light they have received. The light has been gradually advancing to the perfect day. So, God has to judge people according to the light they have received. What do we call the light that everyone has received in their own time and in their own generations? The present truth. Do we have present truth at this time? Absolutely. For instance, in regard to the righteousness by faith doctrine, Martin Luther had very little light. John Wesley understood more. He understood about overcoming; he understood about free will; he understood about having a perfect character. That is why he was defrocked; he was excommunicated from the former Presbyterian churches in England at that time. You see, gradually the truth has been restored to the original.

“In every age there is a new development of truth, a message of God to the people of that [particular] generation.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 127. Truth must be logical and reasonable; otherwise it is not truth. The truth must meet common sense. God works through our common sense. At the time of Noah was there a present truth? Yes, build the ark and enter into it. Now is that our present truth? Absolutely not! We have our own present truth for today, so when we preach present truth, it is going to expose the motivations of every individual in the current time, and they will be judged by it. At the time of John the Baptist there was present truth. But that present truth is not our present truth. The truth has developed and matured to perfection.

One day I was in the lounge of an airport waiting to board my flight. There were 40 or 50 people in that area. I noticed particularly a gentleman who was sitting right in front of me, and I thought he must be a genuinely sincere Christian. It was lunchtime, and he had brought along his sack lunch. He opened the brown bag and, taking out a sandwich, he began to pray. I have never seen anyone pray over a lunch that long, that earnestly, or that sincerely. He then began to eat, and I saw that he was eating a ham and cheese sandwich. Do you know what? Legalism came out from my heart and I thought, “He’s eating ham and cheese. God certainly cannot bless him. He’s eating that sandwich, but he prayed so earnestly.” I changed my mind in a split second. No, I should not think this way. Certainly, God will bless him. He is practicing his Christian experience as far as he knows and understands. Certainly God will bless his meal and his prayer, even though ham will hurt his body’s cells. God will bless him, because he practices his own Christian religion according to what he knows. We have to take this into consideration. Certainly God does.

The present truth is very, very important, and we must understand the conviction and understanding of the gradually developing truth. Why does God need to restore all the truth to its original meaning to the perfect light? Why does God not just judge everyone according to the light of the cross? Why can’t God just save us as long as we believe the truth that Jesus Christ died on the cross for us? Why is that not enough? It is because the salvation issue has to do with the vindication of God, but it has a broader meaning and not just our own salvation. When we understand that, we will be willing to live, not only for our own salvation, but also for the glory of God. Our perspective of our Christian experience will become clearer. All of the light is needed for it to be restored to the original so that the whole universe can witness and see whether God’s plan of salvation is just or not.

God chooses to save. Can His mercy meet justice? Is Satan right in his accusation, or is God right? The issue is going to be settled before the universe in our individual lives as those present truths are applied to our own hearts and lives.

Finally, the stage is set and the true test is possible. When Satan says, “Oh, have you seen that?” Then God cannot say, “They just simply did not know.” All this time until the final generation appears, Jesus has been and is doing this.

Satan accuses, “Look at this; all of them kept Sunday.” Then Jesus will say, “Satan, be quiet and listen to Me. Have you seen and tried these people? 144,000 people; have you tried them? Were you able to overcome them?” Then Satan’s lips will be sealed. He tried his best, but he could not make them betray their trust.

And then God will say, “Do you recognize these people are keeping My commandments perfectly in their spiritual experiences? Now, I tell you that if I had given to all those past generations, whom I am resurrecting from the tombs, all of the fully restored truth, they would have come up accepting light like the 144,000. But this 144,000 are the weakest generation.”

We are a weak generation; we are not special people. We are degenerated people, the weakest people and yet used by God to prove the point, demonstrating before the universe, that by God’s power we can be saved utterly from the power of sin. God will be vindicated and Satan’s lips will be sealed forever. That is why God needs the final generation—you and me—those who go through the Most Holy Place experience, the blotting out of sin experience. God needs you; God needs me.

This does not mean just a lot of rules—that you should not read that novel or listen to that kind of music or eat that. You need to be careful for your own salvation; you will be judged by God. No, we have a better perspective. We have higher ground, higher experience, higher criteria and higher expectations. We are living and working for the glory of God, to honor Him in our lives.

Jude 3 says, “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.”

While the truth is shining to the perfect light, everyone is judged according to the present truth of their own generations as they understand it. Throughout all these generations, there have been genuine good, righteous Christians. Truth has been restored little by little through the reformers and advanced far through the understanding of the sanctuary service after 1844. It is going to be restored perfectly to the perfect light. Then God is going to give a final demonstration through His people who understand and are convicted of the perfect truth, that perfect chain of truth.

Are you following the Shepherd wherever He leads? We are to follow Jesus through the courtyard, into the Holy Place and then into the Most Holy Place, guided by our Shepherd all the way.

I hope and pray that you make a choice right now to live to be saved, and to live to glorify God.

Pastor David Kang is Director of Light for Life Ministry operating out of Hartwell, Georgia. His sermons are broadcast weekly on New York and Virginia Korean television stations. Pastor Kang also frequently travels to Asia where he trains pastors. Pastor Kang may be contacted by telephone at: 706-377-1004.