Prophecy

Final Signposts

by

Most Christians are familiar with Matthew 24 but we are going to re-examine the chapter. To give some background to the events mentioned in Matthew 24 it is good to look at Matthew 23, where Jesus condemned the Jewish church—God’s church, that had been given the truth. They had been blessed with prophecies and prophets had been sent to instruct them. They had the word of God in their midst, yet they had backslidden so much that God could not recognize them or use them as His own church any longer.

They were in much darkness and were about to murder God’s own Son, Jesus Christ, on the cross. In Matthew 23, we read that Jesus condemned their church, their ministry, and their educational work. He told them that they travel across the continent and the ocean to find a soul, bring him or her into their church but make them worse than they were before (verse 15). With tears in His eyes He said, “Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.” Matthew 26:64.

As He left the church, Jesus said, “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!” Matthew 23:37. Jesus said, “You have stoned My prophets and you are about to kill Me. You have denied the voice of the Holy Spirit. What more could I have done?” The apostles had been listening to what Jesus had said, and it made them very nervous. If He had departed the synagogue and was never going to return, what was going to happen to them?

As Jesus rested at the mount of Olives, the last place where the whole scene of Jerusalem was visible, the disciples asked Him the meaning of what He had said: “You are acting as if you will never return to the church. What will be our future? What about Your becoming King for us?” Jesus looked at the church once more. It was very beautiful. No other nation had a temple that was as magnificent. Looking at His church, which God had appointed and raised up, He said, “See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” Matthew 24:2. “The building, which you call the temple of God, will be desecrated, destroyed completely.” The disciples were shocked. Then they asked Jesus if it would be the end of the world if that happened. They just could not think of the destruction of God’s church, and they asked Jesus to tell them what would be the sign of the destruction of God’s temple; what would be the sign of His returning and the sign of the end of the world.

In Matthew 24, we see that the time in which we are living is right at the end of the signs that were given. The content of the words of Jesus in this prophecy has already been fulfilled before our eyes. If this is the truth, what will be the fate of God’s church? This is a very solemn theme on which we need to contemplate.

“And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things?” Matthew 24:1, 2. One thing must be made clear—the church is not the denomination; it is not the brick and mortar. The church is not the building or organization. The church is the people of God who believe the word of God and keep His commandments. “And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all of these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” This temple will be thrown down completely.

This was such a shock to the disciples that they could not understand. We must apply this to ourselves today. Certainly the temple was beautiful, one of the most beautiful buildings built by human hands, but it was destroyed by the invasion of the Roman armies exactly as Jesus Christ had described, and it became desolate.

“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?” Jesus was talking about the destruction of the temple and the disciples put that together with 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. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.” Verses 3–6.

Up until the present time, all has been fulfilled through the Christian era. After Jesus’ resurrection and ascension to heaven, these signs were fulfilled. But look at Matthew 24:7 and 8. It says, “For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.”

Don’t you know that we right now are in the season of sorrows and the season of calamities? As we study and read Matthew 24, many times we miss the points. These are points to which we must pay attention.

Earthquakes and famines and pestilences have been in the world for a long time, so how can they be the sign of Jesus’ coming at the end of the world? Jesus gave a clue for only those Christians who are eagerly searching to find truth. He said, “in diverse places.”

There have been earthquakes all throughout human history. So why do they become a sign of Jesus’ second coming at the end of the world? Because He said that these earthquakes and famines and pestilences—these three things—are going to simultaneously happen in diverse places of the world. There have been pestilences, and illnesses that cannot be cured. There are many pestilences in the world right now. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Atlanta, Georgia, United States), reports that at least 240 occur per year. There are famines, pestilences and earthquakes going on at the same time in different/diverse places. Our day is the time about which Jesus was talking, and He said that all of these things are the beginning of sorrows.

“These things [events] are the result of drops from the vials of God’s wrath being sprinkled on the earth, and are but faint representations of what will be in the near future.

“Earthquakes in various places have been felt, but these disturbances have been very limited. … Terrible shocks will come upon the earth, and the lordly palaces erected at great expense will certainly become heaps of ruins.

“The earth’s crust will be rent by the outbursts of the elements concealed in the bowels of the earth. These elements, once broken loose, will sweep away the treasures of those who for years have been adding to their wealth by securing large possessions at starvation prices from those in their employ.” Selected Messages, Book 3, 391.

There is a vast gap between the rich and the poor, and it is getting bigger and wider. God is soon going to release the winds from the four corners of the earth (Revelation 7:1), and tremendous destruction is going to sweep over the land. “The elements of nature are to be placed in the power of angels of God. He holdeth the winds in His fists.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 15, 220.

Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, United States) is sitting on a volcano. This park is very interesting to visit with its beautiful scenery, but under the surface is an active volcano with boiling magma causing it to shoot hot spring water high into the air. This is just part of the Lord’s arsenal that He will use in the last day of destruction, which will be devastating. The destruction on that day will be ten thousand times more powerful than the nuclear bomb dropped in Hiroshima, Japan. Lands, houses, everything will be gone.

We are living in a time that is close to this destruction—it is very close! Our only protection on that day is to be connected with the God of heaven. How do we get that connection? The first thing is to make a total surrender to the Lord, giving Him all of our faults, confessing all of our sins and forsaking them while Jesus is still ministering in the Most Holy Place of the sanctuary. Life is a precious gift from God—do not waste this opportunity. Give your whole heart to Jesus. If you love the things of the world, forsake them. If there are any idols or unforsaken sins, give them to Jesus. Be cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ; He is still holding back the close of probation for that last sinner to repent.

The signs pointing to the end are all around us. Look at all of the pestilences, the incurable diseases like the bird flu, the swine flu and mad cow disease. The 1918 flu epidemic went for two years and killed about 25 million people. Any of these kinds of things can happen. We are living in the beginning of sorrows.

During 2010 there were record-breaking snowstorms in the United States of America and also record-breaking rainfalls and tornadoes, many in the same regions. There have been recent earthquakes and tsunamis, and we are told that the earth’s axis was tilted eight inches during one big earthquake. The earthquake in Chili (February 27, 2010) caused the earth’s axis to tilt three inches. The earthquake in Haiti (January 12, 2010) caused floods that destroyed so much, and China also has been devastated with flooding that started during early May 2010. There was a major flood also in Fargo, North Dakota (United States), in March 2010. Poland also suffered flooding—dams were submerged and towns were destroyed (May 2010). A violent late winter storm with fierce rain and hurricane-strength winds devastated many cities in western Europe (February 2010). But Jesus said these are just the beginning of sorrows! These are very strange phenomena we are experiencing, with very different changes in weather patterns in many regions of the world.

Remember the recent volcano erruption in Iceland (April 2010), which resulted in so much volcanic ash in the sky that airline flights were cancelled for seven days? Many companies lost billions of dollars and some went bankrupt because of the problem. Right at that time, the European Parliament had invited Roman Catholic Bishops and other church leaders to start a movement called Work Free Sunday Law Legislation. God is warning the people with signs, and while the talks were being held, the ashes covered the whole sky. A coincidence? I do not think so!

There are many of God’s people still in Babylonian churches who are seeking for the truth and for the true church. There are people in our ranks who have the Spirit of Prophecy books but have not read them. Ellen White says, “There are many souls to come out of the ranks of the world, out of the churches—even the Catholic Church—whose zeal will far exceed that of those who have stood in rank and file to proclaim the truth heretofore.” Selected Messages, Book 3, 386, 387.

There are people in our churches who are just warming the pews. They do not read the Spirit of Prophecy books and apply the precious truths in them to their lives. But God has His hand on His remnant people, even in Roman Catholic churches and many other churches, waiting for the right time to bring them together.

Ellen White refers to the eleventh hour workers. The search for these workers is continuous. They are about to come out to join God’s people and receive the latter rain to enable us to go out and give the loud cry to the world. “For this reason the eleventh hour laborers will receive their penny. These will see the battle coming and will give the trumpet a certain sound. When the crisis is upon us, when the season of calamity shall come, they will come to the front, gird themselves with the whole armor of God, and exalt His law, adhere to the faith of Jesus, and maintain the cause of religious liberty which reformers defended with toil and for which they sacrificed their lives.” Ibid., 387.

We are in the midst of the season of calamity. Actually we are in the middle of a crisis. The mark of the beast is beginning in the European countries and other nations. The true crisis—the true Sunday law, the true mark of the beast persecution—will begin from the United States of America, according to prophecy of Revelation 13, and then will spread to different regions of the world. Then the eleventh hour workers, who are about to come out of both the Catholic and Protestant churches, will come to the front. They will come out girding themselves with the whole armor of God, exalting His law and adhering to the faith of Jesus. Here is the patience of the saints; they keep God’s commandments and have the faith of Jesus Christ (Revelation 14:12). They will also maintain the cause of religious liberty that the reformers defended with toil and for which they sacrificed their lives. This means they are going to fight the battle of religious freedom in the day of the crisis of the Sunday law. We are in a crisis—the season of calamities has begun.

Jesus Christ is coming soon, and the Sunday law will come so soon that it will be an overwhelming surprise. “Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.” Matthew 24:9. We need to pray as we have never prayed before. These things are no longer far from us.

“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.” Testimonies, vol. 9, 11.

The things that are taking place right now are happening rapidly.

Has there been in the past any generation of true Christians, the true church, that has been hated and persecuted by all nations? No. They have been hated by some nations, but not by all nations. God’s true church will be hated by all nations for Jesus’ namesake at the time of the Sunday law. There will be only two groups of people remaining in the world—one who will receive the seal of the living God, and the other group, the vast majority who will receive the mark of the beast. At that time the true remnant church will be hated by all nations, by those who receive the mark of the beast fulfilling the words of Jesus in Matthew 24.

Jesus, talking about the generation living here, right now, says, “And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.” Verses 10, 11. Some of us will be like Judas Iscariot and sell their Lord and their brothers and their sisters for some worldly benefit. If we want to avoid that kind of treachery, let us keep our hearts in Jesus today. We must wear the robe of Christ’s righteousness. Righteousness is a powerful experience where Jesus sows the seed into our hearts, and we become like Him in our hearts and in our actions. Sanctification is the process of carrying out the promptings of the Holy Spirit in our hearts and souls; that is, living a holy life, true righteousness.

“And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” He that will endure long-suffering in faithfulness and loyalty shall be saved. This is the patience of the saints. This is the time for us to prepare. “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” Verses 11–14.

Right now we are living in these things. All of the signs are being fulfilled around us; earthquakes, pestilences and famines are taking place in diverse places simultaneously in the world right now. Soon we will be hated by all nations, and then false prophets will arise and the evil angels will appear in the form of dead people such as John the Baptist, Elijah, Enoch or Daniel. Evil angels will thus appear and deceive the people.

“Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before.” Matthew 24:23–25.

After all of this phenomena, Satan will appear and counterfeit Christ, and he will deceive the whole world. This is coming in the very near future. “Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” Matthew 24:9–14. Only by the power of the latter rain, the power from on high, will we be able to finish the work of the gospel of the kingdom, and then the end shall come.

“So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” Verses 33, 34. What things will be seen? Earthquakes, pestilences, famines taking place simultaneously in various places in the world. The generation who is watching these happen at the same time in diverse places will be hated of all nations and will be sold and betrayed by their former brothers and sisters. “Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?” Verse 45. That meat is the present truth for this time—the Three Angels’ Messages—that need to be preached.

“But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Verses 48–51.

To “eat and drink with the drunken” means to accept the wine of Babylon. People will be drunk with the error, the wine of Babylon, and smite their good fellows. The Bible says these are evil servants. I am so thankful for the wonderful mercy and grace of my Lord and for the opportunity we have to serve Him. Jesus is coming very soon. May the will of Jesus be done in my life and in your life.

Pastor David Kang is Director of Light for Life Ministry operating out of Georgia, U.S.A. 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.

The Two Witnesses

by

The setting in Revelation 11 for the two witnesses is the 1,260-year time period, and the release of the two witnesses and their rise to prominence in the world has more to do with the second-advent movement than with the Dark Ages. It is during the great second-advent movement that the Bible has received so much attention and wide circulation. Let us read the prophecy of the two witnesses.

“I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, ‘Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count the worshipers there.

But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months.

And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.’

These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth.

If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die.

These men have power to shut up the sky so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.

Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them.

Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.

For three and a half days men from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial.

The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.

But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them.

Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, ‘Come up here.’ And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on.

At that very hour there was a severe earthquake and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.” Revelation 11:1–13.

This is a very interesting description of the two witnesses. Two times the 1,260-year time period is mentioned: in verse 2, “They will trample on the holy city for 42 months.” And in verse 3 this same time period is mentioned as 1,260 days or years: “And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” As used in prophecy, a month is equal to 30 days. Thirty times 42 months equals 1,260 days or years.

There is an explanation of these verses in The Great Controversy, 266, as follows: “The periods here mentioned—‘forty and two months,’ and ‘a thousand two hundred and threescore days’—are the same, alike representing the time in which the church of Christ was to suffer oppression from Rome. The 1,260 years of papal supremacy began in A.D. 538, and would therefore terminate in 1798.”

We see that the setting for the two witnesses is the Dark Ages of papal oppression. This was one more attack by Satan to destroy the knowledge of the plan of redemption, the new covenant ministry of Christ in the sanctuary.

Many ask what it means to be “clothed in sackcloth.” This is explained in a reference from The Great Controversy, 267: “When the Bible was proscribed by religious and secular authority; when its testimony was perverted, and every effort made that men and demons could invent to turn the minds of the people from it … then the faithful witnesses prophesied in sackcloth.”

The two witnesses (verse 3) are not directly identified in this chapter. There are several symbols used to represent them. Two symbols are found in verse 4: “These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth.” In verse 6 is another symbol in which they are personified as men: “These men have power to shut up the sky so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying.”

There is one more symbol, and it is found in verse 10: “The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.”

Let us make an observation about these symbols. When the two witnesses are represented as “these men,” it indicates that they have a human aspect to them. And when they are represented as “prophets,” they are understood to be under divine inspiration.

We are told in the introduction of The Great Controversy, v, vi: “The Ten Commandments were spoken by God Himself, and were written by His own hand. They are of divine, and not of human composition. But the Bible, with its God-given truths expressed in the language of men, presents a union of the divine and the human. Such a union existed in the nature of Christ, who was the Son of God and the Son of man. Thus it is true of the Bible, as it was of Christ, that ‘the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.’ John 1:14.”

As Christ was both human and divine, so the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy are a combination of the human and the divine. As Jesus was God’s representative of truth to the people in the first advent, so the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy stand in the place of Christ to witness to the truth in the second advent. The way people relate to the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy is just the way they would treat Jesus if He were here in person. It is possible that they could be a symbol of the Scriptures, for it says in Revelation 11:4, “These are the two olive trees, and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth.”

In The Great Controversy, 267 there is a statement so specific that it settles their identity beyond question. “Concerning the two witnesses the prophet declares further: ‘These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.’ ‘Thy word,’ said the psalmist, ‘is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.’ Revelation 11:4; Psalm 119:105. The two witnesses represent the Scriptures of the Old and the New Testament. Both are important testimonies to the origin and perpetuity of the law of God. Both are witnesses also to the plan of salvation.”

We now understand that Revelation 11:1–13 is a description of the way the Bible was treated during the 1,260 years of papal oppression and what God is going to do with the Bible at the end of that time period.

The next verse, Revelation 11:5, is very specific about how to deal with those who try to harm the Old and New Testaments, the Bible: “If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die.”

What does the phrase mean “fire comes from their mouths”? We know that “from their mouths” is a symbol for speaking. The phrase “fire comes from their mouths” means that anyone who harms them will be destroyed by fire.

Revelation 20:9, 10 tells us how this prophecy will be fulfilled: “They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown.”

This shows the importance of reverence for the Bible. True Christians will show much respect and reverence for the Bible, both the Old and New Testaments. The following statement from The Great Controversy, 268 will be very helpful to read:

“The meaning of this fearful denunciation is set forth in the closing chapter of the Revelation: ‘I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.’ Revelation 22:18, 19.

“Such are the warnings which God has given to guard men against changing in any manner that which He has revealed or commanded. These solemn denunciations apply to all who by their influence lead men to regard lightly the law of God.”

Returning to our main text, the next verse in Revelation 11 presents even more interesting symbolism: “These men have power to shut up the sky so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague.” Verse 6.

Let us turn back to the Old Testament and read about an event that happened in the time of Elijah, where the word of God literally shut up the sky so that it did not rain for three and a half years.

In I Kings 17:1, it says, “Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, ‘As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.’ ”

There is a comment from the book Prophets and Kings, 120, 121 about this event: “To Elijah was entrusted the mission of delivering to Ahab Heaven’s message of judgment. He did not seek to be the Lord’s messenger; the word of the Lord came to him.”

We see in this statement that it was the “word of the Lord” that shut up the skies so it would not rain for three and a half years. The word of God has power, even over the elements.

The word of God has power to turn water to blood also. There is an event recorded in the Old Testament in which the word of the Lord turned water to blood and a prophecy in the New Testament, which says that this will happen again. In Exodus 7:19 it says, “The Lord said to Moses, ‘Tell Aaron, “Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt—over the streams and canals, over the ponds and all the reservoirs”—and they will turn to blood. Blood will be everywhere in Egypt, even in the wooden buckets and stone jars.’ ”

There is another description of this event found in Patriarchs and Prophets, 265: “Moses and Aaron were directed to visit the riverside next morning, where the king was accustomed to repair. … Here the two brothers again repeated the message to him, and then they stretched out the rod and smote upon the water. The sacred stream ran blood, the fish died, and the river became offensive to the smell. The water in the houses, the supply preserved in cisterns, was likewise changed to blood.”

In the New Testament the prophecy that water will again turn to blood is recorded in Revelation 16:3, 4: “The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a dead man, and every living thing in the sea died. The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood.”

In these events we understand that the word of the Lord is very powerful. It is very important that the sinner show reverence, respect and obedience to the Bible, lest it pronounce these severe judgments upon him.

The next four verses, Revelation 11:7–10, describe a very interesting event using many symbols: “Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them. Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. For three and a half days men from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial. The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.”

“When they shall have finished [are finishing] their testimony,” means that toward the end of the 1,260-year time period a beast coming up out of the abyss will attack the Bible. “The period when the two witnesses were to prophesy clothed in sackcloth, ended in 1798. As they were approaching the termination of their work in obscurity, war was to be made upon them by the power represented as ‘the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit.’ …

“But another power—the beast from the bottomless pit—was to arise to make open, avowed war upon the word of God.” The Great Controversy, 268, 269.

The symbolism is a little difficult to understand at this point, but there are some explanations in The Great Controversy that will make things clear so that we may understand the prophecy. In verse 8 a couple of clues are given to help us find out who the beast represents and what the abyss is.

“Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt.” Revelation 11:8.

This verse is saying that the beast coming out of the abyss will manifest characteristics similar to Sodom and Egypt. Egypt is known for its defiance of God, especially at the time of the exodus. “Of all nations presented in Bible history, Egypt most boldly denied the existence of the living God and resisted His commands. No monarch ever ventured upon more open and highhanded rebellion against the authority of Heaven than did the king of Egypt. When the message was brought him by Moses, in the name of the Lord, Pharaoh proudly answered: ‘Who is Jehovah, that I should hearken unto His voice to let Israel go? I know not Jehovah, and moreover I will not let Israel go.’ Exodus 5:2, A.R.V. This is atheism, and the nation represented by Egypt would give voice to a similar denial of the claims of the living God and would manifest a like spirit of unbelief and defiance. ‘The great city’ is also compared, ‘spiritually,’ to Sodom. The corruption of Sodom in breaking the law of God was especially manifested in licentiousness. And this sin was also to be a pre-eminent characteristic of the nation that should fulfill the specifications of this scripture.” Ibid., 269.

The time of the beast to rise up is made quite clear in the following statement: “According to the words of the prophet, then, a little before the year 1798 some power of satanic origin and character would rise to make war upon the Bible. And in the land where the testimony of God’s two witnesses should thus be silenced, there would be manifest the atheism of the Pharaoh and the licentiousness of Sodom.” Ibid.

We still don’t have an answer as to who the beast represents. So let’s look further into the information given in Revelation 11:9–11:

“And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.” (KJV)

The Great Controversy gives us an explanation of these verses and the history that is a fulfillment of these events.

“This prophecy has received a most exact and striking fulfillment in the history of France. During the Revolution, in 1793, ‘The world for the first time heard an assembly of men, born and educated in civilization, and assuming the right to govern one of the finest of the European nations, uplift their united voice to deny the most solemn truth which man’s soul receives, and renounce unanimously the belief and worship of a Deity.’—Sir Walter Scott, Life of Napoleon, vol. 1, ch. 17. ‘France is the only nation in the world concerning which the authentic record survives, that as a nation she lifted her hand in open rebellion against the Author of the universe. Plenty of blasphemers, plenty of infidels, there have been, and still continue to be, in England, Germany, Spain, and elsewhere; but France stands apart in the world’s history as the single state which, by the decree of her Legislative Assembly, pronounced that there was no God, and of which the entire population of the capital, and a vast majority elsewhere, women as well as men, danced and sang with joy in accepting the announcement.’—Blackwood’s Magazine, November, 1870.

“France presented also the characteristics which especially distinguished Sodom. During the Revolution there was manifest a state of moral debasement and corruption similar to that which brought destruction upon the cities of the plain. And the historian presents together the atheism and the licentiousness of France, as given in the prophecy: ‘Intimately connected with these laws affecting religion, was that which reduced the union of marriage—the most sacred engagement which human beings can form, and the permanence of which leads most strongly to the consolidation of society—to the state of a mere civil contract of a transitory character, which any two persons might engage in and cast loose at pleasure. … Sophie Arnoult, an actress famous for the witty things she said, described the republican marriage as “the sacrament of adultery.” ’—Scott, vol. 1, ch. 17.” The Great Controversy, 269–271.

I would like to go back to Revelation 11:8 and make a brief comment about the last part of the verse: “Their bodies will lie in the street of the great city, which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified.”

In The Great Controversy, 271 it states, “ ‘Where also our Lord was crucified” [Revelation 11:8]. This specification of the prophecy was also fulfilled by France. In no land had the spirit of enmity against Christ been more strikingly displayed. In no country had the truth encountered more bitter and cruel opposition. In the persecution which France had visited upon the confessors of the gospel, she had crucified Christ in the person of His disciples.” Ibid., 271.

“It was in 1793 that the decrees which abolished the Christian religion and set aside the Bible passed the French Assembly. Three years and a half later a resolution rescinding these decrees, thus granting toleration to the Scriptures, was adopted by the same body.” Ibid., 287.

In Revelation 11:13 there is a symbolic description of the effect this legislation had on the nation of France: “At that very hour there was a severe earthquake and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.” [Most commentators believe the quote ‘seven thousand people’ are the nobility that were destroyed by the French revolution.]

“Those who had chosen the service of rebellion were left to reap its fruits until the land was filled with crimes too horrible for pen to trace. From devastated provinces and ruined cities a terrible cry was heard—a cry of bitterest anguish. France was shaken as if by an earthquake. Religion, law, social order, the family, the state, and the church—all were smitten down by the impious hand that had been lifted against the law of God.” Ibid., 286.

After the action of the French assembly was rescinded, a wonderful change for the better took place for the two witnesses. It is recorded in Revelation 11:11, 12: “But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them. Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, ‘Come up here.’ And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on.”

“Since France made war upon God’s two witnesses, they have been honored as never before. In 1804 the British and Foreign Bible Society was organized. This was followed by similar organizations, with numerous branches, upon the continent of Europe. In 1816 the American Bible Society was founded. When the British Society was formed, the Bible had been printed and circulated in fifty tongues. It has since been translated into many hundreds of languages and dialects. …

“But toward the close of the eighteenth century a great change took place. Men became dissatisfied with the results of rationalism and realized the necessity of divine revelation and experimental religion. From this time the work of foreign missions attained an unprecedented growth.”

“The improvements in printing have given an impetus to the work of circulating the Bible. The increased facilities for communication between different countries, the breaking down of ancient barriers of prejudice and national exclusiveness, and the loss of secular power by the pontiff of Rome have opened the way for the entrance of the word of God. For some years the Bible has been sold without restraint in the streets of Rome, and it has now been carried to every part of the habitable globe.” Ibid., 287, 288.

And today we see the continuing expansion of the circulation of the Bible throughout the world in the printed and electronic media. Thus we see the prophecy of the two witnesses being fulfilled at the present time to meet the needs of the people in the great second-advent movement. What a blessing this has been in the proclamation of the Three Angels’ Messages!

Everyone today who is within reach of the Scriptures has the privilege and responsibility of learning about the Three Angels’ Messages, the Investigative Judgment and the Second Coming of Jesus.

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

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.

Four Great Signs

by

Christ revealed the signs that would herald His second coming. John the Revelator watched as Christ opened the sixth seal recorded in Revelation 6:12, 13. The signs revealed to John in these verses are God’s announcement to the world that the time has arrived for Jesus to prepare to come to this earth again, this time as King of kings and Lord of lords to restore the kingdom of glory. These signs announce the opening of the great second-advent movement during which the great controversy between Christ and Satan will be concluded.

These great signs are referred to in the following Bible texts:

“I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind.” Revelation 6:12, 13.

Notice that man can do nothing to create or bring these signs to pass. They are totally supernatural and given under the direction of our Father in heaven. Daniel tells us that all these things will be fulfilled at the time of the end. Daniel 12:7, 9 says, “The man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, lifted his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by him who lives forever, saying, ‘It will be for a time, times and half a time. When the power of the holy people has been finally broken, all these things will be completed.’ …He replied, ‘Go your way, Daniel, because the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end.’ ”

Daniel here mentions the 1,260-year time period. This time period ended in A.D. 1798, therefore, this date is seen as the time for these signs to take place. Daniel calls this “the time of the end,” and he says, “the power of the holy people has been finally broken.”

He is making reference here to the martyrs during the Dark Ages. This is the time when the dragon (Satan), working through the Roman Catholic Church, was severely persecuting the saints. This event is recorded in the fifth seal in Revelation 6:9–11 as follows:

“When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, ‘How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?’ Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed.”

John represents these martyrs as being alive and asking the question, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?”

“The cries of the faithful, persecuted ones ascend to heaven. And as the blood of Abel cried from the ground, there are voices also crying to God from martyrs’ graves, from the sepulchers of the sea, from mountain caverns, from convent vaults: ‘How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost Thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth’ [Revelation 6:10]?” Testimonies, vol. 5, 451.

The fifth seal represents the period of church history from A.D. 538 to the time of the sixth seal. So we see that the fifth and sixth seals are directly tied to the opening of the great second-advent movement.

The four signs that herald the great second-advent movement are described in Revelation 6:12 and 13:

“I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind.”

  1. Great earthquake
  2. Sun turned black—sometimes referred to as the Dark Day
  3. Moon turned blood red
  4. Stars fell to the earth

There are five other texts in the Bible that describe these signs.

  1. Note, that Isaiah 13:9, 10 connects these signs with the second coming of Jesus and the destruction of this earth. “See, the day of the Lord is coming—a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger—to make the land desolate and destroy the sinners within it. The stars of heaven and their constellations will not show their light. The rising sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light.”
  2. In Joel 2:10, 11, these signs are also given in the setting of the second coming of Jesus and the terrible destruction that takes place at that time. “Before them the earth shakes, the sky trembles, the sun and moon are darkened, and the stars no longer shine. … The day of the Lord is great; it is dreadful. Who can endure it?”
  3. Again, in Matthew 24:29, 30, we see that these signs are presented in connection with the second coming of Jesus. “Immediately after the distress of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken and then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven.”
  4. Mark 13:24–26 says: “But in those days, following that distress, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.”
  5. Luke 21:25, 27 says: “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. … At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.”

The following statement gives us a little closer focus:

“Prophecy not only foretells the manner and object of Christ’s coming, but presents tokens by which men are to know when it is near. Said Jesus: ‘There shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars.’ Luke 21:25. ‘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.’ Mark 13:24–26. The revelator thus describes the first of the signs to precede the second advent: ‘There was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood.’ Revelation 6:12.” The Great Controversy, 304.

The Lisbon earthquake was the first of these signs to take place. History records show this event taking place in 1755. Also, some of the details as to the extent of the earthquake are described.

“In fulfillment of this prophecy there occurred, in the year 1755, the most terrible earthquake that has ever been recorded. Though commonly known as the earthquake of Lisbon, it extended to the greater part of Europe, Africa, and America. It was felt in Greenland, in the West Indies, in the island of Madeira, in Norway and Sweden, Great Britain and Ireland. It pervaded an extent of not less than four million square miles. In Africa the shock was almost as severe as in Europe. A great part of Algiers was destroyed; and a short distance from Morocco, a village containing eight or ten thousand inhabitants was swallowed up. A vast wave swept over the coast of Spain and Africa engulfing cities and causing great destruction.

“It was in Spain and Portugal that the shock manifested its extreme violence. At Cadiz the inflowing wave was said to be sixty feet high. Mountains, ‘some of the largest in Portugal, were impetuously shaken, as it were, from their very foundations, and some of them opened at their summits, which were split and rent in a wonderful manner, huge masses of them being thrown down into the adjacent valleys. Flames are related to have issued from these mountains.’— Sir Charles Lyell, Principles of Geology, page 495.

“At Lisbon ‘a sound of thunder was heard underground, and immediately afterwards a violent shock threw down the greater part of that city. In the course of about six minutes sixty thousand persons perished. The sea first retired, and laid the bar dry; it then rolled in, rising fifty feet or more above its ordinary level.’ ‘Among other extraordinary events related to have occurred at Lisbon during the catastrophe, was the subsidence of a new quay, built entirely of marble, at an immense expense. A great concourse of people had collected there for safety, as a spot where they might be beyond the reach of falling ruins; but suddenly the quay sank down with all the people on it, and not one of the dead bodies ever floated to the surface.’—Ibid., page 495.

“ ‘The shock’ of the earthquake ‘was instantly followed by the fall of every church and convent, almost all the large public buildings, and more than one fourth of the houses. In about two hours after the shock, fires broke out in different quarters, and raged with such violence for the space of nearly three days, that the city was completely desolated. The earthquake happened on a holyday, when the churches and convents were full of people, very few of whom escaped.’— Encyclopedia Americana, art. ‘Lisbon,’ note (ed. 1831). ‘The terror of the people was beyond description. Nobody wept; it was beyond tears. They ran hither and thither, delirious with horror and astonishment, beating their faces and breasts, crying, “Misericordia! the world’s at an end!” Mothers forgot their children, and ran about loaded with crucifixed images. Unfortunately, many ran to the churches for protection; but in vain was the sacrament exposed; in vain did the poor creatures embrace the altars; images, priests, and people were buried in one common ruin.’ It has been estimated that ninety thousand persons lost their lives on that fatal day.” The Great Controversy, 304, 305.

The next two signs occurred on the same day. During the daylight hours the sun was darkened as if it were night time, and during the night the moon had the appearance of being red as blood.

“Twenty-five years later appeared the next sign mentioned in the prophecy—the darkening of the sun and moon. What rendered this more striking was the fact that the time of its fulfillment had been definitely pointed out. In the Saviour’s conversation with His disciples upon Olivet, after describing the long period of trial for the church—the 1,260 years of papal persecution, concerning which He had promised that the tribulation should be shortened—He thus mentioned certain events to precede His coming, and fixed the time when the first of these should be witnessed: ‘In those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light.’ Mark 13:24. The 1,260 days, or years, terminated in 1798. A quarter of a century earlier, persecution had almost wholly ceased. Following this persecution, according to the words of Christ, the sun was to be darkened. On the 19th of May, 1780, this prophecy was fulfilled.” Ibid., 306.

Here are a few more statements about this phenomenon:

“ ‘Almost, if not altogether alone, as the most mysterious and as yet unexplained phenomenon of its kind, … stands the dark day of May 19, 1780—a most unaccountable darkening of the whole visible heavens and atmosphere in New England.’—R. M. Devens, Our First Century, page 89.

“An eyewitness living in Massachusetts describes the event as follows: ‘In the morning the sun rose clear, but was soon overcast. The clouds became lowery, and from them, black and ominous, as they soon appeared, lightning flashed, thunder rolled, and a little rain fell. Toward nine o’clock, the clouds became thinner, and assumed a brassy or coppery appearance, and earth, rocks, trees, buildings, water, and persons were changed by this strange, unearthly light. A few minutes later, a heavy black cloud spread over the entire sky except a narrow rim at the horizon, and it was as dark as it usually is at nine o’clock on a summer evening. …’ ” Ibid.

“ ‘In most parts of the country it was so great in the daytime, that the people could not tell the hour by either watch or clock, nor dine, nor manage their domestic business, without the light of candles. …’ ” Ibid., 307.

“May 19, 1780, stands in history as ‘The Dark Day.’ Since the time of Moses no period of darkness of equal density, extent, and duration, has ever been recorded. The description of this event, as given by eyewitnesses, is but an echo of the words of the Lord, recorded by the prophet Joel, twenty-five hundred years previous to their fulfillment: ‘The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come.’ Joel 2:31.” Ibid., 308.

The last of these four signs is the falling of the stars, occurring about 50 years later.

“In 1833, two years after Miller began to present in public the evidences of Christ’s soon coming, the last of the signs appeared which were promised by the Saviour as tokens of His second advent. Said Jesus: ‘The stars shall fall from heaven.’ Matthew 24:29. And John in the Revelation declared, as he beheld in vision the scenes that should herald the day of God: ‘The stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casts her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.’ Revelation 6:13. This prophecy received a striking and impressive fulfillment in the great meteoric shower of November 13, 1833. … ‘Never did rain fall much thicker than the meteors fell toward the earth; east, west, north, and south, it was the same. In a word, the whole heavens seemed in motion. … The display, as described in Professor Silliman’s Journal, was seen all over North America. … From two o’clock until broad daylight, the sky being perfectly serene and cloudless, an incessant play of dazzlingly brilliant luminosities was kept up in the whole heavens.’—R. M. Devens, American Progress; or, The Great Events of the Greatest Century, ch. 28, pars. 1-5.” Ibid., 333.

Some acknowledged this event to be a fulfillment of prophecy.

“In the New York Journal of Commerce of November 14, 1833, appeared a long article regarding this wonderful phenomenon, containing this statement: ‘No philosopher or scholar has told or recorded an event, I suppose, like that of yesterday morning. A prophet eighteen hundred years ago foretold it exactly, if we will be at the trouble of understanding stars falling to mean falling stars, … in the only sense in which it is possible to be literally true.’ ” Ibid., 334.

Above is quoted the first part of the sixth seal listing the four great signs that were to call the attention of the people to the second advent of our Lord. In the next reference Ellen White quotes the last part of the sixth seal that is a description of the second coming of Jesus.

“Thus was displayed the last of those signs of His coming, concerning which Jesus bade His disciples: ‘When ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.’ Matthew 24:33. After these signs, John beheld, as the great event next impending, the heavens departing as a scroll, while the earth quaked, mountains and islands removed out of their places, and the wicked in terror sought to flee from the presence of the Son of man. Revelation 6:12–17.” Ibid.

Some people also saw in this phenomenon a herald of the coming judgment.

“Many who witnessed the falling of the stars, looked upon it as a herald of the coming judgment, ‘an awful type, a sure forerunner, a merciful sign, of that great and dreadful day.’—‘The Old Countryman,’ in Portland Evening Advertiser, Nov. 26, 1833. Thus the attention of the people was directed to the fulfillment of prophecy, and many were led to give heed to the warning of the second advent.” Ibid., 334.

How do the dates of these four signs compare with the end of the 1,260 years? Let us do a little comparison of the dates of these four signs with the end date of the 1,260 years, 1798, and the termination of the 2,300 year prophecy in 1844.

Notice that the four signs are calling our attention to the great second-advent movement and the termination of the 1,260-year prophecy occur just prior to the judgment hour message to cleanse the sanctuary of the new covenant in heaven.

Additional information regarding these signs can be found in newspaper accounts of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, especially in the eastern United States, in encyclopedias, in Bible commentaries and on the Internet.

The Lord has given the world ample warnings that the time has come for the judgment to begin at the termination of the 1,260 years. Even the power of the papacy was broken, at least for a short period of time. Here is a brief statement on this event:

“ ‘Power was given unto him to continue forty and two months’ [Revelation 13:5]. And, says the prophet, ‘I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death’ [Revelation 13:3]. And again: ‘He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword’ [Revelation 13:10]. The forty and two months are the same as the ‘time and times and the dividing of time,’ three years and a half, or 1,260 days, of Daniel 7—the time during which the papal power was to oppress God’s people. This period, as stated in preceding chapters, began with the supremacy of the papacy, A.D. 538, and terminated in 1798. At that time the pope was made captive by the French army, the papal power received its deadly wound, and the prediction was fulfilled, ‘He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity.’ ” Ibid., 439.

When the papal power was broken in 1798, it opened the way for the circulation of the Bible and the organizing of missionary societies. The Scriptures were not widely circulated before 1798. There was a change in attitude towards the Scriptures at this time. Remember what it says in Revelation 11:11, 12 at the end of the story of the two witnesses? It says, “But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them [the two witnesses—Old and New Testaments] and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them. Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, ‘Come up here.’ And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on.”

The following statement explains the meaning of this prophecy:

“God’s faithful witnesses, slain by the blasphemous power that ‘ascendeth out of the bottomless pit,’ were not long to remain silent. ‘After three days and a half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.’ Revelation 11:11. It was in 1793 that the decrees which abolished the Christian religion and set aside the Bible passed the French Assembly. Three years and a half later a resolution rescinding these decrees, thus granting toleration to the Scriptures, was adopted by the same body. The world stood aghast at the enormity of guilt which had resulted from a rejection of the Sacred Oracles, and men recognized the necessity of faith in God and His word as the foundation of virtue and morality.” Ibid., 287.

Concerning the two witnesses the prophet declares further: “And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.” Revelation 11:12. KJV.

“Since France made war upon God’s two witnesses, they have been honored as never before. In 1804 the British and Foreign Bible Society was organized. This was followed by similar organizations, with numerous branches, upon the continent of Europe. In 1816 the American Bible Society was founded. When the British Society was formed, the Bible had been printed and circulated in fifty tongues. It has since been translated into many hundreds of languages and dialects.

“For the fifty years preceding 1792, little attention was given to the work of foreign missions. No new societies were formed, and there were but few churches that made any effort for the spread of Christianity in heathen lands. But toward the close of the eighteenth century a great change took place. Men became dissatisfied with the results of rationalism and realized the necessity of divine revelation and experimental religion. From this time the work of foreign missions attained an unprecedented growth.

“The improvements in printing have given an impetus to the work of circulating the Bible. The increased facilities for communication between different countries, the breaking down of ancient barriers of prejudice and national exclusiveness, and the loss of secular power by the pontiff of Rome have opened the way for the entrance of the word of God. For some years the Bible has been sold without restraint in the streets of Rome, and it has now been carried to every part of the habitable globe.” Ibid., 287, 288.

The fact that these signs appeared, at the precise time when the two most important time prophecies were coming to an end and the circulation of the Bible increased, is clear Bible evidence that we have been living in the time of the end for more than 200 years.

All of the following texts list the second coming of Jesus as the next great event to take place: Matthew 24:30, Mark 13:26, Luke 21:27, Joel 2:31 and Isaiah 13:9.

Also, the sixth seal in Revelation 6:12–17, which begins with the Lisbon earthquake, ends with the great day of God’s wrath at the second coming of Jesus. John also gives the most complete description of the second coming of Jesus in Revelation 19:11–21 to Revelation 20:1–3. There is abundant evidence that the second coming of Jesus is just before us.

These four supernatural signs, the end of the 1,260 years, the termination of the 2,300 years and the great increase in the circulation of the Scriptures all witness that we have entered the time of the end when Jesus will return to this earth the second time.

All of these things are calling the attention of the world to the opening of the great second-advent movement and the final judgment of the world just prior to His return to this earth.

[Unless appearing in quoted references or otherwise identified, Bible texts are from the New International Version.]

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 may be contacted at: mauricehoppe@stepstolife.org.

The Opportunity of a Lifetime

by

We live in a day of technology such as was not even imagined just a few years ago. Years ago we never dreamed that we would have so much access to so much information that is available today. Study methods were so different; copies were made of things we wanted to remember. My grade school teacher had a whole box full of cards that she studied.

My parents copied important statements in notebooks, and in the last few months, while going through my mother’s things, I found a whole book of quotations about heaven that my father recorded from his devotional reading, many of them while a soldier in Burma and India during World War 11. We are just pilgrims and strangers in this world, and if you lose your vision of heaven, you are lost and will just start living for this world and whatever is down here.

There are some things, especially about future events, that are important enough that, even if they are studied out before, are beneficial to review. What is referred to as “the little time of trouble,” is bigger trouble than that of which you have ever seen or heard. It is called “the little time of trouble” because it is not nearly as bad as the big time of trouble that is coming right after it. We often study about the great time of trouble described in Daniel 12:1, which occurs after the close of probation. The progression of events and life do not go just from peace and safety to the great time of trouble in one great leap.

If you had just learned to swim and could swim across the pool, it would not mean you could swim the English Channel. Before that could be possible, there would have to be a period of training. Just so, the great time of trouble! To be equipped and able to endure this time, it would be necessary to first go through a little time of trouble.

In many places in the New Testament, it talks about the trouble that is coming upon this world. Jesus talked about it. Paul talked about it. Peter talked about it. James talked about it. John talked about it. Over and over again the Bible talks about the fact that in the last days there are going to be troublous times. Ellen White was shown in vision, in 1847, about this little time of trouble that was going to come. This is recorded in the book Early Writings, 32, 33.

It is a wonderful privilege we have as Seventh-day Adventists to have access to the Spirit of Prophecy. In the vision given to Ellen White in Topsham, Maine, while she was in a prayer meeting with a group of believers, she describes what she saw. In vision she was taken to heaven. This was the same experience as Ezekiel and John. Though their bodies remained on the earth, while in vision, their minds are taken to anywhere in the universe.

Mrs. White had been taken to heaven many times in vision, but this time she was taken to where God’s sanctuary is; the veil was lifted, and she was taken into the Holy Place. She describes what she saw there. She saw a table of showbread, seven golden candlesticks, and an altar of incense, but then she says the veil was lifted, and she was allowed to go into the Most Holy Place. This is very interesting, because in the Old Covenant, women were not even allowed in the sanctuary, and Ellen White was a woman and allowed to go into the Most Holy Place. She was a prophet.

In the Most Holy Place in the sanctuary in heaven she saw the ark. In the earthly sanctuary there were two cherubs made from pure gold placed above the mercy seat. However, in heaven real cherubs, real angels, stand at either end of the ark facing each other just like it was in the earthly sanctuary. While still in vision, the Lord lifted the lid on the ark, and she was allowed to look inside and see the Ten Commandments written on tables of stone. (See Early Writings, 32, 33.)

She was astonished when she saw the tables of commandments. On one table were the first four and on the second table were the last six. The first four commandments deal with our relationship with God, and the other six deal with our relationship to our fellow man. She noticed that the commandments on the first table were brighter than the last six, but then she was most astonished that the Sabbath commandment had a halo of light over it more than all of the rest. The Sabbath commandment is the most important commandment of the law. We are not depreciating any other commandment; breaking any commandment will keep a person out of heaven, but the Sabbath is the most important commandment of the law. The reason the devil wants to change the Sabbath is to cause men to forget God. The Sabbath causes men to remember Him. The very first word in the fourth commandment is “remember” [Exodus 20:8].

“Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy.”

In the book Early Writings, 33, she says, “I saw that the holy Sabbath is, and will be, the separating wall between the true Israel of God and unbelievers; and that the Sabbath is the great question to unite the hearts of God’s dear, waiting saints.

“I saw that God had children who do not see and keep the Sabbath.” Ibid. How many children does God have who do not see and keep the Sabbath? There could easily be many millions. What is going to happen to these children of God who do not see and keep the Sabbath? When probation closes, there is no more a Mediator in the heavenly sanctuary. As long as Jesus is presenting Himself as our High Priest, our sins of ignorance are covered and forgiven. Sins of ignorance are those of which we are unaware. But what about those children He says are His who do not see and keep the Sabbath?

Some people have a very simplistic view of the Ten Commandments, but they cover the entire moral duty of man and involve the thoughts and the feelings and the affections of the heart (Hebrews 4:12). In the beginning of The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, it says that before probation closes, all of these things must be revealed to us, and then we must change so that our life is in perfect harmony with God’s law. But right now God has children out there in the world who are His children; they are breaking the Sabbath every week, and they don’t know about it.

Well, what is going to happen to them? Every command of God is a promise (see Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 76). It is fair to say then that when God commands something, you accept that command as a promise. The Holy Spirit will enable you to start keeping the Sabbath. So what is going to happen to those children that God has in the world who are not keeping the Sabbath now because of ignorance? Mrs. White says, “I saw that God had children who do not see and keep the Sabbath. They have not rejected the light upon it. And at the commencement of the time of trouble, we were filled with the Holy Ghost as we went forth and proclaimed the Sabbath more fully.” Early Writings, 33. Before probation closes, those whom God claims as His will be made aware of the Sabbath, as it will be proclaimed more fully at the commencement of the time of trouble.

Now, when Ellen White wrote this statement, some Adventist people were confused, thinking that “the time of trouble” refers to when Michael stands up, the close of probation when the plagues begin to fall and there is no Mediator. So what good would it do to proclaim the Sabbath more fully after that?

What did the statement mean: “At the commencement of the time of trouble, we were filled with the Holy Ghost as we went forth and proclaimed the Sabbath more fully”? Ellen White had to write an explanation, and it is recorded in “An Explanation,” Early Writings, 85.

“This view was given in 1847 when there were but very few of the Advent brethren observing the Sabbath, and of these but few supposed that its observance was of sufficient importance to draw a line between the people of God and unbelievers. Now the fulfillment of that view is beginning to be seen. ‘The commencement of that time of trouble,’ here mentioned does not refer to the time when the plagues shall begin to be poured out, but to a short period just before they are poured out, while Christ is in the sanctuary. At that time, while the work of salvation is closing, trouble will be coming on the earth, and the nations will be angry, yet held in check so as not to prevent the work of the third angel. At that time the ‘latter rain,’ or refreshing from the presence of the Lord, will come, to give power to the loud voice of the third angel, and prepare the saints to stand in the period when the seven last plagues shall be poured out.” Ibid., 85, 86.

The time of trouble that she referred to is just before probation closes, when the latter rain and the loud cry of the third angel are given. During that period of time, everybody in the whole world will learn about the commandments of God, the law of God, and the Sabbath, and everybody in the world will make a decision and be on one side or the other.

What is going to happen during this little time of trouble that takes place just before probation closes and how do we get ready for it? Many people have made the whole focus of their life a physical preparation for a time like this. However, while physical preparation is all right, it is the spiritual preparation that is most important. If you have the spiritual preparation, the Lord can get you through whatever kind of situation in which you find yourself. But if you do not have the spiritual preparation, all the physical preparation in the world is not going to help you.

During the little time of trouble that is coming, God’s children are going to be scattered to many countries as a result of persecution. There are a lot of people who think the way to get ready for it is to get a place that is way out in the country where there is an independent water supply, independent electricity, and to be totally self-sufficient and able to grow your own garden. I am not saying that God has not sent somebody to do something like that. But what are you going to do in a situation like that if, after you have all this in place, you have to flee to Mexico, or Canada or South America or somewhere else because of persecution? It has been predicted that God’s children will be scattered into many countries.

It is most important to prepare spiritually for the times that are coming on this earth before Jesus comes. “When the reasoning of philosophy has banished the fear of God’s judgments; when religious teachers are pointing forward to long ages of peace and prosperity, and the world are absorbed in their rounds of business and pleasure, planting and building, feasting and merrymaking, rejecting God’s warnings and mocking His messengers—then it is that sudden destruction cometh upon them, and they shall not escape.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 104.

I remember so well in 1989 when the Iron Curtain fell. Articles appeared in the national magazines and people were just rejoicing and adoring Ronald Reagan [40th president of the United States] and Pope John Paul 11, giving them the credit for bringing the barrier down. The national magazines even claimed there was no longer need of a military; now there will be peace! Paul said, “For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape.” 1 Thessalonians 5:3. Only a few short years later, in 1991, we were in war again. The peace did not last very long, and we found out right away that we were still in need of the military, and it has been evident more and more since that time.

We have been warned that the people are not going to fear; they are going to believe that they have nothing to worry about with God’s judgments and that the religious teachers will be pointing forward to long ages of peace and prosperity. For this reason, the little time of trouble is going to take most of the world by surprise, except those who believe the prophecies and are aware of what is happening. They will think they are getting together for a millennium of peace. They will think they are going to get together for a great celebration, a great rejoicing. (See Maranatha, 317.) People will be urged to join the millennium of peace that has already started. All that is needed is to be in harmony with the Sunday Law and all will be harmonious.

“The people are dreaming of prosperity and peace. ‘Escape for thy life,’ is the warning from the angels of God; but other voices are heard saying, ‘Be not excited; there is no cause for alarm.’ The multitudes cry, ‘Peace and safety,’ while Heaven declares that swift destruction is about to come upon the transgressor. On the night prior to their destruction [the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah], the cities of the plain rioted in pleasure and derided the fears and warnings of the messenger of God; but those scoffers perished in the flames; that very night the door of mercy was forever closed to the wicked, careless inhabitants of Sodom. God will not always be mocked; He will not long be trifled with. ‘Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and He shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.’ Isaiah 13:9. The great mass of the world will reject God’s mercy, and will be overwhelmed in swift and irretrievable ruin. But those who heed the warning shall dwell ‘in the secret place of the most High,’ and ‘abide under the shadow of the Almighty.’ His truth shall be their shield and buckler [Psalm 91:1, 4].” Ibid., 167.

At the beginning of the time of trouble, God’s people will proclaim the Sabbath more fully, and it is going to everybody in the world in a very, very short time. We do not know exactly how long it will be. With our telecommunications today, very soon it will be possible to communicate to every person in the world in about 24 hours. God is making the necessary preparations, so it is going to close down very, very fast.

While God’s people are proclaiming the Sabbath more fully to the world, the religious teachers are going to be telling the people not to listen to the Adventists, because there will be a long period of peace and prosperity. The devil will make sure that happens for a period of time and the world will be convinced and will scoff at the warnings of God. You have to be willing to have some opposition if you are going to be on God’s side of the great controversy as we approach the end, because people will scoff.

At the end of the world, whole nations will be destroyed, but first, just cities or local regions will be affected. “Calamities will come—calamities most awful, most unexpected, and these destructions will follow one after another. If there will be a heeding of the warnings God has given, and if churches will repent, returning to their allegiance, then other cities may be spared for a time. But if men who have been deceived continue in the same way in which they have been walking, disregarding the law of God and presenting falsehoods before the people, God allows them to suffer calamity, that their senses may be awakened.

“The Lord will not suddenly cast off all transgressors or destroy entire nations; but He will punish cities and places where men have given themselves up to the possession of Satanic agencies.” Evangelism, 27. Recently, there have been many cities destroyed by floods and earthquakes. Daily you can read of disasters taking place all over the world.

“Strictly will the cities of the nations be dealt with, and yet they will not be visited in the extreme of God’s indignation, because some souls will yet break away from the delusions of the enemy, and will repent and be converted, while the mass will be treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath.” Ibid.

So, there are going to be calamities or, what we call today, natural disasters. Tornadoes, earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, all manner of great fires, all manner of natural disasters are going to occur, and at the same time that there are these natural disasters, there’s going to be what we call “political trouble” that will be developing.

“The world is stirred with the spirit of war. The prophecies of the eleventh of Daniel have almost reached their final fulfillment.

“Soon strife among the nations will break out with an intensity that we do not now anticipate.” Maranatha, 174.

There had already been a tremendous slaughter in Russia in 1905, but for several decades before World War I in 1914, leading statesmen in Europe were very concerned about a general war breaking out in the last part of the nineteenth century. When World War I broke out, the world was changed forever.

World War I was the most awful war the world had ever seen up until that time. As a result, the entire army was almost totally destroyed. Before the war, the Czar of Russia had an army of about two and a half million soldiers, but since his army was practically destroyed, the Czar was left almost powerless. A revolution erupted; the Czar and his family were all killed in cold blood, which led to a communist takeover of over half of the world and lasted until the 1970s. World War I destabilized the whole world and World War II destabilized it even further.

Ellen White said that, “Soon grievous troubles will arise among the nations—trouble that will not cease until Jesus comes. As never before we need to press together, serving Him who has prepared His throne in the heavens and whose kingdom ruleth over all. God has not forsaken His people, and our strength lies in not forsaking Him.” Maranatha, 25.

Concerning this period just before the war broke out, Ellen White wrote, “The present is a time of overwhelming interest to all living. Rulers and statesmen, men who occupy positions of trust and authority, thinking men and women of all classes, have their attention fixed upon the events taking place about us. They are watching the strained, restless relations that exist among the nations. They observe the intensity that is taking possession of every earthly element, and they realize that something great and decisive is about to take place—that the world is on the verge of a stupendous crisis.” Maranatha, 174. That stupendous crisis has started and will not cease until Jesus comes; it will never again be stable like it has been in the past. Now, during this period of time while there are grievous troubles among the nations, natural disasters and calamities, and strife among the nations, the Three Angels’ Messages and the Sabbath message must go to the whole world. It may be that this will not be fully understood until the time comes when the Lord gives us the message. We know from a number of statements that God is going to give His people special messages and truth that we have not understood before, right at this period of time, right at the end of time.

At the right time, if we are ready, she says, “… we were filled with the Holy Ghost as we went forth and proclaimed the Sabbath more fully.” The Review and Herald, July 21, 1851. Being in a condition to receive the Holy Spirit is of paramount importance to us as we approach the end of time, for without it, it will be impossible to go out with power and spread the final message.

In The Great Controversy, 589, 590, it says that God is going to allow the devil to bring disasters upon the people of this world, because they are disobedient to this law. Tornadoes, earthquakes, fires and other terrible disasters will be blamed on Sabbath-keepers for refusing to reverence Sunday worship and honoring the resurrection of Christ. Those who stand true to God at that time will be brought before rulers and interrogated before courts.

Jesus said, “You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you shall speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.” Matthew 10:18–20.

Being brought before a court today, with the technology now available, may give opportunity to bear witness to more people in one day than in a whole previous lifetime. At that time we are told that “when brought into trial the Holy spirit will bring to their remembrance the very truths that will reach the hearts of those who shall come to hear.” Maranatha, 45. In order for that to happen, there must have been some prior studying. “The servants of Christ are to prepare no set speech to present when brought to trial for their faith. Their preparation is to be made day by day, in treasuring up in their hearts the precious truths of God’s word, in feeding upon the teaching of Christ.” Ibid.

“The time will come, when we shall be brought before councils and before thousands for His name’s sake, and each one will have to give the reason of his faith.” Ibid., 252. Men and women will be standing alone to answer for their faith.

Are you ready to give an answer as to why you believe what you believe? “Every position of truth taken by our people will bear the criticism of the greatest minds; the highest of the world’s great men will be brought in contact with truth, and therefore every position we take should be critically examined and tested by the Scriptures.” Ibid.

The Scriptures are explicit. Our faith is not built on implicit evidence. It is built on explicit evidence. Explicit evidence is what the Bible actually says and not what you think it means. “Now we seem to be unnoticed, but this will not always be. Movements are at work to bring us to the front, and if our theories of truth can be picked to pieces by historians or the world’s greatest men, it will be done.” Ibid.

The most difficult speech to give is one that you have to give to a hostile audience, to those who do not like what you believe and would love to prove you wrong. Though the audience at that time will be hostile, it will be a marvelous opportunity for those who are ready to witness for Jesus. “The Lord Jesus will give the disciples a tongue and wisdom that their adversaries can neither gainsay nor resist. Those who could not by reasoning overcome satanic delusions, will bear an affirmative testimony that will baffle supposedly learned men. Words will come from the lips of the unlearned with such convincing power and wisdom that conversions will be made to the truth. Thousands will be converted under their testimony.” Ibid. Isn’t that exciting?

Thousands of people will hear the message for the first time, and though the majority will reject it, there will be someone listening who responds to the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

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

“Kings, governors, and great men will hear of you through the reports of those who are at enmity with you, and your faith and character will be misrepresented before them. But those who are falsely accused will have an opportunity to appear in the presence of their accusers to answer for themselves.

“They will have the privilege of bringing the light before those who are called the great men of the earth, and if you have studied the Bible, if you are ready to give an answer to every man that asketh you of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear, your enemies will not be able to gainsay your wisdom.

“You now have an opportunity to attain to the greatest intellectual power through the study of the word of God. But if you are indolent, and fail to dig deep in the mines of truth, you will not be ready for the crisis that is soon to come upon us. O that you would realize that each moment is golden. If you live by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God, you will not be found unprepared.

“You know not where you may be called upon to give your witness of truth. Many will have to stand in the legislative courts … .” Ibid., 253.

A legislative court is different than a judicial court. A judicial court is the court in which we usually stand. A legislative court is either a court in the capitol of the state or the country where the laws are made. A legislative court of the United States is its Congress, its House of Representatives, and its Senate. However, there are legislative courts in each state that make laws for that state. Mrs. White goes on to say, “Many will have to stand in the legislative courts; some will have to stand before kings and before the learned of the earth, to answer for their faith.

“Those who have only a superficial understanding of truth will not be able tclearly to expound the Scriptures, and give definite reasons for their faith. They will become confused, and will not be workmen that need not to be ashamed. Let no one imagine that he has no need to study, because he is not to preach in the sacred desk. You know not what God may require of you.” Ibid.

Are you getting ready? This is going to be the greatest opportunity of your life. If that promise is going to be fulfilled, you will need to know what the Bible says.

If your argument is established on the word of God, no matter how wise the opposition is, truth will still stand and if you have faith, if you have been a student of the Bible, it will be the greatest opportunity of your life.

[Bible texts quoted are NKJV translation.]

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

Restoration of the Sanctuary Message

by

The papacy, during the Dark Ages, did away with the knowledge of Jesus’ ministry in the sanctuary in heaven, so no one understood or knew of the heavenly sanctuary services.

Christ, in the first angel’s message, announced that, “The hour of His judgment has come” (Revelation 14:7). This was in answer to the question asked by the martyrs during the time of the fifth seal. In Revelation 6:9, 10, we read: “When he [the Lamb] opened the fifth seal, I [John the Revelator] saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, ‘How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until You judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?’ ”

Although martyrs are dead people, in this text they are represented as being alive and asking the question, “How long before You will judge our persecutors?” To answer this question, the first angel announced that the hour of His judgment is come. The announcement of the time for the judgment to begin was also given in the vision of Daniel 8. Daniel was shown this in vision in 551 B.C., more than 2,000 years before the time of the judgment was to begin. We need to remember that this part of the book of Daniel was closed until the time of the end; therefore, no one could understand this text until the time of the end arrived. But at the right time, the meaning of this text was given. This verse is the third announcement that the angel (Christ), in Revelation 10:7, said had already been given concerning the finishing of the mystery of God.

In Daniel 8:14 of the King James Version (KJV), it says, “And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.” (In Hebrew, days means evenings and mornings; cleansed means justified.) The marginal reading says it can also be translated as being justified. Because, in the Hebrew, there is a broader meaning to this verse in addition to being cleansed, the following versions of the same verse are shared:

Daniel 8:14, New International Version (NIV):

“He said to me, ‘It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be reconsecrated.’ ”

Daniel 8:14, Revised Standard Version (RSV):

“And he said to him, ‘For two thousand and three hundred evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary shall be restored to its rightful state.’ ”

Daniel 8:14, New American Standard Bible (NASB):

“He said to me, ‘For 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the holy place will be properly restored.’ ”

In The Great Controversy, 409, Ellen White wrote: “The scripture which above all others had been both the foundation and the central pillar of the advent faith was the declaration: ‘Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.’ Daniel 8:14. These had been familiar words to all believers in the Lord’s soon coming. By the lips of thousands was this prophecy repeated as the watchword of their faith. All felt that upon the events therein foretold depended their brightest expectations and most cherished hopes.”

She then continued: “These prophetic days had been shown to terminate in the autumn of 1844. In common with the rest of the Christian world, Adventists then held that the earth, or some portion of it, was the sanctuary. They understood that the cleansing of the sanctuary was the purification of the earth by the fires of the last great day, and that this would take place at the second advent. Hence the conclusion that Christ would return to the earth in 1844.

“But the appointed time had passed, and the Lord had not appeared.” Ibid.

This is an amazing thing. Here there is a text about the sanctuary of the new covenant in heaven that is the foundation and central pillar of their message, and yet the people knew nothing about it. How could such a thing happen? As strange as it may seem, this is actually what took place in the advent awakening in 1844. There is a prophecy about it recorded in symbolic language in Revelation 10:9, 10: “So I [John] went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, ‘Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.’ I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour.”

These advent believers, believing that the earth was the sanctuary to be cleansed, understood that Jesus would come on October 22, 1844, to cleanse the earth. This was a happy message, “sweet as honey” in their mouths, but when the day passed and Jesus did not return, this sweet message “turned sour” in their stomachs.

History shows that Satan was completely successful in destroying the sanctuary message in the church during the Dark Ages. By the end of the Dark Ages, no one on earth knew anything about the sanctuary in heaven.

There is a very clear explanation of Satan’s disruption of the sanctuary message during the supremacy of the papacy in the Dark Ages in Daniel 8:11, 12, 24: “It [the small horn, the papacy] set itself up to be as great as the Prince of the host; it took away the daily sacrifice from him, and the place of his sanctuary was brought low. Because of rebellion, the host of the saints and the daily sacrifice were given over to it. It prospered in everything it did, and truth was thrown to the ground. … He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause astounding devastation and will succeed in whatever he does. He will destroy the mighty men and the holy people.”

At the opening of the second-advent movement, the church taught that the earth was the sanctuary to be cleansed. This is proof of the success Satan had during the Dark Ages in destroying the knowledge of the ministry of Jesus in the heavenly sanctuary.

An angel (a holy one) asked an interesting question in Daniel 8:13: “Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to him, ‘How long will it take for the vision to be fulfilled—the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that causes desolation, and the surrender of the sanctuary and of the host that will be trampled underfoot?’ ”

The holy one is asking how long the rebellion against the ministry of Jesus in the sanctuary in heaven will continue, and the answer is given that after 2,300 evenings and mornings (years) the knowledge of the sanctuary of the new covenant in heaven would be restored.

The records of history reveal that both events recorded in Daniel 8:10–14 have taken place as prophesied, i.e., (1) the loss of the knowledge of the sanctuary truth during the Dark Ages, and (2) the restoration of the knowledge of the sanctuary message in Daniel 8:14 following the Great Disappointment.

Now that we know what happened to the sanctuary message during the Dark Ages and what is taking place at the present time in the restoration of the sanctuary message, we can better understand the message of Daniel 8:14 when it is translated as follows:

  • “cleansed” – KJV
  • “justified” – KJV, margin
  • “reconsecrated” – NIV
  • “restored to its rightful state” – RSV
  • “properly restored” – NASB

Daniel 8:14, as translated in the KJV, focuses on the cleansing and removal of sin from the new covenant sanctuary in heaven. This is a very important work in the ministry of Jesus for His people.

As translated in the NASB, RSV and NIV, the focus is on the restoration of the sanctuary message at the termination of the 2,300 years.

Both of these views are supported by the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy and are taking place at the present time. Actually, how can anyone explain the cleansing of the sanctuary unless the understanding of the sanctuary of the new covenant in heaven first be restored?

Ellen White emphasized the importance of this text: “The scripture which above all others had been both the foundation and the central pillar of the advent faith was the declaration: ‘Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.’ Daniel 8:14.” The Great Controversy, 409. We have looked at four translations of this verse, all of which contribute to our understanding of this verse and its application to the opening of the second-advent movement.

We are familiar with the message of the cleansing of the sanctuary and purification of God’s people by the atoning blood of Jesus, but we are not as familiar with the message of the restoration of the sanctuary message to its rightful place in the great second-advent movement.

Let’s review briefly the history of the sanctuary message—at the time Jesus ascended and opened the Holy Place in A.D. 31 and what happened to this message during the Dark Ages—to help us understand why this message must be, and will be, fully restored during the second-advent movement.

When Jesus opened His ministry by cleansing the temple in A.D. 28, He pronounced this startling prophecy to the dignitaries: “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” John 2:19. The Jews applied this prophecy to the temple building. They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” Verse 20. The disciple John said that Jesus was speaking of His body. “But the temple He had spoken of was His body.” Verse 21.

Actually, Jesus had both views in mind when He spoke this prophecy. In The Desire of Ages, 164, we read: “In these words His meaning was twofold. He referred not only to the destruction of the Jewish temple and worship, but to His own death—the destruction of the temple of His body.”

It is common knowledge that Jesus rose from the grave on the third day after the crucifixion to raise the temple of His body. It is not so well understood that He raised the temple building that same day, but that is exactly what happened.

When Mary desired to worship Jesus on the morning of the first day of the week, Jesus replied, “Detain Me not; ‘for I am not yet ascended to My Father’ [John 20:17]. …

“Jesus refused to receive the homage of His people until He had the assurance that His sacrifice was accepted by the Father. He ascended to the heavenly courts, and from God Himself heard the assurance that His atonement for the sins of men had been ample, that through His blood all might gain eternal life. The Father ratified the covenant made with Christ, that He would receive repentant and obedient men, and would love them even as He loves His Son. Christ was to complete His work, and fulfill His pledge to ‘make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.’ Isaiah 13:12.” Ibid., 790.

In the case of both of these temples, the one on earth and the sanctuary in heaven, it was not the buildings that were destroyed or raised at this time. In either one, the buildings were not changed at this time, but the services were.

“When the Jews sealed their rejection of Christ by delivering Him to death, they rejected all that gave significance to the temple and its services. Its sacredness had departed. It was doomed to destruction. From that day sacrificial offerings and the service connected with them were meaningless. Like the offering of Cain, they did not express faith in the Saviour. In putting Christ to death, the Jews virtually destroyed their temple.” Ibid., 165.

In the sanctuary in heaven, Jesus opened the Holy Place to begin His ministry as our High Priest. On the Day of Pentecost [Acts 2:1], the Holy Spirit came down upon the 120 disciples and confirmed to them that Jesus had been inaugurated as High Priest and opened the Holy Place in the sanctuary in heaven.

At this time, everyone who desired to do so could go directly to Jesus through prayer and confess their sins to Him. No more sacrificing of a lamb was needed. Jesus would make the atonement for those confessed sins with His blood. The sinner was then given the promise of eternal life. The new covenant was now ratified in him by the blood of Christ.

The disciples were then instructed to share this wonderful gospel message of the ministry of Jesus in the sanctuary of heaven with the whole world. The news of the death, burial, resurrection and ascension of Jesus to open the new covenant sanctuary electrified the world, so much so, that the comment was made that it was turning the world upside down. During the centuries that followed, millions of people placed their faith in this redemption message, even to the point of giving up their life because of their faith in it.

This message of the sanctuary in heaven was the foundation and central pillar of the apostolic church. The papacy’s interception of the ministry of Jesus in the new covenant sanctuary in heaven was a major, major attack on the foundation and central pillar of the church.

When the papacy, or Roman Catholic Church, came to power in A.D. 538, it made some major changes in the teachings of the church. To refresh our minds to these changes, the following statement is found in The Great Controversy, 55: “The accession of the Roman Church to power marked the beginning of the Dark Ages. As her power increased, the darkness deepened. Faith was transferred from Christ, the true foundation, to the pope of Rome. Instead of trusting in the Son of God for forgiveness of sins and for eternal salvation, the people looked to the pope, and to the priests and prelates to whom he delegated authority. They were taught that the pope was their earthly mediator and that none could approach God except through him; and, further, that he stood in the place of God to them and was therefore to be implicitly obeyed.”

Daniel 8 is a prophecy of this action of the papacy against the ministry of Jesus in the sanctuary of heaven. The prophecy says of the small horn, “Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down. And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised [sic], and prospered.” Daniel 8:11, 12. KJV

The end result of the work against the ministry of Jesus in the sanctuary by the papacy during the Dark Ages was that no one in the church knew where the sanctuary was located during the advent awakening in the 1840s.

The restoration of this sanctuary message is very important to the fulfillment of Daniel 8:14, as translated in the RSV: “Then the sanctuary shall be restored to its rightful state.” Only as the knowledge of the sanctuary in heaven is restored can the “cleansing” of the sanctuary be understood. This knowledge is critical to the success of the new covenant (the everlasting gospel), in the great second-advent movement. This is pointed out in the following quote:

“The subject of the sanctuary and the investigative judgment should be clearly understood by the people of God. All need a knowledge for themselves of the position and work of their great High Priest. Otherwise it will be impossible for them to exercise the faith which is essential at this time or to occupy the position which God designs them to fill.” The Great Controversy, 488.

“The intercession of Christ in man’s behalf in the sanctuary above is as essential to the plan of salvation as was His death upon the cross. By His death He began that work which after His resurrection He ascended to complete in heaven.” Ibid., 489.

We have seen thus far that the opening of Christ’s ministry as our High Priest in the Holy Place of the sanctuary in heaven was the foundation of the disciple’s message to the world in the first advent. We have also seen how the papacy did away with the knowledge of Jesus’ ministry in the sanctuary in heaven by instructing the people to confess their sins to the priests in the church on earth. We have also found good news in Daniel 8:14 where prophecy says that the sanctuary message will be restored to its rightful place.

Unless appearing in quoted references or otherwise identified, Bible texts are from the New International Version.

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 may be contacted at: mauricehoppe@stepstolife.org.

The Mystery of God and the Seventh Trumpet

by

There is an announcement concerning the mystery of God to be accomplished in Revelation 10:7 which connects with the blowing of the seventh trumpet in Revelation 11:15–19. These two references are as follows:

“But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished.” Revelation 10:7.

“The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever.’ And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying: ‘We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign. The nations were angry; and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your saints and those who reverence your name, both small and great—and for destroying those who destroy the earth.’ Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant.” Revelation 11:15–19.

John the Revelator describes two times that the temple of God in heaven was opened. These two times are clearly defined in The Great Controversy.

“As in vision the apostle John was granted a view of the temple of God in heaven, he beheld there ‘seven lamps of fire burning before the throne.’ Revelation 4:5. He saw an angel ‘having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.’ Revelation 8:3. Here the prophet was permitted to behold the first apartment of the sanctuary in heaven; and he saw there the ‘seven lamps of fire’ and ‘the golden altar,’ represented by the golden candlestick and the altar of incense in the sanctuary on earth. Again, ‘the temple of God was opened’ (Revelation 11:19), and he looked within the inner veil, upon the holy of holies. Here he beheld ‘the ark of His testament,’ represented by the sacred chest constructed by Moses to contain the law of God.” Ibid., 414, 415.

The time of the opening of the temple, as described in Revelation 11:19 is clearly explained in the following statement:

“The temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in His temple the ark of His testament. Revelation 11:19. The ark of God’s testament is in the holy of holies, the second apartment of the sanctuary. In the ministration of the earthly tabernacle, which served ‘unto the example and shadow of heavenly things’ [Hebrews 8:5], this apartment was opened only upon the great Day of Atonement for the cleansing of the sanctuary. Therefore the announcement that the temple of God was opened in heaven and the ark of His testament was seen points to the opening of the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary in 1844 as Christ entered there to perform the closing work of the atonement. Those who by faith followed their great High Priest as He entered upon His ministry in the most holy place, beheld the ark of His testament. As they had studied the subject of the sanctuary they had come to understand the Saviour’s change of ministration, and they saw that He was now officiating before the ark of God, pleading His blood in behalf of sinners.” Ibid., 433.

The date for the beginning of the judgment is established in Daniel 7 and more especially or particularly in Daniel 8. It is established by the termination of the 2,300 year time prophecy recorded in Daniel 8:14 and confirmed by this statement in The Great Controversy, 328:

“The seventy weeks—490 days—having been cut off from the 2300, there were 1810 days remaining. After the end of 490 days, the 1810 days were still to be fulfilled. From A.D. 34, 1810 years extend to 1844. Consequently the 2300 days of Daniel 8:14 terminate in 1844. At the expiration of this great prophetic period, upon the testimony of the angel of God, ‘the sanctuary shall be cleansed.’ ” Ibid.

The first thing we see is a judgment taking place. In this judgment some will be rewarded and others will be declared guilty. The following statement gives the time when the investigative judgment is to begin:

“In the typical system, which was a shadow of the sacrifice and priesthood of Christ, the cleansing of the sanctuary was the last service performed by the high priest in the yearly round of ministration. It was the closing work of the atonement—a removal or putting away of sin from Israel. It prefigured the closing work in the ministration of our High Priest in heaven, in the removal or blotting out of the sins of His people, which are registered in the heavenly records. This service involves a work of investigation, a work of judgment; and it immediately precedes the coming of Christ in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory; for when He comes, every case has been decided. Says Jesus: ‘My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be.’ Revelation 22:12. It is this work of judgment, immediately preceding the second advent, that is announced in the first angel’s message of Revelation 14:7: ‘Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come.’

“Those who proclaimed this warning gave the right message at the right time.” Ibid., 352.

Another announcement of God’s temple being opened in heaven is couched in the vision of the four beasts coming up out of a stormy sea and the rise of the little horn that attacked the ministry of Jesus in the sanctuary of the new covenant in heaven. This prophecy tells us what God is going to do near the end of Satan’s war against the sanctuary and God’s people during the 1,260 years. Over 2,000 years ago Christ made this announcement of a judgment to take place at the closing of the mystery of God. The announcement is found in Daniel 7:9, 10:

“As I looked, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze. A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him. Thousands upon thousands attended him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The court was seated, and the books were opened.”

The Ancient of Days is God the Father. He is seen coming into the courtroom and taking His seat as the great Judge of the universe in the court of heaven. As soon as He is seated, the witnesses, thousands upon thousands, ten thousand times ten thousand, come into the courtroom and are seated. Then the books are opened. Everything is in place for the judgment to begin.

In verse 13, we see a representation of Christ, the great High Priest of the faithful believers, coming into the courtroom to represent the cases of God’s people. Daniel’s description of this scene is as follows:

“In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence.”

We understand the “clouds of heaven” to be a symbol of the great number of angels that are accompanying Jesus when He enters the courtroom. We see in these verses in Daniel 7:9, 10, and 13 a description of the opening of the judgment announced by the first angel’s message in Revelation 14:6, 7 and by the angel blowing the seventh trumpet in Revelation 11:15–19. There is an account of this event in The Great Controversy.

“ ‘I beheld,’ says the prophet Daniel, ‘till thrones were placed, and One that was Ancient of Days did sit: His raiment was white as snow, and the hair of His head like pure wool; His throne was fiery flames, and the wheels thereof burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him: thousand thousands ministered unto Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.’ Daniel 7:9, 10, R.V.

“Thus was presented to the prophet’s vision the great and solemn day when the characters and the lives of men should pass in review before the Judge of all the earth, and to every man should be rendered ‘according to his works’ [Matthew 16:27]. The Ancient of Days is God the Father. … It is He, the source of all being, and the fountain of all law, that is to preside in the judgment. And holy angels as ministers and witnesses, in number ‘ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands’ [Revelation 5:11], attend this great tribunal.

“ ‘And, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him’ (Daniel 7:13). … The coming of Christ here described is not His second coming to the earth. He comes to the Ancient of Days in heaven to receive dominion and glory and a kingdom, which will be given Him at the close of His work as a mediator. It is this coming, and not His second advent to the earth, that was foretold in prophecy to take place at the termination of the 2300 days in 1844. Attended by heavenly angels, our great High Priest enters the holy of holies and there appears in the presence of God to engage in the last acts of His ministration in behalf of man—to perform the work of investigative judgment and to make an atonement for all who are shown to be entitled to its benefits.” Ibid., 479, 480.

This is the same judgment that was announced by the first angel.

The Philadelphia church is another announcement about the mystery of God that is to be accomplished. Revelation 3:7, 8 says,

“To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.”

The Philadelphia church represented the period of church history at the time of October 22, 1844, and following. We also know that Jesus is the One who is giving this message to the Philadelphia church for He is the One “who is Holy and True, who holds the key of David.”

In the message to the Philadelphia church, we are told that He (Christ) opened a door that no one could close. It was this open door to the Most Holy Place that the Ancient of Days, who is the Judge, Christ, who is our High Priest and Mediator and the heavenly host as witnesses entered to begin their investigation of the books, as described in Daniel 7:9, 10, and 13.

The door that Jesus closed at this time was the door to the Holy Place. The following statement is a clear explanation of the open and closed doors in the sanctuary of the new covenant in heaven:

“But clearer light came with the investigation of the sanctuary question. Now was seen the application of those words of Christ in the Revelation, addressed to the church at this very time: ‘These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth and no man shutteth, and shutteth and no man openeth; I know thy works; behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it’ [Revelation 3:7, 8]. Here an open as well as a shut door is brought to view. At the termination of the 2300 prophetic days in 1844, Christ changed his ministration from the holy to the most holy place. When, in the ministration of the earthly sanctuary, the high priest on the day of atonement entered the most holy place, the door of the holy place was closed, and the door of the most holy was opened. So, when Christ passed from the holy to the most holy of the heavenly sanctuary, the door, or ministration, of the former apartment was closed, and the door, or ministration, of the latter was opened. Christ had ended one part of his work as our intercessor, to enter upon another portion of the work; and he still presented his blood before the Father in behalf of sinners. ‘Behold,’ he declares, ‘I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it.’ ” The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 4, 268, 269.

Another description of this judgment is found in Hebrews 8:1, 2 and 9:15, 24–28.

“The point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by man.” Hebrews 8:1, 2.

Paul wrote the book of Hebrews during the time of his ministry, not long after the time Jesus ascended to heaven. Paul taught that when Jesus ascended, He opened the sanctuary in heaven.

When Jesus ascended to heaven, He was inaugurated as a High Priest and began to serve in the sanctuary of the new covenant as our mediator. We can read the story of that inauguration in Revelation, chapters four and five. There is a description of this same event recorded in The Desire of the Ages, 830–835.

The following is an interesting statement about these two verses in Hebrews 8:

“Turning again to the book of Hebrews, the seekers for truth found that the existence of a second, or new-covenant sanctuary, was implied in the words of Paul already quoted: ‘Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary’ [Hebrews 9:1]. And the use of the word ‘also’ intimates that Paul has before made mention of this sanctuary. Turning back to the beginning of the previous chapter, they read: ‘Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an High Priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; a Minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.’ Hebrews 8:1, 2.

“Here is revealed the sanctuary of the new covenant. The sanctuary of the first covenant was pitched by man, built by Moses; this is pitched by the Lord, not by man. In that sanctuary the earthly priests performed their service; in this, Christ, our great High Priest, ministers at God’s right hand. One sanctuary was on earth, the other is in heaven.” The Great Controversy, 413. (Emphasis author’s.)

“The sanctuary in heaven, in which Jesus ministers in our behalf, is the great original, of which the sanctuary built by Moses was a copy.” Ibid., 414.

“The term ‘sanctuary,’ as used in the Bible, refers, first, to the tabernacle built by Moses, as a pattern of heavenly things; and, secondly, to the ‘true tabernacle’ in heaven, to which the earthly sanctuary pointed. At the death of Christ the typical service ended. The ‘true tabernacle’ in heaven is the sanctuary of the new covenant.” Ibid., 417.

Paul’s account of Jesus and His ministry in the sanctuary of the new covenant in heaven is in the following verses of Hebrews 9:15, 24:

“For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant. … For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence.”

Jesus never ministered as a priest in the sanctuary on earth. The priests that ministered in the sanctuary on earth were all of human descent.

Notice this explanation given in The Great Controversy, 420:

“And what was done in type in the ministration of the earthly sanctuary is done in reality in the ministration of the heavenly sanctuary. After His ascension our Saviour began His work as our high priest. Says Paul: ‘Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.’ Hebrews 9:24.”

Continuing in Hebrews 9, we read verses 25, 26, 28:

“Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. … so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.”

So the evidence is very clear that the apostolic church had a clear understanding of the sanctuary of the new covenant in heaven and the ministry of Jesus in that sanctuary beginning at the time He ascended.

Let us take a closer look as to what is taking place in the courts of heaven at the present time.

“Every man’s work passes in review before God and is registered for faithfulness or unfaithfulness. Opposite each name in the books of heaven is entered with terrible exactness every wrong word, every selfish act, every unfulfilled duty, and every secret sin, with every artful dissembling. Heaven-sent warnings or reproofs neglected, wasted moments, unimproved opportunities, the influence exerted for good or for evil, with its far-reaching results, all are chronicled by the recording angel. …

“Jesus will appear as their advocate, to plead in their behalf before God. ‘If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.’ I John 2:1. ‘For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.’ ‘Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them.’ Hebrews 9:24; 7:25.” The Great Controversy, 482.

“The work of the investigative judgment and the blotting out of sins is to be accomplished before the second advent of the Lord. Since the dead are to be judged out of the things written in the books, it is impossible that the sins of men should be blotted out until after the judgment at which their cases are to be investigated. But the apostle Peter distinctly states that the sins of believers will be blotted out ‘when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and He shall send Jesus Christ.’ Acts 3:19, 20. When the investigative judgment closes, Christ will come, and His reward will be with Him to give to every man as his work shall be.” Ibid., 485.

When the work of the investigative judgment is finished, Christ will come.

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

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 may be contacted at: mauricehoppe@stepstolife.org.

Purified and Refined

by

I want to study with you one of the mysteries of the Bible—when God swears. The highest form of taking an oath or judicial swearing is when a man swears by God. He swears that God is his witness, and that what he is saying is the truth. There are many instances in the scriptures where holy men swore by God concerning an important issue. See Genesis 24:3, 2 Chronicles 36:13, Nehemiah 13:25, Psalms 15:4.

Although it is awesome when a human being takes an oath with God as his witness, it is much more awesome when the Creator of the heavens and the earth decides to say something under oath. That is He decides to swear that He will do a certain thing. When God swears He swears by Himself. See Jeremiah 22:5 and Exodus 32:13.

Anytime God swears something exceedingly important is being communicated, and especially important when it is recorded that God swore not to a human being, but to another member of the Godhead. I believe that anytime you find in the scripture that one member of the Godhead swore to another member of the Godhead, something exceedingly important is being communicated that is far beyond my human mind to comprehend. But I want to comprehend it as much as possible.

One of these times is recorded in Zechariah 6:12,13. Another is recorded in Psalm 110:4. And another one very similar, probably the same as is recorded in Zechariah 6:12,13, is recorded in Desire of Ages, 834, where it says: “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.” In the same way that you go to a court and swear that something is exactly the way you describe it, God the Father and God the Son made an official agreement with each other concerning the salvation of the human race.

I would like to look more closely at another time that God swore, from the latter part of the book of Daniel. This time God the Son swore something in the name of his Father.

In Daniel 10 we see Daniel having a vision. Notice what he says in verse 6: “I lifted my eyes and looked and behold a certain man clothed in linen whose waist was girded with gold of Uphaz. His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like torches of fire, his arms and feet like burnished bronze in color, and the sound of his words like the voice of a multitude.”

Who is this man that Daniel sees? Did you recognize this description as being similar to the descriptions of Jesus Christ in the book of Revelation? Ellen White says this in Sanctified Life, 49, 50, after she quotes Daniel 10:2–6: “This description is similar to that given by John when Christ was revealed to him upon the isle of Patmos. No less a personage than the Son of God appeared to Daniel.” So who was this? It was Jesus Christ.

Daniel received this great vision which describes and predicts what would happen from the time in which he received the vision, up until the time of the end, and even beyond. We read in Daniel 11:32–34, a description of the great Papal persecution. Notice what he says in verse 35: “And some of those of understanding shall fall, to refine them, purify them, and make them white, until the time of the end.”

This Papal persecution was to go on until the time of the end. This is not the end of time, but the time of the end—the last epochal period in earth’s history.

Daniel is told in Daniel 12:4: “Shut up the words and seal the book until the time of the end.” In the time of the end, the book is going to be unsealed, but until the time of the end, these prophecies were not going to be comprehended, especially the prophecy in regard to time.

Let’s look at this vision more deeply starting with Daniel 12:5, 6: “Then I, Daniel, looked. And there stood two others, one on this riverbank and the other on that riverbank. And one said to the man clothed in linen, [This is Jesus Christ, as we saw earlier] who was above the waters of the river, ‘How long shall the fulfillment of these wonders be?’ ” Now let’s stop right there for a moment. What wonders is he talking about? He’s talking about all that has been described in this vision that started clear back in chapter 10 and goes all the way through chapter 11. He wants to know how long it’s going to be until the time of the end?

Now if you were Daniel, wouldn’t you have wanted to know that? Yes, of course. This is an important enough question that the Son of God answered it by taking an oath. He answered this way: “Then I heard the man clothed in linen, [Jesus Christ] who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by Him who lives forever, that it shall be for a time, times, and half a time, and when the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, all these things shall be finished.” Daniel 12:7.

Notice what Daniel then says in Daniel 12:8, 9: “Although I heard, I did not understand. Then I said, ‘My lord, what shall be the end of these things?’ And He said, ‘Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.’”

Daniel understood chapters 10 and 11, but he did not understand about the three and a half times or three and a half years. But this period of time was important enough in the plan of salvation and in working out the mystery of God that the Lord Jesus swore in the name of His Father.

If it is so important, then we need to understand this time period, the 1260 day prophecy. In the Jewish calendar, a month had 30 days, and a year had 12 months. So a year was 360 days. Figuring that up, then three and a half years would be 1260 days.

This 1260 day period of time is so important that it is mentioned over and over again in the books of Daniel and Revelation. It is even referred to by Jesus Christ himself in Matthew 24 and in Mark 13. Without this time period, many of the prophecies in Daniel and Revelation would be impossible to comprehend or interpret. It is extremely important!

To begin our study of Bible prophecy, we have to understand something about this period of time. We are going to go over a number of facts concerning the 1260 day prophecy.

First of all this prophecy is in prophetic time because it was to extend until the time of the end. It could not possibly be literal days.

This period of time is an anchor point. If you study everything in Bible prophecy about this period of time you cannot be led astray by people who say that this happened a long time ago, or that it is going to happen way in the future. This period of time anchors the events in Bible prophecy, and it forces only one type of interpretation of Bible prophecy, the historical interpretation. If you understand the 1260, you cannot be led astray by futurism or by any of these other interpretations of Bible prophecy.

We are now going to look at a number of prophecies in which this time period of 1260 years appears. The first is in Daniel 7:25. In Daniel 7, Daniel has been enumerating and explaining the characteristics of the little horn power which makes war against the people of God. He says: “He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time.” Daniel 7:25.

Notice, this little horn power is going to have the power to persecute for three and a half times or three and one half years which would be 1260 days or 1260 literal years. For that period of time, for over a thousand years, the little horn power is going to have the power to persecute the saints.

Another characteristic of the little horn power can be seen in the prophecy of Daniel 7. Daniel has been describing the four world empires in the beginning of the prophecy—Babylon was represented by a lion, Medo-Persia by a bear, Greece by a leopard, and the Pagan Roman Empire by a great and dreadful beast.

These are the four great empires of the world, and the Bible teaches all the way through the book of Daniel, that there is not going to be another world empire. It teaches that the fourth kingdom would be divided or broken up. This is exactly what it teaches in Daniel 7, where this dreadful beast has ten horns. Notice what it says in verse 8: “I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.”

What does a horn represent? It represents a king or a kingdom. Daniel 7:17, 24. So the Western Roman Empire was to be divided up into ten kingdoms. This happened between A.D. 351 and A.D. 476. The Bible also predicted that a little horn was to arise that would uproot three of these ten kingdoms.

This little horn power could not arise until the ten kingdoms were in place which was not until A.D. 476. It is interesting to note that the little horn power could not possibly be Antiochus Epiphanes, as many believe. He existed 600 years before that time.

Well, somebody says, how then do you understand this power applying to the Papacy, because it existed long before the sixth century, or long before A.D. 476? That is not hard to explain. What is a horn? A horn is a king, someone that has civil, governmental authority. The papacy existed before these ten horns existed, but it did not exist as a horn, it did not have a civil government.

In the days of the apostle Paul, the bishop of Rome did not have a kingdom. Caesar was the king, and anyone else who claimed to be king would be crucified. The apostle Paul talks about this very thing in 2 Thessalonians where he talks about the Papal power, the man of sin. Notice what he says in 2 Thessalonians 2:6: “And now you know what is restraining, that he (the Papacy) may be revealed in his own time.” What was then restraining? The Pagan Roman Empire. The papacy could not develop its real power until the Caesar was taken out of the way. You see, 2 Thessalonians 2 agrees perfectly with Daniel 7. The mystery of lawlessness already existed, the anti-christ power was already there, but Paul says he couldn’t really be revealed yet.

Even when the Roman Empire was divided up, and there were no more Ceasars, there was still someone who had civil authority in Rome. His name was Odoacer, and he ruled the kingdom of the Heruli, who were Arians. They controlled the whole country of Italy. No one could even be chosen as Pope without his permission. This power kept the papacy in check. The papacy was not the little horn power as long as Odoacer was in control.

Something had to be done to get Odoacer out of the way. So an alliance was made, and Theodoric, king of the Ostrogoths came down with his army and he defeated Odoacer in A.D. 493. Actually though, that did not help very much, because Theodoric and the Ostrogoths were Arians too. The Pope still could not have his way, because he was still under the control of the Ostrogoth’s power right there in Rome.

One Down Two to Go

Now the Ostrogoths were in control. They had enemies in northern Africa, called the Vandals. These people built great ships and every year they would go to one of the court cities in the Roman Empire, and they would go through and loot the city, taking its wealth. One year they looted Rome. In fact they looted the city for 14 days and took all the wealth that they could find and many prisoners. Understandably this made the people in Rome very unhappy.

So we see that the papacy could never exert its power as long as the Vandals and the Ostrogoths were in control of Italy. Something had to be done. The papacy contacted Justinian, the head of the Eastern Roman Empire in Constantinople. They needed help and they got help. Justinian sent the armies of the Eastern Roman Empire and the Vandals were destroyed around A.D. 534.

There is still one kingdom left, and that was the Ostrogoths. They were driven from the city of Rome in A.D. 538 That was the earliest time that the papacy could exert civil power and authority and be called a little horn power.

Incidentally, that wasn’t permanent, the Ostrogoths came back. They were not driven out permanently until almost ten years later. But they were driven out for the first time in A.D. 538. And so that is the first time that the papacy can be called a horn power, called a little horn. It now had become the little horn that would persecute the saints for 1260 years.

From A.D. 538, if you extend the 1260 year period, you come to 1798. Many people around this time began to realize that something important was about to happen. One of those persons was John Wesley. A few decades before that, John Wesley was preaching the gospel, both in America and in England. He realized that something important was about to happen, and he wrote and taught that the time of papal persecution was about to end.

Persecuted and Broken

We have learned quite a bit about the 1260 year period from Daniel 7:25. We learned from Daniel 12:6, 7, that during this period of time, the power of the holy people would be broken or graphically translated, shattered, and destroyed.

Friends, this is the mystery that I cannot explain, and do not understand. Why would God allow His people to be persecuted, and broken? We won’t fully understand this until we get to heaven, but we have been given a few hints in the Spirit of Prophecy as to why and how God allowed this to happen. In Desire of Ages, in the chapter “It Is Finished,” Ellen White says that Satan was not then (at the cross) totally destroyed. She said, that both for the sake of angels and for men the devil must be allowed to live to more fully develop his principles so that both angels and men could understand what his character was like.

That is an incredible statement. The devil must be allowed to develop the true principles of his government, of his character. The 1260 year period of persecution was a period when that happened. The Bible says in Nahum 1:9, “What do you imagine against the Lord? affliction will not rise up the second time.” Why will affliction not rise up a second time? Because all humanity will have seen the consequence of sin, and it will be abhorrent to them.

We also cannot explain why it took so long. Daniel couldn’t understand it, neither could Adam and Eve. They thought that the Messaiah would come quickly. They didn’t realize it was going to take thousands of years. God knew that the people of past ages, could not bear to comprehend all of this, so He said, “The words are going to be sealed until the time of the end.”

Measuring the Temple

There is an amazing prophecy, which some people think is still in the future, which I would like to study with you. It is in Revelation 11. Notice, right in the middle of the prophecy, we are given some specifications. Revelation 11:1–3: “Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood, saying, ‘Rise and measure the temple of God.’ ”

What is the temple of God? Paul said over and over that it is the church. You can see that clearly if you study the following chapters: Ephesians 1, 2, 4 and 1 Corinthians 3, 6.

“Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there.” What altar is this? You remember Paul said in Hebrews 13:10: “We have an altar from which those who minister in the temple [that is in the earthly sanctuary] have no right to eat.” This is the altar of the New Covenant.

“But leave out the court.” In the New Covenant, where is the court? The court is this world, in the New Covenant. The altar was where the sacrifice was slain. Where was the sacrifice slain in the New Covenant? In this world. And then, after you come to the altar, before you come into the sanctuary, you come to the laver and the laver is where people are washed and purified.

Get this point: If you’re going to be purified at all, you must be purified in this world. You are not going to be taken up to heaven and be purified there, like some people think. If you’re ever going to be purified, you’re going to be purified right here. The laver is in the court. Don’t ever forget that. Only the pure will see God. Matthew 5:8. Only the sanctified, only the holy, will dwell in His presence. Hebrews 12:14.

You must be washed, you must be purified. “Everyone who has this hope in him must be purified even as He is pure.” 1 John 3:3. Friend, don’t let anyone talk you out of your birthright. Jesus died on the cross so that you could have eternal life, but He can not give it to you unless you are purified.

“Leave out the court which is outside the temple and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles.” Who are the Gentiles? It is not talking about Jews and Gentiles by blood, it is talking about spiritual Israel, versus those who are not part of spiritual Israel.

Who are these Gentiles? They are professed Christians. They are professed Jews. Remember, a curse is pronounced twice in Revelation against those who say that they are Jews but they are really not. That’s in Revelation 2:9 and 3:9. They are the Gentiles spoken of here.

“It has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months.” Here again you have the 1260 day period again. They will tread the holy city for forty-two months. What is the holy city? Oh friend, if you belong to Jesus, if you have given your heart to Him, your name is written down in a city already.

“They will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months.” This holy city is the church. The holy city is a representation of the church. They’ll tread it down, persecute it, for forty-two months.

Verse 3: “And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.” As I said already, this is a mystery. I cannot tell you why God determined that it was going to take this period of time in order for the whole universe to see the full development of the character of Satan.

This is the period of time also when the woman would have to flee into the wilderness for 1260 days, prophesied in Revelation 12. We cannot explain the mystery of the 1260, it’s one of the great mysteries of Bible prophecy.

Daniel was told something about this mystery in Daniel 12:9, 10. “Go your way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand.” None of the wicked shall understand these things that we are studying. But there will also be many people who despite the persecution and tribulation and the treading down of the city. They will be purified and made white and tried. Many people will have washed their garments in the blood of the Lamb.

It is a number that is so great that the Bible says it will be a number like the sands of the sea, like the stars of heaven. That number is not yet made up. God wants to use the young people of the present generation to help make up this number that will be as the sand of the sea and as the stars of heaven.

God wants to use you. Do you want to be a part of that group that will be purified and made white and tried? Do you want to receive an eternal inheritance, a birthright where there won’t be anymore tribulation or pain? Do you want to be part of that?

The End

Parables of the Investigative Judgment

by

There is a need for God’s people to understand the relationship of the investigative judgment and the wedding banquet. Many people are aware of the warning given in Malachi 3:1–3 regarding the work of the purification of God’s people and the removal of sin, but there is a deeper meaning, which needs to be understood.

“Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts. But who may abide the day of His coming? and who shall stand when He appeareth? for He is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap: And He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.” Malachi 3:1–3, KJV.

Another important reference in the Bible about the investigative judgment that is very informative of this important event and the wedding banquet is recorded in Matthew 22:1–14:

“Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.’

“Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’

“But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.” Verses 1–7.

This much of the parable refers to the Jewish nation prior to the first advent and up to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.

“Thus the Jewish people sealed their rejection of God’s mercy. The result was foretold by Christ in the parable. The king ‘sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.’ The judgment pronounced came upon the Jews in the destruction of Jerusalem and the scattering of the nation.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 308, 309.

“Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.” Matthew 22:8–10.

With this information we see that verses 8–10 represent the Christian church from the first advent to the close of probation.

In verse 11 the king comes in to begin the investigative judgment. The remainder of the parable (verses 12–14) is a description of what happens to those who do not make the appropriate preparation to attend the wedding banquet.

The Spirit of Prophecy provides an interesting introduction to this parable. It is found in Christ’s Object Lessons, on page 307.

“In this parable, as in that of the great supper, are illustrated the gospel invitation, its rejection by the Jewish people, and the call of mercy to the Gentiles. But on the part of those who reject the invitation, this parable brings to view a deeper insult and a more dreadful punishment. The call to the feast is a king’s invitation. It proceeds from one who is vested with power to command. It confers high honor.”

In the book, The Great Controversy, we are given the following explanation of this parable:

“In the parable of Matthew 22 the same figure of the marriage is introduced, and the investigative judgment is clearly represented as taking place before the marriage. Previous to the wedding the king comes in to see the guests, to see if all are attired in the wedding garment, the spotless robe of character washed and made white in the blood of the Lamb. Matthew 22:11; Revelation 7:14. [Emphasis supplied.] He who is found wanting is cast out, but all who upon examination are seen to have the wedding garment on are accepted of God and accounted worthy of a share in His kingdom and a seat upon His throne. This work of examination of character, of determining who are prepared for the kingdom of God, is that of the investigative judgment, the closing of work in the sanctuary above.” The Great Controversy, 428.

Many do not realize their spiritual need. This is why we need to understand these parables because they refer to each one of us in these last days. The following is a statement about the man who came in without a wedding garment:

“The man who came to the feast without a wedding garment represents the condition of many in our world today. They profess to be Christians, and lay claim to the blessings and privileges of the gospel; yet they feel no need of a transformation of character. They have never felt true repentance for sin. They do not realize their need of Christ or exercise faith in Him. They have not overcome their hereditary or cultivated tendencies to wrongdoing. Yet they think that they are good enough in themselves, and they rest upon their own merits instead of trusting in Christ. Hearers of the word, they come to the banquet, but they have not put on the robe of Christ’s righteousness.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 315.

There will be many who will be speechless because they never overcame their hereditary or cultivated tendencies to wrongdoing. We may wonder why the man was speechless. Here is a brief statement about his condition:

“In the parable, when the king inquired, ‘How camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment’ [Matthew 22:12]? the man was speechless. So it will be in the great judgment day. Men may now excuse their defects of character, but in that day they will offer no excuse.” Ibid., 317.

The judgment day in this statement refers to the execution phase of the judgment following the millennium.

Solemn will be the day of final decision. In prophetic vision, the apostle John describes it: “I saw a great white throne, and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the Book of Life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.” Revelation 20:11, 12, KJV.

“Sad will be the retrospect in that day when men stand face to face with eternity. The whole life will present itself just as it has been. The world’s pleasures, riches, and honors will not then seem so important. Men will then see that the righteousness they despised is alone of value. They will see that they have fashioned their characters under the deceptive allurements of Satan. The garments they have chosen are the badge of their allegiance to the first great apostate. Then they will see the results of their choice. They will have a knowledge of what it means to transgress the commandments of God.” Ibid., 318, 319.

The Spirit of Prophecy is very clear that this work of purification of God’s people is to be completed during the time of the investigative judgment.

“Christ had come, not to the earth, as they expected, but, as foreshadowed in the type, to the most holy place of the temple of God in heaven. He is represented by the prophet Daniel as coming at this time to the Ancient of Days: ‘I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came’—not to the earth, but—‘to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him.’ Daniel 7:13.

“This coming is foretold also by the prophet Malachi: ‘The Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, He shall come, saith the Lord of hosts.’ Malachi 3:1. The coming of the Lord to His temple was sudden, unexpected, to His people. They were not looking for Him there. They expected Him to come to earth, ‘in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel.’ II Thessalonians 1:8.

“But the people were not yet ready to meet their Lord. There was still a work of preparation to be accomplished for them.” The Great Controversy, 424.

There is an interesting explanation about this preparation in The Great Controversy, 425.

“Another message of warning and instruction was to be given to the church.

“Says the prophet: ‘Who may abide the day of His coming? and who shall stand when He appeareth? for He is like a refiner’s fire, and like fullers’ soap: and He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.’ Malachi 3:2, 3.” Ibid., 423.

Let us consider a second parable about the investigative judgment. It is the parable describing the two classes of servants in Matthew 24:45–51.

“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.” Verses 45–47.

Revelation 3:21 says: “To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with Me on My throne, just as I overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.”

“But suppose that servant is wicked and says to himself, ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ and he then begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards.” Matthew 24:48, 49. Not literally drunk, but drunk with false teachings, with ecumenical compromise of truth, such as teaching that the atonement was completed at the cross.

“The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Verses 50, 51.

A description of these unfaithful servants is found in the following statements.

“The Lord has a controversy with His professed people in these last days. In this controversy men in responsible positions will take a course directly opposite to that pursued by Nehemiah. They will not only ignore and despise the Sabbath themselves, but they will try to keep it from others by burying it beneath the rubbish of custom and tradition. In churches and in large gatherings in the open air, ministers will urge upon the people the necessity of keeping the first day of the week.” The Review and Herald, March 18, 1884.

The rejection of the seventh day Sabbath is a sign that these people have also rejected the ministry of Christ and His blood of atonement in the Most Holy Place of the sanctuary of the new covenant in heaven.

“As the storm approaches, a large class who have professed faith in the third angel’s message, but have not been sanctified through obedience to the truth, abandon their position and join the ranks of the opposition. By uniting with the world and partaking of its spirit, they have come to view matters in nearly the same light; and when the test is brought, they are prepared to choose the easy, popular side. Men of talent and pleasing address, who once rejoiced in the truth, employ their powers to deceive and mislead souls. They become the most bitter enemies of their former brethren. When Sabbathkeepers are brought before the courts to answer for their faith, these apostates are the most efficient agents of Satan to misrepresent and accuse them, and by false reports and insinuations to stir up the rulers against them.” The Great Controversy, 608.

Then the Spirit of Prophecy says that this church represented by these two classes of servants is the same church that is represented by the ten virgins.

“Here is brought to view the church living in the last days, the same that is pointed out in the close of chapter 24. In this parable their experience is illustrated by the incidents of an Eastern marriage.” Ibid., 393.

“The parable of the ten virgins of Matthew 25 also illustrates the experience of the Adventist people. In Matthew 24, in answer to the question of His disciples concerning the sign of His coming and of the end of the world, Christ had pointed out some of the most important events in the history of the world and of the church from His first to His second advent; namely, the destruction of Jerusalem, the great tribulation of the church under the pagan and papal persecutions, the darkening of the sun and moon, and the falling of the stars. After this He spoke of His coming in His kingdom, and related the parable describing the two classes of servants who look for His appearing.” Ibid.

The Spirit of Prophecy has a considerable amount of information on this parable. This parable, Matthew 25:1–13, is a description of the church during the time the investigative judgment is in session. Matthew 25:1–7 is as follows:

“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.” Verses 1–5.

The phrase “they all became drowsy and fell asleep” refers to the churches’ experience before October 22, 1844. Also, “to sleep” in this context is a symbol meaning that the individual or church is not awake to the truth. During the period just before 1844 the whole church was asleep on the knowledge of the new covenant sanctuary in heaven and the ministry of Jesus in that sanctuary. No one on earth knew about the Bible truth concerning this sanctuary. They all were asleep.

“At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ ” Verse 6.

“The coming of Christ, as announced by the first angel’s message, was understood to be represented by the coming of the bridegroom. The widespread reformation under the proclamation of His soon coming, answered to the going forth of the virgins [Matthew 25:1]. In this parable, as in that of Matthew 24, two classes are represented. All had taken their lamps, the Bible, and by its light had gone forth to meet the Bridegroom. But while ‘they that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them,’ ‘the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps’ [verses 3, 4]. The latter class [the wise virgins] had received the grace of God, the regenerating, enlightening power of the Holy Spirit, which renders His word a lamp to the feet and a light to the path [Psalm 119:105]. In the fear of God they had studied the Scriptures to learn the truth, and had earnestly sought for purity of heart and life. These had a personal experience, a faith in God and in His word, which could not be overthrown by disappointment and delay. Others ‘took their lamps, and took no oil with them.’ They had moved from impulse. Their fears had been excited by the solemn message, but they had depended upon the faith of their brethren, satisfied with the flickering light of good emotions, without a thorough understanding of the truth or a genuine work of grace in the heart. These had gone forth to meet the Lord, full of hope in the prospect of immediate reward; but they were not prepared for delay and disappointment. When trials came, their faith failed, and their lights burned dim.” The Great Controversy, 393, 394.

The passing of time referred to in this statement was the time they expected the Lord to come in the spring of 1844. The believers were disappointed when the Lord did not come at that time and there resulted a seeming delay.

“In this time of uncertainty, the interest of the superficial and halfhearted soon began to waver, and their efforts to relax; but those whose faith was based on a personal knowledge of the Bible had a rock beneath their feet, which the waves of disappointment could not wash away. ‘They all slumbered and slept’ [Matthew 25:5], one class in unconcern and abandonment of their faith, the other class patiently waiting till clearer light should be given.” Ibid., 394.

A further explanation of this event is found as follows:

“ ‘While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.’ Matthew 25:5–7. In the summer of 1844, midway between the time when it had been first thought that the 2300 days would end, and the autumn of the same year, to which it was afterward found that they extended, the message was proclaimed in the very words of Scripture: ‘Behold, the Bridegroom cometh!’ ” Ibid., 398.

Ellen White has more to say of this event as follows:

“In the parable of Matthew 25 the time of waiting and slumber is followed by the coming of the bridegroom. This was in accordance with the arguments just presented, both from prophecy and from the types. They carried strong conviction of their truthfulness; and the ‘midnight cry’ [Matthew 25:6] was heralded by thousands of believers.

“Like a tidal wave the movement swept over the land.” Ibid., 400. This message sparked a renewed interest in the study of the Word.

“At the call, ‘The Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet Him,’ the waiting ones ‘arose and trimmed their lamps’ [Matthew 25:6, 7]; they studied the word of God with an intensity of interest before unknown.” Ibid., 402.

“Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps.” Verse 7.

The following describes three separate texts as talking about the same event: “The coming of Christ as our high priest to the most holy place, for the cleansing of the sanctuary, brought to view in Daniel 8:14; the coming of the Son of man to the Ancient of Days, as presented in Daniel 7:13; and the coming of the Lord to His temple, foretold by Malachi [Malachi 3:1–3], are descriptions of the same event; and this is also represented by the coming of the bridegroom to the marriage, described by Christ in the parable of the ten virgins, of Matthew 25.

“In the summer and autumn of 1844 the proclamation, ‘Behold, the Bridegroom cometh,’ was given. The two classes represented by the wise and foolish virgins were then developed—one class who looked with joy to the Lord’s appearing, and who had been diligently preparing to meet Him; another class that, influenced by fear and acting from impulse, had been satisfied with a theory of the truth, but were destitute of the grace of God. In the parable, when the bridegroom came, ‘they that were ready went in with him to the marriage’ [Matthew 25:10].” The Great Controversy, 426.

Notice the order of events in the following statement:

“The coming of the bridegroom, here brought to view, takes place before the marriage. The marriage represents the reception by Christ of His kingdom. The Holy City, the New Jerusalem, which is the capital and representative of the kingdom, is called ‘the bride, the Lamb’s wife.’ Said the angel to John: ‘Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.’ ‘He carried me away in the spirit,’ says the prophet, ‘and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God.’ Revelation 21:9, 10. … Christ, as stated by the prophet Daniel, will receive from the Ancient of Days in heaven, ‘dominion, and glory, and a kingdom;’ He will receive the New Jerusalem, the capital of His kingdom, ‘prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.’ ” Daniel 7:14; Revelation 21:2. “Having received the kingdom, He will come in His glory, as King of kings and Lord of lords, for the redemption of His people, who are to ‘sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob,’ at His table in His kingdom (Matthew 8:11; Luke 22:30), to partake of the marriage supper of the Lamb … .”

“The proclamation, ‘Behold, the Bridegroom cometh,’ in the summer of 1844, led thousands to expect the immediate advent of the Lord. At the appointed time the Bridegroom came, not to the earth, as the people expected, but to the Ancient of Days in heaven, to the marriage, the reception of His kingdom. ‘They that were ready went in with Him to the marriage: and the door was shut’ [Matthew 25:10]. They were not to be present in person at the marriage; for it takes place in heaven, while they are upon the earth. The followers of Christ are to ‘wait for their Lord, when He will return from the wedding.’ Luke 12:36. But they are to understand His work, and to follow Him by faith as He goes in before God. It is in this sense that they are said to go in to the marriage.” Ibid., 426, 427.

This next statement makes very clear what knowledge it was that separated the wise virgins from the foolish virgins.

“In the parable it was those that had oil in their vessels with their lamps that went in to the marriage. Those who, with a knowledge of the truth from the Scriptures, had also the Spirit and grace of God, and who, in the night of their bitter trial, had patiently waited, searching the Bible for clearer light—these saw the truth concerning the sanctuary in heaven and the Saviour’s change in ministration, and by faith they followed Him in His work in the sanctuary above. And all who through the testimony of the Scriptures accept the same truths, following Christ by faith as He enters in before God to perform the last work of mediation, and at its close to receive His kingdom—all these are represented as going in to the marriage.” Ibid., 427, 428.

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

Maurice Hoppe is Director of the Steps to Life Training Programs and a member of the Steps to Life Board. The Training Program for Ministers and Church Leaders is a correspondence course that prepares individuals to serve as a pastor or Bible worker. Preparing for the Final Conflict is a correspondence course for the laity. Both of these courses teach present truth that will be an anchor for the soul during the storm of opposition and persecution just ahead. He and his wife also have a correspondence course offered through Revelation Ministry. He can be contacted at: mauricehoppe@stepstolife.org.

A Defiled Sanctuary

by

The book of Revelation is written in sign language or symbolic language to show what must shortly take place (Revelation 1:1). “And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring [also translated the remnant of her seed], who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Revelation 12:17.

The dragon is a symbol of an angel that once was one of the leading angels of heaven who fell and has become what we call the Devil, or Satan, a fallen angel. Verse 9 says, “So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” So, “the dragon was angry with the woman” means Satan is angry with the church.

In the Bible, whole chapters have been written using a woman as a symbol; for example, Ezekiel 16 and 23. Jeremiah 6:2 says, “I have likened the daughter of Zion to a lovely and delicate woman.” Isaiah 51:16 tells us who Zion is: “And I have put My words in your mouth; I have covered you with the shadow of My hand, that I may plant the heavens, lay the foundations of the earth, and say to Zion, ‘you are My people.’ ” Zion is God’s people and is represented by a lovely and delicate woman.

Paul uses the same terminology addressing the church of God in Corinth: “For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste [pure] virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.” II Corinthians 11:2, 3.

In both the Old and New Testaments the church is likened to a woman. If the woman is pure, she represents a pure church, but if the woman becomes a prostitute or harlot, that woman is used to represent a corrupt church that is in apostasy. Revelation 17 and 18 describe a great prostitute that, in the last days, affects the whole world.

The woman of Revelation 12 is a pure woman; she is clothed with the sun, and she brings forth a male child that is to rule all nations (verse 5). This is a pure woman, a pure church, and refers to God’s people. “The dragon was enraged with the woman [God’s people in the last days], and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring [the last church], who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Revelation 12:17. “The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” Revelation 19:10.

In everyday English a translation of the symbols would read: “And the devil, or Satan, was enraged with the church, or with God’s people, and he went to make war, or try, to destroy the last church, God’s people, who keep the commandments of God and have the spirit of prophecy.”

Years ago, evangelists always said that to find God’s people in the last days, you would need to find a church that keeps all ten of the commandments. And secondly, it must have the gift of prophecy. These qualifications narrow down the choice. Many churches worship on a day different than what has been commanded, and people bow before representations of the virgin Mary holding baby Jesus and images of Jesus hanging on the cross. The commandments prohibit this action and eliminate those churches from being pure. (See Exodus 20:8–11.)

The Seventh-day Adventist Church is not the only church that advocates keeping all of the commandments, and there are also several other churches that claim to have the gift of prophecy.

Paul told the Thessalonian church to “prove all things.” I Thessalonians 5:21. This admonition should be applied in the search for the true church. There is one doctrine found in Daniel 8:14 that, as far as I know, is unique to Adventism. It says, “And he said to me, ‘For two thousand three hundred days; then the sanctuary shall be cleansed.’ ”

Point #1 – Adventists have believed that this text refers to the time of the end, something that is going to happen in the last epochal period of earth’s history, because of what the angel told Daniel: “Understand, son of man, that the vision refers to the time of the end” and “for at the appointed time, the end shall be.” Verses 17 and 19.

Point #2 – The sanctuary is going to be cleansed after this period of time and in the time of the end.

Point #3 – The earthly sanctuary was a type of the real sanctuary in heaven. (See Hebrews 8.) Daniel 8:14 would have to be referring to the heavenly sanctuary, because there is no earthly sanctuary in the time of the end.

Point #4 – This verse would then mean, that in the time of the end the heavenly sanctuary is going to be cleansed. This seems incredible for some people to believe—that there would be something in heaven needing cleansing, but the Bible says that there is—the heavenly sanctuary.

Paul says, “Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens [the earthly sanctuary] should be purified [or cleansed] with these.” Hebrews 9:23. To what do “these” refer?

In chapters 8 and 9 we see that the earthly sanctuary was cleansed with the blood of animal sacrifices. Again, in chapter 10:1–4, Paul says that the blood of bulls and goats that was offered every year could not take away sins. The earthly sanctuary was cleansed with these animal sacrifices, “but the heavenly things themselves [the sanctuary in heaven, of which the earthly sanctuary was a type] with better sacrifices than these.” Hebrews 9:23. The “better” sacrifice refers to the sacrifice Christ made when He died on the cross. It says, in verse 24, “For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies [that is, the earthly sanctuary] of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.” Paul is saying that the heavenly sanctuary has to be cleansed. But in order for something to be cleansed, it first had to have been defiled, for you don’t purify or cleanse something that is already clean. How is it there is defilement in heaven?

In Daniel 7:9, 10 is a description of the judgment. “I watched till thrones were put in place, and the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head was like wool. His throne was a fiery flame, its wheel a burning fire; a fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him. A thousand thousands ministered to Him; ten thousand times ten thousand [that is a hundred million] stood before Him. The court was seated, and the books were opened.”

This portrays a judgment scene in heaven, with books. David gives insight into what is recorded in these books. “You number my wanderings; put my tears into Your bottle; are they not in Your book?” Psalm 56:8. God keeps account of all the events of our lives.

Malachi 3:16 says, “Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord listened and heard them; so a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who meditate on His name.” When God’s people meet together and speak together, God doesn’t just hear it, but He has it recorded in a book.

In Matthew 12:35, 36, it says, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things. But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.”

God has a record of every word that we have ever spoken, the good words and also the idle words. God knows a lot more than just our words, though. The psalmist understood this very, very clearly. In Psalm 139:1–4, it says, “O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up [He knows what time you go to bed and what time you get up]; You understand my thought afar off. [God understands your thought before you even think it. He knows what you are going to think tomorrow, what you have not even thought yet, and understands.] You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.” God knows our thoughts!

The Lord says, in Isaiah 66:18, “For I know their works and their thoughts.” In Jesus’ sermon on the mount, He explained that sin started in the mind; it was possible to commit adultery with a woman in your mind. Murder also starts in the mind; to hate is recorded as murder.

Detailed records of each life, every thought and act, is kept in the throne room of the heavenly sanctuary. Because all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), those records have defiled God’s sanctuary. But in the end of time, the sanctuary is going to be cleansed. This will happen in two distinct ways. “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come [the latter rain] from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ [the Second Coming], Who was preached to you before, Whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.” Acts 3:19–21.

Peter says that, in the time of the latter rain, there will be some people whose sins are going to be blotted out. The pollution of their record of sinful thoughts and actions will be gone forever.

The other way the sanctuary will be cleansed is to remove the names of those who remain unrepentant of their thoughts and actions; their names will be blotted out. Moses pled with the Lord for the children of Israel: “Yet now, if You will forgive their sin, but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written. And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book.’ ” Exodus 32:32, 33. Moses understood that God had a book and that his name, as well as those of the children of Israel, was in there. He could not bear the thought that God would wipe out the nation because of their rebellion, and he consented to be lost, if he could not get the people saved.

The heavenly sanctuary is cleansed in two ways—either the sins are blotted out of the records, leaving the names of the repentant, or the whole record, including the names of the unrepentant, is removed. For 150 years, this is the way that Adventists have explained the cleansing of the sanctuary, but the teaching has not been made practical enough so people can understand it. All through the Bible, the sanctuary or God’s temple has always been a symbol and not just a building.

Ellen White describes the beginning of Christ’s ministry when He first cleansed the temple. She wrote that the sanctuary, the building that the Jews regarded with so much pride, was a symbol of what God wanted to do for every human being. (See The Desire of Ages, 161, 162.)

Paul said, “Do you not know that your body is the temple [sanctuary] of the Holy Spirit Who is in you, Whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price [and what a price!]; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” I Corinthians 6:19, 20. The Corinthian church had a problem with sexual immorality, and Paul wrote to them in this context. He said they could not do as they wished to please their bodies, for the body is supposed to be a temple for the Holy Spirit.

That being the case, and in the last days the temple is going to be cleansed, that would mean our body, our spirit and our mind is to be cleansed. Our thoughts, feelings, words and actions are all to be purified so the Holy Spirit can dwell in our mind. The Holy Spirit cannot dwell with sin, so a cleansing must take place. If we remain in sin we make our body and our mind a temple for the dwelling place for evil angels. “Satan takes the control of every mind that is not decidedly under the control of the Spirit of God.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 79.

Ellen White said that though it was manifested in a different way, the priests and the religious leaders in the time of Christ were just as much possessed of the devil as the demoniacs. The devil was in control. How is it in your life?

Paul told King Agrippa about his experience on the road to Damascus and the work the Lord told him to do, “to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.” Acts 26:18.

The Corinthians did not know that in worshiping their idols and sacrificing to them they were, in fact, worshiping devils. Today, though they may not be aware, those who are living in sin are under the control of the devil. I John 3:8 says that everyone “who sins is of the devil.”

The cleansing of the temple has an even broader meaning than how it applies to each individual Christian.

In I Corinthians 3:16, 17, Paul says, “Do you [plural word meaning the church] not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him.” This sentence has a parallel construction, which should be translated with the same verb. Either it should read, “If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will defile him” or “If anyone destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him.” I personally believe the second translation is the more correct one. This is one of the most powerful verses in the New Testament talking about health reform. “If you defile the temple of God, if you destroy it, God will destroy you.” Now he’s talking to the whole church. “If anyone destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.”

The cleansing of the sanctuary does not just apply to individuals but it applies to the church as a whole. Some people think that the church is just going to get worse, and then, in some way, when Jesus comes, like pushing a magic button, it will all be cleansed and purified. I call that the “magic button theology,” but it is not found in the Bible.

As the disciples came down from the Mount of Transfiguration, they asked Jesus, “ ‘Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?’ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things. But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands.’ ” Matthew 17:10–12.

The Jewish people thought they could prove that Jesus could not be the Messiah, because the Scriptures taught that before the Messiah would come, Elijah the prophet had to come first. Jesus said Elijah has already come, and they didn’t know it. They were looking forward to something to happen in the future that had already been happening.

We are in the identical situation today. The average Adventist is looking forward to the purification of the church in the future, but it has already started and may be almost over. The Bible is very clear that God is going to have a church that has been cleansed and purified before He returns.

Look at Ephesians 5:25, 26. This passage refers literally to husbands and wives; however, Paul uses this relationship of husbands and wives simply as an illustration for the church. He says, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word.” Now notice that the cleansing of the church, the cleansing of the sanctuary and the purification of the church is all the same thing. It does not occur by a magic button when Jesus comes, but is a process like taking a bath, and it occurs through the word of God.

As the word of God is preached, and we find our life is not in harmony with it, we say, “Lord, change me so my life can be harmony with this book.” The Holy Spirit starts working on our mind and the cleansing process takes place. Verse 27 continues, “that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.”

In Early Writings, 118, Ellen White told us which angel will purify the church. In Revelation 14:9 it says, “A third angel follows them … .” An understanding of the third angel’s message cleanses and purifies the church.

When Jesus returns, He is coming to receive His church. Many will be resurrected who were led by the Holy Spirit and lived up to the light they had, though it may have never been part of the church in this world. But among the people who are alive when Jesus comes again, that live through the time of trouble and will go up with Him, are the people who are in the church that has been cleansed and purified. They will be without any blemish or spot; they will be without fault and holy.

If you have never felt defiled, you had better start praying, for when the Holy Spirit starts working on a person’s mind, they know immediately their condition. One ray of light from the Holy Spirit and the degradation and defilement of the human soul is manifest. You never need to tell somebody that they are defiled, because they already know it, for that is the work of the Holy Spirit.

These texts mean that God is going to take a defiled people and cleanse them till there is no defilement, until they are pure and holy without a single blemish. The people that are taken to heaven will not be going as pardoned criminals but as though they had never sinned. All of their sins will be gone forever and blotted out, for they will be thoroughly cleansed. What a promise, what a thought, to be made clean by Jesus!

Don’t be deceived by the magic button theology, the idea that you can just keep sinning and when Jesus comes, all of a sudden, everything will be turned around, because that is not the way it works. That is not the way you take a bath. Paul said that, “He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word.” This is not something that is to happen in the future, but now. The Jews did not recognize the Messiah, expecting Elijah to come first, and they missed him. Many of us are looking for something to happen in the future, when it is happening right in front of us, and we don’t recognize what’s going on. The church is being purified right now. The sanctuary is being cleansed now, and many will not realize it until it is all over, and probation is closed, and the plagues are falling. Then they will wake up and say, “We didn’t realize this, but now it’s too late.” (See Early Writings, 71.)

“Now is the day of salvation.” II Corinthians 6:2. Don’t put it off, waiting for a national Sunday law to be passed and for the other events to take place. There is no time to delay. The signal to get ready has been given. Make peace with your Saviour and be cleansed today. Plead with Him to reveal your darling sins, the ones you intend to give up one day, so you can lay them on the altar and be saved. Let them go and be cleansed by the Word.

Jesus said to the Jews, “If you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.” John 8:24. I have prayed about this verse many times; not that I will not have to die, but that by His grace I will never die in my sins. To die in sin is a risk that no one can afford to take.

Each person and every church is going through a purification process. Angels pass by any church that refuses to be purified and let that church go. They surround those who desire the cleansing and bring divine help, leaving those who refuse to be left to their own devises.

God is going to have a church. It will be without blemish and holy, a church where God’s love is manifest. We can all be a part of it if we will stop resisting the Holy Spirit and want to be clean.

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

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

Fearful Warning

by

The lesson that lies in the apostle Peter’s denial of Jesus is both eye-opening and powerful. Not only does it serve as a warning against self-reliance, but it tells us that if we are not truly rooted and grounded in the faith and do not rely on Jesus for salvation, rather than on ourselves, we will incur the same kind of denial that Peter suffered.

There is another who has been in denial regarding the power of God for thousands of years.

Revelation 12 gives a history of the Great Controversy in 17 succinct verses. In verses 7–12 it says, “And there was war in heaven: Michael and His angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.”

Several references are herein made to the fact that Satan’s power is short-lived, at least in terms of eternity.

  • He lost his special place in heaven, a consequence of both his literal and his spiritual downfall.
  • He is going to be overcome—at least by some.
  • He knows that he has a short time.

In Isaiah 14:12, 13, the story of Lucifer’s fall begins: “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north.”

“Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness. Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.” Psalm 48:1, 2.

Satan wanted to sit on the sides of the north like God, just as Isaiah 14:13–15 tells us: “ ‘I will also sit on the mount of the congregation on the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High.’ Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol [hell].” Isaiah 14:13–15, NKJV.

Jesus Himself gave us some hints as to the nature of Satan in John 8:44 (International Standard Version) when He was debating with the Pharisees over their paternity. When they told Him that He was a child of fornication, He responded: “You belong to your father the devil, and you want to carry out the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning and has never stood for the truth, since there is no truth in him. Whenever he tells a lie he speaks in character, because he is a liar and the father of lies.” Here Christ references two commandments that Satan had broken: the sixth and the ninth.

In Genesis 3:15, Jesus said to Satan, “I will put enmity between thee [the serpent] and the woman [the church], and between thy seed [the children of Satan, his evil angels and those he has enlisted on his side on this earth] and her seed [Christ].” When these words were spoken to Satan by Christ in the Garden of Eden he should have given up his quest for supremacy right then and there. That he did not give up clearly shows that he was in absolute denial. And clearly he continues to be in that state of denial today. Throughout scripture his eventual fate is told time and time again, sometimes very directly, as in Genesis 3:15, and sometimes indirectly.

Paul makes it clear who the Seed of the church is. He wrote, “Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, ‘And to seeds,’ as of many, but as of one, ‘And to your Seed,’ who is Christ.” Galatians 3:16, NKJV

“It [the Seed of the woman, Christ] shall bruise thy [Satan’s] head, and thou [Satan] shalt bruise His [Christ’s] heel.” Genesis 3:15, last part. This is a fairly direct statement that Satan is going to lose his power and lose the Great Controversy. However, his demise is also predicted in less direct ways.

In Psalm 89:34–37, it says, “My [God’s] covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of My lips. Once have I sworn by My holiness that I will not lie unto David. His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before Me. It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven.”

It is easy to conclude from this that Satan’s kingdom must eventually end.

Daniel, who has given so much wonderful prophecy, wrote in Daniel 2:44, 45: “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.”

In Daniel 7:14, again the promise is made, “And there was given Him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve Him: His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.”

Here again, if Satan were not in a state of hopeless denial, he would realize that the Lord’s kingdom is not going to be destroyed but rather is going to prevail. Therefore, his kingdom would have to end.

In Daniel 7:27, there is another statement which says, “And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.”

Then there is the wonderful promise in Nahum 1:9: “What do ye imagine against the Lord? He will make an utter end: affliction shall not rise up the second time.”

In Luke 1:31–33, when the angel spoke to Mary about her impending delivery, Satan’s ultimate fate was once again given indirectly: “And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David: And He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of His kingdom there shall be no end.”

In the parable of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25:41, Christ clearly states the ultimate end of Satan: “Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.”

In Revelation 20:1–3 it says, “And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that, he must be loosed a little season.”

In Revelation 20:10, it says, “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night forever and ever.”

In spite of all the warnings given throughout Scripture that the seed of the woman—that is, Christ and His followers who constitute the church—will prevail, Satan continues in his effort to lead men astray. Unfortunately, he has achieved a great degree of success. Why is this?

In the New King James Version of the Bible, it is stated this way: “The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” II Thessalonians 2:9–12.

The International Standard Version translates it a little differently. “The coming of the lawless one will be accompanied by the power of Satan. He will use every kind of power, including miraculous signs, lying wonders, and every type of evil to deceive those who are dying, those who refused to love the truth that would save them. For this reason, God will send them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie. Then all who have not believed the truth, but have taken pleasure in unrighteousness, will be condemned.”

Both of these translations put the definite article in front of the word lie: that they “believe the lie.” That lie is that we can be saved in our sins and therefore do not need to heed the many, many Scriptural injunctions regarding dying to self and perfection of character. There is probably no more fearful warning in all of Scripture than this one.

Let’s look for a moment at an interesting little piece of mythology concerning the siege of Troy, which shows in type exactly what Satan is attempting today to conquer mankind. According to legend, the Greeks had maintained a ten-year siege of that ancient city, but they had never been able to take it. So they came up with a remarkable strategy designed to finally penetrate its heavily fortified walls. They constructed a huge wooden horse and left it outside the city walls and then they stopped their siege and retreated.

The citizens of Troy were convinced that the Greeks had given up and that they had left this huge wooden horse as a token of their acknowledgment of the power of their enemies. The Trojans, however, were curious about this horse and decided to bring it inside the gates of the city to remain as a monument to their victory over the Greeks. Although they did not really defeat the Greeks, they were not subdued by them. (Similarly, we will not defeat Satan—that is left to Jesus—but we cannot be subdued by him.) Therefore, they were going to keep this horse as a monument to their invincibility. Little did they know that, inside the horse, soldiers were waiting for the right opportunity to come out and open the gates so that the Greek army that was outside could come inside and capture the town.

In a similar manner, the Roman church has developed a clandestine tactic to penetrate the Protestant churches, even further than they have already done, and bring them under the full control of the Vatican. Although this may seem somewhat unlikely, note the following explanation:

“Throughout Christendom, Protestantism was menaced by formidable foes. The first triumphs of the Reformation [having] past, Rome summoned new forces, hoping to accomplish its destruction. At this time the order of the Jesuits was created, the most cruel, unscrupulous, and powerful of all the champions of popery. Cut off from earthly ties and human interests, dead to the claims of natural affection, reason and conscience wholly silenced, they knew no rule, no tie, but that of their order, and no duty but to extend its power. The gospel of Christ had enabled its adherents to meet danger and endure suffering, undismayed by cold, hunger, toil, and poverty, to uphold the banner of truth in face of the rack, the dungeon, and the stake. To combat these forces, Jesuitism inspired its followers with a fanaticism that enabled them to endure like dangers, and to oppose … the power of truth [with] all the weapons of deception. There was no crime too great for them to commit, no deception too base for them to practice, no disguise too difficult for them to assume. Vowed to perpetual poverty and humility, it was their studied aim to secure wealth and power, to be devoted to the overthrow of Protestantism, and the re-establishment of the papal supremacy.

“When appearing as members of their order, they wore a garb of sanctity, visiting prisons and hospitals, ministering to the sick and the poor, professing to have renounced the world, and bearing the sacred name of Jesus, who went about doing good. But under this blameless exterior the most criminal and deadly purposes were often concealed. It was a fundamental principle of the order that the end justifies the means. By this code, lying, theft, perjury, assassination, were not only pardonable but commendable, when they served the interests of the church. Under various disguises the Jesuits worked their way into offices of state, climbing up to be the counselors of kings, and shaping the policy of nations. They became servants to act as spies upon their masters. They established colleges for the sons of princes and nobles, and schools for the common people; and the children of Protestant parents were drawn into an observance of popish rites. All the outward pomp and display of the Romish worship was brought to bear to confuse the mind and dazzle and captivate the imagination, and thus the liberty for which the fathers had toiled and bled was betrayed by the sons. The Jesuits rapidly spread themselves over Europe, and wherever they went, there followed a revival of popery.” The Great Controversy, 234, 235.

If you have ever stepped into the den of the dragon, you may have had an experience similar to this. Many years ago, I attended a Christmas Eve midnight mass in a very large Catholic Church. It was an amazing show. The church was highly decorated with glitter, gold and beautiful paintings, and candles burning everywhere. Incense was burning, and the priest was arrayed in gorgeous robes. There was also chanting. It was a very impressive service. As Sister White wrote, it all meant “to confuse the mind, and dazzle and captivate the imagination.”

“His [Satan’s] policy is deception from first to last, and his steadfast purpose is to bring woe and wretchedness upon men, to deface and defile the workmanship of God, to mar the divine purposes of benevolence and love, and thus cause grief in heaven. Then by his deceptive arts he blinds the minds of men. …

“When error in one garb has been detected, Satan only masks it in a different disguise, and multitudes receive it as eagerly as at the first.” Ibid., 284, 285. What disguise is Satan using now to lead men from the truth?

Ignatius Loyola and Martin Luther were contemporaries. Martin Luther was just eight years older than Loyola, but the two men could not have had more different influences upon world history. Luther turned decidedly toward dependency on Christ as his personal Saviour. Loyola depended solely on himself. Luther was led by the Holy Spirit; Loyola was led by Satan.

In the book, The Omega Rebellion (Remnant Publications, Coldwater, Michigan, 1982), written by Rick Howard, a Seventh-day Adventist minister, is this statement: “Loyola longed for supernatural experiences, believing them to be evidence of God’s presence and power. Deceived, he turned to the writings of the Roman Catholic mystics and saints, longing for God to reveal Himself in everything, all the time. He desired God’s presence on his terms, and Satan made sure he would think he found him. … Loyola’s experience was mysticism, and he taught all those enlisted in the Jesuit order, which he founded.” (Emphasis added.)

Believing that God is in everything is nothing other than pantheism—the basis for New Age religion and the current phenomenon called “the emerging church.”

“In the emerging Church, due emphasis will be placed on both theological rootage and contemporary experience, on celebration in worship and involvement in social concerns, on faith and feeling, reason and prayer, conversion and continuity, the personal and the conceptual.” [Ian Mobsby, Emerging and Fresh Expressions of Church, Moot Community Publishing, London, 2007, 20, 21.]

Please note the subtle but fatal mixture of truth with error in that statement. Note also the complete lack of a call for repentance and confession.

Let’s look at the different forms of worship practiced or promoted in the “emerging church.” Meant to bring the practitioner to a higher state of consciousness, they are nothing other than different forms of spiritual formation. If they were called by their original names, they would in all likelihood be rejected by most Adventists. When they are called “spiritual formation” they are embraced as the latest and greatest way to know God.

As noted earlier, Loyola thought that by entering into the realm of mysticism he would find God. What he actually found was an open channel of communication with evil spirits, which he assumed to be a revelation of God. He combined the techniques of mystics and monks from centuries earlier into what he called “spiritual exercises.” In the book, The History of Protestantism, by J. E. Wylie [Hartland Publications, Rapidan, Virginia, 2002], Loyola’s work is compared with the magicians who strove to rival Moses. A Jesuit who had gone through these exercises remarked that, “Loyola’s book on this subject was truly written by the finger of God and delivered to Ignatius by the Holy Mother of God.” Adventists, however, know exactly that Satan is the one who wrote it for him.

The object of these exercises was to render the members of this order absolutely obedient to their superiors, who in turn were equally submissive to those above them, and they to those above them, until it finally got to the Jesuit general at the top of the hierarchy. The first Jesuit general elected by those under him was indeed Ignatius Loyola.

Once converted, it did not matter what one’s superiors demanded of him, even if it was immoral or illegal. They believed that the end justifies the means. When fully committed, they believed that by contemplating holy things while the body was engaged in sinning, the soul remained free from sin. So, in a nutshell, a Jesuit believes that he can commit murder, tell lies, abuse children, or perform any other abominable act, and justify his actions by thinking about what he believes to be holy things while he is sinning. One thing is absolutely clear from this and that is that spiritual exercises can destroy the conscience.

These same exercises are taught in spiritual formation classes and seminars, only in a more subtle form. One of these exercises is meditation, often called “meditative prayer” or “contemplative prayer.” New Agers, Hindus, and other Eastern religions practice these techniques. In fact, some professedly Christian teachers believe that Christians are depriving themselves if they do not learn the ways of other religions. Rick Warren, the author of the best-seller, The Purpose Driven Life [Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2002], wrote, “In the wider ecumenism of the spirit being opened for us today, we need to humbly accept the learnings of particular religions. What makes a particular practice Christian is not its source, but its intent.” Apparently Mr. Warren believes that the Bible alone is not sufficient to teach us to grow spiritually. We need the help of Eastern mystics.

Contemplative prayer sounds innocent enough to the average Christian. It may sound like intimate communion with God to ponder His majesty, His power, His love, His providences, contemplating all the wonderful attributes of God and meditating on His word. Unfortunately, this is not what is taught in spiritual formation classes. One teacher of contemplative prayer describes it this way: “When one enters the deeper layers of contemplative prayer, one sooner or later experiences the void, the emptiness, the nothingness … the profound mystical silence … the absence of thought.” William Johnston, Letters to Contemplatives, Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1992, 13.

What is taught by spiritual formation instructors and contemplative prayer is just the opposite of what it sounds like. The purpose is to so completely empty the mind that one enters into a sort of self-induced hypnotic state. A repetitive mantra is used to achieve this emptiness, much like that employed by practitioners of Eastern religions and occult practices. A mantra is a word or a phrase, maybe even a scripture or a portion of a scripture that is repeated over, and over, and over. In Matthew 6:7, Jesus said of this practice, “But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.”

It is mind-boggling that Christians can be induced to do the very thing that Jesus commanded them not to do, all the while believing that they are having a close encounter with God.

Another aspect of spiritual formation is called “The Silence.” What one author wrote about it doesn’t just border on blasphemy; it is blasphemy. “I turned from the world about me to the world of consciousness that lies within. I shut out all memories of the past, create no images of the future. I concentrate on my being, on my awareness. I slide deep into the very recesses of my soul to a place of utter repose. I know, I know that this is Immortal Self, this is God. This is me. I am, I always was, I always will be.” U. S. Andersen’s, Three Magic Words, Wilshire Book Company, Chatsworth, California, 2011, 319.

Is that not what Satan told Eve when he tempted her to sin? What utter deception. This is the ultimate form of idolatry, making God to be whatever you imagine Him to be, even yourself. This certainly sounds like the original lie told in the Garden of Eden. I cannot help but think of the words of Paul to the Romans in Romans 1:25 where he wrote, “Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.”

Keep in mind that these techniques taught in “Christian” seminars are the very techniques used by mystics and Buddhists. If you were to trace back to the source of nearly all of the spiritual formation seminars conducted, you would find that Catholic priests, especially Jesuits, are at the root. Just as the Greeks used the Trojan horse to overthrow the citizens of Troy, the Jesuits are using a spiritual Trojan horse to overthrow the foundation and pillars of Christianity.

One of the diabolical ideas introduced by spiritual formation is that a Christian must experience “the silence” to have genuine spiritual growth. This leaves the feeling with those who have experienced it that they have reached a higher plane than those who have never learned the spiritual exercises.

Another quote from Rick Howard’s book, The Omega Rebellion, states: “Roman Catholic doctrine teaches that supernatural manifestations experienced when the disciple enters the mystical state called the silence, where the presence of God is experienced, are absolutely required for there to be any genuine Christian growth, for that is where God’s grace is received, according to their theology.” Howard, 114.

Another aspect of spiritual exercises is hypnosis. We know enough about the dangers of allowing someone to control our minds that we don’t need to dwell on this one very much. Basically, in hypnotism, the subject is yielding complete control of his mind to someone else, who has likewise yielded his mind to the control of Satan.

Now let’s discuss what is termed “utter repose” or “ecstasy.” Remember the words of Andersen that we read: “I slide deep into the very recess of my soul to a place of utter repose.” Here is a clue as to what the person encounters when practicing the contemplative prayer and entering “the silence,” the self-hypnotic state. When the individual has an experience of utter repose or ecstasy, he abandons Christian reasoning. Notice that I said “Christian reasoning.” Because human reasoning is quite fallible, we can get in serious trouble if we rely on human reasoning without the aid of Scripture. Christian reasoning involves a conscience affected by a knowledge of Scripture and the divine will.

Do I need to tell you that to depend on feelings is dangerous ground? Remember that Satan can affect our feelings. That’s something that I have discovered time and time again while giving Bible studies. The person I’m studying with so often talks about his feelings and how he has had a wonderful feeling after a Bible study. I don’t ever want to quash that feeling, but it is a dangerous thing to rely on feelings as an evidence of spiritual growth. We know that we walk by faith and not by sight—by faith and not by feeling.

One proponent of spiritual formation, when listening to a preacher explain that the Bible was to be our sole and ultimate authority, responded this way, “No, no, no. The ultimate authority in my life is not the Bible. It is not confined between the covers of a book. It is not something written by men and frozen in time. It is not from a source outside of myself. My ultimate authority is the divine voice in my soul.” How much trouble do you think you can get into if that is all you rely on?

I once had a very interesting discussion with someone I love very dearly, but who was very much opposed to my becoming a Seventh-day Adventist. I expressed my belief that the Bible contains the truth and contended that if you want to know what to do to have eternal life, the Bible will tell you. If you want to know the ultimate reference to determine right from wrong, it is the Bible. I was told very adamantly, “No, I know what’s right and wrong.” I tried to explain that no one has an innate ability to know absolutely what is right and wrong in every circumstance.

If a child is brought up smoking cigarettes and drinking coffee, that’s going to be normal to him and he will not see anything wrong with it. And of course, children are brought up doing things much worse than that. Unless you have some external, objective reference, you are not going to know what is right and wrong. That reference has to be the inspired word of God—the Bible. Although it was indeed written by men, it was written by men who were inspired by the Holy Spirit, and it does indeed contain the truth.

Well, clearly the spiritual formation movement is poised to take over Christendom. It all ties in with the warning given in Revelation 13:3, “And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death, and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.”

Since the deadly wound was inflicted in 1798 when the papacy was temporarily overthrown, the deadly wound has been healing. The counter-reformation launched at the Catholic church’s Council of Trent, along with the relentless working of the Jesuits, has once again made the Vatican the most powerful organization on the planet.

In the past, the papacy made physical war with the saints. An estimated 50 million martyrs were slain for refusing to accept the pope as supreme and for refusing to submit to Catholic doctrines and practices. In modern times, the strategy is different. Protestants are being overthrown by stealth, infiltration, deception, political involvement and whatever means Rome can use, especially this new Trojan horse—spiritual formation.

Do not ever forget that the papacy does not confine itself to religious affairs. The Vatican desires the same position it held during the dark ages—supreme power over the nations and their governments.

Just as the mystery of iniquity was at work in Paul’s day to bring the papacy into power, it is at work now. Spiritual formation is providing a powerful medium for the three unclean spirits of Revelation 16 to gain entry to the multitude who open themselves up to devils when they enter “the silence.”

History is being repeated. Just as the great falling away took place in the early church, resulting in the exaltation of the papacy, once again just before the Second Coming of Christ, a falling away is in progress.

In II Thessalonians 2:3, 4, we read, “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God, sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.”

The temple of God is the church. It is not some brick and mortar structure. It is not a rebuilt temple in literal Jerusalem.

Note what Paul wrote to the Ephesians in Ephesians 2:20–22: “And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone; in Whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: in Whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.”

Peter alluded to the same concept in I Peter 2:5: “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.”

Popular teaching today is that the antichrist will appear after the saints have been raptured. He will then, supposedly, make a covenant with literal Israel, and the temple will be rebuilt in Jerusalem. What many do not know is that this is an interpretation of the Jesuit, Francisco Ribera, who, in the 16th century, designed this theory to get the papacy off the hook. The reformation was in full swing and the Catholic Church was losing members by the thousands, who were convinced that Rome was the seat of antichrist. By removing the final week of Daniel’s seventy-week prophecy given in Daniel 9:24–27, and throwing it somewhere into the future, Ribera was able to divert attention away from the papacy to some future individual.

This futurist interpretation of Daniel and Revelation has been embraced by the majority of Christians, leaving them vulnerable to Satan’s great deceptions. Focus has been taken off the pope as antichrist, leaving little fear of what the Vatican is planning. By accepting these Jesuit fables, Protestant Christians have placed themselves in a very precarious position.

It is because of a lack of individual study and consecration to Christ that multitudes are being deceived. Herein lies the reason why spiritual formation is so widely accepted.

In I Peter 5:8, Peter wrote, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”

As we read in the beginning from Revelation 12:12, “Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.”

He knows that his time is short, but do we realize the same? The meeting of time and eternity is drawing nigh. Let us be so familiar with scripture that we can recognize Satan’s deceptions, even in their most subtle form and be hid with Christ in God so that we will not be among those who are devoured by the roaring lion.

John Pearson is the office manager and a board member of Steps to Life. After retiring as chief financial officer for the Grand Canyon Association, Grand Canyon, Arizona, he moved to Wichita, Kansas, to join the Steps team. He may be contacted by email at: johnpearson@stepstolife.org.