Issue: 2015 February

Q & A – What must John have thought of his future while he was banished on the barren island of Patmos?

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The Spirit of Prophecy tells us that John was content even on the island of Patmos.

“In former years his eyes had been greeted by the sight of forest-covered hills, green valleys, and fruitful plains; and in the beauties of nature it had ever been his delight to trace the wisdom and skill of the Creator. He was now surrounded by scenes that to many would appear gloomy and uninteresting; but to John it was otherwise. While his surroundings might be desolate and barren, the blue heavens that bent above him were as bright and beautiful as the skies above his loved Jerusalem. In the wild, rugged rocks, in the mysteries of the deep, in the glories of the firmament, he read important lessons. All bore the message of God’s power and glory.

“All around him the apostle beheld witnesses to the Flood that had deluged the earth because the inhabitants ventured to transgress the law of God. The rocks thrown up from the great deep and from the earth by the breaking forth of the waters, brought vividly to his mind the terrors of that awful outpouring of God’s wrath.

  • In the voice of many waters—deep calling unto deep—the prophet heard the voice of the Creator.
  • The sea, lashed to fury by the merciless winds, represented to him the wrath of an offended God.
  • The mighty waves, in their terrible commotion, restrained within limits appointed by an invisible hand, spoke of the control of an infinite Power.
  • And in contrast he realized the weakness and folly of mortals, who, though but worms of the dust, glory in their supposed wisdom and strength, and set their hearts against the Ruler of the universe, as if God were altogether such a One as themselves.
  • By the rocks he was reminded of Christ, the Rock of his strength, in whose shelter he could hide without fear.

From the exiled apostle on rocky Patmos there went up the most ardent longing of soul after God, the most fervent prayers.” The Acts of the Apostles, 571, 572.

Inspiration – Elisha, Faithful in Little Things

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The early years of the prophet Elisha were passed in the quietude of country life, under the teaching of God and nature and the discipline of useful work. In a time of almost universal apostasy his father’s household were among the number who had not bowed the knee to Baal. Theirs was a home where God was honored and where faithfulness to duty was the rule of daily life.

The son of a wealthy farmer, Elisha had taken up the work that lay nearest. While possessing the capabilities of a leader among men, he received a training in life’s common duties. In order to direct wisely, he must learn to obey. By faithfulness in little things, he was prepared for weightier trusts.

Of a meek and gentle spirit, Elisha possessed also energy and steadfastness. He cherished the love and fear of God, and in the humble round of daily toil he gained strength of purpose and nobleness of character, growing in divine grace and knowledge. While co-operating with his father in the home duties, he was learning to co-operate with God.

The prophetic call came to Elisha while with his father’s servants he was plowing in the field. As Elijah, divinely directed in seeking a successor, cast his mantle upon the young man’s shoulders, Elisha recognized and obeyed the summons. He “went after Elijah, and ministered unto him” (I Kings 19:21). It was no great work that was at first required of Elisha; commonplace duties still constituted his discipline. He is spoken of as pouring water on the hands of Elijah, his master. As the prophet’s personal attendant, he continued to prove faithful in little things, while with daily strengthening purpose he devoted himself to the mission appointed him by God.

When he was first summoned, his resolution had been tested. As he turned to follow Elijah he was bidden by the prophet to return home. He must count the cost—decide for himself to accept or reject the call. But Elisha understood the value of his opportunity. Not for any worldly advantage would he forgo the possibility of becoming God’s messenger, or sacrifice the privilege of association with His servant.

As time passed, and Elijah was prepared for translation, so Elisha was prepared to become his successor. And again his faith and resolution were tested. Accompanying Elijah in his round of service, knowing the change soon to come, he was at each place invited by the prophet to turn back. “Tarry here, I pray thee,” Elijah said; “for the Lord hath sent me to Bethel” (II Kings 2:2, first part). But in his early labor of guiding the plow, Elisha had learned not to fail or to become discouraged; and now that he had set his hand to the plow in another line of duty, he would not be diverted from his purpose. As often as the invitation to turn back was given, his answer was, “As the Lord liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee” (II Kings 2:2, last part).

“And they two went on. … And they two stood by Jordan. And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground. And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so. And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

“And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces. He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan; and he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the Lord God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over. And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him” (II Kings 2:6–15).

Henceforth Elisha stood in Elijah’s place. And he who had been faithful in that which was least, proved himself faithful also in much.

Elijah, the man of power, had been God’s instrument for the overthrow of gigantic evils. Idolatry, which, supported by Ahab and the heathen Jezebel, had seduced the nation, had been cast down. Baal’s prophets had been slain. The whole people of Israel had been deeply stirred, and many were returning to the worship of God. As successor to Elijah was needed one who by careful, patient instruction could guide Israel in safe paths. For this work Elisha’s early training under God’s direction had prepared him.

The lesson is for all. None can know what may be God’s purpose in His discipline; but all may be certain that faithfulness in little things is the evidence of fitness for greater responsibilities. Every act of life is a revelation of character, and he only who in small duties proves himself “a workman that needeth not to be ashamed” (II Timothy 2:15) will be honored by God with weightier trusts.

Education, 58–61.

Current Events – Catastrophes

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Choose just about any Bible prophecy that deals with signs of the end, and there will likely be a current event news item that shows its fulfillment.

The following headlines were pulled from one day’s stories on nbcnews.com. If there are any doubts about the signs of the times or the nearness of The Hour, stories like these should banish them immediately.

Four Die in Tornadoes as Storms Snarl Holiday Travel

Why Experts Say Flying is Safer Than Ever

“But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.” Daniel 12:4.

Ebola Infected Nurse Moved to London Hospital

Flu Epidemic Hits U.S. Early This year

Third Candy Maker Recalls Caramel Apples for Listeria

“For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.” Matthew 24:7.

Armed Missouri Teen Killed by Cop Aimed First, Police Say

Two-Year-Old Fatally Shoots Mom at Idaho Wal-mart

Toddler Safe After Mother and Father Are Found Dead

“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God.” II Timothy 3:1-4.

The following headlines were pulled from stories on huffingtonpost.com.

Pope Francis Appeal Was Key in U.S.-Cuba Thaw

Pope Confirms U.S. Trip

Pope Francis Prays in Turkey’s Blue Mosque

Pope Francis Wades Back Into Mideast Turmoil

“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.” Revelation 13:3.

Though the following headlines are not necessarily a fulfillment of any specific prophecy, together they clearly show the worldwide turmoil that exists today and the unsettled nature of civilization and even of life itself.

Mother Dies After Falling From Ski Lift at Resort

Popocatepetl Volcano Explodes

Greece Sends Navy After Ship Issues Distress Call

Monarch Butterfly Eyed for Endangered Species Protection

How God’s children long for Christ to return soon to gather His saints and put an end to the havoc that the enemy of souls has vested upon this world.

“He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.” Revelation 22:20.

Two Gates

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Reader, step back a few paces, and study these gates.

One of them stands upon a rugged hilltop. It is a “strait gate.” Above its arch gleam the momentous words, “UNTO LIFE.” They are words of intense import to mankind; words of meaning unfathomable to human readers. They open a vista without bounds, into the eternal future.

The road leading to the gateway is “narrow,” rough, steep in some places. It winds through dense thickets of test and trial; through close tangles of struggle and effort; through gloomy clusters of pain and sorrow; through thick patches of attempts at well-doing and sad failures; through dark clumps of sudden, thoughtless yielding to evil.

And yet, it is a way of such influence, such uplift that at every mile the traveler may make headway in moral power, in mental might, in spiritual force. But at every step, effort of a high type is in demand. Before the gate is reached, there is call for the traveler’s supreme endeavor, for his utmost steadfastness, for character true, unfeigned, uncounterfeited.

But the gateway gained, success unimaginable awaits him; for it opens into LIFE — life real, life nobler, more potent, more blessed, than we can now conceive. “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.” I Corinthians 2:9.

Moreover, notwithstanding the disheartening thickets, tangles, and patches, this ascending roadway contains remarkable attractions. Here and there may be plucked the exquisite flowers of patience, gentleness, kindliness, and that royal bloom faith, opening out daily more regal, more radiant, as the struggler approaches the gateway.

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good testimony. By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

“By faith Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts; and through it he being dead still speaks.

“By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, ‘and was not found, because God had taken him’; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

“By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

“By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

“By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised. Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude—innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.

“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.

“By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, ‘In Isaac your seed shall be called,’ concluding that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense.

“By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.

“By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, and worshiped, leaning on the top of his staff.

“By faith Joseph, when he was dying, made mention of the departure of the children of Israel, and gave instructions concerning his bones.

“By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s command.

“By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.

“By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he who destroyed the firstborn should touch them.

“By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned.

“By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days. By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace.

“And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again.

“Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented—of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.

“And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.” Hebrews 11:1–40.

Then, too, this narrow, arduous avenue to the hilltop is bountifully lighted by day and by night. From those two short words glowing over the gateway, streams a glory, a splendor, which illuminates even the starting point, at the busy valley in the distance. Less brilliant at the starting point, the light deepens, intensifies, as the climber urges his feet toward the realm of peace, of glory, of beatitude, inside the gate.

The Wide Gate

At the other gate one’s interest does not wane, but changes, differs immensely. The circumstances vary vastly. The conditions are the reverse. Instead of a cheering, animating ascent from the beginning of the roadway thereto, there is a slope, a descent, an incline, steep at some points, with never an upward trend. The way is broad and alluring, but halts, ceases at a large, open, inviting gateway, closed neither night nor day. “Wide is the gate, and broad is the way,” are the words that fell from the lips of the divine Master during that matchless sermon delivered on a mountainside.

Two words, as in the other case, but fearfully suggestive in their import, are inscribed above this gate, “To Destruction.” Sufficient light illumines them to publish to the crowding, urging multitude which throngs that way, its certain danger.

Strive to Enter In

Many in that doomed company never heed these startling words. Scores do not even glance at them. Hundreds fail to realize that, when a thing reaches “destruction,” that ends its existence. Thousands of uninstructed believers in intrinsic immortality assured that the term means simply death — the ending only of the present phase of being, and the stepping out upon another and higher plane of existence — rush on to the absolute total extinguishment of life.

When Christ, the mightiest of human word painters, touched the first gate, 1900 years ago, with His brush of fadeless dyes, He left gleaming above it the stimulating, encouraging sentence, “STRIVE to enter in at the strait gate” (Luke 13:24), thus publishing to all the race with which He had allied Himself, the inspiring possibility of entering thereat.

Nor was this needless urgency, nor prodigal use of counsel. While Christ knew that eternal LIFE is the gift of God through faith in the Saviour’s great sacrifice of Himself, yet He well understood that winning the imperial prize would cost man’s utmost efforts at upright living, at that most remunerative of all work—character building: Therefore He added His reason for the advice—“Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, that leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:14). [Emphasis added.]

Every day there may be seen many illustrations of the fact that before the vast assembly of mankind, are set forth numerous attractive prizes, true recompenses, worthy compensations, for noble striving, for arduous endeavor in the race of life; and yet, how few, compared with the vast multitude of men and women, make the effort absolutely necessary to attain the regal climax, to reach the acme of the struggle!

This lamentable fact also Christ well understood; and hence with gracious forethought, mercy, and love He gave to every person before whose eyes or into whose ears the momentous words should fall, the ringing advice and warning: “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat.” (Matthew 7:13).

In this great trial day, when millions of our rushing race seems to take no thought for the final consequence of conduct, these salutary words might well be set up before the doorway of every home, and in all byways and highways for human feet.

But how shall one hold himself in the narrow way, that he may enter the strait gate and find LIFE? The word of God contains countless directions for securing this supreme result. Notice a few of them.

Proverbs 3:1, 3, 23: “My son, … let thine heart keep My commandments: … bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart. … Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble.” Proverbs 7:1-3: “My son, … keep My commandments, and LIVE. … Bind them upon thy fingers, write them upon the table of thine heart.”

Moses, the “friend of God,” in his masterful review, before Israel’s great host, of the laws, statutes, and commandments which God delivered to him on Sinai, urged them with intense fervor, to obey these laws that they might LIVE. “Thou shalt … talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way. … Thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes” (Deuteronomy 6:7, 8).

No safer policy of life insurance can man carry, in these stressful days, than the unswerving resolution to live out daily the straight principles of the Word of God. “That thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey His voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto Him: for He is thy LIFE, and the length of thy days” (Deuteronomy 30:20).

The Signs of the Times, March 6, 1911.

Separation from God

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“But Zion said, ‘The Lord has forsaken me, and my Lord has forgotten me.’

“ ‘Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; your walls are continually before Me.’ ”

Isaiah 49:14–16

You may be old enough to remember when automobiles had what were called “bench seats” in the front as well as in the back. Most pick-up trucks still do, but most sedans now have bucket seats instead of bench seats in the front.

Well, back in the day when bench seats were the norm in sedans, a story was told about a couple who had been married for several years. One day as they were driving along, the wife said to the husband, “When we were first married, we used to sit right next to each other. We don’t do that anymore. You’re over there, and I’m way over here.” The husband thought a moment, then replied, “I’m still sitting where I always did.”

The purpose of this story is to illustrate how a relationship can change over time if all parties in the relationship don’t work to maintain it.

In our walk along the narrow way, there are many side roads that frequently appear … diversions that Satan throws in the way to separate us from our loving Father. The enemy of souls exercises continual effort to get us to move over—to slide across the bench seat and distance ourselves from the loving arms with which God seeks to envelope us.

In Romans 8:35, Paul asks, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?”

Then a few verses later, Paul answers that question:

“For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38, 39.

If we take these texts to mean exactly what they say, it should be obvious that God’s love for us is omnipresent. It is always available to us. The problem is that we allow the vicissitudes of our daily lives—the ups and downs—to cause us to move away from the driver’s side closer to the window and create a breach between us and our Father.

That is why it is so imperative that we do two things … two simple things that will help us to stay in a close, loving relationship with our Father.

First, we need to make a habit of daily study of His word. Each day we need to make the teachings of God’s word the rule and guide of our lives. We need to seek to learn the full meaning of the words of truth and to drink deeply of the spirit of the holy oracles.

In The Bible Echo, October 1, 1892, is this statement:

“In the word of God is contained everything essential to the perfecting of the man of God. It is like a treasure-house full of valuable and precious stores; but we do not appreciate its riches, nor realize the necessity of equipping ourselves with the treasures of truth. We do not realize the great necessity of searching the Scriptures for ourselves. Many neglect their study in order to pursue some worldly interest, or to indulge in some passing pleasure. A trifling affair is made an excuse for ignorance of the Scriptures.”

The second thing we need to do to strengthen our connection with God is to remember how His loving hand has moved in our lives in the past. Inspiration terms it this way:

“We should ever recount our blessings. We should gather them together and hang them in memory’s hall.” The Review and Herald, March 26, 1889.

When Satan attempts to cast his hellish shadow over us to separate us from the love of God, we will have two weapons to refute his efforts—two sources of light with which to dispel his shadow:

  1. The precious promises in His word.
  2. The memories of how His loving hand has moved in our life in the past.

“God help us that we may hang memory’s hall all through with the rich promises of God, that when Satan shall come to cast his hellish shadow between us and the source of our strength we may just be armed; we have got the memorials all surrounding us—barricaded with the promises—and we can say, ‘Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation’ (Habakkuk 3:17, 18).” Sermons and Talks, Book 1, 133.

If we follow this counsel, memory’s hall will be replete with the promises in God’s word that we have stored up from our studies, and with the many, many times that He has fulfilled those promises in our daily life. Embellishments will include His providences and His blessings that our spiritual vision, sharpened by the exercise of faith, has discerned countless times.

If we are faithful and determined to commit ourselves to this practice, we will find that the distance between ourselves and our loving Father becomes less and less, rather than greater and greater. Then, truly, “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6.

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.

The Last Three Heavenly Celebrations

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There are seven celebrations associated with the major events in the development of the new covenant from the time it was instituted in the Garden of Eden to the complete restoration of the Kingdom of Glory after the millennium. They occurred or will occur as follows:

  1. At the institution of the new covenant at the fall of man
  2. At the birth of Christ
  3. At the ascension of Jesus to open the sanctuary of the new covenant
  4. At the wedding of the Lamb
  5. At the second coming and the wedding banquet
  6. At the final coronation of Christ
  7. At the restoration of the kingdom of glory

The people of God do not attend any of the first four celebrations but they do attend the last three.

An article on the first four celebrations appeared in LandMarks (August 2014) entitled “Heavenly Celebrations.”

  • The Fifth Celebration – The literal wedding banquet

The fifth celebration is the literal wedding banquet and not the spiritual banquet. The wedding of the lamb takes place in heaven while we are here on earth, but a little later we will attend the wedding banquet in heaven.

The fifth celebration, the literal wedding banquet, follows soon after the wedding of the Lamb, but there are some things that take place between these two events.

  1. the death decree
  2. the time of Jacob’s trouble
  3. the date set to kill God’s people
  4. the deliverance of God’s people
  5. the beginning of plagues 5, 6 and 7
  6. the wonderful display of the 10 commandments in the sky
  7. the announcement of the day and hour of the coming of Christ

All of these things take place between the wedding of the Lamb in heaven and the time when the saints go to the wedding banquet.

In Matthew 8:11, Jesus says, “I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.” Then again in Luke 22:30 Jesus says, “That you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” Here it says that the wedding banquet takes place in heaven.

“Having received the kingdom [at the wedding], He [Jesus] 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 Great Controversy, 427. This also states the order in which these take place. The wedding takes place in which Jesus receives the title, King of Kings, then comes the second coming and the marriage supper.

It says in Revelation 19:7: “Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready.” This is all explained in The Great Controversy, 426. The wedding is the reception of Christ of His kingdom and the bride is the holy city.

In Revelation 19:9, it says, “Then the angel said to me, ‘Write this: “Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” ’ ” Those invited to the wedding supper are the faithful saints and those raised in the first resurrection.

Here are some details that lead up to the great celebration of the wedding banquet which we need to understand so that we can be prepared for what is happening.

In The Great Controversy, 640, it says, “The voice of God is heard from heaven, declaring the day and hour of Jesus’ coming, and delivering the everlasting covenant to His people. Like peals of loudest thunder His words roll through the earth. The Israel of God stand listening, with their eyes fixed upward. …

“Soon there appears in the east a small black cloud, about half the size of a man’s hand. It is the cloud which surrounds the Saviour and which seems in the distance to be shrouded in darkness.”

In Revelation 19:11, 14, we are told that this cloud is made up of Christ and the angels. “I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice He judges and makes war. … The armies of heaven were following Him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean.” The Great Controversy, 641, says, “Jesus rides forth as a mighty conqueror.” Jesus is coming to fight the battle of Armageddon and to deliver the saints from the control of Satan.

“With anthems of celestial melody the holy angels, a vast, unnumbered throng, attend Him on His way. The firmament seems filled with radiant forms—‘ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands.’ … ‘His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of His praise. And His brightness was as the light’ (Habakkuk 3:3, 4). As the living cloud comes still nearer, every eye beholds the Prince of life. … a diadem of glory rests on His holy brow. His countenance outshines the dazzling brightness of the noonday sun.”

Christ’s countenance will be brighter than the sun which we cannot look upon now but at that time Jesus will somehow change our eyes so we can look upon Him. This is why the wicked are going to want to hide from His face.

Ellen G. White continues, “ ‘And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, King of kings, and Lord of lords’ (Revelation 19:16).” Ibid.

Christ, (the KING of kings), the Ancient of Days, and the whole universe come to gather the saints to take them to the wedding banquet with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

“Amid the reeling of the earth, the flash of lightning, and the roar of thunder, the voice of the Son of God calls forth the sleeping saints. He looks upon the graves of the righteous, then, raising His hands to heaven, He cries: ‘Awake, awake, awake, ye that sleep in the dust, and arise!’ Throughout the length and breadth of the earth the dead shall hear that voice, and they that hear shall live. … And the living righteous and the risen saints unite their voices in a long, glad shout of victory.” Ibid., 644.

May we all be faithful so we can have a part in that “long, glad shout of victory.”

On page 645, it says, “The living righteous are changed ‘in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye’ (I Corinthians 15:52). At the voice of God they were glorified; now they are made immortal and with the risen saints are caught up to meet their Lord in the air. …

“On each side of the cloudy chariot are wings, and beneath it are living wheels; and as the chariot rolls upward, the wheels cry, ‘Holy’ and the wings, as they move, cry, ‘Holy’ and the retinue of angels (the armies of heaven) cry, ‘Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty’ And the redeemed shout, ‘Alleluia!’ as the chariot moves onward toward the New Jerusalem [to the wedding banquet].

“Before entering the City of God, the Saviour bestows upon His followers the emblems of victory and invests them with the insignia of their royal state [as kings and priests]. … Throughout the unnumbered host of the redeemed every glance is fixed upon Him, every eye beholds His glory whose ‘visage was so marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men’ (Isaiah 52:14). Upon the heads of the overcomers, Jesus with His own right hand places the crown of glory. For each there is a crown, bearing his own ‘new name’ (Revelation 2:17), and the inscription, ‘Holiness to the Lord.’ [Their sins have been confessed and repented of and have been blotted out.] In every hand are placed the victor’s palm and the shining harp.”

Notice what happens next when all receive their harp:

“Then, as the commanding angels strike the note, every hand sweeps the harp strings with skillful touch, awaking sweet music in rich, melodious strains. Rapture unutterable thrills every heart, and each voice is raised in grateful praise: ‘Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father; to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever’ (Revelation 1:5, 6).” Ibid., 645, 646.

The following is a message that can be shared with everyone. This is what all can enjoy if they will separate from sin now.

Notice the timing in the following statement in Early Writings, 19, 20: “Soon we heard His lovely voice again, saying, ‘Come, My people, you have come out of great tribulation, and done My will; suffered for Me; come in to supper, for I will gird Myself, and serve you.’ We shouted, ‘Alleluia! glory!’ and entered into the city. And I saw a table of pure silver; it was many miles in length, yet our eyes could extend over it. I saw the fruit of the tree of life, the manna, almonds, figs, pomegranates, grapes, and many other kinds of fruit.” [Emphasis added.]

Such is the celebration connected with the coming of Christ “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’ (Matthew 8:11), at His table in His kingdom to partake of the marriage supper of the Lamb.” The Great Controversy, 427.

We do not want to miss this celebration because it is the only one that takes place in heaven that we attend. The next two are attended on earth.

  • The Sixth Celebration – The Final Coronation of Christ

After the wedding banquet is finished, the work of the sentencing phase of the judgment begins. Revelation 20:4 says, “I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. … They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” Verse 6 says, “Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.”

“During the thousand years between the first and the second resurrection the judgment of the wicked takes place. … At this time the righteous reign as kings and priests unto God. John in the Revelation says: ‘I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them.’ ‘They shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years’ (Revelation 20:4, 6). It is at this time that, as foretold by Paul, ‘the saints shall judge the world’ (I Corinthians 6:2). In union with Christ they judge the wicked, comparing their acts with the statute book, the Bible, and deciding every case according to the deeds done in the body. Then the portion which the wicked must suffer is meted out, according to their works; and it is recorded against their names in the book of death.” The Great Controversy, 660, 661.

“Satan also and evil angels are judged by Christ and His people. Says Paul: ‘Know ye not that we shall judge angels’ (I Corinthians 6:3)? And Jude declares that ‘the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, He hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day’ (Jude 6).” Ibid., 661.

Revelation 20:7–9, first part, says, “When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth … to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city He loves.”

This is the second resurrection. In this resurrection are all whose names are NOT found written in the Lamb’s Book of Life – men, women, and children. Satan and the fallen angels are with this group. They are fully prepared for the attack, just waiting for the order from Satan to begin. But the order is never given.

Suddenly a great white throne appears high above the Holy City. John describes it in Revelation 20:11: “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from His presence, and there was no place for them.”

The glory and grandeur of the scene is beyond description.

“Now Christ again appears to the view of His enemies. Far above the city, upon a foundation of burnished gold, is a throne, high and lifted up. Upon this throne sits the Son of God, and around Him are the subjects of His kingdom. The power and majesty of Christ no language can describe, no pen portray. The glory of the Eternal Father is enshrouding His Son. The brightness of His presence fills the City of God, and flows out beyond the gates, flooding the whole earth with its radiance.

“Nearest the throne are those who were once zealous in the cause of Satan, but who, plucked as brands from the burning, have followed their Savior with deep, intense devotion. Next are those who perfected Christian characters in the midst of falsehood and infidelity, those who honored the law of God when the Christian world declared it void, and the millions, of all ages, who were martyred for their faith. And beyond is the ‘great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, … before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands’ (Revelation 7:9). Their warfare is ended, their victory won. They have run the race and reached the prize. The palm branch in their hands is a symbol of their triumph, the white robe an emblem of the spotless righteousness of Christ which now is theirs.” The Great Controversy, 665.

The Bible describes this scene in Revelation 7:9–17. It is the description of the saints on the great golden platform above the city after the millennium.

Following is a description from The Great Controversy, 665, of the celebration that takes place at this time:

“The redeemed raise a song of praise that echoes and re-echoes through the vaults of heaven: ‘Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb’ (Revelation 7:10). And angel and seraph unite their voices in adoration. … In all that shining throng there are none to ascribe salvation to themselves, as if they had prevailed by their own power and goodness. Nothing is said of what they have done or suffered; but the burden of every song, the keynote of every anthem, is: Salvation to our God and unto the Lamb.”

Never in the whole history of the great controversy has there been a celebration like this. It is the first time, the last time, and the only time, that every being that was ever created will be together in the same place at the same time.

Above the city, with the Father and the Son, are the redeemed and all of the heavenly host. Below them, surrounding the city, are Satan, the fallen angels and the host of the wicked awaiting their sentences to be handed down by the King of kings. At this event the final coronation of Christ takes place.

“In the presence of the assembled inhabitants of earth and heaven the final coronation of the Son of God takes place.” The Great Controversy, 666.

The first official act in His new position is to pronounce sentence upon the rebels. These were the sentences decided during the thousand years between the two resurrections.

“And now, invested with supreme majesty and power, the King of kings pronounces sentence upon the rebels against His government and executes justice upon those who have transgressed His law and oppressed His people.” Ibid.

This same scene is described by the disciple John in Revelation 20:11, 12 KJV. “I saw a great white throne, and Him that 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 (sentenced) out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.”

Now the sentences are executed. Revelation 20:9, last part, 14, 15, say: “But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. … Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.”

The investigative judgment is going on in heaven and now is the time to make sure our names are retained in the book of life.

Verse 10 says, “And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”

The Great Controversy, 672, 673 says, “ ‘Upon the wicked He shall rain quick burning coals, fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup’ (Isaiah 9:5; 34:2; Psalm 11:6, margin). Fire comes down from God out of heaven. The earth is broken up. The weapons concealed in its depths are drawn forth. Devouring flames burst from every yawning chasm. The very rocks are on fire. The day has come that shall burn as an oven. The elements melt with fervent heat, the earth also, and the works that are therein are burned up. Malachi 4:1; II Peter 3:10. The earth’s surface seems one molten mass—a vast, seething lake of fire. It is the time of the judgment and perdition of ungodly men—‘the day of the Lord’s vengeance, and the year of recompenses for the controversy of Zion’ (Isaiah 34:8).”

Such is the sixth celebration in the plan of salvation and the final coronation of Christ and the eradication of sin under the new covenant. The wicked that were surrounding the city are gone, they are no more.

  • The Seventh Celebration—The Kingdom of Glory Restored

The object of the whole plan of salvation is to restore the moral image of God in man that we may be restored to the Kingdom of glory. This is what we need to share with others, the goal of the plan of salvation and why Christ died on the cross. This is the final event of the new covenant.

In Revelation 21:1–5, John says, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and He will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’ He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’ ”

“Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.” Revelation 22:1, 2.

What a wonderful privilege it will be to eat from that tree and never die. What a glorious message we have to share.

“No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and His servants will serve Him. They will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads.” Verses 3, 4.

Today, nobody can look upon the Father, or else they would be instantly destroyed. But in the new paradise, we are friends, and because we will be immortal we will be able to talk to God the Father. What a wonderful change God makes in us to be able to see His face and abide in His presence forever.

“There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.” Verse 5.

We do not now understand how to think in terms of “never ending,” but in the new earth it will be a reality and we will then understand.

“And the years of eternity, as they roll, will bring richer and still more glorious revelations of God and of Christ. As knowledge is progressive, so will love, reverence, and happiness increase. The more men learn of God, the greater will be their admiration of His character. As Jesus opens before them the riches of redemption and the amazing achievements in the great controversy with Satan, the hearts of the ransomed thrill with more fervent devotion, and with more rapturous joy they sweep the harps of gold; and ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands of voices unite to swell the mighty chorus of praise.” The Great Controversy, 678.

“And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.” Revelation 5:13 KJV.

At every celebration, Christ is the center of attention—the center of the new covenant. It is Christ and God the Father that receive all the glory and honor from all creation. As the years of eternity roll, They continue to receive praise, honor and glory for executing the plan of redemption through Christ and His ministry in the sanctuary of the new covenant.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16.

(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 pastors or Bible workers. 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.

The Final Letter

by

Have you ever received a letter from someone that you knew would be their last? It may be that they were dying and had something important to say while they still could write.

Back in the days of the Civil War, among my wife’s relatives, was a man in the Union Army who was captured by the Confederate forces. In retaliation for the Union’s having killed one of their prominent soldiers, he was told that he would be executed. The date was set and the night before he was to be executed he was allowed to write one last letter to his family.

There are several letters in the Bible that were the last testament of the writers. The apostle John, while a prisoner, banished to the Island of Patmos, wrote the book of Revelation. He was totally separated, living with criminals and did not expect to ever be reunited with his family or his church again. While in his lonely state, the Lord gave him visions and dreams which he recorded as his last will and testament to be sent to the church he loved. Although it cannot be absolutely proven, it appears that John’s work was really the last book of the Bible that was written. It has been placed at the very end of the Bible and concludes the inspired record that God gave to man.

The Greek word for revelation is apocalypse, meaning something that is revealed. The Roman Catholic Bible as well as some other Bibles call the book The Apocalypse.

It has been said that the book of Revelation puts the finishing touches on a perfect book that reveals to man the eternal purpose of the Most High. It is the capstone of divine revelation and inspiration. Almost everything that you read in the Apocalypse can be traced to some other part of the Bible. The book of Revelation is a special book for people who are living in the last days and because we are living in that time period it is a book that requires us to give it special attention. The Lord is in the process of opening up to us more truth from this book than we have ever understood before, but new truth cannot be understood unless first there is an understanding of the old truth.

More than two-thirds of all the verses in the book of Revelation are either a paraphrase or direct quotation from the Old Testament. In fact, in the first five chapters of the book, the Old Testament is referred to or quoted 85 times. It is not only a conclusion, but it is a summary of what the Lord has already told us in both the Old and New Testaments.

Every subject from the word of God has a seed that can be found in the book of Genesis. Martin Luther made a special study of Genesis and preached on the book every day for a whole year. Genesis is like a prologue to the whole Bible. In the first two chapters there is a description of paradise and the third chapter describes how it was lost because of sin.

The book of Revelation is like an epilogue or conclusion to the whole Bible. The last two chapters reveal a picture of paradise restored. It would be well to read them often. Revelation 20 makes it clear that not everyone from this world will be in the paradise restored. Revelation chapters 21 and 22 describe a place where there is no sin and no sinners.

In The Acts of the Apostles, 585, it says, “In the Revelation, all the books of the Bible meet and end.” Throughout the book of Revelation we find all of the different symbols, types, shadows, figures, and fundamental principles of the Bible recapitulated. It embodies in itself, in a short space, the entire volume of the Scriptures. Revelation is a book that is written specifically for the last generation to prepare them for the second coming of Christ. If you are not ready for that event, you need to begin an intense study of the book, which is not only a revelation but words of prophecy. (See Revelation 1:3.) Revelation 22:18 and 19 also talk about “the words of the prophecy of this book.”

Prophecy is history that is written in advance. The book of Revelation has several singularities. It is the only book in the Bible that begins with a blessing to anyone who will read it. Revelation 1:3 says, “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it.” Incidentally, as well as the blessing at the beginning of the book, there is a benediction at the end. “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.” Revelation 22:21.

Though it is true that Revelation is the only book with a blessing at the beginning and benediction at the end, it is very unfortunate that few know anything about.

We are living in the last days, and this book was especially written for today. Yet it is little understood. In fact, many Christians don’t understand anything at all about it. Many people believe it to be a sealed book and not able to be understood. For that reason they do not even read it. But how much has the church lost because of neglecting its study? In addition to a blessing that’s pronounced on those who read and keep what is written there, the most severe threatenings in all the Bible are also pronounced, of which we must be aware.

It is not the purpose of God to scare, curse, or hurt anyone, but the book of Revelation makes it very clear that we live in a moral universe and there are consequences for doing what is wrong. The book ends with a threat to anyone who tampers with its message. “For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.” Revelation 22:18, 19. The original text reads that God would take away from him his part from the tree of life. Notice that we are warned not to add anything to this book.

There have indeed been attempts to add to the books of the Bible. For instance, the history of Susanna, the song of the three holy children and the story of Bel and the dragon were all added to the book of Daniel. Scholars said they were not actually written by Daniel and were apocryphal, false books.

At one time, it was proposed to include in the New Testament a letter called the Epistle of Barnabas. Barnabas was an associate with the apostle Paul. There were some early church leaders that believed that the Epistle of Barnabas was a canonical book. But when studied very carefully it was found to be written by an unknown fictitious author and not the associate of the apostle Paul. This caused a huge problem for the church.

There were some letters that surfaced in New Testament times that afterward claimed to be written by the apostle Peter, but a careful study of those letters revealed that they were not written by him at all. All theologians, both Catholic and Protestant, agree that the apostle Peter wrote the books of first and second Peter that are recorded in the Bible and that the other letters claiming Peter’s authorship are called pseudepigrapha, which means false writings that claim to be from the apostles.

The early church had a problem with some who claimed to be apostles who wrote something and put an apostle’s name on it. Every letter the apostle Paul wrote was signed a certain way so that the people would know if it was from him. God knew that it would be imperative for future generations to know the doctrines. Therefore, right at the end of the Holy Scriptures is the admonition that if anyone adds or subtracts from the Word, He would deal with them in the most severe way. A curse would be added and blessing would be subtracted. This is not to be taken lightly.

The book of Revelation is one that should be looked at with reverence and awe. It does not need to have anything added to it; it does not need to have anything subtracted from it. A problem mankind has had down through the ages is wanting to add to what God has said, which is fanaticism, or wanting to subtract from what God has said, which is apostasy.

In Revelation 1:1 we are told where this book came from: “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him.” God the Father is the source of this information. Because of sin the people of this world cannot communicate directly with God the Father. Jesus said in John 14:6, “No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Jesus Christ is the spokes-person between God the Father and this world. “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He (Jesus Christ) sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John.” This is not just any angel. If you study the book of Daniel you know that in heaven there are millions and millions of angels around the throne of God. Daniel said in chapter seven there were ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands, which would be one hundred million plus many other millions. Of all the millions of angels, there is a certain angel that is the angel of Jesus Christ. It is this angel that He sends to His servants the prophets. And we know this angel’s name, because this very same angel was sent to the prophet Daniel.

Daniel 9:21 says, “Yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, reached me about the time of the evening offering.” The angel is Gabriel. His name means the mighty one of God. Gabriel spoke to Daniel again in Daniel 10. And notice what he says to him in Daniel 10:21: “But I will tell you what is noted in the Scripture of Truth. No one upholds me (stands with me) against these except Michael your prince.” Michael means the One who is like God. It is another name for Jesus Christ. Gabriel said the only other person that is with me in this affair is Jesus Christ. This one, Gabriel, is His angel. His name is also mentioned in the New Testament. In Luke 1:19 it says, “And the angel answered and said to him, ‘I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings.’ ”

If you are saved, the time is coming soon when you will get to meet Gabriel, the mighty one of God. This is the angel that descended from heaven early Sunday morning on the day of the resurrection and said, “Son of God, Your Father calls You.” And when he said that, Jesus arose.

Gabriel was the one sent from heaven to give to the disciple John these visions and revelations that he wrote down in this book. At least four times the writer simply designates himself as John. In Revelation 1:9 he says, “I, John… .” He refers to himself that way also in the end of the book in Revelation 22:8 “I, John … .” John did not need to make any other reference, as the people knew who he was. There was no other John who was that well known. Similarly, the apostle Paul just needed to say, “I’m Paul,” and the people knew who he was. The early church did not question who was the author of this book. They agreed that it was John the apostle.

For many years there has been a disagreement as to when the book was written. Some have believed that it was written during the terrible time of the persecution of the Christians by Nero. However, that is not the opinion of the majority. There is the testimony of several early Christian church fathers who testify that the book was written during the 14th year of Domitian. Domitian was a Roman Emperor who ruled the Roman Empire from A.D. 81 to A.D. 96. The study of these Roman Emperors is a great help in understanding some of the things we find in the New Testament, which includes the book of Revelation.

Before Domitian, there was a Roman Emperor in the late 30’s, early 40’s called Claudius. Before that time, the people believed that the Roman Emperor was a representative of God and when he died, he became divine. But Claudius asserted that no one needed to wait till he was dead to think that he was divine. He claimed to be divine while still living. And he therefore commanded the people to worship him.

At that time before A.D. 40, this command did not cause a lot of trouble for the Christians because the Christian church was still small. But Domitian, the second Roman Emperor who openly proclaimed to be divine, commanded the people to worship him, creating a big problem for the Christians who refused. They could give respect and honor to the Roman Emperor, but never kneel down and worship him as a god. Christians have one God. Paul says we have “One God and Father of all.” Ephesians 4:6. We have one Lord, Jesus Christ.

As a young man I heard a preacher speak about some things in the Roman Empire. He mentioned that many American cities are patterned after Roman cities. In the middle of the county seat there is a courthouse and a square around the courthouse. In the middle of these Roman cities an altar would be erected, a fire would be lit in it, and then everybody in town would be commanded to get in line and pass by the altar. All that was required as they passed the fire was to take a little pinch of incense and throw it on the fire and say, “Kaiser es Kuriors” which is Greek for “Caesar is lord.” In this way they were able to spot the Christians so that they could be killed. A Christian would say, “Christos es Kuriors” which means, Christ is Lord. They would then be shuffled off to one side and taken to be cast to the lions, have their head chopped off, be crucified, stretched on the rack, be burned or whatever the rulers decided to do to them at that time.

When John refused to worship the emperor it was decided to kill him. He was cast into a big caldron of boiling oil. His life should have ended quickly but, miraculously, he did not die. Finally, just as it was in Nebuchadnezzar’s time when he threw the three worthies into the fiery furnace, when John was pulled out of the oil pot there was no evidence of burning. Realizing that they could not kill this man of God, it was decided to banish him. It was very common among the Romans to banish their worst criminals to desolate islands where it was impossible for them to escape. Though the Romans thought to banish him, God had another purpose. Revelation 1:9 says he was “… on the island that was called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.”

The Isle of Patmos is in the Aegean Sea and is approximately 50 miles south-west of Ephesus, which is on the southwestern tip of what we call today Turkey. Even today the island is absolutely desolate. They say there are no trees on this island and it is like being in a desert. There is a cave or grotto at a high part on one side of the island and according to long-standing tradition it was in that cave where John had his visions and wrote the book of Revelation. A few thousand people still live on the island, mostly fishermen and miners. It is believed that John was banished to work in the marble mines on the island.

Speaking to the Jewish leaders just a few days before His crucifixion, Jesus predicted that His followers would be persecuted. He said, “Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.” Matthew 23:34, 35.

This prediction was literally fulfilled. For example, the forerunner of Jesus Christ, John the Baptist was beheaded. Jesus Christ Himself was scourged and crucified. But that was just the beginning. During the first century, prominent leaders in the Christian church were aggressively persecuted. Steven was stoned. James was beheaded. Philip was scourged, imprisoned and crucified. Matthew was killed with a halberd. James the less was stoned and his brains were dashed out with a fuller’s club. Matthias was stoned at Jerusalem and then beheaded. Andrew was crucified at Odessa. Mark was dragged to pieces by an infuriated mob on the streets of Alexandria. Peter was crucified head downward at his own request. Paul was beheaded. Jude, the brother of James, and who was also called Thaddeus, was crucified. Bartholomew was beaten and crucified. Thomas was thrust through with a spear. Luke was hanged on an olive tree in Greece. Simon Zelotes was crucified in Britain. They tried to kill John the beloved by casting him into a caldron of boiling oil, but he didn’t die. So they banished him on an island. He was the only one that died a natural death. However, remember that persecution for Christ’s sake has always been a blessing in disguise.

Some people today are very troubled by this historical account. Some people say that if God is all powerful, and if He really loves us, why does He allow us to go through such terrible suffering? Some people have lost their faith in the Christian religion because of the suffering, not wanting a religion that involves suffering. Wanting a religion that is a little easier, they search and find that there are plenty of options available.

The book Foxes Book of Martyrs records the ten major pagan Roman Empire persecutions against the Christians. In spite of the fact that the Romans, as early as Nero, tried to destroy the Christians, it was during that period of time of terrible persecutions that the Christian church made its greatest growth. By the end of the first century it is estimated that there were at least 6 million Christians in the Roman Empire. That might become a little bit more meaningful if you remember that in the whole Roman Empire at that time there were only about 120 million people. Roughly 1 out of 20 people in the whole Roman Empire at that time were Christians.

When Christians were banished, they shared the lot of common prisoners. John says that he was their companion in tribulation. He had no hope of ever seeing his family, his church family, or his loved ones again. He was an elderly man by then and thought he would die on the island, never expecting that he would be given an opportunity to return home and that the book he wrote would be his last will and testament.

Suddenly, on September 18, A.D. 96, Domitian, the emperor who claimed that he was God, was assassinated. As soon as the new emperor, Nerva, came to power, he set all the prisoners who had refused to worship the emperor free. John was also set free. At a time when you think that everything is lost and your life is so dark and awful, when you commit your way to God, He can turn everything around, and sometimes it can happen quite suddenly.

The book of Revelation, written by God’s faithful servant while a prisoner on the lonely island, comes to us from heaven. It comes with a blessing on anybody who will read it and keep what it says. Much of the most wonderful literature and music written was during very trying times. The Bible has many examples of this.

While he was in exile, Jacob, in his extremity, finally found God. In fact, he was so transformed by the experience he had during that 20 year period that the Lord changed his name. He said, You will no longer be called Jacob. You are going to be called a prince of God.

Then there was Joseph, exiled from his family to be a slave, never to see his family again, he thought. During that time of exile, God so transformed his character that he became a saviour of his nation and of the whole world at that time. Ellen White says that Joseph is a type of Christ.

Moses was a fugitive after killing a man. After 40 years enduring poverty in a strange land, God used him to deliver his people from the mighty nation of Egypt and write the books of Genesis and Job.

David was a fugitive fleeing from cave to cave to escape the wrath of Saul. It was during the time that he was on the run and scared for his life that he produced some of his best and most spiritual psalms.

It was while he was fleeing from the wrath of Jezebel, in a mountain cave, that Elijah heard the still small voice of God giving him directions to finish his ministry on earth. Today he is alive in heaven.

Ezekiel and Daniel both wrote from their captivity. Daniel had been separated from his family as a young man and was never allowed to return.

It has happened that way since Bible times, too. The most popular Bible versions during the Protestant Reformation were the English translation by Tyndale and the German translation by Martin Luther. These men produced their translations while fugitives, fleeing from the wrath and power of the papal Roman Empire. Approximately ninety percent of the King James Version is directly from Tyndale’s translation.

The book Pilgrims Progress was written by John Bunyan while he was incarcerated in an English jail because of his professed Christianity. That book has led multitudes of young people to Jesus Christ and the Christian religion. Then there was a woman by the name of Ellen White, who just before the turn of the 20th century, while in Australia, suffered terribly for months, day and night, because of rheumatoid arthritis. By then she was already a widow and in her pain and suffering she produced one of the greatest masterpieces that has ever been written on the life of Jesus Christ, The Desire of Ages.

Don’t give up and lose your faith because of the suffering you are going through. Commit your life to God. Say, “Lord, what do you want me to learn from this? What do you want me to do as a result of this experience that would be a blessing to my fellow men?” The Lord wants to deliver you. The book of Revelation makes it very clear that the pain and suffering that we’re going through in this world is all temporary. For the Christian, there is coming a time when there will be no more pain. Soon the things that cause us grief will end and a wonderful new future will be opened up to those who are faithful.

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

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

Editorial – The Church Triumphant

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Every true believer is a part of the body of Christ. “The gracious promises are given to His church, and if you have taken the steps requisite in conversion, if you have made open confession of Christ, you are a part of the body of Christ, a part of His great whole.” The Upward Look, 312.

We are told: “Watch ye therefore: … lest coming suddenly He find you sleeping.” Mark 13:35, 36.

“Judgment must begin at the house of God.” I Peter 4:17.

“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and He shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you.” Acts 3:19, 20.

“As the books of record are opened in the judgment, the lives of all who have believed on Jesus come in review before God. Beginning with those who first lived upon the earth, our Advocate presents the cases of each successive generation, and closes with the living. Every name is mentioned, every case closely investigated. Names are accepted, names rejected. When any have sins remaining upon the books of record, unrepented of and unforgiven, their names will be blotted out of the book of life, and the record of their good deeds will be erased from the book of God’s remembrance.” The Great Controversy, 483.

“He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels.” Revelation 3:5.

“In those days, and in that time, saith the Lord, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found.” Jeremiah 50:20.

“… that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.” Ephesians 5:27. [ The church triumphant ]

“Watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.” Mark 13:33. “If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.” Revelation 3:3.