Lifestyle – Air-Sweet Blessing

And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.” Genesis 1:6–8. The area immediately above the planet, known as the atmosphere, was created on the second day, and it is made up of approximately 78 percent nitrogen, 21 percent oxygen and 1 percent other gasses. It is within this atmosphere that we live and breathe. Above the atmosphere are the planets, stars, and unnumbered galaxies, and somewhere within this great expanse of God’s creation is heaven.

God continued to speak the rest of our world into existence, and His crowning act was the creation of man. Man was not spoken into existence as was the rest of creation, but God formed him of the dust of the ground. It was with His very hands that He lovingly made man. After this act of love, God Himself initiated the first breath by breathing into Adam’s nostrils the breath of life, and he became a living soul (Genesis 2:7). Man can survive for weeks without food and days without water, but only minutes without breathing the oxygen which surrounds the world.

Every body function that is carried on is directly related to the life of the cells, which are the basic units of every part of the body. Without oxygen, cells die within three to four minutes. Not only will cells die when there is no oxygen, but they do not perform well, are damaged, and disease can result. It is critical to make sure there is plenty of fresh air in the work place, in the home and in the bedroom while sleeping at night.

The energy required for the body to function comes from the breakdown and utilization of the food we eat, and that food is not properly utilized when there is inadequate oxygen. When food is broken down, glucose is formed and stored for quick utilization by the body. In an oxygen rich environment, each molecule of glucose will produce approximately 36 molecules of ATP (adenosine triphosphate), the molecule used by the body for energy. When the body is working to produce energy in the absence of adequate oxygen, only two molecules of ATP are created from glucose. Is it any wonder that we feel tired if we are lacking in oxygen?

In order to have adequate oxygen available for cellular health and use, there must be good circulation. “Perfect health requires perfect circulation.” The Ministry of Healing, 293. “The life of the flesh is in the blood.” Leviticus 17:11. Without oxygen-rich blood circulating freely to every cell in the body, perfect health is just a fleeting dream and cannot be attained.

Heath – Is Soy Dangerous?

We have heard people say, “Watch out for soy.” “Soy will cause this, that, and the other thing,” and “If you are eating soy, you will have some very bad things happen to you.” There are some websites that give information that sounds very good, causing people to wonder about soy and soy products.

Most of the negative allegations ultimately come from one or two sources, and are written by four people who are very anti-soy. At least two of these people have PhD degrees, which lends credibility to their claims. But let’s look at some of their allegations.

  1. Accusation: Soy causes infertility.

Soy has been used for centuries in the East. However, neither China nor Japan has a fertility problem and are very well populated though they have used soy for centuries.

Experiments were performed on female cheetahs. When they were fed high concentrations of genistein and daidzein, they had problems conceiving. One must note that cheetahs are cats that have different digestive systems than humans and they are also sensitive to these substances. We need to be cautious of studies that are based on high concentrations of a substance, which more than likely exceeds the amount that a person would normally eat.

In another experiment, one to five-day-old rats were injected with genistein. Later in life they had fewer pregnancies and some became infertile. There is a danger of using animal studies for determining what is good or bad for humans. Humans do not inject their food but ingest it, making these experiments to show doubtful similarities in outcome.

Let’s look at some examples of this, particularly in drug testing, because animals are used extensively.

Many drugs which tested safe in animals, later had to be recalled because of the dangerous results in humans.

  • Vioxx is a pain killer and it was safely tested on animals—rats, mice, monkeys and dogs. It tested safe and was even heart protective. But in humans it causes congestive heart failure, strokes and heart attacks.
  • Rezulin is a diabetes drug, which tested safe on animals but in humans it can cause liver failure.
  • Zomax is another pain medicine that tested safe on animals but had a deadly effect on humans.
  • Fen-phen was a weight loss drug, and it tested safe on animals, but in humans, caused thickening of the heart valves.
  • Thalidomide was widely tested on animals with total safety but with horrendous birth defects in children whose mothers took it for morning sickness.
  • Opren tested good on monkeys but killed 61 people.
  • Cylert was fine for animals but caused liver failure in hyperactive children.
  • Tobacco. For years animal tests were inconclusive, so the tobacco companies used that to their advantage and promoted their products. We now know, with very great clarity, that tobacco is one of the most potent detractors from health and a great promoter of cancer worldwide.

Other examples prove that animals are not necessarily the best for determining what is good or bad for humans. Ninety percent of the drugs that tested safe in animals failed human trial, and some are exactly opposite. An example of the opposite is penicillin. When it was first developed it was tried on rabbits and seen to be completely ineffective. It was a full decade later before it was used as an antibiotic in humans, because it failed the rabbit trials. Looking at animals to see what is good for humans is not necessarily the best thing, unless it can be backed up with real human trials and tests. Animal testing has proven to be quite unreliable and according to the soy testing, we are seeing one thing for people in populations using soy compared to cheetahs.

Eggs are considered the perfect source of protein because of rat studies. Young rats grew faster, but we were not told by the proponents of the egg industry that those were the rats that died sooner. Baby rats failed to thrive on soy; however, they also failed to thrive on human breast milk. Are we to say that baby rats are a good example for determining what is good for humans? Are we to say that human breast milk is bad for babies? Obviously not! Then we cannot take that same study and say soy should not be used on humans.

Animal biology is physiologically and anatomically different from humans; therefore animal studies can be very misleading. Human trials are much more reliable looking at the different populations that use soy versus those not using it. Those using soy typically have a better health status than western society and the diet often includes greater amounts of plant foods, especially leafy greens, and it has been found that the use of soy products did not detract from their overall health.

In reality, since virtually all of the accusations against soy are based upon animal studies and not humans, at best they can be meaningless and at worst they can be totally misleading and take you completely onto the wrong track and some wrong conclusions.

It is said that soy causes reproductive problems. One study reported that the declining male fertility in the last 60 years was blamed on estrogens, chemicals, plastics and tofu. The one thing they do not address is the estrogens that are fed to livestock for fattening. The phyto estrogens in tofu are very weak in estrogen activity, especially as compared to the potent estrogens that are fed to the livestock.

Soy has only become popular in the western world in the last twenty years or so. But here we have these studies going back 50 or 60 years before soy became popular.

We have also seen that when people, who have not been able to conceive, switch to a plant based diet, including tofu and soy products, they improve their chance of having children.

In one study men were administered doses of up to 30 times more than normal. First of all, 30 times more of what? It is not clear. Was it 30 times more of estrogen or tofu? Instead of eating one slice of tofu, was it 30 slices of tofu every day? Was it the isoflavones? The study is unclear. It would be unrealistic for anyone to eat 30 slices of tofu in a day, but that anti-soy conclusion was that the 30 times of whatever will lead to a drop in testosterone and then also it will cause some men to become demasculinized. Then the question is asked in a very calm, serious tone, “Do you want to become demasculinized”? No male would want that, but by the emotionally charged words they fail to realize that this is not a realistic situation and there is not a lot of real solid evidence behind the claim.

Another study seemed to indicate that there was an increased risk of infant male development. This was a small study in which they also failed to mention that mothers who had iron supplements during their pregnancies, or had the flu during their trimester, also had a heightened risk of that same abnormal male infant development. There is a lot of muddied water, and blame cannot be pinned only on soy.

Another claim is made that soy causes significant biological effects in women, and it is put in such a way that the significant biological effects are on the negative side. However, there are some that show that lengthening the cycle, which is what happens, actually ends up being protective against breast cancer—it correlates with a reduced risk of breast cancer.

We do not see the accusations of the anti-soy people playing out in real life. We do not see the infertility problems being a problem for humans. Whether or not it is in China, or people who are now switching to vegetarian from a meat diet, these things are based upon bad analysis and ridiculous dosages such as 30 times more than “what”; unreliable studies that are very small and isolated, as well as creating a negative slant on something that is positive. These are some of the problems with the accusations.

  1. Accusation: Soy raises the risk of cancer and other diseases.

There are isoflavones in the soy that are called genistein and daidzein. These are phyto estrogens. This is pretty much what this whole concept is based upon and that high estrogen levels will promote cancer. It is true that estrogen tells the cells to hurry up and multiply, and they fail to develop properly many times; that translates very easily into cancer. We looked at the fact that the meat industry feeds the animals estrogens to make them develop and to get fat quickly. The phyto estrogens in this are very weak in this action. In fact, some researchers believe that instead of their being a problem, they actually bind to the estrogen receptor sights and lock the receptor sites from the more potent estrogen. Therefore, they are actually being protected against breast cancer. They find this to be the case especially when the soy consumption has begun early in life as a young girl.

The anti-soy people use this as the basis for many accusations against soy and breast cancer when other studies do not indicate that soy increases breast cancer risk. Again, the focus is not on the fact that we get estrogens from the meat and dairy industry as well. Obviously, we do need some estrogen but we do not need a high or potent source physically.

We do not want to stop eating tofu because it is uncertain whether or not isolated substances may cause a harmful effect. We do not recommend mega doses of isoflavones. We want the full package as opposed to pulling out the isoflavones and giving that in concentrated or very large amounts.

It is claimed that protease inhibitors from soy increases risk of pancreatic cancer in rats and chicks. It is interesting that they look at rats and chicks and don’t seem to pay much attention to the fact that this does not happen in mice, dogs, pigs, monkeys or humans. So, apparently rats and chicks are extraordinarily sensitive to these inhibitors. When rats and chicks are fed nothing but soy, they do have an increased risk of pancreatic cancer. That is not the same with the other groups we have mentioned here.

It is also interesting that these protease inhibitors and other enzyme inhibitors are rendered basically irrelevant when the soy is made into tofu or soy milk, tempeh and so forth. Protease inhibitors inhibit the absorption of protein. They use that point also. But protein is so high in tofu and related products that it is really a non-issue.

The populations that use soy have a reduced risk of pancreatic cancer and other cancers.

The anti-soy people unfortunately have a difficult time accepting the fact that different species of creatures, including humans, act differently and process soy differently. It is also interesting that they ignore the fact the protease inhibitors have been shown in some studies to inhibit colon, prostate and breast cancer in humans. Some are constantly looking at a negative slant and not looking at the whole picture.

  1. Accusation: Soy shrinks brains and causes Alzheimer’s—Soy reduces cognitive function.

This accusation was based on one isolated study in Hawaii in which Japanese American men who ate tofu in their middle age had the greatest mental deterioration and dementia as seniors. This was based upon one study, and it is not a good idea to base our theories on one study. A physician found that the tofu these individuals were eating contained an extra-ordinary ordinary amount of aluminum. That gives us an idea of the real culprit as opposed to tofu. Again, we do not see this happening in the East or in other countries with men becoming demented or deteriorating mentally as they get older.

Other studies put children on a vegetarian diet with tofu and it boosted their grades and their energy. These were children who were having low grades and not performing well academically. After a vegan diet for a month that included tofu, they reported that the children showed improvement in both the classroom and on the basketball court. Some grade point averages (GPA) rose from 1.6 to 3.4. Others ranged from a 3.1 to a 3.9; that is from a B average to an A average. All scored at least an 85 percent on their final exam.

Does soy decrease cognizant function? Apparently not. Does soy cause cancer? Not that we can see. Does soy cause infertility? None of these symptoms have been proven in the practicalities of life.

  1. Accusation: Soy interferes with thyroid and causes goiter.

Soy contains goitrogens, which is considered another anti-nutrient that suppresses thyroid function. This only happens when iodine intake is low. It is very interesting that other foods that contain goitrogens are cruciferous vegetables. Cruciferous vegetables are noted for cancer prevention. These include cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and Brussels sprouts; also sweet potatoes, lima beans and millet.

If we say that it is necessary to eliminate the foods that contain goitrogens, it will also be necessary to eliminate the cruciferous vegetables along with sweet potatoes, lima beans and millet. Of course, this is not recommended; the focus is only on soy.

The focus should not be on one particular substance in a food. In most common vegetables, you could find a potentially toxic or harmful nutrient that if isolated and concentrated and fed to humans, it would have some undesirable side effects.

  1. Accusation: Soy causes osteoporosis.

This is also totally unfounded. There is a strong correlation between the amount of animal foods in a diet and the strength of the bones. Studies show that the countries that use the animal products actually have a higher incidence of osteoporosis compared to cultures that use the plant food. This also includes the Chinese, Japanese and other Eastern people. The more plant food consumed, the stronger the bones.

Anti-soy people say that soy causes vitamin D deficiency and the high rate of osteoporosis is because of vitamin D depletion or because of it not being in the diet because of substituting soy oil instead of butter. So the butter people are using soy oil and they say that is a problem because they put vitamin D in butter. Actually sunshine is a better source of vitamin D than getting it through butter that has been supplemented. Our skin makes vitamin D from sunlight. Sunlight is one of the eight natural health laws.

Calcium from soy is nearly as bio-available as calcium from cow’s milk. Often the issue is how bio-available is a particular plant food when compared to meat—whether it is calcium, iron, or other nutrients. It is quite often not as straightforward as it is purported to be. It is actually good that the iron in the plant food is not as absorbable as it is in animal food, because it has been noted that high levels of iron for some people can increase their risk of heart disease. It is good to have checks and balances. Just because something is inhibited does not mean that the inhibition is bad; it may just put the brakes on something.

Calcium is usually a point of concern or controversy. Magnesium is just as important for body health and bones as calcium. Greens are an important source of calcium and magnesium. Other good sources of calcium are almonds, sesame seeds and tofu.

  1. Accusation: Soy causes zinc deficiency because of the phytates.

In large quantities phytates can block absorption, and they particularly focus on zinc. Phytates can block the absorption of several different minerals, and again the brakes are not necessarily a bad thing. The anti-soy people say that the safety feeling that vegetarians get is because of zinc deficiency, and they interpret that as being a high spiritual development. This is wrong. There is absolutely no proof that because of a zinc deficiency you enjoy spiritual things.

Soaking, roasting, sprouting, baking and leavening increased the bio-availability of minerals. Virtually any time you use soy, one of these things would have happened to it. Even if you are using just plain soybeans as a legume, you will have had to soak and boil them. If you are going to make tofu, you certainly would have soaked them at some point in time. Any time you use soybeans it will have included one of these processes. This applies to all of the phytates in the different vegetarian foods, including wheat. Wheat has been known to have phytates as well. We hear people say that vegetarians have to be careful that they do not have mineral deficiencies because of the phytates. Well, when you make bread, you are certainly baking, to make these minerals more bio-available. A healthy vegetarian diet is rich in nutrients by getting a good representation in of fruits, nuts, legumes, vegetables and whole grains.

Zinc deficiency is no more common in vegetarians compared to non-vegetarians and should not be singled out.

Some phytates act as potent antioxidants and favorably regulate cell growth. It is interesting that even though phytates have been promoted as being a problem, other studies show that they actually act as antioxidants. They are not necessarily a bad thing and they regulate cell growth. This could possibly put the brakes on the quick development of cancer cells and cells that are developing too quickly, slowing them down so they have time to mature and do what they need to do. Instead of being bad, phytates in the end could be very positive for us, particularly when we get them from the whole plant.

  1. Accusation: Soy contains toxins and anti nutrients.

We have already talked about phytates being antioxidants and actually helping to keep things in balance as far as cell development. We can also reference that to mineral absorption as well.

Many plant foods contain substances in concentration and isolation that would produce unwanted effects. All of the plant foods have some potential toxins in them. The following are some examples:

Broccoli, lentils and grapefruit contain naturally occurring pesticides, which could cause mutation. If we took certain substances in these plant foods, isolated them, concentrated them, made a very potent dosage out of them, we would have problems.

Peanuts and peanut butter contain aflotoxins that could cause cancer.

Celery contains toxins that could damage the immune system and cause photosensitivities. Are we telling people not to eat celery? No. Celery is very good and also contains organic sodium, which can be very good, especially in the hot summertime.

Spinach and chard contain oxalic acid that binds with calcium and diminishes absorption. Again, we are not telling people to stop eating spinach because of this.

In eating normal quantities of these foods, these things are not a problem. But the anti-soy people ignore that the isolated, compounded high levels of some of these things may cause problems.

A summary of what the anti-soy people do:

  • They rely upon animal studies that are not applicable to humans.
  • They use small or isolated studies that are not supported by the bulk of the studies.
  • They use examples of extreme intakes of soy.
  • They look at just certain components of soy that you would have to use in very high quantities isolated for it to be called a problem. This is not, in reality, how we use our soy.
  • They focus on naturally occurring substances that, in isolation, would cause undesirable side effects.

Some benefits of soy are as follows:

  • Various studies have shown that soy, in conjunction with a healthy diet, lowers risk of heart disease.
  • Soy has nine times less saturated fat as compared to cow’s milk.
  • Soy is cholesterol free, lowers total and LDL cholesterol. Interestingly, some anti-soy people say that lowering your cholesterol results in a greater number of deaths. Their proof is an article that they wrote themselves. This is totally unsupported by the scientific community.
  • Studies show that soy contributes to the reduction of cancer.
  • Soy contains many phyto chemicals, which protect against disease.
  • Soy may reduce insulin resistance, renal damage and fatty liver in diabetics. For people who are on insulin, switching from animal protein to plant protein can be very helpful. Part of that protein can be soy. Also, people who have renal failure need to bring down their protein, so switching them from animal protein to plant protein, including soy, can be very healthful.

Some guidelines for eating soy:

Eat a varied diet. Eat a plant-based diet, not a soy based diet. Eating soy at every meal is too much and goes against the principle of temperance. Some people believe they do not get enough protein; however, a plant-based diet will provide all of the protein needed from the different whole grains and legumes with some tofu or soy, and you will be just fine. You would virtually have to live on sweet potatoes and apples for the rest of your life in order to have a protein deficiency on a vegetarian diet. Eating a varied diet with enough calories to maintain proper body weight will give you enough protein. It is not essential to have soy in your diet, but the versatility of soy and the extra protein that it does provide are actually a benefit to the plant-based diet.

Minimize the intake of soy to two to three servings a day. Asians typically eat from one to three servings of soy per day. From looking at their population, they are doing quite well on that. Most vegetarian nutritionists will say to limit your consumption of soy to two to three servings a day.

Serving size. A serving is approximately three to four ounces of tofu, which is about one-fourth of a block of tofu, or one cup of soymilk. There are some days you might have a little extra, and some days you may not have any, but the average is no more than two or three servings per day.

Prefer whole soy foods such as tofu, soymilk, soy nuts rather than protein isolates. This goes back to the concept that whole foods are better than refined foods, just like we choose whole wheat bread instead of white bread. The whole food is better than the isolated part of it. You can look at the ingredient of the product and it will show whether it is a protein isolate or otherwise.

Soy supplements. Do not seek out soy supplements such as soy protein powders or isoflavones. At this point, these are not really supportive or necessary. Add some tofu to your diet and you will be just fine. Many of those anti-soy studies were based upon isolated components as opposed to the full package.

Follow a healthy diet and lifestyle. You need to follow a healthy lifestyle that includes the eight health laws.

Infants. Mother’s milk is still the best. As much as possible the infant should get the mother’s milk. Cow’s milk is not a better option. Soy infant formula has been used for over 50 years, and there is no evidence of it causing developmental problems or reproductive problems. Cow’s milk is highly allergenic, even though some people can be allergic to soy, which does not mean we write it off for everybody. Also, cow’s milk can be a factor in juvenile onset diabetes. Cow’s milk is not the better of the options; it is better to choose soy.

Selecting soy. Select non-GMO (genetically modified organism) tofu and soy products. There has been some preliminary exploration that the GMO can alter the protein component in the blood. It is the principle that the non-GMO is better.

All of the allegations or accusations are very shaky. A couple of the anti-soy people consider cholesterol to be their very best friend. That is also what the meat and dairy association said about 30 years ago. At that time they were advocating the necessity of dietary cholesterol. They did this to promote their product. They actually want you to eat saturated fat and not the plant oils. This, combined with the unreliable accusations made, sugguests that there is a particular agenda being promoted.

It is believed that the original humans were hunters, who ate meat, and that is the diet we need to go back to. We do not believe that. We believe that the original human beings were vegetarians. That is what we were created to be, and that is the diet to which we should return.

Be very careful about advocating anything with limited research on a few isolated studies or something that is not backed up by epidemiology studies—population studies—seeing what they are eating and not eating and seeing the results of the health status of that population. Stay balanced, temperate and in the middle of the road and do not get sidetracked on these various tangents.

Diane Herbert is a naturopath and lifestyle consultant. She received training from the NAD Lifestyle Consultant program, Thomas Edison State College, Clayton College of Natural Healing, and Bastyr University. Diane teaches health classes at the Gilead Institute located in Norcross, Georgia, gives health presentations, and contributes to the Institute’s literature and health flyer series. If you would like more information on water or other health topics, you may contact her at: The Gilead Institute of America, 6000 Live Oak Parkway, Suite 114, Norcross, Georgia 30093; telephone: 770-270-1087; Website: www.gileadinstitute.org.

The Creation of Man

By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the hosts of them by the breath of his mouth.” Psalm 33:6. All of creation was made by God. He spoke, and with authority commanded the light to shine out of darkness. He commanded the water to exist. He commanded into existence the sun, moon, and stars. Then He commanded that the trees, plants and animals come forth. All these things were commanded into existence. By speaking, He created. That is powerful and far beyond any human capability—to speak things into existence.

There is a principle that it would be wise to understand. Jesus said, “O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” Matthew 12:34. The words that you speak are the expression of your heart. If you want to know what is in your heart, just think of what you meditate upon and to what you say to other people, “for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.” Words express your heart. Words express your mind.

There are basically two parts of the mind, the thinking aspect and the feeling aspect. It is thoughts and feelings that make up moral character. (See Testimonies, vol. 5, 310.) Thoughts and feelings produce actions, and when those actions are repeated, habits are formed. Habits mold character, and it is character that determines a person’s destiny. Everything begins in the mind. Basically the words you speak express your character, your thoughts and your feelings. A good character will bring forth good words and a bad character will bring forth bad words.

In the beginning, when God created this world, the universe, the galaxies, the beautiful trees, flowers, mountains, and islands, He created them by His word. God’s word reflects His character, and since God created all things by His word, all things that He created reveal His character. Praise God for flowers! When you look at flowers they cause you to think, feel at peace and enjoy their beauty, because they reflect God’s peace, His love, and His beauty—God feels good!

Looking at mountains and seeing something bigger than yourself, so majestic, so powerful and so strong makes you feel small. God is majestic, strong, and powerful! Look at the vast ocean or into the sky on a bright starry night seeing the innumerable lights in the heavens that declare the wisdom of God that is unfathomable. When you appreciate the beauty of creation, you see God’s character, because His love is written in every detail.

In the book of Genesis, it is written that on the first day God created the light. He said, “Let there be light: and there was light.” Genesis 1:3. On the second day He said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.” Verse 6. Boom! God spoke the word, and the water was divided.

On the third day, the grass of the field and the trees were created. Verse 11. God spoke those words, and boom! There it was, powerful! On the fourth day, He spoke into existence the sun, moon, and stars. Verse 16. On the fifth day, the oceans and rivers were filled with fish and the air was filled with birds. Verse 21. Then, on the sixth day, God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth.” Verse 24. Then God said, “Let there be man.” Verse 26. No! Have you considered that God could have said, “Let there be man, and there was a man”? Yes, He could have used that method, yet man was not created that way.

God formed man out of the dust (Genesis 2:7). If you have ever tried to form something out of dust, you would know that water would need to be added, and dust and water takes a lot of shaping and touching. Incidentally, up of 60 percent of the human body weight is composed of water! In the creation of man, God gave that extra touch. In this world, when we touch someone it usually means affection. God spoke the rest of creation into existence, but in the creation of man, He came close and touched the man, demonstrating His affection for man.

Not only was Adam shaped into God’s own image, but He breathed into his nostrils His own breath. God did not breathe life into the plants or the trees. God did not breathe into the animals’ nostrils, yet He breathed into the nostrils of Adam. To breathe into his nostrils, God had to come very close to Adam, showing extra affection. The special union between God and man was as if the crowning act of creation was sealed with a kiss. It is incredible that God created man with a kiss, but man, with a kiss, betrayed Jesus. God embraced us with His arms. The Roman soldiers embraced Jesus, to take Him away to His death at Calvary.

As this subject is studied, you will see just how much God loves you. God created all things to reflect His character, but in the creation of man, more love is seen. If you make a special pie and you want it to be sweeter, you would add extra honey. In the creation of man it is as if God poured extra honey into that creation.

God said, “Let there be light,” and He saw the light that it was good. He created the water, and said, “It was good.” He created the plants and trees and said, “It was good.” He created the sun, moon, and stars, and He said, “It was good.” He created the fish and birds, and said, “It was good.” He created animals, and said, “It was good.” But there was one time after creating almost everything that He said, “It is not good.” “And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone.” Genesis 2:18.

For Adam to realize that he needed a companion, but before God gave him a helper, he was given the job of naming the animals. Adam noticed that within the animal kingdom each species was a pair. All the animals were in pairs; they all had a mate, but there was no mate comparable to himself.

Adam began to feel the need of a companion, and God knew it was time to provide him with a helper. God caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep, and the first open chest surgery was performed. Without stitches or scars, God took a rib. How many ribs? Not two, not three, but one. God wanted Adam to have one woman, not two or three or four. And from that rib, Adam’s rib, a human rib taken from his own side, not from an animal or other beast, God created Eve. He wanted Adam to have an equal of his own kind, equally yoked together.

When Adam woke up and saw Eve, his first words must have been, “Wow! I was waiting for you.” Can you imagine if God had created Adam and Eve at the same time, forming Adam and then forming Eve, and breathed into Adam’s nostril and then breathed into Eve’s nostril and they both woke up at the same time? They might have looked at each other and said, “Who are you?”

Which would be more loving, to wake up and say, “Who are you” or wake up and say, “I was waiting for you”? Many times, young people get married, and after the wedding ceremony and the first honeymoon, they wake up in the morning, look at each other, and ask, “Who are you?” And there goes their marriage life! God did not create Eve until Adam felt the need to receive love and to give love. It would be wise that if a man did not feel the genuine need for a woman, to not get married. Otherwise, after he gets married he may think that his wife is the greatest burden in his life.

Everything about the creation of man and woman involves the ingredients of love. God created you in love. The Bible has much to say about this. “What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.” Psalm 8:4, 5. The Bible asks, “What is man?” Then gives the answer: he was made “a little lower than the angels.” In the beginning, God created man with beauty, glory and honor. The Bible says that He “crowned him.” A crown is put on your head. Head represents top. The creation of man is better than the creation of the flowers, and trees and the planet, even the stars. The creation of man is the best creation of God, the crowning act of His creative power.

There is one more thing to keep in mind. That is, God crowned man with glory. “Even every one that is called by My name: for I have created him for My glory.” Isaiah 43:7. The Bible is clear. God created man, and crowned him with glory—for His glory.

The Bible interprets itself, so we must let the Bible explain what glory represents. Often, when we think of the word glory, we think of great light. But glory does not just mean great light. Up on the mountain, the prophet Moses made a great request to God: “And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.” Exodus 33:18. What a request! What would God reveal to you if you were to ask that of Him? Let’s see how God responded: “I will make all My goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord [My name] before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.” Verse 19.

When Moses asked to see God’s glory, God said, “I will show you My goodness; I will show you My name, I will show you My mercy; I will show you My grace.” Therefore, glory is equal to God’s goodness, His name, His mercy, and His grace. When you have grace, mercy, goodness, name, and put it all together, there is only one conclusion, a common denominator. All of those things represent God’s character.

The flowers and trees, reflect God’s character, but they have their limitations. Man is different. When God created man it was to exhibit more of His character and reveal God’s love more than any other part of creation. Man has the ability to reveal God’s character more and more as long as we grow in the grace and the knowledge of God by reflecting His love. Mankind has the ability to develop continually forever and ever, day by day, becoming more and more like Jesus.

Can you imagine what it would be like after 300 million years? Do you think you will be equal to God? No, never; God’s character is infinite. There is no measurable limit to the depth, height or width of His love. Praise God that you can reflect His character from glory to glory. Within man there is an empty space that needs to be filled, a throne that needs to be filled by the presence of God’s love.

Before becoming a Christian, you may have done all kinds of sinful things, thinking that doing so would make you happy. But you felt empty. You knew something was not right, that you were not what you needed to be. You may not have known about the true image and the purpose of God. If you continue doing sinful things thinking that is all there is, then what is the meaning of life? What is your purpose? The Bible makes clear the purpose of life; you will feel the most fulfilled when you allow God’s character to reflect in your life. When you have that experience with God, it is guaranteed that you will be a satisfied person.

Many people try to fill that empty space with alcohol, parties, women, men, and with all kinds of things, but they never can satisfy the emptiness of soul, which is likened to a broken cup. It can never be filled satisfactorily with anything but Jesus.

Man was created in the image of God, physically, mentally and spiritually. The first Adam was very big—about 15 feet tall. The tallest man today would be considered a very small person in comparison. Adam was strong. He was the king of the whole planet earth. Just think how fast he could run!

Can you imagine Adam’s handsome face, symmetrical and without a blemish? His brain was brilliant. For that reason, from Adam to the time of Moses, there is no record of writing. The people spoke and remembered without the need of written word.

Today, when somebody speaks, we write it down once, twice, three times and then still forget. Adam’s mind was better than any computer in the world today.

Even more superior than his other attributes was Adam’s spiritual condition, which was very simple. He was happy. He felt joy in the presence of God.

So what happened to us? Why are we so short and our faces so crooked? Why are we so uncomely? Why do we so easily get diseased and sick? Why is it that we forget things, especially those things that are right? And most importantly, why do we get so sad or angry when we have to do right? And why is it that in the presence of God we don’t feel any joy, but we feel uncomfortable? What has happened to us?

The Bible says, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23. As stated before, the word glory means God’s character. Because of sin, mankind comes short of God’s character. The character of God has been lost because of sin. The biggest problem in the world today is not your wife, it is not your husband, it is not your boss; it is sin.

Sin is the main problem that destroys your character and gives you the character of Satan. Your character is messed up; it is confused because you have eaten from the tree of good and evil. You see and have both good and evil qualities. In other words, you can be pleasant and loving to someone, but at the same time you are hateful to someone else. You can be patient for your own selfish gain, and you can act meekly and humbly to gain power and authority. You twist other people’s personalities and disguise your own to make yourself look better than other people.

The biggest problem in the world today is not having the character of God. What is the cause? Sin. What is sin? “Sin is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4). Breaking God’s law destroys God’s character in your life. Why then the law? The Bible says, “Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.” Romans 7:12. If the commandment is of God, it is holy, just, and good. God’s character is holy; God’s character is just; God’s character is good; and the law of God is holy, just, and good.

Simply said, God’s law reflects His character. When you go against His law, you go against His character. That is why, when you break God’s law, you walk away from the character of God and walk towards the character of Satan. Hate, jealousy, evil surmising, bigotry, provoking, revenge, jealousy, impatience, backbiting—all these things begin to creep into your life. But there is good news, powerful news! God can help us get out of this disastrous condition.

“Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 11 Thessalonians 2:14. You have lost your glory—your character—but the Bible says that you can obtain glory! Glory means character, the character of Jesus Christ! It is His purpose and the great plan of salvation to restore man back to the image and the character of God.

The Bible says, “To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” Colossians 1:27. When Christ lives in you, then you have hope to reflect His character. What a powerful message from the Word that is, “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord …” II Corinthians 3:18. Again, glory, represents character. By beholding the character of God, change happens.

People today are looking for change. They are looking for a new life. People are looking for a transformation; they are looking for something different. People are looking for something that is not only to change for a short time, but permanently.

The Bible gives a very clear message that when you behold the glory of God, you become changed, from one character into another. Development is taking place again. Restoration is taking place again. New life is beginning again. When you behold Jesus, you are going to be like Him.

God does not promise that the world will be an easy place without effort. No! The Bible promises that change is possible, but at the same time, the road is narrow and strait (see Matthew 7:14). This whole world is turning toward reflecting Satan’s character and you have to swim against that current to escape.

Today, people say that it is normal to get angry; it is normal to yell and scream, because everybody is doing it. Blame is given to parents, claiming that they have passed on character defects and there is nothing that can be done about it. But the God of creation can create and re-create. In the beginning, at the creation, God touched Adam, but in the re-creation of man, Jesus dwells in the heart. It is more powerful and intimate than a mere touching; it is Christ living in you.

“I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.” What is the good news that needs to go to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people? “Saying with a loud voice, ‘Fear God, and give glory to Him.’ ” Revelation 14:6, 7. What does that glory mean? It means reflecting His character.

Today, Christians go to church with their Bible under arm, and when they walk in the church, they put on the suit of a holy angel. They bow, they pray, they sing songs, and sometimes they even cry, because their emotions have been touched. They give money, but when they go home, they put the Bible away where it will stay for the rest of the week. Something goes wrong, and father and mother have a little fight which gets bigger and bigger. The children agitate the parents, and the parents nag at their children. Father lies and cheats a little bit to get some more money out of his business. Mother chit chats and gossips, making phone calls backbiting people, living like the devil for six days. Then they go back to church again with their Bible under arm, putting on that holy angel garment again. This is not going to work!

The power of God and the truth in His word is more powerful than living that kind of life. The problem is not to try harder or to put in more effort. The problem is that Jesus is not living in their hearts. The problem Jesus has with the Laodicean church (Revelation 3:14–22) is not a lack of knowledge; it is not because they don’t have money; they are increased with goods and they are rich, but they are poor and naked and miserable and wretched. The biggest problem with the Laodiceans, that causes them to be lukewarm, is that Jesus is standing outside, knocking. If Jesus is standing outside knocking, then Jesus is not in them. If Jesus is not in them, then there is no “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). The reason the Laodiceans are lukewarm is because Christ is not in them. They have no hope to reflect God’s character, yet they want the name of Christian while still in a lukewarm condition. Why does the Laodicean church not open the door (verse 20)? The problem is they do not want to be crucified to self.

How can you have Christ living in your heart? When you say, “I am,” how much of you are you describing? All of it! When God said to Moses, “I Am that I Am” (Exodus 3:14), it described all of Him. When Paul says, “I am …” he means all of me is “crucified with Christ.” All of me is crucified and surrendered to Christ. “Nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.” Galatians 2:20. So, when you say, “I am crucified with Christ,” “I” does not live, but Christ lives “in me.”

The Bible says that when Jesus Christ comes back the second time, He is coming back to get His children; those who reflect His character. Jesus is saying to you today, “My child, die with Me. Die with Me that you may live with Me.”

If you recognize that your life is empty and you have been chasing hopeless rainbows; if you have been looking for wealth that only moths and worms eat up; if you are looking for beautiful mansions while you live in a broken down hut; if you see that you are poor and naked, rededicate your life to Jesus right now. He wants you to walk with Him, not by so much trying hard once again, but by abiding in Him, allowing Him to cleanse you from all of your sins and teach you to rest in Him, leaving everything in His hands, because He is the Author and Finisher of your faith (Hebrews 12:2).

Four Great Signs

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.

Why Do You Believe What You Believe?

We are living in a time when every position of truth is going to be attacked. The most dangerous are those in which people do not know they are being attacked. Attacks are made against the law of God. Some believe that the law of God, as well as the whole law of Moses, is just one law; therefore, it is necessary to keep the feast days and other ceremonial commands. Others believe also that the law of God and the law of Moses are just one law, and because Jesus fulfilled it and we are now under grace, there is no need to keep it. All that is necessary is to love God and love your neighbor. This position, spearheaded by Desmond Ford, is one taken by many former Adventists and former Adventist ministers.

This teaching, started by the denial of the investigative judgment, has caused much confusion. True Seventh-day Adventist belief is neither one of these positions. We believe that there are two laws—one which is unchangeable and eternal; the other being temporary and nailed to the cross when Jesus died. Adventism is caught in the crossfire of those who want to keep the feasts and others suggesting that Sabbath is optional—you can keep it if you want; however, many do not because it is not convenient. It is more convenient to go to church on Sunday, which is customary and common. Sadly, there are many former Adventist ministers who also hold this position.

If the Sabbath is optional and a future law is made prohibiting you from keeping it and being penalized by not being able to buy or sell, or forced into prison or even losing your life, would you keep it then? It is necessary to have Biblical evidence for why we believe what we believe, because attacks come from both sides accusing us of error. Many Protestant theologians, in discussing their reasons for Sunday keeping, have had some influence on Seventh-day Adventist ministers. Many have spent years doing research on this subject and can show lots of Bible texts and historical documents to support their position, so it is necessary to know why you believe what you believe.

In the book, Patriarchs and Prophets, 363, it says, “Adam and Eve, at their creation, had a knowledge of the law of God; they were acquainted with its claims upon them; its precepts were written upon their hearts. When man fell by transgression the law was not changed, but a remedial system was established to bring him back to obedience. The promise of a Saviour was given, and sacrificial offerings pointing forward to the death of Christ as the great sin offering were established. But had the law of God never been transgressed, there would have been no death, and no need of a Saviour; consequently there would have been no need of sacrifices.

“Adam taught his descendants the law of God, and it was handed down from father to son through successive generations. But notwithstanding the gracious provision for man’s redemption, there were few who accepted it and rendered obedience. By transgression the world became so vile that it was necessary to cleanse it by the Flood from its corruption. The law was preserved by Noah and his family, and Noah taught his descendants the Ten Commandments. As men again departed from God, the Lord chose Abraham, of whom He declared, ‘Abraham obeyed My voice, and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.’ Genesis 26:5. To him was given the rite of circumcision, which was a sign that those who received it were devoted to the service of God—a pledge that they would remain separate from idolatry, and would obey the law of God. The failure of Abraham’s descendants to keep this pledge, as shown in their disposition to form alliances with the heathen and adopt their practices, was the cause of their sojourn and bondage in Egypt.”

Notice that disobedience was the cause of the bondage in Egypt and the continual rejection of God’s law made it necessary for the written law to be given at Sinai. “But in their intercourse with idolaters, and their forced submission to the Egyptians, the divine precepts became still further corrupted with the vile and cruel teachings of heathenism. Therefore when the Lord brought them forth from Egypt, He came down upon Sinai, enshrouded in glory and surrounded by His angels, and in awful majesty spoke His law in the hearing of all the people.

“He did not even then trust His precepts to the memory of a people who were prone to forget His requirements, but wrote them upon tables of stone. He would remove from Israel all possibility of mingling heathen traditions with His holy precepts, or of confounding His requirements with human ordinances or customs. But He did not stop with giving them the precepts of the Decalogue. The people had shown themselves so easily led astray that He would leave no door of temptation unguarded. Moses was commanded to write, as God should bid him, judgments and laws giving minute instruction as to what was required.” Ibid., 363, 364.

Many Adventists are not aware that most of what Moses wrote was actually the Ten Commandments spelled out in more detail. For example, Leviticus 18 is simply an amplified explanation of the seventh commandment, leaving the people with no excuse. Moses also explained all of the other commandments in detail. These writings are not ceremonial laws and are just as much a part of the moral law as that written by God Himself.

“Moses was commanded to write, as God should bid him, judgments and laws giving minute instruction as to what was required. These directions relating to the duty of the people to God, to one another, and to the stranger were only the principles of the Ten Commandments amplified … .” Ibid., 364.

The Ten Commandments were amplified, explained and made simple so that everyone would understand the principles.

In Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14 are laws in regard to clean and unclean foods—foods to eat and foods not to eat. This instruction directly relates to the sixth commandment. Killing yourself slowly by unhealthy life practices is just as much breaking that commandment as taking a gun and putting it to your head to kill yourself. If a person lit a cigarette and instantly dropped dead, nobody would smoke. But on the average, for every cigarette smoked, life is shortened between six and ten minutes. Cigarettes slowly kill! This same principle applies to all other unclean foods that are eaten and which shorten life. Disobedience is a violation of the sixth commandment.

“These directions relating to the duty of the people to God, to one another, and to the stranger were only the principles of the Ten Commandments amplified and given in a specific manner, that none need err. They were designed to guard the sacredness of the ten precepts engraved on the tables of stone.” Ibid.

Most of what Moses wrote was simply the principles of the Ten Commandments amplified, so nobody would need to make a mistake. Commandment keepers need to be in harmony with what Moses wrote explaining each of the Ten Commandments.

“If man had kept the law of God, as given to Adam after his fall, preserved by Noah, and observed by Abraham, there would have been no necessity for the ordinance of circumcision. And if the descendants of Abraham had kept the covenant, of which circumcision was a sign, they would never have been seduced into idolatry, nor would it have been necessary for them to suffer a life of bondage in Egypt; they would have kept God’s law in mind, and there would have been no necessity for it to be proclaimed from Sinai or engraved upon the tables of stone. And had the people practiced the principles of the Ten Commandments, there would have been no need of the additional directions given to Moses.” Ibid., 364.

Since the beginning of time there has been a lot of knowledge lost. The Bible talks about two laws—the moral law, which is eternal, and the ceremonial law, which was temporary. There are many Protestants who are confused on this point, believing that the law was given for the first time at Mt. Sinai, but the fact is that the law has been in existence ever since Adam and Eve were created.

Romans 4:15 says, “Because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law, there is no transgression.” Even children can understand that, but some theologians do not. Sin is simply the transgression of the law, so if there is no law there is no transgression, there is no sin.

Isaiah 43:27 says, “Your first father sinned, And your mediators have transgressed against Me.” Who was the first father? It was Adam. How could Adam have sinned if there was no law before Sinai? There had to be a law in the Garden of Eden or Adam could not have sinned. The penalty for sin is death. Here the confusion gets worse, because our Protestant friends say the law was to just love the Lord and not eat the forbidden fruit.

At one time my father was testing out the first muscle car he had ever owned, a 1956 Oldsmobile, Super 88 with a 4-barrel carburetor and a big 394 cubic inch V-8 engine. Our family was on vacation in Montana, and my father said, “This is wonderful! Montana does not have any speed limits.” Soon there was a little red light flashing behind us, and we pulled over. My father said to the officer, “I thought there was no speed limit in Montana.”

The officer replied, “Yes, there is no speed limit in Montana in the daytime. But at night time the speed limit is 55.” If it had been daytime, the officer could not stop my father, as there was no law to govern his speed, but we were traveling in the night hours, there was a law, and we had broken it.

Before the law was ever given at Mt. Sinai, there is much evidence that all ten of the commandments were in existence. Genesis 2:1-3 says, “Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.”

This passage contains a lot of information. The first point in this passage to notice is that there was no sin in the Garden of Eden at this time; Adam and Eve were innocent. Adam and Eve were not in need of a Saviour, as no transgression had yet occurred. The Sabbath was created and given to mankind as a memorial of creation; it was not added because of transgression.

We talk about the laws of types and shadows, but when we read Genesis 2, does it sound like a shadow of something that is going to come in the future? No, it is a memorial of something that has already happened, the creation of the world. There is nothing shadowy about the seventh day Sabbath. It is not a type of something but a memorial of something that has already happened.

Notice three separate qualities about the Sabbath:

  1. It specifies that on that day, God rested. God does not rest like a human being rests. The Bible says that God never slumbers or sleeps. He does not need to take physical rest.
  2. In addition to resting, God blessed that day. The Sabbath is a day that God has blessed. When you read the record in Genesis 1 and 2, you will find that the Sabbath is the only day that God blessed. He did not bless any other day. The wise man (Solomon) said, in Ecclesiastes 3:14, “I know that whatever God does, It shall be forever: Nothing can be added to it, And nothing taken from it. God does it, that men should fear before Him.”

There are several questions that need to be considered by those wanting to keep another day. Is there any other day besides the Sabbath in the Bible that God has blessed? If some day other than the Sabbath is kept, where does the Bible say that God removed His blessing from the Sabbath?

  1. God did not only rest on the Sabbath, He blessed it and sanctified that day. The word sanctify simply means to make something holy. Holiness is a quality of God; it is something that is God-like. The Sabbath was sanctified or made into a holy day.

Not only is the Sabbath a rest day, a blessed day, but it is a holy day, because God sanctified it. The Sabbath is a holy day. We cannot make anything holy, because we do not have any holiness of our own. The only way we can become holy, and we do have to become holy, is if God makes us holy. God says, “I also gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them.” Exodus 20:12. The Sabbath is a sign to God’s people that He will make you holy, and those He makes holy He will take to heaven.

In Genesis 4:3 is recorded the story about Cain and Abel. “And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord.” In the margin, the literal Hebrew text says, “At the end of the day Cain brought an offering.” Was it the end of the day, the end of the year, the end of the season, the end of the days of the month or the end of the days of the week? Many theologians believe that this was the Sabbath when Cain brought his offering. That was the end of the days of the week.

Ellen White says that Adam and Eve came to the edge of the Garden of Eden to worship every Sabbath. “The Garden of Eden remained upon the earth long after man had become an outcast from its pleasant paths. The fallen race were long permitted to gaze upon the home of innocence, their entrance barred only by the watching angels. At the cherubim-guarded gate of Paradise the divine glory was revealed. Hither came Adam and his sons to worship God.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 62.

In Exodus 5:4 it says, “And the king of Egypt said to them, Moses and Aaron, why do you take the people from their work? Get back to your labor.“ While slaves in Egypt, the Egyptians forced the Israelites to work seven days a week. Moses told the people that the Lord was going to deliver them, but they would have to keep His law. When the Israelites began to keep the Sabbath again, Pharaoh did not like it.

Have you ever thought about the logistics of supplying water, food, restroom facilities, bathing and laundry facilities for over a million people out in the desert? The Israelites looked around and wondered how in the world they would survive in a place like that. They knew they would run out of the food they had brought with them, but they were instructed not to worry, because God was going to rain bread from heaven for them.

In this act they would understand clearly what was involved with keeping the Sabbath. In Exodus 16:4, 5 it says, “The Lord said to Moses, ‘Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law, or not. And it shall be on the sixth day that they shall prepare what they bring in, and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.’ ”

Every day the people gathered what they needed for that day. Jesus said in the Lord’s prayer, “Give us today our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11). God has not promised food for the next month. Gathering food six days was to teach them to trust in the Lord. Anything kept over until the next day spoiled. On the sixth day they were to gather twice as much as they did every other day and then on the Sabbath it did not spoil. Some went out and gathered more than they needed and found that on the next day it had bred worms. Then on the sixth day (Friday), some people gathered only what they needed for that day, not making any preparation for the Sabbath. When they went out to gather on the Sabbath, there was not any.

“And Moses said, ‘Let no man leave any of it till the morning.’ Notwithstanding they did not heed Moses. But some of them left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them. So they gathered it every morning, every man according to his need. And when the sun became hot, it melted. And so it was, on the sixth day, that they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each one. And all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses. Then he said to them, ‘This is what the Lord has said: “Tomorrow is a Sabbath rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord. Bake what you will bake today, and boil what you will boil; and lay up for yourselves all that remains, to be kept until morning.” ’ So they laid it up till morning, as Moses commanded; and it did not stink, nor were there any worms in it. Then Moses said, ‘Eat that today, for today is a Sabbath to the Lord; today you will not find it in the field. Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, which is the Sabbath, there will be none.’ Now it happened that some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather, but they found none. And the Lord said to Moses, ‘How long do you refuse to keep My commandments and My laws? See! For the Lord has given you the Sabbath; therefore He gives you on the sixth day bread for two days. Let every man remain in his place; let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.’ So the people rested on the seventh day.” Verses 19–30.

The children of Israel knew about the Sabbath. This was not something new that was introduced to them at Sinai. They had just been given specific instructions about their food supply and the Sabbath. In fact, when the Ten Commandments were given, the very first word of the fourth commandment was “Remember.” You cannot remember something if you have never heard about it beforehand.

As we have just seen, there is plenty of evidence that the Sabbath existed from creation. It was kept by Adam and Eve; it was also kept by Abel, Enoch, Methuselah, Noah, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. In the first part of the Bible we have also seen that all of the commandments existed before they were given on tables at Sinai.

For example, Eve was the first one to break the first commandment, “You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exodus 20:3). She made the serpent her god—she listened to the serpent instead of God. Adam listened to and obeyed his wife, causing him also to break this commandment.

The second commandment is a prohibition against the use of idols of any kind (Exodus 20:4). “Then God said to Jacob, ‘Arise, go up to Bethel, and dwell there; and make an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you fled from the face of Esau your brother.’ And Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, ‘Put away the foreign gods that are among you, purify yourselves, and change your garments.’ ” Genesis 35:1, 2. Verse 4 tells that they gave Jacob all of their foreign gods and all of their jewelry, and he buried it. Jacob knew that it was wrong to worship these idols.

The third commandment is, “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain” (Exodus 20:7). There is a lot of swearing that is reported in the book of Genesis. Genesis 25:32, 33 says: “Esau said, ‘Look, I am about to die; so what is this birthright to me?’ Then Jacob said, ‘Swear to me as of this day.’ So he swore to him …” that day and sold his birthright, the right to become the progenitor of the Messiah. Referring to this it says, in Hebrews 12:16, 17, “Lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears.” By the way, you do not need to repent if you have not sinned. Esau sinned because he took the name of the Lord God in vain by considering his birthright something that was not worth very much.

There are several references to the fifth commandment in the book of Genesis. In Genesis 9:22–25, it says, “Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside. And Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and went backward and covered the nakedness of their father. Their faces were turned away, and they did not see their father’s nakedness. So Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done to him. Then he said, ‘Cursed be Canaan; A servant of servants He shall be to his brethren.’ ”

Noah and his sons knew the principle of the fifth commandment to honor your father and your mother (Exodus 20:12). A curse was put on the son who did not obey this commandment.

When Cain killed his brother, the Lord called that sin (Genesis 4:7). When Levi and Simeon killed a whole city full of people, they brought the curse of their father on them (Genesis 49). Those are not the only references to the sixth commandment.

There are many references to the seventh commandment (Exodus 20:14) in the book of Genesis, showing that it had validity and the people knew that it was wrong to break it. God burned Sodom and Gomorrah because of their sexual immorality (Genesis 19). The story recorded in Genesis 38 about Judah and Tamar reveals that they knew what they did was wrong and that it deserved the death penalty. In Genesis 21:12–14 Abraham understood when God told him to send Hagar away, that she did not have a right to stay there because Sarah was his wife.

Jacob knew it was wrong to steal (the eighth commandment, Exodus 20:15). When Laban came looking for the gods that Rachel had stolen, Jacob said that if anybody in his camp had stolen the idols, to let him die (Genesis 31:30–34).

When the sons of Jacob answered Hamor and his son Shechem deceitfully, Jacob pronounced a curse on Simeon and Levi for lying to those people in Genesis 34:13 and Genesis 49:5–7. Jacob understood the principle of the ninth commandment (Exodus 20:16) that it was wrong to lie.

Throughout Genesis 37 over and over is recorded a violation of the tenth commandment (Exodus 20:17) referring to coveting. Jacob made a bad mistake in loving Joseph more than his other sons, and as a result, the other brothers became covetous of the love and attention that he received from their father. It says they envied him so much that they decided they would kill him.

Every one of the principles of the Ten Commandments existed during the time of Genesis, clear from creation. It was commonly known that it was wrong to break any of those principles.

When Adam and Eve were created the moral law was written in their hearts. “Though this covenant was made with Adam and renewed to Abraham, it could not be ratified until the death of Christ. It had existed by the promise of God since the first intimation of redemption had been given; it had been accepted by faith; yet when ratified by Christ, it is called a new covenant.” God’s Amazing Grace, 133.

It is the promise of the New Covenant to write the law which existed in the Garden of Eden that was written by God’s own finger on the tablets of stone, and that is the foundation of God’s government in both heaven and earth, in each heart. Then, man will be restored into harmony with his Maker.

[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.

Editor’s Letter – The Standard

In this world there are standards. There are standards for weights and volume measurements, for length, and also standard measurements of time. Without standards there would be chaos. Without standards in the spiritual world there is also disorder and chaos. “Satan well knows that success can only attend order and harmonious action. He well knows that everything connected with heaven is in perfect order, that subjection and thorough discipline mark the movements of the angelic host. It is his studied effort to lead professed Christians just as far from heaven’s arrangement as he can; therefore he deceives even the professed people of God and makes them believe that order and discipline are enemies to spirituality, that the only safety for them is to let each pursue his own course, and to remain especially distinct from bodies of Christians who are united and are laboring to establish discipline and harmony of action. All the efforts made to establish order are considered dangerous, a restriction of rightful liberty, and hence are feared as popery. These deceived souls consider it a virtue to boast of their freedom to think and act independently. They will not take any man’s say-so. They are amenable to no man. I was shown that it is Satan’s special work to lead men to feel that it is in God’s order for them to strike out for themselves and choose their own course, independent of their brethren.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 650.

God’s spiritual standard that will bring order and prevent the divisions that endanger the churches is His law.

“To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” Isaiah 8:20.

The whole duty of man is summarized in the commandments of God (see Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14).

To keep the commandments of God is everything (see I Corinthians 7:19).

The Ten Commandments law will be the standard in the final judgment (see James 2:10–12).

The saved from the last generation will be commandment keepers (see Revelation 14:12; 12:17).

Multitudes of professed Christians will be lost because they have lived in transgression of God’s law (see Matthew 7:21–23).

Not even part of a letter of the Ten Commandments can ever be changed (see Luke 16:17).

It is sin that is responsible for all the trouble in the world and in the church. “Sin is a disorganizer. Wherever it is cherished—in the individual heart, in the household, in the church—there is disorder, strife, variance, enmity, envy, jealousy, because the enemy of man and of God has the controlling power over the mind.” Selected Messages, Book 2, 377.