Issue: 2011 September

A Call to Prayer

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Always in sincerity, prayer brings us closer to our Creator and closer to our Christian brothers and sisters and opens our eyes to the needs of others. “Prayer does not bring God down to us, but brings us up to Him.” Steps to Christ, 93.

There is a field of labor worldwide. This is true. Yet, the Western world has had much light that the third world countries have not had. Take a look, for example, at Africa, China and India. In these countries there has been great darkness. These countries need the light of the Gospel, like we all do, and as does another much smaller country with a huge population—Bangladesh.

In this “Call to Prayer,” God would be pleased if we remember these people. There are 160 million people, in a country slightly smaller than the United States state of Iowa (55,598 square miles), living in abject poverty. Bangladesh, 90 percent Muslim and 9 percent Hindu, has been in relative darkness to the love of God and the infinite sacrifice of His beloved Son, but there is a glimmer of light appearing on the horizon as a few faithful missionaries labor diligently with skimp available resources and pitiable working and living conditions.

After spending a month in Bangladesh working with the faithful few, we realized that, humanly speaking, the work of spreading the Gospel is well nigh impossible … the language barrier alone being an almost insurmountable wall. Amazing though it sounds, in every village we attended, hundreds of thirsting souls came to the night time, open air meetings, to hear the message of salvation through Christ, many coming forward to receive the word of God in a simple way into their hearts—Muslim and Hindu alike. All thanks and praise to God!

We are excited to share with you these happenings so that we can all pray together in unity through the Spirit so that souls may be saved and Jesus can come to redeem His people.

“Oh, that the earnest prayer of faith may arise everywhere, Give me souls buried now in the rubbish of error, or I die! Bring them to the knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus.” This Day With God, 171.

“Then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven thy dwelling place, and maintain their cause.” I Kings 8:49.

Amen.

Children’s Story – He Could Have Been an Angel!

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Have you ever seen an angel in disguise or read a story about one? This story is what happened to us in a poor country called Bangladesh when we first arrived in the airport to be missionaries in a foreign country. It is important to be missionaries in our own home and town before going to another country as a missionary. Home is the school for missionaries. When God is in charge, thrilling things happen!

When we left America to fly to Bangladesh, we had lots and lots of luggage—in fact, over 300 pounds of luggage! We had gifts of clothing and shoes and many other things for the boys and girls in one of the orphanages in Bangladesh. We had our own luggage and also a piano accordion in a wooden box. People, who had gone to Bangladesh before, told us that this country was corrupt (very bad) and would try to get money from us for our extra luggage or even may take some of our bags from us. If this happened, it would be very sad for the orphans who needed the clothes and shoes we were taking for them.

At Dhaka (the biggest city in Bangladesh), when we had collected all of our bags from baggage claim, we looked at it and oh! It was such a big amount. Would the airport officials, dressed in their smart looking uniforms, let us take all this luggage past the check point and out of the airport? Here comes a man. He asks if all of this luggage is ours. After being told “yes,” he points towards the checkpoint and tells us to take it to the men in uniform for checking. We pushed our over-loaded carts toward the smartly dressed officials. What would happen when we got there? Would they want money? Would they take some of our bags from us? As I said before, when God is in charge, thrilling things happen, and God was in charge of what happened next.

We slowly pushed our two heavily laden carts towards the airport officials. Behind these men were the big glass exit doors to leave the building. As we came near to the officials, we noticed a group of people standing around them. We were going to wait in line, but suddenly we heard the voice of a man speaking in a commanding voice. I looked toward the voice and there stood a man much taller than the people around us. He was looking right at me over the heads of the group of people. He pointed toward me then moved his arm in a swinging motion toward the exit doors. Now pointing toward the exit doors he commanded us to “Go!” When I hesitated, he once again commanded us to “Go,” using the same hand motion. At this we quickly followed his instruction, walked past the people, past the airport officials and right through the big glass exit doors. It was as if we were invisible. No one looked at us or noticed us pass by. Soon we were out of the building, with all our precious cargo.

Do you think this man could have been an angel? Well, we believe it was either an angel or a man sent of God to protect us, and the bags that we carried. We know God was watching over us closely and were thrilled to be working with Him as missionaries in a foreign land. If you choose to be a missionary for Jesus, He will give you thrilling stories to tell others … maybe even a story about an angel!

Keys to the Storehouse – I Would Never Deny My Lord, or Would I?

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Over the years the devil has fooled many, including me. Even today, by our words or our actions we may be denying our Lord. How the devil would rejoice and love to keep this knowledge hidden from us and keep us in darkness. If we have not sorrowed over or confessed these actions, we will be just where the adversary wants us. This is not the time to sleep, but to watch.

Those losing spiritual consciousness are no longer alert to the lurking danger. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” I Peter 5:8. He is seeking whom he may destroy spiritually.

While sleeping and not watching, it is so easy to be lulled into thinking that there is nothing to be sorry for or to confess. What a deception! You are being devoured! There are many ways in which the Lord is denied, instead giving glory to the devil.

“We may deny Him in our words, by speaking evil of others, by foolish talking, jesting and joking, by idle or unkind words, or by prevaricating, speaking contrary to truth. In our words we may confess that Christ is not in us. In our character we may deny Him by loving our ease, by shunning the duties and burdens of life which someone must bear if we do not, and by loving sinful pleasure. We may also deny Christ by pride of dress and conformity to the world, or by uncourteous behavior. We may deny Him by loving our own opinions and by seeking to maintain and justify self. We may also deny Him in allowing the mind to run in the channel of lovesick sentimentalism and to brood over our supposed hard lot and trials.”

“… The conversation and the deportment should be a real and visible expression of grace and truth within. If the heart is sanctified, submissive, and humble, the fruits will be seen outwardly and will be a most effectual confession of Christ.” Testimonies, vol. 3, 331, 332.

“A spirit contrary to the spirit of Christ would deny Him, whatever the profession. Men may deny Christ by evilspeaking, by foolish talking, by words that are untruthful or unkind. They may deny Him by shunning life’s burdens, by the pursuit of sinful pleasure. They may deny Him by conforming to the world, by uncourteous behavior, by the love of their own opinions, by justifying self, by cherishing doubt, borrowing trouble, and dwelling in darkness. In all these ways they declare that Christ is not in them.” The Desire of Ages, 357.

Awake! Ponder the path of your feet moment by moment. Have you denied Him today in thoughts, words or actions? Be honest with yourself; confess those neglects so the devil does not win.

Today is the day of salvation. Go to the Lord, fall on your knees and tell Him your heart’s sorrow for denying Him and ask Him for forgiveness. Give not victory to the devil and lose your eternal life. Jesus is waiting in the Most Holy Place of the Sanctuary in heaven to hear from you today. Tomorrow has not come, and then it may be too late, as it may not come.

Heavenly Father, My heart is filled with much sorrow right now. I now know I have been denying You in thoughts, words and actions. Please forgive me. I praise You for showing me these things. Keep me alert to the dangers in my path that I may not lose eternal life. Amen.

Lifestyle – Rest

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God has set an example for us in regard to rest. Rest has been built into our very own bodies, by the hand of God. Each organ of the body is designed to rest. We breathe in and then rest as we exhale and pause until the next breath. The heart pumps blood throughout the body, and then rests as it refills with blood. The stomach digests food, sends it into the small intestine and then rests while it waits for the next meal.

The principle of rest is found in the Bible in the weekly rest: “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended His work, which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it He had rested from all his work which God created and made.” Genesis 2:1–3.

The disciples were commanded to rest after working intently for some period of time. “And He said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.” Mark 6:31.

The human machinery can experience many problems if it is deprived of adequate amounts and proper rest and sleep to refresh both the body and mind. A lack of or improper rest/sleep can often cause headache, irritability, increased risk of accidents, memory loss, emotional instability, decreased motor skills, impaired immune system, and decreased ability to learn. This is not an inclusive list, but just some of the problems that can be experienced due to rest/sleep deprivation.

Knowing the problems that can occur due to lack of or improper rest, it is important to learn about the different types of rest necessary to promote health. There are four types of rest or rest vitamins.

Recreation—Note that recreation should be re-creation and not wreck-reation.

Meditation and Prayer—Partaking of this type of rest puts us at rest or peace with both God and our fellow man, resulting in freedom from the guilt, which robs the body of rest.

The Sabbath—The rest that we should engage in each week with our Creator. This rest cycle is influenced by the circadian rhythms. It has been found that many organs in the body have a weekly cycle. Many vital signs, such as heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure are actually slower on a weekly basis with the lowest reading being on the Sabbath. These body rhythms support that the Sabbath, not just any day of the week, but the seventh day (see The Seven Day Circle by Eviatar Zerubavel, New York: Free Press; London: Collier Macmillan, © 1985.) should be a day of worship and rest as commanded by the Creator and is a symbol of God’s finished work in both nature and man. It is a weekly invitation by God to recognize the work God is doing in each life and an opportunity to focus on our relationship with God, our family, and our fellow man. Praise the Lord for the Sabbath rest!

To be continued…

The Mystery of God and the Seventh Trumpet

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Notice this explanation given in The Great Controversy, 420:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Our Past History – The Times of the Second Angel

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In the book Life Sketches of Ellen G. White, 196, she says, “We have nothing to fear for the future, except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led us, and His teaching in our past history.” With this in mind, we began to study a subject that is very broad and complex, namely, the Three Angels’ Messages. In part one [LandMarks, July, 2011] we reflected upon the first angel’s message of Revelation 14:6, 7. We learned that the first angel’s message proclaims the hour of God’s judgment. This message was proclaimed by William Miller in the early 1830s. The movement that followed became known as the Millerite movement and later on as the Advent movement. The Millerites discovered that God’s judgment was to begin in A.D. 1844. Now this is the first angel that proclaims the everlasting gospel, but it is not the last. The message of judgment was to be followed by another message, and both messages were to be proclaimed together. Here we will study the second angel’s message.

“And there followed another angel …” Revelation 14:8. Before we continue reading, I want to emphasize the word “followed.” The Greek word for follow means to accompany. It means to go with someone as an associate or companion. For example, in Mark 1:17, 18, we read, “And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men. And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him.” Notice, they followed or went along with Jesus. They accompanied Him. So, the second angel accompanied the first angel. That means that the first angel was joined by the second angel, and both were to fly in the midst of heaven together. What is the message that was to accompany the first angel?

“And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.” Revelation 14:8. Notice, the second angel follows or accompanies the first angel with the message that Babylon is fallen. What is Babylon depicted as in the Bible? Revelation 17:3, 5 says, “So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast. … And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” Here we see that Babylon is depicted as a woman, and in Bible prophecy what does a woman represent? Let’s examine three passages. “I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate woman.” “And I have put my words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of mine hand, that I may plant the heavens, and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, Thou art my people.” “For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.” Jeremiah 6:2; Isaiah 51:16; II Corinthians 11:2. Notice, the Bible depicts God’s church as a woman. Therefore, in Bible prophecy a woman symbolizes the church.

So the message that Babylon is fallen reveals to us a church and her daughters that are fallen. In II Thessalonians 2:3, the apostle Paul prophesied about this. “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition.” We understand this falling away to apply to the great apostasy of the Church of Rome in the third century. As soon as the Roman church adopted pagan practices, she, as a religious system, fell from the grace of God. However, the message of her fall was not widely proclaimed until the early 1840s when her daughters rejected the first angel’s message of God’s judgment. Remember, Revelation 17:5 says that Babylon is the mother of harlots. Therefore, she has daughter churches that are also corrupt. By the 1840s, as the first angel’s message was gaining strength and converts, Babylon’s daughters, which refer to the various Protestant churches, began to greatly oppose the advent message. As that opposition grew, the people who believed the message of reform were forced to either leave the advent movement and remain with their respective churches or leave their churches and hold fast to their advent beliefs.

Francis Nichol, the author of the book The Midnight Cry (Review and Herald Publishing Association, Washington, D. C., 1945) writes about the development of the second angel’s message. “There comes a time in the history of almost every religious movement when the distinctive teachings or convictions that set it in motion, result in friction and opposition in the church or churches from which it sprang. …

“In many instances the believers in Miller’s teachings were not permitted to express themselves on the subject in any way in their own churches. They felt repressed and spiritually suffocated. In the Millerite meetings they had found their hearts strangely warmed and their spiritual natures quickened as they listened to the prophecies expounded, and pictured in their minds the stimulating thought of the soon coming of Christ. To go from such a series of meetings back to their own churches and find there an atmosphere of coldness toward the whole subject of the advent, could not fail to lead many to question the wisdom of remaining in those churches. Some felt that to stay in their church would really be to deny their faith. Others were not quite sure.” Ibid., 145, 147. So, as a result of rejecting the first angel’s message of judgment, the Babylonian churches fell, and the believers were forced to leave the fallen churches.

The prophetic Scripture that was laid at the foundation of the first angel’s message was Daniel 8:14: “Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.” The early Adventist Christians believed that the earth was the sanctuary and that the year 1844 was the end of the 2,300 symbolic days. Therefore, they thought that Jesus was going to return in 1844 and bring an end to sin. But after the passing of October 22, 1844, the Adventist believers became greatly disappointed when Jesus did not return to this earth to cleanse it as they expected. Hiram Edson, one of the Adventist lecturers, gives an account of the grief felt by those who were expecting Jesus to come in 1844. He said, “Our fondest hopes and expectations were blasted, and such a spirit of weeping came over us as I never experienced before. It seemed that the loss of all earthly friends could have been no comparison. We wept, and wept, till the day dawn. I mused in my own heart, saying, My advent experience has been the richest and brightest of all my Christian experience. If this had proved a failure, what was the rest of my Christian experience worth? Has the Bible proved a failure? Is there no God, no heaven, no golden home city, no paradise? Is all this but a cunningly devised fable? Is there no reality to our fondest hope and expectation of these things? And thus we had something to grieve and weep over, if all our fond hopes were lost. And as I said, we wept till the day dawn.” Ibid., 247, 248.

Now this is only a glimpse into the grief experienced by the advent believers in 1844. It was a time of gloom and sadness; a time when all hope seemed hopeless. However, Psalm 30:5 tells us, “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” And on the day after the disappointment, Hiram Edson received a vision that revealed the real event that transpired on the day before. The following is his own account of the vision: “After breakfast I said to one of my brethren, ‘Let us go and see, and encourage some of our brethren.’ We started, and while passing through a large field I was stopped about midway of the field. Heaven seemed open to my view, and I saw distinctly and clearly that instead of our great High Priest coming out of the Most Holy of the heavenly sanctuary to come to this earth on the tenth day of the seventh month, at the end of the 2,300 days, He for the first time entered on that day the second apartment of that sanctuary; and that He had a work to perform in the Most Holy before coming to this earth. That He came to the marriage at the time [as mentioned in the parable of the Ten Virgins]; in other words, to the Ancient of days to receive a kingdom, dominion, and glory; and we must wait for His return from the wedding.” Ibid., 458.

Notice what Inspiration says regarding the great disappointment and the hope that followed: “Jesus did not come to the earth as the waiting, joyful company expected, to cleanse the sanctuary by purifying the earth by fire. I saw that they were correct in their reckoning of the prophetic periods; prophetic time closed in 1844, and Jesus entered the Most Holy Place to cleanse the sanctuary at the ending of the days. …

“… and He sent His angels to direct their minds that they might follow Him where He was. He showed them that this earth is not the sanctuary, but that He must enter the Most Holy Place of the heavenly sanctuary to make an atonement for His people and to receive the kingdom from His Father, and that He would then return to the earth and take them to dwell with Him forever.” Early Writings, 243, 244.

Hope began to swell once again in the hearts of the believers. They received a better understanding of the experience they had just passed through. Instead of coming to this earth in 1844 as they expected, Jesus entered into the Most Holy Place of the heavenly sanctuary to begin His last intercessory work for humanity. This brings us to the last angel of the three. So far we have two angels flying together—the first angel accompanied by the second angel. Two messages are proclaimed at the same time—a message of judgment and a message of a fallen church. However, these angels were not to be alone. In Revelation 14:9, it says, “And the third angel followed them.” In our final part we will reflect upon the third angel. But for now remember, “We have nothing to fear for the future, except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led us, and His teaching in our past history.”

Demario Carter is currently working as a Bible worker for Steps to Life. 

Avoiding Satan’s Shadow

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It must be well understood by those who have chosen to follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth that they need to be sober and vigilant, because our adversary the devil, walketh about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. (See Revelation 14:4; I Peter 5:8.) Satan spares no effort in attempting to throw his hellish shadow across the path of those hungering and thirsting for the truth.

In Satan’s efforts to destroy Jesus, he came to Him as an angel of light when He was at his weakest, after 40 days of fasting in the desert. Throughout His life, Satan had sought tirelessly to destroy the King of the universe. Since he was unsuccessful, he is now sparing no effort to destroy His loyal subjects, unrelentlessly casting his shadow across their paths on a daily basis.

Tempting us when we are the weakest is a common method of operation for the enemy of souls. It was when Moses was at his weakest—after nearly 40 years of putting up with the murmuring and complaining Israelites—that his faith failed and he succumbed to Satan’s temptation by over-reaching in fulfilling the Lord’s instructions. (See Numbers 20.)

Elijah’s faith failed when he fled from Jezebel’s threats after facing the false prophets of Baal. He, that same day, had manifested the strength of heaven when he slayed 450 prophets at the Brook Kishon, but in the moment of weakness that followed, Satan instilled in Elijah an ungodly fear of the hateful wife of the weak monarch. (See I Kings 19.)

Although it was when Christ was at His weakest after fasting 40 days that Satan came at Him in marked contrast to prior temptations, Christ was able, by relying on the word of God, to resist Satan’s efforts to destroy not only Himself but the plan of salvation as well.

In each of the synoptic gospels, two short verses introduce the beginning of the earthly chapter of the great controversy between Christ and Satan.

“Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.” Matthew 4:1, 2.

“And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness. And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.” Mark 1:12, 13.

“And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.” Luke 4:1, 2.

John does not mention Christ’s temptations in his gospel, but he makes an allusion to them in his first epistle. In it, he gives us a very succinct statement of the avenues Satan used to try to dissuade Christ from the path of truth, righteousness, and faithfulness.

In I John 3:8, John states, “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”

Here we see clearly and succinctly what Christ accomplished in His earthly efforts for the salvation of mankind—the destruction of the works of Satan. Those efforts were begun immediately after His baptism when He was led—or driven, as Mark says—into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

Earlier in that same epistle, John had enumerated the specific temptations Satan had hurled at Jesus. It is those same temptations that he dangles before us today, in thousands of different forms. He has studied the character of mankind for 6,000 years and has tailored his temptations to entice each one of us according to our weakest points.

John lists, in I John 2:16, the specific points on which Satan tempted Christ and the very points on which Satan tempts us, time after time: “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.”

A careful study of Christ’s three temptations will reveal that it was these very avenues—lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—that Satan used to tempt Christ when He was at His weakest.

When strength fails and the will-power is weak and faith ceases to cling to God, then those who have stood long and valiantly for the right are overcome. When they are at their weakest physically, mentally, and spiritually, Satan makes his most severe efforts to overcome them.

Humans will fall when any one of these faculties—physical, mental, or spiritual—has been stretched to the limit. Christ experienced a lessening of all three, yet He withstood all the attempts by Satan to destroy the plan of salvation.

Let’s take an in-depth look at the three temptations of Christ in hopes that we can learn from the example set before us, so that by the grace of God, we can prevail when Satan comes in like a flood to dissuade us from the path of truth and righteousness.

“With the terrible weight of the sins of the world upon Him, Christ withstood the test upon appetite [lust of the flesh], upon the love of the world [lust of the eyes], and upon that love of display [pride of life] which leads to presumption. These were the temptations that overcame Adam and Eve, and that so readily overcome us.” The Desire of Ages, 116, 117.

  1. Lust of the flesh – physical – Turn these stones into bread.

How did Satan tempt Christ through lust of the flesh? We are told clearly in Matthew 4:3: “And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.”

In the very first temptation that Satan brought before Christ, he used the exact same avenue that he had used so successfully to lead our first mother astray. There was, however, a significant difference in the circumstances of the two events: Eve was not hungry. Christ had fasted for 40 days. “And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.” Verse 2.

“He did not realize any sense of hunger until the forty days of His fast were ended.

“The vision passed away, and then, with strong craving, Christ’s human nature called for food.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 21, 9. He was definitely hungry!

Satan was successful not only in reaching Eve through appetite, but he also succeeded in leading Esau astray through the same avenue. Esau was willing to trade his birthright for a bowl of soup. In that moment of hunger, satisfying his appetite meant more to him than salvation. He yielded willingly to the lust of his flesh. The results of that decision stayed with him and his descendants throughout history.

I used to think that somewhere near the end of time, just before the Second Coming, Satan or one of his agents would come to me with a plate of chicken-fried steak or a quart of ice cream—after I had observed a strict vegan diet for decades—saying, “John, you’re near to death from starvation. God loves you too much to let you suffer and die. Take this. Eat it.” Consider the possibility that—some time before the Second Advent—not only will Satan seek to have the Sabbath lightly regarded, but he may also attempt to demerit the value of adhering to the tenets of health reform. “Eat anything you want to.” Could he quote a Scripture to support that assertion, just as he quoted Scripture to try to entice Christ? Indeed he could … several, in fact.

“If any of them that believe not bid you to a feast, and ye be disposed to go; whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience sake.” I Corinthians 10:27.

“Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days.” Colossians 2:16.

How would you counter such an argument with a thus saith the Lord? If you cannot do that now, it would be wise to determine how you would meet such a test before it comes to you.

Often, seemingly intelligent individuals will maintain that the “counsel” we have been given in the Spirit of Prophecy—whether it is in regard to diet, exercise, Sabbath-observance, or some other point—is “only” counsel and that we are free to take it or leave it. While that is indeed true, if for no other reason than that we have been given a free will, the word of God tells us specifically, in Proverbs 1:25: “But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof.” This is not a commendation, for in verse 23, it was commanded, “Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.”

How much more simple could the Lord have stated it? If we accept the counsel we are given and “turn” when reproved, the Lord will “pour out” His spirit upon us. Why would anyone choose to fail to act on such a promise? Claiming the promises of God without complying with the conditions for its fulfillment is presumption.

Well, as the Lord has slowly and wisely and lovingly removed the scales from my eyes, I have come to realize that the battle, specifically with appetite but, in general, with obedience, is a daily issue right here and right now. Lust of the flesh applies to appetite as well as to the lower passions of the natural heart.

Inspired writings contain some revealing statements regarding the natural heart.

“The propensities that control the natural heart must be subdued by the grace of Christ before fallen man is fitted to enter heaven and enjoy the society of the pure, holy angels.” The Acts of the Apostles, 273.

“The tendencies of the natural heart are downward.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 587.

In I Corinthians 2:14, Paul also speaks of the difficulty that the natural man has in receiving the Spirit of God. “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

Thayer’s Greek Definitions provides a revealing definition of natural: “the sensuous nature with its subjection to appetite and passion.”

Truly the natural heart willingly yields—and by its very nature longs to yield—to the lusts of the flesh!

  1. Lust of the eyes – mental – Satan showed Christ all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them.

“Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.” Matthew 4:8, 9.

“Placing Jesus upon a high mountain, Satan caused the kingdoms of the world, in all their glory, to pass in panoramic view before Him. The sunlight lay on templed cities, marble palaces, fertile fields, and fruit-laden vineyards. The traces of evil were hidden. The eyes of Jesus, so lately greeted by gloom and desolation, now gazed upon a scene of unsurpassed loveliness and prosperity. Then the tempter’s voice was heard: ‘All this power will I give Thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If Thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be Thine’ [Luke 4:6, 7].” The Desire of Ages, 129.

How did Jesus refute Satan’s temptation? “Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” Matthew 4:10.

Let’s take a deeper look at the command, “Him only shalt thou serve.”

In I Samuel 7:3, we read, “And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the Lord, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.”

What does it mean to be delivered out of the hands of the Philistines?

There are two possible interpretations to this deliverance. Certainly at the time Samuel said it, it meant that if the children of Israel would turn from their idolatry, God would physically deliver them from the hand of the Philistines. But when we mine God’s word as searching for buried treasure, we can find a deeper meaning that is applicable to us today.

We learn in Strong’s Concordance by tracing the word Philistines down through several layers of word derivatives that it comes from a primitive root meaning to roll (in dust): – roll (wallow) in self.

When we apply that knowledge to man’s creation—“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground …” Genesis 2:7—we gain greater insight as to what it means to us to be delivered from the hand of the Philistines.

When we choose to serve God and Him only, He will deliver us from the “hand of the Philistines.” He delivers us from ourselves, freeing us from self and all the worldly entanglements that we have gotten ourselves into before we allowed God to crucify the old man and experience that new birth that we must have before we can enter the kingdom of heaven.

The story of Achan provides us with an example of lust of the eyes and its disastrous results. Achan was overcome when he spied the “goodly Babylonish garment.”

“When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them [I delighted in them; I lusted after them], and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.” Joshua 7:21.

Verse 25 gives the result of Achan’s yielding to lust of the eyes. “And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the Lord shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones.”

David is another example of someone who fell into sin because of lust of the eyes. The beginning of that story is in II Samuel 11:2–4.

“And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon. And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite? And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house.”

How can one recover from a sin such as David’s? Psalm 51—one of the most uplifting of them all—reveals that to us. David’s repentance was from the depths of his heart.

“Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to thy lovingkindness:
According unto the multitude of thy tender mercies
Blot out my transgressions.
Wash me throughly from mine iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my transgressions:
And my sin is ever before me.
Against thee, thee only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in thy sight:
That thou mightest be justified when thou speakest,
And be clear when thou judgest.” (Verses 1–4.)

“Create in me a clean heart, O God;
And renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from thy presence;
And take not thy holy spirit from me.
Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation;
And uphold me with thy free spirit.
Then will I teach transgressors thy ways;
And sinners shall be converted unto thee.
Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God,
Thou God of my salvation:
And my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.” (Verses 10–14.)

We have evidence from several different places in Scripture that God honored this heart-cry.

“… yet thou hast not been as my servant David, who kept my commandments, and who followed me with all his heart, to do that only which was right in mine eyes.” I Kings 14:8.

Clearly, God kept His promise given in Psalm 103:12. He removed David’s sins “as far as the east is from the west.”

Repeatedly, after this incident, throughout the remainder of the Old Testament, God refers to David as His servant. But take note that neither Cain nor Saul nor any other unrepentant sinner ever receives a similar commendation.

Lust of the eyes nearly always turns into lust of the flesh. In fact, according to Genesis 6:1–3, that was a contributing factor in God’s determination to destroy the world by a flood.

“And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.” Genesis 6:1–3.

Lust of the eyes led to lust of the flesh in David’s situation. It did the same in the children of Israel just before they crossed the Jordan. Read about that in Numbers 25 and in Patriarchs and Prophets, chapter 41, “Apostasy at the Jordan.” This story contains a critical warning for us today.

“We want to understand the time in which we live. We do not half understand it. We do not half take it in. My heart trembles in me when I think of what a foe we have to meet, and how poorly we are prepared to meet him. The trials of the children of Israel, and their attitude just before the first coming of Christ, have been presented before me again and again to illustrate the position of the people of God in their experience before the second coming of Christ.” The Review and Herald, February 18, 1890.

What happened to the children of ancient Israel just before they entered the promised land is given to us as a warning against one of the most successful techniques that Satan has ever used to lead man astray or that he ever will use to tempt God’s children just before the second coming of Christ.

  1. Pride of life – spiritual – Throw yourself from this pinnacle of the temple … try to kill yourself, try to take your life, thereby destroying your soul and any chance for the salvation of the human race. The angels will protect you.

“The vision passed away.” Christ was having a spiritual experience. “He [Satan] resolved to appear as one of the angels of light that had appeared to Christ in His vision.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 21, 9.

Once again we can turn to David for an example of yielding to the pride of life.

“And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel. And David said to Joab and to the rulers of the people, Go, number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan; and bring the number of them to me, that I may know it. And Joab answered, The Lord make his people an hundred times so many more as they be: but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord’s servants? why then doth my lord require this thing? why will he be a cause of trespass to Israel?” I Chronicles 21:1–3.

Joab was attempting to make David realize that he had no reason to number his troops other than because of pride—to fulfill his desire to know how powerful he was. He was tempted to rely on his own arm of flesh rather than on the divine arm of God.

David was convicted of his sin. “And David said unto God, I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing: but now, I beseech thee, do away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.” Verse 8.

As we continue reading from verse 9, we see what happened. The next morning a message was brought to David by the prophet Gad.

“And the Lord spake unto Gad, David’s seer, saying, Go and tell David, saying, Thus saith the Lord, I offer thee three things: choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee. So Gad came to David, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Choose thee either three years’ famine; or three months to be destroyed before thy foes, while that the sword of thine enemies overtaketh thee; or else three days the sword of the Lord, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of the Lord destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel. Now therefore advise thyself what word I shall bring again to him that sent me. And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let me fall now into the hand of the Lord; for very great are his mercies: but let me not fall into the hand of man.” Verses 9–13.

“The land was smitten with pestilence, which destroyed seventy thousand in Israel. The scourge had not yet entered the capital, when ‘David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the Lord stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.’ The king pleaded with God in behalf of Israel: ‘Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed; but as for these sheep, what have they done? let Thine hand, I pray Thee, O Lord my God, be on me, and on my father’s house; but not on Thy people, that they should be plagued’ [I Chronicles 21:16, 17].” Patriarchs and Prophets, 748.

David realized immediately the error of his ways and turned to God with confession and repentance. God mercifully forgave David and regarded him as His faithful servant. We can expect the same enduring mercy to be manifested toward us by our loving Father when we confess and repent as did David.

We have clear statements of God’s forgiveness of David in Ezekiel 34:22–24. “Therefore will I save my flock, and they shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between cattle and cattle. And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd. And I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the Lord have spoken it.”

This was written sometime between 595 and 573 B.C., approximately 400 years after David’s rule as king of Israel. Clearly, God had answered David’s prayer of repentance!

There is another lesson in this temptation of Christ of which we should be aware, dealing with presumption. How important is it to distinguish between faith and temptation? We are told in Inspired writings that presumption is Satan’s counterfeit of faith.

“If he [Satan] can cause us to place ourselves unnecessarily in the way of temptation, he knows that the victory is his.” The Desire of Ages, 126.

Hebrews 11:6 tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God, which is why Satan endeavors so tirelessly to make us cross the line from faith into presumption.

Inspired writings give us many different examples of presumption and provide a rich source of study for those who desire to sink the shaft deeply to mine the word of God.

Let us remember that through Christ we are more than conquerors, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

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

(Emphasis supplied throughout.)

John Pearson is part of the Steps to Life team. He can be contacted by email at: johnpearson@stepstolife.org.

The Assurance of the Resurrection

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The age in which we live is one of unbelief. There is a saying that a man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still. There are many people who do not believe that there will ever be a resurrection; however, the Bible evidence is overwhelming.

Paul says, “If there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. … We are found false witnesses of God; … For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. … Every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at His coming.” I Corinthians 15:13–20, 23.

Paul cites evidence here that because Christ has already risen, it proves the fact that God can raise people from the dead, and there will also be a resurrection of Christ’s children when He returns.

Christ being raised from the dead is one of the most indisputable facts in history because of the many witnesses. About twenty to twenty-five years after the resurrection, Paul said, “He was seen above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present [time], but some are fallen asleep [some have died].” Verse 6.

To establish what is true or false in a courtroom, witnesses are called to testify. In this instance there were over five hundred witnesses, some of whom were still alive and could verify that they had visited with Jesus after He rose.

The Scriptures record that He appeared to different individuals ten times after His resurrection.

  • He appeared first of all to Peter, that is, Cephas. I Corinthians 15:5
  • He appeared to Mary Magdalene. See Mark 16:9
  • He appeared to two disciples as they were walking to Emmaus. See Luke 24:13–15
  • He appeared to all eleven of the apostles the same day. See John 20:19; Luke 24:33–36
  • He appeared to more than five hundred at one time. 1 Corinthians 15:6
  • He appeared to James. I Corinthians 15:7
  • He appeared to the eleven apostles again, one week later. John 20:26
  • He appeared to seven of the apostles while they were fishing. John 21:1
  • His disciples saw Him ascend into heaven. Acts 1:9
  • He appeared to Paul on the road to Damascus. I Corinthians 15:8

Evidence – Neither the Jews nor the Romans could produce His body. The Jews claimed that He was never raised from the dead, but dead people don’t walk away. So what happened to the body of Jesus? Nobody could produce a body.

Evidence – At the time of His burial, the tomb was sealed by a Roman seal. Anyone who broke that Roman seal would be in defiance of the Roman government, subject to prosecution, and at the very least, put in prison. But there was no prosecution. Jesus’ disciples were accused of stealing the body, but there was never a prosecution, because the evidence would show that there was not a body to be found.

Evidence – One hundred Roman soldiers who were commissioned to guard the tomb did not all fall asleep at the same time and sleep so soundly that the disciples could come and roll the stone away and steal the body. The penalty for a soldier to sleep while on guard was death, but it is recorded that all one hundred soldiers were so sound asleep that they did not wake while the stone was being rolled away. It just defies all reason.

Evidence – Before the crucifixion, when Jesus was arrested, the disciples were all so afraid that they ran away. Were they suddenly not afraid anymore to steal His body? In Acts 5:29–32 it says, “But Peter and the other apostles answered and said, ‘We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Saviour, to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are His witnesses of these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him.” NKJV

The cowardice of the disciples was transformed into an unspeakable boldness. The change in the apostles is one of the strongest evidences for the resurrection. Before the resurrection, they were a group of eleven men who were scared to death and hiding out, but the power of the resurrection empowered them. When brought into courts, they boldly spoke truth, saying, “You are the ones who killed the Lord, but now He is at the right hand of the Father in heaven.”

Evidence – By A.D. 100, it is estimated that between five and ten percent of the people in the Roman Empire were Christians even though paganism attempted over and over again to destroy Christianity. This was because of the evidence of the resurrection of Christ. Because Christ had been raised, the Christians had the assurance that they also would be raised at His Second Coming if they died beforehand.

There are many Bible facts about the resurrection.

The dead will come from definite localities. “Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.” Isaiah 26:19. The people who dwell in dust are those who are in their graves. “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice.” John 5:28. They will come out from their graves.

But what about the people who are not buried in graves? Some people have died and have been buried in the sea. “The sea gave up the dead which were in it.” Revelation 20:13. There is not a place that will not give up the dead on that day when they are called—the old English word is quickened. That means that they will be made alive again.

The resurrection is one of the prominent doctrines in the Bible. The first two books of the Bible that were written were the book of Genesis and the book of Job. It is clear in the book of Job that the ancient followers of the true God understood the resurrection. “For I know that my Redeemer lives, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God.” Job 19:25, 26. Job understood that he would see God and have a new body.

David had the same hope. He wrote, “As for me, I will behold Thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake with Thy likeness.” Psalm 17:15.

The New Testament is full of texts about this, since Christ had already risen. “Knowing that He which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus, and shall present us with you.” II Corinthians 4:14.

“I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for Whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I might win Christ, And be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death; If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.” Philippians 3:8–11.

“But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed [paid back] at the resurrection of the just.” Luke 14:13, 14.

Jesus says there is an exact record being kept of your life. Those who have dedicated their lives to serving others, especially helping others who are unfortunate and in distressing circumstances, will be paid back at the resurrection of the just.

By and by, there will be a big payment for the just. This is encouraging news while living in a world where it seems there is more than enough sorrow to go around. We all do not go through the same trials, and one of the saddest things to deal with is the loss of a child. Some very dear friends of ours lost all of their five children from smoke inhalation when their house caught on fire. They believe in the resurrection and look forward to the hope they have in raising their children in a perfect environment when they get to heaven.

“Thus saith the Lord, A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, and bitter weeping; Rahel weeping for her children refused to be comforted for her children, because they were not. Thus saith the Lord, Refrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears: for thy work shall be rewarded, saith the Lord; and they shall come again from the land of the enemy. And there is hope in thine end, saith the Lord, that thy children shall come again to their own border.” Jeremiah 31:15–17.

This event will be fulfilled when Jesus comes back. The apostles constantly wrote about the Second Coming of Christ. They knew that when Jesus returns, the dead will be raised and reunited with their loved ones.

Before the ascension, Jesus promised His disciples that, “In My Father’s house are many mansions [permanent dwellings] … I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” John 14:2, 3.

In the book of Ezekiel, the resurrection is described in symbolic language. “Then He said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts. Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, O My people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up out of your graves, And shall put My Spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall you know that I the Lord have spoken it, and performed it.” Ezekiel 37:11–14.

The resurrection is a wonderful subject. It thrills us to think about it and gives us hope, because we all have had friends and loved ones who have died. However, Jesus made it very clear, and we need to remember, that not everybody who is raised will be raised to eternal life.

“The hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice.” John 5:28. But notice what Jesus says in verse 29: “And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”

The Bible is very clear in both the Old and New Testaments that not everybody raised will be raised to eternal life. The Jews believed this. While on trial and speaking about the Jews, Paul said, “And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.” Acts 24:15.

Daniel expressed, “And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.” Daniel 12:2. Revelation 20 points out specifically that there will be two resurrections one thousand years apart and calls those who have a part in the first resurrection “blessed and holy” (verse 6).

The first resurrection is a resurrection unto eternal life, never having to suffer the second death. But “the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished” (verse 5). At the end of the thousand years a second resurrection will take place. “Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,” and there will be people “to deceive” once more (verses 7, 8). The number of these people are as the sand of the sea. “I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” Verses 12–15.

The most important question of all is how to have assurance of being part of the first resurrection. The person who has a part of the first resurrection is described with two words. They are blessed and they are holy (Revelation 20:6).

A powerful text on that very same subject is Hebrews 12:14: “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord.” Those who are raised in the first resurrection must be holy persons.

The next question is, If I have to be holy, what does that mean? Some people say, “O, that’s what God is like.” Well, Jesus said that if you have seen Me, you have “seen the Father” (John 14:9). In Hebrews 7:26, Jesus is described as holy, so if you study the life of Jesus, you will find the meaning of holiness.

“Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.” Romans 7:12. In the context of this text, Paul is specifically referring to the Ten Commandments. Quoting the tenth commandment, he says, “The law is holy, and the commandment is holy.” This is not complicated; a holy person’s life will be in harmony with the Ten Commandments. The thoughts, feelings, words and actions of a holy person will be in harmony with the Ten Commandments, because the law is holy and an unholy person is one whose life is not in harmony with the Ten Commandments. It is so simple that a child can easily understand.

How can you have assurance that you will be in the first resurrection if you should die before Jesus comes? “Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of Him in peace, without spot, and blameless.” II Peter 3:14. “Without spot” is an analogy, or a description, using the symbolism of clothing. When clothes become soiled, they are washed to remove the spots and then ironed to remove the wrinkles. So the Bible uses this analogy. Paul says, “… that He might present her [the church] to Himself a glorious church, not having spot [unstained] or wrinkle” (Ephesians 5:27, NKJV). The church that Christ presents to His Father is without spot or wrinkle; it has been made clean.

It is God’s purpose to remove every spot and every wrinkle so we need to pray that God will send His Holy Spirit to reveal them and give us the power to overcome. I can’t explain how this happens. All I know is that the Bible says it, and it is so.

“Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:6. It is the Lord who is going to finish the work that He has started in your life.

James says, “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers [various] temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” James 1:2–4. God will have a people who will be perfect and entire when Jesus comes. They will be holy, with no spots, no wrinkles, and no blemishes. To get to that point, there will be many various temptations to overcome, but “count it all joy.”

Time is running out, and unlike Enoch, God will not have three hundred years to accomplish His work. He has to speed up the process. A holy character is perfected through the process of trials and temptations.

If you want to be perfect, if you want to be ready for Jesus to come, the Spirit of Prophecy needs to be confirmed in your life. “As the testimony of Christ [that is the Spirit of Prophecy] was confirmed in you: Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” I Corinthians 1:6, 8. The people who are going to be blameless will have been confirmed in the Spirit of Prophecy.

God will have a perfect people. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” II Timothy 3:16, 17. This is the key to Protestant thinking and one of the main texts in the New Testament upon which we base our belief. It would be wise to study it carefully to get its full impact and power.

We want to be sure we acknowledge the truth gently and tactfully. It is not unkind to acknowledge the truth. For hundreds of years the Roman Catholic Church has claimed that to reach spiritual perfection, the Scriptures are not enough. They have claimed that in addition to the Scriptures, oral traditions, the sacraments of the church, and various religious exercises are needed in order to have spiritual perfection. The most famous group within the Catholic Church that has perfected spiritual exercises is the Jesuit order. They are actually called spiritual exercises, and after taking them, a person is supposed to be on a higher spiritual level than anybody else in the world.

Some of the people who have taken these spiritual exercises have committed the most violent and awful crimes of anybody who has ever lived. As Protestants, we do not believe that Catholic teaching and do not believe that a minister or a church organization or any Christian organization or group can add something to the Bible in order to become spiritually perfect.

Paul draws attention to what is inspired of God—the Scriptures. The purpose of the Scriptures is that the man of God may be perfect. That is the basis of Protestant teaching.

The Bible is like a cup that is clear full of water. It has everything necessary to arrive at spiritual perfection. If anything is added to it, it will spill over and something will be taken away from it.

You cannot add to the Bible. The wise man said, “I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it.” Ecclesiastes 3:14. In other words, nothing can be added to it nor can anything be taken from it. When God has given us His book, the book is complete.

There are some people who believe that it is impossible to overcome and that you are going to go through your whole life sinning, but as long as you just confess your sins every day, you will be saved. It is true that confessed sins will be forgiven. But you cannot go through life living like the devil, just confessing your sins, and be in the first resurrection. The Bible, the New Testament, does not teach that.

“Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly [without being intoxicated], righteously, and godly, in this present world.” Titus 2:12. This is “the grace of God that bringeth salvation” (verse 11). And the grace that brings salvation teaches us that we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world. To be in the first resurrection, we must live like this in the present world.

Ellen White wrote to a married man who was in real trouble in his family: “How long a time are you designing to take to prepare to be introduced into the society of heavenly angels in glory? In the state which you and your family are in at present, all heaven would be marred should you be introduced therein. The work for you must be done here. This earth is the fitting-up place. You have not one moment to lose. All is harmony, peace, and love in heaven. No discord, no strife, no censuring, no unloving words, no clouded brows, no jars there; and no one will be introduced there who possesses any of these elements so destructive to peace and happiness. Study to be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate, laying up for yourselves a good foundation against the time to come, that you may lay hold on everlasting life.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 705, 706.

The resurrection is the most exciting subject in the world, if you are ready. If you want to be ready, you need to live soberly, righteously and godly now. You need to be preparing. You need to be praying. The Bible says that we need to pray for each other so we will be healed and so that we will be ready.

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.

Editorial – True or False Assurance

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“Therefore, brothers, be diligent to make sure of your calling and election.” II Peter 1:10, Literal Translation. Unfortunately, much of the assurance that many Christians have today is a false assurance. Ellen White explained it this way: “Many accept an intellectual religion, a form of godliness, when the heart is not cleansed. Let it be your prayer, ‘Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.’ Psalm 51:10. Deal truly with your own soul. Be as earnest, as persistent, as you would be if your mortal life were at stake. This is a matter to be settled between God and your own soul, settled for eternity. A supposed hope, and nothing more, will prove your ruin.”

“Study God’s word prayerfully. That word presents before you, in the law of God and the life of Christ, the great principles of holiness, without which ‘no man shall see the Lord.’ Hebrews 12:14. It convinces of sin; it plainly reveals the way of salvation. Give heed to it as the voice of God speaking to your soul.” Steps to Christ, 35.

Has your heart been renewed by Divine grace so that the supreme object in your life is to be Christlike, to breathe His Spirit, do His will, and please Him in all things? If not, any assurance that you have is a false assurance and will not stand the test of the judgment.

“Many are leaning upon a supposed hope without a true foundation. The fountain is not cleansed, therefore the streams proceeding from that fountain are not pure. Cleanse the fountain, and the streams will be pure. If the heart is right, your words, your dress, your acts, will all be right. True godliness is lacking. I would not dishonor my Master so much as to admit that a careless, trifling, prayerless person is a Christian. No; a Christian has victory over his besetments, over his passions. There is a remedy for the sin-sick soul. That remedy is in Jesus. Precious Saviour! His grace is sufficient for the weakest; and the strongest must also have His grace or perish.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 158.

“The hope of eternal life is not to be received upon slight grounds. It is a subject to be settled between God and your own soul–settled for eternity. A supposed hope, and nothing more, will prove your ruin. Since you are to stand or fall by the word of God, it is to that word you must look for testimony in your case. There you can see what is required of you to become a Christian. Do not lay off your armor, or leave the battlefield until you have obtained the victory, and triumph in your Redeemer.” Ibid., 163, 164.

“To make our calling and election sure is to follow the Bible plan to closely examine ourselves, to make strict inquiry whether we are indeed converted, whether our minds are drawn out after God and heavenly things, our wills renewed, our whole souls changed.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 19, 351, 352.