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The Seven Churches, Part XI: The Church of Laodicea

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“And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God: “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, [that] the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and rep ent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’ ” Revelation 3:14–22.

The Last Church

In our study of the seven churches, we have come to the last church—Laodicea. God has some straight things to say to the Laodicean church! How wonderful it is to be living in the last days, right before Jesus comes! With the added privilege of living during this time, however, comes added responsibility. God holds us responsible for more than He does any other generation.

The message to Laodicea begins with, “I am Jesus, the Faithful and True witness.” The words, “I am Jesus,” are not actually given, but before the messages to the previous churches, Jesus is identified as the One speaking. The very first verse of Revelation says, “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you.”

Jesus wants us to know that what He is declaring in this message is true and accurate. It is not exaggerated; God neither overlooks nor does He exaggerate. It is a true account of the condition of God’s people in the last days. Of course, God’s account of each of the seven churches is faithful and true, but He felt the need to especially remind the last church of that fact. Because His counsel to it is so stern, He wanted to make sure that His people would not take it lightly.

Those Before

To bring everything into perspective, we will briefly review the first six churches. The first church, the church of Ephesus, was representative of the Christian churches during the apostolic era. They were faithful, diligent, and theologically correct, but they had lost their first love. They had that love once; the disciples had it at the time Jesus left, but they lost it before the church was through, and God had to remove their candlestick.

Ephesus, in some ways, was like Laodicea, although Laodicea is worse. Ephesus had left their first love. They were the church which thought they could never be moved, because they were the apostolic church. But God cautions not to think that we can never be removed, because He can remove our candlestick.

Ephesus was followed by the church of Smyrna, the persecuted church. Persecution brought back the love that Ephesus had lost. It weeded out those who had lost their first love. Smyrna is one of only two churches about which God had nothing bad to say; He had only good things to say about it. God is not all negative, by any means. He is a faithful and true witness. He does not call out only the evil deeds. The message that came from God for the church of Smyrna was only encouragement and nothing else. God said to that church, “You are doing well. You think that you are poor, because you have been stripped of earthly goods, but actually, you are rich. I am pleased with you. I am happy with what you are doing.” Would you like God to say that about you?

The church of Smyrna was just the opposite of the church of Laodicea. God had not one good thing to say about Laodicea. The church of Laodicea thought they were rich, but God said that they were poor. The church of Smyrna thought they were poor, but God said that they were rich.

144,000 Represented

Now, the church of Smyrna was like God’s people who come out of the church of Laodicea. It typified the 144,000. Persecution had refined and purified the church of Smyrna. The 144,000 will be refined and persecuted. “Then one of the elders answered, . . . ‘Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?’ . . . ‘These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.’ ” Revelation 7:13, 14. Again, not one bad thing was said about them.

Remember the ten virgins, representing those, in the last days, who are waiting for Jesus to come? They thought they were all waiting for Jesus, but what were they really doing? They were sleeping. (Matthew 25.) However, some of them awakened, trimmed their lamps, and made ready for the Lamb. Those who had extra oil, who had been diligent Bible students, the Lord used.

In Revelation 14:5, it is written, “In their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God.” This is how the Bible describes the 144,000 who come out of the church of Laodicea. These people will be of like character to those of the church of Smyrna that came out of the church of Ephesus. Oh, how wonderful it would be to have God say this about each one of us! If we are faithful, this can be said about us.

What is it that helps us to gain this experience? The trials and troubles that come our way help us to learn to look to the Lord and trust in Him. As we experience trials and troubles, just remember that God is getting us ready to be among the most privileged people who have ever lived. Only two people have ever gone out of this world alive, without dying first—Elijah and Enoch. But there will be saintly people alive, when Jesus returns, who will live forever. These people are approved of God, “for they are without fault before the throne of God.” This is God’s purpose and His will for each one of us.

Blessings to Perdition

The church of Pergamos followed the church of Smyrna. This church came about when Constantine, the emperor of Rome, declared himself to be a Christian. Then the church became very, very popular, but with popularity, the church became worldly.

What a shame it is that, when God gives us peace and ease and blessings, we, so many times, use these very blessings to our perdition. You would think that, when God gives us blessings, we would use them for our salvation. But too many times we use the very blessings God gives to us to forget Him and be lost. Have you ever known people, with lots of trials and troubles, who looked to God, prayed, became Christians, and found happiness? God took away their troubles, blessed them financially, blessed them with good health, but then, sometimes, they became so engrossed with their money, their pleasures, or their families, that they forgot all about God. It is not long until such people end up unhappy, like they were before, but too proud to repent to God.

Such people think they have too much going for them to spend time with and for the Lord. They do not need to follow Him; that is for the poor or the ugly or the weak. They can make it in the world, you see. What a shame that the very blessings God gives to us are sometimes used for our demise! That is what the children of Israel did.

God, speaking to Jeremiah, said, “I remember you, The kindness of your youth, The love of your betrothal, When you went after Me in the wilderness, In a land not sown. Israel [was] holiness to the Lord.” Jeremiah 2:2, 3. This was in the days when Israel was poor, living in tents.

Verse 6 continues, “Neither did they say, ‘Where [is] the Lord, Who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, Who led us through the wilderness, Through a land of deserts and pits, Through a land of drought and the shadow of death, Through a land that no one crossed And where no one dwelt?’ ” When they were in Egypt, God said that they were holy, but when God brought them into a land flowing with milk and honey, a land of plenty and prosperity, what happened? They completely forgot Him.

“I brought you into a bountiful country, To eat its fruit and its goodness. But when you entered, you defiled My land And made My heritage an abomination. The priests did not say, ‘Where [is] the Lord?’ And those who handle the law did not know Me; The rulers also transgressed against Me.” Verses 7, 8.

Well, that is what happened to Pergamos. They became rich and prosperous, and God did not have much good to say about them.

The next church, Thyatira, was in existence during the Dark Ages. God did not hold those people as responsible as He did the others, we are told, in Revelation 2, because they did not have Bibles. The Bibles had been taken away. God just told them to hold fast to what they had. In that church, the papal leaders were likened to Jezebel.

Reformation

Then we come to the church of Sardis, the period of the reformation. Except for Laodicea, God has the least good to say about this church! We look back to this period as a great and wonderful time, but the Bible says, regarding that church, “You have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.” Revelation 3:1. The church of Sardis had some wonderful leaders, but the church did not follow them, so the reformation did not accomplish what God purposed. It fell short, and the beast’s wound was healed.

Second Reformation

This was followed by the second reformation—the age of Wesley, Whitefield, the Quakers, and others. During this time of the church of Philadelphia, many people fled to America to escape persecution.

There was some persecution in America’s beginning. Roger Williams had to flee to Rhode Island because of persecution. Nevertheless, for the most part, they did not have as much persecution as did the sixteenth-century reformers. Not one good church escaped persecution, but no church suffered as much persecution as the church of Sardis. Yet, even in comparative prosperity, which the church experienced, at times, the church of Sardis developed a character that God approved. I do not know of any other time in the Bible where that happened.

God had not one bad thing to say about them. This was a time of revival and reformation. When Wesley preached, 10,000, 15,000, 20,000 people came to hear him, especially in America, but in Eng-land too. The people would leave their jobs to listen to him speak. The same thing happened with Whitefield.

This was a time when the missionary societies were started, sending missionaries all over the world. The Bible societies were organized and began translating the Bible in all languages. People gave offerings—this is when serious mission offerings began. This is a time when prayer meetings and evangelistic meetings began. This was a time of Baptist lay preachers and Methodist circuit riders. So this takes us to the last church, the church of Laodicea. This is the church upon which God pours out His special blessings, because He is getting a church ready, a special people ready for the Second Coming.

A Church Ready

What are God’s requirements of His church when Jesus comes again? Ephesians 5:25, 26 says, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word.” He has been going through a great washing process for 2,000 years with seven different churches. We are in the last church, the church of Laodicea, culminating with the 144,000.

We could almost say that the 144,000 are an eighth church, which comes out of Laodicea, but they certainly are not like Laodicea! God does not list the 144,000 as a church, however. The list of churches ends with Laodicea. Nevertheless, the Bible says there will be a remnant—a remnant out of Laodicea, a remnant out of the churches.

What is the church going to be like when God is done washing it, purifying it? We are told, in verse 27, “That He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.” That is what God says about the 144,000.

The Greatest Work

This last church has the greatest work of history to do. This work is outlined in Revelation 14:6, 7. In verse 6, we read, “I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth . . . .” To whom are they to preach? “Every nation, tribe, tongue, and people”—Chinese, Africans, South Americans, Caucasians, Russians—to everyone.

The devil would like to close every avenue he can to keep the gospel from going throughout the world, but the Lord has allowed for many inventions to take place in these last days—things like radio, television, and mass publishing—that go right into areas that are “closed” to Christianity. Most people in countries such as Russia and China have shortwave radios, and many hear the gospel on them. God has people in those countries, people who are willing to risk their lives for the gospel.

Before the communist revolution in China, God helped the Seventh-day Adventist Church to become firmly established in China. All through that vast country, from Mongolia to Shanghai to Hong Kong, churches were firmly established for almost 50 years before the revolution. The church has continued, but not because of Americans or missionaries, because missionaries have not been allowed to enter China since 1947. Some of the missionaries who were there at that time went to jail for the next 30 years. Some of them died there.

The Chinese work continues, just as it does in Viet Nam and Cambodia, and all other countries, because God has faithful, national people there who are true to Him and who, at the risk of their lives, continue to hold worship services where they can preach the gospel.

The devil does everything he can to close up the work, but he cannot close out the gospel. And so, the Bible says, the gospel is to go “to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people—saying with a loud voice, ‘Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.’ ” Verses 6, 7.

God’s Requirements

God gives special blessings to the last church in order to fulfill this commission, in order to become holy, in order to give the gospel to the world. But with increased blessings come increased responsibilities. When God gives greater privileges, He requires more.

Jesus said, “That servant who knew his master’s will, and did not prepare [himself] or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many [stripes]. But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.” Luke 12:47, 48.

This is why the church of Pergamos was told, “I do not require so much of you.” He required something; they had to overcome. Those who overcome will be saved. He also counseled to hold on to what you know, and to do what you know. This is why we should not question people, because we do not know how much light they have received. There may be people who are not nearly living up to the light we have, who are better Christians than we are! We cannot judge people. Some people say that their mother, their father, their grandmother, and their grandfather were good Christians, but these people did not do everything God requires them to do. Why not? Because God may not have required it of these forefathers.

We, however, are living closer to Jesus’ Second Coming than have our parents. We are living much closer than have our grandparents. Jesus did not come in their day. They were not among the 144,000. And so, today, God is requiring more, and He is giving more. We cannot go by what our fathers or our forefathers did.

More Required

God requires more of the last church. We look at the counsel to the last church, and we see that not one good thing is said. Someone may say, “My, this is a terrible church!” Well, if you compare it to some of the other churches, it is probably better than some, from a human perspective. But the others did not have as great privileges or as much knowledge.

Look at what the Lord has given to the last church. Revelation 3:14 says, “To the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, ‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness.’ ”

Two things are implied in “the Faithful and True Witness”:
(1) What God is going to say about Laodicea is correct and faithful and true. It is not exaggerated.
(2) Beyond this, God is renewing His witness, His testimony to the church in the last days.

In Revelation 12:17, we read: “The dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” The Greek word, loipoy, which is here translated as rest, also means remnant. This means “the last part,” which actually is implied in the Greek.

Testimony of Jesus

“The testimony of Jesus Christ,” the witness of Jesus, is rather a technical term in prophecy. We find, in Revelation 19:10, as well as in Revelation 22 and other places in the Bible, that the testimony of Jesus Christ is the Spirit or the gift of prophecy.

God promised different gifts to the church. In 1 Corinthians 12, various gifts of the Spirit are given. There is the spirit of discernment and the spirit of working miracles. The spirit of helpfulness is an interesting gift, which God talks about in Romans 12. There is the spirit of administration, which may not have been a miraculous gift, but it is a gift of ability which God gives people. There is a spirit of being able to speak in other languages. Then there is a spirit of prophecy. This spiritual gift is going to be renewed in the last days, we are told in Revelation. God says to this last church, I am “the Faithful and True Witness.” He renews His witness in the last days. God continues, “the Beginning of the creation of God.” Revelation 3:14.

In the Beginning

The beginning of the creation of God, as given in Genesis 1 and 2, is when the Sabbath was made. “So the evening and the morning were the sixth day. 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 created and made.” Genesis 1:31–2:3. In fact, the Sabbath, as we are told in the fourth commandment, is the memorial of the creation: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day [is] the Sabbath of the Lord your God: . . . For [in] six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that [is] in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.” Exodus 20:8–11.

It is interesting that it does not just say to remember the Sabbath day, but to remember also that “the seventh day [is] the Sabbath,” and “to keep it holy.” God does not say, “Make a sabbath,” or “Keep one day a week.” He is as specific as He can be. It is the Sabbath, and “you shall do no work,” because in six days He created everything, and on the seventh day He rested from His works.

The Sabbath is the commemoration of the creation. It is what God has given to us to help us remember that He is the creator. Evolution is wrong, and all false religions are wrong. We cannot make up our own philosophy or religion or any- thing else. God is the creator. Everything here is created, and we are creatures.

If only people had kept the Sabbath and kept the meaning of the Sabbath, there would not be all the false religions we have today. The Sabbath teaches people about creation.

When more than in the last church do we need the teaching of the Sabbath? We have the teaching of the creation and the Creator and the memorial of creation, restored on earth. That is done by the seventh church, the church of Laodicea.

To be concluded . . .

Pastor Marshall Grosboll, with his wife Lillian, founded Steps to Life. In July 1991, Pastor Marshall and his family met with tragedy as they were returning home from a camp meeting in Washington state, when the airplane he was piloting went down, killing all on board.

Q & A – Is the 144,000 mentioned in Scripture a Literal or Symbolic Number?

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There is much speculation on this question. It is never wise to express one’s own opinion on any Bible subject but search to see what the Bible and then the Spirit of Prophecy have to say about the subject. Human reasoning often distorts the spiritual impact that the inspired word has for the reader. It is always best, without trying to reason as to what it might mean, to simply accept what is says.

I have found no place in the inspired writings that tells us if “144,000” is a symbolic or actual accounting number, but I believe if we are faithful, someday we will find out. The important thing to know about the 144,000 is not the meaning of the number, but what makes this group of people different from all of the other redeemed.

They are first mentioned in Revelation 7:3, 4. It says that they are going to be sealed in their foreheads. To be sealed means to be sealed shut. There is nothing more that can be done about it; the work has been finished. You could say, “the dye is cast”; whatever decisions have been made are there to stay. Their minds have been made up and no one can change them.

Revelation 14 gives a little more description of the 144,000. It says that they have the “Father’s name written in their foreheads.” They are “redeemed from the earth” and then it goes on further to say that they are “not defiled with women” and also they are “redeemed from among men.” “They follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth” and in their “mouth was found no guile, for they are without fault before the throne of God.” Verses 1, 3, 4, 5.

We know from these texts that these people are humans and are redeemed from this earth so they come from among us. It would be well for us to examine our characters because, even if we are not one of the 144,000, we want to be among the saved in the kingdom of heaven, and we know that all who enter there must have on the robe of Christ’s righteousness which is without any spot of sin or stain.

Christ has completed His work in these people and what a character they have developed! Some say that is impossible but Paul said, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Philippians 4:13.

“All things” means also perfecting a character like the one which is ascribed to the 144.000. We must remember it is only through Christ. We cannot do it by ourselves, “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” Philippians 2:13. God said to Abraham, “Is any thing too hard for the Lord?” Genesis 18:14. Since the Lord said there are going to be “144,000 living saints” (Testimonies, vol. 1, 59), He is able to produce them, and if we wish to be among them we need to be working on our characters now.

We are told in the Spirit of Prophecy,

“Heaven is to begin on this earth. When the Lord’s people are filled with meekness and tenderness, they will realize that His banner over them is love, and His fruit will be sweet to their taste. They will make a heaven below in which to prepare for heaven above. …

“If you would be a saint in heaven, you must first be a saint on earth.” Sons and Daughters of God, 112.

If you have a Bible question you wish to have answered, please e-mail it to: ruthgrosboll@stepstolife.org.

Bible Study Guides – The Reward of the Faithful

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June 20, 2010 – June 26, 2010

Key Text

“Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. 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 14:1–3.

Study Help: God’s Amazing Grace, 354, 355.

Introduction

“In the Bible the inheritance of the saved is called a country. There the heavenly Shepherd leads His flock to fountains of living waters. The tree of life yields its fruit every month, and the leaves of the tree are for the service of the nations. There are ever-flowing streams, clear as crystal, and beside them waving trees cast their shadows upon the paths prepared for the ransomed of the Lord. There the widespreading plains swell into hills of beauty, and the mountains of God rear their lofty summits. On those peaceful plains, beside those living streams, God’s people, so long pilgrims and wanderers, shall find a home.” The Adventist Home, 542.

1 What qualification is necessary in order to be accepted of God? Isaiah 57:15; Matthew 18:4; James 4:6, 10.

Note: “Jesus, our precious Saviour, could not see us exposed to the fatal snares of Satan and forbear making an infinite sacrifice on our behalf. He interposes Himself between Satan and the tempted soul and says, ‘Get thee behind me, Satan’ [Matthew 16:23]. Let me come close to this tempted soul.’ He pities and loves every humble, trembling suppliant.” That I May Know Him, 77.

2 What will those who enter the kingdom of heaven need to be like? Matthew 18:3–5.

Note: “It was not enough for the disciples of Jesus to be instructed as to the nature of His kingdom. What they needed was a change of heart that would bring them into harmony with its principles. Calling a little child to Him, Jesus set him in the midst of them; then tenderly folding the little one in His arms He said, ‘Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven’ [Matthew 18:3]. The simplicity, the self-forgetfulness, and the confiding love of a little child are the attributes that Heaven values. These are the characteristics of real greatness.” The Desire of Ages, 437.

3 What promise was made to the disciples? Acts 1:10, 11.

Note: “The disciples were still looking earnestly toward heaven when, ‘behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven.’ Acts 1:10, 11.

“The promise of Christ’s second coming was ever to be kept fresh in the minds of His disciples. The same Jesus whom they had seen ascending into heaven, would come again, to take to Himself those who here below give themselves to His service. The same voice that had said to them, ‘Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end’ [Matthew 28:20], would bid them welcome to His presence in the heavenly kingdom.” The Acts of the Apostles, 33.

4 What is said about the future home of the faithful? I Corinthians 2:9; Isaiah 64:4; Isaiah 65:17, 18.

Note: “As your senses delight in the attractive loveliness of the earth, think of the world that is to come, that shall never know the blight of sin and death; where the face of nature will no more wear the shadow of the curse. Let your imagination picture the home of the saved, and remember that it will be more glorious than your brightest imagination can portray. In the varied gifts of God in nature we see but the faintest gleaming of his glory. It is written, ‘Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.’ 1 Corinthians 2:9.” Christian Education, 55.

5 What is the reward of the faithful ones who have Christ’s righteousness? II Timothy 4:8; Revelation 3:21; Revelation 22:14.

Note: “In our life here, earthly, sin-restricted though it is, the greatest joy and the highest education are in service. And in the future state, untrammeled by the limitations of sinful humanity, it is in service that our greatest joy and our highest education will be found.

“ ‘If any man’s work abide … he shall receive a reward.’ I Corinthians 3:14. Glorious will be the reward bestowed when the faithful workers gather about the throne of God and of the Lamb. … They have been partakers with Christ in His sufferings, they have been workers together with Him in the plan of redemption, and they are partakers with Him in the joy of seeing souls saved in the kingdom of God, there to praise God through all eternity.” The Faith I Live By, 370.

6 What will living in the new earth be like? Isaiah 65:17–25; Isaiah 35:5–10.

Note: “A fear of making the future inheritance seem too material has led many to spiritualize away the very truths which lead us to look upon it as our home. Christ assured His disciples that He went to prepare mansions for them in the Father’s house. Those who accept the teachings of God’s word will not be wholly ignorant concerning the heavenly abode. … Human language is inadequate to describe the reward of the righteous. It will be known only to those who behold it. No finite mind can comprehend the glory of the Paradise of God.” The Adventist Home, 541, 542.

7 How did the apostle John describe the future home of the saved? Revelation 21:1–3, 4, 10–27.

Note: “We are homeward bound. He who loved us so much as to die for us hath builded for us a city. The New Jerusalem is our place of rest. There will be no sadness in the City of God. No wail of sorrow, no dirge of crushed hopes and buried affections, will evermore be heard. Soon the garments of heaviness will be changed for the wedding garment. Soon we shall witness the coronation of our King. Those whose lives have been hidden with Christ, those who on this earth have fought the good fight of faith, will shine forth with the Redeemer’s glory in the kingdom of God.

“Heaven is a good place. I long to be there and behold my lovely Jesus, who gave His life for me, and be changed into His glorious image. Oh, for language to express the glory of the bright world to come! I thirst for the living streams that make glad the city of our God.

“The Lord has given me a view of other worlds. Wings were given me, and an angel attended me from the city to a place that was bright and glorious. The grass of the place was living green, and the birds there warbled a sweet song. The inhabitants of the place were of all sizes; they were noble, majestic, and lovely.” The Adventist Home, 542, 543.

8 How does Isaiah describe the home of the saved? Isaiah 11:6–9.

Note: “ ‘The redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away. I, even I, am He that comforteth you: who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man which shall be made as grass; and forgettest the Lord thy Maker; … and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? and where is the fury of the oppressor? The captive exile hasteneth that he may be loosed, and that he should not die in the pit, nor that his bread should fail. But I am the Lord thy God, that divided the sea, whose waves roared: The Lord of hosts is His name. And I have put My words in thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the shadow of Mine hand.’ Isaiah 51:11–16.” The Great Controversy, 633.

9 How is Christ’s return to this earth described? Matthew 24:27; Acts 1:10, 11; Revelation 1:7; 19:11–21.

Note: “The voice of God is heard from heaven, declaring the day and hour of Jesus’ coming, and delivering the everlasting covenant to His people. Like peals of loudest thunder His words roll through the earth. The Israel of God stand listening, with their eyes fixed upward. Their countenances are lighted up with His glory, and shine as did the face of Moses when he came down from Sinai. The wicked cannot look upon them. And when the blessing is pronounced on those who have honored God by keeping His Sabbath holy, there is a mighty shout of victory.

“Soon there appears in the east a small black cloud, about half the size of a man’s hand. It is the cloud which surrounds the Saviour and which seems in the distance to be shrouded in darkness. The people of God know this to be the sign of the Son of man. In solemn silence they gaze upon it as it draws nearer the earth, becoming lighter and more glorious, until it is a great white cloud, its base a glory like consuming fire, and above it the rainbow of the covenant. Jesus rides forth as a mighty conqueror. … His countenance outshines the dazzling brightness of the noonday sun. ‘And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, King of kings, and Lord of lords.’ Revelation 19:16.” The Great Controversy, 640, 641.

10 Who will occupy the eternal city? Revelation 21:22–27.

Note: “Before the ransomed throng is the Holy City. Jesus opens wide the pearly gates, and the nations that have kept the truth enter in. There they behold the Paradise of God, the home of Adam in his innocency. Then that voice, richer than any music that ever fell on mortal ear, is heard, saying: ‘Your conflict is ended.’ ‘Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world’ [Matthew 25:34].” The Great Controversy, 646.

11 How many are in the special group? Revelation 7:4, 9; Revelation 14:3.

Note: “Soon we heard the voice of God like many waters, which gave us the day and hour of Jesus’ coming. The living saints, 144,000 in number, knew and understood the voice, while the wicked thought it was thunder and an earthquake. When God spoke the time, He poured upon us the Holy Ghost, and our faces began to light up and shine with the glory of God, as Moses’ did when he came down from Mount Sinai.” Life Sketches of Ellen G. White, 65.

Additional Reading

“There are homes for the pilgrims of earth. There are robes for the righteous, with crowns of glory and palms of victory. All that has perplexed us in the providences of God will in the world to come be made plain. The things hard to be understood will then find explanation. The mysteries of grace will unfold before us. Where our finite minds discovered only confusion and broken promises, we shall see the most perfect and beautiful harmony. We shall know that infinite love ordered the experiences that seemed most trying. As we realize the tender care of Him who makes all things work together for our good, we shall rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. …

“We are homeward bound. He who loved us so much as to die for us hath builded for us a city. The New Jerusalem is our place of rest. There will be no sadness in the city of God.” The Adventist Home, 542, 543.

“The 144,000 were all sealed, and perfectly united. On their foreheads was written, ‘God, New Jerusalem,’ and a glorious star containing Jesus’ new name. At our happy, holy state the wicked were enraged, and would rush violently up to lay hands on us to thrust us into prison, when we would stretch forth the hand in the name of the Lord, and they would fall helpless to the ground. Then it was that the synagogue of Satan knew that God had loved us who could wash one another’s feet, and salute the brethren with a holy kiss, and they worshiped at our feet.” Life Sketches of Ellen G. White, 65.

This quarter’s lessons were prepared by Ruth Grosboll prior to her passing in January, 2010.

The Sealing of the Final Generation

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bible Study Guides – Moses

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October 30, 2011 – November 5, 2011

Faith of Our Fathers

Key Text

“I brought thee up out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed thee out of the house of servants; and I sent before thee Moses.” Micah 6:4.

Study Help: Patriarchs and Prophets, 469–480; Testimonies, vol. 1, 290–302; vol. 4, 20–27.

Introduction

“Moses was selected to be the shepherd of God’s own people, and it was through his firm faith and abiding trust in the Lord that so many blessings reached the children of Israel.” Special Testimonies on Education, 117.

1 THE CHILDHOOD OF MOSES

  • Through God’s providence, Joseph was able to supply the Hebrews with a goodly heritage in the land of Goshen. But what happened after his death? Acts 7:15–19.

Note: “They [the descendants of Jacob] had kept themselves a distinct race, having nothing in common with the Egyptians in customs or religion; and their increasing numbers now excited the fears of the king and his people. …

“The king and his counselors had hoped to subdue the Israelites with hard labor, and thus decrease their numbers and crush out their independent spirit. Failing to accomplish their purpose, they proceeded to more cruel measures. Orders were issued … to destroy the Hebrew male children. … The whole nation was called upon to hunt out and slaughter his helpless victims.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 242.

  • By a miracle of God, Jochebed was able to keep her infant son, Moses, throughout his early childhood before he would have to be given over, to be reared by the daughter of Pharaoh. How did she utilize this precious time? Hebrews 11:23; Proverbs 6:22.

Note: “She [Jochebed] endeavored to imbue his [Moses’] mind with the fear of God and the love of truth and justice, and earnestly prayed that he might be preserved from every corrupting influence.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 243, 244.

2 PREPARATION FOR A LIFEWORK

  • How did Moses develop in Egypt? Acts 7:21, 22. With all the splendor of the world’s greatest nation at his future command, what did he decide? Hebrews 11:24–27.
  • How and why was God to train Moses, and what were the results? Acts 7:23–35.

Note: “In the wilds of Midian, Moses spent forty years as a keeper of sheep. Apparently cut off forever from his life’s mission, he was receiving the discipline essential for its fulfillment. Wisdom to govern an ignorant and undisciplined multitude must be gained through self-mastery. In the care of the sheep and the tender lambs he must obtain the experience that would make him a faithful, long-suffering shepherd to Israel. That he might become a representative of God, he must learn of Him.

“The influences that had surrounded him in Egypt, the affection of his foster mother, his own position as the grandson of the king, the luxury and vice that allured in ten thousand forms, the refinement, the subtlety, and the mysticism of a false religion, had made an impression on his mind and character. In the stern simplicity of the wilderness all this disappeared.

“Amidst the solemn majesty of the mountain solitudes Moses was alone with God. Everywhere the Creator’s name was written. Moses seemed to stand in His presence and to be overshadowed by His power. Here his self-sufficiency was swept away. In the presence of the Infinite One he realized how weak, how inefficient, how short-sighted, is man. …

“To Moses faith was no guesswork; it was a reality. He believed that God ruled his life in particular; and in all its details he acknowledged Him. For strength to withstand every temptation, he trusted in Him.

“The great work assigned him he desired to make in the highest degree successful, and he placed his whole dependence upon divine power. He felt his need of help, asked for it, by faith grasped it, and in the assurance of sustaining strength went forward.

“Such was the experience that Moses gained by his forty years of training in the desert. To impart such an experience, Infinite Wisdom counted not the period too long or the price too great.” Education, 62–64.

3 MIRACLES AT THE EXODUS

  • How was Moses able to establish before the people the authority entrusted to him by God, and how did Satan counterfeit it? Exodus 7:8–12; 8:16–18. What must we understand about the parallel to this phenomenon in the last days?

Note: “I [Ellen White] was pointed back to the time of Moses and saw the signs and wonders which God wrought through him before Pharaoh, most of which were imitated by the magicians of Egypt; and that just before the final deliverance of the saints, God would work powerfully for His people, and these modern magicians would be permitted to imitate the work of God.

“That time will soon come, and we shall have to keep hold of the strong arm of Jehovah; for all these great signs and mighty wonders of the devil are designed to deceive God’s people and overthrow them. Our minds must be stayed upon God, and we must not fear the fear of the wicked, that is, fear what they fear, and reverence what they reverence, but be bold and valiant for the truth. Could our eyes be opened, we should see forms of evil angels around us, trying to invent some new way to annoy and destroy us. And we should also see angels of God guarding us from their power; for God’s watchful eye is ever over Israel for good, and He will protect and save His people, if they put their trust in Him. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.” Early Writings, 59, 60.

  • What miracles further accompanied the exodus, and how did the Lord endorse the leadership of Moses at this amazing time? Acts 7:36, 37; Psalms 103:6, 7; 105:26–42.

Note: “The Lord brought up His people from their long servitude in a signal manner, giving the Egyptians an opportunity to exhibit the feeble wisdom of their mighty men, and array the power of their gods in opposition to the God of heaven. The Lord showed them by His servant Moses that the Maker of the heavens and the earth is the living and all-powerful God, above all gods. That His strength was mightier than the strongest—that Omnipotence could bring forth his people with a high hand and with an outstretched arm. The signs and miracles performed in the presence of Pharaoh were not given for his benefit alone, but for the advantage of God’s people.” Spiritual Gifts, vol. 3, 204, 205.

4 LESSONS FOR TODAY

  • Why should we deeply appreciate some of the important illustrations cherished by the faithful ones participating in the exodus? I Corinthians 10:1–4; Hebrews 11:28.

Note: “Here [the Passover sprinkling of blood] was a work required of the children of Israel, which they must perform on their part, to prove them and to show their faith by their works in the great deliverance God had been bringing about for them. In order to escape the great judgment of God which he was to bring upon the Egyptians, the token of blood must be seen upon their houses. And they were required to separate themselves and their children from the Egyptians, and gather them into their own houses, for if any of the Israelites were found in the houses of the Egyptians, they would fall by the hand of the destroying angel. …

“The Passover pointed backward to the deliverance of the children of Israel, and was also typical, pointing forward to Christ, the Lamb of God, slain for the redemption of fallen man.” Spiritual Gifts, vol. 3, 223–225.

  • How can the miracle at the Red Sea apply to us? Hebrews 11:29; Exodus 14:10–16.

Note: “There are times when the Christian life seems beset by dangers, and duty seems hard to perform. The imagination pictures impending ruin before, and bondage or death behind. Yet the voice of God speaks clearly above all discouragements: ‘Go forward.’ We should obey this command, let the result be what it may, even though our eyes cannot penetrate the darkness and though we feel the cold waves about our feet.

“The Hebrews were weary and terrified; yet if they had held back when Moses bade them advance, if they had refused to move nearer to the Red Sea, God would never have opened the path for them. In marching down to the very water, they showed that they had faith in the word of God as spoken by Moses. They did all that it was in their power to do, and then the Mighty One of Israel performed His part, and divided the waters to make a path for their feet.

“The clouds that gather about our way will never disappear before a halting, doubting spirit. … It is only through faith that we can reach heaven.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 26, 27.

5 DELIVERANCE TO THE FAITHFUL OBEDIENT

  • What should we learn from the real purpose for which God so graciously led and protected His heritage through that wilderness journey? Psalm 105:43–45.

Note: “There is great similarity between our history and that of the children of Israel. God led His people from Egypt into the wilderness, where they could keep His law and obey His voice. The Egyptians, who had no regard for the Lord, were encamped close by them; yet what was to the Israelites a great flood of light, illuminating the whole camp, and shedding brightness upon the path before them, was to the hosts of Pharaoh a wall of clouds, making blacker the darkness of night.

“So, at this time, there is a people whom God has made the depositaries of His law. To those who obey them, the commandments of God are as a pillar of fire, lighting and leading the way to eternal salvation. But unto those who disregard them, they are as the clouds of night.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 27.

  • How is our experience to reflect the experience of Moses? Micah 6:3, 4; Revelation 15:2, 3.

PERSONAL REVIEW QUESTIONS

1 In guiding the young, what can I learn from the focus of Jochebed, Moses’ mother?

2 How might God be leading me to learn what Moses did during his period of solitude in the desert?

3 How can I cultivate the discernment to distinguish between true and false miracles?

4 In what areas of my life may God be saying right now, “Go forward by faith”?

5 Why do the 144,000 sing the song of Moses and the Lamb?

©2005 Reformation Herald Publishing Association, Roanoke, Virginia. Reprinted by permission.

Editorial – The Hundred and Forty Four-Thousand

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For those of you who are mathematicians, 144 is a Fibonacci number. It is both a round number and a square number. But the reason that students of prophecy are fascinated with this number is because God says that in the last generation He is going to seal 144,000 people from His true church (Israel), and this will happen before the final destructive judgments come upon this world (Revelation 7:1–4).

These people are described as virgins (Revelation 14:4), for they have not drunk the wine of the fornication of Babylon (Revelation 14:8; 17:2; 18:3).

Inspired writings describe them as being very small in number compared with the multitudes on the earth in the last days. One hundred and forty-four thousand is indeed a small number compared with today’s population of over seven billion, including many millions of Adventists. That figures out to a ratio of approximately one in 50,000 people. Actually, that is a very high number of faithful people when you consider that the ratio was far less at other periods of time. Before the flood when the population was most probably over one billion, only eight people were found to be loyal and ready to enter the ark—Noah and his family. Out of the 300,000 children of Israel who journeyed through the wilderness, only two were found. The experiences recorded in Matthew 24 and I Corinthians 10 are examples of the last days.

In addition to the 144,000, there will also be an innumerable multitude saved (Revelation 7:9), many of them martyrs and the myriads who have died in Christ, but the 144,000 is a select group from the final generation who will receive special honors in the kingdom of God. (See Revelation 14:1.)

Specific character traits have been developed in the last days in all of those comprising the 144,000: (1) purity, (2) truthfulness, (3) faultlessness or blamelessness or, in other words, perfection of character. (See Revelation 14:1–5.) Referring to this group, Ellen White wrote, “Those who receive the seal of the living God and are protected in the time of trouble must reflect the image of Jesus fully.” Early Writings, 71.

“If we would have the image and superscription of God upon us, we must separate ourselves from all iniquity. We must forsake every evil way, and then we must trust our cases in the hands of Christ. While we are working out our own salvation with fear and trembling, God will work in us to will and to do of His own good pleasure.” The Review and Herald, March 19, 1889.

And finally an exhortation: “Let us strive with all the power that God has given us to be among the hundred and forty-four thousand.” The Review and Herald, March 9, 1905.