Bible Study Guides – “God Hath Numbered Thy Kingdom and Finished It”

August 4, 2001 – August 10, 2001

MEMORY VERSE: “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” Proverbs 16:18.

STUDY HELP: Prophets and Kings, 522–531.

Introduction: “You may plan for merely selfish good, you may gather together treasure, you may build mansions great and high, as did the builders of ancient Babylon; but you cannot build wall so high or gate so strong as to shut out the messengers of doom. Belshazzar the king ‘feasted in his palace,’ and ‘praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.’ But the hand of One invisible wrote upon his walls the words of doom, and the tread of hostile armies was heard at his palace gates. ‘In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain,’ and an alien monarch sat upon the throne. (Daniel 5:30.) To live for self is to perish. Covetousness, the desire of benefit for self’s sake, cuts the soul off from life. It is the spirit of Satan to get, to draw to self. It is the spirit of Christ to give, to sacrifice self for the good of others.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 258.

“A Thousand of His Lords”

1 What was Belshazzar doing while his city was besieged? Daniel 5:1.

NOTE: “Babylon was besieged by Cyrus, nephew of Darius the Mede, and commanding general of the combined armies of the Medes and Persians. But within the seemingly impregnable fortress, with its massive walls and its gates of brass, protected by the river Euphrates, and stocked with provision in abundance, the voluptuous monarch felt safe and passed his time in mirth and revelry. In his pride and arrogancy, with a reckless feeling of security Belshazzar ‘made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.’ All the attractions that wealth and power could command, added splendor to the scene. Beautiful women with their enchantments were among the guests in attendance at the royal banquet. Men of genius and education were there. Princes and statesmen drank wine like water and reveled under its maddening influence.” Prophets and Kings, 523.

2 What act of sacrilege crowned the scene of depravity? Daniel 5:2–4.

NOTE: “Exalted by wine, and blinded by delusion, the king himself took the lead in the riotous blasphemy. His reason was gone, and his lower impulses and passions were in the ascendancy. His kingdom was strong and apparently invincible, and he would show that he thought nothing too sacred for his hands to handle and profane. To show his contempt for sacred things, he desecrated the holy vessels taken from the temple of the Lord at its destruction.” Manuscript Releases vol. 10, 307.

“The Hand That Wrote”

3 What appeared at the height of the feast and what was the king’s reaction? Daniel 5:5, 6.

NOTE: “Little did Belshazzar think that there was a heavenly Witness to his idolatrous revelry; that a divine Watcher, unrecognized, looked upon the scene of profanation, heard the sacrilegious mirth, beheld the idolatry. But soon the uninvited Guest made His presence felt. When the revelry was at its height a bloodless hand came forth and traced upon the walls of the palace characters that gleamed like fire—words which, though unknown to the vast throng, were a portent of doom to the now conscience-stricken king and his guests. Hushed was the boisterous mirth, while men and women, seized with nameless terror, watched the hand slowly tracing the mysterious characters. Before them passed, as in panoramic view, the deeds of their evil lives; they seemed to be arraigned before the judgment bar of the eternal God, whose power they had just defied. Where but a few moments before had been hilarity and blasphemous witticism, were pallid faces and cries of fear. When God makes men fear, they cannot hide the intensity of their terror. Belshazzar was the most terrified of them all. He it was who above all others had been responsible for the rebellion against God which that night had reached its height in the Babylonian realm. In the presence of the unseen Watcher, the representative of Him whose power had been challenged and whose name had been blasphemed, the king was paralyzed with fear. Conscience was awakened. ‘The joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.’ Belshazzar had impiously lifted himself up against the God of heaven and had trusted in his own might, not supposing that any would dare say, ‘Why doest thou thus?’ but now he realized that he must render an account of the stewardship entrusted him, and that for his wasted opportunities and his defiant attitude he could offer no excuse.” Prophets and Kings, 524, 525.

4 To whom did Belshazzar turn for an interpretation of the writing? With what result? Daniel 5:7–9.

NOTE: “In vain the king tried to read the burning letters. He had found a power too strong for him. He could not read the writing. ‘The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king spake and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and show me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom. Then came in all the king’s wise men; but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof.’ In vain the king offered honor and promotion. Heavenly wisdom cannot be bought and sold.” Bible Echo, April 25, 1898.

“There Is a Man”

5 Who proposed a solution to Belshazzar’s dilemma? Whom did the queen recommend to the king? Daniel 5:10–12.

NOTE: “There was in the palace a woman who was wiser than them all,—the queen of Belshazzar’s grandfather. In this emergency she addressed the king in language that sent a ray of light into the darkness.…“There is a man in thy kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar, thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers; . . . now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation.’” Bible Echo, May 2, 1898.

6 With what words did Belshazzar address Daniel? Daniel 5:13–16.

NOTE: “Daniel is remembered, and brought to the banqueting hall. The servant of God sees the evidences of the degradation and idolatry of the feast, so suddenly brought to an end; but Daniel was not disconcerted in the presence of the king and his lords. ‘I have even heard of thee,’ said the king, ‘that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee.…And I have heard of thee, that thou canst make interpretations, and dissolve doubts; now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom.’” Signs of the Times, July 20, 1891.

“Prior to the time that Belshazzar’s place in the kingdom and his relationship to Nabonidus were fully understood, commentators could only conjecture as to the identity of the second ruler in the kingdom. . . . Now that it is known that Belshazzar himself was only a co-ruler with his father, and hence the second ruler in the kingdom, it is clear why he could bestow no higher position in the realm than that of “third ruler.’” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary,vol. 4, 803.

7 How did Daniel respond to Belshazzar’s offer? Daniel 5:17.

NOTE: “Before that terror-stricken throng, Daniel, unmoved by the promises of the king, stood in the quiet dignity of a servant of the Most High, not to speak words of flattery, but to interpret a message of doom. ‘Let thy gifts be to thyself,’ he said, ‘and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation.’” Prophets and Kings, 529.

“Thou Knewest All This”

8 Of what important facts did Daniel remind Belshazzar? Daniel 5:18–21.

NOTE: “Belshazzar had been given many opportunities for knowing and doing the will of God. He had seen his grandfather Nebuchadnezzar banished from the society of men. He had seen the intellect in which the proud monarch gloried taken away by the One who gave it. He had seen the king driven from his kingdom, and made the companion of the beasts of the field. But Belshazzar’s love of amusement and self-glorification effaced the lessons he should never have forgotten; and he committed sins similar to those that brought signal judgments on Nebuchadnezzar. He wasted the opportunities graciously granted him, neglecting to use the opportunities within his reach for becoming acquainted with truth. ‘What must I do to be saved?’ was a question that the great but foolish king passed by indifferently.” Bible Echo, April 25, 1898.

9 What was Belshazzar’s sin that Daniel pointed out to the king? Daniel 5:22, 23.

NOTE: “Then in bold and emphatic words he rebuked Belshazzar for his great wickedness. He held the king’s sin up before him, showing him the lessons he might have learned but did not. Belshazzar had not read aright the experience of his grandfather, nor heeded the warning of events so significant to himself. The opportunity of knowing and obeying the true God had been given him, but had not been taken to heart, and he was about to reap the consequence of his rebellion.” Prophets and Kings, 529.

“MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PERES”

10 What was the writing on the wall and how did Daniel interpret it? Daniel 5:24–26.

NOTE: “MENE meant that God had added up the crimes of Belshazzar and his people and finished their tally. The word was repeated to stress the thoroughness and finality and accuracy of the divine decision.” Hardinge, Jesus Is My Judge, 71.

In Daniel 8:13 (see marginal reading) God is described as Palmoni, which means “The Wonderful Numberer.” The time prophecies of the Bible show how accurately God numbers the affairs of earth and finishes them.

11 How did Daniel interpret the next word of the inscription on the wall? Daniel 5:27.

NOTE: “TEKEL testified that God had ‘weighed’the character and conduct of the Babylonians and Belshazzar in His scales of eternal justice and found them lacking.” Hardinge, Jesus Is My Judge, 71.

“Be not deceived. God is not mocked. Nothing but holiness will prepare you for heaven. It is sincere, experimental piety alone that can give you a pure, elevated character and enable you to enter into the presence of God, who dwelleth in light unapproachable. The heavenly character must be acquired on earth, or it can never be acquired at all. Desires for goodness and true holiness are right so far as they go; but if you stop here, they will avail nothing. Good purposes are right, but will prove of no avail unless resolutely carried out. Many will be lost while hoping and desiring to be Christians; but they made no earnest effort, therefore they will be weighed in the balances and found wanting. The will must be exercised in the right direction. I will be a wholehearted Christian. I will know the length and breadth, the heighth and depth, of perfect love. Listen to the words of Jesus: ‘Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.’ Ample provisions are made by Christ to satisfy the soul that hungers and thirsts for righteousness.” Maranatha, 46.

“The robe of your character must be washed till it is spotless, in the fountain opened for all uncleanness. Your moral worth will be weighed in the balances of the sanctuary, and if you are found wanting, you will be at an eternal loss. All the coarseness, all the roughness, must be removed from your character before Jesus comes; for when He comes, the preparation for every soul is ended. If you have not laid aside your envy, your jealousies, your hatred one against another, you cannot enter into the kingdom of God. You would only carry the same disposition with you; but there will be nothing of this character in the world to come. Nothing will exist there but love and joy and harmony.” Signs of the Times, February 10, 1888.

12 What was the interpretation of the final word on the wall? Daniel 5:28.

NOTE: “PERES has a double meaning. It proclaimed that the kingdom was to be ‘divided’ and handed over to the Persians.” Hardinge, Jesus Is My Judge, 72.

“In that last night of mad folly, Belshazzar and his lords had filled up the measure of their guilt and the guilt of the Chaldean kingdom. No longer could God’s restraining hand ward off the impending evil. Through manifold providences, God had sought to teach them reverence for His law. ‘We would have healed Babylon,’ He declared of those whose judgment was now reaching unto heaven, ‘but she is not healed.’ Jeremiah 51:9. Because of the strange perversity of the human heart, God had at last found it necessary to pass the irrevocable sentence. Belshazzar was to fall, and his kingdom was to pass into other hands.” Prophets and Kings, 530.

“In that Night”

13 What honors were heaped upon Daniel in reward for his interpretation? Daniel 5:29.

NOTE: “As the prophet ceased speaking, the king commanded that he be awarded the promised honors; and in harmony with this, ‘they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.’” Prophets and Kings, 530.

14 What was the fate of Belshazzar and Babylon? Daniel 5:30, 31.

NOTE: “While the king and his nobles were at the height of their revelry, the Persians turned the Euphrates out of its channel, and marched into the unguarded city. As Belshazzar and his lords were drinking from the sacred vessels of Jehovah, and praising their gods of silver and gold, Cyrus and his soldiers stood under the walls of the palace. ‘In that night,’ the record says, ‘was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. And Darius the Median took the kingdom.’” Bible Echo, May 2, 1898.

The Church – Part I

I Timothy 3:15 speaks about the church of the living God: “… the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” I would like to look, with you, at some aspects of the church of God, which will confirm in our minds that this is “the pillar and ground of the truth.”

I am sure that none of you would argue with me, if I were to plead that Jesus is the Foundation of His Church, but I would like to present an aspect of Jesus, something about His very nature, that is everything to the true believer. It is everything that is required in reuniting sinners to the God from Whom they have become alienated by sin.

The Incarnation of Christ

If I were to ask the question, What is this aspect of Jesus that is so important? many would answer, It is His love. I would agree. It is His love that motivated Him to assume the one thing that is absolutely vital for our salvation. In Selected Messages, Book 1, 244, we find the following inspired statement: “The humanity of the Son of God is everything to us.” Now “everything” does not leave out very much, does it?

“The humanity of the Son of God is everything to us. It is the golden chain that binds our souls to Christ, and through Christ to God. This is to be our study. Christ was a real man; He gave proof of His humility in becoming a man. Yet He was God in the flesh. When we approach this subject, we would do well to heed the words spoken by Christ to Moses at the burning bush, ‘Put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.’” Ibid.

When it comes to studying the incarnation of Christ, many have told us that these words, “Put off thy shoes from off thy feet” are an indication that perhaps we need to steer clear of the subject. I do not believe for one moment that is what God intended, as we shall see as we continue to read this quotation. You see, God wants His people to stand on holy ground and not on anything else. He does not want any shoe leather between our soles and holy ground.

How do we know that God wants us to study this subject? We read, “We should come to this study with the humility of a learner, with a contrite heart. And the study of the incarnation of Christ is a fruitful field, which will repay the searcher who digs deep for hidden truth.” Ibid. This is the admonition given by our Lord to His people—that we need to study this subject, and we need to study it in depth.

In Matthew 16:6 we read that Jesus was on a foot journey with His disciples, and He was speaking to them along the way, telling them to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Scribes. Warning His disciples against the false doctrine promoted by these apostate spiritual leaders.

Who Am I?

And they arrived (verse 13) at Caesarea Philippi, and He said to them, “‘Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?’” Notice that He emphasized the title “the Son of man.” He did not say “. . .I the Son of God am; He said “. . .I the Son of man am,” emphasizing His humanity. Then we have the well-known reply of Peter, but before Peter’s reply, came the reply of the other disciples.

The other disciples said to Him, Well, some say that You are Elias; some say that You are Jeremias or some other prophet. Jesus brought the question a little closer to home for His disciples, because He was trying to separate their thinking from the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees, which He had warned them against earlier. “He saith unto them, ‘But whom say ye that I am?’” (Verse 15.)

Peter countered with that answer that we know so well: “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Verse 16.) Do you know, we all take that reply for granted?

I want you to put yourselves in the disciples’ shoes on that day. Peter knew without a shadow of a doubt that Jesus was a man. He knew it. He knew where His home was. He knew His mother, Mary. He saw the perspiration trickle down His forehead under the hot Palestinian sun. He saw the dust settle on His body. He saw Him get weary. He saw Him get hungry. He saw Him get thirsty. Peter knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that Jesus was a man. But Peter said, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Peter recognized that, in the Man that was questioning him, there was divinity; this Man was not “just from the earth.” He was heaven come down to men.

Now, brothers and sisters, this truth, that Peter had just uttered, was the very truth that the Jewish nation absolutely refused to accept, particularly the Jewish leaders. We read in John 10:33, about the instance where they wanted to stone Jesus because of Him ascribing to Himself kinship to His heavenly Father.

Jesus asked them, “For what good work do you stone Me?” And the Jews answered Him, “For a good work we stone Thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that Thou, being a man, makest Thyself God.” That is a truth they would not accept, that Jesus was a union of their humanity with the divinity of God.

The Theology Satan Hates

It was on this very point of truth that those same leaders condemned Jesus to die on the day of His trial before Pilate. John 19:7 says, “The Jews answered him [Pilate], We have a law, and by our law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God.” Brothers and sisters, this truth, that Jesus accepted fallen humanity, took upon Himself the seed of Abraham, that He is a union of our humanity and Godhead divinity, is the truth against which Satan manifests his special hatred.

It is in opposition to this truth that Satan has raised up the citadel of sin, “Babylon,” in which a man, ununited to divinity, sits in the temple of God and attempts to show the world and himself that he is God. Satan’s counterfeit of this truth is the antichrist. It is because this truth is the foundation of the true believer’s faith, the very foundation of “salvation from sin,” that Satan has declared war on this truth and all who hold this teaching.

In Matthew 16:18, we find Jesus’ response to Peter’s tremendous declaration of faith. He says, “‘Thou art petros,’” (a rolling stone.) You see, the Greek word there is petros, and petros is a rolling stone. It is a stone that can be overturned. This is somebody who can be sifted like wheat, as was Peter’s experience.

“‘And upon this petra,’” upon this rock, this immovable, unshakable rock of truth that Peter has just uttered, that He (Jesus) was both human (like us) and divine (like His Father), a union of divinity with humanity, “‘I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.’”

In verse 19, Jesus plainly declared that anyone having this truth has the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Now, brothers and sisters, right here, what we have just read, is the foundation of the true church. The corrupt understanding of what we have just read is the foundation of all false religion, because it is on these very texts that the so-called “apostolic succession” is established, by which an erring man claims to have received the keys of Peter.

The Foundation of Faith

Let us look at divinely inspired commentary on what we have just read. “The truth which Peter had confessed is the foundation of the believer’s faith. It is that which Christ Himself has declared to be eternal life.” The Desire of Ages, 412. Jesus is the mysterious combining of our fallen humanity and God’s sublime divinity. It is He who is the first born of the totally new line of beings. In Jesus we find, for the first time in the history of creation, a Being Who is a combination of both creature and Creator.

“Christ could have done nothing during His earthly ministry in saving fallen man if the divine had not been blended with the human. The limited capacity of man cannot define this wonderful mystery—the blending [of] the two natures, the divine and the human. It can never be explained… Man is privileged to be a partaker of the divine nature [because of what Jesus did for us], and in this way he can to some degree enter into the mystery.… Divinity took the nature of humanity, and for what purpose?—That through the righteousness of Christ humanity might partake of the divine nature.” The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, 332.

“When He came to the world the first time, divinity and humanity were blended. This is our only hope. The Son of man is fully qualified to be the originator of a humanity that will blend with divinity by partaking of the divine nature.” The Signs of the Times, March 8, 1899.

The Second Adam

Looking through the Bible, some of the texts that come to mind are I Corinthians 15:45, 47. In them, we find Jesus being referred to as the second Adam. This is absolutely appropriate terminology. You see, Adam, when he was created, as he came forth from the hands of the Creator, was a unique creation; we are told by inspiration. When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, we had a unique Being, begotten through the agency of the Holy Spirit.

It is Jesus, Who is called the “only begotten of the Father.” Although He existed with His Father from all eternity, it was part of the divine plan that He would be “born.” This new creature that had never existed before in the history of the universe was not created, He was born. Psalm 2:7 records these inspired words: “This day have I begotten Thee.” And you can read more about it in Hebrews 1:4–6.

Now we know that Jesus’ earthly progenirator was the Holy Spirit and that His human mother was Mary. In His discourse with Nicodemus, who came to Him by night, Jesus set out the requirements necessary for a man or for a woman to enter the kingdom of heaven. He said, “‘Verily, verily I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of [heaven] God.’” John 3:5.

Reunited with God

Just as He came into this world with the Holy Spirit as His progenirator, so lost and fallen human beings, who come to Him in faith, can, through the Holy Spirit, be “born again” and become a union of humanity with divinity. They can become “sons and daughters” of the living God. And Jesus is in no wise ashamed to call them brethren.

Scripture tells us that when a man or a woman is born again, he becomes a “new creature. Behold, all things are become new” (See II Corinthians 5:7–9), and I John 5:4 tells us that “whosoever is thus born of God overcometh the world.” This is the gospel. It is a firm foundational truth that Jesus is our divine-human Saviour, having accepted our fallen nature so as to reach us where we are, He is able to reunite us with the throne of His heavenly Father.

That is the gospel of salvation, and upon that gospel His church is founded. In the book Upward Look there is a cogent definition of the church. Remember that the church Jesus established is established upon the truth that He in Himself accepted man’s fallen humanity and united it with divinity. Now here is the definition of the church as it continues into the ages.

God’s Church is Not the Great Cathedral

“God has a church. It is not the great cathedral, neither is it the national establishment, neither is it the various denominations; it is the people who love God and keep His commandments.” Upward Look, 315. Now the quote is a little longer than this, and we will consider the rest of that quote as we go further in our study. But I would like to stop here and look closely at the words in this quote.

“God has a church. It is not the great cathedral.” I have heard it said that these words, “It is not the great cathedral,” means it is not the great Church of Rome. Well, I would agree, but are we not also told through the pen of inspiration that many of God’s true children are still in that fold? And then I would also ask, are cathedrals the sole property of the Roman Church?

What about Saint Paul’s? What about Winchester Cathedral? They are Anglican. So I believe that when the pen of inspiration said, “It is not the great cathedral,” inspiration was simply telling God’s people (and using as an example the most prominent form of physical edifice used as a house of worship that we know), that the church is not the house or the building where men and women come together to worship.

God’s Church is Not the Official State Church

Now the next statement, “It is not the national establishment.” What could that possibly mean? A “state church” is a good example. In the country from which I come, the Dutch Reformed Church, which is a Calvinistic Church, was the official state church. That was the religion of the state, being endorsed or “established” by the state.

However, we have even more explicit examples. What about the religion that was established at the time of the French Revolution, where the state itself became the object of veneration? Today we have the example continued in Communism, where “the state” is the all-powerful object of veneration and God is excluded.

So those words cover a connotation of where there is either a union of church and state or where the state itself is the object of veneration. But Mrs. White says the church “is not the national establishment.”

God’s Church is Not the Various Denominations

Now the next statement gets a little trickier. It says, “Neither is it the various denominations.” We remember reading in the inspired writings that, among the congregations of the fallen churches, God’s children are still to be found. (See Early Writings, 261, 278.) So when we look at these words, “Neither is it the various denominations,” can we safely exclude ourselves?

God’s Church is the People Who Love and Obey God

I believe the very next word that follows gives us clarity on this issue, telling us what “the church” is. You see, up until this point the pen of inspiration has been delineating what “the church” is not. Now she begins to delineate what it is. The prophet says, “It [the church] is the people who love God and keep His commandments.” Brothers and sisters, this is the most difficult and the most sad question that I have to pose. Do all Seventh-day Adventists love God and keep His commandments?

You see, it is easy to say that we love God with our lips, but if we do not keep His commandments and if we teach that it is impossible to keep His commandments, then we have just nullified the Bible definition of love. I John 5:1–3 says, “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth Him that begat loveth Him also that is begotten of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments: and His commandments are not grievous.”

To be continued …

Editorial – The Church that Appears to Fall- Part II

A professed Christian church that becomes united to the world and to the papacy is, by those acts, standing under sentence of being divorced of God. It is proper for a church to be subservient to civil laws of any state where she resides, as long as they do not violate the law of God, but churches and individuals are forbidden to amalgamate the things of God with the things of the state. (See Romans 13,14; I Peter 2; Acts 5:29; Matthew 22:21.)

A divorce generally takes some time. There are hearings; an opportunity for counseling and to make amends and restitution to the injured; time to decide whether the decision is final or whether there can be reconciliation, and a return of the affections according to the original covenant.

Where are your affections today, friend? To what is your heart united? To what is the church that you attend united? Is it united to this world, to the papacy? If so, then, when your church is finally divorced from God, you, if you are still part of it, will be divorced from God also, without hope. Are you praying that this will not happen to you?

“The mingling of churchcraft and statecraft is represented by the iron and the clay. This union is weakening all the power of the churches. This investing the church with the power of the state will bring evil results. Men have almost passed the point of God’s forbearance. . . . But the time will come when God will punish those who have made void His law, and their evil work will recoil upon themselves.” Ellen G. White Manuscript 63, 1899.

“The spirit of the papacy,—the spirit of conformity to worldly customs, the veneration for human traditions above the commands of God,—is permeating the Protestant churches, and leading them on to do the same work of Sunday exaltation which the papacy has done before them.” The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 4, 390, 391.

The Sunday crisis is simply the final working out of a long process of the spirit of conformity to worldly customs and veneration of human tradition about the commands of God. If you, or the church that you attend, are going down that road, and if you do not repent, you will be divorced from God.

“God never forsakes people or individuals until they forsake Him. Outward opposition will not cause the faith of God’s people, who are keeping His commandments, to become dim. . . . Internal corruption will bring the denunciations of God upon this people as it did upon Jerusalem. . . . My brethren, we know not what is before us, and our only safety is in following the Light of the world. God will work with us and for us if the sins, which brought His wrath upon the old world, upon Sodom and Gomorrah and upon ancient Jerusalem, do not become our crime.” Ibid., 321.

“The least transgression of God’s law brings guilt upon the transgressor, and without earnest repentance and forsaking of sin he will surely become an apostate.” Ibid., 322.

Apostasy is a transliteration of a Greek word that means “to fall away.” If you are in this category, the invitation of Jesus to you is to repent and forsake your sins before it is too late. (See Revelation 2:21.)

To be continued…

Editorial – The Church that Appears to Fall, Part III (Letter 55, 1886)

All the policy in the world cannot save us from a terrible sifting, and all the efforts made with high authorities will not lift from us the scourging of God, just because sin is cherished. If as a people [those who profess to be the people of Revelation 12:17] we do not keep ourselves in the faith and not only advocate with pen and voice the commandments of God, but keep them every one, not violating a single precept knowingly, then weakness and ruin will come upon us.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 12, 323.

Notice, this statement says that ruin can come upon those who profess to be the Seventh-day Adventist Church, if we do not “as a people” keep the commandments.

The same concept, in different words, states: “All the struggles to carry our appeals to the highest authorities in our land, however earnest and strong and eloquent may be the pleas in our favor, will not bring about that which we desire unless the Lord works by His Holy Spirit in the heart of those who claim to believe the truth. We may struggle as a mighty man in swimming against the current of Niagara, but we shall fail unless the Lord pleads in our behalf.” Ibid.

The following situation is prophesied (in the next sentences):

  1. We are to wait for orders from God.
  2. Nations will be stirred to their very center.
  3. There will be national laws to exalt Sunday as a day of worship.
  4. Support will be withdrawn from those who proclaim the message about the true Sabbath.
  5. These individuals (#4 above) will feel the oppressive power of both popery and the Protestant world.
  6. Satan will work deceptive miracles.
  7. Satan will set up his power as supreme. (You will either have to bow to Sunday laws or be cut off.)
  8. It is in this context that the church may appear as about to fall. The reason that it will appear to fall is because the number of people professing the Adventist faith will be so drastically reduced that it will appear that it is going to cease to exist.

“An apostate church will unite with the powers of earth and hell to place upon the forehead or in the hand, the mark of the beast, and prevail upon the children of God to worship the beast and his image. They will seek to compel them to renounce their allegiance to God’s law, and yield homage to the papacy. Then will come the times which will try men’s souls; for the confederacy of apostasy will demand that the loyal subjects of God shall renounce the law of Jehovah, and repudiate the truth of His word. Then will the gold be separated from the dross, and it will be made apparent who are the godly, who are loyal and true, and who are the disloyal, the dross and the tinsel. What clouds of chaff will then be borne away by the fan of God! Where now our eyes can discover only rich floors of wheat, will be chaff blown away with the fan of God. Every one who is not centered in Christ will fail to stand the test and ordeal of that day. . . . Those who have been self-distrustful, who have been so circumstanced that they have not dared to face stigma and reproach, will at last openly declare themselves for Christ and His law; while many who have appeared to be flourishing trees, but who have borne no fruit, will go with the multitude to do evil, and will receive the mark of apostasy in the forehead or in the hand.” Review and Herald, November 8, 1892.

Bible Study Guides – The Nations are in God’s Hands

June 30 – July 6 ,2002

By Ruth Grosboll

MEMORY VERSE: “We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts.” 2 Peter 1:19.

STUDY HELPS: The Great Controversy, 603–612.

INTRODUCTION: “All heaven is interested in the work that is going on in this world. A people is to be prepared for the great day of God, which is right upon us; and we cannot afford to let Satan cast his shadow across our pathway, and intercept our view of Jesus and his infinite love. We should draw from Christ the very help we need. And when do we need his help?—It is in times of trial, in times when temptation comes in like flood, when Satan would cast his dark shadow before our souls, that we may not be able to distinguish the sacred from the common. It is then that we need to flee to the Source of our strength.” Review and Herald, January 28, 1890.

1 What comparison is the power of God to the power of the mighty nations of the earth? Isaiah 40:15–17.

NOTE: “In the days of Isaiah, Assyria was the greatest nation of the earth, feared by all others. But the Lord would have His people know that this greatest nation was as nothing before Him. When men fear God they need have no fear of the so-called great powers of the earth. Regardless of the plans and purposes of men, God brings His own will to pass.” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 4, 247. (On Isaiah 40:15.)

“With unerring accuracy the Infinite One still keeps account with the nations. While His mercy is tendered, with calls to repentance, this account remains open; but when the figures reach a certain amount which God has fixed, the ministry of His wrath begins. The account is closed. Divine patience ceases. Mercy no longer pleads in their behalf.” Prophets and Kings, 364.

2 What does God declare about Himself? Isaiah 46:9, 10.

NOTE: “I Am means an eternal presence; the past, present, and future are alike to God. He sees the most remote events of past history, and the far distant future with as clear a vision as we do those things that are transpiring daily. We know not what is before us, and if we did, it would not contribute to our eternal welfare. God gives us an opportunity to exercise faith and trust in the great I Am (MS 5a, 1895).” “Ellen G. White Comments,” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 1, 1099.

3 How extensive is God’s knowledge? Daniel 2:22.

NOTE: “But when the heart yields to the influence of the Spirit of God, the conscience will be quickened, and the sinner will discern something of the depth and sacredness of God’s holy law, the foundation of His government in heaven and on earth. The ‘Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world,’ illumines the secret chambers of the soul, and the hidden things of darkness are made manifest. John 1:9. Conviction takes hold upon the mind and heart. The sinner has a sense of the righteousness of Jehovah and feels the terror of appearing, in his own guilt and uncleanness, before the Searcher of hearts. He sees the love of God, the beauty of holiness, the joy of purity; he longs to be cleansed and to be restored to communion with Heaven.” Steps to Christ, 24.

4 How much control does God have over the kingdoms of this world? Daniel 4:17.

NOTE: “In the annals of human history the growth of nations, the rise and fall of empires, appear as dependent on the will and prowess of man. The shaping of events seems, to a great degree, to be determined by his power, ambition, or caprice. But in the word of God the curtain is drawn aside, and we behold, behind, above, and through all the play and counterplay of human interests and power and passions, the agencies of the all-merciful One, silently, patiently working out the counsels of His own will.” Education, 173.

5 What did Divine wisdom do as a result of sin? Genesis 6:5–7.

NOTE: “The world was in its infancy; yet iniquity had become so deep and widespread that God could no longer bear with it; and He said, ‘I will destroy man whom I have created, from the face of the earth.’ He declared that His Spirit should not always strive with the guilty race. If they did not cease to pollute with their sins the world and its rich treasures, He would blot them from His creation and would destroy the things with which He had delighted to bless them; He would sweep away the beasts of the field, and the vegetation which furnished such an abundant supply of food, and would transform the fair earth into one vast scene of desolation and ruin.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 92.

6 What is God’s assurance to mankind? Amos 3:7.

NOTE: “While ‘the secret things belong unto the Lord our God,’ ‘those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever.’ . . . Deuteronomy 29:29. God has given these things to us, and His blessing will attend the reverent, prayerful study of the prophetic scriptures.” The Desire of Ages, 234.

7 What warnings did God give to the antediluvians? Genesis 6:3, 13.

NOTE: “Amid the prevailing corruption, Methuselah, Noah, and many others, labored to keep alive the knowledge of the true God, and to stay the tide of moral evil. A hundred and twenty years before the Flood, the Lord by a holy angel declared to Noah His purpose, and directed him to build an ark. While building the ark he was to preach that God would bring a flood of water upon the earth to destroy the wicked. Those who would believe the message, and would prepare for that event by repentance and reformation, should find pardon and be saved. Enoch had repeated to his children what God had shown him in regard to the Flood, and Methuselah and his sons, who lived to hear the preaching of Noah, assisted in building the ark. . . .

“Many at first appeared to receive the warning; yet they did not turn to God with true repentance. They were unwilling to renounce their sins. During the time that elapsed before the coming of the Flood, their faith was tested, and they failed to endure the trial. Overcome by the prevailing unbelief, they finally joined their former associates in rejecting the solemn message. Some were deeply convicted, and would have heeded the words of warning; but there were so many to jest and ridicule, that they partook of the same spirit, resisted the invitations of mercy, and were soon among the boldest and most defiant scoffers; for none are so reckless and go to such lengths in sin as do those who have once had light, but have resisted the convicting Spirit of God.” Patriarchs and Prophets, 92, 95.

8 What two ancient cities received Divine retribution for their wickedness? Genesis 19:24, 25.

NOTE: “Sin has prevailed since the fall. While a few have remained faithful to God, the great majority have corrupted their ways before Him. The destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah was on account of their great wickedness. They gave loose rein to their intemperate appetites, then to their corrupt passions, until they were so debased, and their sins were so abominable, that their cup of iniquity was full, and they were consumed with fire from heaven.” Counsels on Diet and Foods, 60.

9 How did God warn Sodom and Gomorrah before He destroyed them? Genesis 19:1, 12–17.

NOTE: “The Lord’s anger was finally kindled against the wicked inhabitants of the city. The angels of God visited Sodom to bring forth Lot, that he should not perish in the overthrow of the city. They bade him bring his family, his wife, and the sons and daughters who had married in wicked Sodom, and they told him to flee from the place; ‘for,’ said the angels, ‘we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the Lord; and the Lord hath sent us to destroy it.’” Review and Herald, November 14, 1882.

10 How suddenly was the kingdom of Babylon destroyed? Daniel 5:30, 31.

NOTE: “As men multiplied upon the earth after the flood, they again forgot God, and corrupted their ways before him. Intemperance in every form increased, until almost the whole world was given up to its sway. Entire cities have been swept from the face of the earth because of the debasing crimes and revolting iniquity that made them a blot upon the fair field of God’s created works. The gratification of unnatural appetite led to the sins that caused the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. God ascribes the fall of Babylon to her gluttony and drunkenness. Indulgence of appetite and passion was the foundation of all their sins.” Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene, 43.

11 What prediction had the Lord given to Daniel about Babylon’s future? Daniel 2:38, 39.

NOTE: “Exalted to the pinnacle of worldly honor, and acknowledged even by Inspiration as ‘a king of kings’ (Ezekiel 26:7), Nebuchadnezzar nevertheless at times had ascribed to the favor of Jehovah the glory of his kingdom and the splendor of his reign. Such had been the case after his dream of the great image. His mind had been profoundly influenced by this vision and by the thought that the Babylonian Empire, universal though it was, was finally to fall, and other kingdoms were to bear sway, until at last all earthly powers were to be superseded by a kingdom set up by the God of heaven, which kingdom was never to be destroyed.” Prophets and Kings, 514.

12 What was the warning God sent to the people of Nineveh? Jonah 3:1–4.

NOTE: “When Jonah proclaimed in the streets of Nineveh that within forty days the city would be overthrown, the Lord accepted the humiliation of the Ninevites and extended their period of probation; yet the message of Jonah was sent of God, and Nineveh was tested according to His will. Adventists believed that in like manner God had led them to give the warning of the judgment. ‘It has,’ they declared, ‘tested the hearts of all who heard it, and awakened a love for the Lord’s appearing; or it has called forth a hatred, more or less perceivable, but known to God, of His coming. It has drawn a line, . . . so that those who will examine their own hearts, may know on which side of it they would have been found, had the Lord then come—whether they would have exclaimed, “Lo! this is our God, we have waited for Him, and He will save us;” or whether they would have called to the rocks and mountains to fall on them to hide them from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb. God thus, as we believe, has tested His people, has tried their faith, has proved them, and seen whether they would shrink, in the hour of trial, from the position in which He might see fit to place them; and whether they would relinquish this world and rely with implicit confidence in the word of God.’—The Advent Herald and Signs of the Times Reporter, vol. 8, No. 14 (November 13, 1844).” The Great Controversy, 406.

13 What did the Lord prophesy against Tyre and why? Ezekiel 26:1–5.

NOTE: “Tyre was a powerful commercial city composed of Old Tyre, situated on the mainland, and New Tyre, built on a rocky island some 140 acres in area about a half mile from shore. . . .

“When Alexander besieged New Tyre, he built a causeway from the mainland to the island and used the stones and rubble from Old Tyre as material for it. . . .

“The site of ancient Tyre is still used by fishermen for drying their nets.” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 4, 667, 668. (On Ezekiel 26:2, 4, 5.)

“There was a shut door in Noah’s time. There was a shut door to the unbelievers in the destruction of Sodom, but an open door to Lot. There was a shut door to the inhabitants of Tyrus, a shut door to the inhabitants of Jerusalem . . . who disbelieved, but an open door to the humble, the believing, those who obeyed God. Thus it will be at the end of time.—Manuscript 17, August 14, 1885, ‘Shipboard Meditations.’” This Day With God, 235.

14 What is prophesied for our world today? 2 Peter 3:10.

NOTE: “Fire comes down from God out of heaven. The earth is broken up. The weapons concealed in its depths are drawn forth. Devouring flames burst forth from every yawning chasm. The very rocks are on fire. The day has come that shall burn as an oven. The elements melt with fervent heat, the earth also, and the works that are therein are burned up. Malachi 4:1; 11 Peter 3:10. The earth’s surface seems one molten mass— a vast, seething lake of fire. It is the time of the judgment and perdition of ungodly men—‘the day of the Lord’s vengeance, and the year of recompenses for the controversy of Zion.’ Isaiah 34:8.” The Great Controversy, 672, 673.

15 What warnings are we given? Revelation 14:6, 7.

NOTE: “John in the Revelation foretells the proclamation of the gospel message just before Christ’s second coming. . . . [Revelation 14:6, 7 quoted.]

“In the prophecy this warning of the judgment, with its connected messages, is followed by the coming of the Son of man in the clouds of heaven. The proclamation of the judgment is an announcement of Christ’s second coming as at hand. And this proclamation is called the everlasting gospel. Thus the preaching of Christ’s second coming, the announcement of its nearness, is shown to be an essential part of the gospel message.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 227, 228.

“It is God’s purpose that the truth for this time shall be made known to every kindred and nation and tongue and people. In the world today men and women are absorbed in the search for worldly gain and worldly pleasure. There are thousands upon thousands who give no time or thought to the salvation of the soul. The time has come when the message of Christ’s soon coming is to sound throughout the world.” Testimonies, vol. 9, 24.

Bible Study Guides – Second Angel’s Message

December 15–21, 2002

MEMORY VERSE: “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.

SUGGESTED READING: The Great Controversy, 381–390; The Story of Redemption, 364–368.

INTRODUCTION: “The message of Revelation 14, announcing the fall of Babylon must apply to religious bodies that were once pure and have become corrupt. Since this message follows the warning of the judgment, it must be given in the last days.” The Great Controversy, 383.

1 What is the second angel’s message and what does it mean? Revelation 14:8.

NOTE: “The term ‘Babylon’ is derived from ‘Babel,’ and signifies confusion. It is employed in Scripture to designate the various forms of false or apostate religion.” The Great Controversy, 381.

“As the churches refused to receive the first angel’s message, they rejected the light from heaven and fell from the favor of God.” Early Writings, 237.

“Since the second angel proclaimed the fall of the churches, they have been growing more and more corrupt. They bear the name of being Christ’s followers; yet it is impossible to distinguish them from the world. Ministers take their texts from the Word of God, but preach smooth things. To this the natural heart feels no objection. It is only the spirit and power of the truth and the salvation of Christ that are hateful to the carnal heart. There is nothing in the popular ministry that stirs the wrath of Satan, makes the sinner tremble, or applies to the heart and conscience the fearful realities of a judgment soon to come. Wicked men are generally pleased with a form of piety without true godliness, and they will aid and support such a religion.” Ibid., 273.

2 What symbol is used to represent the fallen denominations in these last days? Revelation 17:3–5.

NOTE: “Babylon is said to be ‘the mother of harlots.’ By her daughters must be symbolized churches that cling to her doctrines and traditions, and follow her example of sacrificing the truth and the approval of God, in order to form an unlawful alliance with the world.” The Great Controversy, 382, 383.

“Many of the Protestant churches are following Rome’s example of iniquitous connection with ‘the kings of the earth’—the state churches, by their relation to secular governments; and other denominations, by seeking the favor of the world. And the term ‘Babylon’—confusion—may be appropriately applied to these bodies, all professing to derive their doctrines from the Bible, yet divided into almost innumerable sects, with widely conflicting creeds and theories.” Ibid., 383.

3 In her sinful connection with the world, what is the “wine” that Babylon has used? Revelation 17:2, last part; 19:2.

NOTE: “We are not to think that the chosen ones of God who are trying to walk in the light compose Babylon. The fallen denominational churches are Babylon. Babylon has been fostering poisonous doctrines, the wine of error. This wine of error is made up of false doctrines, such as the natural immortality of the soul, the eternal torment of the wicked, the denial of the pre-existence of Christ prior to His birth in Bethlehem, and advocating and exalting the first day of the week above God’s holy and sanctified day.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 61.

4 What does the Bible call the sin of seeking the support of the world? Revelation 18:3; James 4:4.

NOTE: “The unfaithfulness of the church to Christ in permitting her confidence and affection to be turned from Him, and allowing the love of worldly things to occupy the soul, is likened to the violation of the marriage vow. The sin of Israel in departing from the Lord is presented under this figure . . . .” The Great Controversy, 381.

“In what religious bodies are the greater part of the followers of Christ now to be found? Without doubt, in the various churches professing the Protestant faith. At the time of their rise these churches took a noble stand for God and the truth, and His blessing was with them. Even the unbelieving world was constrained to acknowledge the beneficent results that followed an acceptance of the principles of the gospel. . . . But they fell by the same desire which was the curse and ruin of Israel—the desire of imitating the practices and courting the friendship of the ungodly.” Ibid., 383.

5 Of what sins is Babylon especially guilty? Daniel 7:25; Revelation 17:6.

NOTE: “Only by changing God’s law could the papacy exalt itself above God; whoever should understandingly keep the law as thus changed would be giving supreme honor to that power by which the change was made. Such an act of obedience to papal laws would be a mark of allegiance to the pope in the place of God.

“The papacy has attempted to change the law of God. The second commandment, forbidding image worship, has been dropped from the law, and the fourth commandment has been so changed as to authorize the observance of the first instead of the seventh day as the Sabbath.” The Great Controversy, 446.

“In the thirteenth century was established that most terrible of all the engines of the papacy—the Inquisition. The prince of darkness wrought with the leaders of the papal hierarchy. In their secret councils Satan and his angels controlled the minds of evil men, while unseen in the midst stood an angel of God, taking the fearful record of their iniquitous decrees and writing the history of deeds too horrible to appear to human eyes. ‘Babylon the great’ was ‘drunken with the blood of the saints.’ The mangled forms of millions of martyrs cried to God for vengeance upon that apostate power.” Ibid., 59, 60.

6 How long was the specific period of religious persecution under the supremacy of Rome? Revelation 12:6, 13, 14; 13:7, 5. See also Numbers 14:34; Ezekiel 4:6.

NOTE: “[Revelation 11:2-11quoted.] The periods here mentioned—‘forty and two months,’ and ‘a thousand two hundred and threescore days’—are the same, alike representing the time in which the church of Christ was to suffer oppression from Rome. The 1260 years of papal supremacy began in a.d. 538, and would therefore terminate in 1798. . . . At that time a French army entered Rome and made the pope a prisoner, and he died in exile. Though a new pope was soon afterward elected, the papal hierarchy has never since been able to wield the power which it before possessed.

“The persecution of the church did not continue throughout the entire period of the 1260 years. God in mercy to His people cut short the time of their fiery trial. In foretelling the ‘great tribulation’ to befall the church, the Saviour said: ‘Except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.’ Matthew 24:22. Through the influence of the Reformation the persecution was brought to an end prior to 1798.” The Great Controversy, 266, 267.

7 Why must the second angel’s message be repeated? Revelation 18:2; 2 Timothy 3:13.

NOTE: “The Bible declares that before the coming of the Lord, Satan will work ‘with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness;’ and they that ‘received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved,’ will be left to receive ‘strong delusion, that they should believe a lie.’

2 Thessalonians 2:9–11. Not until this condition shall be reached, and the union of the church with the world shall be fully accomplished throughout Christendom, will the fall of Babylon be complete.” The Great Controversy, 389, 390.

“We see that seducers are waxing worse and worse. We see the world working to the point of establishing by law a false sabbath, and making it a test for all. This question will soon be before us. God’s Sabbath will be trampled under foot, and a false sabbath will be exalted. In a Sunday law there is possibility for great suffering to those who observe the seventh day. The working out of Satan’s plans will bring persecution to the people of God. But the faithful servants of God need not fear the outcome of the conflict. If they will follow the pattern set for them in the life of Christ, if they will be true to the requirements of God, their reward will be eternal life, a life that measures with the life of God.” Selected Messages, Book 2, 375.

“Thus the substance of the second angel’s message is again given to the world by that other angel who lightens the earth with his glory. These messages all blend in one, to come before the people in the closing days of this earth’s history. All the world will be tested, and all that have been in the darkness of error in regard to the Sabbath of the fourth commandment will understand the last message of mercy that is to be given to men.” Ibid., 116.

8 What invitation does God extend to honest believers who are still found in the Babylon denominations? Revelation 18:4.

NOTE: “Revelation 18 points to the time when, as the result of rejecting the threefold warning of Revelation 14:6–12, the church will have fully reached the condition foretold by the second angel, and the people of God still in Babylon will be called upon to separate from her communion. This message is the last that will ever be given to the world; and it will accomplish its work. When those that ‘believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness’ (11 Thessalonians 2:12), shall be left to receive strong delusion and to believe a lie, then the light of truth will shine upon all whose hearts are open to receive it, and all the children of the Lord that remain in Babylon will heed the call: ‘Come out of her, My people’ (Revelation 18:4).” The Great Controversy, 390.

9 In the last days, what phenomenon will increasingly be observed? Matthew 24:24–26; Revelation 13:13, 14.

NOTE: “We shall encounter false claims; false prophets will arise; there will be false dreams and false visions; but preach the Word, be not drawn away from the voice of God in His Word. Let nothing divert the mind. The wonderful, the marvelous, will be represented and presented. Through satanic delusions, wonderful miracles, the claims of human agents will be urged. Beware of all this.

“Christ has given warning, so that none need accept falsehood for truth.” Selected Messages, Book 2, 49.

“The last great delusion is soon to open before us. Antichrist is to perform his marvelous works in our sight. So closely will the counterfeit resemble the true that it will be impossible to distinguish between them except by the Holy Scriptures. By their testimony every statement and every miracle must be tested.” The Great Controversy, 593.

10 How should we respond when we hear “Lo, here is Christ,” or “There is Christ”? Matthew 24:23.

NOTE: “We need to be anchored in Christ, rooted and grounded in the faith. Satan works through agents. He selects those who have not been drinking of the living waters, whose souls are athirst for something new and strange, and who are ever ready to drink at any fountain that may present itself. Voices will be heard, saying, ‘Lo, here is Christ,’ or ‘Lo there;’ but we must believe them not.” Review and Herald, November 17, 1885.

“He [Satan] will come personating Jesus Christ, working mighty miracles; and men will fall down and worship him as Jesus Christ. We shall be commanded to worship this being, whom the world will glorify as Christ. What shall we do?—Tell them that Christ has warned us against just such a foe, who is man’s worst enemy, yet who claims to be God; and that when Christ shall make his appearance, it will be with power and great glory, accompanied by ten thousand times ten thousand angels and thousands of thousands; and that when he shall come, we shall know his voice.” Review and Herald, December 18, 1888.

11 What punishment will God finally permit to fall upon Babylon, and why? Revelation 18:8.

NOTE: “Those who love God need not be surprised if those who claim to be Christians are filled with hatred because they cannot force the consciences of God’s people. Not long hence they will stand before the Judge of all the earth, to render an account for the pain they have caused to the bodies and souls of God’s heritage. They may indulge in false accusations now, they may deride those whom God has appointed to do his work, they may consign his believing ones to prison, to the chain-gang, to banishment, to death; but for every pang of anguish, every tear shed, they must answer. For every drop of blood drawn forth by torture, for all they have burned with fire, they will receive punishment. God will reward them double for their sins.” Review and Herald, December 28, 1897.

“When the voice of God turns the captivity of his people, there is a terrible awakening of those who have lost all in the great game of life. While probation continued, they were blinded by Satan’s deceptions, and they justified their course of sin. The rich prided themselves upon their superiority to those who were less favored; but they had obtained their riches by violation of the law of God. They had neglected to feed the hungry, to clothe the naked, to deal justly, and to love mercy. They had sought to exalt themselves, and to obtain the homage of their fellow-creatures. Now they are stripped of all that made them great, and are left destitute and defenseless. They look upon the destruction of the idols which they preferred before their Maker. They sold their souls for earthly riches and enjoyments, and did not seek to become rich toward God. The result is, their lives are a failure; their pleasures are now turned to gall, their treasures to corruption. The gain of a lifetime is swept away in a moment. The rich bemoan the destruction of their grand houses, the scattering of their gold and silver. But their lamentations are silenced by the fear that they themselves are to perish with their idols.

“The wicked are filled with regret, not because of their sinful neglect of God and their fellow-men, but because God has conquered. They lament that the result is what it is; but they do not repent of their wickedness. They would leave no means untried to conquer if they could.” The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 4, 470, 471.

The Prayers from Babylon

Often people feel that God does not hear or answer their prayers. In this article we will see how you can be assured of answered prayer and why the prayers of some people are not answered.

John 9:31 says, “Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him.” Proverbs 28:9 says, “One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be an abomination.” And Psalm 66:18: “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear.”

God gives a warning message to the people today who are in spiritual Babylon. He says, “ ‘Go forth from Babylon! Flee from the Chaldeans! With a voice of singing, declare, proclaim this, utter it to the end of the earth; say, “The Lord has redeemed His servant Jacob” ’ ” (Isaiah 48:20)!

Jeremiah had a lot more to say about this. “Move from the midst of Babylon, go out of the land of the Chaldeans; and be like the rams before the flocks” (Jeremiah 50:8). “The voice of those who flee and escape from the land of Babylon declares in Zion the vengeance of the Lord our God, the vengeance of His temple” (verse 28).

“Flee from the midst of Babylon, and every one save his life! Do not be cut off in her iniquity, for this is the time of the Lord’s vengeance; He shall recompense her” (Jeremiah 51:6).

“Babylon was a golden cup in the Lord’s hand, that made all the earth drunk. The nations drank her wine; therefore the nations are deranged. … We would have healed Babylon, but she is not healed. Forsake her, and let us go everyone to his own country” (verses 7, 9).

And in verse 45, he said, “My people, go out of the midst of her! And let everyone deliver himself from the fierce anger of the Lord.”

These messages recorded in the Old Testament are repeated for the last time in the book of Revelation. The second angel said, “And another angel followed, saying, ‘Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication’ ” (Revelation 14:8).

Even more to the point, Revelation 18:1 to 4 says, “After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory.

“And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, ‘Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird! For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury.’ And I heard another voice from heaven saying, ‘Come out of her, My people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.’ ” This by the way is the voice of Jesus Christ, Himself.

We know from these Scriptures that during the end time, the time in which we are living, many of God’s children will be in Babylon and are called to get out of there and go back to Zion or spiritual Jerusalem. Jeremiah says, “You who have escaped the sword, get away! Do not stand still! Remember the Lord afar off, and let Jerusalem come into your mind” (Jeremiah 51:50).

“ ‘In those days and in that time,’ says the Lord, ‘The children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together; with continual weeping they shall come, and seek the Lord their God. They shall ask the way to Zion, with their faces toward it, saying, “Come and let us join ourselves to the Lord in a perpetual covenant that will not be forgotten.” My people have been lost sheep, their shepherds have led them astray, they have turned them away on the mountains. They have gone from mountain to hill; they have forgotten their resting place. All who found them have devoured them; and their adversaries said, “We have not offended, because they have sinned against the Lord, the habitation of justice, the Lord, the hope of their fathers” ’ ” (Jeremiah 50:4–7).

The children of Israel, of course, are God’s children, those who make a profession of the Christian faith. There is a lot of confusion within the religious world today regarding the true Israel. However, the Bible makes it clear in Galatians 3:28 and 29 where it says, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”

All who profess Christianity, whether Jew or non-Jew, are part of spiritual Israel. But to those Jews who refuse to accept Christ, Jesus said, “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it” (Matthew 21:43).

Babylon is going to be destroyed and God’s people, all those who profess Christianity and who are still in Babylon, are called out or they will be destroyed with it.

What does it mean to be in Babylon, and what does it mean to come out? In The Great Controversy, page 384, Ellen White quotes a Presbyterian theologian, Thomas Guthrie, from his book titled The Gospel in Ezekiel, page 237. She wrote, “Concerning the separation of the Presbyterian Church from Rome, Dr. Guthrie writes: ‘Three hundred years ago, our church, with an open Bible on her banner, and this motto, “Search the Scriptures,” on her scroll, marched out from the gates of Rome.’ ” Then he asks the significant question: “Did they come clean out of Babylon?” Notice the word “clean” is in italics in the original. If not, they are still in Babylon.

Adventists have preached that Babylon represents those religious organizations or churches that practice lawlessness and also teach people to break the law of God. The reason for terming these organizations Babylon is because of their violation of the longest commandment, which is found right in the heart of the ten commandments (Exodus 20:3–17).

We read in Jeremiah 50 that in the last days, God’s people are going to flee from Babylon. An important concept to understand is that Babylon, in Bible prophecy, represents a way of life that is in violation with the law of God.

Paul said, “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: ‘I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people.’ Therefore ‘Come out from among them and be separate,’ says the Lord, ‘Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you’ ” (2 Corinthians 6:14–17).

Then He says, “ ‘I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters,’ says the Lord Almighty” (verse 18).

What is this Babylonian way of life?

Babylon is not just some system or organization, but a way of life that is practiced by it. Some characteristics of Babylon are:

  1. It shows no mercy or consideration to other people. The Bible says, “I was angry with My people, I have profaned My inheritance, and given them into your hand. You showed them no mercy; on the elderly you laid your yoke very heavily” (Isaiah 47:6). James 2:13 says that the person who does not show mercy will not receive mercy.
  2. It is given to pleasure. “Therefore hear this now, you who are given to pleasures, who dwell securely, who say in your heart, ‘I am, and there is no one else besides me; I shall not sit as a widow, nor shall I know the loss of children’; But these two things shall come to you in a moment, in one day: the loss of children and widowhood. They shall come upon you in their fullness because of the multitude of your sorceries, for the great abundance of your enchantments” (Isaiah 47:8, 9).

Pleasure itself is not wrong, but there are both righteous and unrighteous pleasures. The Bible talks about people who have pleasure in unrighteousness in 2 Thessalonians 2:9–12.

  1. It is involved in a multitude of sorceries and an abundance of enchantments.

“Stand now with your enchantments and the multitude of your sorceries, in which you have labored from your youth—perhaps you will be able to profit, perhaps you will prevail” (Isaiah 47:12).

Babylon is engaged in pleasure that involves sorcery, which is contact with evil spirits or teachings of the devil.

  1. It is a destroyer of God’s people. “Because you were glad, because you rejoiced, you destroyers of My heritage, because you have grown fat like a heifer threshing grain, and you bellow like bulls” (Jeremiah 50:11).

Also, “As Babylon has caused the slain of Israel to fall, so at Babylon the slain of all the earth shall fall” (Jeremiah 51:49).

  1. It contends against God’s people. “You have indeed been trapped, O Babylon, and you were not aware; you have been found and also caught, because you have contended against the Lord” (Jeremiah 50:24).
  2. It is full of mixed peoples. “A sword is against their horses, against their chariots, and against all the mixed peoples who are in her midst; and they will become like women. A sword is against her treasures, and they will be robbed” (Jeremiah 50:37).
  3. It made the nations drunk. “Babylon was a golden cup in the Lord’s hand, that made all the earth drunk (with her philosophy). The nations drank her wine; therefore the nations are deranged” (Jeremiah 51:7).
  4. It is very wealthy. Jeremiah 51:13 says, she is “abundant in treasures,” and also, there are several texts that say Babylon is full of covetousness and pride. (See Jeremiah 50:31 and 32.)
  5. It destroys. “ ‘Behold, I am against you [Babylon], O destroying mountain, who destroys all the earth,’ says the Lord. ‘And I will stretch out My hand against you, roll you down from the rocks, and make you a burnt mountain’” (Jeremiah 51:25). Compare this with the second trumpet in Revelation 8 and 9.
  6. It is full of violence. “Let the violence done to me and my flesh be upon Babylon, the inhabitant of Zion will say, ‘and my blood be upon the inhabitants of Chaldea’” (Jeremiah 51:35)!

Verse 46 says, “Lest your heart faint, and you fear the rumor that will be heard in the land (a rumor will come one year, and after that, in another year a rumor will come, and violence in the land, ruler against ruler).”

The characteristics of Babylon can be simply summarized:

  • She is given to pleasures.
  • These pleasures involve sorcery, that is, contact with evil spirits.
  • She is full of violence.

This is contrary to the characteristic of heaven, about which we are told: “Violence shall no longer be heard in the land” (Isaiah 60:18). That being the case, it would eliminate much of the popular entertainment and sports events that so occupy the minds and so much time of the people now. People often spend hours being entertained by things they would never dream of being involved in themselves. Can you imagine Jesus participating and enjoying things that He condemned? We are told that He could not see a wrong act without feeling pain.

We are living in the last days. It is time to quit playing games and think seriously about getting ready for Jesus to come. Many, even though they are part of the remnant church and believe the three angels’ messages, are deceived being mentally still in Babylon. If you enjoy watching sin, then sin still has an attraction for you. You still have the spirit of Babylon and are called to get out.

Sorcery, practiced in its many varied ways, has always been the devil’s religion. It always involves secrecy where only the initiated really know what is going on. People participate in it claiming its innocence.

My dear friend, there are many people who tell us they are Christians preparing for the second coming of Christ while their feet are still planted on the road to destruction. There is much more to getting out of Babylon than leaving some church organization that is disobeying the fourth commandment. The philosophy of Babylon has to be eliminated from the mind in order to be free.

Prayers from those who stubbornly refuse the call of Jesus to come out of Babylon will not be answered. The Bible describes it this way: “Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us’ ” (Luke 23:30)!

Ellen White wrote, “Satan is playing the game of life for their [the youth’s] souls, taking from them the talents that God has given them, and placing in their stead his own evil attributes. It is his effort to lead men to ignore God. He seeks to engross and absorb the mind so completely that God will find no place in the thoughts. He does not wish people to have a knowledge of their Maker, and he is well pleased if he can set in operation games and theatrical performances that will so confuse the senses of the youth that God and heaven will be forgotten.” The Review and Herald, October 3, 1912.

In another writing she said, “There are amusements which we cannot approve, because Heaven condemns them—such as dancing, card-playing, chess, checkers, &c. These amusements open the door for great evil. Their tendencies are not beneficial, but their influence upon the mind is to excite and produce in some minds a passion for those plays which lead to gambling, and dissolute lives. All such plays should be condemned by Christians. Something should be substituted in the place of these amusements. Something can be invented, perfectly harmless.” Ibid., October 8, 1867.

“Card playing should be prohibited. The associations and tendencies are dangerous. The prince of the powers of darkness presides in the gaming room and wherever there is card playing. Evil angels are familiar guests in these places.” Testimonies, vol. 4, 652.

“I cannot believe a true follower of Christ will touch a card for amusement, nor read novels, nor attend balls and theaters. If they have learned of Him who is meek and lowly of heart, they will have disrelish for former pleasures and amusements.” The Review and Herald, February 20, 1866.

O friend, consider the destination for which you are preparing by the choices you make day by day.

“Satan has invented many ways in which to squander the means which God has given. Card-playing, betting, gambling, horse-racing, and theatrical performances are all of his own inventing, and he has led men to carry forward these amusements as zealously as though they were winning for themselves the precious boon of eternal life.” Ibid., March 31, 1896.

“Dancing, as practiced at the present day, is detrimental to the health of soul and body. Theater-going, dancing, card-playing, gambling, inebriety, are all steps in the path of vice and dissipation.” The Signs of the Times, February 23, 1882.

Some years ago, I got much pleasure flying airplanes. After my brother and his family were killed in an airplane crash, my feelings were changed. Flight instructors teach you that your attitude will determine your altitude. The same is true in a spiritual sense, your attitude will determine whether you are heading up or down.

Please do not think that I am teaching that people should not enjoy any recreation or amusements.

Ellen White wrote in 1867, “I saw that our holidays should not be spent in patterning after the world, yet they should not be passed by unnoticed, for this will bring dissatisfaction to our children. On these days when there is danger of our children partaking of evil influences, and becoming corrupted by the pleasures and excitement of the world, let the parents study to get up something to take the place of more dangerous amusements. Give your children to understand you have their happiness and best good in view.

“Let families unite together and leave their occupations which have taxed them physically and mentally, and make an excursion out of the cities and villages a few miles into the country.” The Review and Herald, October 8, 1867.

For optimal health, time must be set aside for recreation and relaxation. As in every life decision, there are choices to be made whether righteous or unrighteous.

Jeremiah 51:50 says, “You who have escaped the sword, get away! Do not stand still! Remember the Lord afar off, and let Jerusalem come into your mind.” Jerusalem is a word that means, city of peace. Why is Jerusalem at peace? Because the people in Jerusalem keep God’s commandments. Jeremiah 50:20 says, “ ‘In those days and in that time,’ says the Lord, ‘The iniquity of Israel shall be sought, but there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, but they shall not be found; for I will pardon those whom I preserve.’ ”

Jerusalem, the city of peace is a desirable place. The devil wants you to believe that it is impossible to reach that state, but it says in Jeremiah 50:20, “ ‘In those days and in that time’ says the Lord, ‘The iniquity of Israel shall be sought, but there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, but they shall not be found; for I will pardon those whom I preserve.’ ”

My dear friend, the most important decision you can make while probation is still open and Jesus is calling, is which way you are headed. Be among those people who, in the end, live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.

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

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

Adventism and Spiritualism, Part II

For many years we, as Seventh-day Adventists, have thought that we were not susceptible to the dangers of spiritualism because of our understanding from the Bible on the state of the dead. We thought that when apparitions came we would not be deceived by spiritualism, but when we look at Ellen White’s writings, she gives warning after warning to Adventists about being deceived and caught up in spiritualistic teachings. God would not send us all of these warnings if there were no danger.

At the time the majority of these warnings were given, there was a leader in our medical work by the name of Dr. John Harvey Kellogg. It was through a book he wrote, called The Living Temple, that Adventism was introduced to some new ideas about the nature of God. Concerning these new ideas, Ellen White started to write testimony after testimony. If you read these counsels, recorded in Testimonies, vol. 8, 255–335, she quotes one Scripture after another that show God is not like what John Harvey Kellogg was saying. She says that Dr. Kellogg’s ideas about the nature of God would lead into spiritualism.

I had always thought spiritualism was when you had apparitions of the Virgin Mary or of the apostles, or when somebody that was dead came to talk to you. But Ellen White described the new theories about the nature of God as spiritualistic teachings. (See Battle Creek Letters, 103, 104.)

In Part 1 we saw that Satan’s masterpiece of deception, by which he will deceive the whole world, is spiritualism, which involves much more than just apparitions. We will hear, as we draw near the end of time, about all of the different apostles appearing to people, and Ellen White says that when they appear they will teach things contrary to what they wrote in the Bible. At that time, if you know what the Bible says and your confidence is in the Bible, you will be secure. If you do not know what the Bible says, you will be swept off your feet.

We also learned in Part 1 what the big lie is that underlies spiritualism—that you can sin without dying. Another way to state it is that you put darkness in place of light. You call it light, but it is really darkness, and spiritual darkness is that you can live in evil and wickedness and yet have eternal life. As we look around, we see many instances in which darkness is placed for light—and we call the darkness light.

If a priest gets in trouble because he is a pedophile or a homosexual, what happens? Is he removed from the church? No, he is transferred to duties somewhere else. If a minister commits adultery, is his ministerial license withdrawn and his name removed from the church books? No, usually he is transferred to another church in another conference. By these actions, all of the sin is allowed into the church, which destroys the church, and that is exactly what the devil has in mind.

The idea that no matter how bad a sinner someone is, even if they are living in open sin, it is all right, is one of the things going on in the ecumenical movement that has even affected Adventism. Jesus loves you; He died to save you. That is true, but the problem, the darkness is the idea that Jesus will save you while you are living in sin. Jesus will not save you while you are living in sin! If you are living in sin, you are lost, no matter how many times you go to church, no matter how much you pray, no matter how often you study your Bible. If you are living in disobedience to God’s commandments, you are lost. (See The Great Controversy, 461–478.)

Remember, what underlies all spiritualism is that you put darkness in the place of light; you label it light, but it is actually darkness.

Should we be Separate

Who is in the dark? Revelation 16:10 says, “His kingdom [Babylon] was full of darkness.” Babylon includes the churches that rejected the truth during the Dark Ages plus those churches that rejected the warning of the coming judgment and of Christ’s soon coming in the 1840s. (See The Great Controversy, 382, 383, 389.) Should we join Babylon, that is, join the darkness, or should we be separate?

The Bible says, “Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?” 2 Corinthians 6:14. What communion is there with light and darkness? There is none! Paul says, Do not have any fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness. (Ephesians 5:11.)

When God first called Saul on the Damascus Road and Jesus appeared to him, one of the very first things Jesus said to him concerned this whole issue of light and darkness and the power of the devil. (See Acts 26.) Paul, in recounting his conversion experience to King Agrippa, told how the Lord met him on the road to Damascus and said, “I will . . . send you, to open their eyes, [in order] to turn [them] from darkness to light, and [from] the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.” Verses 17, 18.

Are these Gentiles, these heathens who are in the dark, saved? No, they are lost. The ecumenical movement thinks that we will just take in everybody, but they are still lost; they are still in the dark. If they are going to be saved, we have to show them the way so God can turn them from the darkness to the light, from the power of Satan to the power of God. They have to repent and be converted.

Would you conclude that we should be separate from the darkness? Yes, we should be separate. If you join up with the darkness, the devil has control of your mind—you have yielded to spiritualistic powers.

Joining Babylon

When the Seventh-day Adventist hospitals in the Denver, Colorado, metropolitan area were relinquished to the Catholic’s hospital organization several years ago, what were they joining? Were they joining Zion or Babylon? They were joining up with Babylon; they were joining up with darkness. If you join up with darkness, what is going to happen to you? You are going to be in the dark; the powers of devils will control you.

Why do we have an independent Seventh-day Adventist Church in Zaire? Because, the general conference and the unions and divisions over there said that they were going to join with the Sunday-keeping churches. There are almost 70 churches joined together, and the Seventh-day Adventist Church is number 42 of these Sunday-keeping churches. That is Babylon, and we are joining up with it! What does that tell you? That tells you that the devil has gotten control of the minds of leaders in the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

“Oh,” someone may say, “certainly that is not true!” But it has happened. We cannot deny it. I want to show you something encouraging—God foresaw this. God foresaw that at the end of time we, as Seventh-day Adventists, would face a situation where the leaders of the church were going to come under the control of the devil.

“In His Word the Lord declared what He would do for Israel if they would obey His voice. But the leaders of the people yielded to the temptations of Satan, and God could not give them the blessings He designed them to have, because they did not obey His voice but listened to the voice and policy of Lucifer.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 13, 379. Since the leaders of Israel did not obey God’s voice, He could not do for them what He wanted to do. They were listening to the voice and policy of the devil. That is spiritualism! When the devil is talking to you and you are listening, you are under the control of spiritualism.

Mrs. White continues, “This experience will be repeated in the last years of the history of the people of God who have been established by His grace and power.” Ibid. Are we in the last years? Yes, we are. Then it is time for this experience to be repeated.

Who are the people of God in these last days that have been established by His grace and power? It is the Seventh-day Adventist denomination, the Seventh-day Adventist structure. This church, the Seventh-day Adventist world-wide church—the general conference, the divisions, the unions, and the conferences—was established by the grace and power of God. But she says that the same things are going to happen as happened with the leaders of Israel—the leaders are going to listen to the voice and policy of Lucifer. That, friends, is spiritualism.

“Men whom He has greatly honored [men who, in the past, the Holy Spirit has used; people whom we have looked up to because they have led many souls to the Lord; they have preached the Three Angels’ Messages] will in the closing scenes of this earth’s history pattern after ancient Israel.” Ibid. We are in that time.

When Spiritualism Takes Control

When spiritualism takes control in a family or in a church, what happens? We know that, at first, the devil puts darkness for light. But there is a second stage—you take light and you call it darkness. In the first stage you call darkness light, what is sin is accounted as right, but eventually it turns around and what is good is accounted for wrong. Ellen White says that right now in the United States the churches think good of all evil. Eventually, she says, they are going to think evil of all good. (See The Great Controversy, 556, 557.)

How does God try to save these deceived people? He sends them a messenger, and if someone is deceived, God might give them a very plain, pointed message, because God always tells the truth; He does not play around. We are talking about eternal life and eternal death. Paul says whatever reveals it, that is light. (See Ephesians 5.) When people see what is really going on, they see that they are headed straight to hell-fire, and unless they get turned around and start walking according to God’s commandments, they will lose their soul.

Then the devil gets people to call light darkness. God’s messenger, who comes with a message of truth and light, is berated. People are told not to listen to him/her because he/she is a fanatic, and they will be deceived. When God sends a messenger with light, the devil tries to get that message interpreted as darkness, so God has to send a very plain and pointed message.

About God’s messengers today, Ellen White says, “Those who have been thrust out to bear a plain, pointed testimony, in the fear of God to reprove wrong, to labor with all their energies to build up God’s people, and to establish them upon important points of present truth, have too often received censure instead of sympathy and help, while those who, like yourself, have taken a noncommittal position, are thought to be devoted, and to have a mild spirit.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 321.

If someone just gives a smooth, mild message, they are accepted by men, but they are not accepted by God. Mrs. White says: “God does not thus regard them. The forerunner of Christ’s first advent was a very plain-spoken man. He rebuked sin, and called things by their right names.” Ibid. See, if you are calling things by their right names, you call light, light; you call darkness, darkness, and you call sin, sin. If you cover it up, if you say we just have to put up with it and learn how to get along, that is calling things by the wrong names.

She continues, “He laid the ax at the root of the tree. He thus addressed one class of professed converts who came to be baptized of him in Jordan: ‘O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance. . . . And now also the ax is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire.’ [Matthew 3:7, 8, 10.]

“In this fearful time, just before Christ is to come the second time, God’s faithful preachers will have to bear a still more pointed testimony than was borne by John the Baptist. A responsible, important work is before them; and those who speak smooth things, God will not acknowledge as His shepherds. A fearful woe is upon them.” Ibid. John the Baptist was talking to the general conference leadership of his day, and he said, “You are a bunch of poisonous snakes and I will not baptize you.” Just preach love, people say, do not rock the boat, but it is better to be in trouble with men than it is to be in trouble with the God of heaven.

It is necessary to separate from the darkness. You cannot be part of it. If you are listening to preaching or teaching and you see that something is being said that is contrary to God’s Word, you better get out of there, because if you keep listening to it you will be deceived and you will not even know it. Ellen White tells us that these people who are deceived by the devil will boast, and you will not find anyone as self-confident as they are about the truth; they are sure that they know the truth and that everything is all right with them, but they are deceived. (See The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 4, 406; Testimonies, vol. 1, 650.)

Spiritualistic Religion

Spiritualistic religion is going to take over the entire world just before Jesus comes. Except for those that are saved, the whole world will be part of it. All of the churches—Protestant, Roman Catholic, Hindu, Buddhist, and people who do not even go to church—are all going to be part of this great movement. We need to understand some of the characteristics of this religion that is going to take over the world.

Ellen White, talking about spiritualistic religion, wrote: “You may be sure that pure and undefiled religion is not a sensational religion.” Testimonies, vol. 8, 295. What is sensational religion and how does it come into the church? The dictionary defines sensational as “something that tends to arouse a quick, intense interest, curiosity, or emotional reaction.” It really reaches out and grabs you.

Emotional

One of the first things to do when trying to develop an emotional religion is to change the music within the church services to a music that has stronger beats and more volume. That has come into Adventism, and practically every other denomination, in the last few years.

That is not all. Have you ever heard a preacher who, with almost every sentence, is so emotional, so choked up, he can hardly speak? Even if it is not an emotional sentence he is choked up, and soon people are wiping their eyes, and they can hardly sit still because it is so emotional. That is sensational religion. Ellen White warned our ministers against having anything to do with that kind of preaching or delivery, anything theatrical, anything to arouse emotional reactions in people. (See Testimonies, vol. 5, 301.)

The gospel has the emotion built in. You do not need to try to get people worked up with emotion; the gospel has all the emotion in itself. But an emotional religion, where the people are stirred up by the manner of delivery and by a preacher who is all choked up with emotion, that is an emotional or sensational religion. Anytime you see that in a church, you had better get out, because if you stay there, your emotions are going to be affected and you will be caught up in sensational religion. That is one of the ways the devil gets into the church.

You can introduce the sensation of emotion into the church, and you do not have to have an apparition of the Virgin Mary; you do not have to have séances; you just have to get the people’s emotions worked up and then you have them in a state of mind where they can be influenced to do almost anything. When people’s emotions are all worked up, they will do things they would never do if their minds were calm and if they were thinking rationally, and that is the whole point.

Emotional religion is one of the characteristics of spiritualistic religion. If it comes into your church, you either have to get it out, or you have to get out, because the devil is taking over the church.

Sensuality

Another characteristic of spiritualistic religion destroys the spirituality in the family, and nobody knows that anything is going on. The preacher, the elders, the deacons, and sometimes the spouse does not even know, yet spirituality is being destroyed from within through spiritualism. This is very common, and if it is in your life, you must get it out or it will destroy you. A lot of people think, “Oh, that is just something I am thinking in my mind, and no one else knows.” Ellen White says that the devil knows, because he is the one who put it in your mind. Here is what happens in people’s minds. Ellen White in addressing a man who was a minister, said, “You have been represented to me as being in great peril. Satan is on your track, and at times he has whispered to you pleasing fables and has shown you charming pictures of one whom he represents as a more suitable companion for you than the wife of your youth, the mother of your children.” This man is in contact with the devil, but he does not know it. The devil is whispering pleasing fables to him, and not only that, the devil is giving him some imagination. Here is a married man, and the devil is putting pleasing pictures in his mind about some other woman, and he is imagining things about her. If you asked him if he were a spiritualist, he would tell you he does not have anything to do with it, but he does. He is in contact with the devil, and the devil is putting pictures in his mind.

Continuing on, Ellen White tells how the devil is teaching him: “The enemy of souls has gained much when he can lead the imagination of one of Jehovah’s chosen watchmen to dwell upon the possibilities of association, in the world to come, with some woman whom he loves, and of there raising up a family.” So what was this minister imagining? He thought, “Well, I cannot leave my wife now, but I would like to be with this other woman in heaven.” Ellen White says, “We need no such pleasing pictures. All such views originate in the mind of the tempter.” Medical Ministry, 100, 101. This man was in contact with spiritualism. His Christianity was being destroyed through his imagination. He was taking a head-trip with a woman other than his wife.

“It is presented to me that spiritual fables are taking many captive. Their minds are sensual, and, unless a change comes, this will prove their ruin. To all who are indulging these unholy fancies I would say, Stop; for Christ’s sake, stop right where you are. You are on forbidden ground. Repent, I entreat of you and be converted.” Ibid.

“You are on forbidden ground.” Why? Because in your mind you are indulging in imaginations that are unholy, and if you keep on, it will wreck your marriage; you could easily end up in the divorce court. This is one of the most common ways that divorce occurs. First someone takes a head-trip, and after they do that for a few months, or years, it becomes reality, and Ellen White says that originates with the devil. That is part of spiritualism; you do not have to go to a séance; the devil is putting pictures in your mind. You are in grave danger of being influenced by the devil!

Clean up the Inside

There are other statements in the inspired writings about sensuality and how the devil attempts to gain control of the human mind through spiritualism, but I want to share a very encouraging statement about what we are supposed to do when we are up against something like this. “Minds that have been given up to loose thought need to change. . . . Man’s great danger is in being self-deceived, indulging self-sufficiency, and thus separating from God, the source of his strength. Our natural tendencies, unless corrected by the Holy Spirit of God, have in them the seeds of moral death. [You cannot just go on and do what comes naturally, because your natural tendencies are evil.] Unless we become vitally connected with God, we cannot resist the unhallowed effects of self-love, self-indulgence, and temptation to sin.

“In order to receive help from Christ, we must realize our need.” Testimonies, vol. 8, 315, 316. What is our need? If we are not going to be taken control of by the devil, we must learn to control our mind, our thoughts, and our imaginations. That is how the devil first gets control of people. I am not just talking about sexual passions, but appetite is also involved in control of the mind. “We must have a true knowledge of ourselves. It is only he who knows himself to be a sinner that Christ can save. Only as we see our utter helplessness and renounce all self-trust, shall we lay hold on divine power.

“It is not only at the beginning of the Christian life that this renunciation of self is to be made. At every advance step heavenward it is to be renewed. All our good works are dependent on a power outside of ourselves; therefore there needs to be a continual reaching out of the heart after God, a constant, earnest confession of sin and humbling of the soul before Him. Perils surround us; and we are safe only as we feel our weakness and cling with the grasp of faith to our mighty Deliverer.” Ibid., 316.

We have felt that we are secure because we know the state of the dead, and we do not realize that the devil, through spiritualism, has many other ways beside apparitions to get control of the human mind. The devil is trying to get our minds focused upon sensual gratification so we will lose control of our thoughts. When that happens, he’s got us; we are lost—unless we are converted, and lay hold of the power of Christ and say, Lord, I am absolutely helpless, but I am putting my trust in you, and I pray that you will come into my heart and mind and give me control of my mind again. How often do we have to do this? Ellen White says at every advanced step we have to put our trust in Jesus and ask Him to work this miracle within, because otherwise we are utterly helpless and the devil will take control of the mind. (See The Upward Look, 296.)

Ellen White said there will be people who come up to the day of judgment and it will be revealed that because of the secret thoughts of their hearts they will be lost. (See A Solemn Appeal, 80.) They might have professed to be Christians, but their mind was not purified. The devil had control inside. We are not saved on the outside until we are saved on the inside. Jesus said to the Pharisees, You make the outside clean but the inside is full of all kinds of corruption. Clean the inside up first. (Matthew 23:25, 26.) God wants to clean us up on the inside. When we are clean on the inside so that the devil does not have control of our mind, when we are not under the power of spiritualism, then we will be able to get cleaned up on the outside.

Do you want to be delivered from the power of the devil, the power of darkness? If you call upon Jesus and put your trust in Him, He will deliver you!

Organizational Unity

It is the work of the Christian to mend, to restore, to heal. This healing process saves many a soul and hides a multitude of sins. God is love; God is, in Himself, in His essence, love. He makes the very best of what appears an injury, and gives Satan no occasion for triumph by making the worst appear and exposing our weakness to our enemies. The world must not be introduced into the church, and married to the church, forming a bond of unity. Through this means the church will become indeed corrupt, and as stated in Revelation, ‘a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.’ ” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 265.

Who is Babylon?

Do you understand the significance of this statement? If the world is introduced into and married to the church, it will become Babylon. She does not place it in a time frame, but she says it will happen. Our danger, as Seventh-day Adventists, is that we will be reading the statements Ellen White wrote in the 1893 Review and Herald (August 22, 29; September 5, 12), which say that the Seventh-day Adventist Church is not Babylon, and saying, “See, this proves everything.” It does not prove everything at all, friends. You have to look at all of the inspired statements before you draw your conclusions. Do not take one group of statements that were addressed to a specific situation in 1893 and then forget everything else that was written and assume that you know it all.

Who ever thought up this terrible heresy that has gone around among God’s people that professed Israel can never become Babylon? There are two cases in the Bible where Israel became Babylon, one in the Old Testament and one in the New Testament. By the introduction of the world into the church, it can become Babylon. We have been inclined to believe that it is only the acceptance, and promulgation of such false doctrines as Sunday sacredness and the immortality of the soul that constitutes Babylon. But Ellen White is very clear that while these do clearly mark a church as being part of Babylon, it is the acceptance of these, and kindred heresies, and “the rejection of the truth,” which convert the church into Babylon. (See Selected Messages, Book 2, 68.) This should cause every Seventh-day Adventist great concern.

“Unsanctified ministers are arraying themselves against God. They are praising Christ and the god of this world in the same breath. While professedly they receive Christ, they embrace Barabbas, and by their actions say, ‘Not this Man, but Barabbas.’ Let all who read these lines, take heed. Satan has made his boast of what he can do. He thinks to dissolve the unity which Christ prayed might exist in His church. He says, ‘I will go forth and be a lying spirit to deceive those that I can, to criticize, and condemn, and falsify.’ Let the sin of deceit and false witness be entertained by a church that has had great light, great evidence, and that church will discard the message the Lord has sent, and receive the most unreasonable assertions and false suppositions and false theories.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 409.

Sin of Deceit

Friends, we have accepted false witness and been engaged in the sin of deceit for a long time.

One of the greatest shocks I have experienced came a few years ago when I was reading the book The Word was Made Flesh. (Ralph Larson, Cherrystone Press, Cherry Valley, California, 1986.) Toward the back of the book is a section that shows how some material is used in the book Questions on Doctrine. (Prepared by a Representative Group of Seventh-day Adventist Leaders, Bible Teachers, and Editors, Review and Herald Publishing Association, Washington, D.C., 1957.) The material used is a collection of statements by Ellen White, put together by a group of scholars or theologians. I had done some research in my life, and as I was studying over this material, I started comparing the sources and how it was put together. In just minutes I was in a state of shock. I said to myself, “No honest man could do this.” (See The Word was Made Flesh, Section 4, 219–275, especially pages 249–264.) You can disagree with me, but I do not believe that it is possible that anyone who is smart enough to do research could do this with an honest mind.

This took place a number of years ago, but have you ever noticed any public declaration that says we repudiate Questions on Doctrine and appeal to God and all of humanity to forgive us for publishing it? There are four steps that have to be taken before historic Adventists can ever be in harmony and unity with the world structure. They are repentance, confession, restitution, and a willingness to get back on and stand on the platform of truth. The only way to have unity is if we are all willing to repent, confess, make restitution, and stand together on the platform of truth.

“Infidelity has been making its inroads into our ranks; for it is the fashion to depart from Christ, and give place to skepticism. With many the cry of the heart has been, ‘We will not have this man to reign over us.’ Baal, Baal, is the choice. The religion of many among us will be the religion of apostate Israel, because they love their own way, and forsake the way of the Lord.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 467, 468.

The word Baal or Baalim in Hebrew means lord. When you are worshiping Baal, you are obeying and following a different lord. You think you are doing your own thing, following your own way, but the devil really has control of you, and you do not know it.

Be a Disturber

We are at a time when the trumpet must give a certain sound. We are to show people that there can be no unity between truth and error and that there can be no unity between those who are standing under Satan’s banner and those who are standing under the banner of the Lord.

“Evil must be assailed; falsehood and error must be made to appear in their true character, sin must be denounced; and the testimony of every believer in the truth must be as one. All your little differences, which arouse the combative spirit among brethren, are devices of Satan to divert minds from the great and fearful issue before us.” The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, vol. 3, 1014.

If you are a believer in the truth, you must stand against evil and apostasy. If you do not, you cannot be accounted today as one of God’s children. It is just that simple.

“All who live a conscientious life, who bear testimony of the claims of God, of the evil of sin, of the judgment to come, will be called the disturbers of Israel. Those whose testimony awakens the apprehension of the soul, offend pride, and arouse opposition. The hatred of evil against good exists as surely now as in the days of Christ when the multitudes cried, ‘Away with him!’ ‘Release unto us Barabbas.’ ” Ibid., 1013.

Anyone whom God commissions to do this kind of work is going to be accused of being critical. People are going to speak evil of them and try to destroy their influence.

Have you ever met someone who said, “I want peace; I just cannot stand all of this conflict”? Do you know when we will have true peace? “The true peace will come among God’s people when, through united zeal and earnest prayer, the false peace that exits to a large degree is disturbed.” Ibid., 1014.

There is a false peace in Adventism today, and we are out to disturb it! We want to shake people up right down to their shoes so that they no longer feel secure and make them realize that, if they do not do something different, they are going to go straight to destruction. We have to go through the steps of repentance, confession, restitution, and standing together on the truth.

“While we cannot fellowship with those who are the bitter enemies of Christ, we should cultivate that spirit of meekness and love that characterized our Master—a love that thinketh no evil and is not easily provoked. . . .” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 504.

Those who are followers of Christ cannot fellowship with those who are His bitter enemies. If you can fellowship with people who are enemies of the cross of Christ and are not teaching historic Adventism, there is something seriously wrong. You are not headed in the direction you think you are.

Unity in Diversity

Before Jesus comes, God’s people are going to have a true and perfect unity with one another. The question is not whether or not it is going to happen; it is a matter of prophecy. If those whom God has commissioned to have this unity do not come into line, He will raise up others who will. Those refused to be united will lose their souls.

Even when we do have unity, we will not have the type of unity that many people expect. We are not going to come to the point where we all have the same identity or have absolute uniformity. That is not what we are talking about when we talk about unity. Ellen White describes this with the phrase “unity in diversity.” (See Review and Herald, November 9, 1897.) We are all still going to be individuals. Like branches that are part of a vine, all are different and yet they are all united to the vine.

One of the problems that even historic Adventists are having today is that many people believe that in order to have unity, other people have to think the same as they think, sing the same, play the piano the same, preach the same way, and right on down the line. If this idea is a reflection of your thinking, not only are you never going to experience the type of unity you are hoping to achieve, but you are actually going to become a roadblock to true unity. In order to obtain unity, you are going to try to get everybody else to be like you are, and that is not the unity about which we are talking. All will, however, think the same with regard to the platform of truth. We will all agree on all the truths that God has given us.

Church Organization

“God is leading a people out from the world upon the exalted platform of eternal truth, the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. He will discipline and fit up His people. They will not be at variance, one believing one thing and another having faith and views entirely opposite, each moving independently of the body.” Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, 29.

Notice, if we are going to have unity, we are not going to have theological views that are absolutely contradictory to one another, each one of us moving independently from the body. How can you not move independently from the body and still have unity and not compromise any truth? If you do not understand who the true church is versus the professed church, you will never make it. You have an absolutely impossible situation.

“Through the diversity of the gifts and governments that He has placed in the church, they will all come to the unity of the faith.” Ibid. [Emphasis supplied.] Did you notice that coming to the unity of the faith has something to do with the governments that God has placed in His church?

In a book written by a person whom I used to consider a very close friend of mine, the author totally reinterpreted prophecy. The problem with the total reinterpretation is that some of the reinterpretations contradict the Spirit of Prophecy, so I cannot accept that. I am not saying this to criticize that person, because anyone can make a mistake. Fields of secular endeavor are not the only areas in the world where mistakes are made. You can make a mistake in theology, even if you are sincere. How am I going to keep from going off on a tangent independent of the body? Sister White points out that one of the purposes of governments in the church is to help us keep from going off on a tangent.

“If one man takes his views of Bible truth without regard to the opinion of his brethren, and justifies his course, alleging that he has a right to his own peculiar views, and then presses them upon others, how can he be fulfilling the prayer of Christ? And if another and still another arises, each asserting his right to believe and talk what he pleases without reference to the faith of the body, where will be that harmony which existed between Christ and His Father, and which Christ prayed might exist among His brethren?” Ibid., 29, 30.

If I am really going to find out the opinion of my brethren in some organized way, we must have some kind of church organization. That has to do, Sister White says, with the organization, the governments that God has placed within the body of Christ—so, unity in diversity. This unity can happen if I have regard to the opinion of my brethren and I am willing to keep myself from going off independent of the truth of the body.

“When ministering brethren come together in council, let deference be shown to the expression of intelligent principles, let intellectual freedom be freely accorded to all. There should be unity and love and freedom in communicating one with another. It should be a pleasure to consult one with another, to compare ideas and to review plans. An atmosphere of goodness, confidence, and love should be diffused; for this is the assurance of the presence of the Holy Spirit. The presence of God should be felt, and the soul should be humbled in acknowledging the condescension of God in planning for every soul for whom Christ has died, and thus hearts would be softened and broken.” Manuscript Release, No. 311, 30.

Harmony

I may not be in harmony with the professed church, but I must be in harmony with the true church. That is not optional. I must not go off independently on my own, out of harmony with the body. But I cannot be sure that I am in harmony unless we have communication, and that requires some type of association or “government.”

It is in the order of God that people who are widely different in character, disposition, background, and thought should get together to counsel and talk. This is one of the greatest safeguards of unity and the organization of God’s church.

“Perfection of character means perfection in unity.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 11, 179. We will never have perfection of character until we have perfection in unity.

“An army in battle would become confused and be defeated if the individual soldiers should move according to their own impulses instead of acting in harmony under the direction of a competent general. The soldiers of Christ also must act in harmony. A few converted souls, uniting for one grand purpose under one head, will achieve victories in every encounter.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 139.

This is a wonderful promise. It is a statement that all of the people in home churches ought to learn. If you are united, if you have harmony and are organized, you are going to have victory at every step.

No New Organization

We have written a booklet entitled No New Organization. (Available from Steps to Life.) Do not get the idea that we are forming some new organization. We absolutely are not. The new organization has already been started, but we did not start it.

Do you remember that the early Adventists did not intend to start any kind of an organization? They were just going to work through the organizations that already existed. But as they began preaching the first angel’s message, they were thrown out of their churches. In the days of John Wesley, these Protestant churches were spiritual Israel. They did not have all of the truth, but they were living up to all of the light that they had. When they disfellowshipped the true body of Christ, they became Babylon.

You who belong to the Adventist world structure, please consider this. The Protestant churches in Ellen White’s day disfellowshipped the true body of Christ and rejected the first angel’s message. As a result of that, they became Babylon.

After these Adventists had been disfellowshipped, they were widely scattered, yet they resisted the idea of becoming organized. They knew that the churches they had just come out of were Babylon, and they did not want to be like them. Ellen White said that the Adventists were afraid to organize, because they were afraid they would become Babylon if they organized. But the churches in New York, because of their lack of organization in 1861, were already Babylon. (See Testimonies, vol. 1, 270.)

We have had the same problem of late. People have twisted statements, like the one about no new organization in Notebook Leaflets, vol. 1, 51 [“The Lord has declared that the history of the past shall be rehearsed as we enter upon the closing work. Every truth that He has given for these last days is to be proclaimed to the world. Every pillar that He has established is to be strengthened. We cannot now step off the foundation that God has established. We cannot now enter into any new organization; for this would mean apostasy from the truth.—Manuscript 129, 1905.”], until historic Seventh-day Adventists are afraid to organize. If you do not want your home church to become Babylon, you are going to have to organize it.

Ordained Leaders

If you have a home church and you are going to be organized, you need to have one or more elders and deacons in your church so that you can be organized. Read the first part of the book of Acts, and you will find there the job of the elders and deacons in the church.

The first step in the organization of the Christian Church was in the ordination of the apostles. (See The Acts of the Apostles, 18.) We have had many letters and phone calls in which people say, “Well, couldn’t you do the same work if you did not ordain someone, because then it wouldn’t stir up so much controversy?” Well, that is just about the same as saying, “Couldn’t you be a Christian without getting baptized?” Listen, when God teaches you to do something, if you are not in harmony with divine counsel, you are an apostate. There is no other way about it. We do not ordain to stir up controversy, but because the Bible teaches it. We do it to be true to our conscience.

There are people who are saying, “You do not believe in organization.” The fact that we ordain people ought to prove the falsity of this accusation. If we did not believe in organization, we would not ordain anyone.

Unless we can learn to associate together and be able to call councils where we can get together and discuss what we need to do, as the apostolic church did, the devil has a very good chance of destroying us. This is one of the reasons why we are studying the subject of unity. We are determined that we are going to follow all of the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy counsel in this matter. Are you willing to follow all of the counsel in the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy? If you are, we must become more organized and, by the grace of God, we are going to do it.

Reprinted from LandMarks, November 1993.

Pastor Grosboll is the director of Steps to Life Ministry and pastors the Prairie Meadows Church in Wichita, Kansas.

Preparing for the Latter Rain, Part IV

In this parallel, we will study the fourth event in the ministry of Jesus that the Spirit of Prophecy states has a parallel with the second advent movement. Mark gives us this account of the event: “On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. And as he taught them, he said, ‘Is it not written: “My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations”? But you have made it “a den of robbers.” ’ The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him . . . .” Mark 11:15–18, NIV.

The Spirit of Prophecy gives the following appraisal of the situation: “At the close of His [Jesus’] mission He came again to the temple, and found it still desecrated as before. The condition of things was even worse than before.” The Desire of Ages, 589.

It is clear from this statement that the ministry of Jesus had no positive effect on the attitude of the priests, rulers, and people. The condition of the church was even worse at the close of His ministry. “In place of humble repentance of sin, they had multiplied the sacrifice of beasts . . . . He knew that His blood, so soon to be shed for the sins of the world, would be as little appreciated by the priests and elders as was the blood of beasts which they kept incessantly flowing.” Ibid., 590.

No Concept

The priests and elders had no concept of Jesus’ mission to cleanse the heart from sin through the shedding of His blood. They did not perceive the deep spiritual significance of the sacrificial system they themselves were administering.

“He knew that His efforts to reform a corrupt priesthood would be in vain; nevertheless His work must be done; to an unbelieving people the evidence of His divine mission must be given.” Ibid.

It is interesting to note that Jesus did not expect any repentance or conversion on the part of the corrupt priesthood. They had gone so far in unbelief that they could not recognize the evidence that Jesus was the Lamb of God. But the evidence of His divine mission to cleanse their hearts from sin must be given to the people one last time.

We may ask ourselves, “How can such an event as this ever have a parallel in the second advent movement?” Let’s go back to a reference we studied earlier concerning the first parallel.

“When Jesus began His public ministry, He cleansed the temple from its sacrilegious profanation. Almost the last act of His ministry was to cleanse the temple again. So in the last work for the warning of the world, two distinct calls are made to the churches; the second angel’s message [Revelation 14:8], and the voice heard in heaven, ‘Come out of her, my people, . . . for her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.’ [Revelation 18:4, 5.]” Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, vol. 2, 725, 726.

A similar statement is recorded in the December 6, 1892, issue of the Review and Herald: “When Jesus began His public ministry, He cleansed the temple from its sacrilegious profanation. Among the last acts of His ministry was the second cleansing of the temple. So in the last work for the warning of the world, two distinct calls are made to the churches. The second angel’s message is, ‘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.] And in the loud cry of the third angel’s message, a voice is heard from heaven, ‘Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.’ [Revelation 18:4, 5.]”

Two Distinct Calls

In these two references, we are told that “two distinct calls” are made to the churches in the second advent movement and that they are parallel to the two cleansings of the temple.

The first distinct call:

  1. is the second angel’s message—Revelation 14:8.
  2. was given in the summer and fall of 1844.
  3. was given because the churches rejected the first angel’s message.
  4. is a parallel to the first cleansing of the temple.

The second distinct call:

  1. is the message of Revelation 18:1–5.
  2. is still future.
  3. will be given because the churches reject the third angel’s message.
  4. is parallel to the second cleansing of the temple.

A pathetic summary of the first advent movement is given in the following reference: “At the beginning of His ministry, Christ had driven from the temple those who defiled it by their unholy traffic . . . . At the close of His mission He came again to the temple, and found it still desecrated as before. The condition of things was even worse than before.” The Desire of Ages, 589.

Following are two solemn parallel statements that summarize the condition of the churches at the end of the second advent movement:

“This scripture [Revelation 18:1, 2, 4] points forward to a time when the announcement of the fall of Babylon, as made by the second angel of Revelation 14 (verse 8), is to be repeated, with the additional mention of the corruptions which have been entering the various organizations that constitute Babylon, since that message was first given, in the summer of 1844.” The Great Controversy, 603.

Here, again, we are given a picture of churches that are getting worse, during the time of the third angel’s message, even with the abundant availability of the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy.

“A terrible condition of the religious world is here described. With every rejection of truth the minds of the people will become darker, their hearts more stubborn, until they are entrenched in an infidel hardihood. In defiance of the warnings which God has given, they will continue to trample upon one of the precepts of the Decalogue . . . . Christ is set at nought in the contempt placed upon His word and His people.” Ibid.

We see that as Jesus was unable to prevent the church from worsening, while He ministered to them, so the great proliferation of the Scriptures and the Spirit of Prophecy is unable to prevent the church in the second advent movement from following the same path as the first advent church. Just as the priests and elders set about to kill Jesus when He cleansed the temple the second time, so in the second advent movement, Christ is set at nought in the contempt placed upon His Word by the ministers and people.

The Second Distinct Call

The next few statements are very clear as to the time when the second cleansing of the churches will take place in the second advent movement. This is called the “second distinct call.” We find eight more phrases in the Spirit of Prophecy that refer to this event. Four of these are found in this next reference.

“God still has a people in Babylon; and before the visitation of His judgments these faithful ones must be called out . . . . Hence the movement symbolized by the angel coming down from heaven, lightening the earth with his glory and crying mightily with a strong voice, announcing the sins of Babylon. In connection with his message the call is heard: ‘Come out of her, My people.’ These announcements, uniting with the third angel’s message, constitute the final warning to be given to the inhabitants of the earth.” Ibid., 604.

The announcements that unite with the third angel’s message are referred to in a later reference as “the loud cry of the third angel.”

“Revelation 18 points to the time when, as the result of rejecting the threefold warning of Revelation 14:6–12, the church will have fully reached the condition foretold by the second angel, and the people of God still in Babylon will be called upon to separate from her communion. This message is the last that will ever be given to the world.” Ibid., 390.

Just as Jesus cleansed the temple a second time to remind the people that it was His work to remove sin from the heart, so the final call to come out of Babylon and to separate from her sins is the last message that will ever be given to the world.

“The latter rain is to fall upon the people of God. A mighty angel is to come down from heaven, and the whole earth is to be lightened with his glory.” Review and Herald, April 21, 1891.

In this reference, we see that the latter rain is during the time when the mighty angel of Revelation 18:1, 2 comes down from heaven and the time when the second cleansing takes place. Two more phrases are used in this next reference.

“I asked what had made this great change. An angel answered, ‘It is the latter rain, the refreshing from the presence of the Lord, the loud cry of the third angel.’ ” Early Writings, 271.

We find one more descriptive phrase in the following reference.

“ ‘The commencement of that time of trouble,’ here mentioned, does not refer to the time when the plagues shall begin to be poured out, but to a short period just before they are poured out, while Christ is in the sanctuary. . . . At that time the ‘latter rain,’ or refreshing from the presence of the Lord, will come, to give power to the loud voice of the third angel.” Ibid., 85, 86.

This statement reveals that this short time of trouble is associated with the latter rain that occurs just before probation closes. This short time of trouble intensifies into the time of trouble when the plagues are being poured out following the close of probation.

Time Period of Second Cleansing

We see, now, that there are nine terms that all apply to the time period of the second cleansing of the churches just before probation closes. Let’s review them.

  1. The second “distinct call.”
  2. The angel coming down from heaven.
  3. The call to “Come out of her, My people.”
  4. “The final warning.”
  5. The last message to the world.
  6. The latter rain.
  7. The refreshing from the presence of the Lord.
  8. The loud cry of the third angel.
  9. A short time of trouble.

I am not aware of another event leading up to the close of probation that receives as much attention in the Spirit of Prophecy as the warning to the world of the second cleansing of the second advent churches.

We have already seen that these nine phrases refer to the time just before the close of probation, and accordingly, they have been placed in that position on the time line. Notice that this fourth parallel is the last event before the close of probation.

Two Groups

The references in the Ellen G. White 1888 Materials and the Review and Herald of December 6, 1892, both say that the two distinct calls are the last work for the warning of the world. At the time of the second cleansing of the churches, that is, during the latter rain, there are only two groups left in the world—the faithful people of God and all the rest who have rejected God’s grace. When the latter rain begins, denominational distinctions such as Protestants, Catholics, Seventh-day Adventists or independent Seventh-day Adventists become meaningless. These two groups are clearly defined in the following references.

“Servants of God . . . will hasten from place to place to proclaim the message from heaven. By thousands of voices, all over the earth, the warning will be given. . . . Satan also works with lying wonders, even bringing down fire from heaven in the sight of men. Revelation 13:13. Thus the inhabitants of the earth will be brought to take their stand.” The Great Controversy, 612.

“Every man will be tested. Obedience or disobedience is the question to be decided by the whole world. All will be called to choose between the law of God and laws of men. Here the dividing line will be drawn. There will be but two classes. Every character will be fully developed; and all will show whether they have chosen the side of loyalty or that of rebellion.” The Desire of Ages, 763.

“The Sabbath will be the great test of loyalty, for it is the point of truth especially controverted. When the final test shall be brought to bear upon men, then the line of distinction will be drawn between those who serve God and those who serve Him not.” The Great Controversy, 605.

The Sabbath will be the great test of loyalty. It will be the point of truth that will draw the line of distinction between these two groups shown on the chart. This is the period of time in which the second cleansing of the churches takes place.

We listed nine terms that apply to this same time period. One of the phrases used was the call to “Come out of her [Babylon], My people.” Revelation 18:4. From this, we know that the disobedient group is also called Babylon.

The Laodicean Church

There remains a group of people who do not fit into either of these two groups; that is, they do not fit with the obedient people of God nor are they called Babylon. The Bible and Spirit of Prophecy identify them as the Laodicean church.

“I was shown that the testimony to the Laodiceans applies to God’s people at the present time, and the reason it has not accomplished a greater work is because of the hardness of their hearts. . . . The heart must be purified from sins which have so long shut out Jesus.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 186.

We need to understand that Laodiceans are Seventh-day Adventists who have rejected the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy counsel to put away sin and come into unity with Christ during the time of the second and third parallels in the second advent movement. The third parallel is still being acted out at the present time. These Laodicean Seventh-day Adventists, because they fail to meet the conditions, are included with the disobedient group.

Come Out of Babylon

We must realize that the call to come out of Babylon does not go to Seventh-day Adventists. There are two reasons:

  1. Those who have rejected the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy are not called Babylon; they are called Laodicea, so the call is not for them.
  2. The call goes only to those who have not heard and rejected the Three Angels’ Messages.

The next two statements provide some important information concerning this subject.

“The light that was shed upon the waiting ones penetrated everywhere, and those in the churches who had any light, who had not heard and rejected the three messages, obeyed the call and left the fallen churches. . . . Some chose life and took their stand with those who were looking for their Lord and keeping all His commandments.” Early Writings, 278.

Notice, the call to come out of Babylon is for those “who had not heard and rejected” the Three Angels’ Messages. They now leave the fallen churches (Babylon) and join with those who are keeping all the commandments, those who have put away every sin and have received the Holy Spirit at the beginning of the latter rain.

Put Away Every Sin

We see, in this next reference, a hopeless situation for those who reject the counsel in the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy requiring them to put away sin and unite with Christ at the center of the church.

“The time of God’s destructive judgments is the time of mercy for those who have no opportunity to learn what is truth. . . . His hand is still stretched out to save, while the door is closed to those who would not enter. Large numbers will be admitted who in these last days hear the truth for the first time.” Review and Herald, July 5, 1906.

This statement makes it clear that the character preparation to receive the outpouring of the Holy Spirit ends when the latter rain begins for those who have heard the Three Angels’ Messages. They have either completed that preparation by accepting and obeying the instruction in the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy to put away sin and come into unity, or they have rejected it. If they are living in obedience to this counsel, they now receive the Holy Spirit and go forward, calling a people out of Babylon. If they have rejected this counsel, they remain as Laodiceans, and their probation is now closed. We will study the instruction concerning this preparation in greater detail in the next parallel.

Dear people of God, do you want to be among the “servants of God” during this final warning? Then we must obey the instructions of the early rain character preparation that we might receive the Holy Spirit when the latter rain begins. It is impossible to be a “servant of God” during the latter rain and still have one sin remaining in the life. You cannot call people out of sin if you are in sin yourself. We must put away every sin now. Then we can be among the servants of God who hasten from place to place to give the final warning.

God has given us clear instruction as to what we must do to prepare our hearts for the final outpouring of His Spirit. In our next study, we will review God’s instruction in reference to the early rain character preparation that is needed if we would receive the latter rain.

To be continued . . .

Maurice Hoppe is Director of Revelation Ministry, which is dedicated to helping people prepare for the soon coming of Jesus. His special emphasis is the closing scenes of this earth’s history, the parallels between the first and second advents, and the need for unity among the people of God. He may be contacted by e-mail at: hoppe@reve-lationministry.com, or at: P. O. Box 184, Days Creek, OR 97429.