second coming

Bible Study Guides – “They Lived and Reigned With Christ a Thousand Years”

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June 11-17, 2000

MEMORY VERSE: “Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?” 1 Corinthians 6:2, 3.

STUDY HELP: Great Controversy, 653–661.

INTRODUCTION: “After the saints are changed to immortality and caught up together with Jesus, after they receive their harps, their robes, and their crowns, and enter the city, Jesus and the saints sit in judgment. The books are opened—the book of life and the book of death. The book of life contains the good deeds of the saints; and the book of death contains the evil deeds of the wicked. These books are compared with the statute book, the Bible, and according to that men are judged. The saints, in unison with Jesus, pass their judgment upon the wicked dead. ‘Behold ye,’ said the angel, ‘the saints, in unison with Jesus, sit in judgment, and mete out to the wicked according to the deeds done in the body, and that which they must receive at the execution of the judgment is set off against their names.’ This, I saw, was the work of the saints with Jesus through the one thousand years in the Holy City before it descends to the earth.” Early Writings, 52, 53.

“The Rest of the Dead”

1 What are we told about those who are not raised at Christ’s Second Coming? Revelation 20:5, first part.

2 What will happen to those wicked people who are alive when Christ comes? 2 Thessalonians 1:7, 8. Compare Hebrews 10:27; Hebrews 12:29; 2 Peter 3:7.

NOTE: “At the Second Advent of Christ the wicked shall be consumed ‘with the Spirit of His mouth,’ and destroyed ‘with the brightness of His coming.’ 2 Thessalonians 2:8. The light of the glory of God, which imparts life to the righteous, will slay the wicked.” Desire of Ages, 107.

“They Lived and Reigned With Christ”

3 What are we told about the people of God during the thousand years following Christ’s Second Coming? Revelation 20:6.

4 What work will they engage in during that time? Revelation 20:4. Compare 1 Corinthians 6:2, 3.

NOTE: “During the thousand years between the first and the second resurrection the judgment of the wicked takes place.…At this time the righteous reign as kings and priests unto God. John in the Revelation says: ‘I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them.’ ‘They shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.’ Revelation 20:4, 6. It is at this time that, as foretold by Paul, ‘the saints shall judge the world.’ 1 Corinthians 6:2. In union with Christ they judge the wicked, comparing their acts with the statute book, the Bible, and deciding every case according to the deeds done in the body. Then the portion which the wicked must suffer is meted out, according to their works; and it is recorded against their names in the book of death.” Maranatha, 335.

“Bound Him a Thousand Years”

5 What will happen to Satan during the thousand years? Revelation 20:1, 2.

NOTE: See Great Controversy, 658, 659.

6 How does this experience of Satan fulfill the symbolism of the sanctuary? Leviticus 16:20–22.

NOTE: The word translated ‘scapegoat’ (Leviticus 16:8) literally means ‘the goat for Azazel.’ Azazel is a name of the devil. (See also Great Controversy, 658.)

“For a thousand years, Satan will wander to and fro in the desolate earth to behold the results of his rebellion against the law of God. During this time his sufferings are intense. Since his fall his life of unceasing activity has banished reflection; but he is now deprived of his power and left to contemplate the part which he has acted since first he rebelled against the government of heaven, and to look forward with trembling and terror to the dreadful future when he must suffer for all the evil that he has done and be punished for the sins that he has caused to be committed.” Great Controversy, 660.

“Coming Down From God Out of Heaven”

7 How is the return of Christ to the earth at the end of the thousand years described? Zechariah 14:3, 4.

NOTE: “At the close of the thousand years, Christ again returns to the earth. He is accompanied by the host of the redeemed and attended by a retinue of angels. As He descends in terrific majesty He bids the wicked dead arise to receive their doom. They come forth, a mighty host, numberless as the sands of the sea. What a contrast to those who were raised at the first resurrection! The righteous were clothed with immortal youth and beauty. The wicked bear the traces of disease and death. Every eye in that vast multitude is turned to behold the glory of the Son of God. With one voice the wicked hosts exclaim: ‘Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord!’ It is not love to Jesus that inspires this utterance. The force of truth urges the words from unwilling lips. As the wicked went into their graves, so they come forth with the same enmity to Christ and the same spirit of rebellion. They are to have no new probation in which to remedy the defects of their past lives.” Great Controversy, 662.

8 How is the return to the earth of God’s people described? Revelation 21:2, 10.

NOTE: See Great Controversy, 663.

“Satan Shall Be Loosed”

9 When will Satan be free to take up again his work of deception? Revelation 20:7. Compare Revelation 20:5.

NOTE: “At the close of the thousand years the second resurrection will take place. Then the wicked will be raised from the dead and appear before God for the execution of ‘the judgment written.’” Great Controversy, 661.

10 What will Satan then set out to do? Revelation 20:8, 9.

NOTE: “Now Satan prepares for a last mighty struggle for the supremacy. While deprived of his power and cut off from his work of deception, the prince of evil was miserable and dejected; but as the wicked dead are raised and he sees the vast multitudes upon his side, his hopes revive, and he determines not to yield the great controversy. He will marshal all the armies of the lost under his banner and through them endeavor to execute his plans. The wicked are Satan’s captives. In rejecting Christ they have accepted the rule of the rebel leader. They are ready to receive his suggestions and to do his bidding. Yet, true to his early cunning, he does not acknowledge himself to be Satan. He claims to be the prince who is the rightful owner of the world and whose inheritance has been unlawfully wrested from him. He represents himself to his deluded subjects as a redeemer, assuring them that his power has brought them forth from their graves and that he is about to rescue them from the most cruel tyranny. The presence of Christ having been removed, Satan works wonders to support his claims. He makes the weak strong and inspires all with his own spirit and energy. He proposes to lead them against the camp of the saints and to take possession of the City of God. With fiendish exultation he points to the unnumbered millions who have been raised from the dead and declares that as their leader he is well able to overthrow the city and regain his throne and his kingdom.” Maranatha, 337.

“The Great White Throne”

11 How is the judgment of the wicked described? Revelation 20:11–13.

NOTE: “As soon as the books of record are opened, and the eye of Jesus looks upon the wicked, they are conscious of every sin which they have ever committed. They see just where their feet diverged from the path of purity and holiness, just how far pride and rebellion have carried them in the violation of the law of God. The seductive temptations which they encouraged by indulgence in sin, the blessings perverted, the messengers of God despised, the warnings rejected, the waves of mercy beaten back by the stubborn, unrepentant heart—all appear as if written in letters of fire.” Great Controversy, 666.

12 What will be the fate of the wicked? Revelation 20:15; Revelation 21:8; Malachi 4:1.

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 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; 2 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. …Some are destroyed as in a moment, while others suffer many days. All are punished ‘according to their deeds.’ The sins of the righteous having been transferred to Satan, he is made to suffer not only for his own rebellion, but for all the sins which he has caused God’s people to commit. His punishment is to be far greater than that of those whom he has deceived. After all have perished who fell by his deceptions, he is still to live and suffer on. In the cleansing flames the wicked are at last destroyed, root and branch—Satan the root, his followers the branches.” Great Controversy, 672, 673.

“A New Heaven and a New Earth”

13 After the destruction of the wicked, what will the Lord do next? Revelation 21:1–5.

NOTE: “The fire that consumes the wicked purifies the earth. Every trace of the curse is swept away. No eternally burning hell will keep before the ransomed the fearful consequences of sin. One reminder alone remains: Our Redeemer will ever bear the marks of His crucifixion. Upon His wounded head, upon His side, His hands and feet, are the only traces of the cruel work that sin has wrought.” Great Controversy, 674.

14 How is this new earth described? 1 Corinthians 2:9; Isaiah 65:17–25.

NOTE: “In the Bible the inheritance of the saved is called “a country.” Hebrews 11:14-16. There the heavenly Shepherd leads His flock to fountains of living waters. The tree of life yields its fruit every month, and the leaves of the tree are for the service of the nations. There are ever-flowing streams, clear as crystal, and beside them waving trees cast their shadows upon the paths prepared for the ransomed of the Lord. There the wide-spreading plains swell into hills of beauty, and the mountains of God rear their lofty summits. On these peaceful plains, beside those living streams, God’s people, so long pilgrims and wanderers, shall find a home.” Great Controversy, 675.

Bible Study Guides – “The Day of the Lord Will Come”

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June 4-10, 2000

MEMORY VERSE: “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” 2 Peter 3:10.

STUDY HELP: Last Day Events, 11–17.

INTRODUCTION: “We are living in the last days. The closing scenes of this world’s history, which our Saviour foretold would take place just prior to His coming, are now being enacted before us. Concerning this time He said, ‘As the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.’ The inhabitants of the antediluvian world were utterly unconcerned, and at the appointed time the flood came and took them all away. Had they believed the warning given by Noah, they would not have risked everything by going on in wickedness. Notwithstanding their unbelief, destruction came. Unbelief will not change the certainty of Christ’s Second Coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” Sermons and Talks, vol. 2, 178.

“My Lord Delayeth His Coming”

1 About what common attitude in the last days did the apostle Peter prophesy? 2 Peter 3:3–5.

NOTE: “God designs that His people shall fix their eyes heavenward, looking for the glorious appearing of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. While the attention of worldlings is turned to various enterprises, ours should be to the heavens; our faith should reach further and further into the glorious mysteries of the heavenly treasure, drawing the precious, divine rays of light from the heavenly sanctuary to shine in our hearts, as they shine upon the face of Jesus. The scoffers mock the waiting, watching ones, and inquire: ‘Where is the promise of His coming? You have been disappointed. Engage now with us, and you will prosper in worldly things. Get gain, get money, and be honored of the world.’ The waiting ones look upward and answer: ‘We are watching.’ And by turning from earthly pleasure and worldly fame, and from the deceitfulness of riches, they show themselves to be in that position. By watching they become strong; they overcome sloth and selfishness and love of ease. Affliction’s fire kindles upon them, and the waiting time seems long. They sometimes grieve, and faith falters; but they rally again, overcome their fears and doubts, and while their eyes are directed heavenward, say to their adversaries: ‘I am watching, I am waiting the return of my Lord. I will glory in tribulation, in affliction, in necessities.’ The desire of our Lord is that we should be watching, so that when He cometh and knocketh we may open to Him immediately.” Testimonies, vol. 2, 194, 195.

2 What is the real reason for this scoffing? 2 Peter 3:3, last part. Compare 2 Timothy 4:3.

NOTE: “The apostle does not here refer to the openly irreligious, but to professed Christians who have indulged inclination until they are enslaved by their own ungoverned passions,—‘led away with divers lusts.’ Such desire to hear doctrines that will not interfere with their sinful course, or condemn their pleasure-loving propensities. Hence they are offended by the plain words of the faithful servants of Christ, and choose those teachers who will praise and flatter them instead of rebuking their sins. These teachers ‘they heap to themselves’ as special favorites. Even among the professed ministers of Christ, there are many who do not preach the word, but the opinions of men. They have turned away their ears from truth. The Lord has spoken to them in His word; but they do not care to hear His voice, because it condemns their practices.” Sketches from the Life of Paul, 323.

3 How did Christ contrast two attitudes among His professed followers concerning His Coming? Matthew 24:45, 48.

NOTE: See Desire of Ages, 635.

“The Words Which Were Spoken Before of the Apostles”

4 What is the testimony of the apostles concerning the Second Coming? Titus 2:13; James 5:7, 8; 2 Peter 3:10; 1 John 3:2, 3.

NOTE: Every New Testament writer, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Paul, James, Peter and Jude, speaks about the return of Jesus. “The apostles went forth with courage and hope, to do their Master’s work with fidelity. They knew that the most acceptable way of waiting for Christ was to work for Him. It was theirs to direct others to the coming Lord, and to teach them to wait patiently for His appearing. This work was given to every disciple of Christ.” Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 3, 263.

5 Who was the earliest prophet to speak of the coming of the Lord in glory? Jude 14, 15.

NOTE: See Great Controversy, 299.

“A More Sure Word of Prophecy”

6 What time prophecy brings us down to the “time of the end”? Daniel 8:14. Compare Daniel 8:17.

NOTE: See Prophets and Kings, 547.

7 When were the prophecies of Daniel to be understood? Daniel 12:4, 9.

NOTE: See Great Controversy, 355.

8 What prophecy describes the opening of the book of Daniel? Revelation 10:1–11.

NOTE: “John sees the little book unsealed. Then Daniel’s prophecies have their proper place in the First, Second, and Third Angels’ Messages to be given to the world. The unsealing of the little book was the message in relation to time. The books of Daniel and the Revelation are one. One is a prophecy, the other a revelation; one a book sealed, the other a book opened. John heard the mysteries which the thunders uttered, but he was commanded not to write them. The special light given to John which was expressed in the seven thunders was a delineation of events which would transpire under the First and Second Angels’ Messages. It was not best for the people to know these things, for their faith must necessarily be tested. In the order of God, most wonderful and advanced truths would be proclaimed. The First and Second Angels’ Messages had done their specific work. This is represented by the angel standing with one foot on the sea, proclaiming with a most solemn oath that time should be no longer. This time which the angel declares with a solemn oath, is not the end of this world’s history, neither of probationary time, but of prophetic time, which should precede the advent of our Lord. That is, the people will not have another message upon definite time. After this period of time, reaching from 1842 to 1844, there can be no definite tracing of the prophetic time. The longest reckoning reaches to the autumn of 1844. The angel’s position with one foot on the sea, the other on the land signifies the wide extent of the proclamation of the message. It will cross the broad waters and be proclaimed in other countries, even to all the world. The comprehension of truth, the glad reception of the message is represented in the eating of the little book. The truth in regard to the time of the advent of our Lord was a precious message to our souls.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 1, 99, 100.

“With Power and Great Glory”

9 Will the coming of Christ be secret or visible? Revelation 1:7; Matthew 24:27, 30; Acts 1:9–11.

NOTE: “Jesus rides forth as a mighty conqueror. Not now a ‘man of sorrows,’ to drink the bitter cup of shame and woe, He comes, victor in heaven and earth, to judge the living and the dead. ‘Faithful and True,’ ‘in righteousness He doth judge and make war.’ And ‘the armies which were in heaven followed Him.’ Revelation 19:11, 14. With anthems of celestial melody the holy angels, a vast, unnumbered throng, attend Him on His way. The firmament seems filled with radiant forms—‘ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands.’ No human pen can portray the scene; no mortal mind is adequate to conceive its splendor. ‘His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of His praise. And His brightness was as the light.’ Habakkuk 3:3, 4. As the living cloud comes still nearer, every eye beholds the Prince of life. No crown of thorns now mars that sacred head, but a diadem of glory rests on His holy brow. His countenance outshines the dazzling brightness of the noonday sun.” The Faith I Live By, 349.

10 What sounds will accompany the return of our Lord? 1 Thessalonians 4:16; Psalm 50:3, 4.

NOTE: See Great Controversy, 644.

“The Harvest of the Earth is Ripe”

11 How are those described who are ready for Jesus’ coming? Ephesians 5:27. Compare Ephesians 1:4; 1 John 3:2.

NOTE: “Those who are living upon the earth when the intercession of Christ shall cease in the sanctuary above are to stand in the sight of a holy God without a mediator. Their robes must be spotless, their characters must be purified from sin by the blood of sprinkling.” Great Controversy, 425.

12 What will happen to God’s people when Jesus comes? 1 Thessalonians 4:17.

NOTE: We are told in this verse that “the dead in Christ” and “we which are alive and remain” will meet the Lord together. The Bible does not teach that the dead in Christ meet Him at some earlier time.

“There appears in the East a small black cloud.…The people of God know this to be the sign of the Son of man. In solemn silence they gaze upon it as it draws nearer the earth,…until it is a great white cloud, its base a glory like consuming fire, and above it the rainbow of the covenant. Jesus rides forth as a mighty conqueror.…As the living cloud comes still nearer, every eye beholds the Prince of life. No crown of thorns now mars that sacred head; but a diadem of glory rests on His holy brow. His countenance outshines the dazzling brightness of the noonday sun. ‘And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, King of kings, and Lord of lords.’ …The heavens are rolled together as a scroll, the earth trembles before Him, and every mountain and island is moved out of its place. …Amid the reeling of the earth, the flash of lightning, and the roar of thunder, the voice of the Son of God calls forth the sleeping saints.…Throughout the length and breadth of the earth the dead shall hear that voice, and they that hear shall live.…All arise with the freshness and vigor of eternal youth.…The living righteous are changed ‘in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.’ At the voice of God they were glorified; now they are made immortal, and with the risen saints are caught up to meet their Lord in the air. Oh, what a glorious meeting!” My Life Today, 345.

13 What are we told of the fate of those who are not ready to meet the Lord? 2 Thessalonians 1:7–9; Compare 2 Peter 3:10.

NOTE: See Great Controversy, 657.

14 What counsel are we, who look for Christ’s coming, given? 2 Peter 3:14, 1 John 3:3.

NOTE: “I cannot express to you the intense desire of my soul that you should all seek the Lord most earnestly while He may be found. We are in the day of God’s preparation. Let nothing be regarded as of sufficient worth to draw your minds from the work of preparing for the great day of judgment. Get ready. Let not cold unbelief hold your souls away from God, but let His love burn on the altar of your hearts.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 590.

“’I was pointed to the earth and saw that there would have to be a getting ready among those who have of late embraced the Third Angel’s Message. Said the angel, ‘Get ready, get ready, get ready. Ye will have to die a greater death to the world than ye have ever yet died.’ I saw that there was a great work to do for them and but little time in which to do it.” Early Writings, 64.

Bible Study Guides – “No Man Knoweth the Day nor the Hour”

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May 28 – June 3, 2000

MEMORY VERSE: “Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” Matthew 24:44

STUDY HELP: Last Day Events, 32–39.

INTRODUCTION: “The times and the seasons God has put in His own power, and why has not God given us this knowledge?—Because we would not make a right use of it. A condition of things would result from this knowledge among our people that would greatly retard the work of God in preparing a people to stand in the great day that is to come.…We are not to be engrossed with speculations in regard to the times and the seasons which God has not revealed. Jesus has told His disciples to ‘watch,’ but not for definite time. His followers are to be in the position of those who are listening for the orders of their Captain; they are to watch, wait, pray, and work, as they approach the time for the coming of the Lord; but no one will be able to predict just when that time will come; for ‘of that day and hour knoweth no man.’ You will not be able to say that He will come in one, two, or five years, neither are you to put off His coming by stating that it may not be for ten or twenty years.” Review and Herald, March 22, 1892. We are not to know the definite time either for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit or for the coming of Christ.

“But of That Day and That Hour Knoweth No Man”

1 Who alone knows the time of Christ’s coming? Matthew 24:36.

NOTE: “The Lord, who knows all, will make known the very things that are for the best interests of His children; and if He sees fit to veil the events of the future, it is only because He loves us, and would work out our highest good. Should He permit us to see the future mapped out before us, some of us would be distracted by anticipating coming sorrows, and others would be self-confident and daring, and the very good that our heavenly Father intended to bring about by His all-wise providences, would be thwarted and frustrated.” Signs of the Times, August 19, 1889.

2 Because we do not know the time of Christ’s coming, what counsel does Christ give us? Matthew 24:42–44.

NOTE: See Great Controversy, 371.

“‘Shall He Find Faith on the Earth?”

3 How does the Bible describe conditions in the religious world in the last days? 2 Timothy 3:1–5.

NOTE: “Men will be living a godless life, professing to be Christians, but by their acts contradicting their profession. They will be heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God. Is not this idolatry? and is not the guilt of God’s professed people as much greater than was that of ancient Israel, as the light which we enjoy is greater than theirs?” Signs of the Times, May 26, 1881.

4 In what sad words did Christ describe the decline in faith among Christians? Luke 18:8.

NOTE: “Spiritual darkness has covered the earth and gross darkness the people. There are in many churches skepticism and infidelity in the interpretation of the Scriptures. Many, very many, are questioning the verity and truth of the Scriptures. Human reasoning and the imaginings of the human heart are undermining the inspiration of the Word of God, and that which should be received as granted, is surrounded with a cloud of mysticism. Nothing stands out in clear and distinct lines, upon rock bottom. This is one of the marked signs of the last days.” Selected Messages vol. 1, 15. (See also page 17.)

“Peace and Safety”

5 What popular picture of conditions before Christ’s coming will deceive mankind? 1 Thessalonians 5:3.

NOTE: See Great Controversy, 321.

6 Against what other error did Christ warn us? Matthew 24:26, 27.

NOTE: In the 19th century a Chilean Jesuit, Manuel de Lacunza y Dias, posed as a converted Jew, “Rabbi Juan Josafat ben-Ezra,” to write a book called The Coming of Messiah in Glory and Majesty. This book proclaimed for the first time the theory that Christ would return in secret to snatch His church away from the earth before the final great tribulation should begin. His book was translated into English by Edward Irving, an early practitioner of glossolalia (falsely called “speaking in tongues”.) The secret rapture theory was taken up by John Nelson Darby of the Plymouth Brethren and popularized by Cyrus Ingerson Scofield in the “Scofield Bible.” This theory that Christ will return in secret is now widely believed by Evangelical Christians. (See also Desire of Ages, 739.)

“Behold the Bridegroom Cometh!”

7 How did Christ illustrate the state of the church in the period just before His return? Matthew 25:1–5.

NOTE: “The two classes of watchers [in the parable of the ten virgins] represent the two classes who profess to be waiting for their Lord. They are called virgins because they profess a pure faith. By the lamps is represented the Word of God.…The oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. In the parable, all ten virgins went out to meet the bridegroom. All had lamps and vessels for oil. For a time there was seen no difference between them. So with the church that lives just before Christ’s Second Coming. All have a knowledge of the Scriptures. All have heard the message of Christ’s near approach, and confidently expect His appearing. But as in the parable, so it is now. A time of waiting intervenes, faith is tried; and when the cry is heard, ‘Behold, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet Him,’ many are unready.…. They are destitute of the Holy Spirit.” God’s Amazing Grace, 214.

8 In what words does Christ point out the spiritual need of the church? Revelation 3:15–19.

NOTE: “Here is represented a people who pride themselves in their possession of spiritual knowledge and advantages. But they have not responded to the unmerited blessings that God has bestowed upon them. They have been full of rebellion, ingratitude, and forgetfulness of God; and still He has dealt with them as a loving, forgiving father deals with an ungrateful, wayward son. They have resisted His grace, abused His privileges, slighted His opportunities, and have been satisfied to sink down in contentment, in lamentable ingratitude, hollow formalism, and hypocritical insincerity. With pharisaic pride they have vaunted themselves till it has been said of them, ‘Thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing’ (verse 17). Has not the Lord Jesus sent message after message of rebuke, of warning, of entreaty, to these self-satisfied ones? Have not His counsels been despised and rejected? Have not His delegated messengers been treated with scorn, and their words been received as idle tales? Christ sees that which man does not see. He sees the sins which, if not repented of, will exhaust the patience of a long-suffering God.” Faith and Works, 83.

“A Faithful and Wise Servant”

9 How does Jesus contrast the activities of the faithful servant and the evil servant? Luke 12:41–48.

NOTE: See Desire of Ages, 634, 635.

10 What blessing awaits the faithful servants? Luke 12:35–38. (See Revelation 19:9.)

NOTE: “A sacred responsibility rests upon every one who has a connection with the cause of God. He is called upon to do his work with fidelity, to sanctify himself to the service of God that others also may be sanctified. When the case of every soul is decided in the judgment, some will meet their record with joy, and others with hopeless grief. The faithful will be invited in to the marriage supper of the Lamb, and Christ will gird Himself, and come forth to serve them.” Review and Herald, March 7, 1893. (See also Early Writings, 19.)

“The Patience of the Saints”

11 What illustration does James give to show the correct attitude of those who await Christ’s coming? James 5:7, 8.

NOTE: See Prophets and Kings, 731, 732.

12 What promise may we rely on? Hebrews 10:35–37.

NOTE: “We are homeward bound. He who loved us so much as to die for us hath builded for us a city. The New Jerusalem is our place of rest. There will be no sadness in the city of God. No wail of sorrow, no dirge of crushed hopes and buried affections will evermore be heard. Soon the garments of heaviness will be changed for the wedding garment. Soon we shall witness the coronation of our King. Those whose lives have been hidden with Christ, those who on this earth have fought the good fight of faith, will shine forth with the Redeemer’s glory in the kingdom of God. It will not be long till we shall see Him in whom our hopes of eternal life are centered.” Testimonies, vol. 9, 287.

Facing the Crisis – With Supernatural Intervention

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This is such an important article that you will probably wish to read it several times in order to understand every detail. May I suggest that you encourage other church members to also read this article.

The greatest hope of the Christian today is centered in the coming final climax when Jesus returns to gather His saints and take them to their eternal home. Jesus has promised, “…I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” John

Today we are surrounded by scores of signs that Jesus is coming soon. But one of the signs that He foretold we seem to have ignored. It is the one sign that tells us exactly when the Second Coming is to take place. In Matthew 24:14 Christ states, “…this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”

This truth is emphasized by the Three Angels of Revelation 14:6 in which it is proclaimed that the everlasting gospel is to be preached to every nation, kindred, tongue and people.

Christ’s Soon Return Not Possible

Here I must level with you. The fulfillment of a soon-coming Saviour is absolutely impossible without divine intervention. For at the present rate of progress, to reach every nation, tongue and people with the everlasting gospel will take thousands of years.

In the Review and Herald of December 17, 1987, we were told that 80% of the world’s population today has no knowledge of Christianity. At present, the Seventh-day Adventist Church is witnessing, by its presence, to only fifteen percent of the people of the world. Over 2.4 billion people living on this planet have never been reached by any church with the gospel.

Now let me clarify that. I have traveled across India by train and car. In this densely populated country there are approximately one-half million villages. Of these, 475,000 villages have never received any knowledge of Christianity by any denomination. The alarming truth is that we have done so little.

“Our penetration in the Indian languages is, likewise, scant. India has sixteen languages but more than 1,600 dialects. The Bible is available in only 74 of these languages and dialects. The Oriental Watchman Publishing House publishes Adventist literature in only 21 languages. And so we have no publications in hundreds of Indian languages and dialects. The language problem is further compounded by an average literacy rate of 36%.” North Pacific Gleaner, November 11, 1989.

And what about China—over one billion people, and other unentered lands? Yet we find this precious promise. “For He will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.” Romans 9:28. So comes the question, “Just how can this be accomplished?”

Will you pray, with me, that God will help us discover the answer to this perplexing situation? We must acknowledge that our loving Father created us by His hands. He made us with an inquisitive mind, unable to foresee the future as He sees it. But we read in His Word that He will do nothing without revealing it to His prophets. We must ask for heavenly guidance as we search for an answer in the writings of the Spirit of Prophecy, so we may grasp, by faith, the answer of how the Three Angels’ Messages can be preached quickly to every nation and people and tongue so Jesus may come.

The Eleventh Hour Workers

Let us look in the Bible, to the parable of the eleventh-hour workers. (See Matthew 20:1-9.) In this parable we will note that the kingdom of heaven is compared to a vineyard owner who hires laborers at different times of the day. In fact, he hired five separate groups of men to work in his vineyard. At the end of the day these men were all given the same wages, irrespective of how long they had worked.

The basic lesson being taught is that salvation is by faith. The redeemed will receive eternal life, not according to their works, but according to the generosity and the grace of God. (See Christ’s Object Lessons, 394–404.) However, take note that their works were not ignored, for only those who worked were paid. Furthermore, this vineyard owner was in great need to quickly gather in his harvest, for no employer pays a full day’s wage for one hour of labor.

As you read the Scripture, you will realize that the one-hour workers, at the close of the day, were indispensable for the need to quickly finish the task. Now let us look at this parable.

“For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.”

Ellen White, as an agent of the Holy Spirit, gives us an understanding insight as to how God plans to quickly finish the work with the help of these eleventh-hour workers. Scattered through her writings, you will find that she made seven clarifying statements concerning this parable.

We will examine each statement carefully and discover that this parable is actually a prophecy of what is soon to take place. It will change your thinking of what we have been taught that only the remnant will finish the work. As we study these quotations, you will be enlightened and encouraged, but, I also must add, be prepared for some very painful information.

The Storm Within

Now let us discuss the bad news first. As the coming storm of persecutions burst upon us by the beast and its image from without the church, Ellen White also describes an internal storm, which will face the faithful from within the church. These quotations which, when read together, reveal that apostasy will become so bad within the church that only a small remnant will be left to participate in giving the Loud Cry. But God is prepared.

“Already the judgments of God are abroad in the land, as seen in storms, in floods, in tempests, in earthquakes, in peril by land and by sea. The great I AM is speaking to those who make void His law. When God’s wrath is poured out upon the earth, who will then be able to stand? Now is the time for God’s people to show themselves true to principle. When the religion of Christ is most held in contempt, when His law is most despised, then should our zeal be the warmest and our courage and firmness the most unflinching. To stand in the defense of truth and righteousness when the majority forsake us, to fight the battles of the Lord when champions are few—this will be our test. At this time we must gather warmth from the coldness of others, courage from their cowardice, and loyalty from their treason…. All who will gather warmth from the coldness of others, courage from their defections, and loyalty from their treason, will triumph with the Third Angel’s Message.” Sons and Daughters of God, 201. Praise the Lord for such assurance.

How sad to learn, from this quotation, that few within the church will remain faithful; the majority will forsake the truth. Those that are left will need courage as they witness such deflection. How painful as these thoughts may be, yet this is but the beginning.

“We have far more to fear from within than from without. The hindrances to strength and success are far greater from the church itself than from the world…. But how often have the professed advocates of the truth proved the greater obstacle to its advancement! The unbelief indulged, the doubts expressed, the darkness cherished, encourage the presence of evil angels, and open the way for the accomplishment of Satan’s devices.” Selected Messages, Book 1, 122.

Oh, what a terrible picture of what is to come! “As the storm approaches, a large class who have professed faith in the Third Angel’s Message, abandon their position and join the ranks of the opposition. By uniting with the world and partaking of its spirit, they have come to view matters in nearly the same light; and when the test is brought, they are prepared to choose the easy, popular side. Men of talent and pleasing address, who once rejoiced in the truth, employ their powers to deceive and mislead souls. They become the most bitter enemies of their former brethren.” The Great Controversy, 608.

Promoting Sunday Sacredness

Now, as the result of this, let us see what takes place within our church. “Men in responsible positions will not only ignore and despise the Sabbath themselves, but from the sacred desk, will urge upon the people the observance of the first day of the week, pleading tradition and custom in behalf of this man–made institution.” Signs Of The Times, January 17, 1884.

Beloved, this sounds unbelievable! But do not forget, it is true, for the tares within the remnant church are not going to change. “The forms of religion will be continued by a people from whom the Spirit of God has been finally withdrawn; and the satanic zeal with which the prince of evil will inspire them for the accomplishment of his malignant designs, will bear the semblance of zeal for God.” The Great Controversy, 615.

But take courage! The remaining wheat, though few in number, will be filled with the Latter Rain and will give the Loud Cry. The results will be amazing! “Servants of God, endowed with power from on high with their faces lighted up, and shining with holy consecration, went forth to proclaim the message from heaven. Souls that were scattered all through the religious bodies answered to the call, and the precious were hurried out of the doomed churches, as Lot was hurried out of Sodom before her destruction.” Early Writings, 278, 279.

It is at this time that we will discover that God has a plan by which He will quickly finish the work, for the honest souls who have answered the call and who have come out of Babylon will join the remnant and become the eleventh-hour workers, making it possible to quickly give the everlasting gospel to every nation, kindred, tongue and people. Then we will see “…the Lord can do more in one hour than we can do in a whole lifetime, and when He sees that His people are fully consecrated, let me tell you, a great work will be done in a short time, and the message of truth is to be carried into the dark places of the earth, where it has never been proclaimed.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 5, 347, 348.

Who are the Eleventh Hour Workers?

Now we are ready to explore these seven quotations describing the eleventh-hour workers. The first quotation tells us who the eleventh-hour workers are. “The laborers for the Master were His official servants, upon whom He laid the weightiest responsibilities to do His work…. Some were found waiting for work at the eleventh hour, only one hour before the close of the working–day.” Review and Herald, June 28, 1898. So these are going to be His official servants.

In the second quotation we find where these workers are now located. “There are diligent students of the word of prophecy in all parts of the world, who are obtaining light and still greater light from searching the Scriptures. This is true of all nations, of all tribes, and of all peoples. These will come from the grossest error, and will take the place of those who have had opportunities and privileges and have not prized them. These have worked out their own salvation with fear and trembling, lest they should become deficient in doing the ways and will of God, while those who have had great light, through the perversity of their own natural heart, turned away from Christ because they were displeased with His requirements. But God will not be left without witnesses. The one-hour laborers will be brought in at the eleventh hour, and will consecrate their ability and all their entrusted means to advance the work. These will receive the reward for their faithfulness, because they are true to principle, and shun not their duty to declare the whole counsel of God. When those who have had abundance of light throw off the restraint which the Word of God imposes, and make void His law, others will come in to fill their places and take their crown.” Review and Herald, June 15, 1897.

They are Not Seventh-day Adventists

Now let us analyze these two paragraphs.

  1. The eleventh hour people are scattered all over the world. They are native citizens of every country.
  2. They are not Seventh-day Adventists. How do we know this? Because the eleventh hour people are in gross doctrinal error. Adventists are not in doctrinal error. Ellen White specifically defines gross error as belief in Sunday sacredness, and in the immortality of the soul. (See The Great Controversy, 588.)
  3. Her use of the expression “great light” and “abundance of light” is confined to Seventh-day Adventists.
  4. She says that these (Seventh-day Adventists) would be the ones to throw off the restraints because they were displeased with God’s requirements.
  5. The eleventh-hour workers will take the place of the early workers who have not been true to principle for they had turned away from Christ. And here we find her most astounding prediction that these Seventh-day Adventists will make void the law of God.

The eleventh-hour people will take the crowns of those who failed to walk in the light.

How amazing!

Now we come to the third quotation, which tells us from where these eleventh-hour workers will come. “At the eleventh hour the Lord will gather a company out of the world to serve Him. There will be a converted ministry. Those who have had privileges and opportunities to become intelligent in regard to the truth, and yet who continue to counterwork the work God would have accomplished, will be purged out, for God accepts the service of no man whose interest is divided. He accepts the whole heart, or none.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 20, 320.

As we meditate upon this third quotation, we discover it is not referring to some reform movement that comes out of the body of Adventism, but to a people who come out of the world, for the problem of the early workers was that they lacked conversion. Worse than that, they have counterworked God’s will. Their interests are divided. They will be purged out. The eleventh-hour workers, who are coming, come out of the world and will take their place. What painful words are these.

Who Will Finish the Work?

Now the fourth quotation reveals how the eleventh-hour worker will finish the job. “At the eleventh hour the Lord will call into His service many faithful workers. Self-sacrificing men and women will step into the places made vacant by apostasy and death. To young men and young women, as well as to those who are older, God will give power from above. With converted minds, converted hands, converted feet, and converted tongues, their lips touched with a living coal from the divine altar, they will go forth into the Master’s service, moving steadily onward and upward, carrying the work forward to completion.” The Youth’s Instructor, February 13, 1902.

Did you notice that the word “converted” was used three times? This is the problem of our church today. Only faithful workers will be called to the work. The eleventh-hour people carry the work to completion.

The fifth quotation describes the speed and the special power bestowed upon the eleventh-hour worker. “But I speak not my own words when I say that God’s Spirit will pass by those who have had their day of test and opportunity, but who have not distinguished the voice of God or appreciated the movings of His Spirit. Then thousands in the eleventh hour will see and acknowledge the truth.… These conversions to truth will be made with a rapidity that will surprise the church, and God’s name alone will be glorified.” Selected Messages, Book 2, 16.

A previous quote said the early workers within the church were purged. Quotation five said they were passed by. Why? Because they failed to understand their day of opportunity. The early workers did not know God’s voice when they heard it. They did not appreciate the work of the Holy Spirit. They did not glorify God. Thousands of people will see and acknowledge the truth at the eleventh hour. The work will be finished so fast that the church will be surprised.

“A great work is to be done in a short time.” Review and Herald, December 18, 1888. “In Ezekiel’s vision… The bright light going among the living creatures with the swiftness of lightning represents the speed with which this work will finally go forward to completion.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 754. What a promise!

The sixth quotation reveals that these eleventh-hour workers will enter the vineyard and make possible a finished work. It says, “There are many souls to come out of the ranks of the world, out of the churches—even the Catholic Church—whose zeal will far exceed that of those who have stood in rank and file to proclaim the truth heretofore. For this reason the eleventh hour laborers will receive their penny. These will see the battle coming and will give the trumpet a certain sound. [Praise God!] When the crisis is upon us, when the season of calamity shall come, they will come to the front, gird themselves with the whole armor of God, and exalt His law, adhere to the faith of Jesus, and maintain the cause of religious liberty which reformers defended with toil and for which they sacrificed their lives.…” Selected Messages, Book 3, 386, 387.

Keeping the Commandments of God

Now let us take note. These eleventh-hour people come out of the world and out of other churches, even the Catholic Church. They are not a movement coming out of Adventism. The people who will finish God’s work are still in the ranks of the world, that is, in other churches. Nothing could be more plainly stated. And, consider carefully, will these eleventh-hour workers observe the Sabbath? The answer is “Yes, beyond any doubt.”

How do we know this? Because they will “exalt His law.” How could they possibly exalt His law and not keep the Sabbath? How could they have the faith of Jesus and not understand the conditional immortality and other connected and essential truths? They are the eleventh-hour people.

The sixth quotation ties the parable beyond any doubt to a future time. We have not yet entered a season of calamity as a church. As yet there has been no overwhelming religious liberty crisis. I believe this will take place when the mark of the beast is enforced. We will be faced with a crisis of persecution and difficulty such as we have never dreamed. But praise the Lord! God has a plan to finish the work with the eleventh-hour workers.

The seventh and last quotation reveals the saddest information of all, for it tells us that the early workers within the church will find that their lamps will go out. “Many souls who have come from other denominational churches and, at the eleventh hour, will obey all the truth because they have not set themselves in array against heaven’s light but lived up to all the light they had; while those who have had great light, large privileges and opportunities and have failed to live in the light and walk in the light will drop out by the way. Their light will shine less and less until their lamps will go out for the want of the oil of the grace in their vessels with their lamps.” Letter 36a, 1890.

Remember, “As the storm approaches, a large class who have professed faith in the Third Angel’s Message,… abandon their position and join the ranks of the opposition. By uniting with the world and partaking of its spirit, they have come to view matters in nearly the same light; and when the test is brought, they are prepared to choose the easy popular side….They become the most bitter enemies of their former brethren.” The Great Controversy, 608.

Opposing Heaven’s Light

These quotations are painful for us to read, but they are not difficult to understand. With slight variation they each tell the same basic story. For want of grace the lamps of the early workers go out. Why? Because they have opposed heaven’s light. “The majority forsake us.” That means more than half. Half may be a conservative estimate. Ellen White says a large class currently in our pews will unite with the world and become our bitterest enemies. They will deceive and mislead souls.

Finally, it is clear beyond any misunderstanding that, in the last hour of time, God will call a new team of workers into His vineyard. People from other churches will pick up the torch of truth and finish the work. We have always felt that no one else could take our place. Ancient Israel had the same false security—and how wrong they were.

Mrs. White has made plain that God’s people will go through, but shaken and sifted. There is no question that truth will triumph. God has expanded this parable in her writings, not to sadden us, but to give us courage for the future. God has His people everywhere. They will come from unexpected places. Praise the Lord! Thus unfamiliar names and unfamiliar faces may largely lead the work of God in the eleventh hour.

We may try to avoid the unpleasant character of these predictions. We might look for a fulfillment sometime in the past, but the internal evidence in these quotations rules out any past fulfillment. These eleventh-hour events are obviously all still future. These are final hour events, eleventh-hour events, to take place just before our Lord returns.

Humble and Uneducated

“Those who have trusted to intellect, genius, or talent will not then stand at the head of rank and file. They did not keep pace with the light. Those who have proved themselves unfaithful will not then be entrusted with the flock. In the last solemn work few great men will be engaged. They are self-sufficient, independent of God, and He cannot use them. The Lord has faithful servants, who in the shaking, testing time will be disclosed to view. There are precious ones now hidden who have not bowed the knee to Baal. They have not had the light which has been shining in a concentrated blaze upon you. But it may be under a rough and uninviting exterior the pure brightness of a genuine Christian character will be revealed. In the daytime we look toward heaven but do not see the stars. They are there, fixed in the firmament, but the eye cannot distinguish them. In the night we behold their genuine luster.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 80, 81.

On examining this comment it is clear that education and talent are not the ultimate qualifications of the eleventh-hour workers, for “few great men will be engaged.” What God needs is a total dependence on Him. We are told that the faithful servants are not yet disclosed to view. They do not have our light, but they have a genuine Christian character.

When everything turns dark, we will see them. Beloved, here is a description of the coming massive interchange. “In vision I saw two armies in terrible conflict. One army was led by banners bearing the world’s insignia; the other was led by the bloodstained banner of Prince Emmanuel. Standard after standard was left to trail in the dust as company after company from the Lord’s army joined the foe and tribe after tribe from the ranks of the enemy united with the commandment-keeping people of God.” Testimonies, vol. 8, 41.

Thank God for such heavenly insight. “As trials thicken around us, both separation and unity will be seen in our ranks…. Those who have had great light and precious privileges, but have not improved them, will, under one pretext or another, go out from us.” Testimonies, vol. 6, 400.

So we have been given the nature of this final conflict to come. It is a time of mortal conflict, when company after company will leave us. Such an exodus has not yet taken place. We have not yet seen the day that tribe after tribe, from the ranks of the enemy, have joined us. It is true that, from time to time, individual ministers from other faiths have joined us, but the picture given here is one of an enormous interchange, not an individual or a few people here and there.

Filling the Ranks

The scenes appear to be simultaneous. While the companies leave us, whole tribes will join us.. It would be rational to believe that these tribes are the eleventh-hour laborers. Soon we may expect a manifestation of the great power of God, for Ellen White says, “The Lord can do more in one hour than we can do in a lifetime, and when He sees that His people are fully consecrated, let me tell you, a great work will be done in a short time, and the message of truth is to be carried into the dark places of the earth, where it has never been proclaimed.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 5, 347, 348.

As you have read these inspired quotations, I trust you have felt the divine impression that God is only waiting for an adequate number of fully consecrated people who will cooperate with Him in finishing the work. Will you be ready? I hope so, for God will soon put His hand to His final work. He will call faithful, humble people wherever He can find them. He will finish His work using only consecrated people. This work will be accomplished against incredible resistance. God will do His work quickly, and He will do it to the eternal glory of Jesus Christ.

Beloved, it is now time for the faithful remnant to prepare for this coming crisis in total consecration to God and His message. The servant of the Lord has told us in The Great Controversy, 464, “Before the final visitation of God’s judgments upon the earth there will be among the people of the Lord such a revival of primitive godliness as has not been witnessed since apostolic times. The Spirit and power of God will be poured out upon His children.”

We, as God’s end-time people, have now come to the time of this last great revival and reformation which is to take place among the remaining wheat. This will prepare the faithful few for the great outpouring of the Latter Rain which will enable the sealed saints to call out of Babylon the eleventh-hour workers, who will then join with us and together, with converted minds, converted hands, converted feet and converted tongues, with lips touched with a living coal from the divine altar, carry the work forward to completion.

Praise God! It will happen! And Jesus will come for His saints. Will you not pray and prepare for this final revival of primitive godliness, which has not been seen since apostolic times, that we, with the eleventh-hour workers, may quickly gather in the harvest that Jesus may come?

Facing The Crisis – When God Speaks Seven Times

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Ready or not we have finally arrived in the end time when every person who is alive on earth will behold the most thrilling event ever witnessed by mortals. The Bible portrays this in these cataclysmic words found in 2 Peter 3:10–12. “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness. Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat.”

“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ.” Titus 2:13. As we envision the Second Coming of Jesus, as pictured by inspiration, we need God’s mighty Spirit to impress us with the conviction that now is the time to prepare for the final revival and reformation that will enable us to go home with Jesus when He comes.

Preparing for the Second Coming

Let us contemplate how God has invited you and me to prepare for the Second Coming by giving us three separate messages as found in Revelation 14 which, if followed and obeyed, will prepare us to be ready for this cataclysmic event.

The First Angel begins with the good news of the everlasting gospel, revealing a loving Saviour who made possible on Calvary the redemption for every nation, kindred, tongue and people. This angel declares that a judgment is now taking place in heaven’s sanctuary in which Christ, our High Priest, is able to forgive and take away our sins. It is a call to those who would be saved to worship God as Creator by keeping holy the seventh day Sabbath.

The Second Angel sounds an alarming message, warning us of a worldwide structure of religious systems which have become drunk with the traditions of paganism by drinking of the cup extended through the ecumenical movement which has been brewed by Roman Catholicism. God declares that this world power is Babylon, which has fallen from Biblical truths.

God’s Last Call

Finally a Third Angel gives God’s last call, to all who would be saved, to totally separate from Babylon’s pagan doctrines, because God’s wrath is soon to be poured out upon all who worship the beast of Babylon or who make an image to her customs and traditions. This is absolutely God’s last call for every individual to never accept the mark of the beast when Babylon will make it a law to keep Sunday as a holy sabbath day.

Such pleadings of God, who desires all to be saved, concludes with a call for each individual to become a part of His remnant church. This church is described by the angel as a people who keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus. They believe that, through His mighty power, He can give you victory over every known sin and make ready a people who stand unafraid when they hear God speak seven times at the Second Coming of Christ.

These people will be ready, together with God’s sleeping saints, to be gathered together with Jesus to go to the eternal home that He has prepared for them. The following details I have gleaned from the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy and especially from the chapter in The Great Controversy entitled, “God’s People Delivered.” Everyone loves a thrilling story of what has taken place in the past, but this amazing true story is yet to take place.

Some day very, very soon, in a day just like our days, when people are buying and selling, building homes and mighty skyscrapers, conducting weddings and getting divorced; in a day of unstoppable crime of every description, men’s thoughts continually dwelling on evil. In such a time when the majority defy God and His law by preaching that God is such a God of love that all anyone needs to do is just believe, in such a time as this, suddenly a darkness, deeper than any night ever experienced, will come to this old world, and to the amazement of all, a great rainbow will be seen in the heavens that will encircle the entire earth.

God Speaks

And that is not all. A small rainbow will hover over each small group of commandment keepers. Then it happens. God speaks for the first time. As He speaks, He will shake the earth with just two words, “Look up!”

Immediately the black clouds of total darkness will part, and the living saints obey God’s command. They will look up into the heavens and see God the Father and Christ the Son seated on their thrones. The saints will listen to the conversation between the Father and the Son as Jesus speaks: “Father, I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am.” John 17:24.

When we hear these words, we shall give a shout of victory not heard since the deliverance at the Red Sea in the days of Moses. The time is at midnight. Signs and wonders will appear as the sun shines forth in all its glory. The wicked will be filled with terror. Streams will cease to flow. Angry clouds will fill the heavens, but there remains one clear spot filled with indescribable glory.

God Responds to Christ’s Plea

This is the moment when God speaks the second time with these unforgettable words: “It is done!” Just three short words in answer to the request of Jesus. Suddenly there is a mighty worldwide earthquake as foretold in Revelation 16:18. “And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great.” Mountains are shaken like blades of grass in the wind. The whole earth convulses in destruction. Ragged rocks are hurled in every direction. The sea boils like a pot.

Mountains sink beneath the earth’s surface and islands disappear. The whole earth heaves and swells like the ocean. Seaports, which have become like Sodom in wickedness, are swallowed up. Great hailstones, over 50 pounds in weight, drop from the sky and the earth’s proudest cities are destroyed.

Prison walls crumble, setting free God’s faithful who have been imprisoned for their faith. Then another wonderful surprise. A special resurrection takes place as some of the graves open all over the earth as the Bible foretold. “And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.” Daniel 12:2.

At this time all who have died in the faith of the Third Angel’s Message arise, glorified. What a moment! There will also be a special resurrection of those who condemned and crucified Jesus. This resurrection will include a third class who were the most violent oppressors of God’s truth. They are to see the redeemed rescued and honored.

Thundering Doom Pronounced

Revelation 1:7 tells us “Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him.” As sheets of flame envelope the earth, God now speaks for the third time, declaring the doom of the wicked. His words are not comprehended by all, but they are distinctly understood by the false teachers who are overwhelmed in fear. Even the demons are terrified.

This is the moment spoken of by the prophets of old, “Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of His majesty. The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. For the day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low:…In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats; To go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of His majesty, when He ariseth to shake terribly the earth.” Isaiah 2:10-12, 20, 21.

Amid the wails of these false watchmen and the fear of demons who now openly acknowledge the deity of Christ, God does not forget His faithful few. Amid a rift in the clouds a star shines forth four times brighter than the darkness. This is to encourage the saints with hope and joy amid such cataclysmic events. The faithful become aglow with wonder and faith and love.

They repeat the promise; “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.” Psalm 46:1-3.

Pen of Fire

As God listens to His saints, He commands the clouds to part so that the glory of the New Jerusalem shines upon His faithful. Oh, what a God! How wonderful! Next God spreads His TV screen across the heavens. Two hands will be seen, each holding a table of stone. As every living soul watches, a pen of fire traces each word of the Ten Commandments. Can you see them as they are traced one by one in the heavens?

“Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.” Instantly millions will realize that there god has been the riches of gold and silver. Others will see that they have worshipped sports, sex, even the theater as their god.

And now the second commandment: “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.…Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them.” Too late the pagans and the misled Catholics will see that God means exactly what He says in His law.

Next the finger of fire traces, “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain. …” Those who have made a habit of swearing discover how wrong they were.

And then the wicked will tremble as the finger of fire traces the words, “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.”

Billions of the earth’s inhabitants will discover that God has not altered these words from His lips. Too late they see that Sunday keeping has been inspired by Satan.

And then the youth will tremble for they shall see the words “Honor thy father and thy mother.”

Then appear the words traced in fire, “Thou shalt not kill,” followed by the words, “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” These commanding words disprove beyond question the present consensus that abortion makes things right with God. Now they see that it is a terrible lie. Those who live together, without benefit of marriage, will be speechless.

Then the pen of fire concludes, “Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness. Thou shalt not covet ….” Too late all will recognize that God’s law is eternal, a transcript of His character, that this law is the basis upon which God judges between life and death. It is impossible to describe the hour of despair of those who have trampled upon God’s requirements.

Too Late, Too Late!

Too late the enemies of God’s law, especially the false ministers and priests, see that the Sabbath of the fourth commandment is the very seal of the living God. Too late they now see the true nature of Sunday keeping, that it is the mark of the beast which God warned against. Now the voice of God is heard for the fourth time, declaring the day and the hour of the coming of Christ.

Hope fills the heart of every saint. Their faces shine like that of Moses as he descended the mount. God also pronounces a blessing upon Sabbath keepers. The saints respond with a shout of victory. Soon there appears in the east a small cloud. It is a cloud of angels surrounding the Saviour. Because of the distance, it appears shrouded in darkness, but it soon becomes brighter and more glorious as they behold the King of kings, coming as a mighty Conqueror surrounded by countless angels.

Who Shall be Able to Stand?

Every eye beholds Him. As the saints see the beauty of His character, they cry out, “Who shall be able to stand before Him?” Suddenly the angels stop their singing. The whole universe awaits God’s answer. It is here that God speaks for the fifth time in answer to the saints’ question. He speaks those loving words; “My grace is sufficient for you.” At these words the angels rejoice in songs of victory.

The righteous are filled with unutterable joy as the Saviour descends in clouds wrapped in flaming fire. “Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before Him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about Him.” Psalm 50:3. This is the time when “…the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb.” Revelation 6:15, 16.

And now God speaks for the sixth time, not to the righteous but to the wicked, to awaken their memory that He has done everything possible that they might be saved. He declares, “…I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out My hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all My counsel, and would none of My reproof.” Proverbs 1:24, 25.

These words bring to memory warnings despised, invitations refused, privileges slighted. As Pilate listens, he remembers his own words when he said, “I find no fault in Him.” Haughty Herod recalls how he mocked the Saviour. Those very hands which placed the crown of thorns on Jesus now tremble. The soldiers, who drove the nails and pierced His side, try to hide.

The very same priests who cried “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” are now speechless. These, together with today’s ministers who declare that you do not have to obey God’s law and that you can sin until Jesus comes, all such, together with the earth’s wicked, are consumed with the brightness of Christ’s coming.

A Mighty Army Awakes

And now for the seventh and last time the voice of God loudly cries out, “Awake! Awake! Ye that sleep in the dust of the earth. Arise.” Instantly the whole earth rings with the tread of an exceeding great army from every nation, kindred and tongue. Together these risen, immortal righteous and the remaining living righteous unite in a great shout of victory. Oh, what wonderful victory over sin and death for these living righteous are now made immortal in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.

“Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” 1 Thessalonians 4:17. For the next seven days we shall travel to heaven. All will celebrate the Sabbath before entering the Holy City. As our journey ends on the Sea of Glass just outside the City, Jesus gathers the redeemed around Him.

Home at Last!

Try to catch this picture with me. Jesus is crowned with seven crowns and with His own hand he places a crown upon each saint, upon which is imprinted a new name. Then the angels give a golden harp to each of the redeemed who will skillfully play and sing in unison.

“And I saw as it were a Sea of Glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the Sea of Glass, having the harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.” Revelation 15:2, 3.

And now the city becomes the center of attraction. Standing on the Sea of Glass we shall behold its walls made of jasper with twelve foundations. It is a city with no night, just never-ending day. Jesus opens those great pearly gates and bids us enter in to walk on streets of gold, which lead us to that great white throne. Picture with me the rainbow above the throne and the river of life flowing out beneath the throne.

It is here that Jesus presents us to God the Father that we may take the place of the fallen angels. Adam, who is some 14 to 16 feet tall, represents the redeemed. He stands but a little lower than Jesus. The Saviour points him to the Garden of Eden, and “Transported with joy, he beholds the trees that were once his delight—the very trees whose fruit he himself had gathered in the days of his innocence and joy. He sees the vines that his own hands have trained, the very flowers that he once loved to care for. His mind grasps the reality of the scene; he comprehends that this is indeed Eden restored, more lovely now than when he was banished from it. The Saviour leads him to the tree of life and plucks the glorious fruit and bids him eat. He looks about him and beholds a multitude of his family redeemed, standing in the Paradise of God. Then he casts his glittering crown at the feet of Jesus and, falling upon His breast, embraces the Redeemer. He touches the golden harp, and the vaults of heaven echo the triumphant song: ‘Worthy, worthy, worthy is the Lamb that was slain, and lives again!’ The family of Adam take up the strain and cast their crowns at the Saviour’s feet as they bow before Him in adoration.” The Great Controversy, 648.

Oh, beloved, never forget. What Jesus did for Adam He can do for you and for me. “Now unto Him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy.” Jude 24.

Come Sit with Me in My Father’s Throne

And now a most precious promise is to take place. Are you ready for this? It is unbelievable but true. Christ now assumes His place with the Father on the great white throne. As He looks over the redeemed, that number as the stars of heaven, as He looks over the vast multitude, He sees you, and He lovingly asks you to come up to the throne, to ascend the stairs and to sit on the throne with God.

Are you astonished? Do you not remember? “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne.” Revelation 3:21. Oh, what a marvelous salvation! Praise the Lord!

Dear Child of God, I cannot, I must not conclude this godly message without making a special appeal to you in the name of Jesus. Will you just now give your heart anew to such a loving Saviour who died for you that you might live with Him? I urge you to determine right now, this moment, that when the mark of the beast, so soon to be enforced by law, is passed, that you will stand firm and be faithful to God’s commandments no matter what the cost may be.

Bible Study Guides – “It Is Done”

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June 23, 2001 – June 29, 2001

MEMORY VERSE

“And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And He said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.” Revelation 21:5.

STUDY HELP: The Great Controversy, 635–678.

Introduction

“Every question of truth and error in the long– standing controversy has now been made plain. The results of rebellion, the fruits of setting aside the divine statutes, have been laid open to the view of all created intelligences. The working out of Satan’s rule in contrast with the government of God has been presented to the whole universe. Satan’s own works have condemned him. God’s wisdom, His justice, and His goodness stand fully vindicated. It is seen that all His dealings in the The Great Controversy have been conducted with respect to the eternal good of His people and the good of all the worlds that He has created. . . . With all the facts of the The Great Controversy in view, the whole universe, both loyal and rebellious, with one accord declare: ‘Just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.’” God’s Amazing Grace, 373.

“The Lord Himself Shall Descend”

1 How did Christ describe His Second Coming? Matthew 24:27. Compare Mark 13:26.

NOTE: “Soon there appears in the east a small black cloud, about half the size of a man’s hand. It is the cloud which surrounds the Saviour and which seems in the distance to be shrouded in darkness. The people of God know this to be the sign of the Son of man. In solemn silence they gaze upon it as it draws nearer the earth, becoming lighter and more glorious, until it is a great white cloud, its base a glory like consuming fire, and above it the rainbow of the covenant.” The Great Controversy, 640.

“Satan is not permitted to counterfeit the manner of Christ’s advent. The Saviour has warned His people against deception upon this point, and has clearly foretold the manner of His Second Coming. . . . This coming there is no possibility of counterfeiting. It will be universally known—witnessed by the whole world.” The Great Controversy, 625.

2 How did Paul picture this scene? I Thessalonians 4:16, 17.

NOTE: “Amid the reeling of the earth, the flash of lightning, and the roar of thunder, the voice of the Son of God calls forth the sleeping saints. He looks upon the graves of the righteous, then, raising His hands to heaven, He cries: ‘Awake, awake, awake, ye that sleep in the dust, and arise!’ Throughout the length and breadth of the earth the dead shall hear that voice, and they that hear shall live. And the whole earth shall ring with the tread of the exceeding great army of every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. From the prison house of death they come, clothed with immortal glory, crying: ‘O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?’ I Corinthians 15:55. And the living righteous and the risen saints unite their voices in a long, glad shout of victory.” The Great Controversy, 644.

“In Righteousness He Doth Judge and Make War”

3 How did the prophet John see the Second Coming of Christ? Revelation 19:11–16. Compare Revelation 16:12–16.

NOTE: The Second Coming of Christ is from the east, literally the sun– rising. The battle of Armageddon is “that great day of God Almighty.” “The kings of the earth” unite in warfare against the armies in heaven.

“Jesus rides forth as a mighty conqueror. Not now a ‘Man of Sorrows,’ to drink the bitter cup of shame and woe, He comes, victor in heaven and earth, to judge the living and the dead. ‘Faithful and True,’ ‘in righteousness He doth judge and make war.’ And ‘the armies which were in heaven’ (Revelation 19:11, 14) follow Him. With anthems of celestial melody the holy angels, a vast, unnumbered throng, attend Him on His way. The firmament seems filled with radiant forms—‘ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands.’ No human pen can portray the scene; no mortal mind is adequate to conceive its splendor. ‘His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of His praise. And His brightness was as the light.’ Habakkuk 3:3,4. . . . ‘And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, King of kings, and Lord of lords.’ Revelation 19:16.” The Great Controversy, 641.

4 How is the fate of the wicked pictured in John’s prophecy? Revelation 19:17–21. Compare II Thessalonians 2:7, 8.

NOTE: “‘The Lord cometh out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.’ Isaiah 26:21. ‘And this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth. And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the Lord shall be among them; and they shall lay hold everyone on the hand of his neighbor, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbor.’ Zechariah 14:12, 13. In the mad strife of their own fierce passions, and by the awful outpouring of God’s unmingled wrath, fall the wicked inhabitants of the earth—priests, rulers, and people, rich and poor, high and low. ‘And the slain of the Lord shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried.’ Jeremiah 25:33. At the coming of Christ the wicked are blotted from the face of the whole earth—consumed with the spirit of His mouth and destroyed by the brightness of His glory.” The Great Controversy, 656, 657.

5 What promise did Christ make to those who had a hand in His condemnation? Mark 14:61, 62. Compare Revelation 1:7.

NOTE: “There are those who mocked Christ in His humiliation. With thrilling power come to their minds the Sufferer’s words, when, adjured by the high priest, He solemnly declared: ‘Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.’ Matthew 26:64. Now they behold Him in His glory, and they are yet to see Him sitting on the right hand of power. Those who derided His claim to be the Son of God are speechless now. There is the haughty Herod who jeered at His royal title and bade the mocking soldiers crown Him king. There are the very men who with impious hands placed upon His form the purple robe, upon His sacred brow the thorny crown, and in His unresisting hand the mimic scepter, and bowed before Him in blasphemous mockery. The men who smote and spit upon the Prince of life now turn from His piercing gaze and seek to flee from the overpowering glory of His presence. Those who drove the nails through His hands and feet, the soldier who pierced His side, behold these marks with terror and remorse. With awful distinctness do priests and rulers recall the events of Calvary. With shuddering horror they remember how, wagging their heads in satanic exultation, they exclaimed: ‘He saved others; Himself He cannot save. If He be the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him. He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now, if He will have Him.’ Matthew 27:42, 43.” The Great Controversy, 643.

“The Thousand Years”

6 Where did Christ promise to take His people when He returned? John 14:2, 3. Compare I Thessalonians 4:17.

NOTE: “‘Jesus has gone to prepare mansions for us.’ . . . It is these mansions that I am looking to; it is not the earthly mansions here, for erelong they are to be shaken down by the mighty earthquake; but those heavenly mansions that Christ has gone to prepare for the faithful. ‘We have no home here; we are only pilgrims and strangers, passing to a better country, even a heavenly. Place your mind upon these things, and while you are doing this, Christ will be right by your side. May God help us to win the precious boon of eternal life.’” Life Sketches of Ellen G. White, 293.

7 What work awaits God’s people during the thousand years? Revelation 20:4; I Corinthians 6:2, 3.

NOTE: “During the thousand years between the first and the second resurrection the Judgment of the wicked takes place. The apostle Paul points to this Judgment as an event that follows the Second Advent. ‘Judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts.’ I Corinthians 4:5. Daniel declares that when the Ancient of Days came, ‘Judgment was given to the saints of the Most High.’ Daniel 7:22. At this time the righteous reign as kings and priests unto God. John in the Revelation says: ‘I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and Judgment was given unto them.’ ‘They shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.’ Revelation 20:4, 6. It is at this time that, as foretold by Paul, ‘the saints shall judge the world.’ I Corinthians 6:2. In union with Christ they judge the wicked, comparing their acts with the statute book, the Bible, and deciding every case according to the deeds done in the body. Then the portion which the wicked must suffer is meted out, according to their works; and it is recorded against their names in the book of death. Satan also and evil angels are judged by Christ and His people.” The Great Controversy, 660, 661.

8 How does the Bible picture Satan’s situation during the thousand years? Revelation 20:1, 2.

NOTE: “For six thousand years, Satan’s work of rebellion has ‘made the earth to tremble.’ He has ‘made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof.’ And he ‘opened not the house of his prisoners.’ . . . Even the wicked are now placed beyond the power of Satan, and alone with his evil angels he remains to realize the effect of the curse which sin has brought. ‘The kings of the nations, even all of them, lie in glory, everyone in his own house [the grave]. But thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch. . . . Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land, and slain thy people.’ Isaiah 14:18–20. For a thousand years, Satan will wander to and fro in the desolate earth to behold the results of his rebellion against the law of God. During this time his sufferings are intense. Since his fall his life of unceasing activity has banished reflection; but he is now deprived of his power and left to contemplate the part which he has acted since first he rebelled against the government of heaven, and to look forward with trembling and terror to the dreadful future when he must suffer for all the evil that he has done and be punished for the sins that he has caused to be committed.” The Great Controversy, 659–660.

“When the Thousand Years are Expired”

9 When will the remainder of the dead be raised to life again? Revelation 20:5, first part. Compare John 5:28, 29.

NOTE: “At the close of the thousand years, Christ again returns to the earth. He is accompanied by the host of the redeemed and attended by a retinue of angels. As He descends in terrific majesty He bids the wicked dead arise to receive their doom. They come forth, a mighty host, numberless as the sands of the sea. What a contrast to those who were raised at the first resurrection! The righteous were clothed with immortal youth and beauty. The wicked bear the traces of disease and death.” The Great Controversy, 662.

10 What activity does Satan then engage in? Revelation 20:7–9.

NOTE: “Now Satan prepares for a last mighty struggle for the supremacy. While deprived of his power and cut off from his work of deception, the prince of evil was miserable and dejected; but as the wicked dead are raised and he sees the vast multitudes upon his side, his hopes revive, and he determines not to yield the The Great Controversy. He will marshal all the armies of the lost under his banner and through them endeavor to execute his plans.” The Great Controversy, 663.

11 What prevents him from carrying out his plan? Revelation 20:11–15.

NOTE: “Sad will be the retrospect in that day when men stand face to face with eternity. The whole life will present itself just as it has been. The world’s pleasures, riches, and honors will not then seem so important. Men will then see that the righteousness they despised is alone of value. They will see that they have fashioned their characters under the deceptive allurements of Satan. The garments they have chosen are the badge of their allegiance to the first great apostate. Then they will see the results of their choice. They will have a knowledge of what it means to transgress the commandments of God.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 318, 319.

“Behold I Make All Things New”

12 Once the controversy is over, what work will God perform? Revelation 21:5; Isaiah 65:17.

NOTE: “Human language is inadequate to describe the reward of the righteous. It will be known only to those who behold it. No finite mind can comprehend the glory of the Paradise of God. In the Bible the inheritance of the saved is called ‘a country.’ Hebrews 11:14–16. There the heavenly Shepherd leads His flock to fountains of living waters. The tree of life yields its fruit every month, and the leaves of the tree are for the service of the nations. There are ever– flowing streams, clear as crystal, and beside them waving trees cast their shadows upon the paths prepared for the ransomed of the Lord. There the wide– spreading plains swell into hills of beauty, and the mountains of God rear their lofty summits. On those peaceful plains, beside those living streams, God’s people, so long pilgrims and wanderers, shall find a home.” The Great Controversy, 675.

13 Is it possible for the human mind to imagine what is in store for God’s people? Isaiah 64:4.

NOTE: “And the years of eternity, as they roll, will bring richer and still more glorious revelations of God and of Christ. As knowledge is progressive, so will love, reverence, and happiness increase. The more men learn of God, the greater will be their admiration of His character. As Jesus opens before them the riches of redemption and the amazing achievements in the The Great Controversy with Satan, the hearts of the ransomed thrill with more fervent devotion, and with more rapturous joy they sweep the harps of gold; and ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands of voices unite to swell the mighty chorus of praise. ‘And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.’ Revelation 5:13. The The Great Controversy is ended. Sin and sinners are no more. The entire universe is clean. One pulse of harmony and gladness beats through the vast creation. From Him who created all, flow life and light and gladness, throughout the realms of illimitable space. From the minutest atom to the greatest world, all things, animate and inanimate, in their unshadowed beauty and perfect joy, declare that God is love.” The Great Controversy, 678.

Bible Study Guides – “The Hour of His Judgment”

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June 16, 2001 – June 22, 2001

MEMORY VERSE

“Because He hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that Man whom He hath ordained; whereof He hath given assurance unto all men, in that He hath raised Him from the dead.” Acts 17:31.

STUDY HELP: The Great Controversy, 423–432.

Introduction

“The cases of all are pending in the heavenly sanctuary. Day by day angels of God are watching the development of character, and weighing moral worth. In the Judgment the question will not be, What profession did you make? but, What have you done for Me? What fruit have you borne to My glory? Now is the time to prepare for the coming of the King.” Signs of the Times, April 12, 1905.

“A Name That Thou Livest”

1 How did prophecy depict the church as it emerged from the long centuries of tribulation? Revelation 3:1, 2.

NOTE: “While many of the doctrines of Rome had been renounced, not a few of its forms were retained. The supremacy of the pope was rejected, but in his place the monarch was enthroned as the head of the church. In the service of the church there was still a wide departure from the purity and simplicity of the gospel. The great principle of religious liberty was not yet understood. Though the horrible cruelties which Rome employed against heresy were resorted to but rarely by Protestant rulers, yet the right of every man to worship God according to the dictates of his own conscience was not acknowledged. All were required to accept the doctrines and observe the forms of worship prescribed by the established church. Dissenters suffered persecution, to a greater or less extent, for hundreds of years.” The Great Controversy, 251, 252.

“Under the rule of the established church the people of England had lapsed into a state of religious declension hardly to be distinguished from heathenism. Natural religion was the favorite study of the clergy, and included most of their theology. The higher classes sneered at piety, and prided themselves on being above what they called its fanaticism. The lower classes were grossly ignorant and abandoned to vice, while the church had no courage or faith any longer to support the downfallen cause of truth.” The Great Controversy, 253.

2 What remedy did the Lord propose for this spiritual darkness? Revelation 3:3–5.

NOTE: “Wesley, under the instruction of a Moravian preacher, arrived at a clearer understanding of Bible faith. He was convinced that he must renounce all dependence upon his own works for salvation and must trust wholly to ‘the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.’ At a meeting of the Moravian society in London a statement was read from Luther, describing the change which the Spirit of God works in the heart of the believer. As Wesley listened, faith was kindled in his soul. ‘I felt my heart strangely warmed,’ he says. ‘I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone, for salvation: and an assurance was given me, that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death.’ Through long years of wearisome and comfortless striving—years of rigorous self-denial, of reproach and humiliation—Wesley had steadfastly adhered to his one purpose of seeking God. Now he had found Him; and he found that the grace which he had toiled to win by prayers and fasts, by almsdeeds and self– abnegation, was a gift, ‘without money and without price.’” The Great Controversy, 255, 256.

“I Saw Another Angel”

3 What message was the church to give to prepare the world for Judgment? Revelation 14:6, 7.

NOTE: “A great religious awakening under the proclamation of Christ’s soon coming is foretold in the prophecy of the first angel’s message of Revelation 14. An angel is seen flying ‘in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.’ ‘With a loud voice’ he proclaims the message: ‘Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His Judgment is come: and worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.’ Verses 6, 7. The fact that an angel is said to be the herald of this warning is significant. By the purity, the glory, and the power of the heavenly messenger, divine wisdom has been pleased to represent the exalted character of the work to be accomplished by the message and the power and glory that were to attend it. And the angel’s flight ‘in the midst of heaven,’ the ‘loud voice’ with which the warning is uttered, and its promulgation to all ‘that dwell on the earth,’—‘to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,’—give evidence of the rapidity and world– wide extent of the movement. The message itself sheds light as to the time when this movement is to take place. It is declared to be a part of the ‘everlasting gospel;’ and it announces the opening of the Judgment. The message of salvation has been preached in all ages; but this message is a part of the gospel which could be proclaimed only in the last days, for only then would it be true that the hour of Judgment had come.” The Great Controversy, 355, 356.

4 What message was to follow the message of the first angel? Revelation 14:8.

NOTE: “The first angel’s message of Revelation 14, announcing the hour of God’s Judgment and calling upon men to fear and worship Him, was designed to separate the professed people of God from the corrupting influences of the world and to arouse them to see their true condition of worldliness and backsliding. In this message, God had sent to the church a warning, which, had it been accepted, would have corrected the evils that were shutting them away from Him. Had they received the message from heaven, humbling their hearts before the Lord and seeking in sincerity a preparation to stand in His presence, the Spirit and power of God would have been manifested among them. The church would again have reached that blessed state of unity, faith, and love which existed in apostolic days, when the believers ‘were of one heart and of one soul,’ and ‘spake the word of God with boldness,’ when ‘the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.’ Acts 4:32, 31; 2:47. . . . But the churches generally did not accept the warning. Their ministers, who, as watchmen ‘unto the house of Israel,’ should have been the first to discern the tokens of Jesus’ coming, had failed to learn the truth either from the testimony of the prophets or from the signs of the times. . . . The message which God had sent for the testing and purification of the church revealed all too surely how great was the number who had set their affections on this world rather than upon Christ. The ties which bound them to earth were stronger than the attractions heavenward. They chose to listen to the voice of worldly wisdom and turned away from the heart– searching message of truth.” The Great Controversy, 379, 380.

“Neither Hot nor Cold”

5 How does prophecy picture the professed people of God in the hour of His Judgment? Revelation 3:14–17.

NOTE: The name “Laodicea” may be translated to mean “a people judged” or “a just people.” Though the Laodicean church is portrayed as lukewarm, this is not the meaning of the name, “Laodicea.”

“Many who profess to be looking for the speedy coming of Christ are becoming conformed to this world and seek more earnestly the applause of those around them than the approbation of God. They are cold and formal, like the nominal churches from which they but a short time since separated. The words addressed to the Laodicean church describe their present condition perfectly. (See Revelation 3:14–20.) They are ‘neither cold nor hot,’ but ‘lukewarm.’ And unless they heed the counsel of the ‘faithful and true Witness,’ and zealously repent and obtain ‘gold tried in the fire,’ ‘white raiment,’ and ‘eye– salve,’ He will spew them out of His mouth.” Early Writings, 107.

6 Is the state of the Laodicean church hopeless? Revelation 3:18–21.

NOTE: “I was shown the people of God, and saw them mightily shaken. Some, with strong faith and agonizing cries, were pleading with God. Their countenances were pale, and marked with deep anxiety, expressive of their internal struggle. Firmness and great earnestness were expressed in their countenances, while large drops of perspiration fell from their foreheads. Now and then their faces would light up with the marks of God’s approbation, and again the same solemn, earnest, anxious look would settle upon them. . . . I asked the meaning of the shaking I had seen, and was shown that it would be caused by the straight testimony called forth by the counsel of the True Witness to the Laodiceans. This will have its effect upon the heart of the receiver, and will lead him to exalt the standard and pour forth the straight truth. Some will not bear this straight testimony. They will rise up against it, and this will cause a shaking among God’s people. The testimony of the True Witness has not been half heeded. The solemn testimony upon which the destiny of the church hangs has been lightly esteemed, if not entirely disregarded. This testimony must work deep repentance, and all that truly receive it will obey it and be purified.” Testimonies, vol. 1, 179–181.

“Without Spot or Wrinkle”

7 How is the work of Judgment pictured by the prophet Malachi? Malachi 3:1–3.

NOTE: “Both the prophecy of Daniel 8:14, ‘Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed,’ and the first angel’s message, ‘Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His Judgment is come,’ pointed to Christ’s ministration in the most holy place, to the investigative Judgment, and not to the coming of Christ for the redemption of His people and the destruction of the wicked. . . . Christ had come, not to the earth, as they expected, but, as foreshadowed in the type, to the most holy place of the temple of God in heaven. He is represented by the prophet Daniel as coming at this time to the Ancient of Days: ‘I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came’—not to the earth, but—‘to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him.’ Daniel 7:13. This coming is foretold also by the prophet Malachi: ‘The Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, He shall come, saith the Lord of hosts.’ Malachi 3:1. The coming of the Lord to His temple was sudden, unexpected, to His people. They were not looking for Him there. They expected Him to come to earth, ‘in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel.’ 2 Thessalonians 1:8.” The Great Controversy, 424.

8 How are God’s people pictured when Christ has completed His work of purification? Ephesians 5:26, 27.

NOTE: “To the church it is given ‘that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white,’ ‘not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing.’ Revelation 19:8. The fine linen, says the Scripture, ‘is the righteousness of saints.’ Ephesians 5:27. It is the righteousness of Christ, His own unblemished character, that through faith is imparted to all who receive Him as their personal Saviour.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 310.

9 What choice will be placed before mankind in the time of Judgment? Revelation 13:15–17, Revelation 14:9–12.

NOTE: “This symbol [the beast], as most Protestants have believed, represents the Papacy. . . . The ‘image to the beast’ represents that form of apostate Protestantism which will be developed when the Protestant churches shall seek the aid of the civil power for the enforcement of their dogmas. . . . As the sign of the authority of the Catholic Church, papist writers cite ‘the very act of changing the Sabbath into Sunday.’ . . . What then is the change of the Sabbath, but the sign, or mark, of the authority of the Roman Church—‘the mark of the beast’? Sundaykeeping is not yet the mark of the beast, and will not be until the decree goes forth causing men to worship this idol sabbath. And it is not until the issue is . . . plainly set before the people, and they are brought to choose between the commandments of God and the commandments of men, that those who continue in transgression will receive ‘the mark of the beast.’ When God sends to men warnings so important that they are represented as proclaimed by holy angels flying in the midst of heaven, He requires every person endowed with reasoning powers to heed the message.” The Faith I Live By, 286.

“At That Time Shall Michael Stand Up”

10 How is the conclusion of the Judgment announced in Scripture? Revelation 22:11–14.

NOTE: “Jesus is in His holy temple and will now accept our sacrifices, our prayers, and our confessions of faults and sins and will pardon all the transgressions of Israel, that they may be blotted out before He leaves the sanctuary. When Jesus leaves the sanctuary, then they who are holy and righteous will be holy and righteous still; for all their sins will then be blotted out, and they will be sealed with the seal of the living God. But those that are unjust and filthy will be unjust and filthy still; for then there will be no Priest in the sanctuary to offer their sacrifices, their confessions, and their prayers before the Father’s throne. Therefore what is done to rescue souls from the coming storm of wrath must be done before Jesus leaves the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary.” Early Writings, 48.

11 When the Judgment is complete, what event follows and what promise is made to those whose names are in the Book of Life? Daniel 12:1.

NOTE: “Many do not realize what they must be in order to live in the sight of the Lord without a high priest in the sanctuary, through the time of trouble. Those who receive the seal of the living God, and are protected in the time of trouble, must reflect the image of Jesus fully. I saw that many were neglecting the preparation so needful, and were looking to the time of ‘refreshing’ and the ‘latter rain’ to fit them to stand in the day of the Lord, and to live in His sight. Oh, how many I saw in the time of trouble without a shelter! They had neglected the needful preparation, therefore they could not receive the refreshing that all must have to fit them to live in the sight of a holy God. Those who refuse to be hewed by the prophets, and fail to purify their souls in obeying the whole truth, and who are willing to believe that their condition is far better than it really is, will come up to the time of the falling of the plagues, and then see that they needed to be hewed and squared for the building. But there will be no time then to do it and no Mediator to plead their cause before the Father. Before this time the awfully solemn declaration has gone forth, ‘He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still; and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still; and he that is holy, let him be holy still.’” Christian Experience and Teachings of Ellen G. White, 112.

“The Harvest is Ripe’

12 By what symbol does the Bible picture the Second Coming of Christ? Mark 4:29. Compare Revelation 14:14–20.

NOTE: “‘The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.’ Galatians 5:22, 23. This fruit can never perish, but will produce after its kind a harvest unto eternal life. ‘When the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.’ Christ is waiting with longing desire for the manifestation of Himself in His church. When the character of Christ shall be perfectly reproduced in His people, then He will come to claim them as His own.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 68, 69.

13 What fruit is Christ seeking in His people? Galatians 5:22, 23. See also Matthew 7:17–20.

NOTE: “The Christian is in the world as a representative of Christ, for the salvation of other souls. There can be no growth or fruitfulness in the life that is centered in self. If you have accepted Christ as a personal Saviour, you are to forget yourself, and try to help others. Talk of the love of Christ, tell of His goodness. Do every duty that presents itself. Carry the burden of souls upon your heart, and by every means in your power seek to save the lost. As you receive the Spirit of Christ—the Spirit of unselfish love and labor for others—you will grow and bring forth fruit. The graces of the Spirit will ripen in your character. Your faith will increase, your convictions deepen, your love be made perfect. More and more you will reflect the likeness of Christ in all that is pure, noble, and lovely.” Christ’s Object Lessons, 67, 68.

Editorial – The Overwhelming Surprise, Part I

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Many times, in these editorials, our attention has been called to the fact that all people, including born-again Christians, are in danger of being surprised by the sudden end of all things earthly. This is the message of the prophets, of Jesus, of the apostles, and of the testimonies of the Holy Spirit in the last days. Because we are all in danger of being surprised, and almost all of us will be totally surprised at the suddenness of the end, our only safety is to be ready at all times. What is involved in being ready for this surprise will be the subject of later editorials in this series.

The following statements show that the end will come as a great surprise:

“When they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them.…And they shall not escape.” 1 Thessalonians 5:3.

“The solemn fact is to be kept not only before the people of the world, but before our own churches also, that the day of the Lord will come suddenly, unexpectedly.…Let no one feel that he is secure from the danger of being surprised. Let no one’s interpretation of prophecy rob you of the conviction of the knowledge of events which show that this great event is near at hand.” Fundamentals of Christian Education, 335.

“Ought men to be surprised over a sudden and unexpected change in the dealings of the Supreme Ruler with the inhabitants of a fallen world? Ought they to be surprised when punishment follows transgression and increasing crime? Ought they to be surprised that God should bring destruction and death upon those whose ill-gotten gains have been obtained through deception and fraud? Notwithstanding the fact that increasing light regarding God’s requirements has been shining on their pathway, many have refused to recognize Jehovah’s rulership, and have chosen to remain under the black banner of the originator of all rebellion against the government of heaven.” Prophets and Kings, 276.

“Character is revealed by a crisis. When the earnest voice proclaimed at midnight, ‘Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet Him,’ the sleeping virgins roused from their slumbers, and it was seen who had made preparation for the event. Both parties were taken unawares, but one was prepared for the emergency, and the other was found without preparation. Character is revealed by circumstances. Emergencies bring out the true metal of character.…It will be made manifest whether or not there is any real faith in the promises of the word of God. It will be made manifest whether or not the soul is sustained by grace, whether there is oil in the vessel with the lamp.” Review and Herald, September 17, 1895.

“We know not when the Master will come to settle the accounts of His servants. Let us be always prepared to meet Him in peace. The probation of any one of us may cease in a moment. Death by accident may suddenly and unexpectedly close our earthly history. How stands our life-record today?” Ibid., July 2, 1901.

“The Lord is anxious to save us. He is anxious that everything separating us from Him should be put away, that our hearts may beat in unison with heaven. It is time to be in harmony with God.…When probation ends it will come suddenly, unexpectedly—at a time when we are least expecting it. But we can have a clean record in heaven today, and know that God accepts us; and finally, if faithful, we shall be gathered into the kingdom of heaven.” Sermons and Talks, vol. 1, 378.

Editorial – The Overwhelming Surprise, Part II

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“Transgression has almost reached its limit.  Confusion fills the world, and a great terror is soon to come upon human beings.  The end is very near.  We who know the truth should be preparing for what is soon to break upon the world as an overwhelming surprise.”  Testimonies, vol. 8, 28.

“Last Friday morning, just before I awoke, a very impressive scene was presented before me.  I seemed to awake from sleep but was not in my home.  From the windows I could behold a terrible conflagration.  Great balls of fire were falling upon houses, and from these balls fiery arrows were flying in every direction.  It was impossible to check the fires that were kindled, and many places were being destroyed.  The terror of the people was indescribable.”  Evangelism, 29.

“While at Loma Linda, California, April 16, 1906, there passed before me a most wonderful representation.  During a vision of the night, I stood on an eminence, from which I could see houses shaken like a reed in the wind.  Buildings, great and small, were falling to the ground. Pleasure resorts, theaters, hotels, and the homes of the wealthy were shaken and shattered.  Many lives were blotted out of existence, and the air was filled with the shrieks of the injured and the terrified.

“The destroying angels of God were at work.  One touch, and buildings, so thoroughly constructed that men regarded them as secure against every danger, quickly became heaps of rubbish.  There was no assurance of safety in any place.  I did not feel in any special peril, but the awfulness of the scenes that passed before me I cannot find words to describe.  It seemed that the forbearance of God was exhausted and that the Judgment day had come.

“The angel that stood at my side then instructed me that but few have any conception of the wickedness existing in our world today, and especially the wickedness in the large cities.  He declared that the Lord has appointed a time when He will visit transgressors in wrath for persistent disregard of His law.

“Terrible as was the representation that passed before me, that which impressed itself most vividly upon my mind was the instruction given in connection with it.  The angel that stood by my side declared that God’s supreme rulership and the sacredness of His law must be revealed to those who persistently refused to render obedience to the King of kings.  Those who choose to remain disloyal must be visited in mercy with judgments, in order that, if possible, they may be aroused to a realization of the sinfulness of their course.”  Testimonies, vol. 9, 92, 93.

Our Responsibility:

 “The inhabitants of the ungodly cities so soon to be visited by calamities have been cruelly neglected.  The time is near when large cities will be swept away, and all should be warned of these coming judgments.  But who is giving to the accomplishment of this work the wholehearted service that God requires? . . . Manuscript 53, 1910.”  Evangelism, 29.

“More and more, as the days go by, it is becoming apparent that God’s judgments are in the world. Yet God is not executing His wrath without mercy.  His hand is stretched out still.  And in this time, when the cities of the nations are being visited with judgments, God’s people have a special opportunity to give the last warning message to the inhabitants of these cities.  Long have we neglected these centers, and now we must labor earnestly to redeem the time.  The people must be shown how it is possible for God, by a touch of His hand, to destroy the property they have gathered against the last great day.”  Review and Herald, February 21, 1907.

“Transgression has almost reached its limit.  Confusion fills the world, and a great terror is soon to come upon human beings.  The end is very near.  God’s people should be preparing for what is to break upon the world as an overwhelming surprise.”  Youth’s Instructor, April 28, 1908.

Editorial – The Overwhelming Surprise, Part III

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“God has revealed what is to take place in the last days, that His people may be prepared to stand against the tempest of opposition and wrath. Those who have been warned of the events before them are not to sit in calm expectation of the coming storm, comforting themselves that the Lord will shelter His faithful ones in the day of trouble. We are to be as men waiting for their Lord, not in idle expectancy, but in earnest work, with unwavering faith. It is no time now to allow our minds to be engrossed with things of minor importance. While men are sleeping, Satan is actively arranging matters so that the Lord’s people may not have mercy or justice. The Sunday movement is now making its way in darkness. The leaders are concealing the true issue, and many who unite in the movement do not themselves see whither the undercurrent is tending. Its professions are mild and apparently Christian, but when it shall speak it will reveal the spirit of the dragon. It is our duty to do all in our power to avert the threatened danger. We should endeavor to disarm prejudice by placing ourselves in a proper light before the people. We should bring before them the real question at issue, thus interposing the most effectual protest against measures to restrict liberty of conscience. We should search the Scriptures and be able to give the reason for our faith. Says the prophet: ‘The wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.’” Testimonies, vol. 5, 452.

“Many who are working for Sunday enforcement have never understood the claims of the Bible Sabbath, and the false foundation on which the Sunday institution rests. And they are blinded to the results of Sunday legislation. They do not see that it would be a blow against religious liberty. But any movement in favor of religious legislation is really an act of concession to the Papacy, which for so many ages has steadily warred against liberty of conscience. Sunday owes its existence as a so-called Christian institution to the ‘mystery of iniquity;’ and its enforcement will be a virtual recognition of the principles which are the very corner-stone of Romanism. When our nation shall so abjure the principles of its government as to enact a Sunday law, Protestantism will in this act join hands with the Papacy; it will be giving life to the tyranny which has long been eagerly watching its opportunity to spring again into active despotism.” Signs of the Times, November 28, 1900.

“The important future is before us. To meet its trials and temptations, and to perform its duties, will require great faith, energy, and perseverance. But we may triumph gloriously; for not one watching, praying, believing soul will be ensnared by the devices of the enemy. All heaven is interested in our welfare, and waits our demand upon its wisdom and strength. Every opposing influence, whether open or secret, may be successfully resisted, ‘not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.’ God is just as willing now as anciently to work through human efforts, and to accomplish great things through weak instrumentalities. We shall not gain the victory through numbers, but through full surrender of the soul to Jesus.” Southern Worker, December 25, 1906.