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Bible Study Guides – “What Shall Be the Sign?”

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May 14-20, 2000 

MEMORY VERSE: “And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.” John 14:29.

STUDY HELP: The Desire of Ages, 627–636.

INTRODUCTION: “After He had given the signs of His coming, Christ said, ‘When ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand.’ ‘Take ye heed, watch and pray.’ God has always given men warning of coming judgments. Those who had faith in His message for their time, and who acted out their faith, in obedience to His commandments, escaped the judgments that fell upon the disobedient and unbelieving. The word came to Noah, ‘Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before Me.’ Noah obeyed and was saved. The message came to Lot, ‘Up, get you out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city.’ Genesis 7:1; 19:14. Lot placed himself under the guardianship of the heavenly messengers, and was saved. So Christ’s disciples were given warning of the destruction of Jerusalem. Those who watched for the sign of the coming ruin, and fled from the city, escaped the destruction. So now we are given warning of Christ’s Second Coming and of the destruction to fall upon the world. Those who heed the warning will be saved.’ The Desire of Ages, 634.

“Signs in the sun, moon and stars”

1 What sign of Christ’s coming was John first shown? Revelation 6:12, first part.

NOTE: “In fulfillment of this prophecy there occurred, in the year 1755, the most terrible earthquake that has ever been recorded. Though commonly known as the earthquake of Lisbon, it extended to the greater part of Europe, Africa, and America. It was felt in Greenland, in the West Indies, in the island of Madeira, in Norway and Sweden, Great Britain and Ireland. It pervaded an extent of not less than four million square miles. In Africa the shock was almost as severe as in Europe. A great part of Algiers was destroyed; and a short distance from Morocco, a village containing eight or ten thousand inhabitants was swallowed up. A vast wave swept over the coast of Spain and Africa engulfing cities and causing great destruction.” The Great Controversy, 304. (See also pages 304–306.)

2 What celestial signs did Jesus warn of? Mark 13:24. (Compare Revelation 6:12, 13.)

NOTE:: “Twenty-five years later appeared the next sign mentioned in the prophecy—the darkening of the sun and moon.” The Great Controversy, 306, 308.

3 What further celestial sign did Jesus warn of? Mark 13:25.

NOTE: “This prophecy received a striking and impressive fulfillment in the great meteoric shower of November 13, 1833. That was the most extensive and wonderful display of falling stars which has ever been recorded; ‘the whole firmament, over all the United States, being then, for hours, in fiery commotion! No celestial phenomenon has ever occurred in this country, since its first settlement, which was viewed with such intense admiration by one class in the community, or with so much dread and alarm by another.” The Great Controversy, 333.

“On the Earth Distress of Nations With Perplexity”

4 Besides the celestial signs, what did Jesus tell us of the state of mankind in the last days? Luke 21:25, last part.

NOTE: “The signs in the sun, moon, and stars have been fulfilled. Since that time earthquakes, tempests, tidal waves, pestilence, and famine have multiplied. The most awful destructions, by fire and flood, are following one another in quick succession. The terrible disasters that are taking place from week to week speak to us in earnest tones of warning, declaring that the end is near, that something great and decisive will soon of necessity take place.” The Review and Herald, November 22, 1906.

5 How is the reaction to the increasing disasters described? Luke 21:26.

NOTE: “Not long ago a very impressive scene passed before me. I saw an immense ball of fire falling among some beautiful mansions, causing their instant destruction. I heard someone say, ‘We knew that the judgments of God were coming upon the earth, but we did not know that they would come so soon.’ Others said, ‘You knew? Why then did you not tell us? We did not know.’ On every side I heard such words spoken. Soon grievous troubles will arise among the nations—trouble that will not cease until Jesus comes. As never before we need to press together, serving Him who has prepared His throne in the heavens and Whose kingdom ruleth over all. God has not forsaken His people, and our strength lies in not forsaking Him. The judgments of God are in the land. The wars and rumors of wars, the destruction by fire and flood, say clearly that the time of trouble, which is to increase until the end, is very near at hand. We have no time to lose. The world is stirred with the spirit of war. The prophecies of the eleventh of Daniel have almost reached their final fulfillment.” Maranatha, 25.

“Famines and Earthquakes and Pestilences”

6 What further calamities are signs of Christ’s coming? Matthew 24:7, last part.

NOTE: “Christ is coming soon. He declared that when there would be wars and rumors of wars, when there would be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in divers places, we might know that the time of His second appearing is near. ‘When these things begin to come to pass,’ He declared, ‘then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.’ Christ represented this time by the parable of the fig tree. ‘Behold the fig tree,’ He said, ‘and all the trees; when they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.’ The wickedness, the turmoil, the disturbances on every side, should be regarded by us as signs that the day of God is at hand. We are standing on the verge of the eternal world. We have no time to lose. It is high time to tell the people that Christ is coming. Let us warn them, visiting them at their homes, and talking and praying with them personally. By such efforts we shall win souls to Christ. If we come to God in faith, He will give us power and grace for every duty.” Peter’s Counsel to Parents, 33.

“Already the restraining Spirit of God is being withdrawn from the earth. Hurricanes, storms, tempests, fire and flood, disasters by sea and land, follow each other in quick succession. Science seeks to explain all these. The signs thickening around us, telling of the near approach of the Son of God, are attributed to any other than the true cause. Men cannot discern the sentinel angels restraining the four winds that they may not blow until the servants of God are sealed; but when God shall bid his angels loose the winds, there will be such a scene of His avenging wrath as no pen can picture.” The Review and Herald, January 11, 1887.

7 What restraining work was seen by John and what was its purpose? Revelation 7:1–3.

NOTE: “John sees the elements of nature—earthquake, tempest, and political strife—represented as being held by four angels. These winds are under control until God gives the word to let them go. There is the safety of God’s church. The angels of God do His bid-ding, holding back the winds of the earth, that the winds should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree, until the servants of God should be sealed in their foreheads.…Angels are now restraining the winds of strife, until the world shall be warned of its coming doom; but a storm is gathering, ready to burst upon the earth, and when God shall bid His angels loose the winds, there will
be such a scene of strife as no pen can picture.” Maranatha, 266. (See also Early Writings, 58.)

“Wars and Rumors of Wars”

8 How did Jesus tell His followers to react to political developments? Matthew 24:6, 7, first part.

NOTE: “The coming of the Lord is nearer than when we first believed. The Great Controversy is nearing its end. Every report of calamity by sea or land is a testimony to the fact that the end of all things is at hand. Wars and rumors of wars declare it. Is there a Christian whose pulse does not beat with quickened action as he anticipates the great events opening before us? The Lord is coming. We hear the footsteps of an approaching God, as He comes to punish the world for its iniquity. We are to prepare the way for Him by acting our part in getting a people ready for that great day.” Review and Herald, November 12, 1914. (See also Evangelism, 240, 241.)

9 What final alliance will take place among the nations and whom will they combine against? Revelation 16:13–16.

NOTE: “The battle of Armageddon is soon to be fought. He on Whose vesture is written the name, King of kings and Lord of lords, leads forth the armies of heaven on white horses, clothed in fine linen, clean and white. Every form of evil is to spring into intense activity. Evil angels unite their powers with evil men, and as they have been in constant conflict and attained an experience in the best modes of deception and battle, and have been strengthening for centuries, they will not yield the last great final contest without a desperate struggle. All the world will be on one side or the other of the question.…On one side stands the Creator of heaven and earth. All on His side bear His signet. They are obedient to His commands. On the other side stands the prince of darkness, with those who have chosen apostasy and rebellion.” SDA Bible Commentary, vol. 7, 982, 983.

“And Then Shall the End Come”

10 What work is to be accomplished before the end comes? Matthew 24:14.

NOTE: “Long has God waited for the spirit of service to take possession of the whole church so that everyone shall be working for Him according to his ability. When the members of the church of God do their appointed work in the needy fields at home and abroad, in fulfillment of the gospel commission, the whole world will soon be warned and the Lord Jesus will return to this earth
with power and great glory.” Acts of the Apostles, 111. (See also The Desire of Ages, 633, 634.)

11 What preparation is necessary before God’s people can complete their work? Ephesians 5:25–27. Compare Hebrews 10:22–25, 1 Corinthians 1:7, 8.

NOTE: “He [Paul] reminded them of the gifts of the Holy Spirit which they had received, and showed that it was their privilege to make continual advancement in the Christian life until they should attain to the purity and holiness of Christ.” Acts of the Apostles, 301. (See also Ibid., 600.)

“Take Heed That No Man Deceive You”

12. What repeated warning did Christ give to His people? Matthew 24:4, 11, 23–26. Compare 2 Thessalonians 2:3.

NOTE: “Said Paul: ‘There’ shall ‘come a falling away…and that man of sin be revealed.’ 2 Thessalonians 2:3. So apostasy in the church will prepare the way for the image to the beast. Satan will work with all power and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness.’ (2 Thessalonians 2:9, 10.) His working is plainly revealed by the rapidly increasing darkness, the multitudinous errors, heresies, and delusions of these last days. Not only is Satan leading the world captive, but his deceptions are leavening the professed churches of our Lord Jesus Christ. The great apostasy will develop into darkness deep as midnight. To God’s people it will be a night of trial, a night of weeping, a night of persecution for the truth’s sake. But out of that night of darkness God’s light will shine.” Maranatha, 165.

13 What defenses do God’s people have against the prevailing deceptions? Matthew 24:26. Compare Ephesians 4:13, 14.

NOTE: “Only those who have been diligent students of the Scriptures, and who have received the love of the truth, will be shielded from the powerful delusion that takes the world captive. The Saviour has warned His people…and has clearly foretold the manner of His Second Coming. ‘There shall arise false Christs.…Wherefore if they shall say unto you, ‘Behold, He is in the desert;’ go not forth: ‘behold, He is in the secret chambers;’ believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.’ Matthew 24:24–27. This coming, there is no possibility of counterfeiting. It will be universally known—witnessed by the whole world. Are the people of God now so firmly established upon His Word that they would not yield to the evidence of their senses? Would they, in such a crisis, cling to the Bible, and the Bible only?” The Faith I Live By, 346.

The Seven Churches, Part II – The Church of Ephesus

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In Revelation, messages are given to the churches, and in these messages, we find that Jesus is the One who is preeminent. Revelation 1:12 says, “Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands.”

We learn in verse 20 that these lampstands represented the seven churches, but notice what was in the midst of the lampstands. There was “[One] like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to his feet and girded about the chest with a golden band.” Verse 13. The remainder of this chapter is about Jesus and His beauties.

Verse 16 tells us that Jesus is walking in the midst of the churches, and He has in His right hand seven stars. Who are the seven stars? The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches (verse 20) or, as some translations say, the messengers of the seven churches.

Purpose of the Church

In 1 Timothy 3:15, we are told what God’s purpose is for the church. This is His purpose for your church and for every church of His throughout the land. Paul, speaking to Timothy, said, “. . . if I am delayed, I [write] so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.”

The purpose of the church is to be the mainstay of truth. The church is not sent to preserve itself. God can preserve the church. We do not have to worry, as did the Jewish leaders, about somehow preserving the church. What we have to worry about is preserving the truth. The church is the mainstay, the ground of the truth.

Character of Jesus

Jesus is to be preeminent. Verse 16 says, “Without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.” When Paul speaks of the church, he immediately turns the focus to Jesus Christ and says that He is the One Who is to be manifested in the church.

The church is a pillar of truth on earth. It is to be the mainstay of the truth, and that truth, dear friend, is, in essence, the character of Jesus. The only way the church can be the mainstay and pillar, the ground of the truth, as Paul says it is to be, is to represent the character of Jesus within its members. It is to teach the truth, but more important than teaching the truth, it is to live the truth. It is to have Jesus’ character lived out within us. That is what the gospel to the church of Ephesus is all about.

Gospel to Ephesus

“To the angel of the church of Ephesus write, ‘These things says He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks.’ ” Revelation 2:1, 2.

Jesus introduces himself in each of these churches in a way that is particularly applicable to the church to which He is writing. The first church, in a special way, applies to the apostolic church—the church that Peter, Paul, and John started—the church that began when Jesus died and continued until the death of John, about a.d. 100.

Jesus is reminding them that He holds the seven stars. Some of these churches were inclined to think that they were somehow special, because John or Paul had started them. Remember, Paul wrote to the people in Corinth and said, “Some of you are in contention because some of you say, ‘I am a follower of Paul,’ and others say, ‘I am a follower of Apollos.’ ” (1 Corinthians 3:4–6.)

The people of that time had the disciples of Jesus Christ amongst them. There were churches the disciples had actually started. It would have been something to have had Matthew as your first pastor! Or to have had Paul starting your church. Thomas and others pastored and raised up churches.

Can you not just hear the members of some church saying, “We were started by Peter himself!” That could be rather prideful. Or, “We were started by Peter; this is Peter’s church.” God reminds them, “I am the One Who holds the seven stars. None of these people belong to anyone except Me. I am the One Who is in control of the messengers. I have sent them, and more than that, I am the One Who is walking in the midst of the candlesticks of the churches. It is not Peter, Paul, or John.”

Stars in His Hands

Let us consider further the stars in the right hand of God. Who is it that the Bible says Jesus is holding in His right hand? In John 10:27, 28, Jesus said that He is holding His sheep—His people—in His hand. The Bible uses many different symbols, but God is holding us in His right hand.

When Jesus last sent out the disciples, He told them, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, . . . and lo, I am with you always, [even] unto the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18–20.

Jesus said, “I will be with you; I will hold you wherever you go. I am sending you out as my messengers, my angels. I am sending you out as my representatives; I will hold you, and I will be with you.” (The Greek word, aggelos, is translated as angels and means “my messengers.”)

All of us are to be stars in the hands of Jesus, to be His messengers, but in a special way, He has ordained certain messengers all through the ages. There were first the disciples, and down through the Dark Ages we are reminded of Wycliffe, Martin Luther, and others. The Bible tells us that ordinations were established to set apart elders and ministers as God’s special messengers.

So, the seven stars to the churches are the messengers or ministers to the churches that God holds and that He chooses and ordains. We should understand that not every humanly-recognized minister may be a star in the hand of Jesus, and not every star is recognized by mankind. The stars are held in the hand of Jesus, not in the hand of the church.

Do you think that John the Baptist was one of the stars Jesus held in his hand? Did the church ever recognize him? Never!

I do not think Caiaphas was a star in the hand of Jesus. Do you? Did the church recognize him as being a star? Oh, yes! He was the head of God’s church on earth at that time. It was His church, but Caiaphas was not a star. (See Manuscript Releases, vol. 3, 184, 185.)

The stars are held in the hand of Jesus. We need to make sure that each of us is a star. God, of course, has designated certain stars, but that does not elevate any person. God has designated that some should go as missionaries; some should go as teachers, some as evangelists, and some as apostles. He is the One Who must ordain.

Ellen White wrote: “Enoch, Noah, Moses, Daniel, and the long roll of patriarchs and prophets,—these were ministers of righteousness. They were not infallible; they were weak, erring men; but the Lord wrought through them as they gave themselves to His service.” Gospel Workers, 13. She goes on to say that these were stars in Jesus’ hands.

Would you like to be a star in Jesus’ hands? You can be. Every soul who was in the upper room became a star after Jesus’ ascension. Every one of them was filled with the Holy Spirit and went out to give the message. Today, God is preparing stars. They are not all prepared by human universities. They are not all prepared in the same way; many of them may never be recognized, just as John the Baptist was not, but God is preparing stars to shine forth to give the world His message.

Recognize the Stars

Speaking of the church, Ellen White wrote: “The days are fast approaching when there will be great perplexity and confusion. Satan, clothed in angel robes, will deceive, if possible, the very elect. . . . Every wind of doctrine will be blowing. [That is not only in the world but even among God’s people.] . . . 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. [They will not be stars anymore, you see.] . . . 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.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 80, 81.

Did John the Baptist come forth with the polish of someone from an Ivy League school? We read that “he was clothed with camel’s hair.” Mark 1:6. That was the common, workman’s clothing. I wonder if I would have recognized him as a star, or would I have gone to inquire of Caiaphas as to whether or not he believed John the Baptist to be a star. Could I have heard the voice of Jesus? Jesus said, in John 10:27, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.”

Becoming a Star

It should be our greatest desire to be under the control of Jesus, hearing His voice. Along with that, we should want to be His star, being used by Him wherever He may lead us. He has promised to keep us in His hand.

Do you know what education is needed to become a star in the hand of Jesus? In Matthew 20:20, 21, we read of two people who wanted to become stars in the hands of Jesus: “Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him. And He said to her, ‘What do you wish?’ She said to Him, ‘Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom.’ ”

What did she want? She wanted her sons to be stars in the Lord’s kingdom. She wanted them to be His messengers. Jesus did not rebuke her. There was displayed a little pride, a little rivalry, and a little selfishness that was not good—and God would deal with that, but they wanted to be doing the work of Jesus. That was good!

They wanted to be associated with Jesus, but do you know what it took? “Jesus answered and said, ‘You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?’ ” Verse 22.

Every star must be baptized with the baptism of suffering. That is why the Bible says, “Count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience” or perfects your character. James 1:2, 3. The trials are what bring out the things that should not be there. They are what cause you to depend upon Jesus and not upon yourself.

We are not to bring trials upon ourselves, for that would be presumptuous. We do not have to do such a thing, because if we are living the Christian life, the devil will bring us all kinds of trials. God allows this, because He loves us, and it is through these trials that our characters are strengthened as steel. That is how Jesus’ character was strengthened.

“I Know Your Works”

Jesus said that it is He who holds the seven stars and walks in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, and “I know your works.” Revelation 2:1, 2.

Jesus is walking amidst the churches and the first thing He says is, “I know your works.” The churches do not always know their works, but Jesus knows them. This is said regarding every church, every congregation, in the world.

Jesus said, “I am the One Who walks in the midst of the candlesticks [churches], and I know your works.” Not only does God judge individuals and know their individual hearts and the works that they do, but He also looks at them as a body, as a church family, and He says to the church, “I know your works as a family.”

We ought to think about that. What would God say if He came down to our church and said, “I know your church . . .”? What would follow? Someday we will know, because He is going to tell us when He comes. I hope that it is like the church of Philadelphia of which nothing bad is said. (Revelation 3:7–12.) That would be wonderful! I am glad there were two churches about which not a bad thing was said. Sadly, there were two churches about which not a good thing was said.

The First Church

Ephesus was in the middle; there were some good things and some bad things said about it. The first thing is good. God said, “I know your labor.” Revelation 2:2. That is good! They worked!

“I know your patience.” That is good! They were persevering and enduring—that is what the Greek word, hupomone, means there. And they “cannot bear those who are evil.” Verse 2. I do not know if that is good or not! God is saying it in a good sense here; sometimes we come to a place where we think, to be Christians, we should tolerate everything.

God does not say that about Ephesus. He said, “I know your works, that you cannot bear those who are evil.” Of course, they loved the individuals; they could not bear their evil ways, and they would not allow them to take over the church. They could not bear their evil in the church, and God compliments them.

Jesus loved the sinners with all of His heart. In fact, He spent a lot more time with sinners than with righteous people, partly because there were no righteous people. Beyond that, He spent more time with those who thought they were sinners than with those who thought they were righteous.

Testing

“You cannot bear those that are evil.” These are the evil people who thought they were good, like Caiaphas. “You have tested those who say they are apostles and are not, and have found them liars.” Verse 2. These evil people who thought they were apostles is speaking of preachers and leaders.

How I wish that God could say this about the Laodicean church. As I have traveled, I have found that there is one common element in the Seventh-day Adventist Church all over the world. The members are very loyal to the church and to the organization. God wants loyalty. Jesus was loyal. But many people have done so little studying that they do not know anything other than what is taught to them by the leadership. They have not tested.

Do you remember what Paul said to the people of Berea? He said, “These [the Bereans] were more fair-minded than those in Thessalo-nica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily [to find out] whether these things were so.” Acts 17:11. Whatever Paul told them, they searched out to find out whether or not what he was saying was correct. If that was true for Paul, it certainly should be true for the preachers of today!

Today, people are gullible. Put a preacher in a church, and before long, everyone in the church believes just the way the preacher does. Churches are saved or lost depending upon the preacher. That is taking a pretty big chance!

In the Ephesus church, they tested the preachers, and if they did not preach what was truth, they did not let them preach. We would not think of that today! Many would say such an action would be terrible. The Bible says we are all influenced, and if we call evil good, sooner or later we will call good evil. It always goes that way. (See Isaiah 5:20.)

Every Good Thing

Revelation 2:3 says, “. . . you have persevered and have patience, and have labored for My name’s sake and have not become weary.” God is emphasizing these characteristics. My, this church must have been ready for translation! They had every good thing going for them.

I wish that verse 3 could be said for every church of the land today. It would be wonderful if we never grew weary of doing good works!

Left First Love

After all these good things, however, in verse 4, Jesus says, “Nevertheless I have [this] against you, that you have left your first love.”

Well, with all those good things, I guess we can have a little bad. I mean you cannot expect anyone or anything or any church to be perfect, can you?

God has just told us numerous good things about Ephesus, and He emphasizes some over and over again. So they do not have quite enough love, but at least they have the purity of the gospel and all the rest, so I guess that is good enough.

He goes on to say, in verse 5, “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place.”

We can read over that pretty quickly, but all of a sudden things become very serious. God says, “For all the good things you have done, because you have left your first love, I am going to remove your church unless you come back to your first love.” And I scratch my head and say, “What?” I can think of a lot worse things than losing your first love—but God cannot.

God’s Character—Love

The passage for Ephesus is 1 Corinthians 13. It is one of the most astounding chapters in the Bible; my family and I repeat it every morning at the breakfast table. Read through it prayerfully.

God says we can do it all, but if we do not have love, we have not gained a single thing. So God says to the church of Ephesus, “Listen, you have this and this and this and this, and all these things are good, but you have not represented my character. God is love.”

The church is here to represent God’s character. We can have all the rules and regulations; we can have all the bank accounts; we can have all the fancy buildings and the organization. We can have anything in the world, but unless we have the love of God in our church and in our hearts, we might as well do away with all the rest.

I do not believe in preaching just love, love, love. I believe there is more to the gospel than just love. I believe we should preach the whole gospel, but I want to tell you, we need to preach love, too. Preaching does not do much good, unless it is lived. We need to live the life of Jesus Christ. In the end, that is what it is all going to be about.

We cannot take anything to heaven except our characters. The only thing the church can take to heaven is its members. It cannot take anything else. It cannot take the buildings, the bank accounts, or anything. It can only take to heaven its membership, and the only membership it can take to heaven are those who have the love of Jesus within in their hearts.

What Kind of Love

There are two parts to the love that God wants us to have, and we must have both. The first part of the love is that we must have love for God. We must love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. (Mark 12:30.) Second, we must love one another. (John 13:34; Matthew 5:44.) We have to have both.

There are many people who will do a lot of humanitarian good but who will never learn to love God. They will not be saved. A lot of people have just hidden themselves away from humanity—not taking care of the poor, the needy, the suffering, or anyone else. They are cloistered away in some monastery, supposedly developing love for God. They are going to have a difficult time getting to heaven, too.

Jesus came down and showed us love for God by obeying God. He said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” John 14:15. And Jesus said that the first and great commandment is, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” Matthew 22:37. He also told us that we are to love others. In 1 John 4, we are told that if we do not love our brethren, we do not love God, because our brethren were made in the image of God, and that is whom Jesus came to save.

Matthew 5:44 tells us to “love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.”

We can talk about love all we want and have all these sentimental feelings inside, but it is not all that easy. It is not easy to love those who hate you and persecute you and say all manner of evil against you. (Matthew 5:11.)

“That you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you?” Verses 45, 46. That is not the love of God. “Do not even the tax collectors” and publicans and sinners—everyone—do that? Even Hitler loved those who loved him! He did not love the Jews, but he did love a few people; he loved those who carried out his orders.

Everyone loves someone, but that is not the love about which Jesus is talking. The love that the Bible talks about is loving those who hate us and persecute us and say all manner of evil against us falsely.

“If you greet your brethren only, what do you more [than others]? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” Verses 47, 48.

Truly Converted

Ephesus had left their first love; they had become very concerned about the gospel, which they should have. They worked very hard, which they should have, but somehow they failed to be truly converted. The church of Ephesus, started by the apostles, was like some kids that are raised in Christian homes who grow up thinking they are Christians because their mothers and fathers are Christians, because they go to Sabbath School and church every week, and they have learned to pay their tithes. They have learned to do all the right things, but they do not realize that they have to be converted themselves.

The church of Ephesus grew up hearing Paul and Peter, and they thought, “We have heard it all, and we have followed it all. Certainly we are converted.” They did not realize that they had to be changed in the innermost self.

I can preach the gospel, if God helps me. I can do everything for the Lord that He asks me to do, but if I do not develop within my heart a love for those who mistreat me or whatever else they may do to me, I am not yet ready to take to heaven. I do not yet represent the character of Jesus.

Today, God is looking for a church that preserves the true gospel, a church that is very careful that a false gospel is not taught in it. He is looking for a church that tests everything that comes along, but beyond all that and with all that, they have a love in their hearts that is like the love that Jesus demonstrated when He was on earth. He is looking for a church that represents Him in their characters.

So the message to the church of Ephesus ends: “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” Revelation 2:7.

What was it that Ephesus had to overcome? They had to overcome their feelings toward one another—feelings of indifference, of being perturbed. They had to become converted.

I pray that your church might be a church that preserves the gospel, one that hates the deeds of the Nicolaitans, “which I also hate,” as it says in verse 6. The Nicolaitans were those who believed that, as long as you had faith, it did not matter what you did. The Nicolaitans had a pseudo love; they believed that as long as you professed love to God, it did not matter whether or not you kept His commandments. May your church preserve the truth and also be filled, not only with love but with the first love—the love of Jesus, love for one another, love for God, and love for the world.

When we have that love within our hearts, we will have the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. When all of the churches have the same experience, then we will find Jesus coming, because we are told that “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, 69.

To be continued . . .

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

Nature Nugget – Hubble Ultra Deep Field

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On a clear night, approximately 3,000 stars are visible with the naked eye, all of which are in our own galaxy. It is estimated that there are at least 100 billion individual galaxies in the Universe of which many contain hundreds of billions of stars. Each star, like our sun, is capable of having numerous planets rotating around it. Our galaxy, known as the Milky Way, is a cosmic ocean of 200 billion stars.

Astronomers are overwhelmed with the size of the Universe and the distances involved, so they have developed a special unit of measurement called the “light year” which enables them to begin to estimate distances in space. Light travels at a speed of 186,000 miles per second. At this speed, a trip to the moon would take only 1.3 seconds, and to reach the sun would take only 8 minutes. To reach the nearest star outside our solar system would take 4 years. A “light year” is the distance light travels in one year, which is 6 trillion miles.

Between September 24, 2003, and January 16, 2004, scientists picked a point in space and stared at it for a total of 11 days with the Hubble Telescope, which is in orbit 300 miles above the Earth. The region they picked to observe was a small patch of sky, one-tenth the diameter of the full moon, located in the constellation Fornax. This region was chosen because it had a low density of bright stars in the near-field. What they found and photographed is the farthest men have ever seen into the Universe, approximately 47 billion light years, and is said to be the single most important image ever taken by humanity. Using two types of cameras, they generated a composite image from 800 exposures taken over the course of 400 Hubble orbits around the Earth. This photo, known as the Hubble Ultra Deep Field, recorded 10,000 galaxies in a field of view which is smaller than the area blocked by a grain of sand held at arm’s length. This “deep core” sample of the Universe shows galaxies of various ages, shapes, and colors. Among the classic spiral and elliptical shaped galaxies are a number of odd shaped ones, including some that look like toothpicks and some that look like links on a bracelet. A few appear to be interacting.

“God calls men to look upon the heavens. See Him in the wonders of the starry heavens. [Isaiah 40:26 quoted.] We are not merely to gaze upon the heavens; we are to consider the works of God. He would have us study the works of infinity, and from this study, learn to love and reverence and obey Him. The heavens and the earth with their treasures are to teach the lessons of God’s love, care, and power. . . . The heavenly bodies are worthy of contemplation. God has made them for the benefit of man, and as we study His works, angels of God will be by our side to enlighten our minds, and guard them from satanic deception.” “Ellen G. White Comments,” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 4, 1145. “When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him?” Psalm 8:3, 4.

David Arbour writes from his home in De Queen, Arkansas. He may be contacted by e-mail at: landmarks@stepstolife.org.

Inspiration – The Message of the Stars

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The stars also have a message of good cheer for every human being. In those hours that come to all, when the heart is faint and temptation presses sore; when obstacles seem insurmountable, life’s aims impossible of achievement, its fair promises like apples of Sodom; where, then, can such courage and steadfastness be found as in that lesson which God has bidden us learn from the stars in their untroubled course?

“Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: He calleth them all by names by the greatness of His might, for that He is strong in power; not one faileth. Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the Lord, and my judgment is passed over from my God? Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of His understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increaseth strength.” “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed for I am Thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness.” “I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee” (Isaiah 40:26–29; 41:10, 13).

The palm tree, beaten by the scorching sun and the fierce sandstorm, stands green and flourishing and fruitful in the midst of the desert. Its roots are fed by living springs. Its crown of verdure is seen afar over the parched, desolate plain; and the traveler, ready to die, urges his failing steps to the cool shade and the life-giving water.

The tree of the desert is a symbol of what God means the life of His children in this world to be. They are to guide weary souls, full of unrest, and ready to perish in the desert of sin, to the living water. They are to point their fellow men to Him who gives the invitation, “If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink” (John 7:37, last part).

The wide, deep river, that offers a highway for the traffic and travel of nations, is valued as a world-wide benefit; but what of the little rills that help to form this noble stream? Were it not for them, the river would disappear. Upon them its very existence depends. So men called to lead in some great work are honored as if its success were due to them alone; but that success required the faithful co-operation of humbler workers almost without number—workers of whom the world knows nothing. Tasks uncommended, labor without recognition, is the lot of most of the world’s toilers. And in such a lot many are filled with discontent. They feel that life is wasted. But the little rill that makes its noiseless way through grove and meadow, bearing health and fertility and beauty, is as useful in its way as the broad river. And in contributing to the river’s life, it helps achieve that which alone it could never have accomplished.

The lesson is one needed by many. Talent is too much idolized, and station too much coveted. There are too many who will do nothing unless they are recognized as leaders; too many who must receive praise, or they have no interest to labor. What we need to learn is faithfulness in making the utmost use of the powers and opportunities we have, and contentment in the lot to which Heaven assigns us.

Education, 115–117.

Signs for Us

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“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to show him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. And as he sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.” Matthew 23:37–24:5

The whole focus of the disciples was on the organization of the time. Even though they had walked year after year with Christ, they really had become somewhat conditioned to the belief that the system could dictate to God, and not that God would direct the system. They were more concerned with the organization than with the mission. As a result, when Jesus spoke about the temple, they had more faith in the temple than in God, and attempted to correct Him. They said, What do you mean that your house is left unto you desolate? And Jesus said, Listen, not one stone is going to be left upon another. This really confused the disciples when Jesus prophesied that the very temple, the center of their worship, would be destroyed. They wanted to know when these things would happen and what would be the sign of His coming and the end of the world.

Jesus began by giving them a universal sign. He gave them the signs in things that existed in heaven and the signs that have existed all throughout creation ever since man was here. He first warned about deception. “Let no man deceive you.” What man can deceive us best? It is self-deception. Deception is what caused the angels to be thrown out of heaven.

In Revelation 12:4 it says, “And his [the devil’s] tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.” The devil drew with his tail one-third of the heavenly angels. I praise God that the appeals of Jesus caused some to turn, but still one-third is billions and billions of angels.

The Bible is explicit on what his tail represents: “The ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail.” Isaiah 9:15. The tail would represent lies or deceit. Here the devil deceived all of these angels into believing him. The prophet of God tells us that at first they did not believe him but sympathized with him. They really got caught up in business that really wasn’t theirs. They felt sorry for him and started listening to him and before they knew it, they were cast out of heaven. Satan would love to go back to heaven.

It was amazing to me what I read in The Story of Redemption. When Satan saw an angel, he would tell him to come and when the angel came, he would ask that angel to go get Jesus for him and the angel went to get Christ. Satan then pleads with Christ to be able to come back to heaven offering to take any position, but Jesus wept at his woe—it broke His heart, because Satan could no longer be trusted. Heaven is based on trust. The Bible says that, “Iniquity will not raise its head again.” Sin is not coming back. In heaven we will not lose our ability to sin; we will just choose not to do it. Our love and appreciation for God will place us where we would never, ever consider doing anything contrary to His word. It will not be a forced thing.

Satan is the great deceiver; he even tried to deceive Jesus. Knowledge of the prophecies in the Word of God are landmarks to let us know where we are in time. At the end of Jesus’ life He knew that the only thing He could trust in was His Father and the Word. While nailed to the cross He knew that Judas would throw down the ransom money he received from the priests and rulers and that it would be used to purchase the potter’s field (Zechariah 11). He knew the prophecies!

We do not know who will stand when severely tested. Each of us needs to be sure that our faith is strong. All through the trial of Jesus, He continued loving his disciples while He watched them look from a distance. Then, while hanging there and in the final moments of His life He experienced what David had prophesied many years before. Psalm 22 says that dogs encompassed him and that He could feel pain all through His body. They took His clothes and cast lots for them. Everybody ran out on Him. Jesus looked and He heard the conversation of the soldiers planning to split up His garments. Jesus knew what the prophecy had said.

The devil tries to manipulate prophecy, but he cannot. If you will notice in Matthew 24:29–31 it says, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” These events happen right before the coming of the Lord.

When all of the disciples comment on the same thing, it is something really worth paying attention to. Look at Mark 13:24–27. It says, “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.”

Again, Jesus said that certain things are going to transpire. These prophecies are landmarks. It first said there would be signs, an earthquake, then a sign in the sun, then a sign in the moon and signs in the stars.

Right now, we are living during the sixth seal, between the signs in the heavens and the coming of the Lord. Revelation 6:12–17 says, “And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And 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: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”

We know that on November 1, 1755, there was the great Lisbon earthquake. I believe that this fulfilled prophecy. Remember this great earthquake came just before 1798. Something big was going to happen in 1798. God started revealing these prophecies so that His people would understand that He was soon coming. There were three earthquakes, one at 9:00 a.m., one at 10:00 a.m. and one at 12:00 noon. At 9:00 a.m. people became afraid and at 10:00 a.m. they were really scared and by 12:00 noon they ran to the church to pray and thousands died there in church. God is not the author of fear. When these things happen we ought to get excited and exclaim that our redemption draweth nigh (Luke 21:28). We need to be resting in Christ, understanding what it means to rest in Christ and believe that He will keep us from falling and that He can save us, and not have a deceptive belief, while living in a known sin. This is not resting in Christ.

In Christ there is no sin, because the mind of Christ literally dwells in you. It is to have the faith of Jesus. “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20. It is literally Christ’s faith activated in my life. I don’t have the faith to believe that God is going to open up a body of water for me to walk across which is contrary to everything my humanity knows. But He has the faith and He is willing to activate that faith in our lives. You will never get that experience unless you go to God and plead for it.

Preachers started preaching that the Lisbon earthquake was a sign of the coming of the Lord and people believed. In 1780 when all of a sudden at noon time the sun went black like a light bulb that went out and the cattle started heading back to the barn, people became afraid. That night the moon became as blood. Preachers were preaching, churches were full and the people believed that it was a sign of the coming of the Lord. The Lord has given us these signs specifically for a reason.

In 1833 when the stars fell there were preachers, including William Miller, preaching all over the world that the Lord was coming. When they saw the stars fall, they looked at Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21 and Revelation 6 and they said Jesus has to come, because the prophecy said that after these stars would fall, He would come. What happened? 1844 came and Jesus did not come to this earth, but went into the Most Holy Place in heaven. Prophecy was fulfilled, but the people did not understand it until a little later when God revealed more light.

An important Scripture to understand is Ezekiel, chapter 8. Ezekiel was not preaching to the heathen but to God’s people. The church was in sin and God sent an angel who grabbed Ezekiel by the lock of his hair and suspended him between earth and heaven and showed him the people of God. Ezekiel was a true Christian and he did not want to see sin and he tried to turn. He saw all of these abominations and his heart was broken. The angel kept telling him to look further and finally, notice what he saw in verse 16: “And he brought me into the inner court of the Lord’s house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the Lord, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the Lord, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east.”

Ezekiel saw that God’s people were involved with sun worship. That is when he said it was time for the destroying angel to do his work. If you don’t believe that our people have been deceived, and they have bought into this Ecumenical Movement, it is time to open your eyes. I don’t study what the churches are doing because I am too busy working myself. But, I do know that when we have a Catholic cardinal open our General Conference session with prayer, something is wrong. At the last General Conference session, why, at the parade of nations, does the Vatican have a flag? Italy was there. God is trying to show us something but some of us still will not agonize with God. We still refuse to get our lives in order so that the Holy Spirit can use us to be effective workers for God. When this message goes forth, it will go forth by Seventh-day Adventists, the faithful ones, who are really praying and studying and according to Ezekiel 9 are crying and sighing for the abominations being done in the land and are not involved in gossiping or tearing down.

One of the top selling songs is Man in the Mirror. I went on the internet to read the lyrics. It says something like, “Who are you fooling? If you want change, you need to look in the mirror at yourself and change yourself and stop dealing with other people.” I said, Lord, are the rocks crying out? We have to start examining ourselves to make sure that we are on the path that God has placed us. There is no time to get caught up in surface issues; we need to take time to study and know the message; then preach it.

Stop wasting time and start studying. If you do not have a schedule for your time every day, make one. Your time belongs to God. No other gift has He given of which we have to give a more strict account. Study now and you will be prepared and not overwhelmed when the winds of strife are no longer held back and all breaks loose upon the world. Don’t be found with a form of godliness but denying the power thereof (II Timothy 3:5) and be exposed as a fraud.

Now is the time to develop an ear to hear the Holy Spirit saying, this is the way, walk ye in it [Isaiah 30:21] and stop running to man. Every day start your day with worship.

Once, in India, we were riding in a car that stopped because of a cow in the middle of the road. The driver stopped for that cow and did not even try to move it because it was believed that cows were sacred and we were told that if we attempted to move the cow we would be killed because that cow was sacred. Some Christians do not have as much reverence for the true God as those people had for that cow. There is no excuse not to have a personal relationship with God and to be able to go to Him and know that He is answering your prayers. All have squandered time, but we can redeem the time by not wasting any more, by giving God as much time as you possibly can and He will prepare you for the crisis or He will trust you to die. You have to be trusted to die, because you have to die in Christ.

We are in a war. When you are filled with the Holy Spirit, you will find yourself weeping because there are so many people trapped in sin. You will find yourself losing your comfort to cause others to feel comfortable so they can know your God. You will constantly pray and ask God how you can reach somebody. It is Christ allowing you to feel His burden through you. Have the patience of the saints who keep the commandments and have the faith of Jesus (Revelation 14:12) and you will be sealed by settling into the truth, both spiritually and intellectually, because you have surrendered to God.

Pastor Stephen Lewis is an international speaker and director of The Present Truth Ministry. This article is from a sermon he preached at the Steps to Life Camp Meeting 2009. He can be contacted at: www.thepresenttruth.org.

Wrong Expectations End in Disappointment

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There is a common saying that there are no disappointments in heaven, but in this world everyone will meet with them at some time. This is one of the major causes of mental depression, which is a big problem today.

As Jesus left the temple for the last time, He said to the Jews, “See! Your house is left to you desolate.” Matthew 23:38.

As Jesus departed from the temple that day, His disciples were astounded at this and pointed out to Him the massive stones in the walls. We understand that these stones were so huge that we do not even understand how the builders in ancient times managed to deal with stones so big. They must have weighed hundreds of tons and were cut so precisely that they fitted together without the need of any mortar. Seen from a distance, it looked like one solid, white wall of marble.

The temple was considered by many people in ancient times to be one of the wonders of the world. The Bible records that Herod spent an additional 46 years beautifying it. The disciples thought that by pointing out to Jesus the massive stones, He would admire them, but instead, He said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another that shall not be thrown down.” Matthew 24:2. His disciples believed that He could only mean that the temple would be overthrown at the end of the world (Matthew 24:3), not comprehending that such an awful thing could happen.

A study of history shows that the prophecy of Jesus was fulfilled exactly to the letter in the destruction of Jerusalem that took place less than 40 years later when the temple was destroyed and burned with fire. As the fire spread, it got so hot that the gold melted, causing it to run down the stones. Later, to retrieve all of the gold, the stones were knocked down until there was not a single stone upon another, literally fulfilling Jesus’ prophecy.

Today, there are many ancient artifacts and various ancient buildings around the Mediterranean, but there is no part of the wall of the temple, because nothing of it was left standing. It was completely demolished.

It was only a few days before His crucifixion and His disciples were perplexed by what Jesus had predicted. They approached Him on the Mount of Olives with the questions, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and the end of the age?” Matthew 24:3.

They wanted to know when the temple would be destroyed, when Jerusalem would be destroyed and what sign they would have of His coming and the end of the world. They thought that they were just asking one question, but they were actually asking two. Though Jesus did not tell them everything at that time, He did answer both questions, leaving them enough to figure out, as time passed.

He first pointed out the events leading up to the destruction of Jerusalem (Matthew 24:4–14). History proves that His predictions were accurate and precisely fulfilled.

After the destruction of Jerusalem, Jesus pointed out major events that would take place in earth’s history, before His return again to this world. He predicted a great tribulation for the church (Matthew 24:16).

This was not referring to the tribulation for the world. The great time of trouble for the world is still future, but the great tribulation for the church is in the past. Jesus made this very clear that after the destruction of Jerusalem there would be great tribulation for the church. He said it would be so great for His followers that there had not been anything like it in the past, nor would there be anything like it in the future for His church, or His people.

This prophecy, again, was exactly and precisely fulfilled. For well over one thousand years, Christians suffered persecution such as had never been before. History books tell about the massacre of Saint Bartholomew in France when it is estimated that around thirty thousand lost their lives. We will never know for sure until the Day of Judgment. You can read about the time when the whole nation of the Netherlands was sentenced to death, or the time when in the space of about one year a million people were martyred for their faith in Northern Italy. There are many other accounts of massacres of the faithful during this time. The Society of Friends estimated that fifty, or perhaps even seventy million Christians lost their lives during the Dark Ages because of their faith.

This great tribulation that Jesus predicted, such as had never been and never would be again, specifically referred to the persecution of His followers. Remember, that this does not refer to the great time of trouble such as never was. The great time of trouble for the world is still in the future, but the great tribulation for the church, the greatest tribulation that there has ever been, is already in the past.

Daniel, in his book, and John, in the book of Revelation, have also extensively spoken about these predictions, spoken of by Jesus. These books describe how long the tribulation will last—over a thousand years, twelve hundred and sixty years to be exact. Jesus said it would be cut short for the saints’ sake. As this persecution was to draw to a close, Jesus said there would be a dark day (Matthew 24; Mark 13).

As the 18th century came to a close, so did this period of persecution. Jesus, describing the dark day that would come at that time, said that the sun would not give its light, neither the moon. On May 19, 1780, that was fulfilled.

Jesus also said that the stars would fall from heaven. I am always interested in the order of things in Bible prophecy; it is one of the most intriguing things to study. If the order of things given in Bible prophecy should ever prove to be incorrect, then every skeptic and every scoffer in the world would point that out and say, “See, the Bible predicted this, but it didn’t happen that way; it happened this way.” But they cannot do that. Bible prophecy always turns out to be fulfilled just in the order that the prophets gave it. Jesus said there would be a dark day, and after that, the stars would fall from heaven.

It happened! The stars fell from heaven in November 1833. It was the greatest shower of meteors and meteorites that has ever been recorded. We do not know the exact number, but it has been estimated at 240,000. The shower was so great that night was turned into day on that November evening. The prophecy of Jesus was fulfilled exactly as He predicted.

When they saw these things, Bible students all over the world studied to find out what these signs in the heavens were all about. Looking at the prophecy of Jesus and comparing it with the prophecies in Daniel and in Revelation they concluded that things had been fulfilled right in order, and the next thing to expect would be the second coming of Christ.

These Bible students did not understand everything, but what they did understand they began to preach and the result of this proclamation was that there was a second advent awakening that took place all over the world. People from all different faiths—Protestants, Catholics and other people not connected to any church saw the fulfillment of Bible prophecy. They realized that the next thing to happen was the judgment. This was the beginning of the judgment hour message that was preached.

In those days the believers did not understand exactly what the hour of God’s judgment was. They preached the 2,300 day prophecy from Daniel 8:14 that the hour of judgment would begin in 1843 and 1844.

Actually they were right about the time, but they just did not yet have a correct understanding of the event or what the hour of God’s judgment involved. It was thought that the hour of God’s judgment and the cleansing of the sanctuary meant that Christ would return for the saints, taking them out of this world before destroying the rest of the world with fire.

When 1844 came and Jesus did not come, those expecting Him were extremely disappointed. This was not the first time a disappointment is recorded in Scripture. It happened just six days before the crucifixion and the disciples had proclaimed Jesus to be the Messiah. People were coming down from the Mount of Olives into Jerusalem witnessing to many miracles Jesus had performed there, proclaiming Him to be the Messiah, just as is predicted in the book of Zechariah. It says that the Messiah would come riding on a donkey and the people would say to the daughter of Jerusalem, “Shout! … Your King is coming to you.” Zechariah 9:9. They quoted the Scripture and told about the miracles. There were so many in that crowd and they were so happy. There were some people who could say, “I was blind until Jesus came and now I can see.” There were others who could say, “I was deaf until Jesus came, and now I can hear.” There were yet others who could say, “I was paralyzed and couldn’t walk until Jesus came, and now I can walk.” Lazarus was in that crowd and he could say, “I was dead; I was in a cave tomb for four days and Jesus came, and now here I am alive.”

As the people related all the wonderful things that Jesus had done, they became very, very excited. Even the disciples thought that Jesus would reign as a king in Jerusalem, but instead of that, in less than a week from that happy occasion, they were sorely disappointed as their hopes vanished and they saw Jesus being lifted up on the cross of Calvary.

They did not yet understand the plan of salvation and that sin cannot be taken away unless someone pays the price. The only person able to pay the price was someone who was above the law. You and I are not above the law. The Bible says we are beneath the law; we are below the law. Even the angels are made under the law. Only Jesus is above the law and for that reason He was the only One who could pay the price for sin. The disciples, not understanding, were disappointed. In the same way, those who were expecting Jesus to come in 1844 were disappointed, because it did not happen the way they had thought. They did not perfectly understand the prophecies.

Interestingly, when we study Matthew 24 and 25, we find that Jesus anticipated this. Notice what He says in Matthew 24: Jesus says, “But if that evil servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, and will cut him in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Matthew 24:48–51. Then Jesus, talking about the time when He would return said, “Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went out to meet the bridegroom.” Matthew 25:1.

Jesus told them a story about a wedding. He described an Eastern marriage. I have never heard of a marriage that took place at midnight, but this is a marriage that didn’t take place until midnight.

The story in Matthew 25 is especially about Christ’s followers—His church, His people, those who will be living in the last days in the evening of this world’s history.

Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went out to meet the bridegroom.” The bridegroom is Jesus Christ and the people who went out to meet Him are His followers. They are described as ten virgins.

“They all took their lamps.” Matthew 25:3. These are people who have a pure faith, because they are described as virgins. The meaning of lamp, when we are talking spiritually is found in Psalm 119:105. It says, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

The Bible is a lamp, but it does not do any good if it is not lit—if there is no fire coming out of it. Anciently, in order to keep the lamp lit, there was need of oil in the base. Oil is the symbol of the Holy Spirit. Even the Bible will not do you any good if the Holy Spirit does not do its work on your mind. In fact, the apostle Paul says, “But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” 1 Corinthians 2:14. It is the Holy Spirit that inspired the Bible, and it is also necessary that the Spirit interpret to the reader the things of God.

Without the Holy Spirit working on your mind, you cannot understand the Bible. People often want the church, the theologian or the minister to explain Scripture because they can’t understand it. But what we really need to do is pray and say, “Lord, You have promised!” Jesus promised that if you ask, you will be given the Holy Spirit and you will be enabled to understand God’s word (Luke 11:9).

The main reason people do not want to receive the Holy Spirit is because the first thing that happens when the Holy Spirit starts working on a person’s mind is that person becomes convicted of sin (John 16). People generally do not want to be convicted of sin, but they want some other way out. They want to go to heaven without being convicted of their sins.

Many believe that they do want the Holy Spirit until their hearts become convicted of sin; then they say, “No, go away!” But, if you are willing, as you read God’s Word, to accept the conviction by the Holy Spirit of sin you can then confess, repent and forsake your sins and be ready for heaven.

All of the virgins had lamps—the Bible. They all had oil, the Holy Spirit enabling them to understand it, but notice what happened. Some of the virgins took extra oil. Jesus said five of them were wise and five were foolish. Those who were foolish had their lamps, but no extra oil with them. The wise took extra oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the Bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.

They were expecting the Bridegroom to return, but they didn’t realize there would be such a long delay. They thought it would be 7 o’clock, but it wasn’t. They thought the Lord would return at 8 o’clock but He didn’t. And then they thought 9 o’clock, but He still didn’t come. And then at midnight they heard the cry, “Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet Him” (Matthew 25:6). Then all those virgins awoke and trimmed their lamps.

Notice, according to this story, it will be in the darkest period of earth’s history that the Bridegroom returns. This does not mean the darkest period intellectually, but the darkest period spiritually and morally. Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, “Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.” But the wise answered, saying, “No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.” And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, “Lord, Lord, open to us!” But he answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you. Watch, therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming” (Matthew 25:8–10).

This is a very solemn story indeed. It tells us that there will be many Christians at the end of the world who will find out they are not ready to meet the Bridegroom.

The people who expected the Bridegroom to come in 1844 were disappointed. They had to go back and study their Bibles to find out what had happened, where they had made their mistake. As they continued to study the Word of God they found out a great deal about why they had been disappointed, what was going to happen and what they needed to do.

In the parable of the virgins is seen a delay. The Bridegroom tarried; the Bridegroom delayed his coming. The Bridegroom is not going to tarry forever and when He comes back at the darkest hour of earth’s history, are you going to be ready?

The story teaches us that a large percentage (50 percent) of people who call themselves Christians will not be ready for the Lord’s return. When the Bridegroom returns in the clouds of heaven they will not be ready with their lamps trimmed; they will be out of oil. It will then be too late to make preparation, for just before the Bridegroom returns, the proclamation is made, “He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still. And behold, I am coming quickly and my reward is with Me, to give to everyone according to his work.” Revelation 22:11, 12.

Christ believes in lawfulness and hates lawlessness. It means that each person is to choose which side of the great controversy he/she is on and that decision involves the law of God.

Whoever sins breaks God’s law and puts himself/herself on the devil’s side (1 John 3:4–8).

While this great controversy is going on it is still possible to change sides. If you find yourself today on the devil’s side, you could decide to change by surrendering your heart and life over to the sovereignty of Jesus Christ and be on His side.

The opposite is also true. If you decide to live a lawless life, breaking God’s law as you please, you will be on the devil’s side of the great controversy (1 John 3).

Right now while there is an opportunity you can change sides, but midnight is coming; the Bridegroom is going to come back and then it will be too late to change. The door of mercy will be shut. At that time you will either be saved already, or you will never be saved.

Make a decision today while there is still time.

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

Four Great Signs

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Christ revealed the signs that would herald His second coming. John the Revelator watched as Christ opened the sixth seal recorded in Revelation 6:12, 13. The signs revealed to John in these verses are God’s announcement to the world that the time has arrived for Jesus to prepare to come to this earth again, this time as King of kings and Lord of lords to restore the kingdom of glory. These signs announce the opening of the great second-advent movement during which the great controversy between Christ and Satan will be concluded.

These great signs are referred to in the following Bible texts:

“I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind.” Revelation 6:12, 13.

Notice that man can do nothing to create or bring these signs to pass. They are totally supernatural and given under the direction of our Father in heaven. Daniel tells us that all these things will be fulfilled at the time of the end. Daniel 12:7, 9 says, “The man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, lifted his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by him who lives forever, saying, ‘It will be for a time, times and half a time. When the power of the holy people has been finally broken, all these things will be completed.’ …He replied, ‘Go your way, Daniel, because the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end.’ ”

Daniel here mentions the 1,260-year time period. This time period ended in A.D. 1798, therefore, this date is seen as the time for these signs to take place. Daniel calls this “the time of the end,” and he says, “the power of the holy people has been finally broken.”

He is making reference here to the martyrs during the Dark Ages. This is the time when the dragon (Satan), working through the Roman Catholic Church, was severely persecuting the saints. This event is recorded in the fifth seal in Revelation 6:9–11 as follows:

“When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, ‘How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?’ Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed.”

John represents these martyrs as being alive and asking the question, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?”

“The cries of the faithful, persecuted ones ascend to heaven. And as the blood of Abel cried from the ground, there are voices also crying to God from martyrs’ graves, from the sepulchers of the sea, from mountain caverns, from convent vaults: ‘How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost Thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth’ [Revelation 6:10]?” Testimonies, vol. 5, 451.

The fifth seal represents the period of church history from A.D. 538 to the time of the sixth seal. So we see that the fifth and sixth seals are directly tied to the opening of the great second-advent movement.

The four signs that herald the great second-advent movement are described in Revelation 6:12 and 13:

“I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as late figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind.”

  1. Great earthquake
  2. Sun turned black—sometimes referred to as the Dark Day
  3. Moon turned blood red
  4. Stars fell to the earth

There are five other texts in the Bible that describe these signs.

  1. Note, that Isaiah 13:9, 10 connects these signs with the second coming of Jesus and the destruction of this earth. “See, the day of the Lord is coming—a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger—to make the land desolate and destroy the sinners within it. The stars of heaven and their constellations will not show their light. The rising sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light.”
  2. In Joel 2:10, 11, these signs are also given in the setting of the second coming of Jesus and the terrible destruction that takes place at that time. “Before them the earth shakes, the sky trembles, the sun and moon are darkened, and the stars no longer shine. … The day of the Lord is great; it is dreadful. Who can endure it?”
  3. Again, in Matthew 24:29, 30, we see that these signs are presented in connection with the second coming of Jesus. “Immediately after the distress of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken and then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven.”
  4. Mark 13:24–26 says: “But in those days, following that distress, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.”
  5. Luke 21:25, 27 says: “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. … At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.”

The following statement gives us a little closer focus:

“Prophecy not only foretells the manner and object of Christ’s coming, but presents tokens by which men are to know when it is near. Said Jesus: ‘There shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars.’ Luke 21:25. ‘The sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.’ Mark 13:24–26. The revelator thus describes the first of the signs to precede the second advent: ‘There was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood.’ Revelation 6:12.” The Great Controversy, 304.

The Lisbon earthquake was the first of these signs to take place. History records show this event taking place in 1755. Also, some of the details as to the extent of the earthquake are described.

“In fulfillment of this prophecy there occurred, in the year 1755, the most terrible earthquake that has ever been recorded. Though commonly known as the earthquake of Lisbon, it extended to the greater part of Europe, Africa, and America. It was felt in Greenland, in the West Indies, in the island of Madeira, in Norway and Sweden, Great Britain and Ireland. It pervaded an extent of not less than four million square miles. In Africa the shock was almost as severe as in Europe. A great part of Algiers was destroyed; and a short distance from Morocco, a village containing eight or ten thousand inhabitants was swallowed up. A vast wave swept over the coast of Spain and Africa engulfing cities and causing great destruction.

“It was in Spain and Portugal that the shock manifested its extreme violence. At Cadiz the inflowing wave was said to be sixty feet high. Mountains, ‘some of the largest in Portugal, were impetuously shaken, as it were, from their very foundations, and some of them opened at their summits, which were split and rent in a wonderful manner, huge masses of them being thrown down into the adjacent valleys. Flames are related to have issued from these mountains.’— Sir Charles Lyell, Principles of Geology, page 495.

“At Lisbon ‘a sound of thunder was heard underground, and immediately afterwards a violent shock threw down the greater part of that city. In the course of about six minutes sixty thousand persons perished. The sea first retired, and laid the bar dry; it then rolled in, rising fifty feet or more above its ordinary level.’ ‘Among other extraordinary events related to have occurred at Lisbon during the catastrophe, was the subsidence of a new quay, built entirely of marble, at an immense expense. A great concourse of people had collected there for safety, as a spot where they might be beyond the reach of falling ruins; but suddenly the quay sank down with all the people on it, and not one of the dead bodies ever floated to the surface.’—Ibid., page 495.

“ ‘The shock’ of the earthquake ‘was instantly followed by the fall of every church and convent, almost all the large public buildings, and more than one fourth of the houses. In about two hours after the shock, fires broke out in different quarters, and raged with such violence for the space of nearly three days, that the city was completely desolated. The earthquake happened on a holyday, when the churches and convents were full of people, very few of whom escaped.’— Encyclopedia Americana, art. ‘Lisbon,’ note (ed. 1831). ‘The terror of the people was beyond description. Nobody wept; it was beyond tears. They ran hither and thither, delirious with horror and astonishment, beating their faces and breasts, crying, “Misericordia! the world’s at an end!” Mothers forgot their children, and ran about loaded with crucifixed images. Unfortunately, many ran to the churches for protection; but in vain was the sacrament exposed; in vain did the poor creatures embrace the altars; images, priests, and people were buried in one common ruin.’ It has been estimated that ninety thousand persons lost their lives on that fatal day.” The Great Controversy, 304, 305.

The next two signs occurred on the same day. During the daylight hours the sun was darkened as if it were night time, and during the night the moon had the appearance of being red as blood.

“Twenty-five years later appeared the next sign mentioned in the prophecy—the darkening of the sun and moon. What rendered this more striking was the fact that the time of its fulfillment had been definitely pointed out. In the Saviour’s conversation with His disciples upon Olivet, after describing the long period of trial for the church—the 1,260 years of papal persecution, concerning which He had promised that the tribulation should be shortened—He thus mentioned certain events to precede His coming, and fixed the time when the first of these should be witnessed: ‘In those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light.’ Mark 13:24. The 1,260 days, or years, terminated in 1798. A quarter of a century earlier, persecution had almost wholly ceased. Following this persecution, according to the words of Christ, the sun was to be darkened. On the 19th of May, 1780, this prophecy was fulfilled.” Ibid., 306.

Here are a few more statements about this phenomenon:

“ ‘Almost, if not altogether alone, as the most mysterious and as yet unexplained phenomenon of its kind, … stands the dark day of May 19, 1780—a most unaccountable darkening of the whole visible heavens and atmosphere in New England.’—R. M. Devens, Our First Century, page 89.

“An eyewitness living in Massachusetts describes the event as follows: ‘In the morning the sun rose clear, but was soon overcast. The clouds became lowery, and from them, black and ominous, as they soon appeared, lightning flashed, thunder rolled, and a little rain fell. Toward nine o’clock, the clouds became thinner, and assumed a brassy or coppery appearance, and earth, rocks, trees, buildings, water, and persons were changed by this strange, unearthly light. A few minutes later, a heavy black cloud spread over the entire sky except a narrow rim at the horizon, and it was as dark as it usually is at nine o’clock on a summer evening. …’ ” Ibid.

“ ‘In most parts of the country it was so great in the daytime, that the people could not tell the hour by either watch or clock, nor dine, nor manage their domestic business, without the light of candles. …’ ” Ibid., 307.

“May 19, 1780, stands in history as ‘The Dark Day.’ Since the time of Moses no period of darkness of equal density, extent, and duration, has ever been recorded. The description of this event, as given by eyewitnesses, is but an echo of the words of the Lord, recorded by the prophet Joel, twenty-five hundred years previous to their fulfillment: ‘The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come.’ Joel 2:31.” Ibid., 308.

The last of these four signs is the falling of the stars, occurring about 50 years later.

“In 1833, two years after Miller began to present in public the evidences of Christ’s soon coming, the last of the signs appeared which were promised by the Saviour as tokens of His second advent. Said Jesus: ‘The stars shall fall from heaven.’ Matthew 24:29. And John in the Revelation declared, as he beheld in vision the scenes that should herald the day of God: ‘The stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casts her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.’ Revelation 6:13. This prophecy received a striking and impressive fulfillment in the great meteoric shower of November 13, 1833. … ‘Never did rain fall much thicker than the meteors fell toward the earth; east, west, north, and south, it was the same. In a word, the whole heavens seemed in motion. … The display, as described in Professor Silliman’s Journal, was seen all over North America. … From two o’clock until broad daylight, the sky being perfectly serene and cloudless, an incessant play of dazzlingly brilliant luminosities was kept up in the whole heavens.’—R. M. Devens, American Progress; or, The Great Events of the Greatest Century, ch. 28, pars. 1-5.” Ibid., 333.

Some acknowledged this event to be a fulfillment of prophecy.

“In the New York Journal of Commerce of November 14, 1833, appeared a long article regarding this wonderful phenomenon, containing this statement: ‘No philosopher or scholar has told or recorded an event, I suppose, like that of yesterday morning. A prophet eighteen hundred years ago foretold it exactly, if we will be at the trouble of understanding stars falling to mean falling stars, … in the only sense in which it is possible to be literally true.’ ” Ibid., 334.

Above is quoted the first part of the sixth seal listing the four great signs that were to call the attention of the people to the second advent of our Lord. In the next reference Ellen White quotes the last part of the sixth seal that is a description of the second coming of Jesus.

“Thus was displayed the last of those signs of His coming, concerning which Jesus bade His disciples: ‘When ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.’ Matthew 24:33. After these signs, John beheld, as the great event next impending, the heavens departing as a scroll, while the earth quaked, mountains and islands removed out of their places, and the wicked in terror sought to flee from the presence of the Son of man. Revelation 6:12–17.” Ibid.

Some people also saw in this phenomenon a herald of the coming judgment.

“Many who witnessed the falling of the stars, looked upon it as a herald of the coming judgment, ‘an awful type, a sure forerunner, a merciful sign, of that great and dreadful day.’—‘The Old Countryman,’ in Portland Evening Advertiser, Nov. 26, 1833. Thus the attention of the people was directed to the fulfillment of prophecy, and many were led to give heed to the warning of the second advent.” Ibid., 334.

How do the dates of these four signs compare with the end of the 1,260 years? Let us do a little comparison of the dates of these four signs with the end date of the 1,260 years, 1798, and the termination of the 2,300 year prophecy in 1844.

Notice that the four signs are calling our attention to the great second-advent movement and the termination of the 1,260-year prophecy occur just prior to the judgment hour message to cleanse the sanctuary of the new covenant in heaven.

Additional information regarding these signs can be found in newspaper accounts of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, especially in the eastern United States, in encyclopedias, in Bible commentaries and on the Internet.

The Lord has given the world ample warnings that the time has come for the judgment to begin at the termination of the 1,260 years. Even the power of the papacy was broken, at least for a short period of time. Here is a brief statement on this event:

“ ‘Power was given unto him to continue forty and two months’ [Revelation 13:5]. And, says the prophet, ‘I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death’ [Revelation 13:3]. And again: ‘He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword’ [Revelation 13:10]. The forty and two months are the same as the ‘time and times and the dividing of time,’ three years and a half, or 1,260 days, of Daniel 7—the time during which the papal power was to oppress God’s people. This period, as stated in preceding chapters, began with the supremacy of the papacy, A.D. 538, and terminated in 1798. At that time the pope was made captive by the French army, the papal power received its deadly wound, and the prediction was fulfilled, ‘He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity.’ ” Ibid., 439.

When the papal power was broken in 1798, it opened the way for the circulation of the Bible and the organizing of missionary societies. The Scriptures were not widely circulated before 1798. There was a change in attitude towards the Scriptures at this time. Remember what it says in Revelation 11:11, 12 at the end of the story of the two witnesses? It says, “But after the three and a half days a breath of life from God entered them [the two witnesses—Old and New Testaments] and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them. Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, ‘Come up here.’ And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on.”

The following statement explains the meaning of this prophecy:

“God’s faithful witnesses, slain by the blasphemous power that ‘ascendeth out of the bottomless pit,’ were not long to remain silent. ‘After three days and a half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.’ Revelation 11:11. It was in 1793 that the decrees which abolished the Christian religion and set aside the Bible passed the French Assembly. Three years and a half later a resolution rescinding these decrees, thus granting toleration to the Scriptures, was adopted by the same body. The world stood aghast at the enormity of guilt which had resulted from a rejection of the Sacred Oracles, and men recognized the necessity of faith in God and His word as the foundation of virtue and morality.” Ibid., 287.

Concerning the two witnesses the prophet declares further: “And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.” Revelation 11:12. KJV.

“Since France made war upon God’s two witnesses, they have been honored as never before. In 1804 the British and Foreign Bible Society was organized. This was followed by similar organizations, with numerous branches, upon the continent of Europe. In 1816 the American Bible Society was founded. When the British Society was formed, the Bible had been printed and circulated in fifty tongues. It has since been translated into many hundreds of languages and dialects.

“For the fifty years preceding 1792, little attention was given to the work of foreign missions. No new societies were formed, and there were but few churches that made any effort for the spread of Christianity in heathen lands. But toward the close of the eighteenth century a great change took place. Men became dissatisfied with the results of rationalism and realized the necessity of divine revelation and experimental religion. From this time the work of foreign missions attained an unprecedented growth.

“The improvements in printing have given an impetus to the work of circulating the Bible. The increased facilities for communication between different countries, the breaking down of ancient barriers of prejudice and national exclusiveness, and the loss of secular power by the pontiff of Rome have opened the way for the entrance of the word of God. For some years the Bible has been sold without restraint in the streets of Rome, and it has now been carried to every part of the habitable globe.” Ibid., 287, 288.

The fact that these signs appeared, at the precise time when the two most important time prophecies were coming to an end and the circulation of the Bible increased, is clear Bible evidence that we have been living in the time of the end for more than 200 years.

All of the following texts list the second coming of Jesus as the next great event to take place: Matthew 24:30, Mark 13:26, Luke 21:27, Joel 2:31 and Isaiah 13:9.

Also, the sixth seal in Revelation 6:12–17, which begins with the Lisbon earthquake, ends with the great day of God’s wrath at the second coming of Jesus. John also gives the most complete description of the second coming of Jesus in Revelation 19:11–21 to Revelation 20:1–3. There is abundant evidence that the second coming of Jesus is just before us.

These four supernatural signs, the end of the 1,260 years, the termination of the 2,300 years and the great increase in the circulation of the Scriptures all witness that we have entered the time of the end when Jesus will return to this earth the second time.

All of these things are calling the attention of the world to the opening of the great second-advent movement and the final judgment of the world just prior to His return to this earth.

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

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