The Holy Ghost-Power or Being - Colin & Russel Standish

The Godhead Volumes
Volume 1: The Godhead: One, Two, Three, or Four? Volume 2: Our Heavenly Father in the Age of Terrorism Volume 3: Our SaviourHuman, Divine, or Human-Divine? Volume 4: The Holy GhostPower or Being?
All emphasis in quotations added by the authors unless otherwise indicated. Copyright 2010 Colin D. Standish Cover design and layout: Greg Solie AltamontGraphics.com Preliminary text editing: Maurie Walters Text editing and layout: Harvey Steck Published by Hartland Publications PO Box 1, Rapidan, VA, 22733 USA (540) 6723566 Printed in the USA ISBN # 978-1-60564-009-9
Contents
1. Our Intercessor, the Holy Spirit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 2. The Unpardonable Sin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 3. The Latter Rain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 4. The Comforter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 5. Three Churches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 6. The Ecumenical Holy Spirit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 7. The Seal of the Living God. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 8. The Mark of the Beast. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103 9. The Holy Spirit Empowers the Worlds Last Message . . . . . . . 126 10. The Final Remnant and the Holy Ghost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159 11. The Holy Spirit Is Jehovah . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188 12. Marys Conception of Jesus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193 13. Blasphemy Against the Holy Ghost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198 14. Who Inspired King David? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202 15. The Holy Ghost During Christs First Advent . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207 16. The Holy Spirit Guides the Accused. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218 Hartland Publications Book List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227 About the Authors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239 3
The Holy GhostPower or Being?
Chapter 1
Our Intercessor, the Holy Spirit
RITING to the believers in Rome, Paul shared a remarkable revelation of the work of the Holy Spirit. In a passage within his epistle he declared in successive verses that the Holy Spirit serves as an intercessor on behalf of mankind. Frequently this divine revelation is not given the full importance it bears to our spiritual life and ultimate salvation. Paul wrote, Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. (Romans 8:2627) Many Christians rightly focus upon Christs role as our Mediator between us and our heavenly Father. This was clearly set forth by the same apostle in his counsel to the young pastor Timothy. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. (1 Timothy 2:5) Christ most certainly is our Mediator with the Father. No human, whatever his ecclesiastical rank, bears such a prerogative. Many Protes5
tants, well aware of this fact, nevertheless mentally take 1 Timothy 2:5 to state, For there is one God and one [and only one] mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. Such often do not equate mediation with intercession. The Doubleday Rogets Thesaurus in Dictionary Form (New York, NY: Doubleday, 1987), p. 419, under mediation, provides its first synonym as intercession. Scripture thus declares both Christ and the Holy Spirit to be intercessors/mediators. Now the need for an intercessor arises when two disputants are unable to settle their dispute between themselves. It is a matter of principle that an intercessor is never one of the disputants. He is always a third person. The disputants in this situation are human beings and our heavenly Father. We hasten to affirm that in such a dispute the entire fault lies with the human being who has been wallowing in sin. Such an individual has become, by his own volition, unreconciled to God. Let us select a human example. If the authors of this book were to enter into a dispute with each other, which no amount of bilateral discussion could resolve, God forbid, it would be proper for each to agree to the use of an intercessor. Now, after recognizing that the dispute had reached such a point and both agreeing to the need for an intercessor, if Russell suggested to Colin, I propose that we agree that I be the intercessor, none would be the least surprised if Colin rejected that nomination out of hand. Colin would know full well that Russell would almost certainly be partial to his own cause. The very fact that the Holy Spirit is appointed as an intercessor between us and the Father is full evidence that the Father and the Holy Spirit are not identical. Some Protestants, rightly rejecting the Roman Catholic concept of the Trinity (see our discussion in volume 1 of this series), also believe that the Holy Spirit is not the third member of the Godhead. Instead, they believe that the Holy Spirit is the infinite power of the Father Himself or that the Holy Spirit is Christs personal power exercised on our behalf. Others, perhaps a majority of those denying the existence of a third person of the Godhead, believe that the Holy Spirit is the divine power exercised on our behalf by both the Father and the Son. Romans 8:26, 27 utterly destroys such an assumption in the revelation that the Holy Spirit is an intercessor. Further, this passage reveals that 6
the Holy Spirit possesses a mind. Now we know that power possesses no mind or mental capacity. Look at this verse again: Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. (Romans 8:2627) In the twenty-sixth verse we observe another feature of a sentient beingthe Holy Spirit utters or speaks. No power speaks. Neither does a power possess the capability to intercede. Further, knowledge is accorded the Holy Spirit, for He intercedes according to the will of God. Only a being capable of possessing knowledge would be in a position to know Gods will. Thus in these two rather brief verses is very clear evidence that the Holy Spirit possesses four characteristics which are attributable not to a power, but to a being: 1. He possesses a mind; 2. He speaks; 3. He intercedes; and 4. He possesses knowledge. These facts generate yet another question. Why do we need two intercessors/mediators? The answer to this question may be deduced from Scripture. The answer is that both Christ and the Holy Spirit possess limitations, limitations which they do not possess in common. Thus each can fulfill duties which the other cannot. Many Christians make the exaggerated claim that God can do everything. He cannot! . . . it [is] impossible for God to lie. (Hebrews 6:18) 7
Praise God for that assurance! Further, God cannot be tempted with evil. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man. (James 1:13) These limitations are an enormous benefit to Gods created beings. However, this absolute limitation upon doing any evil is of a different order from the limitation we have referred to above, for we have suggested that one member of the Godhead can perform that which another cannot and vice versa. Thus these limitations cannot possibly be restrictions from performing bad things. Rather they must be limitations in doing good deeds. Clearly such a claim, superficially blasphemous, requires explanation. One matter for which we are beholden to Christ, and Him alone, as a member of the Godhead, is to offer His blood as an atonement for our sins. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7) In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace. (Ephesians 1:7) In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. (Colossians 1:14) Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God. (Romans 3:25) The Holy Spirit has never become flesh and blood, and He never will throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity. Thus He cannot intercede 8
with blood for our atonement. This is a matter which is mandated for the remission of our sins. And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. (Hebrews 9:22) Thus Christ alone can atone for our sins through His blood. The Holy Spirit cannot. On the other hand, since Christ took human flesh at His incarnation, He is now limited by His loss of omnipresencethe quality of being everywhere in the entire universe at oncea limitation not possessed by the Holy Spirit. Presently, according to the United States Census Bureau, this world has in excess of 6,800,000,000 citizens. Potentially Christ could receive simultaneous petitions from all mankind. But now, stripped of His omnipresence, He cannot hear any petitions from Earth except as conveyed by the Holy Spirit, who is omnipresent. This is why Christ has commissioned the Holy Spirit to undertake this work which Christ Himself cannot now do. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth. (John 14:1617) Remember that the Holy Spirit, being omnipresent, is simultaneously with us and Christ and thus can convey our petitions instantaneously. Ellen White (18271915), the most proficient biblical expositor of Scripture of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, well expressed the difference in the intercessions of Christ and the Holy Spirit. Christ, our Mediator, and the Holy Spirit are constantly interceding in mans behalf, but the Spirit pleads not for us as does Christ, who presents His blood, shed from the foundation of the world; the Spirit works upon our hearts, drawing out prayers and penitence, praise and 9
thanksgiving. The gratitude which flows from our lips is the result of the Spirits striking the cords of the soul in holy memories, awakening the music of the heart. (Selected Messages, Book 1, p. 344) Mrs. White perceptively discerned from her search of the Scriptures that the Holy Spirit and Christ were separate individuals with separate areas of intercession. That the Holy Spirit is most certainly also our Intercessor/Mediator is certified by the use of the Greek work parakletos, translated Comforter in John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7. Dr. James Strong defines parakletos (Greek #3875) as An intercessor, consoler[translated in the KJV as] advocate, comforter. Dr. Adam Clark stated that the word parakletos not only signifies a comforter, but also an advocate, a defender of a cause, a counselor, patron, mediator. (Commentary and Critical Notes [London: William Tegg], vol. 5, p. 645) The translators of the King James Bible full well understood that the Greek word parakletos could be accurately translated advocate. This they did in translating Johns words below. My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. (1 John 2:1) Thus both Christ and the Holy Spirit comfort us; They are our Intercessors and Advocates. For this we praise our God.
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Chapter 2
The Unpardonable Sin
HILE the term unpardonable sin is not to be found in Scripture, it was nevertheless taught by Christ.
Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: but he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation. (Mark 3:2829) Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. (Matthew 12:3132)
Clearly this is an issue of either eternal life or eternal annihilation. Numerous Christians have descended into a state of unremitting terror, fearing that they have committed this sin and have lost all hope of salvation. We have assurance for such tormented souls. The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin. If He is expelled from our hearts forever, we no longer possess the source of such conviction. Thus we are not tormented with doubt and are content with our lost stateat least until it the door of mercy is closed and the opportunity for repentance is past. 11
We have spent hours with some who have claimed, in great torture of mind, that they have committed this sin. Such have lost all faith in Christs promise, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) Either this statement of precious promise is true or it is a falsehood. There is no third position which we can take on this matter. We stand firmly with the promise and have received it in our own lives in our battle with sin. We deeply love our Saviour for His forgiving mercy and grace. The revelation of this unforgivable sin does, however, throw light on some other false doctrines. We mention some of these doctrines. Firstly, a popular error is the teaching of universalism. This doctrine wrongly proposes that God is so loving that none will, ultimately, be excluded from the kingdom of heaven. As we have pointed out earlier in this series on the Godhead, such a doctrine implies that at His second coming Christ transforms all people into spiritual robots, forced to live lives of spiritual rectitudelives which they refused to live when they possessed free choice. God is not a coercive ruler. Only Satan is a god of coercion. Those accepting this view do despite to our Saviour and blind their eyes to Bible truths which specifically deny universalism. . . . the soul that sinneth, it shall die. (Ezekiel 18:4) And they [the eternally lost] went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. (Revelation 20:9) Another false doctrine which appeals to some is the teaching that God does not destroy. However, this teaching is itself a destruction of another sortof truth, as Revelation 20:9 cited above plainly declares. 12
Moses held no such misapprehension concerning Gods dealing with the rebellion of Korah, Dathan and Abiram. If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men; then the Lord hath not sent me. But if the Lord make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the Lord. And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them: and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods. They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation. (Numbers 16:2933) The Bible testifies to the fact that Aarons priestly sons, Nadab and Abihu, were destroyed by the Lord. And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the Lord, which he commanded them not. And there went out fire from the Lord, and devoured them, and they died before the Lord. (Leviticus 10:12) The doctrine of the unpardonable sin, taught by Christ, stands in stark contrast to the faulty guesswork of those who propose the concept that God does not destroy. Out of love for the lost, who would despise a life among the pure and holy redeemed, and for the eradication of the blight of sin from the universe, God does destroy. Eternal destruction is such a dire penalty that God describes it as His strange act. 13
And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell [the grave] shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it. . . . For the Lord shall rise up as in mount Perazim, he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act. (Isaiah 28:1821) A third false doctrine, the claim that the redeemed will continue to sin until Jesus second coming, does not stand the scrutiny of the doctrine of the unpardonable sin. Scripture describes a future point in time, surely near at hand, when the destinies of all mankind will have been forever fixed. The subsequent verse places this close of human probation a short time before the Second Advent, not at the Second Advent. He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. (Revelation 22:1112) It is evident from this passage that one form of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is to repeatedly reject the pleading of the Holy Spirit. As in the age of Noah prior to the Flood, Christ explained in Matthew 24 and Luke 21, the Holy Spirit ceased to strive for the redemption of the lost. So it will be at the Second Coming: . . . My spirit shall not always strive with man. . . . (Genesis 6:3) Let us now examine the details and specifications of the unpardonable sin, for they bear testimony to the evident fact that the Holy Spirit is not the power of Christ, but is an entirely separate and distinct personage. Let us look once more at Matthew 12:31: 14
Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. (Matthew 12:31) The ultimate, irredeemable sin is to cut off the Holy Spirit in our lives. This revelation emphasizes the significance of the Holy Spirit to our salvation. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him. . . . (Matthew 12:32) God forbid that we would blaspheme our Saviour. But even such a vile sin, if sincerely repented of, is forgiven us; we are not immediately cut off. No wonder we are asked to conclude, Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7:25) What divine forgiveness and love! Surely, blaspheming our Saviour is the ultimate degradation of our characters, but He will forgive even this sin as we seek Him in contrition. Surely that sin is one in which our souls sinks to that described as the uttermost. But now notice a significant and life-destroying contrast. . . . but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. (Matthew 12:32) Now, if Christ and the Holy Spirit were one and the same being, then this distinction could not be properly made. It would make no sense. If the Holy Spirit was Christs power, then to blaspheme Christ or to blaspheme Christs power, would produce identical consequences. Indeed, the blasphemy of Christs personage would even exceed that of His power. 15
Marks account concludes that the blasphemy of the Holy Ghost . . . hath never forgiveness. . . . (Mark 3:29) In contrast, blasphemy against our Lord and Saviour is open to repentance and forgiveness. This revelation completely destroys any basis for equating the Holy Ghost with Christs power. The Holy Spirit is a being distinct from Christ.
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Chapter 3
The Latter Rain
N common conversation, the Jews of biblical times who lived in Palestine spoke frequently of the early (former) rain and the latter rain. The prosperity of the Jewish agriculturally based economy depended upon good early rains at the commencement of autumn and an adequate latter rain in the spring. In Judea, the wet season usually lasted through the autumn, winter and spring seasons, while the dry season occurred in the summer. The early rain was essential for plowing and for the germination of the seed, while the latter rain was essential for the maturing of the grain and the ripening of the harvest. From May to October virtually no rain fell. Bible prophets used the terms early [or former] rain and latter rain in a spiritual sense. The early rain represented the sowing of the gospel message; the latter rain the final reaping of souls for Gods kingdom just prior to Christs return. Speaking of the literal rains, God gave His people a wonderful assurance. I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first [early] rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil. (Deuteronomy 11:14) But these rains were promised on condition of obedience to Gods commandments. In the days just prior to the Babylonian captivity, Jeremiah the prophet addressed in colorful terms the prevailing apostasy of idolatry in the midst of Judah and its dire consequence for the receipt of the latter rain. 17
They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another mans, shall he return unto her again? shall not that land be greatly polluted? but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the Lord. Lift up thine eyes unto the high places, and see where thou hast not been lien with. In the ways hast thou sat for them, as the Arabian in the wilderness; and thou hast polluted the land with thy whoredoms and with thy wickedness. Therefore the showers have been withholden, and there hath been no latter rain; and thou hadst a whores forehead, thou refusedst to be ashamed. (Jeremiah 3:13) It was not unique to Jeremiahs prophecies that prophets spoke of spiritual apostasy in terms of sexual immorality and prostitution. Other Old Testament prophets including Isaiah (1:21); Ezekiel (16:28); Hosea (4:15); Joel (3:3); Amos (7:17); Nahum (3:4) and, in the New Testament, Paul (1 Corinthians 6:15), all used such imagery, some on numbers of occasions. Whoredom was also used frequently by these prophets to describe apostasy. Jeremiah went on to declare of Judah, Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me, My father, thou art the guide of my youth? Will he reserve his anger for ever? will he keep it to the end? Behold, thou hast spoken and done evil things as thou couldest. The Lord said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot. And I said after she had done all these things, Turn thou unto me. But she returned not. . . . (Jeremiah 3:47) Just when Judah needed the literal latter rain during the three successive attacks by Babylons King Nebuchadnezzar, they had crop failures due to their departure from God. Yet they remained impervious to the reformatory messages of the godly Jeremiah, even seeking to execute him. 18
The Latter Rain
In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah came this word from the Lord, saying, Thus saith the Lord; Stand in the court of the Lords house, and speak unto all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the Lords house, all the words that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish not a word: if so be they will hearken, and turn every man from his evil way, that I may repent me of the evil, which I purpose to do unto them because of the evil of their doings. And thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord; If ye will not hearken to me, to walk in my law, which I have set before you, to hearken to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I sent unto you, both rising up early, and sending them, but ye have not hearkened; then will I make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth. So the priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the Lord. Now it came to pass, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speak unto all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people took him, saying, Thou shalt surely die. Why hast thou prophesied in the name of the Lord, saying, This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate without an inhabitant? And all the people were gathered against Jeremiah in the house of the Lord. (Jeremiah 26:19) The Apostle Peter, shortly after receiving the pentecostal power of the Holy Spirit, spoke strongly of the pouring out of latter-rain power just prior to Christs second coming. Notice Peters word: And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers. But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled. Repent ye 19
therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; and he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you. (Acts 3:1720) Peter looked to the time when our sins will be blotted out from the book of record, in which is kept an accurate account of our sins. Many Christians mistakenly believe that our sins are erased, blotted out, from Gods book of record when we repent of them. But this is not so. The times of refreshing referred to by Peter point to the refreshing drops of the latter rain to which the Old Testament prophets pointed their readers. The words of Peter reveal that this blotting out transpires not at repentance but just prior to the Second Coming, when God sends Jesus Christ to the earth at the end of time. The prophet Ezekiel declared that a former believer who returns to his evil ways will pay the penalty for his past sins. But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die. (Ezekiel 18:24) Thus their former righteousness, including, unquestionably, their repentance of sins in the past, shall not be mentioned. Thus while forgiveness is accorded us when we sincerely repent, the blotting out of those sins from the book of record only occurs if we endure in fidelity to Christ until the end. This occurs in the judgment of the last days. Satan is an astute theologian. He has, no doubt, been studying Scripture ever since God inspired Moses to commence writing the first books of the Holy Bible. Not only has Satan had 3500 years to focus his sharp mind upon this body of revelation in order to encourage willing human servants to twist and pervert Gods inspired Word, but he has also watched 20
The Latter Rain
to discern the signs preceding Christs coming. He fully knows that this year, as you read this book, the coming of Christ is imminent. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. (Revelation 12:12) At the inception of the Christian church, the pentecostal power of the Holy Spirit was poured out in the hearts of about 120 devout people that day. This was the early rain. And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James. These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren. . . . The number of names together were about an hundred and twenty. (Acts 1:1315) At the end of time, the latter rain which shall be bestowed is designed to reap the final harvest of souls for Gods kingdom. Satan has carefully evaluated Gods plan as it has unfolded. It cannot be doubted that Satan, with his intellect greatly surpassing ours, is all too aware that Christ is coming soon. He well knows that Gods faithful remnant will go forth in latter-rain power to take Gods last and most impelling message of love, the three angels messages, to every inhabitant in the world. And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and 21
tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. (Revelation 14:612) For more details of this message, see our book The Everlasting Gospel. With such knowledge of the coming mighty power of the Holy Spirit, which will empower upright men and women to complete the work of destruction of his earthly kingdom, Satan is placing his great attack upon the personage of the Holy Spirit. Such an attack was inevitable, and it is understandable that we should thus find it within the most faithful elements of the Christian church. Since the last decade of the twentieth century, the attempted destruction of the third person of the Godhead has gathered momentum. One man who has soared to prominence in the promotion of this error, Allen Stump of Jamaica, has used numerous artifices in his book, The Foundation of Our Faith, in order to sustain his thesis. New Zealand evangelist Austin P. Cooke (born 1917), who was still preaching and lecturing around Australia and New Zealand at the age of ninety-one, has comprehensively 22
The Latter Rain
answered Stumps book in his monograph, Stump Uprooted (a Waymarks Publication, Mount Tamborine, Queensland, Australia). We have counsel to any Christian who is impressed by the presentation of a doctrine new to them. It is so easy to be swayed by the eloquence of the orator and to place our spiritual emotions on the side of the presenter and his arguments. It is true that God may be directing the hearers attention to a message from God that was previously unknown to the listener. On the other hand, in order to introduce error and deceive Christs church, Satan uses gifted presenters who are highly skilled in speaking and writing. Before accepting new concepts, we urge our readers to place aside the oratory and/or the literary skills of the one who brings this new message and sit down with the Word of God, seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and re-study the subject from this source of truth. Many will be spared a dangerous adventure into scriptural error if this course is followed. If that which has been heard or read is pure truth, it will shine all the more gloriously and attract the mind more forcibly if this policy is followed. But if, stripped of oral eloquence and literary brilliance, it is found to be barren of scriptural evidence, then much harm to the soul will be escaped. Let us ever remember that All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. (2 Timothy 3:16) Remember that error is never harmless, it always diminishes our relationship with God. Truth is profitable for doctrine! Truth is profitable for reproof! Truth is profitable for instruction! Truth is profitable for instruction in righteousness! As truth is profitable for our spiritual walk with Christ, error is damaging to our progress along the narrow path which leads to life eternal. Remember that . . . narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. (Matthew 7:14) 23
We fear that those who reject the personage of the Holy Spirit are in danger of grieving this member of the Godhead and that through that rejection they will not be able to receive the promptings of the Holy Spirit. We have seen churches split in two by this error. We have found, in general, that the proponents are exceedingly aggressive in their zeal and that in any discussion, such discussion is usually one-sided, as the proponent talks over the top of the responder. That the latter-rain power is soon to be poured out upon faithful servants of God by the Holy Spirit, cannot be doubted. Uncontrollable terrorism, terrible natural disasters, the advent of new diseases capable of wiping out the lives of millions, immorality of every type, even among millions of professing Christians, famines in a world that produces an excess of food, widespread drug abuse, child abuse, abortion, and domestic violence, disregard of the sanctity of marriage, and many other signs are shouting Christs return in our ears. This is a time as never before to open our hearts to the presence of the Holy Spirit. Our prayer is that each reader will seek such power in his or her life. Let each of us earnestly seek the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. (Ephesians 5:2627) A pure and holy church can only be such if its individual members each follow Peters counsel. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. (2 Peter 3:14)
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Chapter 4
The Comforter
ODS chosen church following the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt was the Jewish church. Sadly, they repeatedly despised the guidance of the Holy Spirit and thus were left without the divine Comforter. The prophet Jeremiah bewailed this fact. Jerusalem hath grievously sinned; therefore she is removed: all that honoured her despise her, because they have seen her nakedness: yea, she sigheth, and turneth backward. Her filthiness is in her skirts; she remembereth not her last end; therefore she came down wonderfully: she had no comforter. O Lord, behold my affliction: for the enemy hath magnified himself. (Lamentations 1:89) Even Jeremiah, himself, in his distress concerning the prevailing sins of his people, felt the loss of the Holy Spirit from his own heart. For these things I weep; mine eye, mine eye runneth down with water, because the comforter that should relieve my soul is far from me: my children are desolate, because the enemy prevailed. Zion spreadeth forth her hands, and there is none to comfort her: the Lord hath commanded concerning Jacob, that his adversaries should be round about him: Jerusalem is as a menstruous woman among them. (Lamentations 1:1617) 25
When Judah departed from the Holy Spirits guidance, their woes found none other to bring comfort. The Apostle John identified the Comforter in four passages of his gospel. Christ had made a remarkable promise to His disciples: Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. (John 14:12) Could it be possible that human beings could undertake a greater work than Christ did during His earthly sojourn? Of course, in the provision through His shed blood on Calvary, the answer is an ear-shattering No! However, we here see Christ speaking not to a single individual, but to a body of sanctified men who, with other converts filled with the Holy Spirit, would take the message of salvation to the ends of the earth. Encumbered by the limitations of humanity, Christ confined His ministry to Galilee and Judah and a few adjacent territories. Of course, there are those who have created the fiction that Christ went to various regions far from the territory to which Scripture attests, such as India and North America, but this speculation is bogus and is quite contrary to the scriptural record. Writing to the church in Colosse, situated in present-day Turkey, somewhere between 60 and 65 AD1, Paul declared that the gospel had been preached by evangelistic Christians to every corner of the world. Ponder Pauls words: If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister. (Colossians 1:23) This should not surprise us. When the disciples asked Christ when Jerusalem would be destroyed, He informed them that
1. The Reece Chronological Bible (Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House, 1977), p. 1527.
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The Comforter
. . . this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. (Matthew 24:14) Virtually all historians are united in dating the Roman destruction of Jerusalem at 70 AD. Jerusalem, September 8, 70 [AD]. After four years of bloody warfare, the Jewish revolt against Roman domination has been crushed. Jerusalem has been destroyed and, with it, the Temple, the holiest of all Jewish places. (Chronicle of the World, Longman, London, 1989, p. 218.) Thus Paul was simply affirming that Christs prophecy had been fulfilled. What had empowered such a rapid spread of the gospel worldwide? The answer was the bestowing of the Holy Spirit in mighty power on the day of Pentecost in 31 AD, on the fiftieth day after Christs resurrection. And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2:14) Imagine the impelling power of the Holy Spirit during the first three decades of the Christian era. The disciples and their converts possessed no rapid form of transport. The use of their feet, the horse or donkey, and the sail were the main means of travel in that age. They possessed not a single printing press by which they could rapidly print Scripture and other Christian materials. No electronic means of spreading the gospel 27
message was available. Word of mouth alone sufficed. Further, there were no language schools or universities in which they could be assisted in acquiring the language skills essential for the spread of Gods truth. But the power of Pentecost provided the fire in their hearts and minds which impelled this fulfillment of prophecy. We met a Christian missionary to Papua-New Guinea, Pastor Lester Hawkes, who discovered two isolated tribes in that nation who were still setting aside the seventh day of the week, our Saturday, as a day of rest from labor. Undoubtedly this was a relic from the worldwide apostolic outreach, for in apostolic times the fourth commandment which specifies this day to be set aside for worship was still upheld. The apostles acknowledged no alteration of the Sabbath to Sunday, the first day of the week. That was a later substitution. That Christ arose on Sunday is beyond dispute, but we have searched the entire New Testament without discovering a mandate altering the Sabbath, the seventh day of the week, to Sunday. The apostles also, manifestly, had received no such mandate from Heaven. The fourth commandment is specific.1 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy
1. The non-Scriptural focus on Sunday-worship in Christianity in the twenty-first century dates not from apostolic times but from the fourth century AD when, following his proclaimed conversion to Christianity, Emperor Constantine introduced certain pagan practices into the faith. This included the worship day of pagan sun-worshippers, Sunday. As with the entry of other pagan practices, a veneer of Christianity was ascribed to the pagan practice. In this case the day of Christs resurrection was utilized. If the Sabbath day was alterable by mans command, then we could just as easily cite the day of Christs crucifixion, Friday, and uplift that day as the weekly day of special worship. Some might even suggest Thursday for this purpose, as the day in which the communion service was inaugurated. Of course, neither of these days, any more than the resurrection day, replace Gods Sabbath day, which was inaugurated on the seventh day of creation week, thus testifying that it was not a holy day specified for Jews only. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. (Genesis 2:23)
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The Comforter
manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. (Exodus 20:811) In his hallmark history of Christian evangelization in the early Christian era, Truth Triumphant (Pacific Press Publishing Association, Mountain View, California, 1944), Dr. Benjamin George Wilkinson (18721968), president of Columbia Union College (19361946), documented peoples in numerous nations on earth who, through their Sabbath-keeping, evidenced the widespread work of the gospel commission upon the continents of the world. Wilkinson has documented Sabbath-keeping in nations as far apart as Armenia, Bulgaria, China, England, Ethiopia, France, Greece, India, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Mongolia, Scotland, Spain, Syria and Wales in the first millennium of the Christian era. These continued the biblical directive written in the Ten Commandments by the finger of God and the later apostolic practice, handed down to the disciples by Christ.1 Paul confirmed the fulfillment of the ceremonial law, which included circumcision and the feast days pointing to Christs ministry and sacrifice on earth and which was written by the hand of Moses under the direction of God, and that obedience to it was no longer a duty for Christians. Nevertheless, he upheld the Ten Commandments, which were written by Gods own hand. Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God. (1 Corinthians 7:19) John also uplifted the commandments in his inspired writings. And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth
1. See our book The Lords DayMoral Decay, Evolution and Threat to Liberty for a fuller account.
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not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning. (1 John 2:37) And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us. (1 John 3:2224) By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. (1 John 5:23) And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it. (2 John 1:6) And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. (Revelation 12:17) Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. (Revelation 14:12) 30
The Comforter
Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. (Revelation 22:14) Our own experience and reading has confirmed that the Sabbath was kept inviolate where Christianity went in apostolic times. When Islam arose in the seventh century, the fierce Muslim hoards brutally restrained the rapidly developing Roman apostates from spreading their false Sunday-keeping to Africa and most of Asia. So when Marco Polo traveled to China he found Christians who did not follow the pope and who kept the seventh day as their Sabbath. When Vasco da Gama, the Portuguese adventurer, went to the west coast of India at the end of the fifteenth century, he also found seventh-day Sabbath-keeping Christians who had descended from the converts of the Apostle Thomas. Seventh-day keeping Christians were also found in Ethiopia. During the inquisition in Guatemala, Sabbath-keeping Christians were burned at the stake. Colin has been to that location and read the English inscription. Colin also saw the large obelisk south of Bristol, England, declaring that Joseph of Arimathaea had taken Christianity to that region. While Colin was preaching in Fiji in the South Pacific, two Fijians assured him that there were those in that Pacific nation who worshiped on the seventh day of the week long before Europeans came to those islands. Inscribed on the mountains of the state of New Mexico, in the United States, is carved the Ten Commandments in the ancient Phoenician language. The Holy Spirit filled Gods people with pentecostal power in order that they could complete the enormous task of informing the entire world that the price for our sins in the death of our Saviour had been accomplished. Similarly, just prior to the closing of human probation, under latter-rain power, the entire population of the world will be warned of the imminence of Christs return. That pentecostal power, provided by the Holy Ghost, was powerfully demonstrated by Peter and the other ten remaining apostles at that time. 31
And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. 5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. 6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. 7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? 8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? 9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, 10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. 12 And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this? (Acts 2:412)
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This gift of tongues did not parallel the current glossolalia which is commonly practiced in Pentecostal churches and is said to indicate that the Holy Spirit has filled the hearts of those who evidence this strange form of prayer. Notice the passage of Scripture cited above. The record of Gods Word plainly states that every man heard the disciples speak in the language of the hearers (verse 6), in their own native tongues (verse 8). These were all spoken languages of the various nations of the earth, not a form of gibberish.1
1. Many sincere Pentecostal believers point to 1 Corinthians chapter 14 in order to find confirmation for their use of glossolalia. This chapter, which uses the term tongues or tongue each on eight occasions, is interpreted to refer to glossolalia. However, it should be understood in the clear meaning of the words as set forth in Acts chapter 2, where it specifically refers to the native language of the individual. Christ never used such a form of prayer. When He was provided the opportunity to teach us to pray, Christs words were clear; He provided us The Lords Prayer, found in Matthew 6:913. Never did He advocate or countenance glossolalia. This is a form of pagan worship. His disciples ministry took them to present Christianity to Buddhists and Hindus in Southeast Asia and India. We do well to follow His example.
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The Comforter
No doubt those Jews of the Diaspora, who had made a pilgrimage from all over the world and who were converted and baptized, returned from their ancestral homeland fired by zeal for their Lord and filled with the Holy Spirit to spread the gospel message in their home localities. Pentecostal power was mighty! Latter-rain power, soon to be poured out upon Christs genuine followers, will even surpass that of Pentecost! It is the Holy Spirit whom Christ referred to as the Comforter. Not only is the Holy Spirit our Comforter, but He is the One who convicts our minds of the gospel truth. Consider again Johns first reference to the Comforter, quoting the great promise of Christ: And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. (John 14:1618) Once more we see that the plain promise clearly indicates that the Holy Spirit is distinct from Christ. He is another Comforter. He leads into all truth. This fact is also emphasized on other occasions in this three-chapter discourse on the Holy Spirit found in John, chapters 14, 15, and 16 (see John 14:17; 15:26; 16:7, 12). This matter should not be overlooked in this age when the truth as set forth in the doctrines of the Bible is being severely diluted. For some reason, the cry, Preach Christ and not doctrine has an appeal to halfhearted Christians of the twenty-first century. The ecumenical movement bears a very heavy responsibility for this de-emphasis on doctrine. We would reply, You can never know Christ if the doctrines are ignored. Such a Christian is left with no substantial knowledge of the Saviour. Christ, to those who ignore biblical doctrine, remains a being without genuine substance, a being we scarcely know. How could we learn of Christ and His salvation if we ignore the doctrine of salvation in which Christ is our Sacrifice, our Redeemer, our Substitute? 33
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5) Would we know Christ more thoroughly if we ignored the doctrine of the state of man in death? Is He not the One who is the Resurrection and the Life; the One in whose hand our heavenly destiny rests? And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the sabbath. (John 5:9) Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. (John 11:25) How can we study the doctrine of baptism without centering on the One who was baptized as our Example? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him. (Matthew 3:1516) Further, no true believer can explore the doctrine of Christ without uplifting Him as the One who shed His blood for us. How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? (Hebrews 9:14) 34
The Comforter
True Sabbath-keeping, as a doctrine, would be meaningless if we did not see the centrality of Christ as the Lord of the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath. (Mark 2:28) The doctrine of Creation must ever center upon Christ, the Creator of all. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. (John 1:3) We offer more examples. The doctrine of the Second Coming would be empty if no mention was made of the fact that it is Christ who will return to take His faithful to heaven. At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus, and said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead; and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him. For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias sake, his brother Philips wife. (Matthew 14:13) The doctrine of the work of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary, set forth so extensively in the book of Hebrews, would be meaningless if we ignored the One who is our heavenly High Priest. Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. (Hebrews 8:12) Every doctrine not only centers upon Christ but illuminates our knowledge of Him and expands our love for Him. This is the reason why Paul 35
constantly emphasized true doctrine, which the Holy Spirit brings to our minds as we study the Word of God. Over half the New Testament books specifically emphasize doctrine. All teach it. Especially in his letters to two young pastors, Timothy and Titus, does Paul exhort them to emphasize true doctrine and eschew false doctrine. (See 1 Timothy 1:3, 10; 4:6, 13, 16; 5:17; 6:1, 3; 2 Timothy 3:10, 16; 4:3; Titus 1:9; 2:1, 7, 10.) The reason that Paul exhorted ministers of the gospel so frequently to emphasize sound doctrine was his concern that the truth of Jesus, as revealed through the Holy Spirit, should be well understood. He also had a second reason. Paul knew the devastation of faith that would result from the reception of false doctrine, and the Holy Spirit warned him that especially in the last days Gods professed people would substitute doctrines of devils for the true doctrines of Christ. Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron. (1 Timothy 4:12) For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. (2 Timothy 4:34) Clearly, when Christ informed us that the Holy Spirit would lead us into all truth (John 16:13), He was promising infallible guidance as we seek the Holy Spirit to enlighten our otherwise dull minds. This matter is emphasized repeatedly in the gospel of John. But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me. (John 15:26) 36
The Comforter
In a further insight concerning the Holy Spirit, our Comforter, John noted Christs words: Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they believe not on me; of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more. (John 16:710) We are well aware that Christ, while on earth, had forfeited His divine omnipresence. He could only be in one location at any time. The above passage strongly suggests that Christ, even after His resurrection, had forfeited this characteristic, which from eternity He had shared with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Thus there was a need for Him to send the Holy Spirit to minister on His behalf to the billions of people upon this planet. Indeed, the Holy Spirit is the vicar of Christ upon earth. No minister, priest, prelate, or pope can ever justly make such a claim. Since the Holy Spirit is omnipresent in the universe, He is simultaneously with both us and Christ and can instantly know Christs will for us and convey our petitions to our Saviour. Little wonder it is that Christ named the Holy Ghost as our Comforter. Once again Christ identified the Comforter as our guide to truth. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. (John 16:13) The Holy Spirit also conveys Christs glory to us. He [the Holy Spirit] shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you. (John 16:1415) 37
We return to John, chapter 14, to conclude this chapter of our book. Let us examine the following passage: But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I. And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe. (John 14:2629) There is much of interest, instruction, and encouragement in this passage of the Word of God. We notice that our heavenly Father sends the Holy Ghost. This statement is clear. The Holy Spirit is sent by God. He is not the power of God; He is distinct from the Father. It is the Holy Spirit who enlightens our minds as we prayerfully search the Scriptures. It is He who reminds us of that which we have faithfully studied when required in times of need. It is through the Holy Spirit that Christ conveys His peace to our hearts, casting out all fear. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. (1 John 4:1718) Manifestly, the Holy Spirit conveys Christs love to us and imparts it to our own soul. How we should love our fellow men! Notice Johns subsequent words: 38
The Comforter
We love him, because he first loved us. If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also. (1 John 4:1921) If all mankind were to invite the Holy Spirit into their hearts, what a wonderful world we would inhabit! Of course, such a dream will never be fulfilled on this earth. It is little wonder that we thirst for Heaven and the New Earth, where this ideal will be realized. Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. (2 Peter 3:13) Praise and gratitude arise in our hearts for the Comforter.
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Chapter 5
Three Churches
HOUGH all major religious groups have serious splits which develop great animosity, none of the so-called great faiths of the world is as fragmented as Christianity. Even in this age of unprecedented ecumenism, there are thousands of Christian denominations and groups, promoting such a plethora of varied doctrines and shades of doctrine that it is likely that no author could ever succeed in cataloging them all. In 1995, Robert Humphreys and Dr. Rowland Ward published the third edition of a book entitled Religious Bodies in AustraliaA Comprehensive Guide, published by New Melbourne Press, Wantirna, Victoria, Australia. It is likely that the average Australian could not name more than ten different Christian denominations in Australia. But Humphreys and Ward listed 213. Dr. Ward is a minister of the Presbyterian Church of Eastern Australia. Although in 1977 the Presbyterians in Australia united with the Methodists and Congregationalists to form the Uniting Church of Australia, this hallmark ecumenical initiative did not reduce the number of denominations in Australia by two with the merging of these three denominations. In fact, in 1995, Humphreys and Ward listed three continuing Congregational denominations, a continuing Wesleyan Methodist Church of Australia and the Bible Methodist Church, and no less than twenty distinct Presbyterian denominations. Of course, when Humphreys and Ward listed the 213 Christian churches, they undoubtedly seriously underestimate the number, for other distinct churches were lumped together under headings such as Other Pentecostal Churches, Other Conservative Seventh-day Adventist Groups, and Home Churches. The ecumenical movement notwithstanding, the Christian church is ever in a state of continuing fragmentation. Humphreys and 40
Three Churches
Ward listed eleven distinct Roman Catholic denominations in Australia, twenty-three Eastern Orthodox, twelve Lutheran, forty-nine Pentecostal, seven Baptist, thirteen Sabbath-keeping Adventist, and many more. In the United States a similar compilation of the various Christian denominations would extend to many thousands. Each one of these churches claim the guidance of the Holy Spirit in their midst. Yet Scripture, at the end-time, indicates that there will be, in general terms, only three classes of churches in existence. These are: 1. The antichrist Christian church; 2. The false prophet Christian church; and 3. The remnant (or pure woman) Christian church. In only one of these churches is the Holy Spirit guidingthe remnant Christian church. All professing Christians must strive to be part of the remnant Christian church, for this church alone, is approved of God. The other two are counterfeits. Yet in terms of number of adherents, the remnant church is by far the smallest and the antichrist church is the largest. Almost without exception, the leaders of the Protestant Reformation, using careful biblical criteria, identified the Roman Catholic Church as the antichrist church. Most of these reformers were, themselves, Roman Catholic clerics. We cite just a few with their denominational backgrounds:
Reformer John Wycliffe (13201384) John Huss (13691415) Jerome of Prague (died 1416) Martin Luther (14831546) Huldreich Zwingli (14841531) Guillaume Farel (14891565) William Tyndale (14921536) Philipp Melanchthon (14971560) John Calvin (15001564) John Knox (15051572) John Wesley (17031791) Ellen White (18271915) Church Roman Catholic Roman Catholic Roman Catholic Roman Catholic Roman Catholic Roman Catholic Roman Catholic Roman Catholic Roman Catholic Roman Catholic Anglican Methodist Nationality English Czech Czech German Swiss French English German French Scotch English American
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These twelve reformers took massive steps away from the thoroughly corrupted faith of the Christian church of the Dark and Middle Ages. Step by step, they expunged pagan concepts which dominated clerical thinking and principles, opening pure, holy biblical principles before the people. Wycliffe, Huss, and Jerome never severed their connections with the church of Rome, but each established within the Christian community, despite fierce opposition from Rome, principles of genuine faith. Huss, Jerome, and Tyndale all yielded up their lives as martyrs for Christ. They claimed Gods promise: . . . be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. (Revelation 2:10) Wycliffe, the morning star of the Reformation, introduced Scripture back into the Christian church. The Holy Spirit worked in the hearts of men and women through the Word of God. Luther opened the truth of Christs justifying grace to mankind and severed his connection with the antichrist church. So too did Zwingli, Farel, Tyndale, Calvin, Knox, and Melanchthon, the last of whom had served as professor of theology at Tbingen Seminary (the same seminary where the present Pope Benedict XVI once taught). William Tyndale, at the cost of his life, translated the Bible from pure Hebrew and Greek Manuscripts. These men uplifted the glorious truth of justification by faith. John Wesley, guided by the Holy Spirit, in the eighteenth century reintroduced the biblical principle of Christian character perfection, including sanctification and holiness, a principle mandated by Scripture as a prerequisite in the hearts of Christians before the final work of salvation can be completed and Christ can return to gather His faithful flock of all ages into their heavenly home. Wesleys ministry came at a crucial time in the history of Christianity when the fire of the Protestant Reformation was losing its purity and energy. He was the first major Reformer to be raised in a Protestant home, for his father was a devout pastor of the Church of England, preaching essentially Protestant principles. In the nineteenth century, God chose a reformer who differed in three major ways from His previous selections. For the first time God sought a 42
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reformer from a continent other than the continent of Europe. He chose a woman in such a role for the first time since the biblical prophetess-reformers Miriam, around 1500 BC (see Exodus 15:20); Deborah, thirteenth century BC (see Judges 4:4); Huldah, seventh century BC (see 2 Kings 22:14); Anna, first century BC (see Luke 2:36); and the four daughters of Philip the deacon, first century AD (see Acts 21:8, 9). Thirdly, Ellen White was the only significant reformer who had not received a theological training or taken holy orders from the post-apostolic times. The Holy Spirit guided her to the enunciation of the greatest body of biblical truth in the Christian era after the apostles. All these reformers declared the papacy to be the antichrist church of prophecy. We illustrate. John Wycliffe In the year 1378 there were two competing popesUrban VI and Clement VII. John Wycliffe wrote, The fiend no longer reigns in one, but in two priests, that men, in Christs name, may the more easily overcome them both. Now . . . is antichrist divided, and one part fights against the other. (Cited by Emma H. Adams, John Wycliffe, [Oakland, California: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1890], p. 9192.) Martin Luther There sits the Man, of whom the Apostle Paul wrote (2 Thessalonians 2:34) that he will oppose and exalt himself above all that is called Godthat Man of Sin, that Son of Perdition. . . . He suppresses the Law of God and exalts his commandments above the commandments of God. (Cited by LeRoy Froom, The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers [Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publ. Assoc., 1948], vol. 2, p. 281.) 43
We here are of the conviction that the papacy is the seat of the true and real antichrist. (Ibid., p. 256.) Philipp Melanchthon It is most manifest, and true without any doubt, that the Roman pontiff, with his whole order and kingdom, is very Antichrist. . . . Likewise, in 2 Thessalonians 2, Paul clearly says that the man of sin will rule in the church exalting himself above the worship of God. (Cited by Froom, The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 2, 288) John Calvin I deny him [the pope] to be the vicar of Christ, who, in furiously persecuting the gospel, demonstrates by his conduct that he is AntichristI deny him to be the . . . head of the church. (John Calvin, Tracts and Treatises, vol. 1, 219) John Knox In his first sermon in the latter place [the parish church of St. Andrews, 1547] he [Knox] struck the keynote of the Reformation in his native land. The Church of Rome, said he, is the Antichrist of Scripture. (J. A. Wylie, The History of Protestantism, bk. 24, ch. 4) John Wesley The pope has an indisputable claim to those titles [the man of sin, the son of perdition]. He is, in an emphatical 44
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sense, the man of sin. (Wesley, Commentary on the Bible, notes on 2 Thessalonians 2:3.) Ellen White The man of sin, which is also styled the mystery of iniquity, the son of perdition, and that wicked, represents the papacy, which, as foretold in prophecy, was to maintain its supremacy for 1260 years. (The Great Controversy, p. 356) The term antichrist(s) is cited only five times in Scripture, all in the epistles of John. These statements are as follows: Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. (1 John 2:18) Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son. (1 John 2:22) And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. (1 John 4:3) For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. (2 John 1:7) We glean the following facts from these passages: 1. The work of the antichrist in its incipient form had commenced in apostolic times. This is not surprising for the ultimate anti45
christ, Satan, well knew that his mortal enemy was the Christian church. 2. The antichrist denies both the Father and the Son. 3. The antichrist denies that Christ came in the flesh. Why did these reformers all teach that the papacy is the antichrist? Does the Roman Catholic Church deny the Father and the Son? It is unquestioned that the Roman Catholic Church does uplift the Father and the Son in their theological presentations. Were these reformers, then, amiss in their aligning the Roman Catholic Church with the antichrist? Certainly not! We have documented in this series that while the Roman Catholic Church freely speaks of the three members of the Godhead, the characteristics ascribed to these deities are contrary to Scripture. (See volumes 1 and 2 of this seriesOur Heavenly Father in the Age of Terrorism and Our SaviourHuman or Divine?, respectively. Our heavenly Father is set forth by the Roman Catholic Church as a vengeful God who requires the presence of Christs earthly mother, Mary, to calm His rage against us. By contrast, the Bible reveals our Father as a God of love (see 1 John 4:8, 16). Christ, too, is shamefully demeaned by Roman Catholic theology, claiming that priests can create His body and blood and sacrifice Him at will. Further, our Saviours mediatorial work is effectively appropriated to priests and saints. In this are the Father and the Son denied. Roman Catholics certainly believe that Christ came to this earth 2000 years ago as a man. How, then, did the reformers dare to align the fact that the antichrist denies that Christ came in the flesh with the papacy? Of all the reformers, Mrs. White most ably understood this matter. As we documented in the second volume of this series, she understood that Christ possessed the fallen flesh of humanity, not the unfallen flesh of Adam and Eve prior to their fall. It is in this matter that the papacy denies the correct human nature of Christ, for Scripture is perfectly clear on this matter. Some may suggest that the evidence that the Roman Catholic faith is the antichrist is rather flimsy and that the Protestant Reformers simply seized upon this pejorative term in order to defame the papacy. 46
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However, this assumption is incorrect. The reformers well understood that Scripture used six synonyms for the antichrist, which markedly expanded the criteria for the identification of the antichrist. Seeking to test the validity of these synonyms for the identification of the antichrist we, possibly for the first time, set out, in the form of a table, the overlapping of the criteria found in these various synonyms. Upon completing this work we were left in absolutely no doubt that the reformers had perceptively drawn a correct conclusion. The table which we placed in our book, The Popes Letter and Sunday Laws, p. 84, is reproduced on the following page.1 It is highly significant that some of the early church Fathers in the Roman Catholic church pinpointed the future antichrist. Of course, these early Fathers did not understand that these insights were identifying the future direction of the church that they loyally served. Representative writings of these thought leaders of the early Christian church are cited below as cited by Samuel Cassels in his book Christ and Antichrist (1846): Tertullian (155222): [He spoke about the future breakup of the Roman Empire,] whose separation into ten kingdoms will bring on antichrist. [The division of the Roman Empire was not completed until AD 476.] Cyril of Jerusalem (315386): There will arise at the same time ten kings of the Romans in different places indeed, but reigning all of them at the same time. But after them the eleventh will be Antichrist, who, through magical wickedness, will seize the power of the Romans. [The papacy not only took Rome as the seat of its authority, but even took the title of Pontifex Maximus from pagan Rome for its supreme bishop, the pope.]
1. We have dealt extensively with this subject in our books Antichrist Is Here; The Popes Letter and Sunday Laws; Two Beasts, Three Deadly Wounds and Fifteen Popes; and The Rapture and the Antichrist.
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Shared Characteristics of Symbols of the Beast
Antichrist
Beast of Revelation 17 The Whore Rev. 17:6, Rev. 17:6 13, 14 Rev. 17:3 Rev. 17:8 Rev. 17:1
1 Jn. 2:22 Rev. 19:20 1 Jn. 2:22; 4:3, 4 2 Jn. 7 Rev. 13:14 Rev. 13:8 Rev. 14:8 Rev. 18:10
Man of Sin/Son of Perdition/ That Little Horn Wicked Persecutes the Saints; Dan. 7:19 2 Th. 2:4 Opposes True Worship 21, 25 Possesses Power 1260 Years Dan. 7:25 Blasphemes and Opposes Dan. 7:8, 25 2 Th. 2:4 God Destroyed / Dominion Removed at the End of the Dan. 7:26 2 Th. 2:8 World Beast of Revelation 13 Babylon Rev. 13:7, Rev. 18:24 15, 17 Rev. 13:5 Rev. 13:1, 5, 6 2 Th. 2:3, 10, 11
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2 Th. 2:12 1 Jn. 2:25, 28 2 Th. 2:9 2 Th. 2:4 Rev. 16:1, 2, 19 Rev. 15:2, 3; 20:4 Rev. 13:2 Rev. 13:34, 8
A Deceptive Power
Possesses Power Over the World
Rev. 17:18 Rev. 17:1517 Rev. 18:4 Rev. 18:2 Rev. 17:8 Rev. 17:8
Rev. 17:12
Retribution for All Who Worship the Beast
Rev. 14:8; 18:3 Rev. 14:9 11; 16:19; 18:6-7
Those Who Reject the Beast Dan. 7:27 Will Be Saved Satan Motivates the Beast The World Wonders After and Worships the Beast
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Jerome (347420): Says the apostle [Paul in the second epistle to the Thessalonians], Unless the Roman Empire should first be desolated, and antichrist precede, Christ will not come. Augustine, Bishop of Hippo (540604): It can be doubted by none, but that he (Paul) speaks these things concerning Antichrist, and that the day of judgment will not come, unless he first appear. Pope Gregory the Great (Gregory I) (Pope 590604): I say confidently therefore, that whosoever calls himself universal bishop, or even desires in his pride to be called such, is the forerunner of Antichrist. Scripture, inspired by the Holy Ghost, is quite specificthe antichrist power will not finally return to the pure faith of Christ. Referring to the antichrist in its synonym, the beast (of Revelation 13), Scripture tragically attests concerning the final destruction of sinners, And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. (Revelation 20:10) We recommend our other books, listed above, together with another, The Rapture, The End-Time and the Millennium, for a comprehensive biblical evaluation of the antichrist Christian church. The use of the Greek idiom ever and ever, meaning until utterly obliterated is explained in these two books. Scripture is perfectly plain, the wicked will be destroyed. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16) 49
And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power. (2 Thessalonians 1:79) And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. (Revelation 20:9) The False Prophet Church In Revelation 20:10, cited above, the false prophet church is seen to be doomed to the same fate as the antichrist church. Clearly this church is distinct from the antichrist church, for it would be a redundancy to mention it in the same sentence if it were identical. The term false prophet is used by the Christian physician, Luke, in his account of the history of the early Christian church in the book of Acts. And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus. (Acts 13:6) It is ironic that the sorcerer fathers name was Jesus, thus his surname Bar-Jesus. Paphos was a city on the west coast of Cyprus and was the capital of the Roman senatorial province of Cyprus. Elymas Bar-Jesus was roundly condemned by the Apostle Paul. But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith. Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled 50
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with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him, and said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand. (Acts 13:811) This incident clearly did not relate to the false prophet church, for this man was a Jew and not a professing Christian. He was a single individual and not a church. The false prophet church is only revealed in the book of Revelation, where it is cited three times. Chapter 16 of Revelation introduces the false prophet church in its account of the sixth of the seven catastrophic plagues to fall upon the earth just prior to Christs coming: And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. (Revelation 16:13) The sixth plague describes the fearful battle of Armageddon. The false prophet church comes to view with two other evil entitiesthe dragon and the beast. We have already identified the beast as a synonym of the antichrist church. Before identifying the third of these unclean spirits it must be understood that these three are unclean spirits because they are devoid of the Holy Spirit, rather possessing the spirit of Satan. They are Satans most effective agencies in the world just prior to Christs return. Normally, prophets are servants of God, for only God knows the future. The biblical prophets were inspired by the Holy Spirit. But clearly false prophets are not servants of God. They serve Satan. While Satan does not possess the divine attribute of absolute and entirely accurate foreknowledge, at times he can correctly guess the future, which provides a degree 51
of credibility to the prophecies of his human servants. He has two means by which he gathers foreknowledge. First of all, he is a shrewd student of biblical prophecy. This is a source of infallible accuracy available to him. Secondly, he and his supporting evil angels possess unseen access to the counsels of men and governments. In this manner he can learn of many initiatives planned in supposed secrecy before they are implemented. This second source is not entirely accurate, for many well-laid plans are later modified prior to implementation as circumstances change. The first of these unclean spirits, the dragon, primarily refers to Satan. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. (Revelation 12:9) And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years. (Revelation 20:2) Since all three evil spirits are motivated by Satan, the term dragon in this passage certainly refers to agencies often presented in Scripture as nations upholding and enforcing the devils principles. In the past such nations included Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, and the Roman Empire (see Daniel, chapters 2, 7 and 8). Today many such nations exist. These include those countries which currently are imposing starvation upon their own citizens in an age when there is an excess of food available in the world. They also include states which promote and pursue acts of terrorism, military aggression, and gross injustice. Such governments are not uplifting Christs principles. It is clear from Revelation 16:13 that this situation will be universal during the period of the seven last plagues which are poured out just prior to Christs coming. Let us identify the third evil spirit, the false prophet. We are assisted in this identification by the other two passages of Scripture which refer to this evil entity. We quote the first of these: 52
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And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. (Revelation 19:1920) In these verses we see the final destruction of the wicked, which occurs following the conclusion of the millennium.1 It is clear that at this time the three unclean spirits of the sixth plague, referred to here as the beast, the kings of the earth (that is the governments) and the false prophet, are destroyed. This passage clearly provides confirmation that the dragon of Revelation 16:13 represents political entities, for in this companion passage of Scripture (Revelation 19:19) the term kings of the earth is substituted for the term dragon in Revelation 16:13. The final destruction of the unrepentant wicked, both angelic and human, is recorded also in the twentieth chapter of Revelation. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. (Revelation 20:10) The significance that the political entities are omitted in this final passage should not be lost upon the reader. It is not mere happenstance. The Holy Spirit did not inspire Scripture in such a manner. This must be a deliberate omission designed by the Holy Spirit. Why? we may well ask. The answer is found in Revelation, chapter 13, where the worlds last two superpowers are set forththe antichrist church (verses 110) and the false prophet church, the latter being represented by its most powerful proponent, the United States (verses 1118). Chapter 13 of Revelation
1. See our book The Rapture, The End-Time and the Millennium for full scriptural evidence.
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is fully elucidated in our book, Two Beasts, Three Deadly Wounds and Fifteen Popes (Rapidan, Virginia: Hartland Publications, 2008). Revelations symbolism of chapter 13 can apply to no other nation ever to appear on earth than the United States just prior to our Saviours second coming. As the superpower in the end times, America will employ religious persecution against all who do not worship according to its political will. Notice the plain words of the Bible. And he [the United States] had power to give life unto the image of the beast [the antichrist], that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. (Revelation 13:1517) The great issue at the end time will not be primarily political. Rather will it be dominantly religious. Revelation, chapter 13, presents the theme of worship on no less than five occasions (see verses 4 (twice), 8, 12, 15). It speaks of blasphemy four times (see verses 1, 5, 6 (twice)). Ominously, the power of this union of the antichrist and false prophet churches is fully emphasized seven times (see verses 2, 4, 5, 7, 12, 14, 15). However, the false power will be driven by political objectives. We witness today that no major political party can afford to ignore the religious pressures if it desires to control Congress. Clearly Revelation 20:10 omitted the political evil spirit because so united will be the church and state at the time of the final events upon this earth, and so dominant will be the church in formulating the policies of government, that political issues will merely subserve the dominant religious issues. Already the power of the religious right in American politics has risen to alarming proportions. Protestantism is already the mighty driving force of political decisions in the United States. The noble principle of the separation of church and 54
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state, firmly established in the first amendment of the United States Constitution, is rapidly dissipating as the church increasingly dominates the state. Thus the false prophet is undoubtedly Protestantism in an apostate condition. Never has Protestantism so dominated the state, yet never has it been so avid in promoting permissive sin in its midst. The revoking of judicial rights, the incarceration of individuals without charge or proper legal representation, the support for the process of rendition, where prisoners are handed over to nations where they will be subjected to torture, all bespeak of a Protestantism in apostasy. While certain moral principles are loudly proclaimed in America, never was sin so prevalent among church members. In most churches today, these sins pass largely unrebuked. This situation first became evident in Jerry Falwells Moral Majority. It continued with Pat Robertsons Christian Coalition. Then it became obvious that the false prophet was combining its effort with the beast in Evangelicals and Catholics Together and more recently Christian Churches Together. Each of these developments forged more deeply the deadly union of church and state. It is this end-time church which God roundly rebukes in these last days. But God still has saints in both the antichrist and the false prophet churches. The Holy Spirit is pleading with such souls today. Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. (2 Corinthians 6:1418) 55
And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. (Revelation 18:45) We write with only love in our hearts for the members of the antichrist and the false prophet churches. We honor the memories of our Roman Catholic, Lutheran and Methodist ancestors, many of whom were zealous, devout believers. But in these last days God calls all His faithful flock into His faithful church. The Remnant Church The remnant (pure woman) church is also set forth in Revelation. And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. (Revelation 12:17) In Scripture God frequently represents His pure church as a virgin. Speaking of the Christian church in Corinth, Paul wrote: For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. (2 Corinthians 11:2) An apostate church was frequently represented as an impure woman a whore or harlot. They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another mans, shall he return unto her again? shall not that land be greatly polluted? but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to me, saith the Lord. Lift up thine eyes unto the high places, 56
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and see where thou hast not been lien with. In the ways hast thou sat for them, as the Arabian in the wilderness; and thou hast polluted the land with thy whoredoms and with thy wickedness. (Jeremiah 3:12) In Revelation 12:17, above, we notice that Satan was wroth with the womanGods church. Here it is not specifically stated whether this woman is a spiritual virgin or harlot. However, the context removes all perplexity on this issue. It is manifestly a church professing a pure faith, for Satan is angry with it. Satan loves harlot churches; they are his best allies. This is the remnant church, represented by a pure woman, a church possessing the precious truths of Scripture. Scripture describes Gods church, professing a pure faith, to be spiritual Israel. And if ye be Christs, then are ye Abrahams seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3:29) Referring to the church as Israel, Paul synthesized the prophecies of Isaiah 1:9 and 10:22, 23 and stated an alarming fact. Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved: for he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth. And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha. (Romans 9:2729) It is evident that many even in the remnant church will be lost, for in the final days of this wicked earths history, only a remnant of the sand of the sea will be saved. In the end, though a large number today may profess a pure faith, the majority will be swept away by the apostasy around them, and only a small number, the remnant will remain and 57
live the pure faith in the power of the Holy Spirit. This is why the final phase of the church represented by a pure woman is also referred to as the remnant church. It is helpful in understanding this explanation when we examine the parable of the foolish virgins. Many pass lightly over the words of Jesus in describing the five foolish virgins. Like the wise virgins, the foolish are also described as virgins. This clearly means that they professed a pure faith. They had not been defiled with impure women; i.e. false teachings of apostate churches, but their lives had not been broken on the Rock, Christ Jesus; therefore, they had not received the Holy Spirits power. How tragic this will be! Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. (Matthew 25:112) Notice the two criteria upon which we can, through the Word of God, identify this wonderful remnant church. It is incredible that this church will be identified among the thousands of professing Christian churches as the faithful remnant church by two criteria alone. 58
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And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. (Revelation 12:17) 1. Its adherents keep the commandments of God, and 2. They possess the testimony of Jesus. In chapter 10 of this book we will demonstrate that one church alone fulfills these two criteria. It is crucial to our salvation that we know the identity of this church. Later we will demonstrate that the mysterious company of 144,000 referred to in Revelation 7:18 and 14:15 is identical to the remnant church at the close of human probation.
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Chapter 6
The Ecumenical Holy Spirit
N order to achieve its aim of uniting all Christian denominations into a single Christian faith, the ecumenical movement has deliberately de-emphasized doctrine. Two ploys have been utilized. The most obvious one has been to preach a social gospel emphasizing the needs of those in want or, quite hedonistically, the felt needs and secular desires of the congregation. In many Pentecostal churches a prosperity gospel is a major theme of discourses. Attendees are assured that God desires them to be affluent. No doubt such a message is also expected to enhance offerings for the church and the pastors salaries as well as wealth for the supplicants. The command of Christ to help the needy is clear and powerful, but we find no command to seek riches. Notice the two contrasting words of Christ in regard to these two social issues. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came 60
unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. (Matthew 25:3440) And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. (Matthew 19:24) To assist the needy is a direct command of God. To gather personal wealth, unless it is used for the needs of others and to prosper Gods work on earth, is to seriously endanger ones salvation. The present ecumenical movement was foretold by God more than 1900 years ago. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. (Revelation 13:8) This prophecy indicates the massive success of this movementthat it will almost succeed. However, a small group of redeemed souls will thwart its total success. Clearly this apparently successful Christian move to denominational unity will consist of professing Christians who will be lost eternally, for the him whom this ecumenical group worship is certainly not Christ but the beast power. The antecedent verses clearly set forth this beast power as Satanic in origin. And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his 61
name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. (Revelation 13:47) This is the only ecumenical organization set forth in end-time biblical prophecy. Any astute observer of the ecumenical thrust will need no convincing that none of the prominent Protestant denominations possesses the least likelihood of leading a combined Christian church, especially one which achieves all but universal acceptance. The Roman Catholic Church alone possesses such a prospect. It is instructive that all major Protestant reformers, as we have documented in chapter 5 of this book, named the Roman Catholic Church as the beast power of Revelation, chapter 13. However, two significant events in history altered this identification in the thinking of Protestantism. The first took place in 1870 when Giuseppe Garibaldi (18071882) conquered the papal states and united them into the kingdom of Italy. Most Protestants believed that not only had the Roman Catholic Church lost its political power, but it was also a spent force in the religious sphere. After the papacy was accorded restored political power by Prime Minister Benito Mussolini (18831945) on February 11, 1929, with the establishment of the Vatican as a sovereign state, the stocks of the Roman Catholic Church began to soar once more, but not to the point where most Protestants were willing to fraternize with it. However, upon the accession of John XXIII to the papal throne in 1958, the formerly very strained relations between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism quickly thawed as the new pontiff affectionately held out his arms of welcome to the separated brethren, as he termed Protestantism. Since those prosperous days for the papacy, the preeminence of the Roman Catholic Church in the ecumenical movement has gathered momentum with accords being reached with former markedly anti-Roman Catholic churches, such as the Lutheran (International Herald Tribune, June 27, 1998), Anglican, and Southern Baptists (Columbus Dispatch, Ohio, June 17, 1994). These Protestant churches signed accords on doc62
trinal matters. The presence of many Protestant church leaders at Pope John Paul IIs funeral in 2005 was also notable. That three United States PresidentsGeorge Bush, Senior (Presbyterian), Bill Clinton (Southern Baptist), George Bush, Junior (Methodist)were pictured bowing in unison before the corpse of the dead pontiff, John Paul II, at his funeral, April 8, 2005, certainly left an indelible image on many minds. There is no doubt that the prophecy of Revelation 13:3and all the world wondered after the beastwas graphically fulfilled in the events succeeding John Paul IIs death. Almost every major non-Christian religion, including Buddhism, Islam, and Judaism sent representatives to the funeral. The worldwide media echoed and re-echoed unprecedented accolades for the deceased head of the Roman Catholic Church. The Sydney Morning Herald, April 9, 2005, stated, describing the funeral, in a front page report: There was majesty, humility and spiritual wonderment. (James Button and Desmond OGrady, Sydney Morning Herald, April 9, 2005, p. 1) Here the secular press was confirming the fulfillment of Revelation 13:3 quoted above. Surely this beast power cannot possess the favor of God, in light of the testimony of Revelation 13:48, quoted earlier in this chapter, and also this prophecy of Scripture: And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. (Revelation 20:10) Surely this movement, massive in its scope, does not possess the blessing of heaven. The very fact that all that dwell upon the earth worship the beast power (Revelation 13:8), despite the small group who do not join this ecumenical thrust, testifies strongly against ecumenism being an initia63
tive of the Holy Ghost. Paul certified that only a remnant of professing Christian believers will be saved. Paul quoted from the prophet Isaiah, known as Esaias in the King James New Testament. Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved. (Romans 9:27) In 1995, Pope John Paul II issued his encyclical, Ut Unum Sint (That They May Be One). which is dedicated to the search for unity among Christian churches that split from each other at various times over the past 1000 years. (Melbourne Herald-Sun, May 31, 1995.) With undeniable accuracy the prophecies of the book of Revelation are fulfilling before our eyes. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, these prophecies were provided to John through divine visions while he was a captive on the Isle of Patmos, just west of the Turkish coastline. They are fulfilling today with amazing rapidity and accuracy. In Romans 9:27 quoted above, Paul was quoting from Isaiah 1:9, where the saved are said to be a very small remnant. Thus the massive size of the ecumenical thrust powerfully testifies against the presence of the Holy Spirit in this movement. It is certain that the great majority of Protestants today have no clear understanding of biblical end-time prophecy. Had they possessed such an understanding, they would never have dared to enter into liaison in the ecumenical thrust. One of the great hindrances to twenty-first century Protestantism perceiving the folly of their current course is the acceptance of the faulted doctrines of the rapture and the end-time antichrist.1 It is instructive to review the brief recent history of the Romeward march of American Protestantism.
1. Our books The Rapture and the Antichrist and The Rapture, the End Time and the Millennium set forth scriptural truths on these issues.
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American ecumenism matured when Jerry Falwell, pastor of the Liberty Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Virginia, concentrated upon gathering a wide spectrum of Christians of various faiths into what he called the Moral Majority. Addressing the great moral decline in the United States and the alarming rise in crime, especially among young people, Jerry Falwell sought to rally Christians all over the nation into one huge voting block to vote for political candidates whom they evaluated would stand for the reestablishment of moral principles in the nation. Millions of how to vote materials were sent to Christians across the nation. Not only were these Christians urged to vote for candidates holding traditional moral values, but they were urged to influence others in the same direction. Most of the candidates they endorsed were members of the Republican Party. Later, Pat Robertson, from Virginia Beach, together with Chuck Colson and Ralph Reed, initiated powerful efforts to harness what they hoped would be a unified vote among the Christians in the American electorate. This movement was called Evangelicals and Catholics Together. Most of their focus was upon electing Republican congressmen and senators as well as the President, because they believed that the Republican Party candidates were more likely to support their agenda of re-Christianizing the United States. The Christian Coalition was followed by Evangelicals and Catholics Together. It was the first time that it was plain that Catholics were decidedly part of this ecumenical movement, though they had been active in the two earlier movements. It is educative to note that the Roman Catholic delegation to this organization was led by two former Protestants, one of whom was Avery Dulles (19182008), a prominent theologian at Fordham University in New York. He was the son of President Eisenhowers Secretary of State, John Foster Dulles (after whom Washington Dulles International Airport is named). Avery Dulles grew up a Presbyterian. He was 22 years old when he joined the Roman Catholic Church. The other leader of the Roman Catholic delegates was Richard Neuhaus (19362009), a Canadian, son of a Lutheran minister, for many years a pastor in New York City before converting to Catholicism and joining the Roman Catholic priesthood. Neuhaus became a favorite of Pope John Paul II, and Dulles was created a cardinal by John Paul II. 65
The next organization was Christian Churches Together. Initially, it was led by a Jesuit Priest, and early meetings were held at a Jesuit retreat center in California. Surely most discerning Christians will see this as a significant fulfillment of the prophecy of Revelation 13. While we strongly support appropriate efforts to encourage the acceptance of God-given Christian principles, nevertheless, we do not believe that it is the political arena in which the major thrust can be made. We are committed to the concept that God has raised up pastors, evangelists, teachers, Bible workers, colporteurs, and others to spread the good news of the Christian gospel. It is through the avenue of the church, not through the avenue of political institutions, that God has ordained that His message of truth and righteousness will be carried to the world. It was ever the pagan practice to forge a union of church and state which led to diabolical persecution against those exhibiting nonconformity to the religion of the emperor or of the king. And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. (Ephesians 4:1113) Inevitably, when church and state are united, the members of society are deprived of their God-given liberty to choose the gospel of salvation or to reject it. Thus consciences are violated and those who, because of conviction, refuse to follow practices that they earnestly believe are false, frequently suffer terrible misery, persecution, imprisonment, and even death. We must remember that any form of religious liberty must permit people to choose wrong as well as to choose right, to choose error as well as truth, to choose sin instead of righteousness. Of course, if sinful practices directly impinge upon the freedom and rights of others, then 66
society has a responsibility to legislate punishment, even severe punishment, against those who trample upon the liberty and lives of others. Never does the government, however, have the right to trample upon the conscientious convictions of its citizens when such practices are undertaken peaceably without danger to other citizens. So far had the ecumenical process advanced by the beginning of the 1990s that Roman Catholics and conservative evangelical Protestants were uniting together in the Christian Coalition. While the avowed purpose was to redress the moral decline of society and the alarming incidence of violent crime, especially among juveniles and young people, nevertheless, the Christian Coalition was deeply rooted in political goals and objectives beyond these altruistic aims. Key to the suggested success of the Christian Coalition was the success of electing political candidates who were considered to be sympathetic to their goals. The Christian Coalition has energized the political debate with spectacular successes. Many candidates it endorsed for the 1994 mid-term congressional elections were successful. So spectacular was this success that many candidates of both major political parties hastened to align themselves with the moral values espoused by the Christian Coalition in order to enhance their election prospects. Even in the 1996 elections, the Christian Coalition was credited with achieving a majority of Republicans in both the House of Representatives and the Senate in spite of the Republican failure to recapture the White House. Despite its success, the Christian Coalition has faced much opposition. Its welding of conservative Protestants and Roman Catholics has not stood well with many Protestants, who, following the sixteenth century Reformers, identify the Roman Catholic system with the antichrist of biblical prophecy and the beast power of Revelation 13. The development of the manifesto Evangelicals and Catholics Together brought swift condemnation from some evangelical leaders, who began a relentless attack on what they perceived as the unholy union of Protestants with Roman Catholics, irrespective of the validity of their cause. That the Roman Catholic Church is extremely pleased with the organization of Evangelicals and Catholics Together is evident. Supporting this assertion, we cite the elevation of Dr. Avery Dulles from Jesuit priest and 67
university professor to cardinal in 2001. He has been a powerful leader in the organization of Evangelicals and Catholics Together. Dulles, as has been stated earlier, was raised a Presbyterian, but by the time he entered Harvard he claimed to be an agnostic. In 1940 he converted to the Roman Catholic faith. What effect the strong Irish Roman Catholic influence of Boston had upon Dulles we do not know. In 1946, after contracting polio in Italy in 1945, Dulles joined the Jesuit Order. Ten years later, in 1956, he was ordained a Jesuit priest at Fordham [Roman Catholic] University, New York, by that citys Roman Catholic Archbishop, Francis Cardinal Spellman. Dulles taught philosophy at Fordham University and also taught at Woodstock College and Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. In 1988, Dulles returned to Fordham University as a professor of religion and was a member of the International Theological Commission (19911997). For a time he was president of the Catholic Theological Society of America and the American Theological Society. He has served as a consultant to the Committee on Doctrine of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops. He has received many honors including fifteen visiting professorships and, at the time of the writing of this book, already had twenty-one honorary doctorates. Averys elevation from a priest to a cardinal in 2001 was full reward for his ecumenical efforts. We refer to a 1982 initiative of the Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Churches, which issued Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry (Faith and Order Paper Number 111) (Geneva, Switzerland: World Council of Churches, 1982), to illustrate how Roman Catholic error and pure Protestant doctrine have now been accorded equal status, as if the Holy Spirit would sanction such a mixture of truth and error. This the Holy Spirit never does. He is not the Spirit of truth mixed with error. He is the Spirit of pure truth. It is the religion of Satan which thrives upon an admixture of truth and error. The Holy Spirit guides us into all truth. Not a single atom of error is mixed with His truth. We summarize material from the Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry [BEM] paper, twenty-seventh printing (March 1993), pp. 47. These 68
pages promote the mutual acceptance as valid forms of baptism both the biblically authorized adult believer baptism by full immersion and the sprinkling of infants, a pagan practice introduced to Christianity. They most certainly are not both valid!1 The BEM document also equates the communion service with the Mass. (See Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry, pp. 1017.) Scripture supports only the communion service as a memorial of Christs incomparable sacrifice for our sins. Nowhere does Scripture support the sacrifice of the Mass or the deception that Christs flesh and blood are created on the altar.2 The document was able to proclaim that at the 1982 gathering in Lima, Peru, this mixture of error with truth had widespread approval. This Lima text represents the significant theological convergence which Faith and Order has discerned and formulated. . . . Virtually all confessional traditions are included in the Commissions membership. (Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry Document, op. cit., p. ix.) In 1997 we visited the World Council of Churches (WCC) headquarters in Geneva. We were able to hold a discourse with a senior official of the organization, a man of genial disposition. He described to us the close filial relationship between the WCC and the Roman Catholic Church. Proudly and with great enthusiasm he recounted the privilege he believed the WCC had in hosting visits of Popes Paul VI and John Paul II to its headquarters. He assured us that a large number of the workers in the WCC headquarters followed the Roman Catholic faith. This is not surprising since Switzerland possesses more adherents to Roman Catholicism than all the various Protestant denominations combined, with forty-nine percent of the population professing that faith. (See Time Almanac, Des Moines, Iowa, 2000, p. 308.) Despite the fact that the Roman Catholic Church is not an official member of the WCC, the official confirmed that many Roman Catholic clergymen serve on the various committees and commissions of the orga1. See our book The Perils of Ecumenism (advertised in the back of this book), pp. 276282. 2. See The Perils of Ecumenism, pp. 283289.
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nization. He made no secret of the fact that these men were very valued and influential in these sub-committees of the WCC. The WCC is one of the most influential of the variety of ecclesiastical engines driving the ecumenical movement. Its professed motives appear altruistic, but in reality the WCC is fueling the fulfillment of Revelation 13:8, And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him [the beast powerRoman Catholicism]. The various ecumenical movements scattered worldwide, centering in the United States and Europe, are blatantly fulfilling the prophesied rise of the Roman Catholic Church to worldwide dominance, not only in the ecclesiastical sphere but also in the political sphere, powered by American military might and economic and political power of unprecedented proportions. When God foretold in Revelation, chapter 13, written at the end of the first century AD, that the two superpowersthe Vatican and the United Statesat the end time would reign supreme, neither existed. Yet the unerring Holy Spirit conveyed this end of world scenario to the Apostle John. In these last days we have the privilege of seeing this daunting ecclesiastic-military-economic-political united power in action. Revelation 13:8 plainly foretells that it will all but succeed in its aim to crush all opposition to its unsanctified aims. Only the true followers of Christ, the redeemed, those whose names are written in Christs unerring book of life, will withstand this fearful coalition of coercion, slaughter, and economic boycott. Listen once more to clear words of Scripture: And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. . . . And he [the United States] had power to give life unto the image of the beast [the papacy], that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: and that no man might buy or sell, save he that 70
had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six. (Revelation 13:818) When President George Bush, Senior, in his state of the nation address to Congress following the collapse of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) in 1991, declared that there is now only one superpower on earth, he was manifestly in serious error. Of course, he was referring to his own nation, the United States. However, he was merely looking at the military, political and economic power of the United States. That his nation reigned supreme upon earth in these realms is beyond question. However, President Bush remained blind to the greater superpower, the one which yields unequaled ecclesiastical power, the most persuasive of all powers when backed by the might of civil authority. Rome achieved such preeminence in Europe in the Middle Ages, with all nations of Europe cowering before its dictates. The dire results of that shameful era are emblazoned in secular history for all to read. During his term as President of the United States, (19922000), Bill Clinton found out his rank in the world superpower hierarchy. On one visit to the pope, he seated himself before the pope had sat down. Aides brought this faux pas to Clintons attention. He immediately apologized effusively. He was merely number two in the worlds political pecking order. Unaware that it was proclaiming the fulfillment of the remarkable prophecy of Revelation, chapter 13, the Melbourne Age in an article entitled Holy Alliance, reported that William Casey, head of the CIA, and President Ronald Reagan had correctly assessed the Vatican as a superpower in these last days. We quote from this article. The popes homecoming trip to Poland was a spectacular public demonstration of his power and acuity. But almost as spectacularin its implications, at leastwas a meeting of two men that took place in Rome early in 71
the life of the Reagan administration. At the appointed hour, a bearlike, rumpled-looking man in a grey suit, was ushered into the popes modest office in the Vatican. A fervent Catholic who attended mass almost every day, a man whose house was filled with statues of the Virgin, William Casey, the director of the Central Intelligence Agency, had arrived on a distinctly earthly mission. He was about to hand over to John Paul II a single remarkable photograph, taken by one of Americas spy satellites. The pope examined with infinite care this photo whose details slowly came into focus. First, the multitudes of people, no more than indistinguishable dots; then, at their center, the single white dot that, he saw, was himself in his white cassock addressing his compatriots in Victory Square in 1979. (Melbourne Age, September 21, 1996.) That photo was used to forge an alliance, still mighty in its influence, between the prophetically foretold nations of the United States and the Vatican. Notice the amazing thinking of President Ronald Reagan and CIA leader, William Casey: Casey and Reagan firmly believed that there was a potential third superpower in the worldthe Vatican city stateand that its monarch, Pope John Paul II, had at his command a remarkable arsenal of unconventional weaponry that might tip the balance in the Cold War, especially with overt and covert help from the United States. (Ibid.) When this covert coalition had achieved its aim, with the total collapse of European Communism in 1991, the three world superpowers were reduced to the two, as prophecy had seen almost two thousand years prior to the event. Secular media reporting had unwittingly announced, concerning the prophetic prediction of the worlds last two superpowersfulfilled! 72
Notice the American subservience to the papacy. Beginning in the northern spring of 1981, the Reagan administration maintained an intelligence shuttle at the highest level between the White House and Pope John Paul II, who was regularly briefed by Bill Casey, the director of the Central Intelligence Agency, and by Vernon Walters, a former CIA deputy director. Between them, Walters and Casey [both Roman Catholics] secretly visited the pope about 15 times over six years to discuss matters of mutual interest. The popes judgments, especially on Poland and Central America, came to carry great weight in the White House, the CIA and the national Security Council, and above all with Ronald Reagan himself. That was one reason why he so eagerly awaited reports from Walters and Casey after their visits to the Vatican. Other presidents had waited anxiously at their desks for bombers to return from their missions: Reagan waited for reports from the pope. (Ibid.) Gods prophetic word is inerrant. Further, the Holy Spirit guided John to reveal that what had transpired in the Middle Ages, largely through the agency of the so-called Holy Roman Empire, will be far surpassed just prior to Christs return. While Scripture attests that the United States will be the chief civil power behind the Vatican in the last days, symbolized by the second beast set forth in Revelation 13:11, 12, there is no reason to overlook the rise of the essentially Roman Catholic-inspired European civil power. This power is no longer the Holy European Empire, but the even more widely flung European territorial forcethe European Union. It was no happenstance that Pope John Paul II beatified all three founders of this powerful European Union, Robert Schuman of France, Konrad Adenauer of West Germany, and Alcide De Gasperi of Italy. The Catholic Church owes a great debt to these politicians for the initiatives they took in the 1950s toward the 73
ultimate establishment of the European Union. Not a few of John Paul IIs beatifications appear to have been based on political activities favorable to the papacy, rather than spiritual virtue. The value of the European Union (then called the Common Market and later the European Community), to the Vatican was well expressed in 1991 by Peregrine Worsthorne, editor of the London Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph. Notice his words with care. They are especially pertinent, for Worsthorne himself was a Roman Catholic. The Common Market itself started under the inspiration of Catholic politicianssuch as Adenauer of Germany, Paul Henri Spaak [Belgium], Jean Monet and Robert Schuman [France]. They were all Christian Democrats. They were all deeply influenced by Catholic social teaching. Few European countries have committed themselves to untrammeled capitalism, because most are penetrated by the corporatist ideas of the [Roman Catholic] Church, and the social teachings of popes from Leo XIII [Pope 18781903] onwards. John Paul IIs recent encyclical, commemorating the Rerum Novarum [papal encyclical] of Leo XIII, gave only a grudging blessing to the free market economy. The EC [European Community, now European Union] Social Charter and the socialism of Jacques Delors are imbued with Catholic social doctrine. If European federalism triumphs, the EC will indeed be an empire. It will lack an emperor, but it will have the pope. It is difficult not to think that Wojtyla [the surname of John Paul II] realizes this. (Now a Holy European Empire?, London Sunday Telegraph, August 25, 1991) Worsthorne has perceptively penetrated the massive religio-political power of the papacy. Scriptural prophecy is absolutely correct in identifying the Roman Catholic Church as the first in precedence and authority of two end-time superpowers. 74
Time magazine, February 24, 1992, had a cover story entitled, The Holy Alliance. This article traced the intrigues of the Vatican, strongly supported by President Ronald Reagan of the United States, which led to the ultimate demise of Communism in Europe. It was revealed that John Paul II, through the greatest and most sophisticated intelligence system in the world, was able to destabilize Polish communism. In a space of four months, at the end of 1989, against all odds, six Communist Governments were oustedBulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, and Romania. The intelligence agents were the cardinals, archbishops, bishops, and priests of the Roman Catholic Church aided by supporting laypeople of the church. The collapse of Communism in the Soviet Union transpired two years later. Most nations overlooked the fact that they have the papal hierarchy in their midst and Roman Catholic laypeople in high office. Roman Catholic priest and author, Malachi Martin, wrote perceptively about Pope John Paul IIs political agenda in his book, The Keys of This Blood (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1990). Martin, an Irishman, was no minor priest. Malachi Martin, eminent theologian, expert on the Catholic Church, former Jesuit and professor at the Vaticans Pontifical Biblical Institute, is the author of the national best-sellers Vatican, The Final Conclave, Hostage to the Devil and The Jesuits. He was trained in theology at Louvain. There he received his doctorates in Semitic Languages, Archaeology and Oriental History. He subsequently studied at Oxford and at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. From 1958 to 1964 he served in Rome, where he was a close associate of the renowned Jesuit cardinal Augustin Bea and Pope John XXIII. (Ibid., p. 735) Martin certified that the rise of the papacy to the second superpower upon earth was no feat of fortune. He recorded, just before the collapse of the Soviet Union, that 75
It is not too much to say, in fact, that the chosen purpose of John Pauls pontificatethe engine that drives his papal grand policy and that determines his day-to-day, year-by-year strategiesis to be the victor in that competition [between the United States, the Soviet Union and the Vatican for world dominance], now well under way. For the fact is that the stakes that John Paul has placed in the area of geopolitical contention include everything himself; his papal persona; the age-old Petrine Office he now embodies; and his entire Church Universal, both as an institutional organization unparalleled in the world and as a body of believers united by a bond of mystical communion. The other two contenders in the arena of this greatest historical confrontation humanity has gone through are no mean adversaries. . . . Their geopolitical competition is about which of the three will form, dominate and run the world system which will replace the decaying nation system. (Ibid., pp. 17, 19.) Martins inside knowledge provided him with quasi-prophetic insight. Maybe he understood the meaning of the prophecies of Revelation better than he admitted. Of course, we bear no praise for Communism. It was an evil form of government. However, in the machinations of the Vatican and the United States, we see the mighty political and religious powers of these two superpowers of prophecy. As high school lads in the late 1940s, we heard our father, Darcy Rowland Standish (19121997), also strongly anti-Communist in his views, making a prediction which we now see being fulfilled with uncanny accuracy. His forecast was this: When Communism falls, we will see a mighty surge in the power of the Vatican. Although he did not again refer to this prediction in our presence, he did live to see the day when that prediction commenced its fulfillment. Our wonderful father was a profound student of biblical prophecy.
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Lars Bergquist, Swedish Ambassador to the Vatican, wrote an article in the Stockholm newspaper, Syd Svenska Dagbladet, October 16, 1991, at the time Sweden was seeking entry into the European Community (now the European Union). The title of that article alone told the truth of the European Union. That title was, Vgen till Ec gar via Rom (The Way to the European Community is via Rome). Even credible Asian newspapers rightly evaluated the great power of the Vatican in Europe. By the millennium standards of the Holy See, Pope John Paul II is in a hurry to stamp the imprint of his church on the fast-changing events in Europe. (Singapore Straits Times, January 6, 1992.) The Bakersfield Californian newspaper, July 2, 1994, told of the union of the worlds two last superpowers in a perceptive cartoon which depicted Americas symbol, Uncle Sam, stretching forth his hand across the massive gulf of the Atlantic Ocean to grasp the hand of the Roman pontiff in Italy. Is the ecumenical movement empowered by the Holy Spirit? Most certainly not! The omniscient Holy Spirit revealed the Roman Catholic Church religious organization to John as a harlot or whore (see Revelation 17:1, 5, 15, 16; 19:2), the typical biblical term for a church in apostasy. The Papacy in its political role is described as a beast. No less than on thirty-five occasions in Revelation, chapters 1320 is the beast mentioned, believed by virtually all Protestant reformers to be symbolic of the Papacy. In those eight chapters, only chapter 18 does not specifically mention the word beast. Yet that chapter also speaks of the Roman Catholic Church in very negative terms, symbolizing it as Babylon. (Please refer to the chart in chapter 5 to see the overlap of characteristics of these different symbols.) Clearly the Holy Spirit is not providing the power for the ecumenical movement. In fact, John the Revelator identifies that the dragon which empowers the papacy is also empowering the ecumenical movement,
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which is steering Protestantism and the rest of the Christian world toward Rome.1 And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. . . . And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. (Revelation 13:2, 1112) Gods call in Revelation is: And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. (Revelation 18:45) And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. (Revelation 14:8) And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was light1. For a fuller understanding of the place of the Papacy and Protestantism in end-time events as set forth in Scripture, we recommend our series, The Antichrist Septenate: Vol. 1, Antichrist Is Here; Vol. 2, The Popes Letter and Sunday Laws; Vol. 3, Two Beasts, Three Deadly Wounds and Fifteen Popes; Vol. 4, The Lords Day; Vol. 5, The Perils of Ecumenism; Vol. 6, The Rapture and the Antichrist; Vol. 7, The Rapture, the End Times and the Millennium, available from Hartland Publications. See contact details in the book list in the back of this volume.
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ened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. (Revelation 18:13) In tender love the Father has spoken through the Holy Spirit to warn of the deception of false Christianity. In pleading terms God refers to those faithful Christians still within the Roman Catholic communion and associated apostate Protestant faiths as My people. May God bless such Christians in their search for truth! That warning must be heeded. Gods love for Roman Catholics is magnanimous. This is true also of apostate Protestants and all other peoples. He has provided the Holy Spirit to guide us into His kingdom and to uphold the pure Christian faith.
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Chapter 7
The Seal of the Living God
UST prior to Gods completion of His work of grace upon the earth, all inhabitants will be sealed for eternity. Those who have received Gods justifying and sanctifying grace in their hearts will be sealed with the seal of the living God. Those who have not humbly yielded their lives to Gods power will not have the moral strength to resist receiving the fearful mark of the beast. Gods justifying grace is His forgiveness of our sins provided conditionally upon our repentance of them. This pardon is beyond estimation. His sanctifying grace is the empowerment of us who are spiritual weaklings to live in obedience to His law, thus emulating Christs character, the sole character fitted for heaven. This power is provided by the Holy Spirit. In this work of redemption, the Holy Spirit is crucial. The apostle Peter affirmed that the Holy Spirit inspired the ancient prophets. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. (2 Peter 1:21) Our first duty in response to the wooing of the Holy Spirit is to wholeheartedly confess our sins. Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the re-
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mission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. (Acts 2:38) We note that the promise is that, as we receive Christs forgiveness, we are then empowered by the Holy Spirit to live a life of obedience. Paul impressed this fact upon the Thessalonian believers. For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake. And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost. (1 Thessalonians 1:56) No man or woman is saved by his or her good works. Such a belief is futile, for we have all sinned and are thus deserving of eternal destruction. For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23) Since we are all sinners, we are under the condemnation of eternal annihilation. And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power. (2 Thessalonians 1:79)
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We are helpless to save ourselves. Christs grace, His mercy, alone can rescue us from eternal destruction. This fact is enshrined in the second of the Ten Commandments. And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. (Exodus 20:6.) Here is revealed Gods mercy, His grace, which alone is our hope of salvation. The contribution of the Holy Spirit to this work is specifically set forth in Scripture. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost. (Titus 3:45) This passage emphasizes the full deity of our SaviourGod our SaviourHis infinite sacrifice for us, and the separate work of the Holy Spirit in empowering a life of sanctification, the renewal of our characters. What a team! In Titus 3:4, the marginal reading for love is pity. Both words reveal Gods gracious design and motivation for the implementation of His infinite plan of redemption. How any human being acquainted with Scripture can spurn such love and pity can only be explained by the utter perverseness of the mystery of iniquity. (2 Thessalonians 2:7) In discerning the importance of the seal of the living God and its nature, we must turn to a group of 144,000 humans described as belonging in equal numbers to each of twelve tribes of Israel. They are persons of high virtue. To most Christians who sincerely seek to discern the identity of these righteous individuals, their judgment is guided by a faulted understanding of the last-day events prior to Christs second coming. The theory of a secret rapture and an end-time antichrist ruling in a rebuilt temple in Jerusalema theory which originated as a phenomenon of early nineteenth century theological thinkinghas 82
clouded their understanding. The last two volumes of our Antichrist Septenate thoroughly explore and elucidate the teachings of this group of individuals. The 144,000 are introduced to us in Revelation: And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. (Revelation 7:14) Subsequent verses, Revelation 7:58, state that the 144,000 consist of 12,000 from each of twelve Israelite tribes. Many Bible students are daunted by the four possible ways of interpreting the identity of the 144,000: 1. A literal number (144,000) associated with a literal Israelite tribal people; 2. A literal number (144,000) associated with symbolic Israelite tribal people; 3. A symbolic number associated with literal Israelites; 4. A symbolic number associated with symbolic Israelites. To many sincere Christians, unable to decipher between these four possibilities, the matter is discarded into the too hard basket. But there is no need for such defeatism and dismay. The issue is perfectly plain. A principle runs through the prophecies of historical and end-time events in the companion books of Daniel and Revelation when describing events prior 83
to Christs second coming. That principle is that the numbers are always literal and the entities with which they are associated are always symbolic.1 Thus number 2 above provides the correct basis for interpretation. Let us illustrate the literal number, symbolic entity principle from the books of Daniel and Revelation. Read with care. It will be noticed that in the biblical interpretations provided below, the number always remains literal, but the associated entity is symbolic. I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things. These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth. (Daniel 7:1617) Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. (Daniel 7:23) And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. (Daniel 7:24) The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia. (Daniel 8:20) Now that being broken, whereas four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power. (Daniel 8:22)
1. We have fully addressed this topic in chapter 3 of The 144,000, the Great Multitude, and the Return of Jesus. To obtain a copy, please see the list of Hartland Publications in the back of this volume.
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The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches. (Revelation 1:20) And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. (Revelation 17:9) And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. (Revelation 17:12) Further clear evidence that the 144,000 are not literal Israelites is provided by the fact that the list of tribes differs from the literal tribes as set forth in Numbers 1:415. In the list of tribes in Revelation 7:48, Joseph has been substituted for Ephraim, and Levi has been substituted for Dan. The New Testament clearly teaches that in the Christian dispensation, Gods Israelite people are sincere Christians whatever their race. Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. 8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed. 9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. . . . 29 And if ye be Christs, then are ye Abrahams seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3:79, 29).
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Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee 85
shall all nations be blessed. . . . There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christs, then are ye Abrahams seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Galatians 3:78, 2829) Once more, we quote the first scriptural reference to the 144,000: And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. (Revelation 7:14) The winds of strife mentioned in verse 1 refer to the unparalleled seven last plagues which are delineated in Revelation, chapter 16. God in His mercy holds back those winds of strife until all the world has been warned and acquainted with the valid gospel message (see chapter 9 of this book). God holds back those plagues until all His faithful followers are sealed for His kingdom. The 144,000 are mentioned in yet another passage of the Book of Revelation. And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Fathers name written in their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers 86
harping with their harps: and they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God. (Revelation 14:15) The characters of the 144,000 are displayed in this passage. We see that they are virgins. Here Gods symbol of purity is invoked. This is most certainly not referring to undefiled females alone. Notice Pauls description of a pure church, one in which the members are not defiled by false teachings and practices. For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. (2 Corinthians 11:2) That the 144,000 are pure in faith and character is certified in the fifth verse of Revelation, chapter 14 above. There we see that the 144,000 possess no guile and that they are faultless before Gods throne. No man or woman is faultless before Gods throne who is blemished by unconfessed and unforsaken sin in the character. Thus the 144,000 have been fully sanctified through the power of the Holy Spirit. If we analyze these characteristicsdevoid of guile and without sin in the lifewe see that the 144,000 possess Christs character of which Peter wrote: For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth. (1 Peter 2:2122)
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In Revelation 14:1 above, we are informed that the 144,000 possess the Fathers name in their foreheads. Gods name represents His character, thus confirming that this company of the redeemed fully possess the Holy Spirit in their hearts. The context of Revelation 7:14 assists us in discerning at what point in time the 144,000 walk the earth. It is during the outpouring of the winds of strifethe seven last plagues that are poured out upon an unrepentant world. It is the privilege of the 144,000 to follow the Lamb [Christ] whithersoever he goeth. After the Second Coming, and when not traveling with Christ, they are with Him in the throne room of heaven. The fact that the 144,000 live through the seven last plagues, the great tribulation, prior to the second coming of Christ, is testified by Scripture. And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. (Revelation 7:14) The great tribulation to which this passage refers is undoubtedly the seven last plagues. While all Gods people throughout the history of the earth have been severely tested and tried, for all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution (2 Timothy 3:12), yet the great tribulation takes place after the close of human probation, and only the 144,000 experience it. The prophet Daniel, in graphic words, describes this period of tribulation. . . . And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. (Daniel 12:1)
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Unlike the popular end-time scenario adopted by most evangelical Protestants, the redeemed do not escape from earth during the seven last plaguesthey pass through the fearful period of tribulation caused by the plagues. The prophecy of King David concerning this terrible period declares the fact that while the redeemed are in the midst of the plagues, none of them will be harmed by these plagues. Please read this profound prophecy with care: He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. 3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. 4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. 5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; 6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. 7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. 8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. 9 Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; 10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. 11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. 12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone. (Psalm 91:112)
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We notice, with gratitude, the promise that no plague shall come nigh thy dwelling. Several of these plagues are referred to specifically. These include the first plague caused by a pestilence (compare verse 3 with Revelation 16:2). We notice that this first plague, an extremely painful sore, is still prevailing during the fifth plague of darkness (compare verse 6 with Revelation 16:10). The terror of war associated with the sixth plague, the fearful Battle of Armageddon, to which verse 5 and 7 89
refer (see also Revelation 16:1216), also leaves the 144,000 unscathed. The destruction that wasteth at noonday (verse 6) refers to the great heat of the fourth plague (see Revelation 16:8, 9). It is likely that verse 7 refers to the unprecedented earthquake and hail of the seventh plague (compare Revelation 16:1721). Referring to the redeemed, the 144,000, Scripture plainly declares that they pass through the tribulation on earth. They are not in heaven during this period. A question concerning the 144,000 is asked and answered. And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. (Revelation 7:1314) The question arises, What is the seal of the living God? This is a seal which is applied to Gods people just prior to the pouring out of the seven last plagues. Prophecy declares that the plagues will not be endured by the redeemed. On the other hand, those who are lost are afflicted by the plagues. They, too, are sealed, but in their case Scripture describes their seal as the mark of the beast. Scripture states, And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation. . . . (Revelation 14:910) That wrath is the pouring out of the seven last plagues (as well as the eternal destruction that follows the millennium). Ezekiel, an Old-Testament prophet who served God in the sixth century BC, also spoke of this sealing process. Ezekiel described a work undertaken by six men, each equipped with a slaughter weapon and one 90
with a writers inkhorn in his hand. Clearly the majority are out to bring slaughter. The lone man equipped only with a writers inkhorn has a duty to place a mark, a seal, on the foreheads of the redeemed so that they shall escape the penalty of the wicked. Notice the words of the prophet carefully: He cried also in mine ears with a loud voice, saying, Cause them that have charge over the city to draw near, even every man with his destroying weapon in his hand. And, behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them was clothed with linen, with a writers inkhorn by his side: and they went in, and stood beside the brasen altar. (Ezekiel 9:12) The city here referred to, as we will see in verse 4, is Jerusalem. God uses a number of symbols for His designated church, and Israel, Judah, Jerusalem, and Zion are most frequently used. The setting for these verses is the period in which Gods probation for His chosen church upon earth has closed. We note the proportion of angels: six destroying angels and only one placing the mark, the seal of the living God, upon the foreheads of the saved. Is this not one of the many indications in Scripture that a majority of those claiming to be followers of Jesus will be lost? The work of the sole possessor of the writers inkhorn is delineated: And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, which had the writers inkhorn by his side; and the Lord said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. (Ezekiel 9:34)
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One great distinction between the two sealsthe seal of God and the mark of the beastis that the sealed of God only receive His seal in their foreheads. This is not a visible seal. Behind our forehead is located the crucial frontal lobe of the brain. It is here that our decisions are made. Here is the battleground between the Holy Spirit and Satan for our souls. Now, of course, it is an unequal battle. The Holy Spirit is infinitely more powerful. This being so, why are the majority of humans lost to Christs kingdom at the end of the world? The answer to this puzzling question is that a third being is involved. That is the possessor of the frontal lobe of the braineach human on earth. Notice Pauls words, as inspired by the Holy Spirit. We possess the power of choice: Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? (Romans 6:16) In contrast to the seal of the living God, the mark of the beast may be received in the hand or in the forehead (see Revelation 14:910). The mark in the hand indicates the mark of the beast may be received by pretense, fearing human penalties against receiving it, even if a person knows he is violating Gods will. On the other hand, it may also be received in the foreheadby conviction. However, the seal of God can never be received by pretense, and thus it cannot be received in the hand. The Holy Spirit does not coerce. Most professing Christians in these last days of this earth will choose, albeit unwittingly, to serve Satan rather than Christ, for they will continue to breach His commandments. The fate of those who finally and determinedly reject the wooing of the Holy Spirit is set forth in graphic detail. And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity: slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any 92
man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house. (Ezekiel 9:56) Many Christians cry out in despair, How can I be saved, when only a small percentage who profess Christs name are redeemed? God does not predestinate (predetermine who will be lost before they are born). The very fact that sin commenced in heaven with the angel Lucifer, who was the highest created being in the universe, is proof beyond all dispute that God grants His created beings freedom of choice. The fact that the numbers are small excludes no one from salvation. God offers salvation to all. It is we who must decide as the Holy Spirit speaks to our hearts. The choice is ours as to whether we will accept the mighty power of the Holy Spirit to guide and empower us to live a life of Christian virtue. The Holy Spirit is calling each of us to heaven. This call is provided in the concluding words of Scripture: And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. (Revelation 22:17) Who are the ancient men described in Ezekiel 9:6? The previous chapter defines these ancient men. And there stood before them seventy men of the ancients of the house of Israel, and in the midst of them stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan, with every man his censer in his hand; and a thick cloud of incense went up. (Ezekiel 8:11) Clearly these are priests, for they hold the censers in their hands. These censers contained burning incense, the smoke of which ascended, symbolizing the prayers of Gods people. Some may inquire, This passage applied to ancient Israel. How can it apply to Gods saints in the last 93
days of earths history? God has clearly retained the writings of the Old and New Testaments that are relevant to our era. Other inspired books and epistles were written in biblical times by prophets, but their books are omitted from the Bible. These included the books of Nathan, Gad, Ahijah and Iddo in the Old Testament. Now the acts of David the king, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of Samuel the seer, and in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the book of Gad the seer. (1 Chronicles 29:29) Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat? (2 Chronicles 9:29) In the New Testament era, the prophet Paul, wrote an epistle to the Laodiceans which was not placed in the Bible. And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans; and that ye likewise read the epistle from Laodicea. (Colossians 4:16) Manifestly these books and epistles were divinely inspired and were most important messages to be heeded by the recipients of the period, but their relevance did not extend to the last days of earths history, and thus they were not essential to be included in the canon of Scripture. Referring to the prophets writings included in the Bible, Ellen White, comprehending this fact from her extensive biblical studies, correctly declared, Each of the ancient prophets spoke less for their own time than for ours, so that their prophesying is in force for us. (Selected Messages, book 3, p. 338) 94
God has chosen to include in His word all prophetic material from Bible times that is relevant to our era. Paul made this matter plain when he rehearsed historical facts from the Old Testament. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. (1 Corinthians 10:11) This is the very reason that Ezekiel, chapter 9, while speaking of the sealing of Gods people just prior to the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC, is relevant in a greater degree today to the sealing of the 144,000. In their highly regarded nineteenth-century British commentary on Scripture, Dr. Robert Jamieson of St Pauls Church, Glasgow, A. R. Fausset, minister of St Cuthberts Church, York and Dr. David Brown, Professor of Theology, Aberdeen, fully deduced this fact. Notice their insightful comments. The number 144,000 in parenthesis is in their original commentary. Speaking of the prophecy of Ezekiel, chapter 9, they write: However, the prophecy waits a fuller and final fulfillment, for Revelation 7:38, in ages long after Babylon, foretells as still future the same sealing of the remnant (one hundred forty-four thousand) of [spiritual] Israel previous to the final outpouring of wrath on the rest of the nation; the correspondence is exact. (Dr. Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and Dr. David Brown, A Commentary, Critical, Experimental and Practical of the Old and New Testaments, William Thomas and Sons, and Company, Glasgow, Scotland, vol. 4, p. 230.) The final sealing of Gods professed people who are alive at this timedetermining who receive the seal of the living God and who, because of determined unfaithfulness, receive the mark of the beastprogresses in stages. We saw that the sealing commences with the ancient menthe ministers, who claim to be the spiritual guardians of the people. As ordained ministers ourselves, we are ever aware of this awe95
some fact. Let all ministers of religion reading this book acknowledge this biblical fact. We also are aware of the warning that the greater the understanding of Gods truth which the Holy Spirit entrusts to us, the more responsibility we carry. The greater this understanding, the greater the punishment in the judgment if we prove unfaithful shepherds of the flock, for Christ Himself declared, And that servant, which knew his lords will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more. (Luke 12:4748) After the sealing of the ministers of Gods church comes the judgment of the professed laity. Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? (1 Peter 4:1617) Finally, the sealing angel proceeds to those who make no profession of love for Christ. Notice Peters solemn reminder: And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator. (1 Peter 4:1819)
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However, as Jesus through the Holy Spirit revealed to John, there is a wonderful promise for those who so love Christ that in the power of God they keep the Ten Commandments. . . . Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. (Revelation 2:10) Many today scorn the keeping of Gods Ten Commandments in the power of the Holy Spirit. Such professors of Christianity should tremble, for no man or woman is heaven-bound who does not genuinely love Christ. This love is evidenced in our obedience to Gods law. Christ explicitly reminded us of this fact and linked such obedience to the Holy Spirits work in our lives. If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. (John 14:1518) The seal of the living God may be discerned through the fact that the term seal refers to the seals used by civil and political leaders of all ranks in biblical times to ensure the authenticity of the edicts sent far and wide. The seals possessed three mandatory designationsthe rulers name, his authority, and the territory over which he ruled. Thus the seal of Tiberius Caesar, the ruler of the Roman Empire at the time of Christs crucifixion, stated Tiberius Caesar (his name); Emperor (his authority); and the Roman Empire (the territory over which he exercised dominion). Similarly, Pilate, who consented to Christs crucifixion and pronounced the sentence and whose seal was placed on Jesus tomb, (see Matthew 27:6266) was similarly structured. That seal, as custom demanded, would have possessed the words, Pontius Pilate (name), Governor (authority), and Judea (territory). These men held these posts and possessed their authority because of the legal system of the Roman Empire. They were empowered to act by law. 97
Similarly the seal of God is enshrined in lawHis law, the Ten Commandments. This fact is plainly implied in the last message to the world revealed in Revelation 14:612, the three angels messages (see chapter 9 of this volume). Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. (Revelation 14:12) The saints are those upon whom the seal of the living God will be placed. They keep the commandments of God and possess the faith of Jesus. That the seal is enshrined in Gods law possesses biblical confirmation. That seal is found in one commandment alone, the fourth. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. (Exodus 20:811) In this commandment we discover that God has placed His name (The Lord thy God); His authority (He made . . . = Creator); and the territory over which He rules (heaven, that is the atmospheric heaven around our earth, as distinct to the other heavens mentioned in Scripturethe starry heavens and the heaven of heavens in which the Godhead reside and where God has established His throne and His sanctuaryand earth, the sea, and all that in them is). We should not be surprised that all three elements of the seal are found in the fourth commandment. None of the other nine commandments, sacred and crucial as each one is, possesses the same symbolic elements of salvation as does the fourth commandment. Notice the following: 98
1. The fourth commandment is the commandment of holiness (see verse 8 above). If our characters are unholy during the sacred Sabbath hours, then no matter how enthusiastically we sing the hymns of Zion, how diligently we study our Bibles, how solemnly we pray, or how sacredly we believe we are confining our activities to spiritual matters, we are not keeping the Sabbath holy. Only those who have confessed every known sin prior to the entry into the Sabbath hours and in the strength of the Holy Spirit sought His power to overcome them, have kept the Sabbath day holy, for otherwise our characters are still stained with sin and our minds polluted. This is one of the main reasons that in biblical times, Friday, the sixth day of the week, is termed the Preparation Day. Included in the preparation for the Sabbath is this most important opportunity to confess and forsake any sins committed during the week. The Friday of Christs crucifixion being the day prior to the Sabbath, which He spent in the tomb, is described in all four gospels, as the preparation (day). We quote from the gospel of John. The Jews therefore, because it was the preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the sabbath day, (for that sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. (John 19:31) 2. God established the Sabbath as a memorial of Creation. Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, 99
and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. (Genesis 2:13) We should not be surprised, then, that God revealed the seal of the living God in the very first verse of the Bible. In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (Genesis 1:1) Notice the three mandatory elements of the seal Name: God; Authority: created; Territory: the heaven, and the earth. God often identifies Himself as our Creator or Maker. Some instances appear below: O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our maker. (Psalm 95:6) Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his maker? (Job 4:17) Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands? (Isaiah 45:9) Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt
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say, I have no pleasure in them. (Ecclesiastes 12:1) Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator. (1 Peter 4:19) God did not inspire the account of Creation without offering His incomparable seal to mankind. The entire theme of Scripture from Genesis 1:1 to Revelation 22:21 may be expressed as I love you, My children, so much that I desire you to share eternity with Me. Please, please accept My free offer of My everlasting seal. What a God! 3. In chapter 9 of this volume we will discover, in Gods last message to the entire world, He is again offering the seal of the living God to all mankind. And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. (Revelation 14:67) Notice that verse 7 again contains the three elements of Gods seal, His nameGod; His authoritymade (created); and His dominionheaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
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Each will receive either the seal of the living God or the mark of the beast. This distinction has eternal consequences. Two days before her death in November 2005, Russell and his wife, Glenice, stood before the bed of a very dear friend, Daphne Hains, her husband, Kevin, accompanying us. Daphne was a direct descendant from several British monarchs, the last of whom was King Edward III, and of several continental monarchs. She had been in a light coma. She was a devout, godly, and loving woman. Russell bent down and spoke to her. To our delight she roused a little and spoke Russells name. Then, in assurance to her loving husband and Russell and Glenice, uttered peaceful words, assuring us that she was ready to receive the seal of the living God. Daphne had grasped that gift of all gifts provided by Christs death for her. What a day will be the resurrection day, when we, if we too have accepted that gift so freely offered, will continue our deep friendship once more, never to part again. Russell also had tears as he sat beside the bed of the ailing Pastor Ronald Heggie. Pastor Heggie, who had given many years of service to the people of the South Pacific, knew his Lord and Saviour. He served as president of the Cook Island Mission for a period of years. He, too, faced death with unwavering confidence in the blessed hope assured to all who love their Redeemer. Our God of love has made this offer to all. How tragic that so many professing Christians prefer to live lives of disobedience, thus signifying their lack of love for Christ and their spurning of the incomparable gift of the Holy Spirit.
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Chapter 8
The Mark of the Beast
HE work of the Holy Spirit is to intercede for us and also to prompt us to penitence, repentance, acknowledgment of our sinful deeds and thoughts, promoting the reading and viewing of only that which is pure, and inspiring praise and deep gratitude to our Father and Saviour. The Holy Spirit is self-effacing. Of Him Christ stated: Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. (John 16:13) While the Holy Spirit speaks not of Himself, nevertheless He guides us into all truth and He will show us things to come. Here we see the role of our Comforter in elucidating unfulfilled prophecy for our understanding. The awesome sealing of all the living inhabitants of the world with either the seal of the living God or the mark of the beast can be understood only as we seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Let this need be ever in our minds. In chapter 7 of this volume we have already discovered that the seal of the living God is found in the Sabbath commandment. While many sincere Christians are puzzled by the fact that Gods immutable Ten Commandments clearly specify the seventh day of the week as His Sabbath, they adhere to denominational faiths which uphold the first day of the week, Sunday. Despite the Word of God providing a 103
scriptural mandate for the seventh-day Sabbath alone, Sunday-keepers, have supported this alteration on the grounds that Christs resurrection transpired on that day. It could be argued, on the basis of such reasoning, that Friday, the sixth day of the week, the day of Christs infinite sacrifice for us, would be even more appropriate. Some assert that the communion service may only be observed on a Sabbath day. In that unbiblical train of thought, they may well suggest the fifth day of the week, Thursday, as the appropriate day for Sabbath observance, since Christ conducted the initial communion service on that day prior to His crucifixion. However, as this communion service continued to after sunset it was part of the sixth day. Now when the even was come, he sat down with the twelve. (Matthew 26:20) None of this reasoning suffices, for the Sabbath is set forth both in the record of creation (Genesis 2:13) and in the fourth commandment (Exodus 20:811) as the memorial of the final, seventh day of creation week. So how did the apostolic practice of seventh-day Sabbath-keeping become transferred to Sunday-keeping in later Christian centuries? It certainly was not authorized by the Word of God. Four articles entitled The Christian Sabbath, published by The Catholic Mirror under the imprimatur of Cardinal James Gibbons, Archbishop of Baltimore, September 2, 9, 16, and 23, 1893, are helpful in seeking to solve this mystery. Each article bears the identical headline and, in addition, states under the heading, The Genuine Offspring of the Union of the Holy Spirit and the Catholic Church, His Spouse.The Claims of Protestantism to Any Part Therein Proved to Be Groundless, Self-Contradictory, and Suicidal. James Cardinal Gibbons (18341921) was the most prominent prelate of the Roman Catholic Church in America during his tenure as the arch104
bishop of Baltimore, the city of his birth (18861921). He was appointed a bishop in 1868 in North Carolina, and in that capacity he attended the first Vatican Council in 1869, 1870 at which Pope Pius IX, whom Pope John Paul II beatified in this century, received the councils support to issue the dogma of papal infallibility. He was the youngest attendee at that council and the last attendee to die. In fiercely Protestant America, the esteem in which he was held knew few bounds. The nation [of the United States], in turn, felt a deep affection for him, and at the civil celebration of his golden jubilee as a priest and his silver jubilee as a cardinal (Baltimore, June 6, 1911), the United States witnessed the most distinguished gathering that it had ever seen in honor of a private citizen, led by President [William Howard] Taft [President 19091913]. Cardinal Gibbons died on March 24, 1921, loved and esteemed by Americans of every walk of life and of every religious belief. (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1963 Edition, vol. 10, p. 340.) Cardinal Gibbons was called by [President] Theodore Roosevelt [President 19011909] in 1907 the most respected, venerated and useful citizen of the U.S. (Ibid.) The four articles in The Catholic Mirror conducted an exhaustive review of every passage in the New-Testament that refers to the Sabbath, sixty in total, and every New-Testament passage in which the first day of the week, Sunday, is mentioned, eight in all.1 In the final paragraph of the third article, the authors concluded the following:
1. See our book The Perils of Ecumenism, chapter 24, for further details concerning Cardinal Gibbons and Appendix A, B, C and D of our book The Lords Day for the entire four articles published in The Catholic Mirror, September 2, 9, 16, and 23, 1893.
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Having disposed of every text to be found in the New Testament referring to the Sabbath (Saturday), and to the first day of the week (Sunday), and having shown conclusively from these texts, that, so far, not a shadow of pretext can be found in the sacred volume for the biblical substitution of Sunday for Saturday; it only remains for us to investigate the meaning of the expressions Lords Day, and Day of the Lord to be found in the New Testament, which we propose to do in our next article, and conclude with apposite remarks on the incongruities of a system of religion which we shall have proved to be indefensible, self-contradictory, and suicidal. (September 16, 1893; words in parentheses are in the original.) Further, in the final article of the quartet, The Catholic Mirror, September 23, 1893, the authors present a strongly worded conclusion, a portion of which we share here in ten paragraphs under our own headings: 1. Protestantisms Glaring Contradiction This most glaring contradiction involving a deliberate sacrilegious rejection of a most positive precept is presented to us today in the action of the biblical Christian world. The Bible and the Sabbath constitute the watchword of Protestantism; but we have demonstrated that it is the Bible versus their Sabbath. We have shown that no greater contradiction ever existed than their theory and practice. We have proved that neither their biblical ancestors nor themselves have ever kept one Sabbath day in their lives. 2. Protestantism Desecration of the Sabbath The Israelites and Seventh-day Adventists are witnesses of their [the Protestants] weekly desecration of the day 106
named by God so repeatedly, and whilst they have ignored and condemned their teacher, the Bible, they have adopted a day kept by the Catholic Church. What Protestant can, after perusing these articles, with a clear conscience, continue to disobey the command of God, enjoining Saturday to be kept, which command his teacher, the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, records as the will of God? 3. Three-Hundred-Year Failure to Keep the Sabbath The history of the world can not present a more stupid, self-stultifying specimen of dereliction of principle than this. The teacher demands emphatically in every page that the Law of the Sabbath be observed every week, by all recognizing it as the only infallible teacher, whilst the Disciples of that teacher have not once for over 300 years observed the Divine precept! That immense concourse of biblical Christians, the Methodists, have declared that the Sabbath has never been abrogated, whilst the followers of the Church of England, together with her daughter, the Episcopal Church of the United States, are committed by the 20th article of Religion, already quoted, to the ordinance that the church cannot lawfully ordain anything contrary to Gods word written. Gods written word enjoins His worship to be observed on Saturday, absolutely, repeatedly, and most emphatically, with a most positive threat of death to him who disobeys. All the biblical sects occupy the same self-stultifying position which no explanation can modify, much less justify. (Ibid.) 4. Application of the Words of the Holy Spirit How truly do the words of the Holy Spirit apply to this deplorable situation! Iniquitas mentita est sibi In107
iquity hath lied to itself. Proposing to follow the Bible only as teacher, yet, before the world, the sole teacher, is ignominiously thrust aside and the teaching and practice of the Catholic Churchthe mother of abominations, when it suits their purpose to so designate heradopted, despite the most terrible threats pronounced by God Himself against those who disobey the command, Remember to keep holy the Sabbath. 5. Protestantism Both Self-Contradictory and Suicidal Before closing this series of articles, we beg to call our readers attention once more to our caption, introductory of each, viz: 1stThe Christian Sabbath, the genuine offspring of the union of the Holy Spirit, with the Catholic Church, His spouse. 2ndThe claim of Protestantism to any part therein proved to be groundless, self-contradictory and suicidal. 6. Discovering Who Altered the Day of the Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday The first proposition needs little proof. The Catholic Church for over one thousand years before the existence of a Protestant, by virtue of her Divine Mission, changed the day from Saturday to Sunday. We say by virtue of her Divine Mission, because He who called Himself the Lord of the Sabbath, endowed her with His own power to teach, he that heareth you, heareth me; commanded all who believe in him to hear her, under penalty of being placed with the heathen and publican, and promising to be with her to the end of the world. She holds her charter as teacher from hima charter as infallible as perpetual. The Protestant world at its birth found the Christian Sab108
bath [Sunday] too strongly entrenched to run counter to its existence; it was therefore placed under the necessity of acquiescing in the arrangement, thus implying the [Roman Catholic] Churchs right to change the day, for over 300 years. The Christian Sabbath is therefore to this day the acknowledged offspring of the Catholic Church as Spouse of the Holy Ghost, without a word of remonstrance from the Protestant world. 7. Gods Perpetual Covenant Let us now, however, take a glance at our second proposition, with the Bible alone as the teacher [see point 4 above] and guide in faith and morals. This teacher most emphatically forbids any change in the day for paramount reasons. The command calls for a perpetual covenant. The day commanded to be kept by the teacher has never once been kept, thereby developing an apostasy from an assumedly fixed principle, as self-contradictory, self-stultifying, and consequently as suicidal as it is within the power of language to express. 8. A Mockery, Delusion and Snare Nor are the limits of demoralization yet reached. Far from it. Their pretence for leaving the bosom of the Catholic Church was for apostasy from the truth as taught in the written word [the Bible]. They adopted the written word as their sole teacher, which they had no sooner done than they abandoned it promptly, as these articles have abundantly proved, and by a perversity as willful as erroneous, they accept the teaching of the Catholic Church in direct opposition to the plain, unvaried and constant teaching of their sole teacher in the most essential doc109
trine of their religion, thereby emphasizing the situation in what may be aptly designated a mockery, a delusion, and a snare. (Ibid.) 9. Logical and Scriptural Dissection Should any of the Rev. Parsons, who are habituated to howl so vociferously over every real or assumed desecration of that pious fraud, the Bible Sabbath, think well of entering a protest against our logical and scriptural dissection of their mongrel pet, we can promise them that a reasonable attempt on their part to gather up the disjecta membra of the hybrid, and to restore to it a galvanized existence, will be met with genuine cordiality and respectful consideration on our part. But we can assure our readers that we know these Reverend howlers too well to expect a solitary bark from them in this instance. 10. An Anti-Scriptural Question And they know us too well to subject themselves to the mortification which a further dissection of this antiscriptural question would necessarily entail. Their policy now is to lay low, and they are sure to adopt it. It is incredible that American Protestants and two American Presidents, Theodore Roosevelt and William Taft, should have showered profuse accolades upon the cardinal who had countenanced such an attack on one of their doctrines in such strident terms. Yet we cannot fault the careful analysis presented in this article. For many years the Roman Catholic Church, almost boastfully, has declared the correct fact that it was the prelates of their church, not God, who altered the day of worship, claiming that Christ bestowed them with the power to alter Gods holy law. 110
Scripture clearly warns that Christ is above all principality and power. No pontiff has ever been accorded such power. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power. (Colossians 2:810) This claimed right for the papacy to alter the very law of God, written by Gods own finger (Exodus 31:18) on tables of stone, is based on the extreme blasphemy of popes and others who have dared to affront the King of kings and Lord of lords by declaring the holders of the papal office to be God on earth. With limited comment we document a selection of such claims. 1. The pope is of so great dignity and so exalted that he is not a mere man, but as it were God, and the vicar of God. . . . The pope alone is deservedly called by the name most holy, because he alone is the vicar of Christ, who is the fountain and source and fullness of all holiness. . . . He is likewise the divine monarch and supreme emperor, and king of kings. . . . Hence the pope is crowned with a triple crown, as king of heaven and of earth and of the lower regions. . . . Moreover the superiority and the power of the Roman Pontiff by no means pertain only to heavenly things, to earthly things, and to things under the earth, but are even over angels, than whom he is greater. . . . So that if it were possible that the angels might err in the faith, or might think contrary to the faith, they could be judged and excommunicated by the pope. . . . For he is of so great dignity and power that he forms one and the same tribunal with Christ. . . . So that whatever the pope does, seems to proceed from the mouth of God, as according to most doctors, etc. . . . The pope is as it were God on earth, sole sovereign of the faithful of Christ, chief king of kings, having plenitude of power, 111
to whom has been entrusted by the omnipotent God direction not only of the earthly but also of the heavenly kingdom. . . . The pope is of so great authority and power that he can modify, explain, or interpret even divine laws. (Extracts from P. F. Lucius Ferraris, eighteenth century canonist of the Franciscan Order, professor provincial of his order, and consultant to the Holy Office of the Inquisition, Ecclesiastical Dictionary, article on Pope.) 2. We hold upon this earth the place of God Almighty. (Pope Leo XIII, in an encyclical letter dated June 20, 1894, The Great Encyclical Letters of Leo XIII, New York: Benziger Brothers, p. 304.) 3. Therefore the decision of the pope and the decision of God constitute one [i.e. the same] decision, just as the opinion of the pope and of his disciple are the same. Since, therefore, an appeal is always taken from an inferior judge to a superior, as no one is greater than himself, so no appeal holds when made from the pope to God, because there is one consistory of the pope himself and of God himself, of which consistory the pope himself is the key-bearer and the doorkeeper. Therefore no one can appeal from the pope to God, as no one can enter into the consistory of God without the mediation of the pope, who is the key-bearer and the doorkeeper of the consistory of eternal life; and as no one can appeal to himself, so no one can appeal from the pope to God, because there is one decision and one court [curia] of God and of the pope. (From the writings of Augustinus de Ancona (Augustinus Triumphus) (R. C.), printed without title page or pagination, commencing Incipit summa Catholici doctoris Augustini de Ancona potestate ecclesiastica, Questio VI, De Papalis Sententiae Appellatione (On an Appeal from a Decision of the Pope). British Museum, London.) 4. For thou art the shepherd, thou art the physician, thou art the director, thou art the husbandman: finally, thou art another God on earth. (From the Oration of Christopher Marcellus (R.C.) on the fourth session of the Fifth Lateran Council, 1512 (an address 112
to the pope); History of the Councils, Labbe and Cossart, vol. XIV, col. 109.) 5. Christ entrusted his office to the chief Pontiff; . . . but all power in heaven and in earth had been given to Christ; . . . therefore the chief Pontiff, who is his vicar, will have this power. (Gloss on the Extravagancies Communes, book 1, On Authority and Obedience, chap. 1, on the words Porro Subesse Rom. Pontiff. See the collection of Canon Laws, published in 1556, Extravagancies Communes, col. 29.). 6. All names which in the Scriptures are applied to Christ, by virtue of which it is established that he is over the church, all the same names are applied to the pope. (On the Authority of Councils, Bellarmine (R.C.), book 2, chap. 17 (vol. II, p. 266), ed. 1619.) 7. Peter and his successors have power to impose laws both perceptive and prohibitive, power likewise to grant dispensation from these laws, and, when needful, to annul them. It is theirs to judge offenses against the laws, to impose and to remit penalties. This judicial authority will even include the power to pardon sin. For sin is a breach of the laws of the supernatural kingdom, and falls under the cognizance of its constituted judges. (Editor, Charles G. Hebermann, The Catholic Encyclopedia, New York: Robert Appleton Co., 1907, vol. XII, p. 265.) 8. The pope is the vicar of Christ, or the visible head of the church on earth. The claims of the pope are the same as the claims of Christ. . . . The pope is more than the representative of Christ, for he is the fruit of his divinity and of the divine institution of the church. (Extract from a Sermon by Rev. Jeremiah Prendergast, S.J. (R.C.), preached in the Church of St. John the Baptist, Syracuse, New York, Wednesday, March 13, 1912, as reported in the Syracuse Post-Standard, March 14, 1912. 9. In 1335 Bishop Alvarez Pelayo lays down the doctrine that as Christ partook of the nature of God and man, so the pope, as his 113
vicar, participates with him in the divine nature as to spiritual things and in the nature of man as to temporals, so that he is not simply a man, but rather a God on earth. These extravagances are perpetuated to modern times. During the sessions of the Vatican Council, on Jan. 9, 1870, Mermeilloo, bishop of Hebron and coadjutor of Geneva, in a sermon preached in the church of San Andrea delle Valle, described three incarnations of Christ, - the first in Judea for the atonement, the next to the sacrifice of the Eucharist, and now the Saviour is once more on earth (he is in the Vatican in the person of an aged man), and the promotion with which the preacher was rewarded showed that such adulation was duly appreciated. Scarcely less blasphemous were the expressions used by the Irish Church at the triduum, or celebration of papal infallibility in Dublin, in September, 1870: The pope is Christ in office, Christ in jurisdiction and power; . . . we bow down before thy voice, O Pius, as before the voice of Christ, the God of truth; . . . in clinging to thee, we cling to Christ. (Henry C. Lea, Studies in Church History, Philadelphia: Henry C. Leas Sons & Co., 1883, p. 389, parentheses in the original.) 10. Hence he [the pope] is said to have a heavenly power, and hence changes even the nature of things, applying the substantial of one thing to anothercan make something out of nothinga judgment which is null he makes to be real, since in the things which he wills, his will is taken for a reason. Nor is there any one to say to him, Why dost thou do this? For he can dispense with the law, he can turn injustice into justice by correcting and changing the law, and he has the fullness of power. (Decretals of Gregory (R.C.) book 1, title 7, chap. 3, gloss on the Transfer of Bishops.) 11. . . . if ye [the pope] judge spiritual things, what must we believe to be your power over worldly things? and if ye judge the angels who rule over all proud princes, what can ye not do to their slaves? (James Bryce, D. C. L., The Holy Roman Empire, London: Macmillan & Co., 1892, p. 151.) 114
12. . . . in a certain sense the honor due to God, is thus rightly given to the vicar of Christ on earth. (A. Taylor Innes, Church and State, Edinburgh: T & T. Clark, pp. 97, 98.) These documented statements amply attest to the elevation of fallible men, the popes, who have usurped Gods authority. In view of this fact, we wonder how the Roman Catholic Church deals with the infallible revelation of Pope Adrian IV (Pope 11541159), the only English pope, who declared, I say firstly, if by the church one understands its head, namely, the pope, it is certain that he can err even in those matters which pertain to faith, by asserting heresy through his definition or decretal. For many Roman pontiffs have been heretics. (The Primitive Saints and the See of Rome, F. W. Puller, pp. 398, 399, Note 2, London, Longman, Green & Co., 1900.) Even Ambrose (340397 AD), Bishop of Milan, was a Sabbathkeeper. He was the Roman Catholic prelate who taught the Christian faith to Augustine, who later was appointed bishop of Hippo and also was canonized by the Roman Catholic Church as was his mentor. When Ambrose visited Rome, he complied with the custom of that city and worshiped on Sunday. It was Ambrose who, because of his practice, coined the saying, When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Another man, canonized by the Roman Catholic Church although he never subscribed to Roman Catholic doctrines, was Patrick (born about 389 AD), the Scottish missionary to Ireland. Like the Celtic church in general, Patrick, too, was a Sabbath-keeper. The Celts used a Latin Bible unlike the Vulgate [the official Bible of Roman Catholicism], and kept Saturday as a day of rest. (A. C. Flick, The Rise of the Medieval Church, p. 337; cited by Dr. B. J. Wilkinson, Truth Triumphant, p. 95.) 115
This fact causes no surprise, for A large number of this Keltic [Celtic] community (Lyons, ad 177colonists from Asia Minorwho escaped, migrated to Ireland and laid the foundations of the prePatrick church. (Yeates, East India Church History, p. 226; quoted in Wilkinson, op. cit., p. 81.) As far back as the seventeenth century, the Roman Catholic Church pointed to its change of the day of worship as the evidence of its ecclesiastical authority. Question: How prove you that the Catholic Church has power to command Feasts and Holy-Days? Answer: By this very act of changing the Sabbath into Sunday, which Protestants allow of. (Henry Turberville, An Abridgement of Christian Doctrine, Douai, 1687, p. 99.) In a catechism which received the apostolic blessing of Pope Pius X (later canonized) on January 25, 1910, the following questions and answers were included: Question: Which is the Sabbath day? Answer: Saturday is the Sabbath day. Question: Why do we observe Sunday instead of Saturday? Answer: We observe Sunday instead of Saturday because the Catholic Church in the Council of Laodicea (AD c. 364) transferred the solemnity from Saturday to Sunday. (Peter Geiermann (priest), The Converts Catechism of Catholic Doctrine, 1910, 2nd edition, p. 50.)
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We have presented evidence in chapter 7 of this volume that genuine Sabbath-keeping is the central issue which will decide who will receive the seal of the living God and those who will receive the mark of the beast. There is a vital reason why Sabbath-keepers at the close of human probation will be sealed with the seal of the living God. The Sabbath is the commandment of holiness. In order to keep the Sabbath holy, men must themselves be holy. (Ellen White, The Desire of Ages, p. 283) Those who keep the Sabbath holy must themselves be holy; otherwise, whatever their conduct on this Sabbath (Saturday), they cannot keep the Sabbath holy while harboring sin in their lives. Thus, true Sabbath-keepers, in addition to keeping the Sabbath commandment, are also found obeying the other nine commandments. If they possessed a known breach of any one of the other nine commandments in their hearts without repenting of it in the power of the Holy Spirit, they would be in a state of unholiness. True Sabbath-keepers are safe candidates for heaven, for they have permitted the Holy Spirit to cleanse their hearts of all sin. Satan well understands this matter and has found allies within the Christian church in positions of power who, with undue diligence, have adopted the Roman pagan day of the sun, thus supplanting the Sabbath. Let it not be forgotten that sin is well defined in the New Testament. Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. (1 John 3:4) No unrepentant sinner will enter the kingdom of heaven. Scripture is specific on this matter: Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city [heaven, the city of the New Jerusalem]. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whore-
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mongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. (Revelation 22:1415) Those who, in full knowledge of Gods requirement to keep all His commandments including the fourth, determine to despise the fourth or any of the other nine commandments and persist in this continual rebellion against the wooing and enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, are destined to receive the mark of the beast. Some Christians believe that sinning until the Second Coming, if one loves Jesus, is no barrier to salvation. This is a delusion of Satan. In which way could the redeemed be distinguished from the lost if persistent sin was common to both? We suggest that those of that persuasion re-consider the clear words of Revelation 22:1415 above. Here is the distinguishing issue between the saved and the lost. The entire difference is encapsulated in this single word sin. Those who have refused to be cleansed from all unrighteousness will be destroyed by the brightness of Christs second coming. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming. (2 Thessalonians 2:8) Such have not permitted Christ, through the Holy Spirit, to fulfill His wonderful promise: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) It appears that not a few Christians believe that they cannot overcome sin in this life. Yet that was the very purpose of Christ coming to the earth in human flesh, so that He could set us an example of overcoming sin in the power of the Holy Spirit. For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should fol118
low his steps: who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth. (1 Peter 2:2122) Those believing that they will still be taken to heaven while in the rebellion of sin must believe that God will create them as robots at His second coming, impelling them to live a sin-free life in heaven. Those who have accepted this false assurance of salvation are deluded. If they have not desired and received the power of the Holy Spirit during their earthly lives when that power was available, they will be lost. This is a matter of eternal consequence. Let us grasp Gods promise. Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. (Jude 1:24) Our God is a God of liberty, of free choice, not coercion. He forces no one to serve Him. Whosoever will (Revelation 22:17) may come! Satan ever coerces the sinner. He binds the sinner in bonds so powerful that it is only as the sinner in despair cries out in prayer for the Holy Spirits power to burst those bonds asunder that he can find freedom in Christ. While the Holy Spirit alerts our consciences to sin, He never thwarts the determined will of one who desires to defect to Satan once more. Those who promote the unscriptural doctrine of once saved, always saved attribute to God the same coercion as exercised by Satan. Paul fully recognized that despite decades of service to God he could choose to depart from Him. But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. (1 Corinthians 9:27) Peter graphically described the plight of those who once knew the gospel, yet later chose to return to their life of sin. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour 119
Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire. (2 Peter 2:2022) King Solomon had also been inspired to enunciate a similar principle. As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly. (Proverbs 26:11) Further, Christ referred to men who, under the power of the Holy Spirit were loosed form an evil spirit and later reverted to their former lives of sin in similar terms. When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation. (Matthew 12:4345) In truth, Gods law, His Ten Commandments, is a law of liberty. So shall I keep thy law continually for ever and ever. And I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts. (Psalm 119:4445) 120
But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. (James 1:25) The Roman Catholic Church has deigned to substitute the pagan day of sun-worship for the holy Sabbath day, thus placing satanically inspired paganism in place of Gods holy law. It is little wonder that Scripture describes that major segment of Protestantism which follows this Roman Catholic doctrinal alteration as a false prophet. (See Revelation 16:13; 19:20; 20:10; and the chapter in this volume entitled Three Churches.) Numerous authorities have recorded the inclusion of pagan sun worship into the Christian faith, especially after the conversion of Emperor Constantine (died AD. 337) to the Christian religion. Through this intrusion, Sunday worship gradually replaced Gods memorial of creation, the holy Sabbath day. None should thus be surprised that belief in evolution and denial of the creation week is now rampant in both Protestantism and Roman Catholicism. Speaking of the struggle for supremacy between paganism and Christianity in Europe in the fourth century AD, Dr. Walter Woodburn Hyde (born 1870), professor of ancient history at several American universities, revealed that: Remains from the struggle are found in two institutions adopted from its rival by Christianity in the fourth century, the two Mithraic sacred days, December twentyfifth, dies natalis solis [birthday of the sun], as the birthday of Jesus, and Sunday, the venerable day of the Sun, as Constantine called it in his edict of 321. (Hyde, Paganism to Christianity in the Roman Empire [Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1946], p. 60.) Other authorities have written similarly. The church took the pagan philosophy and made it the buckler of faith against the heathen. She took the pagan 121
Roman pantheon, temple of all gods, and made it sacred to all martyrs: so it stands to this day. She took the pagan Sunday and made it the Christian Sunday. She took the pagan Easter and made it the feast we celebrate during this season. (Dr. William Gildea (18561914), Roman Catholic writer, canon rector of St James Roman Catholic Church, London, Paschale Gaudium, The Catholic World, March 1894.) Concerning the power of the Mithras cult, we still have evidence of the fact that it is not the Jewish Sabbath that is the sacred week-day which Christianity, coming out of Judaism, had nearest at hand, but Sunday, dedicated to the Sun-god Mithras. (Hans Lamar (born 1873) author of the sections on archaeology, ancient science and technology, religion and civilization in Wrterbuch der Antike, Leipzig, Germany.) Philip Carrington, Anglican Archbishop of Quebec . . . defiantly at a meeting in this city [Quebec] of straightlaced Protestantism [declared] that tradition, not the Bible, had made Sunday the day of worship. (The Alberton newspaper, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, October 28, 1949.) Nowhere in the Bible do we find that Christ or the apostles ordered that the Sabbath be changed from Saturday to Sunday. We have the commandment of God given to Moses to keep holy the Sabbath day, that is the 7th day of the week. (To Tell You the Truth, The Catholic Virginian, October 3, 1947.) Countless authorities confess that Sunday-worship arose from pagan sun-worship and bears no scriptural authority. Yet the mark of the beast, Sunday worship, will be imposed with terrible severity just prior to Christs second coming. To this fact Bible prophecy fully attests. 122
And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. (Revelation 13:1517) Here in this passage is the first direct mention of the mark of the beast in Scripture. It is at this point that this fearful issue was raised in the revelation which Christ, through the Holy Spirit, provided to the apostle John on the Isle of Patmos. But in the remaining nine chapters of Revelation, the mark of the beast is brought to our attention in six further passages of Revelation, chapters 14, 15, 16, 19 and 20. The last message of salvation, to be proclaimed worldwide, the three angels messages, contain a fearful warning to those who accept the pagan custom of Sunday worship, whether this acceptance is based upon pretense because of fear of retribution from religious and civil authorities, symbolized as receiving the mark in their hands, or by conviction, symbolized by receiving the mark in the forehead. And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. (Revelation 14:911) 123
In chapter 15, the prophet was shown the period spanning from the pouring out of the seven last plagues to the redeemed who stand victorious over the religio-political coalition which has imposed Sunday worship by edict. Only such, of the more than six billion inhabitants upon earth, will be accorded a place in Gods kingdom. And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God. And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. (Revelation 15:12) Chapter 16 reveals that the plagues fall upon those who have willingly accepted the pagan day honoring Satan and his pagan worship and have, therefore, received the mark of the beast. And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image. (Revelation 16:2) The references in Revelation, chapters 19 and 20, both refer to the final annihilation of the wicked after the conclusion of the Millennium. 1 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. (Revelation 19:20)
1. See our book The Rapture, the End Time and the Millennium (advertised in the back of this volume), chapter 35.
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And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. (Revelation 20:10) Despite these grim warnings, we find many Protestants who still persist in accepting the deception that it matters not which day of the week we keep for Christian worship. Yet it would be rare for such Christians to apply this reasoning to secular anniversaries. Few Americans would assert that they are at liberty to celebrate any day of the year for their memorial of Independence Day. To select a day other than July 4 would be to rob that memorial of all significance. Yet these same people would have us regard the vastly more sacred memorial of Gods creative acts with utter indifference. Clearly God does not so regard the Sabbath.
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Chapter 9
The Holy Spirit Empowers the Worlds Last Message
THE EVERLASTING GOSPEL The heart of the New Testament message is the gospel of the kingdom. The gospel is indeed everlasting, for Christ is the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. (Revelation 13:8) The gospel to be preached just before the close of probation is not a new gospel; it is as old as eternity. But it has specific features relevant to the last momentous events in the history of this earth. The everlasting gospel in the last days specifies and identifies counterfeit Christianity, which proclaims a false gospel. It pleads with men and women to flee from this satanic error into the arms of their Saviour. All are warned by a loving God, who is not willing for any of His children to perish from the dire consequences of failing to flee from apostasy. Never has the everlasting gospel been presented with such urgency or in such an awesome context. Yet, shining throughout in unmistakable glory is the love of God for sinners. His last presentation of the everlasting gospel to a doomed world is couched in terms more impelling than any human could devise. This message, and no other, can penetrate the most reticent soul who still has the least desire to follow Jesus. God would never overlook the least possibility of saving a single individual. If the everlasting gospel as presented in the three angels messages does not draw a response to the infinite love of Christ, the individual is impervious to truth. God would give us no less a gospel in this time of unprecedented peril. 126
This gospel is a message defined by Christ and empowered by the mightiest manifestation of the power of the Holy Spirit ever bestowed upon sinners. But, as it was prior to the flood in Noahs day, so it will be in these last days. (See Matthew 24:3739.) In Noahs day, men were given 120 years of probation. (See Genesis 6:3.) Likewise today, the Holy Spirit will not continue indefinitely to strive for the hearts of men. The Holy Spirits closing work on earth will soon cease. God has set a limit, but in this case, that time has not been revealed to mankind. And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. (Genesis 6:5) It is a message defined by Christ. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. (Matthew 28:20) This is the message to be believed. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise. (Ephesians 1:13) It is the message to be lived. Only let your conversation [manner of living] be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel. (Philippians 1:27) It is the message to be obeyed. 127
But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? (Romans 10:16) For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? (1 Peter 4:17) It is the message to be taught. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. . . . (Matthew 28:1920) It is the message to be preached. And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. (Mark 16:15) It is the message that precedes the return of our Lord. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. (Matthew 24:14) It is the message by which all men shall be judged. In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel. (Romans 2:16) It is the message of salvation. 128
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. (Romans 1:16) It is a gospel of both justification (which includes Christs forgiveness for our sins) and sanctification (which means the Holy Spirits transformation and empowerment to obey Gods commandments). Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:1) To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. (Acts 26:18) Christ foretold the day when, at His second coming, this mighty proclamation of the everlasting gospel having been spread to all the inhabitants of the earth, He will gather His elect, those who willingly serve Him, into His kingdom. 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. (Matthew 24:31) Christs promise is that the spread of the gospel of Jesus death on Calvary and His high priestly ministry as set forth in the book of Hebrews will be completed on earth. We repeat this promise. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. (Matthew 24:14) 129
But here the specific nature of the everlasting gospel in the end-time, Gods last impelling truth for every inhabitant of the world in the context of the cataclysmic last days of our earth, was not then revealed. THE SPECIFIC NATURE OF TODAYS EVERLASTING GOSPEL However, God did not complete the canon of Scripture before revealing that specific gospel message to us. Many Bibles falsely add to the title of the book of Revelation the wordsThe Revelation of St. John the Divine. It is true that John was inspired through visions to write the book. But he was not the ultimate author of the book of Revelation. Scripture itself reveals the true author. The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John. (Revelation 1:1) It is in this book that, in seven succinct verses, Jesus revealed the precise final message to the world. Read this magnificent, impelling message with care: And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with 130
fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. (Revelation 14:612) THE EVERLASTING GOSPEL IN APOSTOLIC TIMES This message is represented by angels spreading the message. But as in the days of Noah, when the demise of the antediluvian world was foretold, it was humans, filled with the Holy Spirit, who were entrusted with the message. The swift-flying angels are symbolically used to demonstrate the speed with which this message will be spread. The everlasting gospel was also preached worldwide following Christs death, within the brief thirty-nine year period prior to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. That amazing success followed the pouring out of the Holy Spirit in pentecostal power in AD 31, fifty days after Christs crucifixion. It must not be overlooked that the disciples had asked Christ a two-pronged question just prior to His death. He had shocked and distressed them when He revealed the fact of the future destruction of the temple in Jerusalem. And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew 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. (Matthew 24:12) Confusing the time of the destruction of the temple with the second coming of Christ, the disciples asked Christ this two-fold question: And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these 131
things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? (Matthew 24:3) Christ took the opportunity to synthesize his answer to the questions, informing them of the signs which would transpire prior to the fall of Jerusalem, which included the destruction of the temple and the far later event of His second coming. Thus when, in Matthew 24:14 quoted above, He foretold the gospel message being preached in all the world, He foreshadowed this worldwide commission being completed twice after Jesus ascended to heaven. Scripture testified that it was completed prior to the fall of Jerusalem. Writing about 64 or 65 AD, Paul testified to this fact. If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister. (Colossians 1:23) The entire world in apostolic times heard the glorious gospel news, that through the death of Christ on Calvary the infinite price for our redemption had been paid. Numerous eye-witnesses to this pivotal event in the history of the universe were present in Jerusalem at that time as the Jews who had dispersed worldwide returned to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. They witnessed on Calvary the death of Christ, the Lamb of God slain from the foundation of the world. (Revelation 13:8) The genuine Passover Lamb had died for our sins. Luke in his history of the early Christian church plainly testifies to this fact. Notice Lukes words: And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, 132
and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. (Acts 2:15) It was these men out of every nation under heaven, who, converted by the Holy Spirit under the preaching of Peter and the other ten living apostles, returned to their homelands. They were fired by the zeal of the Holy Ghost. As a sign of Gods mercy, Noahs message of a soon-coming worldwide flood was spread to the antediluvians. So also, the gospel was taken to the world before the destruction of Jerusalem, and once again the gospel will be spread worldwide just prior to the return of Jesus to take His saints to heaven. THE FIRST ANGELS MESSAGE Let us examine the worldwide message of the first angel. As it is read, it will be noticed that this message contains four distinct elementsa call to fear God, a call to give glory to Him, an announcement of the hour of His judgment, and a call to worship Him as Creator. And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. (Revelation 14:67) FEAR GOD The first portion of the first angels message is Fear Godjust two words, but how far-reaching is this message! Scripture plainly defines what is implied by these two words used in conjunction. We cite some plain definitions from Scripture. 133
O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever! (Deuteronomy 5:29) That thou mightest fear the Lord thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy sons son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged. (Deuteronomy 6:2) And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, to keep the commandments of the Lord, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good? (Deuteronomy 10:1213) There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil. . . . And the Lord said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? . . . In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly. (Job 1:1, 8, 22) Many other passages of Scripture may be cited including Genesis 22:1012, 18; Ecclesiastes 12:13; Deuteronomy 6:24; 13:4; 17:19; 31:12. What an important and urgent message this is today! To fear God includes keeping His commandments as well as practicing the whole principles of godly living.
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And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, to keep the commandments of the Lord, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good? (Deuteronomy 10:1213) More than ninety-nine percent of Christians today are taught to disobey Gods commandments. We use the plural form of commandment, for while they are taught to disobey the fourth commandment alone, James, writing under the guidance of the Holy Spirit almost three decades after Christs death (about 60 AD), declared, If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: but if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors. For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. (James 2:812) In understanding the call to fear God, this passage of Scripture carries heavy emphasis and deep meaning in the twenty-first century. Many Christians today offer a number of reasons for desecrating the seventhday Sabbath, the only Sabbath authorized in Scripture. We address one of these proffered reasonsthat the Ten Commandments were nailed to Christs cross. In confirmation of this reasoning the following text of Scripture is cited: Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross. (Colossians 2:14) 135
This text has no relevance to the Ten Commandments whatsoever. We notice that Colossians 2:14 speaks of ordinances which have two specific characteristics: 1. They were handwritten; 2. They were contrary to us. The Ten Commandments were not handwritten. Scripture clearly states, concerning the Ten Commandments, that . . . he [God] gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God. (Exodus 31:18) And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony were in his hand: the tables were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written. And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables. (Exodus 32:1516) Thus the Ten Commandments were not handwritten. They were written on tables of stone by the finger of God. Furthermore, they were placed in the ark of the covenant. After Moses broke the first tables of the Ten Commandments in his righteous anger when he observed the Hebrews conducting idol worship and dancing around the golden calf, God rewrote them once more. And I made an ark of shittim wood, and hewed two tables of stone like unto the first, and went up into the mount, having the two tables in mine hand. And he wrote on the tables, according to the first writing, the ten commandments, which the Lord spake unto you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly: and 136
the Lord gave them unto me. And I turned myself and came down from the mount, and put the tables in the ark which I had made; and there they be, as the Lord commanded me. (Deuteronomy 10:35) Further, we notice in Colossians 2:14 above that the ordinances to which Paul there refers were contrary to us, that is, they witnessed against us. That was never true of the Ten Commandments, but it was true of the law of sacrifices and ordinances, sometimes called the law of Moses. We notice three features of that law in the passage below: And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this law in a book, until they were finished, that Moses commanded the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord, saying, Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee. (Deuteronomy 31:2426) These features were: 1. Moses wrote this law in a book by his own hand; 2. They were not placed in the body of the ark of the covenant, but in the side of it; and 3. They were a witness against Gods Israelite people. It must not be overlooked that the law cited in Colossians 2:13, introducing the fourteenth verse, referred not to any of the Ten Commandments, but to circumcision. The issue of circumcision was a point of contention in the early Christian church, where it was specifically acknowledged to be a requirement, not of the Ten Commandments, but of the law of Moses. But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise 137
them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses. (Acts 15:5) Peter clearly answered a complaint against the non-circumcision of the Gentile converts to Christianity. It was not a mandatory requirement for Gentiles following conversion, for, as we have seen, it was a requirement of the law of Moses, the law of sacrifices and ordinances, which was nailed to the cross. And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter. And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; and put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they. Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them. (Acts 15:612) To cite Colossians 2:14 in support of the nullification of the Ten Commandments is to destroy the clearest testimony of the New Testament. The final verse of the three angels messages defines who Christs saints are at His second coming. Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. (Revelation 14:12)
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This verse was written about sixty years after Christs incomparable sacrifice on Calvary. It specifically identifies Christs saints as those who keep Gods commandments. This is the consistent testimony of the New Testament epistles. Listen to Pauls testimony: Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God. (1 Corinthians 7:19) The Apostle Johns testimony was also quite plain. And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. (1 John 2:34) And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us. (1 John 3:2224) For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. (1 John 5:3) And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it. (2 John 1:6)
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And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. (Revelation 12:17) Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. (Revelation 22:14) Paul specifically declared that it was the law of sacrifices and ordinances which was destroyed. Here the distinction between Gods everlasting Ten Commandments and the ordinances of the ceremonial law which pointed to Christ is distinctly made. Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace. (Ephesians 2:15) What a world this would be if the law of God had been abrogated! Sin would no longer exist in the world, for Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. (1 John 3:4) Sin is the transgression of Gods law, even as crime is the transgression of our national laws. If murder was not a crime, such acts could be committed in our nations without fear of penalty. If there were no speed limits on the roads, we could drive at the vehicles top speed in suburban streets without fear of penalty. For Christians to teach that Gods law is abolished is a most dangerous doctrine. If practiced, it would make Christians worse than most infidels. Other Christians believe that Christ replaced the Ten Commandments by the two commandments which summarize the Ten Commandments. 140
Did not Christ state that He gave a new commandment? we are asked to ponder. Yes, He did! A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. (John 13:34) Was this commandment new to the Jews? Absolutely not! It had been expressed 1500 years prior to Christs first advent. . . . thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. . . . (Leviticus 19:18) Then what was new about Christs words quoted above? That which was new was Christs demonstration of that love in person, as I have loved you. The first of the two summaries of the Ten Commandments was expressed by Moses 1500 years earlier. It was enunciated just forty years after the Ten Commandments, written by Gods finger, were given to Moses on Mount Sinai. And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. (Deuteronomy 6:5) This was the reason that the non-Christian Jewish ecclesiastical lawyer was well able to express this summary of the first four commandments along with the summary of the last six commandments. And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. (Luke 10:2527) 141
This reply received Christs approbation, for it, too, was proclaimed by Moses. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. (Luke 10:28) Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the Lord. (Leviticus 19:18) How important in this day and age is Christs final call to fear Godto obey His Ten Commandmentsin this time of rampant sin among professing Christians. The effort to destroy the Ten Commandments among most Protestants today has born a dire harvest of iniquity. When the claim that the Ten Commandments were nailed to the cross is thoroughly scrutinized, it is found to be merely a subterfuge to excuse the obligation of Sabbath observance. We have documented that the Roman Catholic Church has freely admitted that it altered the Ten Commandments on the supposed authority of papal infallibility. Protestants, in denying the seventh-day Sabbath, have brought many woes upon their heads, for the Sabbath is the commandment of holiness. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. (Exodus 20:8) In order to keep the Sabbath holy, men must themselves be holy. Sabbath desecration has led latter-day Protestants to tread the perilous pathway back to the arms to Rome. The religious right in the United States is a union of Protestants and Roman Catholicism. Churches such as the Lutherans, Methodists, and Southern Baptists have made various accords in recent years with Roman Catholicism. Protestantism is hastening down the road to its annihilation, as the prophecies of Revelation foretold. It is outside the purpose of this volume to document these facts.1
1. This we have undertaken in other books of ours. See our Antichrist Septenate, advertised in the back of this volume.
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Yet Protestantism was founded by God. Gods final remnant church will complete the Protestant Reformation. (See chapter 10 of this book.) GIVE GLORY TO HIM The second element of the first angels message is, Give glory to Him. Paul sums up this command. Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31) In an age of gluttony, feasting, alcohol and drug use among Christians of every faith, this message has never been more urgent. But this passage goes even beyond Christs plea to honor Him in our bodies by eating and drinking only that which is health-giving. It extends to whatsoever ye do. This is a call to emulate the character of Christ. The need to seek God to empower virtuous lives through the Holy Ghost in our hearts has been forgotten and even denied by numerous Christians today. They believe that so long as they profess to love Christ and to desire His kingdom, their continued lives of wickedness are no impediment to salvation. This is tragic. God does not take sinners to heaven. Listen to Peters inspired testimony. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. (2 Peter 3:14) Notice also Pauls agreement: Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. (Ephesians 5:2527) 143
Christs step-brother provided us inspired words of encouragement. Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy. (Jude 1:24) Such piety will be empowered in the lives of all the redeemed. And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God. (Revelation 14:5) The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid. (Zephaniah 3:13) Our God provides us with freedom of choice between sin and holiness. He does not offer salvation to unrighteous professors who merely profess to believe in Christ yet continue their lives of worldliness and selfishness. But ever He provides the power of the Holy Spirit to sanctify every willing soul. Many mistake a counterfeit belief for Gods genuine belief. This encompasses far more than an intellectual belief. Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? (1 John 5:15) 144
Notice that genuine belief, cited in 1 John 5:15, includes seven features: 1. Being born again; 2. Loving God; 3. Loving our neighbor; 4. Keeping the commandments; 5. Overcoming the world; 6. Experiencing victory over sin in the Holy Spirits power; and 7. Possessing genuine faith. Many Christians profession of belief in Jesus is no better than that of the devils. Satan fully believes, intellectually, that Christ died on Calvary for our sins. He was present, stirring the wicked to revile our precious Saviour in His untold agony endured for our redemption. Such belief will not be a basis of Satans salvation. He has counterfeited every doctrine of Scripture. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. (James 2:19) Satan has lulled Christians into the belief that they cannot emulate Christs character despite the Holy Spirits provision of power to do so. This is a fearful and fatal error, painting Christ as an impotent God, far less powerful than Satan. We are all well aware that if we give our lives to Satan, he is well able to empower our lives of sin. Yet, remarkably, we believe that the omnipotent God of heaven does not possess the power to grant to the trusting, desiring soul the grace to live a life of character perfection. This is an incredible slight against Christ, who is ever ready to request His representative, the Holy Spirit, to empower obedience. If this were not true then Peters words would be devoid of meaning. 145
For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth. (1 Peter 2:2122) Further, the many admonitions of Scripture to live lives free from sin would simply mock us. Scripture plainly testifies that sin unrepented and unforsaken has fearful consequences, irrespective of our profession. For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? (Hebrews 10:2629) Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (Matthew 7:2123) And that servant, which knew his lords will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him 146
shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more. (Luke 12:4748) Lest any reader despair of salvation, the prophets of old, instructed by the Holy Spirit, are full of encouragement. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land. (Isaiah 1:19) Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. (Revelation 22:14) He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. (Revelation 21:7) What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? (Romans 8:3132) THE HOUR OF GODS JUDGMENT IS COME In these final days of earths history, God is judging His professed people. Over the six millennia of this worlds history, those who have genuinely confessed their sins and permitted their lives to be cleansed from sin, have had forgiven written against those sins in Gods unerring book of record. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) But those sins remain on record. The Bible clearly attests that they are not blotted out at the moment of repentance. Ponder the words of the prophet Ezekiel, especially verse 13. 147
As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel? Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth. When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it. (Ezekiel 33:1113) The New Testament reiterates this fact in colorful long usage. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire. (2 Peter 2:2022) Such passages powerfully testify against the unscriptural once saved, always saved doctrine. If the sins we have formerly sincerely repented were blotted out at repentance, then Peter would have written in error when he declared that a former Christian who had subsequently backslidden and was again entangled with sin would be worse off than if he had never accepted the Lord. If our sins are blotted out at repentance, 148
then those who had returned to sin would not receive punishment for the sins committed prior to their temporary conversion and thus would be better off on that account. King Solomon and Christ Himself expressed the situation plainly. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:14) But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. (Matthew 12:3637) Clearly, there has to be a time of final judgment. To this time Paul, speaking to the Athenians, testified. Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. (Acts 17:31) Paul also warned the wavering Roman governor, Felix, of this time. And as he [Paul] reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee. (Acts 24:25) This period of judgment was foreshadowed by the Old-Testament Day of Atonement held on the tenth day of the seventh month of the Jewish religious calendar. The longest time prophecy in Scriptureoccupying 2300 prophetic daysspoke of the commencement of this judgment. 149
Consistent with all the prophecies of Daniel and Revelation, these days were symbolic days which represented 2300 years. The date when this judgment of final investigation would begin investigating the lives of all who have ever truly professed to serve God was settled in Daniel 8:14. In a brilliant piece of biblical deduction, William Miller (17821849), a Baptist, concluded, with the assistance of others, that the prophecy of the cleansing of the sanctuary commenced precisely on the twenty-second day of October, 1844. It is true that Mr. Miller mistook that day for the second coming of Christ, but the date itself was correct. Others correctly arrived at the true event, the commencement of Gods final judgment in heaven. And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed. (Daniel 8:14) According to verse 25 of Daniel chapter 9, this time prophecy was to begin with the powerful Medo-Persian kingdom granting the right to restore Jerusalem. In an outstanding and meticulous work of historical research, American Dr. William Shea, professor of theology at the theological seminary of Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Michigan, traced back, in terms of our present Gregorian calendar, the day this command to restore and build Jerusalem went into effect. By use of the new moons in the historical records of Medo-Persia, Dr. Shea verified that Miller and his colleagues were correct in settling the date of the commencement of the prophecy. Dr. Sheas contribution was to discover the precise date upon which the Jewish Day of Atonement fell in that year. That day was October 22, 457 BC. Gods prophecy was fulfilled to the very day. (See Dr. William H. Shea, Selected Studies on Prophetic Interpretation [Lincoln, Nebraska: College View Printers, 1982], pp. 132137.) In the Jewish era this cleansing of the sanctuary referred to the Day of Atonement when all of Gods people were to appear before Him with all their sins confessed. This day was a type of the final judgment of God in the time of the end prior to the close of human probation. The event 150
for the commencement of this prophecy was declared by Daniel as the going forth of the command to restore and to rebuild Jerusalem (See Daniel 9:25.) That decree of King Artaxerxes is found in Ezra, chapter 7. Ezra 7:8 certifies that this decree was issued in the seventh year of the kings reign, which, according to secular history, was in 457 BC. A period of 2300 years, remembering there was no year zero between BC and AD, brings us to 1844 AD. We recognize that in this book we cannot provide the extensive scriptural and historical evidence for these matters.1 On October 22, 1844, Christ entered the Most Holy Place of the heavenly sanctuary, there to commence this final investigative judgment. He commenced with deceased individuals from Abel to the present time. Each life is carefully reviewed, and those who have remained true to God until their deaths will have their sins blotted out and will be raised to eternal life at Christs second coming. Those who died in willful sin will have their names expunged from the book of life. As individuals pass to their death their cases are similarly examined and judged. Shortly God will commence to judge the living. We live in momentous times. This is the reason, with a great sense of urgency, we press each reader to prepare, in love for God, for that day is nigh at hand. WORSHIP HIM THAT MADE HEAVEN, AND EARTH, AND THE SEA, AND THE FOUNTAINS OF WATER This fourth element of the first angels message is virtually a direct quotation from the last verse of the fourth commandmentthe commandment directing us to the sanctity of the seventh-day Sabbath. For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it. (Exodus 20:11)
1. This we have undertaken in our books The Rapture, the End Times and the Millennium, pp. 68104 and The Sacrificial Priest, second edition, 2002, pp. 140187. The material makes impelling reading. We recommend these books for a fascinating study upon this third element of the first angels message.
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How crucial is this message today, when over ninety-nine percent of Christians choose to desecrate Gods sacred day. This fact is the imperative for this urgent message to be proclaimed today. The evidence is clear for each of us to see. Today Christ urges us to return to this precept of His law, for it has overwhelmingly been discarded by professing Christians for what Emperor Constantine called the venerable day of the sun, the first day of the week. God appeals to all people of faith to return to Sabbath-keeping in holiness of heart. THE SECOND ANGELS MESSAGE And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. (Revelation 14:8) To modern man, unacquainted with Scripture, this message no doubt appears extraordinary. History attests that the nation of Babylon was destroyed by the Medo-Persians more than 2500 years ago, never to arise again. It would be reasonable to pose the question, What relevance can that event possess for those of us living in the twenty-first century? The biblical answer to that question is, Much. The second angels message itself possesses two great clues to the relevance of the fall of the Babylonian Empire in ancient times to endtime events unfolding today. These two clues are: 1. Babylon is fallen, is fallen; 2. She made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. Both these statements were made by prophets of the Old Testament referring to the fall of literal Babylon. 1. And, behold, here cometh a chariot of men, with a couple of horsemen. And he answered and said, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; 152
and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground. (Isaiah 21:9) 2. Babylon hath been a golden cup in the Lords hand, that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations are mad. (Jeremiah 51:7) Clearly God is pointing us to review the fall of literal Babylon 2500 years ago in order to understand the meaning of this message for us today. Providentially, in Scripture God has provided an inerrant historical account of the last few hours of the kingdom of Babylon. Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand. Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein. Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them. They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone. In the same hour came forth fingers of a mans hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the kings palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. Then the kings countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another. (Daniel 5:16) In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old. (Daniel 5:3031) The reader would do well to read this entire chapter. 153
At his feast, King Belshazzar had blasphemed the God of heaven. He had dared to toast the idols of Bel, the chief deity of Babylon, with the holy vessels which had been taken from Gods temple in Jerusalem as booty by his grandfather, King Nebuchadnezzar. Those vessels had been used in the temple service as the priests conveyed the sacrificial blood, symbolic of the sacred blood of Christ shed for us, into the temple. Further, Belshazzar had placed in those vessels fermented wine. The process of fermentation using yeast, known as leaven in the Bible, symbolized sin. Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leaven; neither shall the sacrifice of the feast of the passover be left unto the morning. (Exodus 34:25) Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. (1 Corinthians 5:8) Belshazzar dared to employ symbols of the pure truth of God in a service dedicated to the unholy tenets of paganism. He symbolically mixed the sacred with the profane, righteousness with iniquity, truth with damnable error. With this historical elucidation of the cause of the destruction of literal Babylon, we clearly discern that in this second angels message God is warning Christians today to escape from those professed Christian churches which have dared to unite truth with error, Christian faith with pagan practices, righteousness with sinful lifestyles, the sacred with the unholy. This is an apt description of the great majority of Christian denominations today. God urgently calls His people out of such false faiths into His remnant church. (See chapter 10 of this volume.) And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and 154
is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. (Revelation 18:15) God saw the escalating union of Christian churches with the state (the kings of the earth) and their exertion of political power so evident today and their entry into financial schemes with the merchants of the earth, and in His love He calls all to forsake such faulted Christian faiths. THE THIRD ANGELS MESSAGE And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: and the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. (Revelation 14:912) This passage contains the most terrifying words of the New Testament and, arguably, the entire Bible. In Gods great love He informs us 155
of how terrible will be the loss of our salvation. Verse 12 plainly points to the matters at stake: 1. The keeping of the commandments; 2. The possession of the faith of Jesus. These matters specifically point to the final tests facing mankind prior to the close of human probation. The first is the desecration of the commandments by end-time professing Christians. In an age where blasphemous worship forms are widely promoted in most denominations in the use of Pentecostal and Charismatic-type services, a great majority of churches have forgotten the biblically injunction to . . . worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. (1 Chronicles 16:29; see also Psalm 29:2; 96:9) Rock music has been substituted for psalms and the hymns of Zion. Drama and clowning are rapidly replacing the preaching of the Word, and fiction and novels rather than truth and Scripture are dominating Christian book stores. Entertainment and sporting events have replaced Christian witness. Condoning of adulterous practices, covering up for pedophilia, and removing the practice of homosexuality from the category of sin, are now common place. The seventh commandment, prohibiting all sexual practices outside of heterosexual marriage, has effectively been cast on the scrap heap of Christian virtue. All this is a result of the fundamental policy to ignore the Ten Commandments, which are a transcript of Gods character. Central to this disregard for Gods law is the discarding of His holy seventh-day Sabbath, replacing it with the pagan practice of Sunday worship.1 This is the commandment of holiness. It commences with the words, Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. (Exodus 20:8)
1. See our book The Lords DayMoral Decay, Evolution and the Threat to Liberty.
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There are many other reasons set forth in our more extensive coverage of this issue in some of our other books, identifying the enforcement of Sunday worship by secular law at the behest of religious leaders. There is no doubt that this provides the final test for mankind, described in the third angels message as the mark of the beast. The issue of the mark of the beast will become a universal issue just prior to the close of human probation. It will be enforced by the most powerful weapons of the state.1 To this fact Scripture testifies. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. (Revelation 13:1517) It remains for us to return to the mention of the seal of the living God (Revelation 7:13). We have shown that this seal is contained in the fourth commandment where Gods name, His authority, and the territory over which He rules are defined. These are the three mandatory features of the seals used in ancient times. This seal again is offered in the first angels message which contains all three elements of the sealHis name (God), His authority (madeCreator), His territory of domain (heaven and earth and the sea and the fountains of waters). This first angels message is offering to mankind Gods greatest and most loving giftHis seal, made possible by the death of His Son on
1. Please see The Lords Day; The Rapture, the End Times and the Millennium; The Antichrist is Here; The Popes Letter and Sunday Laws; Two Beasts, Three Deadly Wounds and Fifteen Popes; and The Perils of Ecumenism. (See the list of Hartland Publications at the back of this volume.) The most eminent Biblical expositor of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Ellen Gould White, has provided an outstanding account of the circumstances surrounding the enforcement of the mark of the beast in her book, The Great Controversy, which may also be obtained from Hartland Publications.
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Calvary. In summary, the first angels message is a promise of GodI love you so much, I want you in My kingdom. Please, please accept My seal. Equally, the third angels message is a message of infinite love. Essentially it is stating, Dear child of Mine, I love you so much that I want you to shun the mark of the beast. I have warned you of its terrible consequences. Please, please, do not accept it. The second angels message has been appropriately placed between the other two, for that which will ultimately determine whether we are saved or lost, whether we receive the seal of the living God or the mark of the beast is whether, irrespective of the coercion imposed, we reject the Satanic-inspired religion of Babylon or accept it. The choice is ours. What a final message to the world are these three great messages! Salvation is in the balance as each of us remember that the Holy Spirit is ever ready to grant us His guidance to understand these greatest of all issues and to empower our course of righteousness. We cannot overemphasize the importance of the study of these three messages under the tutelage of the Holy Spirit.
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Chapter 10
The Final Remnant and the Holy Ghost
SEPTEMBER 11, 2001 N the year 1904, a remarkable prophecy was published. The significance of that prediction could scarcely have been evaluated at the time. In this chapter of our book this prophecy is so cogent to the topic, that we reproduce the prediction in full:
On one occasion, when in New York City, I was in the night season called upon to behold buildings rising story after story toward heaven. These buildings were warranted to be fireproof, and they were erected to glorify their owners and builders. Higher and still higher these buildings rose, and in them the most costly material was used. Those to whom these buildings belonged were not asking themselves: How can we best glorify God? The Lord was not in their thoughts. I thought: Oh, that those who are thus investing their means could see their course as God sees it! They are piling up magnificent buildings, but how foolish in the sight of the Ruler of the universe is their planning and devising. They are not studying with all the powers of heart and mind how they may glorify God. They have lost sight of this, the first duty of man. As these lofty buildings went up, the owners rejoiced with ambitious pride that they had money to use in gratify159
ing self and provoking the envy of their neighbors. Much of the money that they thus invested had been obtained through exaction, through grinding down the poor. They forgot that in heaven an account of every business transaction is kept; every unjust deal, every fraudulent act, is there recorded. The time is coming when in their fraud and insolence men will reach a point that the Lord will not permit them to pass, and they will learn that there is a limit to the forbearance of Jehovah. The scene that next passed before me was an alarm of fire. Men looked at the lofty and supposedly fire-proof buildings and said: They are perfectly safe. But these buildings were consumed as if made of pitch. The fire engines could do nothing to stay the destruction. The firemen were unable to operate the engines. I am instructed that when the Lords time comes, should no change have taken place in the hearts of proud, ambitious human beings, men will find that the hand that had been strong to save will be strong to destroy. No earthly power can stay the hand of God. No material can be used in the erection of buildings that will preserve them from destruction when Gods appointed time comes to send retribution on men for their disregard of His law and for their selfish ambition. (Ellen White (18271915), Testimonies, vol. 9 [Mountain View, California: Pacific Press Publishing Association, 1909], p. 12, 13.) The reader in the twenty-first century will easily identify the fulfillment of this puzzling prediction given early in the previous century, for it proved correct in every detail. Russell and his wife, Glenice, were in deep sleep in Melbourne, Australia, September 12, 2001 at 1 a.m. We were awakened by a telephone call. Colin was ringing from Virginia in the United States. Quickly turn on your television set, he urged, There are terrible terrorist attacks in America. 160
Our somnolence soon dissipated as we viewed live that which was occurring on September 11, 2001, American Eastern Daylight Time, in the city of New York. The event is now universally known by its American date 9/11. We had previously read this prophecy, first published in 1904, and later incorporated into a larger collection of Testimonies for the Church, volume 9, as titled above, in 1909. The title of the chapter was The Last Crisis. Even more fascinatingly, this chapter of volume 9 commenced on page eleven9/11. This could well have been a coincidence, but the prediction was too explicit to be categorized as coincidental. It was fulfilled to the letter. THE CONSEQUENCES OF 9/11 None can deny that the 9/11 event was a defining moment in the history of the twenty-first century. With the second coming of Christ so imminent, evidence abounds that it ushered in a new and terrifying period of earths history. As we pen these words, North Korea has just flexed its nuclear capability with its first nuclear test, defying the warnings of the nations of the world of the dire consequences of such action. Iran appears determined to follow a similar course. From the action of the suicide terrorists which committed their vile acts in New York and lesser acts in Washington D.C. and Pennsylvania, suicide bombing has spread worldwide. Many nations of the world have had to endure such atrocities, including Afghanistan, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Pakistan, Palestine, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and Yemen. The world has been altered for ever. Insecurity is worldwide. The sky, sea, and land have never been so full of potential peril. The mightiest military power ever marshaled upon this earth, the United States, is all but impotent to stay the almost daily suicide bombings in a single city, Baghdad. Severe curfews, the United States military and Iraqi forces are sacrificing themselves without success. The number of young people prepared to die in this manner appears virtually inexhaustible. While politicians speak of the war on terror and unconvincingly speak of winning that war, only the most credulous of human beings would believe them. Most Christians understandably see no end to suicide 161
bombings until the second coming of Christ. As we write this manuscript in the early dawn of October 17, 2006, we contemplate the conclusion expressed last evening in the 6:30 p.m. Australia-wide respected SBS Television news broadcast, that suicide bombings continue to increase at an alarming rate. The conclusion that 9/11 signaled the commencement of earths last crisis is indisputable. In the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, anti-terrorist laws have been enacted, greatly reducing the judicial protections of innocent individuals. These have shocked many of the citizens of the nations concerned, as the older citizens recall how abhorrent such laws were judged to be in the era of Soviet Communism and German Nazism. The resort to torture by the United States in order to extract information from suspected terrorists has sent chilling waves around the world. On October 17, 2006, President George W. Bush gladly and openly signed such a bill into law after it had been passed by the American Congress. On the very first page of the chapter entitled The Last Crisis, Ellen White, herself an extremely loyal American, declared as if it was already fulfilled, so certain did she believe this event to be. She stated, The enemy [Satan] has succeeded in perverting justice. . . . (Ibid., p. 11) Mrs. Whites description of the construction of skyscrapers cannot be mistaken. On one occasion, when in New York City, I was in the night season called upon to behold buildings rising story after story toward heaven. These buildings were warranted to be fireproof, and they were erected to glorify the owners and builders. Higher and still higher these buildings rose, and in them the most costly material was used. (Ibid., p. 12.) Mrs. White also wrote of the skyscrapers, 162
These buildings were warranted to be fireproof. . . . (Ibid., p. 12) Two matters in this brief quotation strike our attention. 1. The plural form of building is used. The 9/11 attack struck both of the Twin Towers; 2. On Australian ABC Television, September 14, 2001, an internationally renowned British engineer was interviewed concerning the construction of the Twin Towers in New York. He claimed that the most advanced fire-protection technology was used in the construction of the Twin Towers. Furthermore, he stated that the building was so constructed that even if an aircraft accidentally flew into the buildings they would survive the impact. Yet, as Mrs. White foretold, . . . these buildings were consumed as if made of pitch. (Ibid., p. 13) HOW DID ELLEN WHITE KNOW? Surely this was a revelation of the Holy Spirit, for this woman could not possibly have imagined such a scenario in 1904. Those who beheld those towers burn furiously and then crumple to the ground within a couple of hours could not fault her description of the event. ELLEN WHITES STARTLING 1884 PREDICTION We point to a second prediction fifty-seven-year old Ellen White made in 1884, which, contrary to all the omens of that year has also been fulfilled to the very letter. The year 1884, six years into Leo XIIIs pontificate, Mrs. White published a book entitled The Spirit of Prophecy, volume 4 (Oakland, California: Pacific Press). This book was remarkable in many ways. White was a diligent and careful student of the prophecies of Daniel and 163
Revelation and also of the history of the Christian church. She was not an alarmist, nor did she venture into flights of fancy as so many who attempt to explain prophecy have been prone to do. Hers was a prayerful daily study, comparing Scripture with Scripture and pursuing the study of the works of credible historians. Despite her loyalty to her nation, this woman correctly identified the second beast of Revelation 13 as her homeland, the United States. It was a painful realization and went contrary to her patriotic instincts. Further, as she recognized that the prophecy was plainly indicating that the papacy and the United States would unite in the last-day persecution of Christs flock, this concept ran totally contrary to the evidence of her day. While her Methodist background caused her no surprise in the specific prophesied deeds of Rome, the complicity of the United States was entirely a different matter. It tested her fidelity to Scripture, a test she withstood. REASONS MOST READERS OF 1884 REJECTED MRS. WHITES PREDICTION There were numbers of reasons in 1884 for rejecting outright the declarations of the prophecy. We shall examine these. First, the United States was the bulwark of religious liberty. Her nation added the first amendment to its Constitution, which guaranteed not only religious liberty but the separation of church and state. It was an example to the nations of the world. Our own nation of Australia, in 1901 when the states federated, adopted the very concepts of the United States first amendment as Article 116 of its constitution. This article had incorporated both the non-establishment clause and the free exercise clause from the first amendment of the United States Bill of Rights. Richard Ely, professor of history at the University of Tasmania, himself a Presbyterian minister, recorded in his book, Unto God and Caesar, pages 26, 42, 78, 122, 136, Ellen Whites efforts to promote the adoption of Article 116 in the Australian Constitution of 1901. Mrs. White resided in Australia and New Zealand from 1891 to 1900. Our grandmother once met her just prior to her departure for the United States. 164
Roger Williams was the founder of the state of Rhode Island, which was the first state in history to specifically guarantee religious liberty in its constitution. Roger Williams was quoted in The Bloody Tenet of Persecution Discussed, [It is] a monstrous paradox, that Gods children should persecute Gods children, and that they that hope to live together eternally with Christ Jesus in the heavens, should not suffer each other to live in this common air together. (Published in 1848 by the Hanserd Knollys Society of London, p. 370, note 1.) In 1884, despite the apparent groundswell of support to impose Sunday laws by enactment of the United States Senate, the efforts of the leader of this movement, Senator Blair of New Hampshire, proved fruitless. Americans still valued their stand on religious freedom. Yet Ellen White wrote, Protestantism will yet stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of Spiritualism; she will reach over the abyss to clasp hands with the Roman power; and under the influence of this threefold union, our country [the United States] will follow in the steps of Rome in trampling on the rights of conscience. (The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 4, p. 405) Only a person absolutely true to Scripture could have written such a prediction concerning the United States almost 120 years ago. Without an understanding of divine prophecy the claim would have been absurd. Here we see foretold a fourfold union, consisting of the three actors aboveApostate Protestantism, Spiritualism, and Roman Catholicismtogether with the political power of the United States. The secular newspaper, The Bakersfield Californian, July 2, 1994, published a full-color cartoon of Uncle Sam stretching his hand across the gulf of the Atlantic Ocean to the pope. It was an uncanny depiction of 165
that which White had written precisely 110 years earlier, seventeen years after the United States had broken off diplomatic relations with the Vatican in response to Pius IXs issuing his offending Syllabus of Errors. PROTESTANT AMERICAS ANTIPATHY TO THE PAPACY In his book, The Ambassadors Story, published in 1994, Thomas P. Melady, the second United States ambassador to the Vatican, 19891993, wrote that the 117-year period of 1867 to 1984, in which there was a breach in diplomatic relations between the United States and the Vatican, coincided with a period of strong anti-Catholicism in the United States. President Ronald Reagan resumed diplomatic relations with the appointment of William Wilson to the post in 1984. In 1951 President Harry Truman had failed in his effort to have the United States Senate affirm his appointment of General Mark Clark as Ambassador to the Vatican. The thirty-three years between Trumans abortive effort and Reagans success included the pontificate of John XXIII. John successfully allayed Protestant fears concerning the papacy. Melady, a Roman Catholic as was also William Wilson, stated in his book that Suspicion of the Vatican had significantly diminished largely as a result of positive interreligious relations involving the Catholic Church since the Second Vatican Council [convened 19621965]. (The Bakersfield Californian, op. cit..) It is not without significance that this review of Meladys book was written by Rabbi Rudin, National Interreligious Affairs Director of the American Jewish Committee. He noted the part played by Melady in the creation of diplomatic ties between Israel and the Vatican. After all, didnt Scripture foretell that all the world would wonder after the beast? (Revelation 13:3) The long years of anti-Catholic sentiment in the United States make Mrs. Ellen Whites predictions in 1884 all the more remarkable. 166
In 1888 Ellen White revised her 1884 book The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 4, and gave it the title of The Great Controversy. There, quoting Revelation 13:3, she stated, The prophecy of Revelation 13 declares that the power represented by the beast with lamb-like horns shall cause the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the papacythere symbolized by the beast like unto a leopard. The beast with two horns is also to say to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast; and, furthermore, it is to command all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive the mark of the beast. Revelation 13:1116. It has been shown that the United States is the power represented by the beast with lamb-like horns, and that this prophecy will be fulfilled when the United States shall enforce Sunday observance, which Rome claims as the special acknowledgment of her supremacy. But in this homage to the papacy the United States will not be alone. The influence of Rome in the countries that once acknowledged her dominion, is still far from being destroyed. And prophecy foretells a restoration of her power. (The Great Controversy, p. 578, 579) It was a brave declaration, one indicative of the authors profound trust in the divine inspiration of Scripture, when it is considered that Protestant America seethed with anti-Catholic sentiment at the time she penned her conclusion. In 1846, when Ellen White was nineteen years old, Samuel J. Cassels, a Presbyterian minister of Norfolk, Virginia, published a book entitled Christ and Antichrist. The alternative name printed in the title page of the book was Jesus of Nazareth Proved to be the Messiah and the Papacy Proved to be the Antichrist Predicted in the Holy Scriptures. This book was published by the Presbyterian Board of Publication, Philadelphia. Leading clerics of the Presbyterian, Baptist, Methodist and Episcopalian churches gave the book their endorsement. This Protestant view of the papacy extended 167
throughout mainstream and conservative American Protestantism until the end of the nineteenth century and persisted to a considerable extent to the mid-twentieth century. While American anti-Catholic sentiment prevailed, the future alliance of the United States and the Vatican seemed only a chimera. Yet White was not turned from biblical pronouncements despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary in her lifetime. Second, in her 1884 book on this subject, written only fourteen years after Pius IX proclaimed the dogma of papal infallibility, Ellen White referred to the long tradition of this claim and wrote concerning future Protestant complacency, not as if writing in the nineteenth century, but rather in our century, the twenty-first. The ecumenical movement has led to Protestants becoming lulled into a sense of amnesia. They have, in general, lost all memory of papal history. Even when John Paul II in 1998 threatened that whoever,not just the Roman Catholic faithfulwhoever did not abide by Roman Catholic dogma would be punished as a heretic, (Apostolic Letter, Ad tuendum fidem)we Protestants slept on in a state of somnolence akin to a deep coma. Thus Ellen Whites words, so perceptive, rooted in her study of Revelation, are a wake-up call for us today. They, too, speak to the hearts of Roman Catholics and nonChristians. It is high time to heed the Apostle Pauls admonition: And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. (Romans 13:11) Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. (1 Thessalonians 5:5) PRESENT ECUMENICAL COMPLACENCY Read Ellen Whites perceptive words with care. The defenders of popery declare that she has been maligned; and the Protestant world is inclined to accept the 168
statement. Many urge that it is unjust to judge the Romish Church of today by the abominations and absurdities that marked her reign during the centuries of ignorance and darkness. They excuse her horrible cruelty as the result of the barbarism of the times, and plead that civilization has changed her sentiments. (The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 4, p. 380) Mrs. Whites words are amply fulfilled today. Roman Catholic historians are excusing the cruelties and injustice of the papacy during the era of the Inquisition. The Brisbane Courier Mail of November 2, 1998, a secular Australian daily newspaper, stated in its report on the views of Roman Catholic historians, Modern scholars have for several decades been reappraising the Inquisition. Some now maintain that the justice it meted out, although brutal, was neither capricious nor unusual for the times. What these scholars failed to declare was that the brutality of the times was the responsibility of the Roman Catholic Church, which so dominated Europe that it set the trends, the standards, and the atmosphere of the society. Even worse, it was this church which sanctified such brutality as a service to God. ELLEN WHITES REMARKABLE UNDERSTANDING OF TODAY Ellen White perceptively pointed to the dogma of papal infallibility, proclaimed only fourteen years prior to authoring her book. She set forth the chilling implications of this dogma; implications which the prophecy of Revelation 13 declares will be fulfilled just prior to Christs second coming. Have these persons forgotten the claim of infallibility for eight hundred years put forth by this haughty 169
power? So far from relinquishing this claim, the church in the nineteenth century has affirmed it with greater positiveness than ever before. As Rome asserts that she has never erred, and never can err, how can she renounce the principles which governed her course in past ages? The papal church will never relinquish her claim to infallibility. All that she has done in her persecution of those who reject her dogmas, she holds to be right; and would she not repeat the same acts, should the opportunity be presented? Let the restraints now imposed by secular governments be removed, and Rome be re-instated in her former power, and there would speedily be a revival of her tyranny and persecution. (The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 4, p. 381.) When these words were written, it seemed quite impossible that the papacy would ever again muster such worldwide power, unlessunless one believed the prophecy of Revelation. And this Ellen White manifestly did. That the United States would unite in persecution with the papal power seemed impossible, but in the years following 1980 we have witnessed the growing Vatican-American alliance. Even today it is inconceivable in the minds of many that Rome would persecute again, but she will; and the United States will provide the power and authority for her to do so and aid her in this work. This Scripture declares. Third, the United States in 1884 was a relatively weak nation as compared with the great European empires of Great Britain, Germany, France, Russia and Austria-Hungary. Its foreign policy was dominated by the Monroe Doctrine. On December 2, 1823, President James Monroe, Americas fifth president (after whom Monrovia, the capital city of Liberia was named the previous year), issued the doctrine which bears his name. It led to an isolationist mentality in the United States. Monroe simply codified that which, twenty-seven years earlier, George Washington stated in his farewell address, September 19, 1796. Monroe stated that, 170
The American continents, by the free and independent condition which they have assumed and maintain, are henceforth not to be considered as subjects for future colonization by any European power. In fact, in 1823 much of North America was as yet unoccupied by Western settlers, and other areas were in dispute. Britain, France and Spain all had their eyes on America, and in the Northwest the Tsar of Russia, who had claimed what is now Alaska, was thirsting for more American territory. In 1845, President James Polk invoked the Monroe Doctrine against Britain and France, who were scheming to take the Yucatan province of Mexico. With the United States distracted by the Civil War of the 1860s, Spain seized the Dominican Republic, and France set up a member of the Habsburg family, the Archduke Maximilian, as Emperor of Mexico. By 1870, with Ulysses S. Grant as President, the doctrine was immensely popular in the United States. The view that Europe and the Americas constitute two separate and distinct spheres of political activity and, politically speaking, should have as little to do with each other as possible, (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1963 edition, vol. 15, p. 735) dominated American thinking. It was a thinking which foresaw no American influence outside the Western Hemisphere. The NATO of the twenty-first century then appeared light-years away. But God had spoken, and Mrs. White believed. It was not until 1917, two years after Ellen Whites death, that the first breach in the Monroe Doctrine occurred. President Woodrow Wilson, the last of Americas eight presidents from Virginia, took the United States into the First World War as a belligerent. But no sooner was the Treaty of Versailles signed, two years later in 1919, than America returned to her isolationist position, even refusing to join the League of Nations which was established at President Wilsons initiative. In the inter-war period, the United States grew in population and military power, but the crash of the stock market in 1929 kept it focused inward as first President Herbert Hoover and then President Franklin D. Roosevelt struggled to re-establish a vibrant economy. While 171
initiatives of the administration and legislature made some progress in this direction, it took the Second World War to dispel the last vestiges of the Monroe Doctrine. December 7, 1941, was a turning point in American foreign policy and national thinking. The Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor in Hawaii focused America outward. It had been attacked by an Asian nation, and the USA has never forgotten this lesson. Ever since then it has grown to become the security officer of the world. In the First World War it was the sinking of the passenger liner, the Lusitania, by German U-boats which led to the United States entering the conflict. In a decided sense the country had invited the attack by secretly concealing armaments destined for the Allies in its passenger liners. The ill-fated passengers little dreamed they were traveling on a vessel which was, in fact, a huge bomb awaiting ignition. It took this tragic loss of life to permit the Monroe Doctrine to be temporarily ignored. Evidence has been put forth in support of the view of some historians that the White House was well aware of the planned attack upon Pearl Harbor but did nothing to thwart the attack in order that American opinion would become sympathetic to their nations entry into the war. It has been claimed that the United States had broken the Japanese secret code. We have not found credible documentation for this theory. Whatever the truth of this theory, one matter is certain: from this point on, America was launched into a course of policy which would, exactly half a century later, lead President George Bush, Sr., in 1991 to make the claim that the United States was then the lone superpower in the world. He was wrong. Revelation, chapter 13, distinctly identifies, along with the United States, a second end-time superpowerthe Vatican (also known as the Holy See). President Bush, Sr.s predecessor, Ronald Reagan, was wiser than him. Reagan perceptively saw the Vatican as a superpower when he and Pope John Paul II were scheming to destroy Communism in Poland. [William] Casey [Director of the US CIA] and [President] Reagan firmly believed that there was a potential third superpower in the worldthe Vatican City State 172
and that its monarch, Pope John Paul II, had at his command a remarkable arsenal of unconventional weaponry that might tip the balance in the Cold War, especially with overt and covert help from the United States. (Article written by Carl Bernstein and Marco Politi, Melbourne Age, September 21, 1996. The article referred to the era when the Soviet Union was the third superpower.) President Bushs declaration, unchallengeable as it was in terms of military might, was a boast that exceeded reality. Bush, Sr., had failed to factor in one nation whose military might was all but zero, whose sovereign territory extended a mere one-sixth of a square mile, and whose resident population of about one thousand was the least on earththe Holy See. Scripture had foretold of two last-day superpowers, not one. And in the crucial element of powerworldwide influencethe Vatican of the twenty-first century has no peer. Rome stands supreme, for its deadly wound has almost completely healed, and all the world is wondering after it. How biblical prophecy is being fulfilled! A ROMAN CATHOLIC CONFIRMATION In 1990 Malachi Martin, an Irish Roman Catholic priest, a retired professor of the Vaticans Gregorian University, a historian, and most importantly a Vatican insider (having been a close associate of the Jesuit Cardinal Bea, a Vatican administrator), revealed the Vaticans self-assessment of its own political importance. The sub-title of Martins book, The Keys of This Blood, summarized its theme: The Struggle for World Dominion Between Pope John Paul II, Mikhail Gorbachev [then President of the Soviet Union (U.S.S.R.)] and the Capitalist West [which he defined as the United States and Western Europe] At first sight, this competition appeared ludicrous. It was true that the United States and its allies in Western Europe were in fierce competition 173
with the Soviet Union for world domination. That competition between two sets of nations of massive military strength, determined political will, and lust for world dominion, was settled in favor of the United States in 1991 when the Soviet Union was dissolved and Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev lost his power. Of the three competitors cited by Malachi Martin, only two, the Vatican and the United States remained. Although Russia was a nation of massive area, eventually expanding its territory to more than eight million square miles, and in 1884 it was a significant and powerful empire, Ellen White did not cite Russia as a player in the end-time scenario. In this she had a decided advantage over Malachi Martin, who wrote more than a century later. That advantage was that although she was not a cleric, and Martin was, she saw the end-time players through prophecy, and Martin did not. The Bible speaks of just two end-time superpowers, not three. But whereas Martin saw these three powers in competition, Ellen Whites Bible-based perspective saw two, the United States and the Vatican in alliance. Indeed this cooperation was already in place as Communism crumbled in Eastern Europe while Martin wrote. As an aside, many are predicting that China will, in the not-too-distant future, overtake the United States as a superpower. We can confidently assure our readers that this will not be realized, in spite of Chinas massive economic growth. The Bible foretells that the powers of the Vatican (the religio-political power) and the United States (a political/military power) will dominate the nations of Planet Earth. How could the papacy be seen in the same league as the United States and the Soviet Union in the 1980s? Martin rightly summed it up: Pope John Paul II, the [supposed] 264th successor to Peter the Apostle . . . was himself the head of the most extensive and deeply experienced of the three global powers. (Ibid., p. 17.) By extensive Martin referred to the intelligence system of the Roman Catholic Church composed of its hierarchical clerical operatives and its devout laity. Further, a state which is also a religious faith has a moral 174
power which, when exerted over more than a billion spiritual subjects, carries a power which transcends armies, navies and air forces; it carries more fire power than guns, tanks, naval vessels, military aircraft, and intercontinental missiles combined. Indeed, when backed by the weaponry of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) it has all those, too. While looking through prophetic spectacles, Mrs. White saw this as did the Apostle John 1800 years earlier in vision. Malachi Martins years of association with the Vatican at close range makes his revelations of papal aims credible. He stated that The chosen purpose of John Pauls pontificatethe engine that drives his papal grand policy, and that determines his day-to-day, year-by-year strategiesis to be the victor in that competition, now well under way. For the fact is that the stakes John Paul has placed in the arena of geopolitical contention include everythinghimself; his papal persona; the age-old Petrine Office he now embodies; and his entire Church Universal, both as an institutional organization unparalleled in the world and as a body of believers united by a bond of mystical communion. (Ibid.) PAPAL POWER IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY Clearly, the deadly wound has been healed. For centuries Roman Catholics had been seeking a new Hildebrand (Pope Gregory VII ) who could exert sufficient power to lord it over powerful rulers. In Pope John Paul II they had the reincarnation of their Hildebrand at last. It had taken them over nine centuries to find him, but find him they had. When John Paul spoke to President Reagan about American foreign aid for birth control in third world countries, expressing his displeasure, Reagan ceased it. (Time, February 24, 1992.) When, in 1998, the man who imagined himself to be the most powerful man on earth, President Bill Clinton, breached papal protocol and sat before John Paul had taken his seat, the President was rebuked by papal aids for his faux pa. Clinton humbly apologized to 175
the pope. In matters of protocol it is the more powerful who impose their wills upon their inferiors. Clinton may not have been compelled to stand in the snow for three days in order to render his apology as Hildebrand, Gregory VII, demanded of King Henry IV, but he had learned his place in the world pecking order. In her 1884 volume, Ellen White wrote surely of the days in which we now live when she stated, The Roman Church is far-reaching in her plans and modes of operation. She is employing every device to extend her influence and increase her power in preparation for a fierce and determined conflict to regain control of the world, to re-establish persecution, and to undo all that Protestantism has done. Catholicism is gaining ground in our country upon every side. Look at the number of her churches and chapels. Look at her colleges and seminaries, so widely patronized by Protestants. These things should awaken the anxiety of all who prize the pure principles of the gospel. (The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 4, p. 382) Ellen White also warned against the allurements of the Roman Catholic religion: Many suppose that the Catholic religion is unattractive, and that its worship is a dull, stupid round of ceremony. Here they mistake. While Romanism is based upon deception, it is not a coarse and clumsy imposture. The religious service of the Romish Church is a most impressive ceremonial. Its gorgeous display and solemn rites fascinate the senses of the people, and silence the voice of reason and of conscience. The eye is charmed. Magnificent churches, imposing processions, golden altars, jeweled shrines, choice paintings, and exquisite sculpture appeal to the love of beauty. The ear also is captivated. There is nothing to excel the music. The rich notes of 176
the deep-toned organ, blending with the melody of many voices as it swells through the lofty domes and pillared aisles of her grand cathedrals, cannot fail to impress the mind with awe and reverence. (Ibid., pp. 382, 383.) It is true that in March 2000 Pope John Paul II apologized for the past sins of Roman Catholics. The apology did not satisfy those who recognized that many of the Roman Catholic faithful who committed those sins were priests, prelates and popes. But even these papal apologies were evaluated by Mrs. White in 1884. The Romish Church now presents a fair front to the world, covering with apologies her record of horrible cruelties. She has clothed herself in Christlike garments; but she is unchanged. Every principle of popery that existed in ages past exists today. The doctrines devised in the darkest ages are still held. Let none deceive themselves. The popery that Protestants are now so ready to embrace and honor is the same that ruled the world in the days of the Reformation, when men of God stood up at the peril of their lives to expose her iniquity. She possesses the same pride and arrogant assumption that lorded it over kings and princes, and claimed the prerogatives of God. Her spirit is no less cruel and despotic now than when she crushed out human liberty, and slew the saints of the Most High. (Ibid., vol. 4, p. 387, 388) PAPAL WEAKNESS IN 1884 Fourth, the papacy could not invoke worldwide persecution. In 1884 it appeared that the papacy was in a state of feebleness. We marvel at Ellen Whites courage to defy the contemporary state of the Roman Catholic Church and to focus on its prophetically specified future. Listen as one Roman Catholic historian describes the seemingly almost insurmountable odds confronting the papacy at the very period in which Ellen White wrote: 177
In Italy, processions and outdoor services were banned, communities of religious [orders] dispersed, church property confiscated, priests conscripted into the army. A catalog of measures, understandably deemed anti-Catholic by the Holy See, streamed from the new capital [Rome]: divorce legislation, secularization of the schools, the dissolution of numerous holy days. (John Cornwell, Hitlers Pope, p. 14.) If papal stocks were low at its back door, Italy, they were no more promising elsewhere in Europe. In Germany partly in response to the divisive dogma of infallibility, Bismarck began his Kulturkampf (culture struggle), a policy of persecution against Catholicism. Religious instruction came under state control and religious orders were forbidden to teach; the Jesuits were banished; seminaries were subjected to state interference; Church property came under the control of lay committees; civil marriage was introduced in Prussia. Bishops and clergy resisting Kulturkampf legislation were fined, imprisoned, exiled. In many parts of Europe, it was the same: in Belgium, Catholics were ousted from the teaching profession; in Switzerland, religious orders were banned; in Austria, traditionally a Catholic country, the state took over schools and passed legislation to secularize marriage; in France, there was a new wave of anticlericalism. The conviction had been widely and confidently expressed by writers, thinkers, and politicians across EuropeBovio in Italy, Balzac in France, Bismarck in Germany, Gladstone in Englandthat the papacy, and Catholicism with it, had had its day. (Ibid., pp. 14, 15.) That this bleak outlook would be dramatically altered during the course of the twentieth century was hardly anticipated except in the writings of John, the seer of Patmos in the biblical book of Revelation. 178
Ellen Whites heritage surely was her abiding trust in the Scriptures as a guide to the past, the present, and the future. This was the secret to her accurate portrayal of todays events over a century before their fulfillment. Her words were inscribed at a time when the papacy was impotent and the United States weak and isolationist. Yet perceptive readers will realize, as they read her books, that her prophetic insights give the clearest evidence that her views had to come from the special guidance and instruction of the Holy Spirit. The chapter in her 1884 book entitled The Scriptures a Safeguard could well serve as the motto of her life. Mrs. Whites connection with the Apostle John was that she implicitly believed the inspired prophecies of the Apostle, despite contemporary evidence to the contrary. Her connection with John Paul II was that, believing prophecy, she saw the day when the papacy of John Paul II would see all the world wondering after it. (Revelation 13:3). Once again, we suggest, these insights of Ellen White were fulfilled with remarkable accuracy in the final two decades of the twentieth century and the first decade of the twenty-first. Nothing symbolized more vividly the United States closeness to the Vatican than the photographed scene, which circled the earth, of three United States PresidentsGeorge Bush, Sr. ; Bill Clinton; and George Bush, Jr., kneeling, their eyes closed, before the body of Pope John Paul II at his funeral, April 8, 2005. Never previously had an incumbent American President attended the funeral of a Roman pontiff. Well may the reader inquire, What has this interesting information to do with the identification of the remnant church? As we will briefly explain, once more the answer is, Very much. GODS CRITERIA FOR IDENTIFICATION OF HIS REMNANT CHURCH Using two criteria only, Scripture plainly sets forth the principles of faith by which any individual may identify Gods remnant church of the end times. And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the 179
commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. (Revelation 12:17) The first criterionthe keeping of the commandments of God is easy to understand and has been explored thoroughly in previous chapters of this volume. The second, the possession of the testimony of Jesus has not. The testimony of Jesus is to be found throughout Scripture. This testimony was committed to men and women through Gods prophets; men such as Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Hosea, Joel, Zechariah, Nathan (2 Samuel 7:2), John the Baptist (Matthew 11:12, 13), and prophetesses such as Anna (Luke 2:36), Deborah (Judges 4:4), Huldah (2 Kings 24:17) and the daughters of the deacon Philip (Acts 21:8, 9). All other prophets above, not referenced, authored books of the Bible. There were many more. However, Revelation 12:17 specifically points to the testimony of Jesus Christ among the remnant, those remaining true at the very end of history. Helpfully, the testimony of Jesus is defined as the spirit of prophecy later in the book of Revelation. And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. (Revelation 19:10) Manifestly the second criterion by which the remnant church may be identified is the possession of an end-time prophet. The provision of this criterion was essential in order to distinguish the remnant church from other Sabbath-keeping churches who are professed commandment-keepers. Over ninety-nine per cent of other Christian church organizations may be eliminated by the first criterion, since they teach Sunday observance and therefore do not advocate the keeping of the commandments. By the second criterion God chose to distinguish further between those church organizations which do advocate full commandment-keeping. Most of these Sabbath-keeping churches are very small. They include 180
Christian Churches of God, Church of God International, Church of God (Seventh-day), Global Church of God, Philadelphia Church of God, Seventh-day Adventist, Seventh Day Baptist, Seventh Day Pentecostal, United Church of God and some individual church congregations of the Worldwide Church of God. The largest of these is the Seventh-day Adventist Church. It possesses more than sixteen million members worldwide. This is not a comprehensive list of Sabbath-keeping churches, but it serves as a representative sample. Ellen White was a founding member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in 1861 when the first region-wide organization was founded covering the American state of Michigan. As we have read her writings, we have been astounded at the accuracy of her many predictions. She was a humble person, refusing to call herself a prophetess. But the evidence which we have seen impels us to conclude that she was a prophetess, akin to Deborah, Huldah, Anna and the four daughters of Philip, none of whom wrote a single word of Scripture. MRS. WHITES MEDICAL INSIGHTS Russell is a fully qualified consultant physician (internist), having undertaken his undergraduate training in medicine at the University of Sydney and his specialist training at the Royal Postgraduate Medical School in London, qualifying by examination from the Royal College of Physicians of the United Kingdom. He was later to be elevated to a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians. He has been astounded at the incredible health principles enunciated by Mrs. White in the nineteenth century. In that period, cigarette smoking was regarded by many physicians as helpful to patients suffering from chronic bronchitis and emphysema. It was prescribed as an expectorant. Of course it does, indeed, produce coughing and accompanying evacuation of the phlegm from the bronchial tubes of the lungs, but in so doing it aggravates these maladies and is frequently the cause of them. Physicians of Whites era possessed not the least concept that cigarette smoking caused lung cancer. Even as late as the early 1940s, one of the worlds most esteemed medical journals, JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association, declared that there was no evidence of a link between the smoking of tobacco and lung 181
cancer. In Russells specialist training in London he studied under Dr. Fletcher, himself a smoker, whose studies first established the undeniable etiological relationship between smoking to lung cancer. Contradicting the medical wisdom of the day, Ellen White wrote, Tobacco is a slow, insidious, but most malignant poison. (The Ministry of Healing [Pacific Press, Mountain View, California, 1909], p. 327) As early as 1864 she had warned: Tobacco is a poison of the most deceitful and malignant kind. . . . (Spiritual Gifts [Steam Press, Battle Creek, Michigan, 1864], vol. 4, p. 128) In 1905, Mrs. White wrote of cancerous germs, stating that, People are continually eating flesh that is filled with tuberculous and cancerous germs. Tuberculosis, cancer, and other fatal diseases are thus communicated. (The Ministry of Healing, p. 313) Bacteria were only confirmed as causative agents of disease in Mrs. Whites lifetime, by Louis Pasteur (18221895). (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1963 edition, vol. 2, p. 1003) Only in 1892 did Russian bacteriologist, Professor Ivanovski, infer the presence of viruses as disease-causing agents. It was not until 1949 that the scientific knowledge to culture viruses was established. (Ibid., vol. 23, p. 189) Yet the conventional wisdom of the medical profession of the era was that infectious agents, germs, did not cause cancer. This was understandable since it was observed that doctors and nurses who treated communicable diseases such as tuberculosis possessed a higher incidence of the disease than the public as a whole. But this was not the case for those who treated the well-known forms of cancer. 182
Today the advanced knowledge of Ellen White is thoroughly confirmed. Almost yearly, various germs are being identified as causative agents in well-known cancers. The Epstein-Barr virus is now known to cause Burkitts cancer of the jaw and the nasopharyngeal carcinoma of the pharynx; hepatitis B and hepatitis C cause hepatomas, which are cancers of the liver. The AIDS virus commonly leads to a serious skin cancer, Kaposis Sarcoma, and only in 2005 it was confirmed by an Australian researcher, Professor Ian Frazer, that the human papilloma virus causes the majority of cancers of the cervix in women. It is likely that our present knowledge of the relationship between viruses and cancer will expand in the future. Colin, whose doctorate is in the field of psychology, is astounded by the principles of mental health found in Ellen Whites writings, including the compilation of her material on this subject in the book, Mind, Character, and Personality.1 Both of us are trained educationalists. We have been deeply impressed by Mrs. Whites enunciation of the principles of Christian education in her book Education. There has been a major surge in the number of Christian schools in the twenty-first century, but few of these schools embrace the deeper principles inherent in genuine Christian education. We have reflected the chief principles of Mrs. Whites insights in our book, Education for Excellence, the Christian Advantage. The Seventh-day Adventist Church, among the tens of thousands of large and small Christian denominations in the world, alone measures up to the two criteria of the remnant church, for this church alone proclaims the keeping of each of the Ten Commandments and possesses the stipulated gift of the Spirit of Prophecy in its midst. A WARNING FOR SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS We conclude with but one warning. Satan well knows that it is the Seventh-day Adventist Church which God has commissioned to take the three angels messages to the world. Satan did all in his power to destroy the capacity of the Jewish church, Christs chosen vehicle to present the last message prior to Christs first coming. To a great degree he succeeded. We must expect that Satan will be no less vigorous in his efforts
1. Some of these principles are reflected in our book Gods Solution for Depression, Guilt and Mental Illness.
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to destroy the Seventh-day Adventist Church in this greater challenge before the second advent of Christ. While the Seventh-day Adventist Church will succeed in its commissioned task to spread the three angels messages throughout the world, we must expect that many professing Seventh-day Adventists will fail their Lord in the last days. This will be especially true in the fearful challenges still ahead when the observance of Sunday worship will be enforced worldwide by economic boycotts and death decrees. (See Revelation 13:1517) Referring to Gods chosen church, the prophet Paul, quoting from the prophet Isaiah (Esaias as he is termed in the King James New Testament) under the symbolic name Israel has warned that only a few Seventh-day Adventists will finally meet Gods standard of obedience. Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved: for he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth. And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha. (Romans 9:2729) This matter focuses our own minds. We do not know whether we ourselves will stand in that awesome time. But we pray that in the mighty power of the Holy Spirit we will endure to the end. Christ promised, And ye shall be hated of all men for my names sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come. (Matthew 10:2223) Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son 184
of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. (John 6:27) The epistle of James also declared, Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. (James 1:12) Ellen White, speaking of the spiritual battle in the final days of earths history, foretold of the massive exodus from the membership of the Seventh-day Adventist Church at that time. But at the same time she encouragingly pointed to the very large defection from the armies of apostate Christianity and other non-Christian faiths to once more swell the ranks of the redeemed. In vision I saw two armies in terrible conflict. One army was led by banners bearing the worlds insignia; the other was led by the bloodstained banner of Prince Immanuel. Standard after standard was left to trail in the dust as company after company from the Lords army joined the foe and tribe after tribe from the ranks of the enemy united with the commandment-keeping people of God. An angel flying in the midst of heaven put the standard of Immanuel into many hands, while a mighty general cried out with a loud voice: Come into line. Let those who are loyal to the commandments of God and the testimony of Christ now take their position. Come out from among them, and be ye separate, and touch not the unclean [2 Corinthians 6:17], and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters. Let all who will come up to the help of the Lord, to the help of the Lord against the mighty. (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 8, p. 41) 185
A PLEA We pray that all who are reading this volume for the first time will arise under the mighty power of the Holy Ghost, even in this terrible last crisis of this sin-cursed earth. If such join Gods remnant church before this crisis, already rapidly developing, fully explodes, may God bless you and provide you, each one, with such a trust in the Holy Ghosts power to keep you faithful, that heaven will be your destiny. Remember, your salvation is not in the hands of paltry men, such as the authors of these Godhead volumes. It is in the hands of Those who created youthe heavenly Father, the Son of God and the Holy Ghost. Seek Them and trust Them, remembering these significant words of Ellen White: God will have a people upon the earth to maintain the Bible, and the Bible only, as the standard of all doctrines and the basis of all reforms. The opinions of learned men, the deductions of science, the creeds or decisions of ecclesiastical councils, as numerous and discordant as are the churches which they represent, the voice of the majoritynot one nor all of these should be regarded as evidence for or against any point of religious faith. Before accepting any doctrine or precept, we should demand a plain Thus saith the Lord in its support. (The Great Controversy, p. 595) We conclude with our all but last scriptural passage to once more certify that the Seventh-day Adventist Church is Gods end-time church. And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. (Revelation 12:17) Again notice that the dragon, Satan, is wrath with the woman, the Seventh-day Adventist Church, which alone professes a pure faith. It also 186
adheres, among many other salient truths of Scripture, to the two criteria by which we may identify His last-day church. But, ominously, Satan only makes war upon the remnant of her seed. Satan is the greatest fool in eternity. He forfeited the highest rank of all created beings. But we must never overlook the fact that he is a highly intelligent fool. He does not make war against Seventh-day Adventists who are unfaithful in their lives and witnesses as long as he has a use for them. Such are his best allies in deception, as were unfaithful Jewish church members in the era of the First Advent. Only those who possess holy characters will constitute the remnant of her seed. The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid. (Zephaniah 3:13) Our earnest prayer is that we, along with our loved ones and each dear reader, will seek Gods grace and pardon for our miserable, inexcusable sins and the omnipotent power of the Holy Spirit, who provides the grace for victory over sin in our lives. May the infinite blood of our Saviour engender deep and noble love for, and unshakeable faith in, our Saviour. Let us meet in the years of eternity, there to sit at the feet of the three members of the Godhead.
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Chapter 11
The Holy Spirit Is Jehovah
O united in purpose are the three members of the Godhead that it engenders no surprise to discover that the highest Hebrew term for Deity, Jehovah, is shared by all three members. Since all three are eternal and each is omniscient, manifestly the possession of infinite knowledge is shared by each member, and all the details of divine acts are made in concert. In his epistle to his fellow Jewish Christians, Paul brought to our attention the fact that the name Jehovah applies equally to the Holy Spirit as it does to the Father and the Son. Read with care the revelation presented by the apostle. Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin. (Hebrews 10:1518) Paul explicitly declared that not only was the Holy Ghost a witness to the new covenant, but that it was He who declared it to the prophet Jeremiah. This is a most important insight into the person of the Holy Spirit. The promise of the new covenant was presented by the ancient prophet in wonderful words of assurance.
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Behold, the days come, saith the Lord [Jehovah], that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: 32 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord: 33 but this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. (Jeremiah 31:3133)
31
We observe the fact that the One uttering these words in each of the three verses quoted above describes Himself as Jehovah, translated in these verses as Lord. Read again Hebrews 10:1517 cited above where Paul in the plainest of words declares that the Lord who revealed the details of the new covenant to Jeremiah was the Holy Spirit. This should not surprise us, for in his second epistle Peter spoke of the Old Testament era as old time, specifically stating, For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. (2 Peter 1:21) In Jeremiahs passage, as quoted by Paul, the latter uses the Greek word kurios, which Strong in his Hebrew Dictionary defines as supreme in authority, noting that is translated as God, Lord, master, Sir. In Luke 1:35, the Greek word hupsistos, translated Highest is applied to the Holy Spirit. Strong defines it to mean highest, . . . the Supreme God, or . . . the heavens. Let us analyze the features attributed to the Lord by the prophet Jeremiah in chapter 31:3133 of his prophecy. 1. He made a new covenant with Gods church, described as the house of Israel; 189
2. In verse 32 the Lord spoke in the first person I, stating that He took literal Israel out of Egypt; 3. Further, He was an husband unto Israel; 4. The Lord in verse 33 claimed to be the One who placed His law in their inward parts and wrote it in their hearts; 5. The Lord claimed spiritual Israel as my people. But there are more gems of revelation as we read on: And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. 35 Thus saith the Lord, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The Lord of hosts is his name. (Jeremiah 31:3435)
34
We continue our summary of that which the Lord of Jeremiah, chapter 31 declares: 6. Gods true flock will know Him (verse 34); 7. He forgives our iniquity (verse 34); 8. He obliterates our sincerely repented sins from His memory (verse 34); 9. He provided the sun for light by day (verse 35); 10. He provided the moon and the stars for light at night (verse 35); 11. He controls the ocean waves (verse 35); 12. He is the Lord (Jehovah) of hosts (verse 35). 190
These twelve attributes and achievements, of course, apply equally to the Father and the Son. But Paul, expanding our knowledge of the full deity of the Holy Ghost had revealed that He, too, is integrally involved in the bestowal of the new covenant in our hearts, just as he was in the creation of the sun, moon and stars and all aspects of the plan of salvation. Once again, for the diligent student of Scripture, this information, found uniquely in Pauls letter to Jewish believers, should provide no surprise, for John in his gospel, chapters 1416, specifically set forth the work of the Holy Spirit in our salvation. To misapply the words of Hebrews 10:1517 to mean that the Holy Ghost was simply a disembodied power of the Father and the Son would make no sense of the context of this passage for both Christ and the Father are spoken of in the preceding verses of the tenth chapter of Hebrews. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: in burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: but this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified. (Hebrews 10:514) We notice in this passage that our Saviours incomparable sacrifice for our disgraceful sins is expounded upon (verses 514). Further, Christs 191
obedience, while on earth, to our heavenly Fathers will is well enunciated (verses 7, 9 and 12). To postulate in order to uphold the false notion that the Holy Spirit is not a Being, claiming that, while the Son and the Father in this passage are sentient1, divine Personages, the Holy Spirit when introduced is merely the power of the Son and the Father, would indicate that language possesses no specificity whatsoever and that it is a thoroughly useless medium by which to convey precise and explicit meaning. A Bible written with such imprecision would be an absolutely worthless book in our search for the principles of salvation. Praise God, Scripture is a more sure word (2 Peter 1:19); it leaves no doubts.
1. Sentient: animate; endowed with feeling and consciousness.
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Chapter 12
Marys Conception of Jesus
HAT Christ was conceived through a miraculous act of the Holy Spirit is an indisputable fact asserted by divine revelation. Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. (Matthew 1:18)
The virgin birth of our Saviour had been prophesied seven centuries earlier. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord 193
had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: and knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS. (Matthew 1:1925) There are a number of interesting facts asserted in this passage. We can well imagine the imputations placed upon the pure and righteous Mary when her pregnancy was revealed. None can rightly fault Joseph for his initial response to this information. Yet despite his initial shock when he realized that Mary, the one upon whom he had set his affections, had done the unthinkable, his thoughts toward her were kind and gentle, desiring to shield her from the shame of what he imagined to be her sexual misdemeanor. It was no minor sin for a betrothed woman to enter into an intimate relationship with another man. Such a woman was to be punished as if she were already married. If a damsel that is a virgin be betrothed unto an husband, and a man find her in the city, and lie with her; then ye shall bring them both out unto the gate of that city, and ye shall stone them with stones that they die; the damsel, because she cried not, being in the city; and the man, because he hath humbled his neighbours wife: so thou shalt put away evil from among you. (Deuteronomy 22:2324) God did not permit such a stigma to rest upon Mary, sending an angel to set before Joseph the miracle of the incarnation which had transpired. Throughout Christs ministry, the leaders of Gods church on earth chose to lay at His feet the charge that He was illegitimate. It was a low taunt since no man or woman born out of wedlock has the least guilt occasioned by that fact. There would be scarcely a soul upon earth today who possesses no ancestor, however far back in his or her heritage, who was not born out of wedlock. Yet the Pharisees reviled Christ. . . . Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God. (John 8:41) 194
The Jews had not the least excuse for besmirching Christ in this matter. They had well been warned, Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14) If Christ had not been born of a virgin he would have been exposed as a rank impostor. God had provided these church leaders with a number of evidences that Christ was the Messiah. They recognized they were living in the time of the fulfillment of Daniel 9:2427. They had the testimony of the shepherds of Bethlehem (Luke 2:818), of the wise men (Matthew 2:111), of Simeon (Luke 2:2535) and of Anna (Luke 2:3638), of Elisabeth, the mother of John the Baptist (Luke 1:3946), the witness of John the Baptist at the Jordan River (Matthew 3:1115), and the testimony of the Father and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:16, 17). The angel Gabriel also revealed the imminent coming of the Messiah to Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist (Luke 1:17). When Mary was informed that she had been chosen of God to bear the Son of God, we can scarcely imagine the surprise of this humble, poor young woman, possessing none of the accouterments of high social class, much less royalty. Being a virgin, Marys question was understandable: Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? (Luke 1:34) The means by which Christs incarnation was to be effected through Mary was explicitly revealed to her. And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:35) 195
Here, in a few words, the infinite mystery of Godliness was revealed. Perhaps no mystery of the Godhead is so imponderable as is Jesus incarnation. And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh. . . . (1 Timothy 3:16) How the eternal, infinite, omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, immutable Son of God could be reduced to a microscopic zygote in Marys womb, there to develop into an embryo, fetus and child, defies the reasoning of the keenest minds upon earth. It is a mystery that, even when our minds are accorded immortality, will ever defy our understanding. No doubt this mystery will be studied with deep interest when we sit at the feet of our Saviour, and we will ever have this mystery expounded to us. But the more we understand, the deeper the mystery will become. Such is the paradox of infinity. Here we see that it was the third Person of the Godhead who performed this mysterious and ultimately imponderable impregnation. And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:35) Matthews account of the conception of Mary, while describing the event in different words, nevertheless, throws no more enlightenment upon this magnanimous and wonderful event in the history of the plan of salvation. Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and 196
not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. (Matthew 1:1820) The two accounts are in agreement that it was the Holy Spirit which undertook this supreme mystery of Godliness. Clearly the Holy Spirit, here referred to, was distinct from Christ Himself. It was not Christs own doing to become a zygote in Marys womb. It was a distinct Beingthe Holy Spirit. Further, we notice that Luke accorded the Holy Spirit with a second appellationthe Highest. The Greek word used by Luke was hupsistos. This word is defined in Strongs Greek Dictionary as the Supreme (God). This places the Holy Spirit on equal terms with the other two members of the Godhead. It would be trite and a self-serving ruse to denigrate the Holy Spirit to a mere power of the Father and the Son, to make the proposition that the Holy Spirit, the Highest in these passages, referred to the Father, since these Godhead volumes have set forth much evidence that the Holy Spirit is a distinct Being within the Godhead. Here we see that the Holy Spirit is not only a distinct Being, but equal in status with the Father and Son as the Supreme God.
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Chapter 13
Blasphemy Against the Holy Ghost
HRIST explicitly distinguished Himself as a Being distinct from the Holy Ghost. Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. (Matthew 12:3132)
If truly repented, blasphemy even against Christ, our wonderful Saviour, may be forgiven, but not blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. This statement of our Saviour can only be true if Christ and the Holy Ghost are distinct Beings. Other gospel writers were inspired to confirm these words. Mark stated, Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: but he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation. (Mark 3:2829) Notice the context of Christs words: 198
And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils. (Mark 3:22) Here we see that the work of the Holy Spirit through Christ was described by the scribes as the work of Satan. This was blasphemy indeed! It was blasphemy of a most extreme nature. In case we did not understand this matter, Mark re-emphasized the issue. Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit. (Mark 3:30) The blasphemy of the scribes was directed against the Holy Spirit because they described the work of the Holy Spirit through Christ to be the work of Beelzebub, the prince of devils, that is, Satan. Christ had previously warned of the eternal consequence to those who so blasphemed the work of the Holy Spirit in His life. And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David? But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils. And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: and if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand? And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges. But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. (Matthew 12:2328) Our Saviour exposed not only this blasphemy against the Holy Ghost but also the pathetic lack of logic in the thinking of these apostate professed members of Gods church. 199
And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan? And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand. And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end. (Mark 3:2326) Luke added another dimension to this appalling incident in our Saviours loving ministry. Not content with the manifest evidence of the work of the Holy Spirit before their open eyes, these church leaders made a further demand, which Christ rightly ignored. And others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven. (Luke 11:16) Christ, of course, did not utilize His own divine power in order to undertake this miracle, for He had revealed that, like every other human being, He could of His own self do nothing. (John 5:30). The casting out of devils was empowered by another divine Being, the Holy Spirit. The three distinct members of the Godhead are plainly set forth in Christs wonderful promise to His disciples. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. (John 14:26) It would be a perversion of human language for one individual to be said to send something or someone if by this statement that individual meant himself. The item or person sent has to be distinct from the sender. The Greek word here translated send was pempo, which James Strong defines in his Greek Dictionary, p. 75, as to dispatch, . . . especially on a temporary errand; also to transmit, bestow, or wield. Thus the Holy Spirit who is sent cannot be the Father. Nor can He be Christ, 200
for unlike Christ, against Whom any blasphemy may be forgiven if sincerely repented of, this is not possible when the blasphemy is directed against the Holy Spirit. What a serious and solemn warning this is to those who dare to presume that the Holy Spirit is not a distinct divine Being!
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Chapter 14
Who Inspired King David?
SRAELS second monarch, a gifted hymn-writer, was inspired to incorporate many prophecies into his lyrics. But who inspired him? Was it our heavenly Father? Was it Jesus Christ? Was it the Holy Ghost? We cite one very significant Davidic psalm. The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. (Psalm 110:1)
No less than three gospel writers quote the commencement of this hymn in Scripture; one, Luke, on two occasions. Christ had posted a pertinent question to a Pharisee who was attempting to extract a false response from Christ which could be used in evidence against Him after the Sadducees had been humiliated into silence by Christs wise response to their question concerning marriage in the courts of heaven. It was an episode of high drama in Christs ministry as He once more frustrated the scheming designs of the ecclesiastical leaders of His church. And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine. But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is 202
the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (Matthew 22:3340) Christ did not rest His plain answer at this point. He posed a question of His own to the Pharisees which, because of their stubborn unbelief, placed them firmly at a disadvantage. While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David. He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions. (Matthew 22:4146) Here were the acknowledged spiritual leaders of the Jewish church, the theological intelligentsia, all graduates of the highest academic institutions of the nation, dumbfounded by a Man whom they all perceived to be totally uneducated. They had been exposed before the multitudes of church laity as unscholarly ignoramuses by a Man whose curriculum vitae merely consisted of an elementary home-school education. On another occasion, noting Christs lack of academic attainments, the lay people, recognizing the depth of Christs wisdom and knowledge, asked a serious question, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned? (John 7:15) Luke supplied a little more information to this question-and-answer session between Christ and the proud ecclesiastical leaders and theologians. 203
And he said unto them, How say they that Christ is Davids son? And David himself saith in the book of Psalms, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool. David therefore calleth him Lord, how is he then his son? Then in the audience of all the people he said unto his disciples, Beware of the scribes, which desire to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the markets, and the highest seats in the synagogues, and the chief rooms at feasts; which devour widows houses, and for a shew make long prayers: the same shall receive greater damnation. (Luke 20:4147) Christ used the silencing of the Sadducees and the Pharisees to not only instruct His disciples but also the laity concerning the pitfalls involved in placing ones knowledge of salvation in the hands of acclaimed religious experts. Is there a lesson here for Christians today? We have the precious Scriptures. Any devout, praying, humble soul, filled with the Holy Spirit, can discern the genuine path to salvation which is contained within the covers of his or her precious Bible. But even here, we warn, it does matter which version of Scripture one chooses with which to enlighten them, for Satan has diligently sought to despoil Gods Word, and the arch deceiver has found translators willing to forward his aim. Readers will notice that our biblical references are taken from the King James Version. There are sound reasons for this.1 One who well understood Christs use of Davids prophecy was the Apostle Peter, who, on the Day of Pentecost, used it to good effect. Luke recorded Peters message. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right
1. See our book Modern Bible Translations Unmasked for further information.
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hand, until I make thy foes thy footstool. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. (Acts 2:3236) In pentecostal power Peters message bore a remarkable harvest of souls. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. (Acts 2:3741) This evangelistic success demonstrated the power of Davids prophecy and, above all, the compelling power of the Holy Spirit. But one question remains unanswered. From whom did King David learn this soul-winning knowledge concerning his descendant, our Saviour, Who came through the unique powers of the incarnation? Mark reveals to us the not insignificant answer to this question. And Jesus answered and said, while he taught in the temple, How say the scribes that Christ is the Son of David? For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool. David therefore himself calleth him Lord; and whence is he then his son? And the common people heard him gladly. (Mark 12:3537) 205
Mark plainly stated that the prophecy of the one-hundred-and-tenth Psalm was conveyed to the king by the Holy Ghost. Once more, this should not provide a matter of surprise, for the apostle who so effectively and successfully used that prophecy on the Day of Pentecost later wrote as he was about to die as a martyr for His Saviour, Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. (2 Peter 1:20) If the Holy Spirit is simply the power of Christ, surely in his totally Christ-centered message on the Day of Pentecost, Peter would gladly have declared that His Master had placed that prophecy in the mind of that gifted hymn-writer. If the Holy Spirit is a power emanating from our heavenly Father, what impediment was there to Peter plainly declaring this fact? After all, beyond dispute, every Jew gathered to hear that message believed in the heavenly Father, whether they were favorable to Christ or not. The Holy Spirit was not understood in Jewish theology. Surely, if it was the Father who inspired Davids psalm, then it might have possessed a greater impact if Peter had attributed the prophecy implanted in Davids heart to the Father. But as we read above, Peter stated: This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, until I make thy foes thy footstool. (Acts 2:3235) Here the prophecy of Psalm 110:1 is plainly attributed to the Holy Ghost. This is sound advice that the Holy Ghost is not the Father.
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Chapter 15
The Holy Ghost During Christs First Advent
URING Christs first advent, the Holy Ghost, as a Being distinct from Christ, is recorded in Scripture on numbers of occasions. We have already addressed the issues of Christs incarnation and the matter of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, the unpardonable sin. The Holy Ghost is mentioned on numerous occasions in the four gospels beyond these two matters. In these references, never once, of course, is there the least inference that the Holy Spirit is Christs power or a power innate within the divine Son of God. The first mentions of the Holy Ghost in the gospels, as we have seen, are instructive. Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. (Matthew 1:18) But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. (Matthew 1:20) Here the Holy Ghost is explicitly set forth as distinct from Christ. Christs existence in Nazareth compel us to believe that the Holy Ghost is distinct from Christ. 207
I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire. (Matthew 3:11) John contrasted his baptismal use of water with baptism of the Holy Ghost with fire. Had Christ been the power in his baptism and the future baptisms, surely John the Baptist would have rather stated that the baptism is of Christ or the Messiah rather than invoking the Holy Spirit. John the Baptist well understood the presence of a third Person of the Godhead. He understood that his own mission had been prophesied in the writings of the prophet Isaiah. It was also this prophet who foretold of the part to be played in baptism by the Holy Spirit: For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring. (Isaiah 44:3) This fact was reiterated by Paul: For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:13) Pauls words explicitly set forth but one Holy Spirit. If as many now contend, the Holy Spirit is the disembodied power of Christ and the Father, it would consist of two entities, not one. This fact must not be lost upon our thinking. John more fully recorded the distinction between our Saviour, the Son of God, and the Holy Ghost. And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with 208
water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God. (John 1:3234) It was thus no mistake on the part of Matthew that he recorded three distinct divine Beings in whose name every baptismal candidate must be baptized. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. (Matthew 28:19) Although three Beings are mandated in the baptism, yet the singular Greek word onoma (see Strongs Greek Dictionary, p. 69), meaning name, is used, certifying the oneness of the Godhead in this service, not the existence of a single member of the Godhead, wearing three hats. This conclusion is certain since at Christs baptism the Holy Spirit descended upon Him and the Father spoke. It was the Holy Spirit who led Christ into the wilderness. Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. (Matthew 4:1) Christ did not proceed to the wilderness on His own initiative. It was the Holy Spirit who guided our Saviour thence. Indeed, Mark 1:12 states that the Holy Spirit drove Christ into the wilderness. Isaiah, in a remarkable Messianic prophecy, proclaimed that the Holy Spirit would be placed in our Redeemers heart. Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street. A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not 209
quench: he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for his law. (Isaiah 42:14) Matthew certified the fulfillment of this prophecy in the earthly life of Christ. Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him. But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all; and charged them that they should not make him known: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory. And in his name shall the Gentiles trust. (Matthew 12:1421) When Christ warned that His followers would be brought before rulers to answer for the faith, He promised them that the Holy Spirit would speak through them by focusing their minds upon appropriate answers which bore witness to the truth. And the gospel must first be published among all nations. But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost. (Mark 13:1011) Here Christ spoke of events which would transpire after His ascension; yet He spoke not of Himself but of the Holy Ghost as the Guide 210
for these persecuted souls, thus distinguishing Himself from the Holy Ghost. We further establish the distinction between Christ and the Holy Spirit at the occasion of Christs blessing placed upon Him by the prophet Simeon. These words cannot be mistaken. And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him. And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lords Christ. And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law. (Luke 2:2527) We also see confirmed in this passage in verse 27 that, on occasions, the Holy Spirit is referred to simply as the Spirit. This is also further confirmed at Christs baptism. And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. (Luke 4:1) Luke also certified the presence of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament, for he quoted Christs words when He was filled with the Holy Spirit, verifying the authenticity of another of Isaiahs Messianic prophecies. Notice the harmony of the two passages of Scripture below: The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to 211
give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified. (Isaiah 61:13) And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all. And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. (Luke 4:1419) Jesus final words to His disciples were, But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. (Acts 1:8) It would be strange for Christ to speak in the third person of the Holy Ghost if His power was the Holy Ghost. It would have been a straightforward matter of simply using the first person pronoun, I, rather than the Holy Ghost if the Holy Spirit was not a divine Being but simply the power of Christ. We conclude that the testimonies of the four gospels provide no warrant for the claim that the Holy Spirit is simply the power of Christ.
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Chapter 16
The Holy Spirit Guides the Accused
HRIST plainly taught that in the final days of earths history, as occurred in the early Christian church and the dark era of the Inquisition, the Holy Spirit would guide our words of witness during our arraignment before unjust courts and iniquitous tribunals. The question surely arises, If the Holy Spirit is not a divine Being but is the power of Christ, why did our Saviour not reassure the disciples with the words I will give you the words to speak? It must not be forgotten that at His incarnation Christ forfeited His omnipresence. Thus Christ assured the disciples and the faithful of all ages that it was the Holy Ghost, not He personally, who will place in our minds the perfect answers as a witness to our interrogators. But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten: and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them. And the gospel must first be published among all nations. But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost. (Mark 13:911) In these fearful times, Gods people were warned and encouraged. Often we read fragments of the Scripture which only cloud our understanding, when a fuller reading of the context of the words of inspiration would provide clarity and enlightenment. Thus we invite you to examine 213
Christs words of explanation to His sorrowing and uncomprehending apostles in their full context. Prior to reading our following comments, we invite our readers to prayerfully ponder the words of Jesus for themselves, for these words clearly distinguish the three individual members of the Godhead and their distinct roles in our salvation. These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service. And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me. But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you. But now I go my way to him that sent me; and none of you asketh me, Whither goest thou? But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart. Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they believe not on me; of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine: therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall shew it unto you. A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father. Then said some of his 214
disciples among themselves, What is this that he saith unto us, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me: and, Because I go to the Father? They said therefore, What is this that he saith, A little while? we cannot tell what he saith. Now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him, and said unto them, Do ye enquire among yourselves of that I said, A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me? Verily, verily, I say unto you, That ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice: and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world. And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you. And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father. At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: for the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God. I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: again, I leave the world, and go to the Father. His disciples said unto him, Lo, now speakest thou plainly, and speakest no proverb. Now are we sure that thou knowest all things, and needest not that any man should ask thee: by this we believe that thou camest forth from God. Jesus answered them, Do ye now believe? Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every 215
man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. (John 16:133) We notice in this passage Christ refers to Himself no less that fiftytwo times, (Ithirty; mesixteen; myfour; minetwo). Christ is also mentioned by His disciples on seven occasions in this passage, (hethrice; thoutwice; and himtwice) and John mentions Jesus twice. Thus is our Saviour referred to sixty-one times in this chapteran average of almost twice in each verse. Now an obvious question which arises, If Christ possessed no impediment to speaking of Himself using personal pronouns, why did He introduce the Comforter (Spirit of truth) into this conversation if the Holy Spirit was actually Christs personal power? We notice that Christ was not attempting to confuse the apostles in this discourse, for he assured them, I shall show you plainly. (Verse 25) The disciples, normally very slow of understanding because of their strongly held faulty presuppositions, were at last able to state, Lo, now speakest thou plainly. (Verse 29) In this chapter the Father is specifically distinguished from Christ. He is referred to by Christ on seventeen occasions (Fathereleven; Godthree; hetwo; himone), an average of just over once every second verse. In these references the third person pronouns are used by Christ, clearly distinguishing the Father from Christ, Himself. Similarly, the Holy Spirit is referred to, using the third person pronouns (he10; him1; himself1) and by name twicethe Comforter and the Spirit of truth. Christ could not have possibly made it plainer that He was a Being separate from the Father and distinct from the Holy Spirit. Further, the Father and the Holy Spirit are plainly distinguished, the one from the other. If these were not so, Christ could most certainly not have claimed to be speaking plainly, a matter to which the apostles attested. 216
The Bible was written for our enlightenment by inspired prophets using their own simple human language. Despite the use of human language, every sentence of Scripture is truth. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. (2 Timothy 3:1617) We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. (2 Peter 1:1921) It is human beings who destroy the clarity of the Scripture. This, the leaders of Gods church at the First Advent did in their expositions of the Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah. Let us, at the time of the Second Advent, not follow their pitiful example.
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Index
Scripture References
Genesis 1:1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 Genesis 2:1-3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 Genesis 2:2-3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Genesis 6:3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Genesis 6:5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 Exodus 20:6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 Exodus 20:8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142, 156 Exodus 20:8-11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29, 98 Exodus 20:11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151 Exodus 31:18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136 Exodus 32:15-16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136 Exodus 34:25 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154 Leviticus 10:1-2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Leviticus 19:18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141, 142 Numbers 16:29-33 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Deuteronomy 5:29 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134 Deuteronomy 6:2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134 Deuteronomy 6:5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 Deuteronomy 10:3-5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137 Deuteronomy 10:12-13 . . . . . . . . . 134, 135 Deuteronomy 11:14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Deuteronomy 22:23-24 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194 Deuteronomy 31:24-26 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137 1 Chronicles 16:29 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156 1 Chronicles 29:29 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 2 Chronicles 9:29 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 Job 1:1, 8, 22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134 Job 4:17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 Psalm 91:1-12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 Psalm 95:6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 Psalm 110:1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202 Psalm 119:44-45 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Proverbs 26:11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120 Ecclesiastes 12:1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 Ecclesiastes 12:14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149 Isaiah 1:19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147 Isaiah 7:14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195 Isaiah 21:9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153 Isaiah 28:18-21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Isaiah 42:1-4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210 Isaiah 44:3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208 Isaiah 45:9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 Isaiah 53:5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Isaiah 61:1-3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212 Jeremiah 3:1-2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Jeremiah 3:1-3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Jeremiah 3:4-7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Jeremiah 26:1-9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Jeremiah 31:31-33 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189 Jeremiah 31:34-35 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190 Jeremiah 51:7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153 Lamentations 1:8-9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Lamentations 1:16-17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Ezekiel 8:11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 Ezekiel 9:1-2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 Ezekiel 9:3-4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 Ezekiel 9:5-6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 Ezekiel 18:4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Ezekiel 18:24 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Ezekiel 33:11-13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148 Daniel 5:1-6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153 Daniel 5:30-31 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153 Daniel 7:16-17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Daniel 7:23 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Daniel 7:24 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Daniel 8:14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
218
Index
Daniel 8:20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Daniel 8:22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Daniel 12:1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 Zephaniah 3:13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144, 187 Matthew 1:18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193, 207 Matthew 1:18-20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197 Matthew 1:19-25 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194 Matthew 1:20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207 Matthew 3:11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208 Matthew 3:15-16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Matthew 4:1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209 Matthew 7:14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Matthew 7:21-23 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146 Matthew 10:22-23 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184 Matthew 12:14-21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210 Matthew 12:23-28 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199 Matthew 12:31 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Matthew 12:31-32 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11, 198 Matthew 12:32 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Matthew 12:36-37 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149 Matthew 12:43-45 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120 Matthew 14:1-3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Matthew 19:24 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Matthew 22:33-40 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203 Matthew 22:41-46 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203 Matthew 24:1-2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131 Matthew 24:3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132 Matthew 24:14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27, 128, 129 Matthew 24:31 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129 Matthew 25:1-12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Matthew 25:34-40 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Matthew 26:20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 Matthew 28:19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209 Matthew 28:19-20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128 Matthew 28:20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 Mark 2:28 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Mark 3:22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199 Mark 3:23-26 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200 Mark 3:28-29 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11, 198 Mark 3:29 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Mark 3:30 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199 Mark 12:35-37 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205 Mark 13:9-11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213 Mark 13:10-11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210 Mark 16:15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128 Luke 1:34 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195 Luke 1:35 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195, 196 Luke 2:25-27 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211 Luke 4:1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211 Luke 4:14-19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212 Luke 10:25-27 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 Luke 10:28 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142 Luke 11:16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200 Luke 12:47-48 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96, 147 Luke 20:41-47 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204 John 1:3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 John 1:32-34 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209 John 3:16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 John 5:9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 John 6:27 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185 John 7:15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203 John 8:41 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194 John 11:25 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 John 13:34 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141 John 14:12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 John 14:15-18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97 John 14:16-17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 John 14:16-18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 John 14:26 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200 John 14:26-29 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 John 15:26 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 John 16:1-33 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216 John 16:7-10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 John 16:13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37, 103 John 16:14-15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 John 19:31 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99 Acts 1:8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212 Acts 1:13-15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Acts 2:1-4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Acts 2:1-5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133 Acts 2:4-12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Acts 2:32-35 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206 Acts 2:32-36 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205 Acts 2:37-41 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205 Acts 2:38 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 Acts 3:17-20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Acts 13:6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Acts 13:8-11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Acts 15:5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138 Acts 15:6-12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138 Acts 17:31 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149 Acts 24:25 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149 Acts 26:18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129 Romans 1:16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129 Romans 2:16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128 Romans 3:23 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
219

Romans 3:25 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Romans 5:1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129 Romans 6:16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92 Romans 6:23 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 Romans 8:26-27 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5, 7 Romans 8:31-32 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147 Romans 9:27 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Romans 9:27-29 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57, 184 Romans 10:16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128 Romans 13:11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168 1 Corinthians 5:8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154 1 Corinthians 7:19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29, 139 1 Corinthians 9:27 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119 1 Corinthians 10:11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 1 Corinthians 10:31 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143 1 Corinthians 12:13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 2 Corinthians 11:2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56, 87 Galatians 3:7-9, 28-29 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 Galatians 3:29 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Ephesians 1:7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Ephesians 1:13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 Ephesians 2:15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140 Ephesians 4:11-13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Ephesians 5:25-27 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143 Ephesians 5:26-27 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Philippians 1:27 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 Colossians 1:14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Colossians 1:23 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26, 132 Colossians 2:8-10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111 Colossians 2:14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135 Colossians 4:16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 1 Thessalonians 1:5-6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 1 Thessalonians 5:5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 2 Thessalonians 2:7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 2 Thessalonians 2:8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118 1 Timothy 2:5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 1 Timothy 3:16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196 1 Timothy 4:1-2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 2 Timothy 3:12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 2 Timothy 3:16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 2 Timothy 3:16-17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217 2 Timothy 4:3-4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Titus 3:4-5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 Hebrews 6:18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Hebrews 7:25 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Hebrews 8:1-2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Hebrews 9:14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Hebrews 9:22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Hebrews 10:5-14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191 Hebrews 10:15-18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188 Hebrews 10:26-29 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146 James 1:12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185 James 1:13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 James 1:25 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121 James 2:8-12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135 James 2:19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145 1 Peter 2:21-22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87, 119, 146 1 Peter 4:16-17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 1 Peter 4:17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128 1 Peter 4:18-19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 1 Peter 4:19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 2 Peter 1:19-21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217 2 Peter 1:20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206 2 Peter 1:21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80, 189 2 Peter 2:20-22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120, 148 2 Peter 3:13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 2 Peter 3:14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24, 143 1 John 1:7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 1 John 1:9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12, 118, 147 1 John 2:1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 1 John 2:3-4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139 1 John 2:3-7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 1 John 2:18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 1 John 2:22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 1 John 3:4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117, 140 1 John 3:22-24 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30, 139 1 John 4:3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 1 John 4:17-18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 1 John 4:19-21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 1 John 5:1-5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144 1 John 5:2-3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 1 John 5:3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139 2 John 1:6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30, 139 2 John 1:7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Jude 1:24 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119, 144 Revelation 1:1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130 Revelation 1:20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Revelation 2:10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42, 96 Revelation 7:1-4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83, 86 Revelation 7:13-14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Revelation 7:14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 Revelation 12:9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Revelation 12:12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
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Revelation 12:17 . 30, 56, 59, 140, 180, 186 Revelation 13:2, 11-12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 Revelation 13:4-7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Revelation 13:8 . . . . . . . . . . . . 61, 126, 132 Revelation 13:8-18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Revelation 13:15-17 . . . . . . . . . 54, 123, 157 Revelation 14:1-5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87 Revelation 14:5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144 Revelation 14:6-12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22, 131 Revelation 14:6-7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101, 133 Revelation 14:8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78, 152 Revelation 14:9-10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Revelation 14:9-11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 Revelation 14:9-12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155 Revelation 14:12 . . . . . . . . . . . . 30, 97, 138 Revelation 15:1-2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124 Revelation 16:2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124 Revelation 16:13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 Revelation 17:9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 Revelation 17:12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 Revelation 18:1-3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 Revelation 18:1-5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155 Revelation 18:4-5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56, 78 Revelation 19:10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180 Revelation 19:19-20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Revelation 19:20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124 Revelation 20:2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Revelation 20:9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12, 50 Revelation 20:10 . . . . . . . . . 49, 53, 63, 125 Revelation 21:7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147 Revelation 22:11-12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Revelation 22:14 . . . . . . . . . . . 31, 140, 147 Revelation 22:14-15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118 Revelation 22:17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 Falwell, Jerry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Garibaldi, Giuseppe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Gibbons, James Cardinal . . . . . . . . . . . . 104 Gorbachev, Mikhail Sergeyevich . . . . . . 174 Grant, Ulysses S. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171 Gregory VII, Pope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175 Henry IV, King . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176 Hoover, President Herbert . . . . . . . . . . . 171 Hyde, Walter Woodburn . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121 Ivanovski, Professor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182 John Paul II, Pope . . . . . . . 63, 69, 172, 175 John XXIII, Pope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62, 166 Leo XIII, Pope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163 Martin, Malachi . . . . . . . . . 75, 76, 173, 174 Melady, Thomas P. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166 Monroe, President James . . . . . . . . . . . . 170 Mussolini, Benito . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Pasteur, Louis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182 Patrick, Saint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 Paul VI, Pope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Pius IX, Pope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105 Polk, President James . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171 Reagan, Ronald . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166, 172 Reed, Ralph . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Robertson, Pat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Roosevelt, President Franklin D. . . . . . . 171 Rudin, Rabbi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166 Spellman, Francis Cardinal . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Standish, Darcy Rowland . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Truman, President Harry . . . . . . . . . . . . 166 Washington, George . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170 Wilson, President Woodrow . . . . . . . . . . 171 Wilson, William . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
People
Adrian IV, Pope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 Ambrose, Bishop of Milan . . . . . . . . . . . 115 Augustine, Bishop of Hippo . . . . . . . . . 115 Bush, Jr., George . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63, 179 Bush, Sr., George . . . . . . . . . . . 63, 172, 179 Clinton, Bill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63, 175, 179 Colson, Chuck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Constantine, Emperor . . . . . . . . . . 121, 152 Dulles, Avery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
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Hartland Publications Book List

Note: This list is current as of the date of publication. For an up-to-date list, please visit our web site at http://www.hartlandpublications.com.
These books may be ordered from Hartland Publications (see the last page of this book for complete contact information). Many of these books are also available from Highwood Books in Australia: 0359637011
Books by Colin Standish and Russell Standish

(Unless otherwise noted as by one or the other)
The Antichrist Is Here (187 pages) A newly updated, second edition! Colin and Russell Standish have extensively researched the historical identification of the antichrist of past generations and are convinced the antichrist is present on earth now. They have taken those events which have transpired in the last decade and measured them in the light of biblical prophecy. You will read undeniable evidence in support of their findings. A must-read for those who are interested in biblical prophecy and its outworking in contemporary history. The Big Bang Exploded (218 pages) For decades the big bang hypothesis has held sway as the dominant explanation of the origin of the universe. It has proven to be a remarkably 227
enduring hypothesis, yet the determined efforts of scientists from many disciplines have failed to provide confirmation of this hypothesis. The authors assert that the big bang theory and Darwins proposal of natural selection are spent, decayed and archaic theories. The Standish brothers seriously address some of the most startling challenges to this theory of origins. They present evidence which they assert supports, far more closely, the fiat creation concept than the evolutionary model. This is another of the increasing challenges which evolutionary scientists must address if their credibility is not to be seriously undermined. Education for Excellence (174 pages) This book goes directly to the word of God for educational principles for the sons and daughters of the King of the Universe. In the ministry of the apostle Paul, the culture, philosophy and education of paganism was confronted by the principles of God-given education. Though the world of his day was under the political rulership of Rome, Greece still controlled the mind, and therefore the educational processes of the Mediterranean. As Pauls ministry led him to city after city under the influence of Greek education and philosophy, it was necessary for him to define clearly the differences between pagan and Christian education. Most cultures today face the continued influence of paganistic education. Many who claim to support Christian education nevertheless are not fully aware of the complete contrasts between the two. Christianity wholly defines the curriculum, the teacher selection, the teaching methodology, the extracurricular activities, etc. Its goals, purposes and objectives are entirely different from secular education. The Entertainment Syndrome (118 pages) This book explores how the large increase in entertainment impacts the physical, emotional, social, intellectual and spiritual life of the human race, and the devastating effect of its use in our churches. The European Union, the North American Union, the Papacy, and Globalism (192 pages) The book of Revelation reveals a powerful global movement just prior to the return of Christa moment which is deeply riveted in both poli228
tics and religion. They provide evidence that the Papacy is the religious backbone of this movement as it postures to become the superpower upon the planet. They explain the reason why this globalism will lead to the greatest tyranny this planet has ever witnessed and how every major unit of society will continue to support this globalism. The authors present evidence from biblical prophecy that this global thrust will not completely be achieved and how the world will be liberated from ruthless globalists. The Evangelical Dilemma (222 pages) There has never been a more urgent time for an honest review of the past, present and future of Evangelical Protestantism. The authors present an examination of the major doctrinal errors of Evangelical Protestants. The Everlasting Gospel (368 pages) This book is written for all sincere Christians of all faiths. The authors have been puzzled why so many Christians strongly believe the gospel and yet ignore the central theme of the gospel. The authors have preached this gospel on every inhabited continent of the world and now they present it in a fascinating, simply explained presentation in this book for all to understand and share with others. Georgia Sits On Grandpas Knee (R. Standish) (86 pages) World-traveler Russell Standish delights in visiting with his little grand-daughter, Georgia. She loves to sit on her grandpas knee and hear stories of the old times when her daddy was a little boy in Australia, Malaysia, Thailand, England, and Singapore. And it is Dr. Standishs delight to also share these tales of a family era now pastthe joys of life together in exotic lands. Georgia thinks that other children will enjoy her grandpas stories. Grandpa hopes so, too! Gods Solution for Depression, Guilt and Mental Illness (235 pages) This powerful book argues with great persuasiveness that God is interested in every aspect of His created beings and that the perfect answers to mans needs are to be found in the Word of God. 229
Grandpa, Youre Back! (R. Standish) (128 pages) Pastor Russell Standish again delights and fascinates his granddaughter, Georgia, with stories of his many travels to countries ranging from South America to such far-flung places as Singapore, Africa, and beyond. These stories should pleasantly awaken the imagination of young readers. Gwanpa and Nannys Home (R. Standish and Ella Rankin) (128 pages) I am Ella Marie Rankin. I want to tell you about Gwanpas and Nannys home. But I have a problem! You see, Im only three and I havent yet learned to write. So, my Gwanpa is writing my story for me. So begins a book that Russell Standish wrote for his granddaughter. Impossible Prophecies Fulfilled (160 pages) The Koran of the Muslims and the writings of the Hindus, Buddhists, Shintoists, Taoists, and the Confucianists are conspicuously devoid of prophetic utterances. In contrast, the Bible has literally hundreds of prophecies. Many of these prophecies are rich in detail, unlike the prophecies of Nostradamus which are mystical and lacking in detail. There are prophecies built on time that are very specific. These prophecies defy the challenges of skeptics, agnostics, atheists, and those who follow nonChristian religions. The authors have chosen some of the most fascinating prophecies and have traced them to their pinpoint accuracy as revealed in history. This book is a must for infidels and Christians alike. Liberty in the Balance (285 pages) The bloodstained pathway to religious and civil liberty faces its greatest test in 200 years. The United States Bill of Rights lifted the concept of liberty far beyond the realm of toleration to an inalienable right for all citizens. Yet, for a century and a half, some students of the prophecies of John the Revelator have foretold a time just prior to the return of Christ when these most cherished freedoms will be wrenched from the citizens of the United States, and the U.S. would enforce its coercive edicts upon
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the rest of the world. This book traces the courageous battle for freedom, a battle stained with the lives of many martyrs. The Lords Day (317 pages) In his famous encyclical Dies Domini, Pope John Paul II commenced with these words, The Lords Dayas Sunday was called from apostolic times. . . . To many Protestants, this was an unexpected and much-approved declaration from the Roman Catholic supreme pontiff. The issue of the apostolic origin of Sunday-worship has often been a contentious one between Roman Catholics and Protestants. This book presents an in-depth examination of the Sabbath in the Scriptures. Modern Bible Translations Unmasked (256 pages) This fascinating book challenges the reader to consider two very serious problems with modern translations: first, the use of corrupted Greek manuscripts, and second, translational bias. The authors are deeply concerned about the paraphrases and some of the efforts to translate the Bible into colloquial language, but they are also deeply concerned about the more respected translations that are gaining great acceptance in todays society. You will learn how these modern translations are reinforcing false teachings and erroneous gospel presentations. The Mystery of Death (144 pages) There are those today who believe that the soul is immortal and externally preexisted the body. Pagan or Christian, the opinions vary widely. In this book, the history of these concepts is reviewed and the words of Scripture are investigated for a definitive and unchallengeable answer. Perils of Ecumenism (416 pages) The march of ecumenism seems unstoppable. From its humble roots after the first World War, with the formation of the Faith and Order Council at Edinburgh University, Scotland, and the Works and Labor Council at Oxford University, England, to the formation of the World Council of Churches in 1948 in Amsterdam, it has gained breathtaking momentum. The authors see the ecumenical movement as very clearly identified in
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Holy Scriptures as the movement devised by the arch-deceiver to beguile the inhabitants of the world. The Popes Letter and Sunday Laws (116 pages) The authors examine the biblical foundations upon which the pope seeks to buttress his apostolic letter, Dies Domini. But even the undoubted skill of the pope and his scholarly advisors cannot mask the fallacies of the popes conclusions. The authors show emphatically that the popes assertions are in deep contradiction to the record of the Holy Bible and that of history. Postmodernism and the Decline of Christianity (160 pages) Like stealth in the night, postmodernism has not only invaded the world but the church. It is a concept in which there are no universal laws, no ultimates, no immutables. It is a belief which developed out of the modernist world, though it has gone far beyond modernism. It is based upon the feelings of each individual. Truth is nothing more than the whims of each individual. Few Christians have understood the postmodernist agenda, let alone the profound influence it has exerted upon the Christian church. This book exposes how far this influence has invaded the portals of the Christian establishments and how it is destroying the very fabric of society. The Rapture and the Antichrist (288 pages) This book sets forth the plainest truths of Scripture directing Protestantism back to its biblical roots. It will challenge the thinking of all Christians, erase the fictions of the Left Behind Series, and plant the readers spiritual feet firmly on the platform of Scripture. The Rapture, the End Times and the Millennium (378 pages) This book will open the minds of the readers to a clear understanding of areas of the end-time which have led to much perplexity among laypeople and theologians alike. It is also guaranteed to dispel many of the perplexities presently confronting those who are searching for a clear biblical exposition of the last cataclysmic days in which we now live.
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The Second Coming (80 pages) The Apostle Paul refers to the second coming of Jesus as the blessed hope. (Titus 2:12) Yet, soon after the death of all the apostles, doubts and debates robbed the people of this assurance and brought in the pagan notion of immediate life after death. In this new updated work, Colin and Russell Standish present a wake-up call for every complacent Christian. Two Beasts, Three Deadly Wounds and Fifteen Popes (334 pages) Revelation 13 presents two incomprehensible beastsone of which received a deadly wound in one of its heads. Prophecy stated that this mortal injury would be healed, and that the power represented by the beast would be admired worldwide. The authors give a detailed history of the fifteen popes who have sat upon the papal throne since the infliction of the deadly wound. The reader will find compelling evidence that the deadly wound is now so well-healed that there remains virtually no trace of the scar. For students of Scripture, this book will enlighten and bring an understanding of biblical prophecy and perhaps a new appreciation of the conclusive accuracy of Bible prophecy. The authors present this book as for all minds, a challenge to all hearts, and a timely wake-up call for humanity. Uncle Russell and Daddy Stories (208 pages) When Colins children, Nigel and Alexandra, were growing up, he frequently told them stories and lessons gleaned from events in the life of Colin and his twin brother Russell during the time they were boys and youth growing up in Australia. These stories included the surprise birth of Colin and Russell, some of the challenges of the depression years, up to their college graduation. Although the stories are not always flattering to two boys born into a very poor but deeply dedicated family, they provide unique, first-hand insights into the happenings and events which were to lay the foundation for a lifetime of service for the Saviour. The Vision and Gods Providences (C. Standish): Abridged (176 pages) The story of the development of Hartland Institute must be attributed to God alone. Yet, many men and women have had the privilege of being 233
His humble instruments to contribute to Hartlands establishment. This book recalls divine leadings, human weakness, misunderstandings, and strong differences of opinion, and we cannot but wonder what God might have accomplished, had we listened perfectly to His voice. Youth, Are You Preparing for Your Divorce? (168 pages) A majority of youth, including Christian youth, are destined for divorce. Yes, you read this correctly! Unbeknown to them or to their parents, long before marriage or even courtship, the seeds of divorce have been sown to later produce their baneful consequences. Many youth who think they are preparing for marital bliss are preparing for divorce and, all too frequently, their parents are co-conspirators in this tragedy. The authors provide amazing simple principles to avert the likelihood of future divorce. Youth Do You Dare! (C. Standish) (88 pages) If you are a young person looking for workable answers to the many issues that confront you today, this book is for you. It presents a call to young people to follow truth and righteousness, and to live morally upright lives.
Other Books from Hartland Publications

Behold the LambDavid Kang (107 pages) Gods plan of redemption for this world and the preservation of the universe is revealed in the sanctuary which God constructed through Moses. This book explains the sanctuary service in the light of the Christians personal experience. Why this book? Because Jesus is coming soon! Christ and AntichristSamuel J. Cassels (348 pages) First published in 1846 by a well-known Presbyterian minister, who called this book not sectarian, but a Christian and Protestant work. He hoped that the removal of obstacles might result in a more rapid spread of the Gospel. One of these obstacles he saw as Antichristianity, a term he that he used to describe the Papal system. 234
Distinctive Vegetarian CuisineSue M. Weir (326 pages) 100% vegan cooking, with no animal productsno meat, milk, eggs, cheese, or even honey. No irritating spices or condiments are used. Most of the ingredients can be found at your local market. There are additional nutritional information and helpful hints. Make your dinner table appealing to the appetite! Food for ThoughtSusan Jen (159 pages) Where does the energy which food creates come from? What kinds of foods are the most conductive to robust health and well being in all dimensions of our life? What is a balanced diet? Written by a healthcare professional, this book examines the food we prepare for our table. Group ThinkHorace E. Walsh (96 pages) Find out how a state of groupthink (or group dynamics) has often contributed to disaster in secular and spiritual matters, like the role of Hebrew groupthink in the rejection and ultimate crucifixion of the Son of God. Or, the Ecumenical Movement that seeks to unite the minds of dedicated men so much that their passion is to build one great super church following Rome. Heroes of the ReformationHagstotz and Hagstotz (307 pages) This volume brings together a comprehensive picture of the leaders of the Reformation who arose all over Europe. The authors of this volume have made a sincere endeavor to bring the men of Protestantism alive in the hearts of this generation. The History of ProtestantismJ. A. Wylie (2,136 pages) This book pulls back the divine curtain and reveals Gods hand in the affairs of His church during the Protestant Reformation. Your heart will be stirred by the lives of Protestant heroes, and your mind captivated by Gods simple means to counteract the intrigues of its enemies. As Gods church faces the last days, this compelling book will appeal and will be a blessing to adults as well as children.
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History of the Reformation of the 16th CenturyJ. dAubign (1,472 pages) In history and in prophecy, the Word of God portrays the long continued conflict between truth and error. Today, we see an alarming lack of understanding in the Protestant Church concerning the cause and effect of the Reformation. This reprinted masterpiece pulls back the curtain of history and divine providence to reveal the true catalyst for the ReformationGods Word and His Holy Spirit. History of the Reformation in the Time of CalvindAubign (2,039 pages) The renovation of the individual, of the Church, and of the human race, is the theme. This renovation is, at the same time, an enfranchisement; and we might assign, as a motto to the Reformation accomplished by Calvin, as well as to apostolic Christianity itself, these words of Jesus Christ: The truth shall make you free. (John 8:32) The Method of GraceJohn Flavel (458 pages) In this faithful reprint, John Flavel thoroughly outlines the work of Gods Spirit in applying the redemptive work of Christ to the believer. Readers will find their faith challenged and enriched. In true Puritan tradition, a clearly defined theology is delivered with evangelistic fervor, by an author urgently concerned about the eternal destiny of the human soul. The Reformation in SpainThomas MCrie (272 pages) The boldness with which Luther attacked the abuses and the authority of the Church in Rome in the 16th Century attracted attention throughout Christendom. Luthers writings, along with the earlier ones of Erasmus, gained a foothold with a Spanish people hungry for the truth. Thomas MCrie makes a case for a Spain free of the religious errors and corruptions that ultimately dried up the resources and poisoned the fountains of a great empire. Romanism and the ReformationH. Grattan Guinness (217 pages) The Reformation of the 16th Century, which gave birth to Protestantism, was based on Scripture. It gave back to the world the Bible. Such 236
Reformation work needs to be done again today. The duty of diffusing information on the true character and history of Romanism and the Reformation is one that presses on Gods faithful people in these days. Strange FireBarry Harker (209 pages) The Olympic games are almost universally accepted as a great international festival of peace, sportsmanship, and friendly competition. Yet, the games are riddled with conflict, cheating, and objectionable competitiveness. Discover the disturbing truth about the modern Olympics and the role of Christianity in the rise of this neo-pagan religion. Truth TriumphantBenjamin George Wilkinson (438 pages) The prominence given to the Church in the Wilderness in the Scriptures establishes without argument its existence and emphasizes its importance. The same challenges exist today with the Remnant Church in its final controversy against the powers of evil to show the holy, unchanging message of the Bible. Who Are These Three Angels?Jeff Wehr (126 pages) The messages of three holy angels unfold for us events that are soon to take place. Their warning is not to be taken lightly. They tell of political and religious movements that signal the soon return of Jesus.
True Education History Series from Hartland Publications

Livingstone-The PathfinderBasil Matthews (112 pages) Like most boys and girls, David Livingstone wondered what he would become when he grew up. He had heard of a brave man who was a missionary doctor in China. He also learned that this Dr. Gulztoff had a Hero, Jesus, who had come to people as a healer and missionary. David learned all about this great Physician, and felt that the finest thing in the whole world for him was to follow in the same way and be a medical 237
missionary. That was Davids quest, which was his plan. Between these pages, you shall see how he made his good wish come true. Missionary AnnalsMemoir of Robert MoffatM. L. Wilder (64 pages) Robert Moffat first heard from his wise and pious mothers lips that there were heathen in the world and of the efforts of Christians sharing the knowledge of a Saviour who could raise them out of their base degradation. An intense desire took possession of him to serve God in some marked manner but how that would be, he did not know. Through a series of providential circumstances and in Gods good time, the London Society accepted him as one of their missionaries, and in 1816, he embarked on his first trip and got his first glimpse of heathen Africa. This book will inspire the young and old as you read the many trials, disappointments, triumphs, and wondrous miracles that God can accomplish when one is fully surrendered to Him. The WaldensesThe Church in the Wilderness (68 pages) The faithful Waldenses in their mountain retreats were married in a spiritual sense to God who promised, I will betroth thee unto me in faithfulness and thou shalt know the Lord. (Hosea 2:20) No invention of Satan could destroy their union with God. Follow the history of these people as they are compared to the dedicated eagle parents.
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About the Authors
OLIN and RUSSELL STANDISH were born in Newcastle, Australia, in 1933. They both obtained their teaching diplomas from Avondale College in 1951. They were appointed to one-teacher elementary schools in rural areas of New South Wales, each teaching for three years. In 1958, both completed a major in history and undertook an honors degree in psychology at Sydney University in the field of learning theory. Colin went on to obtain his Master of Arts degree with honors in 1961 and his Doctor of Philosophy in 1964. His Masters Degree in Education was completed in 1967. Russell graduated as a physician in 1964. Six years later he was admitted to the Royal College of Physicians (UK) by examination. He was elevated to the Fellowship of the Royal Colleges of Physicians in Edinburgh (1983) and Glasgow (1984). In 1965, Colin was appointed chairman of the education department at Avondale College. Subsequently he held the posts of academic dean and president at West Indies College (19701973), chairman of the Department of Psychology, Columbia Union College (1974), president of Columbia Union College (19741978), and dean of Weimar College (19781983). He was invited to become the foundational president of Hartland Institute (1983), which comprises a college, a lifestyle center, a publishing house, media services, and a world mission division. As a consultant physician (internist), Russell has held the posts of deputy medical superintendent of the Austin Hospital, University of Melbourne (19751978), president of a hospital in Bangkok (19791984), medical director at Enton Medical Centre, England (19841986), and president of a Penang hospital (19861992). From 1992 to the time of his death May 2, 2008, he was speaker and editor for Remnant Herald. They have co-authored more than forty-five books. 239
HARTLAND Publications was established in 1984 as a Bible-centered, self-supporting Protestant publishing house. We publish Bible-based books and produce media for Christians of all ages, to help them in the development of their personal characters, always giving glory to God in preparation for the soon return of our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus. We are especially dedicated to reprinting significant books on Protestant history that might otherwise go out of circulation. Hartland Publications supports and promotes other Christian publishers and media producers who are consistent with biblical principles of truth and righteousness. We are seeking to arouse the spirit of true Protestantism, one that is based on the Bible and the Bible only, thus awakening the world to a sense of the value and privilege of the religious liberty that we currently enjoy. Office hours (Eastern time): Monday Thursday: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Friday: 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon Payment must be in US dollars by check, money order, or most credit cards. You may order via mail, telephone, fax, e-mail, or on our web site: Hartland Publications PO Box 1, Rapidan, VA 22733 USA Order line: 1-800-774-3566 / Fax: 1-540-672-3568 E-mail: sales@hartlandpublications.org Web site: www.hartlandpublications.com
Notes Regarding This Electronic Book Pagination: this electronic book was not scanned from the printed book. In some cases, there may be slight variations in pagination from the printed copy. Thus, any references to page numbers in this book should be referenced to the printed edition. Sharing copies: Due to the nature of electronic books, they can be easily shared with others. However, we request that you honor the fact that this book (including the electronic copy) is copyrighted, and therefore it is not to be copied to distribute to others unless written permission is obtained from the publisher.
Current Publications Available In some of our electronic books, you may find a list of other books that are published by Hartland Publications. This list was compiled at the time the book was published; therefore, it may be out of date by the time you read it. To browse the current books available by Colin and Russell Standish and many other authors, please go to: http://www.hartlandpublications.com Thank you!

The Holy Ghost-Power or Being - Colin &amp; Russel Standish

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The Holy Ghost-Power or Being - Colin &amp; Russel Standish

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