Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Eugene Prewitt
Cover design and layout
Michael Prewitt
Text editing and layout
Harvey Steck
Contents
Dedication. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Acknowledgments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Section I: Questions From Those Within. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
The Judgment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Laodicea. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Hebrews Problems and Ballenger. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
An Invisible Remnant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Section II: Questions From Those that Are Without. . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
The Day of Cleansing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
More on the Mark and Much on the Seal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Conditional Prophecy and Predestination. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Brief Thoughts on Michael in Scripture. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Satan Burns For Ever and Ever?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Section III: Questions Regarding the Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
The 1290- and 1335-Day Prophecies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
The Seven Times or the 2520-Year Prophecy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Reapplications, Multiple Fulfillments, and the Story Line. . . . . . . . . . 156
Section IV: Testimony Tidbits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Index of Scripture References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Introduction
What was the result of five years of such study, conducted while Miller
was yet employed full time in secular occupations? Twenty-two years after
those five years of study, even after the Great Disappointment, Miller answered
that question in a way that still seems incredible to me.
During that time, more objections arose in my mind, than have
been advanced by my opponents since; and I know of no objection
that has been since advanced, which did not then occur to me. (Ibid.,
p. 15)
Introduction
But it is not likely that you or I could honestly say the same, not likely that
no objection against our Adventist faith has ever arisen but such as we had
previously put to rest for ourselves.
This book is the first in a short series that is intended to move us closer,
as a people, to an experience like that of our pioneers. We want to be settled.
And in this book we want to be settled on questions related to prophecy.
The shaking is ruthless. May we step fast and forward.
Probably the two most important chapters in this book are those on the
judgment and on the final test over the mark and the seal. Do you know your
Bible well enough to persuade a seeking neighbor that Sunday observance
will be the mark of the beast? If that question is to test the world, dont you
think we ought to know that topic well?
These chapters are progress reports. No month goes by but some Bible
thought opens up to me like it never has before. Will you find a new line of
evidence that affirms the precious truths for our time? Tell me about it. I want
to hear. I want to learn.
Other books will follow this one. They will touch more directly on the
gospel and on the practical life of persons seeking Christs righteousness.
Those books will seek the blessing mentioned in this passage:
A minister, after preaching a Bible discourse which brought deep
conviction to one of his hearers, was accosted with the question, Do
you really believe what you have preached?
Certainly, he answered.
But is it really so? asked the anxious questioner.
Certainly, said the minister, as he reached for his Bible.
Then the man broke out, O, if this is the truth, what shall we
do?
What shall we do? thought the ministerwe? What could the
man mean? But the question forced its way to his soul. He went away
to plead with God to tell him what to do. And as he prayed, there came
to him with overwhelming force the thought that he had the solemn
realities of eternity to present to a dying world. For three weeks his
place in the desk was vacant. He was seeking an answer to the question, What shall we do?
The minister returned to his charge with an unction from the Holy
One. He realized that his past preaching had made little impression
on his hearers. Now he felt upon him the terrible weight of souls. As
he came to his desk, he was not alone. There was a great work to be
done, but he knew that God would not fail him. Before his hearers he
exalted the Saviour and His matchless love. There was a revelation of
the Son of God, and a revival began that spread through the churches
of the surrounding districts. (Gospel Workers, p. 3334)
Deeper
But for now, in this book, this is the blessing I am seeking for the
readers:
Let us give more time to the study of the Bible. We do not understand the word as we should. The book of Revelation opens with an
injunction to us to understand the instruction that it contains. Blessed
is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, God
declares, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time
is at hand. When we as a people understand what this book means to
us, there will be seen among us a great revival. We do not understand
fully the lessons that it teaches, notwithstanding the injunction given
us to search and study it. (Testimonies to Ministers, p. 113)
Section I
Questions From Those Within
Deeper
8. The author has more than one passage from Inspiration that indicates
that ones salvation may hinge on how one receives the message being
presented. And these are buttressed by other statements urging that
we should be ready to receive new light.
Yet, if I were to believe only the studies that meet these qualifications, I
would at the same time believe that our God is three persons and two. I would
believe that we should keep the feasts and that we should not. I would believe
that we should stay in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, join the Seventh-day
Adventist Reform Movement, leave both, and start a third. I would believe
that two modern prophets that rejected one another were both true. I would
pronounce Gods name only in Hebrew. I would also believe that the movement to pronounce that name aright is the fourth angel of Revelation 18. I
would also believe that the Shepherds Rod is that fourth angel. I would also
believe the literature work of the Seventh-day Adventist denomination is that
angel. I would also believe that the call to leave the Seventh-day Adventist
denomination for non-denominational Sabbath-keeping is that angel. I would
also believe that the Reform Movement is that angel. And I would believe
more things than can be well recounted about Daniel 7 through 11.
With that said, I propose we acknowledge that having these eight identifying marks is not sufficient evidence that a matter is true. Consequently, if I
conclude from my study that I dont believe that teaching, I am not necessarily accusing the document of lacking any of these eight evidences.
We will have to give account in the judgment for the use of our time and
energies. That is reason enough to motivate me to take heed how [I] hear.
(See Luke 8:18)
Charity in Judging
I fear men, not because they are a member of one group or another, but
because they are men. Men, even the best and most honest of them, are erring and contradictory. They make mistakes and retract them or defend them
to the bitter end. The evangelist Bunyan, breathing the very atmosphere of
heaven, wrote with ability against the Seventh-day Sabbath. Luther and Carlstadt attacked each other. On nearly every point of difference, Luther was in
the wrong. A few of our pioneers opposed Andrews opinion that Sabbath
begins at sundown. And nearly all early Adventists kept it incorrectly in that
respect for several years.
We ought, then, to be charitable in judging. Men may be sincerely wrong,
and while we must strenuously oppose the worst of their errors, we may count
the erring men as better than ourselves.
10
Chapter One
The Judgment
The Judgment
And it is hated.
So here is a little history from the perspective of its enemies:
Unambiguous Evidence?
Raymond Cottrell wrote a paper on the investigative judgment called
Asset or Liability? In that paper he indicates that there is no unambiguous
Bible evidence for the Adventist doctrine of the judgment. The thesis of his
paper is that the doctrine is built on an erroneous understanding of Daniel
8:14. In the paper he writes:
In 1958 ... I determined to try once more to find a way to be absolutely faithful to both Daniel and the traditional Adventist interpretation of 8:14, but again found it impossible. I then formulated six questions regarding the Hebrew text of the passage and its context, which
I submitted to every college teacher versed in Hebrew and every head
of the religion department in all of our North American collegesall
personal friends of mine. Without exception they replied that there is
no linguistic or contextual basis for the traditional Adventist interpretation of Daniel 8:14.
Again, you would think, from reading the article and other attacks on this
doctrine, that the Adventist doctrine is based on a misunderstanding of Daniel
8:14. Further, that if Daniel 8:14 is explained correctly then the doctrine of the
investigative judgment evaporates.
So we are about to look at Bible evidence for this Adventist doctrine. And
when we are done, look back over the passages that we have quoted. You will
find not one reference to Daniel 8:14. There is unambiguous evidence for the
Adventists investigative judgment doctrine. We will get to Daniel 8:14 in the
chapters on Ballenger and on the Atonement.
Unambiguous Evidence for the Timing of the Judgment
The Bible refers, in a number of passages, to a judgment. These passages
do not all speak of the same event. The question raised by the scholars mentioned above (in a remarkable fulfillment of Daniel 12:10s none ... shall
understand) is whether any of these passages amount to solid evidence for
the doctrine of the investigative judgment.
Here are some simple Bible observations from three chaptersDaniel 7,
Revelation 14, and Revelation 6. Each of these chapters has a prophetic story
line that gives us an ability to locate the timing of the judgment in relation to
end-time events.
. More properly, The Sanctuary Doctrine, Asset or Liability? This paper was first delivered
at the Jesus Institute Forum on February 4, 2001. It is readily available on the web.
13
Deeper
1. What do we find in Daniel 7? After the rise and fall of Babylon, Persia,
Greece and Rome; after the rise of proto-European tribes, and then after the
papacy rises with its blasphemy and persecution, we find a judgment opened
in heaven that utilizes the books.
I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of
days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his
head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and
his wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth
from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and
ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment
was set, and the books were opened. (Daniel 7:910)
After this judgment we find the papacy being destroyed by fire at the same time
that its dominion comes to an end. The other nations, by way of contrast, continued
to exist as non-superpower nations after their fall from world greatness. (Behold
Iraq, Iran, and Greece in existence even today, their life prolonged. Verse 12)
Then we see in heaven, a transaction between the Father and the Son. The
Son receives the kingdom of the whole earth which kingdom shall never be
destroyed.
In point of time, this judgment looks like the one identified by Adventists.
It is late in earths history, yet ends before the final climactic scenes.
2. What do we find in Revelation 14? While probation still continues,
before the gospel has been preached to every nation and people, an announcement about the arrival of the time of the judgment is made.
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)
This is followed by two other warnings related to the mark of the beast and
papal corruptions. Gods commandment-keeping people are pictured as faithfully enduring persecution. Next in Revelation 14 comes the Second Coming
under the symbol of two ripe-related harvestsfirst of the righteous, then of
the wicked for destruction.
Related to time, this Revelation 14 announcement that the hour of His
judgment is come is united with the final campaign to evangelize the world
and precedes the most climactic events that, themselves, precede the Second
Coming. In timing, this too looks like the judgment Adventists teach about.
14
The Judgment
Their cry for vengeance is followed by signs in the sun, moon, and stars
and then by the personal appearance of Jesus Christ.
The giving of the white robes to the faithful martyrs follows the persecution of the Dark Ages and precedes both the persecution of the last age and
the Second Coming. They receive their white robes neither at death nor at
their resurrection. They are at rest while awaiting vengeance against their
murderers.
This pre-Advent declaration of their destiny looks, time-wise, like the
doctrine Adventists teach.
Common and Uncommon Elements
These three passages share two common elements. In regard to timing,
they each picture a divine judgment following papal activity and preceding
the earths final events.
In regard to location, they each indicate that the judgment is an otherworldly event. In Daniel 7, it occurs before angels in heaven. In Revelation
6, the souls being vindicated refer to those that dwell on the earth as you
might refer to someone who lives in a different land than yourself. Finally, in
Revelation 14, the need for an announcement presupposes that the beginning
of the judgment is not readily apparent to those on earth.
In addition to information regarding timing and location, Daniel 7 offers
its own clues as to how this judgment relates to the heavenly books.
The student of Scripture finds, after a study of these books, that names can
be written, and names can be removed. See Exodus 32:3134; Deuteronomy
29:1920; Revelation 22:19; Luke 10:20.
15
Deeper
Jesus in Revelation connects the blotting out of names with a scene very
similar to the judgment scene in Daniel 7. And more than this, He connects
that judgment scene with the granting of white robes. This statement of Jesus,
in this respect, reminds us of Revelation 6. It brings together two of our three
timeline passages.
He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but
I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
(Revelation 3:5)
Another passage that speaks of blotting out something from the books
used in the judgment is found in Peters post-Pentecostal sermon. There,
in regard to time, the blotting out is future and coincides with an end-time
pouring out of the Spirits power. This power, used to lighten the world with
Christs glory, must precede the close of human probation. And it immediately
precedes the sending of Jesus back to earth.
Repent ye 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 3:1920)
This is the second passage that has connected the judgment with a set time.
The other was Revelation 14:7. This brings us to the question of the Adventist
Great Disappointment.
Prophecies of the Great Disappointment
Many detractors from the doctrine of the investigative judgment suggest
that this doctrine was created by Adventists to cover their embarrassment
about the non-appearance of Christ in 1844. But Habakkuk 12, Malachi 3,
Hebrews 10, and Revelation 10 all refer, prophetically, to that time of trial
and misunderstanding. According to these four passages, the fulfillment of
prophecy would appear to tarry, but it would not tarry, and men were still to
keep waiting for Christs return. They would be seeking to see Him in the
clouds, but He would instead come to His temple.
They would need patience to inherit His coming kingdom and would be
tempted to throw away their confidence. They would preach His coming with
great enthusiasm but then would cease. Finally, they would be bidden to take
up the work again. They would love the sweetness of their message until they
understood it thoroughly, then it would be a bitter disappointment.
16
The Judgment
Each of these four passages throws additional light on the topic of the judgment in heaven. There are also a number of parables that illustrate the truth.
Solomon concludes his words of wisdom with a reference to that event.
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and
keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For
God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing,
whether it be good, or whether it be evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:1314)
Paul preached that there was a day for this judgment. He connected it with the
future justifying of those that were currently obeying the commandments.
As many as have sinned without law shall also perish without
law: ... (for not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the
doers of the law shall be justified ...) in the day when God shall
judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
(Romans 2:1216)
Who will be blotted out of the book? Those that sin against the Lord. See
Exodus 32:34. But doesnt that include us all? Yes, human cases would be hopeless if the overcomers were not each offered a white robe during the judgment,
a blotting out of their sins, prior to the final decision of their cases. This gift of a
white robe is the future shall be justified of the current doers of the Law.
In both of these passagesEcclesiastes 12 and Romans 2the judgment
is made a motive for commandment-keeping. This is also the case in the three
angels messages. We glorify God by keeping the law that is a transcript of
His character. Compare Ecclesiastes 12 and Revelation 14. These passages
differ primarily in that Solomon places the judgment future while earths last
warning places the judgment at present.
Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment
is come: ... here are they that keep the commandments of God,
and the faith of Jesus. (Revelation 14:7, 12)
Fear God, and keep his commandments: ... For God shall
bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether
it be good, or whether it be evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:1314)
Deeper
heavenly books in the heavenly sanctuary from the record of sin. As each case
is decided, either sins are blotted out and a white robe is given, or a name (and
its record) is removed from the book of life.
In the antitypical day of atonement there was one more step in processing the
sin problem after the cleansing of the sanctuary. There is one who has tempted
and prodded, cajoled and trapped, bringing men into his ranks of sin slaves. The
Devil is, in this way, guilty for all the sins he has caused men to commit.
He is not guilty in their stead. Only the innocent Jesus could bear their sins
as a substitute. But this wicked one is guilty in his own stead for his part in their
falls. In the symbols, this Azazel is blamed for the sins he has caused. (See
Leviticus 16:8, 10) He has injured Jesus through His saints, and now justice
returns the pain into his own bosom. He is led into the wilderness.
If we call Azazel a scapegoat, we must clarify that Azazel is not an underling
blamed in order to take the heat off from a superior. A more backward description
of the relation of sin to Satan could hardly be imagined. Satan is the ultimately
guilty one rather than the unfortunate last stop for the passing of the buck.
To answer the question, How is this blaming of Satan related to the judgment in heaven? we need only note the observers of the judgment.
I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of
days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his
head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and
his wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth
from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten
thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was
set, and the books were opened. (Daniel 7:910)
He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment;
and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess
his name before my Father, and before his angels. (Revelation 3:5)
Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men,
him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God.
(Luke 12:8)
The prominent place given to the angels, one-hundred million strong, reveals
that the judgment scene is for them. God knows those that are His. (See 2 Timonthy
2:19) The investigative judgment is for the information of the holy angels. It is they
who have an interest in the blame that belongs to their once-honored Lucifer.
. Azazel is the Hebrew word translated scapegoat in Leviticus 16. When Adventists have
pointed out that Azazel represents Satan, some have accused us of making Satan into our
sinbearer. These paragraphs show the fallacy of that accusation.
18
The Judgment
The relation of the angels to the judgment was woven into the sanctuary.
Not only were two angels sculpted there in a position of reverence and interest in the law and mercy, but the entire fabric of the inner curtains was woven
with cherubim. (See Exodus 26:31; 36:35)
The Relation of the Investigative Judgment to the Great White Throne
Judgment
There is a judgment in the book of Revelation that seems, in some ways,
similar to the one in Daniel 7. It is, however, different in a few other significant
details: timing, location, and purpose.
And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from
whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found
no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before
God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened,
which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those
things which were written in the books, according to their works.
And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell
delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged
every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast
into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was
not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
(Revelation 20:1115)
19
Deeper
During the 1000 years just ended, there was a special judgment for the
benefit of the saints. This millennial investigation is the judgment alluded to
in Psalm 149:69, by Paul in 1Corinthians 6:3, and by John in Revelation
20:11.
Then, after the 1000 years are over, the great white throne judgment scene
is finally fulfilled. There the dead are convinced that the judgments against
them are just. Just as the wicked at Christs second coming are accused by
Jesus for their wrongdoing, so will be the resurrected wicked after the thousand years.
And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these,
saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
to execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly
among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly
committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners
have spoken against him. (Jude 1415)
These two instances when Christ sits on His throne and judges resurrected
persons happen, naturally, in conjunction with the two resurrections. Both the
judgment that precedes the 1000 years and the judgment after the 1000 years
are a fulfillment of this passage:
But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at
nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat
of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall
bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one
of us shall give account of himself to God. (Romans 14:1012)
Not all these knees bow simultaneously, however. These two resurrections are those mentioned in 1Corinthians 15:2325. The saints, the wicked
survivors of the plagues, and special rebels will meet their destiny first. The
wicked dead will meet it later. As it is written, all will share the same experience of giving account of themselves before God.
Some may wonder why we call attention to the judgment in heaven when
our own turn at the bar of God is yet future. The answer is that men ought
to learn of the judgment going on now while there is time to set their lives
in order. To learn of the judgment while being punished will be to learn of it
far too late.
There is, then, plenty of unambiguous evidence for a multi-phased judgment of the human race. The books of record are intimately related to every
phase of that judgment. Their contents are examined in heaven during the
judgment for the angels. At that time sins and names are blotted out as desti20
The Judgment
nies are forever fixed. Then the books are brought forth to convince the survivors of the plagues of their lawlessness. Then the books are examined by the
saints during the 1000 years. Finally, the wicked dead are resurrected to face
the books. Then those whose names are not in the book of life are destroyed
in the lake of fire.
Only the first phase of this judgment is coincident with human probation.
Only that current phase is announced as a warning to the last generation to
ready themselves for Christs coming. We ought to spread that warning while
the cases of past generations are still being decided.
Conclusion
So, what about the doctrine of the investigative judgment? Biblically, it is
a judgment that happens in heaven for the benefit of the angels. Biblically, it
happens near the end of earths history but prior to Christs coming. Biblically,
its timing is announced, and this shows that its timing has been prophesied.
Biblically, the Ten Commandments are the standard in the judgment; therefore, men are called to keep them in view of their pending cases. Biblically,
the judgment reverses the decisions of human tribunals that have killed the
saints, thus condemning the papacy while cleansing the books of record from
the sins of the overcomers.
Biblically, the doctrine stands. Unambiguously.
21
Chapter Two
Laodicea
here have always been messages that were more timely than others.
Truth seems to come alive when its time has come. At its appointed
moment, the currents of thought and politics in the world work together
to make the message most relevant. Or its revelations may describe so perfectly
the condition of Gods people that the students mind finds itself flooded with
a sense of its truthfulness.
Some messages have always been timely.
We must keep Jesus our pattern ever before us. This is and ever will
be present truth. It was by beholding Jesus and appreciating the virtues
of His character that John became one with his Master in spirit. With
spiritual vision he saw Christs glory, the glory as of the only begotten
of the Father, full of grace and truth; and he was changed from glory to
glory into His likeness. (The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, p. 135)
22
Laodicea
Amos uses metaphors familiar to usthe serpent, the lion, the comfort
of getting home after danger. Perhaps we are not as mindful of the bear, that
animal called by God to punish the mocking of His special messenger. (2 Kings
2:23-24) Amos indicates that Adventists, waiting and hoping to go home to
heaven, anxious to escape the roaring lion on their track, will find at last that
they have been deceived by the serpent and that their treatment of Heavens
prophet has not endeared them to Heaven.
We are represented by Amos as expecting great things from the coming of
Jesus. Our riches, whether or not they include material prosperity, include an
assurance that all will be well with us in the end. Laodicea knows, in a superficial way, that her destiny depends on her love and her faith. She is aware that
those with a faith/love relationship are the ones that are justified. But rather
than being a source of worry, this thought comforts her from day to day. She
is confident enough of her standing with God to speak of it.
I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing
There are certain conditions upon which we may expect that God
will hear and answer our prayers. One of the first of these is that we
feel our need of help from Him. He has promised, I will pour water
upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground. Isaiah 44:3.
Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, who long after God,
may be sure that they will be filled. The heart must be open to the
Spirits influence, or Gods blessing cannot be received.
Our great need is itself an argument and pleads most eloquently
in our behalf. But the Lord is to be sought unto to do these things for
us. (Steps to Christ, p. 95)
Laodicea might be more conscious of her need if she understood the nature of
faith and love. These, according to James and Paul, are the riches of the gospel. But
James speaks of men who say they have faith, yet do not. (See James 2:1420) And
John speaks of men who say they have love, but have it not. (See 1John 4:20)
It is interesting, in this context, to notice that faith in Gods truth and selfless love were the two significant virtues missing from the Laodicean church
in Pauls time.
For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and
for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in
the flesh; that their hearts might be comforted, being knit together
in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding,
to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father,
and of Christ. (Colossians 2:12)
23
Deeper
James speaks of those that are rich in faith and identifies them as the
same class as those that love God.
Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor
of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath
promised to them that love him? (James 2:5)
Compare Romans 1:17 and Matthew 4:4 above, and you will see that faith
must be living by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. Faith is
a relationship with the Word. Faith submits to the Word. It lives and acts as if
the Word itself has power to do the thing it promised.
What does faith look like? That depends on the nature of the Word that
faith is resting on at the moment. When faith comes to a warning, faith looks
like preparation and taking heed. When faith comes to a rebuke, faith looks
like confession and repentance. Faith lets the principle of the Word become the
. See 1Peter 1:78 for another correlation of faith with gold.
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Laodicea
ruling power in the life. When faith comes to inspired history, it looks to the
world to be akin to naivet, to believing the Bible over scholars and science.
It takes the Word at face value. Faith recognizes the creative power in the
Word of God. When faith comes to Calvary and lets the glory of that story
move the will, faith looks like tears, penitence, humility, courage, and selfless
love. When confronted with counsel, it looks very much like a desire to please
God. When considering an inspired hymn, faith may even look like music.
This could be partially expressed in a chart:
The Nature of the Word.................The Appearance of Faith
A Warning.........................................Preparation
A Rebuke.............................Confession and Repentance
History................................................ Belief
A Promise..............................................Hope
A Command........................................Obedience
Counsel..................................... A Desire to Please
The Story of Calvary.................... Tears, Penitence, Humility,
Courage, Selfless Love
A Spiritual Hymn................................Spiritual Music
When the Bible asserts that we are saved by hope and justified by
works and excused by our thoughts and condemned by idle words (see
Romans 8:24; James 2:24; Romans 2:15; Matthew 12:36), the Book makes no
contradiction with those statements that faith alone can save us. The repeated
statements that we are judged according to our works and even the statement
that we are justified by our words are only a development of the theme that
man shall live by every Word that proceeds from the mouth of God.
The Word every must be allowed to have its meaning. Unbelief is selective.
It may incorporate portions of the Word, the promises and stories, while spurning the counsels and commands. It may acknowledge the laws and regulations
while slighting the Sacrifice. Unbelief has never saved a soul and never will.
James says that a man may try to show his faith without works, but then
James says, I will show my faith by my works.
Just as Laodicea has falsely supposed she had a great deal of faith, she
has been misinformed regarding love and does not recognize her dearth of
the treasure.
. Colossians 3:16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and
admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in
your hearts to the Lord.
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Enduring love characterizes the finally saved. The cooling of this selfless
principle characterizes the church in its Laodicean condition. But prophecy
foretells more than a love that survives. Paul speaks of end-time love as one
that thrives.
And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one
toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you: to
the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before
God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with
all his saints. (1Thessalonians 3:1213)
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Laodicea
What does love look like? That depends on the need of the one that is
brought into our sphere of influence. In the home, love looks like a father
cheerfully doing the dishes day after day. Love looks like disciplining oneself
to keep tracts on hand to give away at gas stations and supermarkets. Putting
the needs of others first, true love may look like printing fewer pictures and
giving a larger offering to Missions.
When a brother is found doing wrong, love looks like patience and correction. When a brother is in danger, love looks like a solemn warning and a
helping hand. If your brother has done you wrong, love looks rather like faithful rebuke and attempted reconciliation than like gossip. Lest we miss this
last point, Jesus used it as example of what His own love means. He wrote to
Laodicea, As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten.
Hot or Cold
Somewhat selfless Christians make the universe confusing. The Lord of
glory, with sympathy for those whose destinies will be decided by the vacillating witness of the church, says that He is repulsed by half measures in
self-denial.
His promise to spew out those that continued on with their mixture
of self-interest and God-pleasing ought to lead our church to remember
Jerusalem.
Jesus, John the Baptist, and Jeremiah all argued against the smug we are
the people mentality.
To this point we have discussed Laodiceas opinion of itself. We have felt
rich and our misunderstanding of love and faith has led to this delusion. The
True Witness finds words to point out a true condition.
Wretched, Miserable, Poor, Blind, and Naked
The Greek word talaheeporos, translated wretched, is found in only
one other passage in the Scriptures. There, in Romans 7, Paul describes the
experience of a man that is in bondage to the law of sin and death, a man that
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wants to do right, but who finds another law bringing him into captivity to
the law of sin. (See Romans 7:2324)
This man, like all those that have not yet been set free from the law of
sin and death (Romans 8:2), cries out, who shall deliver me from the body
of this death? (Romans 7:24) Wretched Laodicea does not know Jesus. She
wants to do right but is unable.
Eleeinos, miserable in Revelation 3, is also found in just one other
passage of Scripture. Paul, in arguing the reality of a physical resurrection,
describes the condition that we would all be in if there were no rising from
the dead.
If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men
most miserable. (1Corinthians 15:19)
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offerings and ignorant of the smallness of institutional piety. But when certain
Pharisees asked Jesus, are we blind also? He answered almost cryptically:
If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see;
therefore your sin remaineth. (John 9:41)
It was not Jesus who denied their blindness. They denied it in their own
hearts while asking about it with their lips, and Jesus quoted to them their
hearts answer. This is precisely Laodiceas problem. She may even come to
Jesus and ask am I blind? But her question is unbelief. Jesus has already
told her that she cannot see and offered to heal her eyes. The question is a
denial of the illness.
What a tragedy it is, for wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked persons are the very ones the gospel has been custom made to help. It was, in
fact, the call of the apostle Paul to open spiritual eyes to the light that they
might receive forgiveness of sins.
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)
The four words we have studied thus far are all code for unconverted.
Jesus has said to Laodicea, you are unconverted, unconverted, unconverted,
unconverted. And He says it again with the word naked.
We are familiar with the idiom of wearing Christs righteousness. We
think we are clothed. How embarrassing to find that we are not! Our confusion
stems from our ignorance of Christs righteousness and of how to put it on.
Jesus offers us white raiment, and we will study that offer after considering
His first proffered giftgold.
I Counsel Thee to Buy
The heavenly Merchantman has presented His wares in the Old Testament as well. There we learn how one as poor as Laodicea may buy riches
as Christ offers here.
Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that
hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for
that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth
not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good. ...
Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live.
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Laodicea
... Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while
he is near: let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man
his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have
mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
(Isaiah 55:17)
Isaiah does not say that listening carefully to God and forsaking our evil
way is the cost of Gods blessings. His mercy is without money and without
price. But these willful actions are nonetheless the condition upon which we
may buy and satisfy our soul hunger.
What can we pay in our poverty? We can pay attention. We can hearken
and incline our ear and hear when God says Ho! Is that how we get
the gold? So then faith cometh by hearing, by hearing the word of God.
(Romans 10:17)
Isaiah 55 is too much for many persons. They cannot see consistency in
having conditions attached to a free gift. If we have to buy it, it is not free.
If it is free, we dont have to buy it. Let them argue with Jesus in Isaiah and
Revelation. We only want to believe the marvelous offer and to seek the Lord
while He may be found.
Thou Mayest Be Rich ... Be Clothed ... and See
Pause here and drink in the glory of the promise. From the wretched state
we are in, we are told in the plainest language, there is hope!
So we come to Jesus for the gold of faith and love. How do we buy them?
By an ongoing act of the will. Faith and love are fundamentally the very
same thing. They are a choice on our part to let Gods creative Word live
through us. Then we can choose to live by each portion of the Word that
we find, to put the needs of even those we have never met before our own
conveniences.
Everything here depends on the right action of the will. If we will let the
Word of Christ dwell in [us] richly and let love be without falseness, God
will work in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure. (See Colossians 3:16; Romans 12:9; Philippians 2:13) These heavenly plantsfaith and
lovegrow prodigiously when cared for by the constant exercise of the will.
Our decisions to help others incline our wills even more in that same direction. Our choice to deny our desires so that we may live by a God-breathed
principle makes us more like Him that spoke the principle.
And White Raiment
Perhaps the clothing that Christians wear is one of the least understood
aspects of righteousness by faith. In the minds of many, this spiritual robe is
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about equivalent to having pardon written by our names in heaven. But this
is not the way Paul and John present it.
In Revelation 3 we are given two reasons to buy and wear the garment.
The first is to avoid nakedness itself. The second is to prevent the shame of
that nakedness from being witnessed. This last point hints that this robe is
more than forgiveness. The world can see when we are naked, and though
we are unconscious of our exposure, it is shameful nonetheless.
Paul speaks of what it means to put on the robe. He does not speak of
covering filthy garments with clean ones, but of removing the first to make
room for the second.
The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast
off the works of darkness ... But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.
(Romans 13:1214)
That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old
man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; and be
renewed in the spirit of your mind; and that ye put on the new
man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his
neighbour: for we are members one of another. ...
Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil
speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind
one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God
for Christs sake hath forgiven you. ...
Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; and walk
in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for
us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
(Ephesians 4:2225, 3132; 5:12)
But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to
another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds;
and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after
the image of him that created him: ... Put on therefore, as the elect
of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness
of mind, meekness, longsuffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as
Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on
charity, which is the bond of perfectness. (Colossians 3:814)
Laodicea
not. What a light Laodicea would be in the world if she were stripped of her
filthy rags and covered with Christs robe of lovely living!
The man in Matthew 22 that accepted the invitation to the wedding but
failed to put on the wedding garment typifies Laodicea. He thought that accepting the invitation was all that was required.
There are many who are represented by this man. They have
accepted the invitation to the marriage supper, but have failed to comply
with the conditions for entrance to the feast. They will not lay aside the
garments of their own self-righteousness, and put on the robe prepared
for them at an infinite price. They have accepted the theory of the truth,
but they do not possess and cultivate the faith that works by love and
purifies the soul. They do not appropriate the truth to their individual
needs, and become partakers of the divine nature. They are not willing to have the earthliness removed from their character, in order that
the heavenly graces may be imparted. They will be speechless before
the King when he comes in to examine the guests, and asks them why
they have not put on the righteousness of Christ. (The Youths Instructor, October 28, 1897)
Our need of the Holy Spirit and the ability of that Spirit to bring us all that
we needthese were the favorite themes of Jesus. A thorough study of the
promise of the Spirit would dwarf our study of Revelation 3. We will notice
here only a few important points.
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This is not to say that all rebuke is produced by selfless service. If some
preach Christ of contention there can be no doubt that some rebuke for
strife and debate and to smite with the fist of wickedness. (See Philippians
1:16; Isaiah 58:4) But all the false-hearted instruction ever given will never
make true-hearted instruction less needed.
Reproofs of instruction are the way of life. (Proverbs 6:23)
Not only does Jesus reprove, He also chastens. Despise not the chastening of the Lord. Proverbs 3:11; see also Job 5:17; Hebrews 12:5. This thricerepeated maxim reflects the deep-seated antipathy of men for having their
wrong course pointed out. One of the most self-deceiving ways of despising
reproof is to simply avoid hearing it. For every one that doeth evil hateth
the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. John
3:20. That this is a danger for Laodicea is apparent in the Spirits admonition
to hear. Revelation 3:22.
Be Zealous and Repent
This passage is evidence enough that zeal and repentance are also functions of the will. We choose what we dzaylohoe (Greek for earnestly desire).
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Laodicea
This is the sense of be zealous. And we choose from what and to whom
we will turn. This is repentance. But it is manifest in this message that some
source of information must inform the soul of just what it is that he is to
zealously repent of. Misguided zeal and undirected repentance cannot be
intended.
They zealously affect you, but not well. ... But it is good to be
zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am
present with you. (Galatians 4:1718)
Hearing His voice: This is the first condition. Deaf persons today often
have doorbells that trigger lights in their house to blink on and off. Unless
they are sleeping, this signal will alert them to the presence of a guest. Jesus
presents the case to Laodicea as if it is not a matter to be assumed that she
will hear His voice. If she does not hear His voice, she will not think to
open the door.
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We read that the Lord testified ... by all the prophets. ... The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. (Revelation 19:10) Prophets have
always called the people to obey the various counsels and commandments of
God. But those who will not read the testimony of the prophets will not hear
the voice of Jesus. The last-day church not only keeps the commandments
but has the testimony of Jesus. (Revelation 12:17) Prophetic counsels have
come to her as the voice of Jesus calling her to repent, to open the door of the
heart by turning from her evil ways.
Those who will not read the Spirit of Prophecy have neglected the first
of the two conditions for special fellowship with Jesus in our day. For them
the command to repent in verse 19 is a vague call, perhaps for someone else.
They would rather excuse their wrong on the basis of their fallen nature and
are not keen on reading testimonies that would make them feel the accountability that accompanies their depravity.
Open the door: Here is the second condition. This is the only reasonable
response to hearing the voice. But those who are unfamiliar with Jesus may
not be comfortable opening a door to Someone who demands so much. If they
have not learned to recognize the love in His life-giving reproofs of instruction,
they will rise up against them. Rather than let the Guest in, they will confound
Him with an enemy and treat Him spitefully.
If the professed people of God find their hearts opposed to this
straight work, it should convince them that they have a work to do to
overcome, if they would not be spewed out of the mouth of the Lord.
Said the angel: God will bring His work closer and closer to test and
prove every one of His people. Some are willing to receive one point;
but when God brings them to another testing point, they shrink from it
and stand back, because they find that it strikes directly at some cherished idol. Here they have opportunity to see what is in their hearts
that shuts out Jesus. They prize something higher than the truth, and
their hearts are not prepared to receive Jesus. Individuals are tested and
proved a length of time to see if they will sacrifice their idols and heed
the counsel of the True Witness. If any will not be purified through
obeying the truth, and overcome their selfishness, their pride, and evil
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Laodicea
passions, the angels of God have the charge: They are joined to their
idols, let them alone, and they pass on to their work, leaving these
with their sinful traits unsubdued, to the control of evil angels. Those
who come up to every point, and stand every test, and overcome, be
the price what it may, have heeded the counsel of the True Witness,
and they will receive the latter rain, and thus be fitted for translation.
(Testimonies, vol. 1, p. 187)
I asked the meaning of the shaking I had seen and was shown that
it would be caused by the straight testimony called forth by the counsel
of the True Witness to the Laodiceans. This will have its effect upon
the heart of the receiver, and will lead him to exalt the standard and
pour forth the straight truth. Some will not bear this straight testimony. They will rise up against it, and this is what will cause a shaking
among Gods people.
I saw that the testimony of the True Witness has not been half
heeded. The solemn testimony upon which the destiny of the church
hangs has been lightly esteemed, if not entirely disregarded. This testimony must work deep repentance; all who truly receive it will obey
it and be purified. (Early Writings, p. 270)
This, then, is the end result of the message. It will purify some and harden
the rest.
Now some have been frightened, almost as if the shaking will cause weak
Christians to lose their way. But it is not weak Christians that refuse the voice of
Jesus. It is false ones. Not the small grains of wheat, but the chaff will be blown
away. What a precious promise is found in the promise of the shaking!
For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among
all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least
grain fall upon the earth. (Amos 9:9)
So, has Satan frightened your soul with the thought that you do not have
enough strength to survive the shaking? Heed him not. Not the least grain
will be allowed to fall to ruin.
I Will Come In and Eat with Him
The food that Jesus offers is His truth. Truth is food? Prophets are represented as eating scrolls. (See Ezekiel 2; Revelation 10) Jeremiah wrote, Thy
words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and
rejoicing of mine heart. Jeremiah 15:16.
On the surface it might seem that all have access to this feast, but it is
not so. They may eat the words alone, but if they would eat them with Jesus,
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they must open the door. And the words, without Jesus indwelling, will not
be of true profit.
For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but
the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith
in them that heard it. (Hebrews 4:2)
Does Revelation speak of any special meal of truth being made available
to Christs followers? Any special Word from Him? Certainly. The testimony
of Jesus, as given to the remnant church, not only invites the church to open
her door but proffers a true abundance of good things for those that do invite
Christ to enter.
To Sit with Me on My Throne
This honor have all his saints. Psalm 149:9. We then, a kingdom of
priests here, will reign also as kings and priest above. (The twenty-four elders
already reign this way. See Revelation 5:10) Already we are a royal priesthood. 1Peter 2:9.
Our royal destiny, to sit on an eternal throne, makes certain behaviors
unacceptable. This is why Adventists must not drink alcoholic drinks.
It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine;
... lest they drink, and forget the law. (Proverbs 31:45)
Laodicea
let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
(Matthew 26:39)
Not my will. That is the way that Christ overcame. Even as I also did,
He invites, you may also.
Long afterward, when John had been brought into sympathy with
Christ through the fellowship of His sufferings, the Lord Jesus revealed
to him what is the condition of nearness to His kingdom. To him that
overcometh, Christ said, will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even
as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne.
Revelation 3:21. The one who stands nearest to Christ will be he who
has drunk most deeply of His spirit of self-sacrificing lovelove that
vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, ... seeketh not her own, is not
easily provoked, thinketh no evil (1Corinthians 13:4, 5)love that
moves the disciple, as it moved our Lord, to give all, to live and labor
and sacrifice even unto death, for the saving of humanity. (The Acts
of the Apostles, p. 543)
Amen.
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Chapter Three
When we ask, What does that verse mean? we may search for an
answer in other verses. But when we ask, What does that word mean?
we may find men challenging our position by referring to sources beyond
our ability to evaluate. We, the average readers, are not able to compare the
merit of various lexicons and of various authorities in the field of Biblical
languages.
Neither can we take the word of the man speaking to us. Nor can we discount it. So, in essence, Paul said, Dont let Bible discussions degenerate to
this level. Keep them on the level of comparing scripture with scripture, or
your hearers will suffer.
This is particularly important when studying Daniel 8:14. We have enough
scholars on our side to confidently move forward in the business of comparing
scripture with scripture.
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Seven Translations
The primary translators of seven Bible versions validate the rendering of
tsadq as cleansed:
And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred
evenings and mornings; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.
American Standard Version
And he said to him, For two thousand, three hundred evenings
and mornings; then the holy place will be made clean.Bible in
Basic English
And he said unto me, Until two thousand and three hundred
evenings and mornings: then shall the sanctuary be vindicated.
Darbys Translation
And he said to him: Unto evening and morning two thousand
three hundred days: and the sanctuary shall be cleansed.Douay
Version
And he said to him, Evening and morning there shall be two
thousand and [three] hundred days; and then the sanctuary shall
be cleansed.English Translation of the Septuagint (from the Online
Bible CD-ROM)
And he said to him, For two thousand and three hundred
evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary shall be restored to its
rightful state.Revised Standard Version
And he said to me, Until two thousand and three hundred days;
then shall the sanctuary be cleansed.Webster Translation
What I havent pasted here are translations like the New King James;
King James Twenty-First Century; and Revised Webster. These three agree
with the translations cleansed but seem, from their titles, to be less original
translation work than the eight above.
But there is an easier way to get to the conclusion that the sanctuary is
cleansed in Daniel 8:14. The sanctuary is defiled in Daniel 8. Then this is
resolved. The opposite of defiled is cleansed.
And there is another way to get there. Daniel 7 discusses a judgment that
takes place in Gods presence. In that judgment, books are cleansed of names
and sins (as we have noted in the study of the judgment). This judgment (following Persia, Greece, Rome in Daniel 7) is parallel to the tsadaq of the sanc41
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tuary in Daniel 8 (following the same nations). That leads us near to the word
cleansed, even if we didnt know the meaning of the word.
Ballenger and Hebrews 9
Ballenger challenged the Adventist churchs position on the sanctuary by
sharing a word study on the meaning of within the veil in Hebrews 6. What he
found is that the phrase within the veil and its equivalent renderings always refer
to the most holy place. And as Hebrews teaches that Jesus entered within the
veil, Ballenger concluded that Jesus entered that apartment at His ascension.
His study failed on account of three key points that overthrow the foundations of his claims:
1. Many Old-Testament prophecies of New Testament events are written
in present tense. His quoting of Old-Testament prophecies of Christs
intercession as proving that Christ was in the holy place prior to His
incarnation fail on this account. It can be shown that they are prophecies of future events. (See, for example, the tenses in Isaiah 53; Psalm
22.)
2. Christs throne, and that of the Father, are mobile according to Daniel
7:9 and Ezekiel 9-10. To show that Jesus went to the throne in AD 31
and then reason that He must have gone to the most holy place ignores
this simple fact.
3. The veil in Hebrews 6 is parallel rather to hanging and door in
the Old Testament than to vail there. There were two hangings
in the Old Testament, and there are two katapetasma, veils, in the
book of Hebrews. (See Hebrews 6:19; 9:3)
More than this, when the tenses of the verbs are given literally, Hebrews
9 teaches that the way into the most holy place was not yet revealed in Pauls
day. And Paul says that he cannot now speak particularly of the most holy
place services.
This harmonizes precisely with what Seventh-day Adventists would expect
after Daniels prophecy of the cleansing of the most holy place was sealed
till the time of the end. The passage below quotes Youngs Literal Translation
from verse seven.
And over it [the Ark of the Covenant] the cherubims of glory
shadowing the mercyseat; of which we cannot now speak particu. One of his key texts was Isaiah 6. I address the timing of this passage in the article Within
the Veil at www.bibledoc.org.
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The passage in Hebrews 9 uses the term second veil. This, by simple
implication, defines the veil of Hebrews 6 as the first veilthe entrance curtain to the sanctuary.
And the phrase into the holiest of all in Hebrews 10:19 should have been
rendered into the holy places. The same holds true in Hebrews 9:8. There,
of the holy places is more literal than into the holiest of all.
With these observations, the force of Ballengers argument falls flat.
Some Details
Old-Testament Forgiveness: Ballenger reasoned that if Christs intercession is indispensable to salvation, then the sanctuary must have been active
in the Old Testament with Christ ministering there.
Paul briefly addresses the issue of Old-Testament forgiveness in Romans 3.
How could God forgive men and grant them righteousness prior to the cross?
Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that
is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation
[mercy seat, margin] through faith in his blood, [YLT] for the
shewing forth of His righteousness, because of the passing over of
the bygone sins in the forbearance of Godfor the shewing forth
of His righteousness in the present time, for His being righteous,
and declaring him righteous who is of the faith of Jesus. (Romans
3:2426)
Though Jesus was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, all
forgiveness that antedated Calvary was apparent injustice to those not knowing
the future. It was a forbearance that might mar Gods reputation for justice.
The cross showed, in the present time of Paul, that the passing over of past
sins had been, indeed, just.
. YLT (Youngs Literal Translation) quoted from this point to the end of the passage.
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The Father and the Son understood the nature of the sacrifice to be made
and treated men, such as Abraham, with the same quality of righteousness that
is granted to us today. Nevertheless, this everlasting righteousness was not
brought in until the cross. (See Daniel 9:24)
The pre-cross application of this righteousness is the meaning of Revelation 13:8. The term before the foundation of the world is used by Peter, Paul,
Matthew, and John to refer to Gods ordained plan for saving men.
This did not make the cross superfluous when the time came for the sacrifice. Nor did it make Christs intercession superfluous when the time came for
His mediation to begin. Nor does Gods plan make the judgment superfluous
now that the books have been opened.
Within the Veil: Ballengers technical mistake was that of equating the
New Testament veil (a covering) with the Old-Testament vail (poreketh,
or curtain). When he found an Old-Testament passage that spoke of within
the vail, the passage would point quite consistently to the most holy place.
So when Hebrews spoke of within the veil, he concluded that, biblically, it
must mean that Jesus entered the most holy place at His ascension.
What was wrong with that line of reasoning?
The Old-Testament passages regarding the entrances to the holy and most
holy places use three words with which Adventists should familiarize themselves. They are door, hanging and vail. Their derivation is briefly
outlined below:
door (Hbr: pethack) Strongs: opening, doorway, entrance.
hanging (Hbr: macak) Strongs: hanging from a root meaning to
cover
vail (Hbr: poreketh) Strongs: curtain from a root meaning to
separate
The summary of the data is that there are two hangings (macak) that are
called door and vail respectively. These names relate to the purpose of
the two curtains. The first (door) forms the entrance to the sanctuary. (See
Exodus 26:36; 35:15, 17; 36:37; 39:38; 40:5, 28; Numbers 3:25, 26; 4:25, 26)
Poreketh
Pethack
2nd Macak
1st Macak
44
The second (vail) separates the apartments. (See Exodus 35:12; 39:34; 40:21;
Numbers 4:5)
Priests could find an entering in to the tabernacle at the door (Exodus 35:15) and a vail that would divide between the holy place and the
most holy. (Exodus 26:33) What is the purpose of the first hanging? It is an
entrance. What is the purpose of the second? It is a separation.
In Hebrews 6, 9, and 10 these three words all find their parallels. Jesus
has entered the sanctuary ahead of our hope that entereth there within
the door hanging, the first macak.
Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and
stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; whither the
forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for
ever. ... (Hebrews 6:1920)
The ark of the covenant is after the second veil that separates between
the holy and most holy described in Hebrews 9.
For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the
candlestick, and the table, and the shewbread; which is called the
sanctuary. And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called
the Holiest of all; which had the golden censer, and the ark of the
covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden
pot that had manna, and Aarons rod that budded, and the tables
of the covenant. (Hebrews 9:24)
The short of all this is that vail in the Old Testament is the name for
the second curtain. When we read, therefore, of within and without the
vail we are referring to the most holy place and holy place respectively. This
was an accurate observation on the part of Ballenger. Within the separating
curtain would sensibly be understood this way.
But the New-Testament veil corresponds to the Old-Testament hanging
where the first is an entrance and the second is a separation. Hebrews 6:1920
is clearly a reference to the entrance veil; Hebrews 9:24 to the separation veil.
And so Adventism shines, and Ballengers view loses luster.
Yet it was not a technical fault that felled that evangelist. God gave the
church the gifts of the Spirit to prevent us from falling prey to our own mistaken views. And to the extent that Ballenger despised the counsel of Ellen
White and of those brethren gifted as evangelists and pastor-teachers, to just
that extent Ballenger rejected the very means chosen by God to save him from
winds of doctrine. (See Ephesians 4:1114)
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Deeper
46
ment phase of ministry near the end of time. If that doctrine were true and
important, Ballenger reasoned, it would be noted in the New-Testament book
on the sanctuary service.
In answering this final argument, let us return to the passage in Hebrews
that mentions the most holy place:
And over it [the ark of the covenant] the cherubims of glory
shadowing the mercyseat; of which we cannot now speak particularly. Now when these things were thus ordained, the priests went
always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God.
[YLT] And into the second, once in the year, only the chief priest,
not apart from blood, which he doth offer for himself and the
errors of the people, the Holy Spirit this evidencing that not yet
hath been manifested the way of the holy placeshagion , the first tabernacle having yet a standing; which is a simile in regard to the
present time, in which both gifts and sacrifices are offered, which
are not able, in regard to conscience, to make perfect him who is
serving. (Hebrews 9:59)
We reply to Ballenger that Paul could not in his own day explain the most
holy place ministry. It was sealed by the order of Jesus in Daniel 12. And,
in fact, this is precisely why there were two apartments. What was the Holy
Spirit thus evidencing?
Namely that the meaning and purpose of the most holy place would not
be revealed while Christ was still officiating in the holy place, while the first
tabernacle yet was a symbol of the present.
So Hebrews teaches exactly what Adventists expect it ought to teach about
the most holy place.
And that is simply true.
. YLT (Youngs Literal Translation) quoted from this point to the end of the passage.
47
Chapter Four
An Invisible Remnant
Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. (Romans 11:5)
am part, I believe, of the remnant. There are Adventists who do not believe
that we are the remnant church, but most of them dont believe a lot of
other true things either.
But I think that many of my faithful friends would be surprised if they knew
what I think the Bible teaches about the remnant church of Revelation 12. I dont
believe that an unconsecrated Seventh-day Adventist is part of the remnant.
In other words, I dont believe that the remnant is the visible church.
And why do I, typically an enemy of dissident movements, have such a view?
The Bible tells me so.
But this chapter is much more than an answer to the question, Is the
remnant visible or not?
Indeed, this chapter is an introduction to a system of metaphors that governs much of how Old-Testament prophecies should be understood in our time.
I tried to put too many ideas into this chapter, and the result is that you should
either skip this chapter or prepare to read it slowly. Complex metaphors require
deep thinking. Think deeper. That is how to be settled on the prophecies.
The Remnant and Captivity
Even in ancient times God planned to reach the nations of the world despite
the apostasy of His people. A plan to reach the world through the faithfulness
of His people would never have materialized. The Lord said Cursed be the
man that trusteth in man. (Jeremiah 17:5)
. By the term visible church, men refer to the organized body of believers, the members of
which include both wheat and tares, faithful and unfaithful persons.
By invisible church, I mean the wheattruly consecrated persons. Since man does
not read the heart, man cannot say with any certainty who are and who are not the members
of this church.
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An Invisible Remnant
Deeper
An Invisible Remnant
Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer
persecution.
The woman of Revelation 12 is, in fact, the invisible church. She is clothed
with the sun, dressed in pure white. (See verses 12) In other words, she is
righteous. That cant be said of Laodicea, the visible church. She, by contrast,
is naked near the end of time while the Revelation 12 woman is beautifully
adorned.
And in Revelation the church is one woman, though she exists through
both the Jewish and Christian age, through the time of the Waldenses, the
Reformers, and then of the Advent movement.
The remnant is that seed of the woman that is at enmity with the seed
of the serpent. (See Genesis 3:15) That enmity is played out in the wrath of
Revelation 12:17. The Devil is angry, not at his servants and dupes, but at those
who, like Abel, will not surrender their faithfulness.
In a time of gathering, the elect and invisible remnant begins to approximate
the visible church. During a time of scattering that approximation vanishes.
Where are we, as a Seventh-day Adventist denomination? Are a large portion of the remnant scattered? When will they be gathered? Are the worlds
Daniels in Babylon today? Will the worlds Ezras and Nehemiahs be coming
to Jerusalem soon? Will the wall be rebuilt in troublous times?
Much of the Old-Testament story information testifies that the answer is,
Yes, the large portion of the remnant is scattered, but they will soon return to
Jerusalemand it will be in troublous times.
Then is it accurate to say that we, the Seventh-day Adventists, are the
remnant church?
In one important sense, it is very accurate. We are the Jerusalem to which
the remnant is being gathered slowly. The portion of the remnant that has been
gathered already is in the Seventh-day Adventist church. More precisely, the
remnant that keep the commandments of God and that have the testimony of
Jesus have been gathered to form the Seventh-day Adventist church.
And while we seem to be in a time of scattering, there will be another
gathering. Like Daniel, we must be faithful until that time. And like him,
may we live to see Babylon overthrown and the way of the Kings of the East
prepared.
The Remnant in Type and Antitype
Three times Scripture tells the first story of a remnant being blessed.
Good King Hezekiah had led a national revival in Judah. He burned idols and
desecrated their shrines.
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Deeper
His father had bought peace with Assyria by using gold from the temple.
Hezekiah, zealous for Gods glory, rebelled against the Assyrians, which had
already carried the idolatrous neighbor kingdom of Israel captive. But Hezekiah expected God to favor the reforming nation of Judah.
Then Assyria took several of the fenced cities of Judah, Hezekiahs cities. The
king wavered. Assyria had demanded submission guaranteed by a rich present.
Hezekiah did like his father. The temple pillars that he had covered with silver, he
stripped. This, with other precious metal, was forwarded to the waiting king.
But the God who had blessed Hezekiahs faithfulness did not bless his
weakness. The gift failed to repel the invaders, and the Assyrians besieged
Jerusalem. The extremity seemed to bring Hezekiah back to his senses. Meanwhile, outside the city gate, the Assyrian general blasphemed the God of
heaven.
Then Hezekiah appealed to the prophet Isaiah. He also spent personal time
on his knees acknowledging the victory of Assyria over false gods but claiming the victory of the only true God over the proud oppressor. God answered
the personal praise and prayer session with prophecy:
The virgin the daughter of Zion hath despised thee [the
King of Assyria], and laughed thee to scorn. ... Whom hast thou
reproached and blasphemed? and against whom hast thou exalted
thy voice, and lifted up thine eyes on high? even against the Holy
One of Israel. By thy messengers thou hast reproached the Lord,
and hast said, With the multitude of my chariots I am come up. ...
With the sole of my feet have I dried up all the rivers of besieged
places. Hast thou not heard long ago how I have ... [given power
to kings like you over other nations]? Therefore their inhabitants
were of small power, they were dismayed and confounded. ... But
I know ... thy rage against me. Because thy rage against me and
thy tumult is come up into mine ears, therefore I will put my hook
in thy nose ... and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou
camest. (2Kings 19:2128; see also Isaiah 37:2229)
Assyria and Babylon prefigure the great apostasy featured in the Bibles
apocalypse. In this prophecy of Isaiah, Gods newly reformed nation of Judah
is represented as speaking by its virgin daughter. (See Jeremiah 31:4 for a
similar usage.) Think of it. The nation under Hezekiah, so recently in apostasy, is now called a virgin. This is a gospel prophecy of how God looks at
His struggling people.
And this usage informs our understanding of Revelation 14, where the
144,000 are found to be virgins that are the seed of the woman (Revelation
12:17) that have despised the power of Babylon.
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An Invisible Remnant
God ordained that the scattering of the bulk of His people would be followed by the gathering of only a few converted ones. Moses had long before
outlined the process:
And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon
thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and
thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations, whither the
Lord thy God hath driven thee, and shalt return unto the Lord thy
God, and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee
this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all
thy soul; that then the Lord thy God will turn thy captivity, and
have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from
all the nations, whither the Lord thy God hath scattered thee. If
any of thine be driven out unto the outmost parts of heaven, from
thence will the Lord thy God gather thee, and from thence will
he fetch thee: and the Lord thy God will bring thee into the land
which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and he will
do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers. And the Lord
thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to
love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul,
that thou mayest live. And the Lord thy God will put all these
curses upon thine enemies, and on them that hate thee, which
persecuted thee. And thou shalt return and obey the voice of the
Lord, and do all his commandments which I command thee this
day. (Deuteronomy 30:18)
53
Deeper
Besides the very few left behind, a remnant would return from
captivity:
And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel,
and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again
stay upon him that smote them; but shall stay upon the Lord, the
Holy One of Israel, in truth. The remnant shall return, even the
remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God. For though thy people
Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall return.
(Isaiah 10:2022)
And though the people of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a
remnant of them shall be saved. (Isaiah 10:22, English Translation
of the Septuagint)
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)
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An Invisible Remnant
55
Deeper
And there shall be an highway for the remnant of his people,
which shall be left, from Assyria; like as it was to Israel in the day
that he came up out of the land of Egypt.
And in that day thou shalt say, O Lord, I will praise thee:
though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and
thou comfortedst me. Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust,
and not be afraid: for the Lord JEHOVAH is my strength and my
song; he also is become my salvation. Therefore with joy shall ye
draw water out of the wells of salvation. And in that day shall ye
say, Praise the Lord, call upon his name, declare his doings among
the people, make mention that his name is exalted. Sing unto the
Lord; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the
earth. Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the
Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee. (Isaiah 11:1612:6)
In summary, the remnant people are the invisible church. They are the few
members of the visible church that are saved. Bible prophecies describe our
time under the figure of a scattering and subsequent gathering.
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)
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An Invisible Remnant
I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither
I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and
they shall be fruitful and increase. (Jeremiah 23:13)
The aroused watchmen intercede with God, saying, Save thy people,
the remnant. Jeremiah 31:7. The intercession is followed by Gods action.
He moves the scattered remnant to begin to assemble as a collection of weak
souls that make a great company. Jeremiah 31:8.
In Gods providence, that spiritual birthright blessing of the patriarchs
followed consecration rather than birth order. It passed from Abraham to
Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and Ephraim (Jeremiah 31:9), without ever once following the prescribed pattern of first-born, bypassing Ishmael, Esau, Judah, and
Manasseh. Any child could, if he would, be associated by faith with the only
begotten Son of God and be spared accordingly.
And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day
when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth
his own son that serveth him. (Malachi 3:17)
God, like no other, pardons iniquity and passes by the remnants transgression. He delights in mercy; He will turn again from retaining His anger. He
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Deeper
will subdue our iniquities and cast away our sins. He will fulfill His ancient
promises of truth and mercy to Jacob and Abraham. (See Micah 7:1820) Then
it is that their spiritual descendants inherit the land of promise.
Micah explains that the captivity would not be gathered until after the
cross. The Messiah there became the peace. Then the remnant of his brethren shall return to Israel from their scattered positions. (See Micah 5:25)
The preciousness of these promises that God will spare us as His own son,
that He pardons iniquity like no other, that He will subdue our iniquities, that Jesus
will be our peace, does not excel that hidden promise in the phrase his brethren.
(Malachi 3; Micah 7, 5) The gathered ones are claimed by Jesus as His family.
Though scattered in location they are gathered in spirit and are a victorious
body. (Micah 5:28) Especially will Jesus be a defense when the Babylonian
power treads within our border. (Micah 5:6) The meaning of this passage
must be related to 2Thessalonians 2:4; Daniel 11:45; Ezekiel 8.
Gathering to Build
When God undertook to gather His faithful from the Babylonian captivity,
He gathered them by giving them a mission. They were to build up the walls
and restore the worship services of the broken city of Jerusalem. Building up
the waste places became an illustration of the work entrusted to Gods people
in the last-day gathering.
They are to build the old waste places and raise up the foundations of
many generations, and those who obey will be called, The repairer of the
breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in. (Isaiah 58:12) The restoration of
the Sabbath is identified as one of the restoration projects to be undertaken.
(See Isaiah 58:13)
In the story (see Zechariah 8:415), God promised the builders that, as
they had begun to build with strength, He would change His relation to them
from inciting differences to prospering their work and reputation. This would
be no great difficulty for Him. The implications for us and for the resolution
to our internal differences are profound.
The gathering to build the temple suffered a setback of discouragement.
In the last day of the last feast of the Jewish year, the day that prefigured our
arrival into heaven, a message came to the church that had gathered to help
rebuild the temple. Those who had returned were the residue (remnant) of
the people. The eldest of them had seen the splendor of Solomons temple.
(See Haggai 2:29)
It seemed to these older people that the work of God was regressing even
while it was progressing. The ambitions of the current architects did not even
equal the achievements of the past, much less enlarge on them.
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An Invisible Remnant
God sent a message of comfort to these men. The temple under construction would receive the Messiah. They were to build with confidence, for I
am with you, saith the Lord of hosts. (Haggai 2:4)
The story of the rebuilding parallels the work of the church today, especially for those workers who realize the extent to which we have fallen as a
people. These might be surprised at the up-beat message. And is the passage
not an end-time passage? God promises to shake the heavens, and the earth,
and the sea, and the dry land prior to the coming of the Messiah and to fill
the temple now under construction with glory. (See verses 67) While it
was literally so in the temple they were literally building, the shaking in this
passage reminds us of that in the very end in Hebrews 12:2627.
The building up of Jerusalem could have given way to a tragic scattering. It
did not happen in Ezras day, but he did not presume that it could not happen.
Should we again break thy commandments, and join in affinity with the people of these abominations? wouldest not thou be
angry with us till thou hadst consumed us, so that there should be
no remnant nor escaping? (Ezra 9:14)
Deeper
The first point was successful. The second appeared pious. Johanans group
came to Jeremiah to request guidance and prayer. (See Jeremiah 41:16; 42:2)
The remnant promised solemnly to do whatever God would show through
Jeremiah. (See Jeremiah 42:36) Ten days later Jeremiah had a message.
God promised to build and plant the remnant right where they wereon
condition that they would stay there, trust Him, and not fear the king of Babylon. God promised to give them mercy in the kings sight and, in this way, to
deliver them from him. But the prophecy also warned that seeking Egypts
friendship would be a lethal mistake.
The first step to Egypt, Jeremiah explained, would be a step of rebellion
against Gods counsel. They would die in Egypt, for Gods fierce anger would
be poured out there. (See Jeremiah 42:717) As Jeremiah closed his plea against
the proposed trip of the remnant, God revealed to Jeremiah that their promise
to obey whatever God would say was dishonest.
Thus failed the second of Johanans points. When the prophet could not be
influenced, Johanan leveled the charge of influence against the prophet. He
ascribed the content of Jeremiahs message to Jeremiahs secretary, Baruch.
He took all the remnant of Judah that had returned from all nations and
made plans to travel. (See Jeremiah 43:15)
The story, told in uncharacteristic detail in the Scripture, seems uncannily parallel to our time. The church, situated between Babylonian error and
Egyptian worldliness, has its Johannans. These are gifted men, professedly
going for wisdom to the Spirit of Prophecy but leveling a charge of influence
against the testimonies that rebuke their ways. The fate of these and their followers is ominous in the type.
Their trip to Egypt well represented the results of the shaking that is currently underway.
The Shaking of the Remnant in Ezekiel 914
The familiar and fateful sealing-slaughtering scene of Ezekiel 9, which
will follow the sealing, will be fearful for these church members. The prophet
that saw the scene fell on his face and cried, and said, Ah Lord God! wilt
thou destroy all the residue of Israel in thy pouring out of thy fury upon Jerusalem? (Ezekiel 9:8)
In the fascinating prophecy of Ezekiel 1112, the prophet mourns the death
of Pelatiah as an omen of the destruction, the full end of the remnant. (See
Ezekiel 11:13) This question, Will you destroy all? was asked again and
answered later in the negative.
Yet, behold, therein shall be left a remnant that shall be brought
forth, both sons and daughters: behold, they shall come forth unto
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An Invisible Remnant
you, and ye shall see their way and their doings: and ye shall be
comforted concerning the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem,
even concerning all that I have brought upon it. (Ezekiel 14:22)
Few passages so clearly show as do these chapters of Ezekiel that character determines destiny and that the remnant will be reduced to a pure and
faithful body by the bloody phase of the shaking, the phase in which all the
sinners of my people who have a false assurance will be killed. The comfort
in these passages is that the shaking will not remove even the least grain
from the church. The shaking removes false Christians, not weak ones. (See
Amos 9:913)
Summary
So many passages throw light on end-time events. When we understand
the Biblical theme of scattering and regathering, Old-Testament stories and
passages come alive with meaning.
We should know what is written there. Since 1844 we have already been
through at least one cycle of gathering and scattering. The evidence is that we
need another gathering. Let us do our part to bring it about.
The Lord showed me that He had stretched out His hand the
second time to recover the remnant of His people, and that efforts
must be redoubled in this gathering time. In the scattering, Israel
was smitten and torn, but now in the gathering time God will heal
and bind up His people. In the scattering, efforts made to spread
the truth had but little effect, accomplished but little or nothing;
but in the gathering, when God has set His hand to gather His
people, efforts to spread the truth will have their designed effect.
All should be united and zealous in the work. I saw that it was
wrong for any to refer to the scattering for examples to govern us
now in the gathering; for if God should do no more for us now than
He did then, Israel would never be gathered. ...
The view that the Lord had stretched out His hand the second
time to recover the remnant of His people, on page 74, refers only
to the union and strength once existing among those looking for
Christ, and to the fact that He had begun to unite and to raise up
His people again. (Early Writings, pp. 74, 86)
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Section II
Questions From Those that Are Without
am often invited to teach church history as a guest lecturer. But I will let
you in on what is not much of a secret: I dont know much about church
history.
Not that I have no interest. I suppose I have read more than 15,000 pages
on the topic. And I have repeatedly interviewed several persons that seem
like veritable treasure-stores of knowledge on how things have come to be
the way they are.
Yet the field of history is far too broad to be mastered by me. I wont give it my
full attention. I wont stop teaching Bible to take it up uniquely even for a year.
And my memory isnt very accurate for stories. The more I tell them, the
more useful they seem to become, and I am afraid that they might be morphing as I tell them.
So I prefer to teach Bible and to answer Bible questions.
And there is another reason that I prefer to answer those questions. I concluded when I was but a teenager that, statistically, the chances were slim that
I had been raised in the church that had the most truth.
Since that time, I have been asking myself the same kinds of questions
that non-believers and other believers would ask. I am searching as they are
searching. And this section is a collection of answers that I have found in my
own search.
Many outside fault our church over the things we write and say about
atonement. We, they think, belittle Christs sacrifice by saying that atonement is going on today. And frankly, I can see where they are coming from.
The first chapter shows how right they are but without undermining how right
we have been.
But the next chapter is not less important. The mark of the beast is the
inanimate villain of four entire chapters (1316) of Revelation. And the seal
of God is the mark that characterizes Gods servants in Revelation 7.
In the primary story line in that prophetic book, the mark and the seal
separate the lost from the saved, and in Revelation 13 the mark is made a test
62
of the entire world. Could you explain this Bible topic to your neighbors?
Could they verify what you shared with them without wearing out the library
secretary that handles inter-library loans?
This chapter presents more Bible data on this topic than any document that
I have ever foundenough, I think, to settle the issue from the Bible alone.
I probably shouldnt admit this, but I am writing this sentence while listening to a young person preach an evangelistic sermon on the gift of prophecy.
She has just told a large audience that true prophets are always right except
when they give conditional prophecies. She is doing a great job. I wont raise
my hand and trouble her.
But if, in a more appropriate setting, I would ask her, How do we know
which prophecies are conditional and which are not? And how can we test a
prophet if we say that all his failed predictions were only conditional?
I address this question in conjunction with another one. Have you ever
been perplexed by Romans 9? That is the chapter that goes on and on about
predestination and that is full of Old-Testament illustrations of the doctrine. My
aim is that after you read my chapter that discusses Romans 9, it will trouble
you no longer, and you will have a reliable method for telling a conditional
prophecy from one that is not at all conditional.
To learn how to answer questions from those that are without is to escape
being a statistic. Whether or not you were born into the right church, you can
end up in it. Discover whether or not you are in the church that has the most
truth.
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Chapter Five
realized months ago that though I had been using the word atonement
for twenty years, I would be at a loss if I was asked to give a concise definition. Was atonement forgiveness? Is atonement the same as sacrifice?
Is mediation the same as atonement?
We live in the Day of Atonement. What does that mean? Is atonement the
same as judgment?
While searching Scriptures, I learned much about truth and duty. And now
I know what atonement means for those living in the Day of Atonement.
First, many Adventists have entered into argument about the timing of
the atonement. Did it occur at the cross? Is it going on now? And the latter
question, if answered in the affirmative, seems to imply that the cross was
somehow incomplete. Hence the strong feelings on this topic.
So we will start with the issue of timing in our study of atonement.
Timing: Atonement Happened Year Round
The Jewish year was a prophecy of redemption history. Early in the year,
the Passover was killed, representing the death of Jesus. Pentecost occurred
fifty days later as a figure of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. In the seventh
month, representing the end of time, there was a feast of trumpets that represented a warning of coming judgment. Then came the Day of Atonement.
But atonement was made long before the Day of Atonement. It occurred,
for example, on both the Passover and the Feast of Trumpets. (See Numbers
28:22; 29:5)
At the cross, Jesus made reconciliation for iniquity. The word reconciliation in Daniel 9:27 is the same translated atonement elsewhere in the Old
Testament. And it is this atonement to which Romans 5:11 refers. Atonement was
made at the cross. And as Romans 5:11 is the only New-Testament verse to use
the word atonement, a New-Testament atonement was made by the sacrifice of
the life of Jesus. (The word translated atonement in Romans 5:11 is elsewhere
translated reconciliation.) That sacrifice was complete and lacked nothing.
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But let us get back to the Old Testament, where atonement is the subject
of many prophetic statements.
Who Needed Atonement, and When?
Atonement was made for sins whenever men confessed them and offered
a sin offering. Leviticus 4 and 5 emphasize that even unknown sins require
an atonement. When men became aware of their past wrongs, they were, and
are still, to confess and repent.
And atonement was made for persons in connection with their cleansing from defilement. Lepers needed atonement. Persons with an open wound
needed an atonement. Even buildings corrupted by fungal infections needed
an atonement in connection with their cleansing.
But though atonement occurred all through the Jewish year, there was a
focal point of atonement in the seventh month. The Day of Atonement differed
markedly from the daily atonement business in three ways:
1. Atonement was made on the Day of Atonement for unknown sins that
had never been discoveredand hence, that had never been confessed,
had never been objects of repentance;
2. Atonement was made for the altar and for the sanctuary itself; and
3. A non-sacrificial atonement was made with the scapegoat.
When we have established the meaning of atonement, we will return to
these three elements and to their meaning in our time.
Agents of Atonement
Atonement, in the Bible, is made with blood. That is, in fact, part of the
reason given by God for the prohibition against eating blood:
For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to
you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the
blood that maketh an atonement for the soul. (Leviticus 17:11)
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And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his
God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel. (Numbers
25:13)
But the most solemn reference to this kind of atonement is yet future.
The Hebrew word kaphar (atone) is rendered as cleansed in Numbers
35:33 and as purged in Isaiah 22:14. The latter passage shows that the final
death of the wicked will be a kind of atonement.
... The land cannot be cleansed[kaphar] of the blood that is shed
therein, but by the blood of him that shed it. (Numbers 35:33)
And it was revealed in mine ears by the Lord of hosts, Surely
this iniquity shall not be purged[kaphar] from you till ye die, saith
the Lord God of hosts. (Isaiah 22:14)
Day of Cleansing
This latter atonement will be made when the wicked are destroyed. The
two verses just quoted give us a hint at the definition of atonement. It is a
cleansing process, removing weaknesses and imperfections. It comes from
the idea of using pitch to make a vessel seaworthy.
Its connection with cleansing can be shown from the two verses above. But
it is even easier to simply observe the connection of atonement with cleansing. Consider Leviticus 14 alone, where lepers and infected homes receive
atonement:
... he shall pour [oil] upon the head of him that is to be cleansed:
and the priest shall make an atonement for him. ... (Verse 18)
And the priest shall offer the sin offering, and make an atonement for him that is to be cleansed from his uncleanness; ... (Verse
19)
... and the priest shall make an atonement for him, and he
shall be clean. (Verse 20)
... he shall put [oil] upon the head of him that is to be cleansed,
to make an atonement for him before the Lord. (Verse 29)
... the priest shall make an atonement for him that is to be
cleansed ... (Verse 31)
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And on the great Day of Atonement we find that the people were to be
cleansed so that they might be clean before the Lord.
For on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you,
to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the
Lord. (Leviticus 16:30)
And as if this evidence were not sufficient, you could arrive at the meaning
of atonement by thinking about the needs of the sanctuary. Does the sanctuary need to be forgiven? Is it guilty? Obviously the answer is, No. But it is
defiled. And what does it need? It needs to be cleansed. (See Daniel 8:14)
Sin separates men from God. Cleansing reconciles them. And so atonement is a cleansing process that reconciles men to God. Tyndale coined the
word from at one ment. So if we put together the thoughts which we have
found thus far, we get the following:
The cross was an act of cleansing sinners. It was an atonement. Since that
time, whenever men would confess and forsake their sins, Jesus would be
faithful to forgive and cleanse them. He has been making atonement.
But in the end time in which we are living, Jesus is doing a special work
of cleansing. Many unknown sins are being forgiven during this time, sins
that were never confessed because never known.
But into the second went the high priest alone once every
year, not without blood, which he offered for himself, and for the
errors[ignorant acts] of the people. (Hebrews 9:7)
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End-Time Cleansing
When are deceased men forgiven for their unknown sins? Manifestly,
this happens when their names come up in the judgment. This is when Jesus
confesses them before the Father and before the angels. This is when their
sins are blotted from the books of record. This is when they are given white
robes. (See Revelation 3:5)
During this same time period of the judgment, there is another work of
cleansing that Hebrews calls the cleansing (purging) of the conscience. (See
Hebrews 9:9; 9:14; 10:2; 10:22) According to the logic of chapter 10, the yearly
process of sacrifices that finished with the Day of Atonement was a figure of
cleansing the character and life of the people.
The idea is that if the symbols had been as effective as the reality would
be, the process would only have been completed once. After that, the worshippers would have had no more conscience of sins. (See Hebrews 10:2)
But as the symbols were just symbols, every year was another repetition
of the ceremonies.
There will not, however, be another repetition of this worlds history. And
we would do well to ask what kind of cleansing is going on during the end of
the earths history.
Jesus is doing the work. And just as there was an atonement made for the
priestly families on the Day of Atonement, so in the end of the earths history
there is a special cleansing of the same body:
And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall
purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that
they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness. (Malachi 3:3)
It is apparent that the object of this cleansing process is holiness in the lives
of the priests. This kind of object requires some level of cooperation on the
part of the people. And this was also prefigured in the Day of Atonement.
The people were to have an holy convocation, afflict their souls, make
offerings, and do no work because it was a day of of atonement, to make an
atonement for you before the Lord your God. Leviticus 23:2728.
The people were to fast as outlined in Isaiah 58. They were to break every
yoke and to put away besetting sins, such as speaking vanity and accusing
. The metaphor of a robe is used more than one way in the New Testament. In the earlier chapter on Laodicea we observed that church members should today be wearing white raiment.
That robe represents the character of Christ that should adorn believers. In Revelation 3:5
and other similar passages the metaphor of a robe is used to illustrate the final blotting out of
sins. This double-use of a metaphor is common in Scripture. Lions, salt, water, leaven, wine,
and other common items are used to illustrate more than one idea in the Bible.
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others. Isaiah 58:9. They were to deny themselves for the good of others. And
they were to give the Sabbath its proper honor.
Cleansing By Blood
This purification of their lives was the cleansing of the conscience. Someone
might ask, In what sense is this kind of cleansing accomplished by blood?
There are several true answers to this question. But first, lets establish
that Christs blood does indeed cleanse from sin.
Jesus uses His own blood. What does He do with it?
... Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his
own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his
Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
(Revelation 1:56)
From what does the blood wash us? Not only from guilt, but also from
our bad behavior.
Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation[behavior]
received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious
blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.
(1Peter 1:1819)
In summary, our minds are cleaned. This cleaning of our minds is a cooperative work. Jesus sits as a purifier. We wash our robes in His blood. This
same ideathat the blood cleans us when we cooperate with the processis
the subject of 1John 1:7, 9.
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. ... If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just
to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
The cleaning of our minds is not uniquely an end-time process. Men have
been cleansed at all times of earths history. But the end of time is a special
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time for the church to focus on this work. It is the time when, according to
the logic of Hebrews 10, the work will be finished.
What kind of cleansing could benefit the holy precincts of the heavenly temple? There, we learn from the types, is a record of sin. There, we learn from New
Testament revelations, are books of record. It is these books that are cleansed.
And this cleansing of the books is also the atonement for unknown sins.
When the judgment reveals that a man has been faithful, he is forgiven for
the unknown sins that never plagued his conscience. These sins of ignorance,
with those sins he has confessed, are blotted from the record.
This leaves only one step in the cleansing of the universe from sin. The
righteous have been cleansed. Their records have been cleared. Remaining in
the universe are impenitent men and angels.
These receive the non-sacrificial cleansing. They are purged from their sins
by their burning in the lake of fire. Satan, who burns there longer than others, is
represented by the scapegoat. The end of his existence is the last step in the eradication of sin from the universe and marks the end of the great day of cleansing.
The Timing and Completeness of Atonement
Words often change in meaning over time. This has happened with atonement. Now it is used by religious persons as a synonym for reconciliation or
sacrificial payment. And this may have come to be because this is how it is
used in its one New-Testament occurrence, Romans 5:11.
But atonement is an Old-Testament idea. It occurs 65 times in Leviticus,
Exodus, and Numbers and only five times elsewhere in the Bible.
When one realizes that atonement is a restoring/cleansing process, it
becomes apparent that it cannot be fixed at a point in time. When we say, for
example, that Friday is a special day of cleaning, we do not mean to preclude
dishwashing on Monday. Nor do we mean to belittle the purchase of cleaning
supplies on Sunday.
When are men cleansed? Their cleansing is a two-part process. One part
was completed at the cross. This part invites their participation in a twoway transaction. Jesus bore our sins to make it possible for us to have His
righteousness.
Not everyone accepts part two of the transaction.
For them, Gods grace is received in vain. The gift at Calvary long ago
fails to move them in their day of salvationthe here and now.
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that
we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that
ye receive not the grace of God in vain. (For he saith, I have heard
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What Adventists discovered was that the time when the books were
opened in Daniel 7 was the judgment where sins were blotted from the record.
The books are purged in the judgment. Names of defeated persons are blotted from the book of life.
And sins are blotted from the records of the vindicated ones as Jesus confesses their names before the Father and the elect angels. They receive white
robesa symbol of the fact that they have indeed been made righteous.
Those who have already died depending on Christ are represented as
being under the altar of incense. (See Revelation 6:9) There Christ has
interceded for them, mixing His holiness with their petitions. (See Revelation 8:3) (We recall that when Aaron interceded for sinners, his intercession
was an atonement. See Numbers 16:4647.) And while this purging process
proceeds on high, saints on earth are washing their robes in the blood of the
Lamb. They are cleaning up their lives in view of the ongoing judgment and
soon-coming end.
So if a man says that the atonement was completed at the cross, we dont
need to argue with him. He means, by atonement, a sacrificial payment. This
was completed at the cross.
But neither does he have the Old-Testament idea of atonement in mind.
And we should. We live in the Day of Cleansing. In our day Isaiah 6:7 will be
fulfilled. Our iniquity will be taken away and our sin purgedkaphar.
Blood is the agent of this purging, as we have already seen. Christs sacrifice shows Gods mercy. It moves men to repentance. This mercy is the
beginning of the cleansing process and also the means of it.
By mercy and truth iniquity is purgedkaphar: and by the fear of
the Lord men depart from evil. (Proverbs 16:6)
. The antithesis of overcomers.
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2:4)
Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name:
and deliver us, and purge awaykaphar our sins, for thy names sake.
(Psalm 79:9; see also Psalm 65:3)
By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purgedkaphar;
and this is all the fruit to take away his sin. ... (Isaiah 27:9)
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The cleansing for unknown sins shows how persons can be admitted into
heaven despite unconfessed sins on their recordif those sins had never come
to their attention.
And the atonement made by Phinehas that cleansed the camp by killing
the rebels shows how the end of the scapegoat rites can be called an atonement.
The camp is cleansed when the guilty goat is no longer there.
While justice is served by blaming the devil for the sins which tortured
Jesus, the justice is not the atonement. It is nearly a coincidence that the same
devil-death that satisfies justice also cleans up the universe by bringing an end
to sins existence. In the Day of Atonement the sending away of the scapegoat
did not occur until the completion of the atonement for the sanctuary. (See
Leviticus 16:20, 24)
Perhaps a fourth unique element was the completeness of the atonement
made on the Day of Atonement. Atonement was made for all their sins once
a year. (Leviticus 16:34)
Conclusion
Now is our special time of cleansing. Now, as the blood is cleansing me,
it is also making me into a priest. And Jesus is cleansing the Levites at this
very time. I live in the time of earths history set aside for cleansing. Then to
me, more than to my ancient ancestors, the following applies:
Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse
your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
(James 4:8)
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Chapter Six
It will be most useful to the reader who does not treat it as a story but rather
as an intense fact-filled lecture to an inquiring student. The conversation may
move too fast for you. Dont just hold on and keep reading. No, stop, go back,
use your Bible. When you can follow understandingly, go forward.
I am using this form as the closest to how I imagine these arguments would
sound if challenged by a sincere searcher for truth.
Roger:
Matt:
Roger:
Im worried, Matt,
about receiving the mark
of the beast. What do you
think it represents?
one thing I know: there
isnt any verse that begins,
The mark of the beast is
. . . But I think I have found
enough clues to know with
certainty.
Now, Matt, I dont want
to have to trust you. Clues
arent exactly what I am looking for. How about evidence?
What does the Bible say?
Matt:
R:
So you are saying that, by way of contrast, the men with the
mark must be those who are neglecting to honor God as Creator and
neglecting to keep the commandments?
M:
Yes, and there is more. Gods servants at the end of time are
those who receive the seal of God according to Revelation 7:13. So
everyone eventually receives either the seal or the mark.
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Deeper
R:
So you put these four passages together, and that is how you
know that the mark of the beast is breaking the commandments. But
what about the fact that it goes in the forehead or in the hand? And
what about the beast behind the mark? I think you havent really
settled the issue.
M:
R:
M:
R:
So you think there will be a law that pressures people to disobey the law of God?
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M:
R:
M:
R:
Please, go ahead.
M:
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Deeper
R:
M:
R:
M:
Roger, we have just started. The Bible has a lot to say on this
topic. Are you with me thus far?
R:
I can see that worship and the law of God are the two issues in
the end of time and that one class obeys human laws and the other
Gods laws, and both claim to serve Jesus.
M:
Good. Now, you asked earlier about the mark being in the forehead or the hand. You can see that it goes there in Revelation 14:9.
And the seal of God, in the passage we already referred to (Revelation 7:13) is placed in the foreheads of Gods true servants.
R:
So that is why people are always talking about bar codes and
under-skin computer chips and laser readers?
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M:
Yes, but they didnt get any idea like that from Scripture. In
fact, the Bible is quite explicit about the kind of sign that is like a
mark between the eyes and
The Seal of God
like a mark on the hand of
The
law
of God was to be like
Gods servants. When we
a sign in the forehead and the
read it, you will see how hand. Deuteronomy 6:5-8.
nicely it fits into the picture.
It is to be written in our hearts
It looks like Satan has tried in the new covenant. Hebrews
to copy Gods sign with one 8:10.
This is the sealing. Isaiah 8:16.
of his own making. Lets
read Deuteronomy 6:58.
And thou shalt love
the Lord thy God with
all thine heart, and with
all thy soul, and with all
thy might . And these
words [the Ten Commandments; see Deut .
5], which I command
thee this day, shall be
in thine heart: . . . And
thou shalt bind them for
a sign upon thine hand,
and they shall be as
frontlets between thine
eyes .
R:
Wow. I never even knew that there were verses that so clearly
spelled out the seal of God in the forehead!
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Deeper
M: God hasnt left these questions to perplex us. In fact, the idea
of the law being written in the forehead is a theme of Scripture long
before one comes to Revelation. It is the core of the new covenant.
For this is the covenant that I will make with the house
of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my
laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and
I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people.
(Hebrews 8:10)
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residue [remnant] with its feet. Then, in verse 21, it made war with
the saints, and prevailed against them. Then, in verse 25, it spoke
great words against the most High, and ... [wore] out the saints of
the most High, ... and they ... [were] given into his hand.
This is the story line of Daniel 7. The papacy fights Gods
people, and God responds by judging her (him in the verse) and
vindicating the saints in the heavenly judgment. Notice what the
judgment does to the papacys authority:
But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away
his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.
And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the
kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the
people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is
an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and
obey him. Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me
Daniel, my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart.
(Daniel 7:2628)
And, Roger, the same story fills Daniel 8. There the Roman
power waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down
some of the host and of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon
them. (Daniel 8:10) His power is mighty to destroy the mighty
and the holy people. (Daniel 8:24)
An angel asks how long the Roman power will be permitted
to oppress the hosts. The answer is, until the cleansing of the
sanctuary. (Daniel 8:1314) Maybe I can take time to prove this to
you later, but that is just another way of saying until the judgment
of Daniel 7.
R: Wait up, Matthew. Let me process. So the papacy destroys the
saints and then is judged and destroyed herself. Is that what you are
saying?
M: That is what the Scriptures are saying. Daniel 11 makes a distinction between those that understand and others among Gods
people. The understanding persons are the ones that the Roman
power hates particularly.
And they that understand among the people shall
instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by
flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days. Now when
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R:
M:
In Daniel 12:1:
And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great
prince which standeth for the children of thy people: 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)
Deeper
[1] . . . the hour of his judgment is come: and worship
him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters .
[2] Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because
she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her
fornication . . . .
[3] 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; . . . and he shall
be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of
the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: . . . and
they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and
his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name .
(Revelation 14:711)
R:
M:
R:
M:
We are studying the beast that enforces the mark and the saints
that receive the seal. Bear with me.
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M: Does that mean you would rather take up the study tomorrow
and have more time now to, as you say, process?
R:
Yes. Precisely.
Take time here to make sure you understand Matthews points. Tomorrows
conversation will assume you have done so. What is the New Covenant? How
does the beast relate to the covenant in Daniel 11? Can you see the trial, verdict, and sentence in the three angels messages?
The Third Day
R: Can I begin with a few questions, Matt? Or should I just
listen?
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Deeper
M: Let me get started and then I will take your questions. Maybe
I will answer them before you ask.
R:
M: Hold that question. Look later in the chapter at verse 27. Jesus
is to confirm the covenant with many during His ministry here
on earth.
R:
Okay.
M: We never left it. The papacy is going to be destroyed for casting truth (Daniel 8:12) down to the ground, for confusing people
regarding the covenants, for daring the change Gods law, and for
persecuting those that keep the law. This is the idea behind the
prophecy of the mark of the beast.
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M: Okay, there are two stories there that are good illustrations of
the issue of the mark of the beast. Stories are a normal way for the
Bible to explain things. Do you remember the story of Uzziah?
R:
M: The Passover was when the people of Israel were led from
Egypt. God looked for a special sign. Those that had it were spared
from suffering the last plague. In Revelation, those that have the
seal of God are spared from suffering the last plagues.
R: That is interesting, but does the story actually teach you anything helpful about the seal of God?
M: Listen and see. The sign involved killing a lamb, bringing everyone in the household into the home, and painting the outside of the door
with blood by means of hyssop. Inside, everyone was to be dressed
to go and to eat the lamb with bitter herbs. The sealed persons were
living in preparation for the Exodus. The story is in Exodus 12.
The angel passing by was not to enter homes covered with the
symbol of Christs atonement. All others received the worst plague,
the death of their first born. By this it was shown, even in the plague,
that their sin had caused the death of Gods only Son. Those not
availing themselves of the offered mercy, who counted the blood of
the covenant as an unholy thing, were thought worthy of the grievous sore. (See Revelation 16:2)
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M: In fact, Roger, the third angel speaks twice of those who worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead,
or in his hand. (Revelation 14:9; see also verse 11) And the first
plague rests upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and
upon them which worshipped his image. And when the beast is
finally destroyed, it will be with deceived ones that had received
the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. (Revelation 16:2; 19:20)
R: So those that receive the mark also worship the beast or his
image. That sounds a lot like the stories you shared two days ago
about the three friends and about Daniel with the lions. Those that
submitted to those laws also worshipped the civil power. But how
can the marked persons worship the beast when they think they are
worshipping Jesus? That doesnt make any sense at all.
M: That is a good question. But before we answer it, notice one
more thing in the three stories. The seal of God, in the Exodus illustration, was read by an angel. But the mark of the beast in the figures
of Daniel 3 and 6 was noticed by the persecuting governments. The
same is true in Revelation. God gives a seal that He can read. The
world government gives a mark that it can read. And this is what
we should expect:
For the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh
on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the
heart. (1Samuel 16:7)
R:
M:
R:
I never thought of things that way. So the devil is kind of desperate for worship, isnt he! That is pathetic.
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M: Sure is. And Satan does the same in the case of the mark of
the beast. Hungry men are offered the things that money can buy if
they will only bow. (See Revelation 13:1617) By bribe, by hunger,
by superstition-inducing miracles, the devil in Revelation draws
inadvertent worship to himself.
The Creator, on the other hand, accepts only willful worship
without competitors. Listen to Jesus:
Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it
is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him
only shalt thou serve. (Matthew 4:10)
But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the
Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they
that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
(John 4:2324)
R: So is this the reason that the seal of God must be placed in the
forehead, while the mark of the beast will be received by some only
in the hand?
M: You got it. Where Satan is willing to accept the ignorant
worship of idols as directed to himself (See Deuteronomy 32:17;
Psalm 106:3637), God cannot. How does He relate to ignorant
devotion? In kindness, He overlooks it as long as possible. He
cannot accept it.
For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found
an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN God.
Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto
you. God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in
temples made with hands; ... seeing he giveth to all life,
and breath, and all things; and hath made of one blood all
nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth. ...
For in him we live, and move, and have our being. ... We
ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or
silver, or stone, graven by art and mans device. And the
times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent. (Acts 17:2330)
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R: You can move on. You have made this point several times.
God only accepts loving obedience. The beast accepts fearful
conformity.
M: One more point, Roger. We cannot say that God always overlooks ignorant worship. When light is presented, Paul teaches, God
now commands all men everywhere to repent. When the Jews, centuries before Jesus, sank down into idolatry, their worship was not
winked at. Their opportunities to know better prevented their ignorance from winning them grace. See Jeremiah 44:1825.
R: I am not sure I can summarize all that you have shared with me
today. But let me try. Satan hates the saving covenant. Through the
papacy he has sought to change its terms. He has sought to modify
the law that is to be written in the heart.
M:
Right. And how does this relate to the seal and the mark?
R: Satan will accept coerced and insincere bowing to his worship law. He always has been willing to do that. So the mark may
be received either in the hand or in the mind. Gods seal must be
written in the mind. God is looking at the heart. Men may not even
be able to see if you have the seal.
M: So, Roger, tomorrow we may finish. We need to look at the
relation of worship to the Sabbath and of the Sabbath to the sealing.
And many evangelicals believe that the Holy Spirit is the seal. They
have good reason for thinking that way. We will look at that, too.
R:
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Deeper
Fourth Day
M: Yesterday we talked about Matthew 15:8, where Jesus speaks
of worshippers who use praise lyrics but whose hearts were far
from Him. The very next verse shows that distant hearts and vain
worship come from doctrines that enforce mens commandments.
Lets read it:
But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines
the commandments of men. (Matthew 15:9)
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R: So you think that Satan had a purpose in the timing of the doctrine of theistic evolution that many mainline churches, including
Catholicism, have adopted?
M: Did you know that God predicted the rise of that doctrine in
the end of time? The six-day creation and the literal flood would
be denied by the same persons who doubt that judgments are soon
to fall. These same persons would scoff at the fundamental idea of
Adventism.
R:
M:
Turn to 2Peter 3:
Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days
scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, Where is
the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep,
all things continue as they were from the beginning of the
creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the
word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing
out of the water and in the water: whereby the world that
then was, being overflowed with water, perished. (2Peter
3:36)
This kind of scoffing is honor enough for Satan. These scoffers are ungodly in verse 7. The Greek for ungodly is asebaes,
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Deeper
R:
But in our day the heathen will hear the gospel. And in the
context of the close of human probation, Revelation 22:14 blesses
those that keep the commandments of God. God brings them to the
worlds attention. Two passages, Revelation 11:19 and 15:5, indicate
that God will reveal that the heavenly sanctuary houses the law of
God.
Have you ever considered that the announcement of the hour
of the judgment plays a part in bringing the Ten Commandments to
the attention of all?
R: I heard that preached in our Revelation Seminar. They showed
that in the judgment mens works are compared to the Ten Commandments. They used James 2:812 to show that Gods royal law
is the Ten Commandments.
M: So lets review a thought from a few days ago. What commandments would it be that professed followers of God could break and
still dare to say Lord, Lord to Jesus at His coming?
R: I see. The Sabbath seems most likely. But they might be breaking lots of them in a spiritual sense, dont you think? That is how it
seems to go in my life.
M:
R:
Deeper
But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready
always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a
reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.
(1Peter 3:15)
R:
R:
Finally.
M:
R: Finally, you are using some of the verses the Bible study guide
on the seal of God uses.
M: Im glad that pleases you. We are sealed by the Holy Spirit. Paul
says ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise. (Ephesians
1:13)
Jesus received the seal from God the Father. (John 6:27) And
He was, for the record, filled with the Holy Ghost. (Luke 4:1, 18)
The last generation of righteous persons will have the same
experience. They will be filled with the Holy Spirit and thus sealed
by God the Father. You can read of that in Joel 2 and in the passages
already noticed in our studyEzekiel 9 and Revelation 7.
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R: And you are still saying you believe the Sabbath is the seal? You
just proved to me that the filling with the Holy Spirit is the seal.
M: We arent done. Being filled with the Spirit is like a down-payment on redemption, on the gift of a new nature at the resurrection.
Paul said of some that God hath also sealed us, and given the earnest
of the Spirit in our hearts. (2Corinthians 1:2122)
Now, Roger, I am about to preach a five-minute sermon. Dont
interrupt. Just try to listen carefully.
The Bible locates the sealing work of the Spirit in our hearts.
The same idea is expressed in Revelation where the seal, or the
Spirit, is placed in the forehead.
The seal of the Holy Spirit is given to those who meet the qualifications for salvation. In the time of Noah, for example, it would
not be put on anyone who would not get in the ark. If the seal were
given to someone who had not met the conditions of salvation, it
would be a false promise.
Now nothing is clearer in our dear country than that many
unsanctified persons have exhibited what are called the gifts of the
Spirit. The Sabbath, as an outward sign, serves to reveal the body
of believers that are commandment-keepers, that are new-covenant
Christians, and that are being sanctified by the writing of the law on
the heart. As a sign of the Spirits seal, it helps clear up confusion
regarding what the Spirit is and is not doing in the world.
Today, the commandment-keepers are preparing for Christs
return. They are not building an ark, but they are engaged in an activity as distinctive and as significant to the final scenes of this earths
history. They are being sanctified by the special work of the Holy
Spirit. (See 1Corinthians 6:11; 2Thessalonians 2:13; 1Peter 1:2;
Romans 15:16; 1Thessalonians 5:23) This is the sealing process.
The Sabbath is a sign of the special work of the Spirit on the
heart. Or, stated another way, we could say, The Sabbath is the seal
of the work of the Spirit. In a shorter term, we would say that the
Sabbath is the sign or seal of the Spirits work of sanctification.
R: I must interrupt. So you are saying that the Sabbath is a sign
or a seal of Gods work of sanctification. And you are saying that
when we are filled with the Holy Spirit in the latter rain, that will
be the sign that we have been sealed, that the sealing work is done
in our lives. Right?
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Deeper
M: I really didnt get that far, but thank you for clarifying. Look
now at a little chart I have put together that describes what we have
learned in the last few days:
An Outline of What We Have Learned So Far
The Lamb
The Beast
Helps them
Pursues them
Gathers a remnant
Executes vengeance
Executes saints
Forces compliance
Holds last earthly kingdom
R:
M:
Review the material. Why was the Sabbath chosen to be a sign of sanctification? How can a heathen person be saved? How can we harmonize the two
ideas of being sealed by the Spirit and of the Sabbath being the seal?
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Day Five
M: Okay, Roger, turn to Revelation 13. Think about what you
remember from Daniel 7 and tell me what you notice about the beast
in the first verses of this chapter.
R: I can see two things that you might be thinking. One is that
the metals and animals here are like those in Daniel 2 and 7, and
second, this beast sounds like the fourth beast in Daniel 7. Is that
what you were looking for?
M: Precisely. Today we are talking about the name of the beast. And
we are told that the beast has the name of blasphemy on its heads.
R: Are we going off-topic again? I mean this is interesting, but
what about the mark?
M: This is the point, Roger, the mark is called the mark of his
name in Revelation 14:11. That makes this blasphemous name of
particular interest to our study. Did you ever notice that the five
monarchies had a problem with blasphemy? Babylon demanded worship through the image; Persia through a prayer law; Rome accepted
it through Herod in Acts 12; and the Papacy does more than these
three combined, eventually becoming a medium for impersonating
Christ in 2Thessalonians 2.
R: So why is the mark called the mark of his name? Do you mean
it is the mark of blasphemy?
M: Basically, yes, it is honoring the papacy with the very authority
it claims for itself, the ability to change Gods law.
R:
M: Now we are going to study what I call the battle for the
forehead.
R:
M:
R:
Deeper
M: That is it. When I refuse to repent, when I do not let the wonderful sacrifice of Jesus melt my hard heart, I am cultivating a whores
forehead. I am preparing for the mark of the beast.
R: Wow. I understand. You mean that when I reject correction,
I am getting into the very kind of habit that leads to receiving the
mark in the forehead?
M: Yes. When the beast and lamb face off in the final conflict, they
will use very different weapons. The former will use miracles, as
we studied earlier. This evidence will be sufficient for those who
have already been hardening their hearts against the Spirits appeals.
And the Lamb will use love to move persons to repentance. But
those who have hardened themselves with a whores forehead will
be impervious to His gentle methods.
R: Is this just a battle of ideas? Are there actually physical
casualties?
M: The followers of the Lamb face beheading (Revelation 20:4)
for refusing the combined authority of the powers of earth. Though
decapitated, they are counted victorious (Revelation 15:2) over their
enemies. Like saints before them (Revelation 6:11), they overcome
by their testimony and by Christs blood while sacrificing their lives.
(Revelation 12:11)
Remember that we have observed repeatedly how the law of
God is to be written in mens minds. Satan also has a character that
he works to have planted therethe unashamed forehead we have
just read about.
We are rather to let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ
Jesus: who ... became obedient unto death. (Philippians 2:58)
Thus, the last-day faithful ones are represented as having foreheads
like the Father and the Son in Revelation. (Revelation 14; 22)
R:
The mother of harlots (Revelation 17) has promoted conformity. The compliance of the masses has deluded individuals into
refusing to be ashamed; it has duped them into accepting the essence
of having a whores forehead.
R: Maybe this is the most practical material you have shared yet. I
am understanding that my day-to-day life now is writing a character
into my forehead that will be revealed in the final tests.
M:
Deeper
In review, what do Jeremiah 3:3 and Exodus 13:9 teach us about a practical preparation for the coming test over the mark?
The paper
The Mark and the Seal Plainly
The sealing is the special work of the Holy Spirit in writing the law of
God into the heart of Gods people. The sealing is the work of sanctification.
The sign of submission to this work is Sabbath-keeping. That sign distinguishes those that reject human authority in religious matters and thus honor
God alone.
The character of the beast is to be unashamed of its violations of Gods
law. This mindset is, metaphorically, the whores forehead. Those that refuse
the sealing process are hardened each time they refuse. Their unwillingness
to take up their cross and follow their Savior against the current of the world
marks them as unworthy of eternal life.
By refusing the claims of the fourth commandment, they honor men above
their Creator, the beast above the Lamb, their comfort above the truth. Their
refusal to heed the warning that the world needs so desperately marks them
for the judgments of Revelation 14:811. Those who have refused the Sab. The Biblical references for these assertions are found in the study above. They were omitted
here only to make the summary more readable.
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bath rest have no rest during the plagues. Though sincerely deceived into
thinking they are doing right, they are not excused. Their sincerity is rather
the fruit of trusting in men than of loving the truth.
When laws enforce the keeping of another day than Sabbath, undoubtedly
Sunday as all history declares, the character of these hardened persons will
naturally submit to the coercion of the beast. Heaven is not guided that way.
They are unfit to be there. They wont be there.
Just prior to the sealing of Gods people in Ezekiel 9 (and just prior to the
plagues on those that are unsealed), the prophecy describes the abominations
that have invaded Christendom.
Though, in the metaphor, these abominations are conducted inside Gods
temple, yet they savor of paganism. These idolatrous practices are revealed
to Ezekiel in ascending order of magnitude. The worst item, last in the list
and just prior to the command to seal the faithful servants and to slaughter
the rest, is sun-worship.
Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? turn
thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations than these.
And he brought me into the inner court of the Lords house, and,
behold, at the door of the temple of the Lord, between the porch
and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs
toward the temple of the Lord, and their faces toward the east; and
they worshipped the sun toward the east. (Ezekiel 8:1516)
26 Men
Law of God
Altar
Sun
Deeper
Ezekiel 89, written entirely in figurative speech, indicates that just prior
to the end of the world men will turn their back on the law of God and on
Christ in His temple to honor the sun instead. All the while they will be in
Gods church.
Sun-worship is the most ancient kind of false religion. Job says that
had he secretly admired the sun, he would be deserving of punishment by
the Judge of the earth. (See Job 31:2628) Through Moses, God warned
His special people regarding worshipping this gift of God to all nations
under heaven. (Deuteronomy 4:19) Josiahs great reformation involved the
cleansing of Gods house from horses and chariots dedicated to the sun.
(2Kings 23:5, 11)
And the temple had purposefully been built to prevent the very type of
abomination figured in Ezekiel 8. As worshippers entered the court in the
morning, their backs were to the sun. They faced forward to something they
could not seethe most holy placeand imagined what they knew to be
therethe law of God in a special box built to honor it.
But when souls persist in ignoring Gods requirements, He may give them
up to honor the hosts of heaven despite themselves. As the fall into idolatry
marked old Israel for captivity in Babylon (Acts 7:4243), so the fall of Christianity into the worship of religious men was a fall that put them into a spiritual
state called Babylon in the book of Revelation.
Those that Sigh and Cry
In the pictures of Ezekiel 89, who is spared? The seal of God is placed
on those that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the
professedly Christian churches.
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 9:4)
In particular, they mourn over the honor given to the sun and over the
dishonor shown to the covenant. In figure, these faithful souls are in the same
place as the 25 sun-worshipersthey are between the porch and the altar. But
they are facing the opposite direction.
Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the
porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Lord.
(Joel 2:17)
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Just as those with the mind of the whore refuse to be ashamed, those with
the mind of Christ seek pardon for their persecutors. Jesus prayed, Father,
forgive them. His faithful, sealed believers pray in a similar vein.
And so the universe comes to see that the seal of God and the mark of the
beast are no arbitrary designations. They rest on two categories of men with
entirely different characters.
And that, friend, is precisely why they have entirely different destinies.
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Chapter Seven
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Deeper
The Son of man indeed goeth, as it is written of him: but woe
to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! good were it for
that man if he had never been born. (Mark 14:21)
There are some events, both of a blessed nature and others of a negative
nature, that are essential elements in the plan of redemption. The death of Jesus
was one of these. The prophecy of His death, through the sanctuary service,
for example, was a determinate prophecy. There was no getting around it.
But that prophecy did not involve Judas by name. It could have been
fulfilled through another. Judas part was neither coerced nor excused by
Heaven.
Other prophecies of Gods blessings on His faithful people, on the children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, are without repentance. In other words,
they cannot be annulled. Yet the individuals singled out for blessing are by
no means determinate.
This was the confusion of the Jews. They confused the determinate prophecy (that God would bless the children of the faithful, as per the second commandment) with the conditional element that included them, as individuals,
among the children of the faithful.
I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I
also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew. Wot ye
not what the scripture saith of Elias? how he maketh intercession
to God against Israel, saying, Lord, they have killed thy prophets,
and digged down thine altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my
life. But what saith the answer of God unto him? I have reserved
to myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the
image of Baal. Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. ... And so all Israel shall be
saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and
shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: for this is my covenant unto
them, when I shall take away their sins. As concerning the gospel,
they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they
are beloved for the fathers sakes. For the gifts and calling of God
are without repentance. (Romans 11:15; 11:2629)
And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and
keep my commandments. (Deuteronomy 5:10)
Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful
God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him
and keep his commandments to a thousand generations. (Deuteronomy 7:9)
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Paul reasons, in Romans 11, that Gods promises to the Jews have never
been abrogated. Rather, those promises were only made to the faithful. Accordingly, most Jews have been cut off from the blessings, and many Gentiles have
been included as members of true Israel because of their faithfulness. As such,
all Israel will be saved.
The chosen ones among the nation inherit the promises. The rest are, on
the whole, enemies of the gospel. Yet, they are to be beloved as family, being
the literal descendants of faithful Abraham. For more on spiritual descent as
character likeness, see John 8; Romans 2:2829; 8:14; Galatians 3:29.
This issue, the conditional/determinate nature of the promises to Israel
is perhaps the primary issue dividing Adventism from the rest of Evangelical
Christianity in terms of prophetic interpretation.
And parallel to that difference is a difference between how we and they
view the sovereignty of God.
God Exercises Special Oversight of the Nations
Men that are in earthly authority are there by Gods decision. This may
be, at first inspection, an uncomfortable doctrine of Scripture.
By me kings reign, and princes decree justice. By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth. (Proverbs
8:1516)
Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me,
except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered
me unto thee hath the greater sin. (John 19:11)
Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there
is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
(Romans 13:1)
These men are Gods ministers, entrusted with lethal power for the
dual purpose of repressing evil and encouraging well-doing. (See Romans
13:28)
Nebuchadnezzar was nearly destroyed by the thought that he had placed
himself at the head of the worlds greatest empire. This is the backdrop of
Daniel 4.
This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand
by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know
. The chapter is more than a personification of wisdom; it is a description of Jesus under that
title. He is the Person named Wisdom.
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Deeper
that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to
whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men. ...
And they shall drive thee from men ... until thou know that the
most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. (Daniel 4:17, 32)
Further, God has purpose even in bringing the basest of men into power.
For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose
have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my
name might be declared throughout all the earth. (Romans 9:17)
Far from raising only good men to positions of civil power, God promised
to raise cruel men to that position if that would be in the eternal interest of His
people. (See Deuteronomy 28:4756) If they would reject His gentle leading,
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If men object to this doctrine that God surely did not raise Innocent III,
Hitler, or Lenin, let it be remembered that the blood of martyrs is seed, that
in darkness men search for God who otherwise would never do so. We cannot see all things.
Can those who know truly say that the wonderful freedoms we enjoy in
the United States have been a more prosperous ground for Adventism that the
repressive regimes that sought to crush the church in other lands? Our numbers
are larger here. But where are we the most spiritual?
Gods ruling in the affairs of state and His placement of men at the head
of other men both aim to secure a seeking populace if haply they might feel
after Him and find Him.
Because of His overarching rule in the kingdoms of men, we can rightly
say that Jesus is the only Potentate and the King of Kings, the prince of the
kings of the earth. (See 1Timothy 6:15; Revelation 1:5; 17:14)
Gods Sovereignty and Predestination
Some men have, however, failed to notice the distinction between Gods
management of nations and His management of individuals. For these men,
Gods sovereignty means that nothing happens but what God wills.
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Deeper
As evidence for this, they cite the fact that God had chosen certain men
to salvation. If this is true, it is no large jump in logic to say that those not
chosen are, well, very unfortunate.
Before criticizing Calvins version of the doctrine of Gods sovereignty, let
us acknowledge that he had grounds for his belief. God has, indeed, chosen
men to salvation from the foundation of the earth. (See Revelation 17:8)
But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you ...
because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation
through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth. (2Thessalonians 2:13)
Predestination
Calvinists fail, however, to understand the relation between foreknowledge
and predestination. The relation is spelled out a few verses before Romans 9.
For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be
conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn
among many brethren. (Romans 8:29)
This is the Bible doctrine. God knows the way that we will take. He can
see the future like we can see the present. He knows those that are His. (See
2Timothy 2:19) Foreknowledge is the ground even of the choosing, or election, described in 2Thessalonians 2:13 above.
Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father,
through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be
multiplied. (1Peter 1:2)
But what about Pharaoh in Romans 9 and in the story of Exodus? Was he
predestined to be lost?
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If God intended to manipulate the will of the Pharaoh, He could have used
any Pharaoh. The fact that God chose Pharaoh is evidence that foreknowledge,
rather than captivity of the will, was at work. The word endured reveals that
not all that happens is the will of God.
For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee,
and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. ...
What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power
known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction. (Romans 9:1722)
God had to look carefully to find someone as stubborn as Pharaoh, someone that would resist Gods will so defiantly that Gods full power in defense
of His people could be shown.
Conditional and Unconditional Elements in Relation to Gods
Sovereignty
When we come back to consider the death of Jesus, we have an interesting
unconditional prophecy. On the one hand God determined that Jesus would die
for our sins. This was certain. If no men had been found to do it, evil angels
would have been permitted to do it. But there was no lack of evil men. God
knew, by foreknowledge, the parts that the various actors would play in the
crucifixion. Their words as well as their actions were prophesied.
Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain. (Acts 2:23)
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Deeper
There was no defect in Gods government, no cause for disaffection.
When the thoughts of all hearts shall be revealed, both the loyal and
the rebellious will unite in declaring, Just and true are Thy ways,
Thou King of saints. Who shall not fear Thee, O Lord, and glorify Thy
name? ... for Thy judgments are made manifest. Revelation 15:3, 4.
(The Desire of Ages, p. 58)
The doctrine of the divine decrees, unalterably fixing the character of men, had led many to a virtual rejection of the law of God.
Wesley steadfastly opposed the errors of the antinomian teachers and
showed that this doctrine which led to antinomianism was contrary to
the Scriptures. (The Great Controversy, p. 261)
In closing, let it be understood that not everyone is chosen. Many are called;
few are chosen. But all may be. All may meet the requirements that Gods
foreknowledge was seeking when He said He knew those that were His.
. Though this issue may seem small to us, it is by no means small in Christianity, being a primary division point between Protestants. Extensive works have been written to defend the
doctrine of Gods sovereignty, the divine decrees. A short, yet comprehensive, work that
might be of interest to those that would like to see a very scriptural defense of the error can
be found at www.onlinebible.net. It is titled, Antidote to Arminianism. If you read it, read it
while you have person available that can help you through it. Then again, perhaps this chapter
is all you would need.
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Chapter Eight
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Deeper
Michael is either one of the chief [KJV] or the first of the chief
[YLT] among the angels;
Michael is Daniels prince and a great prince;
At the time of trouble, Michael stands as prince in defense of Daniels
people;
Michael is the archangel;
Michael fought with the Devil regarding the resurrection of Moses body
(and won); and
Michael was over the angels that fought against the Devil and his
angels.
The positions ascribed to Michael in these verses include prince of Gods
people (i.e., Daniels people), archangel, and captain of the faithful angels.
When Jesus returns to this earth several things will happen that seem
relevant to what we know about Michael.
There will be a resurrection of the bodies of the saints;
Commands will be given to the loyal angels to gather the saints;
The kingdoms of this earth will become the kingdoms of Christ; and
The faithful will sit with Him on His throne.
The resurrection will be called for by the mighty voice of Christ.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is,
when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that
hear shall live. (John 5:25)
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As the devil made an issue over even a single resurrection, that of Moses,
it must come as a complete overthrow of his entire authority when all the
saints are resurrected. And we should note again that they are resurrected by
the voice of Jesus:
Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that
are in the graves shall hear his voice. (John 5:28)
And the voice of the Lord that is connected, by Paul, to the resurrection
is the voice of the archangel:
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout,
with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and
the dead in Christ shall rise first. (1Thessalonians 4:16)
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Deeper
And he said, Nay; but as captain [or, prince (margin)] of the
host of the Lord am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the
earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my lord
unto his servant? (Joshua 5:14)
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)
Notice the contrast. The captain of the host of the Lord receives the worship of Joshua. The mighty angel of Revelation refuses the worship of John.
These observations lead, it seems to me, to the following inescapable
conclusion:
Either there are two captains of the Lords hosts, two beings with the voice of
the archangel, two beings exalted to be prince over Gods people, two agents in
the resurrection of the saints, two beings giving commands to the angels of God,
Or. . .
Jesus, a name chosen by God for our Savior, had the name Michael in
the Old Testament.
It is interesting, in this connection, to note that the New-Testament references to Michael are all references to Old-Testament eventsthe fall of Lucifer
and the resurrection of Moses. We find no use of the name Michael for any
being after the day that Gods Son is named Jesus.
Now another passage fits in nicely here:
For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my
Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a
Father, and he shall be to me a Son? And again, when he bringeth
in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels
of God worship him. (Hebrews 1:56)
Worship was given to the captain of the host of the Lord. Even more
than this, Joshua was commanded to put off his shoes. The place where he
was standing was holy. (See Joshua 5:26) Doesnt this remind you of Moses at
the burning bush? Who was it in that bush that made the ground holy, before
whom Moses worshipped unrebuked? It must have been our Lord Jesus.
And what does the Bible call Him?
And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire
out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush
burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. (Exodus 3:2)
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And more than that, when Malachi predicted that Jesus would come, what
did the prophet call Him? He calls the Lord the messenger of the covenant.
This word messenger comes from a Hebrew word that is translated messenger almost 100 times and angel some 111 times in the Old Testament.
Behold, I will send my messenger [John the Baptist], and he
shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall
suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant,
whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts.
(Malachi 3:1)
Jesus, Michael, our Prince, our coming King, Captain of the host of the
Lord, the Archangel, Creator, not created, will descend and rout the prince of
this world, send the holy angels to gather the saints, and we will reign with
Him.
Amen! I so look forward to it.
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Chapter Nine
hy do we say for ever and ever? Isnt it a bit like saying for
eternity and eternity or never ending and never ending or to
everlasting and everlasting?
We say it because we read it in the Bible. The Puritans use of Scripture
was so wonderfully relentless that many Biblical phrases entered into our way
of talking. In the case of for ever and ever, the phrase worked its way into
fairytales. And maybe it is from the fairytales that many of us adopted this
singular and redundant way of talking. Yet the phrase is not redundant when
used in Scripture.
The term for ever and ever is used 46 times in the Old and New Testaments. That is a small enough number that we can take the time to be a little
technical. Not every time is the expression derived from the same Hebrew or
Greek words. We can categorize the various renderings on the basis of the
way they are worded in Hebrew or Greek.
We will begin with a review of the various words used for ever in
these passages. As the average reader could not read the original Hebrew or
Greek words, I will refer to those words by their number found in Strongs
Exhaustive Concordance, which is used in the most common Greek and
Hebrew lexicons today. For this reason, these numbers are called Strongs
numbers.
And under each of these words I will note how that word is used in Scripture. Of particular interest to Seventh-day Adventists is the question, Does
ever mean eternity?
. Please note: In the original Strongs numbering system, a Hebrew word and a Greek word
could share the same number, being differentiated in the concordance only by the fact that the
numbers for Greek words were italicized. In this book, we are using a convention common
in many later references keyed according to this numbering system: The numbers for Hebrew
words begin with a leading zero (0), whereas the numbers for Greek words do not.
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Deeper
Rotherham
05769 05769
05769 05703
B2
05703 05769
Youngs Literal
05769 05769
05769 05703
B2
05703 05769
What Kind of Persons or Things or Events Last For Ever and Ever?
The subjects of these formulasthe persons or objects that were to last
for ever and ever are differentiated below. The designation A represents the
first formula, B the second. B2 represents the reversed order pairs. C and D
represent Daniel 2 and 7 respectively.
Object
Jehovah
Jehovah
Blotting
Out/Obliteration
Gift of Life
Jehovahs Throne
Jehovahs Praise
Jehovahs Praise
Jehovahs Identity
My Trust in Jehovah
Commandments
Law Keeping
Heavens2
Record of Rebellion
Formula
A
B
B, E
B
B
B
C
B
B
B2
B
B2
B2
References
1Chronicles 16:36; 29:10;
Nehemiah 9:5
Exodus 5:18; Psalm 10:16
Psalm 9:5; Isaiah 34:10
Psalm 21:4
Psalm 45:6
Psalm 45:17; 145:1, 2, 21
Daniel 2:20
Psalm 48:14
Psalm 52:8
Psalm 111:8
Psalm 119:44
Psalm 148:6
Isaiah 30:8
2. The antecedent is earlier. It seems to include the waters above the heavens. I am not certain
of its meaning.
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Deeper
Gift of Canaan
Evangelists; Stars
Right-Living
Saints Reign
A
B
B
D
Gods Throne
References
Galatians 1:8; Philippians 4:20;
1Timothy 1:17; 2Timothy 4:18;
Hebrews 13:21; 1Peter 4:11;
Revelation 1:6; 5:13; 7:12
Hebrews 1:8
3. In Hebrews 1:8. This passage alone is singular in Greek.
4. In Hebrews 1:8. This passage alone is singular in Greek.
5. Revelation 14:11. This passage alone is lacking the definite articles.
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Dominion be to God
Gods Life
Gods Reign
Torment Smokes Ascent
Devils Torment
Saints Reign
1Peter 5:11
Revelation 4:9, 10; 10:6; 15:7
Revelation 11:5
Revelation 14:11; 19:3
Revelation 20:10
Revelation 22:5
In Isaiah 14, we find that he will be brought down to the side of the pit
and that those that see him there will narrowly look upon him and will
consider the irony that such a helpless criminal could be the one that destroyed
the world and its cities.
They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider
thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that
did shake kingdoms. (Isaiah 14:16)
Deeper
In short, it seems that Satan will be left to suffer for some significant period
of time, apparently appropriately described as for ages and ages. This does
not seem entirely unlikely when one considers the possibilites listed below.
(While the numbers below are purely speculative, excepting the estimate of
world population which is more like a reasonable guess, they illustrate well
the point. The Devil has significant suffering awaiting him after all others
have been consumed.)
That the scapegoat bears the sins of the congregation in the Day of
Atonement
That there have been an estimated 35 to 70 billion persons alive since
creation
That if only 1 in 700 of 35 billion were saved at last, that would be 50
million
That if the Devil burned only two minutes for each of these persons,
that would come to 190 years.
And as the last phrase in Revelation 20:9 speaks of the fire consuming the
rest of the wicked, it seems that this contrast in burning time must be the burden of Revelation 20:10 if it is to be harmonized with the rest of Scripture.
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. 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 20:910)
In other words, the passage teaches that the fire that comes down from
God and devours the wicked leaves the Devil to suffer for ages and ages
after the wicked are no more.
And we recall the evidence that neither of the words translated ever is
necessarily indicative of an eternity. Together, in Revelation 20:10, they should
be understood for ages and ages:
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 ages and ages.
And that will be just. Just and true are Thy ways, oh King of saints.
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Section III
But other things she said indicate that we might be a little too anxious to
find end-time applications to already fulfilled prophecies:
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Deeper
There have been one and another who in studying their Bibles
thought they discovered great light, and new theories, but these have
not been correct. The Scripture is all true, but by misapplying the
Scripture men arrive at wrong conclusions. We are engaged in a mighty
conflict, and it will become more close and determined as we near the
final struggle. We have a sleepless adversary, and he is constantly at
work upon human minds that have not had a personal experience in
the teachings of the people of God for the past fifty years. Some will
take the truth applicable to their time and place it in the future. Events
in the train of prophecy that had their fulfillment away in the past are
made future, and thus by these theories the faith of some is undermined.
(Selected Messages, book 2, p. 102)
This section addresses the prophecies at the end of Daniel 12the 1290and 1335-day periods. This is, doubtless, the most commonly reinterpreted
prophecy of the book of Daniel.
And it also addresses a prophecy spoken of by William Miller, the 2520day prophecy. Due particularly to the work of a few expositors in our day, this
topic has been receiving much attention.
Finally, there is a chapter about the principles that govern the reapplication and multiple fulfillments of prophecies. The short of it is that, as noted
above, we wouldnt want to take events ... away in the past and make them
future.
Much more could be written on that last point. Speculative interpretations
of a prophecy can be invented in sixty minutes that may require scores of hours
to debunk. And so one can better avoid being duped by refusing to entertain
poorly proven points than by trying to disprove the same.
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Chapter Ten
here was a time when Adventists were mostly united in their views
of how the prophecies of Daniel should be applied. Ellen was shown
something of this early in her career as a messenger:
When union existed, before 1844, nearly all were united on the correct
view of the daily; but in the confusion since 1844, other views have been
embraced, and darkness and confusion have followed. Time has not been
a test since 1844, and it will never again be a test. (Early Writings, p. 75)
Stephen Haskell read more into this statement than it said. Long after
this was written, when all were again seeing other views being embraced,
Haskell reminded the church about this statement. On the basis of it, he held
that new views (such as the view of William White and others regarding the
daily) ought to be abandoned in favor of Millers view.
Ellen did not support Stephen in his efforts to support her. As Gods messenger she refused to be a substitute for Bible study. And she refrained from
giving support to one side or another on an issue of lesser importance that
threatened to divide the brethren.
She explained:
I have words to speak to my brethren east and west, north and south.
I request that my writings shall not be used as the leading argument to
settle questions over which there is now so much controversy. I entreat
of Elders H, I, J, and others of our leading brethren, that they make no
reference to my writings to sustain their views of the daily.
It has been presented to me that this is not a subject of vital importance. I am instructed that our brethren are making a mistake in magnifying the importance of the difference in the views that are held. I cannot
consent that any of my writings shall be taken as settling this matter.
The true meaning of the daily is not to be made a test question.
I now ask that my ministering brethren shall not make use of my
writings in their arguments regarding this question [the daily]; for
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Deeper
I have had no instruction on the point under discussion, and I see no
need for the controversy. Regarding this matter under present conditions, silence is eloquence. (Selected Messages, book 1, p. 164)
There are other views that the brethren were united on in 1844. Their
understanding of the 1260-day prophecies and of the 1290- and 1335-day
prophecies bore a remarkable similarity to each other.
But it is not so today.
Various Views
A prominent evangelist has written a book that gives a futuristic application of the 1290- and 1335-day prophecies. A televised Sabbath-school program
on 3ABN dished out a similarly future interpretation of these two.
And these two notable examples are only notable for the status of the
teachers. So many others have made similar interpretations that neither of
these two are remarkable for their content.
Common to many schemes of interpretation among Adventists today is the
thought that there indeed has been a historical fulfillment of these prophecies
that can be placed on a time line. But added to this is the thought that a more
important and relevant fulfillment is yet future.
And so, more than other prophecies, ones understanding of the 1290 and
1335 hinges on how one views the question of dual application in prophetic
interpretation.
I am not interested in using Ellen White as a leading argument in settling
the question of the 1290- and 1335-day prophecies. I do think that we can settle
the question well with Scripture, and then we would do well to heed what she
has to say on this topic.
The Prophecies
The final revelation to Daniel is found in Daniel 11 and 12. There the history of over 2400 years is briefly outlined. The concluding elements are found
in Daniel 12:13. These are the deliverance of Gods people during the time
of trouble, the special resurrection, and the glorification of the saints at the
beginning of their everlasting life.
Then Daniel is ordered to close and seal his messages until the time of
the end:
But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even
to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge
shall be increased. (Daniel 12:4)
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When the scroll is unsealed, when men can finally understand it, they will
move accordingly. They will unroll the scroll and hasten up and down it to
better be able to study its various parts. And they will, accordingly, come to
understand it. Knowledge will be increased regarding the book of Daniel.
But the book was sealed for the time being. An angel nearby asked the
question that Daniel must have been wondering:
And one said to the man clothed in linen, which was upon the
waters of the river, How long shall it be to the end of these wonders? (Daniel 12:6)
Jesus swears in the next verse that it will be at the end, or accomplishment,
of a 1260-day scattering period. This is neither the first nor the last reference
to this same period of time in the Scriptures. These 1260 prophetic days mark
the period in which the papacy held the position of successor to Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome as master over the known world.
Though the papacy was powerful even in the fourth century, though she
converted many pagan tribes in the fifth, it was not until the sixth that she
mounted the dragon that she is pictured as riding in Revelation 17. In other
words, not until the sixth century was the papacy in control of a nation. Only
then did she become sovereign in the feudal-like system.
She became a civil power, allowing her to appear in the empire prophecies
of Daniel 7 and 8, when the pope became as a feudal lord over the Franks in
508. That was the beginning of her existence as a state.
She became the worlds dominant civil power when she became feudal
lord over the city of Rome and of the Eastern Roman Empire in 538.
This was her time to rule over Gods people, to war against them, to drive
them (as it were) into the wilderness. And these ideasconnected with the
1260 days in Daniel 7 and Revelation 12 and Revelation 13are summarized
in Daniel 12:6 as a scattering of the power of Gods people.
But these things were not understood by the prophet himself. Like the
angel, he wanted to know when the time would come for the book to be
unsealed. And as he had not understood the answer to the question, he asked
again.
And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord,
what shall be the end of these things? (Daniel 12:8)
Jesus begins to answer by alluding to the fact that there is a good reason
for Daniels inability to comprehend. The vision is not yet unsealed. Thinking
about it will not change this, so Daniel might as well go about his business.
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Deeper
And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up
and sealed till the time of the end. (Daniel 12:9)
But this is only the beginning of Jesus answer. When the time of the end
comes, Jesus explains, some will participate in a special work of sanctification.
Others will not. And none of the others will be able to understand the book
when it is unsealed. Only the wise sanctified ones will understand.
Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the
wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand;
but the wise shall understand. (Daniel 12:10)
Daniel had asked about the time of the end but hadnt yet received any
more information about its timing. That information Jesus gave next. When
will the time of the end be?
And from the time that the daily ... shall be taken away, and
the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. (Daniel 12:11)
Connect or Speculate
It is ironic that persons do not catch the connection between verse 11 and
verses 89. Without the connection, one is left to speculate regarding the event
prophesied to take place at the conclusion of the 1290. Verse 11 says nothing
about what happens at the close of the period.
It would not be sensible to say, It will be fourteen days from the last snow
until nothing in particular happens. But if a prominent event has been the
theme of conversation, and a knowing person says, And from the time of the
first snow it will be 14 days, all would understand that the prominent event
would take place at the conclusion of the 14-day period.
What has been the theme of the seven verses before verse 11? The book
is sealed until the time of the end (v. 4); at the end men, will understand
the book (v. 5). So how long will it be to the end (v. 6)? The end will be
after 1260 days of scattering (v. 7). Daniel asks again regarding the end (v.
8). The book is sealed until the time of the end (v. 9). At that point the wise
will understand (v. 10).
Emphatically the topic has been the unsealing of Daniels prophecies at
the time of the end. So when our Lord Jesus says, And from the taking
away of the daily it will be 1290 days, we ought to understand that this is a
second way to arrive at the date of the time of the end.
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Do you see what makes the beast diverse? Look at the last verse just
quoted. It is the little horn that differs from the nations and kingdoms that preceded it. That diverse little horn, of course, dominates the rest of the prophecy
and much of the book of Daniel.
So what was it that brought an end to the continuity of empire successions in Daniel 7? It was the rise of the papacy as a small civil power. And
this happened in 508, as described above when proto-France became the first
subjugated land of this little horn. Then that little horn shows up again in
chapter eight, again taking away the continuity.
How was the little horn diverse? In Daniel 8 it differs from Persia and
Greece in several ways. It had power over Gods people (v. 10, even to the
host of heaven.) It magnified itself to equality with Prince Jesus (v. 11). The
truth (v. 12) regarding the sanctuary (v. 11) was cast down.
In short, the little horn was intent on something more than secular dominion. It was domineering over the people of God and over the truth. And this
is precisely how Daniel 7 characterizes the little horn in the next verse after
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v. 24 above. In verse 25 the people of God are given into the papacys power
for 1260 days, and the truth regarding the law is perverted by her.
So we are not surprised to find Daniel 12 referring back to the little horns
rise in two stages. In the first stage, a triple-crown power makes its first
national conquest. The diverse little horn rises. In the second stage, the little
horn subdues three others with the empires forces, making them her own,
and rises to world dominion.
From either of these dates men may know the timing of the time of the
end. It is 1290 years from the first and 1260 years from the second. Both
bring you to 1798 when, in a perfectly sensible conclusion to either reckoning,
the papacy simultaneously lost both world dominion and national existence.
Rome was made a republic by the French.
Dating from the first of these events, Jesus continues, you will find a
blessed movement rising after 1798. What do we know about the movement
from Daniel 12:12?
Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three
hundred and five and thirty days. (Daniel 12:12)
The prophet was shown that whatever event the blessed persons were waiting for, it would not happen when they expected it would. It would appear to
tarry. And what were they to be doing? They were to wait for it because
it would surely come. Also, the time prophecy would be fulfilled punctually,
despite appearances.
But what were the Daniel 12:12 people waiting for? Paul, quoting Habakkuk, gives us our final answer.
Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great
recompence of reward. For ye have need of patience, that, after ye
have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet
a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.
Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul
shall have no pleasure in him. (Hebrews 10:3538)
Deeper
But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and
stand in thy lot at the end of the days. (Daniel 12:13)
Daniel has been standing in his portion as teacher since 1798 (the end of the
1290 days) and in his position as being judged by the books since 1844 (the end
of the 2300 days). Though resting from his labors, his book has been opened. His
lifework has been the lifeblood of a blessed movement. And that is the message of
Revelation 10 and 14, the subjects of some other Bible study some other time.
Those who become confused in their understanding of the Word,
who fail to see the meaning of antichrist, will surely place themselves
on the side of antichrist. There is no time now for us to assimilate with
the world. Daniel is standing in his lot and in his place. The prophecies
of Daniel and of John are to be understood. They interpret each other.
They give to the world truths which every one should understand. These
prophecies are to be witnesses in the world. By their fulfillment in these
last days they will explain themselves. (The Seventh-day Adventist
Bible Commentary, vol. 7, p. 949)
Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three
hundred and five and thirty days. But go thou thy way till the end be:
for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days [Daniel 12:1213]. Daniel has been standing in his lot since the seal was
removed and the light of truth has been shining upon his visions. He
stands in his lot, bearing the testimony which was to be understood at
the end of the days. (Sermons and Talks, vol. 1, p. 226)
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Deeper
will be based on time. We are not to know the definite time either for
the outpouring of the Holy Spirit or for the coming of Christ. (Selected
Messages, book 1, p. 188)
This last statement addresses the often-abused truth regarding new light.
Should we expect new light? The Spirit affirms, Yes. Is that an open-season for each and every new idea to be given a full hearing? The Spirit denies
that it is so.
Some persons have noted that Daniel 12 is couched in literal words; therefore, they have claimed that the prophecies in it must be literal prophecies.
But this is faulty. In Daniel 7, the time prophecy is found not in the symbolic
section of the chapter but in the section that is explaining the symbols.
The time prophecies in Daniel 12 are likewise found in the explanatory
section of the Daniel 1112 prophecy. And the daily and the abomination
in Daniel 12 are, in fact, symbols.
Conclusion
Daniel 12:412 is a prophecy of the middle-age rise and fall of the papacy
and the Advent movement that followed. It is true that there will be another
bout of persecution. There will be another gathering of the remnant. But Ellen
Whites comparison of the Sunday law to the destruction of Jerusalem is no
reason to find in every prophecy of an abomination that desolates a prophecy
of a Sunday law.
This idea is further developed in the next chapter of this book.
Now think this through: Why do we think that if someone has done a lot
of research and collected a lot of reasons and seems sweet and nice, that they
must be right? Have we forgotten how difficult it was for our pioneers to come
together in thought? And our logic and study and prayerfulness and experience in digging truth out of Scripture pales next to theirs.
In view of that, it should not offend one of us to be accused of being very
wrong in our conclusions. Better men than we were indeed very wrong 160
years ago. May we grow brighter in our research.
. Some persons reading this book will begin by searching to see what view it takes of the daily.
While this chapter alludes to my view on this prophetic hot potato, a fuller explanation is
found at my website, www.bibledoc.org under Class Materials. I did not want this book to
be defined by its position on the daily and so omitted the fuller presentation. Of course, one
cannot discuss the 1290 and 1335 without involving the daily to some degree.
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Chapter Eleven
139
Deeper
Miller opposed, on solid grounds, those persons who looked for a rebuilt
Jerusalem as a fulfillment of covenant promises. He argued that Christs
coming to reign on the throne of David would be the event of the jubilee that
would free the Jews from their 2520 years of bondage under a succession
of five great world empires. Thus, he taught, the Jews would be freed from
bondage at Christs return after more than two millennia under bondage to
other nations.
James White later quoted the Advent Shield, an early Millerite paper, to
show that Sabbath-keeping Adventists were justified in holding to the original
Millerite dates while other Adventists were setting new and untried dates.
The paragraphs that he quoted from the Advent Shield included a passing reference to the 2520 and to the Great Jubilee (the 2450-year prophecy
alluded to above, 49 x 50 years) showing that both terminated in 1844.
These same paragraphs from the early Advent Shield were quoted by
Seventh-day Adventists no less than seven times, three during the first year
of publication of the Sabbath Herald, two during the first year of publication
of the Review and Herald, and two during the tenth year of the Review and
Herald.
The seven-year prophetic period of Jewish captivity Miller found in several
Bible passages. He found it in Leviticus 26. He found it also in Deuteronomy
15, figured under the seven year release, the Sabbatical year. He found it also,
albeit in typological fashion, in the story of Nebuchadnezzars grass-eating
period. And he found it also in an obscure interpretation of Ezekiel 39:9.
Seventh-day Adventism on Miller
When Adventism was splintering, the Sabbath-keeping portion held to
more of Millers original teaching than any other branch. They held to Daniel 2,
7, 8 and 9 as taught by Miller. They adopted his understanding, though slightly
refined, of the latter portion of Daniel 12 and more or less to his understanding of large portions of Daniel 11.
But we didnt follow Miller on Leviticus 26. That is why you never grew
up hearing about the 2520-year time prophecy.
Hiram Edson did make a stab at reinterpreting the 2520 in a way that could
fit with Adventism. (For it was clear that Christ did not, in 1844, bring an end
to the Jewish captivityMillers expectation.) Edsons article was printed, at
. A chief problem with the incidence in Ezekiel is that it finds the fulfillment of a prophecy of
a future war and post war clean-up beginning so early that the war is ended and the clean-up
is ongoing for decades before Ezekiel ever makes the prophetic prediction. Presumably this
is why the 2300 days never show up in Revelation while the 1260-day prophecy does. If one
thinks this through, he will also see that it is an argument against Millers understanding of
Revelation 11:2 as well.
140
the request of James White, before it had been matured. It was long, nearly
30,000 words. That is 47 single-spaced sheets of typing paper.
Edson differed from Miller significantly in that he dated the 2520 from
723BC rather than from 677. The earlier date of Edson was based on the
captivity of the ten tribes and extended to 1798. In Edsons view, then, the
first 1260 years were finished inclusive at the commencement of the second
1260-year period. Thus it was the Christian church, not the Jews, that were
released in 1798.
Edsons article, in all fairness to him, was nothing like a statement of what
the pioneers believed either before its publication or at its publication. It was
the result of his personal investigation, and he presented it with a request for
his brethren to evaluate whether or not it would be useful.
As I have not time at present to mature the subject, I send you a
portion of the broken, unmatured ideas as they are. I do not ask that
they now go out as adopted or sanctioned by the Review, but merely
for the examination and inspection of the brethren; and if the subject
by them be judged to be of service to the church and worthy of further
investigation, then it may hereafter be revised, improved, and carried
out in its further bearing and extent. (Advent Review and Sabbath
Herald, January 3, 1856)
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Deeper
Besides these references to Miller, Edson, the Advent Herald, and Smith,
one other pioneer early after the disappointment mentioned the 2520 period
Joseph Bates.
In his 1847 Second Advent Waymarks and High Heaps, Bates recounts
how it came as a shock to Adventists that they and their critics had somehow
missed the fact that the periods (2520, 2450, 6000, 2300) would be fulfilled
142
in 1844, not 1843. This he recounts under the head of his second of seven
waymarks.
Then, after the seventh waymark, Bates confronts Millers view that the
mystery of God is the resurrection. Bates comments cogently that if that
was the mystery that was to be finished, it would not be finished until after the
1000 years. Bates argues rather that the mystery of God refers to the time of
redemption and probation that had closed in 1844. Under this understanding
the times of the Gentiles were the times of Gentile probation that closed in
1844. Bates makes no reference to a change or end to captivity in 1844.
In the 1860s, Joshua Himes recommended First-day Adventists to read the
work of one Dr. Schmeal. The doctor found that the world would end in 1868
at the conclusion of the 2520-year prophecy, dated from a different captivity
than that chosen by Miller or Edson. The Review and Herald mentioned this
simply to refute it.
Finally, in January of 1864, the Review directly repudiated the idea that
Leviticus 26 had a reference to time.
To ignore, or treat with neglect, a prophetic period where one is
plainly given, is censurable in the extreme. It is an equally futile, though
not so heinous, a course, to endeavor to create one where none exists.
(Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, January 26, 1864)
Deeper
Smiths view became standard and no one after him ever published another
allusion to the 2520 as a legitimate prophecy.
The Bible Study
The Old-Testament time prophecies that are familiar to Seventh-day
Adventists are clearly time prophecies.
There are 2300 days, literally, 2300 evenings and mornings.
There are 1260 days and 1290 days and a coming to the 1335th
day.
There is a time, times, and half a time and time, times and a half.
And the phrase seven times appears in 33 passages. Additionally, the
phrase seven years appears in 40 passages. I was interested in Smiths argument that the seven times of Leviticus 26 differed significantly from the
seven times of Daniel 4. Here is what I found:
When the Bible writers want to say seven years they use two words
sheba for seven and shanah for years. This pattern is 100% consistent in the
Old Testament for all 39 Old-Testament instances of seven years.
And when the writers want to say seven times to express so many years,
they use two wordssheba for seven and iddan for times.
Let his heart be changed from mans, and let a beasts heart
be given unto him; and let seven[sheba] times[iddan] pass over him.
(Daniel 4:16)
And whereas the king saw a watcher and an holy one coming
down from heaven, and saying, Hew the tree down, and destroy
it; yet leave the stump of the roots thereof in the earth, even with a
band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be
wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts
of the field, till seven[sheba] times[iddan] pass over him. (Daniel 4:23)
That they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be
with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as
oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven[sheba]
times[iddan] shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High
. Shibah is the Aramaic form; sheba is the Hebrew form. For the sake of simplification, we are
consistently using the Hebrew form of the word.
. The references for you to check in your concordance are: Genesis 5:7, 25, 31; 11:21; 25:17; 29:18,
20; 41:26, 27, 29, 30, 36, 48, 53, 54; 47:28; Exodus 6:16, 20; Leviticus 25:8; Numbers 13:22;
Deuteronomy 15:1; 31:10; Judges 6:1, 25; 12:9; 2Samuel 2:11; 5:5; 24:13; 1Kings 2:11; 6:38;
2Kings 8:1, 2, 3; 11:21; 1Chronicles 3:4; 29:27; 2Chronicles 24:1; Jeremiah 34:14; Ezekiel
39:9.
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Further, the words iddan and mowed are sufficient to indicate a year without the help of a number.
... and they shall be given into his hand until a time[iddan] and
times[iddan] and the dividing of time[iddan]. (Daniel 7:25)
And I heard the man clothed in linen, ... sware by him that
liveth for ever that it shall be for a time[mowed], times[mowed], and an
half. ... (Daniel 12:7)
Finally, when the writers wish to express seven degrees of intensity, seven
occurrences, or any such use of seven that might be translated seven times the
writers typically use two words, sheba for seven and paam for times.
Aside from the passages above, the phrase seven times appears only in
five other passages. One of these is Leviticus 26.
In none of those other four passages is the phrase a reference to seven
periods of time. The passages are:
The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times[shibathayim]. (Psalm 12:6)
Seven times[sheba] a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous
judgments. (Psalm 119:164)
For a just man falleth seven times[sheba], and riseth up again:
but the wicked shall fall into mischief. (Proverbs 24:16)
Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his
visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego:
therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times[sheba] more than it was wont to be heated.
(Daniel 3:19)
. For examples, see Genesis 33:3; Leviticus 4:6, 17; 8:11; 14:7, 16, 27, 51; 16:14, 19; 25:8; Numbers 19:4; Joshua 6:4, 15; 1Kings 18:43; 2Kings 4:35; 5:10, 14.
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Leviticus 26 is the only other place in Scripture that translates the Hebrew
phrases in these four verses as seven times. So the following verses fill out
the remaining Old-Testament uses of the phrase seven times.
And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will
punish you seven times[sheba] more for your sins. (Leviticus 26:18)
And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto
me; I will bring seven times[sheba] more plagues upon you according
to your sins. (Leviticus 26:21)
Then will I also walk contrary unto you, and will punish you
yet seven times[sheba] for your sins. (Leviticus 26:24)
Then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury; and I, even I,
will chastise you seven times[sheba] for your sins. (Leviticus 26:28)
God reminds Israel of their obligations to the second and fourth commandments, the very commandments that contain the gospel content in the
Decalogue, the very ones altered by the papacy. To a reminder of these precepts God adds and reverence my sanctuary.
Here are focal truths for our age. Many distracting and side issues
often claim our attention, but these deserve the attention that the side issues
claim.
And in the symbolic economy of the Jews, giving attention to these things,
walking in Gods statues and in accordance with His commandments, brings
rain in due season and a fruitful harvest. It is easy to perceive which kind
of rain and which kind of fruitful harvest the church should look forward to
today in response to the same conditions of faithfulness.
If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and
do them; then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall
yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.
(Leviticus 26:34)
What God promised was an Old-Testament blessing of always-fresh produce. The two harvests would each last for months, food would be in abundance, and Israel would be safe. They would not, however, be passive. Their
dominions would grow by unnatural victories, five persons putting 100 to
flight.
And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time: and ye shall eat your bread
to the full, and dwell in your land safely. And I will give peace in
the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid:
and I will rid evil beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword go
through your land. And ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall
fall before you by the sword. And five of you shall chase an hundred,
and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight: and your
enemies shall fall before you by the sword. (Leviticus 26:58)
From this promise, as much as from the story of Gideon, we are taught
that God can accomplish His purposes through many or by few.
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The summary of the blessing is found in verses 9 through 13. God promises
that they will be pressured to eat their stored food just to make room for the
new. God would respect them, and for the same reason that He had respect
to Abels offering. What is more, God would dwell with them.
For I will have respect unto you, and make you fruitful, and
multiply you, and establish my covenant with you. And ye shall eat
old store, and bring forth the old because of the new. And I will
set my tabernacle among you: and my soul shall not abhor you.
And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall
be my people. I am the Lord your God, which brought you forth
out of the land of Egypt, that ye should not be their bondmen; and
I have broken the bands of your yoke, and made you go upright.
(Leviticus 26:913)
These items are promised before the first seven in verse 18. The harvest
thefts remind us of Gideon. The running when no one is chasing reminds
us of the armies in the time of Saul. Hated rulers are a theme of the book of
Judges.
And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will
punish you seven times more for your sins. (Leviticus 26:18)
This part of the curse sounds like that of Deuteronomy 28, especially
verses 2324.
And what if Israel does not respond to these events, Gods communication? He says that He will bring seven [times] more plagues. This is why,
and for reasons noted below, that Uriah Smith understood these periods to
be successive.
But before we get that point, observe the last part of verse 21.
And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto
me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to
your sins.
The curse foretold by the term seven is not only finite, it is proportional
to the sins of the people. Items of the curse already listed can be like that. A
famine appropriate to the rebellion, a captivity commensurate with the evil,
a military loss as the result unfaithfulnessall can be upon you according
to your sins.
But what about 2520 years that span two different bodies of Gods people?
Did God threaten a certain generation that if it would not hearken it would
receive a punishment of a captivity lasting more than 2,000 years?
The Ten Commandments speak of a visitation of sins to the third and
fourth generation. That kind of visitation is apparent in the captivity that followed Hezekiah and in the one that followed Josiah. But it is Gods mercies
that extend to a thousand generations. (Deuteronomy 7:9)
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What are the these things of verse 23? They can be no other than the
curses of verse 22 that began with I will also. The word yet is but another
indicator of a chronologically connected discourse.
The next step in the disaster includes pestilence that helps break up the
defenses of a besieged and starving city. And a refusal to respond to this curse
is followed up with words that were fulfilled as least twice in Jewish history.
And if ye will not for all this hearken unto me, but walk contrary unto me; then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury; and
I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins. And ye shall
eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters shall ye
eat. (Leviticus 26:2729)
This was the promise that formed, with the prayer of Solomon, the basis
of Daniels prayer in Daniel 9. His prayer was one of acceptance. He acknowledged the fairness of the sentence of captivity in light of his sins and of those
of his fathers. And he asked for a reprieve. He had been studying the 70-year
captivity mentioned by Jeremiah.
Think, dear reader. Would Daniel have been encouraged by the approaching end of the 70-year captivity if he thought that the promise he was claiming
from Leviticus 26 was connected to a 2520-year captivity?
We have praying to do, judgments to accept, sins to confess, and promises
to claim. We have truth to proclaim. But Daniel wouldnt join us in proclaiming the 2520.
Conclusion
The pioneers became right. As they studied during the formative years
of 1833 to 1863 many of their ideas changed. From the timing of Sabbath to
the timing of the 2300 days, from the identification of the two-horned beast,
to that of the scarlet beast, from the shut door of probation to the shut door of
the holy place, the pioneers were learning. Their publications show it to be
so. They were glad to admit.
It is ironic that we have picked up a teaching that they, for good reason,
were dropping. We would do well to leave it where the first pioneer to ever
really examine the source of the 2520-day prophecy left it. That was Uriah
Smith.
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There are many other teachings that the pioneers were picking up when
they were putting this one down. These deserve more of our study: the seal
of God, the mark of the beast, the message to Laodicea, the third angels message, and righteousness by faith.
Amen.
Post-Conclusion Questions
What if the seven items or repetitions are years? If one assumes,
despite the evidence, that the passages in Leviticus do refer to years, however,
there is no reason to read them as more or less than literal years. The other
blessings and curses in the chapter are manifestly literal.
And we could ask ourselves, were there several seven-year periods of
catastrophe in the history of Israel that were the result of wrong doing? There
were.
And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord:
and the Lord delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.
(Judges 6:1)
Then spake Elisha unto the woman, whose son he had restored
to life, saying, Arise, and go thou and thine household, and sojourn
wheresoever thou canst sojourn: for the Lord hath called for a famine; and it shall also come upon the land seven years. (2Kings 8:1)
A third incident could have occurred during the reign of David if he had
chosen it from a list of terrible alternatives.
So Gad came to David, and told him, and said unto him, Shall
seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? or wilt thou flee
three months before thine enemies, while they pursue thee? or that
there be three days pestilence in thy land? now advise, and see
what answer I shall return to him that sent me. (2Samuel 24:13)
In summary, if Leviticus 26 is read literally, as Adventist standard principles of prophetic interpretation would require, and if we understand seven
in the chapter to mean seven years then we could find in the days of the
judges and of the prophets several fulfillments of the prophecy.
What about Ellen Whites Endorsement of the 1843Chart? One expositor has long taught that the glorious land of Daniel 11 is the United States.
He was reasonably enthused, therefore, when he found that Hiram Edson had
taught the same thing in a long article.
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That article is the one mentioned earlier in this chapter that also addressed
a 2520-year prophecy that had been the subject of several lectures by William Miller.
That expositor has now been teaching about the 2520 for several years and
has been making frequent references to Edsons article. And he has reasoned
that Ellen Whites endorsement of the 1843 chart (which includes a reference
to the 2520) is sufficient reason to have confidence in the 2520 prophecy.
Ellen White never mentioned the prophecy, but as she did indeed more
than once endorse the prophetic charts that included that prophecy, I think
something ought to be said about these endorsements.
I have seen that the 1843 chart was directed by the hand of the
Lord, and that it should not be altered; that the figures were as He
wanted them; that His hand was over and hid a mistake in some of the
figures, so that none could see it, until His hand was removed. (Early
Writings, p. 74)
I saw that the truth should be made plain upon tables, that the earth
and the fullness thereof is the Lords, and that necessary means should
not be spared to make it plain. I saw that the old chart was directed
by the Lord, and that not a figure of it should be altered except by
inspiration. I saw that the figures of the chart were as God would have
them, and that His hand was over and hid a mistake in some of the
figures, so that none should see it till His hand was removed. (Spalding and Magans Unpublished Manuscript Testimonies by Ellen G.
White, p. 1)
What can be confidently stated from the endorsements is that God intended
that the charts would be made, would be used, and would be a continual source
of instruction to Adventists, even long after 1844.
And more than this, we can confidently gather from the endorsements that
no one should be searching for new dates to fulfill the 2300-day prophecy (as
first-day Adventists did when they expected the prophecy to end in 1845, 1846,
1848, 1851, etc.). The figures in the chart were as God would have them.
Hiram Edson thought the hidden mistake was the figures regarding the
2520, but the endorsement that said not a figure should be changed without
special revelation has been made to say something more than it does, namely
that every element of the chart is accurate.
This is a gentle protest against that conclusion. One of my favorite pioneers, Stephen Haskell, made a similar mistake in regard to the endorsement
Ellen White made of the pioneer view of the daily. He thought that a plain
reading of an early statement in Early Writings ought to settle the issue of
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the definition of the daily. But Ellen White protested against this idea. She
indicated that he was reading into the statement more than she was intending
to communicate.
So if a modern expositor has made a similar mistake in value judgment as
Stephen Haskell, I would not take him to task regarding it. But I would offer
some helpful thoughts.
Ellen White made another endorsement the history of which illustrates
the point that broad endorsements should not be taken as recommending all
details of a publication.
I believe the Sanctuary, to be cleansed at the end of the 2300 days,
is the New Jerusalem Temple, of which Christ is a minister. The Lord
shew me in vision, more than one year ago, that Brother Crosier had
the true light, on the cleansing of the Sanctuary, &c; and that it was
his will, that Brother C. should write out the view which he gave us
in the Day-Star, Extra, February 7, 1846. I feel fully authorized by the
Lord, to recommend that Extra, to every saint. (A Word to the Little
Flock, p. 12)
That article by Crosier addressed the issue of the transition between the
holy place ministry and the most holy place ministry of Jesus. It placed the
beginning of the seventh trumpet in the seventh month (Jewish) of 1844.
The opinion generally obtains that the seventh trumpet ushers in
the Age to come. The first thing upon its sounding are great voices
saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our
Lord and of his Christ. These voices must be heard in the world in
which those kingdoms are. It is also evident that the kingdoms sustain
a different relation to God at the time these voices are heard, from what
they did before the 7th trumpet sounded. The declaration, He shall
reign forever and ever; and the humble expression of thanks from the
four and twenty elders, (a symbol of the whole church), Because thou
hast taken to thee thy great power and hast reigned, shows that at that
time he began to reign in a special sense. Such voices have been heard
since the seventh month 44, and produced the effects here described,
deep humiliation and profound gratitude. This change of the relation of
the kingdoms of this world to Christ, is the same as making his enemies
his footstool, (Hebrews 10:13) which event was expected by him while
he set at the right hand of the Father fulfilling the daily ministration.
vs. 11, 12. (O. R. L. Crosier, The Day Star, Extra, February 7, 1846)
Rather than arguing that Crosier was right or wrong, I would like to do a
simple deduction. If Crosier is wrong in this point, then we cannot take Ellen
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Chapter Twelve
Reapplications, Multiple
Fulfillments, and the Story Line
10 quoted below.) But the nature and cause of that repetition needs to be
understood before that repetition is a helpful element in our interpretation
of prophecy.
The work of God in the earth presents, from age to age, a striking similarity in every great reformation or religious movement. The
principles of Gods dealing with men are ever the same. The important
movements of the present have their parallel in those of the past, and
the experience of the church in former ages has lessons of great value
for our own time. (The Great Controversy, p. 343)
History repeats because God, and even men and demons, operate on basically the same principles from age to age.
There are timeless truths that God seeks to bring to the attention of man.
And there are hoary lies that Satan counts as his wrenches and screwdrivers.
He uses them whenever they fit. And these truths combine with the changeless
facts of mans selfishness and searchingness to make history dj-vu-like.
God does not force evil men to repeat the history of their ancestors. In
fact, God warns them against doing so. He does, however, encourage faithful
persons to imitate the faithfulness of ancient worthies. In every age, mercy
pleads with both camps until hope for the former is lost through the hardness
of their hearts.
And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious
generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose
spirit was not stedfast with God. (Psalm 78:8)
Nevertheless mine eye spared them from destroying them, neither did I make an end of them in the wilderness. But I said unto
their children in the wilderness, Walk ye not in the statutes of your
fathers, neither observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with
their idols. (Ezekiel 20:1718)
In every age there is given to men their day of light and privilege,
a probationary time in which they may become reconciled to God. But
there is a limit to this grace. Mercy may plead for years and be slighted
and rejected; but there comes a time when mercy makes her last plea.
The heart becomes so hardened that it ceases to respond to the Spirit
of God. Then the sweet, winning voice entreats the sinner no longer,
and reproofs and warnings cease. (The Desire of Ages, p. 587)
The law of cause and effect doesnt change. So the type of behavior exhibited by Abel has often produced persecution by persons like Cain. Holy living
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by Jesus led to His persecution. In fact, all that live godly in Christ Jesus will
suffer persecution. Revivals are collective growth in holy living. Therefore a
great revival will be followed by a serious persecution. Thus history repeats
itself.
The apostle Paul declares that all that will live godly in Christ
Jesus shall suffer persecution. 2Timothy 3:12. Why is it, then, that
persecution seems in a great degree to slumber? The only reason is
that the church has conformed to the worlds standard and therefore
awakens no opposition. The religion which is current in our day is
not of the pure and holy character that marked the Christian faith in
the days of Christ and His apostles. It is only because of the spirit of
compromise with sin, because the great truths of the word of God are
so indifferently regarded, because there is so little vital godliness in
the church, that Christianity is apparently so popular with the world.
Let there be a revival of the faith and power of the early church, and
the spirit of persecution will be revived, and the fires of persecution
will be rekindled. (The Great Controversy, p. 48)
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The angels in Revelation 16 (see verse 6) recount how that final persecution has been one of the causes of the severity of the seven last plagues.
So what is repeated in Daniel 11:3136? Just as the normal order of things
was replaced by the papacy in the sixth century, so the normal order of things
will be replaced by a church state in the end. And just as those who were willing to go along with a change in the law of God initially were corrupted by
flatteries, so it will be again. And just as the faithful were objects of a variety
of persecutions that tested their faithfulness, so it will be again.
The characters of the participants being the same now as then, those that
follow the lamb-like beast will behave very much like earlier generations that
have followed the leopard-like beast.
Thus the history that fulfilled Daniel 11:3136 will be repeated.
But that is no excuse to confound the persecution of verse 35 with that of
verse 44. If we were not careful, we could end up with a never-ending loop.
If the final persecution is a fulfillment of Daniel 11:35, then there is an even
more final persecution that is a fulfillment of Daniel 11:44. And why should
not that even more final persecution be made a third application of Daniel
11:35? And if we do that, then there must be an even more final final persecution. ... and so on.
The Story Line
This brings me to an important point.
If I were to say, Heidi will go for a walk with Marys dog, then she will
return and take a shower. Then we will go together to supper, though neither
of us will eat very much. Maybe for dessert we will have a couple chewable
vitamin Cs.
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You would read the sentences as a story line with chronological information in it.
Heidi will walk.
Heidi will walk with Marys dog.
Heidi will return.
Heidi will take a shower.
[Heidi will join me.]
We will go to supper.
We will not eat much.
For dessert we will have vitamins.
Heidi walks every day. She often takes a dog. She always returns. She
takes a daily shower. She is usually with me. We almost always eat meals
together. And it is only mildly uncommon for us to treat each other to sweet
chewable vitamins.
But it is a very rare thing indeed to have these common events happen in
precisely this order.
So it is with history. It is not remarkable at all, for example, to predict
that Babylon would eventually be overthrown by an empire that would, itself,
eventually be overthrown.
But it is uncanny, incredible, miraculous, to be able to predict that the
fourth world empire would be divided up into small kingdoms that would ever
defy efforts to unite them into one sovereign power again.
It is the order of events, the story line of history, that gives each epoch
its uniqueness.
And it is the order of events, the story line of prophecies, that allow us to
match them to fulfillments. The relative timing of the fulfillment of one portion of the prophecy can be ascertained by noting where it is in the scheme
of the entire prophecy.
In other words, the bear in Daniel 7, though we find few details in the
prophecy to help us identify it, is rather easy to identify. It is the nation that
follows Babylon. It is its relative timing that makes it easy enough for a fourth
grader to locate on a time line of world history.
A few years ago I had a dialogue with an ex-SDA futurist, Kathie, that
illustrates this point. Kathie thought that the beasts in Daniel 8 represent modern nations that would some day soon fight each other. Let me let you in on a
little of our e-mail discussion to illustrate what I am saying. Notice how the
unique correlation between the various aspects of Daniel 8 to actual history
proves that the prophecy was fulfilled in the past.
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Eugene:
Kathie:
WHO: Daniel 8:20 clearly says that the ram ... having two
horns are the kings of Media and Persia.
WHEN: The time frame is given in verses 17, 19, 23, and 26.
At the time of the end shall be the vision.
WHERE: Today the area of the ancient Medes and Persians is
modern Iraq and Iran.
The 2300 evening/morning did not start in the days of Daniel.
It will happen In the last end of the indignation. ... In the latter
time of their kingdom when the transgressors are come to the full.
... Shut thou up the vision for it shall be for many days. Daniel
8:19, 23, 26.
A few chapters later, Daniel is told to shut up the words and
seal the book, even to the time of the end. ... Go they way, Daniel:
for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end. Dan.
12:4, 9.
Trying to understand the 2300 in an earlier time frame is an
exercise in futility and frustration because things dont fit perfectly.
The future will show that everything fits precisely!!!
Stay tuned! Ram and He-goat battle coming up soon!
Kathie
Eugene:
Hi Kathie,
I see. You are a thorough-going futurist in regard to Daniel 8.
You see it as a coincidence, then, I suppose, that Greece follows
Medo-Persia [as it does in Daniel 8] also in Daniel 2 and Daniel 7
and Daniel 11 and in history.
...
But it must be a coincidence that the goat of Daniel 8 comes from
the west, as Alexander did, and does fly, as the winged leopard must
have been able, and that it has a notable horn that breaks and gives
place to four hornsas Daniel 11 describes the fall of Alexander
and the break-up of his kingdom.
...
. I have highly edited these emails to increase clarity and remove distracting volumes of
documentation.
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That the Roman power became greater than the Grecians (v.
8) is manifest. That the Romans extended their empire into North
Africa (S), Persia (E), and Canaan is apparent in history, and even
in Acts 2.
That the little horn of Daniel 7 has many of the same characteristics as the little horn of Daniel 8, and that both are blasphemous
persecutors of Gods peoplethis is clear. And the Roman power
cannot be said to have failed to fulfill these predictions.
That the Roman power killed Jesus and proceeded in its papal
form to supplant Himthis is abundantly clear.
The angels explanation in Daniel 8 shows that the kingdom of
Persia will be followed by a Grecian empire with a succession of
kings (v. 22) that will be weaker. In the latter time of their kingdom, the king of fierce countenance will rise. In other words, if you
put these verses in the future, ... the future is long indeed.
But what about your strongest argument? The fact that the
vision of Daniel 8 is related to the end?
The parallel of Daniel 8 and 11 is remarkable, as noted already.
Yet the latter chapter is such a clear explanation by the angel of events
beginning in Daniels day and extending to the end of the world that
this cannot be misunderstood.
8:19 For at the time appointed the end shall be
11:6 for yet the end shall be at the time appointed
11:35 even to the time of the end: because it is yet
for a time appointed.
...
But more than this, and notice carefully, Kathie, there is another
time. An angel comes to Daniel and tells him that he will show him
what will befall his people in the latter days.
And it is the preface to the historical prophecy of Daniel 11 that
extends to the end:
Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall
thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many
days. (Daniel 10:14)
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In other words, the one prophecy that is most obviously a description of events from Daniels day to the end of time is described as
relating to the end just as Daniel 8 is.
That is no coincidence.
Blessings to you,
Eugene
What is the point? The events in the story line of Daniel 8 make it so unique
in history that there can be no confusing when it was fulfilled.
Ironically, that is where the two symbols, the daily and the abomination of desolation, are introduced. Why, then, do Adventists try to find future
applications of these two symbols?
Today, it is because of what Ellen White said about Matthew 24. Famously,
this chapter begins with the apostles asking Jesus about the timing and signs
that would foreshadow the destruction of Jerusalem and the end of the world.
They had, of course, no idea that these events were separated by nearly 2,000
years.
The following sentences have been extracted from a representative collection of Ellen Whites statements about that fascinating prophecy.
Jesus did not answer His disciples by taking up separately the
destruction of Jerusalem and the great day of His coming. He mingled
the description of these two events. Had He opened to His disciples
future events as He beheld them, they would have been unable to
endure the sight. In mercy to them He blended the description of the
two great crises, leaving the disciples to study out the meaning for
themselves. When He referred to the destruction of Jerusalem, His
prophetic words reached beyond that event to the final conflagration.
(The Desire of Ages, p. 628)
Christ presented before them an outline of the prominent events
to take place before the close of time. His words were not then fully
understood; but their meaning was to be unfolded as His people should
need the instruction therein given. The prophecy which He uttered was
twofold in its meaning; while foreshadowing the destruction of Jerusalem, it prefigured also the terrors of the last great day. (The Great
Controversy, p. 25)
While these prophecies received a partial fulfillment at the destruction of Jerusalem, they have a more direct application to the last days.
(Testimonies, vol. 5, p. 753)
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Could I have known, without the help of these Testimonies, that Matthew
24 addresses both the destruction of Jerusalem and the end of the world?
Yes, I could.
In fact, Matthew 24 is an outline of the prominent events given in a
simple and straightforward manner.
After warning us not to be deceived, Jesus gives what Ellen White calls
a general warninga warning of events that do not mark the end. After
mentioning these, Jesus said but the end is not yet. Matthew 24:6.
This general warning is continues in verses 78, where we are told that
famines and the like are the beginning of sorrows.
And what, both then and in the future, follows the general disasters and
deceptions?
Persecution. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill
you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my names sake.
And what follows the period of persecution? A period of notable wickedness that causes the love of many to grow cold. And that test of mans love
brings us all the way to the end of time:
But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you
not. Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour
wherein the Son of man cometh. For the kingdom of heaven is as
a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants,
and delivered unto them his goods. (Matthew 25:1214)
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So now what? Jesus has already traced the outline of the world from His
own time to the very end. It would be ongoing disasters, deceptions, persecution, wickedness, and the gospel to the world.
Now Jesus goes back in time and makes an application of the book of
Daniel that is the crux of all that we are discussing in this chapter:
When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation,
spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso
readeth, let him understand:) then let them which be in Judaea flee
into the mountains. (Matthew 24:1516)
The next few verses are all about the flight from the doomed city. Its doom
was pointed out in Daniel 9 as a punishment on the Jews for their murder of
Jesus. Rome was the abomination that would desolate the city.
What happens after this destruction in the general outline of major
events?
For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the
beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And
except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be
saved: but for the elects sake those days shall be shortened. (Matthew 24:2122)
This persecution, the one pointed out in many other passages as happening
during the 1260 years of papal civil supremacy, would, according to Jesus, be
shortened for the benefit of the chosen.
What would follow this period? There would be interest in Christs coming, false messages about a secret coming, and a period of seductive miracles
that will test the chosen. (Verses 2326) And this would be followed by the
real coming of Jesus. (Verses 2728)
We have arrived at the end for the second time in Matthew 24. Where do
we go from here? Back to that ending portion of the 1260 where the persecution has been cut short. Jesus specified that very point for the resuming of
his narrative:
Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be
darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall
fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken.
(Matthew 24:29)
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Section IV
Testimony Tidbits
Introduction
When preaching, when studying, I love to use my Bible. There I find the
most precious gems of truth buried below the surface. Bible study is how I
seek to answer the question What is true?
And I am an enthusiastic believer in the truths God has given to our
church through the prophetic ministry of Ellen White. Only a few months
before this book came into existence, the Ellen G. White Estate began selling
a CD-ROM with all of Ellen Whites published works and, additionally, with
hundreds of books and articles by our Adventist pioneers. I recommend that
media to everyone. Just ask your Adventist Book Center for the Comprehensive Research Edition of the Ellen White CD.
During the last 20 years of teaching and preaching I have spent thousands
of hours pouring over the materials on older versions of this CD-ROM. Often I
have found that Ellen Whites most precious and relevant statements are found
in publications that are rarely read by the average person. These include her
articles, the manuscript releases, and various pamphlets.
So when I am sitting at a fellowship meal talking with believers, I often
recall some paragraph of counsel or encouragement that could make a difference in the life of the person I am speaking to. I bring out my computer and try
to find the paragraph by searching for words that I know that are in it. Some
of you know what I mean when I say that that doesnt always work.
Here in this section, without comment from me, is a collection of materials that I have often shared. I hope it is short enough that, when you want to
share one of these with someone else, you will be able to find it readily.
What kind of topics are addressed? The first few relate to the simplicity of
the gospel. The last speaks to the relation of lifestyle issues (dress, diet, etc.)
to the Christian experience. Between these are incredibly pithy statements on
how to live a Christian life, how to get along with the brethren, and answers
to many why? questions.
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Prayerfully enjoy this collection. Then buy the CD-ROM for yourself and
read the contexts of each of these gems. Let the gifts given to the church do
what they were intended to do for us.
Testimony Tidbits
Testimony Tidbits
will put the same upon you. And your sinsyour old, defiled citizens garmentswill be taken away. He points you to the fountain of living waters,
whereby you may drink and drink again, and be refreshed. He bids you come
unto Him with all your griefs, your pains, your weakness, and He says you
shall find rest. Only believe that Jesus is your personal Saviour, that He pardons all your transgressions, and then rest in His love.
Do not let the smallest doubt come into your soul, for all your feelings
of guiltiness must be laid at the foot of Calvary. Jesus says, I have taken
your sins. I have imputed to you My righteousness. Your weak faith will I
strengthen. Then, trust in Jesus. He extends to you free pardon. He makes
you a member of the royal family. Put your hand in the hand of Jesus, and
He will hold to you more firmly than you can hold to Him.
Let your soul be comforted by the brightness of the Sun of Righteousness.
The cloud may appear dark to you at times in itself, but when filled with
the bright light of Jesus, it is turned to the brightness of gold, for the glory of
God is upon it.
May the Lord bless these words to you, is my prayer. Love to your faithful, watching wife, and all dear friends. (Manuscript Releases, vol. 16, p.
242244)
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me something simple that my mind can grasp, that I can take hold of this faith
to believe Jesus is a present help in every time of need. We find this is the
great want of the soulsomething that the needy, longing soul can grasp,
something easy to be understood. The great reason why many do not lay hold
of this truth is that it is so easy. They think they must do some great thing,
and that God expects them to go through some wonderful process in order to
be converted, but when we present the truth as it is, in its beautiful simplicity,
they stand amazed. Is that all? they inquire.
We need to make the way of life just as clear as it is in Jesus, that all
may see the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Simply to take God at His word
seems so easy they hardly dare accept it. (Manuscript Releases, vol. 10, p.
194195)
Now, God wants His converting power to come on this occasion. There
are some that come to our meetingsthey will sit all through the meetings;
they have borne a few words of testimony now and then; they have gone home
and done just exactly [the same as], if not worse than, before. Why?
Because they had not the new heart. What is the new heart? It is the new
mind. What is the mind? It is the will. Where is your will? It is either on
Satans side or Christs side. Now it is up to you. Will you put your will today
on Christs side of the question? That is the new heart. It is the new will, a
new mind. A new heart will I give thee. (See Ezekiel 36:26) Then let us
begin right here.
Conversion is simple, very simple. Let us commence right here to come
into the kingdom of heaven. How? As a little child. Just as simple as simple
can be. You may get all your mysteries of the new birth, and you cannot make
anybody understand it, or understand it yourself. But the best way for you is
to give your mind to Jesus Christ. And the mind is the will to put it on, and
do just as Matthew did. (Sermons and Talks, vol. 1, p. 210)
Testimony Tidbits
that they are children of God. They are waiting for that peculiar change that
they have been led to believe is connected with conversion.
After a time some of these do receive evidence of their acceptance with
God, and are then led to identify themselves with His people. And they date
their conversion from this time. But I have been shown that they were adopted
into the family of God before that time. God accepted them when they became
weary of sin, and having lost their desire for worldly pleasures, resolved to
seek God earnestly. But, failing to understand the simplicity of the plan of
salvation, they lost many privileges and blessings which they might have
claimed had they only believed, when they first turned to God, that He had
accepted them.
Others fall into a more dangerous error. They are governed by impulse.
Their sympathies are stirred, and they regard this flight of feeling as an evidence that they are accepted by God and are converted. But the principles of
their life are not changed. The evidences of a genuine work of grace on the
heart are to be found not in feeling, but in the life. By their fruits, Christ
declared, ye shall know them. (Matthew 7:20)
Many precious souls, desiring earnestly to be Christians, are yet stumbling in darkness, waiting for their feelings to be powerfully exercised. They
look for a special change to take place in their feelings. They expect some
irresistible force, over which they have no control, to overpower them. They
overlook the fact that the believer in Christ is to work out his salvation with
fear and trembling.
The convicted sinner has something to do besides repent; he must act
his part in order to be accepted by God. He must believe that God accepts
his repentance, according to His promise. Without faith it is impossible to
please Him: for He that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He
is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6) (Evangelism,
p. 286287)
Just as long as ministers and church members sail with the current of the
world, they need neither canvas nor oar. It is when they turn square about to
stem the current that their work begins. It is the duty of every soul that is on
Christs side to be a witness for Him and to contend earnestly for the faith
once delivered to the saints.
What is seen by the world in the present disunion and want of harmony among
those who claim to believe the truth? That this people cannot be of God, for they
are working against each other. (Manuscript Releases, vol. 20, p. 319)
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The world can only be warned by seeing those who believe the truth
sanctified through the truth, acting upon high and holy principles, showing
in a high, elevated sense the line of demarcation between those who keep the
commandments of God and those who trample them under their feet. The
sanctification of the Spirit signalizes the difference between those who have
the seal of God and those who keep a spurious rest day. (The Seventh-day
Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 7, p. 980)
Obedience is the life of the soul. It brings health and peace and assurance.
(Loma Linda Messages, p. 91)
Leave your business cares and perplexities and annoyances when you
leave your business. Come to your family with a cheerful countenance, with
sympathy, tenderness, and love. (Testimonies, vol. 1, p. 695)
Testimony Tidbits
of work enthusiastically, but after a time he wearies of it, and should have a
change. He is not to be held too long in any one place. He should go from
place to place, speaking to new congregations. He has done very well in San
Francisco, but it is not wisest to keep him over one congregation too long. He
has another work to do. (Manuscript Releases, vol. 17, p. 5354)
Vigilant men are wanted in every church. Every member should be awake
and active, feeling that he is responsible for the prosperity of the church. The
reason there is so much dissension in the churches is because they do so little
for God. Satan gives them a work to do for him in finding fault, murmuring,
and talking discouragement. You will ever find that those who invest least
in the cause of God are the ones who will express great concern as to how
those at the head of the work are using the means in their trust. Those who
do least have the least faith. They are like Judas, who grudged the money that
would comfort, and bless, and honor the Redeemer. But let the church come
up individually, every one doing what he can, and all that God requires, and
these petty difficulties will not exist. The mind will be so engrossed in the
greatness of the work, in devising plans for its advancement, that they cannot spend time to investigate their brothers work or motives. (Review and
Herald, March 14, 1878)
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The very last deception of Satan will be to make of none effect the testimony of the Spirit of God. Where there is no vision, the people perish
(Proverbs 29:18). Satan will work ingeniously, in different ways and through
different agencies, to unsettle the confidence of Gods remnant people in the
true testimony. He will bring in spurious visions to mislead, and will mingle
the false with the true, and so disgust people that they will regard everything
that bears the name of visions as a species of fanaticism; but honest souls, by
contrasting false and true, will be enabled to distinguish between them.
Likewise, he works through persons who have been reproved for some
inconsistency in their religious life, for some course of action which was
dangerous to themselves and others. Instead of receiving the testimony as a
blessing from God, they refuse the means God uses to set them right. Such
apparently may be very zealous for God, but they put their own interpretation upon the Word and make it contradict what the Lord has revealed in the
testimonies. They think they are doing Gods service, but such work God has
not given them to do. (Manuscript Releases, vol. 10, p. 311)
It is essential that care should be taken when placing men and women
in positions of trust. You should know something in regard to their past life,
and the character that has been developed. You would better double [the size
of your Sabbath-school] classes under God-fearing workers than to multiply
teachers whose influence is not in accordance with the holy character of truth
which we profess, for their influence will be demoralizing. (Counsels on Sabbath School Work, p. 91)
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The Lord blessed me in speaking. I had not the least sense of weariness.
I felt so grateful to my heavenly Father for the assurance that I could give to
others from a Thus saith the Lord and It is written that, while speaking,
my own soul was refreshed. No one spoke an encouraging word to me. I did
not need any. I was refreshed and deeply impressed that we should dwell more
upon the sacred claims of the Lord. He expects from us entire obedience to His
commandments. His law, written with His own finger upon tables of stone, is
the foundation of all truth. (Manuscript Releases, vol. 18, p. 174)
The happiness of life is made up of little things. It is in the power of everyone to practice true Christlike courtesy. It is not the possession of splendid
talents that will help us to overcome, but the conscientious performance of
daily duties. The kind look, the lowly spirit, the contended disposition, the
unaffected, sincere interest in the welfare of othersthese things are helps
in the Christian life. If the love of Jesus fills the heart, this love will be manifested in the life. We shall not show a determination to have our own way,
a stubborn, selfish unwillingness to be happy or pleased. The health of the
body depends more upon heart-healthfulness than many suppose. (Manuscript
Releases, vol. 21, p. 118)
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The matter that has been brought before the people must be brought before
them over and over again. The articles that are printed in our papers are soon
forgotten by the readers. They must be brought together, reprinted in book
form, and placed before believers and unbelievers. (Counsels to Writers and
Editors, p. 145146)
A great crisis is coming upon us. If men still yield to men, as they have
been doing for the last fifteen years [written in 1896], they will lose their own
souls, and their example will lead others astray. Gods soldiers must put on the
whole armor of God. We are not required to put on human armor, but to gird
ourselves with Gods strength. If we keep Gods glory ever in view, our eyes
will be anointed with the heavenly eyesalve; we will be able to look deeper,
and see afar off what the world is. As we discern its dishonesty, its craftiness,
its selfish eye-service, its pretence, and its boasting, its want of fair, honest
dealing in the ordinary intercourse of life, and its grasping covetousness, we
can take our stand, by precept and example, to represent Christ, and convert
souls from the world by our sound principles, our firm integrity, our hatred of
all dissembling, and our holy boldness in acknowledging Christ.
Do not let the world convert you. Hold fast your profession of faith, maintaining your religious principles firmly but not stubbornly. Your religion cannot
be in any other mans keeping. Honor the cross of Christ, and the cross will
honor you. Let every man stand in God, not to be bought, not to be sold, but to
reveal a Christian fortitude. Serve no man through fear of what that man can
do to you that is disagreeable. Christians you cannot be if you depend on any
other mans conscience. Christ died to give men moral independence, freedom to exercise their God-given ability. His servants are to be circumscribed
by no man or council of men unless they have decided evidence that the men
or council of men are worked by the Holy Spirit. (Manuscript Releases, vol.
17, p. 193)
Jesus is not preached in very many of the pulpits of today. Anything and
everything but Christ is preached, for the very reason that the preacher is not
acquainted with Christ. Some make it a practice to study different authors, and
think this will help them greatly in their discourses. They flatter themselves
that they have a very intellectual discourse, and so they may have; but the
flock is not fed with the bread of life; the crib was placed above their reach.
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That which the world and churches need to day is the preaching of the blood
of Christ and the virtue of His atonement, and to be taught what constitutes
sin, and to have the spirit of Christ interwoven in all their labors. What the
world needs today is to know what they must do to be saved. There are many
interesting and pleasing discourses given that the speaker counts the very
height of success, but they are not thus registered by Him who weighs the
thoughts and motives of men, who looketh not at outward appearances but at
the heart, who weighs such discourses in the balances of the Sanctuary and
pronounces them wanting. The only element which could make them a success is lackingJesus, the Light of the world. (Review and Herald, February
22, 1887)
Parents who would teach their children the evil of following the fashions
of the world, have a hard battle. They are met with, Why, Mother, Sisters
A., B., and C., wear hoops; if it is wicked for me, it is for them. What can
the parents say? They should set a right example before their children, and
although the example of professed followers of Christ causes the children to
think that their parents are too careful and severe in their restrictions, yet God
will bless the efforts of these conscientious parents. If the parents do not take
a decided, firm, course, their children will be borne down with the current,
for Satan and his evil angels are working upon their minds, and the example
of unconsecrated professors is against their efforts, which makes the work of
overcoming far more laborious for their children. Yet with faith in God, and
earnest prayer, believing parents may press on in this rugged path of duty.
The way of the cross is an onward, upward, way. And as we advance therein,
seeking the things that are above, we must leave farther and farther in the
distance the things which belong to the earth. While the world and carnal
professors are rushing downward to death, those who climb the hill will have
to put forth efforts or they will be carried down in the broad road. (Spiritual
Gifts, vol. 4b, p. 6970)
I have been pained to hear so much jesting and joking among old and
young as they are seated at the dining table. I have inquired, Are these men
aware that there is by their side a Watcher who is disgusted with their spirit
and the influence which they exert, and is making a record of their words and
actions? Will our ministers, young and old, countenance these things? Shall
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not we who name the name of Christ take heed to the words, In all things
shewing thyself a pattern of good works, in doctrine shewing uncorruptness,
gravity, sincerity, sound speech, that cannot be condemned? If the truth as
it is in Jesus abides in our hearts, it will sanctify our lives. Our speech will
not be evil. Obeying the truth we shall work the works of righteousness. (The
Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, p. 137)
Are we as a people asleep? Oh, if the young men and young women in our
institutions who are now unready for the Lords appearing, unfitted to become
members of the Lords family, could only discern the signs of the times, what
a change would be seen in them! The Lord Jesus is calling for self-denying
workers to follow in His footsteps, to walk and work for Him, to lift the cross,
and to follow where He leads the way.
Many are readily satisfied with offering the Lord trifling acts of service.
Their Christianity is feeble. Christ gave Himself for sinners. With what anxiety
for the salvation of souls we should be filled as we see human beings perishing in sin! These souls have been bought at an infinite price. The death of the
Son of God on Calvarys cross is the measure of their value. Day by day they
are deciding whether they will have eternal life or eternal death. And yet men
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and women professing to serve the Lord are content to occupy their time and
attention with matters of little importance. They are content to be at variance
with one another. If they were consecrated to the work of the Master, they
would not be striving and contending like a family of unruly children. Every
hand would be engaged in service. Everyone would be standing at his post of
duty, working with heart and soul as a missionary of the cross of Christ. The
spirit of the Redeemer would abide in the hearts of the laborers, and works
of righteousness would be wrought. The workers would carry with them into
their service the prayers and sympathy of an awakened church. They would
receive their directions from Christ and would find no time for strife and contention. (Testimonies, vol. 8, p. 2829)
If his people have not obeyed his requirements, they stand condemned
according to their delinquencies. What, then, is required of the church at
Battle Creek? Humiliation, confession, and true, genuine repentance before
God. The spirit manifested by many at Battle Creek is, Let us not make earnest, thorough work; such a great ado is uncalled for. I tell you, God calls for
repentance and confessions from his people; and those who have taken an
active part in bringing the church into her present position, will never come
to the light only by humble confessions and a sincere repentance before God,
and working to bring them to the light. The wall of separation which the Lord
himself has established between the things of the world and the things he has
chosen out of the world and sanctified unto himself, has been broken down
by those who profess godliness and occupy the position of teachers of the
people. They have not, in precept and practice, acknowledged this position,
but rather by their practice annihilated the difference between the holy and
the profane. But the separation exists, notwithstanding so many have in practice made it void, and seem determined to maintain concord between Christ
and Belial. The Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself; and this
consecration to God and separation from the world, the Lord always loves,
and will always require of his people; for it is plainly declared and positively
enjoined in the Old and New Testaments. Many who think they can impress
the world by agreeing with it make a terrible mistake as far as their own
salvation is concerned and the salvation of unbelievers. It is not conformity
to the customs and practices of the world that will enlighten them and make
them feel their great need of saving grace; but it is to come out from the world
and be separate, stand apart and above it, and in character represent Christ
and give the impression to the world of a holy, separate life. This will give a
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true Christian a power of influence over them. They will see there is a better
life than that which they are living. (Special Testimony to the Battle Creek
Church (PH155), p. 45)
Evangelistic work has been done by some who have not been regarded as
qualified for the ministry. These persons have moved forward as the Lord has
made known to them their duty, and have done a noble work. Brother _____
has been doing missionary work for many years. To all intents and purposes
he has practiced the gospel. It is not sermonizing that makes a minister. This
is where men have failed who from lack of spiritual discernment have failed
to judge righteously. Brother _____ has established churches and built meetinghouses in various places. When he has in one place carried the interest as
far as he felt warranted, he has passed on to another place to which the truth
had never been carried, leaving behind a large number converted to the truth,
with a place of worship in which to meet.
Those who audit the accounts of the workers should not settle with such
workers as Brother _____ according to the precise time they have spent in
preaching sermons. Their practical work is of more value than any number
of sermons, for it is the gospel lived, the gospel acted. The manner in which
Brother _____ has been treated needs correction. The time he has spent in
establishing schools and building meetinghouses is not to be counted out. In
his practical work he was preparing minds to understand the truth as it is in
Jesus. It is such men as this that God has honored. But the work He has originated and blessed men have passed by with scarcely a word of encouragement.
Workers He has sent out have been settled with by the auditing committee in
a way not proportionate to the work they have done.
The Lord calls for workers, not for sermonizers, for men who will do real
work. The time is coming when we shall take a retrospective view of the work
we have done in this life. Then every mans work will stand at its true value.
Then those who have souls to show as a result of their labor will receive recognition from God. (Manuscript Releases, vol. 17, p. 245246)
Testimony Tidbits
some things, do not take it as an evidence that they are unfitted to be thinkers.
Our most responsible men had to learn by a long discipline how to use their
judgment. In many things they have shown that their work ought to have been
better. The fact that men make mistakes is no reason that we should think them
unfit to be caretakers. Those who think that their ways are perfect, even now
make many grave blunders, but others are none the wiser for it. They present
their success, but their mistakes do not appear. Then be kind and considerate
to every man who conscientiously enters the field as a worker for the Master.
Our most responsible men have made some unwise plans, and have carried
them out because they thought their plans were perfect. They have heeded the
mingling of other elements of mind and character. They should have associated with other men who could view matters from an entirely different point
of view. Thus they would have helped them in their plans.
This same character of spirit is found here in Europe. For years Elder
Andrews held the work back from advancing, because he feared to entrust
it to others lest they would not carry out his precise plans. He would never
allow anything to come into existence that did not originate with him. Elder
Loughborough also held everything in his grasp while he was in California and
England, and as a result the work is years behind in England. Elder Wilcox and
Sister Thayer have the same spirit of having everything go in the exact way in
which they shall dictate, and no one is being trained in such a way as to know
how to get hold of the work for himself. What folly it is to trust a great mission
in the hands of one man, so that he shall mold and fashion it in accordance
with his mind, and after his own diseased imagination. Men who have been
narrow, who have served tables, who are not far seeing, are disqualified for
putting their mold upon the work. Those who desire to control the work think
that none can do it perfectly but themselves, and the cause bears the marks of
their defects. (The Paulson Collection, p. 383384)
If Christ is all and in all to every one of us, why are not His incarnation
and His atoning sacrifice dwelt upon more in the churches? Why are not hearts
and tongues employed in the Redeemers praise? This will be the employment
of the powers of the redeemed through the ceaseless ages of eternity.
We need to have a living connection with God ourselves in order to teach
Jesus. Then we can give the living personal experience of what Christ is to us
by experience and faith. We have received Christ and with divine earnestness
we can tell that which is an abiding power with us. The people must be drawn
to Christ. Prominence must be given to His saving efficacy.
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The true learners, sitting at Christs feet, discover the precious gems of
truth uttered by our Saviour, and will discern their significance and appreciate
their value. And more and more, as they become humble and teachable, will
their understanding be opened to discover wondrous things out of His law,
for Christ has presented them in clear, sharp lines.
The doctrine of grace and salvation through Jesus Christ is a mystery to
a large share of those whose names are upon the church books. If Christ were
upon the earth speaking to His people, He would reproach them for their slowness of comprehension. He would say to the slow and uncomprehending, I
have left in your possession truths which concern your salvation, of which
you do not suspect the value.
Oh, that it might be said of ministers who are preaching to the people
and to the churches, Then opened he their understanding, that they might
understand the scriptures! (Luke 24:45) I tell you in the fear of God that up
to this time, the Bible truths connected with the great plan of redemption are
but feebly understood. The truth will be continually unfolding, expanding,
and developing, for it is divine, like its Author.
Jesus did not give full comments or continued discourses upon doctrines,
but He oft spoke in short sentences, as one sowing the heavenly grains of
doctrines like pearls which need to be gathered up by a discerning laborer.
The doctrines of faith and grace are brought to view everywhere He taught.
Oh, why do not ministers give to the churches the very food which will give
them spiritual health and vigor? The result will be a rich experience in practical obedience to the Word of God. Why do the ministers not strengthen
the things that remain that are ready to die? (Selected Messages, book 3, p.
187188)
Testimony Tidbits
men be careful how they call their brethren to account, as though they were
in Gods place.
The Lord has heard the humiliating censure that has been given to those
who had not rebellion in their hearts, who thought they were doing just what
they were told to do. The Lord saw that His work would be marred if the directions given by men were followed, and He guided the minds of the workers
to do the work in the very way that He wished it done. The workers did not
follow the plan laid out by men, because God had a better plan for them. The
divine guiding produced the right result.
If the Lord is the great, unseen Medical Missionary, and men are laborers
together with Him, who are you condemning in blaming His sincere workers? Against whom are your sarcastic words spoken? The Lord Jesus would
have His work done according to His way. If men could see Him guiding and
controlling His servants, helping them to do His work in His way with far better results than if they followed the directions given in human wisdom, how
ashamed they would be of the condemnation they give these workers!
I am instructed to say to our ministers and medical missionary workers,
Be careful what spirit you manifest to one another. Men are having their own
way in many places, and if there is not a change, they will soon see that human
wisdom has placed them where they cannot do the work in such a way as to
make the most advancement. For man to control means that the work of God
will not rise to the high elevation that God designs it to reach.
Gods ways are not mens ways, nor are His thoughts mens thoughts. The
Lord has seen best to permit men to have their own way, but it will be to the
sadness of their own souls and the souls of those whom they control. Gods
name will not be honored as it should be.
To His servants who shall be assembled in council at any time and in any
place, the Lord says, Remember that prayer is the source of power. Remember that it is through dependence upon God, by looking to Him in faith, that
you gain the victory. He never disappoints His people. (Manuscript Releases,
vol. 18, p. 171172)
The youth in Battle Creek are, as a general thing, allied to the world.
But few maintain a special warfare against the internal foe. But few have an
earnest, anxious desire to know and do the will of God. But few hunger and
thirst after righteousness. But few know anything of the Spirit of God as a
reprover or comforter. Where are the missionaries? Where are the self-denying, self-sacrificing ones? Where are the cross-bearers? Self and self-interest
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have swallowed up high and noble principles. Things of eternal moment bear
with no special weight upon the mind. God requires you individually to come
up to the point, to make an entire surrender. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Ye cannot serve self and at the same time be servants of Christ. You
must die to self, die to your love of pleasure, and learn to inquire, Will God
be pleased with the objects for which I purpose to spend this means? Shall I
glorify Him? We are commanded, Whether we eat or drink, or whatsoever
we do, to do all to the glory of God. How many have conscientiously moved
from principle rather than from impulse, and obeyed this command to the letter? How many of the youthful disciples of Battle Creek have made God their
trust and portion, and have earnestly sought to know and do His will? There
are many who profess to be servants of Christ in name, but they are not so
in obedience. Where religious principle governs, the danger of committing
important errors is small; for selfishness, which always blinds and deceives, is
subordinate. The sincere desire to do others good so predominates that self is
forgotten. To have firm religious principles is an inestimable treasure. It is the
purest, highest, and most elevated influence mortals can possess. Such have
an anchor. Every act is well considered, lest its effect be injurious to another,
and lead away from Christ. The constant inquiry of the mind is, Lord, how
shall I best serve and glorify Thy name in the earth? how shall I conduct my
life to make Thy name a praise in the earth, and lead others to love, serve,
and honor Thee? Let me only desire and choose Thy will. Let the words and
example of my Redeemer be the light and strength of my heart. While I follow and trust in Him, He will not leave me to perish. He shall be my crown
of rejoicing.
Bro. Aldrich, you are in an important position. If you fail to come up to
the standard, others follow your example; especially the youth. Your position
in regard to health and dress reforms was such as to cause the unsanctified
to take shelter under your influence. Had you possessed that conscientious,
fine sensibility which ought to be found in you, you would not have ventured
upon the course you pursued. It would have been enough for such a mind to
know that God had deigned to notice the diet and dress of His people; and
how careful and circumspect would have been your words, lest you should
be found fighting against God. Any thing that is of sufficient importance for
God to notice, however small it may appear to those whose hearts are lifted
up in pride, should at least call for respectful silence. Your regarding these
things as insignificant did not make them so. God noticed them. This should
have been enough for poor, proud mortals. Their will and wisdom should not
be maintained against the will and wisdom of Him who is too wise to err, and
too good to do us wrong. Here is the danger of exalting man in our hearts.
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Testimony Tidbits
If we get the wisdom of man before us as the wisdom of God, we are led
astray by the foolishness of mans wisdom. Here is the great danger of many
in Battle Creek. They have not an experience for themselves. They have not
been in the habit of prayerfully considering for themselves, with unprejudiced,
unbiased judgment, questions and subjects that are new, which are liable to
arise. They wait to see what Bro. Aldrich thinks. If he dissents, that is all
that is needed. The evidence in their minds then is positive that it is all of no
account whatever. This class is not small; yet for all their numbers are large,
it does not change the fact that they are weak-minded through long yielding
to the enemy, inexperienced, and will always be sickly as babes, walking by
others light, living on others experience, feeling as others feel, acting as
others act. They act as though they had not an individuality. Their identity
is submerged in others. They are merely shadows of others whom they think
about right. These will all fail of everlasting life unless they become sensible
of their wavering character, and correct it. They will be unable to cope with
the perils of the last days. They will possess no stamina to resist the Devil; for
they do not know that it is he. Some one must be at their side to inform them
whether it is a foe approaching, or a friend. They are not spiritual, therefore
spiritual things are not discerned. They are not wise in those things which
relate to the kingdom of God. None, young or old, are excusable in trusting to
another to have an experience for them. Said the angel, Cursed is man who
trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm. A noble self-reliance is needed in
the Christian experience and warfare.
Men, women, and youth, God requires you to possess moral courage,
steadiness of purpose, fortitude and perseverance, minds which will investigate, and prove, and try, for themselves before receiving or rejecting, minds
that cannot take the assertions of another, but will study and weigh evidence,
take it to the Lord in prayer, and flee to Him who has invited them to come.
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally,
and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him. (James 1:5) Now the condition: But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering; for he that wavereth is like
a wave of the sea, driven with the wind and tossed; for let not that man think
that he shall receive anything of the Lord. (Verses 67) This petition for
wisdom is not to be a meaningless prayer, out of mind as soon as finished. It
is a prayer that expresses the strong, earnest desire of the heart, arising from
a conscious lack of wisdom and knowledge to determine the will of God. If,
after the prayer is made to God, the answer is not immediately realized, do
not become unstable and weary of waiting. Waver not. Cling to the promise,
Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it. (1Thessalonians 5:24)
Like the importunate widow, urge your case, being firm in your purpose. Is
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the object important and of great consequence to you? It certainly is. Well,
waver not; for your faith may be tried. If the thing you desire is valuable, it is
worthy of a strong, earnest effort. You have the promise, watch and pray. Be
steadfast, and the prayer will be answered; for is it not God who hath promised? If it cost you something to obtain it, the more will you prize it when
obtained. You are plainly told that if you waver you need not think that you
shall receive any thing of the Lord. A caution is here given not to become
weary, but to rest firmly upon the promise. If you ask, he will give you liberally and upbraid not. (Testimony for the Church at Battle Creek [PH097], pp.
1721; see also Testimonies, vol. 2, p. 128131)
188
Proverbs 31:4-5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Isaiah 1:9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Isaiah 8:16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Isaiah 10:20-22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Isaiah 11:11-13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Isaiah 11:16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Isaiah 12:1-6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Isaiah 14:16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Isaiah 22:14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Isaiah 27:9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Isaiah 55:1-7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Isaiah 58:12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Jeremiah 3:3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Jeremiah 17:5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Jeremiah 18:7-10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104
Jeremiah 23:1-3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Jeremiah 31:3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Ezekiel 3:7-9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Ezekiel 8:15-16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Ezekiel 9:4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Ezekiel 9:8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Ezekiel 14:22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Ezekiel 20:12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Ezekiel 20:17-18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Ezekiel 20:20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Ezekiel 28:18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Ezekiel 43:20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Daniel 2:45 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Daniel 3:19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Daniel 4:16, 23 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Daniel 4:25 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Daniel 4:17, 32 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Daniel 4:32 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Daniel 7:7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Daniel 7:9-10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12, 16
Daniel 7:19, 23-24 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Daniel 7:25 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Daniel 7:26-28 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
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Daniel 8:14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13, 4041
Daniel 10:13, 21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Daniel 10:14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Daniel 11:2-4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Daniel 11:33-35 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Daniel 12:1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81, 113
Daniel 12:4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Daniel 12:6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Daniel 12:7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Daniel 12:8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Daniel 12:9-11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Daniel 12:12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132
Daniel 12:13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Hosea 5:14-15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Joel 2:17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Amos 5:18-19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Amos 9:9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Habakkuk 2:2-4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Haggai 2:4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Malachi 3:1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Malachi 3:3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Malachi 3:17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Matthew 4:4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Matthew 4:9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Matthew 4:10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Matthew 15:8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Matthew 15:9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Matthew 18:7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Matthew 24:12-13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Matthew 24:15-16, 21-22, 29 . . . . . . . . . . 164
Matthew 24:30-31 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Matthew 24:31 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Matthew 25:12-14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Matthew 26:39 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Mark 13:27 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Mark 14:21 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Luke 12:8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Luke 18:13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
John 4:23-24 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
John 5:25 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
John 5:28 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
John 9:41 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
John 12:32 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
John 13:35 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
John 15:7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
John 19:11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Acts 2:23 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Acts 3:15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Acts 3:19-20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Acts 5:31 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Acts 17:23-30 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
190
Scripture Index
1 Peter 1:2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
1 Peter 1:18-19 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
1 Peter 3:15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
2 Peter 3:3-6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
1 John 1:7, 9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
1 John 4:7-8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Jude 1:9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Jude 14-15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Revelation 1:5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Revelation 1:5-6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Revelation 3:5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14, 16
Revelation 3:20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Revelation 6:10-11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Revelation 6:11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Revelation 7:14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Revelation 11:15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Revelation 12:7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Revelation 12:17 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Revelation 14:6-7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Revelation 14:7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Revelation 14:7-11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Revelation 14:9-11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Revelation 14:11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Revelation 14:7, 12 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Revelation 19:10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34, 116
Revelation 20:9-10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Revelation 20:11-15 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
191
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