Many weeks ago, actually a few months ago, we reviewed a topic that I first preached about in Europe in 1991, just a few weeks before my brother was killed.  After that, I preached about that topic in many places in the United States.  We reviewed that subject because it needs to be reviewed; it deals with some very basic issues that God’s people are dealing with today.  I called that topic, “The Fear of the Jews.”  I said, at the close of that sermon, that there was more to say about that topic now than there was 10 or 11 years ago and that we needed to study more about it, but we never did study more about it!  I want to study more about it with you today.  We’ll call it “The Fear of the Jews” Part Two, because it has implications for the future as well as for the past.  The study of the fear of the Jews is not just something that happened in Jesus’ day and in the days of John the Baptist.  It’s not just something that happened in the days of the apostle Paul, and it’s not just something that happened in the days of the Protestant Reformation.  It’s not just something that has been going on in the history of the revival and reformation movement in Adventism.  It’s a topic that has to do with the future.  The future is coming.  Someday, maybe sooner than you think, what we look at as being future will be present.  When the future becomes the present, where are you going to be?  What are you going to do?  Are you going to be ready?

There are some people that are always putting off getting ready for the future.  I remember, when I was a boy, we had just moved to the state of Colorado, and I got acquainted with a man and a woman.  I don’t know how old they were—when you are a child you think people are a lot older than you think they are after you become an adult—so I don’t know how old they were, maybe they were 45, somewhere in that age bracket.  I found out that this man and this woman had sort of a courting relationship.  They had been going together for many years.  He would take her out for dinner, and they would go places in his car, and it was a very interesting thing for children to watch.  It was a long-term courtship.  For as long as I lived there, I never heard that they got married, but this thing just went on and on and on and on.  You know, there are some people that it’s like that with their Christianity.  They are getting to know the Lord; they are looking forward to having some wonderful experiences with the Lord; they are reading their Bible; they are talking to the Lord; they pray; they come to church.  See, this woman and this man went through all those things.  They talked to each other; they spent time together; they liked each other; they liked to go places together; but they never made a commitment.

My dear friend, if you are in that category, don’t postpone it forever, because you don’t have forever.  It’s not my purpose to try to scare anybody by telling you stories of people who postponed it till it was too late.  There are stories like that in the Bible.  But if you are like that man and that woman, if you’re going with the Lord, talking to Him, reading His Book, going to church, but you haven’t made a commitment, don’t put it off too long.  You don’t have forever!  The future is coming.  Someday in the future it will be too late.  We are going to read about that.  Before we open God’s Holy Book, let’s pray together.

Father in Heaven, I pray that your Holy Spirit will guide our minds as we look at Bible prophecy and see what is going to happen in the future, and Lord, I pray that you will prepare our hearts for the future.  Help us not just to pray, not just to study, not just to go to church, but help us to make a commitment to Jesus Christ, to acknowledge Him as our personal Savior from sin and as the Lord and Master, the absolute Ruler of our lives, so we can enjoy the pleasures, the power, and the joy that such a commitment will give.  We pray in Jesus name and for His sake, amen.

Since it has been a few months since we studied the first part of this topic, we need to read just a few Bible verses to refresh a few things in our memory about the fear of the Jews.  Look first of all at John 9.  The fear of the Jews is introduced actually in John 7, but we will read John 9, starting with verse 18.  It says, “The Jews therefore did not believe concerning him, that he was blind and had received his sight, until they called the parents of the one who had received his sight.  And they asked them, saying, ‘Is this your son, whom you say that he was born blind?  How therefore does he now see?’  Therefore his parents answered and said, ‘We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind, but how now he sees we do not know, or who opened his eyes we do not know.  Ask him; he is of age.  He shall speak concerning himself.’  His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for already the Jews had decided that if anyone should confess Him to be the Christ, he would be cast out of the synagogue.  On account of this, his parents said,  ‘He is of age, ask him.’ ”

The fear of the Jews is a terrible, terrible thing.  These parents knew who had given sight to their son; they knew, but they denied.  They told a lie because of the fear of the Jews.  What’s going to become of all liars?  What does it say in Revelation 21 and 22?  They will be outside the city.  The parents were willing to forfeit eternal life because of fear of the Jews, because they didn’t want to get cast out of the synagogue.  Which would you rather do?  Would you rather get cast out of the synagogue, or would you rather forfeit eternal life?  Which would you rather do?  There are a lot of people today that would rather forfeit eternal life than get cast out of the synagogue, for the fear of the Jews, the fear of the church.  The fear of the Jews produced a loyalty to a church organization above a loyalty to truth.

My dear friend, if you are more loyal to any organization or group or fraternity or church or anything than the truth, you’ve got the fear of the Jews.  You’ve got a problem, and you could forfeit eternal life, if you don’t overcome it.

Romans 2:28, 29 says, “For not he is a Jew who is one openly, neither that circumcision which is manifested in the flesh, but he is a Jew who is one in secret, and his circumcision is of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.”

Paul says, your belonging to the true people, the true church, is not determined by something that is outward—circumcision, baptism by water, profession of faith.  Get this, friend, a lot of Christians get confused about this.  I meet Christians all over; they think, I’ve been baptized; I profess faith in Christ; I am saved.  Romans 2:28, 29 says you will not be saved just because you made a profession of faith and because you were baptized with water.  Have you been baptized with the Holy Spirit?  See, baptism by water represents the baptism of the Holy Spirit.  Have you been baptized by the Holy Spirit?  You remember what Jesus said, if you haven’t been born of the Spirit you are not going to heaven.  (John 3:5.)  Even if you’ve been born of water you’re not going to heaven, if you have the outer experience and don’t have the inner experience.

Point two about the fear of the Jews is that it brings a false security. . . .  If you have done the right things, you will be saved—if you belong to the right church, if you’ve been baptized the right way, if you believe the right religion, if you believe the right doctrines.  If you do the right things, if you belong to the right church organization you will be saved.  That’s what the fear of the Jews does; it brings a false security. 

Point three.  Romans 9:6 is one of the clearest passages in the New Testament that has been an amazing thing to me ever since I started preaching on the subject of the fear of the Jews in 1991.  Somehow it seems difficult for God’s people to get this, but it’s still in the Bible, whether we get it or not.  It says:  “It is not however because the word of God has not taken effect or it has been nullified, for all the ones who are of Israel are not Israel.” 

Now there are different ways to translate that, but that’s the thought.  Everybody that is of Israel is not really Israel.  Do you get it?  What does that mean?  Paul says, everybody that is of Israel is not Israel.  Maybe we should read a couple of texts that sound absolutely contradictory and see if you can figure it out.  See what you think about Romans 11:26.  Read the first part of the verse only.  It says:  “And like this all Israel shall be saved.”

Now let’s read a verse that sounds exactly opposite to that.  You can’t figure out how these don’t contradict unless you understand Romans 9:6.  In Romans 9:27, we read a quote from Isaiah: “But Isaiah cried concerning Israel: ‘Although the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant will be saved.’ ”

Is all Israel going to be saved in this verse?  No.  Only a remnant is going to be saved.  Well, in Romans 11:26 it says all of Israel will be saved.  That is a direct contradiction.  How do you figure that out?  I’ve got written down notes to explain it, but I think I’ll leave that for you to figure out.  Study Romans 9:6.  Everybody that is of Israel is not Israel. 

Sure, everybody in the church triumphant, when the church triumphs, is going to be saved.  Everybody in Israel then is going to be saved, but everybody is not going to be saved in the church militant.  Everybody that makes a profession is not really part of Israel. 

Let me ask you another question.  Who is Israel today?  I didn’t say, who is Israel when the voice of God delivers the saints, and they all will be saved.  I didn’t say that.  Who is Israel today?  Now, we need to spend just a few minutes on this, because so many people are confused about this.  I want to be as plain as I can, but I hope I don’t hurt anybody’s feelings.

Israel today is those that profess the true faith.  The people that profess the true faith are not Babylon; they are Israel.  A lot of people are confused on this today.  I repeat.  The people who confess the true faith are Israel; they’re not Babylon.  But, all the people that profess the true faith today are not going to be saved.  Romans 9:27 directly addresses our situation.  It says although the number of the children of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant will be saved.  Do you get it? 

We just read in chapter 9 of the Gospel of John about the experience with the man that was born blind.  Jesus gave him his sight, but his parents lied because of the fear of the Jews.  They were afraid to even acknowledge who had healed their son.  Imagine that!  Your son is born blind; he is an adult now, and someone heals him and gives him sight.  You won’t even acknowledge who did it!  You’re scared of being disfellowshipped, so you lie about it and shut yourself out of the kingdom of heaven.  You can read in the latter part of John 9 that the Pharisees had to go back to the man who had his sight restored, and they asked him again, and he said, Well, uh, how did this happen?  Perhaps the man got a little bit frustrated, because he said, well “ ‘I already told you once, and you didn’t listen.  Are you going to listen if I tell you again?  Do you want to be his disciples?’  Then they got furious, and they said, ‘You’re his disciple; we’re Moses’ disciples.  We know that God spoke through Moses, but this person, we don’t know where he’s from.’  And the man said, ‘This is an astonishing thing.  You don’t know where he’s from, but he opened my eyes and from the beginning of the world it was never heard of that anyone opened the eyes of a man that was born blind.  If this man was not from God, he couldn’t do anything.’  Then they got so furious they gathered the robes around him, and they said, ‘You were altogether born in sin. Do you teach us?’  And they cast him out.”  He was disfellowshipped.  You see, the Jews believed!  

My dear friend, do not ever, ever come to the conclusion, if you see a fellow human being in trouble—financial trouble, health trouble, any kind of trouble—that that person is under the curse of God.  That’s not what the Bible teaches.  Read the book of Job.  You see, the Jews thought if you had these problems that meant that you were under the curse of God.  That’s what a lot of people believed in the Old Testament, and that’s why God had the book of Job written.

I remember some years ago a certain Adventist lady, a very godly woman, who taught me how to give Bible studies.  Many, many people will be in the kingdom of heaven because of her work; she was a Bible worker.  This lady contracted a serious disease, and I could hardly believe what I listened to fellow Christians talk about this woman.  They said, Wow, she’s been a Christian for a long time, and she’s been a health reformer; how could this happen to her?  I thought, What are you talking about?  We’re just as bad as Job’s miserable comforters.  Friend, don’t ever, ever come to the conclusion, if you see someone that has cancer or diabetes or high blood pressure or any serious disease, that they are under the curse of God because they’re going through trouble.  That is not what the Bible teaches; the devil is the source of our troubles.  Don’t ever, even in your mind, look down on someone because they’re sick.  Oh, somebody says, Pastor John, maybe they’re sick because it’s his or her own fault.  Well, maybe.  Have you ever had some trouble come to you because it was your own fault?  I’ve had many awful things happen to me because I’d made mistakes, but remember what the Lord Jesus said about this blind man, when his disciples asked him the same question.  Jesus’ own disciples thought just like the Pharisees, when they asked, Who sinned, this man or his parents that he is born blind.  Jesus said, neither one.  Don’t ever develop pharisaic thinking about someone that’s in some kind of trouble.  Don’t ever do it.  That’s part of phariseeism; that is not part of the religion of Jesus Christ.  The Pharisees cast out this man, but Jesus found him. 

Ellen White says, about what Jesus did,  “Wolves in sheep’s clothing were ready to cast out of the fold and devour one who was entitled to the Lord’s pasture; but Jesus, the True Shepherd, sought him, and gave him a place within the fold.”  The Signs of the Times, December 4, 1893.

What’s the fold?  Are you in the fold?  The fold is a Biblical symbol of the church.  The church is the fold, and a fold has walls around it to keep the wolves out.  There were wolves in sheep’s clothing in this fold, and they wanted to cast him out.  But it says Jesus gave him a place in the fold.  I love that.  By the way, do you think Jesus went to Caiaphas and got permission to get his name put back in the books again?  You better think through what it means to be in the fold.  One of the reasons I like this statement is that we are all affected by the experiences we go through; we all are.

Some years ago, when I was disfellowshipped from a church, a brother wrote to me and said that he was so sorry I wasn’t in the church anymore.  I said, Now wait a minute; I’m still in the fold; I’m still in the same fold as this blind man that had his sight restored.  I’m in that fold; I’m in that church.  You see, the fear of the Jews results in people not being able to tell the difference between profession and character; that’s what it does.  It’s a very, very serious condition.

Those of you who study the writings of Ellen White, let me just run something by you very quickly that you can study on your own.  People have challenged us about the teaching about the professed church versus the true church, which is very clear in inspired writings.  All the true church makes a profession, but not everybody that makes a profession is part of the true church.  If you want to study this out on a CD-rom or on an index, there is some very common terminology.  This terminology is used hundreds of times in the Spirit of Prophesy—not just professed church, but look up professed people.  You’ll find out the terminology is used hundreds of times.  You need to be able to tell the difference between what is professed and those that not only make a profession but also have a character to back it up.  That’s what we need to be praying about.  If we claim to be Christians, we are making a profession, but do we have a character to back it up?  Is our character Christ-like or not?

Concerning the professed church, the professed people of God, Ellen White wrote some very startling things.  Here’s one such statement: “The facts concerning the real condition of the professed people of God, speak more loudly than their profession, and make it evident that some power has cut the cable that anchored them to the Eternal Rock, and that they are drifting away to sea, without chart or compass.”  Review and Herald, July 24, 1888.

Isn’t that an amazing statement?  God has drawn a dividing line, and if we make a profession of faith, we are on one side or the other of the dividing line.  Where is the line drawn?  I can’t see it, and you can’t see it, but God can see it.  Inspired writings tell us where the dividing line is drawn between the professed church and those that not only make a profession but also have a character to back it up.  “God is honored, not so much by the great number, as by the character of those who serve him.  He appreciates moral worth.  He draws the dividing line between those who bear his name by profession, and those whose character shows them to be his children.”  The Signs of the Times, June 30, 1881.

Where does God draw the dividing line?  Between those who have only the profession and those who have a character to back it up.  My dear friend, this is something you need to be praying about.  I pray about this often.  Is your character Christ-like?  Is it more Christ-like today than it was last week, last month?  Are you growing in grace; are you developing a Christ-like character or is all you have a profession?

There are a lot of people today who make the profession that aren’t part of the true church at all.  Ellen White wrote, in The Signs of the Times, April 22, 1889, “ ‘The dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.’  [Revelation 12:17.]  We can see from this scripture that it is not the true church of God that makes war with those who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.”  It’s not.

Those that profess the Adventist faith do so because they have been students of prophecy and want to bring their lives into harmony with prophetic writings in the books of Daniel and Revelation.  They want to be part of the group that is described in Revelation 14:12.  It describes here a group of people called holy people or saints, and it says that these people keep the commandments and the faith of Jesus.  They have these two characteristics.  I want to be part of that group of people, do you?  But what if I make a profession that I am part of this group of people and then I don’t keep the commandments; what then?  Will my profession save me?

See this is what the fear of the Jews is all about.  The Jews thought that because they were the seed of Abraham that their salvation was guaranteed, and they crucified Jesus, because Jesus disputed that claim.  All who claim to be Sabbath-keeping Adventists and yet continue in sin are liars in God’s sight.  (See Manuscript Releases, vol. 19, 177.)  Are liars going to heaven?  No!

If the church of God becomes lukewarm, it does not stand in favor with God anymore than do the churches that are represented as having fallen and become the habitation of devils and a hold of every fowl spirit and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.  (Revelation 18:2.)  Those who have had opportunity to hear and to receive the truth, who have united with the Seventh-day Adventist church calling themselves the commandment-keeping people of God, and yet possess no more vitality and consecration to God than do the nominal churches, will receive of the plagues of God just as verily as the churches who oppose the Law of God.

Do you get it?  You can profess to be part of Israel, and you’re part of Israel by profession, but you will receive the plagues of God just like Babylon.  There won’t be any difference when the plagues come.  You are going to say, when the plagues come and you have that dreadful sore, But Lord, I professed to be part of the remnant commandment people.  You see, your profession is not going to do any good, if you’re not living it out, because God draws the dividing line between profession and character.

This is deceptive, and people think they’re saved when they’re not.  That’s what the fear of the Jews does.  It makes people think they’re saved when they’re not. 

I make the profession; I belong to the right organization; I believe the right doctrines; I do the right things.  That’s what the Pharisees said.  You know, prophets see things far in the future that have never yet happened.  You’ve noticed that as you’ve read your Bible haven’t you?  Prophets see things far in the future that have never yet happened.  We read in our scripture today a scripture that was written over 2,500 years ago.  It hasn’t happened yet, but it’s going to happen soon. 

Were you paying attention when we read our scripture reading from Ezekiel 9?  About what period of time is this talking?  Friend, it’s talking about just before the close of probation.  If we had time, I could take you through Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel, and I could show you a number of texts that speak about conditions right at the end of time that haven’t even yet happened.  They were written over 2,500 years ago.  The Lord told Isaiah that “I knew you that you’re stiff-necked and perverse, and for that reason I told you before it happened so that you couldn’t say that I already knew it.”  (See Isaiah 46:10, 12, 13.)

God had written out some prophecies, over 2,500 years ago, of what’s going to happen, and it hasn’t even yet happened.  Some of the prophecies have happened but not all, and the prophecy in Ezekiel 9 is talking about the period of time in earth’s history just before the close of probation.  Probation hasn’t closed yet.  Are you glad of that?  A lost person can, right today, be saved.  If you haven’t yet decided to follow Jesus, you can still be saved today.  Don’t be like the woman and man that I told you about earlier that went together for 10 or 20 years but never got married.  Don’t be like that; don’t postpone your decision forever.

Ezekiel 9 is about conditions in Israel just before the close of probation.  Who’s Israel today?  It’s those who profess the true faith. 

Paul said that if you are Christ’s, if you have been baptized into Christ, you are Abraham’s seed, heirs according to the promise.  (Galatians 3:29.)  Israel today are those that profess the true faith and Ezekiel 9 is about the experience of the people that profess the true faith just before the close of probation.  The people in Ezekiel 9 are not Babylon.  They are not the atheists; they are not the infidels; and they are not Babylon.  They are Israel.  That’s what makes the prophecy more alarming. 

They are Israel, but remember Romans 9:27.  Although the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, how many will be saved?  A remnant.  Do you see two categories of people developed, as you read Ezekiel 9?  There was one group of people, evidently the vast majority, destined for destruction.  Although part of Israel, when the judgments of God come and the threats come of being destroyed, they are going to say, Don’t; you can’t do that, because I belong to . . . .  It’s going to be too late then.  They can’t be saved just because they say, Do not kill me; I belong to the right church. 

Ezekiel 9 is about that period of time when Jesus is about to leave the mercy seat.  Does Jesus have to leave the mercy seat at some point in time?  Does He have to?  As long as Jesus stays at the mercy seat, there is mercy, but Jesus isn’t coming again in the clouds of heaven. You see, Jesus has to leave the mercy seat, if He is going to come back to this world.  That’s why it says, in Hebrews 9, that when He comes back He will come back without sin.  He won’t be a sin-bearer any more, like He was when He came the first time.

In Testimonies, vol. 5, pages 207–216, Ellen White provides an explanation of Ezekiel 9.  She says: “The prophet, looking down the ages, had this time presented before his vision.”  Ibid., 208.  That’s just before Jesus would leave the mercy seat. 

She makes it very clear on page 209 that she is talking about those who profess the truth.  Adventists profess the truth.  But then she talks about two groups.  Let’s look at these two groups and several different sentences from this reference that talk about these two groups.  Remember that we read it already in our scripture from Ezekiel 9.  There is one group that is going to be marked; there is another group that is not going to be marked.  The people that are marked are not going to get destroyed.  Of the people that are not marked, every single one is going to get destroyed, whether it’s a man, an old man, a young man, a woman, a virgin, or a child.  Every one of those terms is listed in Ezekiel 9.  In Ezekiel 9, we see all of Gods’ professed people divided into two groups—those that are marked and those that are not marked. 

Let’s see how the group that is marked is described and how the group that is not marked is described.  “The leaven of godliness has not entirely lost its power.  At the time when the danger and depression of the church are greatest [That’s the entire professed church; everybody that professes that faith, all of them.  It doesn’t matter what church they’re in—a conference church, a non-conference church, any church—the people are going to be marked or unmarked.], the little company who are standing in the light will be sighing and crying for the abominations that are done in the land.”  Ibid., 209.

Who is that group?  It’s a “little company”?  Do you get it, a “little company.”  That means it’s not the majority!  It’s not the majority; it’s a little company; and I want to be part of that little company.  Let’s look at the characteristics of this little company and at the characteristics of the others.  The prayers of the little company more specially will rise in behalf of the professed church, because its members are doing after the manner of the world.  Ellen White says, “The earnest prayers of this faithful few will not be in vain.”  Ibid., 210.

There’s a second description of this group.  First they’re called a little company that is standing in the light.  They’re not standing in the dark; they’re standing in the light.  That’s something for you to study out.  They are standing in the light, and they are earnestly praying and they’re called the “faithful few.”  I want to be part of the faithful few, do you?

Then it says, concerning these people, “When the Lord comes forth as an avenger, He will also come as a protector of all those who have preserved the faith in its purity and kept themselves unspotted from the world.”  Ibid.

Do you want, when God’s judgments come upon the world, to be protected?  The people that are going to be protected are the people that have preserved the faith in its purity and who have kept themselves unspotted from the world.  (See James 1:27.)

Are you praying about that, that the Lord will help you to preserve the faith in its purity and to keep you unspotted from the world?  That’s the little company; that’s the faithful few; that’s the people that are going to receive the mark in their foreheads.  By the way, this is a mark that human eyes can’t see, but angels will be able to see it.

A fourth description of this little company, these faithful few, is, “In the time when His wrath shall go forth in judgments, these humble, devoted followers of Christ will be distinguished from the rest of the world by their soul anguish, which is expressed in lamentation and weeping, reproofs and warnings.”  Ibid.

Notice, these people are not quiet!  She says that others try to throw a cloak over the existing evil and excuse the great wickedness everywhere prevalent, but those who have a zeal for God’s honor and love for souls will not hold their peace.  Friends, that’s why you and I do not dare to be quiet.  People say, Oh, you’re a troublemaker; why do you keep bringing . . .  Listen friends, if these things aren’t brought up and if they’re not made right, God’s people are going to go to destruction, and if there’s sin in your life and it’s not made right, you won’t receive the mark.  Remember, these people, the faithful few, are unspotted from the world.  If there is sin in your life and it’s not confessed and repented of, you’re going to destruction.  That’s what Ezekiel 9 teaches.  These people are distinguished by their soul anguish that manifests itself in lamentation and warnings.  Oh, somebody says, the warnings don’t do any good.  The prophecy says that the warnings will do a little bit of good.  “Some who had been dishonoring God repented and humbled their hearts before Him.”  Ibid.

We need to do everything we can to get the message out to prepare people for the sealing, so they can receive God’s mark of approval.  Some people will listen; most won’t.  She says, “But the glory of the Lord had departed from Israel [that’s the professed church; everybody that professes the true faith]; although many still continued the forms of religion, His power and presence were lacking.”  Ibid.  That is, the power and presence of the Lord were lacking.  What would happen to us in this church or any church if the power and presence of God weren’t here when we worship?  In fact, Ellen White says, in the book Upward Look, page 315, that it’s only the presence of the eternal One that can even constitute a church.  You don’t even have a church if the Holy Spirit is not there; you’re just playing church.

This little group, just a faithful few, a little company, is in the minority, and they can’t get the rest of the people that profess the true faith to listen.  Notice what it says: “Their righteous souls are vexed . . . with the unholy works and conversation . . . .  They are powerless to stop the rushing torrent of iniquity, and hence they are filled with grief and alarm.  They mourn before God to see religion despised in the very homes of those who have had great light.  They lament and afflict their souls because pride, avarice, selfishness, and deception of almost every kind are in the church.”  Ibid.

That’s the church that makes a profession of being God’s people, professors of the true faith.  It’s not profession that is going to determine whether most of these people are going to get destroyed.  Read Ezekiel 9.  The Ellen G. White 1888 Materials, vol. 3, page 1303, says that Ezekiel 9 is going to be fulfilled to the very letter.  Continuing in Testimonies, vol. 5, pages 210 and 211, she says, “The spirit of God, which prompts to reproof, is trampled underfoot, while the servants of Satan triumph.” 

That’s happening among God’s professed people, among those who profess the true faith in Israel.  What’s happening in Israel?  Well, “the spirit of God, which prompts to reproof, is trampled underfoot and the servants of Satan triumph.  God is dishonored, the truth is made of none effect.”  That’s what she says will happen.  Then . . .

“The abominations for which the faithful ones were sighing and crying were all that could be discerned by finite eyes, but by far the worst sins, those which provoked the jealousy of the pure and holy God, were unrevealed.”  Ibid., 211.

That’s quite a statement isn’t it?  The worst sins are unrevealed.  What’s going to happen?  She quotes Daniel 12:1 about when Michael stands up, and then she says: “When this time of trouble comes, every case is decided; there is no longer probation, no longer mercy for the impenitent.  The seal of the living God is upon His people.”  Ibid., 212.  What’s that?  Oh, that’s that mark.  Remember, in Ezekiel 9, there was one person standing in linen garments, and he had a scribe’s ink horn on his loins.  The Lord said to him, You go out throughout the land, and everyone that is groaning and mourning for the abominations that are being done, put a mark on their forehead.

So now the people have been marked.  In the last of Ezekiel 9, the man came back, and he says I’ve done it; I’ve done what you’ve commanded me; I’ve marked them all.  Everyone that is groaning and mourning for the abominations done in the land, I’ve marked them.  These are not people that are just sitting around being quiet; they’re protesting what is done.  Friends, if there is sin or iniquity in the church where you’re worshiping, and you’re not doing anything about it, you’re just silent, you are not preparing to receive the seal of God.  You either have to get the sin out of the church you’re going to or you have to get out of the church yourself.  You must do one or the other, because God is going to have a pure people.

The seal of the living God is upon His people.  These are the people that have the mark.  Romans 9:27 says that although the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant will be saved.  This small remnant isn’t able to defend themselves in the deadly conflict with the powers of earth that are marshaled by the dragon host unless they make God their defense.  God will deliver this remnant.  Romans 11:26 says all Israel will be saved.  Every one of these people will be saved.  All the wicked people of the world cannot keep you from being saved if you have the mark.  Are you praying about receiving the mark?  Are you praying about the seal of God?  Are you asking the Lord to get you ready in character so you can receive His seal? 

Here’s how Ellen White describes the experience of these people just before this time: “By a life of holy endeavor and firm adherence to the right the children of God were sealing their destiny.  Beset with temptations without number, they knew they must resist firmly or be conquered.”  Ibid., 213.  Not one of us will ever receive the seal of God while our characters have one spot or stain upon them.  It is left with us to remedy the defects in our characters, to cleanse the soul temple of every defilement.  “No-one need say that his case is hopeless, that he cannot live the life of a Christian.  Ample provision is made by the death of Christ for every soul.  Jesus is our ever-present help in time of need.”  Ibid., 215.

The church is divided; the church of today is divided into two groups.  Of one group, every single one of them will be destroyed.  In the other group, every single one of them will be saved without the loss of one.  Friends, what group are you going to be in? 

“Now is the time to prepare.  The seal of God will never be placed upon the forehead of an impure man or woman.  It will never be placed on the forehead of the ambitious, world-loving man or woman.  It will never be placed upon the forehead of men or women of false tongues or deceitful hearts.  All who receive the seal must be without spot before God—candidates for heaven.”  Ibid., 216.

What mould are you preparing to receive?  Are you preparing to receive the worldly mould and get the mark of the beast, or are you preparing to receive the heavenly mould, the seal of God?  The mould you receive is dependent on the choices that you are making day by day. 

I want to appeal to you before we sing our closing song.  As we’ve studied this, has the Spirit of God spoken to your heart?  Do you want to be among this faithful few, this little company?  Do you really?  Don’t be like the man and the woman that went together for 20 years and never got married.  Don’t wait until it’s too late.  The choice is yours.  Probation hasn’t closed yet.  You can still accept Jesus as the Lord of your life and your Savior from sin.  You can choose to receive the heavenly mould instead of the earthly mould.  You can choose to repent and confess your sins and put them all away.  You can ask the Lord to deliver you and make you one of His faithful few.  Do you want to be part of the faithful few?  If you do, let’s pray about it.

Father in heaven, I pray for Jesus’ sake that you will deliver us from the fear of the Jews.  Help us to understand the difference between profession and reality.  Help us to understand that having our names on a church book anywhere in this world will not guarantee our salvation, if we do not have a Christ-like character.  Help us to understand what the Bible says and not try to make excuses.  Lord, help us to not be following Jesus always afar off and never making a commitment.  Oh Lord, I pray that when that day comes and your people are marked, are sealed, are candidates for heaven, that none of us will be among the number who did not receive the mark and are destroyed along with Babylon.  Oh Lord, I intercede for each person here, as we hear that still small voice saying this is the way, walk in it.  I pray you will give us the courage and faith to say yes Lord, I am going to make a commitment with Jesus Christ.  I am going to acknowledge him as the Lord of my life, to turn my life over to His control, to His leading and guiding.  Lord I pray that as we are choosing to make that decision that we might receive the Holy Spirit and that we may receive the joy, the love, and the peace that only Jesus can give.  I pray that that Spirit that He gives to us may transform us in character, deliver us from our natural humanness, and help us to grow in grace and to become Christ-like in character, especially in our homes.  We pray this in Jesus’ name and for His sake.  Amen.