The Little Company Who Are Sighing and Crying

The following thoughts are derived from what Ellen White wrote about the little company who would be sighing and crying toward the end of time. The main source of these statements is in volume 5 of Testimonies for the Church pages 207–216.

We are living in that period of time described by the prophet when the great crisis of the ages is fast approaching, when the rapidly increasing wickedness shows that God’s visitation has about come, when every one of the Lord’s children must do his duty to labor diligently to save others. The danger and depression of the church are hastening toward their greatest point and at this time it is predicted that there will be a little company who are standing in the light and will be sighing and crying for the abominations that are done in the land. The land where these awful abominations are done is the land of the church.

What we want to know is (1) who is this little company and what are their identifying characteristics and (2) what is this sighing and crying for the abominations that are done in the church.

First we must understand that the church which Ellen White speaks about here is not the true church in reality but the professed people of God, most of whom are not living out the truth they profess. This can easily be shown. Just as there was an Israel according to the flesh and a true Israel of the promise (Romans 9:6-8) so there is a modern Israel according to the profession and there is within this a true Israel whose character lines up with their profession. Notice during this time, “But the glory of the Lord had departed from Israel; although many still continued the forms of religion, His power and presence were lacking.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 210. God’s power and presence were lacking from the church (the professed church) but concerning the true church the prophet writes, “To the end of time the presence of the Spirit is to abide with the true church.” The Acts of the Apostles, 54, 55.

So there will be a large professed church (those who profess the Seventh-day Adventist faith) and within this large group there is a little company. As we will see, this little company will emerge as the church triumphant at the end. We now turn our attention to this little company. What qualifications must one have to be a part of this group?
The little company has the following characteristics:

They keep the commandments, including the Sabbath. They have come out from the world and stand in defense of God’s law.
They are standing in the light—they are obeying the counsels of God’s spirit to the remnant church. They are bound together by the truth. They have preserved the faith in its purity. (They are Historic Adventists!)
They are sighing and crying for the abominations that are done in the land. They will have a soul anguish, expressed in lamentation and weeping, reproofs and warnings.
More especially their prayers are arising in behalf of the professed church whose members are doing after the manner of the world.
They have kept themselves unspotted from the world.
They have reproved, counseled and entreated, holding forth the words of life to the professed church.
They will not hold their peace to obtain favor of any.
They are filled with grief and alarm because they are powerless to stop the rushing torrent of iniquity (in God’s professed church).
They mourn and lament because religion is despised in the homes of God’s professed people and pride, avarice, selfishness and deception of almost every kind are in the professed church.
The spirit of God which prompts these people to reprove is trampled underfoot. The servants of Satan triumph, God is dishonored and the truth is made of none effect.
They receive the seal of God.
They make God their defense in the deadly conflict with the powers of earth who command them to worship the beast and receive his mark or die.
Their character defects are remedied by the grace of God and their own diligent efforts. They do not yield to circumstances but engage in the conflict of overcoming.
They are distrustful of self and are humbling themselves before God and purifying their souls by obeying the truth, they are being purified, overcome worldly ambition, love of the world and a false tongue and a deceitful heart—they are without spot before God.

In the same articles where Ellen White describes the true church (the little company) who are obeying the truth, she describes a much larger group. This group, though professing the Adventist faith, (they are the true church by profession) their character does not agree with their profession. They lose their souls at the end even if they have been Adventists all their lives! Here is the inspired description of them.

They are contaminated by the prevailing iniquity.
They lose their reverence for God’s law.
They live after the manner of the world.
They continue the forms of religion.
They throw a cloak over the existing evil and excuse the great wickedness everywhere prevalent. (When you are listening to sermons telling you to go back where you were disfellowshipped or forced out for conscience sake, remember who this group is described in #5.)
This group triumphs over the little company.
This group does not feel grieved over it’s own spiritual declension.
They do not mourn over the sins of others.
This group includes leaders who stand as guardians of the spiritual interests of the people.
They take the position that we need not look for miracles and marked manifestation of God’s power as in former days. They say that “times have changed.”
They cry peace and safety and talk about the mercy of God. (They overlook His justice.)
They do not show God’s professed people their transgressions and sins.
Those who have been regarded as worthy and righteous will be discovered by God as leaders in apostasy and examples in indifference.
They have been used powerfully by God in the past but they have departed from God and led others into error.
They link in sympathy with the world.
Many among the leaders of God’s people will be in this category and will not receive the seal of God in their foreheads.
These leaders understand every point of our faith (they are not heretics in the usual sense of the word) but had not corresponding works.
They failed to reach a high religious standard by their lack of devotion and piety.
Those who followed them did not see that in patterning after these men (these leaders in the big group of professed Adventists) they will surely endanger their souls.
They yield to circumstances rather than engage in the conflict of overcoming.
They are receiving the worldly mold and preparing for the mark of the beast.

From the context of the article it is clear that the small group described first are the Historic Adventists and the large group described last are the vast majority of those professing the Adventist faith. At first reading, this thought is so imponderable as to escape reflection—certainly such a thing seems impossible, yet it is the truth of prophecy.

It is not pleasant to contemplate the destruction of the majority of God’s professed people but many prophecies clearly predict this. (See for example Testimonies, vol. 1, 608, 609; Testimonies, vol. 5, 136.) How can such a thing happen? Do not these people expect to be ready to meet Jesus when He comes and go home with Him? Of course they do. So why will many be bitterly disappointed? Part of the reason is described in the quotations below. We must go to our closet and plead with God to be delivered from self-deception—thinking we are saved when we are not.

Our great danger today is the same danger that the Jews had—the danger of being self-deceived. In crucifying Christ they thought that they were doing God service. (See Signs of the Times, January 10, 1900.)

“The Jews pursued their course of rejecting Christ until, in their self-deceived, deluded state, they thought that in crucifying Him they were doing God a service. Thus it will be with all who resist the entreaties of the Spirit of God, and persist in doing what they know to be wrong. The Spirit once resisted, there will be less difficulty in resisting it a second time. If we maintain the independence of the natural heart, and refuse the correction of God, we shall, as did the Jews, stubbornly carry out our own purposes and ideas in the face of the plainest evidence, and shall be in danger of as great deception as came on them. In our blind infatuation we may go to as great lengths as they did, and yet flatter ourselves that we are doing work for God. Those who continue in this course will reap what they have sown. They were afforded a shelter, but they refused it. The plagues of God will fall, and He will prevent them not.” Review and Herald, July 27, 1897.

“If the worldly element is allowed to take possession of the heart, things that are not approved of God will seem right, and the religious life will be mixed with error. The perceptions will not be clear and distinct to understand the word and will of the Lord. There is danger of pursuing this course of disobedience until the wrong is gilded over, conscience is blunted, and the self-deceived one believes himself on the highway of holiness when he is on the downward road to perdition.” Signs of the Times, August 6, 1885.

“It is difficult for us to understand ourselves, to have a correct knowledge of our own characters. The Word of God is plain, but often there is an error in applying it to one’s self. There is liability to self-deception and to think its warnings and reproofs do not mean me. ‘The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?’ (Jeremiah 17:9). Self-flattery may be construed into Christian emotion and zeal. Self-love and confidence may give us assurance that we are right when we are far from meeting the requirements of God’s Word.” Testimonies, vol. 5, 332, (1885).

The same events that happened in Jesus’ day are to happen again by those who must have their own way and as a result deceive not only others but themselves:

“Some who profess righteousness will, like Judas, betray their Lord into the hands of His bitterest enemies. These self-confident ones, determined to have their own way and to advocate their own ideas, will go on from bad to worse, until they will pursue any course rather than to give up their own will. They will go on blindly in the way of evil, but, like the deluded Pharisees, so self-deceived that they think they are doing God’s service. Christ portrayed the course which a certain class will take when they have a chance to develop their true character: ‘And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death.’ ” Testimonies, vol. 5, 690, 691.

Our only chance of avoiding self-deception is to become humble and teachable like a little child, casting away all pride of opinion and choosing to follow the way of the Lord with humility and patience. (See Testimonies, vol. 5, 214.)

“There is danger, great danger with all men of becoming self-deceived.” Manuscript Release, vol. 13, 28.

“From the light that God has given me, I know that men’s great danger is in being self-deceived. Satan is watching his chance. He will come to men in human form, and will speak to them most entrancing words. He will bring against them the same temptations that he brought against Christ. Unless their minds and hearts are filled with the pure, unselfish, sanctified love that Christ revealed, they will fall under Satan’s power, and will do and say and write strange things, to deceive, if it were possible, the very elect.” Upward Look, 295.

We have been warned. The shaking taking place now, which will indeed intensify, was predicted and described by God’s messenger to the remnant in the most graphic terms. Unless you are a diligent student of inspired writings, unless the study of the Word of God has resulted in filling your heart with the love of Jesus and the faith of Jesus, if you are looking and trusting to the arm of flesh or anything that you can see or perceive in the flesh, not walking by faith alone, the snare will sweep you off your feet—you will be deceived with the majority and not know it until it is too late.

“Some who have been deceived by men in responsible places will repent, and be converted. And in all our dealings with them, we must remember that none of those who are in the depth of Satan’s snares know that they are there.” Battle Creek Letter, 125.